Chapter 11 – Bring Down the House

 

Severus didn’t want to open the door, so when the first knock sounded, he ignored it. He only had one more day before he had to return to the school, and he wanted to spend it alone, wallowing in misery without anyone’s interference.

He’d always considered himself clever, but he’d learned otherwise on Christmas Day. It hurt to know his muggle family thought so little of him. Not to mention that scolding he’d gotten from Nana. She’d never spoken to him like that before. Even when he’d been a snotty, sarcastic teen himself, she’d been patience personified. Not trusting her after everything he’d been through with father, he pushed and pushed, expecting her to throw him out and prove him right. To prove to him that she was just like her son.

Yet, she hadn’t.

She’d persevered in the face of his belligerence and uncomplainingly bore his attitude until he finally realised he could count on her to be there for him.

Which she had.

Yet, how did he repay that?

By lying to her every step of the way. About his school. About his magic. About having an ex-girlfriend and the final straw that broke the hump, about having a son.

He snorted in derision, the sound drowned out by another, louder knock on his door. He glared in the direction of the front door, as if trying to deter his unwanted visitor by sheer will alone and went back to look at the books he’d scattered in front of him.

Nana and his cousins had suspected almost the whole time that he didn’t have a son. He’d let the charade go on for so long that they’d got suspicious and forced his hand by exaggerating his grandmother’s fall. He was the one who was tricked and fallen flat on his face.

Harry effing Potter had won over his relatives. Severus flinched as the automatic need to badmouth the boy almost took over, but he’d curtailed the urge. Potter had lived up to his side of the bargain. He’d been polite and courteous and had gone above and beyond what Severus asked of him.

If anything, it was Severus and his behaviour towards the boy that had tripped them up. Potter had even defended his hated teacher Nana Bea and the others. Severus was the one who’d continued to disparage and belittle the Potter – Harry – to everyone. It hadn’t even occurred to him at the time that he should try to spend time with Har-Pot – the boy to make it seem like he was trying to bridge the gap between father and son.

Severus snorted again and leaned his head back against the back of his chair.

His unwanted visitor knocked on his front door again, louder and more irately than before. Severus took a deep breath and yelled, “Leave me alone!”

Nana and his cousins had held an impromptu intervention. His last words regarding Potte – Harry had been to accuse the boy of telling tales.

“There comes a time, Severus, when you’ve got to take responsibility for your own actions,” Nana told him. “You’re not the only one who suffered, and as much as I understand the impact it’s had on you, it doesn’t behove you to think you’re the only one who has gone through this.”

“Nana, you don’t know the boy,” Severus protested.

“No, Severus,” Nana denied, “you don’t know the boy. I’m not sure what’s happened between you and Harry, but you’ve turned a blind eye to everything that boy is going through. I expected more from you.”

Though Alfred and Jacky had been sure Severus had lied about having a son, Potter’s behaviour made them believe it was true. They were shocked when Nana revealed that it was all an act, and disappointed. That’s what Nana and Harry must have been discussing when Severus found him in Nana’s room. He’d been right to be suspicious, but he was too tired and miserable to gloat about it. Besides, Severus had been wrong about so much more regarding Potter that being right about this one thing didn’t hold the same satisfaction.

Another knock intruded on his gloom, deafening and maddening.

Severus heaved himself from his chair with a frustrated grunt and stomped his way to the door, yanking it open and hissing, “I am clearly not in the mood for visitors, Narcissa. Stop knocking and get lost!”

“Move aside,” Narcissa said as she gave him an unimpressed look.

Severus stubbornly blocked her way, refusing her entry.

“What do you want? You’ve already let me know the boy is safe at school.”

It had surprised him when he’d come out of the Dining room to see that Potter had left with the Malfoys. And if Bartholomew hadn’t handed Severus a note from Lucius, he might have gone tearing after them. Potter was his responsibility, and Albus would have killed him if something had happened to Potter. When he returned to his house in Liverpool, Severus had sent a note to inform the Headmaster of his return and queried Potter’s presence in the school. Dumbledore had confirmed Harry was safe at Hogwarts, and Severus felt like he could wallow in peace.

“Let me in,” Narcissa said, just as stubbornly.

Severus lost the battle of wills, and exasperatedly moved aside to allow her entry.

He stalked back to his chair, but before he could sit down, Narcissa said, “You look awful.”

“Pleasure to see you too,” Severus said sarcastically.

“I lost my manners when you made me stand outside for twenty minutes instead of answering the door in a civilised manner,” Narcissa snapped.

Severus opened his mouth to argue back, but she whipped out her wand and pointed it threateningly at his face.

“Go take a shower, Severus,” she ordered. “You look like you’ve not had one since Merlin knows how long.”

Since Christmas Eve, Severus filled silently, conceding to Narcissa’s point. Without arguing, he took off upstairs to clean up.

By the time he came back downstairs, cleaned and in fresh clothes, Narcissa had cast a Freshening Charm, sprayed something that smelled like lemon around the room, made tea and was sitting in his favourite chair perusing through one of the books, forcing him to sit on the sofa instead.

“You finally found the rest of the Alchemy books,” Narcissa commented, replacing said book on the table.

“I didn’t,” Severus admitted. “They were gifted to me.”

By Potter. In all the hubbub with his thousand-pound cheque to Sarah, Severus never managed to open his final present from Potter. When he’d gotten around to unwrapping it upon returning to Liverpool, his first reaction was anger, believing Potter had stolen it from his house. He’d even rushed to his library to check what else Potter might have taken from him. Only to have his anger fizzle out when he saw his original copies exactly where he’d left them. He heard Nana’s voice in his head, expressing her disappointment in him once again.

Potter must have spent a fortune buying gifts for Severus and his family. Not to mention the fact that he’d bought everyone something according to their interest in some way. Even Severus.

The books themselves were not priceless or worth all that much in monetary value – just difficult to find. Severus regularly scoured the used bookshops in Diagon and Knockturn Alleys and those in the lesser-known Alleys in London to find these books.

Yet, Potter had somehow found every single book in one place. If Severus wasn’t already feeling miserable, he’d be annoyed at Potter’s luck in doing yet another thing in one day that he hadn’t accomplished in eighteen years.

“At least your collection is complete now,” Narcissa smiled.

Severus nodded as he reached for the cup of tea Narcissa had prepared.

“Why are you here, Narcissa?” he asked wearily.

“Lucius and I were worried about you,” Narcissa answered.

“Is that why you gate-crashed my family dinner?” he said pointedly.

“That might have been for the sake of entertainment,” Narciss admitted wryly. “We are sorry for the way it turned out. Neither of us meant for you to be...”

“Ganged up on by my family for being a horrible liar?” Severus finished dryly.

“Well, you brought that on yourself,” Narcissa told him without sympathy.

Severus sighed and sipped on his tea, unable to argue.

“What did they say?”

Severus sighed again before eventually answering, “Nana apologised for her part in making me feel I had to lie to her about having a girlfriend and a son. She just didn’t want to see me alone and miserable.”

