AN: I'm sorry it's so late, but RL got in the way when I was typing up this chapter this past weekend. I had my sister take a quick look over this for beta, but I know it's not perfect.

Thanks to everyone that has reviewed. I will, hopefully, be able to answer any questions in the next chapter, as I don't have the time to do it today. The next chapter is ready to be typed, so I will probably get it up by Saturday, but there is no guarantee I can get it done.

~

Chapter 6

James was ready to throttle each and every one of his three children. And his husband. And then go far, far away from the madness that was his house.

He had always enjoyed Christmas with his parents. Lily's family would join them Christmas Eve and they would go with the Evans to the Midnight service at their church. Then James would wake up to presents. It wasn't all that much different once Sirius began staying with James' family for the holidays - there was only a little teasing between Lily and Sirius.

This Christmas, though, was overrun with Weasley children, Neville Longbottom, and a strange girl named Luna Lovegood, a first year Ravenclaw who lived in the same village as the Weasleys, and to whom Helena was firmly attached. It didn't help the situation that Molly Weasley, whom James knew from the Order, had sent her daughter Ginny, of whom couldn't seem to function in Harry's presence. At least Sirius wasn't here, or he and the Weasley twins would have destroyed the house by now.

The only consolation of this entire debacle was the fact that all the children that *weren't* his were leaving in the morning, along with his own. If they weren't, Severus would have gone back to school earlier.

He was happy about some of it, at least. Remus had come over for the holidays to visit, and had helped him tell stories about their Marauding days. Another was that Helena had made a friend that wasn't a boy.

But the best thing was that Hugh had outpranked the Weasley twins after they had targeted Neville with several different candies they had invented. James' youngest child had gotten them with the one Muggle prank James had used as a bedtime story when the children were little. Hugh had gotten flour from Maddy and had it strung up in a bucket above the door where the twins were sleeping. He also rigged a bucket of honey over the door leading to the bathroom that was shared by Harry (and Ron at the moment). One twin was floured and the other got honey all over when he tried to get Ron - of whom they thought was the culprit.

