Salvation

Remus drifted into waking to find himself alone in bed. He sat up and looked around, noticing an envelope lying on Sirius’ pillow.



My sweet wolf,



Guess what day it is today? It is October 1st and we have the all clear. Now, I promised you that when Sam said we could, I would play all the games you wanted. Well, I thought we would begin with a game I want.

You said the first thing you wanted was for me to suck you off. If you want it, you have to find me first.

The house is empty, Severus has taken everyone to Diagon Alley and they won’t be back until six. I’m hiding somewhere in the house.



Come and find me if you want to play.



Sirius.



Remus smiled and slipped from the bed. It would be simple, he would just scent him out. That plan was shot to hell when he opened the bedroom door. The whole house smelled of Sirius, and as Remus explored further, he found that Sirius had left an item of clothing in each of the rooms.



“Sirius?” he called over the banister.



“Ah, you’re awake,” came the echoing reply. It echoed through the whole house, so Remus had no chance of finding him using sound. Damn it, Sirius had given this too much thought.



“Where are you?” Remus called.



“Do you want to play?”



Remus grinned. “Yes.”



“Then you’ll have to find me.”



“At least give me a hint,” Remus bargained.



A moment of silence. “Nope. You’re the werewolf, use your instincts.”



With that, Sirius fell silent and Remus growled. He started searching at the top, in the attic, and slowly made his way downstairs. It wasn’t until he reached the ground floor did Sirius speak again.



“Warmer, much warmer.”



Remus stood absolutely still, waiting for some kind of sign. He moved to the kitchen door.



“Colder.”



The dining room door. “Cold.”



The door that led to the basement. “Getting warmer.”



Remus slowly descended the stairs, the scent of his husband getting stronger as he went. “Am I warm now?” Remus called out.



“Getting rather toasty,” came Sirius’ reply.



Remus found himself in one of the empty basement rooms and immediately knew he was in the right place. The whole room was covered in a cushioning charm. The floor, the walls, and he suspected the ceiling too, all of it was soft and squishy to the touch. Ah, Sirius had thought ahead, to when he was caught.



“How am I doing?” Remus asked.



“Hot, hot, hot.”



Remus could smell him, hear him, practically feel the heat radiating off him, but he couldn’t see him. “You’re under a Disillusionment Charm, aren’t you?” Remus asked suspiciously, and was answered by a guilty chuckle. “Ah, well, if you want to play it that way…” Remus wandlessly locked the door and he swore he heard Sirius gulp. “So, what shall I do with you once I’ve found you?” Remus called. “I do have a few ideas. Would you like to hear them?”



“Yes.”



Remus smiled, standing in the middle of the room, slowly turning on the spot. He was just waiting for some kind of sign. “Well, first, I would taste every inch of you, mark you as mine. Reclaim my territory. You like it when I do that, don’t you?” he said innocently, and a wave of heat hit him. “Ah, yes you do. Next, I would run my fingers over your skin. Slowly, oh so slowly. Your shoulders, your wrists, nowhere too sensitive at first. No, best to start slow. Then I would move on to more interesting areas. Your nipples. Your hips. Your dick.”



Sirius gasped at all the things Remus was saying. Oh, this was just too much fun. He hadn’t been this inventive when he was sixteen, last time hadn’t been this entertaining. He was harder than he thought humanly possible, and every word Remus said caused his mind to conjure up images to go with them. He could just imagine the way Remus would pin him to the floor, the way he would touch him. It almost made him want to give in. Almost.



“Then, just as you would start to beg, I’d flip you over onto all fours, and rim you until you screamed,” Remus continued and Sirius moaned. Remus hardly ever did that to him, he reserved it for moments like this, when he needed to prove how much control he had over Sirius. “After that, I’d show you just who is alpha.”



Without warning, Sirius found himself pinned to the wall, one very excited werewolf smiling at him. Sirius felt himself become visible once more and grinned at his lover.



“Oh, look, you found me,” Sirius breathed before leaning in for the last dominating kiss he would get. It didn’t last very long, as Remus noticed after only a few seconds that Sirius was nude and sporting a fierce hard-on.



“You promised,” Remus growled, releasing his wrists.



“That I did,” Sirius agreed, dropping to his knees.



There would be little love in the act, Remus was too close to feral for that. No, this was purely about Remus reasserting himself as alpha, and Sirius knew he would be very very sore by the time Remus was finished.



Sirius yanked down Remus’ pyjama bottoms and swallowed him whole, Remus crying out and bracing himself against the wall. Sirius had to remember to breathe through his nose as Remus roughly fucked his mouth, thrusting his way down his throat. Sirius would never admit it to anyone, and no one would believe him if he did, but he loved it when Remus was like this, when Remus took him rough and hard and fast. Something about the violence of it, the pure need, turned Sirius on.



All too soon, Remus reached his release and screamed as he came hard, Sirius swallowing every last drop. Sirius had barely finished swallowing when Remus pulled himself from his mouth and flipped him onto his back. Sirius’ hands were pushed above his head and secured there with a silent wandless spell. Oh, that could not be good. Sirius logically knew it could not be good, but it was turning him on too much for him to really care if it was good or not. It was hot, that was all he cared about at that point.



“Say it,” Remus demanded.



“You’re the alpha, I was just filling in while you were ill,” Sirius replied immediately, Remus rewarding him with a hard fiery kiss.



“Again,” growled Remus.



“You’re the alpha.”



Remus sighed in relief and proceeded to taste every inch of him, just as he promised. Remus sucked hard every now and then, leaving small red marks all over Sirius’ pale skin, marking him, but he didn’t bite. Sirius wriggled at the feel of those soft lips sliding over his heated flesh, that silky tongue tasting him. When Remus was done tasting him, his hands started to move, sliding over Sirius’ flesh, making him moan and gasp.



Remus smirked as Sirius moaned and leaned in for a kiss. It wouldn’t be too long now before he started to beg. That was what Remus wanted, Sirius begging his alpha for release. The last time they had been like this, they had had the whole Shrieking Shack to themselves for a day, but Sirius hadn’t made the chase as fun that time. He wasn’t this imaginative when he was sixteen. But no, now was a whole different story. It had been very enticing to have to find his lover, and Remus planned to thank him thoroughly for the chase. If only Sirius would beg.



“Ah! Merlin! Remus, please! Please!” Sirius pleaded as Remus stroked his member, his touch so light, that wonderful mouth sucking at his throat.



There it was, Sirius begging. Remus released the magic on his hands and flipped him over, ordering him to get on all fours. Sirius quickly obeyed. Now was not the time to be rebellious. Although the experience of being thoroughly dominated by his lover was incredibly arousing, Sirius wasn’t sure just how far gone Remus was, which made it a very dangerous situation for him. He knew Remus would stop if he was in real danger, but Sirius wasn’t certain on what Remus’ wolf saw as real danger.



“Remus?” he called apprehensively.



Remus froze. Something was wrong, this was not a game anymore. Something was wrong with his mate. The wolf began to recede a little, just enough for the human to take control momentarily.



“What is it, sweetheart? What’s wrong?” Remus asked, lying down on his side, Sirius doing the same, so they lay facing each other.



Sirius took a deep breath. “I know you will stop if I’m in trouble, but what does the wolf think is real trouble?” he questioned.



“If you stop breathing, obviously, and things like that. The wolf will stop for those,” Remus reasoned, stroking his side. “If you try to pull away, if you try and stop me in a panic, I will stop. The wolf sees you as precious, something to be protected. Even with the wolf in control, I won’t violate you.”



Sirius smiled. “I was just checking,” he admitted. “I’m rather enjoying this but I just wanted to be sure your wolf wasn’t going to fuck me to death or anything.”



Remus laughed. “It’s okay. I don’t blame you, the wolf can be a little harsh. Just remember, if you want to stop, just let yourself panic. I’ll smell the change in you and stop. Are you all right now?”



Sirius nodded and Remus granted him a sweet kiss before Sirius got back on his hands and knees and the wolf took over once more.



Sirius gasped at the feel of Remus’ warm wet tongue toying with his arse, those soft fingers opening him to the sinful feel of that slick muscle thrusting inside him, and he pushed back against it, desperate for more. It was incredible, the feel of Remus feasting on him. He knew why Remus saved it for those special occasions, it was just too good to be used all the time. It made Sirius fall apart, and Remus knew it. Oh Merlin, Sirius tried not to, and he didn’t want to, but it was just too good, he couldn’t help it.



Sirius screamed, and Remus stopped.



There was a moment of absolute stillness when Sirius caught his breath a little, and then Remus thrust inside him. No warning, no preparation, nothing. Remus buried to the hilt in one quick lunge. Remus had taken the time to cover himself in lube, which Sirius was thankful for. It definitely would not have been good without lube. Sirius would like to walk sometime this year, thank you very much. A moment to adjust and then Remus started to thrust. He set the pace, which was hard and fast, and he thrust so violently that Sirius felt like he was about to be split open, and he was going to like it.



Sirius gasped and moaned, there wasn’t much else he could do. He was so close to the edge that one little thing would push him over. Remus was gripping his hips and he hissed as nails embedded themselves, drawing blood. Sirius even enjoyed the pain of the bleeding wounds.



It went on, Remus pounding into him, and Sirius wondered how long it could go on before Remus came. His memories of the last time were a little hazy at this point, he couldn’t actually remember it at all, not with Remus slamming into him. The nails that had drawn blood from his hips moved to scrape down his back, opening up long deep gashes. Sirius groaned, the pain mutating into pleasure, and he was so very nearly there, until the feel of teeth grazing his neck brought him crashing back to earth.



“No,” he forced out, but Remus didn’t seem to hear him.



Oh no, not good. Remus was very far gone now, too far gone. Human Remus never bit, but Remus’ human side wasn’t exactly in complete control. Sirius let himself panic, the fear of being bitten taking him over momentarily, and Remus fell still. It wasn’t that Sirius really feared being bitten. He actually wished Remus could bite him. It was the devastation Remus would feel if he infected him that scared Sirius.



“What’s wrong?” Remus gasped, caressing his shoulders. “Sirius, baby, are you all right?”



“No biting,” Sirius demanded. “Don’t bite me, Remus, I mean it.”



“Was I trying to?” Remus sounded shocked.



“I felt teeth. I wasn’t sure if you were going to bite me or not, but I had to stop you. No teeth, it makes me nervous. Don’t bite me, Remus.”



A moment of still silence and then kisses were littered along his spine. “I won’t, I promise. I swear, Siri, I would never do that to you, never.”



“I know, I just had to remind the wolf that human you is really the one in control here. He was getting a bit too big for his boots,” Sirius joked and Remus sniggered. Sirius turned his head and Remus caught his lips in a kiss he could almost call sweet.



“All right, sweetheart. You’re okay, though? I haven’t hurt you?”



“Not in a bad way.”



Remus grinned. “Good to know I can still get you all worked up. You okay to carry on?”



Sirius nodded and let himself relax, sinking down onto his forearms. The pounding began again, as did the scratching, but no more attempts to bite him. Instead, there were kisses and licks, caresses and strokes, and one instance of a nuzzle to Sirius’ neck, but no more teeth. Finally, Remus reached around and stroked him, hard and fast like his thrusts, and Sirius came so hard he blacked out for a few moments.



When Sirius came to, Remus was just finishing licking him clean. Sirius was on his back, an experience which wasn’t all too nice as he was scratched to pieces, and Remus was hard again.



“Remus?” he questioned.



Remus didn’t answer him immediately. Instead, he crawled on top of him, settling between his thighs, kissing him hard.



“Time for round two,” Remus murmured before he thrust back inside his mate.



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



Harry couldn’t stop smiling. He had had such a brilliant day, and there hadn’t been the slightest hint of one white blond bastard. He was still a little on edge, but that would fade as he spent time in the sanctuary of Grimmauld Place.



The family had made their way slowly down the street, popping into this shop and that, and Miri had come away with more than just her first taste of ice cream. Fred and George had insisted on giving the little augur a Pygmy Puff, a bright pink one Miri called Smoo. Fred had assured the reluctant Seeker that Smoo had no teeth, no legs, and was basically a ball of fluff that hummed when happy. It was really the perfect first pet for Miri. It loved to be held, which suited Miri just fine. She had cuddled it constantly since George had handed it to her.



Fred and George had offered one each to Catherine and Joseph, but the baby twins had disliked the feel of the Pygmy Puffs intensely, screaming their displeasure. Fred and George had decided that maybe the twins would like some Pygmy Puffs when they were a little older.



The family had spent more than two hours with the elder Weasley twins, and Severus had laughed when he discovered it was Harry that had bankrolled the business. Then the twins had accompanied them to Florean Fortescues, where Florean had been delighted to have so many customers at once. Harry had thoroughly enjoyed his chocolate orange sundae, and Miri had enjoyed her tastes of it too.



It had been a really fun day out, which was capped off by Solarin assigning Fred and George Enchantment, signing it over to them on the condition they did not change the name. The two redheads had grinned from ear to ear.



There had been the hordes of fans wanting to see Harry Potter’s baby, but one Scary Professor Snape glare had them keeping their distance. Every time some witch or wizard overstepped their bounds and got too close, Severus scared them away and earned himself a megawatt smile from Harry.



“Did you enjoy yourself, love?” Severus asked as they hoisted Miri’s pram up the front steps.



“You know, I really did. Not that I want to go on outings every day or anything, but I really enjoyed myself,” Harry agreed, smiling as Miri waved Smoo at him. “Did the twins say what these things eat?”



“They did include a booklet,” Severus said, removing the shopping bags from the pram before Harry lifted Miri from it. It would not be good if she went flying.



“Thank Merlin for that. I think Miri might never forget it if Smoo starved to death.”



“Would you care to translate the name?” Severus requested and Harry looked thoughtfully at the ball of pink fluff humming in their daughters hands.



“I think she was trying to say smooch, as in kiss. Sol told us that love is represented by pink to her, Miri probably sees the same. I think she’s going by the colour,” he theorised. “I could be wrong, though.”



Severus smirked and helped Molly unpack the shopping bags before Harry’s exclamation made him turn around.



“Sirius, I felt for sure you’d be out partying with Remus or something,” Harry said as his godfather appeared in the doorway.



“No, me and Remus had a…quiet day at home,” Sirius said, giving Severus a meaningful look. “We just spent some time together getting back on track.”



Severus took the hint and excused himself, claiming to need to add some ingredients to some potions before they were ruined. He made his way down to his lab and waited. It was only a few minutes before there was knock at the door.



The Sirius that entered was not the calm cheerful one from upstairs. This Sirius moved very slowly, winced with every step and had eyes that watered.



“I wouldn’t come to you for this usually,” Sirius said through clenched teeth. “But you understand what’s happened and I’m in agony. You were right, I’m not as young as I was last time.”



“I did offer. Please, remove your shirt, I will begin with your back,” Severus said, grabbing the first aid kit he had hidden in his lab the night before. “Sweet Merlin, he really got violent, didn’t he? Here, drink it all.”



Sirius dutifully gulped down the potion Severus gave him and sighed as the pain in his backside subsided somewhat. “It got a little rough. Do me a favour and check that he didn’t bite me. He said he wouldn’t, and I don’t remember being bitten, but I can’t really be sure at this point. It’s not like I can get a clear view of my back.”



Severus looked over all the scratches, gouges, bruises and other marks on the Animagus’ back, neck and shoulders before he proclaimed there were no bite marks, thank God. Remus would never forgive himself if he had bitten Sirius in a moment of passion.



“Where is he?” Severus asked as he began to clean the deepest of the wounds with antiseptic potion, Sirius hissing.



“Asleep for now. It seems to have run it’s course, thank Merlin. Did you all have a good day out?” Sirius gritted out.



“We did. Harry had a little wobbly moment at the beginning, but he enjoyed himself in the end. Miri was given a Pygmy Puff by the twins. She has called it Smoo.” He paused, waiting until Sirius had stopped chuckling before he asked his next question. “Are you bleeding down below?” he asked delicately.



“No, not from there. I managed to survive without that particular injury,” Sirius joked. No, he was not bleeding, though it was bloody painful. “Remus remained human enough to remember lubricant, thank Merlin. Any other potions I should take?”



“Yes, take this one,” Severus said, handing him a pink one. “The first was the initial painkiller, this is the rest of it. You should be able to sit down by the time I am finished.”



“Good man,” Sirius breathed as it took effect.



Severus carefully cleaned the wounds on his father-in-laws back, trying to spare the man any unnecessary pain. There was one wound on the base of his spine that looked like Remus had tried to rip the flesh off the bone. “I assume you want the markings left intact?” he questioned and Sirius nodded. “Very well. I don’t think Remus would like it if his markings disappeared. I will put a dressing on your back shortly, so you can wear a shirt without too much discomfort. I doubt you want your children to see these. Anything else?”



Sirius turned around and Severus grimaced. Right there, on Sirius’ chest just above his heart, were four particularly deep scratch marks. “Wait,” Sirius said as Severus moved to touch them. “Not those ones yet. I need you to look at some wounds on my hips first.”



“Very well,” Severus said and he was impressed that Sirius managed to show him the wounds and cover himself. “These are minor. They will not scar, but I will clean and dress them to prevent infection. I doubt any of them will scar, apart from the one on your lower back and those on your chest. You will, however, be very bruised. I recommend a healing bath.”



“Thank you,” Sirius said, and the two of them froze as someone knocked on the door.



“Who is it?” Severus called.



“It’s Solarin, I need some dittany. Kitty went nuts again.”



Severus looked to the Animagus for permission of Solarin joining them and Sirius considered it. Remus had told him that the witch could keep a secret, and Sirius did trust her. So he nodded and Severus called for her to enter.



“That owl has to go. I love her and all, but she’s getting too dangerous to be around anyone, let alone three small babies,” Solarin said, letting Severus deal with the bleeding scratches on her arm. She peered at Sirius. “Sweet Merlin, look at you. I’m guessing Remus is alpha again.”



“Yes, and I don’t recommend taking him on again. I don’t think I could survive another one,” Sirius said as Severus treated Solarin’s arm. The witch didn’t even blink and Sirius was highly impressed, until she shifted and he caught sight of her Brand. He silently reminded himself that this was a woman who could handle a hell of a lot of pain.



“Noted. Oh, let me at it, you can’t stitch to save your life,” she said as Severus moved away. She grabbed a suture kit and forced Sirius to stay still as she stitched the scratches on his chest, spraying some antibacterial solution onto it before she secured a dressing.



“You are very good at that,” Sirius said, marvelling at how neat the stitches were, how fast she had been.



“I interned with Sam for a summer when I was younger. He taught me how to stitch wounds, take blood, that kind of thing. Speaking of Sam, you should see the hickey,” she said with a smile as Severus started to apply the dressing to Sirius’ back.



“What hickey?” Severus asked.



“The one Tonks left on his neck. I swear, it’s the size of an apple,” she said with a grin, making Severus snigger.



“Wait, let me get this straight,” Sirius said. “Tonks accepted the bond?”



“Yup. The two of them are all love-shaped. It’s kind of nauseating, actually,” Solarin confirmed, helping Severus secure the bandage. “Oh, and Remus is awake. He’s happily cuddling Miri.”



Sirius paled. “You couldn’t have mentioned that before?” he said trying to move to the door but he was stopped by Severus.



“Drink these and you can go,” he said, handing him three vials of the pink painkilling potion. Sirius dutifully gulped them down before shrugging on his shirt and moving upstairs.



Remus was indeed cuddling Miri, who was babbling to him about Smoo. Remus smiled as Sirius entered with the Snape siblings and then blushed at the bandage peaking out from under his shirt collar. He handed Miri to Harry and made his way over.



“Are you all right, sweetheart?” he murmured and Sirius smiled shakily.



“Fine, just a little sore. I had to get the Snape’s to patch me up,” Sirius admitted. “Are you okay with that?”



Remus sniggered. “Absolutely,” he said. “At least we know Severus and Solarin will keep their mouths shut.” Remus hesitated, looking worried. “I…ummm…I didn’t bite you, did I?”



Sirius swooped in for a swift kiss. “No, honey, you didn’t. I had Severus check for me. No bites, but lots and lots of scratching. You really wanted to mark me, huh?”



Remus nodded. “You’re my territory, I had to stake my claim,” he joked. “Speaking of marking, Severus didn’t remove them, did he?”



“No, just made sure no infections would happen. He recommends a healing bath. Remus, we may need to give it a few days…or weeks, before we can mate again,” he said gently. “I’m lucky I can walk and sit down, lets not push it.” Remus blushed and nodded, Sirius giving him another sweet kiss. “All right, you can go back to Miri cuddles now. I know you want to, and I’m fine, so go on.”



Remus practically bounced away, and Harry happily handed Miri over, the teen giving Sirius a sly smile that told him Harry knew exactly what had gone on while he was out. Sirius gingerly sat down at the table and avoided everyone’s eyes.



Harry kept his mouth shut and moved to help Molly chop vegetables for dinner. He dutifully sliced carrots and broccoli while keeping an ear on the conversation and an eye on his baby. He was still a little on edge from the trip out and wasn’t ready to let her out of his sight, something Remus had fully agreed to when Harry had specified it to him.



“Did you all have a good time?” Remus asked, toying with Miri’s curls as he walked her around the kitchen.



“It was brilliant. We had ice cream, and hamburgers for lunch, and Fred and George showed us all their cool stuff,” Phoenix confirmed. She had her own lilac Pygmy Puff, and she happily waved it at Sirius. “Look, dad, look what Charlie got me.”



“Very pretty. Does it have a name?” the Animagus enquired, accepting a cup of tea from Charlie.



“Not yet. I’m sure she’ll think of one,” Charlie said.



“What do they eat?” Remus said as he caught Smoo, who had tumbled out of Miri’s hands.



“No idea,” Severus said as he put the last of the shopping away. “Fred did give us a booklet, but we seem to have misplaced it. No matter, the twins said they would pop in for dinner. Are you comfortable with that, Sam?”



The healer looked up guiltily. “It’s fine, so long as they don’t touch my mate,” he said delicately and they all smirked. “Just to be clear, who’s my alpha now?”



Remus blushed the brightest shade of red and Sirius choked on his sip of tea. Tonks sniggered and stroked Sam’s hair, making Harry gape in amazement as Sam practically purred.



“Remus is the alpha,” Solarin said calmly. “Are you staying for dinner, Sam?”



“If there’s enough to go round. Dad said he might stop in to eat too. I think he needs a fix of Anne,” Sam confirmed and Remus shuddered.



“I don’t need to hear that about my mother,” the werewolf said, making Sam chuckle.



“I was referring to her company,” he said. “But if your gutter mind takes it there…”



“Shut it.”



“Not my fault if you’ve got S-E-X on the brain, you’re the one who spent the day doing it,” Sam continued.



They had all fallen into the habit of spelling out words they didn’t want Miri learning yet, though she picked up on the embarrassment from Sirius and Remus and started to giggle.



“Remus, do you mind if I murder your kind of stepbrother?” Sirius asked, glaring daggers at Sam.



“No, but I think Jack might get upset. He seems rather attached to his son, though I can’t work out why.”



“Must be my irresistible charm,” Sam offered.



“Must be your cheeky tongue,” Severus interjected, handing Remus a baby bottle of water for Miri.



