When my daddy, Master Healer Severus Snape, adopted me and married my mum, Lily Potter, I was only two. My real dad, James, had been killed by the evil wizard Voldemort, whose real name, Dad says, is Tom Riddle. I was only a year old then and don't even remember James, who died a hero in the line of duty. He was an Auror, like my dad's two best friends, Moony and Padfoot. Their real names are Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. But the only daddy I know is Severus, who is called Sev by his family and friends. Daddy says I'm his special boy, even though I don't have the same last name, and am his son, and he loves me to pieces, even when I'm an awful naughty brat that ought to be spanked and grounded forever. All the good dads are like that.

I think my dad is the best dad in the whole world, even if he does scold me and put me in time-out and spank me sometimes. Someday I'm going to grow up to be just like him, a Healer and Potions Master. Dad says it's important to have goals in life and to try and be the best you can be.

That's why he gave me this cool journal, that writes magically whatever I tell it to. Dad says I ought to use it "organize my thoughts", whatever that means, or write about important events in my life, things I want to remember, or anything that's upset me. "Just write about anything, Harry, and someday when you've got grandchildren, you can let them read it."

Okay, Dad. But I ain't having grandkids for a LONG time, since I don't even have a girlfriend yet and besides, most girls are boring and afraid of everything cool, like snakes, bugs, scary stories, and my panther cub Inky.

Let me tell you ‘bout Inky. Inky didn't used to be alive at all. He used to be my favorite stuffed animal to sleep with and play with. I took him everywhere, even to school for show and tell and naptime and recess. Inky and I were best buds. I told Inky everything too, like how mad I was at my dad when he punished me, or at my grandpa if he did too, and how much I still missed my mum. Mum got real sick when I was four, and not even my dad, who's a brilliant wizard doctor, could cure her. She died in her sleep one day, two and a half years ago, but I still miss her and so does Dad. She gave me Inky, it was the last gift she ever gave me. Guess that's one reason why I love him so much.

Anyway, my grandpa, whose name's Tobias, though to me he's Grandpa or sir, if I've been bad and disrespected him, had come to stay with us for a few days. It was right after he'd come out of the hospital, he'd gotten hurt real bad by the masked men who'd attacked us on Halloween. The masked men are called Death Eaters by grownups and most of them are dead now or in prison in Azkaban. But before Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus and Uncle Al put them in there, they almost killed my grandpa. Luckily, my dad saved him, and he wanted to keep an eye on Grandpa after, to make sure he recovered properly. So Grandpa was staying over and I was playing with my toys and Inky while he and daddy talked about grownup stuff, like the nature of magic.

Daddy and I are wizards, but not Grandpa. He's a Muggle, which is what wizards called non-magic people. But I got bored listening to them talk and went off to play in my room. That's when it happened. I'm only six and my magic's not really awake yet and I can't use a wand or cast spells like a real wizard can, but sometimes I can use my magic accidentally.

Which means things just . . .happen around me.

Well, I was playing, pretending really hard that Inky was a real panther, like the Rabbit in one of my favoritest stories-The Velveteen Rabbit. It's all about a little boy and his favorite stuffed rabbit that he loves so much that it becomes real! I was hugging Inky and whispering over and over, "I wish you were alive! I wish you were alive! I love you so much, Inky, and I wish you were alive so I could have a real pet to play with."

Next thing I knew, I got this funny feeling in my chest, kind of like I had a cold, and a weird light came out of my hands and my head hurt. I squeezed my eyes shut, ‘cause sometimes that makes your head quit hurting.

Then it went away and when I opened my eyes, Inky was alive!

I was actually holding a real baby panther!

I thought it was the most awesome thing ever.

Daddy and Grandpa thought it was a bloody damn catastrophe. (psst-don't let Dad know I wrote that-he doesn't like it when I swear and he'll make me eat soap-yuck!)

"What in Merlin's name are we going to do with a panther cub?" Dad groaned, hitting himself in the forehead.

"Can't you just, uh, magic it back to a toy?" asked Grandpa, looking at Inky like he was some kind of alien from Pluto, and he wished he'd catch the first ship back home.

Before Dad could answer, I cried, "No! I'm keeping him!" And I hugged the purring fuzzy cub to me and gave them my best Snape glare. In case you don't know, a Snape glare is REALLY scary. My dad's can make me shiver and Grandpa's can make me hide under the bed. But that's cause he's older and has had more time to practice being scary as hell. (Oops! I hope Dad never reads this!)

I was all set to have the mother of all tantrums if Dad tried to change Inky back, and I didn't care if I was grounded and spanked after for being a royal spoiled brat, so long as my Inky was safe. "He's just come to life, Dad, ‘cause I loved him so much and you can't magic his life away," I argued. "You just CAN'T!" I sniffled and gave Daddy my best puppy-dog stare too, figuring it couldn't hurt.

Dad looked at Grandpa and I could tell he was cracking. I do real good puppy-dog stares, just like my mum. I've got her eyes, big and green and very expressive, is the word my dad uses.

"Minnow," said Grandpa, that's his pet name for me. "What do you think you live in, a zoo? How can you possibly raise a baby panther? Do you even know what kind of food it eats?"

"Yes. I'm not dumb. All baby animals drink milk, everyone knows that," I pointed out cheekily.

"Mind your attitude, boy," warned Grandpa, scowling at me. "Or else you're going to have a long session with the wall and maybe over my knee too."

"Sorry," I apologized quickly. I knew better than to test him-he always did what he said, just like dad, and his spankings really hurt! "But baby panthers drink milk like our babies do, Grandpa. I read it in a book. And we can too raise Inky, all we need to do is ask Aunt Minerva how."

Aunt Minerva, or Aunty Min, as I call her, is really Professor Minerva McGonagall, she's a teacher of Transfiguration at Hogwarts and one day she'll be my teacher too when I'm old enough to go there. She can change into a cat, which is like a panther, and she would know what we needed to do to raise Inky.

"Harry, Minerva's a teacher of Transfiguration, not of magical creatures," Dad reminded me.

"I know, but she can be a cat sometimes, so she'll know what a cat needs, Dad. Or we could ask Hagrid." I was stroking Inky's soft fur, it was like black velvet, and he was purring happily. "Please, Dad? Please? I don't wanna change Inky back, he's my pet now!" I made my eyes big and wide and teary, like I was gonna bawl any minute. That one ALWAYS works!

"Oh, Harry!" sighed Daddy. "You make things so complicated sometimes, son. What am I going to do with you, little boy?"

"Love me and let me keep Inky."

Dad frowned sharply, thinking it over. Then he said, "We'll see," and I knew that was as good as yes, this time.

He bent to see Inky, who was curled in a fuzzy ball in my arms, sleeping. Inky was the size of a small cat then.

"All right, scamp. Let's go and see if Minerva or Hagrid has any idea on what we need to do to raise this cub."

"Severus! You can't be serious!" cried Grandpa. "Who do you think you are, Dr. Dolittle?"

Dad didn't bother to answer, he just gave his father another one of those what-the-hell-can-I-do looks. Then he picked me up and said we'd be back in an hour or so and Apparated us to Hogwarts, which is in Scotland somewhere. Dad and I live in London, on Aspen Avenue.

Aunty Min was in her office, grading papers. She's got red hair and is always dressed in green or some kind of red and green plaid, ‘cause she's Scottish and proud of it. Us Snapes and Potters are from Yorkshire, which is in north England near Scotland.

"Harry! Severus!" she smiled as we came in. "What a nice surprise!" Then she caught sight of Inky. "What do you have there, Harry? A puppy?"

"Nope. This's Inky, Aunty Min. My stuffed panther I made come alive."

"Oh my!" she put a hand over her mouth. "Accidental magic again, Severus?"

Daddy just nodded. "Merlin help me, Minerva, but now we've got ourselves a baby panther. And I don't have the faintest idea how to care for it, I'm a healer, not a Magical Creatures vet." He ran his fingers through his dark hair, like he does when he's very frustrated.

"Severus, a panther is hardly a magical creature." Aunty Min pointed out.

"Normally, no. But this is Harry's panther, Min, which he magically brought to life, so don't tell me it won't display some kind of magical powers someday. I just hope it leaves my house in one piece when it's grown."

"Calm down, Sev," soothed Aunty Min. "Let's all of us have a nice cuppa and discuss this. It's not the end of the world if Harry has a pet, you know."

"A pet would be a dog, a kitten, an owl-not a panther cub," Dad grumbled, scowling at Inky.

"Look on the bright side, Sev. A pet will teach Harry responsibility."

"Yeah, Dad."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow and gave me a long look. "You're going to feed it, brush it, and clean up after it?"

"Yes, Dad. Promise."

"Humph! I'll believe it when I see it. Because somehow I just know I'm going to get stuck training the little nuisance. Minerva, what do we feed him, for starters?"

"Well, that depends on how old he is. Harry, let me see Inky for a moment."

I handed her the sleeping cub. She gently looked at his teeth and his paws, then she transformed into a tabby cat and sniffed him too, don't ask me why. When she changed back, she gave Inky back to me. "I'd say he's around three weeks old, which means he'll still take a bottle, but in a week you can start him on solid food. The cubs can digest ground beef raw, and that's what you ought to feed him, a little at a time, soon as he's old enough. But until then, give him a special formula, I'll give you the recipe, Severus, so you can make it. You need to feed him twelve ounces of formula three times a day. If he does well on that, you can start him on small dishes of ground beef mixed with some formula and a raw egg once he's a month or so old. He still might need a bottle of formula once a day at first, but eventually you should wean him to all ground beef."

Dad had magicked a quill to write all this down, and it took notes while Aunty Min talked. She told us that we should have a special room for Inky where we could let him play and roam around till he was used to us, with cat toys like a rubber ball and a rope and stuffed animals magicked so he couldn't tear them. And Dad would have to panther-proof our house, meaning he'd have to cast lines where Inky wasn't allowed to go and put all of our shoes and stuff away because he'd be teething soon and chew all kinds of things, like shoes and furniture. He'd also need a cat box, with sand so he could go potty. Aunty Min said Dad ought to cast a waste removal charm on it, so it would vanish the pee and poop when Inky used it.

Dad said he would, once I showed him I could be trusted to clean the cat box myself. I made a face at him. "But Dad, why can't we just use magic?" Emptying out the cat box sounded just plain gross and I wasn't sure at all if I wanted to do it.

"Because, young man, magic is all well and good as a shortcut after you've learned how to properly take care of your cub. You wanted Inky for a pet, Harry James Severus, so now you need to learn how to take care of him. Which includes cleaning the cat box."

I groaned. "Aww, Dad!" When I'd made Inky alive, I'd never thought of anything like this! I just wanted a panther to play with and pet and that would be my friend.

"Harry, if you don't want to take care of this cub the right way, then I can always have Minerva Transfigure him back to a toy." Dad threatened sternly.

"No!" I yelped, hugging Inky tightly. He mewed softly. "Okay, I'll take care of him . . .even if it means I have to empty the cat box, ugh!" I wondered if there were a way to teach Inky to use the potty like I did.

"I'm going to hold you to that promise, Harry. For four weeks, you're going to help me take care of this cub the right way, and if you start whining or forgetting or getting bored, then we'll change him back into a toy, because you'll have proved you aren't old enough to take responsibility for a cat. I'll make a chart up with colored markers so you can check off when we feed him and change the sand in the box, brush him and I'll even put a collar on him with a nametag, like I would a kitten. But you're not to take him outside without me yet. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir," I said. "I'll take good care of Inky, Dad."

I meant it too. I was the one who'd brought the panther to life and I didn't want to be the one who made him become a toy again. It wouldn't be fair.

Aunty Min told Dad that he might want to see a vet anyway, even though she was sure what she'd told him was standard procedure, just so the vet could give us some vitamins and maybe give him some shots too when he was older. I wondered if he'd try to bite the vet the way most of the kids did my dad when he gave needles.

I never did, because I was brave and the shots really didn't hurt too bad, they just stung my bum for a little, till Dad put magic salve on it and made the sting go away. And the shots were so you didn't get really sick, Dad explained, so you needed them and staying healthy was worth a stinging bottom. Guess he was right, though I didn't really like them, I could deal with it.

I'd make sure Inky behaved at the vet's and pet him and tell him it would only sting for a second, the way Daddy did me and the other kids, though they never believed him.

After all of that, Daddy got the recipe for the formula from Aunty Min and we left to return home, where Grandpa was anxiously awaiting us. I could tell he thought this whole situation was silly and if he'd been in charge, Inky would be a toy and nothing more, pronto. But Grandpa's stricter than Dad will ever be and that's why I'm glad sometimes I'm Sev's son and not Tobias's.

Dad set to making the formula so I could feed Inky the first bottle, Grandpa looked at the two of us and said we were bloody crazy and Inky woke up and started meowing, he was hungry. It took Dad ten minutes to make up enough formula and heat it a little and put it in a big plastic bottle, then he showed me how to feed Inky with it.

Inky loved it, and sucked away, snuggled in a velvet heap in my arms. Dad took our picture, saying it was one of my firsts-like my first step, first tooth, and whatever.

* * * * * *

You'd think with all the information we had, we'd be expert panther sitters in no time, right? Wrong! Raising a panther cub was kind of like raising a whirlwind, you couldn't turn your back for a minute. Dad made a room for him, like we were told, and I played with Inky in it, but when it came time for bed, Inky wailed and yowled so much that I went and brought him to sleep in my room. He fell asleep next to me on the bed, same as always.

The first week, Inky was still small and nervous, and didn't do too much ‘cept eat, sleep, and use the cat box. That was the worst, emptying that out, but I did it. But once he was a month old, he'd grown some ten pounds already and he was like a black flash.

He could climb too, and more than once I found him on top of the cabinets or the blinds. Dad was not happy. We introduced Inky to the raw ground beef, and Inky loved it. He loved it so much that the next week he jumped on the counter while I was doing my homework and ate the roast my dad had left marinating in the pan. Uh oh! Then he threw up all over!

Dad said I should've made sure I was watching him and made me put him in the room for a day and for dinner that night we had salad, bread and butter, and I really don't like vegetables, but Dad made me eat it anyway. And we didn't have dessert.

Inky loved to play games, like hide-and-seek and pounce. Only thing was, his favorite thing to pounce on was-me! He'd hide under the bed or behind the sofa, and when I went by he'd dart out and attack my feet. He'd wrap his paws around my ankle and gnaw on it, and his claws and teeth were like needles, they hurt sometimes, and once he grabbed at my hand and he made me bleed.

Of course, Dad just happened to see it then and asked what happened. I tried to make up something, but Dad gave me one of his truthteller Looks and said, "Do not lie to me, young man. Did that panther bite you?"

I hung my head and whispered, "Yes sir, but he didn't mean to! He was playing!"

Dad cleaned the scratch and healed it, then he told me to fetch Inky, who was hiding under the table. I started to cry. "No, I won't! You're gonna magic him back and it was an accident, Daddy!"

"Harry, for the love of Merlin, just bring me the panther."

I shook my head stubbornly. I couldn't let him magic Inky away. "No-o-o!" I howled, stamping my foot on the floor.

Daddy's eyes narrowed. "Harry, I'm going to count to three and if you don't quit acting like a spoiled brat you're going to get a twenty-minute time-out plus a good swat too. I'm not going to hurt him, now bring him here."

I sniffled and peered up at my father through my lashes. Was he telling the truth? He'd never lied to me before, but what if it was a trick? I knew he hated it when I got hurt.

"One."

I turned around. Once Daddy starts counting, he means business, and I went into the kitchen and coaxed my cub out and picked him up. He was almost too heavy for me to lift now, but he loved to be carried and he put his paws round my neck and purred. "Inky, why'd you have to bite me?" I moaned. "Now Daddy's mad and you're in big trouble, mister."

I returned to the den, where Dad was waiting impatiently, his arms crossed over his chest. My lower lip trembled as I came towards him. But all he did was pick up my cub by the scruff, that's how the cat's mums carry them, look at him and say. "You're getting too rough here, mister." Inky mewed softly. "Soon you might leave more than a few tooth marks on my Harry. Now what shall we do about it?" His hand went to his wand.

I threw myself at his leg, grabbing him about it and clinging. "Don't change him back, Dad! Please! Anything but that!" I started to cry again, unable to help myself.

"Harry! Stop it!" Dad ordered in his do-it-or-else voice, the one he learned from Grandpa.

I stopped. Crying, that is.

"I'm not going to change him back, I'm going to blunt his claws and teeth a bit with a spell, so he won't draw blood when he plays with you. And maybe it'll stop him from tearing up our sofa too, hmm?" He glared sternly at my panther, because yesterday Inky had ripped the side of the couch with his claws for some reason and Dad had to repair it with a Repairing Charm. He was really mad, too! Almost as mad as the time he caught Inky on his bed, shredding his comforter and bed hangings, which had been a gift from Mum for their anniversary.

Dad took out his black wand (it's called ebony, I think), which I'm never allowed to touch, otherwise I'll get time-out for life and probably the spanking of my life too, and tapped it against Inky's paw and muttered something in Latin.

There was a greenish glow about the cub's paws and then it was done. He repeated the spell and tapped Inky's jaw and the same thing happened. Inky sneezed and batted at Dad's wand. "There! I'll have to renew it every month, but for now, his claws and teeth shouldn't do you any harm. Until he learns to control how hard he bites and to sheathe those claws when he plays with you."

Dad had written to Dagger the Dragon Tamer, who worked for the circus we'd gone to see two months ago, and Dagger sent him a book on how to train big cats-like lions, tigers, and panthers, since the circus has them in their acts sometimes. It was really useful, and Dad and I were trying to teach Inky to be a good panther and not a wild one.

Inky went to chew on Dad's hand, and Dad shook him a little and said, "No! No biting!" Then he tapped him on the nose. "Bad cub!" Inky hung his head, looking kind of like I do when my dad scolds me. He summoned one of these hard leather twisted sticks and gave that to Inky instead. Inky gnawed at it and Dad petted him and told him he was a good boy. "Here, Harry. Take this catastrophe back, I've got some charts to go over."

I took back my pet, who was now chewing away on the stick, though it didn't leave marks like usual. I started to play with him on the couch then, until Dad asked, "Have you finished all your homework and studied for your spelling quiz?"

"Uh . . ." I'd forgotten. "I'll do it later," I said quickly.

"Oh no you won't. Put Inky in his room and go do your homework, Mr. Potter. What's my rule about homework and playing?"

I groaned, for whenever I do something wrong, Dad makes me recite the rule for it, like I don't already know it. "You do homework before you go play, because school is important. I forgot, Dad."

"Yes, I can see that. Now do as I say, Harry, right now. Next time if you ‘forget' you'll be writing your spelling words ten times each for me and spend some time in the corner as well."

"No! I'll remember!" I cried, for I hated, absolutely hated time-out. It was the ultimate in boring and I'd rather have my fingernails ripped out than get time-out. I'd even take one of Grandpa's spankings than get a twenty-five minute time-out. Once when I was really bad, Dad gave me a time-out every day for a week, and I promised I'd never be that bad again. (I think I colored in and ripped his potions text, I was three).

I quickly went and put Inky into his room, which had a comfy cat bed and his food dishes and his cat box inside. Then I headed to my room to get my homework out and do it at the kitchen table, because if I forget, Dad insists he sees me do it, and so I have to work in the kitchen while he watches me. So I came back with my notebooks and stuff, he was already at the table, looking over patient charts and making notes on them with his veridian quill, and then I did all my homework with him there.

After he looked everything over and went over my spelling with me, he told me to go play with my panther. But when I opened the door to the room, Inky was sleeping, so I went and asked Dad if I could firecall Blaise and Ron instead, they're my two best wizard kid buddies.

Dad said okay and I used the Floo, asking Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Zabini if Ron and Blaise could play till supper. They said yes too, and before you could blink, they'd Flooed into my living room.

"Where's your panther, Harry?" asked Ron.

"Can we pet him?" Blaise added.

"Later. He's asleep. Let's go play in the backyard," I said.

My backyard's got a fence about it and a swing set and it's pretty neat.

"All right," Blaise agreed, and off we went.

By the time we were sick of that and came back inside for a snack, Inky was awake and meowing for food. I looked up at the chart on the wall. Time for his supper.

"Harry, your cub's hungry," reminded Dad, he was still working at the table.

"I know," I said, and went to take the little package of fine ground beef out, plus an egg and a little of the formula in a bottle. I mixed it all in a bowl with a wooden spoon while Ron and Blaise watched, then I asked Ron to get me Inky's dishes.

I let Blaise put water in one while I put the food in the other and then we went back and fed my poor starving cub. Least he acted like he was starving, he finished the food in about forty seconds. Then he drank and began to groom himself.

"He's gotten so big, Harry," exclaimed Blaise, kneeling to stroke my cat's silky fur.

Inky rubbed against his hand, purring.

"Yeah, he's growing fast," I said proudly. "In a week we're gonna take him to a vet and let them weigh him and stuff."

"How old is he now?" Ron asked.

"Umm . . .six weeks, near as I can figure." I picked up a rope and snaked it across the floor.

Inky stopped grooming, crouched, wriggled his backside and his tail, them pounced on it. I dragged the rope all over the room for him to chase, it was almost as long as I was.

"Can I try?" asked the two boys.

So I let them play for a bit, because I know they don't have any pet like this at home, and both of them really loved Inky and wished they knew how to make a stuffed animal come alive. I wished I did too, because I didn't have a clue how I'd done it. Then I could've taught them. Only, somehow, I don't think their mum or dad would've been happy if I did that, so maybe that's not such a good idea after all.

We played with Inky till we were tired and then we went into the den to watch cartoons. Guess we must've fell asleep, ‘cause the next thing I know, Dad's shaking me and saying it's time for supper and Ron and Blaise have gone home. I yawn and follow Dad into the kitchen, where a bored Inky pounces on my ankle from under the table.

This time, though, it doesn't hurt.

I giggle and Dad looks at us and shakes his head. "You and that panther. The two of you are mischief squared and going to drive me to distraction, I swear it."

I go wash up for dinner, tonight we're having fish sticks, corn, and chips, yum! It's Inky's favorite too, and I always give him a fish stick under the table when Dad's not looking.

That Saturday, we went to Grandpa's like usual. We visit him every weekend, unless Dad's on call, and today we went to see a rugby match. Dad doesn't care much for sports, but Grandpa and I like them, so he went along with it. It was fun, Grandpa's team won, so we were all happy, and then we went out for lunch.

When we got back though, we found Uncle Sirius on our front porch. It had been awhile since I'd seen him, so I jumped out of Dad's arms and into his, yelling, "Padfoot, when'd you get here?"

Sirius, who's the same age as Dad, they went to school together, grinned and swung me around, like he usually does. He has dark hair and dark brown eyes, like a friendly dog's. And all the ladies think he's handsome as sin, whatever that means. Grownups are so weird sometimes! "Hello, little buddy. How have you been?"

"Good. We went to a rugby game with my grandpa," I told him. Then I said, "But why are you out here on the porch, Uncle Sirius? And why have you got a bag with you?" There was a medium-sized overnight bag by his feet.

"Well, I didn't want that killer baby panther of yours to eat me, Harry," he teased, setting me down.

I laughed. When Inky had first met Padfoot, he had hissed and spat at him, acting like Sirius was the enemy. But he soon got over his fear, once he realized that Sirius in his dog form could play with him even better than I could. Padfoot could even understand Inky somewhat and sort of "speak" with him in animal form. I was surprised, until Padfoot explained that cats and dogs could be friends if they were introduced to each other when they were young, like Inky.

Then Sirius looked at my father. "Hello, Sev. Mind if I ask for a favor?"

Dad looked at him askance, before replying, "What's the problem now, Sirius?"

"Uh, can we talk about it inside, Sev?" Sirius said awkwardly.

Dad unlocked the door and we all went inside. I ran down the hall to let Inky out of his room, he had probably missed me something awful. The panther bounded over to me, rubbing against me and purring. He was about the size of a cocker spaniel now and growing more every day. "Hey, boy." I scratched behind his ears, Inky loves that. "Miss me? C'mon, let's go say hi to Padfoot."

Inky followed me down to the den, where I could hear my dad and Uncle Sirius talking.

"See, it's like this, Sev. Melinda kicked me out of our apartment and put up wards so I can get back in, so I was, uh, wondering if I could, umm, stay here for a few days? She ought to be over her little snit by then."

I froze, waiting to hear what Daddy would say. I'd love it if Sirius stayed here for a bit, he was great fun to be around. Inky sat on my feet, wrapping his tail over his feet.

"Her little snit? Sirius, sounds like you had a full-blown fight if she kicked you out and warded the place magically against you. What did you do to her?"

"It's complicated," began Padfoot, coughing. "Y'see, I work with a gal in the Auror department named Clarissa, and sometimes we go out to lunch together if we're on the same shift. Well, yesterday, we went out and I was, uh, holding Clarissa's chair for her and laughing at a joke she told when Lindy walked by and saw us. She immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion and when I got home that night she uh, accused me of cheating on her," Sirius said.

"And she didn't believe you when you told her that Clarissa was just a friend, huh?"

"No. Now Sev, I know I might've at one time or another kissed another woman, but I wasn't this time, I swear it! Lindy just flew off the handle and now I'm stuck without a place to live till she, uh calms down. And I thought of you instead of Moony because you don't have a girlfriend who practically lives at your place the way Tonks does." He gave my dad a quick pleading glance. "You're not, uh, involved with anyone, are you, Severus?"

"No, not presently. Okay, Sirius, you can stay for a few days, but mind you pick up after yourself, I don't have house elves and I'm not your maid either."

Sirius held up his hands and chuckled. "Whoa, Sev. I promise I won't trash the place, so don't go on the warpath here. I forgot you're a neat freak, like most Healers."

Dad rolled his eyes. "I'm not, I just don't enjoy living in a pigsty, the way you used to, Black. Some days I wondered how you could see the floor."

"Hey, I wasn't that bad. I knew where everything was," Sirius argued.

"Buried under the mountain of dirty dishes and laundry," Dad teased. "That's one reason why I don't have house elves, because you grow too dependant on them and then you can't look after yourself without one. That's why Harry and I do all the housework around here."

"Oh, joy. Does that mean I have to?"

"If you want to eat, you do," Dad smirked, and Uncle Sirius just groaned.

"Padfoot, look how big Inky's gotten!" I said, when it looked like their conversation was ended. Dad always told me not to interrupt grownups talking, it was rude.

I picked up Inky and brought him over to Sirius, who exclaimed, "Holy Merlin, Harry, he's going to be so big you can ride on him soon."

"Cool!" I shouted, and Dad winced.

"Harry, did you feed Inky yet?" he reminded me.

I thought for a minute. Had I? "No, Dad. I'll get his food." I ran into the kitchen and looked at the chart on the wall, sure enough, there was no check next to Inky's Dinner. I checked it off with the red marker and then got out the pound of ground beef and his dish from the room.

I was just walking into the den with the dish when a bell rang and Dad pulled out the magic mirror he carried in his pocket. "Healer Snape here."

"Severus, I need a consult, and I left the patient's chart in the office," It was Healer Morgan, or Uncle Matt, as I called him. He was Dad's partner. "Would you mind popping over there and getting it for me?

"Matthew, I swear, you'd leave your head behind if it weren't attached to you," sighed Dad. "All right, give me a minute." The mirror went dark and he turned to Sirius and I and said, "I'll be back as soon as I can. Behave yourself, Harry."

"Okay, Dad." I set the dish of food down and Inky sprang out of Padfoot's arms and began to eat it.

"That goes for you too, Sirius," Dad mock-scolded.

"Yes, Mr. Snape," Sirius answered, rolling his eyes.

Then Dad Disapparated, going to his office to get the chart. I knew he would probably be awhile, whenever Uncle Matt asked him for a consult it meant it was gonna take at least half-an-hour.

Sirius eyed me consideringly and grinned mischievously. "Okay, kiddo. Now that Dad's gone out for a bit, let's you and I have ourselves a little fun."

"Okay. What shall we do?" I asked eagerly. Now this was more like it.

"Why don't we play a little game of tag?" suggested Sirius, and then he transformed into his Animagus form-a big black mutt.

* * * * * *

I was running full speed down the hallway, Padfoot in hot pursuit, Inky just ahead of me. We were having a great old time, even though I kept getting caught by Padfoot and Inky, ‘cause they were so much faster.

Inky leaped onto the couch and then over it, I dove after him trying to catch his tail, because he was "It". But Inky was too quick and I missed. I knocked some pillows off though and I turned to chase the cub around the recliner. But when I came around the chair, I ran right into my dad, who had just arrived home.

"Harry! What on earth?" he exclaimed, catching me by my shoulders.

"Uh, hi, Dad," I said, grinning sheepishly. "I was playing tag with Padfoot and Inky.

Dad stared around the den, which was sort of a mess, with the pillows knocked all over and the lamp tilted and I had also spilled a bag of crisps on the floor when I dove at the couch. His eyes glittered and I swallowed hard.

Uh oh. I knew that look. It meant we were all in big trouble, even Sirius.

"What the hell happened here?" he demanded, and I could practically see the steam coming from his ears. "I leave you alone for forty-five minutes and this is what I come back to?" he put his hands on his hips and gave us a nasty Snape glare.

I shivered, Padfoot crashed to a halt into the side of the sofa, and Inky hid under the recliner. Smart cub.

"Uh, Severus, I can explain," began Sirius, changing back and giving Dad one of his most charming smiles, the one he uses on the ladies. Too bad Dad's not a girl. "Harry and I were playing a little game and we, uh, got a bit carried away."

"A bit? Look at the mess in here!" Dad pointed to the crushed crisps on the floor, the pillows, the lamp and several books had fallen off the bookshelf, plus the Floo powder had spilled on the hearth. "I can't leave you two alone for five minutes, can I?"

"Aww, calm down, Sev. We'll clean it up, right Harry?"

I nodded, but Dad didn't look convinced. "That's besides the point. What do you think this is, a free for all?" He turned to me and I flinched upon seeing the disappointment and anger in his eyes. "Harry, I'm very disappointed in you. You know better than to behave like this."

I looked down at my feet. Oh, but I hated when he said that to me. it made me feel just awful. "Sorry, Dad."

"You ought to be." He pointed a finger. "Corner, young man. Now."

"Yes sir." I obeyed, going to the nearest one, it was right next to the kitchen, and facing it, hands at my sides. I tried not to fidget, but I really hated time-out and it was hard for me to stay still.

"Fifteen minutes," came Dad's voice, before I could ask how long I was to be punished for.

"Fifteen minutes!" protested Sirius. "Sev, for crying out loud!"

"You be quiet, Sirius, before I put you in a corner for acting like you were six instead of twenty-six," Dad scolded. "Now you can clean this up. What were you thinking, encouraging him to run around and knock things over like that? You're an adult, he's the child."

"It was a game, Sev. It just got a little out of hand is all." Sirius said defensively, cleaning up the spilled crisps with a wave of his wand. "I was going to clean it up before you got home."

"Oh, and that makes it all right?"

"Severus, it wasn't as if we totally trashed the place. Besides, magic can fix it, y'know."

"Sirius, whether or not magic can fix what happened isn't the point. The point is Harry knows better and I don't want him thinking he can do whatever he pleases because he can "fix" it with magic. If you wanted to play tag, you could've done it outside."

"Uh, yeah, I guess so."

"The last thing I need is you encouraging him to mischief, Siri. He and that panther get into enough trouble on their own, believe me. The other week I found both of them on the roof, Inky climbed up there and Harry went right after him up the trellis. I looked out the backyard, didn't see them, came out to search and there's my son, waving to me from the roof, holding the cub by the collar. I nearly died."

"How did you get them down?"

"Flew up on my broom and got them that way," Dad answered. "I grounded his little backside for two days for that little stunt, and now I come home and find the two of you treating my house like a playground."

"Sorry, Sev," apologized Sirius, though he didn't really sound like he meant it. "But I still think you're making a big deal out of nothing."

"Really? Harry, why aren't you allowed to run about inside that way?" Dad queried. "Tell your uncle why not, since he seems to have forgotten."

"Uh, because you could break something or-or knock something down or get hurt." I recited.

"Exactly. So why were you doing it?"

"Don't know. I-I thought it was fun," I said softly, shifting from one foot to the other.

"Was it worth getting time-out, young man?"

"No sir." While the game had been fun, it definitely wasn't worth getting yelled at and punished.

"Remember this next time, won't you?" Dad sighed, then said, "Five more minutes and you can come out."

He went into the kitchen then and Sirius came over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Sorry, little buddy. I didn't mean to get you in trouble."

I looked up at him and said in a whisper, "I'm not s'posed to talk in time-out, unless Dad says."

"Oh."

Then I added, not wanting to make him feel bad, "You didn't get me in trouble, Padfoot. I got myself in trouble." Which was true. Grandpa told me once that when I got in trouble, it was important to admit I'd been wrong and to take responsibility for my actions. He said he hadn't done that before and that was why my dad and him didn't get along for so many years. Grandpa had been drinking and been real nasty to Dad when he was growing up, only he wouldn't admit it until a couple of months ago. But after that they'd started forgiving each other and getting along like other families did.

"Yeah, but I helped," admitted Sirius, then he returned to rearranging the couch.

"All right, Harry. Time's up."

I heaved a sigh and came out of the corner. I'd nearly went to sleep it was so terribly boring.

I ran immediately to my father and he hugged me, same as always after my punishments. "All's forgiven, scamp." He murmured and tousled my hair. I smiled, then I asked him what we were going to have for supper, and he said he didn't feel like cooking so we could go to Lazy Joe's, my favorite restaurant.

"Thanks, Dad!" I beamed and went to find Inky and put him inside of his room, we never left him free when we weren't home to watch him, he got into too much trouble. One time he got into the bathroom and shredded all the toilet paper all over the house, I'd forgotten to latch the door to his room. I never forgot again, because Dad made me clean up the mess my cat had made and it took forever!

I knew Sirius was happy too, since Lazy Joe's has the juiciest rib-eye steak and the best whipped garlic potatoes.

After dinner it was nearly bedtime, so I had a bath and then Dad tucked me in. I still felt bad about what happened and so I told Dad sorry again. "C'mere, scamp." He took me on his lap. "I know you're sorry, son. But what did I tell you to do if someone you know asks you to do something you know is wrong?"

I thought for a moment, then replied, "Stop and think."

"Good. Stop and think about what you should do, and then do the right thing. But you didn't, now did you?"

"No."

"No, and that's why you got into trouble. Of course, some of the blame lies with Sirius, who knows better than to encourage you to behave like a wild thing, but you also knew better. Next time, Harry, stop and think, and it'll save you fifteen minutes in time-out or worse."

"I will," I promised. He hugged me and tucked me under the covers. "Story now, Dad?"

"What would you like to hear tonight?"

"Um, The Velveteen Rabbit, please." It was my favorite and I hadn't heard it in months.

So my dad got the book from the shelf and started to read. Before I knew it, we'd reached the part about the Rabbit staying with the boy when he was sick with scarlet fever, a really bad disease, according to Dad. But all of a sudden I just couldn't keep my eyes open and I had fallen asleep right in the middle of the story.

* * * * * *

On Monday at school, Miss Wilkins introduced us to a new student. "Class, can you all say hello to Hermione Granger?" she asked and we all said, "Hi, Hermione."

"Hello," the little girl said. She was about my height with long brown hair in two braids and bright brown eyes. She was wearing a green jumper and a plaid skirt with black shoes.

"Hermione and her family just moved here from Surrey," announced Miss Wilkins. She was a very nice teacher, young, but a little older than my dad, with short blond hair and she liked to wear soft pastel shirts and black skirts, and the shirts usually had some kind of animal pin on them, because Miss Wilkins was animal crazy. I sure wished I could tell Miss Wilkins about Inky being alive. She'd noticed I didn't bring him to school any more and I told her he was too old and needed to stay home. "Mr. and Mrs. Granger are dentists, isn't that right, dear?" Hermione nodded, twisting a braid round her finger nervously. "So maybe when you all need to get your teeth cleaned and checked, you can go to see them."

There were murmurs around the class, nobody really liked going to the dentist much. I didn't know anything about one, since I'd never been to one, my dad always took care of my teeth, making sure I brushed them twice a day, and ate healthy snacks.

"Now, why don't you go and sit by Harry, Hermione?" Miss Wilkins said, pointing to the desk next to mine, which was empty. "He'll be your seatmate for the next week or two."

Hermione came and slid into the seat next to mine. She smiled at me and I smiled back. I knew why Miss Wilkins had chosen me for Hermione's seatmate. It was because I was one of the kids in her class that behaved and worked well with others. I wouldn't have dared not behave, Dad would've killed me if I got in trouble at school.

"I'm Harry Potter," I introduced myself to her.

Before she could say anything else, however, Miss Wilkins called role and then we had our daily reading circle. That was when we all sat in a circle and read aloud from our reading book, on a story Miss Wilkins picked. I was quite surprised to find that Hermione was a better reader than I was. She read all the big words without help, almost as good as the teacher. I was a bit miffed, because before she came here, I'd always been the star reader in my class, and got my name on the Star Kid Chart with the gold star next to it.

Next we had math, which I was better at than she was, that's because Grandpa drilled me in all the addition and helped me count money too. But after that we had snack, then naptime, and then lunch and recess.

At recess I went to play with Jimmy and Tom, we usually played football together. But as I went by the other section of the playground, near where the girls usually hung out and played things like house and jump rope and other girl things, I saw Hermione standing off by herself, sniffling into a tissue, looking like she'd been crying.

I slowed and approached her cautiously, I wondered if some of the older girls, like Amanda Brown, had been teasing her. There were a few girls in my class that were a year older and they acted like they ran the classroom when Miss Wilkins was absent.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" I asked quietly.

"The-the other girls won't play with me anymore, ‘cause when I was playing house, I-I made the cup move by accident, and now they-they said I'm a- a freak!" She burst into tears, sobbing noisily into her tissue.

"You made the cup move how? By itself?" I asked softly, so as not to be overheard.

"Uh-huh." She nodded, her face all blotchy. "I know I'm not supposed to, Mum said I had to try real hard to-to stop doing stuff like that, but I just couldn't help it." She looked miserable. "And now nobody wants to be friends with me ‘cause I'm a weird freaky girl."

"That's not true," I said quickly. "You're not weird or freaky, Hermione. Have you ever made anything else happen?"

"W-well, sometimes I made my dolls dance when I was playing with them and once I made a fork fly into the air and another time I found a ring my mum had lost just by thinking about it. Why? That's not freaky to you?"

"Nope. Because I can do stuff like that too," I whispered.

"You can?" her eyes were big as dinner plates.

"Yeah, only nobody here knows it. It's ‘cause we're different. We've got magic."

"Magic? But that's not real. That's only in fairy tales."

"No, it's real. I can do it and so can you, because I'm a wizard and you're a witch."

She glared at me. "A witch! I am not! Witches are old and warty and ugly! Is that what you think I am, Mr. Potter?"

"No, no. You're thinking of the bad witches, but there's good witches too, like Glinda in The Wizard of Oz."

"Oh. Right."

"'Sides, my dad says the word witch just means a wise woman, and not an evil one, like all the stories say. He's really smart, my dad, and he's a wizard too. His name's Severus Snape and he's a wizard Healer, and a Potions Master, kind of like a doctor and a chemist."

"You mean there are grownup wizards and witches?"

"Of course!" I laughed. "I know lots of them. You can meet them too, if you want. Do your parents know that you can do magic?"

"Yes, and my dad says it makes me special, but mum's not so sure." Hermione bit her lip. "She just wants me to be a smart girl and do well in school and be like everybody else."

"Your mum sounds a lot like my Grandpa used to, before he understood that magic wasn't something to be scared of."

"Your grandpa's not a wizard then?"

"No, he's a Muggle, like your mum and dad."

"Muggle? What's that?"

"Um, it's what we wizards call people without magic."

"Uh, where do all of you live?"

"Same as you do, here in London, but we've got our own part of it, so that Muggles can't see us doing all the magic stuff, like flying a broom and Apparating, usually. And some wizards wear robes and pointed hats and carry staves and wands, unless they're kids like us. We can't use a wand yet, because our magic's not really awake. But we can do things with magic accidentally."

"Oh! Um, what can you do with yours, Harry?"

So I told her about protecting myself from Butch the Doberman who tried to eat me and about hurting the bad masked man who wanted to hurt me on Halloween. And then I told her about Inky.

"You made a stuffed panther come alive? You're making that up!"

"Am not. Swear to God and Merlin too," I said firmly. "If you want, maybe you could come over to play and meet my dad and Inky too. I could invite Ron over too, he's another wizard kid like me, the same age, six. His whole family are wizards. Would you like to come over?"

She nodded, her eyes shining. "I'd love to! Thank you, Harry!"

For one minute I thought she was gonna hug me and I stepped back a little, because there was no way I'd let a girl hug me in public. Yuck! Then everybody would think we were sweet on each other or something gross like that. "I'll ask my dad tonight and then I'll call you and let you know, " I said, sounding just the way Dad did with a patient or another doctor. "I don't think he'll mind, if I do all my homework right after school."

"I always do that," she declared. "Uh, I just have one other question, Harry. Why's your last name Potter and your dad's Snape?"

"Oh. That. Umm . . .he's not my real dad. My real dad died when I was one and my mum got married to Sev, and he adopted me, but they let me keep my last name to honor my dad James. But Daddy says when I'm seventeen I can change it to his if I want."

"Will you?"

I shrugged, having never really thought about it. "I might. It's less confusing that way, and Sev really is like my real dad, he's the only one I even remember."

"How about your mum? Is she a witch too?"

"She was. But she got sick and died two years ago, so now it's just me and my dad."

"Oh, Harry! I'm sorry, I didn't know you'd lost your mum too."

She really did look sorry and like she was about to cry again, so I said quickly, "Write down your number and I'll call you, okay?" I dug a piece of paper and a pencil out of my jacket pocket and gave it to her.

She leaned against the brickwork and wrote in careful letters: Hermione's # and then the number after it. Her handwriting was neater than mine too. Guess that meant I had to practice some more, because I didn't want to be shown up by a girl, even if she was a witch.

She handed it to me and I stuck it in my pocket just as the bell rang and we had to line up and go back inside.

Some of the other girls laughed and made rude signs at Hermione when we lined up, and she looked really sad, but I gave them one of my mean Snape glares and they quit it. Some of the boys teased me, saying I was sweet on the new girl, since I'd spent all my time at recess talking to her, but I just ignored them. They were so stupid, what did they know?

I could hardly wait for school to end, so I could go tell my dad that my new classmate was a witch and her parents were dentists and could she please come over to play?

"OUCH!" yelped Sirius, and swatted at Inky, who had decided to climb up his leg for some unknown reason. "Sev, this bloody cat thinks I'm some sort of scratching post. You need to clip his claws."

I put the book down I'd been reading and looked over at my friend, who was rubbing his leg and scowling at the black bundle of trouble now sitting next to him on the sofa. "Yes, the spell I used to blunt them must be wearing off. I'll renew it in a minute," I said, smirking slightly. Sirius always thinks he's so wonderful with animals because he is an Animagus, and most animals love him. But for some reason his legendary charm doesn't work on Inky, the little mischief-maker, and the cub ignores Padfoot when he chooses.

I summoned a piece of beef jerky into my hand and clicked my tongue at Inky, who looked at me, sniffed, and bounded towards me. The cub's still awkward, all big feet, gangly legs, and long tail. But soon he'll be past that stage and become as graceful and poised as any member of the feline species I've ever known.

"Good boy, Inky," I murmured, feeding the hungry cub the jerky and petting him about the ears. He loves that and purred up a storm. Then I drew my wand and recast the charm that blunted his claws and teeth so he didn't harm Harry when he played with my son. I wasn't about to permit any half-wild cub to maim my child, not by Merlin's starry hat. Still, Inky was learning to be gentle, and he was a lot calmer now than he was a few weeks ago. This was a smart panther, he learned very quickly, and for that I thanked God and Merlin daily.

After he had devoured the treat, he rubbed up against my cheek, asking for another scratch behind the ear. I obliged and the silly cub plunked his backside down in my lap like he was a lap cat, eating up the attention. "Cat, I do not live to serve you," I muttered into one rounded ear. "I don't care what they worshipped back in ancient Egypt."

Inky just yawned and stretched out across my knees like a velvet throw, his green eyes half-closed. I heaved a sigh and ran my fingers through his silky black pelt. He was shedding, I needed to remind Harry to brush him when he got home from school.

Sirius chuckled and I gave him a sharp look amid the sudden blizzard of cat hair. "You have something to say, Padfoot?"

"Uh, yeah. You look real content like that Sev, with the cub sprawled all over you. You ought to be in Magical Pets and Their Owners magazine."

I rolled my eyes. "Very funny, Sirius." But I continued stroking the little nuisance, despite the fact that his fur was making my nose itch. I wasn't allergic to pet dander, but sometimes Inky's hair tickled, and I had a very sensitive nose.

I picked up my book again, for once it was a novel and not a medical treatise, and began to read, reveling in the quiet. It wouldn't be for long, Harry was due to arrive home in half-an-hour. I glanced sidelong at Sirius, who was relaxed as always, and asked, "So, have you spoken to Melinda yet?"

"I wrote to her three times and she hasn't answered any of my letters. Maybe I just ought to go over there and wait outside the flat for her to come home, ambush her, and make her talk to me."

"Sirius, somehow I don't think that will help you any. Give her some space. If she hasn't responded to your letters by the end of the week, then go confront her. But for now, just be patient."

"I hate being patient."

"I know, patience was your worst subject," I teased gently. Normally Sirius would've smiled at my wit, but not today. "Feel free to watch TV before Harry gets home. I have to pick him up soon."

So Sirius turned on the TV and flicked through the channels, he'd learned a few things about Muggle technology staying at my house, which was a mixture of things wizard and Muggle. Lily and I had wanted it that way. I was a half-blood, born to a witch mother and Muggle father and had grown up mostly Muggle, Lily had been Muggleborn and hadn't known about magic until she met me one day in the park. We were seven and she had just jumped off a swing and flew through the air for about seven feet before floating to the ground. Luckily, the only ones to see her were me and her older sister, bossy pain-in-the-arse Petunia. I had been the one to explain to her that she had magic and was a witch, and that had been the start of a friendship that had lasted all of our lives.

I continued to stroke Inky, thinking of how proud Lily would've been if she could have seen her son now. She would have loved Inky too. If only she were here, then my family would be complete. Two and a half years was not long enough to still the longing in my heart for her sweet face and her lovely emerald eyes, not nearly long enough to forget the way she felt in my arms and the taste of her lips on my own. I sighed, quickly smothering those thoughts. She had so wanted another child-my child-but her disease had prevented her from getting pregnant, and besides, she wouldn't have been able to carry a child to term. But she had felt guilty nevertheless, until I told her it didn't matter over and over, that Harry was my son and enough for me. It had been true, and still was.

My six-year-old scamp was enough to turn my hair permanently gray on some days, I didn't even want to think about having to deal with a baby on top of it. Even though I would have loved a little girl, with Lily's face and eyes and my dark hair. Ah, well, if wishes were horses beggars would ride, as my father used to say. I turned back to my book, but had only read the first chapter before the timer I'd set beeped, reminding me it was time to go to the corner and wait for Harry to get off the bus.

I used to walk him to and from school, before the Death Eaters who had attacked me had been rounded up and put in Azkaban. But lately, my son had been growing more independent, and he wanted to take the bus to school like the other kids. So I allowed him, knowing that he wanted to fit in with the other children as much as possible. Though magic was always a part of us, there still was that desire to be just like everyone else, and I could understand that, and I didn't want to rob my son of his childhood, the way mine had been robbed.

That was a bit of a sore point with me still, even though I had resolved to patch things up with my father. There were still little pockets of resentment lingering, for I had been made to grow up too fast and what should have been the carefree days of my childhood had been marked with pain and fear and sorrow. I never wanted my son to know the sort of suffering I had, and that was why I made sure to never punish him too harshly and to also make sure he knew that I loved him no matter what. Tobias thought I indulged the boy too much, allowing him to keep Inky, but sometimes a little indulgence is a good thing.

I gently placed the sleeping panther back on the sofa and went to pick up my son, who I was sure had a dozen and one new things to tell me, as always. Sure enough, as soon as his feet had touched the pavement, he was chattering away to me like a little magpie.

"Dad, guess what? We got a new student today, her name's Hermione, her parents are dentists and she's got magic just like me!" That last part was said in a whisper, for we were still partially in Muggle London, at least until we rounded the corner. Harry was so excited he was skipping, or perhaps that was so he could keep up with my longer strides. I slowed down some, so he didn't have to run to keep up, and once we were back on Aspen Avenue, he told me all about Muggleborn Hermione Granger.

"She's real smart, Dad, she reads better than I do," here he sounded a bit put out, and I had to fight to keep from smiling. Oh ho, not used to playing second fiddle to a girl, are you, my boy? But the competition was good for him, he'd realize that later.

"Well, you'll simply have to practice your reading, now won't you?" I prompted. "Why don't you read to me before bedtime tonight instead?"

"But Daddy, I can't do all the voices like you," Harry whined.

"That's all right, scamp. Doing impressions takes practice. But it's more important for you to recognize words than to imitate voices when you first learn to read. Besides, practice makes perfect."

Harry nodded, his little face serious. Then he said, "I told Hermione that maybe she could come over and play, if you said yes. She wants to see Inky and meet you and Uncle Sirius, he is still here, right?"

"Yes, Sirius is still here. But you need to finish your homework before I let a friend come over."

"I know. But Hermione gave me her phone number so's I could call her and I wanted to invite Ron over too, okay?"

"We'll see," was all I said, for even though it was my day off, I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend the afternoon minding three rambunctious six-year-old's. Then I got a wicked devious idea. I wasn't the only adult in my house any more. There was no reason Sirius couldn't pitch in and help me watch the children, now was there? I smirked gleefully. He'd probably enjoy it, he acted like a six-year-old himself sometimes.

Harry charged into the house like a stampede of rampaging cattle, waking up the sleeping Inky and the dozing Sirius. "Hello, Inky! Hi, Uncle Sirius!" he shouted, running over to pet the cub and hug Sirius.

"Guess what? I met a girl who's a witch today. She's a new student and her name's Hermione."

"Oh? Is she cute?" asked Sirius, and I looked heavenward. Trust Black to make looks his number one priority. No wonder Melinda had kicked his arse out. He was still as juvenile now as he'd been when we were fourteen.

"I dunno. She's a girl," answered Harry, as if that explained everything. To a six-year-old, it probably did. "I asked Dad if she could come over, since she doesn't know anything about magic or wizards and neither do her parents. Some of the other girls were teasing her and they made her cry, but I told her she could be my friend if she wanted and that made her feel better."

Sirius looked very amused. "Looks like we have a little school romance here, hmmm?"

Harry looked horrified. "Eeeww! Yuck! I don't like her that way, Uncle Sirius. That mushy gross stuff's for grownups."

"Someday, little buddy, you may just change your mind," chuckled the Auror.

"Harry, homework," I reminded, for given the opportunity, my son would have talked to Sirius all afternoon without pausing for breath, he was such a little chatterbox. "Or else no friends come over," I added as he started to pout and whine.

"Okay, Dad," he grumbled, and went into the kitchen. I followed, to make sure he was actually working and not dawdling. A six-year-old could turn a simple thing like getting a glass of milk into an hour long production, as I had learned the hard way.

But my son, for once, was actually doing as he had been told and working on his math. I fixed him a quick snack, today it was a fruit cup and an oatmeal biscuit with a glass of milk. I preferred Harry drink milk over most juice and soda, even pumpkin juice had too much sugar and made my child way too hyper.

He looked up from the addition problems he was doing and said, "Thanks, Dad. I was dying of thirst."

I ruffled his hair. "When aren't you? I swear, Harry, sometimes I think you're part camel, the way you drink everything in sight." He was gulping his milk like there was no tomorrow. "Slow down, before you choke," I admonished.

He paused, then set the now nearly empty glass down and began to eat his snack. I refilled his glass, then returned to the den to read the rest of my chapter while Harry finished his homework. I figured I'd better finish it now, before my peaceful house was invaded by a bunch of loud noisy children. Well, at least Ron and Harry could be loud and noisy, I didn't know about Hermione yet. But that comes with the territory. I didn't expect my son to be perfect, the way my father had me, and every child is loud and noisy at some point, even the best behaved ones.

Some fifteen minutes later, Harry came in to show me his completed homework. I looked it over, made sure there were no glaring spelling errors and it was legible, then told him to put it away and give me Hermione's phone number. I needed to speak with her parents first, and I wondered if the little girl had went home and told her mum or dad all about Harry who was a wizard and so was his father.

I picked up the phone, I only had one because of my in-laws, they had been Muggles through and through, though very nice people. Henry and Violet, Lily's parents, were two of the few members of the Evans family that had welcomed me as Lily's second husband without qualms or sneering. It had been a tragedy when they had died, killed in a head on collision with a lorry on the highway. Then I unfolded the piece of paper and dialed the number to the Granger residence.

* * * * * *

Some twenty minutes later, the house was filled with the laughter and voices of three small children, as Ron, Harry, and Hermione all played some kind of tug-o-war with Inky, using the cub's long knotted rope. I had soon discovered that Hermione was a very polite and mannerly child, but alas, as Albus would say, the boys were corrupting her. I had no doubt that by the time her mother came to pick her up in two hours, she would be racing around shrieking at the top of her lungs like the other two. But at least they were keeping Inky occupied and out of trouble, and vice versa, so that was one good thing.

I had spoken briefly to Mrs. Granger, whose name was Jane, and she had asked me a few rather pointed questions about her daughter's emerging magical powers-such as when they would go away. My answer, that they wouldn't, didn't sit well with her, and I realized I needed to have a talk with both Grangers soon and educate them about their child's magic, before they made themselves and Hermione miserable trying to change the unchangeable.

Jane had eyed me up and down, I was wearing sensible khaki trousers and a blue pullover today and said softly, "Excuse me for being blunt, Mr. Snape, but you look perfectly normal, not like a-a wizard," she stumbled a bit over the word. "At all."

"And so I am perfectly normal." I said, biting my lip hard. "For a man and a wizard, just like your daughter, Mrs. Granger. I am simply a man who possesses, ah, an unusual talent, if you will, rather like an artist or a writer or a composer. If you'd like we can discuss this more later on."

"Yes, of course. I would like that very much." She looked me up and down again. "I must say, you really don't look the part."

"Today, I'm dressed in ordinary clothes, but I assure you, I wear white robes nearly every day," I told her, vastly amused. Muggles! If you didn't wear long purple robes and wear a pointed hat and carry a walking stick, then you weren't a wizard. They didn't realize that it was the magic that made the wizard-or the witch-not the label or the outfit. That was mere window dressing. "I am a wizard Healer, what you would call a doctor, and like your physicians I too wear a white uniform, most days."

"Really? And do you also have the panacea for all ills, Mr. Snape?"

"Don't I wish I did!" I laughed. "No, Mrs. Granger, even with magic, we Healers cannot cure everything. Death be not proud and comes for us all, Muggle and wizard alike. Though most of us do tend to have longer lifespans."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Because it takes longer to learn how to control one's magic," I answered, which was partially true. Controlling our gift took decades of practice, it did not end when you graduated Hogwarts, despite what the Ministry touted. But the other part of our longevity was that in turn, the magic extended our lifespan, so that an average wizard could and did live to be two hundred and sometimes even older. Albus was close to three hundred, I think. But somewhere around our middle fifties, we stopped appearing to age all that much, shave off the white beard and Albus would appear to be not much older than a middle-aged Muggle. It was yet another thing Muggles would resent us for, and so we took pains to conceal the truth from them. "Even so, we can and do die from disease and trauma just like the rest of you." I told her solemnly. Having the capability of living to two hundred did not mean all of us would reach it, look at my Lily, dead of lupus at twenty-four, and not all my skill and magic could save her. "We are not immortal, and a good thing too, else I would be out of a job. I would love to stay and explain things further to you, but I dare not leave three six-year-old's unattended for long."

"Right, and I shall speak more with you when I come to pick up Hermione. Have a good afternoon, Mr. Snape." She had smiled at me politely before getting in her car and driving off.

Yes, I would definitely need to sit down and have a long discussion about magic, so they didn't come to fear their daughter's emerging powers. I had never agreed totally with Ministry policy that the best way to combat Muggle fear was to hide ourselves away in plain sight. The best antidote to fear was knowledge, for then the unknown becomes the knowable, and loses much of its fear factor.

At the end of two hours, the children had exhausted themselves playing with Inky and Sirius, who transformed into his dog form and romped with them just like the overgrown playful puppy he was. Hermione was especially interested in his ability and questioned him nonstop about it, much to my amusement, until Jane arrived and rescued Sirius from her too curious child.

"I really wish I could stay and speak with you some more about, uh, magic, but I have a Dental Association Meeting to attend tonight, I quite forgot about it until I looked at my calendar, so we have to hurry home for supper."

"I understand. Perhaps we might discuss this at a more appropriate time?"

"Yes, why don't you bring Harry by our office, and let my husband give him a checkup this Friday? I have a few hours free inbetween patients, so we can discuss this more then. Is that all right?"

"I'll need to check my own schedule, but I shall call and let you know. And please, call me Severus."

"And you must call me Jane, and my husband is Walter. Thank you for having Hermione over." She turned to her daughter. "Mione, did you say thank you to Mr. Snape?"

"Yes, Mum. I'll see you in school tomorrow, Harry! Bye!" she waved at us through the car window as she got inside and shut the door.

"Bye!" Harry called, then looked up at me rather nervously. "Dad, I've never been to a dentist before."

"It's nothing to worry about, Harry," I reassured him. "Your teeth are fine. Now come on in and wash up for supper, we'll talk more about going to the dentist then. Did Sirius Floo Ron home?"

"Uh-huh. What's for dinner?"

"Shepherd's pie," I replied, then sent him into the house with a pat on the behind.

Over dinner that night, Harry asked me again what they did at the dentist. Before I could answer, Sirius, who'd never been to one in his life, chimed in with, "Why would you ever want to go to a Muggle dentist, Harry? Don't you know they stick needles in your mouth and I heard they drill holes in your teeth too."

My son looked like he was going to throw up after that little statement. "Dad? Is that true?"

I kicked Sirius hard under the table.

"Ow! What was that for, Sev?"

"For being the stupidest man on the damn planet!" I hissed in an undertone. "You're going to scare him to death, talking like that!"

"Hey, I was just repeating what I'd heard, is all."

"Oh? And where did you hear it from, some half-wit in Muggle Artifacts on the third floor of the Ministry?" I snapped. "They just study Muggle objects, they don't even attempt to interact with any Muggles at all, so they know as much about Muggles as you do, which is almost nothing."

Sirius bristled and snapped, "Well, excuse me all to hell if we can't all be like you Healer Half-blood!"

I would've snapped out a reply, but Harry tugged on my sleeve and whimpered, "Dad, if they stick needles in my mouth, I don't wanna go."

"Harry, listen to me. Uncle Sirius has never been to a dentist, so he has no idea what goes on there. But I have, and unless you have cavities, they don't need to give you a shot of Novacane. That's something to numb your mouth so when they go to fix your tooth, it doesn't hurt. But you don't have to worry about that, scamp, because you don't have cavities."

"What's a cavity, Dad?"

"It's when you get a hole in your tooth because it's rotting from eating too much sweets and drinking too much soda," I answered calmly. "That's why I don't let you eat sweets every day, Harry, and also why you brush your teeth and eat apples."

"Yeah, an apple a day keeps the doctor away," Sirius recited.

"Please, Black. Spare me the old wives tales," I groaned.

"But apples are good for you, Dad. You said so."

"Yes, but just eating apples won't prevent you from getting sick," I informed him.

"And too many will give you a really bad stomachache," Sirius added.

"He would know, since once he and James ate nearly an entire apple tree in Lily's backyard," I recalled.

"Really? Why?"

"It was a stupid schoolboy dare," said the Auror with a rueful smile. "Merlin, did we regret it afterwards. I had the worst case of indigestion ever, and you and Lily just laughed at us."

"Because I'd told you not to eat so many apples at once, and you thought I was kidding. So it served you right for not listening to me." I turned back to Harry. "He had the worst case of colic I'd ever seen, except on a horse. He kept wanting to curl up on the ground, his stomach hurt so bad."

"And you wouldn't let me," Sirius grumbled. "You kept making me walk all over."

"Sitting still is the worst thing when you've got cramps from indigestion," I told him. "It was a good thing Lily had some Muggle medicine in her house, so you weren't sick all night."

"That pink stuff, and it tasted awful," Sirius grimaced. "But not as bad as some of your potions, Sev."

"My awful tasting potions work, Sirius."

"How old were you, Padfoot?"

"Uh, I think we were eleven, right, Sev?"

"Yes. That sounds about right. It was the summer before our second year at Hogwarts."

"Was Moony there too?"

"No, I don't know where he was, but he wasn't there when that happened," answered Sirius, getting another helping of shepherd's pie.

I returned to our earlier topic of conversation. "Harry, all Mr. or Mrs. Granger will do is look in your mouth with some mirrors and see how many teeth you have coming in, or that are loose and maybe clean them a little with a special tooth cleaner."

"No needles? Or drills?"

"No. Now quit worrying, you'll turn your hair gray. Everything's going to be fine, trust me."

Harry looked uncertain, but then he nodded. "Okay." Then he resumed eating, satisfied that I knew what I was talking about.

I had never particularly liked going to the dentist myself, even though I'd never had a cavity either. I didn't like people poking and prodding inside my mouth, I had sensitive gums and teeth as a child, but I'd endured it, because if I'd pitched a fit like some other kids did, my father would've beaten me good. I'd of taken ten minutes of poking to a whipping with a belt any day of the week back then.

But I knew Harry had nothing to worry about. His teeth were straight and healthy, like my own.

For dessert we had apple pie a la mode, one of Harry's favorites, but he barely touched it.

"Something wrong, Harry?" I asked, wondering if Sirius's story about the apples had scared him into not eating them.

"I don't want to get any cavities," he murmured, putting down his fork.

"Harry, it's all right if you eat sweets in moderation," I chuckled. "Just remember to brush before bedtime and you won't have to worry about cavities."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Now eat the pie, son, before it gets cold and your ice cream melts," I ordered.

Harry happily attacked his dessert, and I gave a small bowl of milk to Inky, who was begging shamelessly at my feet.

Then, halfway through his slice, my son looked at Sirius with a devilish gleam in his eyes and said, "Better not eat too much apple pie, Padfoot, or else you'll end up with another stomachache. Then I'll get to tell you I told you so!"

Sirius just gaped at him for about ten seconds. Then he cried, "Why, you little devil!" and burst out laughing.

I did too, I couldn't help it. That's my Harry for you-the sly little scamp! It's anyone's guess where the Sorting Hat will put him when he goes to Hogwarts.

* * * * * *

Friday afternoon, we arrived early at the Grangers' office for our appointment and spent ten minutes in the waiting room until a room was free. Harry was nervous, I could tell by the way he fidgeted and nibbled his nails, a habit which I was unsuccessfully trying to break him of. He kept getting up and down and wandering about the room, looking at the chart of teeth and smiling toothbrushes and prints of a seascape on the wall. There was an elderly woman also there, and she kept giving Harry annoyed looks every time he started walking past her, the old crab.

Not wanting her to say something rude, I beckoned Harry over to me with a finger and he took the kids magazine he'd picked up off the table and came over to me. "Stop being so fidgety and sit here," I murmured, pulling him down on my knee. He wasn't all that tall for his age and he still fit comfortably in my lap.

"Dad, are you sure I'm not gonna get a shot? ‘Cause I only like shots when you give them, since yours don't hurt awfully."

"Yes, Harry, I'm sure," I said, for what seemed like the thousandth time. Oh, I could hex Sirius for mentioning that! "Now why don't we look at this magazine while we wait?" I suggested, anything to keep his mind off of needles, which normally did not frighten him. But in a strange situation, I supposed it was frightening, and in a way I wished I hadn't agreed to Jane Granger's suggestion. But it had seemed rude to refuse, seeing as I was also in the medical field, and it wouldn't kill Harry to let a Muggle dentist examine him.

We began to read the magazine, it was all about some cartoon tooth character named Timmy the Tooth and his fight against the evil Cavity Goon. Harry was enthralled and soon forgot all about possibly getting a needle. I thought it was a clever way to reassure nervous kids about seeing the dentist and gave the Grangers bonus House points for putting the magazine here.

The elderly lady was called and then it would be our turn next. Harry squirmed a bit and I settled him more comfortably against me, happy he still didn't mind being held. Soon enough he wouldn't want to snuggle like this, he'd think he was" too old" for such things, and my little one would be little no more. This July he would be seven-it was hard to believe that it had been five years ago that I had married Lily and adopted this messy-haired mischievous imp for my own. Where had the time gone? They grow up too fast, Sev. Before you know it, you'll be sending him off on the train to Hogwarts, whispered a little voice in the back of my mind. But for now I would cherish this moment, when he was still content to be my little one, and curl up in my lap for comfort.

Then the receptionist called, "Harry Potter, Dr. Granger will see you now."

"Come on, scamp," I whispered, replacing the magazine on the table. I went to set Harry down, but he clung to me and I decided it wasn't worth fighting to make him walk into the office and so I carried him.

The receptionist, a girl with long reddish hair and sparkling blue eyes, looked at us and said, "Is this your first time, honey?"

"Yeah," answered Harry, half his face buried in my shoulder.

"He's a little nervous," I told her.

"Aww, don't be, you'll do fine. Dr. Granger's a really nice man and he's funny too!"

"Does he give lollipops to kids who are good?"

The receptionist laughed. "Well, not sweets, but he does give you a surprise if you're good. You'll be good, right?" Harry nodded. "Just wait and see."

"I'm friends with Hermione." Harry told her.

"She's a sweetie, and too smart!" chuckled the receptionist, holding open the door of the exam room. "See you later, Harry!"

Dr. Granger was a medium-sized man with the same brown hair as his daughter's and bright hazel eyes. He looked to be about twenty-eight or twenty-nine, a few years older than I was. He was wearing the typical white coat and underneath it a shirt, tie, and light brown pants with comfortable shoes, a must in a profession where you're on your feet all day.

"Hello, Harry!" he greeted, holding out his hand for my son to shake. "Hermione says she had a wonderful time at your house the other day."

I nudged him lightly and whispered, "Manners please, Harry."

At that he quit hiding and sat up. I set him down and he shook Dr. Granger's hand like I'd taught him. "How do you do, sir? Did Hermione tell you I've got a baby panther named Inky?"

"She did indeed!" said Dr. Granger. "Beautiful creatures, panthers! One day I'll have to stop by and see him myself." He turned to me then. "I'm Walter Granger, and you must be Harry's dad." He held out a hand.

I took it and said, "Severus Snape, pleased to meet you. Did your daughter also mention that I am a wizard Healer and she, like my son, has magic?" I decided to come directly to the point, no sense in playing games here.

Walter nodded. "Yes, she did, which explains how you are able to raise a panther cub without permits and so forth."

"The panther was brought to life accidentally by my son," I explained. "It was originally a well-loved stuffed toy. Hermione tells me she had a similar experience with a few of her dolls, only none of them came to life, but were only animated for a time."

"Yes, I remember when that happened. Scared the dickens out of poor Janie. She thought she was going mad. She's not the sort who, uh, believes too much in mysticism, if you know what I mean. That's why she wants to speak with you, Mr. Snape." Then he turned to Harry. "Okay, sport, why don't we get you to sit up here in this big comfy chair?" he indicated the large leather padded chair, complete with a metal footrest. "This is your first time here, Harry, correct?"

"Yes sir. None of my teeth are rotten, so you don't have to give me a shot."

Dr. Granger chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind, Harry. Now, I need you to open up really wide, pretend you're a big old bullfrog that wants to catch two dozen flies." He pulled out a small metal tube with a mirror attached to one end and another type of magnifier with a light on the end of it. "I'll join you when I'm finished taking care of Harry's teeth," Walter informed me. "Meantime, let me see if Jane is finished with Mrs. Bard, so she can talk with you." He pushed a button on the wall and said, "Jane, Mr. Snape is here for your meeting," into a small metal box.

"She ought to be along shortly. Meanwhile, let's see how your teeth are doing, Harry. Open wide, please. Good job!" He bent over my son, looking and counting his teeth.

I remained a little ways away, observing and letting Harry know I was there, but not close enough that he would act up, some kids made a fuss when their parent was nearby. Harry was behaving very well, all things considered.

Jane came in from a connecting door, she had just finished with her patient and the smell of antiseptic clung to her from the solution she used to wash her hands. She gave me a rather relieved smile and drew me off to the far corner of the room so we could speak quietly.

"Oh, thank goodness you're here, Severus."

"You seem concerned. Did something happen last night with Hermione?"

"In a manner of speaking." She brushed a wisp of hair off of her forehead, straightening her white coat. She was wearing a black shirt and white pants of some kind of shimmery material and sensible black clogs. "Last night, Mione had another one of her . . .umm . . .episodes."

"Accidental magic, we call it. It happens to all children with the gift of magic, Jane, until they are eleven and attend Hogwarts School. You should be getting a letter from the Headmaster the summer before term starts on Hermione's eleventh birthday. It's an exclusive school and its students are selected by invitation only."

"You went there, I take it?"

"Yes, and so did my wife and many of my friends. Harry will as well once he is old enough. It is there that we teach the young wizards and witches control over their magic, there are strict rules governing the use of underage magic, and school-age wizards are not allowed to use magic outside of school, to prevent serious accidents and so forth. But every child with the gift has incidences of accidental magic during childhood, it's perfectly normal, though it can be a bit startling if you're not expecting it. What did Hermione do?"

"Well, I had asked her to, uh, put a dish away and forgot that those particular dishes went on the top of the cabinet, which was too high for her to reach. But instead of telling me, she just . . .made the dish float up and into the cabinet by itself! It was like-like watching one of those shows where the magician raises and lowers something by using nearly invisible wires, only there was no wire and . . .the plate just floated into the cabinet, neat as you please!" Jane put a hand over her heart. "It was-I was, I'm not used to dealing with this sort of-of witchy stuff, Severus. Nothing like this ever happened in my family before. I've tried to discover where she got these powers from, but neither Walter or I ever displayed any kind of weirdness like this."

"Jane, the magic your daughter has is not necessarily inherited. Sometimes it simply shows up in a family, regardless of blood or inclination. It's not genetically linked, if that's what you're thinking, although if you have two wizard parents the chances of you having magic as well is very likely. But it's not an absolute, because even in a pureblood wizarding family, a child can be born who has no magic at all. And we have no way of knowing why or how, magic is not something that follows precise rules, like mathematics." I cleared my throat softly and continued. "Magic has its own set of rules and we who practice it must learn them thoroughly, because if misused, magic can be dangerous."

"Yes, that's what worries me."

"You needn't be concerned so much now, Jane, children Hermione's age rarely have accidental magic that harms people. It's important that you and your husband understand that Hermione's magic is a part of her, it's not a phase or a momentary aberration that will go away as she gets older. You cannot make her stop using it either, or beat it out of her, because her magic is an integral part of her, like her hair color or eyes. A witch uses magic the way a fish uses gills, and it is something you must learn to accept. Hermione is a brilliant child, pretty and a credit to you, and her having magic doesn't detract from that." I was going to emphasize that point over and over, and hope it sunk in.

"I know that. But still . . .it's just so very . . .odd. I feel like I've stepped into the pages of a fairy tale." Jane remarked, coloring slightly.

"Yes, it can be a bit bewildering at first, especially since this is all new to you. However, please remember that Hermione has no control over what her magic does at this stage, her magic responds to strong emotions and desires, with unexpected results. Another thing you should consider is that your daughter is a witch, not a freak or unnatural. She has been given a great gift, a gift that should be cherished, not feared. It is very like someone having the gift for music, like Mozart, or art like DaVinci, only Hermione's talent lies in magic. If you look at it that way, magic won't seem so frightening."

Jane was quiet for a moment. Then she sighed and said, "I-I guess so. But it's going to take some getting used to. I never expected anything like this."

"Neither did Wolfgang Mozart's mother," I pointed out wryly, and she chuckled.

"Funny you should choose him as your example, since that's where Hermione is now, at her piano lesson." Then she frowned. "I'm not sure that I like the term witch. I keep picturing an evil old woman with warts and gray hair trying to steal children and eat them or something. Or one with green skin and a broom like the Wicked Witch of the West."

"Yes, unfortunately, witches have become stereotyped as evil wicked women through history by narrowminded men. Actually, the word witch simply means wise woman, and wizard is the male counterpart-a wise man. But in America they prefer to use the term sorceress or enchantress, since that disaster in Salem in the 1600's. However we do fly on broomsticks, but not chasing after little girls in flying houses. Brooms are used as recreation and transportation by us. Owls are used as messengers, to deliver the mail."

"Is it true you have a whole other world that exists beside this one?"

"Say rather, co-exists with this one, we are all around you, only you just can't see or hear us too well. That is the way our government, the Ministry of Magic in Britain, wishes it. Wizard and Muggle worlds and culture may touch, but don't mingle freely. Unless you're a half-blood like me and don't care."

"A half-blood?"

"The term means a person born to a wizard and Muggle. In my case, my father was a Muggle and my mother was a witch. So I grew up with the cultures of both worlds to draw upon." I explained. A child of a family with both wizard parents is considered a pureblood and a person with no magic born to wizard parents is called a Squib. And we call you who have no magic Muggles."

"Lord, my head is spinning!"

"I apologize, it is a bit much to take in all at once. I can leave you a book called Hogwarts: A History that explains our world in much greater detail and will help you to understand our world even better. But the most important thing you should learn from me, Jane, if you learn nothing else, is that Hermione's magic is a gift to be celebrated, not a curse to be feared. Yes, it is a thing that sets her apart from other children, but everyone has their own special talent, and we should celebrate our differences. Have I answered most of your questions?"

"Yes Severus, but I do want to know if there are any wizard criminals?"

"There are, but not as many as you think and most of those are locked up in the wizard prison called Azkaban. We have a similar society to your own, and we do occasionally marry outside of it, so you needn't think that I for one, feel you are beneath me."

She looked pleased at that, I told her about Floo Powder and Apparition and then Jane had to scrub up for another patient and Harry was finished too.

He slid down off the chair, smiling brightly and holding out a small satin blue bag and a little book. "Well, was it so terrible?"

"No. Dr. Granger said I could come back any time! Look, Dad! This's a bag to put my teeth in when I lose them, I put a tooth in it and stick it under my pillow, and then the Tooth Fairy comes and takes your tooth and gives you money in return. And this is the story of the Tooth Fairy," he waved the little package under my nose wildly.

"Oh, I see. Well, Harry, the next time you have a loose tooth, you may put it under your pillow. I'm glad you enjoyed your trip to the dentist, scamp."

"Me too." Then he yawned. "But I'm kinda tired, Daddy. I want to go home and take a nap." He held his arms up and I picked him up and then turned to Dr. Granger and asked how much I owed him.

"Nothing, Severus. It's a professional courtesy, since you're a doctor."

"Thank you, Walter. When it comes time for Hermione to have another check-up, please let me know and I'll return the favor." I said sincerely.

"Tell Mione I said hi and maybe she can come over again on Monday," Harry said, since he knew the weekends belonged to Tobias.

"I will, Harry, take care!"

Then I left the office, holding my son, and once we were out of sight of anyone, I Apparated us home, and put my son down for a much-needed nap. It had been a long day.

"So, how did it go?" asked Sirius, lounging nonchalantly against the couch in the den.

"Fine. I educated Jane Granger about magic and wizards and Harry got his teeth cleaned and got a prize from her husband and the Tooth Fairy just gained a new customer."

Sirius looked at me blankly. "Sev, what the hell's a Tooth Fairy?"

"Ask Harry when he wakes up, he'll be glad to explain it to you, Padfoot. Right now, I'm going to take a nap as well." I made a mental note to send a copy of Hogwarts: A History over to the Granger residence with my owl, Apollo, as soon as I woke up.

I settled back into the recliner and had just closed my eyes when I felt a familiar weight on my knees. I opened one eye and found a certain black panther curled on my lap. "Inky, why aren't you sleeping with Harry? You always sleep with him. Why are you insisting on sleeping on me?"

The panther purred lazily and stretched out. I sighed and closed my eyes again. Contrary little pest! Just like his master. But he kept me warm and his purr soon soothed me to sleep.

There are some days when you wonder why you ever woke up and decided to get out of bed. Especially after you've been on call all night the night before with three women in labor and a year-old child with a 105 temperature that won't break in spite of all the Fever Reducers you've poured down his throat. Come to find out, the poor boy was cutting a molar and it had caused both a raging fever and a horrid earache, which I also had to treat before the fever subsided. In the end I had used a combination of Muggle and wizard methods to bring the fever down, making an Extra Strength Fever Reducer in my lab to be administered every two hours and putting the baby in an ice water bath. Finally, something worked, and the fever broke.

Then I delivered three babies, practically one on top of the other, two girls and a boy, before finally surrendering my call to my partner, Matthew Morgan. I went home and passed out on my bed, only to be woken up after barely five hours of sleep by my hyper son, who wanted to know when we were going to his grandfather's.

It took all of my self-control not to scream, "NEVER! Now get away from me!" but somehow I managed it. Taking five deep breaths helped as did counting slowly to twenty. "Later on, Harry, when I've gotten more than five hours of sleep. Now either go back to sleep, or come in here and read to me, or go and watch cartoons, but do not keep waking me up and asking me is it time to go yet, understood?" I said that last with a bit of a growl in my tone to let him know I meant business.

"Yes, Dad. I'll bring The Lazy Cheetah's Breakfast in here and read it to you," Harry said, then slipped off my bed to get the new book Sirius had bought for him the day he'd left.

Which had been two days before, a Thursday, he'd finally managed to patch things up with Melinda, thank Merlin, and go back to his own flat. His "I'll-only-stay-for-three-days" had turned into nearly two weeks by the time Lindy decided he'd groveled enough to her and allowed him back in their apartment, which they shared. Hopefully, he'd learned his lesson about going out with single women in public when you were already dating. Then again, this was Sirius I was talking about, and he never did learn to keep his hands off women. He was a "chick magnet" as the Muggles say, women were drawn to him like bees to honey, and he loved the variety, which made Melinda Robinson have the patience of the Virgin Mary for staying with him for so long. They'd been living together for nearly a year now.

I knew Harry was going to miss him, having Sirius around was, for him, a lot like having a fun-loving older sibling. In my case, sometimes having Sirius around was a lot like having a six-year-old and a wanna-be six-year-old in the house. Remus had nearly laughed himself sick when he learned where his partner had been staying all this time. Moony had then written to me and asked if I was ready to go postal yet, and I had replied back-Not yet, Moony, but I'm getting very close to the edge. So if you read in the Prophet that I've snapped one day and run screaming down the street Take me away! Take me away!, you'll know why.

Harry returned and climbed up on my bed with the new book (he'd already read it three times) and opened it. Then he began to read, slowly and carefully, sounding out the words he didn't know. This was good practice for him to improve his reading, he wanted to beat Hermione in class and win back his gold star in reading.

But he soon put me right to sleep and when I awoke again it was somewhere around ten o'clock in the morning, and my little imp was snuggled next to me with the book over his face. I gently removed the book, careful not to wake him, and went to take a shower. With an active child like Harry, it was best to take advantage of the times he was asleep, because there weren't many of them.

By the time I had done, Harry was still snoozing, and I left him asleep and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. This morning I felt like waffles and sausage and pumpkin juice, so that was what I made.

The smells of the waffles and syrup and sausage must have drifted down the hall to the bedroom, because the next thing I knew, a little voice was saying,"Yay! Waffles for breakfast!" and throwing his arms about my waist as far as he could reach.

I smiled down at him and told him to go and have a seat, I would bring his breakfast over shortly.

He quickly scurried to his usual spot, then popped out of his chair again and cried, "I forgot to feed Inky, Dad! He needs breakfast too."

He raced down the hall and got the cub's dish and filled it with food, Inky was by then yowling hungrily and bumping the back of my legs. But as soon as Harry set the dish down, he ran over to it and practically inhaled it. It was a good thing panthers didn't suffer from indigestion from eating too quickly.

I levitated our plates to the table with a brief flick of my wand and we settled down to enjoy our breakfast, though I had to admonish my son not to feed the cub and leftovers until he had eaten most of his breakfast, otherwise half the food would have vanished down Inky's throat, the bottomless pit!

Once the dishes were washed and put away, I told Harry to get dressed, and just as I was straightening up the den, the phone rang. I knew it had to be one of two people, either my dad or Hermione, since they were the only ones who knew this phone number. I walked into the kitchen and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Sev, I was just reading the paper this morning, and I saw some ad for the cinema and wondered if you and Harry would like to go and see a movie this afternoon," my father said.

I arched an eyebrow and replied, "Yes, so long as the movie is appropriate for Harry, Dad." If I ever wanted proof that Tobias had changed for the better, this was it. The old man would've never gone to a movie when I was growing up, he had better things to do, like drink and gamble down at the tavern. But the newly sober and newly redeemed Tobias now wanted to spend timed with his son and grandson, and so I told him we would meet at his house around twelve, the movie wasn't until one o'clock, and have lunch after.

"Oh good, maybe we can try that new Chinese place that just opened down the street from the theater-Peking Palace, or whatever it's called. You still like Chinese, right, Sev?"

"Yes, and Harry doesn't mind it either," I answered. Looks like Dad had the day pretty well planned out, not that I minded, because I was still tired from being on call, and appreciated the fact that someone else do the organizing, for once. "Maybe we can even take some home for dinner, I really don't feel like cooking too much tonight, not after last night."

"You were on call, weren't you? Rough one?"

"Mmm . . .you could say that." I started to tell him about all the major problems I'd had to deal with, when Harry returned and mumbled something about wanting to play in the backyard. "Fine, but only for ten minutes, because your grandfather is taking us to the cinema, and we need to leave as soon as I get off the phone."

I had a clear view of the backyard, which was fenced, and I could see exactly what Harry was doing from the kitchen window.

Harry whooped at that announcement, then shoved open the back door and went outside. I had my back to the door for a moment, putting away the milk I had left out, and so did not see Harry coaxing Inky outside as well.

Now, Harry knew perfectly well Inky was number one, never to be outside without me there and number two always wearing his lead when he was outside. But the lure of the forbidden was too much and so he broke my rule and took the playful cub outside while I was speaking with my father.

Inky was quick and lively and liked to hide under bushes, which explained how I didn't see him out there when I glanced out the window a moment later. All I saw was Harry, crouched down next to a hydrangea bush, probably examining some worms or bugs.

Five minutes later, I glanced out the window again.

The backyard was empty.

I felt panic begin to seize my chest. "Dad, I have to go," I said quickly. "Harry's not in the backyard all of a sudden."

"He's what? You mean he's missing, Sev?"

"Yes. No. I'll talk to you later. Goodbye." I quickly hung up. Now where did that kid get to? I wondered frantically. He knew he wasn't supposed to leave the backyard without permission.

I stepped out on the back porch and yelled, "Harry James Severus Potter, come in here this instant!"

He would know I meant immediately when I used his full name in that tone.

I waited for his little head to pop up from behind the hydrangea bush, grinning sheepishly. But a few minutes went by and I didn't see my son anywhere in the yard. "Harry? Harry, come here, I mean it. If you don't get your behind over here right now, young man, we won't go to the cinema today with Grandpa."

I waited, for surely he had heard that and would quit fooling around and playing games.

Still no Harry. A sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach, I went down the steps and over to the bush where I'd last seen him.

And there, in the fresh mulch and dirt beneath the bush I saw the tracks of a panther.

Inky was out here too?

Oh, dear sweet Merlin!

This was all I needed. A panther cub on the loose and my son gone missing on top of it. I swore furiously for a few minutes, for I knew Harry had probably taken Inky outside, which was something I had expressly forbidden when I was not present.

Then another horrible thought occurred to me. What if Harry had not left the backyard on his own? What if the Death Eaters had returned and kidnapped him? My heart started pounding like crazy and I felt something squeezing my chest in two at the mere thought of those evil men snatching my precious son.

