THE BEST KEPT SECRETS

Chapter Six: At the Slightest Word

The only time that worked for Marietta was Monday morning, meaning that Harry had to leave Ron in charge for the day while Ginny had to fight with her boss to get a few hours off of work. The children might have preferred to spend the morning sleeping in, and it had taken more effort than they liked to wake Lily up. Once she remembered what it was for, though, she became more energized than anyone.

Once out of the car, it was Lily who bounced ahead of everyone else, barging into the Dursley's London home without knocking. She had the bad tendency to just let herself into places, a habit that Harry and Ginny had both fought long and hard to break but to no avail. Shaking their heads, determined to fuss at her later over it, they followed her in. James and Albus unenthusiastically trailed behind them, the former wearing a pout with a glare that made the latter roll his eyes then shake his head every time he noticed it. For being the oldest child, he acted as immature as the youngest should.

Marietta had volunteered to meet them at the office, but Harry decided against it. The more formal setting would not sit well with him. He decided it might help his aversion to therapy if it didn't feel quite as much like it. She had been more than willing to accommodate him. Besides, they had agreed that it would be good for the kids to get to visit with each other and for him to catch up with Dudley when it was done.

This house wasn't nearly as immaculate as Aunt Petunia had liked her home kept. It wasn't chaotic, rather comfortable. All of the furniture looked expensive and nice, but also had the look of being slightly worn, well used by the family of four plus two dogs, a cat, an owl, and a toad. His aunt would have died had she seen the few brown and gray feathers sitting lightly on the cream colored carpet or the nearly empty glass of orange juice on the coffee table unattended and off a coaster. There were plenty of hi-tech gadgets lying about that Uncle Vernon would have died for, but could have never afforded. That huge, flat screen TV must have been the envy of the neighborhood! Douglas Dursley, the stick thin ten year old son of Dudley and Marietta, sat on the floor in front of said TV playing a racing video game. His fancy red car ran over three civilians before crashing into the side of a building when he heard them come in, turning around to grin at them. Aside from his curly brown hair, he didn't look much like Marietta. Harry liked to think this was what a skinny Dudley would have looked like.

"Hey! Anyone fancy playing? It's awfully dull playing alone and Dad's been on the phone most of the morning," Douglas said.

"No one wants to play silly old video games," scoffed Daisy, prancing into the living room. While not as fat as Dudley had been at her age, the twelve year old was chubby with long, curly blond hair. She at least looked like she had lost a bit of weight since they last saw her. She brightened upon seeing the redhead and squealed. "Lily!"

"Hi, Daisy!" Lily chirped, hugging her cousin. "Have you seen the latest Witch Weekly?"

"Ooh, yes! The one with Sven Krum on the cover?" Daisy asked, leading her away for girl chat.

"I would," Harry laughed, shaking his head at the girls before turning to Douglas. "But we're here for a…to see your mum."

"Um…I could play a round, Doug, I guess," Albus said with a sideways glance to his brother. James would normally be up for it, but he seemed set on being sulky and rude the entire visit. He wasn't really one for games like this, but he had a knack for them. It would be a good way to pass the time other than letting James's behavior bother him. Sitting down on the floor beside Douglas, he took up the second controller while his cousin got out of his current game to set it up to two player.

"Hello, Harry. Ginny," said Dudley breathlessly, walking into the room. "You'd think some people had never seen a computer in their lives. I've been getting calls from customers and employees alike all morning!"

While still on the bigger side, Dudley had lost a lot of weight when he finished school. He had become friendlier towards Harry, but still held onto a bad tendency of bullying, acting superior to everyone he met until it got him into a lot of trouble. At his first job, his boss hadn't liked his attitude to his colleagues or the constant sucking up, and had told him so. Then, when his first real relationship turned abusive, he faced domestic violence charges at the age of twenty one, ended up in therapy to deal with his issues. Marietta had been the one to treat him. He had been smitten with her at first sight, though she hadn't liked him one bit. Only when he started making improvement in everyday life then committed himself to wooing her did she fall in love with him. He left the job his father had gotten him to start his own business in electronics, which he was very good with, married Marietta, had two kids, and was living a better life than he had ever dreamed of. Maybe Dudley had treated him awfully during his childhood, but he had earned this for himself. He had worked hard at making himself a better person, one of the main reasons they got on so well nowadays.

"Not everyone can be a computer whiz, Dud," Harry teased, nodding in greeting to his cousin. "Where's Marietta?"

"Upstairs. She'll see you soon," Dudley said. "Did you know she's pregnant again?"

Harry raised his eyebrow. "No, I didn't. Congrats!"

"Thanks," Dudley grinned. "It's a boy, she says. She didn't want anyone to know, really, right now, but Daisy…Well, you know how girls that age are. Couldn't keep her mouth shut. So, now my mum and her mum keep calling. Never left her alone with Daisy and Doug. Drove her plain batty, which wasn't good for my mental health either. Mum's trying to talk her into trying some sort of pregnancy diet she saw on the telly the other day. Supposed to be very good for the baby and will help her lose more weight once she has it. I thought they were about to row with how red 'Etta's face was. I'm surprised she didn't start on her, though I wouldn't have blamed her, no matter how rude Mum would have said it was."

Harry glanced at Ginny, already hearing her voice in his head, some snide comment about being surprised Marietta knew how to keep her mouth shut. Some grudges were hard to let go of, and Ginny still hadn't fully let go of Marietta blabbing about the D.A. all those years ago. Hermione said it had probably only started from there, becoming something more after all of this time, though Harry didn't understand what that meant or what it could be. All he knew was that Ginny didn't like Marietta very much and one wrong comment from the latter would result in a tense morning of female mind games and thinly veiled insults.

Luckily, her only response was the tightening of her lips, showing her restraint from saying anything rude.

"Erm…I'm sorry to hear all of that," Harry said. "That's still exciting, though. A new baby!"

"Yeah," Dudley agreed happily. "We were going to stop after Doug. Sure didn't mean to have such an age gap, but…things happen."

"His name's going to be Donald!" Doug piped up. "Mum's glad it's a boy, 'cause Dad wanted Daffodil for a girl's name."

"Well, I wanted to keep the 'D' as well as the flower traditions, so that was the only one I could think of. It's not that bad," Dudley defended, face turning pink.

"Yeah, Dad, it is," Doug snorted.

"You got really good at this," Albus said, voice strained as he struggled to keep his car on the road, thumbs barely visible as they flew across the controller.

"Thanks," grinned Doug. "Dad's been teaching me a few tricks since last time. I could probably even beat James now!"

Said wizard glowered at the TV in response, but said nothing as he sat down on the couch, slumping as far into the seat as he could go. Ginny shot him a dirty look while Dudley raised an eyebrow at him. "Almost forgot you were here to see Etta," he mumbled, shaking his head. "Things gonna be alright?"

"Dunno," Ginny replied smoothly. "We'll have to wait for your wife to tell us."

Dudley laughed awkwardly. "Right. Great. Yeah. Well, she'll be here soon, I reckon. D'you want anything to eat or drink?"

Eying Ginny's stiff posture beside him then James's glower, Harry eyed the kitchen longingly. "Scotch?"

His wife turned her sharp glare onto him which he ignored. Dudley just chuckled, looking uncomfortable as he glanced between them. "Isn't that the reason you had to see her in the first place?"

"Yeah. But trust me, if you knew, you'd be drinking, too," Harry said.

"Gotcha. One scotch coming up. Ginny?"

Sighing, she reluctantly asked for a glass of wine, causing Harry to have to hide the grin that threatened to break out. Even she couldn't deny that of anything, this was an occasion for a drink. At least she wasn't going for anything heavier like he had in mind.

"Can I have some, too, Dad?" asked Douglas.

"No," Dudley said as he disappeared into the kitchen.

"Ugh. Do we seriously have to do this?" groaned James.

"Yes," Harry and Ginny said at the same time.

"I think I would rather help Birdy paint her toenails," grumbled James.

"I'm sure you would love doing anything with your girlfriend right about now," Ginny snapped. "I could be making money at this time. But, you want to know something? Our family is the most important thing for us, so it's our top priority. If we're willing to put in the effort to make things better, then you should, too."

"What effort? Sitting here and whining to Marietta about all of your problems? I highly doubt anyone, even a trained professional, could fix how fucked up this all is," James muttered.

"Language," Harry warned.

"Leave me alone," James huffed. "Neither of you cared enough to be honest with us in the first place. Dad, you sure as hell didn't have enough respect for your wife or your family to keep it in your pants. So, I really don't see how coming here is proving how much we all love each other."

"I'm getting really tired of your attitude, James Sirius," Ginny hissed.

"James, I know you're upset, but you do not talk to your parents that way," Harry said firmly, standing as tall as he could despite how embarrassed and ashamed he felt.

"Don't see why not," James muttered. "You both deserve it."

"That is it!" snapped Ginny.

