“Ginny! Have you got all your socks?!” Molly screeched from the bottom of the stairs.

“Mum! You do know you can just floo anything I forget over to Harry, don’t you?” Ginny screamed down the stairs in reply.

“I know, dear! Just…check, would you please?”

Ginny rolled her eyes and sighed as she re-entered her room. “You know, sometimes I think everything I tell that woman just goes in one ear and out the other.” She told the man seated on her bed.

Harry snorted. “I’m sure she thinks the same thing about you, love.” Sev giggled on his lap. Harry smiled down at him, sharing the joke.   

“Yes, well…” Ginny wrapped her charms bracelet around her wrist before placing the book under her arm into her waiting trunk. “Have you spoken to him yet, Harry?” She asked, gesturing towards Severus.

“No, I wanted to wait for you so we could both discuss it with him.” Harry replied.

Severus peered up at him curiously. They were talking about him, weren’t they? His confused gaze shifted between them.

“Well now is as good a time as any, wouldn’t you say?”

“Ready when you are, love.”

Ginny placed one last jacket into her trunk and then took a seat next them on her bed. Harry and Sev shifted around so that they were sitting cross-legged, facing her. “Sev, there’s something Harry and I want to talk to you about regarding this coming school year.”

Hmmm. Ginny sounded a bit nervous to Severus’ ears. Why was that? What did this have to do with him? What did she and Harry want to talk to him about? The infant bit his lip. What if she says she’s not going to be able to see him until wintertime? What if they say they’re going to have to leave him here with the mother hen downstairs while they went off to teach/attend Hogwarts? Sev didn’t want that! Sure, staying at Mrs. Weasley’s house was fine in moderation but there was no way Sev wanted to stay here in excess of a day!

“You’re going to have to stay hidden, cub.” Harry said.

Stay hidden? Sev furrowed his eyebrows and glanced up at Harry worriedly. Stay hidden? What was that supposed to mean?! Did that mean that they were going to make him stay here in Mrs. Weasley’s house all day forever and ever?

“Harry and I just want to keep you hidden away from the student body.” Ginny said. “At least for the time being.”

“Wha meam?!” Severus squeaked, on the verge of a panic attack. He didn’t want to stay here in Mrs. Weasley’s house forever and ever and ever! That was going to be pure torture!

“Calm down, cub.” Harry said, rubbing the infant’s chest with his thumb. “All it means is that Ginny and I are going to have to leave you with sitters from time to time.”

NO!!! Sev reacted immediately, shaking his head vigorously from side to side. “MO!!! Mo wike! Mo wike! Mo wike!!!” 

“Sweetheart, calm down!” Ginny cried in a calming voice, laying herself down on her stomach in order to bring herself face to face with the panicky infant. “What’s wrong?”

“Mo Misss Wewe!” Sev cried, pointing at the door in emphasis.

“Mrs. Weasley?” Harry raised an eyebrow.

“What’s wrong with my mother?” Ginny looked slightly offended.

“Sev, look…” Harry shifted the infant so that he was sitting on one of his knees and able to look at the both of them equally well. “There’s nothing wrong with Mrs. Weasley, and occasionally we’re going to have to leave you with her, but for the time being, Tonks is still on maternity leave and you can stay with her and Andromeda while I go off to teach during the day.” Harry explained.

“Sev, there’s nothing wrong with my mother. You just have to get used to her a bit more.” Ginny added, no longer offended by Severus’ reaction.

“You’ll have that opportunity tonight, in fact.” Harry continued. “Tonks and Teddy are going to be with Remus at the Welcome Feast this evening, and I’m not quite comfortable enough to leave you with Andromeda alone without Tonks there, so Mrs. Weasley will be coming over tonight for just a few hours to keep you company until the feast is over.”

No Welcome Feast? Severus didn’t get to go to the Welcome Feast? And Teddy got to go to the Welcome Feast?! That wasn’t fair!!! “Wamp come!” Sev replied, a bit of a whine escaping in his agitation. “Wamp come! Wamp come!”

“We know you want to come, baby, and we’re sorry you have to miss it—” Ginny started sympathetically.

“But we just don’t want anyone outside of a trusted group of people to see you just yet.” Harry finished.

But it still wasn’t fair! Teddy got to go with Remus and Sev didn’t get to go with Harry?! “Whay mo?!” Sev bit his lip. He could feel tears forming in his eyes.

“Because it’s dangerous, cub.” Harry replied as gently as he could. “I have lots of enemies out there. Tonight is going to be quite a charged night.”

“Lots of people are going to be watching Harry tonight, sweetheart.” Ginny explained.

“People who want me dead.” Harry continued. “Ginny herself is in a lot of danger as well.”

“We’re afraid that if they see you, they’re going to set their sights on you.”

“Try to kidnap you.”

“In order to lure Harry to them.”

“Or force my compliance.”

“And there’s nothing either of us wouldn’t do for you, baby.”

“Do you understand, cub?”

Sev bit his lip once again. He did understand, yes. But did he want to admit it? No. But I wanna go eat with Teddy! Sev sniffed and swiped at his rapidly moistening eyes. “Mo fe-ew!” He whined, peering at the two of them through a wall of tears. He was looking forward to the Welcome Feast! He wanted to ride on Harry’s shoulders and tell Teddy everything about the school and the traditions and the four houses. He wanted to beg Harry for the chocolate pudding that the house elves made—they always served the best kind during the Welcome Feast—and he wanted to wave at Ginny once she walked into the door. He wanted to do all of that! Now they were telling him he had to stay in their quarters?! Like he was grounded or something?! “Mo fe-ew!” Soon enough, the tears that had been building up began to trickle downward.

