Salvation

Thank you so much for the reviews, I loved them all.



To answer picofoxy, at some point yes, I am working towards that, they are experimenting with new things, so eventually, I would like them to try anal. I saw it as slash because Harry considers himself male, so it is kinda male male.



So, here is chapter five. Enjoy.



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Remus shifted in his seat, hating the hard plastic of his chair. In fact, he hated the whole room, the whole building, but he couldn’t say that out loud. Not when he was about to be thrown to the lions. Best to act like he was fine with it, not show a weakness. That plan was, of course, not going to work.



“This is ridiculous,” Remus mumbled and Sirius smiled at him.



“You promised, Moony. You promised that if I let you have the rest of the party, I could fuss all I liked. So here I am, fussing all I like. And my fussing includes you seeing your healer,” Sirius said firmly, slipping his hand into Remus’ and rubbing the soft skin with his thumb.



“I know,” Remus grumbled. “I know I promised. But it hate this. He’s just going to poke and prod and ask obscenely intimate questions about our sex life. I swear, it would be easier just to go to bloody Greyback, at least he’s open about his enjoyment of torturing people.”



Sirius sniggered. “It won’t be that bad. And I will be right there with you.”



“When did you become so flipping sensible? I thought I was supposed to be the calm responsible one and you were the hot head,” Remus asked crabbily.



“When you started getting sick every morning,” Sirius replied easily. He nibbled his lower lip. “You know, believe it or not, I love you. I love you more than anyone else. I have worked too hard to be with you, I’m not about to let some nasty flu strike you down. You mean everything to me. So I’m going to get you the best possible care to make you better again.”



Remus stared at him. It was rare that Sirius was this open about his feelings for Remus, not that Remus wasn’t fully aware of his love, it was just, usually, they expressed themselves in bed. The last time Sirius had been so vocal, Harry had just gotten his name cleared. Harry giving Sirius his freedom had finally allowed the Animagus to enjoy his life with his husband. It had induced Sirius into proclaiming his love and adoration. It was the last time he had said it out loud and that was over a year ago.



This declaration was unexpected, but Remus wasn’t about to question it.



“I love you too,” Remus said, pulling him in for a kiss. “I suppose I can endure one little examination. But don’t leave me alone with that man.”



“I wouldn’t endanger the good healer,” Sirius said with a grin as the nurse came to collect them.



Remus groaned and allowed Sirius to pull him to his feet, calling him a scared little puppy when he moved at a snail’s pace towards the healers door. But Sirius didn’t let go of his hand, and he leaned in to stroke Remus’ cheek, kissing him gently.



Remus could do this, as long as Sirius was with him.



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Harry gulped down a pepper-up potion, feeling his fatigue dissipate. Miri was cooing happily in his arms and he snorted in amusement. He felt like the crypt keeper and she was all sunshine and smiles. Typical.



But it had been worth it. His birthday had been brilliant. Even if he had only ended up with three hours sleep.



“Where’s Remus?” Charlie asked from the table, shielding his eyes. He wasn’t the only one with a hangover, and Harry had hidden the potions, just like he said he would. He was receiving several glares along with many pleading looks, but he refused to relent. Well, he had relented for Sirius so he could be competent when he went off with Remus. Harry wasn’t that much of a Slytherin.



“Gone to see his healer. He and Sirius left a little while ago,” Severus said as he entered the kitchen carrying a shot glass of bright violet liquid. He leaned in and kissed Harry before he handed him the glass.



“What is it?” Harry asked, holding it away from Miri’s reaching grasp.



“Your contraceptive potion,” Severus replied, plucking Miri from Harry’s hold.



“One shot? I thought there would be more of it.”



Severus smiled and held Miri’s hands as she made a fresh attempt to get to the pretty purple potion. “One shot is enough. It will protect you for six months”



Harry nodded and downed it. It felt like ice hitting his stomach and he gasped, letting out a cloud of frost. He hiccupped and a small snowflake drifted out, melting instantly in the summer air.



“Is it supposed to turn me into Frosty the Snowman?” Harry asked as he gulped down some warm tea from Molly, trying to dispel the chill.



“It is supposed to do that, yes.”



“Good to know,” Harry muttered, the two of them making their way over to the table.



“Please, Harry. Just one,” Charlie begged.



“Nope. You should have restrained yourself,” Harry said cheerfully, Charlie wincing at his volume.



“It was a party,” Arthur put in. “We were only enjoying ourselves. Be a dear and give us the potions.”



“What potions?” Severus asked, holding his bright green coffee cup away from Miri’s questing hands. “I swear this child will be a Seeker just like her carrier. Look at her, not even three months old and she is already trying to get at shiny things.”



“Three months old on the fifth,” Harry stated, making Severus smile. Harry grabbed an apple. “And they’re asking for the hangover potions I’ve hidden.” Severus chuckled.



“Miri only wants them because she’s reading you,” Solarin offered. “You’re thinking that she can’t have your cup, which is why she keeps making grabs for it.”



Surprisingly, Solarin had no hangover. Harry had discovered that she had restrained herself from indulging in inebriated minds too much last night, so all she had was a mild headache. She easily chased it away it with a spell, though she refused to tell Charlie the charm.



Harry swallowed his bite of apple and retrieved his daughter, settling her on his lap. He plucked a plum from the fruit bowl and pulled a sheet of gold wrapping paper from his pocket. He wrapped the plum in it and cast a spell to make it baby proof before he handed it to Miri. It looked like a snitch. She stared at it before she proceeded to chew on it. Well, she tried to at least. All she managed to do was suck at it.



“Why did you ask about Remus?” Harry asked as Miri waved the fake snitch at Severus, the Potions Master smiling through his mouthful of strawberry.



“There’s a letter for him, some publishing house. Sol got one too,” Charlie said, handing Solarin her envelope and shuffling the rest of the morning post.



It was a plain blue packet, and had the Midnight Books name and logo stamped on the top left hand corner. She opened it and scanned the letter before passing it to Severus. Bill, who had read it over her head, kissed her neck, making her smile.



“Well done,” Severus praised after a quick glance at it. He looked up to see everyone staring in question. “Sol has landed herself a publishing contract. A ten book deal.”



“Way to go,” Harry congratulated. “What are you going to write about?”



“Mostly the intricacies of the Muggle World. Albus mentioned that the text books for Muggle Studies were horribly out of date. I was also considering writing a book on augurs. Most of the publications out there are really biased. They seem to have all been written with the sole purpose of making me and my kind out to be homicidal maniacs,” Solarin said brightly. She toyed with one of Miri’s curls. “I think it is high time we had a good book on augurs.”



“Here here,” Severus said, tickling Miri under the chin.



“This contract means I can work from home,” Solarin added and Harry’s eyes brightened.



“Work from home? That’s possible?” Harry asked.



Severus smiled. “Entirely. Remus does it, he writes books on defence. I was also considering working from home myself.”



“Writing about potions?” Bill asked.



“Not just writing. I know of several potential clients who can’t even brew a simple pain potion. I could make a small fortune.”



“What, you mean like an owl order service? Potions to order?” Phoenix asked as Charlie poured her more apple juice.



“Exactly. Mad-Eye mentioned something about him helping me set it all up.”



“I like it. It means you can be home with me all the time and keep yourself from going nuts,” Harry mused. He had begun to wonder what Severus would do now he was no longer a teacher. The Slytherin didn’t seem the type to be a ‘kept man’ and Harry had no intentions of letting his husband sitting idle, not when he had such a skill.



“I knew you would,” Severus said, kissing him. “This way I can tutor you and Nixie for your N.E.W.T.’s, along with your parents and a few others, and keep myself from going stir crazy. I need something to occupy my time, I may as well make some money from it.”



Harry beamed at him. “You think of everything,” Harry said and Severus blushed slightly, remembering their first time.



“One does what one can to ensure ones husbands satisfaction in all areas of his life,” Severus said, trying to regain his cool.



“I have no complaints,” Harry said, winking at him.



Everyone chuckled and Solarin shuddered.



“Way too much info,” she said, giving them a glare that clearly meant ‘you two are twisted’.



“Makes up for all the things I know about you that I wish I didn’t,” Severus said reasonably.



Solarin spluttered for a few moments, Bill going bright red, before she got a mischievous glint in her eyes.



“What was his name again?” she asked lightly.



“Who?” Severus said, having missed the sparkle.



“That guy you had that fling with a few years after we moved to Hogsmeade. I should remember, you did scream his name all night,” she replied and Severus choked on his sip of coffee. Harry dissolved into a fit of hilarity, tears streaming down his face, Miri giggling with him.



“Shut up,” Severus snapped. The whole kitchen was laughing at him, so he plucked up Miri and moved towards the door.



“Me and my daughter are going to the library, where there are no people to mock me,” Severus said firmly, just in time for Solarin to make a declaration.



“I remember now. His name was Raul. He left that hickey on your wrist, didn’t he?”



Severus gaped at her before sweeping from the room, laughter following him.



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Remus growled. ‘Bloody healers and their flipping insistence to poke and prod me,’ he muttered, his healer chuckling.



He had allowed Sirius to drag him into the office of Healer Samuel Jones, who was a werewolf himself. He had been Remus’ primary healer for over a decade. He was good at his job and had no prejudices against Remus, a rarity amongst werewolves, as the two of them had both been turned by Greyback when they were young. Samuel was a rather thin man in his mid forties with a baby face and a boyish grin. He smiled more often than anything else, and treated all his regular patients like old friends, insisting that they call him Sam. He asked, never ordered, and was always honest. It made him a very popular choice for witches and wizards who were wary of healers, despite his condition. He was marvellous with children as well, so many werewolves brought their children to him, finding him easier than a regular healer. It was for these reasons, and that his father was on the Board of Directors, that made St. Mungo’s keep him on despite his ‘monthlies’. He still received his fair share of abuse and prejudice, but Sam seemed to take it all in his stride. He was single and still looking, and he cheekily said he was happy staying that way, that it was too much fun going on the pull to give it up. He made Remus smile.



Sam had asked a series of questions after Remus had explained his symptoms. These questions were easy to answer: how long had it been going on? Was there any particular trigger for the symptoms? Had he eaten anything unusual? Who made his last batch of Wolfsbane? It was easy, it was expected. Remus found it to be quite a nice meeting really.



The next bit was not so pleasant. Sam had asked to examine Remus, something the werewolf would have refused flat out had Sirius not been with him. Remus found himself shirtless, lying on a padded bench, his abdomen being felt by Sam. At least his hands were warm. He was at the brink of ripping the nice healer to pieces in an attempt to protect himself when Sirius bent down and kissed his forehead.



Remus groaned in pain.



“That’s the part that’s tender?” Sam asked, his honey eyes kind.



“Bloody painful is a more accurate description, but yes, the majority of the pain is there,” Remus grit out. To his immense relief, Sam’s hands moved away from it. Sam listened to his heart, took his blood pressure, recorded his temperature. He did it all the muggle way. He checked his ears, eyes, nose and throat. The man didn’t miss a thing. Well, a thing from the waist up. Sam had not requested that Remus expose his lower half and Remus was grateful for that, though he had been asked to open his trousers so Sam could fully get to his abdomen.



Remus liked Sam. The man understood that a muggle approach was better than a wizarding one with an ailing werewolf. It was, perhaps, a little unorthodox, but it was what made Remus relaxed enough to actually let the man near him. All the spells other healers used without a second thought played havoc with his system and he didn’t need anymore reason to reject his breakfast. He had actually managed to keep it down for a whole hour and a half so far, and he felt rather proud of himself for it.



“All right, sit up for me, Remus,” Sam said and Remus complied, Sam’s hands going to his throat to press at it. “I’m just checking your glands. It could be something very simple. With people like us it is all too easy to upset our internal balance.”



Sam smiled at him and Remus smiled back. Sam never referred to Remus as ‘animal’ or ‘creature’ or ‘beast’. He always said ‘us’ and ‘our’ and ‘people’. It made Remus feel fairly relaxed. He felt very comfortable with this healer. He kept his mind away from the trouble he had gone to finding one he didn’t want to murder. It had taken him until his mid-twenties. Remus made a metal note to call his mother.



“How are your children getting on?” Sam asked as he felt the protrusions of Remus’ ribs and then his spine.



Remus hissed in discomfort but smiled through it. “Harry is doing very well, he had a wonderful time at his birthday party. Nixie is fine, becoming more and more like Sirius by the minute,” Remus replied fondly as Sam pulled out a syringe.



“Are you comfortable with me drawing a little blood? It will be kinder on your system if I cast my spells on the sample rather than you.” Remus nodded and squeaked at the cold alcohol pad. “How is Harry’s little girl?”



“Miri? Ouch! She’s fine, getting bigger every day. She is a very happy little girl,” Remus said as the needle was plunged into his arm. Remus was always impressed when Sam managed to keep up a conversation and still do his job. He forever remembered what you had told him about your family, too. Sam remembered that he and Sirius had been together since they were fifteen, that Harry loved chocolate, that Sirius was allergic to unicorns, that Phoenix adored cats. Remus took it as a sign that the man truly cared about his patients.



Remus had last been to see Sam a few days after Draco had been changed into Phoenix, just a simple check up where Sam had proclaimed him in perfect health, if a little run down from the last moon. The time before had been just after Miri was born, a visit to make sure he wasn’t going mad. He had been convinced that his aversion to the baby had been something affecting him. Sam was the one who had convinced him to seek Albus’ guidance.



“How are her barriers developing?” Sam asked as he withdrew the needle. “It must be quite a challenge for Harry to raise such a special little girl, being so young himself.”



“He does find it challenging but he seems to be doing very well with it, we all help out and he asks one of us if he has a parenting question. He’s very good at asking for the help he needs. And Mad-Eye says her barriers are developing nicely.”



“Good to hear. Let me know how Harry handles it when she starts walking. Solarin Snape lives with you doesn’t she?”



“Severus’ sister? Yes, she lives with us,” Sirius confirmed.



“Will you remind her that she needs to come in for a check up sometime soon? She hasn’t been to see me for a few years, I sent her a letter, but she hasn’t made an appointment yet,” Sam said, securing the cotton ball he placed against Remus’ arm with a piece of tape.



“We’ll remind her when we get home,” Remus assured.



“Thank you. You remember the drawings I used to have pinned up in here?” Remus nodded. “Solarin was the one who drew them for me.”



“My mother used to love those drawings,” Remus said affectionately as Sam measured his pulse.



“It’s been quite a few years since Sol last did me one,” Sam said with a smile. “You can get dressed now. I don’t see the need for an internal at this point. I’d like to ask a few more questions before I consider an invasive examination.”



Remus sighed in relief, pulled on his shirt and buttoned his trousers as Sam performed a few charms on his blood sample, beckoning them over to his desk after a few minutes. They sat down and Sam smiled at them



“The blood looks fine, it just seems to be a hormonal imbalance as far as I can tell. I’d like to find the cause though.” He smiled at his patient. “Now, the part you don’t like, Remus. The personal questions. I wouldn’t ask unless I needed to know,” Sam said and Remus growled. Sirius entwined their fingers.



“If you must,” Remus said and Sam pulled out a muggle pad of paper. He poured out the tea that he had set to brew as they had entered his office and motioned for them to help themselves to biscuits as he reclined in his chair. Sam always liked to make this part of the examination seem like friends talking, he felt it was the best way to handle gathering information as personal as a patients sex life.



“So, how many times a week are the two of you intimate?” Sam asked as Sirius handed Remus his tea.



“Five or six, depending on the week,” Sirius said as Remus blushed. It was probably best for the insatiable Sirius Black to answer these questions. Remus was not the type to go into details of their sex life without Veritaserum.



“And are you careful of infection?”



“Yes. Remus and I never bite too hard, no matter how wild it gets.” He sniggered. “Very wild, but no breaking the skin.”



Sam chuckled. He decided right there and then he quite liked Remus’ mate. “What about scratching, do you indulge in that?”



“Yes. Should we not scratch?” Sirius asked worriedly.



“No, it’s fine. I just need to be clear on the details. Most people like me and Remus are fond of scratching, it allows us to mark our partners without the risk of infecting them. Part of the wolf rising. It’s very common during mating,” Sam said calmly. He tried not to think of the latest partner he had marked the night before. A pretty little thing. She had not been a natural blonde, he could vouch for that.



“Oh. All right,” Sirius said with a smile, sipping his tea and glancing at his husband. Remus was silent beside him and seemed to be fascinated with the floor tiles. He leaned over and kissed his cheek.



“I just cannot answer these, Siri,” Remus muttered.



“It’s all right. I have it covered. Have a biscuit, one of the ginger ones might settle your stomach.” Sirius returned to the healer as Remus began to nibble on a gingersnap. “Next question?”



“Do the two of you still take precautions against pregnancy?” Sam asked.



“Yes.”



“What do you use? Are you still using the Daily Potion?”



“Yes, still the Daily Potion.”



“And which one of you takes it?”



“Both of us. We like to be completely safe.”



Sam smiled. “I wish all my patients said that,” he joked. “Which one of you is the alpha?” It was a discreet question, a very polite way of asking who was the top in the bedroom. Sirius, however, didn’t see it quite the right way.



“Remus. He’s the alpha of the pack. He is definitely the head of the family.”



Remus sniggered. “He means in the bedroom, Siri,” he mumbled and Sirius laughed. “He already knows I’m an alpha wolf. He wants to know about our mating.”



“Sorry, got mixed up in that one,” Sirius admitted with an embarrassed smile and Sam chuckled.



“It’s all right, easy mistake to make. I should have been more clear perhaps. I just find it’s easier for the one answering the questions if I phrase it that way. I apologise. Shall we try that one again?” he suggested and Sirius nodded.



“We don’t really have an alpha. I suppose Remus is, closer to the moon. But we both…umm…dominate,” he said, finding it a little difficult to find the right word to describe it.



Remus peeked up from the floor to find Sam making a few notes on his paper. He used a muggle ballpoint pen.



“Now, is there any incidence where you might have missed a dose of your potion, Remus? Maybe, things got a little hectic, or it slipped your mind?” Sam asked, making Remus cringe.



“We have never forgotten the potion and we’ve been using it for twenty years, on and off,” Remus said quietly.



“Every day at midday,” Sirius added.



Sam considered it. There was a slim chance that it could have failed working for them. Sam had heard, from one of his colleagues, of the Daily Potion losing its effectiveness with prolonged usage. It was rare, but it had happened. It didn’t seem likely, though, not with Severus living in the same house as the couple.



“Well, in that case, the only thing I can suggest is an internal examination,” Sam said finally, after a pause and a sip of tea. “I can’t figure out what this is, and the only thing left is an internal. I know you don’t like them, Remus, but I really wouldn’t like to send you away without answers. This isn’t adding up for me, I need a clearer illustration of what is going on inside you, and this is the best way.”



“Do we have to?” Remus groaned.



“I’m afraid so. I’d like a full picture of what is going on, and I’m reluctant to use spells on you while you feel so ill, so I really need to do one. Sirius can stay if you want him to, of course.”



Remus sighed at the look his husband gave him. “I’m not getting out of this, am I?” Remus asked him.



“Nope,” Sirius said. “Let me fuss, Moony. Let the good healer take a look. Think of it this way, it’ll all be worth it if it means you feel better.”



“You will stay, right?”



“Try and stop me.”



Remus huffed. “Fine. You and your bloody charm.” Sirius grinned, looking suspiciously like Snuffles the dog, as they called his Animagus form.



“Good man. Slip behind the screen and get undressed. There’s a gown behind there for you. Put it on and call us when you’re ready,” Sam said cheerfully and Remus wanted to throttle him. Damn short temper.



Sirius smirked at his husbands murderous expression as Remus slipped behind the screen.



“So, how are the two of you handling parenthood? It can’t be easy, what with Harry being married so soon after the adoption,” Sam said, offering the Animagus a chocolate truffle.



Sirius chuckled around his mouthful of confection. “We’re getting by. It’s odd, seeing Harry with Severus, but I think we’re finally used to it. At least, as used to it as we are likely to get at this point.”



“You and Severus were never very friendly in school, were you? Remus told me years ago about you trying to feed Severus to him once when you were younger.”



Sirius grinned sheepishly. “No, we never got along. But we seem to have come to some sort of equilibrium now. Though, at the party last night, we managed to end up trying to out drink each other. I suppose we’ll never really be best buds, but we’re managing not to kill each other for the moment.”



“Just so you know, Siri, that booze was a fake. The green stuff? It was switched by the Odd Trio. You were had, Padfoot,” Remus said, poking his head around the screen, smirking at the dumbfounded look on his lovers face. “And you were complaining about being left out. I’m ready, by the way.”



Sam and Sirius made their way over, Sirius shaking his head and laughing quietly to himself. Sam patted the bench and Remus found himself staring at the ceiling once more as he lay back. Sirius gripped his hands, holding them by his head, and leaned in to give him an upside down kiss.



“I’m right here,” Sirius murmured, making Remus smile shakily.



“All right, Remus. Knees up and apart for me,” Sam said as he slipped on a pair of latex gloves. Remus did as he was told and tried to relax. It wasn’t easy when all he wanted to do was behave like his inner wolf and snarl at the man popping open a tube of lubricant.



“I hate this,” Remus muttered and Sirius smiled.



“I know, but it’s only for a moment,” Sirius soothed.



Remus sighed and fidgeted, feeling exposed. Maybe he should have demanded the spells? Really, how much worse could they make him feel?



“Try and relax for me, Remus,” Sam instructed as he placed his dry hand on Remus’ lower abdomen, very gently. It was right over his sore spot so Sam was very careful to keep his touch as light as possible.



Remus took a deep breath and flinched as the fingers touched him. “Cold,” he muttered and made the effort to relax. He bore down as Sam instructed and gritted his teeth against the feeling of being breached. He moaned in discomfort at the two fingers in his rectum, but kept still. He kept fighting the urge to pull away, to protest at someone else other than his mate touching him so intimately. He managed it, but only because Sirius was holding his hands, rubbing his nose along his forehead and kissing it every few moments.



“I can’t believe I was had,” Sirius said.



“Believe it. Sol told me and Harry just before I passed out,” Remus confirmed, squirming slightly at the feel of the slick fingers moving inside him. He really hoped Sam was straight, because his technique left a lot to be desired. “Besides, Severus is a given target for Sol. You were had because you were competing with the ringleaders brother.”



“Solarin still pulling pranks then?” Sam asked, his eyes fixed on the wall as he tried to figure out what he was feeling.



“I don’t think she’ll ever kick the habit,” Sirius said with a smile, looking at the grinning healer.



“Severus used to complain about it all the time when he used to bring her to see me when she was younger. How are the two of you handling Nixie and her boyfriend living in the same house?” Sam enquired.



The two shared a chuckle. “Sirius threatened to kill him,” Remus revealed.



“I did not. I just told him firmly that he was to sleep in his own bed,” Sirius corrected, but his next statement faltered in his throat at the confused look on Sam’s face. “What’s wrong?”



“I’m not sure, it’s probably nothing. I’m sorry, just a little longer,” Sam said, his tone neutral to keep his patient from attacking him. A sick werewolf was best handled with caution. “Remus, I need you to keep very still for me. I apologise but I need to press down on your abdomen.”



Remus took a deep breath and nodded, crushing Sirius’ hands and fair near screaming as his sore front was pushed. The pressure disappeared and so did Sam’s fingers, Remus sighing in relief.



“Get yourself cleaned up and then come and join me,” Sam said as he stripped off his gloves and chucked them into the bin, giving nothing away.



A few minutes later, after a quick detour to the bathroom so Remus could be sick, Remus and Sirius were once again sat in their seats, their hands joined as Sam performed a few more spells on Remus’ blood sample.



Sam sat back and sighed. “Well, I can tell you what is going on,” he assured. “Remus, you are twelve weeks pregnant.”



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Harry peaked his head around the library door to find Severus lying on the carpet with his head propped up on one elbow, facing the door, Miri wriggling on her back on the floor in front of him. He was dangling one of her shiny fairy toys above her, talking to her about what a clever girl she was as she summoned it with her magic from his hand, seemingly talking back to him with her babbles.



Harry pulled out his wand and transfigured a piece of parchment into a camera. As he snapped the photo, Severus spoke.



“I am going to remove that girls vocal cords.”



Harry smiled. “She was only teasing,” Harry said as he made his way over, Miri squealing in delight as she caught sight of him. He lay down on his side, his back to Severus’ front, and lay his head on his outstretched arm as she waved her soft shiny fairy at him. He and Miri were almost eye level with each other and she giggled at him as he stuck his tongue out at her. She copied him and Harry laughed.



“It was not funny,” Severus insisted.



“It was.”



“For you, maybe. I, on the other hand, do not enjoy having my sexual history brought up in polite company.”



Harry turned his head to look at him, only to find Severus smirking down at him. “Why are you smirking?” Harry asked, nervous.



“Tell me about your past. I do not mean that man. I mean, who else did you date in Hogwarts, apart from Miss Chang? Did you see anyone but her?” Severus asked. “I will tell you mine, if you tell me yours.”



Harry stared at Miri, watching her face scrunch up as she began to whimper. He placed his hand on her belly. “No, sweetheart. No look, no see,” he instructed. It was something Moody had taught them, a way to tell Miri when not to use her abilities. It was the first exercise for her to try and use her barriers. So far, she was doing pretty well with it. After a few minutes, she settled and Harry gave her the green stuffed dragon that was lying near her head as a reward. She immediately began to suck on its tail.



Harry sighed. How to explain it? It was hard enough to think about it, let alone put it into words. He needed time to figure it out.



“You first,” Harry said and Severus hummed in agreement.



“Well, when I was a student, I had a brief encounter with a girl called Theresa Michaels. She was a year above me. We slept together once and then she dumped me for Walden Macnair, who she later married. It was for the best, she lacked a piece of anatomy I rather enjoy,” Severus revealed, sliding his hand briefly across Harry’s crotch. Harry chuckled. “Then there was the aforementioned Raul. I dated him for about two weeks. I was about…twenty one, twenty two maybe. I hadn’t realized Solarin would remember him in the house. I made sure that he was gone before she got up in the morning. How that blasted girl heard us is beyond me. We did use silencing charms.”



“Maybe she was peeking into your head,” Harry offered. “You said she tends to wander through minds when she sleeps.”



“That must be it,” Severus agreed. “So, there was Theresa Michaels, Raul and the Dark Lord.”



“That’s it?”



