December 10, 1985

Foxfire Hall:

Severus was convinced that Harry was channeling misbegotten James Potter that holiday season. Actually, ever since Harry had turned five he had developed a smart attitude. One that Severus was hard pressed to deal with and that Augustus had no patience for whatsoever. The old man, who was pushing 98 by this time, had decided that his great-grandson was old enough to do small chores around the manor, like picking up his room and weeding Drusilla’s garden, things which he hoped would teach the child a bit of responsibility. But Harry didn’t care to do routine chores that were boring, as he put it, and he whined and complained, asking why the two house elves couldn’t do it.

Severus had told him that Lina and Hotspur, who were freed elves, were not required to do everything for him, as if he were a pampered sultan in a palace. “A few chores won’t kill you, now quit whining,” he told him bluntly.

Harry sulked and pouted and made Severus long to shake him. Then he stomped off to his room. When Severus came to check on his progress a half-an-hour later, he discovered Harry had barely made a dent in the mess. Utterly disgusted, Severus had glared at his obstreperous son and declared, “You’re not going to be allowed out of here until I can see the floor. Now start picking up your toys and put them away right now.”

“But Papa, it’s too hard!”

“Oh? It wasn’t too hard for you to make the mess, now was it?”

“No.”

“No. Now start cleaning, or else you’ll spend the next day in your room, young man.”

“Fine!” Harry snapped insolently.

“Mind that tone, boy, or else I’ll take away half these toys. You don’t speak to me that way.”

“You’re no fair!”

“That’s life. Get used to it. I’ll be back in thirty minutes and I’d better see some progress.” Then he closed the door smartly behind him.

Only then did his son start doing as he had been told.

But afterwards it was as if James Potter’s clone had entered the house. Harry put salt in the sugar bowl and Lina baked a cake with it and when they all sat down to eat it that night, everyone ended up gagging. Lina was mortified, but Harry just laughed. Severus questioned the little boy and he confessed, resulting in being sent to his room and having to write a small letter of apology to the elf.

Then he decided to slide backwards down the banister and ended up flying across the room and crashing into the large Japanese vase Augustus had in the corner opposite and shattering it. Augustus mended it with a charm, but was still angry at Harry for playing so roughly in the house, and gave him a scolding and some time in the corner.

“You know better, young man, I know you do. How many times have I told you to never slide down the banister?” Augustus demanded, his hands on his hips.

“But it was fun, Grandpa!” protested Harry. “I didn’t mean to break that silly old vase.”

“Whether you meant to or not is besides the point. You willfully disobeyed me and that I won’t tolerate. Now, go to the corner.”

“No, not there!” Harry whined. “I hate it there.”

“March!” Augustus pointed a finger.

Harry dragged his feet the whole way, complaining.

“Hush and be still! Or else you can stand there all day, Henry Snape.”

Harry stopped twitching and muttering, but he was not at all happy with his grandfather and even more unhappy when Severus came home and was told of his misbehavior.

“You know, Harry, if you keep up this naughty behavior, you’ll get nothing for Christmas,” warned Severus, waving a finger under his sulky child’s nose.

Harry looked at him doubtfully. “You’re just sayin’ that.”

“I am not, and if you don’t believe me, keep misbehaving. Come Christmas morning there will be no presents for you under the tree, and only a lump of coal in your stocking.”

“Okay, I’ll behave,” Harry said, but there was a note of disrespect in his voice that irritated Severus to no end.

“You’d better, or else there will be one sorry little boy come Christmas morning,” he threatened. “Now you can stay in your room, on your bed, and think about what you’ve done,” he told him, and waved his wand so all the toys were removed from the room and Harry had nothing to do except stare at his wall. “Fifteen minutes.”

“No fair, Papa! Grandpa already punished me,” his son wailed, kicking the bedpost.

Severus spun around. “I’m not your grandfather, and if you misbehave for him, then you get double the punishment from me when I get home. Now quit this attitude.”

Harry huffed and sulked.

Severus gritted his teeth and left the room, resisting the urge to smack the little brat.

But Harry’s naughty streak continued. He “accidentally” used all of Severus’ expensive ink and parchment to draw with, the kind that the Potions Master needed for important documents. Severus promptly took away all of Harry’s art supplies for two days, saying that if he couldn't remember to respect his father’s belongings, he didn’t deserve to have them either.

Harry promptly threw a tantrum, wailing and stamping his feet and throwing a pillow on the floor.

