The firelight illuminated the teacups in the dim light of the dungeon quarters. Harry felt slightly awkward sitting with Ron and Ginny, though he was quite comfortable sitting beside Hermione, her head resting on his shoulder. Ginny was curled up beside Ron, her head in his lap. She had long since fallen asleep as the rest of them sat in silence.

Severus was sitting in his armchair, a glass of brandy in his hand. Remus was sitting on the ottoman in front of Severus, his back leaning against Severus’ legs. Ron, Ginny, and Hermione had been suspicious about their interactions for a while, but when Severus pulled Remus into a hug to comfort the crying man, it became painfully obvious that they were together.

They’d had nowhere else to go where they could all be together. Draco had thrown quite the fit when Severus refused to let him leave the hospital wing to help comfort Harry. It had taken a good ten minutes of snogging and apologizing on Harry’s part to calm the Slytherin down.

Dumbledore had informed them that Molly was at St. Mungo’s with her husband, but would make a short visit to Hogwarts with her other children, minus Percy of course, to check on Ron and Ginny and update them on how their father was doing.

Not a word had been spoken since they had all moved down to the dungeon quarters. Severus had graciously allowed his rooms to be overrun by Gryffindors in their shared grief, as his own lover was one of the ones quite affected.

The floo flared to life, startling them all and awakening Ginny. A soft whimper escaped her throat as Molly, Charlie, Bill, Fred and George stepped out of the fire, one by one. She launched herself off the couch and into her mother’s arms, Ron following close behind her. There was a very tense, very emotional group hug shared by the Weasley family. Hermione cried silently into Harry’s shoulder as they held onto each other.

The Weasley family disbursed after a few minutes of hugging and silent crying. Molly’s eyes fell upon Harry and Hermione holding onto each other and made straight for them, sitting beside them on the sofa and pulling them both into an awkward three-way hug.

“Would anyone like some tea, perhaps?” Remus asked quietly, his voice sounding too loud as he finally broke the dense silence that had settled around them all. Some of the tension in the room leaked away as the older Weasley boys nodded appreciatively to Remus’ offer of tea. After conjuring a tea service, Remus passed cups around, offering the sugar bowl and boat of milk. Once everyone had a cup of tea in their hand, silence descended upon the room once more.

“Arthur has suffered a major stroke. He’s not responding to any sort of stimulant, and requires the use of many potions to keep him breathing since he cannot do it on his own. The Healers are ninety percent sure that Arthur will never wake up or respond to outside stimuli again. He will not survive another stroke. He is alive, but will stay vegetative with the use of potions, or until he has another stroke. We, as a family, have been given the option to stop the potion regiment and take him home with us, so he can spend his last days with his family.” Molly paused as Ron and Ginny dissolved into tears anew, holding onto each other as their brothers all offered pats of comfort from their positions behind the sofa.

“There’s really no chance that he’ll ever be the same again, Mum?” Ron asked in a raspy voice as most of his tears dried up. He still had his arms wrapped tightly around his little sister, Charlie gripping his shoulder from behind.

Molly shook her head slowly, dabbing at her eyes with a well-worn handkerchief that had once belonged to her husband. “The Healers are all in agreement that the brain damage is irreversible, and so if your father ever did wake again, he would not truly be the father you knew and grew up with. He’d be completely dependent on those around him, and he’d never talk or walk or be able to do anything by himself ever again.

“I know it is very hard for you all to hear that, but I cannot sugar coat something that is this important. The ultimate question is this; do you think your father would want to live like that, completely dependent on other people and brain dead? Or do you think, perhaps, that it would be kinder to set your father free, to allow him to move onto the next life so he can be independent and happy, waiting for us all when we make the journey?”

Ginny wiped her eyes and turned to look at all of her brothers, standing around her and looking extremely mournful. Ron caught her eye, and they both knew instantly what their choice would be. Looking up at their brothers, they all shared a nod of agreement.

“Let’s take daddy home for one last Christmas with all of us together,” Ginny whispered, sniffing as tears streaked down her cheeks once more.

Molly could not help but feel relieved at her daughter’s words and her son’s nods of agreement. She would never have gone against any of her children’s wishes, but she just couldn’t stand the thought of seeing Arthur so helpless for the rest of his life. He deserved much better than a half-life. She turned her attention then to Harry and Hermione, who were still clutching onto each other and trying to stem their tears.

“Harry, Hermione – what do you think?”

Harry blanched as Hermione let out a choked sob and buried her face in his chest. “Mrs. Weasley, we cannot possibly add our opinion in to something like this. We’re not Arthur’s children.”

“On the contrary, Harry; you and Hermione are as much a son and daughter to Arthur and I as Ginny and Ron are. I would very much like to know what you think, and I’m sure Arthur would appreciate your concern as well,” Molly said firmly, wiping at her eyes with the kerchief once more.

There was a long silence as Harry thought very hard about what he would prefer himself if he were to end up in such a situation. He’d never want to live such a miserable life, he knew, but would Arthur feel the same way? Not knowing who he or his family were, not being able to communicate anything, being completely dependent on other people for even the simplest things...Arthur deserved so much more than that. And if set free to move on to whatever came next after death, he wouldn’t have to suffer anymore.