“There was one other, but you will not want to know.” He didn’t want Harry to know, but he had promised to be honest with him. It was up to Harry now if he wanted to know or not.



“Why not? Come on, tell me,” Harry asked, seeing the uncertainty in his husbands eyes.



“I slept with Lucius once,” Severus admitted quietly after a long pause. “It was in Hogwarts, I was experimenting with my sexuality and he was the one I messed around with.”



Harry was still for a moment, before he burst into a fit of giggles. “Oh God!” he gasped out. “I guess we have more in common than we thought!”



Severus laughed with him, and kissed his exposed neck. “I guess so. He was a lousy lay, I’ll tell you. All wand, no skill.” Severus nibbled his neck, making Harry’s hysterical giggles turn into moans.



“Nothing changed for him then,” Harry joked and Severus snorted.



“So, I have dated Theresa, and Raul. Been the plaything of the Dark Lord, and had a one night stand with the blond bastard. I think that about covers my past. You know, now I think about my past, I am much more thankful to have you in my life.”



“Why?”



“Because you are the best thing to ever happen to me. I have never and will never love anyone as much as I love you,” Severus declared firmly. Harry smiled and kissed him. “And I have never had better joinings in my life. I adore claiming you.”



Harry grinned. “I definitely enjoy that bit of our marriage. And I love you too, more than anyone.” Miri shrieked as she lost hold of her dragon and Harry retrieved it for her. “Well, you’re a joint first,” Harry said. “The two of you have a half of my heart each.”



“I like that. I will share you with Miri. But no one else,” Severus said possessively, draping his arm further around Harry’s waist. “Bloody Gryffindor mauling you last night. I swear, if he wasn’t a friend of yours I would annihilate him for touching you.”



Harry sniggered. “I think he got the message that you own me. I think they all did,” Harry soothed.



“So…what of your history? I told you mine.”



Harry sighed. It was now or never. “Cedric,” Harry said softly.



“Excuse me?”



“Cedric Diggory. We never did anything more than kiss, we mostly just spent time together. But we were dating when…when he…he died,” Harry finished quietly, picking at the carpet.



Severus was stunned. He had not imagined that there was anything like that. “I’m sorry, love. I didn’t know,” Severus said, hugging him close.



“No one did, not even our friends. Back then, I still hated what I am, and he was sweet, he said he would wait for me to be ready for him to touch me, even if he didn’t know my reasons for pulling away. We were never ready to tell anyone. We never got further than a few kisses, it was no great romance. But when we were in that maze, it was all right, because he was with me. I wasn’t alone. I didn’t love him, it was more a friendship than anything. But it still hurt when Voldemort killed him,” Harry explained. He smiled. “I guess that’s how I know I love you.”



Severus gazed down on him as he rolled to his back, half lying under Severus as he turned.



“What I feel for you is so strong, so powerful, that everything else pales in comparison. I know now that me and Cedric weren’t anything more than friends who had kissed a few times. I know now that Cho was just using me. She has a thing for famous wizards. Plus, I didn’t enjoy kissing her that much, probably because she’s female. And I know that I love you. I love you so much I don’t know how not to,” Harry declared and pulled Severus down for a kiss.



“So, I dated Cedric, got used by Cho, was the plaything of the blonde bastard, and love you more than life. I think that covers me,” Harry said, smiling as Severus kissed him again, deep and fiery, like a brand.



“I love you,” Severus whispered against his lips. “Forever.”



“Forever.”



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Sam left a stunned Remus and Sirius in his office and made his way over to his secretary.



“Polly, can you reschedule all my other appointments for today?” he asked as she smiled at him.



“Of course, Healer Jones. Is there anything else I can do for you?”



Sam smiled. She was a nice little witch, fresh from Hogwarts. He had not yet managed to convince her to call him Sam, but he was determined.



“Yes, can I have the documents on male pregnancy in lycanthropes?”



She reached into her desk and handed him the pack she retrieved.



“Thank you. I don’t want to be disturbed,” he said as he made his way back to his office. The pair were still sitting in their seats, matching expressions of shock on their faces.



He reclaimed his chair and sat back, waiting for them to regain themselves. He sighed and rubbed his hands through his droopy brown hair. This was not what he had envisioned when he had seen Remus’ name on the top of his appointment schedule for the day. He had assumed it to be a simple check up, like the visit a few weeks ago, or maybe a small concern, like the visit before that. He had never imagined that Remus would end up showing symptoms like this.



As he waited patiently, he remembered the first time he had seen Remus. He had been twenty five, and had hated healers so much that he had brought his mother with him. Sam had been thirty four, and had been treating patients for five years. Remus had been a patient that he had clicked with, and he had never had to treat the man for anything worse than a cold or a few after effects of the full moon. The first time he had seen Remus, it had been a simple check up, just to establish his all round health. Eleven years was a long time to be treating a patient, and over the years Sam had learned a great deal of the ex-teacher. He knew a hell of a lot more than just Remus’ physical side.



Over the duration of his care, Remus had seen Sam for a chance to talk in confidentiality with someone who wouldn’t hold any prejudices against him more than anything else. Most of the concerns the younger man had brought to him were over his longing for Sirius, his feelings of hurt over the apparent betrayal of their friends. Sam had rather enjoyed the appointment where Remus had told him of Sirius’ innocence and freedom. The two of them had married a mere three weeks out of Hogwarts, so the separation and Sirius’ apparent guilt had been hard on Remus, therefore Sam had been relieved to see the man smile genuinely. It was a nice surprise for Sam to have actually met the much discussed Sirius Black this morning.



Sam returned his attentions to the couple as Sirius came out of his stupor.



“How does a male pregnancy actually happen? We never thought it would happen to us, so I think we need some explanations,” Sirius said, deciding to go with hard facts before they addressed this new situation.



It was a common question, something most males who found themselves pregnant asked. Usually, it wasn’t the first question, but the healer wasn’t going to push it. He was lucky one of them was actually talking so soon. Sam pulled out a diagram of the inside of a males body during early pregnancy from the pile of papers and held it up so they could see it as he began to explain.



“Right, I’m going to explain this in terms of you and Remus,” he clarified, waiting for the nod from the Pureblood before he began. “What’s happened is, as your semen has entered Remus, his magic has latched onto it. Remus’ magic has recognised the attempt to create a child. In biological terms, that is the main purpose of sex. His magic has taken your seed, which contains an echo of your magic, and fused it with Remus’ magic and genetic material, creating what we call a blastocyst. It’s a fancy word for a cluster of cells that are the beginnings of an embryo, and eventually a foetus.” Sam scanned their faces, making sure he hadn’t lost them along the way. He grabbed his pen and motioned to what appeared to be a bubble attached to the outside of the rectum that was displayed in the diagram. “Remus’ magic then created what is, in essence, a uterus. There are no fallopian tubes, no ovaries, but it is a home for the child to develop. That is what this bubble is,” Sam said, circling it with the end of his pen. “Are you with me so far?”



Sirius nodded and, to Sam’s surprise, so did Remus. He hadn’t thought Remus was listening to him, he seemed too stunned to take anything in.



“Good. Right, now this little ring,” he said, pointing to the place the bubble joined the intestine. “This is, in effect, a cervix. This will remain closed until the time of delivery. There’s a little more to it than that, but that’s the basics of how a male pregnancy occurs.”



“How long are male pregnancies and how does delivery of the child work?” Sirius questioned.



“Male pregnancies are the same length as a female, nine months. As for delivery, this temporary uterus begins to contract, which will open the acting cervix wide enough to allow the child passage. Remus would, theoretically, deliver anally. As with all births, it comes out the same way it went in. However, the anus was not intended to stretch that much, so I always opt for a caesarean in the case of a male pregnancy,” Sam described, glossing over the finer details.



He had been present at only one male natural anal birth, and it was not an enjoyable experience. It was back in his days as a student, when they were still letting all men deliver naturally as a rule. The poor man had laboured hard for four days straight and torn himself in half actually pushing the child out. The pushing had been what Sam had witnessed, and it had been horrific to observe. After the birth, the man had required extensive surgery to repair his damaged anus, and he had never been able to function properly after that. To this day, he was still the wearer of a colostomy bag. It was much safer, and kinder, for the carrying male to go through a caesarean than natural anal birth. Sam always opted for surgery as the method of delivery for his patients, though he did know of a select few healers who were traditionalists, who still let men kill themselves trying to push out a baby.



“How did this happen? We’ve always been careful,” Sirius asked.



“Usually, the Daily Potion suppresses your magic’s natural urge to create life. Do the two of you use the same brand of potion that you have always used?”



“No. We changed it recently. Could I be pregnant?” Sirius asked, his voice shaky.



“Can I run a charm on you?” Sam asked and Sirius nodded. He performed a simple diagnostic charm and shook his head. “No, you are not pregnant. How long ago did you change brands?”



“About four months, roughly.”



“And you and Remus have been taking the same one?”



“No,” Remus said, his voice weak. “I take a different one. It’s new.”



“Do you know the name of it?” Sam asked and both Sirius and Remus pulled out small vials of potion.



“We didn’t know how long we would be here so we brought today’s dose with us. We didn’t want to miss it,” Remus explained as they handed them over.



Sam glanced at Sirius’ vial and handed it back. It was the standard potion, brewed by the same company that had been brewing it for several decades. The only thing new was the packaging. It was common practice, changing the packaging to entice new customers.



But Remus’ vial held the solution as to how this had happened.



“Why do you take this one, Remus? Why not the same as Sirius?” Sam asked, keeping his voice calm to control the situation.



“This one was marketed as containing monkshood. The box said it was designed for werewolves,” Remus said warily. He had a feeling that Sam was about to tell him something he wasn’t going to like.



“And where did you purchase it?”



“Diagon Alley. It’s a new place, it’s near Ollivander’s.”



“Madame Mystic’s Apothecary?”



“That’s it. Why?”



Sam sighed. “That place has just been shut down by the Ministry. Everything sold there has been proved to be a fake.” He held up the vial. “This has been tested and proven to be nothing more than flavoured coloured water. Madame Mystic is being prosecuted for fraud and endangering the public,” Sam explained, watching Remus’ face drop.



“Why would someone do that?” Sirius asked angrily.



“To make money. I can’t tell you how many people I have seen over the last two weeks who have suffered bad reactions to fake products from her. You’re not the only ones to be taken in.”



“So, what happens now?” Remus asked, skimming over his being conned. “What are the options?”



Sam pulled out a few pamphlets and handed them to the couple. “Well, there are two options open to you. Option one is that you go ahead with the pregnancy, though I don’t recommend it. Option two is a termination, which is what I would advise.”



“Why?” Remus asked. “Why should we terminate?”



Sam leaned forwards, resting his elbows on his knees and looked them in the eyes, darting from one to the other.



“You need to understand that the risks for you if you go ahead with this pregnancy are extremely high. Within a male pregnancy, there are always high risks. With a male pregnancy in someone like us, it is very dangerous.”



“What kind of risks?” Sirius asked.



Sam decided that honesty was the best policy. They had to understand just what they were dealing with, even if the honest truth was not pleasant. “Risks like miscarriage. It is the most common complication within a male gestation. The male body is not designed to carry a child, so the body usually rejects it. To give you an idea of what you’re dealing with, in a normal male gestation, someone who is not a werewolf, the chance of miscarriage is sixty to seventy percent. Within that, the chance of death of the one carrying the child is fifty percent. In example, take one hundred pregnant males. Sixty of those will miscarry, and of those sixty, thirty of them will die losing the baby.”



Remus reached for his tea, taking a shaky sip and Sam felt it best to pause so they could take in what he had said. Plus, he didn’t fancy Remus spilling his tea all over himself. A scalding would not be a good thing for the younger man right now.



“What about in men like us?” Remus asked.



“The numbers are higher. Take one hundred pregnant male lycanthropes. Eighty of those will miscarry, and of those eighty, seventy of them will die losing the baby,” Sam answered frankly.



He talked them through the other risks, such as blood clots, heart attacks and respiratory difficulties, and they listened to all of them, thumbing through the pamphlets as he pointed out certain passages. They seemed to be taking it well, considering he had just told them Remus’ life was currently at risk.



“What if I decided to go through with this?” Remus asked. “What if I decided to go ahead with the pregnancy?”



Sam sighed. He hated it when they said that, and he knew Remus could be stubborn. Remus had wanted children for so long. It wasn’t enough for him to have adopted two, he wanted more.



“I’m going to be blunt. Theoretically, if you were to do this, you would not be able to use any magic, nor have any spells cast on you for the rest of the pregnancy. You would have to be rendered unconscious for the full three days of the full moon. If it were up to me, I would admit you for the next six months, but that’s not practical and it’s against hospital regulations, so you would have to be on almost complete bed rest at home. You would have to refrain from any sexual activity until delivery. I would need to see you twice a week every week until you deliver. The nausea, fatigue, irritability and abdominal pain would get worse as you progressed,” he reeled off. “You would also require a caesarean to deliver. You are just not built to give birth naturally.”



“Why no magic?” Sirius asked.



“This pregnancy is being sustained by Remus’ magic. However, if his magic is stimulated too much then his body will recognise that this pregnancy is not supposed to be there. His magic will react accordingly and destroy the foetus.”



They fell into stunned silence, and Sam could just see the gears in Remus’ head working. He was, therefore, surprised by Remus’ next question.



“What’s involved with a termination?” Remus asked quietly. Sirius reached out and grabbed his hand, gratified when Remus returned the grip.



Sam sighed and hung his head, centring himself before he looked Remus in the eye. He really hated delivering news of a male pregnancy. It was not a pleasant way to see a patient, especially when said patient was someone he considered a friend.



“We would admit you for the procedure. You would be dosed with a potion to stimulate your magic, terminating the pregnancy. We would then surgically remove the foetus and the uterus, which you would be unconscious for. It is a relatively quick and painless procedure, but we would need to keep you in for a few days, just to keep an eye on you, make sure there are no complications,” Sam explained.



Sirius and Remus looked at each other, each trying to decide what they wanted to do.



“I’ll go and get something to eat, so you two can use this room to talk in private. I’ll be back in about an hour,” Sam said, standing up and moving towards the door. They nodded at him and he let himself out into the hall, closing the door.



“Polly, please do not let anyone into my office. It is occupied at the moment,” Sam instructed and made his way down the hall to the stairs at her nod.



He made his way to the canteen and selected a simple salad and a water. His stomach was roiling at the thought of the conversation occurring in his absence, so he kept his choice light.



“Jones, did you see the werewolf yet?”



He spun around to find Healer Thompson was the one talking to him. He was not fond of Thompson. He found the man to be a pompous arrogant extrovert. Thompson was more interested in looking good than his patients wellbeing. He was a traditionalist healer, which meant that he was a healer who still allowed natural anal deliveries. All that, and his prejudice against werewolves, grated on Sam.



“Are you referring to Mr. Lupin-Black?” Sam said, his tone frosty. He really hated it when other healers referred to patients by their conditions or their symptoms. They were here to treat people, not simply their illnesses.



“Yes, that one. Have you seen him yet?”



“Yes, I have.”



“Well, when you have a free moment, there’s someone from the Ministry who would like to discuss his case with you.”



Sam stared at the man, his temper bubbling. “Not another fucking official on about legislation,” he mumbled to himself.



“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that,” Thompson said.



Sam waved it away with his hand. “Nothing, nothing, I was just musing to myself. Any idea what this official wants to talk about?”



“Something about his mated status,” Thompson said dismissively. “I told her to make an appointment with your secretary, but she is still floating around.”



“Thank you for informing me.”



Thompson moved away and Sam sat down to eat his lunch. Ministry officials were always interfering with his lycanthropic patients, low level idiots trying to get themselves promoted. Usually, they were easy to get rid of. There were the odd one or two that were persistent, but they too were easily dealt with. If Remus decided to go ahead with the pregnancy, there would be legal problems for him as well as health issues.



In Sam’s opinion, Remus was a nice man. He had been through so much already. He didn’t need this added strain. Sam found himself suddenly determined to protect him. They had both been turned by Greyback, biologically, they were both in the same pack. And a pack did what it had to, to protect its own.



“Sammy, are you all right?”



Sam looked up to find his father, Jack, sitting opposite him, chuckling. Sam was his fathers double, but younger. Jack, a Muggleborn, had ensured that Sam had received an education in muggle and magical medicine, reasoning that he wanted his son to have the best of both worlds. Sam knew that his father hated that he was a werewolf. Not that he hated it because of his son exhibiting slight wolf traits, those amused him for the most part. No, he hated it because of the prejudice his son faced. Jack was one of the biggest supporters of werewolf rights, and he was very good at dealing with the Ministry.



“Sorry, dad, I didn’t see you. I was miles away.”



His father smiled fondly at him. “Always away with your head in the clouds, wool-gathering. You’ve always been the same, I’m used to it. I asked you how your day was going,” he said affectionately.



Sam blushed, grinning. “My day? It’s fine. Unexpected, but fine. Yours?”



“Same old thing, a witch with a head cold and a wizard with dragon flu,” Jack reeled off. “Unexpected? I was under the impression that you were seeing Remus Lupin-Black this morning.”



Sam sighed. “I did. Well, I still am. I left him and his mate in my office to talk. Remus is yet another poor unfortunate who fell victim to Madame Mystic,” he explained and his father frowned.



“Poor man. What has he fallen victim of?”



“The Daily Potion.”



Jack paled. “Is he…?”



“Yes.”



“And will he…?”



“I don’t know yet. Plus, now there’s some bloody Ministry twat sniffing around, wanting to talk about Remus.” Sam growled. “Remus is a nice man, he doesn’t need some pumped up little twit poking around, especially not now,” he complained.



Jack smiled. “I’ll see what I can do. You take care of Remus, and I will deal with the pumped up little twit.”



Jack stood and patted his son on the shoulder before he moved away, off to fight the battle.



Sam picked at his salad, his appetite a distant memory. He hated that he was hoping Remus would opt for the termination, but he was acting in the best interests of his patient. In all likelihood, Remus would not carry the child to term. In fact, he would be lucky to make it through another month. And if he were to miscarry, it would probably kill him. It would take divine intervention to allow Remus to deliver a healthy baby.



Sam found himself hoping for a miracle.



@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@



Solarin made her way down the sterile hallways and shuddered. Why oh why couldn’t hospitals be a more welcoming place? She was convinced that she wouldn’t hate seeing her healer so much if the building was more friendly.



“Healer Samuel Jones’ office, can I help you?”



Solarin grimaced. That girl was much too cheerful. What had happened to the old secretary?



“Yes, I need to make an appointment to see Healer Jones for a check up,” Solarin said calmly.



“I’ll see what’s open,” she said as she twiddled her hair. Definitely a Hufflepuff.



“Don’t bother, I’ll see her this afternoon.”



Solarin spun round to see Sam walking towards them, a smile on his face.



“Hello, Sam. It’s good to see you,” Solarin said as he hugged her briefly.



“It’s good to see you too. I was talking about you with Sirius and Remus, wondering when I would actually see you,” Sam said and she smiled guiltily.



“Well, I decided to get all my errands out of the way and making an appointment to see you was top of my list. Are you sure you can fit me in today?”



“I can if you don’t mind waiting for me to finish with Remus,” Sam said cheerfully and she nodded.



She made her way to his waiting area and watched the scene. Sam was not as cheerful as he seemed. He was worried and it made her nervous. Sam rarely worried about anything, not to this degree, so whatever was wrong with Remus was something serious. She sighed and chose to stay out of it. It was a strict code of conduct she lived by regarding her abilities, and one of them was to leave things be if they were not her business. To that end, she did not pry into peoples thoughts regarding medical problems, relationships or touchy subjects.



She pulled a textbook from her bag and opened it, flipping to the right page, reading the passage for what seemed to be the millionth time. It couldn’t be right. Bill would be devastated if it was. When she had begun the research for her book on augurs, she had not expected to find something so bad.



She found herself praying that Sam could ease her worries.



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Sam slipped into his office and regained his seat once more. The two men across from him looked determined, and Sam once again hoped for a miracle.



“Have you reached a decision?” Sam asked, pouring himself a fresh cup of tea from the self heating, self refilling pot.



“We’re going to go ahead with the pregnancy,” Remus said.



Sirius looked unsure of himself but said nothing. Sam just knew that this was Remus’ choice, not his husbands. It was uncommon for a werewolf to mate with a human, and Remus and Sirius being together so long was a unique phenomenon. Sam had never heard of such a relationship going the distance, but the two of them seemed more solid than any other mated couple he knew of. Sirius and Remus had obviously debated what to do, and Remus had won. Not a surprise. Sirius had said that Remus was the alpha of their pack. The alpha typically got his way.



“Remus, I want you to be absolutely clear of what you’re saying, what you’re choosing,” Sam cautioned.



“I am clear,” Remus insisted, cutting him off. “I’m going to have this baby.”



Sirius rubbed at his eyes. “Remy, let the man finish,” he said, stroking the back of his hand with his thumb. Remus looked at him. “Let him give you his speech.”



“I know this makes you worry, Siri. But I want this.”



“I know that. Which is why I’m with you all the way, even if you won’t tell me why this is so important to you. If this is what you really want to do, then so be it. But I swear to you, Remus, you will do as you are told during this. I will not let you talk your way out of obedience. I will find a way to get it from you, and don’t think I won’t sink to unthinkable levels for it. I spent twelve years in Azkaban, I will do what is needed so you can have this. Remus, I love you. I will not lose you because you’re asking the gods for more than we have already fought so hard for,” Sirius said firmly and Remus nodded. Sirius leaned in and kissed him before they turned to Sam once more. “Go on.”



“All right, if you are sure this is the road you want to go down, you need to follow my instructions to the letter, do you understand me? These are non negotiable, so don’t even think about arguing with me about them,” Sam demanded and Remus nodded.



“He’ll follow them,” Sirius confirmed. Sirius was obviously taking Sam’s demands seriously. Remus had probably told him that Sam always asked, never ordered so this determination was helping to drive home the seriousness of the situation.



Sam suppressed a smile as Sirius pulled out a small notebook and a self inking quill from his pocket. He was poised, ready to take notes.



Sam sighed despite his amusement. That miracle would be nice right about now.



“You have to refrain from magic. No floo, no Apperation, no spells, nothing, not even food prepared with magic. Nothing performed on you or cast by you. And you will give up your wand to avoid unconscious use. Potions are the only exceptions, but only ones that I or Severus give you. You need to take a nutrient potion every morning, and if you throw it up, you will take a second dose,” Sam said firmly. “No stress, you will keep as calm as possible, no exceptions. You must stay off your feet as much as possible. Set up a comfortable armchair in the living room, and a chair in the kitchen. You are only to walk from chair to chair, or chair to bed. The only exception is trips to the bathroom. I want you stationary as much as werewolfly possible.”



“I’ll see that he gets anything he might need to get up for,” Sirius reassured and Sam nodded.



“Absolutely no sex at all until you deliver. Any sexual activity is strictly prohibited beyond this point, and that includes solo activities. Absolutely nothing. I will allow kissing and embracing, but that is it. Nothing more than that. For the moon, you have to be rendered unconscious for the full three days, starting at dawn on the first day. I will not have you endangering yourself because of a monthly change. I need to have the address of your home. I know you are under the Fidelius, and I know why, so I will call Dumbledore and have him give me the information so it cannot be taken from me. I will be coming by twice a week either before or after I see my appointment patients here. I will be keeping a very close eye on you. Remus, I swear to almighty Merlin, if I find you have not been following this to the letter, I will break the regulations to admit you and have you strapped to a bed, do you hear me?”



“I hear. I will do everything you ask, I swear,” Remus promised.



Sam peered at him, measuring his honesty, and when he found no evidence of falsehood he sighed wearily.



“Remus, I am not going to lie to you. I have never done so and I don’t intend to start now. What you are doing is incredibly dangerous. Take into consideration your gender, the amount of time that has passed since you were infected and your age and it is all a recipe for disaster. I do not like this one bit. But you are the patient, it is your body, so I will respect your decision.”



Remus smiled momentarily at him, before his next declaration made his face drop.



“Saying that, however, I am going to ensure that your life is not put in anymore danger than it has to be. If it comes down to a choice between saving you or the baby, I will choose to save you. I will do my best, but you are on thin ice already. There is a very high chance you will miscarry. If that happens, there will be no option of saving the child. If you begin to bleed, the child has already died. If you haemorrhage, we will need to fight to save you,” Sam clarified. “Now, are you absolutely, one hundred percent positive that this is what you want to do?”



Remus considered it for a moment before he answered. “Yes. I want to try.”



Sam sighed and handed Sirius the booklet of guidelines for a lycanthropic male gestation. “You need to read that cover to cover, learn it so you can recite it backwards. I will see you every Monday and Friday, so I will come to your house on the 3rd. For now, you are free from my clutches,” Sam said tiredly and the two shook his hand before making their way to the door, Sirius hovering over Remus as if he were spun glass. Where was that flipping miracle?



“Remus?” Sam called out as they opened the door. They looked at him. “Congratulations.”



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Harry watched as Molly mashed up a quarter of a banana, beating it with the fork until it was a smooth paste. She then proceeded to pass it through a sieve, ensuring that there were no lumps whatsoever.



“Are you sure it’s not too soon for this?” Harry asked as she poured the mixture into a small bowl. Molly glanced at Severus as she turned to face Harry, and Severus nodded in encouragement.



Severus was hovering in the shadows by the door, thinking Harry had not seen him come in as Harry had his back to him. But Harry had, and he was glad the man was there, keeping an eye on everything. He knew that Severus was hanging back so Harry could handle this on his own, but it was clear to all that Harry was not very confident with his parenting skills. For him to try this without Severus there was not a good idea at this point.



“Not at all. It’s just a taster for her. She’s still being fed by you. This is just so she can get a feel for actual foods,” Molly reassured, placing it on the table in front of him with the four others.



Molly had suggested trying Miri on a few testers of solid food, though Harry didn’t see how it could be considered solid as Molly had pureed it to within an inch of its life. On the table in front of him was an assortment of mashed fruits, all in individual bowls. Banana, orange, plum, melon, and peach. Miri was gazing up at him, her mouth fastened against him as she was nursed.



“So, explain this to me again, how it works,” Harry said, detaching Miri to wind her and pulling down his shirt as Molly sat down next to him.



“You start her off with a normal nursing. Then, just before she’s finished, you stop and offer her some fruit. It’s just an introduction, not an actual feed.”



