Things were tense around the manor. People were coming and going without the children’s notice, normally after they had been sent to bed. It bothered them, however, because they knew that they were being left out of major planning sessions.

The adults could tell that they were on edge and decided, under the cover of glamours and a special potion invented by Severus which altered each child differently, to take the children to Diagon Alley.

There was, however, a glitch. Dumbledore would have people looking for three teenagers together. So they had to plan the trip down to the last step.

Finally, they were all ready. Rose, Cissy, Severus, and Lucius all stood in the parlor and looked at the teenagers.

Hermione was standing there; the potion she had taken shortened her height, making her appear younger. Her hair, courtesy of a spell from Cissy, had straightened, causing it to reach her bum. Lucius had altered her eye and hair color, to blue and blonde. Hermione had fussed a bit from having to appear younger than she was, but her complaints were soon halted. The moment Lucius, who had noticed the strained relationship Hermione was having with Cissy and Trixie at the moment, gave her the alternative of staying home instead of going, she quieted down immediately. Uncle Lucius never got onto her, so she knew better than to disobey him as his voice held a deep undertone, almost daring her to disobey.

Hermione would travel with Rosemerta and Cissy who were merely under glamours changing their hair color (both to black, though Cissy’s was curly and Rose’s was short, they also changed Cissy’s eyes to black and Rose’s to blue, as they were afraid Rose would be recognized if she kept her normal golden eyes). Bellatrix had declined the trip, instead wishing to stay at the manor. It was probably for the best, as they were already worried about attracting too much attention, which was why they were splitting up.

Severus and Lucius would be in charge of the boys. They, too, were under glamours. Their hair was shortened, thought they kept their hair color. Lucius’ eyes were brown, and he had opted to wear muggle clothes, something that he never did. Severus’ eyes were changed blue, and he had placed a glamour specifically over his nose because he knew that there was a great possibility that people would also recognize him for it. It was a shame really, he thought. Perhaps he needed to have some Magical Reconstruction done on his nose.

Or not, he thought, when he looked over at Rose. The woman always told him that he had better not change anything about his looks because she quite liked them.

And that was all the reassurances needed.

Draco and Harry were identical. Their hair was brown, their eyes were brown, and Harry was as tall as Draco. They looked like twins, and Severus almost immediately regretted it when the two

boys’ faces shifted into a mischievous smirk.

“No trouble you two, or you will regret it.” Severus told them. They merely nodded.

Famous last words, those were.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Draco and Harry snuck away from their fathers and ran towards Knockturn Alley within the first two hours.

“Draco, come on! We have to hurry if we don’t want to get caught.” Harry said.

“Shut up, prat! I know that!” Draco said as they made their way down the dark alley to the store they were in search of.

“Here it is.” Draco said, stopping in front of a hole in the wall store that Harry, even if he had been further down the dark alley than Bourgin and Burkes, would never have noticed.

“Are you sure?” Harry asked.

“Dumb arse. Look at the sign! Let’s go.”

Harry barely noticed the dusty and dirty “Knockturn Eroticas” sign because Draco pulled him into the shop.

At first, Harry had to adjust to the dim lights of the store. When he did he could do nothing but blush as he clumsily handed his fake ID to the man at the desk, nearly dropping it in the process. Who knew that they really would want the ID down Knockturn Alley? It had taken them twenty minutes to alter the pictures and names on the plastic, magical cards before they could actually start looking for the store Draco had said he had heard about from some of the older Slytherin boys.

“Dra…um Lee! What the hell!” Harry said, nearly forgetting to call him by his fake name. Around him was every type of vulgar toy that he could imagine and then some. Since he could not have imagined more than five percent of the things that were around him, let alone even knowing what one would do with them, he blushed even more. What had he been thinking?

“Let’s go to the magazines.” Harry whispered. Draco was also blushing quite a bit. Harry could tell from the way he kept running his right hand over his right ear. Draco always did that when he was embarrassed.

Both of them immediately went to the magazines and grabbed one.

“Bloody Hell, Harry! Did you even know that was possible?” Draco hissed, forgetting to call Harry Alex, and staring at the nearly naked woman in the magazine who was in some awkward

pose with a fully clothed man above her.

Neither of them had ever seen anything like it before, and they couldn’t tear their eyes away.

