A month later, Harry sat at the island, frowning. He still hadn't called Severus 'Dad' yet. Of course the older wizard told him not to worry about it, but he couldn't just ignore it. He wanted a dad, hell, someone for years. Now he had a dad and a mum, but he couldn't call them that for some reason. Well, Aurora was easier to think of as Mum, and if he wanted to, he knew he could call her it. However, he didn't, though, because he couldn't call Severus 'Dad' yet.

"There's my Gryffindor," Aurora softly said as she slowly walked down the hallway towards him. Her hair stuck up in several spots from just waking. She had a pleasant smile on her face before she kissed Harry's cheek a moment later. "So, what dismal subject are we reading about this time?" she joked, tousling his hair lovingly.

"Divination," he mumbled.

"Ah," she replied, nodding slowly.

"I'm almost finished. Then I'll just have my Transfigurations essay left."

"Well, that's good news, Harry."

"Yeah," he said, sighing.

"All right, what's wrong, Harry?" she asked, taking a seat at the island next to him.

"It's stupid," he replied, shaking his head.

"Whatever it is, Harry, I'm sure it's not. Come on. Tell me what's bothering you."

Harry glanced up at her before he pushed aside his book. He frowned, sighing softly. It was too stupid, but he knew arguing with her wasn't in his best interests.

"I still can't call him 'Dad.' I mean, I always wanted one, and he really does love me, I think. So why can't I just say it?"

"Well, it's probably what we've been saying. You want Severus to earn it."

"But he's been trying, though."

"Yes, he has," she agreed. "However, there's some little trigger in your mind, something that you likely saw someone do with his or her dad that's been left in your head. Once he does hits that trigger, you'll be able to call him 'Dad.' Until then, he's still Severus."

"He's going to think I'm too much—"

"He most certainly is not, Harry," she cut him off. "Severus understands that you're not ready yet, and he's showing you that by trying. You'll get there, though, Harry. It's just going to take some time." She then rested a hand on the young Gryffindor's shoulder. "He understands, though. We all do. So don't feel bad because you can't say it yet. We're all just going to have to be patient."

"You think I'll say it?"

"I know you'll say it," she replied, kissing his cheek again. She then sighed. "How about you write a letter to Severus and you tell him what your definition of a dad is? You don't have to give it to him, just write it out. Maybe through that act it'll help you get there."

"I guess," Harry said with a shrug. "It couldn't hurt I mean."

"No, it can't hurt," she agreed.

Harry then frowned and hung his head. The question had been on his mind for a month now. However, he still hadn't worked up the courage to ask it yet. He felt Aurora gently rest a hand on top of his, which made him glance up at her.

"What is it, Harry?"

"Well, can I, um, can I ask you a question?" She nodded slowly. "It's sort of personal."

"Ask it, Harry."

"It's just, well, Madam Pomfrey said, well, um." He then closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Never mind, it's stupid."

"Just ask it, Harry."

"Um, well, I was just wondering if you were, well, if you were pregnant before." He caught the brief look of pain that crossed her features before she forced her smile to remain on her lips. "I'm sorry," Harry quickly said, feeling badly. "I didn't mean—"

"No, it's all right, Harry. It's a valid question." She then sighed. "I was pregnant before, but I miscarried during my eighteenth week." Her frown deepened. "At the time, I was very young, so I didn't do any of the necessary steps that I've done this time. In fact, I sort of ignored it, hoping that it'd just magically disappear. So I didn't see it develop. I didn't hear its heart beating. I didn't even feel its little kicks. I just did my best to ignore it, not wanting to recognize the life inside me."

"Didn't you have anyone, though, you know, to help you?"

"Yes, but I was ashamed so I didn't tell anyone. I just kept it to myself. No one found out about it until after I miscarried."

"That's sad," the young man replied, not knowing anything better to say.

"Yes, Harry, it was rather sad," she said quietly. She then inhaled slowly. "Well, if Severus asks where I am, tell him I'm running myself a bath."

"He's not here?" Harry could have sworn that he was.

"No, he had to run some errands this morning in London. He was supposed to be back soon, though." She then slid off the bar-style chair, kissing the top of Harry's head before she headed towards her bedroom, closing the door softly behind her.

"My definition of a dad," the young man mumbled quietly, pulling out a spare bit of parchment and a self-inking quill. He pressed the tip of the quill against his lips as he thought. What was his definition of a dad? Maybe that was his whole trouble. He didn't have a well-thought out definition. It was just a bunch of acts all scrambled about in his mind. Chewing on his bottom lip, he decided to write out each of those acts, hoping that would give him the answer.

"Good morning, Harry."

Harry's head jerked up and glanced towards to the sudden sound. He smiled softly towards Severus a moment later as the man walked into the room through the opened portrait. His eyes then narrowed on the items Severus was carrying.

"I thought you finished the nursery months ago."

"I finished the cribs, Harry. I have yet to finish the decorating."

"Isn't that sort of a mum thing, though?"