“Living in a vegetative state, not even knowing who you are...that’s not a real life. Arthur is already gone; the only thing that’s left is just a shell of him. Letting him go would allow his soul to be free, not trapped inside that shell of a body.” Harry gently shook Hermione, making her sit up and wipe her tears away once more.

“Harry is right; it would not be fair to him to keep his soul trapped here. He should be set free so he can watch over us all from the beyond, independent and no longer suffering the indignity and pain of living such a depleted life,” said Hermione, smiling gently as Remus handed her another tissue to replace to tatters of paper that were once a tissue that she grasped close to her.

Molly nodded and smiled at Harry and Hermione. It was so obvious that a great weight had been taken off her shoulders, no longer having to carry around the stress of having to decide her husband’s fate. “Thank you both. I am glad you helped us with this hard decision.” She turned to look around at her children and nodded again.

“Let’s take daddy home...”

S~S~S~S

Though it was still a week before Christmas break was to start, Ron and Ginny received special permission to go home early to be with their father and the rest of their grieving family. The Headmaster had even offered to let Harry and Hermione join them, but both of them declined, as they thought it should just be family.

Severus was secretly glad that Harry had decided not to leave with the Weasleys. Selfish as it was, he was hoping their first Christmas as father and son would happen that year. Shortly after the two youngest Weasleys bid their farewell to Harry and Hermione, Remus informed Severus that an owl had been looking for him at dinner in the Great Hall.

“I think it’s waiting in the staff room now. The scroll looked pretty thick and official; you might want to fetch it before tomorrow morning,” Remus said as he sipped at his tea and made a few corrections to the essay he was marking. “Ghastly knowledge of banishing boggarts...We’ll need to review chapter fourteen again,” he mumbled, shaking his head as he crossed out a large chunk of bad information.

Severus set aside his cup of tea and rose from his chair, grabbing the robes he had thrown over the back and slipped them back on. “Why on earth didn’t the daft owl come during breakfast like the rest of them?”

Remus looked up and shrugged, smiling lightly at his lover’s insistence in wearing his thick teaching robes when outside of his personal quarters. “Maybe it didn’t get sent until after the morning post? It had a Ministry seal of some sort, but I couldn’t get near enough to see the return address. That owl was pretty nasty.”

Severus stiffened at Remus’ words, suddenly knowing exactly what that letter was about. “The adoption appeal papers,” he said simply, his heart rate much faster than usual. He let out a deep sigh as Remus looked up at him with an encouraging smile, a slightly knowing look in his eyes.

“You knew that’s what it was the whole time, sneaky wolf,” Severus drawled as he swept over to Remus’ chair and bent down to place a kiss on the werewolf’s soft lips. He could taste the lovely mixture of Earl Grey, sugar, and the essence that was pure Remus and felt his nerves lessen very slightly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Remus said with an innocent look, though the amusement in his amber eyes gave it all away.

Severus chuckled and shook his head, knowing Remus’ teasing was good natured. He swept quickly out of his quarters and was approaching the staff room much quicker than he expected, as he was quite lost in thought during his walk.

“Owl for you, Severus,” McGongall said from her seat at the spindly table in the centre of the small staff room. There were a few other professors sitting around the room, reading paperwork, drinking tea, or having quiet conversations with each other. Severus despised the staff room.

“Thank you, Minerva.”

The grouchy barn owl was sitting atop a wardrobe placed against a wall to hold the staff’s coats and robes while they relaxed, blinking in an irritated way as it restlessly ruffled it’s feathers. Severus gave a short whistle and beckoned the owl down, holding out his arm for the bird of prey. He carefully untied the thick scroll from the leg of the owl, giving it a few pets down it’s back before heading towards the open window and allowing the few seconds of pressure as the owl took flight.

“Important letter, Severus?” Poppy asked from her seat beside the window, her magazine sitting abandoned on the little side table next to her steaming tea.

“Yes indeed, Madam. It’s actually the papers for the adoption appeal,” Severus said distractedly as he read the address on the outside of the scroll and broke the wax seal to unroll it. His eyes scanned quickly over the opening paragraph before finding the sentence that told him all he needed to know. He broke out into one of his rare, unguarded smiles.

After the initial decision from Harry, Dumbledore had been adamant about keeping the adoption a secret from the rest of the staff and students until it was all finalized, but rumours and facts had gotten out, and before the week was up, everyone knew about the prospective adoption. Most the students had been a combination of shocked and horrified, while the staff, who knew Severus better, were surprised yet pleased.

“Good news then, Severus?” Professor Sprout asked from over her knitting needles, pausing at the smile on Severus’ face.

Severus looked up and realized the entire staff room was staring expectantly at him, their excited anticipation of the outcome warming Severus more than he was willing to admit. “I’ve been approved to continue on with the adoption process; I passed the background check.”

The room broke out in sounds of approval and delight, a few of the professors standing to congratulate Severus with a hand shake or a slap on the back. The noise suddenly went quiet as the Headmaster entered the staff room, his icy blue eyes meeting Severus’ from across the room.

“Congratulations, Severus. I wish you all the luck in the interview process.”

Severus felt his chest tighten as he saw the blatant pride and love in the Headmaster’s eyes. Though most of the staff already knew Severus considered Dumbledore a father-figure, he was not willing to put it on display for the room.

