Ginny was happy to be home with her family. Her entire family. Everyone was asleep except Lily, who was feeding, so Ginny walked quietly around to check on her boys as the infant fed.

Sirius was lying in the same place that she and Harry had tucked him into earlier with his thumb in his mouth.

"Hm. That is why your hand has been so dry." Ginny whispered, gently removing his thumb from his mouth. She had noticed before the baby had been born that the skin on Sirius' hand was dry and was starting to peel. Perhaps he was having problems with the new addition as well. Ginny smiled and ran her hand through his hair lightly.

Next, she went into Jamie's room. Jamie's head was resting at the foot of the bed and his covers were on the floor. He was her wild sleeper, and the only thing that kept him from falling out of bed was a barrier spell that protected him in his sleep. It still didn't keep anything else on the bed, and it allowed him to get up if he was awake.

Ginny waved her wand and floated Jamie's blankets to the bed and then sat on the edge to tuck him in with her free hand.

Ginny walked slowly down to Teddy's room. He was lying against the wall, dead asleep, his hair changing color in his sleep every once in a while. Ginny leaned against the door frame and watched him for a moment. She didn't mess with him or go any closer, as he was a light sleeper and would more than likely wakeup if she did. She and Harry often wondered if there were some dormant werewolf traits in their son. His vision, smell, and hearing were all superior to a normal witch or wizard. He also had problems sleeping on the full moon and Ginny or Harry always had to stay awake with him on those nights as he tended to become light headed and sick to his stomach. They would never tell anyone this, as it was not a problem and he was not a true werewolf, but if people knew they would treat him as such.

Severus was next. As soon as she walked in the room she watched Severus and Alby, who had obviously snuck in after ten when Harry and Ginny had checked on the kids before retiring for the night.

Ginny knew that Severus and Alby had been at odds, and Harry had told her that Alby had hit Sev while she had been in the hospital. Of course her little demon had also hit his Daddy while they were all at the hospital.

Ginny and Lily had come home at lunch. Ginny was completely healed and ready to face any disasters at home.

And, there had indeed been disasters. The children were all fussy, picking fights with one another.

Harry had ended up having to put Alby in a timeout several times for striking out at his brothers.

Severus had barely left his room the whole day and Sirius had stayed in there and played with him. Ginny was actually curious as to what they had done because even on good days those two usually fussed a bit. They had been absolutely perfect all day.

Jamie had followed Harry around like a lost puppy, and Teddy had sat in the living room with a book all day. A book he never turned the page on.

Ginny slowly walked back to her bedroom. The baby was done feeding, had been burped, and was fast asleep.

She laid the baby in her bassinet beside the bed and then laid down herself and almost immediately fell asleep.

~*~sdrawkcab~*~

Harry heard sniffles coming from the doorway of his and Ginny's bedroom. He sat up, bleary eyed, and looked at the doorway.

Sirius. He was standing there with tears falling down his cheeks.

"Sirius, what is wrong?" Harry whispered. He looked over at the clock.

Two in the morning.

"Sirius, what is wrong?" Harry asked quietly, throwing his legs over the side of the bed.

"I want Mummy." Sirius whispered. There was something in his voice that confused Harry. Sirius was a Daddy's boy. He normally wanted Harry before Ginny, and he was the only of their sons who was like that. Harry was indeed confused.

"Are you sure that I can't help you, Sirius?" Harry asked him, standing up. Sirius took a quick step backwards and fell down.

"No!" He said, pulling his knees to his chest and laying his head on them.

It was obvious that Sirius was not going to let him anywhere near him for some reason, so Harry turned to wake up Ginny, only to see that she was already climbing out of bed.

"Love, I have got him. Just keep your ears open for Lily. She fed an hour ago and shouldn't be up for a while yet." Ginny said.

Harry nodded and sat back down on the bed.

Ginny walked into the hallway and bent down to pick up Sirius. He didn't fight her, but instead wrapped his arms and legs around her.

She automatically knew what was wrong from the wetness of his pajamas.

