Severus scanned the map looking for two names, cursing when he couldn't find either of them. He slammed his fist down on his desk.

Remus turned to the twins. "Find a cage for the rat and bring it to one of us. We'll charm it to be unbreakable. Then next time you see Scabbers, stick him in the cage and bring him to one of us."

The twins nodded.

"Do NOT try to deal with him on your own!" Severus snapped at them. "You stick that filthy rat in the cage and nothing else. Is that understood, gentlemen?"

"Yes, sir," they replied.

"See that you don't disappoint me," he told them.

"Mischief managed," Remus said, tapping the parchment on the desk with his wand and the parchment went blank.

Severus looked over at him. "Mischief managed? Which one of you came up with that?"

"Sirius came up with both pass-phrases. James mapped the castle and I charmed the parchment."

"What did Pettigrew do?"

"He was the lookout."

"How did Potter managed to map the castle?"

Fred and George looked back and forth between the two men, eager to learn more about their heros: the Marauders.

"James had a photographic memory."

"So he trapsed all over the castle using that blasted Invisibility cloak of his."

"We were young and rather stupid."

Severus looked over at the twins. "Didn't we give you two a job to do?"

"Yes sir," George said, though he made no move to leave.

"Then go do it!" he snapped. "You can listen to Professor Lupin all you want later."

The Weasley twins hurried from the room.

Remus looked over at the Potions Master. "Why don't you go check on Harry and stop snapping at the other students."

"I'll snap at whoever I want, Lupin!"

Remus sighed and sat in one of the chairs. "Calm down, Severus. Sit and tell me about the boys. The last thing either one of them needs is for you to take your anger out on them."

Severus glared at him for a moment longer before dropping into his chair. "What do you want to know?"

"Anything you are willing to tell me. I haven't seen Harry in twelve years...and I don't know Orion at all. Or does he wish to be called Draco still?"

"He prefers Draco," Severus answered with a small sigh. "He said that its the only name he's known. Legally though, his name is Orion John."

Remus smiled slightly. At times he forgot that James and Lily had given their second son his middle name, saying that they considered him their sons' unofficial godfather since the Ministry wouldn't allow them to do it legally. "Snape?"

Severus nodded. "They took my last name. It was a blood adoption, but I gave them a choice about taking my name."

"That was a good idea, Severus. How do they feel about it?"

"They were thrilled about the idea. And I must say that I'm quite happy as well," he admitted quietly. "I just...I hopt that they don't start testing me as children in this situation are want to do."

"I'm sure it won't be all that bad. They both seem to be very well behaved from what I've seen of them in class, though Draco..."

"What has he done now?"

"Nothing serious, but he does tend to act like he's better than the rest of the students."

"As befitting a Malfoy," Severus sighed. "I worry about him Lupin."

"Call me Remus. Merlin knows we've known each other long enough. Why are you so worried?"

Severus couldn't help but quietly admit to himself that it was nice to be able to share his concerns with an adult who wasn't a manipulative old fool. "Most of the time he still acts like the pureblood aristocrat that Lucius trained him to be, but then sometimes I see the son that I know that Lily would have raised. I don't want to say that he has a split personality, but its more like two very different sides to his personality. He's Draco, but he's also Orion. Draco is very much like Lucius raised him. Orion on the other hand is sensitive and caring and even affectionate."

"Like Lily."

"Very much so. Harry is a lot like her too."

"They both have her eyes."

Severus nodded. "They do. You've seen Draco morph...he tried to manipulate me last night by looking like Lily."

"Did it work?" Remus asked with a chuckle.

"I was already planning to let him stay in the Infirmary with Harry last night."

The two satin silence for a few minutes before Remus spoke again. "Severus, I hate to bring this up, but have you considered how Sirius is going to react to your adopting the boys?"

Severus sighed. "I really don't care...Remus. Those boys are mine now."

"He'll likely fight you for them."

"Let him! The boys don't know him. They've been with me for more than a year...long before the adoption was finalized. I've loved them, cared for them and healed them."

"And Sirius would have taken Harry years ago when James and Lily were killed. I would have too if the Ministry would have allowed it."

