Forks' sky was cloudy, and it looked like it would rain any second. It was perfect for the two foxes who moved there in the afternoon. Their new home was near the forest, a one-story house that had been constructed a century ago, and whose last owner had died the year before. There was a basement that Severus decided to convert into a Potions Lab, and an attic that would primarily be a storage space.

Severus had been worried at first since he had caught the unpleasant stench of werewolves in the forest, but some research indicated they lived quite far from their house. He was glad for it as he didn't want to live nearby werewolves ever again. Living in a castle as a student with one of their kind being one of his tormentors was enough for a lifetime. His son's third year had been too much, too.

Harlow liked the house and the area, so they weren't going to move anytime soon.

2005 had just started and Forks was covered in snow. Severus and Harlow had finished to unpack the day before and were looking forward to their new life. Harlow was looking forward to starting school, though he was nervous. It had been so long since he had last gone to a no-maj school, he could only hope he wouldn't mess it up.

Harlow went into the living room, having completed the work his father had given him to see if he really was on par with high school students. Severus was watching the fire in the chimney, seemingly deep in thoughts, though he looked up when he heard him approach.

"Could we go outside?"

"Have you finished your homework?"

"Yes, everything."

"Let's go then."

Severus stood up and shifted forms in the same movement. He stretched before leading the way outside. Harlow shifted as he followed. He bounced in the thick coat of snow the first and Severus snickered when his kit disappeared in the snow with a small cry. He grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and brought him in the forest where the snow was less thick.

"Let's get acquainted with this forest. Don't stray too far from me, there are werewolves deeper in..."

Harlow made a little bark to say he understood and followed the bigger fox through the forest. Their black fur did little to hide them from the preys and other predators that lived in there. The stroll soon became a game, Severus showing Harlow how to use magic to change the color of their fur. It was only when Severus smelled the vampire coven that he stopped Harlow, grabbing him by the neck and speeding back home.

Harlow was nervous. He was fiddling with the buttons of his waistcoat, having adopted the style from his father, wondering if his first day in regular school would go well. His father had helped him catch up on everything he should have known but that because of the Dursleys, he had never had the chance to learn.

"You will lose a button if you continue."

He glanced up to see his father entering his bedroom.

"I know you're worried, but you shouldn't be. We're far away from Britain and Dumbledore, Tom promised me he would try to visit soon, and remember that we stopped in Forks because you caught the scent of your mate."

"I know," Harlow sighed.

"Come here, I have charmed a necklace so that you don't strain your magic keeping your ears and tails hidden."

Severus helped Harlow pass on the necklace and gave him a hug from behind before he had to go to school. Despite being only fifteen, with Severus' help, Harlow found himself in high school, with sixteen to eighteen years old teenagers. He didn't really care, though, as long as people didn't point it out every day and tease him about it.

"The necklace will also protect you from foreign magic. I don't know about the vampire coven in Forks, but some vampires have retained some of their magic if they were wizards before."

Severus drove Harlow to school. The young fox garnered the attention as few people his age as he wore waistcoat, dress pants and dress shoes. He looked dashing in the ensemble, though Severus had told him he was "cute", and that his ears and tails only accentuated that fact. Harlow buttoned his coat back as he felt the bite of the winter wind. His muffler followed, covering his nose. He didn't really need it, since he was just crossing the parking lot, but it had the advantage of muffling the scents he could smell, and not overwhelm his sensitive nose.

As he walked to the office, wishing he had stayed in his warm bed, he didn't notice the five vampires that were on the parking lot. The smallest of them bounced on her feet when she saw him pass by and tried to contain a squeal.

"Did you see him? I told you he was cute!"

"Looks like he should be in grade school to be honest." The tallest one commented.

"His scent isn't quite human... Did you catch anything, Edward?"

"Not really..." his worried tone made them all look back at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I can hear his thoughts... but it's all muffled, even if some words are clear..."

"Does it help?"

"He thinks about his father mostly."

"Let's keep an eye on him."

It was Edward who first met the new student, in math class. From up close, the boy was really small, smaller than even Alice was. He did look like a grade schooler. Their teacher kept him at her desk before giving him a paper slip back.

"Why don't you introduce yourself to your new classmates? Tell us a bit about yourself."

