Salvation

Harry snuffled into his pillow, opening his eyes slowly. It was still dark outside, Miri’s monitor was silent and he hadn’t had a bad dream. So, why was he awake at…Harry groaned as his gaze landed on the glow in the dark bedside clock.

Five in the morning.

Why the hell was he awake at this godforsaken hour?

“No…no…”

Harry rolled over to look at his husband, who was crying and muttering in his sleep. Ah, so that was why he was awake. He gently wiped away his lovers tears.

“Severus,” he called softly. “Wake up, Severus.”

Severus sighed in his sleep and wriggled a little. Harry couldn’t help but smile.

“It’s in the cauldron,” Severus murmured.

Harry stifled a giggle. “What’s in the cauldron? It’s a dream…come back to me,” he whispered, sliding across the bed to curl into Severus’ hold. Those long, strong arms tightened around him and he laid a gentle kiss on Severus’ throat.

“Harry? Are you all right, love?” Severus questioned sleepily.

“I’m fine. Are you? You were talking in your sleep, crying as well.”

“Ah. Just a bad dream, nothing serious,” Severus reassured. “It’s still early, don’t you want to go back to sleep?” he questioned as Harry slipped his hands inside his pyjama top.

“I might drift back off,” Harry said, rubbing his fingertips along Severus’ warm stomach. “I’m just enjoying being here with you at the moment.”

He could feel Severus’ smile as he rolled him onto his back, ducking his head and capturing his lips in a sweet kiss. Harry whimpered into it, wrapping his arms around Severus’ neck, letting his tongue venture forth to taste his husband, Severus gladly allowing entrance to his mouth. They chased the others tongue back and forth, hands travelling along sleep warmed skin. Harry couldn’t get enough of the taste of his lover. Sweet and hot with something smoky and dangerous just hinted at underneath it all.

Severus moaned as Harry’s leg slid up to rest on his hip, those wonderful hands buried in his hair, tongue licking at his own.

They broke off to breathe, sipping the occasional kiss from swollen lips.

“Hmmm, I like making out,” Harry said, the older man chuckling at him.

“Me too. I like knowing that I can spend as much time as I like holding you and kissing you without any pressure to go further. It’s very nice, sort of…soothing. Well, not really, but you know what I mean.”

“I do.” Harry slid his hand along Severus’ arm until he could entwine their fingers. “So, do you want to talk yet?”

Severus took a deep breath. It had been a week since the discoveries had been made about Eileen and her opinion of her daughter. In that week Solarin had begun to speak again, but only when she had to, and she still had the tendency to burst into tears at odd intervals. Severus had not been taking it well. He felt so utterly and completely powerless to help his beloved sister. So, as a result of pent up caring emotions, Harry had been the target of all his nurturing.

Harry had taken it all without complaint: the hugs, the kisses, the touching him all the time, the watching his every move, the way Severus kept cutting up his dinner and asking him if he was all right. Harry had held his tongue and let his husband do what he had to. Even if it was annoying him beyond compare.

“I have no idea what to say,” Severus admitted. “You know how I’m feeling, you’re the one who has had to put up with me. And I do know how annoying I’m being, love. I am sorry about it.”

“I know. It’s okay.”

“It’s not just her I’m worried about. What about Dorian? I felt for sure he would never let her go when I brought her back, and now he barely lets her out of his sight. Even Bill can’t calm him down.”

“He’ll be fine. He just needs time, they all do, we all do. And I do understand how worried you are, really.”

Severus smiled down at him and leaned in to kiss him again. He laid his forehead against Harry’s and sighed.

“How could she?” he whispered, not really expecting an answer. “I always thought my mother loved Solarin. And now…now I don’t know what to think. It’s all screwed up in my head. My mother tried to kill my sister, my father was trying to protect us…in his way.” He sighed. “Part of me believes my mother really did love Solarin, at least part of her, she had to, no one is that good an actor. But with this new knowledge…It doesn’t make sense.”

“I don’t think it’s meant to. I don’t think we’re meant to understand any of it. Severus…please, stop torturing yourself over this. You didn’t know, no one did. Stop trying to take the blame when it isn’t yours to take,” Harry pleaded.

Severus smiled at him. “I suppose I try and take the blame for quite a lot.”

“Yes, you do. There’s nothing wrong with it, it shows us you care. But you can’t emotionally torture yourself over this forever. Sooner or later, you’ll realise I’m right.”

Severus sighed. He didn’t want to admit it but Harry was right. He wasn’t to blame for anything his mother had tried to do to Solarin. She hadn’t succeeded in her attempt at murder, and for that Severus would always be forever thankful to his father, something he never thought he would ever feel.

But knowing the truth of the situation didn’t make him feel any better.

Severus stared down at his husband, taking in all the beautiful features he loved so much.

“I had an idea the other day,” Severus said with a small smile.

“An idea? And tell me why I shouldn’t think of this as a way to change the subject?”

“It is a way to change the subject. But you’ll like my idea.”

Harry giggled. “Okay, I’ll let you change the subject. So, what is this idea?”

“A trip to the zoo.”

Harry couldn’t help it, he burst into a fit of laughter. “The zoo? That’s you’re idea? I thought it was something major, like moving house or something.”

Severus sniggered. “Nothing so drastic. I’m not talking about a trip like the one where you let the snake loose. I was thinking about a trip to Countess Cora’s Land Of Magic. It’s a magical zoo, it’s in Wales.”

“A magical zoo? Really?”

“Really. I took Solarin there when she was little. I thought it would be something Miri would like. And, seeing as you’ve only ever been to that paltry excuse for a zoo with your Aunt and Uncle, it is something you should absolutely get to experience.”

Harry laid there considering it while Severus devoted himself to tasting the tender skin of his throat.

“You really want to go?” Harry gasped, and then moaned as Severus nipped at a particularly sensitive bit of skin.

“I do…but only if you feel comfortable with the idea of going out,” Severus murmured, unbuttoning a few of Harry’s pyjama top buttons and dipping down to nibble at a nipple.

“Ab…oh…absolutely.”

And, with that settled, they both decided that making out just wasn’t enough of a way to start the day.

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Solarin watched as Dorian tried to heave the huge ball of snow on top of the other one he had made. If he managed it, the snowman would be bigger than he was.

“I did offer to help but he told me he wanted to do it by himself,” she murmured as Molly sat down beside her on the garden bench. “And I know I shouldn’t be smoking in front of him.”

Molly smirked at the cigarette Solarin was grinding under her heel. “Seeing a few bad habits won’t kill him. And Bill was just the same, always wanting to do it himself, never wanting any help.” She chuckled. “He’s still like that.”

The Weasley matriarch cast a sideways glance at her daughter-in-law and wondered if maybe Severus had been right. The Potions Master had warned Molly that Solarin was a difficult witch to talk to at the best of times, and now would be a very bad time to try and get through to her. But Molly couldn’t stand sitting back and doing nothing while one of her family was in pain.

Molly knew that a bond between a mother and a daughter was important to a young woman. Even more so once that woman became a mother herself. Molly sometimes missed her own mother more than she could bear, and she couldn’t imagine something…anything, coming between her and Ginny. Nothing her daughter could ever do would ever make her feel any differently. So, with all this in mind, she thought maybe a woman’s touch would be the best way to approach Solarin.

The only problem was, she didn’t know where to start.

“I was thinking…maybe your steak pie would go down well for dinner. And…that cake you made for Christmas…the one with the icing. Maybe you could adapt it. It went down well,” Molly said cautiously.

“Maybe,” Solarin agreed.

The two women watched as Dorian finally resorted to using his magic and levitated the ball of snow to the desired position. He looked thoroughly impressed with himself, and set about scouring the garden for twigs to use as hair.

“You know…I never wanted this,” Solarin said as she lit another cigarette.

“Wanted…what?”

“This,” she said, motioning to Dorian and then to her wedding ring. “Marriage…children. I never imagined myself walking down the aisle. Even when I was a little girl, I never pretended my dolls were babies. It just wasn’t something I ever saw for my life. And then…Bill happened. I met him and everything changed. I knew what Bill wanted, I would have been blind not to see it. He had so many sibling. Always having a baby around. I would have had to be a complete fool not to realise what Bill’s vision of the future contained.” She sighed, smiling at her son. “And, before I even realised it, I wanted it too. I wanted it all…maybe even more than Bill did.”

Molly sensed that this would not be the time to speak, though she had a million things running through her mind at that precise moment.

“Then I realised that maybe I could marry Bill…that I trusted him enough…that there was enough love between us to make a marriage work…really work.” She chuckled. “I wasn’t even nervous saying my vows.”

“I was,” Molly said. “Terrified. I loved Arthur, I do love Arthur. But it practically took my father dragging me down the aisle. Such a big step…the whole of my life coming down to this one moment. I was all right afterwards.”

They were both silent for a little while.

“When I found out I may never have children, that it’s more likely I’ll never get pregnant…I was so devastated. I felt like I was letting you down…like I was letting everyone down. And then Dorian came into the picture and I felt so complete…like he was all I was missing. But there was still this part of me that was hollow…empty. And then I realised what it was. How could I be a mother when I’d never had one? How would I know what to know when he asks his questions? How would I ever be able to give him that? So…I started looking.”

“The morning we found out about Lucius breaking some friends out of Azkaban…you went down to the lab with Severus. Is that what you were telling him?” Molly questioned gently.

“Yes. I thought he deserved to know what I was doing…she was his mother too.” Solarin paused, smiling slightly as Dorian managed to levitate himself to put the twigs on the snowman, making it look like the winter statue had a bad comb-over. “Do you remember the night that Severus was taken over?”

“The night where he was sort of possessed? The night he attacked Harry…sort of?”

“Yes. And do you remember what I said about the woman who did it? The one in the coma?”

“You said she was an augur.”

“She’s not just an augur. Her name is Evelyn. Evelyn Prince. She’s…well, she was, my mothers sister.”

“An aunt? You and Severus have an aunt?”

“Apparently. We never knew of her. And maybe I’m starting to understand why.” She took a deep breath and looked Molly straight in the eye. “What if my mother knew more about what I am than anyone? With an augur for a sister, she’d seen it, she knew what I’d be growing up to be. Maybe I am something bad, something dangerous. Maybe it would have been better if she’d managed to kill me.”

Molly swore she felt her heart break as Solarin broke their connected gazes. To think that someone could really feel that way about themselves, and that that persons own mother had caused that self-loathing…well, she just couldn’t get her head around it.

“Solarin, you are not something bad.”

“Are you sure?” the depressed younger woman asked the saddened older. “All the magic I have, all the things I can do…maybe I am evil.”

“Rubbish!” Molly exclaimed. “What absolute rubbish! I have seen evil…I lived through two reigns of the Dark Lord. I know evil and you are nothing near.”

Solarin gifted her a fleeting smile. “Maybe. Maybe I’m not evil. But I don’t think I can be something good either.”

Molly chuckled. “I don’t think it works that way. You…well, you’ve chosen the way you want to go. You’re a good witch, Solarin. You’re a good woman. I see that in the way my son is with you, in the happiness you bring him. I see how good you are with all those around you. Now, you’re no saint, oh no. You’re no angel. But no one is. We all have darkness in us…but we all have light as well. We make the choice in which side wins, in the path we take. I don’t believe the future is written in stone. I believe the future is shaped and changed every moment by every decision we make.”

“So you don’t think Bill and Dorian would be better off without a wife and mother who is a murderer? Because you’d be well within your rights to want me out of their lives,” Solarin questioned softly.

Molly finally snapped at that. She couldn’t help it. She pulled Solarin into a hug that could crush bone, stroking her hair and murmuring how wrong she was.

“Bill and Dorian need you. My son needs his wife, and my grandson needs his mother. Now you listen to me, young lady. The moment you came into Bill’s life again, the moment I saw how happy you make him, you became a part of my family. As far as I’m concerned, you are as much my daughter as Ginny,” Molly stated firmly, leaving no room for argument.

It would take time for Solarin to really come to terms with all she now knew. It would take time for the wounds her mothers diary had left to heal.

But Molly’s words had helped ease the pain.

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Every occupant of the kitchen was silent, and all of them were staring at the ceiling.

“Do we know what they’re fighting about?” Remus asked.

“No,” Severus said. “And I may have been an idiot in my past but I am not fool enough to go and see what they’re apparently screaming the house down over.”

“Wise man,” Hermione commented. She herself had tried to intervene and had received a teddy thrown at her head in payment.

No one was quite sure what the fight was about but everyone was very sure that they had never heard Harry scream as loudly or angrily as he was currently screaming at Percy.

It had started innocently enough: Harry sitting in the playroom with Miri, reading her a story in an attempt to get her off for her afternoon sleep, Percy using the stillness of the room to read through some paperwork. At least, that was what Severus had left when he had gone to add some ingredients to a potion. But, within five minutes of being without his husband, Harry had levitated Miri down to the kitchen and slammed the playroom door shut. They had been yelling now for a solid ten minutes.

They all jumped as a huge explosion rocked the house. Severus sped from the room and up the stairs, closely followed by most of the family.

Severus just made it in time to see his husband storming angrily from the room, his wand in hand, followed by a cloud of smoke.

“Harry, what did you do?” Arthur asked, peering in at his unconscious son.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be fine when he comes around. I didn’t hurt him,” Harry snarled. “But keep him away from me or I can’t guarantee I won’t.”

And, with that, he plucked Miri out of Sirius’ arms and left them to question Percy when he came round.

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Severus slowly made his way up the stairs, taking more time than was actually needed. He didn’t know if he wanted this conversation with Harry but he knew it had to be had. If he was completely honest with himself, Severus had hoped never to have this conversation. If he could have his way, he would bury the subject under a thousand tons of rubble, never to be unearthed again. Sort of like what they had done with Voldemort’s body, which was an analogy he found fitting.

But, Severus would not get his wish. And this conversation, that was so needed and so inevitable, would not go away, and could not be put off any longer.

He made his way to Miri’s nursery, moving slowly and quietly. There Harry was, sitting in the rocking chair with Miri asleep in his arms. The young wizard was staring out the window at the freshly falling snow.

“Is he all right?” Harry murmured as he realised Severus was hovering in the doorway, watching him.

“He is fine…feeling a little foolish…and guilty, but that is to be expected,” Severus said as he settled himself on the low footstool, resting his hands on Harry’s knees. “He told us what he said.”

Harry scowled and Severus reached out to gently take Miri from him, slipping her into her crib and leading Harry to their bedroom.

“My past never really has come up in conversation, has it?” Severus began, letting Harry curl up in the window seat rather than joining him on the bed. “Maybe it should have been.”

“I know what you are, and what you were. I knew when I married you. I knew exactly what I was getting into. Everyone has a past, why should you be any different?” Harry said. “But Percy apparently thinks I don’t know my own mind and you used some Dark art to ‘ensnare’ me. His word, not mine.” He sighed and looked at his husband, those bright green eyes taking Severus’ breath away. “I’m not sure what pisses me off more, to be honest…the fact that he said I was too young and damaged to know what was best for me…or that he dared to insinuate that you would ever hurt me.”

“Well…I’m no stranger to people not trusting me. I wasn’t expecting this from one of the Weasley’s, I’ll be honest, but I’m not surprised by it. I am upset by his apparent illusion that you are an idiot. I’m not even going to try and defend him on that one. I may have called you names to that effect when we were Professor and student, but I do know differently now.”

Harry seemed to be deciding on something, staring at his husband.

“If I asked you to tell me…you know, about being a Death Eater…would you tell me?” Harry questioned.

“Depends on what you asked me to tell you,” Severus replied honestly. “It’s not that I don’t want you to know, love, not that I’m hiding things from you. But there are some things I just can’t say, the words just won’t come.”

“So…if I asked you to tell me about your initiation…when you joined…could you tell me that?”

Severus thought on it. Could he tell that story? Could he force himself to recount what was one of the worst nights of his life? Parts of it were easy, parts of it he couldn’t remember, and parts of it were more horrific than he had words for.

“No, I couldn’t tell you,” Severus said, happening upon a sudden idea. “But…if you did want to know, I could show you.”

“Show me?”

“Yes…in your Pensieve. I could show you my memory…if you wanted.”

Harry smiled. “I want.”

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That night, for the first time in no one was quite sure how long, Bill awoke to the gentle movement of his wife finally abandoning the spare room and joining him in the marital bed once more.

And, as Solarin was letting herself sink into the warm embrace of her husband, Harry slipped Miri into her crib and settled the blankets made out of self heating wool over her. They had been a gift from Anne, and Remus had revealed that she was the one to have made the blanket that lay on his and Sirius’ bed in the winter.

He watched her sleep for a few minutes before making his way to his own room, where Severus was waiting, tiny bottle in hand. Harry’s Pensieve was sitting on their bed, waiting for them.

“Are you sure you want to see?” Severus asked, his voice gentle but clear. It was clear to Harry that Severus would rather leave his past hidden. And Harry had known that Severus had a past when he made the choice to enter into a relationship with him. But Harry reasoned that he really should know everything. Severus knew everything about him.

“Yes, I want to see. Do you still want to show it to me?”

“Yes. I have no problems with you seeing it, love. You have a right to know.” Severus paused, peering down at the tiny bottle in his hand, so similar to the one he had given Harry for his birthday. “You need to know that this one is different from the other memories you have stepped into. To obtain this, I had to ask Solarin to contribute her own memory to it. Some parts of that night I have no memory of, so to make this complete I had to ask for her share.”

“How does it make it different?”

“It is different because you can go anywhere. You can decide to go and see Solarin’s memory if my own becomes too much for you. You may follow either of us.”

Severus waited patiently while Harry stared at the glass phial in his hand. After a while, Harry reached for it and pulled the cork out, pouring it into the Pensieve. It swirled, not quite liquid but not a gas either. Harry hesitated before he leant forwards.

“You are coming with me…aren’t you?”

“Of course, love,” Severus said. “After you.”

Harry took a deep breath before leaning forwards and plunging his face into the bowl.

He found himself standing at the gates of a huge manor house, one he recognised all too well. It was obviously late at night, the faintest slither of the moon was bright overhead and the sky was scattered with stars.

“Is that…” Harry began as Severus’ warmth settled against his back.

“Malfoy Manor,” Severus confirmed. “You’ll get to see what Lucius was like when I was younger. I wasn’t much older than you here, about eighteen.”

Severus fell silent as his younger self appeared in front of them, holding a tiny Solarin. It amazed Severus how small she had been, how young. How young he had been.

Younger Severus put Solarin on her tiny feet and smoothed her green dress, his fingertips sorting through her dark hair. In her arms was a pink stuffed rabbit in its own green dress.

“Now, you remember the rules?” Severus asked her as he refastened one of the buckles on her little black boots.

“Be good, and no peeking,” she recited, looking up at the house. She hugged her bunny. “Don’t like it. Want to go home.”

Severus sighed. “Solarin, sweetheart, listen to me. You are very special, and some people would very much like to use you to do things, things which you would not want. Things that will hurt people. You don’t want to hurt anyone, do you?”

She shook her head.

“Then we must do this. The Dark Lord can offer a lot of protection, protection that we need. I know you want to go home, I do too. But we have to do this.”

The tiny girl sighed and chewed her lower lip before she nodded and let Severus pick her up again as Lucius himself approached the gates.

“You made good time,” he said smoothly.

“I told Albus that Solarin was unwell,” Severus said, following the blond towards the house. The gates clanged ominously behind them.

Harry took hold of his own Severus and tugged him with him as he moved forwards.

Solarin tugged on Severus’ hair to get his attention and then pointed at one of the peacocks on the lawn.

“Pretty,” she said.

“As ever, Lucius, you have no taste. Peacocks on the front lawn?” Severus said with a raised eyebrow.

“Narcissa. She delights in spending my heritage. I swear, that woman never wears the same outfit twice, she has spent that much on clothes.”

“Which is the way you like it, of course.”

Lucius smirked. “Of course.”

Severus stopped just outside the intricately carved double door, reaching out and grabbing Lucius’ arm to stop him.

“Lucius…I just wanted to say…thank you for doing this for me. I do appreciate it,” Severus said.

Lucius smiled, a seemingly genuine smile. “Now, Severus. We are old friends. It is nothing for one to help the other. Now…you do understand that the little one may not go in with you? The Dark Lord will see only you.”

“I understand. Who…who will she be with?”

“Canis has offered to keep an eye on things. Bellatrix and Fenrir will be in the room with her, but Canis will keep order. They will all be on their best behaviour.”

“It’s not Bellatrix or Fenrir misbehaving I worry about,” Severus muttered as he set Solarin down on her feet in the main entrance hall. She locked her dark eyes with his own identical ones as he looked down at her. “Now, Sol, you remember about this bit, don’t you? You know I have to leave you for a little while?”