“Stop that! You’re too old to act like a baby,” Severus ordered. But what had worked at three and four seemed to fail at five, for Harry just kept on having a fit. “Henry, if you don’t quit acting like a baby, I’ll treat you like one.”

“Don’ care! Gimme back my art stuff!”

Severus promptly transfigured Harry’s clothes into a baby all-in-one and gave him a nappy as well as a bottle and a pacifier. “There! Now you look the part of a whiny itty-bitty baby!”

Harry realized what he was wearing and howled, “No, Papa! Get ‘em off!”

“How do you ask?”

“Please!”

“Please what?”

“Please, sir.” Harry gazed up at him, his lower lip pouting.

Severus reluctantly charmed the clothes back after five minutes.

“I don’t know what has gotten into you, child, but it had better stop,” he growled, turning to go.

“I don’t know what has gotten into you,” Harry mocked.

Severus turned around so fast his cloak nearly fell off. “Now, that’s enough!” And with that he picked up the naughty boy and washed his mouth out with soap for a minute, hoping that would cure the kid of his sassy mouth.

When he told Augustus what he had done, the older wizard had said, “He’s testing you, Severus. And if I were you, I’d be firmer with him. Once you start letting a child get away with talking back to you, he’ll lose all respect for you and then you’ll have a spoiled brat on your hands. If he’d spoken like that to me, I’d have warmed his bottom.”

Severus said nothing. He had never raised a hand to Harry, and he had sworn he never would, for that was how Tobias Snape had “disciplined” him and he never wanted to be like his father. But he could see that Harry was getting out of control. Was Augustus right? He wondered. Was a spanking the only way to get through to the child?

Harry certainly had been sorry after that mouthwashing, but how long would it last? He tried telling himself this was just another stage in Harry’s development and he would get through it, the way he had potty training and Harry’s drawing on walls and eating poisonous plants. Where had the sweet obedient little boy gone and when had this unholy terror taken his place?

* * * * * *

Finally it was the week before Christmas, and time to decorate Foxfire Hall again. The elves usually did the inside of the manor and Augustus liked to do the outside, along with Severus and Harry. The two younger wizards strung popcorn and cranberries to string around the evergreen bushes and trees while Augustus hung silver bells on the roof and coaxed the twinkling foxfire lights to glow even brighter, which was something they only did for the lord of the hall.

Harry had always been told he wasn’t ever allowed upon the roof, even though he was not afraid of heights the least little bit and had begun flying lessons with Severus a few months before, when Severus had finally broken down and gotten him a small safety-charmed training broom. Augustus had been able to fly with them too, and unlike Severus and Harry, as an Elemental Master, he could fly without a broom, using the wind itself to make him airborne and soar through the sky.

That had really impressed Harry and he had asked Augustus how he did that and Augustus had told him he had special magic that could command the wind.

“Will I ever have magic like that, Grandpa?” he had asked wistfully. He had the occasional bout of accidental magic, like turning his hair blue and making a shoe fly through the air, but nothing as spectacular as the snow dog again.

“Maybe someday, Henry,” Augustus told him sincerely. But he knew Elemental Masters were few and far between and usually didn’t start showing signs until they were in their teens.

Harry wished he could have magic right now, he was tired of always being “too little”. He loved flying, as much as he loved helping his papa make potions. Severus had allowed him to stir a cauldron a time or two down in his personal basement lab, and crumble some ingredients and add them to a draft.

That particular morning, Severus had gone off to work as always, and Harry was left in the care of Lina and Hotspur and Augustus. After making gingerbread with Lina, which was now a holiday tradition, he intended to help Hotspur deck the halls, because now he was big enough to put the mistletoe and holly up, but he soon grew bored with the activity and took a peek out the dormer window in his room at his grandfather, who was stringing silver bells on small pieces of gold wire along the roof of the manor.

Augustus was still spry and fit, despite his advanced age, and with his elemental magic at his command, stringing the bells upon the roof was a cinch. He was well wrapped in a coat and scarf, a hat drawn over his ears, though his elemental magic kept him warm enough.

Why does he always get to have all the fun? Harry wondered resentfully. Augustus was leaving footprints in the fresh snow on the roof, which was peaked and then flattened a bit towards the edges. Harry’s window was set just in front of a fresh blanket of snow and it looked too inviting to resist. He managed to unlatch the window and crawl out on the roof.

Giggling, he jumped up and down in the fresh snow, and Augustus whirled around, startled.

“Henry!” he cried, aghast. “What in blazes are you doing out here? Get back inside immediately! You’ll catch your death or slip and fall.”

