Chapter 21- Happy New Year, Draco

This had possibly been the most wonderful two weeks of Charlie's entire life, full of wonder and love and magic. And then he'd uttered twelve fateful words, words that finally had him crashing down to Earth after flying high for so long.

"So, Sirius invited us to his castle tonight for New Years Eve."

He could practically feel the temperature in the Burrow drop about a thousand degrees. It wasn't as if he had purposely been avoiding the topic of Sirius Black since he returned to the Burrow… Okay, so maybe he had. When he and his family relayed their holiday events to each other last night at dinner, he tried to mention Sirius as little as possible. And that proved to be incredibly difficult since Sirius Black was all Charlie could think about these days. It was almost as if this man had been a part of his life forever. The notion was both exhilarating and frightening.

His mother didn't like Sirius. It was clear from every flinch at his name, every passive aggressive remark during breakfast, every crease of her forehead and sudden stiffening of her limbs.

And Charlie knew his father was trying. He would chime in occasionally about some of the contributions Sirius had made during his time on the Wizengamot. But when Charlie mentioned anything Arthur Weasley might deem to be too extravagant or lavish Charlie was able to recognize the resentment in the man's eyes. It was difficult not to notice.

By mid-afternoon, he'd had enough. He loved his parents dearly, but they had slowly been sucking away all the beauty and warmth he had accumulated since he arrived in England two weeks prior. He felt like his ribcage was shrinking, constricting his heart until it ached something awful. He wished it wasn't this way, that his mum and dad could see how much they were hurting him, or more preferably that they had never hurt him in the first place. But that wasn't the case. And all he wanted was to be with Sirius again, with Remus and Steven and Draco and Harry and Tonks, with the inner circle, with this new family that he had created for himself.

So he hammered the final nail into the proverbial coffin and said, "So, Sirius invited us to his castle tonight for New Years Eve."

It wasn't a lie. Sirius had offered, but Charlie had politely declined, thinking he should spend the whole day with his parents and Ginny, that he should spend time with his family after their return from Egypt. But fuck it. If they were going to act like this, then Charlie was going to visit this castle that had been so ingrained in his love story these past five months.

"That's nice, dear." That was what his Mum said right before she returned her attention back to the baking.

It was as good of a dismissal as Charlie had ever heard, not that he expected differently. Nevertheless, her casual brush-off of his boyfriend's offer was like a slicing hex to the abdomen. Charlie opened his mouth to explain that he was going with or without them, but was interrupted by a high-pitched squeal.

"Really? Oh my Gods, yay! What should I wear?"

Three sets of eyes fell onto the youngest member of the Weasley family, but Charlie's was the only set that crinkled at the corners from smiling so wide. He practically skipped over to Ginny and knelt down beside the girl who was polishing the amateur secondhand racing broom Charlie had given her for Christmas.

"You can wear whatever you want Gin."

"Can I wear the quidditch robes Bill gave me?"

"Absolutely," Charlie declared, his heart soaring despite the daggers his mum was glaring into the back of his head. "Why don't you go put them on?"

"Okay!" Ginny jumped up from her seat, leaving the broomstick behind as she raced from the kitchen. Charlie could hear her footsteps all the way up to her bedroom and only when he heard her bedroom door shut behind her did he return his attention to his parents. His mother had completely given up on her biscuit batter, and his father's Tuesday edition of the Daily Prophet lay limply in his hands.

Charlie didn't wither under their collective stares, but instead patted his hands together like self-congratulatory applause. "Well then, what time should I return Ginny… or I suppose you could still—" The clatter of his mother's wooden spoon as it dropped into the metal bowl would have made a younger Charles Weasley flinch. Today, however, he stood up taller and finished with a biting, "—come with us."

"Come with you?! Come with you?! She's not even going—"

"Molly," Arthur interrupted, his father's voice soft but affective. "What you're mother means, son," his dad continued as he focused his attention back on Charlie, "is we do not think it is appropriate to encroach on Mr. Black's holiday any more than we already have."

"Sirius invited you," Charlie reiterated. "And I'm always invited."

"Charlie, we just don't think it's right to take Ginny, dear," his mum simpered.

"Why not?" When neither of his parents answered, Charlie understood. "You don't trust him."

"No that's not it, son. We just don't know him."

"But you could get to know him Dad. Right now." Charlie's eyes shifted from his dad to his mum and back again. Neither seemed interested in the idea. Charlie snorted. "Okay let me explain something to you both, because I don't think either of you really seem to understand. Sirius Black is my boyfriend. And that's not going to change anytime soon."

Molly audibly sighed and the sound rankled Charlie something fierce.

"You don't believe me?" Charlie knew his words sounded broken, but perhaps that's because he felt broken. "You're unbelievable." Charlie twisted on his heel ready to exit the kitchen and seek refuge in the empty living room when a thought popped into his head. He turned back to his parents. "What is your problem with Sirius? What did he do to make you distrust him so much? Is it the Order of the Dragon?" Molly looked ready to spit nails at the mention of the Order. "Okay then. So it's the Order. I don't understand. You didn't have a problem with Dumbledore's Order."

