Harry was right on his brothers heels and it took them a good fifteen minutes to get back to the dungeons. When they finally fell through the door together in a breathless heap, it was Harry who first realised that they had a visitor. "Tom!" he yelped out in surprise.
"Tom?" Draco asked, and he looked up. Sure enough, it was Tom who stood there. "Hello, Tom..." he said quietly, trailing off. He wondered where their Father was.
Tom suppressed a chuckle at the sight that the two boys made. "Harry, Draco," is what he said instead. "I'm guessing that you're running slightly behind schedule," he commented lightly.
Draco turned pink at this comment. "Yes," he admitted in a low voice.
Severus walked out of the kitchen. "There you two are," he said in a neutral tone of voice.
Draco nodded. "Hello, Father," he said. Harry offered a weak smile and was worried when his Father didn't return it.
Draco swallowed hard. He hoped they weren't in a lot of trouble, but he was sure that they were, knowing how much their Father expected them to be on time for meals.
"Harry, Draco, why don't you two go and get cleaned up?" Severus asked and Harry and Draco gratefully fled to their bedroom.
"How much trouble do you think we're in?" Draco whispered fearfully.
"I'm not sure," Harry whispered back as he went over to the wash basin which stood in the corner of their room. "I wish Father wasn't so strict though," Harry turned on the tap and wet the washcloth. Half a minute later Severus entered the room and both Harry and Draco spun round to face him, looking nervous. Severus crossed his arms and leaned casually against the closed door, looking at his two sons, who were nervously shifting from foot to foot and refusing to look him in the eye.
Severus strode forward and looked directly at Harry. "Would you mind explaining where you and your brother have been?" Harry backed away as far as he could and looked towards Draco for help. He did not want to mention the mirror! "Harry?" Severus asked again, taking in his sons panicked look. Severus reached forward and gently cupped Harry's chin in his hand as he went to look away. Harry swallowed Harry as he looked at his Father. "It's not a difficult question, Harry. Where have you and you're brother been?" Severus asked again. Harry still didn't answer and Severus was starting to lose his patience. "Harry, please answer the question," Severus requested again, this time with a slight hiss in his voice. Harry once again looked over towards Draco, who was watching with wide eyes. "No, not Draco, Harry, you answer the question please."
"Exploring, Father," Harry managed to stutter out, trying to get his chin out of Severus' grasp unsuccessfully.
"Any particular reason as to why you were late?" Severus asked, leaving lose of Harry's chin to hold his shoulder. Harry paled as he felt his Father hold his shoulder... nothing good had ever come out of that manoeuvre before!
"Father?" Draco questioned from behind them both. Severus looked at his son, who was almost as pale as his twin.
"Yes Draco?" he answered.
"We lost track of time, ok!" Draco finally exploded. "We didn't mean to and we're sorry!"
"Keep that tone of voice in check please, young man," Severus requested sternly.
"Sorry, Father," Draco muttered.
"Draco…" Severus growled warningly. Draco gulped.
"I'm sorry Father," Draco said again, this time a lot more politely.
"Sorry for what, Draco?" Severus asked calmly. Draco looked at his Father, very confused. "Draco?" Severus asked again.
"For both being late and for speaking rudely to you," Draco answered in a whisper.
Harry nodded. "I'm sorry for being late too, Father," he whispered.
Severus looked between his two sons and sighed. "What am I going to do with you two?" he asked.
Harry shook his head. "I don't know, Father," he said quietly.
"Well neither do I," Severus said fondly, giving Harry's shoulder a gentle squeeze.
Draco pondered whether to tell his Father about the mirror and what he'd seen. He wondered what his Father would say...
"Draco?" Severus questioned lightly. "What you thinking about over there?" he asked kindly.
Draco looked up. He knew better than to lie to his Father. "Um...something we saw when we were looking around..." he said. He wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling everything, either.
Severus just raised an eyebrow and looked at Draco, waiting for him to continue.
Draco quickly glanced at Harry. What would his twin say if he told about the mirror?
Harry offered Draco a half shrug, forgetting that his Father's hand was still on his shoulder. He didn't particularly see a way out of this now.
Severus gave both of them one last long look. "Clean yourself up and I expect you out in the living area in two minutes!" he finally ordered. "And I expect you to apologise to Tom as well."
"Yes Father," both Harry and Draco whispered together.
"I'm sorry, Harry," Draco said. "I didn't mean to mention the mirror, but I couldn't lie to him…"
"It's ok," Harry reassured him. "But I have the feeling that we're really going to get it once Tom goes home. Can't we even go one day without getting into trouble?"
Draco shrugged and he washed his face. "Come on, we'd better get out there before we get into even more trouble!"
Harry nodded, dried his face and followed his twin. In the living area Severus and Tom where sat on opposite ends of the couch. Harry and Draco walked hesitantly over to them and stood nervously in front of the couch. Severus gave them a glare, yet neither spoke. "Tom? I believe Harry and Draco have something to say to you," Severus told him. Tom looked at the twins expectantly.
Draco gulped and Harry took a deep breath. "We're sorry we were late today and kept you waiting," Harry said, barely above a whisper and keeping his eyes looked on the floor.
"And we're sorry for fighting and causing you trouble when we were at your house," Draco said, mainly as an afterthought.
"Something which I can assure you they have been punished for," Severus spoke up and Harry and Draco both cringed, both flushing slightly red.
Tom gave the twins a good natured grin. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Boys will be boys, and they've had a lot to take in." He stood up and ruffled their hair.
