Harry practically leapt out of bed the first day of the year. He had learned from Severus a few days ago that it was Aurora's birthday today. Though, he had to pull teeth practically to get it from the man. Frowning, the young kneeling Gryffindor glanced over his mattress at Draco before he grabbed the slipper beside him and tossed it at the sleeping Slytherin. Shoving the item in his hands under his pillow, he instantly laughed when the blond shot up out of bed, pretending he was a ninja.

"Come on, Malfoy," he said, quickly standing up. "It's time to get up."

"Why?" the Slytherin grumbled.

"Because it's Aurora's birthday, you prat," Harry snapped. "Now, get up."

"Potter, who cares?" he replied, rolling his eyes before pulling the covers over his head.

"Come on, you prat. Get up," Harry growled before he rushed to the Slytherin's bed and yanked off the covers. He ducked when Draco swung his arm at him. "Just because you're a spoiled snob, Malfoy, doesn't mean you're going to ruin this day for us. Now, get up!"

"Fine," Draco snarled, moodily tossing the covers aside.

The two fifth-years quietly walked towards the door, Harry leading the way. They, however, stopped the moment they heard arguing in the sitting area. They glanced at one another with confused looks. That couldn't be Severus and Aurora arguing could it be?

"I cannot believe you," Aurora snapped.

"Nor could I have believed you," Severus replied with a hiss.

"No, no, no freaking way, Severus, is she coming here."

"She is coming here," he said flatly, "as is your father for the day."

"Why in Circe's name would—"

"Because your behavior the last time we were there was atrocious."

"She's my mother."

"And my mother-in-law," he retorted. "Unlike you, I wish to be on good terms with the woman."

"Yeah, well, unless you were Confunded or something, Severus, she doesn't like you."

"She accepted my invitation, however. So clearly her dislike for me wavers from day to day."

"You asked her?" Aurora asked incredulously.

"I did, and she accepted."

"She spelled me asleep, Severus!"

"I am aware, considering I was the one who caught you and brought you up to our rooms later."

"So what then, Severus?" snapped the witch. "You just don't care about me then?"

"On the contrary, I care quite a lot. I realize that this will be difficult for you. However, it will be worth a few hours of pain in the end."

"Why? Are you planning on killing her?"

"Of course not," he growled.

"Then it isn't worth it."

"Why must you act like a spoilt brat?" he snapped. "It is only for two hours that you must share oxygen with your mother. Surely even you can control yourself for two hours."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I wish for our children to know their grandparents, Aurora," he answered. "They will never know my parents. At least with yours, they will see what constitutes as a semi-normal family."

"My mother would love nothing more than to kill you, Severus. How is that even remotely close to semi-normal in your mind?"

"In-laws are expected to be horrific. Had my mother lived, she likely would have called you a harlot among other things."

"Oh, goody, then I would have had two mothers who hated me."

"Your mother does not hate you."

"I failed to live up to her expectations, Severus. I disobeyed her. Trust me. She hates me."

"Would you wager a bottle of Firewhiskey on that assumption?" he asked.

"I'd wage an entire case on it, Severus."

"It's set then, a case of Firewhiskey if you're wrong."

"Wait, what?"

Harry's eyes widened. Was he joking? He then glanced from his dad to Aurora and then back again. Severus didn't seem to be joking, though. Harry looked to Draco, feeling his heart plummet when Draco shook his head.

"If you're wrong, I get a case of Firewhiskey. If you're right, then I'll give you whatever your little black heart desires."

"Black heart?" she responded with a scoff. "You're the one with the black heart." There was a bit of humor in her voice as she spoke.

"I believe we're at gray right now," he said with a laugh.

"Gray?" she repeated quietly. "Shale gray or storm gray?" she asked, lips quirking into a smirk.

"Sort of an eggshell gray," he replied, resting his chin atop of her head.

"That's white, Severus."

"With gray elements in it," he argued.

"Oh, I give up," she said, throwing her arms up. "Fine, my mother can come celebrate my birthday. However, if she says a word against you, Harry, Draco, or anyone, I'm hexing her to Italy."

"I hear it's nice this time of year," he mumbled.

"Keep it up, Severus, and I'll send you with her," she said with a laugh.

Harry glanced between the couple, frowning. The fight, the first fight he had seen at least, hadn't lasted that long. However, when he first saw it, his stomach had instantly knotted. He thought that was it, his perfect family that he had wanted for so long was gone just like that. But it wasn't. Severus and Aurora actually managed to find some sort of . . . resolution maybe to end it.

"We should have married long ago, Severus."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because no one drew a wand or threatened to hex the other."

"Ah, yes," he said, nodding against her. "I'll admit it now that we're married. Our frequent fighting was my courtship ritual. I need a witch who can keep up with me." He chuckled a moment later when she playfully slapped his chest.

"So I passed?" she said, laughing.

"No, you failed. I said I needed a witch who can keep up with me, not one who can out hex me."

"Oh, shut up," she drawled, rolling her eyes. "So, what time should I expect the world to end?"

"As soon as I inform them that it's safe to step through," he replied softly. His hands rested gently on her abdomen as he stared at the fireplace. "I will not apologize for asking Syra here, Aurora. It is the right thing to do, and you know it."

"Yes, but you saw how she is around me, though."

"She likely has her reasons for acting the way she does. Antagonizing her as you did, though, will never settle this animosity between you two." He then sighed, frowning slightly. "She does love you, Aurora, even if you don't believe so."

"And just what gave you that idea?"

"When I arrived at Windsor, your mother's first question was concerning your health. She seemed to believe that my presence meant that something had happened to you. When I informed her that you were fine, there was a flicker of something in her eyes."

"Yeah, probably disappointment," Aurora stated.

"No," he fiercely replied, turning himself slightly to stare at her. "She does not hate you. If she did, she never would have asked, Aurora. She is not particularly thrilled about your decision to marry me, but most pureblood families are like that, though. I am muddying your—"

"People need to take their damn bloodlines and shove it up their asses. I don't give a damn about my blood being pure. I don't even think like that. No family is truly pure anymore anyway. If they are, then they're likely full of inbred mongrels like the Lestranges and Blacks." She then placed a hand on his arm. "Our children can grow up as Squibs for all I care. It won't make a difference to me because they are still ours."

"I'm not sure if I share your thoughts about our children possibly being Squibs."

"That's because you learned that magic equals power. So you don't want our children to grow up feeling as helpless about their situations as you felt about your father, James, etc."

"Ah, is that why?" he quipped. He then kissed the top of her head before rising from the sofa.

"Where are you going?"

"To wake Harry and Draco," he replied. "You no doubt want to get the two hours with your mother over as soon as possible."

"No. It's all right." She sighed, shaking her head. "You were right. I was behaving like a spoiled brat the last time we were there. And it would be nice for our children to know their grandparents. Dad will likely spoil them rotten. I'll get the boys, and you can tell my parents that it's safe."

Harry glanced at Draco again before sighing. He didn't want her to move anymore than was absolute necessary. It was something he had learned from his dad. Biting his lip, he walked further down the hallway before entering the sitting room. He flashed a soft smile at Aurora.

"No need to wake us," the young man said. "Draco and I are already up."

"You boys were eavesdropping on us, weren't you?" Aurora asked with a soft laugh as she leaned back into the sofa.