"I know...and quite honestly, I would be fine with you taking them. You are at least mature enough to know when to discipline them...and believe me, they need consistent, loving discipline."

"Are they that bad?"

"At times its like dueling with Potter and Black all over again. The first summer I had them I took their brooms away. I left them at home for a day and they picked the lock on the closet and went flying in a Muggle neighborhood!"

"That does sound like James and Sirius...only they were older and had that flying motorcycle."

"Those two better not even consider something so stupid!"

"I'm sure they won't, Severus."

--

Rae sat on the top of the Astronomy Tower, watching the other students down below as they enjoyed what everyone was saying would be the last of the warm weather until Spring.

"Penny for your thoughts, mudbug," Beau said, sitting beside her, their feet hanging over the edge of the tower.

She sighed. "I wish I could make the weather match my mood. Why can't I forget him, Beau?"

"He was your best friend, he hurt you and the two of you have never had a chance to talk things out and settle it between you."

"But it's been three years..."

He put his arm around her and pulled her into a comforting, one-armed hug.

"I hate him, Beau. I really do."

"I know, mudbug," he said, giving her a brotherly kiss on the brow.

"I think I like that nickname better than 'Cherie'. Save that for your girlfriend."

He chuckled. "Alright, Rae. I will. Hmm...I wonder if I could get some mudbugs over here..."

She poked him in the ribs. "Watch who you say that around. 'Mudbug' is awfully close to 'mudblood'."

"What's that?"

"That is a very nasty term for a Muggle-born. That's the only term that the rest of my House uses...well...most of them anyway."

"You're Muggle-born, Rae."

"I know," she sighed. "But Professor Snape told me to be misleading about my parentage. Not all Slytherins are pure-blood, but those who aren't don't broadcast it."

"Be careful, Rae."

"I will be fine, you overgrown Rebel," she told him, using her nickname for him. "I can take care of myself remember?" She lifted her hands and wiggled her fingers.

He chuckled. "I guess you can. Want to have some fun?"

"Professor Snape doesn't want me using my talent without permission...at least until he's sure that I have my temper under control."

"And he thinks he can help with that?"

She shot him a dirty look. "Well, I didn't slug Draco today at breakfast like I wanted, so I guess that's something."

He grinned down at her. "I'm impressed!"

She elbowed him hard in the ribs.

--

Remus Lupin turned the corner to find Harry and Draco rolling on the floor in the hall outside his office. Each boy managed to land a few good punches before he pulled them apart with surprising strength for a man of his stature. "What is the meaning of this?"

Neither boy answered as they continued to glare at each other.

Shaking his head, he drug both boys into his classroom and shoved them each into into a chair rather hard. With a wave of his wand parchment, quills and ink appeared before them. "Start writing and do not stop until I give you permission," he growled.

"What are we supposed to write?" Draco asked.

With another wave of his wand a sentence appeared at the top of their parchments. I will not fight with my brother. "Rather simple, but it will get the point across. Begin." Once he was sure they had both started on their lines, he went into his office and tossed some powder into the Floo. "Severus, come to my classroom as soon as you can. It's about your boys."

A reply came back a moment later. "I'm in the middle of brewing. Can you handle it? Unless you don't want the Wolfsbane this month."

Remus checked on the boys quickly before stepping through the Floo to Snape's private lab.

"What have they done?" Severus asked him with a sigh.

Remus perched on one of the tables. "I found them in the hall exchanging blows and they wouldn't tell me why. I left them in my classroom writing lines."

"On opposite ends of the room, I hope."

"Of course, Severus."

Severus sighed again as he worked, dicing one of the ingredients for Lupin's Wolfsbane Potion. "I'm tempted to take them both over my knee."

"If you think that's best."

"I don't know what to do, Remus. They haven't really fought a whole lot. Most of the time they are just into mischief."

"What did you do the last time they fought?"

"Nothing. Harry had a panic attack so I let them off the hook."

"Well, I wouldn't suggest doing that this time."

