hmm, more ficage

[draegyn]

After the... small mistake with the last one, I went back and checked and, as far as I can see, I have not posted this previously, although it has been done for some time. So this should be new to everyone who might want to read it.

Time's Child 4

The weeks following Potter and Black’s departure were amongst the best in Severus’ scholastic career. Both Lupin and Pettigrew sulked over the absence of their cohorts, leaving Severus blissfully unmolested by pranks for the first time since his first year at Hogwarts. The Gryffindors as a whole were quieter, which had not gone unnoticed by the other houses. The entire school was uneasy and disturbed at the fall of the golden duo for a time, a sharp contrast to the ebullience at the start of the year. Then one of the Hufflepuff second years came down with dragon pox and everyone had other things to concern them. Potter and Black were forgotten but Severus’ peace was also shaken.

Severus, himself, remained healthy. It was unfortunate for all concerned that his usual partners in class did not. Too many classes required at least one partner and Severus, even when there was little other option, was not a popular choice of partner. Severus found, to his consternation, that he could not contrive any manner to avoid being paired with the only other pariah still healthy, Remus Lupin. Always rather aloof with those outside his small circle of friends, Lupin now weathered the disgrace of that same circle quietly which did not help in the least towards helping him build new relationships. Without either of their approval, they were paired together for the duration of the outbreak.

Severus was currently squeezing his last remaining quill tensely. If McGonagall did not let the class finish soon, he was going to break this quill like the last tow and then, for the lack of anything to restrain him, he was going to snap Lupin’s neck. Why, knowing their enmity, the she-beast had still insisted on partnering them together, was beyond Severus’ comprehension. Even she could not be so naïve as to believe they could bond given sufficient time together. Of course, as this was only one of the five now combined classes in which he had been saddled with the insipid Gryffindor, Severus was becoming increasingly convinced that there was a conspiracy afoot. Considering the nature of the conspirators, Severus could do little but take consolation in the fact that, as soon as the majority of the students had returned, the amalgamated classes would once again be separated by house and he would only need to share two of those classes with the Gryffindors.

That was his only consolation as, not only did he need to endure Lupin time and time again almost without surcease, but he also needed to withstand the moronic self-pity the other teen insisted in drowning himself in. Severus gritted his teeth as his ‘partner’ sighed forlornly while looking at the empty seats, no doubt mourning the loss of all of his cronies since even Pettigrew had succumbed to the pox.

“Cease your infernal moping, Lupin!” he hissed irritably, “If you continue to blubber like a first year Hufflepuff, I will hex you!”

Lupin glanced up at him and glared resentfully, undoubtedly blaming Severus for his current abandonment.

Severus sneered. That had displayed more spine than Lupin had evidenced all year. “Poor lonely Gryffindor,” he scoffed softly, unwilling to draw McGonagall’s wrath but unable to allow Lupin’s vulnerability go untouched. “Do you think I’m responsible for Potter and Black being stupid bullies? If so, more fool you.”

The Gryffindor snarled at him, a vicious, feral noise that prompted McGonagall to shoot them both a sharp glance.

Severus waited, wary of further censure, until McGonagall ceased staring at them and then he snarled right back. “They deserved everything they got and more, Lupin. I only wish it was more! I wish that they were rotting in Azkaban but we can’t have everything we wish for, can we? So learn to enjoy solitude, Lupin, you’ll have months to practice in.”

“They are my friends!” Lupin growled lowly.

Severus’ face twisted contemptuously. “Then, obviously, you have poor taste in friends!”

The Gryffindor opened his mouth, presumably to argue back, only to close it, impetuous words unsaid. Either he had run out of the self-righteous justifications that Gryffindors were so notorious for or he lacked the spine to stand his ground. How ironic for one in the house of the brave. Hands were clenched tightly under the desk, Lupin continued to stare down at the parchment of notes before him. Thinking the exchange concluded, Severus returned his attention to the passage they were supposed to be reading.