"Oh, uh, my name is Harlow Snape. I'm fifteen. My father and I, we moved to Forks during Christmas break from Scotland."

Edward was surprised. If he was just fifteen, why did he look like he was ten? Did his father abuse him? No, the boy's thoughts about the man were pure and happy. Fear was absent from them.

Harlow was directed to one empty seat, which was the one next to Edward, their teacher thinking he could use the help of someone with good grades.

The non-human scent he caught from the boy helped Edward concentrate on the thoughts he could barely hear coming from him. Mid-lesson, he heard a soft whine. A glance to his side showed him that Harlow was struggling with the exercise they were doing, snippets of his thoughts confirmed it. The defeated sigh coming from the boy made him turn and do something he never did before: talk to another student.

"Do you need help?" he asked, softly enough that people around them wouldn't hear it.

Harlow straightened and looked up at him.

"Please?"

From real up close, Harlow was probably the cutest thing Edward had ever seen. Big dark green eyes, a pair of glasses perched on a fine nose, and black hair that fell to his shoulders in soft waves.

Edward filed those observations away for now and helped the younger boy.

At lunch, Harlow discovered that teenagers were a crazy bunch of people, not thinking twice about manhandling others so that they would sit with you and talk. After what happened in his previous school, Harlow wasn't keen on staying quiet, though, and before he could be forced to sit, he turned on his heels, and darted to one empty table in the corner.

Sitting where he could have an eye on the others, Harlow quickly noticed the teenagers he had caught a glimpse of when his father had deposited him at school, and among them was Edward Cullen, the boy he sat next to in Math. He sneaked a glance at them and noticed they all had amber eyes. He dismissed the thought they were werewolves because they didn't smell like it at all (they reeked of wet dog, it was awful) and concluded they must be the coven of vampires his father had told him about.

He was fine with it. Amber eyes meant they fed on animal blood rather than humans, so Harlow didn't care that they were mingling with no-majs. His father and himself were doing it, and they were far from being human.

Unbeknownst to him, his thoughts had been heard.

Edward didn't catch it all, but enough to know the Snapes knew what they were, and that they were not human, as suspected. He was curious about what they were though. He shared what he heard to his family, and they agreed to talk to Carlisle when he would be back from work.

The rest of the day, Harlow managed to avoid Jessica's group of friends. He gravitated unconsciously around Edward with whom he shared his last class of the day, literature. The vampire was surprisingly... nice, considering Harlow caught whispers about the Cullens' reticence to mingle with common mortals. If only people knew how accurate the "mortal" comment was.

His nose had been catching the most enticing scent since the beginning of the day. Harlow wondered about his mate's identity. His father had told him it would be hard to find them because they were strangers and he wasn't accustomed to their scents enough to catch the mate flag. His father had been lucky, he had known his mother since they were kids, so all the subtleties of her scent had been already known by the time he had become fifteen.

A part of him wanted it to be Edward. The vampire was gentle, a bit like his father if he was honest. They both seemed as if they had stepped out of the previous century (the wizarding world was like that too), and very gentlemanly too. He didn't know what it said about him to wish for a mate that resembled his father, but he didn't care. His mate would be perfect for him, that was what mattered.

Harlow was happy to see his father waiting for him when classes were over. He bid goodbye to Edward, who had been a great help during the day.

"How was your day?" Severus asked as soon as he slid in the car.

"Fine. I think I met the vampire coven. Well, I only talked to one of them."

"What was your impression of them?"

"They're vegetarians, they have amber eyes, and Edward was really nice, you know."

Was it Severus, or did he really hear the longing in his kit's voice? He knew it would happen but hadn't expected it so soon. Maybe it was because they lived near the coven and they could catch their scents in the forest. Either way, he'd have to contact the leader of the coven soon.

"And beside Edward?"

Harlow heaved a sigh, "I didn't expect high school to be so hard... and people keep staring at me. And then, I was manhandled at lunch! There's a girl who thinks she can just grab people and talk their ears off. Do you think I can use magic to get her off my back?"

"Only if it's subtle. We have the MACUSA's authorization to practice magic on US soil, but we have no way to know if Dumbledore have some spies there and is searching for our magical signatures. Our only saving grace is that he can't track Fox magic."