“This is just a taste, so she gets a feel for it. When do I actually start weaning her?” Harry asked.



“Four months, so now is a good time to try this. You start the actual weaning in four weeks. At this point, she’s starting to realize that there is actual food. You can see it by the way she keeps trying to get to your meals. If you start now, it’ll be easier to wean her when you try.”



Harry nodded and set Miri to his other breast. He fed her until she was almost finished and then detached her. She voiced a complaint, but she soon became interested in the brightly coloured bowls in front of her.



“Which one do I try first?” Harry asked, taking a plastic spoon from Molly.



“Up to you.”



He decided on the peach. He scooped up a tiny amount and fed it to her, her tiny tongue licking at it. She was still for a moment, sucking at the mush on her tongue before she babbled.



“I do it like that?” Harry asked.



“Just like that. She probably won’t take more than a taste of each,” Molly advised and he reached for a clean spoon and the banana.



They went on, trying her on each of the fruits. She enjoyed the peach, plum and melon, but spit back the orange and banana, pulling a face. She only took a taste of each before she got bored and began to try and reach for the spoons. Molly praised him profusely as she cleaned up, Severus slipping from the room as silently as he had entered. Harry felt it had gone exceptionally well, so he rewarded himself with a chocolate bar and Miri with her favourite shiny gold stuffed snitch.



“You know what, baby?” Harry said to his daughter, holding her up so their eyes were level. “I think I’m getting the hang of this parenting stuff.”



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Sirius was terrified, Sam was on edge, but Remus was ecstatic. He had always wanted to carry his and Sirius’ child. In his mind, it was a miracle for him to have gotten pregnant. No one got half a miracle. He knew there were risks, but they were worth it if he got his baby.



He loved Harry, and adored Phoenix. He wouldn’t give them up for all the world, Wizarding or Muggle. But he wanted more. This baby was a blessing, and he intended to carry it through.



Remus looked up to see Solarin sitting in one of the hard plastic chairs in the waiting area, thumbing worriedly through an old book he recognised as one from the library at home.



“Sol?” Remus called out and her head snapped up.



“Hi,” she said, slipping the book into her bag and moving towards them. “You all done then?”



“Yes. Were you waiting for us?” Sirius asked, confused as to why she was there.



“No, I’m waiting for Sam. I decided to make an appointment with him and he said he could fit me in today.”



“Ah. We could wait for you, if you like,” Remus offered and Sirius shot him a dirty look.



“We are going straight home, Remus, and don’t even think of arguing with me,” Sirius commanded and Remus sighed, nodding.



“Are you all right?” Solarin asked.



“I’m fine,” Remus said, smiling.



“That is a matter of opinion,” Sirius added.



“I’m pregnant,” Remus said quickly, glaring at his husband.



Solarin looked stunned and was silent for a minute before she smiled at them. “Congratulations,” she said, her tone surprised. “When are you due?”



“February.”



“Well, that is big news.”



“Yes, it is, but he has to go home now,” Sirius said, shooting her a look that spoke volumes. Everything was not sunshine and roses with this happy news. “Only thing is, I’m not quite sure how we do that. We can’t use the floo or Apparate.”



“I suggest a taxi,” Sam said, making them jump. “Maybe Solarin would be kind enough to put you in one while I set up to see her?”



“Of course,” Solarin said, depositing her bag with Sam before she led them to the outside world, putting them in a black cab and telling the driver the street name. She even paid him upfront with some muggle money she had in her pocket.



Remus leaned against Sirius as the cab drove away, his hands resting on his sore abdomen.



“Siri, I want this,” Remus whispered. “I want this more than anything.”



“I know, honey. And I’m going to do everything in my power to get it for you.”



Sirius kissed the top of his head and slipped an arm around his shoulders, rubbing the top of his arm. His other hand came down to rest atop Remus’, their fingers entwining.



Sirius was his mate, his match in every way. Sirius would take care of him.



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Solarin made her way into Sam’s office and sighed in relief. The place looked more like a living room than a healers office. It was nice and comfortable. Sam smiled at her and she smirked. He was faking it. Sam always had projected. She blocked his thoughts. She didn’t need to hear how worried he was about Remus.



“Have a seat, Sol,” he said, motioning to a chair opposite him. She did as she was told and steeled herself for the interrogation. “So, what brings you here today? Is it just the check up, or is it some specific worry?”



“There is a specific something, but mostly just a check up. You’ve been sending me letters for months, I thought it was time I answered one,” she answered honestly.



“All right then. We’ll do the check, and then get down to the problem.” He pulled out a fresh pad of paper and reclined in his chair, watching her do the same. “So, how do you feel overall?”



“I feel pretty good. Mad-Eye sent you the reports of what’s been happening to me the last few months, right?”



“Yes, he did. I am fully aware of the whole picture,” Sam replied, making a note on his pad to look through those reports once more.



It was a tacit understanding that Moody kept him informed of everything new that Solarin developed. Any new behaviour or abilities, and anything out of the ordinary was reported to Sam. With a being like her, the slightest thing could cause problems. There was no record of any augur making it to their twenties, so she was a rarity to be kept a close eye on. That close eye required Moody, Dumbledore and Sam all being in close correspondence. Telling one of them something about her was as good as telling all three.



“How are you feeling now, what with the damage from the Ministry? Any lingering effects?” he asked as she shrugged off the tartan mans shirt she wore, revealing the black camisole underneath. His eyes lingered on her Brand. He had always considered it a barbaric practice, ever since she had come to him for pain relief after it had been burned into her skin and made permanent by magic, so it could never be removed, by any means.



“Nope, none. I feel just fine now.”



“Good, that’s very good. How are you handling Miri and her abilities? Is she interfering with yours at all?”



“Not really. She hitchhikes sometimes, but she seems to be growing out of doing that. She’s still a fledgling with it, so I’m not finding any problems.”



“And the connection with Bill, how is that?”



Sam had been the one Solarin had gone to in her early teens about sex. It had been a mortifying experience for Sam, having someone so young ask him about contraception, but he had admired her cool approach to that visit. She had handled it all like an adult, even making the appointment and arriving alone, and Sam had not seen a problem with helping her to protect herself. She was his patient and he had a duty to her care. Preventing pregnancy and infections was all part of that care. He just hoped Severus never found out about his involvement in it. Thank Merlin for confidentiality clauses.



“Normal.”



He smiled at her. “That is all very good to hear. Now, physically how do you feel?” he asked, noticing the tattoo on her abdomen as she reached for a biscuit. He briefly wondered what Severus made of it, and the nose ring. Severus had never seemed the type to take those kinds of things well.



He sniggered. She had always helped herself to his biscuits without him having to offer them, and he had been treating her for thirteen years. She had been a spunky little witch when she was younger, as far as he had seen, and he had enjoyed being her healer. She was one of the more easy to handle patients he had, despite her unique status. Well, formerly unique.



“I’m still not much of a sleeper, but it doesn’t cause any problems for me. Apart from that, all normal.”



“Boy, I wish all my patients said that,” he joked. “Makes my job so much easier.”



“Well, I like to be unusual. Keeps you on your toes,” she said, nibbling a chocolate chip cookie.



“And keep me on my toes you do. Now, are you all right with me doing an exam?”



“Yup. Just don’t tell Bill, he might get possessive,” she joked. Well, he assumed she was joking.



He laughed and followed her over to the bench, where she had to pull out the stool to actually make it up. He sniggered and she glared at him.



He completed the examination quickly, finding her a lot easier than Remus had been. She was a little fussy over her Brand, but she had always been, so he avoided it.



Solarin liked Sam’s method of healing. It was simple, muggle, and it was nice on her system. She had so much magic running through her body already, she didn’t need to be bombarded with a bunch of spells. Blowing something up was not on her agenda.



“Have you been attacked lately?” Sam asked as he drew blood. She had not even flinched at the needle stick. Definitely easier than Remus.



“No, why?”



“The marks,” he said, indicating her wounded shoulders with a nod as he taped down the cotton bud at her arm.



She giggled. “Bill.”



“Ah, I see. All right, hop down and come join me, we’ll have some tea and a chat.”



She found herself sipping tea and trying not to laugh at how red Sam had gone. He had never been good at dealing with her sex life, but she found it charming. Not many healers could still blush.



“So, Bill remains the only sexual partner you’ve had, am I correct?” Sam asked, diving in headfirst. He had been a Gryffindor, that courage came in handy in his line of work.



“Yes. He’s my only one and I’m his. We never found anyone else we wanted to kiss, let alone screw.”



He laughed. “Good to know. And you are still using the Charm?”



“Yup. Still working, no babies.”



“And how many times a week are the two of you intimate?”



“Two or three. We get a little rough, as you’ve seen evidence of, so we need recovery days,” she said and he smiled.



Sam had never met Bill, but her descriptions of him over the years had put him firmly in Sam’s ‘good’ pile. Solarin needed a good man, someone who could fully appreciate her. Bill seemed to fit that description. Sam knew what Solarin’s father had done, Severus had informed him on her first visit, when his old secretary had amused her with dolls and colouring books. She had still been young enough to get some enjoyment out of them. She needed someone who adored her. Bill worshiped her and he brought out the best in her. He was firmly in Sam’s ‘good’ pile.



“How rough do you get?”



“Define that one,” she said.



“Bruising? Blood drawn? Broken bones?”



“Yes, yes and no.”



“What about internally? Have you ever…been…umm…damaged?” he said, his embarrassment of asking such a thing of the girl who used to draw him pictures of fairies for his office reaching a peak.



She laughed. “No, we’ve never gotten that rough. It’s more that we try to mark each other. You understand about the marking, right?”



He grinned, that not-so-blonde coming to his mind once more. “Yes, I understand marking perfectly. Bill seems to enjoy it thoroughly.”



“We both do. I usually end up looking worse, because I’m so pale.”



“You don’t cover the marks?” he asked out curiosity more than anything.



“No. I don’t see the need. It’s just a part of me and him, it’s what we do. Everyone in the house seems to be used to them. Severus is the only one still pretending that they don’t exist,” she said and he sniggered. “Bill’s brothers keep teasing me about them, so I think they’re cool with them.”



He nodded and put the pad aside, sipping at his tea and nibbling a custard cream. He performed a few diagnostic spells on her blood and smiled. “I can proclaim that you are in perfect health,” he said with a smile. “So, what’s your concern?”



She chewed her lower lip and Sam knew immediately that her concern was something big. So much for his theory of her visits being easy.



“I’m writing a book,” she began and then paused.



“That sounds like a good way to occupy your time. What are you writing about?” he prompted.



“Augurs.”



“I see.”



“Well, the thing is, I was doing research and I found this thing in one of the books I’m reading.”



“What did you find?”



“It says that no augur has ever had children.”



The silence hung between them. Sam had expected her concern to be about headaches, or a new facet of her abilities, or maybe even a problem in her sexual activities with Bill. He had not anticipated the question of children to come from her.



He had assumed that he was done with talking about babies for the day. Why the hell did this family keep proving him wrong? It must just be something about the day.



“Is it something you and Bill are considering, having children?” Sam asked cautiously.



“We’ve talked about it. We want them, some day. Maybe not now, but we do want them. I just want to know if I can actually have them. I mean, I know that I’m the first augur to live past my teens, all the others before me have been killed. But they all reached ages where their periods would have started. They have all reached an age where they would be able to have children, yet there is no explanation as to why none of them ever did. They can’t all have died virgins,” she explained slowly, Sam watching her carefully, waiting for come kind of sign that she was not handling this subject well. “I just wondered if there was some physical reason why they didn’t have children. If maybe I might have problems.”



“Well, it is a consideration. I’ll tell you what, I could run some tests for you. I’ll be coming to your place twice a week during Remus’ pregnancy, I could bring you the results when I have them,” Sam suggested after a few moments careful thought.



She smiled, and it was like the sun breaking through the clouds.



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Remus tried so very hard not to laugh at the expressions of shock and disbelief on the faces of his family, but it wasn’t an easy task. Even Phoenix, who usually took things in her stride, was stunned. No one had said anything for a good twenty minutes now. He wondered how long they could stay that way.



“Ten sickles says they make it a full hour of silence,” Sirius whispered to him, leaning close.



“Twenty says less than ten minutes more and Molly speaks first,” Remus offered and Sirius smiled.



“How are you feeling?”



It was the first time Sirius had asked that question since Sam had told them about the baby, but Remus knew it would not be the last time today he would be asked it.



“Fine. A little nauseated, but fine. I’m just glad Sam has stopped pressing on my stomach. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted more, to rip him to shreds or to back myself into a corner,” Remus described honestly and Sirius pulled him in for a kiss.



“See? That is why I didn’t leave you alone in there. We’ll ask Severus for a potion for your nausea when he regains himself,” Sirius assured and Remus smiled.



They had arrived home and Sirius had all but shoved Remus into a chair at the table, fixing him with a glare and a barked order to stay there. They had then waited until everyone but Solarin had entered the room before delivering their news.



“When they regain themselves, I need to go out and get something,” Sirius said.



“What do you need?”



“Just a book that’s mentioned in the booklet Sam gave me.”



“All right. Sirius, can I have some tea?” Remus asked, being a good boy and staying seated. Sam may not have been able to strap him to a bed without breaking regulations at this point, but Sirius was not above it. Sirius could, and would, strap him down for the next six months if he had to. Remus would be good. For now.



“Of course. Which one?” Sirius asked as he moved to the selection of teas they kept.



“Ginger, please.”



Remus considered all the orders Sam had given them and decided that the no sex rule was going to be the hardest one to follow as Sirius’ arse wiggled past him. Damn, he was not even allowed to jerk off. That was a bloody unfair rule. Maybe there was a loophole he could find.



“That’s wonderful news for the two of you,” Molly said, dazed.



“Pay up,” Remus called across the kitchen and Sirius sniggered, paying Remus as he handed him his tea and reclaimed his seat.



“So, this is rare, right?” Harry asked.



“Very,” Sirius confirmed. He handed Harry the booklet Sam had given him and Harry began to thumb through it, Phoenix sliding closer to him so she could read it too.



“This is rather unexpected but congratulations to you,” Severus said. “Is there anything any of us can do to make this easier for you, Remus? I have heard that male gestations can be rather trying.”



“Well, the healer gave us a whole list of rules that I have to follow,” Remus offered, not realizing what he was unleashing with that simple statement.



“I’m going to nip out and get this book,” Sirius said and Remus nodded. Sirius kissed him on the cheek and made his way to the floo, pausing to hand Severus his notebook and showing him the page of rules.



“He has to follow them all without exception. I trust you to make sure of that while I’m gone, Severus,” Sirius said and Severus agreed immediately, peering at the page intently as he moved towards the glowering werewolf.



“Sirius, you are mean,” Remus called as he grabbed a handful of floo powder.



“I am, aren’t I? Even if he and I don’t get along, I know Severus won’t put up with you disobeying anymore than I will. I warned you I would do what it takes, Moony. You should learn to believe me.”



Remus made to stand up to argue with him, but Severus placed a hand on his shoulder and swiftly pushed him back into his seat.



“Sitting,” Severus said calmly, not taking his eyes off of the page.



Remus growled at Sirius’ smirk as he flooed out. It was going to be a very long pregnancy.



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Harry smirked as Severus pushed Remus back into his chair for the fourteenth time in twenty minutes. Remus looked like he wanted to hit him, but he restrained himself.



“Are you sure about this? This booklet makes it sound really dangerous,” Phoenix asked and Harry silently agreed.



“I am sure. I have the best possible care. Don’t worry so much, sweetie,” Remus reassured.



Solarin smirked as she entered the kitchen. “Telling her not to worry about the people she loves is like telling Voldemort not to hate muggles,” she put in, Phoenix blushing. Solarin stroked her hair, kissing the top of her head in greeting.



“How did your appointment go?” Remus asked as Bill kissed Solarin.



“Fine. It was just a check up. Sam’s just waiting on a few tests, so he’s going to bring them to me here when he has them,” she said, settling in a chair.



“Tests?” Severus asked worriedly, tearing his eyes from the page of rules. “What kind of tests?”



“Just routine. I haven’t been to see Sam for a few years, he’s just being thorough,” she reassured and Severus nodded, returning to his study. “So, why are you pinning Remus to the chair?”



Remus smiled at her hopefully, as if she could save him from her brothers clutches.



“Because of The Rules,” Harry supplied.



“What rules?”



Severus passed her the notebook and she read through the page. “I see,” she said, handing it back. “Did Sam set these?” Severus nodded. “Good luck, Remus. You’re going to need it.”



“I’m beginning to get that impression,” Remus grumbled, glaring at Severus as he sat down next to him with a hand lingering on Remus’ shoulder. “This is ridiculous. Sirius is overreacting.”



“Sirius is a smart wizard, and he paid very close attention to what your healer specified. He may not like rules but he will make you follow these ones. They are for your good and the good of your baby,” Arthur put in. Remus sighed and nodded, admitting defeat for the time being.



Sirius proved just how smart he was when he returned.



Harry had known that his godfather was resourceful, the man had escaped Azkaban. He knew Sirius was very intelligent, he had to be, being married to Remus. He also knew full well that Sirius loved Remus and would do whatever it took to give Remus what he wanted. Sirius and Remus were the pair that would do anything for each other, and it was clear that Remus wanted this baby more than anything else.



So it shouldn’t really have surprised Harry when Sirius returned with more than just a book. Sirius Apparated into the hallway and lingered in the shadowy doorway, watching the scene with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. He shifted and Harry could see that his godfather was not alone.



Sirius returned with a woman. She was…squishy, it was the only way to describe her. She was about Harry’s height, which made her short, and had once been thin, but age had filled her out so now she looked like she was made of marshmallow. She had to have been in her sixties, Harry was pretty sure of that. She had grey hair, amber eyes, a wide kind smile and just had to be related to one grumpy werewolf currently bickering with Severus over The Rules.



“I told you, that rule is stupid! I’m not giving it up,” Remus insisted loudly, folding his arms over his chest for good measure. He looked more Harry’s age than his own, and Harry was hard pressed to stop his giggle, but he managed it.



“It is for your own good,” Severus persisted.



“I will not give in. You cannot have it.”



Severus huffed in annoyance. “If he does not give in, I am going to do something drastic,” Severus spat at no one in particular. Remus pulled a childish face at Severus and Harry thought he might die if he didn’t laugh soon.



“No drastic measures necessary. I brought reinforcements,” Sirius said smugly, moving into the room fully. He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed at his husband, shaking his head. “I’m gone less than an hour and you’re already pushing it.”



“What did you do?” Remus asked apprehensively. Sirius stepped aside and Remus gaped, the woman smiling at his surprise. Remus hung his head in his hands, hiding whatever he was feeling. “Hello, mum,” he said, looking up and smiling at her, a sudden excitement in his eyes.



“Hello, darling,” she said, and Severus pushed Remus back into his chair once more as he attempted to stand so he could hug her. Remus snarled at him in anger.



“Why have you brought me my mother, Sirius?” Remus asked as his mother moved over to him for the desired hug. He let himself lean against her, smiling at the way she smoothed his hair as his head rested against her stomach.



“Remus, I’m your mother. I’m going to come and help out when my child is having a baby. Besides, I couldn’t come and help when you adopted Harry and Phoenix, you wouldn’t let me, I want to help with this one and get to know the others in the process.” She beamed down at him. “Congratulations, darling,” Remus’ mother said and Remus smiled up at her.



“I brought her because you need to do as you are told. The best person I know for that job is your mother,” Sirius stated simply. “Besides, it saves you calling her and worrying about when she’ll arrive to fuss over you. She’s already descended. Now, which rule are we arguing about?” He dropped the heavy bag he had dragged in from the hallway. Mother Lupin would apparently be staying.



“He won’t surrender his wand,” Harry sniggered and Remus glared at him. Phoenix was red in the face from holding in her laughter and it didn’t help Harry to keep in his own.



“Remus John Lupin-Black, give it to me,” said Remus’ mother firmly and Remus actually pouted. She held out her hand, the other perched on her hip, and he hid his wand behind his back.



“Mum, I won’t use it, I promise. Just let me keep it,” Remus argued, his eyes pleading.



“No, give it to me.”



“But mum…”



“Don’t you ‘but mum’ me. You will give it to me or I will wrestle it from you, and don’t think I won’t wrestle a pregnant man.”



At this, Harry lost his battle, dissolving into peals of laughter, he and Phoenix collapsing onto each other as Remus glared at them.



“I find it very rude for you to laugh at your father,” he said crossly, but it only made them laugh harder.



“They laugh at Sirius all the time,” Ron put in, winding Joseph.



“Ha ha, very funny,” Sirius said. “Give it to her, Remus.”



“Give it up, Remus. She’s going to take it, whether you like it or not,” Ginny put in and Remus gave one last futile pleading look to Sirius before he surrendered his wand, hanging his head.



“Good boy. Now, are you going to introduce me to your family, or do I have to do it myself?” she said as she pocketed his wand and Sirius grinned, taking the chair Severus vacated. Harry excused himself as the baby monitor flared to life and by the time he returned to the kitchen with Miri, he was the only one left to be introduced.



“Harry, this is my mother, Mrs. Anne Lupin,” Remus introduced and Harry found himself suddenly wary of the new face. “Mum, this is Harry.”



“Hello, Harry. Remus and Sirius have told me so much about you,” she said kindly and Harry chewed his lower lip.



He nodded to her, trying not to be rude, and Severus pulled him into his lap, stroking his back.



“Did I say something wrong?” Anne asked quietly and Sirius shook his head. “Is this one of the reasons I had to stay away?”



“Yes, mum. Harry has a few…lingering quirks,” Remus explained softly and she nodded in understanding.



Harry buried his head in Severus’ shoulder and clutched Miri tighter to him as Sirius offered to take her while he settled himself. This was new, this reluctance to let go of her. He had never felt this before. What was going on?



Severus looked from Anne to Harry in confusion. Harry wasn’t like this anymore, he hadn’t been this unsure of himself for months. It didn’t seem to be Anne that was the problem, she had done nothing to have caused this, it was something else. Harry had been fine with Anne before he went to get Miri.



“Severus?” Remus questioned.



Severus waved him off and pulled Harry away from him slightly, enough to see his face. Harry’s green eyes were watering, and his face was bloodless. He was gnawing on his lower lip so hard he had drawn blood and he was drenched in a cold sweat. He was gripping Miri tightly to him, the little girl flush against his chest. She was whimpering for him, expressing what he couldn’t while he shook uncontrollably.



“What’s wrong, love?” Severus asked softly.



“Nothing. I’m just feeling a little nervous, like I did in the beginning,” Harry whispered.



“Do you know why?” Severus requested. He approached this sudden regression with caution, and Harry marvelled at him knowing exactly what to ask, exactly what to say.



“No. It just happened. But…it…I…it’s the…Severus…I…Monday is…it’s August,” he mumbled, struggling to find a way to explain it. He was just grateful that Severus could always figure out what Harry was getting at, and he wasn’t disappointed this time.



Severus nodded and smiled, smoothing his hair away from his forehead and kissing his scar. “I understand now, Harry. We knew this month was going to be difficult for you. It’s all right, I’ll explain it for you,” Severus reassured.



Harry nodded. “I just need a minute to get back on track. I didn’t mean to be rude to Mrs. Lupin,” Harry said softly, embarrassed.



“You weren’t rude, love. Anne understands. Just take the time you need. You can give her a proper greeting when you are ready.”



Harry nodded and nestled against Severus’ chest, taking slow deep breaths.



Severus looked up at the rest of the room. “It is August. On the third, it will be the first anniversary of the bad things,” he explained diplomatically, and they nodded. They talked amongst themselves as Harry regained his calm.



The conversation started up around him, mostly Anne laying down the law to Remus, but Harry tuned it all out. He focussed on Severus’ heartbeat in his ear, the feel of Severus stroking his back, Miri’s tiny weight in his arms. He was safe, he was home.



“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Lupin,” Harry mumbled, looking at the cheery witch. Well, he assumed she was a witch. It hit him that he knew nothing of Remus’ parents. This was legally his grandmother, and he knew nothing of her.



“It’s very nice to meet you too, Harry, but please, call me Anne. We’re family now,” she insisted and he smiled shakily at her. She nodded at Miri. “She is precious.”



Harry looked down to find Miri had somehow been turned around to face the room and she was gazing around with big green eyes, sucking on her thumb.



“Such a beautiful baby,” Anne cooed.



“Thank you. Her name is Miri.”



“A remarkable name, but I like unusual names, as you may have noticed,” she joked, stroking Remus’ arm. “I always found Anne to be such a boring name, so many women are called Anne. I like a name that’s rare.”



“It means mine,” Harry supplied, trying to be polite and make up for his paltry first greeting. “Miri is mine, so she has a name that means mine.”



“How clever,” she praised, smiling at Miri.



“Her full name is quite a mouthful,” Sirius supplied, helping Harry out of his nervousness by pitching in.



“What is it?” Anne asked enthusiastically. Obviously, Remus had inherited his thirst for knowledge from his mother. It was kind of like talking to an older version of Hermione.



“Miri Solarin Lily Potter-Snape,” Severus reeled off, Miri turning her head towards him at the sound of her name from her daddy. He smiled at her, and pulled one of her stuffed mermaids out of his pocket, transferring it to her tiny fist. “Solarin is after my sister, and Lily is after Harry’s mother. Double barrel surname, like your son has.”



“Quite a mouthful, but very pretty. How old is she?”



“She will be three months on the fifth,” Harry provided. Miri gurgled and waved the tiny toy around, showing it off to them all, before she shoved it to her mouth, gumming it to death.



Anne nodded and smiled, Harry feeling himself begin to relax. By the time conversation about dinner started he felt relaxed enough to give Miri to Severus, but only for a few minutes as he went to the bathroom.



“Why is there such a disagreement over dinner?” Remus asked, Anne attempting to flatten his wavy hair.



“Because you cannot eat anything that has been prepared magically. It must be prepared the muggle way, and Molly, our primary chef, has never been taught to cook in such a manner,” Severus explained.



Anne offered to cook, but everyone shot down that idea. It was her first night in the house, they didn’t feel right about it. Solarin offered, but no one heard her over Remus and Sirius bickering about why the no sex rule was needed, mortifying their children in the process. Everyone else drowned them out, trying to figure out what to do. They argued back and forth before Solarin lost her temper.



“Enough! I will cook,” she said firmly.



