Ginny closed the parenting book she was reading when she felt the couch cushions dip next to her and an arm snake around her shoulders.

“Finally—some alone time!” Harry smirked.

Ginny giggled, “You are so overdramatic.” She ran a finger seductively down his cheek before pulling him in for a kiss. Harry smiled against her lips and leaned over, pulling her into his arms and onto his lap. Ginny giggled loudly, throwing the parenting book over her shoulder and wrapping her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

The snogging session lasted the better part of an hour. When the nine-thirty cuckoo bird peeked out of his perch, the two lovers were lying on the couch, wrapped in each other’s arms. Ginny lay against his chest, engrossed once again in the earlier-discarded parenting book, while Harry stared into the roaring fire, absentmindedly running his fingers through her soft hair.

“Do you think I can do this?” He asked out of the blue.

Ginny tilted her head up to look at him. “Do what?”

“This whole parenting business.” He answered, his eyes focused on the dancing flames across the room.

Ginny stared at him for a long moment, a look of assessment crossing her face before her features solidified into a firm look. Flipping her hair, she settled back down against his chest and returned to her book. “I believe you already know the answer to that question, Harry.” She answered with a note of finality.

“Do I?” He looked at her for the first time since their snogging session ended.

“You wouldn’t have taken Severus in if you didn’t.” She retorted.

“Dumbledore didn’t give me a choice—”

“Oh, he gave you a choice, Harry.” Ginny dropped her book against her chest and looked up into his eyes. “And you chose Severus.” Tossing her book onto the table, Ginny flipped over on top of his chest so that she could look at him properly without straining her neck. “Now why don’t you try telling me what’s really bothering you?”

Harry was silent for a long moment, his gaze reverting back to the dancing flames. Oh, if it were only so simple. Screwing his eyes shut, he leaned his head back against the arm of the sofa and sighed. “I’m scared, Ginny.” He murmured, his green eyes fluttering open to meet her hazel. “Dumbledore said this situation is most likely permanent. But even if it wasn’t…If—If he was our son…” He stopped and sighed again, massaging the worried wrinkles on his forehead. “I-I’ve never…I haven’t…” Harry growled, frustrated at his inability to express himself.

Ginny gazed at him with concern.

“I don’t know if…if I can do this!” He looked at her pleadingly, as if asking her to solve all his problems.

“Harry…you’ve been doing a wonderful job these past two days!”

“Groping in the dark?!” He scoffed.

“Tonks was telling me a while ago that you looked like a natural.” Ginny retorted. 

“That’s exactly my point!” Harry hissed. “This is not natural for me!” He made to sit up and Ginny obliged him, sitting back on her heels. “And that’s what terrifies me! Ginny…” He paused, debating internally about whether or not he actually wanted to share this information. “I…I didn’t have a very good childhood growing up…”

“I already know that, Harry.” Ginny interrupted softly.

“No! I mean…” He swallowed. “I know you know, but…I—it’s…actually worse than you think.”

Ginny gazed at him sadly, grabbing his hand in a show of silent support.

Harry sighed and leaned his side against the back cushions. He focused his eyes on a point just above her right shoulder and forced himself to continue. No point in backing out now—he’d already said too much! “The way I was raised…natural is doing everything in my power to suppress my magic; natural is being called ‘freak’; natural is not having any friends and having everyone think badly of me because of what my aunt and uncle or my cousin say to them; natural is having to sneak food when they’re not looking in order to survive; natural is a list of chores as long as my arm; natural is all work and no play; natural is learning how to control my bodily functions because I don’t know when I’ll be allowed to eat or use to loo next; natural is making up stories and excuses to answer questions regarding my health and well-being…Natural for me, Ginny, is living from one beating to the next.” His voice dropped to a frightened whisper, “That’s—what—terrifies me, Ginny!” He quickly glanced in the direction of the bedroom. “It’s a well-known fact that victims of child abuse are at a high risk of continuing the cycle—”

“Now you stop right there, Harry James Potter!” Ginny pointed a chastising finger at him. “You are better than that!”

“Am I?! You don’t know that!”

“I’d no more believe that you would abuse that child than I’d believe that you’d willingly become a Death Eater!” Ginny retorted.

