“Mum!” William called out.

“Yes, Harry?” Lily’s voice came from her bedroom, where she was putting on her makeup.

“Aunt Petunia says she and Uncle Vernon want a night to rest, so me and Dudley are staying at Aunt Alice’s house, okay?” William shouted.

“I know already, honey. Aunt Alice called and told me. Now go and get your bag together, and remember to take clean socks this time! It’s embarrassing to have my son wear socks so smelly that they are literally screaming to be washed!”

“Yes, Mum!” William said, thoroughly disgusted with his brother.

“And, Harry, behave yourself!” she admonished.

“I always do,” William responded cheekily.

“Yes, dear. Now scoot!”

“I love ya, Mum!” William said and ran off to his room to get his stuff.

“King to B1,” Severus said.

“Castle to D1. Checkmate,” Harry said. Sev’s King threw it’s crown down on the board as Harry’s pieces applauded. “I’m sorry, Dad. Remember, though, I had Ron and Percy Weasley teaching me how to play.”

“Damn Weasleys,” Severus muttered before saying, “Good game, Harry.”

“Thanks, Dad. That means a lot to me.”

Just then, Harry’s mirror started ringing, so he answered it. “Hello?”

“Harry, it’s William. What is so important that you had to leave fourteen voicemails?” William asked testily.

“I asked him to call you, young man,” Severus said. “He was just following my orders, although a bit obsessively.”

William’s face went white when he heard his father’s voice. “Harry, are you using a voice-changing charm, or is Father right there?”

Harry simply handed the mirror to Severus, who said, “I am right here – Harry told me about how you two switched places and that Mum is going out on a date with Lord Potter tonight.”

“Yes, she is. And he will likely be proposing. She acts like she is under a love potion or charm around him. I am scared about it,” William said honestly. He never could lie to his dad.

“Well, Harry and I have a Portkey scheduled for one week from today. Harry,” Severus said, turning to the son in his living room, “Is there anyone in particular, preferably an adult, that can be trusted with the information about your switch? Someone that can set something up on the sly to switch the two of you back and give me a chance to talk to Lily?”

“Well, I have always been close to Aunt Petunia and Aunt Alice [Longbottom], but I always go to Aunt Alice when it comes to keeping secrets. Since Aunt Petunia is Mum’s sister, the two of them are really tight with each other, and I don’t think that Aunt Tunie would be able to keep this from Mum. Also, with Neville and I being born a couple of hours apart, we grew up as if we were twins,” Harry said with an apologetic look into the mirror at his brother.

“Dudley and I are staying the night at Neville’s house, so I can tell Aunt Alice tonight,” William said.

“What about Dudley and Neville?” Severus said. “I remember them as babies, but I know nothing of their character now that they have grown up a bit.”

“Neville already knows. I think he realized we were twins before we did,” Harry laughed, remembering how he had brushed off Nev’s suspicions at first.

“Dudley doesn’t know yet, though,” William said. “He and his parents just got back from Majorca. Harry, can he be trusted?”

“He can. Neville, Dud, and I were… are… like brothers. Just let everyone know not to tell Mum or Aunt Petunia,” Harry said.

“Wait a minute… the day before we get there, William, let your mother know. It is her right to know, as your mother and my wife, which son she is taking care of,” Severus said.

“I am supposed to be getting my stuff together,” William said. “I’ve gotta run.”

“Alright. Call us tonight after you talk to Aunt Alice,” Severus said. “Have fun.”

“Remember clean socks,” Harry said. “Also, only wear boxers to sleep in… Remember, you have to get used to them before Hogwarts!”

“You know, I want an explanation of this sock thing one day! You aren’t the first person to mention it!” William said.

Laughing, Harry promised he would tell William the story one day, and the two of them hung up.

Severus decided he needed some time to think before talking anymore about the boy’s… trap. He told harry he would be in his library until tea time.

“Okay, Dad. See you at tea,” Harry said before settling into his chair to read a while.