“Or that annoying habit you have of breathing,” Remus suggested.



“Might be his wandering eye,” Sirius said.



“Or his terrible taste in clothes,” Solarin proposed, squinting at the luminous green of Sam’s shirt.



“Hey! No ganging up on me,” Sam said, trying to look offended, but his grin won through. He couldn’t help it, his mouth was just made for them. “And my wandering eye has been amputated, thank you very much.”



“That cheeky mouth of yours is more than a match for everyone in this room,” Charlie said.



“Dora, they’re ganging up on me,” Sam complained and Tonks held up her hands, shaking her head.



“No way, you started it, you’re on your own,” she said, moving away from him with her own smile.



“No fair,” Sam said, pouting. “Please?”



“Nope. You dug yourself into this hole, you dig yourself out,” she said as she helped Harry chop potatoes.



Solarin giggled. “I guess we know who the alpha in that relationship is,” she said, making everyone laugh at Sam’s guilty blush.



The conversation continued quite pleasantly, most of the family ganging up on Sam, who was indeed more than a match for all of them. Anne arrived home from her errands and a whole new round of teasing went on, most of it aimed at Sam once more. Jack, Bill and Arthur arrived within moments of each other, and they all smelled faintly of mead, confirming their women’s suspicions of a quick after work drink. The twins arrived and nervously eyed Sam, who smiled and told them he was fine so long as they didn’t touch Tonks, which they agreed to immediately.



Dinner was a quiet affair, mostly. Remus wanted to be the one to feed Miri, but Harry had tactfully told him that Miri wouldn’t let anyone but him do it. Something about Miri being breastfed secured it firmly in her mind that her carrier was the one with food. Remus agreed and Molly let him feed one of the twins, who were just starting to be weaned. Fred informed them that the Pygmy Puffs would eat anything given to them, which put Harry’s mind at ease.



Late that night, after he had put Miri into her crib and Smoo in his cage, Harry slid into bed and curled up in Severus’ arms.



“Severus?”



“Yes, love?”



“Why does Professor Slughorn keep talking about my mother?” Harry asked, referring to the Saturday just gone when he had spent two hours alone with the teacher.



Harry had produced Amortentia, something Severus had painstakingly taught him to brew, for Slughorn’s assessment on how he was progressing in Potions. Harry had to admit, having a Potions Master for a husband had certainly helped his marks in the subject go way up. While Harry brewed, Slughorn had kept on about how good his mother had been at Potions, how wonderful a woman she was. He had talked about her like she was an old friend, and it had pissed Harry off no end.



“Well, Horace was my Head of House when I was a student at Hogwarts. He was one of Lily’s teachers, he taught Potions back then also. Lily was one of his favourites. He probably thinks he is being nice by bringing her up in conversation,” Severus surmised. “Why? Is there something wrong?”



“Yes,” Harry said, sitting up angrily. “I don’t like it, and I don’t like him. He’s a creep!”



Severus had never heard his husband talk of a teacher like this, not even himself in their earlier days. He had his suspicions that Harry had verbally abused him out of his earshot, but it was to be expected when Severus had been so venomous to him.



Harry had seemed to get along with Horace Slughorn, or at least, Severus thought he had.



“You have to explain, Harry, I don’t understand,” Severus said, sitting up and rubbing his back.



It took Harry a few moments to calm down enough to speak. “He talks about her as if she was his friend, going on about how good she was in Potions, how wonderful she was, how much he enjoyed her company. He has no right to talk about her like that!” Harry fumed. “He was just her teacher, he wasn’t even her Head of House.”



“You don’t seem to mind when I talk of Lily,” Severus said cautiously.



“I don’t, because you were her friend. You actually spent time with her, you knew her, really knew her. You even trusted her enough to let her near Sol, and that’s saying something. Slughorn didn’t know her. He admitted it himself, he spent no time with her outside of class. He kept on about how she should have been in his club, and how she should have been in Slytherin. It just pisses me off,” Harry explained.



“Is it this gushing about your mother that causes you to dislike him?”



“No, not just that,” Harry admitted, squirming. “The way he talks to me, it’s like he wants to collect me or something. It’s too much like Lucius, it freaks me out, and no matter how many hints I give him, he won’t stop.”



Ah, Severus could see the problem now. Slughorn did like to collect people, people who could further him in life, gifted wizards and witches who went on to work in high profile positions. Slughorn would obviously want the Chosen One for his collection. Severus felt he should have remembered his old teachers habit sooner, and stopped him from doing it.



“I will talk to him, Harry, I promise. I will stop him from doing these things. Would you prefer it if one of us were in the room with the two of you, to keep him under control? It cannot be me as I am teaching you Potions, but perhaps Remus, or Solarin?” Severus suggested.



Harry nodded and turned to look at his lover. “I’m sorry I got so worked up. It’s just…I don’t like feeling freaked out in my own home, not when our daughter is so close by,” he said quietly. He sighed. “Sometimes I wish I didn’t still have these lingering quirks.”



Severus kissed his scar. “I know, sweetheart. But I don’t mind them. They are just a part of you, and I love every single bit of you,” he said, making Harry smile.



“I love you too.”



Severus pulled him in for a kiss, which Harry enthusiastically responded to, and Severus stripped him of his pyjamas. Harry moaned as Severus nibbled at his neck, tangling his fingers in silky midnight tresses.



Severus grinned as Harry pushed him onto his back, pulling off his pyjamas, straddling his hips.



“Mmmmmm, I love it when you’re forceful,” Severus hummed seductively.



Harry sniggered and attacked his nipples, making him gasp. Harry reached down and stroked him, making him moan. He moved lower and teased the tip of Severus’ member with his tongue, making him call out his name. Harry loved reducing Severus to a pile of mush. He knew that Severus was the one in real control of their relationship, and that suited him just fine, but every now and then he liked to take charge.



Severus gently stroked Harry’s hair, moaning. He was still coherent enough to restrain himself from trying to thrust into Harry’s mouth, and he marvelled at how good Harry made sex feel. It had never been this good with any of his other partners.



Lucius had been all business, screwing Severus as fast as possible and leaving him sore and disappointed. Theresa Michaels had been much the same. Voldemort had just been cruel, delighting in causing Severus pain. Raul was possibly the best, sex with him was at least satisfying.



But none of it could compare to joining with his sweet Harry. With Harry it was all about their pleasure, not one enjoying it more than the other. Severus enjoyed watching Harry’s pleasure as much as he did finding his own. And the feel of being inside Harry was like nothing he could ever describe. It just felt so…right, like it was always meant to be the two of them.



“Harry, please,” Severus moaned, making Harry pull away and grin at him.



“Please what?” the Gryffindor said innocently.



“Oh, you’re in one of those moods, are you?” Severus questioned and Harry nodded. “Very well. Harry, please let me take you.”



To say Severus was shocked was an understatement. Harry lay down and pulled Severus on top of him, wrapping his legs around Severus’ waist. Harry had never let him take him in this position, not once. Lucius had always taken Harry in this position, Severus had assumed that he and Harry would never use it.



“Harry, what are you doing, love?” Severus asked cautiously, supporting his weight on his arms.



“I want to try it, see if I’m okay with it,” Harry said simply, toying with his hair.



“I see. And how do you feel about it?”



Harry considered it. He had expected to feel panicked, but he didn’t. No, in fact, he felt very safe with Severus on top of him. He didn’t feel restrained or forced. He felt safe, like nothing could get at him with Severus like this.



“I’m okay,” Harry whispered and Severus kissed him as he lowered himself a little more, still keeping most of his weight on his forearms.



“Still okay?”



Harry wriggled a little and then smiled. “Yes.”



Severus kissed him and grabbed the lube Harry had retrieved from the bedside cabinet. He leaned off to one side and coated himself before teasing Harry, making him gasp and moan with his tender strokes, his gentle fingers.



“Are you sure, love?” Severus murmured as he settled himself between the pale thighs.



“Yes, I’m sure. Keep going, I’ll tell you if I’m not okay.”



Severus kissed him as he slowly guided himself into the tight passage, stopping when he was buried to the hilt. He kissed Harry as he waited, and then began to move as Harry wriggled his hips. Slowly at first, with tender gentle kisses, he waited for some sign that this was not what Harry wanted, that he was not okay with it anymore, but it didn’t come. Soon enough, Harry was moving to meet him, moaning his pleasure.



Harry gasped at the feel of it, the new sensation of Severus controlling the thrusts. It had always been Harry who controlled them before, and this was a whole new experience. Oh Merlin, Severus was good at this. Harry felt pleasure build in him, different than usual, but no less satisfying. He was rather enjoying it, Severus on top. Harry decided that they would have to have a repeat of this one. He found himself digging his nails into Severus’ shoulders, scratching him as it got more intense.



Severus supported himself on one arm, his free hand moving down to caress Harry’s thigh, nipping and sucking at his neck. Harry gasped at that, and buried his face in his neck, kissing it as he moaned his enjoyment. Severus was so close, he could feel it. It would only take a few more thrusts and then he would lose himself.



All of a sudden, Severus felt Harry stiffen beneath him, tighten around him, warmth coating his stomach and Harry crying out his name as he climaxed. That was new. Harry had not used his little sentence of need. Severus didn’t get to dwell on it too much as Harry clamping down around him pulled his own orgasm from him, making him call out his lovers name in breathless whisper.



Severus managed not to collapse on his husband, finding himself instead with his face pressed to the pillow. Severus rolled them so they were on their sides, still entwined, still joined, and Severus found it hard to tell where he ended and Harry began.



Harry regained his senses a while later to find Severus watching him, smiling gently. He smiled back and pulled him in for a gentle kiss, duelling with his tongue.



“That was good, I liked that one,” Harry said simply, making Severus chuckle.



“So glad you approve. Does that mean you would like to use this position again?”



“Definitely. I thought I wouldn’t like it, but I did. I felt kind of…safe, like nothing could get at me with you protecting me. And I didn’t even need to use my sentence.”



Severus smirked at the self-satisfied tone. “I was wondering about that. Why didn’t you need to use it?”



Harry squirmed slightly, causing Severus to slip from him. “I didn’t need it because you were rubbing me the whole time,” he admitted shyly.



Severus understood now. In such a position, he would have been stimulating that part of his lover every time he thrust. No wonder Harry had enjoyed it so much. Severus kissed his lover and performed cleaning charms on both of them and the sheets before turning off the light and cuddling Harry to him.



“Love you,” Harry mumbled sleepily, snuggling further into his embrace.



“I love you,” Severus replied, kissing his neck.



Before long, the two of them knew nothing but dreams.



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On Saturday morning, while Harry was busy changing Miri upstairs, Severus took Horace Slughorn aside.



“Severus, m’boy, something I can help you with?” Horace said cheerfully.



“Yes, there is,” Severus replied. “I’m not sure how to say this without offending you, so I’m just going to say it. You are making Harry very uncomfortable.”



Horace was stunned. He had never done that to a student before. Well, he had never done it unintentionally. How had he done that?



“Harry did not wish to be rude, or speak out of turn so he asked me to have a word with you,” Severus continued.



“I’m sorry, Severus, but I can’t think what I could have done to upset him. I’m aware of his…shall we say, issues, but I wasn’t aware of doing anything to aggravate them,” Horace said.



Severus took a deep breath. “There are two things that are bothering Harry. The first is the reference to his mother. He would prefer not to talk of her with you. Harry is very specific about who he will and will not talk of his birth parents with. My apologies, but he does not wish to discuss Lily or James with you at all.”



Horace could fully appreciate that, Harry losing his parents so young would undoubtedly leave specific issues surrounding discussion of said parents.



“I understand and I will refrain from discussing Lily or James with him. What is the second problem?”



“You trying to collect him.”



Right, Horace was particularly confused now. No student had ever had a problem with that particular habit of his before. Most students had tried to get his attention, wanted to be collected. He honestly didn’t understand.



“I’m going to need a little explanation.”



“When Harry was held captive, Lucius used to talk of owning him, of being his master. Harry does not like the similarity between what happened and what you imply,” Severus said simply and Horace nodded.



“Of course, of course. Forgive me, I should have considered his experiences more closely. I apologise for any discomfort I caused. Is there anything I can do to make it up to him? Is there a way I can make it easier for him?”



“He would feel more at ease if there was a member of the family in the room with you,” Severus suggested and Horace agreed immediately.



Potions assessments went very smoothly after that and Bill found his Saturday mornings to be very confusing.



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



Solarin looked up from her breakfast a week after Severus’ discussion with Horace Slughorn and suddenly she couldn’t breathe properly. There he was, the one from her dreams.



“Albus?” Severus questioned. “What’s going on?”



Albus smiled and gently urged the child further into the room, so they could all get a better look at him. He was a small child, tiny really, with bright blue eyes and dark messy hair. He looked curiously around at all of them as he clung to Albus’ robes.



“This is Dorian and he needs a new family. It occurred to me that you might all be willing to accept him into this family,” Albus said with a smile. “You do have a habit of taking in waifs and strays.”



They all chuckled. Remus was the first to say hello, crouching down to Dorian’s level, and Dorian hid his face against Albus’ leg. Remus smiled. “Perhaps Dorian would like to go and play with some of the toys upstairs?” He beckoned Phoenix over. “This is Nixie, my little girl. Would you like Nixie to play a game with you?” Remus said and Dorian nodded.



Once Phoenix had taken the little boy upstairs to the playroom, Albus sat down with the rest of the family.



“How old is he?” Solarin asked.



“He will turn three this coming December,” Albus replied.



“Where did he come from?” Molly asked.



Albus looked very grave. “Harry, did you know of your cousin Dudley having a relationship with a young girl called Sophia Martins?”



“No, but I can’t say that we talked about our love lives too much. We never talked full stop. Wait, Sophia.” Harry looked thoughtful for a moment. “There was a girl called Sophia that went to my primary school. She used to hang around with Dudley and his gang. She had black curly hair. She was always telling the teachers magic was nonsense. Is she the one you’re talking about?” Harry asked.



Albus nodded. “Yes, that is the girl I was referring to.”



“I didn’t know she and Dudley had a thing.”



“Well, that thing they had is upstairs with your sister right now.”



They all gaped at him and Harry appeared to hum with fury.



“Dorian’s a wizard, isn’t he?” Harry questioned very quietly. Albus nodded. “Let me guess. Sophia had the kid and Dudley wanted nothing to do with him. Of course, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon don’t want to admit that their precious son knocked someone up so they kept out of it. Then, when Dorian started to display magic, Sophia shoved him at Dudley and told him Dorian was his problem. Of course, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn’t want another little freak in their house, so they called you to take him away. Am I right?” he asked angrily.



“Yes, more or less,” Albus confirmed.



Harry pushed Miri into Severus’ arms. His anger was not something he wanted her to experience, and Severus understood what was going on, so he had Miri raise her barriers. Harry stood up and began to pace.



“What did Dorian hear them say?” Harry asked furiously.



“Everything. I doubt they were trying to hide how they felt.”



Harry continued to pace wrathfully, every now and then throwing out a word or two along the lines of ‘evil’, ‘pathetic’ and ‘lowlifes’. Not even Severus felt it wise to interrupt. By the time Harry had calmed down, Albus had recounted the whole tale, which was just as Harry had said.



Neither Dudley nor Sophia wanted Dorian, and their families refused to accept that their children had produced a magical child. Petunia had contacted Dumbledore and told him to “Take the little freak, drown him if you like, just get him out of my house. I won’t have another one.”



Solarin watched the whole scene play out in silence and Bill knew there was something up with her. She had raised her barriers, so he didn’t know what was going on in her head. But he knew it had something to do with Dorian. He suspected it was something akin to his own feelings about Dorian, or something similar to them.



“I want him,” Solarin said quietly. No one heard her because of the din of conversation over who should adopt Dorian. She cleared her throat and let off a small series of sparks to get their attentions.



“I’m sorry, Sol, we didn’t hear you,” Sirius said as it quieted.



“I said I want him. I want Dorian,” she said clearly and there was dead silence.



“Sol, think of what you are saying,” Severus cautioned. “This is a child we are talking about. This is a lot of responsibility. Think of all that has happened to you. Are you really ready to become that child’s mother?”



“Severus, you don’t understand,” Bill said. “I didn’t either, at first, but I do now. Solarin has been dreaming of that little boy for weeks. You always wanted her to use her clairvoyance, now she is.”



“You mean, Sol knew he was coming?” Charlie asked.



“Yes, I did,” she said. “Severus, I know what I’m taking on. I know that taking on a child is a lot of responsibility. But that little boy…I can’t explain. I just know that he’s mine.”



They all peered at her and she let them. She honestly couldn’t explain how she knew, she just did. The dreams, they had possessed a feeling of love, of a protective instinct she couldn’t ignore. As soon as Dorian had walked in the door, she had known immediately that he was hers. There was a lot to work out, firstly how Bill felt about the whole thing, not to mention the legal issues and Dorian’s feelings, to name just a few.



But she knew for sure that Dorian was her son.



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



Solarin slipped into the playroom to find Phoenix asleep on the floor. Apparently not even Phoenix’s childish energy had been able to keep up with the little boy.



Dorian was playing quietly by himself, building what seemed to be a castle with some building blocks. It was rather impressive for a two year old, it even had turrets. She suspected that Phoenix had started it. Dorian was concentrating on what appeared to be a lowered drawbridge.



“Hello, Dorian,” Solarin said gently. “I like your castle.”



He peered at her with big blue eyes, and she could sense the fear and confusion swirling in his young mind. His emotions were too easy to read, they were practically screaming at her to give him a hug, to make all the mean words go away.



“My name is Solarin. Can I play too?”



He stared at her for a moment before he held out a bright red brick to her. She slowly moved to him and sat down cross-legged, taking the brick and asking where it should go. Soon enough, Dorian began to relax and began to excitedly grab other toys, wanting to play a million games at once. It took over an hour for him to actually speak.



“I live hewe now?” came the adorable timid voice.



“Do you want to?” she asked and smiled encouragingly as he tilted his head to the side, considering it.



“Are all of you special? Man sayed I’m special.”



“Do you mean Albus, the man who brought you here?” she queried and he nodded. “Yes, we’re all special. We’re called witches and wizards, we can do magic.”



“Sophia sayed magic is silly.”



How strange. Solarin had never before heard of a child referring to their mother by her given name, not a child so young.



[Bill, ask if it’s normal for Dorian to call his mother by her given name. He just called her Sophia,] she pressed into Bill’s mind through the connection, still smiling at Dorian. Bill was sitting with the whole family in the kitchen, one of them must know.



There was a moment of silence before he answered.



[No, that’s not normal. Albus says Sophia never wanted Dorian, but her family is Catholic. Does that mean something?] Bill replied.



[Yes, Catholics do not believe in the use of contraception, or abortion. They also don’t believe in sex before marriage, but I think that’s ignorable at this point. I think what happened was once Sophia’s parents found out she was pregnant, they made her keep Dorian. I’ll keep you posted.]



She closed the connection and smiled at Dorian, who was watching her intently. “Would you like to play with a special toy?” she suggested and there was another tilted head of consideration from the toddler.



When he nodded, she slowly conjured a ball of light, glowing and changing colour. His face lit up and he eagerly accepted it from her, his mouth a perfect ‘O’ of astonishment.



“It’s pwetty,” Dorian breathed, entranced by the new toy. “I like it.”



“Bill likes them too.”



“Who’s Bill?”



“Bill is my husband. Do you know what that is?”



“Like Vewnon and Petunia,” he said slowly, taking his time so he could actually say their names right. “They didn’t like me. They sayed I’m a fweak.”



She sighed. She really hated that word, even if it did sound adorable coming from the little mouth.



“Dorian, listen to me. You are not a freak. You are a wizard, which means you can do magic. Everyone here can do magic. It doesn’t make us freaks, it makes us special. And you’re going to live here so you can be with special people,” she explained calmly. “Would you like that?”



“No one gets mad when I make toys fly?”



“No one will get mad when you do that. Can you show me?”



The bright blue eyes filled with tears and Dorian shook his head. “Don’t want to.”



Solarin watched as Dorian smacked his arm through the castle he’d built and toddled across the room, plopping down in a mass of stuffed toys and burying himself in them. He began to cry, small sniffling little sobs that broke the augurs heart.



Phoenix, who had been woken by the crash of blocks, peered worriedly at him.



“Nix, please go downstairs,” Solarin instructed and she cast one last concerned look at Dorian before she left.



Solarin made her way over to the little boy and scooped him up, cuddling him close and letting him cry. She didn’t want to glance into his mind, but she wanted to understand, and Albus had asked her to do it. If she really wanted to adopt Dorian, she would need to fully understand everything that had happened, comprehend what she was up against in raising him.



His mind was a complete whirlwind and it almost knocked her off her feet. She sat down in one of the comfortable chairs with the still crying Dorian on her lap. He burrowed against her and she soothed him with low muttered words of comfort before she tried seeing his past again.



It was easier the second time around, her own mind prepared for the sudden barrage of his fragile emotional state. She decided after only a few seconds that the poor kid was traumatised. The things he had heard all his life, they were things no child should have to hear. The things Sophia had called him. A burden, a mistake, a parasite. Even if Dorian hadn’t understood what the words meant, he had understood the tone, and he knew his mother didn’t want him. Sophia’s parents had not been much better, most of the time pretending Dorian wasn’t there. When they did notice him, it was to push him away.



Dudley, Vernon and Petunia were a whole other case. Those three needed to be blown up, they were pure venom. What they had called Dorian, to his face no less, didn’t bear repeating. The impact they had left on the child was to make him startlingly volatile. He was so afraid of being pushed to another set of people that would shove him away, that he was prone to sudden bouts of anger and aggression. Dorian would rather it was his behaviour that got him shoved out than something he couldn’t control.



There was one silver lining, though. Dorian had watched TV. And Dorian had seen mummies and daddies. And Dorian wanted one of each more than anything else.



She pulled back from his mind and pressed everything she had seen into Bill’s head, feeling the sudden anger from her husband.



[You know what, I can fully appreciate why Harry hates them so much. I never really understood how people could hate muggles, but I hate those muggles,] Bill said furiously. [Dorian needs a good home, and we want him. I’ll work on Albus and the others, you help Dorian. He is ours, and I won’t have some red tape stand in the way.]



Solarin smiled. [Ours?]



A light mental chuckle. [You thought you were the only one having those dreams? Arin, baby, I knew what you did as soon as he walked in the door. Dorian is ours, and I’ll fight to keep him.]



She sent a mental hug through the connection before she raised her barriers, turning her attentions on the scared toddler in her arms.



Solarin pulled out her wand and silently cast a spell to tidy all the toys away, hearing Dorian gasp as she did it. He watched, bright eyed, as the blocks neatly sorted themselves back into their box, the lid closing with a soft snap.



“You did that?” he asked and she nodded. “I do that.”



“Would you like to show me?”



Dorian screwed up his face in concentration for a moment before a fluffy brown stuffed wolf floated off the floor. Solarin clapped and giggled.



“That is very clever. Aren’t you a clever boy for doing that?” she praised and he beamed at her.



Dorian climbed onto his knees on her lap and took her face in his hands, peering deep into her dark eyes with his own blue ones. He seemed to be searching for something.