Ginny looked heartbroken. “I know it’s not fair, honey. I know it’s not.”

“Mo fe-ew!” Severus grabbed onto Harry’s robes and screamed out the injustices into the fabric. He felt Ginny begin to rub his back soothingly.

“Severus, you have to understand, though, that you are the most important thing in our world!” Harry interjected, running his fingers through the infant’s soft baby hair. “We’re doing this to keep you safe.”

Safe?! Severus pushed up against Harry’s chest and sent the teen his most pitiful look, “But Teddy go wi Moomy!”

“That’s because he’s not in as much danger as you are, cub!” Harry replied, “Not as many people hate Remus as they hate me.”

“But Teddy go wi Moomy!” The infant cried louder.

Harry sighed and exchanged a glance with his girlfriend. “He’s fixating on Teddy.”

“Told you you shouldn’t have mentioned it.” She murmured in reply. “He’s not going to let it go.”

“Alright, how about this?” Harry said, an idea blossoming in his head. “How about I talk to Remus when we get back to our quarters later? I’m sure Teddy won’t mind missing the feast tonight. Why don’t the both of you stay in and keep Nana Molly company, huh?” The teenager exchanged a look with his girlfriend. That might work. He sent her through their mental link.

Sure enough, Severus’ tears slowly upgraded into sniffles. “Teddy mo go Moomy?” He asked hopefully. He didn’t mind putting up with Mrs. Weasley, as long as Teddy was there to keep him company.

Harry’s mouth twisted in uncertainty. “We’ll see what Moomy says.” He replied vaguely. “But one thing’s for sure—whether or not Teddy stays in with you, you’re staying with Nana Molly tonight in our quarters.” He added with a bit of edge in his tone.

“But—”

“This is nonnegotiable, Severus!” Harry spoke over him, adopting a firm look on his face. The teenager found that the infant was more inclined to listen to him without complaint when he spoke with that particular voice and wore that particular look.

Sure enough, Sev’s shoulders sagged and behind the tear tracks, a resigned scowl formed on his face. His eyes still looked hopeful, though, and that simple fact made Harry smile—just a bit. “I’ll also bring back a week’s worth of chocolate pudding for you from the feast. I know you were looking forward to it.”

Sev gasped and just like magic, a grin blossomed on his face. “Ocowet!”

“There we go!” Ginny smiled and caught the wink Harry sent her way. “That’s what I like hearing.”

“So are you going to be a good boy and keep Nana Molly company for dinner?” Harry asked, an eyebrow raised and a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Sev tipped his head to the side in question, “Ocowet?”

“Answer the question first.” Harry sang, elbowing the infant on the arm playfully.

“Yes, sew.” Sev replied with a shy smile.

“Then ye shall have chocolate pudding for dessert!” Harry declared.

Severus squealed in delight and launched himself towards Harry, hugging him as best he could.

Behind him, Ginny chuckled as she pushed herself off the bed to resume packing. “Oh, if only he stays this easy to negotiate with ten years from now.”

“You’re dreaming, darling.” Molly answered from where she leaned against the doorframe. Ginny glanced at her and smiled. “Once all of you hit your terrible twos, it became near impossible to negotiate anything with any of you.” She added with a smirk. “And it just got harder the older you got. Enjoy this while it lasts, my dear!” She laughed, waving a finger at her chuckling daughter as she walked back out the door. “Because it’s all downhill from here!”

“Whatever you say, Mother.” Ginny rolled her eyes as she tossed a pair of socks into her trunk.

“Hurry up, dear! Or you’ll miss the train!”

“So we’ll see you at school, yes?”

“Immy!” Severus whined, reaching for her from around Harry’s arm.

“I have to go to King’s Cross now, love, or I’ll miss the train.” Ginny took his baby face between her hands and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. The poor infant looked to be on the verge of tears. “I’ll see you in school, my darling.”

“Mo IMMY!”

“Come on, cub.” Harry said, stepping back and trying to pull the infant back against his chest. “You’ll see her in a few hours—after the Feast! She’ll be the one to bring you your chocolate pudding.”

“I’ll visit you tonight before curfew.” Ginny nodded. “Just a few hours, my love—that’s all.”

“Mmmm!” Sev whined and stuck his thumb in his mouth, leaning against Harry and peering at Ginny with sad, sad eyes.

“I love you, baby.” She gave him one more big kiss on the cheek before turning to face her boyfriend. “Okay! So…I promise to restrain myself in class.”

“I promise to be fair.” Harry nodded, making his own promises along with hers.

“I promise not to pummel the Slytherins.”

Harry snorted. “I promise not to take points away from them unfairly.”

“I promise to visit every night before curfew.”

“I promise not to distract you from your studies too much.”

“I promise I’ll still love you by the end of this school year...” Ginny gave him a cocky half-smile and tilted her head casually, “…possibly forever.”

Harry chuckled. “And I promise to still love you by the end of this school year…” He imitated Ginny’s move, “…definitely forever.”

Ginny laughed and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend’s neck, pulling him and infant close to her heart. “Definitely forever, then.” She whispered in return before reaching up on her tiptoes to give him a long, passionate kiss.

“Mmmm! STOP!” Sev whined loudly, wiggling between them like a trapped little puppy. “Ewwwwwww! STOP!”

Both Harry and Ginny pulled away with a laugh. Then all of a sudden, the both of them leaned in to give Sev a kiss on opposite cheeks.

“MO!” The infant squealed, wiggling even more frantically. “Ewwwwww!” Sev could feel his cheeks burn up. He could swear his whole face was on fire!

