Mum and Dad both looked amazing at the wedding. Well, Dad actually didn't look that much different from what he usually wore, but Mum was definitely showing more skin than what I'm used to seeing from my Astronomy professor. I can't stop smiling at the fact that she wore a lily in her hair. That's rather fitting since Dad still loves my mum, my real mum, I mean.

Boy, this whole Mum and Dad thing is going to be confusing. I run a hand through my hair and sigh, still staring out my window.

"Harry?" quietly Mum says behind me as she walks in with a soft smile. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," I reply turning towards her. I notice immediately that she has changed from her wedding dress to a black halter-top and long black skirt. Thinking about what some of my housemates would be saying right now, namely the twins, if they saw what she was wearing, I nearly laugh. Usually, she's wearing robes when I see her, but it seems that her casual is a halter-top and skirt, since this is the second time I've seen her wear a similar outfit now. "I'm just thinking."

"You know, it's dangerous for Gryffindors to think," she teases before leaning against my wall. "They might actually listen to that little voice that's telling them not to do it." I roll my eyes, but softly laugh. "So what is this thing that's making you think?"

"Dad," I respond before glancing towards the floor. "He's been talking to Draco for a really long time." A gentle hand on my shoulder makes me glance back at up. "Did something happen?" She sighs softly before answering.

"You could say that." She shakes her head slowly as she gently rubs the underside of her wedding ring. "I'm sure Severus or Draco will inform you once they're done in the study, though."

"But you know what it is, don't you?"

"Unfortunately," she replies quietly.

"Is your ring bothering you?" I ask after noticing her rub her ring even harder. She glances up at me with a puzzled look before glancing at her hand. I hear her scoff before resting her palm against the side of her leg.

"No. It's not bothering me, Harry. Usually when I'm thinking about something intensely, I start to rub my amulet. It seems, though, I've decided that my wedding ring is much better to rub," she says with a soft laugh. "It's just one of those habits I picked up over the years."

"Is what Dad's talking to Draco about bad?"

"Well, that depends on whose side you're on, Harry, but that's all you're getting out of me. It really isn't something that you should hear from me." She then inhales deeply. "Severus told me earlier that you had some trouble sleeping last night. Do you want to talk about, Harry?" I can feel my face redden, which makes me turn away. "Harry, there's no reason to be embarrassed. I get bad dreams sometimes too."

"It wasn't really…um…bad dreams, Professor." I then turn back towards her when I hear myself say that stupid word. She's not my professor anymore. She's my mother now. I then inhale and shake my head. "I mean, Mum, not that, sorry," I quietly say hanging my head. I can think about her as being my mum, but the word still catches in the back of my throat when I try to say it.

"Harry, you don't have to call me 'Mum' right away. I realize that all this came on suddenly, so it's all right if you still refer to me as your professor. I'm not going to take any offense to it."

"I know it's stupid, but you're my…my mum now," I stumble out saying. "You and Dad are my parents. I mean, I know that my real parents are, well, my real parents. However, they're not here, though." I then watch her open her mouth to say something, but I quickly cut her off. "I mean, I'm not trying to replace them with you two. I'll still think of them as being my parents and still love them. It's just, well, I've always wanted a family, and now I'm getting one, a real live family that I think loves me back for me being me."

"It's not stupid at all, Harry. How about this? Since you take such great offense to referring to me as being your professor, then call me Aurora or Aura." My eyes narrow slightly with the last option. "My father gave me that nickname when I was little. It's just stuck with me through the years, I guess. I'm actually trying to find a nickname for Severus, but I haven't had any luck so far. He's not really into the whole cute lovey-dovey crap, as he puts it."

"I bet," I reply laughing. "Um…can I ask you a question?"

"You can always ask me a question, Harry. It's whether I answer or not is the real mystery." I roll my eyes, which makes her laugh. "All right, let's be serious for a moment. What's your question?"

"Well, it's just that I noticed during the wedding that your rings glowed for a second. Were you and Dad serious when you said that you'd tie your hearts and souls together?"

"No, Harry, we weren't being serious. The rings glowed, though?" she asks staring at me. I nod back, which makes her glance at her wedding ring. "I didn't notice that. Maybe it's worth a look to see if Severus bought special rings," she says laughing quietly.

"He didn't buy them, though." Her dark eyes glance at me. "He found the rings in the bottom of his desk drawer when he first started teaching at Hogwarts."

