~~~~HP~~~~

Harry was lost in his thoughts the rest of the week over the fact that he'd forgotten Hermione couldn't even attempt to take her N.E. . Naturally, thinking about her exams led him to the O.W.L.s they had taken this past year. Obviously, he'd seen the level of classes Hermione was required to take compared to his own, but she went above and beyond; spending every extra second available to her in the library - the only space besides the Great Hall and each house's common room where Muggleborns and the rest of the students could co-exist together - studying until she could easily help him and Ron on their level of homework. That wasn't the case for the typical Muggleborn though, some simply weren't as naturally talented in class as his friend was and what would happen to them? The Muggleborn students weren't given a different version of the O.W.L. exams and if Harry thought they were difficult after attending five years worth of courses aimed at helping him pass the exams, there was no way even the top percentage of Muggleborn students stood a chance at passing. It was common knowledge that most Muggleborns didn't return after fifth year and Harry finally understood why: they simply didn't - or more accurately couldn't - pass their exams to continue. This time, instead of reacting in anger like all the other times he was faced with the prejudice and injustice in the world around him, he was filled with an intense sorrow that penetrated down to his core. He felt defeated. It was one thing to feel like they were tailoring the curriculum to the "Muggleborns' needs", or whatever pathetic propaganda they wanted to call it, but to require a test that the students had no chance of passing, thus ending their magical education, was completely intentional. It was done as a way to legally ensure that the selection of the wizarding population that had access to full education was limited to Purebloods and Halfbloods; it wasn't accidental, or an oversight that could be swept under the rug. Hermione would get to come back, of course, because she was smart enough to pass their test by doing her own self-studying, but not many others would.

"You look like your best friend just died," a voice said from behind him, startling Harry out of his melancholy thoughts.

Harry had started the day walking down by the river. Cokeworth's river was so polluted, you couldn't even come close to seeing the bottom. When they'd first moved to the muggle community, Harry's mum had been adamant he was not to enter the river under any circumstances. As he got older, he was sure if someone were drowning in it, she would want him to jump in and save whomever was potentially dying, but he didn't want to push his luck by asking about that specific scenario. Her very pointed warning didn't do anything to stop him from wondering what had caused so much pollution to begin with. The neighborhood had obviously been a milling town, but he didn't know what type of mill or why they would do whatever it was they did to such a prominent part of the town. Maybe if they hadn't destroyed it to begin with, the town would have had some kind of hope of surviving once the mill closed because if it weren't for the complete disrepair of the infrastructure, the landscape around them was quite beautiful. Instead, the river became a visual to any passerby just how broken the area, and its residents, had become.

Somehow, after following the river aimlessly, the young wizard ended up at the rundown park. He'd obviously been told that this was the place where his parents - his mum and Severus - had met back when they were only nine years old. Back then, the play equipment had been functional and most of the children in the neighborhood spent time there as a way to get out and away from their homes; at least that's what Severus told him and Harry never asked for details, although he got the impression staying home would have ended badly for the young Slytherin. Things between him and his parents - mostly Severus - had been strained lately, but he'd never been hit by his stepfather; he'd never even got close. Not all the kids around here were as lucky as Harry, and he'd always suspected the boy whose voice just called out to him was one of the unlucky ones.

Harry turned, already knowing who it was behind him. It was the first person he'd ever met in their neighborhood back when they first moved in and Lily used to bring him to the park to run off some of his little boy energy in the late afternoons before Severus came home from teaching at Hogwarts. At that age, Harry never cared that only one of the swings was functional or that there were no other kids in the neighborhood. All he cared about was that there was a large field he could run, and later that his friend would sometimes be there - mostly alone, but occasionally with his mum - running alongside him.

Christopher Williams was Harry's age and also lived with his mum and stepfather, which was something the two boys had been able to relate to early on. Unlike Harry though, his parents didn't get married until Chris was eight and his stepfather hated the other teen in a way that reminded Harry to be grateful Severus had actually gone a step further in wanting to adopt him; even if Harry didn't technically have a choice in it. Chris was tall and rather bony for his age, showing that his family didn't regularly get to have three meals a day as the young wizard did, both at home and away at school. He had sandy blonde hair that had a bit of a curl in it, especially when it was as long as he was currently wearing it. The muggle clothes - naturally because Chris was a muggle - his friend wore were a combination of a little too big and small at the same time and his jeans had holes across both knees, making Harry feel uncomfortable and embarrassed that he was fortunate enough to have clothing that was always in good condition and fit him well.