“Thank you, Albus; I’m sure I’ll need it. I should go find Harry and let him know. Excuse me,” Severus said with a curt nod as he rolled the scroll back up and quickly made his escape from the stuffy staff room. He knew exactly where Harry was; Draco had not yet been released from the hospital wing, after all.

The infirmary was oddly quiet as Severus walked in. He almost considered the possibility of a quick escape by the boys, but a shuffling sound from behind the curtain currently blocking his view of Draco’s bed told him otherwise. He was almost afraid to walk around the curtain, not sure if he wanted to see what the boys were up to.

There had been no need to fret, Severus realized as he walked further into the room and caught sight of Draco and Harry, curled up together in the small hospital bed. They both looked to be asleep, until Harry lifted a hand and started carding through Draco’s blonde tresses with a soft smile on his face. He looked up as he heard the sweeping of Severus’ cloak dragging on the ground.

“Hey, Severus. We were talking about his move from the hospital wing, but he fell asleep. He hates sleeping alone, so he’s not getting much while stuck in here,” Harry whispered from his place beside Draco, still running his fingers through silky blonde hair.

Severus smiled lightly at the two boys, finding no room in his heart to disapprove of something so innocent and beautiful. “Well, he’ll be out of here soon. But that doesn’t mean he won’t still be sleeping alone,” said Severus, shooting Harry a pointed look and smirking at the blush he inspired.

“I received an owl from the ministry; they’ve approved me to continue on with the adoption process. Next up is the interview, which isn’t going to be easy, but the worst is over as far as I’m concerned. I was more worried about the background check than anything else.”

The smile that lit Harry’s face was like the sun coming out from behind black storm clouds. Severus felt himself smiling back, unable to contain his emotions any longer. Besides, it was time to start letting Harry in more; a son should be able to tell a father anything, and the reverse was just as true.

“So when is the interview? Maybe we should start planning what we’re going to say. What are they going to ask, exactly?” Harry asked, carefully extracting himself from Draco’s arms so that he wouldn’t have to whisper to Severus. He leaned down and kissed Draco on the forehead before turning and walking out of the infirmary with the Potions Professor.

“The interview will be on the thirteenth. As for planning what to say, I think it’s best we let it all play by ear. Having our answers to their questions planned and well rehearsed will only tell the caseworker that we may have something to hide by having prepared answers. Besides, I don’t know what questions we’ll be asked. If we’re ready for this, the answers will come to us naturally at the moment we’re asked,” Severus assured his soon-to-be son – he hoped.

Harry looked a little sceptical but nodded anyways, his stride in perfect step with the Potions Master’s. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Does Remus know? Are they going to interview him as well?”

Severus cleared his throat nervously as he carefully stared ahead of him as they walked. “Well, perhaps there are some things we should discuss. As bad as this is going to sound, you must understand that I did what I had to do in order to make sure the application went through. Remus knows, yes, but they won’t be interviewing him at all. In fact, as far as the ministry is concerned, I’m single.”

Harry stopped abruptly, watching as Severus distractedly kept walking a ways ahead of him before realizing he was alone. Harry had a scandalized look on his face, and Severus wasn’t quite sure he was prepared to handle what he knew was bothering Harry.

“That’s completely unfair! You’re not single. Why would you lie like that?” Harry asked as he refused to walk any further towards their dungeon quarters. He couldn’t believe Severus would actually lie about his relationship with Remus. He knew Severus was a very personal man, but to be so ashamed as to lie about it on the adoption application? He never knew the shame went so far.

Severus sighed and shook his head slowly as he made his way back over to his prospective son. The first hurdle already and it was about his relationship with Remus, and not between the two of them.

“Harry, you must understand the hard position I am in. There was always the chance that my application would be denied just on principle of who I am. If I had listed myself as in a relationship with another man, who also happens to suffer from Lycanthropy, they probably would have laughed while they tore up my application.

“You’re right, it is very unfair, but Remus understands my reasoning and accepts my decisions. He knows what he means to me, and I wish I could acknowledge him as my lover to the entire Wizarding world, but it’s not that easy, Harry. I hope for your sake, the media will make an exception with your sexuality because of your celebrity status,” Severus said, hoping Harry would be as understanding as Remus had been.

Harry sighed and nodded as they approached the entrance to their quarters. Maybe he had overreacted, but he still thought it was really unfair that Remus was being shunned because of his condition and his sexuality. Life had just dealt him a shit hand, he supposed.

“Well, I guess if Remus can accept it, then so can I. As long as he knows I’ll think of him as my father just like you, then I guess it’s ok,” Harry conceded, offering a shrug and small grin.

Severus gave a small smile in return as he gently grasped Harry’s shoulder before speaking the password to enter their dungeon quarters. He immediately caught Remus’ eye as his lover set his book aside and stood to meet him at the door.

“So, good news I’m assuming from the smiles?” Remus asked, his expression hopeful yet still nervous. He knew what that letter had been; he just didn’t know exactly what it had said.

Severus smiled warmly at the Defence Professor as he walked over and pulled him into a hug that shocked both Remus and Harry. Up until then, Severus had been adamant about not being too affectionate around Harry, but apparently the occasion warranted some affection.

“I’ve been approved to proceed with the adoption process,” Severus said as he pulled away slightly from the embrace, feeling his cheeks burn as he saw Harry grinning at them from the corner of his eye.

