A/N: Times have changed, and Severus is now the Hogwarts Deputy Headmaster. It was a calm September evening. A red steam-engine came to a stop on a platform surrounded by a vast forest. Slews of children piled out of the passenger cars, meeting up with friends awaiting the arrival of the carriages drawn by thestrals, black skeletal horses with huge bat-like wings, to bring them to the castle. (Please note: Thestrals can be seen only by those who have seen death). A group of scared looking children huddled together on the platform looking around nervously. A coarse man of intimidating size approached them. Most of them backed off slightly, clinging to one another, but the bravest of the group stood their ground.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, First Years. My name is Rubeus Hagrid, the grounds keeper for the school. Tonight, I'll be takin' you to the castle across the Black Lake." Some of the children looked to each other, frightened. Hagrid noticed their worried expressions, and tried to ease their fear. "There's nothing to be afraid of. As long as you keep your body inside the boat, you'll be fine. Four children to a boat. No shoving." The children stuck to each other like glue, aside from the brave few who held the lamps at the front of their boat. A few girls screamed. The giant squid had popped its head above the depth of the lake, startling them. "Don't be afraid. He's really a nice squid," Hagrid said. The children calmed down, looking around the grounds as they crossed the deep velvet lake. Finally, and to the relief of several first years, they reached land once more.

In a less than orderly fashion, a sea of eleven-year olds walked up a marble staircase until they met up with a set of double doors. As they reached the top step, a man in sweeping black robes emerged from the doors a look of disapproval on his face.

"Scrawnier by the year," he said. The man, who was clearly annoyed by the new arrivals began. "I am Professor Black-Snape. Potions Master and Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts. I'm here to welcome all of you to the school." He didn't sound very enthusiastic about the idea, but proceeded none the less. "You are about to enter the Great Hall. Once you enter, the Sorting Ceremony will begin, and you will be sorted into your houses: Slytherin, my own house, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor, my husband, Professor Black-Snape's house." A few of the children cocked their heads in confusion, a few giggled, and of course there are always those whose parents raised them with morals, who looked disgusted. "Wait here, and talk amongst yourselves. I'll go see if the Headmistress is ready to begin the ceremony."

"That's so cute! He has a husband!" one girl with shoulder-length brown and red hair and chocolate brown eyes said to her friends.

"Wait…he's gay?" another asked.

"I knew he was a homo the second he started talking," one very arrogant boy said. Several of the boys around him agreed. A second Draco Malfoy in the making.

"What's that supposed to mean?" a dark-haired young man stepped forward. The opposing boy was light-haired, and rather haughty.

"It means that this school has sunken to allowing fags to have control over children. My father will be hearing about this. He donates tons of money to this dump." The dark-haired boy's eyes pierced into the other boy's.

"I don't see what's wrong with it. Nor do I think it's really any of your concern."

"Who, exactly do you think you are? Do you even have any idea who I am?" the blond boy fumed. "I am Scorpius Malfoy. My father was in the second war. Saved Harry Potter's life," he finished bragging.

"Really now," the other boy said. "Well, apparently you have no idea who I am. I'm Albus-Severus Potter. Harry Potter's son." The children around him looked astounded.

"And for the record, it was my father who saved your father from his moronic friend who decided to set the Room of Requirement on fire." The smug look on Scorpius' face disappeared with this final remark. Albus began to advance on Scorpius when a girl with bushy red hair spoke.

"Don't do it, Al. Uncle Harry wouldn't want you getting into any fights your first night here! You could be expelled!"

"It's okay, Rosie," Albus took a step backward. "He's not worth it anyway." Just then, the double-doors opened, and Severus Snape stepped out.

"They're ready. Please enter in an orderly fashion. The last thing I need right now it a tangle of you ending up in the hospital wing do to lack of cooperation." The children did as they were told, entering in pairs. They looked around the Great Gall dumbfounded. Candles floated in midair above long tables, stars twinkled on the ceiling.

"Mum told me that the ceiling doesn't really look like that. It's just a spell to make it look like the night sky," Rosie said to Albus as they walked along the endless aisles. By the time the last pair had reached the head table, Severus was already there waiting for them.

"This," he said, "is the Sorting Hat." He took a worn hat from a stool placed in front of him. "When I call your name, step forward, and I will place the Sorting Hat on your head, and you shall be sorted into your houses." They stood with baited breath, waiting for their names to be called.

"Joceline Bernier," Severus said. A brown-haired girl reluctantly stepped forward, sat on the stool in front of her, and Snape dropped the hat onto her head. After several seconds of contemplation, the hat bellowed, "Gryffindor!" The Gryffindor table cheered, and the girl scurried over to her house table, relieved.