“Alright! That’s enough mushy stuff.” Ginny giggled. “I’ll see you tonight, love.” And with that, she slung her satchel over her shoulder and walked towards her waiting parents and their flying car. “I’ll see you in a few hours, baby!”

Severus stuck his thumb in his mouth and leaned back against Harry, watching Ginny walk away from the corner of his eye.

So this was it. The school year was upon them. Ginny wouldn’t be able to spend every waking moment with him. Harry wouldn’t be able to spend every waking moment with him. Now he had to spend a lot of his time keeping those sitter people company. He didn’t get it! Why couldn’t the stupid sitters keep themselves company! He wanted to go keep Harry and Ginny company! Why couldn’t Harry just take him to class with him? Why couldn’t Ginny just take him to class with him? Why did he have to stay hidden all the time? Harry didn’t make enough sense to him when he explained it to him this morning. So what if Harry had a lot of enemies! The Pope had lots of enemies. Sev never saw him keeping his kids hidden away forever and ever!

The Pope doesn’t have any kids, you idiot! The voice at the back of his mind spat at him. Sev scowled at it. That’s beside the point! He retorted in the same manner.

All of a sudden, Harry lurched and Sev’s grip on his robes tightened. Yet the teen merely sighed as he headed back into the empty Burrow. “Stop arguing with yourself, Sev. You’re staying hidden because I said so. That’s the end of that discussion.”

“Mo wike!”

“I know you don’t like it, but your safety is my number one priority, cub.” The teen answered as he headed towards the floo. “As long as you’re safe, we can find a way to be happy.”

That’s a laugh. Severus scowled. He much preferred happiness and freedom over safety and he knew for a fact that Harry did also. Safety sometimes went hand-in-hand with complaisance. If people did things that always made them feel safe, chances were the more a leader imposed their will upon them, the more they were willing to comply to the leader’s will if it meant their continued safety. Leaders could slowly take people’s rights away and, as long as the people remain complaisant, democracies could turn into dictatorships long before anybody realizes the shift. Severus knew for a fact that the Harry of three months ago was very wary of the safety-complaisance duo (having brought down Voldemort’s dictatorship) and much preferred questioning authority, being non-compliant, and shaking up the system in general if it meant continued happiness and freedom.

Now Severus himself much preferred happiness and freedom over safety—a direct opposition to his initial preference back when he was an adult. His last lifetime taught him that happiness and freedom ruled over complaisance and safety and now that he was starting his life over, never again was he going to let concern for his safety hinder his quest for happiness. The question of the hour was: Why did Harry now prefer Severus’ safety over Severus’ happiness?

“Because Severus is not the one making the decision.” Harry replied, peering at the infant with a raised eyebrow.

Severus scowled at him. “Stop go my hed!” He snapped, pointing a tiny finger at his head in emphasis.

“I’m not going in your head, cub. You’re broadcasting.” The teenager replied, taking a handful of floo powder from his pocket and throwing it onto the hearth. “I can hear your thoughts like they were coming from a radio. I must commend you—your ability to work with the magical bond is improving by leaps and bounds, and you are correct: normally, I would prefer happiness over personal safety. However…” He peered at the infant over the rim of his glasses, “…when it comes to you, I much rather you be safe and sound before anything else. And as to why that is, I have no explanation except…” Harry lowered his voice significantly as if he was imparting a great secret to Severus, “…to say that one day when you have children, you’ll know why as well.”

Severus gazed at Harry quizzically, but the teenager offered no further explanation. He merely gave Severus a quick peck on the temple before lifting the excess sling fabric off his shoulder and signaling him to dive inside as they were about to floo back to Hogwarts. As Sev did as he bid and allowed himself to be wrapped up as tightly as possible, his thoughts turned back to what Harry had just said, trying to figure out exactly what his guardian meant by that.

“You ready, Harry?” Remus asked as they made their way towards the staff table in the as yet empty Great Hall. Behind them, the voices of a thousand excited students echoed into the room from the hallway just beyond the doors.

Harry wiped his sweaty palms against his nice new robes, under the pretense of smoothing them out, and sent Remus a shaky half-smile. “Er…” He glanced nervously at the echoing doors before turning back to face the werewolf. This time, the smile he sent him was full and relaxed, “Not really.” He laughed.

“Me neither.” The werewolf agreed, releasing a sigh of relief before laughing next to his best friend.

“From this point on, whatever happens, happens, right?”

“Tomorrow’s going to be the hardest day ever.” Remus nodded with a smirk.

“We’ve lived through worse.” Harry shrugged.

Remus tilted his head in indifference, “True…but it was a different kind of worse.”

“Oh, will the pair of you stop whining!” McGonagall chided them both as she shooed them into their seats. “Each of you has taught different types of Defense classes before. You’ll both be fine. Now come along!” She turned back to the long roll of parchment in her hands and double-checked her list for what might have been the thousandth time that day. “Albus!”

“I’m here, Minerva.” Dumbledore answered distractedly, eyeing a bowl of licorice snaps near his right hand, the fingers of which twitched randomly every now and then.

“Very well. Doors!” McGonagall clapped her hands twice and the two main doors of the Great Hall swung open just in time to allow the frontrunners of the crowd of students to enter the big room. Harry and Remus glanced at each other nervously. This was it—crunch time. How would the students react to them?

It took a few minutes, but eventually all the second through seventh years trickled in through the doors and found their seats next to their housemates at each of the four tables. Harry spotted Ginny with Hermione halfway through and discreetly waved at them from his seat at the professors’ table. He pointed them out to Remus so that he could greet them as well. The pair smiled at them and Ginny locked eyes with Harry, assuring him through their bond that they both had a safe train ride, before turning back to her other friends and welcoming them back.