“But you still don’t—”

“Don’t presume to tell me what I do and do not know, Harry!” She snapped.

“Ginny—”

“Would you ever raise a hand against that child?” She pointed behind her to the bedroom door. “Or any child, for that matter?”

“I believe in spanking.”

“There’s a ‘but’ associated with that.” Ginny replied matter-of-factly.

“But it can never be done in anger and must involve a lot of hugs, kisses, and love immediately after.” Harry answered almost instantly.

“So that doesn’t count; which means you still haven’t answered the question. Would you ever raise a hand against a child?”

“I—I—” Harry began to stutter.

“Just answer the question, Harry!” Ginny snapped.

“NO!”

“Okay then.” Ginny smiled. “That settles that.”

“No, it doesn’t settle that!” Harry cried. “It doesn’t settle anything, Gin!” He began gesturing with his hands in frustration. “Don’t you understand?! I’m scared, Ginny! What if I turn into my uncle? What if I forget myself and strike out at him in a temper. I’m statistically inclined to do that!”  

“Since when has the Boy-Who-Lived listened to statistics?!” Ginny hissed. “You’ve survived death multiple times, Harry, when even the magical odds were against you. Why do you choose to believe this set of odds?”

“Because I’m not afraid of death!” Harry screamed. Then it was as if the declaration took something out of him, for he visibly deflated, sagging against the cushions and burying his face in his hand. “Not like I’m afraid of this.” His voice cracked as he finished.

Ginny could hear the pain in his voice and her heart went out to him.

“Most people seem to think my worst fear is dying.” He murmured, eyeing Ginny from a thousand miles away. “It’s not.” He shook his head. “My worst fear is other people suffering and dying because of me. If my own children—” He paused abruptly, shutting his eyes and turning away. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed repeatedly in an effort to control his emotions. “I’d never forgive myself, Gin.”

“Harry…” Ginny began gently, grabbing his hand and giving it a supportive squeeze. “You have been an amazing father so far—”

“It’s been two days.”

“Regardless!” Ginny snapped, annoyed at being interrupted. Then her tone shifted back to being gentle. “You’ve been phenomenal! You’ve provided him with all his needs, given him things to keep him entertained and happy, you’ve been feeding him properly…mostly.” She smiled slightly. “You discipline him when needed, you provide him with lots of affection immediately afterwards, you do things together, you bond with him.” Her eyes narrowed at this. “Don’t think for one minute that I missed that whole pudding trick the two of you were playing behind my back yesterday.” Harry’s eyes widened in surprise. “I’m like my mother, Harry. I have eyes in the back of my head.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because it was between the two of you; it was your own innocent little secret.” She leaned against the back of the couch and gazed up at him lovingly. “You two were bonding, Harry, and I didn’t have the heart to stop it.” She ran the back of her hand down the side of his cheek and could feel him lean in to the touch. Their eyes never broke contact. His green gaze bore into her hazel. “I know you, Harry. You probably think you’re no better than your uncle, but I guarantee you a good majority of the wizarding world thinks otherwise.” She gave his hand a firm squeeze. “You’re a good man, Harry; and you’re making a good father. So far, you’ve given him everything that you never had as a child…and I’d bet a pretty knut that he’d never had in his first childhood either.” She paused. Harry still looked doubtful so she tried a different tactic. “How many times have you had to punish or scold him so far?” She asked.

Harry looked slightly startled at the change of topic. He wracked his brain for an exact number but ended up shrugging instead. “A handful…?”

“A handful.” Ginny nodded. “And how many times have you lost control and struck him.”

Harry looked slightly alarmed at the question. “Never!” He squeaked, as if she had just accused him of a crime he didn’t commit.

“So in the handful of times you’ve had to punish or scold him in the past two days, you’ve never lost control and you’ve never struck him.”

“No! Absolutely not!” Harry shook his head firmly.

“And how was his behavior during these scoldings or time-outs?” Ginny asked. 

“I—Well…not very good?” Harry looked slightly confused now.

Ginny rolled her eyes. “Elaborate.”

