Chapter Three

Harry sighed in his office at the Ministry. There was still so much paperwork to be done that day, and his body already hurt from sitting for too long. That was not what he aspired to when he decided to attend Auror training, once the war had ended. It took him two years to graduate, and by then most Death Eaters remaining had been captured, so other than the occasional chase, he'd been assigned to handle minor incidents involving magic and enough red tape for two or three lifetimes. Peeking out the window, he saw the sun shining and thought about his boys back at school.

The day before, they left both of them at the station, and returned home with the only one child not old enough to go to Hogwarts. He laughed of her complaints all the way home - they'd chosen to take a cab from the muggle exit of the King's Cross Station that delivered them at Grimmauld Place. After a good clean-up and a lot of redecorating, the house had become very homey, and the kids loved living there. During the first years of their marriage, they'd considered buying a new place, but Ginny was gone most of the time, playing with the Holy Harpies, and as a consequence, he spent as much time at work as he could.

When the family finally started growing, they were both too comfortable in the house to leave, and all of the sudden there was a baby to take care of, then two and three, and moving just left their minds for good. Now that had crossed his mind again, especially since, in two years' time, it would be just the two of them in all that space again. It was already too silent that night, with Lily in bed early and both him and Ginny minding their own businesses.

Truth was, they had drifted apart. The first few years were great, but perhaps it was the distance that increased their need for each other. They met once a month, rarely more, and their nights were always steamy, but after James, and specially after Lily, they never seemed to have time for that anymore. And at least for Harry, he didn't miss it either. It made him feel very guilty, but he couldn't help admitting they were probably together for the kids and the convenience, not for themselves. He sighed, shaking his head and trying to push the thoughts away.

"Hey mate. You alright?" Ron was standing at his door with a smile.

"Hey, Ron. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to join me for lunch? Ginny has been bugging me to make sure you eat. She said you lost some weight." He shrugged, and they smiled at each other.

"Uh, sure, why not? Give me a minute, and I'll be right there with you." He said, turning back to his desk and throwing all the papers into the first drawer, which he magically locked a moment later. He'd thing about organizing them when they returned. Ron was waiting for him by the elevators, and Hermione had joined him. "What about we go to that pub in the muggle side? I miss that steak." He smiled as they entered the elevator, and the other two agreed.

The place they went was a clean, small pub three blocks away from the Ministry building. They'd discovered it a few years before, while obliviating the employees who'd witnessed some accidental magic from a young boy. The smell was so delicious they just had to come back and try, and since then, they ate there at least twice a month. They entered, greeting the bartender and the waitresses, before choosing a table on a corner that allowed them to keep an eye on the door. After the war and with two aurors on the table, it couldn't be any different.

"Miss Albus too much yet?" Ron joked as they sat down.

"He was always a pretty quiet boy, I guess. And you're the ones who must be having the hardest time, Rose being the first one."

"Hugo makes sure the house is as chaotic as always." Hermione smiled, accepting the menu and running her eyes through it before ordering the usual, as did the boys.

"But I must admit I'm happy there's one less know-it-all in the house." The redhead whispered to his best friend, but loud enough for the girl to hear him, getting himself a slap on the arm. "Ouch!"

"It's your daughter you're talking about, you know!" She pretended to be angry.

"Well, but I kind of know what you mean. It was a bit of an improvement to be able to walk around the house without worrying about being pranked all the time, after James went to Hogwarts." He smiled. "I don't know how you managed growing up with two pranksters, Ron."

"Well, there were more of us for them to target as well." He smiled back, slightly uncomfortable. The truth was, nobody really talked about Fred, even after such a long time of his death. Especially if they were around George, who never recovered from the loss, even though he married and had his own children - Fred II and Roxane, both older than James -, he was never the same. There was a constant air of abandonment and sadness over him that not even his kids managed to lift.