"Sirius Black is not Dumbledore."

Charlie glanced up at his mother, in shock at her outburst. "What?"

"Dumbledore is a powerful and noble wizard," Molly continued vehemently, her first statement seeming to induce metaphorical word vomit. "The Order of the Dragon… this whole charade is ridiculous and I will not have my family be sucked into another war with the pureblood elite. I refuse to follow a man who is nothing more than a playboy philanthropist with too much money and zero respect for authority. He couldn't be more different than Albus Dumbledore."

Charlie let the silence reign for ten long seconds. His eyes flashed to his father who looked pained by his wife's admission, but it was clear from Arthur's expression that this wasn't the first time Molly had voiced these beliefs.

Charlie sighed deeply. "You're wrong." Charlie couldn't look his mother in the eye any longer. He stared at the kitchen tiles as he continued. "You're wrong about him. Sirius is a father and a brother and an uncle to people who aren't even related to him by blood. He's a man who learns from his mistakes, who tries to protect everyone. And your bias toward him is completely unfounded, Mum. I'm sorry neither of you will ever get to know Sirius like I do."

Charlie shook his head before glancing up. His mum's face showed a severe mix of emotions, but most prominent was defiance. His father looked pensive as if he were truly considering Charlie's words. Before either of them could break the silence, Ginny sprinted back into the kitchen, her face alight with excitement.

"I'm ready!"

Charlie smiled down at his sister with sad eyes before returning his gaze to his parents. They had to see how fired up their daughter was about this adventure and how hopeful their son was to have his sister meet the man he loved. They had to see it.

He could still try their hand in this matter. Charlie decided to go for it. "What time should I return Ginny," he repeated.

His mother and father shared a glance and it seemed that whatever silent argument they had, Arthur won, since he answered, "Ten o'clock, and no later."

"How are you getting there," his mum asked.

Charlie pulled out the watch-turned-portkey that Sirius had given him for Christmas. It would automatically transport him to wherever Sirius was at any given time. It was the most wonderful gift Charlie had ever received and he cherished it with every fiber of his being. "Portkey," he answered simply.

"Okay. Well… have fun," Molly said.

"Yes, we'll see you later sweetheart," his dad added, quickly hugging his daughter and telling her to be good.

Ginny hugged her mum as well. "You're not coming?"

Charlie stared at them both for a long time, urging them to say that they'd join them, but they never did. He mentally sighed. "No Gin, it will just be us," Charlie finally said, his voice full of false cheer. His words did happen to alleviate some of the awkward silence that had settled over the household. "Well come on then. I can't wait for you to meet Draco and Harry. And I think Neville will be there too."

"Will Tonks be there," Ginny asked as Charlie shrunk down her broomstick and put it in his pocket.

Charlie unfolded the cloth that surrounded the watch and held it out between them. "Later tonight," Charlie answered, remembering that Tonks had the day shift at the Ministry, which she had complained about non-stop all week. "Now on three, we'll touch the watch together, alright?"

Ginny nodded.

Charlie looked back at his parents one last time but couldn't quite force the reassuring smile and goodbye he had planned. Instead he looked ready to burst into tears and he hoped they could see how much pain he was in because of them. "One, two—" Charlie could hardly breathe as he returned his attention to the watch, so ready to be with Sirius, his hand poised above the portkey like it was magnetized. "—three."

Charlie was too focused on making sure that Ginny landed safely in the castle, that he forgot to account for his own clumsiness. As his feet hit the tile of an entirely different kitchen than the one he just left, he slipped and went careening backwards. However, his back never hit the ground, and when he opened his eyes his vision was completely overwhelmed by the color of storm clouds.

"You knew I was coming," Charlie asked, a bit dazed by the sudden head-rush his dip had caused.

Sirius grinned down at the redhead. "No it was just supremely good timing Weasley. Why are you so terrible when it comes to portkeys?"

"Maybe I just hope you'll catch me." Charlie's voice was surprisingly lacking in sarcasm as he smiled shyly up at Sirius.

Sirius's expression grew fond. "Always," he whispered.

There was a passive aggressive clearing of the throat and both men turned their head toward the noise in unison.

"Hi there," Alice greeted, her arm wrapped around Ginny. Both girls were eyeing them with undisguised humor. "I figured I'd stop you before you got to the whole 'You're the cutest.' 'No, you're the cutest.' phase."

Sirius snorted before helping Charlie back to an upright position. "We don't do that."

"Because someone's always there to stop you," Alice countered. "Now how about you introduce this darling girl, Charles?" Alice squeezed Ginny tighter like she couldn't help herself.

"Right— uh…" Charlie stuttered. "Well, guys, this is my sister Ginny. Gin, this Sirius and Alice."

"Hi Ginny. It's nice to finally meet another Holyhead Harpies fan," Sirius greeted with an ease that Charlie very much envied.

Ginny looked ecstatic at the mention of her favorite quidditch team and she glanced down at her uniform with pride. "You like the Harpies?"

"Are you kidding?"

