Sleeping in a cramped armchair wasn’t the most comfortable thing on the planet, but Harry was willing to do anything to support his father. The Potions Master was lying half-way sprawled across his husband, his body twisted at an uncomfortable angle in the chair he was sitting in beside the hospital bed. Harry couldn’t figure out what had woken him until he saw the early light of morning shining in through the high windows. He wondered vaguely when Draco had left, and realized he couldn’t remember the blonde leaving at all the night before. He sighed heavily.

Remus was still unconscious, his face pale and clammy, though peaceful. Harry took a long look at the man, and felt a pang in his heart. He looked so ancient compared to the Potions Master. Lycanthropy had worn Remus down until he looked twenty years older than his real age. The wasted, fragile look about the Defence Professor made Harry want to rush to his side and cling on, make sure he was still alive. He wanted to make sure that Remus hadn’t left him like his parents, like Sirius.

Harry didn’t realize he had moved towards the hospital bed until his knees bumped the mattress. There they were; his parents. They looked so peaceful in sleep, though there was a slight crease between the Potions Master’s eyes that told of how long the man had sat awake the night before. Without really consciously thinking about it, Harry climbed into the bed and curled up next to his stepfather, reaching out to grip one of Severus’ hands in his own. He fell asleep once more.

A short time later, Harry woke to the feeling of long fingers trailing slowly through his messy hair. He blinked his eyes open and expected to see the Potions Professor awake, but the man was still dozing. With a gasp Harry sat up and was met by a gentle smile and tired amber eyes.

“Remus! You’re ok!” Harry gasped, launching himself at the man, who let out a gust of air as he chuckled softly. There was a shifting beside them, and the hug suddenly became a group hug as Severus gathered his husband and son closer to him.

“Oh thank Merlin,” Severus whispered in relief, placing a chaste kiss on the werewolf’s lips. There was a noise of impatience and a clearing of a throat above them, and the hug was broken as they all turned to look at Madam Pomfrey, who managed to look annoyed while still smiling.

“Give him some breathing room, you two!”

Severus and Harry reluctantly pulled away and moved from the bed so that the matron could do her job, running diagnostics, administering potions and clucking like a mother hen. Remus looked exactly as if he was being fussed over by an overbearing mother, which made sense; Madam Pomfrey had been the one to fetch Remus from the Shrieking Shack all those years and heal the wounds he would inflict on himself.

After Madam Pomfrey was satisfied that Remus was stable, she allowed the Potions Master and young Gryffindor to approach once more. “He’ll be just fine, but he still needs his rest! You two look as though you could use a hot meal and a good night’s sleep as well. You all push yourselves too far!”

Severus ignored the matrons ranting as he collected Remus’ hand in his once more, offering him a weary smile. “You scared the hell out of us, Remus.”

Remus gave a heavy sigh and looked over at his son, who indeed looked like he’d been run over by the Hogwarts Express and kept awake for a week. “I’m sorry. I was casting my Patronus towards the students to help protect them and I just…didn’t think of protecting myself. When the thoughts started running and that dread took me over, I just couldn’t move. I saw my death, Severus, and it was horrible,” Remus croaked, squeezing his husband’s hand tightly in his own.

“Shh, love. It’ll be alright. You’re safe now, and we have a big thing to look forward to. A baby, Remus; we’re having a baby!” Severus breathed, still not quite believing that fact just yet. He couldn’t believe he’d have an infant in his care in nine short months. Secretly, he agreed with Harry’s insistence for the child to be a girl.

Remus smiled widely and pulled Severus down for a deep kiss, causing Harry to smile and chuckle. “Oh, get a room you two!”

The two men laughed, still with eyes only for each other. Harry couldn’t help but think how drastically his father had changed in such a short time. The old snarky Potions Master of the past had been tamed and softened into this passionate, powerful man. He was still snarky and sarcastic as hell, of course, but he wouldn’t be Severus Snape without all that. Harry got the best of both worlds with his witty comebacks and his loving disposition as a father. He couldn’t wait to see how the man would be with a newborn baby around.

The moment was interrupted when the now-Headmistress entered the infirmary. She asked after Remus’ health and conveyed her relief that he would be just fine. She still looked deeply saddened by her predecessor’s death, but she was obviously taking her new job quite seriously. “Severus, I was wondering if I could have a quick word?”

