Harry and Draco ended up staying outside all day, skipping both lunch and tea. It started to drizzle slightly in the evening and yet they still didn't go back inside. When they did go back in they were soaked to the skin, Madam Hooch was gone and their Father was less than impressed.
Harry ignored his Father and stormed straight into the room he shared with Draco, intent on changing into some dry clothes. Draco followed. Two minutes later, Severus entered the room. "Where have you two been!" he demanded.
"Outside, Father," Draco said defiantly.
"I'd kind of guessed that much since you were both soaking wet when you got back," Severus said. "Now do you want to explain what you were doing outside in the rain?"
"Well it was better than staying in here!" Harry shot at his Father.
"Better than being ignored,"growled Draco.
"Whatever are you talking about?" Severus asked, trying to keep his temper.
Draco exploded. "Madam Hooch came over and you shut yourself in the kitchen with her, who knows what you were doing but for all we know you could be replacing our mum in your heart!" he blurted out.
"And we're just students your looking after for the summer!" Harry added.
"Yeah!" Draco chimed in. "Is that all we are to you, Father?"he emphasized, shooting the question at him with a glare both angry and hurt.
By this point Harry had turned away from his Father and was stood debating whether or not to attempt to leave the room and flee again. Draco saw his Father's eyes narrow into angry slits at these accusations and stepped backward, swallowing hard. He backed into Harry, who turned around and also saw the look on his Father's face and lifted his chin defiantly.
Draco trembled as his Father's eyes flashed angrily. "Draco, I do not tolerate insolence," Severus hissed. "That goes for you too, Harry."
"What about the truth?" Harry asked.
Severus took a deep breath. "How was I supposed to tell Rolanda that you are my sons? No one knew except..." He fell silent.
"Dumbledore and our mum, right?" Draco said.
"You could of at least warned us," Harry said, still defiant. "You want us to trust you and…" Harry trailed off, thinking that that hadn't been the wisest of moves.
"Harry, what did I say about insolence?" Severus asked, his voice a deathly whisper.
Harry trembled and Draco put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You shouldn't scare Harry like that, Father! Did you know what happened to him? To us? We've got scars all over us because of what our so-called families used to do, and you sat back and let it happen!"
Severus visibly restrained himself and then left his sons' room, to collapse on the couch in the front room. Harry collapsed onto his bed, Draco next to him. "This is turning into a nightmare," Harry whispered.
"I'm sorry, Harry, I shouldn't have said anything..." Draco whispered.
"Don't worry about it," Harry told him, still whispering. "I think Dad's really mad at us again though, but it is his fault really. How could he do that to us?"
Draco shook his head. "I don't know but there might be something between Father and Madam Hooch, maybe?"
"I hope not," Harry told him. "That would be just too much to accept!"
There was silence for a few minutes. "Do you think we should go and talk to Father?" Harry finally asked.
Draco shrugged. "I suppose so. I wish I hadn't put us in this whole mess...we could be punished again and it's all my fault."
"It's not all your fault!" Harry told him, shocked. "I mouthed off at him too, but we were upset… hopefully he'll understand that."
Draco sighed as he got up. "But I started it. Anyway... yeah, let's go try."
They went into the living room, where Severus was still sat on the couch. "Father?" Harry said gently, half wanting Severus not to hear.
Severus looked up. "Yes?" he asked.
"Father," Draco said, "we're sorry for being insolent, though what we said was really how we felt..." Severus just looked at them calmly, waiting for them to continue. "And we're sorry for staying out all day too," Draco continued after a moments pause. Harry didn't say anything.
Severus didn't say anything for while, and when it was clear that they weren't going to say anything more, he finally spoke. "Harry, Draco, come here," he said, pointing to a spot on the floor in front of him, where they had stood that very morning.
Draco and Harry gulped simultaneously, and obeyed. They looked at their Father. "Yes, Father?" they chorused.
"Do you remember what I said to you this morning?" Severus asked them neutrally.
The twins exchanged a look. "About what, Father?" Harry asked nervously.
"What do you think?" Severus asked, still looking very calm and in control. Harry and Draco, however, where visibly pale. Severus looked sternly at his sons. "The part about me not tolerating wilful disobedience?"
Harry and Draco gulped, they had thought it was that part. "Yes Father," they whispered. Harry began to cry, he had a good idea of what was about to happen, especially of the threat that it would be worse next time which their Father had given them that morning. Couldn't they go even a day without getting into trouble? He still didn't think they deserved it though, not that he was going to say anything.