“Severus sure is taking the babysitting thing rather well.” Remus commented in an effort to start a conversation with the fidgety Harry.

“Oh, Ginny and I were rather careful to not say ‘babysitter’ around him.” Harry replied with a smirk. “We just called them ‘sitters.’” He nodded. “And we were very careful to note that he was the one that was going to be keeping them company and not the other way around.”

Remus chuckled at that. “But I take it he still didn’t like having to miss the Welcome Feast.”

“Hence, me asking you if Teddy could stay with him and Mrs. Weasley tonight.” Harry shrugged. It was then that he noticed a presence missing from the table. “Where’s Dora, by the way?”

“Oh, she’s staying in with Teddy and ‘Dromeda tonight. She didn’t feel like coming to the Welcome Feast and everything.”

“A bit shy?” Harry raised an eyebrow.

“Hard to believe, but yes.” Remus nodded with a laugh. “She’ll probably make her appearance some other time and such.”

“They’re all probably down in my quarters now.” Harry surmised with a shrug. “Or yours. Eating dinner, having fun.” He then remembered something. “Padfoot’s here.”

“Padfoot’s always here.” Remus rolled his eyes. “I don’t think he really wants to live in Grimmauld Place anymore.”

“Can’t really blame him.”

“No.” Remus agreed. “He’s practically taken up residence in your quarters.”

“I know.” Harry smirked. “Ginny kept pushing him to just claim one of the bedrooms upstairs. She got sick of having to clean the dog hair off the edge of the bed. It took him all month to finally settle in.”

“So he’s actually settled in?” Remus chuckled.

“He has more clothes in my quarters than he does in the whole of Grimmauld place!” Harry rolled his eyes. “We’re going to have to add a bedroom for him at the Den.”

“You’re not his keeper, Harry. You know that, right?” Remus raised an eyebrow at him.

“I don’t mind.” The teenager replied with a genuinely indifferent shrug. “It’s actually kind of nice, having him around.”

“Hello! And welcome, welcome, welcome everyone to a new school year here at our beloved Hogwarts!” Dumbledore’s voice boomed from the podium, startling everyone in the room into silence. “As you can see, it’s still in one piece!” He joked, his eyes twinkling in delight. A few people chuckled at the jest. “Yes, all your professors and I, along with the help of a few volunteers, spent the better part of two months working to piece it back together after that harrowing battle that took place in here last May. Indeed, for those of you who were not present, you are sitting in the very room in which Voldemort met his ultimate fate.” And with that, a flurry of whispers and murmurs circulated about the room.

Harry exchanged a glance with Remus.

“And those of you brave souls who were here during this castle’s darkest hour, who stayed behind to fight next to all of us…I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you and salute you for your courage…” the old man’s eyes then turned towards the heavens and his voice lowered to a respectful murmur, “…and to those no longer with us…your sacrifice.”

He then took a minute to bow his head and, amazingly, most of the rest of the school followed his example.

It was a full two minutes before the old professor spoke again, and when he did, his voice sounded heavy and he had to clear his throat a few times before he could speak clearly once more. “I’d like to take this opportunity to announce that we’re setting up a memorial, to be completed by the end of this calendar year, for those who lost their lives here last May. Should anyone wish to make a suggestion or write some kind words regarding the deceased, you may do so and pass your letters and suggestions onto your professors who will then forward them to me.”

Dumbledore then cleared his throat one more time before getting down to business. “Now…on to cheerier subjects, shall we? To all the First Years, congratulations on making it into each of your houses.” A round of applause, cheers and whistles erupted around the room. “We’re glad to have each and every one of you! Now…I have a few announcements! First of all, we have two new professors joining the staff this coming school year, as you can see.” And the moment Dumbledore closed his mouth, a thunderous cheer erupted among the crowd. The Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables, as well as a handful of the younger Slytherin students, swept onto their feet and gave the two new professors a standing ovation before Dumbledore could even say their names. 

Harry and Remus exchanged a smile and a small sigh of relief. Both men could feel blushes creeping onto their faces.

Look at the two Mr. Populars! Ginny teased Harry through their mental link. The teen somehow locked eyes with his girlfriend through the crowd of people and narrowed his eyes at her playfully.

It took a minute, but Dumbledore was able to calm everyone down enough to get them back in their seats and make them stop clapping. “Now! Ahem! As I was saying…we have two new professors this year—AH!” He held up a warning finger when it looked like the crowd was about to erupt into yet another round of applause. “We have two new professors this year and they will both be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Harry Potter—” And that was all he was able to get out before another loud cheer and standing ovation swept through the room. This time, Dumbledore merely sighed and rode out the wave of applause until they calmed down once more. He then cleared his throat and tried to begin again. “Professor Harry Potter will be teaching Defense on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, while Professor Remus Lupin—” And once again, a thundering applause swept through the room. Those older students who remembered Lupin from his teaching days at Hogwarts swept to their feet and gave him two-thumbs-up and signs of well wishes and greeting as they clapped.

Remus blushed and returned the waves that were being sent his way. He honestly didn’t expect this kind of response. Harry merely laughed and clasped him supportively on the shoulder.

“Ahem!” Dumbledore tried to return their attention onto him, “Professor Remus Lupin has agreed to resume his post as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and he will be teaching Defense on Thursdays and Fridays while Professor Potter is off completing his Auror training. Now pay close attention—this arrangement will only last for the next three years. After such, Professor Potter will move on to join the Auror department full-time and Professor Lupin will then be teaching all of you full-time himself. Thus…the younger years will be wise to get to know Professor Lupin quite well this coming school year. Congratulations Professors Lupin and Potter!” This time, the crowd had enough of standing ovations and they merely offered loud claps and occasional cat calls and whistles.

