"Are you sure you don't mind me being here?" Teddy asked for the third time.

"It's fine," Harry answered with an exasperated eye roll.

"Fine good or fine, I don't really want to tell you how I feel?" Teddy pressed.

"Mr. Nott," Severus said finally. "You are invited to our adoption ceremonies. Would you like a formal invitation, or is a verbal one acceptable?" He quirked an eyebrow and smirked when Teddy gave him a tentative smile.

. . .

"We'll do mine first," Severus informed the two boys. "Otherwise, Moody's family magic will not be added to your own, Harry."

Harry nodded. It made sense. There was only one thing he wanted to know.

He touched Severus' arm and asked, "Are you nervous?"

His soon to be guardian glanced back toward Moody, where the older man was waiting expectantly with the necessary items for a blood adoption.

"Nervous?" Severus answered when his gaze had shifted fully back to Harry. "Not exactly," he answered with a frown. "Apprehensive of possible difficulties? Yes."

Harry nodded and then glanced over at Teddy to gauge how he was doing. The other boy was unusually serious faced, even for a Nott.

"You don't mind, do you?" Harry asked.

"Why would I mind?" Teddy answered, his face cracking into a smile. "You're getting a family and so is Severus."

"You're not . . ." Harry floundered for a moment, unsure of how to voice his worry. "You're not jealous, are you?"

Teddy shrugged. "You need it more than I do. At least I have my mum. She's pretty fond of me, I think. You need something to help you against Bumbledore. I don't."

Harry smiled. "Thanks." Teddy was a good friend. He was glad that they had met.

Something poked him in his arm and he turned to see Moody watching them with an amused expression. "If yeh two are done yammering?"

Harry felt very shy abruptly. This man was about to be his grandfather. It was a hard concept to wrap his mind around, but he was pleased nonetheless. He especially appreciated the fact that there were no more uncles or aunts to contend with in his new family. Well—at least he didn't think so.

"You're not married, are you Moody?" Harry asked as they moved to the couches in the centre of Severus' quarters.

His gaze only on the older man, Harry missed Severus' choked bark of laughter at his question.

"I'm not," Moody answered with a wry grin. "And you?" He asked Harry.

Harry's eyebrows rose. Yuck! "Uh, no."

Severus moved into his peripheral, and he turned his attention on his professor.

"You will not need to worry about any grandmothers coming into this equation, Harry," Severus added with an evil twist of his lips.

"Or mothers," Moody retorted as Harry's gaze went back to him.

"You can share mine, if you like," Teddy added. At Harry's confused expression, he explained. "My mother. You can share her if you like."

Harry smiled at the warm feelings that were suddenly bubbling in his chest. Is this how having a family feels? He hoped so. He liked it. He wanted to hug them to himself and keep them from escaping his body. His grin grew at his ridiculous idea.

A hand on his shoulder suddenly began pulling him toward the sofa. He followed and sat down next to Teddy and then turned back to look at Moody and Severus, the two men he would soon be calling Grandfather and Father, respectively. Even with his enthusiasm, the fear that they would grow tired of him still remained.

He shook his head. Severus had promised that this was forever. Promised.

"All right there, lad?" Moody asked him.

Harry nodded, secretly pleased that his mental distress had been noticed.

Moody turned his body back toward Severus, but kept his head turned in such a way that Harry could still see what he was saying. He picked up the goblet that had the adoption potion in it and held it out in front of his body. Meanwhile, Severus held up a shining dagger and took a step towards the older man.

"I, Alastor Ignatius Moody, oldest and head of the Moody clan, stand here this day to respectfully invite Severus Tobias Snape to be added as a full and honourable member of our ancient clan. What say you, Severus Tobias Snape? Will you stand for our family as your own? Do you vow to protect its members, young and old?"

Harry unconsciously held his breath. This was the most incredible thing he'd ever seen take place between the two men in front of him.

"I do," Severus answered, dagger still held in his outstretched hands. His face was more pale than normal, but otherwise his countenance was calm.

"My blood shall serve you as it has served me," Moody said, stretching out a gnarled hand toward Severus, the goblet still held tightly in his other.

Severus carefully sliced a small incision in Moody's palm and then manoeuvred it so that it briefly dripped into the goblet. Moody closed his hand after a moment and then pulled it back with an expectant look on his face as he waited for Severus to speak his part.

"My blood into yours, to be surrounded and protected," Severus said, slicing that small incision into his own palm and holding it over the goblet.

"To hold safe," Moody stated after Severus pulled his hand back. "To live and to die. To work to create a home for our own and for others. To guide and to have all full rights, magically and otherwise. I ask once again, do you Severus Tobias Snape accept?"

Magic crackled between the two of them, but they seemed to be oblivious to its presence.

