During fifth year, Ronald Weasley was betrayed by his two best friends.

He was supposed to be best friends with the Boy-Who-Lived and the Know-It-All, to help rid the world of evil.

He was supposed to, anyways. He had thought that was his fate ever since he had entered his second year at Hogwarts.

That was until late one night, during the Christmas Holidays when he, Hermione, and Harry had nuck away from Grimmauld Place with a Horcrux. A locket.

Harry had told Ron that Dumbledore had told him that he had to destroy at least six Horcruxes in order to defeat Voldemort. They had taken the locket with them, but had gone by Saint Mungo's to see Ron's father, who had been bitten by a venomous snake, before they destroyed it and then went to find the others horcruxes. It was going to be dangerous.

That was when Ron's world, as he knew it anyways, ended.

He had watched his two friends leave the hospital room, telling him that they would be back
shortly.

Instead of staying with his father, he followed them. He had a bad feeling…he had to follow them. He had to make sure they stayed safe. He had to face whatever they faced.

Only to come face to face with them handing Severus Snape, the greasy git of the dungeons, the locket that they were supposed to destroy.

And then he watched Hermione leaning in to hug the man, and then standing on the tips of her toes to lightly peck him on the cheek.

And then even Harry hugged the man.

Ron's eyes grew round.

What the bloody hell was going on?

At that moment, Severus Snape looked up with eyes dark as the darkest part of night, said something, and motioned for Hermione and Harry to turn around.

Hermione looked upset. Harry looked slightly resigned, yet angry. Why could Ron not have listened to them and stayed with his father?

They were going to lose a friend at that moment, and they knew it. It was a moment they had been dreading for years. Why had they gotten so close to the hot-headed red head? But when one had to hide their true identity and parentage due to the war, causalities were expected.

"What the bloody hell are you two doing! Hugging Snape!"

Harry and Hermione walked over to the boy. Their friend.

"We are sorry that we have to do this." Hermione said quietly, her voice filled with pain.

Ron looked at her as if she had grown an extra head.

"What! What the bloody…"

"Obliviate." The words were spoken so softly, Ron literally did not know what had hit him.

Severus walked over to the two teenagers and quickly guided them out of the hospital.

They would not be going back to Grimmauld Place, or Hogwarts. Not now. Possibly not ever.

They were going back to their families.

Time was running out.

They now had to hurry.

First year had been difficult for Harry and Hermione.

The duo had been five years old when they had first met and fallen irrevocably in love via magical bond that neither of them understood and wouldn't until they were both nearly eleven years old. At the time, the magical bond made them love one another as close siblings would love one another. Eventually, though they would not know it for years, the two would fall deeply in love, the bond merely allowing them to be even closer. Soul mates, one might say.

Both of the children had secrets. Deep secrets. Shameful secrets.

The wizarding world thought that Harry James Potter was living among muggles, carefree and happy after his parents had been murdered by Voldemort.

How wrong they were, for Harry James Potter was not his name, he was not happy among the muggles, and only his mother had died that night, and only because James Potter, insane as could be, had killed her.

It had all been covered up by Dumbledore, as this aided the old man in his decision to hide the little boy from his true father, Severus Snape. Even going as far as repeatedly obliviating the man until Severus had realized what was happening and had found a way to guard himself against further mind altering magics.

This story however, had helped Severus make an important discovery. He now knew where his son was. In fact, once he heard the story of Lily's child being placed in a safe location, it was clear where he had to search for his son. He should have realized that Dumbledore would have done something so obvious from the beginning. For, as he was quickly learning, the biggest lie of all was the truth. He couldn't believe that he hadn't actually realized it sooner.

His child was with Petunia, her walrus, and their abomination.

Severus had been irate when he realized it; irate enough that he had wanted to murder Dumbledore, but instead went directly to #4 Privet Drive.

That was how Severus found not only his young son on his seventh birthday, but also the missing, presumed dead, daughter of one of his closest friends.

He knew immediately upon seeing the wild, dark, brown, nearly black, hair that the child was the missing Black, who disappeared from the wizarding world nearly seven years ago. He was surprised to not only see them together, but to see the magical bond that they shared with one another. The union was visible to one who could see the aura of magical bonds…Severus was one of those people. He immediately thought that he, and they, were lucky that Albus Dumbledore couldn't.

He had watched them for several days, both always secretly meeting one another in a park, beneath a hidden bush, or in a hollow tree. He was quick to realize that the girl was bringing his son food, water, even aspirin. That was when Severus decided to take a closer look at Petunia and her walrus.

He watched silently by as the walrus roughed his son up a bit.

He watched silently by as Petunia threw a hot skillet at his son's head, barely missing.

He watched silently by as the little abomination chased his son in a game of Harry hunting.

He struck silently and abruptly when he watched his son have a bout of accidental magic and both Petunia and the two walrus' began to gang up on him as if he was nothing more than a defenseless animal not worthy of their time.

He had taken Harry from the house at that moment, apparated with him to the back yard, told him to stay put, and then had returned to the house to deal with the three muggles. He would never tell Harry what he had done and he hoped that Harry would never ask.

That little fact would hopefully remain only with Severus forever, for if his son did ask, he would not tell him. There was no reason for the small child to have any nightmares.

Once back outside, fifteen minutes later, Severus realized that Harry had not moved an inch from where he had sat him down. His legs were drawn up to his chest, his arms wrapped around them with his chin propped on top of his knees. He watched the ground intently, as if there was something fascinating going on in the world of dirt and grass and insects. Something that only a little boy would notice and pay attention too.

Severus walked over to him and knelt in front of him, a hand on each small shoulder, waiting until the little boy looked up from the grass and gazed up at Severus. That was when the older man was suddenly staring into the brightest emerald eyes he had ever seen. They were even brighter than his wife's had been. They were beautiful. Enchanting.

"Harry…"

"You know my name. You…Why do you smell so familiar?" Harry asked quietly, even as he released his arms and leaned into the man despite the fact that he had no idea who he was, or had any reason to trust him.

Severus stared at the boy in surprise. He remembered his smell? The last time he had held his son, the boy had been only nine months old. Now, more than six years later, was it possible that he actually remembered him?

Severus sighed wistfully. He had dreamed about this day for years.

"I have something very important to tell you. It may be hard for you to understand, but I want you to try really hard…"

"They lied to me, didn't they? You didn't die in a drunken car crash…" Harry started, staring at the man.

Severus was taken aback.

"What do you mean?" Severus asked him, kneeling on the grass…something he would never do in front of anyone else and feel comfortable, besides, possibly, his wife, Rosemerta.

"You're my Dad…Right? I kinda look like you when I don't look like this. They told me that you were a drunk. You and my Mum died in a car crash…" The child trailed off and looked down at his feet. Should he of said that?

Severus looked at him.

"What do you mean, when you don't look like that?"

Harry looked up at the man.

He swallowed deeply.

"When I was five something happened," Harry looked at his feet then, slightly nervous, before he finally looked back up, "My looks changed sometime during the night on my birthday. I noticed it when I woke up." Harry looked at the tips of his old, ragged shoes. He had always been made to get up earlier than his relatives, that day it had probably saved him from a world of hurt.

Harry finally looked back up at the man in front of him, "But, I couldn't go around looking like someone different, now could I? Not with my aunt and uncle and cousin. I was scared and really, really wanted to go back to the way I was, and I did. I thought I would since the time that Aunt Petunia cut my hair and it grew back overnight…Why did you leave me here?" Harry asked him, hurt apparent in his emerald eyes.

It was a look that Severus could live forever without having to see again. It reminded him so much of the hurt he had felt during his own childhood…only worse because this was his son.

"You are right, Harry, you are my son. I am your father. But, I would never have left you here. Ever. I have searched years to find you…And finally I have. I want to take you home with me, Harry. Somewhere safe…A place where you will be happy." Many people would be surprised at how much Severus wanted to hug the child. He seldom let anyone see the real him, the man under all the layers of black fabric. The man who only desired to have his family with him.

"But what about Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon? They aren't going to let me go… Someone told them that they had to keep me here or they could die. Plus they get that money…I heard Aunt Petunia talking about it with Uncle Vernon one night. They said that even with the money the freaks send them, it isn't enough to really want to keep a freak like me." The little boy looked downcast as he discussed the horrible situation.

Severus looked at Harry. He did a double take when he realized that Harry had let glamours fall from his body. He did indeed look like a Snape. Thick, midnight, black hair which curled softly around his ears, strong jaw and cheeks, and a nose that might have resembled Severus' own before it had been broken four times.

"You are going to be a strong wizard, Child." Severus said, running his hand over Harry's facesoftly, staring deeply into his eyes.

"Magic isn't real. The things I do are freaky. That is why Mione likes me. She is freaky, too."The look in Harry's eyes was one of a haunted child, a child told too many times that he was afreak…worthless…useless.

Severus stared at the boy for a moment.

"Magic is very much real, you are not freaky, and neither is your friend. You are a wizard, Harry, and your friend is a witch."

"I want to go with you…" Harry said softly, a single tear trailing down his thin, sallow cheek, as he remembered what the man, his father, has said earlier.

"I will have to place strong spells around your aunt and uncle's home to make others think that you are still here."

"I can't leave Mione though." Harry told him quickly.

"We cannot take her…not yet…"

"We have too. I have to be there to heal her in case she does something again. Her Dad likes her to be normal, you see, and sometimes, for us, that is really hard…"

Severus felt his heart constrict. How could words that the child spoke seem so innocent, yet have some a horrible meaning?

Severus Snape had quickly gone into action. He placed multiple and varied spells on the home of the Dursley's. Some spells so dark he dared not allow his son to re-enter the home due to the harm the residue would cause to young magical children. The spells would insure that no one would ever know that Harry was no longer living there.

Severus cared little about the effects the spells might cause on the Dursley's. He hoped that the spells made them all miserable.

He then went to the little Black girl's home. Though he had not told Harry, he had planned on getting her out of the muggle home anyways. He just hadn't planned on it being so soon.

But the boy was right…

It was time that the stolen child found her way home to her true family. They had been looking for her for years.

It was time that his lost child found his way home to his true family. He had been looking for him for years.

After further warding to ensure that everyone in the wizarding world would think that both children were still in their muggle homes, Severus Snape, holding the small hand of his son and carrying the small girl on one hip, her face hidden in his hair, knocked on the door of Malfoy Manor.

“Dobby has gone to the school to get your things. We are going to the Manor and heightening all of the wards.” Severus told the two children who he had pulled close to him, walking out of St. Mungos as quickly as possible.

“Dad…” Harry’s voice was frightened. It shook as he talked, despite the fact that he was trying to keep it calm.

“Not right now, Harry. We have to go. I have to get you both to Lucius and Cissy. They are waiting for you both. I have to go back to Hogwarts and get Mum and our things. I’ve already sent Dobby on his way to help. We haven’t time to talk right now.”

Severus never stopped walking. He pushed the two teenagers out of the hospital and then pulled them against him as close as he could, apparating to the front gate of Malfoy Manor.

Narcissa and Lucius were waiting for them at the gate, and, after Severus passed Hermione and Harry over, he apparated away again without another word.

Harry stood there. He wanted to say something. He wanted to tell his Dad to be safe. But, Severus had been too fast.

“Come, children. Harry, Draco is in his room. Hermione, Love, I need to talk to you.” Narcissa said. Both of them followed the adults obediently. While they had expected this to come eventually, they had not realized that it would happen so abruptly. Or, so soon.

They had left so many things unsaid at Hogwarts; so many things that would never be the same, no matter what happened. No matter what the outcome of the final battle was.

“Come on, Harry. I am sure that Draco would like to see you in an atmosphere that does not involve the two of you sending hexes at one another.” Lucius said with a smirk.

Harry nodded and then stopped, looking up at the older man, “Uncle Lucius, do you think that my Dad will be able to get himself and my Mum out safely?” the thought had plagued the fifteen year old since Ron had caught he and Hermione talking to Severus. They had gone over this plan so many times that it should be flawless, but the circumstances had changed the minute everything happened in the hospital and not at Hogwarts as they had all thought it would.

He knew that even though Ron had been obliviated that it would not take Dumbledore long to realize that something was amiss and would search through Ron’s mind to get answers. Ron would remember then.

He wanted his parents long gone before then.

Because if Dumbledore hurt his parents, there would be hell to pay.

Even at the thought, Harry felt the magic tingle at his fingertips. His fingertips were literally beginning to glow.

Lucius gently rubbed the teenager’s back. He could see the magic surrounding Harry, and an accidental bout of magic was not something they could afford right now.

Not that they hadn’t dealt with Harry’s accidental magic in the past. The child had a temper and as soon as he had realized that Severus would never send him back to his relatives, he had shown it several times when unhappy. Even Narcissa, whom Harry had wrapped around his fingers with a mere pouty glance, had had to stick the boy in a corner in the past so that he would calm down.

No, they had to wait until the time was right. Then Harry’s magic, combined with Hermione’s, who they had also discovered was equally as powerful, would save them all. Because together the two were like one whole entity. Their power could outshine every living witch and wizard.

Then they would be able to be peaceful, happy, and safe.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione followed her Aunt Cissy into her bedroom. It was a welcome sight for Hermione, who always missed her true life when she was pretending to be someone that she didn’t like.

The-Know-It-All.

Just like Harry was The-Boy-Who-Lived. Regardless, Hermione did have the best marks in her year and Harry did have a saving people thing, but that was not all they were. They were so much more than that.

“Hermione, I need to talk to you about something very important. I didn’t know that it would be this soon, though I am so happy that you and Harry are home. It just isn’t safe out there anymore.” Narcissa said, and then stopped and wrapped her arms around her niece.

Why was the world so dangerous?

And why was it the most dangerous for her fifteen year old niece and nephew?

“Hermione?” A voice came from the doorway.

Hermione looked towards the doorway.

There stood person that she had only seen in pictures.

“Mum?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry and Draco sat silently in Draco’s room. Harry had come in the room fifteen minutes earlier and from the look on his face, Draco could tell that he was in a temper. For what, he did not know.

To say that Draco was surprised that Harry was there was an understatement. It was supposed to have been the first time that they had all spent Christmas apart since Harry and Hermione had come to live at the Manor at seven. He didn’t say anything to Harry though knowing it was best to wait patiently for the other boy to talk. Draco knew that when he was ready, he would tell him why he was here.

“Ron saw me and Hermione with Dad at St. Mungo’s.” Harry whispered, looking out a window towards the back garden that Draco’s room overlooked.

Draco stared at him for a moment.

“Why were you at St. Mungo’s? I thought you were supposed to be in hiding at Grimmauld Place?”

Harry was silent for a few minutes.

“Dumbledore sent us to destroy the Horcrux and find several more.” Harry whispered.

Harry looked over to Draco.

Draco’s eyes were wide.

“He what? You can’t even do magic outside of school! What did he expect of you?” Draco demanded.

Harry cleared his throat.

“He took the trace off of our wands. Once it is gone, it can’t be put back on. Not once it is taken off.”

“He was sending you on a death mission. He doesn’t want you to live through this war.” Draco hissed.

Harry looked at Draco for a moment and narrowed his eyes slightly in thought.

“Draco, he nearly killed Mr. Weasley. He doesn’t want anyone to live through this war. I saw him. He wasn’t expecting that and he thinks I dreamed that it was Voldemort. Something happened. Maybe Mr. Weasley knows too much.”

“What did he do to you, Harry? What did Dumbledore do to you?” Draco asked.

“Nothing. Yet. He can’t obliviate me. He doesn’t know that, but it doesn’t work. Just like the imperius.” Harry said.

Draco knew that he was lying. Something had happened.

If it was the last thing that he did, Draco would kill Dumbledore. Even if he made it his mission in life.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Hurry, Rosemerta!” Severus yelled at his wife. They were waving their wands as quickly as they could, packing everything they could and then shrinking it to put in their pockets. They had not been expecting this to happen so soon. They had thought they would be discovered during the children’s sixth, possibly seventh year.

Never had they thought that it would happen during fifth year.

Dobby was at the Three Broomsticks, Rosemerta’s bar and restaurant, quickly packing up anything there. He had already gone to Gryffindor Tower and packed everything that Hermione and Harry had left.

Anything else could be bought new, if it was needed, though Severus doubted that Hermione had left anything behind at Grimmauld place. He felt that the child had probably known that this might happen, and had probably made Harry pack all of his things for safe keeping. All of their belongings were probably in the handbag that Cissy had bought her a couple of years ago and had cast a never ending extension charm on it. The kids could both jump in that bag and no one would be the wiser.

“I am finished, Sev. We need to go. I want to see Harry.” Rosemerta said. Severus, for a split second, looked at his wife. He took in her beauty; the golden eyes, so unlike any other persons he had ever seen in his life; the golden brown hair that flowed down her back in massive curls. He loved this woman with all of his heart. He knew that he never told her that enough.

“He is fine, Rose. He is with Lucius and Cissy.”

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. Both adults froze in place not daring to even breathe.

Another loud knock.

Severus motioned for Rosemerta to walk towards the only thing they had left on the mantel of the fireplace.

The only thing that they had left unpacked of their old life.

The knocking was getting louder. More urgent.

Rosemerta picked up the item on the mantel.

It was a picture frame. It was usually hidden from view, in their bedroom, under a concealment charm.

The picture was the only thing they dared carry around with them of their family.

Harry, Hermione, and Draco were in the photo, all ten years old, smiling at the camera. Harry had a mischievous glint in his eyes as he looked over towards Draco. Draco’s eyes held laughter, for he knew that his cousin was up to something. Hermione’s eyes were full of love for both boys. They were her family.

In the background, Rosemerta, Narcissa, Severus, and Lucius had eyes and smiles only for the three children that had changed their lives so dramatically.

Around the frame, it said, diligere tua familia magis quam vita.

Love thy family more than life.

Severus grabbed a corner of the frame and looked into Rosemerta’s eyes.

“I love you.”

Her eyes told him everything that he needed to know, just as the pounding on the door began to get louder, and a person on the other side cursed in a low, breathy, agitated voice.

“Portis.”

And the couple vanished.

Harry heard two distant pops and immediately jumped to his feet. He said nothing to Draco, but jumped up and ran out the door and was soon running down the stairs.

“Mum? Dad?” Harry shouted, looking around, trying to find where the pop had come from. He suddenly realized that the sound he heard had been the Manor wards. Uncle Lucius must have lowered them to allow his parents to apparate directly into the house.

That was when Harry felt a surge of magic. Yes, that was the wards being reapplied.

He knew that his parents were going to portkey out of Hogwarts, but to a random place, a location that only Severus knew about. From there they were going to apparate. This had all been planned out for years. Just in case.

“Just in case” was now happening. It was so hard for Harry to come to terms with that. They had been prepared for this since before Harry, Hermione, and Draco had turned eleven. Maybe even before that. Harry vaguely remembered that Severus had started teaching the three of them how to occlude their minds right after they moved in.

That didn’t make the sudden changes any easier, though Harry honestly wondered how long his parents and aunt and uncle would have let him and Hermione roam the countryside at the bequest of Dumbledore. If it would have been allowed at all. Harry had not yet told any of the adults about the mission Dumbledore had sent them on to find the false horcruxes.

Harry looked around in the parlor and the den as he made his way towards the front door when he finally saw them.

Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief and thrust his whole body at his parents, wrapping his arms around his Mum and his Dad, nearly knocking both of them down in the process.

“It is okay, Harry.” Rosemerta whispered in his ear, patting his back lightly. Although she sounded and appeared calm, Rosemerta had never been so happy to see her child.

It was times like these when she knew that blood was only part of what made a family. Harry was her son. He had been Lily’s first, and Rosemerta thanked Lily every day for the sacrifice she made that allowed for the gift she had left behind. Harry meant everything to Rose, and she would die to protect him, just as Lily had, if she needed too.

Harry sniffed lightly, but, determined not to cry in relief, stood up and straightened his shirt.

“Does he realize?” Harry asked. Rosemerta and Severus looked at one another. They knew what their son meant. But was it worth it to tell him just how close they had come to Dumbledore catching them in the act of leaving?

“Everything is fine, Harry.” Severus said, taking out their packed things and resizing them so that Dobby could easily move them to their wing of the Manor.

Harry stared at his father.

Severus Snape might be able to fool most people because his face remained emotionless. But that

was because most people only looked at his face. They never looked at his eyes, though. They thought the man had no feelings, so didn’t bother.

Harry knew that something had happened, though. Something they were hiding.

“Where is Lucius?” Severus asked, pulling Harry out of his thoughts.

“I dunno. Me and Draco were in Draco’s room. Dad, what really happened at Hogwarts?”

Severus said nothing, but walked towards Lucius’ study that was at the back of the manor. Now was not the time to discuss what had happened at Hogwarts. What was done was done, and regardless of the fact that Harry did not always like it nor did he want to admit it, the boy was still a child and if it was the last thing Severus did, Harry would get it out of his head that he was supposed to save the wizarding world.

Severus walked into the open door of Lucius’ study and watched the man standing at a back window.

“Lucius, it is time.”

They needed to further ward the estate and soon. While Malfoy Manor was unplottable and under a Fidelis charm, along with centuries of familial wardings, Severus knew that it would be best to add additional and specific wards against people scrying for magical signatures. He had a bad feeling that Dumbledore would try to scry for Harry’s and possibly Hermione’s signature soon.

They had to be prepared for anything.

Because nothing was as it seemed anymore.

Let the war begin.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Later that night, after a dinner in which each person ate at their leisure, something that did not normally occur, the trio of teenagers were in Hermione’s room, directly across from Draco’s.

Harry’s room was on the opposite wing of the house, where his parents lived.

It had been decided when Harry and Hermione had first came to Malfoy Manor that, in order for them to have a strong familial relationship, the Snape’s would live in the East wing of the Manor, and the Malfoy’s would live in the West. It was the only way that they could keep their children safe, and have a semblance of a personal home at the same time.

It had worked. The two families normally dined together, but having two separate areas to live in helped the children when they needed their own areas or when they needed family time, as well as those off times when one or more was grounded for some random scheme or another.

And they often needed that time apart during the start of summers when feelings were sensitive.

It was hard for the three teenagers to pretend while at school, and they often had to readjust when

they came back home.

This time was no different.

“So, was it hard to leave behind the Weasel like that?” Draco asked, looking out the window of Hermione’s room which overlooked the front yard and gate to the estate.

Hermione and Harry looked at one another and Hermione let out a small sigh.

“You know that it wasn’t his fault, Draco.” Hermione said quietly, staring at the boy.

Draco snarled at her.

“Yea, whatever. Just like it wasn’t Harry’s fault that I got transfigured into a damn ferret last year. But you both still laughed about it. Just like you, Harry, laughed this past term when the Weasel hexed me when my back was turned. He’s such a coward.”

Harry stood up and looked at his friend, and for all purposes, his cousin.

“Draco! That isn’t fair! You don’t know Ron well enough to call him a coward! You know that we don’t have a choice! Do you know what would happen if Dumbledore were to suspect us? Hermione and I already have to occlude our minds constantly at Hogwarts! At least you get a reprieve!” Harry hissed.

Oh how he wanted to hit the blonde. He had to hold his temper during the school year every single time someone bad mouthed his father and Draco, else everyone find out about their relationship. It was twice as hard to hold his temper when he was home. He knew he couldn’t hit the other boy again. The one time that Draco had made him lose his temper while at school, when he was being more malicious that normal, Harry had broken his nose. It had only been two months ago, and Severus had been furious, berating him for taking things too far.

Sometimes, Harry wondered if any of the adults knew just how hard and stressful it was to live this double life…a life they had all been living for four and a half years. Harry wished so much that they could go back to the days before Hogwarts. When things had been calm and he didn’t have to worry constantly about messing up.

“Yea, but you know what? You two have one another all year long. Who do I have? I have no one that I can call a true friend because I can’t tell them my secrets. Friends…true friends…don’t keep secrets from one another!”

Harry and Hermione looked at one another for a split second before Draco started yelling again.

“I know that the two of you hide secrets from me! I know that you both are friends with the stupid Weasel! You both know that he doesn’t have a clue and he will turn traitor against the both of you when he finds out that you are not who he thinks you are! But you’d die for him, wouldn’t you?” Draco’s face was flushed. He knew that he was being ridiculous…even so, there was a small part of him that wondered if Hermione and Harry would protect him in the same way they would their Gryffindor friend.

Harry looked down towards his hands. They were both fisted in front of him. He cleared his

throat and glared at Draco. There really hadn’t been many times in his life where he wanted to hit Draco. Right now, however, was one of the few.

“Dad gave both Ron and me detention when Ron hexed you, you bloody git, and I didn’t even have anything to do with it. What about when Umbridge was making me write with that Blood Quill? You knew about it. Yet, you did nothing. Of course Hermione and I have secrets, Draco! How can we not? When we are at school it is like it is us against everyone else, yet we are the only ones who know it! You say that you have no one. Well, you’re a bloody damn liar! Because, you have something better! You have my Dad! I don’t even get to act as if I like my own father, yet you get him as a Head of House! You get to speak to him whenever you want! Well, screw you, Draco!” Harry left the room, slamming the doorway behind him.

“That wasn’t fair, Draco. We really do try. You know that it is all an act. But…Ron…he is our friend. He may not be now, but he was.”

“Hermione, do you think that I like the fact that I have to pretend to hate you? You are my bloody sister and no one can know it. You are a pureblooded witch that deserves better. And…honestly, it isn’t even because you are pureblooded that you deserve better! You deserve better because you are my sister! Harry is like a brother to me. I hate that we have been forced to do this!”

And, shocking Hermione entirely, Draco began to cry angry, silent tears.

She took a deep breath and looked at the boy.

“Did Aunt Cissy tell you that my Mum is here?” She finally asked him, too upset to attempt to comfort him yet. He always made it so hard on them when they got home from school. It wasn’t always easy to put up with his anger. Not when both Harry and Hermione had their own anger and hurt feelings to deal with when transitioning from the pretense of school to the reality and safety of home.

He looked up, shocked.

“Really?” Draco questioned, swiping his hand across his face. He had only been home for two days and had stayed mainly in his room. But, he was still surprised that neither of his parents had said anything to him about his Aunt during any of their shared meals together.

“Yea. I thought that it was another lie. Remember when the Daily Prophet came out and said that there had been a massive break out at Azkaban. I never would have thought that it was for real. My Mum is here Draco. She looks so…frail. Azkaban really did a number on her.”

Hermione laid her head over to the side of the armchair that she was sitting in, deep in thought.

“Draco, you can’t blame us for the things that happen during the school year. It isn’t fair. I think that everything is harder on Harry than it is on me. I am better at hiding my emotions. He isn’t. You know that, yet you always play with his emotions. You have to stop. We can’t live like that anymore.” Hermione told him, cutting her eyes over to Draco.

Draco swallowed.

“I hated Umbridge just as much as Harry. It’s just hard, coming back home after we have virtually hated one another for the last three and a half months.” Draco whispered.

Hermione stood up and walked over to him, placing a hand on either of his shoulders.

“But, we all know that it is an act. You have to remember that. Even in the darkest hour, what we do, we do to survive. It won’t ever be like that again. It can’t be. Not now. Too many things have changed.” Hermione said, hugging her cousin tightly.

Draco stood silently for several moments.

“And what happens when we can’t protect one another anymore?”

It was so silent that Hermione almost didn’t hear it. Or, rather, she wished that she hadn’t.

“We have to hope that it never comes to that.”

She whispered the words then slowly allowed her arms to slide off of Draco. Such little faith he had.

