"But, but Victor, they're my family!" Kinley cried.

"The only other person in there that's acceptable is Dorian Snape. The rest don't have a sliver of our cunning and guile." Victor smirked as Kinley scampered after him into Hogwarts.

"Oh." She murmured. Dorian, not ten paces behind, snarled.

"Little worthless……" He began.

"I'd rethink my words if I were you." It was none other than.

"Dad!" Professor Snape sighed.

"I thought we discussed I was Professor during school hours, not Dad." Severus sighed.

"Daddy!" Cyrinda hugged her stiff father.

"I just can't get through to you brats!" Severus muttered as eh embraced his three children.

"I missed you, Dad!" Dante smiled as he hugged his father.

"Go inside before you miss the feast. I have first years to terrify." Smirking, Severus stalked from the entry way and into the depths of the school.

The gaggle of children entered the hall, minus first years of course, and were seated at their respective houses tables and awaited Dumbledore's annual speech. Sirius sat in between Lily and Cyrinda and was hoping to go deaf on Lily's side so he didn't go mad. Instead, he turned his head to look at Cyrinda who was examining the golden plates before her.

"Rinda." Sirius murmured. She turned, letting her wealth of hair spill over her shoulder as she smiled at him.

"Sirius. What?" She whispered as Dumbledore let the first years be divvied and clapped when appropriate.

"Would you," A spurt of applause silence him for a moment.

"Yes?" She blushed. If Sirius asked her out, Cyrinda would be beside herself with joy.

"Like to play chess when we get up to the rooms?" Cyrinda sighed and smiled.

"Of course." Turning to her now filled plate, she watched her house mates chat and laugh after a summer break with their families only to rejoice in the presence of their friends.

Lily pursed her lips at the obvious happiness within Sirius' and Cyrinda's eyes toward each other. Cyrinda had always gotten the attention, always wooing the boys with her dark looks and silent demeanor. Listening to the boys beside her prattle on, Lily picked at her food hoping she could go back to her dorms and go to sleep. Maybe go and talk to Aunt Luna or something in the medical wing.

Dorian looked up to see his father talking with Mrs. Weasley on some subject or another. Sighing, he heard Kinley faintly whining to Victor about only associating with her family because she had to. Perhaps he should pull her aside and explain the value of family over a pretty face. True he was not the looker of the bunch, in his mind, but being a voice in her mind might help.

Dante looked toward his big brother who was gazing at Kinley intently. Should he read something into that? Furrowing his brow, he pushed a lock of curly black hair from his forehead. His grandmother this summer had laughed and told him he looked like a little Bottechelli angel with his purely Italian looks. Or perhaps Ares the God of War. But Dante was hardly one to be terribly athletic. Terry and Joey were already on the House's Quidditch Team. He just had his mother's brains in his head with his fathers cunning, but not enough to be Slytherin. Sighing, he slowly ate the rest of his Welcoming Feast in silence.

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"Dad!" The three voices echoed in the belly of the dungeons, Severus spun around to be nearly tackled by his three children.

"Oof!" He gasped for air. "What are you three doing down here? You should all be in your houses!" He hissed.

"I just wanted to say hello." Dante, his youngest, murmured. Patting his head, he sighed.

"Well, hello." Severu smirked. His youngest was shy and almost skiddish around most people, which was truly a pity with the huge group of their extended family. He was easily brow beaten into doing most of the tasks that no one liked. Like being dressed up by the girls. His son, the eaternal dress up doll.

"Hi, Dad." Cyrinda, his little girl, smiled wide with the same mouth of her mother. And thank GOD the nose of her mother too.

"Hello, Rinda." Knowing his middle child wouldn't speak up, he turned and gave a ghost of a smile to his near carbon copy. "Dorian, evening."

"Evening Father." Severus nodded. His children, none had inherited his hideous nose, or beady eyes……ok that was his self image as an ugly git, but his wife said otherwise.