She nodded.

“Now, Lucius is going to take you to a man called Canis, and you’re going to stay with him and his friends while I have my meeting. So, you promise to be a very good girl for me? You’ll try not to ‘do’ anything?”

“I ‘member, Sevus. Be good, no tricks and no peeking,” she recited, clutching her bunny.

Severus sighed heavily and pushed her towards Lucius. It was as the blond picked her up and moved to one of the dark wood doors that the memory froze. Harry looked around in confusion.

“There is nothing wrong with it, love,” Severus assured, his long arms wrapping around Harry. “It’s not broken. It’s just waiting for you to choose. Which way do you want to go? With younger me? Or with younger Solarin?”

Harry peered between the two Snape siblings, trying to decide.

“Then again, you can follow Lucius.”

Harry craned his head, looking at his husband in puzzlement.

“It’s an odd thing with shared memories being viewed like this. Because Lucius is a pivotal individual in both mine and Sol’s memories of this night, he appears as a figure you can follow.”

“I don’t know which one I want to follow,” Harry admitted.

“Would you like me to tell you which one I would recommend following?” Harry nodded. “I would follow Lucius. If I remember correctly, he saw pretty much everything.” Harry nodded again and Severus steered him to follow the blond. The memory began again around them.

“You have a very pretty name,” Lucius said to the tiny girl in his arms.

“I do?”

“Oh, yes. Very pretty. It’s a magical name. Do you know what it means?”

“No. Do you?”

“Yes, I do. Would you like to know?” She nodded as Lucius grabbed her bunny, stopping it from falling. “It’s Elvish. It means ‘One who is made of light that is pure’.” He paused. “Does bunny have a name?”

“Parsnip.”

“Ah. What a very excellent name for a bunny. Solarin, what did you mean, when you told Severus you remember? When he told you to be good?”

Harry marvelled at Lucius’ skill in the conversation.

“He meant my special tricks. I do things.”

“What kind of things?”

“Sevus says it’s magic. I make balls of light and make things float and change colours of things and other things. And I can peek.”

“Peek?”

“Inside. I can see what people are thinking. But Sevus told me not to do it here. He said I wouldn’t like what I saw.”

Lucius smiled at her and Harry could have sworn he could actually see the cogs in his head turning. It made him shudder, causing his Severus to lean in and kiss his temple.

They had reached an ajar door and Lucius pushed it open, setting Solarin down and taking her hand. Inside the room were Bellatrix and Fenrir, seated on a sofa playing cards, and others that Harry didn’t recognise.

Severus leaned in and whispered their names in Harry’s ear. “Those two by the bookshelves are the Lestrange brothers, that is Rabastan on the right and Rodolphus on the left. Rodolphus was Bella’s husband. The one by the fireplace is Claws, a disciple of Fenrir’s. He died some months after this, he displeased the Dark Lord in some way. I never knew what he actually did. The two at the table are Canis and Regulus, Sirius’ father and brother. The pale one by the window is Belladonna, Sirius’ mother. And the tanned young woman is Morganna Evernight. She was supposed to be Sirius’ wife, an arranged marriage. As you know, Sirius did not go through with it.”

Lucius led Solarin into the room and looked pointedly at Canis before leaving Solarin alone. The tiny witch made her way over to Bellatrix and let the woman pull her onto her lap.

Harry followed Lucius out of the room, moving along the corridors until they reached an anteroom, where the younger Severus was waiting nervously in a Death Eater robe, Dobby the House Elf putting the finishing touches to the ensemble.

“Are you ready?” Lucius asked.

“Yes,” the dark haired wizard replied, his voice surer than he looked.

The blond dismissed the elf and motioned to a door opposite the one he had entered through. “After you,” he said.

Harry understood it to be some kind of test. If Severus was afraid, if he didn’t go through the door, he would be allowed to leave. And Lucius would not stop him. But Severus did not hesitate. He walked forwards and confidently opened the door, stepping through it and leaving it open for Lucius.

There he was, seated at the head of a huge table. Voldemort. It surprised Harry how human he looked in this memory. Had he changed so much? True, he was still paler than anyone alive, and his eyes were blood red, but he had actually had a nose, and dark hair.

“He didn’t truly become demonic looking until later, until the Dark magic’s he invoked took their toll on him,” Severus whispered in his ear, sliding his arms around his waist to pull him into his hold. Harry suspected that it was more for Severus than himself.

“Ah, young Mr Snape. Welcome,” Voldemort said, a brief smile crossing his too pale lips. “Please, come in. We mustn’t linger in doorways, must we?”

“Of course not, my Lord,” Severus said, moving into the room fully, his eyes locked on the figure watching him. “It is an honour to be asked here tonight.”

“No, the honour is mine. From what Lucius has told me, you are quite the wizard.” He smiled and motioned to the table he was seated at. “Sit down, Severus.”

The young wizard took a seat; Harry saw his hand shake as he pulled out a chair for himself. His own Severus’ arms were shaking slightly and he laced their fingers.

“Now, Lucius tells me you would like to join my little family, that you have something to offer,” Voldemort said, holding up a goblet for Lucius himself to fill with wine. The blond then took the goblet from the pale hand and took a sip; he was obviously the test for poison. Harry shuddered at his own memories of a similar taste test and gripped the fingers he held tighter.

Severus waited until he had been given his own goblet and taken a sip to ease his dry throat before he answered.

“Yes, my Lord.”

“But I sense there may be something you wish from me, something only I can give. Only if I give this desired wish to you will I get what you have to offer. Am I correct, Severus?” Voldemort said with a small, knowing smile.

Harry’s blood boiled at the way Voldemort said his husbands name. He gripped the hands in his even more tightly, causing his own, older Severus to lean in and kiss his neck.

“You are correct. Truly you are an intelligent man, my Lord.”

“So, what is it you wish me to give you?”

“Protection for my sister.”

Voldemort tilted his head to one side, contemplating the younger Slytherin. “Is she a witch?”

“Yes.”

“And, yet, you feel she needs my protection?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Severus paused, selecting his words carefully. “She is very young. I fear for her, that someone may try to use her.”

Harry already knew of this part, the negotiation of Solarin’s safety, so he tuned out, glancing around the room. If there had been a bed instead of a huge table, it could have been the room Harry was held prisoner in. It was dark and creepy, and sparse, very little ornamentation. There were no spying portraits, and Lucius was the only one in the room.

“No guards?” Harry questioned aloud.

“No. The Dark Lord saw no need when he was amongst his followers. He trusted that they were too afraid to harm him themselves, and too loyal to allow anyone else to harm him,” Severus murmured in his ear.

“I grow tired of your word games, Snape!” Voldemort yelled, rising to his feet, drawing Harry’s attention back to the memory.

Younger Severus got to his feet also, rounding the table to lean into the man.

“You wish to hear my wishes in plain English? Very well,” he said softly. “Solarin is an augur. She is very special. I swear not to let anyone on the ‘Light’ side use her, if you promise me no one on your side will use her either. She will be immune, completely neutral, until she comes of age and is old enough to make her own choices.”

“And, in return for the child’s safety? What will you give me to ensure her neutrality? Why should I give you this?”

“In return, I will give you me.”

“You?”

“Yes, me. In any capacity you wish. Potions Master, healer, spy…anything.”

“Anything?” Voldemort mused to himself. “Absolutely anything?”

“Anything you want. If you wish for…me to…be a release of sorts, so to speak, you will get it. But Solarin MUST remain untouched by you and all of your followers. If so much as a hair on her head is put out of place by anyone on your side of the war, I will withdraw everything and hand her over to Dumbledore and the Order.”

The Dark Lord peered at Severus for a while, thinking over his offer. “Lucius, leave us.” The blond left and Harry could almost see the waves of fear radiating off of the younger Severus. “I assume you are traditionally dressed?”

“Yes. The traditional robe…bare underneath.”

“Disrobe,” he commanded. He saw the younger man begin to protest. “I wish to see the merchandise before I buy, so to speak. Disrobe.”

Severus reached up with clammy fingers to unbutton his robe, letting his arms fall and shrugging out of it, the black silk falling to pool on the floor. He held perfectly still as Voldemort came closer, reaching out to run a fingertip over the pale skin of his abdomen. He circled Severus, looking him over, touching pieces of skin here and there. He paused when they were face to face, his pale spider-like hand sliding down to clutch a buttock. His other hand reached down the front, cupping Severus.

“Does my touch bother you?” he asked and Severus shook his head, obviously not trusting himself to speak. “You’re a very good liar, Severus. Many would not be so convincing with their eyes. I know my hands are cold.” He began to stroke Severus, his lips twitching as Severus began to grow into his hand at the stimulation. “Tell me, Severus, have you ever been with another man?”

“Y-yes.”

“Who?”

Severus gasped as Voldemort tightened his grip, his fingers sliding between his cheeks to force their way into him when Severus wasn’t fast enough with his answers. His hips thrust forwards involuntarily at the intrusion.

“Lucius, my Lord. It was Lucius,” he ground out.

Voldemort removed his hands and motioned for Severus to dress once more. He regained his seat and waited for Severus to sit in the seat next to him before he spoke again.

“Here are my conditions,” he said, reaching out to stroke Severus’ hair. “You will be my personal Potions Master, my healer, to the best of your abilities, spy, if the occasion should call for it, and my consort, to put it politely. To be crude, you will be mine, Severus, for my eyes and my pleasure alone. I do mean it when I say you will spread your legs for no one but me, and you will spread for me whenever I desire it. You will take what I give you and keep that pretty mouth shut.”

“And, in return?”

“Solarin will be immune until she comes of age. No one from my side of the war, myself included, will touch her. She will be neutral, for you to raise how you see fit.”

Severus began to nod but stopped when Voldemort continued.

“Of course, I will need to meet the little one, see what it is you enslave yourself for.”

“No! I mean…she is too young. She will not understand you, my Lord. She can be very stubborn.”

“I am not asking, Severus. Lucius?” The blond poked his head around the door. “Bring the little Snape to me. Immediately.”

Harry took his Severus by the hand and pulled him after Lucius. “How do I stop it…take a break?” he questioned. Severus pulled him out of the room to the main door and the memory paused around them

“Are you all right?” Severus whispered. “You don’t have to watch this if you cannot take anymore. I won’t be upset if you choose not to watch.”

Harry pulled him in and latched his lips to his, kissing his older husband with as much passion as he could, putting everything he had into the kiss. Severus could do nothing but let Harry take control, let him do what he wanted. It was rare that Harry took such control over anything in their relationship. He was usually the one who sat back and let Severus lead, content to someone else handle all the responsibility. But now…well, Severus had no choice but to surrender to the will of his husband.

Eventually, Harry calmed somewhat, the kiss becoming less wild and frantic. He pulled back, nipping at Severus’ kiss-swollen lower lip, stealing little tender kisses.

“I’m sorry to jump you, but I just had to do that,” Harry said when he finally came up for air.

Severus chuckled dazedly. “Don’t apologise. I have no idea what caused that but I enjoyed it immensely. Feel free to jump me any time you like.”

“I didn’t like seeing him touch you.”

“Is that what caused this? Him touching me?”

“You are mine, my Severus. I just couldn’t help it. I saw him touch you and it was like my insides were on fire.”

Severus swooped in and stole a swift kiss. “I understand, love.”

“Does he touch you again? Because I don’t want to see it.”

“Then I think it would be best if we followed Sol from now on, saw her side of the memories.”

“What did he do to you after he saw Solarin?”

Severus took a deep breath. “He made sure I knew what he wanted from me,” he said delicately.

“I don’t want to see anymore after he meets Sol,” Harry said firmly. “I don’t want to even think about him touching you.”

Severus nodded, motioning for Harry to follow Lucius back down the same hallway. As they approached the door, they could hear shouting. Lucius opened the door to reveal Canis standing between Solarin and Bellatrix, apparently trying to protect one from the other.

“What, in the name of Merlin, is going on in here?” he questioned, his tone low and dangerous, and Solarin took a running leap at him, bounding into his arms and scowling at Bellatrix while cuddling Parsnip the Bunny. Harry found the mini-Snape scowl adorable. It hadn’t been that adorable from Severus in Potions class.

“She pulled my hair,” Solarin complained.

“The little brat hexed me across the room!” Bellatrix snarled.

Lucius sighed, looking between the two witches, the younger obviously the more powerful of the two, and then looked to Canis for an explanation.

“Bella got the idea that the little one needed her hair played with. Solarin tried to tell Bella to leave her alone, which was ignored, so she just…sort of…well, it was really a hex across the room, but Bella had fair warning,” Canis said.

“So, Bellatrix started it and Solarin finished it. Why am I not surprised,” Lucius said without question. He passed Solarin to Canis and grabbed Bellatrix by the arm, yanking her out into the hall.

“It wasn’t my fault!” she protested.

“I don’t care!” he snarled. “I do not give Merlin’s right bollock who started it or who is to blame! If you fuck this up, we will lose Severus for our cause. And it will be all of our necks on the line. He wants Severus, he wants Severus willing! I told you not to upset the little one, I told you how important this was, and yet you still annoy her!”

“So I’m not even allowed to retaliate?”

“Not until the child comes of age, and then you can do whatever you want to her. But not a moment before.”

Bellatrix huffed for a moment before nodding, regaining her seat and watching as Lucius took the tiny girl with him as he left.

“That’s why Bellatrix wants Sol as a plaything, isn’t it?” Harry questioned.

“Yes. Bella never was one to let things go. She sees this event as something Solarin still needs to be punished for. In her mind, she did nothing wrong,” Severus explained as they followed the blond and brunette.

“That sounds really petty.”

“It is, but that’s Bellatrix for you. Thank heavens she never reproduced.”

They followed Lucius back into the room with Voldemort and fell silent as they watched once more.

Solarin reached for Severus, the older Snape taking her from Lucius and letting her cuddle close.

“Don’t like,” she mumbled, snuggling into his neck.

“I know, sweetheart, I know,” Severus murmured. “We’ll go home soon, I promise, just a little longer.”

“Don’t like Twix,” she said.

Severus turned a questioning eye on Lucius. “Why doesn’t she like Bellatrix?”

“Slight misunderstanding. No one got hurt…well, maybe Bella ended up with a few bruises. She’s quite the little witch, isn’t she?” Lucius said.

Severus nodded and looked up at Voldemort. “My Lord, this is Solarin.”

Voldemort held out his hands and waited as Severus weighed up the options, before the younger man whispered in Solarin’s ear not to peak and handing her over. The Dark Lord sat her upon the table facing him, Severus in clear view of the child, and smiled at her.

“Hello,” he said. “My name is Lord Voldemort.”

“That’s a big name. Do you have a little one?” she asked after trying to say it for a few moments and failing.

“You can call me Sal.”

“Sal…” She tilted her head to the side and contemplated the substitute she had been offered. “I like it. Are you Lucas’ friend?” she questioned, completely mangling the aristocrats name.

“Yes, Lucius and I are very good friends. I hope you and Severus will be my friends also,” he said, seemingly amused by her. “That is a very pretty dress you’re wearing.”

“Sevus said you like green.”

“Yes, I do. Green is my favourite. What’s yours?”

“I like blue.”

“Severus is a very nice man. I like him very much.”

“Me too. I love Sevus. He takes care of me.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Yup. Mummy went to heaven with the angels and daddy went to grown up time out ‘cause he hurt mummy.”

“That’s not very nice.”

“Daddy didn’t like magic. Sevus says it was ‘cause he couldn’t do it.”

“Severus sounds like a very clever man. You know, your Severus has told me about you. He’s told me that you’re a very special little girl, that you can do special things.”

She nodded, her eyes focused on a bow on Parsnip’s dress that had come undone. She held it out to Voldemort, her child’s innocence fully expecting him to fix it. He looked to Severus, apparently unknowing of what he was supposed to do. Severus came forwards and fastened the bow, smiling down at Solarin.

“Solarin, can you show me some of your tricks, some of the special things you do?” Voldemort questioned and Solarin shook her head.

“Sevus said not to.”

“Solarin, I would very much like to see how special you are,” he pressed, and Harry could almost see her boil in anger at being argued with.

Severus stepped in, scooping her up and settling her on his hip as he walked around the room with her, smoothing her ruffled feathers.

“But you told me!” she argued.

“I know, sweetheart, I know what I told you. But now I’m telling you something else. I need you to do this for me. Please?”

She went silent, leaning her head on his shoulder and reaching up to twiddle her little fingers in his hair, the other arm firmly fastened around her toy.

“They have magic?”

“Yes, everyone here has magic, no one will get angry at you. Everyone here can do special things, they all like magic. I’m sure Lucius would play your games with you, if you asked him to.”

“But no peaking?”

“No, no peaking, that’s right.”

She sighed and snuggled a little closer before she nodded and Severus set her on her own feet. She passed her bunny to Severus and made her way over to Lucius, who knelt down to be closer to her level. Voldemort watched with rapt fascination as she asked the blond if he liked playing catch.

She walked a little way away from the kneeling man and conjured a bright green ball of light the size of a basket ball. She threw it to Lucius, who caught it and stared in wonder at it.

“You can’t keep it,” she said. “It goes away.”

“She means it doesn’t last, the magic in it dissipates. In a few hours it will vanish,” Severus said.

“It’s amazing,” Lucius breathed. He tore his eyes away from it to look at Solarin. “What else can you do?”

She looked up at Severus before she grinned and turned Lucius’ luxuriant blond hair a fetching shade of pastel pink. Severus cringed.

“Can you change it back, little one?” Voldemort asked.

“No. But it looks pretty this way. Do you like Hide and Seek?” He nodded and she grinned.

With a sound akin to a gum bubble popping, she vanished, only to reappear behind Severus, peeking around his knees to grin at the other two men. Something flashed in Voldemort’s eyes but it was Lucius who spoke.

“How did she do that?” he demanded of Severus. “There are wards all over my property. No Apperation. How did she do it?”

“Solarin confuses the most sophisticated of wards. There is no spell that can guarantee against her abilities,” Severus said firmly. “There is nothing wrong with the wards, it is just the way she is.”

“Gentlemen,” Voldemort interrupted. “I think I have seen more than I need to. Lucius, you will take the little one back to Canis. Severus, you will remain with me.”

Severus picked Solarin up and handed her to Lucius. Harry made to follow the blond but his own Severus held him in place.

“You should hear what he said to me, love,” Severus said. “I promise, you won’t have to watch him touch me again, but you should see this next bit.”

“Why?” Harry questioned.

“Because it may help you to understand just how afraid of Solarin he was, why he gave her immunity.”

Harry hesitated but eventually nodded, watching as Voldemort surveyed the younger Severus through guarded eyes.

“Well, well, Severus, she is an impressive little witch isn’t she?” he murmured, more to himself than to Severus. “She could be very dangerous in the wrong hands.”

“You see my predicament, my Lord.” He waved a long pale hand for Severus to continue. “I want her to be a little girl before being a weapon. I want her to be a child before anything else. She needs that, space and time to find her own way, to discover who she is and how she wants to live, how she thinks her abilities should be used. They are hers, after all, and I feel she should at least be given the time to figure them out before she has to rely on them. I want her to know WHO she is, before someone tries to mould her into who they think she should be. I know you can give her that, you can give her those freedoms, while still allowing her to be protected in the way she needs to be.”

Voldemort was silent for a long time before he replied. “You can swear to me that Dumbledore will not attempt to influence her?”

“He fears her as much as you, though he claims otherwise. I can see it…the way he looks at her. Everyone fears her. It is easier for them, I think, to pretend her extra abilities do not exist, to pretend she is nothing more than a simple child. No one has any recollection of an augur like her.”

“Indeed. Usually augur’s are born to Pureblood families, parents that understand the start in life a child such as she requires. Families that understand magic and the problems that can come with it. But Solarin…she is volatile, Severus, startlingly so. I fear she will only become more uncontrolled as she grows. Why did you not remove her from the grips of that filthy Mudblood before? Why did you allow this to continue?”

“I had no choice. My mother would not leave him,” Severus replied.

Severus leaned into Harry and guided him to the door. “It is time to leave this room, love. You don’t want to see what comes next.”

Severus led him through the hallways, following the path Lucius must have taken, until they were back in the sitting room. They watched as Solarin sat on Canis’ lap, chattering away to him as she drew picture after picture, stopping every now and then to slurp on the bowl of ice cream Lucius had summoned for her. After a while, though to Harry it seemed like forever, Solarin grew bored of her artwork and turned to Lucius, playing ‘catch’ with him once more.

