The following morning, Harry sighed as he threw off his covers and got up out of bed. He had a restless night of sleep the prior night unfortunately. His dreams were full of nightmarish scenarios of his friends being attacked by the monster for about the first hour he had tried sleeping. The rest of the night, his dreams consisted of his parents, Aurora and his dad that was, being taken from him in various types of ways. After every nightmare, he had woken up, crying and scolding himself for it. He was twelve, not two. He knew deep down they were just dreams, but they felt so real, though.

"Morning, Hedwig," he mumbled softly, passing by her cage as the snowy owl watched him curiously. He left his room a minute later.

As he dawdled towards the kitchen, his mind jumped to his reoccurring thought. Would his dad and mum even be out there, or had they truly been taken already? He kicked the floor grumpily. He needed to stop thinking like that. His parents were fine.

His mind then moved onto his friends as he continued down the hallway. Had Ron and Hermione finished brewing the Polyjuice potion already? He vaguely remembered Hermione saying it'd be done around Christmas, which was less than a week away. If only he could send Hedwig to them, tell them to lay low and be safe in a message, but he knew he couldn't. His dad had made that explicitly clear.

Harry walked through the entryway a moment later, relaxing slightly at the sight of his dad and grandfather sitting at the kitchen table already. He slowly walked to one of the empty chairs and sat across from his dad. He gave his grandfather a faint smile when the man glanced at him before his eyes moved over to Harry's dad.

"Dad?" whispered the young boy soon after.

"Yes?" Harry's dad's eyes darted to him instantly as he gave Harry his full attention.

"I'm sorry for yesterday." Harry glanced down at his waffles, stabbing one of them and tearing it apart with his fork. "I get it now. You were just trying to protect us. I should have trusted you and just followed. You didn't need some bratty twelve-year-old freaking out about his friends. Not when you've got Mum to worry about." Harry shrugged. "So, you know, I'm sorry, Dad. For being a brat."

His dad snorted softly. "Part of growing up, son, is being a brat sometimes. I know how much your friends mean to you, and I'm sorry as well that you're not with them."

"It's fine," Harry replied with another shrug before he took a bite of his waffle. He swallowed a moment later. "I mean, it's to keep us safe. And it's not like we can tell people we're here or it wouldn't exactly be a safe location anymore, would it?"

"No it wouldn't," his dad agreed.

"And we'll go back when it's safe." Harry then sighed, swinging his legs. "I guess, um, another part of why I was upset was because I had plans with them. Ron and Hermione, I mean."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, we, um, that is to say—you see, Dad, we, um—Hermione brewed Polyjuice." Harry gulped when he caught his dad's brow raise.

"Did she now? You informed her that I was aware of your so-called plans, did you not?"

"Yeah, but she and Ron wanted to know." When his dad's eyes narrowed on him, Harry glanced down at his plate. "And me too," he added quietly. "We just wanted to help, Dad. Honest. We thought we could find out who opened the chamber and, you know, stop it like I did last year with Professor Quirrell. That way you'd only have to worry about Mum."

"Harry—" His dad then growled before he shook his head. "What part of 'I don't want you hurt' do you not understand, son?"

"I'm sorry, Dad."

"So you keep saying."

Harry frowned when he heard his grandfather snort into his cup. He glanced at the older man, noticing that his father had done the same.

"Do you have something to add, Tobias?" Harry's dad asked with a bit of a growl to his voice.

"Hmm?" Tobias chuckled, waving the question off. "Oh. No." He then shrugged. "Only that the apple didn't fall far from the tree there, son."

"And just what do you mean by that?"

"Well, seems to me that the lad here was keeping certain things from you so you wouldn't worry about him. Sort of like how you were with Aurora last night. He keeps things close to his heart and plays his cards when the time's right. Would make him hell of a poker player, I'd bet."

"That is entirely different from this situation."

"Oh?" Tobias replied, leaning back and crossing his arms. "How do ya figure, son?"

"It just is."

"No it ain't, and ya know it, Severus. Ya hid things from her because ya didn't want to hurt her. He hid things from you because he didn't want to hurt you. A spade's a spade there, son. No matter how many times you turn it."

Harry heard his dad's low grumble in response. He wisely stabbed another piece of waffle and shoved it into his mouth to keep from laughing. Honestly, his grandpa rocked.

"I take it, then, that Granger was the one who stole from my stores the other day?"

"Yes, sir," Harry answered with a sigh. Hermione was going to kill him. Not to mention Ron.

