Much to Harry's disgust, Severus made him stay in bed for half a day the morning following his destroying the blood link. "Dad, I swear by Merlin and all the Prince ancestors, I am fine!" Harry protested. "I don't even have a headache anymore."

"Anymore?" Severus eyed his recalcitrant offspring sternly. "Then you had one and didn't tell me?"

"Uh, well it was right after I woke up, and Draco got me a Headache Remedy and it went away."

"Have you had any more pain in your head since then?" demanded his father.

"No. Dad, please, I'm not sick, why do I have to stay in bed?"

"As a precaution."

"Dad, you're overreacting."

"If I am, that's a parent's prerogative. Now, no more arguments, Harry. Stay in bed and rest. I'll have Draco bring you in some tea and oatmeal."

Harry groaned, then wondered if he could convince Draco to let him escape. Too bad I didn't have some Polyjuice Potion left over from the time Hermione made it. Then Draco and I could switch places.

Some five minutes later, Draco entered, the breakfast tray floating in front of him. The blond wizard wore a sulky frown upon his handsome features. "You've got all the luck, Harry."

"Why? I'm stuck in this damn bed all day," grumbled Harry, taking the breakfast tray as it hovered before him and placing it on his lap. He stared at the food upon it and said, "What the hell, does Dad think I didn't eat for a week or something? There's like food for three people or Crabbe and Goyle on here."

Draco seated himself on the end of the bed. "Some of that's mine, Snape. Uncle Sev figured if I ate in here with you, I could talk some sense into your stubborn hide." He helped himself to the second bowl of oatmeal, sprinkled liberally with cinnamon and pieces of banana.

"Here's some sense. You get us some Polyjuice Potion and we switch places," Harry suggested, eating some sausage.

"Nice try, little brother. But I'm not in a hurry to die yet, unlike you."

"Die? Oh, don't be so dramatic! He won't kill you just for that."

"No? Well, he'll make me wish I was dead. No way. It's not worth it."

"You've got no sense of adventure." Harry scowled into his cup of merlinna juice before sipping it.

"True. I've got something better. A sense of self-preservation." Draco quipped, eating a piece of toast. He chewed quickly, then said, "I don't get you, Harry. Any other kid would be jumping up and down, getting a whole day in bed with nothing to do but relax. But you-you act like it's a prison sentence. In Merlin's name, why?"

"I just don't like being stuck in one room for too long. It makes me . . .I don't know, stir crazy. And there's nothing wrong with me, Dad's just being a Nervous Nelly."

Draco covered his mouth with a hand to stifle his laughter. "I'd love to hear you call him that to his face, O Brave Lion Cub."

Harry shot him a glare. "Right. I might be a Gryffindor, but I'm not suicidal." He picked up his fork and toyed with the remainder of his sausage. "I can't believe I'm stuck in here for the next five hours. I might as well die of boredom."

Draco gave him a look that said Harry was utterly insane. "You know what I feel like doing?"

"What?"

"Going out and running headfirst into a tree about a dozen times."

"Huh? Why would you want to do a stupid thing like that?"

"Because then I'd get to stay in bed all day like you. Either that or be at the same mental level as you are."

"Bite me, Draco." Harry snapped irritably.

The blond wizard looked puzzled. "Do I look like a vampire, Snape?"

"What? Who said anything about vampires?" Harry repeated, confused. "Oh . . .you thought . . .no, you don't get it. . . it's a Muggle expression. It means . . .uh . . ." he trailed off, not wanting to start a quarrel.

"What's it mean?" demanded Draco suspiciously. "Something vulgar and disgusting?"

"Umm . . .it's kind of like go to hell or leave me the hell alone." Harry told him.

Draco rolled his eyes. "You Muggles sure have some weird expressions."

"That's rich, coming from a person who swears by a wizard that's been dead for centuries." Harry picked up his spoon and played with his half-eaten oatmeal.

Draco watched for a moment, then said with a smirk, "Uncle Sev told me to make sure you eat nearly all your breakfast, since you need to regain your strength after your, uh, ordeal. He also said to tell you that if you don't eat, he'll come in here and spoonfeed you it like a baby."

"He said what?" Harry squawked, dropping his spoon so hard that the oatmeal splattered all over the tray. "Oh, no. No, even he wouldn't be that cruel." He picked up his spoon and began eating.

Draco waited for a few seconds before saying softly, "You're right. He wouldn't. But I would. So you ought to thank Merlin you're not my son, Harry."

Harry gaped at him, his mouth still half-full of oatmeal. "You mean . . ." he swallowed the oatmeal, then continued, ". . . you made that up? Dad never said that?"

The Slytherin shook his head. "Sorry. That one was pure Malfoy." Then he began to snicker. "You should have seen your face . . .!"

"You sodding prat!" Harry growled, chagrined at falling for Draco's trick. "You really made me think . . .you are evil, Draco."

"What's the matter, Harry? Can't take a joke?" Draco asked, still chuckling.

"Just wait. I'm going to get you back for that, see if I don't."

"Ooo, now I'm really scared. Gryffindor vengeance. Scary!"

"Be very afraid, Draco." Harry threatened, waggling his spoon. A glob of oatmeal flew off it and hit Draco in the cheek.

"Hey! Quit it, Snape!" Draco snapped, wiping the mess off his cheek.

"It was an accident."

"Right. And I've got an Elder Wand I can sell you."

"It was." Harry protested, not noticing the warning gleam in the other's eyes.

"Too bad this isn't," Draco said, then flung a spoonful of oatmeal right in Harry's face.

SPLAT!

It hit Harry square on his lenses, and for one moment he couldn't see anything. He ripped his glasses off and picked up a piece of toast and lobbed it at his foster brother. "That'll teach you!"

"Teach me what? How to die laughing? Pathetic. Let me show you how it's done." And with that Draco summoned a second bowl of oatmeal and dumped it over Harry's head.

Harry gasped, wiping the oatmeal off his face frantically.

"Now that's funny."