"Alright, I'll be careful."

The next days were spent the same way. Harlow struggled in subjects like math and biology, but he was at ease when it came to languages. His father's potions had boosted his knowledge, and the blocks that had been lifted from his core also helped with the assimilation of that knowledge. His life was a bit easier like this. And using small spells to get Jessica and her cohorts off his back made it even easier. The young fox found himself gravitating around Edward. He was also glad for the necklace his father had given him, otherwise he would have busted their cover. He could feel his ears perk up, wanting to burst through the powerful glamour, each time he heard Edward's voice.

With the upcoming birthday of his father, though, Harlow didn't have time to think about his reactions to Edward. Since the man had told him he would be busy all day to brew, Harlow was able to go into town by himself the day before the big day. Armed with his smartphone, the fox roamed through the supermarket searching for cake ingredients.

He hit his first hurdle when it came to pick a bag of flour from the shelves. It was just his luck that it'd be situated too high for him to reach, even on tiptoes, and he wasn't about to climb on the shelves like a monkey or use magic in public places.

"Need help?" A familiar voice asked from behind him.

"You seem to appear every time I need help, Edward." Harlow turned around to see his classmate, accompanied by a woman who wasn't one of his sisters.

"Must be fate." Edward gave him a fond smile. "Ah, let me introduce you to my mother, Esme."

"Nice to meet you, madam. My name is Harlow Snape. My father and I recently moved in Forks."

"It's nice to meet you as well, Harlow. Edward spoke a lot about you." Harlow shook her hand, wondering if Edward indeed did speak about him to his parents, and if it was indeed the case, what he told them.

"What did you plan to bake?" Edward asked as he grabbed a bag for him.

"A chocolate cake for my father's birthday. I want it to be big, even if we're just three to eat it."

"Three?"

"My father's boyfriend is coming to Forks to celebrate with us."

It's not yet official, though. Edward caught that thought quite clearly among the ocean produced by Forks's mortal population.

"You seem happy about that... I don't know a lot of people who would accept someone in a parent's place..."

"Tom's been in love with my father since they met when Dad was seventeen. When I met him last year, I just knew they'd be good together."

Edward smiled gently at him. Though the rest of the coven was a bit wary at letting the young boy close to them, because they still couldn't tell what his father and he were, Edward could only feel gentleness radiating from the small boy, even if he wasn't an empath.

"Oh! I was... wondering if..." Harlow rubbed his arm nervously, "I could meet with your... coven...?"

Harlow saw Edward freeze. Maybe he should have brought it up with his father around rather than alone in a supermarket. But his father had told him to do it when it felt right. And it did.

Edward turned to Esme with a concerned gaze. She didn't seem alarmed by his request, and Edward had the feeling Alice has been hiding things from him again.

"Of course, everyone is waiting for us." Esme admitted after a short silence.

"Waiting?"

"Alice can see things, possible futures."

Harlow made a small sound Edward thought was a growl. The boy nodded, nevertheless.

"Alright. I still need to buy some more things and then I'd be ready to go."

They bought all the ingredients necessary for the chocolate cake, and some extras just in case. Harlow followed Edward to his car, realizing that he wouldn't have been able to go back to his house with his arms laden with his groceries as he had shifted to his fox form before coming here. He knew how to shift clothes and the things he might carry inside their pockets with him, but not objects he had to carry by himself.

He snapped back to the present when Edward opened the door for him. Esme was already in the car, buckling her belt. He slid in the backseat with a nod of thanks and his groceries next to him to buckle his own belt.

The path Edward took seemed familiar for a while as he drove toward the edge of the town, but Harlow remembered that his own house was in the same direction. He never smelled them in the forest, so he hadn't noticed they were neighbors. He wondered if they even knew his father and him were living nearby.

Harlow could feel his ears push against the strong magic of his father as they approached the Cullens' home. It was a vain effort of their part, but they always moved, and since he had the necklace, always tried to get free. He knew it was important to keep it around his neck to not get hunted by common folk, but it was frustrating not to be able to let them out.

He was startled by a ringing, and realized it came from his pocket. Looking at the caller ID, his face split into two and he hurried to answer.