“Not much response from the Slytherin table.” Remus whispered in Harry’s ear.

“Did you really expect some?” Harry snorted. “A few of the younger years aren’t so against us.” He pointed out.

“That’s a welcome relief.”

“But it’s the older ones that we have to watch out for.” Harry shrugged.

“Yeah…” Remus grimaced. “Not really fair, that.” The two exchanged a look and laughed.

“Now enjoy the feast!” They heard Dumbledore exclaim before platters of bowls of delicious food suddenly appeared on the table.

Normally, Harry would have dug straight into the food before him, and he was certainly hungry enough right now to do so. However, the teen couldn’t find it in himself to dig in so fervently this time around, and he merely stared at the cuisine for a long enough time that Remus had to nudge him with his elbow to get him to stop his staring contest with the chopped liver.

“Hey! Are you alright, Harry?” His friend asked in concern.

“Huh?” It was then that the teen realized he had yet to fill his plate with food, whereas everyone else around him was partially done with their meal. “Oh! Oh, yeah. Sorry.” Harry served himself some liver and peas, filling the sides of his dish with mashed potatoes and carrots. He arranged his napkin on his lap and picked up his knife and fork, ready to dig into the meal before him…when the sight of a single pea gave him pause.

The little green round thing had rolled off his plate and was sitting there, atop the white table cloth, like a green prisoner escaped from its culinary prison. Harry was instantly reminded of three months ago, when Severus had asserted his independence for a bit and began eating off his plate while he, Harry, was distracted by conversation. The teen had turned back around to find peas, carrots, mashed potatoes, and steak smothered all over the place. He remembered being not quite pleased with the sight at the time. Now, however, he recalled the moment with fondness and nostalgia.

“Harry!” Remus nudged him with his elbow once again.

“Huh?” Harry turned to face him, a bit disoriented.

“Are you alright?” The werewolf asked in concern.

“Yeah, sorry, I…” Harry picked up his fork but merely sighed at his food. He didn’t feel that hungry anymore.

“Missing Little Henry?” Remus raised a knowing eyebrow.

Harry’s eyebrows furrowed. “It’s kind of weird.” He confessed, slightly nervous as to what this all said about him.

“Don’t worry.” Remus clasped him on the shoulder supportively. “It’s perfectly normal.”

“Is it?”

“Dora and I felt that way on our first date night a few months ago.” Remus nodded with a smile. “Neither of us ended up eating very much. We just wanted to rush home to Teddy as quickly as possible.”

“Oh…” Harry smiled lamely and sighed in relief. “So it’s normal?”

“Perfectly! Don’t worry.”

All of a sudden, Harry felt a familiar paw bat him on the leg playfully at about the same time Remus felt a tail wag against his leg. Both men looked up simultaneously and exchanged a wary glance. Ever so slowly, the both of them slouched slightly in their chairs and proceeded to push away the tablecloth in the area between their seats to see just what was down there. Sure enough, a familiar black dog panted up at them playfully.

“Professor Lupin!”

Both Harry and Remus pulled the tablecloth back down so quickly, the dining ware across the length of the table all shifted in their direction. This, in turn, called the rest of the table’s attention towards them.

Remus cleared his throat nervously. “Yes, Professor McGonagall?”

“Where is Nymphadora tonight?”

“Oh, uh…she didn’t want to impose on us—it being the Welcoming Feast and all.” He chuckled shakily, “She’s down in our quarters having dinner with her mother and Teddy…and uh…Little Henry and Molly.”

“Oh! Molly’s here tonight.” McGonagall told Dumbledore conversationally.

The Headmaster raised a knowing eyebrow at both Remus and Harry. “What are you boys hiding under the table?” He asked shrewdly, his eyes shining with laughter.

“Nothing!” They replied simultaneously, drawing strange looks from all the other professors around them.

“Oh, then it would be Nothing’s tail that’s wagging out for the rest of the school to see, then?” He added with a smile, pointing to the very-visible black tail wagging at the side of the table opposite Harry and Remus.

Harry inhaled sharply and dove his head under the table. “Sirius!” He hissed. “Your tail!”

There was a small whine and when Dumbledore glanced over once again, the tail was gone. “Ah…” he chuckled to himself, “…now it truly is nothing, isn’t it?” And with a final laugh, he turned back to his meal.

“Would you boys kindly tell Mr. Black to either join the table in human form or go back to your quarters, please?” McGonagall said sharply.

“Yes, Ma’am.” Harry nodded. “Er…” When the teenager glanced back, he found Remus feeding Padfoot a piece of chopped liver.

“Moony!” The teen rolled his eyes.

Remus glanced up at him guiltily and shrugged. “He looked hungry.”

Boy, you guys are good entertainment! Ginny sent Harry through their mental link. The teen looked up and glanced in her direction. There, she, Hermione, Dean, and a group of other friends that Harry knew were all looking his way and laughing. Apparently they knew exactly what was going on.

“Thanks a lot, Padfoot.” Harry muttered at his godfather.

WOOF! The dog’s bark startled half the students in the Great Hall, making both Harry and Remus jump in surprise and causing the other half of the student body—the ones who knew what was going on—to dissolve into hysterical laughter.

“Not a bad way to start off a school year, eh, Harry?” Dumbledore said to him with a wink.

Not bad. The teen agreed with a shrug.

“And then I turn around and Remus is feeding him a piece of chopped liver.” Harry chuckled, making the infant on his lap dissolve into a round of giggles.

“What can I say? The man is psychic sometimes.” Sirius shrugged. Harry lobbed a throw pillow at his head, causing Severus to break into laughter once more.

