A/N: I'm so sorry it took so long to get this chapter out! It's shorter than the last few have been, and I'm not overly fond of how it played out, but you take what you can get when your chapter fights back. So, without further ado, back to the adventures of a bunch of eight year olds (and two eleven year olds) we go!
Also, FanFiction is being a little weird. Please tell me if there's something that needs to be fixed? Anything from grammar to britpicking to missing chunks of sentences.
~x~x~
Lunch was a fun affair so far as Sev was concerned. He wasn't too enthusiastic about some of the food, but it was all rather good food, and he knew that his mum would approve of it all.
Tilly made a great deal of fuss over the meal, insisting that they ate proper like, the way she apparently knew most of their families were wont to do. She had sat them all around the table, with Aunt Minnie at the head. Alice and Frank sat on either side of her, with Marlene, James, and Lily next to Frank. Remus, Severus, and Sirius were scrunched happily together next to Alice, with a final, empty seat at the end, where the table backed against a rather large window. They all had napkins spread neatly in their laps. Ankles were crossed, hands folded neatly.
They had been seated for a good five minutes before Tilly brought in their first course. Aunt Minnie had given her a slight nod once they were all settled, leading to Tilly bending crisply at the waist. A quick snap later, and five large fruit platters appeared before them. There were intricately carved watermelons and apples, oranges and grapefruits spread like flowers, kabobed grapes, and more exotic looking fruits that Sirius and James took time explaining to them all.
"That one," Sirius said, pointing out a rather hairy looking fruit, "is called a rambutan. Looks gross, but it's actually sweet, like grapes. The green thing next to it, the one that looks like it's scaled," he added on, moving his finger, "is a cherimoya. It tastes like something between a banana and a pineapple. Really good, as long as you don't eat the seeds. Father says they're poisonous."
Severus nodded along as he had aguaje, cupuacu, pepino, dragon fruit, star fruit, snake fruit, prepared noni, ciku, and a wide variety of berries pointed out to him. The looks of quite a few deterred him as he went about taste testing the platters closest to him. He didn't for a moment think that Tilly would serve him anything unsafe, they just… well, they looked scary! Some of them were hairy and others had these weird scales, and one had an absolutely disgusting smell. It reminded him of Tuney's ballet slippers and tights after a hard day's work out, and he nearly gagged when he saw Frank dig into one.
Lily and Remus, he noticed, stuck to the less exotic fruits as well.
Remus was happily munching away at an apple, while Lily pointedly ate orange slices whenever James encouraged her to try a bit of the rambutan.
Sev was all for laughing at Lily's antics and eating his own platter of pears until Sirius started to not so discreetly fill his dish with bits of dragon and snake fruit. Sev scowled at him, tossing the bits back towards Sirius. Unfortunately for them, Sirius ducked out of the way, leaving an unsuspecting Alice to be hit squarely in the cheek by a stray chunk of dragon fruit. Alice, who had been chatting amicably with Aunt Minnie about the sorts of things she should expect that coming year, turned her head slowly towards them.
In quick order, Sev, Remus, Lily, and Marlene all ducked under the table, leaving James, Sirius and Frank to Alice's new-found ire. A moment passed and James followed his friends down below. His departure was punctuated with an echoing thwak and the kind of screech Sev would have attributed to banshees. As it was, Alice was close enough at the moment.
It only took a second or two, but eventually the air around them was full of the sounds of children shrieking, Aunt Minnie yelling, and fruit splattering about. Sev's face was the picture of utter delight as he saw bits of fruit falling to the floor, and pairs of feet run to escape them. Aunt Minnie continued her tirade, chasing the three children about the large dining room. She didn't stop the food fight, though, and the children under the table continued to watch on and grin. They would follow the action, pointing and screeching with laughter as Aunt Minnie failed to put any serious effort into stopping the mess. A good five or so minutes was spent like this, until a snap froze things outside the table. Well, really it was only Aunt Minnie, Alice, Frank and Sirius that froze, but it was close enough. Sev peeked his head out to see Tilly standing across from the table, thin arms crossing her chest.