"When it comes to preparations, there are not set 'mum' and 'dad' things, Harry," Severus replied with a low chuckle. "I informed Aurora earlier that I would take care of all the details, while she took time to rest."

"Oh," the young man replied, folding his letter slowly before setting it aside. "So, what is all that stuff then?" He slowly slid out of his chair and walked towards the man then.

"According to the witch who assisted me, it's all the essentials a parent needs when having twins." Severus then snorted as he readjusted his grip on some of the bags he was holding.

"Looks more like she had you buy the entire store," Harry said with a short laugh.

"And then some," Severus responded with another snort. He inclined his head in gratitude when Harry grabbed some of the bags from him.

Harry followed him into the nursery, smiling as he caught the mahogany cribs side by side. When Severus pointed to a spot, he gently placed the bags down there before he moved to the handmade cribs. His fingers trailed over the smooth wood of the closest crib, tracing the intricate half-moon cutout. He then glanced at the other crib, softly laughing as he noticed the cauldron cutout.

"They look great, Severus."

"Thank you, Harry," the older man replied.

"Um, do you mind if I help you set all this stuff up?"

"And just which subject are we avoiding?" Severus asked, smiling faintly.

"Transfigurations, but I'll work on it after we finish. I promise."

"Well, I likely need all the help I can get."

"Cool." Harry then walked towards one of the bags, pulling out a floppy eared pink bunny. He glanced towards Severus with it, laughing. "I take it that she picked this out?"

"What? You don't think I can pick out stuffed animals for my children?" he asked, smirking.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you're not exactly a stuffed animal person."

"Then don't look in half the bags, Harry," he replied, chuckling. He then pulled some tiny items from a small bag, placing them in each crib.

"What are those?"

"Mattresses," he answered, waving a hand towards the tiny items. Within seconds, the items slowly expanded, fitting the confined space perfectly by leaving no gaps. Severus then bent down, grabbing two fitted sheets from another bag. He spelled them onto the mattresses exactly two seconds later. He chuckled softly when Harry's head snapped at him.

"You mean there's actually someone out there who makes cauldron themed baby stuff?"

"You'd be surprised, Harry."

"Isn't she going to be upset that you're—I don't know—influencing them?"

"We're Slytherins, Harry. Our entire life likely is going to be attempt after attempt to sway our children to our line of thinking. We're cunning, remember?" he said, smiling. He then waved his hand towards the half-moon crib, spelling its sheet to be a starry ensemble.

For the next half hour, they removed items from the bags, placing them in various parts of the room. A rocking chair went in between the cribs with soft towels hung off its arm. Hung on the wall behind the cribs was a unicorn tapestry above the half-moon one and a snake tapestry above the cauldron crib. A changing table that doubled as a dresser was near the door with the thousands of diapers carefully shrunk and placed in the drawers. A mobile of glow-in-the-dark planets silently spun above the half-moon crib, while a mobile of various potion items spun above the cauldron themed crib. And littered about the entire room were stuffed animals, all shapes, sizes, and colors. There were pygmy puffs, dragons, hippogriffs, phoenixes, unicorns, bunnies, and any other thing that could be made into a stuffed animal.

"Now to add the final touches so Aurora or any other female in this castle doesn't decide to kill me upon seeing this nursery," Severus said, clearing his throat. He pulled his ebony wand out of his robes, pointing it at each stuffed animal.

"What are you doing?"

"Sticking them to their surfaces so no one foolishly decides to give them to the babies to play with," Severus replied. Once he finished sticking each and every stuffed animal to their surface, he sighed, turning towards Harry. "Well, what do you think, Harry?"

"I think you're spoiling them rotten, Dad." Harry's smile then faltered as he heard the word echo in his ears. He had said it. He had called Severus 'Dad.' He felt Severus's hand on his shoulder, which made him inhale slowly. "I called you 'Dad."

"So I noticed," he replied softly. "And I only had to spend two paychecks to do it." When Harry's eyes narrowed, he shook his head. "I'm joking, Harry."

"I called you 'Dad,' Severus."

"I know. I heard you, Harry."

Harry's smile then widened. He had finally called Severus 'Dad.' The young Gryffindor then glanced at him before hugging him, his dad. He laughed against the man's chest, shaking his head. He had called him 'Dad.' He then pulled back. He had this overwhelming urge to shout it from the top of the Astronomy tower. Deciding that was too much work, he ran out of the nursery and tore down the hallway towards the bedroom, letting his silly side take over. He flung open the door, screeching to a halt when he nearly ran into Aurora.

"I called him 'Dad.' Aurora, I called him 'Dad!" Harry shouted with a wide grin, gently grabbing her upper arms bouncing up and down. "I called him 'Dad.' You were right. That letter—it actually worked! Thank you! Thank you!" He then kissed her cheek before he threw his arms around her, hugging her fiercely. "I called him 'Dad!"

