Sunlight filtered through the open curtains of one of the second floor windows in the little white house at the end of the lane and onto the face of the owner of the house, thus cutting off any thoughts of attempting to sleep in. Not that he was sleeping very well while sitting up and holding a blanket-wrapped thirteen-year-old. And the thirteen-year-old currently using his knees as a pillow was cutting off the circulation to his feet.

At least they were sleeping soundly now. The last three weeks had been hard on all three of them, because there had yet to be a night where one of the two young teens had not woken up with a nightmare. It had been three weeks since he had adopted these two boys and it had been that very night that the nightmares had started. There was no pattern to which one would have a nightmare, so he couldn’t use the Dreamless Sleep potion. And it just wasn’t safe to use that potion more than three nights a week. School would start back in a week and he wasn’t sure how any of the three of them would manage if the nightmares didn’t stop.

He moved his legs slightly and the dark head resting there rose and then dropped onto the bed, the boy not even waking. Severus shook his head. At least that one’s nightmares hadn’t been the most frequent. Harry’s nightmares involved screams that Severus never wanted to hear again…screams of a boy under the Cruciatus Curse. The boy always woke the next morning with a sore throat. But at least he had a potion that could help with that.

It was the other one that he was most worried about. The one that, until a year ago, he had thought was his beloved godson…only to find out that he was actually the godson of his old nemesis and the son of the man that married the only woman he ever loved. While Draco could miraculously sleep through Harry’s nightmares, the opposite was not true. Instead of screaming like his twin, Draco could always be found curled in fetal position, whimpering. If it hadn’t been for Harry, Severus probably wouldn’t have known about Draco’s nightmares at all. Harry, who could sense his brother’s emotions, would wake up and come downstairs to get Severus, then curl up at the foot of his brother’s bed and go back to sleep while Severus tried to wake Draco and then get the boy back to sleep…which would only happen as long as he was wrapped in the blanket that Lily had made so long ago and being held by Severus.

Perhaps tonight, after purchasing the boys’ school supplies and taking the train out to Hogwarts, he would dose them both with Dreamless Sleep, guaranteeing them all at least one full night of sleep.

But first, they had things to do. He would leave the boys with the Weasleys to purchase the things they needed for school while he went and talked to the last member of the Marauders…the “gang” of boys that had singled him out for torment during their Hogwarts days. The man hadn’t necessarily take part in all the torment, but he hadn’t tried to stop Potter or Black either. He could put up with the man long enough to figure out what Lily’s strange message a few weeks before meant. And he would tolerate the man this year, but only because the man was going to be teaching at Hogwarts. He was not thrilled about the werewolf being at the school, but as long as the man took the Wolfsbane and took other precautions, and Severus intended to make sure were taken, it shouldn’t be a big problem.

--

Severus looked up from the Daily Prophet when his sons came into the kitchen. “Good morning,” he greeted them as Harry began to fix their plates. Both boys mumbled a greeting as Draco gave him a quick hug before going to pour them both glasses of juice. The sight of the two of them working together never failed to please him.

He watched the youngest of his sons for a moment. They had removed the glamour on their birthday and Severus knew that neither boy had their wand, so why was the boy blond again. “Dragon, I thought I removed the glamour…”

“You did,” Draco answered. “I just didn’t want to be confused for a Weasley since you insist on leaving us with them today.”

“There is nothing wrong with the Weasleys!” Harry protested.

“Right…which is why Ronald stormed out of the infirmary that day.”

“He’s still my friend, Draco. And I like the twins…and Ginny.”

Severus slapped Draco’s hand when the boy tried to steal his cup of coffee. “That’s enough. Both of you.”

“Yes sir,” they replied. They had managed to stay out of trouble since he had lifted their grounding early and they wanted to keep it that way.

“Which one of you managed to cast a wandless glamour? I still have both of your wands.”

“Neither of us,” Draco answered with a shrug. “I just thought real hard and it changed back.”

Severus stared at him. “Show me…”

Draco’s face twisted in concentration and after a moment the blond hair turned a dark red. Grey eyes became green, and the sharp aristocratic features softened.

“That’s brilliant, isn’t it, Uncle Sev?” Harry asked.

“Try to change to something else,” Severus told the boy.

“Like ‘Dora?” Draco asked him.

Harry looked back and forth between the two of them. “Who is Dora?”

“Nymphadora Tonks is Narcissa’s niece…she’s a Metamorphmagus. She can change her appearance at will,” Severus explained. “She graduated Hogwarts the year before you two came and I believe that her favorite hair color was pink.”

Harry turned to his brother. “Can you do that?”

Draco’s face twisted in concentration once more. “Guess not,” he said a moment later when nothing happened.

“It’s still a special talent,” Harry told him. “Like my being able to talk to snakes.”

Draco smirked at his brother and then changed back to the blond hair and cold grey eyes. “Can I please stay like this, Uncle Sev?”

Severus sighed. “I suppose it’s alright. But don’t go showing off this new talent of yours.”

“I won’t…”

--

Harry and Draco had been left in the charge of Fred and George Weasley who had been promised an afternoon in the Potions Master’s private lab if a few simple conditions were met: that the two boys got back in one piece, with only the things that they had been sent to buy and they were not to stop at either Zonkos or Honeydukes.

After watching his sons walk away with the three youngest Weasley males, Severus turned and headed back into the Leaky Cauldron and up the stairs to the room where Remus Lupin was staying. “You look like hell,” he said with the man opened the door. “How many days until the full moon?” He didn’t really care about the werewolf, but as he was the one brewing the Wolfsbane that the man needed, he felt justified in asking.

Lupin raked his fingers through his hair. “Four. I’ll take the Express to Hogwarts with the students since I won’t be up to Apparating.” He stepped aside to let Severus in. “I read about the adoption. Congratulations, Severus. I’m sure that James and Lily would be happy to know that their sons are safe now.”

“Lily is the reason I’m here, Lupin.” He moved over to the small table and took a seat. “While Draco was recovering from what Lucius did to him, he dreamed of Lily. She gave him a message for me. ‘The things that happened in the hours after my death are not as they appeared.’ I never liked Black, I still don’t, but is there a chance that he’s innocent as he claimed twelve years ago?”

Lupin sat across from him. “Severus, you knew us at school. Peter tended to hide behind James and Sirius…he was a follower.”

“I’m still not sure how he ended up a Maurader.”

“How did I end up as one? It was James and Sirius who pulled most of the pranks while we were at school. Albus only made me a prefect to try and keep them out of trouble and you saw how well that worked. I think they just let Peter and I call ourselves Mauraders because we were their roommates.”

“All they found of Pettigrew was his finger. Is there a way that he could have escaped that blast…Apparation, something…anything.”

Lupin raked his fingers through his hair. “Merlin, why didn’t I think about that before?”

“Think of what, Lupin?”

“After you knew the truth about me…did you ever wonder notice that James, Sirius and Peter were exhausted the day after the full moon? I was able to spend time in the Infirmary recovering, but they weren’t even supposed to be out of the castle…”

“You aren’t making any sense.”

Lupin sighed. “I’m sorry, Severus. After they found out the truth about me…they all had an illegal Animangus form. They would keep me company after I transformed…it helped.”

“Animangi? Did Albus and Minerva know about this?”

“Of course not, Severus. No one knew until James told Lily our seventh year…and now you.”

“What is Pettigrew’s Animangus form?”

“Umm…well…a rat,” Lupin said with a slight chuckle.

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. “Alright. So it is possible that Black was telling the truth and Pettigrew escaped. I’ll get some of the old crowd to look into it.”

“Why are you doing this, Severus?”

“I told you. Lily gave me a message through one of her sons.”

“You loved her, didn’t you?”

Severus sighed deeply. “I never stopped loving her, Lupin.”

--

She leaned casually against the wall, a hat pulled low over her eyes. Her grey eyes, the color of the sea during a storm, watched everything going on around her as had been her habit for years. Even in the wizarding world it was to pick out an easy mark, not that she had seriously looked for a mark in about three years.

Her godfather and his apprentice stood nearby arguing; her godfather in English and his apprentice in French. Those two were always arguing about something and she just couldn’t translate fast enough to keep up with her friend’s rapid fire French.

Tuning them out, she went back to her people watching. Nearby she saw four red heads speaking to a tall man with long dark hair who had his hands resting on the shoulders of two boys about her age, one with dark hair and the other with blonde. The two youngest red heads looked at the man almost with fear while the two identical red heads were listening carefully to the man’s instructions. After a moment the man walked away from them.

The boy with the dark hair turned to the youngest red head. “Listen, Ron…you don’t have to like it, but Draco is my brother, my twin brother, and Uncle Sev adopted us…if you can’t keep your negative thoughts to yourself, you can just go spend the day with your mum and Ginny, because I don’t want to hear it!” She heard Ron stutter an apology as they all walked away.

Well that was interesting, she thought, before resuming her people watching. Perhaps I’ll find out what that was all about once school starts.

This would be her first year of any sort of formal magical education. Things were different in America …there young witches and wizards were apprenticed to another witch or wizard for their education. She was apprenticed to her godfather, but because of his job other arrangements had be made for the man’s two apprentices for at least the next two years. Her godfather, Daniel Cole, worked for the American Magical Law Enforcement, but was often loaned out to the American military for special assignments. It was because of one of these assignments that he had arranged for them to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Such an arrangement was highly unusual, but Cap, as she called her godfather, knew enough people in both countries to pull the right strings.

She knew she looked out of place on this London wizarding street, but she didn’t really care. Having grown up on the streets on New York City , she learned not to care about what people thought. She had also learned to blend in, even while dressed differently. Her usual uniform was baggy black pants and a dark solid color shirt. Today she had added robes similar in style to a muggle trench coat and a muggle cap that had been in her godfather’s family for several generations. In no way was she looking forward to wearing skirts as part of the uniform at Hogwarts, but at least she only had to wear them for classes.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a familiar and very unwelcome face. He was not supposed to be here! Without a second thought, she stormed over and swung a powerful right hook at the face of the boy she never wanted to see again.

--

They had been passing Quality Quidditch Supplies when they saw it: the Firebolt! Harry, Draco, Ron, Fred and George all crowded around the display window to get a good look at the newest and fastest racing broom.

“It’s beautiful!”

“I bet it cost a fortune.”

“There isn’t even a price tag. Of course it cost a fortune.”

“Stop being a prat, Malfoy.”

“The name isn’t Malfoy anymore…” Draco was cut off when a fist came out of nowhere and caught him in the jaw, knocking him off his feet. He looked up to see a strangely dressed girl with a long dark red braid glaring down at him, her hands pointing toward him with her fingers splayed.

The sky suddenly grew dark and the wind began to blow. A tall man with dark blond hair ran up behind her wrapping his arms around her and lifting her off her feet. “Rae! Stop it now!” he snapped at her. “Control yourself!” The storm continued to brew and the winds got even stronger. “Alana Rae Kelly if you don’t stop it this instant I will get Beau to douse you…”

The tall dark haired teen with them, reached around the man and placed a cap on the girl’s head, covering her eyes. “You dropped that, cherie.”

“I told you not to call me that!” she snapped, before relaxing slightly in the man’s arms. As quickly as the storm come, it was gone.

The man set her down near the other teen and knelt in front of Draco. “May I take a look? She can hit pretty hard.”

“You’re telling me,” Draco spat, but he allowed the man to look at his face.

“My name is Daniel Cole and these are my apprentices. The young lady that hit you is Rae Kelly, my goddaughter, and the young man is Beau Devereaux.” He cast a glance at the two teens over his shoulder. Beau had not let go of the girl, but she was struggling to get away from him as they argued quietly. “I don’t think anything is broken, young man. Just sore.”

“Does she usually go around hitting strangers?” Harry asked, kneeling down beside them.

“Usually she behaves better than that, but at first glance this young man looks like someone she never wants to see again,” he explained.

Draco sighed as he caught sight of the girl giving him yet another dirty look. He looked over the man’s shoulder. “Can I change, Uncle Sev? Please? I really don’t want to get hit again…”

“In a moment,” he said, kneeling down as well. He pulled his wand and ran a quick diagnostic spell. “Can I not leave you two unattended for even an hour without you getting into some kind of trouble?”

“It wasn’t his fault,” Harry explained to him. “She just walked up and hit him.”

“My apprentice has quite a temper…” Daniel explained.

“So does he,” Draco whispered.

The remark earned him a dirty look from Severus and a light cuff on the back of the head. “You may change,” he told the boy.

“Thank you!” he exclaimed, changing his features.

“He’s a Metamorph?” Fred asked.

“Duomorph,” Severus answered, standing and helping Draco to his feet. He brushed the dirt from his robes and turned to the other man. “I’m Severus Snape.”

“Daniel Cole,” he replied, shaking hands with the other wizard. “I believe we were supposed to meet in a couple hours.”

“Indeed we were. These are my sons Harry and Draco and their friends Fred, George and Ronald Weasley,” Severus said.

Daniel reintroduced his two apprentices. “I apologize again for my apprentice’s behavior.”

George stepped forward. “Professor, after she hit Draco the sky got dark and the wind started to blow, like it was about to rain but then it just went away.”

Severus turned to Daniel once more. “Is Miss Kelly a weather witch?”

“She is,” the man replied, looking over at the girl. She looked away, pretending to be bored with the conversation. “Though she does have a bit of trouble controlling it when she looses her temper…”

“Then perhaps private lessons in some of the mental disciplines would not be remiss while she is at Hogwarts,” Severus said.

“Hogwarts!” Draco snapped. “She’s going to Hogwarts?”

Severus gave him a look. “They both are. Mind your manners.”

“But Uncle Sev…I don’t want to worry about getting clouted every time I decide I don’t want to look like a Weasley…” the boy protested, earning him dark looks from the Weasley boys.

“You look like your mother,” the Potions Master replied. “Go with Fred and George to finish your shopping…”

“But…”

“Go!” Sighing, Draco followed Harry and the Weasleys down the street. Severus raked his fingers through his hair. “I apologize…again.”

“I understand,” Daniel told him. “They are teenagers.”

--

A few hours later Harry, Draco, Severus and the three Americans were on the Hogwarts Express. Normally Severus would have Flooed straight to his quarters, but Albus had asked him to escort the two new students and their guardian to the school. During the next few days the two teens would be Sorted and would be tested on their magical knowledge to ensure their proper place in their classes.

“I work for American Magical Law Enforcement,’ Daniel was explaining. “They often loan me out to the American military for special cases.”

“He’s a Captain in the AMLE,” Rae said, resting her head against her godfather’s shoulder. Daniel smiled affectionately down at her. It wasn’t often that she acted like a normal girl her age. “The only person with a higher rank is the Director.”

Daniel chuckled. “And we want the Director to keep his position for many years, don’t we, little one?” She made a face at the endearment, but nodded. “The Director is my grandfather.”

“Do you plan to go into the family business as well, Miss Kelly?” Severus asked.

“Cap and Gramps would like it if I would, but I wouldn’t want to have to try and live up to their reputations,” Rae answered. “I mean, Gramps has been the Director a long time and everyone says that he’s the best we’ve ever had. And Cap is the youngest person to ever make Captain…he didn’t just get it because Gramps is the Director. He’s had to work really hard to get it.”

“Uncle Sev’s a Potions Master. One of the best in all of Europe !” Draco said proudly.

Severus gave him a look and then turned to Beau. “And what are your career plans, Mr. Devereax?”

“I’ve considered joining the AMLE, Professor Snape,” the older teen answered. “But it was my mother’s wish that I become a Healer as she was.”