He had wet the bed.

"Come on, Love. I'll take care of you." She whispered, holding him tight against her. Now was the time he needed it most of all. To know that he was loved no matter what, he was loved. Even when he had wet the bed.

"I'm sorry, Mummy." Sirius said, his tears falling against Ginny's neck.

"It is okay, Love. Accidents happen sometimes. Let's get you in the bath." Ginny said, standing Sirius up in front of the tub and stripping him down.

"I'm too old for accidents." Sirius sniffed. He was nearly eight! Eight! Eight year olds were not supposed to have accidents!

"No, accidents happen. Even when you are older they might happen. It will be okay."

Ginny turned the water off and lifted Sirius into the tub. She quickly washed the half sleeping child and dried his continuous tears.

"Please don't tell Daddy." Sirius whispered.

Ah. That was why he had refused let Harry help him.

"Daddy knows that accidents happen sometimes too."

"He'll think I'm a baby." Sirius cried. Ginny lifted him out of the tub and dried him off.

"No, he won't think that. He knows that sometimes this kind of stuff happens. You are still little Sirius. Accidents are going to happen. You were just sleeping too deeply to realize that you had to go. It may happen again, and that is okay. Daddy and I will always be here to clean you up if it does."

"What if he gets angry?" Sirius sniffled.

"He won't, Sirius. I promise. Daddy loves you too much." Ginny said, as she handed Sirius his clothes.

"Even with the new baby?" Sirius whispered quietly. He had backed up and was sitting on the toilet in nothing but his underwear. He was staring at his clenched hands in his lap.

Ginny inwardly sighed. Her children really were afraid that Lily was going to take over all of her and Harry's attention.

"Sweetheart, Lily changes nothing except the number of our family. Now there are eight instead of seven, and that just means that there is more love to go around. Daddy and I are still going to spend time with everyone, both together and alone. It will be okay, I promise." Ginny leaned over and kissed Sirius on the forehead, then lifted him up off of the toilet lid and began dressing him.

Soon, she was tucking Sirius into bed, his thumb immediately finding its way into his mouth. Ginny sighed and leaned over to kiss his head, running her fingers through his hair.

"Mummy loves you, Sirius. Mummy loves you more than you will ever know."

She waited until Sirius was sleeping, kissed him lightly one more time, and then went to her room where she changed her pajamas before crawling into bed.

She nearly jumped when Harry put his arms around her because she had been so deep in thought.

"What was wrong?" Harry asked.

"He had an accident. He was afraid that you would think he was a baby if you knew."

"I would nev…"

"I know, Love. I told him. I think that he understands. He has been sucking his thumb, Harry. I think that he was more nervous than he has been letting on about the baby. You know how he jokes, even in the worst of situations if he thinks it will get him through. Just like Severus broods, Teddy hides, Jamie pretends, and Alby strikes out. We have to nip all of this before it is out of our control."

"Yes. Or we are going to fall back instead of moving forwards. We can't let any of the boys hide from the fact that they have a sister, but we definitely cannot have Alby striking people." Ginny said.

"I know. We will worry more about it tomorrow. You should sleep a bit more before one of the kids wake up." Harry said, and pulled her closer to him.

~*~sdrawkcab~*~

"No!"

Harry and Ginny both sighed. It was lunch time, and once again, Severus was refusing to eat.

Teddy and Sirius were quiet. They had both been quiet all morning.

Alby had been a little hellion. He had already been in time out for trying to hit Jamie, and had gotten a smack from Harry for actually hitting Teddy when Teddy had asked him to leave him alone.

Jamie had spent all morning with Ginny helping her with Lily. The little boy absolutely loved holding Lily. He was the only child that actually didn't seem to be scared of the baby.

"Eat, Severus." Ginny told him.

"No! I don't want to eat this!" Severus said pushing his plate as far away from him as he could.

Harry looked at his son. They had this same argument at the table at least three or four times a week. It could be Severus' favorite meal and the child would still cry about having to eat it.

