Hey everyone! :)

Thank you to the most loyal Gypsyrose98 for your awesome review! :)

This is chapter 23 of 25 already, so this story is almost over. I have decided to post my other story, Taunting Thomas, next even though it is not finished yet. I do not have any other stories written after that one, so Taunting Thomas will most likely be the last one from me. I will give you more info on my new story soon! :)

WARNING: CP/ DISCIPLINE OF A MINOR.

"Before we start our lesson, I have an announcement to make", McGonagall looked quite pleased with herself as she said that, and everyone started to sit up straighter with anticipation- well, everyone except Sirius. He was wearing his signature scowl on his face, slumping even further into his seat and rolling his eyes. What the hell could be this important anyways? That Hogwarts would close? That was actually the only good news he would take- because then he could finally piss off from this goddamn place. His classmates ignored him, Aurelius had just washed out his mouth with soap again after cursing yesterday and then he had put him in the corner for trying to spit out the soap, and he kept getting more work and detentions thrown at him for turning in messy and unfinished homework every day. He had made Gryffindor lose tons of house points already as well, a fact his classmates were growing increasingly frustrated about.

"We have decided to reinitiate our mentoring program for the second and third graders, collaborating with the fourth and fifth graders,", McGonagall began, "for you, that means that you will work together with a student from fifth grade to finish a project, while the second grade students will each work with a fourth grade student. You will get to choose your own project which has to align with our current topic of course- and the grade for the project will make up half of your final grade for this term."

There were murmurs of excitement, and Sirius wanted to groan.

This is even worse than what I thought.

"I am expecting everyone to put your name and the name of the student from fifth grade you will be working with on this list by the end of the week", she was holding up a piece of paper, "please note that the fifth grade students are the ones getting to decide if they want to work with you or not- and they are not required to explain themselves to you in case the answer is no. Approach them politely, have some ideas ready to discuss for a project, and understand that whatever grade you earn, they will get as well- it is a team effort and will be graded as such."

Fucking great.

Sirius felt like banging his head on the table in front of him, this was going to be a disaster- with his awful grades and his image as a bad boy, no one from fifth grade would ever bother to want to work with him. He suddenly remembered that Aurelius was a fifth grader, too- a fact that made him feel even worse.

Another opportunity for Aurelius to see what a failure I am.

He bit his lips, hard, and tried to ignore what else McGonagall was saying about the project. Later that day, when he went to lunch with the others, it was impossible not to overhear their excited conversations about the damn project, though.

"I already know who I am going to ask- I have a sister in fifth grade."

"I have a cousin, but I won't ask him- he's too bossy for words. I'll ask his best friend, he's really nice."

"I'll ask Katie Bell, she's super smart!"

"I'm going to ask Aurelius!"

"Me, too!", that was Colin, and Sirius' scowl deepened.

Of course they were going to ask Aurelius- he was extremely popular, not only because he was the Founder's son, but also because he was smart, funny, a good Quidditch player, and he had been made Prefect as soon as he had entered the school, thanks to his great leadership qualities.

"I already have an idea for a project- I am sure Aurelius is going to love it", Colin went on, and Sirius balled his hands into fists, wishing he could just disappear and would not be forced to listen to this.

"Well, good luck- I am going to ask Aurelius as well", another boy now said, "he's the perfect choice."

"Yeah, obviously", Colin replied, "and I think he likes me, he always smiles at me when he sees me in the hallways."

"He smiles at everyone, though- he's just extremely nice", Ginny pointed out, "I might ask him too, actually- I mean, he is the smartest student in fifth grade."

Kill me. Kill me now.

Sirius was more than relieved when they made it into the Great Hall. No one had bothered to ask him who he wanted to ask, and for a second, that hurt- but then he forced himself to remember that none of these stupid kids meant anything, and that he'd be gone soon anyways. He did not even attempt to ask any of the fifth graders after class like most of his classmates did, knowing there was no point- they would probably all just laugh in his face.

