A/N: Fair warning, I'll be doing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) during November, so I'm not sure if I'll be updating this story during that time period. I'll do my best, but no concrete promises. Thank you to everyone who's kept up with this story throughout the near year it's been going, as well as those who've favorited, followed, and reviewed. You guys mean the world to me. We're almost to the end of this story; maybe ten or so more chapters left, but that's only a rough estimate. There won't be a sequel, as it'll wrap up rather neatly, but I might do one-shots in this 'verse and collect them all in a companion story, though again, no concrete promises. Love y'all!

Lily and James were laying side by side in two beds that had been pushed together. James had dozed off in the short time Sirius had left the room, while Lily had managed to stay awake. The fact that James had gone to sleep wasn't surprising; both the healer and Nicolas had warned the two elder Potters that they would likely be sleeping on and off as they recovered from being under the influence of the Preserved Sleep Draught. Lily nudged James in the ribs until he woke with a snort.

"Hnuh? What's goin' on?" he mumbled, sitting up next to Lily.

"James, it's Harry," Lily breathed, her eyes fixed on Harry as he approached the beds. He smiled at her, the expression a little nervous, and then stopped at the foot of the beds.

"Hi, Mum, Da," Harry said, his voice rough with unshed tears. "I... Merlin. I never thought I'd get to see your faces with my own eyes and hear your voices. I figured that the only time that would happen would be when we had your wills read."

"Oh, baby," Lily said, a sad smile on her face. She patted the space between her and James. "Come here."

Harry took off his shoes, set them aside, and then carefully settled in between his parents. Sirius sat down on the edge of the bed, a fond smile on his face. Lily took hold of one of Harry's hands, while James took the other.

"So," James said, gently squeezing Harry's hand, "tell us about yourself."

"What do you want to know?"

Lily laughed. "Let's start with something simple. What House are you in at school?"

"Hufflepuff," Harry replied with a small smile. "It's actually pretty awesome. A lot of things have changed since my first year."

"Most of that was your fault, though," Sirius said, laughing.

"Oh?" James gave them an intrigued look. "How so?"

"Well, it all started when I joined an inter-House study group that started out just with people in my year," Harry said. "It sort of ballooned from there; we've got people from all Houses and years in it now. We've also started a bit of a tradition to gather all the first years together on the train ride in September and talk to them about what they can expect."

"We?"

Harry nodded and then held up his left hand. "I've a trichromatic bond with Neville Longbottom and Draco Black. We met at a zoo a month before Hogwarts started first year; our magic drew us together."

"Draco... Black? I thought he was a Malfoy." Lily frowned, confused.

"I took Narcissa and her son back into the Black family," Sirius explained. "Lucius Malfoy had broken faith with her by taking the Dark Mark, which in turn broke their marriage contract."

"She's wonderful, Mum," Harry assured her. "So is Draco."

"Think you might be a little biased there?" James teased lightly. Harry just shrugged, though he couldn't help the faint blush that colored his cheeks. "So, Neville and Draco, huh? That must be interesting."

"Yeah. Nev's the Light third of our bond, I'm the Gray, and Draco's the Dark," Harry said, and then laughed. "Everyone at school assumed that I'd be the Champion of the Light or whatever after what happened with Voldemort that night. They certainly weren't expecting me to be a Gray alignment, even with Mum being one as well." His good mood vanished some. "Most people just saw that I looked a lot like you, except with Mum's eyes. That was... Well, it was more than a little annoying that they seemed to all but forget her."

"You know how the Magical World is," Lily said, patting his thigh in reassurance. "I'm a Mundane-born. Even though I'm the Lady Potter, the Countess of Griffin's Bridge and Blackmoor, they still see my blood status as a hindrance."

Harry hummed. "I suppose. I forgot that you'd be the Countess Blackmoor as well simply by the virtue of the fact that you and Dad are in a trichromatic bond. You'd think they'd want you to be properly married first. Weird."

"Wizarding politics are odd," Lily agreed, "but I'm not complaining."

"Enough about politics," James said, hiding a yawn behind a hand. "Tell us more about yourself. Do you play Quidditch?"

Harry shook his head. "No, but I do love to fly. I wanted to focus more on my schoolwork than sports. Nev, Draco, and I are among the top in our year, though some of our friends are up there as well, like Hermione Granger, a Mundane-born Ravenclaw."

"What Houses are Draco and Neville in?"