“Aww, Grandpa! But I want to help!”

“You can help by getting your fanny back inside where it belongs, boy, and quit giving me heart failure!”

Then Augustus summoned a small wind to lift his great-grandson back inside before Harry could argue further. The window shut with a snap after Harry was safely inside.

Dejected, Harry pressed his nose against the glass and watched Augustus gently draping the bells across the roof.

A moment or two afterwards, Augustus went inside to answer a call of nature.

Harry waited till his grandfather was gone before he answered a different call, listening to the naughty part of himself and scrambling out upon the roof again.

He didn’t understand why the grown-ups made such a big fuss over just walking on the roof, it wasn’t dangerous, and he could too help with the bells. He was big, and he knew how to drape the strings, he had watched Augustus and Hotspur too, draping the holly.

His little feet approached the shiny string lying in the snow next to the edge of the roof and he reached out a hand to grasp the bells. He picked them up and they tinkled sweetly in the sudden gust of wind that came up the side of the roof.

Harry grinned and moved to drape them next to the other string Augustus had stuck to the roof with a Sticking charm. His lace on one boot was untied and he stepped on it.

Suddenly he tripped, and staggered, dropping the bells in the snow and falling. He almost rolled right off the roof!

But he managed somehow to wedge his foot into the gutter and stop himself. Then he slowly pushed himself to his feet and stood up. He was shaking slightly, frightened by how close he had come to falling off the roof. He began to understand why his grandfather had always told him to stay off the roof and he started to make his way inside, hopping back into the window of his bedroom.

Augustus decided to check up on Harry before finishing with the bells, knowing he needed to keep an eye on the boy after his penchant for mischief.

Harry had just climbed back into the window when his bedroom door opened and Augustus strode in. The little boy was still covered with snow and standing in front of the window. “Grandpa!”

Augustus’ eyes narrowed. He quickly took in the open window, his snow covered grandson and the guilty expression upon Harry’s face. It didn’t take a genius to put the clues together. “Henry, what were you doing?”

“Nothing at all,” Harry lied blithely, not knowing there was still snow on him.

“Don’t you dare lie to me, little boy!” cried his great-grandfather. “I’m going to ask you again, and this time I want a truthful answer! Why were you outside on the roof after I’d told you to stay off it?”

Harry was alarmed. He’d never seen his grandfather turn that particular shade before. “I wasn’t, sir,” he whimpered.

Augustus felt his temper slip its leash. His heart had nearly jumped out of his chest when he saw the little boy covered in snow, standing there, looking as innocent as an angel but lying like the devil himself. “Still lying, are you?” he advanced on the child, his eyes blazing. “Do you know you could have died out there? Fallen off to your death? How many times must we tell you something before you’ll heed us? You stubborn willful child!”

His mind was filled with the awful image of Harry lying dead in the snow, having fallen from a great height and broken his neck, and Severus coming home to a dead child and a funeral. And it would have been his fault. On top of that, the boy had the gall to lie to his face! And then he recalled all the trouble Harry had gotten into these past few weeks and suddenly it was just too much. Augustus recalled how he had been as a child, an impetuous daredevil, very much like this one, but there had been one thing that had always cured him of that wild streak.

“You know what you need, young man? A good old-fashioned spanking, just like my papa used to give me when I lied and disobeyed him. There’s nothing worse than a liar, my boy! Lying taints your honor. And a wizard without honor has nothing.” His father’s words, spoken in that cold tone, echoed down through memory. There had been times when he had hated the old man, but he had been right. Augustus set his jaw.

Harry, now realizing he was in big trouble, quickly said, “I’m sorry, sir, I won’t do it again.”

“Not half as sorry as you will be,” Augustus said ominously, then he reached out and picked up the five-year-old, sat down, and placed Harry over his lap. A snap of his fingers had summoned a lightweight ruler from his desk drawer. “Maybe this will cure you of telling lies and disobeying me.”

He brought the ruler down smartly on Harry’s bottom.

* * * * * *

Five stinging licks later, Augustus released the sobbing child, sending the ruler back to his drawer with a flick of his wrist. “Never ever lie to me and risk your neck like that again, am I clear?”

Harry bawled, nodding frantically. His bottom was stinging something awful, this was the first time anyone had ever punished him like that, and he was shocked and also ashamed, because he knew he shouldn’t have lied or climbed back on the roof. “S-sorry, S-s-ir! I’ll be good!”

