Based on a prompt from mizjoely on Tumblr.


"So, Sherlock, what's it going to be?" Molly asked. From her lap, little Mary Hooper-Holmes stared at him, her eyes wide and innocent.

"Lake," he replied. Finally. They had been waiting on his answer for the past ten minutes.

Molly clicked a few buttons on the computer and sat back. A small beep signaled the machine had finished tallying his answers. She glanced at the results and tried to stop a laugh from escaping.

(She failed.)

Mary looked at the screen as well, and, though she hadn't completely mastered the English language as of yet, the picture told her all she needed. She giggled and shared a conspiratorial grin with her mother.

"What?! What could possibly be so funny, you two?" Sherlock grumbled from his reclining position on the sofa. He hated when they ganged up on him like this.

(He loved it.)

"Daddy! You got Slytherin!" Mary yelled, and collapsed into another fit of giggles.

Molly stared at the five-year-old with the most loving expression Sherlock had ever seen.

(He'd only ever witnessed that expression on her face in regards to two people, both of which were currently sitting in this room.)

Molly's eyes met his. He grinned at her before quietly getting up and moving closer to the duo.

"And you think that's funny, do you?" he said softly. Suddenly, he pounced, grabbing Mary from her mother's embrace and showering her face with kisses.

"Daddy!" He continued tickling her for a few minutes before finally setting her down.

"Very well. Why don't you go grab the next Harry Whatshisname's book - I believe we are ready to start number three - and you can tell me all about Slytherin while we read it, hmm?"

"Okay, Daddy!" she called cheerfully, running into her bedroom.

Molly took the momentary silence to place a sweet kiss on his lips.

"Well, I did always think you'd look brilliant in green, dear," she said cheekily, before running off after their daughter.

Sherlock followed quickly behind, certain that he'd never be happier than he was right now.

(He'd be proven wrong eight months later, when he and Molly welcomed William Hooper-Holmes to the family.)