Severus was used to Fred and George's antics since he moved in with Molly. All the dating ads pranks, snide comments, he had gotten used to just brush off the jokes. However, around month six of marriage, a curious thing occurred.

George began acting odd. He would enter the room, see Severus, and shuffled away with his shoulders shrunken looking much smaller than his 5'8 frame. Severus would watch him, his brows furrowing, and his dark eyes narrowing to his jokester of a stepson.

One warm, sunny day, George walked in whistling in the kitchen. His mother saying a cheery "hello" in the middle of cooking lunch. Severus greeted him with an obligatory nod, before returning to that month's edition of Potioneer Monthly. George stopped short. His eyes darted to the floor as he turned three-quarters away from the former potions master.

Fred, who had visited for lunch with his new girlfriend Rory, walked in the room, from the living room, hand in hand with Rory. Fred took one look at George, frowned, and then the corner of his lips twitched when George, oh so carefully gingerly touched the stump where his ear once was.

"Georgie," Fred said, his pitch increased. "It's okay, Georgie." He left his girlfriend and joined his twin.

"I don't know, Fred, it brings me nightmares," George sniffed, a little too dramatically.

Rory looked concern, having not been used to her boyfriend and his twin's pranks. Molly hummed to herself, sensing it was a joke. Severus raised a brow.

"Molly, do you know what your sons are up too," Severus asked, barely looking away from his magazine.

"I haven't known since the day they born," Molly said, rather nonchalantly as she stirred the pot.

"Rory, do you know?"

"Uh, I don't know, Ev - Severus," Rory stammered. She had met Severus as Evan Prince; in fact it was through Severus how she met Fred. She was having tea with him when this lanky (and cute!) redheaded man dropped in unannounced to mainly annoy Severus (and hopefully to see if Severus could perhaps go for another witch). "George seems pretty upset."

"He's not," Molly said, taking the pot off the burner. "I can just tell."

"Really, Mother," Fred admonished, one arm around his twin's shoulders. "You can't tell that your little boy - my twin - is terrorized!"

"Terrorized, no," Molly sniffed. "Terror-izing, yes."

"I'm sorry, Mum," George nearly moaned, hiding his face in his hands. "I just can't get past it."

"Bloody well right you can't!" Fred flared up. "Having to come here every week and—" He gestured dramatically at Severus, who lowered his magazine with pointed slowness. "—look in the eye the man who cut off your ear!"

"What?" Rory stared as if she'd been hit in the face with a fish.

Molly ladled soup into five bowls. "Don't be silly, Fred," she said without looking up. "That was a wound during the war."

Fred, being a rebel, had already told his girlfriend about magic, in defiance of the Statute of Secrecy, which forbade all such disclosures prior to marriage. Rory at Severus, her eyes wide in embarrassment and sympathy, but she didn't seem to know who to direct this sympathy toward – George for his disfiguring wound or Severus for being accused to mutilating his stepson. Severus slowly lowered his magazine, eyes narrowed at the twins. Admittedly his heart had started to beat a little faster. He and George had had a talk just after he'd moved into the Burrow. He'd assumed they'd made their peace, or at least found an understanding. How much did Molly know? Between one thing and another, that particular slip of his wand had never come up.

George's face was turning red, his nostrils flaring. To a relative outsider like Rory, it would appear he was fighting back tears. To a Weasley or Severus, it was obvious he was fighting back laughter. "He never told you, did he, Mum?"

"Never told me what?" Molly asked, floating the soup bowls onto the table. "Will you two knock it off? We have a guest, one you invited, Fred."

"No!" Fred bellowed. "Not until the truth comes out!"

The theater was too much. George buried his face in Fred's shoulder and burst into crocodile tears. Fred pointed an accusing finger at Severus. "We have a wicked stepfather. He cut off George's ear!"

Rory covered her mouth with her hands, stifling a strange squeak of either horror or horrified laughter.

"Oh, honestly! Don't listen to them, Rory." Molly wheeled toward Severus. "It's completely false, isn't it, Severus?"

Now the twins were staring at Severus, George peeking over Fred's shoulder with obviously dry eyes. They weren't gleeful so much as simply riveted. Rory was staring, as should anyone who stumbled on such a family drama. Molly's scowl of annoyance faded slightly as the silence lengthened.

