"It is disconcerting when you cannot aid yourself, but you must try to keep yourself busy," he said. "Or at least your mind. Dwelling on your own mortality will only bring you despair."
"Nonsense," he then said. "You should always be able to tell the truth within family. It's for everyone else you need to pretend. The outside world must never know the extent of your fear, because then they might use it against you."
He smiled. "Severus has seen the curse before, he has an advantage that Stephen did not have. He also have a better understanding of the Dark Arts. However, without Stephen's treatment and steady research into your symptoms you would already be dead." He patted Scorpius' legs. "Be careful what you say outside this room," he then said. "It would not be prudent to appear to be less than grateful for all that Stephen has done."