Sev was quick to pull his head back, and his friends huddled in around him. None of them wanted to face the wrath of Tilly. Face it they did, however.
There was another snap, and the kids found themselves all scrabbling against the pull of Tilly's magic. They were floated out from under the table in a neat little row, all of them flailing about in the air as Tilly lined them up with the others. She gave them all a stern look. Sev couldn't help but cringe at that. He stared at his feet as she started yelling at them all. He got the feeling that everyone else was doing much the same.
"Masters and Misses is being bad! Yous is lacking in decorum and manners! Throwing your foods at each other! Making messes of your friends's home! Yous all being proper witches and wizards! Yous all being acting like little babies! Playing with food that others is being buying and preparing for you! Making messes of yourself! Yous all acting like not good heirs!" She stalked over to the very end of the line, where James was staring shamefacedly at his toes. Tilly ignored this, sticking her finger out as she walked slowly past them all. "Yous all being disgraceful Masters and Misses. Yous is being acting like good heirs now and Tilly is being bringing in second course!"
"Yes, Tilly," Sev muttered along with his friends. The food fight had been fun, but not quite worth being scolded over.
Before he could really think about it, though, Tilly spun her finger about in small circles, ridding the room and its occupants of fruit. She gave them a cursory nod before ushering them back to their places at the table. Once everyone was sitting, she nodded again.
"Tilly is making two meals for Masters and Misses, and they's being having a choice," she told them simply. "We's having pan fried chicken breast, stuffed with mozerelly and basil, and wrapped in thick bacon-" a quick upward swipe had a large platter appearing on the table - "or seared salmon fillet with baby roast potatoes and fine beans and lemon butter sauces." Another plate appeared next to it, and the smell of the two dishes filled the room. It was warm and enticing, and Sev's mouth was watering in anticipation.
"You's being telling Tilly which you want, and Tilly is servings Masters and Misses."
They all nodded, and started naming off dishes. Marlene took some of the salmon, as did Lily, while James and Frank both took the chicken. Aunt Minnie kindly asked for the chicken, as well, and Alice's side of the table alternated, with Sev and Alice taking the salmon.
It was… delectable. Amazingly scrumptious. The salmon was crusted just so on the outside, while the rest melted quite like butter. The potatoes were flavourful and done just right, and everything was beyond the limits of Sev's vocabulary. He couldn't find the words for just how wonderful he thought the meal was.
"Tilly," he groaned, "How'd you get so good at cooking?"
Tilly's ears waggled happily at that comment. She went to reply, but Lily cut her off first.
"Tilly, this is positively succulent! The salmon's got this great, herbaceous crust, and it's nearly ambrosial, what with all the flavors and how it melts in your mouth. It's all got this piquant sauce, quite tangy, really, and there's these sapid veggies!" And on she went, using words Sev had yet to learn to compliment the food while nearly bringing Tilly to tears.
There were nods and agreements all around, everyone thanking Tilly heartily for the food. Almost everyone, including Sev, had seconds when offered.
~x~x~
Sev was lounging on one of the various armchairs they had spread throughout the great room, contentedly patting his stomach. The chair could fit three children if they tried, so Sev was spread across it. His head was on one arm, with his feet on the other. There was a book propped against his legs about magical theory. It wasn't a curriculum book, but good for helping children understand what magic was and how it worked. At least, it was supposed to be. Sev had read the same line five times when he gave up, slamming the book shut. The questions in his head just wouldn't leave him alone.
Across the room, Lily was working on first year charms. James and Sirius were watching on with what could only be called adorement. Marley, on the other hand, had given over all her devotion to Frank and Alice as Aunt Minnie taught them beginner's transfiguration.
"Idiotic things they start with," she muttered. "A needle into a matchstick when you know nothing of magic."
He had to look around for Remus, honestly, but a soft smile crept across his face when he found him. He was snuggled into a chair much like the one Severus was in, this one much closer to the hearth. His book was open halfway through, not that it mattered much. It had fallen against the boy's chest, rising and falling slowly with his breath. His face was tilted off to the side, and he was snoring ever so slightly.
