Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

A/N: For those of you wondering about length, I'm imagining this will be a fairly long story. I've outlined the whole thing and we are still in the beginning-ish area. I know that isn't super specific, but I keep changing my mind about how long chapters should be, so I don't think I can be more specific than that unfortunately.

Harry was starting to get nervous as Halloween approached. It seemed something crazy happened every year on that night. He had long believed that Old Voldy had a checklist and always decided to terrorize Harry sometime around Halloween and finals. There had been some Death Eater attacks, but overall, it had been relatively quiet, so Harry was thinking they were due. It didn't help that Dumbledore had gotten it into his head to have a bonfire by the gates of Hogwarts instead of the feast that year. Yes, a bonfire did sound fun, but Harry thought the best plan would be to hole up and fortify the castle until All Saints Day.

Snape had banned Harry and Castor from his rooms for Halloween because it also happened to be a full moon and Moony was hanging out in front of Snape's fireplace. Even though the werewolf was safe after taking his wolfsbane potion, Snape was not taking any chances with his son and grandson. Harry was so proud of how far his father had come since he once used to be very afraid of werewolves. Remus had done the man a world of good. However, between the day, the full moon, and Dumbledore's idiotic optimism, this all was definitely adding to Snape's agitation as he walked to the bonfire beside Harry and Castor.

"I would say that everything will be fine, but I'm honestly expecting something," Harry said to the nervous potions master beside him.

"Me too, son, me too," he said with a sigh. "Dumbledore is seriously off his rocker if he thinks everything is going to go smoothly."

"Didn't anyone tell him this was a bad idea," Harry grumbled.

"Everyone did! Minerva's been complaining since he first brought it up," Snape sneered. "He thinks that as long as we are on Hogwarts grounds we are safe though."

"I seem to remember a troll, a basilisk, dementors, dragons, and Voldemort himself that have all tried to kill me on Hogwarts grounds," Harry said, with only a little bitterness. "Not to mention the colony of Acromantulas that live in the forest and any wondering werewolves that might be out."

"There are Acromantulas in the forest?!" Snape stopped and exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah, tried to kill me and Ron in second year," Harry shrugged.

Snape groaned. "I have a feeling I don't know the half of everything you've been through, do I?

"Erm, you probably know half," Harry said sheepishly.

The bonfire was actually really fun...for a while. Harry got to hang out with his friends, Ron included now. His former friend was a little suspicious (or maybe jealous) of Hermione's relationship with Blaise and was still a little awkward around the Slytherins in general, and they were too, but they all made an effort. Hermione and Blaise were hanging off each other all night, so that seemed to be going well. It was a couple hours in that Harry was able to say "I told you so" to the universe though.

A loud howl came from the edge of the forest as five werewolves emerged. The entire pack of werewolves made their way menacingly towards the gathered students. Needless to say, everyone took off running towards the castle, but they weren't very close since the bonfire was by the gates. Harry assessed the situation as quickly as he could with both the advantage of all his past experiences and his Fury instincts. His conclusion…they weren't going to make it, not everyone anyway. This took all of one second for him to decide before he immediately turned to Snape who hadn't even had time to react yet. "Take him," he said handing Castor over. He continued in a voice that was nothing like the voice of Harry Potter. It was much deeper and had a short, clicking tone to it (probably due to the fangs). "Get them all into the castle…Protect."

Snape took Castor as Harry's bat-like wings shot out and he took flight over the retreating students. Harry noted in his peripheral vision that Snape handed Castor off to Blaise who ran towards the castle while Snape and the other professors helped the students. All this happened as Harry flew to stand between the retreating students and the oncoming werewolves. He landed with fully extended wings, visible fangs, luminescent black eyes, and claws extending from his fingers.

Catching the werewolves by surprise, he let his Fury instincts completely take over and he swiped with his claws at the first two werewolves, bodily throwing them into the other three. Before they could recover, he threw up a glowing green shield in front of himself coming from his outstretched hands. The shield quickly expanded over and around the werewolves, encasing them in a bubble.