She walked over to the doorway.

“Why are you leaving? This is your room.” Draco asked.

“I am going to see my Mum. I want to spend time with her. I’ve never been able to before. I need to know her.” Hermione said.

It wouldn’t be much later that Draco would look back on this conversation and realize that the things that had been said in Hermione’s room that day had never had more truth to them.

It had been a week. A week since Harry and Hermione had come back home. A week since everything had fallen. Tension was high between the trio of teenagers residing there and Harry was especially angry because every single time he attempted to talk to his father, Severus would leave to either work on a potion that he had left brewing or to put another ward around the manor.

It was beginning to really irritate Harry.

Since he had also been avoiding Hermione and Draco, he was focusing even more on the fact that his father was not talking to him.

“Harry, love, please stop pacing.” Rosemerta said from her desk in the study she shared with Severus. She was going over everything dealing with the Three Broomsticks, since she could no longer keep it open. She was going to send the papers that she was filling out to Gringotts, and from there, they would go to the place and ward it, placing everything inside in her vault. No one would even realize that there was a building there once the goblins were through.

“I want to talk to Dad! But he is being an arse!” Harry hissed.

Rosemerta’s eyebrows rose up so high that they were nearly at her hairline.

“Watch your mouth, young man.”

She watched Harry for a moment. At least the boy had the decency to look ashamed of himself. She didn’t quite know what had gotten into him lately.

Oh she knew that he was on edge. Now that Dumbledore knew about them, Harry kept expecting the world to fall apart at any moment. His temper was obviously about to blow, and he had been especially aggressive towards Draco. Although Hermione had told her in private that it had actually been both Harry and Draco having their usual fight about how they treated one another during the school term.

“Harry, you father is very busy right now.”

“He won’t even talk to me. Except to get onto me! I want him to sit and talk with me, Mum!”

Rosemerta stood up from her desk and walked around it towards Harry. She lightly ran her hand over the side of his face. Harry leaned in gently towards her touch. It amazed Rosemerta just how much the child still yearned for physical, loving contact from his family.

“I will make sure that he sits and talks with you tonight.” She told him. Harry smiled weakly at her, and nodded.

“Harry, you do have to under…” She was cut short by a small, silver fox running into the room.

Harry watched his mother in interest. He couldn’t understand what the fox was saying as it was meant only for her. It was obviously from his Aunt Cissy, so there was no telling what the message might be.

For all he knew it could be something about some stupid tea party.

Then, the fox vanished.

Harry looked at her expectantly.

She looked at him with a smirk on her face, “Yes?”

“What’d she want? Normally she just walks over and talks to you.” Harry said, though he wasn’t really sure if he should have asked or not.

“Tom is coming tonight.” Rosmerta told him after she looked at him for a few moments.

Harry swallowed. The man most of the wizarding world was afraid of because of Dumbledore was coming to their house. While the man did not make Harry nervous in the least, it had just from having to pretend the man was evil. It was always awkward talking to the man after he spent months badmouthing him at school.

Harry forced himself to simply shrug.

“So? Voldmort is always coming by for dinner. He likes Pickle’s cooking better than his own house elf’s cooking.” Harry said flippantly.

Rosemerta sighed.

“Don’t call him that, Harry. You know he prefers Tom.”

“Yea, yea. I am going to talk to Hermione. Don’t forget you said you’d make Dad talk to me tonight.” Harry said as he walked out of the study.

Rosemerta sighed. She wanted to beat both her husband and son’s heads together.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry didn’t even make it out of their wing of the house when Severus came into view.

Harry, suddenly filled with a sense of purpose, walked towards his father and glared at him.

“Mum is going to make you talk to me tonight.” Harry hissed at him.

Severus stopped. He felt himself sigh inwardly. It was not that he did not want to talk to his son. It was that his son was going to want to know things that he could not tell him. Not yet. Because contrary to what the boy thought, he was not yet ready to know everything. Neither were Draco nor Hermione, who Harry would surely share any information given to him.

“I would have gladly have spoken with you this week, had you wanted to ask me about something other than Dumbledore, of which I know nothing.”

“I think that you are lying.” Harry said bravely.

He didn’t, however, feel very brave at all.

“Son, you would do well to remember that you are not privy to all bits of information in which you seek. What I may or may not know is beside the point, as I have told you I know nothing. You can either accept that, or you can spend the next week in your room.” Severus deadpanned.

Harry sighed.

“Voldie is coming to dinner.”

He then turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry really didn’t understand why he was snapping at everyone.

He felt so…so…so on edge. It was almost as if his magic was constantly tingling under his skin. There was too much going on. He missed Ron and Neville and Ginny and Luna. They were his friends. But, at the same time, during the school year he missed his family. And they were the most important thing in his life. They were the ones who had always been there for him.

Harry stopped and sat at the closet place, a window seat that held several cushions for comfort. It had been one of his favorite places to sit when he had been younger.

Why was life so complicated?

He laid his head back against the window frame and thought about it.

It hadn’t always been that way.

Harry and Hermione had barely been seven years old that first summer. The summer everything had changed…

Harry held onto Severus’ hand. No…his Daddy’s hand. The man was his father. Hermione, his best and only friend, was being held on his father’s hip, her face hidden in his hair.

Harry watched silently as Severus knocked on the door in front of him.

Harry had never seen a house so large. In fact, he would not have thought it a house had Severus not told him that it was.

Within a few moments, the door opened and a man stood there. His hair was white and shiny and long. He was tall, but not as tall as Harry’s Daddy, who was really, really tall. Harry looked up at him for a moment, but then backed behind Severus, his hands holding tight to the black cloth of the older man’s robes.

“Where is Cissy? Bring her. I will be in the front parlor.”

The man nodded, but looked confused, Harry thought. But he did as Severus bid.

My Daddy must be important, if people just listen and do what he says, Harry thought to himself.

Severus gently pulled Harry along with him into a room that was larger than any Harry had ever seen. There was a nice, plush, light gray carpet on the floor. Harry really wished he could take

his shoes off and run his toes through that carpet.

The walls were off white, paintings of people were placed delicately around the room. Furniture was placed in front of a fire place. It was somewhere that Harry very much would like to spend his nights, in front of a fire, reading anything he was allowed.

Severus sat down and wrapped one arm protectively around the shaking girl in his lap, and the other he used to pull Harry to his side.

“Severus? What brings you here? Lucius tells me you wish to talk with us both.” Harry turned around and looked at the woman whose voice sounded like a soft musical tone. She had hair that was quite blonde, nearly the same color as the man’s beside her.

She froze.

“Severus? Who is this?” She had not yet seen Hermione, who was hidden from view by Severus.

“Come sit, Cissy, Lucius.”

Again, Harry was amazed, as both of the other adults immediately came to sit down, only then did Narcissa notice that Severus had not one, but two children with him.

“Severus?” Cissy’s face was confused.

“I found him. I finally found my son.” Severus whispered. His voice was tight with emotion. Emotion that he had not let show since the night he learned that his first wife had been murdered.

“Severus! That is wonderful!” Cissy and Lucius both replied.

“And… the other child?” Lucius asked.

Severus bent down and spoke lightly into the child’s ear. No one could hear what he said, but finally the child nodded, and turned around, looking shyly at the other two adults, sneaking her hand down to hold Harry’s.

Narcissa gasped.

The child…could it really be?

“Severus….is it really?” Her words were full of hope, but one could tell by looking at her that she didn’t dare hope too much.

“Yes, Cissy. This is Hermione, the Missing Little Black Girl.”Severus answered quietly. He had never been sure why Hermione had always been called the “Missing Little Black Girl” as her last name should have been Lestrange. Unless it had been a personal choice of Bellatrix.

That was when Narcissa Malfoy did something that Severus Snape, had ever seen before.

The regal woman got on her knees in front of Hermione and merely held her hands out. That was all she wanted. To take Hermione’s hand in her own. She could not hope for more.

“Are you my Aunt Cissy?” The child whispered, “My real Mummy’s sister? Sir said that he was bringing me to my Aunt and Uncle.”

Narcissa, with tears in her eyes, nodded.

And, before anyone could think or move, the little girl jumped off of Severus’ lap and wrapped her arms around her aunt…something about this woman, and the two adult men in the room, told Hermione that she would always be taken care of…never again would she have to worry about herself or her Harry.

Harry took this moment to covertly slide his way onto his father’s lap, wrapping both of the man’s arms over his chest.

Harry could not ever remember feeling this safe. Ever.

“Son.”

Harry jumped as his father’s deep baritone voice brought him back to reality.

“Hey, Dad. I am sorry that I snapped at you earlier.” Harry said looking at Severus for a moment then quickly looking back out the window.

Severus stared at his son for a moment. The boy was only fifteen. Yet, he had already been through so much.

“Your mother…Lily…she would be so proud of you.” Severus whispered. Harry barely heard him.

But, he did, and it brought tears to his eyes. Harry rarely ever cried. His occulmency shields were always so tight that he was able to bury the emotions deep down.

Severus recognized the boys restraint and walked over to his son, placing his hand softly on Harry’s chin, lifting it gently so that Severus could look into his eyes.

He could tell that Harry had his shields up. He always did.

“I never take them down, Dad. Can’t. If I did I don’t know what would happen. Maybe I would be okay. But, maybe I would fall and break. Can’t ever take that chance, can I?”

Harry had been thirteen years old when he had first told his father that.

“Let them down, Harry.” Severus said quietly.

Harry only shook his head. He was already starting to lose control, and he was angry with himself because of it.

“I will always be here to catch you and put the pieces back together.”

With that, Harry looked deep into his father’s eyes and let his shields fall.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione and Draco walked to dinner together. They had been told by Narcissa to dress nicely for the meal. Both knew better than to disobey those orders, despite not particularly enjoying the formal clothing they were being made to wear while in their own home. Hermione, in particular, was displeased with the blue and silver ankle length dress. It wrapped around her neck leaving her shoulders bare, and draped evenly down her waist.

It simply wasn’t her style. She didn’t even particularly like the color blue and wasn’t a fan of dresses that wrapped around her neck. It was a personal preference, one that she had told her aunt before…usually Narcissa listened to her choices.

“Oh my. You look so beautiful, Mione, Love. I knew the moment I saw that dress that it would look lovely on you. And that blue…it is stunning.”

Hermione turned slightly.

Bellatrix looked at her daughter in awe. It was the first article of clothing that she had ever had the opportunity to buy her child and Hermione did look dazzling. She wasn’t quite sure how the girl would feel about the sapphire blue hue, but it was Bellatrix’s favorite color, so she was sure that her daughter would also at least sort of like the shade.

“Mum? You bought this dress for me? Aunt Cissy just told me that she had laid out my outfit for tonight.” Hermione said quietly, slightly in awe.

“Yes. I went into Diagon Alley today under glamours. I had to get a few things… the dress spoke to me.”

Hermione looked at her mother for a moment. For possibly the first time in the week or so that she had been home she simply she looked at the woman, trying to figure her out. No longer was she the timid girl from a week ago. She wanted to know the person her mother was.

In many ways, Narcissa, the woman who had raised her, punished her, held her when she cried, tucked her in at night, and took care of her when she was sick, was a completely opposite being than the one standing in front of her. It was almost as if Bellatrix was something else…some completely different entity. Someone that Hermione wanted to get to know everything about.

Narcissa watched from afar, a pang in her chest. She loved her sister.

But she felt like her sister was ripping part of her life away.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry walked into the formal dining room with his parents. He felt lighter than he had in days. He was glad that he and his Dad had sorted things out. It was not particularly easy, knowing that there were things that his father knew but wouldn’t tell him; however, it was something that Harry knew that he had to accept. Otherwise, he knew that his father would not hesitate to ground him. Or his mother for that matter, for even when he could pull something over on his father, who caught onto nearly everything, he had never been able to hide anything from her.

Rosemerta had set out his formal robes and had told him to put them on under threat of death. Well, perhaps not death, but the glare she had sent Harry had him nearly stripping his clothes off

before she even left his room. He immediately put the robes on.

But, he still didn’t know why. Normally he, Draco, and Hermione were not made to wear anything formal at the manor.

“Dad, tonight can you and me play a game of chess?” Harry asked right before they walked into the dining area.

Severus felt one of his eyebrows raise up automatically.

“What?” Harry asked immediately. He knew that look. It was the ‘you have done something that irritates me, son’ look.

“I will consider playing a game of chess with you if you are able to correct your grammar, Child.”

Harry blushed, Rosemerta smiled slightly, and Severus smirked.

“Dad, would you mind playing a game of chess tonight?”

Severus nodded in approval and then patted his son’s shoulder.

“We shall make a scholar out of you yet, Harry.”

Harry was about to retort when they walked into the dining room and Harry stopped.

He had expected Tom Riddle there.

He had not, however, expected to see both Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey.

"What are they doing here?" Harry asked, taking several steps backwards, looking around the table quickly to see if there were any other familiar, yet unexpected, faces.

There were none.

"Harry, son, they are on our side." Severus whispered into his ear.

"No. How do you know for sure? They will go back and tell Dumbledore! Why are you letting them put us in more danger?" Harry asked, turning to face his parents.

"Says the boy who chases basilisks and dragons." He heard Draco say behind him. He turned swiftly towards the table.

"Shut it, Draco!"

"Harry, go sit at the table." Severus told him. This dinner was quickly going downhill, and he needed to regain control before his son did something he would later regret.

"But...Dad..."

"Now; you may ask your questions later."

Huffing none to quietly, Harry walked over and sat between Hermione and an empty seat that he figured his mother would probably sit at, as his father was always at one end of the table and his Uncle Lucius at the other, representing the two heads of family that resided in the manor. He was directly across from Madam Pomfrey. He glared at her for several moments before she looked over at him and gave him "the look" she was famous for among all the patrons who had ever graced her infirmary.

"Mr. Snape, I do believe that I have treated you every year for every malady possible. I am a medi-witch at an educational institution. I have treated boys of all ages for well over twenty-five years. If I was going to do you in, do you not think that I would have already done so? Do you think that I would have called your father in to treat you for your injuries in your first year? That I would have sent for someone who was not even your head of house to treat the stinging hex sent at you by Maddie Malton, instead of doing so myself, if I hadn't known that you were his son?"

Everyone looked towards Harry, whose ears and face were red. Severus smirked, remembering the incident in question.

Harry scowled at the healer. They were at the dinner table. Was it really necessary to bring that up?

Harry remembered the incident like it was yesterday. It made him physically cringe to remember

that day...

When Severus Snape was summoned to the Infirmary one day in late March during Harry's first year, he was confused. Poppy had told him that she had Harry Potter in her office and he refused to talk to a ‘woman.’ He was in pain, Poppy said, but his magic had formed a shield around him anytime that she got close.

“I know,” Poppy said, “that you do not like the child, but you are the only male within this school with medical knowledge.”

Severus had done the mandatory fussing, and had then gone into the mediwitch’s office to see his son crying and laying on a spare bed in the fetal position.

Severus closed the door to the office and warded it firmly. He looked around and relieved when he realized that there was not one portrait in the office. He should have known that Poppy cared too much for her patients to let that happen. She often brought students in her office when they needed to talk. Students would be less likely to be honest and trust her if there were portraits in the room as well.

Severus had looked at his son and gave him a light smile.

“Dad?” Harry whispered, unsure whether he could call him Dad at the moment.

“What happened, Harry?”Severus said, kneeling down beside him.

Harry began to cry, but didn’t move his hands from where they rested on his groin, Severus realized.

“A fifth year Slytherin, you know…the one with dark hair and ice blue eyes. Maddie?” Harry sniffed, and Severus marveled at the fact that, even in pain, his son could think about a pretty girl and his young curiosity, and knew that he was going to have to nip that soon if he didn’t want grandchildren before he was forty…though he was positive Hermione would not let that happen.

“She caught me and Draco looking through a hole in the quidditch locker room…we found a hole outside, but it was an accident, Dad! I swear, we didn't really mean to look, but when we did we were just curious to see what they looked like...ya know? She came out and shot some kinda hex, and it hit me in my bits, Dad! Draco got away, yelling that I was a dirty half blood, ya know so she wouldn’t expect, and then she brought me here. She apologized, said she only meant to hit my bum, but I moved. She said it was some kinda hex that parents used to let their kids know that they were pushing it, but I heard her coming and moved. Dad, it hurts so bad, and I was only curious!”

The little boy had cried, and it had taken Severus five minutes to get him to remove his hands after he banished his pants and shorts.

“No, Dad!” Harry cried, holding his small hands over his privates, trying to protect them.

“Do you want me to ask Mum to come down and help? The Floo is right there, and she is in our quarters right now.” Severus had asked seriously. He would do what he had to do.

Harry looked at him in horror.

"Nooooo!” he wailed, slowing removing his hands so that Severus could assess the issue.

Really, Severus thought, the boy acted as if he had never seen him without clothes before. The fact was, Harry was anything but modest and had run into Severus and Aurora’s room more than once since they had gotten him back with little to nothing on, asking what he should wear. He had just never been used to having clothes that fit and hadn’t been sure how to wear new things. Of course, now the child was getting older, but he was still only eleven.

It had taken nearly an hour to get Harry to lie flat, to allow Severus to place cool packs on his groin, and then cover him with a blanket. It had taken another ten minutes for Harry to allow Severus to leave.

“I will be back. Poppy will let you lie in here. I promise that you are fine, yes, it hurts, but you will be alright tomorrow, I promise. I am pleased that Maddie apologized for it. I do believe that you need a detention, however.”

“What? Why, Dad?"

“What did I tell you over Christmas about trying to look at naked girls because you were curious?”

“Not ta do it.” Harry said, blushing slightly, looking towards the floor instead of his father.

“Yet, you still did. Apparently, we need to have another talk; therefore, you have detention tomorrow night if Madam Pomfrey allows you out of the infirmary. Now, son, sleep. I will be back to check on you when I make my rounds tonight. That way you don’t have to let Poppy work on this particular malady.” Severus told his son.

"Okay, Dad. See you tonight.”

Harry could feel himself blush even more. Later that night his Mum had come in while his father was checking on him, embarrassing him half to death, but at least he had been dressed in infirmary pajamas then. And, though he would never tell anyone, he had actually enjoyed being able to cuddle with her in Madam Pomfrey's office for fifteen or so minutes before the two adults had had to leave.

"That doesn't really prove anything." Harry whispered.

This time both Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey raised their eyebrows at the fifteen year old. Neither of them were ones to take cheeky teenagers, and the boy knew it well. He simple thought that he was protected in the manor by his father.

"Harrison Snape, if you wish to be a part of this dinner and meeting tonight, then I suggest that you cut the attitude and listen." Severus told him seriously. He also felt his mother reach under the table and squeeze her nails into his leg as warning. He took it for what it was, for he had only ignored that particular warning from the woman once, and would not do so again.

He looked over at the two elder woman, pain and confusion written all over his face. He was truly confused. But he also knew what was expected of him.

"I am sorry. It is...difficult to sit across from two people who I have had to hide so much from for so long. I apologize for my attitude." Harry told both women.

They both looked at him for a moment. It was as if no one else was in the room, though everyone, Lucius, Narcissa, Bellatrix, Hermione, Draco, Tom, Severus, and Rosemerta, were all listening to the conversation.

"Mr. Snape, we both understand your hesitance; however, we have known more than you think we do for quite some time." Professor McGonagall said quietly.

Harry turned his head slightly to the right, deep in thought. He turned to his father.

"You didn't want us to know, did you? It was so that we didn't get comfortable and slip up. If we have known that Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall knew the truth, then we would have a greater chance of slipping up."

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. His parents and aunt and uncle had planned this whole thing to meticulously. They had eyes everywhere it seemed. But, why? Harry had to think for a moment. Was it so that if he and Hermione messed up and blew their cover at the school? They had, after all, only been eleven and hiding huge secrets from the entire wizarding world. If they did, it would have been much easier for the Transfiguration teacher and Healer to fix their mistakes than Severus. Severus could have easily fixed Draco's mistakes, but not the two who would go to Gryffindor.

"When did you learn the truth?" Harry asked them. His voice was barely above a whisper. He was embarrassed by his actions. He didn't know what was wrong with himself lately. He literally felt on edge all the time for some reason. Though, he knew that some of it was because he could feel the war coming. People were going to lose their lives, and it was going to be his fault.

"Since you and Miss Black were seven." Madam Pomfrey said.

So, they had known since the plans had begun.

"That's okay then. You were doing it to keep us safe. Dumbledore never suspected?"

Professor McGonagall stood up and leaned a bit towards Harry.

"No, Mr. Snape. The man is quite positive that nothing can hurt his plans, so does not look into

anything too deeply. There is much to be said against a man who believes he is infallible. When he believes that he has finally reached the top that is when one can easily catch him off guard. He was recently caught off guard.

Even so, we cannot afford to leave Hogwarts. Not yet. He is too unpredictable and there are many innocent children there. Soon, however, when the time is right, we will hide those who need to be hidden and we will stand with you. Not behind you, but right beside you.

You have been told by Dumbledore that you are the savior of the wizarding world. You have been led to believe that you must defeat a mad man, whether that be Dumbledore himself or Tom. You have been told these things so long, that despite your family, especially your father and mother, telling you differently, you have begun to believe it. You suspect the worse. You expect to fight alone. No one is going to allow that to happen. Not those who are on your side. If we must fight, we will do it together."

Severus Snape listened as Minerva McGonagall spoke directly to his son as if no one else was in the room. He had always trusted the woman. Now, he felt that he might love her unconditionally, for he could see in his son's eyes that the boy suddenly understood.

Harry stood from his chair, and everyone held their breath. He walked around the table towards the professor and stopped by where she was still standing. She turned towards him and was surprised to see his eyes glisten. There were no tears, and she knew that there would not be. He was too much like his father. But they were on the surface, showing his compassion.

She was surprised, though, when he leaned into her and hugged her. But she did not let it take her off guard for long. Instead, she wrapped both or her arms around his shoulders. She was still several inches taller than he was, so it was an easy feat.

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall. Thank you."

She leaned down to his ear and whispered so softly that only he could hear: "You are more than welcome, Child. Never forget that you are my lion cub. I will stand with you."

Harry merely nodded.

~*~*~*~*~

An hour later, dinner had been eaten and the table cleared. The mood was somber. As it should be. The children knew that they were to be seen and not heard, else they were to be banished from the meeting. That had been the first thing that they had been told.

So, they each say silently beside one another and listened.

"Dumbledore is unaware that Minerva and Poppy are on our side. In fact, he tells Minerva nearly everything. She was right earlier when she said that he has gotten cocky. He strongly believes that nothing can stop him now." Severus said, pulling out several papers and perusing over them.

"Who is in place, Severus?" Tom asked. The man looked intensely at the Potions Master.

Severus looked tentatively over at the three teenagers in the room and thought for a moment.

Should he say who was in place in front of them? They were no longer allowed to go anywhere without one of their parents, but what is something happened and they were caught? So many lives would be in danger.

No. He had to trust them. They were in this as deep as any adult, deeper than most, in fact.

"Arthur is no longer in place. He was only released from St. Mungos a few days ago."

Harry's eyes widened. Arthur Weasley? He was a good actor then. And Harry was positive that the man's children didn't know about anything. Ron never would have been able to keep his mouth shut.

"Tonks is watching things closely on her end. She is with Lupin constantly, though she suspects that Lupin is becoming aware of Dumbeldore’s...less than ideal motives.

"What about Argus Filch, Severus?" Tom asked him.

"Preparing the Room of the Refugee as we speak. It is low in the dungeons. We will be able to get the children to the room hopefully several days before the actual battle breaks out." Minerva said quickly.

"Which students did you choose?" Severus asked her.

She cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

"The only student that I can trust in Gryffindor to be able to keep anything a secret is Neville Longbottom. Dumbledore will never suspect him. From Slytherin, Prefect Flint, though I am going to sneak in Maddie Malone. She is nineteen and knows most of the students from her time at Hogwarts. They will listen to her and respect her."

Harry blushed at that. It was almost a conspiracy.

"Luna Lovegood from Ravenclaw. I know she seems a bit flighty, but she answers everything in riddles, so even if she told someone the truth, they would never understand her. Plus, all of the younger years love her. I am undecided about Hufflepuff, though I have been leaning towards Justin Finch-Fletchly."

Severus nodded. They were all strong leaders, and they would keep the children save. Keeping the innocents safe was their first priority.

"Anyone else, Severus?" Tom asked.

Severus thought for a moment. He was never quite sure how much he should divulge when there were this many people around. Especially when there were three fifteen year olds, two of which often went looking for trouble.

"I am still thinking about it. I should know in a few days." Severus said evenly. He knew that Tom would understand that, at the moment, he simply could not talk about it. .

Harry eyed him for a moment.

But, then...

Murder. Devastation. Death...

Harry shook his head. What the hell?

Find the boy. Then kill the boy.

Harry grabbed his head between both of his hands. It was as if someone was zapping his brain with a stinging hex over and over.

Kill. Kill. Murder. Devastation for them all.

And, when Harry had had too much, he passed out, falling from his chair and towards the floor. Had Draco not acted so quickly, Harry would have busted his head open during the fall.

Severus and Rosemerta ran to their son, Narcissa quickly walked over to him as well. Everyone else just stared at the boy.

"What happened to him, Uncle Sev?" Hermione asked, a single tear falling down her face.

"A nightmare. A waking nightmare." Tom said quietly. Severus and Tom shared a look.

They had been expecting this.

~*~*~*~*~

After everyone had left or gone to their respective rooms, and Severus and Rosemerta had gotten Harry into a conjured bed in their room for observation with Poppy close to his side, Rosemerta walked to the kitchen. She had a lot on her mind and needed some time to think and drink a cup of tea by herself. The meeting had been heavy. She was slowly watching her child lose what innocence he had, and she hated it. Yes, she had watched him harden over the years. She had watched him slowly become emotionless because of tight occulmency shields that he had to use to hide who he was.

And then tonight she had watched her son nearly fall apart because his Transfiguration teacher had assured him that everyone would stand behind him. And then the waking nightmare! What was it like for him? To constantly think that he was not going to make it out of the war alive. No amount of talking could change his thoughts on the matter either. Rosemerta knew this was a result of the previous year. That damned tournament. They should have taken him and hidden then. If it wouldn't have stripped his magic from him, they would have. They had considered it regardless, not that they would ever tell Harry that. He never would have forgiven them.

But he was their son! Though Rosemerta had not given birth to the child, he was her child. She had helped raise him. She knew that had Lily lived she would have never been given the opportunity, which scared her. She wished for everyone's sake that the woman had lived, but there was never a day that went by that Rose did not thank that woman for the wonderful gift she had left her.

A son. A gift. A miracle.

Rosemerta was suddenly brought out of her thoughts when she heard a low whimper coming from the parlor off of the kitchen. It was the one that she and Narcissa often used together when working on one craft or another.

She stood and walked to the door, which was open, and walked through it. She stopped immediately, however, when she spotted a sobbing Narcissa standing in front of an open drawer.

And an obviously dead Draco. Then Harry. Then it changed to Hermione, who was also dead, but then got up and gave the woman in front of her a look of contempt. The Hermione turned and ran a few steps and dissolved into Hermione hugging Bellatrix.

"Ridikulus." Rosemerta said quietly, making the boggart change into a dancing pixie, and then leave.

Narcissa turned and looked at her friend.

"Thank you." she whispered through her silent sobs, tears trailing down her face, glistening in the light.

"I understand, Cissy." Rosemerta said, and immediately walked over to the other woman and wrapped her arms around her.

