Albus was sitting in his favorite chair, brushing out his beard, when he heard a knock sounding on his office door. Setting his brush aside, he looked across the room to where both boys lay on the stomach atop the sofa, playing with their plushies. Certain that they were well immersed in their play and would be fine if he left for a few seconds, Albus hurried to let Poppy in.

Exchanging pleasantries, Albus carefully lead the mediwitch through the toy-strewn, disaster area of his living quarters towards the two giggling boys and shared a small smile with the woman as they listened to the children's carefree play.

"I want to be a dog." Sirius confessed to Severus. "A pirate dog."

"I want to be a panther." Severus admitted. "They're my favorite."

"That would be wicked!" Sirius grinned. "But do you think we'd still be able to play?"

"Why wouldn't we?" Severus wondered, gnawing on his nails.

"Because cats and dogs don't get along." Sirius frowned.

"Well…" Severus paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "We still get along. Even though you're rich and I'm poor."

"Oh yeah." Sirius smiled, nodding in agreement.

"And we can't be animals until were older anyways." Severus continued. "You have to be big to be an Animagus."

"How big?" Sirius wondered aloud.

"Real big." Severus replied, stretching his arms out wide.

"Like eleven?" Sirius asked. "Or even bigger?"

"Even bigger." Severus confirmed. "You have to be at least fifteen."

"That's forever away!" Sirius whined.

"It's not so bad." Severus soothed. "Because when you're big you don't get to play so much anymore."

"Yeah." Sirius frowned. "My cousin Narcissa is nine now and she doesn't get to play anymore. She cries a lot now."

"Maybe we can make her a potion that makes her feel better." Severus suggested. "My Mum drinks lots of those."

"Maybe you should give some to your Dad." Sirius suggested. "Then he wouldn't be so mean."

"I tried to put some in his whiskey once." Severus scowled darkly.

"Did it work?" Sirius asked, oblivious to his friends lowered mood.

"No. He caught me and broke the bottle over my head." Severus muttered, rubbing at his forehead. "My mum locked him out of the house for that."

"I thought your mom didn't like you." Sirius frowned.

"She likes me sometimes." Severus shrugged. "She's moody is all."

"Oh." Sirius nodded. "At least your mom likes you sometimes."

"Uh-huh." Severus nodded. "Wanna play something different?"

"Severus, Sirius," Albus smiled, interrupting the boys before they could run off on him, "I'd like you to meet someone." He introduced. "This is Poppy. She is a very good friend of mine." Albus introduced, gesturing at the woman beside him.

"Hello, boys." Poppy grinned, smiling widely in their direction.

"Nice to meet you." Sirius warbled, manners having been well-engrained in him. "I'm Sirius Black, the Third."

Severus, for his part, remained very silent and still as he regarded the nurse with a great deal of mistrust. Nibbling his bottom lip, he looked very uneasy as he eyed the hospital uniform and Albus was helplessly reminded of how the adult Severus loathed the hospital wing and anything related to it- especially smell. It had taken Severus nearly a full decade to warm up to Poppy, and clearly Severus's mistrust of all things hospital related had begun early. But how?

"This is Severus Snape." Sirius gestured at his friend, happy to speak up for him.

"It's very nice to meet you, both." Poppy grinned, reaching out to shake the hand Sirius offered.

"It's nice to meet you, too." Sirius warbled, one of several phrases he'd no doubt been taught to say since he could speak. "Will you be joining us for supper?"

"I'm afraid I can't stay." Poppy explained. "I'm actually here on business."

"Business?" Sirius asked.

"She's a nurse." Severus mumbled, looking ready to bolt.

"Is she here for our yearly check-up?" Sirius asked, looking annoyed at the prospect of being poked and prodded but nowhere near as fearful as Severus.

"You get a check-up every year?" Severus gagged, looking horrified at such a prospect.

"We Blacks have to keep our health up." Sirius intoned. "So we can produce when were bigger."

"Produce what?" Severus demanded, looking confused.

"I don't know." Sirius shrugged. "My dad says he'll tell me when I'm older."

"Severus, when is the last time you had a checkup?" Albus asked kindly, knowing the adult Severus had to be all but forced into having one every few years.

"When I fell out of the tree and broke my arm." Severus answered. "My mum wasn't home so I had to go to the muggle hospital."

"Did you have a bad time at the hospital?" Albus pressed gently.

"Dad was cross because it cost so much money." Severus muttered. "And the hospitals on the rich side of town so the doctor was a prat."

"Wasn't he nice?"

"No." Severus barked. "He twisted my arm. And he cuffed me upside the head when I called him a prat."

"Well," Albus reasoned, "Poppy is a very nice lady and I can promise you that she'll never hurt you."

"I would never." Poppy agreed. "In fact, I just need to wave my wand about each of you and then you're free to go back to playing."

"It's not like we have a choice." Severus fussed, turning deathly pale.

"I promise you it won't hurt." Poppy smiled.

"I don't want to." Severus whispered, nibbling nervously on his panther's ears.

"Who's your friend?" Poppy asked, reaching out to pet the plush fur.

"Shadow." Severus answered, hiding behind his hair.

"This is Snuffles." Sirius joined in, introducing his dog.

"Hello Snuffles, hello Shadow." Poppy grinned, smiling at Sirius before turning back to Severus. "Did you know I love animals, Severus?"

"You do?"

"Very much so. And I would never hurt an animal." Poppy promised.

"Really?" Severus asked, looking up with careful caution in his eyes as he gradually began to believe the truth.

"Really." Poppy nodded. "So how about I check Snuffles and Shadow first, hmm? You can see how I handle a checkup with them, and then you can decide if you'll let me check you over."

"I get to choose?" Severus asked, looking amazed.

Clearly the medwitch knew what she was doing or Albus would have protested.

"You do." Poppy nodded.

"And you'll be real nice to Shadow?" Severus pressed, looking worried that his friend might be harmed.

"I'll be extra nice to him." Poppy nodded. "And he'll get a lollipop at the end just like you will if you let me check you over."

"A lollipop?" Severus asked, his sweet tooth kicking in.

"Any flavor you'd like." Poppy smiled.

"Shadow can't really eat lollipops because he's a panther." Severus mentioned, a leading tone in his voice.

"Well then, I guess that means you'll have to eat his for him."