Harry managed a weak smile at Tom, but he was feeling very fragile… he couldn't work out if he and Draco were in major trouble, and the possibility of having a punishment hanging over his head was draining him. Tom noticed that both Harry and Draco looked pale, but Harry looked worse off and he couldn't resist pulling the boy into a small hug. "Don't let him chew you out over being late," Tom whispered, just loud enough for Severus to hear as well. "It's not really that important, it's the holidays after all - just make sure it doesn't happen too often!"
Draco giggled and Tom left loose of Harry and pulled him into a light hug. Harry stood watching them and looked at Severus who was still sitting on the couch. He approached the couch rather hesitantly when Severus held out an arm for him and allowed himself to be pulled close to his Father's side. "What am I going to do with you and your brother, hmmm, Harry?" Severus murmured.
"I don't know, Father," Harry answered honestly, leaning against Severus. He closed his eyes and thought. Harry hoped they weren't going to be punished again, but they kept getting into trouble...
Severus lightly rested his cheek on top of Harry's head. "Well what do you think I should do with you both, hmmm? Do you think I'd be able to live without you both?" Harry shrugged lightly. "I'd never be able to live without you or your brother Harry," Severus told him.
"Even when we keep getting into trouble?" Harry asked in a whisper, yet he hadn't failed to notice Tom and Draco whispering about something together.
Severus chuckled. "Getting into trouble is part of growing up," Severus commented lightly.
"It's starting to seem like we're always in trouble lately. Are you going to punish us for being late Father?" Harry shifted in his Father's arms so he could look him in the eyes. Severus looked thoughtful. "We didn't mean to be late," Harry ventured quietly.
"That doesn't change the fact that you were late though, does it Harry?" Severus asked.
"No Father," Harry responded dully.
Severus gently stroked Harry's cheek and Harry lay his head against his father's chest. "Dad?" he asked.
"Yes?" Severus responded, hiding his surprise.
"Why do we keep getting into trouble?" Harry asked.
"Because you're growing up," Severus said lightly, "Just make sure you're not in trouble too often."
"Ok," Harry murmured, keeping his head on his Father's chest, but also wrapping a tight arm around his Father's waist. "What do you think Draco and Tom are whispering about?" he then asked quietly. Severus looked towards his other son and Tom, noting that they were indeed whispering about something and that Tom was crouched slightly, with his arm around Draco's shoulders.
Tom was the one who noticed Severus and Harry watching them and he began walking Draco over to the sofa, sitting down and pulling Draco to sit next to him. Tom offered Harry another warm smile. Harry smiled back shyly, suddenly aware that he was eleven years old and sat in his Father's lap… true he hadn't known that Severus was his father for long… but still.
Harry squirmed slightly, embarrassed and tried to slip off Severus' lap, but his Father caught his around the waist and easily held him still. Draco shot him a look of slight jealousy. Severus caught the look.
"What was that look, Draco?" Severus asked quietly. Draco refused to look his father in the eye. Severus arched his eyebrows. "Draco, look at me." Draco did so very reluctantly, very aware that Tom was witnessing what was happening. Severus spoke calmly and quietly. "Draco, please tell me what's going on." Draco looked down again, he couldn't answer.
"Draco, obey your Father," Tom said quietly, shocking all three, Harry, Severus and Draco. Draco looked at him, shocked.
Severus was firm. He wanted to know what was bothering his son. "Draco, for the last time, what is the matter? Tell me."
Draco felt ganged up on, both his father and Tom were having a go at him, and Harry wasn't offering any support.
"Father, what if Drake doesn't want to tell you?" Harry burst out, glaring. He didn't want Draco to think he was alone in this. They were brothers, after all. Twins.
"Harry..." Severus said warningly.
"But Father…" Harry protested. He fell short at a glare from his Father, sitting on the man's knee or not. Draco gave Harry a sympathetic glance. He was glad Harry was sticking up for him, but it looked like they were headed for more trouble because of it.
Harry sighed, laying his head back on his Father's chest, taking the man by surprise. "Dad? You'll never love one of us more than the other, right?" Harry asked, deciding that he didn't care whether or not Tom was there.
Severus looked down at his son. "Is that what you thought, Harry? No, I would never love one of you more than the other," Severus reassured him.
"I think it was more of what Drake was thinking," Harry admitted quietly, shooting a glance at his twin which clearly said 'I'm sorry!'
"Is it, Drake?" Severus turned to Draco. Draco looked down and nodded slowly. Severus shook his head. "Rest assured, Draco, I love both you and Harry equally." Draco nodded, catching Harry's glance and mouthing back, "It's okay."
Draco was shocked to find a pair of arms embrace him and it took him a second to figure out it had to be Tom. Tom smiled at Draco. "Draco, when your Father says he loves you, he means it."
"Yeah…" Draco agreed quietly. "But you told me to obey him just then as well…" Draco looked a bit put out, he hadn't seen Tom as the strong disciplinarian type like his father.
"Draco, you need to obey… and you need to know that I wont tolerate disobedience, just like your father won't," Tom explained gently.
Draco looked at Tom nervously. "But...you didn't tell Father about..." he began, thinking of the fights he and Harry had whilst at Tom's house. Of course, their Father had found out anyway and the consequences hadn't been pleasant at all, but still, Tom had covered for them...
"About what, Draco?" Tom asked, even though he knew full well what they were talking about, and that Severus did as well.
"Father found out anyway," Harry spoke up, "So you don't have to keep on covering for us, but thanks anyway," he added as an afterthought.
Tom nodded. "You're welcome, although I was fairly certain your Father would find out. He has his ways, you know."
"Such as?" Draco asked, eagerly.