And then the scene was something terrifying. Solarin screamed, her magic exploding and throwing all the inhabitants of the room to the edges of it. She lay in the centre of the room, on the plush carpet, cradling her left arm to her body and sobbing for all she was worth. Sirius’ mother (Belladonna, Harry remembered) was the first to regain herself, cradling the child close. But Solarin began to scream in anger at being held by the woman.

Canis was the first to understand. He made his way over to his wife and scooped the child out of her arms, holding her close and leaning in to speak directly into her ear.

“I know you want Severus, but he cannot come right now. You’ll have to make do with one of us until he comes,” he said, softly but with no room for argument.

She glared up at him for a moment before nodding and curling into his chest, sobbing in pain. He murmured soothing nonsense as he settled himself in one of the armchairs. He didn’t try to get Solarin to show him her arm, he just held her and waited.

Soon enough, there was a gentle tap at the door and Lucius opened it to reveal a pale, shaky looking Severus. Lucius raised an eyebrow and Severus nodded. Harry couldn’t help but notice that his robes were buttoned up wrong, and there was blood trickling down his ankle to pool on the floor beneath his boot, which was only loosely laced.

“We know,” the blond said, motioning to the little Snape.

Severus seemed to banish his own pain as he strode across the room, plucking her up and holding her close. She clung to him, curling her tiny fingers in his hair and sobbing about the pain. He eventually managed to calm her somewhat and carefully eased her arm away from her body, rolling up her sleeve to look at the angry red skin. And, right in the middle of her tiny forearm, there was Dark Mark, identical to Severus’ own.

“How?” Regulus questioned.

“It’s an echo of mine,” Severus said. “I’m her only carer, there’s a connection.” He looked to the blond. “Lucius, we should go. I need to dress her arm and try and get her to bed.”

“Of course.”

Severus bid farewell to the other inhabitants of the room before following Lucius out, through the hallways, to the front door.

“Good evening, Severus,” Voldemort said as Lucius opened the door.

The pale man came forwards and…Harry saw nothing more, as his Severus put his hands over his eyes, preventing him from seeing. Only when Severus had made it through the front door did the older version remove his hands.

“Did he-” Lucius began.

“Do not mention that in front of my sister,” Severus interrupted. “I don’t want her to know.”

Lucius chuckled. “After that farewell? She could hardly have missed it, Severus.”

Severus rounded on the man, his eyes full of fire and…what was that? It took a moment for Harry to realise that he was seeing shame.

“She is four years old!” the dark man hissed. “Do NOT mention anything he does to me in front of her, or I WILL make you suffer for it, I swear it.”

Lucius nodded silently.

“All she needs to know is that I do this, I protect her like this, because I love her…more than my own life.”

“Of that, I have no doubt,” Lucius murmured.

Harry closed his eyes as the memory swirled around him, making him a little nauseous. He opened them to find he was in the tiny cottage from the last memory Severus had shown him.

Severus wearily made his way to the door, leaving Solarin curled up on the sofa cradling her sore arm. Potions had done nothing to ease her pain and now she just sat there, staring out at the room in silence. He suspected she was just ignoring him on purpose now.

Harry noticed that the younger version of his husband had damp hair and scrubbed red raw skin, and he was dressed in a faded looking pair of pyjamas.

“Albus! What…I mean, why…it’s unexpected to see you so late,” Severus spluttered.

“I felt the need for a visit. You left dinner so suddenly. I worried that perhaps something had happened with young Solarin, that perhaps her illness was something serious,” Albus said. “May I come in?”

Severus grimaced. “Now really is not the best time.”

“I really must insist.”

Severus knew that he would never beat Albus in a battle. There was no point in trying to keep him out if he really wanted to come in. So he sighed, hanging his head as he stepped back. He held his breath as Albus caught sight of Solarin’s arm, of the bandage on his own making a bulge under his sleeve.

“Sweet Merlin,” Albus gasped. “Severus…what have you done?”

And then Harry was in his own room, sitting on his bed, watching Severus pull the memory back into its bottle. He corked it and placed it and the Pensieve on the chest of drawers. The older wizard hesitated, looking at his husband.

“I can go and sleep in one of the spare rooms…if you don’t want me touching you right now,” he murmured and Harry snorted.

Before Severus knew what had happened, Harry had him shirtless and pinned to the bed, kissing him senseless as his delicate fingers slid across his chest, teasing nipples.

“If you think, for a single moment, that I ever want you to sleep somewhere other than right here, with me, in our bed, then you’ve lost your mind,” Harry said. “Percy was wrong. He doesn’t know you at all. You do what you have to, to protect the ones you love. What you did to protect Sol, what you put yourself through to keep her safe…I can’t even find words for how amazing I think you are. And I love you, no matter what.”

Severus let out a sigh of relief and made to speak but Harry’s hand shot out and covered his mouth.

“I’m not done. This bit I’m only ever going to say once, and woe betide you if you dare to forget it.” He paused for effect. “If I ever find out you let anyone but me touch you the way I do, I will hex your balls off. I know you have a past, I understand and accept that, I can’t change it. What happened then was then. But if I find out you let anyone but me touch you that way now, you will be in immense amounts of pain. Am I clear?”

“Crystal,” Severus said.

“Good. Now…show me how much you love me, Mr Snape.”

Severus grinned and leaned up to kiss him, wandlessly and wordlessly vanishing all of their clothes, leaving them naked and needy, flipping them so he was on top.

Harry moaned as Severus kissed his way down his body, tasting and nipping at responsive flesh until he reached Harry’s toes, at which he paused to lick and suck. He made his way up the inside of Harry’s leg, taking his time on the delicate flesh on the inside of his thighs. Harry reached down, tangling his fingers in Severus’ hair as he began to lap at his balls. He shifted restlessly. He was too close for Severus to play with him like this.

“Severus, stop,” Harry said, causing the older man’s head to shoot up. He immediately crawled up to lay beside Harry, pulling him into his arms.

“What is it? Harry, are you all right?” he questioned, his eyes searching the bright green ones for any sign of panic.

Harry smiled and leaned in, kissing him deep, his fingers stealing into Severus’ hair as his thigh came up to rest on his hip. Severus surrendered to it, letting his body take over, his mind going completely blank for the first time in his life. Everything that had ever happened, all the things he had ever called someone or been called, all the violence and pain, it all just drifted away. All he was aware of were soft hands on his skin, warm skin under his own, the pounding of his heart and the burn of oncoming release.

Some dim part of his mind told him he was being too rough with Harry, that he had never truly taken control of him this way, but he just couldn’t stop. The incredible sensation of Harry surrounding him, that tight welcoming heat enveloping his straining member, it was just too much. He felt every cell in his body strain forwards, his entire consciousness condensing down to the rush and burn of his ejaculation into Harry’s climaxing body.

Severus regained himself to find that he was sprawled across Harry, his ear pressed against Harry’s beating heart, the younger man stroking his hair and laying kisses on the top of his head, his graceful fingers trailing over his sweaty back.

His head shot up and he tried to roll off his lover, only to be met with a groan of protest and a tightening of the arms and legs wrapped around him.

“Don’t even think about it,” Harry said, his voice a little hoarse. “Don’t you dare move. Stay right where you are.”

Severus coughed to clear his throat. “Am I not crushing you?”

“No. I like it.”

Severus was silent for a while, contemplating whether or not he really wanted to ask his next question. ‘Come on, you idiot, what are you? Man or mouse?!’ He took a deep breath and looked up into Harry’s eyes.

“Did I hurt you?” he whispered.

Harry burst into peals of laughter. “No! Why? Did you zone out?”

Severus felt himself blush.

“Severus, you didn’t hurt me. I’m not made of glass, you know, I won’t break if you’re a little rougher than usual. In fact, I enjoyed it. Okay, so it was different than our usual, but different isn’t always bad.”

“You really enjoyed it?” Severus asked, leaning down to kiss a lovebite on Harry’s throat, noticing a trail of them all down his chest and along his shoulders, one even lingering just underneath his ear.

“Mmmmhmmmm,” Harry hummed, sliding his hand down to caress Severus’ firm arse. “It was very…I don’t know…help me, I can’t think of the word.”

“Wild? Unrestrained? Surprising?”

“All of the above,” Harry said with a wide smile, a slight blush staining his pale cheeks. He leaned in to capture Severus’ lips once more, his pelvis tilting towards Severus.

“Oh, again?” Severus hummed, stroking one of Harry’s smooth thighs as he felt himself harden once more.

“I just can’t get enough of my gorgeous Slytherin husband.”

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

Albus Dumbledore was rarely surprised. It took quite a lot to really shock him. And, even he would admit, it was usually Harry Potter and his mishmash of ‘family’ that were the ones to get him.

So, when the formerly ‘dead’ Lord Canis Black turned up at Hogwarts’ front gate one Wednesday morning just after breakfast, Albus was practically shocked out of his skin.

“Canis,” Albus said as he watched Minerva show the man into his office. “How…unexpected to see you.”

“Yes, well, I hadn’t exactly planned on it,” Canis said as he took the offered seat and accepted a cup of tea. “But I received a letter from my son.”

“Ah, yes. I did hear something about that. So…what is your plan of action?”

“I’m afraid I don’t quite follow you.”

“Is there a letter you wish me to pass along?”

“Well…I was actually hoping to see him,” Canis said, hope evident in his voice.

Albus sighed. “That could be difficult.”

“I know that Sirius and I…we don’t have the best past. But he is my son, and I would like the chance to talk to him…face to face.” He paused. “Please, Albus.”

The old wizard peered at the man. The years had taken their toll on him. He was no longer as striking as he once had been. He remembered Canis as being arrogant and dismissive, caring nothing for the feelings and opinions of others. But now he was smaller, more humble. And Albus reckoned he could see real remorse in his blue eyes.

“I will talk to him,” Albus said eventually. “But you must understand, there may be the real chance that he is not ready to see you. And there is the highly likely chance that Remus may object, refuse to let you near his mate.”

“He’s still with Remus?” Canis asked.

“Yes, they are still together. Surely even you know that true werewolf mates mate for life?”

“Yes, I know. I was just wondering if he was happy with Remus, if they’re still that much in love.”

Albus allowed himself a small indulgent smile. “Their love knows no limits. And yes, he is happy with Remus. He is happy most days. Not all day every day, but most of the time he is happy. It is very satisfying to see him so content with his lot.” He paused. “Wait here. I will go and talk to him, feel out the situation. I do not guarantee anything. But I will try for you.”

“Thank you, Albus,” Canis said but the headmaster held up his hand as he moved to the fireplace.

“Do not thank me, Canis. I have done nothing.”

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

Canis entered the small French restaurant ten minutes earlier than he was expected. It was his entire aim to show that he could do this, he could be what his son needed him to be.

“Bonjour,” said the host, a refined looking man of about fifty. “Do you ‘ave a reservation?”

“Ah, yes. I don’t know what name it was put under.”

“Who made it?”

“Albus Dumbledore.”

“Ah, but of course. You are not Monsieur Sirius, so you must be Monsieur Canis.” He motioned to one of the impeccably dressed attendants. “Henry will be your maître d‘, he will show you to your table. May I take your coat?”

Canis handed over his long black wool coat and followed the younger man to the table in the window. He accepted an ice water while he waited, and settled in, trying to work out what on earth he was going to say.

And, while Canis was sipping on his water, Sirius was nervously entering the bistro alone. He could practically feel Remus’ eyes boring into his back. His mate was watching from the window of Fred and George’s shop, just across from the restaurant. Remus had agreed to this, on the one condition that he got to watch the entire thing from across Diagon Alley.

“Ah, Monsieur Sirius!”

He smiled at the enthusiastic welcome by the host. He and Remus were regulars at this particular establishment. He had chosen this place for two reasons: because he knew that he would enjoy the food if not the conversation, and Remus could watch him. He handed over his leather jacket and let Henry the waiter lead him over to the specified table. He took a deep breath before looking at his father.

He looked older than Sirius had expected, but he supposed his father could say the same for him. His once black hair had prominent streaks of grey and there were deep wrinkles on his once smooth face. Time had not been kind.

“Father,” he said quietly, taking the offered hand and shaking it before taking his seat. He ordered a glass of red wine before beginning the conversation.

“You got my letter, then?”

“Yes, I got it. Quite the surprise, I’ll admit, but I was glad of it. Beautiful owl.”

“Yes, her name is Hedwig. She’s a good girl.”

There was silence as Henry arrived with the glass of wine and two menu’s, reeling off the days specials, before disappearing to let them decide.

“Very nice weather today,” Canis said, motioning to the clear blue of the sky. “I haven’t been to London for a while, I’d forgotten what the weather could be like.”

“Yes, one of the nicer London days. One of the first for ages.” He paused, taking a sip of his wine. “Where have you been?”

“New Zealand. I emigrated there just after you went to Azkaban.”

“And just gave up everything?”

Canis looked up into the questioning blue eyes. They had always been the same, even when Sirius had been a little boy. Always probing for answers, always wanting to know more. No wonder he had become a Gryffindor; Sirius had more courage than most.

“That’s a long story,” the older wizard said eventually.

“We have time.”

Canis allowed himself a slight smile. “Before I begin…how did you figure me out? That I wasn’t really dead?”

“The Ministry Hall Of Records. My…well, she’s sort of my daughter-in-law…kind of. Anyway, she was doing some research on Lucius and she came across the Black family records. They were all mixed up, because of Narcissa marrying him. She noticed that there was no date of death for you. Mind you, I don’t know how she has the patience to look up anything in that place, it’s just one gigantic pile of parchment.”

“I knew I should have snapped my wand,” Canis murmured. “Once a wand is snapped, the witch or wizard is no longer on the Records.”

Sirius nodded and they paused long enough to order before Sirius found his confidence again.

“So…why did you leave me everything?”

“Because I felt you could do better with it than I could.” He sighed. “Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I can look back and say that all the things I did wrong were things I should have done differently. But, at the time, I felt I was doing the right thing. Am I making any sense?” Sirius nodded so he continued. “I handled everything badly, Sirius. You in particular. I was caught between the father you needed me to be, and the father I was expected to be by everyone else.” He smiled a little. “You were always such an independent little thing. Always knew your own mind. Not like me. You were right. I was always following someone else, doing what someone else thought I should.”

“Father…”

“No, let me finish,” Canis said. “Sirius, I have always been proud of you. I may not have shown it, but I have always been prouder of you than I could ever say. You made your own way, stuck by your own choices. And I was proud of those choices. You made your own life, just the way you wanted. And…I suppose I was a little jealous.”

“Jealous?”

“Of what you had with Remus,” he admitted. “You must have known that I never loved your mother. I didn’t even like her most of the time!”

“I did have my suspicions,” Sirius said with a wry smile as their starters arrived.

“The truth of the matter is that I had another. I wasn’t as lucky as you. She didn’t love me back, so I went through with my arranged marriage. It was one of the biggest mistakes of my life.”

“So…you understood why I couldn’t marry Morganna?”

“Yes, I understood. I handled it badly, and for that I am very sorry. And…I’m sorry…for what I said.”

“Which bit?”

“The bit where I said things about Remus. I shouldn’t have. I didn’t know him. I took my knowledge of Fenrir Greyback and just assumed. I’m sorry, Sirius. I never should have said those things about Remus, and you had every right to hit me.”

Sirius didn’t know what to say, so he just nodded. He wondered how long his father had been practicing that speech.

They were silent for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. They had finished their starters and started their mains before either of them spoke again.

“Why did you decide to contact me?” Sirius said eventually. “Was it my letter?”

“It was,” Canis admitted. “It came as quite a shock. I had been thinking about contacting you. But there was a picture of you and Remus in The Prophet. You looked so happy, I feared I would ruin it.”

“I understand.”

Canis smiled as Sirius began to relax a little. “So…tell me of your life. Albus said you were happy.”

“I am. Remus and I are very happy.”

“I’m glad. I would like to know…if you want to tell me. Is it just the two of you or did you have children?”

“We have two children, a boy and a girl, both seventeen. And a granddaughter, she’s almost eight months. Then there is the extended family. It gets a little complicated after that. It’s all marriages, adoptions, in-laws, and ones who’ve become family simply by association, or osmosis.”

“Sounds complicated,” Canis chuckled.

“It is, but we manage to keep track. Just.”

They chatted for a while, Sirius getting more animated with every moment, describing how much he loved it when Nixie called him Daddy, or when Remus stroked his hair, or when Harry made fun of him over the breakfast table.

“And Remus…well, I can’t begin to tell you how much I love him,” Sirius said, taking a bite of his chocolate fudge cake.

“I am a little surprised,” Canis admitted between bites of his own profiteroles.

“By what? What I’m still with him, that you weren’t right?” Sirius accused, immediately defensive of his mate.

“No! No, I didn’t mean that,” Canis assured. “I meant…I was surprised he let this lunch happen. That is all I meant, Sirius, I swear it. I felt for sure that he wouldn’t let me anywhere near you…after all, he would have every right…after all I did.”

Sirius felt himself blush. “Oh. Sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped down your throat like that.”

“It’s all right, quite all right. I should have been clearer.”

Sirius smiled a little. “You’re right, though. It was a little touch and go as to whether Remus would actually let me leave the house.”

“I’m glad he did.”

“He’s…ummm…well, Remus is actually watching us,” Sirius admitted embarrassedly.

Canis smiled and choked down his laughter. “Where is he?”

“In the joke shop across the alley.”

“I see.” Canis took a deep breath and summoned whatever he had in place of courage. “I would like to meet him.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I never really did, and he is married to my son. I never gave him a fair chance and I should have. Maybe he and I should have at least one conversation.”

“Maybe. Not today though,” Sirius reasoned. “Let’s not rush him.”

“Good point.”

The two of them went on to order more drinks and more things to nibble on while they chatted, and eventually left the restaurant as the sun began to set, both of them feeling lighter than they had when they arrived.

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Severus was deep in the throes of planning the day trip to the zoo in Wales when the article appeared in the morning edition of The Daily Prophet.

As soon as Remus pointed it out to him, he knew Harry would take it badly. But, he also knew that he would be a fool if he thought he could hide it from his lover. He added the final ingredients needed to the potion he was working on and made his way from the room in search of his petite husband.

It had been a quiet few weeks, all things considered. They were just entering February. Harry had regained his temper, so long as he and Percy were never left alone in the same room; Nixie had finally managed to get a rudimentary grip on the things she needed to know for her Defence N.E.W.T. ; Solarin had begun to talk again and even, on one or two occasions, actually smile.

The letters from Lucius still continued, they were now more of an annoyance than a threat. He had made a few appearances, one of which was caught on camera, proving to the wizarding world that he was indeed campaigning for the office of Dark Lord, as he was killing a family of muggles, execution style.

Severus considered planning the trip to the zoo something akin to planning a military operation. It wasn’t just going to Diagon Alley for a few hours. This was planning transport; sorting out financing for the tickets to get in; listing who would and wouldn’t be coming; making sure Mad-Eye and Tonks (and possibly Kingsley or another Auror) were free on that particular day; supplies for at least one infant, possibly three, and one toddler, which included a change of clothes for each child involved; where and when they were going to eat on the day. The list was seemingly endless but Severus knew it would all be worth it in the end. He had scheduled the trip for the Easter break in April so most of the family could come if they so wished and, so far, he had almost everyone down to go.

Severus eventually found Harry in the library, sitting at the table working on a Transfiguration essay while Miri wriggled about on the floor with a squishy cloth book which she was sucking to death. Harry threw down his quill and rubbed his eyes when he realised Severus and Remus were watching him.

The Potions Master entered and placed a gentle kiss on Harry’s seeking lips.

“Mmmmm, that kiss makes the whole essay torture seem much nicer,” Harry said with a smile as Severus took a seat at the table with him.

“Indeed. Finished?” Harry nodded and Severus gifted him another kiss. “I’ll check it for spelling for you later. Harry, would it be all right if Remus took Miri for a little bit? We need to have a little chat.”

“I’m not going to like this chat, am I?”

“No, I’m fairly sure you won’t like it.”

“Then yes, Remus can take Miri for a while.” The teen smiled at his adoptive father as he picked up the baby. He gave Miri a kiss goodbye and waited until he heard Remus’ footsteps fading before he looked his husband straight in the eye. “Okay, just tell me. Is someone dead?”

“No.”

“Then tell me fast…you know, like ripping off a plaster? Like that.”

Severus pulled the paper from where he had it laying on his lap and opened it out. He didn’t have to point out the article, it was front page.

HARRY POTTER: BAD PARENTING?

BY RITA SKEETER

“I can’t believe the Prophet gave her her job back,” Harry muttered as he shoved it away without reading it and looked up at his husband. “So…what does she say about me this time?”

“Not going to read it?” Severus questioned as he folded the paper again.

“No. I got tired of reading the Prophet’s lies a long time ago. But I’m guessing you’ve read it, so I want you to give me a summary.”