“Humph! I’ll believe it when I see it. You’ve been nothing but a naughty brat this whole month and I’m sure Father Christmas is as disappointed as I am with your behavior. I wouldn’t be surprised if your name is crossed off the Nice List and put on the Naughty One and now you’re getting nothing for Christmas.”

Harry cried harder. He had forgotten about Father Christmas and his list. He began babbling apologies while trying to rub the sting out of his rear end.

“Stay here and think about what you’ve done,” Augustus ordered.

Harry turned and threw himself face down on his bed, still crying loudly.

Augustus felt his resolve weakening, he had always hated it when children cried, and now that his temper and fear had died down, he was starting to feel sorry for his great-grandson, or at least sorry he had to punish the child that way. But he was sure the child had now learned his lesson. He quickly left the room before he started feeling guilty, returning to the roof to finish the decorating.

* * * * * *

Half-an-hour later, a weary Severus returned home, he had spent half the day brewing and the other half mediating a quarrel between two other Potions Masters, because ever since the year he had won that prestigious award, his fellows considered him something of an authority figure, as well as an expert on experimental potions. End result, he was consulted whenever there was a disagreement, like today. Luckily, he had managed to diffuse the situation before blows were exchanged, and now all he wanted was a nice hot shower and some time with his family before dinner. Little did he know, that trouble had been brewing at home as well as at work.

The first inkling he had of it was when he started past Harry’s room and into his own, which had a connecting bath. He could hear muffled sobbing coming from Harry’s room, and wondered with a groan just what trouble he’d gotten himself into now. He hesitated before his son’s door, considering if he ought to shower first and then talk to him, but talking won out because he never could stand to hear his son cry.

He gently turned the knob and entered, calling, “What happened, Harry?”

Harry lifted his tear-stained blotchy face from his pillow and cried, “Papa!” On one hand he was glad to see his father, but on the other hand he wasn’t, for it was then he remembered Severus’ rule about getting into trouble twice if he misbehaved for Augustus or the elves. And he was sure the older wizard knew about what had happened. He rolled over and sat up, yelping as his still sore bum contacted with the mattress. Then he jumped to his feet.

Severus, who had been in a similar situation many times, recognized the telltale signs of having been spanked, and his eyes narrowed and he walked quickly over to his son. “Harry, did someone spank you?” he queried, praying it wasn’t so. Maybe he had just bruised his tailbone falling? Merlin knew, the child was always doing some harebrained stunt and ending up with bruises.

Sniffling miserably, Harry nodded. “Uh huh. Grandpa did ‘cause . . .’cause I . . .I . . .went on the roof when he was gone jus’ for . . .for a minute . . .to . . .to decorate . . .”

Severus hit himself in the forehead. This was all he needed. “Not again, son! You’re never allowed up there!”

Harry’s face crumpled at the sharp tone and he wailed, “Please don’t spank me again, Papa! M’sorry, I’ll be good! My . . .my bum hurts!”

Severus winced as a terrible memory surfaced of himself at Harry’s age, crying into Eileen’s shirtfront because Tobias had walloped him for not bringing a beer quick enough. “How long ago was this? Just now?”

“No . . .” Harry hiccupped and reached back to rub gently. “It was. . . .was a while ago. He was . . .was really mad and then he sent me here . . .”

Alarm bells started ringing in Severus’ head when he heard that. He knew, none better, that a normal spanking wouldn’t still be hurting after a few minutes. “Son, did your grandfather . . .did he spank you with something?”

“I dunno . . .”

Severus shook his head. Stupid question! Of course he wouldn’t know. “Let me see, little one.” He gently turned his son around and started to remove his trousers.

Harry, mistaking his intent, started howling.

“Hush, Harry! I’m not going to spank you again, just relax!” he ordered gruffly. Then he swore under his breath, for his son had very light red marks across his little behind.

He saw red.

“Shhh. Be still,” he whispered to his son and then summoned a jar of Rash Away and rubbed some on his son’s bottom.

Harry was too relieved to make a fuss at being treated like a baby. He stopped crying as the salve started to work. In a minute, the marks were gone. Severus fixed Harry’s clothing, his temper boiling over. He had given Augustus permission to discipline his son, but said discipline had never included a spanking. Never! Then Harry threw himself into his arms, crying about how sorry he was, he would never do anything like that again, he was sorry he had lied and disobeyed and now he would get nuttin’ for Christmas.

It took Severus a good ten minutes to calm him, then he told him he had been very naughty to scare his grandpa that way but he was forgiven. “Now stop going spare, child, and stay here. I’ll be back soon. I just need to speak with him for a few minutes. All right?”