Harry sighed. “Um…yelling, kicking, swearing, spitting, cursing, shrieking, crying, hitting, throwing—”

“Okay, okay, that’s enough.” Ginny held up a hand. “So…in the last two days alone, you’ve had to discipline him a handful of times for doing all of those things. During that time you’ve never lost your temper or struck him. You’ve merely scolded him or put him in time-out.” She repeated. “Now…tell me, Harry—what would your uncle have done if he had to discipline you a handful of times in the space of two days for doing all the things Severus has been doing? Hmm?”

Harry’s gaze slipped from her face and landed on the couch cushions. He knew what his uncle would’ve done—beat him to a pulp. He would’ve taken his belt to Harry, regardless of how young he was. Uncle Vernon had no concept of control. He would swing until he could swing no more. Harry’s age or physical size was never taken into account. To Uncle Vernon, Harry was a freak. He could use his freaky magic to heal himself somehow. Thus, he needn’t stop a beating until he himself was good and ready to stop. This usually happened when he became too tired to lift his arm anymore. As the years dragged on and Harry grew, Uncle Vernon grew as well. His increase in size definitely lowered his endurance level, but unfortunately it also increased the strength of his swing.

Ginny must’ve known what Harry was thinking, for she sat back on her heels and gave him a knowing look. “Exactly. You’ve done none of that, Harry!” She paused. “Your uncle would’ve beaten you to a pulp, wouldn’t he, for doing what Severus has been doing?” Harry shut his eyes and turned away. “You you have not once lost control.” Ginny tipped his chin up and forced his cheerless eyes to meet hers. “Who’s the better man, Harry?” She asked, a soft smile gracing her features. “Who’s the better man?”

Screwing his eyes shut, Harry pulled his face away and sighed. Ginny had a point. A very big point. And yet…”That’s not going to stop me from worrying, Gin.” Harry murmured, meeting her calm gaze with his anxious eyes. “That’s not going to stop me from being scared.”

“That’s a healthy sort of fear, Harry.” Ginny assured him with a smile. “It’s a good thing you have it. It’s like being afraid of heights.” She said. “If you’re not afraid of heights, you’re more liable to jump off a cliff.” Her eyes glistened playfully. “If you are afraid of heights, though…you won’t.” She leaned in and gave him a slow, sensual kiss, imparting all the comfort she could muster through that one simple action. She pulled back almost as soon as she leaned in, resting her forehead against his own and staring into his beautiful green eyes. “I trust you, Harry.” She whispered softly. “Sev trusts you” Groping around beneath her, she took both his hands in hers and gave them a supportive squeeze. “You won’t.”

They stared into each others’ eyes for the longest time until a baby’s piercing cry shocked them out of their daze and thrust them back into reality. Both Harry and Ginny pulled back sharply and blinked, as if waking from a trance.

“Sev!” Harry croaked, glancing at the clock. “Aw. He can’t be hungry again. He just ate!”

Ginny pushed herself up and motioned Harry towards the bedroom. “Go! Go on! You pick him up and I’ll go make him a bottle.” With that, she headed towards the kitchen. “You know…” Harry heard her call over her shoulder. “…I bet this would all just be so much easier if I was nursing.”  

Harry smirked as he pushed himself off the couch and headed towards the bedroom. “Would you like to?”

“Ha!” Ginny snorted. “Harry, I don’t think my opinion is the only one you should be taking into account when considering that particular option.”

“I know. I know.” He called over his own shoulder. “Hey, maybe we could ask Tonks to do it.”

He could hear Ginny laughing in the kitchen. “It would make Remus jealous.”

“Not to mention Teddy!” Harry entered his bedroom and spelled the light on with a wave on a hand. Severus was lying on his back, just as Harry had left him, arms and legs flailing about and tears running down his face. As soon as the light came on, though, the cries began to die down. “I’m coming. I’m coming, cub.” Harry muttered, padding over to the crib.

As soon as he peered over the edge of the crib, and Sev could see him completely, the crying abruptly stopped. The baby now looked at him curiously. “Wotcher, Sev.” Harry smirked, reaching down to life the infant into his arms. On his way up, a feather hanging low on the dreamcatcher managed to catch his eye. “What’s going on, cub?” Harry asked, tucking him securely under one arm. The baby ignored him, choosing to bat a hand against the curious feather instead.

