Behind her scowl, Severus watched her eyes snap as she made one connection after another until the deep creases between her brows pinched then smoothed letting him know that she…

 

“I’m an idiot,” Juliette groaned before she turned and started back down the hall.

 

“No, Jule.” He chided teasingly, “You’re a witch.”

 

“You needed her to see you as a possible father figure, instead of just a ‘Snape’ or she would have still rejected the offer out of hand. I am… I … I reg…”

 

“Regrets are unnecessary,” he supplied quickly, knowing that she found the task of making apologies just as difficult as she did. “It was certainly your place to, Longbottom, however…”

 

“I believe he was merely trying to…”

 

“I know what he was trying to do: spare my feelings – that ridiculous Gryffindor. I might have expected that reaction from someone of his charities, but it is a different matter entirely that he would have made the decision without consultation to reveal Potter’s identity. You realize that we will have to obliviate her if she chooses to remain an adult.”

 

“True, but it was something I would have done in any event.” Juliette offered. “It wouldn’t have been feasible to let her keep the memories of what had happened at Snape manor, if we had, there would have been more events like this until she came to terms with what they did.”

 

“Nevertheless…”

 

“Sev, did you happen to hear how they spoke to each other earlier?”

 

Shaking his head, Severus wondered what he had missed. “Why?”

 

“I am not entirely certain, though I suspect there may be something more to …” Juliette’s words and hold on her husband’s attention trailed off as they turned into the next room.

 

Oblivious to the obvious symptoms of the fever that was consuming him, Potter was sitting up in bed, albeit shakily, with the hand that wasn’t holding him up cupped behind Longbottom’s head and pulling him into a gentle kiss. The portion of his forehead that they could see was pallid, glistening with sweat, and growing pink with an increasing flush, but with effort, he was clearly holding himself steady as he deepened the kiss before pulling away and wiping what must have been tears from Longbottom’s face with gentle fingers. Though he tried to camouflage it in a slow recline, Potter’s strength quickly gave out and forced him to lie back on the pillows, panting.

 

As they watched, Longbottom shook his head to bring him back himself then tenderly reached up and brushed Potter’s sweat drenched fringe away from his face, gasping lightly when his fingertips gently brushed his … companion’s forehead.

 

“Merlin, Hare, you’re burning up. Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

Potter’s voice when he chuckled his response startled Severus, who had tended the boy many times through many injuries, but had never heard him sounding so exhausted.

 

“Hmmm. Admit it. Nev.” He paused to gulp air in a gesture that had Severus and Juliette glancing at each other in worry. The onset and increase of the boy’s symptoms were troubling.

 

“Admit what?”

 

“I’m so hot —” he chuckled, intentionally misreading Longbottom’s concerned comment, “you didn’t even notice Professor Snape entering. Not that he doesn’t …have that whole spooky quiet thing … going for him, but your sixth… sense must be off.”

 

Longbottom… Neville… carefully and softly punched Potter’s… Harry’s arm and chuckled, “God’s, your cute, but it won’t distract me.”

 

“If you’d give… me… a chance, I… could,” Harry’s wanton promise was disturbingly undermined by the fact that he could barely carry the breath to make it.

 

“Here, take this.” Neville offered a vial from his pocket and frowned when Harry shook his head.

 

“No…” he paused as a wave of stiff pain caused him to wince… “No… too mu-zzy.  Don’t,” broke off in a half swallowed whisper, and continued gasping: “miss… one … m—om-ent.”

 

“Oh, Har-r-ree.”  The anguish and hopelessness in Neville’s voice shook Severus and evaporated his irritation in a slow wave of grim understanding and more than a token of respect. If their positions were reversed, he was well aware that he would not have shown the same equanimity that Neville had in treating his daughter. Though he had never been one who was inclined to apologize for intruding, Severus felt remarkably uncomfortable interfering with what was undoubtedly to be their last moments as companions.

 

“Come Jule, we should…”

 

“No, Professor.” Neville paused to palm tears from his cheek before he slowly stood and turned to face the couple. “There’s too little time to indulge in private moments, and I will not waste what time there is in discreetly confining my affections to clandestine interludes that we can’t afford to take.”