"Oooh…I can see why you needed to see me," joked Marietta as she walked downstairs. Thank God she looked as little like her therapist self as possible. Instead of the professional bun, her curly brown hair was hanging down and instead of the skirt suit, she was wearing a pink sundress. Maybe he could survive this session after all.

"I really don't find the situation amusing, Marietta," Ginny said testily.

"Thank you for seeing us on such short notice, Dr. Dursley," Harry quickly cut in. "I know you tend to be very busy."

"Nonsense, you're family," Marietta said, waving him off. She also seemed unperturbed by Ginny's comments. "Are you ready to come on up?"

Harry and Ginny glanced at each other, then the kitchen. "Erm, in a min…"

Dudley then walked out with their drinks. The Potters took theirs quickly, quickly swallowing the liquid inside. Marietta shot them disapproving looks as they then approached her.

"Trust me," Ginny sighed, "we needed it."

In order to keep with the non-therapy atmosphere, they gathered then sat at the table on the back porch. She didn't even have her clipboard with her, but he could almost see her making mental notes by the look in her eyes. It was enough to make him cringe. There were probably notes calculating how far apart he and Ginny chose to sit, their posture, facial expressions, the whole nine yards. No matter how casual she made this, it was hard to get the fact that this was a therapy session out of his mind. So much for that plan.

Knowing Marietta would probably need something in her system, they asked Dudley to bring them more drinks, having to coax the woman into letting them. With alcohol in hand, Harry launched into the story from the beginning, Ginny putting her comments out there when the urge was too strong for her to keep it in. Being a therapist, Marietta had probably seen and heard a lot. Or maybe those understanding, knowing expressions were all part of training as a therapist. Whatever it was, the woman didn't react quite as strongly as the average person might have with the news given to her, but her surprise did not go unnoticed by the Potters. It was the twisting of her lips, the slight widening of her eyes, and the large gulp of wine she took, the obvious restraint not to swallow the entire glass. Marietta didn't say much of anything, only patiently waiting until they reached the end.

Silence followed his last words for a few minutes as Marietta seemed to gather her thoughts. Instead of the barrage of questions he had been given when first having to tell all of his friends about his relationship with Snape, she only nodded and finally said, "If circumstances had been different, would you be with him right now?"

Damn it. In theory, he knew that these sorts of sessions would involve questions like these, but he hadn't really anticipated having to answer questions he didn't want Ginny to know the answers to. She was a smart woman, though. His wife probably already knew the answers to them all. Not that she wanted to hear them any more than he wanted to say them.

"Different how?" he asked, buying himself time to think up a good answer.

Marietta raised an eyebrow, but humored him. "If he had been willing to step up to the plate, to be a good partner to you, a good father to James."

"Even if he had, I don't think I would want to live the way he does," Harry admitted. At first, it seemed like a really good excuse but, in all reality, it was true. As much as he wanted to be with Snape, he didn't want to hide with him. The Wizarding world was his home. He didn't want to have to give it up to hide away with someone. Especially now that he knew how bad it was to live a lie and the consequences that could follow such a decision.

"What if he had been willing to leave behind his comfortable life?" she prodded. "Would you have stayed with him or gone to Ginny?"

"I…" Harry said, swallowing hard. "Well, since when all this started Ginny and I were headed to a divorce, I guess I would have ended up with him."

"Hmm," Marietta said. "What if he had changed his mind then? When you and Ginny reunited, ready to give the marriage another shot. If he had come up to you, saying he wanted to be with you and was willing to do whatever it took. Would you have left?"

"I…" Harry said, having to pause and think. Ginny was looking determinedly away from him, her face as pale as his was flushed. Really, he would have wanted to say yes to Snape, but would he have? If he was married to Ginny at the time, deciding to give the marriage another go…He wouldn't have just up and left her because Snape decided he wanted him, would he? Not when he had made a commitment to Ginny. "I would have stayed."

"Why?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why would you have stayed? Because you genuinely love Ginny or because you felt obligated to remain at her side?"

"Well…I do love her, but I also would have…You know…I married her! You don't just leave a relationship because someone else wants you," Harry said, despite his heart telling him, begging with him to choose Snape. The thought made him feel awful.

"Do you really love Ginny?"

"Of course I do!"

"Are you in love with her?"

The pause was short, but it was enough for Ginny to sit up straight, turning to stare at him with wide brown eyes. "Yes. Of course I am."

"Who do you love more? Ginny or Snape?"

"Honestly? I love them both the same." Liar! His heart and mind screamed at him. While he did love Ginny, he knew deep down that Snape meant more to him than anyone. Glancing between the two women, his heart sunk when he saw that neither believed him.

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course I do!"

"I'm not sure that you do," Marietta replied. "But we'll discuss that more later. Now, say circumstances changed tomorrow. If you and Ginny were going to divorce then Snape decided to come out of hiding, would you be with him then?"

Yes. The word was on the tip of his tongue, but he held it back. At first, it was for Ginny's sake. Did he really need to confess how much he wanted to be with the man? In front of his wife, no less? He frowned as he began to imagine such a scenario. His first impulse was to scream out "Yes! Of course I'll be with you!" However, the moment his imaginary self did so, he became scared. What would a life with Snape actually entail? They would fight so much. The media would go into a frenzy. He had dealt with them before, though. There had been a time when the tabloids were calling him insane, a liar, all sorts of nasty things. But coming out as gay in such a homophobic area, in a relationship with the last person they would ever expect to see him with? It would be bad. He could handle that, right? Life would never be normal. That was the crux of it, wasn't it? He just wanted to be normal. All of his life he had been different. Growing up, he had been treated like shite by his relatives, made out to be some hooligan to the neighbors. Then, in the Wizarding world, he was some hero to be gawked at. Marrying Ginny, having kids with her, that was all a part of the dream he had always had. Together they had created the life he had missed out on as a child, the perfect family he had always envisioned, wanting so desperately for himself.

What kind of life could he have with Snape?

As it had never been a real possibility, he had always dreamed of it in more pleasant ways than reality could ever be. He had never actually faced a real decision about being with Snape or not. If all of his obligations to Ginny and the children were to suddenly disappear, could he really make a life with the man? What kind of life would it be?

With Ginny, there was always something missing, but it was perfect. Theirs was the way marriage was supposed to be, if you didn't count all of the secrets and lies. He was happy with her, even if he did spend much of his time feeling that ache that constantly reminded him that something was missing.

"I…don't think so," Harry said.

Here, Ginny seemed surprised. "Really?" she asked doubtfully.

"Why is that?" Marietta asked.

"Well," Harry said, wiggling around in his seat, eyes focused on the table rather than their faces. How bad would it be to confess everything he had just been thinking? "I just…don't think it would really work between us." It was true, though he didn't go into detail about why that was.

Unfortunately, she couldn't let it go. "Why wouldn't things work out?" the therapist prompted.

"It's just…Everything with us is complicated," Harry said carefully.

"Hmmm. Is it complicated because it's so different from what you always thought you wanted?" Marietta asked. "Are you with Ginny because she fulfills a role in the fantasy you had for your life? Marry a nice witch, get a good job, have a few kids. Being with Severus Snape sort of disrupts that illusion of what many would call the perfect life."

"I…I'm not with Ginny because of…that!" he said defensively. Part of it might have been that, maybe, but that wasn't the only reason. She was the sort of witch he always dreamed about having for a wife. She was pretty, smart, strong, gifted, loved Quidditch, and all sorts of things. They were good together.

"Very well," she replied. "But is that a reason you couldn't be with him? Because he doesn't fit into that sort of ideal? I do remember you told me a long time ago this image you always had of what you wanted in life. Do you remember what you told me?"

Reluctantly, Harry slowly nodded.

"You wanted to have a good career as a Seeker or an Auror. You wanted to have this nice little house in Godric's Hollow, get married, have kids, and be the sort of family you knew you would have been had your parents survived," she said. "Most importantly, you wanted to have a normal, happy life. Being with Snape would go against that idea of normalcy, would it not?"

"I…Well, I guess…"

"Then you have to face what the public would think of the relationship. They wouldn't be kind. Nothing that wouldn't be new to you, of course, but you've worked so hard at not giving the paparazzi any reason to hound you. This would stir up so much attention you might never escape it," she said plainly.

"Yeah, I know," Harry sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. Then, in hopes of making his reasoning seem less bad, added, "We fight a lot, you know."

"You always did have an antagonistic relationship with Severus Snape," Marietta acknowledged. "Why do you think you love him?"

"I…Isn't this supposed to be about Ginny and me?" Harry asked, clearing his throat. Ginny had been sitting there so silently, he had nearly forgotten she was there. It was like he was being interrogated or something, rather than trying to work on his marriage and his family.

"This is about you and Ginny," Marietta assured him. "But Snape poses a problem in your relationship. You need to fully understand your relationship with him to better understand the relationship you have with your wife."