She did understand. While Cissy was afraid that the children would die, she was also terrified of losing Hermione to Bellatrix. Cissy had raised that child, and she didn't know if she would survive losing her daughter.

And, honestly, Rose wasn't sure if the other woman would survive it either. Hermione was Narcissa's daughter. She and Lucius had raised her.

"Shh. It will all be okay. You will see, Cissy." Rosemerta said, rubbing small circles on her back as she had done to Harry so many times when he had come to her upset.

Now, if only she could believe her own words.

Because, she knew, that if any of their children died, they, themselves, would die on the inside.

And then there was the even darker thoughts...If Hermione died and Harry didn't, Harry would probably do anything in his power to follow his bonded soon after.

The same for Hermione.

Their bond tied them together so closely. No one had seen them bond, and the two rarely talked about it. But, they had all watched the bond grow. From friends, to brother and sister...they were just now getting to a part in their lives where they were beginning to love one another as they would forever.

Neither would live without the other, and everyone knew it; yet, no one talked about it.

And then there was Draco. Would he be able to live without his sister and best friend?

And Cissy. Would she be able to survive this war is Hermione chose Bellatrix over her?

There were many scenarios in play. But, for once in her life, Rosemerta did not have a clue as to how they would end.

~*~*~*~*~

The next morning at breakfast, everything began to, once more, change. For on the front page of the Daily Prophet was the following headline:

LAST ISSUE OF THE DAILY PROPHET! MINISTRY HAS FALLEN!

Everything was changing so quickly.

But the war would soon be over.

The days were growing longer, but time felt much shorter. While Harry, Draco, and Hermione had been let into the one meeting concerning the war, they knew they were being left out of much of the planning. It made Harry furious to know that his parents were hiding so much from him when there was such sufficient evidence pointing towards the fact that he was paramount in the downfall of the current dark wizard.

Since the night that Pomfrey and McGonagall had been at the Manor, Pomfrey had shown back up twice. Once because Harry had fallen off of his broom doing a ridiculous stunt nearly twenty feet in the air and had broken both his left arm and right leg. Severus had not been at the house at the time of the accident, and Rosemerta had had to send Dobby to wait in the healer’s office for her to come in, so that she could discretely come to the manor and heal the boy. Rosemerta had lectured him relentlessly while Madam Pomfrey had fixed the broken bones, and had then taken his broom away from him until further notice.

Did the boy have no common sense, Rosemerta wondered to herself. Really? Twenty feet in the air and he had decided to attempt a double Wronksi Feint with an added undersided triple loop!

Due to his idiocy, Rosemerta had been practically at his beck and call for the next two days. Pomfrey had cautioned them both of the dangers of his moving around too soon and had warned he would be quite sore despite the healing she had done. Harry had not been any happier than Rose. He hated having to be stuck in bed, but Rose had told him quickly that it was his own fault, and if he didn’t want to be confined even longer he would keep his complaints to a minimum.

The second time she had been there had been for a meeting. One the children had been forbidden to attend, leaving them each unhappy. However, the adults had assured them that they would survive the unfairness of it all.

McGonagall had not been able to leave the castle at all. Apparently, Dumbledore was growing more and more paranoid of those leaving the castle for any reason, so she had had to limit herself immensely. It was easier for Pomfrey to leave the castle, as she had a private floo that she had personally warded and sealed herself due to confidentiality reasons. She often had to discuss issues with the parents of students, and she could not take the chance of anyone, especially the Headmaster, overhearing anything. Not even the Ministry had control of her floo. It was old healer magic, and no one was privy to the information except for certain healers. Thankfully, she was one of those who held the information.

Over time, Hermione had also been getting to know her mother better. Fifteen years had been a long time and neither knew much about the other, though Hermione knew the things that her Aunt Cissy had told her about her about the woman as she grew up.

However, the woman was still a mystery. A mystery that fascinated Hermione, a girl who was so used to studying because of the person she pretended to be that it had actually become a habit.

But, there was no book on how to get to know the mother you were stolen from. There were no

scrolls to explain what to say to a woman you knew nothing about. There was nothing, and that made it extremely hard on the fifteen year old girl.

One thing was for certain though. Hermione did feel that since her biological mother was now living in the same house as she was, that she no longer had to necessarily follow the rules of Uncle Lucius and Aunt Cissy. Did it not cancel out their rules since her mother was here?

Did it matter that she had not actually been given rules by the other woman?

Hermione simply pushed all of those thoughts aside. Did it really matter one way or another?

~*~*~*~*~

“Come on, Hermione! You are the only one of us three that can even think about brewing that potion! You know that we can’t! Merlin, Harry would blow the whole house up with the first porcupine quill!” Draco begged.

They were in Draco’s room, all sitting on his bed. Harry pushed the blonde off of the bed after he said that.

True, he had not been the greatest potioneer in class, but really? He had been a nervous wreck the whole time, knowing that the man who was teaching him was his father, yet at the same time having to listen to him drone on about James Potter and how he was just like his father. He had not particularly had the best potions experience.

“Draco! It is a master level potion! Only year Seven NEWTS are even allowed to think about brewing it, and only then with a potions instructor beside them the entire time!”

“Hermione! You brewed the Polyjuice in our second year! That is not even taught at Hogwarts, only mentioned!” Harry said.

Draco looked at her and raised his eyebrows in a smirk she was all too familiar with. One that told Hermione that he was not going to let this go because he knew that she was capable of brewing an advanced potion such as the one all three of them wanted to try.

Harry merely grinned.

Hermione sighed and the other two held their breath. Because they knew that any moment, she was fixing to give in.

She rolled her eyes and gave them a tiny smile.

“Fine. Though if I get into trouble…”

Both boys jumped up and whooped in the air, excited that Hermione had agreed.

“But really? The Euphoria Elixir? I am only making enough for us to do this once! I am already going to have to figure out a way into the potions lab.”

Both boys were too excited to even pay attention to her words at that moment.

Perhaps they should have.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione walked towards her mother’s room and knocked lightly on the door, only opening it when she heard the soft, “Come in,” from the other side.

Bellatrix was sitting by her fireplace, her feet drawn up on the chaise lounge, the fingers of her right left had twisting curly locks of hair. All the while holding a book loosely in the other.

Hermione stared at the woman for a minute. Bellatrix no longer looked frail. After weeks of a strict potions regime given to her by Severus, she was nearly as healthy as she had been before Azkaban, though she would never fully heal from her time there.

“Hello, Mum.” Hermione said softly, going over and sitting beside her mother, sitting as close as she could.

“Hello, darling. How are you?”

Bellatrix was smiling at her daughter. She was, perhaps, happier than she had ever been by her daughter’s mere presence.

“I am fine, Mum. I was wondering if, maybe, I could ask you a favor?”

Bellatrix straightened up. Her child had not yet asked her for anything. Not for help, or guidance. Not for things that she needed.

But, finally, she felt comfortable enough to ask her for something.

“Of course, Mione. Ask away, Love.”

Hermione held her breath for a moment and then let it go just as quickly.

“I need to work on a potion, Mum, and everyone else is busy. I cannot get into the lab without an adult. Draco, Harry, and I are not allowed.” Hermione said, looking down in mock disappointment.

Bellatrix’s smile only widened.

“Of course, Love, we can do that now!” Bellatrix said as she stood up and grabbed her child’s hand, pulling her gently with her. She was excited that finally…finally, her daughter had asked

her for something.

Yes, it was a simple request. But at least it was a request.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry stared at his father defiantly. The man couldn’t be serious? Could he? This was so stupid!

“Harry, are you listening to me, son?” Severus asked his son, who was so obviously daydreaming.

“What? Yes…” Harry said, though he wasn’t sure if he had missed something or not.

Severus stared at Harry intently for several moments.

“What did I just say?”

Harry, at least, had the courtesy to blush, but then immediately turned his head away from his father.

“I don’t understand why I have to do it!” Harry hissed at his father and crossed his arms over his chest.

Severus counted to ten in his head, and then squatted down in front of his son who was sitting on the couch.

“Listen to me, young man. You may feel like you have nothing to learn, but you are sorely mistaken if that is the case. You are fifteen years old, young man. You have plenty to learn, and as your father it is my duty to ensure that you learn everything you must.” Severus deadpanned.

“I shouldn’t have to do school work. I’m not in school and there is a war going on. It doesn’t make sense.” Harry smarted back to the man.

Severus stared at him.

“Harrison, you are fifteen years old and you will further your education.”

“What if I don’t want to?” Harry snapped at him.

Severus’ eyes bulged a bit.

“You haven’t the choice.” His voice was deadly, and probably would have made several first years from all houses wet themselves. His son, however, seemed unphased.

“There is a war going on and you want me to study! This is crap, Dad!”

Severus Snape had the capabilities of being a calm man. He had learned even more patience in the last eight and a half years.

However, there were times when his son really struck a nerve so deep that there was no possible way that that nerve had had the time to learn patience or calmness. This was one of those times. Severus knew that if his son kept up with his atrocious attitude, he was going to lose his temper. He didn’t want that to happen, as they were all on tight ropes as it was.

“Go to your mother.”

Harry looked at his father in confusion. What? His father rarely ever sent him to his mother during a…heated discussion. The whole discussion was ridiculous anyways. What was his father trying to prove? That he had more power?

“Why?” Harry asked him, staring at the floor, something he knew that his father detested, but something he also didn’t care about at the moment.

Severus took a deep breath. He was not one to explain himself often. It shouldn’t really be necessary, as he was the father and Harry was the child. He expected the boy to question his authority at times, but once he told him to do something, he also expected it to be done.

At the moment, Harry was simply being difficult for the sake of being difficult.

“Son, I am going to tell you something, and you will listen. Once I am finished talking to you, you will go to your mother because I have no desire to lose my temper. Yes, we are at war. That does not mean that you do not have a lot to learn. I am your father and I, along with your mother, am in charge of your well being, be that food, safety, shelter, or education. That is not up for debate, nor is it for you to question. You will follow these rules whether you wish to or not.”

Harry stood up. If his father wanted him to go to his mother, then he would. Maybe he could talk her out of this nonsense. Because, for Merlin’s sake, he was fifteen years old!

Severus watched his son closely as the boy walked to the door and rested his hand on the door knob. He knew that Harry would be going to his mother, for all that he whined and had an attitude, he still, mostly, listened to Severus.

Severus, however, was confused for a moment because Harry was not turning the knob, but merely resting his hand lightly on it, standing very still.

“Harry?” Severus asked.

Harry swallowed deeply. He wanted to talk, but could tell that, at the moment, his stupid voice would squeak because it always did when he felt his emotions running high. It was a definite downside to growing up, and he was actually quite jealous of Draco and the fact that his voice had already deepened and greatly resembled Uncle Lucius’ silky, smooth, aristocratic tone.

However, he knew that he had to say something.

“Dad, it is your responsibility to keep me safe, but that is not going to be possible. I know it. You know it. Everyone knows it. So maybe you are wrong about everything else as well.” Harry’s voice had, indeed, pitched up and down through the sentence, and he blushed a bit as it did.

Severus watched him for a moment. Why did the world expect so much from his son? How was a boy whose voice had yet to fully change supposed to save the wizarding world from a dark and evil man?

That was the question.

But Severus had an answer.

“I have told you before. I will always be there to catch you, Harrison Snape. I will protect you. If I have to fight you along the way, every step and every breath, I will make sure that you come out on top.”

Harry didn’t dare turn around. He couldn’t. Because a single tear was sliding down his cheek and he didn’t want his father to see that he was, once again, crying.

He was not a baby after all. He quickly opened the door and left, to stop first at a bathroom and wash his face off, and then to find his mother as his father had instructed.

Left alone in the room, Severus Snape knew that his son had left crying at least a bit. What did he expect? What did anyone expect? Harry Snape was still a boy. A child. He was still a son.

Did no one realize that but his family? Did no one understand the immense pressure they had placed on a boy?

But, thought Severus, were he and Rosemerta any better? Were Narcissa and Lucius?

Because they had all had a hand in developing the young minds they were in charge of. They had all taught their children to pretend to be someone else. Had they damaged their children just as much as Dumbledore had? Had they damaged them more? Were they responsible for their children’s insecurities?

But the question that was at the fore front of Severus’ mind was this:

What if they had found the children, and instead of training them to survive, simply ran with them so that they could live?

Suddenly, Severus was left with a very heavy heart.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione was just adding three mint sprigs to the nearly complete Euphoria Elixir when she heard someone clearing her throat behind her. She froze. She knew that it wasn’t her Mum, as Bellatrix had helped her through the wards and had then gone back to her room until Hermione was done since Hermione had told her that she didn’t have to stay with her.

Mainly, Hermione didn’t want the woman to know what she was really brewing.

So, that only meant two options. Either Aunt Rose was behind her, which was probably the safer choice, or it was Aunt Cissy.

Hermione was literally frozen in place.

“What do you think that you are doing, young lady?”

Bloody hell. It was Aunt Cissy. That meant that she really had to do some quick thinking.

Lifting her wand to banish the potion before her aunt noticed what it was, Hermione was caught off guard when a hand larger than her own wrapped around her wand hand in order to stop the spell from being cast.

Hermione swallowed deeply when she realized Narcissa was looking at both the potion and the ingredients that were left before standing back up and staring at her niece.

“How did you get in here? You know very well that you are not to be in here without either myself or Severus.”

Hermione looked at her aunt and narrowed her eyes.

“My Mum gave me permission and let me in here. So you can’t do anything about it. She helped me get into the lab and didn’t ask what I was planning on brewing, so obviously, she trusts me enough to let me do whatever I want. Unlike you and Uncle Lucius!” Hermione said. She was standing straight, a scowl on her face, defiance in her voice.

Narcissa stood and looked once again at the cauldron on the lab table. She knew that in the cauldron was nearly a complete Euphoria Elixir, a potion that many teenagers, at one point or another during their school years, attempted to brew with the intent to use it. It was obvious that this was something all three of the mischievous teenagers in the house wanted to try and the two boys probably put Hermione up to it.

However, that was currently beside the point. The point at the moment was that Hermione had gone behind her back to Bellatrix in order to get into the potions lab, something she knew was strictly forbidden.

Narcissa also tried to push down her hurt. Again her fear of losing Hermione was beginning to rise and choke her. It was a realistic fear and was becoming more and more so every day.

Narcissa wanted to cringe.

“Hermione, are you allowed in here without either me or Severus?” Narcissa asked the fifteen year old girl.

Hermione looked at her intently.

“My Mum said I could be in here. I told her that you were all busy, so she said that she didn’t mind helping me.” Hermione said, and then looked towards the door of the potions lab, which was now wide open.

“You know the rules Hermione, and you are also aware of the possibility that your mother may not be aware of the rules in our home. Just because Bellatrix is here does not mean that you are allowed to break the rules. I expect better from you Hermione Cassandra Black!”

Hermione glared at her aunt through squinted eyes and tried to stand taller than she had.

“I am sure that my Mum isn’t aware of all your rules. I am sure that she is not aware of a lot of things. But she is here now, and she gave me permission to be down here. The rule is that I have to have permission to be down here!” Hermione shouted.

“Lower your voice, Hermione. You are in enough trouble as it is.” Narcissa was calm. A bit too calm for Hermione’s liking in fact.

“I don’t know what the big deal is!” Hermione hissed.

Narcissa sighed. She could feel the child sliding through her fingers. She was losing her.

“What is going on?”

Narcissa turned towards the door and noticed Bellatrix.

“Bellatrix. I am glad that you are here. You may join this little conversation, as Hermione has a bit of explaining to do.”

Hermione glared at her aunt. This was so ridiculous!

“Hermione, would you like to explain the rules of the potions lab to your mother?” Narcissa asked her. Hermione simply shrugged. Did she really want to tell on herself? Um, no! Of course not!

“How about I help you out then. Trixie, the children are not, under any circumstances, allowed in the potions lab without either me or Severus. At one time we considered letting them in here to practice on potions that they had already brewed; however, when they were in second year, Hermione brewed a Polyjuice potion which resulted in her turning into a cat, human hybrid because she added a cat hair to the potion instead of a human hair. We realized then that the

children needed to be supervised because they know no bounds when it comes to restrictions. They have not yet proved us wrong.”

Hermione glared at her aunt. She remembered the incident as if it were yesterday. She, Harry, and Ron had been trying to break into the Slytherin common room because Dumbledore had been hinting that they may find out more things about the Chamber of Secrets. Hermione and Harry had failed to mention the fact that they were on a mission to get into the Slytherin common room to their guardians, and instead had opted to brew the Polyjuice and sneak in.

It had worked for Harry and Ron, but not for Hermione. She had been in the Infirmary for a month and a day when her Uncle Severus had been checking her out in Madam Pomfrey’s office under the guise that he had to make sure that the potion had no ill effects, before he gave her any further antidotes. A botched Polyjuice was not an easy fix, and it took many different antidotes to correct the issues; especially when the person was A. prepubescent child and B. when the transformation was an animal instead of the human it was supposed to be. Some of the antidotes took hours to brew.

The day after it had happened was when Narcissa and Lucius had shown up. They had been visiting Draco who had been in the infirmary with a fake stomach ache, making the trip necessary when Draco had asked for his parents. At least that had been their cover. They had come to make sure their niece was healthy.

When they realized that she was, they had both lectured her for what felt like hours.

Hermione came back to the present and looked at her aunt and then her mum. What in the world had she gotten into this time?

“Hermione, is this true?” Bellatrix asked. Not that she didn’t believe her sister, as she was the one who made the rules. Well, she and Lucius, along with Severus and Rosemerta.

Bellatrix realized, once again, just how much she had missed in her child’s life.

“You gave me permission to be in here. I thought that overruled Aunt Cissy’s rules.”

Narcissa had to give the little false lion credit. She was putting her Slytherin tendencies into over drive now.

Bellatrix looked hurt.

“Hermione, I cannot allow you to do this.” Bellatrix whispered.

Hermione spun around towards her mother.

“What do you mean?”

Bellatrix looked at Narcissa. It was at that moment that she realized that Narcissa, her little sister,

the girl she had once protected with every ounce of magic she could muster, the woman she now loved for caring for her daughter, was hurting.

Her little sister was hurting.

And it was partly her fault.

Bellatrix took a deep breath.

‘Hermione, you cannot play us against one another. I am your mother, and you may ask me for or about anything. You may not get it, and I may not always be able to give you the answers you want, but I will always be here if you need to talk. But you are not allowed to put Narcissa and me against one another. You still have to follow your Aunt Cissy’s rules. You cannot come to me and ask me for something when she has already said no. That is not how our relationship is going to work. It can’t. I cannot allow you to use me because you don’t want to follow the rules that are set to protect you.”

Oh how it had hurt Bellatrix to say that. It had stung her chest and broke her heart in places she didn’t know even existed.

Hermione felt horrible.

Had that been what she had been doing? Had she been trying to play one guardian against another?

She hadn’t really meant to do that. Yes, she had wanted to get her way. But she also wanted her mother to be the one who set rules for her.

But why was that? Was it because she thought that she would get away with more if her mother, the woman who hadn’t been with her entire life, was in charge?

And it dawned on Hermione.

She simply wasn’t sure. She wanted her mother to be a part of her life so badly that she was willing to put every other relationship she had with every other person on hold. She wanted her mother to love her so much that she figured if she lost the love of others it wouldn’t be so bad.

But that was it. No matter how bad she was, or naughty, or mean, or cruel, or selfish…her family was still going to love her.

Uncle Lucius was still going to be wrapped around her finger, Aunt Cissy was still going to take care of her, Uncle Sev and Aunt Rose were still going to be around when she needed to talk, Draco was still going to be her brother, and Harry was still going to be her bonded.

But where did that leave her mother?

Hermione looked at Narcissa.

And for the first time ever, she realized that she, she, was the reason for the hurt look on her aunt’s face.

“Oh Merlin.” Hermione whispered. Tears began to slide down her face with gusto. Had she messed up too much already?

“Hermione,” Bellatrix started as she watched the emotions change over her daughter’s face, “as I said, I am here for you…always. But you are already very much in a family situation with guidance, structure, and discipline. I only want to add to that. I will not, however, take away from it. I love you too much.”

It was said so softly that neither Hermione nor Narcissa were positive that they had heard it. It was like a whisper in the wind.

But the meaning was pure and strong.

At that moment, Hermione was not sure who she wanted to go to. Should she cry on her mother’s shoulder, or the aunt who had been there for her, always?

But, Hermione realized, perhaps they were close enough that she could hug them both at the same time.

So she did.

As Narcissa wrapped her arms around not only her niece, but her sister as well, she realized that her sister was also crying.

Did her sister have the same fears that she had?

And what about Hermione? Was Hermione finally aware of the fact that she had, perhaps unconsciously, been playing the two older women against one another? Or was it that Hermione actually realized that she was just a lost little girl who no longer knew who to turn to, and wasn’t sure if she could turn to both women or not.

Narcissa felt that it was probably the latter.

“Come Mione, Trixie, let’s go to my room so that we may talk about this in depth.” Narcissa said, raising her wand and cleaning the potion from the cauldron.

The Euphoria Elixir could be addressed later. Right now they had bigger things to discuss. ~*~*~*~*~

A couple hours later, Harry was asleep on his parents’ bed, where he had laid down while talking to his mother about his fight with Severus.

Rose had simply listened, deciding to stay neutral at the present time. Emotions were high in the manor, and she knew that someone needed to remain calm. She could literally feel the magic buzzing, and it felt as if her senses were going into overdrive.

Severus walked in to the room. He knew that Harry was probably in there, as he didn’t dare disobey his father, and Rose would not have let him leave until Severus came into the room. Severus sat down beside Rosemerta and watched their son sleep.

“Where did you go?” Rose asked quietly.

“I walked around the edge of the property looking for faulty wards. I only want to protect him, Rose.” He whispered when she leaned her head over to his shoulder.

“I know, Love. It is what we all want.”

And then they were silent.

Severus Snape stalked through the Forbidden Forest under a notice-me-not charm, his robes billowing out behind him. He had things to do. He was on a mission.

It was February now and snow heaped the grounds. However, Severus paid little attention it. He was warm enough and he had to get into the castle through a hidden tunnel. The opening was in the forest and ran into the castle and came out within Gryffindor tower. No one knew of it except McGonagall, and she had told him how to access it.

He had to find the youngest Weasley boy.

Severus crept around the area and finally found what he was looking for.

A forked tree with three everlasting mushroom caps at the base of it. Simple enough for those who knew nothing of the passages existence. Severus leaned down and tapped, with his wand, first the middle mushroom, twice, then the right, once, and the left thrice.

And before his eyes, the tree opened only wide enough for him to walk through. He stepped down seven steps and then the tree closed behind him.

“Lumos.”

The path was lit.

Now to find Weasley.

~*~*~*~*~

“Mum?” Harry asked, walking into his parents’ bedroom.

Rosemerta looked up from where she was hanging clothes in their wardrobe and noticed that her son looked pale. She set the hanger she had in her hand down and walked over to Harry, placing her hand on his forehead immediately.

Harry simply stood there and let her do as she wished because he knew, regardless, she would satisfy her nerves before listening to him.

“Are you okay?” there was still a tinge of worry in her voice.

“I am fine, Mum, a bit of a headache is all. I wanted to talk to you.” Harry walked over to his parents’ bed and sat down on his father’s side, kicked off his shoes, and then slid to the middle, drawing his arms and legs up to his chest.

Rosemerta walked over to the bed and sat down and then twisted around so that she sat with her back against the headboard.

“What is wrong, Harry?”

Harry thought for several moments and then looked at her.

“Mum, what do you think really happened to Neville Longbottom’s parents? That was why Aunt Trixie was in Azkaban so what really happened that night? Do you think that Aunt Trixie would tell me?”

Rosemerta stalled for a moment. Why was everything so difficult with her son?

“I do not know what really happened that night, Harry. I do know that Trixie was there, however. Neville was only a few months old at the time and Hermione was due any day.”

“May I ask her? Neville has the right to know the truth when everything is over.”

Rose sighed deeply.

“Harry, Neville does know the truth.”

Harry froze immediately. What was that supposed to mean? Neville did know the truth? Did that mean that Aunt Trixie had tortured the Longbottoms?

“So she did it?” Harry screeched, enraged at the mere thought.

“No. I know that she did not do it; however, I do not know the specifics. I do know that Neville, however, does know the truth.”

Harry thought about it for several moments.

“We don’t really know anyone, do we? Me, Hermione, and Draco. Everything is a lie.”

Harry seemed lost. He looked confused.

Not that it was particularly rare anymore. Lately he always looked confused and lost and angry.

“Harry. We are not going to start this again. You cannot always know everything, do you understand?”

Harry looked at her.

“Yes. I understand. I mean, really. I know that it wasn’t safe. Mum, did Neville know about us? Me and Hermione?”

“No. That was also not safe. You were all children, Harry. You are still children, but things have changed. Neville’s grandmother knows the truth of us. She was, in fact, at our last meeting. The

only reason that Neville went back to school and is not being taught at home is because he is still thought to be on Dumbledore’s side and he is needed in order to keep the younger children safe when the time comes.”

“So, he was placed in Gryffindor for real then, wasn’t he?” Harry said, more to himself than to his mother.

Rose looked at Harry, but was confused.

“What do you mean that he was placed into Gryffindor for real, Harry?”

“I mean, he must be a true Gryffindor because he is doing this. He has been prepared for this. Not like me and Hermione. We were never supposed to be in Gryffindor. I thought for sure that Neville should have really gone to Hufflepuff.”

Rose stifled the bit of laughter that was threatening to come out of her mouth. But, the situation did not call for laughter. Quite the contrary, it was a very serious situation.

“I know that you and Hermione do not belong in Gryffindor. Or, rather, did not. However, Neville does. He always has.”

“Is he really afraid of Dad?”

At this, Rose did laugh.

“Yes. He is truly afraid of your father. Perhaps he won’t be once the war is over, but your father is a fearful man. People are easily afraid of him because we need people to be afraid of him. Tell me, Harry, have you never been afraid of your father when you were pretending to be only Harry Potter? Has there ever been a time when you were so engrossed in your acting that you only saw him as your professor and the mere thought of going against him scared you to death?”

Harry looked at his mother in confusion for a moment, not quite knowing whether or not she was serious. But, he realized, she was very serious.

That was when he realized that, yes, there had been times when he had been unable to separate the real from fantasy. There had been times when he had been afraid of his father.

Harry sat beside Ron and behind Hermione. They were in second year. This was the day. The day they were going to steal the potions ingredients from his father’s private store room.

Ron nudged Harry and Harry nodded. Yes. He was going to throw a firecracker into Malfoy’s cauldron. Harry was rather nervous. The solution they were working on was one to make whatever it touched swell. Hopefully no one was actually to that point yet.

Beside him, Ron stood and knocked into Neville who then accidently knocked his cauldron over. Severus Snape was immediately berating the boy, giving Harry time to throw a lit firecracker

into Malfoy’s cauldron.

It exploded immediately.

There were screams all over the room, Hermione had vanished, and Harry and Ron had barely gotten under their table. Not many of the others were so lucky. Lavender Brown’s arm was swollen. Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle were each sporting several swollen extremities. Seamus Finnigan’s nose was three times its normal size.

Professor Snape stalked over to the cauldron that had exploded and peered inside.

Everyone in the classroom with the capabilities of seeing were able to tell that the man was beyond angry. He was irate.

He picked up, with a gloved hand, the firecracker.