"Easy, easy, Harry," she said, laughing. "I'm five months pregnant with twins here." She then returned the hug. "I'm glad you're happy." She ran a loving hand through his hair, smiling when he leaned more into her hand. Gently pushing the young man back a moment later, she flashed a soft, reassuring smile at him when his eyes narrowed in confusion. "We'll definitely celebrate the occasion, boys, as soon as I'm more properly dressed. Because I doubt you want to see this old, pregnant woman in her dressing gown all day."

Harry nodded slowly. In all the excitement, he hadn't noticed that she had emerged from the bath, just barely tying her dressing gown in time before he hugged her. He then laughed awkwardly, glancing down as his face flushed. He felt her press a kiss atop of his head before she retreated into the bathroom with some fresh clothes. Now that he had said 'Dad,' well, it was only a matter of time before he said 'Mum,' right?

~PS~

On Christmas Eve, Harry stood in front of the lit fireplace, waiting for his dad. He still grinned every time he used the word. Though, occasionally, he did slip up and call the man by his first name. However, it was lessening each day now.

"Look, Severus, our two boys are waiting for us so patiently. Do you think they're excited?"

"I think they likely just want to escape the castle, Aurora, more than anything," he replied, kissing her cheek as he helped her walk across the room towards them.

"Circe knows they shouldn't be excited to meet Mother," she mumbled under her breath.

"Everything will be fine, Aurora."

"I'll hold you to that, Severus."

"Um, is something wrong with your mum?" Harry asked quietly, feeling slightly nervous.

"Other than she's a backstabbing bitch who likely will throw a fit when she sees me, no."

"Most pureblood families are like that, though, Professor," Draco said with a snort.

"Yes, well, my mother takes bitch to a new level, Draco."

"Should I cast the shields now then, Aurora?" Severus deadpanned.

"It wouldn't hurt, Severus." She then drew in a slow breath. "All right, some ground rules, gentlemen, which should help us get through this night without anyone ending up in Azkaban. We're to play nice, and unfortunately that means me, too. So if I start to say anything in response to my mother and you can tell that I'm not going to be nice, one of you should redirect the conversation immediately. If my mother opens her mouth and crap spews forth, ignore her. Trust me. I've done it all my life. If she insults your blood status, consider that she's a hag in disguise."

"Aurora," Severus rebuked.

"Oh, trust me, Severus. She's going to make you want to kill her, preferably slowly. She makes Umbitch seem like a damn saint."

"Perhaps we should just depart," he quietly said, staring at her.

"Severus, this is not me exercising my hormonal imbalance. I assure you."

He nodded slowly before glancing at the two teenage boys. They all had the looks of 'sure, whatever you say' on their faces as they forced their smiles. He then grabbed a handful of floo powder, tossed it into the flames, and led her into it, wrapping an arm around her waist once they were both situated in the expanded fireplace.

"Gentlemen, you are to follow us immediately," Severus instructed.

"We know."

She drew in a slow breath. To say she was worried about this meeting was an understatement. Luckily, her father had already guaranteed that her first few minutes would not include a bombardment by her mother striking like the python she was.

"Sinistra Manor," she shouted, closing her eyes as the emerald flames engulfed her and Severus.

Exactly five seconds later, Harry and Draco followed. They were soon spit out of the fireplace and deposited onto the floor unceremoniously with soft grunts as they hit. They quickly went back up on their feet, though, brushing the soot and ash off their dress robes.

"My dear, you're looking as beautiful as always," Orin said, walking into the room a moment later wearing dazzling crimson robes. He gently kissed Aurora's cheek before shaking Severus's hand. "Hello there, Harry, Draco," he said, nodding to each of the young men. "I'm glad all of you decided to accept my invitation to celebrate Christmas here."

"Yes, well, there's really only one reason we wouldn't, Dad," Aurora replied, smiling as she brushed the dirt off her sparkling silver dress robes.

"Please, Aura," Orin quietly said.

"I'll play nice if she does, Dad." Aurora's eyes darted about the drawing room, sighing when she only saw them. "I take it the elves have already placed our clothes and such in our rooms?"

"Yes," he replied, sighing. "How about I give you a tour of the estates then?"

"The boys likely are rather hungry, though, Dad. I don't suppose we could head over to the dining room and wait for Mother to make her entrance?"

"If you'd rather," Orin responded, inclining his head. He then whirled around, heading across the large drawing room towards the large entryway.

Harry followed behind the adults with Draco beside him. The blond seemed to be at home with all the lavish and luxurious decorations. Harry, however, was staring at every sparkling item in the room, including the massive tree decorated in green, silver, gold, and crimson in the corner. He had never seen a tree as big as that one before. In fact, he was rather convinced that if Aunt Petunia had seen that tree, she would have choked to death.

When they walked into the foyer a moment later, Harry nearly choked. His new mum seemed to come from some money. He caught Orin's soft laugh ahead of him.

"Yes, our grand entrance hall usually has that effect on people," Orin said, laughing.

The grand entrance hall of the manor certainly lived up to its name. The Dursleys' entire house, including the yard, could have fit inside of it with room to spare. In fact, standing in the middle of the room underneath the chandelier with hundred of lights and glass icicles, a person felt dwarfed in the brightly lit magnificence of the room.