He was just beginning to comprehend the inherent instability of transmuting inanimate objects animate compared with the relative stability of making animate objects inanimate when Lupin interrupted his train of thought. “Lupin?” he demanded impatiently, having completely missed whatever had been said.

Lupin mumbled something again, apparently repeating himself and Severus scowled crossly. “In English, if you please, or stop wasting my time!”

“I said,” Lupin enunciated clearly but quietly, “That I apologise.”

Severus turned to stare at him, frankly sceptical. “Apologise? You?”

“Yes!” Lupin insisted, “Me! I could have stopped them harassing you at the start of term and I should have…”

“Instead, if you did not help them, you did nothing,” Severus reminded him acrimoniously.

“I know,” Lupin admitted, “And I’m sorry.”

“Of course you are,” Severus scoffed , scornful, “Now. You only repent because the rest of your cursed gang has been kicked out, leaving you and that blubbering Pettigrew to bear the consequences of their fall from grace. Were Potter and Black still present, I have no doubt that you would be willingly engaging in whatever new misdemeanour they plotted. You have neither the moral fortitude nor the will to be more than their lackey.”

“That’s not fair!” Lupin protested, “I wasn’t a part of what they did and, if I’d known, I wouldn’t have let them even try!”

Severus snorted bitterly. “And that statement isn’t worth the air it took to make it. They still attempted it and you did nothing.”

“I didn’t know!”

“How convenient,” Severus mocked viciously. “Your bosom buddies contrive a rather elaborate plot and you caught no wind of it.”

“They knew I would not approve.”

“Really.”

“Yes!” Lupin had stood and now their few classmates were staring at them and McGonagall was bearing down on him purposefully. Lupin hurried on, “Look, they were wrong but I can’t say anything for them, only myself. I wronged you and, for that, I apologise.” He bowed formally.

Severus’s surprise at this public display of contrition was interrupted by the professor’s arrival. “Two points to Gryffindor for finally attempting to redress a wrong,” McGonagall informed them as she examined Lupin with a hint of approval. It was only to be expected as he was a Gryffindor, of course she would evidence the same bias as the rest of the school. Severus was startled when she continued, “But ten points for disrupting the class. Sit down, Mr Lupin and make amends in your own time.

“Yes Ma’am.” Lupin hastily sat back down.

She nodded stiffly but stared at them thoughtfully for another moment. A calculating light seemed to shine in her eyes and Severus could have sworn that she smirked at them. “Furthermore, both of you shall remain after class as this is not the first time you have both interrupted a lesson and I cannot permit it to continue.”

Severus wanted to argue that it was all Lupin’s fault and that he hadn’t done anything but he knew it would be pointless. She had it in for him and, although it surprised him that she was going to punish one of her precious Gryffindors at the same time, he knew arguing would only give her an excuse to make whatever she planned more severe. He nodded in acknowledgement at her and buried himself back in his book, determined to ignore both teach and feckless idiot even as he silently swore at both of them and cursed the unfairness of it all.

He hadn’t done anything!

***

Harry glanced up absently when he heard the door to the study he’d invaded open and then close. He was not surprised to see Minerva there, it had been her private library before he’d coopted it for his own use since she had the most extensive collection of history books outside of the Hogwarts library. It was, however, a little startling to find both Remus Lupin and Severus Snape fidgeting uncomfortably behind her.

“Minerva?” he inquired curiously. Minerva obviously had some purpose in bringing the two students with her and he had to be involved, otherwise she would have had them wait for her outside.

“Good afternoon, Harry,” she replied with a wry twist of her lips that was explained with her next words. “Although I expect you haven’t noticed, cooped up in here as you have been.”

Harry put his quill down and sat back in his chair. “Pot and Kettle, Minerva, or would you like to tell my why you cancelled your fifth year transfiguration class?” He gave the two fifth years present a pointed glance to tell her that he believed she had done no such thing.

“I can’t deny that I did not just spend the last two hours refereeing the remaining fifth years,” she admitted easily. “However, before that I enjoyed a nice afternoon tea with Pythagora on my balcony and, after I’m finished here, I intend to go for a brisk walk down to the lake.”