Severus smiled and leaned in for a kiss before beginning to recount what the article had said.

“Well, apparently you do nothing for Miri, your parents and I do everything…you foist Miri off on everyone and anyone who will have her…you feed her junk day and night…you ignore her cries…the list is endless, love.”

“Did Skeeter get anything right?” Harry asked after a long pause.

“Your name?” Severus said uncertainly. “I think that’s all she got right. She doesn’t mention Miri by name, legally she can’t.”

Harry was silent for a long while and Severus let him be. It was something Harry should have been used to by now, being in the public eye, but Severus knew it still bothered him. Harry was an incredibly private person, and Severus couldn’t honestly say he blamed him. It was called a private life for a reason, and Harry had as much right to have one as the next wizard.

“Do you know Luna’s father?” Harry asked eventually.

“Xenophillius Lovegood? Yes, I do. Not well, but I am on relatively good terms with him. Nice man, if more than a little eccentric. Why do you ask?”

Harry seemed to be mulling over whatever was in his head. “I was wondering…what if I gave an interview?”

“An interview? Why on earth would you…oh! I see,” Severus said. “You want to give an interview to get your point across, to have your say.”

“Exactly. Mr Lovegood published my last interview, and he was honest and truthful then. He printed my words exactly as I wanted them, no lies to sell copies. Even if it was Rita doing the interview last time, it still got published the way I wanted it to. I was thinking…maybe he could come here and do an interview…and maybe a couple of pictures. Maybe then everyone will calm down about wanting to see ‘Harry Potter’s baby’,” Harry said calmly, using air quotes.

Severus held out his hand and pulled Harry onto his lap, capturing his lips in a scorching kiss which Harry happily reciprocated.

“Tell me, love…just how long have you had this idea in your head?”

Harry smiled. “Since before Miri was born. Around the time I decided to keep her.”

Severus felt his eyebrows shoot upwards.

“See, I knew everyone would want a piece of Miri. Everyone would want a picture or the inside scoop. So, it kind of occurred to me that, if I did an interview and I called the shots, then Miri would be kind of protected.”

“It’s a good idea…different, but in the good way,” Severus said. “I believe the Muggle Royals have a similar system. Prince’s William and Harry only give official interviews to one or two reporters. All the rest have to rely on second hand news.”

“So I could, theoretically, put Rita Skeeter out of business if I only gave interviews to one reporter, which would be Mr Lovegood at The Quibbler?”

Severus chuckled. “Theoretically, yes. People would grow tired of Rita if they knew you only gave interviews to one source, only allowed one magazine pictures of your baby-”

“Our baby,” Harry interrupted.

“Our baby, yes,” Severus agreed with a smile. “But I am not the one who has Rita Skeeter chomping at the bit. The Wizarding world only cares that Miri is ‘Harry Potter’s Baby’, not that she is mine.”

“I care.”

Severus couldn’t help it. He leaned in and captured Harry’s lips with his own, wrapping his arms around his torso and sliding a hand down to grope Harry’s backside. He showed Harry just how much it meant to him that Harry felt that way.

“Satisfied?” Harry giggled when Severus finally let him up for air.

“Immensely,” Severus said. “Where were we?”

“Interview.”

“Ah, yes. I could send Mr Lovegood a letter, asking if he would be willing.”

“And Colin Creevy.”

“Why him?”

“He likes taking pictures of me, and his pictures are pretty good. I think the pictures for the magazine will come out better if he takes them.”

“I’ll talk to Albus. Now, when were you thinking of doing this interview?”

“Before the zoo trip. Sometime soon, get it out of the way and calm down the heaving masses.”

“Next weekend?”

“Sounds good.” Harry chewed on his lower lip for a moment. “Do you think this is the right thing to do? Should I give an interview?”

“Harry, do you want to?”

“Kind of.”

“Then yes, I think that this is the right thing for you to do. Miri will end up in the spotlight no matter what we do, whether we like it or not. You are Miri’s carrier, it’s your decision on when she enters the spotlight. I think that if you do it, and you have full control over when and how Miri appears in the media glare, then Miri will grow used to it and have more success in dealing with the public opinion than you did.” Severus groaned. “That came out wrong, love. I meant that, had you been introduced to the cameras and reporters earlier, in a more controlled way, you may have found it easier to deal with the constant attention.”

“I suppose it would be stupid of me to think that I could keep Miri out of the spotlight, wouldn’t it?”

“A little foolish, love, I’ll agree with you on that one.”

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It took less than a day for Luna’s father to get in touch after receiving Severus’ letter, and the interview was set up for the following Saturday. Dumbledore agreed for Colin to attend, and Colin’s parents found it a great honour that a ‘celebrity’ wanted their son to take the first official photos of his daughter.

On the morning of the interview, Severus walked into the nursery to find Miri sitting in her crib, giggling hysterically as Harry tore through her wardrobe. He held up every piece of clothing, eyed it critically and then threw it over his shoulder.

“Lost something?” Severus asked, sliding up behind his spouse and resting his hands on his hips. He briefly noted that Harry was still in his pyjamas.

“Just getting Miri dressed,” Harry said as Severus ducked a flying pair of miniature tights.

“I see. But, the thing is, love, you don’t usually tear her room apart whilst getting her dressed. Is something bothering you?”

“No. I just can’t decide.”

Severus smiled and leaned in to kiss Harry’s neck before turning him to kiss his mouth. He kept on kissing, his tongue snaking inside and toying with Harry’s, his hands pulling his lover flush against him. He didn’t relent until Harry was kissing him back and had his fingers tangled in his hair. He pulled back and nipped at Harry’s swollen bottom lip.

“Do you want to talk to me now…or should I just keep kissing you until you do?” Severus murmured with a small smile.

Harry groaned. “I’m an idiot.”

“First off, no you’re not. Secondly, why do you think that?”

“I’m throwing my nine month old baby to the lions in the hope that it will make her life in the spotlight a little easier. What the hell was I thinking? This is a mistake, a huge mistake. Severus, I can’t do this.”

Severus pulled him in for a tight hug, smoothing his wayward hair and muttering soothing nonsense. “Harry, love, come on, come and talk to me,” Severus urged, leading Harry to the rocking chair. He sat Harry on the chair and sat himself on the footstool, their fingers entwined. “Now, I’m not doubting how you feel, but why do you feel it? Do you truly not want to do this? Or is this just nerves?”

“I don’t know,” Harry admitted.

“Harry, if you truly have changed your mind, if you really don’t want to do this, you truly believe that this is a bad idea, I can go downstairs right now and make it all go away. I can make this stop if you truly honestly don’t want it. But, if this is just nerves, then it is completely normal and understandable.”

“What if I do this wrong?” Harry asked in a whisper, his terrified green eyes locked on Severus’ black ones. “What if I dress her in the wrong thing, or hold her wrong, or say the wrong thing and the whole Wizarding public think I’m a terrible parent and…and…and…”

“Harry, listen to me. You are doing a fantastic job as a parent. You love Miri more than words and you do your very best in everything that has anything to do with her. You ask for help and advice where you need it, and you never turn away free suggestions from Molly or Anne. Every witch out there who has children has been right where you are - terrified of looking like a failure. Everyone will see that you are doing your best and that is all anyone could ask of you. And, if they dare to criticize, they’ll have me to deal with.”

“You mean it?”

“Every word. Now, do you truly not want to do this, honestly think it is a bad idea, or is it just nerves?”

“Just nerves,” Harry admitted.

“Right. So, looking at the weather outside, if this were any other Saturday, what would you dress Miri in?”

Harry looked out of the window and sighed. “If it were any other Saturday? I would dress her in the pink long-sleeve vest and blue denim pinafore dress with the white thick tights.”

As Harry said it, Severus uttered a spell to tidy up all of Miri’s clothes and then another to summon the outfit Harry had listed.

“Go and take a shower and get dressed, love. I will dress Miri and we’ll meet you downstairs.”

Harry moved to the door and then looked back at Severus, a question on his lips.

“The fitted black jeans and tailored green shirt with the red Dr Martins,” Severus said. “They’re already lying on our bed.”

Harry disappeared and Severus waited until he heard the shower going before picking Miri up and getting her dressed.

She gurgled up at him as he bathed her and slipped her into a fresh nappy. “Your carrier is crazy sometimes, do you know that?” he asked and she shrieked a giggle at him. “See? You know exactly what I mean! We love him, oh yes we do, but he can be so anxious sometimes. Honestly, worrying about what you’re going to wear. I’ve never heard something so ridiculous. He has impeccable taste when it comes to you. You always look adorable when he dresses you. Me? I’m the one with no fashion sense. Hmmmm. Let us hope you take after your carrier.”

Severus continued to talk to her as he made his way down the stairs and slipped her into her highchair before turning his attention to Oliver.

“Now that the fashion crisis has been averted, what were you saying?”

“I was saying that I’ve looked over the contract from Mr Lovegood, like you asked me to, and it all seems pretty straightforward. The contract states that either you or Harry has to approve the final draft of the story before it can be published; the story can only be published in The Quibbler; any pictures remain the rightful property of you and Harry and can only be used with prior express permission. Pretty much cut and dry,” Oliver said, pointing bits out to Severus as he went along.

Oliver had decided to specialise in Modern Magical Law at Merlin’s, a very exclusive Wizarding university based in London. A student hoping to go to Merlin’s Academy of Fine Magical Arts was expected to achieve the highest grades at O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. level, have spotless behavioural records and outstanding character references. The rumour was that Hermione was already being headhunted by them to study Medicine and had gained a provisional acceptance.

Oliver had been one of the few who had no problems with admission, and got in on full scholarship to study Law. Making it to his lessons was now the tricky part as he often spent the night with George and lost track of time.

Xenophillius Lovegood arrived, Dumbledore arrived with Colin, Harry came down the stairs and they were finally ready to begin.

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Solarin felt it, a deep jolt in the pit of her stomach, and she knew what she had to do. So, late that night, after all had gone to bed and the house was hushed and still around her, she dressed and silently made her way out of the front door.

When she reached it, St Mungo’s was practically deserted, and the nurses seemed to be incredibly sleepy. Nonetheless, she used her own special brand of magic to ensure she wasn’t seen as she slipped along the corridors.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

Solarin looked at the older augur on the bed, watching her. They measured each other up, taking in similarities and differences, trying to determine who was the more capable of the two.

They were both pale, both thin, but they could honestly say that the similarities ended there. Solarin was the shorter, and the healthier looking. Evelyn was older and frailer looking. Her, presumably, once dark hair was now white, and her skin so wrinkled it looked as if a great drought had happened on her face. Whatever had happened to her, it had not been kind. Solarin had avoided thinking of her mother for weeks now, trying to forget and enjoy the life she had now. But she couldn’t help but wonder if this was what her mother would have looked like had she made it to old age. She had the same brown eyes her mother had had.

“Evelyn Prince,” Solarin said. “I can’t say it’s a pleasure finally meeting you in person, seeing as I didn’t know you existed until you took my brother over.”

Evelyn hacked out a laugh. “You’re a feisty little thing, aren’t you!”

“I find I live longer that way.”

The older augur looked her over. “I know you have questions. So ask them.”

Solarin reached into her bag and pulled out the damaged scrying glass. “Is this yours?”

“Yes.”

“What happened to it?”

“What happened to it?” Evelyn echoed in surprise. “Surely you must know that already. Can’t you feel it in the gold? See it in the glass?”

Solarin peered at the glass in her hand and tried to focus on whatever it was that emanated from it. But she still couldn’t name it, not even after all this time.

“I can feel it but I don’t know what it is.”

She smiled and motioned Solarin to a seat. “Then you’re more fortunate than I was,” she said as Solarin took the offered seat. “What you can feel is the echo of what I did to myself. You see, you wouldn’t be the first augur to hate what she is. Don’t deny it! I can see it in you! But, unlike you apparently have, I had no one to tell me it wasn’t a bad thing. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I tried to have my powers stripped.”

“That’s impossible for an augur.”

“So you’ve thought of it?”

“Of course I have. I’d be willing to put money on it that every witch in the world has, for at least one moment in her life, wanted to be without magic, thought her life would be simpler without it. But not many witches actually manage to find a potion able to do it. Magic is a gift, and to take that potion is to go against the law. You can’t buy it, it has to be made, and that recipe is only found in the darkest of Dark texts.”

Solarin realised then that she had made a mistake by the look in Evelyn’s eyes.

“I always did think at least one of Eileen’s children would be an excellent brewer, but I didn’t count on there being more than one,” she said with a smirk. “Your brother, what I saw of his mind, is an excellent brewer. I didn’t count on Eileen’s daughter having that talent also.”

Solarin made a choked noise in the back of her throat and Evelyn smiled.

“So…you know then, what my beloved sister thought of me.”

“You?”

“Did you really think it was you she was trying to kill? Oh no, far from it. She loved you. She just couldn’t stand the thought of unleashing another me upon the world. You see, all those books you’ve managed to find…they’re useless without the one I have in my bag. Go on, go get it. I want you to have it, from one augur to another.”

Solarin retrieved the book as she had been ordered and looked at the worn cover.

“I have this book,” Solarin said. “My father-in-law gave it to my husband just after he met me. There’s nothing in this book I don’t already know.”

“You may have a book that looks similar to that one, but you don’t have that one. That book is one of a kind. The cover is just a fake, to make sure it doesn’t land in the wrong hands. Can you imagine what Lucius would do if he knew what was in that book? No one would be safe.”

Solarin peeled away the cover to find the real title of the book written in Ancient Greek. She knew just enough of the language to make an accurate translation.

‘Secrets of the Forgotten Goddess: The Hidden Truths of the Augur.’

“That books holds every answer to every question anyone anywhere has ever asked about you. It was supposed to pass to you once it was realised what you were, but Eileen wouldn’t let me near you. Can’t blame her really. I’m hoping you’ll do something better with it than I ever did,” Evelyn said. Solarin looked up from the book and couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing.

The old witch was fading. Not growing weaker, but literally fading, becoming more transparent with every moment.

“What’s happening to you?” Solarin cried as she slammed her fist into the call button.

“My time’s up. I did too much, hurt too many. Read the book, you’ll understand. And, remember…it’s all about choice.”

And, with that, she fell back onto her pillow and vanished completely, leaving Solarin staring at the empty bed, holding the only answers she was ever going to find.

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It took until dinner preparations for anyone to realize Harry hadn’t been seen since lunch. Severus searched the house and found his spouse in the attic.

“Harry, are you all right, love? You’ve been up here for hours,” Severus said gently.

“I didn’t mean to be, I just lost track of time,” Harry said. “I finished my essay for Flitwick and decided to explore. I found this.”

Severus made his way over and examined the picture Harry was holding up. It was covered in a thick layer of dust and grime and it took him a moment to make out the picture through the glass. Harry had managed to clear the middle of the pane. It was a geisha, dressed in the traditional kimono, cherry blossoms in her hair, holding a paper fan to conceal her face. It gave her an air of mystery, as if she were giggling at the amusing sight of a man lusting after her. The colours were faded, he suspected that the pink kimono had once been red, but it was still a beautiful piece of art. He peered closer. It wasn’t paint, as he’d first assumed. It was all done in cross stitch.

“It’s beautiful, love,” Severus said.

“I found loads of them, but this is my favourite,” Harry said. “Can it be cleaned?”

“I don’t know. We could find out.” He peered over at the rows and rows of framed cross stich art. “Someone was a crafty little witch or wizard.”

“Huh?”

“These were all done by hand,” Severus explained, motioning to the dusty frames. “It’s called cross stitch, it’s a kind of embroidery.”

Harry was silent for a moment, looking closer at the geisha. “Can you do it?”

“Cross stitch?” Harry nodded. “No, I can’t, but Solarin can. She used to do things like these all the time, but it’s been a while since I last saw her pick up a needle. Minerva taught her one summer. I was needed at Hogwarts to brew some potions that were required in the Hospital Wing. Sol came with me. Minerva thought that she could use a hobby that didn’t include magic, something quiet, something small, that could be taught in a single afternoon.”

“Do you think she would teach me?”

“Minerva?”

“Solarin.”

“I don’t see why not. Did anyone ever teach you to sew a button?”

“Aunt Petunia used to have me fix Uncle Vernon’s shirts. I wasn’t half bad at it.”

“Well, as I understand it, cross stitch doesn’t take much more skill than that to begin with,” Severus said, glossing over Petunia’s ideas of appropriate activities for a young Harry. “Solarin’s in the kitchen, come and ask her.”

They made their way down to the kitchen, where Harry was pleased to find that Sirius remembered that it was his mother that had been into cross stitch, completing all of the art in the attic. Remus mused that no one told her it was a craft started by a muggle.

“Been a while since I last saw this,” Sirius said as he took the picture from Harry. “Bit of a mess.”

Remus leaned in, stealing a swift kiss, before waving his wand over the picture and restoring it to its original glory. The silken threads gleamed in the candlelight of the kitchen, reflecting and giving Sirius’ face a red tint.

“My mother used to do these all the time. She did try and teach me and my brother once, but I was more interested in flying a broomstick,” Sirius said. “Regulus gave it a fair go, but he got frustrated by it, that it didn’t happen immediately, that he had to actually put the work in.”

“It’s worth the work,” Solarin put in.

“Will you teach me?” Harry asked hopefully.

“To cross stitch? Sure. It’ll have to wait until tomorrow, though. I don’t have any supplies, I’ll have to go and get some, but I’ll teach you.”

Over dinner, Harry learned that several members of his family were crafty. The Weasley’s were musical, as he already knew, but he hadn’t known that Anne painted watercolours, and Tonks made jewelry, and Sam had a thing for polymer clay miniatures, probably started by Jack’s love of collectors dollhouses. Between them all, they could start their own gallery. Harry had never done a craft before, not counting the usual things in primary school which Petunia had thrown in the bin whenever Harry had dared to take them ‘home’, and he found himself wanting to try all of them at once. Severus chuckled, leaning in to kiss him and remind him that there was plenty of time, no one was going to refuse to show him how to do these things, but he only had one pair of hands, so one at a time was really the only way to go.

After dinner, Solarin dug out all of her completed cross stitch pieces. There were more than fifty. She had the usual flowers and animals, the occasional London themed one, like a double decker bus or a black cab. But then there were the other ones, the magical objects. A broomstick, a cauldron, a wand. They seemed straightforward enough, and Solarin said herself that they were the more simple patterns. Nixie fell in love with the tabby cat sitting on a brick wall, which was inspired by McGonagall herself.

“It’s been ages since I last did one of these,” Solarin said as she shook out a few pieces. “I keep meaning to have these framed, but I never manage to get around to it. Ah, here it is.” She pulled out a cross stitch of the Hogwarts shield and motto, surrounded by the four house crests. “This was one of the first of my more daring cross stitches. It took about three and a half months.”

Harry marveled over it, admiring the bright colours, the feel of the work beneath his fingers. One by one, these more complicated patterns were revealed to him. A depiction of Wolfsbane being brewed, a floating feather in the Charms classroom, an illuminated page from a Transfiguration text book. Harry was amazed as portraits were unveiled. Severus, Albus, Madame Pomfrey. And then Solarin giggled and blushed.

“Before I let you see the most complicated of all my pieces, you have to remember that I was slightly insane at the time,” she warned. She pulled out what looked like a rolled blanket, laying it out on the table, she and Severus unrolling it between them. When it was flat, the whole room was silent.

It was Hogwarts in full panoramic, complete with students at the candlelit windows, owls in the starry night sky, a sneaky late night Quidditch practice in session, a couple of students sneaking down to the Whomping Willow by lantern light, all of it captured in intricate detail on a twenty by six foot canvas. The flames of the candles, the stars in the sky and the crescent moon were all constructed in gold and silver threads.

“Now that would look incredible in the Great Hall,” Charlie said. “Has Dumbledore ever asked for it?”

“Once, when I was about half way through,” Solarin said. “To be honest, I meant to give it to him when it was finished, but it took me so long to do it, I forgot its purpose by the time it was done.”

“How long did it take?” Arthur asked, chuckling at the tiny game of Exploding snap visible through the window of the Gryffindor common room.

“About three and a half years, give or take a few months, stitching some every day.”

“As I remember, didn’t we supposedly have a living room under this thing at one point?” Bill questioned with a grin.

“Supposedly,” she replied as Albus arrived through the Floo.

“You called?” he asked of Molly.

“Something you should see, a gift for the school,” Severus supplied, motioning to the table.

Albus was delighted by it, and spent a full hour examining every detail, chuckling as he found some new tiny element.

Harry went to bed that night dreaming of crafts by the hundreds.

