"All right, Devil, we will give it one more try."

The response he received was a blank look and then a smile. Remus translated it to - I am not going to do what you want me to do and i will pretend i don't understand.

So far, Remus had never had to bribe Hermione to do anything. She was such a sweet child; it had been easy to discipline her. Remus was proud that she ate all fruit and vegetables, in whatever form it was presented to her. The same couldn't be said about few adults in the house. And it had never even required any bribery.

Now, he was seriously considering it. Yesterday, when he had come back home from a gruelling research session with Regulus, a proud James had told him that Hermione had taken her first step that day. He had clicked pictures, of course, and had, promptly, sent them for development. Devil had even repeated the performance for Sirius, who had just come home an hour earlier from himself. So, now it was only him who had not seen it.

And twenty hours later, he was still trying.

Remus crossed his arms, trying to think of a way. Devil copied and stared at him hard.

"Come on, Devil," Remus pleaded. "Just once. It would be a nice exercise to your chubby legs."

Hermione shook her head, sending her brown, curly hair flying. She glared at him for good measure. Perhaps, calling her legs chubby wasn't a good idea.

"You paw?" Hermione asked softly after a moment of silence. Remus slapped his head. So, this is what they have been calling it.

Remus nodded his head eagerly. "Paw, paw? You wanna paw?

Hermione nodded and Remus grinned. Hermione was sitting on the floor. She extended her hand towards Remus and he took it, helping her stand. Gingerly, Hermione took a step. Remus clapped enthusiastically, encouraging her. Confident with her two safe steps, Hermione walked completely on her own. She looked like a drunkard trying to walk, but for Remus nothing could be more adorable. Finally, Hermione fell down, landing on her own bum.

"Awesome!" Remus said, picking the girl up.

"Awe'me," Hermione enthused.

"That was great, Devil."

"Iy ceem?" Devil asked, hopefully.

He knew Sirius was spoiling the girl! The dog!

Well, it couldn't hurt anybody. It wasn't as if he was bribing Devil.

"Ice cream it is."


"The last batch has been set to mature. It shall take another three days for it to be fully prepared."

Albus listened to his ex-student drawl about the potion. Severus looked older than his age. He was worse after Halloween, but this potion, this mission had brought him back from his misery. Severus was also clinging desperately to the idea of Harry being alive; he thought of his contribution as a redemption.

And what after the potion? Albus was sure Severus will go into depression with nothing to do and only memories to haunt him. Severus was an unforgiving person and the most to himself.

Sighing internally, Albus prepared himself for what he was about to do.

"Severus, i trust you completely with potions. If you say this potion is ready, i believe it to be. But that is not what i called you here for."

Severus knew what was coming. There was only a month left for the next term. All the professors would be coming back within this week. How would Albus be able to explain Severus' presence in Hogwarts? Severus had anticipated this conversation somewhere last week. The old coot is finally getting old, Severus thought, fondly, he was surprised to note.

"I have made arrangements and would be moving out today itself. That's why i was giving you a full report on my potion. Something you tuned out."

"And why would you be moving out of Hogwarts, my dear friend?" Albus asked, his eyes twinkling over his half moon glasses.

Now, Severus was puzzled. "How will you explain my presence to other professors here?"

"There are ways," Albus said wisely.

"I am afraid, i don't understand, Albus. Will you be kind enough to quit your games and spit it out?"

Albus chuckled. Some things will never change. "Why, i am offering you a position here, Severus. Potions Master."

As expected, Severus exploded. One moment he was sitting in his chair and the next, he was looming over Albus, glaring daggers at him.

"Have you gone completely out of your mind, Albus? Or has age finally caught up with you?"

Ah, the infamous silky, dangerous, Snape drawl.

Severus thrust his left arm under Albus' nose and yanked the fabric covering it back. "Or have you forgotten what i am?"

"You always had a flair for dramatics," Albus mused, ignoring the seething Potion Master. Oh yes, the post was his. "Pity, we never had a drama club in the school. Perhaps you could head one."

"Albus!" Severus thundered.

"Yes, Severus."

"I have not accepted the position and i will not."

Albus schooled his features to curiosity. "I did not know you had some other plans, Severus. It never came up in our conversations." Now the features became slightly sad. "I thought you would share them with me, if there were any."

"What?" Severus spluttered. Years later Severus would not only be well-versed with, what he would start calling, Albus Game Plan No. 13, but also be well known of the fact that Albus wanted something, he had it. The only point that varied was when and the sooner the better.

"Severus, the post of Potions Master is vacant and i have a talented Potions Master. It would be a shame to let go of talent. Especially, someone as good as you are. I agree the pay is modest in the beginning, but the satisfaction of teaching students is immense. You will get medical insurance too."

"What about my being a Death Eater, Albus? Or you have an insurance for it too?" Severus asked sarcastically.

For the first time in the meeting, Albus became serious and his eyes flashed. "Voldemort is dead, for the time being. You are under no obligation to serve him. When the time will come, you will serve him again. As a spy. As per our agreement. And you will remain under my care. As per our agreement."