As far as Harry knew, Chris's stepfather didn't work and his mum was a nurse at a hospital two towns over, requiring her to work all sorts of hours throughout the week and thus needing to leave her son - especially when he was younger - with his stepfather more often than was probably safe. Recently, Harry figured the first friend he ever made in their neighborhood had likely been one of the kids hanging out at the park as a way to get away from his home; similar to Harry was now, but for very different reasons.

"No one died," Harry kicked at the dirt, walking over to his muggle friend. "Just deep in thought."

"When'd you get back from your fancy boarding school?" Chris asked and Harry physically recoiled. Since he'd never attended the local public primary school, Chris had always known Harry went to "a private school" and after he turned eleven he went to a boarding school every first of September. It had never caused a problem before, but something changed; the air between them was now just a little different and enough to make Harry yet again uncomfortable.

"Erm…" the young wizard tried to buy his time as he was thinking, "a couple of days ago. I came by, but you weren't here. I was going to stop by your house, but… it was raining."

"Prolly best you didn't if I'm honest," Chris shook his head and raised his eyebrows, "so what has you so deep in thought?"

He said the last three words in a mocking way that made Harry actually laugh as he tried to think of some way to explain what he'd been dealing with lately. Suddenly, as he was staring at a boy that could have been him in a different life - if Severus hadn't treated him like a son - the things he was dealing with, while still bad, didn't seem all that awful. So instead of going through how unfair Hermione, Dean Thomas, and his mum were treated because of something they had no control over, he just shook his head and waved it off.

The pair spent the rest of the afternoon walking along the park to the river and back. Chris told him about school this year and how he'd wanted to drop out to get a job and help his mum out, but she'd refused to allow it. To complicate matters further, his stepfather, Oscar, had told him if he dropped out of school he had better find another place to live. He didn't say so, but Harry could read between the lines - so to say - to know Chris was too afraid to leave his mum alone with Oscar. The more they talked, the more Harry had to admit things were looking better and better in the Snape household.

"You workin' this summer?" Chris asked as they walked towards Harry's house.

It was almost four in the afternoon, and tonight they were having dinner at some fancy restaurant Harry had only seen from Diagon Alley. It wasn't that he was ungrateful for the opportunity to have an internship with the auror department, he just didn't want to have a stuffy dinner with the Malfoys. When Professor McGonagall sat him down to go over his career options - as she did with every other fifth year student, regardless of their blood status - he really wasn't sure what he wanted to do. He knew what he didn't want to do: be a healer, become a professor, or work at Gringotts like Ron's brother, Bill, but most of all he didn't want to work in the bureaucracy of the Ministry, no matter how tempting it was to hopefully be able to influence change from the inside out. He'd seen enough times from his stepfather, no matter how much good you hoped to do, in the end there was too much red tape and roadblocks. At first, he'd completely dismissed the idea of auror as quickly as he had healers because why in the world would he want to join the department that had killed his biological father? But the more he thought about it, the more he came to the realization that it was really the only department that could actually make a difference; he could learn to find and bring down dark wizards so maybe they wouldn't fall into the same nightmare he was currently living through. It was a dream - he wasn't completely mental to think it could actually happen - however at that point Severus had already gotten word of his career aspirations and was so angry, Harry couldn't resist holding onto that dream. In reality, he most likely wouldn't get the "Outstanding" mark in Potions to move onto the required N.E.W.T. course, so it was a moot point.

"My…" Harry trailed off in his answer before catching himself, "Severus is trying to get me an internship at his company. So, I might be working for free this summer. How about you?"

"I'm picking up some odd jobs here and there," Chris replied in a way that intrigued the young wizard. "I'll still be around most the days before you go back to school. We'll play a pick up game of basketball sometime."

Basketball was Chris's favorite sport and really the only Muggle sport Harry played. It was something they quickly learned to bond over and a good game of basketball could pull his friend from almost any bad mood. Harry watched closely as Chris nervously clenched his fists on either side of his legs while they continued to walk in the deserted street onto Spinner's End. He knew he should ask if something was going on - like his instincts were telling him - but he didn't and before he could gain the courage Harry was almost to his front door.

"I should go," the raven-haired boy said. "We're having dinner with… a family friend."

"Ha, g'luck with that," the muggle said, "I'm holding you to the basketball game next time."

Harry smiled. It was such a normal statement that it immediately put his uneasiness to rest. Managing to convince himself that he was making something from nothing, as a projection of his own disparaging situation, he went to open the door - pretending to mess with the lock while holding his hand on the knob so the wards could recognize him - and said with a smile, "you're on!"