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After breakfast, Solarin made a quick dash to a shop in Kentish Town to buy supplies, the only place she could think of that would have everything in one place, and then sat Harry down with her at the kitchen table.

“The first thing to remember when it comes to cross stitch is that it takes patience. There’s no quick way to do it, you just have to take your time. Now, are you sure you want to learn it? You can say no, like Nixie did,” she warned.

“I want to learn,” Harry said.

“All right then,” she said, pulling things out of her shopping bag. “I’ll start with the basics, teach you the way Minerva taught me.” She laid out a sheet of white fabric with holes in. “This is a specific fabric for cross stitch, it’s called aida. This one is made of cotton, and it’s called a 10 count. The count basically means how many holes there are per inch of fabric. The Hogwarts huge cross stitch I did was done on an 18 count, but this is a good beginners one.”

She proceeded to explain what an embroidery hoop was and how it worked, what needles and thread were used, and how to decide on a pattern. Once Harry had chosen one of the simple flower patterns from the selection Solarin had provided, she had him choose a colour of thread and mounted the fabric in the hoop for him. She taught him to separate threads, to thread a needle, to catch the tail of the thread in the embroidery so you didn’t have a knot on the back distorting the finished piece. She went on to describe how you designed your own pattern, how you added names and sequins to a finished piece. She started him off, correcting little mistakes he made. She never lost her temper, not even when Harry displayed his frustrations by throwing his fabric-mounted hoop across the room.

Within an hour Harry was quite happily finishing the first petal on his flower, proudly showing it off to the rest of the family. Severus breathed a sigh of relief that it had all gone smoothly.

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Nixie had given very little thought to what her life had been, preferring instead to live in the moment and dream of a happy future.

But the funny thing is that the past will always catch up with you, no matter how hard you ignore it.

Charlie walked into his bedroom to find Nixie curled up on his bed, hugging the stuffed puffskein he had had since he was a child. He slipped off his shoes and slid onto the mattress to wind himself around her, dipping his head to kiss her neck, smiling as she tilted her head to the side to give him a better shot.

“Do you want to talk about whatever it is that’s upset you?” he murmured.

“Not really,” she replied, barely above a whisper.

“Okay,” he said, pulling her tighter to him. “We’ll just lay here and cuddle then.”

She craned her neck to look at him. “Really? No pressure?”

“Rose, baby, when have I ever pressured you in anything? If you don’t want to talk right now, that’s okay. I’ll be right here when you do.”

They lay there for a few hours, eventually ending up with Nixie resting her head on Charlie’s chest, the former dragon tamer playing with her hair and humming to her.

“My mother’s dead,” she whispered. “Lucius…he killed her in Hogsmeade last night, in The Three Broomsticks. She was having dinner.”

She expected him to say something, to try and make her feel better like his mother would have done. But he didn’t. He just laid there holding her. And, strangely, it helped. He didn’t try to make her feel better, knowing fully well that it might not be pain she was feeling. He just laid there, letting her feel what she felt, not trying to alter it, just letting her know she wasn’t alone.

Nixie wasn’t sure what it was that she did feel. Narcissa had never really been a ‘mother’. Nixie had spent more time with the House Elves than with her mother. When she did see her mother, it was always fleeting, a quick glimpse here, something supposed to be a hug there. Nixie’s only clear memories of her mother were the ones of her leaving.

“Charlie?” she whispered.

“Hmmm?”

“Do I have to be sad?”

“No, baby. You feel whatever you want to,” he said without hesitation.

She arched up to kiss him, deepening it when he reciprocated, pulling them so he was hovering over her.

“Charlie?” she said as he bent his head to kiss her throat, his hand cupping her breast, and somehow her thigh had ended up hiked high on his hip.

“Too much?” he asked immediately, worried he had gone too far. He was very aware of his erection pressing against the zipper of his jeans and, subsequently, the little blonde beneath him.

“No, not too much,” she said, giving him a swift kiss to reassure him. “I was going to ask if you had any condoms or something like that.”

“I have condoms, and I know how to do the charm. Why?”

“Because I want to.”

“Want to…want to what?”

She felt herself burn red. “I want to have sex with you,” she whispered, giggling at the look of shock on his face.

“Really? I mean, are you sure? Because there’s no pressure, I won’t push you into anything, not until you’re ready, absolutely ready,” he said, babbling.

He was silenced by a kiss that would have killed him if he had a weak heart. It was fiery and possessive and everything he knew was in Nixie but rarely came out to play.

Charlie didn’t argue anymore after that.

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Harry was ignoring the issue of The Quibbler. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to read the article, he did. He just wasn’t sure he should have given the interview in the first place.

So he carried on with his cross stitch, a new design of a bunch of balloons. He planned to turn it into a cushion cover when it was finished. He was sure the powdery threads he was using would look good in Miri’s room. His flower had been taken off by Solarin, along with a few of her own pieces, and framed. It now stood in pride of place on the mantelpiece in the living room.

Severus had proofread the article before it was published, as was stated in the contract, and he had reassured Harry that there was nothing bad in it, but he was still terrified. What if people took it the wrong way? What if they took what he said and used it against him, twisting his words? What if they saw something in the photographs that he didn’t see, something bad?

He worked on his cross stitch solidly for two hours before he finally managed to dredge up his Gryffindor courage and picked up the envelope with his pre-release copy in.

It was heavier than he remembered a Quibbler being, and it took him a few tries to actually open the envelope. The magazine slithered out and landed face up on his balloons. His picture wasn’t on the front page, which he was relieved about. His name was on the front page, but it was hidden between ‘When Nargles Attack’ and ‘What to do if your little Wizard wears Eyeliner’, which was what he had asked for.

He flicked through the pages, seeing his own face staring back at him.

“I want more children, just not yet.”

Harry Potter-Snape’s only interview and first official pictures of his family, exclusive to The Quibbler.

By Xenophillius Lovegood

Pictures by Colin Creevy

At seventeen, most wizards are preparing for their N.E.W.T.’s, experiencing their first taste of alcohol, and looking to score a few points with the ladies. But Harry Potter has never been a regular wizard. By the time Mr Potter entered Hogwarts, the world already had their eye on him, every witch and wizard knew his name, and everyone was sure he was destined to be someone very special indeed. Little did they all know, Harry was already special.

“I didn’t know what I was, I just sort of figured out that I wasn’t like other boys my age,” says the softly spoken, black haired wizard. “I never even heard the word hermaphrodite, and when I eventually did, I didn’t know it applied to me.”

To the world outside, Harry is a mystery. The elusive and introverted saviour has only ever given one other interview, and is notoriously camera shy. But for those in the know, Harry is just Harry.

“He’s our son, he’s just him, the way he is,” says Remus John Lupin-Black, 36, one half of Harry’s adoptive parents.

“Harry is male,” says Sirius Lupin-Black, 36, the other half. “That’s how he sees himself, and how we all see him. He’s not a girl, he’s just not like other boys, which is a good thing. Being different is a good thing.”

And in this family, different covers just about everything. Werewolves, seers, ex-convicts, ex-Death Eater spies and everything else inbetween. Nothing is taboo in this household, and they like it that way.

“It’d get boring if we were all the same,” says Phoenix Rose Lupin-Black, 17, Harry’s beautiful blonde bombshell of an adoptive sister.

No one notices the differences, and if they do, it’s only to realize how special they make the different threads in this tapestry. Most of the family members don’t consider themselves different.

“And then, this little one happened, and I couldn’t really deny it anymore,” Harry giggles, cuddling his nine month old baby girl, Miri Solarin Lily Potter-Snape.

Miri (pronounced like a combination of miracle and happy) is a beautiful baby girl, dark ringlets, a gorgeous smile and her ‘mother’s’ striking green eyes. As this reporter spent the day with Harry and family, I found out first hand that Harry is more than dedicated to his daughter, he’s devoted.

“She’s my world, my whole world,” says Harry, watching as his husband, Potions Master Severus Potter-Snape, 36, cuddles the tiny girl close. “I never knew I could love someone so much, and I can’t even imagine my life without her.”

Allowing us a tour of the beautiful nursery (complete with hand painted mural of teddy bears on broomsticks, charmed to chase a Snitch), Harry and Severus reveal that they worry about reactions to the age difference, but that it won’t change the way they feel, which is hopelessly in love.

“I couldn’t live without him,” Severus says, smiling shyly, gazing at his young husband with nothing less than adoration. “He’s the best thing to ever happen to me. With Miri, our lives our pretty much complete. True, we didn’t plan it this way, but I suppose no one really does. We wouldn’t change a thing.”

And what of more children?

“One day, maybe,” Harry says firmly. “I want more children, a brother or sister for Miri, but not yet. I’d like to graduate first,” he chuckles.

Harry read the article three times, just to be sure he was reading it right. And when he was sure, he scrutinized the pictures, trying to find something, anything, that someone could criticize. But he couldn’t. There was Miri being played with, Miri being fed, Miri laughing as Severus tickled her. But nothing he could see anyone complaining about. The article was shorter than he had expected, but he was glad of it.

He made his way down the stairs, running into Severus’ arms and kissing him forcefully, Severus getting fully involved as soon as he realized Harry was in a good mood.

“You read it then?” the older man asked as Harry let him up for air.

“It’s good, I come off good in it,” Harry said with a grin.

“Told you, love. Do you really think I’d let anything happen to you?”

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Harry walked into the kitchen and immediately tried to back out again. As he backed into something solid, he let out a little ‘eep’ of panic and clapped his hands over his eyes.

Bill looked down at the little brunet that had just smacked into his chest and then into the kitchen, letting out a small chuckle.

Remus was sat in his usual seat, with Sirius straddling him, the two of them lip locked with hands that couldn’t stay still.

“Detach, guys, you’re traumatizing your son,” Bill called as he led Harry to his own seat, making sure he was sitting safely, before making his way to the fridge to retrieve the orange juice.

The Pureblood’s head whipped round to look at the redhead, before his blue eyes landed on his son, who was still covering his eyes and bright red. He eased himself out of Remus’ lap and into his own seat, and the two of them pulled themselves into the table to hide their obvious erections.

“It’s okay, pup, you can look, it’s safe now,” Remus said. Bill wasn’t quite sure who was the deeper red, Remus or Harry.

The little Seeker peeked through his fingers and then lowered his hands when he realised it was as Remus said. He accepted a glass of juice from Bill and glared at his parents.

“I know it’s your home and you should be comfortable to do that, guys, but come on! You have a bed for that, you know,” he complained.

“Nixie’s in our bed again,” Remus said. “Sorry, Harry. We really didn’t realize the time.”

Harry moaned noncommittally and watched as Bill began to get things out of the fridge for breakfast.

“You need a hand?” Sirius asked.

“Nope. See, this is me proving to my wife that I can be domestic with the best of them,” Bill said with a small smile.

“She made some comment?” Severus said as he entered the room carrying Miri, who was happily waving Smoo about.

“She said I must’ve missed the domestic part of my upbringing,” the redhead replied tensely as he set warming charms to a load of muffins. “She said I wouldn’t know how to be domestic if my life depended on it.”

“I’m sure she was joking,” Severus defended as he let Remus take Miri from him, the tiny girl squealing in delight.

“Joking or not, she’s wrong, and I’m going to prove it,” Bill said as he began to make scrambled eggs, sliding a load of crumpets under the grill on his way to get the milk.

“Well, lead on then, Domestic God you are,” Sirius said with a cheeky grin and they all shared a chuckle, before Harry leaned in to Severus.

“Go on, love,” the older wizard reassured. “You’ll never know if you don’t ask and I can’t give you the answers.”

The little Gryffindor snuggled in a little more before he sighed, seemingly gathering his courage before looking Remus right in the eye.

“I was wondering…well, I wanted to know…” he stammered.

“Harry, you can ask us anything, you know that,” Sirius comforted.

“Where are my parents buried?” he blurted out and there was a sudden hush all through the kitchen. “I asked Severus but he doesn’t know.”

Remus, at a loss of what to say at the unexpected question, looked to the Potions Master for a little guidance.

“I didn’t go to the funeral,” Severus supplied. “I had Solarin and I didn’t think that yet another funeral would be the best thing for her. Harry asked me a few days ago and I assumed you would know the answer.”

“Well…” Remus sighed. “Harry, I’m sorry to say that I don’t know where they are. I wasn’t in any fit state to leave the house, let alone attend their last farewell. After losing them, and then Sirius, and then you, I was in a very sorry state indeed.”

Sirius pulled his lover in close, whispering reassurances in his ear about never being alone like that again. Remus sighed, closing his eyes and letting himself be held, bathing in the words of comfort and love.

“Does anyone know?” Harry asked after Severus’ telling him that it was alright to ask, that Remus wouldn’t appreciate his words of comfort at that moment.

“Albus might,” said Solarin as she entered with Dorian in tow. “Failing that, it should be in the national registry, if they had Wizarding funerals. If they had Muggle ones, I have a few friends that are good at tracking down information like that.”

“Could you find out for me?”

“Of course,” she said with a smile. She stifled a giggle as she caught sight of her husband. “What are you doing?”

“Making breakfast,” he said sharply. [See, I can do domestic.]

[I didn’t mean it seriously,] she replied. [I was joking, but if you want to do this all by yourself…]

[You little…]

[Since when are you so sensitive about my joking at your expense anyway?]

Bill looked away sheepishly and she peered at him suspiciously. [Don’t make me dig,] she warned. [I’ll go as deep as I have to, to find out.]

[I wish you wouldn’t.]

[Then give me a reason not to.]

“I am a real husband,” Bill said out loud, causing the kitchens inhabitants to look at him curiously. Everyone had joined them now.

“I never said you weren’t,” Solarin replied, very aware of her in-laws watching them.

“You didn’t, I did,” he said.

“Bill, what are you talking about?”

“A real husband can cook, a real husband can take care of a house, a real husband can take care of his wife and a real husband can give her-”

Bill snapped his mouth shut and shoved the spatula he was holding at his mother before storming out of the room. Solarin motioned to Severus to watch Dorian for her before she followed him.

She found him sitting on Dorian’s bed, holding their sons stuffed dragon.

“So, what is it you think you can’t give me?”

He looked up into her dark eyes and sighed, knowing that there was no point in lying.

“I can’t give you a baby,” he whispered. “I had Sam do some tests, you know, thinking that maybe we could do that IVF thing he was talking about. But the results came back bad.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m sterile, or might as well be. According to Sam my sperm count is one of the lowest he’s ever seen and what swimmers I can make are apparently going in circles. You always said I had no sense of direction.”

She snorted out a laugh and then clapped her hand over her mouth. “Sorry, I shouldn’t laugh,” she said. She came forwards and sat on the bed facing him. “Bill, we have a beautiful son, why would you ever think that he’s not enough for me?”

“I never said he wasn’t enough,” he argued, horrified. “I love Dorian, more than I have words for, you know that.”

“Then why all this about a baby?”

“Because I want it for you,” he said. “I want to give you a child. I want to see Dorian grinning from ear to ear because he felt his brother or sister kick in your belly. I want that, I want to give that to you, this one thing that every other woman has. I want that for you, and I can’t give it to you and it makes me so angry.”

She was completely silent and still for a moment, before she surged forwards and kissed him with everything she had.

“I love you,” she whispered. “I love you so very much.”

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Harry knew he shouldn’t be spying. But Severus had told him it was okay to be curious, so, if no one knew what he did, it was okay to spy, wasn’t it? Just this once?

He watched as Ron leaned in to kiss Hermione, the girl wrapping her arms around his neck, letting him roll on top of her. They made it look so easy, so effortless. Did it look like that when others were that intimate? Did he and Severus look like that?

It seemed to explode out of Hermione, the passion with which she ripped Ron’s clothes off. It looked so rough, so wild. Had he done that, been that wild? Hmmm. Ron’s body didn’t look so different from his own. Maybe his chest was a little firmer, but Ron was male, definitely male. Surely there would be some difference. There were similarities between Ron and Severus, Harry could see that. Smooth skin, hard muscles, and hair. On his legs, his chest, in a thin strip from his belly button, leading down to that part of him that fascinated Harry.

It looked so harmless, all soft and curled against his friend’s thigh. He didn’t understand why it scared and intrigued him so much. He had his own. But then it began to grow, thickening, widening, rising between the two of them until it was almost flat against Ron’s stomach.

The redhead reached out and unbuttoned the black silk of Hermione’s pyjama top and Harry was transfixed. So those were breasts. They looked soft and smooth and sort of strange, but not in a bad way. It was just so far out of Harry’s frame of reference. The closest he had was his own when he had swelled to feed Miri. But Hermione was…well, Harry thought she was kind of beautiful. She was topless and she was laying there, moaning as Ron’s lips moved down her torso, her pale skin almost glowing in the moonlight.

She curved in ways Harry hadn’t considered before. There was such a sharp pull inward between her ribs and her hip that Harry wondered how she breathed. But she was made that way, and he knew she breathed, so it must work. She shifted under her husband, he surged over her to lock lips, his hand disappearing beneath her pyjama bottoms. She threw her head back and gasped, Ron grinning in…it looked like satisfaction to Harry, maybe pride.

He’d seen more than enough and he backed away, walking as fast as he could to his own bathroom. He stripped off his clothes and looked at himself in the mirror, really looked for the very first time. Severus told him he was beautiful, and he knew from Severus’ reactions that he was sexually appealing to Severus, but he had never really looked at himself before.

His skin was pale, so pale that his thin blue veins showed beneath the white expanse. He was littered with scars, ridges and craters dotting him in irregular patterns. He was as skinny as he had always been, maybe a little more healthy looking than when he lived with the Dursleys. His stomach was flat, surprisingly toned considering he’d been pregnant less than a year ago. And his chest…well, it wasn’t like Severus’, or like Ron’s. There was no firm pectorals, but he wasn’t like Hermione either. He was sort of flat, but still he curved outwards slightly. He had a slight pull inwards under his ribs, leading out into the curve of his hip, the sweep of his buttocks. And his penis…well, it was long and smooth, definitely longer than Ron’s and Severus’s.

“Harry?”

The young man turned as Severus spoke, the slightly sleepy man standing in the doorway in nothing but a pair of pyjama bottoms.

“I woke up alone, I was worried. You’ve been in here ages. I did knock, love,” Severus said as he entered the room, closing the door behind himself. “Harry, not that there’s anything wrong with it, but why are you standing here naked?”

“Nothing, no reason,” he said, far too quickly for Severus’ liking.

The Potions Master slowly moved forwards and stood behind his lover, his hands resting on his hips, his chin on his shoulder.

“No reason?”

Harry sighed. “I saw Hermione and Ron…you know. And I had questions…about me.”

“Ah, I see. Anything I can help with?”

“No, not really. I just…I’ve never looked at myself before…like this.”

“And?”

“It’s not so bad.”

“Well, I like it,” Severus said with a smirk, his hips thrusting so his erection nudged Harry.

“I see that. Feel like putting it to use?”

“With you? Always.”

Harry turned in his arms, linking his wrists around Severus’ neck and pulling him down to join their lips. Harry surrendered to it as Severus slipped his tongue into his mouth, twining with his own, the taller man pulling Harry in closer to his body, so they were skin to skin.

Slowly, Severus backed them towards the wall, unwinding one arm to blindly press a palm against it. Harry gasped as his back hit the cool tile, the contrast between it and Severus’ hot skin enflaming his desire.

“Harry…I love you…you know that, don’t you?” Severus breathed between kisses, his hands roaming over the pale expanse of Harry’s skin, his palm rising up to cup the curve of Harry’s skull.

“Of course I know it.”

Severus grinned into the kiss and slipped his hands between Harry and the wall, trailing his fingertips over the dipped line of the little wizards spine, moaning as Harry shivered. His lips slipped down to taste the delicate flesh of his throat, his hands finding their way away from Harry’s skin long enough to push down his bottoms. He felt himself shiver as Harry’s smaller hands tickled along his chest, fingers closing around nipples and pulling.

“I want you,” Harry breathed, moving to nibble an earlobe.

“How?” Severus murmured, his hands kneading the perfect round globes of Harry’s arse. “How do you want me?”

“Every which way I can,” Harry replied cheekily. “But, for now, I want you right here.”

“Mmmmm, against the bathroom wall?”

“Yup.”

“Hmmm, a new one for us,” he chuckled as Harry somehow managed to jump up and curl his legs around Severus’ waist.

“It’s good to keep it fresh,” Harry said as Severus pressed him more firmly into the wall, lowering him slightly to get the right angle for penetration, letting the tip of his erection slide along the slick opening he found.

“Someone’s been at Tonks’ girly mags again,” he sing-songed as he eased the tip of himself into his lover.

