Severus groaned inwardly. “Sorry Bella. I was swimming.”

Harry nodded. “It was awesome! I can flip and so can Da! He taught me.” He smiled proudly at his mother, hoping that her angry would quickly leave her.

“Do you know what night it is?” Bellatrix demanded. “And what you've got to get ready for?”

A look of panic ran across Severus's face. “I know.” He collapsed into an armchair. “I'm just tired.” He growled when Bellatrix looked at him worriedly.

“You shouldn't be that tired for swimming for a few hours. You should let Poppy check you over.” Bellatrix told him. “After all there's a big day ahead of us.”

“Stop torturing him.” Minerva said from her seat on the sofa. What liked almost the entire Hogwarts staff were sitting in his sitting room. There was trays of food spread out and most of the staff had full wine glasses in their hands.

Rolanda Hooch nodded in agreement. “There'll be enough torturing tomorrow. Let 'm get ready for the students.”

The other staff nodded in agreement. It was a long standing tradition. The night before the term began the staff would get together for drinks and food and toast their survival for the next school year. They had a similar party at the end of Winter holidays.

Flitwick levitated a full cup of wine over to Severus. “Just have drink. You've be gone for quite awhile. You must be starving.”

Minerva agreed and handed him a plate full of stir fry and rice. “We saved some dinner for you.” She handed Harry another full plate. “And for you.”

Harry and Severus fell on the food like wolves. Swimming take a lot out of a person and Severus had cast many more spells than he usually did. It was an exhausting experience altogether. The food was delicious, it was the last meal that the house elves had easy. They'd be busy preparing the feast tomorrow, they'd already gotten started.

Finally the two pushed their plates away. Severus drained his wine glass and refilled it. Harry sent the plates back to the kitchen and smoothed his hair. It was short again, in the style he prefered. Very easy to tidy and keep neat.

“Slowly.” Bellatrix told her husband, placing her hand over the wine glass that he was about to empty again. “It's to help you relax, not get wasted.”

Severus grumbled,but he sipped at the liquid and ate one of the pastries off of the food platters. He enjoyed them, but he saved them for the back-to-school parties. Then they were associated with the students returning and he didn't have an appetite for them on any other day.

“The Longbottom boy is starting this year.” Pomona reminded them. “Any plans yet Bellatrix?”

“No.” Bellatrix admitted. “I know that it must have been horrible for him. And he's a pureblood!”

“About that.” Professor Vector adjusted her glasses. “I had better not here any complaints from the Arithmancy students. No one of your usual games.” She said sternly.

“It is against school rules.” Minerva pointed out. “And Albus's new muggle-born acts will become effective this year.”

Bellatrix groaned. Now putting mudbloods in their place is an expellable offence, detention at the very least. And I can be sacked for singling them out. Not only that, but Dumbledore wants to let them come to Hogwarts a week earlier to get used to everything. Oh well, the Ministry will never agree.

Minerva glared at the other woman. “Act your age Bellatrix! You're no longer a student here.” She reminded her.

Severus knelt in front of the fire. He requested another plate of food from the house elves and wolfed it down as soon as it arrived. The warm food and long day of swimming were starting to show. He yawned and turned to wish the others a good night.

“Bedtime Harry.” Bellatrix said. She sent him off to the wash room to prepare for bed. “You've got a big day tomorrow.”

“I think I'll turn in now.” Severus leaned in to kiss his wife good night.

Bellatrix grabbed his wrist and felt his forehead instead. “Are you ill Severus? You've never been tired, or wanted to go to bed on the night before term. You've never taken seconds either.”

“Unless you forced me.” Severus reminded her. Eating was his favourite activity and he usually got away with skipping lunch during the school year. “And I'm fine.” He pulled away from her, only to find that Poppy was standing behind him. “Honestly Poppy, I'm just going to bed! You always tell me to get more sleep.”

Poppy studied the angry potions master. He didn't look ill, but then his normal appearance wasn't exactly healthy. But his skin didn't seem any paler. She felt his forehead, ignoring his complaints and keeping him from pulling her hand off his head.

“Sit down Severus.” Bellatrix loved over so that there was space beside her on the love-seat. “At least for a few minutes. Please?”

Severus shook Poppy's hand off his head and sat next to Bellatrix, leaning into her. His wife was soft and warm and the steady sound of her heartbeat began to increase his drowsiness.

Poppy took out her wand and cast a diagnostic spell over him. “Severus, what did you do this time?” She asked him tiredly.

Bellatrix pushed her husband off her. “Wake up Severus!” She gave him a shake.

Severus opened his eyes. “What?” He demanded. “I'm tired and there are classes tomorrow!”

“How many spells did you cast today?” Poppy demanded.

“A few. . .” Severus hadn't kept count. “Just a basic transfiguration, conjuring a few cleaning spells. Not much.” He glared at Poppy. “Now can you leave me alone?”

“Not much? Not much!” Poppy ignored most of what he'd said. “You overworked your core! A few more spells and you would have passed out!” She summoned a potion from his lab. “Going to bed is a good idea in this case.”

Severus sniffed the potion. “It was only a few spells.” He protested.

“Time for a few magical workouts?” Flitwick asked. “I'd be happy to join you Severus. I was thinking of starting up a dueling club, but I need a bit more practice first.”

“Fine.” Severus popped the cork out of the vial and drained the potion in it. “I'm going to bed.”

“I'll be right back.” Bellatrix grabbed Severus's arm and lead him into their bedroom. After dressing him in pyjamas she tucked him in. “Get some sleep. See you in the morning.” She kissed his brown softly and cast a silencing spell over the door before going back to her colleagues.

