This was just a little fun plot I had in mind and just had to write. I know it's been a while since I updated my main stories, but I will get to those! These little side stories are just easier and quicker to write, especially now that I know young Harry stories are the big favorites! Summer is almost near for me (that's like May), so I'll have more time to spend on my stories when I'm not stressing about school! In the meantime, enjoy this little one-shot!

Disclaimer: Do not own Harry Potter

"Add that in," Harry said, pointing at some strange, green leaves resting on the table. He adjusted himself, so he was up on his knees instead of sitting on the tall stool. Draco also sat up on his knees and leaned over the table.

"Are we supposed to mash it first?" Draco asked, frowning at the leaves.

"I think Daddy says "grind" not "mash."" Harry corrected, picking up the leaves and throwing them into the cauldron boiling away in front of them. "There. Now it smells better."

"Minty," Draco remarked. "Like my toothpaste!"

"My toothpaste is strawberry flavored."

"My mummy says minty is the best fresher-upper."

"But it tastes yucky."

"It's supposed to. That's how you know it's working. See?"

Draco breathed down on Harry, who pulled his head away and crinkled his nose.

"Eww! You smell like old pizza!"

"Well, that's what we had for lunch. My toothpaste doesn't work after eating."

"Strawberry still tastes better. Maybe it needs strawberry for taste." Harry looked around the table for strawberries, but there were only mistletoe berries. Didn't his father ever use strawberries in his potions? Strawberries would make all his potions taste a hundred times better. Maybe mistletoe berries would do for now, though Harry wasn't quite sure how those tasted. He reached across the table for the berries, saying, "I'll put these in because it'll make it taste better."

"No!" Draco snapped, pushing Harry's hand away before he could drop the berries in the potion. "More mint will make this better. More mint!" Draco picked up a handful of mint leaves and was about to throw them in when Harry pushed his hand away.

"No! Berries!"

"You don't even know if those taste good."

"They do. They're berries. Berries always taste good."

"Well, minty is better!"

"Maybe we put both in?" Harry suggested.

"Okay. On three. One . . . two . . . three!"

Draco and Harry threw in their respective ingredients. Draco grabbed the large spoon and stirred the cauldron, which began to boil madly, turning from a sea green to an angry red. The boys oohed at the dramatic color change before frowning and leaning close to the cauldron.

"I think we made it angry," Draco said.

"Maybe if we shush it, it'll calm down?" Harry suggested, his tone sounding more questioning. "Daddy sometimes does that to me and it makes me calm down."

"Shhh!" Both boys shushed the cauldron. "It's okay, potion. Shh! Calm down."

But the cauldron didn't calm down. Harry shrugged his shoulders before picking up more mistletoe berries and throwing them in his mouth, chewing and making a face. These were terrible berries! These wouldn't make the potion taste better! But before he could inform Draco, steps sounded on the stairs and Severus reappeared in the basement with a small container. And he immediately noticed the cauldron.

"What did you two do?" Severus exclaimed, frowning at the ruined potion that still had a rolling boil. "I thought I told you to just watch it and make sure nothing happens to it while I go grab more rosemary."

"We were, Uncle Sev," Draco said, "but it was starting to smell bad."

"That doesn't mean you –" Severus suddenly noticed Harry moving something around in his mouth. "What is in your mouth?"

"Berries."

"Spit those out now! This instant, young man!"

Harry obediently leaned over and spat the berries out into his father's waiting hand. The berries burned to a crisp with a simple flame spell and Severus wiped his hand on his robe before holding Harry's chin and looking him over.

"Open your mouth," Severus said, and when Harry did, he quickly scanned for any traces of remaining berries stuck in teeth or in the back of the throat. "Did you swallow any of those? Mistletoe berries are not food, Harry. Nothing down here is. I've told you how many times . . .!?"

Severus growled under his breath and, releasing Harry, pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Harry, Draco, what are my rules when you are in my lab with me?"

"To not touch anything without your permission," Harry supplied, staring at the ground.

"And to always listen to you and not do anything to your potions without your permission," Draco added also looking at the ground.

"And to not eat anything down here unless you say it's okay," Harry said.

"So, you do know the rules," Severus said, glaring at the two boys. "Are they just too hard to follow?"

"No, sir," the two chorused.