"I'm rather sick of hearing about my husband and that man, thank you very much," Ginny muttered.

"What do you think of Harry and Snape?"

"What do you think?" Ginny snapped. "I hate it! My husband is in love with the greasy bastard who made our schooling hell."

Harry gritted his teeth. "He saved our lives and was a hero!"

"Yes, he was," Ginny said coldly. "But he was also an ugly git who treated us like shite for years."

"Have you two every really discussed Harry's relationship with Snape?" Marietta asked.

"Of course we have!" Ginny said exasperatedly.

"Err…Not really," Harry argued. "We fight about him, mostly."

"So I assume you've only ever discussed him while arguing shortly after discovering another tryst?"

"Mostly, yeah," Harry said.

"You've never really sat down and talked things through, though?"

"No."

"Why would I want to?" Ginny snapped. "Why would I want to know all of the nitty gritty details of his affair? I find out all I need to know. That's it."

"But you don't think delving deeper into things is important?" Marietta asked.

"What would be the point?" Ginny asked tiredly. "He's not leaving me for Snape. I stopped worrying about that a long time ago. It's been a long time since he was last with him like that anyway. Things have been good for a long time. The biggest issue now is that the kids know."

"And yet, despite this supposedly being a family issue, you still requested a session for couple's counseling before the family therapy. Why is that if your marriage is so stable now?" Marietta asked.

Harry glanced to Ginny who opened and closed her mouth several times before slowly settling back down, giving Marietta a hard stare. The brunette examined them both carefully for a moment before switching her crossed legs, taking a sip of her own wine. Unsure of what to do himself, Harry remained quiet. The question, he figured, was aimed to Ginny. She was the one making their relationship seem fine right now, when she had been so angry with him since the kids found out. It wasn't like any of it was news to her.

"Why are you mad at Harry, Ginny?"

"You mean you don't know?" Ginny snapped. "What reasons don't I have? He cheated on me! Isn't that reason enough?"

"But if he hasn't in 'so long', as you've said, then why are you so angry now? Have you been treating him like this ever since you first found out? Has your marriage been nothing but glares and arguments ever since?"

"Of course not!"

"Then why is it now? Why are you so angry now?"

"Because it's all coming up again!" Ginny snapped. "My children hate me because of them! They're mad at me for being pushed into a plan they decided on! Because I don't want to think about the feelings my husband has for that bastard! Things were fine before. We had a good, happy life together. But now that the kids know everything, it's all falling apart! And I hate him for it."

Harry frowned, bowing his head in response to her vehement words. They weren't surprising, but it was still unpleasant to hear them. His gut twisted, vision swimming as he lost himself in the familiar haze of regret, self-loathing, and shame. The thudding in his ears made his head vibrate, and was so loud that he could barely hear the two talk. There were more questions, mostly about why Ginny stayed. It was because she loved Harry, couldn't bear to lose him so soon after losing so many friends and family in the war. Then, when the boys were born, she couldn't walk away from them. Even in some of the later instances, she was unwilling to walk away from her life. Because she thought everything with Snape was just a phase, just another unhealthy way of dealing with his pain, just like the drinking. It was something he would get over, something he would move past, and she needed to be there for him, to help him through it. Sometimes she just knew that Snape had some sort of hold over him, and she had to save him, to get him through it. There were a lot of reasons. A lot of excuses, Marietta said, leading the two into a small argument that ended when Marietta requested for Ginny to tell her how she felt when she learned the truth.

"I hated him!" she hissed. "My heart broke, okay? I was sad. I was miserable! And I cried so much, and hated myself for loving someone who could do that to me! I hated him so much because he was supposed to love me and only me. He wasn't supposed to go to someone else like that. I was angry. I was…What do you think I felt? What sort of bloody question is that?"

"I know some of these questions might sound stupid, but it's good for you to air everything. The more you talk about this, the more 'silly' questions you answer, the more you learn about how you really think and feel about the situation," Marietta explained. "Were you embarrassed?"

Harry's eyebrows scrunched in confusion. What would she have to be embarrassed about? It wasn't like she had done anything wrong. It wasn't like anyone else even knew!

"Yes," Ginny said hoarsely. "I felt humiliated. I was ashamed. I hated myself because I wasn't good enough for him. Are you happy?"

"You…Why would you…It wasn't…How could…?" Harry said, the words flying out of his mouth before he could even understand what he was trying to ask. "Why would you think that? You're perfect, Gin."

"If I'm so perfect then why did you run off to him? Why are you in love with him, if I'm such a good wife? Why do you shag him if things are so good with us, huh?" Ginny demanded.

"I…" he said, glancing uncertainly at Marietta. How was he supposed to answer a question like that?

The brunette wasn't helpful to him at all. "Well? Harry?"

"It's…it's complicated. With me and him," he said. "I just do. Love him, you know? It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you. More like there's something wrong with me, right?" He chuckled weakly at the joke, both women managing to crack a smile, though Ginny looked irritated by hers. "You didn't do anything wrong? Okay? I fucked up. You shouldn't feel all of that. You know? I don't…I can't explain what happened between us, but there's something there and I can't get rid of it. But it doesn't have to do with you, okay? You didn't do anything."

"How? How can that be, huh? You fell in love with that miserable old man! You kept going to him when you had me! And you still want him so much! I can see it. Tell me, Harry, how does that not say there's something very wrong with me?" she demanded heatedly.

"Probably says more about me than you, doesn't it" Harry asked. The words were supposed to be a joke, but his tone held more bitterness than intended. "What I feel for Severus isn't about you, okay? It's just…I dunno. Something's there with him. Nothing you did made this happen, okay? You're great! My life would be so much easier if I didn't love him, but I do and I don't know what to do about it!

"Leave him alone!" Ginny growled. "We go there every week, Harry! You are determined to see him every week."

"Well, I wanted…" Harry began, but his wife cut him off.

"I know why you say we do it!" Ginny snapped. "Before all of this started, he visited Snape now and then, you know. To make sure he was okay in his new life. Making sure everything was working out for him. Then, when we began having problems, he and Snape became friends. That I understood! After that, when our relationship was fine, we had the kids to worry about. And Harry wanted them to know their other father, even if they couldn't know who he really was to them! Even that I could understand! I didn't like it, but I understood it. When it was just Lily, I got it, because it would look strange to stop seeing him so much when it was just her in the house! But the past three years, with no kids around, he still wants to see him all of the time. You may have children with him, Harry, and you might feel this obligation to him to let him see the kids, but you don't have to be there! We could have let him babysit or something so they could visit their 'godfather.' We could visit only now and then. But to be friends with the man you're so madly in love with? How can we make this relationship work when you won't let yourself get over him? You keep going back! Every time something goes wrong, you run to him! You go to him for everything and you wonder why things are this way! Because you won't fucking let him go!"

Harry blinked in surprise, gaping at Ginny while Marietta slowly nodded her head. "That is a very good point, Ginny."

Breathless, Ginny just stared at her husband, seemingly surprised by her own outburst. After a few moments, she blinked then turned to look at Marietta. "Thanks."

"Now, tell me, how long have you felt that way?" Marietta asked.

"I dunno. I try not to think about it much," Ginny said quietly, taking a sip of her nearly forgotten wine. "For a while, I guess."

"And you've never asked Harry why he continues to seek out Snape?"

"Not really," Ginny admitted reluctantly.

"And why is that?"

"Dunno," Ginny said with a shrug, turning to look out at the yard. Marietta continued to watch her. Harry eyed them both, wondering when this would continue. For a few minutes, Ginny ignored them both while the brunette watched her. Finally, Ginny sighed in annoyance, rolled her eyes then turned back to them. "It's not like it would have fixed anything. Harry would have come up with some excuse to make it 'okay.'"

"But that's all it would have been. An excuse," Marietta said.

"Yes," Ginny said.

"And you couldn't find a way to contradict any 'excuse' he invented?" she asked.

"It's not like I ever had an opportunity to try, so I don't know," Ginny snapped.

"Hmm," said Marietta, tapping her finger against her lips. For a few minutes she looked at them both, seeming to think of something. Harry was getting anxious, wishing they could move on with this. He and Ginny would be fine. They always were. The biggest issue was the children, really. Maybe they should have started with the family therapy, instead.

"What?" Ginny demanded impatiently.

Still, Marietta said nothing for several moments. Only when she was ready did she straighten up, resting her hands on the table. "Do you fight regularly?"

"No!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Have you only ever fought when Harry had his affairs?"

"No. We've fought about other things before."

"Such as?"