They remained in silence for a few minutes, unsure where to take the conversation next, and Hermione figured the kids at school would be safe enough. "Albus was really nervous about being sorted, wasn't he? Rose said James was always picking on him."

"He was afraid of going to Slytherin." Harry confirmed with a nod.

"That's impossible, mate. Weasley and Potter, always Gryffindors." Ron smiled.

"Well, I wouldn't mind either way, to be honest. I think it would bother Ginny more than me."

"And me!" Ron said a little louder, earning himself a strict look from his wife, to whom he looked apologetically before leaving a soft peck on her lips. Harry looked away, slightly bothered. "And why Slytherin? He's smart, maybe he goes to Ravenclaw. But those are the only conceivable choices, really."

"It was just James teasing him. Telling him all you told me about that house on our first day, in the train." He paused and frowned for a moment, a few memories running through his mind. "What have you been telling my sons, Ron?"

The redhead blushed slightly, looking away. "Ronald?" The girl asked severely.

"I didn't say anything bad. Just the usual stuff, you know, about how they're mean and tend to become dark wizards. Nothing they wouldn't have figured out in no time at school."

"Ron!" His wife complained. "You shouldn't say things like that! We're trying to integrate them all, end all that division and prejudice, and you're fanning the fire?" She seemed really upset, and Harry wondered if they would end up fighting again. It happened at least a few times a week, and always ended with Ron apologizing and doing some small romantic gesture like buying her flowers or chocolate.

"Okay, I'm sorry! But it's true, isn't it?"

"Thanks for terrifying my son, mate." Harry tried to keep a straight face, but couldn't help smiling. "He'll be fine. I told him it wasn't important to us, as long as he was happy."

"But you do know that I'll kill him if he ends up in the same house as that Malfoy kid, right?" He joked.

"Ron!" Hermione was preparing another lecture when their food arrived, and they decided to drop the subject.

After over an hour talking, they agreed it was time to return. Much as he had hated it in the beginning, now Harry didn't mind that their fame allowed them a few privileges, like taking longer on their breaks without anyone complaining about it. Harry sighed as he sat back on his desk, pulling the papers out once again. Maybe it was true he could quit his job and never do anything again, but even though he wasn't too fond of it, it made him feel better to be doing something, instead of sitting around and spending his family fortune - which had practically doubled its size with the addition of the Black property, left for him by Sirius.

The day was almost over, and he had signed his last report when an owl knocked on his window, waiting impatiently to be let in. Harry knew that animal very well, it belonged to Hogwarts and they met at least a dozen times just during the last school year. It was the one designed to take all sorts of notifications to the parents, and a few minutes later, he was a little surprised - but not too much - to read James had already landed his first detentions of the year. It bothered him more how fast it'd happened than the fact that James was being punished; he'd taken after not only his namesakes, but also his twin uncles, and had quite the gift for getting in trouble.

Harry wondered for a moment how many of similar notes Molly must've received during all the years her children attended school, while putting it away on his inside pocket. He seriously considered hiding it from Ginny, she always got pretty upset when those arrived, but he had full confidence that the professors would deal with his son's mischief adequately. He grabbed his satchel and left the office, politely greeting everybody he met on the way out, and apparated right outside number 12. Lily still got startled with the apparition sounds, especially with the way it echoed in closed spaces.

He found the table set as usual, his wife finishing dinner and his little girl mimicking her with her toys, but he could tell by the redhead's body language that something was wrong. She seemed upset, maybe even angry, and he couldn't help wondering what had happened, but learned a long time before that such conversations were better if left for after the children were tucked in. They ate in silence, the only noises being Lily telling him about her day at the primary school she attended. After they were done eating, he volunteered to bathe her - he felt guilty for staying away for so long during the day - and all he'd miss once they went to Hogwarts -, so Harry spent as much time with his kids as he could once he got home. And he tried to spoil them as much as his common sense would allow, especially when it came to his little girl.

