Best Served Cold

Epilogue

“I won't! I won't be in Slytherin! I'm gonna be in Gryffindor
like Dad!” Albus Severus wailed.

“James, give it a rest!” Ginny said. She loved both of
her sons, of course, but one of them tried her patience far more
frequently than the other.

“I only said he might be. There's nothing wrong with
that,” James answered with a mischievous grin.

“Would it be so bad to be in Slytherin, Al?” Harry asked
calmly.

“James says Slytherins are dirty cowards,” Albus tattled
firmly.

“Thanks a lot, Al,” James muttered under his breath.

“Hm. I think it would disappoint your Grandpa if he knew
that's what you thought, James,” Harry said.

“I don't think Grandpa Severus is a dirty coward, though! He's
an exception,” James defended. He'd gotten his grandfather's
disappointed look once, last year, when he was doing poorly in
Potions. Severus had pursed his lips and said 'like father, like
son'. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of it again.

“In any case, what House you end up in doesn't matter, Al.
There are good people in all of them.”

Albus Severus pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Well, maybe it
wouldn't be so bad, being in Grampa Severus's House...” he
conceded.

“Grandpa Sirius is way more fun though,” James commented.
“And he's better at Quidditch.”

“I don't think Grampy Severus is really interested in
Quidditch,” Lily added. “He likes, you know, books and
newt eyes and things like that...and Grampy Sirius most of all.”

Harry cast a sideways glance at Ginny and they both started
chuckling. Kids said the damndest things “Okay, enough
chatter,” Ginny declared. “The Hogwarts Express isn't
going to wait forever.”

The silence lasted a whole of fifteen blissful seconds before the
boys started whispering again. “That's not true!” Al
suddenly declared. “Grandpa Severus is really smart, and
brave, Dad says so all the time. How can Grandpa Sirius be a better
Head of House, then?”

“Easy!” James declared. “He's more fun.”

“Fun isn't everything,” Al answered stubbornly.
Severus had always been his favorite grandparent. Harry blamed it on
the shared name, but Ginny knew better – when no one was
looking, Snape doted on young Albus.

“Now I know you're going to be in Slytherin,”
James said.

“W-well, I hope I am! Who'd want to be in Gryffindor with a git
like you?” Al crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly.
Sometimes James's brotherly teasing went just a bit too far.

Harry laughed. It just seemed ridiculous. If Severus Snape could
find happiness with Sirius Black, why the hell couldn't his sons go
five minutes without arguing?

'Well, that's their problem until the holidays, I guess.'
He loved his boys, but had to admit he was looking forward to a
little peace and quiet. If that happened to be at the risk of his
surrogate parents' sanity...well if Sirius Black and Severus Snape
could stand one another for twenty years, he didn't think two
hyperactive Potter boys would cause too much
damage.

'Then again, maybe we should stock up on Howler paper on the way
home, just in case.'

~The End~