“You know, in a muggle school you’d be labeled the ‘Class Clown’.” Harry remarked.

“I accept the award with pride!”

“Of course you do.” The teen rolled his eyes and smirked.

“Did he behave for you, mum?” Ginny asked her mother, who was sitting on one of their chairs, reading the latest issue of Witch Weekly.

“Oh, he was an angel!” Molly replied, a happy smile on her face. “They both were, actually. Severus allowed me to hold him for the first time—without complaint! It was the highlight of my day.” She said, genuinely happy that the child she practically considered her grandson had finally allowed her to hold him.

“Well, would you look at that!” Harry grinned at the infant in his arms. “See? Told you it just takes some getting used to!” He planted a kiss atop the child’s head.

Severus grinned. “Mah-mah Mawee!” He said, pointing in the Weasley matriarch’s direction.

A loud gasp echoed throughout the room. Harry and Ginny turned just in time to see Molly drop her magazine completely and widen her eyes at the seven-month-old infant. A large grin began tugging at the corners of her lips. “Did he just call me Nana Molly?” She asked, her voice filled with awe.

“I do believe that’s what he said, yes.” Harry nodded, a smile tugging at his own lips as well.

“Oh, darling!” Molly breathed an awe-filled sigh of pure joy before approaching Harry and kneeling so that she was eye-level with the wary-looking infant. “Thank you, sweetheart.” She then held out her arms for a hug and Severus grinned, diving forward to oblige her immediately.

“I daresay you found your connection with him, mum.” Ginny commented with a smile, genuinely happy that Sev had finally opened up to her mother. “Told you it’d take some time. But it’s worth it, isn’t it?”   

“Oh, more than you can imagine!” Molly answered in a low yet excited voice. She planted a kiss atop the head infant’s head in her arms and breathed in his baby scent. Oh, how she loved this!

“Mum?”

“Hmmm?”

“It’s almost curfew, and I need to feed him.” Ginny said.

“Oh!” Molly chuckled and reluctantly pulled away from the hug. “Of course, darling.”

“Mewmew!” Sev cried, automatically reaching for Ginny.

As soon as the teenager’s back was turned, and she was heading towards the bedroom, Sirius made a face. This time, when Harry lobbed the throw pillow at his head, he didn’t miss. “Shut up, Padfoot.”

“I’m sorry! It’s always going to creep me out a little.” The animagus shrugged.

“I think it’s a beautiful thing—breastfeeding.” Molly opined, “You two are starting to wean him from it, though, right, Harry?”

“Yes.” The teen nodded. “Right now he’s still nursing about three-quarters of the time, but starting next month we plan on starting him on solid food for two meals of the day. We expect him to be off nursing entirely at about eighteen months.”

“How do you know all these things?” Sirius asked, a bit confused at how Harry knew this much about babies.

“Parenting books, Padfoot. Ginny and I read them like crazy when this whole thing started.”

Soon enough, Ginny walked out of the bedroom with a drowsy Severus in her arms. “Harry, I believe someone here’s ready for their bath and perhaps a bit of a story?” She gave the child a big kiss on the cheek before placing him in her boyfriend’s waiting embrace. “I have to get back. It’s almost curfew.”

Sev stirred upon hearing that. “Mo! Immy!” He whined, reaching back up to be picked up once again.

“I’m sorry, baby. I have to go sleep in the dorms.” She replied sadly, brushing a tear from his cheek with her thumb.

“Mo! Mo! Immy!” The infant cried, more tears spilling from his eyes.

“I promise I’ll spend more time with you tomorrow after class, okay?” She replied, slinging her satchel over her shoulder. “I’ll bring my work with me and you and I will be able to read together and play.”

“MO! MO!”

“And on Thursday and Friday, I’m going to bring all my work down here and sleep here and keep you company while Harry goes off to Auror training.”

The sudden mention of Harry going off to Auror training for two whole days was enough to distract the infant from the present situation. “MO! MO! HAWEH, MO GO!!!”

Harry’s lips thinned into a line and he narrowed his eyes at his smug-looking girlfriend. Thanks a lot, Gin!

Ginny laughed and gave Severus one last kiss on the cheek. “I love you, baby.” And then gave her boyfriend a peck on the lips. “Have fun, love!” She then waved goodnight to both Sirius and her mother before disappearing out the portrait hole.

“Mo go Auwew! MO GO AUWEW!”

Harry sighed and stood up, rocking Severus in his arms and whispering assurances in his ear that although he was going to be gone two nights out of the week, he was still going to love him and never going to leave him ever, ever, ever.

“Ready, Harry?”

“As I’ll ever be, I suppose.” The teenager replied, smoothing out his robes one last time. The two men could hear the class trickling into the classroom next door.

Remus clasped the younger man on the shoulder and gave him a kind smile. “You’re a natural at this, Harry. Don’t worry.”

“Yeah, that’s easy for you to say.” Harry muttered under his breath, fidgeting with his cloak. “You’ve already done this before.”

“And so have you!” Remus retorted.

“Yeah, but it wasn’t in this kind of setting!” The teen argued. “It was for Dumbledore’s Army, it was in the Room of Requirement, it was for the war effort…”

“Well, pretend as if the conditions for this situation are all the same.” The werewolf shrugged.

“But they’re not.”

“Cub…if it helps any, I was just as nervous as you are before I went out there to face my first class as well.”

Harry raised a skeptical eyebrow at him, “Really?”

“Yes. I’m not lying.” Remus gave the shoulder he was holding a small shove towards the door. “Now come along! I’ll be in there for moral support. You’ll be fine! Besides,” the werewolf smirked, “they’re seventh years! You’ve probably already taught half of them.”