"Wow, he didn't tell me that." Her eyes then light up with amusement. "Maybe Severus found Slytherin's lost rings." My mouth drops instantly. "Oh, yeah, like that's bloody likely, Harry," she drawls before rolling her eyes. "Hmm…it seems I've inherited a very gullible stepson," she teases.

"But it is possible, though, isn't it?" I ask quietly. I barely notice that I'm holding my breath. "I mean, he was the headmaster of Hogwarts once."

"Well, yes, it's possible, Harry, but highly unlikely. It's just an old legend that Slytherins have passed down for years. I sincerely doubt that Severus and I are that lucky to be wearing those supposed rings." My eyes narrow slightly.

"Do you know the legend?"

"Do I know the legend?" she repeats with a soft scoff. "Harry, I listened to that legend for seven years." She then sits down in one of my chairs. "Every girl in Slytherin hears the legend on her first night in being in the castle. There's actually been dozens of girls over the years who have tried to find the rings, only to end up getting lost in the process. Unfortunately, I was one of those girls. I tried during my first year here. Professor Slughorn actually had to rescue me. He was both Severus's and my former Head of House. Actually, Severus took over for him when Professor Slughorn retired."

"Could you tell me the legend?" I honestly don't know why I'm so interested in learning all about Salazar Slytherin and the numerous legends surrounding him, but I am. You would think that I would ask about Gryffindor sometime. Maybe I will…sometime. Yeah, yeah, I think I will ask about Gryffindor, and it'll probably be when I'm looking for the Sword of Slytherin whenever I have time.

"All right, well, according to legend, the four Founders held an annual gala, which was attended by all of the prominent wizards of the time. Now, the story goes that during one of these, Slytherin fell in love with one of the witches that had attended. Unfortunately, he was married at the time. Ignoring his wedding vows, Slytherin consorted with this unknown witch. Some say he carried the affair in the headmaster's office, while others say it was in the dungeons. Either way, Slytherin broke his vows to his wife and carried on a rather passionate love affair with this other witch for years." She then inhales slowly before pressing her lips together gently. "Some time during this affair, he realized that he didn't love his wife anymore. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with this unknown witch instead, so he asked his friend at the time, Godric Gryffindor, to create a set of wedding rings."

"Did he?"

"No. Gryffindor, in fact, told Slytherin that if he didn't end his affair with this other witch soon that he'd inform Slytherin's wife." I scoff softly and smirk. "Yes, well, Slytherin being the expert of slyness later when asked informed Gryffindor that he had ended his relationship. Gryffindor believed him because he didn't see the other witch anymore."

"Then what happened?"

"Well, according to legend, Slytherin asked the Merpeople to create the wedding rings."

"In exchange for what, though?" I ask. Everyone wants something so obviously that have to be no different. I watch her smile before she shakes her head.

"No one knows what he gave in exchange, but the Merpeople supposedly did make the rings for him. The details are rather sketchy, I'm afraid, with the rest of the legend. Rumors, though, state that Slytherin was going to give the ring to his lover, so that they could be together for eternity."

"Then the rings are like the sorcerer's stone?"

"I'm not quite sure about that, but supposedly it was something like it. He never had a chance to give it to her, though, because Gryffindor drove him out of the castle."

"Leaving behind the rings," I finish quietly. I then inhale slowly. "Does legend state where he liked to be?" Her eyes narrow on me in confusion. "Dumbledore likes to be in his office. Dad likes to be in the dungeons, and you like the Astronomy Tower. Was there one place where Slytherin liked to be?"

"Well, I'd suppose it'd be the dungeons, Harry, but I don't know."

Dad's office is in the dungeons. Our rooms are in the dungeons. Dad's classroom is in the dungeons. I then smile, but I really don't know why I'm grinning like an idiot. She's probably right. Their wedding rings probably aren't the lost rings of Slytherin. I then shake my head. Why must everything that I want deal with Slytherin? I am a Gryffindor. My real parents were both Gryffindors. My new parents are Slytherins, though. I then glance at Mum. Could it be that the Sorting Hat knew I'd be the adopted son of Severus and Aurora, and that was why it wanted to sort me into Slytherin?

"Did you ever have to argue with the Sorting Hat?" I blurt out suddenly.

"Don't tell Severus, but it wanted to put me in Hufflepuff for a split second. However, for some reason or another, it decided that I belonged in Slytherin. Why do you ask?"