Severus gave Remus one last kiss before standing and nodding succinctly. “Of course Headmistress. Would you like to join me for tea? I could use a cup, and forgive me for saying, but you look like you could use one too.”

Minerva smiled and nodded appreciatively. Leave it to her new Deputy Headmaster to point out her faults. That was his job now, after all, and Merlin knew he had plenty of practice with it. “That would be most welcome, Severus. I’ll not keep him long, Remus. Try to get some more rest.”

“Thank you, Headmistress,” said Remus, failing to hide a large yawn from the matron as she checked his vitals once more.

“Nope, out all of you! You can’t fool me, Mr. Lupin-Snape. Time to rest again, dear,” Poppy said sternly, though she had a faint smile playing at her lips the entire time. She snorted as the man pouted at her.

Harry chuckled and kissed his step-father gently on the cheek. “Rest well, Moony.” He would go find Draco and apologize for the way he had talked to him the day before. He had been so angry that he’d not been allowed to fight, but that didn’t give him an excuse to take out his ire on his boyfriend.

Remus was asleep before everyone had left the hospital wing, and they all made a hasty, quiet exit.

S~S~S~S

Harry knocked gently on Draco’s door instead of just barging in using the password. He would let the blonde decide to speak to him on his own terms instead of forcing his presence on Draco. He was therefore a little surprised when the elder Malfoy answered the door instead.

“Ah, Potter. How is your father fairing?” Lucius Malfoy asked as he held the door open wide enough to allow the Gryffindor entrance.

Harry looked over and saw Draco sleeping peacefully in his bed, his arms curled around a plush dragon that looked as though it had seen better days. He couldn’t help but smile fondly like a fool. “Remus is going to be fine, thanks. He must have been exhausted,” Harry said quietly, gesturing towards the sleeping Slytherin.

Lucius frowned slightly and sat in Draco’s desk chair, conjuring another similar chair for Harry to sit in. Perhaps it was time to get to know the boy who had stolen his son’s heart properly. After all, they had quite a colourful history already.

“He was up most of the night worrying for your sake, actually. He was quite upset about Lupin’s accident as well, but you seemed to give him the cold shoulder in the infirmary, so he made his exit. It took me quite a while to calm him down, and had to resort to extreme methods, eventually,” the blonde man said with a smirk, gesturing towards the stuffed dragon clutched in the sleeping teen’s arms.

Harry smiled sadly, his heart clenching as he realized how horrible he had been to his boyfriend. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be such a prat to him; I was just so worried. I’ve already lost so many people; I couldn’t bear it if I lost Remus too.”

Lucius nodded in understanding, twirling his platinum wedding ring around his finger nostalgically. “Mr. Potter, I would like to say a few things to you, if you wouldn’t mind not interrupting until I was quite finished?”

Harry gulped, knowing he was probably about to get an earful from his boyfriend’s father about the proper treatment of his pure-blood son. He nodded his agreement and prepared for a stern talking to. His jaw dropped at the man’s first words.

“I would like to apologize to you, for many things. I know an apology cannot turn back time and bring your godfather back, nor take back all the torment you’ve suffered at my hands. Though I still believe in keeping the blood lines clean and pride myself on being one of the few true pure-bloods left, I realize now how mistaken I’ve been.

“When I was younger, about the same age you and Draco are now, the Dark Lord was just beginning to gain popularity. He was rumoured to be powerful and charismatic, and was bound to do great things. He stood for all of the things I had grown up believing, and flocking to a figurehead who might be able to change things seemed like the thing to do. My parents were so proud when I joined the Death Eaters, bringing with me many friends, and leaving a trail of whispers to the younger generations still in school, like your father.

“I built my legacy of buying off Ministry personnel to achieve things I wanted, spreading corruption throughout the system to manipulate laws and legislation I wanted to be passed, and those I did not. My name and money got me far, and I was invaluable to the Dark Lord. I would listen to his words as though they were gospel. I truly believed he could fix the Wizarding world, help keep the bloodlines clean to preserve the level of magic in our world.