Remus’ smile grew even wider as he reinitiated the hug, holding the Potions Master close briefly before pulling back and kissing him gently on the lips. “That’s wonderful, Severus. I’m glad the Ministry have finally grown some brain cells and stopped punishing you for your past crimes. I told you things would be ok.”

“I know, but I couldn’t help but worry about it. This damn Mark on my arm is usually the first and only thing people see, and I was afraid it would happen again with this,” Severus admitted, rubbing his left forearm through the sleeve of his robes as if he had a particularly ruthless itch.

Remus grasped Severus’ hand, pausing the violent rubbing immediately with a disapproving frown. “I told you not to do that anymore. You know it won’t help, nor will it make it disappear. Someday, Sev, someday we’ll find a way to get rid of it.”

Harry had curled himself up on the sofa with his Defence book, watching his Professors from the corner of his eye as he pretended to be studying for an exam the next day. He frowned as he saw the look of shame and pain on Severus’ face; a rare look into his prospective father’s emotions, he was sure.

“Does it still hurt when Voldemort calls the other Death Eaters to him?” Harry asked, not really thinking before he opened his mouth. He blushed as he realized what a personal and probably upsetting question that had been. “Er...sorry...”

Severus stepped away from Remus and took the seat beside Harry, slowly sliding his sleeve up to reveal the cursed tattoo that had been placed on him nearly twenty years previous. “Don’t be sorry, Harry. You have every right to be curious about it. Yes, it does still burn when He summons his followers, and it lasts for quite some time and becomes more severe the longer I ignore the summons. Eventually the pain either recedes, or plateaus until it goes away completely. Generally after a summons, the pain will last a week, maybe a week and a half.”

Harry’s expression was one of slight horror and deep sadness. He had no idea the Potions Master had been suffering so much because of the damnable Mark on his arm since he had escaped Voldemort’s clutches. The man was certainly good at hiding his discomfort, Harry would give him that. “There’s no way to get rid of it, at all?” Harry asked, already knowing the answer from what Remus had just said.

Severus looked over his shoulder towards Remus, who had always been much better at explaining this type of stuff than Severus was. With a deep sigh, Remus sat down beside Severus and leaned forward so he could see Harry properly.

“The Dark Mark is not simply a tattoo like any other. It is even much more different than a magical tattoo. It’s a cursed scar, sort of like the one you wear upon your forehead. Its placement was based on ill intentions, and procured from dark blood magic. It’s essentially a link to the Dark Lord, connecting all of his followers to him through a magical bond of darkest, vilest power. It condemns those who wear it to a life of servitude; slavery at its worst. The only way to cut off the connection is to kill off the host; Voldemort. However, even after the connection is gone, the Mark will still remain. The day we find a way to remove your scar, is the day we find a way to remove the Dark Mark; physically and magically.”

Remus glanced over to Severus, who seemed very quiet and resigned. The man was never very outspoken if not absolutely necessary, but it was obvious to Remus that the Dark Mark caused his lover great discomfort, physically and mentally.

“Enough of that for now; we should be celebrating! Now all that’s left are the interviews, which I’m sure you’ll both be fine with. Severus has always had a special way with words,” Remus said with a smirk, causing Harry to chuckle as the Potions Master scowled.

Harry closed his book and set it aside, content to just sit and spend time with the two most important men in his life, aside from Draco, that is. Draco...Harry missed his – whatever Draco was to him; boyfriend, lover, friend? Whatever it was, Harry couldn’t wait until Draco was allowed to leave the infirmary. He was snapped out of his reverie by Severus, who had taken up his abandoned text book and handed it back to him.

“Please, don’t stop studying on our account. In fact, I do believe you have some exams to study for before the week is out? One more week, that is all, Harry. Christmas break will be here soon,” Severus said with a soft smile as Harry blushed and cracked open his book again. A deep frown traced the teen’s lips as he looked back up at the Potions Professor.

“Do you think Arthur would have forgiven me, Severus?” Harry whispered, his eyes slightly over-bright as he struggled to control his rampant emotions as best he could.

Severus felt a pang in his chest, wishing that horribly sad expression would fade from the young Gryffindor’s face. He had expected this to come up sooner or later, what with the youngest two Weasley’s already gone for Winter break to be with their father.

“Harry, I’m sure Arthur understood that you were going through a very rough time, an extremely hard decision completely resting on your shoulders. You know the Weasleys always respected and cared for you as if you were their own son. I don’t think a single unpleasant encounter was enough to displace Arthur’s affection for you. Molly has obviously forgiven you, or else she wouldn’t have asked you your opinion on what to do for Arthur.”

Severus paused as he waited for Harry to wipe away the few tears that slid down the teen’s cheeks. He had no idea it would hurt so horribly bad to see his prospective son upset like this. It was new and alien, but not altogether unwelcome.

“I think the only person who needs to forgive you now – is yourself, Harry.”

Harry wiped away his stray tears as he closed his book once more. There was a second of indecision before he leaned over and rested his head against Snape’s shoulder, sighing heavily as the man leaned down and kissed him gently on the top of his head. It felt so nice to have someone to lean on when he needed it, literally. “Thanks, Sev, for everything.”

Severus smiled as he felt Remus fish for his hand, holding it tightly in his own as the other man leaned comfortably against him much in the same way that Harry was. He let his head rest gently atop Harry’s, content to have the two people he loved most leaning against him, offering and taking comfort in one. “You’re welcome, Harry.”

