"What do you think about Lucius coming over this week?" Harry asked as he tucked in Sev. The boy blinked at him from under the sheets.
"Here?"
"Yes, or do you want to go somewhere?" Severus shook his head. "I'll call Abraxas in the morning." The Auror smiled down at the boy before getting up. "Sleep well."
"Sleep well," Sev whispered back before Harry closed the door. As the adult walked downstairs, his eyes fell on Tom, who was still walking around in his robe.
"You're home," the younger man said surprised.
"Yes, I wanted to put Sev to bed."
"Ah," Harry smiled sheepishly, "I just did that. But he's probably still awake. You can go wish him good night." The Dark Lord nodded and passed by the other. The Auror watched him go before continuing his way to the living room. Fifth teen minutes later Tom joined him. "Is everything all right?" Harry questioned as the other grabbed the bottle of scotch.
"Just a hard day at work," the Minister sighed as he poured himself a drink. "I'm tired of people putting words into my mouth or twisting everything until it suits them better." Having put the bottle back, he sat down beside the other on the couch. "Tomorrow I can go and explain something I haven't said." Harry watched him take a big gulp of scotch.
"Is it something bad?" Tom sighed and shook his head.
"No, it just something really superficial."
"Not that superficial if you have to explain it." The younger man retorted and brown eyes stared at him in response.
"I guess you're right," the Dark Lord sighed once more before his glass touched his lips. Green eyes followed the object and eyed the drop of scotch that lingered on those lips as the glass descended again. The urge to remove the drop made Harry bit his lip.
'This isn't the time!' he told himself and forced his eyes away.
"Sometimes I wish I had just become a professor at Hogwarts." Green eyes immediately shot back. "Just worrying about lesson plans and students running around at night," Tom chuckled and the Auror stared at him.
"I can just see you strolling through the dark," Harry grinned and the other chuckled as he could clearly picture it. "But you would have made a great professor," he said honestly.
"I missed my calling," the Dark Lord playfully sighed and the other continued to stare at him with a smile. "No, 'cause you would still want to make your mark on the world." Which I could do as a professor! Look at Dumbledore!"
"Who captured Grindelwald!" Harry called out and Tom pouted. The Auror couldn't help but laugh. "Don't do that!"
"What?!"
"Don't pout!"
"I'm not pouting!" the Minister childishly called out while spilling some of his scotch. Harry only laughed louder. "Stop it!" the Dark Lord called out while straightening himself. The glass in his hand tilted dangerously. The younger was quick to take it away from the other, who simply fell back against the back rest of the couch, defeated. "It would have been nice," Tom mumbled, "but it probably wouldn't have kept me from Dark Magic." Harry's attention got piqued, but he kept quiet. "A library full of temptations..." Tom sighed. "I thought that becoming the Minister would give me enough challenges to keep me away from... Voldemort," he laughed sadly and the younger man felt a little shocked at the name being said aloud. Next, the realization of just how much of an influence their past had made on the other.
"I guess I really need you to keep me on the right path," Tom honestly said with a small sad smile directed at the Auror. Something seemed to break inside Harry and without any second thoughts he leaned over the other and pressed their lips together. Slowly he unconnected their lips again and raised himself just enough to look in Tom's shocked eyes. Liking what he saw, a smile appeared on his lips before pressing them against the Dark Lord's again. It took only a couple of seconds before Tom started to reciprocate. Afterwards they slowly broke apart and Harry took a moment to take in the other's blissed out expression.
"That was long overdue," Harry chuckled and the Minister just stared at him with mild surprise. "Now, tomorrow just tell the truth and everything will work out," the younger man decided and the Dark Lord just nodded in agreement.
-THTH-
"Uncle Marvolo! Where's Sev?" Lucius questioned once he stepped out of the fireplace.
"He's in his room," Harry smiled down at his godson.
"Lucius! That's not how you greet someone!" Lysandra called out as she followed her son out of the flames. The boy abruptly stopped and turned back to his godfather.