“Sarin?” he said timidly.



“Yes, sweetie?”



“Will you be my mummy? I want a mummy and Sophia sayed I’m not to call hew that. And you’we nice, I like you. I like it hewe.”



Solarin smiled. “Well, for me to be your mummy, then you have to get Bill as your daddy. See, me and Bill, we kind of work as a team. Would that be okay?”



Dorian nodded and she pulled him in for a big hug.



Just like that, Solarin and Bill got their miracle.



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



Bill stifled his chuckle at his mothers never ending smile.



Once Dorian had claimed Bill and Solarin as his parents, Albus had drawn up the adoption papers, signatures had been put down and Dorian had become a Weasley-Snape. It wasn’t even lunchtime when it was all finalised.



After a lunch of steak pie and roast potatoes, which Dorian had insisted be cut up by Bill, Solarin had decided that she would take Dorian shopping. Dorian had arrived at Grimmauld Place with nothing, not even a spare set of clothes. She was the richest witch in the world, she figured that she might as well put it to good use, and she really wanted to spoil her son rotten. Bill had decided to stay home and sort out Dorian’s room, which he and Solarin had agreed should be the one next to their own.



It was the strangest feeling of déjà vu, decorating a child’s room once again. Bill had already helped decorate Miri’s room, and the ones for Catherine and Joseph. But this was an entirely more enjoyable experience.



His sons room. It had quite a nice ring to it.



“Help, someone, help.”



Bill chuckled as he grabbed a corner of the dresser Sirius was backing into the room with, Remus carrying the other end single handedly. They set it down and Sirius leant against it, gasping and glaring at his smiling husband.



“You and your bright ideas,” Sirius wheezed.



“I didn’t make you do it,” Remus said reasonably. “We could have levitated it, but you’re the one who insisted it be carried by hand. So, what do you think, Bill? It was in the attic. Apparently, it’s a Black family heirloom.”



Bill took a closer look at it. It was solid oak, no chance of being destroyed if Dorian decided to use it as a climbing frame. It was ornately carved, and it was here that Bill found a problem.



“Can we alter it? Somehow, I doubt even my Slytherin wife will want snakes carved into this,” Bill said and Sirius peered at the engravings.



“No, I don’t think basilisks are right for a little boy,” the Animagus agreed. “What do you want them changed to?”



“How about dragons? It seems appropriate with Charlie as his uncle,” Remus suggested and Bill grinned. Soon enough, the slithering snakes had been transfigured into smiling dragons by Sirius, who had seemed ecstatic to see them go.



“Mum, if you fluff those pillows anymore, the poor kid won’t be able to lie down,” Ron said as he and Harry performed various cleaning charms on the carpet.



Molly blushed sheepishly and laid the pillows aside, moving to hold the ladder for Severus as he worked on the chandelier. “I can’t help it. It’s just so exciting. And he’s such an adorable little boy. You must admit, he does look like both of them.”



Arthur smiled in his cleaning of the walk in wardrobe. “Bill’s blue eyes, Solarin’s dark hair. He fits perfectly in this pack.”



“I must agree,” said Severus as he descended the ladder to fetch another light bulb. “He even has messy hair like his Uncle Harry.”



Harry grinned. “I’m an uncle. Hey, aren’t I an uncle to Catherine and Joseph too?”



“I gave up trying to figure out the family connections about the time I walked in the door,” Anne said, carrying in a toy chest.



Phoenix and Ginny had opted to watch the three infants of the house with Hermione while the rooms renovations were underway, and Albus had gone to attend to some other business he had. Personally, Bill suspected Albus had gone to get the Minister to speedily approve the hasty adoption, though he could have gone back to Hogwarts to inform the Professors of the cancelled assessment visit.



Charlie stepped back from the last wall and smiled at his handiwork. The formerly dark, dreary and generally oppressive room that had been a dank shade of puce was now a soft light green. Charlie was just waiting for the day he got to paint a room red. He had suggested it, but Dorian had said he wanted his room to be ‘gween’, and it was said so adorably that Charlie had caved immediately.



“What do you think?” Charlie asked and they all stopped to admire the powdery apple walls.



“Perfect,” Bill said, clapping him on the back.



“You know, Dorian is actually going to need a bed to sleep in,” Arthur called from the closet. “As fluffy as Molly has made them, I don’t think pillows are going to be enough.”



Bill smirked. He hadn’t even thought of a bed for Dorian, he had been too excited on everything else going on around him. At Sirius’ suggestion, he headed towards the attic.



It had long been established that any furniture, old possessions, Black family heirlooms that might prove useful and anything else without a proper place in the house was stashed away in the attic. It was a literal treasure trove of old clothes, toys, books, and other paraphernalia of the Pureblood family that had once inhabited the house.



He searched through the numerous beds that lay in wait to be claimed for some purpose. There were all kinds of them. Four poster, divan, single, double, king size, queen size. Ones with headboards, ones without. Ones with footboards, ones without. Ones with both, ones where all that remained was the mattress or the base. Finally he found what he was searching for.



It was a single bed, obviously designed for a child, because the head end of it had railings, to prevent a midnight tumble. The head and footboards were both decorated with carvings of elves and fairies. He shrunk it and carried it to Dorian’s room.



Once everything had been put in place, thoroughly cleaned and examined for any lingering marks of dark family ownership, the room looked wonderful. Powder green walls, pale blue carpet, wide windows framed by light gossamer curtains, their seats piled high with welcoming cushions. The bed, covered with fluffy pillows and squashy covers, the dresser, the toy chest.



It looked perfect. All that was missing was one energy filled little boy.



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



“Red or green?” Solarin asked, holding up a stuffed dragon in each colour.



So far, she and Dorian had shopped for clothes, which had taken over an hour to get an entire muggle wardrobe (she dreaded how long they would have to spend in Madame Malkin’s so she decided that could wait for another day), books, which had been a test in parental negotiation as Dorian had wanted all of them, and shoes, which had been an experience that could only be equalled by bloodshed. At least getting him his toothbrush and other necessities had been simple, though she did end up giving in and getting him fourteen different kinds of bubble bath.



Now was the fun part, the toys. At this point, they had already amassed more than 200 galleons in toys, but she wasn’t past the point of reason. She had stipulated that Dorian could not have three complete train sets, nor could he have a full working broomstick. As tempted as she was to buy him one, it was just too dangerous to allow a two and a half year old on a broomstick. She was utterly exhausted, and sorely seeking a cigarette, but it was worth it. The one thing that kept her going was the bright smile on the child’s face. That look he had of complete wonder and joy, she couldn’t get enough of it.



“Miwi has gween. I seed it at lunch,” Dorian said. “So, wed.”



She really was going to have to teach him how to say ‘r’s, but today wasn’t the day. “Alright, red it is. And you’re very right, Miri does have a green one, you saw it at lunch. How about we pay for all this and then go home?” she suggested, noticing the way he shifted from foot to foot.



“My feet huwt,” Dorian said, nodding, and she laughed.



“Mine too. Let’s go show your daddy all your new stuff.”



Solarin paid for the toys and shrunk them down with the rest of their purchases before she scooped him up and Apparated home.



The kitchen was eerily silent. Solarin set the little boy down on the table and began to peel off his footwear as she reached out through her connection.



[Where are you?] she asked.



A moment of shocked silence. [Are you trying to scare the shit out of me?] came Bill’s startled reply.



[Try putting your barriers up. Once again, where are you?]



[Dorian’s room. It’s finished. He’s so going to love it, green, just like he asked for. Where are you?]



[Kitchen. Your son has wonderful taste, very expensive,] she joked. [If we managed to miss anything out that he needs, you can take him next time. I am knackered. Question, how can so much energy be stuffed into one little body?]



Bill was coming downstairs, she could hear him laughing on the way. Everyone else was with him too. Sometimes, her abilities really did come in handy.



“Did he tire you out?” Bill teased as he entered the room, Dorian barrelling forwards to be picked up by Bill once Solarin had set him on his bare feet. [Funny, you usually have such stamina,] he mindspoke as he verbally uttered, “I see what you mean, so much energy. So, where is all this stuff you bought?”



She smirked. [I’ll prove how much stamina I have later,] she mentally scolded as she said, “Don’t be fooled by the one bag. I shrunk it all as we went.” She upturned the bag and resized everything at once.



Bill gaped at it all and then laughed. “One little boy and you bought enough to supply the fifty thousand.”



[Shut it. You have no idea how much one of these needs,] she scolded as she plucked Dorian out of his arms. “How about some juice and a snack?” she asked the little boy, who nodded enthusiastically.



The family poured over the purchases, sorting them into piles, as Solarin fixed Dorian a plastic cup of apple juice and a sandwich. As she attempted to sit him at the table, she remembered how they’d had to sit him on a thick book at lunch.



“Anyone seen the booster seat I bought?” she questioned, Ron handing to her. She attached it to a chair and firmly strapped Dorian into it.



“Hey, Dorian, do you want to see your room after your snack?” Charlie said with a smile and the tiny boy nodded, his cheeks bulging.



It took a startlingly short amount of time for such a tiny mouth to consume a whole sandwich, and then Bill scooped him up and carried him to his new room, setting him down so he could scamper in and jump on the bed.



[Will that stand up to being a trampoline?] Solarin pressed into her husbands mind.



[Sirius assures me that all the Black family heirlooms are centuries old and charmed to prevent destruction by toddler. He told me all the furniture will handle Dorian attacking it,] he reassured as he moved to the dresser, putting away pyjamas and socks and boxers, all of them in tiny sizes.



Solarin smiled at Dorian’s chattered instructions to Charlie on where his new toys should go. [Why can I taste red wine?]



Bill chuckled. [Let’s just say the furniture could have given our son nightmares. It needed a little…alteration, shall we say.] He pressed a quick mental synopsis of the transformation of the bedroom into her mind and she peered distrustfully at the dresser. [Don’t worry, it’s all been checked, did it myself. So, do you like the room?]



Solarin glanced around, taking in the room now most of Dorian’s new things were in it, the last of his clothes being arranged in the closet by Molly.



“I don’t know why you’re asking me if I like it,” she said slowly, feeling the sudden apprehension from everyone in the room. She casually made her way over to the child holding his arms out for her. “It’s not my room. You should be asking my beautiful baby boy if he likes it.”



Just as Solarin reached for Dorian, something hit her so hard she went crashing to the floor, gasping to catch her breath. Dorian screamed and Harry was the first to him, scooping him up and comforting him while Bill checked the augur over.



Solarin lay very still on the floor, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. She had felt something like it once before, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint where, when or from who. It was so familiar, the experience of being hit by a train.



[Solarin! Arin, baby, talk to me!] came Bill’s frantic call, but there was something else, something new. And then it occurred to her where she had felt it before.



[My mummy. I want my mummy’s cuddles. Is my mummy okay? Is my mummy huwt?] It was low, barely above a whisper, but it was there. Just the same as Bill’s had been the first time they had spoken in mindspeak.



Dorian’s voice in her head.



She tentatively reached her mind out to his. [I’m here, baby. Mummy’s okay, I just got a little dizzy. Just give me a minute and I’ll give you a cuddle, okay?]



Dorian nodded, confusing all of them, and she looked at Bill. “I’m okay, just give me a minute,” she said shakily.



“What happened?” Bill asked, helping her sit up.



She grinned and motioned for Harry to put Dorian down. He did so and the child toddled over to her, plopping down and cuddling up to her. “Dorian, do you want to tell them what we just did?”



“Okay.”



“You have to say it with your mouth or they won’t hear you,” she advised and he nodded. “Go on then, baby, tell them what happened.”



“I talked to mummy in here,” he said, tapping his own curly head. “She sayed she was dizzy.”



They all stared at her and Severus wasted no time in stalking out of the room to call Moody, Sam and Dumbledore. The family decided that this was one of those moments when their presence would not be appreciated and slipped from the room.



“You spoke mindspeak with Dorian?” Bill asked incredulously.



“Yup. That’s what made me dizzy, suddenly having another mind attached to my own. The same thing happened the first time you entered my head. Don’t you remember? We were down by the lake and I keeled over. You panicked then, too,” she explained and he sighed in relief.



Bill looked thoughtfully at his son. “Do you think I’ll get to do it?”



“What, form a connection with Dorian?”



“Yeah.”



Solarin peered at her husband and then her son. As far as any of them knew, her connection with Bill was unique. The one she now had with Dorian was the same, unheard of. Theoretically, she could see how it could work, if she was strong enough to forge the connection. It wasn’t so dissimilar to when she transferred emotions. All she had to do was nourish the emotional connection Dorian was forming with Bill, and then try and merge their minds, the way Dorian had done with her automatically. Well, that was the idea anyway, practice would prove to be its own hurdle.



“Theoretically, it could be possible. I’d have to discuss it with Mad-Eye, and Sam, see if I’m up to it. But I don’t see any potential problems. This is all theory, so don’t get your hopes up,” she hypothesised.



Bill grinned. Dorian clambered into Bill’s lap and lisped, “My daddy.”



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



Bill watched as Moody took a closer look at his son.



Dorian forming such close connections to he and Solarin in less than a day was a worrying sign. For the bond between Dorian and Solarin to be strong enough for them to mindspeak, the bond had gone beyond what it should.



It had taken Bill a year to forge such a connection with Solarin, and even then it had not hit the augur that hard. She had not keeled over that suddenly. And it had taken her much longer to be able to speak back through it.



Dorian was clinging to Solarin, eyeing Moody nervously. Dorian’s little arms were wrapped around Solarin’s neck, his bright blue eyes fixed on the grizzled Auror.



“Dorian, can you answer some questions for us?” Moody asked gently.



The tiny boy buried his face in Solarin’s neck.



Sam came forwards, motioning for Moody to take a step back. Sam was used to dealing with nervous children in his line of work, he had more chance of getting Dorian to relax and let them take a look at him.



“Hello, Dorian,” the healer said cheerfully. “Can you tell me how old you are?”



Dorian held up two fingers and Sam smiled.



“Two. Aren’t you a big boy? Hey, Dorian, you know how you talked to mummy in your head?” Sam asked and Dorian nodded. “Well, that is so special. Can you tell me how you did that?”



“Don’t know,” the toddler mumbled.



Sam smiled. “That’s okay, we all do things like that sometimes, things we can’t explain. All we want to do is try and find out how you did it. See, your mummy is a very special lady, she can do some very special things. But, some of those things, they can make mummy very ill. All we want to do is see if everything’s okay with you and mummy. Would that be all right?”



Dorian peered at the man, and Harry could suddenly appreciate why the man was such a good healer. He was so relaxed and cheerful that Dorian was soon holding out his arms to him, letting Sam scoop him up and sit him on the kitchen table.



“Dorian, can you tell me if your head hurts?” Sam said.



“No, my head doesn’t huwt,” Dorian replied after a reassuring smile from Bill. “Did I do something bad?”



“No, sweetheart, you didn’t do anything bad, nothing at all. We’re just so surprised because your daddy was the only one who could talk to mummy in his head. No one else could do it. We just want to make sure you’re all right, that you didn’t get hurt when you talked to mummy like that. Lots and lots of people aren’t special enough to talk to mummy in their heads,” Sam said. “Now, you see this man?” He motioned to Moody and Dorian nodded. “Well, his name is Mad-Eye, and he taught your mummy to do all her special things. Me and him, we kind of take care of mummy, and she wants Mad-Eye to check and see if you’re okay.”



Dorian looked at Solarin. “Weally?”



She smiled and nodded. “Mad-Eye’s just going to take a quick look at you, and when he’s done, you can help Nana Molly with dinner, okay baby?”



Dorian nodded and Moody ran several diagnostic spells on the child before he smiled. “All right, Dorian, I’m all done now,” Moody said and the tiny boy scampered off to help Molly with dinner.



“So?” Solarin asked.



Moody smiled at her. “He’s an empath.”



Solarin started to laugh, and they had to wait for her to stop before she explained.



“An empath is kind of like a watered down version of an augur. They’re not as rare as me and Miri, but they are unusual,” Solarin explained. “When Dorian touches someone he knows how they feel. It’s common for an empath to form strong emotional bonds with people they have only just met.” They looked a little confused. “Okay, when Dorian first arrived, he was clinging to Albus. In Albus’ mind, this is a safe haven, so Dorian immediately picked up that he was safe here. When I was in the playroom with him, Dorian got upset and I held him. He picked up how much I wanted him. At lunch, Dorian wanted Bill to cut up his lunch. Bill covered Dorian’s hands with his own, he touched him. Dorian picked up how much Bill wants him. At some point or other, he has touched all of us. He’s picked up on our emotions, our wants.”



“So, he’s like a sponge?” Harry asked, bouncing Miri on his knee.



“Basically, yes,” she confirmed.



“And the connection?” Severus enquired.



“I’m not surprised Dorian formed a connection with his new mother,” Moody said. “An empath forms a strong bond with their mother. Because Dorian is adopted, the formation of this bond was accelerated. The connection is just another part of that bond.”



“Could I form a connection with him?” Bill questioned. “I mean, could I form a connection strong enough for me to mindspeak with Dorian?”



Moody peered at him, considering it. “I don’t see why not,” he hypothesised. “You’re strong enough to forge a connection with a very powerful augur, I don’t see why you couldn’t form one with an empath. Solarin would, obviously, have to help you in creating it, and it would be essential for you to spend quite a bit of time with Dorian. It would take longer than the connection he has with Solarin, but I see no reason why you couldn’t form a similar connection.”



Bill couldn’t wipe the silly grin off of his face.



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



Severus rolled over intending to wrap his arms around Harry. He seemed to have rolled away from him in the night. But all Severus came up with was air.



Severus opened his eyes and looked around. He was alone in the room, and the clock said it was gone ten. He slipped from the bed and checked the nursery for Miri. It was empty and he began to panic.



It was a reoccurring nightmare for him to wake up and find his family gone. This was not a pleasant experience for Severus.



He grabbed his wand and was about to go find his husband and child when Phoenix appeared at the top of the stairs.



“Sol said you were awake now and I could bring you some coffee,” the witch said, handing him a mug.



He took it dazedly. “Thank you. Nix, where are Harry and Miri?” he questioned as calmly as he could.



“Miri’s in the playroom with Hermione and the twins, and Dorian and Bill, and Harry’s in the garden. Why? Didn’t Harry tell you he was getting up?”



Severus released the breath he hadn’t realised he had been holding. “No, he didn’t. How long has he been up?”



“Hours. He and Miri came down about seven.”



“What’s he doing in the garden?”



“Playing Quidditch with Ron, Charlie, Tonks, Fred, George and Ginny. They’re breaking in his quaffle, the one from his Quidditch set, the one he got for his birthday,” she said. “Shall I tell nana you want some breakfast?”



Severus laughed. He had gotten worked up for a game of Quidditch. “Yes, please. I’ll be down in a minute.”



Severus put his coffee on his bedside table and quickly showered and dressed before making his way downstairs. Anne handed him a few slices of toast and he made his way out to the garden.



Merlin, Harry was breathtaking in the air. Severus had forgotten just how good a flier his husband was. He made his way over to stand with Sirius.



“Morning,” Sirius said. “Sleep well?”



“I did. Why didn’t Harry wake me?”



“He said he thought you needed the rest,” Sirius said. “You got scared, didn’t you? When you couldn’t find him?”



Severus took a bite of toast and shrugged.



“It’s okay, you know. I won’t tell a soul. Good, isn’t he?”



Severus smiled. “Very. No wonder you came to watch him as Snuffles. I admit, it is one of the things I have always envied.”



“Explain,” Sirius commanded.



“Haven’t you noticed Solarin looking a little green?”



Sirius looked over to the augur and noticed that she appeared to be fighting the urge to pass out. “Is she ill?”



Severus chuckled. “No, not ill, but she and I do share a certain hatred of broomsticks,” Severus revealed. “You should have seen Sol trying to learn to fly. I swear, I have never seen her so terrified of an inanimate object.”



Sirius dissolved into a fit of giggles. Remus looked over from where he was throwing basketballs at the players and Sirius motioned that he would tell him later.



The wonders of living in a magical house, all the enchantments hiding the flying players from prying neighbours eyes. The game was simple enough. Three aside, Harry, George and Tonks on one team, Ginny, Fred and Charlie on the other. Harry and Ginny as Seekers, Tonks and Charlie as Chasers, trying to steal the quaffle from each other, and Fred and George as Beaters, fending off the basketballs. Ron was playing Keeper for both teams. Arthur was controlling a gold painted golf ball in place of a snitch, Remus was throwing basketballs in place of bludgers and Sam was keeping score. It was too dangerous to use real bludgers, too much chance of them getting loose and maiming a muggle, and a real snitch could easily get away from them and be lost.



Severus discovered that Ron had felt it wise to have a practice with Harry before he actually played for Gryffindor, see how Harry would handle being on a broomstick again. The redhead had worried it might trigger some bad memories for his friend, and so he had decided it would be best for Harry to try it at home first. Severus found he really appreciated Ron’s presence in their lives. Severus hadn’t even considered if Harry would be able to handle playing Quidditch.



“How are you and Remus doing?” Severus asked as he sipped his coffee, watching Harry come out of a spectacular Wronski Feint.



“Oh, we’re fine now. All back on track,” Sirius said.



“And the after effects of him reasserting himself?”



“Gone. The healing bath really helped. Remus got rid of most of the marks after a day or so. He did leave the ones on my chest, something about them, he likes those ones. I’m not complaining. Having Remus mark me is a lot better than Azkaban doing it,” Sirius said. He sniggered. “You know, if someone had told me twenty years ago that I would actually get along with you, I’d have called them a bloody liar.”



Severus chuckled. “I must agree. We did not start off on the best foot. But Harry managed to do what no one else could. Harry managed to get us to be friendly,” Severus said, making Sirius smile.



“So, you hate broomsticks?”



“Yes,” Severus confirmed. “Something about being that high up with only a piece of wood to stop me falling to my death never sat too well with me, strangely.”



“Hear, hear,” Solarin said, joining them and covering her eyes with a groan as George narrowly saved Harry from being hit by a bludger basketball. “Please, I beg you, make them stop.”



“Why are you watching if it makes you feel like this?” Sirius questioned with a smile.



“One simple reason: Dorian,” she said, making them frown in confusion. “As soon as he saw the broomsticks, he wanted to get on one. I’m sorry, but two is far too young to have my son fifty feet up. So Bill decided now was a good time to spend time with him, help their bond, and he wants to know how the game goes. He’s currently pissing himself laughing at me.”



The two men sniggered and cheered as Harry caught the snitch golf ball. The players landed and Solarin breathed a sigh of relief.



Harry excitedly made his way over to Severus. “We won!” he gushed.



“Indeed. Well done. Did you have fun?” Severus enquired, smiling at Harry’s grin and enthusiastic nod. “Well, that is very good. However, I would like to be woken next time. It was not a pleasant experience waking up to find you and Miri missing.”



Harry squirmed guiltily. “I’m sorry, Severus, but you looked so peaceful, I didn’t want to wake you. It’s been so long since you slept through Miri, you deserved a lie in,” Harry explained, making Severus pull him in for a kiss.



“In that case, you are completely forgiven,” Severus said with a smile.