~~~~SS~~~~

Severus dreamed about James Potter last night, and whenever he had this particular nightmare - or more accurately this memory - he could never fall back asleep. It was as if he were destined to be haunted by the ghost memory of his wife's late husband for what had happened that night. For the rest of his life, no matter how long or short it ended up being, he would carry around the guilt like a permanent shadow lengthening and darkening when he least expected it. He should have told Lily the full story of what had happened, but he couldn't cause her any more pain. It was easier this way for all three of them, so they could move on and become the family he knew he didn't deserve.

Now it was Saturday night, only about an hour before they were all having dinner with the Malfoys, and the absolute worst night to be as exhausted as he was. He'd spent the day back at Hogwarts, closing up his classroom and even after an Invigorating Draft and an extra cup of coffee, it would be difficult to get through the fake smiles and conversations that were guaranteed to happen tonight. It was another reason he would have preferred to have dinner at Malfoy Manor; at least without being in public, he could have a real conversation with his friend, instead of fake pieces of one that may or may not end up in tomorrow's edition of The Daily Prophet.

Severus had just finished dressing in a pair of respectable black dress robes and was giving himself one last check in the mirror when he saw Lily enter their bedroom. With only one lavatory upstairs, after years of sharing it, they had their individual routines down, and Lily was always the second one to get ready for an event like tonight. She was dressed in a tight green lace dress that fell elegantly off her shoulders, with the color bringing out the vibrant emerald of her eyes and complementing her dark red hair that was wrapped in a bun on the back of her head with select tendrils falling down, giving Severus a perfect view of her neckline. She approached him with a soft smile holding out a thin gold necklace he'd given her for their fifth wedding anniversary.

"Would you mind giving me a hand here, Sev?" She asked, turning her back towards him so he could slip the necklace - which had three small diamond pendants across the front, one representing each member of their family - onto her and secure the clasp.

From this position, he was taken to another place and time by the familiar floral scent of her perfume. It was the one she reserved for special occasions and holidays, which unfortunately meant she didn't wear as often as he wished she did, but it brought him back to Christmas parties, the Yule Ball from two years ago, and anniversary dinners; his one chance to step out of his comfort zone for his lovely wife and celebrate their love. Lost in the sight of her, Severus casually slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him so he could place a soft kiss under her right ear.

"You look beautiful," he whispered to her, "I don't tell you that nearly enough."

He could feel her smile before she effortlessly turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled back and he found himself lost, gazing into her vibrant emerald eyes. It was short lived and just as quickly as the moment started, it disappeared when she said, "Does Harry seem off to you lately?"