I forced myself to take a deep breath. Then another. And yet another, until the constricting sensation went away. All right, Sev. Just breathe. In and out. And don't be ridiculous. All the Death Eaters are in Azkaban, except for the very least of them, and they're being watched round the clock by Auror teams. Plus, no dark wizard could get past the wards here and Harry's panther amulet wouldn't let him get within five feet of a dark wizard before Apparating him back to the secret room. You nearly hyperventilated over nothing, you stupid ass.

I knew that if Harry were in the secret room, which was a built-in safe spot in my living room next to the fireplace, he'd be able to work the latch and get out, but of course he wasn't there. The only logical explanation was that he'd gone missing trying to find his blasted cub, and indeed, when I walked around to the gate leading out of the yard, I found it unlatched and swinging to and fro in the breeze.

Merlin and all the angels help me, I groaned. Now even though we lived in a wizarding neighborhood, a panther roaming free was a most unusual sight, and I shuddered at what this particular panther could get into before I found him. Not to mention my son.

I took another deep breath. I would NOT panic, I would remain calm, and I would find them. Once I found them I would. . . .No, I wasn't even going to contemplate what I was going to do then, because I had to find them first.

I whispered a Four Points locator charm. "Point me Harry Potter."

Almost immediately, I felt a tug on my wand, and the spell spun me gently until I was facing down the street, thankfully away from the section of Muggle London. I summoned my broom, reasoning it would be easier to search from the air, and mounted it. Then I followed the spell's insistent tug down the street.

It led me on a roundabout path, into other people's yards and across front porches and I could tell the panther was just running for the sheer joy of it and Harry was trying to catch him, but a six-year-old was no match for a panther cub crazed with freedom. I scanned the ground, I was flying just above the roofs of the houses.

No sign of either Inky or my son.

Ten minutes later, I recast the spell, found that Harry had doubled back for some reason, and I followed. Five minutes later I saw a small figure sitting on the edge of someone's lawn, looking like the world had ended.

As I flew down for a closer look, I could see he was unharmed, though tears streaked his face and he was panting.

I was so relieved that I nearly cried. Safe, he was safe, oh thank Merlin and anyone else in heaven. "Harry!" I called. "Harry, are you all right?"

He jerked his head up so fast I feared he'd give himself whiplash. His green eyes glowed with a mixture of joy and trepidation. "Daddy! How did you find me? I-I got lost looking for Inky. He's run away!" That last word came out as more of a wail, and now more tears were pouring down his face.

I quickly landed next to him, and in two seconds had an armful of a very upset six-year-old. He clung to me like a limpet and sobbed into my shirt and I clutched him to me and tried not to fall apart as well. All I could think of was that my child was unharmed and now I had him back. "Harry, Harry, shhh." I murmured, he had worked himself up into a state of near hysteria, and I tried my best to calm him down, rubbing his back and walking in circles. "You're okay, son. You're safe, I've got you. It's all right."

I leaned my broom against a tree and went to sit beneath it, my precious child cradled close. He was still bawling, though now I could make out words inbetween the sobs. "Inky . . .lost . . .find . . ." he kept repeating.

"All right, we'll find Inky, scamp. But first you have to stop crying, okay?" I ran a hand through his hair, that insanely messy mop that gave me hives any given day when I tried to smooth it down into something manageable. "Hush, Harry." I had him tucked inbetween my knees and was rubbing his back in slow soothing circles, gradually he calmed and started to breathe normally, his sobs dribbling down to one or two sniffles. "Harry, oh sweet Merlin, you scared me half to death!" I murmured against his ear. "I thought I'd lost you, son. Never do that again!" I scolded gently, for the anger at his actions hadn't kicked in yet.

"M'sorry, Daddy," he sniffled, lifting his face from my shoulder. "I-I just wanted to find Inky. Am I in trouble?" His tone said he knew perfectly well he was, but was hoping his extreme cuteness and pathetic face was going to get him out of it.

I sighed. "We'll discuss that later, Harry. For now, we need to find Inky, before something happens." We mounted my broom, and I performed a quick Sticking Charm so Harry wouldn't fall off. I seated him before me, wrapped an arm about him, and rose into the air. Then I recast the locator charm. "Point me Inky the panther cub." Sometimes you have to be specific when dealing with this spell, especially in relation to non-humans.

A minute later I felt a familiar tug, and flew northwest. "Looks like he headed this way," I told my son, who was still sniffling a bit. "With a bit of luck we'll be able to find him before someone else does."

"They wouldn't hurt him, would they?" Harry cried, his bottom lip trembling as he looked up at me.

"No, but it's not every day you see a panther cub running free, even in this neighborhood." I said quietly. "How did he get outside, Harry?"

My son immediately dropped his gaze to the broomstick. "Uh . . .I kind of let him out. He was pouncing at my shoe laces and when I ran out the door, he was still chasing one and I forgot to close it and he got out. Then he hid under a bush and we played hide-and-seek for a little, but then he saw a squirrel and he ran after it and all of a sudden he climbed the fence and ran away. I thought maybe I could get him before . . .umm . . ."

"Before I found out?" I guessed swiftly.

"Yes," he said in a small voice. "But he ran so fast, Dad, that I couldn't stop him and then I got lost." He stiffened a bit against me, and I could tell he was trying to figure out just how much trouble he was in.

A great deal, but as yet I hadn't decided on punishment, my temper was still simmering, and I hadn't yet gotten past the stage where I was torn between hugging him to death and paddling his behind for scaring me that way. Right then my first priority, now that Harry was safe, was finding our runaway panther.

I could feel the spell beckoning me closer, but as it turned out, I hardly needed it, since I could find where Inky was by the sound of the screams coming from a small house at the end of the street. Some of the screams were from children, and then I heard a dog barking and a woman's voice shrieking, "I don't CARE if it's somebody's pet, I want it gone! It ATE my roasted chicken!"

"But Mummy, it was hungry!" cried a girl's voice.

"Yeah, maybe it was starving," added another child, this time a boy.

"Starving! I'll show it starving, the mangy thief!" yelled the irate witch.

As I circled over the house, I could see the mother running after my chicken-stealing cub, who still had a leg of chicken in his mouth, waving a broom and swiping at him, while behind her came three kids of various ages, from around four to ten, and a small brown dog.

Inky, no fool, was running full out for his life.

"Hey!" Harry yelled. "Don't you hurt my panther, you bloody hag! You leave him alone!"

"Harry! Just be quiet and let me handle this, young man." I snapped, restraining my indignant child, as he tried to jump off the broom and go to his panther's rescue. I landed lightly on the lawn, just as the woman swung the broom at the fleeing cat again, missing him by an inch.

"Don't you hit my Inky!" screamed Harry, struggling to get off the broom. "Who cares if he ate your dumb old chicken?"

"Harry, quit moving!" I ordered, canceling the Sticking Charm. Then still keeping hold of my angry son, I dismounted and called out, "Ma'am, please stop chasing my panther with that broom. If you give me a minute, I'll get him."

She whirled on me, her blue eyes blazing, waving the broom about like an avenging Fury out of myth. "Oh, so you're the one who owns this little menace? Do you know what that blasted animal did? It jumped in my kitchen window bold as brass and snatched my roasted chicken right off the table! Then the mangy thing had the nerve to run out the door with it too! You ought to lock the bloody creature up before I make a rug out of it!"

I opened my mouth to apologize, but Harry interrupted me, crying, "You hurt my Inky and my dad'll hex you into next week!"

The witch gasped and looked like she was going to swat us with the broom.

"Enough, young man!" I scolded, giving him a smack on the behind for his atrocious behavior. "You don't talk to adults that way."

He yelped and gave me an injured look and muttered something that sounded like an "I'm sorry."

"I apologize for my son, but he's very protective of his panther. " I said quickly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a panther cub to catch."

I took Harry firmly by the hand and marched over to the tree where Inky had taken refuge, safe from witches wielding brooms and barking dogs and noisy children. "What's gotten into you, boy?" I demanded, frowning down at my child. "You know how to behave better than that."

"She was gonna make a rug out of Inky, Dad," my six-year-old pouted. "And I ain't gonna let her."

"No one is going to hurt Inky," I told him firmly. We had reached the base of the tree, where a black head was peering at us through the branches. The chicken leg was nowhere to be seen, so I assumed he must have dropped it.

"Harry, call him."

Harry obeyed. "Inky! Come here, boy1 It's all right, nothing's going to hurt you. C'mere!"

The cub hesitated, his green eyes darting wildly. I added my own voice to Harry's and held out a piece of beef jerky, making soothing noises. "Inky, you want a treat?"

Suddenly the panther made up his mind and jumped right into my arms. I staggered beneath his weight, he was over thirty pounds now, but managed to keep hold of him. "Good boy!" I fed him the jerky as a reward for coming to me.

"You're rewarding that mangy feline?" cried the angry witch.

"For coming when called, yes," I answered evenly.

"What about my chicken, huh? You ought to knock the thieving rascal over the head for that!" she shrilled. "And take a hairbrush to that child's behind too, the rude little brat!"

Harry hid behind my leg and I scowled at the woman warningly. "I apologize for any anxiety my cat caused you, madam. I can replace the chicken," I said stiffly, and with a wave of my wand, I did so. "But don't ever threaten my son or my cub," I added, and my tone shifted to become arctic ice. She backed off, her ire no match for one of my Snape glares. To the chicken, still steaming in a plate, I added a small bag of Sickles. "For any other inconvenience my pet may have caused you. He slipped out of my yard by mistake. I assure you it won't happen again. Good day, madam."

Then I turned, mounted my broom, put Harry before me, and conjured a sling for Inky to ride in. We were airborne before the frazzled witch knew what had happened, and I headed back for home with all due haste.

* * * * * *

Once we were safely back at home, I put Inky in his room. After his adventure this morning, the cub seemed content to curl up on his cat bed, which was a large stuffed blue pillow made from ultra strong material that was resistant to a cat's claws. I was lucky that all the cub had done was steal someone's chicken and frighten a housewife. It could have been much worse.

Now that we were home, I could give vent to the anger I had been suppressing, but I didn't want to terrify Harry, though perhaps he deserved to be a little terrified of me. So I sent him to his room for an hour while I cooled off, because if there was one thing I had learned from Tobias, it was to never ever punish my son when I was angry. My father had always either been drunk or wildly angry when he had punished me, and I vowed long ago to never be out of control when I issued punishments.

So I paced and thought while I did so, that yes, Harry did deserve to be punished, for he had knowingly disobeyed one of the major rules of the household, and left the property without permission, making me frantic with worry and getting lost into the bargain. He'd done that once before, flying off on his little broom with some older neighborhood children when he was five. My punishment then had consisted of an immediate spanking, loss of his broom, and grounding. This time, granted, the circumstances were different, but the outcome had been nearly the same.

This time it was a repeat offense, which meant that the consequences would have to be a bit harsher this time than last time. While I was considering that, the phone rang again. It was my father.

"Sev! Did you find him? Was he hurt? Do you need me to come and help you search?"

"Dad, calm down," I said, for Tobias sounded as panicked as I had felt when I had first discovered Harry was missing. "I found them both, everyone's fine, safe and sound. But thanks for offering, if I hadn't been able to locate Harry in an hour, I would have called you." I told him sincerely, touched beyond measure over his concern for my son. Despite his past mistakes, he truly loved his grandson, and me as well, which had been something I had doubted growing up. "I found him down the street, nearly hysterical, trying to find Inky, who had jumped the fence and run away."

"That blasted panther is more trouble than it's worth." Tobias had never really cottoned to the idea of Inky.

"Actually, the panther escaping was Harry's fault, since he took the cub outside without permission," I told him.

"And then he ran away trying to find it, huh?" my father's voice was sharp with disapproval. "That little rascal would be over my knee in two seconds, Sev, if I had the raising of him. But he's your kid, so I guess you can punish him however you see fit."

"Oh and he will be punished, believe me, Dad. Starting with no movie this afternoon." I said decisively. "Speaking of which, I need to have a talk with him, so we'll be over after I finish dealing with his disobedience."

Dad said goodbye then, and I hung up. Then I headed into my son's room to have the long awaited discussion and deliver his well-earned punishment. It was not something I ever looked forward to, but that was part of being a parent, and we all had to do things we didn't like.

He was anxiously awaiting my arrival, sitting up on his bed, biting his nails. He flashed me one of his most pathetic I'm sorry-and-I'll-never-do-it-again looks that never failed to tug at my heart. Of course, I never allowed anything like that to show on my face, the kid would pick up on it in an instant and know he had a weapon to use against me to mitigate punishments.

So, much as I longed to say okay, you're forgiven, just don't ever do that again, I maintained my stern facade of angry disapproval, a mask I had learned how to wear long ago from Tobias-though in his case it had never been a mask.

I began with my standard, "I cannot believe you would disobey my number one rule and leave the property without permission, Harry James Severus. And not only did you leave the property, you allowed Inky to escape as well. You knew he wasn't allowed outside without me there and you took him anyway. Tell me, young man, what were you thinking?"

He hung his head, plainly ashamed of his impulsive behavior. There was no defiance about him, he knew he had done wrong, but he was hoping to wriggle his way out of it still. That didn't surprise me at all, every child tries to get out of being punished, it was my job as a parent to teach him that every action had consequences and those consequences had to be faced.

"Well?" I prompted when the silence stretched out interminably. "I'm waiting."

"I don't know, sir. I-I just wanted to play with Inky outside for a bit. I didn't mean for him to run away! I was only going to play with him for a minute."

"Harry, why did I tell you never to take Inky outside by yourself?"

"Umm . . .because he might get lost or eat something he shouldn't and get sick."

"And what happened when you broke that rule?" I demanded.

"Inky ran away," he muttered to his shoes.

"And not only did Inky run away, but you ran away too. How many times have I told you to never leave the property without me, or an adult that you know, mister?"

"A lot."

"Look at me." I waited until I was sure his attention was focused on me before I allowed my temper to slip its leash a little. "Do you have any idea how frantic you made me, young man? I look outside and not only is the panther gone, but you're gone as well! Do you know what could've happened to you because you wandered off like that, Harry? You could've been kidnapped, or hurt, or attacked by stray dogs, anything could have happened to you, and I would never know, because I didn't know where you had gone!"

"B-but you found me, Dad."

"Yes, I did, but I was lucky I went in the right direction and that you hadn't kept wandering down the street somewhere. Otherwise, I might have never found you, little boy, and you would have ended up on a poster board for missing children, and you would've never seen me, or Grandpa, or Inky, or any of your friends ever again. You would've been just like an orphan, like Oliver." I said sharply, I was going for some major scare tactics here, for he had really terrified me. "And you know what happened to Oliver, don't you?"

He nodded, his green eyes filling with tears. "Yes sir."

"Do you want that to happen to you?"

"No sir."

"Then never ever wander away from the yard again, Mr. Potter! Because that's what happens to naughty little boys who disobey their fathers and leave without telling them where they're going or why. They're never seen or heard from again."

He started to cry and I was satisfied my lesson had sunk in. Now for the rest of the punishment. "Now, I know you knew better when you left the yard, Harry, because we've had this same discussion once before, when I caught you flying your broom by yourself. I had thought after the last time I punished you, you would have learned your lesson, but I was wrong. I am so very disappointed in you, little boy."

He started to cry harder after that, and then he sobbed, "I'm really sorry, Daddy, I'll never run away again. I-I don't wanna be on a poster board and live in an orphanage like Oliver!"

"And I don't want you to end up there either, but that's where you'll be headed if you keep on the way you are. So, as a reminder, since you seem to keep forgetting my rule, you're going to get a twenty-minute time-out all next week."

He stared up at me, his eyes wide. "No! Please, not all week!"

"Yes, young man. Every day, for a week, and you're not allowed to have any friends come over either. Nor will we be going to see a movie with your grandfather either, who is also disappointed in you, by the way." I moved over to sit beside him.

"Grandpa knows?" he whispered.

"He does."

He sniffed, looking even more ashamed. He valued Tobias's opinion highly. "Is he gonna spank me?"

"No. When you lived with him for three months, he punished you, but now that's my job. Come here." I ordered, indicating he was to lie across my knee. I expected the usual round of protests, for he hated getting spanked as much as I hated spanking him. That was why I reserved it for those times when he had done something truly forbidden, the way I did the week-long time-out.

To my surprise, he didn't protest at all, but obeyed me, lying face-down over my lap. I wasted no time in giving him six stinging smacks, there was no sense in drawing it out, and I wanted it over as quickly as possible. He bawled loudly and wriggled, trying to avoid my hand. I knew damn well I wasn't hitting him all that hard, just hard enough to sting sharply for at the most an hour, but from the way he was sobbing, you'd have thought I was taking a belt to him. Yes, it hurt, but it was not bad enough to warrant such dramatics. Then again, maybe it hurt more than I thought, since I wasn't on the receiving end of it this time. I shook my head. I had more than my share of spankings, enough so I was almost positive my own version was mild as milk compared to those I'd gotten. But I couldn't blame him for crying, it was a normal reaction.

But it was over and done with in thirty seconds, and then I could hug him and tell him I forgave him, which I did as soon as he'd stopped crying long enough to understand what I was saying.

"Do you still love me, Daddy?" he sniffled, rubbing his bottom.

"Oh, Harry! Of course I love you. I will always love you." I hugged him close.

"Even when I make you mad enough to spank me?"

"Always, little one. Now do us both a favor and remember this, won't you? Because I truly hate repeating the same lesson over and over again. But I will if I have to," I warned. I had learned to be consistent, and to always do what I said, so my son would know what to expect from me, and would not fear me the way I had feared Tobias. The sins of the past would not be repeated. I had vowed that long ago, when I had agreed to raise Harry as my own, and I kept that promise to the best of my ability.

"I'll remember. Promise."

I had to smile at the childish declaration, but I knew he meant it. I hoped the lesson would stick this time. I had a feeling it would, and not just because of my punishment either. "All right, scamp. Now go wash your face and change your shirt. As soon as you're done we can go and visit your grandfather."

"Okay. Where's Inky?"

"In his room, sleeping. You can play with him after we get back," I said, gently removing him from my lap and setting him on his feet. "Get a move on, Harry. Your grandfather is waiting for us."

He scampered away down the hall and I went back into the kitchen to make a quick phone call to my father and tell him we were coming.

Dad was on the porch when we arrived. Harry ran right to him, and Dad picked him up and hugged him, then he set his grandson down and said sternly, "What's this I hear about you running away, young man? You ought to know better than to make your father and I worry like that."

"I'm sorry, sir. I'll never do it again."

"Can I trust you to keep your word?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, because a Snape always keeps his word, minnow. I take it your father punished you already?"

Harry nodded quickly. "Yes sir. He yelled at me and put me in time-out for a week with no friends over and then he spanked me."

"Sounds like you've been punished enough then, and there's an end to it." Then Dad ruffled Harry's hair, making it stand on end. "I was intending to take you to the cinema, but since you got here too late . . .we'll have to think of something else."

"That's okay, Grandpa. Dad said I couldn't see a movie anyhow, it's part of my punishment," his grandson reported.

Dad arched one eyebrow, and glanced at me in approval. "That's fair. Let's go inside. I'm working on a set of small animals for my friend Carl's little boy. You remember Bobby, don't you? It's his birthday in a few days, and I made this group of forest animals as a present. I could use your help in finishing them, Harry, since you like to sand . . ."

The two went into the house and I followed, thanking my lucky stars that Harry would grow up knowing a normal Tobias and not the drunken monster I had. It was important for Harry to have his grandfather to go to for advice as well as his father, you could tell a grandfather things you didn't or couldn't discuss with a parent, and it would mean a lot to Tobias that Harry considered his opinion worth knowing.

Dad had the animals spread out on the kitchen table on a sheet of newspaper, and Harry immediately went to inspect them. "Cool! There's a bear, a wolf, a squirrel, a deer, a bunny, and an owl. You're a great carver, Grandpa. Will you teach me how to carve someday?"

Dad looked very proud and said, "When you're a little older, maybe eight, I will."

"Okay." He picked up a piece of sandpaper and started rubbing it over the wolf carving. "Grandpa, can you make me some animals too? My birthday's coming up in July, and I'd really like some."

"Well, minnow, I'll see what I can do. For now though, let's finish these for Bobby." He looked over at me. "Care to help us, Sev?"

Happy to be invited to join in the project, I picked up the detailed carving of the owl and another piece of sandpaper and set to work. The afternoon passed pleasantly as the three of us worked companionably, the soft shush of the sandpaper filling the room. I wished my mother were alive to see this, her husband and son together without fighting and her grandson as well, the way a family was meant to be. It would have pleased her to no end.

"Harry, sit still!" Daddy ordered.

"Can't. It itches, Dad." I tried to stay still, honest. But it was impossible.

"Harry, stop wriggling and be still, I mean it!"

"But it tickles the back of my neck!"

Daddy gave an exasperated sigh. "I'll brush off the back of your neck when I'm done. Now for the last time, Harry James Severus, don't move! Or else I'll put you in the corner for a twenty-five minute time-out and see if that won't cure you of the ants in your pants."

I had to giggle at that saying. It was one Grandpa sometimes used too and it always made me imagine some silly kid shoving bugs down their underwear and then jumping all over trying to get them out. But then I caught Dad's warning Snape glare, the one that meant-behave, or else!-and I forced myself to sit still while he cut my hair. I didn't care if my hair was in my eyes, lots of kids in my school had long hair, but Daddy said that style was too unmanageable, my hair was messy enough as it was, and it was getting trimmed. Period, the end.

He did it with enchanted scissors, and I was sitting on a tall stool in the kitchen with a towel around me, but it still tickled and I hated having to sit still and not move my head for so long. About fifteen minutes, but it felt much longer! Some of my hair fell onto my nose and I felt a tickle in the back of my throat. Oh no, I was going to sneeze! I could feel it coming on, and then I sneezed violently.

"A-a-a-ch-o-o-o-!"

"Harry, for the love of Merlin!"

"Sorry, Dad. I couldn't help it." I reached up to feel the back of my head, but my dad swatted my fingers down. "Is my haircut ruined?"

"No. But if you don't stop squirming around, it will be." He lifted the scissors once more, and this time I concentrated hard on keeping still, until Dad had finished with my hair.

"There! Hopefully this will tame it down somewhat," my dad said, running a comb through my hair and then dusting off the back of my neck, which itched something fierce. I really didn't like getting my hair cut, but Dad insisted, and I knew better than to argue with him.

Grandpa was the one who'd noticed this time and said I needed to get it cut, because I was starting to look like a hippie, whatever that meant. Plus, Dad said I need to look decent for my birthday party, which was in another month and a half. I could hardly wait.

It was going to be at Hogwarts, Uncle Al had agreed to let me have it there, all my friends would be there and so would Uncle Remus, Padfoot, Grandpa, Aunty Min, and of course, my dad. Even Inky would be allowed to come, since my dad had cast a special charm on his collar so he couldn't wander off the grounds and into the Forbidden Forest. There would be games and hamburgers and ice cream and cake, prizes for the games and presents.

I spent half the night dreaming of how wonderful it was going to be instead of sleeping. The next morning, I was crabby and didn't want to get up for school. But Dad made me anyway, the mean old grouch, and said since I was so tired and cross, I needed an earlier bedtime tonight.

"No way, Dad! I already go to bed at eight-thirty. I don't wanna go to bed at seven-thirty. That's for babies!"

"Well, mister, since you're acting like a whiny little baby, perhaps I ought to treat you like one," Dad threatened.

"Am not!" I shouted, stamping my foot.

"No? Then what do you call that? Shouting and stamping your foot just like a bratty two-year-old."

I pouted, rubbing my eyes and yawning. "M' just tired, that's all."

"Exactly. Which is why you're going to go to bed early tonight and sleep off this grouchy fit you're in."

"No-o-o!" I cried, now growing furious. "I won't go to bed early! I won't!" I crossed my arms and glared at him.

He glared right back at me. "Quit acting like a spoiled brat, young man, or else you'll be going to school with a sore bottom."

"You're mean, Dad! It's no fair!" Then I stamped my foot again, just because I felt like it. Stamp! Stamp! Stamp!

Big mistake.

He'd already warned me once.

Before I could move, he had turned me around, bent me over, and smacked me hard, three times, on my bum. "Owww!" I wailed, bursting into tears.

"I warned you, Harry," said my father. "Next time don't test me." Then he hugged me and I cried into his shirt. He patted my back and hushed me, because for some reason I couldn't stop crying. "Yes, you definitely need an earlier bedtime, you're overtired." He took me on his lap and held me until I had quit crying.

Then he told me to go wash my face and comb my hair, which wasn't sticking up all over my head for once. I went, running a warm flannel cloth over my face, it made me feel a little better. Then I rubbed my bottom, it stung, just as he'd promised. But I had learned my lesson. If there was one thing Dad hated, it was a spoiled brat, and he often said the only cure for one was a good spanking.

I walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen, where he was putting my lunch into my book bag. "I'm sorry I acted like a spoiled brat, Dad." I said, sniffling.

He held out an arm and I ran over and he gave me a big hug. "Next time, behave, son, and I won't need to spank you. All's forgiven, scamp."

I hugged him back, happy he wasn't mad and he'd forgiven me. I hated it when he was mad at me, it hurt worse than a spanking, don't ask me why. Then I went and ate breakfast, and afterwards it was time to go to school.

But I was still tired and grouchy and I was in a bad mood all day, I even snapped at Hermione, though I apologized later. Miss Wilkins even noticed and said I'd gotten up on the wrong side of the bed that morning. I wished I hadn't gotten up at all.

When I got home, I did my homework, fed and brushed Inky, had dinner, and then Dad made me go to bed. I whined a little, but I was secretly glad I could go to bed early, because I was so out-of-sorts. Inky curled up next to me and I fell asleep listening to him purring, my hand buried in his soft fur.

The last thing I remember is Dad's hand stroking my hair and giving me a kiss on the forehead. "Pleasant dreams, my Harry," he whispered and then I was asleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I wasn't tired at all. Maybe Dad wasn't such a mean old grouch after all. Or at least he was a smart mean old grouch.

* * * * * * *

Finally it was my birthday, and Dad woke me up that morning with his usual, "Rise and shine, lazybones!"

I opened my eyes and groaned. "Dad! It's Saturday!"

"You're right, but do you know what else it is?" he demanded, grinning.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to guess. Then I knew. "It's my birthday!" I crowed. "Now I'm seven!" I leaped out of bed and Dad caught me and spun me around, like he always does on my birthday morning.

"You're getting too big for me to hold, Mr. Seven Year Old," he teased, even though he knows perfectly well I'm small for my age. Then he set me down and said, "What do you want for breakfast, birthday boy?"

Since it was my birthday, I could choose whatever I wanted for breakfast, even if it was something with tons of sugar that Dad would never let me eat otherwise. I thought for a minute. "I want waffles with ice cream, Dad. And chocolate sauce and whipped cream and a cherry on top."

Dad just rolled his eyes. "I should've known. You're a Snape, all right. Dessert for breakfast. All right, since it's your birthday . . ."

Because it was my birthday, I didn't have any chores to do, not even feeding Inky. Dad did them all for me while I ate my waffles and ice cream with an extra helping of chocolate sauce.

Then I got dressed and we phoned Grandpa to let him know we were Apparating over to pick him up. I put Inky in a special carrier and Dad shrank it so I could hold him while we Apparated. Then we were off to Spinner's End, which is the name of the street my grandfather lives on.

"Happy birthday, minnow!" Grandpa said, as soon as he caught sight of me. "How old are you now, Harry? I can't seem to remember. Must be getting old."

"Yes, senility's setting in, Dad," teased my father, his dark eyes twinkling.

"Who asked for your opinion, doctor?" growled my grandfather, but I could tell he was kidding. Then he looked at me. "Well, Harry? Don't keep me in suspense. How old are you now? Five? Six?"

"I'm seven, Grandpa!" I cried. "Almost a grownup."

"Seven? My, you are almost all grownup. Before you know it, you'll be going off to Hogwarts."

"But Grandpa, don't you remember? We are going to Hogwarts. Uncle Al said I could have my party there." I reminded him.

"That's right, I knew I'd forgotten something." Grandpa laughed. "Guess I'd better get your present and the hamburgers and the barbecue sauce." He disappeared into the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with a shopping bag and a box wrapped in blue paper with balloons on it. "Okay, Sev, I'm set. D'you need to perform a shrinking charm or whatever you wizards call it on these?" He held out the present and the bag.

"Yes, that'd be best. Less mass when I Apparate." He took out his wand and performed a quick charm to shrink the bag and the present down to miniature size, so Grandpa could put them in his jacket. Then he put a hand on Grandpa's shoulder, picked up me and Inky, and we Apparated to Hogwarts. Dad explained that Uncle Al had lifted the Anti-Apparition wards over the school just for my birthday party.

We appeared in the Great Hall, which was where the students met for meals and the beginning and end of the year for speeches and awards and feasts. Among the usual banners of the Houses were sparkling purple and gold and silver streamers and balloons shaped like all different kinds of animals, even a panther.

The big table where the teachers usually sat had a long tablecloth on it with a big centerpiece of a panther sleeping and on its back was a blanket with the number seven on it. A huge banner stretched across the wall read HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY HARRY! By each of the seats was a cracker, a party hat, and a place setting. I knew the crackers were wizard crackers, which meant they had a special surprise inside them, each one different from the other. I knew who had put them there. Uncle Al loved wizard crackers.

Dad restored Grandpa's bag and the present to their normal size and I let Inky out of his carrier, he didn't much care to be shut in there and was starting to yowl. He came out, sniffing cautiously and twitching his whiskers at the new smells and sounds. His collar, which was spelled, and had a nametag and a bell, glowed slightly. He was now too big to be held comfortably, being close to ninety pounds and getting bigger every day. I stroked him and whispered, "This is Hogwarts, Inky. One day I'm gonna go to school here. Isn't it the coolest?"

Inky sat down next to me and purred in agreement.

Then Uncle Al and Aunty Min appeared in the room with a pop. "Hello, Severus. Hello, Tobias," greeted Uncle Al, who was wearing his usual purple and star covered robes. Then he smiled and said, "And happy birthday, Harry! How do you like the decorations? Minerva and I did them."

"They look great, Uncle Al. Thanks!" I said. "Are Ron, Blaise, and Hermione here yet? Or the twins and Ginny?"

I had only invited a small number of kids to my party, my best friends mostly and the Weasleys, who were sort of like cousins and brothers and a sister, since I spent so much time with them if Dad were on call or had to go to a meeting.

"I'm sure they'll be here shortly, Harry," said Uncle Al, his eyes twinkling merrily. Then he bent to pet Inky. "Look at you, you beautiful boy! He's gotten so big, Harry!"

"Well, he's almost eight months old, right, Harry?" said Aunty Min proudly. "He's going to be a fine big panther. You've taken wonderful care of him." Then she too went to stroke my panther, who rubbed up against her and purred so loudly you could hear it all across the hall.

"You ought to be very proud, Harry," Dad whispered in my ear. "Minerva never hands out compliments like that unless you've earned them."

I suddenly felt like I was ten feet tall. It wasn't always easy taking care of Inky, but I had done it, and now he was growing up to be a beautiful big cat and Aunty Min was proud of me and so was Daddy.

Then there came a soft hiss from the fireplace and I looked over. The flames had turned a deep green shade and from out of them came, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George. The twins were carrying a present wrapped with a big red bow and Ron had a large white box in his hands.

"Uh, Healer Sev, where do I put the cake?" asked Ron. "Mum baked it special for Harry."

"Here, let me help you, Ron," Dad said, moving over to take the box from him before he dropped it. He floated it over to the table where we'd be sitting for the party. Off to the side was a smaller table where my presents were. So far I had five, counting the Weasleys' gift.

Ron had his broom and immediately asked me if we could go flying, he wanted to show me the latest Quidditch move his brothers had taught him. I learned how to play Quidditch from the Weasleys, since Dad's never been a fan of the sport. It's too dangerous, he says, he's patched up too many Quidditch players to ever enjoy playing it.

"Dad? Can I go play with Ron on my broom?"

"Go on, scamp. It's your birthday, go and have fun," Dad waved me away, then turned to my grandfather and said, "Dad, we might as well set up the barbecue now as later. It's a little different from what you're used to, since magic makes it work, but you should be fine. . . "

Ron and I ran out the door quick as lightning, followed by the twins and Ginny, who usually played Chaser. The twins were Beaters and I was the Seeker and Ron was Keeper. Ron was very good on a broom, but that's ‘cause he practiced a lot with his brothers. Sometimes I wished I had a brother or a sister to play with, they seemed like fun. Unless they were being annoying or a tattletale, Ron said. "Then you wish you were an only child, like you and Hermione are."

"Watch this, Harry!" Ron called, hovering a few feet away from me on his broom. "It's called the Snapdragon Spiral."

Then he dove some ten feet in the air, pulled up and spun around in a spiral pattern.

"Awesome!" I shouted. "Teach me, Ron!"

We spent the next half-hour doing the Snapdragon and playing Quidditch until Hermione and Blaise arrived. Blaise liked Quidditich too, but Hermione didn't really get it and she didn't know how to fly either and she didn't have her own broom yet. So we stopped and went to play a game she could play too.

Out on the lawn Hagrid had set up bunny croquet, a wizard game where the croquet ball looked like a bunny curled up in a ball and the goal was to get the bunny inbetween the thorny tunnels to the carrot goal. You had to tap the bunny with your dandelion mallet to start it hopping, and then hope it hopped in the right direction, through the thorny tunnel and not into it or off the course.

It was great fun and we all took turns being on each other's team and laughing at how bad each other's shots were, since this was the first time any of us except Fred and George had ever played. To my shock, Hermione was better than all of us, she had the best tap and she could aim the bunny wherever she pleased.

Hagrid, who was Games Master, declared Hermione the winner of that game and gave her a prize, a shirt with the words Croquet Mistress in sparkly pink letters. She was tickled pink. "Thanks! I've never won anything before! This is the best birthday party I've ever been at!"

Next we played Pin-the-Tail-On-the-Dragon, and we were blindfolded and given a paper tail with a tack in it. Then we had to try and pin the tail on the dragon portrait, which would roar and scream "Ouch!" or make fun at you if you missed. It breathed fake fire if you got it right. Ron won, and for this game the prize was a mini Hungarian Horntail carving, animated like my Chinese fireball.

"Wicked, Harry! I've never had anything like this before." He examined his prize with interest.

"Better hide that-"

"-from Percy, Ronnie, or else the prat's-"

"-gonna steal it, sure enough," warned the twins.

Ron quickly shoved the dragon in his pocket. "No, he ain't! If he lays one fingernail on it, I'll tell Mum."

Then came the dart balloon game, where you threw blunted darts at a bunch of balloons mounted on a wall. Inside each balloon was a ticket and on each ticket was written some kind of prize. Everyone came away with a prize on that one, even me. I got a whistle that blew bird calls.

Next we played charades, on teams, and the twins, who were natural mimics, won that game. They imitated my dad and Uncle Matt, who couldn't make it to the party, but had sent a gift, so well we were all rolling on the ground laughing until we nearly peed our pants. Hagrid thought it was funny too, and Fred and George each got a certificate to Zonko's Joke Shop, which was a wizard joke store in Hogsmeade nearby.

Then we played a game similar to the ball toss at the circus, only you had to knock down three beakers instead of six. Blaise was the best, he knocked down three on the first try and I whistled and said, "Where'd you learn how to throw like that, Blaise?"

"I asked Healer Morgan to give me some pointers and then I just practiced a lot."

His prize was a little cauldron that brewed delicious cold drinks, like chocolate milkshakes, butterbeer, and fruit punch.

Last but not least was the guess how many Bertie Botts Beans are in the jar game. Surprisingly, it was Ginny who guessed the closest with 417 beans. Her prize was the jar of beans and a stuffed unicorn that smelled like lavender and said "I love you" when you hugged it. Ginny loved it.

After, Dad came out on the lawn and called us inside for lunch. We all wore the party hats, even some of the adults, though not Grandpa and my dad, since they said that was for kids, and opened up our wizard crackers. Each of them had a different magical animal inside, mine was an ice wolf, a big white wolf that breathed cones of frost and lived way up in the arctic. There were all my favorite foods-Grandpa had made hamburgers with his special barbecue sauce, grilled cheese with bacon, chips, fresh bread with butter, and a fruit salad. Everything was delicious. Uncle Remus and Sirius had arrived by then and I went over to see them after I'd finished eating.

"Hiya, little buddy!" cried Uncle Sirius, whom I hadn't seen since he stayed at my house for two weeks back in December. He hugged me so tight I squeaked. "Remus, look a t how much bigger Harry's gotten. He's not a shrimp any more."

"Hey!" I cried, insulted. "I was never a shrimp!"

"I was kidding, Harry," chuckled Padfoot. "So, did Sev give you a birthday spanking yet?"

"No!" I cried, horrified. "I haven't been bad, why should he spank me? It's my birthday!"

For some reason that made Padfoot crack up laughing. And Remus shook his head and said, "Harry, it's not a punishment, just a silly game. It doesn't hurt, and you only get one swat for every year old you are, plus one to grow on. It's an old Muggle tradition, and one that Sirus has adopted for his own. It's supposed to bring good luck or something."

"Oh." Now I felt dumb, getting all worked up over nothing.

Sirius wiped his streaming eyes, then said, "Well, if Sev won't give you one, I will. It's just for luck, Harry. C'mere."

Next thing I knew, Padfoot had put me over his knee and gave me seven very light taps, plus one to grow on, then he stood me up and said, "See, that wasn't so bad, was it? And now you'll have good luck for the rest of the year."

"His mother must be turning over in her grave, seeing her son following a Muggle tradition," smirked Moony.

"Why? She didn't like Muggles?"

"Kiddo, she didn't like much of anybody. Including me. The only one she ever cared two Knuts about, ‘cept maybe herself, is my little brother Regulus. He was her baby. And perfect." There was a frown on Padfoot's face when he said that. It made me sad.

So I hugged him and said, "Well, we all like you, Uncle Sirius."

"Yeah, even if you are God's own pain in the arse sometimes," put in Remus. Padfoot glared at him, so then he said, "But I'd take you any day of the week over your mother, Siri."

Sirius snorted. "Ah, and who wouldn't, Moony? Well, except for my brother."

"I never even knew you had a brother, Padfoot."

"That's cause he and I never got along and he doesn't live here now. He moved to America a couple of years back and I haven't heard from him since, thank Merlin!"

"When we were kids, Reg used to follow us around, and we were all older and didn't want him hanging around us, so we'd tell him to get lost. Then he'd go make up stories about how we were being mean and nasty to him to Mrs. Black and get us in trouble," Moony told me.

"He was always doing that. One time he got me spanked for nothing, the little liar. My mother always liked him best. But my dad liked me, and when he was home, Reg knew better than to make up stories, ‘cause Dad hated liars and he paddled my brother good once for lying."

"Bet your mum didn't like that."

"There wasn't anything she could do about it. By the time she found out, it was done, and it served the little brat right." Sirius shook his head. "Enough about my little brother. He's a rotten apple. I'm going to get another hamburger, those burgers are the best I've ever tasted."

"They are," agreed Moony. "Your grandpa sure can cook, Harry. Must run in the family."

"All us Snapes can cook," I said proudly. "Even I can, a little."

They went to get another hamburger, and I went over to grab another handful of chocolate chip bars my dad had made, he was sitting by Uncle Al and Aunty Min, talking.

"Enjoying your birthday, Harry?" Dad asked.

"Yeah, it's the best!"

He smiled at me then said, "Well, the cake and presents are coming up, so don't eat too many of those." He waved a hand at my dessert.

"Oh, let him eat them, Sev," laughed Uncle Al. "You're only seven once."

"Fine, but don't come crying to me if your stomach hurts later, scamp, from stuffing yourself on sweets like a pig."

I quickly put one bar back. I didn't want to get a bad tummy ache on my birthday and have to take some gross potion to make it go away. And I knew my daddy would give me one, no matter what he said, he can't help fixing sick people.

Finally, Uncle Al said it was time for the cake, which Mrs. Weasley had baked for me, and Dad lit the candles, which shot off little fireworks as they sang "Happy Birthday" to me. After we'd all eaten the yummy cake-it was double chocolate with extra dark frosting-I heard Dad say to Grandpa, "That child is never going to be able to sleep tonight thanks to all that sugar, God help us."-it was time to open presents.

From the Weasleys, I got a very cool kid-sized Quidditch set, so now I could play Quidditch in my backyard and not just Ron's. "Thanks, guys!" I said, and Ron said, "I picked that out, Mum wanted to get you clothes."

"Just like a typical girl!" chorused the twins.

Ginny kicked them under the table, and so did Hermione, I think.

From Hermione, I got a book called, All About Panthers and a very nice art kit, with pastels and paints and really good brushes and markers and paper. "Wow! Thanks, Mione!"

"You're welcome, Harry. I figured you needed some new art stuff, all your pencils were worn to stumps."

This made the adults laugh, don't ask me why.

Blaise got me tickets to the cinema, we both liked to see movies. "There's a new one playing next Friday, Harry."

"Great, now we can go and see it." I said.

From Aunty Min, I got a soft black velvet cloak, to wear during the fall, it had a panther embroidered in white on the back and was very nice. Uncle Al got me a set of books called The Tale of the Green Dragon, which I'd never read before. Hagrid gave me some treats for Inky, and a new lead.

Inky had spent the time we were playing games playing with Fang, Hagrid's boarhound. But now he was taking a nap by my feet. Uncle Matt gave me a wizard chess set, which Ron told me he would teach me how to play.

"Open mine next, minnow," said Grandpa and he handed me the small square box I'd been dying to open ever since I'd seen it on his kitchen table.

Inside the box were seven carved animals, jungle animals, beautifully carved and painted. There was a panther (of course), a monkey, a giraffe, an elephant, a tiger, a hippo, and a parrot. "You remembered1" I cried. "That day when we were sanding Bobby Middleton's I asked you to make me some and you remembered. Thanks, Grandpa!" I ran over to him and gave him a big hug.

"Sure I did, minnow! I have a very good memory, you know." He ruffled my hair. "Go and open your dad's present next."

That was the biggest box up there, and inside it was "A new broom!" I yelled. My old one had been getting too small for me. "Thanks, Dad! This one is way cooler than my old one." He got an even bigger hug.

"But remember my rule, Harry. No flying on your own," he reminded.

"I know, Dad. I won't forget." Not after what happened the last time.

"And this is from Remus and I," said Padfoot and he handed me an envelope.

Inside were passes to a zoo called Paws For Thought, it was a special zoo where they rescued hurt animals and you could pet them. I had always wanted to go there, but Dad never had time to take me. I could bring up to five guests with me too, not including an adult or two, of course.

"Now we can all go to the zoo! This is so awesome! Look, Dad!" I waved the tickets in front of his nose.

"Wonderful, Harry." Then he darted a Look at his two friends. "And guess who's coming with me to help me watch all the children?"

"Oh no, Sev, that's mean!" protested Remus. "I'm a werewolf, most animals can't stand me. Except for Inky and Fang."

"But the children all love you, Moony," pointed out my father slyly. "And you too, Padfoot."

"Uh, I'm working, Sev. Got a big case coming up."

"So we'll go on your day off," Dad said quickly.

The two looked at each other and Remus said, "We might as well give up, Sirius. We aren't going to win this one, and besides, you always wanted to go there."

"It was your idea to buy the season passes," grumbled Padfoot.

"Oh, quit complaining, boys!" ordered Uncle Al. "It'll be fun!"

All three friends looked at one another and said, "Famous last words, Albus."

But it was a wonderful birthday.

It was bright and sunny on the Wednesday we decided to go to the zoo, Paws For Thought. We picked that day because it just happened to be the one that Dad, Uncle Remus, and Uncle Siri were all off on. (Dad had made sure). I had already invited Ron, Hermione, Blaise, and Ginny. The twins were in trouble for a prank they'd pulled on Ron, transfiguring his teddy bear into a giant spider-Ron's terrified of spiders the way Stevie Perkins is terrified of needles-and nearly making him have heart failure. So the twins were grounded and forbidden to go anywhere fun for the next week or so.

But Dad said we had enough kids along for this first trip and they could come another time. Remus and Sirius arrived at our house jsut in time for breakfast, I think Padfoot planned it that way, he never passed up free food. And since my dad was cooking, he knew it'd be great, so here they were.

That morning Dad had made 3-cheese omelets (Cheddar, Swiss, and Parmesan) and bacon and toast with lots of butter and strawberry jam.

"Mmm . . .something smells wonderful," said Padfoot, as he walked into the kitchen after I'd let them in. He was practically drooling, even though he was human and not a dog. "Whatcha cooking, Sev?"

My dad glanced up from the stove where he was frying the bacon and answered, "I should've known. You can smell free food in a twenty kilometer radius, Padfoot."

"Yes, he's got a nose for food and trouble," chuckled Moony, who was also sniffing deeply of the heavenly smells of bacon, eggs, and cheese.

"Speak for yourself, wolf!" cried Sirius. "Your nose is better at sniffing out trouble than mine."

"That's because wolves are superior to dogs."

"Oh, yeah? Says who?" Sirius bristled.

"Children, if you don't quit bickering, you won't get any breakfast," Dad said sternly, without turning around.

They stopped, knowing it was not just a threat. Dad hated arguments at mealtimes, said it was bad for the digestion, and if you were going to argue, you might as well not eat, since you wouldn't appreciate the food anyhow. I had learned that lesson long ago. Looks like Padfoot and Moony had too.

Remus looked at Sirius and said quietly, "How does he do that?"

"Do what?"

"Sound just like my darned father. It's positively eerie. He can make me feel like I was ten all over again."

Sirius shrugged. "It's a Snape thing, Lupin. He's like an alpha wolf, he's got the whole discipline and respect thing nailed down cold. He'd of made a great teacher."

Remus nodded. "Yeah, no kid would've dared misbehave in his class." They moved over to sit down at the table.

I had to agree with them. But Dad would've made a great anything, in my opinion.

Inky was lying stretched out in the corner of the kitchen, watching Dad intently. He was waiting for Dad to give him his morning treat. He was very large now, over a hundred and fifty pounds, with a midnight black coat with small faintly black dapples on it, like moonlit water. But you could only see the dapples if you looked really close or if the sun shone on him. He was very handsome, a prince among panthers.

Just then Dad turned around and flipped a large barely seared steak out of the pan next to the bacon and sent it flying towards Inky. "Catch, Inky!"

Inky leaped up and caught the steak neatly in his mouth. He never missed.

Then he lay back down and began to eat it, chewing and swallowing so quickly it was a miracle he didn't choke. He loved steak and Dad only fed him the best cuts, like what he bought for us to eat. He said Inky deserved decent meat the same as the rest of us. Daddy really loved Inky, even though he hadn't wanted him to be alive at first. Now, though, we couldn't imagine living without him.

"So, who else is coming along with us to the zoo, Harry?" asked Moony.

I told him.

"Thank Merlin the twin terrors are staying home, because they're enough to give me mange," shivered Remus. Sirius laughed at that. "Too bad your dad couldn't come along, Sev."

"Yeah, he could help us watch the kids," put in Sirius. "He's another one that can make someone obey with a word or a look."

"Where do you think I got it from?" asked Dad, then he added, "He used to be a Royal Marine sergeant, they're all like that. But Dad said he might come along on a later trip, when it was just Harry and maybe one other kid, but no way was he going to mind someone else's kids in public."

"Too bad," Uncle Remus sounded really disappointed.

Then Dad levitated the food onto the table and we all dug in. For ten minutes there was no sound in the kitchen except for people chewing and knocking their forks against the plate and once a request to "Pass the butter, please." Or the salt, or the cream, since the adults were all drinking coffee, which Dad only let me have with a bunch of milk in it. But I was drinking pumpkin juice this morning.

But finally we were all stuffed and couldn't eat another bite.

"That was really delicious, Sev," said Uncle Sirius, pushing his plate away with a sigh. "If I eat any more though, I just might pop."

I giggled. "Like a balloon?"

"Yup. Just like that, kiddo." Sirius smiled over at me.

"Thank you," Dad said, looking pleased. He loves it when someone compliments his cooking. He learned to cook from his mum Eileen and also some from my mum, Lily. I was learning too, by watching him.

"Siri's right," agreed Remus. "Not even my house elf Misty can cook like you." He too sighed and rubbed his stomach.

"Nobody cooks like Dad," I said proudly, then I scraped all the leftovers into one plate and gave them to Inky.

No sooner had I done that and Inky had devoured the leftovers, then in came Ron and Ginny via the Floo Network.

"Hi, Ron! Hi, Ginny!" I yelled, upon hearing the swift shush of the fire flaring up.

"Hi, Harry!" called Ron. "Hello, Healer Sev!"

"Hello, Ron," called my dad from the kitchen.

Ginny echoed her brother, she was kind of shy unless she knew you well, then she talked your ear off.

"Hello, Ginny. Have you eaten breakfast yet?" asked Dad.

"Uh huh. Mum made us toast and eggs and oatmeal ‘fore we left," Ginny replied, coming into the kitchen.

She bent and hugged Inky, who licked her and made her say, "Ugh! Your tongue sure is rough now, Inky!" Then she went over and hugged my dad first, then Sirius and Remus in turn. She saw all of them pretty often, and they all treated her like a favorite niece. Ron too.

Ron came in, yawning. Least till he spotted the remaining pieces of bacon on the platter, which I'd been about to give to Inky. "Bacon! All right!" He immediately took two strips and Dad handed him a plate and a napkin. "Mmm . . .this is thebestbaconever," he mumbled through a mouthful.

"Ron, don't talk with your mouth full," Dad reminded him. "You'll choke."

Ron swallowed and then said, "Okay, Healer Sev. Sorry. But this really is the best bacon ever." He went and ate the other piece more slowly.

Dad looked at Ginny who was perched on his lap. "Would you like some too, Gingerbread Girl?" That was his pet name for her and only he was allowed to call her that. She'd gotten the name from eating so many of his gingerbread biscuits last year.

"Yes, please."

Dad gave her the rest of the bacon.

Then Blaise arrived and so did Hermione, only she was dropped off by her dad, Walter, who told me to call him Dr. Wally. "Have a good time, Mione!" he called, waving at her.

"I will, Daddy! Bye!"

"All right. Looks like everyone's here," announced Dad. "We'll leave after Harry finishes washing the dishes."

That was my job in the morning, but since there were extra dishes, Uncle Moony volunteered to help, so we were done in no time.

Then it was off to the zoo, by way of the Floo!

(Hey, that rhymed. I didn't know I could rhyme. Cool!)

* * * * * *

Once we Flooed into Paws For Thought's main entrance, it was shaped like a great big figure-eight, and went through a turnstyle to get into the zoo, Dad made all us kids get name badges. "In case we get separated, people will know who you are," he said. The badges all had a paw and a picture of a lion on them and our names.

We also got a map and a program telling us when they had feeding times for some animals and where you could go to find a bathroom and told us a bit about the zoo and why it was founded.

Paws For Thought had been founded by a wizard who wanted to help animals that had been abandoned and mistreated by people. Some of them had been Muggle pets who were hurt when their owners tried to remove their claws or got too big and their owner didn't want to take care of them any more. Some of them were friendly and liked kids, others were afraid of them. A few of the animals had injuries, like a limp or one eye or a broken tail or a leg or paw missing. But all of them were taken care of wonderfully by the staff. It was an organization that was run by donations, and Dad said St. Mungos donated to it and so did the Auror Department.

The ticket sales went to help feed and take care of all the animals.

We went to see the baby animals in the nursery first. There was a little fawn, who had lost her mum in a car crash, she was smaller than me, but she was very sweet. We were allowed to feed her a little bottle of formula, and she licked my hand when it was my turn.

"I think she likes me, Dad," I whispered to him, as the fawn drank, he was right next to me.

He smiled at us. "Your mum always loved deer, Harry," he said softly, stroking the fawn's soft coat, which was spotted. The spots were so it could blend into the grass and hide. "She used to feed them whenever we were at Hogwarts, if they happened to come onto the lawn in the early morning."

I thought the fawn was beautiful, with her large dark eyes and soft mouth and slender little legs.

Moony kept away from the fawn, however. He said he didn't want to frighten her. Some animals, like deer, could smell that he was a werewolf and were scared he might eat them. He would've, if it had been a full moon, and he'd transformed into a wolf-man. But Dad had made a Wolfsbane Potion which prevented him from changing into the wolf-man, and he only changed into a wolf instead. The wolf was also his Animagus form, and he could change into that whenever he wanted, usually.

"How come Moony isn't feeding the fawn?" asked Hermione.

"‘Cause the fawn would be scared of him, since he's a werewolf," I explained. "Moony says they can smell he's no ordinary person and then they get nervous. He says the wolf nature is kind of strong, and most animals are afraid of werewolves."

"Oh wow!" exclaimed Hermione. "Is he like, under a curse?"

"Umm . . .kind of." I beckoned her over to where Remus was standing just outside the pen. "Uncle Remus, Hermione wants to know if you're under a werewolf curse."

He looked over at my friend and said, "Well, Hermione, I was bitten when I was five, a little younger than you are now. The werewolf who bit me was mad and he passed the curse onto me. Since I was bitten and not born, like some weres, I could only change into a wolf-man, and I went crazy on the nights of the full moon. Until Sev made me the Wolfsbane and now I can drink it and just remain a wolf, like a true were."

"What's a true were?" asked Hermione, fascinated.

"A true werewolf is one that is born, not bitten. They can change into full animal form and remember everything that was said in their other form, plus they aren't driven crazy by the full moon. Me, I'm a kind of hybrid, since though I was bitten, and have a curse within me, I can control it somewhat with potions and with my will, since my Animagus form is a wolf."

"Could you make someone into a werewolf if you bit them?"

"I don't know. Yes, perhaps, if I bit them in my wolf-man form, but no if I nipped them in my true wolf form. But my curse only activates at the full moon, the rest of the time it's dormant because of the Wolfsbane I've taken. I still have keen senses though and am stronger than most people."

"And can a silver bullet kill you?"

"Yes, that's part of the legend that's true. I'm allergic to silver and if I get a high enough dose of it, I'm poisoned and could die. But it needs to penetrate my skin, just touching it won't hurt me." He gave Hermione an amused look. "Any more questions, Miss Granger?"

"No. Not now."

"Wait five minutes," I told Remus.

He laughed. "I don't mind, Harry. That's how you learn, after all."

We moved on to the next animal in the nursery, which was a baby wyvern. It had just hatched and it liked to eat small bits of meat, which we fed it with a long fork, since it could bite if we weren't careful. There were signs all over the pen that read DO NOT PET and BEWARE, THIS ONE BITES!

"Keep your hands out of there, understand?" said Sirius, glaring at Ron, who was slowly reaching a finger into the pen. "Those teeth are needle sharp and it could bite your finger off without meaning it."

We all shivered, but we fed the wyvern its breakfast then moved onto the next pen where there was a baby unicorn, golden colored, and that one anyone could feed, though it loved Ginny and Hermione the best. That's ‘cause they were girls, and unicorns have a thing for girls.

We got to feed and pet a bear cub and hold a baby grass snake too. There was a litter of kneasel kits too, they look kind of like cats but are smarter and magical. They were Hermione's favorite.

Ron looked at the program and cried, "Let's go feed the goats over here."

Next to the nursery was a large pen and a sign that read: Purchase Goat Food, 1 Sickle for a Bag of Feed Corn. There was a small box where you could put the money, and when we did it, a bag of feed corn appeared inside the box.

Sirius bought us all a bag of corn, but before we could all go inside, Ginny tugged on Dad's sleeve. "Uh, Healer Sev?"

"What's wrong, Ginny?" Dad asked, for she was biting her lip and dancing from foot to foot.

"I gotta go potty really bad."

Dad looked a little startled, clearly he hadn't been expecting that. "Oh. All right, let's find a bathroom." He picked her up and Apparated to a bathroom nearby.

I looked at Ron and asked, "How's he gonna take her to the bathroom? She's a girl, she can't use ours."

Ron shrugged. "I dunno."

"He'll wait outside the girl's room for her," chimed in Hermione. "That's what my dad does."

"Oh, right." I felt really dumb for not thinking of that.

There could only be two people in the goat pen at a time, and I let Hermione and Blaise go first. Hermione threw hers on the ground for the goats to nibble and Blaise held his until one came to him and ate out of his hand.

"Wicked, Harry!" he cried. "You've got to try this."

"I will if you'll get out," I said, rather testily.

Blaise gave me a look. "Okay, keep your pants on." Then he came out of the gate, followed by Hermione.

Ron and I entered, holding out paper cones of feed corn.

The goats were all bunched together in the middle of the pen. There were black ones, brown ones, white ones, gray and white and even a few spotted. They were mostly nanny goats, with small horns, but one big one with long curling horns was a billy goat.

When they saw us with the food, they all trotted towards us, maa-ing. I held out a few pieces of corn to the one nearest me, and it ate it. Then another one came and licked my hand.

That was when it all went wrong.

Ron was standing there holding his cup out, but the billy goat started towards him instead. The billy goat was bigger, and he also was more impatient. He bumped two or three herd members out of the way so he could get to Ron quicker.

Ron was standing there, frozen, his feed corn in his hand, looking petrified.

The billy goat ran at him, head lowered a little, and Ron screamed and went to run away.

The billy goat raced after him around the pen, for he still had the cone of feed in his hand.

"Maa-maaa!"

"Help! Padfoot! Moony! Anybody! The goat's gonna eat me!"

I busted out laughing, for goats weren't carnivores. Then again, Ron had never grown up with ordinary Muggle animals.

"Ahhh!" screamed Ron as the billy goat head-butted him in the bum. Ouch!

Padfoot turned around and saw Ron being chased by the goat and then he transformed into a dog and jumped the fence.

Ron was still running and yelling, dropping the corn all over the place, so all the goats were now following Ron.

Sirius changed into a man and said, "Hey, satyr cousins, over here!"

Then the billy goat turned and struck at Sirius. Actually it lowered its head and charged him.

Sirius was surprised, for most animals loved him.

Guess there was something wrong with that old goat.

"Bloody hell!" he yelped. "What's wrong with you, you crazy animal?" He chucked the corn at it and ran, just managing to get over the fence in time. It hit the fence so hard it shook.

"Problems, Padfoot?"

Sirius was very redfaced. "That damn goat is dangerous."

"Ahhh! Help, Moony!" Ron was still running in circles around the pen, and the feed corn was going all over the place.

"Oh, for the love of Merlin!" cried Remus.

Then he climbed the fence and stood directly in the charging goat's path. "Knock it off, you brainless steak." His eyes, which usually are brown, were a shade of yellow, and the werewolf nature was coming off him in waves.

The goat stopped dead, nearly crashing into Moony. "Maaa? M-a-a-h!"

Then it tried to run backwards.

I think it had just realized what it was facing and it was so scared it peed on the ground.

"Eeew! Gross!" yelled Hermione.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Remus said smugly, glaring the other goats down.

None of the other goats gave us any problems.

"Ron, quit running, it won't hurt you," said Lupin.

"It's after me! It's after me!" Ron squealed, and Remus caught him by the sleeve as he went by.

"Ron, it's okay. They're not after you any more. " Remus said, pulling him into his arms. He fastened a stern look on the lead goat. "Get, you mangy thing!"

The goat backed away and Lupin climbed over the fence with Ron.

He was laughing at Sirius, who was looking a bit miffed at being shown up by a werewolf.

"Aw, shut up Moony!" growled Padfoot.

"You all right, Ron?" asked Remus, putting him down.

"Yeah," Ron murmured, rubbing his behind. "Ow!"

Just then, my dad came back with Ginny. "What happened here?" he asked, I guess he could tell by our faces something had gone on.

Remus told him. Dad started laughing at Sirius too. "You must be losing your touch, Padfoot. And here you thought you were the animals' best friend."

"That dumb goat was possessed or something," grumbled Sirius. "It tried to kill me."

"And it hit me in the behind too, Healer Sev," sniffed Ron. "Now it hurts almost as bad as when I fell off my broom."

At that, Dad said, "Let me see," and took out his wand and performed a quick diagnostic. "You're just bruised, Ron. Hold still and I'll fix it." He gently turned my friend around and tapped his backside with his wand, muttering something.

A second later a blue mist came out and Ron was healed.

"Thanks!" Ron said gratefully.

After that we decided to visit the next section, which had animals in cages and enclosures with signs next to them telling us their age, their name, and background.

There was Bob the Boa Constrictor, he had been donated by a family because he'd outgrown his tank, he was about twelve feet long and liked to curl up on you.

"Wicked! Now there's a snake!" said Blaise. "Too bad we can't pet him."

"He could eat you, Blaise," said Ginny. "Swallow you whole in one gulp."

Blaise shook his head. "No he wouldn't. He likes to eat rabbits and goats, I think."

"Yuck!" Ginny looked sick.

Further down the row we came to Larry the Lame Lion, who had once been the pet of cruel wizard who had beaten him so badly, he went lame, he'd been found in a dark basement in a cage too small for him, half-dead. But now, thanks to the staff at Paws, he was healed and enjoying his new home. He had a black mane and he limped badly on one leg.

"Poor thing!" said Hermione. Her eyes flashed. "I'd like to break his master's leg!"

"Mmm . . .so would I," agreed Padfoot.

"He ought to be in jail for cruelty to animals," added my father.

Larry looked at us through the enclosure and huffed softly in agreement.

We saw Annie the Alligator, she had most of her teeth removed by her previous owner and they had to make her new ones so she could eat. Then we saw a pack of wolves, all of which had been gathered from different people, and some of them had a toe missing or an ear or an eye.

But they were still very cool looking and some of them came right up to the fence when they smelled Remus, wagging their tails and whining.

"Aww, look, Moony! Your fan club!" teased Sirius.

Remus swatted him on the back of the head. "Oh, you're a riot, Siri."

"Can you understand them?" asked Hermione.

"A little," Remus answered. "Right now they want me to come play with them." There was a quiver of longing in his voice.

"Remus, no. Now is not the time for you to run with the wolves," Dad said sharply, and Moony blinked and came out of the trance he'd been in.

"Sorry, Sev." He flushed lightly. "Let's go see that black panther in the other cage."

"Where? I want to see!" I yelled, and Dad hushed me.

Sure enough, there was a black panther inside a cage. Her nameplate read Softpaw, because her front claws had been removed. She was bigger than my Inky by maybe a hundred or so pounds, sleek, and licking her fur lazily.

"That could be Inky's mum," said Ginny.

"Could not!" said her brother.

"Why?"

"Because Harry's Inky's mum. He brought Inky to life. Don't you know anything, Ginny? Bloody hell!"

She stuck her tongue out at him. "I know one thing, Ronnie."

"What?"

"That Mum's gonna wash out your mouth for swearing."

"Tattletale baby."

"Ginny, Ron, that's enough," Dad ordered in that silky soft tone that nevertheless meant business. "Ron, mind your mouth, before I wash it out."

"Yes sir."

They stopped arguing, for they knew better than to test Dad and make him give Molly a bad report.

"I think she's lovely," I murmured, but before I could say anything else we were moving on to the next cage, which had a Bengal tiger inside.

The tiger was a large male and named Tony, he had an old scar across his hip from being shot at on a safari.

I giggled at the tiger's name. "Hey, it's Tony the Tiger. Like on the cereal commercial."

"Huh?" Blaise looked clueless.

"For Frosted Flakes," sang Hermione, who had watched Muggle TV all the time like I did. "They're gr-r-eat!"

"I'll bet that's why they named him Tony," I said. "I like Frosted Flakes, but my dad won't let me eat them all the time for breakfast. Got too much sugar."

"Mine either," sighed Hermione. "Mum says Frosted Flakes are the ruination of children's teeth. So I can only eat them sometimes."

"Parents!" I muttered to her.

"Come on, I wanna see the hawks and owls!" cried Blaise. They were his favorite animals besides tigers.

So we went to the aviary and saw some red-tailed hawks, falcons, owls, even an eagle. They also had a firebird and a phoenix, which were distant cousins. A phoenix could come back from ashes, but a firebird couldn't. But a firebird could enchant with its song and heal with it. A phoenix had magical tears though that healed many wounds and poison. Dad used phoenix tears in his antidotes and healing potions.

I wanted to go back and see the panther, and Blaise wanted to look at Tony and Hermione wanted to see the little bobcat, Mini, that was undersized for her kind. Ron and Ginny wanted to see the wolves again, so Remus took them there and I ran ahead of Dad and Sirius to the big cat cage.

They were still looking at the birds, and I didn't want to wait. Hermione followed me.

I stared through the bars longingly at Softpaw, and thought of how much I'd like to pet her. There wasn't a sign that said we couldn't, but I guess the people who owned the zoo thought it'd be too dangerous to let a bunch of people pet their panther. Still, I knew that she would probably like me and I sighed and wished I could just walk into her cage and stroke her head.

The next thing I knew there was a pulling and tugging sensation in my bellybutton, like when Dad Apparated us somewhere. When I opened my eyes, I found myself right inside Softpaw's cage!

The big panther looked at me curiously and made a soft huffing sound, like Inky does when he's puzzled and she rose and came over to sniff me. I didn't dare move, she was much bigger than I'd thought, bigger than me and she sniffed me thoroughly from head to foot.

Guess she must've decided I was okay though, because she started to purr and then I reached out a hand and stroked her head. "Wow. You sure are big," I whispered.

Softpaw had large amber eyes and they looked right into mine. I looked away, towards Hermione, for cats hate to be stared at.

Hermione was looking at me with a horrified expression on her face. "Harry!" She hissed. "Get out of there! You're not s'posed to be in there. Now get out before somebody sees. You'll get in awful trouble."

"I know, but I don't even know how I got here," I said, only now realizing that if Dad came and saw me inside here, he'd be furious. "My magic did it, Mione."

She shook her head. "Harry, unmagic yourself, quick!"

I tried, but nothing happened. Softpaw rubbed against me, nearly knocking me down. I scratched her ear. "I-I can't, Mione! My magic isn't working now."

I ran to the cage door and pulled it, but of course it was locked. Rats! Oh Merlin, now I was stuck in here, and if Dad saw he'd never let me come here again. "Help me," I cried to my best friend.

"How?"

"Open the door."

"It's locked."

"Well, use your magic!"

"Okay. I'll try." She shut her eyes tight and I could almost feel her thinking, Open the cage door, open the cage door and let Harry out. Let him out NOW!

Suddenly her whole body glowed, like she was surrounded by blue light. Then the cage bars vanished and I could jump out. "Thanks, Mione!"

I landed next to her, but so did Softpaw. "Uh, Mione? Umm . . .we just let the panther out."

"Oh, no!" she cried, opening her eyes.

Oh no was right. Remember what I said about accidental magic? Well, sometimes the magic takes what you want too far. And now we'd accidentally let out of their cage half the animals in the zoo, all the ones within range of Hermione's spell.

Softpaw was free, and so were all the big cats, the snake, and a bunch of other creatures, like the wolves, the goats, the herd of sheep. "Oh NO! Harry, what do we do? " Hermione was crying. "I didn't mean to let them all out! My mum's gonna kill me!"

"I don't know," I said, wondering if there were a way to get the animals back in their cages before people noticed. I looked around.

Too late. Other people besides us had come along and been looking at the animals when Hermione's magic acted. And when they saw the wild animals were loose . . .

They ran and screamed and just went bonkers.

So did the animals.

One old lady went running, or tried to run, down the path, and Larry the Lame Lion went limping after her, she was screaming, "Ahhh! Lion! Lion on the loose! Merlin save me!"

Within seconds it was like we were surrounded by people, mums, and dads, and kids, all running and screaming like idiots and the animals were wandering all over the place, some were confused and others were just running, and some of them were running after people.

"Uh oh." I groaned, grabbing Hermione so we didn't get knocked down. "Dad's gonna kill me."

We were pressed up against Softpaw's cage, and Softpaw had decided to take a stroll down towards the cage with the boa. But all the people scared her and so she jumped up and went on top of another cage.

I couldn't see my dad or Padfoot anywhere through the mob of people running.

"The animals are out!"

"Run! Run for your lives!"

"Mummy! Where are you!"

"I don't like this place anymore!"

"Who let all these wild things out?"

Hermione and I ducked under people and managed to get by a bench, where we climbed on top it, hoping to see my dad or Sirius. Hermione was still crying and saying she didn't mean it. "It's all right, Mione," I said. "It was an accident."

Just then Tony walked by . . .with Blaise on his back! "Hi, Harry!" he waved at us as the tiger went along. "Look at me, I'm a tiger rider, like in the circus! Yee-haw!"

Several other kids noticed while they were running, or being dragged by their mothers. "Mummy! Look at the boy on the tiger," cried one little boy. "I want a turn!"

"Me too! Me too!"

"Are you crazy? Come back here, Johnny!" yelled his mum, as the little boy yanked free of her hand and followed after Tony and Blaise, bawling, "No fair! I get a turn next!"

His mum ran after him, calling, "Johnny! Come back! You can't ride a tiger. Johnny! Don't make me count to three, Jonathan Ashford!"

A whole bunch of little kids were now running after Blaise, crying for a ride. Tony just kept going, half running, and Blaise hung on to his neck, laughing.

"Was Blaise just riding Tony the Tiger?" asked Hermione, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Yeah. Cool, huh?" I continued to look for Dad and Padfoot.

Then I heard him calling me.

"Harry? Harry? Where are you?"

"I'm here, Dad!" I yelled, waving my arms. "On the bench, over here!"

I could just make out Dad's head above the crowd of frantic people, good thing he's so tall.

"Stay there and don't move!"

"Okay!" Where did he think I was gonna go?

Now I could just see his head and shoulders above the crowd, and a little further back I saw Padfoot.

Suddenly, the knot of people scattered, dashing down all the paths wildly. A very large woman wearing a red caftan with masses of bright blond hair was stampeding down the path, screeching at the top of her lungs, "A SNAKE! Help! It's AFTER me! S-N-A-A-K-E!"

And behind her came Bob the Boa, only I don't think he was after her. He was just slithering along and happened to be behind her. He certainly didn't look all that hungry. But he was moving along pretty quick, and the lady was huffing and puffing, trying to run as quick as her short stumpy fat legs could carry her.

Her wand was in her hand, but she didn't use it, she was too busy hollering about the snake.

She almost trampled a young witch with a stroller and a little boy in her mad dash.

"Oh, sweet Merlin and Jesus save me!" she gasped, and then she ran right at the tree that was beside the path.

Only problem was, she wasn't small enough to climb it and my dad happened to be right in front of it.

She ran right into him, flattening him against the tree and grabbing him, her hair blowing all over and screaming fit to wake the dead.

"Oh . . .My . . .Gawd! A SNAKE! Help! . . .It's after me . . .Ahhh! SNAKE! Help me, Merlin!"

Poor Dad was squashed against her, and she was trying to climb him, I think, her arms were wrapped round him and the tree, and she was heaving like she was gonna hurl or pass out or something. She looked behind her and there was Bob, gliding along the path behind.

She let out another scream that could've been heard in China.

Right in Dad's ear.

"Sn-a-a-k-e! Oh, Mary Mother of God have mercy on me! I don't wanna die!" She was blubbering and clinging to my father, who looked like he wanted to hex her into next week.

"Madam, please! Get . . .off . . .of . . .me, dammit!"

He managed to get an arm free and was trying to pry her loose, but she wouldn't let go. All she kept saying was the snake wanted to eat her.

"The snake is NOT going to EAT you, you idiot woman!" Dad was yelling, because now he was being crushed against the tree and the lady's, uh, bosoms . . .I think that's what Padfoot calls them. "It's a boa, it doesn't eat people! Now for the love of Merlin, woman . . .get OFF!"

He couldn't reach his wand, I guess, and she was still bawling and screaming, "I'm gonna DIE! I'm gonna DIE! Ooo . . .I hate snakes!"

"And I hate you! Aghkh!" cried my dad, trying to heave his shoulder against her. "Sirius, don't just stand there! Help me!"

For Padfoot was standing a bit down the path, laughing his head off. "Sev, buddy . . .give me . . .a . . .minute . . .okay? Hahaha . . .!" He was laughing so hard tears were rolling down his face.

I guess it was pretty funny.

"Damn, I wish . . .haha . . .I had a camera!"

"SIRIUS!"

"Calm down, Sev." Padfoot managed to stop laughing long enough to point his wand and levitate the boa off the path and then the dumb lady quit screaming and Dad managed to make her let him go after a minute.

She gasped and licked her lips when she saw who she'd been holding onto. "Oh . . .I'm dreadfully sorry . . .but snakes . . .I'm absolutely phobic . . . .my, but you're a fine one, aren't you, luv?"

Dad gave her a Look and she backed off.

Then she turned and went off in the opposite direction, bouncing and swaying like a red rubber ball.

Sirius was still chuckling. "Close encounter there, huh, Sev? But I think she had the hots for you."

"Shut up, Black!" Daddy ordered. He felt along his ribs. "Damn, but that woman had a hug like a grizzly! I think she bruised my whole ribcage." He waved his wand over himself. "There, much better!" Then he looked up. "Harry? Where are you?"

"Over here, Dad!" I waved again and this time he saw me.

"Thank Merlin, son!" He ran over to us and picked me up. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine."

Sirius had picked up Hermione. "It's okay, sweetie, don't cry," he was saying and awkwardly patting her back.

"Have you seen Remus, Blaise, Ron, or Ginny?" asked Dad.

"Umm . . .Blaise was riding Tony the Tiger, Dad," I said helpfully.

"Tony the Tiger? From the Frosted Flakes commericial?" He felt my forehead. "Are you sure you didn't bump your head, Harry?"

"Yeah," I jerked my head away. "Blaise was riding the tiger, he's named after Tony, but he's a real tiger, remember?"

"Oh. Right," said Dad, then I heard him murmur, "I must be losing it. That damn woman cut off the oxygen to my brain."

"They went that way." I pointed back down the path.

We made our way back, ducking through knots of people, some of whom were still looking over their shoulders and such, trembling and whimpering.

Then a whole crowd of ten or twenty people came by, yelling, "Run for it! The wolves are out!"

And behind them came the soft howl of a wolf hunting.

Dad and Sirius just managed to get off to the side in time.

The people raced by and they were followed by four wolves, who were panting and trotting along.

"Padfoot." Dad said softly. "Shift into your dog form, now."

Sirius handed him Hermione, then he became the large black mutt.

The wolves growled and glared at him, but Padfoot stood in front of us and growled right back.

They moved on.

We continued down the path and when we got to the wolf enclosure, we saw Ron, Ginny, and whole bunch of other kids and mums pressed up against the fence, frozen in terror, as a big gray wolf with three toes and teeth the size of knives growled at them.

Behind him were six other wolves, and all of them had their heads lowered and were growling too.

Ron was holding onto Ginny, who was crying, and he looked terrified.

"Ron! Ginny! Where's Moony?" Dad called upon catching sight of them.

"He . . .he . . .uh . . ." Ron stuttered, unable to form words.

Suddenly a gigantic gray wolf appeared from off to the side of the wolf habitat. It was easily the biggest wolf I'd ever seen, it was way bigger than Three Toes, and it jumped right in front of the little kids and their mums, some of whom were so scared they didn't even draw their wands.

The great gray wolf, who I knew was Moony, lowered his head and snarled loudly.

Three Toes looked startled. He was used to being boss of the pack, but Moony was bigger, stronger, and he was a werewolf.

He growled back, but Moony wasn't going to put up with his talking back to him.

Moony moved, quick as lightning, for a werewolf can move FAST, and had Three Toes by the scruff of the neck and was shaking him hard and growling.

"Neat! A fight!" cried one little kid. "Go, big wolf! Eat ‘em up."

"Hush, Martin!"

Three Toes was whimpering, and struggling, but he couldn't break free, and in another minute Moony had him on his back, with his throat showing, and Three Toes gave up and surrendered.

Moony nipped him hard on the chin, that's an alpha wolf's way of smacking a bad wolf upside the head, I think. Three Toes whined and wriggled, submitting.

Moony stood over him, head up and snarling in warning, tail raised. "I'm the boss! Now knock it off!" was what it looked like he was telling the other wolf.

Three Toes got up, his tail between his legs and licked Moony under the chin. Then he kind of crawled back behind the other six wolves, who were standing in a ring about them.

Moony looked at the other six and barked, sort of.

The other wolves immediately tucked their tails and ran off, because Moony was the boss of them now that Three Toes surrendered. Remus had explained to me that a pack leader can be challenged by another wolf, and if he loses, then that wolf is now the boss and the rest of the pack does what he says.

Moony had beaten Three Toes, so now he was the boss wolf of the pack and they did what he wanted and left.

Moony shook himself and remained protectively in front of the kids for a few moments.

"Good one, Remus," said Dad.

"Mummy, that big wolf made the other bad wolfs leave," said a little girl. "So he's good, right?"

"Yes, dear, I guess so." She was hugging her child hard.

Then Moony started to glow and suddenly he was a man again.

"Wow, you're an Animagus!" gasped another witch.

Remus nodded. "Is everyone okay?"

Everyone was. "Ron, Ginny, c'mere." he held out his arms and they ran to him. He picked up Ginny, and Ron held onto his hand.

"Remus, what the bloody blazes is going on?" asked Dad. "All of a sudden every animal in the zoo is loose."

"Search me, Sev. We were standing here looking at the wolves when the fence vanished and the wolves were free. People started panicking, running, screaming, and the wolves got excited and ran after them. I don't think they'd hurt anyone, but it's instinct to chase what moves."

"But now they won't?"

Remus shook his head. "No. I told them not to, and they follow me for now."

Zoo officials in blue uniforms were coming around, telling everybody to remain calm and not move while they returned the animals to their cages. "They won't hurt you, but we want you to remain where you are, please, so we can find them and get them back in their home. Please do not be alarmed. These animals are not dangerous."

So we obeyed and the zoo people had all the animals rounded up in half an hour, with Moony's help, he called the wolves back home, and back where they belonged.

"I just don't understand it," the zoo director was apologizing to an angry rich-looking man. "Nothing like this has ever happened before. I'm dreadfully sorry, sir, but I have no idea how this occurred. . ."

By this time, Remus had found Blaise, who put up a fuss about leaving Tony, "But he's my friend! I wanna take him home."

"Blaise, your mum really wouldn't like a tiger in the house," said Moony. "Now say goodbye, okay?"

Blaise sniffled and waved at the tiger. Tony yawned and lay down in his cage and went to sleep. "That's the most exercise he's had in a month," said a zoo keeper. "He's getting old, used to be in a circus act, that's why he didn't mind your little boy riding him."

Remus nodded and came back over to the rest of us, carrying Blaise. "I wish I could take him home. He could sleep under my bed. Mum would never know."

Dad looked at Moony questioningly.

"He wants to take Tony the Tiger home for a pet," Remus explained. "Says he'll keep the tiger in his room."

"Over Maria's dead body." Dad said, raising an eyebrow.

"Harry, didja see the way Moony thrashed that other wolf?" Ron asked me, looking at Remus like he was the best thing since chocolate was invented. "It was like the most wicked fight ever! Wait'll I tell Fred and George! I thought this trip was going to be boring and it turned out great!"

"Sure it did," I heard my dad sigh. "Come on, let's start walking back to the entrance. I think we've seen enough animals for one day."

We all followed him, he had put me down and now I walked beside him, holding his hand. I looked over at Hermione, she put a finger to her lips and I nodded. I'd keep her secret, I didn't want her to get into trouble with her mum.

"I still can't figure out how the animals all got loose at once," said Sirius. "Cage bars just don't vanish."

They do if you've got accidental magic, Padfoot, I thought but didn't say. Hermione was one strong witch. And I was glad she was my friend. This had been a really interesting trip to the zoo.

Ginny ran up and tugged on Dad's sleeve. He stopped and looked at her. "Yes, Ginny?"

"Healer Sev, I wanna come back again tomorrow. This was the bestest trip I've ever been on."

Dad gaped at her. "It was? You weren't scared?"

"Nope. It was like being on Wild Kingdom! You know, that show Mione and Harry watch sometimes." Ginny grinned up at him.

"Can we come back tomorrow? Please, Healer Sev? Please?" Ginny begged.

Dad groaned. "We'll see. Maybe next week. The zoo needs time to recover from this . . .and so do I."

"What happened to you?" asked Remus.

Padfoot started laughing hysterically.

"Don't ask." Dad said, scowling at Sirius. "Please, Remus. Just don't ask."

Sirius was nearly doubled over, he was laughing so hard.

"Act your age, Black!" Dad snapped, and swatted him on the back of the head.

"I'll tell you later, Moony," gasped Padfoot, then he shot my dad a dirty look, rubbing his head. "Damn it, Sev, that hurt."

"Quit whining and get in the fireplace, Sirius," ordered my father. Then we stepped into the green flames and were back at home.

Inky bounded towards us and I ran over to him and hugged him. "Hey, boy, you'll never guess what happened at the zoo. I petted a mum panther and everything!" I whispered in his ear.

Dad groaned. "Merlin, but I need a drink! Too bad I don't have any firewhiskey on hand. I could use a good shot right about now . . ."

"Dad? Why would you want to give yourself a needle?" I asked, puzzled.

"Never mind, Harry. Just . . .never mind."

The twins sure were jealous when they heard about the great time we all had at the zoo once Ron and Ginny got home. But Ron said that his mum told them if they hadn't misbehaved and teased their brother, they'd have gone too, so it was their own fault and no one else's. And Dad had promised they could come next time we went, so they finally stopped grousing.

The next week, we went back to the zoo with Dad, Grandpa, Ron, Ginny, and the twins. This time there was no accidental magic and no animals got loose, although the twins were playing pranks on everyone. They had a whole bunch of little spells they invented to shock and annoy people.

There was the Sneezing Fit spell, which made you sneeze and sneeze for ten minutes until lots of boogeys came out of your nose. Then there was the Itch Charm, which made a person itch like crazy, the Insect Bite Charm-made you feel like mosquitos were biting you all over, the Belch Charm-made you burp so loud they could hear it in America (that one was great to put on the girls and women, since they were so embarrassed when they burped. Girls are weird.) But my favorite was the Pass Gas Charm-it made you fart so bad people ran away from you and stayed away from you, for hours. You could clear out a restaurant with that one, which is exactly what Fred and George did after we were finished eating.

Dad was not amused. When we got back home, he made the twins stand in the corner for twenty-five minutes, and then he questioned them about what they'd done. "I want you to tell me exactly what spell you cast back there, boys. You know perfectly well you're not to use magic outside of school."

"Yes sir," they chorused, looking down at their feet.

Dad was standing over them, wearing his disappointed face, his hands on his hips.

"It was just a joke, Healer Sev," said George. (Least I think it was George). "We didn't-"

"-mean to hurt anybody. The spell's harmless, really. It wears off in a few minutes," said Fred.

"It's just for laughs," added George, looking at my dad with puppy dog eyes.

I could've told him that wouldn't work. It never does when he's set on punishing you for something.

"But I didn't see anyone laughing except you two and Harry, did you?" Dad demanded sternly. "Everyone else was running out the door to throw up." The Pass Gas spell and food do not mix, and Dad had ended up treating at least twenty people for something he called "convulsive vomiting", when you just throw up and can't stop. Ugh! Grandpa had taken the rest of us away once we were outside, we hadn't been affected by the twins spell since they'd cast a charm over the table that reversed the fart spell.

Good thing Dad had access to the hospital apothecary, so he could summon enough Anti-Nausea Drafts for everyone. He then made the twins help him hand them out. Not everybody got sick, most were okay once they'd gotten outside and could breathe normal air. But some people can't take that kind of thing and those were the ones Dad had to treat.

"We're really sorry, Healer Snape," said Fred, he only used Dad's last name when he was in trouble, just like I only used sir for the same reason. "We'll be more careful next time."

"Next time? Young man, there won't be a next time, am I understood?" He fixed the twins with one of his heavy duty scowls, the kind that made you shiver all the way down to your toes and want to hide under the sofa.

The two boys were shaking all right, even though Dad's never done anything much to them save scold them once in awhile. But a true Snape glare was SCARY. I was shaking a little just seeing it, and it wasn't being used on me.

"Yes sir!" they whispered.

"Now, I want both of you to go over to the table and write down the exact parameters of that spell, incantation, wand movements, everything. And the counter-charm as well. Then I'll take a copy for myself and the other will go to your mother."

Fred went pale. "No, no, please, sir! Don't tell Mum!"

George echoed him. "Please, Healer Snape! We just got off punishment last week, don't tell her, she'll go nuts." He shot my father his most pleading glance. "You could punish us instead, sir."