 

Turning back to Harry, Neville reached out to tenderly cup his partner’s cheek then pulled away sadly as it caused his partner to cringe in pain. As if to underscore his intention to show his affections, he spoke in a softer more gentled tone than before.

 

“Love, I have to go get things ready, and Professor Snape can explain what’s going to happen better than I, anyway.” His words stumbled glumly as he noticed Harry’s hand spasm and convulse beneath the coverlet, then promised fervently: “But, I’ll be back as swiftly as I can.”

 

Turning quickly, he departed in the silent apparition step that Granger had developed for the order barely a year after their graduation.

 

Sparing a smug smile for Juliette, who was gaping at the space Neville had been at only moments before, Severus quirked an eyebrow at her visible astonishment then stepped up to Harry’s bedside.

 

“Harry, did Mr…Neville explain the difficulty?”

 

Harry responded with a sharp, tight and obviously painful nod, then gasped: “Dra-gon… c-ore…”

 

“Yes, precisely. He told you it was irreversible? No, don’t answer that. I’ll try to avoid questions. It is irreversible and possibly untreatable; however, Neville is aware of a French healer’s study that has used potion de-aging to halt and even reverse lesser forms of core-burn. There is no guarantee, but the theories underlying the trial are far more sound than those that Granger relied on to develop her little slide step.”

 

“D-gin-g.” Harry’s voice sounded terribly fragile, “dan-gr-s?”

 

“Yes, it can be. Particularly in these circumstances, where there are other magics interfering with possible affects, nevertheless, both Neville and I believe this is your best – if not only - option to at least minimize the pain you’ll face.”

 

“Tol’ me … ‘at.”

 

“He told you that? Okay, I take it then you wish to know the dangers. There is, of course, always the possibility of death, though with the variation that he has brewed, that should be a more remote possibility. The side effects may actually be less adverse in your case than others might consider them to be as hestia’s lace tends to dull and inhibit traumatic memories. Fairies breath also has that effect – sometimes to a dangerous extent for adults, but as you will be a child, the influence should wear off by the time that it would have been problematic. There are other minor effects, but as with dragon’s blood they are sentience based, so it would be preferable not to mention them.”

 

“kay. Where?”

 

“Where will it be done? At Neville’s home. He has stated that he has appropriate facilities.”

 

“N-. Wh’r…me?

 

Not entirely understanding, Severus glanced to his wife in hopes that she understood, but Juliette sadly shook her head.

 

“Harry, I’m sorry, but I’m afraid we don’t understand.”

 

“hhnh-hh” his young charge groaned, clenching his fists as he stiffened then gasped.

 

“w’tl” it sounded like a plea, which Severus would have quickly granted if he could have but understood it.

 

“w’t….r”

 

“Water?” Juliette tried hopefully.

 

“’sss.”

 

Rushing to comply with what they hoped was an affirmative response, Juliette conjured a glass of water and handed it to her husband. As he helped the young man take several careful sips, she went on to transfigure a tissue into several face clothes and conjured a dish of ice water. Slipping around to the other side of the bed, she dampened a cloth and laid it across his forehead – turning to widen her eyes in warning at her husband when she felt the intense heat pouring off of the child’s skin.

 

Suppressing his frown, Severus took the glass away from Harry’s lips and asked gently, “More?”

 

“nuh.” Harry mumbled weakly. “m-e? wh’r pt e?”

 

Severus studied the boy’s rapidly glazing eyes with concern, the onset of Kanner’s core-burn was known to be swift, but usually over the span of two to three days, not hours. Of course, the child was almost inherently and difficultly unusual in his responses to everything.

 

“Sev… I believe we should floo the young man.” Juliette suggested gently and left with quick relief when he nodded.

 

“w’r e? wh’r?” Harry pled insistently.

 

“Harry, I cannot understand what you are asking?” Severus responded with sad frustration. The child was in so much pain that he knew the question had to be important, but he had not even the slightest idea what the boy was asking. It was heartbreaking to watch when the boy dropped his head back and thick rivulets of tears streaked down both cheeks.

 

“Child, I’m truly sorry. Perhaps if you rest and focus on catching your breath, you will be able to ask again later.” 

Severus doubted that would be a possibility, but if the young man wore himself out rapidly his ability to cope with the de-aging potion would be seriously jeopardized.