Like Iain Baker, he added silently. Though he’d learned enough about their neighbour to know that the man hadn’t always been like that.

“Did you find out what they meant about Harry?”

Severus remained silent in that regard. His family had defended Potter the whole time. He, Alfred and Jacqueline had gone through hell with their respective fathers. He’d prided himself on his observational skills. He’d helped many students who had gone through a similar experience to himself. But he’d missed it with Potter because he’d been so sure the boy was just like his father.

“If you’re too blind to see Harry for who he is, then you don’t deserve to be a teacher,” Alfred said. “I would even go as far as saying he’s lucky you’re not his father.”

Severus never wanted children of his own. Yet, it had inexplicably hurt to have his cousin imply he wouldn’t be a good father.

“Not in so many words,” Severus eventually broke the silence. His family hadn’t wanted to break Potter’s confidence. They’d managed to convince him that Potter needed to be taken away from his current guardians, who Severus knew were his muggle relatives; Lily’s sister Petunia and her husband. Severus had nothing to do with Petunia after falling out with Lily in their fifth year; therefore, he had not met the man fool enough to marry her either.

Perhaps he could correct that now, he thought to himself.

ooOoo

 

Some months later

 

“Potter, stay behind,” Severus called out as the students began packing their belongings at the end of class.

Harry froze briefly before calmly packing his bag. Harry’s friends give him questioning looks, but the boy gave them a shrug, indicating he didn’t know the reason he was being kept.

It hadn’t been easy letting go of his preconceptions about Harry Potter. It had been more than three months since Harry joined him and his family in Marple. It had been just as hard to open up to his cousins, and he could see the effort they were making to know him as well. The letters they exchanged were more frequent. Nana had even included several more photographs she’d taken with the camera Harry got her for Christmas.

Draco shot Harry a questioning look as he closed his bag, but Harry gave him the same neutral shrug he gave his friends. Realising the boy didn’t know anything, Draco looked at Severus instead, who simply raised a brow. Draco rolled his eyes and walked out with his friends.

The thawing in the rivalry between Harry and Draco still left Severus bemused. And that’s all it was, a thawing. Neither boy socialised with the other as a rule, but the hostilities, at least, were under a cease-fire. It helped immensely that the Malfoys had dropped their lawsuit to have Buckbeak, the hippogriff, executed.

Sirius Black had been found innocent at his trial but had been recovering in St Mungos. Narcissa and Andromeda were his most regular visitors, though Lucius told him that Black asked after Harry regularly, the boy in question had been more cautious in his correspondence with his godfather. Severus was still reconciling himself with the fact that he would have to spend time with Black in some capacity, as the man would be released into the custody of Narcissa for the foreseeable future after he was discharged from St Mungos.

A court-ordered Mind-Healer was working with Black to help patch his mind back together. Narcissa was very strict about this condition and suggested that Severus look for one for himself. Surprisingly, Severus hadn’t dismissed the suggestion immediately, though he had yet to look for a Mind-Healer who would suit his needs.

“Take a seat,” Severus said, indicating the chair at the front.

Reluctantly, Harry stepped to the front and took the suggested seat and couldn’t hide his surprise when Severus pulled a chair closer to sit opposite the boy instead of sitting behind his desk. He hadn’t wanted to loom over the boy.

Unthinkingly, Severus reached into the inside pocket of his robe and then realised Harry was tracking the movement of his hand.

He’d missed all these indications and didn’t blame his family for being upset with him.

Making sure to slow his movements, Severus carefully withdrew the envelope from his pocket and placed it on the desk between him and the boy.

Harry gave him a wary look before looking at the envelope properly.

He pulled it to himself, a genuine smile lighting up his face as he read the name, Maya Rogers.

As he traced the address, written in emerald green ink, with his fingers, Severus realised he’d not seen Harry smile this openly since Christmas with his family. Harry had been subdued since Christmas day. Narcissa and Lucius were working hard to win Harry’s trust. As was Black, from what Narcissa told him.

Dumbledore told Harry at the end of the winter holidays that he would not return to the Dursleys. Dumbledore had taken Harry to the Infirmary on the last day of the holidays, asked Poppy to perform a complete medical history and then used it as evidence to have Harry removed from his muggle relatives’ custody.

From what Dumbledore told him, the Dursleys denied the abuse (of course, they would) but hadn’t argued regarding the custody.

Dumbledore had then asked Harry about his view on where he wanted to stay, if he had a particular guardian in mind, offering several possibilities, including the Malfoys and Sirius Black.

Harry hadn’t given his answer yet, even though several months had passed.

Given everything Harry had been through with the Dursleys, whose address Dumbledore was still holding hostage, it wasn’t surprising to see Harry so reluctant to put his faith in other people. Nana had worked hard to gain Severus’s trust. Severus might have worked with other students under his care to ensure they found a safe home, but he’d have to work harder with Harry to overcome their previous animosity. Especially as he knew he was the source of that animosity.

It took him several moments to realise, too wrapped up in Harry’s smile, which he’d not seen for months, that Harry hadn’t expressed any surprise at finding out Maya was a witch.

“You knew already?” Severus asked, pointing out the obvious.

Harry’s smile faded, to Severus’s dismay. He put down Maya’s letter and pushed it towards Severus without looking at him.

He thought furiously.

“Iain Baker,” he said, comprehension dawning. “It was Maya’s accidental magic, not yours.”

Harry shrugged.

Severus guiltily remembered his reaction when he realised magic had been used and the way his cousins had defended Harry against Severus.

“I apologise,” Severus said stiffly. Ask for forgiveness was difficult for him still, but he understood he wouldn’t get very far with Harry, or any of his family, without showing a little humility.

Harry looked at him with surprise. It was probably the first time an adult had apologised to him. Harry didn’t otherwise acknowledge his apology; instead, he asked, “Why are you telling me?”

Severus sat up straighter.

“I shall be visiting my family this Sunday – in the afternoon.” At Harry’s questioning look, he confirmed, “All of them.”

Harry nodded, still looking confused.

“I was – ” he cleared his throat, “the headmaster -  You are welcome to join.”

Instead of looking elated, a blank look settled on the boy’s face.

“I have no reason to be there. Sir.”

Before Severus could say anything to assure Harry, the boy hurriedly stood, picking up his bag in the same instance.

“Can I go?”

He didn’t wait for an answer and rapidly exited the classroom, leaving Severus with a pained expression he didn’t see in his haste to leave.

He’d been trying to say that Dumbledore had given permission for Severus to take Harry with him. He didn’t even get to tell Harry that his family would be happy to see the boy.

His cousins knew that Harry was a student at his school, so their letters to Severus always enquired after Harry, though they hadn’t sent any additional letters since their initial letter to smooth over the last day’s mishap. He wished he knew what was going through the boy’s mind and help smooth over any fears, but understood that the trust wasn’t there yet.

