As the sun began to set and the fireflies began their nightly flight, Hermione finally emerged from the library. She had heard the soft tones of Harry and Severus speaking from the slightly opened window in the reading room and, after a day of pouring over potion texts, Shakespeare, transfiguration texts, and Milton's poetry, she made her way out onto the porch.

"She lives!" Harry quipped from his seat on the porch swing. He was stretched out on his back, his knees bent and the gentle breeze that finally decided to grace the town with its presence softly rocking him back and forth. Severus sat in one of the wicker chairs looking relafxed as he blew the smoke from one of his Marlboro Reds away from the teens. The rinds of the eaten honeydew had been thrown over the railing and were being attacked with gusto by ants.

"Ha, ha," Hermione said, sitting in the other wicker chair next to Severus. "I can't believe Ron is still asleep!"

"I suppose I'll have to give him a sleeping draught tonight," Severus spoke, "Otherwise he will never fall asleep when it's time for bed."

Harry shrugged and looked up at Hermione from the pillow of his arm, "Read anything good?"

"Oh, yes! Professor Snape has a wonderful book of Poetry: Milton and Dunn, and Whitman and Dickenson! And, so many books on World War II! Sir, I never thought you to be one fascinated with a muggle war before!"

Severus hummed slightly and puffed out some more smoke before answering. "It was not just a muggle war, Ms. Granger; our world was just as involved."

"Well, it was fascinating. Voldemort may as well be Hitler incarnate, but I've always thought that. I flipped through the book he wrote, Mine, mean...I can't pronounce it," she blushed.

"Mein Kampf. I actually would rather you not look at that book again; it's not for young eyes, my apologies. Hitler's mind was twisted and frightening."

"I'm sorry, sir, it's just, well..." she threw her hands up in frustration, unable to voice her mind.

"You cannot resist the urge to gobble up any knowledge?"

Harry snorted but remained otherwise silent. If there was game show on who could learn the most in a short span of time, he was sure Hermione would be a millionaire.

The girl gave an indignant huff but her face softened almost immediately. "I just love to learn; there is so much knowledge out there! So much I do not yet know!"

"You are young yet, Hermione. Do not be in such a rush to learn everything at once." Severus smiled at her. He put out his cigarette and leaned back, watching the lightning bugs as they flashed on his lawn and listened to the sounds of the crickets chirping.

"What fun would life be if we knew everything, anyway?" Harry spoke up. "What would the point be? Boring. That's what it would be: boring."

The older wizard chuckled, "I must agree. Life isn't about knowing everything; it's about searching for the answers. The journey to the truth, if one wishes to be cliché."

Hermione thought this over; she tilted her head and bit her lip. "I guess so. In that case, then, I'm certainly living life to the fullest! I'm always searching for answers!"

Harry cracked up, laughing loudly and freely as Severus sputtered, "You are hopeless, Hermione Granger! Absolutely hopeless!"

Hermione just shrugged and retied her ponytail, "So, what's for dinner?"

"Hm, I should probably feed you brats, shouldn't I?"

"I'm not a brat!" Harry pouted.

"You're a brat." Standing, Severus stretched and groaned. "I'm too old for this." Too late did he remember what Harry had spent the better part of the afternoon making fun of him with. He shot Harry a look that clearly said ‘Don't you dare!' but Harry obviously was no longer scared by the looks his potions professor gave him.

"It really is so sad how old people just deteriorate."

"Brat!"

Hermione, having no clue what was going on, just laughed and stood. "I think it's the lack of food more than anything."

"Could be," Severus said as he followed Hermione and Harry indoors. "Will you two please wake Mr. Weasley up? He's been asleep nearly six hours!" Harry didn't need to be told twice, he took off toward the living room. It wasn't a full minute before both Hermione and Severus heard Ron yell out and loud thump. The witch poked her head in the room and laughed. Harry, it seemed, had chosen the method of jumping on Ron and kicking him off the sofa. He sat on the now empty couch laughing as Ron looked dejectedly up at him from the hard wooden floor.

