Notes:

Someone said something about Bill grooming Harry and how it could be seen as something horrible and inappropriate. I hear you, and I see where your coming from, but no. Just no.

Bill and Harry are close, friends/family, there is nothing sexual or inappropriate about their relation ship. Bill is not interested in Harry that way, and never will be. And Harry isn't interested either. Their just friends/family, Bills also filling a mentor/family sort of role for Harry. Sorry if its made anyone uncomfortable.

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Severus looked up from the potions he was decanting in his lab when there was a soft pinging sensation on the wards at his office door, alerting him to that someone was knocking on his door. He glanced at the clock, lunchtime. He frowned, he wasn't expecting anyone.

He flicked his wand at the cauldron to make it finish decanting itself, and crossed from his lab, to his office and opened the door.

He couldn't see anyone, but according to his wards, Bill Weasley was there. Must be under a disillusionment charm, he thought with a frown. He looked around, and then stepped out of the doorway, jerked his thumb to the door subtly.

He felt the air shift around him and thought he saw a ripple. He waited a moment, then closing the door. When the door was closed, Bill dispelled the charm.

Severus raised an eyebrow, "Mr Weasley, this is a surprise."

"Come on Severus, you've been calling me Bill in letters for ages." The redhead said with a grin, "makes me feel like I'm in school again," he added followed Severus back to his lab where the potion phials were now corking and labelling themselves.

"I'm in town with a bit of time today, and probably for the next few Saturdays. Thought I'd drop in and we could do lunch." Bill said.

Severus blinked at him clearly surprised, and when he opened his mouth and shut it, Bill said, "I know you're stupidly busy and overworked. I've been thinking about that. I figured maybe if I give you a hand, we might finish sooner and we could catch up in person for a change."

Something warm, spread through Severus's chest, it had been a long time since anyone had been thinking about his problems and offered to help him so they could spend time with him. He had Filius, but Filius too was nearly as overworked as Severus was.

He looked at Bill for a long moment. Standing in front of him, looking nervous and a bit awkward. And was that a blush on the tops of his ears? Why on earth was the man nervous or embarrassed? Severus liked the man, but Bill did baffle him at times.

"That would be appreciated, thank you." He said after a moment.

With Bill's help, Severus got though a whole days worth of brewing for the hospital wing and some of his Gringotts orders. Bill wasn't a master, but was a competent brewer and was able to help with all the preparation and some of the less insanely complicated brews.

It had been a long time since Severus had brewed with another person, and actually enjoyed it. Not since Lily. But Severus found himself enjoying it. Especially as Bill kept up an easy chatter of what he'd been up to at work, some of the interesting curses he'd dealt with, a few old potions they'd found and how amazing the Alexandrian library he was doing some research in was. In fact, Severus was a little jealous that Bill was getting to spend time in that library, though he wondered what the man was researching for Gringotts.

And Bill got Severus talking too. How had he been since they'd last seen each other? Was that book he'd written to Bill about tracked down everything he'd hoped it would be.

It had been a very long time since Severus had felt this at east with another person. And he found himself feeling oddly fond of the man who had given up a few hours of his, presumably day off, to help Severus just so they could spend some time together.

Once they were finished and the lab immaculately clean again, Severus called some late lunch.

When they were nearly finished, Severus was trying to put off going back to work and getting his marking done. He had intended to spend all day brewing then tomorrow marking, but with Bill's help, his brewing was done. He should get to the marking, but he found himself very reluctant.

Then Bill said, "so how have you really been lately? You seem different, and your magic feels different again. You've also avoided my question last time I asked."

Severus sighed heavily, not sure where to start, suddenly too tired to get angry and he knew if he started talking about it, he'd get angry.

"You had bindings on you, didn't you?" Bill said, somehow going straight to the point, "I was right, there was something wrong with your magic."

"Come here just to say I told you so?" Severus sneered suddenly, of course.