Fred was nodding. "Yes, we don't care. You could even spank us, sir, and we won't tell anyone. Then all debts would be settled."

But Dad was shaking his head. "Sorry, boys, but that won't fly with me. I made an agreement with your mother long ago, when I first arranged for her to watch Harry and vice versa, that if any of her children misbehaved, she was to be informed of it the same day. She agreed to do the same for me. She's your mother, it is her place to issue punishments, not mine, save for lectures and the occasional time-out. Besides, I don't raise a hand to any child who isn't mine, and even with Harry I don't do it that often."

"We know that, sir!" pleaded George. "That's why we want you to punish us instead."

Dad looked startled at that, for this was the first time any kid had ever begged for him to punish them.

Ginny came in the room then, we were in the kitchen, and shook a finger at her brothers. "Ooo Merlin, are you ever gonna get it! You promised Mum you'd behave for Healer Sev and not give him one bit of trouble and now look! This time she's gonna ground you for a month and throw all your joke products in the trash. Tsk! Tsk!"

"Get lost, shrimp!" ordered one twin.

"Beat it, rugrat! Before we make all your dolls headless and speak in tongues," growled the other.

Ginny stuck her tongue out at them. "You do and I'll tell!"

"Ginevra Margaret Weasley, out!" Dad ordered, and pointed to the doorway. "I'll do the lecturing around here if you don't mind."

Ginny's lip trembled, but she turned and walked out without saying anything else. You don't mess with Dad when he's in that mood.

He turned back to the twins. "Was what she said accurate?"

Both of them nodded slowly.

"Well, I can't do much to change Molly's mind regarding punishments, since you are her children, and you do deserve to be in trouble, gentlemen. However, I will tell her I lectured you sufficiently and made sure you understood the seriousness of casting spells on unsuspecting people in public that may cause unexpected harm to them. That may persuade her to be more lenient."

"Healer Snape, do you know our Mum?" groaned Fred.

"She always does what she says," George sighed. "We're so dead. All our collection, gone."

"We'll have to start over from scratch." Fred said mournfully. "Damn it!"

Dad pointed to the table, where there was fresh parchment and quills. "Start writing, boys. You ought to have the spell parameters done in an hour. Your mother will be home an hour after that."

The twins walked over to the table and began writing. Both of them looked like someone had died. I think it really bothered them that their mum was going to throw all their joke stuff away, it really meant a lot to them. They certainly seemed more concerned over it than the grounding. I felt sorry for them, for Mrs. Weasley sounded an awful lot like Grandpa, strict as iron.

Grandpa was in the den, paging through a catalog while Dad was scolding the twins, he just shook his head as I went by. "Little buggers. Glad I don't have the raising of them. Their poor mother has her hands full."

I went into my room to play with Ron and Ginny till it was time for them to go. Ron just shook his head. "They never learn. After the last time, when they transfigured Mr. Bear into a spider, they promised on their wizard's honor they'd behave and not prank anyone for a month. And it's only been a week and they've broken their promise all to pieces. Stupid! Mum's gonna give it to them good, wait and see."

"Your mum punish you all the time, or does your dad too?" I asked.

"No, Dad does sometimes, when he's at home," Ginny said. "But Mum's home more, so she lays down the law more."

"And she's tougher than Dad," added her brother. "Sometimes you can get Dad to give you a break, but not Mum. What she says, she does. No ifs, ands, or buts."

"Like my dad and grandpa," I replied. "But once they punish you, it's over and they don't keep reminding you about it and they forgive you and hug you."

Both Weasleys nodded. "So do our Mum and Dad."

Huh. They must've read the same parenting book as my dad, I thought. Then I took out my wooden animals Grandpa made for my birthday and we began to play.

When I saw Ron three days later, in Diagon Alley, I was with Dad getting some new potion ingredients for his lab, he told me Mrs. Weasley had done exactly as she had said she would, same as always. "They bawled like babies when she chucked everything," he reported quietly. "But I don't think even that will stop them for long, Harry. I swear, they were planning something else before she closed the trashcan. They're born mischief-makers. Dad calls them Loki's Children, after the Norse god of mischief."

Merlin, was that ever the truth!

But I guess we all need a little mischief in our life, as long as it's the harmless kind.

The rest of the summer flew by, and before I knew it, it was the week before the new school term. That meant new school supplies, clothes, and the annual school checkup.

I didn't mind going shopping all that much for new notebooks, pencils, art supplies, folders, and all that stuff. Even the clothes weren't too bad, I got to pick a lot of my own clothes, Muggle ones, of course, since I was still going to a Muggle school. And would be until I was eleven and transferred to Hogwarts, I think is the correct term. I knew that most other kids would be going on to a boarding school, like Eton or Harrow. I guess Hogwarts was like that, only for wizards and much cooler, of course.

At the beginning of the year, I get all new clothes, jacket, trainers, underclothes, everything, since Dad thinks it's good to start the year off fresh. We take what I've outgrown or don't want any more to a secondhand store on Brown and 10th St, they sell it at reduced prices for the people who can't afford new clothes. Impoverished, is the word Dad uses, though everybody else just calls them poor. Dad says his word sounds better. I guess it does.

Then it's time for the thing most kids dread-their annual visit to the doctor before school starts. For kids my age up until eleven, it means getting yearly vaccinations, after eleven you don't need them anymore because your body's built up something called an immunity. Dad says that means your body is resistant to disease and protected against certain very bad ones, like dragon pox and pyromantic flu. Dad explained that a long time ago there were no such things as vaccinations to prevent them, and people suffered through them and either lived or died, and those that lived developed an immunity to the disease.

Our way is much better, at least I know I won't die from those diseases thanks to Dad's vaccinations. Too bad they couldn't make another way for us to be vaccinated, like a potion. But Dad told me once when I asked why the vaccine had to be given with needles that it needs to be injected into a person's bloodstream, and not go through your stomach and get digested, otherwise it's useless. And the spells for putting something into a person's bloodstream with magic are very complex and one wrong gesture or word could kill a patient, so the shots are much safer and easier for a Healer to give.

Sure they sting, but it's not that bad, and it's over in two seconds and Dad gives you a sweet after and puts special salve on the spot so it quits hurting almost instantly. And Dad knows how to give needles so you don't really feel them, not like some other Healers. Once he was sick and they had somebody else filling in for him when it came time for my check-up, and Uncle Matt was away visiting his dad in America, and I let that Healer give me the shots. They hurt and I cried, I never cry when I get needles, but I did then ‘cause the stupid Healer didn't know how to do it right. That was the last time I ever got shots from anybody ‘cept Dad. He really is the best Healer in St. Mungos.

Anyhow, Dad brought me down to his office on an off day, so he didn't have to fit me in between patients, and did the check-up then. He did the usual diagnostics, made me drink some weird metabolism booster potion, it tasted like grape juice, made me read an eye chart, had me pee in a cup and sent it down to the lab for some routine tests, and then it was time for the shots.

I watched as he filled the needles with the solutions in the sealed glass vials and set each one on a fresh white cloth spelled with a disinfecting charm. He was wearing thin plastic gloves as always, to keep germs away. He placed three needles upon the cloth.

"Three, Dad?" I asked. "Last time it was only two."

"Yes, but this year we've developed a new vaccine for vaccilius strep, Harry. Remember last year, when all the kids were coming down with sore throats and fevers and a rash and vomiting?"

"Uh huh. I got sick too, a little."

"Yes, but not enough to build up a true immunity. Well, this vaccine will stop that disease, since some of the littler kids who got it died from it."

"Did you invent it?"

"No, but a colleague of mine did," he smiled. "The good thing about this vaccine is you only need a booster every other year. All right, son. You know the drill."

He motioned for me to take down my pants and underwear. I obeyed, baring my bottom. He gave the shots there because the muscle there was less sensitive than the ones in your arm or thigh when you were a kid. Then I leaned over the exam table and squinched my eyes shut.

I don't know why I do that when I get needles, it's not like I'm going to see anything except the table anyway.

Dad swabbed me with an alcohol wipe, disinfecting my backside or something, then he gave me the first needle.

I felt a small sting and then it was over. "Ouch," I said, though it didn't sting much at all.

"Good job, Harry. Now we're going to do another. Stay still."

I did, and he swabbed the other side and gave me the second shot. This one stung a bit more and I yelped. "Yee-ow! That one really stings, Dad."

"Yes, I know." He rubbed salve on the spot and the sting vanished.

"Very good, son. Now for the last one."

"Is it the new one, Dad?" I asked, a bit uneasily.

"Yes. Don't move, Harry."

I felt the swab again and closed my eyes.

"It'll only sting for a second or so," Dad warned before he stuck in the needle.

This shot was the worst, almost as bad as the one that other dumb Healer gave me. "Owww!" I yelled. "That really hurt!"

"Sorry, but it has to be done. It's more concentrated than the other two, that's why you feel it more," said Dad, and he rubbed the salve on.

"It felt like I'd sat on a big bee," I whined, though my bottom wasn't hurting any more.

"You'll be fine, son. It's over and you won't need that vaccine for two years." He helped me fix my clothes then he gave me a great big hug. "You were very brave, scamp. You were the first one to get this new injection, and probably the best behaved too. I'm going to have freeze over half of the kids who come into the office for their annual, I just know it."

"Especially Stevie Perkins."

"That's a given." Dad summoned the dish of sweets he always kept on his desk and I got to pick three out of it, since I'd had three shots and didn't scream, cry, or fight with Dad like most kids did when faced with needles. That last one had really hurt! I wondered how Hermione would take it? She didn't seem like the type who bawled or fainted over needles like some kids.

Afterwards we went and had lunch at a little café near the office called Mick's, they had the best grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches-yum! I was now all prepared for school on September 2nd.

Dad said we needed to get some more milk, bread, and eggs, along with some other stuff, so we went to the supermarket. I liked going there because sometimes Dad would let me pick out my own snacks and drinks and we could shop for dinner together. Dad had a bank account with both wizard and Muggle money, so we could shop just as easily in one place as another.

We went down the aisle of frozen foods, and I had stopped to look at all the different flavors of ice cream, as usual, while Dad was picking out nutritious things, like vegetables, and some pasta dinners, and chicken strips. I was having a hard time deciding between some chocolate cones with nuts sprinkled on them or a carton of ice cream called Chocolate Turtle Commotion, which was chocolate ice cream with caramel swirled in it, walnuts, and peanut butter chips. It sounded wonderful, but I had to convince Dad that I needed it, since we already had some ice cream left over from last time we'd gone to the store.

There was a lady standing a few cases down near my dad looking at the ready meals, with dark curly hair and a soft green sweater and jeans.

I was standing there with my hands in my pockets, because it was cold in there, and my nose pressed up against the glass door, trying to think up a convincing argument, when I heard a girl's voice shout, "Mom! Hey, Mom, I found where they keep the peanut butter and the crackers! It's in Aisle 7!" The way she spoke sounded different from the way other kids did, I later learned that she had an American accent, but right then I didn't know why she sounded like that.

She came round the corner of the aisle, pushing the shopping trolley, going full speed and then-CRASH!

She banged right into our trolley, which was next to Dad.

"Oops! Sorry, mister!"

Her mum, who was the lady looking at the ready meals, whirled around at the noise and gasped. Then she said sternly, "Alexis Marie Montague! How many times do I have to tell you to stop racing around with the cart like that? This isn't a roller blade derby!" She then turned to my father, and I could see she was quite embarrassed, her face was scarlet. "I'm terribly sorry, I've told my daughter a thousand times to quit doing that. One day she's going to knock someone down, God help me."

The little girl, who looked to be about my age, with short curly brown hair like her mother, and bright brown eyes, hung her head and said softly, "I didn't mean to, Mom. I said I was sorry." She was wearing a light blue shirt and jeans and trainers with purple piping on the sides.

Dad shook his head, one eyebrow lifted in what I knew was exasperated amusement. "That's quite all right, Mrs. Montague. My son does the same thing sometimes. They're all alike."

That was when I decided to go up to them. "Dad? Can I get some ice cream?"

"One moment, Harry, I'm talking," he said, then he held out a hand to the dark-haired woman. "I'm Severus Snape, pleased to meet you. And this is my son, Harry. You aren't from around here, are you?"

"Alaina Montague. And this speed demon over here is Lexy. We just moved here from Pennsylvania. Last week and I, uh, am still trying to get used to the way you do things over here." She shook Dad's hand and smiled. "Lexy, can you say hello to Mr. Snape?"

"Hi." She looked him up and down and then said, "Boy, you sure are tall. You're even bigger than my dad."

Dad smiled down at her. "I'll take that as a compliment, I think." He nudged me gently. "Harry, your turn."

I immediately held out a hand to Alaina Montague. "How do you do, Mrs. Montague?"

"Very well, thank you, Harry." She had a very nice smile, it was sincere, not the fake kind most grownups gave kids when they met them. "You look to be about the same age as Lexy."

"I'm seven."

"So'm I," said Lexy. "I was seven two weeks ago. I'm going into second grade. At Mabry Primary."

"Hey, that's where I go to school," I said, surprised. "Then you'll be in my class."

She nodded. "Yours and Hermione's, I think."

"You know Hermione?" I asked, surprised.

"Uh huh. She's my neighbor. She lives two houses down from me on Coltsfoot Lane." Lexy said. "I met her the first day we moved in. Her mom brought a cake over to say hello."

I wondered why Hermione hadn't told me yet about her new friend, then guessed she'd been busy lately, like I'd been, getting ready for school. I hadn't seen much of her recently, her parents had been too busy to bring her by to play, and Dad had been too tired most nights this past week to go and Apparate her to our house.

"Her mum's a dentist, you know. I went to their office once to get my teeth checked."

"I haven't yet, but Mom'll take me once we get settled, I guess," said Lexy. "I've got a loose tooth right here," she wiggled one of her bottom front teeth.

"When it comes out, are you gonna put it under your pillow for the Tooth Fairy?" I asked, wishing I had a loose tooth to put under my pillow. But so far, none of my teeth were loose.

"Yeah, of course! One time I got a dollar and fifty cents!" she reported.

"Wow!" I said, though I had no idea how much money that was. Still, it sounded like a lot. "I don't have a tooth loose yet, but maybe I will soon." I hoped. I wondered what kind of money the Tooth Fairy would leave me, wizard or Muggle?

"You will if you keep running around and not watching where you're going," Dad put in. "Yesterday, he walked right into the back door because he was too busy talking and not paying attention. He was lucky he didn't knock out all his front teeth."

Alaina gave Dad a look like she knew exactly where he was coming from. "Your Harry sounds a lot like my Lexy. One time, I found her hanging upside down from a tree in my backyard, and she was hollering Look at me, Mom, I'm a trapeze artist, like in the circus. I nearly died."

Dad shook his head. "That sounds like something mine would do, all right. I found him on my roof once, he'd climbed up the trellis to get our . . . cat."

Alaina's eyes widened. "The roof! Oh, good Lord!"

"Were you scared up there?" Lexy wanted to know.

I shook my head. "Nope. Were you scared in the tree?"

"Not really. It was fun, except for the part where Mom yelled at me and sent me to bed without supper for scaring the daylights out of her."

"I thought it was cool being up so high, you could see everything. Until Dad started saying me and Inky had better get our backsides down before we broke our necks."

"Did you get in trouble?"

"Yeah. Got grounded for two days." I wondered what Lexy would say if she knew that Inky wasn't a cat, but a panther. Of course, since she was a Muggle, I couldn't tell her about bringing Inky to life, but I wished I could, I'd of loved to see the expression on her face.

"That would've given me gray hairs," Alaina was saying to Dad.

"I'm surprised my hair isn't snow white by now with some of the pranks this rascal has pulled." Dad reached out a hand to ruffle my hair, and I ducked, embarrassed. Normally, I didn't care if he mussed my hair, but I didn't want him to do it in front of a girl.

"I'm not that bad, Dad!" I protested. "The Weasley twins are worse."

"You're a close second, scamp." Dad answered. "A friend of mine has twin boys a few years older than these two who are mischief incarnate."

Alaina snickered. "Guess there's one in every family." She turned and placed the two ready meals she'd been holding in her cart.

That reminded me of the ice cream I wanted, and I tapped Dad on the arm to get his attention. "Dad? Can we buy this new ice cream? It sounds really good."

Dad sighed. "Harry, we still have a half a carton of perfectly good vanilla and chocolate swirl at home."

"I know, but this one sounds so much better!" I pleaded. "Come and see!" I tugged on his arm, knowing if he read the ingredients he'd want to taste it too, since he likes ice cream and sweets as much as I do. Only he doesn't like to admit it all that much.

"Harry, you're being a pest."

"Just take a look, Dad. Pl-e-e-ase?"

"All right. But if I say no, that's it. No whining, mister." He turned to Alaina and said, "Please excuse me, my son has the patience of a gnat."

She laughed. "So does every child his age. Back when I taught kindergarten, half my students couldn't sit still for longer than ten minutes. They were like jack-in-the-boxes, up and down. The only time they were still for longer than that was when they were napping or I was doing storytime."

"You were a teacher?"

"For five years at Dingman Delaware Elementary School in Milford, Pennsylvania. Then we moved to New York City and I was going to get a new job teaching there."

"But then they got divorced," Lexy announced. Alaina colored a deep red. "My dad's a real jerk off."

"Lexy! They do not need to know that!"

"Why? It's true."

Dad turned to me and said, "Where's that ice cream you wanted to show me?" I think he was trying to give Mrs. Montague time to get over being embarrassed, though I didn't understand what was so embarrassing about getting divorced. Six kids in my class were divorced, and only saw their mum or dad on the weekend.

I took him down two cases to where the ice cream was and pointed to the Chocolate Turtle Commotion. "That one, Dad. Doesn't it look delicious?"

He opened the door and took the carton out to examine.

I held my breath and waited impatiently, shifting from foot to foot, unable to keep still.

I glanced over at where the Montagues were, and saw Alaina standing up on her tiptoes, she wasn't very tall at all, trying to reach a box of something on the top shelf of the freezer. "Drat! I wish I was tall like Mr. Snape," she sighed loudly. "Why do they always put the food you need up so high that all of us short people can't get it?"

"I'll get it, Mom!" cried Lexy.

"Honey, you can't, you're even smaller than I am," began her mother.

"Yes, I can!"

And with that Lexy floated up into the air and grabbed the box of whatever it was and then floated back down, neat as you please. "See, Mom? Told you I could get it."

"Lexy! How could you do that? What if someone saw?"

Of course, someone had seen. Me. Then I looked up and saw that Dad was also staring down the aisle at the young witch and her mother. He had seen Lexy fly also.

"Dad, she's a witch like Hermione," I whispered.

"Yes, son." He walked back down towards them, the carton of ice cream in hand. He placed it in the trolley and then looked calmly at Alaina and Lexy. "So, you have a daughter who can fly. Most unusual."

Alaina went pale. "Fly? Oh no, don't be ridiculous! It only looked like she was flying, but everyone knows girls can't fly," she was twisting her hands nervously in her hair, around and around.

"Unless they have magic. Mrs. Montague, I know what I saw." Dad began, speaking in a tone so soft only we could hear it.

"Call me Alaina, please."

"Alaina, then. I know your daughter can fly and it doesn't surprise me because my son and I also have magic. We're wizards."

Alaina just stared at us like we had lost our marbles, as Grandpa likes to say. "Uh, tell me you didn't just say that, Severus. Are you sure you haven't been drinking?"

"Yes, I never drink. And though you may think I'm crazy, I assure you that I'm as sane as you are." He looked at the two thoughtfully. "It was pure chance that your daughter ran into my shopping cart rather than someone else's. Or perhaps not. One of my colleagues is always saying that there are no coincidences, and what is meant to be, will be. I'm beginning to think he might be right. What your daughter just did is called accidental magic, because it was uncontrolled, and it is quite common among young witches her age. Or sorceresses, if you prefer."

"It is?" Alaina was staring at the package of broccoli in her hand as if expecting it to start singing and dancing. She rubbed her eyes and said quietly. "I think I'm dreaming and I'd better wake up now. Because if not this has to be the strangest conversation I've ever had with someone in the middle of the frozen food aisle. I mean, usually you're discussing the price of broccoli versus corn or the latest brand of Stouffers, if you've even got that here, not the fact that your seven-year-old just flew through the air by . . . accidental magic?"

"I assure you, Alaina, you're not dreaming." Dad placed a hand lightly on her arm. "I realize this conversation is very odd considering you've probably been told magic doesn't exist, except in books and fairy tales and the movies. But you've seen for yourself that magic does exist, and no, you're not going crazy either. Nor am I."

"Glad to hear it, though my mother wouldn't agree with you," she laughed shakily. "When I was a kid, I used to drive her crazy, saying I saw fairies in the garden and unicorns in the woods and monsters under the bed. She used to tell me it was just my imagination, but I always wished I had a fairy godmother or something. And now my daughter has magic." She shook her head slightly, her eyes wide with wonder. "How is this possible?"

Dad coughed, then said, "That's too long to explain now, Alaina, my ice cream will be melted by the time I've finished, and your broccoli defrosted. But here's my number," and he fished a paper out of his pocket and a pencil and wrote our number down on it and gave it to her. "Call me tonight if you wish to learn more about our world, Alaina. Lexy is very strong in magic, most wizards never master flying that way. I'll do my best to explain and answer all of your questions then."

"Okay, Severus." She took the paper and stuffed it in her purse. "Thanks. Come on, Lexy. We still need to pick up a few more things." Then she led her daughter away, looking a bit confused.

"Think she'll call, Dad?"

"She will if she wants to learn about her daughter's magic," Dad answered, and for some reason he had a faint smile on his face. "I'm beginning to think that maybe your Uncle Al was right and there really are no coincidences."

I shrugged. I didn't know about coincidences, but I sure was glad I had another witch in my class to be friends with. Then the other kids wouldn't think Hermione and I were sweet on each other-blech! I followed Dad to the dairy section and we picked up some more shredded cheese, milk, and butter. Dad sure was going to have an interesting conversation later on tonight.

This was the second time in nearly ten months that I found myself giving advice and reassurance to a Muggle mother regarding her magical child. Perhaps I ought to add counselor to the MH after my name, since I seemed to be playing that part exclusively these days. Honestly, though I didn't mind. The Muggle parents of magical children needed to be educated about what to expect from their child and to not fear them for having a power they never could.

Although, I had to admit that Alaina didn't strike me as the type to ostracize her child for having magic. Yes, she had seemed a bit bewildered over it, but there was none of the fear or anxiety that Jane Granger had displayed, no remarks about when her child would return to normal, as if magic were a disease that could be gotten over. And from her reaction, I had the feeling that this was not the first time Lexy had displayed accidental magic and Alaina had tried to cover for her. Which was all to the good. For if Alaina were supportive of her child, Lexy and she would have a much easier time of it.

As I shredded some lettuce for a salad that evening for dinner, I wondered what had caused them to leave American and come here. Perhaps her ex-husband had been causing problems? I was certain there was a story behind their move here, but I wouldn't pry into her personal life, I knew all too well about wounds of the past. There was an air of mystery about Alaina Montague that intrigued me though.

She would take awhile to adjust to her new life here, both the magical one and the mundane one, and for a moment I considered introducing her to my partner, Matthew Morgan, for he too was a transplanted American. But then something in me shied away, and I thought I could help her just as well as Matt. After all, it was my trolley her kid crashed into at the supermarket, and there are no coincidences, as Albus liked to say. I shook my head and turned to slice up a tomato, wondering just what in Merlin's name had gotten into me. I hardly knew this woman and yet she aroused feelings of protection and . . .other feelings in me that I had not felt since Lily had died.

You're being ridiculous, Sev! How can you be attracted to a woman you've only just met? You don't believe in love at first sight or destiny like Albus. Lily had been both my best friend and my lover, I'd had what most men never find and I wasn't seeking a replacement. But her face kept intruding into my thoughts. Not that she was beautiful, because Alaina would never be called that, but she was refreshingly . . .ordinary and pretty. She had a firm jaw and high cheekbones, slightly rounded, and her eyes were large and dark. Expressive eyes, eyes that had flashed alarm after the flying incident, love when she looked at her child, and a kind of bewildered fascination at the mention of magic. What did those eyes see when she looked at me?

I knew most of the young interns around St. Mungos considered me handsome, though I was not as good-looking as my father. Not that I cared, for looks had never mattered much to me. I had always judged a person based on actions and personality rather than looks, for a pretty face could hide a cruel heart and vice versa.

But did Alaina see the man first, or the wizard? And why in the hell did it matter? I wasn't looking for a woman to date, and she had enough to deal with without adding a relationship into the equation. You're not too old to date, Sev. I heard my father's voice whispering to me in the back of my mind. Just shut up, Dad, I told it irritably. Then I continued to fix supper, though a part of me was waiting for the normally silent phone to ring, Merlin save me.

Once I'd put Harry to bed, my time was my own, and I fixed myself a cup of tea and had gotten a bowl of that ice cream Harry had persuaded me to buy, one ear cocked towards the phone, when it rang.

Once, twice, and then I picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hi, um . . .Severus, right? It's Alaina Montague, we, uh, met in the supermarket."

"I remember," I said softly. A part of me was a little amazed that she had called, and hadn't just written me off as a crazy person.

"Yes, well how could you forget a hyper seven-year-old girl smashing into your cart like a Crash Test Dummy?" she said, laughing a little in embarrassment. "I've been thinking about what you said before, about Lexy being able to do magic, and I wanted to know how it was possible."

"A very good question, Alaina. I wish I had a better answer for you than the standard, wizards are born with the gift of magic, but there it is. No one knows how or why some people inherit magic's gift and others do not. It has nothing to do with genetics, because even a pureblood wizarding family can have a child who is non-magical, and the same is true in a Muggle family."

"A what?"

"Muggle is a term we wizards use to describe a person who doesn't have magic," I explained.

"Oh. So you're saying that having magic is like having an unusual eye color or being able to read before you go to kindergarten, right?"

"Exactly. There have never been very many of us either, which is why eventually we decided to form our own society, hiding ourselves in plain sight with our magic." I went on to detail certain places in our world, like the Ministry of Magic, Diagon Alley, and St Mungos, and several wizard residences, including mine, located in London.

"I can't believe it! It's . . .amazing!"

I had to laugh, for it had been a long time since I had heard honest to God amazement in another adult's voice that way. "Well, it's not as hard as you think to hide that way. People see what they want to see and that works to our advantage."

"I don't doubt it. Some people would consider you insane and try and have you committed, nowadays. Seven hundred years ago, they'd have burned you at the stake for being a tool of the Devil."

"People fear the different," I said, sighing. "That is why I felt it necessary to speak with you Alaina. So you didn't start to fear Lexy because she has magic's gift."

`
"Severus, I would never be afraid of my own child. Lexy is my life, she's all I've got. My husband and I divorced three months ago, it wasn't pleasant, but it was utterly necessary. Now Lexy and I are much happier."

"Good, because having a magical child is not easy at the best of times. I'm a single parent myself, so I know what kinds of things you're going through. But the important thing to remember, Alaina, is the Lexy has no control over her magic at this point, it reacts on impulse and will mostly. You might see something levitate or transfigure itself, such as a cup suddenly becoming a bird, or vice versa, or she may summon something to her, but generally accidental magic is brief and not something to be alarmed over."

"You said it reacts to emotions?"

"Generally, yes it does. Strong emotions can sometimes cause magic to respond to her, but not always. But her magic will grow stronger the older she becomes, until it's time for her to attend a special school for young wizards called Hogwarts."

"You have a wizard school? Should I be sending her there now?"

"No, because children must be eleven before they can attend there, since that is the age when their magic sparks fully and they can begin learning how to control it. Both I and my wife attended a regular public school until it was time to go off to Hogwarts, which is a boarding school, by the way."

I went on to detail specifics about Hogwarts, explained the owl post to her, and also told her my own occupation as a Master Healer.

"A wizard doctor! Wow! You must be able to cure almost anything, right?"

"Regrettably, not as much as we'd like. Magic is very good, but even we do not have the gift of immortality, Alaina. I couldn't cure my wife, she contracted lupus and even with all of my skills, it took her from me," I admitted quietly.

"Oh, Severus, I'm so sorry. Was it recent?"

"No, Lily passed on three years ago. Since then it's just been me and Harry," I answered, feeling my throat tighten in remembrance. Then I asked a question of my own. "Are you planning on teaching here, Alaina?"

"Yes, but I need to see if any school is hiring and if I need to get certified again before I start. But I do miss my classroom, though it's been nice having a bit of a break."

"I'd imagine it would be. Have you met the Grangers? They also have a little girl who is in Harry's class named Hermione and she also has magic."

"Oh, yes, Lexy plays with her quite a bit. They're our neighbors. Funny, isn't it, how things work out? I mean, Lexy's new friend just happens to be a witch like her and then we bump into one another and you also are just the person I need to explain things to me so I'm not such a fish out of water."

"My friend Albus would tell you that there are no such things as coincidences." I chuckled.

"I'm beginning to think he may be right," Alaina said. There was a little pause, then she said, "Umm . . .I may be jumping ahead a little bit, but I just had a brainstorm. I know there must be tons of information on wizards and magic and your world that we don''t know, and you can't possibly tell me all of it in one conversation."

"True. I do have a book on hand that may help you a bit called Your Magical Child: A Guide for Parents of Muggleborn Children," I said, only now recalling that Lily had given me her parents' copy and I had put it away years ago.

"A book sounds great, Severus, but I was thinking more along the lines of a umm . . .seminar."

"A seminar?"

"Yes, where you could teach us what we need to know about your world, me, Lexy, Hermione, and perhaps the Grangers also. Unless you think it's a terrible idea . . ." she trailed off uncertainly.

"No, it's a very good idea," I said quickly. "It's something I ought've thought of myself. Perhaps I could have a small class maybe for an hour or two on the weekends or one night a week in the evening, if that's all right?"

"Yes, any time is good for me, it's you and the Grangers who have the busy schedules. Are you on call like a regular doctor, Severus?"

"Yes, and I have office hours and rounds the same as any Muggle physician," I said. "I do most of the same things, except I use magic to treat and diagnose my patients."

"Do you do surgery as well?"

"Yes, but it's non-invasive, with spells," I answered. "Much less recovery time and pain involved for the patient."

"Sounds incredible. Too bad our doctors couldn't figure out something similar, with all of our technology."

"To each his own, Alaina. Your technology can do some pretty amazing things as well. Magic simply works differently, with a different set of laws and rules. But I'll explain all of that when I hold out first session. I need to check my schedule and let you know when a good day is for me and then we can try and arrange regular meetings with you and the children as well. I think two hours should be sufficient, and I'll be working practically with the children so they aren't bored out of their mind with lecturing."

"If you need me to, I can draw up charts and poster boards," she offered. "I did that all the time for lessons when I taught, Severus."

"Yes, that would be a great help, once I decide what I'm doing," I said. "I think it best if we have the classes at my house. Only I have to warn you, I have a rather unusual pet."

"Oh? Like a unicorn or a dragon?"

"No, nothing too exotic," I laughed. "I have a half-grown panther named Inky."

"A panther! Wow! Is he tame?"

"Yes, and he started out as a stuffed toy of my son's. Until he was brought to life by Harry with accidental magic." I explained. "Harry happens to have some rather unusual abilities," I said, unable to keep the pride from my voice.

"My goodness! I sure hope Lexy doesn't try that, I'll end up with a menagerie, with all the stuffed animals she has!" Alaina laughed, sounding a bit alarmed.

"No fear of that, Alaina." I reassured her. "His other wizard friends know of it and they can't duplicate it. Harry doesn't know how he did it either. Accidental magic is just that, Alaina. Accidental." Although I didn't tell her that a child who displays strong incidences of accidental magic will most likely become a very powerful wizard or witch someday. Time enough for particulars later.

"Does your panther like children?"

"Yes. He is very gentle and you don't need to worry about him scratching or biting your child, since I've blunted his claws and teeth with a spell." I told her. "Everyone loves Inky and Inky loves everyone."

She exhaled a sigh of profound relief, or so it seemed to me. "I'm sure Lexy will be delighted when she comes over. She's been begging me for a pet, but with the move here and trying to get a new job and all, I just don't see adding a pet into our life right now. Maybe one day, when we're more settled, we could get a cat or a dog. Do all you wizards have exotic pets like yours, Severus?"

"No, not at all. Most wizards have owls, or frogs, dogs, and cats. But a panther is exotic even for us. But my son has never been one to do things halfway. When he first transfigured the toy, I was tempted to just turn it back, but he convinced me not to and now I wouldn't dream of it. Inky is here to stay. My father thinks I'm crazy, but this wouldn't be the first time he's disapproved of what I do," I remarked wryly. Now why on earth had I told her that? I found myself saying things I normally never would to someone I'd only just met.

"Sounds rather like my dad, come to think of it. Only he was right, I made a big mistake marrying Daniel." She coughed, then said awkwardly, "But that's all water under the bridge now. I came here to make a fresh start and not dwell on the past. I just never expected my fresh start to include meeting wizards and learning about an entirely new culture."

"Does it frighten you then?" I queried softly.

"No . . .not really. I'm excited and curious and I want to learn as much as I can so I can help Lexy. I can remember wishing when I was a little kid that I had magic, or a fairy godmother, or some kind of magic wand. I guess I never really lost that. And now, I find out that my little girl actually has magic . . .it's so very amazing! I almost don't believe it." Her voice was bright with wonder, like a little child who has just witnessed a miracle.

I must say I found her attitude quite refreshing from the disbelief and wariness most Muggles displayed upon learning their child possessed magic. I almost envied Lexy Montague then, for she would never suffer the mistrust and fear I had, not with Alaina as a parent. Pull yourself together, Severus, and quit behaving like a jealous ten-year-old. What's done is done, and there's no sense in dwelling on the past. At least Tobias has changed for the better now.

"Well, I guess I've talked your ear off enough for one night, Severus. I'd better get going, I've got one more interview at the school tomorrow and you probably need to get some sleep as well, Dr. Snape."

"Sleep would be a good thing," I agreed, then added, "And we call ourselves Healers, Alaina. Though in my case I'm a Master Healer, because I hold two masteries, Medicine and Potions. I'm a Potions Master and a Healer, and thus they combine my titles."

"A Potions Master? Is that sort of like a PhD? You know, a doctorate degree?"

"Hmm . . .in a way I guess you could say that. But no one calls me professor, that's only for teachers at Hogwarts."

"Professor Snape doesn't sound all that strange to me. But then again, I'm biased, since I'm a teacher." Alaina admitted. "Here's my number, so you can call me once you figure out a day and all that." She rattled off her number, which I scribbled on the message board next to the phone. It was an enchanted board that wrote what I dictated with a magical quill, unless I happened to want to write it myself.

"Thank you, Alaina. I will call and let you know about the first class as soon as I can," I said sincerely. "It was a pleasure talking with you."

"Same here, Severus. See you around! Bye!"

Once I had said goodbye, I remained standing next to the phone, pondering what evenings I had free most times. I summoned my current three month schedule with a snap of my fingers and began to peruse it. I can't believe I agreed to this. I've never taught anything before, except medical procedures to interns. What was I thinking?

That perhaps this was a chance for me to prove once and for all that my theory of educating Muggle parents of magical children will be beneficial to the Ministry in the long run. We've hidden in the shadows too long, it's time to step into the sunlight and let the world see us for what we truly are. And the first step towards that is to educate the Muggles who are a part of our world. Knowledge banishes fear, that was one of my maxims, and I intended to make it the mission statement for these classes.

Hopefully, I would do a satisfactory job and not make myself look like an idiot. Yeah, Snape, that won't impress Alaina at all, whispered a lone voice in the back of my head. It sounded suspiciously like Sirius, and I told it firmly I wasn't trying to impress anyone, this was something that needed to be done, and experiment that might prove beneficial to everyone if it worked.

And it's a marvelous excuse to see Alaina every week, chuckled that wayward part of myself, which I told irritably to shut the hell up. All right, Sev. But you know I'm right, it hissed unrepentantly.

Ignoring it, I went back into the den and studied my schedule some more.

The next morning was Saturday and therefore I Apparated to Spinner's End with Harry to see my father. The weekends were Tobias's, as per the agreement I had made with him some months ago. I still had reservations about leaving Harry alone with him for longer than a few hours, even though my father had not touched a drop of spirits in months, not since that fateful poker game at the pub. I really wished there were a spell to guarantee an alcoholic's sobriety, but there wasn't, unless I wanted to use the Imperius Curse on my father.

I shuddered at the mere thought. The whole idea of ruthlessly controlling another person that way was utterly abhorrent to me. I was a firm believer in free will and Tobias had made a choice not to drink and hopefully he would make it stick. He was doing extremely well, attending his counseling sessions and meeting regularly, and also making friends with people who did not spend all of their free time down at the pub, like Carl Middleton. Between the two of us, I thought it was possible to keep my father walking the line of sobriety forever.

Tobias was trimming the roses when we arrived and Harry raced over to him, yelling, "Grandpa! Grandpa!" like he hadn't seen him in a month.

Dad set down the clippers and scooped him up. "How are you doing, Harry? Been behaving yourself?"

"Yes. Dad took me shopping for school stuff and gave me a check-up with three shots and I didn't cry at all."

Tobias patted him on the back and said he was a brave kid, just like his father. Harry beamed at that and I felt a sudden warmth in my chest at that, for the old Tobias would've said that to me when hell froze over. He had come far from where he had been, I thought, pleased.

"And then guess what happened yesterday, Grandpa?" Harry chattered excitedly.

"Tell me, minnow, while I finish this," Dad said, putting my son down and picking up the clippers. He turned and waved hello at me. "Hi, Sev. I just need to finish up here and then I'll go inside."

"Take your time," I called back, then summoned three large frosted glasses of iced tea, and levitated two of them over.

They gulped it down and thanked me, then Harry began telling Dad about little Lexy and Alaina Montague, who we met in the supermarket. "And she's a witch too, like my other best friend, Hermione. You remember Hermione, right?"

"Yes, Harry. You seem to meet magical people in the darndest places."

"She crashed her shopping trolley into ours, Grandpa. And her mother's like you, she doesn't have magic. But Lexy's really strong, she can make herself pick up furniture." He went on to detail how he loved playing with Inky and other kid his ages, like the Weasleys, and then he said, "And Lexy's mum gave Dad her phone number after he talked to her last night."

"Oh?" a pleased smile lit my father's face. "Well, that's a start. What did you two discuss? Or is it wizard business?"

"No. We decided to hold a class where I teach Muggleborns like Lexy and Hermione and Muggles like Alaina and Jane and Wally. You could attend it too, if you're free, that is."

Dad pursed his lips. "I'll think about it. I never was one for much book-learning." He eyed me speculatively, but then he turned away and continued pruning.

I beat a hasty retreat inside, knowing he was going to ask me some very pointed questions. Like whether or not I had asked out Alaina.

I seated myself at the table, which looked as though Tobias had polished and sanded it to a glossy sheen. I think since he stopped drinking, he had turned more and more towards carpentry, which he was extremely gifted in.

Sure enough, i hadn't long to wait before both grandfather and grandson came inside. Tobias steered Harry straight to the sink, where my son got out the hand-carved stepstool Dad had made for him and used it to wash the dirt off his hands. He'd probably been picking up the dead branches again.

Harry scrubbed industriously, then rinsed and showed his hands to Dad for inspection. "Finished. How's that, Grandpa?"

Dad pretended to inspect my son's palms, then nodded and said, "Well done, minnow. Now go out and fetch me the empty glasses, won't you?"

"Sure. Be right back," and Harry raced out the door to retrieve the glasses, which I was almost positive had been left there on purpose.

As soon as my son had departed, Dad took a seat across from me, and said, "So who's the mystery woman, Sev? Harry tells me you bumped into each other in the supermarket."

"We did, and it's not what you're thinking," I said quickly.

"Oh?" One blond eyebrow rose questioningly. "Then you don't like her?"

"I barely know her, Dad. She seems nice enough, but I'm not going to put a ring on her finger any time soon."

"Who mentioned marriage, Sev? Not me! All I'm saying is don't sell yourself short. You're not middle-aged yet, son, and you shouldn't keep to yourself so much. You need to get out more, Sev. There's more to life than Harry and your practice, you know."

I regarded him with something close to open-mouthed astonishment. "Dad? Are you feeling all right? Because I can't believe the hermit of Spinner's End is offering me advice on personal relationships."

He colored faintly. "Well, somebody has to, else you're going to end up like one of your dried up specimens. I know I'm not the best example in the world, God knows I was a right bastard to your mother sometimes, but I never stopped loving her. And when she died, I mourned her and then I went on with my life, such as it was."

My own eyebrow rose. "You've dated other women since Mum died?"

"Holy God, Sev, I'm not dead yet. Or ugly as sin. Once I quit drinking, I looked around and found that the ladies still found me attractive. So yes, I've dated. Not when I watched Harry, of course, but afterwards. And so can you. There's no reason why you can't get a sitter and go out every once in awhile."

"I suppose not, but ever since I woke up, Harry's been a little clingy." I began, knowing even as I said it that it was just an excuse.

"Sev, the kid's gotta learn sometime that he can't have your attention every minute. I know you two are close, but he's going to have to learn to share you one day. And not just with me. This Alaina sounds like a good person to consider as maybe more than a friend."

"If she wants to be. I'm not going to throw myself at her, Dad. I'm not that desperate."

"You would never need to be," he laughed. "Most women tend to find us Snapes mighty appealing. That Lily of yours never looked twice at another man after she married you, now did she?"

"No."

"There you go then. Look, all I'm saying is just because you loved once doesn't mean you can't love again. If you find the right woman. I'm sure your Lily wouldn't want you to be alone all your life."

"I'm not alone, Dad. I have plenty of friends and you and Harry."

"It's not the same." My father said wisely.

He was right, it wasn't. But did I dare to take a chance again? I didn't fancy putting my heart on the line only to have it rejected. "I'll think about it." I said at last. After the first meeting, I would see if the sparks between me and Alaina were just that, or was there something more? Only time would tell.

Harry returned, carrying both glasses and placed them on the table. "What took you so long, scamp?"

He shrugged. "Nothin'. A woman was walking her dog and I went to pet it. She said I could," he added at my darkened frown. Ever since the attack by the vicious Butch across the street, I had insisted Harry always ask permission before going to pet a strange dog, because you never knew. He slid into a chair next to me. "Dad, I'm hungry. What've we got to eat here?"

I cocked an eyebrow at Tobias. "Ask your grandpa."

He did and Tobias's answer, sandwiches and chocolate bars, pleased him to no end. I merely sighed and resigned myself to the fact that on the weekends at least, Harry would develop a sugar high and be hyper until bedtime. But then, such were the perils of eating at a grandparent's house where you were the only grandson and had a sweet tooth besides.

Afterwards we went to the park, so Harry could burn off some of that excess energy and Dad and I spent the rest of the afternoon discussing odd cases I'd had and he spoke a little about my mother and how she would've loved to see her grandson. All in all, it was a most pleasant day, and I had much to think about.

After perusing my schedule leisurely, I decided on Friday and maybe an occasional Sunday was a good day to hold classes. That way Alaina and the Grangers and I wouldn't have to worry about getting our children to bed early and making sure homework was done and all of that. But I was still a bit unsure about what to talk about for my introductory session, and so I firecalled Albus, my mentor and the person I considered like a grandfather to me, and asked if he had any ideas to contribute.

"I think that is a wonderful idea, Severus!" Albus exclaimed, his blue eyes twinkling like will-o-the-wisps. "Is there anything you would like me to contribute? I wouldn't mind giving a speech or two, or a lecture as a guest speaker."

"A guest speaker? Yes, I never even thought about that. That way I don't have to talk nonstop and bore my pupils to tears," I agreed enthusiastically.

I was very nervous at addressing even this small number of people, I had never been the kind who fancied public speaking, and the only teaching I had ever done was practicums with my interns and the occasional lecture to a group of new nurses on medical procedures and spells. But medicine was my field and something I knew back to front. So was magic, but I did not know everything about it, no wizard does, and though I was pretty good at translating magical terminology into something a Muggle could grasp (I did it all the time for my father), the thought of doing a seminar tied my stomach in knots. Calm down, Sev. It's only the Grangers and Alaina and the kids. What could they criticize? They know less than a first year.

True, but I knew I'd have to take an Anxiety-Relieving Draft before it started, or else I might end up disgracing myself utterly by vomiting all over. That was one reason I had dreaded public speaking in school, and even now I performed it under duress. I hid my discomfort well, however, no one, not even Padfoot or Moony, ever knew about it. The only one who ever knew was Lily, because I had trusted her implicitly. But if Albus could pick up some of the slack . . .and maybe I could ask Sirius and Remus and Minerva too.

"Albus, I've decided to schedule this on Fridays and possibly an occasional Sunday as well. If that's not feasible with your own schedule, I could change it. . ." I began.

"No, no, dear boy. Fridays are fine, I need an hour or two away from my desk and the paperwork. Dear sweet Merlin, the paperwork! Nothing breeds parchment like an academic post, Severus. I will be happy to discuss whatever you like with your little group, and might I also suggest we make a contact list and introduce them to some little wizard devices, such as Floo powder and magic mirrors and perhaps a Quidditch set?"

I was nodding like a bloody jack-in-the-box. "Yes, Harry has one at home. I never thought of using props. Thanks, Albus. I think I'm going to speak with Sirius and Remus, see if they can't drag themselves away from hunting dark wizards to give a few lectures and demonstrations too."

"Perhaps Minerva would like to do a session as well," Albus said, tapping a finger aside of his nose thoughtfully. "And what of Maria Zabini? She's in medical billing records, she could explain how we wizards handle them and pay for things."

"Right, I should've thought of that. And Blaise can join the group of kids and I'll firecall Molly and tell her as well, she knows a great deal of household spells and she's wonderful with people. That way Ron and Ginny can come."

"What about Fred and George?" Albus teased.

I scowled. "You want this session to end in a disaster, Albus? Please! They'd end up scaring poor Jane Granger out of her wits, and she's one of the ones I'm trying to set at ease and introduce her gradually to the magical world. No, Ron and Ginny are enough Weasleys for me, at least they generally behave themselves when I tell them to do something, and they're Harry's age besides."

"Yes, the twins can be handful," my mentor chuckled. Sure, he could laugh about it, he only had to deal with them occasionally, and he hadn't had the brilliant experience of taking them to a restaurant where they proceeded to prank the customers and make over half of them vomit for twenty minutes. "I would be happy to volunteer any time you need a speaker, I could address the issue of wands for my first talk, what do you think of that?"

"I think you're a lifesaver," I said, unable to keep the relief from my tone. "I'll firecall you after the first meeting, and you can send me any notes and Alaina and I can make a chart up for your lecture. Alaina Montague is a Muggle woman with a magical daughter, she used to be a teacher back in America and it was her idea to do this seminar."

"Ah. A woman's intuition, is it? How very fitting! I must go, my boy, I have several forms to fill out for the Ministry regarding their new policy of school payment, it's even more confusing than last year's. Ah well, it's the job of bureaucrats to irritate us, I fear. And they do it well." he grimaced. "I shall contact Minerva and let her know about your new seminar as well. Farewell for now, Sev."

After I had bid Albus goodbye, I firecalled Remus and Sirius in turn, they were very excited about my proposal and said they would see if they could take time off in the near future. I also contacted my partner, Matthew, he would be another excellent speaker, and he usually had Friday nights off, like me.

"Yeah, sure, Sev. I wouldn't mind doing a session or two. I think we need to go and speak to more Muggle parents, instead of just having them find out when their child gets their Hogwarts letter. Less of a shock this way and then they're prepared to go to Diagon Alley and are familiar with our customs and so forth."

"My thoughts exactly, Matt." I said, happy at how things had turned out.

Now all I had to do was contact Alaina and let her know the date and the time of the seminar. As I dialed her number I found myself grinning like a sixteen-year-old on his first date and I wanted to slap myself.

* * * * * *

Friday arrived and I made sure the house was spic-and-span, so clean that you could eat off my floor, just the way my mother liked it. I put a No-Shed charm on Inky, because lately he'd been shedding like a furball from hell and there was no way I wanted to ruin the first impression of my home and my seminar by having a lady get panther fur on her best clothes.

I was wearing my best set of hospital whites, the robe and high-necked tunic and breeches I wore to very formal dinners when the St Mungos Board of Trustees hosted a banquet and required all the physicians to attend it. The tunic was silver, it off-set the blinding white robe, which had the caduceus of a Healer and the cauldron of a Potions Master embroidered upon the left side, with the caduceus coming out of the cauldron. The tunic was embroidered with white and green borders on the hem and collar, symbolizing my dual masteries. Only Master Healers ever got the double embroidery on their tunic. My pants were of the same silvery gray as the tunic and tucked into mirror-shined knee-high black boots. Dad had taught me how to polish boots to a military gloss when I was seven and I'd never forgotten it.

Harry took one look at me and whispered, "Daddy? Is that you?"

"Harry, what kind of question is that?" I laughed. "Of course it is!"

"Well . . .you kind of look like Merlin in that outfit, y'know." He regarded me with something like awe in his beautiful emerald eyes.

"Son, I don't think Merlin was a Healer, although he may have known a few of our founding spells and potions. History says that Merlin was more like an Auror and a professor and a Potions Master all rolled into one."

Harry shrugged. "Well, I think you look just as good as he did, an' you've got a better job too."

"Oh you do, huh?" I tweaked his nose.

"Yeah, ‘cause Padfoot says his job sucks sometimes and Mummy always said that you had the most important job in the universe ‘cause you fixed people that were broken, and I'm gonna be just like you when I'm bigger."

I smiled down at the little imp and then I couldn't resist picking him up and hugging him till he squeaked. "Oh, Harry! You are the most perceptive boy in the world and I'm so glad you're my son."

"So'm I, Dad," he said and laid his little head on my shoulder for a moment before he said, "But can I get down now? I wanna make sure all the snacks are ready for when Ron, Hermione, Blaise, Ginny, and Lexy come over."

We had made a variety of small appetizers and finger foods for our guests, because my mother had always told me to never invite someone over without offering some refreshments, and so like a proper host, I had them. Harry was very excited that he could have all his friends over at one time, like a grown-up, and I was praying that all would go smoothly.

The Weasleys were the first to arrive, as usual. Molly was a firm believer in punctuality, and you could set your clock by her. She stepped out of the fireplace and looked around the living room and by Merlin's pointed cap I felt like my mother had returned from the grave to inspect my house. I waited with baited breath, idiotic as that sounds, until Molly helped Ginny and Ron from the fireplace and beamed at me, "Your house looks lovely, Sev! Been doing some spring cleaning?"

I breathed again and answered nonchalantly, "Yes, and thank you, Molly. Would you care for a drink or an appetizer? You're the first to arrive."

"Great. That means we get to eat the food first," commented Ron, and started towards the table where the trays of little sandwiches and other things were set out.

Only to be hauled back by the collar and get scolded by his mother. "Ronald, where are your manners? You say hello to Healer Sev first and then you can go and eat. I'm sorry, Severus, his stomach rules him lately."

"Must be getting a growth spurt," I said, then looked at the red-headed boy and said, "Hello, Ron. I'm glad you could come tonight."

"Hi, Healer Sev! Me too. Can I get some snacks now, Mum?" he asked, giving her his most pathetic face.

"Oh, go on with you, you scalawag!" she shooed him away.

Ginny lisped a greeting to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I hugged her and said, "You can go and eat too, Gingerbread Girl."

"Okay. Healer Sev, where's Harry?"

"Around. I'm surprised he's not here, waiting for you."

Just then my son came into the room. "Ron! Ginny! Oh good, you're here. I was waiting years! How do you like the potato puffs? I helped Dad make them and the bacon bites too."

"They're great!" Ron declared, stuffing one in his mouth.

"Harry," I called. "What do you say to Mrs. Weasley?" I prompted.

"Hi, Mrs. Weasley. Thanks for bringing Ron and Ginny." he waved at her from across the room and I groaned.

"And what else, Mr. Potter?"

"Oh and thanks for coming too," he cried, giving her a gap-toothed smile, for he had finally lost his loose front tooth and had put it under the pillow for the Tooth Fairy last night. The Tooth Fairy had left him five Knuts and five shillings in return.

"Look, guys! I finally lost my front tooth. Now I can whistle-like this!" And he whistled shrilly through the gap in his teeth.

I winced. "Harry, for the love of Merlin! Stop it." I cast Molly an apologetic glance.

But she just shook her head knowingly. "Don't be embarrassed, Sev. He's only a little boy, and he has nothing on the twins for embarrassing guests, believe me."

"Now that I can believe." I said, hiding a shudder.

Blaise and Maria arrived next and Harry did remember to greet them properly before dragging his other best friend off to the refreshment table to make him taste the food. "Dad? Can we let out Inky?"

"Yes, but don't go into the backyard with him," I ordered.

"We won't," Blaise called back before following the others down the hall to the panther's room.

Jane, Wally, and Hermione arrived next in Jane's car and the last ones to arrive were Alaina and Lexy. Albus, Sirius, and Remus would not be here tonight, tonight it was just me and Molly.

I introduced Alaina and Lexy to everyone, and Lexy held out her hand for me to shake and said, "How do you do, Mr. Snape?"

I took it and answered, "Very well, thank you, Miss Montague."

She giggled and said, "That's my mom, only she's a Mrs. You can just call me Lexy."

"And you can call him Healer Sev," chimed in Harry. "Everybody does."

"Okay. Can I see your baby panther, Harry?"

"Sure. His name's Inky and he's not really a baby any more. He's almost fully grown." He led Lexy off to where Inky was lying, purring drowsily in front of the hearth, surrounded by children.

"Ooohh! He's so-o-o beautiful, Harry!" cried Lexy, her whole face glowing as she stared at the panther. "Can I pet him?"

"Sure. He doesn't bite ever."

She ran her hand down Inky's side and said, "His fur's like silky velvet. So soft!" She began to stroke him in earnest.

The panther ate it up, rolling over with all four of his great big paws in the air and purring ferociously as Lexy scratched his belly. Inky was just an overgrown kitten sometimes.

"Welcome to my home, Alaina," I said, and had the gratifying sensation of seeing her eyes go wide at the way I was dressed and then smiling.

"Wow! You have a great place, Severus, too bad I can't see more of it right now. I, uh, have your posters here." She reached into a large tote bag and withdrew two rolled up poster boards. "You look like you just came out of a Ren Faire exhibit, you know what they are?"

"Yes, I do," I said, smiling. I took the posters. "Thank you, Alaina. And you look very lovely as well." Tonight she was dressed in a soft cashmere sweater in turquoise and soft black slacks with matching turquoise shoes. Her dark hair curled softly about her face and I had to stop myself from running my hands through it. I love women's hair, I love to play with it, and Lily had always put her head in my lap and let me run my fingers through her fiery locks whenever I wanted, though she lacked Alaina's abundance of curls.

She blushed and mumbled, "Thanks, but this is what I usually wear to work. I figured since this was a seminar it was . . .umm . . .appropriate. Oh God, am I babbling to you? Sorry, I tend to do that when I'm nervous . . ."

"Am I making you nervous?" I blurted, wondering why the hell I'd chosen to wear my formal robes tonight. Everyone else was dressed semi-casually. She must think I was some kind of snob.

"No, oh no. It's just . . .never mind, it's not your fault." She looked up at me then and said, "It's been awhile since I've been invited to a gathering like this, my ex-husband didn't like me doing much socializing, except with friends of his choosing, and since I didn't care at all for them, I stayed home. That was one reason I divorced the idiot."

"Good for you!" I said. "I despise men like that." Then I looked at my watch and discovered it was nearly time to begin. "Excuse me, but I need to get set up."

I moved to the far wall of the den and stuck the posters Alaina had made on the wall with a Sticking Charm. Once I had done that, all the adults sat down and made the children sit as well.

Ron stirred restlessly, until Hermione elbowed him and said, "Sit still, Ron! Healer Sev's gonna tell us all about magic and it's rude to walk around when he's talking."

I had to turn away to hide my smile, for Hermione was such a mannerly conscious child, I suspected that must be Jane's influence. Wally was the more relaxed of that pair.

I cleared my throat and then I began. "As all of you know, we're here tonight to learn about magic, since every one of us in this room has had their lives impacted by magic or has a relative who is a witch or a wizard or who is one. Some of you might have never believed in magic or wizards before a year or so ago, and these sessions are designed to make you and your child, or children in Molly's case, more familiar and at ease with magic and the wizarding world in general. Several of my colleagues have volunteered to give sessions regarding their particular area of expertise, since we wizards specialize in our jobs the same as you Muggles. They will be guest speaking at another time. But for tonight, you'll have myself and Molly, who is very familiar with accidental magic, since she has seven children."

Wally whistled and the women all cast Molly looks of astonishment and respect. It was quite a job mothering her brood.

"Most of tonight's session will focus on accidental magic, but right now I want to discuss the force that we call magic and where it comes from." I turned and tapped the posterboard behind me which was titled "Magic's Origin" and said, "First, you must understand that magic is an elemental force, much like the wind, the tides, the rain, and fire. It has existed on earth since the beginning of time and will continue to do so long after we are all gone. Magic is an energy that runs through all things, living and non-living. Everything, from the smallest grain of sand to the largest mountain, has a bit of magic within it. That is how we wizards are able to manipulate things like mountains and such, because we draw upon the bit of magic within and alter it."

"Healer Sev?" Blaise raised his hand.

"Yes, Blaise?"

"When you said everything has magic in it, did you really mean everything?"

"Yes. Magic is everywhere."

"Even in poop? ‘Cause George always said poop was magic," Ron announced.

"Eeeww!" Hermione cried and Lexy yelled, "Gross! Who wants magic poop? What can you do with it?"

"I dunno. Fred says-"

"Ronald! That's enough!" Molly scolded, she was mortified, though all the other adults wore varying expressions of amusement and Wally was laughing into his sleeve until Jane elbowed him. Blaise and Harry and Ginny were laughing hysterically. "I just don't know what gets into you sometimes."

"Yeah, Ron. Magic poop!" said his sister. "Why did I have to have six brothers? Merlin, are you dumb."

"Am not."

Molly shot them a warning glare and they settled down. They both knew not to cross their mother, for Molly was the disciplinarian in her house. It was a good thing all of us were parents, and did not get offended by Ron's comment. Sometimes I think our children live to embarrass us.

"Ahem! As I was saying, magic is everywhere and just like the rain and the snow, it can be either good or bad, helpful or harmful. Magic is not, in and of itself good or evil, it simply is. The wizards who use it determine whether or not to use it for good or evil. Having magic does not make you all-knowing, either." Here I directed my gaze towards the children who were starting to fidget. They stopped.

"Being a wizard or a witch simply means that you can control and use the magical force all around you. Depending on what you do with it, you can either save lives, like I do, or hurt people, like the Death Eaters do. The Death Eaters are a bunch of wizard fanatics who delight in bringing shame and death to all who oppose them, wizard and Muggle alike. I would strongly suggest you not copy them, children. Right, Harry?"

"Yeah, Dad. The Death Eaters are wicked people-the bad kind of wicked, not the good kind, I mean. And all of them belong in Azkaban or in a cemetery. One of them almost killed my dad and my grandpa."

Lexy and Alaina looked horrified. "Oh my God!" Alaina exclaimed. "You were the target of a terrorist attack, Severus?"

"Yes, a year ago. But that's all been settled now and the ones who ordered it are, as my son said, either dead or in jail. Azkaban is the wizard prison in this part of the world." I went on to explain how the prison was guarded by dementors, and how no one had ever escaped from it. I talked a little about the dementor guards and how they never came out of Azkaban.

Then I went back to speaking about good magic, which I demonstrated on Harry, who had a cut on his knee, and I healed that within twenty-seconds. "Beneficial magic is a good wizard's meal ticket. Black magic, on the other hand gets you nothing but murder and a life sentence in Azkaban. There are three curses, called Unforgivables, that will earn a wizard a life sentence immediately. Casting any one of those will end your career before you've started. In magic, as in everything else, you have a choice. Choose the right thing. Most wizards fall into a sort of gray area when it comes to casting spells that heal versus spells that harm. There is only one profession that's the exception to that rule, and that is my own."

Here I tapped the twined symbols on my robe. "These symbols, caduceus and cauldron represent a dual mastery-I am Healer and Potions Master, otherwise known as a-"

"Master Healer!" Harry blurted.

"Thank you, Harry, but please do not interrupt me," I sighed, giving him a warning look.

"Sorry, Dad."

"Where was I? My profession, and indeed any witch or wizard who practices in the medical field, requires us to swear an oath of non-violence. It is known as Physician's Oath and it is a magically binding contract where we as Healers or nurses or med-witches agree to never use our magic to harm. It begins much like the Hippocratic Oath a Muggle doctor swears, Jane Granger would be familiar with that-" I gave her a quick smile and she smiled back. "First, do no harm. However, in our case, it is meant literally, a Healer cannot, under any circumstances save one, deliberately use magic to harm someone. The single exception is if we are in peril of our life. Only then may we use our magic to cast a combat spell that will truly harm another. We are bound by that oath forever, once we graduate our internship, it is irrevocable once taken, like an Unbreakable Vow. If a Healer ever broke it, he or she would die. That is why we ask three times before a young intern speaks the oath aloud, because once you swear, you are bound. We Healers take our profession very seriously, and any who wear this caduceus has sworn Healer's Oath."

Molly spoke up then. "I'd like to add something if I may, Healer Sev. Since everyone in our world knows the Healers are bound to do no harm, our laws reflect that status. Anyone found guilty of harming or, Merlin forbid-killing a Healer is sentenced to life in Azkaban. It is considered among the worst of crimes to attack a Healer and in our history there have only been ten wizards who were found guilty of that crime, the most recent being Tom Riddle, or Voldemort, who deliberately targeted a hospital and killed many, six years ago. But he is now dead, as are the rest of them. We offer all honor and respect to our Healers, and Master Healer Severus is one of the best in his field."

"Thank you, Molly." After I had impressed upon the children once more the real danger of casting Unforgivables, I turned the speaking over to Molly. "Please welcome Molly, she is a witch as well as a mother and will be happy to discuss anything you like regarding accidental magic."

Molly began by explaining the reason why accidental magic occurred, she used the example of hair color, saying that sometimes when a child is a baby or a toddler, their hair may be red or blond and later on, as they grow, their hair gradually changes to another color, like a darker brown or vice versa. "It's the same with the magical gift your child carries. When a child with the potential for magic is small, the gift sleeps, showing itself only briefly, the way a child's hair changes one strand at a time. But when they hit eleven, the onset of puberty, their magic emerges fully and then they can be taught spells."

"Can a child's magic mature before eleven?" asked Alaina.

"Yes, in rare cases, that can happen. But we monitor those children closely, and they usually are among the strongest wizards and witches. Any child who can cast spells before formal training has a strong talent. And those with a strong gift must receive training from an adult wizard or witch as soon as possible, for a fully emerged talent uncontrolled can be dangerous. That's why we stress control over emotions when we are young, since emotions make the magic react unpredictably, with results that are unexpected or too strong."

"Is that why you have a wizard boarding school?" queried Jane.

"Yes. Hogwarts has been warded and safeguarded so that accidents that occur there can be dealt with easily. Teenagers in general are very emotional, their hormones are raging, and that in turn effects their magic. It's much easier to control if they are away from their parents and secluded, so that they don't hurt anyone accidentally."

"I'm glad I'm not teaching them," Alaina said fervently. "Normal teenagers are hell to deal with sometimes, I can only imagine the havoc a wizard teen could cause."

"Yes, the teachers at Hogwarts are very experienced and skilled at dealing with teenage angst and such," Molly said. "You'll be meeting some of them next session, I believe. Right, Severus?"

"Yes, Molly. Professor Dumbledore, Hogwart's Headmaster and Professor McGonagall, Mistress of Transfiguration, will be our keynote speakers next seminar." I told everyone.

"They can tell you better than I can how they deal with their students." Molly said. "Now, I think we need to involve the children more in this discussion. You've all been very good listeners so far, but now I want you to answer a question for me." She smiled at them, and all of them sat up straighter and looked at her expectantly, like baby dragons waiting for a treat.

"What do you want to ask us, Mum?" Ron wanted to know.

"I want each of you to tell me the first time you ever used your magic accidentally. Can all of you remember it?"

They all nodded, usually the first incident of accidental magic was memorable.

"Good. I'll begin. When I was eight years old, I made a flower that had died in a vase of my mum's sprout and bloom again. Now how about you, Ginny?"

Ginny's brow wrinkled. "Uh . . .just three months ago I made the fork on the kitchen counter spin around."

"Yes, I remember it well, since I was cooking at the time," Molly chuckled. "How about you, Blaise?"

"I was six and I made my lima bean become a chocolate bar,' cause I hate lima beans! Yuck! Mama was so surprised she let me eat it for dinner."

Maria chuckled, ruffling her son's dark hair.

"I hate lima beans too, Blaise. They're nasty," remarked Hermione. "May I go next, Mrs. Weasley?"

"You may, Hermione."

"Okay. I started doing magic last year right after I turned six. I made the dolls I was playing with dance a jig with each other. Mummy thought she was seeing things and needed to go to a hospital," she admitted frankly.

The rest of the room burst out laughing, and Jane just groaned and buried her face in her hands. Ah, the honesty of children! It can be very blunt sometimes.

"That must have been very scary for you, Jane," Molly said. "Especially since you didn't know how or why that happened."

"It was. I thought I was losing my mind, as Mione said. I kept telling myself I was dreaming, but I knew I was awake. Then I called for Wally, and when he came in, we just stared at the dolls until they quit dancing and fell down. Then Hermione looked at us and said, wasn't that the coolest thing, Mummy? And all I could think of was that the dolls were possessed or something."

Molly nodded in understanding. "Yes, accidental magic can be a bit startling the first time it happens, unless of course you are one of us and are expecting it. Severus, your father had a similar experience with you, right?"

"Yes. I was four and I wanted a glass from a high cabinet and I couldn't reach it, so my magic summoned it for me, only it didn't just summon one glass, but seven and they all broke on the floor because I couldn't catch them all." I told my audience. "I woke up my father with the sound of so many glasses shattering, and he was quite unhappy." That was putting it mildly, of course! Still, I saw no need to dwell on the past, I had since come to terms with Tobias and what had gone on then. Also, that was not the first time I had used accidental magic, according to Dad I had been two and throwing a tantrum and I set his hands on fire when he went to pick me up. But I couldn't remember it, since Mum had Obliviated the memory and made my magic sleep after she had healed my father. I didn't want to tell that story, since it might frighten Jane or Alaina or even the children.

"Ron, your turn," Molly continued.

"Uh, I was six and I made my teddy bear hug me," he admitted shyly. "My big brothers were picking on me and Mum wasn't home and I wanted a hug, so I made Mr. Bear give me one."

"Now, you Harry."

"I was at my grandpa's house, he's a Muggle, and I was getting the mail when Butch the Doberman from across the street came after me and tried to eat me," my son declared dramatically. "I ran away as fast as I could, but he would've bitten me ‘cept my magic made a Shield Charm and it protected me till Grandpa made Butch leave with the hose."

There were many gasps and exclamations at this. "Poor dear!" remarked Maria.

"What kind of idiot lets a Doberman run free that way?" asked Wally angrily. "I'd of sued their arse, whoever owned it."

"My father nearly kicked the man who owned the dog's arse, believe me,"I told Wally grimly.

"You're next, Lexy. What did you do with your magic?"

Lexy hesitated, then she said, "I did something kind of like Harry. My mom tripped and she was falling and I made a bubble of air go round her like a cushion so she didn't get hurt. I was six too."

A Cushioning Charm was as rare as a Shield Charm at this stage of their development, I thought. It was plain that Lexy would also be a strong witch one day.

That first session was a success, and Jane and Wally and Alaina were very excited to attend the next one.

Next Friday, Albus and Minerva were the guest speakers and Albus spoke a bit about the way students were taught at Hogwarts and also the nature of wands, telling the parents that the wand chose the wizard and that each wand was unique and only the wizard it chose could use it to it's full potential. "A wand enables a wizard to focus and control his or her magic, which is why we use them. Occasionally, a wizard may use another's wand, but it never works quite as well as the one that chose him. Your children will get their wands from Ollivander's when they begin their first year at Hogwarts."

I added, "After many years of study, a wizard may learn how to cast spells silently and without a wand as well, but such takes a great deal of practice and not all wizards can master non-verbal and wandless magic. Albus is one, however."

"And Severus is another," my mentor inclined his head to me. "He was one of the few students I have ever taught to ever master wandless magic easily."

Minerva lectured about Transfiguration, explaining that was her talent, which was why she was the professor that taught it at Hogwarts. She transformed into a cat to illustrate one of the things you could do if you were an Animagus. "But Animagi are rare as well, and most students don't demonstrate a talent for transfiguration like that until they are fourth years. However, Harry seems to have a substantial talent in that area, considering he transfigured his stuffed panther into a living one."

Here, she indicated Inky, who was snoozing peacefully beside Harry and Lexy, his two preferred children.

Jane looked like she was about to fall over. "You mean that panther was not born, it was . . .created?"

"In a manner of speaking," Minerva answered. "Harry did not create the panther, he exchanged the stuffed animal for a live panther, in essence. Another case of accidental magic. Harry, tell Jane what it was you did when you made Inky come alive."

Harry related the Inky story to the class and Jane, Wally, Maria, Lexy, and Alaina were suitably impressed.

But Jane looked a tad worried, doubtless imagining Hermione bringing one of her stuffed animals alive or one of her dolls. Until Minerva reassured her that such strong talent was rare and most transfigured objects changed back in a few seconds if they were done by accidental magic.

"Harry's is the first case of accidental magic I have seen that actually was permanent. Meaning that unless an adult wizard transfigures Inky back to a toy, he shall remain alive till the end of his lifespan, which, considering how he came to life, may be very long indeed." She smiled conspiratorily at my son. "Your Inky may be alive still when you have grandchildren, Harry."

"Good, ‘cause I'd hate it if he died," Harry said sincerely, and knelt to hug the slumbering panther.

Inky was used to such impromptu displays of affection and barely twitched his tail in response, sleeping calmly.

I silently agreed with my son. I had grown extremely fond of the big beast and now couldn't imagine my life without him, even though he cost me a fortune to feed. But I was one of the top paid Master Healers in St Mungos and I had a contact from Dagger the Dragon Tamer with the man who supplied all their carnivores with fresh meat to give me a substantial break on the steaks and ribs I ordered for Inky. The panther enjoyed venison as well as beef and also the occasional salmon.

"Thank goodness transfiguration isn't the norm with magical kids," Alaina said to Jane. "Otherwise I'd have the Philadelphia Zoo in my living room in two seconds flat."

"I know exactly what you mean," Jane said feelingly.

The two women seemed to have struck up a friendship, at least from what I could see at the seminars. That made sense, since their girls played with each other on a daily basis and they lived a stone's throw away from each other.

Dumbledore was in his element, answering questions from adults and kids alike with obvious enjoyment and then he played Guess What Animal I Am? with the children, by transfiguring a ball into several different magical creatures and seeing which child could name the most creatures. Harry won that contest, but to my shock Lexy was a close second.

"Mom reads me all the Greek myths and stuff, Healer Sev," she told me, grinning shyly. "I love them. I wish I could fly on a pegasus or speak with a centaur."

"Perhaps someday, when you go to Hogwarts, you may, Lexy. There are friendly centaurs in the Forbidden Forest and I think a herd of pegasi live in the meadow nearby."

"Cool! I wish I could go there right now. Mom says I'm seven going on seventy, so I'll bet I could learn what the big kids are learning."

I laughed at her unbridled enthusiasm, she clearly loved being a witch and found the magical world endlessly fascinating. Much like her mother, who was always the first to ask questions during a session and take notes as well. I could see quite clearly where Lexy inherited her love of learning from.

Alaina asked Minerva if she could understand cats. "I mean, my vet when I was a kid always told me that animals had their own language that they could speak with each other and we were too stuck-up to understand it. I was just wondering, since you can actually become a cat, if you speak their language?"

"Well, dear, I can understand them much better than I can talk to them as a human, because I don't have a tail and whiskers as a woman," replied Minerva, her green eyes sparkling. She loved an attentive pupil. "Cats say a great deal with their tails and whiskers. Ears too. Animals use posture and body language far more than we humans do, as well as smell. That's why animals cannot lie. A lie can be smelled or detected in the way you carry yourself."

Too true. Only we humans, the supposedly higher species, has the need for deceit.

Not everyone was able to attend all the sessions, due to various reasons, but Jane or Wally or both of them made an effort to be there for every one as did Alaina. Which was as it should have been, since the seminars were for their benefit especially.

The third seminar was run by my partner Matthew and myself, and that one Dad surprised me by attending. "I had some time on my hands and figured I might as well come over here and see what you were teaching, Sev," was all he said when he showed up at my front door.

I was shocked and pleased all at once, for once he wouldn't have given me the time of day when it came to magic. But he was not the same man he had been a year or even a few months ago. Now he was willing to let magic have a place in his life and also his wizard son and grandson.

Matthew and I used a large doll for our demonstration, showing the adults and the children various kinds of healing spells, explaining that each person had an aura that a Healer could see with his magical sight, and the aura could tell us if the person were well or unwell and even their emotional state-happy, sad, frightened-and how strong they were in magic. "A wizard always knows another wizard," Matthew told the class. "But a Healer knows much more than just that."

"But our Healer sight can't tell us everything about a patient, so we use diagnostic spells to get specifics on a person if they don't know or can't tell us what's wrong." I said. Then I went on to detail some common magical potions for healing and teas as well.

"I began making potions very young, my mother was a Potions Mistress, and she taught me a great many things before I ever attended Hogwarts. The first successful potion I ever brewed was a Calming Draught." I recalled with a nostalgic smile.

I had samples of each potion I discussed upon a small table, so the parents could see exactly what each one looked and smelled like.

"We won't mention the twenty or so other times he made something explode before he got one right," said Dad with a wicked smirk.

I pretended to be annoyed. "You're exaggerating, Dad. It was only fifteen times, not twenty."

"Whatever, Sev. Bottom line is you practically gave me a heart attack the first time, I thought a gas main had blown, then come to find out it was some kind of magical experiment . . ." Tobias shook his head. "He was always doing things like that to me, but that time was the worst, I think. He really scared me and I don't scare easy."

"Don't let him fool you. He's a former Royal Marine sergeant, and he doesn't scare at all," I threw back. I couldn't remember him acting like he was scared at all, just mad as blazes and threatening to wallop my arse, as usual. Then again, I had learned that Tobias has always buried his fear with anger, for his father, a strict Methodist coal miner, insisted fear was not something a man admitted to, and it was better to get angry than admit you were scared. He no longer followed his father's teachings, for which I was extremely grateful.

"Yeah, Grandpa fought the bad masked men that tried to kidnap me and kill Dad on Halloween," Harry related. "He shot Lucius Malfoy dead with his gun."

"It was you who killed Malfoy?" repeated Maria in awe.

Tobias shrugged, embarrassed. "I had to. He was going to steal my grandson and kill Sev too. So I just reacted a split second before he did."

Maria was smiling broadly. "Fancy, Malfoy the Muggle hater meets his end at a Muggle's hands. Poetic justice indeed! Good for you, Tobias! One less Death Eater in the world."

That prompted a discussion of wizards and criminals and what we did to them. I told everyone that next week we would have two Aurors to meet and give a lesson on self-defense and being a dark wizard catcher and then we played a quick game with the kids, seeing who could identify the most body parts, and the prize for it was a chocolate frog.

Hermione shone there, coming from a medically inclined household, naming seven times the number of parts that Ron, Ginny, or Blaise could. Harry was a close second, followed by Lexy.

I ended up giving all the children chocolate frogs, I didn't want any tears or hard feelings, these sessions were supposed to be fun, not really competitive. Plenty of time for that later, when they went to Hogwarts.

Lexy loved magical sweets, Alaina told me she hardly ever ate them, but put them away in a special box. "I think she's collecting them or something. Like stickers or baseball cards."

I told her there were worse things she could be collecting. By now Lexy, Hermione, Ron, and Harry were all good friends, and were over each other's houses on a regular basis. Lexy, like my Harry, was a born daredevil. She climbed like a cat and once I caught her and Harry on my roof, she told me they were playing like they were Santa Claus going down the chimney. Why were they playing Christmas in the middle of April? Merlin only knows!

Of course I scolded both of them and put them in time-out. Harry got an additional lecture from me and an early bedtime that evening, because he knew damn well he wasn't supposed to climb on the roof.

"Lexy did it first."

"So? If Lexy decided to jump off a bridge, would you do it?" Merlin, but I sounded like my mother!

"No. ‘Cause I don't swim very well. But I can climb just as good as she can, Dad."

Seven-year-old logic! Merlin help me! I put an age line around the roof after that, no sense in taking chances.

At the end of the month, Sirius and Remus were the guest speakers and they amazed our Muggle friends by having a mock duel. At least it was supposed to be a mock duel, but Sirius insisted that Remus cheated and it got pretty heated until I hit them with a Serenity Charm and cooled them off. The Serenity Charm is a personality alteration spell that calms a roomful of angry people and it's a Healer's best weapon when you're caught in a crowd or a riot when everyone's panicking. I would've used it when the Death Eaters attacked, but Voldy taught them the counter-charm to it and wove it into their masks, or so one told the Aurors under Veritaserum.

After that, I suggested that Sirius talk about Animagi and Remus volunteered to talk about werewolves after that, so the seminar went pretty smoothly. Except when Inky woke up and saw Padfoot in his dog form and thought it was time to play and nearly knocked him flying when he sprang at the big mutt and licked him with one swipe of his tongue.

Everyone laughed until they cried and Wally said "This is better than Comedy Central!"

"Ick!" sputtered Padfoot when he could transform back again. "Panther germs!"

"What's the matter, Siri? Cat got your tongue?" teased Remus, and everyone roared. Then he turned into a wolf and made Inky chase him around the room till he was tired and came to lie with his head in my lap. (Inky, not Moony).

"Ah-ha! A Kodak moment!" exclaimed Alaina, the sly little thing, and she pulled out a camera from her satchel and snapped my picture before I could duck. Whoever develops her film is going to be in for a rude shock when he sees that picture.

After the lesson was over, Sirius and Remus played something called Wizard Hunter with the children, it's an Auror teaching game, and it involves one person being a dark wizard or a vampire or some other evil monster and the others "hunting" him with the appropriate spells. Of course, the kids didn't know the spells, but they gave it a good try, and they loved it.

Later on, when everyone had gone home or to bed, in Harry's case, my two friends cornered me in the kitchen while I was making a pot of Bangkok tea and insisted I give them the goods on Alaina.

I pretended not to know what they were talking about.

"Don't try that poker face with us, Snape!" Sirius wagged a reproving finger at me. "I know you like her. So why haven't you asked her out?"

I didn't answer for a moment. "I haven't had a free moment all week," I hedged.

"Excuses! Excuses!" snorted Moony. "Sev, you need to get out of the house more often. With another adult, not Harry, I mean. This Alaina seems like a real nice girl, smart, practical, and she's-"

"-well-built too," remarked Sirius, smirking.

I whirled on him. "Black, you keep your eyes on your own damn girl, you bloody bounder. Before I send you where no wizard's ever gone before." I threatened, only half-joking, waving my fist under his chin. If Sirius decided to go for Alaina, I knew I didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of dating her. Siri's a girl magnet.

"Whoa, Sev!" He held up his hands. "Down, boy! I was only making an observation, don't eviscerate me, please, Healer!"

I gave him a warning scowl. "I ought to give you a vasectomy for that comment, Padfoot."

Sirius pretended to shudder. "Cruel, Snape! Help, Moony, he's gone insane! Lost his head over a little Muggle girl."

Moony just chuckled. "About time! You've been alone far too much, Severus. Lily wouldn't want you to be alone the rest of your life."

That was the second time someone had said that to me. "You really think so, Moony?"

"Yes. Lily loved life, she would want you to live yours to the fullest, Sev. Remember, but don't make yourself into a monk."

"Is that what you think I've been doing?"

"Pretty much. If you like this Alaina Montague so much, just ask her out."

"Where? To dinner?"

"Sure or maybe to that teashop on the corner near the hospital. You know the one I mean. Tea For Two, or whatever. Sirius and Lindy go there every month, right, Sirius?"

"Uh-huh. Lindy's nuts about it. Loves the pastry and the jasmine tea blends. It's got a nice atmosphere, casual and homey. It's a good place to go on a trial run."

"I haven't even asked her yet. What if she doesn't want to go?"

Sirius chuckled. "Sev, buddy, the way she was looking at you . . . she'd go on the cruise ship to hell if you invited her. Jump right in the boat and say kiss me Satan, sure as my name's Sirius Orion Black."

"How do you know that?"

"Severus, how many women have I dated?"

He had a point there. Funny though, how all of Sirius's ex's never minded him going out with another girl after he'd bid them goodbye. Women just loved the big mutt.

"How was she looking at me?" I asked. Merlin, but I was pathetic, worse than an adolescent boy on his first prom dance.

"Like she was lost and you were the only one who could take her home again," replied my friend. "Trust me, Sev. She likes you."

I believed him. If there's one thing Sirius possesses, besides charm and insolence, it's knowledge of women. It was one of his talents, like catching criminals. And he was rarely wrong when it came to women.

"All right. I'll ask her out. I'll take her to Tea For Two and see how it works out."

Sirius cheered and smacked me on the back. "Good job, mate! You'll do fine."

I prayed I would. It had been over three years since I had dated and my social skills were a bit rusty. But better late then never. Now all I had to do was call Alaina and see if she wanted to go out for a little afternoon tea.

She said yes.

I scheduled the outing on a day when we were both free, Alaina had gotten a teaching post at the same school that Harry, Hermione, and Lexy went to, which was not only convenient, but fortunate. So we decided to have tea at Tea For Two on a Saturday, leaving our children with Molly for the afternoon. I had explained to Harry that I was going out for lunch with Lexy's mum and he seemed to be all right with it. I also told him we'd be seeing his grandfather later on in the afternoon, since Tobias was in an AA meeting that morning.

"Sure, Dad. Whatever." He shrugged, waiting impatiently for me to hug him goodbye so he could go and play with Ron.

"Behave for Molly, scamp," I ordered. "No getting into trouble or else-"

"I know. I know. Or else I'll be grounded for two days," he recited, rolling his eyes. "Can I go and play with Ron now?"

"Yes. I'll pick you up around four." I hugged him goodbye and he tore through the Weasleys' kitchen like a tornado.

"Ron! Lexy! Let's go play Quidditch!"

I shook my head. "That child! I try and teach him manners . . ."

Molly just laughed. "Go easy on him, Sev. He's little, it's normal for him to run around like a hurricane at this age. Have a good time with Alaina, dear."

"Thank you, Molly," I said, feeling myself flush a bit. It had definitely been too long since I'd been out with a woman if I could feel like a sixteen-year-old again.

Then I Apparated back to my house, where Alaina was meeting me. I found her just getting out of her car, she had a small blue compact. Both of us were dressed casually, she in a pink long sleeved top and a printed skirt and I had on a pair of beige trousers and a lightweight collared green shirt. Small tendrils of her hair were escaping her hair clip and blowing about her face enticingly. My fingers itched to run through those curls and I sternly told myself to behave. You don't grope the woman on the first date, Severus. Although I wonder if playing with her hair is considered groping?

I dragged my mind away from her hair and smiled a little nervously and said, "Hello! You're early."

"Hi, Sev. I figured it was better to get here early, and avoid the traffic. I'm still not a hundred percent comfortable with driving around here," she admitted, blushing. "I keep wanting to drive on the other side of the road."

"You'll get more comfortable eventually," I reassured her. "Are you ready to Apparate?"

She nodded, her purse clutched tightly in one hand. "I've never done this before, but it sounds like fun."

"It can be, but sometimes Sidelong Apparition can make your stomach a bit queasy." I cautioned. "Tell me if you feel sick afterwards, I've a potion you can take for it in my pocket."

"Will do, Healer Snape."

I held out my arm and she took it and I drew her snugly against me. She smelled of mangos and strawberries and I swallowed hard. Then I concentrated and we Apparated onto the street in front of the tea shop in a flash of blue light.

"Wow! That was quick!" she exclaimed, glancing about her in wonder. There were several people coming and going around the tea shop, wearing various kinds of wizard and some Muggle-type clothing.

"How do you feel?"