She was facing him, still wrapped in his arms, but her eyes were no longer focused on the moment and instead had moved onto whatever had been plaguing their son now. Inwardly, he sighed; there was always something off with Harry lately, so the question seemed more than a little nebulous to him. However, the sad truth was that Lily didn't see Harry most of the year to know this fact.

"I hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary," he told his wife. "On the contrary, the quiet has been a bit of a reprieve."

It was the wrong thing to say and he knew it the moment the last sentence left his mouth, but no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't take it back. She swiftly pulled away out of his embrace with the same fire in her eyes that had become far too familiar lately.

"Of course you'd say that!" She curtly answered, "I swear, Severus… I-"

"Let's not do this now," the professor clenched his jaw as he said the words to hopefully salvage whatever he could from the night. It was going to be difficult enough to navigate the formal atmosphere of dinner in his current state of mind without adding Lily to his ever expanding plate. "All I meant by that was-"

"Mum!" Harry interrupted as he walked into the room and stopped dead in his tracks. Lily was now standing across from Severus with her hands held firmly on her hips and her head characteristically turned as it always did whenever she was angry with him. "What did you do?"

Harry's accusation didn't surprise him in the slightest, but he wasn't in the mood to put up with the fifteen year old.

"Get out," he pointed to the door behind the young wizard. "We'll be down in a minute."

But Harry didn't budge, his defiance speaking volumes, yet having no clue that this all started because of his sudden change of attitude in the first place.

"It's fine. Come along, Harry," it was Lily's sweet voice that finally got through to the teen. "Let's get going."

Defeated. That's how he felt watching the two people he vowed to protect walk out his bedroom. It was sure to be an interesting night and he hoped that the current animosity within the Snape Family wouldn't be too obvious to the elitists they were about to meet.

One of the first changes that was made to the Wizarding World once Lord Voldemort took over the Ministry was restrictions on travel. At first, it was for all witches and wizards, but that was quickly adjusted to only Muggleborns within the first three months when traveling into places like Diagon Alley to get school supplies for the upcoming year became too unmanageable. Once the Muggleborn Registry was in place and guidelines set for how those born to two Muggle parents could successfully travel in the Wizarding World, it helped alleviate some of the issues, but not all of them. Taking a casual trip to the Wizarding marketplace still took far too much planning than Severus liked, particularly when living in a "mixed household" and traveling with a Muggleborn.

Unlike the years before Voldemort's regime, witches and wizards could no longer floo directly into the Alley. Now, every floo attached to the network went directly into a room on the second floor of the Leaky Cauldron, which consisted of only a wall of four floos - two for incoming travel and two for outgoing - and a desk by the extra large doorway for security, where they would get their wands scanned before being allowed to go downstairs and out back through the wall to their final destinations. Tonight, things would be significantly easier than normal because they had a reservation at Brimstone Nova and therefore would already be on the approved list to enter. If they were trying to visit for a casual shopping trip, Severus and Harry could go through security without any issues. Lily, however, had to have set places in mind that she was planning to visit on that particular day. For each visit, she was limited to five stops - they could be declared in any order - each of which were then magically charmed into her wand allowing her access into that particular establishment. Without this specific charm in place, the wards on the shop would not allow her entry. Then, if she wanted to continue shopping after those five places, she needed to come back to the security station and re-register her wand for the next set; limited to three at a time after the first security visit. This inefficient system meant that after Harry's first year at Hogwarts - because what mother was going to miss something like her son's wand selection - it was Severus who brought the young Gryffindor to Diagon Alley to purchase his next set of school supplies.