After reading her a story and tucking her in, he watched Lily from the threshold for a few minutes until her breathing became even and he was sure she was asleep. He walked down taking a deep breath, and found Ginny in the office by the fire, holding two letters slightly crumpled in one hand. At least she wasn't crying, which had to be a good sign, he thought, sitting beside her in the large armchair.

"What happened?" He asked softly, pulling her chin up with one finger. He couldn't read her eyes, and it worried him.

"It's James and Albus. They've been fighting, and they've only been at school for a day."

"I suppose James's detentions would have something to do with that, then." He tried to smile, but Ginny only looked more worried.

"What you mean, detentions?"

He pulled out the letter he'd received earlier and handed it to her. "McGonagall gave him a week." He sounded mildly amused, receiving an angry look from the brown eyes. "Why were they fighting anyway?"

"Albus was sorted to Slytherin." She said a low voice.

"And?" He raised an eyebrow.

"What you mean, and? He should be in Gryffindor! And to make matters worse, his new best friend is that Malfoy boy!" She was angry, and stood up.

"Let him be, Gin. We'll know if anything bad happens. I told him that he could ask the hat to put him in Gryffindor if he really wanted to, so I guess he had his reasons to want otherwise. Besides, it's no big deal. Slytherin isn't what it used to be, and just because the boy is Malfoy's son, it doesn't mean he's like Malfoy was. From what I heard, he's been a lot better since the war ended." He leaned back, arms spread and his left ankle resting on his right knee.

"He's still a Malfoy! He can't be a good influence!"

"Gin, he'll be fine. He's a bright kid, and I'm sure we'll know if anything goes bad. And you'll be able to see that for yourself when he returns home for Christmas."

"How can you be so relaxed?" She asked, frustrated.

"I trust my son." He said simply, standing up and putting his arms around her. "But if it'll make you feel any better, I'll send a letter to Professor Snape, and have him report us the whole situation. Is that better?" He felt the woman nod on his shoulder and take a few deep breaths before looking up again.

"I'm sorry I freaked out. It's just that I never imagined it would happen."

"Don't worry, Gin. They're good kids, they'll be fine." He smiled at her, and she left a soft peck on his lips before taking a step back.

"I still got some work to do." She explained, walking out with a smile. Once Ginny was gone, Harry sighed, pouring himself a glass of Fire Whisky and sat by the fire. There was a lot going on in his head, and as he started relaxing, he allowed his mind to wander through all his worries.

It had been a surprise to find out Albus had been sorted to Slytherin, especially after the talk they had at the platform. Maybe the boys' discussion had something to do with that, but he thought it would be good for his youngest boy to have some independence from James. From what he could observe, the boy was always under his brother's shadow, though probably it was more because James's personality was so expansive and loud. And the new Slytherin - the criteria for the sorting and the profile of the students had changed since the war - seemed like the best place for the boy. He was a bit shy, and Gryffindors were too loud and impulsive for him to fit in.

Harry smiled when he thought of how different his boys were, and how much they'd taken after their namesakes. James was extroverted, joyful and explosive, always planning the next prank and making them smile (most of the time). Even the way he talked sometimes, reminded Harry of the short time he'd spent with his godfather, always with that amused air about him that tended to bring people up. Albus, on the other hand, was much more introverted, even as a toddler; he was never one to cry much, and when he learned how to walk, they never had to chase after him around the house like they had with the other boy. He always measured both his words and his actions before doing anything, which made him look much older than his years, and except for once or twice he'd been in a little more pain, he'd never seen the boy altered, not from anger nor joy.

Which made it all the more curious that they had actually fought, enough to get James in detention with the Headmistress. He noticed the slight change in the boy's behavior when his friend spent a few weeks with them, not too long ago, but he knew kids were different around each other, and hadn't given that a second thought. And even though Albus was very quiet, he was also very sensitive, and it wouldn't take his brother much to hurt his feelings. It had happened before, the boy just hadn't let it show, amazing everybody who knew him at the control he had exerted over himself.

