AN1: Just a little reminder. This story is told primarily from the adults' POVs. Until Harry, and then Helena and Hugh, are old enough, there will only be brief POVs from them. I'm sorry it took so long for this part to go up, but it was being stubborn. Enjoy!

Chapter Four

  Severus stared at his daughter in disbelief. There should be no reason for Helena to be at Hogwarts, accompanied by the canine duo, as Severus liked to call Sirius and Remus. The two men were shifting nervously, Sirius bogged down with presents.

  "What is the meaning of this?" he eventually asked.

  "Hugh's sick, Daddy," Helena said in a quiet voice.

  Severus was alarmed, since none of his children called him 'Daddy' - especially his two eldest children. He looked up at Remus, who was the most honest about these things.

  "What's going on? Where are James and Hugh?"

  "Severus," the amber-eyed man calmly stated, "James took Hugh to St. Mungo's. It looks like he has dragon pox."

  The potions master's shoulders slumped the tiniest bit in relief. He could handle dragon pox. Maybe. His other two children had had the illness at the same time, but that had been two summers ago, when Hogwarts wasn't in session and Severus had already been home. That must be why Helena had come instead of staying with James. He asked if this was true, and Remus nodded in confirmation.

  "It's a good thing it's Christmas," Remus said as they made their way into the teacher's corridor. "Otherwise I'm not sure what James would have done if we hadn't arrived when we did."

  "You mean he started panicking rather than be his usual mother hen," Severus stated.

  Sirius snickered. "If Hugh wasn't sick, it would be funny. He was trying to stop James from fussing over him.

  "Yeah," Helena said. "Dad was trying to smother Hugh with blankets, Patri."

  Severus looked at his daughter. "Were you going to ask for help?"

  Helena nodded. "I was going to firecall you just as Uncle Moony and Uncle Paddy showed up. So they sent Dad and Hugh to hospital, and we came here."

  The potions master looked at the two men nodding in thanks. He led the three visitors into his rooms and then proceeded to contact Dumbledore.

~~~

  Severus watched as Helena settled on the couch as he waited for Dumbledore to find someone to cover that last day of Potions before holiday started. He had fire-talked to James first to find out exactly what the doctors said about Hugh and how quickly Severus should get there. Hugh was doing much better than James, so that meant Severus could make sure that everything was taken care of here, including Harry and Helena, for the moment.

  The fire lit up and Dumbledore's cheery face met his eyes. "It's all set, Severus. I'll be watching over your classes, since it's so close to holidays."

  Severus glared at the headmaster. "Fine. Mollycoddle them. You know how to reach me."

  As Dumbledore pulled back, Severus turned to his daughter. "You watch him in potions tomorrow. Your brother's class is last, and I don't trust Longbottom with any potions. Make sure the headmaster doesn't have them making hot chocolate or some such thing."

  "Sure, Patri!"

  A black glare was leveled at the nine-year-old girl for the off-handed remark. Making sure that the mutts hadn't touched anything in his rooms before they had been given their own guest suite, Severus made his way to Hogsmeade to apparate to London.

******

  Harry ran up to the Head Table during lunch, wondering just where his father was. Missing breakfast on Fridays were a given for Patri, but not lunch - he'd stated once before that he couldn't handle Neville on an empty stomach, especially when it came to potions.

  "Professor Dumbledore?" he asked.

  The headmaster turned from where he'd been listening to McGonagall. "Ah, Harry," he began. "It seems your brother has dragon pox."

  Harry was torn between relief and doing the half-laugh/half-sob that had crept into his throat at the thought that something *really* terrible had happened to his father. It almost came out anyway as he asked, "Really?" He took a deep breath. "Is he all right?"

  Professor Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. Your brother is doing nicely. I do believe you will want to go to your father's chambers after class... there are some visitors here for the holiday."

  "Really?" Harry's face lit up.

  Dumbledore nodded again.

  "Yes!" Harry half shouted. As he walked back to where Ron and Hermione were sitting, he never noticed the curious stares being sent his way by the rest of the Great Hall.

  "What was that all about?" Ron asked as Harry sat down beside him.

  "I was wondering where my father was," he answered in a low voice. "He and Dad are at St. Mungo's with Hugh."

  "Who is Hugh?" Hermione asked absently as she turned the page to the book she was reading.

  "My brother, remember?"

  Hermione opened her mouth, but Harry stood up. "It's time to go to Potions. Right, Ron?"

  The redhead nodded. "I wonder who's teaching it?"

  Harry shrugged his shoulders as he waited for Ron and Hermione to join him in his trek down to the dungeons. "I don't know," he said as they left the Great Hall. "Patri doesn't really think much of the Potions master in Ireland, and he's the closest one."

  "Why not?" Hermione asked. "I heard he was the one that trained Professor Snape."

  "Exactly." He didn't elaborate any further.

