Harry woke on the morning of his birthday, grinning to himself to see Hedwig holding letters from his friends.

Ron, Hermione, even Neville had written him something, and he reached for the first one, even though it was not yet 6.

Dear Harry,

How are you?

Happy 17th Harry!

I hope you are having a great time with your family (although I still find it hard to believe that I am including Snape and Mr Malfoy in your family but whatever.)

My grandmother is taking me out to see some of our relatives, so I'll have to cut this short, have a great birthday Harry, May vestri vinculum exsisto eternus , quod veneficus nunquam lost.

Your friend,

Neville.

Harry finished, and smiled happily. I think this is going to be my best birthday. He thought contentedly, starting to get dressed. Sirius, Remus, Severus, Lucius…I have a real family for my birthday, and I have friends who think of me though they are not here.

He glanced back at the paper. Latin, of course, like the school motto. But what does it mean?

Harry shrugged. "Happy birthday in Latin I would presume" he muttered, slipping on a black jumper over his red t-shirt. It was still far too early to be up, Harry reflected as he brushed his teeth, and when he headed downstairs, he assumed no-one would be there.

Pushing open the door to the kitchen, he saw he was wrong.

Severus sat at the kitchen table, the early morning sun falling on his serious face.

He looked different in the early morning light. Peacefully reading the paper with his free hand, whilst sipping at a sugary coffee, he barely resembled the potions master Harry remembered.

Harry glanced at the clock. It was six am, the sun barely up. He paused in the doorway; certain Severus knew he was there. He was half right. The professor put down his coffee and said "Who's that?"

Harry went forward timidly, heart sounding in his ears. He laid a hand gently on the man's shoulder; his tongue seemed to swell until he couldn't talk.

Severus frowned, raised his hand and touched Harry's hair gently.

"Sirius? You are up early."

Harry swallowed hard. Slowly, carefully, he turned the blind man's head towards him. Severus looked confused, but slightly pleased. He smirked. "Very well dogboy, interrupt my reading for your ridiculousness." Harry smothered a grin, and let out a laugh despite his sudden tension. Snape's smirk faltered somewhat. "That is you isn't it?"

Harry stared at him, feeling a rush of guilt overwhelmed by another emotion as he pulled Severus close, kissing him gently.

For a few glorious seconds they kissed, the boy standing, the man sitting, hands reaching towards him. Harry closed his eyes, forgot that he was not Sirius, and forgot that he was just this man's charge.

A door swung open behind them.

"Harry!" shock and indignation.

Harry jumped like he'd been struck by lightning, turning to face Remus, eyes wide.

"Harry?" anger laced the Potions Master's tone and he stood up. "What's going on?"
Harry looked from one man to the other, to the surprised face of the werewolf, and then back to Severus who looked hurt and angry.

Remus stepped forward. "I think we need to talk about this."

The door opened again, Sirius and Lucius entered together, the wild haired Gryffindor grinning widely and opening his arms for a hug. "Happy Birthday Harry!" he said cheerfully.

Harry turned and bolted through the rooms of his house. The angry and hurt look on Severus' face, the shock on Remus' face- it wasn't possible.

He ran to the fireplace in the dining room, grabbed a handful of floo powder and said, softly so that the rapidly pursuing Sirius could not hear him, "Diagon Alley."

"Shit. Shit. Shit. I knew this would happen!"

Harry talked to himself as he walked quickly down the alley, ignoring odd looks from passers-by. "How could you do that? It's disgusting! He's, I mean, he's Snape! He's with my godfather!"

"And then running away! Like a coward!"

Harry glanced around, making sure there was no one he knew in sight and slipped down the next alleyway, off the busy Diagon Alley. He walked slowly in the dimmed light, looking for somewhere to sit, and soon found an empty alcove to sit in. It was still early, Harry'd forgotten, and there was no one in sight. The stone underneath him was chilling.

"Happy birthday Harry." He muttered despondently.

"What happened Severus?" Lucius asked, calmest of them all.

Sirius was pacing furiously, stopping to rail at Remus who had forbidden him from searching for Harry. "He is 17 today, he will be okay. I'm sure he will come back. By 10 at least."

"Be quiet all of you, we are trying to talk."

"Well Severus?" Lucius asked quietly, a smile playing on his lips.

Snape looked up, a scowl fixed on his face. He dropped the book he had had been reading, trying determinedly to ignore the chaos.

"I was reading the paper. I thought he was that ridiculous cur," he said, gesturing towards Sirius who had quieted to hear this, "and we were..." he coughed and looked faintly embarrassed, "As Remus saw us, and his outcry alerted me to the fact that it wasn't Sirius. Although I should have known, as there is no way Black could ever stay that quiet."
"You didn't check?" Lucius asked him, amusement colouring his voice.

"I don't use Legilemency for everything." Snape replied, sounding slightly insulted. "Honestly, it didn't occur to me that Mr Potter would try something like that. And," he began, looking embarrassed again, "If it wasn't Black, then it would have been one of you."

All three men smiled at their partner as he sat at the table.

And the room was still for a moment.

"So what do we do now?" Remus asked quietly.

Instinctively, they all turned to Lucius, who raised an eyebrow at them, and then splayed his hands pacifically. "We will discover everything on the hour in which Mr Potter turns 17. You know this, or you should. Do you not remember the second you turned 17?"

Remus and Sirius shook their heads, but Severus nodded slightly.

"You were with us when you turned 17!" Sirius protested.

Severus smirked. "Yes, on my birthday. But I was not born at the stroke of midnight and so the actual magic did not show itself until the precise hour."

"When was that?" Remus asked.

"Something you never researched Moony?" Severus teased, secretly revelling in the freedom he had to use the other man's nickname so openly.

Remus rolled his eyes.

"It was 10 o'clock that night, ten oh eight to be precise" Severus said slowly, Sirius eyeing Lucius who was starting to grin.

"But," the sombre man continued "I think this is a conversation best saved for when Harry comes back."

The three seeing men nodded at each other, and Severus stood up.

"I am going to get dressed." He said calmly. "Then we must wait."

Sirius stood up. "Fuck waiting. I'm going to go find him!"

Midday

Harry walked back down Knockturn Alley.

"Yeah maybe it's stupid to come back here, but better than having to stop and talk to every passer-by in Diagon Alley" he muttered. His head had become, if anything more confused. All he had to do was close his eyes for half a second and he could taste Professor Snape on his tongue, feel the warmth of Remus's hands, see the sparkle in Sirius's eyes…and picture the pale muscular chest of Lucius Malfoy.

He buried his face in his hands, feeling tears start. This is wrong. They'd hate you if they knew. They do know. The look on Remus' face, the hurt on Professor Snape's…

Harry swallowed. I am 17 today. I am an adult. I am strong. I am-

Pain. Darkness.

Severus leapt up from his chair, grabbing for his wand. "He's in trouble." He said flatly.

Lucius looked up sharply, eyes narrowed. "Where is he?" he asked.

"I can't feel him like that. It's not the hour." Severus replied, baffling Remus who looked from one to the other uncomprehendingly.

Sirius however, nodded. "I think I remember something..." he mused. "But why can't we feel him at all, why just you?"
Remus asked sadly, "Is he only linked with you?"
Lucius shot him a significant look.

"No" Severus said firmly. "It's because I'm the only one Harry's ever…ever kissed I suppose." He said grudgingly, too stiff and embarrassed to talk about love, then he stopped mid sentence. His eyes widened and he strained to see through the blackness.

"Please, he's scared."