Bright and early on the morning of July thirty-first, Severus stood at the bottom of the stairs in his house at Spinner’s End and whistled loudly. “Time to get up, boys!” he yelled up the stairs as he had done every morning since he had brought them home when Madame Pomfrey had released them two weeks before. “If I don’t hear you moving in five minutes I’m coming up there…”

Five minutes later Severus made his way up the stairs. He was well aware of the fact that the two boys had stayed up past midnight the night before, even though they were both grounded for their stunt with the Chamber of Secrets. He planned to give them a hard time about it this morning before releasing them from their punishment, much earlier than he had intended.

He went first to Harry’s room. “Up, Harry. We’re leaving in an hour.”

“The game isn’t until later,” Harry grumbled. “I want to sleep…”

“We have an appointment before the game,” he said, pulling back the blankets covering the boy and giving him a firm swat.

Harry yelped in surprise and looked up at the man. “What was that for?”

He moved over to the dresser and began pulling out clothes for the boy. “For staying up so late last night. You are still grounded, mister.”

“But I always stay up…”

Severus turned back to Harry, who was finally sitting up on the edge of his bed. “I’m leaving in one hour. If you aren’t ready, there will be no Quidditch game for you today.” He turned and left the room, walking across the small hall to Draco’s room, where he flipped on the overhead light. He had learned last summer that each boy needed to be woken up differently.

Draco swore softly and covered his head with his pillow.

Severus walked over and lifted one corner of the pillow. “I really don’t want to have to wash your mouth out on your birthday. And I know that you were both up far later than you were supposed to be while grounded. We have an appointment before the game this morning and I’m leaving in an hour…with or without you.” He dropped the pillow back in place and walked over to the dresser, pulling clothes out for him as well. Normally he would let them do this, but he figured they could use a hand this morning since he woke them earlier than normal.

After a moment Draco scrambled from his bed, losing his balance. Severus caught him before he could fall and gave him a firm swat. “Ow!”

“For staying up late last night,” he told his godson. “Breakfast will be ready soon.” Severus left the boy to get ready for the day and headed back downstairs. His two boys were in for a big surprise today.

He was just accepting a large envelope from a Ministry owl when the boys ran down the stairs and slid into their seats half an hour later. Severus used his wand to apply the glamours that the two boys wore when they went out in public with him. In another day or so it would be safe for them to go out without them.

“What are we going to do after the game, Uncle Sev?” Draco asked as he ate.

“I have a surprise for the two of you, but I will tell you after the game.”

Both boys made faces, but neither one commented. Once breakfast was finished and the dishes washed, dried and put away, Severus Appearted the three of them to the pitch were the Puddlemere United played Quidditch. The season tickets he had gotten for the two boys for Christmas had turned out to be a good investment.

“I thought you said that we had an appointment,” Harry said, looking around.

Severus checked his watch. “We do. In about five minutes. But first I wanted to tell you both something. As part of your birthday present I have decided that you two are no longer grounded…” Both boys gave excited shouts. “However, your brooms are still mine for two more weeks.”

Draco threw his arms around his godfather. “That’s alright, Uncle Sev. Just as long as we aren’t grounded anymore.”

He chuckled and returned the boy’s hug. “Look,” he said, turning Draco around to see the entire United team coming toward them.

The captain shook the Potions Master’s hand. “Are these the two boys, Professor Snape?”

“They are indeed, Mr. Smith,” Severus replied as the two boys stood, staring aghast at their favorite Quidditch team. “My nephews: James and John Evans.”

Smith turned and looked at the two boys. “I understand that you both play Quidditch,” he said.

“Yes, sir,” came the replies.

“Would you like to meet the team?” he asked them. When both boys nodded eagerly, he laughed and turned to introduce them to the first string as well as the reserve members.

Severus smiled as he watched the delight on the boys’ faces as they were introduced to the players and spent a few minutes talking to each one. Yes, this had been a good idea. He would have to remember to thank Minerva for the idea later.

After Smith finished introducing the boys to the team, he looked down at them. “How would you two like to warm up with us?”

“We’d love to!” Draco exclaimed enthusiastically.

Harry turned to Severus. “Can we, Uncle Sev?”

He nodded and pulled two shrunken brooms from the pocket of his robes. With a gesture, they were both returned to their normal size. Draco and Harry took their brooms and followed the team into the stadium. Shaking his head, Severus made his way to their seats and pulled a book from his pocket.

--

Severus took something for his headache as he made lunch at Spinner’s End, listening to Harry and Draco go over the game they had just witnessed in minute detail. Normally he would have asked them to settle down, but it was their birthday and he had never heard so much excitement in their voices.

“I can’t believe that the Beaters let us ride with them for the victory lap,” Harry said

“Look at the robes,” Draco replied. “These are the real thing!”

Severus shook his head. He had asked the team to do something special for the boys, not spoil them. Not only had they warmed up with the team and been allowed to take the victory lap with the team, but after the game they had been taken into the United changing room and each given a set of robes. But not the replicas of the team’s robes that were sold in the Quidditch stores. No, Harry and Draco had been given actual team robes, shrunk to size and had insisted on wearing them home.

“Uncle Sev,” Harry said, breaking into the man’s thoughts. “Can we look at our brooms again?”