"Slytherin and Gryffindor, though there's considerably less in-fighting amongst the Houses now that a lot of the old rivalries have started to die out," Sirius said. "Remus keeps us updated on things, as do the boys."

James perked up. "Remus? How's he doing?"

"A lot better now that he and Moony are actually working together," Harry said. "Long story short, there're werejaguars in Peru that peacefully coexist with their animalistic sides. He and Severus went there together; Remus to see what he could learn from the werejaguars, and Severus to see if he could collect rare ingredients. They had to take a few purification potions before they were allowed to go on the tribe's lands and meet the elders, which revealed manipulations set up by Dumbledore. Remus and Severus have a dichromatic bond, but Dumbledore stopped them from fully bonding after that incident in your fifth year. They're married now, and Severus has taken up the title of Lord Prince, something else Dumbledore stopped him from doing back then."

He shook his head. "He also changed your memories of that time, Mum. You and Severus actually made up the night of the incident, but Dumbledore blocked that memory. When you're healthy enough, I want to see if we can get some of those cleansing potions. If they worked for Severus and Remus, I'm sure they'll work for you."

Lily's eyes widened. She'd always regretted the falling out she and Severus had had. Yes, words had been exchanged in anger that should've never been said, but the fact that they'd never made up had always weighed on her heart and mind. They'd ended up on opposite sides of the war with Voldemort, though thankfully they'd never met one another on the field of battle. To hear that everything she'd thought was wrong was both relieving and alarming.

"Dumbledore messed with her memories?" James growled. "Please tell me he's been taken care of."

"We're working on it," Sirius assured him. "We only managed to find you two because he told us where you were under Veritaserum at an emergency session of the Wizengamot."

"How'd that happen?"

Harry smiled grimly. "He messed up. It's another long story, but due to some incriminating memories, Madam Bones called the session and showed them to the Wizengamot a day or so ago. Dumbledore's being kept in a very secure holding cell. Not even his phoenix can get in. Professor McGonagall has taken over as Headmistress and handed off her duties as Head of Gryffindor to Remus- he teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts -and Deputy Head to Professor Daniels, the Potions Master who took over from Severus when he left after our first year. As far as I know, she's still looking for a Transfiguration professor, but will probably find someone before school starts."

"Oh. Well, that makes a lot more sense than having one person have three major positions," Lily said, and then yawned. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Harry said. He pressed a light kiss against her cheek before carefully getting out of the bed once more. "We'll let you sleep. Once you're able to be moved, we've got a suite at a very reputable private mind healing clinic in Switzerland waiting for you."

"We don't need that," James said, brushing off the suggestion dismissively. Sirius just gave him a look.

"Yes, you do," he replied, his tone brooking no argument. "You've spent the last fourteen years under the thrall of a potion, not to mention the last thing you saw before you woke up was Voldemort killing you, even if it was technically the golem he killed. If that doesn't need mind healing, I don't know what does, and I spent ten years in Azkaban."

"What?!"

"Pettigrew escaped before I could bring him to justice. I was blamed for your deaths because everyone thought I was your Secret Keeper. That, and I didn't get a trial thanks to the incompetence of several Ministry officials," Sirius told them. "I went to that clinic after I got out. They helped a lot, trust me, and now that our bond has reasserted itself, we won't be in pain from thinking it's broken. Please don't be stubborn about this, James. It's not worth it."

James huffed in annoyance as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't suppose we have any choice, do we?"

"No, you don't," Sirius confirmed with a half-smile. "We love you too much to let you suffer needlessly."

"Thank you, Sirius," Lily said, placing a quelling hand on James' arm. "We appreciate you taking care of us, and also of Harry. Though out of curiosity, who had him while you were in Azkaban? Frank and Alice?"

"Uh, no. Dumbledore took him to Petunia." Sirius rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

Lily's eyes narrowed in suspicion at that. "Just how bad was it?"

"Enough that it can stay in the past where it belongs until you get better," Harry said lightly. "I don't want the healers coming after me because I've made them mad by making you mad. I'll bet they've got monitoring spells on you that track your vitals, and if dealing with Madam Pomfrey has taught me anything, it's don't annoy the healers."

"We'll be back tomorrow," Sirius promised. "We'll bring some of the others along if you're up to it."

"We'll see." Lily smiled at the two of them. "Love you two."