“In that case, is it okay if we play another game?”



Severus smirked. “You may play as long as you like.”



“Ah, sorry to spoil the fun, but Bill says Miri’s asking for her carrier. Might have to postpone the rematch for a bit,” Solarin said.



Harry nodded and passed her his Firebolt before he made his way inside. She immediately passed it to Tonks, shuddering and muttering ‘deathtrap’.



Tonks grinned and looked thoroughly impressed. “Severus, do you think Harry would mind if I had a quick spin?” the Auror asked.



“I don’t see why he would. Go on, have fun,” Severus said and she mounted the broom, kicking off and squealing at how fast it was. Sam made his way over to the group.



“Never liked broomsticks myself,” the healer said. “Always ended up with far too many bruises.”



“Must be a werewolf thing,” Remus said as he joined them. “I learnt to fly and that was more than enough. James used to let me have a go on his broom, but I always came away bruised to kingdom come.”



Sirius grinned. “I don’t remember complaints of my fussing at those bruises,” he said.



“I rather enjoyed that fussing. It was very enjoyable as I recall,” Remus joked.



“Personally, I think you’re all nuts,” Solarin said, determinedly avoiding looking at Tonks retrieving a basketball from the roof. “Who wants to be dangling that far from the ground on a piece of wood?”



Sirius stared at her and opened his mouth to try and explain it when Bill appeared in the doorway with Dorian in his arms.



“Don’t bother, I’ve been trying since she was eleven,” the curse breaker advised. “My lovely wife has a thing about heights.”



“It’s not heights that get me,” Solarin argued. “It’s the lack of a floor at that height.”



Bill sniggered and Dorian grinned. “Mummy, can I go on a bwoomstick?”



“No,” she said immediately. “No way.”



“But Uncle Hawy is allowed.”



“Uncle Harry is not two years old.”



“Auntie Ginny gets to have a go.”



“Once again, Auntie Ginny is not two years old.”



Dorian argued with Solarin until Sirius intervened. “How about I take him up on Tonks’ Cleensweep?” he suggested.



“Thanks for the offer, but no,” Solarin said firmly.



Remus smiled. “Sirius has never crashed anything in his life. Dorian will be perfectly safe,” he reassured and they could all see her begin to waver. “The Cleensweep is much slower than the Firebolt, no zooming to the moon. One lap around the garden, that’s all.”



She sighed. “You’re not going to stop until I give in, are you?”



“Nope,” Sirius said.



“Best just to agree,” Severus advised and she reluctantly handed her son to Sirius.



“One lap, that is it,” she demanded and Sirius nodded.



Solarin buried her head in Bill’s chest as Sirius lapped around the garden, Dorian sitting just in front of him, laughing his delight. Sirius kept one arm firmly around the tiny boy, and the other hand fixed on the broom handle. Bill rubbed Solarin’s back as he grinned at his son’s glee.



Eventually, after seven laps around the garden, Sirius landed and Solarin took a full breath once more.



“That was not one lap,” she griped as she cuddled Dorian close, the little boy grinning from ear to ear.



“What can I say, his happiness is infectious,” Sirius defended. “Just wait until he sees my bike.”



“Absolutely not, it’s a deathtrap. I am not letting you take my son on that monstrosity,” she said decisively, making Remus laugh.



“Told you so,” the werewolf said. “Pay up.”



Sirius handed over five galleons. “It was worth a shot. You know, Sol, you just sounded scarily like Lily. She said the exact same thing when me and James fixed a sidecar to the bike for Harry to use.”



“You had a sidecar on the bike?” Harry asked as he returned with Miri in his arms. “One baby with a clean nappy who wants her daddy.”



Severus took his daughter and she babbled at him, waving Smoo. “Good morning, sweetheart.”



“Yes, me and James put it on. Lily had a fit,” Sirius said as he stroked Miri’s curls, making Harry smile. “She told us, in no uncertain terms, that if we ever let you near my bike she would castrate us both. We believed her, and the sidecar was removed.”



“Eventually,” Remus added, making Sirius smile sheepishly.



“Eventually,” he agreed. “It took until I moved back in here for me to remove it. I kept hoping she’d change her mind. I tell you something for free, your mother could be one scary witch when she wanted to be, Harry. Positively terrifying sometimes. She used to scare the hell out of James.”



Solarin sniggered. “Kind of the way Molly does to Arthur?”



“Molly is tame compared to Lily,” Remus said. Harry was starting to look uncomfortable so he decided to change the subject. It was almost Halloween, which was always a difficult day for all of them. “You missed Dorian’s first fly, Harry.”



“And last,” Solarin put in.



“Oh, come on, I didn’t drop him,” Sirius said. “You got him back, safe and sound, all his pieces intact.”



“Be that as it may, I would rather my toddler didn’t spend too much time on broomsticks.”



“He had fun,” Bill put in.



Solarin sighed. “I think we can safely say he’s your son. Little daredevil.”



“Changing the subject,” Remus said. “Sam, has she told Andie yet?”



“Andie?” Sam asked.



“Andromeda, Nymphadora’s mother,” Sirius supplied. “Has Tonks told her about you yet?”



“No, I haven’t,” Tonks said as she landed. “And I don’t plan on it anytime soon.”



“Are you ashamed of me?” Sam questioned, looking a little unsure of himself.



“No, I’m not ashamed of you, baby. I just want to spare you.” Everyone looked confused and she sighed as Remus and Sirius smiled. “My mother never thought I would settle down. She even gave the family rocking chair to Harry because she never thought I’d have children to use it for. As soon as she finds out about you, you’re going to be attacked, and I don’t mean in the way I do it. You’ll be lucky if she ever lets you out of her sight. She’ll probably want us to get married immediately. I’m sorry, Sam, as much as I love you, I am not ready to marry you.”



Sam grinned and Sirius looked very guilty.



“Sirius, why the guilt all of a sudden?” Solarin asked.



“No reason,” the Animagus said evasively.



Sirius didn’t have to explain, and Harry jumped a foot in the air as a very loud scream came from the doorway. Harry turned around to find a woman who looked quite a bit like Bellatrix Lestrange standing there, smiling wider than Harry had ever seen someone smile without cracking their face. There was a chubby man standing behind her wearing an apologetic smile.



Tonks groaned and attempted to hit Sirius, before the woman ran forwards and hugged her so tightly, Harry was shocked Tonks’ head didn’t pop off.



“Oh, honey! I am so happy for you!” the woman shrieked. On closer inspection, the woman didn’t look that much like Bellatrix. Her eyes were the same bright blue as Sirius’, and she was willowy like him too.



“Mum, get off me! I can’t breathe!” Tonks yelled. “Dad, make her stop!”



The new man came forwards and pulled at the woman’s arm. “Dromeda, let go of her, she needs oxygen,” he said.



The woman let go and looked around at all of them. “I’m sorry, dear, I’m just so happy. You and Sam! To think, you used to use him as a climbing frame as a toddler.”



“Dad, if you don’t shut her up I will hurt her,” Tonks hissed.



“Come on, love, be reasonable. There is no way I’m going to be able to stop her on this one,” her father said.



“Sam, make her stop,” Tonks pleaded. It was the wrong thing to say, as it caused Tonks’ mother’s eyes to land on the healer.



“Hello, Mrs. Tonks, it’s been a long time,” Sam said and then choked as Tonks’ mother hugged him.



“Oh, please Sam, call me Andromeda, we’re family now.”



“Mother, will you please tone it down? You’re scaring Harry,” Tonks said and everyone noticed just how panicked Harry looked.



Severus passed Miri to Remus and pulled Harry into his arms. “Are you all right, love?” he murmured in his ear.



“She made me jump. I’m okay, just give me a minute. New people, I just got a bit spooked. I’m okay, really. Just give me a moment,” Harry replied, burying his face in his husband’s chest.



Severus kissed the top of his head. “All right, love. Take your time,” he murmured before he addressed the group. “He’s okay, just give him a minute. Andromeda just made him jump.”



After a moment, Harry pulled away and looked around. “I’m okay now. Sorry everyone.”



“It’s all right, pup. Trust me when I say Andie’s seen worse,” Sirius said. “Everyone, this is my cousin Andromeda Tonks and her husband, Ted Tonks.”



“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Tonks,” Harry said, holding out his hand to her.



She took it and laughed. “We’ve met before Harry. I was at your Christening,” she said. “I must say, you’re a lot taller now.”



They all laughed and moved to start another game, which Tonks jumped at to free herself from her mother’s clutches. Bill took over the basketball bludgers, leaving Remus free to talk with Andromeda.



“So, how is my favourite cousin and his gorgeous wolfish lover?” Andromeda asked, slinging an arm around Sirius’ shoulders.



“Gorgeous wolfish husband, thank you very much, and we are doing very well. House full of family, two beautiful children, one gorgeous grandchild, and a son-in-law I actually get along with, even if he was a snake,” Sirius said.



“My, my, my, you two have been busy. When you sent me the letter inviting me to meet your family, I wasn’t expecting that much family,” she said, laughing. “Come on then, reel them off.



As Sirius opened his mouth to speak, he was cut off by a loud call from the doorway.



“Daddy, papa, try one of my brownies! Look, I made them all by myself,” Phoenix said as she walked over carrying a plate.



“Line your stomach,” Sirius murmured in Remus’ ear, earning a shove and a smile, before he grinned and accepted a brownie from his daughter.



Remus grabbed the plate as it threatened to tumble out of Phoenix’ hands and Sirius cautiously took a nibble.



“You can stop worrying, Sirius, I supervised every step,” Molly called from the doorway. “Hello, Andromeda. I didn’t hear you arrive.”



“She was too busy suffocating me and Sam,” Tonks called from above.



“You know, I think I might keep this one down,” Sirius said. “Nixie, come and meet my cousin Andromeda and her husband, Ted. They’re Tonks’ parents. Andie, this is Nixie.”



“Still shortening names I see,” Andromeda said. “Hello, Nixie. What’s that short for?”



“Phoenix,” Severus said.



“Following family tradition. Very nice. Very out of character.”



“We didn’t chose the name, Nixie did,” Remus said. Andromeda looked confused and the werewolf smiled. “Nixie, how about you explain it all for your Aunt Andie?”



“Okay. I was Draco Lucius Malfoy, but I wasn’t really a boy, I was under a concealment charm all along. Then the concealment was lifted and it turns out I was a girl all along. So I chose a new name when Lucius disowned me, and I got to pick my own family too. So I picked this family,” she reeled off and Andromeda laughed. “Now, I’m Phoenix Rose Lupin-Black.”



“Ah, now I see why she looks so much like you, Siri. It is very nice to meet you, Nixie. Can I have a brownie?”



Phoenix practically lit up and happily nodded.



“Oh, my God, I can’t watch! Sirius, take Dorian,” Solarin said, handing the clapping little boy to the Animagus as Harry pulled out of yet another perfect Wronski Feint. “I’m going to have my heart attack inside.”



She disappeared and they all laughed. “Who was that?” Andromeda asked.



“Solarin Eileen Weasley-Snape, my daughter-in-law, kind of. She’s Harry’s sister-in-law,” Sirius said. “And this is Dorian Weasley-Snape, her son. Dorian, say hi.”



“Hi,” Dorian said, waving his pudgy little hand at the woman. “Mummy doesn’t like bwoomsticks, but Uncle Siwius took me on Auntie Tonks’ one wound the gawden. Daddy likes bwoomsticks.”



“Who’s your daddy, Dorian?” Andromeda asked, smiling widely. “How about you tell me who everyone is?”



“Okay,” Dorian said. “That’s my daddy, the one thwowing the balls fow Uncle Wemus so Uncle Wemus can talk. And this is my Uncle Sevwus, he’s mummy’s bwothew. He’s mawied to Uncle Hawy, who gets to go up thewe. And they have Miwi, who has a gween dwagon toy and is a special witch like mummy.”



Dorian paused to catch his breath, and everyone looked highly impressed that he remembered all that after only a day of being in the house.



“Then thewe’s my Uncle Won and Auntie Miney, who awe the mummy and daddy of Cathwine and Joseph. Uncle Won is daddy’s bwothew, he has a lot of them. Like Uncle Fwed and Uncle Geowge, who match, and Uncle Chawlie, who kisses Auntie Nixie. And I have two nana’s, I have Nana Molly and Nana Annie. And thewe’s Uncle Sam, who kisses Auntie Tonks, and Uncle Siwius, who kisses Uncle Wemus, and thewe’s Auntie Ginny, and my Gwandpa’s. Gwandpa Awthuw, who is mawied to Nana Molly, and Gwandpa Jack, who is Uncle Sam’s daddy, and likes to kiss Nana Annie, who is Uncle Wemus’ mummy.”



He took another deep breath and they were all stunned at how well he was reeling it all off. So far, he hadn’t made a single mistake.



“Nana Molly and Gwandpa Awthuw are the mummy and daddy of Uncle Geowge, Uncle Fwed, Uncle Won, Uncle Chawlie, Auntie Ginny and daddy. Uncle Siwius, my head huwts,” Dorian finished, making them laugh.



“I’ll get him something for it,” Severus said, disappearing inside.



“Okay, I am very impressed. How old is he?” Andromeda said, stunned.



“He’ll be three this December,” Remus said, stroking the unruly dark hair. “Hasn’t quite mastered ‘r’s yet, but we’re getting there.”



“Now I feel stupid. Hey, Remus, you remember how Sirius drew you a diagram of our family?” Remus nodded. “Do you think I could get one of those for this family?”



“I’ll see what I can do,” he said with a laugh as Severus reappeared with a sippy cup.



“One kiddie pain potion. Here you go, Dorian. Drink this and your head won’t hurt anymore,” Severus said, handing Dorian the cup.



“Thank you, Uncle Sevwus.”



“Solarin…do you mean Solly Prince?” Andromeda asked.



“That’s the one. You remember her from my schooldays mum,” Tonks called from above.



“That’s right! Solly, Dora and Bill, inseparable, all three.”



“Well, now Bill and Sol are married with a little boy,” Sirius said and Andromeda smiled.



They talked about nothing in particular, Sirius filling Andromeda in on everything, until Tonks lost control of her broom and had to be scooped out of the air by Harry. The game was stopped and Harry slowly drifted to the ground, where Sam grabbed Tonks and checked her for any kind of injury.



“What happened?” Sam asked, frantically running his hands over her arms.



“I don’t know. The broom just went out of control,” she said. “Calm down, baby, I’m okay. You have a wonderful flier for a nephew.”



“Sam doesn’t do calm, not when someone he cares about nearly went splat,” Andromeda said.



“Wait, do you two know each other already?” Harry asked Andromeda and Sam.



“Yes, we do. Jack was a friend of Ted’s father, they used to come for dinner. That was a while ago, when Sam was still training to be a healer.”



“Are you sure you’re all right, Dora?” Ted questioned.



“I’m fine, dad, really. I think my broom has had it though,” Tonks said.



Arthur appeared to say that lunch was ready and they moved inside, Sam still fussing over Tonks.



Lunch was a happy affair, Sirius and Andromeda entertaining the family with tales of their younger days, most of which included pissing off their parents. Andromeda proudly proclaimed that the best day of her life was the one in which her mother threw her out of the house for marrying a Muggleborn. Sirius revealed that he had left home at sixteen and gone straight to James’, seeking refuge from his own arranged marriage. His father had tracked him down and beaten him to a pulp. Sirius had then jumped on his bike and hightailed it to Remus’, where he stayed until he was imprisoned.



“I must admit, learning to live with Sirius was a lesson in patience,” Remus teased as they nibbled on the last of lunch.



“Oh, we fully understand,” Charlie said.



“Oi! I’m not that hard to live with,” Sirius argued, grinning.



“Oh no, absolute picnic,” Severus said. “I especially liked the broken nose on the morning of my wedding. That was very enjoyable, a real taste of things to come.”



“In my defence, I had just found out about you claiming my son,” Sirius said. “And I think we get along very well now.”



“True. We have our moments.”



“So, Harry, when do you go to Hogwarts to play?” Ted asked.



“The first week of November. Professor Dumbledore is even laying on the train for us. Miri’s too young to travel by floo and I don’t like Apperation,” Harry said.



While the family launched into talk of Quidditch, Solarin grinned at the adorable mindspeak.



[Is that lady Auntie Tonks’ mummy?] Dorian asked.



[Yes, her name is Andie, and she’s Tonks’ mummy.]



[And that man is her daddy?]



[Yes, that’s Tonks’ daddy. His name is Ted.]



“Whewe awe youw mummy and daddy?”



The whole room went silent and Solarin was completely dumbstruck. What a question. She wasn’t quite sure how to explain it to him.



“Dorian, that’s a very grown up question to ask. Why do you ask it?” Severus questioned.



“Daddy has a mummy and daddy, and now Auntie Tonks. Even Uncle Wemus has a mummy. Whewe’s mummy’s mummy and daddy? And youws. Whewe awe they?”



Everyone looked at Solarin expectantly and she took a long drink. [What the hell do I tell him?] she pressed into Bill’s mind.



[I’m sure you’ll think of something,] he reassured.



She took a deep breath. “Dorian, do you know what it means when someone dies?” she said.



“Uh-huh. It means they go away and you can’t see them anymore,” he said.



“That’s right. Well, me and Severus have the same mummy and daddy, and our mummy died a long time ago, when I was a little bit bigger than you.”



“Who took cawe of you?”



“Severus took care of me, kind of like me and daddy take care of you.”



“What about youw daddy?”



“He died too,” Solarin said, glossing over everything else.



“Why doesn’t Uncle Hawy have a mummy?”



[Is it me, or is he getting really good at asking things we don’t want to answer?] Bill pushed into her head.



[It’s not just you.]



“Dorian, you know how you got to pick Solarin and Bill to be your parents?” Harry said and Dorian nodded. “Well, I got to pick Remus and Sirius as mine because my first mummy and daddy died.”



“Is that why Auntie Nixie doesn’t have a mummy either? Because she picked new daddies?”



“That’s right,” Harry said. “See, we’re very lucky, me and you and Nixie, because we got to have mummies and daddies who really love us and want us to be with them.”



Dorian tilted his head to the side, considering all the information, before he smiled.



“Okay. Can I have some mowe juice, please?”



Severus leaned in close to Harry as the conversation started up once more. “I’m impressed,” he said. “That was very diplomatically put.”



Harry smiled. “It’s true. I just had to figure out how to say it to him so he’d understand.”



Severus captured his lips in a sweet kiss. “I think you can stop worrying about your parenting skills now, love. I think you’ve got them down to a tee.”



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



Harry awoke to find Severus nibbling his neck.



“Mmmmmm, good morning,” Harry croaked.



“Good mowning, Uncle Hawy.”



Harry and Severus shot up in bed, their eyes landing on the pint-sized spectator. Dorian was sitting on the end of their bed, cuddling his red dragon toy.



“When did he get there?” Harry murmured.



“No idea. I rolled over and started kissing your neck without opening my eyes,” Severus mumbled back.



“Dorian, how long have you been sitting on our bed?” Harry asked.



“A little bit. I woke up and mummy and daddy wewe still sleeping and I have a question.”



“What’s your question?”



“Who’s Miwi’s mummy?”



The two men sat there in shock. Okay, how did they explain that one to a two year old? More importantly, what did Bill and Solarin want Dorian to know? Dorian was, after all, their son. Maybe they hadn’t explained it to him because they didn’t think he was old enough to understand.



“There you are,” Bill said from the doorway. “Me and mummy went to wake you and you weren’t in your bed, little man. Did he wake you?”



“Not exactly,” Severus said. “Dorian, why don’t you ask your daddy your question?”



Bill came forwards and picked Dorian up, sitting down with the child on his lap. “What question?”



“Who’s Miwi’s mummy?”



“Ah, Dorian, why do you ask?”



“Because I have a mummy, and Uncle Hawy and Uncle Sevwus. Everyone has a mummy. Who’s Miwi’s?”



Bill smiled and toyed with the dark curls. “Okay, this is payback. I made Solarin handle the questions alone before, now she’s telling me I have to handle this one on my own,” Bill said with a smile.



“What’s she telling you to say?” Harry asked.



“She’s telling me to be diplomatic. Any ideas on how to answer this?”



Harry smiled and held out his arms for Dorian, who crawled across the duvet into Harry’s arms, dragging the dragon toy by its tail.



“Okay. Dorian, you know how your mummy is a girl?” Harry questioned and Dorian nodded. “And you know how your daddy is a boy?” Another nod. “Well, only girls can have babies. See, girls have special body parts that mean they can make a baby. Do you understand?”



“Uh-huh. Like mummy has boobies.”



The three men stifled their laughs. “Yeah, kind of like that. See, the body parts girls have to make babies are inside, where you can’t see them.”



“Like your heart?”



“Just like that. They’re all inside their tummies,” Harry said and then paused, making sure the little boy wasn’t lost along the way. “Okay. Now, me, I’m a special kind of boy. I have girl body parts as well as boy body parts. Now, you know that a baby grows inside their mummy right?”



“Uh-huh. In the giwl pawts in theiw tummies, that’s why theiw bellies get weal big.”



Harry sniggered. “That’s right. Well, I’m Miri’s mummy. Miri grew in my belly.”



“But Miwi doesn’t call you mummy.”



“No, she calls me carrier, because I still look like a boy.”



“You look like a daddy.”



“Exactly. But Miri would get very confused if she called me and Severus daddy. So she calls Severus daddy and me carrier. Did that answer your question?”



“Yup. Thank you, Uncle Hawy.”



“You’re very welcome. Now, how about you go with your daddy and get dressed so you can go down to breakfast?”



Dorian nodded and let Bill scoop him up, the redhead offering his thanks as he left the room.



Harry dissolved into a fit of giggles as Severus sniggered. “I am very impressed,” Severus said. “Nicely handled.”



“Why thank you, I am rather proud of myself for that one,” Harry said, kissing Severus before slipping from the bed.



They moved to Miri’s room and Harry scooped the tiny girl up. “What do you say we try Miri on the baby cereals again?”



“Can’t hurt,” Severus said. “If she refuses again, we’ll keep her on the nursing for a bit longer. I’ll dress her while you get dressed, love.”



Ten minutes later the three of them moved to the kitchen, where Dorian was happily reeling off who Miri’s mother was to Remus. Harry slipped Miri into her highchair and Severus fixed the baby porridge, handing it to Harry before excusing himself to add some much needed components to some potions in the lab.



This was a common occurrence, Severus disappearing at random moments to save a potion from ruin. He now had a steady stream of customers, each with their own demands from the Potions Master. Severus was considered the best potions brewer in the country, it was no surprise that St Mungo’s had recently taken him on to brew some medicinal salves for them. Severus had surmised that it was a trial run, and if he did well, he could probably expect larger orders from the hospital for much more complicated potions.



Harry was relieved to find Miri ate her breakfast without complaint. The weaning was getting much easier, and soon she would not need to be breast fed, which Harry was looking forward to. It was easier to feed her solids, less chance of questions from Dorian on why Miri was suckling at him.



Sirius smiled at Harry happily feeding his daughter and glanced at Remus and Dorian before slipping silently from the room and down to the basement lab. He knocked and identified himself before sliding inside the stifling room.



“Something I can help you with?” Severus asked, his eyes fixed on the potion he was working on.