“Let’s buy two different ones. Then we can switch them when we want a change.” Harry whispered. He was extremely glad that he was wearing robes today and for the dim lights in the store. He knew he had to be twenty different shades of red at the moment….among other awkward teenage driven, male hormones that were causing him to be thankful for those robes and dim lights. He really was starting to regret this. He wondered if Draco was having the same thoughts.

“Gah Harry! How are they doing that?”

At that moment, a hand fell on each boy.

“How…indeed.” They heard the all too familiar voice, and neither wanted to turn around and face the music that was Severus Snape.

“Come. We will handle this little….jaunt…at home. I am sure that your mothers would both love to know why you went missing. They were both worried about you, as were we. You have been missing for over an hour and we had to seek out your mothers. Something we did not want nor need to do.”

That was when Draco realized that Lucius was also there.

“We can explain!” Harry started.

Severus turned his fifteen year old around and glared at the boy. He noticed the flushed look of the him and his awkward stance.

“Or, perhaps, before your mother sees you, you should take a cold shower.” Severus drawled out, the anger in his voice apparent.

“Dad! Bloody hell!” Harry hissed.

Severus raised his eyebrows and reached his hand back to land a light smack on the back of his son’s head, then grabbed his shoulder, wrenching the magazine out of his hand and throwing it back to the rack and forcing Harry to walk to the door followed closely by Lucius and Draco, into a dark and dank side alley.

“Oy! Dad! We wanted those!” Harry said in a bit of insanity as he was pushed further down the alley. Draco smacked his hand against his forehead. Gah, his friend was a right idiot at times.

“We shall see what your mother thinks about you owning that magazine. Now if you wish to see daylight anytime soon, I would shut my mouth until you are asked to speak. You have caused enough of a scene and we are not in a position to bring attention to ourselves!” Severus snapped

at him.

Then, without warning, Severus apparated them out of the dark, dim alley directly into the sitting room of Malfoy Manor. Harry had to do all he could not to vomit from being apparated so suddenly. His Dad knew that he had trouble apparating, and had given him no warning.

“Dad…”

“Go to my room. Plant your nose in a corner, and do not think about getting out of that corner. Your mother and I will be up soon.”

“But, Dad! Please let me explain…”

“Harrison Snape! If you do not get out of my sight this instant, you are going to regret it! I need space right now, young man, or I am going to bloody well tan your hide to the point you won’t sit down for a week for your stupidity today! Go. To. My. Room!” Severus yelled at his son.

Harry looked at his Dad, tears threatening to fall down his cheeks. He turned on his heels and ran towards the stairs.

“Draco, go to your room and wait.” Lucius said. Draco nodded and then walked quickly out of the sitting room. As awkward as the whole fiasco had been, he knew that being punished was probably going to be even worse if he disobeyed.

As Draco was walking to his room, he passed his mother and Aunt Rose.

“Draco, what is going on? Where were you?” Narcissa asked, the worry apparent in her voice. Draco could tell that she was also trying to hold her temper at the site of her son who was obviously fit and healthy, and giving no apparent reason for his disappearance. He didn’t even look at his Aunt Rose. She was right scary when mad. Even more than his parents and Uncle Severus. He pitied Harry for having to face her.

“I don’t want to talk about it. Dad said that you and he would be in my room soon to talk to me. Harry is in Uncle Sev and Aunt Rose’s room.”

Draco continued walking.

Hell, this wasn’t his day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Severus, you have to calm down before we go talk to him.” Rosemerta told her husband.

“Rose, I am not even mad about the shop. I am not happy that my fifteen year old son went into an erotic shop and was practically getting off in the middle of the store because of a magazine, but that is not why I am angry with him. Yes, he was in disguise. However, we have people

looking for us constantly, yet he and Draco felt it was wise to sneak off from us. What the hell was the boy thinking?”

“He wasn’t, Sev. He wasn’t because he is fifteen. He doesn’t realize that life can end in a second. Or rather, he doesn’t realize that his life can. He was letting his body think before his head, and he and Draco are boys. Sev, you know you remember what it is like.”

“Rose, I have never wanted to smack him as badly as I did ten minutes ago. He thinks that I am mad about the bloody magazine. You know what he had the gall to say to be before we apparated?”

“What?”

“That he had wanted those magazines.”

Rosemerta’s eyes widened. The boy knew no bounds.