“Was?” Harry asked, joining the conversation for the first time.

The raven-haired teen nodded. “She was killed when I was ten along with two of my sisters and one of my brothers by a rogue dark wizard. That’s how I met Cap. He was the lead investigator on the case.”

“After that Beau became my apprentice,” Daniel told them. “And my wife and I adopted him and his three remaining siblings. We were unable to have children of our own, so it worked out well for all parties.”

“How does your wife feel about the long separation?” Severus asked him.

“ Halle ’s not too thrilled about it, but it does help that she has the little ones now to keep her company,” Daniel answered. “Unfortunately, we’ve had many such separations since we married. The Director has promised that after this assignment I will be able to stay home for a while.”

“Then I wish you a successful mission.”

“Thank you, Snape. Will you tell us more about Hogwarts?” he asked.

“Indeed. Students at Hogwarts are sorted into one of four houses: Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. They will attend classes with their House and the four Houses compete throughout the year for the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup. Professors can give or take points and assign detentions.”

“Uncle Sev is Head of Slytherin House,” Draco piped up.

“Which house do you belong to, Mr. Snape?” Daniel asked.

Draco and Harry both grinned. It was the first time that anyone had called either of them by their new last name. “I belong to Slytherin House, sir. Harry’s a Gryffindor.”

“I bet that adds a fair bit to the normal sibling rivalry,” Daniel chuckled.

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Severus told him.

“We’re not that bad!” Harry protested.

Severus looked down at him. “Really? Then would you care to explain to me why your room changed colors every time you two were down in my quarters last year?”

“Sorry…” they both whispered.

He nodded. “I have changed the colors once more and I have also arranged things so that you will not be allowed to use your wands in your room.”

“Uncle Sev!” Draco protested.

“That’s not fair!” Harry added.

Severus gave them both a look which silenced them.

“Are you married, Professor?” Rae asked him.

“No, Miss Kelly…Harry and Draco are the sons of a dear friend of mine from childhood. I adopted them this past summer,” the Potions Master answered.

Daniel looked over at Harry. “Harry Potter?” he asked quietly.

“Yes sir,” Harry answered politely. “But it’s Harry Snape now.”

--

“Uncle Sev!” Draco yelled as he and Harry walked into their room later that evening.

“Yes dragon?” he asked, walking up behind him.

Draco turned to look up at Severus. “Blue and yellow? You charmed our room to be blue and yellow?”

The man nodded. “I did. I thought it was the perfect solution to the color issue.”

“Blue and yellow?!”

“If you two can agree on colors, perhaps I’ll change it for you again at Christmas,” he told them, walking down the hall to his own room.

Harry snickered as he opened his trunk.

“It’s not funny!” Draco snapped at him.

“Actually it is, ‘Ri. Look at the colors…Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw,”

“That just makes it even worse, Jamie!”

“You’re just upset that Rae got Sorted into Slytherin.”

“I am not! Oh…alright, maybe I am. But I don’t want to worry about getting hit all the time just because I look like some guy she used to know! What did he do to her anyway?”

“Maybe you should ask her,” Harry told him as he got ready for bed.

Draco sat on his bed and crossed his arms, clearly sulking. “Why did she have to be in Slytherin?”

“Maybe because that’s where the Hat wanted her.”

“Oh that’s just a bunch of bull, Jamie, and you know it! You convinced the Hat to put you in Gryffindor.”

Harry finished changing and pulled Draco’s pajamas from his trunk and threw them at his brother. “I told the Hat that I didn’t want to be in Slytherin, there is a big difference, ‘Ri. I just didn’t want to be around you any more than I had to.”

“Well I don’t want to be around her!”

“Then ask Uncle Sev if you can’t get resorted,” Harry said, loosing patience with his twin. He climbed into his bed.

“But I was in Slytherin first…” Draco replied, changing clothes.

“Oh stop being such a baby!”

“Can we go flying this morning, Uncle Sev?” Harry asked as the three made their way up to the Great Hall for breakfast the next morning. Thanks to Dreamless Sleep, Harry and Draco both slept through the night and all three woke the next morning feeling well rested for the first time in weeks.

“As long as you two promise not to try any stunts, I don’t see why not,” the man replied. “But if you try them…”

Harry sighed. “I know, I know…our brooms and our bums are yours…”

Chuckling, Severus ruffled the boy’s ever messy hair. “Just behave, alright?”

“We will! Maybe Beau and Rae can go with us…”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible. They will be taking some tests this morning to see where they stand to make sure that we put them in the right classes. But perhaps they might find some time before dinner.”

“Yes sir,” he replied, before heading over to the small table that had been set up for the four students.

Severus looked down at his other son who was still standing by his side. “Is something wrong, dragon?”

“Do I have to go over there, Uncle Sev? Can’t I eat in your quarters?” the boy asked.

Sighing, Severus knelt down in front of him. “No, you my not eat in my quarters. Miss Kelly is a member of your House and one of your year mates. You will be seeing quite a bit of her, so you may as well get used to it now. I will give her the House rules lecture as soon as I can, however if she continues to give you problems, you know that you can come talk to me.”

“She hit me for no reason!”

“And I’m sure that her guardian has already dealt with it. But remember our House rules…”

Draco sighed dramatically. “Present a united front.”

“That’s right,” Severus said, pulling the boy into a hug. He would not have even attempted it had they not been out of sight of those in the Great Hall. “I’m proud of the way you handled it yesterday, dragon.” Draco nodded and pulled away, walking into the Great Hall and joining the other three. Sighing, Severus stood and went to his seat.

He picked up his paper and swore loudly. “Of all the…that damn idiot!” he exclaimed and every head in the room turned toward him. Severus looked over at the headmaster. “Albus, I need to speak to you immediately,” he said, getting up and leaving the room without waiting to see if the older man followed.

Once the headmaster had left the room, Harry darted over to the big table and grabbed the paper, bringing it back over to his seat so that they could see what had upset Severus so badly. There were two articles on the front page: one about Lucius Malfoy dying in Azkaban and the other about a murderer named Sirius Black escaping from Azkaban. When Draco saw the article about Lucius, he jumped up and ran from the room.

“What’s wrong?” Beau asked, glancing over Harry’s shoulder at the paper. Harry handed the paper to the older teen, who passed it on to Rae without even reading it.

Rae gave him a very pointed look, but quickly skimmed over the article about Lucius. “Lucius Malfoy…former Death Eater...imprisoned for using Unforgivable on Harry Potter and for kidnapping Orion Potter after birth…found dead in his cell in Azkaban. The baby believed to be Orion really Draco Malfoy died the same day that the Potter twins were born…Draco Malfoy really Orion Potter, now Orion Snape…” She looked up at Harry. “Draco…Orion…huh?”

Harry sighed. “His real name is Orion, but he’s always gone by Draco, so it’s kinda habit now. And Uncle Sev calls him dragon, which is what Draco means. I mean, my last name has changed too, but people will always consider me Harry Potter,” he said with a shrug.

“I guess it was kinda a shock to find out that way that the man you thought was your father died,” Beau said. “What does the other article say, Rae?”

“You need to learn how to read, you overgrown Rebel,” the young witch snapped.

Harry looked up at him. “You don’t know how to read?”

Beau shot the girl a look before turning to Harry. “No. I just couldn’t seem to get the hang of it.”

“What do you do about school?”

“I was in and out of school growing up, but I have a good memory. So anything we did in class I could remember. My teachers just thought I had trouble seeing. I’m going to have to learn how to read this year to take the OWLs. I’ll have to find someone to teach me.”

“I bet Uncle Sev will…or maybe my friend Hermione. She’s brilliant!”

Beau chuckled. “I’ll think about it. Rae…are you going to tell me what is in that article?”

She sighed. “I will, but when you learn how to read I’m going to make you read the paper to me every morning.” She picked up the paper again and started to read. “Notorious mass murder Sirius Orion Black escaped from Azkaban…”

“Hey…” Harry interrupted her. “I think he was a friend of my mum and dad. My brother is named after him…”

“Are you going to let me read?” she asked sharply.

“Sorry…”

Making a face at him, she continued to read. “Black killed Peter Pettigrew and twelve muggles…only found Pettigrew’s finger…handed James and Lily Potter over to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named…”

“Rae, I think you should stop reading,” Beau said softly, looking down at Harry who had gone pale. After a moment he too got up and left the room.

--

Severus dropped into his usual chair into the headmaster’s office. “Albus…why didn’t Black get a trial?”

Albus sat behind his desk. “Black was the Secret-Keeper. He’s the only one who could have handed them over to Voldemort. He was also found at the scene where he murdered Peter and all those muggles.”

“That doesn’t explain why he didn’t get a trial. Didn’t he claim that it wasn’t him? What did you do to see if he was telling the truth?”

“Weren’t you the one that said Sirius could…what was the phrase you used…ah yes, rot in hell?” Albus asked, giving Severus a look.

Severus sighed, he had known this wasn’t going to be easy. “Look, I’ve never liked Black…I still don’t like him. But I happen to think that he might be innocent and it’s not right to let an innocent man serve time in Azkaban. I was planning to come talk to you this morning anyway, but then that idiot had to go and escape.”

Albus folded his hands and looked at his Potions Master. “What evidence do you have, Severus?”

“No real evidence, but enough information to cast doubts…which will warrant an investigation. An investigation that should have happened twelve years ago.”

“Well, let me hear this information.”

“Pettigrew was an unregistered Animagus. So were Potter and Black. Pettigrew’s form was a rat. I’ve read the report. When the Aurors got to the scene there were rats fleeing. He could have easily been one of them, considering that all they found of him was a finger. Not one of the dead muggles was that badly mutilated.”

“Where did you get this information, Severus?”

Severus sighed deeply. “I spoke to Lupin yesterday. He gave me some of it. The rest I got from the Auror reports after the incident.”

“Why are you doing this now?”

“For two reasons…first and most importantly, because Lily asked me to, in a dream.”

“You still love her,” Albus said simply.

“I never stopped, old man, and you know it,” snapped Severus.

Albus nodded. “And your other reason?”

“Black is the godfather that James and Lily chose for their sons. Regardless of my feelings towards him, if he is innocent then he shouldn’t be sitting in Azkaban.”

“I’ll see what I can do, Severus, but I’m afraid that some things can’t be done until he in apprehended.”

Severus stood, something suddenly clicking in his mind. “Albus…please tell me that you didn’t ask the court not to give him a trial so that he wouldn’t be able to take Harry and the boy would have to go to the Dursleys. Tell me you didn’t subject that boy to all those years of neglect and abuse when he could have been loved and happy.” When Albus didn’t answer, Severus glared at him. “You meddling old fool! How many lives have you interfered with? How many lives have you ruined with your plans?” He turned and walked toward the door.

“Where are you going, Severus?”

“To find my sons. And you better keep your plans far away from me and my sons or I’ll take them and you’ll never find any of us.” With that he stormed from the office, slamming the door. He could sense that something had distressed both of his sons while he was talking with Albus. Now he just needed to find them and find out what was distressing them so greatly. Had they seen the article in the paper about Black? Had it been something else?

He pulled the mirror from his pocket and tried to decide which son to find first. Or were they together? Harry was could sense when Draco was upset, but his dragon had gotten fairly good at Occlumency and was probably shielding his emotions from his brother. Draco had already been upset about something this morning so it was probably best that he speak to him first. He called the boy’s name and after a moment his face appeared in the mirror. “Where are you, dragon?” he asked gently.

“In the common room,” Draco answered, sniffling.

“I’ll be there in a moment,” Severus told him, before heading toward the Slytherin common room. When he got there, he found Draco curled up on one of the sofas, hugging his knees. The boy was wiping his eyes on his robe. Severus sat beside him. “You saw the Prophet…”

Draco nodded. “Yeah…I shouldn’t be crying.”

He reached over and started rubbing the boy’s back gently. “It’s alright to cry sometimes, dragon. I do.”

“You do?” he asked.

“I cried when my mother died…and I cried when Lily died. My father was the Dursleys and Lucius combined, and even in spite of everything that he did, I cried when he died too. He was my father and even though he hated me because of my magic, I still loved him. I tried very hard to please him and to get him to love me. James had a wonderful relationship with his father. It was very much like what we’ve always had, Dragon. I was very jealous of James and I wanted that so badly with my father. When he died, I cried because we would never have that chance anymore.

“Even though Lucius wasn’t your real father, you thought he was…and you loved him, didn’t you?”

Draco nodded silently.

“Then go ahead and mourn him, little dragon. There’s nothing wrong with that.” Draco leaned against the man’s side and Severus put his arm around him, holding him close.

Severus left Draco in his quarters a short time later, reading a book, and went in search of his other son. He found Harry in the Owlery, stroking his snowy white owl. He walked up behind the boy and rested his hands on his shoulders. “What’s wrong, Harry?”

Harry sighed deeply. “We read the paper after you left. He was their friend! They even named one of their sons after him…and he…he…he turned them over to Voldemort! How could he do something like that?!”

He gently turned the boy around to face him. “The Prophet doesn’t always print the truth, Phoenix . Sometimes it prints what will sell papers. The truth is…the truth is that I don’t think Black handed your parents over to the Dark Lord. James and Black were like brothers.” He reached up and wiped away the lone tear falling down Harry’s cheek with his thumb. “Black and I hated each other in school. I still hate the man…but James named him your godfather, Harry, and Black was thrilled. He adored you and would have done nothing to harm you or your parents.”

Harry stepped forward and buried his face in Severus’ robes, wrapping his arms around the man’s waist. Severus held the boy close, giving him the comfort that he so obviously needed. That Draco had needed half an hour before. Holding the boy with one arm, Severus ran his free hand through the boy’s mop of unruly hair. It was a gesture that his mother had often used to comfort him when he was little and now he used it to comfort his sons. If only his mother could see him now.

--

Severus sat in the stands at the Quidditch pitch, watching as his sons chased a practice snitch. They had both been quiet and withdrawn for nearly two days and he had finally hauled them out here and practically ordered them to get on their brooms. Normally it wouldn’t have been a problem to get them on their brooms, but Draco was showing signs of being mildly depressed and Harry hadn’t wanted to fly without his brother.

School would be starting in a few days and he hoped that this would help get the boys out of the funk that they had been into the last couple days. Dealing with two moody teenagers was not going to help his patience in the classroom at all. And Albus was being his usual difficult self about Black and Pettigrew and more than once in the last two days of arguments with the old man, Severus’ hand had itched to use an Unforgivable. Sure there had been a time when it would have been second nature to cast an Unforgivable, but he was a changed man. He had given that up after he had unwittingly given the prophecy about Lily’s son to the Dark Lord.

Severus was pleased when he saw the two new students walk onto the pitch, brooms tucked under their arms. He had been watching them since he had met them and was pleased to find that they were general well-behaved and agreeable teenagers. Though he was a bit concerned that the auburn-haired, third year Slytherin would end up giving the Weasley twins a run for their money. From what Daniel had told him, the girl had a wide mischievous streak. He had a feeling that Beau would end up being a good friend to his sons. Over the last couple days he had noticed that the tall, muscular young man tended to treat his sons like one would treat a favorite younger brother. From what he had seen, the Hufflepuff possessed all the values that the Founder of his House had looked for in her students. Yes, these two new students would do well here.

Daniel Cole sat beside him and handed him a bottle of butterbeer. Out on the pitch, his two apprentices joined his sons in the air and the four began to talk about something.

“When do you leave?” Severus asked the man he was quickly coming to consider a friend. That in and of itself was a small miracle, because he hadn’t had anyone he could truly consider a friend since his Hogwarts days.