"Moving to Godric's Hollow. He didn't want to leave Grimmauld Place for the longest time. Then, when I got an offer to play for a team in Greece, we fought about moving. Not often, but that was never the only argument we've had. Fighting's normal, though, in moderation," Ginny said defensively. "You can't…"

Marietta raised her hands to quiet Ginny. "I wasn't going to say it was a problem. Fighting is good. Healthy, really, if done right. See, you don't want to actually hurt your partner. Some people will tell you a nice, calm conversation is better but, in all reality, it's hard to be completely honest with the stronger emotions backing it up. Arguments are a good way of working through problems and coming to a conclusion, so long as you don't say or do anything harmful in the process of getting your point across. What I mean to say, Ginny, is that by not prodding Harry concerning these visits with Snape was a misjudgment on your part. You should have questioned him. And if he was unwilling to give satisfactory answers, push him into it. Be honest. Say what's on your mind. Demand answers, because it's your right to know them. Harry, you do need to be pushed into being honest. Do you deny you would have lied or otherwise talked your way out of giving Ginny the truth?"

"Err," Harry said, not sure at first what she meant. Then, remembering she had mentioned the visits to Snape, and the fact that Ginny never questioned it, he looked away. Heat filled his cheeks, half tempted to spout off another lie, proclaiming that no, he would never do such a thing. But that wouldn't be very useful, would it? Hesitantly he replied, "Yes…I mean, no…I mean…I would have tried to avoid answering the question."

Marietta nodded. "Just letting it go would be wrong on your part, Ginny, but you never really have asked those questions. While Harry's actions have been detrimental to your relationship, you, too, have made wrong choices. While Harry does pursue to retain his feelings and relationship with Snape, you never really do anything to help the situation."

"This is not my fault!" Ginny growled.

"I didn't say it was," Marietta replied. "But you're a strong woman, Ginny. You've always stood up for yourself, never taken shite from anyone. Is that correct?"

"I dunno why you think you know so much about me but, yes," Ginny snapped.

Marietta laughed. "Yes, well, it's something everyone seems to know about you. You're quite famous for it. You were at Hogwarts. Even The Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly enjoy telling tales of you standing up to teammates or coach during your Quidditch career, guests at the various Ministry functions you attended together, as well as various other run-ins with family, friends, foes, and strangers alike. You never let your brothers push you around, did you?"

"Of course not," she snorted.

"Right. And you like to imagine you can see through people's 'crap', if you will. You don't let them make a fool of you. Correct?"

"Right."

"So, tell me, if you're so determined to command this sort of respect, if you will, from everyone else, why can't you do it with your husband?"

"I don't take crap from Harry."

"Maybe you think so. Maybe you tell him when he's being an arse about something. But this whole situation sort of gets the best of you." Marietta frowned, settling back in her chair, taking a moment to consider them before proceeding. "The only real arguments you seem to have over the situation is when Harry cheats on you. Even then, though, you stay with him. And, instead of making him see things your way, instead of making him understand how you feel, you let him slide by with things. Harry is solely responsible for his behavior, yes, but why haven't you ever said anything? Why haven't you confronted him about his unhealthy relationship with Snape? Why stay with a man who is obviously so attached to someone else? And if you were determined to stay, why not demand a change? Why settle for this routine that clearly does not work for you and is doing no favors for our marriage?"

"What can I say? It's not like he's really done anything wrong," Ginny replied.

"Hasn't he?" Marietta asked. "Even if their sexual relationship has stopped, that doesn't mean that the relationship they share now is right. To clarify, Harry, you are still in love with Snape, correct?"

"Erm…Yes."

"And knowing this, he continues to retain a 'friendship' with the man rather than limiting contact in order to focus more on being happy with the woman he claims to love," Marietta continued.

"Now wait a minute," Harry interrupted irritably. "I don't 'claim' to, I do love her!"

"In your way, yes," Marietta said. "You also seek Snape out on occasions you should instead go to your wife with. It was mentioned that you 'run' to Snape for 'everything', remember?"

"What does that even mean? He's my friend. Of course I go to him when I have problems! I do the same with Ron," Harry snapped.

"When there are issues within your relationship and with your family, do you really think it the wisest choice to turn to someone you have romantic feelings for? Do you confide in Snape things that maybe you shouldn't be telling him?"

"Like what?!"

"Do you tell Snape that you love him?"

"I have before, yes."

"Have you told him recently?"

"I…" Harry began. What was it with her, asking questions he didn't want to answer? Was it fair to Ginny to have her sit here and listen to all of this?

"Within the past year?"

"Y…yes."

"When was the last time you touched in a manner that would be considered maybe too intimate for friends?"

"I…Almost a week ago," he admitted, swallowing hard.

"Did you kiss?"

"Yes."

"When was the last time you had sexual intercourse with him?"

"Ahh…about nine and a half years or so," Harry replied.

"Have you ever come close to doing so since then?"

"Well, a few times, yes."

"But you want to?"

"Of course I do."

"Does he know that you want to?"

"Erm…Well, yeah. I guess so."

"Do either of you understand that sharing a physical relationship with someone is not the only way someone can cheat?" Marietta asked with a frown. "There is such a thing as an emotional affair."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "A what?"

"I've sort of heard of it," Ginny admitted with a frown. By the look on her face, Harry assumed she had never applied it to their situation.

"It means that you share this emotional intimacy with Snape that is highly inappropriate given that you are a married man," Marietta supplied. "You're in love with him then continue to behave in ways that make such obvious to both Snape and to Ginny. While you've mostly abstained from a physical relationship, there is still something between you both which is more than friendship. Surely, you and Ginny didn't have sex as soon as you began your relationship."

"No, we didn't," Harry said, feeling his brain turn to mush. This was all starting to go over his head. What on earth was she getting at? Just because he had feelings for Snape, that couldn't be reason alone to say he was cheating on Ginny!

"So why would you need sex with Snape in order to say you're romantically involved with him?" she pointed out.

"But we're not dating or anything," Harry sputtered. He and Snape were just friends, right? No matter how much either of them wanted more, he made sure that was all they were! That was why he struggled so much in making sure he never cheated on Ginny again. Sure, he slipped up a few times with the kissing, but even that didn't happen all that often! It could have been much worse. It wasn't like he was sneaking behind Ginny's back with anything, was he?

"Surely, you've been alone with him at some point over the years? I doubt you're supervised every time you've seen him."

"So? Being alone doesn't constitute a date," Harry pointed out dryly.

Marietta smiled. "Tell me, Harry, what do the two of you do when you're alone? Is your behavior completely innocent? Do you act the way you do with your friends, like Ron Weasley? Do you share things with him that you don't with Ginny?"

Not all of their private meetings were completely innocent, Harry had to admit. The last time he had seen Snape, he had woken up in bed next to the man, kissing him for a bit. Then other memories came to mind, even those that didn't involve kissing. There was an afternoon spent at sea, searching for sea serpents and shrakes to be used in potions ingredients. In the hot afternoon he had removed his jacket only to have it stolen by a mermaid. When night fell, bringing with it a chill, Harry bundled up next to Snape for the two to share his cloak. He made many a joke about Snape bribing the mermaid to do just that, to which the man replied he had been thinking the same of Harry. Regardless, both enjoyed the closeness more than they should have. Then there was the night Harry found the man's cupboards lacking, dragging him out to the nearest restaurant. It had been a Greek place where Harry didn't recognize anything on the menu, leaving a smug Snape to order for him then insisting to pay for the entire meal at the end of the night. Had that been a date? A morning spent walking through a garden, nights spent curled up in front of the fireplace, or even that snowy day when they decided that cooking together was the best way to warm up, only to burn the food when they distracted each other with subtle touches. Snape was the first person he told when he was promoted, the only person he told when he considered leaving the Auror department, and the only person he had ever confided in regarding the wartime nightmares that still plagued him from time to time.

But Snape was the only one who would understand a lot of the things that Harry did tell him. That didn't mean anything bad, did it? It was natural to tell things to someone when that person knew better of the subject than anyone else.

"Sometimes," Harry said. "But there have been things I've told Ron and Hermione that I haven't really told anyone else. There are things I've told Ginny that I haven't told anyone else."

Were there? He had been so confident upon saying the words, but once they left his mouth he couldn't help but question if they were really true. There was no point in thinking too hard on it. What did it matter, anyway? He knew that he hadn't done anything wrong, so there was no point in saying anything that would make Marietta or Ginny think otherwise.

Dudley tried making conversation, but James ignored him. He never liked visiting here anyway. After trying for too long to be polite, the Muggle frowned in annoyance as he moved away, sitting closer to where Douglas and Albus were playing video games. It was a pity Dudley hadn't said anything. As much as he hated being fussed at by his parents, he was just itching for a fight. Let them say something, anything! He had plenty to say back to them.

For a while he sat, just stewing, growing more and more frustrated as he imagined the various scenarios. He thought of the things he wanted them to say just so he would be given the chance to express all of his own rage. He wanted them to react badly. James needed them to misunderstand him, to snap at him, yell, scream, and victimize him. Sometimes, at school, he liked to pick fights when he needed to let off a bit of steam. In this situation, however, and few others, he needed them to be the ones to instigate things. It had to be done in a way where he could remain the one who was wronged. But no one seemed willing to abide by his wishes. A Slytherin could do it, he thought bitterly, throwing his head against the back of the couch. His father was a Slytherin. James wrinkled his nose in distaste. If he had Slytherin blood in him, maybe he could concoct one of those sly, manipulative, bastardly schemes to make them start this fight while appearing innocent in it all.