“Harry cocked an eyebrow. “Which must beg the question, what do you need to finish here?”

“Only for you to do me a simple favour, Harry.”

Harry didn’t need to look at the two boys to get an idea where she was heading. He asked anyway. “Which is?”

“Something very simple, it won’t be difficult at all.”

“Which is?” he repeated.

She smiled whimisically. “Why mind my two delinquents here.”

Both Snape and Remus looked offended at the description and Harry suppressed a smirk. “And what exactly should I do with them?”

Minerva’s smirk became more cat-and-creamish as she heard his unspoken agreement. “Whatever you like,” she told him breezily. “If you wish to be a teacher, then I recommend you start considering what you intend to do for discipline. Think of it as practice.”

“Joy,” he drawled, “So what’s their crime?”

“The usual, disrupting the class.”

“I was apologising!” the Gryffindor fifth year protested.

Snape snorted and Minerva tsked. “You were also disrupting the class.”

“A capital crime, that,” Harry noted lightly.

Minerva scowled playfully at him. “Quite.”

Harry surrendered gracefully. “Very well then, I shall torture your young duo with tales of goblin rebellions that Binns finds so essential and you may escape this cumbersome duty.”

Both fifth years looked at him, confused, but Minerva, now very familiar with Harry’s ambitions and aspirations, wrinkled her nose at him. “Goblin rebellions, Harry? I thought you intended to find more relevant topics?”

“And I thought you intended this as a punishment,” Harry retorted smartly. “I, personally, can’t think of anything much worse than going through that again.” He paused for a moment and amended, “Well that wouldn’t get me arrested or require me to get up, anyway.”

Minerva’s lips twitched and her amusement coloured her voice as she replied, “We couldn’t have that, now, could we?”

Harry smiled at her sweetly and she shook her head before turning to the younger wizards. “Very well, you two, Mr Dumbledore is in charge of your detention. I don’t need to tell you what that means, do I?”

Snape snorted and Lupin coloured in embarrassment. Harry knew for a fact that both had suffered their fair share of detentions and probably less than they’d actually deserved. Snape most likely couldn’t care less anymore while the young Remus was likely still embarrassed every time he was caught.

“Well, pull up a chair, my poor captives,” he invited expansively. They did and then disappeared behind the stacks of books he had piled on the table. He craned around and saw Lupin scanning titles curiously and Severus doing the same thing with a lot more boredom. Harry waved Minerva off. The books were definitely going to be a problem, Harry decided. Snape could take in mind to throttle Remus behind them and Harry would be none the wiser. As that was far from being unlikely, Harry spend a few seconds futilely searching the mess for his wand before he gave up and summoned it wordlessly from beneath the scattered scrolls detailing Merlin’s death rites or the lack thereof. Moments later, he had the books circling them in the air in one large ring, giving him full view of his new charges. They were watching him strangely and Harry repressed a sigh. He didn’t think he had done anything weird enough to deserve those expressions.

Rather at a loss of how to proceed, despite telling Minerva otherwise, Harry plucked a book from the orbiting ring at random. It was ‘Hogwarts, a history’ and Harry considered it for a second before fixing his green gaze of Snape and Remus. His lips twitched as he tossed the book to the startled pair. Remus fumbled the catch and was forced to retrieve it from the floor.

Snape’s face was disgusted and Harry smirked at him. “You, him, that book, one hundred examples of Slytherin students and Gryffindor students cooperating willing without a teacher’s compulsion.”

Remus hit his head on the edge of the table on his way back up. After ensuring there was no damage done, Harry joined Snape in ignoring the Gryffindor. Snape, instead, was staring blankly at Harry. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” Harry told him, “You and Lupin will cooperate to give me one hundred examples of non-teacher-coerced inter-house partnerships between Slytherin and Gryffindor and you may as well detail why it came about, whether the gaols of the alliance were met and the consequences of the actions undertaken.”

“But…” Lupin looked confused, as if he was unsure of what he was objecting to.