Later that day, when he was getting ready to go to bed, the door to the dorms opened and Colin walked in, a defeated look on his face.

"What's wrong, mate?", one of his friends asked, and even though Sirius did not care, he did turn around to listen to their conversation for some reason.

"I asked Aurelius to be my project partner- and he said he already has someone for the project", Colin sighed, "I'm really disappointed."

"Chill out, mate- you knew Aurelius would be extremely difficult to get as a partner- I've heard there were at least six of us who asked him", his friend replied, "did you ask anyone else?"

"Yeah, I asked Cormac McLaggen- and he said yes. So, at least I have someone when McGonagall asks me tomorrow", Colin answered, walking over to his bed, "who did you ask?"

Sirius did not bother to listen anymore, he crawled into his bed, his heart heavy. Aurelius had a partner- he should be glad it wasn't Colin, but the thought of anyone from his class getting to work with Aurelius, having Aurelius smile at them, ruffling their hair and calling them baby boy or anything similar was making him incredibly sad.

I am so proud of you, baby boy.

So proud of you, baby boy.

Baby boy…

He pulled his sheets over his head, hot tears welling up in his eyes. He knew there was no way Aurelius had meant that- there was nothing he'd done to make Aurelius proud, more the opposite, actually. He had no friends in his class, awful grades, he had been nothing but rude to Aurelius…yeah, he definitely had not meant that.

He was silently crying now, hating how lonely he was suddenly feeling. He had always thought he did not need anyone- but seeing Tom and Aurelius together, and seeing Colin with his friends had started to make him wish he had someone, too- not that he deserved it after he had messed it up big time with Remus and Harry.

It took him forever to fall asleep, and the next day already started off badly when McGonagall asked them to add the names of their partners to the list. A few others also did not have anyone yet, but it still did not feel very good. He felt excluded- and angry.

Sirius did not care to do any homework for studying time that day, instead, he went outside again, walked over to the lake and started to angrily throw little rocks into the water. It had gotten cold, and the wind was icy, but he had not thought of wearing a coat, and now he was not only mad and frustrated, he was also freezing. Sirius threw another rock into the water, watching it cause a tiny wave. He bent down to reach for another rock, his hands already turning red from the cold, when he suddenly heard footsteps behind him.

"It's too cold to be out here without a jacket, Sirius", Aurelius was standing right next to him now, "are you trying to turn into a little polar bear?"

"I'm not cold", Sirius lied, throwing another rock, "don't need a jacket."

"That wasn't a suggestion, Sirius", Aurelius' voice was calm, and then he took off his coat, and before Sirius could protest, he had put it on him, "what are you doing out here anyways? Don't you have study time now?"

"I'm already done- not that it's any of your damn business."

"Turn around, Sirius."

"No."

He could hear Aurelius sigh, "baby boy, if I need to tell you again, you'll spend the evening in the corner, you know that, right?"

He forced back the tears, "don't you have anyone else to bother?"

Aurelius did not respond, he just raised an eyebrow in a silent warning, and Sirius stifled a sob, slowly turning around.

Swat.

"Now, let me ask you again- what are you doing out here?"

"Just…wanted to be alone", Sirius spat out, "and I was, until you showed up."

"I've been looking for you since I did not see you in the Great Hall with the others", Aurelius told him, his voice even, "your classmates were all discussing that project we are doing now- did you ask anyone to be your partner, baby boy?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't care about that stupid project", Sirius replied forcefully, "and I hate working in a team with someone. I rather work by myself and be in charge."

"You could still be in charge when you are working with someone else- every team needs a leader", Aurelius pointed out mildly, "and I've heard this project is half of your term grade, so this would be the perfect opportunity for you to make up some of your last exam grades."

Sirius just grumbled something, and Aurelius had to smile, "anyone you can think of you would like to ask?"

Yeah, you.

"No, no one."

"Mmmhh…well, I might know someone, actually. He would let you be in charge of the project and let you make all the important decisions."