It had truly been worthy of his father, even if Severus had not been happy having to clean up the honey.

~~~

James settled into the pillows just a little further. Severus was reading some potions tome, a soft light off to the side. James had gotten all the children into bed, and of course Fred and George had been the hardest. Helena had snuck off and crawled into bed with Remus, leaving Luna and Ginny in her room. Remus had said that it was all right with him if Helena stayed, since Remus was leaving for Italy for the next two years to study with various DADA Masters.

Harry and Ron had dropped off fairly early, having made the most of the day flying. James always smiled at the thought of the two's obvious friendship. It was so much like his friendship with Lily. Must be the red hair.

James snuggled up to Severus, relishing in his being here for the holidays. Sometimes it was so hard being separated for much of the year, but they had made it this far.

He was almost asleep when Severus put his book away and doused the light. He slid down and wrapped his arms around James.

"You awake?" Severus asked in a soft voice.

"Mm, yes," James snuggled into Severus' embrace, unashamed at his neediness.

"Why did we say we would host the youngest Weasley children again?"

James laughed. "Because we were tired of Harry's moping?"

Severus chuckled. "At least Molly promised that she would take Helena and Hugh for the last five days of vacation."

"Oh, yes. Five blissful days with no children. No friends popping in." He kissed Severus' jaw. "It will be wonderful."

"Yes," Severus agreed. He pulled James just a little bit closer and moved on top of him. "Wonderful." He gently kissed James on the nose before moving his lips more forcefully on James' mouth. "Very wonderful."

"Mm hmm," James agreed, pushing Severus onto his back and crawling on top of him. "Definitely wonderful."

******

Severus' smile was generating mass panic for most of the students in the Great Hall.  A few select children seated at the Slytherin table - his prefects - and the Gryffindor table - his son and, unfortunately, the Weasley brood minus Percy - weren't affected. Still, he couldn't help it. He had just spent five days with his husband, totally child free.

He didn't mind the terror generated by his smile. It actually helped control his students better when they were working with volatile ingredients. Except Longbottom. Severus suspected that child had long since become immune to any facial expression the potions master could make. Now if Severus could just get the boy to pay attention to which ingredient did not mix with which ingredient....

Severus and James had spent the first two days of freedom in bed, indulging in the fact they were alone together. Then they had alternated between talking, being in bed, and talking in bed. It had reminded him of when they first got married, and Severus had been able to get away a week here and there. Then they would be holed up in James' tiny apartment in London, and Lily had helped keep the others away by charming them into coming to Lily's real apartment next door, where she stayed when not pretending to be married to James, making the others believe James was away on research trips.

James had been a refuge from the horrors Severus had been forced into by his father. He hadn't been seventeen yet when he had been 'honored' to be inducted into the Death Eaters, still living with his father for fear of what he might do. Severus' father had finally beaten his wife to death in an 'accident' as he told Ministry officials, and Severus' uncle had long since gone missing. When they had finally begun dating in the middle of their seventh year, James had become the rock Severus could depend on - even if he couldn't forget certain incidents. So that was why he was smiling.

"You're scaring the children, Severus," Minerva McGonagall said as dessert appeared before them.

He looked at the Deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor House. "Is that not in my job description?"

Minerva laughed at that, with Filius Flitwick and the headmaster on either side of Severus joining in.

"Is it true, Severus, that the Weasley twins were pranked?" Dumbledore asked.

Severus relished the looks on the other Heads of House's faces, Flora Sprout listening in. "Yes. I do believe that we will be having to keep an eye on Hufflepuff once Hugh comes."

Severus was the only teacher with children still at home, the last one before Harry had been in the same class as Severus himself, being the Flora Sprout and her lover. They all had grandchildren scattered around the world, but most of them found it amusing to ask about Severus' children because it made him seem a little more human than normal.

Flora laughed. "Have you been trying to influence the Sorting Hat for your children?"

Albus shook his head, eyes twinkling madly. "I believe that Severus is correct about his youngest at the moment. He may change by the time he is eleven, but I do believe he will fit in your house well, Flora."

"And what of Helena? Isn't she starting in September?" Filius asked.

Severus nodded. "James and I are resigned that she will be in Ravenclaw. Miss Lovegood tagged along with the Weasleys, and I do believe they will be the oddballs of Rowena's house."

Flitwick gave a little sigh of happiness. "I will take your word on it, Severus. I had begun to despair that Luna would not have any friends."

All of the teachers nodded at that, knowing that the other children were already starting to call her 'Loony' Lovegood.

