Sorry about the delay but ffnet has been a bit troublesome lately and wouldn't let me upload documents

Warnings: Mild Slash

Harry Potter was turning 17 in three days. And as he woke up, and glanced out his window he was happy to see that the seemingly never-ending rain had cleared up. The sun shone, the fields surrounding their home were burnished gold with sunflowers. He sunk back underneath the covers and sighed happily. Even now, he still found it amazing that he was here, in the country, in a warm comfortable bed instead of lying in a cupboard at the Dursely's, or in Dudley's second bedroom. He swung his legs out of bed reluctantly and went to his cupboard to get dressed. He, and his four 'guardians' now lived in the Malfoy summer residence. Harry had been amazed enough when he first visited the Malfoy manor at the opulence of which rich wizards were capable, but he was more impressed with Malfoy Estate. Light, bright and airy, the house was large enough, with eight bedrooms and four bathrooms, but the grounds around it were beautiful. A maze, like the one Harry'd been though in the Triwizard tournament, fountains, an above ground pool (magically heated) stables and miles of fields and woods.

Harry had been speechless when he came here, although Sirius and Severus were use to it, having both been visitors at some point during their childhood. Remus merely smiled and thought of his own little house in the country, with three bedrooms, one his room, and one his parents and one…the wolf's room. Restrains and padded walls for when Remus transformed.

Harry scanned his clothes, and pulled on dark grey pants, a white shirt and a dark green jumper to go over the top. He'd just pulled his jumper over his head when the door to his room burst open.

Harry screamed, jumped backwards a few steps and was halfway to the window before he heard his godfather saying reassuringly "Hey, it's just me. I'm sorry." Sirius looked abashed.

Hurried footsteps presaged Remus appearing at the door.

"What's going on?"

Harry turned away, his face reddening. "I'm sorry." He mumbled into his jumper. He burned with shame.

"I didn't mean to scare you." Sirius said apologetically.

"I'm sorry, it's just. I don't know…I keep thinking it will be Him. Or Voldemort."

Another person appeared in the doorway in time to here Harry's statement and amusement coloured his voice as Lucius spoke. "Only in this house would Lord Voldemort be the afterthought danger."

Harry smiled. "I guess I am just odd."

"You have nothing to be sorry about though Harry, we don't mind. We're all a little jumpy."

"Yeah but you don't scream at people opening your door." Harry said bitterly.

Remus regarded him placidly and continued, "You asked us to knock before we barged in, and Padfoot neglected to. If anyone should be embarrassed it's him."

Harry shook his head subtly and looked away. A moment later, he'd wish he hadn't.

Lucius was in the doorway, looking as immaculate as always except for one thing. His white, long sleeved shirt was completely unbuttoned, revealing an expanse of muscular chest. Harry stared. Part of his mind was shouting at him "He's older than your parents would be! He's Padfoot's mate! He sleeps with Snape!" and a more annoying part of him was replying thus: So? So? So?

"So we're all okay?" Sirius said hopefully.

"Yes." Harry said, still embarrassed at his reaction but hoping to pass it off. "Are we going to have breakfast or what?" he carefully avoided looking towards the door.

"I'll make it!" Sirius leapt up but was forestalled by the Slytherin in the doorway.

"I believe Jasper is already doing it." Lucius drawled.

"We don't need your elf to cook! I can cook! He can wash up." Sirius said petulantly, taking Lucius' arm and dragging him downstairs, Harry and Remus following.

"Damnit! Can't you do anything right? Leave that out there again and your head can go on a plaque at Grimmauld Place!"

Harry entered the kitchen in time to see Severus yelling at the house elf Jasper. A chair had been blasted aside. The blind man was getting off the floor, face white with anger, groping for his cane.

He looked anxiously at Remus who glanced significantly at Sirius. The usually calm and collected Potions Master was flushed with anger and embarassment, his face a study in frustration.

Sirius stepped forward. "Making additions to the décor Severus? I never would have picked you as an interior decorator." He said lightly, stepping forward and brushing some dust off the shoulder of his robes.

