Hi guys, real life just got in the way for a while and whenever I'd feel like writing, I wasn't convinced I could pick it back up after so long. I had ideas in my head that have gone so I'm aware I may be leaving plot holes or details out. Not that there's much of a plot, but anyhow.

I'd just like to say that in the last chapter, Snape was frowning as he'd noticed Harry's hands doing their 'thing'. Guess I was too subtle haha. Oh great, now that sounds dirty… it's not.

The chapter title is more for me than Harry, but hey, who cares?!

So, let's see whether this can be salvaged… Oh and I have no clue about potions ingredients, so I just made it up. Sorry!

Chapter 15 - A Much Needed Break.

Harry lay with his eyes shut for a long moment before he remembered last night. With Snape. He groaned and sat up, noticing he was alone in his bedroom. He felt much better than yesterday though, Snape's medicine definitely helped. He sniffed experimentally and his nose was clear, the feverishness had gone and now the embarrassment was creeping in.

Oh god, what a state he'd been in. Stumbling to Snape's rooms and then him having to floo Ginny. It was a wonder that Snape hadn't just poisoned him and been done with it.

He knew he got a bit clingy when he was sick. Ever since being with Ginny, he was looked after when he was ill. Not sent to the matron or shoved in the cupboard. Actually cared for. And he loved it. Over the years it had weakened him, made him dependent on someone, but that had to stop. He'd managed to look after himself fine before, he had to get a grip. No mortifying visits to Snape. Leaving the man to have to floo his wife for goodness sake! No, no, no. No more.

He got ready for breakfast and made his way down with the resolution that he would thank Snape, it was only polite, and then never speak of the incident again.

"I see that you are back to your… chipper self." Snape remarked as Harry sat down.

"Yeah, the medicine worked. Thanks." Harry managed, keeping his voice low. He'd rather Minerva didn't know about it.

"I brewed it, of course it would work."

"Thanks… for not kicking me out straightaway. I mean, you could've sent me to the hospital wing-" Harry carried on, ignoring Snape's comment.

"I did try." Snape pointed out.

"Well yeah, but thanks for putting up with me anyway. And calling Ginny."

"Make sure it doesn't happen again Potter." Snape said, unrolling the newspaper and opening it, effectively tuning Harry out.

"Will do." Harry muttered.

The three hours seemed to drag on for Harry as he waited for the lunch bell to go. Two hours with Teddy's class and then an hour with Harrison's. They were all making steady progress with their casting and Harry was admittedly quite proud. The bell went at last and Harry let out a tired sigh.

"Did you do that bit of transfiguration Professor Nicholas tells me is hanging above his classroom?" Minerva asked Harry at lunch, catching him off guard.

"Uhm…" He stalled, dropping peas.

"If it was not supposed to be there, then of course Potter had something to do with it." Snape said without looking away from his meal.

"In that case Harry, what a splendid piece of transfiguration." Minerva said, giving him a small smile. Harry grinned when he saw Snape's jaw twitch.

"Thank you. It's an experiment."

"Yes I did hear from a few students. Your lessons are going well then I take it?"

"Yeah, they're getting the hang of it slowly. I expected them to be a little more troublesome to be honest. It seemed to be quite a bit more chaotic when I was here." He admitted and Snape snorted.

"That's because it was you causing the chaos." Snape said looking quite incredulous.

"I wasn't that bad." Harry denied, wrinkling his nose. Snape turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Not that bad? Trolls, basilisks, dragons," Snape began ticking off on his hands much to Harry's amusement, "Hippogriffs, damage to the Whomping Willow, swamps-"

"That wasn't me. I never made any swamps." Harry interrupted and received a glare.

"That was one of the lesser problems."

"Well, I didn't really cause all of that. Those were things already in the school. They attacked me." He defended.

"It was a bit of both I would say." Minerva interrupted Snape as he opened his mouth to speak. Rant more likely, Harry thought.

"I don't think I was that bad." Harry mumbled and Snape shook his head and sighed.

Snape went back to his lunch and Harry looked around the hall. Albus hadn't stayed the night and seemed pretty rested from Harry's spot at the staff table. Al was talking to someone Harry didn't know, showing the older boy something in a textbook. He finished his tea and just as he got up he heard Minerva say, "Oh, I got your letter Severus. I'm sure something can be arranged."