"Well, that's what you get for sleeping all day!" Hermione admonished. She held her hand out and helped Ron stand. Absently, he rubbed his behind.

"What time is it?"

"Late, you slept the day away," replied Severus from the other room.

"Oh. Well...I'm hungry." Harry and Hermione both shared a glance that had them laughing almost immediately. "What?!" Ron sputtered, "I am!"

"You're always hungry, Ronald!" Hermione joked.

The floo came to life then, and out stepped Lizzie followed by Georgie, Lucy, Jena, and Baylor. Harry, a bit hyper, jumped off the couch and ran to greet them. He couldn't quite explain why he was so excitable suddenly, it was just that everything, for once, was going all right. If he could bottle this feeling, he would be just as rich as Hermione would be if that Brainiac game show existed.

Being as large as he was, Baylor easily grabbed the small teen as he ran at him and flung him over his shoulder. Harry screeched and kicked his legs while Georgie barked a laugh.

"Baylor!" Harry yelled, flabbergasted. Nevertheless, Baylor kept his grip, even when Severus entered the room and hastily instructed him to ‘Put my student down!' Harry wiggled, squirmed, and threw the full of his strength into escaping the hold. The others could only watch, amused, as he wormed his way out of Baylor grip like a slippery fish and plopped to the floor.

"Well, I won't be trying THAT again!" Baylor laughed, a bit out of breath from trying to hold onto Harry. "You might be easier," he joked, looking at Hermione. Her mouth dropped and, seeing the look in his eyes, made to run but Baylor was quicker. He grabbed the girl as if she were a toddler instead of seventeen and flung her over his shoulder. "Into the pool with ya!"

"What?!" The young witch yelled, "No! Severus! Professor?!" But Severus was too busy laughing to help and it was out the backdoor and into the pool with her. Georgie, though he laughed, helped the sputtering teen out from the chorine waters, pulling her from the pool and laughing even harder as Baylor rubbed his ribs where Hermione had delivered a hard kick as he threw her into the water.

"Serves you right!" The old wizard said as he conjured a towel for the now shivering Hermione. He cast a drying charm on her cloths and she quickly rubbed her hair with the towel.

"Well!" Severus said from the doorway, "Now that you abused two of my students, what brings you here? All of you?" Lizzie coughed and glared at him. "Aside from Elizabeth Grace, that is," he added sheepishly.

"We figured we'd stop by for dinner to prove we're all okay." Georgie said, walking back up to the house.

"Yeah, there really isn't much else to do up at the house. We did most of the repairs, Baylor is fire free and we're hungry," said Lucy, as she plopped into one of the lawn chairs on the patio.

"We even brought food!" Jena said as she dug into her wizard spaced purse and retrieving three large bowls. "Marinated steaks, potato salad, and my famous tortellini salad, all free of charge for my special friend Sevvy!"

"He sure is special," Baylor muttered with a grin. When Severus glared at him he quickly added, "Fire up the BAR-B-QUEUE!" as if that was what he had meant to say all along.

With a wave of his wand, Georgie lit Severus' grill, shooting fire at the charcoals and humming in appreciation to the now rising heat. He took one of the covered bowls from the table and placed it beside the grill. From his pocket, he pulled his apron out and tied it on, ignoring the groans and laughs from his friends.

Harry teased, "Kiss the cook! No way!" Severus snorted and pursed his lips, leering towards Georgie and making kissing sounds.

"Ah, quiet, all of you! Or there'll be no dinner!" The older wizard put his palm flat on Severus' face and pushed him away. The professor took his once last chance at torment and licked Georgie's hand.

"HE LICKED ME!"

"Ew, Georgie, you don't know where his tongue has been!" Lucy called out. Severus was snickering like mad, as Georgie wiped his hand on his jeans.

"I do!" Lizzie yelled. "I know where it's been!"

There were several gasped and admonishments, "Lizzie!" "Elizabeth Grace!" "There are children present, you pervert!"

"Now, none of you is getting any food!" joked Georgie.