His dad muttered something under his breath. "When was she going to finish brewing it?"

"Sometime around Christmas, I think." Harry heard his dad mutter more and frowned. "Dad?"

"Your friends are idiots. Does she have any idea how complicated—" His dad's voice trailed off. "Idiot Gryffindors."

"Hey!" Harry yelled.

"You could have gotten yourselves killed, Harry."

Tobias made sort of sneezing sounds that sounded like "Pot" and "Kettle."

"Do you have something to add, Tobias?"

"No. No. Must be those damn allergies of mine, son. Carry on."

Harry caught his dad's glare directed at his grandfather and had to bite his cheek to keep from snickering. He'd say it again. His grandpa rocked.

"Well, your allergies are incorrect, old man. I am not the pot calling the kettle black."

"Sure sounds like ya are, son."

"Hardly."

"Definitely," Tobias replied.

"How do you figure?"

Harry's head whipped back and forth between the older wizards. It was like watching a tennis match. Only this was a lot more fun to watch in his opinion.

"Ya could have gotten yourself killed as well, son, trying to figure out about this chamber monster thingamajig. And if that cut to yer chest was a bit higher, ya would've, too. So, I'm right. Pot calling the kettle here black. Simple as that."

"I am a fully grown wizard—"

"Yes ya are, son. Congratulations on that, but you still got yer arse handed to ya by an old man. Disregarding, of course, the fact that the old man was Albus Dumbledore."

"You're not helping here."

Tobias shrugged before he took a drink from his cup and swallowed. "Ain't really trying to, son. By the way, did ya sort things out with your lass last night?"

"What?"

Harry blinked as well. That was an abrupt change in topic. He frowned before he glanced at his dad. What did his grandfather mean by did his dad work things out? Were his dad and mum fighting?

"Ya heard me just fine, Severus," drawled Tobias before he sighed and slowed down his speech, enunciating every word. "Did you work things out with her last night?"

"No. Aurora made it clear she didn't want to talk with me."

Tobias groaned instantly. "Hell, son. Sometimes I wonder how on earth ya got such a lovely woman like her when ya know absolutely nothing about women. Let me guess. She had her back turned to ya when ya went to talk to her?"

"Yes," Harry's dad replied with a slight edge to his voice now.

"So, instead of just pushing through it, ya let her go to sleep pissed with ya and left?" Tobias snorted. "Ya just digging yer own grave there, son."

"I was giving her space last night. Was that wrong?"

"Son, piece of advice for ya, don't ever let a woman go to bed angry with ya. Least of all a witch. Hell, she's likely in that room right now thinking of ways to torture you."

Harry couldn't help but laugh. He glanced down when his dad's eyes darted to him.

"Now, get up off yer arse and go in there, son. Let her vent. Before she comes out here and hexes yer arse to oblivion."

"I didn't do anything wrong, though," argued Harry's dad. "I was letting her calm down."

"Yeah, I know, but in this instance, she ain't needing time to calm down. What she needs is ya reassuring her that she ain't gonna be some widow because ya got yourself killed. She needs ya to tell her that ya understand why she's ticked with ya, and that you won't scare her like that again."

Harry's eyes narrowed on his dad. Was he hurt that bad yesterday? The man seemed fine today. At least he did to Harry.

"Women are too damn complicated," his dad said under his breath.

"Yeah, just be glad Aurora ain't like yer mum, son. She takes women and complicated to a whole new level. Trust me." Tobias sighed. "Go on. I got things here. The longer ya put this off, the angrier than hell she's gonna be with ya." At the sound of a sharp knock on the front door, the wizards glanced towards it. "Ya expecting company?"

"Not that I'm aware," Harry's dad answered with a frown as he headed towards the door. He pulled back the curtain slightly before he snorted. He opened the door a moment later, relaxing visibly. "Mrs. Andrews, what a pleasure. How may I help you today?"

The thin elderly woman gave Harry's dad a warm smile as her eyes darted behind him to glance at Tobias and Harry. She drew in a slow breath a moment later.

"You can't, Severus. Not today. But I can help you." She laughed softly, waving off his motion for her to come in. "I'm just here for a moment. Have to prune the roses in a bit before the storm moves in, you understand?" She didn't wait for him to respond before she continued. "About a month ago, I caught a man watching your house closely. He asked me if you had been home lately. Course I told him that you were away on business, but the man was quite interested in the house, Severus. Thought you should know since you're home now."