Harry seemed to accept his suggestion, releasing the tension in his shoulders, for the moment, but when Juliette returned with their daughter at her side, the boy flipped his head desperately and begged: “pls tl, wh’r pt…wh’r pt m-e?”

 

“Sev. He said to bring him through now.”

 

“Very well.” Severus acknowledged without turning to look at her.

 

“Harry, we’re going to Neville now.”

 

“wh’r put me?” Harry whimpered in response, but though the words were clearer, Severus had no idea what they meant.

 

“Try to relax, child.”

 

“I think he’s asking where you’re going to put him after he’s de-aged. If the papers were right, he might think he’s going to an orphanage or hospital.” Celeste suggested hesitantly.

 

“Is that it? Is that what you’re asking?” Severus asked hopefully and waited for some indication that they had hit on the correct question. But, several long seconds passed without response.

 

“Severus?!?”

 

“Sir, what’s wr…” Celeste trailed off when her mother closed a firm hand around her arm. Severus pointedly ignored the harsh intake of breath in response as he studied the boy’s panic stricken eyes.

 

“Harry? … Legillmens. ” Without the mildest resistance, Severus slipped into the boy’s mind and found Harry. The mental impression that they had years earlier crafted to communicate within Harry’s mind was huddled inside a sphere of what appeared to be intense sensory information. As soon as he drew close to the sphere, he was assaulted with waves of chaotic sound and images, between bursts of searing pain so intense that several of Voldemort’s worst tortures (after Severus’s betrayal was revealed) paled by comparison. Persevering, with gritted teeth, Severus pressed through until he was standing above the impression.

 

“Harry…Child, can you hear me?” The roar of sound engulfing them drowned out his question, but somehow, something got through, and Harry’s head snapped up in surprise.

 

“Sir?” the boy mouthed.

 

“Potter.” With great effort, Severus wrapped his mind around the impression forming a mental shield, buffering the child.

 

“Child, I cannot hold this long. Headmaster Dumbledore informed me that you had become capable of shielding just before the last battle. It would be advisable if you raised them against this maelstrom- at least until you can be treated.”

 

The onslaught of sensation was agonizing to bear, but Severus held his ground against it as he urged the impression, who seemed suddenly and inexplicably hesitant to build his shields. Finally, just as he was about to lose patience and strength, Harry marshaled his strength with an atlas-like shrug and stood. But, instead of beginning to build something, he took three strained breaths and pushed his mental hands in front of him into the darkness splitting it like a curtain. He glanced uncertainly into the barrier that Severus was holding, but sensing the toll it was taking on his mentor, Harry committed himself and parted the curtain of darkness – pulling it around himself until it faded into nothingness. In its place, his mental chamber had expanded to resemble a muggle planetarium with images scrolling across the interior ceiling, distant but stark and clear.

 

With the maelstrom blocked, Severus could coalesce into his own mental impression and joined the exhausted boy’s impression as it settled into one of the audience’s seats.

 

“It wasn’t so much that I learned how to shield, as it was that we discovered that I have been shielding all along. The reason that I was never able to clear my mind and find my center was that I was shielding the worst of my uncle’s treatment even from myself. Once we discovered that, he helped me expand my shields and create this so that I could face them when I was ready to.”

 

“Have you tried?”

 

The boy shifted uncomfortably before nodding.

 

“Yeah, this morning.”

 

“How did it transpire?”

 

“Bloody awful,” the child growled as he stared angrily at the screen. “He was a great horrible git who hated me for no reason. You at least had a reason, but he didn’t. I never did anything to him; my father and mother never did, but he still hated us.”

 

The violence of the boy’s feelings seemed shockingly uncontrolled as did the wracking shudder that the child suffered after his rant.

 

“Sorry,” Harry continued in a small embarrassed voice. “That was kind-of built in.”

 

“Built in? How so?”

 

“I kind of can’t lie in here and I can’t hide the way I’m feeling. The Headmaster convinced me to do it because he said I would be inclined to avoid how I felt back then and just brush over them, and it made sense when he said it.”

 

“But?”

