Your patience is so appreciated as is the reviews. I hope this chapter satisfies you for a time. I think the next chapter will skip to the custody hearing. Enjoy!

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Chapter 11: Living at Star Cottage

Harry woke up the next morning to the sounds of Severus screaming at his niece. Quickly getting dressed he went downstairs to find the Professor looking ready to kill… the little six-year-old.

"It's not fair. I don't want to share my room with Cleo! I want my own room."

"You can't have it your way. We only have four rooms and Harry is older so he needs his own room," Severus replied angrily.

"I'm older too!!! Make Cleo sleep with you or those old people," the girl pouted.

"Young lady you will respect the Professors and you will share a room with your sister and that's it!" Severus snapped, "Now go play outside."

The girl crossed her arms and stamped her foot glaring at him. Harry saw Snape cross his arms and give his signature professor glare. The two stayed that way a while before Nefertiti stuck her tongue out at her uncle and stomped out the back door.

"Uh…morning professor," Harry greeted walking down the rest of the stairs.

"Harry," Severus nodded, "Alisia has a plate for you in the kitchen. I'll be in the lab the rest of the day so don't go into the basement."

"Yes sir. Sir…where's everyone else?" Harry asked pausing at the kitchen door.

"Albus had a ministry meeting and Minerva and Alisia are out by the barn," Severus answered before disappearing into the cellar.

The house was two floors with a large basement they used as a potions lab. The first floor had a small library, a bathroom, large kitchen/ dining room, and a sitting room. The second floor held a bathroom, three guest rooms, and a master bed room with its own bathroom. Most of the house was decorated in silvers and burgundy; a compromise of the couple that lived there.

The kitchen was a cherry wood with black furnishings. Harry found a plate of eggs, toast, and bacon in the oven for him. He ate quietly thinking on all he had learned so far.

Okay so in just a few short days I have to decide if I want to live with the Weasleys, my grandparents, or Aunt and Uncle. The Weasleys have been so great and all. They really are like second parents. Then there are the Professors; aka my grandparents. I may not have spent a lot of time with them as a grandson but they have been great professors and they always look out for me.

And of course there's Alisia. She's my aunt for Pete's Sake! But I don't really know anything about her. I guess knowing more would help me decide. I mean after all she did marry Snape…and he seems all right around her. Maybe there's something here.

So with these thoughts he finished breakfast and stepped out of the kitchen door to the backyard. He saw Nefertiti and Cleopatra playing on a swing set that was set up and Brian the dog in his doghouse chewing on a large bone. He walked around the side of the house to the brown barn. As he approached the large double doors he could hear the unmistakable tones of his head of house.

"I'm telling you Alisia I'm fine. I do not need my daughter; who I remind you is pregnant with my second grandchild, to tell me how I feel. I'm nearly 80 years old I think I know when I'm overexerting myself," Minerva snapped irritably.

"And need I remind you I am one of the youngest healers and potions mistresses to come out of Nectar Medical University so I believe I know exactly what someone of your age is capable of and what she should and should not be doing. And as I also know perfectly well what someone my age and level of pregnancy should be doing I too know I am not over exerting myself," Alisia's muffled voice quipped.

Harry entered the barn to find his Transfiguration Professor sitting on top of an old work table looking rather annoyed at the old black 1943 Rolls Royce.

He still found it odd she seemed so …relaxed and normal when not at school. Today Minerva was wearing blue jean Capri pants and a red button up blouse with a pair of Keds and her hair was in a tight braid.

"Good morning Pro…grandma," Harry greeted walking up to her and hopping up on the table by her. The table creaked a bit at first but then was fine.

"Good morning Harry. Sleep well?" Minerva greeted pleasantly.

"I did," Harry nodded, "Um forgive me but what and who exactly were you arguing with?"

"Alisia," Minerva nodded to the car. Harry looked confused before he noticed the purple tennis shoes paired with bright lime green socks.

"Oh morning Aunt Lis," Harry greeted. For some reason he found calling her by that title very easy.

"Morning Harry hope you enjoyed the food," Alisia greeted a little muffled from under the car.

"It was good," Harry replied.

"Good, good. Mama give me a 3/16ths please," Alisia called.

"A what?" Minerva asked looking at the tool box by her.

"Uh Gran I think she means that wrench on the top," Harry said pointing to a tool on the top rack of the box.

"Oh thank you Harry," Minerva smiled and levitated the wrench up under the car.

