“Oh, no, no, no!” Harry cried out as he hoisted an unconscious Emmeline in his arms. He was quite grateful for his growth spurt and that his dad had been right when he said Harry would end up being as tall as James. As he left the lab he placed a containment charm around the air so the fumes wouldn’t dissipate and harm someone else and ran as fast as he could towards the Hospital Wing.

“AUNT POPPY!” he yelled at the top of his lungs as he burst open the infirmary’s doors.

“What is the meaning of this Harry James- oh my God, put her here,” Poppy said as she motioned him to a bed.

“There were fumes in the lab. I couldn’t breathe for even a second. I don’t know how long she was there,” Harry said panicking as he deposited Emmeline on the bed.

“I need you to go back there and find out what she inhaled Harry. Find Severus. He will know.”

“She’s pregnant!” Harry said worried, he didn’t want to let go of her hand.

“I know.” Poppy said putting her hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Now what both your Aunt and your new sibling need is for you to find out what Emmeline breathed.”

Harry nodded and ran as fast as he could. He sent a Patronus to wherever Severus was with the message to meet him in his lab. He was extremely grateful for badgering his father into showing him how to do that.

He was at the lab’s door in a blink of the eye and had once again cast the Bubble Head Charm around his head. He quickly strode to the cauldron and put a sample of the potion in a flask. He went to the table and started examining the contents.

“Harry! Harry, are you here? Oh, God what happened here?” he heard Severus cry and soon his Uncle was by his side with his own Bubble Head Charm.

“Emmeline inhaled this. Aunt Poppy needs to know what this is!”

The color in Severus’ face drained and he started appraising the cauldron, “It’s the permanent Wolfsbane. She added to much aconite. She must have gotten nauseous and spilled too much in the potion. I told her not to brew! She was having trouble with the odors!”

Harry stopped Severus’ ranting by grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the lab, “We have to let Aunt Poppy know so she can counteract the effects. You have to explain to her what too much aconite does! Let’s go!”

Severus nodded and let himself get steered. Once at the Hospital Wing he almost fell at the sight of Emmeline on the bed, unconscious and so pale, but Harry held him.

“Uncle Sev, the effects. Explain.”

It was Harry calling him once again Uncle Sev and not Professor that got him out of his shock and Severus started listing effects and how to counter them to Poppy, without taking his eyes off Emmeline. In a group effort, while Poppy cast healing charms and barked orders for potions that Harry and Severus fetched and passed her, the three of them managed to negate the poison and Emmeline’s cheeks quickly regained color.

“What about the baby?” Harry asked worried when Poppy pronounced that Emmeline would recover.

“I had already shielded the baby from the effects of the poison when you brought her and I scanned her. He hadn’t been affected yet and I was able to place the protection charm around the womb. But had you waited much longer, I would have to magically transfer him to someone else’s womb to protect him and that is always very risky.

“Him?” Harry asked and Severus, who had been sitting next to the bed embracing Emmeline and thanking God that she and the baby were fine, suddenly lifted his head.

“Him?”

“Oh, yes. You’ll have a healthy baby boy Severus. I know you only wanted to know at the birth but well, you can understand how I slipped.”

“But, but- I only thought of girl names!” Severus said lost.

“No sister or brother of mine is going to be named Cassiopeia Uncle Sev! You are here forth banned of choosing names.”

“I’m the father!” Severus protested. “You can’t ban me!”

“Banned!” Harry repeated and Poppy smiled at their banter. It was as if the last few months never happened.

Xxx

Severus had taken Emmeline back to their rooms as soon as Poppy allowed her to go. She had told Emmeline to rest for at least two days and Severus was catering to all her needs. She had been eating voraciously off a tray he took to the bed when he just gazed at her and blurted.

“Marry me.”

“She looked at him with a sandwich half to her mouth and said while munching, “I’m not just marrying you because we’re having a baby.”

He scooted closer, took her sandwich from her and looked into her eyes as he held her hand and rubbed his thumb on the back of it.

“I love you. I love you so much. I know I never say it. But I’m just like that. I don’t know how to express my feelings so well. But today my heart went cold when I thought I’d lose you both. And it was the both of you, not just the baby,” he smiled.

“I think you said it well enough,” she said snaking her arms around him and kissing him. “Yes.”

“Really?”

“But only after I can fit properly in a dress,” she said seriously and snatched her sandwich from him to devour it.

xxx

There was a knock on the door and Severus’ breath caught in his throat when he opened it and saw Harry. He was afraid that after the scare Harry would go back to hating him.

“How’s Emmeline?” Harry asked awkwardly. Harry had never been awkward with him and that brought a pang to Severus’ heart.

“She’s recovering well. She agreed to stop brewing until the baby is born.”

Harry nodded, “Can I come in?”