"Yes, ma'am," Harry answered, hanging his head slightly.

"Well, come over here, gentlemen." She patted the sofa cushions beside her. She gave them a soft smile when they sat down. "I apologize, gentlemen, for my behavior earlier. I no doubt woke you both with my harshness to Severus."

"You didn't." Harry's voice was very soft as if he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "We were already heading out here."

She stared at Harry for a moment before carding his long messy hair. She smiled more when the young Gryffindor leaned more into her touch, clearly enjoying the attention. Her eyes hovered on Draco for a moment before she looked away.

"You were worried, weren't you, Harry?"

"No," he replied, his voice betraying him as it quivered slightly.

"I shouldn't have snapped at Severus like that. I'm not mad at him, though, Harry."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. Why was she telling him this? He then chewed his bottom lip. He knew why. It was because of the tightness in his stomach that she likely could tell he felt.

"I apologize for upsetting you, Harry."

"You didn't," he replied, glancing up at her.

"Yes I did, Harry."

"How?" he asked, wondering how she knew he was lying.

"Because you, my dear sweet Gryffindor, are an open book," she answered, pressing a kiss against his forehead. "I want you to know something, though. Even though Severus and I are likely going to argue like that sometimes, it doesn't mean that we're necessarily mad at one another or that we're going to break up. It just means that we're both stubborn old mules." She then smiled a bit more at him, still carding his hair. "You should know, though, that fight was rather tame compared to the fights we had before we were married, hell before we were even whatever we were before." She leaned in a bit to whisper in his ear. "You have to admit that his acerbity is a bit sexy at times."

"Ugh, yuck!" yelled Harry, quickly moving away from her with a thoroughly disgusted look.

Aurora laughed softly, rolling her eyes. "You are such a teenage boy, Harry."

Harry crossed his arms and huffed grumpily. He didn't laugh at her. He then glanced towards his dad, narrowing his eyes as he watched his dad stick his head in the Floo. When his dad stood a moment later and moved to the side, Harry waited and later sighed as the Floo roared with green flames followed by two familiar faces.

"No, no, don't move, Aura. I'm on my way to you," Orin Sinistra said with a wide smile as he quickly crossed the room to the sofa. He leaned down and hugged her gently before glancing at Harry and Draco. "Are you taking good care of her, gentlemen?" His rich brown eyes were full of warmth.

"Dad," Aurora replied, rolling her eyes.

Harry, however, glanced away a moment later to look at Syra. He watched the older woman walk a bit closer, holding a wrapped item in her hands. He could clearly see how uneasy she looked as she stood a few feet from her daughter.

"The babies are well I take it?" Syra quietly asked, a moment later.

"They're little kickers, but they're fine, Mother. Thank you." Her eyes then narrowed on the package in Syra's hands. "Well, Dad probably is going to insist we have breakfast together, so you can set it on the coffee table if you'd like."

"You're likely correct," Syra answered with a forced smile. "However, I—never mind." She shook her head before setting it on the table in front of Aurora before quickly moving away from her.

"I apologize for acting like a snotty little bitch and knowingly antagonizing you the other day at Windsor. I have no excuse for my disgraceful behavior other than wanting to hurt you. I am very sorry for acting that way, Mother."

Harry glanced at Syra and watched her look at the package she had brought. He could tell that she seemed to want to say something, but she was holding it in for some reason. He bit the bottom of his lip as he continued to notice her little quirks. Maybe he was wrong about her. Maybe she wasn't so nasty and mean as he had thought. After all, Aurora was rather horrible to her. Syra's slights towards him likely were just accidents. How would she have known that he considered Severus as his dad?

"Do we have to eat breakfast first?" the young Gryffindor asked quietly. "Because I sort of want to give her my present before we eat."

"Well, if you want, we can wait until afterwards to eat. I mean, I have no say in it one way or another. It's Aura's birthday, not mine," Orin said with a soft smile. "It's not even my own home now that I think about it." His eyes were full of mirth as he glanced at Severus.

"I wouldn't mind opening my gifts before eating. Then again, I think Severus is the only one who has anything against birthday gifts." Aurora laughed softly as she stared at her husband.

Harry glanced at his dad, smiling when the man nodded. He gave Aurora a brief hug before he and Draco headed back into their room to get their gifts. He noticed Draco headed towards his nightstand to pull a green-wrapped gift from the drawer. Harry, however, grabbed his silver-wrapped gift from under his pillow before he headed back to the sitting area.

"I take it you want to go first, Harry?" Aurora said with a soft smile as soon as he sat beside her, almost glued to her side. She grabbed the large proffered package from him, waiting for his assent before she opened it.

Harry watched her fingers run down the leather binding to trace each intricate design on the cover before she glanced at him. He noticed her give him an indescribable look prior to untying the slender cord that wrapped around it. He chewed on his bottom lip as she opened it to the first page. He had wanted it to be fancy styling writing, but he knew he wasn't really good at writing with a quill. He watched her turn the page and instantly caught her sudden inhale.

"Madam Pince found the pictures for me, and Professor Dumbledore helped with the binding, duplicating, and such," Harry explained, shrugging his shoulders as if he wouldn't be heartbroken if she didn't like his gift. "I don't know. I thought it'd be sort of cool."

Harry waited for her to say something, but she kept turning the pages, looking at the pictures. Every now and then she'd laugh, but it was as if she was in her own world. He frowned. Did that mean she liked it or not? He couldn't really tell.

"Um, there are some blank pages in back, so you could add pictures of the twins." He then glanced at his dad. Why wasn't she saying anything?

"It's beautiful, Harry. Thank you," she finally said a few minutes later after she found another blank page. She kissed his forehead and sighed. "Why aren't there pictures of you in here? There are pictures of Severus, Draco, Septima, hell even Sibyll, but you're not in here, Harry. Why?"

"I guess I sort of forgot," he said quietly, glancing towards the floor.

"Well, then we're going to need a camera stat because there is no way in hell I'm letting your little brothers or sisters not see embarrassing pictures of their big brother," she said, smiling. "After all, how many mothers can say that their stepson is one of the wicked flyers Hogwarts has ever seen?"

The grin burst onto Harry's face as he stared at her. He couldn't hold back his hug as he practically launched himself towards her. He felt her laugh softly against him, but he didn't care if everyone thought he was a nutcase for it. She called him her son. Okay, so there was a step before it, but she also called herself his mother. She clearly loved him like a mother would. He had his family. He did.

"I'm sure Albus can find a few pictures for us," Severus said with a soft smile.

"Hey, what about that photo where he's all covered in mud?" Draco offered. "That one was pretty good," he said, laughing. "After all, he included a photo of me after I fell off my broom and hurt myself pretty good doing the splits. Or we can use that photo where his hair turned green."

"What the hell are you talking about, Malfoy? My hair was never green." Harry then turned to glare at the Slytherin, only to widen his eyes when he caught the familiar color-changing spell headed directly at him. He couldn't react in time before it struck him.

"It is now," Draco said, roaring with laughter.

"I'm going to kill you, Malfoy," Harry snarled.

"There are not going to be any murders committed on my birthday, boys." Aurora then crossed her arms and gave them her familiar 'be good' look. "After the picture, Harry, I'll turn your hair back."

"But—"

"Quit your sulking, Potter. I mean, it could be worse." Draco then snickered softly. "Your hair could be neon green with silver highlights."