"I don't plan to, Remus." Severus was silent for a moment. "Just tell them that as their unofficial godfather, I gave you permission to do whatever you wished in addition to the lines that you've already assigned them. Let them squirm for a few hours."

Remus chuckled. "Very Slytherin."

"I'm glad you approve. You should go check on them before they destroy your classroom."

"You're probably right," he said, heading back to the Floo.

--

Remus kept them busy writing lines until time for dinner and then walked them down to the Great Hall, taking a seat next to Severus. "Between the punches they threw and all the lines they wrote, those two will have sore hands for a while. They aren't going to want to start on their homework tonight."

Severus chuckled. "Good. And by the time I finish with them this weekend they will think twice about fighting with each other again."

"What do you plan on doing to them?"

"My classroom is going to be scrubbed from top to bottom without magic. I also have several cauldrons for them to scrub and any other little chores that I can come up with."

"Very nasty, Severus. They will most definately think twice about fighting."

"That's the idea."

A commotion new the door caused them to look up. Fred and George Weasley were standing in the entry, their eyes searching the front table for the two professors. Severus and Remus exchanged glances and then got up, heading over to the two boys.

"Do you have it?" Remus asked, stepping out into the Entrance Hall.

George nodded, holding up the cage that they had been given. Upon seeing Remus, the rat started to try and escape from the cage.

"Hello Peter," the Defense professor said to the rat.

"You're sure, Remus?" Severus asked him.

"Positive. The four of us spent enough time in our other forms that I would know them anywhere...in either form. Scabbers here is actually Wormtail."

He nodded. "Shall we go up to your classroom? That might be the best place to do this."

Together the four of them headed up to the Defense classroom, where Remus let the rat go after warding the room to prevent entry or exit. Remus cast the charm to transform Pettigrew back into human form and Severus followed it almost instantly with a Full-Body Bind.

Severus turned to the Weasley twins. "What but do nothing, gentlemen," he told them. Once they nodded, he turned to Remus and silently linked their minds before entering Pettigrew's mind.

He searched through the memories until he found what he was looking for. Memories of Pettigrew taking the Dark Mark...of telling the Dark Lord that the Potters were planning to use the Fidelus Charm...of Black telling Pettigrew of the idea to change the Secret-Keeper moments before the Fidelus was cast...of Pettigrew telling the Dark Lord of the location of the Potters...and finally the memory of Black confronting him on the street in front of all those Muggles that Pettigrew killed a few moments later.

Severus pulled them away from the Animagus' mind with the information that they needed. Sirius Black was innocent and Peter Pettigrew had framed him. Remus sent his Patronus to Dumbledore as Severus summoned two empty vials. He placed his memories of what he had seen in Pettigrew's mind into one vial and then handed the other to Remus. Binding Pettigrew with ropes on top of the Full-Body Bind, Severus released the wards on the room to allow Dumbledore entry.

Remus bottled his own memories and then after exchanging a glance with Severus, he pocketed them. If Dumbledore had arranged things to send an innocent Sirius to prison, they couldn't be too sure what the man would do this time.

Severus turned to the Weasley twins once more. "Your help has been greatly appreciated. You may come to my lab on Saturday after lunch to continue with your project."

"Thank you, sir!" They exclaimed, leaving the room as Dumbledore and McGonagall came into the room.

--

"Albus Dumbledore!" Minerva hissed, turning to face the headmaster. "Tell me that you did not send that innocent boy to Azkaban for twelve years. Have you lost your mind?!"

"Minerva..." The older man started.

"Oh don't even start, Albus!"

Remus leaned over to Severus. "We should have gone straight to her." Severus nodded in agreement, crossing his arms as they watched the Deputy Headmistress berate Albus Dumbledore. It was quite a sight to behold and they were going to enjoy every minute of it.

"I told you not to leave Harry with those Muggles, you old coot! But you never listen to anyone else, do you? Of course not! You know better than everyone else! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Albus!"

"Minerva..." He started again.