"Fine. I feel fine. Not sick at all. I wish I could teleport like that, Sev. It would save on gas and time wasted sitting in traffic."

"I'm sure it would, but Apparition isn't as easy as it seems. You need to concentrate very hard and have a clear picture of your destination in your head, or else you could end up God knows where."

The front of Tea For Two was a Victorian era shop, with fancy calligraphy on the window and a small wooden sign with a teacup and a cake hanging out front. The building was a dusky rose color and the most delectable smells were wafting from the interior. I could feel my stomach start to sit up and beg. "Shall we?"

"Mmm, yes. It smells heavenly." She sniffed the aroma of pastries and tea rapturously.

"This place was recommended to me by Sirius, so it's probably pretty good. He knows his cafes, usually."

The door tinkled as we entered, and a young witch in a starched skirt and ruffled blouse came up to greet us. "Hello! Welcome to Tea For Two. If you'll follow me this way, we have a table all ready for you."

She led us to a cozy corner nook with two comfortable padded wingback chairs and a round table with a starched white tablecloth.

The ambiance of the place was very much like a Victorian lover's retreat, with cream and blue striped wallpaper and wood paneling on the lower half of the walls. The walls were decorated tastefully with watercolor prints of the ocean and woodland glens and meadows with pixies in them and other woodland denizens, magical and non magical. Low hanging lamps hovered over each table, lit by a soft Lumos spell. The lamps were stained glass, each one had a different animal or flower upon it. Ours had a butterfly, a royal blue monarch, a species found only in the wizarding world. There was a fireplace with a cherry-wood clock upon the mantle and carvings of cherubs and shepherdesses and fawns. The fireplace was of fine white marble and it was for the convenience of the patrons traveling by Floo powder, not for heat.

A soft melody of strings and a flute played somewhere in the background and the smell of sweet pastries and crumpets and savory chicken and meat pies filled the air. Accompanied, of course, by the aroma of several kinds of tea. Our menus were of the finest parchment, scripted by someone who had several hours to kill writing in calligraphy, and our place settings were of fine porcelain with blue borders and a thin rim of gold about the edges. The place settings contained two plates, small and medium sized, a tea cup, a napkin, and a water glass, and silverware.

It was a relaxed atmosphere, couples were sipping and talking softly and holding hands occasionally, but nothing more than that, yet you could feel the emotions in the air, the tingle of anticipation and expectation and the quiet whispers of contentment.

I held out Alaina's chair for her and seated her, she glanced up at me and smiled. "Now there's something I'd never see in America, a man holding a chair for a lady. I thought chivalry was dead after women's lib."

"Not here it isn't." I said, sitting down opposite her. "We wizards are very old-fashioned in some ways. My mother taught me how to treat a lady along with proper table manners. She told me that a man holding a chair for a woman showed respect and wasn't condescending."

"Your mom was right. I'm all for women being independent and holding a job and all that, but I like a man who thinks of a woman first. Is she still alive?"

I shook my head, a pang of sorrow deep in my chest. It had been nine years since her death and I still felt her loss keenly. "No, she died of leukemia when I was eighteen. There was nothing that could be done for her, magically or Muggle. I tried . . .but even potions couldn't halt the spread of disease, only free her from pain."

Alaina's eyes darkened in sympathy. "Oh, Sev, I'm so sorry. I know that doesn't seem like enough . . .not for something like that. It's a terrible thing to lose a mother so young. My mother and I fight like cats and dogs sometimes, but I don't know what I'd do without her advice. So it's just you and your father? You don't have any brothers or sisters?"

"No. My mother never could get pregnant easily, so I was their only child. And yourself?"

"I have a sister, Maureen, who lives in Wisconsin, but she's five years older than me. We see each other on holidays mostly." Alaina told me, fiddling with a strand of her hair.

"And your parents weren't upset that you moved so far away, in another country? They won't see Lexy very much at all."

"I know. That's the one thing that bothered me, but she writes and calls them every week. But my parents understand why I wanted to get a fresh start . . .they know about Daniel . . ." she trailed off awkwardly and then the server showed up, asking if we were ready to order.

Both of us nodded. I ordered the Dragon's Delight tea-it was a black tea with orange and spice and a hint of mint in it, bold and robust, according to the description. Alaina had the Traditional Jasmine Honey blend, a green tea with jasmine and honey and coconut, sweet and refreshing.

"And would you like to see our selection of pastries and tea cakes?" asked the server.

I glanced at Alaina.

She hesitated, then said, "I really shouldn't, that kind of thing just goes straight to my hips, but . . .yes, bring it out. You only live once, right?"

"Exactly," the server grinned and summoned the floating dessert cart.

There were croissants, filled with chocolate cream and strawberries, peaches and blueberries, and hazelnuts and spice. Lemon tarts, chocolate eclairs, cream puffs, scones, crumpets, muffins, dainty tea sandwiches, mini chicken and beef pies, everything looked so good I wanted to try it all.

"Lunch first or dessert?" I asked her.

"Both." She looked at the waitress. "Umm . . .do you have a sampler platter?"

"Why yes, we have two kinds, one for the sandwiches and pasties and one for the muffins, croissants, and sweet desserts."

"Let's order one of each. Okay, Sev?"

"Fine with me, Alaina."

"Coming right up!" She said, then banished the cart back behind the counter, where I saw they sold tins of tea and some of their bakery items.

Alaina blinked and looked up at the lamp, where a tiny bluish-lavender insect was hovering, on twinkling fairy wings. "Oh! Sev, what's that?"

I looked up where she pointed and chuckled. "That's a gossamyr. It's a magical insect similar to a dragonfly. They flutter and glow and enjoy being around happy people. They're harmless, drawn to positive emotions like . . .well, a moth to a flame, for lack of a better simile."

There were several gossamyrs in the tea shop, hovering and sparkling like tiny lavender and blue stars in the air around the tables.

"They're beautiful!" Alaina whispered, her eyes glowing like a child's. "Like fairy lights."

"Yes, but gossamyrs are harmless, fairies sometimes aren't," I told her seriously. "You have to be careful around them, they may look stunningly perfect, but sometimes they can be wicked and cruel."

"You still have Fair Folk here?"

"In certain places, yes, and house elves, sprites, nymphs, and pixies too. And garden gnomes, the pesky things. They like to burrow and dig up gardens."

"Sounds like groundhogs. My dad had a problem with them last year, they dug up all his tomatoes and lettuces. And I won't go walking off with any fairy prince, Sev. I know all about a man having a face like an angel and the heart of a devil."

"Your ex-husband?"

"Got it in one. He's the reason I made that comment before about my weight. He likes skinny blonds with toothpick figures, and I've never been one of those," she gestured at her rounded figure, curvy and lush, and her deep chestnut brown hair. There was nothing stick-like about her. "He was always on me to lose weight, and in the beginning of our marriage I went on every diet there was, trying to get myself to look like Jane Fonda. Nothing really worked. It was never enough. I'd lose twenty pounds and he'd want thirty-five, I'd lose that and he'd want forty."

"Was he in good shape? Or was he a hypocritical fat slob?" I asked angrily, already disliking the man intensely.

"Dan was built like a damn Greek god, unfortunately. He could eat whatever he wanted and never gained anything, the bastard. Where I just had to look at a piece of cake and I gained a pound." She laughed softly. "Or at least it seemed that way. Once I was on this diet called The Fat Melter or something like that, and I couldn't eat anything except egg whites and water and dry toast. It was awful. After three weeks on that I was so desperate for real food I'd have held up a Dunkin' Donuts or hijacked the TastyKake truck going down the street. With the nail file in my purse," she added impishly.

I burst out laughing, for I could just picture it, Alaina holding some poor clerk hostage "Give me the donuts, buster, or else!" And poking him in the side with the file, and the guy fainting dead away thinking it was a knife.

"Oh, sure, make fun of me, Snape," she said with mock-indignation. "See how desperate you are if all you've been eating is dry toast and egg whites for three weeks. You'd have robbed McDonald's, I bet."

I laughed harder. "I can't picture you hurting anyone, Alaina." I said when I could talk again.

"That's because you never knew me when I was on a diet, Sev. Never come between a sugar-deprived woman and her donuts. I'd have committed murder for a Boston cream back then."

"All those diets are ridiculous, medically speaking, " I pointed out. "You don't lose weight by starvation and denial, but by eating normal portions of all four food groups and exercising."

"I know. That's why I stopped torturing myself eventually. I figured it was better to be plump and happy than skinny and a bitch. Now I eat whatever I want and go for a walk in the afternoons. If I'm not too tired and Lexy's in a good mood, that is. She's been much happier since we came here, thank God. Not that I blame her. Living with Dan was no bed of roses, and not just because he was a perfectionist asshole. Had I known what he was when I married him . . ." Her eyes were dark with remembered pain and I winced upon seeing it, and reached out a hand and covered hers with my own.

Then I cast a Muffliato Charm over us so we couldn't be overheard by anyone, for this conversation was not for casual ears.

"Alaina, he's gone now," I said very softly. "He can't hurt you ever again. You're free of him."

"Am I, Sev? I want to believe that, I really do, but he casts a long shadow. He has it all, money, power, prestige. I thought I was getting a fairy tale marriage. Like Beauty and the Beast. But too late I realized there was no happily ever after, because the beast I married didn't love anyone save himself. He was a lawyer, worked for a top firm in Manhattan, and he wanted me to give up teaching and be his little homemaker wife. I refused and that was when he started." She dropped her eyes to the tablecloth.

I didn't need to see them to know what was in them. Shame, the same as had been in mine so long ago. The shame of being the victim, helpless and hurting. "Started hitting you?" She nodded. I squeezed her hand gently. "You don't have to tell me any more if you don't want to, Alaina. I'm not a priest and this isn't confession," I said lightly.

"You go to church too? I thought you wizards didn't believe in God."

"Of course we do," I said, surprised. "We're not all of one faith, but most of us worship one religion or another. My mother was from a good Catholic family, my father was raised Methodist. I was raised Catholic, and though I haven't been to church in a dog's age, I still believe in God, Alaina."

"But I thought you wizards worshipped Merlin."

"No, no. Merlin was the great wizard of our kind, the best and brightest. We swear by him, but we don't worship him as such. He's like a figurehead, an ideal, a saint, if you like, but definitely not a god. Even those of us who are pagan worshippers don't think of Merlin that way. He was a visionary, a real man, and he founded the wizard society in Britain and it is his teachings we follow, but he was never divine, and he died like everyone else. Though he was hundreds of years old when he went to his final rest."

"Oh. God, I feel like such an idiot!"

"Don't. How were to you know? I can take you to see Merlin's Tomb if you like one day. It's on Glastonbury Tor, and considered a sacred place. No bloodshed or violence is allowed. Merlin was the Great Peacekeeper, he fought for peace between Muggle and wizard alike. His great-great granddaughter was the founder of the College of Healers here in London, Lady Nimue Ambrosius. A very great lady, a Healer of incomparable talent. She discovered the cure for the black plague." I heard the awe in my tone and wanted to snicker at myself. But Nimue was the ideal every intern tried to live up to when we went to medical school, though we did not swear by her.

"I'd like to go there very much, Severus. I love seeing new places and meeting new people. Dan . . .was very controlling. He drove away most of my old friends with his arrogance and snobbery, until I had no one except my parents and Lexy for company. I didn't dare tell my parents what he was really like, he threatened to take Lexy away if I did that. So I lived a lie, and pretended to be Dan's loving wife. At least when Lexy was a baby. But when she started growing older, he started getting a Caesar complex, and that was when I found out about the drugs."

"He was using them? Or selling them?"

"Both. He did cocaine at the fancy parties he attended sometimes, it was the in thing with the crowd he was with. Too bad it didn't kill him. But only the good die young. He had several contacts in New York, people who supplied him with it and he had some kind of operation going with it. I never learned all the details, because that was when I made up my mind to get away from him. I went to a lawyer and started divorce proceedings the next day. I didn't want any settlement, I just wanted to be free of him, and to get my daughter away from him too."

"I take he wasn't too happy with you. Lexy mentioned she performed a Cushioning Charm on you as her first example of accidental magic."

"She did. What she didn't say was that Dan had pushed me down the stairs during an argument. I would have been seriously injured if not for Lexy."

"Did you report him to the police?"

"Yes. Lexy confirmed he'd pushed me and based on that and the bruises he'd left on me earlier, he got a night in jail and a restraining order. But the other charges didn't stick, because he knew a better lawyer than I did. I tried to get him for the drugs , but I had no real proof, and he knew it. But he tried to get Lexy during the custody hearing. But Pennsylvania law refuses to give a minor to an adult with a history of abuse against a family member and no amount of plea bargaining could change the judge's mind, thank God. I moved in with my parents after it, and he broke his restraining order then and came there, threatening to hurt me if I didn't give his daughter to him. That was when Lexy used magic for the second time. He went to hit me and she knocked him flying with some kind of lavender light thing."

"A Wizard Bolt. It's the sum total of a wizard's power, usually it's cast as a last resort form of attack. Harry did something similar against a Death Eater. Children usually can't cast them unless they're under great emotional stress. Which she was."

"I think it really freaked him out when she did that, but by that time my parents had called the cops and they arrested him." She shook her head. "For all the good it did. He was out on parole the next morning. That was when I decided I had to get away from there for good and all. I knew he'd never leave me alone if I stayed in America, he'd find me wherever I went, so I packed us both up and left. I changed my name back to Montague, which is my maiden name, and Lexy's too. She was born Alexis Chase. She was the only good thing to come out of my marriage."

"She's a very bright and brave child. Like her mother." I said honestly.

"Like me? I'm a coward, Severus. I ran away because I couldn't face my ex-husband," she said softly, not looking at me.

"Never say that," I hissed. "Look at me, please." I waited until her brown eyes had met my own. "You are no coward, Alaina. You got yourself and your daughter out of a terrible situation the best way you knew how. You did the right thing." I told her firmly. I truly believed that and I hoped she could hear the conviction in my voice.

"I hope so. God, I hope so." Her hands clenched on the cloth napkin, then relaxed.

"You did. For if you hadn't come here, you would've never met me, or Jane, and you would be trying to raise a magical daughter on nothing but your own intuition." I knew that wasn't quite true, there were plenty of wizards in America who would have helped her, but I wanted her to stay here, with me, and so I tweaked the facts a bit. "There are no coincidences, as Albus says."

"Then you don't care that I'm . . .damaged goods?"

"Alaina, I'm a Healer. I fix what's broken. And you aren't. A bit battered, perhaps, but he never broke you. I can fix that, if you'll let me?" My hand caressed hers, gently, like the brush of a butterfly's wing. Don't scare her away, Sev.

"Okay. If you're willing to try."

"I am." Her hand closed on mine. "You're not the only one with a broken family. My father and I hadn't spoken to one another for over six years before last year." I paused, trying to figure out how much I should reveal to her about Tobias. I didn't think it was the right time to reveal all of my past to her. "My father is a recovering alcoholic, he's been sober now for a year and a few weeks, all told. For the first time in over twenty years. We had a great many issues to work out, but we finally came to a resolution."

"After the attack by those-those people? The Death Masters?"

"Death Eaters. But yes, once I'd recovered from the coma they'd put me in, my dad and I started trying to mend our relationship." I told her.

"Coma? You were in a coma?"

"For three months," I answered, but before we could say more our tea and food arrived.

The tea came in individual porcelain teapots with cozies over them, mine had a red dragon on it and Alaina's had a sprig of jasmine and a bee. It was delicious.

Alaina poured herself a cup and sipped it. "Oh God, this is the best tea ever!"

"Well, we British are known for our tea," I reminded her, taking a sip of my own.

"True. Which you got from India," Alaina said matter-of-factly. Then she took a cinnamon scone and spread butter on it and ate it. "Sev, I think I'm dead and you're an angel. This food is absolutely amazing."

I sampled a croissant filled with bananas, strawberries, and chocolate. Alaina was right. This was paradise for a sugar addict, which I was, however much I tried to deny it. "Incredible. Try this," I shoved the other croissant over to her.

We ate nearly everything on the trays, making absolute pigs of ourselves and not giving a damn in the slightest. The serving witch came and refilled our teapots again and asked if we'd like anything else? I shook my head no and she departed. She'd be back once the second pot was empty to give us the bill.

I explained to Alaina about the Death Eater attack and how they had managed to put me in a coma, resulting in Harry going to spend three months with Tobias.

"This the best afternoon tea I've ever had," Alaina sighed. "What am I saying? It's the only afternoon tea I've ever had. I never went to the ones Dan's partners' wives hosted in the city, they were so stuck-up I knew I'd have had a miserable time."

"But you're right. This is the best afternoon tea I've ever had, and I've been to many. The hospital usually hosts two or three a year as benefits for various charities, but none of them compared to this." I smiled at her and she smiled back and I felt something around my heart-a box perhaps?-crack. The little blackbird had found the way over the wall and inside.

The gossamyrs were back, fluttering and blinking madly above our heads as we finished our tea and then I paid the bill and asked if she would like to go for a little walk.

"St. Mungos is just down the street, perhaps you'd like to see a bit of it? I can show you the floor where I work, I specialize in spell-damaged individuals as well as being a general Healer, if you'd like?"

"Yes, I'd like that very much," she said and we strolled along companionably down the sidewalk to the hospital.

It had been long since I had walked down a street with a pretty woman on my arm, and some of the people who were out and about were my patients and recognized me. They stopped and stared and some of them said hello and a few of the more ill-mannered ones whistled and cried, "Good for you, Healer Snape!"

I felt myself flush and tried to ignore them.

Alaina, ever perceptive, looked at them and me and said, "Why are they acting like this is the first time they've ever seen you with a woman? Don't tell me this is the first time you've gone out since your wife died?"

"It is. I never had time before," I admitted. "Nor did I have someone I wished to go out with."

"Really? I'm-I'm honored," she stammered, pleased. "I'd of thought you would have women, uh, throwing themselves at you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Me? No, that's Sirius. He's the one all the girls want."

"I don't," she said, and ran her eyes over me lazily. "He may be handsome and fun to be around, but I prefer tall, dark, and quiet. And your looks are nothing to sneer at, Sev."

"If you say so, Alaina." Her compliments warmed me, it had been a long time since I'd seen desire in a woman's eyes, not since the night I proposed to Lily by the Black Lake a year after James had been killed.

We reached the side entrance, and I waved my wand and the door unlocked and I pushed it open. All in all, this was turning out to be a very wonderful day. The sparks between us were heating up, I thought with a smirk of devilish delight. Soon they'd become a bonfire.

* * * * * * *

Once I'd Apparated Alaina back to my house and she had picked up her car, I firecalled Molly to let her know I was coming so she could find Harry and tell him I was on my way. Sometimes he tended to disappear over at the Burrow for short periods of time. But when I arrived there, he was waiting for me in Molly's kitchen. He was also grubby and his shirt was wrinkled and there was a hole in the knee of his jeans.

"Harry, what in Merlin's name have you been doing?"

"I was helping Ron and the twins de-gnome the garden, Dad," he replied.

"Sorry, Sev. I didn't have time to clean him up before you came," Molly said apologetically, she was holding a pile of folded laundry in her arms.

"Don't worry, Molly. He'll just have to take a bath when I get home. Come on, scamp. Let's get you cleaned up and then we can go over Grandpa's." I ushered him into the fireplace and tossed down a handful of Floo powder.

"Do I have to take a bath now, Dad?" he whined as soon as we crossed the threshold. "Can't you just cast a freshen up spell on me?"

"No. That's all right for when you're a little dirty, but you are filthy and need a bath." I vanished his clothes, leaving him only his underwear. "Get, imp!" I mock-growled, and tickled him.

"Ahhh! Stop, Dad!" he giggled helplessly.

"Are you going to take a bath?" I inquired silkily, still tickling him mercilessly.

"Yes! Yes!" He was writhing like worm on a hook, but my fingers were too quick for him to avoid and he was very ticklish, like his mother. "I'll be good!"

"Smart boy," I smirked and quit tickling him. "Now get, scamp!" I gave him a pat on the bottom and a nudge down the hall to the bathroom. He scampered away and two minutes after I heard the water running.

Fifteen minutes later my freshly scrubbed son and I were ready to go to Spinner's End.

We found Dad grilling steaks on the barbecue, lately he's been into grilling things. The last two weekends we had been over, he had been grilling vegetables marinated with olive oil and spices and chicken. "Oh, good, you're finally here," he said when we appeared in the backyard. "I thought maybe you'd forgotten or had made other plans for the evening," he said that last with a wink.

"No, Dad. Harry just had to get cleaned up after visiting the Weasleys."

"I was helping Ron de-gnome the garden, Grandpa," piped up the little mischief-maker.

"Say what?" Dad looked very confused.

"The garden gnomes, Dad. Remember, I told you about them, how they burrow all over and tear apart a wizard's garden sometimes? In order to get rid of them you either have to use magic or grab them by the ear and throw them out, literally."

Dad snorted. "Right. Freaking fairies. They better not come around here, or I'll throw them out all right. To the moon, Severus."

Of that I hadn't the slightest doubt. My father was death on any kind of pest invading his yard. Not even a mouse dared poke its whiskers on Tobias Snape's land.

"Harry, can you go inside and set the table for me?" asked my father. "These are almost done and then we can eat." He flipped a steak over.

"Sure, Grandpa," he scurried inside, he liked setting the table.

With Harry out of earshot, my father could now ask me about my date with Alaina, as I had known he would. "So, Sev. How did it go?"

I waited for about ten heartbeats before giving him a thumbs-up sign and saying, "It went great, Dad. Next week, I'm taking her to Glastonbury to see Merlin's Tomb."

"Good for you, Sev." Then he cocked his head at me. "Uh, why would she want to see some dead wizard's tomb? That doesn't sound very romantic."

"No, but it's very historical, and she likes that kind of thing. I'll take her to dinner later and that can be the romantic part."

Dad still looked a bit unconvinced, but then he said, "All right, Severus. She's your girlfriend, I guess you would know how to please her."

"I'd hardly call her a girlfriend, Dad. We've only gone out for tea."

"And now you're going to the Tomb, so it's a second date and she's your girlfriend," Tobias stated firmly. "Don't split hairs, Severus. Call a spade, a spade."

"All right," I agreed, hoping the second date would go as well as the first. Now that Alaina had revealed her past to me, I think she would be a lot more comfortable with me, and I could work some magic of my own on her and convince her to trust me, for I would never hurt her the way her ex-husband had.

"I'm glad you've found someone, Sev. You deserve to be happy. And the minnow in there needs a mother as well as a father."

"Whoa! I've only gone on one date and you're getting us married?" I held up my hands. "Slow down there, Dad. Let's not get too crazy here."

"I'm not," my dad said, a slow smirk creeping over his face. "I'm just telling you what I predict might happen. I've seen the way she looks at you during the seminars, Severus."

"You and Sirius both," I muttered. How come I never noticed the way Alaina looked at me? Maybe I was going blind. Still, I wasn't exactly experienced when it came to dating anyone. I had loved Lily since I was a student at Hogwarts, from afar and in secret, never daring to admit it to anyone. But I had been secretly jealous of my friend James for claiming her first, and after he had died, a small wicked selfish part of me had thought now I could finally pursue the woman of my dreams. Which I did, as soon as she had gotten over mourning her lost hero husband. With Lily there had never been an if only a when.

But Alaina was a whole different cauldron of newts, so to speak. I could only date her if she allowed me and I could only marry her if she loved me, and I in turn loved her. I smacked myself mentally in the forehead. Now I was getting as bad as Tobias. I had only known her a month and a few days, but I felt as if it had been much longer. Strange, how a chance encounter in a supermarket could lead to this.

"Dad! I'm done with the table," came my son's yell from the back porch. "Are we gonna eat soon? I'm starving!"

"Hold on a minute, kid!" my father called back. "Here, Sev. Take the steaks in while I turn off the grill."

I took the plate with the steaks and headed inside, whistling happily.

* * * * * * *

The second date went as well as our first one and by the time April had slid softly into May, we were well on our way to becoming an established couple. The seminars continued, with more of our colleagues and friends coming to speak, and my practice was going well, with no real emergencies and only one long weekend on call so far. I had been dating Alaina for over a month and we grew closer each time we saw one another.

Both Alaina and I made an effort to do activities together with the children when we had time. One evening we took them to the cinema to see a movie, the next time we spent it at home, playing a Muggle game called Monopoly.

Lexy had been horrified that Harry and I had never heard of Monopoly, much less played it. "My God, Mom! They never played Monopoly!" she had gasped.

"Well, Miss Smarty-Pants, I guess you'll just have to teach them," her mother said, grinning.

"Okay. Harry, you're on my team. Otherwise we'll lose, ‘cause they know how to add and read better than us," she told my son. "Here's what you have to do. Get the most property, put hotels on it, and then take everybody's money till they're broke. Got it?"

"Yeah, I think so. But d'you think we can win?" Harry asked her doubtfully.

"Of course we can," Lexy declared. "I'm an expert! I always beat Mom when we play."

I eyed Alaina knowingly. "Are you sure you don't let her win?"

"Positive. She's a tiger shark, Sev. Gets that from her father." She then proceeded to explain the rules and pieces to me.

We played for three hours and by the time we were finished, Lexy owned Boardwalk, Park Place, Atlantic Avenue and half the board. It was positively humiliating.

"See what I mean?" Alaina said, laughing at my irritated expression.

"How did she do that?" I wondered.

"I told you, Healer Sev. I'm an expert." Lexy sang, smirking like a kneasle who'd swallowed a finch.

"Yeah, Dad. What she said." Harry gloated.

"I want a rematch," I argued. "Next Sunday. Then we'll see who's the expert here, miss." I gave her a pretend glare and she giggled at me.

But next Sunday our evening was canceled because Harry came down with a nasty cold and I insisted he stay in bed and drink plenty of water and orange juice, pumpkin juice, and take several potions.

Harry has never been the easiest of patients when he was sick, and that Sunday was no exception. He was cross and whiney and tried to sneak out of bed at least ten times, until I threatened to use a Sticking Charm to keep him there. He was feverish and achy and complained about how awful my Fever Reducer tasted. The first time I gave it to him, he spit it out. Then I made him take it over and he cried, but managed to get it down.

"I hate medicine," he whined, kicking off his covers. "I'd rather be sick."

"No, you wouldn't," I soothed, replacing his sheet. "Because then you won't be able to play with your friends or Inky. Now lie down and close your eyes, Harry. Sleep will make you feel better."

"No!" He scowled mulishly. "I'm not tired!"

"Yes you are, young man. You're just fighting it." I sighed, for his crankiness was starting to wear on me. It was times like these that I sometimes wished for a house elf. I picked him up and put him on my lap. "There, son. Lean on me and go to sleep." I urged, rubbing small circles on his back.

"N-o-o, Daddy!" he wailed, but I patted his bottom firmly and he settled against me at last.

In three seconds he was asleep. I put him back in his bed and slipped away, knowing he'd be awake in four hours and I'd have to give him more potions and some soup for supper.

By the next morning, he was feeling much better, though I kept him home from school for another day just to be sure. He sulked a little, but cheered up when I said we could play Monopoly, since Alaina had left it at our house. But neither of us won, since Harry got tired halfway through and quit. It was more fun with four anyway.

On Tuesday, my son was back to his old self, and went back to school. I had office hours all day and came home exhausted. That set the tone for the whole week, and when Friday's seminar came around, I was beat and happy to let my father take over.

Tobias discussed the trials of raising a magical child, and even admitted that he hadn't handled it as well as he should have, making me think I was dreaming. Tobias actually admitting to a roomful of people that he was wrong? Merlin's teeth, had the world come to an end? Maybe I'd gotten hit on the head?

But no, there was my father, sitting there and saying that it was too bad he hadn't had a class like this to attend twenty years ago. "It would have helped me a great deal. I never knew what to expect and that makes me nervous and when I'm nervous I tend to snap a lot. I didn't understand that Sev couldn't control what he did with his magic and sometimes I punished him unfairly, thinking he was deliberately doing something destructive or whatever."

"But your wife was a witch, didn't she explain stuff to you?" asked Wally curiously.

Dad sighed. "She wasn't home a lot, she worked long hours brewing potions for the hospital, and I wouldn't have paid much attention anyhow, since I thought I knew why Sev was behaving that way. It was a bad decision on my part and I hope you won't follow my example."

I was speechless. Who was this man and what the hell had he done with my father?

The rest of the seminar was basically a story session, with each parent telling about a time when his or her child had done something startling with their magic and what they had done in response to it. Then the group discussed the response and if it was appropriate and offered alternatives if it wasn't.

It was very informative and I was grateful to my father for initiating it. Merlin, but that was the last thing I'd expected, and it seemed that my father could still surprise me.

Unfortunately, so could my son. I had thought Harry was becoming accustomed to having Alaina and Lexy around more often and me going out one night a week with the kindergarten teacher, but apparently Harry's acceptance had limits, and when I told him we couldn't go to a Quidditch match one afternoon because I'd planned to take Lexy and Alaina to Paws For Thought, he threw a tantrum worthy of a three-year-old, screamed, "You never have time for me any more, Dad! I hate you!" and then slammed the door to his room so hard the portrait of Lily hanging opposite it fell off the wall.

I raced into my room and slammed the door so hard I think I knocked a picture of Mummy off the wall. Least I thought I heard something fall after I'd shut the door. But I was crying so much I could barely see straight and I just didn't care about anything except that Dad never seemed to have time for just me anymore. Now it was always "I'm going out with Alaina, or let's go to the park with Lexy and Hermione" and every Friday we had those classes and while I liked them, it was one more time when Dad was busy with everyone else but me. I wanted it back the way it was before, when it had been just the two of us, and he was always there whenever I wanted to read a story or make a potion or go to the cinema. Now I had to share him with Alaina and Lexy and all the rest of them and I didn't like it, not one little bit! He was my dad, not theirs!

I threw myself on my bed and cried into my pillow, I was mad and scared and afraid Dad was going to punish me good for acting like a brat and worse, I'd told him I hated him. I didn't, not really, he was the best dad and I loved him, but right then, when he'd said maybe we should take Lexy and Alaina to the zoo instead of a Quidditch game, that Lexy would like to pet all the baby animals (she loved animals), I had hated him. Because he thought about Lexy first and not me. I was his kid, not her! What about me? Didn't he love me any more?

He'd been spending an awful lot of time with Alaina, who I really liked, except today I hated her too, and Lexy, what if he liked them better than me? I knew that when grown-ups like each other a lot, they got married and had a wedding, which was like a big party with all your friends and a white cake and stuff, and then they lived together and had kids. What if Dad wanted Alaina to marry him and come to live with us? Dad had always said I was his special boy, ‘cause I was adopted, but what if Alaina had a baby and he liked the baby more than me?

I didn't want that, all I wanted was my dad like he was before the stupid seminars and before he started dating. The way it was before. Why couldn't things stay the same?

I cried harder, angry and afraid that now Dad hated me, and I started to kick and punch my bed. I knew only spoiled brats and babies did that, and I was a big boy, but right then I didn't care. I kicked and hit the mattress and bawled just like the two-year-old in Trimelda's Toys in Diagon Alley I'd seen last week, who had a tantrum because his mum wouldn't buy him a big broom like his brother's. I had already acted like an awful naughty brat, telling Dad I hated him, and I was sure he was gonna spank me after he calmed down, so it wouldn't matter if acted like a baby on top of it. I was already in trouble.

But after five minutes I stopped, because I was tired and my nose was stuffed up and I needed a tissue but couldn't find one and then I heard Dad knocking on my door.

"Harry? May I come in?"

He was asking permission? That was a new one. Usually he just came in.

I coughed and called, "Yes." Then I sat up and wondered how mad he was and whether my saying I hated him was bad enough to get a week-long time-out and a spanking. Was that as bad as leaving the yard without permission? I felt really sorry that I'd said that, I knew it must have made him feel very sad and upset and I wished I'd never said anything. Ron's mum always said if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. I wished I hadn't said anything at all rather than said that.

Dad came in and he looked more tired and upset than mad, so maybe I'd only get a twenty-five minute time out and one swat. I didn't care how he punished me then, as long as he forgave me.

"I think we need to have a little talk, Harry," was all he said and then he came and sat down next to me.

Suddenly I couldn't stand it any more, the way he was looking at me, like I'd punched him or something, and I said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, please don't be mad, I don't want you to love Lexy and Alaina more than me!" That all came out in a rush and then I just started bawling all over.

Next thing I knew he was holding me and I buried my face in his shirt, he smelled like spice and herbs and lemon cleaner, he must've been washing the dishes the Muggle way, and I cried just like a little baby, even though I was seven. "Harry, Harry, it's okay, I know you didn't mean it." I heard him say and then I felt him rubbing my back, up and down, over and over and saying, "Shhh. . .son. I'm not mad at you."

He wasn't? I wasn't in trouble? I stopped crying and asked, "Then you're not gonna put me in time-out? Or spank me for being a spoiled brat?"

"No, son. Not this time. We need to talk about why you behaved that way. Why are you so upset about going to Paws For Thought? You love it there and just yesterday you were telling me you thought Lexy would love it too." That was true, I had said that. "Now, tell me what's got you so upset that you think I never have time for you any more and you hate me."

"I didn't mean it! I love you!" I said, sniffling. Two huge tears fell down my cheeks. Dad handed me a tissue and I wiped my face and blew my nose. He handed me another one and told me to take a deep breath and blow my nose again.

I did and I felt better.

He sat me up on his knee so I was facing him and said, "I love you too, now talk to me, Harry. Why are you so upset?"

"You never have time for me anymore, Dad," I began, half-whining. I couldn't help it. "You're always busy with work now, and then you have the dumb seminars every Friday and then you have to go out with Alaina and Lexy's here all the time and I want it to be like it was before."

"Before I met Alaina, you mean?"

"Yeah. When it was just me n' you and Grandpa. You did things with just me then."

"I should have seen this coming," he sighed, and it sounded like he was talking to himself. "Harry, I still do things with just you, every night when Alaina and Lexy are home at their own house. We read and watch TV and play with Inky and play Quidditch. Just because I spend some time alone with Alaina doesn't mean I'll ever ignore you, son, but I need some time to go out with another grown-up, the way you like playing over at Ron's or Hermione's by yourself. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah. You wanna be with Alaina by yourself, like I want to go over Ron's by myself."

"Exactly. And Lexy loves being here, and I thought you two were friends. Do you not want her to come here any more, scamp?"

I shook my head, because I really liked playing with Lexy, she liked to do mostly everything I did, including climb trees and fly and stuff, not like Hermione, who mostly liked quiet games, like Let's Pretend, or house, or watching TV. "No. I don't mind when she's over, we have fun. But . . ." There had been one thing that had really bothered me last time she had been over. "Last time when Lexy was over, remember she got hurt climbing down the big oak tree?"

Dad nodded. "Yes, and I told you that tree was not something little kids ought to be climbing."

"I know, but she came to you crying and you fixed her knee with a spell and gave her a chocolate frog."

"Yes, what's wrong with that? I do that to all my patients who are children, you know that, Harry."

"That's not the part I minded about, Dad," I huffed, annoyed. "It was after that. She climbed in your lap and you hugged her. For a long time, like ten minutes. You held her like you do to me. I thought you were only s'posed to do that to your own kid, Dad, not someone else's. Does that mean you like Lexy better than me now?" I felt my bottom lip tremble as I asked that, and I ducked my head. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the answer.

"Oh, Harry! Is that what's got you so worked up? That I might like Lexy more than you?" Dad asked gently, putting a finger under my chin and tipping my head up so I was looking at him. "Harry, you're my son, and I will always love you. More than anything. Nothing will ever replace you, don't you know that? Not Lexy, not even Alaina."

"Then why were you holding her, Dad?" I asked jealously.

"Because she's a little girl who needed a hug, that's why. Seems like someone's been bitten by the green-eyed monster."

I looked at him, not understanding what he meant. "Huh? What monster?"

"The one called Jealousy, that's taken a great big bite out of you," Dad answered.

"It hasn't!"

"Oh, I think it has, if you're jealous over me giving one hurt little girl a hug and having her sit with me for a little while. You know that Lexy doesn't have a dad any more, right?"

"Yeah, she tol' me her mum and daddy are divorced ‘cause he was bad and pushed her mum down the stairs. But Lexy saved her with her magic so she didn't get hurt an' have to go to the hospital. Then she told me the police came and took her dad away to jail, ‘cause he hurt Alaina. Then she said she doesn't want to see her dad any more and she's glad they moved here so she doesn't have to live with him no more."

"She told you all of that?"

"Uh huh. We were playing with my figures and Lexy said we didn't need to have a dad and a mum, ‘cause she didn't have a dad any more and she was glad. And I asked her why, and that's what she said. But you're not mean like that, Dad."

"No, I would never hurt a woman the way Alaina's ex-husband Daniel hurt her. He deserves to be in jail for doing that. But Lexy never had a dad who wasn't mean, and that's one reason I was holding her that day, Harry. So she could see that not all men were mean and nasty like her father."

"Oh." When he said that, it made sense, and I felt bad about getting mad at him. He'd only been trying to make Lexy feel better, like a Healer was supposed to. "Then I guess it's okay if you wanna hold her sometimes."

He raised an eyebrow and said, "Thank you for your permission, my lord. I wasn't aware I needed to ask you first."

"You do," I said, sounding all bratty like Thea Blakely who goes to my school and thinks she's better than everybody. "‘ cause you're my dad first."

"Harry, I'll always be your dad, no matter if I hold Lexy or not," he chuckled. "So there is no reason for you to be jealous, young man."

"Okay. But Dad, does you and Alaina spending time together mean you're gonna marry her someday?" I had to know that, it was a Very Important Question.

He was quiet for a long time, maybe five minutes, then he said, "I happen to like Alaina very much, Harry. And Lexy too. Would it be so bad if one day I asked her to marry me? Would you be willing to have Alaina as your stepmum and Lexy as your sister?"

I thought hard. I could just about remember my own mum. And most of what I did remember of her was a lady with pretty red hair like a sunset and green eyes like mine singing to me and hugging me and reading to me in a soft voice. "I'll always love you, my Harry. Forever and ever, even when you can't see me anymore," she had said once. Would Alaina be like that with me? Would she love me that way, even if I wasn't her real little boy? I liked her a lot, she was fun and she made me laugh, and she knew lots of things just like my dad. And if she married dad she wouldn't have to worry about her old husband hurting her ever again, ‘cause Dad would beat the guy's arse if he tried anything. And if Lexy were my sister . . .I'd be like Ron and Ginny, and always have someone around to play with.

Slowly, I nodded. "I guess that'd be okay. Someday. Then Lexy could have a good dad and not a mean one and Alaina could have a nice husband." Then I asked, "Dad, if you marry Alaina, does that mean you don't love Mum any more? I know she's in heaven, but does that mean you stop loving her?"

"No, Harry. I will always love your mum, Lily was very special to me, that's why I haven't gone out with a lady since your mum died. Because I loved her so much and I missed her. But Alaina is a special person too, and I think I could love her almost as much as I did your mum."

"She makes you happy," I said suddenly. "The way mum used to. You smile a lot when she's here. And so does she. Does she love you too?"

"Well, I think she does, though she hasn't actually said so. And we haven't even begun to discuss anything so big as getting married, scamp, but if we ever do, you'll be the first to know."

"If you did marry her, Dad, that'd make her like my mum, sort of. Would that mean I had to listen to her like I do you? And would she love me the way you do?"

"Yes to both questions, Harry. If Alaina became my wife, that would make her your stepmother, and she would have the same authority as I do over you. So yes, you would have to listen to her, and she could punish you if you misbehaved. As for loving you . . .Harry, she already loves you. She told me the other day that if she could have a son, she would want him to be just like you."

"Really?" I smiled.

"Yes. She would love you just like she loves Lexy. You would be her special boy, scamp, like you are mine."

"And would Lexy be your special girl, Dad?"

"Yes. Does that bother you?"

"A little," I admitted, and I knew I was being selfish, but it was hard for me to share my dad, he was the only one I had.

"Hmmm. I know this may be a difficult thing for you understand, Harry, but I want you to try, all right? Do you remember when I married your mum, and she told you that I was your father now, because James was in heaven?"

"Uh huh. She said that I had two daddies now, one in heaven and one here. And she said that both of them loved me the same, even though one was an angel and one was her new husband."

"Yes, that's right. And I told you that you were my son and I loved you always and forever, even though you weren't born to me. That's the same way that I love Alaina and Lexy. But just because I love them doesn't mean I love you any less, Harry. See, that's the magic of love. When you share it, it grows. And it never stops. You can love many people, son, without loving anyone more than another. Think about it. How many people do you love?"

"Umm . . .I love you, an' Mum, and Grandpa, Padfoot and Moony, and Uncle Al and Aunty Min and all my friends, and Inky." I had never really thought about it before, but I loved a lot of people.

"And if you love me, does that mean you don't love Uncle Sirius?"

"No, of course not. I love you' cause you're my dad and Uncle Sirius ‘cause he's my uncle and he's funny."

"Ah. So then would you say you have enough love in your heart for everyone?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I don't think you can run out of love, Dad."

"Very good, Harry! You can't run out of love, because love grows the more you add to it. There is always love to go around. So I can love you and I can also love Alaina and my love will always be enough."

I felt so much better when he said that, for I could tell he meant it, and wasn't just saying it to make me stop crying or shut me up, like some grown-ups do. I leaned my head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. It was so very comforting, I loved being held like this, and knowing that my dad would always love me, even if he was dating Alaina and holding Lexy on his lap too.

"Dad?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Will I always be your special boy? Even if you have another baby with Alaina?"

"You will. Because no one could ever be like my Harry. Nothing will ever change that, son. Not a new baby, or a new sister, or even a new mother."

I smiled and snuggled closer, feeling all warm and safe inside. "When did you first know that I was special, Dad?"

"The first minute I laid eyes on you, Harry. The night you were born."

"Tell me again, Dad," I asked, even though I'd heard this story a thousand times. "Tell me again about the night I was born."

"Harry, you've heard this story already. At least a thousand times."

"I know, but I wanna hear it again. Please, Dad? Please?" I gave him my best puppy-dog stare.

He groaned. "Quit looking at me like that, scamp. Very well. I'll tell you the story of the night you were born, even though I'm pretty sure you've memorized it by now." Dad cleared his throat. "Ready? Put your listening ears on, as Alaina says, and pay attention."

I did as he had said, and snuggled against him, eager to hear one of my favorite stories again.

"On the night you were born, Harry James Severus Potter, I was a newly certified Healer, on call at St. Mungos . . ."

"On the night you were born, Harry James Severus Potter, I was a newly certified Healer, on call at St. Mungos," I began the story the same way I always had, with myself in the hospital, having just taken over call from Matthew at five o'clock.

It was the first time I had ever been on call alone, that is without another more experienced physician there beside me. But Healer Avela had told me that day that I was officially past my internship now and could handle being in charge of the fourth floor spell damage ward as well as any cases that came in the ER. Of course, if I needed advice or a consult I could always call the Healer on second call and ask her, but I'd been made a certified Healer, and sworn Healer's Oath two weeks ago, so it was assumed I could do what I'd been trained to.

I was a bit nervous, but I knew that once I was faced with a patient, it would go away and I could concentrate on diagnosis and treatment, two things which I seemed to have an instinctive knack for, or so said my teachers during medical school and my internship here. And I was not really alone, there were other Healers on call as well and interns and medi-witches and such down in the ER and on the other floors, the hospital was never under-staffed and there was always someone coming or going.

I took care of a few routine cases of flus and a child with a bad earache before my personal magic mirror that I kept in my pocket began vibrating frantically. I pulled it out and said, "Healer Snape. Who's calling?"

The mirror flickered, then James's face appeared in it, his perpetually messy hair sticking up even more than usual, his hazel eyes frantic. "Oy, Sev! Thank Merlin! I think Lily's in labor, she woke up complaining of really bad pains in her lower back."

"Has her water broken, James?"

"Say what?"

I bit back a groan. James was not one to attend childbirth classes, unfortunately, and he was clueless. "Ask Lily if her water broke."

His face disappeared from the mirror and then returned after a minute. "She says, yes, she thinks so. Does that mean it's the real thing?"

"Yes. Tell her to Floo here immediately. Your child is about to be born sometime tonight." I announced.

James let out a whoop. "Lil, did you hear? I'm gonna be a father tonight! Oww! What was that for? . . . Okay, okay, I'm getting your bag. Merlin, you're in a fine mood. . . . Ouch! Damn it, that slipper really stings . . .!"

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Lily was in no mood to put up with James's procrastination tonight. "See you in a few minutes, Potter. I need to go and set up the delivery room." I turned the mirror upside down, breaking the magical connection between my mirror and James's. Then I went to call an intern to help me ready the delivery room for my friend and his wife, praying everything went well, since this was my first unsupervised delivery.

"Intern McNally! I need a labor and delivery cart stat! Brought up to Delivery Room #2 quick as you can. Meet me up there," I ordered, then I Apparated up the three floors to the delivery room that was currently being readied for Lily. I cast a swift disinfecting and sterilizing charm over myself and pulled on my sterile gloves and spoke a word that opened the door to the delivery room. Touching the doorknob would cancel my sterile field, and it was necessary I maintain one when I was examining Lily.

Inside the delivery room was a large comfortable bed with clean sheets and a chair for the husband to sit in, so he didn't faint on the floor and get in my way. I wasn't sure if James would be a fainter or not. He was an Auror, which meant he dealt with criminals on a daily basis and had seen some pretty gruesome sights, but even the bravest soldier can be a big baby when it comes to his wife having his child. I'd seen men who'd fought Death Eaters without blinking an eye pass right out when their wife was in labor.

Also in the room was an odd contraption that looked like a extra large stool with long metal legs and a hole in the bottom and a short sturdy back. This was a birthing stool, and we at St. Mungos had pioneered it in our obstetrics department. Over three hundred women had used it when delivering and claimed it made it ten times easier than trying to deliver lying flat, the vertical position made it easier to bear down and gravity did the rest. I had assisted in ten deliveries so far and all of the mothers had agreed to use the stool and it apparently made the delivery faster, at least that's what Healer Avela told me.

Lily arrived then, leaning heavily on James's arm, escorted by Miss McNally, my newest intern, a fresh-faced brunette just graduated from medical school. "Right through here, Mrs. Potter. Healer Snape, here's your patient, sir."

"Thank you, Miss MacNally. Could you fetch me Mrs. Potter's chart, please? It's on the desk in my office."

"Right away, sir." She scurried away, and I turned back to Lily, who was gasping and panting, her green eyes wide with pain as the contractions built.

"Hey, Lil. When did your pains start?" I asked, laying a hand gently on her distended belly, counting the minutes inbetween the contractions silently.

"About . . .half an hour ago . . .Sev." She gritted her teeth. "Is it supposed to hurt this damn much, Healer?"

"Yes, at least that's what all my labor patients tell me. I'm sorry, I can't give you a pain block spell until I perform several diagnostics on you. Come on over here, and let's get you on the bed first," I urged, gently drawing her towards the bed. Sweat was beading her forehead and running down her face, which was pale and strained. Her beautiful fiery hair was limp and straggling about her shoulders. She was wearing only a cotton nightdress beneath her robe.

I assisted James in getting Lily on the bed, he was quiet, not making any of his stupid jokes or remarks about Healers getting all the hot women. He kept biting his lower lip nervously.

"Okay, Lil. I'm going to vanish your clothes for a bit and give you one of our hospital robes," I told her, suiting action to words a moment later. "Now, let's see where the baby is. Hopefully he or she should be ready to make an entrance before too much longer."

I cast a standard obstetric diagnostic, designed to reveal to me the position and health of the infant inside Lily's womb. It showed me that the baby (a boy, though I didn't tell Lily or James that, since they wanted to be surprised) was positioned correctly, head down, all vital signs normal. The infant's heartbeat echoed through the room and both expectant parents smiled.

"Sounds like a real winner there, eh, Sev?" asked James, grinning like he'd just won the lottery. "I'll bet he'll be a great Quidditch player, like his dad."

"Or she could be an amazing tennis player, like her mum," countered Lily. Then her face screwed up and she whimpered in the throes of yet another contraction.

"Breathe, Lily," I instructed, gently massaging her belly. "Breathe like I taught you."

"I'm trying . . .Merlin, Sev! This really . . .hurts!" she panted and breathed the way I had taught her, trying to focus on each breath and not the labor pains.

"I know, dearheart," I murmured. I hated seeing her this way, but she was a fighter and she was not giving into the pain like some I had seen deliver. "Let's see how much you've dilated." I performed a quick diagnostic on Lily this time, and found she was dilated eight centimeters and heart, blood pressure, and pulse were all relivingly normal. "You're doing very well, Lil. And you were afraid you wouldn't be able to handle it," I said, teasing her gently. "The baby's in position and you're progressing nicely. But I need you to walk around for at least ten minutes, it'll make the labor go faster."

"Okay, Sev. You're the boss," Lily agreed, and slid off the bed.

"How long will this take, Sev?" asked James, his hazel eyes brimming with affection and worry. "I thought it'd be over and done with by now."

"Over and done with! Over and done with!" snarled his wife. I couldn't blame her. "What planet are you from, James? It'd be over and done with if I was a cat, you bloody great idiot!"

James gave her an injured look. "Give me a break, Lil! How am I supposed to know? I'm not a Healer like Sev."

"You'd know, Potter, if you ever bothered to read the pamphlets I sent home with you during the pregnancy," I reminded him sternly. Merlin's starry robe, but sometimes James was such a dunderhead, he made me want to smack him upside the head.

"Oh. Well, I've never really liked reading, y'know," he said lamely, and I just rolled my eyes. "Besides, I remember my Gran saying she had my mum in about two hours right at home in her own bed. So how come Lily can't do that?"

His wife shot him a glare that should have roasted him. "Because .. .I am not your bloody grandmother, James!" She grabbed his wrist so hard he yelped, the big baby. She was gripping mine so tightly I thought I'd lost all circulation in it, but you didn't hear me yelling. "The woman probably had hips like a cow . . .ahh . . .!"

"No, I think she was pretty skinny." James remarked unwisely.

"Shut up, James! I don't . . .want . . .to hear another bloody . . .word . . .about your gran and how . . .she had a baby in eight seconds . . .got me? Or else I' ll . . .hex your penis off, you bloody rutting bastard!"

James looked like he was going to bolt for the door, for Lily was giving him the mother of all Snape glares, and it was a good thing she didn't have her wand. Patients surrendered their wands when they checked in for treatment, it was to prevent them from trying to heal themselves too soon or hex their physician if they didn't care for their diagnosis.

"See what I have to deal with, Sev? She's freaking out."

"You try having a baby next time, James bloody Potter and see how you like it! I'll bet you won't be all sunshine and laughter!" Lily snapped. Then she gasped and bent nearly double. "Sev . . .help me . . .please!"

"Lily . . .breathe through it, come on sweetheart . . .There you go . . .in and out . . .Good job!" I coached, rubbing her back encouragingly, praying that she was fully dilated now, because seeing her in such awful pain was beginning to make me lightheaded. You will NOT pass out, Severus! That would be the blunder of the century, the doctor fainting on his patient, and you're not even the father. Now pull yourself together Snape, and act like a Healer, you bloody stupid arse!

After that blistering scolding to myself, I made myself take several deep calming breaths, then I recast the diagnostic. "Ten centimeters, okay, Lily, I'm going to give you that pain block now," I announced, and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thank Merlin!" Lily groaned, tears standing in her eyes.

"About time, Snape!" James snorted. "My hand's about to fall off, she's squeezing it so hard. Is it really that bad, Lil?"

Wrong question, Potter. Never ask a woman in labor if it really does hurt that much.

SMACK!

James yelped as a livid red mark bloomed on his cheek.

Lily smiled up at him sweetly and said, "Why yes, James honey . . .it REALLY IS THAT BAD!"

"Idiot," I muttered, then said, "Lily, here's the pain block, love." I placed the tip of my wand at her lower back, just above her tailbone and chanted the strongest pain block spell I knew of. A bluish-white glow enveloped Lily and then she nearly went to her knees in relief.

"Sev, I could kiss you!" she cried.

"Please do," I replied and I was only half joking. I had always had a thing for Lily.

To my astonishment, she took my face in her hands and kissed me gently on the lips.

"Hey!" her husband cried indignantly. "What's this? He gets a kiss and I get smacked? How fair is that?"

"Very fair, considering he's helping me and all you're doing is being a dumbass," Lily told him. "What now, Sev?"

"Well, you're about ready to start pushing, so let's get you to the birthing stool."

We levitated Lily onto it and then I turned to my intern, who'd been observing all of this in wide-eyed wonder, and said, "Okay, Miss McNally, I need you to start monitoring the baby's vital signs while I monitor Lily's."

We chanted the diagnostics practically in one breath, I think she was just as nervous as I was. I sure hoped she didn't pass out, because I needed her to assist me once the baby was born and all.

Everything checked out all right and I said, "Lil, when you feel a sort of pressure down there, it's time to push."

"Okay, Sev. I just hope this baby comes out nice and easy and doesn't get stuck or anything."

"Stuck??" James cried. "Is that possible?"

Both of us ignored him, waiting for the next big contraction.

When it came, I told Lily to start pushing.

"I don't think it's working, Severus!" she gasped.

"Yes it is, Lily. You're doing great! Right, James?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," he replied uncertainly.

Now I wanted to smack him. "What the hell kind of encouragement is that, James? I've heard more encouragement from a little kid trying to housebreak a puppy. She's your star Seeker, James, you ought to be shouting her name from the Astronomy Tower, so to speak."

"Sorry. But I'm not at my best at twelve in the morning, Severus," he groused. Then he turned to Lily and said, "C'mon, Lil, I know you can do it! I can't wait till we hold our baby! He's going to be the most beautiful baby in the history of the world, I'll bet. I love you, Lily." Then he bent down and kissed her.

I looked away, partially because I felt awkward witnessing this private moment, but also because I was jealous that he had the right to kiss her and I didn't. Get your head back down to earth where it belongs, Snape! You've got a baby to deliver.

"Miss McNally, run a diagnostic. What's the baby's position?"

"Halfway down the birth canal, Healer," she answered, her wand trained on Lily.

"Wonderful! Almost there, Lily. Now give me another push on the count of three."

Together we counted and she pushed.

I was sweating now, it was blazingly hot in here all of a sudden. I could feel the edges of the room start to blur.

"Healer Snape, are you all right?" asked my intern worriedly.

"Yeah, Sev, you look kind of pale. I mean, paler than normal," James stated, eyeing me.

"I'm fine,"I said quickly. I had nearly passed out. Merlin's bloody arse! That would've been one for the record books all right. Doctor Faints During Delivery. Husband Delivers Own Baby. I could just see the headlines in the Prophet now. Lily would kill me, for it was she who insisted upon me delivering her. "You're the best, Sev. And I want you and nobody else."

So now she had me and I nearly passed out cold on her. Some Healer I was! Disgusted at myself, I concentrated on monitoring the baby's vitals. Focusing on that prevented me from empathizing too much with Lily, and thus I was able to maintain a professional demeanor at last. I thanked God my mentor, Healer Avela, hadn't been here to witness my near debacle, I never would've lived it down. Now I understood better why it was that most physicians preferred someone else to treat family members or close friends, because your objectivity went straight out the window.

But now I resolved to do better and I managed to get through the rest of the delivery without falling down on the floor. James went white when he saw the baby's head emerge from the birth canal.

"Uh . . . Sev? You sure that's a baby?"

"Well, it's not a bloody kitten or a hydra, Potter!" I snapped.

"Why's it got blood all over it? I really don't like blood."

I glanced up and saw that he was swaying on his feet. "Sit down, James! Now! Put your head between your knees."

He obeyed and I murmured more encouragement to Lily, and then the baby was in my hands and crying loudly. I was so startled that I almost dropped him. Then I cradled him against me, not caring that I was getting my hospital white robe all wet and stained with birthing fluids.

"There, there, little one," I crooned, grinning from ear to ear. "You've got a good set of lungs on you, all right." I quickly clamped and cut the cord and tied it, then I spoke several freshen up charms, so the baby was cleaned of the worst of the birth fluids. "Congratulations, Lily and James! You've got yourself a beautiful baby boy."

"May I hold him, Sev?" asked Lily and I handed the baby to his exhausted yet proud and deliriously joyful mother. "Oh, he's perfect!"

"Just like his mother," I said, looking down at the tiny baby, my first successful delivery, my best friends' firstborn, and feeling a wave of utter joy and love flow through me. "He's going to be a very special boy, you know."

James was also smiling down at his son, gazing at the baby in awe. "He's so little! I can't believe he's mine. Merlin bless!" he reached out a finger to stroke the little one's cheek.

"Have you thought of a name for him?" I asked, once I'd finished taking his measurements and cleaning him up with a warm bath and swaddling him in the tradiitonal blue blanket.

"We have," Lily answered. "His name is Harry, after my dad. James, after his own, and Severus, after you, because you brought him into the world."

"Thank you. I . . .I'm honored." I stammered, touched that they would give my name to their son.

Then I looked down at the sleeping baby and I smiled and said, "Welcome to the world, Harry James Severus Potter. May you be healthy and blessed forever." Then I waved my wand and the blessing took hold.

"And that is what happened on the night you were born, son," I finished my story.

He was nearly asleep. "I think someone needs a nap." I whispered, tucking him into bed. He was worn out.

"Can we still go to a Quidditch game?"

"Tell you what, scamp. We'll go to a Quidditch game, just you and I, on Monday, when I'm off. And from now on I'll make a day just for you and I and we'll do whatever you want on it. It'll be our own special day. How about that, Harry?"

"Sounds great, Dad. But I'm sleepy." He yawned.

I kissed him on the forehead. "Have a good nap, little one."

I remained with him, stroking his hair gently, until he drifted off into slumber. Then I rose and went to call Alaina and tell her I had to cancel our outing today, that Harry wasn't feeling too well. I decided that it was best if we spent the rest of the day together, that way he could see that I wanted to spend time with him alone and it might help him get over his jealousy and fear that he would be replaced by my girlfriend and her daughter, who had stolen my heart just like her mother.

When I returned to check on him an hour later, he was still asleep, and Inky was stretched out on the floor next to him, guarding him like a black sphinx. I smiled and shut the door halfway, then went to find the novel I had started last week.

There were three weeks left till the end of school and then came summer. I couldn't wait, even though I liked school, not like some of the other kids in my class, who hated it. But in the summer, I could play with my friends all day long and Dad worked shorter office hours and Alaina was off too, so she could watch us sometimes and when I was over her house, I could pretend, a little, that I had a mum again. ‘Course I never told anybody that I was doing that, I still called her Alaina (she'd told me I could call her by her first name, ‘stead of Mrs. Montague) and never Mum, but it was nice to pretend even for a few hours that I had a mother like most kids my age.

There was a Mother's Day breakfast planned at my school a week from this Saturday and I wouldn't be able to go, since I had no mother to go with me. Unless I asked Lexy if I could borrow her mum, and we could both go with her. But I hadn't had a chance to ask her yet, she was spending the night over Hermione's tonight and then she'd be staying at my house for the weekend. Alaina had to go to some teacher's conference, which dad told me is like a big seminar and all the teachers go to it and discuss different things about how to teach and what to teach. She asked Dad if he wouldn't mind watching Lexy for her, since Hermione was going away for the weekend to see her grandparents in Devon. Dad agreed, so now Lexy could be with me for the weekend.

I was quite excited, I'd never had a friend sleep over before, and Dad said we could go to see a movie as well as visit Grandpa that weekend, if we behaved ourselves during the day, that is. Otherwise, we'd get time-out and an early bedtime. I had the weekend all planned, we would go to Spinner's End, and Grandpa and Dad would take us fishing up by the big lake near Hogwarts. I would make sure to warn Lexy about the poison ivy, so she didn't end up with an awful rash on her bum like I had last time. Then we would go to a movie at night. On Sunday we could go to the park near Spinner's End and play there and later on at night we could play Monopoly with Dad and tag with Inky, who was now almost as big as Bagheera, the panther in The Jungle Book movie. It was going to be a great weekend.

But Friday night wasn't so good. Stupid Miss Wilkins gave us homework over the weekend, she never does that, and I didn't feel like doing it at all. But Dad said I had to, because once Lexy came, we'd forget about schoolwork, and then it would have to get done Sunday night. I was all for doing it on Sunday, but Dad said no, I was going to do it tonight.

"But D-a-a-d!" I whined, for I was mad at him for making me do the dumb homework and mad at Miss Wilkins for giving it to us in the first place. "Why can't I just do it on Sunday?"

"Because you'll never remember to do it on Sunday, after Lexy goes home. You'll be tired and cranky and then you'll end up with a zero. So, you'll do it now, this way it's over and done with and you have the weekend free to do whatever you want."

Maybe that made sense to him, but right then I was sick of school, sick of homework, and I wanted to go and play with Inky. "I don't wanna do it now, Dad!" I cried, giving him my best Snape stare. "I'll do it later. I'm going to play with Inky." I pushed the chair away from the table and started to leave the kitchen.

Dad caught me though. "Hold it, mister! First you finish your homework, then you get to play."

I stamped a foot on the ground. "Later, Dad! I'm sick of school and we never get homework on the weekend, Miss Wilkins is dumb for giving it, and I don't feel like doing it now."

"Too bad, because you are. Now go back and sit down."

I shook my head stubbornly. "No - o-o! I hate homework! It's stupid."

Dad crossed his arms over his chest and gave me a Look. "Harry, don't make me count to three. Go and do your homework, now."

"It's no fair! We never get homework on Friday," I pouted. "That's the rule."

"Harry, quit whining and just do it." Dad ordered. "One."

I remained where I was, for I was mad as blazes. Why did I always have to do what Dad said? Why couldn't I do what I wanted for once? Homework on Fridays was stupid, stupid, stupid!

"Two." Dad pointed back at the table. "Better move it, scamp. You know what happens if I get to three."

I did. But right then I didn't care. It was a beautiful Friday afternoon and the last thing I wanted was to be stuck inside doing math and reading and spelling. It wasn't fair! Everybody knew Friday meant no homework. It was Friday, by Merlin's hat!

Dad ran out of patience then. "Three."

Still I didn't move, but all my stubbornness got me was more trouble. "Find a corner and stand there, young man. You've earned yourself a good twenty minutes for not listening and arguing."

I dragged my feet, for I hated time-out with a passion. It's the most boring thing on earth and I hate being still for longer than five minutes, unless I'm sleeping. I found a corner of the kitchen that was free and stood there, staring at the wall, scowling.

Dad set a timer, same as he always does, then went to fix us dinner. He stayed right in the kitchen, so there was no way I could wriggle about or turn around, and every time I moved he yelled at me, "Be still and eyes front, Harry. You know my rule for time-out."

I sighed and did what he had ordered. I wished the corner I'd picked wasn't so boring. Dad's rule for time-out was you couldn't talk or move during it, unless it was an emergency, like using the bathroom.

The twenty minutes passed so slowly it was a miracle I didn't fall asleep standing up. But I knew better than to move again, else I'd get another five minutes. But finally the buzzer rang and Dad said I could leave the corner, go straight to the table, and start my homework, no arguments, else no fishing trip tomorrow.

"Fine, sir!" I grumbled sulkily, and went to do my stupid homework. I couldn't wait till I was grown-up and nobody could tell me what to do ever again.

By the time dinner was done, I had most of it done, and the only thing I had left was a single page in my spelling workbook to do. "You can finish up after dinner, Harry," Dad said. "Put your books away and go wash up."

I was happy to obey that command, and soon I was eating tuna casserole, which was one of my favorites, and telling Dad all about how I'd planned the weekend with Lexy. Then I finished my homework and Dad said I could go play with Inky before I took a bath and had a bedtime story. I was still a little mad at Miss Wilkins though, for giving me homework and nearly ruining my weekend.

* * * * * *

Lexy and Alaina arrived bright and early the next morning, Lexy had brought her special pillow with her that smelled like lavender and her stuffed kitten, a fluffy white one called Misty, that she slept with every night. "Hi, Harry!" she greeted, holding her pillow in one hand and Misty in the other.

"You're just in time for breakfast, Lexy! Have a seat," Dad waved her to the table. "I hope you like waffles and sausage."

"I love them, Healer Sev!" She dropped her pillow on the floor and ran to have a seat next to me along with Misty.

"Do you have time for breakfast, Alaina? Or do you have to leave right away?" asked my father, looking over his shoulder at Lexy's mum.

"Uh, I probably should get going, Sev, it's a bit of a drive down to the hotel, but . . .oh what the heck, I'm hungry too and those waffles smell divine." She set her purse down next to Lexy's bag and came to sit down also. She was dressed in a pretty pink dress and matching shoes with heels.

Dad floated plates with waffles and sausage to the table and we started eating. Alaina loved them, most everyone loves Dad's cooking, and said I was very lucky that my dad could cook so well. "My ex-husband couldn't even boil water, and I did most of the cooking back then. Where did you learn how to cook, Sev?"

"My mother taught me some, Lily showed me how to bake, and the rest I learned on my own," answered Dad, taking seconds of the waffles.

"I really appreciate you watching Lexy, Sev," Alaina said, smiling at Dad. "Otherwise I would've had to hire a sitter, and there aren't too many that will work for two days straight. You're a lifesaver, Healer Snape."

"It's no trouble, Alaina," Dad said, giving her a quick kiss. "Harry and I enjoy having Lexy over, we've planned a fishing trip with my dad and a movie for today."

"Wow! I've never been fishing before," Lexy told me. "My dad always said he was gonna take me, but he never did. He never did a lot of things."

"Sounds like you're going to have some fun, snuggle bug," Alaina grinned at her daughter. "Just remember, you listen to Severus and do what he says, because he's in charge until I come back and pick you up. So what he says goes, Alexis, am I understood?"

"Yes, Mom."

"That's my girl. Sev, if she misbehaves, you have my permission to discipline her like you would Harry," Alaina told Dad.

"I would hope that wouldn't be necessary," Dad said, slowly sipping a cup of coffee. "However, I won't hesitate to put you in time-out along with Harry if you do, Miss Montague."

"I'll be good, Healer Sev." Lexy promised.

"And how did yours react to the Friday homework assignment, Alaina?" asked Dad. "Mine pitched a fit and earned himself a twenty minute time-out before he agreed to do it at all."

"Homework on Fridays is stupid!" I said, embarrassed that Dad had to bring that up now. I thought he'd forgotten about it.

"Harry, sometimes teachers need to give homework on weekends," Alaina said. "Because they only have so much time to go over things in class and you need to learn a subject more thoroughly, so they give you homework to make sure you've learned it the way you should."

"But we never got homework on Fridays before. Miss Wilkins broke the rule!" I pouted.

"Sometimes, Harry, rules are meant to be broken," Alaina told me. Then she turned to her daughter. "Have a good time with Sev and Harry, sweetheart. I'll be back on Sunday to pick you up. Love you." She bent to hug and kiss Lexy.

"Love you too, Mom. Have a good time at the hotel, okay?" Lexy kissed Alaina back and hugged her for a long while.

"I will. Bye, Sev. Bye, Harry." Alaina hugged and kissed me too and Dad, but him she gave a real kiss, on the lips. Yuck! Sometimes grown-ups are disgusting.

Once Alaina had left, Dad asked if we were done with breakfast. We were, so then he told me to show Lexy where she could put her bag, he'd transfigured a chair into a bed for her in my room.

"Once I'm done cleaning up here, we're going to head to your grandfather's," Dad said, waving his wand at the dishes, which immediately flew into the sink and started to wash themselves.

"I love that spell!" Lexy said, watching the dishes and smiling.

"C'mon. You can see dishes get washed any old time," I said, and tugged her down the hallway to my room.

* * * * * *

Grandpa had baited both mine and Lexy's hooks and we were standing about four feet away from each other, lines cast, waiting for a fish to bite. Dad was fishing a ways upstream from us and Grandpa was somewhere inbetween, so he could keep an eye on us and Dad, he said.

"Whoever catches the biggest fish wins," I told Lexy. "And then the losers get to cook lunch."

"But Harry, I don't know how to cook anything ‘cept toast and oatmeal, and only the instant kind of that," Lexy said worriedly.

"Don't worry. Dad'll help you, if he doesn't win and if he does then me an' Grandpa will. They know how to fry fish, all I do is watch, mostly."

"How will I know when a fish eats my worm?"

"You'll know. It'll pull real hard."

"If you get a bite, sweetie, let me know and I'll come help you," called Grandpa from down the bank.

"Okay, Mr. Toby," answered Lexy. Grandpa had said she could call him Toby instead of Mr. Snape if she wanted, but she said her mum wouldn't like it if she called an adult by their first name, so she called my grandpa Mr. Toby.

I was hoping to catch a gi-normous trout the way I did last time. But so far I'd been holding my pole for twenty minutes (it felt like forever, but Grandpa said it'd only been twenty minutes) and I hadn't gotten a single bite.

"What's wrong with the fish today?" I asked with a huge sigh.

"Patience, minnow. Sometimes the fish are sleeping," Grandpa said. Nothing had bit his line either.

I didn't want the fish to be sleeping, that was no fun. So I decided to wake them up. "Hey, fish!" I yelled. "Wake up, you lazy arses!"

Oops! I hadn't meant to say arse out loud, just think it.

"Harry James Severus!" came Dad's angry voice. "Watch your language, young man! You want to eat soap for lunch?"

"No, sir." I said quickly. "Sorry."

Lexy flashed me an amused glance, but said nothing, concentrating on her pole.

"Quiet, kid," Grandpa ordered, frowning at me thunderously. "You yell like that and you'll scare the fish away for good and then we won't have anything to eat for lunch."

I knew there were sandwiches and drinks in the cooler just in case, but I also knew better than to act like a smart aleck in front of Grandpa, so all I said was, "Yes, sir. But I was trying to wake them up since you said they were sleeping."

"Minnow, you wake up a fish by jiggling the bait on your line, not by screaming cuss words so loud they can hear you in America." Grandpa shook his head, and wriggled his line to show us how it was done.

Just then a fish pulled his line and he began to reel it in.

"You got one, Mr. Toby! You got one!" Lexy was so excited she was hopping up and down.

Grandpa reeled it in expertly. "Not bad." He held up the fish to show us. "Hey, Sev. You have any luck?"

"Not yet." Dad looked back at us and saw Grandpa holding up the fish. "First catch of the day, huh? Put him in here," He pointed to the spelled bag he had near his foot that would keep the fish cold so we could eat it later.

Grandpa moved to put his fish in the bag, and that was when Lexy felt a huge tug on her line.

"Harry!" she shrieked. "I . . .I think I got one! It's pulling real hard!" She was gripping the pole with both hands, for her line was pulled tight out into the middle of the lake. "Help!"

I ran over and tried to help, but I could only use one hand and the fish was fighting like crazy.

"Help, Mr. Toby! The fish's pulling my pole into the lake!"

"Hang on, Lexy! I'm coming!"

Grandpa raced down to us and took the pole from her, reeling in the big trout easily. "Well, look here, missy! A fine big one you've got here. You're a natural fisherman, Lexy!"

The trout was as big as the one I'd caught the last time we'd fished here.

Lexy was beaming from ear to ear. "I got a big one, Harry! See? See?"

"That's nice, Lex," I said, unable to feel very happy since now she was beating me. I began to pray that I caught one soon. I jiggled my line and waited. C'mon, you dumb fish. Wake up and smell the worms!

But no fish was biting my line. Two minutes later Dad got one too, and I was feeling very sorry for myself. Everyone had a fish but me.

Grandpa caught another and so did Dad and Lexy, but so far not one had nibbled on my line.

I groaned. "Why aren't I getting any?"

"Let me check your line, Harry," said Grandpa, and he pulled my line in.

There was no worm on the hook. "Ah. You had a clever one come and steal your bait, kid. But we'll fix that." Grandpa put another worm on my hook and a red feather lure as well. "Now we'll see if they won't come, Harry."

Together, we re-cast the line.

"Here you go, minnow." He handed the line back to me and went back to his spot.

A minute later, Lexy got another one, and this one was another keeper.

I was steamed. She was doing better than me and I was the one who knew how to fish!

"Didja get one yet, Harry?" she asked, like she didn't know perfectly well I hadn't.

"No," I growled.

"Oh. Well, you can have one of mine."

"Don't want one of your dumb fish," I snapped. "I want one of my own!"

"Okay, be that way!" she cried, and turned her back to me.

"Just shut up!" I shouted, mad as all get out that a girl was better than me, even if she was my best friend.

"What's going on over there?" Grandpa asked. "Harry, why are you yelling at your friend?"

Before I could answer, Lexy said, "He's mad ‘cause he didn't catch any fish and I did."

"Am not! You're just a dumb girl, what do you know?"

"More than you!" Lexy yelled back. "And don't call me dumb!"

"Boys are smarter than girls," I shouted, it was something the twins had said to Ginny once.

"Are not! That's a big fat lie, Harry Potter!" Lexy was glaring at me fit to kill.

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Settle down, the pair of you!" Grandpa roared, and we both froze.

"What in Merlin's name is going on here?" Dad demanded, setting down his pole and coming over to us. "Sounds like the Second Wizard War. Harry, why are you shouting at Lexy?"

I looked down at the ground and didn't answer, knowing I was in trouble.

"Healer Sev, he's jealous ‘cause I caught more fish than he did," Lexy chimed in and I wanted to take the fish and slap her one. "And he called me a dumb girl too!" She sniffled.

"Harry, is that true?" Dad frowned at me. "You know how I feel about name calling, young man. Well? Answer me."

"Yes," I said to the ground. Now I felt sort of bad, since I knew I'd hurt Lexy's feelings.

"You owe Lexy an apology. How would you feel if someone called you dumb?"

"I wouldn't like it," I admitted.

"Then don't call anyone else names. What's my rule, Harry?"

I heaved a sigh. "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." I recited.

"Good. And how about the one for friends?"

"Treat others the way you want to be treated."

"Looks like you've forgotten them, wouldn't you say? And if you can't fish without getting mad because someone else catches more than you, maybe you ought to sit over by that tree for fifteen minutes and think about your behavior. This is supposed to be fun, not a competition. Lexy is your friend, and this is how you treat her? By calling her names? Is that nice?"

"No, sir." Now I felt even worse. But I was still jealous over Lexy's good fortune and so I said, "But I wanted to be the one to catch the biggest fish, Dad. Like last time."

"You're being greedy, minnow," Grandpa said, coming up behind Dad and frowning. "There's enough fish in the lake for everyone."

"Then how come I don't have any? It's no fair."

"That's how life goes sometimes, kid. You win some and you lose some. Last time, you beat both me and Sev, Harry. But this time it's Lexy's turn."

I scowled. I wanted to catch a fish, even if it wasn't the biggest.

"Harry, we're not stopping yet, so you have time to catch one," Dad pointed out. "Now quit being a spoilsport and go back and fish."

"Why? I won't catch anything anyhow," I sulked.

"If you're going to be a sulky brat, you might as well go and sit in time-out for fifteen minutes," Dad said, and he gave me one of his I'm-very-disappointed-in-you looks.

"Fine!" I threw down my pole and stalked over to the tree he pointed to. I'd rather sit in time-out then keep fishing and catching nothing and having Lexy beat me.

"Harry, come back here and pick that pole up," Grandpa ordered, and he sounded mad enough to take me over his knee. "I don't care what kind of snit you're in, you don't throw my fishing poles around like that."

I turned around, my lower lip trembling, and looked questioningly at Dad.

"Do as he says, Harry."

I went back and picked up my pole and then Grandpa told me to lean it up against the cooler and then I could go stare at the tree for fifteen minutes the way Dad said.

I did, angry and ashamed and upset all at once. I had been glad Lexy had come fishing with us this morning, but now I wished she hadn't. I knew that I was being mean and selfish and acting like a brat, but I couldn't seem to help myself. Nothing was turning out like I'd planned.

So I stared at the rough tree bark and the little insects that crawled on it for fifteen minutes and wished I'd caught at least one fish, like the rest of them. I sulked and pouted until Grandpa came and told me I was off my punishment.

"But you still need to apologize to your friend, Harry. You've been treating her terribly, you know."

"Don' care," I muttered, not looking him in the eye.

"No? You going to let a few fish ruin your friendship? Now that's just plain silly, Mr. Potter. Come here, I think it's time we had a little talk."

He led me over to where we had the cooler and put me up on top of the flat boulder nearby, then he stood in front of me, and I could see that he was disappointed with me, just like Dad was. I hung my head and sniffed, blinking back tears.

"Now then, mister. When you asked Lexy to come fishing with you, did you say I want her there because she's my friend, or because I need another kid around to brag to about how good I am at fishing?"

"Because she's my friend."

"That's what I thought. You wanted her here so you could have a good time with her. Only now you're jealous because she's caught more fish than you, right?"

"I guess so."

"Yup, you're mighty jealous, since last time you were the best fisherman. Only today looks like your luck's changed. Now, the way I see it, you can do one of two things about it. You can sulk and act like a jealous little brat and make yourself and everyone else miserable, or you can pick up your pole and get back out there and see if you can get a fish to bite and don't worry about how many fish Lexy has, or I have, or your dad, and just have fun, like last time. Because that's why I brought you on this fishing trip, so you could have fun, not so you could make it into a contest."

"But you and Dad started the contest," I argued.

"Yeah, but Sev and I aren't really trying to beat each other, we're playing for fun. It doesn't matter to me if he catches a bigger fish, or if I do, since it's only a game."

"But the loser has to cook lunch."

"Yeah, but that doesn't bother me none, Harry. Or your dad, since we both like cooking. So even if I lose, I won't get all sore over it, y'see? Because it's not winning or losing that matters, it's being here with all of you. I like spending time with my family more than I do winning any bet with Severus. Do you understand what I'm getting at, Harry?"

Slowly, I nodded. "Yeah. You're saying I should just be friends with Lexy again and not make a big deal over who's got the bigger fish."

"Right. Your friendship is more important than any old trout. Now, get your bum over there and tell her your sorry, mister," he growled, then he lifted me off the rock and sent me off towards the lake with a swat to my backside.

Lexy looked up when I came over, it looked like she had been crying. I felt really bad, I hadn't meant to make her cry. Well .. . maybe only a little. "Lexy. . .I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to call you dumb, you're better than me in spelling. And it's okay if you've got more fish."

"You mean it? ‘Cause I can give you one of mine if you want. I don't mind."

I shook my head. "No, you caught ‘em, so you keep ‘em. I'll catch one if I keep trying." I picked up my pole and recast it. Grandpa was right. A fish wasn't worth making Lexy cry and not be my friend any more.

About five minutes later, I finally caught one. It was smaller than Lexy's, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that I was having fun, I reminded myself.

After that Dad said we should stop, and we all agreed that Lexy won, since her trout was biggest. So Lexy got to sit and watch while Dad, Grandpa, and I cooked the trout and then we ate it and the sandwiches and drank the soda Grandpa had brought.

"Mmm. This is the best fish I've ever eaten, Healer Sev," Lexy told him, licking her fingers.

Dad handed her a napkin. "I agree. Nothing tastes quite so good as fresh fish that you've caught yourself."

"Too true, Sev," Grandpa agreed, lifting his can of soda in a toast. "Now after that fine meal, I think I'll take a little nap." He settled down in the grass and fell asleep right away.

I helped Dad wash out the frying pan and the silverware, we'd eaten off paper plates this time. We put all the trash into a small bag, because littering was bad, it hurt the animals who lived here. Dad doused the fire with a spell, then he said he was going to sleep for a little too and we were to stay right here and not go wandering off.

"And if you have to pee, Lexy, don't go behind any bushes with green vines," I told my friend.

"Why not?"

"Cause they've got poison ivy on them and I did that last time and ended up with a rash on my . . .uh, bottom."

Lexy's eyes widened. "You did? I didn't know you could get poison ivy there."

"You can get poison ivy on any part of your body that touches the leaves of the poison ivy plant," Dad lectured. "So watch out for green vines and don't follow Harry's example, please."

"Okay, Healer Sev. I know what poison ivy looks like, I had Brownies."

"Huh? What d'you mean you had brownies? How does that help you know about poison ivy? It's a dessert."

"No, not that kind of brownie, Harry. I mean a club for girls, it's the little girl version of Girl Scouts. We wear brown uniforms, so they called us Brownies."

"Oh." I felt really dumb now. Serve me right for calling Lexy that. "And they teach you about poison ivy?"

"Uh-huh. We go hiking in the woods a lot, so you have to know the good plants and the bad plants. How long did you have it for? My aunt once had a case that lasted a week. Was it really itchy? I've never had it."

"Yeah, it was awful. And I only had it for a few minutes, till Dad summoned a potion and put it on me. Then it went away in ten seconds."

"That's so cool. I love magic potions. Maybe your dad can show me how to make one sometime?"

"Maybe. But he says I'm too little to make anything unless he's right next to me. But we could ask him."

"That's a good idea. Let's play with Misty for now, okay?"

"Okay. When they wake up, we'll go home and later on tonight we can go to a movie."

"What's playing?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. I haven't read the paper. But Dad always picks pretty good ones."

Then we began to play, pretending Misty was a cat princess trapped in a tower by an evil dark wizard and I was the good wizard come to rescue her.

* * * * * *

On Sunday we went back to Spinner's End. Last night had been fun, we'd gone to see 101 Dalmatians, and we both loved it. Then we'd stayed up talking in my bedroom until Dad came in and told us to go to sleep right now, or else we could stay home and not go to the park tomorrow. Then we shut up and went to sleep. Inky slept between our two beds, and his purring finally made me fall asleep.

We went to the park in the early afternoon, and there weren't very many kids there then, so we had our pick of the swings and the slides and the jungle gym. While we played, Dad and Grandpa stood there and talked, I think Grandpa was asking Dad something about Alaina.

I didn't pay too much attention though, because I was busy playing with Lexy. While we climbed up to the top of the tree house I asked her about the Mother's Day breakfast at the school Saturday next.

"Are you, like, uh, going to be there?"

"Yeah, Mom says we can go if I want. Though everybody knows her already, since she teaches there." Miss Wilkins had told us that the breakfast was a good way to introduce our classmates to our mums and we were supposed to make a special card for her to put at her place setting.

I was quiet for a moment, then I said in a small voice, "I wanted to go too, but . . .I have no mum any more."

Lexy flashed me a sympathetic look. "That's ‘cause she died, right?"

"Yeah. She got sick real bad, and not even Dad could fix her, so she went to heaven and became an angel, like my Granny and Pop Evans and Grandma Eileen." I answered, sniffling a bit, for I really wished she were here now.

"I'm real sorry, Harry. I'd cry forever if my mom died."

"I did, almost. So did Dad, but that was three years ago." I bit my lip hard. "Umm . . .I was wondering something, Lexy. I was wondering if-if I could . . .borrow your mum."

She stopped dead and just stared at me like I was crazy. "Huh? You want to borrow my mom? What for?"

"For-for the breakfast," I stammered. "I mean, would you mind if I went with you and your mum could, uh, sort of pretend I was her kid too?"

"Oh! I get it now. You want to share my mom for the breakfast, right?"

"Yeah. D' you mind?"

Lexy thought hard for a moment. Then she said, "Nope. I guess not. But I've gotta ask Mom if it's okay and what if Miss Wilkins won't let us share her?"

I'd never thought about that before. "Uh, she will. She knows I don't have a mum anymore and she feels bad for me, so I don't think she'll mind. Will your mum mind?"

Lexy shook her head. "No, I don't think so. But I can ask her and have her call you, okay?"

"Sure." I smiled shyly at my friend. "Thanks, Lexy. I'm glad you crashed into us that day at the supermarket."

She giggled. "Me too, Harry. Your dad's sort of like my dad now, y'know. He's a lot nicer than my real one. He makes Mom laugh instead of cry."

"And your mum does the same thing to my dad."

"I know." Then she bent and whispered in my ear. "Once, I saw them kissing! Like on the lips."

"Ugh! Gross! How come grown-ups do stuff like that?"

"Cause it's romantic, my mom says," Lexy giggled again, not as grossed out as I was. "I think it's cute!"

"You would, you're a girl, and you like all that disgusting mushy stuff." I said, making a face.

Lexy stuck her tongue out at me. "Mom says that someday all the boys will like it too. Your dad doesn't seem to mind."

I rolled my eyes. "That's ‘cause he's a grown-up, Lexy! When you grow up you get bigger and get a job and you like women to kiss you on the lips for some reason. I think you go crazy or something. Dad said once that something happens in your brain when you get to be a teenager."