"Now you're really in for it, Malfoy," Harry mock-growled, then summoned a dozen raw eggs from the icebox and chucked them right in Draco's face while the other was laughing at his own wit.

CRACK!

Draco sputtered, egg dripping down his eyebrows and nose.

"Egg on your face, Draco?"

"You're dead meat, Snape!" Draco coughed, wiping egg off with his napkin. "Eat this, Harry!"

Scrambled eggs shot off the Slytherin's plate, nailing Harry in the chest.

Harry tried to duck, but only ended up knocking half the tray over. Sausage and juice cascaded all over Draco's lap. "Oops. Looks like you're a little wet, eh, Malfoy?"

Draco's eyes glittered, promising retribution. He waved his wand, but before he could summon anything, a silky voice demanded, "And just what the bloody blazes is going on in here?"

Both boys froze. The same thought passed through their minds. Aw, bloody damn hell!

Then they shouted, "He started it!" while pointing an accusing finger at the other.

* * * * * *

Five minutes later, both boys were on their hands and knees, scrubbing the carpet. "Good one, Harry," grumbled Draco. "Like I need any more things to clean."

"Hey, I wasn't the one who summoned a bowl of oatmeal and dumped it over my head."

"You started it first, throwing it in my face."

"I told you it was an accident." Harry retorted, scrubbing at the merlinna stain in the carpet.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Bite me."

"Less talk and more scrubbing, boys!" came their father's voice. "Or shall I come in there and supervise?"

"No, sir!" they called back, and then the only sounds in the room was the soft shush of scrub brushes and the swish of wet rags.

* * * * * *

After their impromptu food fight, Severus sent Draco outside to do some herb gathering and Harry back to bed, with stern orders to sleep or read, but nothing more strenuous until the afternoon. "You might feel fine right now, but you used up a great deal of your magic breaking the blood link, son, and it's bound to catch up with you soon." Severus explained. "So, rather than finding you passed out on the floor somewhere, I want you in bed. Now quite moping and take a nap, because if I catch you out of bed for any reason save to use the bathroom, I'll cast a Sticking Charm on you."

Harry gulped. "That's mean, Dad!"

"Do what I tell you and you won't have to worry about it," his father said silkily. "It's for your own good, Harry."

"Please, Dad! Not that old line again!" he groaned. "Can't you come up with a different one?"

"As a matter of fact, I can. How about, keep your wandering behind in bed, Mr. Snape, or else it's going to get grounded for two days? Is that better?"

Harry made a face at him. Then he leaned back against the pillows Snape fluffed for him and tried to think of ways to keep going mad from boredom. His eyes roamed over the bedroom, taking in the familiar desks with their textbooks on top, Draco's bed, which he'd made just this morning with a quick Neaten-Up Charm, and the perches for their owls.

Stormrider was on his, sleeping with his head tucked under a wing, but Hedwig was absent from hers, oddly enough. Now that he thought about it, he had not seen his snowy owl of late, though she was usually roosting at night, and hunting during the day, for snowy owls were not strictly nocturnal, like some other species of owls.

Here at the manor, the owls were free to come and go as they pleased, the window behind their perches was always left open. Harry had been so busy trying to straighten out his head that he had quite forgotten to pay attention to his owl, he realized with a wince of shame. Some wizard I am, can't even remember to pay attention to my own owl. Somebody ought to report me to the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Owls. I wonder where Hedwig's gotten to?

Looking back, he realized Hedwig had been acting oddly of late, refusing to roost in his room, the way she normally did, instead flying outside to sleep in the hollow of a large oak tree right across from Harry's new room.

He wondered why the owl had suddenly chosen to change her sleeping patterns, most animals resisted change for as long as possible. He sat up, trying to see the oak tree from his bed through the window. It was impossible to get a good view from where he was, however.

Harry sighed. If he got out of bed, he'd be breaking Severus's rule, and then he'd get grounded. But he had to see if Hedwig was in the tree, he felt very guilty for neglecting the owl this past week, she was the first pet he had ever had, as well as his first real birthday present (that he could remember, anyhow).

He drummed his fingers on his blanket, thinking hard. Well, Harry, you've got two choices. You can stay here like a good little boy and mind your daddy, or you can break the rules and get out of bed and go see if Hedwig's okay, and risk Dad reaming your arse out for disobeying him.

There was no real question about whether or not Severus would find out his transgression-the man seemed to know what Harry was going to do before he even did it-the real question was did he want to risk his father's wrath?

It took him about three minutes to make up his mind.

Hedwig was worth a scolding and a grounding.

He threw back his covers stealthily and made his way on cat's feet across the room to the window.

The oak tree was directly across from it, and Harry had a fine view of the large hole in the trunk, where he caught a glimpse of a snowy white feather and then, as he squinted hard, distance was a problem for him even with glasses, he saw Hedwig's familiar shape within the trunk.

He breathed a sigh of relief at seeing his owl unharmed. But why was she roosting in the tree during the day?

Harry turned to examine her perch, thinking perhaps there was something wrong with it. But no, the perch was in good condition, sanded and scrubbed free of guano by a cleaning charm he'd cast last week. Yet the owl was still sleeping in a tree!

"What's up with her, Stormy?" he asked Draco's eagle-owl, who opened one eye sleepily and whoo-ed softly before going back to sleep.

"Just like your master. A sleepaholic." Harry sighed. "Figures. Hedwig! Hey, girl!" he whistled the special sequence of notes he had created just for her, so she would know when he needed her.

The snowy owl opened her huge amber eyes and clicked her beak at him. Not now! She seemed to be saying. Later, I'm busy.

Harry whistled again, but again the owl ignored him. He couldn't believe it. She was giving him the cold shoulder, or wing, or whatever. "Merlin, Hedwig! My arse is gonna be nailed to a wall ‘cause of you, and you won't even come over and say hello," he muttered.

Then he heard it.