Sirius frowned, "one of your posh, arrogant friends? No thanks."

"He's not posh- not too posh at least", Aurelius was grinning now, "but yeah, he's a little arrogant- but he likes you. He thinks you are pretty funny, and he thinks you are smart."

"You talk to your friends about me? Great", Sirius rolled his eyes, "and he said he'd let me be in charge?"

"Yes, he did- he is actually going to be in the library after dinner, just in case you want to ask him", Aurelius winked at him, "come on now, it's really getting too cold out here, baby boy- and I don't want you to get sick."

"You gave me your coat", Sirius mumbled, "can't get sick."

And why the hell did he even give me his coat?

"Your ears and hands are all red, though- next time, you need to not only wear a coat, but also a hat and mittens, Sirius", Aurelius told him, his voice soft, "let's get you inside, hmm?"

"Fine."

He let Aurelius take him back to the school, and once they were inside, he gave him back his jacket, suddenly feeling uncomfortable wearing it.

"Do you want to come to my quarters with me and have some hot chocolate, little polar bear? Or do you want to go to the Great Hall and have tea time with the others?"

"I'll have my tea in the Great Hall, thanks", Sirius replied curtly, "see you later I guess", he did not wait for Aurelius' response, he simply turned around and stormed down the hallway. He made it to the Great Hall just in time for the tea- and then he half-heartedly did some homework, thinking which one of Aurelius' friends would be waiting for him at the library later- the ones he had seen the older boy with were all kind of snobby.

His classmates ignored him as usually, and he did as well, so dinner later was a boring event. He was somewhat excited when he went to the library right after, because even though he was acting like a bad boy, ending up being the only one without a partner for the project would be mortifying.

The library wasn't crowded, and he scanned the students inside carefully. There was a group of Ravenclaw girls working at a table together, and some small Hufflepuffs bent over a book, and there was Aurelius, leaning against a bookshelf with his arms crossed in front of his chest, smiling at him, looking like the definition of confidence.

"Hey", Sirius walked over to him, "so…where's your friend?"

Instead of answering his question, Aurelius' smile widened, and Sirius blinked, starting to feel confused, "what? Did he change his mind? That's okay, I mean, I get it if…you know."

If he doesn't want to work with a failure like me.

"Oh, baby boy…you really don't understand, hmm?", Aurelius sounded amused for some reason now, "there is no friend."

"So, he did change his mind?", Sirius' confusion grew, "as I said, no big deal."

It was a big deal, though- being rejected by someone he had not even met hurt. He had not even been giving the chance to convince that fifth grader to work with him, and now he just casually dismissed him like he meant nothing. Like he was nothing.

"No big deal", he repeated, forcing his voice to sound casual, and Aurelius' smile turned sad, "come here, sweet boy", he opened his arms, and Sirius frowned, not understanding, but he did slowly walk closer, and then Aurelius gently picked him up and pulled him close, "I am the friend, little boy- I was talking about myself the whole time", he told him quietly, his voice very soft, "did you really think I'd allow anyone else to be my partner when I can have you?"

Wait, what?

"But…Colin said…you…you already have…a partner", Sirius stuttered, and Aurelius had to laugh, "of course I do- that's you, Sirius."

His eyes widened, "but…I…I can't be your partner. That's…why…I don't understand."

"Why can't you be my partner for the project, baby boy?"

Sirius swallowed, hanging his head, "you don't have to pity me", he eventually mumbled, "I…I can handle the project by myself. Don't need anyone."

"That does not answer my question, Sirius", Aurelius' voice was still very soft, "tell me- why do you think you can't be my partner?"

"I'd suck, that's why!", Sirius blurted out, his voice more forceful than intended, "my…my grades suck, I…I always get angry over stupid stuff, and…we would both fail in the end."

"Trust me, we won't fail- and you certainly won't suck", Aurelius winked at him, and then he carefully started to caress his hair with one hand, holding him with the other, "you are my smart boy, Sirius- and I think it's time the others see that, too, hmm?"