The beige colored walls curved around the twin staircases only to meet pure white ceiling with gold trim. Harry couldn't help but wonder if the gold was real or merely a metallic paint. From what he'd seen so far, though, Harry guessed it was real. The Sinistras certainly had the means to have gold inlay on their ceilings and archways.

Four elliptical steps (each less elongated than the previous) led up to a medium-sized landing that had a built-in decorative white marble bench against the beige wall. To the right and left of the landing, twin staircases curved away from each other against the walls, only to meet again on the second floor. The deep cherry wooden steps contrasted just enough with the marble floor and beige walls to lead one's eyes up the stairs one by one, only be stopped by the extravagant sight of the dangling chandelier.

Heels clicking against the wood a moment later made Harry glance up at the top of the stairs. His breath caught in the back of his throat as he watched a pale golden blond curly haired woman seemingly float down the staircase wearing elegant midnight blue robes with decorative silver sewn into it. She had a sort of air about her that just made a person stare.

"You must be my future son-in-law that I've practically heard nothing about," the witch drawled softly as she made her way down the stairs. Her unnatural blue eyes slowly trailed over to Harry and Draco before she glanced back with a thin smile. "I am Syra Sinistra. No doubt my eldest has done her damndest to make you believe that I am some sort of Medusa."

"A," Severus started to say, his voice cracking a moment later. He just drew in a breath, ignoring his uneasiness. "A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Sinistra," he said, holding his hand out palm up.

"Mrs.?" she hissed, her icy blue eyes hardening. "Refer to me as Syra, if you please."

"Of course, forgive me, Syra," he replied, inclining his head respectfully.

"I am not your Dark Lord, so do not bow in front of me either," she snapped.

"Lay off him, Mother," Aurora growled, glaring at the older witch.

"No doubt you found him in Azkaban," Syra said, rolling her eyes. "He just reeks of it." Holding her head up high, she brushed past, heading into the room in front of them.

"And here you all thought it was the hormones," Aurora said, sighing as she followed. A moment later, she gave a soft smile to Severus as he pushed her chair in for her after she sat down. She then flashed another smile at the boys who looked extremely uneasy.

Harry couldn't help but look around the dining room. A chandelier with snakes carved into the silver hung above the long elegant table. Silver-framed portraits (some of majestic landscapes and others of people) hung on the walls. The walls were a serene color, but Harry couldn't tell if it was beige or a really pale yellow. Looking around, it seemed a bit like they were back at Hogwarts eating in the Great Hall. However, instead of sitting on the hard benches, they sat on plush silver velour dining room chairs. The arms of the chairs curved out from the back with a serpentine crest engraved into the wood. Floral sprays and leaves were etched by a skilled hand with uncanny precision into the deep mahogany backs. The chairs themselves almost resembled serpents. The legs, arms, and back curved in and out like a snake climbing up a lattice.

"Trin," Orin called out. He glanced towards the little house elf once it popped in. "It perhaps might be best if you brought dinner out right away." He then turned back when the house elf nodded before it popped out, likely to get the others. "So, who here likes duck? Because the elves here cook the best duck in likely the entire Kingdom," Orin said with a laugh. "At least that's my opinion."

"You're Abraxas Malfoy's grandson, aren't you?" Syra asked Draco suddenly, ignoring Orin's weak attempt to steer the direction into something less hostile.

"Yes, ma'am, I am," Draco replied quietly, glancing at her.

"Son of a Black, I believe, also, yes?" she asked.

"My mother was Narcissa Black," Draco answered, swallowing slowly.

Syra gave him a small smile before she reached for her wine glass. She took a quiet sip of the deep crimson, which seemed to make her guests even more nervous. Dabbing the corners of her mouth with her napkin a moment later, she inhaled slowly before glancing at Orin.

"I, however, don't share their ideals, ma'am," Draco offered quietly.

"Silly child, I never asked you if you did," she replied coldly. "In the future, it might be beneficial if you don't try to assume you know what I'm thinking before you offer such thoughts."

Luckily, the foods sudden appearance stopped the words on the tip of Aurora's tongue from being spoken. The family quietly grabbed their silverware, favoring silence over conversation. However, Syra was not going to let them get off so easy, though.

"Your sister sends her love. She unfortunately could not make back here this year for Christmas. I believe it stems with some difficulty she's experiencing in a few of her classes at Beauxbatons. She informs me, however, that had she known you'd be coming, she would have come of course."

Aurora only nodded, forcing a smile to her face. She stabbed her fork into one of her salad's cherry tomatoes a moment later, envisioning it being her mother. If she could only be so lucky, though, by it being that easy.

"Jezlyn informs me that you've been in constant contact with her in fact," Syra said quietly. "You see, she asked me to inquire as to the sex of the twins."

"Severus and I do not wish to know," Aurora replied respectfully, quickly shoveling a piece of lettuce into her mouth to keep her from retorting something nasty back.