Sev was going to yell across the room for Aunt Minnie, but he thought better of it after seeing Remus asleep. He looked like he needed every minute of it. As such, Sev found himself walking carefully over to Aunt Minnie. When he was sure that Alice and Frank were doing all of the spellwork, he tapped her shoulder.
"Aunt Minnie, can we talk in private?" he whispered, face twisting into a slight frown.
She looked up at him for a brief moment before nodding.
"Tilly," she called.
The elf popped in just a moment later. "Yes? How is Tilly helping the Gonygall?"
Aunt Minnie looked around at the children. "Watch the kids, Tilly? Severus and I have some matters to discuss, and I'd rather the room not be destroyed while we're at it."
Tilly nodded before giving her a mock salute.
Sev was sure there was more to that exchange, but at that point he was already walking towards the anteroom. Aunt Minnie followed shortly.
The heavy door was closed behind them, and Sev slumped against the wall.
"I've been trying to read up on magical theory, but I've got too many questions to focus as much as I want to," he started. Aunt Minnie simply nodded, so he continued on. "I wanna start from the beginning, if it doesn't bother you too much."
Another nod.
"What did Dumbledore want with me?"
Aunt Minnie frowned slightly. "You should really call him Professor or Headmaster, Severus."
Sev just shrugged. "I'll respect him when he deserves it."
He was contemplated for a moment, he knew, before she nodded shortly.
"Albus, for as wise as he is, has stopped seeing the world so much as a world. He does everything for this greater good of his. It's like a chessboard to him, see, and we're all just pieces in his play. At the opposition lies all things we consider dark, and he's taken it upon himself to set it all to rights."
"What sorts of things does he think are dark?" He asked, frowning slightly.
"Well, there's vampires for one. They lack the same moral standings that wizards have. Werewolves, too, though not all of them are bad. Those that practice dark magics. People who would harm a-"
Sev's eyes went cold. "If you say child, I'll leave this room right now and destroy as much of Hogwarts as I can."
"Severus, he has assured us he means you no harm," she snapped. "I do not approve of his methods or reasons, but Albus Dumbledore is a good man." The look on her face left no room for questions, and, quite frankly, it scared Sev a little. "Now, as for what he wanted with you, Pomona, Poppy, and myself have come to the conclusion that he believes you possess the same sort of skills your mother did."
Sev just kept looking at her, waiting for her to elaborate.
She sighed ever so softly. "Your mother was a premier potions mistress. Many would have said she was the best in the world, really. Albus asked, on more than a few occasions, for her to come to Hogwarts. She would have limitless time to dedicate to her studies. She could experiment to her heart's content. However, she would have been firmly under his thumb, and she didn't want that. She didn't want to spend untold hours a day dealing with children she didn't know, just to research appropriately Light potions, serving Albus' whims. Poppy and I always told her it wouldn't be that bad, but she had this entire theory that Albus would use her as no more than a personal potions supplier." Aunt Minnie's shoulders rose and fell sadly. "And so, Albus lost her. Now, he's hoping that you wouldn't be so resistant to helping him."
"Tell the old coot he can bite me," Sev spat.
Aunt Minnie nodded solemnly. "He does not ask to use you, but I can understand your reluctance."
"Why did he mind rape me?"
"Sev…," Aunt Minnie started, her face white.
"That's what it was, and I don't want to be convinced otherwise."
"Albus used Legilimency to see if you had your other's talents for Occlumency. You do, by the way, something he is rather proud of."
Sev sneered and she continued on.
"According to Pomona, though, he wished to obtain a memory from you. He feared you would not or would be unable to tell him directly, so he seeked it out from you."
"What sort of memory?"
Aunt Minnie sighed, looking older than Sev thought she was. "When Eileen disappeared into the muggle world, she took all of her research with her. Every single note. She withdrew all of her recipes and patents, and left. She was in the middle of researching a potion that would put a werewolf to sleep during the fullmoon."
Sev cocked his head to the side.