"They all think I'm an idiot", Sirius admitted quietly, "and they are right. I am."

"No, you are just a little lazybear", Aurelius replied, grinning at him, "but we'll change that, hmm? Show your classmates they were wrong about you. What do you think they are going to say when you get an Outstanding for the project?"

Sirius had to smile, snuggling closer into Aurelius, "they'd be jealous", he said, "and…when they find out that you are my partner, they are gonna be even more jealous! They all wanted to work with you."

"I noticed- I had almost everyone of your classmates ask me, but the little boy I wanted to ask me did not come", he looked at Sirius, "almost made me wonder if that little boy even likes me."

Sirius felt his face turn red, "uhm…maybe that…little boy…was just mad cause…he got…punished so much", he finally mumbled, "and…he's…confused."

"Because no one has ever given you consequences, hmm?", Aurelius was smiling again, "you'll realize one day that I discipline you because I care about you, baby boy."

Sirius did not look convinced, but Aurelius had not expected him to- it was still too early for that, but hopefully, working on the project together would make Sirius help understand that he was not alone anymore- and that he deserved to be loved.

"How about we start tomorrow after dinner? It's Friday, so you don't have to go to bed early, and we could discuss a few ideas already", he suggested, and Sirius nodded, "okay. I'll be in charge, though- and…I make the rules."

Aurelius smiled to himself, knowing the boy needed this to feel safe at the moment- but eventually, he would feel even more safe accepting him as being in charge and making the rules.

"Yes, you get to make the rules for the project", he agreed, "looking forward to working with you, my boy", he winked at him, and Sirius blushed, liking the warm feeling that was spreading in his stomach now. He realized he was actually looking forward to doing the project with Aurelius- and the next day, when he was knocking on the door to his quarters after dinner, carrying his book bag, he felt his heart starting to beat faster with excitement.

"Come on in, Sirius", Aurelius smiled at him, stepping to the side to let him enter, and Sirius walked inside, stopping in his tracks at the sight in front of him.

What the…

"Hey, Sirius!", Tom grinned at him, holding up a green colored wooden block, "you wanna play with me?"

"I…uhm…"

"Sirius is here to work on the project, baby bear- he cannot play with you right now", Aurelius told him calmly, "and I need you to be my good boy and be nice and quiet, understand?"

"Yes, Relius. I am a good boy!", Tom was still grinning, picking up another block, starting to build a tower. He was sticking his tongue out in concentration, placing blocks on top of each other on the rug where he was sitting on in front of the couch.

"I know you are, baby- quiet time now", Aurelius informed him, his voice soft, "we have to work a little now, but if you behave, I'll let you have some hot chocolate later, Tommy."

Sirius could see Tom's face lighting up at that prospect, but he did not say anything, he just beamed and nodded.

This is strange. Why is he acting like this?

Apparently, Aurelius could sense his confusion because he shot him a quick smile, "Tom has episodes of mental regression, caused partly by the deaging potion, but mostly by the fact that he did not have a stable or happy childhood back then. The regression is usually triggered by something, tonight it's because he's tired after a long week of studying, so that is why he acts like a much younger boy. He tends to only regress when he feels safe around someone, so he mostly regresses around me or my father."

"He…at the train, he was…different", Sirius blurted out, remembering how Tom had been jumping up and down in his seat, demanding candy, "but I thought he was just being childish."

"It meant that he felt safe enough around you to show you this side of him, Sirius- that's a big sign of trust there for you", Aurelius was still smiling, "you might experience episodes of mental regression at some point as well- or maybe you have before, a time where you felt younger?"

Yes.

"No. I haven't", Sirius lied, hoping Aurelius would not push this, "I…I have some ideas for the project actually, in case you want to hear them."

Stubborn little boy.