Harry growled at the werewolf who charged into the shield multiple times. He recognized the magical signature of Fenrir Greyback from the invasion of the castle the year before and the resulting injuries to Bill Weasley. He didn't have time to think about how he was able to recognize magical signatures even before he fully came into his inheritance because he was weakening quickly. He searched with his magic behind him to find the magical signatures of the students and professors. They were all retreating towards the castle. He couldn't hold the werewolves for much longer. He held off until his father's signature, the last one, reached the doors before he released the shield and simultaneously took a step, tessering himself directly into the Great Hall.

Harry ended up in the very middle of the hall, surrounded by all the frightened students. He quickly looked around to find Blaise, still holding a crying Castor, and his dad just entering the hall. He looked over to McGonagall, the closest professor to him, and with the same, deep and clicky tone ordered her, "Protect," and then he passed out in a heap on the stone floor.

Harry slowly awoke to the extremely familiar sight of the hospital wing's ceiling. He closed his eyes again with a groan. After shifting his sore muscles a bit, he realized his wings were still outstretched and hanging uncomfortably off the bed on either side of him. He rolled back and forth some as he slowly pulled them back in.

"I'm sorry Mr. Snape," he heard Madam Pomfrey to his right. "I've never treated a Fury before and was uncertain how to get your wings to retract."

He looked over to see her running a diagnostic on him with her wand. "That's ok, Madam Pomfrey. I don't think you could have."

"Oh, thank Merlin!" He heard off to his left as he saw his dad rush over holding Caster.

"Hi," Harry said as he reached up to take his son. "Is everyone ok?"

"Yes, we got everyone inside and sealed off the castle," his dad explained.

"All thanks to you, young man," Harry looked up to realize Dumbledore was at the foot of his bed.

"And expended a great deal of your magic to do it!" Snape growled, but Harry could tell he was just worried. "You can't just hold five fully-grown werewolves in a shield bubble. That takes a massive amount of power. You almost completely depleted your core."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I wasn't exactly in control, I was riding on the whole, Fury protective high. Besides, what would you rather I have done? Let a few first years get eaten?"

"Maybe go all vengeance instead of protective next time and take a few of them out," Snape snarled. "It would have used much less magic."

Harry just shrugged and held Castor closer, kissing his temple. "It all worked out anyway."

Snape sighed and collapsed in the chair beside the bed. "You're going to be the death of me; you know that right?"

"Young Mr. Snape is actually doing quite well," Madam Pomfrey said to calm his nerves some. "His magic is building back up and he should be able to leave in a couple hours."

"Thank Merlin!" Harry exclaimed, already ready to leave.

"You should have told us you were are a Fury," Dumbledore scolded. "I could have helped you develop your powers, find productive ways of using them. Your capabilities could be influential in these dark times we find ourselves in."

Harry frowned, not wanting Dumbledore to sink his teeth in his life once again. "That's not how my powers work, Headmaster," he explained. "I can't use them until they are needed, and then I can only channel them instead of making active decisions about what to do and when."

Dumbledore frowned, not wanting to believe he couldn't use this powerful being. "It's not like I can learn new spells or turn my powers on and off," Harry continued. "When I'm Artie, I'm a normal wizard, and when I'm a Fury, the Fury has control."

"Well, I'm glad you were there to help protect your fellow classmates," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye, but with a little frown as well. "I'll leave you to your family." With that, Dumbledore walked away, vowing to do more research into Furies.

As Madam Pomfrey also left the room, Remus finally rushed in. "Oh cub, I was just able to get here. Severus left a note for me, but I only turned back a few hours ago and fell immediately to sleep. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine Moony," Harry smiled at him and took his hand. "In comparison to all my adventures, it was actually pretty tame."

"Indeed, there is infinite problems with the fact that is true," Snape drawled.

"And…guess what Moony," Harry smiled broadly. "I got to fly!"

Remus laughed and took the seat beside Severus. "I know you've missed flying," he said, realizing Harry's need to move on to talking about something else. "Why didn't you try out for the quidditch team. I'm sure your dad would love to win his standing quidditch bet with McGonagall at least once." This caused Snape to snarl/pout. That was the best way Harry could describe it, and it was hilarious. He heroically kept himself from laughing though as it would probably have been the last thing he ever did.