Albus finally gathered the hall's attention and sent the children off to bed. As the teachers left, Severus saw that Lockhart was trying to flag him down. Instead he hurried down to his office to get ready for classes tomorrow.

This morning, Severus had stopped by Kings Crossing to pull Harry to the side to talk to him. It was normal family things, but he had found that he would prefer Harry keeping up in the dorms at night with Lockhart around. The first month of school, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had ambushed Harry as he made his way to Severus' rooms in the teachers' wing, to give him tips on how to handle 'adoring fans.' It was safe enough for a visit to the office attached to the potions' classroom, but Harry felt like any other student doing it at Kings Cross.

Severus understood his eldest child's wanting normalcy.

He just hoped the rest of the school year went better than the first, and that the other students realized Harry was NOT the threat they thought he was.

******

Severus was a second from killing Lockhart, and none of the teachers would say anything against it. They may even help in disposing of the body. Who knows what had possessed the DADA instructor - it certainly wasn't Voldemort - but he had decided the school needed to celebrate St. Valentine's Day.

The ponce was dressed in a gaudy pink robe, his hair perfectly curled like a young girl's. Lockhart had decorated the Great Hall with sickening fluttering hearts. Then he'd had the gall to suggest that the students ask Severus for love potions or Flitwick for 'special' charms.

Severus was tempted to hex him for that alone, but *then* he'd announced that dwarves would be roaming the halls to read love poems. That had earned him a permanent spot on Severus' revenge list.

But what had set him off was the ridicule Harry suffered when a dwarf pushed his way to his son in the crowded hallway as potions let out. It was so much like the humiliation Severus himself had suffered - at the hands of both the Marauders (until seventh year), his father, and Lucius Malfoy before the older boy had left Hogwarts.

His son's face was red, while Draco Malfoy and his cronies laughed, as the dwarf told about 'eyes as green as a fresh pickled toad.' And what broke Severus' heart was that he was unable to do anything about it at the moment. He caught Harry's eye and nodded his head in the direction of his room, mouthing 'later.' Harry gave an embarrassed nod and stormed off towards the Great Hall, dragging Ron Weasley with him. Granger directed a confused look at Severus before following Harry.

That left Severus with crowd control, directing Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle to go eat lunch, unable to do anything else.

Finally, though, Severus was able to talk to Harry once classes were over. He'd threatened Lockhart to rid him of his smile - it worked perfectly every time Severus used it - if he didn't avoid the teachers' wing.

"It was awful, Patri," Harry cried out as he slammed himself down on the sofa. "And of course *Malfoy* is there, laughing with the rest of them."

Severus rested a hand on Harry's shoulder as he sat down next to him. "It will get better, Harry."

"No, it won't."

"Did your friends laugh?" he asked, trying another track.

Harry shrugged. "No. Well, at least Hermione didn't. Ron did when he heard Ginny's the one who sent it."

Severus was quiet for a moment, wondering how the youngest Weasley child could have done such a thing when she didn't have any self-confidence. Even Longbottom had more than she did.

"I don't know what to tell you, Harry," he finally said. "All I can say is that your friends are there to help, besides your father and I."

Harry pouted. "Why didn't the Headmaster put a stop to this, then?"

Severus smirked. "Professor Dumbledore likes any holiday where he can get sweets. He told the rest of us teachers at the noon meal that he would rather indulge Lockhart in this than have him go after the students directly."

The both of them were silent for the moment, before talking of other things. Severus ordered dinner for the both of them, dining in his rooms instead of going up to the Great Hall.

It wasn't until it was time for bed and they were headed to Gryffindor Tower when Harry asked, "Patri?"

"Hm?"

"Do you know why there aren't any spiders in Gryffindor Tower?"

Severus looked at him. "Why are you asking such a strange question?"

The boy shrugged. "Well, all last year, I had to check out the bathroom for them before Ron would even go in. I haven't seen any since the third week of September, and there was a ton of them last year."

He frowned. Now that he thought about it, Severus couldn't remember seeing any spiders in the dungeon since the fall. He did have one question, though.

"Why do you need to search for spiders for Ron?"

Harry sniggered. "Fred and George turned his teddy bear into a spider when they were really young."

Severus understood that those two boys could give anybody phobias, not just a toddler.

"I will look into it, Harry," he said before noticing Harry had stopped and seemed to be listening to something else. "Harry?"

Severus' son turned wide, green eyes towards him. "Something's in the wall, Patri! It's saying it needs to kill."

He hadn't heard anything, but knew that Harry wasn't mad. Severus looked at Harry. "Then let us go find the headmaster." He put a guiding hand on Harry's back and walked around the corner.

There, on the stone-tiled floor, lay the petrified body of a Hufflepuff boy and Sir Nicholas, the Gryffindor ghost.

"Patri?" Harry's voice was wavering badly. "Is it the same as Colin?"

Severus nodded. "Let me put up a ward on the hallway, and we will go to Professor Dumbledore's office."