"I do," Severus answered decisively, placing the dagger on the table beside them. He stepped forward again; his nearly black eyes serious and intent on the task in front of him.

"Do you accept the title of 'Son' with all the privileges and responsibilities that comes with it?" Moody asked, eyes not straying from the younger man before him.

"I do," Severus answered for the third time.

At his words, Moody drank of the goblet and then pushed it into Severus' nearby hand. Severus took and drank as well before setting it aside next to the dagger.

"So be it, Severus son of Alastor," Moody said, reaching out his hand and taking Severus' own into a firm grasp.

"So be it, Father," Severus answered, swallowing hard.

A blinding light encircled their hands and pushed up their arms until they were surrounded on every side by its brilliant aura.

Then it was gone and both men slowly released one another's hands.

"Wow," Harry breathed.

"Wow indeed," Severus murmured, blinking hard at the change he could feel beginning to manifest within his body. It would take a full night's sleep for the changes to become fully apparent, but already he felt different. His magic was more receptive to his surroundings. He felt almost as though his senses had increased, adding depth and colour to even the most mundane of the things around him.

. . .

"And now it's your turn lad," Moody said to Harry, motioning that he should stand up and join Severus in the middle of the room. His professor had changed positions so that he was standing where Moody had been mere moments ago, and Harry slowly stepped into the spot opposite.

"Are you ready, Harry?" Severus asked when he looked up.

Slowly he nodded his head. He hoped his eyes didn't change colours. That would be a pain, not only because he liked his eye colour, but he'd have to go back in to get his fake one tweaked. He mentally snorted at himself and then reached over to pick up the dagger like he'd seen Severus do.

"I, Severus Tobias Snape-Moody, son of Alastor Ignatius Moody, stand here this day to respectfully invite Harry James Potter to be added as a junior and honourable member of our ancient clan. What say you, Harry James Potter? Will you stand for our family as your own? Do you vow to respect its members, young and old?"

"I do," Harry said, the dagger strangely warm in his hands. His insides felt as though they were being shaken, and he hoped his voice wasn't reflecting that.

"My blood shall serve you as it has served me," Severus said, stretching out a long fingered hand toward Harry, the goblet still held tightly in his other.

With a gulp, Harry carefully sliced a small incision in Severus' palm and then tried to push it up so that it briefly dripped into the goblet. Like Moody had, Severus let it drip for a moment and then closed his hand and pulled it back with a slight nod to Harry.

"My blood into y-yours," Harry answered, feeling quite outside of his body. "T-to be surrounded and protected," Harry finished, slicing that small cut into his own palm and holding it over the goblet. He winced at the feel, but he tried to keep it off his face like Severus and Moody had.

Warm eyes met green ones as Severus waited for Harry to close his fist and pull his hand back. Harry did, feeling the heat from the dagger remain in his palm even after he had set it aside.

"To hold safe," Severus stated, slowly enough that Harry wasn't lost. "To live and to die. To work to create a home for our own and for others. To guide and to have all junior rights, magically and otherwise, at least until you reach your majority. To love and be loved," Severus added, his dark eyes shining meaningfully down at Harry.

That's something Moody didn't say! The warm feeling in his hand spread out to his arm and up to his shoulder.

"I ask once again, do you Harry James Potter accept?"

Harry felt magic crackle between them, but couldn't seem to look anywhere but up at Severus.

"I do," Harry answered, once more feeling as though his answer was coming from somewhere more than just him. He felt a desire to be closer, and without thinking, he moved almost near enough to wrap his arms around Severus.

The barest hint of a smile slid across Severus' face as he continued to look down at Harry. "Do you accept the title of 'Son' with all the privileges and responsibilities that comes with it?" Severus asked.

This is it! Harry's mind squealed ridiculously.

For the third time, Harry answered, "I do."

At his words, Severus drank of the goblet and then handed it carefully into Harry's awaiting hand. Momentarily squeamish about drinking something with their blood in it, Harry's hand shook for a moment until he resolutely pushed the cup up to his lips and drank. It was a strange taste, just the barest hint of copper, and not nearly as horrible as he had expected.

Moving on auto-pilot now, Harry put the goblet aside on the table beside them and then turned his full attention back on Severus.

"So be it, Harry son of Severus," Severus said in a low voice, reaching out his hand and firmly wrapping it around Harry's own.

"So be it, Father," Harry answered, tears swimming in his left eye for a moment. The heat of the magic filled him and he could feel Severus' hand clench down more tightly as it spread outwards.

A blinding light encircled their hands and pushed up their arms until they were surrounded on every side by its brilliant aura. Harry could feel a peaceful sensation fill every pore of his body; and just before the light suddenly disappeared he threw himself forward into his father's awaiting arms.

. . .

"Is this a Mimosa?" Harry asked later, only to wince as the two adults in the room turned and stared at him.