“After the Dark Lord heard that small portion of the Prophecy, everything changed. Suddenly his greatest goal was to kill and defeat this child who was destined to someday bring his downfall. He became obsessed, so much so that he seemed to forget his real goals. Yet I still followed, bent to his every whim, and became the slave I vowed to never be. The power of his brain washing was immense. Suddenly, killing and torturing innocent people, simply because of their blood status was alright. Tracking down the whereabouts of the two families who had children who met the prophecy’s specifications became every Death Eater’s goal. When it was Pettigrew who ultimately gave away your parents’ location, I was disappointed for not being the one to honour my master with the information.

“Even then, the thought of the Dark Lord murdering a child the same age as my own son disturbed me, but I let myself fall into the twisted logic of believing it was for a good cause. So one child would need to die in order to insure his success; there were plenty of children in the world. Still, it never did sit well in my heart. That was when my wife, Narcissa, started to lose faith in the Dark Lord. She tried to tell me the man was deranged, had lost his sense and was not the same person we had sworn our allegiance to at such a young age. By then I was already so far in, I couldn’t possibly back out again. I had hung on the Dark Lord’s every word, believed what he was doing to be the only way to achieve the means. I told my wife to hold her tongue and do what she was meant to do; take care of our child and stand by my side at all times.

“Then the Dark Lord killed the Potters, and failed to kill a mere toddler. I can never fully express how truly relieved I was when the Dark Lord fell that night. I had of course insured that I looked as innocent as possible, claiming to be under an Imperius curse the entire time I served the Dark Lord. Deep down I was glad to have a second chance at life, at raising my son and being with my wife. I kept up appearances the entire time he was gone, however. I had already heard the whispers that he was not truly dead, and that he’d be back. I made sure to keep my image as it had been before in order to stay in his favour should he ever return. It was that, or fear that my entire family would be killed.

“When I heard what the Dark Lord’s diary did to the young Weasley girl, I was horrified. I had no idea what would happen, and to be honest, I was simply trying to rid myself of it. I cannot say I was thinking correctly in giving young Ms. Weasley the book, but I never anticipated what it would do to her. I promised myself to stay low after that. Much too soon, he was back once more. That night in the graveyard, I think I might have been even more terrified than you were. I had anticipated his return, of course, but I hoped beyond hope that it would never happen. I did what I was commanded to do, however, in order to keep my wife and son safe from retaliation, should I disobey.

“Last year in the Ministry, I was an unstable, desperate man. The Dark Lord had promised that, should we fail to retrieve the prophecy, we would pay dearly. I knew the worst thing I could lose was my family, so I did everything I could to succeed. I had convinced myself that the lives of six teenagers were not as important as the lives of my wife and son. My sister-in-law, Bellatrix, had already gone round the twist quite a few times by then, and her malice was completely genuine. I will admit I was shocked when she killed her own cousin, a pure blooded and powerful Wizard.

“I know my apology can never undo the pain I have caused you, but I hope it will help begin to build a sort of bridge. Merlin knows how, but you’ve become my son’s very world, and it would be ill advised of me to continue to treat you as I have in the past. If you are so very important to my son, then you are important to myself as well.”

Harry was stunned in place, unable to think or move or speak. He just stared at the blonde man before him, tears gathering in his eyes. The pain of losing Sirius shot up through him as though it was fresh, and hearing someone finally take responsibility for the man’s death instead of blaming it on himself was threatening to undo him. Before he could speak a single word, a strangled sounding voice startled both himself and Lucius.

“Oh, Father. Thank you,” Draco rasped, crawling out of bed and moving over to his father. He kissed him lightly on the cheek before wrapping the man in a tight hug, just managing to keep his tears at bay. After he released his father, he turned towards his boyfriend, who looked like he’d been hit with confundus.

“Harry, are you alright?”

Harry blinked rapidly and looked up the concerned look on Draco’s face and promptly broke down in tears. “I’m so sorry, Draco. I’ve been so horrible to you. I’m sorry!”

Draco pulled Harry to his feet and into his arms, rubbing his back gently and whispering in his ear that it was ok, he understood, things were still ok between them. He offered his father a grateful smile as the man stood and took his leave to give them a little privacy.

S~S~S~S

The Headmistress was not at all used to being addressed as the Headmistress, and so was confused momentarily when the Potions Master referred to her as such. “Sorry about that, Severus. It’s just so odd to hear people call me that. I feel like I’ve stepped into shoes much too large for me.”