“Hey, hey, hey! Easy there, Sev.” Harry chided gently, taking the small hand into his own and slowly pulling it back to the baby’s side. He then took a step back so that the dreamcatcher lay out of Sev’s reach. “That’s a dreamcatcher—a real one.” He explained. “It’s quite rare and rather old, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t destroy it so.”

Sev gave him a look that was half confusion and half scowl.

“Don’t give me that.” Harry frowned lightly. “I bought that dream catcher when I was fifteen.” He explained. “I’ve been using it on and off for the past two to three years. It really works! It’s helped me master controlled occlumency, it’s kept Voldemort out of my mind, it’s a very complex piece of white magic and I placed it over your bed yesterday while you slept.” He glanced up at the object, then back down at his charge. “The old witch I bought it from told me that, when I felt the need to pass it on, I should add my own protections to it as well before I laid it over my child’s head.” He waved a hand and the dreamcatcher floated over to them, close enough for a proper inspection. He took the piece of leather with the lightning bolt charm between his fingers and showed it to Sev. “See? My protection…among so many others.” He dropped the charm and ran his fingers through the other soft leather cords with various charms attached to them. “I do believe there are some animal protections on here as well. These are phoenix feathers, I think.” He fiddled lightly with a pair of the red feathers attached to one of the cords.

Sev gripped Harry’s robes tightly and laid his head against his chest, sticking his thumb in his mouth and allowing Harry’s rumbling voice to lull him.

“Anyway…” Harry sighed and waved the dreamcatcher back to its place above the crib. “Dreamcatchers are for everyone, Sev. I don’t think a person truly outgrows one. I’d still be using it myself if I didn’t think you had the greater need for it.” He glanced down at the baby who, in turn, stared back up at him, wide-eyed and sucking on his thumb. He could tell Sev was tired, but was sure something had woken him up. Running a quick, wandless diagnostic, Harry made certain Sev wasn’t sick or in any kind of pain. The dreamcatcher was ensconced securely over his head when Harry walked in, so it couldn’t have been a nightmare. That left him with two possibilities—Sev either needed a change or a feeding. The soft rumble of an empty stomach confirmed one of those possibilities. When Harry tapped Sev’s nappy, the second possibility also received confirmation.

“Okay. Here what I’ve got—you’re hungry and you need a new nappy. Is that it?” Sev nodded. “Okay. Anything more?” A shake of the head. “That’s all then?” Another nod. “Alright then…let’s take care of that, shall we?” Harry said as he marched towards the bathroom. “Ginny’s in the kitchen making you a bottle.”

He laid the baby down on a perpetually-warm towel on the changing table and proceeded to talk to him in an effort to quell Sev’s lingering discomfort at having his nappy changed. “Just so you know…one of the spells I imbued into the dreamcatcher is the spell I invented to counter the Killing Curse. So, if by some extraordinary fluke, someone with malintent got past the million and a half wards I put around the school, our quarters, our doorway, and your crib, the dreamcatcher should protect you from anything from a stinging hex to a killing curse. Alright?” He threw the dirty nappy into the hungry trashcan in the corner and Sev watched it gobble it up with a smile.

“Alright then. Shall we?” He picked the baby up and made his way over to the rocking chair by the window. Harry pushed open the white curtains with a wave of a hand to reveal Hogwarts’ majestic nighttime landscape.

A new moon lingered in the skies, but light trickled over from its hidden face nonetheless, spilling over the hills in the distance and flowing up the peaceful river, to bathe the forest landscape in a dull bluish-white light. A slight mist had fallen on the Forbidden Forest, settling lightly along the forest floor. The leaves on the trees and the long blades of grass along the moors of Hogwarts swayed to a gentle wind that blew in from some unknown direction. The whole scene filled Harry with an unbelievable sense of peace and tranquility. He opened the window itself with another wave of a hand and a warm, sweet-smelling summer wind blew through his hair and made Sev’s baby hair stick up in all the odd places.

Harry smoothed the baby’s hair down with a smile and settled on the rocking chair, baby Severus on his lap. The elegant sounds of music of the night drifted in with the breeze and graced Harry’s ears with its sweet song. “Do you hear that, Sev?” The baby looked up at him curiously. “Do you feel that?”

Severus’ eyebrows furrowed at him and he shook his head.

“That music.” Harry answered. “The white magic that this place is teeming with?!” He elaborated excitedly.