"Thank you for inviting us over, Uncle Marvolo. We're happy to be here," the boy said politely. The Auror just smiled down at him.
"It's my pleasure. Sev has gotten the usual guestroom." Lucius' eyes widened at that information and nodded thoughtfully before speeding off again. His mother just sighed at him. "Boys will be boys," Harry shrugged and got a chuckle directed his way.
"That's true."
"You want something to drink?" the male asked her while holding open the door to the living room.
"Yes please, some tea would be wonderful, darling." A pop indicated that Dopper was already gone to prepare it.
"It's on its way," Harry smiled at her while the woman made herself comfortable on the couch.
"So, how are you and Tom doing? It must be weird living together again." The Auror sat down with a sheepishly look on his face. He couldn't help but think about their kiss.
"Well," he stilled for some time and the woman raised her eyebrows at him. At that moment Dopper popped in with tea and cookies, giving his employer the extra time he appreciated. Lysandra kept her eyes on him the entire time the house-elf was servicing them. With a small bow Dopper disappeared again and the guest took a sip of her cup with elegance, before eyeing him again. "Let's just say that everything is going well." Lysandra's eyes started to sparkle. "We're letting everything happen naturally."
"What's meant to be, will be," the woman smiled. "How's Eileen?" she changed subjects.
"Still the same," the Auror sighed.
"Severus' lucky to have you two." Sadly she shook her head. "If you need a woman's hand, know you can count on me." The woman patted his hand.
"Thanks, I might hold you to that." Lysandra nodded approvingly.
-THTH-
"Something good happened?" Tom glanced up at his right-hand-man.
"My Lord," Abraxas wiggled his eyebrows.
"Get your head out of the gutter." The Minister returned his attention back to his work.
"Lysandra had a talk with Marvolo," the blond continued while grinning down at the other. Brown eyes looked up again.
"Did he say anything?"
"Well..."
"Don't play coy," the Dark Lord gave him an irritating look, which the other beamed at.
"Just that everything is going well between you two and… let nature run its course." A warm feeling spread through the Minister's chest. He had hoped for this for so long and having Harry kiss him had only intensified his want. "So whatever you're doing, keep doing it!" Abraxas was still grinning at him and he could feel his own lips had formed a smile. "So what are you going to do with Severus once Marvolo needs to come back to work?" Malfoy suddenly changed the subject.
"He's going to stay with his grandparents and Dopper will also keep an eye on him." Tom eyed him, knowing he hadn't brought up this subject without a reason.
"Have you thought about a witchcare? Lucius has started one a month ago and you can really tell the difference." The Minister could sense he was missing something.
"Like how?" he questioned a little sceptical.
"His manners have improved a lot and his social skills are definitely growing. At our witchcare you can also ask for specialities. We are letting them teach him the 'Etiquette of the Old Ways' and next course will be how to behave with muggles." That last one pulled the Dark Lord's attention.
'Sev will have a lot of contact with muggles...' "I'll suggest it to Marvolo," Tom nodded at his right-hand-man, who smiled brightly.
"Great, now what I really came for." The Minister frowned at him and the blond produced some scrolls out of his pocket. "The contract with the Borges' company's expiring..."
-THTH-
Harry watched Sev tell about his day with Lucius to his mom and let out a quiet sigh. Tomorrow he had to go back to work and he didn't want to leave the boy just yet. He knew he didn't have a choice and that Sev would be in good hands with his grandparents, but it still felt too soon. Eileen just looked at her son without any reaction and the Auror was already glad that Severus had giving his mom's condition a place in his head. The boy had become a little more open again and had started the tradition of telling every detail of his day to his mother, without actually waiting for a reaction. He knew he wasn't going to get any, and seemed to have made his peace with it as best as he could.
"The visiting hours are about to end, Sev," Harry quietly let the boy know. Sev looked up at him with a sad nod.
"I'll ask grandma and grandpa to visit tomorrow," he turned back to his mother and gently patted her hand before getting up. The Auror nodded at the woman before guiding Sev out of the room.