Tonight, though, they had reservations - with the Minister no less - which would alleviate the need to declare their exact itinerary. When the whole family made it through the floo, they approached the security desk and handed over their wands for scanning. Severus's ebony wands emitted a bright green light, denoting him as a Halfblood and the superior blood status of his household, and Harry's holly wand emitted a blue light, signifying him as a Halfblood minor child. As always, Lily's wand turned a bright red, the warning color of Muggleborns, but this time a piece of parchment popped up with their reservation details listed, earning her a quick scan for security and then being waved through. Severus had fought hard after their marriage to get Lily's status changed at least to orange - meaning a Halfblood as the secondary blood status in the household - but no matter how many angles he tried, not even James's sacrifice could be used to lessen her Muggle heritage. Every time they went through this process, the professor tried not to think about the regulations that had to be followed when Muggleborn students needed to visit with their full muggle parents. After the first visit into the Wizarding World, he was surprised that Muggleborn parents would allow their children to go to Hogwarts. He could only assume that Minerva did some fancy talking when she hand delivered their letters to assure them their child would be safe. If Harry were Muggleborn and it were him deciding if the young wizard could go, he wouldn't allow it under the current limitations; nothing about this process made it feel safe. It was probably why each year, Miss Granger always came with the Weasleys, leading to Harry practically begging him to be allowed to join in with his friends, and every year Severus had to deny his son that request.

The walk down the normally bustling Alley was a quiet affair as this late at night they were approaching the general curfew for all the Wizarding World. Without a specific reservation - at either a set of stores or restaurants - the Alley was closed at nine o'clock each night and by this point in the evening, most of the patrons were finishing up their trip and heading home. The family of three walked side-by-side, all dressed up for their formal dinner, drawing attention as they headed to the end of the Alley where Brimstone Nova was nestled between Superior Scrolls and Madam Obi's Apothecary. The location wasn't random, as a place like this would recognize the benefits of requiring their clientele - in formal dresses and robes - to walk through the Alley bringing attention to their establishment.

From the outside, there was no indication that the building was an upscale dining restaurant; another strategic ploy by the owners to have people inquire about it. As they approached the outside, it was obvious that the Malfoys were already there by the set of guards standing outside the door. Severus thought if it were him and his family they were protecting, he would want his guards to appear more inconspicuous and natural, but it came with the territory of being the Minister for Magic and so they'd have to put up with it.

The inside of the restaurant was on the smaller - some would say intimate - side, lit with large candle filled chandeliers hanging from the tall ceiling throughout the room. Walking in and towards the back, where the three Malfoys were patiently waiting, he took in the odd, almost mismatched decor around them. There was something about the combination of the white elegant crown moulding covering the walls, complete with hand painted portraits and landscapes within them, and the loud carpeted floor featuring a swirling pattern of blue, green, and gold flowers that almost made him laugh. They were so far removed from their normal environment and the professor questioned to himself if anyone actually liked this style of interior design or if it was simply used as a symbol of their elite status. Even if Lily had all the vaults in Gringotts at her designing disposal, he'd be willing to bet it all that she wouldn't decorate a single room with as many different elements as this one restaurant had. As they passed through the mostly empty restaurant, each table was covered in an exquisite white table cloth made of fabric Severus wouldn't even attempt to guess, and was set with the finest china dishes that he'd ever seen outside of Malfoy Manor.

Leading the way through the winding tables, Severus glanced over his shoulder to see his wife and son directly behind him. Reaching down and he took a hold of Lily's delicate hand, feeling the familiar weight of his wedding ring pressing into his left ring finger, reminding him that no matter what had been happening between them of late, he was her husband and he needed to be strong and confident for both her and Harry. He gave her hand a small squeeze and her smile back up at him told him - after years of picking up each other's small idiosyncrasies during their marriage - that things between them would be alright; at least for tonight. Harry, on the other hand, was looking around the room not even attempting to hide his discomfort with the situation around him. Severus's obsidian eyes met the young wizard's emerald one's and he gave a firm nod to his son in hopes he'd understand the importance of using discretion tonight. This was not the place or time to jump on his latest righteousness platform.

"Severus," it was Narcissa that stood to greet them first, dressed in a floor length satin black dress with silver floral embellishments down the right side. Her blonde hair was done up in a formal bun, similar to Lily's and yet it had a more elegant feel to it, which likely had more to do with the way she always carried herself. She acted as if she were always on stage and he guessed she had been since becoming the Minister's wife.