Severus was intimidated, though he would never accept that to anyone. Relief flooded through him as Albus' words washed over him. Albus will take care of him. Though he will not accept it to anyone either.

"I will take the position, Albus," Severus growled. "And if anyone questions my Death Eater status, especially that idiot of a Minister, you will answer to it."

With that Severus stalked out of the room, his robes billowing after him.

James is right. He does look like an overgrown bat, Albus mused, chuckling to the empty room.


"Hello Snape," Sirius commented as he entered the room, Hermione attached on his hip. As usual, they were dressed the same. Perhaps Black had forgotten Hermione was a girl, Severus mused.

"What are you doing here, Black?" Severus commented, from his position on a ladder, placing his potion ingredients on the shelves.

"Just came to do my duty, Snape. Don't get your nickers in a twist. You said today is the last day of maturity of last batch of tracking potion. I thought you might need help with bottling it."

"And you brought the girl along because?"

"I am baby-sitting her today," Sirius said proudly, completely ignoring Severus' point.

Severus got down from his ladder. "Black, this is a room full of dangerous and potent potion ingredients. And you have come here to help me bottle a dangerous potion. And you have brought a young girl with you."

Sirius looked sheepishly at the girl, who was staring around the room in awe. She had never seen so many colourful and yucky (Sirius' opinion) things at one place. She squirmed on Sirius' hip - a clear signal to let her down.

Getting down from Sirius' hip, she craned her neck to look around the room. She made her drunken walk towards Severus, realising he was the owner. Severus was amused with girl's antics. Was she walking last time i saw her? The girl stopped right in front of Severus.

"Up," she demanded.

Severus groaned inwardly and glared at Sirius, who was doing his best to not laugh.

"Pick her up," Sirius said wisely. "She will start crying otherwise."

The threat worked well and in an instant, the girl had been picked up, by the armpits, at one hand distance.

"Nice' oo mee' u," Hermione said, thrusting her hand towards Severus.

Sirius was openly laughing now. "She does that to any new person she sees around."

Severus glared at Sirius.

"B'ack," Hermione said, pointing to black beetle eyes in a corner of the lowest shelf.

"Er- Yes?"

"Paw," Hermione said, crossing her arms.

Sirius laughed. "She means walk."

"Why don't you show her around?" Severus asked irritated with both of them.

"What!" Sirius answered, taking a seat. "She chose you for the honours. Who am i to disobey her?"

Having waited quite long for her demand to be obeyed, Hermione yanked Severus' hair.

"Ow!"

"As i said before, you better obey her."

Ignoring the bane of his existence, Severus followed girl's chubby finger and took her to the shelf. She found many things interesting and soon he had a number of bottles floating around them, something Hermione was enjoying immensely. A lack of scowl on Severus' face meant, he was enjoying it too. Enough to not notice Albus entering the room.

Sirius noticed him though and went to him.

"Hermione is a very intelligent girl."

"Well, if she can make even Snape dance on her fingers, she has to be," Sirius commented, as Hermione picked another bottle carefully, the way Snape had and demanded from him the colour of it.

Albus chuckled. "He must have told you about his Potions Master position."

Why would Albus assume something like that was beyond Sirius, but he didn't comment on that. "That means Snape and Remus would be spending quite a lot together."

Albus raised a questioning eyebrow at Sirius.

"Better him than me." Sirius shrugged.

Albus shook his head, bemused. His boys would, probably, never grow up.

But then, he would never have them any other way.


Dante held the toy-broom tightly and grinned at Elvis. Slowly, the toy-broom lifted in the air and Dante's feet left the ground.

Dante's face was a picture of pure joy. He always loved to be in air. Elvis remembered Blaise's first time on toy-broom; he had cried. The sight of a happy Dante on a toy-broom was what had convinced him to try it again.

Elvis moved his fingers back and fingers, the toy-broom swayed in response. Dante's giggles filled the room.

Just then, Presley entered the room, Blaise following him on his chubby legs. He had started walking and it was impossible to make him sit at one place.

Dante's toy-broom flew to Blaise and stopped beside him, hovering in the air.

Elvis and Presley looked at each other, surprised. Dante had flown the broom by himself.

"B'oom," Blaise demanded, looking at Presley, who, obediently, sat him behind Dante.

Dante, again, manoeuvred the broom and now they were flying around the room, slowly and at an adult's fight, but completely under Dante's control.

Elvis was looking on in awe. He didn't even notice Mistress and Blush enter with Presley. The boys did and the broom flew to Mistress.

"Ma," Dante said, "I fly."

Mistress chuckled. "Yes, you can. You have flying in your blood, kid."

Dante grinned in response, not sure what his mother meant.

"Ma, Me fly too. Dan'e fly 'gain."

Dante responded immediately and was flying around again, Blaise holding him tight and both of them laughing.

"I could never have guessed Dante would learn flying before walking," Adele commented, earning chuckles from her three elves.

"We will play Quidditch. Three on three," Elvis commented, dreamily.

"They are too young!" Blush admonished.

"He meant, when they are older, Blush," Presley intervened. "Right, Elvis?"