Harry glared at him before he pulled his wand out and sent a color-changing spell at the blond. He instantly laughed when Draco's silvery-blond went to bright red as if he was a Weasley. The look of horror on the Slytherin's face was priceless.

"Your wands now, gentlemen," Aurora said, holding her hand out to both of them. The adults clearly didn't find it as amusing as the boys did. They both handed it to her, sulking like two-year-olds on the edge of the sofa with their arms crossed.

Draco sighed a moment later, reaching into his sweatpants to pull out the familiar green-wrapped present. He handed it to her without a word and quickly glanced away as she opened it. It was almost as if he was nervous about his gift.

Harry's eyes narrowed on the square black velvet box. He watched her open it, nearly choking when he saw the sparkling silver with dangling emerald charms. That gift clearly cost a small fortune.

"The witch I bought it from said that if you could embed our magical signatures in the emeralds, so that you'd always know where we are by rubbing the corresponding one."

"I couldn't accept this, Draco."

"Why? It's not like she's going to need it," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "She's most likely dead somewhere. Plus, the store I bought it from has a no-return policy so even if I did want to return it, I couldn't. At least with you, I'd know you'd wear it."

"Thank you, Draco. It's truly gorgeous."

Harry watched her give Draco a brief hug, noticing the blond instantly tense up as if her embrace harmed him in some way. Then again, he had met Draco's father. It might have hurt him to do that. His green eyes then watched his dad pull a midnight blue-wrapped present from his robes before he handed it to her. He cocked his head to the side as she opened it, wondering what it could be. He sighed when he saw it was just a book.

"Tell me you didn't, Severus."

"If you are referring to the question of if I bought it or not, I did not."

"Then how did you—?"

"It was at Prince Manor in the library. I simply had Mokai fetch it from the shelves."

"You had this the entire time, and you didn't think to tell me about it?"

"I do not lend my valuables out just to anyone, Aurora."

"Why are you so upset over that?" Harry asked. "It's just a book."

"Handwritten accounts from numerous Magical and Muggle folk of the beginning theories, studies, hell descriptions of Astronomy is so not 'just a book,' young man. Is your Quidditch through the Ages just a book? I think not." She gave Harry a soft smile a few seconds later so he knew she was just joking. "This journal details the finer points of archaeoastronomy that one cannot find in modern day translations from the scholars. It includes accounts from cultures halfway around the globe from one another that both stated they saw a bright light in the sky. There's an account from Chinese stargazers that claimed that the light was so bright that it was as if it was a full moon, and it remained that way for three weeks. Can you imagine the effect it had on the world at large? Every culture on this entire planet witnessed this bright light that lit up the sky for three weeks. Some of the more primitive cultures likely thought it was the sun exploding." She then smiled. "No doubt it likely affected the flora and fauna of the planet for awhile with that much light giving off for so long. So, Harry, trust me. This is so not just another book."

"I thought you liked the stars."

"Astronomy is more than the stars, Harry. I mean, scholars still can't truly decide if Stonehenge was built for astronomical purposes, but it was built in the exact direction of the midsummer sunrise so I tend to believe that it was. Then you have the pyramids in Giza, perfectly aligned with certain stars. Oh, who am I kidding?" she said, shaking her head. "None of you want to hear about that." She then smiled. "Thank you, Severus." She laughed when he kissed the top of her head.

"Ours is a joint gift, Aura," Orin said, nodding his assent to her.

Harry instantly narrowed his eyes on the package as Aurora opened it. He had to admit that it was practically killing him not knowing what Syra had brought. His mouth opened slightly as he caught the familiar silver-threaded tapestry.

"I duplicated it for you so you'd have something to hang here," Syra quietly said. "As you can see, though, it's incomplete." She slowly drew in a breath. "Your husband and children have not been added yet. I thought perhaps you could, though, so that it appears on our tapestry at Windsor."

"It'll have us on it?" Harry asked.

"You are our family now, are you not, Mr. Potter?" she replied softly, her blue eyes glancing at him with a somber look.

"He is as is Draco." Aurora then sighed. "I'll admit I don't remember how to do this. Would you mind helping, Mum?"

Harry noticed a brief quiver of Syra's lips as if she was about to smile, but she didn't. He then watched Severus unfurl the tapestry, spelling it to hover in front of them a second later. He tilted his head to the side, waiting.

"You'll need to prick your dominant hand's index finger, Severus," Syra quietly instructed. "You will then press your finger next to her name and slowly smear your blood in a straight line."

Harry watched his dad do as he was instructed without a question. He winced when he noticed the small crimson stain on the elegant tapestry. He then heard a soft voice that sounded almost as if a woman was singing. His eyes widened as the bloodstain quickly turned into a silver thread.

"Tap your wand against the tapestry once," Syra said.

As soon as Severus did, an oval shape with a silver wave-shaped ribbon underneath emerged. The soft voice spoke again, causing this time Severus's picture to appear in the oval shape and his full name in the silver wave-shaped ribbon. However, it was not 'Severus Snape' that the thread weaved but 'Severus Prince.' Silver threads then braided around the edge of the oval, giving it a sort of regal look.

"Whichever of you two gentlemen is the oldest, you will do the same."

Draco stepped forward. He pricked himself with Severus's switchblade before he connected his bloodstained line with Severus and Aurora's. The stain quickly turned to the silver strands. Grabbing his wand back from Aurora, he tapped his wand against the tapestry. His picture appeared soon after with Draco Malfoy stitched underneath. The familiar silver threads then wound themselves around the oval.

Chewing on his bottom lip, Harry then walked up to it. He winced as the blade pierced his finger before he connected his name to them. He felt a tingling as the silver line emerged. He then tapped his wand against it, nearly gasping when he felt a surge of magic flow through his wand as he did. He watched his picture appear followed by his name. A silver line then connected him with Draco to show a sibling relationship. His eyes narrowed when no silver braids emerged around his oval.

A moment later, however, he noticed the familiar silver, just a sliver, materialize and encase the edge of his picture. Gold then seeped through, weaving itself around the photo and silver like barbwire. It clearly set him apart, causing him to frown. Why couldn't he just be normal?

"Silver and gold, interesting combination," Syra quietly said.

"Why isn't it like theirs?" he asked, glancing at the older witch.

"Because you don't belong to a Slytherin line, Harry," Orin replied with a smile. "But you shouldn't be upset over that, though. You've got both." He then pointed to the gold, saying, "From your real mother and father, Lily and James, to honor them." His finger then touched the sliver of silver. "And this signifies your bonds with Aura and Severus. You get both, Harry. That's very rare."

"Why can't I just be normal?" he sighed.

"Well, my daughter once said that being normal is overrated."

Harry couldn't help but smile. It was in a way, but he just wished he could at least try to have a normal life once. He nodded to Orin before glancing at Syra. He could see that she seemed a bit more relaxed now. Then again, everything was going well. No one had jumped down anyone's throat yet.

"How about we ask the elves to make breakfast, Dad?"

"Trying to get rid of us, are you, Aura?" he teased.

"Of course not," she drawled. She then sighed. "I'd actually enjoy it if you both stayed the day."

Harry's head snapped towards Aurora. What had gotten into her? He then shook his head and sighed, figuring that it was probably the hormones again. At least she wasn't crying this time.

