Ginny and Harry walked through the Floo together later that afternoon to find all of their boys sitting around a box.

Molly looked at the couple with an apologetic glance.

“Hey! Mummy, Daddy! Come look at what Sev found when we were playing outside!” Jamie squealed.

Harry and Ginny walked over cautiously to the box.

“What is that?” Harry asked.

“Gnomie!” Alby said.

“That is not a gnome.” Ginny said. Molly looked up at her daughter.

“What do you mean, Ginny? We gave the little thing a bath, but until then he looked just like the other gnomes in the garden.”

“I am not sure. I have seen a picture somewhere before, but I can’t remember where. I think it was something that Luna showed me once…” Ginny said, placing her hand inside the box.

“Can I keep him, Mummy?” Severus asked, his eyes wide with want.

“Um, you may bring him home, and Harry and I will talk about it. We need to also talk to Luna to see if she knows what it is. Then we will see.” Ginny said.

Severus sighed.

“Okay.” He said quietly, picking up the small baby…whatever it was.

“Okay boys, let’s get ready to go home.” Harry said, grabbing the closest backpack and then thanking Molly for watching the boys.

~HP~

“Luna is going to come by later tonight, after the boys are in bed.” Ginny said while she was fixing supper. All of the boys, minus Severus, were playing in their playroom. Severus was in living room, the “gnome” in his lap, his stuffed snake beside him, and a book about junior potions in his hands.

“Okay, love.” Harry said. Suddenly a loud thump came from the living room that caused Harry and Ginny too look at each other quickly.

“I’ll go check on him.” Harry said. Ginny nodded, and Harry started walking towards Severus.

In the living room, Harry knew right off that Severus was close to a tantrum.

He went over to the small boy and sat down beside him.

“Hey, Sev, what’s wrong?” Harry asked him slowly.

Severus glared up at Harry, his little aged in a piercing glare.

And, Harry knew. No longer was Sev beside him, but a little boy with adult memories that didn’t know what do with them.

“Potter, I want my things.” He hissed.

“What things? The things that were in your old quarters? You cannot have those until you are much older, and then you and I will go through them together and decide mutually what you may and may not keep.”

“That is not your right.” Severus hissed.

“It is my right as your guardian. And tomorrow, after we go and fill out the adoption papers for you and Sirius it will be even more my right.”

Severus let out a deep, guttural sigh.

“Why do you want me? Why not let me leave?” Severus finally asked.

Harry looked at the little guy and studied him. His features, sharp when they brought him home, were already beginning to soften from the weight he was putting on. He no longer looked tired.

“I mean, I killed him, Potter. I killed the man that you adored.” Severus continued.

Harry watched as a look of hurt crossed over Severus’ face. He noticed, too, that the boy was in fair need of a haircut, and now that he thought about it, so were Jamie and Sirius.

“I betrayed Lily.”

“You saved me.” Harry said lightly.

Severus looked up at Harry.

“Severus, Dumbledore was no better than you or me. In fact…after everything came to light…the man not so different than Voldemort. Yes, I trusted the man to an extent and he did great things. But, he sacrificed so much. Your life, mine, Pansy’s, and many others. I should not tell you this, but I think that you deserve to know the extent that Dumbledore wanted to win the war. Pansy was only twelve when she began spying on her own parents and, in turn, Voldemort. I have never seen someone feel so bad about having the dark mark upon their flesh. But, Pansy was different for him. He marked her, but not her arm. Her mark is over her heart. Voldemort marked her when she was thirteen to mar the innocence in her. Pansy, while I never would have believed it in school, is a very pure hearted person. Unfortunately, she often feels impure and tarnished. You and she are not so different. I know, also, Severus, that you never would have allowed Dumbledore to do that to a twelve year old girl. She was the youngest to ever receive the dark mark, and remains the youngest to have it inflicted upon her flesh.”

“You’re damn right, Potter! What the bloody hell was he thinking?” Severus said to himself.

Harry, knowing that Severus was in his memories, said nothing about the language.

“Severus, it took love for Pansy to realize that she did nothing wrong. After the war, Pansy went and lived with Aunt Cissy, and then she and Draco married soon after everyone was cleared. When they do not reside here, they live at Malfoy Manor. Narcissa Malfoy saved many people that last day. Me, Pansy, Draco…we are just three of many.”

“I do not understand why that impudent fool would have let her…and me! How could I have not noticed! I watched my snakes carefully!”

“We believe that is the reason that Voldemort marked her chest and not her arm. He knew that you would disagree with him. That she was too young.”

“I want to see her.”

Harry sighed.