"Hi, Tom!"

"Hello, angel. How are you doing today?"

"I'm good. Daddy's busy so I went shopping..."

"You've decided on that twenty-four-layer chocolate cake then?"

"Yes. He's gonna eat it all by himself, I know it."

Tom chuckled. "He loves chocolate so much. The darker the better."

"Are you still coming tomorrow?"

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for anything, I miss the both of you. Even entertained the idea of coming right now. I really need a break."

"Is LeStrange sane enough for you to be absent a day and a half?"

"Barty knows not to let her roam and wreak havoc... I don't want the old coot on my trail that soon."

Harlow watched the forest pass by the windows of the car.

"Do you want to come now? I will bake the cake... and you will meet a coven of vegetarian vampires."

"Oh, the Cullens or the Denalis?"

"The Cullens. You know them?"

"Of them, yes. Didn't seem they'd like to be recruited by yours truly. As for coming now... well, I need to finish two or three things and I think I can come. Send me your location, and I'll pop by."

Harlow hanged up and was surprised they were already arriving at the coven's house. It looked more modern than their own house, and his nose picked the other vampires' scents. He recognized all but one from school, meaning that even their 'father' was present. He was growing nervous, though. Maybe he should have done this another day, with his father around, after all.

"Here we are."

Harlow got out of the car as soon as it was stopped (and Edward had opened his door like the gentleman he was). He grabbed his groceries and followed the two vampires inside.

The coven was all assembled into the living room, indeed waiting for them to come back. Esme was immediately greeted back by her husband, but Edward ignored everyone and led Harlow to the kitchen where he could put his groceries on the center island unit.

Edward threw a glare at Alice sat on the sofa when they entered the living room.

"Hello, Harlow. I am Carlisle, the head of this coven. You already know the rest of us."

"It's nice to meet you. Esme told me you were... waiting for me?"

"Yes. I don't know if Edward told you, but Alice possess the gift of subjective precognition. She can see possible futures and meeting with you seemed an event that had to happen. She didn't tell us the details."

"Do you each have a special talent then?"

"Well, some are rather passive, like Edward's superior speed, or Emmett's strength. Jasper is an empath and can even manipulate emotions of others. And... well, Edward can read people minds."

Harlow rounded up on Edward, with a shocked expression on his face.

"I can't turn it off, if you want to know. And it doesn't seem to work really well on you."

"Ah, that means my father's necklace works."

"Necklace?"

Harlow seemed to hesitate just a moment before reaching into his shirt and pulling out said necklace. He let it drop on his chest and reached at the back to unclasp it. As soon as it was done, Edward found his thoughts to be clearer, but it barely had time to process it as ears popped out on the top of Harlow's head and tails appeared at his back.

"My father fashioned the necklace to protect me from spells and other than could harm me. It also serves to hide what I really am since I'm still unable to do it on my own for a long time."

He raised a hand to one of his ears to massage it. They always were sore when he was wearing the necklace for too long.

"My father and I, we're foxes, or the correct term would be Kyuubigitsune. They are Youkais coming from Japan, but we've come from Scotland."

Harlow was offered a seat, and he spilled everything out to them. Magic, and the reason they had moved in Forks. Before he could explain his own species, his phone rang in his pocket.

"Ah! I forgot about Tom! Say, what's the coordinates of the house?"

Even as he asked, he was checking it with his phone's GPS function. He typed the coordinates and send them to Tom in replay to his "All done" text.

The man appeared in a crack in the coven's living room. He was tall and clad in the same style of clothes as Harlow and Severus, the only thing that was different was the enormous snake draped over his shoulders.

"You brought Nagini!"

"She wouldn't have let me leave without her, you know that. You'd think I wouldn't need a mother at my age, but no, here she is." He petted her head with obvious affection. "She said she was missing the two of you, too, so..."

He held out his arm, Nagini having decided she wanted to move to wind around Harlow's shoulders.

"You seem to be doing well, being so far from Tom."

"Yes. Daddy and I really like this place too." He petted her head as it slid between his ears.