"First of all, do you two bet on everything? So, far I've heard about the sorting and quidditch, and I would guess the house cup as well," Harry raised a questioning eyebrow at his father.

Snape crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair. "We absolutely do not bet on everything."

"Uh huh," Remus said with a hint of sarcasm. "In addition to your list, Artie, they also bet on which students are seeing each other, when Binns will finally pass on, what will happen to the newest DADA professor, they used to bet on the victims of the next Weasley prank, and how many detentions Harry Potter would get in a year as well."

"You guys have a problem," Harry looked at Snape with mock worry. "Do Remus and I need to stage an intervention?"

"Not all the bets are for money, actually most of them are for who has to do the latest night patrol," Remus explained as Snape glared at them both.

Harry snickered. "So, that's the reason why I always ran into you in the corridors when I snuck out at night and never McGonagall! It makes so much sense now!"

Snape scowled more deeply. "You've completely gotten off topic. Why did you decide not to play quidditch this year? I was counting on no night patrols for a year when you were sorted into Slytherin."

"I miss quidditch, but it's actually against the rules to play if you have wings. I looked it up when I first got back here to school," Harry said, shifting Castor who had taken to pulling at his hair. "I always figured people would find out eventually, and I didn't want to get kicked off the team after playing for a bit. People would think that Slytherin was trying to cheat."

"Ah," Snape nodded in understanding. "Always the honorable Gryffindor, no matter what house you are in."

"Now that the secret's out, I can take Castor flying around the quidditch pitch! I think he'd love that, wouldn't you?" Harry asked as he bounced the baby.

Snape looked at him in horror. "You had better not put my grandson in danger from one of your ridiculous stunts!"

Harry rolled his eyes, but then glanced around the infirmary, checking to see who was around. "Hey, I know this is off topic, but I have to ask. Does it seem odd to either of you that we had this bonfire by the gates, which we never do, and that werewolves decided to attack that same night? Voldemort must have known about the bonfire, right?"

Snape and Lupin glanced at each other. "It would stand to reason," Snape nodded.

"So, we have someone who's passing on information to You-Know-Who in our midst," Lupin agreed.

"You don't think...Dumbledore? He did plan it?" Harry kept glancing back at the door in suspicion.

Snape shook his head though. "None of us may like the man or trust him, but he's absolutely not in league with the Dark Lord. I think he's just lost touch with reality and assumes that Hogwarts is safe even when proven the contrary."

"It's more likely a student is informing You-Know-Who about the happenings at the school," Remus begrudgingly agreed. He still really didn't like Dumbledore for keeping him from his cub.

"So, another year, another mystery to solve, no matter what my name is," Harry sighed in frustration. "At least it isn't the DADA professor this time. Thank goodness for small mercies."

"Finally," Snape said, taking Remus's hand in a uncharacteristic show of PDA.

"Oh, Artie," Remus remembered as he smiled at their linked hands. "You need to contact the twins when you get back to your rooms. They were the ones who woke me up yelling from the floo. I have no clue how they heard what happened so quickly."

"Either through Ron or the Order, whoever was quickest, probably. You know how gossip spreads around here," Harry said with a grin. Remus said the twins, but Harry just heard that Fred was worried about him.

Madam Pomfrey was true to her word and released Harry a couple hours later. He had just gotten back to his rooms with Castor when he heard the floo ding that someone wanted through. He settled Castor in his playpen and opened it with a wave of his wand.

The twins rushed through with Fred in the lead and grabbing Harry immediately into a hug. "You were supposed to be staying out of danger now, and then we hear from mum that some Fury at the school faced off with a bunch of werewolves. You gave us twin heart attacks."

"Yeah, mate, you can't go scaring us like that," George agreed, patting Harry on the back since Fred hadn't let go yet.

"I'm fine, seriously, nothing wrong here," Harry assured them.

