A breeze drifted lazily off the lake, cooling the sun-heated skin on his face. Leaning back against the grass with his hand behind his head, Darrius Snape decided he was about as close to paradise as he was likely to get. The leaves, which rustled in the tree above him, blocked the glaring sunlight from his eyes. The lapping sound of water against the shoreline was hypnotically soothing. And best of all, there wasn't a single thing he was supposed to be doing at that moment.

When Draco had returned to his own home at the beginning of the week, Darrius was certain the remaining days before the term started would be dreadfully dull. As it turned out, there hadn't been a spare moment to even contemplate dull. Between his parents and Remus, he and Livia hadn't a moments waking peace. Four days of studying, review, papers and exams. The only two compensations were that they had one less year to "officially pass" and hours purposefully causing several cauldrons to explode under their father's watchful and, at times, over-protective eye. Father had called it a practical exercise in charms – shielding and directional hovering – and potions. In Darrius' opinion, it had just been plain fun. Especially when Father had been the one drenched in bright pink goop.

" Darrius Snape!" He groaned as his sister pulled at his arm. "You should be mediating, not sleeping!"

" I'm not sleeping, Livia," he replied. He didn't think he would ever understand his sister's compulsion to always be studying something.

" Could have fooled me. You're lying under a tree with your eyes closed."

" I'm clearing my mind," he said.

" Really," Livi replied sarcastically as she pulled at his arm, trying to force him to sit up.

Reluctantly, he opened his eyes and glared at Livia but allowed himself to be pulled into a sitting position. "Fine, Ms. I-Can't-Just-Enjoy-A-Beautiful-Day," he said in a slightly bitter tone, "What do you want to do?"

Livia had already repositioned herself into her preferred meditation position. She opened her eyes just enough to stare at him through her eyelashes.

" Yeah, right, meditating," he muttered. He shifted to get comfortable before closing his eyes and beginning the breathing techniques his parents had spent the past year ingraining in him. He had just managed to clear his mind and was beginning the process of focusing inward on his mental walls when he heard the sound of feet brushing against the grass and approached them. Listening carefully, he recognized the footfall pattern and the familiar swish of robes: Father.

Snapping his eyes open, he rose to his feet gracefully and turned to face the approaching man, greeting him with a wide smile. His father wore his customary expression – stern. As he drew closer, Darrius' smile faded as he recognized the genuine displeasure that burned in the man's eyes. He felt Livia rise beside him. When her hand slipped into his, he knew she saw the same emotions in their father.

" Father," Darrius said, his voice relaying his concern, "has something happened?"

His father stopped in front of them, his posture relaxing just slightly. His eyes seemed to take measure of both his children. "The headmaster has made a decision."

Darrius didn't like the sound of tha; especially since something in his father's voice suggested he didn't entirely approve of the decision.

" Your mother will be taking you to King's Cross in an hour. You will ride the train to school with the other students."

" Why?" Darrius asked, both baffled and annoyed, "We're already here. What is the point in taking a six hour train ride just to get back here!"

Severus' scowl was enough to express his displeasure in both Darrius tone and attitude. "I believe the Headmaster feels it will give you an opportunity to get to know some of your classmates before they inevitably discover your parentage."

" Father, if students choose to dislike us merely for being your children, they can rot."

The corners of his father's mouth quirked up at Livia's uncharacteristically crude comment and his voice was softer when he began to speak again. "Be that as it may, you will be going. He has arranged for one of the Gryffindor prefects to meet you at the station. He will introduce you to your dorm mates for the first term. "

Gryffindor? Dorm mates? Darrius had a sinking feeling in his gut. The old Headmaster had mentioned earlier that he wished to place him and his sister in that house until they could be properly sorted after they had completed their first through fourth level exams. He had protested strenuously; the old goat obviously hadn't cared. His father gestured for them to walk and they fell in on either side of him as they strolled toward the castle. His could feel his shoulders tensing the more he thought of spending the next four months living among Gryffindors.

Not that he had anything against Gryffindors specifically; Uncle Siri and Remus belonged to the house and they were pretty cool. Even the Headmaster, when he wasn't being a meddling old fool, wasn't so bad. It was the prospect of this specific generation and their animosity for Slytherin. This was definitely going to cause tension in his friendship with Draco, not to mention the problems his friendship with Draco was going to cause with his dorm mates.

His father's arm wrapped around his shoulders and squeezed gently. He wasn't exactly sure how to describe how it felt or rather the way it made him feel. Safer? Like he wasn't alone? The simple reassurance didn't fix the problem or take away the worries the way his mother's kisses could, quite literally, fix the cuts and bruises of his childhood – but it was similar. Looking up at his father, who was still a full head taller than him, Darrius smiled.