Sirius practically hummed with energy as he crouched down next to Ginny and proceeded to weave an extravagant tale of the time he and Tonks attended the famous Holyhead game against their rivals Puddlemere United five years ago. Charlie and Alice glanced up at each other and rolled their eyes good-naturedly.

"…Valmai scored ten goals while Griffiths didn't even get a chance on the field, having been forced to sit on the bench the whole game. That will teach Griffiths to leave the best team in the league to go play for those River Piddle has-beens."

"Wow," Ginny marveled. "Was Gwenog on the team yet?"

"Nope, she joined the year after. Why? Is she your favorite?"

Ginny nodded suddenly turning shy again. Charlie thought it best to speak up. "So where are the boys at?"

Sirius returned to a standing position before answering. "Where else? They have a whole castle to explore and they're outside flying."

Charlie grinned. "Isn't it a bit cool for that?"

"Remus set up the wards so… no not so much. It could be summer out there as far as the weather is concerned," Sirius groused. "I complained about the lack of snow, but Moony had to be all logical about it. 'We wouldn't be able to see the fireworks, Padfoot,'" Sirius mocked. "So here we are. I bring my family to this beautiful castle that I restored with my own two hands…" Sirius sighed. "And they've barely set a foot in the place."

"Well I would like a tour," Charlie revealed. He turned to Ginny. "How about it Gin?" There was a long pause as Ginny sheepishly looked away. Charlie chuckled. "You want to go fly, don't you?"

Ginny side-eyed her older brother before nodding and shooting him a pleading smile. Charlie sighed in mock-exasperation as he took out Ginny's broomstick from his pocket and enlarged it once more. "Fine, let's go."

"I can take her," Alice piped in. "If you don't mind, that is, Miss Weasley."

Charlie looked down at Ginny in question who shrugged in response. "You sure," Charlie asked.

"Yeah that'll be fine," Ginny said, looking considerably more at ease with each passing second now that the prospect of playing quidditch was on the table.

"Great," Alice said, clapping her hands together. "Then you can go with Syr to pick up dinner and I can go fly with the kids. See you later."

"Have fun," Charlie called after Ginny as she was lead out of the kitchens by the auror. "Now," he continued turning back to his boyfriend, "what did she mean by pick up dinner?"

Instead of answering, Sirius wrapped his arms around the redhead and pressed his lips to Charlie's. When he broke the kiss, Sirius leaned in and murmured softly into Charlie's ear, "You're the cutest."

Charlie laughed and squeezed Sirius tighter until they practically molded together. "What was it I was supposed to say again?"

"No, you're the cutest," Sirius reminded him.

"Well it's true," Charlie admitted.

Sirius leaned back. "I missed you."

Charlie decided he wouldn't point out that he had only been gone for one night, because that one night had been torture for Charlie as well. His bed at the Burrow didn't really feel like his bed anymore since Sirius wasn't laying beside him. He suddenly dreaded the day he had to return to Romania. "I missed you too."

"So let's give you that tour then, shall we," Sirius said, finally letting go of Charlie, but keeping them connected by taking Charlie's hand in his own. "And then we'll go pick up dinner."

"Seriously, though, what do you mean by pick up?"

Tonks wasn't all that surprised to find Charlie at the castle when she arrived after work. She was surprised, however, to find his sister Ginny sandwiched between Charlie and Sirius on the couch asking the latter a hundred questions a minute.

"How old are you?"

"32."

"When's your birthday?"

"December 6th."

"What's your favorite color?"

"Hmm… blue."

"Did you go to Hogwarts?"

"Yup."

"What house were you in?"

"I was a Gryffindor, just like Charlie."

"Was your whole family in Gryffindor?"

"Uh— well, no. Most of them were in Slytherin."

"Is this really your castle?"

"It is. Charlie was there when I bought it."

"Do you love my brother?"

"Yes. Yes I do."

"When you get married, will that make me Draco and Harry's aunt?"

Sirius laughed. "Yes, I suppose it would. You good with that kiddos?"

Instead of answering, Draco asked, "Can Aunt Ginny stay for the fireworks?"

Tonks watched Charlie as he turned away from the others so they couldn't see how glossy his eyes became after Draco's casual acceptance that one day Ginny would become his aunt. Unfortunately for him, looking away from the others meant looking straight at where Tonks was hiding. When he noticed her presence, he smiled shyly. Tonks smiled back.

"Tonks!" Suddenly the lavender-haired auror had an armful of Ginerva Weasley who jumped from the sofa and practically leapt at the older witch.

"Wotcher Ginny. Long time no see," Tonks greeted, hugging the girl tight and twirling her around, Ginny's Holyhead Harpy-colored quidditch robes billowing behind her. Finally she set Ginny down and said, "Please tell me I didn't miss dinner."

Charlie stood and enveloped Tonks in a hug of his own, Ginny now sandwiched between them. "Happy New Year, Flash. And no, the pizzas are in the kitchen. We were waiting for you."

"Well let's go then, I'm starving."