“Whoever had the audacity to throw this in my classroom had better step forward!” the man yelled. He was angry.

A shiver ran down Harry’s spine. Why, oh why had he done that? The man was going to find out.

He was going to find out that Harry had done it and then he was going to be in so much trouble.

Probably more trouble than he had been in after he had gone after the stone. And he had been in so much trouble then.

“Whoever did this: Be aware that I will ensure your expulsion from this institution. And, I will find out.” Professor Snape then cleared the room with a wave of his wand and sent those who needed it to the Infirmary.

It did not escape his attention that his son, niece, and their friend were three of the five who were not in need of some sort of medical attention.

Harry remembered the moment his father had realized that it had been him. It had been right after he had spent nearly twenty-four straight hours brewing an antidote to the botched Polyjuice Hermione had brewed. He had assigned Harry detention almost immediately.

At that moment, Harry had feared his father, not for the father side of him, but the Professor. Harry looked towards Rosemerta who was watching him intently.

“Yea. When he realized that I was the one who threw that firecracker in Draco’s cauldron. I was afraid of him then.”

Rose nodded. Yes, the child had been afraid of him then. He had told her later, now that she thought about it, that he had only been afraid of Professor Snape, but that was a falsity. For the little boy in front of her had been terrified of his father, too, as well he should have been.

Rose had never seen Severus as mad at Harry as she had at that time. But, what Harry had done had been dangerous. It was the only time Severus had ever smacked Harry on the rear end. It had only been once, but it had shown Harry just how serious his father was. It was a mistake that Harry had never made again.

Yes, there had been many stupid stunts over the years, but never one such as that one. Even the Basilisk fiasco had not made Severus as angry. Rosemerta felt, however, that that had only been because they had come so close to losing Harry.

Harry crawled over to his mother and put his head in her lap. Rose was surprised, as he hadn’t done that in a long time. When he had been smaller, never truly knowing the love of a mother or father, he had often laid in her lap while she ran her fingers through his silky hair.

“Mum, will you run your fingers through my hair like you did when I was little?”

Rose didn’t answer. She merely pulled him close to her, and ran her fingers lightly over his forehead and through his hair.

If only life were always so simple.

~*~*~*~*~

Severus stared at the short tempered boy in front of him. He was in Minerva’s guest room, the boy sitting on a desk chair with a sticking charm.

Severus had silenced him then placed a lightening charm on him so that he could carry him into Minerva’s rooms.

They sat quietly, though Severus could tell that Ronald Weasley was becoming angry. Or, rather, angrier, as he was already pissed off.

“What did you do to Harry and Hermione? They never would have gone willingly with you! You bastard!”

Severus sighed deeply.

“There is much, Mr. Weasley, which you do not know. There is much in which you are not privy too. However, I can change that.” Severus said calmly. It would not do to lose his temper on the boy.

“I don’t trust you! Why should I? I will never join the Dark side!” the boy hissed.

“Have you ever thought, Mr. Weasley, that perhaps it is not I, but you, who is in support of the true dark side?” Severus asked.

“That isn’t true! Never! Dumbledore is a light wizard! You support He-Who-Must-Not-Be- Named! And everyone knows that he is an evil wizard!” Ron yelled.

“You always were one to lose your temper and over step your boundaries. How many times over the years have you turned against my son because of some rigid, ridiculous jealousy? Are you going to continue down that track? Or are you going to help? Are you going to help your friends? Your family? Are you brave enough to actually help the world instead of hinder it? Or are you going to follow a man you know relatively nothing about blindly because he says so?”

Ron stared at the man before him. What the hell was he going on about?

“Dumbledore is a great man! I will always follow him!” Ron yelled.

“Perhaps, Mr. Weasley, it is time for you to realize something of great importance. History is not always what one thinks it is. This is because history is always written down by the winners of wars and those in charge. Let me ask you, Mr. Weasley, who would you follow blindly into battle first? Your father, your friends, or the headmaster?”

Ron did not even hesitate, “My father first.”

“And second?”

Ron took a deep breath.

“My friends.”

“Which is, Mr. Weasley, what I expected. I am going to tell you a little story, Mr. Weasley. And then you may decide whether you wish to follow your father and friends or the headmaster.” Ron looked at him suspiciously for a moment, but then, with a quick nod to his head, agreed.

“Mr. Weasley, when I was twenty years old, my one and only son was born. Ten months later, my son and wife were taken from me. It was one of the worst days of my life. My entire world had been ripped from me and I had no idea where they were.

Five months after that, my wife was murdered, and my son was given to strangers to raise, as the man who stole them from me had obliviated my memories, thinking that I would not remember that the child was mine; however, the issue with this was and is that I cannot be obliviated. I knew who had taken my son. I knew who had killed my wife. The issue was, though, that I was not sure who had my son then.

On my son’s seventh birthday, I realized where he was and I went to him. This had to be done in secret. But I hit a bump in the road, so to speak, when I went to get him and alter the memories of those in the home he was in. There was another child with him. Another child who had been missing even longer than my son. She is called the Missing Little Black Girl. Perhaps, you have heard the story.

I had no choice but to take that child as well. This resulted in me having to alter many memories, and cast many wards and spells so that everyone, muggle and wizard alike, would believe that both children still resided in their false homes.

This, Mr. Weasley, is when the tricky part comes in. I, my wife, and the true guardians of the Little Black Girl had to, unfortunately, train the two children and their cousin to pretend. They had to pretend in front of everyone to live with the muggles who had housed them against their will. They had to pretend to hate people who they actually loved. All because if they didn’t, they were dead at the hands of a mad man, and I am not talking about the man you are afraid to speak of.

Quite the contrary, Mr. Weasley, the man you are afraid to speak of is not the man you should fear. He is not the man who hid my child and niece. In fact, his only crime is not thinking things out properly before trying to stop a mad man from destroying the world. Have you gathered yet, Mr. Weasley, of whom I speak?”

Severus looked at the boy. He could tell he was thinking, fighting the information that had just been given to him.

“What will you do to me if I refuse to believe you?”

“Then I will obliviate you. With a stronger spell than last time so that you will be unable to speak a word of this to anyone.”

“And if I agree?”

“I will cast a spell over you that will not allow you to speak of this to anyone. And you will help us defeat the true darkness. You will not know everything until after the war, but you will know enough to ensure that you are able to do what you must adequately.”

“So, Harry really is your son, isn’t he?” Ron whispered. Severus watched the boy carefully. He could tell that it hurt the child to come to the realization that Harry was his son.

Not for the first time, Severus hated that he had to be the man he was. He hated that he had to shepherd children to help with the war. How many children would they lose when it was over? Would this child survive the war? Would all of the children who were risking their lives ever have the chance to live a free life?

He didn’t want to raise children for slaughter, but that was what he had had to do for his own son. He often wished that he could simply de-age the boy and take Rose and him and run. But they couldn’t. When the war was over they would be able to live.

“Yes, Mr. Weasley, Harry is my son.”

“Hmpf. So he never lived with those crummy muggle relatives?” Ron asked.

“On the contrary, Mr. Weasley, that is where he lived for five and a half years, until I found him on his seventh birthday.”

“But he is happy now?”

“As happy a child can be who is facing a war he doesn’t understand. As happy, I would suppose, as you are.”

“Mione is the Little Black Girl isn’t she?” This information seemed to hurt the boy even more.

Severus merely nodded.

“Ronald, you have a decision to make. I was given this task because your family…your parents…knew that it would kill them to have to obliviate you if you decided not to follow them. They know what you have believed because they have been forced to shove the false information down your throat for years. They, themselves, did not know the entire truth until after your second year. After the Basilisk. After that, they only wanted to protect you.”

“I can understand that, sir.” Ron said quietly. He felt his body unstick from the chair and he relaxed, “Will I ever get to see Harry and Mione again?”

The question was asked so quietly, that Severus was not quite sure whether he had heard it at first. He studied the boy’s face. He cast a silent ligilmens and looked around the child’s thoughts.

He was sincere. Severus felt relief watch over him.

“Eventually, Ronald. Now we must talk specifics before I leave. I have been here long enough. I have already cast the spell on you that will keep you from talking about this too anyone minus a select few. For now, the only two people you may talk to about this are myself and Professor McGonagall.”

Ron’s eyes grew wide.

“Do not look so surprised, Mr. Weasley. There are people that you will be surprised to learn that are already on our side. She, you can trust with your life.”

“Would you trust Harry’s life with her?”

“Yes.” There was no hesitation at all, and Ron knew instantly that he trusted McGonagall with his life as well.

“Sir?” Ron said. He knew this meeting was going to end soon, and he had things he had to say before the man left.

“Yes, Mr. Weasley?”

“So, if you are telling me this now, it means it is going to happen soon, isn’t it? The war? The actual battle?” The thought made Ron afraid. Scared. Nervous.

“Yes, Mr. Weasley. It will happen soon. Before the school year is out.”

Ron nodded, “Okay then, sir. Okay.”

Later, as Severus was walking through the hidden tunnel, he thought to himself about what had just happened. No one, not even the adult Weasley’s, had thought Ronald would be so easy to sway. It was why Severus had been tasked with the job of asking him. They had feared his denial.

But what really got to Severus was the fact that he had just recruited a child for war. It was the first time he had done so. If one didn’t count Harry, Hermione, and Draco, and they usually didn’t because they had been destined, not recruited, by Dumbledore, the bumbling fool, from the moment the man had killed his Lily.

Severus wished that he had not had to do what he had just done. At least Arthur and Molly Weasley would be pleased to learn that their son was willing to follow them without question. That fact did not, however, make it any easier to bear the loss of innocence that so many children were going to go through once the battle was over.

~*~*~*~*~

Harry walked towards Bellatrix and Hermione. He reached the duo, placed his arm lightly around his bonded, and looked towards the older woman.

“Can you tell us what really happened to Neville’s parents, Aunt Trixie?”

Hermione sucked in her breath and watched her mother. She watched the pain wash over her mother and wanted to hit Harry.

But then her mother smiled.

“Alice was one of my best friends. I was visiting her and little Neville that day. He was only about two months old. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in a cell, in Azkaban. I was in labor. Hermione was born not long after, and they took her from me. I had no idea where she ended up; I only know that the auror took her. James Potter. I will never forget the way he looked at me. His eyes glinting because he was taking away my child and I had done nothing that I remembered. I would have never hurt Alice or Frank. Cissy tells me that they are simple- minded now. They forget how old they are and that they have a child. It is odd really. The Cruciatus isn’t really supposed to do that to a person. It is only supposed to cause nerve damage, not brain damage.” Bellatrix said, looking out the window into the back garden.

Hermione wrapped her arms around her mother the moment she saw the tear slide down her face.

That lone tear actually shocked her. She had held Harry while he cried. She had held Draco while he cried. They had both held her while she cried. But she couldn’t remember ever really seeing an adult cry, except perhaps when Uncle Sev had brought her home for the first time so many years before, and the tears Aunt Cissy had cried had been of happiness.

She had asked. So she knew.

But never had she seen a tear cried in sadness from the adults in her life. Was it because they hid it from her? Was it because they were stronger than her mother? Was it because they were afraid to show weakness in front of her?

And why, above all, did it really matter?

The strange thing at that moment, however, was that Harry Snape was wondering the exact same thing about all of the adults in his life.

Things were tense around the manor. People were coming and going without the children’s notice, normally after they had been sent to bed. It bothered them, however, because they knew that they were being left out of major planning sessions.

The adults could tell that they were on edge and decided, under the cover of glamours and a special potion invented by Severus which altered each child differently, to take the children to Diagon Alley.

There was, however, a glitch. Dumbledore would have people looking for three teenagers together. So they had to plan the trip down to the last step.

Finally, they were all ready. Rose, Cissy, Severus, and Lucius all stood in the parlor and looked at the teenagers.

Hermione was standing there; the potion she had taken shortened her height, making her appear younger. Her hair, courtesy of a spell from Cissy, had straightened, causing it to reach her bum. Lucius had altered her eye and hair color, to blue and blonde. Hermione had fussed a bit from having to appear younger than she was, but her complaints were soon halted. The moment Lucius, who had noticed the strained relationship Hermione was having with Cissy and Trixie at the moment, gave her the alternative of staying home instead of going, she quieted down immediately. Uncle Lucius never got onto her, so she knew better than to disobey him as his voice held a deep undertone, almost daring her to disobey.

Hermione would travel with Rosemerta and Cissy who were merely under glamours changing their hair color (both to black, though Cissy’s was curly and Rose’s was short, they also changed Cissy’s eyes to black and Rose’s to blue, as they were afraid Rose would be recognized if she kept her normal golden eyes). Bellatrix had declined the trip, instead wishing to stay at the manor. It was probably for the best, as they were already worried about attracting too much attention, which was why they were splitting up.

Severus and Lucius would be in charge of the boys. They, too, were under glamours. Their hair was shortened, thought they kept their hair color. Lucius’ eyes were brown, and he had opted to wear muggle clothes, something that he never did. Severus’ eyes were changed blue, and he had placed a glamour specifically over his nose because he knew that there was a great possibility that people would also recognize him for it. It was a shame really, he thought. Perhaps he needed to have some Magical Reconstruction done on his nose.

Or not, he thought, when he looked over at Rose. The woman always told him that he had better not change anything about his looks because she quite liked them.

And that was all the reassurances needed.

Draco and Harry were identical. Their hair was brown, their eyes were brown, and Harry was as tall as Draco. They looked like twins, and Severus almost immediately regretted it when the two

boys’ faces shifted into a mischievous smirk.

“No trouble you two, or you will regret it.” Severus told them. They merely nodded.

Famous last words, those were.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Draco and Harry snuck away from their fathers and ran towards Knockturn Alley within the first two hours.

“Draco, come on! We have to hurry if we don’t want to get caught.” Harry said.

“Shut up, prat! I know that!” Draco said as they made their way down the dark alley to the store they were in search of.

“Here it is.” Draco said, stopping in front of a hole in the wall store that Harry, even if he had been further down the dark alley than Bourgin and Burkes, would never have noticed.

“Are you sure?” Harry asked.

“Dumb arse. Look at the sign! Let’s go.”

Harry barely noticed the dusty and dirty “Knockturn Eroticas” sign because Draco pulled him into the shop.

At first, Harry had to adjust to the dim lights of the store. When he did he could do nothing but blush as he clumsily handed his fake ID to the man at the desk, nearly dropping it in the process. Who knew that they really would want the ID down Knockturn Alley? It had taken them twenty minutes to alter the pictures and names on the plastic, magical cards before they could actually start looking for the store Draco had said he had heard about from some of the older Slytherin boys.

“Dra…um Lee! What the hell!” Harry said, nearly forgetting to call him by his fake name. Around him was every type of vulgar toy that he could imagine and then some. Since he could not have imagined more than five percent of the things that were around him, let alone even knowing what one would do with them, he blushed even more. What had he been thinking?

“Let’s go to the magazines.” Harry whispered. Draco was also blushing quite a bit. Harry could tell from the way he kept running his right hand over his right ear. Draco always did that when he was embarrassed.

Both of them immediately went to the magazines and grabbed one.

“Bloody Hell, Harry! Did you even know that was possible?” Draco hissed, forgetting to call Harry Alex, and staring at the nearly naked woman in the magazine who was in some awkward

pose with a fully clothed man above her.

Neither of them had ever seen anything like it before, and they couldn’t tear their eyes away.

“Let’s buy two different ones. Then we can switch them when we want a change.” Harry whispered. He was extremely glad that he was wearing robes today and for the dim lights in the store. He knew he had to be twenty different shades of red at the moment….among other awkward teenage driven, male hormones that were causing him to be thankful for those robes and dim lights. He really was starting to regret this. He wondered if Draco was having the same thoughts.

“Gah Harry! How are they doing that?”

At that moment, a hand fell on each boy.

“How…indeed.” They heard the all too familiar voice, and neither wanted to turn around and face the music that was Severus Snape.

“Come. We will handle this little….jaunt…at home. I am sure that your mothers would both love to know why you went missing. They were both worried about you, as were we. You have been missing for over an hour and we had to seek out your mothers. Something we did not want nor need to do.”

That was when Draco realized that Lucius was also there.

“We can explain!” Harry started.

Severus turned his fifteen year old around and glared at the boy. He noticed the flushed look of the him and his awkward stance.

“Or, perhaps, before your mother sees you, you should take a cold shower.” Severus drawled out, the anger in his voice apparent.

“Dad! Bloody hell!” Harry hissed.

Severus raised his eyebrows and reached his hand back to land a light smack on the back of his son’s head, then grabbed his shoulder, wrenching the magazine out of his hand and throwing it back to the rack and forcing Harry to walk to the door followed closely by Lucius and Draco, into a dark and dank side alley.

“Oy! Dad! We wanted those!” Harry said in a bit of insanity as he was pushed further down the alley. Draco smacked his hand against his forehead. Gah, his friend was a right idiot at times.

“We shall see what your mother thinks about you owning that magazine. Now if you wish to see daylight anytime soon, I would shut my mouth until you are asked to speak. You have caused enough of a scene and we are not in a position to bring attention to ourselves!” Severus snapped

at him.

Then, without warning, Severus apparated them out of the dark, dim alley directly into the sitting room of Malfoy Manor. Harry had to do all he could not to vomit from being apparated so suddenly. His Dad knew that he had trouble apparating, and had given him no warning.

“Dad…”

“Go to my room. Plant your nose in a corner, and do not think about getting out of that corner. Your mother and I will be up soon.”

“But, Dad! Please let me explain…”

“Harrison Snape! If you do not get out of my sight this instant, you are going to regret it! I need space right now, young man, or I am going to bloody well tan your hide to the point you won’t sit down for a week for your stupidity today! Go. To. My. Room!” Severus yelled at his son.

Harry looked at his Dad, tears threatening to fall down his cheeks. He turned on his heels and ran towards the stairs.

“Draco, go to your room and wait.” Lucius said. Draco nodded and then walked quickly out of the sitting room. As awkward as the whole fiasco had been, he knew that being punished was probably going to be even worse if he disobeyed.

As Draco was walking to his room, he passed his mother and Aunt Rose.

“Draco, what is going on? Where were you?” Narcissa asked, the worry apparent in her voice. Draco could tell that she was also trying to hold her temper at the site of her son who was obviously fit and healthy, and giving no apparent reason for his disappearance. He didn’t even look at his Aunt Rose. She was right scary when mad. Even more than his parents and Uncle Severus. He pitied Harry for having to face her.

“I don’t want to talk about it. Dad said that you and he would be in my room soon to talk to me. Harry is in Uncle Sev and Aunt Rose’s room.”

Draco continued walking.

Hell, this wasn’t his day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Severus, you have to calm down before we go talk to him.” Rosemerta told her husband.

“Rose, I am not even mad about the shop. I am not happy that my fifteen year old son went into an erotic shop and was practically getting off in the middle of the store because of a magazine, but that is not why I am angry with him. Yes, he was in disguise. However, we have people

looking for us constantly, yet he and Draco felt it was wise to sneak off from us. What the hell was the boy thinking?”

“He wasn’t, Sev. He wasn’t because he is fifteen. He doesn’t realize that life can end in a second. Or rather, he doesn’t realize that his life can. He was letting his body think before his head, and he and Draco are boys. Sev, you know you remember what it is like.”

“Rose, I have never wanted to smack him as badly as I did ten minutes ago. He thinks that I am mad about the bloody magazine. You know what he had the gall to say to be before we apparated?”

“What?”

“That he had wanted those magazines.”

Rosemerta’s eyes widened. The boy knew no bounds.

“Well, I believe that it is time for another… talk with him.”

Severus sighed and nodded. It wasn’t that the subject was a forbidden topic. In fact, Severus made it a point to talk to Harry about the facts of life often; especially, since the child had been bonded with Hermione for so long and they wanted no stupid teenage mistakes that would prevent them from growing up as normal as they could in the environment they were forced to grow up in.

Severus had first given Harry the sex talk when he was eleven, over the Christmas break after Severus had overheard he and Draco talking about seeing some of the older, female Quidditch players taking showers through a hole in one of the boys locker rooms.

It had not been as awkward as Severus had feared, and he had bid the eleven year old to come and talk to him whenever he had any questions.

He had had to give his son the same talk when, not long after, Maddie Malton had caught the little boy spying on them again, through a different hole that had been outside.

Severus smiled to himself.

“What is so funny, Love.” Rosemerta asked.

“I was thinking about when Maddie Malton accidently hexed Harry in his manhood when she caught the boys looking at the girls showering.”

“Oh gosh, Sev. I thought that he would die when I came in with you that night to see how he was.”

“As did I. Rose, I am just so angry at him right now. He acts as if he doesn’t care if he puts his

life in danger. I mean, Hermione is no better. I know the only reason that she didn’t try to sneak off and find the boys is because they knew they were going to the sex shop before we left earlier. Usually Draco has more bloody sense.”

“I think that we have made him wait long enough. You know how he gets.”

Severus sighed.

“Yes, let’s go. I have calmed down enough that I will not throttle him. Hopefully.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry was sorry that he had snuck away from his Dad. He was sorry that he had gone into that stupid shop…even though that magazine had been pretty amazing.

Harry cringed when he heard the door open and shut, and cringed again when he realized that his Mum was also in the room.

“Turn around, Harry.” Severus said. Harry swallowed, took the cuff from his shirt and wiped his eyes, and then turned around.

Severus and Rosemerta were sitting on a couch at the end of their bed, and motioned for Harry to sit in front of them.

Harry quickly did as he was told.

“Dad, Mum, I am sorry that I went into the store! I mean...that magazine….no…no…no…I am sorry. I shouldn’t have gone in there at all.”

Severus quirked his eyebrow up and looked at Rose, whose eyes were glaring at her son.

Then he sighed.

“Harry, that is and was not why I am angry. Yes, I was upset that you went in that store. You are underage and care extremely too much about sex; however, you are also fifteen, and I would expect that it is on your mind about fifty percent of the time. I am upset, angry, and, to put it quite bluntly, pissed at you because you snuck away. People are looking for you and for me. They are looking for Hermione and Mum. They are looking for our entire family. Yet, you snuck away from Lucius and me today. Had we not had a tracking charm on both you and Draco, we could have been searching for you both for hours…”

“You have tracking charms on us? Bloody hell, Dad! Why?” Harry couldn’t stop himself from shouting.

“Harrison! Obviously, since you act like a child, we have to treat you like one. I am with your father on this one.” Rosemerta said, disappointment crossing her face.

Since when is she NOT with Dad? Harry thought to himself.

Severus just stared at his son.

“Are you trying to make your punishment worse than it is already going to be, son? You are pushing me at the moment. It is unwise to do that.” Severus said steadily.

Harry’s brow furrowed, and he slammed himself back in the chair and crossed his arms and looked away from his parents.

“Stop, Harry. This little show of temper is ridiculous.” Severus hissed. By this time, Rosemerta was sitting with her arms crossed, also angry at her son’s display of childish temper.

“What has gotten into you, son?” Severus asked him.

“It was only some stupid magazines.” He replied, tears streaming down his face. That was when they both realized that the child honestly thought that was why he was in trouble.

“Harry, that is not what this about. No, you should not have tried to buy anything from that store. You should not have been in that store to begin with. You should not have been down Knockturn Alley. But, you are not being punished for that. You are being punished for sneaking off from Lucius and myself while we were shopping. I do not know what you and Draco were thinking, but you have no idea what could have happened.” Severus spoke evenly, trying to rein in his temper.

“But, Dad! Nothing happened!” Harry said, nearly in tears again, though he would adamantly deny it. Why were his parents being so…so UNCOOL about this whole thing? Sure, he should not have run off, but come on! He was fifteen!

Rosemerta watched the interplay in front of her. She was angry with her son. The way he jumped into things without thinking was going to get him killed.

If it was the last thing she and Severus did, however, they would make him realize that he could not do that.

Because even if they could not survive the war, they would make sure that Harry did.

“Harry, the fact is that something could have happened.” Rosemerta told him.

Harry sighed.

“Whatever!” He hissed at them both, crossing his arms and looking towards the closed door, wishing he could make his escape.

Severus looked at Harry and shook his head, “Have you lost your damn mind, Son? You do

realize who you are talking to, do you not?”

“Yea. I am looking at the two most unfair parents in the world!” Harry yelled.

At this time, not only had Severus had more than enough, but Rose had reached her limit as well.

“Harrison!” she hissed, stood up, and then pulled him up by his arm, “You have gone too far,” her face was mere inches away from him, and Harry paled a bit, “You are grounded indefinitely,” Harry tried to back away. He always knew when he had gone too far; unfortunately, it was normally too late by that time. He had just gone too far, “And if you do not watch your attitude, I am fixing to pull you over my knee! We both know that I am not as lenient as your father! You may think that you are too old for such a punishment, but you are sadly mistaken!”

Harry swallowed. She was right, though he would never admit it. He had found out the hard way when he was thirteen that his mother was not the parent to mess with. Despite his hard exterior, his father was much easier on him in the discipline department than his mother, as she only ever disciplined him when she was fed up with his antics. Usually, by the end of the school year she was there, but especially in his third year when he had knocked his dad out in the Shrieking Shack. Severus had refused to talk to him until he was no longer angry. Rose had had other plans. Harry had thought that he would never sit comfortably again when his Mum had gotten through with him.

“I am sorry.” Harry said, his head bowed down in despair. He didn’t know what else to say and he really didn’t want to get into anymore trouble.

“Son, go to your room.” Severus said. He didn’t have to tell Harry twice, and the boy ran out as quickly as he could.

“You shouldn’t have let him go, Severus.” Rosemerta said, leaning into her husband.

“Probably not, but he needed a break before he got himself into more trouble. Once he thinks about what he has done, he will realize why he was wrong. And he is going to have plenty of time to think.”

Yes. Yes he was.

~*~*~*~*~

“Draco, what were you thinking?” Narcissa screeched at her child. It was not the right time for her son to decide that an act of rebellion was in order. She and Hermione were already on edge with one another and she wasn’t sure that she could stand for her son to hit some random rebellious stage at the same time.

Lucius was standing beside his wife. He was shocked at Draco’s actions as well. There had been few times in Draco’s life where he had acted out. In fact, Lucius could count on one hand just

how many times Draco had been grounded or on the receiving end of any other punishment.

It was normally Hermione who spent the first few weeks of the summer months under restriction, as she and Harry were always getting into something during the school year when they had less supervision. Draco didn’t dare, as Severus was like a hawk and watched everything his Slytherins did, something he was not able to do as well the two children in Gryffindor.

“I am sorry, Mum.” Draco said, staring down at the floor.

“Sometimes, Draconis Malfoy, sorry is not enough.” Lucius said. Draco looked towards his father, anger suddenly penetrating through his very core.

“If I was Hermione, Father, you wouldn’t say anything! I made a mistake! I know that I shouldn’t have snuck off and worried everyone. I know that I shouldn’t have gone in that store to look at that magazine, but if it would have been Hermione, you would be down in your study waiting for her to come to you after Mum punished her. It isn’t fair! You have double standards for me! Hermione has you wrapped around your bloody finger!” Draco yelled at his father. His face was flushed. But, he knew that he couldn’t back down. Not now. He had harbored these feelings too long.

He didn’t, however, know why it had all just suddenly erupted. He knew that he was at fault. He knew that what he did was wrong. But he was never in trouble. In fact, his whole school career, he had only gotten into any trouble during his third year when he had mocked the hippogriff, Buckbeak, in Hagrid’s class. That had upset his father who had had to act like the vicious man he had to portray to the world. It had bothered Lucius that his son had been so thoughtless.