"The potion was going to completely stop the werewolf transformation. For three days, the werewolf would be comatose. He'd be completely safe, assuming he took his potions at the correct times."
Sev nodded slowly. He could see why it was important, but he'd never heard of anything like it.
"We all told him he was barmy for thinking you would have or know of it, but he insisted he had to check."
"He is barmy, but nevermind that. Where is he, and why hasn't he approached us again?"
Aunt Minnie graced him with a small grin. "He's been expressly forbidden contact with you for the rest of this summer, though I wouldn't put it past him to be outside that door right now."
Sev grimaced and stepped away from the outer door.
"Now, any other questions?"
Sev pulled his necklace out from under his shirt, where it always hung. At it's current length, the ring generally sat beneath his sternum.
"Why am I not supposed to let anyone put it on? And why shouldn't I show it to anyone?"
"Well, from what I understand, if you were to give it to someone else to put it on, you would be declaring intent for heirship."
Sev grimaced again. "Duly noted. No one wearing my ring."
"Well," Aunt Minnie started slowly. "You need to wear it, at least just once, if I recall. It'll tie you into your family's magical well."
Sev's only answer was to stare at his ring, so Aunt Minnie continued on.
"Magical wells occur naturally, at the same time a magical family is declared. They lay on ley lines, through ancient magic we no longer understand. The goblins, however, still have the rituals."
Sev gave her a single nod.
"Ley lines, should you not know, are lines of pure magic, running between places of great import, all the world over. Wells allow families to tap into this magic, bypassing wands and human magic. Magic from a ley line is wild and primitive, based on will and intent alone."
Sev nodded again. "I'd assume that's a good thing to have, yeah?"
Aunt Minnie just chuckled at him, and a small silence settled in before she continued on.
"Now, as for why you wouldn't want to show them to anyone. If you wear them where people can see them, they'll know you're a young Lord. By all of our rules, you may as well be an adult. Once you take a Lordship, you can vote and use magic outside the school as you wish. You have access to all of your funds, unless it says that you must reach your majority first. It makes you a half adult of sorts. And if people see that, they will begin trying to sway you, to win your votes in the Wizengamot. They may also begin using you to make power plays. They may make allegiances, or try starting betrothal contracts."
Sev's face twisted up. "Alright, ring stays under shirt."
Aunt Minnie smiled just a bit.
"Why are we all so articulate? Me and the other kids, I mean. Muggle kids our age still stumble on words and others come out funny, but we mostly talk just like you." He asked after another moment of silence. "And Lily. She had this weird jump in articulation and vocabulary rather recently."
"I can't really answer that one, Severus. I simply don't know. Poppy might know, but you'll have to research it if she doesn't."
Sev contemplated that before nodding. "Alright. Last question. What's it mean to be Touched?"
If Aunt Minnie had had food or drink, Sev was sure she would have choked on it right then. As it was, she just spluttered for a minute or two.
"Touched means to have some sort of divinatory powers, whether it's Seeing, Prophesying, Aura Reading, or Realm Sleep, if I do recall."
Sev cocked his head just so, and Aunt Minnie continued on.
"Seers, well, see things. They see snippets of someone's past or future, though they are rather exclusionary. If you see one, you won't start seeing the other. Propheciers are much like oracles. They divine the future in the form of poems and sonnets, and on a much greater scale than Seers. Prophecies tend to affect large sects of humanity, as opposed to one person's future. Aura Reading is as the name implies. Readers can see the auras of those around them. The more powerful can even see magic itself and ley lines. Finally, Realm Sleep. Sleepers can walk the realms of humanity in their sleep. Usually, it's just the realm of the dead, though a few have reported realms from various mythos."
Sev nodded along slowly, automatically categorizing himself as a Seer. He had already tuned out Aunt Minnie, walking back towards the guest suite.
Alright, Sev. You've got, what? Three years until you start? That's three years to stop seeing things people don't want you to see.
~x~x~
The rest of the week passed in an uneventful blur for Sev.
Remus and Sirius had taken to alternating sleeping on Sev's bed, and he couldn't really say he minded. James and Frank still slept in much the same way, leaving the other three to figure something out.