“Day after tomorrow,” the man answered. “ Halle ’s trying to arrange an international portkey so that she and the other three can see me before I leave…and to give Beau’s siblings a chance to say one more goodbye before the term starts. They are quite attached their brother.”

Severus nodded. “I wish you well on your assignment…and I’ll keep a close eye on your apprentices there.”

“I’d appreciate it, Severus.”

--

On September first, Severus took the four students to Platform 9 and ¾ via portkey so that they could ride the train with the rest of the students. Severus introduced the two new students to others in their year and house and then settled them both along with his sons on the train, before Apparating back to Hogwarts to await the Opening Feast. He hoped that being around their friends again would improve the mood of his sons.

Harry found Ron and Hermione alone except for a man in the corner that was sleeping, with the collar of his coat pulled up to cover his face. “Hey guys.”

“Hallo, Harry,” Ron said. “I was just telling Hermione about the girl that hit Malfoy. It was bloody brilliant, ‘Mione! Wasn’t it, Harry?”

“Ron!” Hermione fussed. “Draco is Harry’s brother, remember? I’m sure he didn’t think he brother getting hit was brilliant.”

Ron’s blushed slightly. “Sorry, Harry. I forgot for a minute.”

“It’s alright, Ron,” Harry said, settling in across from them.

“Have they been Sorted yet? Or will they be Sorted with the first years tonight?” Hermione asked.

“They got Sorted the other day. Rae’s in our year and is a Slytherin. Beau is a fifth year Hufflepuff.”

“Do they play Quidditch?” Ron questioned.

“For fun,” Harry replied. “Neither of them really wants to be on a House team, though Beau is a great beater! Oh, ‘Mione…Beau has trouble reading. I told him that you could help him out. Can you?”

Hermione sighed softly. “I’ll do what I can, but I’m taking extra classes this year, so I’m not sure if I can manage it.”

“Just try, ‘Mione.”

“Did you read about Sirius Black in the Prophet?” Harry asked them a little later that day.

“I did, mate,” Ron replied.

Hermione nodded. “I wonder what the Ministry is doing to catch him.”

“Uncle Sev thinks he may be innocent,” Harry told them.

I wish you could hear this, Padfoot, Remus thought as he caught the conversation between naps. Even with the Wolfsbane, the full moon still worked a number of him, though the potion did help.

Ron and Hermione sat up at Harry’s comment. “Why?” they asked him.

Harry closed the door and then glanced at the sleeping man before he answered them. “He said that Sirius Black and my dad were best friends…almost brothers. Sirius Black is my godfather and Uncle Sev said that he loved me very much and wouldn’t have done anything to hurt me.”

“Who does he think it is?” Hermione asked.

“He didn’t tell me, but he’s got Dumbledore looking into it.”

That was the last Remus Lupin heard as he dozed off again. When he woke again, Ron and Hermione were asking Harry about living with the Potions Master.

“It’s great. He’s not too strict, as long as we stay out of trouble. We each have our own rooms as his house, but we have to share a room in his quarters at school. My side of the room is Gryffindor and his side is Slytherin. Uncle Sev got a little mad at us because we kept using color change charms to change the color of the each others things,” Harry told them.

“What did he do?” Ron asked.

Harry laughed. “He did something so that we can’t do magic in there anymore…and then he used his own color change charms. Everything is blue and yellow!”

Remus had to fight to keep from laughing. Prongs…I told you that he would have made a great Marauder!

Just then the train stopped and everything grew dark and cold.

“I wonder if she got mad again,” Ron joked.

Remus sat up slowly, trying to listen. There was only one thing he knew that could do this: Dementors. The door to the compartment slid open and a black, hooded figure glided in, its bony hand reaching for Harry. Remus cursed himself for not keeping his wand handy as he fumbled to pull it from his pocket. He knew better! Harry slid to the floor as Remus pointed his wand at the Dementor. “Expecto Patronum!” A silvery light burst from his wand and took the form of a large wolf. It drove the dementor from the compartment. “Stay with Harry,” he told Ron and Hermione as he followed it to drive it from the train completely, as well as check on the rest of the train.

Thankfully, the Dementors had only really bothered a handful of other students, and none so badly as Harry, though Draco did look ghostly pale. After getting the train moving again and encouraging the affected students to eat some chocolate off the lunch trolley, he returned to the compartment where he had left Harry, Ron and Hermione. He retrieved some chocolate from his own personal stash and knelt beside Harry as the boy started to wake up. “Here, Harry. Eat this. It will help.”

“Thank you,” the boy whispered, nibbling on a corner of the bar of chocolate from Honeydukes.

Remus cast another Patronus charm and sent it on to Hogwarts to deliver a message to Severus about the Dementors. “You probably don’t remember me, Harry, but I was a friend of your parents,” he told the boy, trying to take his mind from the dementors. “I’m Remus Lupin and I’ll be teaching Defense at Hogwarts this year.”

Harry looked up at the man, taking in the kind eyes, sandy hair and scars on the man’s face. “’Ri’s named after you.”

“Ri? Oh yes, your brother was named after me as well as Sirius Black.”

“Is he alright?” Harry asked suddenly. ‘Ri…’

‘Yeah,’ came the weak reply through their bond.

‘Are you alright?’

‘Just a little shaky. You?’

‘I heard someone screaming and then passed out.’ Harry told his brother.

“They’re twin-talking,” Ron explained to Remus as the man helped Harry back onto the seat.

“You say it like it’s a bad thing, Ron,” Hermione said. “I’m glad that Harry finally has a family.”

“I didn’t say that I wasn’t glad that he had a family.”

The door to the compartment opened and Draco stepped inside. “Must you two argue all the time?” he asked.

“Just ignore them, ‘Ri,” Harry told him. “I do it sometimes.”

Draco sat next to his twin as Lupin handed him another piece of chocolate. “You still look pale,” Lupin said. He turned and cast another Patronus, whispering something before the silvery creature turned and bolted down the hall outside the compartment.

“What was that, Professor?” Draco asked him.

Lupin sat down facing the boys as a now quiet Ron and Hermione sat down as well. “That is a Patronus, Draco. A Patronus is a kind of positive force, and for the wizard who can conjure one, it works something like a shield, with the Dementor feeding on it, rather than him. They can also be used to send messages. The one I just sent was a message for Severus.”

“Why did you send Uncle Sev a message?”

“I thought he should know and might want to meet the two of you at the station.”

“We’re not babies!” the boy protested.

“I know, Draco, and I’m not saying that you are. But the Dementors caused Harry to pass out and you still look like you might pass out. It’s best that he checks you both over.”

The two boys sighed, making faces.

--

Severus was indeed waiting for them on the platform when they pulled into the Hogsmeade station. Not caring that there were other students around, he pulled both boys into his arms. “Are you two alright?” he asked. Both boys nodded against his chest. He looked over at Remus. “Th…Thank you, Lupin.”

“You’re welcome, Severus,” Lupin said, slinging his coat over his shoulder and following the students toward the carriages.

Once the station had cleared out, Severus knelt in front of the two boys. “Tell me what happened.”

“Harry passed out,” Draco said, trying to keep the attention away from him.

Severus looked at Harry. “What did you see? What did you hear?”

Harry sighed deeply and looked down at his trainers. “I heard a woman screaming my name…and then I saw a green flash of light.”

“Oh Merlin! You saw that?!” When Harry nodded, the Potions Master pulled the boy into his arms once more in a tight hug. “Harry, I’m so sorry, son.”

Harry looked over at his brother. “What about you?”

Draco shrugged. “Just the last beating he gave me.”

Severus pulled his other son into a hug as well. “You are both safe. I won’t let anything hurt either of you again.”

The Sorting complete and the Opening Feast eaten, Severus motioned for Harry and Draco to hang back. Most of his House knew the two boys, but he wanted to introduce them formally as his sons. He led his sons down to the dungeons after giving all his students time to arrive in the dormitory.

“Look sharp there,” one of the seventh year prefects called out when they walked into the common room. “Show some respect for your Head of House.”

Harry watched from Severus’ side as the Slytherins stopped what they were doing and formed seven neat lines in front of them, the first years looking slightly confused, but following the lead of the older students.

‘Purebloods love tradition,’ Draco told him through their bond. ‘Some of the traditions we keep in Slytherin date back to Salazaar himself.’

Severus nodded at the prefect and stepped forward to address his students. “I am Professor Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin House and Potions Master. To my returning students, welcome back. To the new students, welcome to Hogwarts.

“For those of you who have not yet heard, over the summer I adopted Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. They are the twin sons of James and Lily Potter and were separated at birth. If you do anything to harm either one of them, no matter how minor, you will suffer my wrath.”

‘He’s kinda scary when he’s like this,’ Harry said to his brother.

‘He has to be. The House of Slytherin has a bad reputation and he’s been trying to change that since he took over as Head. He demands a lot of us, but he also rewards those who do well.’

“You will find a complete list of the Slytherin House Rules in your dorms as well as curfew times for your year. Curfews are not a suggestion. Proper sleep ensures that you all stay healthy.

“The first and most important rule of Slytherin is to always present a united front. I don’t care what petty squabbles you might have with another Slytherin, when you walk out that door they are to be left behind. Outside of these rooms we are all on the same side.

“Many people believe that because we are Slytherin, that we are dark or evil. Any student caught proving that reputation true will be dealt with most severely.

“If you have trouble in any of your classes, I expect you to come to me. I will arrange for an older student to tutor you. Your parents expect you to make good grades and I expect that as well.

“When you lose points for Slytherin, your name appears on the parchment on the wall there along with the number of points lost. If you lose points, you will be considered fair game for twenty-four hours. Only the approved list of jinxes and hexes will be tolerated. My advice to you: Do nothing to lose points for your House.

“Should another teacher give you a detention, you will serve one with me as well…perhaps more than one depending on the severity of the crime.

“If you have a problem with another Slytherin, first try to solve it yourselves: without wands or fists. Should your first attempt be unsuccessful, then you are to come to me and I will solve the matter. You will respect myself and all members of the staff here at Hogwarts at all times. Any disrespect will not be tolerated and will result in a loss of points.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” he said, turning and striding from the room, his robes billowing behind him. Harry and Draco exchanged a look, before Harry hurried after him.

--

After and making sure that his students were settling in and walking Harry back to Gryffindor tower, Severus headed up to the Defense classroom and Remus Lupin’s office. “Do you have something stiff to drink?” he asked the man after being granted entrance to his office.

Remus nodded and moved over to one of his trunks, pulling out a bottle of firewhiskey and conjuring two glasses. “I wasn’t aware that you drank, Severus.”

“Only on occasion…and tonight I need something stronger than butterbeer.”

“Harry said that you talked to Albus,” Remus said as he poured two glasses of firewhiskey. “What did he say?”

Severus lowered himself into one of the two chairs in front of the fireplace and accepted the glass. “He questioned my motives, mostly. But it’s what he didn’t say that bothers me.”

“What are your motives, Severus? I know that you and Sirius didn’t exactly get along.”

“Why don’t you just go ahead and say it, Lupin. Black and I hated each other. And I know that I said he could rot in hell after he was arrested, but that was before…all I know now is that he didn’t receive a trial and he should have. I spent some time in Azkaban too, remember. No innocent man should have to do that.”

Remus nodded. “That’s good enough for me, I guess. So what exactly is it that Albus didn’t say?”

He drained his glass. “That old fool…didn’t even bother to find out if Black was innocent or not. All he was concerned about were his plans! He had Black sent to Azkaban without a trial so that he could place Harry with the Dursleys because of the damn blood wards. Harry slept in a cupboard! That was his room until he got his Hogwarts letter…and do you know what Harry told me? That his first letter was addressed to: Harry Potter, Cupboard under the Stairs! Albus knew, Lupin! He knew and let Harry stay there. Then he tried to convince me not to tell Harry and Draco the truth once I found out the truth about them. I did it anyway. Black may not be the most mature person, but at least he would have loved Harry…unlike the Dursleys who abused him.”

“Abused him?”

“I’ve already told you about the cupboard. When Draco and I went to get him, they had him locked in a room. There were five padlocks on that door, bars on the window and they had cut a cat flap in the door. He had welts on his back and legs, some of which had actually broken the skin.”

Remus sighed deeply. “Poor little Pronglet.”

Severus looked over at the man. “Which of you idiots came up with that asinine moniker?”

“Sirius, actually. I think Lily hated it.”

“That’s even worse than the idiotic names you called yourselves back when we were students.”

Remus refilled Severus’ glass. “Since you know the truth about them, I may as well tell you all of it. I told you that Peter’s Animagus form was a rat…James was a stag and Sirius was a big mutt. That is where our nicknames came from. Peter was Wormtail, Sirius was Padfoot and James was Prongs.”

“And you were Moony. Did any of you realize how easily someone could have figured out your secret? I didn’t realize it until years later, but you four idiots were discussing it after our Defense OWL. If I heard you, so could any number of people…and that was even before that little incident at the Shrieking Shack.”

“Severus, I’m so sorry about that…”

“It wasn’t your fault, Lupin. And once I calmed down I realized that. However, I do blame that idiot Black. It was his fault. And if Potter hadn’t come after me, there is no telling what would have happened.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, Lily overhead James tearing into Sirius and demanded to know what had happened. She didn’t speak to Sirius for nearly a month.”

Severus sighed. “Lily sure could hold a grudge.”

“But she was a fine woman.”

“Indeed she was.” He was quiet for a moment. “Thank you for taking care of my sons.”

“You’re welcome, Severus. But, I hope you know that I would do anything for those two boys. They are all that is left of James and Lily.”

He nodded, staring into the fire once more. “They…they mentioned your Patronus. And they would like to learn the charm themselves. I know it’s not something that we teach in the Defense curriculum, but I think it might be useful for them. I could teach them; however, I…I thought you might like to spend some time with them.”

“I would. Thank you.”

--

Hermione was alone in the library when a shadow fell over her, blocking her light. She looked up to see one of the older students, a Hufflepuff, standing in front of her.

“Are you Mademoiselle Granger?” he asked with a faint French accent.

She couldn’t help the giggle that escaped. She clamped her hand over her mouth and nodded, her cheeks turning a light pink. After a moment she moved her hand. “I am.”

Smiling, he sat across from her. “I’m Beau Devereaux. I think Harry spoke to you about me.”

“He did,” she replied. “He said that you couldn’t read.”

“That’s right. I’ve tried, but my schooling has been a bit hit and miss. Can you help me? I have to be able to read in time to take my OWLs.”

She nodded. “I think we can manage that, but it will take a lot of work.

“I’m not afraid of hard work, Miss Granger.

“Good. We’ll get started on Saturday.”

He started to get up, but stopped. “Might I ask a favor of you?”

“What is it, Devereaux?”

“Could you read this to me?” he asked, pulling a letter from his pocket. “It’s from my family. Normally I would ask Rae to read it to me, but she’s got a meeting with Professor Snape.”

“Are you sure you want me to read something so personal?”

“Please.”

She nodded and took the letter, carefully opening it.

Dear Beau,

We all missed you lots, so Aunt Halle said that we could write you a letter. She’s going to write it over for us so that all the spelling is right.

Johnny got in trouble at school. Aunt Halle says it’s because you and The Captain are both gone and he’s the only man in the house. Johnny got in trouble for fighting. He says that you don’t need to know about him getting into trouble at school, because Aunt Halle already punished him for it.

Georgia is trying to convince Aunt Halle to get a dog, but Ana wants to get a kitten. Aunt Halle said that we aren’t getting anything because The Captain doesn’t want any pets. We think she’s just making that up.