Unfortunately, James knew well he didn't have the patience or self-control for such a thing.

They had to go through with this stupid family therapy thing anyway. Once his parents were done, that was. He snorted, mentally wishing Marietta good luck with trying to reassemble the broken pieces of the Golden Marriage. They had always seemed so perfect so it figured that it would all be just an act. They had never seen the truth before. What else didn't they know? Surely, their marriage couldn't be so pristine beneath its shining exterior. Not with the dark secrets they had been hiding for so long. In fact, what else might they be hiding? Maybe they had more hidden siblings. Perhaps Snape had carried a few of them and they were all being worked to death in a hidden room in his basement, slaving away over cauldrons and Dark tomes. Maybe Ginny had carried out an illicit affair with a member of one of her rival teams in her Quidditch days, like some of the gossip columns in magazines such as Witch Weekly used to claim. One of the Beaters from the Ballycastle Bats, Craddock Coyle, had been seen the past few years walking around with a love child named Coman, whose mother's identity was a carefully guarded secret. It was bound to be let out sooner or later. Maybe, just maybe, this 'gold-digging whore' was his very own surrogate mother. Or, having been part of an all-female team, perhaps Ginny had taken a liking to her own gender. Because, really, how well could a gay man please a woman? At least one person had to like the taste of pussy in a marriage, right?

He'd demand answers when it was his time. Then he'd really give it to them. Give them everything that had been tormenting his mind and then some. James knew exactly what he was going to say. There, in his mind, he pictured it vividly, his anger intensifying as his persona in the daydream did, spouting off hurtful words that inspired more of an outburst from all parties than was likely to actually happen. Harry would scream at him, call him horrid names in his dream while Ginny slapped him. Lily would cry and proclaim to hate him, Albus would disown him, and Marietta would shake her head in disapproval. James would be frustrated, feeling they were all against him, that they all hated him. He would tell them all to go to hell, then run into the arms of Teddy, who would kiss it better until Victoire showed up. Then he would demand that his lover tell the beautiful blond that his heart belonged to someone else, Teddy would try to edge out of it in cowardice, leaving James heartbroken and furious…

Blinking back tears, his throat dry, James jumped to his feet then sped out of the door, roughly shoving past Daisy and Lily as they walked by.

"God, rude much?" Daisy snapped, insulted.

Just before the door slammed shut, he heard Lily mumble, "He's been a cranky bitch for a while now."

"Piss off, Lil," he growled, wishing his voice had come out loud enough for her to hear.

He half expected someone to come running after him but, when he made it out to the end of the driveway, no one had come. Fucking wankers. James kicked at the grass. Where could he go from here anyway? Harry had driven them all here. No Apparation license yet. No broom on him. The only place he wanted to be, really, was with Teddy, and the only way to get there was via Floo, which he would have to go back inside for. Swearing under his breath, heat rose to his face as he stormed back inside, not speaking a word to anyone as he marched into Marietta's office where he knew there was a Floo connection.

James fiddled around with the pot of Floo powder, counting the seconds in his head, picturing Albus or Lily running into the doorway, fuming, demanding to know where he was going. No such thing happened. Fuming, he tossed the powder into the fire, growling out his destination.

It didn't occur to him until he had done so that both Teddy and Victoire worked, but that was just fine. He could wait for them. They wouldn't mind. Surely, they had become used to his presence by now. Victoire, especially, had been very accommodating.

So it was surprising to stumble out of the fireplace to lusty moans that were too close for comfort. Were they…? In the kitchen? James froze where he stood, head spinning, heart and stomach plummeting to his feet at the sound of slapping flesh, his cousin's melodious voice singing out the name of the man he loved. And Ted…God, Teddy groaning about how good she felt, encouraging her to move over him faster. Merlin, he felt sick. Did they take the day off to shag or something? Glancing at the clock, he mildly wondered if they had taken a lunch at the same time and decided that fucking was more enjoyable than eating. Or, maybe, they had been eating beforehand. He cringed at the mental image. The only thing worse than picturing her pretty blond head working over Teddy's cock was the idea of Teddy's beautiful face buried between her long, shapely legs.

Thoughts of his earlier daydreams returned to haunt him. Would Teddy ever leave Victoire? James gasped, forcing the train of thought to stop before it went any further. No. No, no, no, he wasn't doing this now.

"Oh, Teddy, yes! Right there…So good!"

Bile rose in his throat as he turned back to the fireplace, fingers trembling violently as he threw in the Floo powder, gasping out the first place he could think of.

Video games were only interesting for so long. Only his desire to keep his attention away from his brother kept Albus going. Eventually, he handed his controller to Dudley, who was more than happy to replace him. To his relief, James wasn't on the couch. He was probably off sulking somewhere, since no one was paying him any mind, or raiding their kitchen for snacks. Should James return, Albus sat in a chair as far from where he had been sitting as possible. Minutes dragged by. Watching the game wasn't nearly as interesting as playing it, though his eyes were glued to the screen regardless. It wasn't like he could look anywhere else. Maybe when he had more energy he could try perusing their bookshelves. Over the years, Albus was sure he had read all of their books, including the creepy erotic ones Marietta kept hidden in the bottom drawer of her desk. Even the worst literature could provide had been read, if only to say he had absorbed it all. Maybe she had gotten some new books. Rereading some of it wasn't out of the question. Most of Marietta's book choices were questionable, such as the Twilight books that were on the coffee table. Was Daisy reading them? They were a bit old, at least by her standards. She wouldn't touch anything, books, music, anything, that wasn't current. Though it did seem like the sort of brainless rot she normally liked to read. Perhaps he should direct her to the Fifty Shades books her mother had hidden. Albus thought they were rubbish, but Daisy could easily lock herself in her room with them for a few weeks and emerge a very satisfied girl. Though he really did not want to think about that. And, maybe, she was too young to read such things, though, really, he hadn't been any older than her when he first read them. They hadn't really inspired enough arousal in him to have him hiding under the covers with them, but he liked to think he had better taste.

The Mists of Avalon could be revisited, though he couldn't, for the life of him, remembered if he had sneaked it back here or if it was still hiding under his bed at home. If not, he knew exactly where to find the likes of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and Wideacre, though he deeply wished he had the foresight to bring The Return of the King so he might finally finish it.

After mulling over the list of books he knew the Dursleys owned, he finally convinced his body to move towards the nearest bookcase, which was on one side of the TV while the shelves on the other side contained hundreds of DVDs. After glancing over the titles several times, he plucked Lolita from the shelf, settling back in his chair with it. He had nearly grabbed Wuthering Heights, but as he had read that particular novel numerous times so he had decided on the one he had only read twice before.

Only three pages into the book, Lily bounced in with a bowl of popcorn, choosing to sit on the arm of Albus's chair rather than the couch or the loveseat, both with plenty of empty spaces. "You seen Daze?" she asked through a mouthful.

"Uh uh," Albus grunted, squirming around in the chair to find a position where her presence bothered him the least.

"Popcorn?"

"I'm trying to read, Lil!"

"What are you trying to read?" She leaned over as far as she could to look under his hands at the cover. "Lolita? Isn't that the one about the child molester?"

The fact that Lily knew anything about the book surprised him. "Go away."

"Do you like little girls?"

He didn't like girls, period.

"You're really bothersome, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. Hey, you're not being sexually abused by any of our professors are you? Is it Professor Slughorn? He does seem really creepy."

Albus choked on air, revolted by the awful mental images of a naked Professor Slughorn trying to grope him that assaulted his mind. "Lily!"

"What? Good thing we're here for therapy. You're really going to need it, if that's the case."

"Why would…God, Lil, why would you even say something like that?"

"I was curious, is all! And a little worried. Why are you reading it?"

Albus sighed. "The same reason I read any book. More than once," he felt the need to add. After all, he thought while glaring at the Twilight books, he had read many different things. "It's good."

Lily seemed confused by this. "But what could be so good about…"

"Lilyyyy! Alllll!" Daisy sang as she lumbered into the room.

"Yep?" Lily asked, hopping off of the arm of the chair.

"James left," Daisy said smugly.

"He what?" Albus asked, closing his book.

"He. Left," Daisy giggled. "Just up and left! Out of Mum's Floo. Went to Teddy's place. I heard him when I was going to the loo! Golly, I bet your parents will be furious that he just up and left!"

"Yeah, they will be," Lily giggled. The idea of James getting into trouble was enough to please her, but Albus glared at them.

"I don't find that very funny at all," Albus said coldly. A very small part of him felt concerned for his older brother. While the extent he was taking this was ridiculous, James was hurting over the whole ordeal. The idea of this therapy session might have scared him off and he felt like he had no one to even go to about it. That thought made Albus feel wretched. Of course, the more realistic assumption was that James was looking for attention and ran off to cause an even greater rift in the family. Sometimes James could be more dramatic than anyone Albus knew.