Snape showed no such uncertainty. “There are two of us and only one book-”

“Hence the cooperating,” Harry interrupted, amused. He finally understood why the future Snape kept pairing him with Malfoy, despite their inability to work together. The facial expressions alone were worth any resultant explosions.

Snape wanted to snarl back, Harry could see the effort it took the younger wizard not to. It was unfortunate for the younger wizard that Harry had very clearly been given authority over him. Slytherin that he was, Snape would be weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of provoking Harry and undoubtedly having things come up in favour of discretion not an option the outspoken and ill-tempered teen would have preferred.

“Well?” Harry prompted when Snape remained silent but for the suggestion of grinding teeth. “Get cracking. You have a hundred examples to find and I expect you’ll want to finish before dinner.

Remus nodded and opened ‘Hogwarts, a history’ to the first page. “Yes, Sir.”

“Good boy.”

Remus flashed Harry a quick, shy smile before bending over the book.

Severus’ expression briefly made it seem as if the youth were constipated before it smoothed out. “Hmph,” he grunted, ignoring Harry and turning too… on Remus. “More that closer, Lupin, what do you think I am? A bloody eagleowl to see that far?”

Harry smirked and returned to his own work. He progressed steadily, despite the new background noise consisting of the intermittent struggle between his two detainees. He had another week before he would be tested for both NEWT equivalencies and his eligibility for the Academy of Accreditation. Doing what was, in effect, both entrance exams and NEWTs simultaneously meant that Harry was spending a great deal of his time studying one thing or another and, if he were to be honest, the presence of the two teens was a welcome addition to his somewhat lonely days… if occasionally distracting.

“-it!”

“-ot, Lupin!”

“-n’t to me, Snape!”

After the most recent engagement extended past five minutes, Harry sighed in exasperation and looked up from his notes. As the furore suggested, both Snape and Remus were arguing heatedly, only a few moments from enraged shouts and physical violence. Harry was pleased he’d had the foresight to predict it and glad he moved his books beforehand. A quick glance at his watch showed that nearly an hour had passed and he was surprised that the ill-matched pair had lasted as long as they had.

He cleared his throat loudly. “Ahem!”

Snape’s head snapped up, dark eyes glaring and sharp tongue ready to retort scathingly before he remembered himself at the last moment. Remus’ gaze followed quickly, the young werewolf’s expression quickly filling with guilt and chagrin.

Harry smiled drily. “Well now that I have you attention,” he drawled, “How about you tell me what you’ve learned.”

He suppressed a smile at Severus’ almost soundless, “Not much” and listened dutifully to Remus’ list.

“Um.. there was Gryffindor and Slytherin building Hogwarts…”

“Students,” Harry reminded him, “I don’t think the founders count.”

Remus glanced briefly and Snape, as if to say, “I told you so!” but was ignored. Harry believed Snape had a great deal of practice ignoring things, he did it so well. Unlike his older self, of course, who saw everything, heard even more and jumped on even the smallest infraction, if you weren’t a Slytherin of course.

“Okay…” Remus said, crossing at least three things from the list he had.

“And each example had better involve different people too. It would hardly be fair if you stumbled across a pair of best friends or lovers, despite their houses, that did everything together.”

Remus looked up at him, torn between hopeless and disbelieving. “We can’t use friends?”

“Of course you can,” Harry assured him and watched as relief spread across the other’s face. “But you’ll need to find a hundred such friendships.” Harry wondered if, even in a thousand years, there’d been that many Gryffindors and Slytherins that had looked past house rivalries while still in school to make friends with the ‘enemy’. He also wondered how many of them would have done something notable enough to merit mention in ‘Hogwarts, a history’. It was entirely possible that Harry had given the two an impossible task.
He shrugged mentally. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

“Merriman Longbottom and Augustus Black cooperated to coordinate the first quidditch cup.”

“Aims and so on?” Harry reminded them, curious about the example as he’d never thought to wonder how quidditch had been introduced to the school.