Snape tipped his head and Harry left the table wondering what that was about.

He still felt embarrassed over Tuesday night when he'd been ill, but he couldn't avoid the man. He'd spoken to him just fine yesterday in the hall and now Thursday evening had arrived, Harry was making his way to Snape's classroom.

He knocked lightly on the door and heard Snape call to enter. The apparatus was set up like in his previous sessions and Snape glanced up briefly before picking up some parchment and setting the one he'd been marking aside.

"Well?" Snape questioned, making Harry start.

"Nothing, I'll get started." Harry took his place at the desk and withdrew his notes from his folder. Snape remained silent throughout the session. Putting some distance between them, Harry supposed.

A month passed fairly quickly for Harry and before he knew it, Hagrid was bringing in pumpkins to decorate the castle with. He and Snape seemed to be getting on alright, well, Snape hadn't seemed to be seeking to antagonise him yet and with a few more sessions, Snape was starting to give a little help every now and then.

Harry spent his Halloween breakfast writing a letter to Ginny about coming home that evening with the boys. It was a Saturday, which meant he wouldn't be disrupting their classes or any of his. They did it every year, the boys would be at Hogwarts for the feast and then floo home in the evening to spend the night together. It felt right to spend the night he lost his family, with his one now.

James sighed as he looked through his homework planner his aunt Hermione had gotten him for his birthday. The teachers all seemed to be piling on the work lately. How were they supposed to study for their owls when they had so much homework to do?

It seemed as though the seventh years had it worse, James sympathised, as he glanced over his book to a secluded corner in the library. Harrison Lyle sat half hidden amongst a few towers of books, his brow furrowed as he read. James had seen him in the library a lot these days, but he didn't have the guts to interrupt. Best wait for Harrison to notice, he decided, going back to his transfiguration text.

He couldn't concentrate for long though as he knew Teddy, Mathew, Victoire and Isabelle were all outside enjoying one of the last unseasonably warm days of the year before winter set in. Being sixth years, they weren't hassled by the teachers as much.

He spent ten minutes more trying to concentrate but it wasn't working. James stuffed his book into his bag and left the library in search of Teddy. He walked through the corridors at a leisurely pace, feeling able to think a bit more freely about something that had been lurking in his head for the past month.

He was fairly sure he was gay. Now wasn't that a revelation? James hitched his bag higher up on his shoulder. Yes, he was gay. On the one hand, it wasn't such a big deal. But really? This was big. How on earth does Harry Potter's son end up gay? What would his dad say? His future had never really been planned out, but he'd pictured a wife, kids, all of that stuff. However vague his plans were, they had been comforting in their normality. It's what is expected of you. His dad had done it, he seemed happy. But he would have to take a different path, and that thought was scary enough that he shoved it to the back of his mind as he crossed the grounds to the four people sitting under the old tree by the lake.

"I thought you were studying?" Matt said as James joined them.

"I got bored." James shrugged carelessly and Teddy laughed.

"That's my boy." Teddy punched him lightly as he sat down and Victoire spoke.

"You shouldn't encourage him to laze about." She scolded her boyfriend and Matt and James both rolled their eyes.

"He's not five, he can think for himself." Teddy grumbled, leaning back on his elbows and closing his eyes.

Victoire poked him sharply in the stomach, making him yelp.

"You should be encouraging him to do well with his studies, you're older than him."

"I'm right here." James muttered.

"Well he should. Do I have to speak to Harry?" She threatened and Teddy opened his eyes to look at her with incredulity.

"Are you being serious?" He questioned, sitting up to look at her properly. "You'd go to Harry over something so stupid?"

Mathew and Isabelle were watching them apprehensively.

"Stupid? James is the one who is going to end up stupid if you keep influencing him like this."

"Hey, enough! I am not being influenced," James cut in rather irritably, "And I am certainly not going to end up stupid thank you very much. I choose not to revise for probably the last nice day of the year and it's a bloody interrogation!"

"I just care about my little cousin's education. Is that so hard to understand?" Victoire said, looking rather wounded.