“Yes, sorry,” Severus said and he motioned Harry inside. Harry turned to him and said, “Uncle Moony once told me that a bad decision doesn’t make a person bad. I guess I forgot that lately. I also forgot my mom said I had to listen with my heart when you told me what you did, and that she forgave you and that I’m not perfect either, I’ve made mistakes, I’ve also killed,” Harry said fumbling with something in his pocket and he looked down.

“Harry-“ Severus started but Harry cut him off.

“Let me finish. I know what you’re going to say; that I had no choice but to kill Voldemort and Quirrell and I know that, I understand that, but I will never be fine with that and I guess that is something I have to live with the same way you have to live with what you did.”

“What you did wasn’t a mistake Harry what I did on the other hand-“

“Was stupid and wrong and I wish you hadn’t, but if you hadn’t I wouldn’t be here today nor would Voldemort be dead. I know they can’t compare. I know we would change everything if we could but we can’t and even if I had no choice, if I did the right thing what I did was still horrible but you didn’t stop loving me because of that. Grandpa told me about why you and mom fought and I guess she made a bad choice too. She abandoned you in a sense because she gave up on you. She could have helped, maybe prevented you from joining-“

“I am responsible for my choices Harry.”

“I know,” Harry said in a desperate tone, “but what I’m trying to say is everyone screwed up and I guess I don’t want to be mad at everyone or at you because it hurts, and I miss you and I can’t stand looking at you and not being able to talk to you and thinking you’ll just forget me because you don’t need me anymore now that you have a son and-“

“I’ll always need you,” Severus said taking a step forward and embracing Harry.

“I know. Now I know. I was scared when I found Emmeline. I was scared of losing a brother I  haven’t even met yet and didn’t even know I already loved until I almost lost him,” Harry said grabbing the fabric of Severus’ robes with his fists.

“I was scared too Harry.”

Harry gulped and pushed away and tried to compose himself. “I told you that you were one of my dads,” he said. “And dads are for life. And I want you to know I really mean that I am your son and proud of that,” he finished producing a vial from his robes. “I brewed this myself and already added my blood, got the recipe from the library and I know this is the one dad and Uncle Moony used. I only need your blood. That is if you want to.”

“Harry that’s-“ Severus said eyeing the vial with astonishment.

“I’ll understand if you don’t want to. You don’t have to just to prove anything to me,” Harry said.

“No, Harry. I do. I always have. Since you were a little child. But this is a huge step. You shouldn’t do this just because of a fight.”

“I want to Uncle Sev. And dad and Uncle Moony know because I told them and they agreed with me. I want to be your son in every way.”

Severus nodded swallowing a lump and took the vial from Harry. He sliced his finger with his wand and squeezed some blood in the vial to mix with the adoption potion. The mixture bubbled and tuned a vivid purple. Harry grabbed it and gulped it down. The potion quickly took effect and he fainted and Severus caught him. He carried him to the couch and watched mesmerized as Harry’s skin became a tad lighter and his eyebrows arched a bit more, and his ears rounded. There wasn’t much of a change but Severus figured that was because physically he, Sirius and James had been quite close.  After all, Severus knew the Potters related to the Blacks a few generations back, and Severus was sure that if he bothered to check the Prince line he would find a Black or two. They were everywhere! He regarded his son as he slept, because now Harry was his and no one could say any different. He had tears in his eyes and he never saw Emmeline enter.

“If you’re going to bawl like that at all your son’s births I am banning you from the delivery room.”

“You people have to stop banning me, Harry already banned me from choosing the name!”

“Thank God!”

Xxxxx

The months passed by and before they knew it Harry and his fathers found themselves at St. Mungo’s maternity ward for the third time in three days. Emmeline, Tonks and Hestia had given birth exactly one day apart from each other in that order, and Sirius was convinced that they timed it like that on purpose. Harry peered at the pink and wrinkled sleeping bundle in Hestia’s arms and wrinkled his nose.

“Not  what you’d call a looker.”

Hestia and Sirius snorted.

“Since you said the same about Teddy AND Albus we’re just going to let that slide,” Sirius said. “So, what are we going to name her?”

Harry looked at Hestia who looked back at Harry.

“Hestia, dad asked what you are going to name her!”

“Nope, he asked you. We decided you would get to name her when we were choosing names and you said we would have to see her to know if she looked like a Juliet or an Elizabeth. So now that you’ve seen her, name her.”

Harry’s jaw dropped.

“What?”

“It’s your duty as her brother come on,” Sirius said and Harry’s heart lightened up a little. If he was her brother it meant he was still Sirius’ son.

He looked at the red baby with jet black hair and said, “Well she looks like a carrot with a wig but I guess we can’t call her that,” Sirius and Hestia rolled their eyes and Harry bit his lip, “Regina.”