"WHAT?!" Ron looked heartbroken.

 "Always hungry..." There was a chuckle from the young witch, as Hermione and Harry shared another look over the redhead's stricken face. They laughed at this new inside joke between the two. Ron, of course, looked a bit put out.

"He'll feed you three," said Severus softly, "he has a soft spot for hungry kids." There was a smile on his face that Harry recognized right away. He knew that he was remembering the night he met Georgie. Harry caught the wizard's eye and smiled. Severus grinned back, "He loves strays."

"Whiskey. And lots of it."

"Jimmy, my boy, what did you do?"

"I ain't done shit, Georgie." Jimmy said, "Melanie left me again."

"And why she leave you?"

The downtrodden twenty-something sighed, "I lost my job."

"Well, son, you need to quit drinking and maybe you can keep a job for more than six months."

"Drinkin' is my life support! You know that!"

"Melanie, if you love her half as much as I think you do, should be your life support."

The bar, Nicky's Tavern, was a staple to the small town of Warrenville to the misspent youth and the widowed elderly. Georgie was the only bartender and it was only open when he felt like coming in. Sometimes it was open at six in the morning and others not until eight at night. He stocked only American Brews and whiskey. However, if a patron was lucky, Georgie remembered to pick up some vodka from the mom and pop liquor store up the road. If there were really lucky, there was cranberry juice and if there were exceptionally lucky, it was within its sell-by date.

Georgie was somewhat a father figure to many of the down on their luck kids in the town. They came for beers and left with advice and a hangover. He collected them like an old woman collected stray cats. He never denied anyone, even if they were blatantly under 21-years-old. He believed that everyone needed a place to go and preferred the underage to drink a few beers in the bar where he could keep an eye on them rather than in the streets downing a 30 rack of Keystone Light. These, of course, were the days before cops raided bars every other night searching for under aged drinkers. Things were different back then.

Jimmy sourly took the cup of water placed in front of him and trudged out through the back door and to his beat up old Chevrolet. Georgie knew he was, yet again, headed for Melanie's parents' house and to her bedroom window where he would call up to her to come home. And he knew, just like every other time, that she would.

He was one of the older strays in the Wizard's collection. He slept on Georgie's old couch so often that many referred to the plaid atrocity as ‘The Jimmy.'

Jimmy accepted this as an honor.

Grabbing a dirty glass and his 50-cent tip from the other end of the bar, Georgie pocketed the change and dunked the beer glass into the sink. The cloroxed water sloshed over the edges and onto the plastic mat beneath his feet. He rinsed the cup in the other sink filled with cool, fresh water and set about drying it. It was four in the afternoon, mid November, and blisteringly cold. Every time the door opened, a blast of air hit the bar and the graying tender would shiver and pour himself a shot a whiskey to warm up. Locals flittered in and out, some staying for drinks, others coming only for the cheap bar food Georgie himself fried up on the old-fashioned flat grill the owner swore was from Coney Island.

Georgie would shout his hello to every patron, knowing them each by name, "Johnny boy!" "Jolene!" "'Afternoon, Phil!"

When the door opened again, he expected Billy, or Ted, maybe even Marcy - She usually gimped in around this time on Thursdays. Instead of a regular, however, a worn out young man, bundled in an old green and silver scarf, came through the peeling old oak door. He sat, dejectedly, at the bar and ordered a water.

Georgie gave him a whiskey.

"What's your name, kid?"

The man stared deep into the glass for a moment before looking up through matted black hair. He seemed to weigh his answer carefully before his British accent spoke, "Severus."

Georgie took one good look at him and knew. "Sytherin, eh?" Severus looked up sharply. "I, myself, went to N.Y.C.W.A., New York City Wizarding Academy. Don't look so shocked, I can sense magic a mile away. My cousin went to Hogwarts, I know all about Slytherins."

"And what," Severus said quietly, "do you know about Slytherins?"

"I know that many of them have had a hard time."