"No!" Bill said, "Gods, no! You dolt! I came here to see you. I like you, you git! You're my friend. I like spending time with you. And I like knowing my friends are okay. I've been worried. You've felt weird these last few years and wouldn't listen when I said something was off and now you don't feel weird any more. It's odd. I wanted to make sure you're okay," Bill said in a rush.

Severus narrowed his eyes and then said in a soft, dangerous voice, "did. You. Know?"

But Bill didn't quail, just stared back at him, leaning back comfortably in his chair and said, "no. I didn't. I suspected something was up. But couldn't figure out what. Not that I could do anything."

Severus felt his blood starting to boil, and he spat out a list of technical names of each of the compulsions and magics that had been on him as if they were dirty. It was like an accusation.

But Bill didn't react to the accusation, he just winced. "Ouch," he said, course the Curse Breaker would understand perfectly what each one was.

"Ouch?!" Severus exclaimed, "if you knew something was wrong, why didn't you know!? Why didn't you do something! Four year's I've been stuck with these subtle twisting compulsions! Longer! I have bullied students and done things I never would have done without them." He yelled, trying and failing to keep his fury leashed.

Bill sighed, "I knew something was off, you were never like this when I was your student. But that was all I knew. I didn't learn to feel it properly until I started working at Gringotts, which was around the same time you would have been spelled. And I couldn't work it out without scans, and those kinds of deep scans need permission and to be done willingly or your magic would have fought back, and the results would have been off."

Severus frowned, "I thought you had mage sense?" He asked, not pleased to admit that he didn't understand. He didn't have mage sense, not really. He had had to work hard for it, to sense any magic, not his own or in his potions. And it was not very strong, only able to sense it in objects if he really worked at it.

Bill seemed to understand that though, and explained, "I'm sensitive to magic but am not super sensitive to it. I can feel it if I focus, but I'm not as strong with it as Charlie. I get general impressions and can identify who's who if I know them well, or what sort of magic it is in curses and the like. I can sense how magical something is. I can tell if your magic is agitated or has changed, but that's because I know you. But I can't sense fine details of what's wrong. Just that it's different, moving differently or acting differently or just feels a bit off.

Any kind of subtle manipulative magic, like you had, I'd have to use a scan to look at, and wouldn't recognise without magical help. I knew something was up but not what and couldn't do anything about it when you were sure you were fine and didn't need any help. Even when I really tried to focus on it, it's really just a blurred picture, not enough to go on. I'm so sorry Severus, So sorry." He finished sounding pained.

Severus sighed, "it's not your fault, I should have listened to you," Severus said quietly after a moment, his shoulders slumping, "I did so much under that magic. Was something I never would have allowed myself to be, while under those magics, for so long."

"But you're free now," Bill said, "how did you manage that by the way?"

So Severus told him about his trip to Gringotts, and Bill just said, "good. I like the goblins, they'll make sure it doesn't happen again.

They were quiet for a while then eventually Severus said, "next time you are here, can you check out a student for me? They are suddenly unable to regulate or maybe feel the flow of their magic in their brewing, and they are blowing things up. I can teach them to mitigate the damage, but I think something may be wrong with them.

"If course," Bill said immediately, then after looking at Severus a moment, simply asked, "who and why?"

"I can not tell you who, but I am concerned for their welfare." Severus said with a frown, "this change is sudden and extreme. Which can mean nothing good? That sort of thing doesn't change by itself, and not overnight. It's worrisome."

Bill sat forward in his chair, looking sharply at Severus, "what are you going to do with that information?"

"Make sure they are well and if there is an issue, treat it. It could be a serious and potentially dangerous problem for them!" Severus said looking offended

"No, who are you going to tell if there is an issue with this person?"

"That is between them and me," said Severus narrowing his own eyes now, suspicious but still sounding mildly offended.

"So not their guardian?" Bill said probingly.

Severus looked at Bill sharply for a long silent minute. Not in consideration of the question but in considering how much, if at all, to trust Bill with.

"I suspect it's complicated. So no, not their guardian in this case. It is not safe," he ended up saying.

Bill sighed in relief and flopped further back in his chair, as if that had answered all his questions and settled the matter entirely.