The problem was that there was no way of knowing, short of firecalling Teddy and Victoire, to see what James was up to. Even if Daisy hadn't heard where he was Flooing, it was the first place anyone would check. Especially knowing what Albus knew, knowledge that drove any sympathy he might have felt away. What right did James have to take comfort from their cousin when he was betraying her in such a vile manner? Even if they didn't have to worry about Victoire being their cousin, why lead Teddy astray? He was practically family, for one thing, but James knew Teddy was in a relationship! A happy relationship with a beautiful witch he had been with for a long time. Why would he allow himself to ruin things? Not that James was entirely at fault, but it wasn't fair at all that he should continue to go to them as he did, doing the things he did.

Someone was going to have to talk some sense into James, and it was going to have to be Albus. Aside from the fact that only he knew particular things about his brother, he was also the only other person who really knew what James was going through. They were both in the same situation. They had both been lied to the same way about the same thing. Guilt steadily returned as he recognized this. No matter how mad he was at James, or how irrationally his brother reacted, Albus should have been there more, showing more support, all things considered.

"Don't stick up for him," Lily grumbled. "He's been a right prat. Let him cause more problems! Maybe Mum and Dad will finally punish him for real. Like he should be."

"Wonder if they'll bring him back here to yell at him? I really wanna see this!" Daisy said cheerfully.

"Daisy Petunia Dursley, that is very rude!" Dudley said loudly, Douglas pausing the game as his father turned to glare at his sister. "Their family is dealing with a lot right now and it is not for your amusement."

The young girl paled, her smile vanishing. "Oh, Daddy, I didn't mean anything by it. We're family! Doug and I always like it when each other gets in trouble!"

"It's still none of your business what everyone else is dealing with," Dudley said shortly. "Also, you and Lily need to stop trying to eavesdrop on their session."

Lily and Daisy giggled. "But, Dudley, we couldn't even hear anything!"

"Still, you need to stay away from them," Dudley said, settling back down by his son.

"On the off chance we do hear something," Daisy muttered.

"Meaning there's a possibility we can get through the Silencing Charms," Lily went on thoughtfully.

"Seriously, you two, stop it!" Albus snapped. "I understand that you're both naturally very nosy people, but stay out of it. Go gossip about useless things like…like Bonnie Davies' hair or Periwinkle Green's new boyfriend!"

"Periwinkle has a new boyfriend?" Daisy gasped.

Albus stared at her in disbelief.

"I…think…he was joking," Lily said uncertainly.

"We should find out though! I could have sworn she was still dating Ian Thomas!"

"What if she is?" gasped Lily.

His sister could be pretty decent at times. She liked Quidditch, cooking, joking around, and generally got along with most of the family better than anyone, based on her various interests. At the same time, Lily tended to get along with everyone, even going so far as to joining in with gossip mongers like Daisy Dursley and, well, whoever her other friends were. She hadn't really been like this until the past few months. It must have been Periwinkle Green's influence. Harry told him just a day or two after summer started that Periwinkle's mother, Lavender Green, nee Brown, had been the same way. All they could do was hope Lily would learn better and try to steer her away from what he called 'girl madness'. As her mother had never been like that and had, in fact, disliked such girls, he had high hopes that she would grow out of it soon.

"I'm going to go try to get James back," Albus grumbled, setting his book down before setting off to Marietta's office. It was probably useless, but he had to try. What sort of brother would he be if he didn't at least reach out towards the troubled oldest child? In all reality, James was likely to be very angry and mean, so Albus would have to make sure he was calm before going for it. Just because he was the normally calm, patient, logical sibling, didn't mean he didn't snap sometimes. With everything happening as it was lately, it was very likely to happen. Especially considering just how big of a prat James had been.

So when he entered the office, the fireplace was not the first place he ran to. Instead, he paced up and down in front of the desk, mind whirling with possible starts to the conversation. It was difficult, as Albus himself wasn't really looking forward to this therapy session. In theory, it had been brilliant when Lily first brought it up. But now that the time was looming nearer, surely Marietta would be done with his parents soon, he was dreading it more and more. Being honest was good. Having the truth all aired out could help them. But did he want to hear what everyone else had to say? Sort of. Only he wasn't sure he was ready for it just now. He rubbed his hands together, eyes flickering towards the door. Their parents would be furious to learn James had up and left. It would be worse if they had seen that Albus was gone too. It really was a bad idea, considering somewhere to flee to as he was.

He had talked to Hermione and Ginny both. He knew he was going to have to talk to Harry and Snape about this. But was therapy the proper format to do such a thing? It wasn't really helpful to him to listen to his father's excuses when they were carefully constructed for the audience of their therapist, his wife, and all three children. Really, Albus thought it would be best to have a one on one conversation with both men at some point or another.

Would Snape even be home? Would he be willing to talk to Albus about this now? What if he was busy? His stomach churned. Maybe this wasn't the best idea. He'd have to owl beforehand, surely. Besides, he couldn't possibly skip out on this session.

His mind had gone from scheming up ways to get James back to cooking up his own excuses to be able to leave so fast he hardly noticed he had done it. Only when he remembered his original intentions for coming into the office did he blink then roll his eyes at himself. This was silly. Family therapy wasn't so scary, was it? It wasn't like he couldn't talk to Harry again afterwards.

Still, something was egging him on, urging him to take the Floo powder and leave. It was Snape he really wanted to talk to now. Snape, whose motivations were the most mysterious of all. It was easy to see that Ginny and Harry loved him. Only they had buggered it all up by lying to him. But his other father, his so-called 'godfather', was so cold, so hard to read. There had been hints given their first visit to him of the summer, but did they necessarily mean anything? He hadn't really spoken to the man about any of this. The most important answers would, surely, come from him.

Before he could talk himself out of it, before he fully realized what he was doing, he Flooed right into Snape's living room. It was only stepping out of the fireplace that he was surprised it had worked at all. The man was so paranoid about magical transportation done too close to his home, let alone in his home. Why did he even have a Floo connection? Not that Albus was really complaining now. He had at least reached his destination.

"Well, well, well, Potter. Snape didn't say he was expecting any other guests."

Albus blinked rapidly, taking a moment to realize someone else was in the room with him and a few seconds longer to realize that it wasn't Snape. It took him so long to straighten his thoughts out that the pale, slender blond lounging on the couch snickered at him.

"Don't tell me you're not sure how to put that mouth of yours to good use," Scorpius Malfoy said slyly, lips curling into a wickedly suggestive smirk.

That remark caught his attention, causing his face and neck to heat up. "What are you doing here, Malfoy?" he snapped.

"I, unlike you, was invited," Scorpius replied. "But I suppose being the man's son grants you particular permissions, even if barging into someone's home unannounced is dreadfully discourteous."

Albus opened his mouth to make a smart retort when it registered. Green eyes widened as his mouth was left hanging open for several moments, causing Scorpius to chuckle, before he gathered his wits enough to speak. "How do you…What makes you think…?"

The blond held up his hands to stop him talking. "I've always known, I think. My father and Snape have always been close. Naturally he was aware of the situation. Being the curious child that I was, there were particular conversations overheard in my youth that granted me this knowledge. I freely acknowledge it to you now, as they were speaking just earlier about the predicament in which you Potters find yourselves."

Ever since stumbling out of the Floo, things were becoming stranger and stranger. Not only did the obnoxious git know about his family's secrets, but he had apparently known longer than Albus himself had. It was one thing for his parents' friends to know. They had been there at the time. But for him to know? If that wasn't troubling enough, he also had to recognize that while Scorpius had been aware all this time, he had never said anything. Not to anyone. This was the sort of ammo Slytherins craved, was it not? The very deepest, blackest secrets anyone had, used to exploit and blackmail, bend everyone to their every will.

When he was eleven, first heading off to Hogwarts, he had been concerned about being Sorted into Slytherin. James had been teasing him about it since he received his letter. Harry had done a fine job of reassuring him that being Slytherin wouldn't be so bad. At least Albus now had a better understanding of why it would be perfectly acceptable for him to be in that House, considering it was Snape's. But Albus was glad he had ended up a Ravenclaw instead. All of the Slytherins were a nasty bunch! He had seen too much of their damage.

For a while, he stuck up for them against those who spoke ill of the house. It wasn't fair to judge everyone because of where they had been sorted. Even if the Dark Lord had hailed from Slytherin, as well as the majority of his Death Eaters. The war had left Slytherin with its worst reputation ever. Though Albus now had very good reason to dislike all of the Slytherins he actually knew, he would never intentionally sit there and judge someone just for being one. But considering the prats he knew from that house, he was glad he hadn't ended up there himself.

Though, when he really thought about it, maybe he was guilty of thinking too harshly of them.