They didn't leave until Harry had a large dinner and he and Castor were both nodding off to sleep. They wanted to make absolutely certain Harry and Castor both were completely over the fright. "You're worse than your mother, you know," Harry yawned as they made their way back to the floo.

"Bite your tongue!" Fred exclaimed.

"See if we worry about you again," George fake huffed as they flooed back to their flat.

When George strode out of the floo into his flat, he saw his brother turn right around and walk back to the fireplace. "What're you doing, Fred?"

"Something I should have done a while ago, oh brother mine," he responded before throwing a handful of floo powder in again. "Severus Snape's quarters, Hogwarts!"

After a tired and grumpy potions master allowed him entrance, Fred Weasley tumbled into Snape's private chambers to find Snape and Lupin sitting on the couch and drinking tea. "What's going on?" Remus asked.

Suddenly losing some of his courage, Fred shifted on his feet a bit. "Erm, Professor Snape…"

Snape stopped him with a wave of his hand. "Please, I think we are at Severus now if you feel you can floo into my chambers this late at night."

"Ok, uh, Severus," Fred started again, this time with shock on his face. "I was wondering if you could volunteer to babysit Castor next Friday night?"

"And you want me to babysit my grandson on that particular night, why?" Snape raised an eyebrow but with a little knowing smirk pulling at his lips.

Fred took a deep breath and quickly said, "I want to ask Harry out, and I don't even know if he likes me or guys in general or what, but I didn't want him not having a babysitter to be the reason he says no."

Snape looked over to Remus with an 'I told you so' look on his face. He then slowly took a sip of his tea, causing Fred's anxiety to rise. "I think we could do that," he finally said. "I suggest doing things right though. Ask him the way he should be asked. You know what I mean?"

Fred let out a breath. "Thank you, sirs. I will." With that he turned back to the floo.

"Oh, and Fred…"

"Yes?"

Snape looked at Fred and said, very calmly and serenely. "You hurt my son, and I'll break your legs."

"Erm, yes sir," Fred gulped and then flooed back to his flat.

The next morning at breakfast, an unfamiliar brown owl dropped a small package in front of Harry during the morning post. Harry shifted Castor over to Pansy to hold while he opened the letter attached.

Hey Artie,

Fred here! Yes, Hedwig is doing fine. We're treating her like the queen she is, but she's a little noticeable to use to send you something. Not that she didn't peck a hole in my finger for using a different owl to send this to you. Anyway, I'm writing with a question. I'd ask you in person, but while we make fun of and generally disparage every tradition, I do come from a pureblood family and there are just a few traditions that we tend to follow, specifically some that deal with person's with magical creature blood.

Well that's a round-about way to say that I'm supposed to send this in a letter based on some old rule from the 1500s or such.

(Harry was completely lost at this point. What in the world could Fred be asking?)

So, I'm asking you, if you would do me the honor to go on a date with me? I don't know if you like me or blokes in general, but I've always liked you. I've always noticed you. I know your favorite dessert is treacle tart, your favorite color is blue, you don't like being touched but let those you consider family touch you, you don't like small spaces though you hide it extremely well, you have a dark sense of humor, you loved Sirius but see Remus as more of your godfather, you've always wanted a pet snake to talk to but won't get one in case it freaks people out, and you love your family, the one you've made for yourself, more than anything in the world. I know you Artie (regardless of what you are calling yourself at the time). So, I had to ask. I hope if you turn me down, we can still be the brothers we are now, but I'm hoping you feel for me like I feel for you.

So, the tradition part. In the box is a traditional courting ring. If you accept my date and my offer to court, put the ring on your right ring finger, and I'll know. If not, just send it back with the owl. Also, tradition, there are several protection charms on the ring I placed myself. There is one that negates almost all love charms and potions as well as one that helps deflect mind magic to some small extent.

So, Friday, 7pm meet me at WWW if you are up for it. I already cleared babysitting with Severus (he actually said I could call him that) if you choose to say yes. I hope you do.

Lastly, to prove I am who I say I am (this letter was way too serious, you really should be thinking this is an imposter) the parchment is charmed, and your hair is blue by now.