"I see." Harry's dad inclined his head silently. "Thank you, Mrs. Andrews."

"Oh, anytime, dear. Anything to help out my neighbor." She then glanced towards Tobias before she quickly looked away. "I see you found your father. Not to mention that beautiful woman of yours. I told you that you'd find her. Didn't I, Severus?"

"You did indeed, Mrs. Andrews."

"Where is she by the way? I would love to meet her." She then smiled, holding up a hand and cutting him off once more. "Say no more. She's resting. I understand entirely." Her eyes darted to Harry, then. "A fine looking son you have, too, Severus. Hello, Harry."

Harry blinked before he glanced at his dad. She knew his name? Then again, most people did.

"Uh, hello, Mrs. Andrews." The young boy watched her smile widen.

"It won't be long now, young man."

"Huh?" He frowned when she laughed.

"You'll see." She winked at him before she turned her attention back to Severus. "Well, I best be off before the storm comes in."

Harry glanced out the window, his frown deepening. There wasn't a cloud in the sky.

"I'll make sure I have your favorite tea prepared tonight when you visit, Severus." She then rested a hand on Harry's dad's arm and squeezed it sympathetically. "Do try not to worry so, hmm? It will all work out in the end. I promise." She then turned away and headed back to her house.

"Dad? What just happened?"

Harry heard his dad's snort instantly as the man closed the door.

"Mrs. Andrews can sometimes predict things before they happen, Harry. It's one of her more annoying habits unfortunately." He sighed softly. "It's the only bit of magic she displays, I'm afraid."

"Why?"

"Decades back, she had a bit of an accident. She's never spoken about it other than she lost most of her magic years ago. And I've never asked for obvious reasons." His dad frowned. "I would imagine she was a true Seer back then. Now, she just gets flashes every now and then. She certainly has a better successful prediction rate than Trelawney."

"Who?"

"A professor at Hogwarts. You'll likely have class with her next year. Unfortunately."

"Oh." Harry swung his legs slightly. His dad didn't seem to hold much faith in his coworker.

"Son," Tobias stressed. "Go talk to her. Now. Before she puts a curse on yer bits."

"She wouldn't do that."

"Want make a bet, son?"

Harry grimaced and noticed his dad's frown grow. He could back his grandpa up that his mum had at least done it before. He could still hear the man in the alley that she had cursed like that.

"I couldn't have hurt her that badly."

"It ain't about hurting her, son. It's about ya making her think even for a moment that ya could have died. That pisses people off more than anything else, because no one wants to lose someone they love. I know you know that."

Harry's dad exhaled loudly. He clearly wasn't in a good mood anymore. Then again, when was he in a good mood?

"Go talk to her, Severus. Ya ain't helping yourself waiting for the grass to grow."

"Fine."

"Good boy."

Harry heard his dad's quiet growl instantly. He glanced down to hide his smile at that. He stabbed another piece of waffle, quickly eating it. His mind wondered back to Mrs. Andrews's earlier words. Something wouldn't be long now, but what was it? She was smiling when she said it and winked, too, so clearly it was something good. He bit his bottom lip as he thought more on it. Would it be that he was going to have his family that he always wanted? He had a dad, a mum, and a grandpa already. All that was left was siblings. He glanced at his dad who was leaving, his green eyes widening. Oh.

~FKTF~

Several moments later, Snape stood in front of the closed door. It was before nine so he was certain that she was asleep still, which made him even more hesitant. She really wasn't a morning person by a long shot. However, his dad was right. He drew in a breath and knocked once.

"Aurora?" He paused for a moment. His eyes narrowed when he heard movement inside. However, he heard no reply from her. He knocked once more before his hand went to the doorknob. Something felt off. Even if she was upset with him, she'd still reply.

He opened the door a moment later and walked in. The room was empty, but the bed clearly had been slept in—restlessly he noted. "Aurora?" he called out, glancing around. He frowned when he heard a noise from the adjoining room. "Are you all right?"

Why wasn't she answering him? He received his answer a moment later when he heard her sicking up. Pushing open the door, he quickly headed to her, holding back her long dark curly hair soon after. He had thought her stomach bug from the other day had passed. She had certainly seemed better yesterday. He rubbed her back silently as he had done before and waited for it to pass, though.

"Better?" he asked quietly several moments later.

"Somewhat," she whispered, groaning and leaning back against him. Her eyes closed as she focused on her breathing for a bit. "I can't seem to shake this damn thing."