That was his undoing. Coupled with seven months in Azkaban, the death of the woman he loved, plus the enormous effort of being a spy, it was a wonder he held out for so long. The story came pouring from his mouth and by the time he finished, Severus had tears streaming down his face and four whiskeys in his system. Georgie fried him up a burger and the fifth drink was a glass of water.

Marcy finally showed up at quarter to nine, she took a long look at Severus and said, "Got yourself another stray, don't ya, Georgie boy?"

"Georgie, you're supposed to stack the charcoals first," Baylor said, looking down into the grill.

"Nonsense!" Severus joined, "They should be spread out but touching so the heat is even." He was a long way from the wayward young man he once was.

Georgie grunted, "You're both wrong. Now, shut up and let me cook!" The two wizards looked mildly insulted but kept quiet.

"Come here, you!" Lucy said, pulling Hermione over to her. She sat her on a bench and the older witch sat behind her. Hermione had been struggling with her untamable hair for a while now, all thanks to her unwanted pool session. Lucy conjured up a brush and gently began brushing out the tangles. At first, the teen looked as if she was going to argue, instead she sat still and said, "Thank you, Lucy."

"My kid has hair just like yours, I'm used to it." She smiled and continued her brushing.

It wasn't long before the beers and sodas were brought out and the steaks were on the grill. Georgie lit the tiki lamps around the patio to ward off the bugs, proclaiming proudly that he was the one to buy them for Severus since the man was horrible at using magic to keep mosquitoes away.

The sun lowered in the sky. It was around 8:00pm, not yet dark but enough so that the fireflies were even more illuminated. Georgie was just turning the steaks and Lucy was finishing French braiding Hermione's hair when there was a loud, shrill noise. The hair on Harry's arms stood up. He swung around to stare, wide eyed, at Severus.  

"Sev, what the hell is that?!" Lucy exclaimed as she tied a scrunchie at the bottom of Hermione's hair.

But Severus had gone pale. "The wards, they've been breached!"

Lucy jumped up, "Hide the kids!"

"There's no time! Get me behind me!" Severus pulled Harry behind him as Jena and Georgie shoved Ron and Hermione next to him. The adults made a circle around the teens.

"Sev, the wards are at the edge of the town, though!"

"You think Lucius bloody Malfoy is going to WALK?!"

She had no time for a retort as a flash brought Malfoy into the yard, a magical gift, no doubt, from the Dark Lord. Curiously, no one else followed.

Severus quickly sent a patronus off with a whispered warning and trained his wand on the Death Eater.

"Oh, look, just in time for dinner."

"If you know what's good for you, Lucius, you will vacate my property immediately." Severus hissed, twisting his wrist in a threat of a hex.

"Now, now, is that any way to treat a guest? Manners, Severus, I would think you would know better." Lucius smirked and tilted his head to see behind the wall of witches and wizards. "Harry Potter, so good to see you."

"Piss off!" Harry yelled, his own wand drawn.

"Temper, temper, Mister Potter."

"You will not speak to him. You will not address him. You won't even LOOK at him! Am I understood!" The potions master took a threatening step forward. "Am I?!"

"Crystal." Lucius snapped. He twirled his wand, "Don't you want to know how I got in, Severus? It's quite a story. As it turns out," he said, without waiting for an answer, "your wards have but one weakness. Do you know what that is, Severus?" The professor kept silent, putting all his animosity into his glare. He looked, at that moment, nothing like Severus and everything like Snape. Harry was silently happy he wasn't on the receiving end of that look. "Well, Severus? Won't you indulge me with your curiosity?" He paused.  "Of course not! Not Severus Snape, stoic spy for Albus Dumbledore, protector of...Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived." He paused and turned his wand slightly, grinning so that his face twisted. It made Harry feel sick. "The weakness is you, Severus. Your secrets, your past. You."

Snape gritted his teeth and controlled his breath.

"You see, all I had to do was overpower your wards with memories. You know the ones, Severus."