"What do you think about a playdate with Lily and Petunia?" Harry questioned as they were walking through the nearly empty corridor.
"Petunia?" the boy gave him a disgusting look.
"I'm afraid they're a package deal. We can't invite one without the other." The little one pouted up at him.
"Lily, I'm playing only with Lily."
"You're only going to play with Lily?" the adult corrected the sentence and Sev nodded. "I know it's not fun to not be able to talk about magic, but it's not Petunia's fault. She can't help it if she's born without that special something. You should feel sorry for her," Harry tried and saw the boy hesitate. He let Sev simmer as they made their way home, only asking after the playdate again when they had removed their robes.
"Okay," the boy decided in the end.
"Lily and Petunia… and Lucius!" Eyebrows rose above green eyes before a chuckle fell from the lips underneath them.
"Still no magic," Harry pointed out and Sev nodded again with a pout on his lips.
-THTH-
Running around the corner, Harry's eyes quickly took in his surroundings before stopping on a crate and crouch down behind it. "I'm in position," he said in his earpiece and heard an affirmative reaction of his teammates.
"Target in sight," Martin stated.
"He passed the barber." The younger Auror kept his eyes on the corner he had just passed.
"He's nearing your position, Omega," the team leader stated and as on cue Harry saw their target pass the corner. A tall lean man walked passed him while sniffing his nose before he pulled out a handkerchief. Nothing of his appearance spoke off the awful deed the man had done. Without any awareness the man continued his way and stepped straight through the magical web Harry had spelled about ten minutes ago.
"Tracker has been applied," he spoke in his earpiece once the man was out of hearing range. "You're up next, beta," he told his grandfather, who had just made his first visual contact.
"He's moving east," Harold informed them while following the man as inconspicuously as possible.
"Check," Martin said as he met Harry at the corner of his hiding spot. Drawing up a magical map of their current location, the younger Auror added the tracker and watched it move east, like his teammate had said earlier. For ten minutes they followed their target this way, Harold following him on foot while the other two used the map.
"He's entered a house. Number 56," Harold stated a change.
"We're on our way," Doyle answered and pulled out a portkey. Touching it at the same time, the two teammates got pulled through time and space to appear beside their other teammate.
"He's in the white house. It's registered to an alias of him," Harold went over the information, which he had just received from their headquarters, while repacking the stone that was linked with the portkey.
"That's all on number 56?" Martin asked the headquarters through his earpiece and got an affirmative. Harry was already drawing up the schematics of the house from the information they had gotten and joined it together with the map he had used earlier. The tracker appeared again in the first room on the street side.
"We can easily get a paralyzing grenade inside that room," Harold reasoned and looked at his teammates, who nodded their agreement. Their leader pulled out the bomb of his pocket and signalled them to follow him to the window. Reaching the neighbouring house, Harry checked for spells and undid the ones he could.
"No touching the windowsills," he whispered to the other two, who nodded.
"We're in the clear," Harold stated while keeping an eye on their target's moves. Spelling the lock open, the younger Auror continued with opening the glass with a blow of wind. Stepping back, he let Martin take his position and the oldest Auror let the grenade fly inside. Next he glanced at Harold, who shook his head.
"Almost," Harold mumbled next while holding up his finger.
"Now!" Martin activated the bomb and a loud thumb was heard.
"He's not moving," Harold stated while the others glanced at him. Doyle signed Potter to stay and maneuverer Harry to the front door. Checking the spells once more, they opened the door and slipped inside. "He's still not moving," Harold informed them through their earpieces and they carefully stepped towards the front room. Holding out their wands they opened the door and found their target paralyzed on the ground, while staring at them with frightened eyes.
"Target secured," Martin informed Harold while casting another set of spells around the frightened man.
"I'll check the rooms," Harry said and got nod from his team leader. He passed his grandfather while exiting the room and immediately let the map lead him to the basement.