We need to go now because Aunt Halle is calling us for dinner and she said we had to finish before dinner if we wanted you to get this letter at breakfast tomorrow.

We love you!

Georgia, Johnny and Ana

P.S. Are you coming home for Christmas?

Hermione looked up at Beau. “They sound cute.”

“They are little monsters,” he said with a laugh. “And I miss them terribly.”

“Are you going to be able to go home for Christmas?”

“No. Cap doesn’t want Rae and I traveling that far alone, but he’s arranged for someone to take us home for the summer.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, surprising herself by reaching across the table and giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

“Thank you,” he replied, taking his letter and standing. “Shall I meet you here on Saturday?”

--

Severus sat beside Harry in the infirmary, ignoring all of the Gryffindor Quidditch team (minus Wood), Ron, Hermione, Beau, Rae and Cedric Diggory as they discussed what had happened on the Quidditch pitch. He had felt his heart stop when he realized that it was Harry freefalling toward the ground. Thankfully Albus had reacted quick enough to slow the boy’s fall.

This was the second time the Dementors had gone after a student, Harry both times, and still Albus refused to stand up to Fudge and tell him to call off the creatures.

Diggory had caught the snitch just seconds before he realized that Harry had fallen from his broom and was now trying to convince the Gryffindor team to accept a rematch, but the Gryffindors were refusing saying that Harry wouldn’t want that. They were right; Harry wouldn’t want a rematch on his account.

“When is he going to wake up?” Draco asked, leaning against the man’s side. Times like this, he tended to act somewhat younger and clingy.

He moved so that he could put his arm around the boy. “Soon, Dragon. And he’ll be fine.”

“He’s going to be upset about his broom…”

“I know, but I’ll get him a new one.”

“A Firebolt?” the boy asked, hope shining in his eyes. A Firebolt was the top of the line racing broom and both boys wanted one, though neither of them had asked for one.

Severus was quite proud of the fact that Draco wasn’t asking for the Firebolt for himself, but for his brother who’s Nimbus had been destroyed when it had blown into the Whomping Willow after Harry had fallen. “I wish I could get him a Firebolt, Draco, but I just can’t afford one. It costs about what I make in a year.”

“What about using my vault?”

“Absolutely not! Narcissa agreed to let you keep the vault that Lucius had given you, but I will not allow you to touch it until you come of age. The same thing goes for the Potter vault. Once the two of you become of age, if you want to spend your money on something as frivolous as a racing broom, then you may.”

Draco sighed dramatically. “Alright…spoil sport.”

Severus gave the boy a look. “That is enough.”

“Yes sir.”

Harry stirred and started to sit but Severus placed a hand on his shoulder. “Easy…” He grabbed a couple more pillows and used them to prop Harry up. Then he handed the boy his glasses.

“Who won?” he asked.

Hermione shook her head. “Boys!”

“We did, Harry,” Cedric said, moving over to Harry’s side. “But it wasn’t a fair victory. Those Dementors shouldn’t have been there at all…I tried to convince your team to take a rematch.”

“No rematch,” Harry told him.

“How will we ever find out who is the better seeker? You’ve been a seeker for three years and something always happens.”

Harry laughed and then winced, holding his ribs. “You still have two years left, Diggory. There’s time.”

The Hufflepuff nodded. “Alright Harry. Until next year.”

Ron stepped over to them next; Harry’s destroyed broom wrapped up in a blanket in his arms. “Harry…your broom fell into the Whomping Willow…”

“Let me see,” Harry said, sitting up. Ron lay what was left of the broom on Harry’s lap. “My broom…”

“I’ll get you another one, Phoenix . We’ll go to Diagon Alley next weekend,” Severus told him. When Harry nodded, he reached out and stroked the boy’s hair. He sent all but Draco from the room before turning back to Harry. “Get some rest, son.”

Harry nodded again and curled up on his side, closing his eyes.

Once he was asleep, Severus looked down at Draco. “I’ll walk you back now, Dragon.”

The boy looked up at him, morphing his appearance from the ‘Malfoy’ looks that he normally wore into his true appearance. “Can’t I stay?”

Severus sighed when he saw Lily’s eyes staring up at him in an expression he had seen often on the young boy’s face over the years. “Are you trying to manipulate me, Orion Snape?” he asked with a hint of teasing in his voice.

“Is it working?” the boy asked with a slight smirk.

The Potions Master bit back a chuckle. “It is not.”

“Then I’m just being Slytherin, Uncle Sev,” Draco stated. “You’re going to stay all night, so why can’t I? Tomorrow is Sunday, so we don’t have classes…”

He sighed. “Oh, alright…you can stay.”

“Thanks,” he replied, before moving around to the other side of the bed and stretching out beside his brother.

Shaking his head, Severus used to wand to make the bed a little wider so that they could both be comfortable.

--

An hour after sunrise the next morning found Severus sitting in the chair he usually occupied when one or both of his boys were in the Infirmary. He was really beginning to hate that chair. When Remus Lupin limped in, he looked up. “Did you take the Wolfsbane last night?”

Lupin nodded and sat on a nearby bed. “Yes. I always take it, Severus. But some months are worse than others. Last night was one of the bad ones.”

Severus stood and began casting diagnostic spells. At one time he had considered studying healing as well as potions, but in the end he had decided to go for his Potions Mastery. Perhaps it wasn’t too late to go back. If nothing else, it would aid his research for new potions. “Did you walk all the way back from the Shrieking Shack on that ankle?”

“How else was I supposed to get back?”

“Send your damn Patronus and get someone to help you. You’ve fractured it,” he told the man, summoning a vial of bone mender.

Remus shrugged as he took the potion. “It’s not the worst injury I’ve had.” Severus shook his head as he healed the other minor cuts and bruises on the man. “How is Harry doing?” Remus asked him. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t stop by and see him last night.”

“If he knew the truth about your…problem, I’m sure he’d understand. He was awake for a short time yesterday evening and then again early this morning. Physically, he’s mending. Poppy just wanted to keep him overnight and Draco wanted to stay too.”

“Did he tell you what he hears when the Dementors attack him?”

“He told him that it was just someone screaming…”

Remus sighed deeply and eased back onto the bed, exhausted. “Severus, I think he’s hearing Voldemort kill Lily.”

Severus swore and sank back into his chair. “Why didn’t he say something?”

“I don’t think he realizes it. I asked him about it and he told me that he hears a woman screaming and then there is a flash of green light. You and I know what that green light is, but he doesn’t. When else would he have seen that particular curse?”

“He was just a baby…”

“But the memory is still there, hidden. Dementors feed on your worst memories and I hope he doesn’t have any memories worse than that.”

Severus raked his fingers through his hair. “You need to teach him the Patronus…or I do. But the longer he goes not knowing…”

“Severus, he’s thirteen. You said yourself that charm is not even in the curriculum at Hogwarts.”

“Even if he can just manage a Patronus shield, it’s better than nothing.”

“You’re right. Give me a few days to recover and then I’ll start trying to teach him.”

Severus fell silent, pinching the bridge of his nose and rubbing his temples in an effort to relieve the headache that he had been nursing since the Quidditch game the afternoon before. “Harry and I talked for a few minutes this morning when he woke up. He said…said that he thought he saw a Grim in the stands during the game, but then it was gone. It was just before the Dementors swarmed the pitch.”

“You’re letting him take Divination?” Remus asked.

“I let them make the decision themselves, but I did discourage Divination. He said that it was there for a minute and then gone again. I used just a touch of Legilimency on him and saw it. What he saw was a big, ugly mutt.”

“A big, ugly…Sirius…”

“Would he be dumb enough to come here? The paper did say that he had been heard say ‘He’s at Hogwarts’ in the days before he escaped.”

“But they say that he’s out to kill Harry. Sirius loved Harry like his own son. We both did. He wouldn’t hurt him.”

“What about Pettigrew? Could Black somehow have found out where he is? Think about it, what better place to hide then a place that you are familiar with and where a rat wouldn’t too out of place.”

“Peter would be able to hide here. We all knew this place like the back of our hands.” Remus grew silent for a moment. “That’s it, Severus. The map…I wonder if Filch still has it.”

“Map? What map, Lupin? And what does Filch have to do with anything?”

“I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but I always thought that you would have made a good Marauder if you and James and Sirius hadn’t started out on the wrong foot. What you did to the boys’ room in your quarters just proves it to me even more.”

“How did you find out about that?”

“Harry told his friends on the train. I just happened to hear it between naps.”

Severus nodded. “Alright. So what is this about a map?”

“Right. The Marauders created a map of Hogwarts. We called it the Marauders’ Map. There was a pass-phrase to turn it on and another to wipe it clean. Otherwise it just looked like a blank piece of parchment. When active the map would show every person in Hogwarts and where they were and what they were doing. It was quite a piece of magic that. Filch confiscated it at the end of Sixth year. But by that point we didn’t need it really. We knew all the secret passages in and out of Hogwarts. And it couldn’t be fooled; even with an Invisibility Cloak or in Animagus form…we tested that.”

“If Filch doesn’t have it then I know two red-headed Gryffindors who do…or could at least find it for us if we put a bug in their ears.”

“Ah…the Weasley twins. I’ve heard a good bit about them from some of the other teachers. And the students as well. I can blend into the shadows almost as well as you can, Severus.”

“It’s all those years of hiding behind Potter and Black.” There was no malice in the tone and Remus smiled wearily at the Potions Master. Severus shook his head. “Go to sleep, Lupin. I’ll talk to the Weasley twins when my boys wake up.”

--

Severus sat in his office a few hours later looking across his desk at the Weasley twins. “Gentlemen, I have a question for you about a certain object and I would like an honest answer. Do you have in your possession something called ‘The Marauders’ Map’?”

Fred and George exchanged a look before they turned back to him. “What if we do?” Fred asked him, a sly look on his face.

“I don’t care how it ended up in your possession or how you’ve used it, but I do need to use it. I will even return it once I finish with it. Gentlemen, it’s important, or I wouldn’t ask,” he replied.

George sighed. “Do we have to show you how to activate it?”

“No. You don’t.”

“I’ll be right back then,” Fred told him, getting up and leaving the room. By the time that he rejoined them half an hour later with a piece of parchment, Remus Lupin had joined them as well. “It’s already active, sir,” He spread the parchment out on the desk and the four bent over it.

“The map shows everyone in Hogwarts,” George explained. “Where they are, what they are doing, every minute of every day.”

Neither of the adults bothered letting the two students know that one of them was in fact one of the creators of the map.

“What are we looking for?” Fred asked.

“We are looking for Peter Pettigrew or Sirius Black,” Lupin told them, his eyes scanning the map.

George looked at the two adults. “Isn’t he dead? Didn’t the Prophet say that Sirius Black killed him all those years ago? All that was left was his finger.”

Severus paused in his own search of the parchment and looked at the two red heads. “We have reason to believe that Pettigrew is in fact alive and probably hiding in his Animagus rat form.”

“Animagus? Rat? Missing finger…” Fred started, turning to stare at his brother.

George looked at him as well, some form of unspoken communication passing between them. “Scabbers.”

“What is that, George?” Lupin asked, looking up as well.

“Ron has a pet rat that’s been with us practically forever. Almost twelve years, I think. Scabbers was Percy’s rat first. Scabbers is missing what would be a finger on his left hand if he were human. You don’t think…”

“Lupin, could you recognize Pettigrew if you saw him in rat form?”

“Yes, Severus,” Lupin answered. “The same as I would recognize Padfoot or Prongs.”

The two boys glanced at each other and then at the quiet Defense professor. “Padfoot? Prongs? As in the Padfoot and Prongs that helped create the Map?” Fred asked.

Severus rolled his eyes. “Gentlemen, let me introduce you to Moony. Wonderful…introductions over. Now, can we please get back to the business of finding this rat.”

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.

He thought his plan had been quite brilliant. She wasn't going to get away with embarrassing him in public like that. Not only had she hit him, but she had hit him hard enough to knock him down. No one did that to him and got away with it. Malfoys always got even when someone publically embarrassed them. Alright, so he wasn't really a Malfoy, but Lucius' training had been hard to forget. Besides, he was a Slytherin and the son of a Marauder. Yes, he was going to get revenge!

His plan was rather simple. He had waited until a couple weeks after school started before doing anything to her and he had started small. She was having trouble in Charms one day, so while she was incanting for whatever it was that they had been doing, he used a Color-Change Charm and turned her hair a brilliant shade of bright green. He had timed it perfectly and the entire class had laughed at her. His first moment of victory had been sweet and he had savored it.

Over the next several weeks, he had taken to using many of the simple charms, jinks and hexes that had been taught so far. But he was always careful to make sure that there were people from other Houses around. After all, there was a Slytherin House Rule about presenting a united front outside the House. Oh, yes, he was enjoying this very much.

Today he was crouched in an alcove, waiting for her to walk by on her way back from dinner. A few moments later, he intended target walked by, a good six feet behind the other Slytherin girls in their year. He waited until she was at the top of the stairs leading down to the dungeons before hitting her with a tripping hex.

He turned to slip away and found himself staring at the familiar black robes of his adopted father. Draco opened and closed his mouth a few times, but found himself unable to say anything.

Severus took the boy's wand. "Go to our quarters and sit on your bed. I expect an explanation when I come, Orion John Snape." Without waiting for a reply, he went to check on his injured student.

Draco stared after him for a moment before doing as he was told. Uncle Sev had used his full name and that could only mean trouble. As he walked past, he saw the Potions Master using his wand to run a diagnostic scan on the girl. Did he know about all the tings that Draco had done to her over the last two months? Could he possibly find out? Uncle Sev had ways of finding things like this out! He'd known his adopted father long enough to know that he'd be over the man's knee tonight for sure. The real question was how bad would it be. Sighing deeply, he let himself into their quarters and settled on his blue and yellow bed to wait.

Severus was not at all pleased with the results of the diagnostic scan he had run on the injured girl. He was, however, pleased with the rest of the third year female Snakes. They had kept their distance from the new girl since the beginning of the term, but now they rallied around har. Bulstrode had run for Madame Pomfrey. Parkinson had conjoured a cloth and had been trying to stop the bleeding when he arrived while Greengrass held the girl's hand and was speaking softly to her.

"Twenty points a piece for helping a fellow Snake," he told them. The sixty points that he gave them would help offset the points he would be forced to take from his son before the night was out.

"Will she be alright, sir?" Miss Greengrass asked him.

"Madame Pomfrey will be able to heal the broken bones easily, but the concussion will take some time."

Miss Parkinson looked up at him. "Did Draco have anything to do with this?"

"I believe he did."

"Sir...she's been getting hexed a lot lately...always outside the House."

Severus nodded. "Thank you, Miss Parkinson. I will look into the matter."

Madame Pomfrey knelt beside him, "Miss Bulstrode said she fell down the stairs."

"She was tripped, Poppy," he told the Medi-witch.

She nodded. "Will you bring her to the Infirmary?"

Severus stood and carefully lifted the girl into his arms. He preferred a more personal touch with his students.

After leaving her in the care of the Medi-witch, Severus went to his office to cool down before going to deal with his wayward son. According to school rules, he was required to take points for harming another student. There were also detentions to be assigned. But was the father of the student who was responsible for the incident there was much more that he could do.

It had been several months since he had felt the need to spank either boy and he really didn't want to now. But he really didn't have much choice. He needed to put a stop to Draco's actions...now. After taking a moment to calm down and clear his mind, he headed toward the room the boys shared.

"Explain yourself," he said, standing in front of the boy.