~~~

  "Hi, Harry!"

  The three first-years turned to find a smiling, black haired girl behind them.

  "Helena? What...?"

  "Uncle Moony and Uncle Paddy brought me 'cause Dad was panicking."

  Harry scowled when Ron laughed. He knew his family was unique, but his dad's panicking wasn't that funny. Helena must have thought so, because she rounded on Ron.

  "As if *your* mum wouldn't do the same if you were sick!"

  Ron clamped his mouth shut so quick and hard that Harry could hear him bite his tongue. He winced anyway. A giggle from behind the group sounded, and Harry turned to find Parvati and Lavender trying to cover their laughter with their hands over mouths. They *would* find it funny, but then the two girls had laughed at the headmaster's robes yesterday.

  "They're both here?" Harry asked as he set up his potions things.

  Helena nodded. "Uncle Paddy has three weeks off for the holidays this year, so he got here just in time for Hugh to get sick."

  "Lucky him." Harry looked up at the table and desk that sat up in the front of the classroom where his father normally was getting ready for class. He looked back at his sister when he found the headmaster cheerfully humming and placing a bowl of sweets at the corner of the desk. "You're watching him - " he tilted his head to indicate the man unwrapping chocolate frog - "for Patri, aren't you."

  Helena nodded sagely. "I'll talk to you later, Harry. I'm going to go say hi to Neville and probably work with him." The young girl crossed the room and sat next to the timid Gryffindor.

  Hermione leaned over to Harry. "Isn't she only nine? How can she help Neville? I'll do that."

  Harry frowned at the bushy haired girl. Sometimes he didn't understand how she could be so dense and yet so smart at the same time. He leveled a look not unlike the potions master's at her. "Helena could probably do some of the seventh year potions, so it's okay, Hermione."

  She opened her mouth, but Ron beat her.

  "Goes to stand, doesn't it, living with Snape all the time?"

  Harry nodded. "Like I can do some of the Transfiguration that Fred and George can't do. My dad wrote their book, after all."

  Hermione's eyes widened. "Really?"

  Harry nodded as Dumbledore called the class to order, ending the conversation.

******

  Harry led his sister up the stairs to the common room, having gotten permission from Professor McGonagall after dinner to do so. The two of them were determined to send Hedwig off with a personalized Christmas greeting for their brother. Helena had wanted to make something special, but they hadn't gotten it finished by the time dinner had started.

  He was glad that Ron - and the rest of the Weasleys - had accepted Helena just as they had him. Hermione, though.... Harry was a little tired of trying to explain just how he and his siblings were born - and conceived. Still, he knew his friend was only asking because she was curious and not out of maliciousness like Malfoy had tried to do.

  "Harry?" Helena asked, breaking his train of thought. "Could we charm it a paler blue? I read somewhere that it's supposed to be soothing when you're sick."

  Hermione nodded. "Yes. Soft blues and greens are the best colors to use in a sickroom. That's why these colors are used for infant blankets and clothing."

  Helena rolled her eyes at Harry, even as Ron hid a snicker. Fred and George, on the other hand, didn't even attempt to hold back their amusement. Harry held back a sigh. Sometimes he just didn't understand Hermione.

  "Sure we can," he answered his sister. "What is it, again?"

  Hermione dove for the charm book she had borrowed from Percy to help.

  "It's adfectio fulmino caeruleus," Helena answered.

  Harry snickered at Hermione's stricken face, after making sure she wasn't looking at him. Luckily, it was hidden by the twins' boisterous guffaws.

  "But..." Hermione sulked. "How did you know that?

  Helena shrugged. "There's not much a lone girl can do in a house full of *boys.*" She grinned at Harry. "So, I read a lot. It doesn't mean I can actually do the charm. I am nine, after all."