"Nothing in the basement," he informed the others and moved back upstairs.
"First floor is clear," Harold's voice sounded through his earpiece and they met up at the staircase leading to the second floor. Carefully they ascended it and started checking the first two rooms. Not finding anything, they moved to the last one in the back and opened it with their wands raised. Inside they finally found who they were looking for.
A tight up woman sat in the corner of the room on a bed with tears streaming from her eyes over the magical tap, which kept any sound from leaving her mouth.
"Miss Daniel, we're Aurors Potter and Remus." Harold immediately stepped towards her while Harry did a quick sweep of the room.
'Basic, very basic, only spells on the windows.' Wails filled the room as his grandfather removed the tape and the woman could finally produce a sound.
"Your kidnapper has been apprehended," Harold continued while removing the rope from around the woman's hands, before moving to her legs. "We'll be accompanying you to the hospital, where your family will be waiting for you." The cries turned into shocked sobs as they helped her to her feet. As she leaned into Harold's touch, he wrapped his arm around her waist and looked at his grandson. "I'll be Apparating us to the hospital now," he informed the woman of every move he was making while getting a nod from Harry. The younger Auror watched them leave before walking back to his team leader.
"The victim has been taking for medical care," he stated while walking back into the first room.
"Great, he," Martin nodded to the kidnapper, "is ready to be transported." Harry let his magic join the other's restrictions on the paralyzed man before holding out his free hand to his teammate. With a pull, Martin Apparated them out of number 56.
-THTH-
Letting out a tired sigh, Harold dropped down on his office chair and his teammate turned towards him. "She's fine; going through the normal procedure," he informed them of the state of the victim.
"Good," Martin nodded approvingly. "Let's finish up our paperwork and go home." The other two nodded and Harold quickly went to work to add his side of the mission to the file the others had already drawn up. After half an hour, Doyle went to hand in their papers while the other two started packing up.
"Harold," Harry said as they waited for their team leader and got a hum as sign to continue from his grandfather. "What are your thoughts about Witchcare?" The other man blinked surprised at him while straightening.
"You're thinking of sending Severus to a witchcare?"
"Maybe, Abraxas was hyping it up to Tom." Harold frowned a little at his choice of words, but ignored it.
"Well, it's something that purebloods tend to do…"
"Does it promote pure blood?" Harry was quick to ask.
"They… prefer it," the other chose his words carefully.
"Then were do the muggleborns and halfbloods go to?"
"Muggle primary schools or they're home-schooled."
"That's unfair!" Harry grumbled. "What's James?"
"Home-schooled," his grandfather answered immediately.
"Who's home-schooled?" Martin asked as he stopped at his own desk again.
"James," Harold repeated and the team leader looked from one to the other.
"Severus?" He questioned and Harry nodded.
"Abraxas wants us to send him to a witchcare," he mumbled and Martin nodded.
"That would be a good start of his education."
"But I don't want him to become all brainwashed by Purebloods." The oldest of the three frowned at him.
"Then choose home-schooling," he reasoned.
"Or a muggle primary school," Harry added and saw the other man's face pulled a little into a sneer.
"He will have to hide his magic; pretend he's someone he isn't."
"Magic isn't the only thing that defines who you are," the younger shot back and Harold was quick to intervene:
"But it is an important part."
"And of course he still has you and the Minister to help develop his magic," Martin shrugged. "Go through every positive and negative point of those three options with the Minister and I'm sure you'll find the best solution," the team leader decided and Harry had no problem admitting that was a great idea.
"We'll do that."
-THTH-
Harry looked up from the paper he was writing on and watched Tom enter the living room.
"I'm home," the Minister sighed and the Auror gave him an amused look.
"Sev's staying over at his grandparents, so you overwork for an extra two hours..." He teasingly made a disbelieving sound with his tongue. The other sheepishly shrugged. "I'm starting to think you like Sev's company more than me," the younger had to see the other's reaction, who didn't disappoint. Brown eyes widened and a sputter of denying words left the Dark Lord's lips. Harry burst out in laughter and beckoned the other closer with one finger. Carefully Tom stepped closer and the Auror grab the front of his robe, crashing their lips together. All too fast the kiss turned pretty heated and reluctantly, the younger pulled away. He was going to take this slow!