Severus sniffed. “Rather obvious isn’t it? They were both quidditch buffoons and wanted it to infiltrate every part of their lives so they tried to introduce it to Hogwarts. At the time, it was still a fairly unknown and unpopular game, so they did not succeed. However, Longbottom eventually joined the faculty and Black’s heir possessed the same tedious obsession and tiresome outspokenness as the rest of the bloodline and the sport was beginning to gain in popularity. The first cup was held in 1104 AD using the same plans originally drawn up by Longbottom and Black senior in 1079AD.”

“Well done,” Harry informed them. “And the next ninety-nine?”

Remus coughed. “Ah… we only have four.”

Harry felt his eyebrows rise. Only four after nearly an hour? Maybe he should make things a little easier… “Perhaps I was a tad harsh. Use whatever books you like and do fifty each.”

Both boys looked a little happier at that and Harry hurried to add, “But for any double ups, you each have to find ten more examples and even if it’s just the same students involved, it’ll be five more.” Their expressions became gloomier again. Harry chuckled. “Well you’d better get to it or you really will be here all night.”

“What books can we use?” Snape demanded.

Harry gestured to the floating ring around them. “Take your pick.” He would hardly have been so generous if he wasn’t confident that Minerva would never have something prohibited or restricted in her collection. If they were in the school library, on the other hand, well, Harry personally knew more than one book that wasn’t exactly suitable reading material for students.

Time passed more quickly now, without the scuffling that had previously broken the monotony and it seemed all too soon that Minerva, after a brief knock, entered the room. Harry looked up, somewhat dazed, his mind still filled with names and dates. She regard all three wizards with blatant amusement.

“Mr. Lupin, Mr Snape, such a pity neither of you could display this level of studiousness in my class.”

The two in question bore the comment silently. Harry just stretched, the popping of one or two vertebrae making the other three wince.

“Harry,” Minerva scolded, “How many times have I told you not to do that?”

He thought about it. “At least once every day since I took up residence in here.”

“Brat,” she told him affectionately.

He smiled innocently. “So I’ve been told.”

That caused her to snort and shake her head at him. “So how did my two delinquents acquit themselves?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” he answered and turned to the watching fifth years. “So how’s it going?”

Both boys started looking shifty and, when they exchanged a conspiring glance, Harry and Minerva swapped one of their own. Minerva’s eyes wrinkled with her amusement and Harry suspected his own were glinting.

“Um,” Remus began.

Snape gave the Gryffindor a disgusted look and interrupted quickly. “I, myself, have twenty-eight examples and Lupin’s list appears to be equally as long, although neither of us have take a moment to compare our lists. However, we have realised what you were trying to tell us and have taken the lesson to heart.”

Remus nodded earnestly and Harry suspected that was the same face that had kept the marauders out of half of the detentions they had surely earned. “Oh, yes, Harry, Professor. Just because Severus is a Slytherin and I a Gryffindor, does not mean we should not be able to work together peacefully.”

Harry coughed, restraining his laugh. He’d never known that Remus could be such a little suck up. The things he learned about his elders every day…

“Oh, my,” Minerva murmured to Harry, “I’m overwhelmed by the vast enlightenment that seems to have dawned over my wonderful students. I must beg that you share with me your secret techniques, O’master of illumination.”

Harry snorted. “And to think that I didn’t believe it was possible to lay it on any thicker than Mr Lupin, there, already had.”

Snape watched them with distaste. “Quite,” he sneered under his breath.

He was not quiet enough, both Minerva and Harry fixed him with cold looks and Harry mentally apologised to Minerva. It was one thing to joke with her in private, another altogether to do so in front of students who might decide to follow suit.

“Well, Mr Snape, if you would like to move things along, why don’t you explain to me exactly what Mr Dumbledore ordered you to do and I will judge if what you have accomplished is truly sufficient.”

Poor Snape. If he’d been even a touch less snide, Minerva would have let the comment go. As it was, the Slytherin would likely be trying to finish the list all on his own. Sour as he looked, Snape now probably saw the consequences of his unguarded remark, if not the reason.
“Mr. Dumbledore ordered us to find one hundred examples of non-coerced and non-antagonistic Slytherin-Gryffindor interaction which worked towards a specific goal.”