"What? Is it like a disease?"

"Must be. It's called, uh . . ." I thought really hard. "Uh . . .hor-hornmoans or something like that."

"Hornmoans?" Lexy gasped. "Sounds terrible! Are we all gonna get it or something?"

"Yeah, Dad says every teenager goes through it." I shuddered. Just thinking about it made me feel sick to my stomach.

"Well, I'm not!" Lexy declared suddenly. "I'm gonna find a cure for it."

"Uh. . .I don't think there is one."

"Well, duh! That's why I'm gonna invent one!" Lexy huffed, rolling her eyes. "Boys!"

"Girls!" I shot back. Then I started to race up the stairs to the top of the tree house. Well, it was a kind of tree house, except it wasn't in a tree, just on top of the slide and the monkey bars. "Last one to the top is a griffin turd!"

"You're gross, Harry!" shouted Lexy, then began to run up the stairs too.

We both reached the top together, so it was a draw. As usual. Lexy can run fast, for a girl that is.

By then I had thought of something else. "Hey, Lexy. D'you think ‘cause Dad and Alaina were kissing they're gonna have a baby?"

"Not yet!" she seemed shocked. "Don't you know anything, Harry? You only have a baby after you get married. That's what the married part is for. So then it's okay for you to have kids."

"Oh. That makes sense. But how does kissing make a mum have a baby?"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask your dad? He delivers them, he ought to know why kissing makes a girl pregnant. That's what you call it when a woman has a baby in her," Lexy said, sounding like a know-it-all.

"I know that! You think I'm stupid? My dad's a Healer, remember?"

"There's no way I can forget that, Harry, since his name's Healer Sev. When are you gonna ask him?"

"I dunno. Later I guess, he's busy talking to Grandpa right now." I wondered if they were discussing getting married. "C'mon, let's go play on the swings." I slid down the slide at the top of the treehouse and Lexy followed.

* * * * * * *

When we left the park, it was almost lunchtime and Lexy and I were starving. We walked back to the house, since the park was so close, and Dad carried Lexy on his shoulder, since she was tired and didn't want to walk. I showed her where Butch the Doberman had almost eaten me, halfway up the driveway.

"He almost took a bite of me, but my magic made a blue shield and then Grandpa drowned him with the hose till he ran away."

"Wow! You must be really brave, Mr. Toby," Lexy said, looking at my grandpa like he was some kind of superhero. "Weren't you afraid the killer dog was gonna bite you?"

"No. I was more afraid he'd bitten Harry. So I just blasted him with the hose till he turned tail and ran. Then I went over to see Harry. That's one experience I never want to repeat. I think I aged ten years in one minute when I saw that Doberman running after Harry."

"Did you get hurt, Harry?"

"No. Well, my hands got scraped really bad and Grandpa had to clean them out with something that stung like hell." I told her.

"Harry! Language!" Dad scolded.

"Sorry." I apologized. "But it really did."

"Was it peroxide? ‘Cause my mom puts that on cuts sometimes and it stings like blazes."

"Uh, yeah. I think so." I looked at Grandpa. "Was that what you put on my hands that time, Grandpa?"

"Yes."

"Ouch! I hate peroxide."

"Me too." I said.

We had peanut butter and jam sandwiches for lunch, my favorite. Then I wanted to go out and play in the yard with Lexy and show her the big oak tree there, which was great for climbing.

But before we went out the door, Dad's magic mirror started chiming loudly. I winced, then realized that was a bad sign. The mirror only rang like that if there was an emergency.

"Sev? What's going on?" asked Grandpa.

"It's an emergency," Dad answered, then took the mirror and spoke into it. "Healer Snape. What's the emergency?"

Uncle Matt's face appeared in the mirror, he looked pale and his hair was a wreck. "Sev, we need you in the ER, stat!"

"What's the matter, Matthew?"

"There's been a bad fire down at Diagon Alley. We think it was caused by a kid fooling around with Incendio, but it caused a lot of damage because part of the apothecary caught fire and some of the potions were explosive. We've got about a hundred people in here now, some with bad burns and others with spell damage from the exploded potions. We need you, Sev!"

"On my way, Matt." Dad turned the mirror upside down, and it went blank. He tucked it back in his pocket then looked at Grandpa and said, "I have to go and help them, Dad. Can you watch the kids for two hours or whatever? I should be back after that, I'm not the only Healer they've got."

"Go ahead, Sev. I think I can handle the minnow and the kitten till you get back." Grandpa said. "You go over there and help those people, Sev. I'll be fine with them."

"All right." He looked at us, then set Lexy on her feet. "Behave for your grandfather, Harry. And you as well, Lexy. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Then he Apparated away to the hospital.

I asked Grandpa if we could still go play in the yard and he said yes, so we ran outside and I showed Lexy the huge oak tree and she said it looked like a fine climbing tree, so why didn't we climb it?

So we did, though we couldn't get more than halfway up and then we found a big long branch and hung upside down from it, whooping and hollering like jungle kids.

"I'm Mowgli!" I yelled, giving a cry like a wolf.

"And I'm Jane," said Lexy, also yelling.

"Jane? Hermione's mum?" I repeated.

"No, not that Jane, silly! Would Hermion's mum ever hang from a tree?"

No, definitely not. "Then who are you?"

"I'm Jane from Tarzan. You know, the girlfriend of the guy raised by apes? You never read that story?"

"No."

"Aww, man! That's the coolest. Tarzan Lord of the Apes. Mom read it to me. You gotta read it, Harry."

"Okay. I'll ask Dad if he has it." Along with the question of how women got pregnant and made babies.

I started to swing back and forth.

Lexy matched me.

I liked having a girl for a friend-NOT a girlfriend-that could do mostly all the things a boy could do. She was almost like a boy, ‘cept for the fact that she couldn't pee standing up and she thought kissing was cute. Yuck!

But soon I had to get down, because all the blood was rushing to my head and making me dizzy. And I knew Grandpa would skin us alive if he saw us hanging upside down in the oak tree.

Just as I got down and so did Lexy, Grandpa came out on the porch. Talk about good luck! "Hey, guys. I'm going to work on a new project I have in my woodshop. Would you like to watch?"

"What kind of project?" Lexy asked.

"You'll see."

"Can we sand some of it?" I asked. I liked sanding. I did it very well.

"If I get done carving it all today, Harry." He waved us into the house. He was holding a can of soda in one hand and sipping at it.

"Grandpa?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"D'you know how to get a girl pregnant?"

He spit the soda all over the porch. "What?!!"

"Can you do it by kissing?"

"Uh . . .maybe you ought to ask your father."

"That's what I told him, Mr. Toby." Lexy said smugly.

"Smart girl. Harry, ask Sev. He'll tell you what you need to know."

"Okay, Grandpa." Maybe he'd forgotten or something.

We went into the woodshop, which was usually kept locked, and Grandpa had me and Lexy sit on chairs near his bench and he told Lexy all the rules. No touching, no wandering around, and especially no playing with the machines. He repeated them like five times, I guess he thought we wouldn't remember if he didn't.

On his workbench in the middle of the room was a large sheet, with something underneath it.

He swept it off and I gasped. It was carving of my dad, me, and Inky, nearly as big as me.

"Grandpa! It's-it's wicked!"

"Like it? I'm going to give it to your dad for a Father's Day present. If i finish it in time, that is." He turned the carving around to show that it wasn't finished in the back.

"Ooh! It's awesome, Mr. Toby. It looks just like them." Lexy was staring at the carving in amazement and I could tell she was itching to feel it, like I was. "How'd you do it?"

"Uh, lots of practice and a couple dozen photographs of Sev, Harry, and Inky."

Dad was sitting on a bench, I was on his lap, and Inky was sitting next to him with his big head on Dad's other knee. Dad had one arm around me and one hand on Inky. And he was looking at us both tenderly, the way he usually did when we were at home and half-asleep in the den. On the bottom of the base was the title Healer and Sons.

"I've been busy with work, so I haven't had time to work on it as much as I'd like," said Grandpa. "But maybe I can finish the back of it today."

He started to sharpen his carving knives, then he set to work.

Lexy and I watched, fascinated, as curls and wood shaving flew from his knife as he carved the wood with slow strokes. We sat still as mice and ghosts as Grandpa carved the back of Dad's head, making his hair.

But after awhile, I started to get restless. I'm not too good at sitting still. "Grandpa? Can I sand something?"

He didn't answer me for a moment, he was still carving. Then he said, "Yes, Harry. You can sand this other piece I have." He bent and picked up a pretty carved doe from a box of finished pieces. "Here. Get yourself a piece of sandpaper and start with that."

I obeyed.

"Can I have one too?" asked Lexy.

"Sure, sweetie." Grandpa gave her a bear to sand. "You know how to sand? If not, Harry can show you."

So I got Lexy a piece of sandpaper and showed her how to sand the right way, with firm even strokes, around and around.

We worked for about fifteen minutes before Lexy said, " Mr. Toby, how do I do the eyes? I can't get the paper in there."

"Come here, kitten, and I'll show you," Grandpa said, and he beckoned Lexy over and put her on his lap. "You need a special little sandpaper stick to do the small stuff." He got one out of the drawer under the table, and began to show Lexy how to sand the bear's eyes.

She watched and snuggled on his lap, and for some reason seeing her there made me feel jealous. I was usually the one who got to help Grandpa in the woodshop, and I was the one he sat on his knee and helped do something. He was my grandpa, not hers, I thought sulkily.

I watched them, forgetting the carving in my hand, my lower lip stuck out. Lexy seemed right at home in his lap, like she was there forever, and Grandpa was patiently holding her hands about the sandpaper stick. The green-eyed monster was biting me awful bad now, and I said, "Grandpa, can you help me do the eyes too?"

"In a minute, Harry. Let me finish with Lexy."

I sat back in my chair and scowled. Why did girls always get to go first?

Five minutes later, I was getting so sick of waiting that I wanted to scream. I kicked the leg of the table. Thump!

"Harry, stop it," Grandpa ordered, giving me a mild Snape glare. "You nearly knocked a carving knife down. I'm almost done with Lexy."

"You said that five minutes ago. It's taking forever. You should have let me go first."

"Why?" asked Lexy.

"Because I won't take up so much time. I need help too!"

"I'm sorry, but I've never done this before." Lexy said.

"Harry, stop whining and wait your turn. Lexy's your guest, she should go first." Grandpa said sharply.

I didn't like that at all. "Well, I'm your grandson, doesn't that count?"

"Yes, but you're going to have to be patient, Harry. Now be quiet and wait."

But I didn't want to be quiet and wait, I wanted Grandpa to help me first, and I wanted Lexy to quit sitting on his lap, because that was my spot, and suddenly I was mad at my friend. "I never said you could share my grandpa, Lexy!"

Lexy looked up at me, puzzled. "Why not? You want to share my mom and I let you."

"Because," I said stubbornly. "I don't want you to."

She glared at me. "Well, if you won't share then I won't either!"

"You promised!" I cried, alarmed that she would take back her promise to let me go with her mum for the breakfast.

"I take it back, since you're being mean."

"I am not. You're taking too long. And if you break a promise, you'll be a liar. Liar, liar pants on fire!" I chanted.

Grandpa set down the sandpaper and said, in an awful voice, "Harry James Severus, get your backside out of my workshop and into a corner this instant, boy! I don't know what's gotten into you, but it's going to stop."

"B-but Grandpa, it's my turn next." I sniffled.

"One."

"You always take her side," I grumbled and got to my feet.

"Two."

I left the woodshop and went to the corner between the kitchen and the hall. I knew better than to test Grandpa when he started counting. Unlike Dad, when he got to three it didn't mean time-out, it meant a smack.

I wondered how long I'd have to stand here, since Grandpa hadn't said. Probably until he was done with Lexy. I sighed and wished I had never lost my temper. But all weekend it seemed like Lexy was getting all the attention and I was being ignored. She caught the biggest fish, she got to ride on Dad's shoulders (I hadn't wanted to, but still), and now she got to sit on my grandfather's lap and sand with him. What about me? When was it my turn?

I shifted from one foot to the other. Whoever had invented time-out liked to torture kids, I'll bet.

I was slowly dying of boredom.

The, just as I was about to drop dead, Grandpa came in and said, "Come here, young man. We need to have a talk about your behavior."

On second thought, the corner looked good, and I wasn't bored any more.

"Harry."

I turned around and came, dragging my feet a little. I hated when he was mad at me almost as much as I hated it when Dad was mad at me. He led me to the den and sat me on the sofa. Then he sat down next to me.

"What in blazes has gotten into you this weekend, young man? I know you know how to behave, so why aren't you? There's no need to be so rude to Lexy. She asked me for help first, so that's why I was helping her and not you. Not because I like her better or something."

"You DO like her better," I cried. "You didn't yell at her for not sharing her mother!"

"Harry, what are you talking about?"

I told him about the breakfast and Lexy's promise and how she'd broken it and was a liar.

"Wait a minute. Let me get this straight. You asked her to share her mother for this breakfast and then you wouldn't let her share me? How is that fair?"

I shrugged. "That's different. I never promised I'd share you."

One eyebrow went up. "Minnow, you're being selfish. You can't have it both ways. It's share and share alike, or nothing. Didn't your dad ever teach you that?"

I looked down on the ground. I knew about sharing. I shared my toys and games and everything with Ron, Hermione, Blaise, and Lexy.

"Look at me."

I obeyed , looking into his dark blue eyes.

"Sev mentioned the other day that you seemed to think if he paid attention to Lexy that he no longer loved you. Is that what this is about? You're jealous that I'm paying attention to Lexy and not you?"

Slowly, I nodded.

Grandpa sighed. "Harry, you're going to have to learn that you can't always be the center of attention any more. It's not like it was a year ago, when it was only you and me and your dad, mostly. Now things are different, you have more new friends and so does your dad. And the way things are going, I think Alaina might be a bit more than a friend someday."

"Like maybe Dad might marry her?"

"Yes, then you'd have a new mum, but also a sister, and you'd both have to learn how to share your parents. Like I did when my little brother was born. I was five and I didn't like him at all at first."

"You have a brother?"

"Had. He died a long time ago. An accident in the mine," Grandpa said, and he looked terribly sad then. "My family worked in a coal mine up in Yorkshire, all except me, because I went and became a soldier. But I remember when Nate was born, and I told my mum to send him back where he came from, that I was her little boy, not him."

"What did she say?"

"She said, ‘Toby, you'll always be my little boy, but now Nate is too, and you're going to have to be a big brother and teach him everything you know. But you're both my sons, and I love you the same.' Then she made me hold him and feed him, and all of a sudden I didn't mind so much that he was there."

"Did you like each other?"

"Sure we did. He was my baby brother, I looked out for him and he annoyed the blazes out of me, like all little brothers. We fought like cats and dogs sometimes, and got our backsides walloped for it too. And sometimes I thought my parents favored him over me, but they didn't. It was just that Nate was better behaved than I was. He was the good one, I was the troublemaker. He was easygoing, like my mother, but me, I got the Snape temper and stubbornness. He obeyed all the rules and I broke every one of them. But for all of that, my mother still loved me. Just like Severus and I love you, Harry."

I felt ashamed then and I got tears in my eyes. "I'm sorry I acted like a brat, sir."

"Yeah, well you should be," Grandpa said sternly. "You need to start learning to control your temper, Harry. I've noticed that it tends to run off with you, like it does the rest of us Snapes."

"Sometimes I say stuff I don't mean." Like today with Lexy. And yesterday.

"Mmmhmm. . .that temper is something I have a problem with too. That's why I want you to get a grip on yours now, Harry, so you don't make the same mistakes I did with your dad when he was little."

"Like when you spanked him over nothing?"

Grandpa looked startled. "Sev told you that?"

"No, but I heard you and dad talking that one time, when you stayed over. You said you were sorry."

"I was. And I still am. My temper made me do a lot of things I'm not proud of, Harry. That's why you should always . . .how does Severus put it? . . . Think twice before you open your mouth. That'll prevent you from saying or doing something you'll regret later, like I regret punishing Severus and you regret arguing with Lexy. And if you do let that temper run off with you, best you learn how to say you're sorry afterwards." He paused, then stretched his legs out and continued. "Another thing I'm not too good at. But then, no one's perfect."

"Dad's almost perfect." I said loyally.

Grandpa laughed. "Sev would tell you differently, but I thought the same when I was your age about my father." Then he reached out and tousled my hair. "Now, i think you need to go back and say you're sorry to Lexy. She was pretty upset about what you said. Thought you didn't like her or something."

"I do like her," I objected. "She's one of my best friends."

"Then maybe you need to act like a friend and go and apologize," Grandpa ordered.

So I did, and Lexy forgave me and I agreed to share my family with her and she said she would share hers, except her dad, since he was so mean, and everything was okay between us.

Dad returned, he looked very tired, and asked Grandpa if we'd behaved for him.

I held my breath. Would Grandpa tell Dad about how I'd acted with Lexy?

"They were pretty good, for the most part. Was it very bad, Sev?"

"Bad enough. There are several that will need an overnight stay in our burn unit and spell damage ward. But no one died, thank God."

Now seemed like a good time to ask my dad about women and getting pregnant. "Hey, Dad?" I tugged on the sleeve of his robe to get his attention.

"Yes, what is it, Harry?"

"How do you make a girl pregnant? I asked Grandpa and he couldn't remember and he told me to ask you."

Dad didn't answer for a moment. For some reason he was coughing and Grandpa was laughing.

I looked at Lexy. She looked as puzzled as I felt. "What's with them?"

"I dunno. They're grown-ups."

Yes, that explained it. Sort of.

"Dad? So how do you? You know, you're a Healer."

Grandpa was laughing harder now. "Well, Sev?"

"Err . . .when two people love each other, Harry, they get married and then they have a baby."

"So it's love that makes a girl pregnant?"

"Yes, in a way."

"And kissing too, ‘cause all the people in love kiss a lot," added Lexy.

"Umm . . .yes, I guess you can say that," Dad said, biting his lip. "Come on, you two, I need to get you back home before your mother comes back, Lexy." He picked us both up and we Apparated home. When we got there, Alaina had just pulled up in the drive and was getting out when Lexy ran to her, she hugged her and kissed her.

Then I ran over too and she did the same to me. "How's my boy, Harry?"

"Good." Then I asked her if she'd mind if I went to the Mother's Day breakfast with her as her kid also.

"I think that's a wonderful idea and you were smart to think of it." She got out of the car and went to my dad , who hugged her so long that I thought she might turn into a pancake. I wondered if Dad loved her. I wasn't sure if I liked the idea of a pregnant Alaina. Then I remembered what Grandpa had said about him and his little brother and I didn't mind as much as I had before. Sometimes it was true, what they said, that grandpas (and Dads too) really did know best.

The cafeteria of Mabry Primary was decorated in pink and white streamers It also had little pink and white balloons and pretty paper plates with roses on them, and rosebud centerpieces in the middle of the tables, which were covered with white tablecloths. There were dozens of tissue paper flowers in every color of the rainbow, taped to the walls.

We'd spent our art class making them and drawings and cards for our mums, even me, I'd made a card for Alaina and a flower too and picture of her, Lexy, Dad, and me together in front of my house. It was one of my better pictures, I'd tried to draw everybody the way they really looked, and I colored it very carefully with my best markers and pencils. Then I made a frame for it out of cardboard and colored paper and pretty beads and glitter. Mrs. Perkins, the art teacher (she's also Stevie's mum, the same Stevie that's scared to death of shots), helped me with the frame, gluing it together and decorating it. On the back I wrote in my best printing, To Alaina

Thanks for being my mum for a day. Love, Harry

Then I put it in a special envelope with my name on it that was to go next to where Alaina and Lexy and I were going to be sitting. It was my Mother's Day gift. Lexy had made one too, so Alaina had two special gifts.

By each of the place settings, was a card with the name of the kid and her mum on it, Alaina had one with both of our names on it. Our napkins were pink and folded like roses in the center of our plates. We had three of them-a big one and two smaller ones. The smaller ones were for dessert and salad or something. It looked really nice and the mums who were there already when we showed up looked very pleased.

Dad made me wear a shirt and a tie and my good trousers and shoes for this, since it was a special breakfast. My tie was green and gold with little lions on it, since the lion was the symbol of the British crown. My trousers were a dark gray-charcoal, Dad called it- and my shirt was plain white. My shoes were black and they were sort of new and they pinched, and I wished I'd told Dad about it before we'd left, since he could've adjusted them with a spell. But it was too late now, and I was glad we could sit down for this breakfast.

Alaina and Lexy were wearing matching mother-daughter outfits of a soft lavender color. They were wearing a pretty dress with little embroidered flowers on the sleeves and around the collar, the skirt was swirly and had a ruffled edge on it and the only difference between Alaina'a outfit and Lexy's were their shoes and hair clips. Alaina had on sandals with a little heel, Lexy had plain white sandals with no heel. Their hair clips each had a different animal on it. Lexy's had a kitten, and Alaina's a flower like on her dress.

Alaina had her purse and Lexy had Misty, she took her everywhere, like I used to do to Inky till I made him alive. Dad had given Alaina a pretty purple and white orchid to wear on her wrist-a corsage, he called it. "For the most beautiful mother anywhere," he'd said, when he'd put it on her, then he'd kissed her.

They'd probably have gone on like that forever, but I cleared my throat and said, "Hey, Alaina, we're gonna be late unless we hurry."

They stopped after that, and me and Lexy got in Alaina's car and we went to the school.

When we arrived, we were greeted by Mr. Ambrose, the Headmaster, and some other teachers. They told us to find the card with our names on it and sit down. Soft music was playing in the background and a large sign hung on one wall read Welcome to the 5th Annual Mother's Day breakfast at Mabry Primary.

Alaina walked inbetween Lexy and I while we looked for the card with her name on it. Lexy and I, meanwhile looked around at all the other mothers and their kids who were there. I turned to Alaina and said, "Dad was right, you are the most beautiful mother anywhere."

"Why, thank you, Harry. You're very sweet!" Alaina smiled at me.

"She sure is and she's my mom," Lexy said, and I heard an odd note in her voice, like she was telling me Alaina was just hers and I was only borrowing her.

"Of course, Lexy, but for today I'm Harry's too," Alaina reminded her, and then we found where we were sitting and Alaina sat inbetween us, with me on the left and Lexy on the right. "What lovely place settings," Alaina said as she examined them.

I wondered when we could give Alaina the envelope with the gifts. I looked at Lexy and made a gesture to her towards the envelopes and she shook her head and mouthed, Not yet! Wait!

So I waited and then a lady that looked like a waitress came around and asked us what we would like to drink. I asked for chocolate milk, Lexy had apple juice and Alaina had tea. All the mums also got a special glass of some kind of strawberry spritzer, it had a splash of champagne in it, whatever that was. The glass had a strawberry on a little pink paper umbrella.

"Mom, can I have your strawberry when you're done?" asked Lexy.

"Yes, and Harry can have the umbrella."

Lexy pouted. "But Mom, I always get the umbrella when you have a fancy drink."

"Well, Lex, you can't have them both, so you'd better pick one, since it's not fair for you to have both things and not Harry."

Lexy crossed her arms and stared at her plate for a minute, she looked like she was mad at her mum. Then she said crossly, "Fine! Harry can have the umbrella and I'll eat the strawberry."

"That's very kind of you to share, Lexy," Alaina said quietly and sipped her drink. "Now how about giving me a smile instead of looking like a sourpuss? Because nobody like a girl that looks like this."

Alaina made a funny face at her daughter.

I laughed, but Lexy sulked for a few minutes, then said, "You're silly, Mom."

More kids and their mums were coming into the cafeteria now. They were mostly eight, seven, six, and five year olds. The bigger kids had their Mother's Day breakfast tomorrow.

Then I saw Hermione and Jane coming over to our table and also Mrs. Perkins and Stevie. It looked like they were seated at the same table we were. "Hi, Lexy! Hi, Harry!" Hermione said, waving at us.

She was wearing a cute sailor type dress, navy blue with a white collar and white stripes on the sleeves and hem with lacy socks and white shoes. Her hair was done up in a braid round her head. Jane was dressed in very nice navy blue dress with a pretty red rose pinned to her chest. She also had on some gold rose earrings.

"Hello, Jane. I'm so glad you could make it," said Alaina, they were neighbors and friends with each other.

"Yes, thank goodness the Saturday patient Wally had scheduled canceled. He forgot I was supposed to come with Mione to this breakfast." Jane shook her head. "Typical man. He never forgets a ruby match or a soccer game, but the Mother's Day breakfast? What's that, dear?"

"That sounds like my husband too," laughed Mrs. Perkins. "Hello again, Harry, Hermione, and Lexy." She was wearing a pink and white skirt set and looked very good also. Her brown hair was covered by a little pink and white hat. Stevie was also wearing a dress shirt and tie and kept tugging at it. "Stevie, say hello to everyone and leave your tie alone."

"But Mum, it's choking me!" He tugged again, pretending to gag. "See, I can't get enough air."

"Oh, Steven!" Mrs. Perkins batted his hands down and retied the blue tie. "There! I want you to at least keep the tie on until Mrs. Devon announces the breakfast is being served, then you can take it off."

"I hate ties," Stevie groaned and I flashed him a look of utter agreement. Ties and new shoes that pinched your feet sucked.

"He's such a little dramatist." Mrs. Perkins sighed. "I think he'll make a great actor one day."

Stevie said hello to us then said, in a very soft voice, "Mum, I'm not going to be an actor, I'm going to be a wizard. You know that!"

"Well, are you telling me there are no wizard actors?" whispered his mum back.

"I would suppose there are." Alaina said. "But they probably only act on stage, like the old Shakespeare companies."

Stevie and Mrs. Perkins sat opposite me and Alaina and Hermione and Jane sat next to Lexy and Stevie. I was glad they were sitting with us, so I could talk to kids I knew and not get stuck talking to some five-year-old or whatever.

"I can't wait till the end of school," said Stevie eagerly. He was a blond boy with dark brown eyes and a slightly crooked front tooth. "How come you're here with Lexy's mum, Harry?"

"‘Cause we're sharing her for today," I answered. "So for today she's my mum and Lexy's too."

"Oh. I didn't know you could do that," Stevie said. "Unless you were brother and sister, of course."

"Well, my mom is dating his dad," Lexy replied. "So that kind of makes Harry my twin brother."

"Must be nice to have twins like that, huh, Alaina," teased Jane Granger.

"Piece of cake, Jane," laughed my almost mum, and then the other two laughed as well.

I looked at Stevie and Hermione and Lexy in puzzlement. What was so funny? They looked as confused as I felt. Okay, it was a fact-grown-ups were just plain WEIRD! ALL of them!

"Are you doing anything cool for the summer, Harry?" asked Stevie.

"Um . . .I'm not sure yet. I know we haven't planned a holiday yet, ‘cause Dad needs to check his schedule."

"That's another reason I like summer," Stevie told us. "It's a whole three months till I have to get another shot from Healer Snape." He shuddered pathetically. "I really like your dad, Harry, but the shots he gave me this year for my check-up really hurt! ‘Specially that new one."

Hermione and I nodded, wincing.

"Did you cry?" asked Lexy.

"Umm . . .a little," Stevie admitted, reddening. I knew a little meant he'd bawled his head off, he just didn't want to admit it in front of the girls. "I couldn't help it. Mum says I've got a . . .phobia about shots."

"What's that?" asked Lexy.

"A phobia's when you're really afraid of something, like Ron is of spiders or I am of thunder," piped up Hermione.

"Oh. I'm afraid of the dark. I always sleep with a night light and Misty," Lexy volunteered. "I don't like shots either, but Healer Sev gives us the coolest candy after, so I don't mind so much."

Yes, he did, and Stevie agreed with me.

"How about you, Harry? What are you afraid of?" asked Hermione.

"Killer Dobermans," I answered, recalling Butch. "And the masked men coming back again." Even though Dad had told me all the bad men had been put in Azkaban, I still had nightmares about them

Then the Headmaster was announcing a warm welcome to all the mothers and kids who had come for the breakfast. "Food will be served shortly, I hope you all brought your appetites. Now, I'm going to turn the microphone over to Mrs. Devon." He stepped down from the podium and Mrs. Devon came up and said that before the breakfast began, we needed to give our mothers the gift we had made for them.

I handed Alaina my envelope shyly. "Uh, this is for you."

Lexy gave me a scowl. "Hey! I'm supposed to be first. She's my mom, Harry!"

"Lexy, it doesn't matter who gives me what first. Now settle down and quit acting like a jealous brat," Alaina ordered sternly. Then she began to open the envelope and examine the things inside.

"Oh, Harry! It's beautiful!" She hugged me. "Thank you very much!" She showed Jane and Mrs. Perkins what I'd made her, and then the servers came around to set some covered dishes in front of us.

Alaina was still opening her present from Lexy, so we all waited until she was finished before taking the covers off the silver dishes. Underneath them were plates of bacon, scrambled eggs, sausage patties, fried potatoes, waffles and pancakes with different kinds of fruit on them, like strawberries and peaches. There was syrup and cream and a basket full of breads and muffins, butter, and mini bagels. There was even a bowl of yogurt and a dish of oatmeal with cinnamon and bananas.

"All of this looks delicious!" said Jane. "And I shouldn't eat any of it if I want to fit into my new dress for the Dental Association banquet coming up in a month."

"Oh, come on, Jane! You know you don't have to worry about gaining weight. You burn off everything you eat when you run in the morning," Alaina chuckled. "I wish I had your discipline. The only running I do is around a playground with my students when we play Duck-Duck-Goose!"

"I know what you mean," said Mrs. Perkins. "But today's our day, ladies, so the heck with diets and exercise, let's eat, drink, and be merry! And tomorrow we can go back on Slim Fast."

"I'll drink to that!" Alaina smiled, and she raised her glass and the other two mothers clinked hers. Then they drank the strawberry spritzer.

I ate a waffle and some eggs and sausage. The food was okay, not as good as Dad's, but then nothing was. Alaina chatted with Jane and Stevie's mum, they were talking about each other's job and kids, telling each other stories about dumb things their kids did when they were like two. I thanked God Alaina didn't know anything embarrassing about me. I think Stevie wanted to disappear when his mum told about how he'd shoved beads from her necklace up his nose. "He was forever doing things like that, Charles and I never figured out why. But thank goodness Healer Sev and Morgan could usually remove whatever he stuck up there with a quick Summoning Charm."

"Hermione tried to pull out her own tooth once with a pair of her grandfather's pliers. She's lucky she didn't crack the enamel on her other two teeth or get some kind of disease from putting the filthy things in her mouth," Jane said, laughing.

"Mum, please!" groaned Hermione. "Not that again!"

Lexy looked at her mother in alarm, for she was next. "Lexy got into my makeup once, and drew all over herself and our cat Snuggles with it. She had my lipstick all over her face and the blush around her eyes and the poor cat's fur looked like a rainbow. ‘Clown, Mommy! Like the circus!' she said when I discovered what she'd been up to. I started laughing, even though I probably should've scolded her first. Too bad I didn't have a camera handy."

"You mean, thank God you didn't have a camera," Lexy whispered to us. "I thought this was supposed to be the Mother's Day breakfast, not Embarrass Your Kids Day."

"It's too bad Sev's not here, I'm sure he could tell us a tale or two about Harry, who was always up to something," said Mrs. Perkins.

"No doubt, but he did tell me one funny thing."

He did?? Dad, how could you?

"Well, Sev said little Harry loved to draw on the walls. With anything and everything. Quills, markers, ink, crayons, you name it and he used it. Severus said he couldn't count how many times he had to use a spell to remove something from the wall. They even tried charming all the quills and pens so Harry couldn't use them, but then he just found something else, like lipstick. ‘No matter how many times we told him no, you draw on paper or parchment, or smacked his hand and put him in time-out, the minute we turned our back, there he was scribbling on the wall. Lily used to joke that maybe we had the next Michelangelo, once she stopped yelling about how Harry'd ruined her newest tube of lipstick, that is.'"

"What did Sev end up doing to stop it?" asked Jane, once they'd stopped chuckling.

"Uh. . .Lily figured out that if she made a special wall for Harry to hang up the pictures he made, he'd quit scribbling all over the wall. She called it the art wall, Sev said, and it worked like a charm. He still has one, as a matter of fact."

Only now I put my own pictures on it for him to see and sometimes a test that I'd gotten a 100% on went up there too. Still, I wish Dad hadn't told Alaina that dumb story. Grown-ups! They just love to embarrass their kids. I'll bet he'll be telling that story when I'm twenty!

Then they started talking about their husbands, and Alaina got real quiet all of a sudden. I knew that was because her old husband had been mean and nasty to her, that's why she divorced him. "Dan was the kind of man your parents warned you to stay away from. But I didn't know that until after I married him. That was when the prince turned into a monster," Alaina said with a shudder. "I should've listened to my mother and married Max King next door."

"It's easy to say what if and I should've, Alaina, after the fact. Hindsight is always perfect," Jane told her. "The important thing is you got away from him and took your daughter away too. So many women never get up the courage to leave."

"Too true. I did a talk for a charity for abused women once I'd left Dan, trying to encourage women in abusive relationships to leave before it was too late. I don't know how much good it did."

"Some advice is better than no advice," said Mrs. Perkins.

"Do you really think so, Sally? I wish sometimes I could take my own and stop jumping at shadows. Even after nearly eight months, sometimes I think I see a man that looks like him or a car like his and I get all panicky. Silly, right?"

"You don't think he'd ever come after you?" Jane asked, alarmed.

"He did once, but then I was with my parents in Pennsylvania, and he wanted me to give him Lexy. I told him he'd get her over my dead body, and he laughed and said I can arrange it, but then the cops came and took him to jail for breaking his restraining order. Dan doesn't like to lose, in or out of the courtroom."

"Well, he lost you all right. And his loss is your gain," said Stevie's mum.

"Not to mention a certain Healer's," said Jane with a wink, and Alaina went red.

"Right on, Janie. I'd like to see the creep try anything when Sev's around. He'll make the rotter sorry he ever saw the light of day. That Snape temper's nothing to fool with, especially if you harm one of their own. Sev might be a Healer and sworn to harm none with magic, but he can throw a punch with the best of them," my art teacher said admiringly.

"While I dearly love to see Sev thrash Dan six ways to Sunday, I prefer it if it never came to that and Dan stayed where he belonged, far away from here for the rest of my life." Alaina said hopefully.

I hoped so too, for Dan sounded like a terrible man and I never wanted to meet him. I put my hand in Alaina's then and said, "Don't worry, Alaina. Dad will knock him to the moon if he ever comes back for you and Grandpa will pound what's left over into the ground. And I'll help him," I added, trying to sound brave and tough. "Cause nobody messes with a Snape."

"Oh, Harry!" Alaina cried, and then she hugged me so tightly I almost couldn't breathe.

"Looks like you're pretty well-defended, Alaina," smiled Jane.

"Yeah. If I were your ex-husband I'd start running to China," added Hermione. "Healer Sev could make a boggart wet itself and Harry's grandpa could scare the socks off of a dementor."

I grinned proudly. Yup, no doubt about it, the Snape men could be very scary if they had to be.

Before we could say anything else, Mrs. Devon came back up to the podium and announced that the school had a special gift for all the mums, since they had the toughest job of all, and got the least credit for it. "When I call your name, please come up here and get a special button and a bouquet of roses."

"Well, that's right nice of them!" exclaimed Mrs. Perkins. "They didn't do anything like this last year. Must have gotten extra money out of pinch-penny Torres." Torres was on the Board of Governors, I think, and nobody liked him.

Alaina went up and when she came back, she had a pretty bouquet of pink and peach roses and a big button that said Queen For A Day! All Day & Every Day, All Hail the Queen Mum.

"That's you, Mom!" Lexy cheered. "And I'm the princess!" She hugged Alaina.

"What about me?" I asked, feeling a bit left out.

"You can be the serving boy," Lexy said. I glared at her. Then she smirked at me. "Only kidding. You can be a prince, Harry."

"They've got a real Prince Harry here too, y'know, He's third in line for the throne, after his dad and brother," Hermione told Lexy.

"But not a wizard prince," I said softly. "My grandma's name before she married Grandpa was Prince."

"Guess you really are a prince, Harry," gasped Stevie. Then he pretended to bow to me.

I pretended to look all stuck-up and looked down my nose at him. "That's right, and now you have to do whatever I say."

"Not really, Harry," Hermione chimed in. "Even the royals have to obey Parliament. Otherwise they get their head chopped off, like Charles the First."

"They do?" Lexy's eyes were wide.

"Yup." Hermione nodded, in that know-it-all way she has. "Aren't I right, Mummy?"

"You are, Mione, but that happened hundreds of years ago, when we were less civilized."

"How does she know all that?" marveled Mrs. Perkins.

"She watches the History Channel," Jane said proudly.

"Aww, Merlin! I wanted to pretend to chop off Harry's head," Stevie whined.

"Steven!" scolded his mum.

"What?" he looked at her innocently. "It's just a game, Mum!"

"I don't want to be a prince anymore," I said quickly. "Too many people want to chop off your head."

"Only if you're a bad one," Lexy said then. "If you're good and help people, then you get to marry the beautiful princess and live happily ever after."

Stevie hooted. "Ooo, Harry getting married! Who are y'gonna marry? Hermione?"

"Shut up, Stevie."

"He can't marry me," objected Hermione. "I'm not a princess."

"You are for today, since your mum's a queen," pointed out Stevie. "So now you and Harry can marry each other. That means you gotta kiss her, Harry."

"No way!" I cried, horrified.

Hermione looked hurt. "Why not? Is there something wrong with me?"

I realized I'd hurt her feelings. "No. It's just you're a girl." I explained.

"Well, of course I'm a girl!"

"So . . .I don't kiss girls. Not even grown-up ones." I felt myself going redder and redder, Stevie was laughing, and Hermione was looking at me like I'd just insulted every member of her family. Uh-oh, Harry. Now you've done it. I thought fast. "But if I did kiss girls, I'd kiss you first, Hermione."

Hermione beamed. "Really? Thanks, Harry!" Then she threw her arms about me and kissed me on the cheek!

I wanted to die. Why me?

"Aww, how sweet!" cooed the other mums, who happened to see it.

Great! Now everybody would be talking about it. I struggled to keep from wiping my cheek where she'd kissed me. Girls! Why did they have to be so . . .so touchy feely? It was so embarrassing! I was very glad there was only a week left of school, because I wouldn't have to listen to all the other kids making fun of me and saying I was sweet on Hermione. Yuck!

I looked down at my shoes and wished I were somewhere else. Alaina put her arm around me. "Don't be embarrassed, Harry. You handled that like a real gentleman. Just like your dad."

I looked up at her. "I did?"

" Yes. You were polite and considerate of Hermione's feelings, like your dad is of mine. And someday, when you're older, you're going to make some woman very happy." Then she smiled at me and said, "Your dad would be very proud of you. And so am I."

I felt better then, and I hugged her. That was the kind of thing my mum would have said, I think. Alaina was a nice lady and she was a good mother. I didn't think I'd mind so much if Dad married her one day. I just hoped they didn't have a baby if they ever did get married. Because I already had Lexy as my sister and I didn't want to share my dad and grandpa or even Alaina with a baby.

The breakfast was pretty much over after that, and we headed back home. In the car, Lexy and Alaina sang silly songs, like "Pop Goes the Weasel" and "Bear Necessities" and "This Old Man". I sang along too, and we all ended up laughing.

Dad was waiting for us when we came up the drive, he'd been watering the plants on the porch. "Well, how did it go?"

"It was lovely," Alaina said, smiling at him. "Your son ws very well-behaved, Severus. A real gentleman."

"Oh?" Dad's eyebrow went up.

"He let Hermione kiss him in front of the whole school!" Lexy sang out, then she started giggling.

"I didn't want her to, Dad!" I said. "She just did it." Merlin, but I was never gonna live this down! "She's not my girlfriend."

Dad looked at me and I saw he understood perfectly. "It's all right, Harry. Your mum did the same thing to me once when we were seven, when we were in the park. I'd just chased away this other kid who was bothering her and she ran up to me and said "You're the best, Sev!" And kissed me right on the mouth!"

"What did you do?"

"I wished I could turn myself invisible," Dad admitted with a smirk. "But I didn't feel that way ten years later, when she kissed me while we were walking."

"How come?"

"Because when you get older, Harry, your feelings towards girls change. You'll see what I mean one day. Right, Alaina?"

"Yes, Sev." Then she walked into his arms and kissed him.

Lexy squealed and I just rolled my eyes. Dad had to be wrong this time. I'd never like a girl that way, never ever, not in a million years, sure as my name's Harry James Severus Potter. But it had been nice to have a mum again, even if it was only for a day.

At last it was summer, and I spent much of my week while Dad worked with either the Weasleys or Alaina. I still had one day a week as my own day to spend time just with Dad and the weekends belonged to Grandpa and sometimes Uncles Sirius and Moony.

I had been begging Dad for weeks now, it was the last week of June, to let me have a sleepover party with my friends. But when he finally said yes, Hermione had gone on holiday to France for two weeks, so it was just Ron and Lexy. I'd invited Blaise, but he'd gone to Italy to visit his cousins.

Coincidentally, the Saturday I was having my sleepover was also the same night Dad was taking Alaina to dinner and a play. Sirius was supposed to be watching us, but then Grandpa volunteered to help him, I think Dad asked him to, and now we had two babysitters.

Dad and Alaina left at 5:30, after reminding me and Lexy to behave and leaving some last minute instructions for Grandpa and Padfoot.

"Sirius, you know how to reach me on my mirror if one of the kids gets sick or there's an emergency. There's plenty of food in the house, so you can make what you want for dinner. We probably won't be home until midnight."

"Relax, Sev. We'll be fine. I've babysat before, you know."

"I know, but this is three of them and you know what mischief Harry and Ron can get up to."

"Go on, Sev. I'll keep the brats in line, so don't worry about anything. Have a good time with Alaina." Grandpa said, then they said goodbye and left.

Sirius turned to me and asked, "What time is Ron supposed to get here?"

"Six o'clock."

"Good. That gives us time to make dinner for you. Let's see what Sev's got in the freezer." He rummaged through the freezer. "How does hamburgers and chicken nuggets sound with a side of chips sound?"

"Great!"

"No vegetables?" asked Lexy.

"Nah. I don't like ‘em that much, so we can skip ‘em." Sirius said smirking. "We won't tell Sev. Okay?"

I grinned. Sirius knew of Dad's insistence on eating all four food groups. But no vegetables for that night sounded fine to me.

Just then we heard Grandpa call from the den, "Sirius, get in here! Something's wrong with the fireplace. The fire just turned a strange green color!"

"it's okay, Toby. That's only the Floo, remember? Ron should be coming through any minute." Sirius answered.

Sure enough, Ron's voice was heard a few minutes later. "Hi, Mr. Snape. Where's Harry?"

"Hello. Harry's in the kitchen with Sirius and Lexy. You're just in time for dinner."

Ron entered the kitchen a moment later, a rather worn yellow duffle in his hand and a pillow. "Hi, Harry, Lexy. Uh, where shall I put my stuff?"

"In my room," I answered.

"I'll take care of it, Ron," Padfoot said, then waved his wand and Ron's bag and pillow were magically transported to my room.

He looked at me and I smiled and said, "After we eat dinner, that's when the real part of the sleepover begins. We can play cards and Monopoly or Quidditch and then we can watch a movie on TV and eat popcorn and stay up half the night."

"Awesome!" Ron said. Then he looked at Sirius. "Uh, what's for dinner, Padfoot?"

• * * * * * *

We ate and then Grandpa said we could go play, so long as we didn't make a total disaster of my room or Inky's room. We spent a good hour playing tag with Inky all over the backyard, which Dad had warded so my panther couldn't jump the fence and run away anymore. When we were tired of that, Lexy said, "Let's play Monopoly."

"Okay, but you'd better not buy up Park Place and the Boardwalk this time," Ron said, for Lexy always managed to get at least one of those properties and then she could nail us both. Since Lexy had introduced Ron and I to the board game, we'd become addicted to it, and now we played it whenever we got the chance.

But after two hours, no one was winning, and we grew bored and decided to ask Grandpa to put a movie on for us, my TV had a VCR, and make popcorn.

"Fine with me, minnow, but after the movie, I want all of you in pajamas and you can stay up for another half-an-hour and then it's bedtime."

"Bedtime!" I cried, shaking my head frantically. "But Grandpa, it's a sleepover. That means you get to stay up extra late, like all night."

"Oh, no. You're not staying up all night till your father comes home, Harry. Not while I'm in charge." Grandpa shook his head firmly.

"Then Uncle Sirius can be in charge," I said, thinking quickly. Padfoot was so easygoing he wouldn't care what we did, so long as we didn't blow up the house or kill each other.

"No, I'm the commanding officer tonight, mister. That means you go to bed at nine-thirty."

"But Grandpa! Nine-thirty's too early. How about ten?"

"Harry, what's your normal bedtime?"

"Uh, eight o'clock. But Dad lets me stay up till eight-thirty sometimes."

"That's how it is in my house," said Ron.

"Mine too," added Lexy.

"Well, I'm letting you stay up a whole hour past your normal bedtime," said Grandpa. "So instead of whining and acting like a spoiled brat, you ought to say thank you, Harry Severus."

I pouted. I really wanted to stay up till ten o'clock, like I used to when I'd lived with him and he worked nights. Of course he never knew that, but I had. Still, I knew better than to argue with him now, he'd only get mad at me and then I'd be in trouble. I was half-hoping to convince him otherwise later.

"Okay. We'll go to bed at nine-thirty, sir."

"That's my good soldier," he praised and rumpled my hair.

Ron was looking at me like I'd just said I was going to jump off of London Bridge. I knew he thought I should've argued some more, but he didn't know Tobias Snape. My grandfather was not the arguing kind. It was his way or else you ended up in time-out or over his knee. It had been a long time since he'd punished me that way, though, but since Dad left him in charge, I knew it also meant he could punish me and maybe even my friends a little, if we misbehaved.

"All right, troops. Who wants popcorn?"

"ME!" we all shouted at the top of our lungs, and Grandpa winced.

Ten minutes later we were all watching The Jungle Book and singing along with Mowgli, Baloo, and Bagheera. We ate the whole bowl of popcorn Grandpa made and drank a glass each of soda too. Dad would've had a fit that we were eating too much sugar before bedtime, but our babysitters didn't mind, and neither did we.

Grandpa and Sirius went into the kitchen to play cards while we watched the movie, and when it was over, Grandpa came back in to get the bowl and cups and reminded me that we had a half-an-hour before our bedtime. Then he told us to get into our pajamas and do something quiet.

So we got into pajamas, and Lexy was already yawning. "M'sorry, Harry. I'm just so sleepy." Her eyes looked all droopy and she was leaning up against Inky on the panther's bed.

"That's okay, Lexy. You can go to sleep if you want to." I told her, for she looked like she was going to anyway.

"Thanks, Harry," she said, and yawned again. Then she snuggled into Inky's side and my panther curled up around her, he did that to me sometimes, and began to purr.

Lexy smiled. "Aww, you're a sweet boy, aren't you, Inky?" Then her eyes shut and she was asleep.

Ron and I glanced at each other. "Whatcha want to do now, Harry?" he asked. "We can't play Quidditch now, since we gotta go to bed at nine-thirty. How come you didn't try harder to convince your grandpa to let you stay up?"

I huffed. "Ron, d'you know my grandpa? You don't argue with him, you just do what he says. ‘Specially if you're only little and his grandson."

"What if you, uh, pitched a fit?"

I snorted. "Then he'd of spanked me for acting like a brat."

"Oh. Like my mum does," Ron said. Then he sighed. "I really wanted to play Quidditch, and make ice cream sundaes too. I never thought they'd make us go to bed like we still had school."

"Tell me about it," I grumbled. " I wish there was a way we could stay up later, but there isn't, unless Grandpa and Sirius change their minds."

"Or they fall asleep before us."

"Like that'll ever happen. They're grown-ups, they can stay up till midnight."

Ron looked very thoughtful . . .and sneaky. "What if I told you there was a way we could make them fall asleep for an hour and then we could stay up till ten-thirty?"

"Get real, Ron! That would take a miracle. Or a powerful magic spell."

"Maybe." He went over to his duffle and opened it, rummaging inside until he found what he was looking for, a small back box with a red ribbon on it. "Ah ha! I knew this would come in handy when I snitched it from the twins' joke cabinet."

"What is it?"

He undid the ribbon and opened the lid. Inside were six delicious looking chocolate truffles. My mouth watered, I loved chocolate. "Mmm. Those look great. Can I have one?" I reached out a hand to take one.

Ron grabbed my arm. "Don't, Harry! They're not for you to eat, unless you want to end up sleeping for an hour. The twins made them, they're called Bedtime Bonbons, and they said they're for when you want to prank your parents or a babysitter."

"How?"

"I dunno. They made some kind of potion and put it inside the truffle somehow. Then when a grown-up eats it, they fall asleep for an hour. Want to try it?"

I hesitated. Pranking my grandfather could be dangerous. He wasn't the kind of man who found practical jokes real funny. Then I thought of how much I wanted to stay up late on my first ever sleepover. It wasn't like it would hurt them or anything, just make them sleep for an hour, and let us stay up and play Quidditch and eat ice cream or whatever. And they wouldn't even know what happened, they'd just think they had fallen asleep.

"All right. You sure that's all this candy does?"

"Positive. Fred and George just invented it."

"Let's do it."

Ron carried the box into the den and set it on the table. Then he took two truffles out of the box and called, "Hey, Mr. Snape and Padfoot. Want some chocolate?"

"Sure, kid," called back Grandpa. "Leave it on the table, we'll eat it after we finish this hand and I win all Siri's money for the third time in a row."

"I'll beat you yet, Toby. Just wait and see."

"Oh sure you will! Keep dreaming, mate!"

Ron set the two chocolates down on the plate then we left and went back into my room, where Lexy and Inky were still sleeping. About three minutes later we heard Sirius cry, "Bloody hell, Tobias! I don't believe it. I had a three of a kind."

"A full house will beat that every time. Read ‘em and weep, Padfoot."

"That does it, Snape. If I didn't know better, I'd say you spelled those cards," muttered Sirius angrily.

"Nope. Just Lady Luck smiling on me."

"Well, I'm going to eat that chocolate Ron left us. Molly probably gave it to him for us, she knows what a sweet tooth we all have."

"I'll join you after I go out and have a smoke," Grandpa said, and then he went out into the backyard.

Sirius went into the den and sat down in the recliner, the truffle held in one hand. Ron and I watched from around the corner. He bit into it and sighed happily. "Oh, Merlin, but these are fantastic. Best truffles I've ever eaten." He ate the rest of it.

But he didn't fall asleep.

Ron and I waited for him to just keel over. But he was still awake.

"What happened? Why isn't it working?"

"I dunno. Maybe it takes awhile," Ron said.

It sure was, and I wondered if the prank would even work at all.

Grandpa came back into the den and took his truffle. "How are they?"

"Taste it and find out."

Grandpa did so, and he had nearly the same reaction as Padfoot.

"Godalmighty! This truffle is incredible."

"I know. Too bad we don't have anymore." Sirius said wistfully. Then he started yawning.

"Tired, Black?"

"No . . .not really. Except . . .all of a sudden I just want to close my eyes and sleep."

"All those hours as an Auror is probably catching up to you," Grandpa said knowingly.

But Sirius was already snoring.

Ron and I smirked in delight. The prank was working!

We waited for five or ten minutes.

Soon enough, Grandpa started to yawn too. "Huh? I'm never sleepy at this time of night. Gotta . . .keep awake . . .put the kids to bed . . ."

But the twins spelled candy was too much for even Tobias Snape, and soon he fell asleep as well.

"Yes!" Ron gave me a high five. "We're geniuses, Harry!"

"C'mon. Before they wake up." I urged Ron into the backyard, where we kept the Quidditch set I'd gotten from Uncle Matt for my birthday.

We played Quidditch until we nearly crashed into a tree, then we called it quits, and flew back down. I raced back inside and looked at the clock in the kitchen. It was ten o'clock. We still had a half-an-hour.

I got out the ice cream, hot fudge sauce, and cherries and whipped topping. Then we made huge sundaes and nearly got sick from eating all the ice cream. I looked up at the clock. It was almost ten-thirty.

"Quick, Ron! Let's go into my room. They'll be waking up soon."

We were so scared of getting caught that we left the kitchen table a mess and just went into my room. We got into bed and pretended to sleep, waiting to hear sounds of the two men waking up. But five and then ten minutes went by and we heard nothing.

"That's strange," I said. "They should've woken up by now."

Ron shrugged. "Maybe it takes longer to wake them up."

"Maybe I'd better go check on them." I had only wanted to play a prank, not get them sick.

"Go ahead. It's your behind."

I gulped. Why'd you have to remind me, Ron? Then I crept out of my bed and into the den.

Grandpa and Uncle Sirius were sleeping still, and they showed no signs of waking up soon. I shook Sirius's shoulder. "Padfoot? Hey, can you wake up now?"

He snored on peacefully. I moved over to Grandpa and called and shook him too. He too wouldn't wake up. "Ron, are you sure they only made them fall asleep for an hour?"

"Yes, they told me like a hundred times. Why?"

"Because it's been an hour-and-a-half, and they're still sleeping"

"Oh." He came over and looked at them too. "It'll wear off eventually. He looks real peaceful, doesn't he?"

I nodded.

"All right then. Let's go and have a party, because now we're in charge."

"Yippee!" I shouted. Now we were talking! I ran to get more soda and Ron found the cupcakes in the pantry and we had another feast and then we played Exploding Snap and indoor Quidditch, just because we could.

Only thing was, we forgot we couldn't hit the Bludgers too hard and we knocked over a chair. Then Ron flew too low and knocked a lamp over by mistake, luckily it didn't break. But we were having too much fun to worry about that now. Once we got tired of playing Quidditch, we found my play wands and pretended to have a wizard's duel.

We had so much sugar that night that we couldn't stand still and were so hyper we couldn't have fallen asleep if we'd wanted to. Before long it was eleven o'clock, and our two babysitters were still asleep, snoring loudly.

"You tired yet, Ron?"

"Nope," my friend said. "How about you?"

I shook my head. "Maybe a little. Let's stay up till eleven-thirty."

So we did, though by then we were so tired we couldn't really enjoy it and soon we headed back into my room and fell upon our beds, forgetting all about the mess we'd left behind. It had been a great sleepover.

I had been planning to take Alaina to the theater and a nice dinner for quite some time now. But somehow, between my work and all, our big date kept getting canceled. Finally, we managed to coordinate our schedules so we could make reservations at Amberleys, which was a top notch steak and seafood restaurant, and go see the production of Phantom of the Opera that was playing at the London Theatre. Amberleys was owned and run by the couple whom I had delivered a baby for last year, they had named their daughter after me. They were thrilled that I was coming with a special lady to their restaurant, and promised me the best they could offer, as well as a special guest appearance by little Severina.

Amberleys was a wizarding establishment, but that didn't bother either of us one bit. Alaina was now as comfortable around us and our magic as if she'd been born to it. And no one would dare question a lady I was escorting, Muggle or otherwise. I dressed in my best suit and second-best robes, though I'd remove them and put on the suit jacket when we left the restaurant and Apparated to the theater.

"Sev, you look divine!" were the first words out of Alaina's mouth upon seeing me standing on her front porch. She gave me a leisurely once over that made my pulse start racing uncontrollably.

It was all I could do not to take her in my arms and kiss her senseless, carry her inside, and make love to her on the couch. She looked positively gorgeous, by my standards. "So do you, sweetheart," I murmured, and gave her my most seductive smile.

She colored instantly. "Sev! Stop that!"

"Stop what?"

"Looking at me like that."

I arched an eyebrow naughtily. "Like what?" I purred.

"Like you want to go inside and do something else besides go to dinner and a play, Healer Snape. Something involving a bed, I mean."

I smirked. "My thoughts are leaning in that direction, Alaina dearest." Then I added, not wanting to push her too far, for she was wary of such intimacy given what her bastard ex-husband had done to her, "But I'll control myself, and behave like a gentleman if that's what you wish."

"For now. Later . . .who knows?"

Oh, you little tease! She was dressed in a pretty emerald green dress that flowed to her ankles, and displayed all her curves to their best advantage. She had allowed some of her beautiful curly hair to be piled atop her head and left the rest to flow down her back in a midnight curtain. My fingers longed to bury themselves in the untamable mass and stroke it and play with it. Alaina's hair was made for a man to run his fingers through over and over, a privilege I'd been allowed several times already, but one that I never tired of.

I caught her gently in my arms and kissed her, one gentle yet breath-stealing kiss, enough to leave us both feeling pangs of desire. She had never invited me to her bed, nor would I pressure her to, knowing her past. I had been going slowly, letting her make most of the advances, for I did not want to frighten my shy little blackbird away. I could afford to be patient, I was no longer seventeen, and marriage to Lily had taught me much about pleasuring a woman. Half the fun was in the chase, not the capture, though that too was sweet.

Reluctantly, I drew away from her. One day it would go beyond kissing and caresses, but not just yet. "Are you ready to go to dinner?"

"Yes. I'm starving. I only ate breakfast today. How about you?"

"Guilty as well. I wanted to save room for dinner. Amberleys has a reputation to live up to." I took her arm and hugged her to me. "Ready?"

"Yes."

I concentrated, then we Apparated from her house and into the wizarding side of London, on Silver Salver Street, right in front of the restaurant.

The most delicious smells were wafting into the street as I stepped up and opened the door for Alaina. I started to salivate like a hungry manticore, or Hagrid's pet three-headed dog, Fluffy. "Ladies first."

"Oh, your mother sure raised you right, Sev," she laughed, and preceded me inside.

We were greeted by a young blond man wearing a smart tux and matching robes. "Good evening and welcome to Amberleys. Might I have your name and the time of your reservation?" He was standing before a tall podium with a large book perched on the lectern and an equally impressive peacock quill.

"Snape. We have reservations for 6:30." I answered.

The host blinked, then gulped and said, "Healer Snape, we've been anxiously awaiting your arrival, sir. Right this way please, sir, and my lady." He bowed to Alaina, who colored even more.

Then he led the way past a large dining area with cozy booths and tables for two or four people at the most and into an alcove with a large window, which faced the Thames. It was a beautiful view, and clearly this was privileged seating, since there were only four booths available and only one of them was occupied.

The host gestured for us to be seated and said, in a slightly breathless tone, "I'll inform Mr. and Mrs. Amberley of your arrival, sir. They asked me to summon them immediately when you arrived." He pulled a small round crystal out of a pocket and cupped it in his hand. "It's Tristan, sir," he spoke into the globe, which swirled with a myriad of colors. "Healer Snape and his lady have arrived."

The globe went clear and then Dan Amberley's face appeared in it. "I'm on my way, Tristan."

Then the crystal ball went dark and Tristan returned it to a pocket of his robes. "He and Mrs. Amberley should be here shortly. In the meantime, I'll have Pevensie bring you drinks." He clapped his hand two times and then there was a pop! and a house elf wearing a tunic and trousers appeared.

"VIP's, Pevensie. You know what to do."

"Yes, Master Tristan." The house elf bowed low and said, "Pevensie at your service. How may I help? Would you care to see our wine list? Or perhaps the lady would like a sherry cordial?" He gazed at us earnestly, but there was nothing cringing or servile about him. This was a house elf servant, not a slave, I could tell that by the clothes he wore. He chose to work for the Amberleys, he was not bound.

Tristan returned to his post by the door, his duty done. I cleared my throat and said, "A small glass of honey wine for me, please."

"Very good, sir. And you, my lady?"

"Uh, do you make desert pear margaritas?"

Pevensie nodded. "Indeed, lady. We can make anything you wish. I shall return shortly."

Then he vanished with another pop.

Alaina turned to me and asked softly, "Was that a-a gnome or something?"

"House elf. But one who serves willingly, not bound to a family. Or perhaps he was once, but was freed." I explained. "You can free a house elf by giving him or her clothes."

"Oh." She bent to examine our place settings, which were of fine bone china with a gold wave pattern etched upon them and crystal glasses and gold gilded flatware. A napkin shaped like a swan was on our plate. "I hate to use this, but oh well," she said practically, unfolding the cloth regretfully and spreading it in her lap. Then she began to read the menu.

In two minutes, Pevensie popped back into view, carrying the tray of drinks. "Here you go, sir, my lady." He presented us each with our drinks. "If you wish anything else, please do not hesitate to call me. Just clap your hands two times and say my name, Pevensie."

‘Thank you, Pevensie," Alaina said. "Your service is impeccable."

"Ah, you are too kind, my lady," the house elf blushed. I didn't even know they could. "Might I know your name?"

"Alaina. And this is Healer Snape."

Pevensie looked like he was going to fall on the floor. "Oh, it is a great honor! A great honor indeed to serve the hero Healer Snape, who brought about the downfall of the darkest wizard ever! And you as well, Lady Alaina." He bowed three times. Then he vanished.

"Hero Snape?" Alaina quirked an eyebrow at me.

I coughed, embarrassed, for I didn't consider myself any kind of hero, merely a Master Healer doing his utmost to rid the world of a tyrant and a mass murderer. James Potter had been the hero, sacrificing himself for his friends. "Remember the story I told you about brewing a magic-inhibiting potion to stop Voldemort? That's what the elf's referring to. Because of my work on the Null Magic Draft, they call me hero. But I'm not. I was just an accessory. The real heroes are the Aurors, my friends, Remus, Sirius, and James, who lost his life in slaying Voldemort."

"But it was your potion that enabled them to kill him forever, right?"

"Yes, but even without magic, the bastard was still deadly. His snake Nagini was what killed James. Poisoned him with her bite. I'm told he died nearly instantly. Then Remus ripped the bloody snake apart in werewolf form. She was old Voldy's familiar, her death weakened him even further and thus Remus and Sirius were able to kill him, then burn his body and scatter the ash to the four corners of the earth. He can't ever be resurrected now."

"Resurrected?" Alaina repeated in awe. "You can bring the dead to life?"

"No. Not the way you mean, like in the Bible. It's necromancy, the blackest and most forbidden of arts. But Padfoot and Moony made sure that could never happen. So the shadow of Voldemort is gone for all time."

"Thank God for small favors," Alaina breathed. Then she flashed me an impish grin. "You'll always be a hero to me, Sev."

I coughed uncomfortably. "I'd rather be a Master Healer, that's far more rewarding. Heroes die too young. Or meet with tragedy. No thank you. Plain Healer Snape is good enough for me."

Before I could say something else, the Amberleys arrived, Marian Amberly holding baby Severina in her arms. But she was a baby no longer. She was a cute year-old bundle of mischief. "Hello, Healer Sev! So glad you could make it," Marian said, grinning broadly at me. "And who's your friend?"

"Marian and Dan, meet Alaina Montague." I introduced Alaina to them.

They shook her hand and welcomed her. Severina looked at us shyly from behind a hand, then Alaina smiled at her and she smiled back. The toddler had soft brown hair that stuck straight up and big blue eyes. "And who's this pretty little lady?" asked Alaina.

"This is Severina, or just Rina for short. Rina, can you say hi to Healer Sev and Alaina? He delivered you," said Marian, with all the pride of a new parent.

Severina looked at us, then lifted a tiny hand in a wave. "Hi. I, Rina."

"Hello, little one," I said, and smiled at her. She was adorable, and seeing her awakened my long suppressed desire for a little girl of my own, one that I had put away when I married Lily, who could bear no more children. "She's a beautiful child."

"Isn't she just?" her father said, beaming at his daughter. "And bright too. She speaks very well for her age. But then again, she's your namesake, so it only follows she'd be smart."

"You flatter me," I protested.

"No. I speak the truth. Anyway, I'm so glad you decided to eat here, Healer Sev. You won't regret it. Anything you want is yours. You just have to ask."

"Will do, and thank you for bringing Severina over to see me. Usually I don't get to see the babies I deliver unless they come to my office for a check-up, and then they're terrified of me sticking them with a needle."

"That's why we brought her to Healer Silverman instead," Marian said with a little smirk. "So she can be afraid of him and not you."

I laughed. "That's very kind of you, Marian."

"It's the least I can do, after what you did for me, bringing her into the world and all, Healer Sev." Then she changed the subject. "Enjoy your meal, and like my husband says, if you need or want anything, just ask." She turned to her daughter. "Can you say bye, Rina?"

"Bye." The little imp lisped, and waved a hand.

"Goodbye, Severina."

"Bye, sweetie."

Then the Amberleys Apparated away, leaving us to peruse the menu and make our choices. We had clams casino for an appetizer along with some crab dip that was so good I wished I had the recipe.

"Mmm! Sev, this is fantastic," Alaina commented. "Did you try the cheddar biscuits? They're to die for. I feel like kidnapping their chef!"

I bit into a biscuit, it was light, airy, and the taste was exquisite. "I'll help you." I offered, smirking. "What are you going to order?"

"Uh, I'm not sure. It all looks great." She read the menu again and asked what I was ordering.

"Filet mignon and a lobster tail with a side of wild rice," I answered.

"I think I'll have the shrimp scampi over linguini, I love shrimp."

"Sounds good."

"Thank God you're not a control freak like my ex was. Whenever we went out to a restaurant he used to order for me, like I was too stupid to make up my own mind."

I scowled. "You're well rid of him, Alaina. He sounds like a first class heartless piece of trash." I had another word in mind, but my mother had always told me to never swear in public in a formal setting, so I restrained myself, though I cursed him like a sailor roundly in my head.

"Too true, Sev. The only favor he did me and the world was producing Lexy. Other than that, he was a waste of breath and chromosomes."

I had to laugh at that, she wasn't pulling her punches, which told me that her ex was probably the worst of men. "I would never treat you so casually, Alaina."

"I know, Sev. There is no comparison between you. Honestly, I wonder what I ever saw in him? Just his looks or maybe that and his infernal charm, because Daniel could charm the wings off a butterfly when he chose. Ah, well, I was young and stupid."

"Not stupid. Misled. He took advantage of you," I argued.

"Yeah, he sure did." Alaina admitted, and the look of sorrow was back in her eyes for an instant. "Let's not talk about Dan, okay? He'll give me indigestion, which would be a crime here."

I nodded and complimented her on her dress until Pevensie returned and took our dinner orders.

The food was superb, and I can't remember when I'd enjoyed a meal more, unless it was one I'd cooked myself and shared with family. Everything was done just right and Alaina swore the chef must have magical recipes or something. I laughed at her. "Alaina, magical recipes only save time, they don't improve the taste of the food. But whoever cooks is a master."

We finished all our dinner, and then the house elf returned to ask if we would like a coffee or dessert.

"Do you think you can fit it?" I asked my girlfriend.

"Umm . . .not really, but I will anyhow. I'm dying to taste the desserts."

"Good! Good!" Pevensie squealed. "Here is the dessert menu."

We read it and decided on the homemade apple cinnamon streusel with a scoop of cinnamon-vanilla ice cream on top for Alaina, and some chocolate mousse cake for me, plus coffee.

The dessert was as wonderful as the rest of the dinner.

When I asked Pevensie to bring me the bill, the house elf just stood there. "Oh, sir, I cannot do that."

"What? Why not?"

"I have my orders from the master, sir. Your dinner is gratis, sir. Compliments of the master and missus."

"Pevensie, there must be a mistake!" I protested. "I can't accept this."

"Ah, I'm afraid you must, Master Healer. My master's wishes were most explicit."

I sputtered for a few more minutes, then gave in. I didn't have the whole evening to make up my mind, we also had a play to go to. "Thank you. And tell your master thank you as well, and if he ever needs a Healer to treat his family, give me a call."

"I shall, sir. Thank you, sir."

So we left and I Apparated to the theater. We had seats in the mezzanine and that meant we could see and hear everything. I had always loved Phantom, I had seen it twice before with Lily, and every time I saw it, it moved me. Alaina had never seen it, despite it being a huge hit in the US on Broadway.

I loved watching her react to it as much as I loved the play itself. She grew so involved that she laughed and cried right along with Christine, Raoul, and the Phantom. Not that I blamed her, for I had done the same thing, and still did. The dark romanticism of this play appealed to me, and it never failed to leave me with a sense of regret. But it was a wonderful production.

Afterwards, we walked along the river and it was then that I made a conscious decision to tell Alaina more about my past. If I was ever going to marry again, I would pick a woman like Alaina, honest, ordinary, and very sensitive to others' feelings. But love doesn't last unless you're honest. And I had told her some of my past with Tobias, but not all.

So we strolled along silently for a few minutes, enjoying the view and I was enjoying her hand in mine. Until Alaina said quietly, "I almost don't believe this is real, me being here with you, that is. Who would've thought a chance meeting in a supermarket would end up like this?"

"Sometimes chance and fate conspire." I remarked. "Do you regret it?"

"No, not at all. When I first moved here, I feared Lexy and I would stand out like a sore thumb, I thought I'd never make any friends and then there you were. But you know what amazes me even more than that?"

"What?"

"That you like ordinary me, who has no special talent or magic, unless you count picking the worst scoundrel in America and marrying him," she said with a wry face. "I mean, your first wife was a witch, you didn't need to explain anything about your world to her."

"Ah, now that's where you're wrong, Alaina. Lily was a Muggleborn, like Lexy, and had no clue about the wizarding world. Yes, her magic did compliment mine, but that wasn't the reason why I loved her. I loved her first for who she was, not what she was. I loved her, not her magic, talented though she was." I stopped and turned to her, bracketing her face in my hands gently. "The same way that I do you. You say you're ordinary like it's a bad thing. It isn't. We need the ordinary to anchor us to the real world, to keep us from being too proud. And you, in your little ordinary way, are extraordinary to me. For it's the little things that matter most. Like the way you try to absorb every scrap of information at my seminars, or the way you let my son share your Mother's Day breakfast, or the way you accept me despite not knowing half of what you should about my past. It is you who amaze me. For I never thought to find a woman who could love my son who was not his mother, or even love me that way again."

"Of course I could, Sev! Who wouldn't love Harry? And who wouldn't love you? You're smart and kind and you have the most amazing talent and all I need to do is hear your voice and I feel safe and loved. Not to mention that you're handsome as sin."

"But I can also be a first class perfectionist pain in the ass, as you American say. And I have a temper inherited from my father, though I would never harm you. I'm also stubborn and I work too much. I'm not perfect by any means."

"So who wants perfect? Perfect's a lie. There is no such thing. I was sure I had perfect once, but all I had was a bunch of illusions. But you, somehow I know here," she tapped her heart. "You're the real thing, Sev. You understand me better than anyone."

"That's because I've walked the same road you have, Alaina. I told you before that Tobias was a recovered alcoholic. What I didn't tell you is that before a year and a half ago I hadn't seen him in over six years, not since the day of my mother's funeral. When I knocked him down for making my childhood a misery. I grew up with a very nasty alcoholic for a father, one whose answer to everything I did wrong was a sound thrashing with his belt. And sometimes he beat me over nothing."

"Oh, God. Your mom too?"

"No. He never raised a hand to her. Quarreled with her like cats and dogs, mostly over money and me, but one good thing is he never hit her. Me, seemed like I ended up over his knee every day. I feared and hated him for most of my childhood, and my mother died still praying one day we would be reconciled. I never thought it would happen. Until I ended up in a coma for three months and the Ministry placed Harry with him instead of Matthew or Albus."

"They placed a child with a man who had such a history?" Alaina frowned.

"They didn't know. No one did, I never spoke of it. And he was my next of kin, and according to our laws, that's who a minor is placed with, providing they are of sound mind and body and have employment. Tobias met that criteria plus he had just come out of rehab. So he was sober, though not very pleased at taking my brat in."

"But he loves Harry. And . . .you too, I've seen the way he looks at you, Sev."

"Yes, he does now. He changed, it's almost like he's a different person now, though he's still a stubborn, strict, no-nonsense bastard. Harry had a great deal to do with that, because he made my curmudgeon grouchy father love him in spite of everything. With Harry, I think he realizes what he'd missed with me and where he went wrong. I didn't trust him at first, but after a long time, now I do." I went on to tell her about the spell, Legilimens Memorium, I'd cast on Tobias to make him see things from my point of view, and how he ‘d saved me and Harry when the Death Eaters attacked on Halloween. And then I'd saved him and buried the hatchet between us at last. "Our relationship is still a bit rocky at times, but at least we have one now. I'm sorry, I should've told you this before."

"Why? Just because I tell my friends my life story, doesn't mean you have to, hon. I went through counseling before I could talk about what Daniel did to me so easily. I know how hard it is for you to talk about it, and I'm touched you would share such a private matter with me."

"Why? Turnabout's fair play, Montague. Like the Phantom, it was time for me to stop hiding my face and take off the mask. Because you deserve to know the truth and a relationship built on secrets and lies won't last. And I want this to last. I want it very much." Then I bent my head and kissed her, and this time my kiss was no gentle thing, but wild and filled with longing.

She put her arms around me and kissed me back, reaffirming what I had already suspected, that she wanted me as much as I wanted her. As lover, friend, and possibly husband. Together, we celebrated our ordinary extraordinary love for one another, and the night was filled with music only we could hear.

When at last we separated, both of us were gasping and grinning like idiots.

"We'd better keep walking, Sev. Before someone calls the cops for indecent displays of public affection," she teased, her eyes glowing with a brilliant warmth that set me on fire.

"Let them," I said recklessly. Then I took her arm again and started walking. "So, now you know the truth. I have forgiven my father, but I'll never forget. Though I have no fear he'll ever hurt Harry the way he did me, so you needn't fear Lexy will be in any danger either."

"I know. I know now what to look for, and your dad doesn't show any signs now of being an abuser. Not like Daniel."

"Dad admits freely that half of his problem came from the alcohol, and the other half was his temper. I make no excuses for him, but he has learned to control the one and do without the other. And therefore he is a much better person."

"Does he still go to meetings?"

"Yes. Every week. They've helped him as has spending time with Harry and me, doing things like fishing and woodworking, as a family. Like I said before, he wants now what he didn't, or didn't know he wanted, back then. And now I can finally see just why my mother married him. I never could before."

"We all wear masks, Sev. To hide our vulnerability. I know I did."

"And now?"

"Now I've taken it off for good and all, like you. I must admit, hearing about your father's past makes me a bit uneasy, but I trust you. You would never harm Lexy."

"Never. I love her like she was my own."

"Just like I love Harry, Sev. That'll never change."

"Nor will my love for you. I set no conditions, Alaina. You don't have to be thin, or blond, or associate with snooty clients to make me love you. Or have magic either. Because I love you just the way you are."

"You really mean that?"

"Yes."

She gazed up at me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears of joy. "God, Sev! How did I ever get so lucky? I love you too, Healer mine, just the way you are."

Then she hugged me and I held her, content to just be together, enjoying the beauty and serenity of the night, the moonlight upon the water, and the stars sparkling overhead. The shy little blackbird had come to my hand at last, and I would make sure she had nothing to fear ever again.

"I love you, blackbird," I whispered in her ear and began to play with her hair.

"I love you too, sorcerer," she answered, and in her eyes I saw my heart reflected.

* * * * * *

You would think that after such a romantic evening, I would be able to go home and sleep peacefully, dreaming of the day when I proposed to Alaina, right? Wrong.

Because when Alaina and I returned to my house, we discovered our two babysitters sleeping like the dead, the house looked like a wrecking crew had gone through it, and the kids were sleeping like innocent little angels. I just stood there, my mouth opening and shutting, wondering if I were dreaming.

"My God, Sev! What the hell happened?"

"I don't know." I said grimly. "But I'm going to find out." I bent to shake Sirius's shoulder. "Wake up, Padfoot! What the bloody hell d'you mean falling asleep and letting the kids wreck my house? Some babysitter you are."

But he didn't wake. Not even a twitch. That was very odd. Padfoot liked to sleep, but he woke quickly, like a dog or an Auror trained to sleep deeply but awaken at a moment's notice. I frowned and went over to my father. "Dad? What the hell happened here?" No response. He was sleeping like the dead too, and I could detect no traces of alcohol on either of them. "Something's not right here," I muttered, and cast a diagnostic.

"What's wrong with them?" Alaina asked in concern.

"They're under the influence of a Sleeping Draft," I answered, growing more and more puzzled. "But I can't understand why they'd use one. Especially with three kids to watch. That's not at all like my father. Or Sirius either."

"What's this?" Alaina asked, picking up the half empty box of truffles.

I took them and sniffed. Something smelled off about them. Not like they were spoiled, but there was a lavender odor lingering. Who ever heard of lavender flavored truffles? I frowned and cast another spell on them. "These contain a Sleeping Draft inside them." My eyes flashed. "I think, Alaina, they've been the victim of a very naughty little prank. This is the twins' handiwork, I just know it."

"You think Harry and Ron and Lexy . . .gave these to them on purpose?"

I nodded grimly. "Yes. It was most likely Harry or Ron's idea. My son has much to answer for."

"Will they be all right?"

"Yes. There are no side-effects that I can determine."

"Do you want me to help you clean up?" she gestured to the fallen lamp and the bowls of half-melted ice cream, the empty cans and napkins scattered all over.

"No. That's going to be the job of those who made this mess in the first place." I said, then went into Harry's bedroom to wake up my son, who was now in trouble up to his eyebrows, the wretched little scamp.

I found Harry curled up on his stomach, sleeping like an innocent little angel, when he was anything but. I felt my temper start to go from a simmer to a boil and I quickly reined it in somewhat. "Harry James Severus Potter, wake up this instant!" I ordered, and swatted his bottom. It was not how I usually woke him, but I was not minded to be gentle right then.

His green eyes popped open and he whimpered. "Ow! Huh?" Then I handed him his glasses and he saw me clearly. "Dad?"

I gave him my best Snape glare. "You have an awful lot of explaining to do, young man."

He swallowed sharply and I could see that he knew he was in serious trouble. "Uh . . .I'm sorry we made a mess, I forgot to clean it up."

"You're going to have a lot more to be sorry for, little boy." I said, then I picked him up and walked into the den with him, where I set him down and pointed to the box of innocuous looking chocolates. "Starting with those. Where did you get them, Harry? And why did you allow your grandfather and uncle to eat them?"

"Uh . . .Ron got ‘em from home."

"From the twins?"

He nodded. "He said it was only s'posed to make you sleep for an hour. It was a prank." He looked down at the carpet.

"A prank? You call giving magical sleeping candy to an adult a prank? Whose idea was this?"

"It was . . .umm . . .mine and Ron's," he admitted after I glared at him.

"Not Lexy's?" asked Alaina, frowning also.

"No. She was sleeping. But me and Ron wanted to stay up later, only Grandpa said no . . .so we-we decided to prank him and Uncle Sirius."

I turned him about to face me. "You're telling me all this happened because you wanted to stay up later? You drugged your grandfather and Sirius because you didn't want to go to bed?" I repeated, my voice rising.

"Yes sir," he answered in a small voice.

I bit my lip hard. "Harry James Severus, your little prank could've hurt them very badly, do you know that?"

"How? The truffles just make them sleep. How's that bad?"

"Because those truffles were made with a Sleeping Draft that was too concentrated. You could've put them into a coma, young man!"

He was startled. "Like what you were in for months?"

"Yes. Or worse. They could've gone to sleep and never woken up." I said angrily, wanting him to understand just how serious the consequences of his little joke could have been. "They could've died!"

"Died?" he repeated, his green eyes round with utter horror.

"Yes."

"I-I don't want Grandpa and Padfoot to die!" Harry wailed, bursting into tears as the seriousness of his little prank finally sunk in. "I didn't mean to hurt them, Dad! I just wanted to stay up later."

"Well, you got your wish, didn't you?" I said sternly, gesturing at the mess around me. "Was it worth it, Mr. Potter?"

He shook his head, still sobbing. "Can you fix them, Dad? I promise I'll never do anything like that again. Only make them wake up, please!" Tears streaked his face, clearly guilt had kicked in and he felt horrible about what he'd done now. As he ought to.

"They'll wake up on their own, Harry." I told him calmly. "You didn't put them in a coma, thank Merlin!"

"They're gonna be all right?" he sniffled.

"Yes, though they won't be very happy with you when they wake up, mister. But that's something you're going to deal with later. I cannot say how very disappointed and angry I am with you right now, boy. What you did was not only disobedient, it was dangerous and foolish and destructive. You know better than to behave that way, Harry. I am terribly ashamed of you." I fixed him with my most withering glare.

He started crying harder, that glare was one that could probably make a hardened criminal weep. "I'm sorry, Dad! I really am."

"So you should be. Now, part of your punishment is to pick up this mess you made. So stop sniveling and go and wake up Ron, he can help you clean it, since he helped make it. Hurry up!" I barked softly, then sent him on his way with a smack on his bottom. I was tempted to take him over my knee right then, but I knew I was too angry to mete out an appropriate punishment yet. My motto was punish in haste, repent after. Well, not this time.

I turned to Alaina. "Well, this was the last thing I expected to come home to after the lovely time we had. I apologize for the lousy ending."

"Don't, Sev. How could you know what was going to happen?"

"I couldn't," I admitted with a sigh. "Since Lexy is innocent in all of this, you could take her home. Both boys won't being seeing much of the outside of their rooms for several weeks, I'm afraid. I'm going to restrict the time they spend together for the next two weeks."

"I understand. I'd do the same," Alaina said, then she rose to her feet just as Ron emerged sleepily from the bedroom trailed by Harry.

"Ronald Weasley, what were you thinking, giving my father and my friend candy created by your brothers that you weren't sure was safe to eat?" I demanded harshly.

"I-I . . .just wanted to play Quidditch with Harry, Healer Sev," he bawled. "It was supposed to be a prank."

"Like the ones your brothers pull?"

"Uh-huh," Ron nodded tearfully.

"Well, your joke went too far this time, young man. Do you know what a concentrated Sleeping Draft can do to someone if they take too much? No? Let me spell it out for you. They could either fall into a coma or die. Think about that, the two of you, while cleaning this awful mess you made. Once you've finished that, you can go back to Harry's room and wait for me to call you. I'll be Flooing your mother as soon as it's a reasonable hour of the morning, so I can tell her what you've been up to."

Ron went white. "Oh no, please, Healer Sev! Don't tell her, please! I'll do anything you want, I'll scrub your whole house, I'll let you spank me, just don't tell Mum!"

"Why not?"

"‘Cause she'll ground me and take away my broom and make me eat supper alone in the corner for a week and wallop my bum too. Please, sir!" he begged.

"Sorry, but Molly and I have an agreement, and just like the twins, she must be told about your behavior, young man. Now enough stalling, go and pick up the trash around here."

"Yes sir," said the seven-year old miserably.

My girlfriend had been standing by this whole time listening to my scolding the two boys, and now she turned and went down the hall to pick up her daughter, the only innocent party in this whole caper. Alaina came out of Harry's room a moment later cradling a sleeping Lexy. The little girl had Misty clutched tightly under her chin and was sleeping blissfully, unaware of the mischief her two friends had been up to. "I guess I ought to get going, Sev."

"One minute, I'll Apparate you," I said, rising and drawing her close.

A minute later we vanished, to appear on Alaina's porch. She unlocked the door and stepped inside. "Bye, Sev. I had a wonderful night tonight. Thank you for everything. Love you." She stood on tiptoe and we kissed. "Don't go ballistic on Harry either."

"I'll try, though I will make sure he never does anything like this again." I answered, then I Apparated back to my house, supervising the two boys as they cleaned up. By the time they were done, it was nearly two-thirty and I ordered them back to bed. "We'll discuss the rest of your punishment tomorrow, boys. Now get to bed!" I sent them off with a swat apiece, and they went sniffling and whining.

Then I sought my own bed, for it had been a long night.

* * * * * *

The next morning, I not only had two naughty boys to deal with, or rather my son, since Molly was sure to deal with Ron as he deserved, and I firecalled her as soon as I was awake enough to speak coherently, but also my furious father and Sirius. Molly I dealt with first, she was very displeased with her youngest son and assured me that he would be punished properly.

"I'm going to take the twins and him all over my knee this time, Severus. I'm so dreadfully sorry. The little wretches! What a thing to do to your poor father, especially. Sirius won't mind so much, but still it was a very naughty thing to do to him as well, poor dear. Sleeping Draft spiked truffles!" she shook her head ruefully. "What will those mischievous imps come up with next, Merlin help me?"

"Who knows, Molly. Shall I send Ron through now?"