  "Yeah, right," Harry interjected. "History and potions texts are what you usually read. *Not* charms."

  Helena's eyes flickered. "Um, I guess I just picked it up somewhere."

  "Sure, whatever you say," Harry said, shaking his head. "Miss Prongs, Jr., herself."

  "Prongs?" George's head popped up from where it was resting on the arm of the sofa he and Fred had taken over.

  "Of Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs?" Fred added.

  "You're the one that started this, Harry," Helena hissed at him as the twins hopped over to where the two siblings were sitting. Fred and George prostrated themselves at Harry's feet.

  "Oh, son and daughter of Prongs - " Fred began.

  "We'll be your slaves forever - " George continued.

  "If we can meet our hero, your father," the twins chorused.

  Harry sighed. One of these days he'd learn to keep his mouth shut like Patri said he should. The only good thing was that most of the other Gryffindors had gone to pack their things for the trip home tomorrow and the common room was practically deserted.

******

  Harry opened his eyes as he heard loud barking coming from a floor below. At first he didn't remember where he was, but then he saw the red and gold bed hangings and realized that either Sirius or Remus had brought him back to his dorm last night. The last thing he remembered was trying to finish his holiday homework in Patri's room with Remus' help as they all waited for Patri to come home from St. Mungo's for the evening.

  Harry now had proof that even the homework for History of Magic was enough to put anyone to sleep. He'd definitely have to tell Hermione when she got back from holiday.

  "You going to get up, Harry?" Ron asked from the other side of the closed bed curtains. "Your godfather is going crazy down there."

  Harry pulled apart the hanging enough to stick his head out. "Is Remus down there, too?"

  Ron nodded, shoving a package off to one side of his bed. "And your sister. But Sirius already moved your presents down to your dad's room so you can open them together. Helena said that they came to collect you." Ron paused. "Really she said that she and your Uncle Moony - Fred and George are worshipping him at the moment - came to make sure that your godfather didn't do something. They really didn't say what."

  Harry groaned. Sirius was notorious for being obsessive and fanatical about celebrating the holidays as much as possible. His dad had said something about the way Sirius had grown up and left it at that. One day, Harry would find out the whole story. But for now, he'd better get up before Padfoot - whom Harry could hear pounding up the stairs - decided Harry needed a tongue bath to get him moving.

  Grabbing his glasses, Harry shrugged his robe on just as the door swung wide to reveal Padfoot, his long, pink tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. Laughing at the picture that his godfather made, Harry found his slippers, put them on, and dodged out of the way just in time for Padfoot to miss him completely attempting to bowl over the eleven year old.

  "Sorry, Padfoot. You'll have to wake up earlier than this to get me."

  Padfoot whined as he followed Harry down the stairs.

******

  Severus held back the glare that threatened to spread over his face as Quirrell continued speaking. There was something off about the man, and that sense continued to grow as the school year continued. He especially felt so today as all of Hogwarts sat down for the Holiday Feast. Harry and Helena were seated with the Weasleys, who were the only Gryffindors who had stayed. Severus was grateful that they had accepted Helena into their little group, once she had been introduced. Black and Lupin, on the other hand, were busily chatting away with Hooch and McGonagall about Harry's progress in Quidditch. He wasn't going to think of how that happened. If he did, he'd have issues with Longbottom when Hugh got to Hogwarts if he could cause such things to happen when *Harry* was around.

  Still, that didn't solve his problem of having to sit by the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Even though it wasn't for very long - he was off to St. Mungo's to visit with James and Hugh once he had fulfilled his duties as Head of Slytherin - it was enough that it would try the patience of a saint. And Severus was certainly not a saint. Especially when he could feel a faint throb just underneath the skin of his left forearm. Finally, he'd had enough, and with a nod to the headmaster, and another to his children, Severus made his way to the front entrance and thence to the appointed apparition spot just outside of Hogsmeade in a journey that was becoming quite familiar to him this holiday.

  Winding his way through the patients that were mobile, and sane, enough to be wandering through the halls, Severus made his way up to Hugh's room. As he entered, he saw that James was trying to tempt their youngest child to eat. Ah yes, he well remembered trying to get the other two to eat when they had had dragon pox as well.

  "Hi," James said as Severus sat down beside the bed.