His father was a good person. Yes, he could be brusque and Darrius had seen first hand how snide he could be, especially when dealing with certain people – like Gryffindors. His father could be stern, even harsh. And he definitely had a temper; Darrius had learned quickly not to test it. But under it all, he was actually a warm person with a very odd sense of humor. He was a good man – a good father. He was his father. Livia was right, if people decided to dislike him because they couldn't see past their own limited perceptions of his father – they could rot.

" Thanks, Papa," he said softly.

The trio's motion halted as his father and sister both turned quizzative eyes toward him. His father reached out, putting a gentle pressure under Darrius' chin until they met eye to eye and asked, "For what, Darrius?"

He was quite for a minute; he felt rather silly. Even Livia was looking at him with an odd, perplexed expression and she usually knew what he was thinking before Darrius did. Finally, knowing he would never find satisfactory words to express himself, he said simply, "For this last year. You said we didn't get along before, that was why you and Mum de-aged Livia and I – so that we could develop a better relationship." He paused then and looked away, unsure how to continue. Part of him wanted to throw his arms around his father and hug him, tell him he loved him like he had done a few short months ago. But then, he had only been mentally and physically a child. He felt his father's hand turning his face back again. There was softness in the man's black eyes that Darrius doubted many people had ever seen.

" I love you, Darrius. I will always be here for you," his father said just before he pulled him into an embrace.

" I love you, too, Papa," Darrius said into his father's shoulder.

They stayed like that for just a moment before separating. His father immediately turned and pulled Livia into the hug and whispered that he loved her, as well. Livia managed to reply in kind without getting to syrupy. They returned to the castle in a comfortable silence.

=====================================================

Mother was the one who took them to the station. It was suggested that she would cause less of a stir at King's Cross. Darrius, however, believed it had more to do with their introduction to Ron Weasley, the Gryffindor prefect and that house's hostile relationship with their potion's master. Fortunately, the meeting was fairly benign and the family, as a whole, seemed friendly enough. Ron had quickly found them an empty compartment, much to Darrius relief. He wasn't used to being surrounded by hordes of people, much less being stared at. It was an uncomfortable experience. As soon as the compartment door slid closed, Livia dropped into her seat, closed her eyes and began the practiced breathing techniques their parents had taught them.

" What are you doing?" Ron asked.

" Meditating," Darrius replied for his sister as he leaned back into the cushioned seat and closed his eyes. Maybe, if he was lucky, he would fall asleep and wake up when the train pulled into Hogsmeade.

" Why?" Ron asked. It took a second for Darrius to refocus his mind and realize he'd asked about the meditation.

" Because," his sister started to say in a voice that sound both tired and put upon. Opening his eyes, he felt his lips curl at the sight of his sister; she looked completely serene for the fraction of the second before her eyes snapped open and she turned her attention to the red headed boy sitting opposite her. "Meditation helps to build strong mental discipline which is critical to focusing and controlling magic effectively."

" Isn't that what wands are for?" Ron asked, his tone somewhere between general confusion and slight annoyance.

Livia sighed. Darrius took that as his clue to intercede before the poor kid got a lecture on the principles of magic and the use of wands. Sitting up straighter, he faced the boy. "Witches and wizards didn't always use wands and there are still some practical spells that can be done without one – if you have sufficient mental control," he said.

" So, that meditation stuff works?" Ron, his eyes a bit wider than before, asked awkwardly.

Livia took pity on him. "Yes, it works quite well," she said before closing her eyes and beginning her breathing again.

" So what was it like?" Ron asked.

Darrius sighed. He had just settled back and closed his eyes again. "What was what like?" Darrius asked, perplexed and annoyed by the question.

" Snape's home. I always imagined it as some creepy, dark, musty old place. I mean ... it is called the Dark Keep? Right?"

Darrius brow furrowed at the statement. He wondered if Ron was even aware of how it sounded to him; the lack of respect, not to mention the dislike clear in his voice when he said the name 'Snape.' And then there was the involuntary shiver that had run through the boy when he spoke of the Snape home as if they live in some kind of damp cave full of bats.

" There is nothing creepy, dark or musty about Tywyllwch," Livia said sharply. "It's a keep; not very large, but well protected. Father said it was older than Hogwarts, but only by two centuries or so. It was built in the aftermath of the Schism War when our ancestors decided it was not possible to live within easy reach of Muggles. "

Darrius notice a disapproving, uncomfortable look drift across Ron's features. "Do you have a problem?" he asked and hoped the question didn't sound quite as abrasive to other ears as it did his own.

" No," Ron said after a slight hesitation, "Not at all."