"I'm not little." He said, but failing to ignore the guilty feeling, he smiled a little. "But thanks. I will revise, I'm just not in the mood today."

"Alright." Victoire conceded.

"Just don't go to dad, Vic, not today." James quietly said, making the others frown.

"Halloween." Teddy supplied, and the group fell into silence.

The Halloween feast seemed to be better than the years he'd been at Hogwarts, Harry thought as he rubbed his stomach.

"Don't use too much powder James, you don't need it." James dropped half the powder he was holding back into the pot on Harry's office mantle. "Go on then, we'll be right after you." He smiled as James whooshed away in the green flames and turned to Albus. "Ready?"

"With you?" Albus questioned, looking unsure.

"You've travelled on your own before Al, don't be silly." Harry frowned.

"Just this once, please." Albus' timid voice made Harry sigh inwardly.

"This once." Was all Harry said before stepping over the grate and into the floo. He held out his hand and Albus hurried in, holding his hand firmly as Harry dropped the powder and sent them spinning away.

Harry held onto Albus tightly as they arrived, preparing for Albus to stumble like Harry usually did. He let go of Albus when they'd righted themselves and Harry heard a squeal before noticing Lily was running at him.

"Hey Lil," He crouched down to hug her and spotted Ginny coming out of the kitchen to see the boys, "I hope you haven't been too much trouble for your mother."

"I wouldn't." She said with an indignant frown and Harry tapped her on the nose.

"Good." He smiled. Ginny lit the fire and closed the floo connection before retreating back into the kitchen. Harry left the boys and Lily in the living room and followed.

"You're quiet." He said meekly as he pushed the kitchen door closed behind him. Ginny turned around and flashed him a grin.

"Stop worrying," She said in a low voice, moving close and hooking a finger into his belt loop, "I wanted you to follow."

"Oh." Harry said sheepishly before Ginny proceeded to give him a very nice welcome home kiss. In all their years together, Ginny's kisses still had that fire to them. He brought his hand up to the back of her neck and deepened the kiss. Still better than firewhiskey.

The door opened, making Harry break away hastily from Ginny and leaving her stood oddly in the middle of the kitchen.

"We can't pick between these two." Lily said, oblivious to her interruption. She held up the dvd's for their assessment.

"Finding Nemo." Ginny decided and Lily beamed.

"That's what one I picked." She said as she went back into the living room. "Can we put it on now?" Lily called.

"Yeah, we'll be in straightaway." Ginny answered. She gave Harry a little disheartened smile and went to follow, crossing the kitchen. Harry caught up with her as she was about to enter the living room and touched the small of her back apologetically. Her head turned in surprise before she smiled warmly and touched his cheek for a brief moment.

"I don't think there's enough blankets." Albus announced.

"Are you sure?" Harry laughed, watching Lily struggle to emerge from a blanket on the sofa. Ginny sat down and helped to arrange the blanket while Albus left to get another. Eventually they managed to get settled on the long sofa. James sat on the outside next to Ginny, Lily sat in the middle and then Harry with Albus on his right. There was a bit of shifting and blanket rearrangements before everyone was comfortable. And then there was silence.

"Uhm… so who's going to put the film on?" Harry questioned, smirking. Albus groaned and Lily giggled.

"It happens every time." James whinged. "We always get comfortable first."

"Fine!" Ginny sighed dramatically, "I'll do it." She got up and put the film on and the children were soon engrossed.

As the film progressed, Lily being Lily, couldn't sit still for long and ended up with her head in Ginny's lap and her legs draped over Harry's. This left Ginny's hand free under the blanket. He'd been slowly working up the courage to take it and now the film was nearing the last twenty minutes. He thought of her expression when he'd backed off in the kitchen and the guilt allowed his hand to grasp hers and interlock their fingers. He kept his eyes glued to the screen but when he took a peek a few minutes later, Ginny's small smile made him grin inwardly, feeling proud.

The film ended not long after and Lily had fallen asleep.

"It's too early for bed, let's put another one on." James said from his cocoon at the end of the sofa.

"Well if your father puts Lil to bed, we can watch something a little older." Ginny said, helping Harry take Lily. She yawned and stretched before climbing out of the blanket. "I'll make us some hot chocolate."