"Please do." She withdrew from her fireplace then and I called Ron and sent him back to the Burrow, where his mother was no doubt waiting with a handy wooden spoon.

That done, I headed into the den to see if my dad or Sirius were awake yet. Sirius was just stretching and yawning. Dad was also stirring. I ran a quick diagnostic. The potion had worn off and they were back to their former selves.

I quickly told them what had happened, and we retired to the kitchen to discuss appropriate punishments for my little devil.

Dad's first reaction was one of shocked disbelief. "You telling me that little brat slipped me a Mickey Finn in a piece of chocolate, Sev?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying."

"Clever little sneak," Sirius said, half-admiringly. "Sounds like something I'd of pulled when I was that age. Or James."

Dad's eyes narrowed. "Why do I get the feeling you're more amused than anything else over this, Sirius?"

"Aw, shoot, Toby. It was a prank, they didn't intend any real harm."

"They drugged us and made a wreck of the house and God knows what else could've happened when we were sleeping, and you think it's funny?" my father growled, clearly not amused at all.

"The house looked pretty good to me when I woke up," Sirius pointed out.

"Only because I made them clean it before you woke," I put in.

Sirius chuckled. "Oh. I can't believe I fell for that old trick. Now I feel really stupid. Still, it was a prank worthy of the Marauders."

"Wonderful," I said sourly. "The last thing I need, Padfoot, is for Harry to start imitating the four mischief makers of the century."

"There are worse things, Sev," my friend said, still acting like he was fine with the whole thing, his brown eyes sparkling with good humor. Trust Padfoot to take the whole thing as a big joke, he really was an eternal prankster.

"I'm glad you can laugh, Sirius," grumbled Dad, the Snape temper starting to glow in his blue eyes. "Because I don't find it so damn funny at all. I specifically told Harry that he wasn't allowed to stay up past nine-thirty and he pulls a stunt like this on me, the rotten little brat! Who the bloody hell does he think he is?"

"Aw, come on, Toby! Don't you remember what it's like to be a kid and to try and trick your parents into letting you stay up past your bedtime?" Sirius argued good-naturedly.

"I know that if I'd done anything like that to my father, I'd not be able to sit down for a week." Dad answered sharply.

Sirius winced and muttered something that sounded like, "My father would've done the same, he didn't have a sense of humor either."

"Damn kid needs some discipline," my father was saying softly, and the hairs on the back of my neck prickled sharply in warning. He glared at me then. "Well, Severus? What do you plan on doing to him for this latest bit of mischief? Patting him on the head like your friend there?"

I stiffened at the sneer in his tone. "Of course not! He'll be punished for this, I'm not going to reward him, for Merlin's sake! I've already begun to punish him, as a matter of fact. Cleaning up that mess he made was the beginning."

Dad snorted. "Humph! You're too damn easy on him, Severus. He'd of been over my knee by now getting his arse tanned good and proper."

My own temper sparked. "Are you saying I don't know how to discipline my son?"

"As a matter of fact, I am. A good licking every once in awhile won't kill him."

"Like what you used to give me, huh?" I hissed, my voice edged with fury. How dare he presume to tell me how I should punish my child? He was a fine one to talk!

Sirius stood up then, his brown eyes wide with alarm. "Uh . . . Sev, I think I'd better get going. No way am I going to stick around with two of you in a temper . . .that's just plain suicidal. See you." Then he Apparated back home, leaving me to face my furious parent alone.

"After what he did to me, you're going to scold him a bit and put him in time-out and that's the end of it? Maybe give him a couple of swats? Kid won't remember any of that a week from now, I guarantee you." His jaw clenched and I could see a vein throb in his temple.

Involuntarily, I shivered. He was wearing the same expression now as he had throughout most of my childhood, the one that presaged a whipping.

"And you think your way is better, Dad? Pardon me if I don't agree that whipping the blazes out of my kid is the answer to everything."

His eyes darkened to a stormy blue. "If you're too much of a pansy to discipline him, then maybe I ought to." He rose to his feet.

I moved to block his exit. "Like hell you will!" I spat. "He's my son, not yours, and I'll punish him how I see fit."

"Your way doesn't work," shouted my father, looking at me as if he wanted to knock me out. "If it did, he'd never even think of doing what he did to me, Severus Snape. He Goddamn drugged me, his own grandfather! What do you plan on doing to him, Severus? Answer me that!"

"Why? It's none of your Goddamn business, Dad!" I lashed back. "Your hurt pride doesn't entitle you to lay a hand on my son. Because I know damn well how it will end."

"Oh, you do, do you? You always think you know everything, Severus!" he spat, his hands clenching into fists.

"I DO know! You never knew how to stop, you lost it every time you punished me, and I'll be damned if you're going to start on Harry. I'm his father, not you! I'll teach him respect, not you." I was practically nose to nose with him now.

"You let him run wild, Severus, and you know it. A good whipping will teach him to mind his elders. If you don't bring him to heel now, he'll become a disrespectful spoiled little snot, like over half the kids in today's generation. And it's the fault of the PARENTS, people like you who . . .!" ranted my father, his face red and his blue eyes smoldering with that legendary temper.

It was as if the old Tobias, the demon of my childhood, had returned in that moment. I don't know if it was his tone or posture or the way his temper shone in his eyes that did it, but all of a sudden I was no longer an adult having an argument with my father, but eight years old again, being confronted with a furious Tobias, who was practically spitting at me in his fury.

Fear shot through me then, and I shrank away, cringing in a desperate attempt to ward off the slap I knew was coming. I threw a hand in front of my face, shaking uncontrollably.

"Please, Dad, I'm sorry! I'll never do it again. I'm sorry!" I babbled hysterically, knowing all the while how useless it was. In another minute he'd unbuckle his belt and then I'd really be crying, because that was how it always ended . . .it never changed . . .never . . .

"Severus!"

From far away I heard him, and I trembled, but I knew it would only go harder if I didn't come to him. But I couldn't move.

"Severus! Sev, listen to me. Sev, look at me."

Funny, his voice sounded strange, soft and . . .and pleading. Ridiculous! Tobias Snape didn't know the meaning of the word gentle.

"Sev, please. What the hell's wrong with you, boy? You're looking at me but not seeing me. Stop it. I'm not going to hit you, Jesus God, quit looking at me like that."

Like what? I dropped my eyes to the floor and tried to quit trembling. ‘Sorry, sorry, sir. Promise you won't hit me?" I heard myself begging and felt the old shame curl in my guts again. Coward, spineless coward! I shouted at myself. Begging never did any good, it only makes him angrier.

"Sev! I promise I won't hurt you." My father's voice sounded frightened, and more, regretful. "Dear God, what have I done?" He continued speaking to me, in a soft tone I had never known he was capable of using. "Severus, listen to me. This is a bloody flashback. Understand? Wherever you are, I need you to come back. Come back, Sev. See me now, not as I was. Look at me."

A hand cupped my chin, the fingers firm yet gentle, and forced me to look up, into blue eyes that were familiar and yet different. I knew those eyes.

I blinked, and all at once I was the Master Healer again, a twenty-seven year old adult, and no longer a terrified eight-year-old.

"Dad?"

"Sev? Are you okay? Can you see me?"

I frowned in puzzlement. "Of course I can, I'm not blind. What kind of question is that?" I glanced down at myself, wondering why I was backed up against the wall.

"A good one, considering that you just . . .you went somewhere else for a bit, Sev. Back to when I was drinking . . .some damn memory and you just cringed away from me . . .like I was some kind of devil . . ."

"You were," I said hoarsely, recalling all of my terror suddenly, though not the rest of the memory. "You were my own private devil then. I was eight and I was so afraid of you I wanted to run and hide every time you came home."

My words pierced him sharply, I saw him wince, and then he stepped back. "Me and my damned temper. I'm sorry, Sev. You were right. I never did know how to control myself. But that was then. I'm not the same. I'm not."

"I know that, Dad," I managed to say. "Here, I know it," I tapped my head. "But here . . .I still remember when I was eight." I thumped my chest. Strangely, I didn't feel ashamed over this episode, though I probably should have. I sensed that it was another chance to show my father just how his treatment of me had scarred me, body and soul.

"Christ Almighty, Severus." Dad whispered. "Even now?"

"Even now." I agreed. "I don't get them often, not any more, but sometimes, if you scream at me, I forget for a minute and I go back to when I was little."

"I'm sorry . . ." he said awkwardly. His deep blue eyes were bright with remorse and not a little shame, I noted. "I didn't realize . . .I'm a bloody idiot. I don't want you to think of me that way any more, Sev. I'm not the bastard I used to be. Trust me. I know I said I'd whip Harry, but I didn't mean it. That was my temper talking . . ."

"I know," I said quietly. "I forgive you."

"Thank you, son," he said, then he reached out, tentatively, and hugged me.

That was all I needed to reaffirm that his words were truly meant. And then my heart knew he was my father again and not the demon of my childhood. I relaxed into his arms and hugged him back.

Our embrace lasted a total of maybe twenty seconds before we drew away, not really looking at each other, embarrassed at displaying so much of our emotions so openly.

Tobias returned to the table and sat down. "Guess you'd better go and give Harry his punishment. The waiting's hell on a kid, if I remember correctly."

I nodded. Was that ever true. "I won't be long."

I entered my son's room, relieved to find him still sleeping, he'd fallen asleep after Ron had left and so missed our argument. I shook him awake, putting on my stern mask as I did so.

"Dad? Are you still mad at me?" he asked, his lower lip quivering.

"Yes, and your grandfather is also. We're both very disappointed in you, young man. In fact, I've got half a mind to let your grandfather punish you instead of me," I threatened.

He teared up at that. "I'm really sorry. I just wanted to have fun at my sleepover."

"That kind of fun is the wrong kind, Harry," I said sternly. "And because of that, you won't be having another sleepover until you're eleven, if then."

"Eleven! B-But Dad, that's like forever!"

"Yes, and hopefully by then you'll have learned how to act in a responsible manner, mister. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. The second part of your punishment is you're grounded for two weeks, no friends, no TV, no broom, nothing except lots of chores and twenty-five minutes of time-out and bedtime at 7:30 sharp. Obviously I can't trust you to behave properly when I'm gone, or with your friends over, therefore you won't be having them here again for quite some time."

He sniffled. "What about Lexy?"

"She's not allowed here either for two weeks, since she's your friend too," I said firmly. "You're also going to apologize to your grandfather."

He looked like I'd asked him to walk barefoot into a nest of cobras. I could hardly blame him. Facing an angry Tobias was terrifying.

"Last but not least, you've earned yourself a spanking," I scowled.

"Yes sir."

"Maybe next time you'll think first before you go slipping anyone drugged candy, young man," I told him, then I took him over my knee. I gave him seven swats this time, the extra was so he'd remember the seriousness of the offence. My spankings were meant to startle, shock, and sting, they were not even a shadow of Tobias's. But that was all. Twenty seconds later I was holding a very repentant child and stroking his hair while he sobbed into my shirt. I knew most of his tears were from regret rather than my spanking, he hated it when I was angry with him.

Sure enough, after five minutes, he lifted his head and asked, "Are you still disappointed and mad at me?"

"No. I forgive you, scamp. Remember this, please." Then I hugged him hard.

"‘Kay. I'll be good."

"Will you?"

"Uh huh. Promise."

I hid a smile. He meant it, in the way of all children, until the next temptation crossed his path.

Then he rubbed his bottom. "Ow! You're mean, Dad!" Then he added, "But I love you anyhow."

"Me too, Harry." I patted his back. "Now, go and tell your grandfather you're sorry."

"Is he still mad at me?"

"Go, Harry." I ordered, and he slid off my lap and went to find Tobias. Merlin, but I wasn't sure if I was ready to have any more kids after what Harry was putting me through.

I tilted my head and could just hear my son's tearful apologies and my father's gruff scolding. Then I heard Tobias say something that totally knocked me for a loop. "All right then, I forgive you, minnow. But don't you ever do that again, d'you hear me? Or else you'll be over my knee like that."

"Yes, Grandpa. I'm sorry." Then I heard the soft sound of Harry crying.

"Don't cry, boy," Dad ordered, but with a tenth of his usual stern tone. "I can't stand it. Shhh . . .quit it, before your dad thinks I've walloped you. It's okay. I'm not mad any more."

When I entered the kitchen a few minutes later, I saw Dad holding Harry on his lap and patting his back, much as I had done minutes before. I smiled, for it was a beautiful sight, and my fears that Tobias would regress to the drunken demon of my nightmares were banished forever.

By the time my two weeks was up and I could play with my friends again, it was Father's Day. All that time I'd had nothing to do but chores around the house, play with Inky (the only friend I wasn't forbidden to see), and help Grandpa finish his Father's Day present and make my own. Still, I knew I deserved it, for giving Grandpa and Uncle Sirius a potion that might've killed them. (Though Uncle Sirius was more amused than angry.) I decided that I'd never play any pranks on people involving potions unless I knew for sure that the potion wouldn't harm them at all. Dad had already begun to show me a few basic potions, though I was never allowed to make them or be inside his lab unless he was there.

But now it was Father's Day, and since it was a Sunday, we'd be spending the whole day with Grandpa. I'd wanted to invite Lexy and Alaina to join us, but Alaina wasn't feeling all that well. Dad offered to make her a potion, but she said it was just a woman problem and she'd be all right in a day or two. But for now, she would just stay home and take it easy. However, she had agreed to allow Lexy to come with us, since I'd gotten to go with her for Mother's Day.

Dad went over to pick her up at 7AM, dropped off a potion for Alaina in spite of her protests, and brought Lexy back to our house. Lexy was wearing the same pretty lavender and white dress she'd worn for the Mother's Day breakfast and was very excited to be spending Father's Day with us and be able to play with me again.

"But you and Ron sure were dumb-playing a prank like that on your grandpa, of all people!" she said when I'd told her why I'd been punished for so long.

"Aw, shut up, Lexy!" I growled, even though I knew she was right. She didn't need to rub it in.

She stuck her tongue out at me.

I made a cross-eyed monster face back at her.

Then she began to laugh and before I knew it, we were both laughing, and I'd forgiven her for saying that. "So, what've you been doing over the summer?"

"Umm .. .Mom and I went shopping for summer clothes, since we didn't bring all that much with us from Pennsylvania. That was fun. I got some neat outfits. And I played with Hermione almost everyday. She got a new chemistry set and we made all kinds of experiments and we started a lemonade stand and made some money. Mom and I went to the movies one day and the mall, and that was all."

"Oh. Sounds better than what I was doing for two weeks." I admitted.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Well, duh! Anything's better than getting grounded, silly!" She looked thoughtful then she asked, "Does your dad punish you a lot? Is he, like, real strict?"

"Umm . . .only sometimes. And he only punishes me when I've been bad, not for nothing. Usually, I don't get grounded this way unless I've been really bad. Normally, he just yells at me and makes me go to time-out, or to my room. And he only spanks me when I break one of the real serious rules, like leaving my house without permission or touching his potions or acting like a spoiled rotten brat."

"Oh. Did he spank you over the prank you pulled?"

I nodded. "Yeah. But it only hurts for like ten minutes. Why? Does your mum spank you?"

Lexy shook her head. "No. Once or twice she's given me a swat, but it was my dad who spanked me. And he really hurt me. He used a slipper." Lexy answered, and I could see her eyes go wide, like she was scared. "Mom used to fight with him something awful when he did that, and he smacked her too, sometimes. I'm glad the police arrested him, Harry. I'm glad! He was like the meanest dad in the world. I'm happy I don't have to see him any more and that he's alone on Father's Day, ‘cause he deserves it."

Then she burst into tears.

I felt terrible. "Lexy, hey. Don't cry."

She ignored me and just cried harder.

Oh no! What had I done? I hadn't meant to make her upset. I stood there, biting my lip and wishing I could do something or say something to make her feel better, when my dad came into the den.

"Lexy? Why are you crying?" he asked softly. "Harry, did you two have an argument or something?"

"No, Dad. We were just talking about my punishment and I asked her about her dad . . ." I quickly told him what had gone on. "I'm really sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to make her all upset."

"It's not your fault, son. Sometimes little children who have had bad fathers like Lexy's get upset when they talk about them, because it makes them remember things they want to forget." Dad said.

Then he went and knelt in front of Lexy, who was still crying. "Lexy, sweetling, it's okay. Your father isn't here now, and he'll never hurt you or your mother again. You don't have to be afraid, little one. No one will ever hurt you like that again."

Dad's voice got real soft, like when he's talking to me before I fall asleep, or when I have a nightmare and wake up crying. It sounds like velvet, all soft and warm and cuddly.

"Promise?" Lexy whispered.

"I promise." Then he picked her up and snuggled with her in his lap, the way he always did to me when I cried and was scared or hurt.

Lexy put her arms around him and cried some more and Dad held her and rubbed her back and told her to hush and rocked her.

I knew that when he did that to me, I always felt better.

I guess Lexy did too, for she stopped crying after awhile, and just sat on Dad's lap, with her face in his shoulder, sniffling. And he just held her and patted her back until she had stopped sniffling. Then he sat her up and gave her a tissue to blow her nose and wipe her face. "Feel better now?"

"Yeah. You're a lot nicer than my dad, Healer Sev. He used to say that I was a big baby when I cried. I never want to see him again! Never ever!"

"And you won't have to, sweetling. Your dad was a very nasty man and you shouldn't believe anything he told you. It's okay to cry, Lexy. All kids do, even grown-ups cry sometimes. That's why we have tears. Crying is a good thing, because it lets you get the sadness inside you out and then you can feel better."

" I do feel better now." Lexy said quietly. "I just get upset sometimes when I remember my dad, Healer Sev. He did a lot of bad things to my mom and me."

"I know, little one. I know how you feel about him, believe me," Dad said, hugging her to him. "And if you remember anything else about him that upsets you, child, you come to me and I'll hug you and you can cry all over me if you want, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks, Healer Sev." Then she looked at him and said, "I wish you were my dad."

I wasn't surprised at all when she said that. My dad was the best dad in the world and it was too bad Lexy had such a mean one.

"Oh, Lexy!" was all Dad said, and then he hugged her again.

"You can borrow him for today," I said then. "Like I borrowed your mum for the breakfast."

"Really?" She grinned at me. "Thanks, Harry! I'd love to have your dad be mine for a day."

I smiled back at her. "And you can borrow Grandpa too,' cause we can't leave him out."

"Okay. But my Poppi, he's mom's dad, is very nice. I used to live with him before we moved here. I write to him sometimes, and Nana too. But I like Mr. Toby too. He fishes and carves better than anybody."

Yup, that sure was true. I couldn't wait to see Dad's face when he saw the present Grandpa had made him. I'd helped sand some of it and it looked awesome. I hoped Grandpa would like the present I'd bought for him. Dad had helped me pick it out and I thought it was pretty cool. I'd also made him a card.

"Yes, he does," Dad agreed.

Lexy slid off his lap then and he stood up. "Are you two just about ready to go over to Spinner's End?"

"Almost." Lexy answered. "I just need to finish signing my cards. Mom helped me make them last night, before she got sick. She'll be better tomorrow, right?"

"Yes. If she drinks the potion and the tea I gave her," Dad answered. "Finish your card, Lexy, then we can Apparate over to my father's."

Lexy raced into my room, where she'd left the cards on my desk. Two minutes later she was back, the cards in a little folder and Misty under her arm. "I'm ready now, Healer Sev!"

"Good girl! You were quick as a flash." He looked at me. "Come on, Harry."

"Dad, do you have Grandpa's present from me?"

"Yes. It's in my pocket along with mine." He picked me up and then he picked up Lexy. Then we were off to Spinner's End.

Grandpa opened the door soon as we rang the bell. "Well, what's this? Company already?" he asked, like he didn't know we'd be coming over.

"Happy Father's Day, Grandpa!" I shouted, and Lexy echoed me a minute later, only she called him Mr. Toby.

"Happy Father's Day, Dad."

"Same to you, Sev. Come on in, I've got coffee and donuts and some of those cinnamon scones you like so much, Severus." Grandpa stepped back and we all came inside.

Ah ha! So that's why Dad didn't have us eat breakfast before we came over. I licked my lips, for I rarely ate donuts for breakfast at home. Dad said they had way too much sugar to eat first thing in the morning. But not today.

"Thank you." Dad said, then he sighed. "Donuts at seven-thirty in the morning-these two are going to be bouncing off the walls."

"Nah. One won't do ‘em any harm. It's the breakfast of champions."

"Right," snorted Dad.

"I thought that was Wheaties," Lexy stated.

"That too," Grandpa chuckled. "You're one smart cookie, kid. Both of you are."

We followed him into the kitchen where the smells of coffee brewing and the donuts made my stomach start growling like a T-Rex on a diet.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Christmas?" asked Grandpa. "Sit and eat."

Lexy and I didn't need to be told twice. We sat down and snatched a donut off the plate in the center of the table and put it on a paper plate and started eating. "Dad? Can I have coffee too?" I asked through a mouthful of a double chocolate cream.

"Harry, finish chewing before you ask me anything. You'll choke," Dad reminded me. "And I could hardly understand you."

I swallowed what I had in my mouth and repeated my question.

"You may, but with half milk in it, like a latte."

"Why?" asked Lexy.

"Because regular coffee is too strong for little children and has too much caffeine in it," replied Dad. He set about making the coffee for us while we ate.

Lexy and I each ate two donuts and Dad didn't say anything.

He was eating one of those cinnamon scones Grandpa had bought specially for him with butter and drinking a big mug of coffee.

Grandpa was eating some donuts and some scones, he liked anything sweet.

Since it was Father's Day, that meant Dad and Grandpa could do whatever they pleased for the whole day. Usually, Dad spent Father's Day making potions for a bit, then watching TV or reading with me beside him. I made him breakfast once I was old enough not to spill anything and use the toaster. I could only make toast and cereal, but Dad said it was excellent toast and the cereal was first rate too. I could make coffee too and I always gave him it and orange juice.

But I liked Grandpa's breakfast better. Donuts beat cereal and toast any day of the week.

Once we were finished, Dad used a cleaning charm to wash the dishes then we went into the den so we could give Grandpa and Dad their presents.

Dad enlarged the present I'd gotten Grandpa, he'd shrunk it so it would fit in his pocket when he Apparated. Then he handed it to me, along with my card.

"All right. You first, Grandpa, since you're the oldest," I said. Then I handed him my present, it was wrapped in blue paper with ties on it.

He opened it carefully, then laughed when he saw what it was. "Thank you, Harry. I can wear this to work tomorrow." It was a blue T-shirt with the words The Man Wearing This Shirt is the World's Best Grandpa written in white letters. He folded it and held out his arms and I hugged him. "You're the world's best grandson, y'know," he whispered in my ear.

"I know." Then I drew away, and pointed to Lexy. "Your turn next, Lexy."

She shyly handed Grandpa the card she had made. Grandpa examined it carefully. "What a wonderful card. Did you make this yourself, kitten?"

"Uh-huh. Mom helped. But the real present's inside. Open it!" she said, bouncing from foot to foot excitedly.

"Relax, jitterbug," laughed Grandpa. "I'm not going anywhere." Inside the card was a gift certificate for Tony's Bake Shoppe, which was where Grandpa had gotten the donuts and scones. "Thank you, Lexy. You know me too well."

She ran to sit on his lap too and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek. "You're welcome, Mr. Toby. I knew you'd like it."

Then it was Dad's turn. He handed Grandpa a long envelope. Inside it were season passes to all the London Wasp games. The Wasps were Grandpa's favorite rugby team.

"Severus! You didn't have to do that!"

"Why not? I figured you'd like this more than a mug or another shirt," said Dad, smirking slyly. "Was I right?"

"Yes, you were. There, I said it. Happy now?"

"Thrilled. That was the best gift, Dad," teased my father.

"Don't be a smartass, boy," Grandpa growled, but it was a pretend growl and he was smiling. "Thank you very much, Sev."

"Now it's your turn for presents, Dad!" I cried happily. "Grandpa, where'd you put mine?"

"Right here, Harry," He handed me the flat package wrapped in green paper.

I pulled my card out and shoved it on top of the package, then handed it to my dad. "Here you go, Dad. Happy Father's Day."

He opened the card first, it was one of my better efforts. Then he opened the present. It was a handmade picture frame, Grandpa had helped me make it and then I'd written on the top #1 Dad Forever and on the bottom, Love Harry. Inside it was a picture of me and Dad together.

"This is perfect, Harry. Did you make this yourself?"

"Yup, but Grandpa helped me a lot." I answered. "You could put it on your desk in your office at work, Dad."

"That's a very good idea, Harry. You did a fantastic job on this. Thank you."

I gave him a big hug too.

Lexy came up and gave him her card and gift. Inside Dad's card was a gift certificate to the bookstore. "Now how did you know I could use one of these?"

"I dunno. I just did, ‘cause you like to read just like me and Harry."

"And you are right, miss. I love to read and wish I had more time to do so. Thank you."

Lexy gave him a kiss and hug as well.

Then at last it was Grandpa's turn and this was what I'd been waiting for. Grandpa reached over the side of the couch and picked up a medium sized box. He handed it to Dad.

I watched excitedly as Dad opened it. The carving Grandpa had done of Dad, me, and Inky was wrapped up in bubble wrap inside the box. He gently undid the wrap and took out the statue. It was beautiful, Grandpa had stained it with natural and dark wood stain, and polished it until it shone. On the bottom of the base were his initials TDS, burned into the wood.

"Dad . . .this is . . .I don't know what to say . . ." He kept turning the statue over and over in his hands, admiring it.

Grandpa looked embarrassed. "D'you like it, Sev?"

"Like it? I love it. It's one of the best pieces you've ever made," Dad said sincerely. "Thank you very much. It can go in my office as well, so people will see it. Amazing!"

His finger stroked over the Inky figure, we'd left Inky at home today, since Grandpa's backyard is not made to keep a panther in, and this was a Muggle neighborhood besides.

"Isn't it the coolest, Dad?" I asked.

"It certainly is."

Presents over with, I then asked what else they would like to do.

"I think we'll just sit and watch TV for a bit, minnow." Grandpa answered. "Because the best present of all is you being here with me." He patted his knee and I came and sat on it.

Lexy came and sat next to Dad at first, but by the time we were watching Monty Python & the Holy Grail, she was sitting in his lap, howling with laughter like the rest of us.

Afterwards we played cards and then we all took a nap and lazed around till it was time to go out for dinner at Lazy Joe's.

It had been a wonderful Father's Day. One of the best I could remember.

* * * * * *

The rest of the summer seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, it was September and time for school again. All of us had turned eight that year, and we'd all attended each other's birthdays and Dad gave all of us our yearly check-up, including the vaccinations (Ouch!) Mr. and Mrs. Granger also gave us yearly dental exams, mine was fine as usual.

My teacher this year was a Mrs. Underwood, she seemed nice enough, if a bit strict. Once we'd settled in, and begun reviewing all the material we'd learned from last term, she made us learn about strangers again. How we were never to talk to a stranger, or go anywhere with one, tell them where we lived, or take sweets or anything from one. And if one came up to us, we were to walk away and get a teacher or another adult. I knew all that already and so did everybody else, but we listened and took notes from the board like she wanted, it was part of the new Safety First program the school was doing.

It was around two days after that discussion that I noticed a man walking down the sidewalk near the school. That wasn't all that unusual, people walked past the school all the time, but we were playing in the front of the school on the pavement that day, since the back near the field was getting mowed. I had looked up from catching a ball Lexy had thrown to me, we were playing catch-22, a game Alaina had invented where you had to catch a ball 22 times, thrown at you by different people who were trying to catch it as well, and win the game. We were playing with Stevie and Hermione, and so far I was winning.

When I looked up towards the street, I saw a man, kind of medium-sized with sandy hair, watching us. He was dressed in jeans and a light blue shirt, nodded at me, and kept walking past the school. I didn't think anything of it then.

Until I saw him the next day, walking the opposite direction, and the day after that, when we came out for dismissal, he was sitting on one of the benches beside the road, reading a paper. He never came up to me or even waved at me, but I felt like he was watching me.

It made me nervous, but when I went to tell a teacher the next day, the man was gone. A couple days later he returned, but he never stayed by the school for long, and my friends didn't see him at all. He was always gone by the time I turned around to call them.

Two weeks went by and I didn't see him, yet I was always a little nervous when I went out to play in the front playground for recess. I felt as though someone was watching us still, even though every time I looked, no one was there. Yet somehow I could still feel his eyes on me and they made me shiver.

I told Dad about it and he told me to stay close to the school and wear my panther amulet at all times, if the man was innocent, the amulet couldn't hurt, but if he was a Death Eater, the amulet would protect me from him. "Do not, under any circumstances, let him get close to you, Harry. If he starts coming towards you, run away and find a teacher, understand?"

"Yes. I know better than to talk to strangers, Dad."

But I didn't see the man again, though I still looked for him whenever we played on the playground in front. I thought he had gone away, that I had been mistaken, and he really wasn't watching me at all. I told myself I had gotten all scared over nothing, but sometimes I still felt eyes on me. Only whenever I looked around, there was nothing there. I told myself it was just my imagination.

Little did I know, it wasn't.

The day it happened I was nearly late for school. Dad had been on call the night before and forgotten to set his alarm or something, and I never wake up unless someone calls me for school, so we woke up fifteen minutes later than normal and had to rush to make it to the bus on time. Dad could've Apparated me, but I wanted to ride the bus with Hermione and Lexy.

Which meant I had ten minutes to get dressed, my hair combed (it needed trimming again), and eat some toast before we missed the bus. I shoved my favorite green Wasps Rule shirt on and a pair of trousers that were almost like jeans. Dad used a spell to comb my hair, handed me a piece of toast and glass of milk, and told me to eat quickly.

I drank the milk, crammed the toast in my mouth, and my breakfast was done. After petting Inky goodbye, Dad Apparated us to the end of the street and then we walked to the corner and just as we got there, the bus came. "Have a good day at school, Harry," Dad said as I was leaving.

"Bye, Dad! I'll see you later." I called, not knowing then how true those words were.

Once on the bus, I slid into my usual seat, four rows behind the driver, Hermione and Lexy were already there, they got on at the same stop.

"Morning, Harry," Hermione greeted cheerfully. She was all bouncy in the morning.

"Morning," I yawned, I was not at my best this morning. I still felt tired and I wished I could just go back to bed.

Lexy looked tired too, and she smiled at me quietly, before closing her eyes and taking a nap. It took about twenty minutes for the bus to get to Mabry, and I thought she was smart to sleep while she could.

I decided to follow her example and closed my eyes as well. One hand came up to stroke my panther amulet, that Grandpa had made for me two years ago and Dad had enchanted to protect me from dark magic and stuff. Only it wasn't there. I opened my eyes and stared down at my neck, trying to remember if I'd taken it off this morning.

Yes, I had, I removed it when I was putting on my new shirt. I had been in such a hurry that I'd forgotten to put it back on. It was still lying where I'd left it, on my dresser. Bloody hell! I swore to myself. Well, it was too late to get it now. I was supposed to wear the amulet always, since I'd noticed the stranger watching me, but now I'd have to do without it. I couldn't very well ask my teacher if I could make a phone call because I'd left my amulet home, she was a Muggle and would never understand.

I sighed, sometimes I was so stupid, and I closed my eyes and slept for the rest of the way to school. Hermione had to nudge me awake, and I stumbled into Miss Underwood's classroom half-awake and irritable.

Because I was so tired, I didn't participate as well as I normally do, and my teacher noticed and asked if I were sick. For one moment I was tempted to tell her yes, but then I remembered Dad was a Healer and he'd know I was faking. So I regretfully told her no, I was just tired, and she said I should get some more rest tonight.

"Yes, ma'am," I answered respectfully.

"Very well, turn to page 125 and let's get started on this week's spelling list."

I opened my spelling book, praying I could stay awake.

The rest of the school day seemed to drag, except for recess and lunch, those always went super fast. As usual, I sat with my friends for lunch, and played with them during recess. I was glad we were going to play in the back playground, so I didn't have to worry about any strangers watching me.

Finally, the bell rang for dismissal, and we were free. I shoved all my books and folders in my bag and just remembered to grab the flyer for the Halloween party coming up in three weeks, on the twenty-fifth, the school did it every other year and you could come in costume and win prizes and stuff. I'd have to think of a really good costume this year.

"Come on, Harry!" Hermione cried, tugging on my shirt sleeve. "We'll miss the bus if we don't hurry up."

"Okay, just a sec." I said, miffed. I tugged my zipper closed than followed her and Lexy from the classroom. We were just outside the building when Lexy cried, "Oh no! I forgot my bookbag in the classroom. I need to go and get it."

She turned and raced back inside.

Three minutes later she was still not back. I glanced at Hermione. "What should we do? Will the bus driver wait for her?"

Hermione shook her head, looking worried. "No. We asked him to last time and he said it's not the company policy."

"I wonder what's keeping her?" I said, for it had now been over five minutes and she was still gone. "I'm going to go and see what's up." I decided.

The schoolyard was nearly empty now and I knew the buses were leaving soon. I entered the school and walked down the hall to Mrs. Underwood's classroom.

"Harry, wait up," Hermione called, "I don't like staying outside without you."

I slowed down and waited until she had caught up with me. "I wonder if Miss Underwood came back and maybe she's talking to Lexy," I said, trying to figure out why it would take Lexy so long to get her bookbag.

But when we got to the classroom, it was empty and there was no sign of Lexy. "Huh? Where'd she go?" I said, puzzled.

"Lexy?" Hermione called, peering all over. "If she's not here, then where is she?"

We went back out into the hallway, and then we heard a muffled sound. It was coming from the little corridor where the bathrooms were. I turned and headed down there, Hermione practically stepping on me, and saw a dreadful sight.

Two men were dragging Lexy away, and she was fighting both of them, but one had tape across her mouth and the other was trying to tie her feet with some kind of cord.

"Lexy!" I yelled, and ran toward them, hoping to scare them into dropping her.

She looked up at me and said, "Hmamm-mmfgrm!"

"You let her go, you nasty beasts!" shouted Hermione.

"Aw, shit, Dan! Those kids done seen us now," drawled a tall man with reddish brown hair and cold green eyes.

The other man, the one who was holding Lexy, looked up and said, "Stop them before they talk, Brent."

I gasped, for he was the same man who'd been watching me weeks ago.

"Will do, boss. Yo, Jack! We got some guppies that need netting."

I started to back away, and I cried, "Run, Hermione!"

Hermione turned to run, but another man appeared behind us and grabbed her, clamping a hand over her mouth so she couldn't scream for help. "Shut it, girlie! This is what you get fer pokin' yer nose in other people's business." He pinned her against him so she couldn't get away.

Now I was trapped between him and the red-haired guy, who was coming for me with a wicked grin on his face. "Don't run, boy. It'll only go worse for you if you do."

"Who are you? What do you want with us?"

"Friends of Lexy's daddy there," he jerked his thumb back at the sandy-haired man. "And all we wanted is for him to get his little girl back, which her mama stole from him. Since her mama won't let her daddy near her, we decided to take her away with us."

"You can't do that!" I gasped. There were tears running down Lexy's face now, and I could see her shaking from here. "She doesn't want to be with him, now let her go. She's my friend and she wants to be with her mum."

"Well, now ain't that too bad. You don' always get what you want, boy." The man growled, then he grabbed me by the shoulder and held me fast. I tried to bite him, but he smacked me so hard my teeth rattled. "None of that, boy!" He pulled a dirty handkerchief out of his pocket that smelled gross, it was soaked with something, and held it to my nose and mouth.

I coughed and sputtered, but it was no use, and I breathed in the awful smell that clung to the cloth.

Next thing I knew, my head felt funny and my eyes started closing in spite of themselves. I felt the red-haired man pick me up and put me over his shoulder, then a white mist came and swirled me away and I knew nothing more until I woke up hours later, as a prisoner of Lexy's father, Daniel Chase.

When I finally woke up, my mouth felt sore and itchy, like I was getting a bad cold, and my head felt fuzzy and my tummy hurt too. I was lying on an old mattress that smelled like a dozen cats had peed on it. The smell was making me feel even sicker, and I sat up, coughing softly.

I was in a small room with faded green paint on the walls and a folding chair and a wooden packing crate. But that was all. Hermione was lying on the opposite end of the mattress and Lexy was on a blanket next to Hermione, her feet were still tied.

I moved over and tried to undo the cord around her ankles, but the cord was strong and I couldn't get it apart. Then I tried summoning my magic to undo the rope, but it wouldn't come to me. I groaned. Why was it my magic came some times and not others? I really needed it now. But after fifteen minutes of glaring and wishing and begging, I gave up. My magic refused to awaken.

It was hot and stuffy in here, and I wished that I was home, safe with Dad, and drinking a big glass of iced tea. I shut my eyes and imagined how good the tea would taste as it slid down my throat, all sweet and lemony and icy. I swallowed, wishing very badly for a drink, my throat felt like sandpaper.

I got up and walked around the room, trying to see if there were any way out of here. But there wasn't. There were no windows, only a door and it was locked. I thought about banging on it and yelling as loud as I could for them to let me out, then supposed that wouldn't be very smart. But I really did want someone to come in here soon, because all of a sudden I needed to pee awfully bad.

I took a deep breath and tried not to think about it, wriggling a bit. If somebody didn't get in here soon, I was going to disgrace myself and pee right on the floor. I knew I shouldn't have drank a whole water bottle at recess.

"Harry?"

I turned around, grateful for any distraction. Lexy was sitting halfway up against the wall, her dark hair all mussed and a red mark across her mouth where the tape had been. "You all right, Lex?" I walked slowly over to her and sat down.

"No. I want my mom," she sniffled, blinking hard. "That man who kidnapped us, Harry . . .he's my dad. He found me and now he'll never let me go." Two tears filled her eyes and trickled down her cheeks. "I don't wanna live with him, Harry. He doesn't love me, not really, even though he tries to act all nice in front of people. He only wants me because he knows it'll hurt Mom really bad if he has me. He's mean and nasty and I hate him!"

More tears followed and I put an arm around her and hugged her. I couldn't do hugs as good as Dad, but Lexy didn't seem to care. "It'll be okay, Lexy. Dad and Grandpa will find us or they'll send the Aurors and they can rescue us."

"You really think so?"

"Yup. Because nobody messes with a Snape. They'll come for us, and they'll chew up your wicked father and spit him out for breakfast."

"Good. He's the meanest man in the world. He's like a wormy apple, looks all shiny outside, but inside he's rotten and nasty."

Just then we heard a key turning in a lock and the red-haired man who'd made me breathe into that nasty cloth entered the room. He looked us over and said, "Good, you're awake. Your daddy's been wanting to see you for a long time, darlin'," he said to Lexy with a fake smile.

She shrank back against me. "No-o-o!" She wailed. "I don't want to see him! I wanna go home to my mom! Daddy's a nasty man."

The red-haired man, Brent was his name, I think, looked at her and scowled. "Now, that's no way to talk about your daddy, sugar. Did your mama tell you your daddy was a nasty man?"

Lexy shook her head.

"Now, don' lie to me, girlie. Your daddy won't be too happy if you do. We all know how your mama's nothing but a lying no-good tramp and you shouldn't believe anything she says."

Lexy's eyes went round with fear and indignation. ‘Don't you talk that way about my mom. Daddy's the one who always lied to me."

"Yeah, you can just go and bugger yourself," I told Brent, I'd heard that expression from Sirius, and one time I said it to Ron when Dad was nearby, and Dad came and washed out my mouth for swearing. But this time I didn't care, whatever that meant the guy could go and do it.

Brent glared warningly at me. "You shut your trap, boy. This isn't your concern."

"Is too!" I insisted, Lexy's my best friend and if she doesn't want to see her dad, she shouldn't have to. He's mean and he hits her for nothing."

Brent snorted. "Oh? And just how would you know that? That's what all you kids today say when you get punished, I didn't do nothin'! Lying little brats!"

"We are not!" I snapped.

Brent drew closer to me. "I done told you once, boy-shut up! Or else I'll tan your backside the way your daddy ought to have done."

"You leave Harry alone, you big dumb idiot!" Lexy defended me.

"Watch it, missy. Or else your father will be mighty displeased with you."

Lexy shivered, then said bravely, "You shouldn't of taken us here, mister. When Harry's dad and grandpa find out, they're going to kick your butt from here to the Antarctic. And so will my mom."

Brent sneered at her. "Think so, missy? You're forgetting one thing. First they've got to find us. And your daddy made sure we couldn't be found. Not no way or no how." He shook a finger at her. "So you just remember that, and behave yourself."

I spoke up then, unable to keep silent any more. "Umm . . .I gotta pee really bad, mister, and if you don't let me use the bathroom, I'm gonna go right here."

Brent glared at me like I'd asked him for a million Galleons. "Christ Almighty, but you kids think you're in some resort or something. C'mon, I'll show you where you can take a leak, then I'll be back to take you to your daddy, Miss Chase."

He grabbed me by the back of my shirt and dragged me off the bed.

"Hey!" I yelped. "I can walk, y'know."

"Let's go, kid."

"My name's not Chase anymore, it's Montague." Lexy called as we were leaving.

Brent locked the door and then half-dragged me down a long dim hallway to the bathroom, which was the size of a closet.

Not that I cared. By that time I was just grateful I hadn't had an accident.

Dad, where are you? We're trapped by the meanest man in the world and I really wanna get out of here.

Two minutes later Brent tapped on the door. "You done yet, kid? I haven't got all day."

I washed my hands and came out, he marched me back to the room and shoved me inside.

Then he called Lexy over, she came very slowly, biting her lip and sniffling.

"Move it, missy! Lord, y'think you were goin' to your own execution! Little drama queen!" Growing impatient, Brent reached out and grabbed Lexy by the back of her shirt and pulled her out the door. I could hear her protesting all the way down the hallway.

Hermione woke up soon after they left and she was scared and wanted her mum and dad. I couldn't blame her. I wanted my dad and grandpa too. "What are they gonna do to us, Harry?" she cried. "I don't wanna end up on a milk carton for missing kids."

"Me either. Lexy's dad is the one who took us, and I think he only did it so we wouldn't tell anybody what we saw."

"Like a witness to a murder?"

"Yeah, only nobody died. I don't know what he'll do to us, but I'm scared too." I admitted. Then we both hugged each other and cried.

* * * * * * * *

Later on, about an hour or so later, I had a watch so I could tell time, the door opened and Lexy came in, followed by the man I knew now to be her father, Daniel Chase. He had a hand on her shoulder, but I could tell she didn't want him to touch her by the way she was holding herself, stiff and awkward.

"Go and take a seat next to your friends, honey," Dan said, sounding as if we'd been invited over for a play date, not been kidnapped and locked up. He placed the folding chair in front of us and sat down, giving us all a brilliant smile. If I didn't know better from what Lexy had said, I'd of thought he was a nice man, from the way he smiled. He acts nice in front of other people, but he's really a wormy apple.

"Hello. In case you don't know, I'm Lexy's father, Daniel Chase. I'm rather sorry you two got involved in this, but you see Lexy's mom has been keeping me from seeing my little girl for over a year now and I got tired of calling and writing and never getting an answer, so I hired a detective to trace where my wife had taken Lexy, and once he located her, I took the first plane out. But I knew Lexy's mother would never let me see her, Alaina's jealous of the fact that Lexy might come to like me better, seeing as how I can give her anything she might want. Right, buttercup?" He smiled at Lexy.

"Yes, Daddy," Lexy answered, but I knew she was only agreeing with him because she was scared not to.

"So I had to hide and wait for my chance to take Lexy here, and I guess you misunderstood my intentions when I did that. I couldn't have you running and telling anybody, so I took you along too." Dan continued, flashing us another of those phony smiles.

I didn't misunderstand anything, you evil old git, I wanted to say. You kidnapped Lexy because she would've never agreed to come with you otherwise and you're holding us prisoner for the same reason.

"Please sir, when can I go home?" Hermione inquired timidly.

"Well now, sweetie, that all depends."

"On what, sir?"

"On whether or not my ex-wife agrees to cooperate with me and give me custody of my daughter." Dan said softly, but there was an edge to his tone that made me quiver. "If Alaina agrees to relinquish custody to me, then I'll let you go home as soon as I can. But if she won't, you may be here for a while longer."

"How long? I don't want to stay here!" Hermione bawled. "I want to go home. I miss my mother and dad, and I want to sleep in my own room, not on this dirty old mattress! It stinks like dead cats!"

I stared at Hermione in astonishment. I'd never heard her demand anything that way before. Or yell like she was doing. Was she actually having a little tantrum here?

Dan's eyes narrowed, and suddenly the smile was gone. "I can't help that, missy. I didn't exactly have time to go shop at Ethan Allan before I came here. So you're just going to have to deal with it, got me? Sorry this isn't the Waldorf Astoria, Your Highness. Now quit that crying, before I give you something to really cry about." He leaned forward menacingly, and suddenly I was terrified. "Only big babies cry, and you're eight, aren't you?"

Hermione gulped and scrunched away, moving further back on the mattress until she bumped into the wall. She wiped her nose on her sleeve, trying to stop crying.

"Better. Now, we won't have a problem so long as you do whatever I tell you. I like little kids who are obedient and polite, right, Lexy? But if you behave the way you just did, girl, screaming and acting like a high-and-mighty little brat . . .tell them what happens to bad little kids, Lexy darlin'."

Lexy swallowed, then said in a soft voice I barely recognized as hers, "They . . .they get spanked with a slipper on their bare bottoms. Or . . .or put in the dark in a closet."

"That's right. Or worse. There are all kinds of ways I can punish you. So, unless you want that to happen to you, I'd suggest you modify your tone and your behavior, girl. Got me?"

"Yes, sir." sniffled Hermione.

"Daddy?"

"What is it, cupcake?"

"Can we have something to eat and drink? I'm kind of hungry."

"Sure. I'll bring you something in a little bit. Meantime, I'd like you all to tell me your names, so I can call you something else besides girl and boy."

"Hermione Granger."

"Harry Potter," I answered, wondering if I'd made a mistake by doing that. Then again, what did it matter if he knew my name?

"Okay, Hermione and Harry, here's the deal. You get to write a letter to your parents for me. Tell them you're fine and that you can come home when Alaina agrees to give over custody of Alexis to me. Otherwise, it's no cigar. And if they try to bring the police into it or whatever, all bets are off and I'll be forced to do something they'll regret, like sell you to some people I know who like little white girls and boys just your age." There was a nasty gleam in his eye when he said that, and I wished once again that Dad would hurry up and find me. "Yup, they like ‘em tender and young, the better to train ‘em up. So unless you want to be a slave to some man with exotic tastes, you tell your parents to talk to my wife and make her see that her only option is to give me my child. Clear?"

"Yes, sir," Hermione and I chorused.

He smiled again, and now I knew what his smile reminded me of. A shark, baring his teeth for the kill. "Good, now that's what I like to hear. I'll bring you some pens and paper after your supper. You just sit and think about what you're going to write to your parents in the meantime. Remember, the quicker they persuade Alaina to do the right thing, the quicker you'll get to go home."

Then he rose and left the room.

As soon as he was gone, Hermione burst into tears. "I-I can't write a letter like that! It's a lie! I don't want Alaina to say he can have you, Lexy. I want her to call the police and have them arrest his arse!"

I gaped at her. "Mione! You said arse!"

She gave me a rather annoyed look, though how she managed that while crying is beyond me. "So? I do know the word, Harry. I just don't say it all that much because . . .because Mum doesn't like it when girls use bad language. So what are we gonna do? I don't want to write a letter like that. But if I don't . . .I don't want to get spanked with a slipper or sold to some other mean man either."

"Just do what he says, Mione," Lexy said. "Trust me, it's easier if he thinks you'll obey him. You don't want to make him mad. He's the devil when he's mad."

"Besides, you know our parents won't take those letters seriously," I pointed out. "They'll know he made us write them and then they'll be so mad they won't stop at nothing to find us."

"But how can they find us, Harry?" asked Lexy.

"With magic, I guess. Last year, I got lost chasing Inky and my dad found me with a locator spell. I don't see any reason why they can't do that again."

"Does your father know about magic, Lexy?"

"No. Least I don't think he does."

"Good, then there won't be any way he can block the locator spell," I said happily. "They're probably searching for us this minute, and you might not even have to spend the night here, Hermione." How I prayed that was true.

"Oh I really hope so!" she said eagerly.

Then we stopped talking, because the door was being unlocked and a different man than the other three I'd seen entered. He was carrying a tray with a bunch of snack food items, like pretzels and cheese and crackers, cookies and those packages of beef jerky and four cans of soda. It looked like they'd raided a vending machine.

"Here. It's not the best, but it's what's for dinner," he said, and gave us a wink.

He was slightly smaller than Dan, with dark hair pulled back into a short tail and a handsome face with light brown eyes. He looked a little younger than my dad, around twenty-four or so, and he was wearing a bright blue shirt with the words Do Yourself A Favor-Ignore Me on it and worn jeans and black trainers.

"Who are you?" I asked. For some odd reason he looked kind of familiar, though I couldn't place where I'd seen him before.

"Name's Magnus, kid. That means great in Latin, in case you were wondering," he said, his tone slightly condescending.

"Your mum must have thought a lot of you then," said Hermione.

He chuckled. "She did that." He set the tray down on the wooden crate and said, "Okay, dinner is served, ladies and gentlemen. Play nice now and make the food disappear."

Then he left the room.

Hermione moved over to the tray and said, "Okay, who wants the peanut butter and cheese crackers?"

When we had divided all the food and sodas up, and had begun eating, Hermione said, "That Magnus seemed nicer than those other men. He actually made a joke there at the end. But maybe it's a trick."

"A trick?" I repeated.

"Yeah, you know. Like good cop, bad cop. One's all nice, so you talk to him and one's all nasty, so you're afraid of him, but in the end you tell them what they want to know. Don't you watch detective shows, Harry?"

"No." I answered. I ate my pretzels and drank my soda slowly. Then I looked at my watch. It was now eight-thirty, bedtime for me if I was at home.

Suddenly I was struck with a wave of homesickness and all I wanted right then was to be home in my own bed with Inky beside me purring and Dad reading me a bedtime story before tucking me in and kissing me goodnight. I felt tears start to come to my eyes and I turned my head away so the girls wouldn't see me crying. I knew it would only make them cry too.

I clasped my hands together and prayed harder than I've ever prayed in my life. Dear God, send someone to rescue us. Please. Before something terrible happens and we end up being here forever or sold to some weirdo. I just hoped God could hear me from all the way up there.

Ten minutes later, Dan returned and handed me and Hermione a sheet of notebook paper and a pen and an envelope. "Now, you write home to mommy and daddy and tell them what I told you before, all right?"

We did, though neither of us wanted to. I wished I knew a secret code so I could tell Dad what was really going on. But I didn't and so I just wrote that I missed him and wanted to come home, so he should talk to Alaina.

Half an hour later, Brent came in and made us throw out the trash from our meal and took us each to the bathroom. "That's the last break you'll have till morning, so if you have to go during the night, tough crap." He snickered at that last comment. He took the letters from us. Then he tossed a ratty blanket at us that smelled like mildew, unscrewed the lightbulb in the ceiling so we were almost in pitch darkness, then left. "Nighty night, brats. Hope the cockroaches don't bite, ha!"

As soon as the sound of the key turning in the lock had died away, Lexy began to whimper.

"What's the matter, Lexy?" I asked softly. "Besides being stuck here, I mean."

"It's dark, Harry."

"She's afraid of the dark, remember?" Hermione whispered, and moved over to hug her friend.

Lexy was shivering and making these soft little moaning noises. "I wish I had Misty here with me. I don't like the dark. All the bad monsters come out then and grab you."

"It's okay, Lex," I whispered, moving over to her other side and putting an arm around her. "There are no monsters in here, just us. Dad says the dark is gentle, like black velvet, like Inky's fur."

"Or like licorice," added Hermione. "Or a pretty onyx ring."

"And the night is beautiful, when the stars come out."

"And the fireflies glow," Hermione recalled.

Lexy was still shivering, but as we continued to name good things about the dark, she relaxed and snuggled into us.

Then Hermione began to sing, and for some reason she was singing a Christmas carol, "Silent Night."

But I didn't bother to question it, it was a peaceful song and soon I joined in and between the both of us we sang Lexy to sleep. It was an odd sort of lullaby, but it worked.

Except it took me a long time to fall asleep and when I did I dreamed of Dan hauling me away in chains to a boat where a man with a whip waited and said, "Ah, a fine one, just the one I've been looking for!"

And I started screaming and crying and Dan laughed and said, "That's what you get for being such a naughty boy, Harry! Traded to slavers and now you'll never see your daddy again. Never!"

I woke up with tears on my cheeks and I buried my face into the smelly old mattress and cried, for I was afraid the dream might come true. But no one heard me crying, and in a way I was glad, and I cried myself back to sleep.

I had just finished making a batch of Dreamless Sleep Potion and bottled it, when I looked at the clock and realized it was time to get Harry from the bus stop. But when I arrived there, the bus was gone, and there was no sign of my son anywhere. I waited another five or ten minutes, thinking maybe there had been traffic or God forbid, an accident, or the bus had broken down.

But finally I ran out of logical explanations as to why the bus had not arrived and I started to panic. I Apparated back home and called the school, asking if something had happened to the bus, they said no, it had left the school on time. I then wondered if Harry had decided on the spur of the moment to go over Lexy or Hermione's after school, even though he knew he wasn't supposed to do that without asking first.

So I telephoned Alaina, she would be home now, and when she answered, I asked, "Alaina, is Harry with you? He never came home on the bus today."

"No, Sev. I was just going to call you. Lexy's not home either. The bus driver said she never got on the bus after school. And neither did Hermione, because they both get off at my stop. Sev, do you think they missed the bus and are still at school?"

"Yes, that's probably where they are," I said. "I can Apparate over and see." I offered quickly.

"But why didn't they call and tell us where they were?" Alaina asked. She sounded both annoyed and concerned at the same time.

"I don't know. But I'll be sure to ask them when I see them. Goodbye, Alaina."

After I hung up, I Apparated directly into the back playground of the primary school, that being the part of the school that was hidden from the street and any curious passerby. But when I went to search through the school, I didn't see any children there, they should've been waiting outside or something, but there was no sign of any of them.

A sick feeling began to curdle in my stomach.

If the children weren't at the school, then where had they gone?

They were missing, I thought, feeling another wave of panic engulf me. And I feared the worst, that an associate of Lucius's or a lower echelon member of the Death Eaters had kidnapped my son and his friends. My first instinct was to cast a locator spell, which I did after making sure no Muggles were in sight.

"Point me Harry Potter." I whispered, putting all of my will behind the casting.

It should have responded instantly, but instead the spell took a good ten minutes to activate, and then it only gave me a vague direction of north and west and nothing more. Frowning, I recast, and this time got an even fainter probe than before.

Bloody hell, it's being blocked! I swore furiously. Which means that whoever took the children is a wizard.

Icy darts of fear were stabbing me all along my spine. Death Eaters were not known for mercy or compassion and if they had my son and his friends . . .but if they had Harry, how had they managed to circumvent the protective spells I'd woven about the amulet he wore? I was an expert at protection spells, I'd had to be in order to ward myself for all those years, and the ones I'd cast on the panther amulet were my strongest ones. No dark wizard should've been able to get with ten feet of my son.

But I couldn't deny that the locator spell was being blocked. I tried once more and got the same results before returning to my home to call Alaina and give her the bad news. But before I did that, I went into Harry's room to see if he'd left anything behind, like his amulet. Sure enough, there was the amulet on his dresser.

"Goddamn it, Harry!" I growled. "Of all the bloody times to be absentminded."

I picked up the amulet and slipped it into a pocket of my trousers. Then I Apparated to Alaina's house.

She was pale and shaken, her brown eyes filled with anxiety and more than a little panic. "Where are they, Severus? You didn't find them? Dear God in heaven, where are our children?"

Her voice rose on that last note into a high-pitched wail of hysteria and I quickly moved to put my arms about her and hug her. "Alaina, don't get hysterical. We'll find them, I swear it on all I hold dear." I murmured into her ear.

She pressed against me, trembling from head to foot, breathing in quick gasps. "I was . . .hoping they were there at the school, waiting for one of us to come and get them. But if they aren't there . . .Sev, what could've happened to them?"

I hesitated before I told her my theory. She nearly went to pieces then, shivering violently and sobbing. I couldn't blame her, for I was on the verge of a major panic attack myself. I could feel my chest begin to tighten and I had to force myself to take three deep breaths and then focus on my poor girlfriend. "Alaina, honey . . .shh . . .we'll find them . . .I promise you by God and all the angels and Merlin's staff . . .they can't block locator spells forever and the Aurors have even better methods of tracking people. Hush, love. Hush." I stroked her hair and her back, over and over, letting her cry away her terror and panic into my shoulder. I wished like hell I could do the same, but I knew I had to hold myself together, I couldn't fall apart now, that wouldn't help anything.

After several long minutes, she stopped crying and drew away. "Sorry . . .but it's my worst nightmare, my daughter gone missing."

"It's every parent's," I said. "Have you told the Grangers yet?"

She shook her head, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. "No. I was waiting for you to return from the school, praying they were still there. I guess I ought to do that now."

"Yes. And I'll be calling Sirius, Remus, and Albus," I said grimly, then withdrew my mirror from the pocket of my robes and called, "Remus Lupin's office, please!"

All of my friends had duplicates of my mirror, so I could contact them wherever I was in case of an emergency.

An instant later, my mirror glowed with silvery light and Remus's face appeared. "Severus? What's going on? You never use my mirror unless something's really wrong."

I bit my lip to keep from bursting out into hysterical laughter. Stop it, Snape! You cannot indulge in these damn crazy emotions right now. Keep it together. "Remus, Harry's gone missing. Along with Lexy and Hermione. I think the Death Eaters have them." 

"How long have they been missing, Sev?" 

I checked my watch. "About an hour-and-a-half to two hours, near as I can tell. They never came home from school, we thought they'd missed the bus. But when I went to pick them up, they were gone, and when I tried to use a Four Points spell, it was blocked."

Remus frowned. "Concealment charms and misdirection jinxes, no doubt. Which means the suspect's a wizard."

"A Death Eater," I said flatly.

"Mmm . . .Most likely. Have you received any letters yet?"

I shook my head no. "Letters? As in a ransom note?"

"Yes."

"No. Should I watch for one?"

"Yes. Let me go and call Sirius, he was running a DADA class for our latest batch of recruits. We'll be right over after it, all right?"

"I'll see you then, Moony."

By the time I was done speaking to Remus, Alaina was also off the phone.

I told her what Remus had said, and then I asked, "The Grangers, how are they taking it?"

"About how you'd expect. They're very upset and scared. Jane wanted to call the Muggle police, but I told her this was a job for the Aurors. They're coming over here and I'll drive us to your place."

"Good idea. My house and property is warded, so we'll be safe there. I'll meet you back there, blackbird." I hugged her close, kissed her gently, then I stepped away and Disapparated.

Once I was home, I firecalled Albus, who was in a board meeting, or so the portrait of former Headmaster Phineas Nigellus told me. I'd have to try him again later.

Then I called my father, striving to keep my tone even, and as soon as he heard, he said he'd be right over and hung up before I could offer to Apparate him. Spinners End was only fifteen minutes away and both Tobias and Alaina had the wards keyed to them so they could enter Aspen Avenue.

Now all I had to do was wait for them to arrive. I forced myself to take a seat on the couch, rubbing my throbbing temples with my fingers, trying desperately to stave off the migraine I was courting. I summoned a Headache Remedy and gulped it down, grimacing slightly at the bitter taste, but it was better than enduring a full-blown migraine.

Inky rose form where he'd been lying beside the hearth and sprang up onto the couch, peering at me worriedly, and giving a questioning sort of mew, he could sense I was very upset.

"Those bloody Death Eaters have Harry, Inky, and we need to get him back before they . . ." I couldn't finish that sentence, my throat closed up, as I imagined all of the horrid things they could be doing to my precious little boy.

I found myself clutching Inky to me and burying my face in his fur, tears spilling unchecked down my cheeks into his ebony pelt.

He was far too big to fit in my lap now, but he draped himself across my knees and put his head on my shoulder, making a strange huff-huff and purring noise that I supposed was a panther's way of comforting a distressed pride mate.

I allowed myself the release of tears for only a moment, since I needed to be able to function rationally when the others arrived, and not prostrate on the couch weeping like a two-year-old. Then I sat up and wiped my eyes and tried unsuccessfully, to maneuver Inky off my lap.

But the panther refused to budge. He had both paws about me now and inbetween his purring he began to lick my face.

"Ugh! Inky, stop! You're going to take the skin off me with your blasted tongue!" I gasped, shoving his face away.

The panther gave me an injured look, then stopped licking me, to my vast relief.

Inky was a very bright animal, he understood nearly everything I said, for he was no ordinary panther, however much he resembled one. His extraordinary intelligence was but one thing that set him apart, and I had no doubt he would display other abilities as well, given time.

I scratched behind his ears, and he lay down with his head in my lap, his brilliant peridot eyes slitting in pleasure, a rumbling purr vibrating through his chest.

He didn't even blink when Remus and Sirius came through the fireplace via the Floo.

"Sev, what the hell happened?" Sirius demanded, looking quite alarmed.

"The bastards took the kids from the school, i think, and my locator charm doesn't work, so I can't track them." I answered softly. "Merlin only knows what's being done to them." I heard the involuntary quiver in my voice and bit my lip hard. Steady, Snape. Don't fall apart now. Not yet.

"Sev, take it easy. We'll find Harry and the girls, don't worry," Sirius said, coming over to grip my shoulder comfortingly.

I swallowed hard, for I felt ill, though I was fighting that too. "But will you be in time?" I asked harshly. "I refuse to bury another member of my family, Black, d'you hear me?" I could feel my nerves stretching to the breaking point.

"Severus, I don't think they'd kill Harry. Or the girls," said Sirius sharply, bringing me back to myself with a start. "They're worth more alive, to use as a bargaining chip. You know what they want from you."

"Besides my head on a platter?" I inquired sarcastically. My mouth twisted into a bitter scowl. "Yes, I know . . .they want the formula for the Null Magic Draft. And they'll make me an offer I can't refuse, Padfoot. My son for the formula."

Remus nodded gravely. "That was our conclusion too. But hopefully we can spring the kids before it comes to that."

"Can you break the concealment charm?"

"We'll try, though it's stronger than any I've ever come up against, including those set up by Voldy's inner circle," Remus admitted, scowling blackly. "But every spell has a counter save one, and we'll break it eventually. We'll bring them all home safe, Sev, I swear wizard's oath on it. No one ‘s dying, unless it's the dark wizards who dared to abduct my nephew." Remus's eyes glittered and shifted suddenly from a warm brown to an eerie yellow as the werewolf nature emerged.

For once the shift didn't raise the hairs on the back of my neck, the way it usually did. Inky lifted his head and gave a soft growl, but it was not directed at the werewolf, more in acknowledgment of his anger, I think. This once, I was grateful for Moony's double nature, for those who could harm a werewolf were few and far between, and he made a deadly enemy.

"We'll hunt them down and teach them what it means to mess with one of our own," Sirius added heatedly, his face set and hard, the merry brown eyes turned fierce. In his own way, he was as dangerous as Remus, he too had gone up against Voldy's inner circle and lived to tell of it. Sirius had killed Bellatrix Lestrange, one of the worst psychopathic murderers ever to wield a wand.

They're the best of the best, Severus, I reminded myself sharply. Trust them.

I did, with my life. But the life of my only child, my beloved son . . .I was terrified something would go wrong and I would weep over yet another mound of earth, and mourn the loss of yet another whom I had loved, the way I did Lily and my mother.

Just then Alaina arrived with the Grangers and not five minutes later, so did my father. My girlfriend and the Grangers looked as bad as I felt, pale and drawn with fatigue and stress, red-rimmed eyes, and hands that shook with involuntary nervous tremors. I wished then I had some kind of strong spirits in the house, brandy, firewhiskey, even vodka, but I kept no alcohol in my home ever.

"Jane. Wally." I said quietly, trying to convey my sympathy and understanding with a look, rather than articulate it, for words were too awkward just then.

They looked back at me and nodded, acknowledging my look with one of their own.

"Have you heard anything, Severus?" asked Alaina.

"No. But it may be too early for the kidnappers to send a note yet." I gestured for them to be seated on the smaller sofa and the recliner, since Inky was hogging half the couch.

Jane and Wally took the sofa, and Jane wrapped her arms about herself and looked as if she were going to start howling any minute. Wally just sat there, his eyes dull, stunned by the tragedy that had befallen him. Alaina sat in the recliner, her face drawn and still, only her brown eyes betraying her inner battle.

Dad walked over to the couch where I was and said, "Inky, move over, you oversized lap cat." He gave the panther a nudge with a hand, and the cat opened his eyes, yawned, and glanced at him.

Dad locked eyes with him and gestured, and Inky curled up into a ball so Dad could sit down. As he did so, I noticed the telltale bulge beneath his jacket that meant he was armed.

To my surprise, he reached over Inky's bulk and clasped my arm for a moment, giving me a comforting squeeze. He didn't say anything, but in his own way he was letting me know that he was there if I needed him. He patted my shoulder briefly before placing his hand back in his lap.

For the first time ever, I felt safe and protected, and his presence was a comfort, and I reveled in it like a little child, for this was how I should have felt, all those years ago. This was the strong sergeant, not the tyrant, and it was he whom I could rely on to help me bear the dark time ahead.

"I can't believe this is actually happening," Jane was saying, her voice quivering. "I keep thinking it's just a bad dream and I'll wake up soon and Mione will be safe in her bed. We never had to worry about kidnappers or crazy wizard terrorists in Surrey. How could this be happening?"

Waly said nothing, just gripped his wife's hand, his mouth set and grim.

"Wondering how or why it happened is a waste of time," Dad said bluntly, his dark blue gaze fastening on Jane sternly, as if she were a new recruit with an inappropriate question. "We have to face facts. The kids are missing, who knows how or why, but the important thing isn't how it was done, but what we're going to do about it." He swivelled his head to face the two Aurors, who were leaning against the fireplace. "You're the law, what's procedure in this case?"

"We'll keep trying to crack the concealment charm they've got over them," Sirius replied. "But other than that, we can't do anything except wait for them to make the next move. They're sure to contact one of us soon."

"WAIT!" shouted Jane, panic edging her voice. "How can you even suggest such a thing? They could be doing God knows what to my baby, Sirius . . .pulling out her toenails, or breaking all her fingers, or whipping her, or . . .or . . .anything . . .and you want me to just sit here and . . .wait to hear from the sons-of-bitches? I can't do that! I just . . .CAN'T!" She began to tremble violently, her whole body shaking with giant sobs.

Wally reached for her, holding her to him, patting her back and whispering, "Hush, Janie . . .hush . . .they know what they're doing . . . they'll bring our girl home . . ."

"I can't take this damn waiting, Wally!" she howled. "I want something done now!"

"Stop it, Jane!" Dad ordered, his voice sharp as a whipcrack. Jane froze at that tone, as did the rest of us. "Getting hysterical won't do you or Hermione a damn bit of good. Now pull yourself together, got me? You're giving the damn bastards just what they want, don't you see? They want you to panic, to go off the deep end, so they can control you, and make you give them anything they ask for. Don't let them push your buttons, Janie. Hermione needs an Amazon now, not a wailing whimpering woman."

Jane flinched at his tone, then she turned about and glared at him. "They've got your grandson, Toby Snape, how can you be so bloody calm?"

"Because screaming and putting my fist through a wall won't bring Harry home safe. Only careful planning will do that," answered my father. "I have to be able to think with my head, not react with my heart. And I'm thinking that whoever has those kids wants something from us. Sirius is right, they'll be contacting us soon and then we can plan our next move."

I knew Dad was right, but I suddenly couldn't bear sitting still any longer. "I think we could all use a good cup of tea." I said, and shoved Inky's head away, rising to my feet.

Once in the kitchen, I put the kettle on to boil and then summoned a vial of Calming Draft and poured a little into each of our cups, God knew we could all use some. When the tea was ready I poured it into each mug and served it with a little sugar to everyone.

Fifteen minutes later we were all soothed and sleepy by the potion, content now to wait for the kidnappers to make their move.

Sirius and Remus had managed to contact Albus and soon he joined us and was currently trying to break the concealment ward our foes had put up. Head lowered in concentration, a blue nimbus surrounded him, and we all waited hopefully.

I had always thought there was no spell my mentor couldn't cast or circumvent, but this one was proving to be a bloody bitch to counter.

But Albus came out of the trance shaking his head ruefully. "I cannot penetrate it that way, and so I must try a different approach. Sirius and Remus, would you care to assist me?"

Both Aurors and the Headmaster worked for hours trying to penetrate the web that prevented any locator spell from finding the children's magical signatures. At last they called a halt, for all were exhausted, frustrated, and they needed a break.

"We've penetrated the topmost strands of the wizard web," Albus explained after they had emerged from my workroom, which was shielded from outside influences. "But it is many layers thick, the one who wove it has done such before, from the tightness and precision of the construct. But his signature is not one I recognize, which suggests to me that he is a foreign wizard. Not that it makes a difference, we shall break through eventually. But for now, we all need a good night's sleep." He turned to me. "Severus, I shall see you tomorrow. These old bones of mine aren't what they used to be, I fear."

He stretched gingerly, then Flooed back to Hogwarts. Alaina drove the Grangers home, promising to return afterwards, Sirius and Remus fell asleep in Harry's room, transfiguring the bed into two twin ones.

That left me alone with my father, who eyed me in concern and said softly, "Sev, you look like hell."

"I feel like hell," I answered honestly. I rubbed the back of my hand across my eyes. I was tired, but I didn't think I could sleep unless I dosed myself with a Dreamless Sleep Potion. I felt worse than I did after spending seventy-two hours straight on call. "I can't help thinking that this is all my fault," I said, half to myself, not really intending to speak those thoughts aloud.

"What? Severus, don't be an idiot! How can this be your fault?"

"Simple. The Death Eaters want me dead because of the part I played in Voldemort's death. And if they can't kill me, they'll go after anyone close to me, like Harry. They also want the formula for the Null Magic Draft I made that inhibited Riddle's powers, and now they can use Harry to get it from me."

"Maybe so, but then why target Mione and Lexy also?"

"Because they were there. Because they hate Muggleborns. What difference does it make now, Dad? They're in trouble and it's because of my damn potion."

"Severus, stop beating yourself up like this," my father ordered, but his tone was gentler than the one he'd used on Jane. "Guilt never rescued anybody. You're not to blame for this-they are. Their need for revenge or whatever brought them to this, not you. Now quit torturing yourself and go to bed, you're out on your feet."

I sighed. "I'll try."

"Good. Now why don't you go to bed? I'll spend the night here on the couch, that way I won't have to drive back here in the morning."

I hesitated, reluctant to admit that I was exhausted, yet too stubborn to take a potion to ensure I slept without dreams. "Fine with me. But I don't think I can sleep right now."

"Sure you can, son. I guarantee you'll be out like a light as soon as your head hits the pillow." Dad urged. "Go on, Sev, go to bed. Sleep will put things in perspective." He took my arm and pulled on it. "Severus, get to bed, for the love of God. You're a bit too big for me to carry there and tuck you in, boy."

I felt myself flush and thanked Merlin none of my friends were awake to hear him scolding me like I was Harry's age. "All right, all right. Bloody damn drill sergeant!" I growled, and rose to my feet. Then I remembered Alaina was coming back here. "Alaina, she's staying here too. I forgot, where is she going to sleep?"

"With you, where else?" my father drawled knowingly.

I turned and headed into my room without another word, not wanting him to see me blush red as a damn schoolboy at his insinuation. It was not accurate, but I was still embarrassed, I had never discussed the intimate aspects of any relationship with him before and I didn't intend to start tonight.

I swiftly undressed and pulled on my standard flannel pants and a very lightweight T-shirt. It was unseasonably warm for mid-October and I didn't want to sweat to death. Then I summoned a small vial of Dreamless Sleep and left it on the nightstand. I wouldn't take it just yet.

I yawned and crawled into bed, hovering inbetween consciousness and dreams. I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew was a warm body pressed up against me, and I turned over and pulled a half-asleep Alaina into my embrace, tucking her head beneath my chin.

"Love you, blackbird," I murmured roughly. "So much."

"I know. Sleep, Sev," she whispered into my chest.

I obeyed without argument, falling asleep as if under an enchantment, and sleeping peacefully until the dawn, when I was awakened by the insistent ringing of Alaina's cell phone.

"Huh?" she groaned sleepily, rolling over and groping for the annoying device, which was playing some insanely upbeat tune that set my teeth on edge. "It's only six in the morning. Who the hell's calling at this hour?"

She picked up the phone. "Hello?"

Then she went white. "Oh. . .my . . .God!" she hissed, sitting up and wrapping the blanket about her. "You . . .you son-of-a-bitch! I should have known! Where is she, bastard! What've you done with her, Daniel?"

Daniel? Now I was wide awake as well, and hanging on her every word.

"You've no right to demand that of me! The courts ruled against you, you miserable-!" she swore roundly into the phone for several minutes, and I raised an eyebrow in appreciation. I hadn't known kindergarten teachers could swear so creatively. "Bring her back, Dan! And the others too, you had no right to take them, you scumbag! And if you've harmed one hair on her head, Daniel Wade Chase, I'll tear you into pieces and feed you to wild boars, got me? You aren't the only one with powerful friends any more, and if you don't give us back our children, we'll find you and kick your ass right to hell! I'll give you custody when demons dance in heaven!" Then she hung up, slamming the phone down so hard on the mattress that it bounced and fell onto the floor.

She turned to me, her eyes shimmering with fury and fear. "That was my ex-husband, calling to tell me he has Lexy and Harry and Mione. He says for now they're safe, but unless I agree to give him custody of Lexy, he'll keep them in bondage forever, or sell them to . . .to . . . an exotic procurer. You know what that means?"

"Yes, Alaina. I know," I answered, my own blood boiling. "And any who could give a child willingly to such a fate . . .deserves to be roasted over a slow fire."

"He said, we should be getting letters momentarily, and further instructions will be in them. I so felt like telling him to shove his instructions up his ass where the sun don't shine." Alaina snapped.

"Did he mention anything about a wizard working with him?"

"Not in so many words. He just hinted that he has some new powerful friends and if I knew what was good for me, I'd do what he said, or else!" she retorted angrily. "If I had a gun, I'd blow his F-ing head off and serve jail time gladly."

"You'd need to stand in line, sweetheart. Because I get first shot and then Dad would be next and Sirius and Remus afterwards and I don't know if there would be enough of the sodding bastard left over to spit on." I threw off my covers and summoned a set of clothes to me.

That single phone call changed everything.

I dressed quickly in the master bathroom, eager to inform Tobias and my friends of this latest discovery.

That morning, Jack came in to replace the light bulb, so we could see again and know that it was a new day, since the room had no windows to see the sun from. But he wasn't quick enough to replace it before Lexy woke in the blackness and started crying.

"It's okay, Lex," I said, hugging her. "Nothing's going to hurt you."

But she continued to sob until Jack replaced the bulb and only then did she stop a little. She hugged me and the ratty old blanket to her like she would never let go.

Jack glared at her, but he said nothing, and left. But then Dan arrived, and he did not look happy. Lexy shrank away and tried to hide behind me, but her father spotted her and snapped, "What's the matter with you today, Alexis? Why in hell are you crying?"

Lexy didn't answer for a moment.

"Well? Answer me, damn it!"

"I-It was d-dark in here, and I-I got scared."

"Dark? You're still afraid of the dark, Goddammit all?" he shouted, stalking over to her and glaring down at her. "What the hell's wrong with you? Still afraid of the dark like a little coward! This is all your mama's fault-she treats you like a big baby and you've never grown up!"

I tried to shield her from Dan's glare, but he pushed me out of the way and continued to yell at Lexy. "Well, it's time you grew up and started acting your age, missy! Your mom might've let you get away with that kind of crap, but not me! All those psycho-analysts today say the only way to conquer what you fear is to face it." There was a cold gleam in his eyes that I didn't like at all. "I think I'll take that advice and let you spend some time in the closet. See if that won't cure you of this stupid fear of the dark."

Lexy's eyes grew so big and filled with fear I thought they'd come right out of her head. She began to shiver. "N-o- o-o! Daddy, please! Not the closet! I'll do anything, just don't shut me in there!"

She tried to scramble away, but there was nowhere for her to go.

"Yes, the closet. A few hours in there will learn you not to be a damn scaredy-cat, Alexis Marie Chase. Get over here!"

"No! No! Please, sir! Please, I won't cry anymore! Please!"

But he ignored her frantic pleading and dragged her off of the mattress and tucked her under his arm. Then he started to walk out of the room.

Hermione was sitting frozen on the other side of the mattress, horrified.

But I couldn't stand to hear Lexy begging, she was scared to death, and I ran after them, shouting, "Put her down, you greasy, creepy, bugger! Who cares if she's scared of the dark?"

He spun on me so fast I hardly had time to notice he was moving. "Mind your own business, you mouthy little bastard!"

SMACK!

He cracked me one so hard across the face it knocked me down. I hadn't seen that coming either.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed.

"Don't hurt Harry, Daddy, please!" Lexy was sobbing.

I put a hand to my cheek, it hurt as bad as the one time Grandpa had hit me by accident last year, when I'd woken him up when he was sick.

"Learn some manners, kid," was all Dan said before he left, Lexy still whimpering and crying under his arm.

We heard the key turning in the lock, then a sharp crack and Dan's voice again. "Quit that blubbering, y'hear me?"

I picked myself up from the floor, my face hurt an awful lot, and I was sure there was going to be a bruise on it.

"Oh, Harry! Your lip, it's bleeding!" Hermione gasped, bringing me the blanket so I could hold it to my lip.

We could hear muffled screaming coming from down the hallway, whatever closet Dan had locked Lexy in must have been nearby. "Ple-e-ase! I'll be go-o-d! Pro-o-mise! Let me o-o-u-u-t!"

Hermione and I looked at each other, we both felt terrible. But there was nothing we could do. Even if we could get Lexy out of the closet, we couldn't escape Dan and the rest of them.

"Poor Lexy!" Hermione sniffled, tears streaking her face. "She's got a phobia of the dark and her stupid father doesn't care! What an awful wicked man! I-I hate him, Harry! What kind of dad treats his own daughter like that?"

Now we could hear Lexy pounding on the door, howling like a wild animal.

"One who's evil and going to hell," I answered hotly, then I went and sat down next to Hermione, cradling my bruised cheek.

She huddled next to me, whispering prayers, I think. Since there wasn't anything else to do, I fell asleep out of sheer boredom.

When we woke up two hours later, both of us had a desperate need to use the loo. Plus we were hungry and thirsty and Lexy was still locked in the closet. We couldn't hear her anymore though, she must have fallen asleep or passed out from fear, I figured.

"Harry, what do we do if nobody comes and takes us to the bathroom?" Hermione whimpered, squirming and crossing her legs. It would've been kind of funny, except I was doing almost the same thing.

"Uh . . .then I guess we can pee in the corner, over there." I indicated the corner furthest from the mattress.

"Eeew! Like a dog or a wild animal? Gross! That's, like, so disgusting, Harry! Not to mention unsanitary!" She wrinkled her nose at me.

I sighed. Girls! "I'd rather pee on the floor than wet myself," I said, trying desperately to think of something else . . .anything else. The floor was looking better and better by the minute. I was on the verge of exploding. Caffeine always has that effect on me, and I'd drank a can and a half of soda last night before going to sleep. Oh, how I regretted that now!

Just then we heard the key turning in the lock, and both of us gasped in relief. Finally, someone had come to check on us.

Magnus entered, and when he caught sight of my face, he just shook his head and said softly, "Damn, kid! Don't you have an ounce of self-preservation? You never cross a viper less you've got a good rifle. Dan do that to you?"

"Yeah." I answered shortly.

"He's horrid!" muttered Hermione. "At first I thought he was kind of nice, but not after what he did to Lexy and Harry."

"Nice?" Magnus chuckled. "Honey, Dan was never nice. He's a defense attorney and his nickname in the courtroom was Sidewinder. You know what a sidewinder is?"

"A viper. Lives in the desert."

"Right. And Dan's the meanest sidewinder you ever want to meet, I think he took lessons from Satan himself."

Before he could say anything else, Hermione whined, "Please, sir, can you let us use the bathroom? We really need to, else Harry's gonna pee on the floor."

He raised an eyebrow. "Nobody took you before?"

"No. We haven't been out since last night."

Magnus scowled then said, "C'mon, sweetie. You first." He eyed me sharply. "Can you hang on a few minutes more?"

I nodded.

"All right then. Let's go." He departed with Hermione.

Two minutes later they were back and then it was my turn.

"You better put a cold cloth on that face, boy." Magnus said as he led me down the hall. "It's starting to swell."

I nodded, I'd already planned on doing that. I bolted into the bathroom and Magnus shut the door, saying, "Take all the time you need, boy. I don't have anything better to do."

I wondered again why he was being sort of nice to us, when all the other men were mean, or at least could care less. Then I supposed it didn't matter, and I quickly used the facilities.

I ran a cloth under the leaky faucet and put it against my cheek, it felt wonderful against my sore skin. Dad was going to freak when he saw my face, same as he did last time. I felt hot tears come to my eyes and I wished he were here now, to put some magic salve on my cheek and hold me and make everything better.

I leaned against the door and held the cloth to my cheek, wondering if Magnus were outside, standing watch. Then I heard footsteps and two voices, talking very close by, and loud enough that I could catch every word.

One was Dan, the other was someone I didn't recognize.

"So I call the damn bitch up and she gives me an earful, if you can believe that?" Dan was saying irritably. "They ought've gotten the letters by now, and hopefully they can persuade the dumb chick that I'm serious, and she better obey me this time. She mentioned some friends of hers that could give me trouble, ha! Unless she's got a magician like you, they'll never find us, even if they turn out all the cops in this country. You told me you could keep anybody from finding us with magic, right, Sanguinius?"

"Yes, Daniel." The other man's voice was soft, like ice. "I'm a Cabal wizard, and concealment spells are my talent, no Muggle police can find what I hide. I smuggle kilos of drugs everyday under the noses of the cops for the Council of Threttan and they never know it."

"The Council of what?"

"Threttan. It means thirteen in Old Norse." Sanguinius said, sounding faintly superior. "That's the name of the ruling body of the Cabal. They make all the decisions about how much smuggling we do, what, where, and how. Same with the ritual murders and such. If you don't ransom those other two back, Chase, I want them."

"What for, Sanguinius? They'll fetch top bucks on the black market, specially that little girl. I know a guy who'll pay big ones for a kid like her, likes ‘em young."

"I'll double whatever he's willing to pay, Chase. I need those two for a ritual coming up at the dark of the moon. They're wizard kids, ones with latent talent, just what I need to increase my standing in the ranks. I sacrifice them on Halloween and I'll become a Cabal Master at last. Then I can get a vote on the Council and the respect I deserve."

"Yeah, yeah. You'll get them, so long as my wife won't cooperate, those two are fair game. But once she sends me the papers, I have to give them back to their parents. Or at least agree to do that."

Sanguinius chuckled. "I like your style, Chase. You'd doublecross the devil himself."

"If he gave me reason to. You're positive no wizard can get through those spells you put up?"

"I'm the best, Daniel. I've felt a few of theirs come tapping on my door, but I've added new layers to the web, and it'll take them days to unravel it. If they ever do. My Cabal name might mean "Blood", but they might as well have called me Ghost, because I can make anything or anyone I want disappear. I'll keep making you and those other thugs you hired disappear, Daniel, so long as you pay my price."

"My money's good, magician." Dan said stiffly.

"Indeed. That's why we agreed to work with you, Chase. So long as you uphold your contract, counselor, we won't have any problems. But try and weasel out of it, and I'll make certain you regret it, because nobody doublescrosses me, Daniel."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Sanguinius old pal," Dan said quickly, and he sounded scared.

"Good for you. Just so we understand one another."

I shivered, terrified all the way down to my toes. This wizard sounded as bad as the masked men my dad and uncles had fought. And now I knew the reason Dad and the others hadn't found us yet, because this Sanguinius had put up wards that couldn't be broken. And he was talking about killing me and Hermione, like the way you'd talk about killing bugs.

I shut my eyes and prayed hard. God, if you can hear me, send us an angel to watch over us, till my dad finds us and kicks this dark wizard's arse back to hell where he belongs. Sorry for swearing, Lord, but he really does deserve it.

