Severus tossed and turned on his bed. Would he have to give up Harry to Sirius? He remembered the day he had resolved to keep the little boy. And now…well, it seemed his previous attitude – to be indifferent towards the boy – had been the better option. After all, Severus would never be able to see Harry again, were Sirius to get his way. It was always like that. He knew Dumbledore meant no harm; he just liked Gryffindors more than Slytherins, probably because he had been a Gryffindor. His entire life at Hogwarts had been miserable, thanks to two Gryffindors and their heartless pranks – and to some extent, his surrogate father’s inability to see past the glory of Gryffindor. And now, his life was again being torn apart again by the Gryffindor conspiracy. What was he going to do? A part of him wanted to snatch Harry up and disappear forever from this cruel and unfair world. The problem was…he didn’t have anywhere to go. Years ago, when he pledged his loyalty to the Light, his father had made him hand over a list of all his residences. How he regretted it now! He should have kept one back. At the time, he had been so terrified he had followed all the instructions to the letter. He could always run to America. It should be easy to get lost there. After all, he could easily make money. His heart raced, and he leapt off the bed, pacing. But how would he get out of Hogwarts without Dumbledore knowing?

His heart sank. He knew his father kept watch of every single fireplace in the school. Maybe he should talk it over with him first. At least then he’d know how Severus felt towards Harry, since they hadn’t really talked since Harry was given over to Severus. Yes, that was what he was going to do. He made his way to his door, when he heard a cry. Was that Harry? He rushed to Harry’s room, praying that the little boy was all right.  Sure enough, it was Harry. And to Severus’s horror, the little boy’s forehead was bleeding – right where the scar was.

“Harry!” Severus rushed over to his side, and began to try to stop the bleeding, to no avail. What was this? What was going on? Then his mark flared, and he gasped in agony. Why? Was the Dark Lord back? He had no time to think. All of a sudden, a white light flared, and he slipped from reality.

He awoke with a start. Where was he? His surroundings no longer resembled his headquarters. And there was something heavy in his arms. Harry had come with him? He shifted Harry into one arm, and with the other, took out his wand. He had never seen this place before. It was light, airy and warm. The lawn on which he stood was well kept, and the sun was shining brightly. It was picture perfect, or so Severus would have said, had he not known what the world really was like. But it didn’t matter, not when something took his breath away. No, not something – someone. She walked out of the house, and smiled at him.

“Lily?”

“Yes, my dear Sev, it’s me,” the reply came. Severus almost fainted. Were they dead then?

“No, Sev, you aren’t dead. Only on…a temporary reprieve,” said Lily, reading Severus’s mind. “Now, come in. We have a lot to catch up on.”

Severus shifted Harry into a more comfortable position, though he kept his wand out. He wanted to trust this person who seemed to be Lily, but one never knew. The powers of evil had access to more power than he could imagine, and it would be insane to think otherwise.

“Sev, do you not trust me?”

“Lily…” he sighed. “I need to know if you’re really who I think you are.”

“So ask me a question, Sev.”

Severus was thrust into memory after memory. The first day they’d met, the day they were engaged, the day they were married. Finally, the answer came to him. “Lily, where did I propose to you?”

She met his eyes straight on. “By the lake, in Banff, in front of the mountains. Does that answer your question?”

Severus’s breath fell away. He had never told anyone, and as far as he knew, no one knew. But he had to be sure. “And what did I say, Lily?”

Her eyes softened. “That…that you’d be my forever Prince, if I wanted you. And if I could accept all your brokenness, all your faults. And…I said yes. Yes to my one and only love, yes to the man of my life.”

His eyes glistened with tears, as he recalled that day.  How wonderful the rest of his life had seemed at that point! “Yes,” he whispered. “I believe you.”

Lily ran into his arms, and the three of them huddled there for a while. Harry awoke then, and laughed. The little sound broke them apart, and Severus let Harry down.

“Hi, Mum,” said little Harry cheekily. “Look, Dada!”

Severus froze. What was Lily going to say?

“Yes, indeed, ‘Dada’,” said Lily, smiling. “Has he been taking good care of you?”

“Yea, yea, Mum,” cried Harry excitedly. “Wif ice cweam an’ hug an’ los of stuff!”

“I hope you’re not eating too many sweets, love,” said Lily, then she turned to Severus. “My goodness, Sev, are you spoiling the child?”