"Good," He said, before he went on, "he's fine. I promise you, he's okay. I know about the issue, it's been looked at. He's okay."

"But he can't be! He was fine earlier in the year, but now, suddenly can not regulate the flow of magic at all in his brewing and is blowing things up worse than anyone in the class!"

Bill sighed more heavily this time and looked at the up at the ceiling as if in silent debate or as if in askance for guidance. Then he looked at Severus sharply for another assessing moment, as if searching for something, analysing.

Severus just met his gaze wondering at the protective, defensive flair he saw in Bill's eyes.

"Give me a tick, yeah?" Bill said eventually, seemingly having found whatever he was looking for in Severus's gaze.

He then turned and cast a ward around him. Suddenly Severus could neither see nor hear him. Severus narrowed his eyes but decided to humour the man.

Harry left his lesson with Bill and headed into the forest to eat lunch. After spending all week in the castle around people, he was desperate for some of the solitude of the forest.

Harry had been trying to keep up with the duties Hagrid had been neglecting in the grounds that week. Most he'd managed to stay on top of during his daily trips into the forest. Thankfully the Centaurs, who were also caretakers of the forests had given him a hand. The centaurs had taken a liking to the human almost-herd-mate.

So that afternoon Harry just needed to check the woodlice they farmed for the bowtruckles, check on a bowtruckle nesting out of season, check on the thestrals, unicorns and hippogryphs as well as feed the Blast-Ended Skrewts and persuade a cranky Kapper with an ear infection to take its tonic.

The Kapper required a large number of cucumbers as bribery and the Skrewts were getting huge. And dangerous. Harry ended up using one of his fireproof robes and his dragonhide gloves when he dealt with the Skrewts. They were now only five left, and they were easily as big as Harry.

He certainly did not really like checking on them or going anywhere near them at all. But at least he was getting good at his stupefy charm and his impedimenta junks. Though magic really only worked on their soft underbelly, didn't last very long. The bigger they got, the more magic resistant they seemed to get. Harry had been looking up other spells to use on them. And was starting to think a blasting spell may soon be the only way to keep them back. As long as he didn't hit them in the belly with it, it should just push them back, not kill them.

Harry was just about to do his rounds on the grounds, to check up on the class creatures Hagrid cared for when his mirror started buzzing in his bag.

He frowned, and pulled it out, and saw Bills face appear. Flicked up a quick privacy ward around him, Harry hurried to tap it with his wand and receive the call.

Bill looked, worried. Or maybe hesitant was more accurate.

"Bill?" Harry asked, "Is everything okay? What happened."

"Severus asked me about you, he's concerned," Bill started.

The colour drained from Harry's face as if a plug had been pulled and Bill hurried to reassure him, "it's okay sweetheart, you're fine! He asked about your magic.

"What?!" Harry yelped, starting to breathe a little too fast.

"Breath Harry," Bill said, "just breathe, it's okay."

Harry shook his head franticly but forced himself to take a breath and plopped down on the cold grass.

"Severus is really worried about you. After your lesson with him last night, he is worried there might be something wrong with your magic. Bill said

"What?!" Harry squeaked.

"He's concerned."

Harry shot him a panicked disbelieving look and Bill explained, "he's had experience with issues of the like, and noticed because of the sudden change in your brewing. He's very worried something could be hampering your magic and wanted me to check it out."

"But I'm fine. We fixed that. What do you mean he had experience with the like?"

"I can't go into detail." Bill said, "But he's worried about you and wants to help-"

Harry filed that away for later but snorted, and shook his head, "he hates my guts. He really really hates my guts."

"I know he fucked up, I haven't forgotten, even if you won't tell me about it. And neither has he."

Harry looked at him incredulously at that, but Bill continued, "he wants to know what's wrong with your magic, and how he can help fix it. Let him help you, Harry. He's worried. And is genuine in his desire to help this time." Bill said patiently, not at all looking frustrated with Harry. For which Harry was grateful.

"No... but... he..." Harry trailed off.