A small screeching noise, that sounded like someone running nails down a blackboard. It was a sound he was familiar with, since Dudley used to do it in primary school while the teacher was out of the room, and make all the other kids scream, then blame Harry when the teacher returned.

Hedwig immediately popped out of the hollow tree and flew up to one of the higher broader branches. Harry's eyes followed her as she flew straight to . . .a nest in the oak tree.

Where she promptly nuzzled four little owlets, all of whom were now awake and screeching for food.

As if that were a signal, Stormrider awoke also and flew out the window, hunting for food to feed his starving owlets.

"Wow! Holy Merlin! Wait till I tell Draco. He's never gonna believe this." Harry said, half to himself. "Hedwig had babies, and I never even knew she was pregnant. What a dope I am!"

He remained at the window, barefoot, entranced by the sight of his owl feeding her four babies from a rabbit Stormy had brought to her, forgetting that he should be in bed, that if Severus caught him he'd be in big trouble, nothing mattered except Hedwig and her new family.

Until he felt a strange weariness creep through him, and suddenly he was swaying on his feet, so exhausted he could barely stand. He clutched the window sill hard, trying to fight off the exhaustion, but it was almost impossible. His eyes were closing in spite of themselves.

"No . . .don't go to sleep, you need to keep awake so you can see Hedwig's babies . . ." he muttered to himself, struggling against the urge to curl up right there and sleep for a week.

"Harry, what in Merlin's name are you doing out of bed?" Severus demanded, he had come to check on the boy, figuring that he would be sleeping, and instead found his disobedient son standing barefoot by an open window.

Harry made as if to turn around, wincing at the tone of strong disapproval, but just then his sleep-deprived legs gave way and he would have crumpled to the floor if not for his father, who came and snatched him up in his arms just before Harry's head cracked against the floor.

"Oh Harry, why must you be so bloody stubborn?" began an exasperated and annoyed Severus. "Do you see now why I wanted you in bed?"

"Sorry, Dad. . . but it's Hedwig . . .she wouldn't come to me when I called her . . ." Harry mumbled, fighting the exhaustion sweeping through him with everything he had.

"Harry, go to sleep. I will find out what's bothering your owl." Severus soothed, laying the boy back in his bed and tucking him in.

"No . . .y'don' unnerstand . . ." his son cried, slurring his words in an effort to talk before he went to sleep. "Hedwig . . .has babies . . .her n' Stormy . . .thas why I broke th' rules . . .Sorry, Dad . . ."

Right after he had said that, he fell asleep.

Severus sighed and brushed strands of his son's dark hair off his forehead. "Oh Harry, what am I going to do with you?" He didn't really want to ground the boy, even though he had said he would. He could understand Harry's wish to look after his pet and also the excitement and awe that Hedwig had hatched a whole brood of owlets right under his nose. Maybe I'll only ground you for a day instead of the two you deserve, you disobedient brat, he thought, removing his son's glasses.

With that, he Apparated outside to get a better look at the new family with his broom and camera.

Hedwig eyed him suspiciously as he hovered before the nest, snapping a few photos of the downy owlets, who were fuzzy balls of white and gray with huge yellow eyes and ever-open beaks, at least at this stage. Severus was careful to stay several feet away from the nest, not wanting to cause Hedwig to become frightened and attack him.

Normally, the owls the wizards bred were non-aggressive towards humans and very intelligent, far more than any Muggle ever realized, but a new mother with babies to feed and protect was bound to be tetchy and unappreciative of visitors, and Severus was wise enough not to push the issue. Getting attacked by his son's owl was not the way he wanted to begin his day.

He judged the owlets were about a week and a few days, judging from their size and the fuzzy down on their bodies. They had voracious appetites, Hedwig and Stormy were kept busy cramming food into their maws, until the babies were so stuffed they couldn't eat another morsel, and fell asleep in the nest.

Severus found himself smiling, for this was the first time he had ever seen a nest of owlets, the school owls usually didn't breed during the school year, but seemed to prefer the summer months when it was quiet and no one was about to hatch their eggs and raise their young. The Potions Master felt very privileged to be able to watch Hedwig and Stormy raise their brood.

"You have a fine family there," he told the two parents, who were too busy nuzzling their owlets to pay much attention to him, even when he snapped two more pictures of them on the nest with the sleeping babies together. "All right, I'll leave you two alone now," he said, sensing Hedwig's unease, and then he flew back down to the manor.

* * * * * *

Draco was as astonished as Harry when Severus told him of the owls' new family. "Wow! I knew that Stormy liked Hedwig, but I never expected they would, uh, go all the way, know what I mean?" he said, a faint blush creeping up his pale cheeks at discussing such an intimate subject with his godfather. "I didn't think owls mated outside their own species."

"The wizarding owls are different from normal ones, Draco," reminded Snape. "I would have thought Hagrid would have mentioned that during a lesson by now. They exhibit behaviors that would normally be strange or nonexistent in a normal owl, such as cross species mating."

"How many owlets did they have, Uncle Sev?"

"Four and they all seem to be healthy and thriving, from what I could see."

"Could I go and see them, do you think?"

"I would wait a day or so, Hedwig seemed a bit nervous when I went over to take some pictures. You don't want to upset her too much, otherwise she might try and hurt you, or to move the nest to a different location. Right now, she seems content to raise her offspring in the oak tree near the manor. Perhaps when the owlets are a little older, we might try moving them inside your room, if Hedwig and Stormy permit it." Severus mused. "The summer storm season will soon be upon us and I don't think the owlets should need to deal with the weather when we can provide adequate shelter for them."

"That makes sense," agreed his godson. Then he thought of another question. "Uncle sev, can you tell what they are, the owlets, I mean? If they're, uh, male or female?"

Severus shook his head. "Not yet. I'm sure the parents know, but since I can't speak owl, I can't ask them. So we'll have to wait until they're fledged before we can tell the males from females."

"Oh." Draco sounded faintly disappointed. Then he brightened. "Hey, I wonder if Smidgen can understand them? Maybe she could ask them."