Draco bit his lip and hesitated a moment before answering. "She hit me and knocked me on my bum and no one did anything about it. No one embarrasses me like that and gets away with it! No one!"

"So you decided to take matters into your own hands? You should have come to me, not only as your Head of House but also as your father. You harmed another student because she knocked you down with a little punch. Right now she's got three broken bones and a concussion. I'm extremely disappointed in you."

Draco looked down at his hands.

"Did I not tell you to come to me if you had a problem with another student?"

"You said to handle it ourselves first..."

"Hexing a student in the back is not handling it! And what part of do nothing to your fellow Snakes outside the House do you suddenly not understand?"

"If I had done it in the House she would have known it was me..."

"You shouldn't be hexing anyone in the back! When I said to handle it yourselves first, I meant for you to TALK it out first, not with your wands!"

Draco rolled his eyes.

Severus caught his jaw and forced the boy to look up at him. "I'll deal with your attitude in a moment. But first...as your Head of House, I'm taking fifty points from Slytherin and assigning you a weeks worth of detention with Filch. As your father on the other hand..."

--

When Harry walked into their quarters a few minutes later, he found Severus and Draco in the boys' bedroom. Draco had his face buried in Severus' robes and the Potions Master was rubbing the boy's back as he held him close. A couple of students had stopped Harry on his way in from Quidditch practice and told him what had happened. A Slytherin attacking another Slytherin was big news, especially since the attacker was the son of the Head of Slytherin.

Severus looked up and caught Harry's eyes, confirming what the boy had heard in the halls.

Harry gave him a quick nod before heading back into the other room to give them a few minutes alone. It had been a while since Severus had given either of them a smacking, though he had threatened to plenty of times or had given them a warning smack on occasion if they had gotten too cheeky. He curled up in Severus' chair in front of the fireplace and waited.

A few minutes later Severus came into the sitting room and settled on the couch. "Thank you for coming back in here, Harry," he told the Gryffindor.

"You're welcome, Uncle Sev. So he really did it, huh?"

Severus nodded. "He did. Miss Kelly should be fine in a couple days."

Draco came into the sitting room and lay on the couch next to Severus.

'Are you alright?' Harry asked through their bond.

Draco just nodded at his brother.

Severus reached over and gave the boy's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I'm glad that you are both here. There is something I've been meaning to tell you both."

"What is it, Uncle Sev?" Harry asked.

Severus sighed. "Sirius Black, your...godfather, has been cleared of all charges against him."

"Are we going to get to meet him?"

"If he decides to come here, then yes, Harry. However, he will not be too thrilled that I adopted you." Severus didn't want to tell them that Black had actually threatened to take the boys away from him. They had enough to worry about already. "He and I didn't get along at school."

"He better learn to like it," Draco said. "You adopted us and we're happy with you...even when you wallop us."

"I'm happy with you too, dragon. Even when I have to wallop you," Severus told the Slytherin. "You won't be repeating your actions of today, will you?"

"No sir!"

--

"What broom are you going to get, Harry?" Ron asked him one day at breakfast.

"I don't know yet," Harry replied. "Uncle Sev was supposed to take me to Diagon Alley to get a new one, but things keep coming up."

"But you have a game soon..."

"Not for another three weeks, Ron."

"You'll need to get used to your new broom."

"Leave him alone, Ronald," Hermione told him, not even looking up from her book as she ate.

There was a loud noise overhead as the owls flew through the window, bringing the morning post. "Look, Harry..." Ron said. "Is that Hedwig?"

Harry looked up to see Hedwig carrying a long package with the help of two other owls. "What in the..." The three owls dropped the package on the table and Hedwig perched on Harry's shoulder, nipping affectionately on his ear. "Hey, girl..."

"Open your package, Harry," Fred Weasley said, dropping onto the bench next to Harry.

George sat across the table next to Hermione. "That looks like a broom..."

The rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team crowded around as Harry opened the package that had been delivered. In the box lay a Firebolt! He reached out and ran his hand over the handle of the broom.

"Was there a note?" Hermione asked, putting aside her book.

Harry searched the box and picked up the letter that accompanied the broom.

Pronglet,

I saw your last game and Moony told
me what happened with your broom.
Watching you play was almost like
watching Prongs play again. I'm sorry
that I haven't been able to be there
for you since your parents died, but
maybe the Firebolt will help make up
for that.

Sirius

P.S. You used to call me Padfoot when
you were little.

"Sirius Black bought you a Firebolt?" Oliver Wood asked.

Harry nodded. "The Ministry cleared him of all charges last week. He's my godfather."

"You're so lucky, Harry," Katie told him.

"Where did you get a Firebolt?!" Draco asked, walking up behind his brother.

Harry glanced over his shoulder. "Sirius sent it to me."

"That is so not fair!"

Severus had seen the package delivered to his Gryffindor son and the crowd that gathered around him. "Do you know anything about this Remus?" he asked the man sitting beside him.

"No, but it has Sirius written all over it..." the Defence professor said with a sigh. "Shall we go take a look?"

Nodding, Severus stood and made his way over to the Gryffindor table in time to hear his Slytherin son say that something was not fair. "What is unfair?" he asked.

Draco turned and looked at him. "Sirius sent Harry a Firebolt!"

Remus took the note from Harry and quickly read it. "I was afraid of this, Severus."

Harry looked up at Severus, hope shining in his eyes. "Now you won't have to buy me a new broom, Uncle Sev."

Severus knew that Harry would have never outright asked for the expensive broom, but he also knew that the boy wanted to keep it. What Quidditch-obsessed boy wouldn't want to keep it? The Firebolt was a fine piece of work. "I will consider the matter, Harry."

The faces of the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team fell and Harry tried hard not to show his disappointment, while Draco looked just a bit smug. It wasn't fair for Harry to get a Firebolt while he was stuck with an old Nimbus. It was only right that Uncle Sev was considering sending the broom back. He and Harry were twins after all, so if he couldn't have a Firebolt, neither could Harry.

Severus sighed. "Harry, take the broom down to our quarters, then you best hurry on to class. You don't want to be late."

--

Rae paced in her dormitory, one arm resting in the sling that Madame Pomfrey had insisted that she wear for a week. She'd suddenly found friends in her roommates because of what had happened and they were able to tell her all the details. She was going to get that little bastard back for doing this to her.

She had several ideas on what she could do to him, but that would take a little bit of reconnaissance. That would be easy enough once she got her arm out of this stupid sling. After all, she and Liam had spent many a summer hour, sneaking in and out of buildings and pretending to be the theives that they were named after. They had also shared many a laugh over how his great-great-grandfather and her great-great-grandfather's sister had been best friends too. They had both been named after their counterparts from a century before.

Rae shook her head, wincing at the pain. She had to stop thinking about her former best friend. He is the reason that she was in this trouble in the first place. Oh sure, she had actually punched someone when she lost her temper, but Liam was the reason she lost her temper in the first place.

Alright, enough of that. She dug her old cap out of her trunk and put it on her head, pulling it low over her eyes. There...that was much better. She resumed her pacing, able to think clearly again. What she needed was to find his most prized posession and take it from him. Yes, that would serve as a good warning not to mess with her again.

In two days she would be able to take the sling off and that very night she would make her first trip into the third year boy's dorm. With luck, it wouldn't take her long to identify his most prized posession.

--

Severus sat in Remus' sitting room sipping a butterbeer and wishing it was firewhiskey, but he never allowed himself to drink it during the week in the rare instances that he did indulge himself. The two professors had essays spread out on the table before them and were both working on their grading.

"Have you made a decision about the Firebolt yet?" Remus asked.

"Yes," the Potions Master replied. "I'm going to wring Black's neck the next time I see him."

Remus chuckled. "How did you come to that conclussion?"

Severus sighed. "Not only do I not approve of that stupid broom on principal, but now my sons are barely speaking to each other or me for that matter. Draco insists that if he can't have a Firebolt too, then Harry shouldn't be allowed to have that one. Harry offered to give Draco the damn broom and take Draco's Nimbus, which Draco quickly agreed to. I had to take both brooms and lock them away using the strongest locking charms that I know...and I'm not sure if that will keep Draco out.

"Draco's not speaking to Harry out of jealousy. Harry got tired of Draco only talking to him about the stupid broom and is not speaking to Draco. Neither one of them is speaking to me because I took both brooms."

"I'm going to wring his neck!" Remus exclaimed. "Sirius should have known better than to send something to one without sending something to the other. He and his brother fought over things often enough...and with twins its even worse."

"Draco is so selfish and Harry is so selfless that I just don't know what to do, Remus. I most certainly can't afford to buy another Firebolt."

"Have you thought about returning it and getting Harry another Nimbus?"

Severus nodded. "I did. And I contacted the store. They said that Firebolts are non-returnable items. I think they were just thrilled that they actually sold one of the damn things."

"You're probably right."

"So...when are we going to go wring the mutt's neck?"

--

Rae sat in the common room, hard at work on her homework. Every night in the last week she had snuck into the boys dorm room and looked over Draco's belongings to find the item that she was going to steal. It had been almost too easy. She had spotted it the first night, but had gone back every other night to be sure.

She had slipped away from dinner early, claiming that she needed to go to the library, but instead had gone back into the third year boys' dorm and had stolen the green and silver blanket that Draco slept with every night. She figured that it had to mean quite a bit to him with the way he clutched it in his sleep.

That blanket, which she had to admit was one of the finest she had ever seen, was now safely tucked in the bottom of her trunk. Now she just had to decide if she was going to keep it or if she was going to destroy it and then return it to him.

--

Severus walked into the headmaster's office and dropped into one of the chairs. "What do you need, Albus? I'm rather busy."

"Ah, yes, Severus. I heard that your boys were squabbling over the broom that Sirius sent to Harry."

"Don't even start with me, old man. I will handle my boys the way I see fit. They are alone in my quarters so just tell me what you want so that I can go back and keep them from trying to kill each other."

"Very well, my boy. How much of the prophecy did you hear?"

Severus sighed. "Only what I told the Dark Lord."

"I will tell you the rest of it now. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives..."

Severus swore. "You are not going to tell my son the rest of that prophecy, Albus."

"Severus..."

"No! This is one prophecy that won't come true. You know as well as I do that not all of them come true...and this one won't. I won't put that burden on my son."

"He should know, my boy."

"You let me decide what my sons should know. Do you have any idea what something like that would do to him?"

Albus stared at him for a moment before nodding. "What do you know about horocruxes?"

Severus sighed. "I know the Dark Lord mentioned something about them to Lucius, Bella and I once..."

"It is my belief that Voldemort created six of them."

Severus swore again. "Six? Are you certain?"

"With himself as the seventh part, yes. Severus I'm fairly certain."

"Do you know what they are?"

Albus placed a book on his desk. "Do you recognize this?"

He leaned forward and picked up the book. "This is the diary that Harry destroyed at the end of last year."

"I think this was one of them."

"What do you think the others are?"

"He was quite facsinated with the founders when he was here, so I believe that he probably tried to find something that belonged to each of them to use. As you know, he was descended from Slytherin himself and a member of the Guant family."

"I don't want you involving Harry, Albus. Use whoever else you need to find and destroy these damn things, but not Harry."

"Severus..."

"Albus, I've told you before not to involve my sons in your plans or you will find yourself short a Potions Master as well as two students. And I think that you might be missing a Defence professor as well."

Severus stormed into Remus’ office and slammed the door loudly. “I hate that old man!”

Remus looked up from his lesson plans. “What did he do now?”

“What do you know of Horcruxes?” Severus asked, dropping into his usual chair.

“I’ve heard the term, but I know nothing of them except that it is among the darkest of magic,” Remus answered, setting aside his quill.

“It’s an object in which a Dark wizard hides a fragment of his soul. It requires a horrific act as well as a murder to create. Albus believes that the Dark Lord created six of these and is not truly dead. And seeing as he possessed Quirrell, I have no choice but to believe him.”

“Six?! Does Albus know what they are?”

“He thinks the diary that Harry destroyed last year was one of them. He thinks that the Dark Lord may have been looking for objects that belonged to the Founders…and possibly even some heirloom of the Gaunt family.”

“What is his plan?”

“To find them and destroy them. He wanted Harry to help, but I told him in no uncertain terms that he was to leave Harry out of this.”

Remus nodded. “He’s done too much already.”

Severus got up and went to the cabinet where Remus kept the firewhiskey, pouring himself a drink.

--

After dinner and spending some time in the library studying for his Ancient Runes exam the next day, Draco went up to his room, intent on going to bed early. When he came in he realized that something was wrong, but couldn’t put his finger on it. He reached to turn down his bed and stopped suddenly. The blanket that Lily had made for him was missing. His hand hovered in midair as he tried to remember what he had done with it that morning. It was his habit to fold it and place it on his trunk on the foot of his bed before leaving for classes and he remembered doing so again that very morning.

His mind ran through all his fellow Slytherins that could possibly have taken it. As far as he knew, only his roommates knew of its existence. Though he supposed that they could have told one of the others. But most of them would have used magic as a way of revenge, not pilfering. Well, there was one Slytherin that he didn’t know that well…oh no…she wouldn’t have. Would she?

He tore from his dorm, shoving Zabini aside as he raced down the hall to their common room. There she was! Sitting over there studying like she was innocent. Storming across the room and knocking over two first years that had been in his way, he snatched the faded cap off her head, knowing that she often used it to hide her eyes.

“Hey!” she yelled, standing up so quickly that she knocked her chair over. “Give me that back!”

“If you want it back then give my blanket back!” he yelled back at her.

She smirked. “Does Draco have a blankie?” she teased.

“IT’S NOT A BLANKIE!” he thundered, unaware that he was drawing the attention of the rest of his House.

Rae just laughed. “What’s the matter? Can’t sleep without it?”

He took a step toward the hearth, holding her old cap toward the flames.

“Don’t!”

“Give me my blanket!” He took another step toward the hearth.

She lunged toward him, tackling him.

--

Harry was stopped in the hall on his way in from Quidditch practice by a Slytherin prefect asking if he knew where Professor Snape was. “I don’t know…” Harry told the sixth year girl. “But I can find him if it’s an emergency.”

“It is. Two third years are brawling in the common room,” she told him.

“Didn’t you stop them?” Harry asked.

“One of them has put up some sort of shield and no one can get to them.”

Nodding, Harry pulled his mirror from his pocket. “Uncle Sev.”

A moment later the Potions Master’s face appeared in the mirror. “What’s wrong, Harry?”

“One of your prefects is looking for you. She said that there is a fight in your common room,” he told his adopted father. He then relayed the message about the shield keeping the prefects from stopping the fight.

“I’m on my way,” he said, before his face disappeared from the mirror.

Harry turned to the prefect. “He’s on his way. Who is fighting?”

“Draco and that American girl,” she said, heading back toward her common room. Harry ran after her, following her into the Slytherin common room unnoticed.

Sure enough, his brother and Rae were on the floor brawling. The Potions Master walked in a few moments later, followed by Remus Lupin. With a wave of his hand, Severus had the shield down and was pulling his two errant students to their feet. Grabbing each of them by the back of the head, he pushed their heads towards each other, stopping mere inches before their heads collided. “Miss Kelly, had you not had a concussion so recently, you would both be nursing sore heads. Now, tell me what this was all about,” he said in that low and threatening tone he often used with misbehaving students.

“He stole my hat,” she told him, trying to pull free of his grip on the back of her head.

Draco, knowing that struggling was futile, didn’t fight his adopted father’s hand. “She took my blanket!”

