~*~

Poppy stood up and looked dangerously at her husband. "Sometimes I wonder why I married you."

Alastor stood up and hugged his wife possessively. "Because you love me." He grinned and added, "And because you found this dangerous and mysterious Auror sexy."

"Oh, and see what I have now. An old fool who enjoys scaring kids away." Poppy pushed herself out of his arms.

"Maybe an old fool, but still sexy, aren't I?" Alastor grabbed again for her, but when he leaned over to kiss her, she leaned away.

"No kissing or anything similar until the old fool has told me what he wants for his birthday. And no, Alastor, I won't draw you something." With that she slipped out of the room and left a stunned Alastor behind.

~*~

Loud crashing sounds from the living room pulled Alastor out of his stupor. Seconds later a pink haired head appeared in the door frame. "Hey, old man," Tonks said cheerfully. "Ehm, did Poppy like the old vase on the mantelpiece a lot?"

"First, I'm not an old man, and if you say that again, I will show you how quick this old man is and I'll have you doing back flips squawking like a chicken in no time. Second, this old vase I very much liked."

"Phew, lucky me, then it can only be an old nick-knack," Tonks said teasingly.

Alastor growled. "How you made it through my Auror training is beyond my imagination."

"Oh, and I was even one of the best, wasn't I?" Tonks asked and ruffled Alastor's hair.

Another growl from Alastor was the reaction, and he tried to flatten his hair again. "What do you want, girl? My patience isn't good today."

"Oh, is Moody getting moody? 80 isn't so old, old man." Tonks teased him again, but then squeaked in surprise when Alastor grabbed her around her waist and pulled her over his lap.

"I warned you girl," Alastor said and playfully hit her three times on her backside.

"Oh, that was very scary, Senior Auror Moody," Tonks said chuckling as she straightened up.

"So what are you here for, Nymphadora?" Alastor asked.

Crinkles were forming on her forehead and between her eyebrows. Her hair turned from pink to red. "Don't call me Nymphadora!"

"Only if you stop calling me old man!" Alastor took the challenge.

Tonks hair changed back to pink, and she relaxed. "Damn, you meant it? Oh, come on, Alastor, you don't really have a problem with turning 80, have you?"

"Agh," Alastor said, trying to hide his real feelings. "Of course I haven't."

Tonks raised an eyebrow.

That reminded Alastor very much of the old Severus. This would be the first birthday for a long time without him. Alastor felt a sting in his heart. He had learned to respect Severus a lot during his spy time. What the man had burdened himself with was unbelievable and how did the damn ministry thank him for it? They forced him to either be de-aged or rot in Azkaban. He felt ashamed for ever having worked for those people. It would been boring without Severus' dry comments. How much Alastor loved the dry humor of Severus. Little Sev hardly compared with his old friend. This cheerful child hardly reminded him of the private and very reliable man he had called a good friend. That's one of the reasons why he wished his birthday would already be over. He knew that they will have a big party, and one year ago he would have loved it because he knew Severus would find so many ways of amusing him the whole time. Now it will only be cheerful. I hope at least Tonks crashes something, Alastor thought.

"Don't you want to ask me what I want for my birthday?" Alastor asked annoyed. If she asks me, I will tell her she shall break something. Or better not, Poppy will have my head if she gets wind of this.

"I will be there, isn't that enough?" Tonks asked playfully.

"That depends on what you are doing at the feast." No, Alastor, no, Poppy will kill you! he reminded himself mentally.

"I will behave, I promise. Kingsley will be there as well."

"Wonderful," Alastor said annoyed. "Then I will hear Auror stories all day. Damn, Severus, and you won't be there to rescue me, Alastor thought miserably.

"Then my birthday present will be that I distract Kingsley, so he can't tell you stories. How about that?" Tonks asked smiling.

"Deal," Alastor said grinning back. His mood was a bit lighter now.

"Oh, what I originally came for." Tonks leaned against the table which brought Alastor's cup down with a crash. "Oops." Tonks jumped away from the table, knocked over a chair by it and lost her balance. "Definitely not an old man," Tonks said, laughing when she found herself not on the hard floor but in Alastor's arms.

"Old Auror reflexes." Alastor helped Tonks to straighten up.

"Flirting with my husband, Tonks?" Poppy asked teasingly when she entered the kitchen.

"You know I can't resist him, Poppy," Tonks smiled at the older woman. She had known these people since she was a small child. Later when she was in Auror training they helped her a lot. She often had lost her motivation and wanted to give up. These two elders had known exactly how to kick a lazy ass and how to motivate a worried person. "Oh, I have to go now."

She was almost at the door when Alastor called for her, "Didn't you forget something, Tonks?"

Before she could answer, she was hit by something. She crashed down on her back on the floor hard, and when she opened her eyes in surprise, she saw a worried looking Sev on her stomach. "Sowwy," Severus said shyly. He knew he wasn't allowed to run and hoped he wouldn't be in too much trouble.

"Sorry, Tonks," Harry said while he lifted Sev from her and helped her up. "Sev saw the crashed vase and knew it must be you here. I couldn't stop him from running like a Tasmanian Devil through the quarters to find you."