Suddenly, the potion gurgled loudly. Severus's eyes widened, and he quickly wrapped his arms around Harry and Draco and pulled them close, shielding them with his body as the cauldron spat out its contents all over him and the table. After a couple seconds, he stood up tall and surveyed the mess, gladly noting that none of the potion got on Harry or Draco. Some of the mess had sprayed his hand, and a rash was starting to appear, but the majority had covered his robe. Sighing, he summoned a rash healing potion as he walked over to the sink.

"Head upstairs, you two," Severus said. "I think we're done with potions for today."

"Are we in trouble?" Draco asked, hopping down from the stool.

"Consider this a lesson in why to obey me in a dangerous lab," Severus informed as he carefully stripped out of his robe, now only in jean trousers and a white tee. "Go upstairs. Stay in the living room."

Harry and Draco raced each other to the living room, taking the long way by running through the kitchen.

"I was the fastest and bestest runner!" Draco declared as he jumped on the couch repeatedly.

Harry climbed up on the couch and jumped on the cushion as well.

"No! I beat you to the living room! I'm the bestest!" Harry said.

"You didn't beat me! I won! I was in the living room first. I was on the couch first!"

"No, you weren't! You weren't in the living room first. I was!"

"Liar, Liar, pants on fire!"

"No, your pants are on fire!"

"Hey!" Severus shouted, as he came into the living room, deciding against putting on a new robe. "Get off the furniture! You two know better than to jump on the couch."

"Sorry," Draco said as he plopped down on the couch, Harry following his lead.

"Sorry, Daddy."

"Why don't you two play a game or something? It's a nice day, go outside and play hide and seek or play on the playground or something. It's there for a reason you know."

"Okay," Harry said. "Race you, Draco! To the swing set!"

Severus shook his head as the two boys ran outside, quickly shouting, "Stay away from the road!"

Harry beat Draco to the swing set and started swinging on one while Draco stood on the seat of his and tried to get it moving by using his entire body.

"Sit down, Daddy's gonna yell at you!" Harry warned.

"He's not even watching. I can do what I want."

"You're gonna fall."

"No, I'm not." Draco jumped off the swing and ran for the slide, climbing the net on the side to get up to it. Harry jumped off the swing and ran up the stairs to beat Draco to the top. They challenged each other on how would get to the ground first, Draco by going down the slide, and Harry by going down the pole. They both touched the ground at the same time, though argued about who had won. They played on the monkey bars, hanging upside down and climbing back and forth. Severus brought out lemonades after a couple hours and he allowed them to race each other on their brooms that flew no higher than five feet off the ground. Severus sat on the porch to keep watch of the two.

"I bet I can go faster than you!" Harry shouted as he flew around the playground. The brooms went no faster than ten miles per hour, but that didn't matter to the boys.

"My brooms at home go faster than this," Draco said.

"No, they don't! Aunt Narcissa always spells them slower."

"Nuh-uh! Dad takes the spell off."

"He only lets it go like two speeds faster."

"Still faster than these!"

"I bet I can get to the pond and back faster than you!"

"You couldn't. I'm the most goodest, bestest, awesomest flyer ever!"

"We'll see. Ready, set, go!" Harry shot forward without really giving Draco a heads up.

"Hey, no fair!" Draco said, speeding after Harry. "I will still beat you, cheater!"

Draco quickly caught up to Harry and they both made sharp turns around the pond and raced back towards the house. They were shoulder to shoulder, both trying to urge the brooms to go faster, even though the brooms could not. As they neared the house, the both made sharp turns to avoid hitting the hard porch railing. However, Draco had put a little too much effort in his sharp turn and sudden stop and flipped himself off his broom. He fell to the ground, scratching himself on a nearby bush. He yelped.

"Draco!" Severus called, jumping over the railing and kneeling down beside the crying child. "Are you okay? Come here, show me what hurts."

Severus pulled Draco up and quickly scanned over his body, while Draco cried and showed him his scratched-up elbow and palms. Severus brushed off Draco hands and reached into his robe for band-aids, seeing that the cuts were minor. He used his wand to spray water on the bruised palms and elbow, then gently placed a band-aid that magically fit over the cuts perfectly.

"There you go," Severus said, giving Draco's forehead a kiss. Draco rubbed at his eyes and looked at his palms, then checked his elbow. Satisfied, he picked up his broom that had fallen on the ground.

"Thanks, Uncle," Draco said.

"Of course," Severus said, standing up but taking the broom from Draco before he could remount. "I think that's enough flying time for today. Harry, bring it down."