"No!" She snapped. "You are going to make this right, old man. And you will apologize to Harry for leaving him those Muggles and forcing him to go back there. Your interference has caused problems for both Harry and Draco. I can't believe that you tried to keep them apart when you know full well that the blood wards could be transferred anywhere that Draco considered home! If you had allowed Severus to tell them the truth when he first came to you, Harry could have gone straight to Spinner's End with Severus instead of going back to the Dursleys and having to endure that beating. You know full well that Draco considered Severus' house to be his home as much as Malfoy Manor and that would have been enough for the blood wards.

"I will take this information to the Ministry myself and make sure that Sirius is pardoned...as well as making sure that he has all rights and properties restored to him." She started to leave but stopped abd turned to face him once more. "I'm warning you, Albus...if you try something like this again, I will make sure that you are removed as Headmaster. Our students and their families are trusting us to keep them safe, not to manipulate their lives. Severus, bring Pettigrew please."

"With pleasure," Severus told her, levitating Pettigrew and following her from the room.

--

Remus Lupin headed out of Hogsmeade toward the favorite hunting grounds of the Marauders during their Hogwarts days. There was a cave up there where they had sometimes rested during the monthly romps through the woods. If Sirius was near Hogwarts, and Remus knew he was, then Sirius was hiding there.

"Sirius..." he called as he neared the cave. "Padfoot..." There was no response, but Remus knew he was here somewhere. Sighing, he threw his head back and howled. There was no way that his best friend, who had had also considered his brother, could ignore that.

The Marauders had been somewhat of a Pack, with Remus as the reluctant Alpha. James and Sirius had come up with all the stunts that they pulled and Remus had allowed himself to be talked into participating in most of them. But when he put his foot down and said 'no' the other two hadn't argued. However, sometimes they would pull pranks without speaking to him first and then they had had to suffer his wrath because he usually got into trouble with them even if he had not been a part of the actual pranks.

Shaking his head, Remus was about to howl again when a large, black dog bounded from the trees and bowled him over, locking his face.

"Padfoot! Stop that and behave yourself!" he said, laughing slightly before he tossed the large dog aside with ease. He scrambled to his feet as the dog blurred and became a man.

"Moony!" he exclaimed, pulling the man into a hug.

"Sirius," Remus replied, embracing the Animagus. "Its good to see you, my old friend."

"I hope you brought me some good news, Remus," the Animagus said, moving to sit on a nearby log.

Remus nodded. "Indeed I have. McGonagall just returned from the Ministry. You've received a full pardon."

"A full pardon?"

"Yes, Padfoot. And all properties and rights as the Head of the House of Black have been restored to you."

Tears filled the grey eyes as he stood and embraced his friend once more. "Thank you, Remus!"

"You really need to thank Severus."

"Snivellus?" Sirius asked, stepping away from the Defense professor.

Remus' eyes grew dark. "Oh grow up, Sirius! Severus is the reson you got the pardon in the first place!"

"What are you talking about Moony?"

He sighed. "Severus is the one who started investigating what happened that night. If it wasn't for him you would still be an escaped convict."

"Why would Snivellus do something like that?"

"If you call him that one more time..." the mild-mannered professor threatened, raising his hand as if to strike his friend. He stared at Sirius for a moment before dropping his hand. "Lily gave one of the boys a message in a dream. Because of that message, Severus started looking into what happened. He told me that he may not like you, but he didn't want an innocent man sitting in Azkaban."

Sirius sighed and turned away.

"You may as well try to do what you can to get on his good side, Padfoot. He's adopted the boys."

"I read about that in the Prophet and I don't like it, Remus. If I hadn't been arrested then I would have gotten Harry. Harry belongs with me, Moony."

"And what about your namesake? Where does he belong?"

"He belongs with me too!"

"What Sirius? What makes you think that they belong with you?"

"They are my godsons! Legally they belong with me because I never gave them up. Sniv..." he trailed off at his friend's dark look. "Snape's adoption of the boys is not valid because I never gave up my righs to them."

"It was a blood adoption, Padfoot! You can't reverse a blood adoption!"

"The Wizengamot better find a way, because I won't rest until those boys are in my custody!"

Remus shook his head and walked away, leacing his friend alone in the woods.