"With marshmallows?" Albus piped up hopefully.

"Of course." Ginny grinned and disappeared into the kitchen. Harry carefully put an arm under Lily's legs and lifted her up. She moved slightly to grab a fistful of the front of Harry's shirt in her sleep. He took her out the room and up the stairs to bed, unaware of Albus' watchful eyes.

Without Lily in the middle, Harry and Ginny sat quite close for the next film, both cradling their mugs of hot chocolate. Half way through, Harry could see Albus was getting quite sleepy but didn't say; he would only deny it anyway. Ginny was leaning on Harry and their hands were entwined again beneath the blanket. This was a good way to spend Halloween, he thought.

The film finished and James gave a loud yawn before getting to his feet with great effort making Ginny shake her head.

"Okay, now I'm tired." He got to the door before saying, "Night."

"Where's my kiss?" Ginny teased, making James wrinkle his nose.

"I'm not five." He complained.

"Don't you love me any more?" Ginny said, her lower lip trembling. James laughed but came to the back of the sofa and leant down to kiss Ginny quickly on the cheek.

"Don't I get one, or was that favouritism?" Harry daringly said. He looked down at Albus and noticed he'd fallen asleep. Harry thought James had gone until he was surprised with a kiss on his unruly mop. His shocked face made Ginny laugh and Harry tilted his head back to grin at a retreating James.

"Shut up dad." Said James not unkindly.

Harry and Ginny sat quietly for a while as the credits came to an end. Albus still hadn't woken.

"C'mon Al, wake up." Harry said gently. "Time for bed." Albus just frowned a little, turned his head into Harry's arm and sighed. Giving in, Harry awkwardly manoeuvred so he could pick him up. Ginny just watched as he lifted him up and left the room. Harry put him into bed and pulled the covers up, tucking him in before going back downstairs.

"He was awake." She said as he joined her back on the sofa.

"I did wonder." He sighed. They were silent for a long moment before Ginny spoke again.

"It doesn't help if you don't want him to grow up, Harry."

"I know."

The three flooed back to Hogwarts the next day. Being a Sunday, Harry wondered whether Snape would be free, allowing him to do a bit more work in the potions classroom. No harm in asking, he thought, especially as there were to be an assessment for the first quarter of work and he wasn't quite up to scratch with everything.

Luckily the door was already open to Snape's classroom and the man himself could be seen at his desk, marking. The man seemed to sense his presence and looked up, effectively making Harry blush as he stood there awkwardly at Snape's door.

"Problem?" Snape enquired.

"Uh, no. I was just wondering whether I could get some work-"

Snape cut in, "Fine, do not interrupt me." Harry nodded quickly and began setting up as quietly as possible.

"How much do you need to have done before you are ready for the assessment?" Snape asked, just as Harry was adding the fig leaves, causing him to drop two more than necessary.

"I'm almost there," Harry replied, attempting to neutralize the potion. Bubbles had started to gather and seemed to be expanding toward the top of the cauldron. He glanced up at Snape but luckily the man hadn't looked up. "Just a few more to go over, get confident with." The bubbles had turned into greenish foam that was now reaching the rim. He had no idea how to stop it. "Uh sir!"

Snape was at his side almost instantly, dropping something in the cauldron and stirring twice. "It is still salvageable. Carry on." The potion was back to its previous state, before he had added too many fig leaves.

"Thanks. What did you add?"

"Valerian root. Balances the fig."

Another twenty minutes later, Harry was packing his things and Snape was still marking. He added his documentation on today's session to his portfolio and said a quiet thanks to Snape as he tucked in his stool.

"You may use the classroom if it is free." Snape said, sounding as though he had something stuck in his throat. Harry took a moment to process what he had said before giving out another thank you. That was awfully, un-Snape of him.

Another reminder that I know nothing about Potions, it wouldn't be something I would be interested in if I were to get my Hogwarts letter a little late and miraculously be able to go! Though I guess I would go, even if they only taught potions... lowering my standards here. Owl?

So yeah, sorry about the extreme delay... but thank you, seriously, if you've stuck with it and are reading still. Also to those who have read right through in one go, that takes some dedication! I apologise if this new chapter doesn't quite flow or if my writing has changed.