"So she's married to Sna…prof…ugh Uncle Severus…man this is hard," Harry sighed.

"Just call us what ever you want," Minerva smiled.

"Okay so she's married to Professor Snape, she's a potions mistress, a healer, yours and Professor Dumbledore's daughter, she's absolutely beautiful, and she knows about cars. Is that it?" Harry asked.

"Not even half," Albus laughed entering the barn. He walked over to Minerva and kissed her sweetly on the lips.

"You think I'm beautiful?" Alisia asked as she came out from underneath the car.

She had a few grease and oil smears on her face and arms but her green eyes still sparkled. Her auburn hair was in two low pigtails and she wore black short shorts with a yellow baby t-shirt that read: I'm a Witch.

"Uh yeah. You know you really are like half the headmaster and half Professor McGonagall," he said laughing at her ensemble.

Alisia blinked and looked down at herself and then back to Harry. "Well maybe I don't match but I'm at home so it doesn't matter," Alisia shrugged reaching past him for a rag to wipe the grease off of herself.

"True," Harry nodded, "so what else is there to know about you?"

"I'll tell you anything you want to know," she replied putting away her tools.

"So what house were you in at school?" Harry asked deciding to start off simple.

"Ravenclaw," she answered.

"Uh…oh okay so you're a healer and potions mistress which means you're rather smart right?"

"All Os in my OWLS and NEWTS."

"When did you and dad find out you were related?"

"My first year…his second or third I think. Ah memories; called into the headmaster's office twenty minutes before curfew and told my aunt is indeed my aunt and I was taken from my mother for my protection and the leader of the already infamous marauders is my big brother. Oh I slept so well that night," Alisia said sarcastically as she returned from putting up her tools and things.

Harry had to laugh at her sense of humor. "So were you angry at first?"

"More like…and this is a reenactment…BLOODY HELL!!" Alisia exclaimed as her green eyes darted between the two professors before falling backward in a dead faint.

"Seeing it now it's rather amusing," Albus chuckled leaning on the table by Minerva. "Have you ever thought of acting?"

Alisia sat up brushing the sawdust and hay from her clothes and hair. "Acting gets rather boring after awhile. I prefer to live in my own fantasy world and be overly dramatic to see everyone else's reactions," she said lightly.

Minerva merely rolled her eyes and Harry laughed. He thankfully seemed able to do that a lot lately.

"Come on Harry. You and I will take a walk into the village for some groceries and leave the Professors with the little ones," Alisia grinned.

"Okay…are you going to change?" he asked eyeing her attire again.

"Certainly. Wouldn't want to embarrass my teenaged nephew would I?" she said pinching his cheek lightly.

Twenty minutes later Harry found himself walking down a street in a pleasant little village. Beside him was Alisia looking perfectly muggle. Her hair was now in a curly bun and she was dressed in a blue jean skirt with a brown tank top and matching flip flops.

"So were you close to my dad and the others?" Harry asked looking at some of the people passing by. A few greeted Alisia by name and she greeted back.

"Not particularly. He was older and had his friends; I had my books and Aunt Arabella's cats. But we weren't hateful to each other or our parents we were just different," she explained.

"Oh," he sighed.

"I can tell you though that while he was a complete jerk to Severus and other Slytherins…he did have his merits. He was one of the few that were ever kind to Remus and Sirius considering their histories. And he was even decent to Peter…in hindsight he might have been better off without him," she said a little bitterly. Harry nodded in agreement.

"If you like I'll show you some memories of James and Lily. One in particular was about two years before you were born. They came to Aunt Bella's and whisked me off to Cornwall were we had a delightful summer. Just us and the marauders," she smiled, "perhaps Severus and I could do the same for you and your friends one day."

"That would be cool," Harry nodded as they entered the grocery store. As they walked through the store gathering this and that the conversation continued although interrupted a bit by locals greeting Alisia.

"You seem pretty well known around here," Harry stated.

"Well I may be a doctor of sorts but I suppose to a farm village delivering twin foals ranks higher than curing chicken pox," Alisia laughed.

"Come again," Harry asked.

"I'm a homemaker but I will occasionally be called on the villagers as a sort of vet. I also fill in when the muggle doctor isn't able to," she explained, "Do you like asparagus?"

"Not really."

"Moving on then," she smiled gathering some other fruits and vegetables.

"Were you ever a prefect or head girl when you were at school? What about Quidditch?" he asked as she was looking at some prime roast cuts.