Harry mastered himself and nodded, finally sitting on his bed and hugging Professor Hush-a-bye to him.

Severus then strode out of the room, his black cloak billowing, to give one Augustus Prince a piece of his mind.

Augustus was in his study, going over the account books, when Severus blew in like a hurricane. After the drama of the afternoon, he needed something concise and logical to settle his brain, and numbers were the most unemotional thing he could think of to keep the sudden swarm of guilt at bay.

“Grandfather, I need to speak with you immediately,” Severus said in a tone that dripped ice.

Augustus looked up, and saw that the younger man’s face was taut and his eyes crackled with dark fire. Instinctively, he felt his magic stir in response, and a faint breeze whistled through the room. He set down his quill. “I presume you’re here about young Henry and his wretched behavior this afternoon.”

Severus shut the door with his foot. “You presume right, sir. But it’s not only his behavior at fault, but yours, Grandfather! You had no right to lay a hand on him in anger. My son doesn’t get his lessons with switches or . . .or whatever you used!” He took a calming breath and began to recite more potions ingredients.

“He almost tumbled off the roof, Severus! He was out there sliding in the snow, not five minutes after I’d caught him and put him inside in his room. And then he had the nerve to lie to my face! He scared me out of the rest of my life, and he needed to be taught a good lesson. So I gave him five with my ruler. That was all.”

“All?” Severus’ hands balled into fists. “Goddammit, old man, you left marks on him!”

“I . . .I did?” Augustus stuttered, he hadn’t thought he had hit the boy that hard.

“Yes! Not very obvious ones but I saw them!” Severus exploded. “Why didn’t you call me if you couldn’t handle it?”

Augustus bridled at the insinuation. “I’ve been handling children since before you were born, Severus Snape! And no child ever died of a deserved thrashing. I didn’t.”

“And did your father ever leave marks on you? Did you do that to my mother?” the other snarled. “Was that the real reason why she left—to get away from an abusive father?”

Augustus was speechless. “I never . . .how could . . .?”

“How could I? Because I know what it’s like to live with a bastard who always uses his fists or a stick on you for every little thing! My father was more than just a drunk, and I lived in fear of him every day until I went to school and learned how to use my magic to protect myself from my dear old dad!”

The elder Prince was horrified . . .and furious. “He beat you?”

Severus laughed harshly. “Oh, yes, and like you, he called it discipline!”

“But I . . .Henry was running wild, Severus. I just wanted to teach him a lesson.”

“Funny, but that’s what Tobias always said too. He swore he would knock that attitude out of me and my freakish magic one way or another,” said the other bitterly. “I will never forget that. Never. And that’s why I don’t use corporal punishment on Harry. Because I won’t go down that road. I won’t become my father, not even a little bit. Not even if he deserves it. Because no child should have to live through what I did. And no child of mine ever will.” He locked gazes with the old wizard. “I want your promise, Grandfather, that you will never spank Harry again, or so help me, I will pack our things and leave, right this minute!”

Augustus was stunned. He could tell that Severus meant every word, there was midnight and fire and steel in his gaze and the protectiveness of a mother panther defending her cub to the death. His mind reeled, trying to process everything Severus had revealed. But one thing remained icily clear. He did not want to lose his family over this.

“I . . .I thought I was doing right. I never meant to really hurt the little tyke. I lost my temper, you know how I feel about disobedience and lying in children. I don’t know what came over me, he scared me, Severus, and I don’t scare easily. I’ve never punished any child that way before. Oh, your mother earned a couple of smacks from me, but I never used a ruler on her. This was the only time . . .”

“And it was onetime too many. He was still crying over it when I came home.”

Shame curdled suddenly within him. “Dear Merlin, I didn’t know, I sent him to his room and came here to cool down . . .I never meant . . .Severus, I love that boy like my own son, the way I do you, I just thought he needed a firm hand before he did something and killed himself . . .I know what it’s like to lose a child untimely, and I never want you to suffer that . . .” He shook his head. “Forgive me, I’m an old strict bastard and I went too far.”

Severus felt some of the tension coiled within him relax. He knew what it had cost the old man’s pride to admit he was wrong. “And your word, sir?”

“I give it to you. I am not like the pondslime you grew up with, Severus. I am glad he’s dead, otherwise I would be tempted to find him and break every bone in his body and light him on fire.” Augustus declared fiercely, his eyes bright with the fires of vengeance. “Eileen . . .she did nothing to help you?”