"Neither of you are curious?"

"Curiosity is a troublesome trait Gryffindors suffer from, ma'am," Harry said quietly, hoping the scary lady would take it as a joke. He gulped when her cold blue eyes immediately darted to him.

"And just who told you that?"

"Um, well, um, Sev—I mean, my dad, ma'am," he replied, nodding slowly.

"Unless I'm mistaken, your father is dead."

Within seconds, Aurora stood up and drew her wand, pointing at her mother. Her brown eyes were near black as she glared at the woman. She shrugged off Severus's hand when he gently tried to pull her back down.

"You will either apologize for that comment now, or we're leaving, Mother!" she snarled.

"Very well," Syra replied, motioning for Aurora to sit down again. She glanced towards Harry a moment later. "I apologize for my harshness, Mr. Potter. I was not aware that you considered Severus to be your new father. In the future, I shall not make such cruel remarks."

"It's all right, ma'am," Harry quietly replied.

"It most certainly is not, young man," Syra argued. "However, I appreciate your kindness and your ability to forgive so easily. Likely, those are admirable traits imprinted upon you from your Muggleborn mother before she too departed."

"Are you going to make some damn comment about that now, too, Mother?"

"No." Syra then started to eat her salad in silence, taking the occasional glance at Severus and Harry. She, however, never glanced at them more than a half a second before looking away.

Nearly fifteen minutes later, when the leftovers vanished as soon as the last napkin was set against the plate, the six glanced at one another uneasily. Syra, however, was the first to rise, causing Orin, Severus, and Draco to rise politely. She waved them off, though, walking out of the room a moment later without a word.

"I suppose you want me to feel bad now, right, Dad?"

"Aura, you know how she is," Orin softly replied, glancing at her with a disapproving look.

"Yes, well, if you'll forgive me, Dad," Aurora said, slowly standing. "I think I'm going to go lay down for a bit. I take it Severus and I are in my old bedroom?"

"You are," Orin answered, frowning. "The boys will be rooming right across the hall from you in the spare bedroom."

Aurora nodded slowly, smiling softly when her dad walked to her and kissed her forehead. She then waved Severus off, motioning for him to remain with the boys. She caught his look instantly.

"I'm fine, Severus," she said, placing a hand on his chest. "I'm just going to lay down for a bit while Dad no doubt gives you the grand tour of the estates." She then turned around, slowly walking out of the dining room and disappearing behind the corner, likely heading up the staircase.

"Have they always been like that?" Harry asked quietly.

"Trust me, young Harry. That was rather mild for them," Orin answered with a nervous laugh. "In any case, how about I do as Aura suggested and show you around?" He gave them all a soft smile when they nodded slowly. "All right, well, as you can already tell, this is the dining room." He then walked towards the closed swinging door on the far side of the room. He gently pushed it open, allowing them to see inside. "The kitchen is in there. The elves are known to pop in once we enter, so we're not going to step in here tonight. I figure we're all pretty full from dinner. However, tomorrow, I'm planning on fixing us all a nice Christmas breakfast, so we'll eat in here in the morning. The earlier you wake, the better food you'll get," he joked.

Orin then turned around, heading out of the dining room towards the foyer again. He pointed towards the drawing room. "Near the very back of the drawing room where the bookcases are is the side entrance to my study. It tends to confuse people, though." He then whirled around and headed towards the stairs, stopping a moment later on the landing. He then pressed a hand against the wall, causing a deep rumbling to be heard. The built-in decorative white marble bench slowly rose up from the floor, revealing an archway a moment later with shimmering silver liquid that seemed as if it was, well, suspended water, rippling gently with the breeze. "That is the main entrance to my study, however."

"Whoa," Harry and Draco both said.

"Yes, well, you may thank the elves for that. They were the ones who designed it." Orin then pressed his hand against the beige wall again, causing the silver liquid to stream downwards like a waterfall before the archway slowly lowered itself back into the floor to become a bench once again.

"Can we ask Mokai to add that to Prince Manor, Dad?" Harry asked, smiling.

"Unfortunately, young Harry, it requires more magic than one elf has," Orin replied, laughing. "But, yes, I too found it to be rather impressive when I first saw it so many years ago." He then gave a soft smile to the young Gryffindor. "My ancestors' elves surely were impressive interior designers, I'd say," he joked. "Now, are we ready for the second floor, gentlemen?"

"Does it look as wicked as this one does, sir?"

"Harry," Severus softly said, placing a warning hand on his shoulder.

"It's all right, Severus," Orin replied, laughing. "Your colleague Miss Vector had the same reaction when Aurora brought her here the first time." He slowly led them up the stairs, walking down the long corridor a moment later. He stopped in front of the first door on the right, opening it. "This is the lavatory. However, each of your rooms has an adjoining bathroom. For some reason, the elves seemed to think we magical folk need separate bathrooms for every bedroom when they designed the living areas. So, we typically only use this lavatory when we're doing something downstairs."

