-II-

"Then why have you not freed him?" Alexander asked in Severus' direction, raising his eyebrow.

Severus gulped. Was this a test? Would it be disobeying the wish of the master of the house if he freed Joren? A heavy hand sank down on his shoulder from behind and Alastor deep voice came from close behind him.

"It's the task of the partners in dueling to free their partner."

"Oh," Severus said. He could not remember that rule, but he hardly could remember much about dueling rules at all. He wondered how much Albus and Radgarid had sorted away in his mind. He waved his wand and the ropes around Joren vanished.

"Thanks, man. I really feared I would have to stay bound forever. I'm sure my father would have no pity on me."

Severus grinned back at Joren, and Harry did so as well.

"So we won," Harry said when he had run over to Severus. He raised his hand.

Severus rolled his eyes. "I really don't see the point in this, but if you insist." With that, he clapped his hand with Harry's.

-II-

"Why do you keep scratching, Severus?" Harry asked when they were in the bathroom getting ready for lunch.

"I don't know. My skin has been itchy since yesterday, I think. Maybe even the day before, I can't say for sure." Again, he scratched his chest, and then he lifted his sweater to look at it.

"Damn, that looks horrible, Sev," Harry stated the obvious. "It's even bleeding."

Severus stared down at the rash on his chest. It really looked ugly. He was certain his arms would look like that as well.

"I will go and call Poppy."

"No!"

"Come on, Sev. She'll have a look at it, and then she'll give you a salve or something. It's no big deal."

"Maybe it would be no big deal if we were at home and not facing a bunch of overeager Healers in a few hours, Harry. You have no idea what they are like. I once had to accompany Poppy to a family party after I was hit with a very nasty hex by the Dark Lord. Radgarid hasn't pushed this memory to the back of my mind. I had tremors and cramps at unpredictable periods, and they were all over me, eager to find a solution. I even had to let Thomas and Janus examine me fully from head to toe. I had no chance against them as an adult, but they at least tried to give me some free space and co-determination, but now as a kid...." Severus shuddered. "I can only imagine how it will be."

Harry looked thoughtful at Severus. He did not feel right with this.

"I will tell Poppy as soon as we are back at home. I promise."

"But that's in three days! Who knows how much it will spread?"

"I won't scratch anymore. Come on, we're brothers now. We need to stick together against the adults."

Harry snorted. Severus seemed to like this argument a lot. "Fine, but if it gets worse, you will tell Poppy before we are back home."

"Okay, okay." Severus lowered his jumper just in time. Victor knocked at the door and stepped in.

"The door wasn't locked!" Victor said in his defense when he saw their angry faces. "Before you start yelling, I'm here to apologize. I'm sorry that I hexed you, Severus. I... I was just so angry. My school is making a big tournament for those who stayed at school this Christmas, and I wasn't allowed to stay. 'Family is more important than a tournament,' my father said. That's so unfair. It would have been just this Christmas. I mean, is that too much to ask? Yeah, anyway, you had nothing to do with it, and I'm sorry that I vented my wrath on you. I think we are even. After last night. And I was punished harshly for what I did."

"Yeah, I heard you muttering to yourself while you were in the bathroom," Harry said, but was elbowed in his side by Severus.

"Are you stupid? You can't confess so easily. He could go to his father now and show him this memory in a Pensieve. How stupid are you, Harry?"

Victor laughed. "Yes, he is right, Harry. I would have proof for last night now, but calm down. I don't plan on telling anyone. You proved to be cool by doing it. And as for my punishment, I didn't mean the spanking. I meant the duel. I would have loved to get three more spankings if I would have just been allowed to take part at the duel. Instead I had to help Theodore and Miss I-Know-Better with Jegor." Victor pulled a face. "She is horrible. My parents always are on edge when she is around. She thinks she knows everything about education. I mean, my parents have three children and she only has one. Still, she wants to tell them how to raise us."

Harry started to like Victor and bumped Severus on the arm. "He's okay, Sev. Come on, stop glaring at him."

"Maybe you can come over during the summer holidays. I could show you some tricks in dueling. And you can put that cramp hex on me during a duel, Severus. What do you say?"

"The duel was really fun. So maybe we will come over if your grandfather allows it. I must say I would like to learn some spells. Alastor won't teach us," Severus replied.

Victor grinned from one ear to the other. "Great! Are we even now?" He offered his hand to Severus.

After a short hesitation, Severus took his hand and then Harry shook Victor's hand.

When all three boys came into the dining room, laughing, the adults looked surprised.

"They want to come over during the summer, Grandpa. Can they?" Victor asked while sitting down.

Alexander looked quizzically at Severus and Harry who now looked uncomfortable. "Is that so?"

Harry nodded and shortly after him Severus nodded as well.

"Then you are free to come over whenever you like. Right, Marianne?"