"Actually… it's true."

"What," Molly bellowed, her face bright red as she practically flew towards Severus. "You were the one who cursed off my son's ear? What?! Weren't you on our side? Were you even going to tell me? No wonder George has been acting strange."

But Severus could not get a word out as Molly scolded Severus. He let out a long sigh, set down his paper, and glowered at the snickering redheaded twins. He was going to get back at them. Does George really need his other ear, Severus thought to himself.

Fred's snickering stopped.

"Abort, George, abort," he said, his twin's laughing grin froze in place. Even Severus froze as Molly's shrilled voice rung in his ears.

"Rory, I'm SO sorry. I forgot you were there," Fred said, the other two men's eyes immediately went to Rory. Rory was in the back, close to the threshold of the living room, and had watched the scene unfold with a paralyzed, shocked look. Even though, Fred had told her about magic and who Evan Prince was (that he was a feared potions professor - which she barely believed until now maybe - and is now begrudgingly his stepfather), Rory was never told how George Weasley lost his ear. She, of course, knew the one-ear twin, but the story of this handicap had been previously a mystery.

"Wait, that sounds bad," Fred said quickly. "I didn't really forget you. I just made a terrible mistake. George was doing a funny prank, I decided to jump in, and I forgot that you don't know the story."

"What," Rory said weakly, unable to understand Fred's unusual fast talking.

"I'll explain," Fred breathed, taking Rory, by the hand, to the other room.

Severus gave a small smile at that moment. He liked Rory, ever since she had come up to him after one of his yoga classes to express her appreciation. Then, proceeded to do so every lesson. She was an engaging woman with a quiet spirit and wise beyond her years. Severus was worried when she and Fred started dating, Fred was typically the instigator of the pranks and the class clown. The opposite of Rory, but with this affectionate display that the redheaded wizard had demonstrated comforted Severus that perhaps Fred really did care for Rory.

And Severus was not the only one to come to that conclusion.

"Huh." George tilted his head as he stared after his twin. His eyes were narrowed, not in some negative emotion, but only in consideration. "I've never seen Fred quite like this. I guess he's really serious about that girl."

True to form, Molly immediately reset on hearing the hint of a real relationship for one of her sons, which meant an eventual wedding, which meant eventual grandchildren. "Oh, do you think so? She's such a nice girl. I was worried, considering the sort he used to see. Angelina was all right, but all the other girls were so—"

George raised his eyebrows. "Well, I'm glad Angelina's just all right," he said blandly.

Molly registered her mistake a moment later. "Don't be silly, George, I don't mean it like that. She's a wonderful girl for you, but for Fred— She's so aggressive and brings out his competitive side in unpleasant ways— Don't think I've forgotten about you!" Suddenly she exploded, wheeling about and pointing her ladle at Severus. His magazine was spattered with soup. Fortunately, he'd gone back to reading, so his face was spared. "I want an explanation, and I want it now."

"It was an accident, Mum," George cut in before Severus could speak. "He told me before you were even engaged, and Harry backed him up. Some Death Eater was about to curse Lupin. He was aiming for the bloke's wand hand and missed."

"It's true," Severus said under Molly's probing glare.

She deflated but still regarded him with lingering suspicion. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"George was an adult when it happened. I maintain it was between me and him. I explained and apologized once. I am not a masochist. I don't believe in apologizing twice."

"Well—" George's smile expanded to worrying dimensions. "That's too bad, Professor, because I believe in milking opportunities for all they're worth, and this one's pretty big. Egregious, even. It's a permanent amputation, you see. I will never have another ear."

"You have one now," Severus said acidly. "I would suggest you safeguard it."

George's smile shrank a little, and he cupped his hand protectively over his remaining ear.

Severus stood up and swanned to the doorway to eavesdrop. Unfortunately, there was nothing to listen to. Fred and Rory were gone. When he advanced into the hallway, he saw a note stuck to the door.

Gone out to lunch. Be back eventually. If I lose this girl on account of your bad timing, George, I'm disowning you. Sorry, Mum. As usual, I have nothing to say to you, Professor.

XO Fred.

Severus could respect his need to salvage his courtship by avoiding the extended Weasley family at all costs. Unfortunately, that really wasn't an option for him. Once Rory came around, neither Fred nor George could take a hint.