He looked back and forth between the two of them before letting them both go. “Do not move.” He summoned Rae’s cap from where it had fallen near the hearth and then held out his hand to summon Draco’s blanket, which flew at them from the girls’ dorms. Severus handed both items off to Remus and grabbing each fighter by an ear, pulled them out of the common room and down the hall to his office.

Harry and Remus followed a few paces behind, Remus running his fingers over the soft yarn of the blanket. “Mum made that,” Harry told him. “I’ve got one with Gryffindor colors. Uncle Sev said that Mum could See a bit.”

Remus nodded. “She could. I have a blanket similar to this as well, only she charmed her hook to work on its own, but these blankets she made by hand.”

“’Ri can’t sleep without it,” Harry told him.

“That would explain his reaction to finding it stolen.”

“It’s the only thing he has from them,” Harry replied. “We both have photo albums with pictures that their friends gave us…but I at least have Dad’s…” he trailed off, not sure if Moony knew about the cloak.

“You have James’ Invisibility Cloak,” Remus finished for him. “Severus told me that you had it. I would suggest leaving it in your trunk because it could get you into a great deal of trouble. It did us.”

Harry nodded. “I will, Moony.”

Once at his office, Severus ordered the two pugilists to sit down and he turned to collect the items from Remus. “Will you please take Harry back to Gryffindor Tower?”

“Of course,” Remus said, putting his arm around the boy’s shoulder. “Come on, Harry. We’ll walk slowly and I’ll tell you some more stories about your dad.”

“Don’t go putting ideas into his head,” Severus called after them before turning back to his office. He slammed the door, causing the two Slytherins to jump in their chairs. He tossed the cap and blanket onto his desk. “I don’t know what has gotten into the two of you, but it will stop.”

“Uncle Sev…” Draco started.

“Silence. Draco, you know good and well that I do not tolerate this type of behavior, as well as how I deal with it. And Miss Kelly, you and I have had several discussions about controlling your temper and your tendency to try and settle things with your fists. You may have been able to get away with that in the States, but it will not be tolerated here at Hogwarts.” He stopped and took a moment to look them over. “Miss Kelly, where did you get this cap?”

“It belonged to my father…” she answered, looking down at her hands.

“Draco…your blanket?”

“Mum made it for me,” he whispered.

Severus took a seat behind his desk, staring at them both. “You two may not realize it, but you both have a great deal in common. You are both orphans who have been adopted by your godfathers and you both have one think from your parents that is very important to you.” He paused and sighed. “Until I say otherwise, you will share a desk in your classes, you will sit beside each other during meals and you will do your homework together every evening.”

Draco’s head shot up as Severus told them their sentence. “Uncle Sev…”

“I’m not finished. You will both also serve a week of detentions with me.”

“But…”

“Do I need to make it two?”

“No!” Rae snapped, giving Draco a dirty look. “One will be enough.”

“Very good. You two are dismissed.”

Rae stood and grabbed her cap which she shoved into the pocket of her robe before heading toward the door and then stopped, turning to look at Draco who was still sitting in his chair looking at his adopted father as if debating on arguing further. Huffing, she walked back over to him and pulled him from the chair. “Come on…I have homework to do.” Draco just barely remembered to reach out and grab his blanket before she drug him toward the door.

“If I catch you two fighting again, I will lock you in a room until you either kill each other or learn to get along, is that understood?” he said, as they crossed the room.

“Yes sir,” they both replied in a whisper.

--

Severus and Remus went into The Three Broomsticks, where Sirius had moved after being cleared by the Ministry. When they entered, Sirius was leaning against the bar, chatting with Rosemerta. Remus rolled his eyes and started to greet his old friend, but Severus shook his head. He pulled his wand and with a quick flick, Sirius was hanging in the air upside down. He walked over to his old nemesis. “Hello Black.”

“Let me down, Snivellus!” he snapped.

Remus growled softly from where he stood nearby.

“I don’t think so, Black,” Severus said. “I believe I owe you for quite a bit.” With another flick of his wand, the man’s mouth filled with soap.

The other patrons started chuckling as they watched the exchange. Some of them had known the two as students and knew of the animosity between them.

Severus ended the spell and crossed his arms as he considered the man in front of him, as Sirius coughed and sputtered, trying to get the taste of soap out of his mouth. “Let’s see…what other spells did you two use that day…”

Sirius’ eyes grew wide as he remembered the day that Severus mentioned. “Don’t! Sniv…Snape! Don’t! Please!”

“Why not, Black? You did it to me…”

“I’m sorry! Please don’t!”

Severus shrugged and turned to leave the tavern, leaving the man hanging in mid air.

Remus looked over at his friend. “You can’t say that you don’t deserve it,” he said, before following the Potions Master from the tavern. As he walked through the door that Severus was holding open, he put his wand behind his back and with a flick Sirius’ trousers came undone and bunched around his ankles, bringing loud laughter from the other patrons.

Severus shook his head and closed the door behind him. “Remus, I didn’t know you had it in you,” he told his new friend.

Remus chuckled. “Well, I do owe him something too.”

“Yes…you do. I owe him a lot more,” he said, leaning against the side of The Three Broomsticks. “After all, he nearly got me killed and that would have gotten you killed too.”

“Severus…”

“Look, Remus, I don’t hold that against you. Black on the other hand.”

Remus nodded.

“So how long do we leave him in there before going back in?”

“How many people know the counter?”

“As far as I know, only the three of us. And you two wouldn’t know it if Black hadn’t stolen my journal.”

Remus nodded again. “We’ll give him another five minutes, and then we’ll go let him down. What did you decide to do about the Firebolt?”

“I’m going to get Harry another Nimbus and then they can share the Firebolt. When they play against each other they can use their Nimbus’, in the other games they can use the Firebolt.”

“That’s sounds quite fair.”

“I thought it was a good compromise without forcing Black to buy another Firebolt. I wasn’t going to let either of them use it because I don’t think any students should be using a broom like that, but I figured they wouldn’t stop begging to be allowed to use it. So this saves me a headache. But I did tell them that any stupid stunts and they would lose it.”

“I think Lily would agree with your decision. James on the other hand,” Remus said with a chuckle. “James was a big kid when it came to brooms.”

Severus pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time.

“You know that Sirius is going to be spoiling them, right? He’s got a large vault and a lot of birthdays and Christmases to make up for.”

“If he wishes to spoil them, then he’ll need to spoil them equally. And I would prefer he run anything by me before he does it, but knowing him, he won’t. So try to keep a leash on the mutt, alright?”

Remus nodded. “So, are you going to let him down or should I?”

Severus waved his hand and the door flew open. He flicked his wand and there was a crash heard from inside. Moments later Sirius hurried out the door.

“What were you thinking only buying one Firebolt?” Remus asked starting in on his old friend. “You know good and well that Draco is James and Lily’s son too. Did you even consider that when you bought that stupid broom? If you were only going to buy one room, you should have sent it to both brooms and not just Harry! You had a brother, Sirius. Use that head of yours and thinking about both boys next time you get a bright idea,” he said, smacking Sirius a couple times on the head.

Sirius threw up his arm to try and fend off the blows from his stronger friend. “Ow! Moony, cut that out! It hurts!”

“It’s supposed to, you idiot!”

“I’ll get another Firebolt, alright?!”

“You most certainly will not!” Severus snapped. “I didn’t want either of them to have one of those damn brooms; I sure don’t want two of them.”

“Then what do you want?” Sirius asked, stepping away from Remus before the man could hit him again.

“Next time you decide to buy them something, run it by me first…and make sure you buy something for both of them.”

“Are you going to let me spend time with them?”

Severus stared at him for a moment before nodding. “As long as Remus goes along.”

“For how long?”

“Until I decide that I can trust you with them alone.”

Sirius sighed. “When can I see them?”

“I will allow you to take them shopping at Christmas.”

"What are your brothers doing?" Harry asked Ron as they played chess on the floor by the hearth. Hermione sat nearby with her nose buried in a book.

Ron glanced over to where Fred and George were sitting at a table bent over something. "I don't know, but whatever it is, it can't be good."

"You're probably right," he replied, moving another piece.

Hermione sighed as she turned a page in her book. "I heard them say something about a map of the school."

"I told you," Ron said. "It can't be good."

Harry tried to pay attention to the game but heard Fred and George say something about Professor Lupin and Moony. He turned to look at the two red heads. How could they know that Professor Lupin was Moony. He and Draco were the only ones who called him that and they never did that when there were other students around. He got up and walked over to them. "What about Moony?" he asked them, leaning over their shoulders to get a look at what they had been doing. Hermione was right about one thing. It was a map.

Fred turned to look at him. "Ah, young Harry. Just the man we needed."

"Need for what?" Harry asked.

He slid his chair over so that Harry could get a better look at the parchment on the table. "This is the Marauder's Map, Harry. Created by Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. It's a map of the school."

"It shows everyone in the school, every minute of every day, no matter what they are doing and where they are," George told him. "We know that Moony is Professor Lupin and Wormtail is Peter Pettigrew, but we're not sure who the other two are."

Harry stared at the map, taking in every detail. "They are probably my dad and Sirius Black. They were best friends with Moony...Professor Lupin. Where did you get this?"

"We nicked it from Filch's office," Fred told him. "First year."

"It's been the secret behind our success," George added. "And we know where all the secret passage lead...all except this one." George pointed to a spot in the map.

"Why haven't you found out yet?" Harry asked them.

"Because it's under the Whomping Willow," George replied.

"We'll make a deal with you, young Harry," Fred said. "You find out where the tunnel leads and we'll give you the map. We don't really need it any more."

Harry sighed. If his dad had helped make this map, he really wanted to have it. But if he got caught Uncle Sev would kill him. "How am I supposed to get into the tunnel if its under the Whomping Willow?"

There in the margin some writing appeared: Poke the large knot on the trunk and the branches will freeze.

'Hey...how did the map do that?' Harry looked closer at the writing. "Is it really that easy?"

"The map hasn't been wrong yet," George told him.

'What map do what?' Draco asked through their bond.

Harry bit his lip. He hadn't realized that he had said anything. 'Fred and George have a map of the school that Moony helped create. I think Dad helped too.'

'How did they get it?'

'Nicked it from Filch. I wish you could see this. It's amazing.'

'Why are they showing it to you?'

'They said that they would give it to me if I go see what's at the end of the tunnel that's under the Whomping Willow...'

'Well let's go then.'

'What?! Have you lost your mind?! Uncle Sev will kill us if he finds out.'

'Look, Jamie...you have Dad's Cloak. I want something of Dad's too, alright?'

Harry looked between Fred and George and the map. "Oh...alright," he said, heading upstairs to get the Invisibility Cloak. 'I'm going to get you with Dad's Cloak.'

'Brilliant! I'll wait for you near the door.'

--

Harry tucked the Invisibility Cloak behind a bush just outside the front door and he and Draco hurried around the building toward the Whomping Willow. “We’re going to be in deep trouble if Uncle Sev catches us,” Harry told his twin, looking around for a long stick to use on the knot that would still the big tree. He remembered just how much damage that tree could do.

“You worry too much, Jamie,” Draco replied. “Besides, he’s probably tucked away in his lab brewing and won’t be seen or heard from until class on Monday. You know how he gets when he’s brewing.”

Harry sighed and nodded. Uncle Sev could forget about a lot of things when he was brewing. “Alright…come on,” he said, picking up a long stick and managing to press the knot. A small hole opened up in the roots of the tree. Carefully, the twins made their way through the hole and into a dark tunnel. He pulled out his wand and cast a Lumos, giving them some light. Draco did the same and they slowly made their way through the tunnel. “I really, really don’t like small, dark places.”

“Because of the cupboard?” Draco asked.

Harry merely nodded. “If I went in there on my own it wasn’t so bad…but when they locked me in there it was different.” He sighed and changed the subject. “I didn’t realize not having something of Dad’s bothered you so much. I mean, I wondered, but you never really said anything…”

“Anyone would be jealous of that Cloak, Jamie.”

“Yeah…I guess. You can have it if you want it.”

Draco stopped and turned to face his brother. “Have you lost your mind?! Dumbledore gave that it to you.”

“Only because he didn’t know about you…”

Draco shook his head and turned to continue walking down the tunnel. As the tunnel began to rise, they heard a loud howl from up ahead. “What was that?”

“It sounded kinda like a wolf.”

“Jamie…” Draco said, his voice wavering, “…it’s the full moon, isn’t it?”

Harry thought about it for a moment and then nodded. “Yeah.”

“Think there is a werewolf up there?” They had learned about werewolves in Defense class the week before. Professor Lupin had not planned on teaching them about werewolves until the end of the year, but he had overheard some Slytherins talking about werewolves, and one in particular, and decided to go ahead and teach his students about them.

“Merlin, I hope not,” Harry replied, “But if it is, I hope that it’s had some of the Wolfsbane that Moony talked about in class.” They continued inching their way forward, both eager and terrified to see what might lie ahead. They heard a few more howls before they reached a rickety set of stairs leading up. Exchanging a glance, they climbed the stairs and found themselves in an old shack that looked like a strong wind would knock it over.

A noise to their right caused them to turn. There in the corner of the room was a large wolf-like creature staring at them and growling softly. “Umm…Harry…I think that’s a real werewolf…”

“Uncle Sev is going to kill us…”

The door to the shack opened and a large black dog came flying through the door, nearly knocking them over. The dog gave a happy bark and started wrestling with the other animal.

“I don’t think that’s supposed to happen,” Draco told him brother.

“I’ll tell you what is about to happen,” came a very familiar voice and both boys suddenly found that their adopted father now had a very firm grip on their ears, pulling them back down into the tunnel and away from the two fighting animals. “I know two boys who are going to be very sorry by the time I’m finished with them.”

“Ow,” they both whimpered, trying to pull away.

Severus turned them around and gave them each a firm swat on the trousers. “Move,” he ordered.

--

A short time later Severus sat in his chair in front of the hearth in his quarters, looking at his two sniffling sons who were seated on the couch facing him. “I would like an explanation as to why you two thought it would be a good idea to not only sneak out of the castle, but also off school grounds…”

The two boys looked at each other before Harry answered. “Well…Fred and George had this really brilliant map that Moony helped make and we thought that maybe Dad had helped make it too. And I have his Invisibility Cloak, but Ri doesn’t have anything of Dad’s…so Fred and George said we could have the map if we went and found out what was at the end of the tunnel under the Whomping Willow.”

Severus ran his fingers through his hair. “If I hadn’t just walloped you two, I’d blister you…” he muttered, before taking a deep breath. “I will be having a discussion with Fred and George about what is appropriate for my sons to be doing after curfew. What did this map look like?”

“It showed the whole school and where everyone was and it was created by Moony and some other people called Wormtail and Padfoot and Prongs.”

“The Marauder’s Map. Yes, it was created by Remus and Sirius Black and James. But that is beside the point. You two knew better than to leave the castle and school grounds.”

“We didn’t realize we were leaving school grounds, Uncle Sev,” Draco told him, wiping his nose on his sleeve.

Severus gave the blond a dirty look and a handed him a handkerchief. “You shouldn’t have even been out of the castle. You two are very lucky that I happened to see you two heading for the Whomping Willow and knew where it led. There were too many things working in your favor tonight, scamps, but that won’t always be the case. What do you think would have happened if I hadn’t seen you going into the Whomping Willow? Or if I hadn’t known where the tunnel led? What if Black and I hadn’t gotten there in time? If that werewolf hadn’t taken his Wolfsbane Potion you two could have been bitten or killed! And then what do you think would have happened to that werewolf? He would have been killed!”

“You sound like you know the werewolf,” Draco snapped lightly.