The sleeping situation had been Sev's idea. He knew that sleeping with someone there gave him less nightmares, so he figured it would be the same for the other two, and it was. The only problem was that the three of them didn't all fit on the bed without curling up together, and it was far too hot out for that. Hence the switching.
Tilly continued to get raving reviews on her cooking prowess, and Aunt Minnie stuck to a strict schedule of teaching and play time.
The routine was so comfortable that when Aunt Minnie told him that it was time for his friends to leave, he nearly cried. Well, so did everyone else, but Sev's tears were the most prominent.
After much pleading and a fit from Marlene, Aunt Minnie relented.
"You may stay," Aunt Minnie said, her exasperation thick and obvious, "if your parents give you permission."
And that was how Sev and Lily's friends ended up lined up before the floo. He almost didn't notice the conspicuous absence of a one Sirius Black.
~x~x~
James was the first to floo his parents. The fire in the hearth was rather warm that morning, but cooled rapidly with the introduction of floo powder.
"Potter Manor!" he called before sticking his face in the flame. It took a moment, but eventually someone appeared in the floo hall.
A face much like his own was soon before him, all chiseled bones and dark skin, appeared before him.
"Da!" James exclaimed. "Da! Have you got my letters?"
His dad smiled and nodded. "Yes, we have. Your mother has loved every one of them."
James gave him a playful scowl. "Yes, but you haven't written me back, so I don't have permission to stay longer."
Fleamont looked like he was considering a tough dinner choice for a moment before his face split into a wide grin. "Of course, James. If Minerva is allowing you to stay longer, then who are we to keep you?"
James let out a great whoop of victory, leaving his dad chuckling. He was about to pull away when his father started talking again.
"It's good to see you with friends, James," he said softly. "Now, go enjoy them before your mother starts insisting we invite them here instead."
A peal of laughter escaped James. He knew full well that his mother would do just that, given the opportunity, so he pulled away from the floo, giving Marlene a go at it.
~x~x~
Marlene shoved her face into the flame so enthusiastically she quite nearly fell through. She called out for a bit, and eventually her eldest brother came strolling into the floo hall.
"Richard!" she called, delight evident all over her face.
The boy in question knelt before her. He was much the opposite of Marlene. He had light brown locks and dark brown eyes and was deeply tanned. Where she was dainty, he was burly and thick. The prodigious McKinnon son. Marlene adored him.
"Yes, Marlene?"
"Richard, would you please tell Mummy and Da that I won't be home for another few weeks or so?" she asked.
She knew her brother would have answered, more than likely a yes, but she'd already pulled out of the fire.
~x~x~
Frank didn't bother flooing home, as his mother knew he would be with the Potters until the end of August, at which point he would go home briefly and then depart for Hogwarts. Instead, he settled for reaffirming his stay with Fleamont and Euphemia before giving Alice a go at the floo.
Alice was proper about it, kneeling and flattening her skirt ever so carefully before beginning her short call.
"I'll be staying just a bit longer."
"Yes, I can hear Mother perfectly well."
"By August the 22nd, yes."
"Of course. Bye, Father. Tell Mother I wish her well."
~x~x~
Remus was the next to go. He could have sworn it should have been Sirius, but the boy was missing from the line. Remus shrugged, getting down in front of the floo.
The Lupins didn't have a floo hall, so it was fairly easy to get his parents' attention.
"Mum! Da! We need to talk!" he called.
His mother came bustling in just a moment later.
"Remus! How good to see you, love. Anything you need before you come home?"
Remus shifted about a bit. "Yes, well, you see…"
And Remus explained how it was with his new friends, and how none of them knew about his problems, though he had a feeling Severus knew more than he should already, and how much he wanted to stay.
"Just until the next full moon, Mum!"
His mother gave him a hard look before sinking forward slightly.
"You know we would give you the time if we could, Rems," she whispered.
"Mum! It's only the tenth! The next moon isn't until the 28th, and I'll be home by then!"