"We're going to have to have a discussion about why you know that word," Severus predicted, his dark eyes glaring down in Harry's.

"Uh right," Harry murmured, glancing at Teddy to see his friend smirking openly back at him.

He could almost hear the man's words now, though not sure entirely sure whether it was a side effect of the ceremony—temporary or otherwise—or whether it was just his overactive imagination hoping in vain for some kind of significant change.

After the glasses filled with orange coloured juice had been fully passed around, Severus stepped into the centre of the room and raised his glass to gather their attentions.

"For those of you who might be wondering," Severus' dark eyes lingered on Harry's for a second. "We are drinking something that Harry's mother created while in her later years at Hogwarts."

Harry's eyes widened and he stepped closer to his father.

"Being of the muggle world and being familiar with Mimosas, she decided to try making them with pumpkin juice and champagne instead orange juice. She called them Willows," Severus smiled a touch wistfully and Harry reached out to wrap his hand around his father's. "I think in honour of the Whomping Willow, which she seemed to be fascinated with."

Carefully, Harry filed that information away in his mind for later.

Straightening his back—though not letting go of Harry's hand—Severus raised his glass high again once more and said, "To family. To blood members and chosen friends and safety in our homes." He then brought the glass to his mouth and drank deeply of it.

One by one, the room's other three occupants followed his example.

. . .

He slept in Severus' quarters that night, as did Moody, although the older man transfigured the sofa instead of taking Harry's proffered bed. Teddy chose to go back to the dorm room, if nothing else for the sake of creating an alibi for Harry, provided he needed one.

Harry saw through the premise, but he let Teddy leave without too much fuss, although he had grinned more than his usual during their entire conversation.

That evening, as he was getting ready for bed, his door began to glow, indicating that someone was knocking. It had been his and Teddy's idea, but Severus had helped them implement it.

"Come in!" He called out, sitting down on the bed and looking up expectantly toward the door.

Harry's face instantly slipped back into a smile when Severus poked his head in. "Hi," Harry said in greeting, feeling a bit foolish.

Severus moved toward him and then without waiting for permission, he sat down lightly on the bed beside Harry.

"I had a thought," Severus began slowly, turning his head to the side as he watched for Harry's reactions.

"That's allowed," Harry said with a snarky grin.

"Brat," Severus huffed playfully, reaching out and lightly rubbing his hand through Harry's hair.

Harry allowed the motion for a moment, and then pulled his head back. Severus dropped his hand instantly at the hint and sat back up.

"You were thinking," Harry prompted, reaching out and taking Severus' larger hand as a form of compromise to having his head touched.

"If it wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience," Severus said in a deep voice that Harry could almost hear. "I would like to tuck you in tonight."

He shivered and squeezed Severus' hand tightly. "I think I could stand that," he replied, staring up at his father with a shy smile.

"Good," Severus replied, leaning over and placing a gentle kiss on his forehead.

. . .

The next morning, unbeknownst to them, Severus and Harry stumbled out of bed at nearly the same minute, both heading for their respective toilets. Nearly simultaneously, Severus walked into his private bathroom as Harry hopped skilfully to the hall toilet. Dim lights suitable to the early morning lit on their entrances, and within moments of the other, two toilets flushed.

Both boy and man went to leave to their bathrooms then, only to catch sight of something in each of their individual mirrors.

"Bloody hell," Severus breathed as he stared dumbfounded back at his reflection.

"Aw shit," Harry cussed slightly louder at his.

From the sitting room, Moody sat up and grinned at the darkened space around him. Today was going to be an interesting day.

Preview of Chapter 20 (just because I know you all are so curious)

"What the hell are these?" Harry asked, snarling into the room to point at the sides of his head while glaring down at Moody.

"Eh, those would be called 'ears' last I checked, lad."

"Why the hell do they look like Spock's then!"

"Spock?" Moody asked in bemusement.

"A muggle television show," Severus answered, gliding into the room and causing the other two occupants to stop and stare.

Harry blinked in surprise and then stepped forward to touch his father's hair with his fingertips.

"It's really soft," he murmured, watching as Severus smiled at his compliment.

"Given that I inherited my father's oily hair, I had hoped that my own would change after the ceremony, and happily it did."

"It's lighter too," Moody observed, after stepping into Harry's line of vision. "The colour looks a bit like me ol' mum's did, back in her heyday."

Narrowing his eyes thoughtfully, Severus asked, "Noticeably lighter?"

"Not really," Harry interjected, stepping back to look at him with a wider angle. "I think your skin tone got a little darker too. You're not so pale now. If anybody asks," he grinned suddenly, "you can tell them you were out hunting for potion ingredients and got some sun. Course, you could mean 'son' like S-O-N, but they wouldn't know that."