As evidenced just now, Severus couldn’t even speak to the boy normally without stuttering and sounding stilted. It probably made the boy question the sincerity of his offer.

 

ooOoo

 

Severus knocked on the front door, waiting nervously for it to be opened. The whole family would be here at his request. The surprise had practically leapt from the pages that he, Severus, was voluntarily asking for a meeting.

Had it been Jacqueline or any of her children visiting, they would not even need to knock. They all had keys to the house and could walk in whenever they felt. Had Severus had a closer relationship, he could have dropped by unannounced time he wished, and no one would have batted an eye.

Andrew opened the door, greeted Severus with awkward courtesy and stepped aside to allow him entry.

“How have you been, Andrew?” Severus asked, hoping he didn’t sound as nervous as he felt.

The boy looked surprised at the question but answered with a shrug and a muttered, “Fine.”

Severus nodded and allowed the boy to lead the way back to the Sitting room. Instead of sitting down, Andrew headed to the kitchen, where it seemed he wasn’t alone. Nana, instead of her wheelchair, sat on a reclining sofa that looked new, with a blanket wrapped around her legs. She looked healthier than he’d last seen her. Not that there was anything wrong with her last time, apparently. He found that he wasn’t angry at being lied to, not when he’d been telling bigger lies for longer.

It was his turn to come clean.

After the stilted greetings, Severus enquired about Jacqueline’s baby.

“Nana said you had a boy?” Severus half asked.

“Yes,” Jacqueline smiled even though she looked weary. “We named him Damon. Barry’s just put him down to sleep in the den.”

Severus knew nothing else about babies, so that conversation went no further.

“All right, Severus, what announcement have you gathered us all for today?” Jacqueline asked, looking mildly curious, once everyone had been called to the Sitting room. “Are you getting married for real this time?”

Gloria snorted in laughter which she quickly stifled as if wary of offending Severus.

“No,” Severus said, unable to sit down. He stood in front of the fire, which wasn’t lit, given the time of the year, feeling like he was about to give a presentation. “There’s no simple way to explain this. So I’m just going to give this to Maya.”

He quickly reached into his jacket and pulled out her Hogwarts letter before passing it to her.

Jacqueline sighed almost exasperatedly, “Look, Severus, I know we’ve all promised to make an effort with each other, but you seriously don’t need to call for a family gathering every time you want to present the children with their birthday money.”

Severus couldn’t fault his cousin for thinking that, seeing as he never usually put in any effort in selecting anything personal for anyone but Nana.

“It’s not- I understand why you might think that, but Maya’s – here, just… Please, read that letter.”

Severus had delivered letters to several muggle-born students as part of his duty as Head of Slytherin. He had his introduction to the Wizarding world down pat, knowing precisely what he needed to say to get the child’s parents to understand that it wasn’t some joke and that their child wasn’t weird. However, explaining to his family, who’d hidden a significant part of his life from, was a different beast altogether. He purposely didn’t look at Nana, focussing solely on Maya.

Self-consciously, Maya opened the envelope from Severus.

“The paper feels weird,” she commented, flushing under the attention.

“It’s called parchment,” Severus explained.

Jacqueline leaned over her daughter’s shoulder to read the letter along with her.

“Is this a joke, Severus?” Jacqueline said, snatching the letter from Maya’s hand. She stood up to confront Severus.

Alfred stood up, looking ready to jump in, and Severus was reminded of Christmas Day in the den when they both banded together.

“It’s not a joke,” Severus hastened to assure his cousins.

“Jacky,” Nana admonished. “Let’s hear Severus out. What does the letter say?”

“It says that Maya’s a witch,” Jacqueline snarled. “Some crap about buying wands and cauldrons and pointy hats and a special school.”

“It’s not a joke,” Severus repeated, feeling vulnerable as his heart hammered. He needed this meeting to go well. Not for himself, but for Maya. He knew what it felt like to be rejected by a parent for having magic, and he couldn’t let that happen with Maya.

“Severus,” Jacqueline began to say.

“I’m a wizard, Jacky,” Severus added quickly.

They looked at him in surprise, but not for the reason he thought. Severus never used the diminutive version of his cousin’s name in the past, always falling on formality and using her full name.

“I can prove it all to you,” he said.

“Harry,” Maya said suddenly. “You’re Harry’s teacher. Is Harry a witch too?”

“Wizard,” Severus corrected. “We’re wizards. Girls are witches.”

“Is he?” Maya persisted.

“Yes. In fact,” Severus said, suddenly remembering the letter Harry had slipped under his office door last evening, “he’s sent a letter.”

He pulled it out and passed it to Maya, who snatched much more eagerly than she did her Hogwarts letter.

“What does it say?” Jacky prompted.

“He – It – Before Harry left, I asked him if he would come back. Harry promised we would see each other next year. That’s what his letter says. I told you we’d meet again next year,” she read.

Something about the phrasing struck Severus, but before he could press further, Jacky interrupted, “Listen, Severus, we loved having Harry for Christmas, and he’s more than welcome to stay with us any time he wands. He’s a lovely lad, but you can’t keep using him to trick us.”

“I’m not trying to trick you,” Severus argued. “I promise this is real.”

“Severus,” Jacky pressed, “you lied to us about having a wife and son and to try and convince us, you used Harry to pretend to be your son. And now you’re trying to convince Maya that she’s a wizard –”

“Witch,” Severus corrected.

“-but yet again,” she continued, ignoring the interruption, “you’re using Harry to convince us. That’s not on. That’s not fair to Maya. Do you know how much she adores Harry?”

“I’m not lying,” Severus said desperately. “I can prove it to you.”

“Jacky,” Barry interrupted before the woman could argue further, “let him prove it. Come on. Sit down.”

Jacky flounced back to the sofa, protectively pulling her daughter close.

“Go ahead, Severus,” Barry prompted. “Prove you’re a wizard and have magic.”

Alfred took his seat as well.

Severus took a deep breath and pulled out his wand from the holster hidden in his sleeve.

“What’s that?” Brian asked.

“It’s a stick,” Jacky scoffed.

“My wand,” Severus answered. “Witches and wizards use it to cast spells.”

He pointed it at the coffee table, transfiguring it into a rabbit.

“Marley,” Alexandra yelled, rushing to the transfigured version of her beloved pet.

“Not quite,” Severus said regretfully and reversed it.

Jaws dropped at the sight of the rabbit and stayed there as it disappeared.

“Marley?” Alexandra cried.

Alfred quickly pulled his daughter onto his lap to soothe her. Severus held back a wince. Perhaps having some of the younger children around might not have been such a good idea.

“Was that our rabbit?”

“That was a magical copy of your rabbit,” Severus clarified.

“Not our real rabbit?” Alfred checked.

“The real Marley never left the rabbit hutch,” Severus explained. “I needed something definitive to show you I’m not lying or delusional, and I felt that was the easiest way.”

His cousins and their spouses exchanged confused and helpless glances.