"Ah, Tom, let me introduce you," he glanced at the coven, "this is the Cullen Coven. There's Carlisle, the head with his mate, Esme, Rosalie and Emmet, Alice and Jasper, and Edward. The last three have invasive talents, seeing the future, manipulating emotions and reading minds." Tom smiled at that. "Guys, this is Tom Riddle. My father's boyfriend!"

"Soon to be." Tom corrected. "I'm glad to finally meet you. I heard about your coven when I approached another for recruitment."

"Recruitment?"

"Yes. I'm leading a revolution of sort in Britain. Creatures classified as Dark by our ministry are being wrongfully treated by the Light side," Tom rolled his eyes, "and I strive to put some wrings right. Especially the orphans left on their own and the abuse of their caretakers..."

"Is Dumbledore still giving you a hard time?"

"I wish I could strangle him with my own hands, watch the life leaving his eyes and be the last thing he ever saw."

Harlow chuckled. Tom thought the same way his Daddy did. The only thing stopping Severus was the fact that he could get caught, tried and sent to Azkaban, and thus leave Harlow all alone. Well, maybe not alone, he'd have fled to Tom's before they could sink their claws back in him.

"When are you and Daddy going to get together?" he finally asked. They were dancing around each other for a year, that he knew about, and it was driving him crazy.

"He's resisting, it took me twenty years to make him acknowledge I could be a suitable mate."

Harlow was confused at that. He knew Tom had been trying to make his father fall in love with him, but he hadn't known it had started when he was still a teenager. Had... Had Tom hated his Mama?

Harlow caught Edward's concerned gaze, and the fox realized his thoughts were being broadcast now that he wasn't wearing his necklace. He tried for a reassuring smile, but it still bothered him.

"Harlow?" Tom's hand was carded in his hair. "I didn't resent your mother one bit." He told him, as if he had read his mind, which might be the case, knowing him. "Severus would have hated me if I did something to her, and I couldn't risk that. You think a widowed or rejected fox has it bad, but have you ever thought about the people falling in love with them and not even registering on their radar? About those people who keep on hoping, 'one day, they will notice me'?"

"But... Daddy likes you... I know he misses you; He's looking forward to you coming for his birthday. Sometimes, when he's working, his tails just start to wag, and I know he's thinking about you when it does. I just know."

Tom petted his hair more gently.

"Weren't we supposed to bake a massive chocolate cake together?" Tom asked when Harlow felt calmer.

"We were!" His tails wagged. Esme chuckled at the sight.

"You can use our kitchen, Harlow."

"Thank you, Mrs. Cullen."

It was a sight to behold, Harlow was sure, a Dark Lord baking a chocolate cake in a coven's kitchen. Nagini was draped over the counter, body curled around bowls. Harlow had to scold her when she tried to dip her head in one filled with chocolate. Halfway through the recipe, Harlow snapped pictures of him when the man didn't notice.

"I know I probably read about it in my third year... but can vampires eat?" Harlow wondered as he dipped a finger in the bowl he had protected from Nagini. "Normal food, I mean."

"Yes, and no." Tom answered, "They can't consume normal foods like you and I, but if you base some recipes on blood, either human or animal, I think it is possible for them to eat."

"Even a chocolate cake?"

"Yes. With the right dosage."

Harlow made an interested sound, sneaking a peek at Edward that was still around. The others had dispersed; Carlisle had gone back to work, Emmett went back to his game in the living room, and Rosalie and Alice had giggled (though Rosalie would deny it) and went on a shopping trip, tugging Jasper with them. Esme was still here, watching them with Edward.

"Why do you ask? Vampires feed on blood, they don't need anything else." Nagini hissed in his ear. "Is it because of that one?" she continued with a small jerk toward Edward who looked at them with interest.

"Maybe..." Tom chuckled at his answer.

"Can we try after the cake?" Tom smiled a gentle smile and ruffled his hair, minding his ears. "Let's finish this one first... Then we can see about that Blood Cake."

With the birthday cake taken care of, Harlow found himself thinking back to those moments during the week where he caught a delicious scent when around Edward. If he had to put a word on it, he'd say it reminded him of a field of wildflowers. He didn't really know much about flowers so he couldn't say which it was exactly. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant scent that he wanted to bask in forever.

Harlow didn't see the surprise cross Edward's face, too absorbed was he into making the cake he had had in mind for his father.