“Regina?”

“Yeah, well, I remember when you still didn’t know the sex, dad asked you if he could name a boy Regulus for Uncle Reggie. I don’t think that works for a girl but this way she can still be named after him see, Regina, Reggie for short.”

Hestia looked at her daughter and mouthed, “Regina.” She smiled and nodded, “I like it.”

Sirius smiled his eyes bright and kissed Hestia, “Thanks. Then he kissed Regina and when he lifted his head he pulled Harry in and kissed Harry.

“DAD! I’m almost eighteen!”

“And still my baby. Now I have two babies.”

“Oh, Regina. If how your dad was with Harry when he was first dating is anything to go by, you’ll have a lot of trouble.”

Harry and Sirius looked at Hestia as if she was crazy.

“She’s not going to date,” Harry said pointedly.

“Well, when she is a teenager-“

“No,” Sirius said with the same tone as Harry’s.

Hestia sighed.

“Yeah, and if any boy dares come near her, I’ll just remind them I am the defeater of Voldemort. Oh, and all those poisons Uncle Sev taught me are sure come in handy.”

“Yeah,” Sirius said with a calculating glint in his eyes. “You know, we better start training Teddy and Albus to scare any stupid boy away.”

Harry nodded and Hestia sighed in defeat.

“You know the worst don’t you? I had three parents, the three of them will have six!”

Xxx

“Ted?”

“Yes,” Tonks and Remus answered beaming.

“Ted?” Ted Tonks asked again dazed and a little confused.

Andromeda came from behind Ted and hugged him and rested her chin on his shoulder, gazing lovingly at her grandson in his mother’s arms. “I think that’s a lovely name.”

Remus, who was seated next to Tonks on the hospital bed grinned.

“Ted?” Ted asked again.

“I think we’ll be here a long time,” Tonks sighed. “Dad, this is your grandson, who is named after you because Remus and I wanted to honor you and mom, actually.”

Remus cleared his throat, “You two worked relentlessly on the PWA, not only in putting the Association to work, but in aiding werewolves with their legal problems. I know that it may seem you haven’t aided me but by helping people that weren’t as lucky as I have been it was like you were helping me. We had decided that we would call our child either Andromeda or Ted depending on the sex. So, here you have Ted Remus Lupin.”

Andromeda couldn’t hold herself back and launched herself at her daughter and son-in-law with tears in her eyes and Ted just said faintly:

“Ted?”

Tonks smacked her head in defeat as Harry entered the room.

“What’s up Uncle Ted?” Harry asked patting the man’s back. Ted looked at him and mouthed, “Ted.” Before Harry could say something Remus said quickly:

“Glad you’re here cub. We have to talk.”

“About?” Harry asked sitting on a vacated chair next to the bed.

“Well,” Tonks said. “We decided that despite your young age you would be the best choice.”

“For what?” Harry asked.

“Well cub,” Remus said. “We know you’ll protect your brothers and sister no matter what,” Harry nodded proudly sitting a little straighter, “So we decided …“

Xxx

Harry sauntered in the Gryffindor Common Room and stared at Hermione, Ron, Neville and Ginny, who were studying at a table, with a superior look.

“What?” Ginny indulged him.

“I am here to impart my wisdom.”

“Since when is he wise?” Neville asked the others and Ron shrugged.

“Uncle Remus and Tonks asked me,” Harry said pointing to himself, “To be young Theodore’s godfather. Thus I am now a godfather and wise by default,” he finished throwing up his chin.

“You forgot a tiny detail Harry,” Hermione pointed out.

“What?”

“Before he became your father, Professor Black was your godfather,” Ginny smirked as Harry’s face fell, and he huffed and sat on a chair, crossing his arms and pouting.

“Bugger!”

Xxx

A few days later, when the couples and children where back at Hogwarts, or Grimmauld Place in the Lupins’ case, the  Snapes received a visit.

“So we were thinking,” Sirius said from the couch where he was holding Hestia’s hand. “A godfather is someone you would trust to raise your kid in your place.”

“Yes,” Severus said from where he was seated with Emmeline. “That is why we chose Remus and Nymphadora.”

Sirius looked at him shocked.

“You chose Moony and Moony chose Harry. What about me?”

Hestia poked him.

“The moment is not about you. Besides you were already made godfather once before.”

“Humph, okay. So as I was saying, in choosing our child’s godparents we thought of the people we would trust with her safety.”

Severus nodded, “Remus is a good choice. I’d say Albus, but he is quite old, and if he had to take care of the child he wouldn’t be up to keep up with the child. There’s Andy and-“

“He’s not getting it!” Sirius moaned.

“Honey,” Emmeline said. “I think they are asking us!”

Severus gaped at her and then burst out laughing, “Of course they aren’t.”

“We are!” Hestia and Sirius moaned together.