Sev was looking down. Soon Aunt Poppy would shout at him for running and hurting Aunt Tonks. When a hand ruffled his hair, he looked up in Tonks smiling face. "Nothing happened, tyke!"

"Really?" He shyly looked past Tonks at his aunt and uncle. Aunt Poppy looked reproachful, but didn't say anything, and Uncle Al looked as if he was trying not to laugh.

"Really," Tonks said in a squeaky voice and transformed her nose into a pig snout. Being a Metamorphmagus helped a lot with children.

Severus squeaked excitedly and clapped his hands while bouncing up an down. "More, more!"

Tonks transformed several times one or more parts of her face.

Seeing the overexcited Severus and a Harry with shining eyes, which was so seldom, Poppy sighed and linked her arm with Alastor's.

"Sentimental witch," Alastor teased her and laid an arm around her shoulders. "Already forgotten your little threat?"

"No." She hit him slightly on his chest, but then snuggled closer. "That is so cute."

Alastor chuckled. "Don't let Harry hear that."

Slowly Sev calmed down, and Tonks could stop entertaining the boy.

"You never told us why you came, Tonks," Alastor stated.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry Alastor. They sent me because I'm the one who has the best chances at surviving." Tonks paused and saw that Poppy had tightened her embrace on Alastor. "You know how the Ministry were thinking about having a big party for your eightieth..."

She didn't get any further because Alastor exploded. "The Ministry can lick my-"

"ALASTOR!" Poppy shouted at her husband. Seeing his puzzled look, she added, "Severus is in the room."

Alastor used a lot of effort to stop himself from cursing Tonks for even coming to him with this at all.

"I would say that's a no. I will tell the Minister your decision. Bye." Tonks was gone in a blink.

"What shall the Ministry lick, Uncle Al?" Sev asked puzzled.

Alastor stared openmouthed at the four-year old boy.

"His famous chocolate ice-cream what else?" Harry said. "Oh and speaking of it, how about some?"

"Yeah," Sev shouted and ran to the cooling cupboard. It was like a Muggle fridge, but you can add cooling charms of what ever temperature you need on each item in it.

When they finally were alone again because the boys, which they call them even though Harry is an adult, left to play memory, Poppy watched her husband closely. Alastor was looking sadly in the distance. "What's wrong, Alastor?"

"Nothing is wrong. What makes you think that? I'm just a bit worried that I won't get a kiss from you," Alastor tried to joke.

Poppy remained serious and gently took Alastor's hands in hers. "Stop hiding from me, Alastor. We once swore to each other not to hide anything. You look sad, and I can't believe that it is because you are getting older. You never had a problem with this, why should you have one now?"

Alastor sighed and tried to avoid the glance of his wife. "It's because of Severus."

"What's with Sev?" Poppy asked.

Again Alastor sighed. "Not, Sev, Poppy, Severus."

"Oh," Poppy said. That was the only topic she also still had problems speaking about. She missed Severus so very much. He was like a son to her. All the days she healed him in the infirmary. Nobody knew better than her how Severus had to suffer. His nightmares, his guilt, the pain of his physical and emotional wounds were so deep that Poppy often had lost hope that they ever could heal. Now they will never know if he could have healed completely. The Ministry never gave him the chance. She loved little Sev, but he was a totally different person than Severus. So cheerful and open-hearted. After seeing little Sev's wounds the first day after Severus' de-aging, Poppy knew how hard it must have been for Severus to trust them. The more she mourned that they didn't have a chance to show the old Severus that they loved him and didn't just need him as a spy as he so often had assumed.

"I realized that it will be the first birthday without him," Alastor said and his voice broke from the lump in his throat.

"I know, Alastor." Poppy snuggled closer to Alastor and rested her head on his shoulder. "I miss him so much." Tears ran down her cheeks.

Alastor faced her now and wiped the tears away with his thumb. "That's why I didn't want to talk with you about it, my dear."

"No, please tell me what's bothering you." Poppy captured Alastor's thumb in her hand and kissed it.

"I know you really love those big parties where everyone comes and is cheerful, Poppy. At some point I liked them too, but the best thing was when Severus would be sitting beside me and commenting on all the stupid things the people did around us and commenting dryly about the gossip that had been told. It was like a ritual, and I laughed my heart out with him. Those were the rare times when I saw him grin or even smile, Poppy. He had suffered so much for helping all those people, and now he is gone because they couldn't forgive his past." Alastor paused and laughed bitterly. "I love Sev. Without him I don't even know how I could live with all this guilt, but I can't stop myself from wishing Severus back. They should have given him a chance. I hate the Ministry." Alastor's normally so calm and gentle face, even with all the scars and his magical eye became an angry grimace.

"Hate doesn't change anything, Alastor. We need our energy for those who live. We have to give Sev a wonderful childhood, and Harry the love he needs to heal. Aren't those wonderful reasons to forget the hate?"

Alastor kissed the hand of his wife gently. "You are right, my dear. As you so often are."