“Perhaps you need to explain from the beginning,” Alfred sighed. “You’ve been hiding quite a bit from us.”

Severus explained as much as he could, starting with the school, giving a brief history of the school and the Houses, as if this was like any other muggle-born visit.

Then he explained the Statute of Secrecy and the Ministry.

“Your lot has a government?” Barry asked incredulously.

Severus explained a little more about the Ministry but quickly moved back to talking about the school and its classes.

Even the adults asked interested questions, showing their excitement when he explained about unicorns and dragons.

“You have dragons and unicorns at the school?” Maya asked excitedly.

“No dragons, no,” Severus said. “There are special reserves for dragons. They need space and special care, and plenty of privacy. The closest dragon reserve is hidden under many enchantments in Wales. As for unicorns, yes. There is a herd of them in the Forbidden Forest, which, as the name suggests, is absolutely forbidden to the students.”

“Then how do we get to see the unicorns?” Maya asked dejectedly.

“In your third year, you would get to choose out of several electives. One of which is Care of Magical creatures. It’s in this class that you will get to visit the herd, or rather a few specimens will be brought out to the students to study them.”

Severus quickly moved on to explain about Diagon Alley, the magical shopping district located in London, the bank run by goblins, (“Real goblins!” Brian exclaimed), wizarding currency and the current exchange rate.

Maya wasn’t particularly interested in Herbology, or Potions, when it came to it. She’d been more impressed with the wand magic classes, so Severus tried not to feel offended when she didn’t query that more.

Sarah, on the other hand- “So, you don’t teach Chemistry?”

“Potions would be a mix of Chemistry and Biology,” Severus explained, unknowingly becoming more passionate as he talked about the topic.

“I’m really going to be a witch?” Maya asked with a little disbelief.

“You are a witch,” Severus affirmed. “You just need training.”

“I’m going to be a witch,” Maya repeated. “Mum?”

“You heard him, honey. You’re a witch!”

Suddenly she erupted into excited shrieks and began to bounce around. Severus found himself smiling but also looked around to see everyone else’s reaction. As a child himself, he’d not given any attention to Petunia’s jealousy, not that he would have cared anyway, when he’d told Lily she was a witch. However, as an adult and a teacher, he needed to look out for this sort of thing. Unfortunately, even from his own family.

Thankfully, none of them seemed to be displaying any jealousy yet. It just meant he needed to keep an eye on the situation.

Having said that, he felt a great burden lift from him after revealing the secret that he’d kept for so many years. It felt good to finally be able to share this with his family, and wished he’d trusted them with it sooner.

He handed over various pamphlets for Maya and the family to read. One was practically a short book.

“It explains a lot,” Alfred said to Severus after the children had disappeared excitedly to read through the literature.

“I suppose, given how big a secret it is, I understand why Tobias never returned to the family,” Jacky agreed. Then continuing more softly, “Is that why he hurt you?”

Severus took a deep breath before answering, “That’s the excuse he used.”

He found nothing but understanding in his cousin’s eyes. They had been through the same thing as him with their own father.

“You’ll look after my baby, won’t you, Severus?” Jacky implored.

“I will,” he promised. “She won’t be alone.”

Severus didn’t know his family as well as he thought he did. If he had paid more attention, then he might have suspected that Maya was a witch sooner. Might have revealed his secret sooner. He refused to dwell on it, though. However, as much as he would be proud to have Maya in his House, Slytherin would be difficult for her. No matter that Severus was her uncle, she would be a muggle-born in the House of Snakes, and they were an unforgiving lot.

Change was slow to come in Slytherin, and he’d been navigating through that House for the better part of twenty years, give or take. They might back off because she was Severus’s family, and he knew Draco would look out for her as well, but they couldn’t watch her all the time.

Maya would be better off in another House where she could freely make friends and not worry about navigating the internal politics of the snake pit.

She’d even be better in Gryffindor. Now that was something he’d never thought he’d ever admit.

“There are still a few things we need to clear up,” Alfred said, giving his cousin an implacable look.

Severus nodded agreeably. “I’ll answer what I can.”

“Why do you hate Harry?” Jacky asked bluntly.

“I don’t hate him,” Severus disagreed. Then, at his cousin’s mulish expression, he added, “Anymore.”

He sighed when he realised they wouldn’t let this go. Harry had won his family over in a short period, and truth be told, he envied the boy his ability to do what Severus struggled with for so many years. James Potter had been charming and charismatic. Even when Potter was caught in the act, he managed to talk his way out of it with minimal punishment. Severus had found that unfair, having felt like he was often punished for being the victim.

Lily had been on his side for much of what he’d gone through during their time at Hogwarts, yet in an effort to impress the influential purebloods, he’d pushed away the only person who’d genuinely care for him.

Severus had a pleasant two and a half years where he could blame Harry for the sins of his father. He’d even felt vindicated every time Dumbledore forgave Harry his transgressions, letting him off with a light punishment, much like his father before him.

Had it not been for Nana’s eye-opening words and frank conversation on Christmas day, Severus would have returned to Hogwarts without any change of opinion of Potter whatsoever. And because of Nana’s words, and his cousins’ aggressive defence of Harry, Severus had spent the rest of the break contemplating his own behaviour. He’d spent the last few months truly observing Harry and was saddened to see that he had so much damage to undo if he wanted to push forward and forge a better relationship.

He’d been so busy hating Harry for his father that he’d deliberately ignored any likeness Harry had to Lily. And to himself.

“I was wrong to treat Harry as I did,” Severus began to explain. His family were determined to make Harry a part of his family, and he realised that if he’d been a better friend to Lily from the beginning, Harry would have known Severus’s family sooner. “I’m not excusing my own behaviour, but Harry’s father and I were – well, rivals would be a mild term to apply to James Potter. Harry looks so much like his father, that I – I convinced myself they were one and the same.”

Jacky looked like she would press the issue, but Nana’s hand on her wrist stopped her.

“But you’ve realised how wrong that kind of thinking was,” Nana pointedly told him.

“I have,” he promised.

“What made you choose Harry, in that case?” Gloria asked.

“He wasn’t my first choice,” Severus admitted. To their amusement, he explained about his mad scramble to find the right boy to cast in the role of his son and how he’d almost chosen a student from his own House and how disappointed he was that the boy wasn’t available. He explained why Dumbledore made him pick Harry, and to his own surprise, downplayed the boy’s penchant for rule-breaking that had had him slathering in anger at the time.

It only occurred to him as he was telling the story, even after everything that happened, why exactly Harry had agreed to accompany his hated professor to spend Christmas with an unknown family.

At the time, he’d put it down to wanting to escape punishment for being out of bounds without permission and wanting to keep his position on the Quidditch team. Perhaps that had played a part in it. Severus had planned on using those detentions to make the boy miserable. Which Harry expected, given their antagonistic relationship.