"Expelliarmus! Accio Lucius' wand!" The spells were quick and over before Harry even realized what Severus was doing. Malfoy was livid, panting and losing control over his once cool features. "We settle this like men." With a thrust, Severus gave Lizzie not only Lucius' wand, but his own. "We settle this like humans."

"What do you plan on doing, Snape?"

"Kicking your fucking ass."

Lucius' eyes widened at that, but he held his ground. "Is that--" He had no chance to answer as Severus came at him, fists flying. The first landed across Malfoy's jaw, sending one of his teeth flying in a spew of blood into the grass. The second, with Severus' left fist, hit the side of his head and threw him to the ground.

"Get up! Now! Get up!" Severus dragged him to his feet. "You fucking coward, UP!"

Lucius took that moment to take a swing at Severus, succeeding in hitting his shoulder. He offset the professor for only a moment before Severus gave a hard uppercut into the Death Eater's abdomen. Lucius crumbled to the ground with a breathless wail.

Harry couldn't believe how quick this was going. He watched as Malfoy struggled to his feet once again, only to be punched in his once perfect nose. There was a spurt of blood and Lucius went down on one knee. He pushed himself up and took a blind swing at Severus, catching his jaw. The former spy grunted in anger and sent one last hit to the side of the blond bastard's head. Lucius went down and, this time, stayed down.

Panting and holding his jaw, Severus leaned over the barely conscious form. "And that, you piece of proverbial shit, is how muggles kick wizard ass."

Lizzie had already conjured up a bag of ice and strode over to her lover, gently removing his hand from the side of his face and replacing it with the ice. Severus held the bag and silently thanked her. She turned back to the heap that had once stood proud and arrogant. There was the sound of her hocking up phlegm and a spit. The loogie landed on Lucius' chest. "You don't fuck with my man and expect him to let it slide, you dumb shit."

"Ugh, get him out of here!" Lucy exclaimed just as the sound of apparating wizards filled the backyard. A quick moment of panic was followed by sighs of relief as members of the Order popped in, each looking bewildered and holding pieces of paper that sparked into flames and disappeared as soon as they regained their bearings from the length of the apparition.

Severus looked up from the crumbled form and into the eyes of Remus Lupin. The werewolf was studying him, no doubt thrown off by his dress. "Save the questions, Lupin, we have bigger fish to fry. Malfoy breached my wards, I don't know if anyone else did. They surround the town." Lupin, though curious, nodded and apparated out, followed by Tonks, Moody, and Dumbledore.  Kingsley, easily enough, had apprehended Lucius and was busy binding him.

That left a very pissed off Molly Weasley. Ron gulped.

"RONALD WEASLEY!" There was an all around wince. "HARRY POTTER!" Even Georgie was looking ashamed by this time. "AND HERMIONE GRANGER!" Lucy and Jena had stepped away from the teens and were now a safe distance away.  "What in the name of ALL THINGS GOOD AND EVIL DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?!" The trio stared down at their shoes. "What...WHAT?! Did you think you were being funny? Clever? The three of you! Look at me while I'm speaking to you!"

Ron lifted his head, "But mum! Severus said he told everyone we were safe!"

"That doesn't stop me from worrying abou- Wait, did you just call him Severus?"

"Molly, I apologize for cutting in, but why don't we discuss this later?"

Molly snapped her head around and caught full sight of the man before her. There was Severus, in his blue jeans and white tee, hair tied back, his green bandana on his head, and tattoos showing. "What are you WEARING?!"

All at once, Severus' friends burst out laughing and he, looking quite affronted, shot them a warning glare that they happily ignored. "They're called clothes, I'll have you know!"

"But why are YOU wearing them?"

"Because becoming a nudist is not on my list of daily activities, thank you very much!"

"Severus, I need you to allow your wards to let me portkey with Malfoy." Severus turned to face Kingsley, glad for the distraction.

"Of course." With a wave of his wand the air crackled and stilled. "All set."

"You sure did a number on him," the auror smirked.

"A number? A NUMBER?!" Lucius screamed. "I'LL HAVE YOU FOR ASSAULT, SNAPE!"