“Absolutely not,” he replied firmly. “They will still look the same in two weeks when you get them back.” The brooms were another thing! They had gotten the United team to sign their brooms. How was he going to manage to survive raising two Quidditch obsessed teenagers?

“But Uncle Sev…” Draco started.

Severus cut him off. “I said no. Go upstairs and change while I finish lunch. And no robes; we’re going into a muggle area this afternoon.”

“Where are we going?” Harry asked.

“It would ruin the surprise if I tell you. Now go before I start counting…” At that both boys scampered from the room and Severus was given a few moments of peace.

--

As soon as he remembered whose brilliant idea this was, Severus was going to use an Unforgivable. Or maybe two. Yes, the Cruciatus followed by the Killing curse. That would make up for this nightmare.

A muggle amusement park was not exactly the way he would have chosen to spend the afternoon, but it was making his boys happy. For the first time in their lives they could have fun and enjoy themselves without worrying about the consequences.

As a young teenager he had gone to a place similar to this with Lily and her parents and had thoroughly enjoyed himself. It was something that he would never forget. Their laughter and shouts of delight as he followed them around the park told him that this was something that they wouldn’t soon forget. Yes, Lily’s boys deserved to experience this as well.

Against his better judgment he was allowing the two boys to fill up on candy, sweets, sodas and all manner of unhealthy food. Harry had had some of these foods on rare occasions while living with Lily’s sister, but Draco’s faces as he experienced muggle foods for the first time were priceless. They both wanted to try everything and he was letting them. Besides, there was a simple solution for dealing with two sugar high teenagers. It was called a sleeping potion. He wouldn’t really give them a sleeping potion, but he did have something that would counteract all the sugar in their systems.

It was well after dark when he Apparated home with two tired, but very happy boys. And the day wasn’t over yet. He had one more surprise left for them…one he hoped that they would enjoy.

--

Once home, he sent them both to get ready for bed and waited for them in his favorite chair. When they were both seated on the sofa he began. “I’m sure that you are both aware that I was only granted temporary custody of you both until other arrangements could be made.”

Both faces fell. “Does this have anything to do with the envelope that you got from the Ministry at breakfast this morning?” Harry asked.

“Yes, it does,” he answered.

Draco looked close to tears. “Mother wants to keep me, doesn’t she? And she doesn’t want Harry…”

“No, dragon. You will not be going back to Narcissa. She has no right to you. And you will also not be split up. You will be staying together.” The two boys brightened a little at that. “You have both been adopted.”

“Is it to be a blood adoption?” Draco asked, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand.

Harry looked back and forth between the two. “What is a blood adoption?”

“You will both be given a potion that contains three drops of blood from the man that wishes to adopt you. It will make you his true son, not just his adopted son. This is done sometimes in pureblood families when there is no blood heir in order to continue the family line. Normally the adopted child takes the name of the family that is adopting them. In this case, the man who has adopted you both is going to let you two decide whether or not to make this a blood adoption and to take his name,” he explained to them, pulling the envelope from the Ministry from his pocket and setting it on the coffee table. He then pulled two vials from another pocket and set them next to the envelope. With a wave of his wand, a quill and small bottle of ink appeared on the table. “I will leave you two alone while you make your decision about the blood adoption. When you are ready, you both need to sign the adoption papers. You can find me in my study.” He stood and left the room before either of them could respond.

The two boys sat in silence for several minutes, both staring at the items on the table. Harry looked at his brother. “Who do you think it is?”

Draco pulled his knees up and hugged them. “I had hoped it would be Uncle Sev. Usually they let the kids go with the godparents, but I guess since he isn’t my real godfather…”

“I wonder if we had godparents. Why couldn’t Uncle Sev adopt us?”

“Maybe they wanted us to go to a real family…and Uncle Sev isn’t married.”

Harry sighed deeply. “So…do we look and then decide about the blood adoption? Or decide first and then look?”

“It doesn’t really matter,” Draco said despondently. “The adoption has been approved. We may as well just drink the potion and then look.”

“I guess you’re right. At least we’ll be together.” Harry reached out and took the two vials. He uncorked them both and handed one to Draco.

“Here goes nothing,” Draco sighed, before draining the vial in his hand. Harry followed suit as Draco reached for the envelope. He carefully opened it and pulled out the adoption papers. “He didn’t…”

“Who? What?” Harry asked, pulling the documents from his brother’s hand. “He did. He really did…”

“Happy birthday scamps,” Severus said from the doorway, smiling at them. He walked over and sat between them on the couch.

“Why didn’t you tell us that it was you?” Draco asked, looking up at his godfather…no, not his godfather any longer. Uncle Sev had adopted them!

He put his arm around the boy, pulling him close. “And miss the chance to pull one over on the two of you?”

“It was a pretty good trick, ‘Ri,” Harry said, leaning against the man’s other side.

“Oh, alright…” Draco sighed dramatically. “It was a good trick…and very Slytherin of you.”

“Thank you, dragon,” Severus replied with a chuckle. “You really thought I would let someone else take you?”

He looked up at the man. “I’m sorry I doubted you.”

“So what do we call you now?” Harry asked.

Severus ruffled Draco’s hair. “Uncle Sev will work until you are ready to call me ‘Dad’ or something similar. Now…how about signing those papers?”

Draco nodded and leaned forward to pick up the quill. ‘So, do we take it?’

‘Let’s do it.’

With a slight smirk, Draco signed his new name: Orion John Snape.