The way he fidgeted suggested otherwise which piqued Darrius annoyance. Both were saved from further confrontation, however, when the compartment door slid open to reveal a round-faced boy, flushed and panting from the effort of lugging his trunk. Beside him stood Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister.

" Mind if we join you? The other compartments seem to be full," Ginny asked.

" Sure," Ron replied. "Darrius, Livia – you've met my sister, Ginny. This is Neville. He's a fifth year Gryffindor, as well."

Pleasantries were exchanged as Neville and Ginny settled into the compartment. Closing his eyes, yet again, Darrius decided to join Livia in her meditative breathing. If nothing else, it might help him escape the awkward silence that had settled in the small, enclosed area. It wasn't long before the door slid open a second time. Giving up, Darrius opened his eyes to see an odd looking girl with straggling dark blonde hair and large blue eyes staring directly at him. For a moment, he thought she recognized him only to realize that her eyes just seemed to protrude in such a way as to make her appear permanently startled.

" I'm sorry, I was just looking for a place to sit," the girl said in a hushed voice.

" Its alright Luna, There's room, why don't you join us," Ginny said with a smile. Darrius shifted his gaze to the red head, eyeing her skeptically; she seemed too nice for her own good. "Luna, this is Darrius and Livia. They're new to Hogwarts. Fifth year. " Ginny said, then looking back at him, she continued, "This is Luna Lovegood. She's a fourth year Ravenclaw."

Just as soon as Luna had pulled in her trunk and stowed it under the seats, Ron stood and excused himself, "Listen, I have to get to the prefects' meeting. Ginny and Neville can fill you in on Gryffindor while I am gone. It should only be an hour or so." He smiled at them, his eyebrows scrunched up as if he was reluctant to leave or maybe a little worried. Eventually, however, he stepped outside and slid the compartment door shut and the uncomfortable silence returned.

Livia returned to her meditating. Ginny and Neville talked quietly as the train jerked into motion and started the long trip to Hogsmeade station. Darrius was left to either join his sister in meditation, make an attempt at conversation with the two remaining Gryffindors or stare at the upside down magazine the odd girl, Luna, was reading. Not feeling overly social, he slouched back against the seat and let his head fall to the side. He stared blindly ahead, dreading the next five hours. It was then that one of the pictures on the cover of Luna's magazine drew his attention. Sitting forward, he took a good look; he couldn't stop the violent shake that racked his body when he realized exactly what the images were – or rather who was in them. Reaching out, he snatched the magazine from the girl's hands.

" Hey," Luna said, both startled and annoyed.

Darrius didn't intentionally ignore her, but the pictures on the cover of the Quibbler wouldn't let go of him. The image of his mother captured his attention first; she appeared infuriated with a wild, desperate look in her eyes unlike anything he had ever seen. His hands shook slightly as he stared at her pained expression. It took several more moments for him to recognize the other picture as his uncle. The man he knew looked nothing like the feral, evil man depicted in the photograph. The headline above the images read, "Sirius and Arabella: As Black as their Painted?"

He remembered the story about his uncle; his parents had taken great care to explain to both him and his sister about what had happened to the Potters, how their uncle had been accused and sent to Azkaban and what really happened. They even knew about the escape and his current status as a fugitive. The headline suggested that his uncle might not be guilty; this was a welcome suggestion to Darrius. The fact that is also implied that his mother wasn't guilty of some charge was highly disturbing as it meant the wizarding world believed she was guilty of some crime. He had known there was a reason she had left the wizarding community, but it had never occurred to him that it had been as bad as the headline suggested. Flipping open the flimsy magazine, Darrius turned page after page until he found the two articles – one about his uncle and one about his mother.

" Darrius?"

His sister voice called softly to him as she gently touched his arm to try and draw his attention. When it didn't work, he felt her slid over on the seat next to him. He heard her sharp intake of breath as he skimmed the article on his uncle. He didn't know whether to laugh or scowl at the notion of his Uncle as some has-been band member. There was nothing laughable, at all, in the story on his mother, which suggested that she was nothing but a weak-minded pawn. The article claimed to have her final letter in which she described being placed under Imperious and how Sirius had betrayed the Potters to save her life. That, in the end, her guilt and shame over the fate of her brother and friends and her own ineptness had driven her into hiding.

" Its lies," Livia stated.

" I know there lies," Darrius replied angrily, "how can they print this rubbish?"

" Excuse me," Luna said indignantly as she grabbed the magazine back, "My father happens to be the editor."

Darrius scowled at her, though it had no effect on the blonde who had already buried herself in the magazine.

" Do you want to see what I got for my birthday?" Neville's shaky voice broke the almost hostile atmosphere that had taken over the small compartment.