“So do you!” Severus responded. “That werewolf is Remus!” Draco fell silent and looked down at the handkerchief in his hands. “How do you think he would feel when he transformed again in the morning and found out that he had hurt the two of you? That man loves you two almost as much as I do!”

The two boys were quiet for a few minutes before Harry asked softly. “Uncle Sev?”

“What Harry?”

“You said that Sirius came with you to get us. Why didn’t we see him?”

Severus ran his fingers through his hair again. “That big mutt was Black. He’s an animagus. I sent a Patronus to him in Hogsmede because he was closer to you than I was.”

“Where were we?”

“You were in the Shrieking Shack. And you are NOT to tell anyone about Remus, is that understood?” Both boys nodded. “It will be bad for Remus if you do. And when he is feeling up to it, I want the two of you to go and talk to him.” He looked them over for a moment before continuing. “No brooms over Christmas holiday. The Firebolt is mine until the two of you have earned it back. I'll have a list of chores for the two of you to complete when we go home for Christmas. And I'm going to let Remus add to the list of terms for your grounding.”

“What?!”

“Uncle Sev!”

He held his hand up. “No. You made him part of this, so he’ll help set the terms. End of discussion.”

“Yes sir,” they both muttered, knowing better than to argue with him.

“Go to bed, both of you. Harry, I’ll let McGonagall know that you are spending the night here.”

--

Draco sat in Arithmancy, hiding another book behind his Arithmancy book as he pretended to follow along with Professor Vector's lecture. He was actually reading a book that Remus had given him two weeks before. It was a book for young wizards who wished to become an Animagus.

Rae kept glancing over at him as she tried to follow along, but seeing the pictures in the book had open was distracting her. She reached over and poked him in the ribs with her quill.

"Watch it," he hissed.

"Pay attention," she snapped in return.

He rolled his eyes. "I don't need to. I have a photographic memory," he told her. "I already read the chapter and unlike some people, I actually understood it the first time."

She glared at him, before slipping the book from his hands so that she could see it better. She would not have even tried had they not been sitting at the back of the room. "You're trying to become an Animagus?"

"Give me that," he hissed, glancing toward the front of the room to make sure that Professor Vector was not paying attention to them. The last thing he needed right now was more trouble. He and Harry had gotten into enough trouble last night and now they had to wait for Moony to get better so that they could find out the rest of their punishment.

Rae slapped at his hand as she flipped through the pages. "Who is going to be your mentor?"

He sighed. There was just no stopping her, was there? "Professor Lupin...I hope."

"You hope? Did you get into trouble or something?"

"It's none of your business," he snapped, grabbing the book back from her. He and Harry had discussed it last night after being sent to bed and decided that the only think that could make their punishment any worse would be for Moony to change his mind about training them.

"Is there a problem back there?" Professor Vector asked them.

"No ma'am," they both muttered.

"Leave your squabbles outside my classroom. Five points each for disrupting my lecture," she replied, before starting to lecture again.

The two Slytherins glared at each other, knowing that they would be in for it when they got back to the common room.

Remus looked at the two boys sitting across the desk from him. He loved them as much as if they were his own sons. When Severus told him what they had done it had nearly broken his heart. Not just because of what they had done, but because he could have very easily hurt them. He really did hate to punish them, but in this case he did agree with Severus that he should add to them terms of their grounding, since he was affected by what they had done as well. “I’m quite disappointed in you two,” he told them.

Both boys looked down at their hands. Neither of them had really expected the consequences they had encountered for this little adventure.

“Even with the Wolfsbane, it is not always wise for people to be around me in were form. It enables me to keep my own mind and to take a wolf form instead of that of a werewolf, however, sometimes the Wolfsbane doesn’t always help as well as it should. I don’t think this has anything to do with Severus brewing the potion incorrectly. He is a Potions Master and I know he is more than capable with brewing the potion. Some months it just isn’t quite as effective. When in wolf form, many werewolves have been known to attack those who are closest to them when in human form. Had Sirius and Severus not come when they did the other night, you two most likely would have been killed.” He stopped and stared at the two boys in front of him. Or rather the tops of their heads: one black and one dark red. Recalling something Severus had once said, he spoke again, using the younger boy’s real name. “Orion John Snape, if you have changed to look like Lily in order to escape punishment or to get me to go easy on you, change back this instant,” he said, in a much harsher tone than he would normally use. It was the tone he had reserved for the times he had needed to play Alpha to the Marauders.

The boy stiffened at the use of his full name. “I’m not sir,” he whispered, hoping the man couldn’t tell that he was lying. That had in fact been what he was doing.

Remus made a noise of disbelief, but did not comment. “You had both asked me to help you become Animagi. If I am to train you, you must obey everything I say because if you try to change forms before you are ready it could have disastrous results. Because of your actions the other night, I don’t feel that either of you are ready or have the discipline required to start your training just yet.” Harry and Draco looked up at him, both distraught at the news. “If you two can prove to me that you are ready then we will discuss it again this summer.” He looked at them both and waited until he got an acknowledgement of his words before continuing. “Sirius has also decided to clean up his old home. It’s been sitting empty for about ten years since his mother died. Severus and I have discussed it and decided that part of your punishment should include helping Sirius with the work that needs to be done.” Again, both nodded. “Alright…come here, both of you.”

Reluctantly, the two boys stood and moved around the desk toward the man they had grown quite close to over the last few months. Remus stood and put an arm around each boy, pulling them into a tight hug. “You two are worthy to be called the sons of a Marauder,” he told them, his tone affectionate. “But if you two ever do something so foolish again…” He let the threat hang in the air.

“We won’t,” Harry said quickly with a small smile.

Remus ruffled the boy’s hair. “Good. Now get, you little scalawag. I need to talk to Draco for a moment.”

Draco made a face, but looked away, cursing silently. He’d been caught.

Harry nodded, cast a glance at his brother and left the office, quietly closing the door.

Remus turned to the boy in front of him and grabbed him by the shoulders, giving him a good shake. “I will never tolerate lying or manipulation, Mr. Snape. Is that understood?” Draco looked up at him, defiance showing in his green eyes. He reached around the boy and gave him a firm smack that startled the teen. Remus put his hands on his hips and met the boy’s stare, growling deep in his throat.

After a moment Draco looked away, unable to meet the man’s gaze any longer. There was just something about the man’s simple manner of dealing with him that left him feeling just as chastised as he had when Uncle Sev had walloped him a couple nights before. “Yes sir. I’m sorry, Moony,” he whimpered.

The man nodded, reaching out and resting a hand gently on top of the boy’s head. Draco’s shoulders sagged as he relaxed under the gentle touch. “You’re forgiven, pup,” Remus told him, pulling him into another hug.

“I just didn’t want to get into more trouble,” the teen whispered into his chest.

“Lying is never the answer, Draco. All it will get you is more trouble.”

“Yes sir.”

Remus moved to sit on the sofa near the hearth and motioned for Draco to join him. The boy sat on the opposite end of the sofa, tucking one foot underneath himself so that he could face the man. Two mugs of hot chocolate appeared on the coffee table and Remus handed one to the boy, receiving a small smile in return. He was silent for a moment before speaking to the boy. "Draco..." he started with a sigh. "Lucius spent your whole life training you to follow in his footsteps as a Malfoy and a Death Eater. He taught you many bad habits, lying and manipulation among them. Severus loves you very much, Draco...just like you were his own son. To him the adoption doesn't matter. And as your father he is responsible for your well-being...physically, emotionally, morally...and that means breaking you of those habits that Lucius taught you. It won't be easy for you. Or very much fun, but he only wants what is best for you."

The teen stared into the mug of chocolate in his hands, allowing it to warm him as he slowly sipped the hot liquid. Uncle Sev had been trying for years to keep him from following everything that Lucius had drilled into his head from the time he could walk. But old habits die hard and he was a Slytherin after all. They were known for being cunning and manipulative. "I know, Moony," he whispered. "I don't mean to be so manipulative...sometimes I just do it without thinking."

"And Harry rushes off into danger without thinking. You both got that impulsiveness from James. He was always doing things without thinking them through...usually Sirius was right there next to him." He smiled at the boy sitting beside him. "Harry may look more like James, but you have James' spirit."

“I look like Lily,” Draco whispered softly.

“Yes…and you both have her eyes.”

They fell into a companionable silence as they both sipped their hot chocolate. After several minutes, Draco spoke again. “I’m really sorry about the sneaking out, Moony…and seeing you like that. I know I shouldn’t have, but…I…I wanted to have something of Dad’s too. Harry has his old Invisibility Cloak and its bloody brilliant, but I don’t have anything…and it’s just not fair,” he said, blinking back tears. He wasn’t going to cry. No way. “Nothing would be as great as the Cloak…but it least it would have been mine…”

“That Cloak is one of a kind,” Remus replied. “If you wanted something that had belonged to James, all you had to do was ask, Draco. We would have found something for you and you would have saved yourself a lot of trouble.”

“And a walloping,” he muttered.

Remus smirked. “Yes. That too.”

“It was the worst ever. He pulled our trousers down and gave us five smacks more than he’s ever done before. He’s never pulled my trousers down before…”

“Well, pup, you have to admit that you two were pretty reckless and foolish and broke some pretty big rules.”

Draco sighed deeply. “I guess you’re right…”

Remus looked at Draco for a moment before taking the mug of hot chocolate from the boy and placing it on the table.

"Moony...what are you doing?" Draco asked, not sure he liked the mischevious look in the man's eye.

The werewolf grabbed the boy's foot and pulled him across the couch, causing the young teen to squeak in shock. Keeping a tight hold on the boy's foot so that he couldn't escape, Remus began to tickle his unofficial godson unmercifully. Draco's shrieks of laughter filled the room.

--

Severus let himself into the Gryffindor common room and walked straight over to where Fred and George were bent over something at one of the tables. “Gentlemen…” he said in a low, dangerous tone.

The identical red heads turned to face him, their faces pale. They knew what had happened to Harry and Draco and had been hoping that the Potions Master would forget about their part in the little incident.

“I believe that you two have something that belongs to my sons.”

“I don’t…know what you’re talking about sir,” George said quickly.

“Do not insult my intelligence, Mr. Weasley,” Severus snapped. “I know all about the deal you two made with them to see what was at the other end of the tunnel. I’ve come to collect their payment. I suggest you fetch it yourself before I Summon it.” He held out his hand.

Fred and George exchanged a glance, before Fred reached into his bag and handed the piece of parchment to Severus.

Severus slid the parchment into a pocket in his robes. “I trusted the two of you to take care of my sons. Not to encourage them into mischief. They get into enough of that on their own. You two will be serving two weeks’ worth of detentions with me after the Christmas holidays and believe me, they will not be the type of detentions that you enjoyed before. I will make sure to have plenty of cleaning for you to do as well as finding the most disgusting potions ingredients for you to prepare for me.” With that he turned and stalked from the room, heading back down to his quarters.

Once down in his quarters he went into his private lab and over to one of the locked cabinets. Opening it, he placed the map that he had taken from the Weasley twins and set it on top of the Invisibility Cloak that he had retrieved the night that the boys had snuck out of the castle. He planned to put both items in his vault at Gringott’s until the boys were older and more responsible. Leaving the map and Cloak with them was just asking for trouble.

--

Audrey Wynne straightened her plain white robes of the hospital where she worked as she walked toward Hogwarts castle. If things went according to her plans, in just a few months she would be adding trims to her robes that would identify her as both a Healer and a Potions Mistress. All she needed to do was to complete her final assignment; one that had been decided upon by both of her mentors. She was the only one in her class working toward a Mastery in both Healing and Potions, so her two mentors, one for each program, had gotten together to come up with an assignment that would satisfy the requirements of both programs.

In all honesty, she was quite excited about her assignment, for very few Potions Masters even attempted to brew the Wolfsbane Potion. It was a tricky, complex potion and very easy to render uneffective. Because the potion was quite difficult, and so few Potions Masters even brewed it, the Wolfsbane was quite expensive. Her assignment was to not only to improve the potion, but to simply the brewing if possible. In order to improve the formula, she also needed access to a werewolf who was willing to work with her.

As she had searched for one of the few Potions Masters that brewed the Wolfsbane and would agree to take her on as an assistant, she had come across one Severus Snape, Potions Professor at Hogwarts School...where the oldest two of her sister's adopted children attended, thanks to some strings pulled by her brother-in-law and his grandfather. Being able to spend time with her niece and nephew, though not blood related, would be a definate plus.

Audrey paused for a moment just outside the main entrance to the castle to check her hair, as the walk from Hogsmeade Station had been quite windy. Her long, blond hair was still in the neat, professional bun that she normally wore it in and she straightened the simple white cap covering her hair. The cap was worn by all female students studying to be Healers at the Johns Hopkins Institute of Magical Healing where she attended. Audrey didn't really mind the cap all that much, even though Daniel teased her something awful about looking like Florence Nightingale. What he hadn't known was that the famous nurse was something of a hero to his young sister-in-law.

When she had first written to Professor Snape, requesting permission to come work with him on the Wolfsbane Potion, he had written back saying that he was simply too busy to help her at this time. After sulking at her sister's house for a week, Halle had finally told her to snap out of it and go speak to Professor Snape in person, saying that he might be less likely to turn her down if she travelled all that way just to speak to him. It had taken her another week to make the arrangements to travel to Hogwarts School.

She was pulled from her thoughts when a body slammed into her and she looked down to see that it was her red-headed niece that had attacked her. "Hello, Rae," she laughed, hugging the girl.

Rae looked up at her with a grin. "Hey Aunt Audrey. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?"

"I have my independent study project to complete before I earn my Masteries. And that's why I'm here," Audrey told the girl. "I'm hoping that Professor Snape could help me out." She glanced from her niece to the bored looking, blond-headed boy standing nearby.

"He's my Potions professor and my Head of House. What do you need him to help you with?" Rae asked, ignoring Draco, who she could see out of the corner of her eye.

"My project is on the Wolfsbane Potion. I'm hoping to improve the formula," Audrey explained. There was a loud noise nearby and she turned her head to see the blond that she had noticed eariler was even paler than before. The loud noise had been his bag hitting the floor. "Are you ill, young man?" she asked, her Healer training kicking in and she pulled her wand, running a quick diagnostic spell.

"I..." he replied. "I'm fine. I...umm...I can take you to Professor Snape, if you wish."

She looked at him for a moment before nodding. "I would appreciate that, young man. I'm Audrey Wynne, by the way."

He hesitated before replying. "Orion Snape." He stooped to pick up the bag that he had dropped, the color returning to his face. "Professor Snape is my...father. I'll take you to his office."

"Thank you, Mr. Snape," she said, following him down the hall.

"Come on, Kelly," Draco called over his shoulder. "I'm not getting into any more trouble because of you."

Rolling her eyes, Rae hurried to catch up with them. She smiled when her aunt put her arm around her shoulder.

"Are you two friends?" Audrey asked the girl.

Rae snorted. "Not likely. He and I get along about like..."

Audrey squeezed the girl's shoulder and kissed the side of her head. "It's alright, Rae. What's Professor Snape like?"

"He's not so bad, though a lot of the other kids think he is. Cap arranged for me to have Occlumency lessons with him. Both of them seemed to think it would help me control my temper...and my talents."

"Is it helping?"

"For the most part."

"Is Professor Snape a good teacher?"

She nodded. "He's very strict on us, but then, you know how easy it is to mess up potions."

"I do."