Harry returned the smile, looking almost amazed that he was hearing those words. James echoed Lily's sentiments, though he yawned halfway through, making the others laugh a little. Sirius and Harry left them in their room, nodding at the Aurors standing guard outside the door. They'd requested Tonks and Kingsley, and Amelia had only been too happy to oblige. It felt very reassuring to have close allies guarding two of the most precious people in their lives.

Lily watched the two of them go, her smile fading as the door closed. "We've missed so much," she breathed as she cuddled close to James. Her husband nodded, gathering her in his arms. "He's grown up. He's betrothed and everything."

"He also seems like a very intelligent and well-balanced young man," James said, pressing a kiss against Lily's hair. "I wish we had a hand in that, but we didn't. We'll have a hand in his future, though, and that's worth something."

"I suppose." Lily snuggled closer and then closed her eyes, doing her best to relax. She slowly went still in James' arms, a true and healing sleep taking over her and then her husband in turn.

Lily and James got to meet Draco and Neville the day before the three young men were to return to Hogwarts for the start of their fifth year. Remus, Severus, Narcissa, Frank, and Alice visited as well, even if the healers weren't particularly happy about having so many visitors in the room at one time. The two elder Potters loved having their family, both blood and otherwise, around them, especially since they wouldn't be seeing most of them until Yule at the very earliest. They would be heading to the mind healing clinic in three days, with only Sirius coming with them as he was their bonded partner and would aid in their healing. Thankfully, the Winter Session of the Wizengamot would be taking place after Yule, so Sirius wasn't too worried about naming a proxy for the Black vote save for emergencies. That was already taken care of thanks to Narcissa, who had been named the emergency proxy ever since Sirius had taken up his seat.

It was with great reluctance that the visitors left later that day, citing the need to finish getting ready for the next day, as it wasn't just the boys who were returning to Hogwarts. Remus needed to finalize the last bits of his lesson plans for the year, after all, as well as make sure his classroom and quarters were clean and ready to go. There were hugs and some teary goodbyes all around, even though they knew they'd see one another relatively soon. It was hard, but everyone knew it was necessary for James and Lily to heal to the fullest, and that trumped all discomfort and reticence at leaving.

~/~

The journey to Hogwarts was pleasant, though a late summer thunderstorm rolled in halfway through the ride, seeming to follow them until the train arrived at Hogsmeade. The older students dodged the last remnants of the rain, only feeling half-bad for the first years because a few enterprising souls had made sure to put water-repelling charms on them before they left the train so they wouldn't look so much like drowned rats when they arrived in the Great Hall after crossing the lake. There was a nasty surprise waiting for the students when they reached Hogwarts. Not that a lot of them knew the full significance of the pink-clad witch sitting at the far end of the head table, but those who had family working at the Ministry or who had seats on the Wizengamot at least recognized Delores Umbridge.

Remus was sitting at the other end of the table, doing his best to keep his annoyance in check about Umbridge's presence. His hands were hidden under the table, but the tense lines of his shoulders spoke volumes of how uncomfortable he was. He did his best to focus on the warmth of the bond he and Severus shared, drawing strength from the soul-deep connection.

[Everything alright?] Severus asked, a soothing tone to his mental voice.

~Umbridge is here,~ Remus replied tersely. ~She showed up at the gates about a half hour before the Express arrived. She had an official decree from the Minister that said she's something called a High Inquisitor.~

[Meaning?]

~As far as I can tell, it's a way for the Ministry to make sure everything's going alright at Hogwarts after everything Dumbledore did,~ Remus said, ~even though historically the only oversight the Ministry has had over the school is the Wizarding Examination Authority. The school budget is taken care of by the Founders' Trust, the collected tuitions, and the various bequeathments by former alumni, so they can't complain about that.~

[The Board of Governors is in charge of dispersing that budget. I wish they would've allocated more towards potions supplies and a better laboratory when I was there,] Severus grumbled.

~Yes, well, you've a much better laboratory now,~ Remus pointed out, watching as the new first years were led in by Filius, who had taken over the duty now that Minerva was Headmistress. Quite a few other things had changed in the time since Minerva had taken up the role. Argus Filch had requested and then been granted retirement, something Dumbledore had refused him for many a year. However, as the house elves were capable of doing far more than just cooking the food and occasionally cleaning the House dormitories and common rooms, Minerva found no problem in granting him release from his rather redundant job. She even managed to get a pension from the Board for him for his years of service, something Filch hadn't expected at all but had gladly taken regardless.