"That is if you two don't mind."

"We do not," Syra replied quietly. She stared at her for a moment before nodding slowly.

Harry didn't even know what to think anymore. Aurora and her mother were getting along. It was just a week ago that they were nearly murdering one another. He frowned. Maybe they were just moody? Well, Aurora at least had a reason to be, considering she was eight months pregnant. Harry wasn't sure what Syra's reason was, but he figured that he didn't really need to know either. Everyone was entitled to a few secrets every now and then. And, well, Harry could see what his dad was talking about earlier. Syra clearly did seem to care for her daughter. She just was, well, complicated.

"So, house elves it is then," Orin said with a laugh. He then walked towards his son-in-law, clapping him on the back. "Tell me, Severus. Do they still make blueberry waffles here? Because I remember from my days here that the elves made by far the best waffles."

Harry glanced at his dad, noticing that he seemed halfway between a laugh and a snort. His face then scrunched up. Orin was always joking and extremely kind to them. Hell, he almost got his dad to laugh. He then snorted softly. He hadn't thought about grandparents.

~PS~

Groaning, Severus grabbed the pillow from underneath his head and covered his face with it. This was the worst day of the year. It always was. This damn day just reminded him of the day he sold his soul to the devil all those years ago.

"Birthdays aren't that bad, Severus."

Lowering the pillow just barely, he glanced at his wife. Maybe her birthday wasn't that bad, but his always was. Add an overactive Gryffindor who was obsessed with spending quality family time together, and it was going to be a nightmare this year.

"It could always be worse."

"How?" he replied with a snort. "How in Merlin's name can it be worse?"

"You could be all alone, being the miserable bastard you've always been and still spying on Voldemort with no end in sight," she answered, shrugging.

He watched her slowly get out of bed and walk, if one could call it walking anymore, into the bathroom. He waited for a few moments, staring at the now closed door. She had a point there. That would have been worse, much worse. With that in mind, he tossed the pillow aside and sighed. It was just going to be them this time: Aurora, Draco, Harry, and him.

"So, what are our plans this morning?" he asked as soon as the bathroom door reopened. He glanced at her, feeling his lips curl upwards at the sight of her ballooned abdomen. She may not have thought she looked beautiful while pregnant, but she was.

"Not that," she teased, smirking slightly as she wagged her finger at him. "We're going to go somewhere after breakfast, but other than that we're free the rest of the day. And no, I'm not telling you, no matter what you do."

"Oh, really?" he replied, slowly rising from the bed.

"Yes really, Severus," she said with a laugh, taking a step back from him as he approached. When he grabbed her wrists, she squealed softly while he pulled her closer. "I won't tell you."

"Why?" His eyes locked with hers, staring into her very soul.

"Because it's a surprise," she answered, leaning forward before she kissed him.

"Surprises tend to get people killed around me."

"Yes, well, I've already taken care of that. You're not going to have your wand all day today."

"Because I don't know wandless magic at all, right?" he retorted.

"Oh, shut up and get dressed." She then kissed his cheek. "Wear your nice robes, Severus."

"Do you have any more orders for me, oh great Lady Sinistra?"

"Snape or Prince, Severus, I'm taking one of those surnames as soon as you decide which one you want to stick with. Now, get dressed." Her nightclothes quickly transformed into her emerald maternity robes.

He sighed, wondering idly what she had planned for him. He knew it didn't involve any more time with his in-laws. The mother-daughter duo might have been getting along better, but they weren't at all ready to spend all their time together. So where could they be going?

"We're not going far are we?"

"We'll need to use the Floo to get there, yes," she replied, glancing at him.

"Will I enjoy it?"

"I'm not sure, but it's something you've wanted to do for years."

"Bonfire at Spinner's End?" he asked, just barely keeping the glee from his voice.

"No," she said flatly, rolling her eyes. "Something that's a bit less destructive." She then shook her long hair before walking out of the bedroom and down the corridor towards the sitting area.

He quickly changed, figuring he could take a shower after the festivities were over. He soon joined his wife and nearly scoffed when he saw Harry and Draco already dressed and eating breakfast. He caught the look Harry gave Aurora and sighed. Any minute he was going to be pounced on.

"Just get it over with," he said, glancing at the young man.

"Get what over with, Dad?"

"Your urge to hug me to death," Severus replied, grabbing his already poured cup of coffee. He clenched his teeth to keep the grimace from taking over as Harry's arms wrapped around him.

"Can I give him his gifts, Aurora? I know we're supposed to wait, but please."

"You bought me gifts?"

"Yeah, of course we did, Dad. Well, we didn't actually buy anything, I guess."

"All right, Harry, go ahead," Aurora said with a sigh.

Harry grinned widely before he pulled out a small vial with a bow tied around it from behind his back. "I would have wrapped it, but I assumed you'd think that was stupid." He handed it to Severus gently. "It was the only thing I could think of for you because I know how you'd react if I went into the Chamber of Secrets for the basilisk venom. They're from Fawkes."

"Thank you, Harry," Severus replied, nodding his gratitude to the young man. He could tell the young man had been awfully nervous about the gift because Harry exhaled and visibly relaxed soon after. He then glanced towards Draco.

"Mine's not wrapped either," the blond said, handing a leather journal to him. "I ran across this the other day and thought you'd enjoy it. It discusses various potion theories. I can't really make sense of it, but the one about using Devil's Snare seemed rather interesting."

"Thank you, Draco." He then glanced at both young men. "Your gifts were very thoughtful. I shall use them wisely."

"Well, now that's out of the way," Aurora said with another sigh. "Let's eat. I mean, there's no way I can walk that far in my condition without having some food in my system."

"I thought you said it wasn't far."

"Thankfully, we have Floo, so that's going to help somewhat. However, I'm still going to need to waddle myself over to the—oh, nice try, but I'm not telling you."

"Then perhaps we should use my pendent," he suggested. He really didn't want to over exhaust her with wherever they were heading. After all, a woman in her condition should remain confined to bed in his opinion, or at the very least with a constant shield erected.

"Fine, but I'm putting our destination in." She then held her hand out.

He calmly undid the clasp to his silver chain that his secret Portkey amulet was on and handed it to her. He watched her tap her wand against it once before she handed it back. He of course didn't have the slightest clue where they were going. But perhaps that was a good thing.

"Do you have everything, Harry?" Aurora asked, holding Severus's gaze.

"Yes."

"Then let's go, since Severus can't wait a few moments." She held her hand out and grabbed his, motioning with her free hand to the boys to grab a hold of him. As soon as the boys were holding onto him, she sighed. "Home," she quietly said, activating the Portkey.

They arrived a few moments later, Severus having to steady her as they touched the ground. He opened his mouth to apologize, but his words caught his throat, recognizing their destination. The sense of déjà vu was overwhelming. His eyes darted to his wife, narrowing on her while wondering if all the past events were from being trapped in a dream. Was any of this real?

"I know it's a rather depressing gift—" His finger covered her lips, instantly hushing her.

She had taken him to visit Lily's grave. Depressing, well, that was just his life. But she had done this as a gift. It was something he had always wanted to do but knew he'd never do. It hurt too much to be here, but it was something that needed to be done.