S~S~S~S

The last week of term before Christmas break flew by, at least for Harry. His exams were fairly easy, and he was sure he had done well in all his classes. He was growing ever more nervous for the interview with the Casewitch from Wizarding Family Services, which was in just another week’s time. Not knowing what was to be asked scared him more than anything. How was he supposed to prepare himself if he had no idea what to expect?

Draco had been ecstatic when he heard that Harry would be staying at Hogwarts for the holidays along with Snape, Remus, and a handful of other students, including Hermione. Madam Pomfrey had given the go ahead for Draco to leave the infirmary, as long as he kept up with weekly checkups to make sure he was healing properly. As for the amnesia, it was just the waiting game from then on out. Whether or not Draco would ever regain his full memory still remained to be seen.

And so it was Sunday evening that found Harry and Draco unpacking Draco’s trunk, hanging clothes in the wardrobe and placing books and such on the desk in the corner. Out of concern for how the other Slytherins would treat Draco in his amnesic state, Dumbledore had set up a personal room, right next door to Snape’s and Harry’s dungeon quarters. Both boys had been ecstatic, whereas Severus had been exasperated while Remus was congenially amused.

“You know, I never did get to do any holiday shopping. I wonder if Sev would let us go to Hogsmeade to grab a few things,” Draco said thoughtfully as he placed his favourite wool jumper on a hanger in the wardrobe. Hmm...he actually remembered he had a favourite jumper. Well, that was a new one.

Harry shrugged as he closed the lid on Draco’s now empty trunk, flopping down comfortably on the Slytherin’s four poster bed. He smiled as Draco finished hanging his clothes and turned to flop down alongside him on the bed, curling up comfortably against him.

“I dunno. We could always ask him. I’m sure he wouldn’t let us go alone, but maybe if he or Remus came with us he wouldn’t mind. I didn’t really get to do any shopping either. What on earth would I get Severus; something to do with potions?” Harry asked, slightly concerned that it was so close to Christmas and he still had no idea what to buy for his soon-to-be adopted father.

Draco chuckled as he played with Harry’s wild hair, amused with the way it sprang back up even after he flattened it out. “I think he’ll like whatever you get him, Harry, but no, it doesn’t have to be something to do with potions. He’s essentially your dad now. What would a son buy their father for Christmas?”

“How about a ‘thank you’ card? Without this adoption, you’ve no idea the danger I would be in. I want to get him something special, but what? I’ve no idea what a son buys their father...I’ve never had one to buy for before,” Harry said, feeling a strange warmth spread throughout his body at the idea of having parents to buy gifts for. Of course, he had to buy something for Remus, too!

“Well think of it this way, then. What do you think is important to Sev, other than potions of course?” Draco asked as he sat up enough to look down into Harry’s face. He smirked as he plucked off his glasses, preferring to see Harry’s eyes unframed.

Harry rolled his eyes playfully as his glasses were stolen, smiling despite his exasperation. “Well Remus and I are important to him. So, family, I suppose? And...well, my mother was really special to him, back when they were Hogwarts students. Dumbledore is important to him, but I’m pretty sure that fits into the family category. He loves Earl Grey tea, and his favourite colour is actually blue, like his eyes. He loves books, on just about anything from the looks of his book shelves. He keeps his mum’s old pocket watch, even though it stopped working a long time ago. He refuses to fix it using magic, either, as it was actually a muggle pocket watch.”

Draco was smirking widely down at Harry, shaking his head slowly at the clueless Gryffindor. “Well, you certainly know a lot about him that I’m sure other students wouldn’t. I think, however, that the perfect gift for Severus is something he already has.”

“What do you mean? How can I give him something he already has?” Harry asked with a bemused expression. Maybe Draco needed to get some rest; today had been a busy and exciting day for them.

“The pocket watch, Harry. Get it fixed for him, the Muggle way. I’m sure it’s not completely irreparable without magic. Maybe get it restored for him too, if it’s not in very good condition. It’s thoughtful, and it’s something that’s important to him,” said Draco, his tone matter of fact and cheerful. Apparently he thought he had it all figured out.

Harry frowned as he thought about taking Severus’ mum’s pocket watch and tinkering with it. He was almost positive he’d die a horrible, bloody death if he dared to even look at the thing the wrong way. Perhaps Draco hadn’t been all wrong, however.

“You know, I think Sev would kill me if I so much as touched that watch. Maybe...maybe I could just get him a new one. I could have it engraved or something. I dunno; guess I’ll figure it out eventually.”

Draco shrugged before leaning down and placing a quick kiss on Harry’s lips, eliciting a smile from the Gryffindor. “Like I said, he’ll probably like anything you give him. The right thing will come to you eventually.”

Harry sighed as he pulled Draco down for another kiss, wrapping his arms around the blonde protectively. “Hopefully ‘eventually’ comes sometime before Christmas,” he chuckled, content to just lay there with the Slytherin for the rest of the night. He knew, however, that Severus would soon be in to separate the two.

As if on cue, the door creaked open to admit the Potions Professor, who glanced around before catching sight of the boys and rolling his eyes. “Come, Harry. We have a busy day tomorrow, and I want you up by six to get ready for the interview,” said Severus as he reached over to right a picture that had ended up crooked on the wall.