"Severus, you need to eat. This is getting ridiculous." Harry said, eyeing the little boy with a glare worthy of the old Snape.

Severus, however, was not deterred by the look. It didn't have the effect on him that the 'tone' tended to have when his Daddy used it.

And, Harry hadn't used it yet.

"I am not eating! You can't make me!" Severus yelled at Harry.

Ginny looked down at him and eyed him carefully.

Severus looked up at her and glared, but her look, unlike Daddy's, actually was quite scary.

"You can't make me." Severus deadpanned, though Ginny and Harry both noticed the slight whimper in his voice as he stared at his mother.

"It's really good, Sev." Teddy whispered from beside him.

That, however, angered Severus and he turned and pushed Teddy as hard as he could, forcing the other boy off of his chair.

"Severus Harrison!" both Harry and Ginny said at the same time. Teddy just looked shocked. Normally he and Sev got along really well.

"That is it, Severus. You and I need to have a bit of a discussion!" Harry said, after he had helped Teddy up and made sure that he was okay. He walked around the table and picked Severus up, not giving him a chance to run and hide. At the moment, Harry knew that that would simply make him angry so it was best to eliminate that chance.

He picked up Severus and placed him on his hip. Ginny gently touched his arm and he looked down at her. Her eyebrows were raised a bit, more or less giving Harry the okay to deal with Severus without her, and that she would talk with Severus later.

Normally they did discipline together, but right now they had to focus on all of the children, and Ginny honestly felt that this time, Severus needed some one on one attention with Harry right now.

Harry walked into the study and closed the door.

Immediately, Severus begin to try to get down.

"No! I don't want to come in here! No, Daddy!" Severus said. He knew that when he was brought into the study with the door closed that his Daddy was serious.

"Severus. Stop, now!" Harry said sternly. Severus stopped, but his breathing was heavy, as he was trying not to cry. He didn't want to be in here! He didn't want to eat lunch! He didn't want to do anything!

"Severus, what you did was bad. You could have hurt your brother." Harry said sternly, standing Severus in between his knees and holding him there.

"I didn't hurt him! He shoulda left me alone!" Severus snapped.

"Severus, what is wrong with you? You haven't fought with any of your brothers in a while. You haven't fought with me like this in a while." Harry said to him gently.

"So. I don't bloody care!"

Harry looked at him. The child was so hostile right now. It was almost as if Snape was back. But…

"Sev, are you feeling okay? What is bothering you? Normally you are much nicer to your brothers."

"I don't care damnit!" Severus yelled. Tears started to fall down his little cheeks.

Harry sighed, then lifted his son up. He wanted to get to the bottom of this, but that would not happen if his son kept acting up like this. If Ginny heard him talking like this she would wash his mouth out with soap, no questions asked.

Having had that same punishment from Molly Weasley many times through his school years, he didn't want to put his son through that, even if he was sure it would happen eventually. Instead, he leaned him over his knees and smacked his bum lightly one time.

Severus froze.

"No, Daddy!"Severus said, trying to cover his bum. But, it was useless, as Harry was already finished.

"You are working on quite a list today, Sev. I don't want to hear you talking like that again. You definitely don't want Mummy or Grammy to hear you talking like that."

Severus looked up at Harry and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I know that I been bad." He mumbled. Harry raised his eyebrows. Normally, no matter what Severus had done, he didn't admit to anything that quickly.

Harry rearranged Severus and placed him on his lap and leaned back.

"I am going to tell you a story, Sev. Maybe you will think twice about using naughty words, okay?" Harry asked him. He really wanted the bad language nipped in the bud, especially since he knew that it was partly his fault for not watching his own language all the time when he was in front of his children.

Severus sniffed, "Okay, Daddy." He leaned into Harry and listened.

Harry smiled….

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were fourteen that summer. They were going to start fourth year soon, and felt that they were on top of the world. Despite everything that had happened to them since their first year, they were looking forward to their fourth just knew that it was going to be different.