But that was it. Harry and Hermione were always in trouble, usually several times a year.

Yet, Lucius never said anything to Hermione because she had the man wrapped around her finger and it sucked.

“Draco…” Lucius started. But, what did one say to a child who felt left out? Who felt that something was unfair? Not only that he felt it was unfair, but that he felt like he was treated differently than his sister?

“Draco, you are just so….rarely in trouble. I am sorry that you have felt that I have treated you differently from Hermione.” Lucius said. The pain was evident in the man’s voice. It made Draco feel horrible.

But wasn’t it the parents job to make things even between children?

“It isn’t my fault that she was taken from the family when she was born. It isn’t my fault that Mum thinks she is going to choose Aunt Trixie over her. And it bloody well isn’t my fault that she still had Dad wrapped around her fingers. It isn’t! You are supposed to make sure that everything is equal! You are both supposed to love us the same!” Draco yelled.

Tears fell down his face. Tears of anger, hurt, betrayal.

He sank down to the floor, sliding off the chair he had been sitting in. He drew his knees up to his chest and cried broken heartedly.

Narcissa and Lucius watched their son. Never before had they seen their son cry like this. They wanted to blame it on the war. They wanted to blame it on Dumbledore.

But they knew, this time, this time it was their fault.

Together, they both walked over to the sitting, crying boy. They both got on the floor and wrapped their arms around him.

Draco instantly wrapped his arms around theirs, holding on as if he would lose everything should he let go.

And at that moment, Narcissa Malfoy realized that the last time she had sat on the floor like this had been the moment she realized that Hermione was the long lost Little Black Girl.

So, Narcissa began to cry, too.

~*~*~*~*~*~ Severus knocked on his son’s door and then pushed it open to reveal the boy lying on his bed. It was time for them to settle this once and for all.

Harry automatically sat up and watched his father carefully as the man came in. Severus sat on his bed silently.

Harry wasn’t sure what to do or say. He wasn’t sure if he should speak or wait for his father to first. He did know that he was in trouble. At the moment, though, that didn’t matter. He could tell that it was so much more than that.

“Harry, I have some things to say to you and it is very important that you listen to me.” Severus said quietly. It was eerily quiet in the room. In the manor really.

Or maybe it was just Harry. Maybe sound was no longer reaching his ears correctly.

So, he simply nodded.

“What you did today was wrong on many levels. I want to make it clear, however, that the reason that I was so angry had nothing to do with the magazine. Going in that store was wrong, and I think you know that. Obviously, in the near future, you and I need to have another talk. Right now is not that time. Right now I want to talk about what you did that made me worry. And angry.”

Severus watched Harry closely. He wanted to make sure that the boy understood. That he knew

exactly why Severus was so upset.

“Harry, you snuck off. I don’t think that you realize why that is so dangerous. People are after you, child. They are after all of us. You put our entire family in jeopardy, son. But even that, I am not quite as angry about.” Severus stalled for several moments. It made Harry nervous.

“What were you really mad about then, Dad?” Harry whispered.

“Because, Son, you care nothing about your own safety. This is not just a recent event. You never think about you safety before you rush head first into things!”

“But, Dad, it doesn’t matter, does it? If I am going to have to fight some dark wizard anyways? I can’t think about my safety. Not when others are at risk.”

That response infuriated Severus. He stood up and turned towards the teenager.

“That, young man, is exactly what I am talking about. It is also how I know that you still have a lot of growing up to do! You are a child! Above that, you are my child. Your life means more to me than anyone else’s. Your safety will always come first. You are not destined to fight anyone, and I will be damned before I allow you to sacrifice yourself. Call me horrid, or selfish, or a bastard, but you are my child! I will die before I allow anything to happen to you!” Severus ranted.

But, suddenly, Harry understood it. He realized what his father was trying to say.

He rocketed himself at his father and wrapped his arms around the older man’s waist.

“Dad, I am sorry! I promise I will stop and think before I act. I am sorry that I made you and Mum so worried.” Harry said as he hugged the man.

Severus patted the boy on the back lightly.

“Harry, we wouldn’t be able to bear it if anything happened to you. You have to keep that in mind when you feel like you have to try to save the world. And bear in mind, Child, if you endanger your life again, your mother and I will never let you out of our sight again.”

“Okay, Dad. I promise that I will stop and think. I will try not to endanger my life again.”

Later, Harry realized that he hadn’t promised his father that he wouldn’t endanger his life. He had only promised he would stop and think.

It was all for the best. Harry knew that soon he would endanger his life again. The time was coming, he knew. But after it was over, hopefully his father and mother would forgive him.

Draco and Harry were both under restriction, which gave them both time to think as restriction meant staying in ones room except for meals.

Harry hated it perhaps more so than Draco did because he hated knowing that he was not allowed to leave his room and felt as if he was caged in. Thankfully, his parents did allow him to leave his door open so that he would know if he had to leave, he would be able too.

They had discovered when Harry was seven that he had a fear of being closed in when he had been put in a time out in his room. He had been living with his family for about six months at the time and had finally felt comfortable enough to show a bit of defiance.

It had happened one morning shortly after breakfast. It was the January right after Severus had gone back to school for the second term. Harry spent his days with Draco and Hermione under Narcissa’s care and tutelage, and Rosemerta and Lucius were usually both home by three or so in the afternoon.

That morning, however, Harry had been especially difficult. He had been having a hard time with the fact that Severus had left him again, and it was possible that he would only see him for one weekend a month until summer. It was hard for a little boy who had just realized that he had a family who really cared about him to see his father walk out the door so often. The only thing that helped was that Rosemerta was at the manor during nights when Harry needed to be reassured or needed to have one on one time with an adult.

That morning, however, both Severus and Rosemerta left at the same time, something that did not happen normally. Harry watched them leave while he was eating breakfast and practically the minute they had both floo’d out of the house, Harry refused to eat any breakfast. Deep down, the little boy was terrified that they were never coming back for him since they had left together. Not long after that, Draco had asked him if he wanted to play exploding snap after they had lessons and Harry had pushed the other little boy down.

Draco, who had never been near any violence in his short seven, nearly eight years, was astounded. He didn’t understand what had just happened.

Narcissa watched the entire thing and immediately sent Harry to his room, following him there to make sure that he didn’t detour. He didn’t detour, but he purposely knocked several pictures and vases to the floor, shattering them.

Narcissa, who was used to temper tantrums from her own child on occasion, made sure that Harry was sitting on his bed, told him to stay there until she came back in seven minutes, and shut the door.

The minute the door shut, Harry panicked. He crawled under the bed and started to cry, his accidental magic causing things to fly around the room.

Narcissa barely got down the hallway when she heard things hitting the wall and felt the impulse of magic coming from Harry’s room.

She turned around and quickly made her way to the little boy’s room and opened the door.

“Harry?” she asked softly, sitting in a chair close to the door so that she was well away from Harry’s magic, but in a position so that she could still see Harry. She felt his magic, and knew from past experiences growing up, with Draco, and even with Hermione and Harry, that a child’s accidental magic could lash out if they felt threatened or hurt.

“Harry, can you tell me what is wrong? I wasn’t going to be gone long, Sweetheart.”

Harry was silent except for heart wrenching sobs at first. Then, so quietly Narcissa almost didn’t hear what he said: “I’m sorry I was bad. I am sorry. I don’t want to be locked in the cupboard.”

It made her heart stop for a moment.

“Come here, Harry. You are not bad, sweetie.”

It took Narcissa several moments, but Harry finally flew out from under the bed and into her arms.

Narcissa fire-called Rose soon after and explained everything to her, and later that day both Rose and Severus came home and talked to Harry for a long time about why he had reacted as he had.

Now they made sure to prevent anything that would make him have those feelings. Keeping his door open while he was being punished was just one of the ways that they made sure he felt comfortable. Just because the child was in trouble did not mean that he had to be afraid or need to remember what happened to him while he was at his relatives. In fact, the entire family usually went out of their way to make sure that he didn’t.

With the boys on restriction, Hermione had even more time to get to know her mother, and spent it with her, often staying up at all hours of the night to finish the school work that she was supposed to be doing during the day, unbeknownst to Lucius and Narcissa.

Things, however, were happening fast.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione sat on the floor in front of Bellatrix while the older woman brushed her hair.

“Mum?”

“Yes, Love?” Bellatrix asked her while continuing to brush her hair.

“What was Aunt Cissy like when she was small? I mean, it is hard for me to picture her as small

sometimes.” Hermione whispered.

Bellatrix thought about it for a moment.

“She was always the sweetest child. She was the youngest, so we all…our parents, Dromeda, and me… we doted on her every whim. I knew though, that she would be an amazing mother. Even from the time she was three or four, she would mother everyone. Especially when someone was ill. She always wanted to simply take care of everyone. I am more than thankful that you were found and given to her. I would never have wanted anyone else to raise my child. And look how you turned out. Brilliantly.”

Hermione stared into the fire for several moments. What would her mother have been like if she had been the one raising her?

“I was supposed to be with you. Does it bother you? That they took me from you?”

Bellatrix stopped brushing Hermione’s hair and pulled her shoulder around with one hand and placed her fingers under her daughter’s chin so that she could look into the caramel eyes of her child.

“I hated every moment that I was gone from, you, but you have turned out better than I ever could have hoped. Narcissa loves you more than you will ever understand. She would risk her life to keep you safe.”

“But you are my mother.” Hermione whispered.

“And Cissy raised you, love. I have watched you the last couple of weeks, skirting around her. You are hurting Cissy, love. You can’t do that. It isn’t fair.”

Hermione backed away from her mother’s hand and stared at her for a moment.

“She is being unreasonable. She made me write lines for two days for getting you to let me into the potions lab!”

“As well she should have. You tricked me with that little scandal, young lady. Cissy wasn’t too happy with me either. In fact, she wouldn’t talk to me for several days after that.” Bellatrix told her daughter.

“But you are my mother! You should make the rules now, not Aunt Cissy! That isn’t fair. Aunt Cissy shouldn’t have the right to punish me when you told me that it was okay!” Hermione hissed at her mother.

Bellatrix took a deep breath and then looked down at her child.

“Hermione, you cannot do this. You cannot play me against Cissy. I may be biologically your mother, but I haven’t been here for you. I was never there for you. I didn’t get to raise you. I

didn’t get to take care of you when you were sick. I didn’t get to take you shopping, or see you off to school. I didn’t get the chance to worry about you when you let your Gryffindor tendencies get you into trouble. I wasn’t here. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to be. It was because I wasn’t given that chance. Cissy raised you though. She did get to do all of those things. She has sat with you when you were sick, or crying, or hurt. She has stayed up late at night with you when you couldn’t sleep. She treated you exactly like she treated her biological son. And she did that, Hermione, because you are her child. You will always be her child before you are mine. I gave birth to you, but I will never be able to be the mother that Cissy is for you. I know that you want that, you feel like that is the right choice, but it will never be that way. That choice was taken away from us a long time ago.” Bellatrix had tears streaming down her face. That had, perhaps, been the hardest thing she would ever have to say to her child.

Hermione backed away from her mother and stared at her in shock. This was not how things were supposed to work out. Her mother was supposed to be there for her always.

“I don’t understand.” Hermione whispered, tears also falling freely down her cheeks.

Through her tears, Bellatrix nodded, “I know you don’t, love. But, one day you will. One day you will realize that everything I have said is true.”

Bellatrix didn’t have the chance to say anything else because Hermione stood up and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Not daring to move at that moment, Bellatrix stared into the fire as her tears coursed down her cheeks and dripped onto her midnight blue dress, leaving small wet patches.

It had hurt her to tell her child, her only child, the only child she would ever give birth to, that she was not her mother. Not in the sense of the word. But, Bellatrix knew that it was the truth. One could not miss fifteen years of life, waltz back into that life, and still call herself a mother.

Oh, she was a biological mother and she loved her child more than anything in the world.

But, Cissy was something more. More than Bellatrix could ever hope to be. However, Bellatrix knew that her daughter had turned out better than she could have hoped, and that if Hermione had spent her years with her, she never would have turned out nearly as good as she had.

The facts all hurt, and there was nothing that could soften them.

One day, her daughter, her child, Narcissa’s daughter, would forgive her. One day, perhaps, she would look back on this day and realize that it was the moment she finally realized that she had had her true mother all along.

Or, maybe, one day, she would be able to look back to this day, this exact moment, and realize that she had always known that Cissy was her real mother, and that Bellatrix was merely an unknown and fascinating entity that she only wanted to know more about.

One thing was for certain though: Bellatrix would always look back on this day and know that, even though it had hurt her more than words could ever describe, she had done the right thing.

~*~*~*~*~

Several days passed. They passed slowly and quietly. No one really said anything about how on edge they felt, nor did they say anything about how confused they all were. One thing was for certain though, there was going to be another meeting tonight. One that they, Harry, Draco, and Hermione, were once again not allowed to attend.

They were just finishing up supper when they heard the ‘special’ floo in the parlor spring to life. That entrance into the manor was protected in such a way that no one could get through the floo unless he or she was both invited and had a special password.

This time, however, supper had gone longer than normal, so the children were not surprised when they heard the floo go off. They were surprised, however, when someone walking towards the dining room tripped and fell. Hard.

“Nymphadora! How many times must I tell you to be careful!” a woman chastised her. Hermione and Harry looked at one another, their eyes growing wide with delight.

“Don’t. Call. Me. Nymphadora!”

“I am your mother, I named you, I shall call you whatever I wish! Now go into the dining room.”

The door opened and in walked Tonks, her hair a brilliant shade of random greens, pinks, and purples, her eyes amazingly silver.

“Aunt Cissy!” Tonks yelled, and ran, nearly tripping, to her aunt and flung her arms around the older woman. Narcissa hugged her niece tightly. It had been ages since they had seen each other.

“Wow, wow, wow. Tonks?” Harry said, his eyes wide. What the heck!

“Hiya, Harry! Hermione! Been a long time!” She smiled at the duo, then at Draco. Even he had not known that Tonks obviously didn’t hate his family.

“How….what?” Harry stuttered.

“Oh no worries! Someone had to be on the outside, on the inside, to keep you two safe at Grimmauld Place! That would be me! We all know that you two love trouble, and since Uncle Sev can’t really be there all the time without suspicion, it was up to me to keep you safe and out of all the trouble you two like to find! I think I did a pretty good job of it, if I do say so myself!” Tonks smiled charmingly, and Harry and Hermione stared.

“So, how long have you known?” Hermione asked.

“About you two? Only recently. I mean, I always knew that Mum and Aunt Cissy and Aunt Trixie weren’t really at odds, but we only ever got to see Aunt Cissy when she was at the manor alone. They always said that it wasn’t safe and for some time Mum had to occlude for me until Uncle Sev taught me, with Mum’s help, when I was nine. Mum finally told me everything last summer when we knew that you two would have to go to Grimmauld Place for two weeks, and someone had to stay and make sure you stayed out of trouble.”

“Nymph, breathe, child. They are taking in a lot of information right now.” Andromeda said.

“No, Aunt Dromeda, it is okay. We are used to taking in a lot of information lately.” Draco panned out. He was still a bit upset with his parents, even if they had been making it a point to talk to him more about his feelings, about everything that was going on.

Not that that made it any better. It was a hard time for everyone.

“Okay, Hermione, Draco, Harry, go to your rooms, please.” Rosemerta said. She was, at the current time, the only parent that no one seemed to be angry with, and even that was sometimes iffy.

It was the curse of children who felt they were grown.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione went to the library. She was still looking for information about Dumbledore. Every bit of information would be helpful.

No matter how small.

~*~*~*~*~

Harry and Draco went into Draco’s room and sat on the floor playing exploding snap.

“Draco, it is going to happen soon." Harry said. Draco was one person that Harry talked to about nearly everything, once they finally had the chance to actually sit down together during the summer. Usually, however, it happened after they got over their normal end of school/beginning of summer spat. The boys had grown up together and were like cousins, but after everything that they had to live through during the school term, it was normal for tempers and emotions to run high.

"Harry, you know that when it comes down to it, we will fight together. It will be each of us. We are destined for this fight, Harry. We always have been."

"Draco, you know what I think of most when I think about this whole stupid war?" Harry said, suddenly looking at the ceiling and dropping his cards to the floor.

"What?"

"That all I want is my Mum and Dad."

"Your biological mum and Uncle Sev?" Draco asked. Sometimes, one could not tell with Harry when he started talking philosophically.

"Nah. I love her because I know that she loved me. I mean, she died to protect me, so of course she loved me. Everyone talks about what a wonderful person she was, but I don't know her. As much as she wanted to raise me and take care of me, she didn't get too. I am talking about my Mum now. Sometimes I wish that I was still little and could just sit on her lap so that she could just make everything go away. But now, now I have a duty. I have to protect people."

"Harry, you are just a kid. Just like me and Mione, even if we do all try to act like we aren’t. Of course we want our mums. Never let anyone tell you that there is anything wrong with it. If they do…well, if they do, I will hex them for you. We are going to go through a war. Harry, just because people don't want to acknowledge it doesn't mean that it isn't true. But, right now, until it is our time to fight, we have to live."

Harry smiled at Draco.

"Just promise me one thing, Draco." Harry said, looking over Draco’s shoulder to the window. The stars were shining. The moon was full too. It made Harry automatically wonder how Remus was doing, and if the man was on their side or Dumbledore’s.

He had been a friend of James’ as it was. But, who could tell anymore?

"Yes…" Draco said, though he was already not sure if he wanted to make any promises to Harry. Sometimes it was dangerous to do so.

"When it does come down to it, when the last blow has felled, make sure that you protect Mione. If nothing else, you have to protect Mione. She will sacrifice herself for me. Just like my mum, Lily, did. You cannot allow that to happen."

Draco looked straight at Harry. His cousin, his best friend…his brother.

"I promise, Harry. I promise.

Both boys looked at one another intensely for a minute, and Harry barely had time to nod in appreciation, when Hermione banged the door open and ran into the room with a small book.

“I found something! I found something!” she said, launching herself onto Draco’s bed with the book.

Draco and Harry looked at one another, both having the same thought: she really is nuts, isn’t she?

Both smiled at one another and barely contained their laughter.

“Be serious! The both of you. I don’t know how we all missed this, except that it was pushed behind a lot of other books and it hasn’t been in print in decades!” Hermione reprimanded them.

“Yes, yes. What did you find, little sister?” Draco asked. Hermione shot him a look, yet didn’t say anything to him because, in all honesty, she did think of Draco as a brother. She always had.

But the fact was, that at that moment, so soon after her Mum had told her that Narcissa was her true mother, well, it hurt to think about it.

“So, what did you find?” Harry asked, turning to crawl on the bed beside Hermione to look at the book she had brought into the room.

“It’s about Dumbledore! And you guys aren’t going to believe what I found out! Read this section that I highlighted! Except…don’t tell Uncle Lucius… If he finds out that I marked in this book he won’t let me go into the library anymore!”

Harry and Draco both shook their heads, but then leaned over to read the text.

Albus Dumbledore is known to have many likes where candy is concerned. He is particularly fond of chocolate and taffy, especially jumping taffy frogs. His one downfall, however, is the lemon drop, as he is allergic to an ingredient in the hard candy and nearly died from an allergic reaction when he was six years old.

Harry read the section several times. What the bloody hell? Was he reading it right?

Draco was having the same thoughts.

“What the bloody hell? That doesn’t make sense! The man devours lemon drops!” Draco said.

Hermione looked at them both.

“I know.” She said, thinking.

For several moments, it was quiet in the room. Too quiet.

Finally, Harry spoke.

“It’s time. Guys, it is time. I can feel it. It is time for us to go. While they are having the meeting. This is the time that we have been waiting for.” Harry said quietly, already getting up so that he could go to his room and grab the things they would need.

Neither Draco or Hermione said anything.

Because they had felt something too.

It was time to go and fight.

Harry, Draco, and Hermione were packed. Hermione had apparently been packed since they got to the manor and had had most of the boys things ready as well. They each had a bag with an invisible extension charm as well as a feather light charm. Each bag contained a stasis charm with enough food for two weeks, clothes, and a varied collection of potions. Hermione’s also held several books and a tent. Just in case. Everything in those bags were for just in case.

None of them were expecting the war to last much longer now. Not when they were seeking the danger out. Not when they were heading straight to Hogwarts to confront the man.

In some ways, Harry was relieved. He was finally going to end this battle.

In other ways he was extremely sad. Regardless of what the end results were going to be, his parents were going to kill him.

Draco, though he would never admit it, was scared.

So was Hermione.

But they had a job to do. They were on a mission.

A mission they would accomplish one way or another.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Ron Weasley woke up with a start. Something felt off. Very off.

He didn’t know right away what it was, but he could feel something. He looked around the room. Seamus and Dean were still sleeping, but Neville was also up, looking around.

“Did you feel that?” Ron asked the other boy.

“Yes. I felt it. Ron. I think that…I think that perhaps we should get the younger years into safety.” Neville said quietly.

While Ron had not been told that Neville was on their side for safety purposes, Neville’s Gran had told him that when the time came, he could trust Ron because Professor Snape was going to talk to the boy.

And it seemed that Ron understood. He understood that Neville was on his side as well. He understood that he was not alone.

“Okay. Where to?” Ron asked. He was now putting every ounce of trust he had into a boy, a friend, who he had thought was afraid of his own shadow.

Oh how times changed.

~*~*~*~*~

Luna Lovegood woke up the moment she felt the shift. The magic in the castle was shifting. Someone was trying to force the wards to fall from the inside, but the castle was already beginning to fight back. Luna knew that no one else would be able to feel what she could. She had been able to feel magic since she was born, and it was a very rare gift. It was even rarer than being a metamorphous.

Luna could do a lot of things that no one knew. It was one of the reasons that she had been put in Ravenclaw.

But the hat had told her that she had the heart of a Gryffindor. Right now she needed that courage.

She snuck out of the fourth year dormitory and into the first year girls, then second year, and third year. She did the same for the boys. She then woke the fourth years. Since they were all half awake, it was easier to get them herded into the secret path that was hidden behind a bookcase and led to the Room of the Refugee Once the door was closed, they would not be able to get out through the Ravenclaw passage until she opened it. Filch would be waiting for them to take them to safety. So would, other people, though Luna was not sure who.

If she died, which Luna knew was a possibility, the door was charmed to open when the battle was over to allow people to get out this way, if there was no other way out. Hogwarts would know when it was over, for Hogwarts would protect her own.

She knew, now that she had the younger years safe, she had to wake up the older years. She had to see who would be willing to fight.

She was ready. She hoped they would be.

~*~*~*~*~

Justin Finch-Fletchly ushered the first through fourth years into a secret tunnel behind the fireplace in Hufflepuff. He had to get them into the tunnel and down to Filch. Then he had things to do.

First on his list was to set the upper years into place. He had known the night before that it would be today. He had Seen. Though he kept it a secret, he’d had the Sight for his entire life. It was meant for this. So, he had gotten Hufflepuff ready the night before explaining what was happening, what would happen. They knew that they were going to have to fight and every single Hufflepuff from fifth to seventh year was ready. The younger years had wanted to help, but he had refused.

His Sight was to help people live.

Today was the day he was going to die.

But it was okay. He had accepted it years before.

~*~*~*~*~

Marcus Flint handed off the youngest of the Slytherins to Maddie Malton. Along with Filch, she was going to make sure that the children all remained safe.

The youngest in Slytherin were exactly that: young. Only the eleven to twelve year olds were forced into the Room of Refugees. Any students older than that were given a choice. Even though Marcus told them that they could only fight if the battle got close to the Room of Refugee in the Dungeons, many had refused to go to the Room of Refugees, instead choosing to stand guard and keep the little ones safe.

Marcus rubbed his forehead. The minute the wards started fighting to stay alive from the inside, his head had been killing him. The magical impulse had been almost too much.

Now, though, he had too much to do. There was a battle to get ready for. A man to hide from.

But that wasn’t going to be easy. On the contrary, they were in the middle of the Dragon’s nest.

And they always said to never tickle a sleeping dragon.

Too bad they were fixing to tickle one who was wide awake.

~*~*~*~*~

The trio ran once they finally bypassed all of the protection and security wards. Even after avoiding the wards inside the manor, they still had to be careful not to trip any of the wards that were set up on the outskirts of the manor as well. If they were caught, their parents would literally lock them up and probably do more than just threaten to throw away the keys. They would never see the light of day again.

Once, however, they got out of the warding zone, about two miles from the manor, Hermione stopped and looked at the two boys.

“We can apparate now.” Hermione said. Harry and Draco stared at her.

“Hermione, you know that we don’t know how to apparate.” Draco pointed out.

“I know that neither of you know how too, but I do. I have been practicing since Christmas. The ministry will never know because there is no longer any ministry.”

The boys both stared at her. Sometimes she really surprised them. They walked over to

Hermione and she grabbed them both, pulling them close.

The next thing the boys knew, they were being apparated away.

~*~*~*~*~

Minerva McGonagall knew the children were on the move. All were doing various things. Some were getting ready to fight. Some were sneaking away to fight with Dumbledore, the few that he had been able to bribe to his side.

She knew that Harry, Hermione, and Draco were getting closer. She could sense it. She had not gone to the meeting tonight because Dumbledore had summoned her. His “most trusted friend” he liked to call her.

It made her want to spit fire. His most trusted friend indeed. The man had lied to her for years. Of course she had known. She had known that the man trusted James Potter with everything.

And look at what that had gotten Lily. Death. Lily Evans had never had feelings for James Potter, and the man had always been jealous of that fact. He had always tried to get Lily to go out with him. It had almost been painful to watch.

Then, while James was terrorizing half of Slytherin, and especially Severus, Dumbledore had turned a blind eye. What Minerva didn’t know, however, was how the man had made people think that James had finally gotten Lily. That had bothered her for years.

She didn’t know where the man’s mind had gone, but within the last several years it was obvious that he had gone insane. It was ridiculous just how badly the man wanted to make sure that Harry was not held liable for anything he did.

Minerva just shook her head and then began to walk. It was going to be a hard day.

~*~*~*~*~

They were within the Forbidden Forest. They had never felt so…unsafe.

There was a moment of silence while Draco pulled out a roll of parchment and spread it out on the ground.

“Do you think that they know yet?” Hermione whispered. They were sitting between several trees. The area was warded as tightly as they could manage, but that didn’t make them feel much safer. Hermione looked over towards Draco who was holding the map they had up for the other two to see.

“Okay, this is a map of Hogwarts. It is similar to the Marauder’s map, except that I have charmed it to show all of the tunnels, hallways, and places on the grounds that are the easiest attack points. It is really like a game of chess. If we access here,” Draco pointed to a tunnel

that was in the forbidden forest. Severus had pointed it out to him, “it leads into the Gryffindor Common rooms. If everything goes as planned, then there should be people waiting for us. I overheard McGongall tell my Dad that she had people ready, and that they would know when the battle was fixing to start. I don’t know how, but the point is that they will be there.”

The trio was taking a short stop to let Hermione regain her strength. It has been hard on her, apparating the three of them, even though they had made several short jumps instead of one large one to ensure that she didn’t deplete her magical core to nothing. She had taken a Pepper- Up Potion, so she would be ready soon. They were going to make their way towards the castle shortly and the information that map had could be the difference between life and death in the end.

“It has been two hours. I think that if they do not know, they will know soon.” Draco said. He had always been the most practical. He always tried to plan things out several steps ahead of everyone else.