Baylor mocked, "'I'll have you for assault! I'll have you for assault!'" Jena, Lucy, and Lizzie laughed and chimed in, "'I'll have you for assault!'"

"All right, all right!" Severus chastised, "What are you all, six?"

Lizzie pointed at him, "Excuse you, Severus, but I'll have you for assault!"

"It's not assault if you want it, Lizzie!" Lucy called out. Severus went red and the other cracked up, but Molly had had enough.

"Will someone PLEASE explain to me what is going on here?" Shacklebolt grinned and, with a wink, left.

"Mum--" Ron started, weakly. Molly rounded on him.

"YOU ARE GROUNDED UNTIL YOU ARE THIRTY! NO! MAKE THAT FORTY!"

"Molly," Severus tried, "why don't we go inside?"

The witch spun around and pointed her wand at Severus. "I should hex you into the middle of next week!" She paused, bristling, "And who are all these people?!"

"You've spoken with a few of them, Molly; you are looking at several members of the United States extension of the Order," Severus spoke calmly, hoping to ease Molly. "George Anthony Bryce," he pointed to each in turn, "Jena Marie Wallace, Baylor Leon McKean, and Lucy Angel D'Amato.  And this," he gestured to Lizzie, "is Elizabeth Beatrice Grace." 

"Who is joining this Order thingy, thanks. And call me Lizzie." She stuck her hand out. Molly took it lightly, studying the woman.

"If you're not part of the Order, why are you here? I don't mean to be impolite..." Molly pursed her lips, now that she had been told at least who these people were, she felt slightly better. Though, by the looks to shot at the trio, they were in for it later.

"I'm Severus' girl...lady...lover...friend. God we DO need a better title!" She shot at Severus, who shrugged in response.

"You're dating Severus?"

Lizzie did not get a chance to answer as several pops signaled the return of the order members. "Dumbledore is fixing your wards," Remus said to Severus, "And Moody managed to catch a few of the Death Eaters. The rest escaped. It looks like Malfoy was the only one able to get in."

Tonks, her head tilted to the side like a dumb, confused dog, circled Severus. "I like this look on you. Much better than looking like a bat." Severus would have retorted if she hadn't tripped as soon as she said that and fell.

Suppressing a laugh, Harry held his hand out to help her up. "Wotcher, Harry!"

"Hey, Tonks."

"Got yourself in a right bit of trouble, haven't you?"

He shrugged, "Yeah."

She winked and turned back to the group. "Okay, so, all is right with the world?"

"No, but this'll do." Remus said, "Though I have to hand it to you, Severus, you just did what I've wanted to do for a long time."

"And what's that?" Severus asked.

"You bloodied Malfoy!"

Baylor clasped Severus' shoulder, "That'll do, Pig. That'll do."

Severus' mouth dropped and before Baylor could escape, he punched him in his arm, "Asshole!" Molly wasted no time in smacking Severus' arm for his language.

"TORTELLINI AND MACARONI?! That's it?! WHERE ARE THE VEGETABLES?"

"Molly..."

"THIS LOOKS LIKE PURE SUGAR! WHAT ARE THEY DRINKING?!"

"Molly, dear..."

"IS THIS WHAT YOU'VE BEEN FEEDING THESE CHILDREN SINCE THEY CAME TO YOU?!"

"MOLLY!"

Molly whirled around, interrupted from her tirade. Severus actually sunk low in his seat, glad to have her stopped.

"Arthur!"

The Weasley patriarch stood at the end of the patio. "Yes, dear?" the paper in his hands snapped and smoldered into the air.

"When did you get here?"

"Just now, darling." He turned to Severus and the others, "Snape, Tonks, Remus." They nodded their hellos, though Severus was still looking slightly put off. "Albus." Dumbledore tipped his head. "I'm sorry I'm late, I couldn't get away from the ministry until just now. I take it that everything is all right?" He turned to the teens, "Ron! Harry! Hermione! You're all right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Yes, Dad."

"We're fine, Mr. Weasley."

"Good! Now, what's this I hear about food?"