"That's a possibility. You can ask her after she awakens from her nap. In the meantime, Mr. Malfoy, I could use your help with preparing all those herbs you gathered for me. Some of them need to be dried and some chopped."

Draco bit back a sigh. Normally he enjoyed working with his godfather in the lab, but today he felt a tad restless and wished he could climb the oak tree and see Stormy's babies himself. It felt funny, thinking of his gray owl as a father, but he knew that Stormy would take his new duty seriously, since both male and female owls looked after their young.

"Okay, Uncle Sev. Maybe after that I could look up baby owls in the library and read up on them," suggested Draco slyly, knowing full well Severus would never refuse him the opportunity to gather more knowledge, for he was a firm believer in the creed, you can always learn more and also no knowledge is ever wasted.

"Yes, that's a very good idea, but first you have a few rooms to dust and the dishes from breakfast need to be washed."

"Aww, Merlin, Uncle Sev! Can't I just skip those chores for today?"

"No, you may not," his mentor said sternly. "And you're lucky I'm not giving you extra for that . . .that altercation over breakfast you and Harry had this morning."

"It's called a food fight, Uncle Sev."

"I know perfectly well what it's called, young man, I'm not an imbecile," scolded Severus. "What I don't understand is why you two decided to start one."

Draco shrugged. "I . . .don't know. It, uh, just sort of happened."

"Well, best you make sure it doesn't "just happen" again. Or else I'll make some time in a corner and lines "just happen"," promised the Potions Master.

"Yes, sir." Then he added, grinning, "But even you have to admit we did look sort of ridiculous. Harry had oatmeal in his hair and I had egg all over my face."

Severus's mouth twitched. "Yes, well from now on, do try and act your age, Draco Michael. No matter how hard that may be for you," he teased, smirking.

"Real funny, Uncle Sev," retorted his ward, rolling his eyes. Then he shouldered the basket of herbs Severus handed to him and went down to the lab to begin washing and chopping them.

The Potions Master followed, happy to spend some time with Draco alone for awhile, since he didn't want his other son to feel neglected or left out. As they chopped and washed the herbs, Draco told Severus of his recent marks for last term and wanted to know how Harry did.

Here, Severus hesitated, trying to remember if he'd seen a transcript of Harry's grades. Normally the owls delivered them, but then he recalled that with the time difference, Hedwig might not have flown to retrieve the mail yet. So perhaps that was why he hadn't received a copy of Harry's grades by now. Unless they had already been sent out and the Dursleys had them, in which case Severus knew he could check them when he went back to Hogwarts, or else ask Harry if he'd gotten the term report yet.

"I'm not sure what Harry's marks were, he didn't tell me." Severus admitted. "I'll have to ask him about it later, when he wakes up."

"Oh, right," Draco said, returning to separating the marigold heads and stems for the Calming Draft. Inwardly, though, he wondered if Harry hadn't shown his marks to Severus because he was hiding something, like a bad grade.

That had never been an option for Draco, whose father was on the Board of Governors and made it his business to know when the term marks were sent out, so he could see his son's immediately, and either reward him or punish him accordingly. Said rewards were usually something like a trip to a Quidditch game or money, punishment usually was a session with the elder Malfoy's cane, and then some remedial lessons with his godfather.

With such a fate looming over his head, Draco made sure he got good marks in school, or at least higher than any Slytherin in his year. He winced recalling the awful thrashing Lucius had given him at the end of first year upon discovering Hermione Granger had beat him for the highest marks in almost every subject. That had been one reason why Draco had lost it and called her a Mudblood during the next year, because he was resentful that she had outperformed him, a pureblood, and caused his father to punish him so severely. Not that it was an excuse, but there had been a reason behind his nasty mouth, besides being raised to think Muggleborns were trash.

He finished the marigolds and placed them in a dish, then started on the lavender, grinding the sweet-smelling flowers into a powder. He could also recall how furious Severus was when he discovered what Lucius had done, saying that Lucius was nothing but a hypocrite, since when he was in school, Muggleborn Lily Evans had outperformed him in every subject save Defense, and Lucius had never been thrashed for it. He had then given his godson a salve which healed the welts and told him to make sure he kept it hidden when he returned home. Draco had found more use for the salve over the past year and a half than he would have thought possible, as Lucius grew more and more short-tempered over the fact that his plans to resurrect the Dark Lord kept getting thwarted by Harry Potter or the Aurors.

Maybe I could ask Harry later what's up with his marks, I'm kind of curious. I wonder if having Granger as a friend makes him smarter than normal, does it rub off by association? At least he won't ever need to worry about Uncle Sev thrashing him for getting a bad mark. A long lecture, yes, and maybe even a grounding, but he told me a long time ago that if I was his son, he'd never beat me over a bad mark. He said doing that was counterproductive and wouldn't help anything. And he's a teacher, and getting good marks in school is very important to him.

Though he and Snape didn't say much while they worked, as neither was one for meaningless chatter, the time in the lab passed pleasantly for both teacher and student, as each went about their tasks competently and quickly. Draco even earned a rare "Good job on the ground tansy and shelf moss," from Severus, when the man happened to glance over at his ward's workstation. Draco felt like preening. Severus was not loathe to give out praise, but he only did so if he felt the student had earned it, and he had high standards, especially when it came to potion making.

After the potions lab, however, came the part of the day Draco liked least, the chores around the manor. For over a month and a half, Harry had accompanied him as he worked, and doing chores alone was tedious and boring, as Draco soon discovered. He was almost tempted to wake up his brother and tell him to help him dust the den, he was so desperate for another person to speak with or to help him finish so he could go and observe the newest additions to the Snape household.

But he thought better of it when he imagined Severus's reaction upon discovering Draco had woken up Harry, who was recovering from a major working, just so he could have company during his chores. Plus it wouldn't be fair to the other boy, who was probably exhausted, even if he wouldn't admit it. Draco knew a little about blood links due to Lucius, it was an old magic, one that had been around for centuries, and it was used by dark wizards to control or possess another, though it was not labeled an Unforgivable for some reason, probably because hardly any wizard had the strength to cast it anymore. The Slytherin shuddered, for even thinking about having old Snake Face in his head made him ill. He couldn't imagine what Harry had endured, and felt sorry for his brother.