“Yeah, and the other half wants me dead.” Harry muttered sardonically.

“Come on, cub, man up! You’re a father now!” Remus challenged, knowing exactly which of Harry’s buttons to push. “You know how to take charge of a situation.” He opened the door leading to the classroom and signaled for Harry to go first, narrowing his eyes at the teen playfully, “Now all you have to do is prove it.”

Harry huffed and narrowed his eyes at Remus in return.

The werewolf smirked.

Straightening his shirt, Harry stood up to full height, faced straight ahead, and marched out the door with his head held high. “Good morning, everyone!” He exclaimed as he made his way down the short staircase.

“‘Morning.” Yawn. “Good morning!” Grumble, grumble. “Hello!” “Hey!” “Mornin’!” “Hi.” Snore.

Harry smirked. “Would someone wake Mr. Lewis up, please? Thank you!” He said with a laugh. There was a snort and a soft giggle as the snorer and his rouser settled themselves. “Right! Hello, everyone! My name is Harry Potter and, as the Headmaster said, I’ll be your Defense professor for the rest of the year, mainly on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesday—”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, Potter, we know all this business!” A young man with curly blonde hair spat from his seat in the back of the room. Everyone immediately turned towards him. “Why don’t you and your little werewolf lapdog back there stop playing professor, quit pretending like you know anything about real defense, and go crawl back into the woods from whence you came!” And with that, the young Slytherin (if the color of his tie was anything to go by) turned to his two brutish friends next to him and shared an evil-like cackle with them.

Harry, wide-eyed, then turned back to an equally shocked-looking Remus and raised an eyebrow at him. “Wow…” He murmured, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “How thick can you get?!”

The werewolf grinned, his shoulders beginning to bob up and down from the suppression of laughter, “Obviously, thickness knows no boundaries.”

Harry snorted and laughed out loud, “Can’t argue with you there.” With a shake of his head, the teenager then turned back around to face a confused-looking class and even more confused-looking Slytherin motor-mouth. “Mr. Salisburg!” He called, his keen eyesight noting the slight widening of said student’s eyes before the young gentleman quickly suppressed it. “Yes, I know your name. Hard to believe, isn’t it?!” The teen smiled smugly and locked his hands in front of him, rocking on the balls of his feet as if he was silently laughing at a joke the Slytherin didn’t understand—a joke about him.

Harry delighted in the way the smile slowly faded from Salisburg’s lips and how his eyes steadily began to dart around the room.

“Mr. Salisburg, I want you to answer a question for me.” Harry started conversationally, slowly stepping towards the side of the classroom as if he was a predator, stalking his prey. “How many years have you been here at Hogwarts?”

“Seven!” The Slytherin snapped.

“Seven years.” Harry nodded with a smirk. “And during those seven years, did it ever occur to you that professors had the power to take away house points…assign you detentions…take away privileges…recommend you for in-house suspension…expulsion…that sort of thing?” He raised an eyebrow at the now nervous-looking boy.

The Slytherin’s eyes darted from left to right once again. The attention was starting to make him nervous. “It…might have occurred to me.”

Muffled laughter suddenly swept around the room. “Oh, it only might’ve occurred to you.” Harry smiled vindictively.

“Chris! Shut up before you lose us more house points!” One of the Slytherin girls in front of Salisburg hissed from the side of her mouth.

“It’s alright, Miss Weston. He wanted this, I’m only obliging him.” Harry smirked.

The burly blonde jumped to his feet and scowled fiercely. “Oh, so you think your empty threats are going to scare me, Potter?!”

“They’re not empty.” Harry countered coolly. “And that’s Professor to you.”

“Like hell I’ll ever call your dumb arse ‘Professor’! You and your lapdog over there don’t know shite about real defense! I’m gone!” And with that, he marched towards the open classroom door.

Before he could reach the threshold, however, the door slammed shut in his face, a soft click from the keyhole indicating he was now locked inside.

“Going somewhere, Mr. Salisburg?”

The young Slytherin shot around to find Harry standing directly behind him, his eyes narrowed in challenge and his hands clasped behind his back. “Open the door.” He growled, taking advantage of his height and size and staring the new ‘professor’ down.

Unfortunately for him, Harry was used to this game of intimidation. He merely smiled at the Slytherin and executed an about face. “You say my colleague and I know nothing about ‘real’ defense.” He started, marching back towards the head of the room. “Thus, that implies that you know something about ‘real’ defense.” Harry took his cloak and outer robes off, so that both his arms and hands could be free of obstructions, and threw them onto his desk. Once he reached the head of the classroom, he executed another flawless about face. “Care to demonstrate for us?” He challenged, his eyes narrowed at the Slytherin and a smug smile fixed upon his face.

“Everybody UP!” He cried. Three-quarters of the room climbed to their feet immediately. “Drill circle, if you please!”

Salisburg’s eyes widened as most of the room stood up and quickly began moving the tables and chairs to the sides. Soon enough, the remaining students caught on and copied their year mates, if only to remain out of the line of fire whenever the spells started going off. Within seconds, the defense classroom became naught but a large, empty space with Harry Potter standing at the center of it. The rest of the students were standing off to the side, forming a passable circle around the center of the room.

“Mr. Salisburg, and everyone else who wasn’t in the DA, I’d like to introduce to you the concept of a drill circle.” Harry said, instantly going into lecture mode. “It’s a circle—just as it sounds—with all the students gathered around. Normally, I would have a Death Eater dummy rolling about here in the center, with all the students firing a variety of spells at it, but today I think…” He smirked at the young man frozen at the door, “…you and I will have to do. What do you say?”