The glare directed at him made him nod fervently. Adele suppressed a smile. Presley could be intimidating, when she wanted.

With one glance at her flying boys, she left them in the care of elves.

Her boys were growing up so fast.


The only advantage of having their house in a muggle neighbourhood was the playground that was right in front of the house. It was huge, had loads of rides and there were many kids of Hermione's age.

James was watching his girl play with five kids. Now that she could walk, she had discovered a whole new world. She was chasing a ball at the moment, falling many times in the process.

Not running after her every time she fell demanded a lot of willpower on James' behalf. A chuckle drew his attention to the woman sitting on the same bench as he was.

"You have got to stop worrying," she commented. "It's grass everywhere. She won't get hurt."

"Yeah, i know," James agreed, "But, it's a father instinct."

"She has just learnt walking?"

"Oh yes. I never knew a kid could be so tiring."

The woman laughed. "I am Ella, by the way. That, there with brown hair, is my son, Harry."

James turned around, sharply, to look at the boy. It wasn't his Harry; this boy was older than him.

"Are you okay?" Ella asked.

James took a moment to compose himself, before turning around to face the woman. "Yeah, i am fine. I am James, by the way"

Ella didn't seem to agree with his 'fine' but didn't comment. She changed the topic. "Have you decided on a play school for your girl?"

"Play school?"

"Yes," Ella said slowly, confused at James' confusion.

"A school to play?" James was highly confused with the irony.

Ella laughed and started explaining the concept to James. She explained to him the process of finding and choosing one, a task that seemed daunting than fighting a death eater.

"That's quite a lot of work."

Ella nodded. "It is. After all, raising a kid is a full time job in itself."

James turned to look at his girl, playing with Harry. Lily would have known what a play school was, how to find one. She would have ensured their kid would know both the worlds. But Lily wasn't there and nor was Harry. It was just James, trying to raise a Muggle girl.

"Yes, it a full-time job," James said, a soft smile on his face, "But i am loving it."


Remus tiptoed into the house. The irony of entering his own house like a thief was not lost on him. He stopped in the living and listened to the sounds of a sleeping house. Everyone seemed asleep. Except Sirius. Perhaps he was still at the office.

Remus relaxed; that would take some heat off of him. Remus collapsed on the sofa. He never knew Professors had so much work to do. Making syllabus, finalising books, making class plans, getting approvals from Headmaster and Ministry - it all was too much of a work. Thank Merlin, he wasn't a resident; job seemed to double with that one title alone.

Just as Remus was contemplating of another missed dinner with the family, the room was flooded with light.

Sirius was standing there, with a wand in his hand and glaring at him.

It took moments for Remus to adjust to light.

"So glad, you could join the family."

Remus banged his head with the sofa. "Hello, Sirius."

"Don't 'hello' me," Sirius spat. "Where were you?"

"Hogwarts, where else?"

"How many dinners have you missed this month?" Sirius asked. "Ten? Twelve?"

"I am sorry, Sirius," Remus muttered tiredly. "But with all the research and making potion, my teacher duties got neglected. I have to make up to them."

"Then bring your work home. At least you will get to have dinner with us, with Devil, whom you haven't seen properly in a fortnight."

"Term starts next week, Sirius," Remus tried again. "I promise things would be better once the term starts."

"You have no time for us these days. I am not even sure Devil remembers your face even."

That had the desired reaction. Remus flinched.

"I promise things will get better. We will go out for a dinner next Saturday."

"Don't make a promise you can't keep," Sirius muttered, angrily.

"I am serious, Sirius," Remus said. "I promise. We will go to that French restaurant you like and order your favourite wine and Hermione's favourite ice-cream."

Sirius seemed to melt at the mention of his favourite eating-out place. If Remus was ready to take them all to that expensive French restaurant, he meant business.

"This is your last chance."

Remus nodded quickly. "I won't mess it."

"Good," Sirius said, coming forward and collapsing on the sofa beside his friend. "It's just that Devil misses you. In fact, we all do."

A loud laughter rang from a corner and Sirius and Remus jumped from their sofa, their wands in their hands.

"Oh Merlin," James said. He was holding on to a flowing water-like material, his invisibility cloak, in his hand. "This" laugh "was" laugh "i can't even describe it."

James gained control as Sirius and Remus sat back down, scowling hard at their friend.

"You know," James said, taking a seat in front of them, "my parents used to talk like that. You sound like old married couple." That set him off again.

Sirius scowled harder and crossed his arms in front of him. "We do not."

"Oh yes, you do. Have you heard yourself talking?"

Remus stayed quiet as Sirius and James bickered like 'an old married couple'.

His life at the moment was perfect, even if James had just, indirectly, implied that he was gay.

After all where was the lie in that?


A/N: It has been a long time when i had a talk with you people. So, here is another chapter. I am trying to make up for the huge gap there was in between the chapters.

Also, i seemed to have a block with my writing. Now that i have been able to get two-three chapters of this story in rapid succession, i am hopeful other stories will follow the trend. I am trying to be regular with updates as i can. Though i am not sure, i may try to keep this story going for some time before i update another story. I am not sure, at the moment.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think of it.