“For all of us? That’s a lot of people, Sol,” Sirius said, trying to be nice, and she shot him a look that could kill.



“Are you implying that I can’t handle one meal?” she asked, her voice like ice. He began to shake under her accusing stare.



“N-no, of course not…I was just…I…” he stuttered, grabbing Remus’ hand. He never had gotten over being the target of her temper.



Bill laughed. “Relax, everyone. She’s not going to Force Recall on Sirius,” he said, smiling at his seething girlfriend. “She’s picking up anger from someone else, it’s clouding her.”



“Who?” Remus asked, looking around at all the apparently calm, if a little confused, people. “No one seems that angry.”



“Put your barriers up, Arin,” Bill said and she went unnaturally still for a moment before she smiled, her thundercloud expression fading immediately.



“Sorry, everyone. I didn’t even realize they were down,” she apologised.



“Do you know who the anger was coming from?” Severus asked.



“It wasn’t anger. It was worry,” she clarified lightly.



“Who from?” Bill asked.



“That is not my place to say,” she replied diplomatically and Harry wondered who’s it could have been. He missed the guilty look on Sirius’ face and the glance Solarin gave the Animagus.



Harry looked around the table as Solarin asked for volunteers to help with dinner, something Remus jumped at, but he was outvoted by everyone so he remained at the table. Harry couldn’t figure out who’s worry it was that she had displayed. It must have been pretty powerful for her to react so strongly to it. It had been too powerful for Miri to deal with, the tiny girl simply gurgling at Severus teasing her with her stuffed dragon.



Harry stroked Miri’s dark corkscrew curls as Anne relented a little and allowed Remus to peel potatoes. While he sat at the table. With the constant watch of Harry.



“This is silly, mum,” Remus complained as she set the vegetables and a saucepan in front of him.



“No, this is following The Rules,” she countered, setting down a peeler and a bag for the waste. He rested his head on his hand, his elbow on the table as he picked at the wood. She sighed and sat down next to him. “Remus, darling, are you sure that this is what you want? You have two beautiful children already, and this strictness over your daily life is only going to get worse as you go on,” she asked, her hand on his arm. He looked at her, putting everything he was feeling into his gaze.



“I know, mum. I know I have Harry and Nixie, and I wouldn’t give them up for all the world. I love my children. But I want this baby too. Mum, I’ve never wanted anything so badly,” he admitted in a whisper. Everyone else was bustling around the kitchen, being ordered about by Solarin. Harry was the only one still sitting at the table, and that was only because Miri had demanded to be fed and because someone was needed to keep an eye on Remus. Anne and Sirius had insisted on someone watching him. Harry pretended not to hear his father as he poured out his heart. It was a private moment, like when he talked to Severus.



She took a deep breath and rubbed his back, smoothing his hair and forcing him to look at her with her free hand, stroking his cheekbone with her thumb.



“Then you must do as you are told. If you want this, and I don’t doubt that you do, you need to take care of yourself. Sam wouldn’t have set these restrictions on you if they weren’t necessary,” she said firmly, but her tone was soft. “Baby, I know that you have this belief that this will all go smoothly. But you need to realize that there are real risks.”



“I do realize,” he confirmed.



“Then be a good boy and follow The Rules.”



He smiled at her. “I will, mum. I’m just going to have a little trouble adjusting to living like this. I’ve been independent for a while now, this is going to take some fine-tuning.”



“All right, I will let you be pernickety with them for a day or two, while you fine-tune. Now, those potatoes are not going to peel themselves, young man,” she said, raising her volume as she stood up.



“I’m not a young man anymore, mum,” Remus said, smiling at her retreating back.



“You will always be my baby, darling, young man and anything else I choose to call you, no matter how old you get or how many children you have. You are still my sweet little wolf,” she called over her shoulder and Remus grinned as he set about the potatoes, chatting contentedly with Harry.



Sirius leaned close to his mother-in-law, smiling at her. “Thank you again for coming, Anne. He may be acting difficult, but he really is glad you’re here,” he said quietly, a hand on her back, but she silenced him with a hand to his chest.



“Nonsense, Sirius. My boy is having a baby, I’m going to be here. And I know how much my son loves to be mothered, even if he won’t admit it. But I hope you realize that the two of you only managed to keep me away for so long because of Harry’s troubles. I have grandchildren now, I’m not missing out on another minute. I waited a long time to be a nana, I want to know your children,” she insisted and he rubbed her back in acceptance, smiling. “Though, I will leave you two in peace when this is over,” she added in a whisper with a sly wink and Sirius blushed.



Harry decided that he quite liked Anne Lupin. Not only had she convinced Remus to follow The Rules, she had made Sirius blush.



And if her being here meant that Remus got the baby he had always wanted, Harry loved having a grandmother.



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Life became very settled by the following morning. Anne seemed to bring with her a calm atmosphere to the house that not even Fred and George could dispel when they had arrived for dinner the first night of her stay. She soon allied herself with Molly and Solarin, the matriarchs of the family, and together they set about implementing changes in the house.



All meals were now done by hand, Anne and Solarin showing Molly how to do it without magic. All laundry was done by hand as well, the three women determined to make the transition as easy as possible for Remus. Nothing washed using magic could touch his skin, and he could not eat or drink anything prepared by magic. It was rather like caring for the family as a muggle, and Solarin enjoyed herself tremendously.



Remus had an armchair in the living room and a padded chair in the kitchen, all set up so he knew exactly where to sit.



Severus set about brewing him nutrient potion by the cauldron full, and an anti nausea potion he made to the instructions that were specified in the booklet Sam had given Sirius.



The booklet became the bible of the house. Everything was done to the specifications of the book, and it was referenced by everyone in the house on how to ensure Remus was within The Rules. Phoenix spent her Saturday evening writing out The Rules on a large sheet of paper, which was then pinned up in the kitchen so it was a quick reference for all the family. She decorated it with an illustration for each of The Rules. For the rule of Remus sitting as much as possible, she drew a picture of a chair that wriggled across the parchment. For the one of no magic, she drew a picture of Remus being relieved of his wand by Anne. Everyone found the drawings amusing, even Remus.



Sirius did add his own rule to all the ones Sam had given them. He insisted that Remus was escorted everywhere, just so he could be kept an eye on. Remus didn’t argue with this one. In Remus’ mind, it was the only thing Sirius was really demanding for himself in all this. Sirius was letting him go ahead with the pregnancy, and Remus couldn’t thank him in bed, the least he could do was give him his own rules.



By the time Remus actually woke at nine on Sunday morning, all the changes had been made.



His breakfast and potions were brought to him in bed by Phoenix, who had insisted on being the one to deliver them.



He was then escorted to the bathroom by Sirius, who sat on the closed lid of the toilet and talked to him while he took a bath. Sirius refused to let him have his usual shower, claiming he was sitting in a bath so he would damn well live with it or go without. Remus had not complained about the bath after that, but the no sex rule got that much harder to obey as Sirius followed his suggestion and took a shower while he bathed. He had been forced to picture Harry and Severus having sex to dispel his fierce hard-on, and subsequently brought on a bout of vomiting.



He was then allowed to go downstairs to the kitchen, where Anne made him tea and Sirius brought him his papers for his new book. Remus spent his Sunday working on his book and talking with people who drifted in and out of the room. Lunch and dinner were family affairs, all the members of the house sitting down together to eat. After dinner, they all retired to the living room, where Remus was sat in his armchair.



He stopped complaining and testing the bonds and Sirius seemed to relax. As they slipped into bed that night, Remus found he had no trouble at all drifting off, something of a rarity for him. Remus found this new way of life was, strangely, like being a little boy again, and he revelled in it. Sirius adored it too, his own mother had never cared about him.



It was quite a pleasant day, really. Well, mostly.



Phoenix had taken to Anne like a duck to water, the older woman loving being a grandmother to the littlest witch of the Lupin line. Phoenix had helped Anne clean, cook, wash and dry, taking it all in, glued to Anne like a limpet. Solarin had seemed a little put out by being tossed aside as the girls teacher, but Bill had soon smoothed her ruffled feathers. Phoenix had never had a grandmother before, it was only natural that she would take the experience and milk it for all it was worth.



Harry, however, had not warmed to Anne. He liked her, but it was just not the right time for him to deal with a new face. He was anxious and jumpy the whole day, refusing to let anyone near Miri, even Severus. It was the day before the anniversary and Harry could not eat, his stomach was too tied in knots. Harry withdrew almost completely from all interactions with everyone, including Severus.



This, unfortunately, led to Sirius losing his temper during dinner.



“If you can’t take care of my godson, Severus, then leave!” Sirius snapped as Harry once again refused to eat. As far as anyone was aware, Harry had not eaten anything all day, no matter who had tried persuading him.



“I will thank you to keep your nose out,” Severus replied calmly, but his voice held bite, enough to warn Sirius that he was on dangerous ground. Sirius ignored the warning and ploughed on.



“This is my godson we’re talking about! I care about him a damn sight more than you do, Snivellus!”



“Sirius, sit down,” Remus said, tugging at Sirius’ shirt. He was ignored and Anne was quick to placate him when he tried to stand to deal with his husband. “This withdrawal is not Severus’ fault, you know that.”



“Really? Then who is to blame?” Sirius snarled, his eyes fixed on the Potions Master.



Severus remained calm, even through the use of his hated nickname from school. Harry was not doing well with the confrontation, and he would do even worse if Severus were to rise to the bait. Harry was completely withdrawn now, not allowing anyone to touch him. He would not make eye contact and he had stopped talking all together. He was sitting in the chair closest the door, staring at the table and clutching a sleeping Miri to him. He had not even put her in her crib for her naps, and had somehow managed to go the whole day holding her, including his trips to the bathroom, though no one was quite sure how he had managed those.



“Think about what you say next, Black. Think about the consequences of it before you open your mouth,” Severus warned, trying to protect his fragile husband from the inevitable. His venomous reply was on the tip of his tongue, but he refrained. Now was not the time.



“I do bloody think! I think every single fucking day about how that bastard Lucius Malfoy raped and tortured my godson! He doesn’t seem much better right now than when we first got him back, so what was the point in you claiming him?” Sirius hissed angrily.



It was a red flag for Harry. He clutched Miri closer to him and bolted from the room, half running to the garden. It was a sweltering evening, but there was a light breeze and it was instantly easier to breathe. He could hear the yelling from the open kitchen window and gasped at the insults being thrown by his godfather and his husband.



He should have known that their truce wouldn’t last forever. Six months had been a long time, he supposed as he sat down on the grass. He lay Miri down and curled around her, watching her squirm and whine, not understanding the emotions she was picking up from him.



“No, sweetheart. No look, no see,” Harry murmured to her and she obeyed, upping her fragile barriers. They were getting stronger every time she used them, and it was much easier for her to block things now. She was still having trouble with a lot, but she was getting there. It helped that she was obedient to the command. He rewarded her with a kiss on her cheek and lay there, watching her drift back to sleep.



Why couldn’t Sirius understand? It wasn’t Severus, it was Harry. These were Harry’s issues, and nothing anyone said could help him now.



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Remus sighed as his husband carried on trading verbal abuse with his son-in-law. Severus was retaliating now that Harry had left the room, and it had gotten really spiteful between the two. Remus didn’t care, at this point, if Sirius realized he was being unreasonable. Actually, downright irrational was a better description. All Remus cared about was that his cub had just sped from the room, pale and shaking, holding Miri as if his life depended upon it.



Remus turned to his mother, who was sitting to his left. Sirius had been on his right, but now he was chest to chest with Severus in front of the sink, both of them oblivious to everything now. Everyone else was staring at them, some managing to still eat their pie and mash while watching the showdown.



“Mum, could you cast a locator charm for Harry, find out where in the house he is hiding?” Remus asked. She nodded and pulled out her wand, casting the requested spell. The result showed Harry was in the garden.



“Do you want me to try and break them up?” Anne asked, motioning to the warring pair.



“No. I want you to take me to Harry seeing as I can’t go on my own. They’ll burn themselves out before too long and I need to see if my son is all right.”



Anne escorted her son to the open garden door, where Remus paused. Harry was lying on his side on the grass, curled around Miri. She heard Remus sigh sadly before he had her walk him over. He sat down on the grass on Miri’s other side.



“Thank you, mum.”



Harry didn’t look up as Remus joined him. Anne moved off to the stage at the end of the garden and sat down, waiting. They hadn’t gotten around to removing the stage yet, or bringing the instruments inside. There was silence in the garden for a long time. Remus didn’t say anything, nothing at all, and Harry peeked up to find Remus looking up at the stars.



Remus looked up and sighed. He could see the constellation Orion, his idiot husbands middle name. Remus wasn’t quite sure how to handle Harry when he was like this. Unlike Severus, Remus had never witnessed behaviour like this from the Gryffindor, not to this extent. Plus, it was usually Sirius who parented Harry, if he needed parenting. Remus was better at handling Phoenix. However, Sirius seemed to be…occupied so Remus would be the one to step in. This withdrawal from Harry made Remus hate Lucius for what he had done to his formerly fearless, slightly awkward, cub. But hatred of Lucius was not going to help just now. Remus decided to talk about something neutral. Harry would talk back when he was ready.



Silence fell from the open kitchen window. It seemed they were done tearing chunks out of each other. Time for apologies then.



“Prat,” Remus muttered.



Harry remained silent, but gave the werewolf a glance of question.



“I’m talking about my husband, not yours,” Remus clarified. “He’s always been the same, shoots off with his mouth and then has to grovel later. He is very good at his grovelling now, so much practice.”



Remus laid back in an apparent move to get a better look at the constellations, putting one arm under his head.



“That one is Sirius,” Remus said, pointing upwards. Harry shifted and looked up at the sky, locating the star he was referring to. “The Dog Star. Rather appropriate for an Animagus that looks like a Grim.”



As he said it, a certain canine came out to them, his tail between his legs. He licked at Remus’ pointing hand and Remus shoved him off.



“Coward,” Remus said, Snuffles whining and covering his snout with his paw. “Have you apologised to Severus in human form?”



Snuffles bowed his head. It was obviously the signal for yes, because Remus sighed.



“You were completely out of line. Go sit with mum.” Snuffles whined in complaint but Remus did not relent, shoving his flank. “Go. You obviously cannot talk to a human being without cocking it up. Go.”



Snuffles went off, his tail between his legs, his head downcast. He laid at Anne’s feet, the woman glaring disapprovingly at him, and rested his head on his front paws.



“Is your mum a witch?” Harry whispered after another interval of lengthy silence. “I haven’t seen her cast a spell, and I haven’t seen her with a wand.”



“Yes. She’s Muggleborn, much like your own mother,” Remus answered, playing along with Harry’s line of questioning.



It took quite a while, their conversation. It was still early enough that Remus was able to ignore his fatigue for the time being, but he could only last so long. He prayed that this was Harry opening up. He didn’t want to fall asleep on him.



“How long until they catch him?” Harry mumbled eventually.



Remus didn’t need to ask who Harry was talking about. “I don’t know, pup. I wish I could tell you.”



“Sirius is a prat. He shouldn’t have said those things to Severus.”



Remus sighed. “I know, and so does he. He’s worried, Harry, so he took it out on the first target that caught his eye. That happened to be Severus,” Remus explained.



“I don’t mean to worry anyone,” Harry said. “It’s just…it’s hard…right now…for me to…to…be me.”



“He’s not just worried about you, cub. He’s worried about me, too. Sam didn’t do much to sing the virtues of male pregnancy,” Remus admitted.



“So there are big risks?”



“Yes, there are. Which is why I have The Rules. It’s why Sam is going to check on me twice a week. I have the best possible care.”



Harry actually looked him in the eye, and Remus took it as a very very good sign. Someone was shifting in the doorway above their resting heads and Remus had a suspicion it was Severus. He wondered how long he had been there. Probably since Snuffles came out. The man kept his distance for the time being. Remus marvelled at his ability to handle Harry so well, silently reminding himself that Severus had been handling things like this for eight months now.



Harry peered at his adoptive father, measuring him. With all that was going on, his parents probably would not handle the anniversary of his abduction well. But he had to give them the chance to try. He summoned all his Gryffindor courage and took a deep breath.



“I’m not going to be good, and I don’t know how long it will last,” Harry warned, his voice shaky but he didn’t stutter, which he felt very pleased about. It was better than the first time he had been this bad. “It won’t be nice for you to watch. Severus will probably get strict with me again, he’ll have to. If you can’t handle me like this, I’ll stay in my room until it passes.”



“I can handle it, pup. Just tell me what to do,” Remus assured.



Harry considered it, thinking back to what was essential the last time he was like this.



“Don’t touch me. Or Miri. I probably won’t let anyone else hold her but me, so no one should ask or try and take her from me. The last time, she was still inside me, no one could touch her without my permission. Think of her like that while I’m like this, think of her as my baby bump again. I won’t talk very much, if I talk at all. It’s not likely that I’ll look anyone in the eye, so don’t take it personally. I’ll probably bolt when your healer arrives, but I don’t know for sure on that one. I’ll cry a lot, so it’s best if Sol doesn’t drop her barriers. And the last time I was like this I was verbally self-abusive. I said a lot of nasty things about myself that will be horrible to listen to if I start up with it again. My advice is to let Severus handle it all, he’s good at it.” He paused. “I’m sorry it won’t be you I turn to first. I love you guys, I do. But I need Severus at times like this.”



Remus was impressed by how well Harry had reeled it all off. He was startlingly honest about what they should expect. Maybe the fearless boy Lucius had almost destroyed was still in there.



“Is there anything else I should know?” Remus asked.



“It’s probably best if all the Silencing Charms in the house come down while I’m bad. I used to shatter the ones at Spinners End when I had the dreams, the really bad ones in the beginning.” Harry remembered all too well how often Severus had to recast those spells. It had been pretty pointless, but Severus had insisted on them though he hadn’t revealed why. “Don’t mention his name, the blonde bastard. It’ll be like the first visit you had with me, but more extreme, just try and think back to that and you’ll get a rough idea of this. What I was like today is just the beginning. I’m going to get worse before I get better,” Harry cautioned.



Remus sighed, taking it all in. He glanced at his mother, to find that she was taking notes. Oh, she really was loving being able to do her grandmother bit. “I hope you’re getting all this,” he called to her and she grinned sheepishly.



He stared at Harry. Harry was wearing a long sleeved turtleneck shirt, so Remus couldn’t see the scars on his wrists, on his arms, his hands, his neck. He knew there were more, that Harry was covered in them, that there was barely an inch of skin, apart from his face, that was clear of scarring. He had seen them when Harry had given birth, and Harry had let him have a closer look at them. They were pretty extreme, as scars went, but they didn’t worry him as much as the emotional ones Harry had. They were the ones that were still causing problems.



“I can handle it, Harry. And I will make Sirius shut his trap. By the time breakfast rolls around, everyone in the house will be warned. If there’s anything else you need, or want, or think I should know about, tell me,” Remus offered and Harry sucked at his lower lip, thinking.



“I’m happy for you about the baby,” Harry said eventually. “I wanted you to know now, so you know that I don’t feel like you’re pushing me out or anything like that. I might not show it while I get worse, but I am happy for you. I don’t feel like I’m being replaced, or that I was just a substitute for this kid. You worked too hard to adopt me for it to be like that. You love me and Nixie and this baby all the same. I’m your boy, I know that. So, no matter how nasty I get about myself, I don’t have any of that sibling rivalry crap. I just want you to be clear on that.”



Remus smiled. He had worried that his children would become defensive at the news of the baby, that they would feel like he was replacing them or something along those lines. Nixie had displayed nothing but excitement, plying he and Sirius with questions, but Harry had been troubling him. Harry was the more fragile of the two, he was the one most likely to pull away during this pregnancy. He felt himself relax as Harry made his little assurance. He wanted to hug Harry, but if it was like the first visit, it would not be welcome. So he stretched out his hand over Miri, smiling at his cub as Harry grasped his fingers lightly for a moment.



“I know that, pup. All right, I’ll leave you be now,” Remus said. “Just one more thing. Sirius Orion Lupin-Black! Get your arse over here right this instant! And come as a human, you mangy mutt!”



Harry watched as Snuffles transformed into Sirius and walked over, sitting down by Remus’ feet. He looked incredibly guilty, and Harry didn’t blame him. But Harry loved the way Remus was scolding him like a child. It was nice and normal. It made him feel a bit better.



“I know you were listening, Sirius,” Remus said firmly, remaining on his back as he glared at his husband. “Is there anything you missed?”



“No. I got it all, and Anne took lots of notes,” Sirius said contritely.



“Good. Now, you are going to apologise to Harry, and make it a good one. No half arsed attempts. A full apology, Sirius, you owe him one.”



Sirius sighed and made to touch Harry’s leg but a warning cough from Remus had him stopping. He folded his hands to keep them busy and looked at Harry with earnest eyes.



“I’m so very sorry, Harry. I was way out of line. I shouldn’t have said what I did. I was wrong, and I shouldn’t have done it. I understand why you’re like this, and I shouldn’t have blamed Severus for it. I didn’t mean it, pup. Severus takes wonderful care of you, I’m just being a prat, as usual,” Sirius said slowly, pleadingly. “Forgive me?”



Harry stared at him for the longest thirty seconds of Sirius’ life before he stretched out his hand, letting Sirius tickle his fingers briefly before he pulled his hand back, resting it on Miri’s belly.



“What am I forgiving you for, the fight or being a prat?” Harry whispered and Sirius smiled his decidedly doggy smile.



“The fight. I have no chance of ever being forgiven for being an insufferable prat,” Sirius joked and Harry gave him a shaky half smile.



“Right then. Do you want to be alone now, Harry? Do you want us to go away?” Harry nodded. “Mum, we’re going in, Harry needs time alone,” Remus said, sitting up, Anne walking over to them. Sirius helped him to his feet and cast Harry a worried glance before the three of them made their way inside, Severus leaning back to let them pass.



Harry lay there with Miri as he heard Severus make his way over. He claimed Remus’ place on the grass and laid down on his side, his eyes level with the bright green ones of his husband. Harry didn’t look at him, his eyes fixed on the sleeping child between them, and Severus sighed.



Severus had been aware that this time of year would be difficult for Harry, but he hadn’t anticipated the change in him being this rapid. It had taken Harry less than a day to start regressing, and less than two to almost reach the place he began from. Harry wasn’t yet as bad as he had been in the early weeks, but he would be by the morning, Severus could see that now. And he knew exactly how to handle Harry when he was like this.



“Look at me, Potter,” Severus said firmly and the emerald orbs met his stare immediately. “Harry, we are going to go back to some of my rules, the ones you had at the beginning and some new ones. I will not be argued with on these, just like last time.”



“What rules do I have?” Harry asked eagerly, latching onto this immediately, though his voice was still shaky.



Severus suppressed his smile. Harry needed him to be firm right now, he needed Severus to take control once more. Time for a little of Scary Professor Snape to come forth, but only a little. He didn’t want to terrify Harry, that would be counterproductive.



“Rule one, you will attend and attempt to eat all three meals,” Severus said and Harry nodded. It was one Harry was most used to. In the early weeks, Severus had been forced to keep repeating this rule to Harry at virtually every meal. Harry knew it by heart.



“Okay, I’ll try to eat.”



“Rule two, I am going to put you back on potions with breakfast. You are going to take a nutrient potion, like Remus, and a dose of your calming draught. You will take these for as long as I deem it compulsory. You will start taking them tomorrow morning, plus any additional potions I see fit during the day. I will not have you waste away or suffer unnecessarily.”



“I’ll be good, I’ll take them.”



“Rule three, you will give me Miri during your trips to the bathroom. I know you do not want to, but you cannot relieve yourself and hold her, she is no longer your bump. How on earth you managed it today, I have no idea, but it will not continue. You will give her to me when you go to the bathroom, and I will hold her. I will not give her to anyone, nor allow anyone to take her. When you return, I will give her back to you. Am I understood, Harry?”



Harry could see the reasoning behind this rule, and the logic of it. He didn’t like it, but his husband was giving him rules, giving him what he needed right now. He could give him Miri while he peed.



“I understand,” Harry said. “I’ll give her to you while I pee.”



“Finally, rule four. You must talk to me. It is the rule you disliked the most in the beginning but it is needed. You will talk to me, just like when we started. You do not have to talk to anyone else if you do not want to, but you will talk to me,” Severus instructed and Harry sighed, but he did nod.



“How long will I be like this?” Harry asked.



“I do not think you will suffer like this for more than a few days, Harry, if that,” Severus answered honestly. “In my reasoning, I do not believe you will be like this much past tomorrow, but I will not guarantee that as I cannot be sure, so we will say a few days, just to be on the safe side. If we are lucky, this will burn itself out before lunch tomorrow.” Harry nodded, gnawing at his thumbnail.



Severus sighed. He really did not want to ask his next question, but with Harry changing so rapidly, he had to be clear on everything before Harry dissolved completely. Harry had told Remus not to touch him. How far did that go? “If you want, I can sleep in one of the spare rooms for the time being, while you deal with this.”



“No! Please, Severus, I don’t want that. Please?” Harry begged, panicked.



“All right, I will sleep with you. It was only a suggestion, love. Now, what do you want from me for the duration of this bad period?”



“What do you mean?”



“Do you want me to refrain from touching you like the others? Or would you rather I was your anchor again?”



Harry considered it. “I don’t know. Right now, I want my anchor. But I don’t know how bad I’m going to be tomorrow, I don’t know what I’ll want then,” Harry admitted.



Severus reached out his hand and felt Harry grasp it, bringing it to the crook of his neck. Severus rubbed soothing circles with his fingertips, stroking Harry’s throat with his thumb, and Harry’s eyes fluttered closed with a sigh.



Harry reached out his own arm, settling his hand on Severus’ ribs. “This is going to be bad, isn’t it?” Harry whispered, keeping his eyes closed as he basked in the gentle touch that could sweep away anything difficult to handle.



“Yes, love, it is. But I am right here. You can fall apart. I will catch you and put you back together, just like last time,” Severus reassured.



Harry smiled.



His husband, his lover, his friend. Severus, Harry’s hero.



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Harry rolled over in his sleep, wincing at the pain that shot through his lower abdomen. He swam into consciousness and immediately had the desire to be sick. He cracked open his eyes and groaned at the pain. He sat up and put on his glasses, glancing at his watch which he had forgotten to take off.



It was two in the bloody morning.



And bloody was right.