“Me and Remus were just wondering how Harry was handling it,” Sirius said.



Severus added the willow bark to the potion and adjusted the flame before looking up at the man in confusion. “Forgive me, but I have no idea what you are talking about. How is Harry handling what?”



“Today, how’s he handling today?” Sirius clarified and still Severus looked confused. “You did realise today was Halloween, right?”



Severus’ jaw dropped. “No, I didn’t, and I don’t think Harry has either,” Severus said. “How was he when you left him?”



“Happily feeding Miri.”



Severus briefly took in the fact that Sirius had said feeding and not nursing, alluding to the fact that Miri had accepted solids for breakfast, before he focussed on the present situation. As far as he knew, Harry had never had a problem with Halloween before, but this year was different. After what Harry had been through, he was constantly seeking comfort, safety. And what person didn’t crave their mother when things were scary? Severus was well aware that this year, Halloween could be a very difficult day for Harry. It would be impossible for Harry to remain unaware of what day it was, and it would be foolish of Severus to believe he could keep his lover in the dark.



“I’ll talk to him,” Severus said eventually, after many moments of silent deliberation. “Don’t mention it yet, and if anyone else tries to, stop them. I need to add a few more components to this piece, I shall be up shortly. Keep him occupied until then.”



Sirius nodded and made his way back upstairs.



“Look, Sirius, she ate the whole lot,” Harry cried excitedly as he entered the kitchen. Sirius chuckled. ‘Ate’ was a misnomer. Wore was a better description of it. Miri had half her breakfast smeared down her front.



“You mean she ate what she isn’t playing with,” Sirius said as Miri patted her sticky shirt.



“At least she ate some of it,” Harry said.



Sirius held up his hands, grinning. “Okay, I give in. She ate breakfast, it’s a miracle.”



Harry beamed and moved to clean up the tiny girl and the mess she had made. Remus looked at his husband and Sirius gave a small shake of his head. Remus nodded and watched Harry out of the corner of his eye as Dorian continued to babble at him.



“…and Uncle Hawy told me that’s how he’s Miwi’s mummy,” Dorian said.



“Right, little man, how about some breakfast now you’ve finished telling Uncle Remus your new information?” Solarin asked as she scooped him out of Remus’ lap.



“Okay.”



“What do you want? Pancakes? Waffles? Cereal?”



“Toast,” Dorian said and the room froze, every eye on Harry.



Harry stared at the little boy. Dorian did not know anything of what had happened to Harry, it was no wonder he was unaware of his lingering quirk. But, strangely, Harry wasn’t having a panic over the mention of the food. He wasn’t even a little thrown by it.



“My goodness, Sirius Lupin-Black, silent for once in his life. Miracles do happen,” Severus said as he entered. He crossed to Harry and kissed him before looking around properly. “Why is everyone silent?”



“Dorian wants toast for breakfast,” Harry said as he calmly carried Miri’s bowl to the sink.



“And how do you feel about that, love?”



Harry smiled. “Fine, I feel fine.”



Severus pulled him into his arms. “Honestly?” he murmured.



Harry kissed him softly. “Honestly. I feel okay about it. I say, let him have it.”



Severus nodded at Solarin and decided to wait until Dorian had finished his breakfast before informing Harry of the date. He saw no sense in pushing his luck.



“Would you like some, Harry? See how you do with it?” Solarin questioned as she slid two slices of bread under the grill.



“Let’s not push it,” Harry said.



Severus watched Harry as Dorian ate his toast, waiting for any sign of Harry’s panic. He wasn’t the only one, most of the people in the room were watching him.



Harry, for his part, ignored the stares and the fact of being watched, busying himself by playing with Miri, tickling her with her green dragon in between bites of his own breakfast of crumpets. He allowed their stares, it was only natural that they would be apprehensive of this experience.



As Solarin whisked the plate away from Dorian, Severus leaned in to Harry. “How are you doing, love?”



“I’m okay, but why is everyone looking so worried? I haven’t panicked,” Harry said.



“Well, they are worried because of what today is.”



“What do you mean? It’s Thursday, why would they be worried? I know I have a few problems in Potions, but it’s been a while since I blew anything up.”



Severus chuckled at the simplicity of Harry’s thinking. “Harry, today is Halloween.”



Harry want absolutely still as the words hit him. Halloween, the sixteenth anniversary of his parents deaths. No wonder they looked so worried.



“I didn’t realise,” Harry mumbled. “Do you think everyone would mind if we kind of forgot what today was, just pretended it was a regular day?”



“Of course, if that’s what you want.”



“It is. It’s not that I want to dishonour my parents or anything like that, I just don’t want to be reminded of the fact that they aren’t here, not this year,” Harry explained.



“You could never dishonour them, pup,” Remus said, making Harry jump slightly. Harry had obviously forgotten that he and Severus were not alone. “If you like, we could celebrate something else.”



“Like what?”



“Me and Sirius first got together on Halloween, twenty one years ago,” Remus revealed. “We could celebrate that, if you like.”



Harry nodded and the conversation changed to Hogwarts, more specifically, Solarin and Bill’s days as students.



“She was a hellion,” Severus said as Bill pulled on his work robes, Dorian clinging to his shin in an attempt to make him stay home.



It was another common occurrence in the house. Dorian was so afraid that his new family would leave him, he kicked up merry hell whenever one of them tried to go out without him. So far, they hadn’t tried having Solarin go anywhere without Dorian, and they were in no rush to attempt it either. It was bad enough to listen to his sobs the one time she had fallen asleep in the bath and Dorian couldn’t talk to her through the connection.



“Dorian, daddy has to go to work,” Solarin said, pulling him off Bill’s leg, before looking at her brother. “What was life without a little excitement? It was Hogwarts, and Harry’s years were much more eventful than mine.”



Harry dropped the apple he had just reached for. “Hang on, I just did some quick math in my head. Weren’t you at Hogwarts when I was?”



She grinned. “Yes, I was. I was in my seventh year when you were in your first,” she confirmed.



“How come I never saw you?”



She laughed. “Come on, Harry! Think about it! I was a Slytherin seventh year doing my N.E.W.T.’s and you were a Gryffindor first year getting into scrapes with Draco. We didn’t exactly run in the same circles. Name me one Gryffindor seventh year you remember from your first year.”



Harry grinned sheepishly. “Good point. So, how many N.E.W.T.’s did you get?”



“That’s not important,” she said evasively, kissing Bill as he flooed out.



“Severus, how many did you get?” Harry asked.



“I achieved ten Outstanding’s, and two Exceeds Expectations. Thankfully, I did not loose my touch on any others, or I would not be a Potions Master,” Severus replied immediately, taking a sip of coffee.



“What do you mean?”



“To become a Potions Master, I was required to demonstrate the intelligence to create a potion of my own, one previously undiscovered. Thus, I created the Wolfsbane Potion. Remus was my test subject.”



“Oh, some of those earlier versions were nasty,” Remus said, shuddering as he remembered. “More than once I found myself puking it up again, and then if it did stay down, I felt decidedly green.”



Harry grinned. “That’s all you had to do to become a Potions Master?”



“No, there was more. I had to achieve Outstanding Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms, History of Magic and Defence Against The Dark Arts N.E.W.T.’s, demonstrate the ability to create thirty potions unassisted from scratch, and demonstrate the creation of my signature potion. I addition, I had to submit written application for the position, and a fourty foot parchment essay on the uses, importance and requirements of potions.”



Harry gaped. Okay, that was one career he could cross of his list. All that, just to become a Potions Master? And then, of course, he would have to remain on top of all the advancements made in Potions, all the new discoveries, constantly inventing better ways to achieve perfect results. He had seen Severus do it, the way he was constantly checking Potions Periodical or Practical Brewer, magazines he had delivered every single Monday morning, for new advancements, new ways to improve this potion or that potion. Harry just didn’t love the subject enough to commit that much time, effort and energy to it, especially not for the rest of his life.



“Note to self, dedicated husband was insane in his teens,” Harry joked, making Severus roll his eyes. “What did you get the Exceeds Expectations in?”



“Astronomy and Ancient Runes. They never were my best subjects.”



“Still, very impressive marks, for a Slytherin,” Sirius said with a smile.



“What about you, Sirius? How many did you get?”



“Nine O’s, three E’s. Though, I was most proud of my O in Muggle Studies. I worked hard for that one. Remus’ dad, John, and his Uncle Joe let me loose in their garage in the holidays. I got to fix cars, which helped.”



“And I got let off the hook,” Remus said, clinking his mug with Sirius’. “I used to hate it. I can’t fix cars to save my life, but Uncle Joe was convinced that one day this latent talent would emerge. I ruined more car parts than I ever fixed, even managed to make a whole engine explode once, but he wouldn’t give in. When Sirius came to live with us at sixteen, I was over the moon. He took over in the garage, and I was free at long last.”



Harry was laughing at the mental picture of a teenage Remus making a car explode. “Your dad was a mechanic?”



“Yup. My father and my Uncle Joe opened a garage together long before I was even born. After dad passed away, Joe got a young bloke in to help out. Then there’s my Uncle Mike, who owns his own construction business now. Used to be a carpenter but he went up in the world. Wonderful at Scrabble, makes up his own words to win. My Uncle Chris runs a fish and chip shop called The Happy Scampi. You can tell when he’s been at his own stock because his trousers become two sizes too small. And my Uncle Jim runs a pub called The Shamrock, where I spent my misspent youth fleecing most of the estates residents out of money. Jim was determined to teach me how to win money in a pub. I’m very good at it.”



Harry was in peels of laughter imagining all of Remus’ relatives. Anne had returned to her muggle house a few days ago, and had issued them with the strict command that she wanted to be kept informed of everything, and not wait until something went wrong for them to call her. It was odd without her, Harry decided, but she had promised to visit again soon, and she would be round for dinner quite often, with Jack.



“What about your N.E.W.T.’s, Remus, how did you do?” Harry asked as he caught his breath.



“I did very well, ten O’s, two E’s.”



“Come on, Sol, how did you do? Did you fail them all?” Phoenix asked, earning a snort of amusement from Severus.



“You may as well tell them,” the elder Snape sibling advised. “They won’t give up until you do.”



Solarin sighed and leaned against the counter, glancing over at Dorian, who was busy making pastry for an apple pie with Molly. “Fine, fine,” she grumbled. “Fourteen.”



“Excuse me?” Remus said.



“I got fourteen Outstanding’s. I did two more than you’re supposed to be allowed to do because of what I am. There, satisfied now?” she said embarrassedly.



“Please, can we not tell Hermione?” Harry begged. “She nearly killed herself in third year with all those subjects. If she finds out about Sol doing fourteen N.E.W.T.’s she’ll never stop.”



“Speaking of subjects, Harry and Nixie, Potions in ten minutes,” Severus said.



“What are we doing today?” Phoenix asked, actually eating her breakfast now she knew there was a time limit. She had been trying to construct a house out of fruit.



“Felix Felicis, I think, or maybe Polyjuice. Any preference?” Severus said with a smirk at his blushing spouse.



“Polyjuice? The one that changes you into someone else for an hour?” Phoenix asked.



“The very same. Harry, perhaps you know some of the ingredients used in Polyjuice?”



Harry sniggered guiltily and most looked confused, all except Severus, Remus and Sirius, who were grinning.



“Boomslang skin, Bicorn horn, lacewing flies, leeches, fluxweed, and knotgrass come to mind,” Harry said. “It takes a month to brew.”



“How did you know that? You haven’t even studied it yet,” Solarin said.



“I’ll be in the garden getting the fluxweed. It’s better to use fresh rather than dried,” Harry said, popping up from his chair, and Severus let him go.



“Hermione constructed that potion in their second year. They were convinced Draco was the Heir of Slytherin,” Severus said. “Harry let off a firework into a cauldron of Swelling Solution to distract me in order for Hermione to get the Boomslang skin and Bicorn horn.”



“They were second years?” Solarin questioned, obviously impressed.



“Yup,” Sirius said. “Believe me, Sol, some of the things Harry, Ron and Hermione got up to could make your toes curl.”



“That I don’t doubt for a second. Okay, do I have any volunteers?”



“For what?” Molly asked.



“The grocery shopping. Me and Dorian are going, do I have any takers to come with us?”



“I’ll come,” Sirius said.



Remus sniggered. “You only want to go because you spent so long hiding. You should have seen it. The day after his name was cleared, it took him a full hour to go get some milk,” Remus said.



“Why?” Charlie asked as he piled up plates.



“Because I could,” Sirius said. “I was in Azkaban for twelve years, and on the run for two. It was nice just to walk down the street on two legs.”



They all shared a laugh before Sirius and Solarin took a tiny hand each and called their goodbyes, the three raven haired beings disappearing out the front door.



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



Severus wandered down to the lab to find Harry and discovered it was empty. He checked the garden but came up with no sign of his husband. He slowly worked his way through the house, checking rooms as he went, until he eventually found Harry in the attic, hidden behind a tower of boxes.



“Harry?”



Harry wiped at his face, trying to hide his tears, but it was too late, Severus had seen them. Harry found himself gathered into his lovers warm embrace, Severus smoothing his hair and rocking him.



“What’s brought this on, hmmm?” Severus asked softly. “Come on, love, tell me what’s got you so worked up.”



Harry sniffed and felt incredibly stupid. “I don’t know. I just don’t feel very good.”



“Ah, I see. Just a bad day, hmmm?” Harry nodded. “All right, Harry, it’s all right. We’ve done this before, remember? This is why you’re home schooled. We have the routine so you can have your bad days in peace. How about we cancel lessons for today and we just spend the day together?”



“Thank you, Severus,” Harry said and then dissolved into another bout of tears, burying his face in Severus’ chest.



They had indeed been through this before, Harry sobbing for no apparent reason. There were no triggers for these bad days, nothing to set them off. Harry would usually start off the day in a perfectly good mood, but then suddenly his tears would take over. These bad days would be spent with the two of them curled up, Harry taking comfort in the fact that his husband was right there with him.



Severus pulled him closer and slowly tried to soothe him, rocking him and rubbing his back, murmuring calming nonsense.



Severus looked up to see Remus poking his head through the trap door. “Is everything all right?” the werewolf asked.



“Not really,” Severus said as Remus hoisted himself up into the attic, taking a seat on a discarded armchair. “Harry’s having a bad day. You should tell Nixie that lessons will be cancelled for today.”



Remus nodded and peered at Harry with kind eyes. “Is there anything I can do, pup?”



“Look after Miri for me? I’ll come and give her lunch, I just need some time alone,” Harry said quietly.



“Of course, pup. Don’t fret, she’s safe with us. Anything else you need?” Harry shook his head and Remus nodded, offering a small smile before he disappeared again, leaving Severus to handle it.



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



“Of course it bloody hurts, you just had a needle stuck through it!”



Remus looked up to find Solarin laughing, Dorian in her arms, and a pained looking Sirius levitating in the groceries, which Molly took for him.



“Why are you watching Miri? Where’s Harry?” Solarin asked Remus as she turned around.



Remus was sitting with the little girl on his lap, the two of them amusing themselves with rattles and cuddly toys, Miri gurgling contentedly as Remus pressed buttons on a musical box, Smoo clutched in her tiny hands.



“He has Potions this morning,” Sirius replied, and Remus was puzzled by the lisp.



“No, lessons were cancelled,” Phoenix said, looking up from her colouring book. “Harry’s having a bad day. Why are you lisping, dad?”



“My question exactly,” Remus said. “Do I want to know what you had a needle stuck through?”



Sirius grinned sheepishly and, after a moment, stuck out his tongue. Through it was a shiny steel bolt.



“What on earth have you done to yourself?” Molly shrieked as Remus grinned.



“What do you think?” Sirius asked. “Good, right?”



“Did you have something to do with this?” Molly questioned Solarin, and the dark haired witch held up her hands.



“Absolutely not. I’m the one who tried to persuade him not to do it, but he insisted, so I at least ensured he got it done in a proper tattoo parlour. I made sure everything was sterile before I gave up trying to stop him,” Solarin said. “I took him to the same place I got my nose done, and my tattoo.” She giggled. “You should have heard him scream, it was priceless.”



“It bloody hurt,” Sirius defended.



“Uncle Siwius was weally loud, Uncle Wemus,” Dorian put in and Remus smiled at him.



“I’ll bet he was,” the werewolf said as Sirius sat down next to him. “Just out of interest, why did you let someone put a bolt through your tongue?”



“Because I wanted to. And just imagine how it feels on your skin,” Sirius said, waggling his eyebrows.



“What’s the stud made out of?”



“Stainless steel.”



“Let me see it again.”



Sirius obediently stuck out his tongue and Remus gingerly poked the silver coloured ball, making Sirius wince. “It’s still sore,” Sirius said.



“So it should be,” Solarin said, handing him a cup of ice cubes. “Suck on those, it’ll help. Be thankful I talked you out of the tattoo.”



“Tattoo?” Molly said. “Sirius, you are insane.”



“Hey, your daughter-in-law has a tattoo,” Sirius said thickly through a mouthful of ice. “Solarin has a nose ring too. I don’t see you berating her for it.”



“No, that is my job,” Severus said as he walked in, Harry clinging to him. He took a seat and Harry hovered near him, deciding if he wanted to sit down or run from the room. “Why are we discussing disgusting body modifications?”



“Sirius put a bolt through his tongue,” Molly said. “The idiot let some butcher put a hole where there isn’t meant to be one.”



Solarin rolled her eyes and looked at Severus, the two of them grinning. “Who knew the two of you would share so many views, Molly,” she said.



“Lets see,” Harry said quietly and Sirius swallowed his ice before sticking out his tongue. “Nice. I like it.”



“At least my son has taste,” Sirius said.



“So, why did she talk you out of the tattoo?” Phoenix asked.



“Remus removed my Azkaban marks without even asking. I can just see him taking a tattoo well, can’t you?” Sirius joked. “I learnt a long time ago that no one marks me but Remus. It’s a whole wolf territory thing.” He looked at Remus. “Do you like it, honey?”



“It can stay, but no tattoos,” Remus said and Sirius punched the air triumphantly.



“Told you he’d like it,” the Animagus said smugly to Solarin. “I still can’t believe you didn’t scream.”



“Why would Solarin scream?” Severus asked suspiciously and she grinned. “Oh, Merlin. What now? What did you have done?” She shrugged and he peered at her. “Tattoo or piercing?”



“Both,” she said.



Severus groaned. “Where is the piercing? Can you at least show it in polite company?”



“Of course I can,” she said, poking out her tongue. Through it was a piercing identical to Sirius’, though her high pain threshold enabled her to talk without a lisp.



“And the tattoo? Can you show people that one without taking off any clothes?”



She turned around and lifted the bottom of her shirt, exposing the plaster over her lower spine. “That has to stay on for the next day or so,” she said.



“What’s the tattoo of?” Remus asked.



“Me!” Dorian cried excitedly. “Mummy let me choose it.”



“What did you choose, Dor?” Harry asked as he finally took a seat, settling himself on Severus’ lap, the long slim arms coming around him.



“An angel,” Dorian said proudly. “And it has my name undew it.”



“It’ll show it when the dressing comes off,” Solarin said.



“Does Bill know about them yet?” Molly enquired.



“Not yet. He should like the tattoo, it’s the first part of a whole back piece. I’m having several angels, with clouds, done.”



They talked about the new body modifications until a crack of Apperation from the hallway made Harry jump and drop his glass. It shattered all over the table and Harry burst into tears. Solarin chucked a cloth at Sirius and made her way over to the sobbing Gryffindor.



“Hey, it’s all right, Harry, it’s okay,” she soothed as Severus rocked him. “It’s only juice, it can be cleaned up.”



“But I didn’t mean to drop it,” Harry sniffled.



“I know. I know that right now you feel like you can’t do anything right. That’s just not true. But, you know what? It’s okay for you to have bad days. We all have bad days, it’s okay for you to feel like this.”



Harry nodded at her and she smoothed his hair before she looked toward the doorway. Standing there was Albus, with someone Solarin immediately had the urge to decapitate.



“Oh, no! No way, he leaves, right now!” Solarin yelled.



“Solarin, please listen before you fly off the handle,” Albus said and she huffed.



“Fine. Phoenix, take Dorian upstairs, please,” Solarin said stiffly, and Phoenix did as she was told before Albus and his two companions entered the room.



“Percy!” Molly shrieked.



Severus glanced at his sister and wondered how Percy was still living. She was glaring daggers at him.



“Severus?” Harry mumbled.



“Yes, love?”



“Why is Sol so angry at Percy?”



“They had an argument shortly before she graduated from Hogwarts. He said some very nasty things to her,” Severus said delicately.



Molly restrained herself from rushing forwards and hugging her son, but no one failed to notice the sudden light in her eyes. Harry wasn’t sure if the other Weasley’s would be so forgiving. He wasn’t sure if he himself could forgive Percy for calling him a liar. He wasn’t sure if anyone could forgive him.



Sirius wasted no time in calling the other members of the house home, and it was a very tense room when Arthur arrived. Percy and his father stood at opposite ends of the room, and peered at each other.



“Is no one going to say anything?”



Harry looked to the doorway and noticed that Fleur Delacour was standing next to Albus, looking around at all the angry faces with wonder.



“Hi, Fleur,” Harry said and she smiled at him. Strangely, her Veela genetics were having no affect on him. Odd. She had affected him last time.



“ ‘Arry!” she cried, moving towards him, her French accent as strong as ever.



As she came to his seat, she reached out to embrace him. It was the wrong thing to do. A blonde trying to hug him did not sit well with Harry. He recoiled, falling out of Severus lap and to the floor, scrabbling to his feet and bolting from the room. Severus disappeared and returned a moment later.



“He needs time alone,” Severus said delicately and they all nodded in understanding. Well, almost all.



Percy looked genuinely distraught at Harry’s behaviour, and Fleur looked ready to burst into tears.



“It’s true then? What Malfoy said to us, it’s true?” Percy said.



“What did he say?” Charlie spat. “Did he tell you that Harry was his property first, that he would do what it takes to get him back? Or perhaps he referred to Harry as his whore? Tell me, Percy, did he raise his fists to you? Did he attack you in your own office, like he did to me and Bill? Did he burn down your home with you still inside, like he did to mum and dad? Tell us, oh brother dearest, what atrocities he said and did to you, because you look absolutely fine to me.”



The floo sprang to life and Bill stepped through, hurrying over to Solarin immediately. “What is it, what’s wrong?” he asked breathlessly.



She motioned to Percy. “That is what’s wrong,” she snarled.



“How about we all take a deep breath and calm down?” Severus suggested. “Sit down everyone, and we will behave like adults and discuss this rationally.” They all took seats, and Percy found himself with an end all to himself. Even Fleur had chosen to sit next to Severus a few seats down. “Now, we shall begin with what Percy and Fleur are doing here. Albus?”



Albus cleared his throat. “Lucius has struck again. He cornered Percy and Fleur in the Ministry itself. Fleur was bringing Percy some brunch.”



“The two of you are dating?” Molly asked.



“Yes, mum, we are. Have been for a year, ever since she began working at the Ministry to improve her English,” Percy said.