Orin then closed the door, heading down a few feet to another door. He opened it and stepped inside, waiting for the three to step inside. He smiled at Harry's look of awe.

"These will be your rooms, gentlemen," he said to Harry and Draco. He then pointed towards a closed door. "The bathroom is through there. You'll find a bath, shower, toilet, really anything a person could need," he said with a laugh. He then walked towards the closed emerald curtains, pulling them and the ethereal cloth back to reveal large latticed window that looked out onto the snow-covered grounds. He released them a moment later, moving back towards the hallway.

Harry followed reluctantly. He had thought his bedroom at Prince Manor was huge, but this one was massive. Set opposite of each other were two four-poster beds, one decorated in Slytherin while the other was decorated in Gryffindor colors. The floors were mahogany and definitely well-polished Harry noticed as he practically slid across the room. Near the door were two armoires that had snakes carved into the wood.

"As I stated before, Severus and Aurora's rooms are in there," Orin said, pointing at the closed door across the hall. "We'll let Aura get some rest, though." He then continued down the hall, pointing to a closed door just a few feet from Harry and Draco's. "That's Jezlyn's room, Aurora's little sister. She takes a bit after Syra. However, you get Jezzie and Aura in a room together, and those two will have you laughing so hard that you're crying."

"How old is she, Jezlyn, I mean?" Harry asked quietly. He had heard Syra mention that she was at Beauxbatons earlier. But he wasn't sure if that meant she was Aurora's age or not.

"She's a year younger than you, Harry," Orin answered, turning around.

"A year younger?" mouthed Harry to Draco. He turned back when Draco just shrugged as if it wasn't that surprising. He supposed it could be possible, since wizards and witches seemed to live much longer than their Muggle counterparts.

Orin then opened the next door down from Aurora's room. He walked in, motioning for the others to follow him in. He smiled a moment later when the younger wizards glanced around.

"This is our family tapestry," Orin stated, motioning towards the walls. "Not as extensive as the Noble Black one I'd assume, but it's here nonetheless."

Harry took a step forward, his green eyes trailing over the family tree. It may have not been as extensive, but it certainly was a bit more elegant than the Black tapestry. Instead of gold threads, the Sinistra family tree was woven with silver. The first link at the very top was Aster Sinistra married to Lyra Starkey. However, their child's surname was Starkey instead of Sinistra. His eyes then went down a level, noticing that the daughter had married Phineas Black.

"Wasn't he married to a Flint or someone, though?" Harry asked, recalling the name from the top of the Black tapestry at Grimmauld.

"Phineas Nigellus, former Headmaster of Hogwarts, married Ursula Flint," Severus recited calmly. "This likely is their estranged son."

"The one that was blasted off the tapestry for being a Muggle lover, no doubt," Draco mumbled.

"Mr. Malfoy," Severus said quietly, glancing at the blond.

"No, no, he's right, Severus. My grandfather was the only Black who wanted Muggles to have the same rights as us, and he suffered for it. There's no shame in telling the truth now, is there?" Orin then touched one of the names on the tree. "Phineas married my grandmother. And soon after, they had a child, my father. However, my grandmother decided she couldn't put up with my grandfather's ideas after my father was a year old so she left them. My grandfather didn't want to raise my father either, so he handed him to Aster. My great-grandfather was only too happy to take custody of my father, changing my father's surname from Black to Sinistra to rid him of the Black influence."

"Whoa! You're related to Mr. Weasley?" Harry blurted out a moment later, noticing an Algernon Weasley married to Hydra, Aster's sister.

"Not directly," Orin replied. "From my understanding, Algernon is Arthur's father's—Septimus—uncle. In fact, if you look close enough, you'll find that every last remaining pureblood family is related somehow." He then pointed to his older brother's name. "My older brother Daniel married a witch who claimed to her dying day she was the estranged sister of Abraxas Malfoy. No one's really sure if she was or not, though, because Abraxas never gave a straight answer. They both died from a nasty case of Dragon Pox." He then sighed. "My younger brother died after he challenged the late Adrian LeStrange to a Wizarding duel."

"Adrian?" Harry asked quietly.

"He was Rodolphus and Rabastian LeStrange's father," Severus answered with a sigh.

"You know your Slytherin families. I'm impressed, Severus," Orin said, smiling.

"Yes, well, I had the misfortune of meeting that smug bastard once," he growled.

"Indeed?" Orin replied, crossing his arms.

Severus sighed, frowning. "He was at my Initiation and requested the right to teach me the proper way to respect one's elders after I lashed out at him magically. He was not particularly thrilled that a half-blood had defeated him so easily in front of his sons." He then held his head up a bit higher. "And a sixteen-year-old half-blood at that," he stated.

"Impressive display of might, I'd say," Orin said, laughing. He then glanced at the tapestry again. "My younger sister Sapphire disappeared once she was of age. No one's seen her since. I'm under the impression, however, that she ran off to see the world." He then sighed, gently laying a hand against his mother's name. "My father married Elise McNair, the older step-sister of Walden McNair. My father claimed she died of a broken heart when Sapphire vanished" Frowning, he glanced away and looked at them. "As you can see, though, my family tree is littered with known Death Eater families."