“Well, I believe that it is time for another… talk with him.”

Severus sighed and nodded. It wasn’t that the subject was a forbidden topic. In fact, Severus made it a point to talk to Harry about the facts of life often; especially, since the child had been bonded with Hermione for so long and they wanted no stupid teenage mistakes that would prevent them from growing up as normal as they could in the environment they were forced to grow up in.

Severus had first given Harry the sex talk when he was eleven, over the Christmas break after Severus had overheard he and Draco talking about seeing some of the older, female Quidditch players taking showers through a hole in one of the boys locker rooms.

It had not been as awkward as Severus had feared, and he had bid the eleven year old to come and talk to him whenever he had any questions.

He had had to give his son the same talk when, not long after, Maddie Malton had caught the little boy spying on them again, through a different hole that had been outside.

Severus smiled to himself.

“What is so funny, Love.” Rosemerta asked.

“I was thinking about when Maddie Malton accidently hexed Harry in his manhood when she caught the boys looking at the girls showering.”

“Oh gosh, Sev. I thought that he would die when I came in with you that night to see how he was.”

“As did I. Rose, I am just so angry at him right now. He acts as if he doesn’t care if he puts his

life in danger. I mean, Hermione is no better. I know the only reason that she didn’t try to sneak off and find the boys is because they knew they were going to the sex shop before we left earlier. Usually Draco has more bloody sense.”

“I think that we have made him wait long enough. You know how he gets.”

Severus sighed.

“Yes, let’s go. I have calmed down enough that I will not throttle him. Hopefully.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry was sorry that he had snuck away from his Dad. He was sorry that he had gone into that stupid shop…even though that magazine had been pretty amazing.

Harry cringed when he heard the door open and shut, and cringed again when he realized that his Mum was also in the room.

“Turn around, Harry.” Severus said. Harry swallowed, took the cuff from his shirt and wiped his eyes, and then turned around.

Severus and Rosemerta were sitting on a couch at the end of their bed, and motioned for Harry to sit in front of them.

Harry quickly did as he was told.

“Dad, Mum, I am sorry that I went into the store! I mean...that magazine….no…no…no…I am sorry. I shouldn’t have gone in there at all.”

Severus quirked his eyebrow up and looked at Rose, whose eyes were glaring at her son.

Then he sighed.

“Harry, that is and was not why I am angry. Yes, I was upset that you went in that store. You are underage and care extremely too much about sex; however, you are also fifteen, and I would expect that it is on your mind about fifty percent of the time. I am upset, angry, and, to put it quite bluntly, pissed at you because you snuck away. People are looking for you and for me. They are looking for Hermione and Mum. They are looking for our entire family. Yet, you snuck away from Lucius and me today. Had we not had a tracking charm on both you and Draco, we could have been searching for you both for hours…”

“You have tracking charms on us? Bloody hell, Dad! Why?” Harry couldn’t stop himself from shouting.

“Harrison! Obviously, since you act like a child, we have to treat you like one. I am with your father on this one.” Rosemerta said, disappointment crossing her face.

Since when is she NOT with Dad? Harry thought to himself.

Severus just stared at his son.

“Are you trying to make your punishment worse than it is already going to be, son? You are pushing me at the moment. It is unwise to do that.” Severus said steadily.

Harry’s brow furrowed, and he slammed himself back in the chair and crossed his arms and looked away from his parents.

“Stop, Harry. This little show of temper is ridiculous.” Severus hissed. By this time, Rosemerta was sitting with her arms crossed, also angry at her son’s display of childish temper.

“What has gotten into you, son?” Severus asked him.

“It was only some stupid magazines.” He replied, tears streaming down his face. That was when they both realized that the child honestly thought that was why he was in trouble.

“Harry, that is not what this about. No, you should not have tried to buy anything from that store. You should not have been in that store to begin with. You should not have been down Knockturn Alley. But, you are not being punished for that. You are being punished for sneaking off from Lucius and myself while we were shopping. I do not know what you and Draco were thinking, but you have no idea what could have happened.” Severus spoke evenly, trying to rein in his temper.

“But, Dad! Nothing happened!” Harry said, nearly in tears again, though he would adamantly deny it. Why were his parents being so…so UNCOOL about this whole thing? Sure, he should not have run off, but come on! He was fifteen!