"You brought me here." He hoped he didn't sound accusingly or ungrateful. He needed someone to kidnap him here. He had dreamt of this place for years, of coming here to make amends or get a sense of closure at the very least.

"Well, there weren't that many gift choices, Severus. And she is a big part of your life. It just sort of made sense that you'd come here." She then knitted her hand with his. "Plus, we both know why you hate your birthday. She always made your birthdays seem better, however."

"Lily is not my wife, though," he replied quietly. "You are."

"No, but she was your best friend. You were connected to her like Harry and Hermione." She then smiled. "Birthdays are all about spending time with loved ones. You showed me that with my birthday. We could have just had a nice time with the boys, but you included my family. And no matter what, I can't deny that Lily is a part of this family."

"Aurora . . ." His voice then trailed off. He had been the one to stress that family was important, well, him and Harry. He was the one who had said that he'd enjoy it if they spent time with her parents for the Holidays, assuming that everything would go smoothly. He wanted Harry and Draco to have that Christmas experience that he hadn't had. He hadn't realized it'd end with them leaving.

He was also the one who had asked her parents to come celebrate her birthday with them. Birthdays and Holidays were all about spending time with loved ones and family. Aurora clearly got along with her father, and with the Christmas debacle they needed to smooth things back over (which did happen). So it was no wonder that she'd then bring him here, to visit the grave of his former best friend/Harry's mother.

"I knew it," she said with a sigh, clearly remorseful. With her head hung, she glanced away to avoid his eyes. "You don't like being here. I shouldn't have—"

"No," he quickly said, resting a hand on her arm. "I do. I've wanted to come here for years."

"But it's just too depressing for a birthday gift. I know." She then scoffed, shaking her head in disgust with herself. "What person would want to visit a grave on his birthday? I'm so stupid."

"You aren't," he argued. "It's not the usual birthday gift of course, but coming here is a gift. It's something I've always wanted to do, but was too, I suppose, frightened to." He then sighed. "You've always embraced me, the good and bad. Bringing me here is showing that even more to me." He swallowed harshly. "You didn't mean to do this to throw my feelings for her back in my face. Your intentions were pure, good. This is just a sort of, well, final goodbye that I never thought I'd do, closure in other words. How can I not appreciate this, considering all that?" He glanced towards Harry, noticing that the young man had pulled out a long-stemmed lily. "You don't have to wait for me, Harry."

"It's for you, Dad, to give to Mum." He held the delicate flower out calmly. "I'll have a chance to pay my respects later. It's your time now."

Pale fingers wrapped gently around the stem, carefully holding it as not to break it. Severus glanced at Aurora before nodding. He slowly walked to the grave marker, feeling his gut wrench with remorse. He gently placed it on the ground a moment later, resting a heavy hand on the marble stone.

"I am sorry, Lily," he whispered, "for everything." He drew in a slow, even breath, ignoring the brisk January air. "I should have listened to you, been stronger, something." Every one of his regrets he had about the life he could have had with her flooded to the forefront of his mind. He shook his head to clear his mind, though. He had to keep going. He had to tell her everything he had wanted to say, everything he had rehearsed in the mirror for years. "But you need not worry about Harry anymore. He's safe now. That . . . monster won't ever attempt to harm him again. We've taken care of that." He then released a shuddered breath. "I will do everything in my power to give him the family he should have had, the one he deserved to have. I promise you, Lil. I promise." He closed his eyes and swallowed back his emotions. "You were right, just like always. She was the one to get me in the end." He then felt his lips upturn as a memory from long ago passed before his eyes. "Well, you weren't exactly all right. She wasn't the Death Eater wannabe you accused her of being. It was just the opposite, though. In fact, she's likely the only reason I'm alive today, Lil, and Harry too for that matter. That damn impulsive side of her, she sent an unknown spell at him, not knowing what it did. She gave us a chance, Lil, something I wouldn't have thought we'd have fourteen years ago." He then scoffed, shaking his head. "Fourteen years . . . has it really been that long?"

He sighed heavily, feeling the familiar tightness in his chest. However, it seemed to have lessened, if only slightly. It felt like just yesterday that he was in the park, spying on the Evans sisters as they swung happily. The familiar bell laughter rang out around him, causing him to draw in another shuddered breath. He was reconnecting with a part of himself he had closed off since her death. The emotions surrounding him were as powerful as a category five hurricane. Though, he wouldn't have traded it for the world, knowing he was reconnecting with the best part of his turbulent past.

Rising a moment later, he nodded. There was no need to reminisce about any sweet, tender moments anymore, not then at least. He could do that any time and likely during some time he was with Harry. However, touching the cold stone was something he could only do here in order to connect with her in some way. He then closed his eyes. He focused on his love for her before reopening his eyes.

"Let's go home," he whispered, feeling a bit more at peace as they left the quiet cemetery.

~PS~

A blurry well-dressed man wearing a top hat slowly came into focus. The blue light that shone on his back gave him a sort of ethereal look. Words sung soon echoed around the room as the light retreated ever so slightly.

"Forget your troubles. Come on. Get happy," the voice sung slowly, as if for a funeral dirge.

It took a few seconds before Aurora realized the man singing was none other than Severus Snape, her husband. She nearly did a double take at this shocker. Her eyes then narrowed. She had seen this scene, or at the very least heard this song before.

"You better chase all your cares away," sang Severus in his rich baritone voice, resting his chin on his hands that held a cane similar to Lucius Malfoy's. His singing was still soft and somber. He then laid back, clearly relaxed, and held up his left hand, palm out towards her. "Shout hallelujah! Come on. Get happy." His tempo increased ever so slightly as his hand slowly lowered towards the white stairs before resting on his leg. "Get ready for the Judgment Day."

Aurora then noticed people wearing long white robes as they appeared out of thin air. Their movements clearly showed well-practiced chorography. The music that she had noticed before then blasted as Severus rose to his feet.

"The sun is shining. Come on. Get happy!" He waved the cane in front of him as if he was controlling the blue light behind him. "Lord is waiting to take your hand," he sung, bowing slightly while never breaking eye contact as his wrist moved in elaborate controlled circles from the top of his hat to his chest. "Shout hallelujah! Come on. Get happy." Each word meant he took another step down. "We're going to the Promised . . ." His voice then trailed off for a moment before he winked. "Land," he sung, banging his cane down once on the ground and lifting it with his right while removing his top hat with his left. Dozens of white doves flew from behind him then as if just released.

"We're heading across the river," crimson-robed backup singers sung, rising from the white fog ever so slowly. They sung in perfect, almost haunting harmony. "Wash your sins away in the tide. It's all so peaceful on the other side." They gave her chills as they continued.

The tempo increased again to a jazz-type style now. "Forget your troubles. Come on. Get happy," Severus sung, slowly swaggering towards her with his dark mysterious (and oh, so sexy) eyes staring at her. "You better chase all your cares away." His right hand's fingers danced in front of him as though playing an invisible piano as he sung. "Shout hallelujah. Come on. Get happy." His cane went up and down as if he was doing pull-ups with it. "Get ready for the Judgment Day." His top hat came off again, sailing through the air. He then pulled a megaphone seemingly out of thin air, pressing it against his lips a moment later. "Forget your troubles. Come on. Get happy." The slow jazz style was now replaced by, well, fast paced carnival style. "You better chase all your cares away. Shout hallelujah. Come on. Get happy. Get ready," he sang through the red megaphone, pausing for a brief second, "for the Judgment," his head leaned backwards then before he belted out, "DAY!"