"So, I asked around what the options are for Sev's education," he swiftly turned back to the paper in front of him and felt Tom's body slightly lean against his back.
"Which – hm – which are those options," the Minister composed himself and Harry held up his paper.
"Witchcare, a muggle primary school or home-schooling," he summed.
"I already scrapped home-schooling because we're barely at home because of our jobs."
"And Sev needs other children to improve his social skills," Tom mumbled against the younger's ear. Harry bit his lower lip to stop himself from turning and capturing those lips again.
"Yes, now I was listing the pro and cons of the other two options." The Dark Lord made an approving sound as his eyes scanned the paper and he pointed to the muggle primary school's list.
"His grandparents are muggles." Giving in to the urge to look at the other, green eyes glanced over his shoulder in confusion. "Meaning they could be more involved. Once he goes to Hogwarts that won't be an option any longer," the Minister explained and Harry was quick to pen it down.
"Pureblood brainwashing?" Tom suddenly chuckled and the younger pouted at him.
"I found it a good explanation." He eyed the first words on the Witchcare's list. Tom just kept chuckling.
"It does explain it to the point." A comfortable silence fell as they both wrecked their brains for more reasons "You could always take Sev with you to see your mother and give them both the magic initiation," the Minister suddenly said and the Auror turned to him in surprise.
"That's a great idea!"
"Then I think we've come to a decision," Tom smiled and Harry nodded.
"A muggle primary school it is!"
"I'll look into schools in the neighbourhood of the Snapes," the Dark Lord suggested and the younger nodded.
"Good idea, I'll inform them of our plans tomorrow. They will definitely want a say in this."
-THTH-
"Marvolo!" Harry stopped in the main hall of the ministry and looked over his shoulder to see Abraxas waving at him.
"Just the man I was looking for!" the blond calmly walked closer.
"What can I do for you?"
"Actually, it's what I can do for you!" The Auror just raised an eyebrow at his cousin, who chuckled at his expression. "Elladora's wedding's coming up and Lysandra will be going home early because of Lucius. We were wondering if Sev could sleep over. That way our Lord and you don't need to worry about him," Abraxas suggested and Harry had to admit that sounded appealing.
"That's a good idea," he nodded his head and the blond brightly smiled at him.
"That's settled then! See you tomorrow!" and Malfoy twirled around to a fireplace.
"Yeah, see you tomorrow…" Harry watched him leave with a frown on his face. 'That was short…'
-THTH-
"Sev?!" Harry called out to the top of the stairs. It took a couple of minutes, but eventually the boy showed up with a frown on his face. "We need to leave now," the Auror stated and the boy tried to glare at him, but it just looked cute.
"I'm not going!" Sev stamped his feet and crossed his arms.
"Why not?" the adult gave him a confused look.
"Its full muggles!" the confused look stayed in place.
"Yes, it's a muggle primary school we're visiting," Harry shrugged and noted Tom appearing behind the boy.
"What's the problem?" the Minister asked as he stopped beside Sev, who got a scare from him.
"Its full muggles!" the boy repeated with a pout.
"Naturally," the Dark Lord reasoned and with a push to Sev's back made the boy descend the staircase.
"Sev, we're just going to look around," Harry kneeled down as the child stopped before him still pouting. "We're making your Grandma and Grandpa wait on us," the Auror tried another way and swiftly the boy's eyes met his. "This school is close to their home, so they are meeting us there," he continued and saw doubt appear in those young eyes.
"We can't have that!" Sev all of a sudden announced and stepped towards the front door. Harry just looked at Tom, before shaking his head.
Once arrived at the school, they were quick to find the Snapes and Sev was just so fast to start glaring at everyone who tried to get too close to him. Harry could only sigh at him before ushering him in a classroom. A teacher came to greet them when he noted them in the doorway.