“Six in the morning? I thought the Casewitch wasn’t coming until half ten?” Harry asked, whinging as he had to extract himself from Draco’s embrace. He waited for Draco to stand before giving him a quick hug and a goodnight kiss, making Snape roll his eyes once more.

“Yes, six in the morning. The Casewitch will indeed be here at half ten, but you’ll need time to dress properly and breakfast before we try to discuss a few things that might be asked of us,” said Severus as he escorted Harry out of the room, nodding his goodnight to Draco as they left.

Harry groaned as they entered their dungeon quarters, smiling at Remus as the werewolf looked up from grading midterm essays. “I thought we weren’t going to have rehearsed answers for anything, and besides, we don’t know what we’ll be asked.”

“No, but there are a few standard questions that I’m sure will come up, and I want to make sure we can both answer them without difficulty. We’ll discuss it tomorrow morning. Bedtime now, Harry, and please try to refrain from sneaking out to see Draco, just for tonight,” Severus said exasperatedly, scowling as Harry chuckled and nodded reluctantly.

“Alright, I’ll actually go to sleep tonight.” Harry paused at the door of his room and looked back down the hall at Severus, offering him a small smile. “Are you nervous, Sev?”

Severus looked up at his charge, noticing how his eyes gleamed even in the faint light of the dungeons. He looked very much like Lily in that moment and less like his birth father. “I’m very nervous, but things will work out just fine, I’m sure. Goodnight, Harry.”

“Night, Severus.”

Remus smiled at the Potions Professor as he sat down beside him on the sofa, setting aside his grading quill and pile of essays. He leaned over and kissed Severus gently on the lips, glad when he saw some of the tension melt from his lover’s expression. “You’ll be fine, love. You and Harry have been through a lot, and things have worked out so far.”

Severus nodded distractedly as he ran a hand through his hair, trying not to think too hard about what he might be asked the next morning. “I wish you could contest for second parent adoption. Harry of course still considers you as his second father, but it’s not fair that it should be legal for me, and not for you. He was quite upset when I told him you’d have no legal rights over him.”

“I know it’s not fair, but it’s nothing either of you can change, really. I’m just glad that Harry sees me as a father figure still, and that I’ll be there with you to help watch over him. Perhaps I should sleep in my own quarters tonight. I know I’ll have to steer clear for tomorrow,” said Remus as he prepared to gather his grading supplies. He was slightly surprised when the Quill was plucked from his hands and he was pulled towards the Potions Professor.

“You’re not going anywhere, Remus. Please, I need you here tonight. There will be plenty of time for you to make your escape in the morning, but I need you right now.” Severus allowed himself to be engulfed in a hug, content to let Remus hold him close.

“Alright, I’ll stay.”

S~S~S~S

Six o’clock in the morning came much too soon for Harry’s liking. Even as he tried to ignore the alarm, Severus and Remus both came to rouse him from his sleep and ransack his wardrobe for the perfect outfit. Harry was starkly reminded of the Professors’ sexuality as they discussed which robes would match his eyes better. He shook his head distractedly as he grabbed a towel and headed for the shower.

A set of very nice forest green robes were lying across his bed, as well as a very shiny pair of dress shoes and black socks. Beside the robes lay a very familiar velvet cloak that nearly made Harry swallow his own tongue as he gasped. He turned to go ask what it was doing on his bed when Severus and Remus both came into the room. Good thing he had a towel slung around his waist.

“You are to wear the outfit we chose for the interview. Muggle clothes are more comfortable yes, but you’re being interviewed by Wizarding Family Services, and should dress appropriately like a wizard,” Severus said as he glanced over at the outfit again to make sure Harry hadn’t switched anything without his noticing.

“But...but the cloak. That’s Sirius’ cloak,” Harry said barely above a whisper, looking over at Remus as he said it. He was sure it had been Remus who had included that in the outfit, as Severus probably didn’t even know it had belonged to the Animagus.

Remus nodded as he walked over and slid his hand carefully across the soft cloak, a small frown on his face. He looked up at Harry and smiled. “I know that if Sirius were alive to see this, he would want to wish you the best of luck.”

“Or he’d just eviscerate Severus on principle – “

“However,” Remus said loudly, drowning out Harry’s sceptical mutterings, “since your godfather is not here to wish you such luck, I thought perhaps that you could have a little bit of Sirius with you in way of his cloak. By no means are you required to wear it, I just thought you might like to.”

Harry walked over and sat on the corner of his bed, lifting the heavy cloak in his arms and studying the filigree clasp and the soft velvet. He looked up at Severus, almost like he was asking permission to wear the cloak.

“I would not ever deny you the chance to remember your godfather, Harry. If you would like to wear his cloak, I have no complaints about it,” said Severus, properly reading Harry’s expression. He’d already learned to swallow his pride when it came to handling feelings about Sirius Black. Two of the most important people in his life had strong emotional connections to the man, it was unavoidable.

Harry smiled as he tried to blink back the tears in his eyes. The soft velvet felt like a comforting weight, almost as if Sirius was there, hugging him and telling him that things would work out just fine. “Thanks, Sev. I should get dressed now...”

Severus nodded and pulled Remus out of the room with him, offering Harry a small smile and a wink before closing the door to give the boy some privacy. He turned to Remus in the hall and sighed, knowing the man would have to avoid him and his quarters for the rest of the day so as not to arouse suspicion.