The colors swirled together then, stopping when Severus was right beside her. There were hundreds of surreal images in front of them, grown adults riding some sort of contraption, people with large heads but small bodies. It just went on from there. Loud noises of something honked near her throughout this entire bizarre event with the continued whispers of "Get ready. Get happy." She then felt Severus lean in towards her ear, his warm breath tickling her cheek.

"Get happy," he whispered. "Get happy." He then pulled out a bouquet of daffodils as the voices continued their chanting of "Get ready. Get happy."

She threw her head back, laughing for some strange reason. It wasn't even the slightest bit funny in truth, but she just felt like doubling over with laughter. The music's tempo increased to almost dangerous levels it seemed. It felt as if any moment her heart would burst from her chest. All of a sudden, the music's tempo dropped and filtered out slightly, as if something was wrong. A white light overtook her then, forcing a deafening silence.

As soon as her eyes readjusted, she noticed that she now wore a loose fitting solid milky white dress that wrapped around her like a sheet, leaving a trail softly flowing behind her. The top of the dress fastened behind her neck, the halter straps lined with pearls. Shimmering white gloves covered her from the tips of her fingers to the middle of her bicep.

Just a few feet from her, Severus sat in front of a piano, playing a simple, soft, slow melody. She smiled at him for a moment before sighing contently. A voice that she recognized as her own a few seconds later whispered.

"Get ready. Get happy" echoed around the room, joining the melody.

"Forget your troubles," she sung, slowly raising her head. "Come on. Get happy." She slowly rolled onto her stomach with her left arm outstretched towards her husband.

"You better chase your cares away," he replied in tune, still playing the piano.

"Shout hallelujah," she sung, rolling across the floor in her pristine white dress which unwrapped leaving the flowing sheet like trail behind. The pearl lined strap around the back of her neck now extended down her chest, exposing more of her 'ladies'. The form fitting waist drew narrower around her middle before loosening over her hips, still maintaining the fluidity of the now much shorter tail. "Come on. Get happy." She outstretched her hand again towards him, hoping to reach him this time. She didn't, however.

"Get ready for the Judgment Day."

The backup singers that had been silent before soon joined her, making them sound powerful and fierce. "The sun is shining," Aurora sung. Her right forearm braced her as she pushed herself up and raised her left arm to the sky. "Come on. Get happy."

"The Lord is waiting to take your hand." Severus swung his cane around like a master swordsman before he held it out to her. She grabbed it without a thought given.

"Shout hallelujah," she sung as he pulled her across the floor on her knees. "Come on. Get happy." She leaned back with her right hand sliding across the smooth floor. When he slowed his pulling of her, she went to her feet. His right arm then went to her waist while his left hand went into hers. He dipped her towards the floor with a wide smile, making sure to keep her from falling.

"Get ready for the Judgment Day," he sang with the backup singers, staring into her eyes.

"Forget your troubles. Come on. Get happy." She walked a few steps in front of him, still holding onto his cane, before he twirled her around him with it. "Shout hallelujah. Come on. Get happy." She then laughed softly as he pulled her towards the white stairs.

The voices then chanted "Judgment Day" over her voice, each time faster than the previous. They continued, drumming on and on. The two words pounded into her mind like fists, and it didn't stop either. It just continued, beating like a snare drum ready for the executioner.

"Judgment Day," they chanted. "Get ready."

Her heart slammed against her chest as she stared at her husband, trying to ignore the voices. That was next to impossible, however. She then felt him release her hand and glance towards the blue spotlight. Closing her eyes, she lifted the train of her dress before she headed up the stairs. The familiar light overtook her again before everything vanished, and she was alone once more.

"Aurora," a voice in the dark whispered. "Aurora, wake up." It sounded so far away. "It's just a dream, Aurora. Wake up."

Her surroundings vanished entirely then. The sounds of soft moans echoed around her before she slowly felt a hand on her shoulders. Someone was shaking her wake.

"Aurora, wake up."

Another hard shake helped her finally break the spell. She sat up rather quickly, nearly colliding with the blurry figure that had been leaning over her. Her breathes came in quick pants. Her heart raced. However, none of that was alarming as the intense pain in her abdomen. Holding back her cries, she curled into herself. She could feel movement near her, but she was in too much pain to recognize her husband. A hand once more rested on her shoulder, attempting to be comforting. It wasn't, though.

"Aurora," the voice said, breaking through her pain filled fog.

Blindly, she reached back, hoping that the hand she was attempting to find was her husband's. When she felt the familiar rough, cracked, callous hands, she nearly sighed in relief, had it not been for the intense pain that felt like an alien bursting out of her abdomen. She cried out, whimpering a moment later as she felt herself being lifted up and carried out of the room. She dug her fingers into his shoulders and upper arm, knowing and hating herself for leaving obvious bruises on him.

"We're almost there."

Oh, Circe how she hoped he was right. She felt the gentle tickle of the flames from the Floo just barely before another contraction hit. The scent of antiseptics overwhelmed her, though, informing her of their destination. She heard footfalls of someone approaching, whom she guessed was Poppy. Being gently placed on top of a cot a second later, she threw her head back and screamed. The Cruciatus felt like a lover's caress compared to the contractions she currently felt.

She heard Severus's attempts to calm her, but it fell on deaf ears. She screamed and screamed some more, hoping that'd help, even though she knew it wouldn't. She felt his hand squeeze hers, but instead of it making her feel better, it made her feel like—she didn't even know what. Someone was telling her instructions. Well, it was either that or she was finally losing it by hearing white noise and trying to make sense of it.

"Look At Me!"

Her head snapped towards the voice instantly, desperately keeping the tears at bay. She of course didn't think that labor would be all sunshine and rainbows, but wasn't she supposed to have some sort of warning to prepare herself before—like the contractions slowly increasing? Waking up to the pain from hell was not how she had wanted to start her morning, especially not Valentine's Day.

"You're fine."

She just barely held back her snarl of 'Says you, the man who caused this.' That was stupid to say, though. It was both their faults. He had gone to her after returning to Voldemort's ranks for some reason, and she had accepted him with open arms, not thinking of the consequences of their actions.

"You're going to be fine, Aurora," Severus said, nodding slowly with a look that said he was sorry. Though, he had no reason to be. "I'm going to be right here, right beside you."

She nodded slowly, still clenching her teeth to keep from turning into the hormonal monster. She squeezed his hand back, whimpering as another contraction overtook her. Pregnancy sucked. There was just no other way to sum it up other than that. Well, maybe pregnancy didn't suck, but labor sure did. Though, they hadn't been complete idiots. They had gone through Lamaze and other baby related classes, but none of that prepared her for these damn contractions.

"All right, Aurora," Pomfrey said softly, flicking her wand at Aurora once more to update the floating numbers. "You're doing well."

Doing well? She was alternating between crying out and envisioning everyone dying from well-placed Killing Curses. Her breathing came in pants, which she quickly attempted to alter with deep inhalation. She felt like she was going to pass out at any moment, not a very good sign. Though, with each deep breath, her mind seemed a bit clearer, allowing her to notice that her nightclothes were now a hospital gown. She then noticed that she was in position for childbirth. At least that was the best way her muddled mind could come up with.