This earned him a hard look, but she did relent.
"You'll be home by the 25th, no ifs, ands, or buts."
Remus nodded and disconnected.
~x~x~
Sirius had had to be fished from Sev's room, and was drug roughly to the floo.
He took his time, readying the mask of Pure Blood Ice Prince in the making. And then he was there in the floo hall, patiently waiting for someone to notice his disembodied head. Rather unfortunately, that was his younger brother.
"Regulus! Reg! Hush!" He shouted over the five year old's wailing.
Eventually Regulus was calmed and instructed, and so Sirius waited. Just another moment or so and one of his parents would be there. He had the wondrous luck of it being his mother.
"Mother, dearest," he started, a charming grin already alight. "I've missed you so."
Walburga sneered at him. "Awful little whelp. Reading my private mail before running away! Have you no shame?"
Sirius smirked. "None at all, Mother. Blacks have nothing to feel shame over, remember?"
Walburga narrowed her eyes. "You'll feel shame when you feel the sting of your father's paddle, you little monster!"
Sirius ducked away when she grabbed for him, trying to keep his eyes going wide.
"I'm at Hogwarts with Minerva McGonagall and a bunch of blood traitors and halfbloods and a muggleborn or two I love you I'll see you August the thirty-first give Father my love!" he shouted, and then he was gone.
~x~x~
Sev and Lily grinned at their motley band of misfits as they raced through the halls. They were playing a great big game of tag, and the last person to reach the Entrance Hall would be 'it.' So far, Marlene was holding up the rear, with James and Frank well ahead of them.
James and Frank split as they hit the hall, going down corridors and stairs until they were out of view. Remus and Alice were the next to disappear, followed shortly by Lily, then Sev and Sirius.
Sev didn't know who would be found first, but he knew it wouldn't be him. He darted up two flights of stairs, bumped into Alice rather roughly, and was on his way again, calling apologies over his shoulder.
On and on the day went, the children running about until they were all tagged, and the great race for the Entrance Hall began again. Sev was getting rather good at it, usually caught third or fourth to last.
They were on their seventh round when he realised that he was happier than he'd been in quite a while.
~x~x~
Sev wasn't happy to see the morning of the 25th roll around. The 25th meant that Remus was leaving, and he didn't want that. Remus was his friend, and he was happy here.
Remus smiled and laughed with them. He'd started a food fight with dessert once. He read them stories and made up a few of his own. He was positively wonderful at Hide and Seek, and he was all around great.
Sev rolled over, knowing that Remus was still on the other side of the bed. He was, and relief settled into a place Sev didn't know.
Remus's pillow was a king size, so it was quite large. Large enough, at least, for half to rest under his head, while the other half was held firmly to his chest. Sev couldn't help but smile. His golden hair fell across the top of his face, edges dusting across blond lashes. His nose was just a touch pink, making the freckles across the bridge stand out more so than usual. There was drool at the corner of his mouth, as if he'd been laying on that side until just recently.
Sev probably could have gone on and on, noting things that there were to note about a sleeping Remus Lupin, but he was interrupted by the oddest of flutterings in his stomach. He didn't know what it was doing there, but he wasn't quite keen on it. It had been there before, and it usually did things like make his face turn red when Remus and Sirius were around.
He shook his head and rolled back over, hoping for more sleep. He missed the soft smile that graced the lips of a barely awake Remus.
~x~x~
The day of the twenty-fifth was spent playing whatever it was Remus wanted to play. Sev had begged Aunt Minnie to cancel their lessons to free up the time.
They played wizard's chess and exploding snap, gobstones, hide and seek, and even a round of tag. Tilly had brought them sandwiches and tea on the grounds when lunch rolled around, and had served cake for dinner.
That's where they were now.
They were gathered about the living room, and the sun was just setting. Sev, Remus, and Sirius were sitting in an arm chair, legs brushing only a little. Lily was sitting next to Marlene in the other, rather deliberately keeping James out of the chair. Frank was sitting next to Alice, chatting on about going to Hogwarts in the coming month or so.