"Why doesn't Syra have her surname on her?" Harry asked, pointing towards it a moment later.

"She doesn't like using it where anyone might see it. It's sort of the family secret, Harry."

"Why? Is she related to some serial kill—OW!" the young Gryffindor yelped, massaging the back of his head. "What was that for, Dad?"

"You know exactly why, Harry," Severus replied, staring at him.

"Oh, come on, Dad. I bet he's even scared of her."

"I apologize for—"

"No, no, it's all right, Severus," Orin said, laughing mirthfully. "She's been known to scare more than a few wizards into hiding. Well, I'll leave you gentlemen to explore." He then walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Harry glanced at his dad a moment later, expecting to get hit upside the head again. However, he noticed that Severus was glancing at the tapestry again. He watched his dad's long slender fingers then brush against Aurora's name.

"You're not going to get all emotional again, are you, Dad?"

"Hush, brat, before I truly do smack you," he replied, not glancing at the young Gryffindor.

"You think our names will be added once you marry her?"

"Most likely," he answered quietly.

Harry then glanced at the tapestry. He frowned when he noticed that the baby she miscarried from before wasn't on there. He glanced up at his dad, glancing away a moment later. He didn't need to know that badly why its name and picture weren't on there.

"Good night, Severus," Draco said, motioning with his head that he and Harry should leave.

Harry wisely remained silent. He gave the older wizard a brief hug before walking away with the blond to their rooms. He hoped Draco didn't really want them to go to bed. It was after all only nine.

~PS~

A little past a quarter after two in the morning, Harry sighed for the umpteenth time. He couldn't sleep. He was too excited, knowing that it was Christmas morning. He glanced towards Draco's bed, debating with himself if he should wake him up or not. After about five seconds, he decided not to and threw off the covers.

"Where are you going, Potter?" Draco growled, just as Harry reached the end of his bed.

"You're awake," Harry said with wide eyes, glancing at the blond.

"Brilliant observation there, Potter," the Slytherin drawled, tossing off his covers. Sticking his bare feet into the black slippers beside his bed, he quickly and quietly walked over to Harry. "All right, let's get this over with, Harry, so we can sleep the rest of the night."

Harry glanced at him, but shrugged. They silently crept out of the room, down the hallway, and down the stairs, turning the corner and heading through the dining room. Sure enough, the minute they set foot in the kitchen, two house elves popped in. However, Harry and Draco quickly found that they weren't the only ones who had thought about a midnight snack.

"Raiding the kitchen, are we, boys?" Aurora said, laughing.

Harry, however, stared at the pale arms around her midsection. With his mouth dropped, he glanced up at his dad who was gently holding Aurora against him. His dad, though, only returned a soft smile and a raised eyebrow as if challenging Harry to remark about the rare affectionate gesture.

"What can Lana get for Young Masters?" squeaked a young house elf in front of him.

Harry's eyes darted to the elf and then back up at his dad. He didn't want anything now, or ever again for that matter. He then sighed. Maybe he was overreacting. Maybe the feeling that he had interrupted some private moment between them was just in his head. His green eyes then narrowed as he caught a slightly reddened mark on her neck.

"I believe the elf is asking you a question, Harry," Severus said quietly.

"You snogged her," the young Gryffindor squawked, "in her parents' kitchen!"

"Lower your voice, Harry," Aurora said, laughing softly. She then leaned her head back, glancing up at Severus. "The milk smells like it's finished."

Severus pulled back from her, walking towards the gas stove a moment later. He, however, smirked as headed towards it to remove the pan of warmed milk. He carefully poured it into a glass on the counter then, casted a mild cooling charm, and handed it to her a moment later.

"What's that for?"

"The babies have decided that they're going to do their damndest to keep me awake all night," she replied, taking a sip of it a moment later. She then grimaced, setting it down. "Seriously, Severus, that tastes horrible."

"It, however, is what Madam Pomfrey suggested, though," he reminded. His eyes then darted behind Harry a moment later. He instantly stiffened and forced a polite smile to his face.

"Well, good morning," Orin said with a short laugh. "I'll admit. Two-thirty in the morning wasn't what I had in mind for when to start making breakfast, but if you want . . ."

"The boys decided to raid the kitchens, Dad, and Severus is trying to help me sleep since your grandchildren are using me as a ball this morning."

"Ah, I see." Orin's rich chocolaty eyes then narrowed on her before he glanced at Severus. "I wasn't aware that love bites helped with that," he joked, smiling softly. "No reason to be embarrassed, son. I remember how it was."

"Know a good way to get these two to settle down then?" she asked, pointing at her abdomen.

Orin's answer was cut off, however, when the side door that led from the outside quietly opened. He drew in a slow breath, giving Syra a soft smile as she walked in. He watched her remove her black cloak and set it on the hook beside the door before she crossed her arms.

"I was not aware anyone had noticed my leaving earlier."