Severus set his tea aside after taking a careful sip. It was strange to sit in the Head’s office, Professor McGonagall on the other side where he had grown so accustomed to seeing Albus. It was a bit of a shock to him, so he could only imagine how the witch was feeling. “I’m sure you will get used to it, Minerva. If it makes you uncomfortable, I would not mind calling you something else?”

“Minerva is fine, Severus. We’ve known each other too long to mess about with trivial things like professionalism. I remember you’re sorting, for Merlin’s sake!” Minerva said with a good-natured chuckle at the younger man.

Severus fought to keep the blush from his cheeks and was mostly successful as he sent the witch a mock glare. “Way to make me feel like a child again, Headmistress,” he jibed with a smirk.

Minerva found the tension leaving her as she laughed again at the Potion Master’s dry sense of humour. “I just feel ancient now, actually. To think I would be Headmistress to your children…Merlin have mercy.”

“Oh come now, you’re still fairly young for a witch, Minerva. I’m sure you’ll still be here to see my unborn child go through school as well.”

“If I don’t end up in St. Mungo’s first for losing my mind,” the Headmistress joked before finishing off her cup of tea. She had always enjoyed the back and forth conversations with Severus, admiring his sharp tongue and quick wit. The man was very intelligent, and if she was quite honest, held a very dear place in her heart, despite any past wrong-doings on either of their parts.

Severus smirked as his eyes twinkled disturbingly similar to the late Headmaster, who snuffled in his sleep in the portrait behind the Headmistress. “Oh I doubt that, Minerva. Albus was as barmy as they come, and he was never admitted.”

They both laughed as the portrait of Albus Dumbledore gave a soft chuckle in his sleep. Severus knew all of the past Headmasters and –mistresses only pretended to sleep, while really listening to every word they said. This was his way of giving Albus a hard time, even after the man had left the realm of the living. He missed the old man dearly.

“Well, I suppose I should get on with why I wanted to speak with you in the first place.”

“You mean you didn’t just want to hear me call you old and Albus barmy for the hell of it?”

Minerva ignored the interruption with a good-natured glare at the Professor before her. “The Order have expressed concerns about where your family will be staying this summer. Your cottage was unfortunately destroyed, so you cannot return there, and I know you would prefer not to return to Spinner’s End unless absolutely necessary. Have you given this any thought, Severus?”

Severus sighed heavily as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He had indeed given it thought, if only a fleeting one, and he still didn’t know exactly what to do. “I have, Minerva, but I am torn. I know Harry will be loath to stay at Headquarters again, but Spinner’s End is simply not large enough to accommodate my growing family. We really have nowhere else to go, besides just staying in the castle, but I am reluctant to even do that.”

“I think perhaps it is time Harry came to terms with Black’s death and learn that sometimes we must do things we really wish we didn’t have to. I will not deny you the ability to stay here at Hogwarts, but I really must insist you move to Headquarters. Please think about it and discuss with your family, particularly Harry. You may also want to consider how Remus will feel being back there.”

Severus reeled, quite taken aback. He had almost forgotten the relationship between his husband and the late Animagus; how completely foolish of him. “I hadn’t even thought of that, Minerva. This is going to be harder than even I expected. Remus and I have also discussed things with Aurora, and she said she is not remiss to living with us so that we may be able to protect her and the baby and take care of them both during her pregnancy. I went from being a single man to having a family of six in less than a year…I can hardly believe it.”

Minerva smiled warmly at the Head of Slytherin, patting his hand gently from across the large desk. The poor man looked stressed to the core, and no wonder; he had much to worry about. “It is quite a drastic change, Severus, but you seem to be handling everything remarkably well. I could never express how much pride and admiration I have for you.”

Severus was slightly chagrined, but nodded his thanks to the older woman. “Thank you, Minerva. It has been quite a trying year, and it’s not over yet.”

S~S~S~S

The Hogwarts leaving feast was a subdued affair that year. The students could all feel the heavy weight of fear and danger settling on their shoulders already. Leaving Hogwarts was leaving safety, and no one knew what to expect next.