So lost in thought was he, Albus hardly noticed Scorpius at all. The blond smirked at him for a while, but the longer the black-haired boy stood, lost to his own mind, the more uncomfortable and concerned he grew. The teasing mischief abandoned his silver eyes, smirk fading from his mouth as he continued to watch the Ravenclaw. Resentment, guilt, confusion, and plenty of other emotions flickered through almond shaped green eyes, dark brows furrowed, mouth still hanging open like a buffoon as he took it all in.

Finally, growing bored with these proceedings, Scorpius cleared his throat, picking up the firewhiskey he had sneaked from the kitchens when his father and Snape disappeared into privacy.

Wanting to give some clever remark, but being unable to find one, he could only tilt the bottle in the other boy's direction in offering as he wracked his brain for anything to say.

Albus was quicker than him, snapping out of it before the blond could annoy him further. Without a word, he eagerly stumbled forward to grab the bottle, reluctantly sitting down on the opposite end of the couch, regretting doing so only a second later. Why hadn't he chosen one of the chairs? Doing so now would just look silly, so he remained, taking a large gulp from the bottle, immediately choking as the liquid burned down his throat.

Scorpius sniggered. "First time?"

Sensing a joke about virgins coming up, Albus forced himself to speak to avoid it. "Where is he, anyway? Snape, I mean?"

"Oh, he and Father went looking for privacy earlier," Scorpius explained, flicking an invisible piece of lint from his knee. "Probably shagging."

As Albus had chosen his inopportune moment to take another drink of the bottle, he choked yet again, though he couldn't force himself to cough this time. Eyes burning, Albus leaned over to try to unclog his throat and his mind while Scorpius reached over to pound on his back. Finally he was able to breathe, though he coughed for a while before it all cleared out. When it seemed to have stopped, he wiped his watery eyes then glared at the blond. "Don't say things like that."

The blond snorted. "It's not like I'm having you on. It's true."

Albus blinked at him. "No, it's not."

Scorpius raised his hands. "Fine. Clearly you've been around them more than I have. Sorry."

Settling back into the couch thoughtfully, Albus took another swig of the firewhiskey, finding it easier to ignore the burn of it with his mind so preoccupied. Snape and Draco Malfoy? He wrinkled his nose. Wasn't Draco straight? He had a wife, didn't he? But, a voice in his head cut in snidely, so did his father. Harry, that was. He needed an easier way of specifying them, as he technically had two fathers. Unless Harry counted as their mother, as he had given birth to them, but going down that train of thought was just too strange.

"Why?" Albus sputtered after a while, never really taking notice to the fact that Scorpius had been staring at him these past ten minutes spent in silence.

"Why are they shagging?" Scorpius correctly guessed. "Same reason anyone does I suppose."

"That doesn't disturb you?"

"Course not. My parents have never been faithful long as I remember. Always known my dad's had a special liking for cock as well."

"Hmmm," said Albus. It was just too strange. He had suspected for several months the truth about his parentage, and had been forced to face the truth of his father's sexuality before even that. Only now was he actually getting his head to fully wrap around it. But this was a bit much! Astoria and Draco Malfoy had always seemed just as perfectly happy as Harry and Ginny had. Did every couple who seemed happy really have such deep, odd secrets, the reality being so opposite of what they seemed? How could you trust anything when everything you thought you had known turned out to be a lie?

Then there was the disturbing thought of Snape actually engaging in sexual intercourse with Draco. He cringed at the mental image that just didn't want to leave.

"So what's your preference, Potter?"

"My what?"

"Sexuality. Merlin, man, are you straight? Gay? Bi? Asexual? Something?"

"Why do you think I'd tell you something like that?" Albus demanded defensively. Did Scorpius think he was really so stupid as to just hand out information such as that to be used against him.

"Just trying to be friendly," shrugged Scorpius. "I'm bi, though I lean a bit more towards cock myself. Sad thing is it's so hard to find other men of that persuasion."

What on earth was going on in the world? Albus eyed Scorpius suspiciously. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I already told you, I'm being friendly," Scorpius said, raising an eyebrow. Then he scooted closer, causing Albus to stiffen. "Maybe see if I had a reason to get friendlier."

Was the git actually flirting with him? Trying to seduce him? Albus stared at him incredulously, but he saw no traces of humor in the other boy's expression.

The virgin that he was, the idea of sex, even with a Malfoy, was enough to have his cock twitch interestedly, though he swallowed hard, struggling to keep his mind off of that. He hadn't come here for that and, really, Scorpius was a complete git, no matter what Rose said about him! Even if the other wizard was mildly attractive, which he was, sometimes, or maybe only now that Albus was experiencing alcohol for the first time, that didn't mean he had to want to do things like that with him! Thinking of Snape with Draco again was enough to dampen any traces of arousal.

"So you're only friendly when you want to fuck?" Albus asked, looking away from the boy as he spoke.

Scorpius smirked. "You don't think I'd want to befriend you?"

"Not particularly, no," Albus said dryly.

The blond laughed. "Well, while I wouldn't mind a good shag, I also wouldn't mind a new friend either. Besides, you're awfully close to Rosie. What could it hurt to try to get to know some of her friends better?"

"I'm afraid your reputation precedes you," Albus said darkly. He was absolutely certain that no good could come from trying to 'get to know' Scorpius Malfoy. Though there was his conscience, that little voice in the back of his head making him feel guilty by reminding him how unfair it was to not even give someone a chance. He knew plenty with bad reputations who had turned out to be very good people. And people with good reputations that had turned out to be not so nice. When it came to people like Scorpius Malfoy, Zayd Zabini, Richard Nott, and most of the other Slytherins, giving them a chance seemed dangerous.

This time, Albus noticed the amusement disappear from the other wizard's face, a flicker of something unsettling passing through his eyes. He shifted where he sat, feeling ashamed of himself all of a sudden. It wasn't like Scorpius had ever done anything to him. Rose had been friends with the prick since first year. He couldn't be all bad, surely?

Unsure of how to rectify the situation, or if he even wanted to, Albus frowned at the fireplace while Scorpius turned away from him, scooting as close to the arm of the couch, as far away from Albus as possible.

"Are…are they really shagging?" Albus asked quietly.

"Dunno," Scorpius said stiffly with a shrug. "Not like I've ever seen them. But I have a pretty strong feeling about it. Not sure what else they could be doing. Enough times for me to have formed this sort of opinion about it," Scorpius snorted.

Seconds ticked by slowly as Albus absorbed this information. Not only did such a pairing seem so wrong, but what about his dad? Snape loved Harry, didn't he? He thought back to the times he had seen them together, starting from the scene he had witnessed during the Christmas holidays. There was something very much alive between his fathers. So how on earth could Snape involve himself with other men? Even if Harry was married to Ginny.

He must have been muttering under his breath as he was thinking, for Scorpius replied, "It's hardly fair to expect Snape to be 'faithful' in what isn't even a real relationship. The man has needs. If your…if Mr. Potter can get his rocks off with your mum, why can't Snape do it with someone else? It's just sex, anyway."

"Yes, but still…" He trailed off, not sure he wanted to voice the feeling that Harry would be deeply hurt and upset if he ever found this out.

Knowing he hadn't actually voiced anything this time, he was surprised when Scorpius spoke again, responding to his thoughts. "He doesn't have to know. S'not like I'm telling him." At the incredulous look Albus shot him, Scorpius smiled. "That was what you were thinking, wasn't it?"

"Yes," he said slowly.

"Some things don't need to be said," Scorpius said. "Besides, your dad would be a fool not to suspect it at least."

Unsure of what to say to that, Albus moved on. "Why do you come here if they abandon you to run off and shag?"

"It's not like they leave me alone the entire time," Scorpius said, rolling his eyes. "There's a lot to learn from them though. They always share the most fascinating conversations. Plus, I like Snape. He's interesting, to say the least. And I learn plenty from him. The things he teaches me are the reason I do so well in school, you know. You're the only one who has better marks than I do."

Albus smiled a bit at that, though an unpleasant emotion twisted in his stomach as well as his heart. Envy, though he didn't understand why, at first. Snape often tutored Albus as well. He had done so since before he even began Hogwarts. The man had often tried to involve James and Lily, but Albus was the only one with an interest in academics. He always credited his being ahead of the rest of his year to his godfather. Knowing now, though, that Snape was his father, the situation being what it was, learning that Snape did those same things with another boy his age who spent just as much, if not more, time with him, was bothersome.

At least Snape didn't run off to bugger someone while he was visiting, though.

Shaking himself out of it, he opened his mouth to ask more questions about his visits here, but stopped himself, suddenly feeling his face heat up. For someone he didn't like very much, he had been talking about way too many personal things with the blond. Though it couldn't be helped, really, what with Scorpius already knowing so many personal details about his family. Before he had! So, instead, Albus latched onto a new topic. "Did you hear that Steinar Svatoslav is writing a new book?"