  Hugh opened his eyes a little wider before shutting them altogether. James gave an exasperated sigh before setting the food tray on the beside table. He sat down in the other chair and took hold of Severus' hand. Severus squeezed gently as Hugh snored loudly before turning over onto his side.

  "Obviously a Potter trait," Severus said once the boy had quiet a little.

  "You're the one who snores, Sev," James retorted.

  They glared briefly at each other as they fell into a comfortable silence, broken only by the occasional snore coming from the bed. As darkness fell outside the window set high in the wall, James leaned his head onto Severus' shoulder - a familiar action.

  "Happy Christmas," James said in a quiet voice.

  Severus rested his cheek on top of the unruly, black hair. "Happy Christmas," he echoed.

*****

  Severus looked sternly at the class before him. Of course the first class he taught after the holidays would be third year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. At least it wasn't Harry's class. He was thankful *that* was his last class on Fridays, so that he had all weekend to recover.

  "Today we'll be making an advanced healing potion called Vallium Pronum. It was designed to put the body into a healing sleep. Its drinker experiences hallucinations, which is why it isn't used very often. However, both Madam and I agree that if you ever need to make a potion for healing sleep, make this particular potion. I do NOT recommend making any Dreamless Sleep. Most first year potions apprentices are unable to make it.

  "The Muggles have developed a drug quite similar to this, the name having been shortened to just Valium. That is because it shared the same essential ingredient."

  Severus paused as a couple of Ravenclaws raised their hands, followed by one lone Hufflepuff.