Harry and Hermione had only spent about three weeks at their homes, and had quickly come to the Weasley's the first chance they got. Harry wanted to get away from his family, and while Hermione loved her family, they didn't quite understand her as well now as they had before. She was too far in the magical world for them to truly grasp her life. Molly and Arthur Weasley more or less had two extra children during all of the school holidays anyways, and felt that Harry and Hermione were theirs just as much as their biological children. They might as well be.

This summer, both adults knew that they would have their hands full, as the three fourteen year olds were slowly growing too big for their trousers. Both adults knew that the trio of teenagers were growing up, but were still very much children. They were all too often allowed to get away with too many things, and if Molly and Arthur had anything against Albus Dumbledore, it was the fact that the three children were very rarely ever held accountable for their actions.

However, at The Burrow, they would always be held accountable for their actions.

Molly, who was often home during the day with the children, all teenagers now, by herself since Arthur worked, had noticed that Ron, Harry, and Hermione were vanishing and reappearing at odd times. She paid little attention to it until Harry and Hermione had been staying with them for nearly a month.

That was when Molly realized that whatever they were doing, they were not doing it within the wards of The Burrow. Which they knew was forbidden.

So, that afternoon, as the three came traipsing in from wherever they had been for several hours, Molly Weasley was sitting at the kitchen table by herself. There were three chairs on the opposite side of her, but the chairs that were also normally around the table were not there.

They didn't have time to worry about that, but instead they each zeroed in on the spoon sitting in front of the obviously enraged woman.

They immediately sat down.

"I am going to ask you, each of you, only once; where have you been going? And you best not lie to me, or I promise that you will regret it. Hermione Jane?"

Hermione swallowed. Her eyes wide. She was never in this position. Adults never chastised her because she rarely ever did anything that needed it.

"Um…We…" Hermione stopped and looked from Ron to Harry.

Harry swallowed then. What in the world had they been thinking? In the grand scheme of things it hadn't even really been that big a deal.

"We have been going down to the muggle town and just…hanging out."

"Outside the wards? When you are all forbidden to leave the wards that are set here to protect you." Molly was so calm that it was nearly frightening. In fact, Harry and Hermione, who were not used to being in trouble quite as much as the Weasley children were, were terrified.

And when people are terrified, they do stupid things.

"Bloody hell! What does it matter? I mean we were perfectly safe!" Harry said, frustration ebbing very close to the top.

"Go stand in the corner."

Harry's eyes, as possible, grew even larger.

Then Hermione, whose eyes also grew, spoke: "But, Mrs. Weasley, you can't do that! You haven't got the authority! I mean…I know that we stay here and that you are in charge of us, but we didn't hurt anything or anyone!" Harry, who was still sitting in his place, looked at Hermione. What was she thinking?

"Both of you, to separate corners. Ronald Bilius, do you have anything to add?"

"No ma'am."He was shocked that his friends had said anything…but it was obvious that they were comfortable in his home with his parents…neither of them ever talked like that. Mainly, he knew, because they often felt like they didn't fit in anywhere in the magical world.

It kinda made Ron feel good that they felt comfortable enough with his family to voice their opinions. In fact, it made him feel warm…like they actually were part of his family.

Then again, weren't they?

He looked at his two friends and silently urged them to head to the two corners his Mum had pointed out.

All at once, as if they understood that they had better obey, they went to the corners and stood, both rigid, neither knowing exactly what to expect.

"Ronald, you are grounded for a week. You know what that entails. Now, go to your room."

He did so immediately, though he really felt bad for his friends.

Hermione and Harry were both slightly saddened by the fact that Ron had left them. This was his mother and they were terrified.

But, really, the CORNER? Really? They were not sodding two year olds.

"Hermione Jane, if you act like a two year old, you will be treated like one. Both of you, come here."

Crap! Had she really said that out loud? She looked at Harry and he nodded at her, as he had been surprised at her quiet outburst.

Both teenagers walked over to a clear spot near the kitchen sink where Mrs. Weasley had levitated two chairs. They both sat.