~~~~

"So Albus thinks it's a snake?" James asked.

Severus nodded. He'd floo'd home as soon as he got back to his rooms after taking Harry up to the dorms. The headmaster had many questions, but only a few theories on what it could be. Harry had not wanted to say anything, but Severus had him do so anyway. There were other times when Harry could assert his independence, but not at this moment. Especially not after what happened in Harry's first year.

"Is he going to look for it, then?" James wanted to know.

"Not at the moment. He's going to talk to the Governors first," Severus said.

James frowned. "Are they going to be any trouble? The last time he had to go to them, he was suspended until he caught Malfoy with those bribery charges."

"Albus would rather they know now, than someone else finding out and using that against the school. Malfoy doesn't have any sway now, at least not much, but there are other ways to get Albus out of the school."

"True." James smiled at him suddenly. "Then was this Valentine's Day more exciting than when we first got together?"

Severus laughed. "Not quite. At least I wasn't serenaded by a dwarf wearing fake Cupid wings like Harry was today. I'm glad you didn't go that far in getting my attention."

James chuckled. "Poor Harry." He paused. "So I didn't embarrass you with the singing chocolates from Honeydukes?"

Severus scowled. "Yes, as Black's cousin was seated just down from me. I heard about nothing except the chocolates for the next week, as you well know. It's a good thing she never did find out that you where the one who sent them."

"Yes. Yes, I know." James smiled at that. "So, are you going to come home over the Easter break?"

"I will try. It depends on what Albus finds on his search. Harry will be staying, though."

James was surprised by that. "When did he say that?"

"Tonight when we were talking over dinner. Harry was saying that his friend Hermione has study charts for the year."

They both laughed at that, as it reminded them of Lily and her dedication to studying.

Severus said his goodbyes, and once the flames were back to orange, he sat back on the sofa. He missed James so much.

******

"Patri?" Harry asked as he hung back as potions let out for the week. Malfoy sneered at him, but left the room as well.