 

“I guess it still makes sense, but everything’s so hectic and crappy out there, I would have liked someplace to hide from it all.” Harry responded with an uncomfortable grimace that drew a chuckle from Severus.

 

“That wasn’t quite what you were planning to say was it.”

 

Harry’s head shook negatively, but his lips stayed cautiously and tightly pressed.

 

“Very well, I won’t press the question; however, I do have a suggestion: do you remember how he added that constriction to your shields?”

 

Harry nodded carefully.

 

“Very well, I would suggest that you add the mood adjustment component that you learned in seventh year charms, so that you won’t be shown memories that you are not capable of comfortably accepting in that moment and if you need a haven, you will only be presented calming materials.

 

Closing his eyes for several moments after Severus’s instruction, Harry concentrated on the planetarium’s auditorium and made the changes his mentor suggested. As they watched, violent pictures of his uncle’s abuse suddenly flickered and fell, fading into the background. To Severus’s surprise, they weren’t immediately replaced and many of the screens remained blank. He didn’t ask, but the implications were apparent.

 

While the child had ample violence to paint the screens with, his peaceful moments were few and far between.  

 

“Child, my daughter thought you may have been asking what would happen to you after you were de-aged. Was she correct?”

 

Harry smiled gratefully, for the change of topic, and nodded: “Yes, Sir, I was just wondering where’d I’d be placed.”

 

“Placed? Do you want to be placed?”

 

“No!” The boy answered sharply and immediately, then more uncertainly, “But, I don’t want to be a burden, either. I know you said you’d protect me, but this isn’t exactly what you signed- on for.”

 

 

“Harry, I can assure you from the memories that I was privy in  earlier occulmency sessions that you are in no way a child I would consider burdensome. Regardless of your ridiculously gryffindorish morality, I perceive no inherent difficulty or unpleasantry attendant with raising you. Nor does my wife, Juliette. We have discussed the situation thoroughly, in fact, and are in complete agreement in that we each fully intend to raise you – with our daughter- as brother and sister.”

 

Before they could discuss it further, the auditorium’s screens flared brightly – beginning to play a recording of his comment.

 

As he recognized the soft repetition of his own voice, he turned to watch the screen briefly, his eyes widening in surprise at the gentle though adamant expression on his face, and chuckled as he realized what his words must have meant to the often-neglected child.

 

“I take it that meets with your approval?”

 

Blushing fiercely, Harry nodded stiffly.

 

“Yes, Sir.”

 

Severus knew, from Harry’s earlier comments, that the boy was being honest, though it was equally obvious that his voice was laced with no little amount of uncertainty.

 

“You have reservations?”

 

The child shrugged lightly.

 

“I believe that would be a yes. May I ask what they are?”

 

Harry shrugged again, shifted, shrugged, and clenched his teeth as Severus watched him with some bemusement. Just as Severus was prepared to retract the question that the child was clearly fighting against, Harry blurted out: “I’m kind of difficult. To like, I mean. I don’t know why, but I am.”

 

“To my evidence the reverse is true; in fact, you seem to have developed quite a following. The Weasley’s, Granger, Dumbledore, Hagrid, Longbottom, The Creevey’s, The lovegoods, and numerous others seem to have fallen under your sway.”

 

“That’s different. They liked me because I was the boy-who-lived before they got to know me. They needed me, but the people I grew up with at home and at school – the ones who didn’t need me or didn’t know who I was… none of them ever liked me.

 

Severus considered the confession carefully, realizing that it was an assumption which he could only correct with time and attention. With that in mind, he charted a narrow course between encouragements that he was certain the boy would not be able or prepared to believe and simple facts that the boy would be inclined to believe, but would in no way be comforted by.

 

“Presumably, you are referring to your muggle relatives, neighbors, and schoolmates?”

 

Severus waited patiently for Harry’s nod before continuing with obvious patience: “While I can not assess their choices without knowing the specific details, it has been my particular experience that muggles rarely have the ability to recognize what the value of what’s before them. Once I dispensed with past recriminations, I find that I have rarely had that difficulty and intend to demonstrate my new appreciation at every available opportunity. Now, I believe that I should go and assist Professor Longbottom in his preparations.”

 

Harry only nodded, but as Severus departed, he was smugly comforted to hear a mental recording of his second comment play across the screens.