Molly rounded on him, "DON'T YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED?!"

"Well, everything seems to be fine, I'm sure it could wait."

"ARTHUR!"

Mr. Weasley held his hands up in surrender, "All right, all right! What happened?"

"Your son and his friends decided to go on a muggle road trip! Here! In America! That muggle contraption broke and they ended up with Severus who has not-been-feeding-them-correctly! And almost captured by Lucius Malfoy!" She added that last bit on as if it weren't as important as Severus' thoughts on nutrition.

Arthur had stopped listening once Molly said the word ‘muggle,' however. "Really? A muggle road trip? Did you have a car?" The teens nodded. "Fascinating!"

"Oh! I give UP!" Molly fumed, dropping into a chair.

"Cheer up, Molly," Tonks grinned, "everyone is in one piece, right?"

She shot a glare at Ron, "For the moment."

Severus, still feeling slightly abashed, turned to Dumbledore, "My wards?"

"Are fine," Albus said. "Lucius managed to overwhelm them but I strengthened them. You did quite a job on them and this is a lovely house."

"That's your way of saying, what the hell is up with me, huh?"

Dumbledore's eye twinkled, "You know me all too well, my friend."

"We'd all like to know," Arthur spoke. "This is something of a surprise, I must say."

"Harry, you do the honors."

Sneaking a sip of the soda he had grown so fond of, Harry spoke quickly, "He was a spy, hid who he really is, Georgie saved him from himself, turned him rock and roll, comes here over the summer, not that bad of guy, actually."

Molly raised her eyebrows, "It was an act?"

"It's a gift." Severus quipped. Lizzie snorted.

"Modesty isn't one of his strong points."

"Modesty is lame."

"So are lovers who sleep on the couch in their own house."

"Is that a threat?!"

Tonks laughed, "Well, we see who wears the pants in this relationship!"

"There are children present, or have you forgotten?!" Molly snapped. She stood and ripped through Severus' kitchen, hunting down vegetables that she threw unceremoniously on the table before chopping and cooking them.

"There's celery in tortellini salad."

Molly glared at Jena but said nothing.

"Okay, okay!" the blonde witch conceded, "It's not enough. Can I help?'

Sighing, Molly allowed herself to be...mollified. For the moment. She nodded to the refrigerator. "That...cold...muggle thing...is there juice or milk in there? They're drinking pure sugar, I won't allow that."

Jena retrieved a bottle of cranberry juice that Lizzie looked longingly at, as she was going to make herself a vodka and cranberry at some point with it. She remained quiet though, understanding a mother's need to mother.

Later, when everything was cooked and ready and dished out, everyone had a plate of macaroni and tortellini salad, slices of steak, and plenty of vegetables. With a flick of her wand, the beers all vanished and in their place, each adult had a glass of juice. Severus eyes the redheaded mother sourly. "Molly, I'm an adult, you know."

The woman sniffed, "Obviously not, or my children would have been fed properly."

Ignoring the fact that she referred to the all of the teens as her kids and not just Ron, Severus snapped, "I've kept quite an eye on their food intake, thank you. I've made sure Harry only ate what his stomach could handle, for one!"

"Why? What can't his stomach handle?!"

Severus winced when Harry kicked him under the table. He sent and apologetic look in the young wizard's direction for his slip up.

"Nothing, Mrs. Weasley, can we eat, please?"

"This conversation isn't over."

Harry scrunched his face, "I know."

She nodded, "Eat. Finish every vegetable on your plate too, mind, or I'll open your jaw and shove it on. That goes for all of you!"

"God, she's just like my mother!" Baylor said loudly. "It's like my mom's soul invades every mother anywhere near me. It's fucking scary!"

Molly had looked pleased with herself at first, but as soon as the curse left Baylor's mouth, she began smacking his arm repeatedly.

"Ow, ow! Okay! I'm sorry! Uncle, uncle!"

Severus made no move to help, he only muttered, "That'll do, Pig, that'll do," and shoveled a fork full of carrots into his mouth.