“Well…” fudged Severus. “After what your sister did, I thought I should make up for lost time.”

“My sister, should burn in hell,” said Lily ferociously. “What in Merlin’s name was that old coot thinking?!?”

“That ‘old coot’, Lily, is my father,” said Severus.

“Whoops, forgot about that for a second,” said Lily. “Come, why don’t we sit here?”

A bench magically appeared, and Severus was awe-struck. What was this place? Lily, sensing this, spoke. “I suppose you could say it’s heaven, but not quite, really. It’s more like the place people go to when they speak with the ones still on Earth.”

“It’s amazing,” said Severus. “And heaven’s supposed to be even better?”

“Well, yes, but we’re not allowed to give that away. Something about seeing it for yourself, I think,” said Lily. “Now, you listen to me, Severus. Don’t you dare give Harry to that mutt.”

“He’s the godfather! I have no right to keep Harry, under the law,” said Severus. “And besides, I’m sure the mutt will do a better job – ”

“Don’t you dare say that, Severus Tobias Snape!” shouted Lily. Harry looked up in surprise, but seeing that both his parents were all right, continued to play in the sandbox that had appeared with the bench. “You are a fine father. Besides, all will be resolved tomorrow.”

“What do you mean?” asked Severus. Lily put her finger to his lips. “Shhh, Severus, no more questions. Let me tell you what to do at the bank, and then we can enjoy the rest of the day.”

“All right,” said Severus. “If you insist.”

“Of course I insist, you great big oaf,” said Lily, in a teasing tone.

“An oaf, me? Are you sure you have the right person, Lily?” Severus asked in mock indignation.

“Shh, love, listen. Remember when you saw me last? At the Marauder’s hideout?”

“That was truly you? I thought I was hallucinating,” said Severus thoughtfully. “But yes, I did.”

“I slipped something into your pocket, Severus. Look. You should be able to recognize it,” said Lily. Severus dug around in his various pockets, coming up with various Portkeys, empty potion vials, a few of Harry’s toys (to his utter embarrassment), and finally, Lily’s wedding ring.

“This?” asked Severus, his voice cracking. “What does this mean, Lily?”

“The ring I threw at you…was a duplicate. I could never have thrown the last of our bond away, so I kept it. I placed a Charm on it. Give it to Harry now,” said Lily. Severus called Harry over, and gave the ring to the boy, half-afraid Harry might swallow it. Instead, it melded into his skin, like the key had to him.  “Sirius also has a bracelet, and you will have to make the Charms react in order to open my bank vault. I can’t remember the exact order, but I’m sure you will be able to figure it out.”

“The mutt, Harry, and I will have to somehow make the Charms you’ve placed on these objects react, thus making the bank vault open,” repeated Severus. “Are you insane?!?”

“No,” laughed Lily. “Just…ingenious.”

“You’ll be the death of me, Lily Evans,” said Severus. “So…now that we’re finished with unpleasant business, what shall we do now?”

“You had something to tell me, did you not?” Lily raised her eyebrow, not unlike Severus did when he was pretending to be sceptical.

“I did,” said Severus softly. “I’m sorry…for what I did that night. I was wrong, and I regretted it. Will you forgive me?”

“Severus, how could I not?” asked Lily. “You were the love of my life. My everything, well, until Harry came along, that is. Now, Sev, forget about it. It was a long time ago, and it’s not worth brooding over. I suppose that’s why you always wear black now, isn’t it? You should start wearing other colours, Sev, before little Harry decides to imitate you.”

“He already does that,” said Severus dryly. “The other day, I caught him trying to make his robes billow like mine.”

Lily snorted, shaking with laughter. “Oh, hah, did he really?”

“Not funny, Lils,” said Severus, then paused. “Wait, why did you marry Potter then?”

“Well, I didn’t love him, I can tell you that. You’ll understand tomorrow. I’ve written it all down. Now, Sev…it’s almost time to go,” said Lily gently. “I need to go back, and so do you.”

Severus leaned over, and kissed Lily. He held onto her for dear life, hoping that this moment would never leave. Finally, they broke apart, when they could feel Harry staring. They blushed, and the little boy clambered onto the bench. “Cou’ me ge’ kissy too?”