Then he remembered his days in the castle, and couldn't help smiling at the memories. They were so many, good and bad. The castle destroyed after the war, and rebuilt within a year, by professors and former students who didn't want to deprive the children from a decent education. Most of the staff had been preserved, the biggest absence being Snape, who everybody thought was dead. Slughorn had agreed to remain Professor of Potions until a replacement was found, and then he planned to return for good to his retirement and, now the war was over, he would finally be able to properly enjoy it.

Hogwarts had been running for over a year when Snape mysteriously appeared at the school, demanding to talk to McGonagall. Nobody knew what had been said, or how he'd survived - he never volunteered the information, and everybody was too scared of him to ask -, but he was quickly reinstated to his former position, the only scar from what he'd been through being his partially paralyzed right leg, forcing him to adopt a black wooden cane. From what he'd heard - he hadn't yet had the chance to talk to the man properly, and thank him -, it didn't slow him down in the least, and if anything, gave him another reason to punish students and be rude to everybody else.

After his alleged death, the Ministry had focused on prosecuting all known Death Eaters as fast as they could, being as severe as possible with the punishment, in an attempt to regain some of its credibility. Snape had only been saved by Harry's testimonial, and the memories, both the ones he collected from the man himself at the Shrieking Shack and others left by Dumbledore specifically for that purpose. The Ministry decided that forgiveness was enough of a reward for the spy, despite Harry's constant claims he should receive at least an Order of Merlin, First Class.

Remembering his promise to his wife, Harry took out a parchment from the first drawer of the desk and sat down to write a letter to Snape. He didn't know what to say; after so many years hating him, he'd seen a whole new side of him through the memories, and never had anyone to discuss it all with. Not even Ginny; he never felt she would really understand the magnitude of it all. And now he had to write the man and ask him about his son - who couldn't be under better care, in his opinion -, just because things didn't go exactly according to plan.

After long minutes, he went past the first line, and with some more effort - and an extremely formal tone to his words -, he signed his name on the bottom and left it on the desk, to be sent the first thing the next morning. Snape would probably have his head on a plate faster than he could say 'sorry' if he was disturbed by a parental letter that late at night. Smiling at the thought, he made his way to his bedroom, and as quietly as he could, lay down on his side of the bed, trying not to wake Ginny up. As had been happening for quite a few weeks, he took a long time to fall asleep, and woke up exhausted the next morning. He normally left before the others woke up, and he did his best to look presentable as he walked out.

When he sat down with his best friends for lunch that day, he knew he would have to tell them about Albus's sorting. They would know through Rose anyway, and it was for the best that they - specially Ron - had plenty of time to digest it before the kids returned for the holidays. He didn't want his son to be bullied by his own uncle. But to his surprise - though it shouldn't have been, since Rose took after Hermione so much - the girl had already informed her parents of everything going on at school - even with more detail than his own children had.

"So that was it." Harry concluded, after they told him what happened on the train. "He was hurt. And then James - influenced by somebody's talking -" He looked at Ron, who blushed slightly and tried to pretend he didn't know what he was talking about. "- began harassing the only person who gave him any attention the whole trip. And his being in Slytherin only made matters worse; I'll bet it was James who was offended then." He smiled, amused.

"That's bad, Harry." Hermione said worriedly, seeing his reaction. "They shouldn't be fighting, they're brothers."

"Like I never fought with any of my siblings." Ron replied. He was, after all the only one of them who'd grown up with brothers and sisters. "They'll be fine, you'll see. Well, at least as far as the fighting goes. I don't know if Albus will be alright in Slytherin, Harry, especially if he's befriended the little Malfoy. Maybe you should do something about it, you know. I'm sure if you talked to McGonagall, you'd manage to have him transferred to Gryffindor and-"

"I'm not doing that, Ron. It was his choice to be in Slytherin. And I'm not worried about Malfoy. I trust Albus will know to step away from him if he thinks he's a bad influence."