Harry landed next to Draco, allowing his father to take the broom.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked Draco.

"I'm fine," Draco said. "Just a little scratched."
"Let's all head inside now," Severus suggested. "It's almost time for dinner anyway."

While Severus made dinner, the two boys sat at on the living room floor playing Wizard's checkers. The pieces moved by voice command, similar to Wizard's Chess.

"I'm winning!" Draco announced happily.

"No, you're not! I have a lot of your pieces!"

"But I have three kings! You only have one."

"I have five more pieces to move. They'll all be kings."

"Not if mine get to them first."

"Yours won't!"

But Draco's kings did get to Harry's and Draco won the game. Harry pouted, but when dinner was served, he beat Draco in "who could chug their chocolate milk the fastest?" Then, they began shoveling their food as quickly as possible, but when a disgusting, bitter taste filled their mouths, they recoiled and stared down at their food – a strange yellowish-greenish mash resting on a side of their plate. Severus noticed their pause.

"I expect you boys to eat at least five bites of your turnips and cabbage."

"Eww!" The two scrunched their noses. Severus rolled his eyes.

"Enough with the dramatics. No one is leaving this table until you have each eaten five bites – good-sized bites – of your vegetables. They are good for you."

"Not in my stomach, they're not," Draco said, poking at the mash with his fork.

"No whining at the table."

"Can we complain?"

"No. But you may give your compliments to the chef," Severus smirked, eating a forkful of the vegetables himself.

"Only if the chef made a really good dessert," Harry said, playing with his food, showing obvious disgust for the vegetables of choice that night.

"I don't know, boys," Severus smiled slyly, "that sticky toffee pudding might be sitting out on the counter all night if you don't touch your vegetables."

Draco shoveled a big forkful of the mashed vegetables into his mouth, Harry quickly doing the same, though keeping his bites smaller. Severus gave one last satisfied smile before returning to his own meal. When everyone ate their fill (including the five bites of the mashed veggies), they were all rewarded to a sticky toffee pudding with a side of vanilla ice cream. The boys slowly enjoyed theirs, savoring every bite. Once the treat was gone, Draco licked his spoon clean then balanced the utensil on his nose.

"Draco," Severus began to scold.

Harry laughed and quickly copied Draco, balancing the spoon as well. Severus stared at Harry before cleaning his own spoon and balancing his as well – though he had a bit more trouble balancing the spoon and it fell a couple times. The boys laughed with Severus, losing the balance of their own spoons. Draco picked up his plate and licked the stickiness clean, Harry following his lead. Severus shook his head in amusement before taking the plates from the boys and heading to the kitchen. Before he could fill the sink with soapy water, Harry and Draco entered the kitchen and stood on either side of Severus. Harry motioned for Severus to squat down.

"What is it?" Severus asked as he did so.

"We are giving our compliments to the chef," Harry explained.

Then, simultaneously, Harry and Draco kissed Severus's cheeks before running out to the living room laughing. Severus stood back up, a large grin spread across his face. How he loved those boys.

Later that evening, the boys were once again racing each other as they got ready for bed: who could change the fastest, who could brush their teeth the fastest, who could get in bed the fastest, who could get the most hits with a pillow.

"Ow!" Harry shouted. "You hit me in the eye!"

"You got a feather in my mouth!" Draco retorted before smacking Harry again with his pillow.

Harry struck back, running around the room to avoid more blows from Draco. They laughed and smacked each other, tripped over each other, and spread feathers everywhere.

"Whoa, slow down, boys," Severus said, catching Harry then Draco in his arms. He lifted the boys and dropped Draco on the first bed and tossed Harry to the second bed. The two had insisted on sharing a room and Severus had agreed, moving the guest bed into Harry's room, as long as they went right to sleep.

"Daddy, it's too early to go to bed!"

"Well, I'm tired," Severus insisted. "And I can't go to sleep until I know my two favorite boys are asleep."

"One more game, Uncle? I want to beat Harry in a pillow fight! I was winning till you interrupted."

"No you weren't! I hit you more!"

"Did not! I hit you more! You kept running away!"

"I did not! I stood my ground! This whole room is my ground!"

"Not while we're sharing it! Half of it is mine!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Boys! Really, enough," Severus said, sitting down on the edge of Harry's bed. "Not every game has to be a competition. There doesn't always need to be a winner or loser. I think tomorrow we should play games where we can all just have fun."

"But games are supposed to have winners and losers," Draco said. "That's what makes them fun."