Severus, for his part, thought Potter was beginning to suffer from sleep deprivation. Hearing strange music and “feeling” things were never indicative of a happy, healthy mind, in Severus’ opinion. A slight tinge of guilt prickled in his gut. It wasn’t his fault he had to wake up three times last night! He hadn’t had the nightmares he was expecting, but rather some oddly pleasant dreams. Sev recalled the memory with a smile. He hadn’t had actual dreams since his falling out with Lily in fifth year oh so long ago. The absence of nightmares made for an extraordinarily pleasant break, he thought. Severus now attributed that to Potter’s dreamcatcher that floated over his bed. Although…he hadn’t had a nightmare during his trip to Diagon Alley today either; and the dreamcatcher was far away from them at the time, too. Perhaps the absence of nightmares was attributed to more than just the presence of the dreamcatcher. Hmm…curious. Either way, though, Sev hadn’t woken up from nightmares yesterday. He had woken up solely because he was either hungry or needed a new nappy, or both. Now, he and Potter had already established the fact that Sev had absolutely no control of his bodily functions anymore. Thus, Sev was not responsible for waking up three times last night, and furthermore not responsible for Potter’s sleep deprivation and faulty mind. There! That explanation suited him just fine! He felt rather pleased with himself.   

“You don’t hear it, do you?” Potter sounded a bit disappointed and Sev felt a slight tinge in his chest this time. “Or feel it?” The teen turned from him and looked back out into the horizon. What was he supposed to hear?! Sev kicked his legs a bit to draw Potter’s attention back to him. What was he supposed to feel?! Potter simply tightened his hold on him, never turning his concentration away from the window. No, no, no! That wasn’t supposed to happen! Look back at me again. Please look back at me again?! He fussed around some more, but the results were the same. Look at me! Please! Harry, look at me…! Sev felt tears prickling in his eyes.

“AH!” He whined. That had the desired effect. Harry gazed down at him curiously.

What was I supposed to hear? What was I supposed to feel?! He tried to convey his confusion through his eyes.

Potter gave him a gentle half-smile. “Ah, Sev…” He sighed, pulling the baby upright and supporting him against his chest. “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, lad.” He whispered in Sev’s ear. “But you’ve got to learn how to feel your way through things as well.” He ran his fingers through the soft baby hair, moving with the gentleness of the summer breeze. Sev leaned in to the touch. “Not everything is about the mind, my boy. Now close your eyes…and I’ll show you.”

Sev hugged the large hand supporting his chest, closed his eyes, and leaned against the teenager.

“Now listen.” Potter ordered softly. “Listen to the music drifting in through the window.” He paused. “Do you hear it?”

Now that his eyes were closed and his vision obscured, sounds began to bombard Severus from all directions. He squirmed slightly.

“Shhh, now…Focus on one thing at a time and soon enough it’ll become a harmony.” Harry breathed in his ear. “Listen to the sound that the wind makes as it moves through the leaves and the trees and the grass…”

Swish, swish…He could feel it glide through the strands of his hair…Swish, swish…He could discern the rustle of leaves in the distance…Swish, swish…The trees creaked as they moved with the wind…Swish, swish…The long blades of grass barely made a whisper as the breeze danced across the moors…Swish, swish…

“I believe Fawkes is out flying tonight. You can hear him a bit if you perk up.”

The sweet notes of a phoenix song drifted in through his ears and straight to his heart. Wave upon wave of calm energy coursed through his body, relaxing his muscles and easing his tension. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

“You can hear the centaurs and the unicorns and the hippogriffs about…”

Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Hiyah!…He could hear a herd of them, running about in the deep forest…Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Hiyah!...Their hoof beats were muffled against the forest floor…Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Swish...Hiyah! Swish, swish…The phoenix song flowed through him like a peaceful river…Thump, thump. Swish, swish. Hiya!

“Hagrid’s out tonight. You can hear his off-tune humming just at the edge of the forest…”

Hmmmmm, MmmmmMmmmMmm, MmmmMmmMm, MmMmmMmmmm…Hmmmmm, MmmmmMmmmMmm, MmmmMmmMm, MmmMmmmMmmmm!...How’re ya doin’, Buckbeak, ol’ pal?!...Hagrid’s humming, as off-tune as it may have been, calmed him just as well as Fawkes’ song…Thump, thump. Hiyah…Swish, swish…

“Can you hear the waterfall, just beyond the Quidditch pitch?”