So Draco let Harry sleep, since waking him wasn't worth the lecture or the additional punishment he would receive, and slogged through the dusting and cleaning, grumbling under his breath about Snape's policy of treating his children like house elves.

By the time he had finished, it was getting on to lunch time, and he headed into the room he shared with Harry to see if the other boy had woken up yet. He halted just inside the door, for Severus was inside, scolding his son for endangering his health and disobeying his rules by going to see Hedwig.

" . . .I understand your concern over your pet, Harry, but I cannot condone you making yourself sick over an owl. If you were that worried, you could have called me or Draco to check on her and thus avoided disobeying my rules, which are there for your own benefit."

"Yes, sir," Harry said in a subdued tone Draco could relate to. But then he added, with typical Gryffindor stubbornness and daring, "But all I did was walk across the room to the window, how's that dangerous?"

"And after you had discovered Hedwig's little surprise, what happened, Mr. Snape? Do you remember, or shall I refresh your memory?" Severus queried sharply. "You crumpled to the ground and would have bashed your head into the floor if I hadn't been there to catch you. The very thing I warned you might happen, and you disregarded my warning like a reckless eight-year-old. . ." he continued, though Draco could hear the concern beneath the scolding, and hoped his brother could as well.

Draco listened to Harry's soft apology, and Severus telling his son that he was now grounded for a day for his foolish and reckless behavior, then when it seemed like the parental lecture was over, the blond wizard entered the bedroom and asked if anyone would like lunch.

Harry would have liked to say he wasn't hungry, but didn't for two reasons. The first being he didn't want his father to say he was sulking like a five-year-old, and the second was because he was ravenous all of a sudden. He peered warily up at his father, who was standing beside the bed, and asked, "Am I allowed up to go and eat lunch in the kitchen, or are you still treating me like I'm an invalid?"

"You may eat lunch in the kitchen, now that you've rested enough. In order to replenish your magic you need both sleep and food," said the master wizard, and Harry scrambled out of bed eagerly.

Draco just rolled his eyes as his brother beat a hasty retreat out of the room. Gryffindors! Sometimes there was just no understanding them.

Over lunch, Harry and Draco discussed the owls and their babies, agreeing that when they were old enough, they should be moved inside the manor, and wanting to know what the babies were so they could name them.

"Is Smidgen awake yet, Dad?"

"No, I don't believe so." Snape replied, glancing over to where the shimmerling was curled up asleep on her cushion. "But I will inform her of your dilemma when she wakes up and perhaps she can speak with your owls and see what sex their owlets are."

"Great! Then we can start naming them," said Draco eagerly. "We'll each name two, okay, Harry?"

"Yeah, fine with me." Harry replied, eating a second grilled cheese and tomato sandwich. He wondered if, after this last session, his nightmares would be gone forever. He sure hoped so, but if not, he would be willing to endure another session or two. Once he had finished the second sandwich, he looked longingly at a third one, debating on whether or not to take it, when Severus placed it upon his plate.

"Eat it, Harry. After what you've been through, son, your body needs the extra calories and carbohydrates."

Harry was only too happy to obey that command. Three sandwiches and a half a large bag of crisps and two glasses of pomegranate juice later, Harry's ravenous appetite was finally sated.

Draco tilted his head and said, "For a minute there, Harry, I thought you were going to become a goat and start eating the damn table too!"

Harry looked slightly embarrassed, for he had never consumed that much food at one sitting and wondered if he were channeling Dudley. Then he quipped, "I would've but there wasn't enough salt."

Which prompted Severus to deliver a mini lecture on the costs of breaking certain high level charms and binding spells, explaining that nothing come without a cost. "You're fortunate, Harry, that Smidgen was with you and that you have such a strong magical gift. Anyone else would have been passed out on the floor by now and take a week to recover."

Harry shrugged, having never really thought he had a strong gift before this. "Honest? I never really thought I was that strong."

"You are, son. You have a great talent, one which needs to be honed and focused, but it is definitely stronger than your average wizard's. Both you and Draco have very strong gifts, which is why I keep stressing the importance of control over yourselves, for uncontrolled magic can have disastrous consequences. However, in this instance, Harry, your magic enabled you to free yourself from the blood link, a very great achievement. Most adult wizards could not have done that."

The pride in Severus's voice was unmistakable, and Harry basked in the unexpected pleasure of having a parent who was proud of him for something, it was a far cry from the way he used to be treated. Well, at least now I know I'm not a useless waste of breath, like Uncle Vernon always said, he thought, not realizing he had inadvertently spoken those words aloud until Severus's face darkened with anger.

"A waste of breath, are you? That one was nothing more than an ignorant hippopotamus, a waste of breath and space, in my opinion. You should not believe everything he said, for he lied to make himself feel better, and you are anything but useless, Harry. Both of my sons are competent, smart, and extremely useful individuals, and when you graduate Hogwarts I would wager you can have your pick of careers."

"Just don't expect me to pick anything with the word "housecleaning" in it," Draco added lightly, drawing a chuckle from both other wizards.

Then Severus added, "Whatever career you choose, just remember one very important thing, pick a job that you can be happy in. Not for money or prestige or because your best friend likes it. All of those things matter nothing if you can't stand to get up everyday and go to work. So choose the career that is fulfilling and rewarding to you, and that you enjoy doing, so when you need to get up at five in the morning you won't mind it all that much."

"Like you don't mind getting up early to water the herb garden and brew potions, right, Uncle Sev?" Draco said.

"Exactly. I do want you to think carefully about what you would like to do, but remember this above all-be true to yourself. For there is nothing worse than trying to be something you are not, as I well know, who was once Death Eater and spy."

"But you were an amazing spy, Dad."