In retrospect, maybe bringing up the obscure writer wasn't the smartest plan. Not many people knew who Steinar Svatoslav was, despite all the man had accomplished in his young life. An activist, philosopher, and professor at Durmstrang, he had written over a hundred books in ten years plus countless articles in various journals. In fact, he had written last year's Defense Against the Dark Arts' textbook. Aside from his scholarly works, he had also written some of the best pieces of fiction Albus had ever laid eyes on.

To his surprise and satisfaction, gray eyes lit up. "I did! It's supposed to be a sort of continuation from where he left off in Nemesis Games. Since Locke's dead now, there's a rumor he's supposed to pick up with Afton taking over as the Keyholder to find the Gate of Isela…"

Two and a half hours later, when Snape and Draco finally emerged, neither boy noticed as, to the shock of their fathers, they were lost in a lively discussion about the Keyholder novels. They didn't even start fighting when they hit their first disagreement when trying to analyze Munir Moore's intentions when he killed his best friend, Locke Ryder, to save the life of archenemy Afton Belgard.

"And he was complaining just the other day about how Albus hated him for no reason," Draco muttered bemusedly, following Snape into the kitchen to see about something to eat.

The questions seemed never ending. The shame, guilt, and pain endless. Halfway through the meeting, Ginny and Harry wanted to snap at Marietta to mind her own damn business. No one had meant for the couple counseling to drag on for so long, but they apparently had more issues than they originally fathomed. The Potters were sitting as far away from each other as the table allowed, neither having looked at the other for over an hour now, avoiding speaking directly to each other if they could help it. Both were angry. Though while Ginny was self-righteous in her rage, Harry's left him feeling even worse than before. What right did he have to be so mad with his wife? Even if she had sat there and thrown in his face how many men had attempted to seduce her over the years while she remained ever faithful, how much she resented him, and so on.

Never before in their marriage had they been so brutally honest. If they thought there had been things they hadn't wanted to know about each other before, there had been plenty worse than they ever noticed aired today. Disgust, horror, pain, embarrassment, irritation, rage. It seemed they had been through the entire spectrum of negative emotions today. Harry, for one, couldn't even remember feeling anything nice at all.

"Now," Marietta said, "this is going to be hard, but I feel that this is necessary to get you both on track."

They didn't say anything, though Marietta watched them carefully, seeing if they would respond. Only when Ginny shot her an impatient look was the woman prompted to speak further.

"I'm not saying this will cure your marriage," she explained. "What we want to do now is determine whether or not this relationship is worth saving. To both of you."

"Why w…" Ginny interrupted.

Marietta held up a hand to stop her. "I'm not saying you don't want it to work. What I'm saying is that making it work may not be the best thing for you. We need to show you both whether or not you would be better off separating. So, for the time being, you need to separate. Pretend you're divorced. Contact each other as little as possible. Don't use your relationship as a basis for any decisions. If you want to go partying with your friends, don't stop yourself on the basis that it's inappropriate for a married man or woman. Flirt, look, have fun! Don't use this as an excuse of infidelity. Sex is not on my mind. Even if it's outside of relationships. Work, for example. If you have an opportunity to travel, to do something you don't think your spouse would approve of…do it! If you want. Don't use being married as an excuse because, for the next week or two, for the next month, however long this exercise lasts, you are not married. Got it?"

"I don't understand," Harry said slowly.

"I want to be sure that neither of you is staying in this marriage out of obligation. So, mostly, yes, this will be a bigger test when it comes to potential romantic partners. Say Ginny meets an attractive man in the office and he asks her out. She should only say no if she doesn't like him, or because she wants you more. Not because she's married to you, but because she loves you and wants to be with you, not him. Alternatively, say you do really like this man and thoughts of Harry isn't enough for you to say no. Then go! Let yourself have that. Because if it's the marriage and not Harry, himself, keeping you from going astray, that's a problem. You don't need to be with one another if there are other people you want to be with more. Understand?"

Harry was immensely grateful she hadn't used Snape and himself as examples. He wasn't sure Ginny could take much more of it. Though, the way she glared at him, he figured it was still on her mind.

"Even if you don't actually do anything, take this time apart to reconsider your lives as they are. Don't allow your relationship effect anything. It shouldn't factor into any of your decision-making concerning any other aspect of your lives. It shouldn't be 'I'd really like to move to Africa and start a new career as a curse-breaker but we can't move, so and so has their job, we have this and that…' Really think about where you want to be in life. Then there is your marriage itself. While it should not affect your other decisions, nothing else should affect it, either. Are you truly happy being married? Do you really want to be together?"

Both Harry and Ginny opened their mouths to respond, but Marietta shook her head. "Don't say it. Because, right now, it doesn't mean anything. Think about it. Really think about it. I will check in on you both weekly. When you come to a decision, let me know. Do not tell each other what you want," Marietta advised.

"That doesn't make any sense," Ginny cut in.

"Yes, it does," Marietta argued. "What if Harry told you he wanted to stay with you when you had already decided you wanted to leave? Maybe you'd go through and tell him anyway. But you also might not. Telling me beforehand gives me the opportunity to arrange a meeting where I might oversee things. Then, if you were to 'change your mind', I would be there to point it out, and force you to give us an answer as to why you changed your mind. You both seem to have issues being honest with one another…"

"It's not me who's been hiding things," Ginny said coldly.

"…You also don't seem as though you're being honest with yourselves," Marietta continued, ignoring the redhead. "Obviously, you don't have to go through with any of this. You can return to your lives as they have been, pretending we never had this discussion. I can't force you into anything. This is only what I think is the best option for you both. Now, I'll go inside while you make up your minds. Please let me know what you want to do before you leave today, though you can feel free to change your decision at any time."

As Marietta got up to walk back into the house, Harry stared at the grass with an uneasy feeling. This whole thing sounded like a very bad idea. Pretend they weren't married? How was that supposed to help them? The very idea of it was ludicrous. Already he felt himself panicking. Not an excuse to cheat indeed. It was hard enough to keep away from Snape as it was. Maybe she was trying to push him into the man's bed. His life was fine as it was, really. There was no point in going through any of this, because he already knew where he belonged and what he wanted.

So he told himself that. Over and over again.

Ginny cleared her throat. "I dunno if I'm up for family therapy after this."

"Yeah," was all he could say. His brain felt like mush.

"You…you stay. Catch up with Dudley," Ginny said quietly. "I should be packed and at the Burrow the time you get home."

"Packed?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Ginny said stiffly, standing up. "We're doing this. Or I am."

He should argue with her, convince her not to, but the words were lodged in his throat and he was frozen in his seat, watching her stand then move towards the door. She paused as she grasped the handle, staring determinedly at the door, entire body rigid. Harry watched her, half prepared for tears or threats, but none came. Instead, she told him rather reluctantly, "And I think…I think that…maybe…you should…you should…talk…to Snape. Work things out with him before you come back to me."

Ginny disappeared into the house so fast, but he could have sworn he saw tears running down her face in the glimpse of her he caught before the door slammed shut loudly.

Author's Note: So first thing's first. I have never been to therapy, ever, and know pretty much nothing about it. The events in this chapter should not be construed as to how actual therapy sessions are handled, because it is more than likely wrong. The sole purpose of that scene is to air out particular things about the characters, and push forward with upcoming events. While I normally prefer to keep things as realistic as possible, this was the best means of carrying the story forward. At least as I saw fit, lol! So if anyone actually has been to therapy and is offended by the portrayal, I am sorry! I in no way, shape, or form claim to have any actual knowledge about things that actually happen or would be said in this particular situation. Though we can always assume Marietta is just bad at her job and only stays in business due to magic and a demand for people in the profession or something _ lol jk! Unless you actually want to think that…_ hehehe.

ANYWAY.

Sorry it took so long! If you haven't already, feel free to like my FB page for updates about this and all of my other stories!

And finally, the chapter title is a quote from A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. "Some old wounds never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word."

Oh and nearly forgot! The book titles mentioned in this chapter: The Twilight saga, Stephenie Meyer. Fifty Shades series is by E.L. James. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley. Wicked is by Gregory Maguire. Wideacre is Phillipa Gregory. Return of the King (which I originally mistyped as Return of the Ring, to my amusement), J.R.R. Tolkein. I think that was it. Other than Nemesis Games and its author Steinar Svatoslav were made up by me! Oh and Lolita was Vladimir Nabokov. THAT BETTER BE IT!

*le cough*

Anywho! Big thanks to Dani the beta who got this humungo chapter done so quickly! Thanks for the help with everything! I also appreciate the aid given by my best snarry buddy, Tokugawa Blitzer, for being there for many a great Snarry conversation, as well as helping give me the confidence to keep writing and making me calm down when my brain gets all "fucked up" xP And for not being too much of a donald hahahaha.

And of course, thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, or been following this story! I love you guys so much and I hope you keep reading! Please tell me what you think of this chapter!