The two adults burst out laughing, and kissed the little boy. Finally, it was time to go. Severus got up, taking Harry into his arms, ready to head into the doorway that had appeared out of nowhere.

“Wait, Severus,” said Lily, walking over to him. “Roll up your sleeve.” He started to roll up his right one, when she spoke again. “No, Sev, your left one.”

Severus burned in shame. “Do I have – ”

“Shush, love,” said Lily, concentrating. With a whispered incantation, the Dark Mark was gone from his arm. Then she did the same thing for Harry’s forehead, and the scar faded away, though it was still visible.

“What did you do, Lily?” asked Severus in disbelief.

“What I should have done a long time ago,” said Lily. “Now go, Sev, Harry. I will see you again.”

They walked through the door, turning back once to wave goodbye. And then, they were back in Severus’s quarters.

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Sirius tore apart furniture, ripped up paper, and overall, made a right mess of his rooms. Remus stood there at the door, until his friend tired of wreaking havoc.

“Are you done yet, Padfoot?” asked Remus calmly. “Reparo.”

The torn curtains repaired themselves, papers knit back together, and the cupboards righted themselves. Sirius looked at him. “What have I done wrong?” he snarled. “Why would you take Snivellus’s side over mine?”

“There aren’t any sides anymore, Padfoot,” said Remus. “And his name is Severus.”

“You used to be fun, Moony,” said Sirius. “And who cares about the greasy git anyways? He was always a nobody.”

“No, Sirius,” said Remus. “But if you keep this up, you will be the nobody. Can’t you see? He’s all right now. And he’s far from greasy, too.”

“Yeah, take his side over mine. Some best friend you are,” said Sirius. “James would take my side, and you know it.”

“Enough, Sirius Orion Black!” shouted Remus, and Sirius blanched. He hated being called by his full name. “Grow up, already. Can’t you see how immature you’re being? And James would most definitely not take your side. In fact, he would have taken ours.” Remus softened. “I know Azkaban’s taken a toll on you, but listen to me, Padfoot. It’s in Harry’s best interests that you get along with Severus.”

“Why can’t I just take Harry? After all, I am his godfather,” said Sirius. “And he wouldn’t be under Snivellus’s influence.”

“Listen to yourself, Padfoot,” said Remus sadly. “It’s not just about you, Sirius. It’s for Harry. If you take him away from Severus, you’ll not only have the enmity of Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape…you’ll have Harry’s too. Harry is absolutely devoted to that man. What will happen if you take him away?”

“I don’t care,” came the sullen reply, but Sirius didn’t meet Remus’s eyes. Remus was relieved. He had finally gotten through to him. “Fine, I’ll let Harry stay with…Severus. But don’t expect me to like him.”

“I would never ask that of you, Padfoot. But Harry might.”

“No, he’ll change his opinion once I tell him who Severus is,” said Sirius. Remus sighed. Here he went again.

“Stop it, Padfoot,” said Remus firmly. “If you do, I’ll not only take your mouth off your face, but I’ll put it back on backwards and upside down.”

Sirius gasped in horror. The last time Remus had done that, Sirius couldn’t eat, drink, or talk. He quickly shook his head, and quieted. Remus spoke again. “Now go to sleep. We have to go to Gringotts tomorrow.”

“All right, Mooney. Good night,” said Sirius, making his way to the bed. Remus left, making sure to close the door tightly. He made his way next door to his quarters, where he proceeded to spend half the night in a Quidditch magazine. It was half past eleven when a knock sounded at his door.

“Yes?” called out Remus. Who could it be, this late at night?

“May I come in?” It was Dumbledore.

“Yes, please,” said Remus, opening the door. “What can I do for you?”

“Remus…how is Sirius?” asked Albus gently. “Did he understand?”

“I don’t know…Dad,” said Remus, using the affectionate term he had coined since he had lost his parents in his late teens. He seldom used it now, except here and there. “He seems to want attention, a lot, that’s all. I know he gets enough of it from us, but I think it’s because he was so starved of love way back when.”

“I know,” said Albus gravely. “We will have to be patient with him, for now. But Severus and Harry must come first…”

“Why don’t you go talk to Sirius? I’m sure he’s still awake. He always stays up late, especially when he’s upset,” suggested Remus. “It’s probably better to get it straight from him.”

“All right,” said Albus. “But don’t stay up too late. It’s not good for you.”