Harry’s head fell back in ecstasy, the thunk of it reverberating around the room. He felt the long thick length slide into him, the friction pulling at him in interesting ways that he was sure he would never get tired of. He always marveled at how different it was without the lubricant, more raw somehow, but no less satisfying for it.

He wrapped his arms around Severus’ shoulders and tried to remember how to breathe as Severus finished his forwards push. He felt full, his clit rubbing against the base of his husband’s shaft, sending lightning bolts shooting up his spine. He surrendered to Severus’ kiss, whining into his mouth, wishing he would move but not knowing how to speak to tell him.

Luckily, Severus got the message, slowly withdrawing until only the head of his penis remained in the tight welcoming sheath, before thrusting forwards, going slowly. After all the months they had been together, after all the times he had taken Harry, Severus still worried about hurting him, about some sad remnant of the past surfacing at just the wrong moment and ruining their happiness at touching each other.

Harry endured the slow thrusts for a little while, letting his body relax around his lover, before he grew frustrated. It wasn’t enough, and Severus should know that, so why wasn’t he speeding up? Harry tried to thrust himself onto the straining member but found himself unable to. All he managed to do was press his heels repeatedly into Severus’ slowly moving backside.

“Yes? Is there something you wanted?” the Potions Master questioned.

“Nyugh!” Harry gurgled as Severus surged deeply, embedding himself to the root, seemingly able to stay there forever without movement.

The older man chuckled. “Hmmm, now what could that possibly translate to? Could it be that you want me to stop?”

Harry gasped and managed to regain enough sense to bite him on the shoulder, causing the man to twitch inside him. Harry cried out in frustrated pleasure as he was caressed so deeply, so intimately.

“All right, not stopping. Hmmm, then it must mean that you want more than this?”

“Yes, oh yes! Please, ah!”

Severus ginned at the gasping thanks and leaned in to suckle at his throat, his thrusts beginning once more, deeper and harder, faster than before. His thighs burned deliciously with the effort, and he felt the sweat slowly sliding down his back and dripping down his forehead to blind him. Harry’s arms tightened around his neck, the sprite crying out in ecstasy.

It went on like that, the heat between them coiling tighter and tighter, Harry’s cries getting louder, Severus’ rich baritone joining them to create a symphony of pleasure that bounced off the walls.

Eventually, neither could take anymore, and they lost their rhythm, all sense of everything in their straining need to find completion. They exploded, Severus near screaming as his seed poured from him into Harry’s willing body, the little wizards tight channel clenching around him as Harry screamed and bit at his shoulder and pulled at his hair.

They found themselves sprawled across the tiled floor, Harry on his back with Severus’ ear pressed against his slowing heart.

Harry considered that if he inspired such passion and devotion from his husband, then he couldn’t look too bad.

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The whole house smelled of baking and there was no longer a free space in the kitchen.

“Not more?” Arthur asked incredulously. He had just returned from work and he took in the sight of his daughter-in-law baking yet another batch of cookies. Dorian was sitting on the counter, his little sock covered toes wriggling in delight as Solarin let him lick another bowl.

“I just can’t figure out what they’re missing,” she said as she looked again at her cookery book.

Arthur sighed. Bill had told him and Molly that this constant baking was a good thing, that the little witch had found herself a new project to attack and to leave her to it. But there was only so much they could physically consume.

“What makes you think they’re missing something?” the man asked as he set down his briefcase and pulled off his work robes, toeing off his shoes so he could pad across the kitchen and let Dorian feed him cookie dough.

“Try this,” she said, passing his a still-warm cookie. He took a bite and smiled as it practically melted on his tongue.

“Oh, now that’s good,” he said. “Much better than this mornings.”

“But there’s still something missing.”

Arthur finished off his cookie and reached for a second. “Less ginger, maybe?”

“Hmmm, maybe.”

“No, the ginger is perfect, just enough bite, but there is something. You need something to cut through the bite of the spice. Hmmm. Chocolate,” he said decisively. “They need chocolate. Dip them in it, or chocolate chips, something like that. They have the bite of the ginger, they need the sweetness of chocolate to balance it.”

“Of course,” she said with a smile of triumph. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Too close to the situation. Solarin, can I ask you…why all the pastries? There was the sponge cakes, the cupcakes, the doughnuts, the éclair’s, and now the cookies. Are we looking a little thin to you?”

She giggled as she lifted Dorian down from the counter, the little wizard scampering off with a handful of cookies to share with Nixie.

“I have this idea, it might be a little out there, but still…”

“Do tell,” Arthur urged. He poured himself a large glass of milk and snagged the plate of cookies on his way to the table.

“Well…I was walking down Diagon Alley the other week and I saw this empty shop near the twins. It used to be an apothecary, I think. I think it was the fraudulent one that resulted in Remus’ pregnancy. Anyway, I contacted the estate agent, I was curious, and he let me take a look around. It would be perfect as a bakery.”

“Ah, I see. So I take it you’re tired of being home all day?”

“No, I didn’t say that,” she defended. “I just think I need something to occupy myself. I love Dorian, you know I do, but I need more than just him.”

Arthur placed a hand on top of hers. “Relax. Bill already told me and Molly something along those lines. I think it’ll be good for you to have something to do all day. You keep yourself too alone,” he said gently. “I don’t think it’s a good thing. Solarin, you’re a hell of a witch, and a wonderful wife and mother, and that’s enough of a description for Molly. But I think you need more in a description of you than that.”

She nibbled at her lower lip for a moment. “You don’t think anyone would mind, do you? I mean, if I went to work?” she asked as she pulled off her cardigan.

Arthur chuckled. “No, no one would mind. Personally, I think it would be healthier for you if you did this. And it would be better for Dorian. If his mother is happier, then he will be.”

“You’re right. And I think it’ll be good for him to have some kind of family business to go into. I mean, he could go into the Ministry or Curse Breaking, but it might be nice for him to have this one little choice which means he doesn’t have to use his magic.”

“And he’d love being around baking things all day. You could even have a little play area for him out the back.”

She smiled and then looked around the kitchen in sudden confusion. “Do you smell that?”

“Smell what?” he questioned as he polished off his fifth cookie.

“Something’s burning,” she replied, crossing to check the oven.

He watched as she made her way around the kitchen, Sirius and Remus joining him at the table to help him consume the cookies.

“What is she doing?” Sirius asked. “Making more cookies?” He looked so hopeful that Remus leaned in and kissed his cheek.

“She says she smells burning.”

Remus looked around and then at the augur in confusion. “Solarin, why are you sweating?”

“Because it’s hot in here,” she said.

“No, it’s not,” the werewolf replied. “I was actually about to close the window. It’s cold in here.”

“But…”

Remus made his way over, feeling her forehead. There was no fever, no actual heat coming from her. Remus looked at Sirius and a silent communication passed between them – an advantage of being married so long - and the Animagus made his way from the room.

“Sol, come sit down,” Remus urged, guiding her towards a chair. As his hand touched her arm she hissed in pain. He was alarmed to see, as he removed his hand, an imprint of his hand on her pale skin. It was red and angry, beginning to blister.

She collapsed into the chair, gasping. “It’s so hot,” she moaned. Remus retrieved an ice pack from the freezer, but at the touch of it the witch half screamed. “What’s happening?”

Sirius returned with Sam on his heels. The Healer made his way over and tried to get a look at his patient, but it wasn’t to be.

Solarin gasped, lurching forwards as her body shook. When she looked up her eyes were black, unseeing.

“Get Severus, get him now,” Sam ordered. “Sol, come back to us. Come on, Sol, come back.”

She reached out blindly, her hands finding his shoulders and gripping so tightly he winced in pain. “No, oh no,” she cried, tears falling down her cheeks.

Severus came running into the room, Harry following him, and took Solarin from Sam.

“Solarin, sweetheart, talk to me,” Severus demanded, his hands on her ribs. He was almost shouting. “What do you see? Solarin, where are you?”

“Oh, no, please,” she moaned. “Run, we have to run. No, don’t let him see.”

“Who? Solarin, who are you running from?”

“Faster…”

Mad-Eye came in as Bill arrived through the Floo. The redhead looked around in panic and shot forwards as he caught sight of his wife. It took Mad-Eye and Arthur taking an arm each to stop him.

“Stand back, let her do this, Severus will take care of her,” Arthur whispered to him.

“But…I…” Bill tried to protest, tears in his eyes, and Arthur hugged his son.

“You can’t help, not right now. You have to step back, let Severus help her now.”

The redhead nodded and Arthur let go of him, leading him to a chair and standing with his hand on Bill’s shoulder.

Severus spent a frantic few more minutes trying to get Solarin to tell him what she saw, watched by every inhabitant of the room, before Molly rushed to a drawer, digging out some paper and grabbing one of Dorian’s crayons, urging Severus to move back and turn the young witch to face the table.

As soon as the crayon was in her hand, Solarin began to draw, uncaring of whether she hit paper or the wood of the table. It didn’t seem to make any sense, what she was trying to show them. There were boxes and bottles, the spill of some sort of potion on a floor, the curved wisp of smoke. They could make out flames, and a pair of eyes.

“It’s Fred and George,” Oliver declared. “She’s seeing the shop, look.” He pointed to the middle of her scribbling’s where there was the clear image of a triple W, the new logo the boys had just decided on.

“He’s coming for them,” Solarin whispered. “He’s coming.”

Mad-Eye and Tonks were already at the kitchen door when Solarin screamed, falling from her chair to scratch at the floor and writhe in pain. The dark stain of blood was bright against the white of the vest she was wearing, and Severus gripped at her wrists to try and keep her still. She screamed again, a sound that went through all of them, and a bright slash appeared on her back.

“She’s manifesting,” Mad-Eye said, before he and Tonks Apparated from the room.

It seemed to carry on forever, the screams and blood, until finally the witch lay silent.

“Where’s Dorian?” Solarin asked, her voice barely a whisper, hoarse through all the screaming.

“Sirius took him upstairs, away from all this,” Sam said. “Come on, let me take a look at you.”

Slowly, they eased the witch back into her chair and Bill held a tea towel over her breasts as Sam cut away the blood soaked mess that used to be her top. The Curse Breaker was happy he couldn’t see what everyone else could, as Remus couldn’t even look, and his father had to rush to the bathroom to throw up.

“How you doing?” he whispered as Sam stood back, just looking at the damage, trying to figure out where to start.

“What if they’re not okay?” she asked, tears in her eyes. “What if I wasn’t fast enough? What if Mad-Eye and Tonks didn’t get there in time? What if they’re-”

“They’re not,” he said firmly, leaning in to kiss her and calm her rising panic. “You’ll see. Mad-Eye and Tonks will be back with them soon. Until then, let’s patch you up, okay?”

It took Sam over an hour to put a stop to the bleeding and assemble some semblance of a back from what was left of Solarin’s. As Bill helped her into a backless top, loosely lacing the strings, Sam sighed.

“That’s the best I can do for now. Give it a few days to heal a little, and I’ll take another crack. I am sorry to say that your tattoo is history, Sol. Sorry,” he proclaimed as he cleared up a little.

“I don’t care,” she mumbled. “Where are they?”

“Relax,” Severus said. “We don’t know anything, yet.” Harry had come down and was watching from his perch on the kitchen counter, Miri babbling away. The tiny witch had suffered an attack of the sneezes and was a little over warm, but nothing like Solarin. Miri was gumming a teething ring, sitting in nothing but her nappy.

“Don’t tell me to relax, you didn’t see what I saw!” she snapped. “You didn’t see what he was going to do, how angry he is, how unrestrained. I can’t relax, not until I see that they’re in one piece.”

As she said it, there were four faint pops in the hallway, and then the two Aurors made their way into the room, followed by the twins.

Before anyone could even consider voicing an objection, Solarin was across the room and pulling the boys into a crushing hug, the two of them looking surprised but relieved to be in one piece.

It took a long while for everyone to reassure themselves that the twins were okay, though they couldn’t say the same for the shop.

“It’s all gone,” George said as they sat around the table. “All that stock, up in smoke.”

“Better the stock than you,” Oliver insisted. He had taken hold of his Weasley as soon as Solarin had released her grip on him. He had even refused to let George sit in his own seat, he had yanked him out of the chair he’d chosen and plonked him on his lap, his eyes leaving no room for argument.

“It was Lucius,” Fred said, his eyes red rimmed from smoke, his shaking hands clutching a large glass of bourbon. “Him and Pettigrew and Lestrange and Greyback. Why didn’t anyone mention how fucking huge that werewolf is? I mean, Remus and Sam are pretty solid guys, both would be pretty hard to best in a fistfight, but Greyback…”

“Don’t think about it,” Remus said, more sharply than he had intended. “Greyback is nothing like your average werewolf.”

“I think we can just cross off the ‘were’ part of it,” Sirius said. He was in Remus’ lap, fully unwilling to lose contact with Remus for even an instant. “There’s very little human left in him at this point.”

“So…what do we do?” Arthur asked, changing the subject and allowing Remus to snuggle into Sirius without it being a public display. “About Solarin, I mean. She’s a mess, we can’t keep having this happen. I dread to think of how well she would handle it if this happened again.”

“Where is she?” Anne questioned.

“Bill managed to convince her to rest,” Severus said. “He’s taken her to lie down.” The Potions Master sighed, glancing over to Harry, who was still sitting on the kitchen counter under the window with Miri on his lap. The tiny witch was happily patting Smoo, babbling away to it. “As for the early warning system that seems to have developed, Mad Eye will work with her to find a way around it. He thinks she might benefit from clairvoyance lessons once more.”

“When can we start Miri on those?” Harry questioned quietly.

“I asked, love,” Severus said, making his way over and stealing a quick kiss. “Mad Eye says he won’t even consider it until she’s a year old. He says she’s just too young for them.”

“But…”

“I know, but he’s adamant. He says too much too soon could do more harm than good. He told me that she needs to have her control before he starts the lessons. I know it’s hard to wait, love, but it really is the best thing for her.”

It took a moment, but Harry eventually sighed and nodded, leaning in to kiss Severus to reassure himself, his slim fingers combing through Miri’s curls.

“What about Lucius and his little sycophants?” Sirius questioned.

“Got away, again,” Arthur supplied.

They all groaned.

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“Harry?”

Severus winced as the heavy book tumbled to the floor, landing on his little husbands toes with a thud.

The Potions Master hurried over, helping his lover onto the bed and taking the sore foot in his hands. Harry hissed as his long fingers rubbed the reddened toes.

“I’m sorry I startled you, love,” Severus murmured. “I should’ve hummed or whistled or something.”

“It wasn’t you,” Harry said, his cheeks reddening, looking anywhere but at his husband. “It was my fault.”

“Of course it wasn’t,” Severus argued.

“But I-” Harry’s mouth snapped shut.

Severus peered at his lover, scrutinizing how embarrassed he looked. “Harry, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing!” Harry cried, too quickly for Severus’ liking.

“Harry…you know, whatever it is, you can tell me. There is nothing that will make me love you any less,” he cajoled.

“But I shouldn’t have been doing it.”

“Doing what?”

“Looking through your things,” Harry whispered.

Severus glanced down at the book that had landed on his husbands toes. It was a photo album, his photo album. It contained all the pictures he had of his parents, and the ones of Solarin as a child, as well as pictures from his own schooldays and the copies of Harry’s own photographs.

He picked it up and smoothed his hand over the embossed leather cover.

“I don’t mind you looking at this,” Severus said quietly. “There’s nothing in my past I’m too ashamed of, not with you, anyway. I have no troubles having you know anything you wanted to know.”

“But I didn’t ask. I should have asked.”

“Well, yes, it is good manners to ask before looking through another person’s things, but…Harry, are you waiting for me to yell at you for looking at this without asking?”

He saw his beet red husband nod guiltily and sighed. He gathered Harry into his arms, pressing the book into his hands.

“I’m not your relatives, I’m not going to yell at you,” Severus said, his voice quiet but firm. “It’s been ages since you’ve let the thought of them get to you like this. Can I ask what’s set this off?”

“I was just thinking.”

“Mmmm.”

“And…your photo’s…they made me think…of-of all the times I got left with Mrs Figg.”

“Mrs. Figg? Arabella? How do you know Arabella?”

“She was the neighbor they left me with.”

“Left you with? When?”

“Every year on Dudley’s birthday, while they took him out, and they used to leave me with her when they went on holiday.”

It all suddenly clicked into place for the confused older man.

“Harry…all those stories you’ve told me, about Dudley. When he got sunburnt in Benidorm, and food poisoning in Madrid, those stories of holidays your relatives went on…you didn’t go with them, did you?”

“No.”

“And my pictures…You were looking at these ones, weren’t you?” he asked, opening the book to display pictures of a very young Solarin on a Mediterranean beach, her pale skin slightly sunkissed. Harry nodded.

“Harry…me and you, we’ve never really talked about the Dursley’s.”

“Yes, we have.”

“Not really. You’ve told me some things, small moments, things you missed out on, the name calling and that. But there’s a lot that you’ve not told me, isn’t there?”

“Maybe,” Harry mumbled.

“Can I ask you some things about your childhood? Would that be okay, can we talk about it?”

“You promise you won’t get mad at me?”

Severus suppressed his chuckle. “I swear.”

“Then yes, we can talk.”

The Potions Master lay back, propping himself up on a mound of pillows and holding his arms out so Harry could snuggle into him. He considered where to start.

“If I ask you some yes or no questions, would that be easier for you?” he whispered.

Harry nodded into his chest and he kissed the dark hair under his chin.

“Did any of them hit you?”

“Yes,” Harry whispered.

“Often?”

Harry was silent as he thought about it. “Sometimes,” he clarified. “And only Dudley.”

“Name calling?”

“Often.”

“Deprivation?”

“What’s that?”

“Did they ever make you go without food or water? Lock you away? Ignore you?”

“Yes.”

“Which one?”

“All of them. They all did it.”

“What did they deprive you of?”

“Sometimes food, they used to lock me in my cupboard a lot, and they liked to pretend I didn’t exist.”

“How often did they starve you?”

“I don’t know, it just happened. It was just meals here and there.”

Severus bit his tongue. He knew Harry was downplaying it. “Harry, what’s the longest you ever went without food at the Dursley’s?”

“Eight days,” the sprite whispered after a few moments thought.

“Did they ever withhold water?”

“No. They tried once, but I passed out and after that it didn’t happen again.”

“Harry, what did you hate most about living there when you were young, I mean before you were told about magic and such,” Severus asked, changing track.

“That Dudley got sweets and stuff and I didn’t. I couldn’t work out why he got things and not me. I got his hand me downs, but they never bought anything for me if they could help it.”

“What about birthdays and Christmas? Surely they didn’t leave you out then?”

“Yes, they did.”

Severus sighed and hugged Harry closer. He wasn’t so sure that this talking was helping, nor was he convinced that he could do anything to help. There were no Time Turners left, so he couldn’t go back and change anything. He supposed he could be angry at Albus for leaving Harry with his relatives for so long, but what would that do? Just make him angry at Albus all over again. He didn’t need any help with that. Be angry at the Dursley’s? Well, that was a little pointless, Solarin had enough anger over what they did to Dorian for the both of them.

So, he wasn’t going to get angry, or try and change anything. He was just going to make the present better than the past.

As Harry fell asleep, Severus slid him across the bed to an actual pillow and covered him with the blanket Anne had made for them. He made his way downstairs in search of his daughter and the witch who was babysitting.

“Sol.”

“Ah, there you are,” she said as he entered the playroom, disentangling her long hair from Miri’s fist, successfully stopping her from shoving it into her mouth. “Here you go, she can try and eat your hair for a while.”

Severus accepted the baby and chuckled as she squealed at him. “Hello, my beautiful baby girl. Have you been good?”

“Good Sin.”

“Ah, you were good for Solarin were you? That’s my angel.” He gently set her on her squishy behind in the playpen and smiled as she started smashing blocks into each other before shoving one into her mouth.

“How’s Harry?” Solarin questioned.

“Don’t ask,” Severus said simply. “I was wondering…you used to travel when you lived in the muggle world. Was it difficult?”

“Not particularly,” she said as she pulled out her wand and waved it to make all the toys slide back into their rightful places. “I’ll admit, magical ways to travel are faster, but there’s something fun about going by plane, seeing the clouds from that high.”

“I thought you hated heights,” Severus said with a smile.

“A plane has a floor.” She turned around as he beckoned and pulled her hair out of the way so he could take a look at the dressing on her back.

“This needs changing, you’re seeping,” he said, pulling out his wand and summoning the necessary components. He was glad she couldn’t see his grimace as he pulled off the bloodied dressing. “So, you didn’t have any troubles when travelling? Being around that many muggles didn’t set off your abilities?”

“Nope. Strange, it probably should have but I didn’t have any problems.”