Aurelius smiled to himself, allowing Sirius to change the topic, "of course I do. Let's go sit down at the table", they went over to the big table, and while Tom was quietly playing with his blocks, they got to work- and Sirius got more and more confident in the project when he realized that Aurelius genuinely listened to him and even seemed to like his ideas. They worked for about an hour, discussing ideas, Tom still being engrossed in building a tower with his blocks. Aurelius kept a close eye on the boy, and when he saw Tom starting to squirm more and more without noticing it, he smiled, gave Sirius a wink and walked over to the smaller boy, "you need to go, Tommybear?", he asked him softly, extending his hand, "it's been a while, hmm?"

Tom chewed on his lip, looking at the tower with longing in his eyes, and Aurelius chuckled, "you can keep building it once we're back, I promise", he took the younger boy by his hand, "come on, baby bear, let's go try, hmm?", Sirius watched them walking over to the bathroom, Aurelius firmly holding Tom's hand, and the fact that Tom needed help with that being eleven years old should appall him, but it was more of the opposite- it intrigued him, and it made him wonder what it would be like to have Aurelius take care of him as well. They exited the bathroom a few minutes later, and the smaller boy was holding Aurelius' hand tightly, looking proud and happy.

Aurelius whispered something in his ear, kissing him, and his heart clenched when he saw the look of awe and pure adoration on Tom's face. He watched Aurelius leading him back to the rug, making him sit down. Sirius had figured out by now that Tom was not allowed to talk- he could only guess that's what quiet time had meant- and he assumed he was not allowed to leave the rug, either. His assumptions got confirmed about ten minutes later when Tom accidentally caused the tower to crash, and two of the blocks fell down outside of the rug.

The boy looked at the blocks helplessly, unable to get up and collect them, and before he could stop himself, Sirius had gotten up and grabbed the two blocks, "here you go", he mumbled, placing them carefully on the rug next to the boy, and Tom's whole face lit up, causing Aurelius, who had walked over now as well to laugh, "you have permission to speak, Tommy", he told him, and the smaller boy instantly started to talk, "thank you for getting my blocks, Sirius!", he blurted out, "that was so nice of you! You wanna play with me? Please?", he looked at him expectantly, and he sounded so innocent and so young, and Sirius had to swallow hard.

I can't play with him, I am not even a real kid, I never played with blocks before, this is…

"Yes, he'll play with you for a little bit", Aurelius interrupted the whirling thoughts in his mind, "and you will be a good boy and listen to Sirius, right?"

Tom hastily nodded, "yah, I'll be good! Want to play with Sirius!", they were both looking at him now, and the boy bit his lips, "I…I don't know…how to play", he eventually whispered, his voice thick with shame, "I…would just mess it all up", he hung his head, feeling ashamed and miserable. But then there suddenly was a small, warm hand squeezing his own hand, and when he looked up again, startled, Tom was smiling at him, "I can show you, Sirius", he told him earnestly, "you are so smart, you can learn very fast!"

He blushed, not understanding why in the world Tom would think he was smart- but for some reason, he did want to play with him, and he did want to learn, so he found himself sitting on the rug next to Tom moments later, letting the boy teach him how to best build a tower out of blocks.

"Blocks need to stay on the rug", Tom now told him, his voice getting more serious, "and we need to stay on the rug, too, til Relius gives us permission to get up. We get spankies if we move from the rug without permission."

"I…I can stay on the rug", Sirius stuttered, somewhat mortified by the idea of getting spankies, and Tom nodded earnestly, "yah, you can cause you are a good boy, right, Relius?", he looked at his older brother for confirmation, and Aurelius smiled, "yes, Sirius is a very good boy- both of you are my sweet boys", and then he gently tousled Tom's hair with one hand while tousling Sirius' hair with the other, "have fun playing now, boys- I am going to go and get you a snack."

"Ice cream!", Tom instantly blurted out, causing Aurelius to laugh, "no, baby, it's too late for ice cream- but you can have some hot chocolate and brownies."