"Good evening, Narcissa," he greeted and leaned over behind the Matriarch to shake Lucius's hand who had stood shortly after their arrival. Not surprisingly, Draco did not rise as the customary formal gesture would require, but simply lifted his hand to acknowledge the start of dinner. Severus did not miss the same glare from Lucius to Draco that he'd just given to Harry.

Perhaps even the best of families have the same struggles, the Potions Master thought to himself.

"Thank you so much for arranging all of this," Lily said, taking a seat next to Narcissa, leaving Severus sitting next to his wife with Harry on his right. "This place is absolutely gorgeous!"

The Malfoys mirrored their family, with Lucius seated between his wife and Draco. It meant the two fathers would be talking across the table, but it placed their sons and wives on either side of them. Seated this way at a round table would make their socializing more conducive this way and would also allow him the ability to keep a close eye on Draco and Harry. Although they'd known each other since Severus had married Lily, things between them changed just as dramatically as they had between himself and the Gryffindor when they'd started at Hogwarts. Draco continued to express his views on Muggleborns, targeting - hopefully unknowingly - Harry's friend, Hermione. From what the professor picked up in class and from the other professors in the school, Draco liked to taunt the Muggleborn Gryffindor witch and she took it mostly in stride. Harry, on the other, hadn't and spent far too much time in detention for standing up against the blonde. Like Harry, this year had been challenging for the Slytherin and he found his student not nearly as vivacious nor intentionally damaging with his words. Not wanting to draw attention to his own unique situation - plus having his hands full dealing with Harry already that year - he didn't question what had caused the change in Malfoy heir's attitude.

The restaurant was one where the food was simply levitated over by their waitstaff - Muggleborn, he naturally assumed - and while they did a fantastic job at announcing each course before it was served, Severus wouldn't be able to repeat what it was nor would he be able to actually identify any of the ingredients. The Snapes played their part though, with the wives discussing Narcissa's next philanthropic endeavor - something that had to do with a new children's wing at St Mungo's in the Malfoys' name where the Malfoy Matriarch was asking if Lily would volunteer to read to the children - and the boys talking about the latest Quidditch news, that left Severus and Lucius to catch up on the comings and goings in the Ministry; all of which were pre-approved talking points, of course. In the back of his mind, the professor was interested to know how much of Lucius's day was spent doing things he truly believed in versus simply being the face of the Ministry being ultimately controlled by the Lord Voldemort.

It didn't go unnoticed by Severus when the Minister waved his hand and the familiar feeling of a privacy ward went up around the table, just as the main course of roasted duck with a side made from zucchini, pumpkin, dates and pears was completed. His first reaction to the subtle ward was to praise Lucius for the advanced spell work, both wandlessly and non-verbally, however that would not be the most intelligent thing to say to the man; no matter how friendly of terms they'd been on previously. Years ago, back when they'd both been young, eager Death Eaters, they both would gotten a laugh from the comment, but now it would be interpreted as "speaking ill of the Ministry" and was a punishable offense.

"Mr Potter," Lucius broke into the two boys' conversation - which had been getting quite animated at this point and it was the most relaxed Severus had seen Harry since the end of term - drawing the table's attention back to the eldest blonde. "Your father tells me you have aspirations to become an auror."

Harry's face paled, at the blunt question or the reference to Severus as Harry's father, he wasn't sure. To the young Gryffindor's credit if it was due to the latter, he held his tongue, even if it was obvious how nervous he was when he finally did answer.

"Erm," Harry cleared his throat and looked over to Severus. He gave the teen a small nod, "yeah… I mean, yes, I want to join the aurors after Hogwarts."

"It's a bit more complicated than simply signing up," the Minister gave a small chuckle at Harry's expense, raising Severus's guard. "Not just anyone is… cut out for that line of work, if you understand what I'm saying."

There was something about the way Lucius said it that completely changed Harry's attitude. Where he started out quiet and defensive, he was now confident and secure. Severus swelled with pride over how Harry appeared to handle the criticism.