There hadn't been many other drastic changes aside from that simply because there hadn't been enough time to make them. Minerva had plenty of plans to wrench Hogwarts back up to where it should be, however, and she was intent on seeing quite of few of those changes come to pass. One of the major ones was either removing Professor Binns entirely from the castle or keeping him from teaching class in some way. To be honest, she was contemplating just moving the classroom and having a new teacher come in who would actually teach more than just goblin rebellions. It certainly would mean better scores on History of Magic OWLs and NEWTs.

~The Sorting's about to start,~ Remus told Severus, a note of excitement in his voice. ~I wonder how many Gryffindors we're going to get this year.~

[No more than you can handle, I'm sure,] Severus replied with an amused laugh. [Focus on them rather than Umbridge if you can. They need your attention more than she does.]

~Yes, dear,~ Remus said, a small smile on his face. He watched the Sorting pass by, counting eleven new Gryffindors by the end of it. That was more than he'd expected, but the whole year was larger than the previous ones, as there had been a bit of a baby boom for several years after Voldemort had been first defeated in '81. Minerva rose to her feet once the Sorting was over, hands clasped loosely in front of her.

"Welcome to Hogwarts!" she called out, her voice carrying over the light chatter that had popped up as the new students settled themselves at their tables. Said chatter died away quickly as the students focused on her. "You'll be eating dinner momentarily, I promise. As the older students know, we've undergone some changes recently. I am Minerva McGonagall, your new Headmistress. I was formerly the Transfiguration professor; that role has been taken over by Professor Josephina Muñoz, who is a Transfiguration Mistress, much like myself. Please join me in welcoming her to the staff."

Remus joined in with the applause, a pleasant smile on his face. The new professor lifted her goblet in response, giving the students a nod in thanks. Minerva waited until the applause dropped off before beginning to speak again.

"Now, we'll be undergoing some changes over the next few months. I hope that we-"

"Hem hem."

Minerva paused, highly surprised at the unorthodox interruption. She turned to look at Umbridge, one eyebrow arching. "Can I help you, Madam Umbridge?" she asked. "Or do you need a cough drop? I believe Madam Pomfrey will be able to help you with that if you do."

"No, that's alright. Thank you, Minerva. I'd like to speak to the students before we start dinner."

"It can't wait until after?"

"It won't take long, I assure you." Umbridge started to rise to her feet, but Minerva held up a quelling hand.

"Then it can wait until after dinner," she said firmly. "Please sit down until that time."

Umbridge sat back down with a small huff. Minerva turned back to the rest of the room, clearing her throat softly before continuing on. "As I was saying, I hope that the changes that are to come over our time together will bring us closer rather than further any rifts that may exist already. Thank you for listening to me. Let the Welcoming Feast begin!"

She sat down as the dishes filled with food, the savory aromas perfuming the air. Remus put some meat and vegetables on his plate and then poured himself some water. The beef was as rare as could be while still technically being cooked; the house elves knew exactly how to make his food after two years of serving him. They also made sure that only he got the extra-rare meat regardless of where he sat at the table. It was something he appreciated greatly.

He ate his food carefully, savoring each bite. It wasn't as good as the meals he shared with Severus, but it was still pretty amazing nonetheless. If he was fully honest with himself, Remus wanted to stretch out the dinner as long as he could so he could avoid listening to Umbridge speaking. He doubted he'd be able to get away with leaving early, unfortunately, especially as Umbridge was nearest to the door that led to a side chamber that would let him escape quietly. He'd just have to deal with it until he could properly leave and greet the Gryffindors as their new Head of House before sending them off to bed.

Once the last of the scraps of dessert faded away from the golden plates, Remus watched Umbridge get to her feet, though he did notice with some amusement that there was barely any difference between her sitting and standing. He discreetly checked his watch, hoping that she wouldn't take too long. Twenty minutes later, Umbridge was still going on about how the Ministry would be ensuring a 'proper' educational experience for the students. What that meant, exactly, she didn't say, hiding her true goals in meaningless platitudes and empty phrases. Eventually, though, she wound down and released the students and staff; there were more than a few first years who had fallen asleep in their seats, their Housemates keeping them from falling off the benches.