Harry pulled away the sheet to get up and pee, and found himself sitting in a pool of blood. What the hell was happening? Where was it all coming from? Harry gasped at the pain, trying not to make any noise. He stayed calm. He couldn’t be dying, could he? He didn’t feel faint, so he probably wasn’t dying, but he still felt fear grip at him. He groaned at the pain as it hit him again.



Oh God, what would his friends think? Suddenly haemorrhaging without reason in the middle of the night was not normal. What if someone looked closer at him? What if they figured it out?



He wasn’t sure what was worse, the nausea or the pain. He had to do something, he knew that one clear enough, but what? How the hell did he deal with this, whatever this was?



“Harry?”



Oh God, he had woken Ron. He should have known that Ron wouldn’t sleep through him groaning and gasping in pain. How long had he been making noise? Had he been doing it in his sleep? Ron woke with him for every nightmare, sitting with him while he calmed himself. None of the other boys woke to him any more, but Ron did. But he couldn’t let Ron see all this blood. It wasn’t normal, Ron would go and get a teacher, Harry would have to deal with being different than other boys, with everyone knowing. They’d all hate him, they’d think he was disgusting, just a freak, like Aunt Petunia had always said he was.



The curtains of his four poster bed were cautiously drawn back and Harry yanked the sheet up to hide the mess, but it was too late, Ron had already seen it. Ron looked shocked and worried for a moment, before he realized that Harry was conscious, so he wasn’t bleeding to death.



Ron didn’t say anything, he just pulled the sheet down again, gazing at the pool Harry was sitting in.



“Where’s it coming from?” Ron asked firmly, pulling his wand and spelling the mess away.



Harry shrugged.



“Have you hurt yourself? Harry, have you done something silly?” Ron demanded, shaking Harry’s shoulder.



“I…I don’t…don’t know where it’s coming from,” Harry whispered, feeling more ashamed than he had ever felt. “I haven’t hurt myself, Ron. I wouldn’t do that, I swear.”



Ron nodded, accepting. “I can go and get a teacher if you want, maybe Lupin, you get on with him and he seems nice enough. He could help,” Ron suggested and Harry shook his head. “Madame Pomfrey?”



“No, no one . Please, Ron. You help me,” Harry begged and Ron’s eyes widened in shock at his request before he rubbed the back of his neck, perching on the edge of Harry’s bed.



Harry could feel himself bleeding now that Ron had spelled away the puddle. Oh God, it was from the other bit, the bit the other boys didn’t have. Damn it, why the hell was this happening? What was happening? Why was he bleeding?



“Okay, Harry. I’ll help you. You want to keep this a secret, right?”



“Please, Ron, I’m already a freak, please don’t give them any more ammunition.”



“All right, I won’t tell anyone, just like your bad dreams.” Ron sighed, thinking hard. “I don’t know how to stop the bleeding, whatever it is. But I have an idea on how to hide it.”



“How?”



Ron raised his wand and pointed it at the ajar door of the dorm. “Accio Hermione’s sanitary towels,” he said. After a few moments, a squashy purple pack came zooming in, landing in Ron’s hand.



“Hermione’ll think one of the other girls nicked them. She’ll never think of us. Mum uses things like this when she gets her monthlies, as dad calls them. Whatever this bleeding is, these will probably soak it up. If you wear them you can hide this,” Ron explained. The redhead looked unsure of himself, staring at Harry.



“Thank you, Ron,” Harry said, reaching for the pack, but Ron held it out of his reach.



“You’re not quite a boy, are you?” Ron asked and Harry gaped at him. “This bleeding, it’s what girls do. So, either you’ve been attacked, hurt yourself or you’re having a monthly like a girl.”



“How do I know? I haven’t been attacked or hurt myself but how do I know if this is like a girls?” Harry asked timidly, knowing that it was pointless to try and hide it from Ron now. It was too late, much too late. Ron knew now. Besides, Ron had promised never to tell and Harry trusted him in that. Ron had never told anyone about his nightmares, why would he tell about this?



“Is this the first time this has happened?” Harry nodded. “If it happens again next month, then it is like a girls monthly.”



“Oh.”



“What are you, Harry?” Ron asked and Harry shied away from him, making Ron curse at his bad conversation skills. “I didn’t mean it like that. I mean are you a boy or a girl? Because we’ve taken showers and they’re all open, so we can all see each other. I’ve seen you. You look like a boy to me, but boys don’t bleed like this, only girls.”



“I don’t know what I am,” Harry whispered, hanging his head. “I don’t know why I’m bleeding. I don’t know any of it, so I can’t answer your questions.”



Harry began to cry, hiding his face with his hands. He had hidden it so well, and now Ron knew he wasn’t right. Ron would hate him now, he would walk away. Harry was about to lose his best friend because of something he didn’t even have a name for.



“Your dick is real, isn’t it?”



Harry’s head shot up, staring at his softly grinning slightly red friend. “It’s real,” he muttered, going crimson, not quite sure where Ron was going with this.



“And you have nuts, right? I didn’t imagine those?”



“No, I have those.”



“Do you have something else as well, or is that it?”



Harry gaped at him in shock. Ron was helping him figure it out. These questions weren’t there to humiliate him, Ron was trying to help him. People may think Ron thick, but Harry knew better. Ron was a brilliant friend, and he usually figured things out, it just took him longer than others. Ron’s brains lay more with his common sense than his academics.



“Yes, I have something else,” Harry whispered. “I have…a…a…hole.” Merlin, he wanted to die right there and then, Sirius Black could kill him right that instant, he would actually be grateful for it. But he had to know if Ron could help, so he kept answering the questions as honestly as he could.



“A hole? You mean your arse?”



“No, another one, one that other boys don’t have.”



Ron looked utterly baffled. “I’ve never heard of anything like that.” He was squirming and his ears were going red. “Where are you bleeding from, do you know?” he asked, looking like he’d rather be having his teeth pulled, but his voice remained steady, determined.



Harry squirmed himself. “The other one,” he mumbled, his face absolutely roasting. He gasped, holding his stomach in pain. He had forgotten about that, his embarrassment clouding his mind, pushing the pain from it.



“Right, I’m going to push aside how gross I find this all,” Ron said, making Harry snigger despite everything. “Don’t laugh,” Ron said, laughing himself. “I’m not good with body things, I just about manage my own. Have a little patience with me, I’m doing my best.”



“I know. Thank you for helping me, Ron. I know I had no right to ask you to help me with this, and you’re no expert and hate body issues, but I trust you. I can’t tell anyone about this, everyone would hate me. It’s not normal, and I’m already freak enough.”



Ron stared at him. “I don’t hate you. You’re not a freak, don’t call yourself that. You’re my best mate. I promise I won’t ever tell anyone unless you’re dying or something and they need to know.” Harry nodded at the promise, the conditions of it. “This is just…so flipping weird,” Ron said simply.



“You have no idea.”



“So, I have a theory,” Ron said, launching away from how weird they both found this. “My theory is that this…other bit you have is a girl bit. Which makes you not quite a boy, but close enough.”



“I’ve always been called a boy,” Harry put in. “I think of myself as a boy.”



“Well, yeah, so does everyone else, me included. You’re in the boys dorm, not the girls. And you’re still just Harry to me. It doesn’t matter to me. You’re Harry, and you happen to have an extra girl bit,” Ron said honestly, rubbing Harry’s thin shoulder.



“Thanks,” Harry said, smiling shyly at him, and then crying out as his insides attacked him again, gripping at the sheet.



“Hermione could probably figure this out better than me,” Ron offered, worried by the pain, and Harry paled.



“No!” he hissed in a whisper. “She’ll just turn this into some blooming project, with me as the flipping specimen she dissects.” Ron sniggered.



“True. She would as well. But she’s your friend too, she’ll want to help, and we know she can keep a secret. Are you sure you don’t want her to know?”



“No. No one but you.”



“Okay then. Well, the pain must be cramps ‘cause of the bleeding. You’ve probably got more girl bits inside, but I am not helping you figure out that one, I draw a line,” Ron said firmly, making a slicing motion with his hand.



“I wouldn’t let you try anyways. That is beyond the call of best friendship,” Harry said, pulling a face at the thought of Ron, well, anyone at all, trying to see what other bits he might have. “How do I deal with the cramps, is there a spell?”



“Mum gets them, but I don’t know how she deals with it. Sorry, mate, I have no clue how to handle them.”



“It’s okay, you’ve done loads already. I’ll just grit my teeth and get on with it.”



“Here,” he said, passing the pack to Harry. “I think you stick them in your undies, but I’m not sure, it’s not like I use them so I’m guessing here.”



Harry took it and peered at the outer plastic. Ah ha, there were instructions. Little pictures to show him what to do. He would need a pair of briefs from his trunk and a trip to the bathroom.



“I can handle it now, Ron. There are instructions,” Harry said, pointing to them.



“Okay, I’ll wait in my bed for you to come back,” Ron said and Harry nodded, slipping from his bed, grabbing the underwear and a fresh pair of pyjamas from his trunk before slipping into the bathroom.



Harry took a quick shower, washing away as much of the blood as he could, and then sat on the loo to try and put the pad on. It took him quite a while to figure it all out, and three attempts to actually get the thing to stay in place. When he pulled up the underwear, he felt like he was wearing a big pillow, but he wasn’t bleeding through it, so he would suffer it. He slipped into the fresh pyjamas and rinsed the bloodstained ones in the sink before he hid them in the bottom of the laundry. It would not be good if the house elves saw them and told a teacher, but he didn’t know what spell Ron had used. Ron had done so much already, he would not ask him to do this for him. He managed to get most of it out, they wouldn’t notice a few small specks of blood. It kind of looked like red ink, which was a bonus.



When he made his way back to bed, he found that Ron had cleaned his sheets for him again, and he had pulled them back so his bed looked inviting.



“All right?” Ron asked as Harry slipped between the sheets, setting his glasses on his nightstand.



“Yeah. Thanks, Ron,” Harry said and then buried his head in his pillow, crying out. His insides felt like they were being shredded.



A hand grasped his and Harry looked up to find Ron sitting next to him, holding his hand. As he groaned again, Ron rubbed his back, muttering to him that it would all be all right.



Ron stayed like that with him until he fell asleep, exhausted, and in the morning he left him to dream on until the other three boys left the Tower so Harry could use the bathroom in peace.



Harry’s eyes shot open and he writhed in pain, realizing he had been screaming in his sleep. Severus was holding him steady, and he was murmuring soothing words to him, urging Harry to tell him what was wrong, to talk to him. He managed to glance the clock. It was half eleven. Oh well, earlier than the first time.



He wanted to tell him, needed to explain it. He had nothing for this period, no pads, nothing. He needed Severus’ help to deal with it. But he couldn’t get the words out through the screams and gasps his body was forcing from him. Severus obviously had not noticed the blood yet. Harry screaming must have distracted him, he must have thought Harry was having a nightmare.



He curled into a ball on his side, gripping his pillow with one hand and his lower abdomen with the other. The screams could not be stopped, it was too painful this time. Harry had only had one other period like this, the middle of his fifth year. He hadn’t been able to talk during those cramps either, or move. Ron had cast silencing charms on the drapes of Dean, Seamus and Neville’s beds, and then sat with him until it eased slightly.



The pain was beyond anything else, even when he had birthed Miri, though he wasn’t sure how that could even be possible.



Harry didn’t know what else to do. He screamed for help, for the one who could get it for him, who could explain to Severus, forcing the agonised wails to form a word.



“RON!”



@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@



Ron lay there listening to the screams from his friend, his wife lying next to him, wide awake. Hermione was snuggled up to him, the screams from Harry terrifying her, but Ron was calm. Those were not screams of panic, those were pain.



He had woken to Harry too many times not to be able to tell the difference. Ever since their second year, Harry had woken at least once a week, crying because of what his mind was forcing on him in his sleep. Ron had gotten up with him after the third time, and sat with him until he settled himself back into a peaceful slumber. The different screams had begun in their third year, by which time Ron had evolved into being a scarily light sleeper. Ron knew all too well what he was hearing, and vowed to leave it to Severus unless he was needed.



Ron knew all about Harry’s periods. He could recite that Harry bled for no longer than three days, that Harry suffered excruciating cramps and violent nausea which had him spending those sleepless nights in Myrtle’s bathroom, and that Harry frequently ran out of protection, the flooding of his period tearing through his supplies.



“I hope he’s all right,” Hermione whispered, easing from the bed to scoop up Joseph. The little boy had been woken by the agonised shrieks, though Catherine slept on. Hermione paced with him, and Ron propped himself up on his elbows to watch her.



“He’s fine,” Ron said and she looked at him in question. “That’s not a nightmare scream, it’s pain.”



“Pain?”



“Cramps,” Ron said simply and her eyes widened for a moment before she nodded in comprehension.



“How do you know?”



“Five years of sharing a room with my best friend, I learnt to tell the difference.”



Hermione perched on the bed and Ron took Joseph from her, cuddling him close as Harry reached a higher pitch.



“It was you, wasn’t it?” Hermione asked and he raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate. “My pads kept going missing. It was you who took them, wasn’t it? You took them for Harry, didn’t you?”



“Yes. He didn’t have anything the first time, and I overheard you talking to Parvati, I knew you had things for it. The other times, he ran out ‘cause he’s bleeds so heavy. I summoned yours for him,” Ron said, stroking his sons red hair as he cried his distress at being woken.



“And you’re the one who got up with him in the night?” He nodded. “Every single time?” He nodded again, his eyes meeting hers. She was smiling, and she leaned in to kiss him.



“What was that for?” he asked as Joseph began to settle.



“For being a wonderful man. You took care of him, and that makes me very happy,” she said simply, stroking his hair.



“RON!”



Their heads jerked towards the door as the cry hit them and Ron knew immediately what was wrong.



“Can I nick your pads for him again, in case he doesn’t have any?” he asked.



“Sure. They’re in the bathroom,” she said, taking Joseph and pacing once more as Ron moved from the bed.



“Thanks. I don’t know how long I’ll be, go back to sleep if you can,” he advised and waited for her nod before he slipped from the room. He grabbed the squashy package from the bathroom he and Hermione used and made his way up to Harry’s room on the floor above. He knocked on Harry’s door.



“He’s fine,” came Severus’ voice. Obviously the ex-professor was expecting someone to come and check on his husband.



Ron ignored him and knocked again, louder. There were footsteps and then the door opened a crack, Severus peering out at him.



“He is fine, Ron. I have everything under control,” Severus said, Harry screaming behind him.



“I know you do, but he called for me,” Ron said and Severus nodded. “He’s not panicking, it’s not a nightmare. It’s his monthly…his period.”



Severus gaped for a moment before he allowed Ron inside.



“Ron,” Harry gasped as he caught sight of the redhead.



“Don’t worry, I’ve got it, Harry, I’ll explain,” Ron said.



The Gryffindor crossed to the bed, plonked the pack on the nightstand and pulled back the sheet. The sheet under Harry was soaked with blood, like a poppy blooming out from his hips. His pyjama bottoms were drenched too, though they were dry below the knee.



“See?” Ron asked Severus and the Potions Master nodded. Ron noticed that he was blood free, Harry had obviously writhed too much for him to get close. “He called for me because he can’t tell you what he needs through the screams. It’s too painful for him to speak. I can tell you what he needs, how to help him. That’s why he called for me, we agreed on it months ago, when I first came to live here.”



“What do I do?” Severus asked. He marvelled at the ingenuity of his husband.



“Get him a pain potion for the cramps and something for nausea, he feels sick during these. I wasn’t sure if he had pads or not, so I brought Hermione’s. We’ve nicked hers before, he’s comfortable with this kind,” Ron explained, motioning to the pack. “I’ll stay with him while you get what he needs. I’d go but I don’t know one potion from the other and I’d really rather not poison my best mate.”



Severus nodded and sped from the room. Ron sat down beside Harry, careful to avoid the wetness, and grabbed his hand, Harry’s grip close to breaking bone. The Seeker screamed and gasped, sobbing in pain and Ron found it saddening that he was used to it. He rubbed Harry’s back and wondered how they were going to deal with the soiled bedding and sleepwear. They couldn’t use magic on them like before, not now. All bedding, clothes, towels and other fabric items in the house had to be cleaned by hand, in case they were mixed up and given to Remus by mistake.



“It’s all right, Harry. Severus is going to make it all better,” Ron soothed as Harry let out a particularly high pitched scream, shaking in agony. “We’re going to take care of you. Look on the bright side, you don’t have to hide it anymore.”



Harry loosened his grip slightly, a sign of agreement.



“Help me get these down him,” Severus commanded as he returned, crossing to the bed and sliding onto the mattress.



Ron freed his hand and grabbed the tiny bottles as Severus pulled Harry into a sitting position. Harry was in too much pain to take them himself, or understand what he was being given would help. It was necessary to force them down him, Severus holding him, stopping him from fighting them while Ron administered the remedies. Ron waited until Harry settled a little and poured in the first between gasps. He held his hand over Harry’s mouth and Severus stroked his throat, making it go down. He had to wait for Harry to settle again before he administered the next liquid remedy, Harry screaming and drawing up his knees to his chest, his arms wrapped around his abdomen. Eventually, he gasped again and they were able to give him the second potion.



It took a while for Harry to settle fully, for his screams to die down, but he did calm in the end. He blinked at Ron as he curled against Severus.



“Thanks,” Harry whispered.



“No problem, don’t worry about it. You need anything else?” Ron said, reassuring Harry with his dismissal of his appreciation. Ron didn’t need it. Harry was more than just his friend at this point, they were family. He was just glad he could help.



“I don’t have anything,” Harry admitted, embarrassed, and Ron grabbed the pack of pads.



“Hermione’s given them to you. She knows it was us now. She doesn’t seem mad, but you might want to replace them this time.”



Harry nodded and took the pack from his friend.



“Thank you, Ron,” Severus said.



“Like I said, no problem. I’m going to go and leave you to it,” Ron said and left them alone.



“Sorry, Severus,” Harry mumbled, snuggled against Severus’ chest.



“For what?” Severus asked, stroking the dark, sweat soaked hair.



“I broke the rule, I didn’t talk.”



Severus kissed the top of his head. “It’s all right, Harry. There was a reason you didn’t talk, but you called for someone who could explain it all to me. It’s fine, don’t apologise, you did the right thing by calling Ron. He talked for you, so you did not break the rule,” Severus reassured and Harry nodded against his chest.



“But how do I deal with the sheets? And my pyjamas? Me and Ron always used a spell.”



Severus slipped from the bed, pulling out a fresh pair of pyjamas and a pair of briefs. He handed them to Harry.



“You go and clean yourself up, and I will deal with this. I’m sure one of the women in the house will know what to do, if not all of them,” Severus instructed and Harry went crimson. “What’s wrong, love?”



“It’s disgusting. I can’t leave you to deal with this and they shouldn’t have to. Just tell me what to do, I’ll do it,” Harry whispered.



Severus knelt down in front of him, looking up into the shame-filled green eyes. “Harry, it is no more disgusting than when you birthed Miri. It’s all right, I will deal with this, it is no problem. Remember, I am the man who disembowels toads for potion ingredients. Not a lot makes me squeamish. And the ladies of the house have all bled themselves. They know how to deal with this, and they will take it in their strides. Go and clean yourself up,” Severus reassured, stroking his cheek. Harry chewed his lower lip for a moment before he nodded. He kissed Severus and slipped from the room, jumping in fright as Sirius appeared in the doorway as he reached it. Harry stood motionless in the doorway, silently staring between Severus and Sirius.



“Go on, Harry,” Severus instructed and sighed when Harry did as he was told.



“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle him,” Sirius said, hovering in the doorway, staring at the bloody sheets. “Remus was worried by the screams.”



“It’s all right, he’s having a rough night anyway,” Severus said, standing up from where he had kneeled in front of his husband. “His period started. The screaming was cramps.”



“Oh,” Sirius said, going red but looking relieved. “Is he all right?”



“He’s fine, just a little embarrassed. Ron was kind enough to come and explain what was happening and how to deal with it.”



Sirius nodded and disappeared, returning a few moments later with clean bed linens, the dark blue ones that were just for Harry’s room. Phoenix’s bedding was lilac, Solarin and Bill’s was a garish pattern of stars and planets. Remus and Sirius had Gryffindor red. It helped everyone to keep track with so many people in one house to have a different colour or pattern for each room, but there was the occasional mistake, something that could not afford to happen with Remus being so delicate. No linens could be cleaned with magic, it was just too risky for Remus if they got mixed up or borrowed. He set the bundle down on the dresser and began to strip off the pillows.



“You do not have to help. I can manage,” Severus said and Sirius shook his head.



“It’s the least I can do after verbally attacking you last night. Besides, don’t fathers help out when their son is in need?” Sirius said, and Severus smiled at him. “Don’t know of any other fathers who have a son that has periods, but I take it as a good thing. A sign he isn’t pregnant again.”



“He is on the Biannual Potion,” Severus supplied at the suspicious look thrown his way. “He took it Saturday morning, while you were with Sam. I did notice the glare, you know. And Harry has no desires to be a carrier again so soon.”



“Good to know. You brewed the potion, right?”



“I would not let him take anything I had not brewed. I do not trust other brewers. I am a Potions Master for a reason and I will not have my husband put at risk.”



“That is very reassuring.” He growled. “Bloody con men with their flipping greed, all scaring people and shit, making a man have to escort his husband to the bathroom. Bloody fraudsters throwing out surprises,” Sirius muttered as he reached for the duvet. Severus ignored his rantings. He knew Sirius was excited about the baby, but his worry over the very real possibility of losing Remus overruled anything else he might have felt about the situation at this point in time. Severus did not offer any comfort or contradiction and soon Sirius fell silent, determinedly attacking the stained bedding.



They stripped the bed together, bundling up the stained bedding and putting it by the door before casting a cleaning charm on the mattress and padded duvet. Those did not have any chance of going near Remus, so it was safe to use magic on them. They had finished smoothing down the sheet and shaking a new cover onto the duvet before either one spoke again.



“I shouldn’t have said what I did,” Sirius said, wriggling a pillow into its case. “I was out of line.”



“You have apologised already, you know,” Severus said, wrestling with his own pillow.



“I know, but I wanted you to be aware of the fact that I trust you with him,” Sirius said.



The two of them stared at each other. It was the closest they had ever come to a shaky acceptance of Severus caring for Harry. Sirius had retained a reluctance of it before now. It was their old petty childhood issues that had kept Sirius questioning Severus’ competence in caring for his godson. Remus had seemed to handle it better than he had, but Sirius knew that Remus had been playing the situation. Remus remaining seemingly accepting of the cub and the ex-Slytherin meant that Harry had been more relaxed with Remus than with Sirius. Remus had been manipulative, and it had worked.



But now Sirius saw just how bad Harry had been, what Severus had dealt with, broken him of. Severus had cared for his godson, returned him to something resembling what he used to be. This regression was just the timing, it was not Severus failing. Sirius knew that now, along with the love Severus and Harry had. His godson was, usually, happy, and Severus caused that happiness. It was enough.



“I trust you to take care of him. I know I’m a prat, I proved that at dinner, but I was only doing it because I care about him. I got worried by this regression he’s in, and I lashed out,” Sirius said. “I guess I didn’t realize just how bad he’d been, how far he’d come. Because of you. I’m not saying I’m going to be your best friend. But I’ll stop this anger over your handling of him. It’s pointless and irrational, caused by all the things that happened between you and I. I’m sorry, Severus.”



“Thank you for the apology,” Severus said. Sirius nodded and they completed making up the bed.



“Oh, and I’m sorry for trying to feed you to Remus that one time,” Sirius said and Severus snorted.



“Just promise you won’t do it again and you’re forgiven,” Severus bargained and Sirius sniggered.



“I don’t think you’d sit very well with his palate.”



Sirius left him, slipping downstairs to his room to reassure his husband, and Severus moved to the bathroom.



“Harry, it’s Severus. I’m coming in,” he called before he let himself in, leaving the door open as he moved forwards.



Harry had taken a shower and dealt with his bleeding, but now he was hunched over the toilet, vomiting for all he was worth. Severus knelt beside him and rubbed his back, murmuring soothing nonsense.



Harry pulled back, sobbing. He flinched as Severus tried to pull him into his hold and then relaxed, remembering who he was with, curling into the arms. He curled his knees into his chest and wrapped his arms around them, his head resting against Severus’ chest. Severus had a leg either side of him and the long legs curled around him to make him feel more secure. The strong arms wrapped around him and stroked his back, smoothed his hair.



“He asked,” Harry whispered.



Severus was confused. He knew who ‘he’ was, but how had Harry reached a point of remembering what had happened to him? There was seemingly no trigger for this one, where had it come from? Sirius appeared in the doorway, clutching a pain potion and an anti nausea solution. Sirius had obviously heard Harry throwing up and Ron must have told him what Harry had taken. They had taken down all silencing charms, and Harry had apparently woken the whole house, if the noises from below them were any indicator.



Severus held up a hand briefly, warning him to stay in the doorway. Harry needed to talk, but he had never talked about his abduction and rape with other people in the room. Sirius nodded and stayed where he was, watching the scene. Severus reasoned it would probably be a good idea for Sirius to see this, to know how fragile Harry had once been. It would be a test of how well he would handle Harry’s full regression. If it got too much for Sirius, he could simply walk away. Harry’s back was to him, he would not know that Sirius had pulled away from the horrific remembrance, whatever it was going to be.



Harry gasped in air between sobs, finding the strength to say what he wanted to. The rule was to talk, he would talk.



“Lu…Lucius asked…about my p-periods…” He sobbed again, trying to block out the memory of that conversation, but he couldn’t, it would always be there. “He asked…when my…la-last one w-was and…and when m-my next one was.”



Severus rocked him and Harry managed to calm himself enough to talk without sobbing. His dry eyes stared out at the tiled wall, seeing that room, that man.



Severus understood what had triggered this now. This was the first menstruation since his abduction. Severus should have figured it out, but he had been too busy trying to deal with Harry’s screams of pain. But he would deal with it now. Harry would follow the rules, he would talk. And, like always, Severus would listen.