"I am well aware of the requirements, Minister," the Gryffindor quickly glanced, yet again, in Severus's direction. It was no secret between them that if anything, it would be Harry's Potions mark holding him back from his career choice, "my head of house walked me through them, same as all the other fifth years, and still had confidence that it was an obtainable option for me. So, yes, I want to be an auror to do my part to protect the Magical community from the next potential dark wizard."

With a half smile, Lucius turned to Severus and said, "You certainly do have your hands full."

"He has his moments," the Potions Master replied, "but he loves a challenge and from what I hear, he has one of the largest repertoire of spells in his year. The aurors would be lucky to find an incoming recruit that already had half of his knowledge and wand skills."

Out of the corner of his eye, Severus saw Harry's face of astonishment from the pointed compliment.

"Ah, well," the Minister said, lifting his hands in the air, "I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less, considering his fathers… both dedicated followers to Lord Voldemort, he's bound to be destined for greatness."

Severus didn't like where this was headed. It sounded far too close to that blasted prophecy; the one piece of his past life that would haunt him forever, or at least until Voldemort was eventually gone forever.

"And what of you, Draco?" The professor asked, drawing the attention from his own son for the time being. "What are your own career aspirations?"

At that question, two things happened at once: Lucius sent the young Slytherin a warning glare and Harry smiled towards his classmates. He'd apparently asked a question that had been on the "we do not discuss" list that each prominent family had before an outing, even one as innocuous as this.

"After Hogwarts," Draco straightened his back taller as etiquette called for when being spoken to and, ignoring the look from his father, he said, "I want to play Quidditch professionally."

He'd said it so confidently that Severus knew it had to be true, and to Lucius's credit he didn't completely unravel at the unwanted announcement. A professional Quidditch Seeker was hardly a respectable career for the Minister's son, however the Potions Master would have preferred that to auror for his own. It seemed odd that the two patriarchs found themselves in the same situation regardless of their vastly different social statuses. Luckily, Severus had been preparing for a completely off the cusp answer and did not respond outwardly to the declaration.

"Your seeker skills are some of the best I've seen on the pitch," he generically replied, "If that's your aspirations, I'm sure you'll have no problem getting picked up onto a team."

"Don't fuel this ridiculous-" Lucius started, but was interrupted by Narcissa's hand on his forearm in a very similar fashion to how Lily discreetly told him not to push an issue with Harry. Instead, he changed course and replied, "This phase will surely pass, and he'll end up in a more… respectable career."

"I think it's perfect for, Draco," Harry idiotically spoke up, "he's really my only competition out there."

"I'm pretty sure Diggory creamed you in the first game of the season this year," Draco pointed out, causing Harry's face to blanch in embarrassment.

"There were extenuating circumstances during that game," the Gryffindor exclaimed, resulting in a round of fake laughter from the table, all happy to have a segment away from Draco's obviously unapproved choice of career.

It was enough of a segway to ease the conversation away from Draco and onto other aspects of the school. Draco, however, was distant all the way through the dessert course - a delectable cake served with coffee ice cream - and Severus couldn't help feeling a deep sorrow for the teen. He had anything and everything he could ever want at his disposal except the one thing he needed the most: his father's approval. The professor found himself looking onto his raven-haired son under a similar lens. He wanted to give his whole hearted approval to Harry, if only he'd chosen to latch onto a cause that wouldn't undo everything Severus had done to protect the young wizard.

As dinner was finally coming to an end, Lucius took the customary first move by placing his napkin in the table and standing, signaling the end of the event.

"Report to the DMLE on the 1st of July," the Minister said, as he shook Harry's hand, "I'll make sure Yaxley takes care of you and gives you a good look at the life of an auror. You'll get some decent exposure, not to mention it will give you a step up when your application inevitably comes through."

