AN: I'm so sorry I haven't update din awhile! Work got chaotic, and my volunteer position became time consuming. I don't know how regular my updates will be this week, but I'll be back on track soon. In the meantime, I am alive!

Thank you all so much for all your support! You all are awesome!

It had been years since he'd smelled the aroma of sugar cookies and lemon frosting.

Draco inhaled the scent as Scorpius held up his red toy Ferrari. He imitated the roar of the engine and whirled it past his godmother's head. Cassie stood behind him, her thumb in her mouth and her pink blanket against her chest. A few times she interjected with her enjoyment of the car, but she was more than happy to allow her brother to bask in his moment of glory. On the sofa, Ginevra laughed at the antics of her children.

Draco watched the scene unfold from his place on the sofa, trying to ignore the memories swelling within him. The aroma of the cookies was too powerful to ignore.

How could she have gotten those cookies from any magazine?

Draco's earliest memory was the scent of those cookies. He was a hyper four year old, showing his godfather a toy cauldron filled with purple-dyed water. A few times, Lucius told him to set the cauldron down so he'd stop splashing the liquid all over the marble floor, but Uncle Severus needed to see this creation as up close as he could.

"I didn't know you could make purple if you mixed the blue and the red, but it really worked!" Draco thrust the cauldron into Severus' face. "Thank you for tell me about it!"

"I was more than happy to share my secrets with you," Severus gave him a half smile, the kind he had wanted the world to believe he was incapable of, and chuckled. "You are already becoming quite the potions master."

"Really?"

"Indeed you are. If you practice, you could become as good as me one day."

"I'd love that!" Draco was jumping, splashing purple water onto his hands and the black handles.

The cauldron slipped from his hands, splattering its contents onto his godfather's new robes. Draco could feel the color drain from his face and his eyes widened.

"Draco," Lucius hissed. "What did I just get done telling you about not setting that onto the ground?"

Draco gulped. "I'm sorry."

"Do not fret. There's a reason I wear black after all," Severus' voice was nonchalant

Draco glanced up at Severus. There was no hint of deception, though there was a glint of humor in his eyes.

"Now, I baked some cookies which should still be in the kitchen," he continued. "Would you like some?"

Draco nodded his head vigorously as his mouth watered.

"Follow me then."

"Draco?"

He jolted from his memory and turned his attention to his wife.

She took his hand. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

She squeezed it.

"I'm fine." He held hers tighter.

"You've barely said two words since coming here," she whispered.

"It's probably nothing."

"What's probably nothing?"

"Daddy, can we have cookies now?" Scorpius asked.

"Cwookie,' Cassie repeated as her smile grew.

"We'll have to ask Aunt Hermione," he replied.

"Please!" The kids folded their hands and approached her.

"Of course we can have them! I made them just for you."

"Oh Merlin." Ginevra glanced at her husband, as if to question whether it was wise to put her children at risk of a burnt treat, or worse, food poisoning.

"I'd like one too." Draco stood.

"Do you want one, Ginny?" Hermione asked as the children grabbed her hands.

"I would very much love one." She failed to hide the apprehension in her voice.

"Cone on then." Scorpius grunted as he and his sister dragged Hermione into the kitchen.

"Cwookies!"

"Okay." She laughed. "Just give me a moment to reach the table and I'll let you try them."

Draco noticed her look back into the sitting room. It was as if she was beckoning someone, but there was nobody in the sitting room.

"What kind are they?" Scorpius asked as she picked up the plate.

"These are sugar cookies with lemon frosting and blue sprinkles on them."

Ginevra turned to her husband, knowing full well their significance. Draco's throat constricted.

"I got them from a magazine. They sounded so good I thought you'd like to try them out," Hermione began.

"Okway." Cassie took one from Hermione. Then she handed one to her brother.

Hermione strolled over and handed a cookie to Draco. "Here you go."

"Thank you," his voice was barely above a whisper.

"I'd like one too." Ginevra extended her hand. Hermione placed one inside of it.

Draco stared at his cookie, wondering if this was all real. They smelled so familiar, yet how could anyone from a magazine have gotten this recipe?

"These are so good!" Scorpius shouted.

"They are?" Ginevra's surprise was evident.

"Wuv it!" Cassie replied, her mouth still half full of cookies.

Draco took a bite. Tears flooded his eyes as a thousand memories barraged him, each more pleasant than the last.

"Daddy?" The excitement was gone from Cassie's face.

"Wha's fong?" Scorpius replied with a mouthful of cookie.

"Nothing."

Nobody appeared to believe him.

"These are amazing," Draco whispered. "These cookies are amazing."

"I'm glad you liked them." Hermione looked at a point in the distance.

"They taste just like the ones Uncle Severus used to make." Draco shook.

"Who's Uncle Severus?" Scorpius asked.

"He's," Draco took a shaky breath. "He's a man who was very close to me, someone I loved very much."

"Why cwy?" Cassie stepped towards him.

"Because I miss him." He took another bite of his cookie.

"Why don't you ask him to come?" Scorpius took another bite of his cookie. "He may miss you too."

"He can't come and visit me."

"Why? Is he mwad?" Cassie asked as she held his leg.

"No." Draco stroked her back. "He's dead."

"What's that?" Scorpius took the last bite of cookie.