"Harry, what it is?"

Harry shuffled slightly, a sure sign that something was up. "Ron and I found a book in a bathroom we're not supposed to be in and I found out it talks back to you and I tried to shut it and it sucked me in," he said really fast. He took a gulp of air and continued. "I was going to show it to you today because I read it last night, but somebody trashed my room and now it's gone!"

Severus was torn between amusement at Harry's fast explanation and worry that something was seriously wrong with the entire situation. "Did the book ever say who it was?"

"No," Harry said. "It was an old, Slytherin student -at least by the crest on the robes. Professor Dumbledore talked to him, but I wasn't close enough to hear what he said."

"What happened while you were in the book?"

"Hagrid was hiding this animal that was like a huge spider!" Harry threw his arms out wide, almost knocking himself over as his bag flew around. He then frowned. "Patri, it was almost like it wanted to show me a false picture. Actually, more like not the entire picture."

Severus internally grinned. It was wonderful whenever Harry showed his Slytherin side, which was quite often, to the disgust of Minerva.

Still, he had a sneaking suspicion about this book and who wrote it. This was definitely a matter to discuss with Albus.

~~~

"And Harry didn't hear his name?" Dumbledore was frowning intensely.

"It's Him, isn't it?" Severus asked. "Or a form of him."

Albus nodded. "I'm afraid so, Severus. But unless we do a search of all the dormitories, we will have to wait until it shows up again. The Governors have seemed to adopt a 'wait and see' approach, as I believe the Muggles say."

Severus was glad it was the weekend. Instead of just talking to James, he was going home - and taking Harry with him. He needed to talk to his husband, and he wasn't going to have Harry here when he wasn't. Not now.

******

"Dad, we're home!"

James looked up at the calendar in confusion. Didn't Severus say Harry wouldn't be coming home at Easter? And it wasn't another week until the Easter break.

"Dad!" Harry suddenly flew into the study, soot smudging one cheek and his sleeves and bottom hem of his robe.

"Harry, what...?" James stood up and crossed over to Harry and pulled him into a hug. "Where's your father?"

"Dad!" Harry protested the hug. "He's right behind me!" He chucked his thumb in the direction of the stairs leading up from the ground floor and the only fireplace connected to the Floo Network. "Are Hugh and Helena in bed already?"

James absentmindedly nodded as he watched Severus approach. "Severus? What's the matter?"

"Harry, head on up to bed and *don't* wake up your brother and sister. You can tell them in the morning."

The boy pulled out of James' grasp and headed up the stairs to his room. "Night, Dad. Patri," floated behind him.

"Severus?"

James was engulfed in an embrace. Even if he didn't know why his husband and son had suddenly arrived home from their boarding school, he wasn't *not* going to take advantage of this hug.

"Missed you," Severus sighed into James' hair.

James tightened his hold on Severus. Something must be terribly wrong if Severus was being as clingy as he was.

"When do you have to go back?"

"Sunday night," Severus answered. "Albus said that as long as we were back in time for the weekly teacher's meeting, he didn't care when we got back."

"And Harry was okay with this?" James had to ask.

Severus nodded and hugged James a little tighter. "He uncovered the latest development."

"What!?" James pulled back to look at Severus' face. "What happened?"

Severus told James what Harry had brought up in his office earlier in the day, and what he and Albus had discussed. As they talked, they made their way up to their bedroom. When Severus was finished, they were ensconced in bed.

James looked at his husband when he was finished talking. There were stress lines in the corners of his eyes.

"James?"

"Shh," James answered. "Let's sleep on it tonight, Sev. We can probably think better in the morning."

It was almost dawn when James woke up, disoriented for a short moment by the awareness of someone in bed with him. Then the events of last night ran through his head, and he tightened his arms around Severus' waist. He shifted just enough to rest his head on his husband's shoulder.

It was funny to think about the turn his life had made when Dumbledore had forced them into tutoring each other. Since then, they'd been involved in one adventure after another - from marriage (in and of itself one that he had been very willing to join in with Severus) to having children and fighting Dark Lords who wouldn't stay dead.

"What are you thinking about?" Severus asked in a sleep-laden voice, startling James out of his thoughts.

James laughed. "About all the trouble I've gotten into since meeting you." He petted the side of Severus' body, taking care to keep his touches soft for the moment. There was time for something later, when James was sure their children wouldn't interrupt them.

He could feel the rumble of Severus' chuckle under his head.

"So, I'm to blame?"

James half sat up and looked Severus square in the face. "That's my story, and I'm sticking to it." He laughed at the mock-disgruntled look on his husband's face.

Severus pulled him down and kissed him softly on the mouth, then a little bit harder. James' smile disappeared as the kiss continued.

"Sev?" James breathed into his mouth. "The door?"

They both shifted enough for them to reach their wands. A few quick movements and two incantations later, the kisses grew even more heated and nightclothes went flying.

Merlin, but James had missed his husband.

******

"Harry! You're finally back!" Ron Weasley shouted and practically assaulted Harry as he tiredly entered the Gryffindor common room.

"Ron?" Harry dropped his bag in order to steady himself as Ron let him go. "Where's Hermione?"

The common room fell silent and Ron looked away.

"Ron?" Harry didn't like this at all. "Where's Hermione!?"

Ron's face was a picture of distress. "Hermione's been petrified, Harry," he finally said, his voice hoarse.

Harry shook his head. "NO!" He looked around the room and saw the shamed, guilty, and sympathetic faces on his fellow Gryffindors. He sat down on the floor heavily, burying his face in his hands, feeling the heat of the fire.

The next time he looked up, the common room was deserted but for him and Ron.

"When did...?"

Ron sighed. "Saturday. Yesterday.... It seems this weekend has been a year long, I guess. She went to the library while I went to watch Quidditch practice. There was a Ravenclaw there, too, and three Hufflepuffs just behind them as they left the library. The Ravenclaw had a mirror in her hand, but that was the only thing weird about the whole thing.

"McGonagall said we don't have to go to class tomorrow. She said that she'd talk to your dad and see if he wouldn't teach in the morning because you got back so late."

Harry turned from his staring into the fire and looked at his best friend. "It will get better, won't it?"

Ron smiled ruefully. "I hope so."

"Me, too," Harry agreed.

A couple of days later, Harry managed to drag himself out of bed. He couldn't sleep, but he hadn't wanted to move from that most comfortable spot in his bed. The sky outside was still dark, and he could hear the usual sounds of sleep from his roommates.

Grabbing his robe and slippers, Harry dug through his trunk and pulled out his shimmering invisibility cloak. He had gotten it for Christmas this year, but hadn't had the chance to try it out until now. His Dad had told him to keep it a secret for now, and to keep it for emergencies.

Once he was covered, he carefully slipped past Lady Beverly and carefully made his way to the teachers' wing. He tapped lightly on the portrait to wake up the beautiful woman dozing on a chair.

"Lady Rowena?" he whispered.

The woman snorted quietly before waking up the tiniest bit. "Hm, young Harry?"

Harry sighed. Lady Rowena - named after her godmother, Rowena Ravenclaw - wasn't the smartest biscuit in the tin under the best of conditions.

"Yes, Lady Rowena. I need to speak to Patri, please."

"Did you need me to wake him up?" the portrait asked.

Harry shook his head. "No. I will if you let me in."

"Very well," Lady Rowena said. The portrait swung wide to reveal the door to the teacher's wing. There was another entrance, which the prefects and Head Boy and Girl used, but it used a password system. This was what the teachers used and that no student except for Harry knew about. Harry moved silently down the hallway, in case Lockhart was roaming around.

"Patri?" he knocked on the door with a soft rap. Even if his father wasn't awake, the portrait of Salazar Slytherin that was handed down to the Heads of his House, would let him in. Harry had complained that none of the students had believed him when he said Slytherin wasn't how they thought of him. When Patri had refused to let Harry take Slytherin's portrait to the Great Hall in order to clear his name, Harry had had a long conversation with the Hogwarts' founder and the merits and disadvantages of speaking Parseltongue.

"Harry? Are you all right?"

He looked up to find his father standing in front of him. "Patri?"

"You've been standing there for a minute, Harry," he said as he ushered Harry into his rooms. "Salazar was quite worried."

Harry hid his grin. His Patri was probably the one who had worried, but he would never admit it.

"Something feels wrong, Patri," Harry blurted out. He threw himself down on the sofa. As he father joined him, he then said, "I mean, who would be doing this?"

Patri wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and Harry didn't mind it all that much for the moment. "We have an idea, Harry."

Harry looked up at his father, sure that his shock was clearly shown.

"But our hands are tied at the moment by others. No, I will not tell you who they are. But, you can trust that we will do what we can."

Harry wasn't satisfied with that, but his father would say no more on the subject.

"Now, what is this about a bathroom you are not supposed to be in?"

Figures that his father wouldn't forget about that.