"Breathe in and out," Severus instructed, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

"Pretty sure that's not happening," she grumbled, avoiding his eyes in order not to send him a scathing look. She was not going to be one of those witches who nearly killed her husband because of the old 'You got me pregnant so I'm going to murder you' thought during labor. For one, and she kept having to remind herself for some reason, it was not Severus's fault. He was nothing short of a saint throughout this entire debacle. If anything, she had been the moody bitch from hell. For two, he'd had enough people in his life bitching at him constantly. He did not need her snapping at him. He had already gone through one witch breaking his heart. She was going to be damned if she was another one.

"In and out," he repeated calmly.

She screamed, bearing down as another contraction hit her. The overwhelming urge to push flooded her neural pathways, but she clearly remembered Pomfrey informing her not to move a muscle without her explicit instruction. Then again, that was easier said than done. She glanced towards Severus as he wiped away the sweat that had collected on her forehead. A goddamn perfect freaking saint, her husband was.

"Almost there, Aurora," Pomfrey said. "Just hold on a few seconds longer."

Aurora was two milliseconds from screaming at the mediwitch just what she could do with those 'few seconds.' She was in intense pain, expecting two alien things to pop out of her at any moment. She nearly laughed when she heard her mind rant. Her children with Severus were going to be beautiful and definitely not aliens. She then glanced at her husband. Well, he was a little pasty in the complexion area.

"What?"

Before she could respond, another contraction hit her. This time she nearly sat all the way up, screaming loudly. She was pretty sure that Hagrid could hear her in his hut.

"Okay, with your next contraction, push." Pomfrey glanced at Severus, nodding at him.

Aurora drew in a deep breath, released it, and inhaled again. Push, she was at that stage finally. As her next contraction took over, she screamed, pushing as hard as she could. Of course, this in turn only made her scream louder as she felt the baby move further down the birth canal. This was going to be a bitch. She just knew it. She hoped to Circe above that the child didn't have her husband's nose, or they were all screwed.

"Good, good, you're doing really well, Aurora. Take a breath. That's it."

In her mind, she listed off the numerous spells she could use to kill someone. Sectumsempra was too messy. Avada was too easy. Bombarda was too loud. Dark spells seemed too overkill. Of course killing someone with one's bare hands was all fine and dandy, but she was otherwise occupied currently.

"Breathe, Aurora," Severus told her.

Breathe, breathe, how about you breathe, you— She inhaled deeply, pushing as hard as possible again as another contraction hit her. It felt like she was pushing a watermelon or Thestral or something through a damn straw.

"Another push just like you did, Aurora," Pomfrey said, nodding encouragingly.

She clenched her teeth, just barely holding back her curse. She was going to murder the witch. She was. She was going to slaughter her in the most painful way possible. That was as soon as she came up with what way that was. She screamed, pushing, pushing, PUSHING every ounce of that baby out of her. Because once both babies were out, there was going to be a dead mediwitch. Of that, she was sure.

"There we go," Pomfrey said with a clear smile on her face. "First one's out, and she's definitely beautiful, Aurora."

Her breath caught in the back of her throat. The baby was out? Then why did she feel like she was still in the bottomless pits of hell forever enslaved to the pain. A scream erupted from her as another contraction hit. That feeling could be because she wasn't done. She didn't wait for Pomfrey to tell her to continue pushing. She just did, not caring if it was the entirely wrong thing to do. She wanted this damn pain to stop, and she only knew that after both babies were out, it would.

"Breathe," Severus instructed, holding her hand and giving her a small smile. He seemed to understand that she wanted them out that minute. "In and out," he said, squeezing her hand in almost perfect sync with her contractions. Then again, the man was perfect, a freaking saint in every way.

Ignoring the nausea that had plagued her throughout, she continued pushing the second baby out. However, the fatigue was getting a bit harder to brush off. She was almost there, almost finished. She had to be. She screamed, pushing, pushing, and pushing some more. Each push drained a bit more out of her. Was that normal? Well, Pomfrey wasn't saying anything to the contrary so perhaps everything was fine. Then again, Severus was in the room. Granted, he wasn't emotional or anything, but he had already lost one woman he loved. It'd break him to lose another. Aurora was sure of that.

Her hands started to slip then. She nearly fell back against the cot, had it not been for Severus catching her. She noticed the brief look he gave Pomfrey. He was, what'd he always say, concerned, not worried of course. Severus Snape did not worry. He just didn't. She kept pushing, each push harder than the last. Something was wrong. It had to be.

"Almost there, Aurora," Pomfrey softly stated, the smile gone.

"Some . . . wrong," Aurora said through heavy pants.

"Just keep pushing. You're almost there." Pomfrey glanced at him, shaking her head once. "That's it. Just keep pushing." Her tone was encouraging, but her heart clearly wasn't in it.

"Severus," Aurora cried, glancing up at him. What was wrong? Why wouldn't they say? She pushed one last time. A moment later, her arms caved in complete exhaustion, causing her to fall back onto the cot. She felt her body tremble once then twice before she released a shaky breath. "What is it?" Her voice was weak and raspy. She felt Severus kiss her forehead, causing her to close her eyes as she relished in the feeling. Unfortunately, that one action caused her to fall into a deep slumber.

Voices awoke her a few hours later. She moaned softly, turning her head to the side. She could smell herbs, so Severus clearly was near her. Her eyes fluttered for a moment as she attempted to open her eyes. She was right. Severus was sitting beside her, watching her like a hawk.

Movement out of the corner of her eye made her turn towards it, smiling when she saw Harry and Draco. The only one missing was Pomfrey, excluding the babies of course. She still felt extremely tired, but she supposed giving birth did that to a woman. She drew in a slow breath before she attempted to sit up. Severus immediately went to his feet to help her.

"What," she said, swallowing the small bit of saliva that was in her mouth, "happened?"

"You fell asleep, well, sort of passed out, I guess," Harry answered, shrugging. "Dad said you're fine, though. You're just really tired." He then smiled softly. "He said that labor is the equivalent of playing a hundred back-to-back Quidditch matches. So it's really no surprise."

She glanced at her stepson, wondering where that had come from. Most teenagers didn't want to talk about their mothers in that context, at least not the ones she knew. She then softly laughed. Harry wasn't like most teenagers, though. He had wanted a family so bad that he'd have killed for one. He probably had wanted to see the entire thing, just so he'd be the first one to greet his new siblings.

"Everything's all right?" she asked, rolling her head to the side to glance at her husband.

"Everything's fine," Severus replied with a soft smile.

"I felt weird at the end."

"That's because you were tired. Your body wanted rest. It's not use to that kind of abuse."

"They're fine, though?"

"They're perfect," he responded, pressing a kiss against her forehead. "A girl and a boy, and they're currently getting stared at by half the staff. In fact, according to that twit Vector, we make quote 'cute babies," he said, impersonating the Arithmancy professor. "I had asked Pomfrey to place them in the main area as not to disturb you."

"I want to see them," she said, smiling. She always knew their children would be beautiful. Though, they likely would have hair issues: his hereditary greasiness and her wild curliness. Her smile widened when Harry jumped up from his chair, calling over his shoulder that he'd get them. Severus of course left with the young ecstatic man, returning a moment later. The twins obviously weren't that far away then. She watched Severus walk in, cradling a pink bundle in his arms, while Harry held a blue bundle in his. "Am I to assume you've decided on their names then?"