"Samantha Charland," Snape said next. The red and brown haired girl from earlier jumped excitedly forward. She leapt onto the stool, and would have thrust the hat onto her own head if not for her wanting Professor Black-Snape to touch the top of her head. The hat was flustered for a moment, one could even say 'taken-aback', until it finally exclaimed its decision. "Gryffindor!" The other students were quite confused, and she, quite crestfallen. She would have cried had it not been for Joceline waiting for her at the table.

A few more names were called, until Snape arrived at a very familiar name. "Malfoy, Scorpius," he said zestfully. The young blond walked up to the stool, head held high, and promptly sat down. The second it was placed on his head, if not a fraction of a second earlier, the sorting hat shouted, "Slytherin!" No one, including the staff, was surprised. Scorpius then stood up and sauntered over to the Slytherin table, who had be anticipating his arrival far before the ceremony. Five or so more children were called forth and sorted, before the moment the staff had been waiting for.

Severus, however looked both disgusted and annoyed. "Potter," he spat, "Albus-Severus." There had to have been some kind of mistake. His eyes playing tricks on him, maybe. He read it again. "Severus?" he said audibly. A few of the staff members looked confused as well. Why would Harry Potter, of all people, name his son after Snape? To his dismay, a young dark-haired boy walked up to him and sat on the stool. Shocked beyond recognition, Severus didn't immediately react. It wasn't until the boy spoke that he was sprung back into reality.

"Aren't you going to put the hat on my head, Professor?" He looked down at the Potter child, and placed the hat on his head. The Great Hall held its breath as the hat sat upon his head. After several minutes, it finally proclaimed it's choice. "Gryffindor!" Again, no one was surprised. Everyone at the head table clapped, and the Gryffindor table roared with applause. Severus didn't even attempt to hide his eye roll. Once "Weasley, Rose," had been sorted into Gryffindor, of course, the feast began. Severus walked over to the head table, sat beside his husband, and ate in silence.

When the feast was over and the Professors Black-Snape had returned to their home, Severus was both fuming and confused. He turned to Sirius who flopped over the arm of the couch, and laughed.

"That was fun," he said simply. Severus looked at him befuddled.

"Oh yes, wrangling a hoard of eleven year olds has to be the most...rewarding, part of my job. Finding out that the child of the student I most loathed was named after myself? That was the cherry on top of a perfect evening." Sirius laughed more still.

"Well, Severus. In all fairness, I did try to tell you when he was born, but you wouldn't hear it. You said you wanted nothing to do with my godson, or his family, so I thought it would be such fun for you to find out about Al on this very night." Severus snorted.

"Oh yes. What a brilliant idea," he said sarcastically. "Now if you could tell me why exactly Potter named his spawn after me..."

"He named his son for you, Severus, because he respected what you did for him. It might have been for Lily's sake, but he still thanks you for saving him." Surprisingly, Severus had no caddy remark to this. He sat on the armchair beside the couch, staring into space, obviously in deep thought. Sirius didn't dare startle him. Moments later, however, he awoke from his thought-induced coma, and told Sirius of his epiphany.

"Potter," he began, "named his son after Albus because he was his mentor. He named that same son for myself because I helped Albus save him." Sirius shook his head at his husband.

"Thank you for stating the obvious, dear." Severus gave him a less than enthusiastic smirk. "I'm happy you finally understand it." Severus stood to join his husband on the

couch. He curled up to him in a very cat-like manner, snuggling his head into his neck. Sirius kissed the top of his head. "I told you Harry always liked you. The rivalry you had with James has nothing to do with Harry. If you had given him a chance, he might have actually liked you. Now, you have the chance to correct that. Now, you have Al." Severus looked up at his lover, kissing his cheek.

"I suppose I could spare him where I hadn't his father. He is family after all." Sirius smiled.

"Turning over a new leaf, are we Severus?" Severus stuck out his tongue playfully.

"Anything for my love."

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Sammie: Ok I think we have some explaining to do. In this fic, we allowed Harry and Draco to be straight. Well Joceline allowed I protested for a little while.

Joceline: Until something shiney caught your eye. Oh, and you may have noticed Scorpius is a little bit homophobic, that, we like to think, is his mother's influence, for Draco liked Severus as a professor and a friend.

Sammie: You may also have noticed that in this fic I am a Gryffindor. If you picked up on it in our last fics I'm a Slytherin. This is Joceline's way of getting back at me for not being in a "good" house.

Joceline: That's right, besides it'd be easier if you were in Gryffindor Samantha.

Sammie: Yeah yeah yeah...please people review.