"He is. And will keep worrying about you until he knows what's going on. He's stubborn like that. He wants to help, he's on your side. Truly. Will you let him help?" Bill said

"He's hurt me. I just want him to leave me alone." Harry said in a small voice, almost a whisper, "he was so mad Bill."

"I know sweetheart, and he knows that too." Bill said softly, "he's trying to fix it."

"You trust him?" Harry asked half desperate for reassurance, half incredulously disbelieving.

"I do," Bill said then carefully, "I think he could be an asset to you. Another person on your side that you don't have to fight. He's not going to control you, Harry, he's not on Dumbledore's side."

"You think I should tell him?" Harry asked his voice small, thinking of all he knew of the potions master.

He couldn't breathe, everything was freezing up inside.

"I know you're scared, Harry, but I think it's important. He saved your life, he vowed to protect you. He was a prick and fucked up, he was awful, but he knows that now. I think it might be wise to tell him. So he can help you better with potions if nothing else, as your teacher, he needs to know a bit about what's giving you trouble so he can help you learn." Bill's voice filtered through the case in his mind.

"But," Harry stuttered fear biting at his insides again.

"It will be okay. But I really do think he needs to know as your teacher. He's on your side," Bill went on.

"You really think I need to tell him?" Harry stuttered.

"Or let me tell him. I'm not saying trust him with all your secrets. just enough for him to understand how to help you as your potions teacher." Bill said, "he can't help you with your options if he doesn't know what's wrong."

"I guess," Harry said bringing his knees to his chest and looking off into the trees

"And," Bill added, "the mans a genius, he'll probably figure it out anyway, sooner or later."

Harry's heart sank as fear clenched in his insides again.

Bill paused, then asked hesitantly, "Harry... do you trust me, sweetheart?"

Harry stared at Bill wide-eyed. He looked at Bill's face for a long moment before he realised, to his shock, that he did.

He did trust Bill.

At least with this.

He remembered the worried look on Bill's face after the ritual, and how steady Bill had been through that whole thing. He remembered how Bill had been there when Harry and Hermione had been panicking at her parent's house about the war, and Bill had woken up to reassure them. He remembered Bill's hugs, and how safe he'd felt. He remembered how relieved he'd been when Bill had let him sleep and then hadn't been mad.

He stared at Bill, scared again but not of Professor Snape this time. He did trust Bill. And that was terrifying. But he saw no deception in Bill's face. Just warm, honest caring. It made Harry's chest hurt. His eyes stung, he looked away.

He, Harry trusted Bill Weasley. Maybe not as much as he trusted Hermione, but Harry trusted him enough that it scared him. He trusted that Bill cared. He honestly cared and wanted to help Harry, and Harry really could trust that Bill was right in this. He would be there for him and not lead him astray. If Bill thought this was a good course of action, Harry could trust in that.

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out, it was too much. He drew in a shuddering breath, but no words came out. He couldn't say it! The words got stuck. They were just words, but he couldn't say them... He felt raw and overexposed, and...

Broken.

Finally, Harry merely nodded.

"Thank you for your trust, love. I won't misplace it." Bill said his voice ruff as if he knew how much it cost Harry. As if he knew what Harry's trust was worth. It was as if Bill knew that to a person like Harry, trust meant more than love ever would, and it was a fragile, precious thing.

To a person like Harry, trust was everything. A wonderful terrifying thing.

Harry still didn't look at him, resting his cheek on his knees and staring off into the forest.

"I still just want him to leave me alone," Harry said, sounding small again.

"I know, sweetheart," Bill said quietly, "but he need to know so he can teach you properly, it will work out, I promise. I won't let him use it against you, love. I won't let him,"

Harry peered back into the mirror, looking at him searchingly, then nodded.

"Okay, okay, I-" but the words got caught again, and he just said, "okay Bill."

"I'll talk to him, don't worry too much okay, sweetheart?" Bill said, understanding what Harry couldn't articulate.

Harry nodded with a sigh.

"I'll talk to you soon, it'll be alright," Bill said before the mirror went dark.