After the Black family and their friends gathered in the lavish dining room for the traditional New Years Eve dinner of muggle takeaway pizza, a tradition started after Sirius Black declared New Years Eve and New Years Day unofficial House Elf days off, the ten residents of the castle (which included Sirius, Draco, Harry, Charlie, Ginny, Steven, Alice, Neville, Remus, and Tonks) all gathered outside for fireworks. Harry decided it was a New Year somewhere when nine o'clock struck and demanded that Ginny be able to witness the firework show Sirius, Remus, and Steven performed every year before she had to return home.

The show was a sight to behold.

Tonks had witnessed firework displays by these men before, but this year's was truly spectacular. This New Years Eve's story involved a bunch of different animals coming together to form a dragon in order to protect a small village from a tyrannical monarchy. Tonks realized then that the previous years' firework shows always held a hidden meaning, and she shared a look with Alice who must have noticed as well. It hit her just then how long these men had been hiding such a dangerous secret and how hard it must have been for them to keep it to themselves all this time.

After the finale, everyone except the two Weasleys held their wands to the sky shooting off red and green sparks. Tonks watched with a smile on her face as Harry, Draco, and Neville danced across the garden, clearly excited to finally be able to join in on this particular tradition now that they had wands of their own. Charlie, with his sister perched on his shoulders, laughed and cheered, shouting "Happy New Year" into the endless night sky.

And for the first time since the incident, Tonks let herself think about her Mum and Dad. "Happy New Year," she whispered. She knew her parents wouldn't hear the sentiment, but Tonks was glad she said it anyway. Wherever they were at that moment, she could at least wish them a Happy New Year. She may never be willing to give more than that, but even this little bit was good fist step for Tonks.

After Charlie and Tonks left to return Ginerva home to her parents, Snape found himself in the dining room enjoying a scotch with Alice and Sirius.

"Well she was adorable," Alice hummed around the lip of her glass.

"That she was," Sirius agreed, taking a shot of the scotch like the uncultured swine that he was. Snape laughed at his own thoughts. He might have already swallowed his fair share of the Scottish liquor that night and may need to think about taking that sobering potion he had in his pocket if he thought comparing Sirius to a pig was at all humorous.

"I gather his parents didn't want to come?"

Sirius sighed. "You gather correctly, Alice."

"I'm sorry."

Sirius waved her sympathy away. "I'm used to it. Charlie says he's working on them and that tonight was a step in the right direction since Ginny seemed to enjoy getting to know me. I'm certain one day they'll regret their words."

Severus leaned his cheek heavily on an open palm. "How do you know?"

Sirius looked over at Severus and flashed him a shit-eating grin. "Because I remember saying some pretty idiotic things in my time. And thankfully, I've learned it's never too late to apologize."

Snape snorted in understanding.

"Actually," Sirius continued, "it's never too late to do just about anything."

There was clearly significance behind that statement and Severus glanced up at Sirius curiously. "Meaning?"

"Nothing Steven," Sirius conceded. "I meant nothing."

***Ten Years Ago***

"Nothing. All they write about in this bloody paper is Sirius Black this and Sirius Black that and they still can't find him? Man should be in prison—"

"Give it a rest, Stubby," Rosmerta told the bar patron, "or I'll cut you off. We don't need you proselytizing us with these opinions of yours for the rest of the night. It's New Year's."

"Well, maybe I'll just take my patronage elsewhere."

"Sounds good. Bye."

Snape snorted from his corner of the bar where he was laying his head on the cool wood countertop, his eyes closed as he tried to stave off the nausea. Eight glasses of fire whiskey did not a good idea make.

This had been far more difficult than he had expected, being away from Sirius and the boys this past week. He had expended most of his time tinkering with the wolfsbane potion for Remus, having just been witness to the man he had begun to call friend shift during the full moon in agonizing pain. He was pretty sure he had made some serious upgrades to the original potion, but he couldn't spend another minute alone in the lab missing his family— friends.

And he missed them so much, more than he ever thought possible.

"I'm just saying that—"

"I thought you were leaving," Rosie interrupted. "Goodbye Stubby."

Snape listened to the man grumble his way out of Rosie's establishment. A few seconds later he felt a presence block out the light and leave him in shadows. He winked open an eyelid to find Rosemerta Ogden's beautiful face in front of him.

"You alright?"

Snape breathed in deeply through his nostrils gearing himself to sit up straight again. "Fine. It's just…"

My best friend is being accused of kidnapping the most famous child in the Wizarding world, my former master who everyone thinks is dead is actually in the wind waiting for the perfect time to strike again, I haven't seen my Godson in nearly a week, and the only thing keeping me sane right now is being here with you.

Yeah, that would go over well. "…been a long week," Snape finished instead.

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

Severus finally righted himself and stared at Rosie for a long moment. "Yes," he admitted. "But—"

"But you're not going to," she concluded for him.

Her face was so close now, her smile blinding, and her cerulean eyes mesmerizing. Severus shook his head.

"Severus, I—" Rosie sighed. "Severus, I'll be here to talk if you need it."

Snape nodded his head in thanks. "I— I should probably go—"

"Stay."

Severus blinked as if to make sure that Rosie was really there and that word had actually been uttered from her mouth. "Why?"