"Perhaps, but I hated it. I did it out of necessity, not because I enjoyed it, and I am very glad I no longer have to don that mantle again, nor will I, even if Albus begs me on bended knee. There was nothing heroic or glamorous about being a spy, it was dangerous, nasty work, and I am through with it. The only thing I wish now is to remain a simple Potions Master and pass on my craft to my sons and students. That is plenty of adventure and reward enough for me," stated Severus quietly. "Between that and raising you two, I shall be very busy indeed."

The two boys were quiet for a moment then, thinking about what their father had said, though neither of them was really considering careers at this stage, that was almost three years away, and they had plenty of time to ponder it. Right then they were content to simply be Severus's sons, and worry about how best to please their father, who didn't have such impossible standards after all. Most of the time.

* * * * * *

Later on that night, as Harry was sitting up in bed, reading a Quidditch biography Ron had sent him, Draco peered out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the owlets and his owl, all of whom had decided to stay outside that evening.

"Blast! I can't see anything with the sky pitch dark, except for a few stars," Draco sighed irritably, turning away from the window in disgust. "Guess I'll have to wait for tomorrow morning, like Uncle Sev said." he brushed a stray bit of dust off his faded T-shirt and climbed on his bed, sitting cross-legged like one of those Buddhist statues. "So, d'you feel any better for your long rest today, little brother?"

Harry glanced up from his book, scowling warningly. "Draco, please! I'm not little!"

"Compared to me, you are," teased the other.

"So? Size matters nothing, it's what's up here that counts." he tapped his forehead pointedly.

"In that case, I've got you beat there as well, Snape."

"Says who?"

"You first."

"Fine. I got O's in almost everything except for History of Magic, I got an E there and Divination too. How about you?"

Harry hesitated, not sure if he wanted to share that information with Draco, even though he had shared it with Ron. Not Hermione though, because she would only lecture him about getting better study habits and that was the last thing he needed. But he knew the Slytherin would hound him until he gave in, and so he said, "If I tell you, I want you to promise me something."

"Like what?" asked Draco warily.

"If you're serious about me being your brother, then you promise me you won't tell Dad about my grades."

Draco gaped at him. "Merlin, they're that bad?"

"No, not all of them. Just one. Promise me, Draco. On-on your wizard's honor."

"Harry, you don't have to hide your marks from Uncle Sev," began Draco, intending to tell the other boy about Severus's policy concerning grades, but Harry interrupted him.

"I'm serious, Malfoy! Promise me."

"Oh, keep your shorts on, Snape. Very well. I promise on my sacred wizard's honor that I won't tell Uncle Sev how awful you did. Now, spill it!" Draco shot him an impatient look, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I got two O's in Defense and Tranfiguration, E in Charms and A's in Herbology, Divination, and Potions, and . . .a D in History of Magic." Harry admitted, keeping his face averted. "I don't have the parchment any more, Uncle Vernon chucked it in the fireplace, but I know it won't make a difference, since Dad's a teacher, he can find out from the Headmaster. I just don't want to tell him now and have him freak out on me."

"Sn-Harry, listen to me. I know Uncle Sev can be a strict bastard about most things, but he's not going to flip over one bad grade, trust me."

"Oh, yeah, right. He's a professor, I'm his son. Of course he's going to go postal if I don't do well in school. It's like an unwritten law that a teacher's kid is supposed to ace his classes, Draco. I know it is. And he'll nail my arse to the wall if he ever learns I got a D on my exam from Binns."

"Harry, nobody in the school ever gets more than an E in Binns' class, because it's so boring everyone falls asleep. Merlin, Binns had such a boring existence that he died lecturing!"

"Hermione got an O, I think."

"What'd she do, take a Stimulating Elixir?"

"Nope. She's read Hogwarts: A History like ten times already. Along with half the library."

"Well, Uncle Sev knows how boring Binns is, so I'm sure if you just explain the reason why you got such a poor mark, he'll-"

"-he'll ground me from now until next summer." Harry predicted. "You know he will, Draco. I can't really stop him from finding out, he's a teacher so I'm sure he's got access to all the grade logs and stuff, but I don't want to get in more trouble than I'm already in this summer."

"HARRY!" The other snarled loudly, irritated at not being able to finish his sentence. "Will you shut your mouth and let me finish, for the love of Merlin?" Harry nodded. "First of all, I've known Uncle Sev a lot longer than you have, and despite his being a perfectionist pain-in-the-arse, he won't throttle you or whip you over a bad grade. He's not like that."

"No? How would you know?"

"Because that's the way my father behaved. If I came home with less than an E in anything, he gave me the business end of his cane." He shuddered slightly and winced, for though that had been many years ago, he had never forgotten it. "Then he sent me to Uncle Sev for remedial lessons, so i could bring up my grades next term. Last time that happened . . .at the end of first year . . .when Uncle Sev saw what Father had done to me . . .I think he wanted to hex him into the dark side of hell, he was that furious. He swore to me that Father was dead wrong to treat me like that, and he said that if he ever had a son, he'd never do that to him over a bad mark, that it was counterproductive, and no kid learns by having knowledge beaten into him."

"Honest?"

Draco nodded solemnly. "I swear it upon my wizard's oath."

Harry was silent for a moment, chewing his lower lip thoughtfully. At last he said, very quietly, "I wasn't worried so much that he'd beat me, he promised me he would never take a belt to me like my uncle . . .I just . . . don't want him to be disappointed in me. And he will be, because he expects me to be a good student."

Draco was quiet for a moment after that too, for he understood where Harry was coming from. In the weeks he had stayed with Severus at Spinner's End, he had learned to be wary of the Potion Master's sharp tongue, but he had never feared the man physically abusing him. It was Severus's disappointment he had feared. Snape's disappointment had hurt him more than a dozen spankings, because he knew he had let his godfather down, and Draco valued his opinion highly and wanted to please him more than anything.