Tilly had served them a three layer, six chocolate cake five minutes prior, and they were all working their way through the hulking slices.
Remus was halfway through his, debating with his two companions the pros and cons of giving children wands. All three were for, but Sirius was left to play the devil's advocate, while Severus had to play the neutral party. They had just agreed that small children still prone to accidental magic should not be given wands when the floo flared to life.
Harsh green light replaced the soft, flickering flame that had been emanating from the hearth. Alice and Frank jumped out of the way, having been sat right in front of it.
Barely a moment later, a wizard stepped straight through. He was tall, back straight with forgotten pride. His hair was the exact same shade as Remus', making Sev pin him as the father. Brown eyes glanced across the room before settling on the trio on the chair.
Remus stiffened just a hair before slumping.
"Can't it wait until cake is done, Dad?"
His father shook his head, and Sev wanted nothing more than to hold Remus' hand, to give him some sort of strength or encouragement. He couldn't, though, so he had to watch on as Remus nodded solemnly. The small boy made his way up the Sev's room, returning shortly with his trunk. His father ushered him to the floo quickly, and Remus turned to give them a sad little wave.
"Bye, guys, I'll write you all."
The fire flashed green, and Sev knew that he wouldn't be hearing from Remus for a long while yet.
~x~x~
Two weeks passed, and Sev's feeling was proving true thus far.
In that two weeks, Sev had gotten good at telling serious Divination texts from phony nonsense. He was also getting used to finding any of the other three boys in his bed.
James had taken Remus' place first, complaining that Frank moved the mattress about in his sleep. Two nights later and it was Frank in his bed, complaining that James' heels were bony and were hurting his butt.
Sev, of course, knew that they were just filling up the space so that he didn't feel alone. He wouldn't tell them that he knew, but he did. It was… nice. He was becoming decidedly fond of people doing things for him, though he always had to remind himself that not everyone would do everything for him. He was responsible for his own self, too. That's what he told himself every time he saw Cinna return without a letter, at least.
He disregarded this, though, when faced with Tilly's four layer red velvet cake (his rationale being that he couldn't make a cake like that, so he couldn't be in charge of much). This one was in honor of Marlene, which was why the red velvet was blue, and why the white frosting was charmed a glittering pink. The boys ate it with much gusto, pink sparkles be damned.
Marlene just laughed and joked and smiled, occasionally smearing frosting on a cheek or two.
"Sev!" she called across the room. They were all settling in, quite full of cake at this point.
It was all Sev could do to turn his head, looking blearily at Marley. "Yeah?"
"Sev, what do you call a nun in a wheelchair?" she asked. Giggles overtook her not a moment later.
Sev, on the other hand, was back to staring at his feet. What did one call a nun in a wheelchair?
He'd been contemplating the answer for nearly five minutes when Marlene blurted out the answer.
"A holy roller, Sev! She's a holy roller!" With that, Marley was overcome with yet another fit of giggles, and Sev shook his head. A lack of sleep and the intense amount of sugar had left all of the children something akin to drunk, with a conspicuously missing Aunt Minnie. Though, if the snores from up the stairs were to be believed, she was dead asleep.
Finally the joke landed its mark, though, and Severus burst into great guffaws.
That was what Emmett McKinnon walked in on - his daughter and friend laughing with delirium, while three others slept on chairs, and the other two played exploding snap, jumping when the cards exploded.
Sev didn't think he would have noticed Mr. McKinnon walking in if it weren't for Marley's shriek of "Daddy!"
He cleared away the last of his laughs and looked over at the man. He wasn't as tall as Remus' father had been, but he was more solidly built. He didn't look anything like Marlene, but he couldn't really question genetics after seeing his own family. Besides, Marlene seemed to believe him her father. She was clinging to him as he picked her up, levitating her chest behind them. Her head rest on his shoulders, and she barely managed a wave before disappearing through the floo.
"'S lovely seeing you all… G'night…"
And Marlene was gone.
~x~x~
Alice was the next to leave.
She was picked up by a stiff and somber looking woman after afternoon tea.
