Pieces of a suit of armor littered the corridor, and Severus had to dart to the side to miss being hit by a flying visor. He caught his toe on a bit of cuisse and barely kept from sprawling face first across the floor. 'Get out of here now, Peeves, or I swear, the Baron will be notified the moment I leave!'

Immediately sobering, the poltergeist flitted away through a nearby closed transom. A gasp came from several yards away, and as Severus grabbed at the wall to catch his fall, he shot a look at the open doorway. One blond head, and one covered by a dark mass of messy curls peeked around the frame, and both had worried eyes.

'Harry. Draco. Come here.'

Red faced, both boys approached, but dragged their feet.

'Now!'

Harry raced to his side, immediately compliant, though his thin shoulders shook as he skidded to a halt. Draco was only a second slower. Severus reached out to steady the boy, but Harry brought up an arm to protect his head and ducked.

Severus swore silently. Instead of commenting, however, he pointed at the empty plinth where the suit of armor had once stood. 'Explain.'

Staring at his feet, Harry stepped back within arms' reach and held himself very stiffly, obviously embarrassed by his reaction. 'I knocked it over, sir. M'sorry.'

Surprised, Severus peered down at the boy. Harry had all the signs of guilt over the incident -- which Nelli had reported to him only moments ago -- and it would take but a few questions to get the real story directly from his lips, Severus estimated. But his patience had run thin today already, and he had a lot of work to do after the long staff meeting this morning. His tone, therefore, was sharper than he might have liked when he snapped, 'Tell me the truth, Harry.'

Harry only flinched again, hunching his shoulders.

Severus looked directly at Draco and lifted an eyebrow, inviting him to share his story, but the towheaded boy glanced away from him and otherwise ignored the situation.

Glancing up, Harry said again, 'I knocked it over. It was my fault.'

Gritting his teeth, Severus had to force himself to calmness. Although he was aware that Harry was stepping forward to spare his friend, he also knew the boy would be hurt by Draco's lack of the same, and he wanted to give Draco a chance to redeem himself. But Draco was not rising to the occasion, and Severus growled, 'Were you playing near it? Running in the halls? How did it go over?'

'I . . .' Harry darted his own look at his friend, then back down to his shoes.

'And look at me when I am speaking to you.'

Harry swallowed. 'Yes, sir.' He pulled his lower lip between his teeth and chewed on it. 'I was running.'

'Why?'

'I . . .' He glanced at the end of the corridor, where Severus had already found the remains of what Nelli had said was a rather large bag of compost, thrown at the boys by Peeves.

'Speak up, boy!'

Harry's head snapped back around. His eyes were wide and dilated. 'Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. I saw a . . . Draco said it's a ghost? Peeves, sir? And I ran, and I wasn't watching where I was going and I tripped and knocked down the soldier man.'

'Is there anything else you wish to tell me?' Please speak up, Draco, Severus thought. Show Harry you are worthy to be his friend.

But only Harry moved, and then, just to shake his head. 'No, sir.'

He was going to need to be direct. 'Draco?'

Draco jerked as if he'd been slapped, then brought his head up, eyes wide and innocent. 'Uncle Sev?'

'Do you have anything to add?'

The boy gave Harry a quick glance and out of the corner of his eye, Harry shook his head, just a tiny bit, so little that if Severus had not been watching for it, he would not have noticed. 'No, sir. But it was an accident.'

'Very well, Draco. Harry, please go to your room. Now.'

'Yes, sir.' Watching his feet again, Harry took off at a half lope, half scuttle, and Severus sighed. His head ached. He pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking he would likely not get a start on the infirmary potions today.

'Uncle Sev?'

Rage flared in him so strongly for an instant that he was sure that if he turned around, he would say many things he would come to regret, and he had already apologized as much as he was going to, to this child. Not looking at the boy, he said, 'Draco, go back to our rooms. Do not even think of leaving.'

'Yes, sir.'

Severus heard the puzzlement in Draco's voice, and didn't care. 'Go, I said!'

Draco jumped, and ran after his friend. Severus called up Nelli and told her to keep an eye on the boys, and that they were not to leave his quarters. Then he Reparo'd the armor and went directly to the Headmaster's office.

Once inside, having refused both tea and boiled sweets, he paced before Albus' desk. 'This isn't working.'

'What seems to be the matter, dear boy?'

'I am not cut out to be a father.'

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