"Yay, brownies!", Tom sounded excited, and Sirius started to feel a little bit excited, too. This was nice somehow, strange, but nice. They started to play with the blocks, and even though Sirius had always thought this was childish, he started to enjoy himself more and more, his mind calming and quietening, and soon later, he was giggling with Tom, building tower after tower, not even aware that Aurelius was watching them, an expression of pride on his face.

"Are you ready for your bedtime snack, my boys?", he handed them both a mug with hot chocolate and a napkin with a brownie, "be careful, it's still a little hot."

"Thank you, Relius", Tom said happily, and Sirius echoed, "thank you, Relius."

Sweet boys.

Aurelius had to smile, "you are welcome. That tower looks impressive by the way. Such hard working boys", he sounded proud, and Sirius could feel himself blushing with pleasure at the praise. He did not remember ever being praised in his childhood for simply playing. He munched on his brownie, taking sip after sip of the hot chocolate, feeling content, warm, and safe.

"You can play for ten more minutes and then it's time for bed", Aurelius told them eventually. He often let Tom sleep in his quarters on the weekends, snuggling him all night. They did not had classes on the weekends and were not required to show up for breakfast, and Aurelius would use a simple illusions spell on them to avoid anyone figuring out they were not in their beds.

"We have to hurry then if we want to finish the other tower", Tom declared, and Sirius nodded, "I can start on the right side, and you do the left side, okay?"

"Okay", Tom easily agreed to him being in charge, and for the next minutes, they were working efficiently, Aurelius had walked into the bedroom to get everything ready for them.

"Careful with your leg, Sirius", Tom had to giggle, "you can't leave the rug, remember?"

"But I'm just stretching", Sirius protested, wanting Tom to giggle again for some reason, "look, just stretching!", he very deliberately held his leg in the air above the carpet that was not covered with the rug, "I can do my leg and my arm- look!"

Tom's giggles turned into snorts of laughter, "you are being naughty, Sirius!", it did not sound disapproving though, it sounded admiring, and it quickly drew Sirius back to old times where he had gotten admired for being a prankster and a class clown.

"You wanna see something else?", Sirius had gotten daring now, an inner voice telling him to keep pushing, "look what I can do!", and then he quickly tapped his left foot on the carpet outside of the rug, "you wanna see me using both legs now?"

"Go ahead, naughty boy- but that will only make your punishment worse", Aurelius' voice was calm, with a hint of amusement in it. He'd been watching the boys for a while now, realizing what Sirius was doing: Testing the boundaries. He had clearly been regressing, and it showed him that Sirius was feeling safe around him if he needed to push the limits that early.

Aurelius walked over to the boys who were both staring at him now, one with curiosity, and one with dread, "I think someone needs a reminder of who's in charge here, hmm?", he carefully pulled Sirius up from the rug he had been sitting on, "let's go, my boy- time to have a little conversation", he would not discipline the boy in front of the younger Tom, knowing that it would not help the boys to build a relationship with each other. He preferred to discipline the boys in private anyways, giving them all the attention they needed.

"No! Didn't do anything wrong!", Sirius stated defiantly, "want to keep playing!", he was trying to squirm out of Aurelius' tight grip, "want to build the tower!"

"That will have to wait until tomorrow, baby boy- you have been naughty and now you are getting punished", Aurelius explained calmly, leading the struggling boy to the bedroom and closing the door behind them, "corner time for you now- until you have learned your lesson."

Sirius howled, stomping his foot, "no! No, I hate corner time! I don't want this! I don't deserve being punished!", he stomped his foot again, confirming Aurelius' thoughts that the boy was about five or six years old right now mentally. He did not seem to regress as deeply as Tom did, but he also did not seem to be as calm and sweet as Tom was as a little boy- at least not yet.

"Corner time, naughty boy", Aurelius repeated firmly, "if I need to tell you again, it's a spanking- and then corner time."

Sirius sobbed, but he did make his way over to the corner, hanging his head. He hated corner time because he hated standing still, and Aurelius had understood fairly quickly that while a spanking did not have the wished effect with Sirius, the boy was certainly very responsive to being send to the corner.