“Guys, this is really going to be it. We need to get ready. We need to leave in thirty minutes. The wards are fighting him. Can you feel it?” Harry asked the other two.

“Yes. I have felt it for a while now.” Hermione said. Draco merely nodded.

“Draco? Are you ready?” Harry asked.

Suddenly, there was a howl. A howl that sent a shiver down each of the three fifteen year olds.

“We have to be careful. With the moon full, there is no telling how many werewolves were running through the woods.

“Where is this tunnel, Draco? How close is it to here? I don’t want to stay out here longer than we need too because those wolves are close. The wards may not be strong enough if they sense us.” Hermione said.

“It is close. That tree over there. The one with the three mushroom caps at the base.” Draco said, glancing quickly at the map.

Suddenly, an influx of magic washed over them, their wards falling almost immediately, causing them to stumble as they did so.

They each froze, and looked around the forest.

“Guys, we have to go. Now. Drop everything but your wands, anything else will only hinder us now.” Harry hissed. He could see, from a distant, something was moving.

“I will open the passage, and then you two get down there, and fast, so that we can close it. We don’t need anything else in there.”

Draco walked over to the tree slowly, so as not to attract attention.

Something howled again. It was closer.

“Harry…” Hermione whimpered.

Harry turned to look at his bonded and his heart nearly froze. Ten feet behind Hermione was exactly what they feared.

A werewolf.

But, not just any werewolf.

It was Remus Lupin. Harry would know that wolf anywhere. Did he take the Wolfsbane potion? Whose side was he on?

“Hermione, move slowly. I will stupefy him if I need too.” Harry hissed. Hermione was calm, much calmer than she should have been, though Harry was not sure if it was because they had stared down the same wolf before, or if it was shock.

“Draco, is it open? We have a problem!” Harry hissed, hoping that the boy behind him could hear.

“Yes! Come!” Draco yelled.

Suddenly, the werewolf who was really Remus Lupin charged at Hermione. Hermione screamed and ducked. It was a heart clinching scream that made Harry draw his wand to send a spell at the wolf,

“STOP, HARRY!” Draco screamed. In that split second, Harry froze. Remus the Werewolf jumped over Hermione’s head and tackled another werewolf.

“Run!” Draco screamed at both of them. It was a quick decision that both Hermione and Harry made at the same time. They ran. Harry leaned towards Hermione and grabbed her hand, then pulled her towards the tree where Draco was waiting. Behind them, they could hear the thrashing and growls of angry werewolves.

Harry pushed Hermione down into the passage, but stopped and looked towards the fighting wolves.

He didn’t get to look long because Draco pulled him into the passage, closed it, then continued pulling both Hermione and Harry through the tunnel. They were all too nervous to say anything.

Finally, they reached a door.

“I guess this is it.” Draco said.

They stared at it for a few seconds. It was seconds they didn’t have, but seconds they definitely needed.

“Whatever happens, remember everything. Remember everything that we have been through since we were seven. Remember that we love each other. Remember that we have always been there for one another.” Hermione whispered.

“And, remember…remember that this time, this one time, if someone attacks you, kill first, ask questions later. This time, there can be no hesitation. We don’t know who is on our side. Not really. Our goal is to rid the world of Dumbledore. The most important thing is to get rid of him and live to tell the tale.” Harry said.

“I love you, both.” Hermione said, and wrapped her arms around both boys.

They each took a deep sigh.

“Okay, let’s do this.”

They opened the door slowly and peered out.

“It’s about bloody time you guys showed up! Let’s get this Quidditch match started!”

There stood Ron Weasley, a grin on his face, though a serious look was in his eyes. Neville was right beside him.

In spite of it all, Harry was actually quite happy to know that at least these two were on their side.

Another influx of magic shook the building. It was time.

The meeting had ended thirty-five minutes earlier, the last person was finally gone and the Floo closed.

Severus turned around and smiled at his wife. She was sitting in the corner talking to Narcissa and Bellatrix.

“Love, I am going to go find Harry and send him off to bed. I know that he hasn’t gone willingly and it is nearly midnight.” Severus told her. Rosemerta smiled back at him and nodded.

Despite the smiles both were passing between one another, the meeting they had just gone through had been a difficult one. People were turning up missing left and right, some as victims of murder and others simply disappearing without a trace. Thankfully, they were able to keep most of this hidden from the children since the Daily Prophet was no longer being published. They needed to keep them safe. If that meant keeping them from knowing what was going on outside of the manor, then so be it.

Severus walked towards Draco’s room. The door was open, but there was no one there. Severus turned and walked towards Hermione’s room, which was close to Lucius and Narcissa’s room.

The door was also empty, and, strangely, the room was actually quite messy. That was unlike Hermione.

Severus walked towards the other end of the manor.

Halfway there, however, he met his wife.

Rosemerta had tears rolling down her cheeks. It sent anger rushing through him. No one was allowed to make his wife, his love, cry. He hated when she cried, and it was all the worse that she cried so rarely.

“Rosie, what is wrong?” Severus asked, opening his arms so that she could settle in between them. It always amazed him just how well she fit.

“Look, Sevy!” Rose cried. She handed him a piece of parchment. Eight words.

Mum, Dad, Sorry. I had too. Love, Harry.

Eight words that sent fury through Severus Snape’s very being.

“Where did you find this?”

“I went to see if he was in his room, Sevy! It was on his door. Sevy, why would he do that? Why would he choose this moment to disobey us again?” Rose cried. Severus held her tighter. He held her tight, but at the same time knew that now was the time. Now was the time when they had to

ready themselves.

For the battle had already begun.

“Love, we have to get ready.”Severus whispered to her as he loosened his hold. Rosemerta nodded against his chest and then brought her hands up to wipe her tears away.

Less than a minute later, she was transformed. Severus watched her. In her eyes was hurt…hurt especially evident through years of oneness between them. Her eyes, so brilliantly golden, so unlike anyone else’s eyes he had ever seen, had the shine of a warrior. Or of a snake ready to fight for her clutch. Rosemerta Snape was ready for battle.

And Merlin help their son when she finally got a hold of him. Merlin help the boy when Severus got a hold of him.

“Come, we have to alert the others.”

Together, the couple walked down the steps towards Narcissa, Lucius, and Bellatrix.

They walked down the steps, hand in hand, perhaps, for the last time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Everyone knew what they had to do. Severus had thought that Narcissa was going to attempt to summon their children to her the moment she was told that they had gone to Hogwarts. Severus had watched as Bellatrix tried not to shed a tear at the thought of her daughter and nephews making the first steps towards a dangerous battle.

When they had walked outside to send patronus’ to those on their side everyone noticed, nearly at the same time, that tonight was the night of the full moon.

He had held Rosemerta’s hand and kissed her lightly on the cheek before he and Lucius began their own trek to Hogwarts. They would go to The Three Broomsticks and meet with others on their side.

“Be safe, love. We will be together soon.” Severus said, kissing his wife once more. She merely nodded.

She nearly broke when she watched as he and Lucius apparated away. She breathed deeply, trying to get a hold of her emotions. She could not choose now to break down. She might allow herself to break down after the battle.

“We have to go to the Weasley’s. They are being watched closely since Arthur’s accident in the ministry, so we cannot send a Patronus to them.” Rose said, turning to face Narcissa and Bellatrix.

Bellatrix shook her head. No. She had something else that she had to do first. It was probably going to be her only chance, and there was a young child who deserved this one thing, this one

thing that only she would be able to accomplish.

“You two go ahead. I have something that I must correct first. I will be there soon. I will fight beside my…Hermione.”

Narcissa watched her older sister. She watched the hurt in her eyes.

She walked over to Trixie and wrapped her arms around her neck, and whispered into her ear, “She was born from you. She is a gift. She will always be your child, Sister, it is just that she is mine too…and we were always good at sharing, I see no reason we should not be now.”

Bellatrix stifled a sob, and nodded.

“Thank you little sister. I love you. Now go. Make sure our children are not doing anything stupid.”

All three women laughed nervously, though no one said what they were all thinking: ‘Their children had already done the stupidest thing they had the ability to do.’

Suddenly, without another word, Bellatrix vanished with a pop.

“Are you ready for this, Cissy?”

There was a low sigh.

“As ready as one can ever be to fight a battle and then throttle one’s children.”

Rose tried not to laugh as she grabbed Cissy’s hand and apparated the two of them away.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The halls were quiet and stark white.

As she walked down the hallways she was amazed at how clean everything smelled. After years in Azkaban, everything smelled clean to her, but nothing smelled nearly as crisp and clean as the halls of St. Mungos.

Bellatrix was under a Notice-Me-Not spell. She could not take the chance of being seen before she got to the fifth floor…where Alice and Frank were under a spell.

She had been researching the dark spell since she had gotten home. It was a spell so dark that not many knew of it, as it was a forgotten spell by most. While she did not remember much of that night, she did know that Dumbledore did something to her friends.

She had finally found it a mere day before. Conturbare animam animo capere.

And, she had found the countercurse. Ad liberare anima et liberare in animo.

She had to free them from their childlike state. Not for herself, though for some reason she constantly blamed herself for not being able to save them, but for Neville, who had never known his parents. She knew that Hermione’s childhood had started out roughly because of the muggles that she had been illegally given too, but Neville had also been affected by the loss of his parents. Thankfully, he had his Grandmother, who had apparently been close by when everything had happened.

Finally, Bellatrix stood in front of the door. Behind her, she could hear the healers yelling to get ready, to prepare because the battle they had been expecting had began.

In one part of her mind, she wondered whose side they were on, or if they even cared who came in because they were healers and had taken an oath to heal all they could.

But, in the forefront of her mind was only one thing: Save Alice and Frank.

She knew her friends would have done the same thing for her.

~*~*~*~*~

Cissy and Rose apparated directly into the Weasley’s sitting room. Cissy had never been there, so Rose had needed to side-along apparate them both.

Molly looked up, shocked at their sudden appearance. It meant that it was time.

“Oh, no.” Molly said quietly.

Rose looked almost ashamed.

“I am sorry, Molly.” Rose whispered.

“Now, now. It isn’t your fault. We have been expecting this for some time. It’s at Hogwarts, then?”

Cissy was the one to nod this time.

“Then let me get the boys.” Molly said, turning.

“We are already ready, Mum.” Charlie said. Behind him were the twins and Bill with Fleur by his side. Arthur walked through his sons and towards his wife.

“We have to leave. Now.” Arthur said, “Our children are already fighting. We have to be there to fight beside them, before them if possible.”

Rosemerta looked at everyone around her. Arthur was right. They had to save their children.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Severus and Lucius landed in the Forbidden Forest. They had first tried to go to The Three Broomsticks, but there were too many people in Hogsmeade. People they knew that were on the side of Dumbledore. Since they wanted to remain undetected until they were inside Hogwarts, they were forced to use the tunnel Severus had used not long ago to talk to Ronald Weasley.

“Severus! Look!” Lucius hissed. There, on the ground, were two bags. One Severus knew was Harry’s, the other he suspected was Hermione’s from its girlish pattern. There were numerous large footprints of werewolves near the bags.

“When this is over, I am going to throttle my son. He better be okay.” Severus said.

“As will I. Both Hermione and Draco.” Lucius said. Normally, he couldn’t bring himself to punish his princess, and Draco was so rarely in trouble it was not a problem.

This time, however, was different. Not even Hermione would be able to talk herself out of this. If anything happened to anyone in his family, Lucius did not know what he would do.

Severus summoned the bags to him, though stilled when he heard a howl. Obviously the wolves were still in the area.

He walked over to tree and touched the correct mushroom caps, and watched the hidden door open.

“Severus. Don’t move.”

Lucius’ voice was frosty. It held a hint of fear.

The thick, hot breath that Severus felt flow down his neck made him shiver. His body was frozen. He looked, as slowly as he could, to his right.

A werewolf. Staring at him intently.

“Lucius, do nothing. Did you take your wolfsbane?” Severus asked, though didn’t dare move anything other than his mouth.

The werewolf nodded.

Severus breathed a sigh of relief.

“Are the children okay?”

Again, the werewolf nodded.

“Are you willing to fight, to save those children?” Severus asked. He knew how much the werewolf, how much Lupin, detested fighting and risking hurting anyone in his werewolf form.

Some things, however, could not be helped.

The werewolf nodded again.

“Do you wish to come through the tunnel with us? Or do you wish to fetch other werewolves?”

Lupin took a step towards the tunnel. Obviously, there were no other werewolves on their side, or who retained enough of their minds not to attack all humans. Severus nodded, and then motioned for Lupin and Lucius to enter the tunnel.

They were almost there.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When Rosemerta and Narcissa apparated with the Weasleys, they landed at the front gates of Hogwarts. They were shocked at what they saw.

Spiders. Giants. Inferi. All fighting against students and adults. They had known for years that some people were on their side, others they had not known at all. At the highest tower, they could see him. They could see Dumbledore watching the battle below him.

Though no one said anything they all wondered who, if anyone besides the spiders, giants, and inferi, were fighting for the sociopath. As it looked, there was no one who was not attempting to fight the monsters off.

“Bloody hell. What have we gotten ourselves into?” one of the Weasley children said. Rose thought it was Charlie.

“Rose. Look again at the tower.” Cissy said, her voice thick with emotion.

For there, on the tower where Dumbledore stood on the balcony outside of his office, were two people.

Dumbledore. Harry. Though Rose nor Cissy could see well as it was not close and it was dark besides the full moon, she could see a shock of black hair. That meant that Draco and Hermione were up there too.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Severus, followed by Lucius and Lupin, stepped out of the tunnel. They were met by Longbottom. The boy had grown since he had seen him last, and seemed to be trying to hide just how scared he was. The boy really was a true Gryffindor.

“Good, Professor you are finally here! Harry said that you would come this way.”

“Where is he?”

Neville looked away for a moment.

“He is going to fight Dumbledore. He said to tell you that he must, he has no choice. He also said that he loves you…but that you can’t follow him.”

Severus swallowed back the snarky remark he wanted to voice.

He turned to Lucius and Lupin.

“Lupin, Lucius, to the front hall. We have to try to protect everyone.”

Together, the two men, werewolf, and a boy who was soon to prove that he was a man, ran towards the front hall.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Trixie? Is it really you?”

Bellatrix felt the hands on her face through her tears as she nodded.

“How long were we under the spell?”

“Nearly sixteen years.” Bellatrix whispered.

She felt hands and arms embrace her, both from Alice and Frank, though Frank had said nothing.

“I hate to cut this short, because I want nothing more than to catch you both up on everything, but there is a battle, supposedly the last battle, being fought at Hogwarts right now. Being fought by our children.”

Alice and Frank both gasped.

“Trixie, we haven’t a wand.” Alice said quietly.

At this, Trixie raised an eyebrow at Alice.

“Dear Alice, do you honestly think I did not think this through? Here.” Bellatrix said, handing both Alice and Frank the two wands she had asked Madam Longbottom for. The woman had been hesitant, but had handed them over all the same at the meeting earlier that night.

“Let’s go.” Bellatrix said, waving her wand in a complex way, changing the hospital pajamas of both Alice and Frank into clothing.

The same clothing that they had worn the last time she remembered seeing them.

It brought some comfort to all three.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“So, Dumbledore, the battle shall end tonight, shall it not?”

There had been many times in Harry’s life where he had faced death and lived to tell the tale. Going after the Stone in his first year, the Chamber second year, his mother after he had hexed his father, for he hadn’t been nearly afraid of Lupin the werewolf, during third year, and the Triwizard tournament in fourth.

Now it was his fifth year, and he was in Dumbledore’s office with Hermione, Draco, and Ron. They were all going to stick together in this. They had to. It was just how everything was meant to be.

The man was not in his office. But, Harry knew that he was on the ledge outside of his office.

Suddenly, something caught Harry’s eye. It was a round, glass ball.

Harry looked closer at the glass ball that was in the man’s office. It was round, cloudy… But it was almost as if there was something inside of it.

Harry picked the ball up and looked at it closely. Something blue…something, whatever was inside of it moved, nearly causing Harry to drop the ball.

“I see you have discovered my secret.” Harry didn’t turn around.

“So, Dumbedore, the battle shall end tonight, shall it not?”

Harry slipped the round ball into the pocket of his jacket. One that, luckily, his mother had added an extension charm to.

“Who are you, really?” Harry asked the man as he turned around.

“Why, I am Albus Dumbledore, of course. Would you care for a lemon drop?”

Harry’s eyes glared at the man before him.

“What really happened to my mother? What happened that night?” Harry asked. If he was fixing to fight the man, he wanted some answers.

To his shock, Dumbledore sat down near the doorway that led outside. It was a doorway that Harry had never really paid attention too.

Harry was not, however, going to let his guard down. He had to stay standing.

He knew better than to let his guard down at a time like this. Hermione, knew it also, but she still moved up to stand beside Harry, with her wand drawn. Ron moved up to Harry’s side, and Draco to Hermione’s.

Together, they were united.

“You wish to know what really happened? Since I am sure that you are about to die, I see no harm in telling you some things.” Dumbledore said mystically.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They apparated in the midst of the battle. Giant spiders were on the outskirts, near the Forbidden Forest. The Giants were on near the Great Lake. The Inferi were everywhere.

“What will we do? Trixie, it doesn’t look as if he has any humans on his side.” Frank said quietly.

“Inside. He didn’t know that the battle would happen for sure tonight. Harry, Hermione, and Draco assured that it would happen tonight.”

The trio walked, once again under Notice-Me-Not charms. At least until they reached the castle.

For there was only one thing that Frank and Alice Longbottom wanted more than to see the defeat of Dumbledore.

Their son.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Severus, Lucius, Neville, and Lupin ran down the stairs. There the battle was raging. The entire front door had been blasted open, bricks where crumbling. It took all the will Severus had not to vomit when he saw the bodies of the dead on the floor. Two sixth year Slytherins. One fourth year Hufflepuff. Several steps later lay another student, crouching behind some rubble, a gash across her arm, her robes in shreds. She was a first year, a Ravenclaw. Tears were streaming down her face.

“Miss Letherby, what are you doing out of the dungeons?” Severus hissed, trying to be an inconspicuous as possible.

“Professor!” The little girl cried and threw herself at the man.

“Miss Letherby, you have to be in the dungeons. It is not safe out here for you.” The man scolded.

“They’re dead, Professor! They are dead! My parents!”

Severus wrapped his arms around the little girl, picking her up. She was one of the smallest, if not the smallest, eleven year olds at Hogwarts, thankfully. Even while trying to comfort her, the battle waged on causing Severus to quickly throw a shield up around the two of them when a stray spell was sent their way.

“Mr. Longbottom, can you take Miss Letherby to the dungeons? If you insist on fighting, leave her with Filch.”

But Neville Longbottom was staring as though in a trance, his eyes frozen towards the hole in the front hall.

“Mr. Longbottom!” Severus yelled, trying to snap Neville out of whatever amount of shock he was in while they were in the middle of a bloody battle.

“Mr. Longbottom!”

“Professor, am I imagining things…or is that my parents? With Bellatrix Black?” his voice sounded far away, almost as if the boy thought he was in a dream.

And then the thought occurred to Severus. The boy did think he was dreaming. It was not an unfamiliar concept to the older man. For, had he not also thought it was a dream when he saw his child for the first time after years of separation?

Severus had known that Bellatrix had been searching for something for days, for weeks. It looked like she had finally found what she was looking for.

Severus, still holding the little first year, her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs around his waist, stood in front of Neville, placed one hand on his ledt shoulder, and lightly shook the boy.

“Mr. Longbottom, you have to listen to me. I know that this is a shock. This whole bloody battle is a shock. But Bellatrix was the only one who could help your parents, and she did! She freed them of a spell that Dumbledore placed on them. They are free! You have to pull yourself together! You are a bloody Gryffindor! Act like it!” Severus scolded the young man.

Right before his eyes the boy transformed. Happiness filled his eyes, his stance straightened up, and he looked directly into Severus’ eyes, something he had never before done.

“You’re right, Professor. I have to go to them. I have to make sure that they make it out of this battle alive. I have to make sure that everyone who needs to be defeated, is defeated. I have to do this for them and my Gran, and I have to do this for Harry.” With that, Neville ran towards his parents.

Severus turned around. He had to get to wherever Dumbledore was because he knew that that was where his son was. At the moment, however, he had to get Miss Letherby to safety.

Severus turned, and walked towards a hidden stairwell that led to the dungeons.

“Severus!”

He turned, his shield once again immediately going up. He slowly dropped them when Rose ran to him.

“Where is Harry, Rose? Have you seen him?”

“I’ll take her, Sev, Harry is in Dumbledore’s office. I will take her back to the dungeons.”

Immediately, the two transferred the little girl to Rose’s hip, and the child automatically latched onto her.

Severus leaned over, “Be careful, Love. And this is Miss Letherby…she just watched her parents killed. They were on Dumbledore’s side.”

Rose closed her eyes and nodded.

“Be safe, Love. Be safe.”

With that, both went their separate ways.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Once upon a time, there was a prophecy. This prophecy was made by a Once-a-Time Seer. She was a Seer, but would only make one prediction.

The prediction was about a family. The only problem with this family was that no one knew who the family was.

The Prophecy said:

“The child with the power combined with a mate will arise with the ability to vanquish the false Lord of Light….born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies….and the false Lord of Light will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the false Lord knows not…the false Lord of Light will mark two as his equal, to throw the world off course…then the one with the mate and power to defeat the false Lord of Light will add one more, a friend, a brother in spirits, also marked as the equal to the false Lord of Light…together these equals have the power to vanquish the false Lord of Light…these two shall be born as the seventh month dies…”

Dumbledore studied hard to discover who this person would be. He had been studying it for months. Though the elder man detested Tom Riddle, and he knew the man was building an army for something, it did not seem like he was the man in the prophecy.

He knew, however, that the children in the prophecy could only be two…For at the end of July there had only been two children born.

Neville Longbottom and Harrison Snape.

Who could the Longbottoms and Snapes have defied three times?

That was when Dumbledore had decided to do a bit of meddling. He sent for Severus Snape.

He explained to the man that he needed him to go on a mission. A mission that would help the wizarding world, and Dumbledore would help protect his wife and child.

Severus, though hesitantly, agreed.

The next step was to protect the Longbottoms.

But, something happened that night at the Snape’s.

Dumbledore, for the first time in his life was overpowered. He was trapped in a stasis ball, somewhere he could move and think, but could do nothing else. It was old magic. Magic, by all intents, should have been considered dark, but was actually invented as a light spell.

Then, Harrison Snape was officially renamed Harry Potter. Lily Snape would be known as Lily Potter after her death.

It was rather easy. Despite the fact that the woman had fought rather fiercely to protect her little spawn, she was killed almost immediately.

Something, however, would not allow anyone wishing ill harm to the spawn to pick the screaming child up.

A few months later, before the spawn of Bellatrix Black was to be born, he cast a spell over the Longbottoms. He was able to place the blame on the Black woman. Her child, he was able to take and give away to another. It had been simple. He had a feeling that her baby, a pureblooded child, was the one who would bond with the Snape spawn.

Once again, he was unable to pick up the screaming spawn, however, or the Longbottom brat. In the end, with the Snape Spawn, he had had to get Hagrid to pick him up….this child, however, was going to take more planning…

Harry looked at the man in front of him.

Hermione gasped at the story.

Ron and Draco were silent.

“You are bloody, effin James Potter!” Harry shouted, his want drawn and pointed at the man.

The evil grin that crossed the imposter’s face was truth enough.

~*~*~*~*~

Suddenly, every magical ward that was still intact around the building shattered. The earth shook. The spiders scurried. The Inferi raged, and Giants stood still.

The people, the ones who were fighting a battle they hoped they would win, and the ones who thought they were on the right side but weren’t, stopped. Everyone stopped.

Neville Longbottom stopped three feet in front of his parents and stared at them, in awe of being able to see them truly for the first time.

Frank and Alice Longbottom both had tears streaming down their faces at the sight of their son.

Narcissa was fighting her way to her children. Nothing else mattered to her, but it seemed every step she took something or someone got in her way.

Lucius was battling a giant that had somehow gotten into the Great Hall and pinned Minerva McGonagall and Pomona Sprout under rubble behind him.

Rosemerta was handing over a clinging child to Filch. A child who had just watched her parents die. The child didn’t care who she clung to, as long as it was someone.

“Give her to Maddie.” Rose told Filch. The young woman would be able to help the child more than anyone else at the moment.

Bellatrix was fighting anyone who tried to get at Lucius, while he helped McGonagall and

Sprout.

The Weasley’s were all in various places.

But, the moment the wards all fell, and the earth shook, everyone stopped.

Something told them all that it was now fight or die because the battle was almost over, and they all knew when a battle was close to its end was always the most dangerous part.

Down on the grounds, the fight continued after everyone got over the shock that the wards had sent to the very air they were breathing. It was a bloody battle. But the real conflict was not on the grounds, despite the death toll that was continuously rising. No, it was above nearly everyone, in the highest tower.

Where Severus Snape was bound and determined to get too one way or another.

However, it appeared fate had something else in store for him because he kept getting detoured.

After he had handed Miss Letherby off to Rose, he had tried, once more, to begin the accent to the top of the stairs.

He was unable to make it past the second floor, though, when Percy Weasley began hexing him.

Severus turned to the boy quickly, his eyes flashing.

“I knew that I would be the one to get you, Snape! I knew it! All those years that you taunted students, and then you had the nerve to brain wash Harry Potter! You thought you would really get away with it!” Percy laughed loudly and the sound reminded Severus of a mad man.

Not that it really surprised him. He had long suspected that the boy was not on their side, and had refused to allow the Weasley’s to tell him any different. He had wanted to blame it on Percy’s position in the Ministry, but, honestly, he hadn’t trusted him since before he had left school. Dumbledore had great influence with some of the students, and Severus knew that this particular student had wanted power for most of his life.

“Mr. Weasley, I am sorry to inform you that you are incorrect.” Severus said icily, his wand already drawn and pointed at the red head.

“You think so, Snape?”

“You never did, Mr. Weasley, know how to watch your front as well as your back at the same time. It was always a failing…with your brothers, your enemies…” Severus said, purposefully drawing out the sentence just as Percy Weasley was hexed from behind.

Mad-Eye Moody.

“Don’t go thinking this changes a thing. I still don’t like ya, Snape! But tha boy there had the wrong idea. Don’t know how Dumbledore managed to pull this one over on some us for so long, but we been knowing for a while he was nuts. I knew since the tournament. He tried ta kill yer boy. Didn’t know he was yer’s then though.”

Severus nodded in understanding. Everyone made mistakes sometimes. He had made his own mistakes in his past, he would not make another by refusing Moody’s apology, as skewed as it was.

“Thank you.” Severus said, and then turned. Severus was secretly glad that Moody had only stunned the Weasley boy and had not killed him. He knew that Arthur and Molly would be devastated enough to learn that their son was against them and would more than likely be sent to

Azkaban. Better that than knowing the boy had been killed.

Yes. It was for the best.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rosemerta had handed off the first year to Filch and was trying to get to her son when another child ran out in front of her. This child was smaller than the one she had just seen to safety. What in the bloody hell were these children being fed? Obviously it wasn’t enough because these children did not even look eleven years old.

“Child, where are you supposed to be?” Rosemerta asked him. The little boy looked up, shocked, his eyes wide with terror.

That was when it hit Rosemerta. There truly was no way in the world that the boy in front of her was eleven.

“How old are you?” She asked him, walking over to him quickly, “Who are your parents?”