Roar! Roar!...The water thundered down the rocks…Roar! Roar!...He could feel its power from here…Roar! Roar!

“And the river, let’s not forget that…”

Bubble, bubble...Bubble, bubble…Bubble, bubble…Hoot, hoot!

“The owls in the owlery and the birds in the trees…”

Hoot, hoot!...The birds followed the river…Bubble, bubble. Hoot, hoot! Splash!...They hunted by the river…Bubble, bubble. Roar! Roar! Hoot, hoot! Hiyah!

“And let’s not forget…”

But Sev wasn’t listening anymore. He was too entranced by the sounds all around him to pay any attention to Harry’s words.

Hmmmm MmmmmMmmmMmm…Fawkes’ song drifted straight to his heart…Swish, swish. Thump, Thump. Swish, swish. Hiyah!...MmmmMmmMm…Bubble, bubble. Swish, swish. Roar! Roar! Hoot!...MmMmmMmmm…Thump, thump. Swish, swish. Bubble, bubble. Swish, swish. Roar, roar! Swish, swish. Hoot! Hiyah! Swish…

Oh, sweet wind…

Summer’s wind...

Gentle wind…

It blew through Sev’s hair and caressed his cheeks and embraced his soul…

Swish, swish…Thump, thump…Bubble, Roar, BOOM!

A new sound joined in on the symphony.

Boom, boom! Boom, boom! Boom, boom! Boom, boom!

It wasn’t coming from outside. Boom, boom! It was coming from right under his ear.

Boom, boom! Boom, boom! Boom, boom! Boom, boom!

Sev smiled. He knew that sound. Boom, boom! It was the sound that meant peace…Boom, boom…and calm…Boom, boom…and safety…Boom, boom…and shelter…Boom, boom…It was Harry’s heartbeat. Boom, boom!

Somewhere in the background, a guitar began to play a soft, slow, relaxing tune.

“Give me your hand, Sev.” Harry whispered in his ear. “Let me help you feel it…the white magic that’s flowing through this place…open your hand…”

Sev opened his tiny hand and Harry held it in his big one. He could feel Harry smooth out the curved fingers. “Open yourself to the magic, cub…Feel it…”

Sev allowed the symphony of sounds flowing in through the window—the music of the night—to move through him and let it flood his soul…

Then…gradually…he began to feel a tingling sensation running through his fingers. Sev gasped. “Shh…shh…easy now. That’s it! That’s the white magic you’re feeling. Just relax…” Sev took a deep breath and allowed the music to relax him. “That’s my boy. Relax…That’s it, cub.” He could hear a smile in Harry’s voice. “Do you feel it now?”

It was a strange sensation—different from the wind, yet very similar. It was like allowing the breeze to run through his fingers, but it had a thicker consistency. “It’s magic, Sev.” Harry breathed in his ear. “This is what you control every time you cast a spell. This is where that power comes from.”

The magic flowed through his fingers like water in a river. Yet it was different from water as well. The magic moved between them, and then circled round back and flowed over the tips, and then up his arm, and then down his arm again. “It’s alive, Sev. It’s an entity in and of itself, and it dances to the music you hear all around you.”

It was an amazing sensation. Sev pictured a kind of white light gliding up and down his arm, wrapping itself around his fingers and wrists before floating out again and rejoining the world.

“If you focus hard enough, cub, you’ll be able to see it as well.” Harry whispered excitedly. “Now open your eyes, Sev. Open your eyes and try to see what I see.”

Sev did so slowly, grateful that Harry had dimmed the lights earlier. Now the only sources of illumination came from the firelight streaming in through the open door, and the moonlight spilling through the flimsy white curtains. Another gust of sweet wind blew through Sev’s hair, catching his attention. A majestic sight greeted him. It was the same view as before, Sev realized, but now…it felt different. For some strange reason, the landscape before him glowed! Sev inclined his head in bewilderment. The glow was not physical. At least…it was hardly physical.

The trees in the distance glowed faintly in the moonlight…to Sev, they felt like they blazed with light!