"Magnus, what are you doing lurking there?" I heard Dan say suddenly.

"I'm waiting for the damn kid to take a leak or whatever," Magnus answered, sounding bored out of his mind.

"Oh. Carry on then. One more thing. Let my daughter out of the cleaning supply closet. She should have learned her lesson by now."

"Sure, Dan. Whatever you say."

He tapped on the door. "Kid? You're done, get out here."

I heard the footsteps moving away, then Magnus whispered, "F-ing smug bastard."

I think he was talking about Dan, unless it was the wizard he meant.

"Move it, kid. Your free time's up." He brought me back to the room and locked me inside.

Five minutes later he returned with Lexy, who was sleeping. He set her on the mattress. "She's exhausted. I'll see what I can do about getting you some real food, since the Sidewinder obviously doesn't know how to care for his own kid, much less hostages."

"Why are you working for him, Magnus?" Hermione asked then. "You're a lot nicer than they are."

He didn't answer her, simply turned and walked out.

I debated whether or not to tell Hermione about the wizard that was working with Dan, then decided that honesty was the best policy, as Dad always said.

"Oh no, Harry! I really hope they find us before . . .before something bad happens."

"They will." I said, sounding more confident than I felt. But I had to believe that I'd be rescued, otherwise I'd go crazy. I had to remember that there was always a light in the darkness and hope in the darkest of places.

I looked at my watch, it was now noon and I hadn't had anything to eat or drink all day.

The door was thrown open, and Brent came in, he was my least favorite of the hired kidnappers, besides Dastardly Dan, that is. I learned the word dastardly in a book of my dad's about knights and stuff. It meant evil and wicked.

He was carrying three Happy Meals from McDonalds, which he tossed us and three small drinks as well. "Here, brats. Your last supper!" he began to laugh as if that was the funniest joke on earth.

Hermione stared at him, puzzled. "The last supper? What's that mean?"

"Nothin', girlie. Eat up now." Then he was gone, still snickering.

I had a sick feeling I knew what he meant. I hadn't told Hermione about Sanguinius wanting to sacrifice us, she was scared enough already. "Should we wake up Lexy?"

"Yes. She needs to eat."

Hermione shook her awake.

She opened her eyes, then shut them tightly. "Oww! It's so bright."

"Just open them slowly, and the light won't bother you," I told her.

She did as I said, and soon she could open both eyes normally. "He let me out. Finally. I though he was gonna keep me in there all day," she sniffled.

"How many times has he locked you in a closet, Lexy?" asked Hermione.

Lexy shivered. "Lots of times. That's why I'm scared of the dark." Tears pooled in her eyes. "I don't wanna stay here with him, Harry. I want my mom! I thought I'd never have to see him again, and now here he is, like a bad penny."

I patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll be rescued soon. Why don't you eat something? I think they got us chicken nuggets and French fries."

"McDonalds?" Lexy sounded happy, and she opened her meal and started to eat it.

I had already begun to eat mine and soon I was done, having eaten every scrap. I wondered who had bought it for us? Magnus? Probably, since I couldn't see Dan buying us any good food.

When we were done, I told Lexy about Sanguinius, and she didn't even act all that surprised. "Dad would sell his soul to Lucifer if it paid well. Least that's what Mom always said. We gotta get out of here, Harry."

"Got any bright ideas, Lexy? Like maybe a dragon to the rescue?" I asked sarcastically.

"I wish I was a grown-up. Then I could hex my father into next week." Lexy said angrily.

No sooner had she said that, then the door opened and Dan entered.

We all froze. Had he heard what Lexy had said?

Apparently not, because all he did was glare at her and ask, "Have you learned your lesson, girl?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. I have someone I'd like you to meet." He was being all phony friendly again. "And, since you're my daughter, I think you ought to have your own room, what do you say?"

Lexy looked alarmed. "But Dad! I want to stay with my friends."

He snorted. "I wasn't asking what you wanted, Alexis. Now quit pouting and come with me."

Reluctantly, Lexy stood up and followed him.

I knew immediately that it would be a terrible thing if they separated us. We needed to stay together, so Dad and whoever else came with him could find us easily. Also, together we could help each other when one of us got scared or sad, it was better than being on your own. However, I also knew that Lexy was too terrified of her dad to put up any kind of a fight, and Hermione wasn't the type to throw fits.

Which left me.

I hadn't thrown a good tantrum in years, but I used to throw some good ones back when I was two and three, according to Dad. I earned myself my first spanking over one, as a matter of fact, the time when I threw a toy Hogwarts Express at Dad's head.

I wished I had a toy train to chuck at Dan, or maybe a grenade. That'd teach the rotten apple a thing or two!

But since I didn't have any of that, I had to make do with what I did have, my voice and my hands.

I waited till Lexy had gotten halfway across the room to Dan before I started crying and screeching, "No! I don't want Lexy to leave us! She can't go! No-o-o-o!"

I jumped up and grabbed Lexy by the hand, holding her so she couldn't go anywhere. She stared at me in astonishment. I turned my head a bit and winked at her, then continued screaming, using the most annoying and whiney tone I could come up with.

"I won't let you take her!" I stamped my foot hard. "I WON'T!" Then I glared tearfully at Dan, daring him to do something about it.

"Who asked you, brat?" he snarled, grabbing Lexy by the other hand. "My daughter goes where I tell her, now quit that screeching, you hear?"

"No!" I yelled, practically in his face. "You're not the boss of me!" Then I threw myself at him, grabbing him about the leg and hanging on for dear life.

"Let go, you stupid jackass!" Dan cried, trying to pry me loose. I clung, refusing to let go. He swore and cuffed me about the head, but I didn't let go.

"I won't stop, I won't! Let Lexy stay here!" I was bellowing, loud enough to be heard in China probably.

"Get OFF of me, you little beast!" Dan was shouting, dancing around with me on his leg, trying to get me off. "Swear to God, boy, if you don't let go this instant, you're gonna be sorry!"

"No- o-o!"

Then I bit him. Hard.

He shrieked and I nearly got knocked off.

The door opened and a strange man stood there, dressed in flowing red robes with no sleeves, he had a tattoo of a red skull on his right arm and his hair was dark and pulled into a tail. His long angular face was tanned and had several piercings in it, on the eyebrow, the right cheek, and the lip.

"Need some help, Dan?" he snickered. "Looks like you've got a tempest to deal with."

"Don't just stand there, Sanguinius!" snarled Dan. "Do something!"

"I am," laughed the wizard. "I'm taking notes for the next Council meeting, so I can tell them how a magical child bested a Muggle lawyer. It should get a good laugh."

Furious, Dan grabbed me by the back of the collar and yanked me off his leg. Now I was dangling some three feet in the air, and I was in big trouble. But at least Dan wasn't going on about taking Lexy away anymore.

"You miserable little bastard! I'll teach you what it means to bite me." He turned to Sanguinious. "Summon me a slipper, if you will."

The wizard eyed me then said, "Be careful not to damage him permanently, Chase. I need him whole in body and mind for the ritual."

Then he snapped his fingers and a slipper appeared in his hand.

I swallowed, though I'd known from the beginning that I wouldn't come away from this caper without some kind of punishment.

Dan reached out and took it, but before he could use it, Brent stuck his head in and said, "Dan, you'd better come take this phone call. I think it's your ex-wife."

Dan looked like he wanted to spit. He handed the slipper and me to Sanguinious. "Punish him for me, magician. Make him howl for embarrassing me or whatever."

Then Dan left and Sanguinious sneered at me.

My yells had brought Magnus and Brent over to see what was the matter, and they nearly died laughing.

That made the slinky wizard really mad, he reminded me sort of a ferret, and he growled, "Very well, you need a good lesson in manners and it's best if you learn your place from me, spitfire."

I struggled, but he was too strong. And his pale blue eyes were glittering strangely.

Then he jerked upright as if someone had punched him and snarled, "Devil take it, but they're trying to breach my wards again!" He turned to the other two. "Here. Daniel wants him punished and I've more important things to worry about, so decide who's going to do it quickly. And don't spare him anything, just don't leave marks."

Brent was reaching out eagerly to grab me, but Magnus got there first. He looked mad as hell and he growled, "C'mere, brat. I warned you about disobeying, didn't I?" He tossed me over his shoulder, snatched up the slipper, and strode down the hall.

Now I was beginning to be afraid, so I said the only thing I could think of. "If you hurt me, my dad will kill you."

Magnus just laughed mockingly.

He kicked open a door and quickly shut it behind us. In the room was a rusty folding table with five chairs about it. Magnus walked over to the chair, sat down, and lifted me off his shoulder and set me on my feet.

I tensed, sure I was going to get it now. But suddenly his face lost the angry expression and he said softly, "Kid, how well can you act?"

"Huh?" What was going on?

"How well can you act?" he repeated. "Well enough to fool those idiots into thinking I'm giving you the beating of your life? Because I'm not going to punish you like they think. Now, can you act or not?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'm going to pretend to be whaling the living daylights out of you, boy, and I want you to scream and cry so they all think it's true. I'm only going to give you two real smacks with the slipper at the most, because it has to look like I walloped you, Dan will check once he finishes with his wife. All right?"

"Who are you? You're not one of them," I said, staring right into his eyes, which were a deep brown.

"A friend. The only one you've got in here." he answered, then he bared my bottom and pulled me over his knee. "Okay, kid. Showtime."

He brought the slipper down hard.

On the table.

It made an almighty smacking noise and I began screeching and crying for all I was worth.

"Ooww! Stop! Ye-ooww! Please! I'll be good!"

Magnus brought the slipper down several more times on the table, and after each smack I screamed and wept. The tears were real enough, I really missed my family and I wanted to go home, so it wasn't hard to make myself cry.

"Good job, kid. I'm going to do six more and then give you the last two for real."

"Okay." I agreed, not looking forward to it, but knowing it had to be done, so the others would be fooled.

Magnus whacked the table again, and I yelped.

"Magnus, don't you think the kid's had enough?" called Jack from somewhere beyond the door. "Dan said punish him, not kill him."

"That's what I'm doing. Kid's only getting what he deserves." Magnus growled back and slammed the slipper down on the table.

"Oww!"

I was really glad this wasn't for real, otherwise I wouldn't be able to sit down for a week.

Magnus placed a hand on my back. Then he put his mouth to my ear and hissed, "Now for the real thing. It's gonna sting pretty bad, I'm sorry, but Dan will be coming in here any minute to inspect my handiwork."

I nodded and gritted my teeth.

The slipper struck my bare bottom and then I really yelled.

Oh Merlin! It really hurt, more than any spanking I'd ever gotten.

"One more, kid. Sorry."

I started to sob, for my bottom was stinging horridly. Magnus smacked the slipper down again and I howled, kicking and sobbing.

"Owww! That really hurts!"

"I know, believe me. My father used to punish me like this when I was your age, only difference was I deserved it." He patted my back, then tapped my smarting bum lightly with the slipper.

It didn't really hurt, but I bawled anyhow.

"Magnus, that's enough!" Dan said, coming into the room. "We need him unmarked, in case Sanguinius wants to take him." He walked over to inspect my bottom, which was stinging and red, and seemed satisfied by what he saw. "That'll teach you to bite me, you little cannibal." Then he swatted me one.

I sobbed loudly and squirmed. Magnus held me firmly though, then said to Dan, "Shall I take him back with the others?"

"Yes, go ahead. My wife's decided to cooperate after all. So they can stay together for now." He turned and left.

As soon as he was gone, Magnus rubbed my back soothingly. "Sorry. I wasn't expecting him to do that. You all right?"

I sniffled and nodded.

He helped me put my trousers and underwear back on before I asked, "If you aren't one of them, then why are you here?"

"I would have thought it'd be obvious. I'm an undercover cop. I've been gathering evidence against Chase for months now, and this is the last straw. Now we can get him for a bunch of high count things, kidnapping, cruelty, yes I've got it all on film. Plus I think he broke his custody ruling. It makes no nevermind, there are a dozen or so trained cops waiting to kick his ass once I arrest him and transport him back. That is, if your dad doesn't kill him first," he added and smirked.

I smiled back. Then I whispered, "Why can't you help us escape?"

"I will, when it's time. But first I have to get past damn Sanguinius's wards, he's keyed them so we can't leave unless Dan says so."

"Oh." I said, wincing and rubbing my bottom.

Magnus patted my shoulder. "You're a real trooper."

For some reason I got the odd feeling that he was familiar, but I knew I'd never seen him before.

"Okay, c'mon, we're going to go back and take a nap or whatever. Cry a little harder, since if I had really hit you with that slipper, you be bawling hysterically."

Too right I would.

I commenced crying, then followed Magnus out of the room. I hoped the disturbance in the concealment wards meant that my father, grandfather, and some friends were on their way to rescue us. But until then I had the angel God had sent in answer to my prayer.

We convened in the kitchen for a hasty council of war at 7:30 AM. Knowing now that Alaina's skulking ex was involved put quite a different outlook on things. For one thing, we'd be dealing with Muggle kidnappers for the most part, though at least one of them had to be a wizard, and a damn good one, for him to stymie Albus like that.

"One wizard or two we can deal with, it'll be cake compared to the six or seven we'd predicted before," Sirius said firmly.

"I can deal with any ordinary grunts. They're probably not armed, and even if they are, I'm probably a better shot than they are," Dad predicted, his eyes hard.

"Fine, you can take out Dan and any of the rest of them out while I get the children to safety. That's my first priority," I informed them. "But if there are any of them left when I come back, I'll teach them the meaning of pain," I stated grimly.

"Thought you couldn't harm anybody with magic, Sev," Alaina said.

"I can't. But I've still got my fists and a staff," I answered. " I haven't forgotten everything I knew from my combat training as an Auror trainee."

"If Dan's alive when it's all over, and I'm not saying you should leave him alive on purpose, but if he is, I want a crack at him," Alaina said fiercely. "Lexy must be terrified out of her wits. I still can't believe he had the gall to trace me here and kidnap my daughter. Wait, yes I do, considering this is Daniel Chase, courtroom legend and rich as Midas. He thinks he owns the world and everything in it."

"We'll show him different, Alaina," Remus promised. "He can't buy his way out of this predicament."

"No way in hell," Dad growled, his face like stone. "He's going down, one way or another. Nobody messes with my family. He can pay off the devil when he gets to hell."

Just then, a strange owl, gray barred with black swooped down and tapped on the kitchen window. I unlatched it and the gray flew in, dropped two letters on the table and hooted imperiously. When I went to get the letters, the bird tried to nip me.

"Hey!" I snapped, glaring daggers at it.

It whoo-ed insolently at me.

Apollo, my frost-speckled snowy owl, awoke then and hooted back at the stranger in obvious annoyance. My owl was a rare color variation, with light gray specks over his wings and chest. He'd been napping on his perch near the stove when the post owl arrived and he was cranky at getting woken up.

The gray locked gazes with Apollo for a few minutes, and I stared. I had never seen a face-off between two owls before, but clearly the visitor had overstepped some kind of owl conduct code and Apollo was telling him off good, from the way he was hooting and chirping.

The visitor gave a sort of apologetic chirp when I gave him a piece of ham, then flew off.

Apollo hooted derisively before settling down with his head tucked under his wing to finish his nap.

"What in Merlin's name was that all about?" asked Sirius.

"Apollo was putting that snotty newcomer in his place, I'd say," I answered. Then I picked up the letters, one was addressed to me and the other to Hermione's parents, but on top of the address was written C/O Severus Snape. I recognized both kids handwriting, and tore open Harry's first.

It contained a single sheet of paper and I scanned it quickly.

"It's from Harry," I said for the benefit of the others. "He writes that he's okay but he wants me to tell Alaina that if she doesn't give Dan custody of Lexy, he'll send Harry and Hermione to some slave trader that likes little children." I summarized, my blood boiling.

"He's got connections on the black market?" Tobias queried.

"He's got connections everywhere," Alaina said bitterly. "His money makes him friends wherever he goes."

"With friends like that, who needs enemies?" sneered Padfoot.

"Sev, have you heard from Albus yet?" Remus asked. "He was supposed to work some more with us on cracking that damn web."

"No. I'll call him. Hopefully you can break through soon, I want those children out of there as soon as possible, there's no telling what's being done to them."

While I firecalled my mentor, Alaina made coffee, toast, and eggs for everyone. "Since I can't go with you, I'd only be in the way, the least I can do is make you a decent breakfast."

"You're a real sweetheart," Sirius grinned. "Sev, keep this one."

"Thanks for the tip, Love Doctor," I shot back, smirking. "Not that I needed it."

Albus arrived soon after we'd finished our breakfast and Sirius and he retreated into the workroom first to try dismantling the wards the other wizard had put up.

Remus remained with us in the den while Alaina called the Grangers and told them of the letter we'd gotten from their daughter, reassuring them that we were doing all within our power to get the kids back.

"Why aren't you with Padfoot and Albus, Moony?" I queried.

"Albus wanted to try something first, and Sirius is actually better at unraveling concealment charms than I am, hard though that is to believe," my werewolf friend replied, leaning idly against the edge of the fireplace.

But whatever Albus and Sirius had tried didn't work, because then Sirius called Remus into the room and there they remained for a good three hours, only emerging to drink and eat some sandwiches I'd bought for lunch.

"How's it going?" asked Alaina. "Any progress yet?"

"No," huffed Sirius. "This one's the best I've ever seen, his webs are layers upon layers, interwoven and tight as a . . .nevermind," he broke off the rest of what he was about to say, recalling that Alaina was present.

"You saying you can't break it?" my father demanded.

"No, just that it may take us nearly a whole day, Tobias," said Albus. "All of my probes bounce off, this is no novice we're dealing with here."

"Isn't there anything else you could do to find the kids without breaking the spell over them?" Alaina asked impatiently.

Remus opened his mouth to reply, when Inky rose from his spot in the sun and padded over to us. He sat directly in front of me and Remus and yowled questioningly.

"What is it, Inky? I fed you this morning."

Remus hushed me, then transformed into his alpha wolf form. He and the panther communicated for a few minutes, using growls and posture instead of words. Another five minutes passed and then Remus turned back, shock written all over his face.

"Sev, you're never gonna believe this. But Inky says he can find Harry. He says the bond between his young master and himself is very strong, and he can feel Harry even now."

"But can he track through the concealment wards?" I demanded.

Remus nodded, giving the panther an awed grin. "So he says. Nothing will break the bond except death."

"Then I think we've found our catspaw, so to speak," I declared and knelt to rub my purring panther under the chin. "Inky, let's go and rescue Harry, Lexy, and Hermione, all right?"

The panther roared his approval of that idea.

Right in my ear.

I winced and said, "Making me deaf isn't going to help us any, Inky."

He rubbed his huge head against my thigh in apology, and I sighed.

* * * * * *

It was decided that Albus would remain here along with Alaina and the Grangers, who came over in Jane's car, the old wizard was positively gleeful about tricking the strange sorcerer. "I will provide a diversion, make him think I'm trying to break his wards, while you go ahead and track him to his lair with Inky and give him his just commupence, Severus. I haven't tried to trick a clever fox like this since Tommy Riddle." Theh he told Alaina to call Dan back and tell him she would cooperate with him, it would put his guard down. Clever Albus! I was glad he was on our side.

I placed a concealment charm on Inky so people wouldn't panic at the sight of full grown panther running loose through London. It was decided that Dad and I would fly on my broom, and so would Sirius, his dog form couldn't keep pace with the likes of Inky and Moony for a long distance run. Moony would follow Inky in his wolf shape, his were nature gave him superior endurance and speed, enough to keep pace with the magical panther.

"Are we all ready?" I asked my little band of rescuers.

I received nods all around and a rumbling growl from my panther.

"Then let's go find the bastards and teach them a lesson about stealing children from us."

Before we departed, however, Alaina came up and kissed me very enthusiastically. "For luck, Sev. Bring them home safe. And you too, my love."

I kissed her back. "I'll bring them home, blackbird. My honor and oath as a wizard on it. Wait for me."

"Forever," she whispered, then stepped back. "Give Dan a swift kick from me, Sev. I love you."

"I love you too," I replied.

"So, when's the wedding?" asked Sirius, grinning outrageously.

"As soon as my daughter's back where she belongs and he proposes," answered Alaina quickly. "Watch his back, Sirius. Because if anything happens to him, I'll take it out of your hide."

"Okay, okay," laughing, Sirius held up his hands. "Down, woman. Sheathe those claws, wildcat. I'll make sure he comes back in one piece, even if it means I end up a blind and deaf mute."

"Sev will heal you if that happens," my girlfriend laughed. "Good luck, all of you."

Then I mounted my broom, with Dad behind me, performing a quick Sticking Charm so he wouldn't slip off, and assuring him that my broom--it was a new Nimbus Stormstreak--and super fast, had safety spells in it. Sirius was already airborne, waiting for us.

I kicked off and soared up to where my friend hovered. "Dad? You all right back there? You don't suffer from airsickness, do you?"

"No. Don't worry about me, Severus, just concentrate on your flying."

"Yes, Dad," I said meekly, pretending obedience.

Below us, Inky was pacing, his tail lashing impatiently. Moony was sitting, ears pricked and alert, he too had a concealment working on him, for wolves were extinct in the British Isles.

"Find Harry, Inky!"

The panther took off, racing in great bounding leaps, Moony running behind him, the tip of the werewolf's nose just touching the panther's tail.

Above, Sirius and I flew like streaks of lightning, unseen. The hunt was on.

Inky led us through half the city, across busy intersections and through alleys and behind storefronts and in and out of people's backyards, his sense of Harry never ebbing. He leaped over fences and parked cars with ease and once he even went along the top of a roof for a bit. Remus was pushed to keep up with him, for though he was the cat's match in endurance and strength, he wasn't half as agile, and Inky sometimes forgot Moony was following him, so intent was he on finding Harry.

I should have expected something like this to have occurred between them, for Harry had brought Inky alive out of pure love, and such a thing always leaves an imprint on both giver and receiver. If either were to die, the other would know of it, I was certain of that. I wished I'd thought about asking the panther before if he could find Harry, it would have saved us a lot of time and aggravation. I kept forgetting that Inky was no ordinary panther, and he owed his life to my son. His loyalty to Harry was absolute.

We were entering a rather seedy section of the city now, where the dregs of society roamed and the buildings were condemned and ramshackle affairs, half-falling apart. This was gang territory, and I could see some of the youngbloods parading about, wearing their leather and studs and ragged clothes as a status symbol.

Inky ignored them, running right past them and down a long winding street that used to have a textile mill on it back in the early part of the century. The mill had long since been torn down and some businesses had rose in its place. But at the end of a row of partially rundown shops was a large row house.

It appeared deserted, but Inky's soft snarl warned me otherwise. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. This was it, I could feel it in my bones. Dad too, he shifted on the broom and hissed, "We've found them. Sayonara, Dan!"

I flew closer to the house, trying to see if there were any windows where I could peer in, when suddenly my broom gave an odd sort of lurch.

The next thing I knew, we were falling, the Flying Charm upon my broom had failed.

"Severus!" yelped Dad, holding on to me for dear life. "What the bloody blazes is happening?"

"The place is warded against flying charms," I answered sharply, quickly casting a hover charm before we crashed.

Sirius drew level with us, muttering a stabilizing charm. "Nice welcome party they've got here. I feel right at home."

We landed then, not wanting to risk our necks any more than necessary.

I called Inky to halt, for I feared there were more traps ahead, and I didn't want anything to happen to Inky. Remus stopped too, his nose wrinkling in a low snarl. Yes, they were in there all right.

The outlines of the house began to waver and ripple as another Don't See Me Charm took effect and I had the strongest urge to look away and go elsewhere.

Dad blinked, rubbed his eyes, and muttered, "Where the hell did the house go, Sev? It was here a moment ago. And why do I want to leave and go back down the street all of a sudden?"

"Misdirection and Don't-See-Me-Charm, Dad," I answered. "The wizard casting these pulled out all the stops." I quickly countered the effects of both charms, and the house reappeared.

"He's got Anti-Apparition and protection wards up too," Sirius reported.

"Can you break them, Padfoot?"

Sirius nodded. Then he made a complex motion with his wand and muttered a spell I didn't catch, and there were two loud pops, like a car backfiring, and the wards were dust. "Any other requests, Sev?"

"Let's move," I whispered, but I let Sirius lead the way to the door, followed by Moony and Inky, with Tobias bringing up the rear. I whispered a hasty Four Points spell just before the threshold, and received a definite tug drawing me onward.

"Stop!" Padfoot ordered, wand pointed at the door to the ramshackle old house, it was gray and weathered and the stonework on the lower half looked mossy and there were gaps in the mortar.

"What's wrong?"

"There's a FireTrap spell here, over the door. Anyone trying to enter who hasn't been keyed to the spell will get burnt to a crisp." Sirius reported grimly.

He countered it and a glittering curtain of flames outlined the door before vanishing. "I'm really starting to dislike this guy."

"Won't he feel you canceling his spells?" asked Dad.

"Nope, because they're passive wards, means they don't react unless someone triggers ‘em. He won't know anything's wrong until we walk through the door. Let's see if he left any other surprises for us here."

A few more passes of his wand and Revealing Charm turned up nothing, so Sirius decided it was safe to enter by the front door and cast an unlocking charm.

We opened the door cautiously, and found ourselves looking down a hallway with multiple doors on either side that seemed to stretch on into infinity. "An Illusion Charm," I remarked. "Not bad."

"How do you know that, Severus?" asked Tobias.

"The outlines are a bit hazy, Dad. See, where the doors are up at the top? The wall wavers and is fuzzy. Illusion."

Dad squinted to see what I meant. "Oh. Clever, ain't he?"

"He thinks so. But he's never played hide-and-seek with the Marauders." Sirius smirked. "Moony, can you dispel the little rat's working? You're the ace at illusions."

Moony blurred back into human shape, and canceled the illusory hallway. "I could've walked through it and so could Inky," he told us. "Illusions don't work on animals."

Now we could see the actual layout of the place, we were in a wide foyer, with half the paint peeling from the walls and two large double doors off the foyer and a smaller alcove that led into what had once been a parlor, but the furniture had been removed and it appeared as if mice had been chewing on the frayed lace curtains, which were yellowed and stained.

Inky growled softly and scratched at the set of double doors, Moony gripped his collar and muttered something soothingly and he calmed. Then he pointed his wand and the double doors leading into the interior of the house unlocked and opened.

The interior was dimly lit by sets of bare lightbulbs in the ceiling, to the right was a collapsed staircase and to the left was another long hallway. I could feel the Four Points spell tugging at me and then Inky sprinted down the hallway.

We heard a door open as we followed, then a sharp scream at the sight of the panther, who knocked the startled man right down and kept going.

"Ahh! It's a Goddamn panther!" screamed the rather big fellow, scrambling to his feet. "Where the hell did it come from?"

"Jack, you been smoking weed again?" came another voice and a red-haired man emerged from a room further down the hall. He spotted us and swore. "Dan! Sanguinius! We've got company!"

Then he made a quick motion with his wrists and suddenly he was armed with two shiny throwing knives. "You want a piece of me? Try this!"

He tossed the knives right at Padfoot and Moony.

Remus moved quicker than lightning, and the knife missed him, burying itself in the wall.

Padfoot shimmered into a dog and the knife flew harmless over his head.

It bounced off my hastily erected shield and I kicked it out of the way.

The big man that Inky had knocked over gaped. "See, Brent, I toldja there was something freaky going on here, and I ain't done weed since Sunday."

Brent cursed and backed away.

Then a soft ice-cold voice cried, "Ah, we have guests. So rude of you to drop in uninvited. But perhaps I could give you a proper Cabal welcome, no?"

A wizard wearing an odd sleeveless red robe appeared out of the air, and chanted a summoning spell like none I'd ever heard of, and suddenly the air was filled with small black fingerling-sized imps. They flew at us, hissing and chattering in rage.

Sirius blurred into human shape and cast a gust of wind spell at the imps, which tore their bat wings to shreds and caused them to fall on the floor. "Imps? That the best you can call up, necromancer?" he taunted, ducking the claws of one of the vicious creatures. "And here I thought you Cabal wizards were tough, like our Death Eaters!"

I cast another shield spell, blocking the imps from coming close enough to harm me or Dad, who was firing at them and hitting five out of ten, but I knew he'd soon run out of ammunition, and so I cast a quick version of my spider trap spell, which made a thick purple web come from my wand and entrap anything it touched in its sticky glutenous strands.

It floated over the swarm of imps and held them fast.

"Nice one, Sev! Incendio!" cried Sirius, burning the creatures to ash.

Moony was lunging at Sanguinius, trying to penetrate his Shield Charm, howling like a wolf gone mad.

The other two kidnappers had run into a room and now came back, armed with a revolver and what looked like a crossbow.

Further down the corridor I heard a door slam and then a sandy-haired man came running down the hall, cradling a shotgun and yelling at someone named Magnus over his shoulder, "Get your ass up here and help us, you lazy bastard! We're under attack, and if I die, there goes your paycheck!"

"Fine with me, Danny boy, since I was never in it for the money," drawled a medium-sized man wearing black jeans and a red shirt with the words This Is Your Last Warning on it. "I'm here to arrest your ass and your wizard buddy's over there." He pulled out a gold shield and flashed it at Dan, who went white.

"You're a cop? An F-ing cop?"

"Yes, though I prefer the term Guardian, since I'm also a wizard. I'm a liaison to NYPD's Special Investigations. And you, Daniel Chase are under arrest for assault and kidnapping and about a dozen other charges." Magnus recited. He drew his wand and barked, "Hands on your head, Chase!"

"Go to hell, you sonuvabitch!" howled Dan and he pointed his gun at the other man and fired.

But the bullet slowed and Magnus ducked.

Then Dad moved and snapped a punch at the other's jaw that knocked Dan off his feet, slamming him against the wall with a thud. "Naughty, naughty, Dan. Didn't your mother ever teach you not to point a gun unless you knew how to use it?" He hit the cowering man a few more times for good measure, until the bastard cringed and whimpered, before knocking him out.

Magnus walked forward, coming out of the partial shadows into the light of the bulb behind the other three kidnappers, and I saw him clearly for the first time, as did Sirius, who was just blocking a curse from the Cabal wizard.

My jaw dropped, for I knew him, though I hadn't seen him in seven years.

"Regulus?" Sirius yelled. "Holy Merlin, is that really you?"

"Hi, Siri. Long time no see, eh, big brother?" greeted the youngest member of the Black family. "And as usual you've brought Moony and Sev along with you." He nodded at us and grinned his familiar devilish grin, the Black trademark.

"Guardian!" hissed Sanguinius, his blue eyes glittering with undisguised antipathy. "How did you manage to hide your aura from me?"

"Simple. I have a fae girlfriend who's expert in masking a wizard's aura. Surprise, Sanguinius!" Regulus shouted, then pointed his wand at the other wizard and snarled a spell that caused fiery darts to shoot out of his wand at the other wizard.

Sangunius deflected them with a sharp sweep of one arm.

It was then that I heard Inky snarling and the sound of wood splintering and decided now was as good a time as any to leave the Aurors to their fight and do what I'd came for and rescue the children.

I Apparated down the hallway past the Aurors and their wizard and Muggle foes to where a black panther was clawing frantically at a heavy locked door.

My unlocking charm blew the door off its hinges and then Inky bounded into the room and pounced on my son, who was wearing a huge grin on his face, which was bruised beyond belief, I noted with a sudden rush of fury.

"Dad! Inky! I knew you'd come for us!" Harry shouted. He tried to wriggle out from underneath the ecstatic panther, who was purring delightedly and licking my son's face from forehead to chin.

"Healer Sev!" Hermione cried. Her eyes were glowing with the light of deliverance, and she jumped off the sagging mattress and raced over to throw her arms about me. "I'm so glad you came! Can I go home now?"

"Of course you can, Mione," I said, using the diminutive of her name as a way of comforting her, she was clinging to me like a monkey. "I'm here to take all of you home. Where's Lexy?" For Harry and Hermione were the only occupants of the room.

"She's in the closet, I think," Hermione said unhappily. "Her dad put her there cause she said she hated him after he made Magnus spank Harry with a slipper."

"He did what?"

"It wasn't for real, Mione!" Harry cried, managing to get Inky off him by that time. "I told you, it was fake, he only acted like he was beating me, so's they wouldn't suspect. Magnus is a good guy, Dad, he's working undercover to arrest Dan. He only hit me twice with the slipper and it doesn't even hurt anymore."

"Are you sure, son? Where did you get that bruise?"

"Dan did that, the first time I tried to stop him from locking Lexy into the dark closet, she's got a phobia of the dark."

My eyes flashed. Dan had hit my child, and then had ordered him beaten as well. And not only that, but he'd tortured poor Lexy as well, for he knew as well as I did that the child was deathly afraid of the dark. He was a dead man. I was going to break every finger and bone in his hands and maybe his legs too.

"Come here, Harry. I'm going to Apparate you and Mione home, and then come back and find Lexy. As soon as you get home, ask Alaina to get the bruise balm out of the medicine cabinet, it's on the second shelf, labeled, in the green ceramic jar. Let her put some on your face, Harry, and then you can take a bath and eat and wait for me to return with Lexy. Tell Alaina not to worry, I'll bring her child home safe." I tilted his chin up, looking at his wonderful emerald eyes, which were filled with love and relief and tears. I hugged him hard to me. "I love you, my Harry. More than anything. Now, can you remember what I've told you?"

"Yeah, Dad. I've got a good memory." He reassured me, hugging me back.

I choked back a sob, my relief was so great at having my precious child alive and well in my arms again. I picked up both children and Apparated to my home, handing them over to a tearful Jane and Wally and Alaina.

"Where's Lexy?" Alaina cried, hugging Harry.

"I'm going back to get her now, love. Harry will explain everything to you." I said, then Apparated back to the row house in a blue flash.

Inky was waiting for me, panting and looking mighty pleased with himself. "Good job, my friend." I said, stroking him. "Now, can you find Lexy for me also?"

The panther gave a soft half-growl which I took as an affirmative, and led me from the room and after pausing briefly to sniff the air, padded down the hallway, in the opposite direction of the battle still raging in the corridor. From the sound of things, Sanguinius and his minions were putting up a terrific fight, though I had faith that my friends and Dad would soon put an end to his campaign of terror. The Cabal were a group of dark wizards, very dangerous, and organized under the Council of Threttan, and everyone knew of them, they were one of the worst dark orders ever to come into being, they were a crime syndicate of the most depraved men, based mostly in New York and Chicago.

They had come into being shortly after the end of World War II and were known for their blood rituals and sacrifices of innocent children and virgins, and their ability to summon up demons, as well as vampires and other walking dead. Still, Sirius and Remus were experienced Aurors, and Dad was a marine sergeant, so they should be able to handle one lone Cabal sorcerer, even if he could summon up a few undead or demons.

I followed Inky down the corridor, until the panther paused beside a small door with a brass nameplate that read Maintenance. I sucked in a breath, struggling to contain my fury at the man who could so callously lock his child in a broom cupboard and leave her there for who knew how many hours.

I chanted an unlocking charm, and the door came undone with a soft click. I opened it to reveal a dirty smudged child curled up on a mound of rags inbetween several mops, brooms, and a bucket. There was just enough room for her to turn about and not much else. She was sleeping, her face streaked with tears and I saw a nasty bruise on her cheek as well.

"Bastard!" I swore, then knelt and gathered my poor daughter, for so she would be as soon as I proposed to her mother, into my arms and called softly, "Lexy? Kitten, it's Healer Sev. I've come to take you home."

She woke instantly, her eyes huge and frightened. For one instant she stared at me without seeing me, then she gasped and cried, "Healer Sev! It really is you. It's not a dream, is it?"

"No, sweetheart. I'm here, you're safe and no one will ever hurt you again, not even your miserable bastard of a father."

She buried her face in my shoulder, shaking with dry sobs. "I missed you so much! I prayed and prayed you'd find us, Harry promised you would, but I was so scared. My daddy's the meanest man in the world, Healer Sev, and he said I had to stay in the closet till I learned not to be afraid of the dark, but that only made me even scareder, and then he hurt Harry ‘cause he tried to protect me." She lifted her face from my shoulder to look me in the eyes. "He told one of his men to beat Harry with a slipper, like he used to do to me, and Harry swears that didn't happen, but he was crying and rubbing his bottom when they brought him back to us, so I knew he must've been lying. And it's all my dad's stupid fault! I HATE him! He doesn't love anybody ‘cept himself and he hurts little kids for nothing and I-I wish he was dead and you were my daddy, Healer Sev. ‘Cause you would never hurt me like that. Or my mom either."

"Never, little one. I love you and your mom very much, and I will do anything I have to in order to protect you." I soothed, rocking her back and forth. "I'm going to marry your mom soon, Lexy, and then you'll be my daughter, like Harry is my son. Would you like that?"

"Oh, yes! That would be the best thing in the world!"

"You don't mean that, Alexis Marie!" cried a familiar voice from behind me.

I turned about and saw Dan standing there, his gun leveled at me and the child I held to my chest. Plainly he had heard everything. I felt my heart contract as I stared down the pitiless steel barrel of the shotgun.

Beside me, Inky lowered his head and snarled.

"You don't mean that, Alexis!" Dan shouted again, his blue eyes wild as he glared at me and his daughter. "I'm your father, not him! He's nothing but a trickster, a fake magician like the rest of them. He lies! He won't ever love you, you're not his kid. I should have known, that's why your mother ran off, to find another man, the faithless bitch! But he won't have you, Alexis. You're mine and you won't call anybody Daddy but me, little girl!"

"NO!" Lexy yelled, glaring into the face of her tormentor. "You're not my daddy anymore! I HATE you! You hurt me, you hurt Mom, you hurt everybody. You don't love me at all, you just want me ‘cause Mom does. Well, I don't want you! You're the meanest man in the world and I wish you'd go to hell!"

Dan looked as if she'd punched him in the jaw. "You little traitor!" he spat, his blue eyes blazing. "You're just like her-a faithless whore like your mother! Fine then! You want him so much, you can have him. As a memory, because I'm going to blow his fucking head off! And maybe yours too while I'm at it!" He cocked the hammer back to full.

Three things happened simultaneously then.

Lexy began to scream.

Inky sprang at Dan with a roar of rage.

And Dan fired the gun.

The bullet struck Inky in the shoulder, but the panther didn't halt his leap.

He landed right on top of the startled attorney and sank his teeth into the man's neck, shaking him hard, the way a cat does a rat. All four sets of claws raked down Dan's body and Inky yowled the fierce and terrifying screech of a panther defending his territory and his family. His claws tore into the limp figure and he snarled wrathfully.

I hugged Lexy to me and turned her face into my shirt, for she shouldn't have to see such a thing, no matter how much the man might deserve it.

The panther worried the corpse for a few moments more, growling and snarling. Then the big cat succumbed to the pain and shock of the bullet wound and collapsed atop Dan's body.

"Severus! You all right?" I heard my father yelling, then I saw him come racing down the corridor, revolver in one hand, followed by Moony in wolf form.

"Fine. Dan tried to shoot me, but Inky attacked him and he missed." I said through clenched teeth. Lexy was bawling into my shirt, and I wasn't sure who she was crying for, my poor panther or her father.

Remus shifted into his normal form, and said, "Sev, are they dead?" 

"Dan is. But Inky . . .here, take Lexy and bring her home, please, Remus. I'll come afterwards with Inky. I may yet be able to save him."

I handed Lexy to Remus, reassuring her that everything was going to be okay. "Don't let Inky die, please, Healer Sev!" she sobbed.

"I won't if I can help it, little one. Now go with Moony, he'll take you to your mother." I kissed her on the cheek just before Moony Apparated with her. She needed Alaina more than she did me right then.

Then I knelt on the cold wooden floor and began to try and heal the dying panther.

I could feel Inky's life slipping away even as I ran a diagnostic on him. The bullet had sliced through a major artery and he was bleeding internally badly. His breath was coming in shallow gasps, but he was still breathing. I had never practiced medicine on anything save humans, but the basics were the same for human and animal alike.

I quickly cast a spell to stabilize his heartbeat and another to help him draw as much oxygen into his lungs as possible. Then I summoned the bullet to me with a softly spoken "Accio bullet!"

The steel-jacketed round slipped from the panther's body and into my hand. I stared at it in distaste, then tossed it upon the ground.

Then I spoke a Blood Halting Charm, slowing the internal bleeding somewhat. That done, I carefully levitated him onto a stretcher and Apparated into my lab at home. I had several potions there that I could use to treat him and the lab was scrubbed and sanitary. I knew Sirius or Regulus would see to it that Dad came home with them, along with any criminals who had survived that final battle.

I spoke another disinfecting charm upon my stainless steel lab table, which would have to serve as a surgery field for me right now. I levitated the panther upon it and then cast another one over myself, summoning sterilized gloves and a mask from a drawer in the corner of the lab. I had done plenty of surgeries before, but none on a big cat, and for one minute I considered calling a Magical Creatures vet.

But I vetoed that idea, for the panther was on the threshold of life and death and by the time I found a vet, he could be gone. "Hang in there, big fellow!" I crooned. "Don't you give up on me, Inky. Harry needs you too damn much and so do I."

I had no idea what would happen if Inky died, for I couldn't measure how deep the bond ran between the two, and I didn't want Harry to suffer that kind of trauma again. Losing Lily had been utter hell on us both, the last thing he needed was to lose another whom he cared for.

Nor did I, I admitted, blinking hard as I studied the comatose black cat. I recalled the carving Dad had made for me for Father's Day, with Inky and Harry next to me. Dad had been right when he'd dubbed the carving Healer and Sons. For Inky was as much my son as Harry, a furry, four-footed one, but nevertheless, my son. And I would not permit him to die when I could save him.

I ran another diagnostic, pinpointing the exact location of the artery that had torn. Then I laid the tip of my wand on the panther's shoulder and chanted a spell to magnify my sight to laser-like intensity, for in order to mend, I had to see what I was doing.

With my newfound sight, I quickly saw the tear in the artery and spoke an Artery Repairing Charm. The artery sealed itself and now the panther was in no danger of bleeding to death. Then I concentrated in cleaning up the bleeding in his organs and mending the torn muscles the bullet had ripped through. It was painstaking work, and it required the most intense concentration, but my focus was absolute and soon I had mended everything. It had taken me an hour-and-a-half to do so, but I had succeeded, and now Inky was out of danger.

I performed a few other standard health charms upon him, like I would for a human patient, such as a freshening charm that cleaned all the blood from his fur and an elimination charm to relieve him of a full bladder. I fetched a Blood Replenishing Potion from my stores and spelled it into his stomach, as well as a Pain Relieving Potion, Class Four. I also administered an Anti-Shock Draft and warmed several thick blankets and summoned his cat bed here.

I laid him down on the bed and fed him an antibiotic potion and some water. He breathed steadily, his great chest rising and falling in a blessed familiar rhythm. The place where the bullet had entered was still open, I would monitor it for signs of infection over the next day and if it showed none, I'd heal it closed. I placed a bandage over it, casting a Sticking Charm on it so it would stay put, then I covered him with the blankets.

I had done all I could for him. Now it remained to be seen if he woke up and was the same beloved pet we all knew. I banished my gloves and mask and tucked away my wand, then I knelt beside the beautiful cat and cradled his head in my lap.

"I love you, Inky. You saved my life, you saved Lexy, you saved Harry and everyone from that depraved bastard. Thank you isn't enough, but it's all I know how to say. You are a true hero and I couldn't ask for a more loyal and brave child."

I stroked his ears and the top of his head, in the special place he could never reach with paws or tongue, and suddenly I was sobbing.

Call it stress, call it anxiety, or relief, whatever reason you named, I was crying for all those reasons, overwhelmed by the fact that I had almost lost yet another I loved. I drew my knees up to my chest and put my head down on them and wept like a little child.

I allowed my emotions free reign then, so much so I didn't hear the soft knock at the lab door and Alaina calling my name.

"Sev? Is everything all right in there?"

When I didn't answer, she cautiously turned the knob and entered.

The first thing that caught her eye was me huddled in a ball on the floor next to Inky, sobbing my head off.

"Oh dear God, no!" she groaned. "Poor Harry's going to be devastated." She came and put her arms around me and I instinctively clutched her to me. "Oh, Sev! I'm so sorry. He was so brave . . .he saved my Lexy . . .I'll miss him terribly, you know . . .poor brave boy . . ." Then she started to cry too and for a few minutes we gave vent to all the sorrow and fear we'd been keeping inside of us since the children had been kidnapped.

I rarely allowed myself the relief of tears, it was a legacy of my childhood with Tobias that I hadn't really ever managed to overcome. I'd had the old "boys don't cry" doctrine pounded into my skull since I was four and though rationally I knew that it was perfectly acceptable to shed tears, a part of me remained reserved and I only cried when I was under overwhelming stress or had suffered a life-altering tragedy.

Like now.

Alaina hugged me and stroked my hair and murmured to me, much as I did to Harry, and eventually I managed to get myself back under control. When at last I sat up, sniffling, she handed me a soft handkerchief and kissed me gently.

"Sev, I'm so sorry about Inky. I know how much you loved him," she began.

I blinked, not comprehending her words for a moment. Then it hit me. "Alaina, no. You don't understand . . ."

"It's okay, Sev. You don't need to explain why you were crying over him, I've cried like a baby over my pets when they died. It's perfectly natural and you needn't be ashamed, love."

"Alaina, it's not what you're thinking. I wasn't crying because Inky was dead, I was crying because he was alive . . .and I was so relieved and happy . . .hell, I was just glad I'd saved the big furball . . .and that Harry and Lexy were safe and Dan didn't escape justice this time . . ."

"Lexy said Inky killed him . . .just before he was about to shoot you and her as well." Alaina shuddered. "I wish I could say I'm sorry . . .but I'm not. I'm not! After all he did, and tried to do, and nearly did . . .I'm glad he's dead, Severus! I hope he's roasting in hell for all the misery he put us through. He deserves to suffer for eternity! God, he nearly cost me my child and the man I truly love . . .if you had died . . ." she didn't finish that sentence, but dissolved into tears.

"Alaina, love . . .shh . . .I'm here, I'll never leave you . . ." I crooned, hugging her to me and rocking her. "I'm yours, now and forever, blackbird. If you think you can put up with me, that is."

She stopped crying then and lifted her tear-stained, swollen face to look directly into my eyes. "Put up with you . . .?" she sniffled. "Severus Tobias Snape, I'll take you any way I can have you, don't you know that? You took my heart, the heart that Dan broke into tiny pieces and stomped on, and you made it whole again. You made my ordinary life into something incredible, you gave me back myself, the self Dan beat into the ground, you brought magic back when I had thought it gone forever from my life. I love you, utterly and completely, with all that I am, and I'll put up with you till the stars vanish, Master Healer."

Then she cupped my face in her hands and kissed me.

Instantly my grief was transmuted into something more primal and fiery, and I kissed her back passionately. I felt the tide of desire rise in my blood and I whispered roughly, "Alaina, I want you, all of you."

"Good," her voice was like velvet in my ear. "Because I want all of you too. I've never known a man who loved me for just me, Sev. Never made love with a man who didn't use me for his own pleasure and didn't give a damn that he hurt me while he did it."

"Poor blackbird," I soothed, running my hands through her silky brunette tresses sensuously. "He clipped your wings, didn't he? But I'll heal you and then I'll teach you to fly."

She smiled then, a tender seductive smile, a smile that was as old as time, a smile that had been on Eve's face when she tempted Adam in Eden, no doubt. "Will you, Healer? Can you mend even that?"

"Yes." I answered, and my hands caressed her back. "Love can mend anything, Alaina. It is the greatest magic of all. Shall I prove it to you, my beautiful blackbird?"

"Teach me to fly, Severus," was all she answered, her eyes burning with passion and love and desire so deep it nearly drowned her.

Her eyes mirrored my own. I picked her up in my arms and Apparated into my bedroom. We'd be undisturbed there, I was pretty certain my friends and Dad could amuse themselves or sleep for the rest of the night. Right then, sleep was the furthest thing from my mind.

I set her on the bed, banished our clothes with a wave of my hand, then I joined her there. "Here's your first lesson, beloved mine." I said throatily, and then I showed her exactly how a man could worship a woman, and she flew with me into the heavens, as we cast the oldest magic of all, and two became one, for all of time.

* * * * * *

When I awoke, lazy and sated as a panther that had just devoured a hundred pounds of beef, Alaina's head was beside mine on the pillow. I smiled at her, and teasingly pulled a curl of her wondrous hair, watching it spring back into place. Last night had been extraordinary, Alaina had proved to be my match in more ways than one. I stretched languidly, not wanting to leave my cozy love nest, but knowing I had to get up.

I had houseguests and Harry was probably awake as well, I was fairly certain that Remus, Sirius, and Regulus were staying in my house, and I wasn't sure if my father had opted to remain too. I knew the Grangers had departed last night with Hermione, Alaina had told me that they were so grateful to me for rescuing their daughter that they could never repay me, but if I ever needed anything I shouldn't hesitate to ask. Such obvious hero-worship made me uncomfortable, I never enjoyed being in the spotlight, but I could hardly complain.

So I reluctantly crawled from the warmth of my bed and dressed, leaving Alaina sleeping. After performing my usual washing and shaving routine, I padded down the hallway to the kitchen to see if anyone was up yet. I found Harry in the kitchen, trying to teach Sirius and Regulus how to scramble an egg, while Dad watched with an amused smirk.

"See, you have to beat it really fast with the fork, Padfoot. So it gets all thick and bubbly. The you can add some water, or a little bit of milk and beat it until it's frothy again."

"When do you add the salt and pepper?" Magnus asked.

" Now, if you want, or you can wait until the egg is cooked," answered my would-be gourmet chef. "But now you have to heat up the pan. Dad usually does that, ‘cause he doesn't want me too close to the stove. He takes some butter and melts it in the pan then puts the eggs on it. "Magnus-oops, I mean Regulus-can you get me that plastic spatula over there?"

Regulus obeyed, handing Harry the spatula. "You can call me Magnus if you want to, Harry. It's my middle name, actually, I like it better than my first name, and that's why I used it as a cover. Most of my friends back in the US know me as Magnus."

Before he could say anything else, Sirius spotted me leaning against the doorjam. He smirked devilishly and announced, "Welcome back to planet earth, Sev! Sleep well, Romeo?"

I fought to keep from coloring. "None of your business, Padfoot. That's between me and Alaina." I turned to my father, who was also wearing a knowing smirk, the damn rogue! What was this, Gossip Hour 101? "Morning, Dad."

"Good morning, Sev. How's Inky?"

"Doing well, he's nearly recovered," I answered proudly.

"Where's Alaina?" queried Tobias.

"Still asleep, probably," I answered.

Sirius winked at Regulus and murmured, "Gee, I wonder why."

I swatted him in the back of the neck with a newspaper. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Sirius."

"He can't. It's cemented there," teased Regulus.

"Very funny, Reg," his brother gave him a Look.

Harry looked up from where he was standing at the counter. "Dad! Is Inky all better? Where is he? I want to see him!"

"Yes, but he's sleeping right now in my lab," I began, but Harry had already set the bowl down and was running from the room.

"Hey, little buddy, what about these eggs, huh?" yelled Sirius.

"Dad can show you how to cook them," he called back, then he was gone down the hallway.

Two minutes later I heard Harry shouting, "Hey, Dad! The door's locked!"

"That's right. Because you know my rule, no children allowed in there without an adult," I reminded him.

"But I wanna see Inky."

I cast a glance at my father. "D'you mind going with him to visit Inky?"

Dad shook his head. "Not at all, Sev. That panther's a hero in my book. Saved you and everyone else and did us all a favor by offing that evil bugger. I ought to give him a hug." He rose to his feet.

"Oh? This I've got to see."

"Go on with you, Sev! Keep an eye on the two bumble brothers in the kitchen before they set the place on fire. They barely know how to boil water."

"That's not our fault, Toby," protested Sirius. "We were raised with a house elf and weren't allowed to set foot in the kitchen. Twinky did all the cooking and the cleaning, mostly."

"Yeah, and we weren't allowed in the kitchen because of a dumb prank you pulled, Siri," reminded Regulus.

"How was I supposed to know she'd find it so offensive that I swapped all the spice labels and animated all the silverware? I was nine, give me a break!"

"Troublemaker!" Regulus accused.

"Ha! Look who's talking! You got in more trouble when you were little than I did, only you never got punished for it."

"Right. You were mischief incarnate Sirius, I wasn't even a close second." Regulus snorted.

"Maybe, but Mum spoiled you rotten. She always liked you best," Sirius said resentfully.

"So? You were Dad's favorite." Regulus pointed out, his eyes flashing. Clearly this was a sore point between the two. "He let you get away with murder."

"You're exaggerating, Reg."

"Like hell. You played pranks on all the relatives and he laughed. I turned Aunt Zoya's hair blue and he walloped me for it."

"She was a hundred and seven and you nearly gave her a heart attack."

"What did I know? I was only six," Regulus drawled. "I was following your example, big brother."

"Oh no. You're not going to blame me for your stupidity, Reg," Sirius began hotly.

"Quit bickering, the pair of you!" Dad ordered, in a tone that brooked no nonsense. "You're acting like a pair of five-year-olds. Now knock it the hell off, or else!"

Both brothers froze, then muttered a swift "Yes, sir."

Dad gave them a warning glare, one that made them drop their eyes and look away, just as I used to. Then he rose to his feet and went to unlock the lab so my impatient son could see his panther brother.

"Merlin, Severus!" Sirius complained once my father was out of earshot. "For a minute I thought my father had come back from the dead and was going to box my ears for sniping at Reg."

"Tell me about it," Regulus chuckled ruefully. "That tone nearly made me jump out of my skin. I almost looked over my shoulder to see if he was holding a damn slipper!"

"You're lucky he wasn't," I said, then laughed at Regulus's horrified expression. "The both of you were a pair of devils and you know it."

"Oh, and you were an angel, Snape?" Padfoot snorted.

"Hardly. But I never went out of my way to cause trouble the way you did, Siri. He wouldn't have tolerated that." I moved over to finish scrambling the eggs and poured them into the pan. "Fact is, he didn't tolerate much back then." I began to turn the eggs with a fork. "What did you do with Dan's body?"

"Burned it to hide the fact that he was killed by a panther," Sirius replied matter-of-factly. "We made it look like the house caught fire from an unattended cigarette and he didn't make it out in time. The Muggle authorities will rule it as an accidental death and that'll be the end of it."

"Clever," I said approvingly. "What about the others? The Cabal sorcerer and the two Muggles?"

"Sanguinius is dead," Regulus said flatly, his eyes glittering in satisfaction. "Killed while resisting arrest is how I'm going to report it to my Captain. He's no great loss, the scumbag. I've been after him for years, but never got close enough to pin anything on him until now. It was sheer luck that he was the one Dan hired to help him with his kidnapping scheme."

"What goes around comes around," I said, frowning. "You killed him?"

He nodded. "Drug dealing baby raping piece of trash," said the Guardian heatedly. "He'd of sacrificed your son and the other little girl, Hermione is it?-at the dark of the moon to increase his standing in the Cabal. He was bragging about it to Dan, and he agreed to sell them to the bugger if he paid him enough. The two of them probably have identical seats in the fire next to Satan, by my reckoning."

I nodded coldly. "And the other two?"

"In Auror custody for now, until I return to the States with them. Then I'll turn them over to the NYPD Special Investigations and let them put them away. They ought to get twenty years to life, because both of ‘em have prior records."

"Reg, how did you get involved with Muggle authorities? What about the Statute of Secrecy?" I queried.

"It's different over there, Severus. The Guardians have a partnership with NYPD SI. SI is kind of a outcast department, they get the cases the regular department won't touch, all the paranormal sightings and the alien invasion stuff and whatnot. But they aren't always equipped to handle some of the magical beasts and necromancers they get pitted against, so the USMA decided to give them a hand, and allowed the Guardians to team up with them. After all, we were fighting the same foe. That's what I am, I'm a liaison to SI, I work with them to solve cases and fight high priority wizard criminals."

"They know what you are?"

"Yup. And they're okay with it. They stopped burning witches over there back in 1698," Regulus stated dryly. "Oh, they don't know everything about us, but they know enough to realize that magic really does exist and I can use it and I've saved their asses a number of times, so they respect me, and by extension the rest of the USMA."

"I never would've figured you for a responsible law-abiding wizard," Sirius remarked slyly.

"Well, you don't know everything, now do you?" Regulus scowled. "You just think you do."

"He's grown up, Siri," I interjected, before my indignant friend could start another quarrel. "He's not the spoiled brat that used to tell on us for everything any more. He's found where he belongs. Just like the rest of us did. I can't say I'm surprised you're a Guardian, Magnus."

"I'd hope not, Severus. It's practically a family tradition. At least one Black in every generation is an Auror." The youngest Black answered. "I'm just an Auror with an American title."

I finished with the eggs and put them on a plate, then started cooking some bacon and toast. "Where's Moony? It's not like him to sleep late." I asked, glancing at the clock and finding it was already nine o'clock.

"He was up with the sun," Sirius laughed. "He and Albus are over at headquarters, giving a report to the Chief of the Aurors right now. Should be interesting."

I didn't doubt it. I flipped the bacon over just as Harry and Dad returned. Harry was grinning from ear to ear, and he ran over to me and said, "Grandpa and I went over to see Inky, Dad, and he opened his eyes and purred and licked me. You wouldn't even know he nearly died."

I glanced down at him sharply. "How do you know that, Harry?"

"Know what?"

"That Inky almost died? I didn't tell you anything about his condition."

He shrugged. "I just know, Dad. I could feel him somehow." Then he resumed his tale of his morning visit to Inky. "I could take Lexy to show her Inky when she wakes up. And guess what else happened, Dad?"

"What?"

"Grandpa said that Inky was a hero and then he hugged him, " Harry related delightedly.

I arched an eyebrow at Dad, who looked down at his hands. "Well, even a bloody nuisance of a panther deserves his day in the sun. After all, he saved my son and grandson, not to mention Lexy."

Speaking of Lexy, she came into the kitchen a moment later, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "Morning, Healer Sev and Mr. Toby! Oh, and hello to you too Sirius and Magnus." She glanced about the kitchen. "Where's my mother?"

"Sleeping," I replied, then held out an arm for her to come to me. She burrowed into my side and I ruffled her hair, same as I did to Harry. "She'll be up soon. Meantime, you can sit and have breakfast with us and then I'm going to examine you and Harry, make sure those filthy men didn't hurt you any worse than what I've seen."

"Aww, Dad!" groaned Harry. "Do we have to do that?"

"You do, " I said firmly. "Don't sulk, scamp. It's not as bad as you're thinking. I have no shots to give you. Just a routine exam."

He rolled his eyes, but didn't bother protesting again. I flipped the bacon onto a plate, and Harry came in to lean against my other side. I was thankful the two children were not quarreling over me the way they had done previously, it seemed that their time with the kidnappers had drawn them even closer than before. Which was all to the good, we were starting to become a real family.

I sent Lexy in to wake up Alaina, thinking that in addition to my exam, the kids should probably be looked at by one of the St. Mungoes staff Mind Healers. They had endured a great deal of trauma and dread, and I thought a few sessions with one of our empathic Healers would do them good.

Alaina came in a moment later, and was greeted cordially by everyone. For once, Sirius bridled his tongue and there were no comments made about where she had spent the night, though I knew they all knew she had been with me. In more ways than one.

After breakfast, I took Lexy and Harry into my workroom, and examined them individually. Other than few bumps and bruises, they were in good physical condition. I had expected much worse, given that Harry had been sporting a bruise the size of a small mango. But we'd gotten there in time, because they didn't bear any marks upon them. Physically, that is.

Mentally . . .that was whole different story.

Lexy especially, bore some emotional scarring, it would be months before she could ever get over what her father had done, and then she'd probably still have flashbacks on occasion, the way I did. I'd suggest to Alaina that she have Lexy visit with Miranda Robinson, who was my therapist, she worked specifically with children and adults suffering from long term mental and physical abuse during their childhood by a parent or guardian. Miranda was top notch, she'd be able to help Lexy get some kind of closure and resolve any issues she might have regarding Dan.

I would help too, of course, but I was no professional, and Miranda was more qualified and experienced than I was. Speaking of professions, I wondered if Dan had made a will and if so, did he leave any of his money to his daughter? If he had left the bulk of his fortune to Lexy, she'd be a rich woman someday, when she reached her majority.

Like Harry, for he'd been the recipient of James's assets upon his death, which were held in trust by me, to be used when he came of age or for school tuition and books.

If Lexy was the recipient of any of her father's money, I was sure an attorney would shortly be contacting Alaina, once Dan's body had been discovered.

Once my exam was finished, I let them go outside to play, then returned to the kitchen to discuss several things with Alaina, who agreed with me about the counseling and said she was unsure of the way Dan had left his will, we'd simply have to wait and see.

Regulus opted to stay a few more days here, visiting with Sirius and getting to know his brother again, though they went back to Sirius's flat, saying they'd already worn out their welcome with me. Dad and Alaina returned home too, and once again it was just the three of us, me, Harry, and Inky.

Inky had recovered wonderfully from his near brush with death, and was back to his normal sassy self within a day or two. Harry took a bit longer to recover from his days under the thumb of the kidnappers, he began having nightmares every other night, and once he even wet the bed.

He was horribly embarrassed, of course, though I wasn't surprised much, since stress and anxiety sometimes caused a child to regress, and I didn't make a big deal out of it. I think he expected me to punish him over it, which I would never do, instead I made sure he drank no water before bedtime and used the bathroom, and I stayed with him until he fell asleep.

But there was only the one incident, after that my precautions took hold and his anxiety lessened. But once or twice he would crawl into my big bed and sleep with me and so too would Inky. Usually this was right after a major nightmare and I spent the greater part of the night holding him and soothing him back to sleep. I didn't mind, I was just happy to have Harry back where he belonged and safe at home.

Alaina admitted that Lexy also had nightmares and insisted on sleeping with the lights on. I could hardly blame the poor thing for that, recalling where I'd found her. But gradually, she too was beginning to trust and to love not only her mother, but me as well.

Dan's attorney contacted Alaina a week later to inform her that one Alexis Marie Chase was the sole recipient of Dan's inheritance. Alaina laughed as she signed the papers and said that was the only good thing she'd ever gotten out of him.

October slid into November and before I knew it, it was the middle of November, and I still hadn't finished my Christmas shopping. I had one very special gift left to buy, and a few trinkets for friends or the odd guest, before I was done, but that one gift proved difficult for me to pick out, until Dad volunteered to help me.

Together we picked out a fine one and I prepared for a very memorable Christmas, like the ones I used to have when Lily was alive.

"Harry, it's my turn to open a door on the advent calendar." Lexy informed me when I reached up to turn over the wooden block with the number 18 on it.

I paused and looked at her. "But you got a turn yesterday, remember? You got the giraffe behind number 17."

"Yeah, but I missed a day back on the eleventh, when I was sick. So I should get to open this one too, to make up for it."

"Okay," I agreed, for I had forgotten about that day.

The wooden advent calendar was very old, it had been made by my grandfather as a gift for my grandmother when they had their first Christmas together. Grandma Eileen had been Roman Catholic, and had kept her traditions when she married Grandpa, who was Methodist, but didn't much care for religion one way or the other. Grandpa said believing in God was enough, and whatever way you decided to worship Him was your own business.

Advent was a Catholic tradition, and Dad kept it because he'd been raised that way by Grandma. It began four Sundays before Christmas and was a way we prepared for the big event, counting the days until the birth of Jesus. It had started this year on December 4th and continued until the 25th. During this time Dad and I went to church every Sunday, or Alaina and Lexy went with me if Dad was on call. Dad said it was important to thank God for all the blessings we'd received during the year and to remind ourselves that Christmas was about more than just presents. (But the presents were the best part.)

I didn't mind going to church, it was peaceful and quiet there, and Father Henry (whose name was nearly the same as mine) always made you laugh during the homily. He said that laughter was music to God's ears. Guess God must have been hearing an awful lot of music on Sundays at St. Mary's then.

We also celebrated St. Nicholas Day on December 6th, which was the feast of the patron saint of little children. I'd introduced Lexy to that custom, explaining that St. Nicholas was once a real man, he'd lived over a thousand years ago in someplace called Myrna, which Dad said was in modern day Turkey, and during his lifetime he was a bishop who gave away all his gold to the poor children of his parish, which was how the custom got started of giving gifts to children.

On St. Nicholas Day, Dad and I made little iced gingerbread cakes with sixpence inside them and we drank hot cocoa, the homemade kind, with real cream and melted chocolate. Dad also gave me a little present, usually it was some kind of chocolate from Honeydukes or a small joke product from Zonkos, in keeping with the tradition of the saint's gifts. This year, Lexy and Alaina celebrated with us, and we received purring puffballs as our St. Nicholas gift.

The puffball was a magically animated ball of very soft griffindown colored in a variety of different hues. Mine was a bright green and Lexy's was turquoise. The puffball crawled about on your hand or the floor and purred when you stroked it or cuddled it. It sneezed if you got it wet and growled if you dropped it and squeaked if you squeezed it too hard. It had a special box you could put it in to make it go to sleep when you weren't playing with it and you could name it too. I called mine Fuzzy and Lexy named hers Sparkles, she said it was a girl puffball. I said you couldn't tell the difference, but she insisted she could, and I wasn't minded to argue with her.

After dinner, Dad read to us from the big book Lives of the Saints about St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myrna. Then we had the hot cocoa and the cakes for dessert, and Lexy and I discussed the Christmas lists we'd made with each other and played with our puffballs till Alaina and Dad said it was time to go to bed.

Both Lexy and I tried to be extra good during this time, ‘cause we didn't want to get put on Father Christmas's naughty list. Grandpa said that kids who got put on there didn't get any presents on Christmas morning, only lumps of coal and a switch. The switch was for giving the naughty kid a spanking, and I vowed to never be that bad, so the only thing I got for Christmas was a spanking. Though I bet Dan had been that naughty probably, I told Grandpa, and he agreed with me.

That was why I allowed Lexy to turn over the block on the advent calendar, which Grandpa had carved in the shape of a house and all the blocks for the days of the week were the windows and the door. They were all numbered up through twenty-five (Christmas) and behind each block was a different carved animal or object. Under the Christmas one was Father Christmas, I knew because I'd done the advent calendar before, since I was two and old enough to understand what it meant. But I didn't tell Lexy, because it would ruin the surprise.

"Look, Harry! It's a kitten!" Lexy exclaimed, removing the block and pulling a sleeping kitty out of the space behind it. "Aww! How cute!" She held the little carving in her hand a moment before setting it back in its space. "There are only seven more days till Christmas," she declared happily. "I can't wait."

"Me either. This is going to be the very best Christmas ever, I just know it. Or at least as good as the ones we'd had before Mum had died," I added loyally.

"D'you miss your mom sometimes, Harry?"

"Yeah, sometimes. She loved Christmas, she used to have a snowball fight with Dad and me and Uncle Sirius and Remus the week before Christmas."

"What if it didn't snow?"

"It always does at Hogwarts, that's where we go to have it," I told her. "We'd go up by the Quidditch pitch and build two snow forts and then we'd have teams. I was usually with her or Dad, since I was too little to throw well, but we all had fun anyway, and sometimes the students would join in, if they saw us outside and they had a free period. It's great fun, only we didn't do it last year, ‘cause Dad was too busy to arrange it."

"But could we do it this year, d'you think?" Lexy asked. "I'd love to have a snowball fight with you, Harry. My dad never did anything that cool with me, all he did was buy me some expensive jewelry or a porcelain doll that I couldn't play with, but had to put on a shelf as a collectible. But a snowball fight's so much better than that. I could be on a team with Mom and Mr. Toby and we'd kick your butt."

"You wish. Dad and I would wipe the ground with you," I snorted.

"Could not!" she disagreed.

"Could too! I bet you throw like a girl."

"I do not! I throw better than any boy, Harry! You'll see, if we ever get to have one. D'you think we could ask your dad tonight?"

"Yeah, sure. Maybe we can have Ron, Mione, Blaise, and Ginny play too. Monday's the beginning of Christmas break, so we won't have any school."

"That's tomorrow."

"I know. Says so right on the calendar," I said loftily.

"Smart aleck."

"Yup, that's me, smartest student in Mabry," I smirked.

"You mean the smartest boy in Mabry," Lexy corrected. "Mione and I are the smartest, we beat you in spelling last term."

"So what? Who cares about spelling?"

"Miss Underwood does," she answered, sticking her tongue out at me.

I stuck mine back at her. "You might be smart, Lexy Montague, but I'll bet you can't beat me in a snowball fight."

"Oh yeah? Says who?"

"Me."

"Right! I can knock you out in fifteen seconds."

"Can not!"

"Can too!"

"Can't!"

"Can so!"

We were standing nose to nose now, glaring at each other angrily.

"What's going on in there?" called Dad from the den, where he was putting the finishing touches on the tree, spelling it to last through the whole month. "Are you two arguing again over the calendar? Because if so, you can both miss today and go stand in the corner for fifteen minutes for quarreling over such a silly thing. I've told you before, the advent calendar is meant to be shared."

We'd gotten into arguments before over whose turn it was to turn over a block and Dad said if he caught us doing it again, it'd mean a time-out.

"We aren't arguing over that, Dad," I told him when he appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, the advent calendar was sitting on the baker's rack, inbetween the cannisters of flour and sugar.

"Then what's the problem, Harry?"

"Lexy says she can beat me in a snowball fight, only she can't, ‘cause I throw way better than her."

"Do not! I know how to throw a curveball, bet you can't do that, Mr. Potter!" she challenged.

"Boys throw better than girls, it's a fact."

"You're making that up! Girls can do anything boys can do-better!"

"Enough!" Dad ordered. "There's only one way to settle this. And that's to have a snowball fight and see who wins."

"When, Dad?"

"As soon as I can call Moony and Padfoot and your grandfather and maybe your Uncle Al too."

I was practically jumping up and down. "How about Magnus, Dad? He's spending Christmas with Uncle Sirius this year."

"Him too, if he wants to play. And Alaina."

"How about Ron, Mione, and Blaise? Can we ask them?" I begged.

"And Ginny too."

"If their parents agree, then yes. Now stop squabbling and play nicely together, because Father Christmas is watching you and taking notes," he warned.

"Yes, sir," we said, practically in the same breath.

Then I winked and grinned at Lexy. The snowball fight was on again!

* * * * * *

Tuesday was the day of the big match, and we divided the teams up mostly by girls vs. boys, with Alaina, Lexy, Hermione, and Ginny on one team and me, Dad, Sirius, Uncle Al, Ron, Moony, and Blaise on the other. Grandpa volunteered to be on Lexy's team, since he wanted to trounce Dad and Padfoot, who needed to be taken down a peg.

"And you can have Reg, since he throws like a girl still," Padfoot declared, snickering.

"Oh, you're going to pay for that, big brother," growled Magnus. "I'm going to bury your arse, Siri."

"You and what army?"

"Us." Alaina replied, standing with her hands on her hips.

"But Alaina, they've got one more than we do," pointed out Hermione. "Shouldn't the teams be even?"

"Don't worry, sweetie. We've got a secret weapon." Alaina said with a wicked smile.

"What weapon is that, dear girl?" inquired Uncle Al, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Me, Albus."

And then Aunty Min stepped out from a pine tree.

"Minerva, it's been years since you've thrown a snowball," gaped Uncle Al.

"I didn't even know you knew how to throw one, Aunty Min!" I cried, shocked.

"Of course I can throw a snowball, you impudent scamp!" Minerva snorted. "I was once a champion snowball thrower, I'll have you know!"

"Yes, about twenty-five years ago!" Uncle Al teased.

"So? I haven't forgotten, Albus. Any more than you have, and it's been over fifty for you, Old One!" Aunty Min shot back.

"I improve with age, Minerva."

"We'll see, won't we?" Minerva chuckled, looking like a little girl with a naughty secret.

We used magic to build the snow forts, but after that, the grown-ups put away their wands and fought with just their wits and hands, it was fairer that way, since neither us kids, Grandpa, or Alaina had magic.

Uncle Al tossed a red scarf into the air, and when it touched the ground, he shouted, "Let the game begin!"

I was sure we were going to win, since my team had two of the best snowball throwers on it, meaning Padfoot and Dad, though Moony was good too, and Blaise could throw well since he'd had lessons with Uncle Matt, my dad's partner, who'd been pitcher for a baseball team back when he grew up in New York. Ron and I weren't half bad either, and Uncle Al was good too, considering he was three times the age of the rest of us.

The rule was three hits with a snowball and you were out, the team with the most people standing at the end of an hour and a half won.

For the first five minutes, nobody was winning, as we were all making and lobbing snowballs as quick as we could at the other team. When you got hit with one, a little light appeared on your coat, so we could keep track of who was hit and how many times.

I went after Lexy, determined to prove her wrong, Ron picked Hermione, and Blaise got Ginny. Aunty Min faced off against Uncle Al, and Padfoot against Magnus, which left Remus for Alaina and Dad and Grandpa. We chased each other through the deep snow, laughing and screaming.

"Got you, Lex!" I shouted triumphantly, catching her with a fake out.

She frowned at the red dot that appeared on her pink coat. "Only once, Harry. Take this!" Then she pulled out two snowballs from her pockets and pelted me with them. One missed, but the other nailed me in the leg, so we were even.

"Think fast, Sev!" yelled Grandpa, lobbing one at Dad, who ducked behind the fort just before it hit him.

"Getting slow in your old age, Dad?"

"Not a chance, boy! I can still take you," Grandpa insisted, and threw another at his son, which splattered harmlessly against the side of the fort.

"Uh, I believe that was a miss," laughed Dad.

"True, but this isn't." Alaina said, popping up from behind a tree and nailing Dad in the back. "Surprise!"

Dad whirled around, only then realizing it had been a sneak attack, and Grandpa had missed on purpose. "Real nice, Alaina!"

"Suck it up and deal with it, Snape!" she hooted, then darted away as he ran after her, snatching up two snowballs and threatening to make her eat them.

"You've got to catch me first, Sev!" she panted, running for all she was worth.

He laughed, for he had longer legs than she did and was gaining on her. He aimed and caught her in the shoulder. "You were saying?"

She shook her head. "That it doesn't matter if you get me, Healer. Because . . .I'm the decoy!"

Too late, Dad realized it was a trap, as Grandpa, Magnus, and Aunty Min all came up from behind trees and drifts and bombarded him with snowballs.

Good as he was, even Dad couldn't stand up to that kind of concentrated fire, and soon he was hit three times and we'd lost one of our best players.

Sirius just groaned. "Merlin, what do you call that? Three on one isn't fair!"

"It's called strategy, Black!" answered Grandpa. "It isn't my fault you never learned how to use it."

"I should've seen that coming," Dad said in disgust, going to sit out, next to Ginny, who'd been brought down by a well-timed shot from yours truly. "That'll teach me to trust a pretty woman. And my sneaky father, who learned strategy from the Royal Marines."

Grandpa laughed. "You got overconfident, boy, and then you paid for it! Quit your grousing, Sev."

"Sir, yes, sir!" Dad called back mockingly, and got a snowball in the face from Grandpa for his cheek.

Dad sputtered, scrubbing the freezing mess from his face frantically. "Dammit, Dad!"

"Tobias, that was mean!" scolded Alaina.

"All's fair in love and war, girl!" Grandpa chuckled, then sent a barrage of snowballs at Sirius, who just managed to duck most of them, though one caught him in the head.

He brushed the snow off his woolen cap and hissed, "Hell, Moony, we've got to take him out, and fast. He's dangerous."

"No kidding. What's the plan, Padfoot?"

"We do a sneak attack of our own. Harry, Ron, c'mere." He beckoned us over.

Uncle Sirius's plan was for me and Ron to burrow under the snow and wait while he and Moony drew Grandpa out from behind their fort. And they'd try to get Aunt Minerva or Magnus too while they were at it, for those two were a great combination, and had taken out Uncle Al with three well-timed throws.

When they'd drawn them out enough, Ron and I were to come up and get them from behind.

At least that was the plan.

But Grandpa was too smart and wily to be tricked that way, and Magnus knew Sirius too well to fall for his brother acting like a sitting duck. And Minerva simply refused to be budged from behind the fort, so the only thing that happened was Ron and I nearly froze and when we tried to crawl back, Lexy and Hermione spotted us and dumped about a ton of snow on top of us while we were trapped trying to run away.

"Still think boys are better than girls?" Lexy demanded, smirking at me, one hand holding a snowball.

"You cheated!" I sputtered.

"She did not!" Hermione objected. "Nobody told you to bury yourself under the snow and try to ambush Mr. Toby."

"Sirius did," grumbled Ron, scowling at her.

"It's your own fault then, for taking his bad advice," Hermione sniffed. "Better luck next time." She held out a hand to help him out of the snow.

Ron took it, then yanked her down into the snow beside him. Hermione shrieked, getting a mouthful of snow.

"You dirty rotten bugger!" spluttered Hermione.

Ron rose to his feet, dusting himself off. "Next time don't be such a know-it-all."

He turned to walk away, since we were now eliminated from the fight, only to run right into an angry Magnus.

"Apologize, right now," the Guardian snapped, putting a hand on Ron's shoulder.

Ron gulped upon seeing Magnus's normally friendly features turn hard as stone, but he said bravely, "What for? I tricked her like you did Severus, Magnus."

Magnus glared at him sternly. "No, you didn't. What we did to sev was in fun, you knocked Hermione in the snow out of pure meanness, and you know it."

"She was bragging about how girls were better and all she did was get lucky." Ron said stubbornly, his chin sticking out.

"That may be, but it doesn't excuse your behavior, Ronald. Apologize, now."

"Fine!" Ron stomped over to Hermione, who was sniffing and wiping her eyes with her mitten, and growled, "Sorry. There!" He turned to leave.

But Magnus caught him by his coat collar and yanked him back around. "Not good enough. Do it again, and this time mean it."

Ron quivered, then said sorry again, and this time you could tell he meant it.

"Better. Next time, boy, don't be such a sore loser. Now get!" He gave Ron a nudge towards the side of the field where Dad, Ginny, and Uncle Al were sitting. "I can't stand sore losers," he said to me as I went past him.

"Am I out too, Reg?" asked Hermione.

"No, since Ron was already out before he knocked you in the snow, so it doesn't count." Magnus brushed the snow off her and walked her back to the fort.

It looked like my team was done for. There were only Padfoot, Moony, and Blaise left against Grandpa, Magnus, Alaina, Mione and Lexy. But the two Aurors and my baseball pitching friend put up a good fight. They managed to take out Alaina and Hermione before being trounced by Grandpa and Magnus and Lexy, who really did have a good curveball, I had to admit.

"We fought the good fight, Padfoot," Remus said, shaking snow off of himself.

"Just wasn't good enough, Moony." Sirius sighed.

"And you were saying you were going to kick my arse, big brother?" remarked Magnus, grinning.

"Next time, your arse is grass, Regulus Black." Sirius mock-growled.

"Big talk for someone who has snow on his eyebrows."

"You're asking for it, little brother."

Magnus laughed.

Then Padfoot became a big black mutt and knocked his brother in the snow.

The two tussled and wrestled like two playful cubs, barking and yelling, but you could tell it wasn't for real, since Sirius could've bitten Magnus badly if he'd wanted to, and Magnus could've hexed Padfoot a dozen times over. But Magnus was getting the worst of it until Moony decided to help by pouncing on Padfoot in wolf shape, and knocking him head over tail into a snowdrift.

Magnus burst out laughing at Padfoot's startled expression, covered as he was from nose to tail tip in snow.

Then Padfoot shook himself, snarled revenge at Moony and jumped on the werewolf. The two chased each other all across the field, while the rest of us watched and laughed.

"Kids!" Grandpa snorted, rolling his eyes. He was the only one of us who'd managed to never get hit by a snowball.

I noticed my dad eyeing him wickedly, then he beckoned all of us kids over and whispered that we all ought to swarm Grandpa and knock him in the snow for being so unbearably smug.

So we all jumped on him, I tackled him about the knees and Lexy climbed up his shoulder and Ron, Mione, Blaise and Ginny just fell into him.

"What the blazes . . .?" he cried, his blue eyes widening. "Hey!"

Then he swayed and toppled over, right into a huge snowdrift, and all of us fell on top of him, laughing and screaming.

"Got you!" we chanted, cracking up.

"Why you . . .you . . .little brats!" he roared, coming up out of the snowdrift like an angry grizzly.

All of us froze and shrank away, unsure whether he was serious or not.

Then he grabbed me and tossed me in the snow, laughing. "Nice one, minnow!"

The rest of them scattered, but he managed to catch Lexy and Ginny and tickle them half to death in retribution before throwing them into the snow beside me.

"This was your doing, Severus!" Grandpa mock-growled.

"Me? I wasn't the one who jumped you," Dad said, pretending innocence.

"Don't play innocent with me, Severus Snape, I know you were the mastermind."

Dad just smirked, then said slyly, "You know what they say, Dad, pride goeth before a fall."

Grandpa's expression clouded, and I wondered if he were going to start fighting with Dad right there, but to my surprise he burst out laughing again. "You got some nerve, son! Some damn nerve!"

"Yes, well I learned from the best, sir," Dad admitted, then he started laughing too.

It had been a very fun afternoon, even though Lexy's team won.

* * * * * *

Finally it was Christmas Eve, and Lexy and Alaina were spending the night, but we were too excited to sleep, even after we had drank several cups of cocoa and eggnog. "You know, Santa will never visit here unless you two settle down and close your eyes," Alaina warned, patting the couch beside her.

"But Mom, we're just not tired," whined Lexy, coming to snuggle on one side of her.

"Yeah, I could stay up all night," I said, sitting down on her other side.

"Ah, but if you do that, Harry, then Father Christmas will pass right over and you won't have anything to open under the tree tomorrow morning," Dad said. "You don't want that, do you?" He came to sit down on the couch as well, and Lexy moved over to curl up against him, lately she seemed to want to be near him a lot, maybe because she didn't have a dad anymore, like I didn't have a mum.

I snuggled next to Alaina, who put her arm around me, and then she said, "Sev, these two will never go to sleep tonight unless I read them a bedtime story."

"Yes, a story!" I cheered.

"What story, Mom? The one about St. Nicholas?" asked Lexy.

Alaina nodded. "That's right snugglebug." She took a large picture book that she'd brought into the den earlier and placed on the table and opened it. "Now, Harry, every Christmas Eve Lexy and I read this book aloud, it's a long poem by Clement Clarke Moore called The Night Before Christmas or A Visit From St. Nicholas, depending on which version you read. I usually read a line, and then Lexy does, and so on, until the poem's ended. Would you like to help us out tonight?"

"Yes, please." I leaned in closer to see the book.

"And Sev too," Lexy said, not wanting to leave my dad out.

"If he wants to, Lexy." She looked over at Dad, who was cuddling Lexy. "Severus?"

"I would, Alaina. Let's all read it together. You start, love." He moved over so we were all scrunched together cozily with the book before us. The fire was crackling merrily in the grate, and the tree sparkled with tiny lights and I leaned back against Alaina's shoulder and waited for her to begin reading this new story.

She cleared her throat, then started, "‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house . . ."

"Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." Lexy read next. "Your turn, Harry."

"The stockings were hung by the chimney with care," I read quietly. That was true, Lexy and I had hung up our Christmas stockings on the mantle.

"In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there," Dad continued in his silky baritone.

"The children were nestled all snug in their beds," Alaina picked up the next line, looking at both of us kids meaningfully. Then she nodded that I was to read next.

"While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads." I could feel my mouth water. Sugar-plums sounded absolutely delicious right about now.

And so we continued, with each of us taking a turn reading, until we'd read the whole poem, which was all about the American version of Father Christmas, which they called Santa Claus, being seen by mistake by the father of the house as he came for his yearly visit.

By the time we'd done, I was feeling rather sleepy, but I was so comfortable against Alaina that I didn't want to move. "I really like that story, Alaina," I murmured, yawning in spite of myself.

"It's my favorite," said Lexy sleepily. "We always read it on Christmas Eve."

"I think two little children are ready for bed now, wouldn't you say, Alaina?" Dad asked quietly.

"Definitely," she agreed, gathering me into her arms. "Come on, scamp, let's get you tucked in."