Had Dumbledore not given Harry the option and forced Severus to take the boy to visit with his family, Harry would have returned to his aunt and uncle. Instead of getting the pampering and perfect Christmas that Severus had expected, Harry would have endured much abuse, forced to cook and clean and still probably get beaten. Only to return to the school and endure more abuse from his teacher in the form of detention and a ban from his only form of escapism, Quidditch.

In fact, the whole time Harry stayed in Marple, he had modelled his behaviour, learned from the Dursleys, and applied with the Snapes by cooking and cleaning for them.

The more he thought about it, the more dismal he felt.

“Harry was a good choice,” Nana affirmed with an impish smile, oblivious to Severus’s thoughts. “Perhaps one day you and Harry will become what you pretended to be.”

Severus realised with genuine disappointment that most likely wouldn’t happen. And it was all his own fault. Severus knew he was the one who’d set a precedent for their antagonistic relationship since the first class. The boy had offered a cheeky comment after he was unable to answer the questions that were unrealistic of anyone in the boy’s position. The laughter that followed the comment had cemented the boy’s likeness to James Potter in Severus’s mind, and thus their relationship only went downhill from there. He recognised now that the boy had never asked for any special favours, but it had still made him angry at the time when he’d not turned down the opportunities presented to him. Which, he now realised, was silly of him to expect the boy to do. No one in their right mind would turn down to play Quidditch, not with the passion and talent Harry had.

No, Severus didn’t think they could ever get to a stage where the boy might think of his Potions Master as family, as his father, but Severus would try damn hard to repair their relationship.

And the next Christmas would be better than the one just passed. Harry probably didn’t have any great expectations from spending the holidays with the Snape family, but Severus realised the boy had enjoyed himself. Up until Christmas Day, when everything suddenly seemed to have gone downhill.

This time, he vowed, he wouldn’t talk Harry down to his family, or let Harry do all the cooking and cleaning. Harry deserved a Christmas where he could enjoy being a normal teen. Nana had done that for Severus, and now it was his turn to pay it forward.

He allowed his family to pepper him with more questions, some about Harry, some about magic- to distract himself from his thoughts.

He realised it was the longest he’d spent with his cousins without leaning on Nana as a conversational crutch.

“Are you staying for dinner?” Alfred asked. “Or are you in a rush to go back?”

“That depends on who cooked,” Severus quipped to cover his surprise.

Jacky scowled and turned to Nana, sounding remarkably like one of the many teens he looked after, “I’m not that bad.”

Barry laughed, assuring Severus as he said, “Andrew’s taken over the kitchen since Christmas. He’s used up all his pocket money to buy various recipe books. Brian always knew he wanted to be a Vet like Alfred and me, but Andrew never felt any particular ambition calling to him. He’ll be finishing his GCSEs this year, but he’s looking for various cooking courses or experience in a restaurant environment after he finishes school.”

Severus agreed to stay for dinner, surprising himself by looking forward to it, even if the food turned out to be bad. It couldn’t be worse than Jacky’s. It was dinner with family, after all.

“I’ll stay,” he agreed. “I still have to give Maya her actual present.”

He decided to gift the girl something more personal than cash in an envelope for the first time. He gifted her a beautiful barn owl, which she promptly named Tweety, after a bird from a cartoon she watched.

And he was unsurprised to learn that her first letter was to Harry.

Severus ended up visiting his family once a fortnight after that afternoon. It pleased Dumbledore, though thankfully, the Headmaster didn’t gloat at the change in circumstances when Severus asked for regular time off.

He finally gathered the courage to ask Alfred and his family whether they would accept his offer of a thousand pounds towards Sarah’s education. Alfred had been wary of it, but at Gloria’s prompting and Sarah’s agreement, had given in.

Severus had carefully broached the offer for the other children as well and was prepared to argue his case. Barry had supported his offer, which had toppled any arguments from Jacky. Severus had been grateful to the other man for his support.

However, Severus held back from telling them their children would inherit from his will. That was a conversation for later down the line. Many, many years from now. For now, he was finally getting closer to his cousins and getting to know them all better.

 

ooOoo

 

Harry hadn’t intended to agree to live with the Malfoys. Truthfully, he still didn’t entirely trust them. Despite his tentative truce with Draco, he still expected the other boy to revert to his old ways at any given moment.

Harry simply held his side of the bargain by staying as far away from Draco as possible. Ron and Hermione still were confused at the turn of events. Ron was still suspicious of Draco and didn’t understand why Draco stopped antagonising them, and though Hermione was just as suspicious, seemed to appreciate the extra time she could direct towards her studies since the Malfoys dropped their case against Buckbeak.

All the students were just as confused at Snape’s sudden change in behaviour, particularly towards Harry. Everyone knew Snape hated Harry Potter. And though Harry knew why Snape wasn’t as caustic as he used to be, as with the Malfoys, he didn’t expect that change to last.

Still, things had changed at a head-turning speed since he’d come back from Marple on Christmas Day. Dumbledore finding out about the Dursleys was equally relieving as it was scary. Then he’d given Harry a choice to think about where he wanted to live. He’d been surprised that Dumbledore hadn’t just dumped him with the nearest person he thought was suitable, instead of letting Harry decide.

His first instinctive choice had been with Nana and the Snapes. Despite how he’d left on Christmas day, something he was ashamed of, he realised he’d loved it there, feeling like he’d fit right in.

Once the shock of Andrew’s words had worn off, Harry felt embarrassed by the dramatic way he’d left, without even properly saying goodbye to everyone. Especially after the way they’d welcomed him and defended him to Snape.

Dumbledore had given him letters from Nana and the family, in which they’d apologised. Andrew’s letter was particularly upsetting when Harry realised that the boy blamed himself for Harry leaving the way he did. Still, it was several weeks before Harry felt he could write back, sending Hedwig to Nana directly with letters for everyone, offering his own apologies.

Then Harry steadfastly put the whole family and subsequent events from his mind. He ignored Draco Malfoy where possible, acted like he didn’t know Snape was watching him, and pretended he didn’t have a godfather writing to him or that he had a monumental decision to make.

Until he could avoid it no longer. He knew it hurt Ron when Harry decided not to present the option of staying with the Weasleys, but truthfully it hadn’t even crossed his mind. As great as it was visiting the Weasleys during the summer and staying for a few weeks, Harry never felt like he was part of the family. He was just Ron’s friend who was only invited over because he had no family of his own. They knew the Dursleys didn’t treat Harry well, but not to the full extent. And Harry preferred it that way. They didn’t need to know. The Malfoys didn’t know either, but given how big Malfoy Manor was, according to Draco’s bragging, he’d at least be able to hide from them. He couldn’t hide from the Weasleys.

Things had been going well these last few months. Though he’d refused to accompany Snape to deliver Maya’s letter, he’d been pleasantly surprised to receive a letter from Maya and the others with the new owl gifted to her by her Uncle Severus.

And he was finally beginning to come around to the idea of his godfather. Sirius had his own demons to deal with, and Narcissa was really strict about him attending his therapy sessions and even made Harry keep regular appointments.