The hills out yonder spilt dim moonlight over their summits…to Sev, they felt like they oozed a bright, white light!

The grass in the moors reflected moonlight faintly as they danced with the breeze…to Sev, each blade of grass felt like a white ballerina, moving with the wind to the music of the night.

It was the most unusual feeling Severus had ever experienced in his life! His mind was seeing one thing, yet his gut was feeling another. He saw a regular nighttime landscape before him, but felt like he was in the middle of a majestic white kingdom!

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Harry’s voice whispered in his ear.

“Ohhhh…d” Sev muttered. “Oh-d…Oh-d…Odd.”

He could feel Harry chuckled beneath him. “Yes, I know. It’s very odd, I agree.” He ran another hand through Sev’s soft hair. “It takes a little getting used to.”

Sev furrowed his eyebrows and craned his neck to look up at Harry. “Ooo?” He asked, pointing at the teen’s chest. “Ooo?”

Harry nodded slowly, “Me.” He answered, turning back to study the horizon. “I’ve been able to sense magic like this since I was…oh, about five years old.” He explained after a moment of thought. “Of course, it wasn’t until I was eleven that I learned what it actually was; not until I was thirteen that I learned how to master it completely…and not until last month that I let anyone know my secret.”

Sev’s brain reeled at this new information. Potter’s been able to do wandless, wordless magic for years?! Years?! How was it that nobody noticed?! Not even Granger and Weasley realized it! Not one professor was aware of it. Dumbledore didn’t know this. I didn’t ever see this! Then Severus remembered something: Potter slipped the chocolate pudding to him yesterday behind Ginny’s back; Potter was supposed to be in Slytherin; Potter was sneaky! Potter probably didn’t show his talent in class because he wanted everyone to underestimate him. It worked to his advantage, after all. From what I was told, the Dark Lord didn’t expect what he had coming. He underestimated Potter and it lead to his downfall. In fact…that might have even been Potter’s plan all along! Hmm…maybe he shouldn’t be so shocked after all. One thing was for sure—Potter was definitely full of surprises nowadays.

“Take a look at your dreamcatcher, Sev.” Potter murmured, nudging him gently. “Feel it pulsing with white magic, do you?”

Potter turned the rocking chair slightly so that Sev could see his crib. True enough, the dreamcatcher radiated white magic like the sun radiated light! It was by far the brightest object Sev had laid his eyes on tonight. The sight of the dreamcatcher imbued Sev with the same feelings that Potter’s heartbeat invoked in him—safety, calm, and shelter.

“A record player, Harry?”

Ginny’s abrupt entrance startled Severus greatly and he jumped in Harry’s lap. Just as suddenly, the infant felt himself blink and the world as he perceived it just moments before quickly reverted back to being plain. The white magic no longer tingled his palm or fingertips, the music from the window disintegrated into sounds, and feelings he received from the world around him quickly slipped through his grasp like sand through an hourglass before disappearing altogether. This distressed Severus greatly and he made his displeasure known.     

“Hey, hey, hey! Calm down, cub.” Harry murmured soothingly, readjusting the infant’s position on his lap so that he was neatly tucked into his right arm. The teen also tried adjusting the speed of his rocking so that it was more in tune with the guitar from the record player. Sev continued to fuss and whine nonetheless.

“Sorry I took a while.” Ginny said, testing the temperature of the milk on her wrist before offering him the bottle. “I was thinking about that whole nursing thing and I remembered reading something in the parenting book about mothers who recently adopted newborns. Babies Sev’s age need mother’s milk because it helps develop their immune systems and everything. So, I took a formula out of the book that allowed me to add to the milk so that, in essence, I would be able to brew my own breast milk. It came with a spell and everything and took a bit of time, but…here we go.”

Harry accepted the bottle hesitantly. “So…this is your own…breast milk?”

“In essence, yes.” Ginny smirked at Harry’s bewildered look. “Don’t worry. I tried it before I even bottled it. It tastes perfectly fine.” Harry gaped at her and Sev had stopped fussing completely to grace her with an identical miniature expression. It took all of Ginny’s willpower to suppress her amusement. Harry and Sev wore twin looks of astonishment on their faces. It was the most adorable sight!