The little boy sniffed and curled up into a tight ball against the wall, but his eyes never lost contact with the woman coming towards him.

“My parents are dead. They have been dead for a long time. The man took me. The one that was always in the Daily Prophet when my Mummy read it. Chocolate? He took me. He told me…”

“I told him that he would be the perfect bait.” A heavy voice said from behind her. Rose turned around slowly.

Fudge.

“The moment I saw him I knew that he would be perfect. He is only seven years old. I knew that some woman, some man, anyone really, who always tried to save others before themselves would be unable to pass him by. I have kept him locked in my home for months. No one missed the boy. No one cared.” Fudge laughed.

Rose shook her head, her body radiating fury. Not only was the man using a poor child as bait, but he was keeping her from finding her own son who she knew, one way or another, needed help.

“You may be right, Fudge. You were able to use the boy as bait. But I believe that I shall be taking him now.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Narcissa ran through the hall. She had seen Fudge sneak up behind Rose, and knew that if Rose didn’t see him soon, he was going to hex her. What in the world had gotten the woman’s attention?

Narcissa couldn’t scream out a warning. With the noise from the battle Rose wouldn’t hear her anyways.

Turning a corner, she found herself nearly twenty feet from Rose and Fudge, causing Narcissa to stop. She saw a small boy directly behind Rose.

And then, Rose seemed to transform before her very eyes.

“…I believe I shall be taking him now.” Narcissa heard the words, barely. But even so, they sounded deadly.

Rosemerta glared at the man who was supposedly their Minister of Magic. While Narcissa had seen Rose’s eyes flash when angry before, it was nothing like the literal glow that was emitting from her eyes now. Narcissa started to take another step forward, but the power that was flowing from the other woman stopped her.

Fudge was frozen. He literally could not move. It was as if the glow of the woman’s eyes had immobilized him.

“Avada kedavra.”

Fudge fell to the floor, the life immediately leaving his eyes.

As the man drop to the floor, no longer a threat, Narcissa’s paralysis seemed to lift from her. She ran to Rose, who had tears running down her face now, her eyes no longer glowing.

“Rosie, snap out of it! You did what you had to do!” Narcissa hissed at her.

Rose nodded, then turned and picked the boy up.

“What is your name?” she whispered.

He swallowed. He was only seven, but he knew that this woman had probably just saved his life. Even if she had just killed someone right in front of him.

“Mattie.” He whispered.

Rosemerta nodded, and then, once again, headed to the dungeons.

It didn’t matter that they were in the middle of a war.

It still hurt knowing that she had just caused someone to lose his life; especially when she knew that she would love nothing better than to murder Dumbledore.

It felt wrong on some levels, but on others it felt so right.

Narcissa simply watched Rosemerta as they hurried to take the child to Filch and to safety. She knew the thought process the other woman was going through. They were best friends, sisters really. It was hard to kill anything who was living.

Most people never got used to it, even when it was necessary.

It was really the difference between a true Dark and Light wizard.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Finally, someone has figured it out.” The mad man clapped his hands together slowly.

Ron and Draco backed towards the door. They knew what was fixing to happen. Harry had hinted as much. The only issue was Hermione. The two boys didn’t know how they were going to get her down the stairs. Draco had promised Harry though. He had promised he would keep Hermione safe.

And he would, even if it meant his own death. His promise to his friend…his cousin…his brother...meant more to him than his very life.

“I am so glad that you are not my father. It would be a shame, really. Who else is on your side? Sirius I suppose. He always was against my Dad.” Harry said. He was trying to rile the man up. In fact, Harry was enjoying it. He could literally see the other man bristling in front of him.

Before James Potter could say anything, though, he began to transform.

“Guess you aren’t all that smart, are you? Didn’t even remember to take your Polyjuice. Stupid, Stupid man.”

“Shut your mouth, boy!” the man was fully transformed back into man he was supposed to be. James Potter. His hair was longer than Harry remembered from some of the false pictures he had been given from Hagrid. The half-mooned spectacles remained on his face. Harry was thankful that he didn’t really have to wear glasses. He wanted nothing in common with James Potter.

“Why should I? You tried to ruin my life. You are a bastard. Though I shan’t tell my real father that I think so. He’d probably not appreciate the language I used. Of course, you should not care, it isn’t as if you are my father. You merely wished you could be. What was the point, huh? You killed my Mum, Lily. So, what was the point?” Harry asked, never hesitating.

He wasn’t afraid of the man. For years he had thought when it came down to it, he would probably at least be nervous. But he wasn’t. He was oddly calm.

James Potter, however, was not. It seemed that Harry had hit a nerve.

“That bloody woman was supposed to be mine! She knew it well, too. I was finally able to get Dumbledore, the supposed ‘Greatest Wizard of All Times,’ to send Severus on a mission. Of course, before that I had assured the old man that I was the best person to protect Lily and her little spawn. I had everyone right where I wanted them. Severus was away, Dumbledore was caught in a stasis ball, and she would finally belong to me. And so I attacked!

But, alas, when I had her right where I wanted her, she refused me. She wouldn’t do as I bid her, and wouldn’t hand over you! I knew you were the child in the prophecy. Oh yes, Dumbledore told me all about the prophecy. I knew that it was talking about me. He didn’t though. The man was blind when it came to his favorites. Which is why I was able to get away with everything. And now, now I will kill you. Then, after I have killed you, I shall rid the world of the Longbottom brat. And then I won’t need to kill your bond mate, the Little Black Girl…if you are good.” James Potter snarled. Harry looked at him and merely smiled. He turned to Hermione, leaned over and wrapped his arms around her trembling body.

She was prepared for this though. She knew what he was going to do. She knew what she was

supposed to do.

“I love you. Trust me. Trust me, and do as we discussed.” Harry whispered so softly, that she was almost not sure she had heard him.

Harry let go of her, and then walked over to James Potter who was now standing in the doorway of the ledge outside.

Harry walked closer and closer to him. James Potter didn’t move. The boy didn’t even have his wand drawn.

“Potter, you know why my mother would never do as you asked?” Harry asked him seriously.

“What, Brat? What are you talking about? You did not even know the mudblood! You haven’t a clue what she would and would not do or the reasons why.”

“Oh, but I do. I know because I still have a family. I know,” Harry pushed his body in front of Potter’s pushing him outside, “because she loved me. And I love my family. And I will let nothing happen to them.”

With the last word, Harry Snape lunged at James Potter, knocking them both out of the door and off the ledge.

The only thing that could be heard was the sobs coming from Hermione.

Draco grabbed her, and pulled her down the steps behind them, Ron taking up the rear. They had to get to the grounds.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

On the grounds, everyone was silent. Something seemed to have drawn their gazes up, and when they looked, they saw the falling forms of Harry Snape and an unknown man.

Severus would know his son anywhere, even with the blood running down his face and into his eyes from a gash on his head from an errant hex from some unknown person.

His heart stopped when he saw his son thrust himself and the man off the ledge of the highest tower at Hogwarts.

Severus knew that it was the Headmaster’s office.

On the other side of the grounds, barely out of the front hall, Rosemerta stifled a sob.

Not ten feet away from her, Narcissa and Lucius were both frozen staring at the falling figures.

And then, at that moment, two things happened. Somehow the falling pair began to apparate sporadically around, a flash of them here and a flash of them there.

The second thing was that three fifth years had come running out of the castle.

“Let me bloody go, Draconis Malfoy!” Hermione screamed. She was only short of hexing her brother.

Narcissa and Lucius turned immediately towards the sounds of their children. It was as though those sounds had made everyone realize what they were fighting for.

The two elder Malfoys ran towards their children and Ron Weasley. But at that moment, Hermione apparated.

Hermione knew exactly where Harry would try to go. She felt in her very being.

And she knew that with the wards gone, she could do it.

“Bloody effin hell!” Draco screamed. He had only lost his grip on her for a second, and in that time, she had apparated away without him.

“Draco!” Narcissa scolded. She automatically realized that it wasn’t really the time to lecture her child, but it had merely slipped. Draco just looked at her.

Suddenly, a voice could be heard over everything.

Standing on top of the entrance gate, just close enough for everyone to see him, stood Tom Riddle. Voldemort. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

He had cast a sonorous charm.

“Witches, Wizards, please listen! You have been lied too! That liar is the one who has caused all of this strife! The one who has been killing your children! Your loved ones! The one who even stole the Boy-Who-Lived from his true family! Harry Potter was never a Potter, but a Snape!

I never hurt anyone. That I can promise you. I only wish for everyone to be safe, to live and love. Something that cannot be done while Dumbledore, the liar, the kidnapper, is still in control!” Tom told the crowd. He could tell that he was swaying some… and at this point, every person counted.

“Ron, come on! I know where they are at!” Draco yelled. It startled the whole crowd, and they all turned and followed the pair of boys, one blonde, one red, into the castle where obvious destruction was going on.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione landed in the Great Hall. Something told her that this was where they would end up. Mainly because there was a crowd. James Potter loved crowds, but he needed a small place where Harry would not be able to easily hide from him.

Hermione looked frantically around the hall and saw Neville standing near two people she had never seen before. McGonagall was sitting in a far corner; one of her legs was at an odd angle, definitely broken.

Aurora Sinstra was close to McGonagall.

Bellatrix was close to the center of the hall.

There were students, some she knew, others she recognized but never really talked too. Luna,

Pansy, Flint, the Creevy brothers, several of the Weasley’s.

All were looking at the front of the hall where James Potter stood, his arm around the neck of Harry.

“No!” Hermione shouted, running towards the front of the room. She ran, but then flew backwards after she hit a powerful, invisible shield. James Potter laughed at her as she stood up, wiping blood from the side of her head as she did so.

Hermione stood there and stared at the man. She could tell that he had dropped the shield, but did not immediately take another step. Instead she began a verbal attack.

“You think that you are so bloody smart, Potter! But you must know that you are no one! You can’t hurt Harry. Death is only another adventure. Death is nothing to those who accept it graciously, much like Lily Snape did!”

“You are a stupid girl!” Potter spit at her.

Hermione took another step towards him.

“No Mione! No! You promised!” Harry cried. It hurt Hermione to see those tears.

By this time, most everyone had filtered into the hall. Although four people stood frozen in the massive doorway. Severus was at the front, Rosemerta slightly behind him, Lucius beside him, Narcissa on the other side of Lucius.

All they could do was watch.

“Harry, I can’t live without you! Remember! Remember when we were seven, and you refused to leave me behind? You swore that you would rather stay with your relatives than leave me behind? This is the same thing. I love you, Harry.” Hermione no longer bothered trying to wipe her tears away. There was no use.

“Love. You really are ignorant! You are willing to die for him? You are willing to die for this spawn? Love! What you do know of love?” Potter said. He loosened his grip on Harry’s neck and then forcefully pushed the boy behind him, knocking him to the ground.

“You are ignorant! You will suffer for what you have done. Now everyone will know that it wasn’t Dumbledore that caused the wizarding world so much pain, but you! You, James Potter, who everyone thought was dead! James Potter, the Coward!” Hermione screamed.

The crowd gasped collectively.

It seemed, however, that she had finally hit a nerve.

He raised his wand. It was as if everyone was watching the scene before them in slow motion. Hermione knew what was coming. She hoped that Harry could live without her. She had always had a feeling that it might end this way, so she was able to accept it.

“Avada Kedavra!” Potter hissed through clinched teeth.

The green light of the deadly spell rushed towards Hermione.

“Noooooooooooo!” A voice screamed, and Hermione felt strong hands abruptly push her aside.

Hermione hit the ground. It took her several seconds to realize that she had not been hit by the spell. She slowly looked beside her to see who had pushed her. Who had given his or her life for her?

Confused and curious, she crawled over to the fallen figure. With her right hand, she rolled the body towards her.

Hermione gasped.

“No, no, no, no, no.” she cried.

And then she was silent, and threw herself over the body of Bellatrix Black. Her mother.

And Hermione screamed.

There were no words to describe how Narcissa Malfoy felt at that moment. She wanted to run to her daughter. She wanted to run and encircle her daughter in her arms. To hug her, love her, cry with her. She wanted to hold Hermione and let the child sob to her heart’s content.

Narcissa could not even feel the tears that were trailing down her face. Yes, she had lost her sister, but in truth, she had lost her sister years before. It was sad, and the grief had not yet sunk in, but her child was hurting and that grief was instantaneous. It went so deep that Narcissa would have given anything to make her daughter hurt less.

She took three steps towards Hermione but stopped when she felt the teenager’s magic. Hermione was sobbing over the body of her biological mother. Her mother. Her protector.

Narcissa had never felt more helpless.

And then Hermione suddenly stopped crying and she stood up.

She turned first to the crowd, her eyes searching from left to right slowly, but then stopping on Narcissa.

Narcissa stared at Hermione. The child had just aged a hundred years in front of her eyes. Her curly hair had fallen from its braid and there was a gash on the side of her head that was still bleeding profusely. Her wand was held limply in her hand, and her eyes begged Narcissa to make everything right again.

It was a look Narcissa knew well, but this time her heart broke because she didn’t know how to make it better. No matter how much she wanted too, she just didn’t know how.

Narcissa took another step. It was eerily quiet; especially, since just minutes before, it had been so loud with the sounds of destruction.

Something happened though. Whether it was a slight noise, or a movement, no one would ever remember. What they did remember, though, was Hermione Black throwing her wand to Narcissa Malfoy. The story would, in fact, go down in history books.

The only thought running through Narcissa’s mind was this: ‘What in the world is she thinking?’

~*~*~*~*~

Time froze for Severus when he realized Bellatrix was going to push Hermione out of the way. He had been a spy for so long that he was certain he had known what was happening before anyone else. He had been a spy for far too long not to notice small movements out of the corner of his eye.

Of course, nearly everyone had noticed the movement even if they had not, at first, realized her intent. It was the fact that Severus always tried to think three steps ahead of everyone else that allowed him to realize what was happening.

This time he hated being right.

He listened to the sobs of Hermione as he slowly started to make his way through the crowd.

Harry was on the ground, and Severus needed to get to him. He could tell the boy was hurt, but unless he was able to get to him before bloody Potter got to him, Severus would be of no help.

He could feel someone following him, and he knew that it was Rose without even turning around. Her agenda was probably more desperate than his own. She needed to hold Harry close to her, look him over herself, simply to make sure that the boy actually was alive.

Severus merely needed to help him heal.

He also had to be cautious of Hermione. He could feel the waves of magic flowing off of her. This was no time to make a mistake.

But the one thing that always happened when dealing with one’s children happened.

The unexpected.

When he saw Hermione toss her wand to Narcissa, Severus simply stared. He was standing on the left side of the Great Hall, trying to get to Harry, but stopped to watch Hermione for a moment.

He could have dropped a pin in the Hall and it would have been heard it was so quiet.

After tossing her wand to Narcissa, Severus watched Hermione turn back around. Hermione kissed the tips of her first two fingers, and then leaned down and placed her fingertips to the forehead of Bellatrix.

Part of Severus was in awe of the strength the girl was showing. He wasn’t sure how the other part felt.

Severus turned his head to look back at his son, only to notice the boy was standing.

Severus sighed.

Harry had obviously done something to his ankle. His child looked beaten, hurt. Yet, he still had the strength to walk towards Potter. He still had the courage to do what he felt he had to do.

Severus knew what that felt like. It was an urge that built in the pit of one’s stomach and worked its way up until the urge was so great that the task had to be executed.

Severus knew his son well. While he wanted Harry to sit down, lay down, to do whatever he must in order to survive the battle, he knew that it wouldn’t work that way. Harry was too much like his father, too much like a man who knew what it felt like to lose everything.

But he was also the same as the man who had gained nearly everything back. Harry Snape, however, was not going to let his bonded go without a fight. He couldn’t.

He loved her too much. He had loved her since they were children. They were two parts of a whole. Severus knew, though, that while Harry thought Hermione could live without him if he was killed, and Hermione thought the same if Harry lost her, Severus knew different.

True bond mates were rare. After they had told the children that they were, for all purposes, soul mates, Severus and Lucius had hid all the books in the Malfoy library about them…not that there were many. Three. There were none at the Hogwarts library.

But they hadn’t wanted them to know, hadn’t wanted them to be afraid when they were young.

If one died, they both died. Their souls were too connected, too intertwined with one another.

Severus wondered if he had told his son this, if he would be so quick to sacrifice himself, if for no one other than Hermione.

~*~*~*~*~*

Harry stood up. His left ankle was swollen and hurt, but he blocked it out. He didn’t want to pay attention to the pain. What would it really matter if he was fixing to die?

The same thing kept running through his mind: he had to kill Potter to protect his family.

Harry watch as Hermione threw her wand at Aunt Cissy. What the bloody hell was she doing? What was she thinking?

Harry stared at her for several moments.

“No, Mione.” Harry whispered. Unfortunately, despite the whisper, James Potter swung around and glared at Harry.

“Tsk tsk. Baby Snape has decided to play a bit more? Your girlfriend has already given up. I have already killed her mother. She doesn’t care what happens to you. What do you have to say now, little Snape?”

“I believe that you are an utter bastard, Potter. You are a jealous coward. And I am fixing to kill you.” Harry said, stepping closer to the man.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hermione walking closer to them.

What was going through her mind? He glanced past Hermione and saw Aunt Trixie laying on the floor, dead, the light completely gone from her face. Near her was Aunt Cissy.

He had never seen the woman so…disheveled. In the midst of everything, it stuck out in his mind. Her dress, a deep blue velvet, was dirty, and torn. Her hair was falling down. Then Harry laughed to himself. How in the world had she fought in a dress? Harry shook his head in an attempt to clear it.

His field of vision also included Uncle Lucius. The man was holding onto Aunt Cissy’s arm, trying to keep the woman from running. He didn’t understand why. Didn’t Uncle Lucius know that they needed to get Hermione and protect her?

Draco was behind them both. He looked frozen. Harry wished that he would be able to make fun of Draco’s unkempt hair after everything was said and done. The older boy had always been particular about his hair, and with Harry caring less about his hair that stuck out everywhere because he refused to grow it out like his father’s. Again, Harry stifled a small laugh.

Next, he looked at his mother. She, too, was dirty and unkempt. Her massive curls were everywhere, her golden eyes were glowing slightly, a sure sign of her displeasure at the scene before her. Harry wondered if she knew how much he loved her. Did she know that she was one of the reasons that he had to end this? He hoped that she did. She was part of his world. She protected him, she cared for him, she disciplined him when needed. She loved him. And he loved her. She was his. His mother.

Harry looked more. He bypassed familiar faces. He passed the face of Ron. Mrs. Weasley. Luna. Flitwick. He passed over them until he looked over to his left side and finally found his father.

His father. The man who had found him and saved both him and Hermione from a lifetime of hurt and pain. He was the man who had yelled at him, and then later apologized for yelling so many times that Harry had lost count. He was the man who had discovered he and Hermione messing around with Polyjuice potion, and then had them scrubbing cauldrons at the manor for weeks. He was the man Harry depended on when he needed help.

He was Dad. And Harry was doing this to save him as well.

“Little Snape, going down memory lane, trying to decide just how to defeat me; trying to decide how to say goodbye before you die. Well, Baby Snape, I almost hate to tell you: It isn’t going to work.” Potter droned on, his voice dripping with sarcasm and hate. Harry stared at him with disdain, and his own hate.

Harry then turned his face over to Hermione, and realized that she was much closer than she had been, her magic literally causing her hair to fly behind her, her caramel eyes glowing in a way Harry had only seen his Mum’s eyes glow. Harry could feel her magic searching. Searching for him.

He took a deep breath, and suddenly he was overtaken with the need to run to her, to his bonded, no matter what the consequences were.

Harry took another deep breath, he stood straighter than he had ever stood before, and then ran.

He ran straight for Hermione, hitting her with a flash of magic that caused them to only see each other for several moments.

“It’s time, love. It’s time. This is how it all ends.” Hermione whispered into his ear. Harry nodded, and hugged her to him. He bent his head, “I love you. Always. Now, let’s finish this, for them.”

Hermione nodded, and then stepped away, keeping her right hand latched onto Harry’s left.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Lucius watched the magic surrounding Hermione and Harry. It was all he could do to keep Narcissa from running towards them. But it was no longer in their hands. There was literally nothing else they could do for those two children.

The magic coming off of the two fifteen year olds was humming. Lucius was positive that he had never felt magic that strong, so intense…so fluid and powerful.

He looked at the satanic form of James Potter, the megalomaniac, who was staring in anger at the duo in front of him. Staring in anger at something he had never had, and never would have. The power of true love, of soul mates.

Hope entered Lucius’ very being when he realized that perhaps those children did have a chance.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Severus stopped when Harry and Hermione clashed together, their magic combining as one.

He held his breath when they stepped apart and let it out slowly when their magic was felt all around the room.

All Severus could do was listen.

“Potter, this all ends here!” Harry yelled.

Suddenly, before anyone could say anything, Harry and Hermione lifted their combined hands towards Potter. Harry dropped his wand. It was no longer needed.

Harry and Hermione whispered together, and then, so quickly that everyone in the room nearly missed it, threw a stream of continuous, pure magic at Potter.

At the same time, Potter threw an Avada Kedavra at the pair, both met in the middle.

It was a sight to behold. It would, had it not been such a tragic moment, have been a breathtaking moment to see the bonded pair, Harry and Hermione, sharing such pure, white magic. It contrasted against the bright green of Potter’s death curse greatly.

Severus watched as Harry looked over towards him. Past him.

“We all have to fall down sometimes, Potter! Neville! It has to be you! Now!” Harry screamed, and then went back to focusing on Potter.

Severus whipped around quickly to look for the Longbottom boy. There he was. Standing not eight feet away from Potter, his wand in hand.

“Potter!” Neville yelled, “Expelliarmus!”

It was exactly the distraction needed.

For when Neville yelled his name, he looked.

When Neville cast the Expelliarmus spell, Potter lost his grip on his wand.

And at that exact moment, Harry and Hermione put up their outer hands, Hermione’s left, Harry’s right, and Harry pulled Hermione into a tight hug. It was what they needed, for a ball of magic flew out of both their hands, combined, and flew at James Potter.

James Potter fell backwards into the wall of the Great Hall.

James Potter, however, was not the only one thrown. When the spell was finally cast, and James

Potter was finally crumbled on the floor, a backlash of magic hit the three children who had just brought down the false Lord of light.

Neville flew backwards. His parents caught him before he hit the floor.

Narcissa ran towards Hermione, Lucius having finally let her go, but was close behind. She caught Hermione just before the girl hit her head on the rock floor.

Severus, who just happened to be in the right place, caught his son, and then watched as Rosemerta ran towards them.

Crying was heard throughout the entirety of the Hall. Tears of relief.

Sometimes, we all fall down.

But, luckily, most of the time, there is always someone to catch you.

There was a collective sigh of relief.

Harry Snape was alive. Unconscious, drained, but alive.

Hermione Black was also alive. Tears slipping down her cheeks even in her unconsciousness.

And Neville Longbottom, a boy who everyone thought was supposed to be a Hufflepuff, but who had stepped up when he was needed, was sitting between his parents, alive and well, hugging them both, thankful that he had not been taken from them like they had been taken from him.

Sometimes we all fall down, but then we must get back up…

All good things must come to an end.

But, then again, so must all bad things.

Bellatrix died saving her daughter’s life. Hermione had only known her for five months, and it was hard for the fifteen year old. She would never again get to fall asleep knowing that her mother was alive. But, like Lily Snape had once done for Harry, Bellatrix had died for Hermione: out of sheer love.

Love that made all the difference.

Once everyone realized that Dumbledore was the man who was evil, yet he wasn’t actually Dumbledore at all, they were all shocked. Who could they trust?

Neville Longbottom had cast the final spell that would cause James Potter to lose concentration and, by default, die at the hands of Harry and Hermione. It had all been prophesized long ago.

Then there was Dumbledore. The man was trapped in a stasis ball that was found on Harry’s person when Severus gently undressed his son that night so that he could clean him and put him in pajamas. No doubt the boy would be embarrassed if he ever realized it, but Severus refused to allow him to sleep in his own filth, and after all of the magic he had just used, Severus knew that any extra use of spells on his person could cause his body to become agitated.

And, it was something that Severus just needed to do because it was his son, and he had nearly lost the boy before his very eyes.

The entire time, Severus cried. His son had been so close to death.

At the same time, Severus thanked Merlin that his child was alive. Hopefully he would wake up soon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Two days later, Hermione woke up. Beside her was her family: Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco. One bed over, Harry was still unconscious, Severus and Rosemerta still sitting beside him, though Poppy Pomfrey had continuously made all five people leave and sleep and walk around.

She had done this because she knew that there was nothing physically wrong with the two teenagers. Or, rather, nothing wrong that she had not been able to fix quickly after all was said and done.

Harry’s ankle had been broken. He would probably always have some issues with it during cold weather because he had done so much on it before it had been healed. But, overall, that was the worst of his cuts and bruises.

Hermione had had a concussion and a long scratch across her left arm that had needed several spells and potions in order to close up. A small, light scar now remained to remind her of the war she had fought alongside her beloved so valiantly.

Hermione moved her hands first. Narcissa’s left hand had been holding lightly onto Hermione’s right, and as she began to wake up she tightened her hand as much as possible. It was to make sure that she was alive. That she could feel something, anything.

But, even in her hazy mind, she recognized those fingers.

“Mum?” she mumbled in her foggy mind.

All she heard was a stifled sob.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry began to wake not long after Hermione. He had never felt so incredibly tired in his entire life. Somehow though, he knew that the war was over. It sent a sudden spark of adrenaline through him as he opened his eyes and sat up.

He was looking. Looking for his Dad. His Mum. His Hermione. Everyone.

“Son, calm down. You have been unconscious for over two days and you may be…”

Severus didn’t have time to say anything else, as before Harry realized he was dizzy he vomited all over the floor and Severus’ shoes.

Harry’s eyes grew big.

“Bloody hell where did that come from?” He asked as he laid back down, nausea encompassing his entire body to the point that he thought he might throw up again if his world didn’t stop spinning soon.

“Harrison! Your language. And, if you would have listened to me, you wouldn’t have just sicked up all over yourself and my shoes!” Severus hissed at him.

“Severus Snape! Stop lecturing my baby! He is ill!” Rosemerta came around the curtain that was surrounding the bed. She waved her wand and cleaned her husband’s shoes and the floor. She didn’t clean off Harry, too afraid that he was still sensitive to magic. Instead she walked over to his bed and grabbed each of the four corners of the blanket and lifted it off of her son.

“Sit up a bit and lift your arms.” She told him. Harry’s eyes once again widened and he shook his head.

“I am not letting you take my shirt off! I am fifteen!” Harry said, looking over at Severus with pleading eyes.

“Oh, don’t look at me, Son. I am not allowed to lecture you. You are on your own with this one. You might as well let her take your shirt. She can’t magic it off of you because you are still sensitive to magic. So is Hermione. We have used very little magic around either of you. It is why you are both curtained off from everyone else. There are also wards around your curtains to keep all extra magic out of here. That spell your mother just used for cleaning up was about the extent of the magic we are allowed to use around you right now, but even that mild can’t be cast on you right now. Now, let your mother help you. Be thankful she wasn’t the one to bathe you after the battle. It would have served you right for how badly you scared us!” Severus told him.

Harry glared at Severus and then gaped at him.

“Who gave me a bath? You shoulda just used magic!” Harry said, ashamed that anyone had had to bathe him after the battle. They could have left him dirty. He was a guy. Guys were supposed to be dirty sometimes.