“I want to take Harry away somewhere, somewhere warm, with a beach and a pool,” Severus admitted as he rubbed ointment into the stitches Sam had so neatly sewn into his sisters skin.

“And you want to know if it’s safe to take Miri on a plane,” she finished for him. “I don’t see any problems, but to be safe I’d check with Mad Eye.”

“And Lucius?”

“Oh, don’t worry about him. All the boarders have been closed. Once you’re through passport security he won’t be a worry.”

“Are you sure? I know Mad Eye said the muggle authorities were aware of a dangerous criminal on the loose, but…”

“I know, it didn’t stop Sirius so why should it stop Lucius. Firstly, Lucius isn’t an Animagus, I promise you that. Secondly, do you really think Lucius would even dream of you taking Harry out of the country? He’s not that smart, Severus.”

The man laughed. “You have a point. So, how do I actually go about taking Harry and Miri on holiday?”

She held still as he secured the last of the tape on her back and then turned to face him. “Firstly, do the three of you have passports?”

“No. Mine’s out of date and I know Harry and Miri don’t have them.”

“Right, so you give all three birth certificates to Arthur and he takes them to the right department in the Ministry and they’ll sort that for you. Second, you’ll need some muggle money to pay for a holiday, which you do at a travel agents. You can find them on most high streets.”

“So…where do I take them?”

She giggled. “There are lots of places. If it was me, I’d say somewhere in the Mediterranean. Best times to go with Harry would probably be the beginning or the end of the tourist seasons, which are April and September, but some places are open as early as the beginning of March, and some are still open right through until November, so it pays to talk to a travel agent. If you want, I could get you some brochures when I’m out tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

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Remus had picked the moment with great care.

He had ensured that Sirius had enjoyed the dinner at the expensive restaurant, and consumed at least a bottle of wine. Then they had gone to bed in an expensive hotel with pure white Egyptian cotton sheets and lots of easily melting chocolate. He had teased Sirius until he couldn’t think straight and then taken him until there wasn’t a thought in that pretty little head.

And, now that they were laying there in a state of post-coital bliss, Remus knew he was never going to get a better moment.

“Sirius?”

“Mmmm,” the Pureblood moaned, too blissed out to form an articulate response.

“You know how we really trust Charlie with Nixie?”

“Mmmmm.”

“Well…I think they had sex.”

Remus counted off the stunned moments of silence in his head as he waited for what he’d said to sink in.

“You think what?” Sirius rasped, his throat sore from all the screaming he’d done.

“I think they had sex.”

“And you think this…why?”

“Her scent has changed, and there’s something different about them, about the way they are with each other,” Remus explained.

Sirius was silent for a long while and Remus let him be.

“Are you sure about this?” Sirius asked, rolling onto his side so he could cuddle into his lover.

“As sure as I can be without actually asking one of them,” Remus said, fingers playing with the long dark waterfall of his husband’s hair.

Sirius sighed and Remus waited patiently for his sweet puppy to calm his rising rage.

“And I can’t kill him?” Sirius questioned.

“No, she’d never forgive you.” Remus sighed. “Sirius, I don’t like it anymore than you do, I promise you that. But Nixie isn’t a baby, she is a grown woman, and we knew this day would come. We knew what we were letting ourselves in for when we adopted her. I don’t know what we can do about this, except be aware of it.”

Sirius didn’t have anything to say to that, so he suddenly surged upright, climbing over his husband to take his mouth in a bruising kiss, reaching down to stroke him.

“You think sex is the answer to all life’s problems,” Remus said before he threw his head back and moaned.

“Sex usually is the answer to a problem.”

Or, at least it took his mind off things for a while.

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The days drifted by in a pleasantly calm fashion. There were no new major developments, the usual letters and packages from Lucius, but nothing that would really worry anyone. Fred and George had taken over one of the basement rooms and were busy making things explode again, happily buying a whole army of owls to handle all the mail orders they were getting. People had taken to the new way of getting their products like ducks to water, and the boys were soon roping Remus and Sirius into helping them.

Sirius had decided that ignoring the fact that his daughter may or may not be having sex was the only way to deal with it without his head exploding, or him killing Charlie. Remus had, discreetly, taken Charlie aside and asked him, his heart sinking when his suspicions proved to be right. He had told the former Dragon Tamer in no uncertain terms that if Nixie ended up pregnant or hurt in any way, he wasn’t going to get between Charlie and Sirius. The redhead had nodded and sworn that Nixie was safe with him, in all considerations of the word.

Solarin was taking to her lessons with Mad Eye, and there had been no more little accidents to her skin.

Severus had discussed it with Molly and Arthur and the zoo trip had been postponed until the summer, when they knew for definite that Ron and Hermione could attend and see their children’s first foray into magical wildlife.

The ex-teacher had discreetly given Arthur the three birth certificates and a small bag of galleons and the father of seven had returned the precious pieces of paper two weeks later, along with three passports. They would be perfectly legal on muggle computer systems.

“Harry?”

The young Gryffindor looked up from his potions essay into the dark eyes watching him.

“Do you remember how we were talking about the photographs in my album?”

He nodded.

“Well, how would you like to go on a trip?”

“You mean…like a holiday?”

“Yes, a holiday. Me, you and Miri.”

“What about Lucius?”

“Not a problem once we’re through passport control. We can go anywhere you like.”

“Really?” Harry said, a hesitant smile growing across his face. “Anywhere?”

“Anywhere you want. I got Solarin to pick these up,” he said, placing a stack of travel brochures in front of his lover. “Why don’t you have a look and let me know where you want to go.”

Harry ran his fingertips over the smooth covers. All those times the Dursley’s had told him he was a dirty little boy, that he didn’t deserve things like Dudley did, that freaks couldn’t have nice things like holidays. And now, here it was, everything he had wanted. People who loved him, a family, nice things like holidays, and new clothes and things that the Dursley’s considered pointless, like books and crafts and stuffed toys…

“Harry?” Severus asked, confused by the sudden tears in his lovers eyes. “What’s wrong, love? We don’t have to go away if you don’t want to.”

“No, you don’t understand. I do want it…I just…it’s…”

Severus reached out and pulled Harry into his arms, stroking his hair away from his eyes. “Come on, sweetheart, you can tell me.”

“You really want to spend all this money on me?”

Severus suppressed his violent tendencies, reminding himself once again that it would do no good to land himself in Azkaban for the murder of the Dursley’s.

“If I could, I’d spend all the money in the world on you. You’re worth every last knut and penny.”

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Severus first noticed the stiffening of his husband beside him at the breakfast table, then the shudders that went through Miri and Solarin, and finally the tears that sprang, seemingly from nowhere, to Dorian’s eyes.

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

The old wizard moved fully into the room, giving up his space in the doorway, which was then filled by a rather fat blond young man.

“What is he doing here?” Harry questioned, his grip on the table so tight it made his knuckles white.

“I’m not here to cause trouble, I swear,” the boy said, because he was really little more than a boy. “I need your help, I didn’t know who else to ask.”

“Who is he, Albus? Harry?” Remus asked. “I feel like I’m missing something.”

“This is Dudley Dursley,” Albus said, and a ripple of understanding went round the room.

Solarin reached out and unbuckled Dorian from his booster seat, letting the tiny boy burrow into her collarbone. Dudley’s eyes watched him, watched the two of them and his cheeks pinkened.

“Sit down,” Harry said. “If you’re going to ask for a favour, you might as well have some breakfast.”

Dudley took the seat he was directed to, and thanked Molly as politely as he could when she passed him a plate of bacon and eggs.

“So, what is it that you want from us?” Severus asked as the silence stretched.

“It’s Sophia. I swear I didn’t know, I swear it. But…”

“Spit it out,” Solarin snapped, her shirt soaked from Dorian’s tears.

“She gave birth to a baby girl this morning. She’s rejecting it, just like she did him.” He motioned to Dorian, who was peeking at him through Solarin’s long hair.

“You got her pregnant again?” Arthur asked incredulously. “After what she put Dorian through, after what your parents did to him…”

“She swore to me she was on the Pill!” he protested. “I wore condoms every time, I was careful even if she wasn’t! This isn’t my doing!”

“Enough!” Anne interrupted. “Stop throwing blame about. The point is that this girl got pregnant, again.”

“Why did she go through with the pregnancy if she didn’t want it?” Sam asked. “Surely a termination would have been kinder than this.”

“She told me she was going to…and then it just never happened,” Dudley said. “When I pressed her, she said she wanted another chance, another go at it. Said she was older now, said she could handle it. It seemed perfect. She got a flat of her own, got baby stuff, went to all the classes. Everyone said she was doing amazing. And then the baby arrived. She keeps saying things, how it’s not normal and all that, all the stuff she used to say about Dorian. I stood by and let it happen to him, and I’m not proud of that. I don’t want it to happen to another child. So I went to Mrs. Figg, got her to call Professor Dumbledore.”

“I have seen the infant,” Albus said. “She has the look of a witch about her, but I cannot be sure.”

“Solarin could be,” Bill said. “You can do that, right, baby? You can tell if this baby is magical?”

“I could, if I was in the room with her. But what if she is, what then?” she replied.

“Even if she isn’t, I can’t leave her with Sophia,” Dudley said. “She won’t even hold her.”

“What about you taking her? She is your daughter,” Harry said accusingly, holding his own daughter close.

“I’m going off to university in a few months, I can’t do that with a baby in tow. And I don’t want my parents to have her.” He sighed. “I didn’t want another baby, I made that clear to her. What happened to Dorian was bad enough, but another one? It’s not fair. She’s a tiny baby, she didn’t ask for any of this. I want her to have a good home, a family who love her. I…I want you to take her.”

There was stunned silence for a moment.

“Us?” Molly questioned. “You want us to take her?”

“Not you. Them,” he said, motioning to Bill and Solarin. “You took Dorian. You could take this one. A baby sister for him.”

The silence was deafening as the two looked at each other, conversation passing between them.

[We could,] Bill said. [I wanted to give you a baby.]

[Somehow, I don’t think this was quite the way you pictured it,] she countered, stroking their sons dark curls as conversation curled up around them. The family had descended into talking amongst themselves, giving the couple time to discuss.

[Well, it wasn’t the way I pictured it when we got Dor. Who’s to say that this baby won’t be just as amazing?]

She smiled. [You want this? Because I don’t want to take on a baby if we’re not sure.]

[I don’t think anyone’s ever completely sure about having a baby. But…I have a good feeling about this. And we know Dor wants a sibling.]

She chuckled. [I know it’s all he talks about, how he wants a brother or a sister like Daddy has.]

[I want to give him this. And we can, just by saying yes.]

“What about the authorities? Don’t they have something to say about this?” Solarin questioned Dudley.

“I have seen to it that we will get the chance to take care of this before they intervene,” Albus said. “I thought it would be wise to ask you first.”

“I can’t believe this,” Severus snarled. “You’re doing it again, you’re playing with us, with our lives. Why do you feel it acceptable to drag everyone in this family into your games?”

Everyone fell silent, watching Albus look at his old student with a look of pain.

“I never wished to play with you, Severus, it was never my intention,” Albus said quietly. “I am truly sorry that you feel I view you in such a way.”

“How could I not? You have sat by and done nothing while Harry was neglected and verbally abused by the Dursley’s, you did nothing when Sirius was sent to prison, you lied to Solarin and I about our father. Shall I go on, or do you need no more examples of your manipulation?”

“Severus, stop,” Harry said, catching his lips for a kiss. “This isn’t about me, or Sirius, or you. This is about a baby.”

“He’s right,” Molly said, glossing over the giant hippogriff in the room. “How about this? Solarin goes with Albus and Dudley to take a look at this baby. If Sophia consents, Solarin will bring the baby back here. We can decide the specifics later.”

They all agreed and Solarin passed Dorian to Bill, giving them both quick kisses, before following Albus and Dudley out. The bus ride to the hospital was an eternity without any conversation. The hospital was as cold and unfriendly a place as she had imagined it to be, as most hospitals were. Dudley mumbled that Sophia was on the eighth floor.

Solarin could hear the angry screaming of a young woman and the wails of a distressed baby long before they exited the elevator. She looked at Dudley.

“I told you she didn’t want her,” he said with a shrug.

As they entered the room, Solarin was struck by how much the crying baby looked like her little Dorian. Pale skin, curls (though these were a bright red), the same shape to the cheeks and chin. The tiny little girl was red-faced, her arms wide, as if she was screaming for someone to hold her.

The augur let her gaze fall on the furious looking young woman in bed, glaring at Dudley.

“Where the fuck have you been?” she spat at him. “I told you to take it away, I told you that, now fucking do it!”

“Sophia, this is Solarin. Her and her husband are the ones who took Dorian,” Albus said. Sophia locked her gaze with the witch.

“Good. You can take this one too.”

Solarin wasn’t quite sure what to say, so she strode forwards and picked up the baby. She was so terrified, the baby was so small and fragile looking. What if she dropped her? Immediately the ear-splitting shrieks stopped, the baby letting out a few hiccups before yawning, her blue eyes looking up at Solarin with such a surprised look about them that Solarin had to giggle.

“She’s beautiful,” Albus murmured in her ear as Mad-Eye slipped into the room. The old wizard reached out and stroked a tiny hand.

“I don’t care how beautiful it is, it’s not right,” Sophia spat. “Just like the other one, full of all that freakishness.”

Solarin clamped her tongue between her teeth and let her natural senses stretch outwards, drawing the child in. Ah, there is was, the bright spark deep in the baby, the magical core still developing. She pulled her magic back, leaving the fragile magical core as it was. What it needed was stability, not to be interfered with.

“Well?” Dudley questioned. “Is she?”

“Give Sol the chance,” Mad-Eye said, pulling out papers. “If you sign these, it will terminate your parental rights, leaving the baby free for adoption.” Sophia made a greedy grab for them and Mad-Eye held them out of her reach. “You have to mean this. Once you sign, it can’t be taken back. Once you sign, you give her up and never get another chance. You need to be sure.”

“I am sure,” the muggle woman spat. “I don’t want it. I don’t care what happens to it, so give me the fucking papers and get it out of here.”

At Albus’ nod, Mad-Eye handed the papers over. Sophia signed them and they disappeared with a pop. Dudley, however, wasn’t so quick to give up another child.

“She’ll be okay, right?” he asked quietly. “I mean, she’s going to a good home, isn’t she? You’ll love her and take care of her and all that…won’t you?”

“Of course,” Solarin said. “She’ll be safe and happy and loved, I swear it.” She paused. “She is a witch, Albus was right.”

Dudley stared for a moment at the baby in her arms before pulling his set of papers closer and signing them with a steady hand. They disappeared with a pop and he looked at the baby once more.

“Can I hold her before you take her?”

Solarin handed the baby over to him and let him walk a little way away. Her gaze fell on Sophia.

“You know, people like you disgust me. How can you punish a child for something he or she has no control over?” she snarled.

“What the fuck would you know about it? You have no idea, I could have died bringing those kids into the world,” Sophia retaliated.

“And so that gives you the right to verbally abuse them? Because they don’t fit into some tiny box that can label them as normal? You’ve been blessed with two beautiful healthy children, without even trying, and yet you throw them away because they won’t fit into neat little categories? No, you’re worse than that, you verbally abuse them, neglect them, make them believe that there’s something fundamentally wrong with them because they’re different from you.”

Sophia glared at her. “At least I had my own kids instead of taking someone else’s,” she sneered.

Solarin realised the futility of arguing with her. Sophia was always going to turn it around to make herself feel better. She sighed and took the baby that Dudley was handing to her before following Albus out of the hospital.

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Harry found Severus curled up on their bed, staring out the window at the slowly falling snow. It didn’t show any signs of letting up, and no one was leaving the house unless they had to.

Harry climbed onto the bed behind him and nestled his chin in the crook of Severus’ neck, wrapping his arm over his waist.

“You can’t keep doing this, you know,” Harry murmured. “You can’t keep being angry at him.”

“Why not? Come on, tell me I’m wrong, that Albus hasn’t manipulated all of us in one way or another,” Severus replied.

“No, I’m not saying that you’re wrong. I’m just saying that this anger can’t be good for you. Severus, why focus on the past? It doesn’t help anyone,” Harry rationalised.

“I can’t help it,” Severus sighed. “I’m just so angry at him.”

“And there’s nothing wrong with the way you feel. I’m just saying that it’s doing no one any good to have this tension between the two of you, having you snapping at him all the time. How can you possibly forgive him if you don’t give him the chance to earn forgiveness?”

Severus rolled onto his back, looking up into the striking green eyes.

“You can be very wise sometimes, do you know that?” he said, reaching up to tangle his fingers in Harry’s messy locks.

“It’s just the truth,” the Gryffindor murmured, his cheeks going pink.

Severus reached up and pulled Harry into a scorching kiss, slipping his tongue between pliant lips, tangling with the tongue seeking his. He felt himself harden as Harry climbed astride him, feeling Harry’s hardness pressing into his abdomen. His hands slid down, fingertips finding the hem of Harry’s jumper, pulling at the t-shirt beneath and growling at the vest.

“Damnable clothing!” he snarled and Harry giggled.

“We can’t do anything, anyways,” he said, sitting up, making Severus whine and try to pull him back down.

“Why not?” he asked petulantly.

“Because your sister is about to return with a brand new baby, and we have nothing for it. No clothes, nowhere for it to sleep. What about bottles and formula? A baby has to eat.”

“Send someone to get that stuff then, and we can get back to…”

“But I wanted to go.”

Severus froze, protests rising to his lips before he could stop them.

“Don’t,” Harry demanded. “Don’t tell me how dangerous it is. I know that. Don’t tell me how you only want me to be safe, I know that too. I’ll be with you, and we won’t be long. Just a few shops, get the things for the baby, and a trip to a bookshop, and then home.”

“Bookshop? Are there not enough tomes in the house for you?”

“There are plenty of books, but not on the subject I want. And I’ll even let you drag me into that potions supply shop that you love so much.”

Severus was silent for a while and then he sighed. “You promise to let me hover?”

“I promise.”

“And Miri?”

“Well…I would leave her with Molly or Nana or someone, but Mad-Eye says I can’t. He says she’s too young, that until she’s at least a year, her abilities won’t handle me being not in the same building as her.”

“When did he say this?” Severus couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice.

“I asked him yesterday if I could go out without her. He said she’s not ready, that she’ll use her abilities to try and find me and it’ll stretch her further than she’s ready for, that it’ll do her damage.”

“Well, that changes things…What did you want a book on?”

“Vegan.”

“Being a vegan, or just what it is?”

“Both. Sam was talking to Remus and they used the word vegan. What is it?”

“A vegan is a person, someone who practices veganism, which is abstaining from the use of and consumption of animal products.”

“Can I have that in English?” Harry said with a smile.

Severus chuckled. “I’ve taught a few, two or three were Slytherin’s. I don’t claim to be an expert, but as I understand it, vegans don’t eat meat, milk, butter, cheese, eggs, fish of any kind. They don’t consume any milk derived product, such as yogurts or ice cream. Nothing from an animal in any way. The ones I taught wouldn’t even consider anything with honey in, they had their uniform items specially made so they didn’t contain wool, wouldn’t wear leather shoes, wouldn’t use quills made from feathers gathered by killing the birds, only ones that had been shed. It’s quite rare in the Wizarding world, not so rare in the Muggle world.”

“Oh.” Harry was silent, working it all through. “Why did they do it?”

“Most were because they were against animal suffering. A couple were for health reasons, something about the allergens in milk and hormones in meat. I must admit, I didn’t pay much attention, other than to ensure they actually had something on the Slytherin table that they could eat. Albus and I had to liaise with the House Elves quite extensively over that one. They got quite confused, kept putting eggs in things.”

“And they could live on a no-animal diet?”

“They prefer it called plant-based, and yes, they lived quite well on it. They were all quite healthy. As I remember, none of them ever caught a cold or some other bug. I could be wrong, but they seemed healthier than most of my other students.”

“Well, I thought a book on it might be a good thing. You keep telling me that if I want to know about things then a book is the first place I should go to find out,” Harry reasoned.

Severus saw the look of excitement in Harry’s eyes and pushed down his own reservations. Harry wasn’t a prisoner, he had done nothing wrong, he should be able to pop to the shops when he wanted to.

“All right, love. Go get your boots on, I’ll get Miri’s baby bag ready.”

Harry took his breath away with a deep kiss and then scampered off the bed, making Severus chuckle. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm down. It would be okay, he told himself. One little shopping trip wouldn’t be the end of the world.

He used all he knew about Lucius to reassure himself. Lucius hated the cold, he remembered the blond as practically hibernating during the winter months, so the snow and wind would put him off. And (Severus could feel the smile spreading across his face) if he and Harry went shopping in the Muggle world, Lucius would be nowhere to be seen. Lucius had a deep seated hatred of anything Muggle.