"It means he's somewhere we can't see him."

"Why doesn't he come back where we can see him?"

"Death doesn't work that way." Draco set his cookie down on the counter. "When somebody dies they leave their bodies forever, but their souls take a journey someplace we can't see."

"Why would anyone do that?"

"Sometimes people don't want to do that, but they don't have a choice but to go on this journey."

"Are you and Mummy going to die?" Cassie he'd onto his leg tighter.

"Not yet." Draco gave her an affectionate smile. "We don't plan on dying for a very long time."

She relaxed.

"Good, I don't want you to leave and never come back," Scorpius chimed in.

"The dead don't leave us alone," Draco continued. "They're in our hearts forever. Even if we can't see them, they're with us forever."

"Oh."

"Death sounds bad," Scorpius answered.

"It isn't good or bad. It's just the way life works."

"Am I going to die?" Scorpius gasped.

"Not for a long time."

"Good." He exhaled. "I don't want to leave you and Mummy."

"No, you aren't going to leave us, just like we'll never leave you."

"I'm never going to die." Scorpius rushed over to Draco. "I won't leave you, Mummy, and Aunt Hermione."

Draco noticed Hermione look at a point in the distance.

"We can't always control death," Ginevra rubbed Scorpius' back, "But we can control the memories we hold dear to us."

"That's right," Draco replied. "We can hold them dear always."

"Indeed," Hermione answered.

Draco saw Hermione steal another look in the distance. Then he examined her clothing. She was wearing a black t-shirt and black was a gleam in her eyes too, once he hadn't seen in years.

Draco's heart stopped.

Uncle Severus was here, in the house, with them, giving Hermione his recipe. If he had to guess, Severus was in the sitting room, though he couldn't be sure.

Draco's lips curled up as he bent down to embrace his children. "Do you want to know how I remember Uncle Severus?"

"How?" Cassie asked.

"I say the name Scorpius Severus Malfoy."

"My name?" Scorpius pointed to himself.

"Yes," Draco's voice softened. "Do you remember when I told you that you were named after a great man?"

He nodded.

"I named you after Severus Snape. He meant so much to me that I wanted to remember him always, so I named you after him."

"Wow," Scorpius breathed.

"What about me? Uncle Sewerus in me?" Cassie asked.

"Of course," Draco kissed her on the cheek. "I see him every time you tell a joke or pout."

She giggled.

"I just hope every day that I make him proud." Draco stared in the direction Hermione had been looking. "Because I still love him very much."

"I'm sure he loves you too," Hermione replied.

"I hope so." He turned to his children and held them close to his chest. "I love both of you so much."

"I love you too, Daddy." Scorpius returned the embrace.

"Wuv you Daddy," Cassie embraced him.

For several moments, Draco remained in an embrace with his children. Once he released them he cleared his throat. "Would you like to learn about Severus Snape?"

"Sure," Scorpius answered.

"Yes," Cassie replied.

"Okay." Draco grinned. "Here's a funny story! Now in order to understand it, you must know that Severus Snape never tolerated nonsense."

"Why?" Cassie asked.

"Some people don't appreciate rule breakers" Draco shrugged.

"That was Severus alright," Ginevra added.

"You knew him too?" Scorpius asked.

"Of course," Ginevra answered. "He was my teacher, and Aunt Hermione's too."

They looked at Hermione.

"It's true," she replied. "He was my potions professor."

"Wow," Cassie whispered.

"Now, when Uncle Severus was upset, he used to scowl," Draco continued.

"Like this?" Cassie contorted her face.

He laughed. "That's a good impression of him."

She laughed along with him.

"Anyway, I was eight and I was showing him a new broom I had stolen from your grandpa. We were in the living room. I asked if he wanted to see me ride on it. He told me, 'no,' but I didn't listen. I got on it and flew right into the fireplace and knocked over your grandmother's favorite vase."

"Oh no," Hermione covered her mouth to suppress her laugh.

"I only had a bump on the head, but I was so scared your grandpa would find out what I'd done. Uncle Severus just looked at me, and asked me not to tell your grandpa how clumsy he was. He repaired that vase as best he could, but there are still some cracks."

"That's how that porcelain vase with the blue flowers broke?" Ginevra asked with a gleam in her eyes.

"It sure is." Draco laughed. "Poor Grandpa didn't know what to make of it. He was determined to prove I'd broken the vase, but Uncle Severus stuck to his story."

"I didn't think Severus was the kind of man who would allow anyone to get away with anything," Ginevra replied.

"He wasn't, but he knew we were going to a circus the next day. If he'd admitted what I'd done I would've been grounded and not allowed to go. He didn't think I should be punished for a moment of stupidity."

"I never would've guessed he'd do something like that," Ginevra turned to her children and raised her finger. "Don't think Aunt Hermione will give you the same treatment."

They turned to her. She winked at them. The children snickered.

"Severus was a great man," Hermione replied.

"He was." Draco took a deep breath.

"Tell us another story!" Scorpius demanded.

"Yeah, I wanna hear more," Cassie replied.

"Sure," Draco replied. "Just let me have another cookie and I can tell you more stories."

With that, Draco spent the rest of the afternoon keeping Severus' memory alive, all the while knowing he was very present in the room.