While Harry put off his small crisis, Severus was in a quandary.

It was the morning of the boat ride, and Harry seemed to have gotten over whatever mood he'd been in after the Occlumency session last night. He came back from his bagpipe lesson chattering about the boat ride.

"D'you think we might go swimming? Dudley used to visit Pier's uncle's house on the coast, and they would take their boat out into the middle of the ocean and go swimming."

Severus, feeling slightly green, pointed at the table for Harry to sit. He was making a larger breakfast than usual, knowing that Harry was the type of person to forget to eat if he was having too much fun. "I dearly hope not."

Harry ignored this as he pulled apart the chanter and placed the various parts in its case. "Callum said he'll show me how to work the stays. Those are the ropes on the sails."

Severus only nodded, trying to banish an image of Harry climbing the mast and falling into the ocean. He thought longingly of the teen's sullen silence yesterday. Starting with the bagpipes at 5:30 in the morning, there hadn't been a moment's peace.

"He said we'll bring a cooler of drinks and sandwiches. There's supposed to be a really cool cove about forty miles north."

Forty miles! Severus poured a glass of orange juice and set it on the table in front of Harry, wishing he had something stronger for himself.

"Thanks! He said there's a shipwreck underwater near the cove, and we can sail right over it and look down at it. It's deep enough that we won't wreck the skiff on the mast."

Severus took a deep, fortifying breath at the word "shipwreck" and flipped the eggs.

"I bet we’ll be able to visit the beach on the cove. Callum said there’s lots of neat shells on the beach, and there’s also supposed to be a cave at the end of the beach. You can't enter it during high tide or you'll get trapped, but we'll go during low tide.” Severus regretted every life decision that brought him to this point. He kept a blank expression on his face while Harry prattled on.

Having finished making Harry’s breakfast, he set the full plate down and was glad when the teen stopped talking and started eating.

Harry hurried through breakfast, as they were supposed to meet Callum and Jack on the beach at 7:30. As Harry ate, Severus launched into a lecture about all the worries that had plagued him during the past few days.

“You will be right in the sun for the whole day, so I expect you to keep drinking water. If you get dehydrated, you could pass out. Remember the time you ran off. You will put on sunscreen regularly as well. I do not want to have to make you a burn salve with our cooking pot.”

Harry made a face. Before he could argue, Severus continued.

“Follow every instruction Mr. Duncan gives you. He knows about boats, and you do not. If I hear that you’ve argued or disobeyed him, rest assured that this will be the last time you take such an outing. Any instructions are for your own safety.” He leveled a spatula at the teen. “Additionally, if you and your friend Callum indulge in any sort of alcoholic beverage, you and I will have a very serious talk about underage drinking, and I will not hesitate to give you a forceful reminder about responsible behavior. If you come home drunk, so help me, I will have you inside writing lines until you’re thirty.”

He lowered the spatula and smirked at the indignant look he received. “Mr. Duncan wouldn’t let us do that!”

Severus, not really knowing all that much about the younger Mr. Duncan (another one of his reservations), did not respond. He continued with his speech. “Any reckless, foolish behavior will not be tolerated.” He drew himself up to his full height, glaring down at the thunderstruck child before him. “And wear a hat.”

Harry spent a full two minutes spluttering. “I— what do you think I am, twelve? I’m not going to do anything stupid!”

Harry Potter emerged from the Chamber of Secrets, holding a bloody sword in one hand and carrying a destroyed diary in the other as a frail Ginny Weasley trailed alongside him. “Oh, really? Let us discuss your track record.”

Harry cut him off before he could get started. “It’s seven twenty-five.”

Severus sighed and followed him as he leapt from his chair and started for the door. “Hat!"

Harry grabbed a football cap off of the coat rack, rolling his eyes when he thought Severus couldn’t see.

Harry instantly stilled, darting a look at him from under the brim of his cap. Refusing to feel guilty, Severus kept his gaze fixed on the beach as they approached.

“Henry!” Callum ran over and he and Harry immediately began discussing their plans for the day. Jack came over to talk to Severus.

“We’ll be back sometime in the evening,” he said, nodding.

Severus pursed his lips but didn’t say anything.

“He’ll be fine, Sam. Don’t worry.”

“I feel so much more relieved.”

Jack had the audacity to find this amusing and clapped him on the shoulder. Severus glared at him, then turned to Harry. “Remember what I said.”