Draco could see Harry crying, yet he didn't sob and his shoulder's didn't shake. He wondered whether their Father could see his brother's tears. Draco wrapped his arm around Harry's shoulder's, but Harry made no response. He seemed deeply interested in the flooring, and tears where still running down his face.
Draco's movement had alerted Severus that something was wrong and he stood up, taking Harry's chin in his hand. Harry half blinked, half glared at him through his tears and jerked out of his Father's grip, running for his and Draco's room, shutting the door firmly behind him. Both Severus and Draco watched him go. "Go stand in the corner Draco," Severus told his other son, as he opened the door to his sons' room. Draco obeyed. Severus entered the room to see Harry laid face first across his bed, sobbing bitterly. He sat gently down next to him and placed a hand on his head. Severus let Harry cry himself out, gently massaging his scalp. After about ten minutes Harry sat up and turned to look at his Father, taking off his glasses to rub the back of his arm over red swollen eyes.
"Father..." Harry said quietly, "what are you going to do to me?" He looked up at Severus.
"I think maybe you need to tell me what happened just then, before I can decide on that," Severus said softly.
Harry gulped back more tears. "We... were so upset... you treated us like... like we didn't mean anything to you... that's how we felt..." he said softly.
"I think it might be best that for now the rest of the staff didn't know that you and Draco are my sons," Severus said seriously.
"Why?" Harry asked. "Are you ashamed of us?"
Severus gripped Harry's chin tightly, looking him straight in the eyes. "Harry, I will never ever be ashamed of you or your brother!"
"Not even after how we acted tonight?" Harry asked.
Severus sighed. "Well this is partly my fault as well," he admitted.
Harry nodded. "You said that nothing we could do would make you love us any less," he pointed out quietly.
"And it won't," Severus told him. "Yes, their will be times when you get into trouble and I'll be angry or disappointed with you. But it'll never make me love you less."
"Are you still going to punish us Father?" Harry then asked hesitantly.
"No," Severus told him. "This was my fault as much as yours."
Harry smiled at him and wiped his eyes again. Severus went and got a washcloth from the sink in the corner of Harry and Draco's bedroom and for the second time that day cleaned his son up. "Father?" Harry asked hesitantly. "Where's Draco?"
Severus paused for a moment. "Stood in the corner of the living room," he told Harry.
Harry giggled slightly. "You might need to make up to him for that. He despises standing in the corner!"
Harry and Severus went into the living room and although Draco was still in the corner, he was slumped against the wall and muttering to himself. Severus tossed a wink to Harry. "Draco? Do you really think that this is what I meant when I told you to stay in the corner?" Severus asked.
Draco jumped and immediately stood up straight. "Sorry Father," he immediately apologised.
Harry collapsed on the couch in giggles. "That's mean," he told his Father, as Draco turned round to see why Harry was laughing. Harry started to laugh even harder at the look on Draco's face as Severus picked him up and tossed him down on the couch next to Harry.
"No fair!" Draco gasped out, but he didn't protest when his Father pulled him to sit on his knee. Harry snuggled up close to Severus' side and lay his head on his Father's shoulder. Harry let his eyes drift gently close and he heard his Father chuckle.
"Tired Harry?" Severus asked.
"It's been an eventful day," Harry admitted.
"Hmm…" Severus agreed. "And it's just about time for you two to be tucked up in bed."
"But Father!" Draco protested. "It's only quarter to nine, our bedtimes not until half nine."
"Ahh," Severus said. "But you and your brother still need to eat Draco, since you skipped both meals today, something which will not be tolerated in the future. And you need to get changed and wash your face and brush your teeth," Severus told them.
"Yes Father," the both said together, sleepily.
"And besides," their Father added with a slight laugh. " You're both tired."
Severus stood, picking Draco up and taking Harry by the hand. He led them to the kitchen, where food was waiting for them. "We're not eating in the dining room tonight Father?" Draco asked.
"No, you're both too tired, you can just eat this quickly and then get ready for bed," Severus told them as he gave them both some toast and poured them glasses of milk. They both ate sleepily and refused second slices, they were too tired to be hungry and Severus didn't force the matter.
Then Severus cleaned up the kitchen whilst Harry and Draco got changed into their pyjama's, washed their faces and brushed their teeth. Then they climbed into bed, sinking down onto the pillows and closing their eyes, not bothering to blow out the candles. Severus came in, tucked the covers up around them both tighter, smoothed their hair back off their faces and placed a kiss on their foreheads. He then blew out the candles and left the room. Both Harry and Draco were asleep before the door had shut behind him.