“I was going to meet Hermione and Ron, they were getting married, we were going to pick out robes, me and Ron. I was going to be his best man. I took the bus. The traffic was bad, I was running late. He grabbed me and I dropped my wand. He pulled me back into a dark alley. I could see Hermione, she was standing at the door, looking for me. There were Aurors with her. He put an arm around my waist and a hand over my mouth. I couldn’t call out for help, but I tried. He Apparated us to his house.” He released one hand from his knees and latched it onto Severus arm, holding tight. “I tried to figure out who had me, to think first, like you taught me. I tried to list all the Death Eaters who had stayed out of Azkaban in my head, but I only managed to think of you and Lu-Lucius before he threw me into th-that…that r-room.”



Severus was fighting his own tears. Harry had not told him of the very first time, not like this. He had described some moments of it, like the use of Lucius’ cane and the meal of toast, but he had not described this, the first few hours of his kidnap. Severus remained silent. Harry was just gathering himself, he wasn’t struggling to find the words.



“I hit my head. When I came to, I was…was…chained and naked. It was dark, I had been there for a few hours, and I tried to look around, to see where I was. But it was hard without my glasses, and my head hurt. I could only see the bed I was on and the chains. Then…h-he came in.”



Sirius stood stock still in the doorway, his mouth hanging open. This was Harry’s full regression, recounting memories too horrific to imagine? Stuttering, sobbing, clinging to Severus in fear? This was what had happened to his special boy, what that son of a bitch had put him through? The only thing that he could think of that even came close to what he was seeing was Harry’s panic attack when he hit Severus the morning of their wedding. That was a picnic compared to this. This was already getting to him, his mind supplying him with images too clear to be easily dismissed. He wanted to walk away, curl up in a corner and pretend he had not heard a single thing, but he didn’t. Something forced him to stay. Severus’ eyes were clamped shut, and Sirius realized that Severus, who loved Harry more than anything else, who worshiped Harry, had listened to things like this from day one and managed not to go Lucius Hunting. His respect for the man grew.



“I tried to cover myself, so he wouldn’t see, but it was too late. He said something about…about the m-matter at ha-hand…he gave me th-the t-t-toast. He ate some…no poison…he fed me…my hands…pinned up…couldn’t…wiped crumbs.” Harry gasped, regaining himself. “Then he said that w-word. He t-told me what I was.”



“A hermaphrodite,” Severus supplied gently and Harry nodded. Harry was stuttering again, and he was having a hard time breathing. He was missing out words in his struggle to get it out, but Severus allowed it, he knew what Harry was saying, and he was sure that Sirius did as well. He considered telling Sirius to leave if he wanted to, that he didn‘t have to witness this if it was too much, but Harry stopped him, surprising him again.



“S-Sirius c-can come and…and s-sit with us…if…if h-he wants t-to…if he w-wants to…listen to this…he d-doesn’t have to…but I…I don’t m-mind,” Harry forced out and Sirius looked at Severus questioningly. On seeing the nod from the man, he made his way in and settled himself, leaning against the bathtub, his knees drawn up. He hadn’t realized Harry had known he was there, and Severus obviously hadn’t either.



“I brought you some more potions, pup,” Sirius said, his voice barely above a whisper. He set them on the floor between them and settled back, following Severus’ lead and staying silent. He would let Harry do this, and he would stay silent if it killed him.



Harry swallowed, trying to stay calm enough to carry on. Severus needed to know why he was this bad right now, what was going through his head.



“He was smiling…I hadn’t told anyone and he smiled about it…I didn’t know w-what I w-was called…and…and I was…was interested. No one h-had ev-ever e-explained it be-before. He e-explained what I was…e-explained it all. I told h-him only Ron knew, but I had n-never talked about…about it. He wanted…t-to know how Ron knew and…and I…I told him…Ron was there the first time, Ron helped me d-deal with it. And he asked ab-about the…the bleed-bleeding…when my l-last one was…when my n-next one was. He asked more…erections…female a-arousal. He asked if I…I en-enjoyed it. He s-smirked at m-me when I s-said I d-didn’t know h-how.”



Sirius was sickened. Lucius had ensured Harry was ovulating when he raped him, ensured he would fall pregnant. Miri was not some accident as Sirius had thought she was. Sirius had assumed that Miri was an unplanned by-product of Harry’s ordeal. Lucius had also purposely made sure that Harry had no idea what the hell was coming, that Harry had been at his most terrified when he violated him. Sirius would happily go back to Azkaban if he was just allowed ten minutes alone with a wandless Lucius.



Mind you, Severus didn’t look much better than Sirius felt. Sirius was convinced that if Severus bit any harder on his lower lip he would gnaw clean through it. But it was probably the best way to handle staying silent. Sirius was surprised to feel his own lip between his teeth, sore and swollen. He hadn’t noticed himself biting it.



“He…he t-took off…his…his clothes…talking ab-about l-leg-legends…and the l-law. He tal-talked about maid-maidenhead…about mine. If…if he t-took it…he owned m-me.” Harry let out a hollow laugh. “I begged,” he whispered, his nails digging in to Severus’ arm as anger replaced his panic.



Severus saw the Animagus wipe away his tears but Severus didn’t have to, his had not fallen. He knew what was coming next and he braced himself for it. He felt Harry tense. He was not going to stutter anymore, or skip out words, not for this bit. No, Harry was angry now. He vaguely wondered if Sirius could handle what was coming next.



“Fucking bastard! I didn’t know, how was I supposed to! I knew how Seamus and Dean had sex, and how a boy and girl had sex, the boys talked enough for me to know that! But how the hell was I supposed to do it!” Harry snarled, and Severus saw Sirius’ eyes widen at how open and honest it was, at how sudden a change there was. He shook his head slightly and Sirius nodded, he would remain the silent observer until shown otherwise by Harry.



“You were not to know. No one would have expected you to,” Severus said and Harry nodded before he snorted.



“I didn’t even know how babies were made! The guys never talked about that little detail! No one ever told me! How was I supposed to know I could get pregnant! I didn’t even know what fucking girl bits I had! He kept on about ‘bear the male child’, what the fuck was bearing a child! Hogwarts doesn’t exactly have a class on it, you know! Hermaphrodite baby making 101! Fucking prick!” Harry fumed, kicking the wall briefly, Severus biting back his smirk, Sirius still staring in amazement.



“That he is,” Severus agreed.



“I couldn’t tell anyone, I was convinced they’d hate me! And the talk you gave me the summer before my fifth year didn’t help any, Sirius,” Harry said, fixing his eyes on his godfather as he curled his leg back into his chest. “It was good advice, but it didn’t quite apply, not when I was lost about it all. ‘Use protection’ without explanation didn’t help.”



“I’m sorry, pup. If I’d have known, I would have told you more than just ‘use protection’,” Sirius admitted and Harry nodded before he stared angrily at the wall again.



Severus was shaking in silent laughter, and Sirius resolved to explain that little statement later. He had tried to give Harry the talk on the birds and the bees, but Harry hadn’t let him. Harry had just walked away, stating he didn’t need it. Sirius only managed to get out ‘use protection’, his badly decided upon opening line, before Harry shot him down. He should have pushed it. He didn’t and now he wished he had. Not that there was anything left for him to tell Harry at this point, but he still should have educated his son.



“I begged him,” Harry whispered, depression setting in with the memories. “I told him I wasn’t ready to have sex with anyone, that I barely knew him. I asked him not to do it.”



Severus stroked the dark hair, waiting for Harry to get to the heart of it. He hoped Sirius could handle this, Harry would be devastated if Sirius pulled away now.



“I said that no one would let him keep me, but he talked about the law and Azkaban. Then, as he began to touch me, I promised to keep it a secret. If he let me go, I’d never tell anyone. He ignored it, said he wasn’t going to let me go. I started to panic…he kissed my face and neck, pinned my legs as I tried to kick him.”



It was like watching a movie on the insides of his eyes, Harry couldn’t stop talking now, even if he wanted to. It was all spilling forth now, and his mind slipped back to that room, that man, that day.



“I shattered the glass and the plate and he said he’d render me unconscious if I panicked too much. So I stayed calm. He promised to be gentle.” Harry began to cry again, thinking back. “He lied. There’s only one Death Eater who doesn’t like causing pain…but I…I didn’t let myself think of you…I couldn’t…not while he did that.”



He sniffed and Severus handed him a length of tissue. He blew his nose and gripped the tissue in his free hand, his other was busy tracing Severus’ Dark Mark.



“I asked…him to…to tell me…when he was going to…to…do it…after that I just lay there. I screamed….and cried. He touched me…and did things to me…the cane…and the leather tied tight…and then…then…he…he…” Harry shook his head, unable to say it.



“It’s all right, love. You don’t have to say that word, you don’t have to say what he did next, we know,” Severus soothed and Harry nodded.



“He bit…and scratched…and broke…” At the mention of each injury, Harry subconsciously ran his fingers over a body part. For ‘bit’ he touched his shoulder; for ‘scratched’ he touched his side; for ‘broke’ he touched his wrist. “When it was over…he put that…that thing in…in me. Don’t say it! He said it was ‘to ensure conception’…I didn’t know what that was…I didn’t know it meant getting pregnant…I didn’t know it would lead to Miri. He got up…and got dressed…and left. And I curled up…and I cried…and I panicked.”



Sirius appeared to be fighting rising vomit, but Severus admired the way he stayed where he was, not saying a word, not doing anything but waiting. It was a good sign. Severus pulled Harry in for a tight hug, the kind Harry used to like after a revelation last time he was like this. But Harry pulled away, scrambling away from him. He curled up in the corner behind the door, hugging his knees.



“I talked, I followed the rule. I want to be alone now,” Harry said calmly, staring at the floor.



“Take the potions and we will go,” Severus said immediately. Harry had done this before, pulled away, isolated himself. Severus knew from experience that if he pushed him, Harry would only withdraw from him further.



Harry grabbed the potions and gulped them down, passing the empty bottles to Severus. He buried his head against his knees and let himself fall apart, sobbing the way he had in the beginning, when he couldn’t even look at himself in the mirror.



Severus got to his feet and threw the stained pyjamas into the hallway before he pulled Sirius to his feet. The Animagus opened his mouth to protest but Severus clapped a hand over it, shaking his head. The blue eyes blazed and Severus shook his head a little more firmly, grabbing both of his wrists in his one free hand. Sirius looked shocked that he could be restrained so easily.



“How long?” Severus asked, his hand still clamped over Sirius’ mouth. The thin shoulders shrugged and Severus sighed. “Very well. I shall be in the kitchen, come and find me when you are ready.”



He dragged Sirius from the room, Harry slamming the door behind them, and pinned Sirius to the wall. He kept his hands in place, silencing the Animagus.



“Listen to me. If you push him, he will pull away and it will take much longer to pull him back from this,” Severus hissed decisively. “We will leave him be, and it may only be today that he is like this.”



Eventually, Sirius nodded and Severus pulled his hand away.



“Are all his memories of it like that?” Sirius asked, his voice barely above a whisper.



“Yes. He has never gone into detail like that about the first time before, but they are all like that. Are you all right?” Severus asked.



“I’m fine. I want to murder that son of a bitch, but I will deal with that. Will he be all right?”



“Yes. He has done this before, isolated himself like this after a memory. It does not last more than an hour, usually. He will come and find me when it is over,” Severus said, ending the conversation.



He checked on Miri, finding her fast asleep, though he didn’t know how. Thank Merlin for small miracles. Harry was not in a position to deal with her right now, yet Harry would not let anyone hold her at this point, not while he was hurting like this. Severus grabbed the stained bedding and pyjamas, making his way down to the kitchen, Sirius following.



The kitchen was full of people, the whole household except Solarin. They all looked at the two men expectantly but Severus ignored them. He dumped the laundry on the draining board, unsure of what else to do with it, and grabbed the jug of milk sitting on the table. He hurled it at the wall, shattering it, sending milk and glass flying. He strode across the room to a clear wall and punched it as hard as he could, feeling the bones in his hand snap at the impact. He leant against the wall, breathing deep, before he slid down it. He drew up his knees and rested his elbows on them, holding his head in his hands. His fingers threaded through his hair and he pulled at it, using the pain to snap him back to sense.



He looked up and examined his hand, watching the blood trickle down from the broken skin.



“Can someone heal my hand for me, please?” he mumbled. “I do not trust myself with a wand right now.”



Arthur came forwards and healed it before Anne rubbed a healing balm into it. Molly set to the laundry he had brought down, soaking it in a large pail of cold water.



“What happened?” Hermione asked and Severus looked away from her, studying the grey stone tiles of the floor. What the hell could he tell them? ‘Oh, I’m sorry, my husband just went into excruciating detail about the first time Lucius Malfoy violated him, I just needed to relieve some anger so I don’t kill someone’? He didn’t think that would cut it.



“Harry shared a memory with us,” Sirius answered for him, sweeping up the destroyed jug. “Don’t ask what it was, we’re not telling you. All you need to know is that it was bad and Harry needs to be alone right now. He’s in his bathroom. We will all stay down here or go back to bed. We will leave him be.”



“Is he all right?” Remus enquired worriedly.



“He is fine. He just needs some time alone. He will come out when he is ready,” Sirius assured and Remus nodded.



“Are you all right, Severus?” Ron asked and Severus stared at him.



Was he all right? Yes, he was. Harry had just caught him off guard with his recollections. He used to be hardened to them, dealing with them by swearing himself silly in a silenced room so Harry could not hear him. Smashing the jug and breaking his hand were not the most mature actions to have undertaken, but he had required them.



“I am all right now. I just needed to vent, hence the jug. It is not easy to listen to Harry’s memories,” Severus assured. He sighed. “Thank you for helping him, Ron.”



“I told you, it’s no problem,” Ron said. He and Hermione were holding a sleepy baby each, Hermione cuddling Joseph and Ron snuggling Catherine. The infants were a breath away from sleep, and their parents looked that way too.



“You misunderstand. Not just for tonight, thank you for all the times you helped him in school, when he would not go to a teacher.”



Ron gaped and his ears went bright red. “He’s my friend. He needed help, I couldn’t say no,” Ron mumbled.



“You could have,” Sirius put in.



Remus was staring at his husband in amazement of how well he was interacting with Severus, even helping the man put across what he wanted to. What the hell happened up there? What the hell had Sirius seen? Heard? He was never this calm, this resigned. This was new, but it was a good new. He refrained from passing comment. He could grill him later, if Sirius would tell him.



“Yes, you could have turned away. Not many thirteen year old boys would deal very well with a period from their apparently male friend,” Anne agreed. “You sticking by him was a very noble thing to do. It shows wonderful moral fibre.”



Ron was practically glowing like a traffic light, he was that red.



“Thank you for taking care of him, Ron,” Remus said and the redhead nodded, hiding his face by gazing down at Catherine.



Severus took a deep breath and got to his feet, settling wearily at the table. Charlie pushed a brandy into his hand and he nodded his thanks, downing it in one gulp.



“Just out of sheer curiosity, when did he start these?” Severus asked. “Was it before or after the Shrieking Shack?”



“Before. He bled for three days, and on the fourth the Shrieking Shack happened,” Ron supplied, free with the information because Severus was the one asking. Harry was not in a position to tell Severus what he wanted to know, but he had called for Ron, who was. Ron knew that Harry wanted him to tell all, it was why Harry had screamed for him. Ron knew his friend incredibly well after seven years.



“Does he scream like that every month?” Sirius requested.



“Not always that severe, but his cramps are painful every time,” Ron said. “I can only remember one other this bad. It was in fifth year, in November.”



“How the hell did the two of you hide this?” Remus asked, his brow furrowed in concentration, trying to remember being Harry’s teacher. “None of us ever had a clue, and Harry was kept a very close eye on by all the teachers in his third year.”



“Yes, we kept a very close eye on him that year because of the rumours about Sirius wanting to kill him,” Severus agreed, and Sirius snorted. “All five years we were instructed by Albus to watch him. With all that was happening, and the events of his past, it would have been all too easy for him to slip into depression, which could have led to him becoming suicidal. Thankfully, he has never had any such urges, even after the bad things.”



“I asked him that,” Ron put in. “I could see how closely everyone was keeping an eye on him, and McGonagall took me aside and explained what you were worried about. When I woke up with him and saw all the blood, I asked him if he’d done something silly, if he had hurt himself. He swore to me that he’d never do anything like that, and I believed him. Harry wouldn’t physically abuse himself, it’s more verbal when he gets down.”



“So, how did you hide this?” Bill requested, changing the subject.



“I cast silencing charms on the drapes of Dean, Seamus and Neville’s beds so they didn’t hear. It worked because all five of use slept with the drapes closed, we were teenage boys after all, things were going to get a little…private.” They all smiled, knowing exactly what ‘private’ was. “I was always the one to wake Harry in the mornings, the others were too scared to, so during his periods I left him to sleep until everyone else had left the dorm. I perfected my use of cleaning charms on his sheets when he marked them. As for the pain, he grit his teeth and got through it on sheer determination. The protection he used, well, he used to buy that in bulk in the summers, but he bleeds really badly, he used to run out before he had a chance to buy more, no matter how well he calculated. He wouldn’t go to Madame Pomfrey for more, and I knew it was pointless to try and persuade him to go to anyone, so I summoned Hermione’s,” Ron explained.



“I assumed it was Lavender or someone else in my dorm,” Hermione said. “I had no idea it was Harry who was using them. But I’m glad he did. Even if I didn’t know, I was still helping in some way.”



“That’s why I summoned yours. He wouldn’t let me tell you, but you’re his friend. You would’ve wanted to help him too. This way, you were,” Ron said and she kissed him, the two of them swapping twins in an effort to get them to settle.



“What about his trips to the hospital wing? How did Poppy never see what he was?” Arthur questioned.



“You can’t see that bit of him unless he shows you. He’s never shown me, by the way, I’m just telling you what he told me,” Ron said, getting flustered. He took a deep breath to fight his embarrassment. “Harry told me that his…boy bits kind of…well…they hide it…the girl bits.”



They all waited patiently as he gathered himself. It was not easy for Ron to talk about this, he barely managed to deal with his own bits.



“Right, I’m just going to reel this all off, don’t interrupt, this is hard enough as it is,” Ron announced and they remained silent. “I’ve seen Harry in the showers at Hogwarts and I’ve shared a room with him. When he’s standing you see nothing girly. When he’s standing up, it’s all hidden. I never spied on him or anything, but it’s a fact of life that we’re going to see each others bits, it’s a boarding school, it happens. Get it? Got it? Good.”



Charlie burst into a fit of laughter, Bill joining him, and Ginny, then Hermione and Phoenix. Before long, the whole table was laughing. Severus decided to take pity on the Gryffindor who’s face now matched his hair.



“Harry appears male. To the untrained eye, or one who is uninformed of his true anatomy, he appears to be nothing more than a young man. Poppy would have had no reason to examine his genitals, he did not display any grounds for an examination there, thus she was unaware,” Severus revealed.



He had discussed this with Poppy Pomfrey, he knew why she had not seen it. She had treated Harry for unconsciousness, having the bones of his arm removed, duelling the Dark Lord several times, but nothing that would require a look between his legs. She may have changed him into pyjamas, but the matron used a spell to do that. Harry growing up so painfully shy of his body had caused him to hide himself, and Poppy had respected that.



“Why were they scared to wake him?” Phoenix asked.



Ron looked uncomfortable with this question, unsure of how well Harry would take him revealing it. He promised he wouldn’t.



“He had nightmares,” Severus revealed. Ron sighed and smiled gratefully at him, to which he nodded. “That is how you knew the difference tonight, is it not?”



“Yes. I’ve been getting up with him since our second year. By the time we started our fourth year, I knew the difference without fail. Even when we didn’t talk, I still lay awake, incase he needed me,” Ron confessed. “The others used to get scared of his nightmare screams, which made them terrified of trying to wake him. They never figured out the difference, so they all assumed he was just having another nightmare. They learned to sleep through it, mostly. It was always me that woke him in the morning, always me that sat up with him at night. I couldn’t just leave him, he’s my best friend, he needed me.”



Molly moved in and hugged her son, telling him how proud he made them all.



Severus had Phoenix pull a fresh sheet of paper, and outlined Harry’s rules for her. She wrote them all down, decorating them with little moving pictures, and then Sirius stuck it up for them, right next to Remus’ rules. Harry’s sheet was divided into two halves. The top set of rules were ones that Harry had to follow. The bottom set were rules to follow when dealing with him.



“Everyone will follow them without exception,” Severus commanded. “The ones on the bottom are for you all to be clear on what to do. The top four are for him to follow, and he will obey without exclusion.”



They all nodded and sat there talking about the upcoming days events, all of them managing to remain coherent even though it had just gone one in the morning.



Severus suggested that they spend the day in the garden, surmising that Harry might do better with open space rather than four walls. It was agreed and Sirius suggested a picnic for lunch, that they lay out a large blanket. Remus jumped at the idea, becoming tired of sitting in chairs all day. He could lounge on the blanket, feeling a little like his old self.



At Severus’ questioning, Bill revealed that Solarin had dosed herself with a sleeping draught to allow herself some rest during Harry’s bad days, thus she had slept through all the screaming.



One by one, people began to drift off back to bed, until only Severus, Sirius and Remus remained at the table. Remus was exhausted but he insisted on waiting up for Harry to emerge and Sirius let him, provided he remained calm. Remus actually managed it, with Sirius distracting him by talking about Sam’s impending visit.



Severus sipped his tea, waiting. Harry would come out eventually, but it didn’t make it any easier for him to sit twiddling his thumbs until that happened. He chatted about everything and anything with the other two men, occupying himself, ignoring the desire to run upstairs and check on his lover. It was just gone two when Harry finally surfaced.



Harry wiped his eyes and sighed. He felt a little better after his cry. He wanted to stay in the bathroom forever, but that was not part of the deal. He couldn’t shut himself away, Miri probably would not like her carrier becoming a bathroom recluse and Severus would never let him do it.



He hoisted himself to his feet, having to take four attempts to actually do it with his shaky legs. He washed his face, brushed his teeth and took a deep breath before he opened the door. He walked into the nursery and watched Miri sleep for a few minutes, clinging to the crib to keep himself upright, before he slowly made his way down the stairs. He was still in a state of barely controlled panic, and he wanted his anchor. His knees were like jelly, and he was shaking uncontrollably, the way he had all the way back in January. His heart was pounding and he was covered in a cold sweat. Maybe it had not been a good idea to recite the whole memory to Severus and Sirius. But he had been following rule number four, he had talked.



He peeked into the kitchen, relieved to find only his parents sitting with his husband.



“Hi,” Harry mumbled quietly and they all smiled as they laid eyes on him. “Can I h-have some t-tea, please?”



“Of course, pup,” Remus said and Sirius moved to make it, choosing the peppermint one Harry liked.



Harry made his way into the room and gnawed at his thumbnail as he hovered uncertainly near Severus. He had practically shoved the man away. He wasn’t sure if Severus would let him curl up in his lap. But he needn’t have worried. Severus held his hand out, waiting for Harry to take it before he spoke.



“Do you want to cuddle, love?” Severus asked gently, smiling.



Harry nodded and let Severus pull him into his hold, his arms securely around Harry’s slender frame. He curled his fingers in Severus’ shirt and sighed at the tender kiss that was pressed to his scar as he rested his feet in the free chair next to Severus.



“How are you feeling?” Severus asked, motioning silently to Sirius for one of Harry’s bottles of pearlescent blue calming draught.



“Bad,” Harry whispered.



“It’s all right, love. This won’t last too long, I promise,” Severus reassured as Sirius gave them Harry’s tea and the potion in a small glass. “Harry, you have to take this.”



Harry eyed it. He knew what it was, but he didn’t want to take it.



“I d-don’t w-want it,” Harry argued.



Severus sighed. They were going to play this game, were they? Harry was going to lose, Severus always won this game.



“Harry, look at The Rules,” Severus instructed, pointing to them. “Look next to them.”



Harry looked and found another piece of paper hung up. That hadn’t been there when he went to bed. When had that gone up?



“What’s t-that?”



“Those are Harry’s Rules. One of them says you will take any potions I deem necessary. You agreed to it during dinner. You will take this potion, Harry.”



“N-no,” Harry said stubbornly.



“Please?”



“N-no.”



“Either you take it or I force it down you,” Severus threatened.



Harry knew he was serious. He had done it before, restrained him and forced his potions down his throat the one time he had refused. Harry had understood that he had needed the nutrient potion, and all the others, and he had been foolish to refuse them. Severus had not pinned him beneath him, he had pinned him with Harry’s back to his chest and pulled open his mouth so Draco could just pour it in. Harry had been forced to swallow, or choke as Severus had held his hand over his mouth. Sneaky sod. Afterwards, Severus had soothed him with a slice of chocolate cake.



Harry sighed. “C-can I have ch-chocolate if I t-take it?”



Severus smirked. “Yes, you can. You can have a treat every time you ingest the potions I give you. But you will take this one now, and take the others later.”



Harry nodded and reached out to grab the glass, but he merely managed to send it flying as his hand was shaking so badly. At least the glass stayed in one piece even if the potion was spilled all over the table in front of Remus. He pulled back his hand, letting out a small sob into Severus’ shoulder as he buried his head.



“S-sorry, I d-didn’t mean to…to do th-that,” Harry said and Severus kissed his trembling hand.



“It’s all right, it was an accident,” Severus soothed as Sirius chucked a cloth at Remus.



Remus mopped up the mess, staying seated, and Sirius brought him another one, along with a bar of Honeydukes milk chocolate, Harry’s favourite, as an enticement.



“Th-thank y-you,” Harry mumbled, not able to look either of his fathers in the eye as Sirius reclaimed his seat.



Severus reached out and picked up the glass, bringing it to Harry’s hand. The sprite took it and Severus held him steady as he drank it, stroking his back as it was gulped down. Harry drank it all and released the glass to Severus, who set it down and broke Harry’s chocolate into pieces for him as the potion began to work. By the time Harry reached for a piece, his hand was steady, his breathing was slower and he had stopped shaking.



“Did Ron answer all of your questions?” Harry asked quietly, washing down his treat with a sip of tea.



Sirius chuckled. “How did you know he would?” he asked, relieved by the lack of stutter. He found it horrible for Harry to talk like that.



“I called for him. He knew that if I called for him then I wasn’t able to explain, so he could tell you all everything. Well, tell Severus everything,” Harry explained. “Me and him discussed it just after he moved in here, we agreed to that plan just in case.”



“He did inform us, love,” Severus said. “Why didn’t you ever tell one of us?”



“I thought you’d all hate me,” Harry mumbled, picking at the hem of his top.