"Only her," Harry replied with a grin. "She's sort of a daddy's girl anyway, though."

Aurora glanced at her husband, nearly laughing at his rare look of embarrassment. He had already bonded with one of the twins? How long had she been asleep? She then smiled at him as he retook his chair, showing off the little girl in his arms.

"Blond?" she said with a laugh. Her hand gently caressed their little girl's blond head. Of all the combinations she'd have guessed, blond was not one of them.

"Clearly from your side of the family," Severus stated. "Pomfrey believes in fact that when she grows up, our daughter will have her mother's curls, except the coloring of course."

"Oh, Circe, no," Aurora replied, laughing. "That poor, poor girl, Severus, she shouldn't suffer." She then watched him rub his finger against their daughter's rosy cheek, causing their baby girl to turn towards Aurora. It was then she saw her daughter's eyes, Severus's eyes to be exact.

"She has my eyes, and I suppose you could say my cheeks, but the rest of her appears to be you."

"What's her name?"

"Angel," Harry answered. "Dad said she looked like one, so it sort of stuck. She seems to like it, too. When Dad called her by it, she nuzzled more into him."

"Angel Celestria Prince," Aurora said, rubbing her finger against their daughter's cherub cheeks.

"We haven't figured out his name yet." Harry carefully held out his baby brother. "I told Dad to name him 'Asp,' but Dad's not going for it."

"Asp?" she repeated, glancing at her husband. She just knew there was a story behind that one.

"Our son has a birthmark on his back that coincidentally looks like a snake."

"Ah," she said, nodding. Their son had dark, dark hair. She couldn't tell if there were any curls or wave to it yet to see which one of them he took after. However, his eyes were most definitely Severus's again. Why their children had their father's eyes, she wasn't sure, but she loved Severus's eyes the most so it was definitely a trait she'd enjoy. She then gave a short laugh, noticing the slight length to their son's nose. It seemed as if their son took after Severus more than her. In fact, looking at him, she couldn't see a shred of herself in their baby boy. "Asp," she said softly.

"We are not naming our son that, Aurora."

"What about his initials?" she asked, glancing at him.

"Meaning?" he replied with an unsure look.

"Alexander S. Prince," she said with a shrug.

"And the 'S' stands for . . .?"

"Severus," Harry piped up, saying.

"Absolutely not," growled the older wizard.

"Scorpius?" offered Draco with a shrug.

"Perhaps your son can have that name," Severus replied, "but not mine, Draco."

"Well, there's always 'Salazar.' It's a good name, a Founder's name, Slytherin in fact."

"Oh, yes, because that's not at all expected," Severus drawled, frowning.

"What about 'Skye' for his middle name?"

"Alexander Skye Prince," Aurora said, glancing at her son in Harry's arms. She laughed when the young infant made a sort of shake of his head. "I think that's a no." She then frowned, wrinkling up her nose as she went through her list of 'S' middle names. "Alexander Sinclair Prince," she whispered, staring down at her son. Shaking her head, she sighed. "I agree with Harry. Severus would be a good middle name for our son. It follows wizarding tradition, I mean. Harry is Harry James Potter. Draco is Draco Lucian which is the long form of Lucius, I think. And you're Severus Tobias."

"You truly want to call our son Alexander Severus?" he asked, staring at her.

"I do. But, he is your son also. So if you don't want to name him that, then Alexander Sinclair it is." She wasn't going to circumvent his wishes. Too often, people had pushed his feelings, thoughts, and wishes aside for the good of the public, or so they claimed. She wasn't going to be one of them.

"Alexander Severus," he repeated softly, frowning softly. "He would share the name of a Roman emperor who was assassinated by his own men."

"Must you always do that?" she replied with a sigh.

"His mother was domineering, and I believe was killed with him in 235."

"Never mind," she said, rolling her eyes. She should have known he'd do that.

"Though, you are correct. He would carry on a long line of wizarding tradition. It is a strong name also, if only by the way it commands your attention."

"Severus, you've made your point. We won't name him after you."

"But I have no qualms with it now," he argued. "In fact, he appears to enjoy that name," he stated, motioning to their son's arms moving in what could only be described as a celebratory motion.

"Angel Celestria and Alexander Severus," she said, smiling at the twins. They were beautiful, absolutely beautiful. Angel's blond hair and dark eyes made her stand out when next to her brother. She made a person stare at her just to find out who her parents were. Alexander, however, looked like a Prince, since Aurora knew Severus was going to go by that name instead of Snape soon. He had only wanted to shed the Snape surname since he was three, after all.

"Hear that, baby brother, you're Alexander Severus Prince," Harry whispered, slowly leaning towards the little baby boy. "Course we're—Draco and I—are going to call you Asp." His green eyes then glanced towards the little girl in her—their—father's arms. "And you, little sister, are Angel Celestria Prince, El for short."

"El?" repeated Draco. "No, Celes for short."

"In any case," Severus said, "we're going to have to pull together with the twins' arrival."

"Mrs. Weasley already said she'd be more than happy to babysit," Harry said, smiling as he tickled Alexander's cheek. His eyes then glanced up. "Defeat a megalomaniac, check; make Snape smile, check; gain a mum and dad, check; be a little brother, check; and be a big brother, check."

Everyone softly laughed with wide smiles.

"Guess Sybil was right," Aurora quietly said. At the look of confusion, she sighed. "You don't remember her first prediction about us, do you, Severus?"

"Trelawney predicted something?" both fifth-years stated in mock disbelief.

"Oh, yes, she did." Aurora laughed, remembering the day in question. "I had just been hired for the open Astronomy position. It was the first staff meeting I had ever been to, so I was rather nervous at the time. Well, Severus and I did not get along at all. In fact, our first meeting after I was hired, he said I dressed like a common whore." She smiled, shaking her head. "He was of course correct. I was dressed rather provocatively."

"Aurora," Severus quietly said.

"Anyway, I was late to the meeting, and there was only one chair left, the one next to Severus. Had it not been for Albus calling me out, I would have stood that meeting, refusing to sit next to the jerk. Well, I sat down, and Sybil decided to make her stupid prediction right then in front of everyone. She looked at Severus and me, and said 'When mixed with stars, potions become less volatile and burn brighter.' Of course, we all considered that to be proof of her insanity. I mean, if it wasn't her predicting that one of us was to die at any moment, then it was her off-the-wall predictions. She was right every now and then, but she was almost always wrong. It seemed she predicted this one correctly, though."

"Less volatile I can understand, but burn brighter?" her husband asked, raising an eyebrow.

"She means you smile more, Severus," Draco said.

"I smile more?" he replied, snorting. "I do believe all of you suffer from severe hallucinations." With his lips quirked upwards, he glanced at them.

"Funny, Dad," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "I suppose you'd say the 'Slytherin rules' written across the front doors was a 'severe hallucination' too, right?"

"I haven't a clue what you are referring to," he deadpanned.

"Uh-huh, sure," Draco replied, laughing. "As if all of Slytherin doesn't already know that our Head of House was the one to do that."

"Yeah, but it was because of her that Dad took that potion." He then laughed. "Who would've thought that would help us become a family?" Potions and stars, who would have guessed it?