Ginny settled for smiling sweetly as them before flipping her hair and turning to admire the magnificent view of the nighttime landscape. She breathed in deeply as the sweet summer wind blew through her fiery hair and filled her with feelings of calm and contentment. “It’s absolutely beautiful here at night, don’t you think?”

Harry cleared his throat and shook his head, shaking himself out of his daze. “Yeah…absolutely.” He tried to adjust Sev’s position once again, but found it difficult while holding the bottle. “Gin, would you…help me for a moment?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Here…” Harry waved a bottle-filled hand and the rocking chair lengthened to a rocking bench. “Would you help me adjust him, please?”

Ginny took a seat on Harry’s right and reached for the bottle. “Here, why don’t you let me hold that while you adjust him appropriately?” Harry handed her the bottle and positioned Sev on the crook of his arm so that his head wasn’t so low.

“So how about it, cub? Do you still want to try the milk, or are you not hungry anymore?” Harry asked the baby.

“I promise, Sev—it doesn’t taste any different from the milk you’ve been drinking these past few days. I tried it myself; it tastes the same. The only difference is this one is better for your health.” Ginny broke in. Sev craned his neck to stare at her as she spoke.

“Willing to try it, Sev?”

Severus eyed Harry for a long moment, before turning and eyeing Ginny for the same amount of time. Then, finally, he turned to the bottle and gave it a long, wary look. Sev felt his stomach growl and grimaced internally. Oh, I might as well! It’s not like I have another choice, now do I? He looked at Harry and signed ‘yes’.

“Are you sure?”

“Uh-huh.” He sighed.

“That’s a good lad.” Harry praised, giving him a gentle smile. Sev felt a strange tingling sensation in his chest.

Too tired to hold the bottle himself, Sev allowed Harry to feed it to him. A little voice in the back of his mind crooned about how nice it felt to be catered to by a Potter and how this was some form of sweet payback or something or another. He was too tired to pay it any attention. The instant the milk hit his tongue, Sev was startled at how sweet it actually was. Ginny lied! This milk didn’t taste exactly like the formula; it tasted better than the formula! Severus felt like he was drinking liquid ambrosia, the nectar of the gods! Oh…divine couldn’t even begin to describe how absolutely exquisite this milk was.

Sev watched as Ginny snaked an arm around Harry’s back and leaned on his shoulder, looking down at him lovingly. “So…how does it taste?” In response, Sev began drinking all the more faster. Both teens chuckled at him. “I’ll take that as a sign of your approval.” Ginny smiled. Turning to Harry, she ran her fingers through his hair until he turned to meet her eyes. The two shared a short, sweet kiss.

The record player in the background clicked loudly as the previous song ended and a new one began.

Sev felt Ginny’s fingers run through his hair with the same tenderness as the summer wind, and he leaned into her touch. She smiled down at him adoringly. “You know this song, Sev?” She asked, recognizing the opening notes of one of her favorite tunes. “It’s about a mother, singing to her child. Oh, how does it go again? Oh, yes…”

Sev felt Harry push their rocking bench gently, in conjunction with the summer breeze, as Ginny’s sweet voice echoed in his ear,

“I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed.”

Sev’s eyes began to drift shut…

“I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance,

I hope you dance…
I hope you dance…”

The warm wind flew in through the window and wrapped the three of them in a loving embrace…

“I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances, but they’re worth taking
Loving might be a mistake, but it’s worth making

Don’t let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out, reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance,

I hope you dance…”

Now Harry’s voice sang in conjunction with hers.

“Time is a wheel in constant motion…”

“I hope you dance…” “Always rolling us along…”
“I hope you dance…” “Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder…”
“I hope you dance…” “Where those years have gone…”

Sev’s eyes were almost completely closed now, yet he still continued to suck on his sweet nectar and listen to the pair of angelic voices singing to him.

“I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance…”

“Dance…I hope you dance…”

“I hope you dance…” “Time is a wheel in constant motion…”
“I hope you dance…” “Always rolling us along…”
“I hope you dance…” “Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder…”
“I hope you dance…” “Where those years have gone…”

“Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder…where those years have gone…”

The last thing Sev remembered, as he slipped into unconsciousness, was seeing a lone figure move along a stretch of beach, dancing beside the ocean…