Minerva’s eyebrows rose with thoughtful surprise and she looked at Remus.

The young werewolf shrugged. “We have to find fifty each. If any of the examples are the same, the penalty is ten more each. If we use the same people again then it’s five more.”

“And you’ve realised why he’s told you to do this?”

Remus nodded. “Of course. He wants us to think about the house rivalry. The penalties are to make sure we work together.”

“Very good, Mr Lupin. And, Mr Snape, do you concur?”

Sour really did not describe the Slytherin at that moment. “Yes, Professor.”

“Good, then I see no reason the punishment should not stand. You’ll come back hear everyday from…” She trailed off, glancing at Harry.

“Four until six.” Harry suggested agreeably.

From four until six it is,” Minerva finished, “Until you have completed the list to his satisfaction.”

“But-”

“But what, Mr Snape?”

“Professor-”

“You have something to add, Mr Lupin?”

Harry watched with equal parts respect and amusement as Minerva skilfully outmanoeuvred both boys. She dared them to make an issue of it and, intimidated, neither of them took up her challenge.

“No? Good.” She nodded in satisfaction at the two cowed students. “Now you may go, remember to return at four tomorrow afternoon.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Professor.”

They watched the two of them hurry from the room. Remus almost ran straight into the ring of books, ducking only at the last minute. As soon as the door slammed shut, Harry snickered.

“The poor babes. I think we’ve traumatised them. A quick gesture with his wand had all of the books neatly stacked on the table.

“Hardly, Harry. Teenagers, especially those two, are far more resilient than they seem. We can’t allow the little monsters even the slightest hint of vulnerability,” Minerva warned as she retrieved a chair and seated herself. “Part of Mr Snape’s rudeness is my own fault. I should not have allowed myself to display such levity in their presence.”

Harry smiled at her apologetically, for that had been as much his doing as hers.

Minerva waved it off. “Oh, don’t worry about it, Harry, as I said, I should have known better.”

“If it had been anyone else, would you have kidded around like that?”

“Of course not!” Minerva replied instantly, “But, you are a special case, Harry, and you know it.”

“Am I now?”

It was Minerva’s turn to snort. “Appearing with Albus as you did, the circumstances of your adoption and how very fragile you were not that long ago… Did you ever doubt it?”

Harry smiled crookedly at her. “I did once hold illusions of normality, oh… when I was nine or ten. Turning eleven was most definitely enlightening.”

“One day, I would like to hear about your past, Harry…”

And wasn’t that the story of his life recently and a great contrast to his original introduction to Hogwarts where everyone there seemed to know more about him than he did himself. Now, all of Albus’ trusted coterie knew that Harry had been adopted after Voldemort had fought Albus, all of them knew Harry had been incredibly weak then but only Poppy and Albus knew the full extent of his injuries and only Albus knew exactly how Harry had received them. With so much still unknown about it, it was hardly surprising Minerva, whose inner animal was a cat, would attempt to assuage her curiosity now that Harry was no longer as ‘fragile’, as she termed it.

“Perhaps,” he allowed, “One day, when you’re not bothered by students and I’m not racing against time to learn everything I’ll need for various assessments and examinations.”

“That’s your subtle way of saying no,” she sighed in resignation. She knew what demands the academy would make of him better than he did and had taken his reply as a permanent thing.

“No,” he corrected, “That’s my subtle way of saying no yet.”

“So one day?”

Harry’s smile became tinged with sorrow as his ghosts stirred in his memories. “One day when I will not weep as I tell you.”

“Oh, Harry!”

Harry shook off the sombreness that had overtaken him and smiled more genuinely. “Oh, Minerva!” he teased.

Understanding that he wished for no pity - oh how he liked this woman! - she changed the subject. “That was an inspired solution for their punishment, Harry. I wonder if anyone else has considered it.”

