Disclaimer: I don't own the world of Harry Potter… I just retreat to it. Alannah and Alexis, however, are mine. I can claim that much at least. I just don't make any money off of them, sad but true.

A/N: Wow, I officially have no clue where this story is going, because it ran away from me halfway through the third chapter. So, please, don't ask me what's ahead, or where it's going, it has a mind of its own. I don't have any clue at all.

Chapter Four: Diagon Alley

For what seemed like the first time in his life, Severus found himself looking forward to Friday. The week seemed to go by slowly. He had a hard time concentrating on the essays sitting on his desk. Severus had to pull himself more than once from thoughts of his school days—more specifically, any memories he could find of Alannah.

When Friday finally came, he took extra caution on his wardrobe, taking care to wear muggle clothes, though if he kept this up, he would need to acquire more. At eleven-thirty, Severus floo'd to the Leaky Cauldron, then sat down to have a cup of tea. He watched the patrons, keeping his eye on the clock on the wall. Two minutes before noon, he stepped out into the sunshine, standing off to the side to watch for Alannah, Harry, and Alexis.

When he saw them walk down the street towards him, he took a few moments to watch them. Alannah was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, her blond hair pulled back in a braid down her back, sunglasses on her nose. She was listening to Alexis, to the left of her. Alexis walked, talking to Harry with a smile on her face. She was wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, with her hair pulled up in a ponytail. Harry, too, wore a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. He walked to the right of Alannah, listening to his sister talking, not putting in a word.

They stopped in front of him, with the children looking at him openly.

"Hello, Severus."

"Alannah, hope you had a good week?"

"Yes, I did, thank you. I'd like to get this over with, though, if you don't mind. I'm kind of nervous."

Severus smiled and nodded, gesturing them to follow him into the Leaky Cauldron. He lead them through, to they wall in behind. He stopped and turned to them.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley."

As they four of them strolled through the Alley, Severus and Alannah talked, but mostly Alannah looked around her. Harry and Alexis were pretty quiet, staring around them, trying to digest the Alley. It was a lot for a pair of six year olds to take in.

They stopped and browsed through most of the stores, especially the Pet Shop, and the Quidditch shop. Around two, they stopped for fudge Sundaes, where Alexis found her voice again. Harry managed to throw in a few comments, but preferred to sit and smile.

"Mum, can we still get a puppy for our birthday? Jenna doesn't believe we will."

Alannah laughed. "Don't worry yourself about that right now, Alexis. You will have to wait and see. There's still a month until your birthday."

Alexis nodded, then turned back to Harry, where they started a conversation about the Quidditch Shop and all the things they'd seen.

Severus and Alannah sat back and listened, finishing their Sundaes.

After they finished their ice cream, the four of them continued through the alley, stopping at the other stores. When they entered the toy store, Alexis and Harry promptly headed off in a random direction. The adults started after them, commenting on the toys that the children were pointing at.

If he thought about it, Severus had never actually entered this particular store, having never had any toys as a child. This made him think about his own childhood, trying to remember a time that he had been that carefree. He was raised in a Pureblood house, with his parents demanding obedience, not having much fun. This thought led him to wonder what exactly it was he was doing at the toy store at that moment. Then his thoughts moved to Alannah, the main reason he was here in the first place. He hadn't taken the time to get to know her in the time they spent at school, regardless of house rivalries. Both of her parents were purebloods, and very high society as well, if he remembered correctly. They were firmly on the Light side of the war that killed them.

In school, while it was true she was friends with Lily, and you could often see the two of them sitting and chatting, before James Potter had managed to get his grips on Lily—he never saw much of her roaming the halls in the evenings or weekends, and she was always glad to go home for vacations. Rumor had it, she was a very avid reader, as long as they weren't textbooks. You would often spot her in the library on weekends, browsing through the different volumes. She never caused any trouble on her own, but often found herself in detention or the Headmaster's office for missing curfew, or sticking up for a prank the Marauders had pulled. In his seventh year, she had been made a prefect, which he could remember. But after he graduated, he had lost track of all that was Hogwarts for a few years, until he came to the Headmaster for his help.

So if that were true, and he had only seen Alannah three times since they were in school, then why had he found himself in a toy store in Diagon Alley, with Alannah and her adopted children, thinking about her?

Two hours later, Severus found himself walking from the Muggle subway, with Alannah, Alexis, and Harry, heading for their house. She invited him in for tea, while the children ran upstairs to their rooms with their bags of things from the Alley. They sat and had pleasant conversation, not once bringing up the past. They talked about work, future goals, the Wizarding World at present. He was invited to stay for supper, which he accepted.

They worked side by side, making a dinner. He mostly cut things, and stirred pots, as he had never cooked a day in his life.

Once dinner was finished, and he helped clear away the table, Alannah sent the children upstairs to begin the bath and bed process. She walked Severus to the door.

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate today. They kids had fun. I had fun, as well. Thank you."

Severus smiled. "You repaid me with a pleasant day, and a meal. There is nothing more to repay me for. I would like to see you again, if that's okay?"

He watched as the grin came over her lips and spread to her eyes. "I would like that."

"I can owl you, or…?"

"An owl is fine."

"Then, I will take my leave, and I will hopefully see you soon."

A/N: Review!

Ms Alex James