Severus sighed. “She tried, Grandfather. But she had to work and he stayed home, drinking . . .most of what he did . . .it was while she was away . . .and she had promised him to never use magic on him . . .I don’t wish to discuss it, sir. It’s over and done with.” But you shall never forget, whispered his conscience. And the scars shall remain forever.

“It never should have happened.”

“But it did and there’s no sense in crying over spilt milk.” Severus said softly. “The devil shall take his due, I’m sure.”

Why didn’t she bring you to me? Why stay with such a man? Augustus wondered sadly. I would have taken both of you in, even I’m not such a coldhearted monster . . .and then I would have torn that miserable bounder limb from limb. Maybe that’s why. He drew a deep breath, regaining control over the stray bits of power that swirled about the room. “Yes, one way or another, we all have to pay the piper. I am sorry, Severus.”

“It was a long time ago.”

“Yet it still haunts you.”

He shrugged briefly. “I can live with it.” Then he abruptly changed the subject. “You need to go and apologize to Harry. Before he thinks you hate him.”

“Hate him?”

“He was babbling some nonsense about being so bad you would want him to leave and not getting any presents from Father Christmas. I could barely understand half of it, he was crying hysterically, but he should have calmed down by now.”

Now Augustus felt even worse. “Very well. I shall apologize for my hasty discipline. But Severus, he was very naughty. Not just today but the whole month. And if Father Christmas were watching . . .” he trailed off meaningfully.

“I understand, Grandfather. This Christmas, he will get a reduced amount of gifts and . . .”

“A small lump of coal in his stocking as a reminder?” suggested his grandfather.

Severus nodded. “And that will serve as a better reminder to behave than even a spanking would.”

Knowing how impressionable his great-grandson was, Augustus had to agree. He rose to his feet. “I overstepped my bounds, and shall leave most of the discipline to you next time, Severus.”

“Thank you, sir. After all, that’s my responsibility as his father.” Even if I’m not the father he was born to. “I forgive you, sir.”

Augustus felt as if a mountain had been lifted off his chest. He paused in the doorway of the study. “Would you really have left?”

“I would. Because protecting my son is more important to me than anything,” answered his grandson sincerely. “Make no mistake, sir, but I am not my mother and I refuse to live her life. I appreciate all you’ve done for us, but I won’t become a pawn the way she did. Not for love or money.”

“You’re a better man than I am, Severus. And your mother would be proud of you,” Augustus said simply.

Then he Apparated up the staircase to the landing, it was much easier on his old bones, to take the penitent Harry on his lap and tell him he was sorry.

Harry forgave him, then asked if he was still in trouble.

“No, child. It’s over and done with and I hope you’ve learned your lesson.”

“Yes, sir,” Harry said earnestly. “I’m never gonna go up on the roof or lie again. Promise!” Then he added wistfully, “Do you still love me, Grandpa?”

“Of course, imp! I will love you forever, my Henry!” and he hugged the little boy to him for a long time.

“You won’t throw us out?”

“Never! Where did you get such an idea?”

“When I was with Papa the other day, shoppin’, some kid was bein’ bad and his mum said she would ship him off to the Bad Boys Home if he didn’t behave. An’ I was bad too, but I don’t wanna go there!”

“You won’t. You’ll stay right here with me, at Foxfire Hall, where you belong, even if you are an awful naughty brat.” Augustus reassured him, gently carding his auburn hair. “That I promise you, Henry Snape.”

“Good.” Harry yawned, he was worn out. But he still had one more question. “Am I still getting nuttin’ for Christmas?”

Augustus chuckled softly. “Ah, that’s up to Father Christmas, my boy, not me. You’ll have to wait and see.”

“Okay,” Harry murmured, and he snuggled into Augustus and drifted to sleep, while Severus watched from the doorway.

* * * * * *

Christmas morning came and that year Harry only got five presents instead of ten or twelve. And inside his stocking was a small lump of coal and a note. For the one who didn’t behave this year! ---Father Christmas.

“How did he know, Papa?”

“He’s Father Christmas, Harry, and he’s always watching,” answered Severus. “So remember this and behave next year, all right?”

“Yes, sir.” Then he hugged his father. Harry understood and he felt ashamed and vowed to be extra good next year and he never forgot that one Christmas, when he had been naughty enough to receive a lump of coal and a spanking.

Over the top of Harry’s head, Severus exchanged glances with Augustus. They had all learned something this Christmas.