"So I see." He held her silently against him. "I should get you some anti-nausea medication when I'm out later, then."

"Out?"

"If we're going to reside here for awhile, we'll need supplies obviously." He felt her nod slowly. He pursed his lips a moment later and let the silence fall around them. He was delaying their much needed conversation. Even he knew it. "Do you need me to bring you back anything else?"

"A book maybe, I guess. I don't know."

"All right." He closed his eyes, inhaling slowly. He knew that she'd likely fall asleep if he continued to remain silent. However, he truly didn't know how to start. He wasn't good with apologies. And his past experiences usually had the result of broken friendships as a result of them. "Aurora?"

"Yeah?" Sheer exhaustion could be heard in her voice.

"I apologize for scaring you yesterday. I should have informed you that I was hurt instead of hiding it as I did. However, I'm still adjusting to all of this." It was a lame excuse, he thought snidely. In fact, he couldn't believe he had just said it.

"I know," she slurred slightly as she started to drift asleep.

"I've been on my own for so long that it doesn't dawn on me sometimes to let others know," he continued, deciding that it would be best if he tucked her back into bed as he spoke. "I didn't consider your feelings on the matter. All I thought about was how you and Harry were in danger." He gently picked her up into his arms and carried her out of the bathroom.

"You were scared, Severus." Her arms wrapped around his neck as she buried her head there.

"Yes, but you see that's foolish of me, Aurora." He sighed, walking through the bedroom and into the corridor. "I let my emotions control me, and I made a bad decision as a result."

"No."

"Yes," he argued, turning the doorknob to the master bedroom's door before pushing it open. "We have no provisions here whatsoever." He carried her through the modestly-sized bedroom. "My son's education is likely going to suffer, because he won't be in school until who knows when." He gently placed her atop of the king-sized bed. "Not to mention, we practically walked out on our jobs."

"It'll work out," she mumbled, turning away from him to nuzzle further into the fluffy pillow.

"I wish I shared your optimism." He sighed, brushing aside a few stray curls that had fallen onto her face. He sat down on the edge of the bed and watched her sleep for a few moments.

They needed supplies. By his estimate, the house only had about a day's amount of food left for all three of them. They had no medication. So if she was truly ill, he had nothing to give her to help. In fact, they had no more medical supplies left since they had used it on him yesterday. If something were to occur, Merlin helped them, they would be practically helpless he figured. Not to mention, he knew for certain he didn't have enough clean clothes to last him for however long they'd be there.

Snape stood up a moment later and headed out of his bedroom, closing the door behind him as he left. He quickly strode down the hallway towards the kitchen where he figured Harry and Tobias were still sitting. He noticed his dad's look instantly when the older man glanced up at him.

"I spoke with her. However, she appears to be ill still from the other day, so she's resting now."

"Ill?" Tobias repeated. His blue eyes darted to Harry for a moment before they returned to Snape. "Son, answer me something."

Snape sighed. Oh, here he went with his ridiculous theories again.

"She's been like this off-and-on for, what, like a week or two now?"

"Roughly, yes," Snape agreed, crossing his arms. He wasn't going to let the man spout of his ideas this time. "However, what she's ill with doesn't matter, Tobias. I'll pick up some medication for her, and we'll deal with it. Now, tell me what both of you need and I'll bring it back."

"You're rounding up supplies, then?"

"Yes." Snape had thought that was obvious. He caught his dad's look and frowned. "What?"

"By yourself?"

"That is the plan, yes. Is there a problem with that?"

"No. No problem, son." Tobias shrugged, pulling a list out from his shirt pocket. "We sort of came up with that stuff already."

Snape snatched it and quickly glanced over the sloppy handwriting. He glanced at his dad a moment later. "Adequate, I suppose." The majority of things Snape was thinking of picking up were on the list already, which made it easier.

"There are a couple of lady things on there, too. At least things I know I had to pick up for yer mum a few times when we were living together. Ya sure ya want to go alone, son?"

"Are you insinuating that I am unable to pick up such things?"

"Well, son, it's just some men ain't comfortable picking up a box of tampons, ya know?"

"What's a—" the twelve-year-old started to say.

"Never mind, Harry," Snape cut off quickly. He really didn't want that conversation yet. "Unlike most men, I'm not that worried what others care of me, Dad."

"All right, then." Tobias shrugged, taking a drink from his cup.