So, here he was, two weeks into the summer holidays, living with Sirius Black and the Malfoys. With his very own bedroom that Narcissa made him choose decorations for – from the rug on the floor to the light fixtures, from the wardrobes to the mattress, from the posters on the wall to the curtains on the windows – it had all been Harry’s choice.

Down the hall from Draco Malfoy.

A knock on the door jolted him from his musings.

“Come in,” he called.

Draco poked his head through.

“Mother said to get changed, if you haven’t already, and come down. Our guests have arrived at the gates, and the carriages will bring them down in a few minutes,” the blond told Harry.

“All right,” Harry nodded. He’d already changed into his new clothes. He just needed to put on shoes, which he began to do when he realised he wasn’t alone.

Draco loitered, looking nervous.

“What?” Harry asked, looking at Draco questioningly.

“I’ve never been around muggles before,” Draco admitted.

Harry could believe that. Until the past few months, Draco seemed to look down on all things muggle.

“You know Father kept volunteering me to be Uncle Sev’s son,” Draco confessed.

“Really?” Harry said sceptically, looking at Draco’s blond hair.

Seeing where his gaze was directed, Draco nodded rapidly.

“Father kept saying I should use a potion to dye my hair the right colour,” the other boy said with a flush.

Harry had nothing to say to that. He tied up his laces and stood up to check his hair. He brushed it slightly, but it fell back in place, so he gave it up as a bad job.

“I’ve not been around muggles before,” Draco repeated.

“So you’ve said,” Harry answered with a shrug, wondering what the boy wanted.

“What do I say to them?”

Harry turned around to deliver a sarcastic comment when he realised the blond was genuinely nervous.

“Why are you so concerned?”

“Because they’re Uncle Sev’s family. My parents know more about them because Uncle Sev talks to Mother and Father about them than me, but I know they’re important to him. I don’t want to let him down.”

Draco looked at him imploringly.

“And now one of his nieces is a witch, and I know my parents and Uncle Sev expect me to watch out for her when she starts at Hogwarts.”

Harry listened to Draco voice his concerns, amusement and confusion warring equally with each other. Draco was nervous about meeting Snape’s muggle family? Draco Malfoy? The same brat who called Ron a blood traitor and Hermione a mudblood?

Harry surreptitiously pinched himself and hid a wince when it hurt.

Seeming to catch his disbelief, Draco snaps, “Look, he’s my godfather, all right? And he cares about his family, and that means I should care about his family too. That’s what families do.”

Harry’s view of what it meant to be family was skewed because of the Dursleys, but with Ron’s family and Snape’s family, he’d begun to see how families should treat each other.

“Why are you telling me?”

“Well, you’ve grown up with muggles,” Draco muttered helplessly. “And you’ve met Uncle Sev’s family. What do I do?”

Harry stared at Draco contemplatively before answering.

“The only difference between you and them is that you have magic,” Harry finally answered. “They’re still people. Maya will be curious about Hogwarts, classes, and everything about the magical world. You just need to share your experience. Don’t treat her like an idiot, but also remember that you’ve grown up with magic, and she hasn’t. So you might take something for granted because that’s what you’ve always known, but it’s all new to Maya and the others. Just keep that in mind. And if you’re curious about how stuff works in the muggle world, ask them. Treat it like you’re experiencing a different culture.”

Draco nodded thoughtfully, seeming to take Harry seriously.

“We should go,” Draco suggested awkwardly. “Or Mother will barge up here to check on us.”

Harry took one last look in the mirror to check he looked.

No one was more surprised than Harry, except perhaps Sirius, when Lucius and Narcissa had extended an invitation to Snape’s muggle family to join them at Malfoy Manor – not just for dinner, but to stay for a whole week.

And Harry had been wholly surprised when he’d received Alfred and Jacky’s letter asking for his opinion on the matter. He’d ignored his first instinct to tell them to stay away from the Malfoys, but then he reminded himself that they should introduce themselves properly to the other people Snape found important.

Harry and Draco walked silently to the Main Hall, where Draco’s parents were already waiting with Sirius.

“Looking good, Harry,” Sirius said, looking a far cry from the spectre he’d become in Azkaban.

“You too,” Harry replied quietly.

He and Sirius had a long way to go before they could truly feel comfortable with each other.

Narcissa beckoned Draco over to her, at which point she immediately began brushing down non-existent lint and generally trying to tidy the fastidious boy’s appearance. She pushed Draco to stand by his father and moved on to Harry. He tensed under her hands as he always did, and was grateful that she never drew attention whenever this happened, simply continuing to treat him the same way she did Draco.

“You’ll both do,” she said in satisfaction.

Harry found himself exchanging a grin with Draco before their attention was drawn to the carriages being pulled by Lucius’s prized abaraxans. Both carriages came to a stop a short distance away from the staircase leading into the Manor.

Harry hid a smile at Jacky’s awed face he glimpsed through the carriage window. Snape was the first to alight, holding the carriage door open for the next person, who happened to be Nana. He carefully helped Nana descend down the carriage.

Lucius, as host, walked down first to greet their guests, with Narcissa following just a step behind. Harry waited a beat, wanting to go down as well, but felt it best to follow Draco’s direction. This was his home, and there seemed to be a formality that needed to be followed first.

It reminded him of how the Dursleys always greeted their guests, a sort of choreographed movement in which Vernon took the lead and Petunia followed up with a fake smile. The Malfoys seemed to live by formality from what Harry had observed thus far, and Harry couldn’t help but see the parallels between them and the Dursleys.

Both families had much in common if Harry sat down and compared them. Appearances seemed to matter to both. In public, there was a fakeness in their interactions, even with each other, but in private, they were softer with each other. As if they had no need for airs in the privacy of their homes.

The only discernible difference was in how Harry was treated. The Dursleys never bother pretending in private that Harry mattered in any way, whereas the Malfoys made an effort to include Harry in their activities. Draco might get impatient sometimes when Harry dug his heels in about something, but Lucius and Narcissa backed off.

With Sirius, however, Harry found understanding, even if the trust wasn’t there yet. Harry couldn’t fault anyone’s lack of effort in making Harry feel like part of the family. Narcissa and Sirius seemed to reminisce about their childhoods, having grown up in the same house. Neither was fond of their respective parents.

Sirius liked to insult Lucius, who had no issues with defending himself. Narcissa often had to intervene when things got too heated, which also meant that Sirius spent more time with his Mind-Healer.

Draco gently nudged him when Harry, startling him when he seemed to drift into his thoughts again. He followed the blond down the stairs as the others came out of the carriages. As he was closest to Nana, the woman immediately pulled him into a hug. Harry’s smile turned from polite to genuine as his arms went around her automatically.

“How have you been, Harry?” she asked.

“I’m better for seeing you, Nana,” Harry replied.

“Don’t keep him all to yourself, Nana,” Jacky grumbled over their heads.

Nana let Harry go, leaning on Snape, who kept close.