Headmistress McGonagall’s short speech had reminded all of the students to remember the new friendships they had made and to keep in contact in these dark times. She tried very hard not to look pointedly at the Slytherin table as she warned of efforts to recruit for the Death Eaters, and remembering to stay cautious when out in the open.

Harry was glad to see Remus sitting at the staff table beside his father, with Professor Sinistra on the other side of him. His father had warned him that they would be having an important conversation after the feast, and Harry was almost positive it was going to be about where they were staying for the summer. Just thinking of staying at Grimmauld Place made his stomach twist in knots, and he promptly lost what was left of his measly appetite.

“Harry, you really should be eating more. You’re still far too thin, and you’ll undoubtedly start Defence training this summer. You need to keep your strength up,” Hermione admonished as she watched her friend push his nearly full plate of food away.

Harry sighed and grabbed up a roll, tearing a piece off and sticking it in his mouth to appease the girl. “I’ll be fine Hermione. I’m just a little nervous about what my dad’s going to talk to me about tonight. I think he’s going to tell me that we’re staying at Grimmauld Place. I dunno if I could handle that, Hermione, not after everything else this year has thrown at me.”

Hermione smiled sadly as she set her fork down and grabbed his hand up in her own. “Oh Harry, I know that house doesn’t hold the best of memories for you, but where else is there for you guys to go? I don’t think it’s avoidable. Besides, staying there will allow you to be close to the Order, which means you’ll most likely be more included now.”

“I damn well better be. After all, I’m the one who knows what needs to be done in order to get rid of the bastard,” Harry snapped irritably. Hermione pulled her hand away and blushed. He smiled apologetically at the girl, knowing he shouldn’t be snapping at her when she wasn’t the one he was upset with.

“Yeah, mate. I think staying at Grimmauld will be better than not. Where else will you all fit, anyways? Does Snape have a mansion up his sleeve?” Ron asked sardonically as he piled more mashed potatoes onto his plate, much to Hermione’s exasperation. It was his third serving already.

“No, he just had his cottage in Devon and the old house he grew up in, which is tiny. I suppose you guys are right; I just really wish I didn’t have to go back there so soon after…well, so soon,” Harry said, feeling his heart race and his stomach twist. He didn’t want to think about Sirius anymore, not right now. He was already stressed out enough as it was.

“Won’t Remus be a little uncomfortable there as well? I mean, Black was his lover…” Draco trailed off as Hermione glared at him. Perhaps now wasn’t the best of times to bring such things up.

“Oh Merlin, you’re right. This is going to be an awful summer, I just know it,” Harry groaned, his head falling desolately into his hands. Draco rubbed his back comfortingly and shrugged helplessly when Hermione gave him a pointed look.

S~S~S~S

Harry tried to stall as much as possible as he walked down to the dungeons, Draco beside him. His father had given him a bit of time to spend with his friends before they would leave for the summer, but now it was time for their talk. He wished the time with his friends would have lasted much longer.

“It’ll be alright, Harry. No matter what happens, you’ll always have people to talk to and rely on. If we do stay at Grimmauld Place, we’ll just have to make some new, better memories to replace the old ones, ok?” Draco said with a grin, pulling Harry close for a quick snog before they entered the Potion Master’s dungeon quarters.

The Potions Professor was curled up on the sofa with his husband, talking in quiet voices so intently that they didn’t notice the two teens enter the room.

“…know it’s for the best, Sev, but I can’t help but be a little reluctant to go back. You know I love you very much. I’m afraid being there will bring up things that are far too hard to think about just yet.”

Severus sighed heavily and leaned forward to kiss the werewolf gently, then more firmly. When his hand started to trail up Remus’ shirt, Harry coughed discreetly, blushing to the roots of his hair.

“Harry, we didn’t hear you come in. Sit; we’ve a lot to talk about,” Severus said, moving reluctantly away from his lover to face his son and godson, curled up together in a single armchair.

“We’re moving into Grimmauld Place, aren’t we?” Harry blurted, not wanting to drag this out any longer than it had to be. His suspicions had been confirmed by Remus’ earlier words, and he still wasn’t very happy with it.