Rosemerta watched the interplay in front of her. She was angry with her son. The way he jumped into things without thinking was going to get him killed.

If it was the last thing she and Severus did, however, they would make him realize that he could not do that.

Because even if they could not survive the war, they would make sure that Harry did.

“Harry, the fact is that something could have happened.” Rosemerta told him.

Harry sighed.

“Whatever!” He hissed at them both, crossing his arms and looking towards the closed door, wishing he could make his escape.

Severus looked at Harry and shook his head, “Have you lost your damn mind, Son? You do

realize who you are talking to, do you not?”

“Yea. I am looking at the two most unfair parents in the world!” Harry yelled.

At this time, not only had Severus had more than enough, but Rose had reached her limit as well.

“Harrison!” she hissed, stood up, and then pulled him up by his arm, “You have gone too far,” her face was mere inches away from him, and Harry paled a bit, “You are grounded indefinitely,” Harry tried to back away. He always knew when he had gone too far; unfortunately, it was normally too late by that time. He had just gone too far, “And if you do not watch your attitude, I am fixing to pull you over my knee! We both know that I am not as lenient as your father! You may think that you are too old for such a punishment, but you are sadly mistaken!”

Harry swallowed. She was right, though he would never admit it. He had found out the hard way when he was thirteen that his mother was not the parent to mess with. Despite his hard exterior, his father was much easier on him in the discipline department than his mother, as she only ever disciplined him when she was fed up with his antics. Usually, by the end of the school year she was there, but especially in his third year when he had knocked his dad out in the Shrieking Shack. Severus had refused to talk to him until he was no longer angry. Rose had had other plans. Harry had thought that he would never sit comfortably again when his Mum had gotten through with him.

“I am sorry.” Harry said, his head bowed down in despair. He didn’t know what else to say and he really didn’t want to get into anymore trouble.

“Son, go to your room.” Severus said. He didn’t have to tell Harry twice, and the boy ran out as quickly as he could.

“You shouldn’t have let him go, Severus.” Rosemerta said, leaning into her husband.

“Probably not, but he needed a break before he got himself into more trouble. Once he thinks about what he has done, he will realize why he was wrong. And he is going to have plenty of time to think.”

Yes. Yes he was.

~*~*~*~*~

“Draco, what were you thinking?” Narcissa screeched at her child. It was not the right time for her son to decide that an act of rebellion was in order. She and Hermione were already on edge with one another and she wasn’t sure that she could stand for her son to hit some random rebellious stage at the same time.

Lucius was standing beside his wife. He was shocked at Draco’s actions as well. There had been few times in Draco’s life where he had acted out. In fact, Lucius could count on one hand just

how many times Draco had been grounded or on the receiving end of any other punishment.

It was normally Hermione who spent the first few weeks of the summer months under restriction, as she and Harry were always getting into something during the school year when they had less supervision. Draco didn’t dare, as Severus was like a hawk and watched everything his Slytherins did, something he was not able to do as well the two children in Gryffindor.

“I am sorry, Mum.” Draco said, staring down at the floor.

“Sometimes, Draconis Malfoy, sorry is not enough.” Lucius said. Draco looked towards his father, anger suddenly penetrating through his very core.

“If I was Hermione, Father, you wouldn’t say anything! I made a mistake! I know that I shouldn’t have snuck off and worried everyone. I know that I shouldn’t have gone in that store to look at that magazine, but if it would have been Hermione, you would be down in your study waiting for her to come to you after Mum punished her. It isn’t fair! You have double standards for me! Hermione has you wrapped around your bloody finger!” Draco yelled at his father. His face was flushed. But, he knew that he couldn’t back down. Not now. He had harbored these feelings too long.

He didn’t, however, know why it had all just suddenly erupted. He knew that he was at fault. He knew that what he did was wrong. But he was never in trouble. In fact, his whole school career, he had only gotten into any trouble during his third year when he had mocked the hippogriff, Buckbeak, in Hagrid’s class. That had upset his father who had had to act like the vicious man he had to portray to the world. It had bothered Lucius that his son had been so thoughtless.

But that was it. Harry and Hermione were always in trouble, usually several times a year.

Yet, Lucius never said anything to Hermione because she had the man wrapped around her finger and it sucked.

“Draco…” Lucius started. But, what did one say to a child who felt left out? Who felt that something was unfair? Not only that he felt it was unfair, but that he felt like he was treated differently than his sister?