Rosemerta clicked her tongue at the inquiry and backed away from Severus for the first time in minutes. He felt bereft without her nearby presence. "Just stay if you want."

And he did want. He wanted to stay and tell Rosie how he felt. He wanted to stay and talk with her all night. He wanted to stay and be with her.

But his life was complicated.

That's just how it was.

So he left.

"Happy New Year."

***Present***

Severus's eyes cleared from the memory and they focused on Sirius's face who's head tilted in curiosity. He suddenly felt more sober than he had in ages.

"I uh… I have to, uh…"

"Go," Sirius finished..

Severus smiled up at Sirius who was grinning from ear to ear. "Yeah… I'm gonna go."

"Really?"

"Really," Severus confirmed.

There was a long pause as both men just stared at each other.

"Well go," Alice urged. "I have no idea what we are talking about, but it seems important and you're just sitting here like a bump on a log, Steven. Go, go!"

Sirius laughed and like always, Snape couldn't help but laugh with him. It was infectious. He felt giddy as he stood from the table and took a deep breath to calm the sudden swell of nerves. His hands were sweaty.

"Good luck," Sirius added swiftly.

"Thanks, mate."

"This area is off limits," came the tiny, slightly exasperated voice Severus had been waiting for since he apparated into the Three Broomsticks liquor cabinet.

"I know," he announced to the darkness.

"Lumos," she incanted and when the lanterns around him lit up, she gasped at the sight of him. "Severus?"

Snape remained frozen to the spot as her eyes, the color of the Great Lake once it's been iced over during the winter months, landed on him. His heart pounded in his chest and despite all it took to get him here, to this moment, he still wanted to flee.

"What are you doing here?"

The question snapped him out of his current state and he let out the breath he had been holding forcefully. "I received some advice tonight," he proclaimed.

Rosmerta looked up from under her lashes, the surprise in her eyes at his presence slowly waning. "Oh?"

Severus rubbed the back of his neck, just to do something with his hands. It might not be too late to do this as Steven… but no. He had to tell her with the face that he wore ten years ago. "It was given unintentionally, I'm sure," Snape said, not wanting to give Sirius any credit even when he wasn't present to notice, "but… I decided to take it."

"And what was this advice that you are currently putting into use," Rosie asked.

"It went something along the lines of—" Snape scrunched up his nose as he thought how best to summarize Sirius's words— "It's not too late to… fix your mistakes."

Rosmerta blinked. "And you think you made a mistake concerning me?"

Snape nodded and took a step closer to her. Considering how small the supply cupboard was, they were now only about a meter away from each other. Rosmerta remained where she stood and Severus took that as a good sign.

"I was just thinking… what would have happened that night, ten years ago?" Rosie stayed silent but the slight turn of her head lead Severus to believe she remembered. "Or even before that. You know, when I was seventeen." Rosmerta ran a hand through her strawberry blonde locks and locked eyes with Severus. "I don't know if you remember, or even knew at all… but I used to go to Hogsmeade during my last year just to— well, to see you. I'm sure I wasn't the only one doing that mind you." Rosie bit her lip to keep from smiling, her cheeks turning an adorable shade of pink. Snape, however, refused to keep his grin contained. "Rosmerta Ogden," Snape breathed. "Every person who knew her name instantly thought themselves to be half in love with her. And every Hogsmeade trip, there she would be: seated at the counter of her father's little pub concocting her own unique drinks, like a skilled potions master, when she was supposed to be studying for her metal-charming license."

Rosmerta guffawed and shook her head shyly at the wood floor. "Metal was boring," she mused.

Severus hummed in agreement and stepped a little closer. "What might have happened if I had asked you out then," Snape wondered, the question completely rhetorical.

"I would have said yes," Rosie replied immediately, looking up into those obsidian eyes, thoroughly shocking Severus to his core, so much so that he jumped back a bit and gaped down at her. "You came to see me during Hogsmeade visits and I was always there," Rosmerta continued confidently. "I was there because I was waiting for you."

It was Severus's turn to blink. "Why?" He was genuinely confused by this.

Rosie took a step closer to Severus this time. "You told the best stories," she whispered.

Snape stared down at this gorgeous woman in wonderment. "I made them all up you know," he murmured, and realized immediately that he had uttered a similar phrase when disguised as Steven Prince just a little over a week earlier. He hoped Rosie didn't notice.

"Oh I know you did," she said, nodding her head and stepping even closer. She now had to angle her chin up in order to look into his eyes. "But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy hearing them."

Severus knew his eyes widened exponentially at her choice of words. He was absolutely positive those were Rosie's exact words to Steven Prince and that couldn't be a coincidence. Could it?

"You look frightened Severus," Rosie noticed. "Is that because I recently said something just like that to you?"

Snape took a step back, but there wasn't really anywhere to go. He cursed himself for acting so unusually and for even coming here in the first place. He was a better actor than this surely.