"Moony..."

He stopped at the edge of the clearing, turning to look back at his friend. "The boys are happy with him, Sirius. But all you care about is beating Severus. When you are ready to listen to someone other than yourself and think about what might be best for those boys, you can find me at Hogwarts."

--

Severus put his book aside when his two sons came laughing and tripping into their quarters after having spent the evening with Remus Lupin. After the Quidditch game where the Dementors had attacked Harry, the boys had begun spending their Saturday evenings with the Defense professor who was teaching them the Patronus Charm. Because they were using a boggart, which became a Dementor for Harry, both professors insisted that the boys spend the night with Severus so that he could be present for any nightmares that they might have. It had proved to be a good thing because every week one or both of the boy had a nightmare.

He smiled at their laughter. "Your lesson must have gone well."

Draco grabbed one of the throw pillows and tossed it on Severus' lap, before stretching out and resting his head on the pillow. "We finally did it!"

"Both of you?" he asked, carding his fingers through the boy's hair, which was red this evening. Severus had noticed that lately Draco would use the familiar blond appearance around the other students, but would use his natural appearance when around Severus or Remus.

"Both of us," Harry replied, draping himself across the overstuffed chair near the fireplace.

"So you both cast a Patronus shield?" he asked.

Draco laughed. "Actually, we both managed to cast a corporeal Patronus."

"Corporeal? Both of you?"

The two boys nodded.

"You two realize that most fully trained wizards can't even cast a Patronus shield?"

They nodded again. "That's what Moony told us," Draco told him. Every since the day they had been caught fighting and Severus had said that Remus was their unofficial godfather, the two boys had taken to calling Remus by his Marauder name. With permission, of course, from both professors and as long as they were not around the other students.

He smiled at them. "So what forms did they take?"

"I thought about making you guess," Draco told him with a smirk. "But Harry said that would cruel." Harry stuck his tongue out at his brother.

"Please don't start fighting, scamps, and just tell me."

Harry grinned. "A dragon and a phoenix."

Severus laughed. "I should have known. So waht memories did you use?"

"We used the same one actually," Harry told him. "Our birthday this summer...when you adopted us."

"That's a good memory to use. I might have to start using that one myself."

They both grinned at him. "What's your Patronus, Uncle Sev?" Draco asked him.

Rather than telling them, he pulled out his wand. "Expecto Patronum!" A silver light burst from his wand and took the form of a doe that walked over to Harry and nudged his hand with her head. Harry smiled. "Lily's Patronus was also a doe," Severus told them. He hadn't really planned on telling them that he had loved Lily, and still did for that matter, but somehow it seemed right now.

"Why is your Patronus the same as hers?" Harry asked. "Moony said that a Patronus reflects the personality of the wizard."

"Lily was my first friend," Severus told them. "I think we were about eight when he family moved to Spinner's End. The first time I saw her, she was swinging and jumped from the swing...she hovered much longer than any Muggle child would have before landing. I knew right then that she was a witch. So I went over and told her.

"We were friends up until our fifth year, when I called her a mudblood in a fit of anger. I didn't think of her like that and wasn't even mad at her, but I took my anger out on her. It took her a long time to forgive me, but she finally did. Things were never really the same between us after that. Trust is a very fragile thing, boys, and once lost it is hard to earn it back.

"I had loved Lily for a long time, but had not gotten up the nerve to say anything to her. When I broke her trust I didn't feel like I could say anything to her then. By the time I felt that I could finally say something, and actually did tell her that I loved her, she was engaged to James."

He sighed before continuing. "But sometimes you have to love a person enough to let them go. James made Lily happy and it took me a while to realize that her happiness was more important to me than having her love me in return. It wasn't easy for me to come to that conclusion, but it was the right decision to make.

"I later swore to Lily that I would protect any children that she might have with my life." At some point while Severus was talking, Harry had moved to sit on Severus' other side, leaning against the man's shoulder. "I love you both very much. Just like you were my own sons. I hope you both know that."

"We know, Uncle Sev," Draco told him and Harry nodded in agreement.