“Draco, you are just so….rarely in trouble. I am sorry that you have felt that I have treated you differently from Hermione.” Lucius said. The pain was evident in the man’s voice. It made Draco feel horrible.

But wasn’t it the parents job to make things even between children?

“It isn’t my fault that she was taken from the family when she was born. It isn’t my fault that Mum thinks she is going to choose Aunt Trixie over her. And it bloody well isn’t my fault that she still had Dad wrapped around her fingers. It isn’t! You are supposed to make sure that everything is equal! You are both supposed to love us the same!” Draco yelled.

Tears fell down his face. Tears of anger, hurt, betrayal.

He sank down to the floor, sliding off the chair he had been sitting in. He drew his knees up to his chest and cried broken heartedly.

Narcissa and Lucius watched their son. Never before had they seen their son cry like this. They wanted to blame it on the war. They wanted to blame it on Dumbledore.

But they knew, this time, this time it was their fault.

Together, they both walked over to the sitting, crying boy. They both got on the floor and wrapped their arms around him.

Draco instantly wrapped his arms around theirs, holding on as if he would lose everything should he let go.

And at that moment, Narcissa Malfoy realized that the last time she had sat on the floor like this had been the moment she realized that Hermione was the long lost Little Black Girl.

So, Narcissa began to cry, too.

~*~*~*~*~*~ Severus knocked on his son’s door and then pushed it open to reveal the boy lying on his bed. It was time for them to settle this once and for all.

Harry automatically sat up and watched his father carefully as the man came in. Severus sat on his bed silently.

Harry wasn’t sure what to do or say. He wasn’t sure if he should speak or wait for his father to first. He did know that he was in trouble. At the moment, though, that didn’t matter. He could tell that it was so much more than that.

“Harry, I have some things to say to you and it is very important that you listen to me.” Severus said quietly. It was eerily quiet in the room. In the manor really.

Or maybe it was just Harry. Maybe sound was no longer reaching his ears correctly.

So, he simply nodded.

“What you did today was wrong on many levels. I want to make it clear, however, that the reason that I was so angry had nothing to do with the magazine. Going in that store was wrong, and I think you know that. Obviously, in the near future, you and I need to have another talk. Right now is not that time. Right now I want to talk about what you did that made me worry. And angry.”

Severus watched Harry closely. He wanted to make sure that the boy understood. That he knew

exactly why Severus was so upset.

“Harry, you snuck off. I don’t think that you realize why that is so dangerous. People are after you, child. They are after all of us. You put our entire family in jeopardy, son. But even that, I am not quite as angry about.” Severus stalled for several moments. It made Harry nervous.

“What were you really mad about then, Dad?” Harry whispered.

“Because, Son, you care nothing about your own safety. This is not just a recent event. You never think about you safety before you rush head first into things!”

“But, Dad, it doesn’t matter, does it? If I am going to have to fight some dark wizard anyways? I can’t think about my safety. Not when others are at risk.”

That response infuriated Severus. He stood up and turned towards the teenager.

“That, young man, is exactly what I am talking about. It is also how I know that you still have a lot of growing up to do! You are a child! Above that, you are my child. Your life means more to me than anyone else’s. Your safety will always come first. You are not destined to fight anyone, and I will be damned before I allow you to sacrifice yourself. Call me horrid, or selfish, or a bastard, but you are my child! I will die before I allow anything to happen to you!” Severus ranted.

But, suddenly, Harry understood it. He realized what his father was trying to say.

He rocketed himself at his father and wrapped his arms around the older man’s waist.

“Dad, I am sorry! I promise I will stop and think before I act. I am sorry that I made you and Mum so worried.” Harry said as he hugged the man.

Severus patted the boy on the back lightly.

“Harry, we wouldn’t be able to bear it if anything happened to you. You have to keep that in mind when you feel like you have to try to save the world. And bear in mind, Child, if you endanger your life again, your mother and I will never let you out of our sight again.”

“Okay, Dad. I promise that I will stop and think. I will try not to endanger my life again.”

Later, Harry realized that he hadn’t promised his father that he wouldn’t endanger his life. He had only promised he would stop and think.

It was all for the best. Harry knew that soon he would endanger his life again. The time was coming, he knew. But after it was over, hopefully his father and mother would forgive him.