Salisburg panted and wiped the sweat from his temple. His wand was clenched tightly in his hand. The professor’s implication of spells being fired at them, however, made his palms begin sweating and thus his wand slowly began to slip out. “Open the door NOW, Potter!”

“Ah, ah, ah!” Harry waved a playful finger at him. “I don’t appreciate your tone of voice. Nor do I appreciate your disrespect. Mr. Salisburg, I pay you the courtesy of calling you ‘Mister’, I’d appreciate if it was reciprocated.”

“You’re not getting a damn thing from me, Potter, nor the rest of my house!” The teen growled before turning back and pulling at the door knob so hard the entire threshold shook.

Harry sighed. “Very well. I supposed twenty-five points from Slytherin is warranted for this…disgracious display.”

Rattle! Rattle! Rattle! “Let me out, Potter!”

“Humph! Disgracious is right.” The Slytherin girl from earlier agreed with disgust. 

Rattle! Rattle! Rattle! “Let me out NOW!”

“Thank you, Miss Weston.” Harry nodded. “I’ll let the Slytherins sort you out in their own time. In the meantime, Professor Slughorn will have something to say to you later after he receives the letter…Ahem! What did you call him?...my werewolf lapdog will send him.”

Remus cleared his throat. “Ahem! Sent him, Professor Potter.”

Harry peered back at Remus, who was leaning smugly against the far wall of the room. “What was that, Professor Lupin?”

“He’s already received it, sir!”

“Ah! Very good!” Harry grinned at him before turning to face the now very desperate Slytherin at his door. “So! Points taken away…Head of House informed…” Harry ticked the punishments off on his fingers, “…now I do believe it would be time for me to inform you of the month-long detention you have with my colleague and I.”

“That’s BOLLOCKS!!!” Salisburg shot around and a bright blue light came flying out of his wand towards Harry. The target moved not an inch, yet before the spell could even reach the young professor, it became trapped in an invisible force-field surrounding him on all sides.

Salisburg’s eyes widened. It hadn’t hit him! He…It hadn’t hit him! That spell was his own creation—he designed it specifically to penetrate any sort of shield charm. Potter wasn’t supposed to…But he had just…That was impossible! The spell just sat there—formed into a ball in front of Potter, hanging in suspended animation. It hadn’t hit him!

“Might I remind you, Mr. Salisburg, that Voldemort himself shot the killing curse at me no less than thirty-five times a few months ago. That’s designed to penetrate any shield as well. It didn’t work. What makes you think you know more than the man who invented Avada Kadavra?”

Salisburg growled in fury and again fired the same spell at him. As expected, it didn’t penetrate. “Take out your wand, Potter!” He cried. “Fight back!” And yet again he fired.

Harry coolly turned away from the fast-approaching spell-happy Slytherin to face the crowd gathered around him. “Observe, ladies and gentlemen—pure recklessness and pride getting in the way of progress. A real fight between two master duelers involves a lot more than a shield charm and one spell going back and forth. If one spell doesn’t work, it is imperative that you try another!”

Boom! Flash! Boom! “Fight back, you coward!” The Slytherin had continued firing spells at Harry, but his advance had stalled a good ten feet away from the professor. As much as he kept saying Potter didn’t scare him, his body language claimed the exact opposite.

Harry fixed the teen with a cold, hard glare. “You…don’t…want me to, Mr. Salisburg.” He growled, his voice low, slow and dangerous.

Salisburg paid him no heed, firing spell after spell at him in frustration. Like before, they merely hit Harry’s shield charm and traveled no farther. “You’re all cowards—the lot of ya! You, that half-breed traitorous bastard Snape—”

Before anyone could blink, Salisburg went flying through the air. His wand was pried from his fingers and thrown halfway across the room. His arms and legs were put in a body bind. His eyes widened in panic. His scream, high-pitched and girly, swept through the room, making some of its occupants cringe and cover their ears. Then, all of a sudden, his body came to a stop…

…right in front of the young professor’s outstretched hand.

Harry no longer smiled this time. His eyes no longer shone. His face held not a hint of pity. Instead, white hot fury burned in his eyes. “I would watch my tongue if I were you.” He snarled dangerously, delighting in the panic that swept through the Slytherin’s eyes and basking in the aura of fear that was radiating off the other teen.

“Professor Potter!” A familiar voice exclaimed across the room. It was soon followed by hasty footsteps walking in his direction. “Professor Potter, don’t you think that’s enough?”

“No.” Harry murmured under his breath, making the Slytherin gulp and squirm in midair.

Harry soon felt a soft hand on his shoulder and the same familiar voice whispering in his ear. “Come on, Harry. Just let him go. Let Remus deal with him now.” Ginny’s voice was laced with a bit of calming magic, the teen realized belatedly.

“Yes, Professor.” Remus added, directly behind him. “I have a desk all set up for him to write lines while the rest of the class learns something useful for the rest of the hour.”

It took a minute, but Harry was able to break eye contact with the jittery Slytherin and face his friend behind him. Then all of a sudden, the playful smirk reappeared upon his face. “Where is it?” He asked Remus, the light that had been absent a moment before suddenly bouncing in eyes once more. “Where’s the desk?”

Remus raised an eyebrow and exchanged a look with Ginny before stepping aside and gesturing towards a small student’s desk next to the professor’s podium.

Harry nodded and then scanned the area around the desk with his eyes. Then all of a sudden, he grinned. “I think I have a better place for it.”

Thus, as the rest of the class lined up to go through a few drills so that Professor Potter could assess their strengths, Mr. Christopher Salisburg sat, red-faced, facing the corner, writing lines and berating himself for challenging the man who defeated the Dark Lord.