Rosie's smile grew wide with excitement. "I knew it," she exclaimed and Severus clenched his teeth, wincing slightly. "I guessed a really long time ago. I was convinced that you came in as this Steven Prince bloke just for the anonymity. You would come into The Three Broomsticks to talk to me, just as you had always done before." Rosie's smile was so beautiful it hurt to look at. "And then last week, Steven was with Remus Lupin and Sirius Black and I thought I had it all wrong. I thought there was no possible way Severus Snape would interact willingly with those two Gryffindors who, according to the rumor mill at Hogwarts, weren't particularly nice to him over the years. And I was heartbroken when I realized that Steven Prince and Severus Snape were not one in the same as I had always assumed."

"It broke your heart," Severus asked, his voice croaky and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Yes," she proclaimed. "Because that meant that Severus Snape hadn't told me a story in ten years!"

The silence in the tiny cupboard was deafening. Snape didn't know what to say.

"But I wasn't wrong, was I? You are Steven Prince. You do still come to my pub spouting off mad tales of giant hippogriffs and sneaky nifflers," Rosmerta cried happily. "You do still seek out my company even after all these years."

"Of course I do," Snape responded quickly. "Of course."

"Good," stated the beautiful woman before him, her large icy blue eyes gazing up at him with that stubbornness he always found alluring.

"I'm going to kiss you now," Snape warned.

Her lips curled up slightly before she frowned. "If all you want is just a New Year's kiss, then you can have it, and I will not tell anyone about your identity." She smiled a little, reassuring him that she would keep his secrets. "But if you want more… then you can have it, and I will not tell anyone about your identity."

Severus licked his lips which had suddenly gone dry and stared down at Rosie Ogden as he thought this over. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I will be more than hurt if you leave without choosing one of the two options I just gave you. In fact, I will be devastated."

Severus leaned down and captured her soft pink lips with his own. The kiss was slow and sweet until he felt her lay a palm on his chest, sneaking a finger through the gaps in between the buttons of his muggle dress shirt that he had forgotten he was even wearing as Steven Prince earlier that evening. He wrapped his arms around her slim frame, lifting her slightly and kissing her deeper before running his tongue along the seam of her lips, urging her to allow him access. She obliged easily and the minute his tongue found hers, she sighed into his open mouth in what could only be described as relief. With that simple act, Severus Snape made up his mind.

He leaned back, ending the kiss abruptly and Snape couldn't help but notice the disappointment on Rosmerta's face. He would always and forever be in awe that this woman wanted him of all people, but he wasn't going to look a gift-horse in the mouth. He reached up and clutched her face gently between the palms of his hands and brought their foreheads together, breathing in her scent. She smelled like a grassy knoll after a rainy day and the musky scent of oak. It was delightful. "I want more."

Rosie laughed, creating little puffs of air against Snape's lips. "Good."

Severus smiled and then sucked in his lips, clearing his throat as he tried to think of a way to explain everything, all the things that he needed to tell her. He was also not looking forward to Sirius's and Remus's smug faces when he told them about Rosmerta Ogden, the sixth person who would be joining the small, elite group who knew everything regarding his identity. "I uh—"

A finger to his lips halted his explanations. "You can tell me your secrets tomorrow Severus," Rosie said, lifting an eyebrow playfully. "But as for right now…" Rosie gripped his arms tightly and the next he knew, Severus was being pulled by the navel to the destination of Rosmerta Ogden's choosing.

Severus blinked when his feet landed easily on a wooden floor that looked very similar to the type they just left behind in the cupboard. "Well if I didn't know any better, I would say we're still in The Three Broomsticks. But you can't possibly have any rooms available on New Year's Eve."

Rosie snorted and started dragging him toward the bed. "Of course not. But I do live here you know?"

"Ah," Severus said, grinning wickedly. "Well I'm a bit dim."

"Maybe a little," Rosie agreed, before twisting him around and pushing Severus gently onto the bed behind him.

Snape took notice of the crimson colored bedspread and the golden drapes and smirked. "Ugh. Gryffindors. I'm surrounded by them."

Rosie giggled before climbing on top of him, settling herself between his thighs. "Now now," she chastised. "You know I was a Ravenclaw, Severus, don't joke."

"So why the color scheme," he asked, although he honestly couldn't care less about the answer as he sat up and grasped her hips, his fingers sneaking up her blouse.

"I don't know. It's pretty," she said, before grasping his face and leaning in for a kiss. "Happy New Year Severus."

"Happy New Year Rosie."

Sirius woke up with the sun that New Years day, his entire being wrapped up in the spindly limbs of the man he loved. He had no desire to leave the confines of his boyfriend's embrace, but the fullness of his bladder meant it was necessary. He was careful to abstract himself so as not to wake up Charlie from his slumber; the man probably needed all the sleep he could get after the copious amount of alcohol he consumed the night before. Charlie more than caught up to everyone else, shot for shot, after he and Tonks returned from the Burrow. Eventually Sirius was free enough to slip out of bed and he shifted into his animagus form to sneak out of the room and down the hall toward the toilet.

After relieving himself, Sirius made his way back to the master bedroom of his Irish castle when his eye caught the open doorway that would lead to one of the boy's rooms. He stepped up to the door and peaked a head inside, only to find it empty. Across the hallway was the door to an identical room, this one closed. Sirius tiptoed over and gently turned the knob making no sound in the process. Cracking the door open a few inches, he poked his nose through the opening and smiled at the sight before him.