“I know, I know!”

Chuckling, Albus left the room, and walked down the corridor towards his wayward son’s. This talk was long overdue. Apologies had to be made, and reconnections to forge. It was going to be hard…and well he knew it. He knocked on the door. “Sirius?”

A snore could be heard inside, though the lights were still on. Albus walked into the room, looking at Sirius. Though the few years in Azkaban had taken a toll on him, Albus could still see the child in him. He smiled, and tucked the blankets snugly around him. How he remembered the days he used to visit his sons secretly at night, when they were fast asleep. Their sweet, innocent faces beaming at him, even while they slept, were a great source of joy to him. And now, they were all back together. Albus smiled, and snuffed out the lights. The talk could wait until tomorrow.

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Back in the great Hall, Minerva was cupping a mug of hot chocolate in her hands. A Muggle beverage Albus had introduced to her, she had become addicted to it, drinking as many as four cups a winter day. Somehow, it just wasn’t the same during the summer. Her thoughts wandered back to Albus’s boys, and her boy. If they were married…

Pshaw, she thought. As if that would ever happen. Albus was always too busy, and marriage would just distract him. She sipped her hot chocolate, thinking all the while, and didn’t even look up when the doors of the Great Hall opened.

“Minerva, are you all right?”

She awoke with a jolt. “Albus?”

He chuckled. “Sorry I woke you, Minnie.”

“It’s okay, Al,” she replied. “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”

“Let me see…” Albus mockingly said. “Only every single day for the past decade.”

“Hmmm…” said Minerva thoughtfully. “And do you love me the same way?”

“Where are you going with this?” asked Albus, his eyes twinkling. “But yes, of course I do.”

“That’s all I wanted to know, Al,” said Minerva. “How were the boys?”

“Remus just went to bed, and Sirius was already in bed. Sometimes I wonder…what would they have been like if I hadn’t meddled?”

“You didn’t meddle, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. You took them in when no one else wanted them.”

“I suppose…”

“Suppose, nothing. It’s God’s own truth, and that’s that.” How Albus loved it when Minerva’s Scottish temper flared – over him, no less. He leaned over and kissed her.

When they straightened, Albus asked the question that had been bothering him for the past two days. “Minnie…tell me about Lucius.”

Minnie’s gaze fell away, her heart plummeting. The very question she had hoped to avoid! “Do you really have to know, Albus?”

“Yes, Minerva,” said Albus. “But if you don’t feel comfortable…”

“No, I might as well get it over with,” said Minerva, shivering. Quickly, Albus wrapped a blanket around her. “Lucius…he was born Luke Alastair Malfoy on January 25, 1954. I remember that day so well. He had a little tiny wisp of blonde hair, and his eyes! The prettiest shade of green you could imagine. Abraxas, naturally, was happy. But…by then, he was already sucked far into his parents’ wishes, and was engaged to be married the following year, to one of the Lestrange girls.”

Albus started. “Why so late? By then, you must have been well into your twenties.”

“Yes,” replied Minerva, with a short, sarcastic laugh. “But Abraxas…he was stubborn. He wanted me, and I wanted him. His parents didn’t approve, of course. The McGonagall family is nowhere as prestigious as the Malfoys’, nor were we pureblood supremacists. And so…Abraxas refused every girl his parents brought in. By the time I had Lucius, the only girl left in our age group was me. So his parents brought in some of the younger ones…Abraxas didn’t want any of them. It wasn’t until they threatened to cut him from the family fortune that he finally succumbed.

Lucius doesn’t know I’m his mother. We Obliviated everyone involved, and Abraxas married Alessa Lestrange. He grew up thinking she was his mother. After that, we dared not to contact each other, for fear of his parents. And then I came here to work.”

“Where you fell in love with me,” stated Albus, with a smile. “You know…the instant I lay eyes on you, a full grown woman…I fell head over heels. I even took a small de-aging potion so I’d be closer to your age.”

“Yes, I know,” said Minerva. “You told me when you were drunk one night.”

“Did I really?” asked Albus. “Min, what are you going to do about Lucius? You should tell him.”

“And do what? Tear his life further apart? No, we have to wait until I get my grandson back,” said Minerva. Albus laughed. She had laid claim on them already.

“What on earth are you laughing about? Nothing I said was remotely funny!”

That made Albus laugh even harder.