"Please come in! I'm Teacher Smits, please to meet you." A young looking man shook their hands one by one while the adults also introduced themselves. Harry and Tom had decided to play godfather/guardian and brother-in-law. With the still heavily homophobic nature of the muggleworld they didn't want their relationship to interfere with Severus' life. "And who's this little one?"
"Severus," Ms. Snape patted her grandson's head while saying his name.
"Why don't you go and play?" Teacher Smits suggested to Sev, who glanced at Tom. Giving the boy a little push in the back, the Minister succeeded in getting him to move. The adults watched Sev step to a girl playing with a plushy.
"What time does class start?" M. Snape pulled everyone's attention towards him as he started with his interrogation.
"We start class at 8h30 and end at 3h30. The students are expected to be present at 8h20." The men nodded while Ms. Snape just stared at Sev.
"Sev!" A familiar voice suddenly yelled out and a blur of red hair ran passed the group of adults, towards the boy sitting alone with the plushy, the other girl had left behind. Said other girl was now playing on the other side of the room all of a sudden.
"Lily!" the girl's mother called out at the red haired girl from still in the corridor and Harry turned around to see his grandmother standing there. "Marvolo?!" the woman said surprised before an understanding smile appeared on her lips. "I guess Severus' inside?" The Auror smiled at her while answering with a nod.
"You know each other?" Teacher Smits asked and the two nodded.
"That's great! The children will be so much more relaxed with someone they know near." Inviting Ms. Evans to join the little group, they got a tour through the classroom, which ended up at the kids again.
"What do you think, Sev?" Tom kneeled down beside the boy, who looked up smiling.
"With Lily, I like it!"
"I guess the school's chosen then," the girl's mother stated with a chuckle.
"Did you have other options?" Harry questioned her.
"Not really, Petunia already goes here," the woman shrugged. "She's somewhere running around with her father after her."
"What are your thoughts on mixed schools?" Ms. Snape suddenly interrupted their conversation.
"My husband and I were talking about that a while ago," Harry's grandmother responded, "and we see more advantages than disadvantages. Of course physical education is still splits up. Nobody wants the girls getting hurt."
"Or boys," the Auror added. The prejudices were still big in this time, making that both women just looked at him with an unreadable expression on their faces.
"Of course..." Ms. Evans reacted carefully, not revealing her own opinion.
"Here," Tom suddenly appeared beside Harry and held out two papers, "the registration forms."
"Oh, thank you!" Lily's mother sounded pleasantly surprised. "I'll write at the end that she would like to be in the same class as Severus," the woman smiled at the two men, who promised to do the same.
-THTH-
"You look amazing!" Harry cooed at the tuxedo wearing Severus.
"It's tight!" the boy complained while tugging at his collar.
"I know," the adult sighed, "just try it for tonight. You might get used to it."
"Who's marrying again?" The boy looked up with an accusing look.
"A colleague of us," Harry responded while gently stopping the child's hands from pulling at the fabric.
"Master," Dopper popped in the room, "Master's waiting downstairs." Thanking the house-elf, the Auror put on his own jacket before holding out his hand to Sev. Hand in hand, they walked to the top of the staircase and saw Tom waiting at the bottom with their robes. The Dark Lord's eyes focused on him and instantly seemed unable to ever pull away again. The love-struck expression seemed glued to him and held so much heavy emotions that it made Harry feel like he was in the movies. He couldn't keep the blush of his cheeks and glanced downwards while a smile crept on his face.
"You look amazing," the Minister said just above a whisper and green eyes glanced upwards again with the shy smile still in place underneath them.
"You too-"
"Come on!" Sev interrupted their little moment, while trying to pull the Auror towards the fireplace.
"We should go." Harry gently smiled at Tom, who gave a nod and as a gentleman hovered his hand over the younger man's back before guiding him and the boy towards the fireplace.
R&R