“Fortunately, they raised the alarm before he could actually do them any damage. Unfortunately, he has escaped once more,” Albus said, redirecting the conversation. He glanced at Solarin. “The Minister asked me to put the two of them wherever it is that I am hiding the rest of you.”



“Not a word,” Severus said firmly as Solarin opened her mouth, looking indignant. She shot him a dirty look and made a rude hand gesture at him but remained silent. “Percy, what did Lucius say to you? Charlie is right, we all wish to know what you are aware of.”



Percy looked more uncomfortable than anyone could ever remember seeing him, and he stared at the table as he spoke. “He told us that…er…well, he said…he…ummm…”



“Word for word,” Severus said when Percy drifted off.



Percy took a deep breath to steady himself. “He said that he fucked Harry six ways from Sunday and that Harry liked it, that he begged for more. That Harry’s little bastard bitch was his, that you had no right to touch Harry, that Harry was his, and Harry’s baby, though she wasn’t much use to him now. He said he would do what it took to get Harry back, and this time he’d get it right,” Percy reeled off. “He said we were going to be a message to all of you, that our corpses would remind you of what he was capable. We rang the alarm at that point.”



Severus took a deep breath to calm his temper. “No one utters a single word of this to Harry, not one word.”



“Of course not,” Remus said, cuddling Miri closer. “He’s come so far, let’s not set him back.”



“Could someone please stand by the door and let us know if he comes down so we can end the conversation? I do not want him hearing any of this,” Severus requested and Fleur moved to watch for the sprite. Severus pushed his temper down. This was not Percy’s fault, he was not to be blamed for what he had told them. But how Severus wanted to hurt him, he couldn’t put into words.



“Drink this,” Arthur ordered as he pushed a brandy into Severus’ hand, and the dark haired wizard downed it in one before nodding his thanks.



“First off, let me make it perfectly clear that whatever Lucius has done to my husband, Harry did not ask for it, he did not enjoy it, and he certainly didn’t beg for more. He begged for it to end,” Severus said tensely to the redhead, who nodded. “Secondly, the seed for my daughter may have been provided by that sadistic son of a bitch but she is mine, mine and Harry’s, and Lucius will never come near either of them, not while I still have breath left in my body will he lay a hand on either of them.” Severus looked up to find Sirius’ hand on his shoulder, reminding him to stay calm. He nodded and looked at Percy once more. “Harry will not be going back to Lucius Malfoy. No way. Never. He is mine, and I will not let that prick have him.”



Percy nodded. “You asked what he said, I was only telling you. Is it true then, what the Prophet said? Is Harry really a hermaphrodite?” he asked.



“Yes, he is,” Remus said. “Keep in mind, he sees himself as male, so please refer to him as such.”



“Of course.” Percy hesitated. “How long did Malfoy have him?”



“Five months,” Sirius said. “We don’t talk about it, not unless Harry starts the conversation on that topic. We don’t use the word legend around Harry, or master. No toast, no marmalade. Oh, and Harry is very nervous about people touching him, you have to have him touch you first, or he panics, like he did to Fleur.”



“‘E is coming,” Fleur said. Severus leapt from his seat and made his way out into the hallway.



“Harry, I need you to go upstairs, love,” he said quietly as Harry reached him, falling into his arms for a hug.



“Why?”



“Because you will not handle this conversation, love, trust me on this.”



“But it’s time for Miri’s lunch. Let me feed her and then I will go upstairs, I promise.”



Severus smiled. No matter how bad Harry was feeling, he would not leave the feeding of their daughter to someone else. Severus wasn’t even sure if Miri would accept food from someone else. Severus swooped in for a swift kiss before he nodded. The two of them made their way to the kitchen.



“We will break for lunch, and resume this conversation later,” Severus said and Percy rose to his feet help.



“Not you,” Arthur said firmly. “You will not help until after we get some apologies from you. Just sit there and try not to upset anyone.”



Percy sat back down and kept this mouth shut. Fleur, however, happily made conversation with Solarin over lunch. As promised, Harry fed Miri, ate his own lunch and then disappeared upstairs with his daughter.



They resumed their seats and it was Arthur who led the conversation this time.



“Are you here because you want to be, or because you have no choice?” the Weasley patriarch said.



“Both,” Percy said. “I meant to come sooner, but I wasn’t sure of my welcome. I didn’t know what to say, how to apologise.”



“Easy, it’s a five letter word beginning with ‘s’. Even an idiotic Gryffindor like you should be able to figure that one out,” Solarin snapped before anyone could stop her, and Sirius choked on his latest ice cube.



“You’re not helping,” Percy said.



“Like you need my help. Isn’t that what you said? That you didn’t need my help?”



“Yes, I did say that, but-”



“Why expect my help when you specifically asked me to keep my dirty Death Eater nose out of it?”



Percy gaped at her and then snapped his mouth shut.



“Stop picking on him,” Molly scolded.



“She’s not, mum,” Bill said. “She’s simply reminding him of what to apologise to her for. If he found it that difficult to apologise, maybe he needs reminding of what he did wrong.”



“He’s right,” Percy said quietly. “She’s simply reminding me of what I did, of what my temper and my tongue cost me. My family, my friendships with Harry and Solarin, getting to see Bill finally marry someone. Everything. I never should have said any of the things I did.” He looked at Arthur. “I’m sorry, dad. I didn’t mean it. You’re not the reason I was held back, our lack of money wasn’t your fault. It was the bigoted Ministry, and I should have realized that. I’m sorry.”



Arthur stared at him for a moment before he nodded.



Percy looked at his brothers. “If you want to pummel me, I won’t stop you,” he said quietly.



Bill and Charlie looked at each other before sharing a grin. “Where’s the fun in that?” Bill said.



“Yeah, it’s no fun if you don’t fight back,” Charlie agreed. “We’ll just leave it to the twins to think up some appropriate punishments for you. Their creativity should be encouraged after all.”



Percy actually managed a shaky smiled before he looked at Severus. “I’m guessing it’s not the right time to apologise to Harry.”



“Definitely not,” Severus said, half laughing. “Not today. Trust me, he’ll let you know when your moment has come.”



Percy nodded and turned his gaze on Solarin. She stared at him, as if challenging him to try and apologise to her. “I’m sorry?” he tried timidly and she snorted.



“Pathetic,” she said. “Absolutely pathetic. Come on, Percy, you called me a two-knut Knockturn Alley whore. I deserve more than just ‘I’m sorry’.”



“Good point. I’m really sorry?”



“Not even close.” She stood up and walked to the door. “I’m going to check on my son. When you figure out what it is you should be saying, then you get an audience.”



She swept from the room and Percy buried his face in his hands. “She hates me,” he said, his voice muffled, and Bill dissolved into a fit of laughter.



“She doesn’t hate you, Percy. She’s testing you, seeing if you’re good enough to be forgiven,” Bill said. “I suggest grovelling, or maybe offering her your life. But, I would give her a few days to cool down.”



“Yeah, count yourself lucky,” Sirius said with a shudder. “She could have killed you right then and there.”



Remus smirked. “And gotten away with it.”



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



Harry shook with nerves as they left the Hogwarts Express.



It was Friday afternoon and he was due to play for Gryffindor tomorrow morning. The train ride had been fun, especially since he and his family had the whole train to themselves. Anne, Jack, Sam, Tonks, Fred and George had all made the trip with them, and the journey had been spent sharing stories as they all crammed into one enlarged compartment. Arthur and Bill had even taken the day off work so they could ride the train.



But now Harry was faced with the prospect of returning to Hogwarts, being surrounded by many people. He was nervous, but not panicking.



Their belongings were loaded into thestral drawn carriages and then they were trundling along, slowly making their way up to the castle.



“How are you doing, love?” Severus asked quietly.



“It feels weird to be back here. It’s been so long since I’ve seen the castle,” Harry said, gazing up at the nearing turrets. “Hogwarts was my first real home, you know.”



“Really?” Tonks questioned from across the carriage. “What about your Aunt and Uncle?”



Harry laughed. “They hate me! Privet Drive was never a real home, not like here, not like Number Twelve.”



“I can understand how he feels,” Sam said. “I haven’t been back here since my first year. Feels weird to be back.”



They pulled up outside the front doors to find Albus waiting for them. They unloaded their belongings and sorted the ones they needed now, like baby bags, from the other luggage, before they followed the Headmaster into the castle. It was quiet, the students still in lessons.



Albus showed them to their rooms, which were all interconnected, before he asked them where they wanted to eat dinner. They had the choice between their rooms, the kitchens, or the Great Hall, and even then they had the choice of whether to sit with the students or at the Head Table. They opted to eat in the Great Hall, but the actual seating arrangements left some discussion still required.



Dinner rolled around and the odd family made their way to the Great Hall. Harry held Miri more securely as he paused briefly just outside the doors. A deep breath later and he was walking to the Gryffindor table. Ron and Hermione looked up and their identical shrieks made Harry forget that he was being watched by every eye in the room.



The young Weasley couple practically ran over and bestowed Harry a quick hug before relieving Arthur and Molly of their children. Harry grinned as they all stood there, trying to decide where to sit.



“I told you, I sit with Gryffindor’s all day every day,” Solarin said to Bill. “You come and sit with Slytherin’s for a change.”



“I’m married to a Slytherin, isn’t that enough?” Bill countered and she glared at him. “Arin, look at them. Do they look like your kind of Slytherin’s?”



She looked over and grimaced. “Good point. Well, we have to sit somewhere.”



Harry left them to it and made his way over to the Gryffindor table, Dean and Seamus sliding up for Harry to settle between them.



Unknown to Harry, his friends had made plans to protect him while he was in the castle. These plans had come about when Neville had overheard Pansy and some other Slytherin’s discussing how to ‘upset’ Harry. To this effect, the Gryffindor’s, Ravenclaw’s and Hufflepuff’s had all banded together to protect the fragile Gryffindor.



Severus lingered long enough to ensure Harry was all right before he moved away, taking a seat at the Head Table. Sirius and Remus chose to sit at the Gryffindor table, as did Sam, Tonks, Fred and George.



As Harry settled Miri and began to feed her, Bill made his way over with Dorian.



“What happened?” Fred asked.



“I asserted myself,” Bill said, Neville helping him seat Dorian on a thick book.



“Translation?” Seamus said.



“They had a debate and Bill lost, so she’s gone to sit with Severus and he has to take care of Dorian for the rest of the night,” Tonks said, motioning to the Head Table where Solarin was settling next to her brother and shooting angry glances at Bill.



Phoenix joined them with Charlie, and Percy hovered uncertainly until Harry told him to sit down. Fleur joined them and soon Luna drifted over to sit with Neville.



“Harry, when she’s finished eating, can I hold Miri?” Neville requested.



“Of course,” Harry said, trying to get Miri to eat. It was proving difficult, as there was so much for her to see, and so many minds for her to glance into. Harry sighed as she looked at the Slytherin table, waving her fists in sudden aggravation. “Miri,” he said firmly, getting her attention. “No, baby. No look, no see.” She went still for a moment before she gurgled at him. “Good girl.”



As the meal progressed, and Harry handed Miri across the table to Neville so he could actually eat, the conversation turned to something Harry had completely missed during his time as a resident student.



“What on earth is the Hogwarts Stud?” Harry asked and Sirius shared a grin with Remus.



“The Hogwarts Stud and the Hogwarts Slut are institutions in this place,” Remus said. “They are two boys who hold distinct reputations as heartbreakers in the school. The difference between the two is that the Slut is open about his conquests, but the Stud is built on rumour. With the Stud, no one is ever sure who he’s slept with, who he hasn’t slept with, how many he’s had. It’s all about rumour.”



“Oh, I get it,” Harry said between mouthfuls of stew. “Who’s the Stud now?”



“Seamus,” Dean said. “Has been since sixth year.”



“And the Slut?”



“Barnaby of Slytherin.”



Harry grinned. “Remus, who was it in your day?”



Remus sniggered. “It was me,” Sirius said. “I was the Stud. When I retired my crown, so to speak, I passed it to Regulus, my brother.”



“You retired from being the Stud?” Seamus asked.



“Yup.”



“Why?” he asked, shocked that someone would do such a thing.



“I settled down with Remus. He was my one and only, and I liked it that way, still do,” Sirius said. He laughed. “You probably won’t believe me, but I’ve never actually been with anyone except Remus.”



“No way!” Dean said. “No one?”



“Nope,” Remus said. “He’s all mine, always has been, always will be.”



“Now that is impressive,” Charlie said.



“What about the Slut, who was the Slut during your time here?” Ron asked.



Remus snorted.



“Let me guess,” Harry said. “Lucius?”



“Exactly, Lucius was the Slut,” Remus said. “Oh, he was so mad about Sirius being the Stud. He wanted the title since he started, and it only took Sirius a few weeks to get it. He tried, obviously, which is how he ended up the Slut. He never grasped that it was all about rumour, he kept bragging about his conquests.”



Harry was laughing at the mental image of Lucius being snubbed by a tiny first year Sirius. He knew, from stories, that Lucius had been in his fifth year when the Marauders started at Hogwarts. It must have pissed Lucius off no end.



“What about your time here, Charlie? Who was the Stud then?” Phoenix asked.



“I forget his name,” Charlie said. “Bill, what was his name? Tall guy, mixed race, smouldering good looks.”



“Oh, him. Adrian Thompson. I think you even dated him at one point,” Bill replied.



“Oh yeah. Not a bad kisser really,” Charlie said and then smiled at Phoenix. “You’re better though.”



Phoenix grinned and blushed, Charlie stealing a sweet kiss before he pulled away, casting a glance at Remus and Sirius, who each nodded at his gentle handling of their daughter. Charlie usually found himself glancing at the pair whenever he kissed Phoenix, and, strangely, he found he quite liked their approval. He liked knowing that they felt him good enough, that he was doing the right thing by the beautiful little blonde.



The meal passed uneventfully, and at the end Albus stood and caught everyone’s attention.



“As you all may have noticed, this castle will be housing some extra guests this weekend,” Albus said, waving his arms over the various members of Harry’s family dotted around the room. “I ask that you show them every courtesy while they are with us, and you remain mindful of the experiences of some of our guests.” At this, he cast a warning look at the Slytherin table. “Now, the hour is getting on, and I think it is time for you all to be off to bed. Goodnight all.”



There was a scrape of benches as people stood and the family started to gather together. As Severus and Solarin said a few final words to Slughorn, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle made their way over. Leading them was Blaise Zabini, who had clearly taken Draco’s place as the Prince of Slytherin.



“Oh, look, if it isn’t Potter and his baby,” Zabini said as Harry retrieved Miri from Neville. “We were just wondering, Potter, how it feels to know one day Lucius will take her from you? Probably why you handed her over to Longbottom. Distancing yourself, we understand. We can take her for you. You know, get her started on her training in the Slytherin way of things.”



Zabini and his cronies had obviously not noticed Remus and Sirius, or the other adult members of the family seated at the table. If they had, they might have realized how incredibly stupid they were being. Well, that and the fact that a small contingent of seventh year Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students had suddenly surrounded them from behind. Everyone was watching tensely, waiting to see what Harry would do with the confrontation.



Harry turned to Seamus, handed Miri to him, and then squared up to Blaise, getting right into his personal space.



“As if I would let a Death Eater prick like you near my baby,” Harry said, his voice low and dangerous. “As for them…please. Pansy would try putting her in a potion, and Crabbe and Goyle would use her for a quaffle, not realizing their heads would serve that purpose much better. After all, there isn’t really anything in them, is there? Now, why don’t you slither off to the hole you crawled out of and go and gestate there for another thousand years. That way, you might have a chance of growing a brain.”



Zabini opened his mouth to retaliate, but never got the chance as Solarin squeezed her way into the crowd, followed closely by Molly, Arthur, Anne and Jack.



“Problem?” the augur said brightly.



Blaise seemed to be unable to speak and Bill hid his smile. Her curves never failed to reduce men to a pile of putty, no matter their age. “Of course not, no problem. Just offering the Slytherin time to Potter, if he was looking for a babysitter,” Blaise said.



Solarin smiled. “That’s very nice of you, Mr Zabini, but I assure you that Harry has no need of you as a babysitter. He has enough people to help him.”



The effect was instantaneous. “Of course, another little Gryffindork bitch to faun over Potter,” Blaise sneered at her.



“I’ll have you know, Mr Zabini, that my sister was a Slytherin. And Harry is a Potter-Snape now, thank you.”



Blaise froze and slowly turned around to face Severus. He smiled up at his former Head of House. “Hi, Professor. We were just talking. I…ummm…didn’t know you had a sister.”



“Yes, I do. This is my younger sister, Solarin. You were talking with my husband,” Severus said silkily. “What an interesting way to put it. Funnily enough, it looked to be something more than that from where I was standing. I believe Professor Slughorn would like a word with you Slytherin’s.”



He moved aside to reveal a furious Slughorn, flanked by the other three heads of house. He crooked a finger and the Slytherin’s went off with him, the portly man berating them all the way.



Harry and Severus slowly walked back to their rooms, where the family was waiting for them.



“Severus, why was Professor Slughorn so angry? I don’t remember you being that equal with students,” Harry said, Miri in his arms, glancing around interestedly at the whispering portraits and waving Smoo at them.



Severus smirked. “Are you saying I was biased?”



“Damn straight,” Harry said. “So much favouritism for Slytherin’s, it was down right disgusting at times.”



Severus laughed. “An accurate description,” he agreed. “All right, I admit that I was unfair. But that was then, this is now, and I remind you that I married a Gryffindor. Is that equal enough for you?”



“Very,” Harry said and stole a quick kiss. “So, Professor Slughorn isn’t playing favourites with his own House like you did?”



“Horace has never gone in for favouritism. He is…equal opportunity, shall we say,” Severus said. “He likes to see a students talents before he favours them. I did hear that Hermione is one of his favourites.”



“Were you one of his favourites?”



“I was, in my own way. I was never in his club, but Horace helped me qualify for my title as Potions Master. He was always on hand to help me iron out any problems or look over a part of my essay or application. He helped me a great deal,” Severus said as they paused to gaze out of the window at the Lake, where the Giant Squid was lazily waving its tentacles above the water. “I do understand how you feel about this place, Harry. Hogwarts was my first real home, too.”



“Even if the Marauders made your life difficult?”



“Just the way of it,” Severus said with a smile. “It was better being here and dealing with the Marauders than being at home and dealing with Tobias.” He sighed. “It was a long time ago.”



Harry smiled up at him. “A very long time. Longer than I’ve been alive. Cradle snatcher,” he teased and Severus laughed, pulling him into his arms.



“I might be a cradle snatcher, but I think I keep up with you fairly well for an old man.”



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



Severus cracked his eyes open as Harry scrambled from the bed, half running to the bathroom. He heard Harry throwing up and glanced at the bedside clock to find it was five in the morning before following his husband.



“Are you all right, love?” Severus asked as he rubbed the slim back.



Harry pulled back, sweating and shaking, clutching his abdomen. “Perfect, just perfect,” Harry grumbled.



“Monthly?”



Harry nodded. “And we didn’t bring anything for it.”



“I’ll go to Poppy, get you what you need. Take a shower and I’ll be back before you know it,” Severus said, pulling on his robe and slippers. It was too early for anyone to really be awake to see him, and he no longer felt the need to scare away everyone with his bat-like robes and Scary Professor persona. That he saved for special occasions.



When Severus returned, Harry was showered, dressed and throwing up again. Ron was rubbing his back and Hermione was bouncing Miri, keeping her occupied while Harry was busy.



“We came to see how he was feeling, what with the disagreement with the Slytherin’s last night, and his first match being today,” Ron said as he gave up his place to Severus. “Hermione gave him her pads again.”



“I’ll replace them, I swear,” Harry said as he leaned back, gasping.



“Good to know,” Hermione said.



Harry gulped down the pain potion and anti nausea one Severus had brought for him and curled into Severus’ embrace as he waited for them to take effect.



“Will you be okay to play?” Ron asked as he leant against the doorframe.



“I’ll be fine,” Harry said with a shaky smile as Hermione handed Miri to him. “It’s not the first time I’ve played with a monthly. Go on, we’ll meet you in the Great Hall in a bit.”



They left and Harry slowly hoisted himself to his feet, brushing his teeth as Severus showered and dressed for the day. Harry dressed Miri in her little Hogwarts uniform, which finally fit her, and grabbed her baby bag before making his way down for breakfast. The Hall was eerily silent, and Harry found the Gryffindor table only held his team mates.



“Relax, it’s just a game,” Harry said as he sat down, Severus opting to sit with him instead of with the teachers.



Seamus, Dean and Ginny were playing Chaser, Jimmy Peakes, a third year, and Richie Cootes, a fourth year, had replaced Fred and George as Beaters. Ron was playing Keeper, and little Colin Creevy was reserve Seeker, just in case. Ron had replaced Harry as Quidditch captain, and he claimed that the team were all ready for Harry to join them. All Harry had to do was concentrate on catching the snitch, they would do the rest.



“He’s right, you know. Besides, it’s Hufflepuff. Easy win.”



They looked up and a wide smile spread across Harry’s face. Walking in to the Great Hall behind Fred and George were Oliver Wood, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, and Lee Jordan. Harry’s old team sat down with his current one and happily proclaimed that they wouldn’t have missed this for all the world, and told Harry how beautiful his baby was. The three former female Chasers immediately began cooing over Miri, who giggled at all the attention.



“She looks so cute in her little uniform,” Angelina said.



“Yeah, Fred and George gave it to me,” Harry said.



As Harry finished feeding Miri, and a squabbling match between Alicia, Angelina and Katie began over who got to hold her so Harry could eat, the Hall began to fill with people. Harry noticed the dirty looks from the Slytherin’s as they entered and smirked, giving them a little wave. He had heard that they were all receiving detentions from Slughorn.



“You haven’t got a maternal bone in your body, Katie!” Alicia snapped and Harry sighed.



“Hey, Oliver, you want to hold her?” Harry called and his former captain grinned, nodding, the girls staring open mouthed as Harry happily handed her over. “Oh, you can all have a turn, she’s fine with pass the parcel.”



Harry tucked into his breakfast and then chatted with the others as the rest of the family drifted in.



“Ah, Oliver, what a pleasant surprise,” Solarin said as she hurried in with Dorian, Bill trailing behind them. “Oliver, this is Dorian, my son. Dorian, this is my friend, Oliver. Oliver, maybe you can explain to my son why he can’t play Quidditch with Harry and the others.”



Oliver passed Miri to Alicia and hoisted the little boy onto his lap as Ron grabbed the teams attention. “We should be going.”



Harry kissed Severus and then Miri before he followed Ron out, the team gathering around him like bodyguards. As they reached the locker room, they ran into Charlie, who handed Harry his broom and Quidditch robes, and then made his way off to the stands, which were already starting to fill with people. The sky was a perfect clear blue, not a single cloud in sight. It was the perfect day for Quidditch.



Ron pulled Harry aside as the rest of the team walked into the changing room.



“Are you all right for this?” Ron asked.



“I’m fine, Ron, really,” Harry assured, touched by the concern.



Ron looked thoughtfully at him for a moment before he nodded. “Okay then. Well, if it gets too much for you up there, just signal to me and I’ll call a time out. Severus will be waiting on the ground, so he’s right there if you need him,” said the redhead and Harry smiled at him.