A long while passed before the ward was removed, and Bill said, "sorry, had to check."

His face looked a bit pained and worried, but he said, "you are correct in thinking that it's complicated. There is a lot at stake, and there are confidentiality oaths involved."

Bill looked at Severus meaningfully, Severus bit down his irritation and nodded in understanding, "what can you tell me?"

"I can say that it is not an issue with Harry's magic," Bill explained carefully, not going into more detail than Severus needed to know.

"He had an issue feeling his own magic. It's fixed now. But he now finds himself highly tuned to something he's never been able to feel before. There is nothing wrong with it, or him, it's just new. He just doesn't know what to do with it now he has access to it properly."

Severus almost goggled at him. But Severus did not goggle, merely stared, then said, "well shit!"

"Yeah." Bill snorted fondly, "yeah, pretty much,"

"I would say tell me the person responsible for that, and that they paid for it. But I have a feeling I know who it is and that they have not." Snape said icily.

Bill said nothing, and Severus nodded, in understanding. Bill couldn't say anything, but then, his silence was answer enough.

"So you are you on his side then?" Severus asked, looking at Bill hard in the eye, "truly on his side?"

Bill felt Severus's magic rise crackling, stronger than usual, "yes," Bill said, firmly, his voice hard and certain, "yes I am."

The magic settled, and he added, "I cannot let you in my head to prove it, I have too many secrets and oaths, but yes. I am. Are you?" Bill pressed, his voice hard again.

"Yes," Severus whispered, something pained in it.

"Really?" Bill pressed, raising an elegant eyebrow, "because he is absolutely fucking terrified of you. You have no idea what it cost him to trust my judgment that you needed to know this. He's certain you hate him and want to see him fail, miserably," Bill said not unkindly or accusingly, but more as stating the way things were.

It was only that that kept Severus from raising his hackles.

Severus let his shoulders sag in slight defeat instead, and he rubbed at his tired eyes. Goddess below, it was only one in the afternoon, and he was exhausted.

"Yes," he breathed out, almost desperately, pained, "yes. I am on his side. Always even if I have done a poor job of it. I never meant for this."

Bill sagged in relief, "okay. Okay good. We need more allies."

And it was only then that they noticed how much tension had been in the room when it was suddenly gone.

"Good," Bill said again, "I really didn't want to have to obliviate you."

Severus snorted at that, making Bill giving him a look and say, "I may not be great at Legilimency, but I know how to keep secrets safe when I have to."

It was only then that Severus realised that Bill had his wand in his hand and was twirling it casually between his fingers. When had he drawn his wand? Severus was a spy for fucks sake! His very life depended on noticing things! How had he missed that!

Severus couldn't suppress a sardonic smile, the young man was full of surprises.

"You're teaching him aren't you," Severus said suddenly, "that's why you're here, and you said you would be next Saturday. You're teaching him in the mornings, tutoring him. And if you can't tell me it's probably Gringotts sanctioned, goblin sanctioned."

Bill said nothing, but smiled in a pleased sort of way, "NDA's are a beautiful, useful thing."

"In that case, I shall give you the notes Filius, and I have drawn up for our plans to teach the boy under the guise of all his detentions. He needs tutoring and extra help if he's to end up staying not-dead. And I've put too much work in over the last few years for him to die now." Severus said gruffly, almost sounding embarrassed for caring.

"I'd appreciate it if you could cross off the things you're covering or have covered, so we don't waste time," Severus said, handing over a sheaf of papers, "He has too many people out for his blood to waste time overlapping topics."

Bill grinned and said fondly, "I do love the way your brain works."

Severus, despite himself, and for the first time in years, went red.

Bill swallowed down an affectionate, delighted laugh, worried he'd said too much, and just took the proffered papers without a word, looking them over.

"I'm not crossing off occlumency," Bill said pointedly, with a meaningful look.

"You know I'm really not that good at Legilimency." He went on almost conversationally, "Good enough to start someone off with but they could do with a someone better, all things considered."