It was a quiet event, with Tilly serving matcha tea and taro macarons. They'd eaten and joked quietly, and Frank had stared in typical Frank fashion when Alice departed. When asked about it, he'd simply blushed and mumbled incoherently until left alone again.
~x~x~
Another week passed, full of exploding snap and rough housing, with James and Sirius occasionally refereeing their color wars - color wars being small fights in which the children flung spells at each other, leaving great magical stains. The aim was to color as much of your opponents as possible while taking minimal damage to yourself and the surrounding furniture. Sev was quite good at both parts, while Frank was good at the coloring and Lily excelled at dodging. As such, matches usually ended in a tie.
Sev was doing quite well after two months under Aunt Minnie. He was cheerful and coming out of his shell. He hadn't had much practice with his occlumency or potions, but he and Lily were well on their way to second level charms. Frank was more of an herbologist, so he didn't mind all too much when Lily and Sev flew right by him. Sev would know, really.
He'd had a fit of anxiety two days after Alice had left and had confronted him, spending almost half an hour making sure that Frank didn't mind in the slightest if Lily and Sev excelled where he did not. And, with that out of the way, Sev blossomed in that last week.
Sev started conversations now, rather than be dragged into them. He asserted his opinions and would argue them, though he still tended to shut down if his opponent started to yell at him. He did all of his work to the best of his abilities and took criticisms well. Out of the whole bunch, he was most likely to redo his work until it was perfect.
On the other hand, he was still quite dependant on Sirius and Lily, keeping their company at all times. He adamantly refused to be isolated or alone.
Leaps and bounds were leaps and bounds, though, and it warmed Minerva and Pomona's hearts to see the son of their childhood friend blossoming like this. Sev would have made Eileen proud, they knew. He was sharp as a tack, always asking questions until he was positive he fully understood the information. He was kind and forgiving, but more than capable of standing his own ground. He was a good kid, he really was.
Watching on as her charges stepped through the floo, Minerva couldn't help but think that Eileen would have been proud of her son. They all should be proud of their children, really. They would be good people, she knew, and they would do great things.
~x~x~
Guest: Thank you so much for your review! My thought process on the whole thing was that there's no real reason for James to be a horrid git if he's not contending for Lily's attention. Throw that in with Severus being Lily's brother, and there's definitely no reason for James and Severus not to get along, outside of general character interests.
Patronusesandpotions: Updated! Though, a Sev and Sirius question session has to wait for another chapter. Sorry bout that one!
DaphneG: Thank you so much for how you put that! It's not a zero sum game. James and Severus both had up and downsides in canon, and will continue to do so here. Neither was all good or all bad, and you've really gotta get over that before you start getting into fic or you'll just end up unhappy.
Guest: I'm definitely trying to give Sev many, many happy times, I really am. I'm glad you're enjoying it! Also, Sirius' home life is being brought to light in the next few chapters, so keep an eye out for that!
NatNicole: Aaaahhhh! I'm so happy you like it! Sirius' entrance was quite a Sirius thing, wasn't it?
.5: Yes, James and Lily. I'm glad you enjoyed the story, and I'm very sorry that I can't give you the pairing you want here. I wish you luck in your endeavors to find good Snily fic!
Shain-The Otaku-of-Ireland: You're review made me smile so much! James, while being a general jerk whom I despised, had his good qualities. He wasn't all bad, no matter how much I wanted him to be. In the end, James died a good guy, and I wanted to bring that out here. He didn't have to be an "arrogant, swarmy toerag of a human being." As such, I'm giving him that chance - one that involves him realizing what it means when Lily says no, what it means to be truly courageous and brave, and what it means to be a good person. Also, you'll definitely want to be getting out that slash collection!
Tigerlily124: Thank you! Definitely planning on keeping it going!
Good Idea: Your review was for chapter 1, but I'll answer it here anyways. Tobias = Cokeworth's Jerk of the Century award winner. If you've read to this point, you should definitely know that Sev is happy! He's got great friends and amazing family, and will definitely not be falling in love with his sister.
Seth7: Thank you so much!