“You’re a really great friend, Ron,” Harry said and clapped him on the shoulder, making Ron blush spectacularly, before they entered the changing room.



The others turned away as Harry changed, giving him some privacy at Ron’s request, and then Ron fortified them all with a few quick words on the game ahead.



“All right, listen up, everyone,” Ron said. “There’s no pressure for today, it’s just a game to get us all back in shape. We all know our jobs. Ginny?”



“We keep possession of the quaffle as much as possible, and concentrate on scoring as many goals as possible,” she replied as she tied back her long hair.



“Good. Jimmy?”



“Me and Richie keep the bludgers away from the team, and aim them at Hufflepuff if possible,” Jimmy said, pulling on his gloves.



“Perfect. I’ll guard the goals, and Harry?”



“Ignore everything else and catch the snitch,” Harry said, gulping down the extra potions Severus had given him as he left the breakfast table.



“Right then, I think we’re ready,” Ron said and they all moved to the door, each grabbing their brooms.



They made their way onto the pitch and stood around Madame Hooch, listening to her ask for a nice clean game, before they mounted their brooms and kicked off.



For Harry, it felt wonderful, being up in the air. He glanced around, taking in the yellow robes of the Hufflepuff team, the red of his own, and there on the ground were the dark clothes of his lover. Severus was standing off to the side on the ground, watching the proceedings. Harry found it comforting that Severus was never very far away. The game was fast and furious, despite it being a friendly game. Harry glanced around for the snitch, trying to catch a glimpse, and caught a snatch of the commentary. Hang on, that sounded familiar…



“Nice pass to Chaser Weasley from Chaser Finnegan, back to Weasley, over to Thomas, to Weasley, Keeper Boot dives, GRYFFINDOR SCORE!”



Harry laughed. Lee Jordan was doing the commentary, just like he used to when Harry first started at Hogwarts. He glanced around for the snitch again, not seeing it yet. He did a few laps around the pitch, waving at the visitors box as he passed it. Miri was settled on Remus’ lap, the tiny girl clapping as her carrier sped past her. Dorian looked the most excited about the game, Bill keeping a tight one armed grip on the tiny boy as he tried to touch Harry as he passed. Solarin was no where to be seen, and Harry suspected she had refrained from watching the game.



The game dragged on, Gryffindor leading Hufflepuff 120 to 90, and an hour had passed before Harry had a problem. Harry turned on his broom to see the Slytherin’s waving a banner at him. He squinted to get a look at it and suddenly couldn’t breathe. There, glaring at him in Slytherin green, were the words PRETTY LITTLE LEGEND.



Ron glanced over and saw Harry sway on his broom. He frantically motioned to Madame Hooch, who blew her whistle, and Seamus and Dean helped Harry out of the air, setting him safely on solid ground and into Severus’ arms.



“Harry, love, come on, talk to me,” Severus urged. “What happened?”



Harry clung to Severus, trying to calm his racing heart. He glanced up and saw the Slytherin’s frantically trying to reel in their banner, the side of it caught on a loose nail. Harry reached out and grabbed Dean’s arm, as he was closest to him, and pointed up at it.



“Look at what they’ve done,” Dean said, and the entire team looked up. Ron and Seamus mounted their brooms and sped off, grabbing the banner and yanking it out of Pansy and Blaise’s hands, before landing and showing it to Professor’s McGonagall and Slughorn, who had moved onto the pitch.



The two teachers were furious, and they marched off to grab the two Slytherin’s. Harry slowly began to calm, Severus’ soothing reassurances helping him to settle. After a few minutes he pulled back and kissed Severus, ensuring his calm.



“All right, love?” Severus asked.



“Yeah, I’m okay now,” Harry said.



“You still all right to play? We can send Creevy on if you’re not,” Ron reassured.



“No, I’m fine now, I want to get back to the game,” Harry said firmly, grabbing his broom.



They took to the air again and Harry hovered above the game, watching the two teams score points, make passes, swerve and dive to avoid each other and the roving bludgers. Once or twice, Harry thought he saw the snitch, but it turned out to be the glint of a wrist watch. It was nearing lunch when Harry finally spotted the tiny golden ball and sped after it, the Hufflepuff Seeker speeding after him, desperately trying to catch up. The Seeker caught up to Harry, inch by inch, and soon they were neck and neck, both trailing after the snitch, and the game ground to a halt, watching the two petite players tearing around the pitch, desperately trying to win.



They hurtled towards the ground, the Hufflepuff Seeker glancing at Harry nervously, trying to gauge if Harry was going to pull away, but Harry wasn’t going to pull away. Harry knew that his panic in the air had lulled the other Seeker into the mistaken assumption that he was a bag of nerves, but flying was the one area of his life he had no problems with, Ron had seen to that. Every Sunday afternoon for the past few weeks, Harry, Ron and a few others had taken to the garden, ensuring there were no problems whatsoever with Harry’s ability to fly.



They were a metre from the ground and the Hufflepuff Seeker lost his nerve, pulling away, and Harry pulled up a mere inch from the ground, his fingers closing around the tiny ball. He hovered in the air and waved the snitch above his head. The crowds burst into applause, his team cheering, the Hufflepuff’s looking shocked.



Harry felt incredible, and the kiss Severus gave him as he landed didn’t hurt either.



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Severus lay there in the dark, watching Harry sleep, his face bathed in the light from the crescent moon.



Watching Harry play had been more enjoyable than he had thought it was going to be. Aside from the Slytherin induced panic, for which Zabini and Parkinson were facing possible expulsion (something Horace and Albus would decide upon when they had calmed down that is), Harry had enjoyed himself immensely. They had spent most of the afternoon down by the lake with family and friends, talking and joking.



Harry looked so innocent in his sleep, it was hard to believe that true horrors lay in his past. But they were there, and they were keeping Severus up. He ran his long fine fingers over Harry’s nose, the shell of his ear, the bow of his mouth. He toyed with the wild raven tresses, stroked his thumb over an impossibly high cheekbone, kissed his scar. Harry moaned and reached for him, tangling his fingers in Severus’ pyjama shirt.



Severus released himself from the hold and eased from the bed. Harry reached for him and, coming up with only air, cracked open his eyes to find Severus getting dressed.



“What are you doing?” Harry croaked.



“Going for a walk,” Severus said. “I can’t sleep, a walk around the castle might clear my head.”



“Anything I can help with?”



“No,” Severus said, sitting down and brushing Harry’s hair out of his eyes. “I just need some time alone, love.”



“Like I do on my bad days?”



“Exactly. Go back to sleep, I’ll be back in a bit,” he said, pulling on his boots.



Harry pulled him down into a sweet sleepy kiss before rolling onto his front and burying his face in Severus’ pillow. Severus tucked him in and grabbed his wand before he silently slipped from the private quarters.



Severus wandered through the silent hallways, ending up in his old classroom. It somehow seemed smaller, more constricting, and he wondered how he had managed all those years teaching in it. He was just wandering through the rows of desks when the door opened.



“I thought I saw you come down here.”



Severus turned around to find Minerva McGonagall standing against the doorframe. He smiled at her.



“You know, in all the years of teaching, I never quite lost the urge to call you professor. I suppose old habits die hard.” He laughed. “Do you remember how much trouble I was as a student?”



She smiled. “I remember that the trouble with you was that you were such a perfectionist,” she said and he flushed. “All the times you would start fresh with a spell because you didn’t feel it was perfect. It didn’t matter what anyone told you, you insisted it had to be perfect. Anything less just wasn’t good enough for you.”



“I wanted to get it right,” Severus said defensively.



“Relax, it wasn’t a criticism. I was just pointing out how little you changed over the years.”



“What do you mean?”



“You always expected perfect of your students, and you married the only man who is perfect in your eyes,” she pointed out and he smiled. “Mind some company?”



“Not at all,” he said, and he realised he didn’t mind her joining him. It was the thought of Harry joining him that had him shaking. He had concerns he didn’t want Harry to hear.



They took seats at desks and Minerva summoned a bottle of Firewhisky and two glasses. She poured generous measures and passed him one. She remained silent as he drank, letting him gather himself a little before she pushed the matter.



“So, why are you wandering the castle in the middle of the night?” she asked as she poured the second measures.



“Can’t sleep.”



“Something you need to offload?”



He smirked at her. “Under the same rules as when I was a student telling you my troubles?”



She laughed. “Yes, the rules haven’t changed. You offload, we get sozzled, and you feel much better in the morning, after a hangover potion that is,” she said. “Severus, do you know why I let you drink when underage?”



“No, I never did figure that one out, or why you listened to me prattle on,” he admitted. “I wasn’t even in your house. Are you about to solve one of the great mysteries of my youth?”



“Severus, I allowed you to use my ear and liquor collection because I saw what potential you had. Even as a first year, you had such promise. With what was happening at home, I felt you would blossom if you had the right guidance, and that would never have been possible had you not released some tension every now and then. Albus was always aware of our drinking, I did not act alone. Hogwarts was your sanctuary, we all saw that, and what would a sanctuary be without a shoulder to lean on?” she revealed and he stared at her in shocked silence for a moment before he laughed.



They sat in silence for a while, before Minerva spoke once more.



“So, what is on your mind, Severus?” she questioned.



He sighed. “I can’t help but feel guilty,” he confessed and she inclined her head in query. “All that time Lucius was spinning me pretty lies, and I wanted so badly to believe him. I was stupid, I was so blind, Professor. I should have seen past it, I had enough god damned experience with lies. And because I let myself get fooled, he did all those terrible things to my beautiful Harry.”



“Oh, Severus,” she said as tears began to fall down his face. She pulled him into a hug, remembering, with startling clarity, the way he had cried as a student. Those tears had happened too often to keep track of.



“I’m sorry,” he sobbed. “I’m so sorry.”



“There now, come on, Severus, it’s all right,” she soothed. “Severus, listen to me. When have I ever steered you wrong?”



“Never.”



“Have I ever told you pretty lies to make you feel better?”



“No.”



“So, listen to me now and believe me,” she said, pulling her chair so she could sit facing him. She sighed. “We’re all a little to blame, I think. We all relaxed after Voldemort was defeated, we all let our guards down. We should have kept a closer eye on Harry, we should have realized the dangers he still faced. But we didn’t, and we can’t change that now. Answer me this, does Harry blame you?”



“No.”



“Who does he blame?”



“Lucius.”



“Then why do you blame you?”



“Because I should have protected him,” Severus whispered.



“Because Lily asked you to watch over her son, because you’ve loved him since he was thirteen,” she said simply and he gaped at her, the old witch smiling. “Severus, do you think we’re blind? We all saw the way you looked at him, we all knew how you felt, even if you didn’t. We also saw the way he looked at you. The trouble is that the two of you are so damn stubborn. Neither of you would let go of the old feelings, so you had no chance of embracing the new ones. But you’re together now, you’re honest now, and that is more important than anything that might have happened in the past.”



“But I still got fooled, and Harry is still so damaged, and…and…oh, Professor!”



She silenced him by pulling him into a hug, letting him cry. Eleven months of caring for Harry and Minerva knew that this was the first time Severus had really let it all out. He had bottled up his feelings as a student too, and his tears had been just as fierce then. Severus had listened to Harry’s memories, comforted him, nursed him back to health, all without offloading. Minerva knew how much it had cost Severus to admit his love for the petite Gryffindor. Severus had been pushing people away for so long that she had begun to suspect he had forgotten how to let anyone in.



She let him cry, and then left him to his thoughts, leaving him with the bottle of alcohol.



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Harry rolled over, reaching out to snuggle into Severus, but the bed was empty. He sat up and looked around.



Harry had never woken up without Severus before, not since the first time he crawled into bed with him. He discovered it was not something he enjoyed. He slipped from the bed and checked the communal sitting room, finding it empty, before showering and dressing. He scooped up a sleeping Miri and crept to Remus and Sirius’ room.



“Harry? What’s wrong?” Remus said as he blinked at the early morning light.



“Will you watch Miri for me?” Harry asked as Sirius groaned and sat up.



“Of course we will,” Sirius said, holding out his arms.



“She should be awake soon. Just get her dressed and entertain her, I’ll be back soon,” Harry said as he slipped his sleeping baby into his godfathers arms.



“Where are you going?” Remus asked as Sirius lay Miri down between them, covering her over.



“Severus went for a walk last night, to clear his head, and he hasn’t come back. I’m going to go and find him.”



“Do you want one of us to come with you?”



Harry hesitated for a moment before he nodded. Sirius climbed from the bed and pulled on some clothes, before the two of them left the suite. They slowly made their way along the hallways, looking out of every window to try and spot Severus.



Harry looked up as Bill came striding towards them. “There you are,” Bill said. “McGonagall came to the rooms looking for you. You might want to come with me.”



Harry and Sirius followed Bill down to the dungeons, to Severus’ old classroom. Curled up in a corner was Severus, fast asleep with an empty bottle of Firewhisky beside his feet. Professor’s McGonagall and Slughorn were standing worriedly by the door, and Harry gave them a questioning look.



“We can’t wake him, he just keeps telling us to go away,” Slughorn said.



Harry slowly made his way across the room and knelt down in front of Severus’ huddled form. He brushed Severus’ dark hair away from his face and stroked his cheek. Severus mumbled something unintelligible, and sleepily tried to bat the hand away.



“Severus,” Harry called. “It’s time to get up.”



“Go away,” Severus groaned.



Harry smiled. “Is that any way to talk to me?”



“It is if you won’t leave me alone.”



“Come on, love, you need to get up. Do you really want all you old students seeing you like this?”



“I don’t care, I don’t care about any of it,” Severus said. He sniffed and a few tears fell down his pale cheeks. “What does it matter, when it’s my fault?”



“What’s your fault?”



“What happened to my sweet Harry, what he did to him,” Severus sobbed. “He did all those terrible things to my beautiful Harry, and it’s my fault. I believed his lies. I was so stupid! All the times I was taught not to believe anything unless I had proof, and I believed that son of a bitch! I wanted to believe him, and all the time he was torturing my sweet Harry. It’s all my fault.”



Harry sat there stunned for a moment, before his temper flared.



“Don’t you dare,” he breathed.



“What?”



“Don’t you dare blame yourself for this!” Harry cried. “Severus Tobias Potter-Snape, you open your eyes and look at me right now, or I swear, I am getting Miri and going home without you!”



Severus’ eyes snapped open and he looked at his angry spouse. He hadn’t realised it was Harry trying to wake him, he had thought it was Slughorn trying once again. He hadn’t realised it was his sweet Harry he was talking to, revealing everything he didn’t want Harry to know.



“Listen up, Professor Snape, and listen good. This. Is. Not. Your. Fault,” Harry said firmly. “And if you start blaming yourself for what he did, you’re going to find yourself sleeping alone, on the sofa, do you understand me?”



“Since when has it been Professor?” Severus questioned after a few moments stunned silence.



“Since you started talking like an idiot. I thought I was supposed to be the dunderhead.” Harry smiled and Severus dissolved into another bout of tears. Harry let himself be pulled into Severus’ arms and he stroked the dark hair as Severus buried his face in Harry’s chest. “Hey, now. Come on, it’s all right. I’m safe now. It doesn’t matter, none of it matters. All that matters is that I’m safe now.”



“But I should have seen! I should have seen through all those pretty lies I wanted to believe!”



“Yes, you should,” Harry agreed, making Severus’ head snap up, the stunned older man staring at him in shock. “And Hermione should have seen me being dragged away. And Mad-Eye and all the other Auror’s should have searched Malfoy Manor more thoroughly. And there are a million things that should have happened and didn’t. Severus, do I look angry about all the failings?”



“No.”



“Am I blaming any of you, any of my family and friends, for what happened to me?”



“No.”



“Then shut up.” Harry leaned in and kissed his forehead. “I love you. I’m married to you. I belong to you. It doesn’t matter, not really. Yes, I still have my wobbly moments, and bad days and nightmares, but there is something more important than all of those things. More important than everything that has happened.”



“What’s that?”



“I. Am. Here. I’m not there anymore, I’m here. I know you feel guilty. I know a lot of people do. And I accept that, I can’t change it. I accept what happened, I can’t change that either. There’s another thing I can’t change too. And that is right now. I love you, have a wonderful marriage with you, and a beautiful daughter with you. I have a life with you. I try and focus on that rather than what led up to it.”



“I still blame myself,” Severus said.



“I know. And I get that. Don’t you know that there are days when I blame myself? Don’t you know that there are moments when I think back and replay it over and over in my mind to try and think of what I could have done differently, of what could have stopped it from happening? It’s okay for you to feel guilty, but don’t you dare take all the blame. It was Lucius’ fault, no one else’s. But, I know I can’t stop you feeling something, and I’m not going to try. This is how you feel, and I get that.”



Severus couldn’t believe it. He had, unwittingly, told Harry everything he was feeling, all the guilt he felt, and Harry was fine with it. He hugged Harry tight, feeling the sprite hug him back, and that pressing weight of guilt began to ease. He would never truly stop blaming himself for what happened, but, for now, he could live with it.



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Harry paced around the playroom with Miri, trying to get her to settle. She had a stomach-ache and Sam had reassured him that no medical intervention was necessary, it would pass on its own.



“Is she okay?”



Harry looked up to find Solarin standing in the doorway.



“She’s fine, just her bellyache. Where’s Dorian?”



She smiled and entered the room fully, taking a seat. “With his daddy. I had to leave the room, way too sweet, even for me,” she said with a grin. “They’re playing with the train set, and Dorian has Bill in a little conductor hat. I had to leave before I ruined it with my uncontrollable laughter.”



Harry sniggered. “Point taken. Here, you have a try,” he said, handing Miri to Solarin.



“So, how is Severus after his little outpouring?” she asked as she began to pace with the tiny girl, Miri grabbing her long hair and tugging on it in complaint.



“Better, I think,” Harry said, taking her empty seat. “He’s a little more clingy than before, more affectionate. And he’s become very protective.”



“More than before?”



“Way more. He barely lets me out of his sight now. And if I am out of his sight he likes to know where I am.”



She sat down in the window seat and laid Miri across her lap, using her fist to gently massage her belly. “Does it bother you?”



“Not really. I just worry about him.”



“He’ll be okay,” she reassured. “He just needs some time. It’s only been two weeks since you played at Hogwarts, he’s bound to be a little uneasy. Just let him do his thing for a while and soon he’ll start to relax.”



She peered at Harry for a few moments before she spoke again.



“Harry, do you remember when I made the predictions about Tobias?”



“Yes. I yelled at you.”



She smiled briefly. “Yeah, you did. Do you remember asking me what the last prediction I got right was?”



“You told me it was a long time ago.”



“It was,” she said. “It was about sixteen years ago. I was seven, almost eight. It was just before Halloween.” She took a deep breath. “Harry, the last prediction I got right, before the Tobias one, was about you.”



“Me?” he said uncertainly.



“I saw something bad happening to you, to James and Lily, to Remus and Sirius. I couldn’t see it clearly enough, if I had, perhaps none of it would have happened.” She hesitated and looked him in the eye. “I saw your parents dying, Harry. I didn’t see Peter, I didn’t see the specifics. But I did see that everyone would fail. I saw the inevitable. I’m sorry, Harry.”



Harry was silent for a moment, taking it all in. “If you saw it, why couldn’t anyone stop it?” he whispered.



“Because I didn’t see it clear enough. I didn’t see Peter’s involvement in it all. If I had, then maybe we might have been able to save them.”



“Why are you telling me?”



“Because you have the right to know. They were your parents, you deserve to know. Do you remember the day Hermione and Ron first came to visit you here, when you and Bill had to come and get me and Severus from the library?” He nodded. “Harry, I watched my mother die. I never spoke of it. Me and Severus were so upset that day because I finally told him what really happened to her, because he had the right to know. That’s the thing about a parent dying. The child always deserves the truth, even if it isn’t nice. I wanted you to know my part, because you deserve that much.”



The two of them fell silent, Solarin watching her brother-in-law as he took it all in. She remembered so clearly the day she made that prediction. It had scared Severus more than anything else, and Albus had been frantic in trying to prevent it. In the end, all their preparations and precautions had not saved Lily and James Potter, and Solarin had refused to ever look into the future by choice again, a decision she had stuck to for more than a decade.



“Thank you,” Harry said. “Not just for telling me this. Thank you for everything. I meant to thank you ages ago, but I never got around to it.”



“You’re welcome.”



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It was rare that Sirius got a moment all to himself.



He was usually sitting with someone talking out a problem, or with Remus or one of his children, not to mention all the chores he usually got roped into. And when he wasn’t doing any of that, he was working on his book.



So it was a pleasant surprise for the Animagus to find himself alone one morning, lounging on a sofa in the living room with a good book. He had enjoyed muggle literature ever since his first year at Hogwarts, when Remus had let him loose on his considerable collection of paperbacks. Jane Eyre had always been one of his favourites. He was just getting to the part where Jane was sent away to school when he felt himself being watched.



Sirius looked up to find Harry standing in the doorway, watching him.



“You all right, pup?” he asked.



“Not really. I was wondering if I could cuddle with you? Severus is working on his potions and Remus is trying to explain Horcruxes to Nix. I’m feeling a little off and I don’t want to disturb them,” Harry said, his voice timid and unsure.



Sirius laid aside his book and opened his arms, smiling as his son moved into them. Harry laid down against his side, his back to the back of the sofa, his head on Sirius’ chest. Sirius stroked Harry’s hair as Harry curled his fingers in his shirt.



“Sirius?”



“Yes, pup?”



“Can I ask you something?”



“Of course. You can ask me anything, Harry, anything at all.”



Harry sighed. “Will you tell me what happened when I disappeared? I mean, I know what happened on my end, but I’ve never really found out what happened on yours.”



“Are you sure you want to know? I can only tell you my part, Harry, I can’t tell you all of it, I can only tell you what I know, what I remember,” Sirius cautioned.



“I want to know.”



Sirius took a deep breath and let himself think back.



“Me and Remus were in the kitchen. He was making a treacle tart, we were going to bring it with us when we went to the Weasley’s for dinner. I was trying to build a house out of cards and the wireless was on. Then Hermione came through the floo, followed by everyone else. Merlin, Hermione was so upset, no one could calm her down. No one could tell us what had happened. They had searched the whole area and found your wand, but not you. They couldn’t explain it, how no one had seen or heard anything. When Albus arrived, I knew it was bad. We spent most of the day searching for you, but there was nothing. We looked everywhere, even Malfoy Manor. But, we didn’t find you. That wing of the Manor was empty Harry, I swear it. He must have hidden you somewhere else while we were there. Then it just went on, day after day, searching, and still nothing. The days turned into weeks, the weeks to months. It never got easier. Every day, I’d hope for some news, any news. But it never came.”



“Did you miss me?” Harry whispered.



“Harry, I love you. Of course I missed you. I’d just got you, and then that bastard took you from me. You can’t even begin to imagine how much I missed you. You have no idea how scared I was. I was so afraid that I would never see you again,” Sirius said, hugging him closer. Sirius smiled gently. “Then, there we are one day, and Solarin turns up. You have no idea how good it was to hear you were alive.”



Harry smiled and leaned his ear against Sirius’ chest, listening to his heart. “Thank you for telling me.”