"Of course," Alexander's wife said, beaming at the boys. "During the summer, you can explore the garden and the Quidditch field with Victor. You will love it."

"You have a Quidditch field?" Harry asked, excited, coughing. A quick glance over to Poppy showed that she, of course, had registered that coughing, and Harry was certain he was in for another round of potions after lunch.

"Yes, and I know some kids who could come over so we can have a real Quidditch match," Victor said.

X-X

Severus had almost forgotten his problems with his hands, but now after the duel and lunch his fingers were stiff and painful. He hid them in his pockets as long as possible, always careful that Poppy would not get wind of it.

"Alastor?" Severus asked while Poppy was busy packing.

"What is it, Severus? Problems?"

"No, I wondered if you could change the Warning Glass into a pendant for me so I can wear it around my neck. Argus said it can be changed into a pendant easily."

"Sure. Give it to me. Those things are charmed to be able to have three different kind of forms. This ball, a pendant to wear around the neck, and a pocket form for men. Maybe you would like the last version better. I will show you. We can still change it in a pendant if you don't like it." Alastor waved his wand, and the warning ball shrank and a long chain was attached to it. "It's charmed to be Unbreakable. You can fasten it at your belt loops with that hook." Alastor showed Severus how to wear the ball like an old fashioned pocket watch. "What do you think?"

"That's better than the pendant. Thanks."

"You are welcome, son." Alastor ruffled Severus' hair, not bothered by the protest he got from his adoptive son.

X-X

Harry and Severus stepped quickly aside when almost hysterical screaming shocked them after they stepped out of the fireplace. Who would believe that women in their fifties could behave like teenagers when they meet each other? And Poppy had been here only two months ago. The sisters were behaving as if they had not seen each other for years.

"You are scaring the boys, ladies," one of the men on the couch stated, amused. Severus remembered him to be Janus, the mind Healer. Before Severus could look at the rest of the men, his cheeks were cupped by Charlotte, Janus' wife.

"Oh, look at you, Severus! What have you done? We were all so worried."

Severus gulped and was glad when Charlotte let go of him to greet Harry. Unfortunately, he could not even take one breath before his head was patted by Nora and finally Clara, who was the most insistent one. In horror, Severus saw her eye color shift, which meant she was changing in Healer mode, and he wished he had his Warning Glass in hand to see if she was using magic. It was out of reach, but to his relief, Dexter, Clara's husband, leaned over her shoulder and winked at him. In one hand, he still held his whisky glass and a cigar in the other. "Hey, let my Potions partner be in peace, Clara. You are making him nervous. What if you scar him so much that he doesn't want to brew with me later?"

Severus liked Dexter. They had brewed a lot together, and he had always been his escape helper here. Apparently, that had not changed. He could count on him.

"Oh no, no brewing today, Dexter. He is magically drained from his activities this morning," Poppy stated while she fought her way through the crowd of Healers and Mediwitches around Severus and Harry. "And I promised them that you would restrain yourselves. Good gracious, let them breathe." She laid a protective arm around Severus and Harry and glared at her relatives.

Janus laughed. "Let's get over to the coffee table. Lotte has some nice hot chocolates for the boys and something to help you to calm down as well, Poppy. Alastor, whisky?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Alastor replied, glad to escape all the ruckus.

X-X

Harry followed Severus' example and backed away from the women as soon as they had stepped out of the fireplace. Severus had been right. They would be coddled to death. If the sisters hugged each other like that, they would be even worse with children. Harry's fear was proven right when Severus suddenly was in Charlotte's grip. He felt sorry for his brother, but was also a bit glad that he was not the one she was paying attention to. This relief was short-lived as the other sisters, the brunette, and if Harry guessed right, the youngest one, were all over him, ruffling his hair, asking him thousands of questions Harry did not understand. She let go of him when the blond woman who a moment before was occupied with Severus came over to him. She looked as if she was the oldest one. Her blonde curly hair slowly became gray, and she wore it in a high ponytail. She looked kindly at him and cupped his cheeks.

"You must be, Harry. Welcome to my home. I'm Lotte."

Harry was breathing quickly, but he could control it. Severus definitely was the one with more problems. He smelled cigar smoke, and Harry crinkled his nose.

"Dexter, really. The boy has asthma," Lotte scolded the man, who leaned over the brunette's shoulder, looking at Severus. She waved her wand and the smell vanished. The cigar was still smoking, but the smoke seemed to vanish a few inches away from the cigar.

"No fun, these women," Dexter whispered in Harry's ear after Poppy had rescued Severus and him and they were led over to the sitting group. Harry was reminded of Sirius, even though this man was most certainly in his late forties or early fifties.

Poppy kept them standing while all the others sat down. "Now that everyone has calmed down, I would like to introduce our boys. This is Harry." She gently patted Harry's hair. "And Severus here you already knew as an adult."