Darrius looked over in time to see the twitchy boy pull out a prickly plant from one of his robes interior pockets. He smiled briefly as he looked at it, then leaned back and tried not to look like he was ignoring them. He was aware of the conversation droning on around him but his mind was focused elsewhere.

The fact of the matter was, the articles mere existence churned up a deep sense of anxiety and anger. The biased, twisted half-truths and conjectures strewn through out the magazine illustrated quite clearly why his mother had hidden him and Livia from this society. His parents had explained about what had happened, about the war and the Dark Lord and the fall out of his first defeat. At the time, the information had upset him greatly leaving behind a strong desire to see certain wizards suffer severe mortification and emotional distress – to make them endure the torment as his mother and father had. Now, he wondered how sanitized was the story they had been told.

" No!"

The sharp cry from his sister startled him out of his contemplation, leaving him with barely enough time to shift his attention and his reflexes to kick in. His arm went flying up to cover his eyes before he even fully processed where exactly the dark green jets of slime flying at him originated. Darrius waited, counting slowly to ten and trying to breath through is mouth to avoid the putrid stench. When he was sure it was safe, he pulled down his arm and shook it forcefully, finding only fleeting satisfaction in the sharp, splattering sound of the goop hitting the compartment floor. He closed his eyes and willed his stomach to quite rolling as he wiped the remnants from his face and hair.

" I'm sorry," Neville cried, "I did.. didn't th.. think it would be that ba..bad!"

Darrius stared at him through narrowed eyes. He was equally amused and alarmed when the boy slid back in his seat as far away from Darrius he could get. Before he could think much about it or question Neville on his reaction, the door to the compartment flew open to reveal a red-faced, wide-eyed Ron Weasley.

" What happened? I heard H.. Livia scr…" his voice trailed off as the alarm in his features mutated into a mixture of disgust and poorly concealed amusement. "What is that stuff?" he asked, sliding the door shut behind him while carefully avoiding deposits of the green slime.

" Stinksap. It’s from Neville's Mimbulus mimletonia – a defense mechanism, apparently," Livia said in a clipped done as she flung the ooze from her hands and arms and wiped her face.

" We'll be rid of it easily enough," Ginny added before retrieving her wand from the folds of her robes, "Scurgify!"

In a flash, the vile sap was gone, much to everyone's relief.

Ron dropped himself down in the seat next to Darrius and smiled, "Up for a game of Exploding Snap?"

" Sure," Darrius said feeling the first genuine smile curl his lips since the morning. He was surprised at how fast the time actually went once the group had actually started talking and playing games to pass the time. He was more amazed, however, by how quickly both he and Livia warmed up to the Weasleys and even Neville. It felt natural to talk on nearly any subject – from quidditch to their homes and families. It seemed only minutes had gone by before the boys were being unceremoniously ushered outside the compartment so the girls could clean up and change into their school robes and then vise versa.

As the train pulled into Hogsmeade, Darrius had to admit he was glad they'd made the journey. For the moment, life in Gryffindor Tower didn't seem so daunting. Even Ron's teasing about him allowing Livia to knit-pick over him - the fixing of his robes, removing of wrinkles, the adding hair controlling lotions to his chin length curls – was bearable, especially when she then turned her attention on Ron. The good-natured ribbing continued as the climbed from the train and helped the others get their trunks to the carriages. Even the disturbing sight of the Thestrals harnessed to the carriages was not enough to truly unsettle him. His father had warned him and his sister about the creatures that looked like an unholy mingling of vampire, dragon and horse. Ron's reaction to his comment about them and Luna's dreamy-voiced confirmation left him chuckling as he climbed in to the carriage after his sister and shut the door.

As their carriage began to move in procession with the others, he slumped back in his seat and smiled at Livia. He liked Ron and Ginny; they'd make good friends. Neville seemed kind and friendly, if a bit shy. Even Luna, though a bit of an odd ball, wasn't all that bad. Whatever lingering tension remained in his shoulders drained away as the dread he felt that morning quickly became nothing more than a faded memory. After all, he already had one good friend, Draco, attending Hogwarts and a good prospect for another and the school year hadn't technically started yet.

Maybe his father was wrong – or just being very pessimistic. So far, being both a Snape and a de facto Gryffindor didn't look like it would cause him or his sister too many problems. Who knows, maybe the majority of Gryffindors weren't so closed minded as his father thought and his and Livia's presence in that house would work out for the better. As the castle came into view, Darrius offered a mental apology to the headmaster for doubting him and calling him a meddling fool. Smiling to himself, he thought that maybe, just maybe, the old codger actually knew a thing or two.