Unknown to either of them, Draco was waging a mental battle with himself. He had referred to Uncle Sev as his father. It had been months since he had adopted the two boys, yet neither one of them had given him a paternal title yet...they still called him Uncle Sev. Sure, the Potions Master had told them that they could call him Uncle Sev for as long as they wished. Lately he and Harry had been discussing calling him something more, but neither had come up with something that seemed to fit the stern man they both considered a father. Dad was what Harry had called James, or Daddy when he was younger, and neither was right for the Potions Master. Draco had called Lucius Father and he just couldn't bring himself to use that title for the man who had been more of a father to him than the man who had kidnapped him as a baby.

Sighing, Draco stuck his head into the open door of the Potions Master's office. "Da...umm...Pop...sir..." Oh, why couldn't he just come up with something that sounded right?

Severus looked up from the papers that he was grading. "Yes Dragon? What's wrong?"

Draco shook his head. "I'm fine...I just. Umm...there's a lady here to see you."

"A lady here to see me?" he asked, standing and walking over to the door. He was surprised to find a young woman, at least ten years younger than himself, standing in the hall with her arm around his young American student. "I'm Professor Snape. Can I help you?" he asked politely. He quickly took in her robes. She was a Healer of some kind. Or at least a student of the Healing Arts.

"Yes sir. My name is Audrey Wynne. We've corresponded."

He considered her a moment before nodding. "As I explained in my letter, I just don't have time to take on anything else, Miss Wynne. I'm sorry you came all this way..."

"She wants to improve the Wolfbane, sir," Draco told him quickly. He had to help Moony.

"I know that son," Severus replied with a sigh.

"It will help Moony..."

"Draco," he said, giving his youngest son a warning look.

Grey eyes flashed to green and Draco's blond hair turned red as Lily's temper came out. "Moony said that the potion doesn't always work. Why won't you help her fix the potion so that it works for him?"

"That is enough, young man!" Severus snapped. He took a deep breath to calm himself. "You and Miss Kelly have some studying to do."

Draco stared at his father for a moment before nodding and moving over to the table in the corner of the office where he and his fellow Slytherin completed their required study sessions together. As he walked to the table, his shoulder slumped, his features changed back to the blond hair and grey eyes that he preferred.

Rae looked at her aunt, who gave her a smile and a nod, before joining the boy.

"I apologize," Audrey told the Potions Master.

Severus sighed. "It's not your fault. Miss Wynne, as I was saying, I don't have time to take on anything else. I teach twenty-four classes a week on seven different levels, grade assignments for all those classes, brew any and all potions needed in the Infirmary here, as well as trying to keep my twin sons out of trouble and as you've seen they are quite a handful."

"I'd be willing to help you out in exchange," she offered. "Even with your sons. You see, Rae is my niece so I know a thing or two about keeping kids out of trouble." Rae turned and gave her aunt a dirty look.

He closed his eyes and considered it for a moment. If she could help out with the brewing for Poppy, then he would have more time for the boys. And she would be brewing the Wolfsbane and that would free up some time as well. Then with her here, she could cover his classes while he covered for Remus during the full moon. Perhaps this could work out after all. "Very well, Miss Wynne. I will mentor you for your project."

Audrey watched as her new mentor gave her niece and his son some instructions before walking over to his desk. He composed a short note and summoned a house elf to deliver it.

"I have sent for the werewolf," he told her.

She nodded and out of the corner of her eye noticed that Draco made a face at his father. "You mentioned another son..." she said politely, trying to pass time while waiting for the werewolf he had mentioned to arrive.

"Yes, Draco has a twin named Harry," Severus answered. His next words to her informed her that he knew of the faces his son was making at him. "A better behaved twin..."

"Harry?" the blond boy snickered. "Better behaved?"

The Potions Master shot his son a dark look and the boy's features changed once more back to the red hair and green eyes she had seen earlier. "Draco, I was merely teasing. And we have discussed your morphing to get your way."

The boy continued to glare at his father.

"One."

Neither moved and Audrey realized that she was watching a battle of wills not unlike some of the ones that she had witnessed between her brother-in-law and his adopted daughter, who was now smirking at the boy across from her.

"Two."

Green flames filled the fireplace and a tall, thin man stumbled out. He straightened and turned to face the Potions Master. "What do you mean you aren't going to brew my Wolfsbane anymore?!" he demanded.

"I never said that you wouldn't recieve it. Merely that I would not be the one brewing it," Severus responded.

Draco jumped up and ran over to the new man. "Moony! She wants to improve the Wolfsbane."

Severus glanced down at his son, looking quite impatient. "Orion John Snape, you are already in trouble. Sit down at that table and do your work. Now."

When Draco hesitated the man he had called Moony put his hand firmly on the boy's shoulder. "Do as your father says."

Audrey knew that she should turn away from this little family drama, but she felt herself drawn to it.

"But Moony..." the boy protested.

She watched as the man pulled himself up to his full height and gave a low growl. It was then that Audrey realized that not only was he a werewolf, but he was also an Alpha. And this boy seemed to respect the Alpha more than his father because he turned and went back to the table like a pup with his tail between his legs. At this she stepped forward, reminding the Potions Master that she was in the room.

Severus took a moment to calm himself after the blatant disrespect before turning to make the proper introductions.

~*~

Beau slowly made his way through the children's book in his hand. He and Hermione were sitting on a transfigured love seat in an unused classroom where they had been holding his reading lessons. The book he was reading was his youngest sister's favorite and Halle had sent it to him. With Hermione's help on the spelling, he had written his first letter ever to his adopted mother telling her that he was finally learning how to read and write. A few days later he had received a package at breakfast with this simple book. He finished the book and closed the cover, turning his head to look at Hermione, waiting her judgment.

"You're doing really well, Beau," she told him with a smile.

He smiled in return. "You're a good teacher, Hermione." He set the book aside. "Do you have any plans for Christmas?"

"I'm going to France with my parents. What about you? What are your plans?"

"Cedric has invited me to spend the holidays with his family. I wasn't going to go because I didn't want Rae stuck her by herself for Christmas, but since Audrey's here I guess I'll go."

She turned sideways on the love seat, leaning her back against the arm and hugging her knees. "Who is Audrey?"

"It's a little complicated," he told her, turning to face her as well. "I grew up on the bayou in Louisiana. My mother and three of my siblings were killed my rogue dark wizards. Cap was the lead investigator for the American Magical Law Enforcement and after he captured the wizards responsible, he came back and adopted the other four of us. I was ten at the time and the little ones were just babies. We went to Brooklyn to live with him and his wife Halle, and his goddaughter Rae. Audrey is Halle's younger sister. So Audrey is my aunt, but she's only eight years older than I am."

"Sounds like you have a great family."

He nodded. "They are. Cap and Halle have been wonderful to the kids and the kids adore them. It's mutual really. They've been really good to us and I don't know what I would have done if they hadn't come along to adopt us."

She reached over and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

Beau took her hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing it gently. "Thank you, mademoiselle"

~*~

Remus shook his head when he saw Sirius, Draco and Harry cross the street to join him. He and Sirius had offered to take the boys Christmas shopping while Severus finished up his end of term paperwork. Remus would finish his own paperwork later this evening. He agreed with Severus that leaving the boys alone with Sirius was not exactly the best idea as Sirius was just a big kid himself.

He had stayed with them until Sirius decided that he wanted to go into the pet store and look at the dogs. Most animals could smell the werewolf in Remus and didn't react well to him, but after seeing the hopeful looks in the eyes of the two boys, he agreed that they could go inside the pet store and he would go to the bookstore across the street to wait for them.

Now the two boys coming toward him each had a small pet carrier. Remus was pretty sure that Severus had not planned on getting the boys any pets. He didn't really seem the pet type. "Sirius..." he sighed. "What have you done?"

"I bought them early Christmas presents," Sirius answered with a grin.

"Did you talk to Severus about this?"

"Why would I have to ask Sni...Severus if I could buy presents for my own godsons?"

Remus raked his fingers through his hair. "Padfoot, presents are one thing, but pets are another. You should have asked him."

"Don't worry so much, Moony," he said, heading down the street in the general direction of the Leaky Cauldron.

~*~

Severus glanced up from the lunch that he was preparing when his boys tumbled from the Floo, each with a small animal carrier. They were followed by Remus and Sirius, who took out his wand, waving it at the two carriers. Severus dried his hands on a towel and walked into the other room. "Tell me you didn't, Black."

"Alright, I won't," Sirius replied.

"Don't look at me," Remus said when Severus turned his dark gaze on the werewolf.

Severus crossed his arms. "You were supposed to be keeping an eye on him."

"He said that he wanted to go look at the dogs...not buy anything. I can't go into a pet store," Remus replied with a sigh.

Sirius draped an arm around Severus' shoulder. "Come on, Snape, let the boys keep them."

Severus reached up and expertly pinched the skin between Sirius' thumb and pointer finger. "Do not touch me," he said as he removed the man's arm from around his shoulder.

"That hurt!" Sirius told him, rubbing his hand. "What did you do to me?"

The Potions Master rolled his eyes. "There is a nerve bundle in that spot on your hand. Apply the right amount of pressure and it is quite painful." He glanced over at the boys. "I'm afraid that you'll just have to return the animals."

"Severus..." Remus started before the man cut him off.

"No Remus. The boys asked me about getting a pet this past summer and I told them no. We are not in this house enough to warrant getting one."

"We can keep them in your quarters, Uncle Sev," Draco said, setting the carrier in his hand on the floor.

"In my quarters?" Severus asked him. "Not likely."

Harry set down his carrier as well, bending down to open the door. "In our room, then." He pulled an orange kitten from the carrier. "He'll make sure no more rats get into our room."

Sighing, Severus took the kitten from Harry and held him up so that he could get a good look. "Reminds me a bit too much of a Weasley, but I suppose that I could use a good mouser in my lab."

"I told you that he'd think it looked like a Weasley," Draco told his brother.

Harry stuck his tongue out at Draco. "At least I got something practical."

"Sirius said all the girls would love mine."

Severus looked at his Slytherin son. "I believe the only girl actually speaking to you at the moment is Miss Kelly and she only does so when she's forced to speak to you."

"What's this about a girl?" Sirius asked with a grin.

Remus matched his grin. "She has red hair," he told the other Marauder.

Sirius laughed. "Another Potter has fallen for a girl with red hair."

"I haven't fallen for her!" Draco snapped at his godfather. "You ought to be talking to Harry about Ginny Weasley!"

"Hey!" Harry protested, taking his kitten back from his adopted father.

"Everyone sees how you moon over her," the Slytherin said, as he pulled a white ferret from his carrier.

"I don't moon over anyone!"

Severus decided to step and stop their argument. "Draco, that has got to be the ugliest thing I have ever seen," he told the boy with a smirk.

Draco made a face at him. "I happen to think Frank is cute."

"Frank?" Severus asked him.

"He was already named," Draco said with a shrug.

Severus rolled his eyes. "Alright. You can keep them, but the first time I have to take care of them, they are gone. Understood?"

The two boys nodded. "Thank you Uncle Sev."

"Yeah, thanks Pop," Sirius told the Potions Master, winking at the boys.

Severus turned his dark eyes on the Marauder. "Don't call me that or I just might de-age you and see how much you like being my son. I can guarantee that I will mend your mischievous ways."

"You better listen to him, Padfoot," Harry told his godfather. "He wallops us all the time."

"Scamp," Severus said, ruffling the boy's ever messy mop of hair. "I only wallop you when you deserve it."

Remus put a firm hand on his friend's shoulder. "Calm down, Padfoot. Severus isn't abusing them."

"But Remus..." Sirius started.

"They are perfectly healthy and happy."

Sirius looked at the two boys and nodded, having to admit that what Remus said was true. His godsons were healthy and happy.

~*~

The weekend before school was to start again found the two boys at Grimmauld Place with Sirius and Remus. When Remus left one afternoon, Sirius drug the two boys outside to a shed attached to the back of the building. He threw open the doors and pulled out an old motorbike with a sidecar. "What do you think, boys?"

Harry stepped closer and ran his hand over the motorbike. "I had a dream about a bike like this once. But it was able to fly. That was before I knew about magic."

Sirius smiled. "This one does fly, Harry, and you've ridden on it before. Hagrid used it to go pick you up in Godric's Hollow that night," he said, brushing a finger across the scar on Harry's forehead.

"It flies?" Draco asked.

"Yes," Sirius replied with a laugh. "James and I spent hours fixing this thing up and getting it to fly. How would you two like to go for a ride?"

Both faces lit up. "Can we?" Draco asked.

"Sure," their godfather replied. "Alright, one of you in the sidecar and one on the bike behind me. We'll stop somewhere and let you two switch later on."

The two boys scrambled into place in unspoken agreement: Draco on the bike and Harry in the sidecar.

~*~

They were met by a very angry werewolf when they returned. "Have you lost your mind, Sirius?!" he demanded.

"That was brilliant, Padfoot!" Harry exclaimed, jumping from his seat on the back of the enchanted motorbike.

Remus gave a low growl, catching the attention of all three. "Boys, your father is waiting for you inside." The two boys hurried inside, eager to tell their father of their adventure. Once they were inside, Remus turned to face his best friend again. "Sirius, did you think to ask Severus before taking the boys up on that thing?"

"No," Sirius answered as he put the motorbike back in the shed. "Didn't think I'd need to."

"Do you ever think?" Remus asked.

Sirius whirled around to face his friend. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You bought a Firebolt for Harry, but Draco didn't get so much as a note. You bought them pets without asking Severus first. Now this. Sirius...I know it's hard for you to grasp this concept, but Severus is the boys' father. You need to start consulting him before you go rushing headlong into things like this. If something had happened to the three of you, we'd never have known where to look."

"Remus..."

"No, Padfoot. You need to start thinking because after this Severus is not likely to let you see them again, even when I'm around. I can't believe that you'd wait until my back was turned to do something like this. I trusted you, Sirius." With that he turned and stalked away from his old friend, slamming the back door to the house..

~*~

"Are you mad at us?" Harry asked after they had Flooed back to Spinner's End.

Severus sighed deeply, working very hard to keep reign on his temper. "No, Harry. I'm not mad at the two of you. You didn't know any better. However, I do not want to ever hear of you riding on some contraption like that again. Understood?"

Draco threw himself on the sofa and crossed his arms in a classic pout. "I don't see how it was really any problem. Sirius knows what he's doing."

"This is not up for negiotation, Draco. You will not be riding on it again. End of story," Severus told him firmly.

"You're not being fair!" Draco snapped.

Harry's eyes grew wide as he looked at his brother. "Draco!"

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. "I have to go deal with Black. I want you to go to your room and stay there until I return, Draco."

"But," the boy protested.

"GO!"

Making a disrespectful noise of protest, the boy stood and stomped up the stairs, slamming the door to his room.

Sighing, Severus headed upstairs. First to deal with his son, then to deal with Black.

~*~

A loud voice woke Sirius the next morning and he stumbled from his bed to figure out who was in his house. As he tripped his way down the stairs, he realized that the voice was not only speaking in English, but was speaking multiple languages.

All young wealthy pureblood wizards were trained in languages at a young age. By the time they went to Hogwarts, those of the oldest Houses, such as the Blacks and Malfoys, were expected to be fluent in Latin, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Greek. Whoever was in his house was slipping between those langauges easily...and it was swearing...in all seven langauges! In fact, there was not a single word that this person was saying that was NOT a swear word.

He stepped into the drawing and was surprised to find the room empty except for a small black bird. Then the bird opened it's beak and spoke. Rather, it swore again.

Rubbing his eyes, Sirius walked over to claim the note attached to the bird's leg. He opened it and read the short note.

Black,

His name is Mimic.

S.S.