Snape turned and headed for the door. "I'll be back shortly. Please allow her to sleep. She needs her rest today."

"All right, Dad," Harry replied.

"Whatever ya say, son. We'll be good in yer absence."

Shaking his head, Snape grabbed a set of keys from the table. He knew he'd get questions from Harry, but he'd answer them later. Right now, he really needed to get supplies.

Instead of walking out the front door, he walked to a side door and stepped out into the garage. Pressing the button once, he unlocked the doors and opened the driver's door. He pressed another button and heard his garage door slowly open. Putting the key in the ignition, he started the black Dodge Charger and put it into reverse. He could only imagine the questions Harry would have for him when he got back. The number one question being about how he knew how to drive a Muggle car.

As he backed out into his driveway, Snape noticed the front door open. He frowned when he saw Tobias and Harry burst out of the house. For a split second, he thought about peeling out onto the street and taking off, but he knew that it'd only upset his son. He pressed a button to roll down his window so he could hear them if they yelled anything out to him. He gave them a short wave when they said nothing, though, assuming that they just were saying their goodbyes. However, when he had just put the car into drive, his dad called out after him.

"Don't forget to pick up a pregnancy test, son!"

Snape slammed on his brakes instantly, throwing the car into park in the middle of the street as his head whipped towards the grinning older man who had an affectionate grandfatherly arm around Harry. He caught Mrs. Andrews looking up from her roses at them and glared at his dad. If that was a joke, he'd murder the man. Without so much as a word, he shifted the car back into drive and took off.

Aurora couldn't be pregnant. He glared out the windshield as he drove to the nearest store. There was no way she was. They had only been intimate that one time. His frown deepened. Then again, he had only been with Lily one time, too, and he now had a son as a result of that.

Reaching the store in record time, he shut the engine off and slammed the door behind him, pressing a button to lock the doors and activate the alarm a moment later as he headed towards the doors. He shook his head. No. No it wasn't possible. So she had been sick off-and-on for the past two weeks. That didn't mean that she was pregnant necessarily. It could still be just a stupid bug. He grabbed a cart and headed through the store, tossing in various items as his mind continued to wrap around his father's oh-so kind parting words to him.

After having filled the cart full of the essentials—food and clothes, he found himself heading towards the back of the store. His eyes kept glancing up at the offending Family Planning sign that taunted him. He turned into a nearby aisle, though, and grimaced at the shelves upon shelves full of female supplies. He really should have asked her to come with so she could have picked. His eyes moved over the various boxes, skimming the labeling. He stopped after a few moments and sighed. For a moment, he thought about picking up one of each box, just so he'd have one that was right. But she'd likely laugh at him for it—not out of spite or anything, but because it would be amusing, he assumed. He sighed again. Then again, if he grabbed three different boxes, it would increase his odds a bit. He did just that, tossing them into the cart. Next time, she'd be picking them up for herself.

"Oh, what a kind young man you are," smiled an elderly woman standing at the far end of the aisle. "What a lucky woman she is."

Snape forced a smile and nodded. Yes, Aurora certainly would feel lucky after this, he thought sarcastically. He then pushed his cart around the corner and closed his eyes. Family Planning aisle here he came. He walked down the aisle and paused in front of the boxes. It was better to be safe than sorry, after all. And at least they would be able to rule that out as a possible reason she was sick. He glanced at the boxes before he chose one that stated it was easy to read in just five minutes.

With the shopping done, he headed for the nearest checkout aisle. He put his items up on the conveyor belt and completed the ritual of shopping hell by paying for it all, two hundred pounds later. It was so much easier shopping as a wizard than a Muggle, he thought grumpily.

~FKTF~

Several hours later after everything had been put away in the house, Snape walked into the master bedroom. He paused at the door when he noticed that Aurora was awake sitting on the edge of the bed. The box in the bag felt as if it was burning him, but he knew it was all in his head.

"Aurora?" She glanced at him. He sighed and quickly sat down beside her.

"What's in the bag?" He held it out to her.

"Just in case," he said softly. He watched her emotions quickly flood her face as she pulled the pregnancy test box out. He said nothing when her eyes darted to him.

"Severus?"

"So we can rule it out, Aurora," he stated coolly.

"You think I'm pregnant?"

"I, I do not know." He glanced down at his hands and frowned. "It is possible after all."

"We only were together that one time, though."

"And I was only with Lily once as well, Aurora. Harry is a result of that as we both know."