“You are?” Severus looked shocked.

“Yes, Severus,” Sirius looked at him. “After all this time how can you still be shocked when you realize you have friends. You have a family. I trust you with this child in the same way I’ve trusted you with Harry.”

Severus swallowed painfully and squeezed Emmeline’s hand and look at her for reassurance before nodding, and said huskily:

“We would be honored.”

Xxx

“So, you decided to do it?” Ginny asked.

“Yes, Tonks and Emmeline will help,” Harry said and he gave her a quick peck on the lips. She snaked her arms around his neck and sighed, “This place will be so boring with you away.”

“I’ll come visit on weekends. Don’t forget two of my dads, step-moms and my brother and sister live here.”

“I still can’t believe Snape named his son after Dumbledore,” Ginny giggled and Harry giggled at the memory.

Severus had come barreling into Grimmauld Place’s living room with three very pregnant women who were being catered to by Sirius, Remus and Harry. They were all due at any moment and since Flooing or Apparating from Scotland could be bad for the babies they had all decided that staying near St. Mungo’s was better. Sirius had even borrowed Arthur’s Ford Anglia and left it next to his bike waiting for the moment to use it. He and Severus Flooed back every night from Hogwarts where Dumbledore had taken over Hestia’s classes during her maternity leave. Harry made good use of the fact that students seventeen years or over were allowed to go anywhere on weekends and stopped by when he could; after all, he couldn’t just leave Ginny all alone in a Hogwarts full of hormonal teenage boy.

“I’ve found the ideal name!”

“I thought we banned him from choosing names?” Remus said bewildered.

“Especially after Astrophil,” Emmeline agreed and Severus scowled.

“This one is a good one!”

Sirius sighed deeply and sat defeated next to Hestia on the couch, “We better listen to the next atrocity he’s come up with.”

Severus pouted, crossed his arms and pursed his lips. Harry went to him and rubbed his back.

“Come on Uncle Sev. Say the name, we’ll just say no, and life can go on.”

Severus glared at him and said simply, “I thought we could honor the person who gave me a chance to change.”

Emmeline raised her eyebrows in appreciation.

 Harry chuckled again at the memory, “It’s really amazing that he took so long to come up with that.” He looked down at his watch and groaned. “I have to go and get Nastily Exhausted.”

Ginny smiled and kissed him, “Good luck!”

“Harry time ter go!” Hagrid boomed from the doors to the great hall where he entered.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming! God, he’s as bad as he was on our OWLS!”

Xxxxxx

Two weeks later:

“What’s this?” Remus asked from the desk in his study where Tonks had come with a bunch of parchments for him to sign.

“Just some paperwork,” Tonks said. “Just sign them so we can go. We’re going to be late and you don’t want to be late today of all days do you?”

“No,” Remus shook his head and asked while he signed without reading, “What are they about?”

“Fatherhood.”

“I never thought Teddy would need this much bureaucracy,” Remus muttered as he signed. He failed to see Tonks’ smirk.

Xxx

“I don’t see why you have to shove me papers to sign today of all days,” Severus groaned as he wrote his name on each paper in the stack presented to him. When he was finished Emmeline, who was putting Albus on the pram, Summoned the papers and said angelically:

“I’ll just put these away.”

Xxx

The crowd was assembled; the Heads of House had positioned their students in line and had gone to sit with the rest of the staff in the chairs in front of the lake looking at the stage that had been erected. The Tonks, Emmeline, Dora and all the babies were all seated next to the staff members. Andromeda had her handkerchief out and was already bawling even before Dumbledore had made his speech about the bright future ahead of the graduating students and started calling the students up in alphabetical order by last name. The Grangers, Weasleys and Longbottoms were a few rows behind them, and Sirius finally met Neville’s famous Great-Uncle Algie.

“Harry James Potter-Snape-Lupin-Black!” Dumbledore called and Harry got on the stage smiling and waving at his guardians. He grin widened when he noticed Remus’ and Severus’ gobsmacked expressions.

“You know,” Sirius said as he clapped, “People should really read what they sign.”

“I know,” Emmeline said. “Can you believe a former spy trusting something just because his wife handed it to him?”

“Preposterous,” Tonks agreed.

Harry had finished shaking hands with Dumbledore and McGonagall and had gone to stand by his classmates. Once all speeches were done he hurried to his guardians and Sirius and the girls promptly hugged him.

“You two alright?” he asked the two still-shocked men a little worried they wouldn’t like his surprise.

Severus swallowed painfully, smiled, nodded, and pulled Harry in and said, “Thank you son!”

Remus joined the hug and kissed Harry’s head with tears in his eyes. Feeling left out, Sirius joined the hug.

From the corner of his eyes Harry could swear he saw a silver doe and stag at the outskirts of the forest.