"It wanted to put me into Slytherin, but I argued with it."

"You talked the Sorting Hat out of sorting you into Slytherin?" I nod slowly. "Oh, dear Merlin, don't tell Severus," she says laughing. "Otherwise, he'll march you right up to Albus's office and request you be resorted immediately."

"Slytherin's not so bad," I respond quietly.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my stepson?" she jokes before gently patting my knee. "I didn't ask this before because it was Severus's job to ask, but how were things in the dorm this year with the guys?" I glance at her puzzled. "Harry, the head of Slytherin was the guardian to a fourth-year Gryffindor for the entire year. Why do you think I'd ask that question?"

"The guys were fine. I mean, they weren't quite thrilled about it. Some of them thought at first that I was going to become a spy or something and tell everything to Dad, but they got over it." I then sigh. "I actually was shocked that Ron wasn't more upset about it."

"Mr. Weasley perhaps overheard some things at home, I'm afraid," she replies quietly.

"Dumbledore told the Weasleys about…"

"No, Harry. He didn't need to tell them. You perhaps were too far in shock to realize that there were others with you and Albus." I open my mouth to ask a question, but she continues. "When Albus learned the wards were breached, he instantly alerted some of the Order."

"The Order, what's that?"

"It's a group that your parents belonged to, Harry. Albus actually founded it during the First Wizarding War. Its main purpose is to fight against Him and his followers. Sometimes people have referred to it as the Light." I nod slowly.

"So how many members saw?"

"Well, the only others that you'd know would be Arthur and myself. There was also a Ministry official and two Aurors." I close my eyes. She has seen my hell that I lived in for thirteen years. "Harry," she softly says gently squeezing my shoulder. I glance back up at her. I can feel the tears stinging the edges of my eyes. Arms then encircle me as she hugs me. "Hush, Harry. It's all right."

"You've…you've seen it," I whisper as the tears streak my cheeks. I feel her gently card her fingers through my hair. One of these days, I'm going to ask someone why he or she does that. I feel sometimes like I'm either a dog or a cat by all their petting. Now is obviously not the time for that question, though.

Gently, she pulls back and pushes my chin up so I'm looking into her eyes. I can see the sadness in her eyes now too. We're quite the pair, I grumble in my mind. We're both crying about the past on what's supposed to be the happiest day of Mum's life.

Crying, Dad asks through our link. Why are you both crying? I can hear something funny in Dad's voice, but I can't distinguish what it is. Then again, I've only ever seen and heard two emotions from Dad, anger and amusement.

Severus, butt out, growls Mum through our link. This is my moment. You're rather busy with another of our children at the moment, aren't you?

I nearly laugh at the anger in Mum's voice. Wait—I glance up and narrow my eyes on her then. I heard her perfectly clear. I open my mouth to speak, but Dad interrupts.

Crying is a rather powerful act of emotions, Harry. So as you compared it earlier, it would be the equivalent of someone boosting a TV signal. Unfortunately, since both of you have heightened emotions at the moment, I can't block either of your thoughts. So I'll ask again. Why are you both crying? In my head, I hear that raw emotion that I can't distinguish in his voice yet again.

So much for using it only for emergencies, I think.

Your emotional health is just as important to me as your physical health, Harry, Dad replies. So if that requires me to use our link right now like this, then I'll call this an emergency and use it.

I laugh softly and wipe away a few of the tears that have fallen. I want to tell Dad he's reaching, but I don't. It's nice to hear that he cares that much for me. I then scoff. The Dursleys have to have screwed me up badly to think that's nice to hear. Mum distracts me, though, by softly carding her fingers through my hair more.

We were thinking about the night when the headmaster brought me to you, Dad. She was there. Did you know that? I don't get a response for a bit from either Dad or Mum.

I see, Dad replies quietly. Harry, perhaps you and Aurora should come downstairs to the study.

It's not a request, but an unspoken direction. I glance towards Mum, but she only kisses my forehead and smiles softly. I have to admit that I'm somewhat hesitant to go down there. If Dad tells me that Draco has to go back to his father, I don't know what I'll do. Well, actually I do know what I'll do. I'll kick, scream, possibly bite, and do everything I can to keep Draco here with us at Prince Manor. No one, especially Draco, deserves to go back to that situation, not me, not Dad, and certainly not Draco.