"Yes, but she was taking fertility potions at the time, Severus. I'm not."

He blinked and stared at her. He heard her gasp, then, followed by a groan.

"Dammit. I don't suppose you can forget I said that?"

"No." His eyes narrowed on her. "What do you know, Sinistra?"

"Just that she was taking fertility potions, and it was causing her a bit of a problem when she was in labor with Harry." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "One of her healers mentioned it as he informed the healer-in-charge who was with me at the time."

"What were you doing on the maternity level that night?"

"Surgery, and I would appreciate it if I left it at that for now." His frown deepened. "Severus, it's really not something a girlfriend tells her boyfriend after three months of dating. Trust me."

"As you wish." He glanced at the box in her hands.

"You really want me to take this?"

"Yes," he replied quietly, looking up at her.

"What if I am? Then, what, Severus?"

"Then, we will deal with it, Aurora."

"Deal with it?" she repeated, looking outraged as she hopped off the bed. "Deal with it?!" She scoffed before she stormed out of the bedroom.

"Aurora!" he called after her. He followed her, not even noticing that they had stepped outside. Who would have known that she could walk so fast in those heels? "Aurora, stop!" She, however, continued down the street, almost running away from him now as he chased her. "Aurora!" He growled. "Dammit, woman! Get back here!"

"Why? So you can 'Deal with it,' Severus?"

"I didn't mean it like that, you foolish woman!" He growled when she stopped and turned around. "I merely meant that if you were, I would support you and our child. That you wouldn't raise our child alone. Merlin, woman, think for once in your pathetic life!"

"You—Oh."

"Indeed. Now, get back here." He glared at her, feeling himself relax inwardly as she started to head back to him. They were beyond the wards of his house. In fact, they were standing in the street in front of Mrs. Andrews's house. He held his hand out to her as she neared, only to yell out her name as someone suddenly appeared next to her and grabbed her around her midsection. "Aurora!"

"Now, now, be a good little wizard and go away," hissed the man, showing his long fangs near Aurora's neck as she struggled in his arms. "This doesn't concern you." His eyes darted behind Snape before he abruptly vanished with Aurora.

"No!" Snape took a step forward only to groan when he felt a sudden jolt in his chest. He drew in a shaky breath. It felt as if someone had stuck a hand through his chest. He could feel warm breath against his ear and tried to keep his emotions under control.

"Do not fret," a soft female voice whispered in his ear. "I will keep Mistress Aurora safe."

"Who?" He couldn't finish his question because of the pain in his chest.

"A friend."

The invisible woman pressed a kiss to his cheek, then, before the pain suddenly disappeared. He fell to his knees and held a hand to his chest. His eyes darted about the street. They had been lying in wait for them to come out. He groaned, inhaling deeply.

"All right there, dear?" Mrs. Andrews called from her front step.

He glanced at her, noticing her look. The elderly woman didn't seem at all curious as she looked at him. In fact, she seemed to look as if she had expected to find him kneeling in front of her house.

"Well, you best come in. No need to be lollygagging out about there. Won't do any good, you know," Mrs. Andrews announced. "I've got a spot of tea ready for you, dear. Anytime you're ready." She then turned around. "Unless of course you don't want to find Ms. Sinistra."

He grimaced and pushed himself up slowly. He had never said Aurora's name to Mrs. Andrews. The old woman was good, but she wasn't that good. He stumbled to her door, knowing that Harry and Tobias were safe in the house. Something told him, though, that he had to go on in the house alone.

Once he reached her house, he pressed a hand against the doorframe and closed his eyes. His chest still had a dull ache in it. Though, he imagined that was thanks to the woman who had held him up. He slipped inside a moment later, closing the door behind him.

"Mrs. Andrews?" He noticed her standing in the middle of the room. The way she was standing was eerie. He couldn't put his finger on it. "What do you know?"

"Tea first, dear," stated the kind elderly woman.

"I don't want any damn tea," he snapped.

"Then, how will you ever be strong enough to make the connection with Aurora, Severus, and find her?" she replied with a warm smile. She patted his arm. "Be a dear and drink the tea. Trust me."

He glanced at the cup in her hands before he grabbed it. He smelled nothing but his favorite tea. He found no signs of it being tainted. He watched her as he took his first sip.

"Good choice, dear. Now, don't worry. I'll bring them over here as we wait for you to wake up." She took the cup from his hands and helped him lay on the sofa. "Find her, Severus. I know you will."