The bed was stripped of all it's sheets and blankets and curled up on the floor sleeping peacefully across from each other, curled up in makeshift sleeping bags, were his children. His sons. The reasons his heart warmed and ached. The reasons he got up in the morning and the reasons he had trouble getting to sleep at night. Two boys who were never meant to be brothers but were, in every sense of the word except blood.

Seeing them now, Sirius wanted desperately to wrap them up and force them to stay within earshot. He wanted to protect them from all the terrible shit this world had to offer and make it so they had to stay young forever. He wanted time to stop so he could live in this moment for the rest of his days.

It must have been some time that he stood there watching Draco and Harry snore softly because when next he looked out the window, the sun was much higher in the sky and he could hear footsteps behind him. A pair of muscled forearms that alluded to years of flying wrapped around Sirius's torso and he couldn't help but sag into Charlie's bare chest with a sigh.

"What are you doing," Charlie whispered right into his ear, making Sirius squirm as he tried helplessly to escape the onslaught. Charlie hummed a low chuckle at his attempt and the sound went through his body like an earthquake.

I really have it bad, don't I, Sirius mused as he subtly stepped away from the door and back toward his bedroom, dragging a smirking and willing redhead behind him.

"You know," Charlie hissed, continuing the assault on Sirius's ears and sending shivers down his spine, "this is a very nice castle."

"Why thank you," Sirius said over his shoulder throwing him a cheeky wink.

"And I find it hilarious that there are probably fifty beds in this place and Draco and Harry are sleeping on the floor."

Sirius smirked as he slipped back into the master bedroom and shuffled into the en suite bathroom to wash his face and hands before starting breakfast. "Reminds me a bit of James and I when we first shared a flat together," Sirius announced while running his hand under the faucet. Charlie leaned against the bathroom doorframe, a small smile on his lips. "There were two bedrooms in the place but it felt odd sleeping alone after sharing a dorm room with the man for seven years at Hogwarts. It wasn't until Lily started spending the night that I realized I should probably get over it. James never vanished the second bed in his room though."

Charlie chuckled amiably. "Yeah, I remember Percy being the same way when Bill went off to school. His absence meant an empty room at the Burrow which Mum was quick to set Perc up in, but he would sneak back into my room in the middle of the night and curl up on the floor. We tried everything to get him to stop, but eventually Dad just gave up and conjured another bed for my room so his son wouldn't have to sleep on the floor anymore. Gods, I really miss when my little brother was that age."

Sirius turned off the faucet and shook his hands to remove the moisture in lieu of a flannel. Me too.

The silence that followed his frankly depressing thoughts about Regulus lasted a little too long and Sirius turned his head to see the curiosity in the redhead's gaze. "Oh," Sirius breathed out in sudden comprehension. "I said that out loud, didn't I?"

Sirius sighed and left the toilet before Charlie could answer his rhetorical question. He could feel the pair of blue eyes on his back as he returned to the hallway and proceeded down the grand staircase to the kitchens to start breakfast for the six— five? Sirius couldn't recall if Severus ever returned from his spontaneous outing the night before— other inhabitants of the castle that New Years Day morning. Obviously Corey usually made breakfast, but Sirius was perfectly capable of cooking a few plates of egg scramble, so he set off to his tasks for the morning.

As he took all the necessary ingredients out of the cooler, he felt Charlie's presence in the kitchen behind him. But his boyfriend didn't ask questions or even lift an eyebrow as Sirius started the stovetop and let a dollop of butter simmer in the frying pan.

Throughout the cooking process, his mind was practically brimming with thoughts of Reg. It was unsurprising really. Sirius had prepared for this eventuality since he arrived at the castle yesterday. What was surprising was it took him until this morning to start thinking of his deceased little brother. He thought it would have happened much sooner.

The scramble was done fairly quickly and he removed the pan from the burner and put the concoction under a stasis charm. With nothing else to occupy his time Sirius realized he had to say something. What came out of his mouth, however, was not what he expected.

"What am I going to do with this castle, Charlie?"

Sirius's eyes flickered up to meet the brilliant blue of Charlie Weasley's and the redhead tilted his head slightly in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Sirius opened his mouth to respond, realized he didn't know how, promptly shut it with a click of his teeth and a small chuckle, and finally opened his mouth once again to answer. "You're right," Sirius said with a shrug of his shoulders that didn't necessarily convey the nonchalance he was going for. "There are fifty beds in this place and my entire family couldn't even take up a quarter of them. I spent the last four months fixing this place up and we'll maybe visit it twice a year? It's just…" Sirius closed his eyes with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he could feel an emotion-fueled headache emerging like being walloped by a enraged erumpent. He felt a sad smile befall his expression and he opened his eyes again. "I bought this place for him, and he's never going to see it. So tell me, Charlie, what's the point? What's the point if Regulus will never set foot in this place? Never see these walls, or walk these halls, or—"

Sirius swallowed around the lump in his throat and continued. "It's just… I promised him, you know?" Sirius wished he would stop talking and keep his emotions in check while simultaneously wishing he could let go fully and unburden this guilt that had been building in his chest for the last ten years. It looked like he was getting his second wish. "I told him I'd take him away from those awful people. And they were awful. Mother shrieked about blood purity like it was her career and Father was distant and cold. And they both looked down on everyone like they were nothing more than insects beneath their boots. I promised Reg that we'd escape. That we'd go live in a castle like those in the legends of Arthur and Merlin I used to read to him in secret before bed.