“I promise I’ll let you know when the Casewitch leaves so you can come back. I really do wish you could be here for the whole thing, Remus,” Severus said quietly, allowing himself to be pulled closer to the werewolf.

“I know, and I understand why I can’t be. Maybe someday the laws will be changed. Let me know how it goes as soon as you can. I’ll be in my office, worried sick and marking midterms all day,” said Remus with a warm and encouraging smile. He sighed as Severus pressed his lips firmly against his, granting his lover access to deepen the kiss and getting quite lost in the embrace.

“So this is what it feels like to walk in on your parents snogging.” Harry had come out of his room, fully dressed and trying to drag a comb through his hair, just to stop short as he caught Severus and Remus in the midst of what looked like a quite passionate kiss. He crossed his arms over his chest as he smirked at the couple, shaking his head slowly.

Severus reluctantly broke the kiss, even as Remus chuckled against his lips. He turned to look at Harry, the dark green robes bringing out his eyes perfectly and the soft velvet cloak rounding out the entire ensemble perfectly. It was hard to imagine he was trying to adopt this young man; he looked so grown up already.

“You look very nice, Harry. We’ll eat breakfast down here this morning so we can discuss a few things that might come up in the interview.” Severus turned back to Remus, who was smiling proudly at Harry, his eyes bright. “I’ll see you later tonight, I’m sure.”

Remus nodded and leaned in for another kiss, brushing Severus hair out of his eyes as he pulled away. “Good luck, Severus. I love you,” he said quietly, smiling when Severus kissed him again.

“I love you too, now go eat some breakfast and worry all day,” Severus said with a smirk. He waited until Remus grabbed his robes from the rack beside the door and left before beckoning Harry to follow him into the sitting room.

“Dobby!”

With a loud pop, the ragged little house elf with huge ears and great tennis-ball eyes appeared in the dungeon sitting room, beaming as he caught sight of Harry.

“Harry Potter and Professor Snape, sirs! What can Dobby do for yous this morning?” the strange little creature asked with a toothy grin. Dobby the house elf had always been a very sycophantic individual, especially when it came to famous Harry Potter. However, as most people thought it was Harry’s celebrity status that made Dobby such a fan of his, it was actually Harry Potter’s kindness that made the elf so amorous.

 “Can you bring breakfast for two please, Dobby, and a pitcher of pumpkin juice as well as a tea service,” Severus asked the elf as he sat down in his favourite arm chair, leaving the sofa open for Harry.

Dobby nodded rapidly, all the while smiling over at Harry and making the Gryffindor feel slightly uncomfortable. “Of course, sirs, coming right up!” Another loud pop and Dobby was gone, preparing breakfast for two.

They sat in silence for a while before Harry finally got the courage to ask what had been on his mind for a while. “If gay marriage were legal, would you marry Remus?”

Severus’ eyebrows shot up reflexively as he stared at Harry, thrown by that non-sequitur quite nicely. He paused as he actually thought about how he would respond to such a random, yet important question. He loved Remus. He had finally admitted it to himself, and to Remus, not to mention said it out loud in front of Harry just minutes before. But did he love the werewolf enough to marry him, if it were possible? He knew there were other symbolic rituals that were recognized among the Wizarding community as near-marriage sanctity, such as the Joining of the Souls ceremony – the one Remus had already shared with another man. Severus was quite sure the question should be: would Remus marry him if it were legal? He didn’t know if the man would be ready for that level of commitment again just yet.

“Well, Harry, that’s a bit of a complicated question. If you’re asking if I love Remus, the answer is definitely yes. I would like to think that, should same-sex marriage ever be legalized, Remus and I would take advantage of it. However, whatever my feelings may be towards the idea of marriage, my concern is how Remus would feel about such a thing. The Joining of the Souls ceremony he shared with Sirius is about as close to marriage as two men can get in England, and I’m not sure if Remus would be ready or willing to go through that again. Just out of curiosity, Harry, why do you ask?”

Harry blushed slightly as he ducked his head, avoiding eye contact with the Potions Professor. He hadn’t really given much thought to the fact that Remus might not want to marry Severus. Perhaps he wasn’t being fair in just assuming that Remus was the marrying type, especially after the heart break of losing Sirius so soon after they had been Joined.

“I was just curious, really. I...I want you both to stay together, because I need you both, and I couldn’t possibly choose if the situation ever warranted it,” Harry admitted, shrugging as if it was of no great importance.

“Harry, if anything ever happened between Remus and me to separate us I would never begrudge you the chance to be close to him. I know he is just as important to you as I am, and I wouldn’t make you choose between us. However, I don’t plan on being separated from him, ever.”

Both Professor and student jumped violently as Dobby reappeared with a loud pop, bringing along their breakfast and setting it up on the coffee table. Severus took a deep breath to calm his pounding heart before attending to his own plate, nodding for Harry to do the same. After they had both eaten their fill, it was time to discuss the things they may be asked in the interview that would happen in just a few short hours.

“The simple things will most likely be asked, such as: why did you choose me, who else did you consider, how our relationship came to pass – things of the like. We might also be asked some questions about our knowledge of each other, like favourite colour, favourite food, birthday, favourite hobby. This is all speculation, but I’m sure a few are bound to come up.”