The staff of Hogwarts, excluding Hagrid, Quirrel, Dumbledore, and Filch, shared their memories and talked late into the night. Bellatrix sent Harry to bed and spelled his lights of an hour later. She ended placing a sleeping spell on him. His excitement and anxiety for the next day were preventing him from sleeping.

Finally the wine bottles were empty and only crumbs were left on the plates. Many of the professors had fallen asleep and a few of them were intoxicated from the alcohol. Bellatrix dimmed the lights and retired to her own bed. After all her son would probably be waking up in a few hours.

“Morning!” Harry yelled as he ran into his parents bedroom. He ignored the sleeping professors in his sitting room and jumped onto the large bed between his parents. “I go to Hogwarts today!”

“You're already at Hogwarts.” Severus noted. “And it is still very early. Your mother was up quite late and I doubt that she'd appreciate the wake up.”

“Sorry.” Harry whispered before jumping off the bed. “Let's have breakfast!” He called, loudly again as he went back into the sitting room.

Severus heard the roar of the floo and Harry's quiet ordering, although he couldn't hear what Harry had ordered. He slowly slipped out of bed, taking care not to disturb his sleeping wife. His teaching robes were already laid out in preparation for the feast. But for his last hours of freedom, Severus choose simple robes with a much more comfortable fit.

After pulling on slippers he headed out into the sitting room. Almost everyone was still in the room, only Rolanda and Charity had stayed sober and awake enough to floo back to their own quarters. Minerva was leaning against Pomona and Poppy squished in between them. The tiny charms professor was curled up in an armchair and everything was very quiet.

“Here Da!” Harry pulled out two chairs at the dining room table. The house elves had sent up an enormous amount of food. They obviously had ways of telling who was where. The meals were even labeled and set in front of unused chairs. The house elves were also intelligent enough to remember how Minerva liked her coffee and what Poppy would want for breakfast.

Severus found that he was feeling much better after the core recharging potion and sleeping. He ate the toast and drank his coffee in a much slower manner than the night before. Harry sat next to him and devoured sugar-coated rolls and sweetened fruit juices.

“What are you eating?” He asked. His son's face was smeared with sugar and his teeth were covered in the stuff. “That is dessert, not breakfast.” Severus told him.

“Sorry.” Harry mumbled through his full mouth. But he didn't stop eating the surgery breakfast until his plate was clean. He licked his lips and took in every bit of sugar left on his face.

Severus banished the used dishes back to the kitchen before turning to the sleeping adults. “Do you think we should wake them? After all, they still have things to do.” He smirked.

Harry smiled and bounced on the spot momentarily. “Yes!” He ran to Professor McGonagall and pulled his wand from his arm holster. “What am I allowed to use?” He asked, the last he wanted was to be in trouble on his last day with his parents before the Winter holidays.

“Water only.” Severus told him before pointing his wand at the meddlesome mediwitch in the centre. She seemed to think that he needed constant watching and diagnosing. It was extraordinarily annoying. A small, sharp stream of water burst from his wand tip and hit the woman between the eyes.

Poppy Pomfrey jerked awake and sent Pomona Sprout smashing to the floor when she tried to get away from the water. At the same time Professor McGonagall was hit with a water beam from the side and the surprise not only caused her to jump awake, but to shift forms as well.

Cats hate water and Harry didn't take his beam off her, so the dignified Transfiguration professor leapt onto her friend's lap and tried to bury herself in the cloth. Poppy yelped as the cat's sharp claws dug into her and she also rolled onto the floor, only to fall on top of Pomona.

Severus decided to add another element into the fin and levitated Filius Flitwick on top of Professors Vector and Burbage. The tiny man fell onto them with a squeak and the three ended up tangled in each others robes as they struggled to get loose.

Harry and Severus collapsed to the floor laughing. The scene before them was hilarious. Hogwarts professors, masters of their fields, rolling around on the floor tangling with each other was defiantly not something that happened twice in one lifetime.

But the after-breakfast entertainment was cut short when a very tried and very angry Bellatrix burst into the room. She'd pulled a black sleeping robe over her underclothes and she was a mess. Her hair was disgusting, unbrushed, and stuck out from her head in strange angles. Here eyes were tired and wild at the same time. Clearly she hadn't finished sleeping in.

“Quiet!” She roared. “I'm still trying to sleep.” Before stomping back into the bedroom and slamming the door behind her. Severus cast as many silencing charms over the door as his weakened core could manage.

“Let's eat.” Minerva shifted back to human form. She dried her robes and performed a freshening charm on herself and her clothes. The other teachers followed suit and soon the staff looked as intimidating and tidy as usual.

“The house elves have sent your breakfasts here.” Severus told them, indicating the places on the table.

Quickly the food disappeared and one by one the professors began to leave. Severus was missing half his supplies of sobering potion by the time everyone had left. The potion was simple enough and Severus's added brewing a new batch to his mental list of things to do.

Harry banished the dishes and after showering and dressing he proceeded to jump and run around the quarters for the remaining time.

Bellatrix eventually got up and swallowed a does of the sobering potion with a stimulant. She showered and looked much better after she was cleaner. Her teaching robes fit her nicely and she sort of reminded him of his Da. It was just the black robes and the way they stood. . .

“Are you ready” She asked when the clock read half past ten.

“Yes!” Harry cheered and hauled his trunk out of his room. “I can't wait!”

“Then let us be off.” Severus threw in the floo powder.