“No one hates you, pup,” Remus said. “We would have helped you, shed light on what you are, what was happening to you. We would have helped you cope with this.”



“I know that now. But I didn’t then. I had to tell Ron, he saw the blood, I didn’t choose to tell him,” Harry said, gaining confidence.



“How are you feeling now?” Severus enquired, laying a careful hand on his belly to clarify what he was asking.



“Sore, but I’m not screaming anymore, so it’s much better,” Harry admitted.



“And the panic?”



“Better. I’m sorry I argued about the rule.”



“You obeyed in the end. Now, do you want to go back to bed?”



“No,” Harry said, snuggling into the broad chest. “Not yet. Can we just sit here for a while?”



“Of course. Remus, you and Sirius can go back to bed now if you wish,” Severus offered and Remus looked murderous.



“I’m not going anywhere, not until Harry does,” he demanded and Sirius rolled his eyes.



“Mood swings,” Sirius muttered and Harry giggled. It was more of a titter but he did laugh. Remus glared at Sirius.



“I am not having a mood swing, I am ensuring the health and well being of our son,” Remus said angrily.



“Remain calm, one of The Rules,” Sirius said quickly and Remus craned round to see The Rules.



“Blasted things,” he muttered, huffing in his chair and crossing his arms. “Harry, can I have some of your fudge?” he asked hopefully.



Harry chewed his lip and looked up at Severus. “Is he allowed it?” Harry asked.



“Yes, he can have it. Honeydukes makes all of their traditional sweets, such as fudge and marzipan, the muggle way, with no magic involved. They claim it gives them a better flavour,” Severus explained.



“Then yes, you can have some fudge. I think there’s some vanilla left, I don’t think I’ve eaten all of that one. You like the vanilla one, right?” Harry offered as Sirius retrieved it for him.



“Thanks, pup. I love vanilla fudge, it’s my favourite,” Remus said, smiling as he was given the candy. He looked up sheepishly as he tucked into a big chewy piece. “Sorry, Sirius. I am having mood swings aren’t I?”



“Yes. Don’t fret, keeps me on my toes. But I know the trick now. Vanilla fudge. I’m going to buy it in bulk,” Sirius joked, making Remus blush.



They sat like that, soothing Harry with their banter until Remus glanced up to find Harry sleeping against Severus’ chest.



He looked so much younger in sleep, looking scarily like the baby boy Lily had adored, the one she had proudly shown them toddling around her living room, the one James had said would be a brilliant Quidditch player after Sirius had given Harry a toy broom for his first birthday. Remus watched him sleep for a while, Severus and Sirius busy talking about the way they had fought in school. He still cuddled up in his sleep, he had done that to James, cuddling to him as James carried him to his crib or fell asleep on the sofa with Harry on his chest. He still played with his nose too, he had forever rubbed his nose in sleep as he sucked his thumb. Miri had obviously inherited it. He wondered what Lily and James would make of their baby boy now, and he realized that they would be incredibly proud of him, just like he was.



Harry was everything his parents had hoped he would be. He was kind, comforting Hermione when she had wanted to give up, lending her his strength. He was brave, risking his life for everyone else when he could have been killed in the process. A true Gryffindor. He was gentle, so very loving. He was a gifted Seeker, James had wanted that, wanted his son to enjoy the sport as much as he had. Harry was intelligent, he got that from Lily. He was a wonderful carrier, if a little unsure of himself, and a devoted husband. He could be stubborn and manipulative, teasing and mocking, fragile and unstable, but most of all, he loved with all his heart.



That was what Lily and James had worried about the most, that if something happened to them, Harry would be all alone, with no one to love, no one to love him. Not the case. Harry had a whole family around him who had just dragged themselves out of bed to see if he was all right, even if they couldn’t help, couldn’t even see him. Harry was loved. Harry had found a true love with Severus, though James would have had a problem with it, just like Sirius had, but he would have come to see that Severus was the best possible match for Harry. Soul mates.



Remus missed his friends and wished forever and a day that they were here, watching their son with him, but it wasn’t going to happen. So he took comfort in the fact that Harry was safe, and he was home. He was home where they could all take care of him.



And because of Lily and James sacrificing themselves, Remus and Sirius had gotten their son, their chance to be parents, finally. If Remus had the choice, he would have his friends back in a heartbeat, giving up Harry to them without a second thought. But they were not here, and they were not coming back. Remus took comfort in the way things were now. Harry was theirs now, their boy, their son.



Harry, their little boy who snuffled in his sleep, who still sucked his thumb at seventeen.



“Severus, Harry’s fallen asleep,” Sirius said, snapping Remus out of his thoughts.



Severus looked down, stroking back the wayward fringe. Harry turned towards his touch as it moved down to cup his cheek.



“Severus?” Remus asked as Severus made to carry Harry back to bed.



“Yes, Remus.”



“Can you just sit there for a while? Leave it a bit longer before you take him back to bed?”



“Of course, but why?” Severus asked, confused by the request but he settled in his chair once more.



“I want to watch him sleep for a little longer. I haven’t been able to do it since he was a baby,” Remus explained as Harry stroked his nose once more, Severus tilting him back a little further so he was firmly cradled in Severus’ arms and Remus could see him better.



“I see. Just tell me when you’ve watched your fill,” Severus said sympathetically and Remus went back to his staring, hardly feeling the hand Sirius stroked down his back.



Doubt began to fill him. What if this pregnancy did not go to plan? What if it did kill him, as Sam had pointed out could so easily happen? He would be leaving Harry. Harry would not be alone, he would still have the rest of the family if something were to happen to Remus, but was Harry ready to have the threat of another parent being taken from him?



‘No,’ Remus thought firmly. ‘I will not die. This will all go to plan.’



After another twenty minutes, Remus allowed Sirius to take him back to bed and Severus to take Harry to his. They all slipped into bed at three and prayed that Harry would be able to sleep through peacefully until seven.



Remus curled into Sirius and wondered why Harry could not be as blessed as James had been. James had seemed to glide through life, avoiding trouble and heartache until the day he died. He had led a charmed life. Why did Harry have to be the one to suffer?



Maybe Harry was not only James’ son after all.



He had James’ talent for trouble making, he could be cheeky like Sirius, he had his moments when he had Lily’s personality. And he rather resembled Remus’ knack for falling into the wrong situations.



Harry belonged to all of them.



@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@



Severus peered, bleary eyed, at the clock. In the four hours since they had gone back to bed, Harry had woken with nightmares twelve times. Each time, Severus had woken with him, finding Harry howling in his sleep. He had woken him and soothed him back to more pleasant dreams, but that had not lasted very long. It was less than twenty minutes before Harry was crying again. He suspected that he would need to brew a whole new batch of pepper up potion. Harry would have woken the rest of the house with his cries, they would all need something for the fatigue of a sleepless night.



Severus realized Harry was sobbing into his chest once more, and stroked his back, steeling himself for a very long day ahead. Harry was right, this was going to be bad.



“Harry, come on, wake up for me,” Severus urged, rocking him instead of shaking him awake. “Come on, love. It’s just a dream, just a bad dream. It’s all right, you’re safe.”



Harry blinked up at him, before burying his head and weeping into his chest again. Severus held him, letting him cry. It was better out than in.



After a few minutes Harry calmed and looked up at him tiredly. “What t-time is i-it?” Harry croaked, his voice hoarse from a whole night of panic.



“Seven. It’s time to get up, love.”



“I’ll g-go and…and sh-shower,” Harry mumbled, slipping from the bed and padding from the room, hugging himself.



Severus sighed. Back to this Harry then. This Harry was difficult to deal with, this Harry was scarily unpredictable with his behaviour. He could go from tears to panic to anger to isolation to clingy and everything in between in a heartbeat. There was seemingly no rhyme nor reason for Harry’s behaviour changes when he was like this, none whatsoever. They could be triggered by the tiniest thing. It reminded Severus of the rollercoaster he had gone on once with Solarin. He had not enjoyed it, and he did not enjoy this. But he would do it, and hope this did not last more than a few days. If he was lucky, Harry would snap out of it before lunch, or maybe dinner. If he was lucky, this would only last a few hours. Harry had done that before, regressed for a few hours and then it burnt itself out, leaving a happy Harry once more.



He eased himself from the bed and began to make it, glancing at Harry’s side to ensure he had not marked this set. There was no trace of blood, so he smoothed the sheet, fluffed the duvet and plumped pillows, busying himself while Harry dealt with himself in the bathroom.



“Severus?”



He glanced at the door, where Ron was standing holding a potion.



“Good morning, Ron,” Severus said tiredly.



“Morning. Sirius sent you a pepper up,” Ron said, holding out the bottle. “We’re going to need more, all of us have had some. Harry even managed to break through Sol’s sleeping draught. Though, how the hell does she look so good on so little sleep? It’s not fair.”



Severus received it with a smile and gulped it down, feeling his fatigue dissolve as it took effect.



“Thank you,” Severus said, moving to the dresser to find Harry some clothes. “And Solarin looks good on so little sleep because she rarely sleeps. She always looks like that.”



“Ah. Ummm….there’s something I forgot to tell you last night,” Ron said quietly and Severus turned to look at him, arching an eyebrow in question. “When Harry bleeds, he sometimes likes big baggy clothes. He says that it feels better to hide himself when he bleeds. He doesn’t always wear that kind of thing, but he might prefer it at the moment, what with everything that’s going on with him today.”



“Thank you, Ron. You are a very good friend,” Severus said, pulling a pair of his own trousers and one of his own shirts for Harry. He grabbed a belt, his trousers would not stay up on Harry without one.



“Anne said to tell you that breakfast is ready, and it’s out in the garden. Bill and Charlie set up the tables, it’s all ready for Harry.”



“We’ll be down soon, once I persuade him to actually attend the meal,” Severus said. “Could I have a calming draught, a pain potion, one for nausea, a pepper up and a nutrient potion set up on the table ready for him? Though, it would be best if he was not able to see them at first. He will probably be reluctant to take them, so it will be best to get some food into him first, before we attempt it.”



“I’ll get it done for you. Anything else?”



“There is no toast on the table, is there?”



“No, Remus explained that one to Anne this morning when she tried to make it. There’s no pumpkin juice either, just in case,” Ron assured and Severus sighed in relief. One hurdle cleared.



The dark haired man nodded and Ron left him. Severus grabbed clothes for himself and underwear and shoes for them both before he slipped into the bathroom.



“Harry, I’ve brought you some clothes,” Severus said, seeing Harry nod through the frosted glass door of the shower cubicle. “They’re on the toilet tank.”



Severus relieved himself, brushed his teeth and shaved while he waited for Harry to emerge. Harry turned his back on him as he stepped out and Severus showered quickly, moving as fast as he could.



When he stepped out, he found Harry sitting on the floor, his knees drawn up. He had managed to dress his lower half, apparently not even his panic could make him despondent enough to go unprotected during his period, but the shirt was lying across his bare feet.



“Harry?”



He was ignored and he dressed quickly before he knelt down and stroked Harry’s wet hair. Harry sniffed, and Severus noticed that he was picking at the scars across his stomach.



“Talk to me, love. Tell me what’s going through your head,” Severus urged.



“I…I l-looked in…in the…the m-mirror,” Harry said. “L-look at me. I’m c-covered in them.”



Harry had not been fussy about his scars since the first week of his rescue. He had experienced a few moments of lingering shame over them, but it had not happened for six months.



The shame filled eyes broke Severus’ heart. Damn Lucius Malfoy to the nine hells. “I am looking at you. And I see my beautiful husband. I do not care about the scars. Remember what they are? You told me that they were reminders of how lucky you are now. They are medals of honour and bravery, a symbol of how strong you are to have survived it,” Severus said firmly, reciting Harry’s own words back to him.



“I hurt,” Harry whispered, clutching his stomach.



“We’ll get you something for it. But you have to finish getting dressed first so we can go downstairs.”



“Th-they can’t see! They c-can’t s-see them!” Harry panicked, covering his chest with his arms, and Severus held up the shirt and socks.



“Socks to cover your feet, even if you do not wear shoes, and a long sleeved shirt. You will be concealed. The shirt closes with buttons, so you can feed Miri and remain covered. No one will see, not today,” Severus assured and Harry nodded. Severus dressed him, Harry shaking too badly to do it unaided. Harry even let him push his feet into his favourite red Doctor Martins.



“I’m a…a f-freak,” Harry whispered brokenly. “No other b-boys b-bleed…like th-this. I’m a f-freak, just…just l-like Aunt Pet-Petunia always s-said I w-was.”



Severus fought the urge to kill Petunia. Landing himself in Azkaban would not be beneficial. “You are not a freak,” he argued. “You are special, you know that. You are my special Harry. You are not a freak.”



Harry stared at him and then nodded. He pulled Severus in for a kiss, clutching at him desperately. He pulled back and looked at his husband in horror.



“W-why isn’t i-it w-working? Why is-isn’t it h-help-helping?” Harry asked frantically.



“Because you are too panicked, love. My kisses can’t help, not right now, not while you are this bad. A potion will help though. Come on, let’s go and get Miri and we can get you one.”



“You d-do it. I c-can’t, I…I’ll drop h-her,” Harry insisted and Severus realized he was right. Harry was shaking too hard, it was impossible for him to hold Miri like this. Handling this fragile Harry had been so much easier when Miri was still a bump. He only had to care for one of them then. He would not complain, Harry and Miri were his all, his everything. It had just been simpler to handle this when Harry was pregnant.



Thank Merlin for Ron Weasley. The redhead appeared in the doorway, holding the now clean sheets from last night.



“Anne insisted these get put away now, while they’re still fresh or something like that. Where do I put them?” Ron asked, unable to see Harry where he was sitting.



“On the dresser and then come back here, I need your help,” Severus instructed and Ron sped from them, returning a moment later. Severus grabbed his hand and pulled him in, forcing him to crouch down so Harry could see him.



“Hi, Harry,” Ron said, and Severus was thoroughly impressed by how relaxed he sounded, by his gentle smile. It was as if Ron saw his friend falling apart every day and Severus was thankful that Ron was so good at dealing with Harry after almost seven years of Harry being put through the wringer by one madman or another.



“H-hi,” Harry whispered, staring at the floor.



“Harry, Ron is going to stay with you and I am going to go and get Miri,” Severus instructed and Harry nodded at him. He glanced at Ron and the redhead nodded, motioning to him that he would be fine with Harry while he was gone.



He moved to the nursery, where Miri was wide awake and babbling, waiting for him. He picked her up, bathed her in the baby bath he conjured and dressed her in a little pink summer dress before he carried her to the bathroom. He knelt down once more, and Harry stared at Miri, reaching out a shaking hand to hold one of hers. She began to scream and Harry snatched his hand back, gasping for breath.



“No, sweetheart. No look, no see,” Severus instructed her and she snuggled against him as she settled, looking for her reward. He kissed her curly head, pulling a toy for her from his pocket, and focussed on his husband.



“Harry, is it all right if Ron carries Miri for you?” Severus asked and Harry glanced between the three of them before he nodded slowly.



“Only…only R-Ron,” Harry mumbled. “N-no one else t-touches her.”



“Only me, Harry,” Ron said, taking the tiny girl and tickling her under the chin. “I’ll hold her until you’re a bit calmer, until you can feed her.”



Ron stepped out of the room, Harry frantically scrambling around so he could watch him, refusing to let Miri out of his sight now he had seen her. Severus gently pulled Harry to his feet, leading him out and to the top of the stairs.



“Very good, you’re doing so well. Now, we’re going down to breakfast,” Severus said and Harry pulled away, backing up against the wall and shaking his head. Severus sighed and pulled him away, rubbing his back. “The rules, Harry. You have to attend breakfast.”



Harry held him in a death grip and let him lead him down the stairs. Ron placed Miri so she could see Harry over his shoulder and went down first, urging Harry to follow by walking away with his daughter. Miri did her part by waving her snitch at her carrier. Harry had to be half carried down, his legs would not work properly. They made their way out to the garden and Harry tried to scramble back into the house at the sight of the whole family sitting at the table.



Almost everyone looked petrified by his behaviour, but there were a select few who had seen something like this before and took it in their strides. Phoenix had witnessed all this the first time, and continued to eat her breakfast, ignoring Harry like Severus had taught her when she was Draco. Sirius chewed his lower lip and fixed his eyes on his plate, refusing to look. Solarin made herself busy by accepting the post from the owls that had just swooped in and landed on the backs of chairs. Everyone else stared at the terrifying image of Harry being restrained by Severus as he tried to back up from them, before Solarin reminded them to return to their breakfasts.



“Harry, we have the rule of you attending because you need to see that they all still love you. Come on, you are going to sit at the table next to Nixie, just like you used to sit next to Draco,” Severus urged, half dragging him to the table. He sat him down and immediately sat next to him, taking the free end of the table. Harry gripped his hand.



“I…I w-want to…to f-feed M-Miri be-before I…I eat,” Harry whispered and Ron came forwards, handing her over before he sat down next to Hermione and took Catherine from his mother, reassuring the two women.



Severus knelt beside the shaking sprite and held him steady as he latched Miri, keeping him stable as he nursed her. Miri didn’t voice complaint on how turbulent her meal was, and Severus was thankful for having a placid daughter. Harry managed to calm down enough to not drop her as he winded her.



“S-Sirius can…can h-hold her,” Harry whispered and Severus motioned the Animagus over. Harry was still working on the fact that Sirius had not pulled away last night when he had heard what Harry had gone through, and Ron had never pulled away from him over what he was. He would only let them and Severus touch her, they were safe. Sirius crouched down, waiting patiently for instruction. It took Harry nearly ten minutes to breathe enough to speak again. “Y-you h-hold her…no one else…not R-Remus…no one…j-just you. N-no one t-touches…touches h-her,” Harry instructed and Sirius nodded.



“Only I hold her and no one touches her, not even Remus,” Sirius recited loud enough for the rest of the table to hear. Harry nodded and shakily handed her over, gripping Sirius’ wrists as he made sure she was safe. He let go and watched his godfather like a hawk as he returned to his seat. Sirius cradled the tiny girl, teasing her with the soft mermaid toy Severus had handed him. No one dared to even look at Miri, trying to help.



“That was very good, Harry,” Severus praised as Harry’s gaze moved to him once more. He eased himself back into his chair. “Now, you are going to eat. You cannot take potions on an empty stomach, not this many.”



“I’m n-not hungry,” Harry mumbled and Severus smirked. Harry had tried that one before, several times. It never worked.



“I do not care if you are hungry or not, you will eat. Rule number one, you will attempt to eat. You need to,” Severus argued as Anne fixed Harry a plate of scrambled eggs. Harry would not make a decision on what he wanted to eat, so it was better to decide for him.



“I d-don’t w-want to,” Harry insisted, but it was clear he already knew he was going to lose.



“Tough. You will try, at the very least.”



Harry huffed and crossed his arms, but he eventually nodded and was presented with his plate and a plastic cup of orange juice. Remus had filled the cup and, working on his experiences of the spilled calming draught last night, it was only half full. Less chance of Harry spilling it before someone caught the cup and no chance of the cup breaking if Harry accidentally sent it flying.



Harry began to eat, taking a tiny amount, and Severus accepted a coffee and a croissant. Harry was picking at his food more than eating it, but he did eat a bite or two, so Severus let it lie.



“Good morning, all,” Severus said and they jumped. Solarin smirked at him. “What are everyone’s plans for the day?”



They chatted quite pleasantly for the next half an hour, until Harry tugged on Severus’ sleeve.



“I…I c-can’t eat any…anymore,” Harry stuttered and Severus perused the plate. Harry had barely managed a quarter of it, and he suspected that Harry had merely moved his food around to make it look like he had eaten that much. Severus grabbed a roll and folded some bacon into it.



“Eat this roll and I will let you leave it,” Severus bargained and Harry glared at him before he took it, eating it as fast as he possibly could. It was gone in under a minute and Severus smiled as Harry sipped his juice, holding the cup with both quivering hands.



“C-can I l-leave it n-now?” Harry asked and Severus nodded.



“You can leave it, you did very well. Now you will take your potions,” Severus commanded and Harry shrank back into his chair, tugging the sleeves of his shirt down to cover his hands.



“I d-don’t want th-them,” Harry argued.



“I do not care. You will have them. You need them.”



“W-what are they?”



Harry was stalling, Severus knew that, but he played along. He motioned to Ron that this may get ugly, and Ron gave him an almost imperceptible nod. Harry would do better with Ron rather than Phoenix aiding Severus to administer them.



“A calming draught to ease the panic, a pain potion for the cramps, a nutrient potion for your lack of food yesterday, an anti nausea one for the sickness your period brings and a pepper up for the fatigue of your sleepless night,” he reeled off, pulling each one out from their hiding place behind the stack of pancakes.



Harry eyed them and started to slide around in his chair. Severus knew he thought he was being covert, that Severus didn’t see him do it, but Severus knew exactly what he was planning.



“I d-don’t need th-them,” Harry assured. It wasn’t very convincing, he was as pale as a sheet and covered in a cold sweat despite the heat of the day. Another heat wave reaching it’s peak.



“Potter, you will take these much needed potions, every last one. You will take them willingly or I will administer them,” Severus warned.



“I…I’m f-fine. I d-don’t n-need them.”



“Hold out your hand and tell me again that you are fine,” Severus suggested and Harry put his hands in his lap. “You will take them.”



“No!” Harry yelled, shooting from his chair and heading for the door. He didn’t get very far, he hadn’t even taken one step away from his chair before Severus grabbed his arm.



Harry pulled and thrashed, trying to free himself but Severus was much bigger and stronger than him. Severus wrestled with him, turning him around so his back was to Severus’ chest. The Potions Master sat down on the grass and secured Harry’s kicking legs with one of his own, trapping them with it. Harry was screaming at him, fighting against it and everyone looked terrified by how wild he had gone suddenly.



“Let g-go! I d-don’t want th-them! L-let go!” Harry screeched and Severus made a grab for his hands.



Sirius stood up and moved off to the oak tree, showing Miri the leaves that were still enchanted gold. He didn’t think Miri should see this, and, quite frankly, he couldn’t bear to watch either. It was horrible, watching his godson being pinned to take his potions, but it was necessary. He trusted Severus to help Harry, he would stay out of it, suppress his urge to snatch Harry from Severus. Harry needed the potions. He kept reminding himself that this was necessary.



“I h-hate y-you! G-get off m-me! You c-can’t do th-this, you…you fu-fucking D-death Eater!” Harry screamed, but Severus merely sniggered. Harry had called him far worse, this was nothing and it was only a last desperate attempt at fighting him. Severus managed to grab both of the hands trying to take a swing at him and pinned them against Harry’s stomach with one of his own clasped tight around Harry’s wrists.



“Ron, now please,” Severus called calmly and Ron came forwards, Solarin following with the potions.



Ron knelt down and Harry glared at him, his mouth clamped shut. Harry knew what was about to happen, and the only defence he had left was to keep his mouth shut. Logical idea, they couldn’t give him potions if they couldn’t get them down his throat, but it would not work. Harry had been in too much pain last night to cooperate, so they had forced them down then. Harry did not stand a chance, not against Severus and Ron.



“Harry, this is your last chance. Take them willingly, or we make you,” Severus offered clearly and Harry went still, considering it.



“F-fuck y-you!” Harry snarled at him and Severus chuckled.



“Not right now, love, maybe later. Potions now,” Severus said and Solarin snorted. She handed Ron the calming draught and Harry shut his mouth once more.



“I’m ready, Severus,” Ron said and Severus grabbed Harry’s jaw, holding his head still by wedging it between his own head and his shoulder. He slowly increased pressure until Harry’s mouth was open and Ron shoved it in, pouring it as fast as he could and then holding his hand over his mouth so he could not spit it out.



Severus stroked his throat, inducing his swallowing reflex and Harry gulped it down. Before Harry could voice anymore protest, they forced the other four potions down him and then Ron and Solarin backed off, leaving Severus to deal with a hysterical Harry.



Severus cautiously released the wrists and then freed Harry from his hold when he decided Harry would not attack him again. He turned him around and held him as she shrieked, tears pouring down his face, the force of it making it damn near impossible for him to breathe. Severus picked him up and carried him to the table, settling him in his lap and stroking his hair and back, rocking him.



“I’m sorry, love, but you left us with no choice. I apologise for how distressed you got, but I will not apologise for pinning you. You know the rules, you disobeyed. You were well aware of the consequences of refusing the potions. I will not apologise for that, but I am sorry you got so worked up, that it came to that,” Severus soothed as Harry tried to burrow into his chest.



Phoenix and Anne had disappeared and Severus wondered where they had gone. Remus appeared close to tears, Bill and Charlie were slack jawed and Ron was cradling a shaking Hermione. Sirius was hiding under the oak tree with Miri, and Severus considered him a very clever man for walking away from what he could not handle. Ginny was staring at her plate, Arthur and Molly were gripping at each other, and Solarin was calmly eating her fruit salad.



“I’m s-sorry, S-Severus,” Harry forced out between sobs.



“It’s all right. We have done this before, though I find it slightly amusing that you think you can get away with it,” Severus reassured and Harry shook his head.



“Not j-just that…I…I c-called you…things,” Harry clarified.



“You have called me worse. Did you mean it?” Harry shook his head so hard Severus was amazed it didn’t fly off. “Then it does not matter. You were angry at me, I understand where it came from. It is all right, love,” Severus soothed and Harry seemed to calm somewhat in his hysteria.



Phoenix and Anne returned and Severus was highly amused. Phoenix set down a mug of peppermint tea and a bar of chocolate, and Anne set down a box of tissues. Neither female seemed phased by the whole situation. In fact, they started to clear away some of the empty plates, making more room.



“Harry, you can have some chocolate now. You consumed the potions, you can have a treat,” Severus said, snatching up a tissue and mopping up the tears. Harry turned his head to the table and spotted the bar.



“Who got it for me?” Harry asked, and Severus sighed in relief at the lack of stutter.



“Nixie got you the chocolate and the tea, and Anne got you the tissues,” Severus said.



“Thank you,” Harry said to Phoenix.



“No problem,” Phoenix said, nibbling on her own bar. “I nicked one. You don’t eat the dark chocolate anyways.”



Harry peered around catching sight of Anne. “Thank you, nana.”



Anne practically glowed. She had offered the pet name to both Phoenix and Harry, but only Phoenix had taken her up on it. Phoenix had actually taken to calling Remus ‘papa’ and Sirius ‘dad’, something they rejoiced in, but Harry would not reach that point with the two men. Harry had called her Anne or Mrs. Lupin before now. Severus took it as a sign that the calming draught was working.