Harry's face lit up at the same moment Severus's stomach dropped. Yes, he knew this was the best outcome, but that didn't make him any more prepared for the reality of his son working alongside the very same people he was trying to keep him away from. At least at the Ministry, he could keep a closer eye on the child, and between Albus and the Order or the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters, the latter was probably the safer option in the end. The 1st of July gave him a fortnight to mentally prepare himself and Harry for what was to come; he could work within that time frame.

"Thank you, sir," Harry excitedly replied, a new bounce in his step as he walked ahead with Draco and the two witches still engulfed in their conversation about the new children's ward in St Mungo's.

"Severus," the Minister called, holding the Potions Master back from his family just before they exited the restaurant. Noticing his absence, Lily turned but he waved her out the door indicating he'd catch up to them outside. "You'll be in attendance at our Midsummer's Gala next week, correct?"

"Of course," he responded, unsure where exactly this was headed. The Snapes had been attending the annual gala at Malfoy Manor since he started at the Department of Magical Education. "We wouldn't miss it."

"Wonderful," the blonde gave another one of his signature half smiles and looked beyond the professor out the window towards Harry.

"What's going on, Lucius?" Severus prodded. "We are always in attendance at the Gala, what's so important about this particular one?"

He gave a small hmph and said, "Let's just say the situation we discussed in my office is moving faster than we anticipated. There have been confirmed sightings of the Order, and therefore certain... adjustments were needed. You should expect an announcement on that night and given your son's… reaction to the latest regulations, I feel like you should be prepared. The last thing I want is to lose my intern before he's even had a chance to prove himself worthy."

It was a strategic move, telling Severus about the potential announcement before it became public knowledge, both as a politician as well as a father. Harry making a fool of himself at the gala wouldn't do any of them any bit of good. Without any other words or pomp and circumstance, the Minister for Magic simply turned and exited the restaurant to meet the other two thirds of his family outside, leaving Severus to ponder the meaning - and potential warning - of that message.

It was after eleven o'clock at night when Severus caught up with his wife and son only about five shops up the Alley. Lily had her arm draped around Harry's shoulder as the two walked alone in the street, since it was after curfew. They were talking, but he wasn't close enough to hear about what, he could only see them laughing from the soft glow of the street lanterns still lit to illuminate their way back to the Leaky Cauldron. The wizard was filled with both intense joy and sorrow at seeing his family look so carefree and happy; unfortunately without him present. As he approached, he rested his arm across Lily's other side, sandwiching her between him and Harry.

"It was a beautiful meal, wasn't it?" The Gryffindor witch asked once they reached the exit to the Alley and were back in the Leaky Cauldron.

"Yeah," Harry said with a smirk, "beautiful is a great way to put it."

Severus laughed and acting on a whim, he pulled his wife and son passed the staircase leading to the floo network upstairs they should be taking home and out of the front door heading into Muggle London. Lily looked at him as if he'd gone completely mental, and perhaps he had given the fact that Lucius had all but told him the Wizarding World was about to wage war against the Muggles, making this plan practically impossible come July. With a wave of his hand, Severus and Harry's dress robes were transfigured into muggle suits - demonstrating the purpose of the impending war - to match Lily's beautiful dress.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked, almost in a protest but equally intrigued.

"I don't know about you two," he said, navigating the familiar streets with them, "but I'm still hungry after that artwork we ate."

And with his declaration, he heard the one thing he'd missed the most since Harry started Hogwarts and had gone down the difficult road they'd been navigating with the young wizard: his laugh and even more rare, his agreement. Severus confidently led them through the streets of London until they came across a little 24-hour restaurant. They were completely overdressed for the casual middle of the night atmosphere, but they didn't care at all. The family sat tucked in the back corner booth until half past midnight eating fish and chips, talking about anything and everything they could that didn't relate to a war or blood status. And when they finally made it back to their home on Spinner's End and Severus laid in his bed - with Lily snuggled up beside him - he felt like at least for one night, he had his family back; the one, he reminded himself, he was fighting so hard to protect.