“Do you need your wheelchair, Nana?” the man asked.

“I’ll be fine,” Nana told him. “I’ve been sitting in the car for hours; I just need to stretch my legs for a little longer.”

Jacky pulled Harry into a hug also, holding him tight. Harry felt a lump in his throat that he tried to clear without anyone noticing.

“My turn,” said an impatient voice.

Jacky was immediately replaced with an eager Maya. She had to be peeled away forcefully, so Gloria could have her turn.

Barry was next, though as he was carrying his baby in a car seat, his hug was one-armed. Harry told himself he was being emotional when they all took turns greeting him with such genuine pleasure. He’d only been with them for a week, if that, but they treated him as if they’d known him for years, as if he was truly one of their own.

The Malfoys and Sirius watched patiently, having already gone through introductions with the whole family.

Lucius covered the awkwardness once everyone emotionally greeted Harry, by leaning close to Barry, peeking into the car seat, and asking, “Is that your newborn? May I carry him for you?”

“Oh – no – Barry, don’t,” Snape said, but it was too late as Barry had successfully completed the transfer of baby Damon to Lucius.

“What?” Barry asked in concern.

Snape sighed, “I hope you weren’t attached to your son. You may not get him back.”

“What?” Barry repeated in alarm.

“Nothing,” Narcissa glossed over, smoothing over any worries. “Severus is being funny. Lucius loves children.”

Lucius had relieved the baby from the car seat, which he left beside the carriage, cradling the baby expertly close to his chest.

“Severus isn’t known for his humour,” Jacky joked but seemed to watch closely.

“What’s his name?” Narcissa asked, looking at Lucius holding the boy, who seemed to have woken up now.

“Damon,” Barry supplied, hovering protectively around his newborn and maybe kidnapper.

“Beautiful name for a beautiful boy,” Narcissa smiled.

“Shall we head inside?” Lucius said without looking at anyone, attention still on the babe in his arms.

“What about our luggage?” Alfred asked in concern.

“Oh, the House Elves will take care of it,” Lucius said dismissively and strode back towards the stairs sweeping up into the manor.

“What’s a House-elf?” Jacky asked.

Snape quickly explained what House Elf was to everyone and asked them to keep an open mind when it came to understanding the Master/Servant bond.

“I’ve never seen a mansion before,” Brian said, looking nervously around the place.

“It’s not a mansion,” Lucius corrected as they caught up to him. “It’s a manor. Been in the family for generations.”

“Right,” Brian nodded. “A manor. Of course.”

Sirius snorted in laughter.

“Just treat it like a house that’s been magically expanded,” Harry said.

“You mean it’s bigger on the inside?” Sarah questioned. “Like the Tardis?”

“You watch Doctor Who?” Sirius asked brightly, sidling up closer to the girl in question.

“You’ve seen Doctor Who?” Harry said incredulously.

“Lily introduced your father and me to the show,” Sirius answered enthusiastically.

Harry was aware of the Doctor Who phenomenon but had never been allowed to watch the show. As it was science based (in the Dursley’s eyes), it was more acceptable for Dudley to watch than something like the show called Bewitched, which was all about magic and witches.

“Of course, I’m about twelve years behind the show. I couldn’t tell you the name of the actor playing the Doctor back then or any of the storylines, but I remember I enjoyed it.”

“I’ve never seen it,” Harry admitted.

“We have some of the episodes on VHS,” Alfred told Harry and his godfather. “I’m sure we can arrange for an evening at the farm and make a marathon of it.”

“So it begins,” said Gloria as she good-naturedly rolled her eyes.

Turning to her guests, Narcissa said, “Nana, I’ve arranged for a room on the ground floor for you to save you from climbing the staircases, but the rest of the family have been given rooms on the first floor. I do hope that’s okay? Your luggage has already been taken up. Travelling the non-magical way can be draining, I’ve heard. Perhaps you’d like a chance to freshen up?”

No one disagreed.

Lucius insisted on carrying Damon as he led Snape’s family to their rooms in the same wing as Harry. Harry suspected the detoured tour Lucius gave his guests was so he could hold the baby for longer. He seemed reluctant to hand Damon back to his parents upon reaching their designated rooms. Damon’s car seat and luggage were already delivered to their rooms.

The children were given the option of their own rooms or sharing with their siblings. Andrew and Brian opted to bunk together, but the others were enthusiastic about having their own rooms. As big as the farm was, with ample space for their many pets and patients, and the house itself was big enough, it did get crowded with so many people.

Harry pointed out his own room before leaving to let everyone settle in. He was alone for a few minutes before hearing a knock on the door.

“Andrew? What’s up? Did you need something?” Harry asked as he opened the door, wondering if maybe there weren’t enough towels or if they wanted extra bedding. He thought the House Elves had already sorted everything out, but perhaps not.

“I just wanted to talk to you,” Andrew said, looking nervous. “Can I come? Please?”

Harry stepped aside to allow the other boy to enter.

“What’s wrong?”

“We weren’t using you to make our food for us,” Andrew blurted out before Harry even closed the door.

“I know,” Harry said quietly. Even though they’d already exchanged letters weeks after the initial incident, he still felt terrible about his own behaviour in reaction to overhearing Andrew’s words. “I’m sorry for leaving the way I did. It was rude and ungrateful.”

“It wasn’t,” Andrew insisted. “You were upset. Listen, I’m still not sure what all went on. Mum and Dad still haven’t properly explained.”

Before Harry could try to explain, Andrew quickly continued, “I don’t care that you’re not related to us by blood. None of us does. You’re still family.”

Harry smiled faintly.

“Mum and Dad have found a new house,” Andrew said randomly.

Harry nodded. Though he’d never visited Jacky’s home, he’d been told it was small. Only two bedrooms upstairs, technically, which made things difficult for a family of five. It was only because they’d converted the attic into a serviceable bedroom for the twins many years ago that they’d managed to stay there for as long as they had.

They knew they couldn’t stay there for much longer with another baby, so they had spent the better part of the past twelve months house-hunting. During his stay, the twins joked that they hadn’t found a place because their mother was picky about finding a kitchen big enough to fit all her jam-making equipment and thousands of jars. However, with Andrew’s interest in cooking and baking, they were both particular about having a decent-sized kitchen.

“That’s good,” Harry commented. “Got enough room for the jars, then?”

Andrew didn’t respond to Harry’s joke, instead saying, “It’s got an extra bedroom. For you.”

Harry looked at the older boy in surprise.

“Don’t let on to Mum and Dad that you know,” Andrew added hurriedly. “It’s a surprise. But I just wanted you to know that if – when you come to visit, we don’t expect you to cook or clean. I’ve been learning all that. But I was still hoping you could teach me. You don’t even have to move from the kitchen table. You can sit and tell me what to do.”

Harry swallowed, unable to respond immediately.

Andrew seemed to understand how much that meant to Harry.