"Not all games need that. Some are just to have fun and get some laughs."

"Like what?"

"Hmm," Severus drummed his fingers. "How about . . . Marco Polo?"

"Isn't that played in water?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but we can play it on land. And its something where no one loses, and everyone wins. You just play till you're tired."

"How do you play that?" Draco asked.

"Well, one person has to close their eyes and call out "Marco." Everyone else yells "Polo." Now the goal is for the person with their eyes closed to find and tag the other people. Calling out "Marco" for everyone else to say "Polo" helps to pinpoint people."

"Can we play it before bed?" Harry asked. "Please?"

"Yeah, one last game!" Draco agreed, sitting up on his bed.

Severus was quiet for a moment before saying, "Fine. Just one game. Then bed. It is getting late, boys. Who's going to be the blind one?"

"You!" the two said.

"Of course. Fine. I'll give you guys ten seconds to spread out. Stay in this room though."

Severus stood and walked over to a wall, leaning against it with his eyes closed as he counted out to ten. He heard the boys jump off their beds and run around the room for a few seconds before silenced reigned as he reached ten. He turned, keeping his eyes closed and really focusing his ears.

"Marco!" he called out.

"Polo!" the two boys responded.

They were on opposite sides of the room, Severus deduced. He started going towards the right side.

"Marco."

"Polo!" The boys were laughing now, their voices indicating they were moving. Severus followed his son's voice since it sounded closer. He continued calling out "Marco" and used his feet and hands to figure out where in the room he was. Feeling the walls, Severus could tell he was pushing his son into a corner. He smirked as he herds his son's loud laughter turn into shrieks. He reached out tickled Harry once he knew the boy was trapped.

"Gotcha!" Severus said. Harry laughed and squirmed as he tried to escape his father's tickling hands.

"You still have to find me!" Draco shouted.

Severus smiled and turned one-eighty away from his son, knowing he would be facing the open room and not the walls. He took several steps forward before pausing and saying, "Marco."

"Polo!" Draco's voice was so close.

Severus turned almost completely around, feeling the air around him. Empty.

"Marco."

"Polo!"

Draco was very close. Severus took a step forward, feeling around. Draco was smart to stay out in the open space of the room rather than stay against the wall as Harry had done. A little Slytherin the boy was. Severus felt around, turning carefully so he didn't upset his balance and disorient himself.

"Marco."

"Polo!"

Severus realized where exactly Draco was – or what the boy was doing, at least. Draco was staying right behind him, turning and spinning with him. Severus smirked inwardly and said, "Marco," once more.

"Polo!"

Spinning swiftly, Severus caught Draco in the crook of his arm and opened his eyes to see the boy laughing and trying to escape. He tickled Draco mercilessly.

"Trying to pull one on an old Slytherin, eh?" Severus challenged, still tickling Draco.

"Mercy! Mercy!" Draco cried.

Severus picked Draco up, throwing the boy over his shoulder, before running across the room, grabbing Harry, and throwing him over his shoulder. He spun around the room a few times as he delivered each boy to their respective beds, dropping Draco off his shoulder, then Harry. The boys were still laughing as he tucked them in. He said goodnight to each, kissing their temples, and shut off the light.

The next day, after breakfast, the boys spent their morning watching morning cartoons (a luxury Draco didn't have in his own home) before deciding to play more games. They tried to think of games where they could both win.

"I don't know many games where everyone wins," Harry frowned. "Marco Polo was fun."

"Yeah, but that was only fun because Uncle Sev was playing," Draco said. "Now he's busy making up that potion we ruined yesterday. And we have to stay inside while he's downstairs."

"We can make something fun for just us to do. How about . . ." Harry looked around the living room. "Hide and seek!"

"Okay. I'll hide first."

"But I wanted to hide first. I know – we'll rock, paper, scissors."

After losing two games, Harry reluctantly decided to count first. As he was counting, he heard Draco run off through the house. After reaching twenty, he turned and scanned the living room. Where would Draco hide? He checked behind the couch, then under the coffee table. Crawling, he looked behind the TV before standing and opening the closet door. No one in there. He searched in the bathroom, then under the dining table. He checked the kitchen, but there was no one there. He was about to walk out and look upstairs when he heard munching and crunching.

Quickly opening the kitchen pantry, Harry smiled when he saw Draco sitting in a corner under a shelf with a jar of cookies, chocolate covering his face.