Severus was a little taken aback at Harry intuitiveness, but if the boy wanted to get straight to the heart of the matter, he wouldn’t beat around the bush either. “Well, Harry, I wanted to ask your permission. I know it will be very hard for you to be in that house again, but I fear it is unavoidable. We’ve truly nowhere else to go, save for staying at the castle, but even Hogwarts isn’t as safe as Grimmauld Place. The Fidelius charm was passed to me after the Headmaster’s passing; I’m now the Secret Keeper for the Order. I will not force you into this, Harry. If you truly cannot handle it, then we will find somewhere else.”

After talking to Ron and Hermione about the situation, Harry knew that he would have to swallow his fear and discomfort and move into the dreaded house. “I don’t really want to be there. There are too many memories…but I’ve suppressed it long enough. Sirius is gone; he’s not coming back, and if I never face those memories, I’ll never heal. I know Grimmauld Place is the best option we have. I don’t like it, but I’ll do it.”

Severus sighed in relief, relaxing into the comforting hand that Remus’ was running up and down his back. His husband was a Godsend. “Thank you, Harry. I promise, you’ll not be going through it alone.”

Harry’s eyes met the over-bright, sad gaze of his stepfather and frowned. He hated that the man was obviously as hurt as he was, most likely even more so. “No, I don’t suppose I will be,” he said quietly, exchanging an understanding look with the werewolf.

“We’ll get through this, Harry. We both loved Sirius, and we’ll always have our good memories of him. Unfortunately, we’ll probably always have the bad as well. Just try not to dwell on such things. If you feel you ever need to talk about it and are uncomfortable sharing it with anyone else, I will always be there to listen. Chances are that I feel some of the same things you do,” Remus assured the Gryffindor with a gentle smile. If he was completely honest with himself, despite the progress he had made, he still had much to let go and face before he could truly deem himself healed.

“Professor? What about my father; would he be joining us at Headquarters?” Draco asked, causing them all to jump a little. They had been so caught up in their own thoughts that they forgot the blonde was even in the room.

“I’ve yet to discuss it with him, but I’m sure he’ll agree. He cannot stay in the castle, and though I’d like to trust him completely, I will admit that I don’t. I want to keep him close, just in case,” Severus admitted with a wary look. So far, Lucius had proved useful and trustworthy, but Severus had dealt with enough betrayal in his life to be wary of falling into a false sense of security around the man.

“What about the Weasleys and Hermione? I think it might help a lot if they were there too,” Harry said, his expression hopeful. Neither one of his friends had mentioned joining them, but perhaps they just didn’t know yet.

“I’ve spoken with Molly and she agreed it would probably be best for their family to move back in for the summer as well. Being as close with you as they are, they are most certainly targets themselves. Grimmauld Place will keep them safe. Ms. Granger, however, will need to speak with her parents about joining us. The girl is hardly ever home to begin with; her parents might be a little reluctant to let her go. They’re home has been warded to the best of our abilities as well, so they do have some protection,” Severus explained to his son, who looked a little worried.

Harry had never really given very much thought to the safety of the Grangers, and now felt extremely foolish for that. Of course the families of his best friends would be in danger; it was no secret Ron and Hermione were his best friends. He felt horrible that he had never considered the Grangers’ safety before. It had always been easy to worry for the Weasleys, as he was much closer to them.

“I know exactly what you’re thinking, Harry, and you can just stop right now. You’ve had much bigger things to worry about than the family of a friend. Besides, they were out of sight, out of mind. The Order has always taken everyone’s safety into consideration and made sure the Grangers were protected. It is not your problem to worry about, so don’t,” said Remus, his voice brooking no argument. He gave a warm smile as Harry looked chagrined.

“It’s eerie how you always know what I’m thinking, Moony,” Harry said with a sheepish grin. He still felt bad that he hadn’t thought of the Grangers, but he didn’t feel quite as guilty about it. Remus was right; he’d had enough to deal with and honestly never thought about it because he truly didn’t know them.

“Call it a father’s intuition. Besides, you’re much like James in that aspect. He always worried over things he had no control over as well.”

There was a long silence in which they all simply got lost in thought. Harry was starting to feel a little apprehensive though, and thought to keep the conversation going.

“So, when are we leaving?” he asked. He thought that perhaps the sooner they moved, the better. He felt like he was sitting idle and needed to keep himself busy, lest he give himself time to actually think too deeply and panic. He no longer had Dumbledore to rely on for answers, and he feared that knowledge would eat him alive if he dwelled on it for long. A little time away from the castle would probably help.