“As it was simply the first thing to come to mind and I might add I had no hidden motives or agendas, whatever your students might think.”
Minerva chuckled. “Punishments are often just the first thing that comes to mind, my mind at least. That is why detentions are so convenient, they give one time to think.”

“I’ll remember that.”

“If you maintain this time was a fluke rather than some sharp instincts mixed with logic, then I would recommend that you do so. However,” she paused as she stood and touched his shoulder. “I think you would be underrating yourself. You do have the instinct, Harry. We’ve all seen it. That’s why I’ve permitted your invasion and occupation of my library, not because Albus asked it of me. You will make a remarkable teacher.”

Harry felt his cheeks warm. “Only if I pass all of these exams,” he insisted, trying to force the blush away.

Minerva did not look as if she believed it was a worry but she did grow thoughtful for a moment. “Actually, Harry, I have been meaning to talk with you about that…”

He blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You do realise that you will need to demonstrate more than simply theoretical knowledge?”

“Yes…” He was confused as to what she was inferring. She knew that his practical applications was already above standard. It was only the theory that he had neglected in the past.

“Well, I do know of a way you could revise both simultaneously.”

He looked at her in surprise. “How?”

She smiled and told him.

Albus’ first reaction had been alarm, then his common sense made itself known and he calmed himself down. So his Harry wasn’t in Minerva’s library this morning as was his wont. That did no mean that anything had happened to his precious boy. Harry’s vitality was almost back to what it should be, only time being capable of returning the young man’s stamina to what it had once been. So it was unlikely that he needed to worry about Harry lying unconscious in one of Hogwarts’ myriad hallways…

Albus’ feet took him towards the hospital wing of their own accord. To spite his wayward feet, Albus made the legs attached to them move slowly. Really, body parts that rebelled against all common sense truly did deserve to be frustrated. Albus even tricked the impertinent attachments into diverting through one of the quarantined wards on their way to the main ward. Honestly, there was no reason to worry about Harry and far more reason to fear for the poor pox-ridden seventh years who were losing so much learning time and with NEWTs drawing nearer at that. Far, far more reason, so why wouldn’t his feet believe him?

Albus glared down at the offending toes, covered though they were in comfortable sued boots and wonderfully purple socks, sternly and commanded them not to return to the hall that would take him directly to the main ward. They, toes, feet, shoes, socks and the rest of Albus Dumbledore, would reach that particular ward in due course, simply so that he might ensure no new woes had befallen his plagued school along with the old and he would not find Harry there!

He opened the door to the ward of spotty seventh years and his eyes twinkled. No, he would not find his Harry weak and bedridden in the main ward, because the delightful and darling boy was right there, hale and hearty, and tutoring the besieged teenaged patients.

“So there!” Albus whispered to his appropriately embarrassed feet. Harry looked directly at him.

“Da?”

Whisper though he might have, it was not soft enough to escape his son’s sharp ears. Albus would need to be more circumspect with his eccentricity if he wished to avoid his Harry’s keen awareness. He gave his booted feet one last warning glare before smiling benignly at the children. He even twinkled for good measure.

“Good morning, Harry, children.”

A fine black eyebrow twitched knowingly at him from a pale face and he twinkled back as innocently as he possibly could. Harry rolled his eyes but his half-smile was filled with fondness and Albus let the blinding twinkle die back to less vision-impairing levels.

There was an unintelligible general mumble that included a few ‘professor’s, a could of ‘headmaster’s, the odd ‘Dumbledore’s and even an ‘old coot’ from one particularly out of sort Slytherin.

“How are you all feeling today, students? Slightly less poxy I should hope?”

Harry bit his lip and the Slytherin student, young Mr. Lestrange, Albus believed if he could see past the lumpy spots correctly, looked at him very suspiciously. Albus wondered if it could possible be something he had said.

Albus spent the next few minutes chatting with the seventh years. He even managed a few more subtle digs at the all-too-sour Master Lestrange. He wasn’t quite as balmy as he liked people to believe and people who believed he was balmy tended not to believe what they heard him say if it sounded a little odd. It made poking fun at the sad-sacks of the world a lot more acceptable for a headmaster. When the children began chatting amidst themselves, Albus drew his son outside.