Harry was carefully putting Miri into her little snowsuit when Severus entered the kitchen. Sirius drew him aside.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked worriedly. “What about Lucius?”

“Lucius hates the Muggle world. Harry will be fine.” He looked over to his husband. “Ready, love?” he called.

“Ready,” Harry replied with a huge grin. “I thought it might be better to strap her into the pram at the bottom of the steps.”

“I’ve got a blanket to wrap her in, and nappies and wipes. All we need is some nibbles for her and my coat, and we’re good to go.” He made his way over to the cut up fruit on standby for Miri and dropped some apple pieces and grapes into a small plastic box before slipping it into the bag, and grabbing a baby bottle of water from the fridge.

Harry was bouncing Miri, holding out his coat to him and he chuckled. The rest of the family looked worried; Severus and Harry had never gone out without some kind of escort.

“Will you all please take a breath?” Severus said as he pulled on his coat and took Miri, Harry moving away to unfold Miri’s buggy. “We’ll be fine. When Solarin comes back, tell her where we’ve gone.”

And, with that, he and Harry made their way out the door.

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Harry walked along proudly pushing Miri, flushing with happiness at every smile that was given to her. They were in Wood Green in Haringey, on their way to the Mall. It was a huge indoor assortment of over 130 shops. No matter what they could think of to get for the new baby, they were sure to find it there.

“Can we have lunch out?” Harry asked.

“Of course. We can go anywhere you want, love. Baby stuff first, though.”

Harry nodded and let Severus guide him through the automatic doors and along the wide hallways. They passed a Boots, a Sports Direct, a Claire’s Accessories. Severus indulged him in a browse around Evolution, which was full of trinkets and fragile looking things and the smell of incense. They took a look around Tiger, where Harry bought himself a sketchpad, a pair of slippers, a string of battery operated heart shaped lights, a puppet show theatre for the playroom and a whole rainbow of scented candles.

New Look was their next shop, where they both went a little mad. Severus came away with seven pairs of jeans, two hoodies, three jumpers, eight t-shirts, a sea of socks and boxers, pyjamas, slippers, four belts, a scarf, a pair of gloves, and a brand new coat. Harry took a little reassurance, that no one would judge him, that it was perfectly acceptable for a hermaphrodite to wear pink and frills if they wanted to. After he calmed down, Harry filled two baskets, Severus chuckling at his excitement. Harry came away with overflowing carrier bags, containing such things as a pink Sleepy from Snow White wristwatch, panda earmuffs, printed t-shirts from the men’s and women’s sections, jeans and slippers, not to mention underwear and other things.

“Is it bad that we just bought so much for ourselves when we’re meant to be shopping for the baby?” Harry asked as they made their way towards an emporium of girly delights.

“No,” Severus said without hesitation. “We’ve never gone out like this, just you and I. Why not enjoy it. Now, which hairclips do you like best?”

Harry followed Severus around the shop, looking at the different hairbands and hairclips and various other things on offer, trying to decide which would look prettiest in Miri’s dark curls. They had started to fall into her eyes and she was getting annoyed by them.

“She’s beautiful.”

Harry looked around from his contemplation of some clips with bows on to find one of the shop assistants smiling at Miri.

“Thank you,” he said.

“How old is she?”

“Almost ten months.”

“Have you seen our deal on ear piercing?”

“Ear piercing?” Harry asked weakly, afraid that he knew exactly where this was headed.

Severus began to make his way across the shop, dropping the flower shaped clips onto a random display that he passed. Pierce his daughters ears? The poor little thing wasn’t even a year old yet, she hadn’t even mastered standing on her own yet. She was far too young for jewelry.

“All our starter kits have stainless steel backs, and there’s a wide range to choose from. Our prices start at £15. We’re the ear piercing specialists.”

“I don’t think-”

“It’s painless, she won’t feel a thing. Tiny little pinch and then, done,” she barreled on and Harry looked up at Severus, shaking his head.

“I don’t think so,” Severus said.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I was discussing this with another customer.”

“You were talking about sticking a piece of metal through our daughter’s ears. I’m sorry, but it’s not going to happen,” Severus said.

“Your daughter?” she echoed, looking between the three Potter-Snape’s.

“Yes, OUR daughter,” Severus repeated.

“But…but you’re both men.”

“Your point?” Harry asked testily.

“He’s old!” she exclaimed, motioning at Severus.

Severus slipped his arm across Harry’s chest. “I think it’s time we were going, love,” he said. “I don’t think our baby needs anything from here after all. We’ll go find another shop, with assistants that have manners.”

They dropped the things they had already picked up and strode from the shop, Harry seething inside the whole way. His mood was consistently dark until Severus guided him into the baby department of Primark. Harry brightened considerably as his lover gave him free reign to pick out as many vest, socks, onesies, booties, hats and blankets as he liked. Severus noticed a few items clearly meant for Miri made their way into their basket, but he said nothing. Miri’s wardrobe was full of clothes that other people had bought, and things Harry had ordered on catalogues. The sprite had never gotten the chance to shop for his own baby before, and he saw no reason not to indulge him.

After paying for their three baskets of clothes, Severus walked Harry to the bathrooms and reassured him that he would be waiting right there when he was finished. Harry leaned in and kissed him before taking the baby bag and Miri and disappearing into the mother and baby bathroom to change her nappy. Severus looked around before crouching down and making a show of readjusting the bags, subtly casting a spell to shrink it all to fit in one of the bags.

Their next stop was Wilkinsons, where they picked up a sterilizer, bottles, formula, nappies, wipes, powder, shampoo, and all manner of other things that a baby could need. They waited patiently while one of the shop assistants disappeared into the back to get the pram and Moses basket they had requested. Before long, they had paid and were trying to decide what to eat.

“How about that place?” Severus said, motioning to a Burger King while wrestling with the plastic tag on the rag doll Miri has squealed for in the shop.

“Peas,” the tiny girl said, reaching out to it. “Peas, Dada.”

“Just a moment, sweetheart, just a moment,” he reassured as he managed to snap the binding plastic. “There we go.”

She giggled as he handed it to her, giggling and hugging it around the neck, her little fingers finding the ruffles on the dolls dress sleeves.

Severus found he was glad that they had managed to stow the monster truck she had also fallen in love with under the pram before she had demanded it. It wouldn’t have fit in the seat with her.

Harry found a table and dragged over a highchair while Severus got their food and then he found a strange delight in watching Miri take apart her burger, sucking on the bun and trying to get her new dolly to eat her fries.

“I’m glad we did this,” Harry murmured, reaching over to wipe ketchup off of Miri’s nose.

Severus felt instant guilt. “You shouldn’t feel so glad for something so small,” he said. “I should take you out more often. This shouldn’t be such a rarity.”

“But you know why I don’t go out very often,” Harry said, nibbling on an onion ring. “It’s not just Lucius. I don’t like being the centre of attention, no matter what the papers say.”

Out of habit, Severus glanced around to ensure they weren’t being overheard.

Harry took a sip of his coke, reaching over to hand Miri her bottle of water. “We’re almost finished. You want anything else?”

“Not that I can think of.” Severus glanced up at the menu’s above the servers heads. “How about an ice cream?”

“Ice cream sounds great, but I was actually talking about shopping,” Harry said with a giggle. “Are there any more places we need to go?”

“Ah. Well, you wanted a book, didn’t you? We might be able to get it in the WHSmith downstairs.”

“Okay.”

They finished eating and made their way down in the lift, Severus content to let Harry browse to his heart’s content in WHSmith. They found a book on veganism to answer Harry’s questions, and then wandered over to the kids department.

“Severus?”

“Hmmm?”

“Do you want more children?”

Severus looked up from the picture book he was looking at. He had been trying to decide if it would be something Dorian would like.

“Of course I do,” he said. “If they’re anything like Miri, I’d like as many as we can produce. But I thought you didn’t want any more just yet.”

“I would like to graduate before being pregnant again, I’m not gonna lie about it. Studying was hard while pregnant.”

“I remember all the times you made things explode,” Severus said with a smirk.

“Rub it in,” Harry said. “You know, Mad-Eye thinks it might have been Miri doing that, that somehow her magical core was affecting mine.”

“Makes sense, seeing how powerful she is, it wouldn’t surprise me.” Severus plucked another book from the shelf, glancing at the back of it. “Harry, do you want more children soon?”

“I think I do. I want to give you one of your own.”

“Miri is mine,” Severus said. “I will never think of her in any other way. She is my daughter.”

“But…I mean…well, don’t you want one of your blood?”

“Blood is just a liquid, Harry.”

“But I want one we made together.”

It all clicked into place in Severus’ head. “You want one made out of love, instead of the way Miri happened.”

“Yes. Is…is that wrong?” Harry questioned. “I love Miri, more than anything.” He looked down at the little girl twiddling with the bows in her doll’s hair. “I wouldn’t change her for anything. But…I want one I have no doubts about keeping. I want one we made together.”

“Then we’ll aim for that when we try, and enjoy practicing in the meantime.”

“I was thinking…what about if we started trying for another baby after I graduate?”

“That sounds like a good plan.”

“So, we’re going to try?” The excitement in Harry’s voice was impossible to mistake.

“As soon as you’ve left school, we’ll try for another baby.”

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Bill could feel the nerves coming off his wife in waves, and the excitement in the tiny squirming boy in his arms.

“Can I hold the baby?” Dorian asked, looking around at his gathered family members.

“Of course you can, baby,” Solarin said. “Sit on someone’s lap and you can hold her.”

Dorian wriggled until Bill put him down and clambered up onto Remus’ lap, grinning as his mother came forwards with the baby. She placed the tiny girl in Dorian’s arms, Remus’ arms coming around to hold both baby and toddler steady.

“What do you think, buddy?” Bill asked. “Can she stay?”

Dorian contemplated the baby. She was small and warm and felt good to cuddle like this. “I ‘apose,” he said. “Will she call you mummy and daddy too?”

“I don’t know,” Solarin said. “How would you feel about that?”

“I guess that would be okay,” he declared. “And I get to be her big brudder, like daddy has brudders?”

“Yes, you’d get to be her big brother.”

“Then she can stay. Can Uncle Fwed play twains wiv me?”

“Of course,” Fred said as Solarin picked up the baby again. “Come on, little dude.”

Dorian scampered off with Fred following him and Solarin sat down at the table, looking down at the baby in her arms.

In the hour since she had picked up the baby at the hospital, Solarin had come to feel comfortable with the slight weight in her arms. It felt different than when she held Miri, or Catherine, or Joseph. When she held them it was a good weight in her arms but she didn’t feel the spark that she felt now. It felt the way it did when she held Dorian, like some small piece of her had fallen into place, that she was complete now, without even knowing she was missing something.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Bill sing-songed into her ear, reaching out to stroke one flaming curl on the baby’s head.

“Well, we are linked,” she replied.

“I don’t need to look in your head, it’s written all over your face.” He chuckled as she busied herself with straightening the sleeve of the white onesie, her pale cheeks tinted slightly pink. “So…what do you want to name her?”

“I…haven’t the slightest clue,” she said with a giggle.

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Severus carried Miri into the kitchen, only to have Molly pluck the baby out of his arms and the witch push him back out the door. He looked over his shoulder to see Remus chuckling.

“Harry is waiting for you in the dining room,” Remus said. “He said he wanted you all to himself, so we’ll take care of Miri for tonight.”

The Potions Master hesitated for a moment, watching as Miri squealed and babbled at Sirius as he strapped her into her highchair, clapping as Sam brought her bowl over. He took a deep breath before walking away, leaving her to someone else’s care. He paused in the door of the dining room, nervous as to what he’d find.

As far as he knew, the dining room was a room that no one liked. It had too many associations to Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Severus himself had attended a few meetings in this room. It had been shut up the entire time Severus had lived in this house, aside from the few occasions Nixie used the wide windows to watch the rain.

As he opened the door, Severus was stuck by the pure beauty of what lay before him. Diaphanous cloths in every shade of blue he could imagine lay draped over every bulky piece pushed against the walls; candles sat on every available surface, their flickering light casting warm shadows on the walls, masking any flaws in the scene. The main dining table, something designed to seat 16, was ignored, in favour of a smaller table for two sitting under the window.

It was here that he found sight of his little husband. Harry was dressed in his best tailored black jeans and slim fitting green shirt, the one that Severus loved him in. On the table Harry was setting the finishing touches to what looked like toad in the hole with mashed potatoes and gravy.

“Harry?”

The little brunet looked at him and bestowed him with a dazzling smile. “You’re right on time,” Harry praised. “Miri with Remus?”

“Yes. Harry…what am I right on time for?”

“Our anniversary dinner,” he said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Anniversary,” Severus breathed, feeling guilt tug at him. He had completely forgotten, and, subsequently, had not done anything, not even a gift.

“You forgot,” Harry said, his green eyes glittering with amusement as he took Severus’ hand and pulled him into the room, casting his wand at the door as it slipped shut, assuring that they would be neither disturbed or overheard.

“Sorry,” Severus mumbled, feeling like an errant schoolboy who had forgotten his homework.

Harry pulled him down into a possessive kiss, Severus surrendering to the ravishment.

“I forgive you,” Harry whispered against his lips. “I made you dinner, your favourite.”

“I see. You made all of this all on your own?”

“Yes,” he replied, leading the taller man to the small table. “I wanted to do something special.”

“And now I feel worse that I forgot,” Severus muttered and Harry’s smile froze. “Oh, love, I didn’t mean that I don’t adore what you’ve done. I just wish I’d remembered, done something just as special for you.”

“Well, you can do something special after dinner…in bed,” Harry said, as blunt as Severus had ever heard him and still a shiver went through him at the possessive tone.

“Absolutely.”

It turned out that Harry had made a full three-course meal from scratch, without so much as a knife being handed to him. The only thing he had had some help with was getting the ingredients, which Charlie had done for him.

The starter was grilled scallops with a light salad, the main was the toad in the hole with mash and gravy, and the desert was a decadent chocolate mousse.

Severus leaned back in his seat and moaned his appreciation. It was late in the night, and he was sure everyone else had made it to bed already, but he and Harry were in no rush. It was their first marriage anniversary, why rush? No, they would take their sweet time. Several bottles of expensive fruit juice lay discarded, and Severus found that he hadn’t minded in the slightest that they were not alcohol.

Severus smiled as Harry flicked his wand at the wireless in the corner, a slow soothing melody floating to them. Severus rounded the table and pulled Harry up into his arms, leading him into an open area of the room and began to slowly turn with him. Harry rested his head on his chest, hearing the strong steady heartbeat under his cheek.

“Harry?”

“Hmmm?”

“Are you happy…with me?”

“Happy? Of course I’m happy with you,” Harry replied without hesitation. “I love you.”

Severus smiled to himself, pressing a kiss to the wild dark tresses beneath his chin. “I love you too.”

They danced for what seemed to be hours, Severus stealing kisses every now and then, his hands roaming from a very respectable spot on Harry’s waist, to his back, then his hips and then finally sliding down to cup the pert little buttocks.

“Severus…”

“Mmmmm?”

Harry reached up and pulled Severus down into a kiss, making the older man’s toes curl in pleasure as his tongue forced its way into his mouth, tangling with his own. Before he could blink, Severus had backed the little Gryffindor up against the wall, his hand fumbling around to try and find the doorframe so he could find the handle. While they had made love in many rooms of the house, tonight was special, and he decided that the occasion called for their bed.

It took a rather long time to get up the stairs, what with all the stops along the way for kisses and touches, caresses and gropes. They finally made it to their room and managed to get the door closed and the necessary spells in place before Severus pulled Harry close and busied himself with removing the clothes getting between his hands and Harry’s skin.

He peppered the pale skin with kisses, licking where he knew would make Harry writhe and moan, nipping where it would cause the sprite to jerk as pleasure shot through him. Severus admired the sight of Harry lying naked on their bed for a moment before ducking down and engulfing as much of Harry’s straining erection in his mouth as he could, using his hand to stroke the rest of the thick shaft, the fingers of his other hand slipping down to weigh Harry’s testicles, the angle allowing him to caress the elfin beauty’s clit with the very tip of his finger.

Harry lost himself, went mindless with the pleasure until his world exploded and his release shot down Severus’ throat.

Severus pulled back, licking his lips and looking over the shaking form on the bed. He used the distraction climax had brought to Harry to disrobe, leaving his clothes in a careless pile by the bed. He retrieved the lube from the bedside cabinet and crawled onto the bed, curling himself around the relaxed form of his lover.

“Mmmm,” Harry hummed when his senses returned. “That was wicked.”

“Indeed,” Severus agreed, dipping his head to nibble at Harry’s neck, the younger man tilting his head back to allow further exploration. Harry was as still as he could be for a little while, and then he grew tired of Severus’ teasing and took matters into his own hands, he reached down and took Severus in hand, making the older man cry out in strangled pleasure as Harry teased the head of his cock with the tip of a finger, just the slightest pressure.

“Harry…fuuuuuuck…please, love!” Severus cried and Harry giggled.

“Please, what?”

“I don’t know! Something, anything!”

Harry leaned in and slipped a gentle kiss from the slack lips before smiling at his lover.

“You wanted to do something special for me, yes?”

“Yes.”

“Then…I want you to take me like this.”

Severus released Harry from his hold and watched as Harry turned onto his side, looking over his shoulder at him. Severus stared at him in awed silence as he took in the sight. A long pale back, round hairless buttocks, silky thighs.

Severus moulded himself to his lovers back, dipping his head to kiss his neck.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I want it this way. We’ve never tried it this way before, and Tonks’ magazine said it was a gentle position.”

“It’s not wrong,” Severus agreed. “In this position, I have no choice but to be gentle. Are you sure you want tender?”

“Yes, this time I want tender.”

Nothing more was said as Severus coated himself in lube, squeezing out more of the slick gel onto his fingers before reaching down to carefully caress his lovers silken inner walls, spreading the lube as he went.

When he was sure that Harry was as ready as he could be, he slowly eased himself into the tight welcoming heat, sighing as he was fully seated, feeling Harry reach back to tangle fingers in his hair. They were still for what seemed to be both an eternity and not long enough at all.

Slowly, Severus began to move, hearing Harry’s quiet moan. He slipped his arm under Harry’s neck so he could hold him closer, his other hand going down to grip the sharp rise of Harry’s hip. The sprite had pushed his knee forwards, opening himself as much as he could in such a position, trying to push back into the thrusts and finding how hard it was. He was at Severus’ mercy, and he reveled in it.

There was no other way for their lovemaking to go other than slowly. It had never been a position that Severus had considered very thrilling. He still had the intense pleasure of joining with Harry, still had the satisfaction of knowing that Harry gained pleasure from their union.

But he hated being restricted in such a way.

Harry sighed at the gentle thrusts and tried to be patient as he waited for Severus to speed up, the way Harry loved him to do. But it didn’t come, and Harry felt himself grow frustrated with his lover for making him wait, until he realized that Severus couldn’t speed up, not with a hip planted on the mattress.

“Severus.”

“Yes, love,” Severus replied, pausing in his thrusts.

“I don’t like it.”

Severus pulled out as quickly as he could without causing pain. He rolled Harry onto his back and tried to squash his rising panic.

“It’s all right, love, it’s all right,” he soothed, gathering the young man into his arms.

Harry giggled. “I know it is, that’s not what I meant.” Severus pulled back slightly so their eyes could meet.

“It’s not? But…Harry, I don’t understand.”

“The position, I don’t like the position.”

Severus chuckled and leant in to sip a heated kiss from the swollen lips. “Too gentle and slow?”

“Much too slow,” Harry agreed.

He reached out and grabbed Severus shoulders, wrestling him to his back before climbing astride him and sinking down onto his hard length with a sigh. After a moment, he placed his hands on Severus’ chest and began to move, harder and faster with each moment that passed.

Severus let his hands grip Harry’s knees, feeling the smooth, scarred skin under his fingertips as his hands slid up the white thighs to the slim hips in a lovers caress. Severus managed to get himself sitting so he could kiss his lover as Harry rode him in fluid beautiful arching. He let himself go in the heat around him, the arms of his little lover wrapped around his neck.

It was over far too soon for Severus’ liking, but probably soon enough for his sanity. If Harry kept on the way he was, Severus would never let him leave this bed, let alone the room.

They exploded in a rush of heat, Harry climaxing first and pulling Severus with him. They collapsed in a pile of sweaty limbs, fusing their mouths together, finding they needed connection far more than they wanted air. But, eventually, the need for air overrode all the rest and they let their lips part.

“I must say, I think we should have an anniversary every night,” Severus said and Harry giggled.