"Open your mouths."

They looked at one another, but immediately opened their mouths.

Neither were prepared for the acrid taste of soap that filled their mouths.

It was nearly unbearable, but neither of them thought it wise to spit.

"Two minutes, then you may both go to the sink where you will find to refilling glasses of water, clean your mouths, and then we will talk."

Both nodded their heads. Hermione had tears sliding down her cheeks. She wasn't quite sure what she had been thinking. She never did wrong. Never.

Finally, less than five minutes later and after they had both attempted, with no success, to get rid of the taste of soap, they were sitting back at the table across from Mrs. Weasley.

The older woman took a deep breath and looked at the two children in front of her.

"I know that I may not be your mother. Regardless, you will obey my rules. You will obey Arthur's rules. As it is, when you are not in school, you both spend more time with this family than your own, and as far as the Wizarding World goes, we are your family. Either of you have guardians that are part of our world, and they, because of this fact, will never understand the danger of either of you are in."

She didn't state that she knew Harry's own relatives did not care one way or another, but, sadly, she knew this was true.

"You both have a home here. Whether you think it true or not, I have thought of you both as my children for well over two years now. And, because of that, I will do what I must in order to assure that you both grow into healthy and able adults Even if that means disciplining you both if needed. Today, you needed it. Do you both understand?"

Both children nodded, tears now falling down both of their faces.

"Arthur and I love both of you as if you had been born to us. I know that we have never sat down and talked to either of you about how we feel or the rules we expect you to follow while you are here. Mainly because you are both very well behaved. But we should have, we should have told you how we felt." Molly Weasley looked at the two in front of her and smiled. They had learned their lesson, she knew, and she also knew that they would both behave to the best of their abilities from now on.

She walked over to the other side of the table and wrapped an arm around them each from behind them. She felt each of them lean into her touch.

"Both of you are also grounded for the next week for sneaking outside of the wards. That means no brooms, extra reading, leaving or leaving the house, and extra chores. Okay?"

Both nodded, not trusting themselves to talk.

They understood very well. They both understood that, in the Wizarding World, they had an ally, someone who didn't think about killing them or of the greater good.

They had someone that simply thought of them.

And that was worth any punishment….

"So Grammy didn't whop you with that spoon?" Sev asked quietly.

Harry laughed lightly.

"Nope. She had that out there to scare Uncle Ron in case he thought to lie to her."

"Did you learn not to say dirty words in front of Grammy?" Severus asked quietly, snuggling close to his daddy.

"Well, mostly. Sometimes I still slipped after that, but Grammy always washed my mouth out with soap. I always knew what to expect. Do you know what else I learned that day?" Harry asked, rubbing Sev's back.

"Yea."

"I learned that no matter what, no matter how many children Grammy and Granpa had, they were always going to love me and Aunt Mione as if we were born to them. No matter what."

Both were silent for several moments, thinking about what Harry had just said.

"I get it, Daddy." Severus whispered. And he did. His Daddy meant that he and Mummy were always going to love him and his brothers. Even with Lily coming into the family.

"I am glad, Sev."

"I think that, maybe, you need to tell my brothers that story. So that they can get it, too."

Distantly, Harry heard the Floo go off. It was probably Molly, who was supposed to be coming in to help with the children for a little while.

"I think I probably well tell them something similar, no worries, Son."

"So, Daddy…" Sev began, lifting his head off of Harry.

"Yes?" Harry asked, immediately alarmed when he heard the laughter in Sev's voice.

"Grammy ever get that spoon after you?"

"Did Gram—Sev! I was pretty well behaved, young man!" Harry said, trying not to both laugh and blush at the same time from his son asking him that.

Severus started climbing down from Harry's lap and, without another word, ran out the door.

He must have met who he was looking for. Because the next thing Harry heard was:

"Grammy! Did my Daddy ever get a spanking with your spoon cause he was naughty?"

Harry literally wanted to die on the spot.

Who thought that a child could embarrass you so badly?