"Um I was a prefect; never head girl though. I played chaser but was a reserved seeker; I was a Capitan too. Actually my seventh year we won the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup…ah mother's face was priceless," Alisia sighed looking to the ceiling.

"Reserved Seeker…so how many times did you actually get to look for the snitch?" Harry asked.

"Quite a lot actually. Our seeker was bullocks and normally got knocked out half way through the game," she smiled.

Harry nodded in understanding. "Do you take more after Gran or Grandpa?" he suddenly asked.

"James always said I was too much like mum for my own good. Apparently I did not like being made the butt of his pranks," she smirked with a twinkle in her eye, "Then again James had a little too much of mother as well…only he was more Hogwarts Student Minerva while I was Hogwarts Professor Minerva."

"You mean to tell me she was a prankster in school?" Harry asked disbelievingly.

"Most of the school rules were written after she graduated," Alisia said picking out some chips and drinks, "She even killed a professor."

"She what!?"

"Well technically he had a heart attack…but she conjured the goblin battle that gave it to him. Dad says it was the most complicated charm and transfiguration work that she only lost 100 points and two weeks detention with him. Besides that it's not like the man left so they could miss him…and in the end the fact he was dead didn't even help with his classes," she shrugged as they got into the check out line.

Harry thought about this while the cashier rang them up. "It was Professor Binns wasn't it?" Harry asked.

"Very good," she laughed handing over the money.

"My, my Alisia is this the nephew we hear Severus grumbling about?" The cashier asked looking up at the two. She was about Alisia's age with blonde hair and hazel eyes.

"Yes Millicent this is Harry," Alisia nodded.

"Hello," Harry greeted.

"You don't look like an arrogant attention seeker. You must take after your grandparents," the woman said.

"Sorry?" Harry asked.

"She means to say that she can not see either mine or your father's ego on you about doing things," Alisia replied.

The cashier nodded adding, "I always thought it was funny Severus denies his wife is anything like his brother-in-law. They really are one in the same."

"Thank you Millicent. See you later," Alisia smiled as she and Harry grabbed the bags and headed out the door.

The two were just outside of the village on their way back to the cottage when they came upon an old 1957 truck. Smoke was emanating from the hood and a man was seen hunched over it. Two young girls; of about eight and ten, stood by the truck. The youngest was a girl with blonde girls and green eyes; she spotted the two and waved at them smiling.

"Oh Ms. Alisia! Ms. Alisia it's me Carrie!" the child replied running up to Harry and his Aunt.

"Yes Carrie dear I did notice it was you. Have you been practicing? You do have a class tomorrow do you not?" Alisia asked eyeing the young child.

"I do ma'am and I have. But Ms. Alisia do you really have to go to that big school and teach with your husband? Why can't you stay here?" Carrie asked as they stood by the truck that was no longer smoking although the man working on it was constantly mumbling angrily.

"I must go. But Mrs. Bloom will take over till I return. It will only be for a little while I assure you," Alisia smiled, "Now what's the trouble here?"

"The truck has copped out on dad again," said the eldest. She was tall and willowy with strawberry curls and blue eyes.

"Debra go and crank the car," the man said looking up. The girl nodded and walked around to the driver's side and cranked the car a bit but nothing happened.

"Damn," the man cursed.

"Mr. Connelly why not let me have a look?" Alisia suggested pleasantly.

"I do not need a woman…particularly a music mistress to fix my engine," the man snapped.

"Oh daddy give her a chance please? I'm sure mummy is already frantic," Debra sighed.

Harry looked at this oddly as Alisia just stood their smiling even though the man insulted her. Eventually the man had to give in and stepped aside.

Mr. Connelly was embarrassed beyond belief, it was safe to say, when Alisia managed to have the truck up and running in fifteen minutes.

"Bye girls. See you in the morning," Alisia called as she and Harry continued down the rode.

"You teach music?" Harry asked.

"Music and voice in the village. Harry I get very bored ten months of the year and I'm far too extroverted to be a hermit," Alisia laughed.

"Is there anything special you want for dinner?" she asked as the cottage came into view.

"Hamburgers?" Harry asked.

"Did you want me to grill or Severus?" Alisia asked entering the house.

"What's safer?" Harry asked helping unload the groceries.

"On a grill? I'd have to say me but if you want the French fry things then you'll want Severus to work the deep fryer," she said.

"All right then," Harry nodded.

"Good. Well go and find your grandparents and I'll pull Severus away from his potions," she smiled and walked to the basement door. Harry went outside.