I put my head on her shoulder, she smelled so good, like cinnamon and strawberries, just like the way a mother ought to. I was very sleepy now, so I didn't mind her carrying me like a baby.

Through half-shut eyes, I saw Dad carrying Lexy, who was half-asleep on his shoulder as well.

Then Alaina was tucking me into my bed, which was warm and my sheets smelled like lemons because that was the scent of the detergent Dad used on our laundry. He used a spell to wash the linens, and the soap from the spell usually smelled like lemons for some reason.

"Sweet dreams, my Harry," she whispered, and kissed me gently on the forehead.

Next to me, Dad was doing the same with Lexy, then they switched places and I dozed off just as Dad told me goodnight and kissed my forehead. I fell asleep with the scent of lemons and strawberries and cinnamon in my nose and dreamed of how nice it would be to have Alaina for a mother. Then I'd have a family like everyone else again.

* * * * * *

"Wake up, Harry! It's Christmas!"

I groaned, burying my head in the pillow. Why did morning have to come so quickly? I'd just fallen asleep and now Lexy was shaking my shoulder and yelling in my ear that it was Christmas.

It was Christmas!

I bolted up from my bed so fast the pillow fell on the floor. "Yay! It's Christmas! Did you see if he came, Lexy?"

"I just peeked into the den, Harry, and there were lots of gifts under the tree and in our stockings, so I think he did," she reported, smiling brightly.

"And no coal or switches?"

"No! Neither of us were that bad, you silly goose!" she poked me playfully in the arm and I clonked her over the head with my other pillow. "C'mon, let's go wake up our parents!"

We tiptoed into Dad's bedroom, where both of them were still asleep. "On three," I whispered. "One. Two. Three."

Then we both jumped up on the bed and screamed, "Rise and shine, lazybones! It's Christmas!"

Dad and Alaina both woke up.

"Great Merlin, Harry!"

"Lexy, for heaven's sake! Must you scream so loud?"

"Well, we had to make sure you heard us," she told her mum.

"I think they heard you in Australia, imp," Dad sighed.

"C'mon, Dad! Get up!" I urged, bouncing up and down on the bed.

"What for?" he pretended to be grouchy.

"Because we can't open presents unless you're there."

"Oh? And what makes you think there are any presents out there for you?"

"Uh, because I tried real hard to be good, Dad." I said honestly.

"Me too!" Lexy added. "Even when we were bad we tried to be good."

Dad laughed at that and so did Alaina. "All right, pests, leave for a minute so we can get dressed." He ordered, and we scampered off the bed and out the door.

Six minutes later they were dressed and we were running down the hall into the den, where a mountain of presents, at least it seemed that way, awaited us beneath the tree.

"Presents!" I screamed, diving under the tree to find one with my name on it.

I pulled out one with gold wrapping and tore it open. Inside was a knitted jumper of deep green with a black panther on it. "Cool! An Inky jumper!" I showed it to Dad then ran back to find another one.

* * * * * *

Twenty minutes later, all our presents had been opened. In addition to the Inky jumper I also got shirts and trousers (because Father Christmas is practical), a whole new series of books called The Legend of Merlin and Arthur (he knows I love to read), a new broom repair kit (I'd lost my old one), some new sketch parchment and pencils (I love drawing too), the Young Wizard's Potion Kit (that's been on my list forever), movie passes (because that's one thing I never grow tired of), a few Wizards and Warriors action figures (they'll move and fight when you say a command word) and the best gift of all-a Panecea Diagnostic Wand for would-be Healers.

"Dad! Look! He brought me it, I've always wanted one! Now I have a wand just like yours!" I raced over to show him it, now I could practice being a Healer just like my dad.

"Almost like mine, scamp," Dad smiled. "And you're going to need this to interpret the diagnostic readings, intern Potter." He handed me a flat package wrapped in red and green paper. Inside was a book called Diagnostic Results Decoded by Healer Heather Goodall. "Happy Christmas, Harry."

"Thanks, Dad!" I hugged him.

My stocking contained all kinds of sweets from Honeydukes and some harmless pranks from Zonkos and popcorn balls and candy canes.

Lexy's stocking had the same stuff mine did, and her presents were similar to mine, clothes, books, a new set of quills with jewel-toned inks and erasable parchment, a Cabbage Patch doll (they were all the rage among Muggles), more movie passes, some Fairy Friend figures (they were for girls and the fairies fluttered and sprinkled dust and chimed) and her big present was a new broom, a Nimbus Starseeker, with a broom repair kit and every safety charm invented on it.

"Woo-hoo! Look, Harry, look! I got a broom too! Now I can go flying with you and Ron and play Quidditch." She was grinning from ear to ear.

"After you have flying lessons with Sev, Alexis," reminded Alaina. "You're not to get on that broom unless an adult wizard or witch is with you, am I understood?"

"Yes, Mom." She turned to look at Dad pleadingly. "Can you teach me to fly now, Healer Sev? Please?"

"After we eat breakfast and I give your mom my present, I'll give you a lesson. Okay, firefly?" That was his pet name for Lexy, because she flittered and glowed like a firefly.

"Deal!" She gave him a high five.

"And when you go flying, you'll need this to keep you warm," said her mum, and she handed Lexy a bag with a reindeer on it. Inside was a pretty griffindown cloak dyed a bright robin's egg blue, since blue was Lexy's favorite color. It had fur about the hood and a silver clasp in the shape of a cat. "Merry Christmas, sweetie!"

"Oh, I love it, Mom!" Lexy cried. "It's perfect!" Then she hugged Alaina. "When's breakfast?"

We all laughed at that.

Even Inky got a present from Father Christmas. His was a gigantic leg bone from a buffalo, cured and basted with barbecue flavored gravy. He dragged it over to the hearth and started gnawing away on it, which made us all laugh some more.

Then it was the adults turn to give each other presents, since Father Christmas didn't visit them anymore.

Alaina gave Dad a beautiful gold stick pin, it could be worn on a cloak or a robe, of a caduceus with emerald eyes surrounded by a lovers knot. "Now every time you wear it, you'll think of me and how much I love you, my Sev," she told him and then she kissed him.

Funny, but usually watching grown-ups kissing grosses me out. Not this time, however. This time it seemed . . .right.

"Thank you very much, darling," Dad said sincerely, and pinned it on his shirt. "I'll treasure it always." He cleared his throat, looking slightly nervous. "But all I have to give you in return, Alaina Montague, is my heart. Well, my heart, and this." He made a clicking noise and Inky rose and padded over to where Alaina was sitting.

In the panther's mouth was a small gold box.

"Severus, what is . . .?" she opened the box and gasped.

Inside it was a beautiful diamond ring, with two emeralds on the side of it.

All of a sudden Dad got off the couch, he'd been sitting next to Alaina when we'd started opening presents, and got down on one knee in front of her.

"Will you marry me, Alaina Montague? I promise to love and cherish you forever, just the way you deserve." Then he took the ring from the box and held it out to her.

For some reason Alaina was smiling and crying at the same time.

"Yes, of course I will, Sev!" She held out her hand and he slid the ring on it. "I promise the same, and I give you my heart as well." Then she jumped off the couch and into his arms. "Merry Christmas, Sev!"

I looked at Lexy. "Uh, does that mean what I think it does?"

"Yup. It means they're gonna get married, and then I'll have a real dad again and you'll have a mother and you can be my brother, Harry!" she began to spin around in circles, giggling and singing, "They're gonna get ma-a-rried!"

I just stood there for a moment, shocked speechless. Of course I'd known that Dad and Alaina were dating and that they loved each other, but I never thought my wish for a mother would be answered.

But now it was.

And I also had a twin sister, sort of.

I grinned and started singing "Here Comes the Bride", ‘cause that was the only wedding song I knew.

Dad and Alaina stopped kissing each other finally and turned to us.

"Harry, Lexy, how do you feel about us getting married?" asked Dad.

"I think it's great!" cheered Lexy. "Now I've got a real dad again!" She hugged and kissed them both.

"How about you, Harry?" asked Alaina.

"I think it's awesome and I'm really glad you banged into us that day at the supermarket, Alaina."

"So am I, Harry. I think it was fate." She held out her arms and I hugged her tight.

"This is the best Christmas ever!" I said. Then I asked a very important question. "When's the wedding?"

"In about three months, when the weather gets warmer," answered Alaina.

Lexy tugged on Dad's hand. "Hey, Dad, when are we going to eat breakfast? I really want to go flying!"

Dad hugged her. "Wait a bit, firefly. The sky isn't going anywhere."

They made us eat at least a piece of toast and some ham before Dad took Lexy for her flying lesson and I went with them.

"Be careful, Harry," Alaina said worriedly.

I turned around and smiled at her. " Okay . . .Mum." I said, trying it out.

It sounded odd . . .but good. So very good.

And that wasn't all. We had visitors all day long, Uncle Al dropped by with presents for everyone, and my uncles, Sirius, Remus, and now Magnus as well, came over for dinner.

"Finally!" Sirius exclaimed when Alaina showed him the ring. "Thought I was going to have to give you a map and a book, Sev!"

"Congratulations!" Magnus shook my dad's hand and hugged Alaina. "You two were made for each other."

"I agree," said Moony, smiling. "But remember, Alaina, if he gives you any trouble, call us and we'll straighten his arse out."

"In your dreams, Remus," said Dad. "Because that'll never happen."

"I'll keep it in mind though!" chuckled my soon-to-be mother. "Now I think I'm going to call my parents and tell them the good news!"

By the time she had gotten off the phone with them, Grandpa had arrived and been told of the engagement. "Congratulations, both of you. Welcome to the family, Alaina and Lexy. It's about time I had a daughter and a granddaughter to spoil, Severus."

Then he hugged Dad and Alaina and Lexy and me too.

This Christmas really had turned out to be a special one, just the way I'd hoped for. And there was still the wedding to look forward to. I couldn't wait to tell my friends.

But later on that night, when Dad came to tuck me in, I asked him something that had been bothering me all evening. "Dad, do you think Mum would . . .mind that you're marrying Alaina and she's going to be my new mother?"

"No, Harry, I don't think she would." Dad said, coming to sit on the edge of my bed. "You see, when your mother . . .when she knew that she was dying . . .she told me that I shouldn't spend the rest of my life alone. That if someday I met someone special, I should marry her and be happy. She said that was the most important thing to her-that I was happy and so were you. I still love your mother, Harry. That will never change. But now I love Alaina too, and she loves me and she also loves you, scamp. Just like your mum did. Does that make you happy?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"Then Lily would be happy too. You can still love your mother and love Alaina as well, son. There's nothing wrong with that, because you can never run out of love, remember?"

I nodded. The worried feeling vanished then, and I turned over on my stomach and Dad rubbed my back till I fell asleep, and I dreamed that my mother came to me with a pair of wings and said, "Be happy, Harry."

I woke the next morning content and smiling, for I knew that my mother understood and I could love Alaina almost the same way I had loved Lily.

We had set the wedding date for the middle of March, the sixteenth, because the weather turned a little warmer then but didn't have the sticky heat of a summer wedding. It was going to be a small ceremony, just our families and a few intimate friends. Both of us had been married before, so we saw no need for a big wedding.

After work, Alaina and I went over the wedding menu and the guest list, it was small, only about fifty people. Albus had generously allowed us to use the school for the reception, Alaina found that oddly appropriate, considering she was a kindergarten teacher and it was my alma mater. We had decided to have the wedding in both the Muggle and wizard manner, which meant in a church with formal vows and afterwards a small ceremony of bonding performed by Albus, who as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamut had the authority to make such a ceremony legally binding. I knew some of the more pureblooded racist families would regard my having a binding ceremony with a Muggle woman sacrilege, but I could give a damn what they thought. I had always been a nonconformist, both in my professional and personal life, and I saw no reason to change now.

Alaina had asked Jane to be her matron-of-honor for the church ceremony, and I was torn between asking Sirius or Remus, until Alaina told me to just have both of them, that way there would be no hurt feelings. Harry would be a ringbearer, along with Inky, and Lexy would be the flower girl. We wouldn't have dreamed of leaving them out of the wedding party, and they were just as excited, if not more so, than we were.

When I took Harry to get fitted for his suit at Madam Greymalkins, he was so fidgety I had to threaten him with a Sticking Charm before he stood still long enough for the poor seamstress to measure and pin his trousers.

"Please excuse him, he's very excited over getting this new suit," I apologized for what seemed like the tenth time to the rather exasperated witch.

"Oh? What's the occasion, young sir?"

"My dad's getting married again and I'm gonna be in the wedding," Harry told her proudly.

"Well, congratulations! And you'll look very smart in these new clothes, if you'll just stand still long enough for me to make adjustments, all right?" She gestured, and a row of pins flew into the trouser cuffs. "You want to look your best for the big day, don't you?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Harry said eagerly, reminding me of a beagle begging to go hunting. He managed to contain himself long enough for the seamstress to finish putting up his trousers and adjusting his jacket.

"We'll have these ready in about two days, Mr. Snape. Congratulations on your coming marriage and thank you for choosing Greymalkins."

I gave her a generous tip for putting up with my fidgety pain-in-the-arse son, and was rewarded with a brilliant smile on my way out. "Can we have ice cream now, Dad?" Harry pleaded. "You said we could, if I behaved, and I did."

I raised an eyebrow. "You call me having to reprimand you five times behaving, Harry Severus?"

He hung his head. "But I was trying, Dad! It's just so hard to stand still and not move while she was sticking pins all over and tickling me with her tape."

I sighed. "Very well, you may have a cone, though you're lucky your getting it at all."

"Thanks, Dad. You're the best!"

"Brat!" I said fondly, and mussed his hair.

Then we went into the ice cream shoppe and Harry got his usual peanut butter caramel with walnuts and I got my chocolate banana split, which I ended up sharing with my starving son. I wonder if Alaina had fared any better with Lexy when she took her to get fitted for her flower girl gown.

We sent the invitations out by owl post, it was quicker that way, and I made sure Remus and Sirius had proper attire for the big event. Moony I didn't need to worry about, he knew how to dress properly. Padfoot, on the other hand, might have shown up in his favorite Quidditch team shirt and bathrobe, he was currently into the new trend of ‘comfort is style'.

"Dress robes and a suit, Severus? You trying to make me commit myself, buddy? You know how much I loathe formal wear."

"Quit whining, Black. It's only for one day, and then you can go back to wearing a towel toga, or whatever you call it."

"It's a wrap," he corrected. "It's the latest in comfort from Greece. Lindy loves it, she says it's a cinch to get off." He grinned lasciviously.

I rolled my eyes. I could imagine it was, it looked like one good tug and down it would come. "I suppose the Greeks have a different view on indecent exposure than we do."

"The Greeks regard the body as a temple."

"How enlightening." I drawled sarcastically.

"You ought to try this sometime. It's very uninhibiting."

"Padfoot, you get any more uninhibited and they'll arrest you for indecent exposure."

"Wouldn't be the first time."

"I'm not even going to ask."

"What? I wasn't flashing old ladies or anything like that, if that's what you were thinking, Snape." Sirius said indignantly. "I was working a case, and the suspect burned half my clothes off with a Fireball Charm, so I shifted into dog form, and once I'd caught him, I changed back and forgot totally about my clothes being, uh, half gone. I think I nearly gave an elderly witch a heart attack right there, and she called the Department and Captain Moody reamed my arse for it and then said next time I went up against a firestarter, I should carry an extra set of clothes."

"Sirius, can I count on you to behave like a normal adult and get yourself proper attire, or do I have to accompany you to Greymalkins and stand over you like I do Harry? Because I won't have my best man embarrassing me at my wedding."

"Merlin, Sev! I'm not five, I don't need you to hold my bloody hand. I'll get the damn clothes, don't get your knickers in a twist."

"In time for the wedding, Sirius Orion Black?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Promise me."

"Sev , what is this? Interrogation 101?"

"Sirius, your word." I repeated implacably.

"Okay! I promise I'll have the whole damn outfit-"

"Two outfits," I corrected.

"-two outfits by the wedding. Satisfied now?"

"Don't pout, Siri," I teased. "You're not five anymore, remember?" Then I clapped a hand on his shoulder before departing.

Lexy insisted on showing me her new flower girl dress when she arrived from school, it was a beautiful turquoise shade that set off her hair and eyes to perfection. "Well? How do I look, Dad?"

"Absolutely beautiful. Like a fairytale princess." I said, smiling. I was not merely saying that, Lexy truly was a beautiful child. And hearing her call me "Dad" warmed my heart, for I had always longed for a little girl of my own.

She twirled about for me, showing me how the skirt flounced and swirled. "Will there be dancing at the wedding?"

"Yes, I imagine there will be. Why? Do you like to dance, Miss Montague?"

"I love to, but what if there's no one who wants to dance with me?" she said, a worried frown crinkling her brow.

"Then I will. Is that all right with you, Princess Lexy?"

"Perfect!" she grinned, then stood up on tiptoe to kiss my cheek.

* * * * * *

A week before the wedding, we were going over last minute preparations and lists when Alaina's parents, Susan and Billy Montague, phoned and asked if we would mind them coming and visiting with us for a week. "We've heard so much about your fiancee, Alaina, that we're just dying to meet him."

"D'you mind, Sev? They can stay at my place, they don't want to impose, but Dad's rather old-fashioned, he wants to meet you face to face and discuss your intentions towards me."

"I would think they'd be obvious by now," I chuckled. "Though as a father myself, I can understand his concern. Especially after Dan . . ."

She nodded quickly, Dan was not a subject either of us wished to dwell on. "Okay, I'll tell them to catch the first flight out." She kissed me lightly. "You're a dear, Severus. I'll tell my father not to give you the third degree."

I chuckled. "Alaina, he's a father and you're his daughter, he's supposed to give your prospective husband or boyfriend the third degree."

"God help the poor boy Lexy decides to date. Between you and Toby the poor kid's doomed."

"Got that right." I growled. "The first boy that lays a finger on her is going to end up as lawn decoration."

"Men!" she huffed, then called her parents back and told them to come on over.

They arrived at Heathrow early the next morning, having caught the red eye out. My father picked them up in his car, not wanting to introduce them to too much magic at once. Alaina had explained to them that I was a wizard, but she said she wasn't sure that her parents quite got what she meant. "I think my mom's under the impression that you're a doctor who is a stage magician on the side."

"Have you told them about Lexy?"

"Not yet. I just didn't know how. I mean, what was I supposed to say? By the way, Mom and Dad, your granddaughter's a witch that can do real magic."

"The truth always works best, I've found." I said gently.

She accompanied Tobias to the airport to meet them, they had landed at ten AM and once they went through customs and picked up their luggage, they'd be coming over to my house.

I prayed I would like them, as I'd liked the Evans, for there is nothing that causes more friction in a marriage than problems between the spouse and their in-laws. Still, they'd put up with Dastardly Dan, so perhaps they would find me a refreshing change, even if I was a wizard.

Harry was in school, otherwise he would've been running to the door to answer the bell, though he did know that Alaina's parents were coming to visit and he was excited about having new grandparents. When the bell rang I was at the door almost before the last echo had died away, nervously straightening my shirt and brushing invisible specks of dust off of my trousers. I was wearing a blue collared shirt and tan trousers, good clothes that I usually wore beneath my white robes to the office. I had opted not to wear a tie, for that seemed too formal, and they were not nobility, merely my in-laws.

I opened the door to admit Alaina, followed by a short woman with the same thick curly hair as her daughter's, though hers was cut short. She looked to be the same age as my mother would've been if she were alive, around forty-seven. She was wearing a soft purple traveling outfit and her brown eyes were sparkling with undisguised curiosity.

"Mom, meet Severus, my fiancee. Though he's Sev to his family." Alaina introduced her mother to me.

"How do you do, Severus? Alaina's told me so much about you, I feel as if I've known you forever," she told me warmly, taking my outstretched hand and shaking it. "I'm Susan, but you can just call me Sue, everyone does."

Tobias entered right behind her, talking animatedly to a large bluff man around the same age with slightly graying dark hair wearing a green golf shirt and jeans with brown loafers. "Did you see a lot of action in Vietnam then?" Dad was asking.

"No, thank God. I was only over there for six months, as an Air Force liaison to the 54th Army battalion," answered my new father-in-law, who was obviously an ex-military man. "But what I did see gave me nightmares for months."

"I imagine it would. Nasty business, that war. Like any war."

"Yes." He turned to me then, looking slightly apologetic. "Hello, my name is Bill, and you must be Sev. Sorry, didn't mean to ignore you, but your father and I got involved in discussing my old service record, I was a Major in the Air Force before I retired, and he was a sergeant, so we have a bit in common."

I shook his hand and said, "Welcome to my home, Bill. Pleased to meet you." I led the way into the den. "Would you care for a cold drink or a snack? Or did you eat already?"

"Uh, we did have a something on the flight, but it was nothing to write home about," he admitted wryly.

After I had gotten my guests settled in the kitchen with drinks and some small finger foods I'd picked up yesterday, I sat down and began to try to get to know my in-laws.

Sue eyed me appreciatively, before saying, "Alaina says you're a doctor, is that right?"

"Yes, I am." But not the way she thought.

"And she also said you were a . . .a wizard. Is that what they call the stage magicians nowadays? Do you do parties?"

"Mom, no, I told you before . . ."Alaina groaned, looking like she wanted to die of embarrassment. "Sev isn't that kind of magician. He's the real McCoy."

Her mother gave her a look of irritated disbelief. "Honey, there's no such thing as a real wizard, they're only in myths and legends."

I decided now was as good a time as any to demonstrate my power. I pointed my wand at the table and spoke a levitating charm which made all the cups and forks hover in the air for about a minute.

"Oh my! Now that's a clever one!" Susan exclaimed. "And I didn't see any wires, did you, Bill?"

The Major was examining the fork hovering in front of him intently. "There are no wires, Sue. It's a trick, it has to be. Forks don't fly."

"You're right. It's not flying, just levitating," I corrected gently. "You'll find no scientific explanation for this phenomenon, Bill. Because science plays no part in this."

"You're a psychic, right? Like that guy John Edwards?"

"No. I'm no medium, I don't speak to the dead. I'm a wizard doctor, and it is my magic that keeps the forks and cups in the air."

"But-but magic, it's not real!" Susan sputtered.

"Oh, it's real enough," Tobias spoke up then. "I know what you're feeling and thinking. You're thinking, what the hell kind of nuthouse have I come into? But you're not going crazy and we're not drugging you or anything. Magic is real, it exists, and it always has. Once you accept that, the rest of it is easy."

"Are you one of them too, Toby?" asked Bill.

"No. I don't have magic, I'm a regular guy. Sev got his magic from his mum, she was a witch."

"A witch!"

"Not the kind you're thinking of, Mom," interjected Alaina. "Not like on Halloween. Here, a witch is just a woman who can do magic, a sorceress."

"I see," Susan said dazedly.

"We apologize for springing this upon you right away, but you must understand, magic is an integral part of my life, and now your daughter's as well. My little son is also a wizard."

"And so is Lexy," Alaina informed them.

"Lexy? Lexy can do magic like this?" Bill repeated, astonishment written all over him.

"Well, no, not yet, she's too young, but someday she will, right, Sev?"

"Yes. By my reckoning Lexy and Harry, my son, will be two of the strongest wizards of their generation." I gestured, and the cups and forks settled back down on the table.

Both Montagues picked up the forks and cups and examined them closely before setting them back down again.

"There's nothing that would make them fly," Bill mused. "Therefore, I guess I'll have to admit that there really is such a thing as magic. Either that or this is an elaborate hoax."

"Dad, it's magic. Your granddaughter has it, so does your grandson and so does your son-in-law. It's nothing to be afraid of. Sev's a Healer, he can't harm anyone with his magic, only heal them."

Bill looked up at me then and I met his gaze steadily. "Honestly?"

"Yes. I've sworn Healers Oath and I am bound by it to use my magic for good purposes and never to harm. I'm not a black magician, nor do I worship the devil. I believe in God, as a matter of fact I'm Catholic and go to church on Sundays."

"I believe you. Impossible as it seems, I believe you." Bill said.

"I do too," said Susan, though I wasn't sure if she had accepted it yet.

"It's okay, Mom. Severus is still human, he just has an extraordinary gift, like Mozart did for composing or DaVinci for art." Alaina said, trying to ease their way into acceptance.

The two were silent for several minutes, then Susan asked, "What can you do with your magic, Sev? Can you cure any disease with it?"

"No. Magic can do many things, but we do not have the panacea for all illnesses. Wizards still get sick and die just like the rest of you. I lost my first wife to lupus, and not all my magic could save her. Some spells and items we have are on a par with your science and technology, other magical spells and so forth would be considered miracles by you."

We talked about magic, among other things, until the children arrived home from school. They burst in the door like a herd of rampaging unicorns, and Lexy squealed happily when she caught sight of her grandparents at the kitchen table.

"Nana! Poppi! You're finally here!"

"Hello, sunshine!" Bill held out his arms and she ran into them. "My goodness, you're getting so big. How's my girl? Miss me?"

"A whole lot. But guess what? Mom's marrying Sev in a week and then he'll be my dad and Harry will be my brother, and we're almost like twins ‘cause he's eight and so am I."

"And are you happy, Lexy?"

"Yes, Poppi. Sev's the best dad, much better than my old one. He promised he'll never hit me with a slipper or lock me in a closet ever. He reads to me and takes me to the movies and everything. The only thing my other dad did that was good was leave me all his money."

Bill hugged her tightly. "I'm glad you are happy with your mom's choice for a husband, sunshine. And I'm sure you can put Dan's money to good use for your education and whatever else you need when you're eighteen, and it becomes available. Now, why don't you introduce me to your almost twin brother over here?"

Lexy then introduced her grandparents to Harry, who greeted them politely if a bit shyly, "Hi. I'm Harry. I used to have a grandma and grandpa like you once, but they died in a car crash, and now they're in heaven like my mum. And my Grandma Eileen too."

Susan stared at him, her eyes filling with tears of compassion. "You poor thing! You're so young, to know such loss. You and Lexy both. If you'd like, I can be your Nana like I am Lexy's."

Harry smiled at her, his signature sweet smile that never fails to melt the hardest of hearts. "Yes. I'd like that very much." Then he gave her a hug.

Afterwards he came and hugged me, Alaina, and Dad, like usual. Then he fixed himself a glass of milk and asked, "Dad, did you introduce them to Inky yet?"

I shook my head. "No. Your grandparents had enough to absorb just now with the fact that we're wizards."

‘Oh. But where is he, Dad?"

"In his room."

"Can I let him out?"

"Harry . . .wait a bit." I urged.

"But Dad, you know he hates being shut in there all day. It's boring."

Before I could say anything else, Bill asked, "What kind of pet do you have, Harry? A dog? We like animals, we always had a dog and a dozen cats when Alaina was growing up."

"You do? See, Dad. They like animals. Now can I let him out, please?"

"Inky's no ordinary animal," I began.

"We like exotic pets," laughed Susan. "Alaina had a squirrel once, raised it from a baby until it got too big and she let it go."

"Good, then you'll like Inky," Harry said, then went running down the hallway to the panther's room.

Two minutes later he returned, Inky walking beside him, purring.

"Meet Inky. Isn't he beautiful?"

Bill's mouth hung open. "Good Lord! That's no cat, that's a panther!"

"Does he bite? Oh, he's gorgeous, but I never knew they were so big," gasped Susan.

"Inky's special even among panthers. He's very gentle, and he won't hurt you," I reassured them, as the big cat paced forward and sniffed Bill's fingers.

"I love Inky, Poppi!" Lexy told him, reaching out to stroke the panther, who rubbed his head against her hand and purred resoundingly. "He saved me and Harry when my daddy kidnapped me. He found us when nobody else could and he stopped my daddy from shooting Severus and me."

"Dan tried to shoot you?" Susan was horrified. "Alaina, you never told us that!"

"I was going to, Mom, but there never seemed to be a good enough time to bring up the fact that my ex-husband tried to murder my fiancee and my daughter when we tried to rescue her."

"This cat tracked the kids down, huh?" Bill asked, looking at Inky with newfound admiration and respect. "How did you train him to do that?"

"I didn't. He just followed Harry's scent and we went along after him." I said, not wanting to go into the fact that Inky and Harry were bonded. ‘He led me and my friends, who are wizard policemen, right to Dan and the rest of the kidnappers."

"And when my daddy went to shoot us, Inky jumped at him and got shot instead and nearly died but Healer Sev saved him." Lexy recounted.

"He took a bullet for you?" Bill's voice was even more awed.

"Yes. There's no telling what would have happened if Inky hadn't been there." I reached over to pat him as well, and he nuzzled me as well.

"He's a war hero in my book," added Dad.

"You're some cat, aren't you, fella?" tentatively, Bill held out a hand and Inky thrust his head beneath it and began to purr loudly. Pet me! He ordered without words, and Bill obliged, running his hand down the velvet fur. "It's like silk!" He turned to his wife. "Sue, feel his fur! It's so soft ."

Susan held out her hand as well for the panther to sniff. Inky snuffled, then came and sat between them and put his head in Susan's lap, rumbling happily. The startled woman just sat there for a moment, then she put a hand on his head and began to stroke him.

"Oh! His fur, it really is like silken velvet! So beautiful. You're a good boy, aren't you? Saving my Lexy from that reprobate criminal! You did everyone a favor, Inky. What a wonderful boy you are!"

Inky just ate up the attention and within twenty minutes had converted two more people to the I Love Inky Fan Club. I wasn't surprised. Everybody falls in love with my panther, even those who claim they hate cats. It's something I like to name the Inky effect, and like magic, there's no logical explanation for it. There had been only one person who hadn't fallen under the panther's spell, and he was now in hell.

All in all, I was relieved that my new in-laws seemed to be taking the news that their daughter was marrying a wizard so well, nobody had fainted or threatened to call a psychiatric hospital yet at least. Maybe they were still in shock.

Then again, Alaina had always told me her parents were very understanding and supportive, even when she'd made the worst mistake of her life and married Daniel Chase. "They warned me about him, but I was too stupid to listen, and when I finally left him and came home again, they never once said I told you so. The only thing they said was that I'd made the right decision and they wanted to beat Dan senseless and throw him in the Susquehanna River."

Still, if I were Alaina's father, I'd want to make damn sure my daughter wasn't making another mistake and marrying a delusional maniac. So I was expecting Bill to want to speak with me in private fairly soon, once he felt comfortable enough to discuss his concerns with me.

The expected talk didn't occur until three days later, however. By that time the Montagues had gradually grown used to the way my household operated, half with magic and half with Muggle methods, and they'd fallen in love with Harry as well as Inky. Harry had even managed to wheedle an invitation to go to Pennsylvania for a visit next summer, the little scamp!

While Alaina and I were working and the kids were at school, Alaina's parents stayed over her house, though they had also been invited over to Spinner's End by Dad, who had hit it off with Bill and helped smooth out the awkward spots with me due to the fact that I had magic. It was ironic, to have my father, who once was terrified of magic and refused to let me practice it, now defending it and me, but the truth is stranger than fiction.

I was pondering that little bit of wisdom and also thinking how proud my mother would have been to see my father as he was now, which was probably the way he was when she had first married him, while I watered the rosebushes. I had just turned off the hose and coiled it when Bill came around the side of the house.

"You have some lovely roses here, Severus. But then again, you British are known for your rose gardens."

"True, though my little one doesn't hold a candle to some of the others around here or at Whitehall. If you want to see some beautiful gardens go there."

"Maybe Sue and I will take a walk and see some of the sights here tomorrow," he agreed, following me back along the path to the small patio, where I had set up some lawn chairs and a small magical barbecue (it ran on spells instead of gas) and two little snack tables. "Might as well as long as we're here. I noticed you grow hydrangeas as well as roses."

"Yes. And sunflowers. Lily, my first wife, loved sunflowers. She planted them here and I've taken care of them ever since."

"She was young when she died?"

"Twenty-four. She would've been twenty-eight this year, the same age as I am."

"And you've tended flowers in her memory for what, four years?"

I nodded, wondering what he was getting at.

He seated himself in one of the chairs and I sat also. Then he said, "You can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats things. That monster Dan never gave a damn about anything that didn't involve money or his own personal pleasure. You wouldn't of caught him dead tending a garden or walking a dog or cooking so much as a piece of toast. He was a rich boytoy, liked fast cars, cash, drugs, and a woman who was a doormat. Alaina wasn't, I never raised either of my daughters to be a possession. But she couldn't see that at first, all she saw was the glitter and flash and the charm. Dan was as fake as a three dollar bill, but he was good at deception." Bill laughed harshly. "He was a defense attorney, so he was used to bending the truth to suit his own ends. I never liked him. I had him pegged as a slick shyster from the get-go, but Alaina's stubborn and she wouldn't listen to me when I warned her away from him. She thought she'd found the prince in the fairytale, but the prince was a monster, and she was hurt badly before she managed to get away from him."

"I know. She told me the whole story. She also said you never condemned her for her poor decision."

"How could I? She was my daughter, she was hurting, and she came home for help, not for me to tell her I told you so. There was no point in casting blame then, when all was said and done. The important thing was she realized her mistake and took steps to fix it before it was too late."

"Your daughter has a great deal of courage. It's one of the many things I admire about her."

He smiled at that. "Yeah, Alaina's always been a brave little soldier. She doesn't think so, but she is. She's always been my favorite, I guess. I love her sister Maureen too, but Alaina and I have a lot more in common. It damn near killed me to see what that monster did to her. I wanted to hunt the bastard down and kill him, but he wasn't worth getting a life sentence over." He leaned forward then and said, "That's why I'm here now. To make sure Alaina's not going to be marrying another beast who will crush her spirit. You seem like a nice guy, Severus, but I need to make sure, for her sake and Lexy's, that you aren't another Daniel Chase."

"I understand, Bill, I'd be the same if it were my daughter. What do I need to do to convince you that I'm not a monster and would sooner cut off my arm than hurt Alaina? Would you like me to take Veritaserum so you would know that every word I spoke was true?"

"You'd take some kind of truth drug for me?"

"If that was the only way to convince you, then yes. I want you to know that I'm not the sort of man who takes pleasure in others' pain. I'm a doctor, I take pain away, and I try my hardest never to cause it. When I first met Alaina, I thought of her as wounded blackbird, hiding in a corner. I didn't know what she was hiding from, but I knew it was pretty bad. Then she told me about Dan, and like you I wanted to slaughter him. I despise men who hurt women and children."

"Good. Because I'd sooner go to jail for attempted murder than see my daughter in bondage to another man who would abuse her the way Chase did. I didn't shed a tear when Alaina told me he was dead, hell, I wanted to throw a party. The best thing that man ever did was sire Lexy, after that he should've been put down as useless."

"I couldn't agree more," I said feelingly. "When he pointed that gun at me and Lexy, I knew I was in the presence of a man with no conscience, for only a soulless bastard would ever point a gun at his child and threaten to kill her. Only the devil mourns him, I'm sorry to say."

"If that. What about Lexy? Can you promise me that you'll love her like she was your own? Because that kid's been through hell and the last thing she needs is to be put through more."

"You need never fear that I will ever hurt either of them, Bill. I love Lexy as if she were my own, and it doesn't matter if she's not my blood. I don't know if Alaina ever told you, but Harry isn't my biological son. I adopted him after I married Lily, he is her son with her first husband, who was my good friend. James died in the line of duty, and I married Lily a year after and Harry has been raised as my son ever since. I am his father, he is my child, that is the way it has always been and always will be. I feel the same way about Lexy. I would never slight her or belittle her because she isn't my biological daughter."

"You're a rare man, Severus. Most people say blood is thicker than water, you know."

"I am not most people, Bill. I can tell you that I shall love and cherish Alaina and Lexy for all of my life, for they brought joy back into it. I never intended to remarry after Lily died, I loved her very much, and I knew any woman I married would have to love Harry too, for I would tolerate no wicked stepmothers in my life. I never expected to find a woman who would be what I needed, until Lexy crashed into us at the supermarket. My friend Albus insists there are no coincidences, and that we were fated to meet and fated to love. Me, I prefer to think of it as good fortune and leave it at that."

"Seems to me like God placed you in each other's path."

I smiled. "My mother would agree with you, were she alive. She always told me that all things had a season and God made everything happen for a reason. But sometimes His reason were incomprehensible. In this case, however . . ."

"He wants you to be together," Bill finished. "And who am I to argue with Him? I'll be honest, Severus, when Alaina told me she'd met a man over here, all I could think of was some geeky royal with a squint and glasses and a tweed jacket. Then she told me you were a doctor and I really worried, because some doctors have egos as large as the moon, like lawyers. I told her not to rush into things, to take it slow and easy, and she seems to have followed my advice. I'm happy for her, I can see that she loves you and this is the happiest I've seen her in years. Lexy too. But I had to make sure you weren't putting on act."

"Yes, and what do you think now, Bill Montague?"

"I think my daughter made the right choice and she and Lexy will finally have the family they deserve." Then his eyes narrowed and he said in a lethal tone, "But if you ever pull as fast one on her or hurt her like Chase did, I will come over here and kill you and bury your body somewhere in the bogs where it'll never be found."

I believed him, he was utterly serious, and he was ex-military, trained to kill if he had to, so I knew he was not making an idle threat. "Understood, sir," I answered respectfully. Then I asked mischievously, "Did you give Dan the same warning you gave me?"

Bill shook his head. "Dan never hung around long enough to talk to, he was always claiming it was work, but I think he just didn't want to associate with us. He considered himself the prince of New York and above such things as having a chat with your father-in-law."

"Have I answered all your questions satisfactorily, sir?"

"You have, Severus. Welcome to my family." Then he smiled at me for the first time and I knew we'd get along splendidly. It was more than I'd hoped for and I thanked God.

Even though I would rarely see them, I felt it was important to start off this marriage on a good note, and by the end of that conversation, I thought I had succeeded in gaining Bill and Susan's trust.

I wasn't the only one who decided to have a heart-to-heart with a father-in-law either. Apparently, Tobias and Alaina had the same idea, because I arrived home from the hospital the next day to discover the two in my kitchen, baking and discussing my childhood.

I lingered by the door, unwilling to intrude, yet also curious as to what my father would tell her. Would he admit that he had been at fault or would he attempt to place the blame for his outbursts on me?

"Sev was a very bright child, always has been, guess that shouldn't surprise you none, Alaina. Won all kinds of awards in school for everything. But that intelligence, which I should've been proud of, intimidated the hell out of me. I'd barely finished secondary school, and after that I'd joined the army, traveled about quite a bit and then came back here on leave and met Eileen. I'd always wanted to go back to school for carpentry, but I never had time or money either. And my ten year old knew more about math and science than I did and I felt inadequate and I'm afraid I took it out on him. I told him he had to be perfect, and he did try, but it was never enough."

"Perfect is an ideal, you'll never manage it," Alaina said wisely, taking the last tray of ready-made Pillsbury out of the oven and putting them on a wire rack to cool.

"Right. I don't know if Sev has told you anything about me, about what I was like when he was growing up," Dad said hesitantly.

"He told me you were an alcoholic who had a nasty temper and beat him for the smallest infraction."

"Yes. I was and I did. I never realized how badly I hurt him though until a year ago. When I was drinking, my memories of what I did were hazy, and I told myself all I'd done was discipline him, the way my father had done me. I hadn't, much of how I treated him back then was pure spite and frustration, I was depressed and angry at myself for not being able to find work and support my family the way I was supposed to. I make no excuses for myself, I looked to find fault with him and whenever I did, I used my hand or my belt to correct it. I'm not proud of that fact, Alaina. I became a man I despised and I didn't even know it, I became my father, who did the same to me and my brother, and when I left home at eighteen I swore I'd never go back and never be what he was."

"Was he an alcoholic too?"

"Ah, we wouldn't of said so back then, but yes, he was. Not the kind that was drunk all the time, but we knew when he went to the pub to get a pint, he'd come home sozzled later. My brother and I learned to hide then, because he wasn't safe to be around. Sev learned the same thing from me." He shook his head sadly, and I could see the remorse and regret in his face. "I did something no parent should ever do to their child, I made him fear and hate me. I regret that now, very much, but that's something I just have to learn to live with."

I wonder what had prompted this discussion, for my father rarely discussed his past sins with anyone. A moment later I had my answer, as Alaina said, "That's more than Dan ever did. Not all the therapy in the world could make him regret what he did to me and Lexy. He acted remorseful during the sessions with the psychologist, but as soon as he was home, he returned to his old abusive ways, controlling and manipulative. I was a fool for putting up with him as long as I did, but I suppose I wanted to believe that he would change, that eventually he would love me. That never happened. I should've walked out the first time he slapped me, but I didn't. I put myself through hell for four more years before I finally said enough and left."

"You're well rid of him, Alaina." Dad said feelingly. "I had a terrible temper when I was drunk, but I can say that I never raised a hand to my wife. Eileen and I used to argue like bloody banshees sometimes, but I never struck her. Poor Sev got the brunt of my temper, I treated him almost as bad as your ex did Lexy."

"Not quite. If you were sober, Toby, would you have locked your child in a dark closet for hours, until she screamed herself hoarse for dropping a spoon on the floor? He did that to Lexy when she was two, and it was then that she became afraid of the dark. Was there ever a time you took that revolver of yours and pointed it at Severus and said you were going to shoot him dead?"

"Not on my worst day. I walloped him till he howled, but angry as I was, I'd never have tried to kill him. I sure as blazes never pointed a gun at him."

"Then you're nowhere near the same class as my husband. You regret what you did when you were drunk, he had no reason save pure spite to behave as he did. He was raised as a privileged only child, got whatever he wanted, his parents never struck him, they gave him the moon if he asked for it. But something in him was . . .twisted. He enjoyed watching people in pain, it gave him a rush or something."

She shivered slightly, then continued after a moment. " He loved humiliating people in the courtroom, witnesses, other attorneys, it was his bread and butter. They nicknamed him Sidewinder, because he was sneaky and venomous. And he loved to humiliate me too, told his partners that I was nervous and anti-social when I didn't come with him to dinners and banquets. The truth was I didn't dare show my face until I'd healed from his latest beating, or I had to make sure Lexy was all right, and not hyperventilating in a corner somewhere. I lived a lie until it nearly consumed me. It wasn't till Lexy started demonstrating her magic that I felt I had to get away, before he found out and then he'd never let her go."

"Well, he's dead now and you don't have to worry about him anymore. I'm sure you know Sev would sooner cut off his hand than ever hurt you or Lexy like that." He was gazing directly into her eyes. "You have nothing to fear from me either. I'm not the wicked bounder I was when Sev was growing up. I've realized that I was wrong and I'll never treat another child the way I did him. When Harry lived with me for three months, I never used a belt on him, and I spanked him only three times. But now I'm content to leave the discipline to Severus and you, the most I would do is put them in time-out if they acted up with me. My word of honor on it."

She met his eyes steadily, unflinching. "I'm going to hold you to that promise, Tobias Snape. And know this, if you break it, I won't hesitate to haul your ass into court and press charges. Lexy has enough demons to deal with without adding a new one." There was a fierce light in her eyes as she said this, like that of a mother wolf protecting her pups to the death.

Dad nodded, acknowledging it wordlessly. He was smart enough not to challenge a mother protecting her child. "I'll keep my promise. A snape always keeps his word. I'm done with being a disciplinarian, that's your job now. All I want is to be a grandfather, if you'll permit me, that is."

Slowly, she nodded. "By telling me this, you've proven to me that you can be trusted with my daughter and I already know that Sev trusts you with Harry. Both the kids love you, and I would never deprive them of your company. I think you have a great deal to teach them, for you learn more from mistakes sometimes than you do from success." Then she smiled at him. "Besides, with my father all the way across an ocean, I'm going to need someone to go to for advice and to complain about my husband when he gets on my nerves."

"My door is always open, Alaina." Dad smiled back at her. "Don't be a stranger. Eileen and I always wanted a daughter, you know. But she couldn't have any more children after Sev, too many health issues. You're marrying a good man, Alaina, a better man than I am. Still, if he gives you any trouble, tell me and I'll straighten him out in two seconds."

I decided to make an appearance then, and walked into the kitchen. "Excuse me? Were you talking about me, Dad?"

He turned around. "Yes. I was just telling Alaina that if you ever gave her any grief, I'd give you what for, Severus. So be warned and behave yourself."

I rolled my eyes. "I'll tell you the same thing as I told Moony. It'll never happen. Any quarrels we have will be mended the same day or the next morning."

"You're sure about that?" Alaina asked, arching an eyebrow at me.

"Why? Would you like an argument to go on for three days?"

"No, of course not. I'd like for us not to argue at all, but that's unrealistic. Very well. We'll try it your way, Snape. I was never one to hold grudges anyhow."

I came around to her side of the table and kissed her. "I'm guilty of holding one or two grudges, I'm afraid. But with you, I can forgive and forget, since I can't imagine you doing anything to get me really riled up."

"Sure about that, are you?" she teased, her eyes sparkling with good humor.

"Absolutely," I murmured, and kissed again.

Dad rose to his feet. "If you two are going to play the blissful engaged couple, I'm leaving. See you tomorrow, Severus, Alaina."

We nodded, then went back to kissing and snuggling each other, though soon enough that turned to something more heated and we both thanked our lucky stars the children were still in school.

* * * * * *

The next day I went with my father to the tailor, to make sure my tuxedo had been fitted properly. I would wear my dress robe whites for the wizard ceremony, but the tux for the church, and he had also purchased a new suit, so he needed to make sure it was altered to fit him.

We opted to drive there, since it was a Muggle establishment. On the way there, Dad asked, half jokingly, "You aren't getting cold feet, are you, Sev?"

I shook my head, amused. "No. I've been down this road before, remember?"

"Not really, since we weren't on speaking terms when you married Lily. You've no doubts, no last minute concerns?"

"No, Dad. Alaina knows everything there is to know about me and I think I know just as much about her. If anything, I'm impatient for tomorrow to come so I can make her my wife."

"I'm glad to hear that, son. You deserve to be happy and I think Alaina is the one to do it. She's got spunk and sass and is just what you need, Master Healer."

"And she's not intimidated by you either, Dad."

"No. Thank God. I don't think I could take a meek milksop for a daughter-in-law. Treat her right, Severus. Don't do what I did, and quarrel over every little thing. Sometimes I don't know how your mother put up with me."

"She had the patience of a saint. And she loved you."

"Aye, she did that," he said softly, slipping back for an instant to the broad Yorkshire dialect of his childhood. "She loved me when I was damn near unlovable and she never stopped. It's too bad she won't be here tomorrow to see you get married, Sev. She would have loved to see you in your wedding tux."

Yes, she would have, I thought sadly. Mum had always loved special occasions. Then I remembered something. "She'll be watching from some cloud in heaven. I don't think she'd miss it."

Dad laughed softly. "You're right , Severus. I don't think God Himself could prevent her from seeing her only son get married. Even if it is for the second time. I'll listen for bells."

"Huh?"

"Haven't you ever watched It's A Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart? Every time a bell rings an angel gets her wings."

"She ought to have three pairs then, for putting up with you, Dad."

"Too right. I ought to nominate her for sainthood. She could be the patron saint of patience and putting up with pain-in-the arse husbands. Not to mention mouthy sons."

I winced, for when I'd been a teenager, I had a quick tongue and I'd answered her back plenty of times. Though I'd always apologized soon afterwards, for back then, my mother was my only ally against Tobias. "True. I was a smart-mouthed brat, but she always forgave me for it. Eventually. Once she finished giving me lists of chores to do."

Dad's mouth quirked into a reminiscent grin. "Yeah, she was famous for her lists. She was always leaving me notes everywhere, the first few years of our marriage, at least. Before it became a waste of time. Once when we were first married, we had a stupid fight over something and when I woke up the next morning, there was a list a foot long next to my pillow. That's how I knew when she was really steamed at me, by how long the list of chores and errands was."

I laughed, recalling my own misspent youth. "She did that to me too, made me clean half the house once and the backyard for having an attitude with her. But it worked, I watched my mouth after that. She could make me feel guilty with a look."

"Yes, Eileen could shred me with her eyes, and did, many times." Dad admitted ruefully. "But I always deserved it. She was better than I deserved, and I will never find another woman like her. She was one of a kind."

"Yes. I miss her still."

"So do I. Always." He said softly, and quickly passed a hand across his eyes.

I pretended not to see, to spare his pride, though once I'd have been astonished to see the stern Sergeant Snape shed a tear over anyone, even his wife. But I had since learned to see my father in a different light, and so I wasn't surprised that he got teary-eyed over my mother. I still cried over Lily occasionally.

He recovered quickly though, and reached over and patted me lightly on the shoulder. "She'd be proud of you, Sev. Like I am. You made the right choice, with your career and your personal life. You're a better husband and father than I am, Sev. Don't change."

This was only the second time that I could recall my father ever saying he was proud of me, and it brought a lump to my throat. For an instant, I couldn't say anything. At last, I managed to say, "I won't. And . . .thank you, Dad."

"For what? For finally acknowledging that I'm proud of you? I should've said it years ago, Severus, the way your mother wanted."

"Better late than never," I said, and I meant it. Then I pulled into the parking lot of the tailor's, and we went inside together to finish the last minute alterations on our wedding finery. My mother would have been proud of us for finally mending our relationship back to something normal at last.

* * * * * *

I waited anxiously at the altar for my bride to appear, trying to quiet the butterflies in my stomach to no avail. It was ridiculous, I had no earthly reason to be nervous, Alaina was not about to change her mind and jilt me at the altar. But still, like any prospective bridegroom, I was having an attack of the jitters. And it didn't matter that I'd gone through this before, either. The anticipation was making my palms sweat.

All of our friends and family had gathered in the church who wished to attend the Mass, and now the organist was playing the traditional wedding march. The doors opened and in came Jane, partnered by Remus. Sirius was already next to me at the altar. They were followed by Lexy, who was strewing a basket of rose petals all over the aisle, accompanied by Harry, who carried the wedding rings on a pillow. At least the rings for this ceremony. The wizarding ceremony had a different set of rings and a different ring bearer.

Both children were smiling and waving, delighted to be the focus of attention.

Until Alaina appeared in the doorway on Bill's arm.

My breath caught in my throat.

They say that every woman is a beautiful bride on their wedding day. But for me there was none as beautiful as Alaina. My blackbird had her hair piled high on her head, with only a single cascade of ringlets to fall down her left shoulder. She wore a glittering tiara atop them, with a veil of pure silk embroidered with tiny roses and birds.

She was wearing a flowing ivory gown, not the traditional wedding gown, but one that flattered her curves and showed her to her best advantage. I couldn't help running my eyes over her appreciatively, and noticing that every single man in the room was doing the same, including my best friend.

"Hey!" I hissed, elbowing Sirius in the ribs. "Quit looking at my wife that way, Black."

"What way?" Sirius as ked, feigning innocence. "She's not your wife yet till you've said I do, Sev old boy. So till then I'm free to admire her, you lucky devil."

"So long as that's all you do."

Sirius flashed me a hurt look. "I'd never poach on a friend's territory. Besides, Lindy and I are an item now, and she doesn't like it when I stray from her. So I'm behaving myself and ignoring all the other women here."

"About time." I chuckled, then lost whatever else I was about to say as I drank in the sight of my bride coming towards me, a radiant smile on her face. Oh, Alaina! How I love you!

Then she was before me, and I was taking her hand from her father, who had tears in his eyes. He kissed her on the cheek and wished her good luck and then he shook my hand and wished me the same.

Once he had stepped back, we mounted the steps to the altar and stood before the priest, Father Henry.

The rest of the ceremony passed in a kind of blur for me, except for the part when we spoke our vows to each other. "Do you, Severus Tobias Snape, take this woman, Alaina Elizabeth Montague to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, through good times and bad, till death do you part?"

"I do," I answered in a ringing affirmative, and felt my heart quicken with joy.

Father Henry turned to Alaina. "Do you, Alaina Elizabeth Montague, take this man, Severus Tobias Snape, to be your lawfully wedded husband?" He repeated the litany of circumstances.

"I do." Alaina affirmed, giving me a smile of such pure devotion that I damn near cried.

Harry brought the rings up and we placed them on each other's finger, promising to love each other forever.

"Then, by the power vested in me by the Holy Catholic Church in Rome, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride, Sev." he winked at me.

"Thank you, Father," I said, then I pulled Alaina to me and kissed her as if there were no tomorrow.

Everyone was cheering and applauding. I wanted the kiss to last forever, she was so sweet and intoxicating, better than the finest honey wine or blueberry cordial I'd ever sipped, but at last I drew away, flushed and grinning.

"Now that's what I call a kiss!" Remus hooted. "You ought to take notes, Sirius!"

"What for? Where d'you think he learned it from?"

"Dream on, Black. You've never kissed any woman the way I just kissed my wife, and you know it." I smiled down at my new bride. "I love you, blackbird."

"I love you too, my bright sorcerer." Then she took my arm and together we walked back down the aisle, amid showers of rose petals and confetti.

There was a white limousine at the curb, waiting to take us back to Alaina's house for some refreshments and pictures before we all Apparated to Hogwarts for the second ceremony.

An hour later, I Apparated my new bride to the lawn in front of the venerable castle, where Albus stood, resplendent in his deep purple and silver dress robes, acting as Chief Warlock for this ceremony.

Alaina and I were wearing robes for this ceremony, mine were my fancy Master Healer whites, and Alaina's were brand new, gold shot through with iridescent green thread and a small blackbird on the left breast.

We approached Albus solemnly, yet I found myself fighting back a grin even so. I could tell from the way Alaina was biting her lip that she was having similar problems. As for Albus, he was in his element, playing matchmaker for young lovers, and his blue eyes were twinkling like enchanted moon crystals.

"Severus and Alaina, is it your wish that you be joined today in marriage?"

"It is," we answered together.

"Have you pledged to remain faithful to each other, in mind and body, for as long as you both shall live?"

"We have."

"Will you love and cherish one another, despite all differences and circumstances for as long as you both shall live?"

"We will."

"Have you rings and ribbons to plight your troth, one unto another?"

"We do."

"Bring them hither, if you would."

I made a clicking noise with my tongue.

Inky came walking across the lawn, pacing sedately, amid gasps and whispers. Only Alaina and I and the children were unsurprised. In his jaws he carried a satin pillow with two silver love knots upon it.

I wouldn't have been able to permit him to carry the rings in the church for fear of starting a riot, but here was another matter, and my panther son was able to participate in my special day as I'd wished.

Right behind him came Lexy and Harry, each carrying a green satin ribbon in their hands.

Together, panther and children approached us, majestic and serene, youth, grace, and power.

When Inky drew nigh us, he sat down and tucked his tail about his feet, presenting the pillow to Albus, who quickly stepped forward and removed it from his mouth.

"Thank you, Inky." My mentor said and scratched him on the head.

Inky purred in approval.

Then Harry and Lexy came up, and Albus took the ribbons from them and thanked them as well.

"You're welcome," said Lexy. "But Uncle Al, what're the ribbons for?"

"Watch and see, child," chuckled the old wizard, then he stepped back in front of us.

"Hold out your hands, please."

We did so, and he slid the rings on them.

"With these rings as a sign of your eternal love and fidelity, I bind you." He took out his wand and tapped it lightly against our hands, and a blue light covered us for a moment.

Then it faded and Albus took the two ribbons and bound them about our wrists, palm to palm.

"With these ribbons, I join you body and soul, one to the other."

Then he moved to the side and tugged sharply on my opposite arm, until we were almost spreadeagled before him.

The ribbons held, however.

"By the power of Merlin and the leave of the Council, I now pronounced you bonded. What love will not relinquish can never be destroyed. What love has joined, no wizard may tear asunder. Congratulations! You may kiss your husband, Alaina."

"With pleasure, Albus!" she cried, and for the second time that day her lips were on mine and I drowned in the honey sweetness of desire.

"Hooray! Mum and Dad are married!" shrieked our children.

Inky roared, adding his own brand of approval.

Then the air was filled with colored lights and rainbow ribbons and gossamyrs soared in the air above us in loops and spirals.

Albus waved his wand and the ribbons about our wrists vanished and we were free to greet our friends and family, married in the sight of God and man and wizard.

Lexy caught my hands and whirled with me about the meadow. "You're my dad now forever! Yay!"

"Forever and ever, kitten!" I assured her, picking her up and hugging her.

Alaina was doing the same with Harry next to me.

Then Sirius and Remus were slapping me on the back and hugging Alaina. Sirius, the rogue, managed to steal a kiss from her, of course. "For luck, Sev," he defended when I mock-punched him.

"That's what he says to all the new husbands, Sev," snorted Regulus, who had managed to make it over for the bonding after all. ‘Behave, big brother!"

"Look who's talking! I saw you eyeing that pretty blond number over there, Reg."

"I look but I don't touch. Least not unless the lady asks me to," said Regulus smugly. Then he congratulated us.

"Glad you could make it," I said.

"You kidding? I wouldn't of missed this for the world. You two make a great couple and besides this is the first time anybody's managed to get Siri in dress robes since he was six and Aunt Mabel spelled them on him." Regulus snickered.

"Aw, shut up, Reg!" ordered his brother.

Regulus laughed harder, ignoring his brother's scowl and threats to hex his mouth shut.

When I turned around, I saw my dad standing there, smiling and hugging Alaina. "You make a beautiful bride, Mrs. Snape. May you give my son the love he deserves. Congratulations, my girl."

"Thanks, Dad," she said, and hugged him back.

Then it was my turn. "Severus, may you be the husband to Alaina that I always should've been to your mum. I love you, son."

Then he hugged me so hard I gasped.

"I love you too, Dad," I said, my voice gone hoarse. There were tears in my eyes when I drew away.

And in his as well.

I turned away to wipe them with a handkerchief (something I almost always carried on me) and suddenly I saw two soft hazy figures there at the edge of the meadow.

They smiled and waved at me.

"Mum?" I whispered. "Lily?"

They were barely a wisp of ether, misty and transparent, but it was unmistakably my mother and Lily.

They blew me a kiss before disappearing, and just before they were gone, I swear I heard them say, "Be happy, Severus. We love you forever."

Then they were gone and I rubbed my eyes, wondering if I had imagined it.

But when I walked over to the spot where they had been I found a single red rose, my mother's favorite flower, and a pure white lily.

I knelt and picked them up.

Then I walked back to where Alaina waited and handed them to her. "A gift," I said.

Then I took her hand and together we walked across the lawn, with Harry on one side of us, and Lexy on the other, and Inky before us, one big happy family at last.

After the wedding reception, which was great, though I ate too much cake and gave myself a stomachache and Dad had to give me a potion for it, things went back to normal around our house, except we now had two new family members.

Dad had enlarged the house with a space warp spell so Lexy could have her own room, it was right next to mine, and he added two new rooms as well. One was an office, for Alaina, where she could keep her files and lesson plans and her computer. The other was currently labeled a guest room, but it didn't even have any furniture in it.

Dad and Alaina, who I now call Mum, got tons of wedding gifts, both magical an non-magical, but the best one was above the fireplace. On the mantle was a vase with a magically preserved red rose and a white lily, wedding gifts from the spirits of my mum and grandmother.

It was strange at first, having Lexy living with me now, instead of just coming over every couple of days. Alaina had sold their old house after she moved in with Dad, and they used some of the money to go on a honeymoon to Italy for two weeks.

Lexy, Inky, and I stayed with Grandpa during that time, he came over to our house and watched us there, since Inky was too noticeable in any Muggle neighborhood. We had a great time with Grandpa while my parents were gone, we went to the movies and played Monopoly and checkers and he finally taught me how to carve a block of wood. Now that I was eight, I was old enough to be trusted with a carving knife, though only supervised by him, never alone.

I tried to carve a dog, but it didn't come out too well, though Grandpa said it was pretty good for my first time.

He even let Lexy carve something, she carved a heart, and it looked better than my dog, I have to admit.

But we had fun doing it, and that was what mattered, according to Grandpa.

One of the best things about Grandpa watching us was that we got to eat pretty much whatever we wanted, including junk food. Sometimes we had pizza, other times chicken nuggets from McDonalds, and sometimes we had hamburgers and hot dogs. And we always had dessert.

But the bad thing about Grandpa watching us was he made us go to bed at eight-thirty every night. And he came to check on us to make sure we were sleeping by nine and if we were still awake we got a lecture and no dessert tomorrow night. He also stayed in the room to make sure we fell asleep, so we had no choice but to fall asleep eventually.

Dad had told us that if we gave Grandpa any problems we'd be in big trouble when he got home, as in grounded and no friends over for a week. But we weren't that stupid, I had told Lexy already that Grandpa wouldn't take any nonsense from us, and so we behaved. Mostly.

I ended up in the corner for twenty minutes because I was arguing with Lexy over whose turn it was to feed Inky and I pushed her. I shouldn't of done that, but she was being so annoying! After that, Grandpa made me apologize and told me next time I was caught fighting with my sister, I could go and spend the afternoon in my room and do all her chores plus mine.

I made sure to behave after that. I never knew having a sister could be annoying as well as fun. And sometimes it was more annoying than fun, especially when Lexy and Hermione got together and all they wanted to play were dumb games like dolls and cooking class. Girls! Sometimes Ron was right and they really did come from another world.

Mum and Dad returned home at last, with plenty of pictures and stories to tell us and presents too, of course! Lexy got a beautiful Italian doll that could speak phrases in both Italian and English and a turquoise Murano glass necklace with a healing and protection charm on it, much like my panther charm.

Dad got me two animated marionette puppets that could duel with each other. One was a wizard and the other a knight. And he got me a special cloak, with deep pockets to hold many things and when you pulled the hood up, you became invisible to your enemies for a time.

But it was made for an older child, there was only one size, and Dad said I'd just have to grow into it, and he put it away for safekeeping. He'd actually bought it for when I went to Hogwarts, and because I wasn't allowed to wear it now, he gave me a magic flute that could play hundreds of songs as many times as I wanted. That was very cool, though not as cool as the cloak, but I was satisfied.

Around the end of April, my new mum started acting kind of weird. She began only having tea in the mornings for breakfast because food made her sick to her stomach. I told her to tell Dad and he'd give her a potion to make her well, but she said it would pass, that it was normal for a woman in her condition.

What condition? I wondered. I immediately thought of my mother, who had died of a disease called lupus, and hadn't been able to keep food down either at the end, Dad had to give her a special Nutrient Plus potion with a straw. I'd been little, but I remembered bringing her the special drink every morning.

What if Alaina had the same kind of sickness? I thought in horror. I didn't want my new mum to die like my other one. I decided not to wait for her to tell Dad, but ran and knocked on the door to his lab.

He was making batches of pain reliever for the hospital right then, and had eight caldrons brewing.

"Dad? It's me, Harry. I really need to talk to you."

"One minute."

I heard the snick of the lock opening, then I shoved open the door and ran into the room.

"What's the matter, son? You look like you just lost your best friend." Dad looked up from where he was stirring a cauldron, his brow furrowed in concern.

"It's Alaina, Dad," I blurted, calling her by her name for the first time in weeks. "I......I think she's got the same thing Mum had and she's......she's dying," I gasped out, feeling my chest and throat seize up. "I don't want her to die!" I wailed, and then I burst out crying.

Dad just stared at me. "Harry, for the love of Merlin!" He came around the cauldron and took me in his arms. I buried my face in his robes and bawled like I was two again. "Harry, Harry, hush . . .hush now. Calm down. Where on earth did you get the idea that Alaina has lupus and is dying? Come on, stop crying and talk to me."

It was a moment or two before I could regain control over myself, sniffling and hiccupping. Dad patted my back and told me to take deep breaths until I could breathe normally, and then I answered his question. "B-Because she says she can't eat anything in the morning anymore and all she drinks is tea, like Mum did when she was sick, remember? Food makes her sick. Can't you fix her, Dad? I don't want her to go to heaven too!"

"Wait a minute. You said she told you she can't eat anything in the morning? That food makes her nauseous?"

"Yeah, and when I told her to take a potion, she said it was normal for women in her condition, Dad."

"Those were her exact words, Harry?"

"Yes. Why?" He didn't seem upset at all. I couldn't understand it.

"Merlin's starry hat, Harry! Alaina's not dying, you silly boy!"

"She's not?"

"No. She's going to . . .mmm......might as well tell everyone at once. Where's your sister?"

"Ummm......outside playing catch with Inky."

"Call them in here for me, won't you? Your mother and I will be in the den. I think it's time for our first family meeting."

I knew what that meant. We used to do family meetings back when Lily was alive. Once a week, we'd all go into the den and have a discussion about problems with school, or chores, or homework and try and resolve it. We even discussed upcoming events, like summer vacation and holidays.

I ran outside and yelled for Lexy to come in, we were having a family meeting.

"What's that?"

"You'll see. Hurry up!"

By the time we got in the den, Mum and Dad were sitting on the sofa, looking all goofy and tender at each other. If they were going to get all mushy and lovey-dovey, I was going to be sick. That kind of stuff really embarrasses me.

Dad gestured for us to be seated, and once we were sitting on the couch with Inky by our feet, Dad announced, "Children, we have some wonderful news for you," he was beaming like he'd just won a million Galleons. "Alaina?"

"Harry, I just want to let you know that I'm not sick and I'm certainly not dying! You misunderstood me, honey. When I said it was normal for women to get sick in the morning, it's because I'm having a baby, not because I've got a disease."

"Mom, you're pregnant!" Lexy cried.

"Yes." She patted her stomach and smiled.

"You mean you're gonna have a baby?" I repeated dully. Now I felt like the world's biggest idiot, going all to pieces like that.

"I am. And you two will be its big brother and sister," answered Mum.

"When will it be born, Mom?" Lexy wanted to know.

"Well, Sev? You ran a diagnostic on me. When's the baby due?"

"According to the results, he or she should be born around early December, the ninth or tenth, I believe. Just in time for Christmas." Dad looked pleased as a hippogriff with a dead ferret.

I scrutinized Mum's belly. It was still flat. "You don't look like you're pregnant."

"Give it time, Harry. I'll be showing soon enough." She laughed.

Lexy was scratching Inky behind one ear and crooning, "Iinky, we're going to have a new baby here soon. Then you'll have another little Snape to protect. How about that, huh?" Lexy had been adopted by Dad like I had, only she changed her name to his.

Inky purred happily, guess he didn't mind one more.

"What are you going to name the baby, Dad?" I asked.

"We haven't decided yet, Harry. I'm still getting used to the idea of being a father again. But we'll have some names picked out before the due date."

"And Dad's going to deliver it like he did me," I told my mum.

"I wouldn't have anyone else do it."

"I wouldn't let anyone else deliver you. Not even Matthew." Dad said firmly.

"Does that mean the guest room becomes a nursery?" I guessed.

"It does, scamp." Dad answered. "Sometime next week, we'll have to sit down and choose a theme for it and then decorate."

"Would you like to help us?" asked Mum.

"Yes!" Lexy and I said together, happy to be included.

The next day at school I told Hermione about my mum being pregnant.

"Wow, Harry! You're lucky, now you'll have a brother or sister to teach and to play with. That's so cool!" she said, a bit enviously. "Sometimes I wish I had a brother or a sister."

But when I told the Weasley twins and Ron, Ron just looked at me and said, "Merlin, Harry, you'd better pray you don't end up with a little sister like mine. She's a disaster! You can't keep secrets around her and she tells on you and she's such a pain in the behind sometimes."

Actually, I didn't think Ginny was that bad, but then again, I didn't have to live with her.

"Yeah, and just wait till your mum starts getting odd cravings for food at all hours of the night." George remarked.

His twin smirked. "Once, when our mum was pregnant with Ginny, she made Dad go out at 2AM to get her butter pecan ice cream with caramel sauce and raspberries on top."

"And when they get really round, like a ball, they get very cranky and snap at you for everything." Fred recalled.

"Do they ever!" his twin gulped. "Mum smacked me with a spoon for casting a color change spell on Ronnie, even though it didn't hurt him. I made him a rainbow kid and normally she'd of laughed, but not when she was carrying Ginny. She got annoyed at the slightest thing then."

I wasn't looking forward to the next few months if that was how Mum was going to behave, all cranky and snippy and ready to pounce on me. But as it turned out, Mum had quite a good pregnancy, as far as those things go.

Dad made her a special potion for her morning sickness, so she could stop getting sick and eat normally again. After she took it she was fine, almost like her old self.

Dad gave her regular exams to check on how the baby was growing and Mum was handling the stress of carrying around twenty-five extra pounds. Dad let Lexy and I listen to the baby's heartbeat once. It sounded funny, kind of like a loud drum and a washing machine.

The only cravings I could tell that Mum had were a longing for freshly baked bread with butter, sweet potatoes, and cake batter ice cream. One time she finished off an entire pint of cake batter ice cream in one go.

Then she cried, "Oh God, Sev, I'm becoming a house. I can't believe I ate an entire pint of ice cream! I've never done that before! What's WRONG with me?"

Dad just put his arm around her and said, "Alaina, it's not the end of the world. It's not the most healthy thing for you to eat but don't wallow in guilt because you just ate a pint of ice cream."

"Easy for you to say, Sev." She grumbled. "You're not the one whose hips are starting to look like a tire."

"You're exaggerating, love. You look fine to me. Healthy as a unicorn and you're going to stay that way." Then he kissed her and she smiled at him.

We all decorated the nursery, the walls were a pale yellow divided into top and bottom. On them we had chosen baby unicorns and kneasle cubs and hippogriffs, all sleeping or smiling down at you.

Grandpa was busy making furniture for his new grandchild. So far he'd made a cradle, a rocking chair, a dresser, and he was currently working on a crib. Each piece was meticulously sanded and lacquered, it was beautiful once it was finished. Lexy and I helped sand and coat whenever we were permitted, giving the pieces that extra glow.

Jane and Mum went shopping for baby clothes and stuff next, and it seemed like every time I turned around someone was giving Mum another gift for the baby.

By the time the kid got born, you could have stocked a whole store. When I pointed that out to Dad, he just chuckled and said, "That's all right, Harry. The more the merrier. You should have seen what you received when you were born."

The twins were right about one thing, Mum did get more crabby as she grew bigger and still tried to continue her normal routine. Sometimes now she had headaches or backaches, and Dad couldn't give her more potions because she was to near her due date. So he gave her massages instead, every night. Mum called him brilliant and said he had the most magical pair of hands in the universe.

But then there were times she snapped at everyone, and nothing pleased her, though she never hit us with a spoon. Still everyone has days like that and Dad said we needed to be understanding and not get upset if she yelled at us for stupid things.

By the time the end of November came, Mum was very large and she creaked when she walked. She also waddled like a duck. There was no way Lexy or I could snuggle in her lap when she read us a bedtime story, but we tried anyhow. Once, when she was reading to me, I saw the baby move and I asked her if it hurt.

"Not usually. But sometimes, if the baby's pressing on a sensitive spot, like my ribs or my bladder, it hurts a little."

She took my hand and placed it upon her belly and told me to wait a bit and see if the baby moved. "Little thing seems to get restless right about now."

"It doesn't know about bedtime yet." I remarked sagely.

"Not yet, but one day he or she will learn."

"How come you don't want to know what the baby is, Mum?"

"Well, I like to be surprised, and even though I know your dad knows what it is, I want to wait."

"Do you care if it's a boy or girl?"

Mum shook her head. "No. I just want it to be a healthy baby. Do you care, scamp?"

I thought about it for a long moment. "Well, a brother might be nice, so I wouldn't be the only boy. But a little sister is okay too."

All of a sudden, I felt a foot or a hand poke up from the tight surface of Mum's belly. "I felt him, Mum! Or her. It moved!"

"Yes, must be getting pretty tight in there and hard to turn around." She winced.

"I can't wait till it's born."

"Harry, neither can I!" she said feelingly, rubbing her belly. She picked up the book of myths and legends and started to read about Theseus and the Minotaur when Dad stuck his head in.

"Still awake, scamp? Your sister fell asleep fifteen minutes ago." he scolded gently.

"Dad, I felt the baby move!"

"Ah, got sidetracked, did you?" he came in and laid a hand on his wife's stomach. A moment later, he was rewarded with another kick. "Restless little imp, aren't you? Maybe we ought to sing you a lullaby."

"Please do, Sev. It's keeping me from my beauty sleep, among other things." Mum joked. "Between this one running a marathon inside me and poking my bladder . . .speaking of which. . . Sev, could you take over for me for a minute? Nature calls."

She rose to her feet and waddled off to the bathroom . . .again. Dad took her place on the bed next to me. "All right, Harry. Under the covers and put your head down."

I obeyed, snuggling into my warm blanket. But there was a question nagging at me. "Dad? Can I ask you something?"

"What is it, son?"

"Ummm . . .why's Mum got to pee all the time now?" I managed at last, it had been bugging me for awhile, and I really wanted to know the answer.

Dad paused a bit before he answered. "Well, Harry, that baby inside of her is pushing down on her stomach and bladder as it grows. All that pressure squeezes your bladder and makes you have to go more often. Think of it as if someone put a bowling ball on your stomach and then gave you a glass of water to drink. It would feel almost like this."

He placed a hand on the lower part of my belly and pushed down firmly. I squirmed, for it was uncomfortable, and it made me feel as if I had to pee right now. "Oh! That doesn't feel good, Dad."

He removed his hand then and the sensation vanished. "That's what your mum feels like all the time now, and it's why she's in and out of the bathroom."

"Poor Mum!" I understood better now. "I'm so glad I'm not a girl!"

Dad chuckled at the relief in my tone and mussed my hair. "All right, enough chatter, imp. Hush and listen to the story."

He began reading and in another minute Mum returned. "Thank you, Sev."

She went to continue, but I was almost asleep and so she shut the book and kissed me goodnight just as my eyes closed.

"Night, Mum." I mumbled.

"Sweet dreams, my Harry."

Her kiss on my forehead was the last thing I felt before I drifted away into dreamland.

* * * * * *

On Thursday afternoon, December 9th, Lexy and I came home from school to find Grandpa waiting for us at the house. "Hello, kids. Looks like it's just you and me for the rest of the afternoon."

"How come, Grandpa?" Lexy asked. "Where's Mom?" She'd been on maternity leave for three weeks and was always home now.

"Your mother's in the hospital, kitten. She started having labor pains about an hour or so ago, so your dad took her to St. Mungos and hopefully you'll have a new baby soon."

Lexy cheered and I asked, "How long does it take to have a baby, Grandpa?"

"Uh . . .that depends."

"On what?"

"On the mother and the baby, mostly. First time mothers take longer, but this is Alaina's second child, so things should move quicker this time around, I'm betting. Your dad will call, don't worry. He left me his mirror." he waved a hand at the magic mirror on the counter. "Now, why don't you two go wash up and do your homework while I make supper?"

"Homework!" I groaned. "Grandpa, who cares about homework at a time like this?" My mother was having a baby, for Merlin's sake, and all he could think about was homework?

"Me. Don't argue, young man, just do as your told." he fixed me with one of his warning Snape glares, the one that meant he was fast reaching the end of his patience.

I sulked and dawdled. "I hate homework."

"Harry Severus, don't make me count to three."

I stuck my lower lip out stubbornly, for the last thing I wanted to do was boring old homework. But Grandpa wasn't having any of my attitude that afternoon, and he came over and took me by the shoulder, spun me around, and sent me off down the hall with a light spank to my bottom. "Get, minnow! Or else."

I went, no fool. That was a warning swat. I met Lexy returning from the bathroom. "Why are you arguing with him over homework, Harry?" she asked, giving me a disapproving frown. "You know Dad's rule."

I did, I'd lived with them longer than she had. "I know, but today's different. It's not everyday your mother has a baby."

"She hasn't had it yet," Lexy pointed out. "So you might as well do your homework, before you get in trouble, Harry."

"Yes, Mum," I mocked softly.

"Stuff it, Harry!" she ordered, then continued down the hallway.

I made a face at her, then went to wash up and do my dumb homework. I managed to finish it before supper, which was frozen pizza and garlic bread, yum!

Afterwards, we went into the den to watch TV. Dad still hadn't called. It was nearly seven o'clock.

"What's taking so long? I thought you said it was going to be born soon, Grandpa." I groused.

"Harry, babies come in their own time and not before. You just have to be patient. Why, women used to take days to have a baby sometimes."

"Days?!!"

"Yeah, but that was like a thousand years ago, Grandpa." Lexy said knowingly. "Back when the women didn't know how to do it the right way. We know better now."

"Oh really?" For some reason, Grandpa looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh.

"How would you know?"

"I watch the Discovery Channel with Hermione," my sister said smugly. "They've got a show on there called The Miracle of Life and it tells you stuff. You ought to watch it sometime, Harry, so you learn about stuff like that."

"That's for girls," I snorted dismissively. "No boy would be caught dead watching that."

"Dad knows all about it."

"That's different. He's a Healer, he has to know about that stuff. Right, Grandpa?"

I looked over at my only ally in this argument. Grandpa had his hand over his mouth, and his blue eyes were glimmering with humor. I didn't know what was so damn funny.

"Minnow, you're going to be in for a real shock once your parents bring that baby home."

"I can't wait," Lexy said rapturously. "I'm gonna help take care of the baby and everything. I'm gonna feed it, and dress it, and play with it and sing lullabies to it."

I rolled my eyes at her dreamy tone, she made the baby sound like one of her dolls, for Merlin's sake!

"How about changing nappies? Forgot about that, did you?" Grandpa inquired mischievously.

Lexy made a face, then said bravely, "Umm . . .I guess I can. If I have to."

"Not me," I said quickly. "No way! You couldn't pay me enough to do that."

"Figures," my sister snorted. "Boys never want to get their hands dirty."

I glared at her. "Hey, I weed the garden. But I'm not changing the baby. That's Mum and Dad's job."

"Not always. Big brothers can do it too," Grandpa said suddenly. "I changed my little brother a time or two when my mum was sick or busy with dinner."

"You did?" I was aghast. How could he?

"Quit looking at me like that. It wasn't as bad as you're thinking. And at least I wasn't totally clueless when Sev was born, like most new fathers."

"Not me. Nuh-uh!"

"You will so, if Mom or Dad says so," Lexy declared triumphantly.

"I'll run away first."

Grandpa burst out laughing. "Minnow, you're making a big deal out of nothing. I guarantee you, when the baby is born, you'll feel differently."

Ha! That's what he thought.

I would do anything else but not that, I didn't care who told me to do it.

"I'm bored," Lexy whined. "Let's play a game, Harry."

"Like what?"

"Cards. We can play Wizard's Duel."

"Okay." I went to get the deck of magic cards. Wizard's Duel was like the game War, only the cards in the magical deck actually dueled each other until one was shredded or cut.

Mum didn't like it, said it was too violent, so we never played it around her. But Grandpa wouldn't mind.

We had just started playing when the mirror chimed and Grandpa jumped to pick it up.

"Tobias Snape here," he said, activating the communication charm set into it.

"Dad, it's Severus. Just wanted to let you know . . .you're a grandfather again! Alaina and the baby are doing splendid, couldn't have asked for an easier delivery."

"Congratulations, Sev! When can we come over and see the newest Snape?"

"Now, if you want. I'll send Matthew over to Apparate you. I'll see you in a few minutes."

"Wait!" I yelled. "Dad, what did she have? A boy or a girl?"

But he was gone.

"Aww, Merlin!" I kicked the table.

"Come along, Harry. We'll find out when we get there." Grandpa put an arm around each of us while we waited for Uncle Matt to arrive, he was Dad's good friend and partner.

* * * * * *

Uncle Matt brought us directly to the room where Mum and Dad waited with the new baby. Mum was sitting up in bed, looking tired but extremely happy, and Dad was sitting in a chair next to her bed, holding the new addition to the family.

We appeared in the room with a soft pop, and Dad looked up, rocking the bundle in his arms slightly. ‘Thank you, Matt."

"No problem, Sev. Anytime."

Dad smiled at us, he looked a bit tired too, he was still wearing his hospital whites. "Come here, children, and meet your little sister."

We rushed over to see the tiny baby.

"Aww! She's so little and so beautiful! Hi, sweet thing! I'm your big sister, Lexy." Lexy grinned. "How much does she weigh?"

"Seven pounds, five ounces. And she's twenty-one inches long." Mum answered. "You were bigger, Lex."

Lexy looked pleased. "Course I was. I was the first."

For some reason the adults cracked up at that. I wasn't really paying attention, I was too busy studying my new sister. She really was beautiful. She had downy dark hair that stuck up in tufts and her eyes were the same dark blue as Grandpa's. Her little mouth was shaped like a rosebud and she had round red cheeks. She yawned sleepily, her tiny hands fisted about the pink blanket.

I reached out cautiously to touch her cheek, her skin was so soft, like rose petals. "Hi there! I'm Harry, your big brother. What's her name, Dad? You never said what you picked."

"Your mum and I decided on Eileen Lily Snape, after my mother and yours, Harry."

"Hey, Eileen," I whispered, and the tiny baby looked at me, and our eyes met.

In that instant I understood what Grandpa meant before, about feeling differently once the baby was born. I felt a warm glow go through me as I looked at baby Eileen, who I was going to love and protect forever, and suddenly I didn't care if I had to change nappies or feed her or whatever. She was my little sister.

"Can I hold her, Dad?" Lexy pleaded. "I'll be real careful, I know how, I practiced on my dolls."

"In a minute, Lexy. It's your grandpa's turn now." He gave grandma's namesake to Grandpa.

I was surprised that my grandpa even remembered how to hold a baby, it had been so long since he'd held one. But he cradled her in his arms expertly and smiled down at her. "Hello, sweetheart. Your grandma would love you to pieces." The baby waved her fist at him and cooed and Grandpa laughed. "You're a bold one aren't you? A real tigress. Like your grandmother."

"So, Harry, how does it feel to be a big brother at last?" Uncle Matt asked, his hazel eyes twinkling.

"Uh . . .Merlin, it feels great!"

‘Why don't you go and sit on the bed next to your mum, Harry?" Uncle Matt suggested, pulling out his camera. "I want to get a snapshot of the whole family together."

So we all went and sat on the bed, me next to Mum, Dad next to her holding Baby Eileen, and Grandpa on his other side, holding Lexy on his knee.

"Ready? One. Two. Three."

Uncle Matt snapped our picture with his Insta-Magik camera.

The picture popped out of the bottom of the camera an instant later. It was framed in white parchment and on it Uncle Matt wrote the date and all of our names.

"Hey, you forgot Inky," Lexy objected. "He's a family member too."

"Oops. You're right. Can't forget Sev's fur-kid." He gestured, and Inky appeared in the picture next to me. "There! All present and accounted for. Beautiful!"

He passed around the snapshot and all of us admired it. It was the perfect family portrait.

Then Eileen started to cry and Dad snuggled her. "Sounds like someone's hungry. Here, Alaina, take her, she needs her mum now."

He passed Eileen to Mum, who took her and rocked her. She sure could yell loud for such a little thing. Mum was shaking a bottle of formula. "She's your daughter all right, Sev. Impatient just like her father."

The baby was wailing loudly and I covered my ears.

"Got the Snape temper too," Grandpa noted.

I heaved a sigh of relief when Mum gave Eileen the bottle.

"My daughter indeed," Dad said, sounding delighted. He gazed at the baby proudly.

Then he looked at me and Lexy and beckoned us to him. We came and snuggled against him. "Well, you've finally got a little sister. She's adorable isn't she?" We nodded. "But she's also a lot of work. Can I count on you two to help us out? Because we're going to need all the help we can get."

"I'll help, Dad," Lexy volunteered. "I'll do anything."

I hesitated. I already loved Eileen, but was I willing to do anything for her? Like change a dirty nappy?

"Harry?" Dad prompted.

"Sure, Dad," I answered then, for I was the big brother, after all. Nine was plenty grown-up, and besides, that's what big brothers were for, to love and protect their little sister. I leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Eileen's cheek. Someday, you're going to be a great witch, and I'll teach you everything I know, including how to wheedle Dad into giving you extra allowance or dessert and I'll love you no matter what, baby sister. Welcome home, Eileen Lily Snape.

And that's the story of how Dad met Alaina, and I got a new mum and two sisters, and we all lived happily ever after.

I shut the journal then, done writing for the afternoon. Good thing too, for Eileen woke up from her nap just then and started howling. I walked quickly down the hallway to her room and picked her up. She was getting big, almost four months old, and she smiled and gurgled when she saw me.

"Brat," I teased.

She grinned goofily at me then grabbed my glasses right off my head.

"Hey!" I yelped. "Give them back, I can't see."

Eileen just laughed.

Oh, Merlin! Little sisters!