"I found you!" Harry stated as Draco crawled out. "Let me have a couple."

Draco handed Harry a couple cookies. "My turn to count."

"Okay!" Harry shoved a cookie in his mouth, covering his own face in chocolate. "Count to twenty! No skipping numbers and no peeking!"

"I wouldn't cheat!"

"You did last time!"

"No! You just didn't know how to count last time."

"Did too!"

"Just go hide!"

Draco walked to the living room, closing his eyes and counting. Harry quickly finished his other cookie before he looked around for someplace to hide. Where would be the last place Draco would look? An idea struck Harry and he opened the door to the basement, quietly shutting it behind him as Draco reached fifteen. He tiptoed down the stairs, hoping his father wouldn't mind him being down there for a game.

"Harry," Severus greeted as he saw him enter the room. He was standing at a table with three cauldrons boiling at once. "What are you doing down here? Do you need something?"

"No. Draco and I are playing hide and seek. I'm hiding."

"I see." Severus frowned at Harry for a moment. "What's all over your face? Did you get into the cookies?"

"I only had two."

Severus licked his thumb and wiped at Harry's face. Harry made a disgusted face and pulled away, but Severus rolled his eyes and grabbed his arm, pulling him close to keep cleaning his face.

"Stop it, Daddy! Gross!" Harry exclaimed, wiping at his face as hid dad finally released him.

"Quit the dramatics," Severus said, returning to his potions. "I thought you were supposed to be hiding."

"Oh yeah," Harry said, looking around. He walked towards his father's supply closet.

"Not in there," Severus said.

Harry looked around again before running for a cabinet where vials of finished potions were stored. There was an empty space in a lower storage compartment . . .

"No, Harry."

Harry sighed, sending a weak glare his father's way, and scanned the room again. He made his way back towards his father and was about to crawl under the table, but Severus grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"No, son, not where I'm working."

"Well, then where am I supposed to hide?"

"That's your problem."

Harry sighed and dropped his shoulder. He crossed his arms. He just had to come down here, didn't he? Of course, his dad would make this harder for him. A thought came to him, and he asked, "Can I turn into Faolan?"

"Go for it," Severus said.

Harry smiled and quickly shifted into his animagus, a very small tiger cub. He was about the size of a small dog, but looked much like his father's animagus, Freyr. Faolan looked around but decided his safest bet (something Severus would approve of) was to stay near his father. He huddled up as close to the man as possible, trying to hide behind his dad's legs.

"This is your plan?" Severus asked, raising an eyebrow at the little cub. Faolan purred and snuggled against the man's legs. Severus smiled at him and returned to working on finishing the potions. Faolan yawned and closed his eyes. It might be a while until Draco found him. Before the cub knew it, Faolan was asleep, his head rested on his dad's shoe.

A half hour later, steps sounded on the stairs and Faolan blinked his eyes awake. He saw Draco and quickly sat up, hiding as much as he could behind his father.

"Uncle Sev, I can't find Harry," Draco said. "I even said "I give up," but he didn't come out of where he was hiding."

"Did you search the whole house?" Severus asked, turning off the burner on all the cauldrons. He stepped away from the table to face Draco, Faolan moving behind him to stay hidden.

"I did! Upstairs, downstairs, I even looked in the toilet just to make sure."

Severus chuckled at that and Faolan held back his own amused snorts, his tail twitching excitedly.

"I don't know what to tell you," Severus said. "Perhaps you didn't look hard enough."

"But I did! I really, really, really did!"

"How long do you plan on dragging this out?" Severus said, looking down this time.

Faolan growled at his father for exposing him as Draco's eyes followed Severus's gaze.

"There you are!" Draco exclaimed. "No fair! I can't turn into anything cool!"

Faolan leaped forward and Draco kneeled down to pet Faolan, who purred before swatting at Draco's hand playfully. Severus stepped towards them, then frowned at Draco's chocolate covered face.

"You too? Do either of you know how to clean your faces after eating?"

Severus once more licked his thumb and wiped at Draco's face, who immediately stepped back, pushing Severus's hand away.

"Eww! Uncle Sev – gross!" Draco wiped at his face, effectively removing the last bit of chocolate. "I'm not a baby, you know!"

"I know, I know," Severus held up his hands in defeat. "I apologize for my fatherly instincts."

"Apology accepted."

Severus laughed, and Faolan took the opportunity to shift back into Harry.

"Can you come play with us now?" Harry asked Severus.