  "I will get to you in a moment, Munson and Rademacher. And you as well, Diggory. Your questions may be answered with what I have yet to lecture on."

~~~

  An hour and a half later, he was ready to consign all questioning Ravenclaws to....

  A knock on his office door brought him out of his rant.

  "Patri?" A green-eyed, black-tousled head peeked around the door. "May I come in?"

  "Yes, you may, Harry." Severus stood and joined his son of the sofa. "What is the matter?"

  Harry sighed. "Ron and I found this mirror last weekend when you were taking Helena back home."

  "A mirror?" Severus asked, searching his memory for any mirror Dumbledore may have mentioned.

  "Yeah," his son said. "It showed Ron being Head Boy and quidditch captain."

  Severus waited for Harry to continue, but he remained silent. He thought Harry had been a little too quiet this past week, but had put it to the fact that his sister, Black and Lupin had left within two days of Severus returning to the castle, and subsequently, James and Hugh returning home from St. Mungo's.

  "And what did you see?" he asked when it became obvious that Harry wasn't sure what to say next.

  "Me. Just me. Is it some kind of weird mirror that only works for redheads?" He looked up at Severus, confused. "Or just not me?"

  Severus put a hand on his shoulder. "What was the mirror like?"

  Harry shrugged. "It had these really weird words at the top. Um... erised sta something."

  Severus froze. He'd most definitely had heard of the mirror before. The last time it had been in Hogwarts he had gazed into it himself. He had freaked himself out when he'd seen James Potter grinning at his reflection, even as he reached over and pulled mirror-Severus into a heated kiss. A *very* heated kiss that had left him unable to look at his Gryffindor tutor for a week. Frankly, he hadn't known such a position was possible there at the end - well, at least at that moment in time.

  "So," he tried to ask casually, "you only saw yourself? Was it your true reflection - doing the same things you were doing?"

  Harry nodded, sighing once more. "Yeah. I poked myself just to make sure I was doing it right, and I even touched it. Ron laughed when I told him what was going on."

  Severus wrapped his arms around Harry and pulled his son into a hug. "There is nothing wrong with you, Harry. The mirror shows your deepest desire. Because you are content with your life, you won't see anything in it. I highly suspect that in a few years that will change."

  Green eyes looked hopeful. "So I shouldn't worry about it?"

  Severus shook his head. "Anything else?"

  "Patri, do you know who Nicholas Flamel is? It's been bugging me 'cause I can't remember where I first saw his name."

  The potions master chuckled. "If you actually read the cards you get in your Chocolate Frogs, you would have known that he and the headmaster discovered the twelve uses of dragon blood."

  Harry's eyes lit up. "Thanks, Patri!" He gave a quick hug. "I know I'd gotten it from somewhere, at least."

  Severus chuckled and untangled himself from his son. "Your welcome." He stood, saying, "I believe that it is time for luncheon now, is it not?"

  Harry's stomach rumbled in agreement. He nodded and bolted from Severus' office in typical hungry-boy mode, saying, "I'll race you there, Patri!"

  Severus shook his head, amused at Harry's antics, slowly following his eldest to the Great Hall.

******

  James frowned as he read the letter he had just received from his husband. According to Severus, Harry had gotten a detention for being out of bed. At first he had thought that his eldest was finally following the Marauders' footsteps, but then came the realization that it wasn't that at all.

Minerva decided that all three of them would receive a detention, as well as fifty points each. I managed to persuade her to reduce the amount of points, pointing out that the deduction for being out of bed - and not doing anything amorous - is to be only twenty-five points.

I also have the feeling that the youngest Weasley at Hogwarts would have been included, but he is currently in the hospital wing, nursing an injury. The only good point about the entire incident is that Draco Malfoy was also caught being out of bed. I think the detention will be good for him, as I have been having problems disciplining him as regards to treating his fellow Slytherins.

  James felt sorry for the young boy at times, having to grow up with a father in prison, and who may not be at all sane when he gets out. On the other hand, he knew what Sirius' entire family was like, and Narcissa was one of the worst. Only her older sister, Bellatrix, was worse than the blonde. There was nothing anyone could prove, but James suspected that Narcissa had been teaching her son things that even older Death Eaters had fouled up when Voldemort had been around.

  What alarmed James the most, though, was the postscript his husband had written.

Lately, my arm has been fairly tender, and every once in a while it tingles. Not enough for a call, but I suspect that the Dark Lord is somewhere nearby. I will keep an eye on the situation, as Harry will be the most likely target, after that special project Albus asked me to help with.

  All of a sudden, his husband was in danger again, and frankly it terrified him.

  James sat on the sofa for a long time, thinking about what all of this meant.

  "Dad?"

  He turned to find Helena and Hugh standing over by the door. Looking over at the time, James was amazed to find it was almost dinnertime. The owl from Severus had come right after he had brought Helena and Hugh home from school. Sending the two off to do their homework, James had settled into his office. He hadn't anticipated that it would take this long to process Severus' letter.

  He shook his head and folded up the letter. "It's nothing. Harry's gotten himself a detention for being out of bed last night."

  Hugh started laughing. "What was he doing, dragon smuggling?"

  Helena giggled at that, before asking in a more solemn voice, "what's Patri worried about."

  James regretted, at times like these, that his daughter was so perceptive. He shook his head. "It's nothing to worry about. He just wanted to tell me a couple of things that he thought I should know."

  Helena eyed him warily before Hugh bounced over to James.

  "So, Dad, can we get some pizza tonight?" Hugh asked as he plopped down on his father's lap. "It's too late to start cooking, right?"

  James shook his head, pretending to think about it. "Very well," he said to his son's approval. "Go get your jackets, and we'll head into town."

  He watched his two younger children race from the room, Helena looking back at him with Severus' worried face. Both blessing and cursing Sirius for introducing them to pizza a couple of years ago, he went to get ready himself. Maybe this outing would help him think of what he could write to reassure his husband. And also to write to his son.

*~*~*~*

AN2: For anyone worried about Hermione, hold your horses. Remember, she has just learned to make friends - a totally new concept for her - and then another smart girl is thrust into the mix. She would feel a little self-conscious, as well as defensive about her position of being included in Harry's little group.

Now for thank yous:

SStar Luna: I love your stories, but I can't remember if I've reviewed them at the moment. If I haven't, I'm sorry for slacking! I'm glad you're liking it!

athena kitty: Argh! All these questions! *laugh* I'm glad you're sticking with the story.

kdalemame: Yeah, I find that having to go over every single thing in the books is useless. As if anyone reading this story hasn't read each of the books at least a couple of times! Still, Severus has some consolation of his kids being cunning, it's just not their best strength.

kathy stggvk: it'll be at least eight more chapters before the Harry/Sirius action gets started. There are a couple of things that need to happen before that. It'll start when Harry enters sixth year, and Sirius is finally home from his overseas training.

Furies: Thanks! It took me a lot longer to update than I thought it would, but I had troubles with the last little part.

Honor: Thanks!

candy: Danke! I agree: three is a good number of children for them.

prongsblacks: Thanks!