"He's eleven Harry, no matter how bright he is." Ron argued, and Hermione nodded in agreement. "You can't expect him to know that much."

"Well, either way, I sent a letter to Snape this morning, and if there's anything wrong I trust he'll be able to sort it out."

"Snape? Tell me again why you trust that man?" Ron frowned. It didn't seem to matter to him all that'd been proved at the trial, he still hated their former Professor as much as when they were students, and wasn't willing to give him a vote of confidence.

"I'm not getting into this with you again, Ron."

"Well, I'll ask Rose to keep us informed about their situation, and if I find anything else, I'll make sure to tell you, Harry." Hermione tried to reassure him.

"Mione, don't. I know Albus, he would hate her sticking her nose in his business more than I did when it was you." He smiled, and the girl frowned slightly. "They're kids, they have to make their own mistakes. And again, I trust them. So let's just drop it, okay?" He pleaded, and the other two nodded.

He could see his best friends still weren't too certain, but gave them his best reassuring smile and trusted Hermione would take care of making Ron accept it. The rest of the meal went smoothly, and Harry was surprised to realize he was actually anxious for Snape's reply. Bits of the letter kept coming back to his head all day, and he began wondering if he'd put everything the best way possible. He was very disappointed not to see an owl addressed to him all day long.

A very well-maintained, black-and-white owl entered the Great Hall that morning, standing out from the wave of mostly-brown owls that delivered newspapers and letters to the students. Severus never bothered looking up; there was rarely any mail for him, especially in the mornings. So it was a big surprise for him to see the beautiful animal land graciously before him, waiting patiently for the letter to be unattached from his leg before flying away. Some other staff members also turned their heads, but a look from him later, it was almost like it had never happened. Just two boys, among the several children enjoying their first meal of the day, recognized the animal, and swallowed hard wondering what it contained.

Severus quickly got his letter and didn't bother looking up as the animal once again took the skies. He thought he recognized vaguely the handwriting on the front of the envelope, and as he turned it around, realized why. Harry Potter's name was dashed down, still in his crumply hand-writing, and he decided to put it away instead of opening where everybody could see it. Not that they all didn't know what it contained - a loud complaint about his middle child ending up in his house instead of Gryffindor -, but he knew it would probably upset him more than it would be recommended for such an early time in the morning. He just couldn't figure out why the letter had been addressed to him and not to Minerva.

The day was terrible as it always was. Now he was positive the students were worse every year, and he dreaded to think what kind of dunderheads he'd have to teach in five years' time. After dinner, he finally remembered the letter carelessly tucked in his inside pocket, and sat down to read. He was truly surprised at the respectful tone he found, in strong contrast with the general attitude of the boy he thought. At least he grew up, he thought with a small sneer. But the content was also very unexpected. Severus didn't know how to react when he read Potter believed his son couldn't be in better hands - specially after the boy's revelation that the man thought he was the bravest person he knew -, and relieved he wouldn't have to argue the school rules with overprotective parents.

The first thing he asked was about the boys' fight. Severus had been tempted to say they're - unfortunately - just kids being kids, but decided to elaborate a little more, describing the little discussion after the Welcoming Feast he overheard. Then he wanted to know how Albus was adjusting - even though he said he thought the boy would be fine, but his wife - the youngest Weasley, wasn't it? - was freaking out about it. She'd probably taken after her mother. Finally, he asked to be informed if anything happened - which he would be anyway, but perhaps it was just parental insecurity. He'd lost count of how many letters he'd received asking him to inform if their children tripped on a hallway or sneezed in a class. Even though he thought of his Slytherins as his children, he was never really able to understand all that excessive concern, and usually replied - when he bothered replying - very rudely and shortly. Especially since most parents now had been his students, so they knew not to expect anything else from him. He left the letter on his desk, beside a pile of already corrected summer homework, and moved on to the third-year essays. Nobody was in danger; Potter could wait another day for his reply.