"Get in position, baby boy", Aurelius told him now softly, "feet apart…hands behind your head…there you go, Sirius- being such a good boy right now."

He could hear Sirius sob again, the sound of it angry, "don't want to be a good boy! Want out!"

"I'll let you out once you have learned your lesson, little boy", Aurelius responded calmly, "right now, all I see is a boy being naughty and tantruming- not a sweet boy ready to say he's sorry."

Sirius' sobs turned into cries, "not…sorry! Not sorry at all!"

"Shhh…quiet time now, baby boy. You are allowed to talk again once you are ready to apologize", he went over to sit in the armchair by the bed, keeping a close eye on the boy. He knew that Sirius craved this- having rules and consequences, but at the same time, he refused to admit to himself how much he really needed this. Aurelius kept watching him, seeing how tense and miserable the boy looked in his corner, facing the wall, and he had to smile to himself.

Sweet angry little boy.

He quietly started to hum something, something soothing- which he had experienced seemed to help calm Sirius down, and his smile widened when seconds later, the boy visibly relaxed. Now all he had to do was patiently wait, knowing it usually did not take longer than a few minutes for Sirius to get ready to say he was sorry.

"Relius?"

Here we go.

"Yes, baby boy?"

"I…I wanna tell you something."

"Do you want to come and sit on my lap for that, sweet boy?"

"Yah."

"Come here."

Sirius immediately turned around and went over to him, letting Aurelius pick him up and place him on his lap, and after a moment of hesitation, the boy carefully put his head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry for being bad", Sirius whispered after a few seconds had passed, "did not mean to, but then Tom was laughing, and…and I just…I don't know."

"You wanted to see my reaction, hmmm? See if I was really going to go through with it", Aurelius laughed softly when he saw Sirius turning red, "that's perfectly normal, baby boy- and you are all forgiven now", he pulled him closer, "you are my good boy, Sirius."

Sirius had to smile, liking this- and they sat like that for a few more minutes, until suddenly, he felt his mind changing again, the anger slowly but surely creeping back.

What…is happening, what…why…what am I doing?

He blinked in confusion, realizing he was sitting on Aurelius' lap- and then he remembered playing with blocks with Tom, and he groaned, "what the hell is going on?"

"Language, Sirius- you had a short episode of mental regression, similar to Tom."

The boy instantly stiffened, "that's…bullshit! I am not a kid! I am not like Tom!"

Aurelius sighed, he knew this was to be expected, but it was still hard, "it's nothing to be ashamed about, Sirius. The regression was probably triggered by playing with Tom- you did not get to play much when you were a little boy, hmm?"

"That's none of your business!", Sirius spat out, forcefully getting out of his lap, "I want to go now! I'm done being around you!"

Aurelius got up as well, turning the defiant boy around and delivering a hard swat to his backside, "keep up the attitude and the only place you will go is over my lap, naughty boy", he told him calmly, "besides, it's time for bed now- I would like you and Tom stay here tonight. That pajama on the left side on the bed is for you, so why don't you get comfortable while I am getting Tom?", he kept his voice even, but firm, wanting to make sure the boy understood none of this was up for debate.

Sirius cursed under his breath, causing him to get another, harder swat on his butt, "last warning, my boy- behave or it's a spanking", he did not wait to hear Sirius' response, knowing how to pick his battles with the boy, instead, he went back to the living room to get Tom. The boy was still happily playing on the rug, and he looked up when Aurelius came closer, "bedtime now?", he asked softly, and Aurelius smiled, "yes, baby, it's time for bed- you have been such a good boy tonight, making me so proud. Come here", he picked up the boy when he came running immediately, planting a soft kiss on his head, "let's get you ready, alright?", he carried Tom to the bathroom, let him use the toilet and helped him brush his teeth, and then he walked into the bedroom, Tom on his hand. Sirius had curled himself into a small ball under the sheets, pretending not to hear them when they entered the room.