“Who…” Harry blushed.

Severus finally decided to relieve the child of his fear.

“I did, Harry. I allowed no one else in the room when I cleaned you up. It was something…something I had to do for you.”

Harry looked at Severus. He looked deep into his father’s eyes and saw something he had never seen before.

Fear. That was when Harry realized that his dad had been afraid. He had been afraid that he was going to lose him, and when he didn’t, he had to do the only thing he could.

And Harry was okay with that.

Harry nodded slightly, “Well, that’s okay then.” He smiled up at Severus.

In return, Severus grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

Rosemerta looked at the two and smiled. She was so relieved that her two boys had not been killed. It would be hard for her to ever let them out of her sight again.

“Okay, Son, arms up.”

Harry, who had just realized something major about his father, obediently lifted his arms for his mother. Because he had just realized something about her too.

While Harry had run head first into danger, just like he always did, his parents had nearly lost their son. They had to do all they could for him; they had to take care of him because two days ago they hadn’t been able too.

He wondered how long it would be before his mum allowed his dad to lecture him. He wondered how long it would be before Severus passed the ‘I am grateful my son is alive’ to ‘I can’t believe my moronic son ran straight into war’ to ‘you are grounded for the rest of your life.’

Harry laid back for several moments after Rose eased his shirt off and then left to take the dirty blanket and top and find clean replacements.

Out of nowhere, a tear slipped down his cheek.

“Dad…how many did we lose?” Harry whispered. His hand had found its way back into Severus’ and he was holding it tightly.

Severus looked at Harry intensely for several moments.

“In war, there shall always be death, Harry.”

Harry felt another tear slide down his cheek.

“How many? How many students?”

Severus sighed. This was one thing that Severus knew he would have to answer sooner or later. He wanted it to be later so much.

“Collin Creevey. Both Patil twins. Daphne Greengrass. Cho Chang. Vincent Crabbe. Andrew Kirke. Septima Vector. Charity Burbage. Justin Finch-Fletchly.” Severus whispered, “There were many others on the other side…”

“Whose side was Sirius on?” Severus almost didn’t hear him.

“Ours. He thought that James Potter was dead. As soon as he discovered that Potter was actually Dumbledore, he had a panic attack. The man truly does care for you. But he is also a man who has been betrayed many times in his life. Remus is with him. It will take a while for Sirius to be able to function properly in society. Once he is doing better, however, you may invite him to our home for dinner. I do not, though, want you alone with him right now. He has a long way to go to get over the last fourteen years.”

Harry nodded. Right now, he didn’t want to see anyone extra.

“Is Hermione awake yet?” Harry asked. Severus had been wondering why the boy hadn’t yet asked about her.

Harry looked at him, almost reading his mind, “I can feel her. I can feel distress, but she is very much alive and well.”

Severus nodded. It made sense. After everything they had just been through, their bond was changing, maturing.

“Did anyone else of importance die?”

“No one that you would know, Harry. Most of the other deaths were followers of Potter. Most of them thought he was Dumbledore. At least that is what those who we captured had told us.”

“I wasn’t able to save everyone, Dad.”

Severus stared at the boy in front of him, a surge of anger running through his body. Not at Harry, but at himself, at Potter, at anyone who had ever wronged his child.

“You were not supposed to save anyone, Harry. If there is one regret that I have, it is that I was not able to protect you from the harshness of the world. I wish that your mother and I would have taken you away and not put you through this. We could have hidden you away.”

Harry shook his head slightly.

“No, Dad. It had to happen. We all knew that it would one day. But it is over now.”

Severus looked at his child but said nothing more. These were questions that would never be answered to everyone’s satisfaction. It was an impossibility. War was not cut and dry, or black

and white.

It was all grey and not every question could have an answer.

“Dad, I need to use the loo.”

Severus nodded and stood up. It would possibly take them several minutes to get the bathroom, so they needed to head that way immediately.

“Okay, Son. We are going to take this slow and easy. If you feel sick, stop.”

Harry nodded, and then with the help of Severus, stood up on shaky legs.

“I don’t have a shirt on, Dad.”

“I am sure that we will be able to beat the young ladies off of you if necessary.” Severus deadpanned.

“Dad!” Harry whined, his pale face flushing red.

Severus laughed lightly, a deep baritone of a laugh that rumbled through his chest as he helped Harry stand for several moments before they moved.

Together, father and son walked towards the loo, Severus holding onto Harry’s upper arm in case he started to fall.

“It’s all going to be different now, isn’t it, Dad?” Harry whispered. He could tell that the Infirmary, which had somehow made it through the battle intact, was packed with injured people.

“Is that really your son, Severus? Is it really Harry?”

Severus froze when he heard the voice.

Harry’s breathing picked up. He knew that voice. He knew that there was no way he could be hurt.

But what he knew, and what he felt were two different things.

Harry turned his head around to look behind him.

There stood Albus Dumbledore, in the flesh.

Sweat rolled down the boy’s face. His heart sped up. He felt himself reaching for his wand despite the fact that it was not there, and he knew that it wasn’t.

Harry suddenly realized that he didn’t need his wand. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and he turned towards the man.

“Petrficus Totalus!”

The spell flew from the palm of Harry’s hand, and Albus Dumbledore fell to the floor. Madam Pomfrey came running towards the ruckus, and looked around.

She had told that blasted man to stay in the room she had given him to use. She had had a feeling that something like this would happen.

Harry, his father’s hand still on his upper hand, began to fall. Severus realized quickly that he was not going to be able to keep Harry’s dead weight from the floor, so quickly fell with him, allowing Harry to fall into his lap.

Harry’s back was to his father’s chest, and Severus had his arms wrapped around Harry, rocking slightly back and forth.

“Never be afraid to fall,” he whispered into Harry’s ear, “I will always be here to catch you.”

With that, Harry burst into tears and fell slack against his father.

He had finally given up, and simply wanted to be taken care of. He hoped his Dad and Mum could make everything all better now.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Several hours passed before Hermione was able to fully wake up. She opened her eyes and saw Narcissa sitting on the edge of her bed, gently caressing Hermione’s hand.

“Mum?” Hermione whispered, bringing her free hand up to rub her eyes. Narcissa stopped rubbing her hand and tried to stop another sob from escaping her lips.

It was the second time that Hermione had woke up and asked for Bellatrix.

Narcissa sniffed. She couldn’t cry. Not again. She had been crying off and on for two days. She and Andromeda had decided to let Lucius take care of the funeral arrangements. Andromeda sat with Hermione when Narcissa was made to take a break, and other times she spent with her own daughter. Tonks was fine, but the battle had been harsh to everyone.

“Mum, don’t cry.” Hermione rasped out. Her voice thick and rough from not being used for two days.

Narcissa stopped and looked at Hermione. She was worried about her niece. Obviously the child was still confused from her head injury. She must be suffering more than Madam Pomfrey had thought.

“Mione, Love, it’s Aunt Cissy.” Narcissa whispered.

Hermione looked at her like she was nuts.

“I know who you are! Bloody hell! I didn’t hit my head that hard!” Hermione said. Narcissa’s eyebrows raised up into her hairline.

“Hermione, Bellatrix…she…she isn’t with us.”

Again, Hermione looked at the woman as if she had two heads. A tear leaked out of the corner of her eye, and then slid straight down her cheek. Narcissa reached towards Hermione and started to brush the tear away with her fingers.

Hermione grabbed her hand and held it to her cheek. Hermione leaned into that open hand and closed her eyes.

She kept them closed as she spoke.

“I know that she is dead. She told me, not long before Harry, Draco, and I ran off, that she could never be my mother. Not the mother she wanted to be. She said…” tears began falling more steadily down her cheeks, but she never opened her eyes and never dropped Cissy’s hand, “She said that you had always been my mum. And I’ve thought about it…It’s like Harry and Aunt Rose. Harry says that he loves his mum Lily because he knows that she loved him, but he loves Aunt Rose because she is his mum…not his mother…but the woman who has cared for him through sickness, and trouble, and stayed up at night for him. It’s when I realized…I realized that you have always been my Mum…I called you Aunt Cissy because I thought one day, that if my mother came back, you would just get rid of me. I know now though…I know what I have always known, something that my mother made me realize. You are my mum, you have been with me, and loved me, cared for me, sat with me during sickness and heartache. You’re my Mum.”

With the last word, Hermione opened her eyes and stared straight into the eyes of her Mum…eyes that were filled with tears. Tears of joy, sorrow, and happiness.

Neither said anything, but Narcissa moved closer to Hermione and wrapped her arms around the girl.

Hermione latched onto her and somehow worked herself onto the older woman’s lap and let her tears fall.

Tears of joy, sorrow, and happiness. How could lines be so skewed, yet so clear?

“I love you, Hermione, more than you will ever know.”

Hermione merely held her mum tighter.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The funerals were over and they were going home. Hermione and Harry had only been allowed to go to the funeral of Bellatrix. It was held after everyone else’s.

It had been a sad affair, but everyone knew that they could not dwell on it. The woman had died a hero’s death protecting her daughter.

Harry, Hermione, and Draco were ready to go home. They had not been home in over a week, since they had run off and started a battle that would go down in history. They were fifteen years old. They were changed, though. In some ways they were older, in other ways they were younger than ever.

They were no longer sleeping through the night. Many nights all three of them would wake drenched in sweat, tears falling down their faces, and screams leaving their throats.

They could no longer focus on other people. For the first time in their lives, there was no war

waiting for them to fight, to finish.

Their parents were worried. Rosemerta and Narcissa had even gone to talk to Molly Weasley several days before to see how the family was holding up with the betrayal of their son Percy, hoping to compare notes for ideas to help all their children. It had surprised them both to realize that the family had long suspected it. It turned out the Percy had even known that Albus Dumbledore was actually James Potter.

It had also surprised Narcissa and Rosemerta that all of the Weasley children were sleeping through the night.

After talking to the Longbottoms, they learned that Neville was also not having any trouble adjusting to life after war.

Not for the first time, the Malfoys and Snapes wondered if it was their own fault that their children had been put through hell. Was it their fault that they were having nightmares? Was it their fault that the three fifteen year olds had felt they had to fight a war, even though they had told them time and time again that it was not only their battle to fight.

They didn’t know. They doubted they would ever know. But, what happened in the future was something that they could only hope to ensure, and they were going to make sure that everything that happened now were the things that should have been happening all along.

“Are you ready, Harry?” Severus asked. Harry was in an outfit Rosemerta had brought him from home. He was so ready to be home.

“Yea, Dad. I am ready to go home.” He said, walking away from the window he had been staring out of, watching various people working on the reconstruction of the lawns. It was one of the last places that needed to be put back together.

Harry walked over to his father, who draped his arm over Harry’s shoulder when he got close enough. Together, the two walked to the group waiting for them: Lucius, Narcissa, Draco, Hermione, and Rosemerta.

The group looked tentatively at the duo, but light smiles were covering each face.

“It is going to be all different now, isn’t it, Dad?” Harry asked as they walked.

“I would imagine so, Son. But not all change is bad. This will be a good change. We no longer have to hide who we are. This will be a good change.”

“What if I am never the same? What if it’s all changed me for the bad?” Severus could tell that Harry was genuinely worried about it.

“Then your family will be there to help. We will pick you up and hold you upright if needed.”

“Are you sure, Dad? Do you promise that you’ll pick me up if I fall, no matter how many times?”

Severus stopped and looked at his son.

“Always.”

Harry nodded at that.

“That’s okay then.” Harry said, and then started walking with his father again.

They walked towards their family.

Together, the family went home. They went to where they belonged.

For the first time ever, they walked through the doors of the Manor and felt safe.

Safe.

It would be a concept they all had to get used to; however, none of them felt it would be too terribly hard.

By September, the wizarding world was finally beginning to settle down. The Daily Prophet, which had immediately opened back up after the battle, finally stopped talking about the war and those who had fought in it. School started, and finally….finally, people were going on with their lives.

Those who died would go down in history. So would those who fought. The scenes would be talked about in history classes.

But many simply wanted to forget, so they pushed the memories behind them as much as they could.

One thing impossible for people to forget, especially Harry, was Dumbledore. His story was emblazoned in the headlines of the Daily Prophet. He was dosed with veritaserum and questioned continuously. Although he was not at fault for what happened, many would never trust him. Harry especially could not look at the man without having flashbacks.

Without having to be prompted, Dumbledore decided to move out of the country. The years had not been easy on him in the stasis ball, and with the Ministry of Magic’s decision to not allow him to come back as Headmaster after so many years of absence, he felt that the next step was to move somewhere warm and tropical.

This decision was made easier with an offer made by Sirius Black. The man had an old family home on an island in the Caribbean that he never used. The island was private and no one else ever visited it, so it would be the perfect place for the man to retire and to live out the rest of his days in peace and quiet. With the help of a house elf to go and buy him things, it would be nice to be somewhere where he would not remind people of war and could rest.

Another issue became apparent soon after. While many children had been left orphans after the battle, most of them had other family members to depend on. Except for the little boy Rosemerta had saved.

After long discussions with one another, and then Harry, Severus and Rosemerta decided to take the boy in. At first they decided to keep him until another family was found, but they soon fell in love with the little boy.

Mattie Helton became Matthew Snape two weeks before school was to resume.

Not all difficulties were easily solved however. Harry, Draco, and Hermione all had trouble adjusting after the war, and were each suffering horrible nightmares. In contrast, it had surprised them all that Mattie didn’t have nightmares. The little boy was perfectly content to live in the moment and not think about what had happened in the past.

To aid with his nightmares of the battle, Draco found solace with his father. The two would sit in silence, never needing to talk. It was exactly what Draco needed. The quiet strength of his father; no pressure, just peace.

Hermione’s method in finding help was quite different. She wanted to be everywhere that

Narcissa was, not wanting to let the older woman out of sight, and wanted to simply sit with Narcissa as much as possible. Sometimes she cried, other times they would talk. Narcissa was never sure what kind of day it would be when she got up. There were many nights when Hermione would wake from night terrors and need to be reassured that everything was okay, that she was safe.

Harry was the worst. So much had happened to him over the years that everything was slowly catching up to him. For weeks he would beg his parents nightly to allow him to sleep on the floor in their room. Yet to keep from starting a bad habit with the boy, Severus and Rosemerta took turns lying with Harry until he fell asleep. Most nights it worked.

But, overall, the wizarding world had never been safer. Sixteenth birthdays passed, and along with it, a new school year started.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Harry, stop!” Hermione laughed, trying to get away from Harry as they walked into the Great Hall for supper.

“Mr. Snape, you will unhand Miss Black this instant. You are in school, show a little decorum.” Severus Snape said as he passed the two. Harry stopped immediately; he knew better than to test his father while they were at school. He had learned quite quickly when term started that just because everyone now knew about their relationship and they no longer had to pretend, that his father was still strict.

Harry looked at Hermione and grinned impishly.

“Uncle Sev is really no different than he was before. Not here. He was always the same at home.” Hermione remarked as she watched Severus walk to the front of the Great Hall and sat down beside Rosemerta on the dais.

Harry looked ill when he watched his father lean over and kiss his mum on the cheek.

“I dunno. He is a bit different. I wish he wouldn’t do that in front of everyone. It is embarrassing.”

Hermione laughed.

“Oh, Harry. Remember that when we have children.” She whispered. Harry blushed again. The final battle had caused their bond to strengthen beyond all measure. They had always known that they belonged to each other, but now they could feel it. Narcissa had caught the duo making out in her rose garden right before they were to return to school. Narcissa had carted Hermione off to her room to give her a thorough dressing down, and Severus had, for what felt like the millionth time to Harry, done the same with him. It had been, by far, the most intensive talk Severus had ever given the boy.

“Don’t let anyone hear you say anything about children. I don’t know if I can handle Dad giving me a talk so close to this last one. It was probably the most detailed he had ever been. Even Mum threw in her two cents.” Harry said.

Again, Hermione laughed.

“You aren’t telling me anything that I don’t know. Mum lectured me for two hours and then told me that just because you and I were bonded and rid the world of a mad man, that it did not mean that we were ready for that step in a relationship. I promised her we would both finish school first.” Hermione said, suddenly quite serious.

Harry nodded. He, too, had promised his parents.

They finally reached a table and sat down at it and looked up at the head table. Professor McGonagall, the headmistress of Hogwarts, sat in the middle. The end of the war had been gentle to her, easing the stress she had felt for years. Being headmistress also sat well with the regal woman. Hogwarts had never run so smoothly.

Severus was the deputy headmaster, and this position set well with him also. While he was not the harsh and cruel man he had pretended to be for so many years, he was still not one to mess with. Students now obeyed him out of respect as well as fear. Severus was okay with that. It kept them from blowing up his potions lab.

Mattie was sitting beside Rosemerta, but then he whispered in her ear and traded places with her so that he could sit between Severus and Rose. Harry smiled. While he had agreed with his parents adopting Mattie, there were still days he felt jealous of the eight year old. Why should the boy have his family out in the open when he had had to hide for so long?

But then Harry would become ashamed of himself and would go hide in his room in his parents quarters until one or both came in and talked to him about it. His insecurities were another side effect of the war, but they were becoming less and less so. He did love Mattie, and hoped the little boy would never realize that he was sometimes jealous of him.

“Hey, Harry! Ron and I are going down to the quidditch pitch after we eat. You wanna go down?” Draco asked, sliding onto the seat beside Harry. No one cared where they sat anymore, and there were more and more people sitting with siblings and friends from other houses. Draco was always seen sitting with his family now, and often other Slytherins would sit with him.

Perhaps the biggest change for Draco had been his friendship with Ron. The two were always seen together. They were very similar and liked all of the same things. Harry was pleased. Both boys were his best friends, and now the three of them could be friends together.

“Yea, but Dad sent me a note earlier that said I had to come meet him and Mum after supper.” Harry said.

Draco looked at him, his eyebrows raised.

“You don’t think they found out do you? You know if they did my Mum and Dad will find out and then they will know that Hermione helped us because there is no way that we could do it alone, and you know what Mum told her the last time!” Draco hissed.

“Do you think that he will tell my parents if he knows?” Ron asked, his face suddenly pale. He had spent quite a bit of time with Harry, Draco, and Hermione at the Manor and while he had more respect for Severus Snape than he had ever had before, he was still terrified of the man.

“Probably if he knows, but I don’t know. Maybe he doesn’t know anything. I mean, normally he would call out everyone he felt was in on a scheme if he does know.” Harry said, taking a bite of his dinner.

“I don’t think that he does. Besides we haven’t even used it yet. We weren’t planning on using it until this weekend. How would Uncle Sev find out? Perhaps he only wants to talk to you about school or something.” Hermione said. It had taken her a while to talk herself into brewing any potion because it made her think of Bellatrix, her mother, her savior.

But Hermione was slowly coming to terms with the fact that her mother had not only died, but that she never really got to know the woman. It had taken many talks with Narcissa for her to overcome the fact that she had played the two women, both her mothers, against one another during the short time they were all together.

“Well, I better go. Mum just left with the Brat, so Dad will follow before long. I almost forgot to tell you guys though…Tom is coming by next week. Since he is on the Board of Governors now, he can come and go. He said he’d like to eat lunch with us.” Harry said, getting up from the table.

“Of course, Harry. I will see you tonight. Hopefully alive. And don’t call Mattie a brat. You know that it makes Aunt Rose and Uncle Sev angry even if it is a term of endearment between the two of you. I still haven’t a clue why he decided it was appropriate to call you Pothead.” Hermione said, laughing, though slightly serious. Even with the ups and downs with everyone, Harry and Mattie got along exceedingly well despite the days they sometimes had arguing with one another. They were true siblings, that was for sure.

“Yea, yea. That wasn’t me. Besides, Dad got him for that. He doesn’t call me that anymore. I will talk to you later.” Harry smiled and waved at the group.

His nerves didn’t hit until he was in front of the portrait leading to their family quarters.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Severus Snape had never been as happy as he was now. His son was alive and on the road to more happiness and acceptance than he had ever had in his short life, his wife was alive and well, and he had another son, albeit adopted. That did not, however, mean that Mattie was any less his son to him. He loved that little boy just as much as Harry.

Severus watched Harry leave the Great Hall and then watched the boy sneak a look back at him. He merely shook his head and then headed towards the side entrance and started walking towards their rooms.

He knew that Harry and the other children were hiding something, though Harry had just told him as much. The boy could lie to many, but never to him or Rosemerta. Severus was thankful for that one reprieve.

Severus walked through the portrait and into the family room.

“Mum, come on.” He heard Harry whine. The boy was sixteen years old and was still so whiny at times. Severus knew that it was mostly after effects of the war, and many children were

feeling those effects. Often, though, his son and friends acted much older than they were.

“Harrison, no. Now, please go sit. Your father will be here in a minute.”

“Mum…”

“Harrison Snape. Did your mother not just tell you to go sit on the sofa?” Severus said as he walked into the room with his robes billowing behind him. In Severus’ favorite armchair Mattie was sitting, his legs Indian style in the seat. He was stifling his giggles behind his hand.

He loved his big brother, but it was kinda funny when he got into trouble.

“Shut it, Brat!” Harry said.

“Nevaaaa evaaaaa, Pothead!” Mattie said in a fit of laughter.

Severus rolled his eyes.

“Both of you, to the corner.” Rosemerta snapped. Severus looked over at her to see if she was serious.

She was. In fact, Severus almost felt like he needed to go to the corner as well. Her glare had both boys running to opposite corners.

Severus walked over to Rose and kissed her on the cheek. Rose leaned into the kiss for several moments and then handed Severus the potions vial in her hand.

“Mattie, dear, are you going to call your brother that again?”

“No ma’am.” The little boy squeaked. Both adults could tell that the child was trying not to laugh. He was such a good natured child, even after everything he had been through in his short life.

“Okay. Then I want you to go to your room while Daddy and I talk to Harry. You should write an apology the best you can to Harry for calling him that.”

The little boy nodded and quickly ran to his room.

Harry sighed. He wanted out of the corner. It was ridiculous. He was sixteen now. Way too old to be in the corner.

“Harry, love, come here and sit. We want to talk to you.” Again, it was Rosemerta who spoke.

Harry walked over to the couch as if he was on death row. He sat down, and only then did he look up at his parents.

Severus was sitting in his favorite armchair, and Rose was sitting on the arm of the chair.

In Severus’ hand was a potions vial with a sunshine yellow potion in it.

Harry’s eyes grew large. Yep, this was exactly what he had feared.

“I was quite surprised to come across this potion. I had a feeling that it was yours. Was I correct?” Severus asked. Harry swallowed deeply and looked at the floor. He did, however, nod his head quickly.

“Verbal answer, please.”

“Yes, sir. It is mine.”

“Thank you for being honest. You know, however, that you have been forbidden to use this potion once before. Why is it that your mother found this when she was picking up your dirty clothes from the bathroom?”

Harry swallowed deeply. He wanted to accuse both of his parents of invading his personal space, but at the moment he wasn’t quite that stupid. He knew that until he owned his own home, made his own money, and bought his own things, he didn’t really have personal space. Only the idea of personal space.

“I’m sorry.” Harry said.

“Did you use any of it?” Severus asked him.

“No, sir.”

“Go get your friends. Each friend who was has a vial of this. I will know if you don’t. Now.”

Harry’s eyes widened and he nodded. He didn’t have it in him to refuse.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Severus watched as the four teenagers walked into his quarters with looks of dread. He knew who Harry would bring back with him. It was, however, a shock, when Neville Longbottom followed from behind.

Draco had entered first, followed by Ron, Harry, and Hermione. Neville had politely closed the door behind him, and followed the rest of his friends into the family room.

Hermione hadn’t looked up until she sat down beside Harry. But when she did, she would have preferred that she hadn’t.

“Hermione Cassandra Black, I cannot believe that you would make this potion after you were strictly forbidden from doing so.”

Crap.

It was her mum. Narcissa. The one woman who was always there for her. Realization hit Hermione. This was the first real time that she had gotten into real trouble since before the battle. It made her feel…somewhat normal. It was weird, in a way, but so true.

“I will be right back. It looks like I have to Floo one more household.” Severus said quietly.

“Ronald, you may have been only six when Charlie thought he would try the Euphoria Elixir,

but I know that you remember how much trouble he got into!” Molly Weasley bellowed. Arthur Weasley did not look any happier, though he really hadn’t been surprised. The only one of their children who hadn’t tried besides Ginny was Percy. Neither liked to be reminded that their third child had had a vindictive streak the size of England, and would remain in Azkaban for the rest of his life.

“Errr, yea, I remember.” Ron said, his face red.

“Draco, you too, were warned about using this, were you not?” Lucius asked.

Draco nodded. He knew he was in trouble, and he sure didn’t need to add any fuel to the fire.

Suddenly, from Severus’ study, came three people. Severus, closely followed by Alice and Frank Longbottom.

Neville was hit with strong emotions. Part of him was upset that he was in trouble with his parents.

But then, there was something else. Pride? Excitement?

Neville felt…pleased. For the first time in his life his parents were the ones called when he was in trouble. He didn’t care that he was in trouble. His parents were here and well. That was all that mattered.

“Now, we have called you all here for one reason, and one reason only.” Severus began. The five teenagers swallowed and looked at their parents, “So, we are going to sit here while you take this potion.”

Their eyes had been big before, but they were huge now.

“Dad, no!” Harry said. He may have wanted to try that potion with his friends, but not while he had an audience.

“Why not, Harrison? You wanted to try it so badly before.”

“Dad!” Harry said, embarrassed. He no longer had any desire to take that potion. No desire at all. It had suddenly lost all appeal.

“Mum, Dad….Uncle Sev…I don’t want to try it anymore.” Hermione whispered.

The teenagers behind her started nodding. No, they all felt the same. The appeal was no longer there.

“Fine then. However, it has been discussed, and the next time you all decide to venture into potion making substances in which you should not, you will be significantly punished for your behavior. Am I understood?” Severus said, leaning in ever so slightly to ensure that each of the children would hear his every word.

All five children were nodding in the affirmative with gusto.

“Fine. As of right now, your parents all want to take you home overnight. We realize that you

have all been through more than any of you ever should have been in your short sixteen years. But you all must remember that you are still young, you still have plenty to learn, and as your parents, we are always going to be here, whether you want that or not.”

Each child knew that what Severus said was true. But, really, they didn’t mind so much. They were just glad that they had family. Family that loved, supported, and took care of them.

It was all that mattered.

~*~*~*~*~

Severus and Rosemerta lay in bed that night, neither saying much, but both content to lay in one another’s arms.

Harry was in bed, asleep. He had overcome his embarrassment and had played a game of exploding snap with Mattie before bed. None of the parents were really mad about the Euphoria Elixir. On the contrary, they were pleased that their children were acting like normal teenagers, even if the normal things were those children getting into trouble.

They had, after all, never really been ones to stay out of minor trouble. So it was actually quite comforting.

“Everything is going back to normal.” Rosemerta whispered from her husband’s chest.

“It is. It will take a while for everything to settle down, and there will be points when it will sneak back up into our lives and we will have to remember. It will be a flashback, a nightmare, a saying. But we will get over it. We will grow.” Severus told her, holding onto her tightly.

“And, we have our babies. Harry and Mattie. And we have our extended family. One day, Harry and Hermione will marry. Our lives will be full of happiness now, won’t it, Sev?” Rosemerta asked.

“Always.”

Rose smiled and sighed with contentment, and Severus leaned down and kissed her head.

And all was well.