“Soon. There are a few things to sort out before we leave, but I’d say within the next couple of days. You guys should pack now and be ready to move at a moment’s notice. I’ll speak to Lucius in the morning.”

Harry sensed the dismissal, not to mention felt as though his parents wanted a little ‘alone time’ from their display when they had first walked in. He and Draco made off to Draco’s room to spend their own time together, after literally taking an oath to keep their displays of affection to snogging.

“We’ve never had the talk with them, have we? I think we might have to remedy that,” Severus concluded with a heavy sigh. He was not looking forward to that particular conversation, and couldn’t help but feel his discomfort with the subject was why he had avoided it so far. He had been sixteen once; he knew all too well how crazy hormones were at that age.

“I really would prefer to think them innocent little angels who never think of such things as sex,” Remus said quietly with a reluctant grin.

Severus chuckled and pulled his husband close for a deep kiss. It had been awhile since they had truly any time to spend alone with just the two of them. After Remus’ close brush with death, Severus was feeling a pressing need to solidify their relationship, to make sure the man was fully and truly there. “My poor, naïve little werewolf. Think of all the things you did when you were sixteen, then rethink that thought.”

Remus visibly paled and groaned against the Potion Master’s insistent lips. “Oh dear Merlin. We’re definitely too late, then,” he said with a mock sorrowful expression.

Severus laughed openly and pushed Remus playfully, initiating a bit of a tussle that neither of them surfaced from for some time.

S~S~S~S

Draco couldn’t help but notice that his boyfriend seemed to be tense, no matter what he did to try to help him relax. Just lying together on his bed simply enjoying each other’s company, Harry seemed worried and distracted, so much so that when Draco asked him what was wrong, it took a full minute for Harry to realize he had even said anything.

“Sorry Draco; what was that?”

“Merlin Harry, what is with you today? You’re as a taught as a bowstring. Relax, love,” Draco insisted, running a hand affectionately through the Gryffindor’s hair.

Harry sighed heavily and agitatedly swiped Draco’s hand away from his hair, sitting up and brushing his fringe back over his scar as usual. “I can’t relax, Draco. Dumbledore is dead, and now I have to find the Horcruxes alone. What the hell am I supposed to do? He never told me everything; I still don’t know exactly what I’m looking for. Hell, I don’t even know if he managed to destroy the one he went after the night he died!”

Draco sat up, realizing that Harry was much more stressed out than he anticipated. He moved over to sit beside the Gryffindor, pulling one of his hands into his lap to lace their fingers together. “Listen to me Harry, and listen good! You are not alone! You don’t have to do any of this alone. Isn’t that why you told us about the Horcruxes? What have Ron, Hermione and I been doing all year after your meetings with the Headmaster? We’ve been trying to help you sort these things out! That’s not going to stop because Dumbledore is gone. Yes, it might be a lot harder without his help, but that doesn’t make it impossible! We will find them, Harry, and you won’t ever be alone in doing it.”

Harry wiped away the few stray tears that he fallen to his cheeks as he leaned into his boyfriend’s embrace. He hadn’t realized how upset he’d been until Draco made him bring it to the surface. “I’m sorry, I’m just really stressed out. I never seem to get a break, and I’m tired, Draco. I’m so fucking tired…”

Draco brushed the tears from Harry’s cheeks and placed a kiss in the trails left behind. “I know love; I know. We’ll get through this, all of us together. Just try to relax while we can, eh? And like Remus said, don’t worry yourself over things you can’t control.”

They returned to their positions lying side by side on Draco’s bed, and after a short snogging session, fell asleep in each other’s arms. A little while later, when Severus and Remus came to check on the two boys, they couldn’t help but smile at the way they were wrapped around each other, fully clothed, even down to their very shoes.

“I don’t think we have anything to worry about after all, love,” Remus whispered to his husband, wrapping his arms tightly around him from behind. The two teens looked so innocently peaceful in sleep; it was hard to think they were nearly adults themselves.

“No, I don’t think we do. Come, let them sleep; I trust them,” Severus said quietly, pulling his husband from the room by his hand. They would still need to have that dreaded talk with the boys, but until then, Severus was confident they need not worry about it too much.