The blond apprentice heaved a sigh and said at last, "Look, Harry. I know sort of what you mean, ‘cause I don't like disappointing him either. In fact, I hate it. The way he looks at you . . .hell, I'd rather him wallop my arse than look at me that way, know what I mean?"

Harry nodded. He knew exactly what Draco meant. Severus's angry Snape glare could make kids run for the nearest exit. But Severus's disappointed glare could make a kid get on his knees and beg for forgiveness, it was so potent. Especially if said kid was his child, and knew he was deserving of it. Guilt and shame stung worse than a wooden spoon, far far worse.

"That's why I don't want him to know. At least not now."

Draco sighed. "Well, he won't hear it from me. But, for your information, we were discussing last term's grades today and I think he might be asking you about them soon."

Harry put his head in his hands and groaned. "Aw, Merlin! Why me? If he asks . . .if he asks, I'll have to tell him. I can't lie. Damn stupid History of Magic! Why can't they get rid of Binns and have somebody alive teach it? Or one of the other ghosts, if they'd rather a dead person?"

"That's Hogwarts for you." Draco shrugged, then said with a touch of sympathy. "If you want my advice, Harry, it's best to tell him and get it over with. Before you give yourself a migraine or an ulcer stressing over it."

"No! I . . .can't. He just said he was proud of me and once he finds out about my mark . . .Later, I'll tell him later, before we leave for school." Harry decided. Severus was the first person who had ever told Harry he was proud of him for anything, and Harry couldn't bear to see the disappointment upon the other's face.

"Okay, Harry. It's your life." Draco flopped back on his bed, wishing Harry weren't so bloody stubborn and knew how to listen to reason. Sure, Severus might be angry and rant and rave for a bit, but then he would calm and while he might punish his son, he wouldn't be unreasonable about it, and at least it would be over. But Harry wasn't in Gryffindor for nothing, the House of Lions was known for their stubbornness as well as bravery.

"And what a wonderful one it is," grumbled the other self-pityingly.

"Oh, quit whining!" Draco snapped. "After what you endured from your uncle and all, you're acting like it's the end of the world if you get a bad exam grade? You've definitely been spending too much time with Miss Granger, Snape!"

"It's not the grade that's bugging me, idiot! It's the way he's going to react to it. I don't want him to be angry and disappointed again, damn it all! It really sucks!" cried Harry, not even realizing he was shouting until the door opened and Severus stuck his head in to see what was wrong.

"Harry, what in Merlin's name is wrong?"

Harry snapped his mouth shut, refusing to answer.

Severus turned to Draco. "Well? Would you care to enlighten me on why your brother was screaming at the top of his lungs?"

"Uh . . .don't look at me, Uncle Sev. He was just . . .uh . . .venting about something that was bothering him, is all."

Severus looked suspicious. "Draco, what are you hiding?"

"Nothing, sir!" Draco did his best to look utterly innocent.

Snape frowned. "Nothing doesn't cause you to look like a guilty two-year-old caught playing with my potion ingredients, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco blushed furiously, he really had hoped Severus had forgotten about that little incident. He should have known better, the man remembered everything! "Uh . . .I can't tell you, Uncle Sev."

"Why? Are you afraid you'll get in trouble?"

"No . . .it's because I promised I wouldn't." Draco admitted, squirming a bit under the professor's gaze. He really wished Snape didn't have this habit of looking right through you, it was so damn unnerving, and it made him feel guilty even when he hadn't done anything!

"Ah. Well, a promise made must be kept." He looked over at Harry, who was doing his best to hide behind his book, since he couldn't pretend he was sleeping. "Harry? Is there something you would like to tell me?"

Harry swallowed hard. "Ummm . . ."

He peeked over the top of his book.

Severus was now standing in the doorway, looking a bit puzzled. But he wasn't angry. Not yet.

Harry darted a glance at Draco, who was making a sharp "go on" gesture and giving him a thumbs-up sign.

Still, Harry hesitated, though his stomach was in knots and he felt like his head was going to explode.

Severus peered at the boy, alarmed at how pale he looked. "Harry? Are you feeling all right?"

"Yes! I-I mean I'm fine." Harry said quickly. Then he shook his head. "Not really."

"What's wrong? Did you remember something about the nightmare that's bothering you?" asked his father, concern written all over his face, for once.

"No. It's not that. It's . . .something else."

"Something else." The Potions Master mused. He had a very good idea what it was, but he wanted his son to tell him on his own and so all he said then was, "This ‘something else' wouldn't happen to be anything like last term's report card, would it?"

Harry didn't answer, and Draco smacked himself in the forehead and bit his lip hard to keep from blurting that yes, it was, and Harry was making himself sick over a stupid D in History of Magic. Bloody Gryffindor stubborn pride! And people said Slytherins were proud.

After waiting what seemed like an interminably long time, Severus sighed and said, in a last ditch attempt to get Harry to speak to him on his own, "Well, if it is anything to do with grades, we can discuss it tomorrow morning, after I owl the Headmaster for your transcript, since I never got a copy of it, but I am now entitled to one as your father."

"No!" Harry blurted. "Don't do that."

"Whyever not? It's my job as a parent to monitor your grades. Have you a copy I might examine then?"

"No . . .Uncle Vernon burned mine," his son admitted miserably. Then he took a deep breath and said, "But . . .but I'll tell you what I got. . . only you're not going to like it."

"Are you failing a subject, son?" inquired the Potions Master calmly.

"No . . ." Harry's hands twisted on the coverlet. "Can I talk to you in the study?" He didn't want Draco to see Snape go all snarky and disappointed on him, it was embarrassing enough as it was.

"Yes. Come." Severus turned and headed for the door, calling over his shoulder, "Lights out in half an hour, Draco."

Draco murmured an assent, then nodded as Harry went past.

Once they had entered the study, Harry wished he had just kept his mouth shut and let Snape get the transcript from Dumbledore. Then he could have waited till tomorrow to face his father's wrath. But he knew he wouldn't have slept a wink, and maybe Draco was right and he should just get it over with.