"Thank you, Madam Umbridge, for that... illuminating talk," Minerva said with a terse smile. "We hope that the Ministry brings some great and useful changes to Hogwarts. Now, prefects, please guide your Housemates to their dormitories. Classes start on Monday; however, your timetables will be handed out at breakfast tomorrow. First years will also receive a basic map of the castle and grounds that will show you the best routes to take between your Common Rooms, the Great Hall, and your various classes that will react to your changing timetables. Make sure you're on time to the meal, please. Have a good night, and sleep well."

Remus got to his feet along with the other members of staff, using the cover of the semi-organized chaos to escape from Umbridge's notice. He saw that quite a few of the other teachers were avoiding her as well, which only served to highlight just how unwelcome the squat woman was considered. Remus made his way through the familiar halls of the castle until he reached the Fat Lady. He gave the password before stepping into the Common Room, a slightly nostalgic smile forming as he looked around the familiar room. It hadn't changed a bit since he'd been a Gryffindor what seemed like ages ago.

He saw with approval that the prefects had ensured that the first years were gathered on the couches and armchairs near the fire rather than being forced to stand around like the other students. Remus spotted more than a few yawns, so he decided to make his speech brief.

"Welcome, everyone, to Gryffindor. To those returning to us, I'm glad to see your faces once again. For those just joining us, I'm thrilled to know that you were chosen for our House. I am Professor Remus Lupin-Snape, your head of House. While you might have been Sorted into Gryffindor, I expect you to keep an open mind and extend the hand of friendship to all throughout the school regardless of House affiliation. There are those that will tell you that Gryffindors are supposed to be brave and jump into danger headfirst. We are the house of the brave, but we don't hold a monopoly on that personality trait, much like Ravenclaws aren't always the smartest, Hufflepuffs the most loyal, or Slytherins the most cunning. Everyone has those traits and more within us all.

"Now, if you have questions or problems, I want you to feel comfortable with coming either to me, any of your other teachers, or to any of the prefects, regardless of House affiliation. We have inter-House and multi-year study groups that will start up within the first week. I highly suggest you try to find one that will fit your schedules best. My office is located next to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom; I can be reached by speaking to the painting of the potions master next to it after hours. I'll leave you to sleep now. I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast when I hand out your schedules. Sleep well, and good night."

"Good night, Professor Lupin-Snape," one of the first years said sleepily from her spot curled up on a couch. Remus smiled fondly at her before giving a short bow and then leaving the Common Room. He headed to his quarters, more than ready to relax before he went to bed. Remus was pleasantly surprised to find Severus waiting in his sitting room. His husband was wearing casual clothes that looked very comfortable, and was reading a book as he waited for Remus to return.

"Severus," Remus said with a warm smile as he joined Severus on the couch. "I wasn't expecting to see you again for a few days."

Severus marked his spot in his book with a piece of parchment before setting it aside. "I wanted to see how you were doing. Draco mirrored me to tell me that Umbridge was here," he said, reaching out to pull Remus closer. Remus gladly leaned in against him, letting out a soft sigh as he relaxed.

"I'm fine. I haven't had to deal with her personally yet," Remus said, nuzzling at Severus' neck as he breathed in his scent. "I'm sure that'll change soon, but I won't jinx it."

"Well, perhaps the proposition I have for you will help you feel a little better." Severus nudged Remus until he was sitting upright once more. He drew out a small wooden box that was heavily laden with protective charms and runes from an inner pocket of his robes and then handed it to Remus. Remus arched an eyebrow as he opened the lid. An emerald the size of a Snitch lay nestled within on a cushion of velvet, a soft glow coming from within the gem itself.

"What is this, Sev?" he asked, looking back up at Severus with a puzzled expression.

"It's a heart seed crystal," Severus said, his voice low and soft. "It's one of the necessary components for the Magicae Infantem ritual."

Remus' eyes widened. "You... You want to have a child with me?" he breathed, fingers trembling slightly. "I never thought..."

"That you'd have one?"

Remus nodded, dumbstruck. "I always assumed that I would pass my legacy of lycanthropy to any children I had, regardless of how they came to be, and I didn't want to inflict that on an innocent child," he said.

"Well, if that does happen, then we can teach them how to come into balance with their inner wolf just like you've done," Severus said simply.

"Is this what you've been up to these past few weeks? I thought you were working on an important potion."

"I was. The ritual required the emerald to be soaked in a rather complex potion for two full weeks," Severus explained. "All that's left to do is for us to put seven drops of blood on it each during the ritual. It would be best to do it in the circle at Prince Manor so the child will be bathed fully in the Family Magics. That, and the other components of the ritual are already there."