Severus picked up on the unspoken message. Potter was being taught, but help would be appreciated, needed. And with the Dark Lord on the comeback, and with too many things Severus needed to stay hidden, needed Harry to keep hidden if he could tell the boy anything at all, Occlumency would have to be worked on.

Sweet Hekate below, that was going to be difficult. It was a hard mental discipline, and Severus was one of the best. And that was what Harry would need, with all he was up against, with all that was at stake. But still, Occulemency was a delicate art to teach, it required trust...

Taking the papers back from Bill, he paused as he skimmed the now annotated sheets, "knowing you're on his side too, let me say this. I am very... worried about his home life." He started, choosing his words carefully. "There is little I can do about it. Certainly not now I have scared him off by being a right prick. And certainly not with certain others involved who have too much power... over both him and me."

Bill raised an eyebrow at this and asked, "what did you do? He wouldn't tell me, but I know something happened."

There was only a hint of accusation in the tone.

"I lost my temper at him," Severus said with an ashamed disgusted sigh, "not intentionally, but it happened all too often around him under that compulsion and my ability to verbally eviscerate people is not a benign weapon. I scared him." he said, thinking back, "badly, I think... he forgot where he was, and who I was, maybe. I think he thought me someone else or got confused... He said some things, and I realise he knew some personal things about my school days that I am deeply ashamed of... I and lashed out. I should not have."

"ah..." Bill said in understanding, "you're an pillock, a complete and utter pillock. You plonker, that was a dick move, but I get it. You were out of line but were under magic, and not in total control. But you really need to work on mending that bridge."

Severus nodded miserably, "the compulsions do not excuse it, however."

Bill laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, startling Severus, though he did not show it, "no, but it explains it and it wasn't entirely your fault."

Severus sighed.

"I know what you're talking about in regards to his home life." Bill went on, "that contributed to him being shaken so badly about that incident. He..." Bill trailed off not sure how to describe the conversation he and Harry had had over the break about Bill and Severus and how worried Harry had been. And actually did he even want to mention it?

Severus just raised a thin eyebrow in askance, hating it when people trailed off.

Bill's ears went a little red and choosing his words carefully he said, "he worked out we were friends and warned me that I could be hurt by you."

"It took me a while to reassure him. He was really worried, he didn't say what happened, or what had bothered you. But it really freaked him out. You need to mend that fence."

Severus winced, "I have made many mistakes with him, but that last one is one of the mistake I regret most."

"Tell him, apologies to him," Bill said earnestly. "He says he never forgives, but he may with time. He won't forget, and he is achingly slow to trust. There will always possibly be some level of doubt, but I think you can patch it up. But you have to be on his side and have his back no matter what. And talk to him. Don't hide shit or manipulate him. He'll see it coming, and it will break his trust, which is so fragile and precious, Severus. You have to be careful with him," Bill said earnestly worry in his eyes.

"We are working on it, Filius and I, on making sure he has the support he needs and should have had. Did he tell you about the detentions? The un-housing? He and his group of friends are almost entirely alone against the whole school. We're trying to fix it.

We haven't managed to corner them yet, so we've sent them an owl. We've sorted out a re-housing for them. To clear their record. It was never fair of them to be unhoused like that. They've been treated appallingly. We can't punish the perpetrators of the bullying, certain people see it as harmless. But we can help mitigate some of the damage and make some things easier for them, Harry and your twin bothers and their friends. We're working on it as fast as we can. But it has not been done in so long it is taking somewhat longer than expected to tick all the boxes so to say.

Bill sagged in relief, "good, good. Thank you, Severus," Bill said, unable to restrain himself from pulling his friend into a tight grateful hug.

Severus froze. It had been a long time since he had been hugged. Not since Lily had died. His throat ached. And for a horrible moment, he thought he might cry. He hadn't cried since Lily had died either. But now... now he was close.

Hekate help him, he was becoming weak.

Bill either sensed his turmoil and was patient with him, or sensed none of it but was patient anyway. He waited there, holding Severus close until Severus carefully placed his arms around the other man and hugged him back.