Snape shook his head. "Jasper... Go about your duties." He reached out with shaking hands and touched the table. "I'm not hungry," he said, leaving the room, one hand trailing lightly over the walls. They heard his soft footfalls going up the stairs. The house elf fixed the chair with a wave of his hand and disappeared into the kitchen.

Harry closed his eyes. For a moment, he was overwhelmed with the urge to hug his somber teacher, to stroke his long black hair. He opened his eyes and saw Lucius and Remus leaving the room. Sirius remained, looking at Harry somberly. "We'll eat breakfast, Jasper will keep theirs warm."

Harry nodded and sat down across from him. They ate in silence for a while but not even that scene could dent Sirius' cheerfulness and he soon started chatting again. "We should play Quidditch later on, you and me versus Malfoy and Moony."

That afternoon Sirius began what Harry suspected was a frequent argument with Malfoy. Simply put, he wouldn't play. With more than his usual level of thoughtfulness, Sirius managed to start the argument when Severus was away, however the raven-locked man came back halfway and inserted sneering comments here and there about his flying abilities.

"Are you sure you still know how to fly a broom Black? I'd suggest we go riding but I know you're rubbish at that."

"You've never complained about my riding abilities before Sevie" Sirius replied crudely.

"Sirius!" Remus protested. "There are children present."

"I'm not a child!" Harry protested laughingly.

"You're underage aren't you? Underage equals child." Said Remus implacably.

"Not that that ever stopped us from…riding." Sirius interjected, dodging the blows aimed at him by an amused and exasperated Remus.

Harry grinned. Was this going to be a bad day or a good day? It was hard to tell.

He glanced back towards the house. Severus was walking slowly out the door, his silver coloured cane clutched in one hand. A scowl was on his face but Harry didn't care, he'd seen worse, when Neville melted a cauldron for example.

2 days to go.

"Do you want Ron and Hermione to come for your birthday? They could stay for a couple of days?" Remus asked the teen walking by his side. Diagon Alley was not crowded as Remus preferred to shop for his books, quills, and robes at odd hours. Too many people made him a little uncomfortable. Harry shook his head. "Hermione's in Switzerland with her parents, she said they feel they don't see enough of her as it is without her spending all holidays in the wizarding world- and Ron's visiting some aunt of his in Ireland."

Remus paused, a hint of nervousness in his stomach as he projected lighthearted warmth into his voice, "What about Miss Weasley- would you like to see her?"

Harry laughed. "Not if you're suggesting what I thing you are! Ginny and I are better friends than anything else besides, she's going out with Dean."

"Oh." The werewolf stayed silent for a while.

Harry watched his face out of the corner of his eyes and didn't say anything for a while, until they decided to stop for an ice-cream.

"Chocolate," Remus said quietly to the server. Harry nodded for the same and as they sat down he muttered, "Just my family for my birthday, that's all I need."

Remus didn't reply, but he reached forward and grabbed Harry's hand, giving it a quick squeeze and dropping it again.

Harry sat in his room reading when they returned from Diagon Alley. Snape had a tendency to give him Potions work in the holidays, and just because his seventh year hadn't started he saw no reason to stop this trend.

Sirius stopped in the doorway but, seeing his godson absorbed in a book, his hair in his eyes, he moved on. "Remus," he whispered, passing the werewolf in a corridor, "where is Sev and Luc?"

"Lucius hates it when you call him that. Seriously, unlike our dear friend Severus." Remus answered. Sirius grinned. "Let's find them."

Remus closed his eyes. "I think they are upstairs." He said at last. He opened his eyes. "Can you hear that? I think they've started without us."

Sirius laughed and transformed, bounding up the stairs in his black dog from. Remus followed slower and entered the main bedroom, where Severus and Lucius had indeed, started without them.

"Hey!" Remus protested, as he watched Sirius, a man again, pull Lucius to the edge of the bed, capturing his mouth in a kiss.

"Come here wolf, and stop complaining." Severus's eyes as always were looking away from whom he was talking to, but his long pale fingers fastened onto Remus' robes easily enough, pulling at the buttons skillfully.

Remus closed his eyes, and stopped thinking. Only feeling. And as his skilful lover continued, even the little voice that kept saying Harry's name was almost silenced.

You read it, now maybe you could review?

Next chapter: Harry's birthday is a day away, but he runs anyway.