"When would you want to do this?"

"We could do the ritual tonight if you wanted," Severus said. "It will take just under a year to come to fruition, but it'll be well worth it if it works right."

Remus looked down at the seed crystal, thumbs running over the runes engraved into the wood of the box. "Let's go," he said, looking up at Severus again. "I'll have a house elf keep an eye on my notification portrait until I return." He paused. "Unless you'd like to stay the night afterwards?"

Severus smirked at that. "I'd love to, so long as we can have breakfast in the Great Hall tomorrow."

Remus chuckled. "You just want to give Umbridge a heart attack, don't you?"

"It certainly wouldn't be an unwelcome turn of events."

~/~

The Prince Manor ritual space was located deep under the manor itself and only accessible to the Lord and those he allowed into it. Naturally, Severus had given Remus free access to the space after they'd married, so he didn't need to grant it just for the ritual. After cleansing themselves in the shallow cistern set in a corner of the room, the two of them entered the ritual circle, kneeling on either side of the center with just a Cushioning Charm between their knees and the hard stone floor. The only things that had been brought into the circle with them was a ceremonial athame, the heart seed crystal in its box, and several other gems in a velvet bag, as well as their wands in their dimensional stores. Severus had the first two items while Remus had the gem bag.

Severus opened the box and then placed the heart seed crystal in the exact center of the circle. "Lady Magic, we call upon you to grant our request for a child of our own, as we cannot have one naturally together. We give you these gifts in supplication for you to grant our request."

He took a deep breath and then cut his palm deep enough to draw blood. He turned his hand so the blood dripped onto the heart seed for exactly seven drops before performing a wandless healing charm and then handed the athame to Remus. "Blood of my blood, given freely, to bring life to my heir."

Remus copied his actions, letting his blood drip onto the heart seed. "Blood of my blood, given freely, to bring life to my heir," he recited, his natural healing kicking in and stopping the flow of blood once he was finished. He set the athame down next to him before picking up the velvet bag and opening it. There were six semi-precious and precious gems within, nestled together in the depths of the bag. Remus plucked out an amethyst and placed it where the top of the head would be if there was actually a baby laying there.

"Magic of my magic, freely given, to bring the Blessing of the Lady to my heir," he said, conjuring a wandless tongue of fire and letting it flow freely over the gem. Severus echoed him, the two flames merging together seamlessly. Remus held out the bag, allowing Severus to choose the next gem. He removed a piece of violet sodalite and placed it an inch or so below the amethyst.

"Knowledge of my knowledge, freely given, to bring free thought and intelligence to my heir." Severus drew his wand and then retrieved a copy of a memory of his joy of learning from his mind and let it drop onto the sodalite. The silvery wisp curled around the gem like a snake, and was soon joined by Remus' contribution to the ritual.

The next gem was a sapphire, its facets gleaming in the light of the memories next to it. "Voice of my voice, freely given, to bring free speech and eloquence to my heir," Remus said before pressing his wand tip against his throat and humming softly. A small ball of light coalesced at the end of his wand, vibrating gently in the same pitch and frequency as the noise Remus had made. He flicked his wand, watching as the light drifted over to settle onto the sapphire. Severus' ball of light was slightly darker and of a lower pitch, but they complemented one another nonetheless.

The fifth gem was a yellow tourmaline that looked rather cheerful compared to the other gems and stones already used. Severus steadied himself before placing his wand-tip over his heart. "Spirit of my spirit, freely given, to bring individuality and confidence to my heir." When he drew his wand away from his chest, a silver-white thread followed it, looking as if it were a bit of hair from a horse Patronus' mane. He let the thread curl around the tourmaline and resisted the urge to rub at the place he'd drawn it from.

Once Remus had added his own soul-thread, he placed a fire opal below the tourmaline. This one would determine the gender of the baby, or it would have, had they chosen a carnelian for a boy or an orange Hessonite garnet for a girl. The fire opal left it up to chance, as would have happened naturally had they gone with a surrogate. That choice of gem meant that the usual recitation went unspoken, so instead Severus added the seventh and final gem below it: a ruby.

"Might of my might, given freely, to bring strength and the knowledge of when to use it properly to my heir." Severus ran his wand along his arm, collecting the sweat that had gathered there with a simple spell, and then let it drop onto the ruby. Once Remus did the same, the two of them put their wands away and then clasped hands.