Severus settled himself behind the desk, figuring if he put a little distance between them, it might make his son more comfortable. "Sit, please."

Harry obeyed, sitting down, fighting the urge to squirm like a naughty child, though he felt very much like a naughty child about to receive a well-deserved punishment.

He fixed his gaze at the coffee mug on Snape's desk, it was green and had the words Potion Master's Private Brew written on it above a smoking cauldron. He licked his lips and wiped his hands twice on his pants.

"Harry. Lord, child, I'm not going to eat you."

"Okay. I, uh, got two O's and some A's, an E and I . . .gotaDinHistoryofMagic," he mumbled, trying to get the words out before he lost his nerve entirely.

"Excuse me? You have two O's, some A's and an E and what was that last part?" demanded the professor. "Head up and speak clearly, if you don't mind."

"I . . .I said I . . .got a D from Professor Binns."

There! It was done. He waited tensely for the explosion.

It never came.

Harry waited and waited. But Severus didn't say anything.

"Dad? Are . . .are you mad at me?" he hated the way he sounded, like a whimpering four-year-old, but Severus's silence was far more unnerving than his temper would have been.

"A little, yes. But I'm more disappointed than mad, son."

Harry cringed. He had known that was coming, but even so, it stung. "I'm sorry, sir. I just couldn't concentrate . . .it was just too boring! I know that's a lame excuse, I'll try and do better next time, I promise . . . I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

"You are, and well you should be, young man. A D in History of Magic is disgraceful. Is Miss Granger the only one who stays awake in that class?" Then he relented a bit upon seeing the stricken expression on Harry's face. "I would assume so, since every time I go past, you're all snoozing."

"We can't help it, Dad," Harry muttered to the carpet. He felt like he were about five and he'd just confessed to writing on the wall in permanent marker HARRY WAS HERE.

"Yes, you can."

"How?"

"By paying attention to your textbook and not Binns," Severus said sternly. "That way you could learn the material on your own and still pass the course."

"Oh. I never thought of that."

"Obviously not." Severus said, then resolved to put the boy out of his misery. "Since that is so, part of your punishment is to read the History of Magic textbook for the rest of your summer holiday."

Harry groaned. "And the second part? You gonna wallop my bum with a spoon?" he guessed.

"No. Not over this. A child who is beaten over poor grades learns nothing useful except how to hide the truth and fear his parent, and that is not the lesson I wish to teach you. I am very disappointed in you, however, young man. If you were having trouble with a subject, you should have sought help from a teacher or a student."

"Yes, sir." His socks were worn and slightly holey. But his stomach had stopped churning like a pot about to boil over. Now it only felt like someone had sucker punched him, especially when Severus had uttered those awful words.

"Why didn't you?"

"Uh, I don't know, sir."

"Very well, the second part of your punishment is this. When you've finished the History of Magic book, tell me and I'll give you the same exam Professor Binns did and you may take it over. The score won't count, but it should tell you where you stand."

"That's all?"

"No. You're also going to write an essay for me about ways you could have brought up your grade. And lastly . . ." Severus coughed, for these words did not come easily, "I want you to know that I . . .forgive you for getting a bad mark, Harry. And that you can come to me if you're having problems, I won't bite you . . .much."

"But . . .but you're still disappointed in me."

"Yes, but I'm not going to disown you or whip you. That I will promise you, though you should know that by now, son."

"I'm sorry, sir. I . . .I know how you want a son that you can . . .be proud of." He kept his eyes glued to the floor so his father wouldn't see the babyish tears in them.

"And you think that one bad mark will keep me from being proud of you? That I would condemn you for it for life?" Severus asked, and Harry was startled to hear a faint hurt tone in the other's voice. "Have I become my father without knowing, that you would think such of me?" he asked, half to himself.

"No . . .but I'm supposed to do well in school . . .and you're a professor so . . ."

" . . .so my son should get perfect marks? Is that what you think?"

"Yeah. Why? Isn't that what you want?"

"Yes, I want you to do well in school. I know you can, for you're smart and can work hard when you set your mind to it. But, Harry, that does not mean that occasionally you cannot fail, for no one is perfect."

"I know . . .but I want to be . . .because then you won't be disappointed in me."

"Son, I am disappointed in myself far more than I am of you. I expect you to make mistakes, that is how you learn, after all. But learn from those mistakes and try not to repeat them. Do that, Harry, and I will always be proud of you." Severus reassured him. "Come to me when you're having a problem and I will help you as best I can. That is my job as both parent and teacher. But . . .if you ever try and hide a bad grade from me or lie to me about one, Harry Albus Snape . . .then I will be very disappointed and angry and you will be in serious trouble, am I understood?"

"Like grounded forever?"

"Yes, just like that." He waved his wand and a History of Magic text appeared on the desk. "Take that and begin studying it tomorrow. I've underlined the important parts in red ink."

Harry picked up the book, it was worn and dog-eared. "This isn't my text."

"No, it's mine, from when I was in school. I thought it would be more useful, since I paid attention in class, and actually took notes."

"Thanks, Dad." Harry said sincerely, and this time he could look his father in the eye.

"You're welcome. Use it to learn now what you didn't before. In order to understand the present, you must first understand the past."

"Yes, sir."

"Now, it's getting late, you need sleep. Off to bed with you." And with that, Severus came around the desk and turned his son around and sent him on his way with a firm pat on the behind.

Harry went, clutching the textbook to him, relieved that Draco had been right after all. He still had a whole skin. Even so, this was one confrontation he didn't want to ever repeat, and so he resolved to study harder in all his subjects next year. Hermione would be delighted, and Ron horrified, he thought with a grin. But at least his father wouldn't be disappointed in him. Once, he wouldn't have given two Knuts what Snape thought of him, but now . . .now it was different.

Harry hurried down the hallway, wanting to tell Draco that he was all right, but when he reached their room, he found his foster brother sound asleep. Oh, well. Guess I can let him gloat tomorrow. Then he crawled into his own bed and fell asleep immediately.