“Oh! It’s all right, dear, no trouble, no trouble at all,” Anne gushed. “Are you feeling better now?”



Harry nodded as Severus began to break up the chocolate for him and Harry slowly picked up the mug of tea, sighing when his hands were steady.



“I should have just taken them,” Harry muttered.



“You have taken them. It was simply a little troublesome to do so,” Severus dismissed and Harry smiled, his eyes darting around for his baby.



“Where’s Miri?” he asked worriedly.



“Sirius is sitting with her under the oak tree.”



Harry peered over to see his godfather cuddling his daughter, tickling her nose with a pansy from the flower bed, which she was trying to grab and eat. Harry left them to it as he drank his tea and consumed his chocolate.



Arthur and Bill left for work, kissing their respective ladies goodbye, and Anne carried out a huge blanket, Remus’ eyes lighting up. Solarin, Hermione, Anne and Phoenix grabbed a corner each, spreading it out on the grass. It was big enough to carpet the living room, though it covered barely a tenth of the huge garden, and Harry wondered what it was for.



“We’re going to have a picnic for lunch,” Ron explained as he gathered up plates to take to the kitchen, seeing Harry’s confused expression. “Remus is getting sick of sitting in chairs all day, so Sirius suggested the picnic. We’re all going to lounge on the blanket for the day.”



Harry smiled. “Sounds good,” he said and Ron grinned at him, moving away. “Severus, I feel much better. I think it’s burnt itself out now.”



“That is very good, love. Do you know why? Is it simply the calming draught?” Severus queried, stealing a piece of chocolate.



“The time,” Harry said simply, putting his empty mug on the table.



“I don’t understand,” Severus said, glancing at his watch. It was just gone ten. What did the time have to do with anything?



“He took me at nine. I was meant to meet Ron and Hermione at nine, but there was traffic so I was running late. I looked at my watch just before he grabbed me. He took me at quarter past nine,” Harry explained, sitting up fully and turning to face Severus. “It’s gone ten, and I’m still here, I’m still safe. He hasn’t taken me today. I feel much better now.”



Severus smiled and leaned in, cautiously kissing him. He was rewarded with an enthusiastic kiss, Harry’s hands stealing into his hair, the gentle tongue duelling with his own. When they pulled back, Harry was smiling at him, one of his megawatt smiles.



“Thank Merlin,” Severus breathed. It wasn’t even lunchtime and Harry’s bad phase had burnt itself out. “I was worried this may carry on all day, that you would do yourself some damage if it went on much longer.”



“I know, and I’m sorry I kept you up all night,” Harry said, his arms wrapped around his lovers neck.



“It is perfectly all right. I understand why it happened. Do not feel the need to apologise for any of this, to anyone,” Severus reassured and Harry kissed him again.



Charlie escorted Remus to the blanket and Harry sniggered at how fast he moved. Solarin brought out Remus’ papers, the werewolf eagerly setting down to work, propped up on his side by some pillows Ginny chucked out of one of the upstairs windows. They appeared to be the masses of cushions that adorned the living room. Solarin retrieved her own research and settled down near Remus, the two of them throwing theories around.



Harry stood up and kissed Severus. “I’m going to the bathroom. I will not take Miri,” Harry said. “I’ll be good now, I’ll follow the rules.”



“Only for the rest of today, Harry, just to be sure that you are back to your old self,” Severus guaranteed.



“I see the point of that, this could just be a good moment, I could get bad again. Besides, I don’t think I could hold Miri and go to the bathroom now I’m bleeding,” Harry admitted. “I kind of need both hands for it now.”



Severus chuckled and Harry grinned. Harry moved away a few paces and then spun on his heel, returning.



“Can Sol still conjure balls of light?” Harry asked.



“I have no idea. We could ask her.”



Harry nodded and slipped into the house.



Severus scrubbed his face with his hands and made his way over to the blanket, where the family was gathered, making themselves comfortable. Sirius had come out from his hiding place and was setting up a canopy over Miri, so she was not directly in the hot August sun. Ginny had grabbed oodles of toys from Miri’s nursery, enough to amuse her for days on end, and Ron was using some of them to entertain his twins.



“He’s fine now, it’s passed,” Severus said, and Remus actually rolled onto his back in relief.



“Thank Circe,” Remus mumbled. “Are you sure?”



“Yes, he is his old self. However, he stays on the rules for the rest of the day, just to ensure he is as he appears to be.”



“What changed?” Hermione asked. “Why did it suddenly burn out?”



“Lucius abducted him at quarter past nine. It is now twenty past ten. This was all brought on by the fear of being snatched from us once more,” Severus explained and they all voiced their understanding.



Harry slipped back into the garden as Phoenix made her way to the kitchen to help Anne and Molly, and Solarin went to get some fresh quills and ink. He made his way over to the blanket and plonked himself down, tickling Miri and teasing Sirius about his need of a haircut. They all stared at him for a few seconds before a few of them shrugged and they carried on with what they were doing.



Hermione took to helping Remus and Solarin with their research, finding the whole thing fascinating, which left Ron and Ginny amusing the four week old twins, something Ron seemed to enjoy tremendously. The youngest Weasley son had taken to fatherhood like a duck to water. Harry and Sirius entertained Miri, encouraging her to use her magic as one of the exercises Moody had set to strengthen her. Severus settled into easy conversation with Charlie, the two of them talking about possible careers for the former dragon tamer.



“Hey, Harry, can I play with your dragon set?” Ginny asked, bored with tickling Catherine and Joseph.



“Of…” Harry was cut off by a scream and the tinkle of breaking glass from the house, followed by a string of colourful swear words from Solarin.



“What on earth?” Hermione questioned.



“No idea, maybe Nix accidentally splashed her with cold water or something,” Harry suggested. “What was I saying?”



“Dragon set,” Ron supplied.



“Oh, right. Yes, Ginny, of course you can. It’s in my room, on the table under the window. Help yourself.”



“Thanks, Harry,” she said and scrambled to her feet, heading towards the back door. She had just disappeared through it when a fuming Solarin came storming out, berating a man Harry had never seen before.



He looked younger than Severus, which didn’t really help Harry much. He appeared to be in his twenties, but appearances could be deceiving. His boyish grin and baby face made him seem much younger than Harry suspected he really was. He had honey eyes and floppy brown hair, and was very thin. He was good looking though. He looked very attractive in his dark trousers and orange shirt, which was rolled up at the sleeves to his elbows and unbuttoned to the middle button, revealing a tanned hairless chest. Harry wondered who he was. Solarin must know him, she never told off people she had just met. Well, not like this.



“I mean, of all the fucking stupid, irresponsible, dangerous things to do! Use the floo, man! Do not just Apparate into a persons kitchen! What are you trying to do? Kill me! You’re a healer, you’re meant to save lives, not end them!” she fumed. She walked as she spoke, reaching the blanket and shoving the quills and ink she was carrying into Remus’ hands before she really rounded on the man.



He was smiling sheepishly and Harry took an instant liking to him, whoever he was.



“What if it had been Remus you had scared shitless? Your rule, not ours! He has to stay calm! Fine job, you popping up like that!” she scolded, advancing on him until he was standing in one of the flowerbeds. “I could have killed you! My magic could have exploded and I could have killed you!”



“I’m sorry, I should have thought. I did intend to end up in the hallway, but I’ve never been here before so I got a little…misplaced,” he said quickly.



She took a few deep breaths before she slapped him on the arm. “I’ll forgive you this time, but don’t you ever do that again. I won’t be held responsible for my actions next time.”



He nodded and grinned as she allowed him to move towards the blanket.



“Einstein here decided to Apparate in unannounced,” she said, jerking a thumb at the man as she threw herself onto the blanket, savagely grabbing some papers.



“Hello, Sam,” Severus said and Harry stared at the man.



This was Sam? This was Remus’ healer? He hadn’t expected him to be so young, or happy. He had imagined someone old and grumpy, like Madame Pomfrey. She was strict and Harry had assumed the much talked about Sam to be the same, what with The Rules. But he looked like a nice man. He certainly seemed to smile a lot.



“Hello,” Sam said, dropping his black leather bag at the edge of the blanket and moving forwards to shake hands with Severus.



“You finished with patients already?” Sirius asked.



“I have no appointment patients for today. I had Polly clear my schedule so I could come and spend the day with Remus,” Sam explained, his hands in his pockets.



“Why? What are you going to do to me?” Remus demanded nervously, trying to shrink into his pillows, and Sam laughed.



“Nothing, I swear. Well, I will need to examine you, but it can wait until later. No, I came to spend the day to see how you’re getting on. I felt it important to observe your daily life now the restrictions are in place, see how you’re getting on with them, answer any questions you and your family might have about them. That is, if you feel comfortable with me being here for the day,” Sam explained.



“Oh,” Remus said. He glanced at Harry and then Severus, the Potions Master nodding. “Then by all means, pull up a patch. I’ll introduce you to the pack.” He motioned to the blanket and Sam smiled, taking a cross-legged seat.



“I already know Severus, Solarin and Sirius, so that saves you three of them.”



“The redhead with Severus is Charlie, Nixie’s boyfriend, and the other one with the twin babies is Ron, Harry’s friend,” Remus said, motioning to the two. Sam nodded at them, smiling.



“This is Hermione, Ron’s wife and the mother of those beautiful twins, who’s names are Catherine and Joseph,” Solarin said, stroking a curl away from Hermione’s face.



“Are you the witch who managed to surprise a midwife who had been delivering babies for fourty years?” Sam asked with a wicked wolfish grin and Hermione blushed.



“Yes, I am. We didn’t know it was going to be twins,” she admitted.



“And beautiful twins they are too, just like their mother.” Hermione did a very good impression of a light bulb and Remus rubbed her shoulder.



“Don’t flirt with a married woman young enough to be your daughter,” Remus joked and Sam gave a start of mock offence.



“Me? I wouldn’t do such a thing. Frankly, I’m appalled you would even think such a thing,” Sam argued, but his infectious grin won through and he laughed. “All right, I’m guilty. But I flirt with all beautiful women, it’s a given.”



“You don’t flirt with me. Am I not beautiful enough for you, Sam?” Solarin teased.



“You are a gorgeous woman, but you have many men in your life who would not hesitate to do me damage if I made a move on you. Besides, it is just wrong for me to flirt with the girl who once brought me a frog she had grown from a tadpole and said it was because I was a funny doggy,” Sam said with an expression of remembrance. “You said he would keep me company.”



Solarin was giggling, twirling a quill between her fingertips. “What ever happened to that frog?”



“My neighbours dog ate it. He decided it was a chew toy. Poor Taddy,” Sam said with a hand over his heart, making them all laugh.



“Have you met Molly yet?” Remus asked.



“I have, she’s folding laundry with Anne and a little blonde who was half buried by a sheet,” Sam said. “I got a muffled hello.”



“Nixie. Before I forget, any news on my test results?” Solarin asked.



“Not yet. The lab is having a little trouble getting through your magic to analyse the findings, but they’re working on it. We should have them soon,” Sam assured and she nodded. “So, who’s left for me to be acquainted with?”



“The ones who are here who you have yet to be introduced to are the little one and the baby laying beside Sirius,” Remus said and Sam peered at the boy, who was lying on his back, head on a pile of pillows, with a tiny baby girl sitting on his chest.



The boy didn’t appear to be much older than his mid-teens. He had messy black hair and the brightest green eyes Sam had ever seen. He was covered from the neck down, and Sam wondered if he was a werewolf like he was. It could be possible, Remus’ pack contained a lot of different people, this one could be a stray they had taken in. Then it hit him that this might be Harry. Which would make the baby Miri. He would wait for confirmation of that though. The baby girl was the boys double, she had the same dark hair, though hers was corkscrew curls instead of a birds nest. They had the same eyes, and they were both very pale.



“This is Harry,” Sirius said and Sam grinned.



“Harry? I finally get to meet your son?” he asked Remus.



“Yes, you finally get to meet him, and his daughter, Miri. And, if she ever comes up for air, you can meet Nixie too, the little blonde half buried by the sheet,” Remus said and Sam patted his leg in thanks.



Sam had wanted to meet the children who had finally given Remus his dream of being a father. He was getting his chance, at long last.



“Hello, Harry,” Sam said. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Remus has told me so much about you and Miri. Such a special little girl, but Remus didn’t do her justice when he was telling me what she looks like. She is absolutely gorgeous.”



Harry beamed, sitting up and turning Miri so Sam could see her properly.



“Thank you. Would you like to hold her?” Harry offered. Severus took it as a sign of Harry fully emerging from his regression, and breathed a sigh of relief. Charlie rubbed his shoulder to comfort him. They all knew how hard it was to see Harry so bad again, and couldn’t imagine how Severus was able to deal with it so well.



“I would love to, if you’re okay with it.”



“Sure.”



Sam scooted closer and accepted the tiny girl, sitting her on his knee and smiling at her. She gurgled at him and tried to make a grab for the gold pendant he wore.



“Hello, Miri.” He chuckled as she stuck her thumb in her mouth, looking at him with her searching emerald orbs, waving her free fist in apparent excitement.



She stared at him, and then looked around at all the others, her gaze landing on Remus. She looked between the two as if she couldn’t understand why it wasn’t Remus holding her. She giggled and patted Sam’s hands, making sure he was not going to drop her. She stared at his honey eyes and kicked in excitement.



“Are you measuring me up, angel?” Sam said, a knowing look passing between he and Severus.



Solarin had picked up what he was too and Severus had explained it to her as best he could. She called him a funny doggy and worried that no one would play with him because they didn’t like funny doggies. Severus had brought her for a check up a few weeks before she started Hogwarts and she had arrived with Taddy the frog, saying that he would be Sam’s friend and keep him company.



“Her barriers!” Harry said, looking apologetic. “Her barriers are down, she’s reading you.”



Sam nodded in understanding and handed her back, watching with fascination as Harry lifted her up to look her in the eye.



“No, sweetheart. No look, no see,” Harry commanded and she waved her fist for a moment more before she fell still, leaning towards him. He sat her securely in his lap before he gave her the green stuffed dragon, the tail of which she began to suck on.



“Impressive,” Sam appraised. “Does she do it every time?”



“No, sometimes she has a little trouble with it, but she’s getting better,” Harry replied.



“Can she do any of the things Solarin can yet?”



“I don’t know,” Harry said, looking at his sister-in-law. “Can she?”



Solarin smiled at the baby girl, assessing her. Sam had accepted Joseph from Ron and Ginny had returned with the toy dragons before she spoke.



“We could test it,” she offered.



“What do you mean, test it?” Charlie asked.



“Well, I would do some of my tricks and we could see if she copies them. She learnt to summon by watching Harry do it, and learnt the barriers by watching me do it. It’s a fair assumption to think she would copy my tricks,” she explained.



Sam couldn’t believe it. Not only was he meeting Remus’ much talked about family, he would get a chance to see Solarin’s range of abilities and Miri’s. He had only ever heard of Solarin’s so called tricks from Moody, Dumbledore and Severus. He had never actually seen them. He was thrilled.



Severus sniggered at Sam’s excitement and wondered if he would actually burst with it if Harry agreed.



Harry glanced over at Severus. “Is it all right? Is it okay for her to do that, for Miri to push herself like that?” he asked and Severus nodded.



“If she is unable to do it, she will not try because they are new to her. There will be no nosebleeds from these, if she can do it. If she is not yet developed enough, she will simply sit there looking confused,” Severus reassured. “Do you want to try it, love?”



Harry tilted his head, glancing between the two augurs. “Yes,” he said finally. “But I want you over here with me while she tries.”



Severus stood up and made his way over the expanse of fabric, sitting down and pulling Harry to lean against him, secure between his legs.



“Ready?” Solarin asked.



“Yes,” Harry said.



“All right then. Remus, do not touch anything Miri or I may produce. It will be made of pure magic, so don’t even go there,” she advised and Remus nodded, propping up a wall of cushions as protection against anything that might get loose. “Right, what am I doing first?”



“Can you still conjure balls of light?” Severus asked and she giggled.



“I haven’t done one of those in years! What made you think of those?”



“It was me,” Harry revealed. “Severus gave me the memory of the picnic the three of us had with my mum as a birthday present. You made balls of light while Severus talked with my mum. You accidentally hit me on the head with one that changed colour and gave me a small red one as an apology.”



She spluttered for a moment, and then smiled. “That was a fun afternoon. So, a ball of light?” Harry nodded. “Big, small, one colour or many colours?”



“Small red one.”



She nodded and caught Miri’s attention before she rubbed her hands together in a circular motion, gradually moving them apart to create a tennis ball sized orb of red light. She bounced it between her hands before offering it to Miri.



“Miri do it, Miri play,” she instructed and the baby stared at it for a moment, before she made her hands glow red. “Good girl, Miri.”



Sam watched open mouthed as the two augurs interacted. This was unique, the two of them should not exist at the same time. But here they both were, and it was a blessing for Miri to have someone teach her how to do all of this. Severus had told him how hard it had been for Solarin. No one wanted that for Miri. Miri voiced protest as Solarin chucked the ball at Charlie, the redhead throwing it back and forth with Ginny, but Harry soothed her with a kiss to her cheek and she gurgled at Solarin for the next game.



Miri managed to give Severus an electric shock and turn her hands blue as Solarin conjured blue electricity between her two hands, making it dance between her fingertips. The baby was able to copy the woman fully as she made a flower open and close of its own accord, and when she made some twigs dance, all without a wand. It was quite impressive that Miri could do the same as a twenty three year old Solarin at only three months.



Solarin created a ball of flames in her hand, after surmising that Miri would probably not be able to do this one, and Harry yelped as Miri grabbed his hand, her touch blazing. She had managed to heat her skin, but not to produce actual flames. She left a tiny handprint shaped burn on his skin.



“Let’s not do that one again,” Harry suggested as Sam pulled out a healing balm.



“Here, let me take a look,” Sam urged and Harry yanked his hand away from him.



“Harry will only let Severus heal him,” Remus explained at the hurt and confused expression. “It is not personal, he is not even aware of your condition.”



“What condition?” Ron asked as Sam surrendered the balm to Severus, the Potions Master smiling at the healer as he rubbed it in to Harry’s hand. Sam nodded as Remus looked to him for permission.



“Sam is a werewolf,” Remus stated. “He is biologically part of this pack, he was turned by Greyback in his youth, like I was.”



“You’re like Remus?” Hermione asked, her eyes glinting.



“Yes,” Sam said warily.



“What pack position are you?” Hermione asked, Ron rolling his eyes.



“I’m…I’m an…an om-omega,” Sam stuttered, unsure of her intentions. Was she going to use the information against him? Was she trying to humiliate him in some way? His condition had been used to hurt him by others too many times before for him to be comfortable at this unexpected grilling.



“Isn’t that the lowest member?” she asked and Remus nodded, smiling at her. “Doesn’t that make it hard to treat Remus, what with Remus being an alpha? Biologically, isn’t Remus your alpha?”



Sirius dissolved in a fit of laughter at the terror and confusion written across Sam’s face. “Hermione is a Gryffindor, but has the mind of a Ravenclaw. She’s a very bright witch, hungry for knowledge,” Sirius explained and Sam sighed, falling back to lean on one hand in relief, holding Joseph to his chest with the other.



“I’m sorry, Hermione, I thought you were going to say something nasty,” Sam apologised as he released a hungry Joseph to her. “I should have known better, considering you’re in Remus’ pack. I’m sorry.”



“Don’t apologise, mate,” Ron said, as Ginny ran inside to fetch a bottle for Joseph. Hermione had chosen not to breast feed the twins. “She does this all the time, pushing for information before warning her target. She’s a blooming sponge.”



“Probably not wise to use the word ‘mate’, Ron, not to Sam,” Solarin warned. “I think that is enough of me playing these games with Miri, as impressive as she is. It might go a bit better in a few months. Sorry about your hand, Harry. I honestly didn’t think she’d be able to do anything. I couldn’t heat my hands until my early teens.”



“It’s okay, Severus healed it,” Harry said as he placed Miri under the canopy, giving her the stuffed snitch as a reward for doing so much. “Why should he not use the word mate?”



“Can we not use it anymore? Say…orange instead,” Sam requested, rolling an errant shirtsleeve once more.



Severus snorted. “Very well. It is not wise for you to mention…orange to Sam because he is a bit of a…”



“Heartbreaker?” Solarin supplied and Sam sniggered.



“Appropriate,” Severus praised. “The good healer has not found a lasting orange yet, he is still searching. Any person he encounters is a potential orange to Sam, his wolf cannot discern who is and is not suitable. He, shall we say, tries them on for size.”



“You sleep around?” Charlie asked and Sam doubled up. “Sorry, bad word choice. Weasley family trait.”



“No, no, it’s fine. It’s probably the best way to put it,” Sam chuckled. “I do get around. The chase is too much fun to give up. But saying that word is not a good idea, it makes my wolf flare.”



“It’s not uncommon for a werewolf to have many sexual partners,” Severus said. “Remus and Sirius are an oddity. They are true oranges. It is very rare for a werewolf to find his true orange.”



“So, an omega? Does it pose problems when treating Remus?” Hermione asked, undeterred but loving all the information she was gathering.



“Not really. He’s a pretty calm alpha, he submits to my healing. He allows it, but he and I are very clear on who is the dominant. My infection developed as me being a submissive wolf, Remus’ developed into him being a dominant wolf. It means that I cannot treat him unless he allows it. We’ve managed to develop a good system of me asking instead of just barrelling ahead.”



They chatted for a while, Hermione plying Sam with questions and the healer answering them as best he could, with help from the other men around him. Sirius moved over the blanket, laid back and stroked Remus’ hair, listening to the conversation and sniggering at Hermione’s determination to dissect the inner workings of a werewolf. He knew she had not grilled Remus like this because he was someone she already knew about, her research in her third year had answered her questions to a point, but it was only a matter of time, now she had two werewolves in her sights, before Remus was the focus of her attentions as well.



“Daddy, look at what nana taught me!”



Sirius looked up to see Phoenix speeding towards them, her strawberry blonde hair flying out behind her, blackcurrant cordial staining her white top and potato salad smeared across her chin. She looked about six instead of sixteen, but Sirius was too busy grinning at her calling him ‘daddy’ once more to care. He loved it when she did that.



“Obviously she taught you to be a messy eater,” Sirius teased as she flopped down on top of him, waving a paper flower at him. He marvelled at the way she attacked him yet managed to avoid any contact at all with Remus until she was settled.



“No, she showed me how to make a rose out of a paper napkin,” she argued, holding still so Sirius could clean her face with a tissue. “Look, papa.”



Since Phoenix had been changed from being Draco, she had been forced to learn how to do everything again, the body brand new to her. She was getting the hang of it, but she had the occasional messy moment with her food.



“That top’s a goner,” Remus said as he accepted the paper rose from her, smiling at it as she peered down at the stain. “Very pretty flower though.”



“Oops. Sorry,” she mumbled and they laughed at her.



“It happens. Admittedly, it happens to you more than anyone else in the house. But you have other clothes,” Remus said. “Be nice and say hello to Sam.”



The blonde wriggled around so she was facing the healer, but she was unwilling to give up her place on Sirius’ chest. He was playing with her hair.



Lucius had never been much of a parent. He had insisted on being called ‘father’, pushing Draco away the one time he had tried calling him ‘dad’. He had been cold and distant, always making Draco feel like he wasn’t worthy of being loved. Lucius had denied Draco any affection, physical, verbal or emotional. Since Draco had been revealed as Phoenix, she had become more child like, catching up on the childhood Lucius had denied her. He had refused to see Draco as a child, seeing him instead as a weapon that he could mould and shape. Lucius had removed all toys from Draco at the age of six, and insisted that he became a man at that point. Lucius had been a terrible parent, in Phoenix’ opinion. Narcissa, who had acted the same way, wasn’t any better.



Phoenix was really starting to fall in love with Charlie. Charlie found her reverting into childhood behaviour adorable, and indulged her in it. If she asked to play a game with him, he always agreed immediately. The days where she acted her age were the ones that he would be allowed to kiss her breathless instead of chaste kisses her childish days brought. He loved all sides of her, every single one, and it had risen Sirius and Remus’ acceptance of his relationship with their daughter to the point that they could occasionally sleep in the same bed, but only when Phoenix was having her childish days, with no risk of them getting carried away.



Phoenix thought Sirius and Remus were wicked at being parents. Sirius always tucked her in at night, and Remus always made sure she didn’t burn herself on her dinner. They told her constantly how much they adored her, how precious she was to them. They hugged and played games and patched her up when she lost concentration with a knife and cut herself, or tripped over her own feet and scraped her knee. They allowed her to act like a child when she felt like it, indulging it, and never pushed away her affections. They never yelled, never punished with physical violence or without good reason. Their punishments were usually not allowing her desert, or confiscating her gobstones.



Her daddy and papa were brilliant.



“Hello. I’m Nixie,” she said to the smiling man, holding out her hand as Anne and Molly appeared in the doorway, carrying trays of drinks.



“Hello, Nixie. I’m Sam Jones, Remus’ healer. He has told me so many good things about you. I feel very privileged to be meeting Remus’ very beautiful daughter,” he said, kissing the back of her hand. She blazed crimson and buried her head in Sirius’ chest as everyone laughed at her.



“Stop embarrassing my granddaughter, you old flirt,” Anne scolded, setting down her tray, and Sam sniggered.



“Force of habit,” Sam defended sheepishly and she immediately began to try smoothing down his hair. Sam had lost his mother in the attack by Greyback that had infected him as a werewolf when he was twelve, and he thoroughly enjoyed being mothered. His father had never remarried, thus it was a welcome experience to be groomed by Anne. The woman had been doing it for years, ever since Remus’ first appointment with Sam, and he decided years ago that she was rather good at it.



“A habit you should be broken of by now,” she said fondly, adjusting his shirt collar so it lay flat. “Are you joining us for lunch?”



“Yes, I’m going to be here for the day, seeing how Remus is getting on with the regulations I set.”



“Oh good. You need a good meal or two, you’re much too thin. You and Remus, both too many bones and not enough padding. Mind you, the whole pack could do with feeding up,” she assessed as Hermione poured Sam a drink.



And just like that, Sam was pulled into the pack, claimed as one of their own.



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So, what did you think? Please please please review.