"We ask that you judge our request, Lady Magic, and grant us the gift of a child should you deem us worthy," they intoned together. "So say we, so may it be!"

They released hands and then sat back, waiting to see if anything would happen. After about ten minutes, the sweet scents of jasmine and lavender swept through the room, borne on a warm breeze that ruffled Severus and Remus' hair, as if a fond hand had passed over them. The gems rose from the floor until they were high over the heads of the two men. Once there, they formed a circle around a ball of pure white magic and then started to spin rapidly around it. The ball of magic expanded until the gems were lost from sight. With a flash of light, the ball shrank and then started to lower itself back to the ground, slowly changing from white light to an opaque crystal orb the size of a watermelon with an iridescent surface that shifted between all the colors of the gems that had been used in the ritual, looking as if the Aurora Borealis had been trapped in the crystal. It came to rest in between the two of them, settling gently on the floor.

Remus and Severus could feel a shift in the Family Magics they shared, a faint presence making itself known within their magical cores as a new familial tether formed. Remus reached out and placed a shaking hand on the orb.

"It's warm," he said, voice full of awe and wonder. "This is amazing."

Severus reached out as well, covering Remus' hand with his own. "That it is, my love," he agreed, eyes bright with tears of joy that were starting to escape and make trails down his face. "That it is."

~/~

They returned to Hogwarts after Severus sealed the ritual chamber and locked down the wards of Prince Manor, eager to celebrate the successful completion of the ritual. Said celebration left both of them with visible marks afterwards, though by morning, Remus' had healed quite a bit, making his look far older than Severus'. There was a particularly dark bruise over the left-side pulse point behind Severus' jaw that Remus was especially proud of, and he refused to let his husband cover it with a glamor before they headed to breakfast. They were early to the table, arriving just after Minerva but well before most of the other staff, as well as many of the students save for some early morning risers.

The public announcement about their heir would wait until the third month, as was traditional, but neither man was capable of holding it back from one of their oldest friends. Minerva smiled warmly at them when she heard the news, gathering them in quick hugs of congratulations before retaking her seat.

"I'm so happy for both of you," she told them as they sat down, with Severus sitting to Remus' left, his hair held back by a leather tie to keep it out of his face as well as to show off the mark to whomever sat next to him.

"Thank you, Minerva," Remus replied, taking Severus' hand in his own. "We're excited as well. We would ask that you not tell anyone outside of the family, of course."

"I'll let you be the bearers of that piece of good news, trust me," Minerva assured him. "I won't tell a soul without your permission."

"We appreciate it. I-" Severus paused when he saw Umbridge enter the Great Hall, her customary pink ensemble standing out amongst the more somber black of the students' robes. His eyes narrowed in distaste before he put on a neutral expression, hiding his true emotions behind a mask and his well-honed Legilimency shields. Umbridge's eyes widened when she saw him sitting next to Remus. Severus had to hold back a smirk. Considering how often he'd blocked her attempts to introduce anti-werewolf legislation in the Wizengamot, he wasn't surprised to see how startled she was to see him.

"Lord Prince. I wasn't expecting to see you here," she said warily as she approached the staff table. "It's unusual for the spouses of professors to come visit, if at all."

"I was simply making sure my husband was settled in," Severus replied, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He added a little bit of cream before mixing it with his spoon. "After all, the full moon is just a week away. I need to ensure he is ready for it."

Umbridge's face went rather pinched as she rounded the end of the staff table and spotted the love bite on Severus' neck. "Of course," she said, taking a seat as far away from Remus and Severus as she could while still being within polite speaking distance. "I suppose you've been doing that regularly for the past two years."

"Ever since we married, yes, so the last three years, actually." Severus sipped at his coffee, watching as more students filtered in. He laughed softly when he saw the double-takes he got from the fifth years and up, particularly the Slytherins. He tipped his mug in their direction, a small smile curving his lips. He turned his attention to the food when it appeared on the plates in front of him, absently passing Remus the orange marmalade after his husband chose a few slices of toast from the nearby toast rack. Remus thanked him with a warm smile before spreading some of the marmalade on his toast.

"I see." Umbridge went quiet after that, focusing on the food as well. Severus could sense Remus' amusement filtering over their bond, which made the Potions Master happy as well. The new tether in the Family Magics responded in kind, filling Severus with a kind of replete warmth that he never thought he'd ever feel. Life was good, even with certain toads croaking in the background.