"Is Sirius asleep?", Tom whispered quietly, and Aurelius shook his head, "he's just resting right now. Come on, pajama time", he helped him to change, and then Tom happily crawled into the bed, careful not to disturb Sirius, "story now, Relius?"

"Of course- we'll have snuggle time and story time", he winked at the boy and Tom smiled happily, "does Sirius like snuggle time, too?", he then asked, and Aurelius could see the boy tensing under the blanket.

"Well, how about we find out?", Aurelius suggested, "let's see if Sirius is a little snugglebug like you", it made Tom giggle, and he watched with interest how his older brother carefully removed the sheets, and then he gently picked up the boy, who was red and sweaty from being under the hot blanket for that long, and pulled him in his arms, "there's my little hedgehog- all prickly from the outside, but soft and sweet from the inside, hmm?", he gently tickled his stomach, "are you ready for your snuggles, baby boy?"

Sirius did not respond, he just stared at him, the expression on his face confused, sad, and miserable. He clearly had no idea what snuggle time was, and when Aurelius smiled at him, slowly rocking him and holding him, his eyes went wide with wonder- just like Tom's had back in the day. Tom snuggled closer as well, radiating warmth, "story now, Relius!", he demanded, "story about Mischievous the Owl having a race with the barn owls!"

"Good choice", Aurelius replied, sounding amused, "are you cozy, boys? All warm and full?"

"Yah, I am!", Tom happily stated, but Sirius didn't respond- instead, his eyes filled up with tears.

"Shhh…I know, little hedgehog…I know. It's all good now, baby boy- I am here…you're safe…such a good boy…making me so proud, and so happy…", he could feel Sirius starting to cry quietly into his chest, snuggling as close as he could, and he gave him a soft kiss on his sweaty hair, "would you like to hear the story now, baby boy?"

There was a silence.

"Can…can I stay like this?", Sirius eventually whispered, and Aurelius had to smile, "of course- you have to, actually. It's a requirement for snuggling time and for story time."

"That's true!", Tom confirmed, snuggling closer as well, "and when we go to sleep, Relius is gonna be in the middle and he's gonna snuggle us all night!"

"All…night?", Sirius repeated, something like fascination in his voice, "so…you gonna let me stay? Here? With you?"

I was always going to keep you, baby boy.

"Of course I am- you belong here, Sirius", he got another soft kiss, "ready for your story now, my sweet boys?"

"Yah!"

"Yes", it was merely a whisper, but Aurelius had no problem understanding the boy in his arms, causing his smile to widen. They had made quite some progress today- and he was looking forward to tonight, being able to snuggle both his boys for the first time. He ended up laying down in the middle of the bed, with Sirius to his left and Tom to his right, both of them snuggling into him closely, listening to him telling them the story of Mischievous the Owl making a bet with the barn owls that he would beat them in a race, and soon both of them were giggling at the naughty owl, often interrupting him to ask more and more questions.

Eventually, it was time to sleep for both boys- they got their goodnight kisses, and then Aurelius wished them both a goodnight and sweet dreams, and he could feel both of them snuggling as close as they could, needing him for safety, love, and protection.

"Sleep…cozy…Re…lius…", Sirius mumbled, his face pressed into his chest, "so…warm…cozy 'n safe…"

"Shh…time to sleep now, little hedgehog- quiet time for tired little boys", Aurelius gave him another kiss, caressing his hair with one hand, "close your eyes, baby boy…shhh…someone's sleepy, hmm?", he could hear Tom snoring softly on his other side already, fast asleep, and now Sirius seemed to be getting there as well, his breathing getting more even, and then finally both boys were asleep in his arms, and they both had a tiny, happy smile on their lips.

And it made Aurelius smile, too.

getting closer to the happy ending here ;)

Harry and Snape will be back in the next chap, and Dumbles is stirring up trouble one last time...

I'd love some feedback from you!

xoxo,

Antonie :)