Put on the ring,

See you Friday,

Love,

Fred (the better-looking twin)

"Erm, Artie, mate, your hair is blue," Blaise said in confusion across from Harry.

Harry just looked at him with a dazed and happy smile on his face. He slowly unwrapped the ring box and opened it to find a small, silver band with a dark sapphire embedded in it. He could feel Fred's magic circling the ring as he looked at it.

"That's a courting ring!" Pansy almost squealed as she bounced Castor up and down on her knee.

"Please tell me this is from the bloke you like?" Blaise asked. "I live for the drama!"

"Artie, you know Professors Snape and Lupin are staring at you right now," Draco said in a stage whisper. "You might want to make a decision about that ring before they come down here."

Harry, oblivious to all his friends, pulled the ring out of the box and slid it onto his right, ring finger as he felt the warm rush of Fred's magic flow over him from it. The owl chirped once and flew off again. "Congratulations, mate," Draco said, patting Harry's arm. "And, good luck with those two."

Sure enough, Snape and Lupin both were walking over from the head table. "Well, let's see it," Snape snarled at Harry who just held up his hand. Snape grabbed his hand and looked at the ring, examining the spell work. "I guess he did ok, those are fairly useful spells," he begrudgingly admitted.

"It's lovely and the spells are spectacular," Remus said, also examining the ring. "You know your dad would say the same thing if that ring could repel You-Know-Who himself. Congratulations. And, I like the hair! Good touch!"

"The spells are fine," Snape rolled his eyes.

"Uh huh, well I don't see a ring on my finger, and I'm also technically a magical creature," Remus said with a huff at Snape. "I don't think you have any room to grouch."

As Remus strode off after a wink at Harry, Snape rushed after him looking extremely worried. Harry chuckled and took Castor from Pansy. "What's going on?" Hermione asked as she and Ron trailed over from the Gryffindor table.

"Artie just got a courting ring in the mail," Pansy said conspiratorially to Hermione.

"What's that?" Hermione asked.

Pansy flashed her own ring from Draco to Hermione to show the girl version. "It's an old tradition that when you ask out someone you're serious about, then you send a courting ring that you have spelled with some protection charms. It's almost required in dating a magical creature since so many have mate bonds, you need to be very specific with your intentions. It's still frequently done in normal wizarding relationships though as well."

Hermione looked over at Blaise with a raise of her eyebrow. "I just haven't figured out the right charms yet," Blaise said quickly.

"Uh huh," Hermione said slowly. "We'll talk later." She turned to Harry, "Speaking of mate bonds, do Furies have mates?"

Harry shuddered, "Thank Merlin, Morgana, and the Founders, no! I would absolutely hate that being decided for me and just having to go along with it."

"I don't know, it seems kind of romantic," Pansy mused as everyone else rolled their eyes at her.

"Just think about it," Harry tried to explain to the hopeless romantic. "If a Fury happened to fall in love with someone and really thought they were their mate and promised to never leave them, and then their actual mate showed up. It would be a freaking disaster. Our oath thing isn't really conducive to decisions being made for us. I'm learning quickly that you have to be a realist as a Fury."

Pansy huffed. "It might make sense, but I still think it would be romantic."

"Congratulations," Ron said from behind Hermione. Harry wasn't sure when he had shown up but was happy to see he had actually come over. "Is it from the guy you liked?"

"It is," Harry nodded at him with a large smile.

"Care to tell us who he is?" Blaise asked, glad the attention was off him again.

"I told you, he's from before I came here. He's not a Hogwarts student," Harry said evasively.

"Well, I for one volunteer to babysit," Pansy laughed. "I'm volunteering Draco as well; it'll be good practice." At that Draco choked on his pumpkin juice.

"He already cleared it with Dad to babysit," Harry smiled as he slapped the choking Draco on his back.

"Wow, he must really like you, mate, to go to Snape first," Ron said in awe. "Also, why is your hair blue?"

"It's an inside joke," Harry chuckled, but really wondering how long it would take before his hair changed back.

Up Next: The date...