“You won’t tell Mum and Dad I told you, will you?”Andrew looked genuinely worried that Harry might let slip that he knew of the surprise.

He took a deep breath and promised, “I’ll pretend I know nothing. And sitting at the table and telling what to do sounds a lot like Sn- your uncle’s way of teaching.”

“Yeah?” Andrew cracked a grin.

“Well,” Harry amended, “he stalks around the classroom and insults us dunderheads about our intelligence.”

“Really?” Andrew asked, his face slipping into a concerned expression.

“Maybe not so much anymore,” Harry shrugged.

Truthfully, Snape had become better at teaching. He still stalked but was less insulting. Harry felt that without the man acting like Aunt Petunia, he could concentrate better on the subject. He’d probably never be a Potions Master, but he would pass his exams without issue.

Harry could see the other was making an effort and felt he should try and reciprocate.

“Maybe we could exchange some recipes whilst you’re here,” Harry offered.

Andrew brightened up, looking grateful. “Do you think Mr and Mrs Malfoy will let us use the kitchen? I have this killer brownie recipe I’m dying to try out.”

“Maybe,” Harry said dubiously. “The House Elves might not like it, though. They’re very protective of their chores. And their territory.”

Harry had found that out the hard way.

“Really?”

Harry shrugged again, “We can ask.”

“Great,” Andrew said happily. Then with a sombre but friendly smile, he added, “You made a difference with all of us. You should know that. We all care about you.”

“You made a difference to me too,” Harry admitted.

 

ooOoo

It took two days and a boatload of convincing, but the House Elves allowed Harry and Andrew into the kitchen, on the condition that they share their recipes. As a concession to the House Elves, the boys use as many dishes as possible to create more work. This might have delighted the House Elves, but it created a deep-seated anxiety in Harry, who constantly had to remind himself to not wash each pan or spoon or whatever as he went along. There were some things he still needed to unlearn from living with the Dursleys.

Andrew made his brownie recipe, having to multiply the recipe by four to ensure everyone got some – including the House Elves. Especially when Harry told him what the average witch or wizard’s consumption was. Harry wasn’t there yet, but Narcissa was working on getting Harry’s appetite to rival Draco’s.

Harry also made his fudge double chocolate cake and custard, which he made from scratch to go with it. Sunny, the head kitchen elf, said she could add several different ice cream flavours to go with the cake.

Though a little wary of the funny-looking creatures, Andrew was delighted when the elves shared their own tips and tricks to add flavour to their food. Suffice to say, he couldn’t wait to go home to try some chicken and lemon recipes the House Elves shared.

The rest of the family took advantage of the swimming pool the Malfoys had at the back of the house. Though they hadn’t brought their swimwear with them, that was easily taken care of with some nifty transfiguration work.

The sky was clear, but the Malfoys had a canopy that enveloped the pool area. They might occasionally get an odd yet pleasant breeze, but the harsh weather was kept out, which came in handy if they decided to use the pool in winter.

“Shouldn’t we get Damon back from Lucius?” Barry asked his wife, who seemed to be too relaxed.

Since their arrival at Malfoy Manor, Damon spent very little time in either his car seat or the arms of his own parents. If Lucius didn’t insist on holding baby Damon, then Narcissa or Sirius fought over the child.

Recalling Narcissa’s words on the hardships they’d endured with conceiving Draco, he could imagine it might have been difficult for them to part with the baby. Draco seemed equal parts fascinated and anxious when it came to holding the baby. He’d also picked up a shadow in Bethany. Where Maya spent the most time with Harry, Bethany followed Draco everywhere. Draco practically preened under her adoring attention and had taken Harry’s words to heart. Rather than being condescending when explaining the wizarding culture to the younger girl, Draco took the time to answer all her questions.

Currently, Draco was holding court with Bethany and the others at the far end of the pool as he enthusiastically explained about the upcoming Quidditch world cup.

“Aren’t you coming to the pool, Harry?” Brian beckoned from the shallow end.

Harry was in swimming shorts and a tee, sitting on a lounger between Nana and Alfred.

“I don’t know how to swim,” Harry called back. “You go ahead.”

He’d never learned how to swim. The Dursleys had made up excuses as to why he couldn’t attend with the rest of class; Harry couldn’t remember what they were now. Hogwarts didn’t have a pool at all. Besides all that, Harry wasn’t sure if he wanted to learn. Andrew and Brian had eagerly shed their tees and jumped in the pool. 

Brian looked like he was going to insist, but Jacky sat up from her lounger and firmly said, “He’ll come in when he’s ready, Brian.”

With a deliberate casualness, Alfred stood up, took off his tee, and placed it on the chair he’d just vacated. Harry stared at the scars on the man’s back, so similar to his own.

“When you’re ready, Harry,” Alfred said calmly and walked to the pool’s edge without further word.

Unbidden, a memory comes to him of Christmas Day, of Jacky placing her hand on Nana’s back and her words to the elderly woman.

“Harry’s one of us.”

“Jacky has those scars, too,” Nana interrupted his thoughts. “So does Severus.”

“Is that why …” he trailed off.

In all the letters he’d exchanged with Nana over the last few months, Harry never envisioned that they knew. It was stupid, he knew. He should have suspected. Did they all know?

Seeming to read his mind, Nana assured him, “Maya saw your scars and told Jacky. Jacky told us.”

“You tried to protect me from Snape,” Harry said with a dry mouth.

That’s why Maya had clung to him all day, barely let him out of sight. And Alfred and Jacky? They had been ready to kick Snape out of their house. For Harry.

“We didn’t tell Severus about your scars,” Nana said. “But we might have asked him to look into your placement with your relatives. And I wrote to your headmaster.”

And Dumbledore made him go to Madam Pomfrey, Harry realised.

“No one else, Harry,” Nana said quietly. “I promise, we’ve no one else. The children don’t know.”

It took precious seconds for those words to penetrate his mind. Though he was unhappy so many people knew his secret, he was glad that Andrew and the others didn’t know. And another overwhelming feeling that overcame him was gratitude. That someone had finally noticed Harry for himself and not what he’d tried to project. That someone believed him about the Dursleys and helped him.

When he first agreed to accompany Snape for Christmas, he simply tried to make the best of a bad situation. He never expected to find a family, but looking around, it dawned on him that a family had found him.

He wasn’t unhappy here, though he still felt like it would take a while for it to sink in that he would never have to go back to the Dursleys.

“You can trust us,” Nana assured him.

Harry tried to relax, but he was still taking it all in. Snape’s family knew his secret and kept it for him. In fact, they embraced him because of it. Had even been willing to exile Snape over it.

Since Christmas break, Snape had changed as well. He was still strict in class and easily lost his temper. However, he made an effort to reign it in. He was also, Harry recognised, trying to build a relationship with Harry.

He and Snape would never have a good relationship, he thought to himself as he caught the man’s eyes across from the pool.

Harry nodded tentatively at Snape, receiving an equally cautious one back.

Perhaps, they could work at it.