“I must say, dear boy, that the last place I expected to stumble across you would be with the ill seventh years.”

Harry shrugged and smiled wryly. “Minerva decided to use me to kill some of her birds.”

Albus blinked. That statement sounded very odd and surely did not mean what he thought it meant! “Excuse me?”

Harry looked just as confused as Albus. “Pardon?”

“Kill some of her birds? Minerva asked this?” Albus still couldn’t quite wrap his mind around it. Not stout Minerva and not gentle Harry! Minerva didn’t even have any birds, not even an owl!

Harry frowned mildly. “You know,” he prompted, “Kill two birds with one stone? One solution that solves several problems?”

“Oh! To banish two boggarts with one riddikkulus!” Albus let his perplexity show. “Why didn’t you just say that?”

Harry lips twisted with amusement. “Because the muggle way is shorter?”

“Hmm.” Albus had to admit that it did roll of the tongue far easier. Perhaps that was why the phrase he had grown up with had so sadly fallen from favour in the last century or so. “I see, but what… birds is Minerva having you kill? Oh my, that sounds so violent.”

Harry chuckled and gave him a quick hug which Albus enjoyed immensely despite not knowing why he was receiving it. “Don’t ever change, Da.”

“Of course not, dear boy,” he returned with his morning’s good humour completely restored. “After one hundred and fifty years, my warrantee has rather expired!”

Harry softly laughed again and stepped back so he could lean against the wall - more for convenience than weariness, Albus was relieved to see. “Minerva wanted to start the seventh years up on a schedule of revision now that they’re all capable of concentrating but she didn’t want to steal any more of the other professors’ time. And, there I am, revising most of the same stuff myself, so she gave a wonderfully convincing speech about needing to integrate the theory and the practical, how I shouldn’t spend so much time cooped up, how I should start talking with someone closer to my own age and that teaching was a marvellous way to consolidate knowledge. So now I’m to spend a couple of hours every morning going through various topics given to me by grateful professors with the quarantined students.”

Albus twinkled. “What a marvellous idea… but didn’t Poppy forbid you from coming into contact with any of the sick children?” Albus began to get rather alarmed as he recalled the mediwitch’s stern and ominous warnings about Harry’s health should he catch this illness.

Harry was quick to calm him. “One, that was three weeks ago, I am a lot healthier than I was even then. Two, she’s given me a preventative since then, the same one she gave to the healthy students last week. And, three, the contagious phase has passed in all of them except the odd first year.”

“Well, that is a relief.” Albus looked at his child sternly. “I should not need to warn you that I will not tolerate anything that might bring about a relapse!”

“Temporal rearrangement is not exactly something that would reoccur at any given moment,” Harry murmured to himself.

“No,” Albus scolded him, letting his boy know that he did not take it as lightly as Harry apparently did. “But magical exhaustion does and you had a great many complications as well.” The afore mentioned temporal rearrangement, a great many physical wounds, mental fatigue and, of course, the after-affects of having caught a killing curse. Harry would need to be cautious for quite awhile yet. So many possible problems could reappear and undo all the progress he had made.

“I’ll be fine, Da. I have you and Poppy watching me like hawks and the rest of the staff checking in on me whenever they have time. I couldn’t push myself too hard if I wanted to.”

Albus tried not to show his pleased satisfaction at the thoroughness of Harry’s ingratiation to Albus’ peers but he suspected his eyes had started twinkling again. Cursed and rebellious body parts! Why was it that, after a wizard turned one hundred and forty, each part of his body had a mind of its own? It made it very difficult for the brain to keep them all in order.

“Very good. Now why don’t you go back to those sadly afflicted students-”

“Don’t you mean poxy?” Harry enquired with a raised eyebrow.

“And join me afterwards for a nice morning tea,” Albus finished blithely, twinkling at his son.

Harry bit his lip and replied with admirable gravity, “Of course, Da.”