"But then I turned eleven and I went to Hogwarts. I got to live in that castle and escape that lifestyle. I escaped. Without him."

Sirius shook his head ruefully. There were many things he regretted: letting Peter be the Secret Keeper despite his instincts telling him otherwise, for example. But leaving Regulus behind and letting him follow in the footsteps of their parents? He should have taken better care of his little brother.

"Sirius." His name forced Sirius out of his downward spiral and he looked up at Charlie. The man's expression was not what he expected. He'd assumed a look of pity at the very least, but Sirius should have known by now to never assume when it came to Charles Weasley. Rather than sympathy or disgust Charlie portrayed an expression of contemplation, like he had heard every word of Sirius's diatribe and instead decided to focus on the question. The first question:

What am I going to do with this castle?

Sirius could've kissed him he was so happy. How can this man know me so well when we have only really known each other for five months? There was no anguished cries of his name followed by an embrace. There was no holding him while he cried in Charlie's arm. The redhead simply was moving on. Sirius was overjoyed by this development. If he didn't realize how much he loved this man before— back when he just casually invited him to have Christmas with the family— then he knew now, without a doubt. He was in love with Charlie Weasley.

"Thank you."

Charlie's clouded gaze focused at the expression of gratitude and he flashed Sirius a small smile in understanding before reverting to his state of contemplation. Sirius waited patiently holding back the cheshire cat grin that threatened to adorn his face at any moment.

Finally, Charlie took a deep breath and returned his full attention to Sirius. "Okay, so I don't know if you're going to like this idea. I'm pretty sure you don't want to sell this place but it's clear you don't want to keep it and let it go to waste. So… I was talking to my Dad a few nights ago about your school. He said that you would be looking for a place to house the classrooms in the New Year, but… what if you already had a place? Those fifty rooms could be fifty classrooms."

Sirius climbed onto the island countertop that separated them, grabbed Charlie's face, and brought it close, forcing their lips together. "I. Love. You," he managed between kisses.

"Get a room." Sirius released Charlie and cocked his head toward the open doorway to the kitchen where an amused Tonks stood, casually leaning against the doorframe with her arms folded. "There are fifty of them," she mocked.

There was a brief pause as the three occupants of the large kitchen just stared at each other, Sirius still perched on the marble countertop. Then Charlie charged at his best friend who squeaked in faux fear and dashed from the room, the redhead chasing after her. Sirius watched them go, his smile so wide it bordered on unnatural.

Sirius felt a sudden dip in the wards Remus set up around the castle. He counted two wizards approaching the front door. He hopped down from the island and headed to the foyer, mulling over who it might be since so few knew about this place. When a knock sounded throughout the house, he let his wand fall into the palm of his hand just in case. He yanked open the tall double french doors to find Frank Longbottom.

"Oh hey," Sirius said, immediately lowering his wand but not stowing it away completely. "Did Neville leave something here. I swear, that boy would forget his own head— Frank? Are you alright?"

The esteemed Auror stood straight as an arrow, his eyebrows pinched in sorrow. He looked tired after what must have been almost a sixteen hour shift last night. Behind him, a young man with long, shaggy brown hair also wearing the auror uniform shifted nervously. Sirius's eyes flashed back to his friend who looked to be trying very hard to hold back a grimace.

"Frank—" Sirius couldn't breathe all of a sudden. He felt like his ribcage was constricting, squeezing his heart until all he could hear was the banging in his eardrums as it beat too hard and too fast. He swallowed around another lump in his throat and sucked in oxygen like he had spent the last five minutes a mile beneath the ocean's surface. "Frank," he choked.

"Lord Black," Frank began and Sirius's heart stopped beating. No. No! Don't call me that. Please don't call me that. "I regret to inform you that early this morning Mr. and Mrs. Tonks were found dead in their Swedish hotel room."

Sirius closed his eyes.

The sound of giggling echoed down the hall and Sirius twisted around just in time to see a squirming Tonks wrestle her way out of Charlie's hold. "I give. I give," she wheezed in concession, clearly out of breath from all the laughing. She looked up from where she was doubled over trying to catch her breath and eyed the scene before her. "What's going on?"

Sirius closed his eyes again.

Happy fucking New Year.

A/N- I'm sorry.

If you guys didn't see the brief message I left last week where I explained that I would be posting Chapter 22 this Wednesday, please note that, yes, I will be posting Chapter 22 on Wednesday 12/6. It's kind of a sad chapter to post on my birthday, but… whatever. You guys have been amazing, so it's worth it.