Harry nodded as he thought about he would answer each of those questions. He knew why he had chosen Severus, but he wasn’t sure how much he was allowed to reveal to the Casewitch. “Is there anything I’m not allowed to tell her? Like about how you were being tortured, or my aunt and uncle and cousin being murdered? I just...I don’t want to say the wrong thing and bollix it all up.”

“None of those things are a secret, Harry. The Ministry was informed of the attack on your family, though little good that did. They know you’ve been in my care ever since, and that I was working under Dumbledore’s orders to spy on the Dark Lord. You might be asked your opinion on my past association with the Death Eaters, and I want you to be honest when you answer. Don’t try to sugar-coat it, because they’ll know you’re only lying for my sake. My background check has already been cleared; they can’t reasonably deny the adoption on those grounds.”

Harry sighed in relief, feeling a huge weight lift off his shoulders. He had never been a fan of lying, especially to people who would have the final say on a huge change in his life. Harry realized something else that Severus mentioned that he didn’t know.

“When’s your birthday? You obviously know mine, but I don’t think I know yours. I know your favourite colour is blue, but I’m not sure if you knew my favourite colour is green. Treacle tart is my favourite food, and yours is cheese and onion soup, particularly when Molly makes it. I think it’s safe to assume your favourite hobby is brewing potions, and I think you know that mine is flying. Anything else we should know about each other?”

Severus was slightly shocked by Harry’s already extensive knowledge of himself. He wondered vaguely how Harry even knew half of what he had listed, especially the part about his favourite food. Where on earth had he found that out?

“My birthday is on January ninth. Yours is July thirty-first, of course. I had no idea you were fond of the colour green, or that you knew I liked blue. I won’t even ask how you knew my favourite food, as I’m sure it was either by observation, or Remus or Molly informed you. I think your assumption is indeed safe when it comes to my favourite hobby, and I did figure as much about yours. I think, perhaps that that is all the information we need for now. Whatever is asked of us, we will simply have to answer on the fly. Are you quite ready? The Casewitch will be here in another quarter hour.”

Harry took a deep breath and released it slowly, his expression knit with nerves and excitement. Everything depended on this interview, on their answers. If everything worked out, he’d have a father to spend Christmas with this year. He smiled at the thought and nodded, feeling slightly less panicked as Severus smiled back at him. “Ready as I’ll ever be, Sev...”

Severus nodded, sharing Harry’s feelings almost exactly. It was extremely odd, and yet strangely satisfying, wanting all of this to work out so badly. For even though he had hated James Potter, he had loved Lily Evans, and if truth be told, he had longed to be Harry’s father. Now it was time for him to truly honour his promise to Lily, and protect her son – and his – any way that he possibly could. Sometimes devotion knew no depths or boundaries.

“Then all we can do now is wait,” Severus said with a sigh of his own. This would probably be the longest fifteen minutes of his life.

“Severus, can I ask you one more thing?” Harry asked, a light blush staining his cheeks as Severus nodded and gestured for Harry to go ahead and ask whatever he pleased. “If everything goes through, and the adoption becomes official, would you mind if...I mean to say, would you care if I...WoulditbeokifIcalledyoudad?” Harry mumbled, his cheeks flaming even brighter as Severus gave him a confused look.

“Pardon? I didn’t catch that last bit.”

Harry took a deep breath, willing his cheeks to stop burning as he looked up at met the Potions Master’s eyes. “Would...would it be alright if I called you dad after the adoption goes through?” he asked once more, gulping loudly. He was prepared for Snape to scoff at him and refuse, but he needed to ask, if only for his own peace of mind.

Shocked speechless, that was the only way Severus could describe how he felt in that moment. He knew that the relationship between Harry and himself had changed quite drastically in just a few short months, and that in asking Severus to adopt him, Harry was admitting that he felt some sort of affection for the Potions Professor. However, Severus had never expected nor imagined that Harry would truly think of him as an actual father, especially considering the bad blood between Severus and James. It took Severus quite some time to decide what he wanted to say, and a little bit longer to figure out how to go about saying it.

“Harry, I...I would be honoured to have you call me dad, or father, or any variation of. However, I want you to know that I do not expect you to call me anything that you are not comfortable with. If calling me Severus or Sev is easier for you, then by all means, but I would not mind in the slightest if you preferred to call me dad.”

Harry felt a lump in his throat and tried to clear it even as he blinked back the tears that had threatened to leak out. He’d been so sure that Severus would think it was a bad idea. “I know you don’t expect it of me. I think maybe it’ll take some getting used to at first, but I think calling you dad would be better than by your name. I know I had a father for the first year of my life, but I don’t remember any of it or him at all. There’s no reason not to refer to you as my father, since that’s what you are, regardless of it being only by adoption. It’ll be nice to feel like a normal kid, having two parents and all.”

Before Severus could reply, there was a faint knock on the door. Their eyes met for a second as they both took deep breaths and stood up. Severus moved closer to Harry and put an arm around his shoulders giving him a half hug for luck. “Don’t worry. Things will work out just fine, you’ll see.”

Harry leaned into the embrace, gathering as much comfort as he could from Severus’ warmth. “I trust you. Let’s get this over with.”

“Cheeky brat,” Severus muttered fondly as he pulled away from the Gryffindor and moved towards the door to admit the Casewitch. “Welcome to our home, Mrs. Luther. Please, come in.”