“You will, Sev. Friday. But you must not hassle her.”

“I would never, Potter. I know much more than you think I do.” Severus said, then stood up, Gnomie in his arms, and walked towards the kitchen.

Harry simply stared at where he had left. The child was just as complicated as the man had been.

~sdrawkcab~

Luna Lovegood Longbottom (Damn all those L’s, Severus muttered when talking to Harry earlier in the day) was many things, but mostly, she was confusing.

After the boys had been put to bed, all sleeping soundly, even Severus, who, still in his adult memories, had actually wanted to await the arrival of “Miss Lovegood.” However, he had fallen asleep after being tucked in by Ginny, his snake (Ginny had convinced him that he would want it during the night, even if he didn’t want it right at that moment) tucked by his side.

Luna came through the front door at half past nine, alone, as Neville was over seeing a fourth years detention.

“Hello, Harry, Ginny. You have a Pixie Elf in your mist.” Luna said immediately as she sat down.

Harry and Ginny looked at one another. They hadn’t even shown her the creature yet.

“I can feel its presence. They come to children who need them until they don’t. I take that it is with Severus? He is the one who is lost. But, no worries. In a few months, he with be one with who he is. No worries. I brought this book. The page is marked. I will see you guys later.” Luna said, setting a book on the coffee table and then turned and left.

After the door shut, Harry looked at Ginny.

“You know, she hasn’t really changed. It is comforting, in a way, to know that the war didn’t change her.”

Ginny laughed.

Yes. Her husband had a point.

“Let’s see what a “Pixie Elf” is.” Ginny said, grabbing the book in front of them and turning to the tabbed section:

Pixie Elves: A small, humanlike creature that comes to children when they are in need of something to make them feel safe and/or secure, usually in an unknown place. The Pixie Elf usually resembles a baby when found; however, within days, will grow to resemble a small adult, about two hands high. They normally have sea green, or sky blue eyes. Muggle children rarely ever see these magical creatures, but when they do, they address them as “Fairy Godparents.” Adult muggles cannot see these creatures. This may be because most children that do see them are muggleborn. Only one case has been brought to the attention of the Magical Creatures Bureau of a muggle child coming in contact with Pixie Elves. If necessary, Pixie Elves can sprout wings, but this is seldom an issue in the magical community. Pixie elves usually vanish before a child is school age, or when they feel completely secure from their surroundings for an extended amount of time. They drink water and feed on the fruits and vegetables, with a particular love of strawberries and pumpkins.

“This is because Severus still doesn’t feel comfortable here. Or safe.” Ginny said quietly.

“Gin, he will. We both know that he had a very rough first childhood. We will change his thought process.” Ginny said.

Just then, a shrill scream and, “Mummmmmy!” filled the air.

Severus.

Ginny stood up and ran to Severus’ room, to where the boy say, his Pixie Elf, that had been in a box in the living room, beside him, and big tears falling down his cheeks.

“Sweetheart, what is wrong?”

“Ba…ba…bad DREAM!” Severus cried. Ginny picked him up and they walked into the living room where Harry was already bringing in some warm chocolate milk laced with a very mild calming draught that would hopefully calm Sev down enough to sleep.

Ginny rocked Severus in a rocking chair, trying to stop his tears.

“Shh. Baby, it is all okay.” Ginny said soothingly, concern written all over her face. Harry went over to the duo and knelt down in front of them.

“Here, Sevy, take a drink.” Harry told him, handing him the no spill sippy cup so that he could lay down with it.

Sev took the cup, but did not take a drink of it instantly. He shoved his face into Ginnys chest, his left arm wrapped around his snake, and a flash of light later, Gnomie sat on his shoulder.

“I so…so…sorry!” Severus cried.

“Severus, you have nothing to be sorry for.” Harry said, leaning over and kissing his forehead. Harry smiled at him, took the cup from his hand, and then put it against his lips.

“Here son, take a drink.” Harry urged.

Slowly but surely, the little boy drank and calmed down. As he feel back asleep, his Pixie Elf settled himself on the little boy’s chest, using Sev’s stuffed snake as a pillow.

“Let’s get him into bed, Harry. We’ll place wards over his door to alert us if there is any more trouble. I think he should be fine now, Daddy. Slipping him a calming draught as you did. That is normally my job.” Ginny smirked.

“Indeed.” Harry said, helping Ginny up. She was steadily growing bigger every day.

“Come, Love. Let’s get him settled, and then we can go to bed. We have a long day ahead of us.” Ginny said, walking towards Severus’ room with the sleeping child, hoping that he was able to sleep the rest of the night free of nightmares.