Harry bit the inside of his cheek to keep from blurting out 'you were gone.' He glanced towards his dad, noticing Severus had stiffened even more. He then looked at Draco, noticing the blond had taken a step back from the older witch. Harry soon did the same.

"Morning, Mother," Aurora said quietly, brushing her dark curls back a moment later as if to show off the mark to her neck proudly.

"Hmph," Syra said softly, smiling very thinly. "Fornicating in the kitchen, that's a new one." She then walked past them with her head held up high, ignoring the strangled noises from the teenage boys.

"It was snogging, if you must know, Mother. Something that's perfectly natural for a husband and wife to do," Aurora stated, crossing her arms.

Syra, her husband, and the two teenagers both whipped their heads towards the younger witch in shock. The boys thought she was just plain suicidal. Orin, well, who knew what that man had going through his head. Syra, however, looked downright murderous.

"I was not aware that you had a wedding."

"We eloped tonight," Aurora replied, shrugging. "A wedding seemed like it'd be too much work. I mean, I doubt I can use Aurors at my constant beck and call to shield your curses."

"You eloped?" Syra repeated with a dangerous hiss.

"Well, Severus asked me what I wanted to do, since the babies kept me up after my nap. So, I said that I wanted to marry him right then and there."

"Ah, so you're not married then," Syra said, nodding as if everything was right again.

"Of course we're married, Mother," Aurora replied, rolling her eyes. "We spoke to Albus and told him our intentions. And he was just so happy for us that he pulled some strings."

"Aurora Celestine Sinistra," Syra hissed, her blue eyes darkening.

"Um, gentlemen, now might be a good time to leave," Orin offered, pulling nervously on his collar. He glanced towards Severus and motioned for him to leave also.

"Syra Ophelia," Aurora responded, laughing softly. "Honestly, Mother, you've only been pushing me to get married since I was of age. Well, now you don't need to worry about me becoming some poor old maid."

"You were to marry a pureblood, Aurora!" Syra snarled.

"Yes, well, you know, Mother, there's an old adage people say. You can't always get what you want." She then inhaled slowly, quirking her eyebrow up with a downright sinister smirk. "So, meet your new son-in-law, a half-blood. That means his father was a Muggle, Mother."

"Aurora, don't antagonize your mother. Syra, lower your wand," Orin quietly said. He then ducked when a spell was flung at him. "Syra," he yelled.

"Yes, Mother," Aurora mocked with a snort, just like a young child would. She then shook her head. "Just get over yourself, will you? I married the man I love. I didn't care about his blood status because unlike you I'm not a prejudicial bitch."

"Talk some sense into your daughter, Orin, before I do," Syra snarled, glaring at her.

Harry glanced at his dad, noticing that the man had been inching himself towards Aurora through the entire mother-daughter argument. If the situation wasn't so tense, he'd have told his dad that was his Gryffindor side showing again.

"Oh, yes, Mother, do talk some sense into me. After all, I've only wanted to see your face turn blue since—"

"I suggest you catch her, Severus," Syra said coldly before she threw a spell at her daughter.

Within mere seconds after it struck Aurora in the chest, the dark haired woman fell backwards, causing Severus to dart forward in order to catch her in time. His dark eyes instantly snapped towards his mother-in-law after he noticed that Aurora was out cold in his arms.

"A mild sleeping spell," Syra deadpanned. "She'll regain consciousness in the morning with no ill effects to her or the twins. The sleep might just help improve her insolent attitude, but I doubt it. Now, if you'll forgive me, I do believe I've grown tired of this conversation." Her ice blue eyes then narrowed on Harry, who pointed his wand at her. "Tell me, silly boy. Why do you think your father has not yet drawn his wand on me? If he is such a fierce protector as my daughter claims, why then does he hold her instead of hexing me?"

Harry glanced at Severus, but glanced away to keep his eyes trained on Syra. Sure, the witch was downright scary. She was up there with the Dementors in his opinion, and she just attacked Aurora. So his irrational (Gryffindor Severus would say) side screamed at him to retaliate for her.

"He does not hex me, Harry, because I have yet to do any harm to her."

"You knocked her out!" Harry argued.

"Which Severus no doubt would have done much later with the same spell in fact," she replied.

"You don't know that."

"Warm milk failed," she stated, motioning at the full glass on the table. "Speaking to them failed. They likely even tried a bath. Now, Severus could not give her a potion or risk terrible side effects to the twins since it'd be absorbed by the twins as well, so a sleeping spell was the next logical conclusion."

"You could be wrong."

"Yes, but so could you, Mr. Potter," she replied emotionlessly. "However, the number one thing that proves that my solution was the correct one is that I was a Healer at St. Mungo's for decades. Tell me, Mr. Potter. Other than defeating Voldemort, what are you qualified in?" She then gave him a soft smile when he didn't respond. "You are a child. So you think as one. It is not a weakness on your part. It is a strength, but one that can be manipulated to be a weakness." She sighed, walking out silently.

"I don't like her," Harry mumbled.