“Yes, Dad,” he said, managing to infuse the word with that maddening blend of sarcastic, (false) sincerity, and amusement that only he could manage. Severus watched his eyes, as if he could suss out any mischievous plans from their bright expression. Finally he huffed.

“Go on, then.”

“Bye!”

The three of them started towards a skiff tied to a nearby dock. Unable to watch any more, Severus turned and walked back home. He stopped there only long enough to grab his apron.

All day at work, he was distracted. Francis tried to draw him into conversation a few times, but Severus’ curt responses put an end to it. Francis looked at him curiously, but didn’t get mad, which Severus was perversely annoyed by.

After his shift was over, he left the building without a word. Stepping inside the house, it took a moment to realize what was wrong.

There was no smell of cooking food. Usually, Harry had dinner either waiting or almost ready by the time he walked through the door. Without it, the air seemed stale in comparison.

He stepped further inside, slowly closing the door behind him. He hung the apron over the privacy screen automatically, gaze panning the room.

The house was quiet. Too quiet.

Falling into his armchair, he tried his very best to appreciate the silence.

Finally. Some peace. He had spent his entire adult life coming home to an empty house. He should be comfortable with the still atmosphere of the room. He told himself that he was. A chance to be alone.

A face appeared in the open window above the sink. “Samuel? It’s Amy. How would you like to come over for dinner?”

“I’d love to,” Severus immediately replied, rising to his feet, happy to get away from the oppressive emptiness of the room.

Amy met him at the door, and they walked to her house. Malcolm was in the front hallway, and shook his hand as he came in.

“You look worn,” he commented as Amy slipped past them and into the kitchen.

Severus shook his head. “I am fine.”

“Right,” Malcolm said doubtfully as they made their way to the small dining room next to the kitchen.

Amy emerged with a platter of brisket—brisket!—and set it on the table next to the other side dishes already there. Severus remained composed, but was very happy to have something besides fish to eat.

“You’re worried about Henry,” Amy said as they sat to eat.

“I—” he was about to protest, but they both gave him a look. “Yes.”

“Be a bit odd if you weren’t, considering what happened the last time you were on a boat,” Malcolm said.

Severus recalled their cover story and nodded. Having allegedly come close to drowning weeks before, it made perfect sense to the others that he should be anxious. As he, however, knew that it was a lie, it made no sense to him that he felt so on-edge. He thought a tooth might crack from how tightly his jaw was clenched.

There was a muffled kicking sound under the table, and Malcolm winced. Amy turned to Severus. “I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about.”

He nodded and speared a piece of brisket, wishing that he had enough of an appetite to appreciate it.

“Jack is more comfortable on the skiff than on land. He’ll keep the lads safe.”

Severus forced himself to take a deep breath. “Of course.”

Malcolm then turned the subject to the goings on of the village. Conversation was mostly kept up between the two of them. Severus occasionally spoke, but they didn’t seem to expect him to talk much, for which he was grateful.

“Diane is considering remodeling her little bakery,” Amy said.

“Whatever for?”

“Seems to think it’ll bring in more customers. Personally, I think the antique look suits the place just fine.”

“More customers from where? Everyone in town knows how good her products are.”

After they finished eating, Malcolm and Severus walked down the harbor to see if the adventurers had returned yet. The skiff appeared momentarily on the horizon, and they waited on the beach as it drew closer.

Severus relaxed marginally as it docked, appearing none the worse for wear. It took about fifteen minutes for the crew of three to prepare the little boat for the night, and when they finally came down the dock to stand in front of the waiting Severus and Malcolm, their faces were all matching studies in tired contentment.

Harry looked so perfectly alright when he stepped off of the deck that Severus was almost insulted. All of that worrying for nothing, not even a nosebleed. He was almost tempted to walk away and forget the whole wasted day.”I see you’re alive,” he said blandly instead.

Harry flashed him a tired grin.

“He did well,” Jack said. “Picked up the ropes pretty quickly.”

Callum winced visibly at the pun. “It was fun. We should do it again, sometime.”

Severus nearly closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose when Harry nodded eagerly. They all parted ways.

Severus and Harry walked side-by-side down the road. “We had dinner on the boat,” Harry said.

“What did you eat?”

“Sandwiches again, but they were good.”

Severus opened the door as Harry launched into a detailed explanation of their day. He nodded along, partially listening, but mostly relieved that nothing terrible had happened.

“Are we going to do an Occlumency lesson tonight?”

“No. It is difficult to do properly when mentally exhausted.”

“I’m not that tired,” Harry said.

“I wasn’t talking about you,” Severus muttered.