Chapter Two

To Make Life Better

ONE

Severus was somewhat gratified to find several women in his kitchen the next morning preparing breakfast. They were chattering happily with each other, making a meal fit to feed an army.

"Surely there aren't that many people staying here for Christmas?" he said with a smile, seating himself at the round table near the pantry.

"Papa, you're so silly," Serena said, turning to give him a smile.

"I resent that," Severus replied, but Serena just chuckled and went back to the hollandaise sauce she was stirring.

"We've got all of the children," Hermione supplied diplomatically, "and the rest of your children will be here in a little while, so there will be quite a few of us before lunch time."

"Do you ladies need any help?" Severus asked more because he knew they'd say no than from an actual desire to lend a hand.

"You get out of here and make sure the children don't start opening presents before we're ready," his youngest daughter, Amelia, replied. She physically pushed him into the sitting room before returning to the kitchen. Chuckling, Severus moved across the room to sit in his chair, his eyes watching the fairy lights on the Christmas tree. He could still picture clearly the way Harry's eyes used to seem to sparkle when he watched the fairy lights at Christmastime. He knew he'd never view Christmas the same way again, but perhaps, with a little help from his family, he'd be able to enjoy the holiday once more.

"Grampy!" Rowan cried, throwing herself into Severus' lap and effectively cutting off his musings.

"Umph!" Severus muttered, more for effect than anything else. "Rowan, you're getting so big!"

Rowan giggled and made herself comfortable on Severus' lap. "Are you going to finish the story, Grampy?" she asked, looking up at him and blinking innocently.

"After we've eaten breakfast and opened all of the presents," Severus replied, attempting to look stern, but failing miserably. He simply couldn't be the man he used to be when his grandchildren were around him.

"May I open mine now?" Rowan asked excitedly, bouncing up and down on Severus' thigh.

"After breakfast, Rowan," Severus said. "You know the rules."

"Yes, sir," Rowan muttered, looking at the presents under the tree longingly. Turning back to Severus, she asked, "Where's Mummy?"

"She's in the kitchen with the other hens, making breakfast," Severus said with a smile.

Rowan giggled.

"You're not allowed to tell them that I called them that."

Rowan giggled harder.

"You have to promise."

"I promise," Rowan replied, hiding her giggles behind a hand. Severus knew she'd spill it unintentionally anyway. Slowly, other grandchildren trickled in, all of them looking longingly toward the tree before seating themselves somewhere in the room. After a few minutes, Severus heard Hermione yelling at the bottom of the stairs.

"Breakfast!" she called. "Everybody up! Breakfast!"

Upstairs, there was a veritable stampede as children began running for the dining room, intent on eating quickly so that they could open their gifts. The children who had been in the room with him were gone so fast one would think they'd just vanished. Severus went to the dining room at a more sedate pace, smiling indulgently as children rocketed past him.

"Eggs, Papa?" Amelia asked, passing him the plate.

"Yes, please," Severus replied. He took a bit of everything, enjoying the wonderful cooking the ladies had put together. About half way through the meal, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Serena enthused, disappearing from the room before anyone else could volunteer. "Dennis!" she cried from the foyer. "Oh, you're just in time for breakfast!"

Severus smiled a bit. Dennis was Harry and his second child, and though he wasn't as family oriented as the rest of them, he was the only boy and therefore practically revered.

"I would have gotten here yesterday," Dennis was saying, "but my boss insisted that I work. What an old crank, making me work on Christmas Eve. I swear, the Muggles just get worse every year."

Severus frowned. Even without being taught, Dennis had always looked down on Muggles. Severus simply didn't understand where it came from. "You will watch your tone around the grandchildren, Dennis," Severus said sternly when his two eldest entered the room.

"Sorry, Papa," Dennis muttered, not looking sorry in the slightest.

Severus waved him off. "The girls have cooked up a veritable feast for us this morning," he said instead, watching Dennis seat himself next to Hermione. "I hope you're hungry."

"Oh, do be quiet, Severus," Hermione said playfully. "You know you're just jealous because we wouldn't let you help."

"I stand corrected," Severus allowed with a smile. With his family around him, chattering happily and devouring the food the women had prepared, Severus could almost forget that it was the day on which Harry seemed the farthest away. All too soon, breakfast was over and the children were happily seating themselves around the Christmas tree awaiting their presents. Severus' twin daughters arrived during this time, adding their presents to the pile. With all five of his children around him, Severus could almost believe that Harry's spirit was there with him.