“You asked.”



The two of them were silent for a while, before Harry spoke once more. “You know, if there’s something you want to know…about, well, what happened, you can ask me.”



“I know that. If there is anything, I will ask,” Sirius agreed. “So, are you looking forward to Christmas?”



Harry smiled. “Depends on who’s cooking.”



Sirius sniggered. “All of us are expected to pitch in, but Molly will be in charge of the cooking,” he said. He sighed, toying with Harry’s dark unruly hair. “I still remember your first Christmas.”



“You do?”



“Yes. Me and Remus went over to your mum and dad’s on Christmas Eve. We were going to spend the night, so we could be there when you woke up in the morning, get to watch you open your presents.” He laughed. “The tree fell on you.”



“What?”



“Me and you were lying on the floor, Remus was on the sofa with James talking about Quidditch, and Lily was decorating the tree. She piled so many decorations on one side that it toppled over. It landed on me and you, covered us in pine needles. You found it hilarious.”



Harry giggled. “Promise me that won’t happen to Miri,” he demanded. “I might have a heart attack.”



“I swear. No trees falling on anyone. So, have you given thought to what you want for Christmas?”



“Nope, and I’m not going to. I gave no thought to what I wanted for my birthday and you all still went berserk. I’m just going to sit back, keep my mouth shut and let you get on with it.”



“Probably the best way,” Sirius agreed with a grin.



Harry reached over and picked up the worn paperback, peering at the cover. He opened it and smiled. “Just how many books does Remus have?”



“We stopped counting after three thousand,” Sirius said. “He’s always been a big reader. I remember when we started Hogwarts. There we were, first night in the dorm. We were all unpacking and I looked over to Remus’ trunk and it was full of books. He took ninety books with him, all just for fun. That doesn’t include his school books.” Sirius smiled. “Remus was my tutor in all things muggle. Pissed my parents off no end.”



“I’ll bet they were thrilled about you dating Remus. His dad was a muggle wasn’t he?”



“Yes, John was a muggle. My parents were less than pleased. I gave up everything when I was sixteen. I gave it all up for Remus. We got married about a year later. My father paid for the wedding, though he didn’t know that until later. James’ dad gave me away, James was my best man. Lily and Tonks were our bridesmaids. Lily did our flowers, she went a little overboard.” He sniggered. “They were everywhere, absolutely everywhere. We got married in a little place called Merlin’s Garden. It’s not there anymore, it was torn down a few years ago. But it was beautiful. All white silk and roses. It was one of the best moments of my life, hearing Remus say I do. And then we spent ten days in Paris. We never left the hotel room, funnily enough.”



Sirius paused in his reminiscing to look down, noticing that Harry had drifted off to sleep. He kissed Harry’s messy hair and reached out to snag the blanket from the back of the sofa, covering Harry over. He picked up his book again and waited for Harry to wake.



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Severus emerged from his basement lab and went into the kitchen, expecting Harry to be sitting there feeding Miri, or perhaps finishing up his Defence lesson with Remus. But when he reached the kitchen, Remus was sitting alone with Phoenix.



“Where’s Harry?” Severus questioned. “And Miri?”



“Miri is in the playroom with Solarin, Molly, Dorian, Catherine and Joseph,” Remus said. “As for Harry, he finished his work so I let him go upstairs to amuse himself.”



Severus nodded and kept his mouth shut as he left the room. He knew he was overreacting, being possessive and clingy, but he couldn’t help it. Now he had admitted out loud how guilty he felt about Harry’s disappearance, he couldn’t quite get his possessive streak under control.



He slowly began checking the likely places his husband might be hiding. He wasn’t in the playroom, or the library. Nor was he in their bedroom or the nursery. He walked into the living room, about to alert the rest of the family that Harry was missing, to find Harry fast asleep, curled up to Sirius’ side.



“Hey,” Sirius said quietly. “I was wondering when someone would come looking for him.”



“How long has he been in here?” Severus asked as he took a seat.



“About an hour. He’s been asleep for twenty minutes. I didn’t want to wake him, he seemed so peaceful.”



“It’s your heartbeat,” Severus said. He paused and gazed at his father-in-law. “I have something to confess to you.”



“And I’m guessing you choose now, when my son is asleep against my chest, so I can’t hit you for it,” Sirius said with a smile.



“When Harry was first freed, he used to creep into my bed with me,” Severus said. “He had terrible nightmares, and he didn’t want to use potions every time he closed his eyes. He slept with me from the very beginning.”



“I didn’t know that,” Sirius said calmly. Strangely enough, he wasn’t angry about it. He could understand this one thing. “Did you know that I can’t sleep without Remus?”



“No.”



Sirius laughed quietly. “Yup. Bet you didn’t know me and him shared a bed in Hogwarts.”



“Really?”



“Really. Dumbledore gave us permission and everything. So, my heartbeat sent him off to sleep?”



“Yes. Something about it soothes him, relaxes him. In the beginning, it was the only thing that could get him to sleep, the sound of my heart. It still soothes him, when he’s having a bad night. I’m not surprised your heartbeat had the same effect.”



Sirius smiled and stroked Harry’s hair. “Tell me some things,” he said.



“What would you like to know?”



“I don’t know. Things about Harry I don’t know, things he wouldn’t mind me knowing. I missed so much of him growing up, there’s so much I don’t know.”



Severus settled further into his chair and stared meditatively at his husband. “His favourite fruit is peach. He jumps at thunder. He cannot sleep without being held, not well anyway. His favourite book is Matilda by Roald Dahl. He likes custard creams and peppermint tea. He talks in his sleep, and chews his thumbnail when he is nervous of asking something. In the beginning, when I first found him, he refused to be touched by anyone, even me. Every touch made him flinch. He only allowed people to touch him during his panic attacks, and then it was only me who could touch him.”



“How bad was he? In the beginning, I mean,” Sirius asked. “How bad was he when you first found him?”



Severus took a deep breath. “When I found him, almost every bone in his body was broken,” he whispered. “I was shocked he was still alive. He was so thin you could see his skeleton. I would go into more detail for you but I promised him I wouldn’t. I swore to him I would never tell anyone what I saw that night. I’m sure Harry would tell you himself, if you asked him.”



“It’s okay, I understand. I was just wondering. I don’t think I could actually handle knowing anyway,” Sirius murmured, stroking Harry’s hair, holding him a little closer at the thought of what had happened to his godson. “How did you do it? How did you get him back to something like he used to be?”



Severus smiled, reaching out to stroke the back of Harry’s hand. The petite brunet mumbled incoherently and snuggled closer to Sirius. Sirius stroked his hair until he settled again.



“It wasn’t easy,” Severus said. “It took time. Mostly, it was listening. It helped Harry to talk about what happened. That helped more than anything else. Still does, you’ve seen that for yourself. There were other things, little things. Giving him reassurance and comfort when he needed it. Being honest with him. I found that the best way to handle Harry was never to force him into anything. He works best on his own choices.”



The two of them sat there, Severus telling Sirius all the things he could think of that Harry wouldn’t mind him sharing. As they went on, Severus found himself enjoying the conversation. In return for everything Severus shared, Sirius shared his own pieces of information, such as Sirius’ allergy to unicorns and Remus’ addiction to blood-flavoured lollypops.



Harry moaned and slowly cracked open his eyes to find Severus sitting in an armchair, watching him.



“If you’re sitting over there, who am I using as a pillow?” he asked sleepily.



The chest beneath him bounced as the mystery person chuckled. “That would be me, pup,” Sirius said. “We were talking and you fell asleep on me.”



“Oh, right. I remember. How long have I been out?”



“About an hour. It’s okay, me and Severus can entertain ourselves without you, you know.”



“Should me and Harry be worried by that statement?” Remus said as he entered the room. “However, taking in the scene, maybe it should be me and Severus that should be worried.”



“Ha, ha, very funny,” Sirius said as Harry sat up.



“Should I be worried that one of my parents thinks the other capable of cheating?” Harry joked as he held out his arms to Severus. He was wedged into the corner of the sofa, sandwiched between Sirius’ legs and the sofa back. Severus stood and reached out, lifting him from his place and hugging him briefly before setting him on his feet.



“I would never cheat on Remus,” Sirius said firmly as Remus pulled him to his feet. He leaned in and stole a kiss, feeling Remus smile into it.



“Of course not,” Severus said with a wicked Slytherin grin. “You’re too afraid of him maiming you for it.”



“Oh, fuck you!” Sirius said with a grin, shoving Severus slightly as they moved towards the stairs. “I can handle myself! I escaped Azkaban, thank you very much!”



“Oh, and we’re so proud of you for it,” Severus said sarcastically, poking his tongue out at him. Remus and Harry hung back as the two men continued to trade friendly insults, acting more Harry’s age than their own.



“Did you ever think we’d see them like this?” Remus said.



“Like what?” Harry asked.



“Acting like friends. Let me rephrase that, acting like Hogwarts-age friends,” Remus said as Severus and Sirius began flicking each other.



“Nope,” Harry said. “It’s nice though, isn’t it?”



“It is nice. Would have been even nicer if they could have actually gotten along in school, but I’m not complaining.”



The four made their way to the kitchen for lunch, Harry and Remus hanging back while their respective spouses traded harmless insults. The good mood didn’t last very long. It only lasted until they walked into the kitchen and caught sight of the grim faces of their family.



“What?” Harry asked, reaching out to grip Remus, the closest one to him. “What happened?”



Solarin came forwards and whispered something in Severus’ ear as Remus gathered Harry into his arms.



“Hush, pup, it’s all right, it’s all okay,” Remus murmured, stroking his hair.



“It’s Lucius, isn’t it?” Harry whispered. “He’s done something.”



“Yes, Harry, he has,” Severus said, carefully choosing his words before he said them. “He has found himself some friends.”



“Who?” Remus asked. He had a feeling that he wouldn’t like the answer.



“Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback. He broke them both out of Azkaban this morning.”



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“Harry, love, will you please sit down? You’re going to wear a hole though the floor and into my potions lab,” Severus said.



Harry had been pacing for the last hour, incoherently muttering to himself. The entire family had been called as soon as Moody had arrived with the news of the escapes and they were just waiting for the final few members to arrive.



“Leave him be, he’ll stop when he’s calmed down,” Molly said as the floo flared to life, expelling Sam and Tonks.



“Is it true?” Sam asked Remus, looking to his alpha to ease his worries.



“It’s true. He broke them out this morning,” Remus said. “What I want to know is why them? Why did Lucius choose those two?”



“Because he’s figured it out.”



Everyone looked at Solarin where she was perched on the sill of the open window. She looked more tired than anyone could ever remember her being.



“What do you mean?” Arthur questioned as Anne came through the floo, followed closely by Jack.



“Think about it,” she said, lighting up a fresh cigarette with the butt of the old one. “It’s been almost a year since he lost Harry. His owl posts haven’t worked in driving Harry out of hiding, threatening Severus didn’t work, killing people and threatening people hasn’t worked. He’s running out of ideas. So, he sits down and thinks about it, really thinks about it. The Burrow is gone, and Spinners End. Harry’s not at Hogwarts, he knows that. Where else would we hide Harry than with his parents? Fenrir Greyback for Remus, and Bellatrix Lestrange for Sirius. He’s trying to find us, the only way he knows how.”



“And how did he know they wouldn’t turn their backs on him as soon as he broke them out?” Jack questioned.



“Because they’re both insane,” she said. “It’s a game to them, and I bet you all the money in my Gringotts account that he promised them one of us as a toy after he’s done.”



“They can’t be completely insane,” Percy said. “How could he trust them if they were?”



“They are insane, and it’s not about trust, it’s about usefulness. Fenrir has a wonderful sense of smell, and Bellatrix knows more curses than most. They’re useful. And they’re easy to get onside. Think about it, all he has to do is promise Fenrir that he can have Remus as a plaything and Fenrir is all his to command.”



“What about Bellatrix? Who would he promise to give her as a plaything?” Ginny asked.



A dark look passed between Percy and Solarin and suddenly Severus didn’t look so calm anymore.



“What are you not telling us?” Severus demanded. “Solarin, what are you hiding from me?”



Every eye was on the augur, every family member holding their breaths. Bill looked suddenly suspicious of his brother, and no one could blame him. Solarin and Percy were looking at each other, a secret passing between them.



“Ginny, take Dorian upstairs,” Bill ordered and the girl disappeared with the child as fast as her legs could carry her. “I want to know what the fuck is going on with you two and I want to know right now.”



“Tell them,” Percy said. “They have to know, especially now.”



“I can’t,” Solarin whispered. “I can’t.”



Severus crossed the room and hoisted himself up onto the windowsill. He grabbed his sister by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. “Solarin, tell me. Whatever it is, you can tell me. We can even get everyone else to leave the room, so it’s just you and me.”



Solarin took a deep breath and blew it out in a long sigh before she looked her brother in the eye. “I’m sorry,” she whispered before she raised her left arm and ran her wand over the pale skin of her forearm.



There, dark on her pale flesh, was the bold scar of a Dark Mark.



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Severus climbed down from the windowsill and backed up against the wall, his face a mask of frozen horror, his dark eyes fixed on Solarin’s arm. Harry had finally stopped in his pacing and was staring at his sister-in-law in confusion. Everyone was staring at her in confusion, everyone but Percy.



“How?” Severus choked out.



“You know how,” she whispered. “You wanted me to forget, so I let you think that I did.”



“Forget what?” Harry asked.



“The day I was marked,” Severus said, sitting down heavily at the table. “Sit down and Solarin and I will tell you the tale.”



They all took seats at the table, all but Solarin, who chose to remain sitting on the windowsill.



“I was seventeen, not long out of Hogwarts. It was just after we moved to Hogsmeade,” Severus began, sounding incredibly tired, as if he had seen too much in his life to really handle it all. He reached out and entwined his fingers with Harry’s. “I realised that the biggest threat to Solarin was the Dark Lord. So, I began to cultivate a plan. If I offered myself to him in return for her safety then perhaps I could at least sleep at night without fear of someone coming to take her from me.”



“You only did what you thought was right,” Solarin said.



“Have you seen that arm lately?” he snapped. “How can you tell me that it was right?”



“It was necessary! Don’t you see? This is why I didn’t tell you, this is why I let you think I’d forgotten it.”



“Forgotten what?” Bill asked. “How did my wife end up with a Dark Mark?”



“I told you all once that Solarin had never met the Dark Lord,” Severus said. “I lied. She did meet him, and all the Death Eaters, when she was four. The Dark Mark on Sol is an echo of mine.”



“An echo?” Sirius asked.



“Because Severus was Solarin’s primary parent at that point, the bond between them was very strong,” Albus said. “She picked up on what was happening to him.”



“As you can imagine, the branding of Death Eaters was not a pain free experience,” Severus said. “It was excruciating.”



“It was no picnic on my end either,” Solarin said. “But that’s how I know Bella and Fenrir are insane. I met them, I read them, I know them. The problem is that I don’t know them well enough.”



“What do you mean?” Ron asked as he paced with Catherine, pausing every now and then to stroke Hermione’s hair or cheek, comforting his wife and playing daddy whilst still contributing.



“We need someone who knows them really well, someone who knows their weaknesses, their strengths, everything, and I just don’t, none of us do,” she said. She looked at Bill. “Did you really think I had slept with Percy?”



He looked sheepish. “Yeah, I did. But look at it from my point of view. He knew something about you, there was a secret between the two of you. Care to explain before I suffer another fit of jealousy?”



“I saw the Mark,” Percy said. “That’s what prompted my fight with Sol just before she graduated. I saw her Mark one night. She was by the lake, out after curfew. I saw the Mark and jumped to conclusions.”



The whole kitchen fell silent for a while, each of them lost in their own thoughts. They all suddenly knew what Lucius would give Bellatrix; he would give her Solarin to play with. They were all startled when a postal owl swooped in and dropped a letter in front of Albus. He tore it open and sighed.



“They were not the only ones to escape with his help,” he said, passing the letter to Mad-Eye. “He also took Peter Pettigrew.”



“Why? What possible use could he have for Peter?” Sirius asked angrily. “That little weasel is worth nothing, absolutely nothing!”



Remus pulled him in close and captured his lips in a bruising kiss. “Calm down, sweetheart,” he murmured as he pulled away, stroking Sirius’ hair. “Just keep that temper of yours under control. No going after him this time. Let someone else handle it.”



“He betrayed us all, Remus,” Sirius argued.



Remus sighed and pulled away, standing up and striding across the room. “What the hell is going on inside your head, you bloody idiot! You swore to me, Sirius Orion Lupin-Black! You swore that I would never be alone again, that you would never leave me! How dare you even think of going after that son of a bitch again!”



“I didn’t mean that,” Sirius said.



“Really? Sounded like it to me,” Remus spat.



“I was just venting, I didn’t mean that I would go after Peter again, I promise. Ask Sol, she can read my mind,” Sirius pleaded, crossing to Remus and holding his hands.



“He’s telling the truth, he was just venting, letting his mouth run away with him,” Solarin said.



Remus seemed to deflate slightly, letting Sirius hold his hand though he still looked ready to throttle him. The family knew that this would be an argument between the two for another time.



“Sol,” Severus said, crooking a finger to beckon her over to him. She sighed and slowly climbed down from the windowsill. She hovered near him and pulled at her hair. “You should have told me.”



“Severus-”



“Let me finish,” he interrupted. “You should have told me, you shouldn’t have lied to me. But, considering my own actions in the past and what you saw as a child, I do understand why you did. However, if there is anything else you have been hiding from me, or felt that you were protecting me from, now is the time to tell me. This is the point where you can tell me absolutely anything and have me remain somewhat calm. Believe me, you will never get another chance to do this.”



“Perhaps we could go somewhere private?” she asked and he nodded, kissing Harry briefly before he took her hand and led her from the room.



“Personally,” Hermione said, bouncing Joseph. “I would not like to be Sol right now.”



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Severus led his sister to his potions lab and warded the door. He took a deep breath to steady himself. He knew whatever she told him wouldn’t be something he liked, but he had told her she could reveal anything.



He watched her, waiting silently, as she moved slowly around the room, stirring potions where needed.



“I was always fascinated by you when I was little,” she said. “I used to watch you make potions and be completely transfixed.”



“One of the reasons I chose to teach them to you at such a young age,” he replied. “Solarin, whatever it is you need to tell me, you can do so. I promise you I will try to remain calm, that I will listen before I react.”



She hoisted herself onto the bench Harry usually occupied when he was in the lab and took a deep breath.



“You know I love you, don’t you?” she asked.



“Of course.”



“So, when I tell you this, you need to understand that it isn’t about how much I love you or anything like that. It’s just about me, about what I need.”



“All right, I’m with you so far.”



“Severus…I don’t remember,” she said. “Mum, I don’t remember her, at all.”



Severus was stunned. He hadn’t expected anything like that to come out of her mouth.



“Nothing? Nothing at all?” he questioned.



“Nothing. The only thing I remember is how she died. I don’t remember her smile, or her voice. I only know what she looks like because of the locket. So…I started digging. I wanted to know about her, what she was like. It’s not that I don’t love you, or that you didn’t do the best job as a parent for me. I loved having you as my parent, still do. But…Sevus, I have to know, I need to,” she said.



He walked to her and pulled her into a hug. “I understand, sweetheart, honestly. Did you really think I’d be angry at you for this?”



“I was thinking you’d be more hurt than angry.”



“I’m not hurt, or angry, or upset. I understand. But you have to promise me something.”



“Promise what?”



“Promise that, whatever you find, whether it be good, bad, big or small, you will share it with me. I would like to know as well.”



“I promise.”



“Good. Now, is there anything else? Anything else at all?”



“No, nothing…you know, if there’s something you want to know, now would be the time to ask. I know that I’ve kept a lot from you over the years. If you want to know something, you can ask. I don’t guarantee to answer…”



Severus pulled back and looked her over, really looked. “Sometimes when I look at you, I’m shocked by how old you are. Somehow I always manage to think of you as a little girl still. But you’re not, and I know I don’t always realise that. I should realise it. I know that Bill is the best man in the world for you, that I raised you to be smart enough to choose a good man. But, I still have this need to know…your first time with him, when you two first slept together…it was your choice, wasn’t it? He didn’t pressure you?”



She smiled at him. “No, he didn’t. I was the one who led him astray.” She sighed wistfully. “That was the moment I knew he was mine, that he was the one I was meant to be with. When we connected like that, it was…I don’t know…it was kind of like…I knew where I fit, I finally felt like I belonged somewhere, really belonged. It was like coming home. It still is.” She laughed. “Afterwards, when it was all over, I pretended to be asleep. I was so afraid of looking at him, of what he might say. He laid there all afternoon, watching me sleep. He stroked my hair and my back. It was as if he was afraid to let go of me, like…if he did…I would disappear on him. And when I opened my eyes, he smiled at me and told me he loved me. He didn’t actually say a single word, but that look in his eyes was enough. I just knew.”



Severus smiled. He had always wanted that for her. Someone who saw just how incredible she was, who had the same fear of losing her that he did. And now he knew she had it, the crippling fear he had of someone coming to steal her away evaporated.


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Okay, I have recieved several reviews with very valid points that I thought I would answer.


I know the chapters are very long. Some of you have complained about this. When I am finished writing this story, I will repost it again with smaller chapters. I know that when I write them, they end up as about 100 pages long at font size 12, which is very long. I am posting it to get feedback so when I edit it for the shorter chapter repost I will be able to iron out the kinks.


Severus may take Harry anally but I have not decided on that. It is still considered Slash because Harry considers himself male.


I know the rape scene at the beginning and then the birth scene were very graphic, and this may make some viewers feel uncomfortable, but they are meant to do that. A rape scene is never pleasant, and I hate it when authors just skim over the birth scene or have it happen off stage. So I decided for my own fiction, I would include as much detail as I felt was necessary.


I switched Charlie and Bill's birth order only for narrative purposes.I wanted Charlie to be the oldest so I could match up Bill and Solarin's ages. That is the only reason it was switched. I have tried to change very few cannon aspects, but i have changed some, purely to work with the story.


I have added sub-plots, and more characters to the story, and I realise I have a lot going on in one story. But I promise that this story will not be abandoned. I never abandon stories, it might just take me a while to add a new chapter. But I promise that none of my stories are ever abandoned. I wish I could spend all day every day writing, but life makes that impossible, so I write when I have time.


I know that this stoy is very angsty, but that was in the warnings. I would like to write a nice fluffy fic where nothing bad happens, but that isn't the way Harry's life is in cannon, and life in general is never all sunshine and roses. I have tried to strike a good balance of angst and fluff, with maybe a bit of humour thrown in (I hope!).


There is a reason why Bella will want Solarin instead of Sirius, and this will be explained in later chapters. There is a reason which will be explained.


Okay, just to let you know, I will be posting a new story, which is a prequel to Salvation, called The Shamrock. The Shamrock is the story of Sirius and Remus from the very beginning. In that story, I have changed some cannon features, but only for narrative purposes. It is another WIP, but I find that writing the two simultaneously helps me to focus on the backstory of the characters.


Anyways, that's all from me for now. I am about halfway through writing chapter eight, so I will post it very soon. Much love to all my readers.