"Now, off to bed. I have first years to terrify." He gave them each an evil smile as he gave them one last hug.

"See you in Potions tomorrow." Cyrinda smiled as she took her baby brother's hand and led him off toward their houses.

"Dorian?" Severus turned and rose an eyebrow.

"I have some matters I'd like to discuss with you." He said in his cracking voice. Puberty was hitting him hard, right in the voice box. It switched between a child's scratchy tone to the familiar silky tone Severus had since about the same age.

"Oh? Private or school related?" Severus nodded toward the darkening hallways of the dungeons.

"Both." He fell instep with Severus and began to talk. "Kinley has become oddly attached to Malfoy and has even gone as far to cast off her relatives. This has only started toward the end of last year when he started giving her attention. Perhaps this is merely a crush, or something a bit darker. Perhaps a mentor could help her?" He inquired.

"I shall look into the matter for you." Severus murmured. He too had noticed the oddity. Kinley who had been the almost forgotten child, attention must feel like a warm blanket in a family of God knows how many. But, Remus and Nymphadora were good parents, not like they had good childhoods either. Nymphadora had Narcissa for God's sake.

"Thank you." Dorian gave a brusque nod and was about to head off when his father smirked.

"Are you sure you aren't wishing for her to turn her gaze upon you?" Severus chuckled but halted when his son's shoulders froze up.

"Never mind." Dorian stalked off into the darkness.

"Oh boy." Severus puffed out a breath of air as he headed back to his quarters, it was going to be a longer year than he expected. Muttering his password, he entered his rooms only to be shocked.

"Good evening, Mr. Snape." Hermione wore only a smile as she lounged on his giant leather couch. Swallowing hard, Severus felt the lump travel down his throat and straight into his pants.

"Good Evening Mrs. Snape." Stumbling forward, Severus scooped his wife into his arms and nearly ran into their bedroom. The only sound as he shut the door was a low throaty chuckle from Hermione.

"Severus, you are just too much!"

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Cyrinda entered her House rooms to be greeted by an empty common room. Running both her hands thru her mid back length curly black hair, she sighed. There was too much family at Hogwarts and next year several more would join the ranks.

"Rinda." Gasping, she turned to see Sirius sitting in one of the wingback chairs in front of the fire that glowed faintly sending a dull glow about the room.

"Sirius! You scared me." She sent him a small smile as she seated herself across from him.

"Sorry, just wanted to see what adventure you decided to go on tonight. Should've told me." He smirked at her.

"Only if you wanted to go see my dad with my younger brothers. I won't go back down cause mum is probably down there and that is something I don't want to see, hear, or envision." She laughed.

"Oh, we'll have to go on adventure soon, I won't be here much longer." Sirius sighed.

"Yea, it'll be pretty lonely here." Cyrinda smiled sadly. Staring at her shoes, she looked up when a faint shadow loomed close.

"Rinda." Looking up, she could only gasp as Sirius' lips gently settled over her own. It was like someone had replaced his lips with a wire. Electricity jolted thru her veins as she felt him gently cup her face and tilt his head slightly. Letting her eyelids slide shut, she finally responded to his gentle kiss. Just as it began, it ended. Only with their soft breathing to accompany them, they met eye to eye and smiled.

"That was nice." Cyrinda smiled, then began to laugh.

"Nice? You sound like it was amusing. I like to think it was a nice first." Sirius settled at her feet.

"Yes, a nice first." Cyrinda laid a hand on his head. "Hopefully to be followed by more?"

"More, definitely more." Sirius chuckled and nuzzled into Cyrinda's leg.

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Only they didn't know that they had an audience. Lily sat at the top of the stairs seething.

"Bitch, always adored, always….."She trailed off to mutter expletives under her breath. Sighing angrily, she rose to her feet quickly and snuck back to her bunk.

A/N::: Making of a plot, I presume? Mwa hahahahahaha and the romance has it's first taste. Hip hip hoorah!