"Will you tell us the rest of the story now, Grampy?" Grâdivus asked impatiently.

"Very well," Severus said, waiting for everyone to find a comfortable spot to sit.

"What story are we hearing, Papa?" Sasha, the older of his twins, asked curiously.

"I am telling the grandchildren of your father," Severus replied. When no other questions were forthcoming, Severus asked, "Where did we leave off?"

"You and Daddy had just bought this house," Serena supplied helpfully.

"Ah, of course," Severus muttered. "Well, we moved in the next week, after we'd finalized the deal with the real estate company. We started having problems when Harry decided that he wanted to work as a Healer professionally."

"Why did that cause problems?" Grâdivus asked.

Severus sighed, trying to think of the best way to phrase his answer. "Harry was a natural Healer," he said carefully. "Unlike trained Healers, people like Harry actually pass off some of their own magical strength to their patients. They're not just exercising their magic, but pushing it into someone else. With the benefit of a Spellweaver, like me, the Healer's magical core will eventually collapse. Even with the aid of a Spellweaver, use of the natural Healing gift shortens a person's life span by decades, hence the problems. I didn't want Harry to do it."

TWO

Harry knocked gently on the doorframe of Severus' growing laboratory, causing the Potions Master to turn from the box he was unpacking. "Yes, Harry?" he asked, eyeing his nervous husband critically.

"Er," Harry said, shuffling on his feet slightly. "I'm going out for a little bit. Do you mind watching Serena while I'm gone?"

Severus frowned slightly, turning back to the box. "Where are you going that you can't take her with you?"

"I just need some alone time," Harry replied. "Please, Sev'rus? It won't be for long, I promise."

"Very well," Severus said with a deep sigh. "Just give me five minutes to finish unpacking this box."

"Thank you, love," Harry murmured, before quietly going back up the stairs.

Precisely five minutes later, Severus arrived in the sitting room to find Harry and Serena on the floor playing with letter blocks.

"Okay, Sweets," Harry said to his daughter. "Daddy is going out for a little while."

"Swee!" Serena exclaimed.

Harry smiled indulgently at her. "Papa is going to look after you while I'm gone."

"Pa!" Serena agreed, toddling unsteadily over to Severus and grabbing hold of his legs. Severus bent and picked her up, settling her on his hip.

"Don't stay gone too long," Severus said after Harry had kissed both Serena and him good-bye.

"I'll be home early," Harry assured him. "I'll be gone for two hours, at most."

Severus nodded silently, watching Harry leave. He looked down at Serena, unsure of what to do with her.

"Play!" Serena cried, wiggling to get out of Severus' arms. He placed her on the floor, where she promptly grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the letter blocks she'd been playing with earlier.

Severus gracefully lowered himself to the floor and arranged his robes around him. He used the blocks to spell Serena's name. "This is your name, Serena," he said to her.

"Swee!" Serena said.

Severus frowned at her. He'd have to talk to Harry about using her proper name so that she could learn it. "Serena," he said.

"Swee!" Serena insisted.

"I will not call you by that ridiculous pet name," Severus said sternly.

Serena giggled at him.

"Your name is Serena," Severus instructed.

Serena giggled harder, then said, "Swee!"

Severus realized, with dawning wonder that Serena was playing with him, the way she usually did with Harry. He shook his head and picked the girl up, staring at her. "Well," he said. "You seem to be bored with the blocks. What do you wish to do?"

Serena scrunched up her face, as though thinking hard, and then she clapped happily, reaching her hands out to the door. "Fame!" she cried.

Severus turned toward the door and saw the stuffed dragon that Harry had given her floating into the room. He stared at it as it floated over to Serena and she hugged it happily. "Fame say 'hi'," she informed him.

Severus blinked away his astonishment. "You do realize that there is an 'l' in that word, yes? His name is Flame." He absolutely could not wait to tell Harry about this. Conscious control of her magic, and she was not yet 2! Incredible!

"Fame fly!" Serena demanded, holding the toy out to him. Severus sighed and accepted it. He threw it into the air and used his magic to make it swoop and zoom about the room.

5