Harry felt like he was in an exam, even though the people looked friendly at him and Severus. He could not stop himself from coughing again. Poppy had forgotten to give him another dose of his potion after the packing, and Harry did not mention it to her. Now he could no longer suppress his coughing. As if that was a signal for them, their eyes all went to him. Harry could see how they fought not to shift into Mediwitch and Healer mode. Some were more successful than others. Especially the woman who had greeted him first; she had to be calmed down by her husband, Dexter.

"You need to take your potion after I introduce everyone to you, Harry," Poppy stated and looked worried at him.

"I can clean his lungs, Poppy. How long has he been on the potion already?" the brown-haired man, who had mostly stayed in the background, asked.

"That would be nice, Thomas." Seeing Harry's protest, she said to him, "You will feel much better after it, Harry, and we can skip the potion. It won't take long for Thomas to clear your lungs."

Harry did not miss that she had not assure him that it was painless, which she normally would have down if it would have been painless. "I feel much better already, Poppy. Really."

Poppy sighed. "We will discuss this after I introduced you to all of them."

"Yes, and after he's had a nice hot chocolate. Severus looks like he could use one, too," Lotte stated.

"Yes, all right. So boys, this is Charlotte, my oldest sister and the woman of this house. Over there is her husband, Janus." Poppy pointed at the man with the blue eyes that looked like he could read minds. He was the one that had rescued them from the women by suggesting to go over to the sitting area. Harry tried to remember what Severus has told him about them all, and he was sure Severus had said Janus was the mind Healer.

"This is Nora. She is the third eldest. Thomas is her husband. They are both working in a children's hospital. That's why I would really like him to check you through, Harry, and clear your lungs." Poppy looked warningly at Harry, who screwed his face.

"Last, but not least, my sister Clara, the youngest of us and her husband, Dexter. Clara works at St. Mungos, and Dexter also is a Healer, but he has only been working in the laboratories lately."

Harry shyly went over to his new relatives to shake their hands. Janus again eyed him with his blue eyes, and Harry was sure he was trying to read his mind or something. It was a bit creepy even though he seemed very relaxed and friendly. Maybe he should not have let Severus make him crazy about this all.

Relieved, Harry sat down beside Alastor when he was done with all the hand shaking, and Lotte gave him a cup of wonderful hot chocolate. It was even better than Poppy's.

X-X

Severus groaned inwardly. Why did Harry have to go and great them all? Now he had to do the same, and having skin to skin contact with Healers was never a good thing when one was trying to hide something.

His fear became even worse when Janus held his hand longer than normal and pulled him a little closer. This man had looked though him as an adult, and Severus knew he would be even easier to read for the man now. He pleadingly looked at him and was released. After taking a deep breath, he shook hands with Nora and Thomas. The man eyed him suspicious as well. His cover most certainly was already blown, and Severus wished he could just run and hide.

Thomas and Nora did not say anything, but Clara could not contain herself. "Severus, you-"

"Clara, Clara, didn't you hear Poppy and Lotte? The boys need some hot chocolate," Dexter said and pulled Severus over to him. "So, what have you done to not be ready for brewing this afternoon?"

Severus was relieved that Dexter had rescued him. "Ehm...we had a duel with Alastor and his brothers," he said softly. "We won."

"A duel? Oh, I bet you had one being over at Alastor's brother's place. I'm sure the visit was full of action, and now you have to spend three days here. You must be delighted," Dexter said sarcastically.

"Dexter, really. There are enough things the boys can do. The kids are never bored when they spend their holidays here," Clara said, not looking through her husband's attempt to distract her. Dexter was a true Slytherin, and had been in school with Alastor.

Severus grinned thankfully at Dexter and sat down beside Harry. He sniffed cautiously at his hot chocolate before he took a sip. He heard Janus chuckle, but ignored him.

"You robbed Severus of his magic so he won't be able to brew with me? Very Slytherin tactic of your wife to convince you to do so just to annoy me," Dexter said teasingly.

Alastor smirked in his whisky glass.

"I didn't, Dexter," huffed Poppy. "I would have loved to have stopped them, but as the only woman in this family, I had no chance." She looked accusingly from Alastor to Dexter and back.

"Oh my, and now she has back-up from her sisters. Beware, you three," Dexter said, amused.

"You are unbelievable, Dexter. Maybe you should stop drinking," Clara said and grabbed Dexter's glass of scotch out of his hand.

"As long as I have you, I'm happy," Dexter teased her and pulled her into a kiss.

It was amusing to see Dexter distract the other, but soon Severus hardly could stop himself from scratching at his chest. The Floo powder really seemed to make his rash worse. "I need to go to the bathroom."

"I will come with you," Harry quickly said, happy to escape all the Healers before Poppy would send him to Thomas.

"And I always thought only women went together to the loo," Thomas stated, amused.

Both Severus and Harry blushed and quickly left. As Lotte moved to show them the bathroom, Severus quickly said, "Third door down the hall. I still know where it is."