Severus looked back at his potions he had completed, then back at the two eager boys standing in front of him.

"Alright. Since Draco is leaving soon, I'll come join your games."

"Yay!"

Back upstairs, Harry and Draco set up a bunch of stuffed animals in a circle in the living room. Severus watched with amusement and curiosity. Draco grabbed his hand and led him to a spot in between some stuffed animals. Severus obediently sat and waited for the boys to finish up. Harry and Draco sat across from him in between more stuffed animals.

"What are we playing?" Severus asked.

"Duck, duck, goose!" the two boys said.

"Ah, got it. Why all the stuffed animals?"

"Because you can't play with just three people," Harry explained as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"That's right," Severus nodded. "Who's going first?"

"Me!" Draco said, standing up. He started walking around the circle, tapping Harry's head first as he said, "Duck," then hovered his hand over each stuffed animal as he continued along the line.

"Duck," Draco said to the stuffed Adder snake.

"Duck," he said to the stuffed dragon.

Draco's hand hovered over Severus and there was silence for an intense second.

"Duck," Draco decided and moved on.

Severus snorted as Draco called a few more toys duck and then said goose . . . to a stuffed frog. Draco ran as fast as he could around the circle.

"Are you serious!?" Severus's mouth fell open as Draco collapsed back in his spot. "Obviously, it can't run after you."

"Mr. Ribbit was just taking his time," Draco smiled.

"But," Severus rubbed his chin, "whose turn is it?"

"I'll go!" Harry said. "Mr. Ribbit said I could take his turn."

"Of course, he did. Thank you, Mr. Ribbit, for keeping the game alive."

"Be nice to Mr. Ribbit!" Draco told Severus.

Severus shook his head as he watched his son walk around the circle calling stuffed animals duck. When Harry's hand hovered over his head, Severus prepared himself to run, but sighed when Harry declared him, "Duck." Harry's hand hovered over the stuffed crocodile next to Severus, which he said, "Goose!"

"You've got to be kidding me," Severus said as Harry started running. An idea hit him, and he picked up the stuffed crocodile and threw it just before Harry could fall back into his place. The toy struck Harry square in the chest. Harry's mouth fell open as he froze, looking between Draco and his father.

"That counts!" Draco shouted. "He tagged you! He tagged you! It counts! Tick Tock got you so you're in the middle!"

"Get in the middle, Harry," Severus encouraged with a smile, pointing to the center of the circle.

Harry laughed and sat in the middle of the circle, crossing his arms and wearing a fake pout.

"My turn!" Draco said, standing and calling animals, "Duck."

"I swear, Draco, if you don't pick me," Severus mumbled, shaking his head as Draco neared him. Draco's hand hovered over Severus's head.

"Goose!" Draco said and ran. Severus jumped to his feet and chased after Draco. Draco had been heading for his spot but then veered off and ran around the living room, Severus right at his heel. He ran behind the couch, trying to keep it between him and Severus, his laughter filling the room.

"Come this way, come this way!" Harry encouraged.

"Yes," Severus agreed from the other side of the couch. "Go that way."

Draco laughed as he weighed his options. He took a deep breath and bolted for his spot. But Severus snatched him by the waist and he screamed loudly as he allowed himself and Severus to tumble to the floor. Severus leaned over Draco and blew a raspberry on the boy's neck, making him squeal and laugh even more. Severus stood up, ruffling Draco's hair.

"In the middle with you," Severus said.

Harry scooted out of the middle and Draco slowly crawled into in, still trying to catch his breath from his laughing.

"Alright, my turn," Severus said, starting around the circle. He felt a little foolish including stuffed animals in this game, but he figured it was payback time. He paused over a stuffed hippogriff and announced, "Goose!"

It caught Harry and Draco off-guard as he ran around the circle and made it back to his spot. But instead of calling him out, they laughed, and Harry stood next.

"Duck," Harry began with the hippogriff. "Duck, duck, duck . . ."

Once Harry was standing behind Severus, he put his hand over his father and shouted, "Goose!"

Harry ran away as fast as he could but ended up tripping over his own rushed feet. He fell to the floor and screamed as his father grabbed him and threw him up in the air. He laughed as Severus spun him briefly, Draco laughing from the floor.

Severus paused to let Harry catch his breath. He smiled at his son and gave the boy a kiss on the cheek. These past couple of days had truly been fun. He would most definitely be setting up another play date with Draco.

Thanks for reading!