Jimmy awoke in a bed in the Hospital Wing. He looked around to see his father sleeping in a nearby chair.
"Daddy?"
Snape jerked awake and smiled at his son.
"How are you feeling, munchkin?"
"Better."
He kissed the boy's forehead.
"Good. Poppy said you'll be out of here by lunchtime today."
Several students were relieved to see Jimmy at his father's side at lunch. Snape caught Umbridge leering at his son.
"Jimmy, why don't you go sit with Grandpa Albus and Aunt Minnie?"
"Okay, Daddy."
The boy rather happily trotted over to Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall. Dumbledore smiled warmly and scooped the child up into his lap. Jimmy giggled as his grandfather cuddled him briefly. He loved the Headmaster's cuddles and soaked up the old man's affection.
Christmas time finally came, and Harry, Draco, Ron, Fred, George, and Jimmy went to Grimmauld Place to celebrate. Harry was able to convince Lucius to read the muggle story The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve before they went to bed. Jimmy was snuggled happily in his uncle's lap as the blond read the story.
"Uncle Lucius! Aunt Cissy! Wake up! It's Christmas!" Jimmy squealed early the next morning, running into the elder Malfoys' room.
"Sweetheart, it's early yet," Narcissa said.
Lucius ignored his nephew and rolled over onto his stomach with a groan, burying his head under his pillow. The boy refused to be ignored and leaped onto the bed and onto the man's back. He grunted but refused to move. He was warm, comfortable, and it was too early to get up yet.
"Uncle Lucius," the tyke whined.
His response was to hold the pillow tighter over his head in an attempt to block out the little voice that begged for his attention.
"Uncle."
"It's too early," he mumbled.
"But... it's Christmas."
His heart broke at the sad voice. He sighed, removed his head from under his pillow, and looked at the boy.
"I'll tell you what, go back to sleep for another hour, then we'll get up."
Jimmy perked up and settled between his aunt and uncle, falling back asleep. Lucius was soon asleep himself. Narcissa smiled, staying awake for a few moments. Her husband loved the boy and hated to see him upset in any way. She gave each a kiss on the forehead and drifted off.
Draco and Harry wandered from their shared room about an hour and a half, yawning.
"My guess is Jimmy went to wake Mum and Dad like he did at the Manor last year."
They went to Lucius and Nacrissa's room and smiled. Jimmy lay between the elder Malfoys, snuggled firmly against Lucius' chest.
"Awww," Harry said.
Draco snickered softly. Harry was thinking how cute the scene was while Draco was thinking about how much blackmail and embarrassment material there was against his father. How he wished he had his camera on him to take pictures of the scene to use later against his father. Lucius had so much humiliating things to blackmail him with it wasn't even funny, and, finally, here was an opportunity to get back at his father, even just a little.
"I'll be right back. Don't wake them up," he whispered to Harry.
He quietly hurried to their room then returned with his camera.
"What are you doing, Draco?"
"What does it look like? I'm taking pictures to later embarrass or blackmail my father like he's done to me, more times than I'd like to admit."
The Gryffindor smiled, and the blond began taking pictures. He had taken about six pictures when Jimmy began to stir. Being snuggled up against Lucius, his stirring in turn caused the Malfoy patriarch to began to stir. Draco quickly snapped one final picture then shrunk the camera and put it in his pajama shirt pocket.
"Morning," he and Harry said together, walking into the bedroom as Narcissa also stirred.
The three sat up, Jimmy yawned, Narcissa rubbed her eyes, and Lucius stretched, a few joints popping and cracking softly. Jimmy got off the bed and hugged his brother and cousin.
"Merry Christmas!" he beamed, quickly awake.
"Merry Christmas," they answered.
Lucius yawned as he stood up, stretching once more.
"Good morning, boys."
"Morning, Father/Uncle Lucius," came the chorused reply.
He chuckled and disappeared into the bathroom. Narcissa got up and kissed the teens on their foreheads. Though they groaned, both kissed her on the cheeks in return.
"Come on, Jimmy, lets go see what Mrs. Weasley is making for breakfast."
The three boys left room, heading for the kitchen. They met Sirius and Remus in the hall.
"Morning, pups," Sirius greeted them, still a little sleepy.
"Morning."
Jimmy gave each man a hug, and then Harry and Draco hugged them as well, though Draco was a little hesitant about hugging Remus, though if the werewolf noticed he didn't say anything about it.
The wonderful smell of bacon and sausage reached them, and they went into the kitchen. They were soon joined by Lucius, Narcissa, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and, to everyone's joy, Mr. Weasley, who had been attacked a few weeks earlier by Voldemort's snake, Nagini, while on patrol duty in the Department of Mysteries.
"Good to have you back, Arthur."
Mr. Weasley, though still looking a little worse for the wear, smiled.
"It's good to be back, Lucius."
Most, if not all, of the anger and distrust between the two men was gone, and they had become rather good friends. After they had all eaten, Mr. Weasley raised his glass.
"A toast, to Harry Potter, without whom I would not be here."
Everyone raised their glasses.
"To Harry," they all said.
Harry blushed, sinking a little in his seat next to Draco but smiled when Jimmy hugged him. Later, after everyone had opened their presents, Harry, Draco, Ron, Fred, and George were in the living room playing with Jimmy with his new blocks and figures he had gotten. Mrs. Weasley, Narcissa, Hermione, and Ginny were cleaning up in the kitchen. Meanwhile Lucius, Sirius, Remus, and Mr. Weasley stood in the room with Sirius' family tree, discussing Harry.
"If what he said was true, and he was the snake in his vision, then it's just as we feared," Remus asked worriedly.
"If it is, what do we do?" asked Mr. Weasley.
"I don't know if there's anything we can do."
Sirius turned on the werewolf.
"How can you say that, Remus?" he hissed angrily.
"Wait a minute before you lose your temper, Sirius. I was only saying-"
"Saying what? That you don't think we can help him?"
Lucius put a calming hand on his cousin's shoulder.
"Take it easy, Sirius. None of us want to see anything happen to Harry anymore than you do, but Remus is right. There's nothing you can do."
The Animagus rounded on the blond, his eyes flashing.
"What?!"
He held up a hand as if to ward off an attack.
"Now hold on. I said that there is nothing you can do."
"What do you mean, Lucius?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"If this is indeed what we fear, then Harry needs to learn to control and shield his mind. He needs to learn Occlumency."
Remus was now nodding, starting to catch on to the elder Malfoy's train of thought.
"I am skilled in Occlumency and can help him understand how to shield his mind or present false or changed memories while hiding or disguising the real ones. However, I cannot, or at least not very well, help him actually do so while under Legilimency, but Severus can."
"So you're saying that Severus should teach Harry Occlumency?"
Lucius nodded.
"That's exactly what I'm saying, Remus. Severus can teach and test him, and while he's here or talking with us using the Floo, I can, hopefully, help him understand some things about it better and give him tips on how to be better at it. It's our best choice."
Sirius frowned. Though he was grateful that Snape had gotten Harry away from his awful relatives, he still wasn't too fond of him being Harry's new father. Despite having saved Jimmy those months ago, things between him and the potions master were still strained and tense.
"What about Dumbledore? Why don't we ask him to teach Harry?"
"First, because Severus is Harry's father."
Sirius scowled at this, but Lucius ignored it.
"Second, because if the Dark Lord discovers the link between him and Harry before he is strong enough to block his mind or tamper with his memories so he won't seen the true ones, it will give him access to Dumbledore, which will make him all the more tempted to posses Harry. Since he believes Severus is still loyal to him, if he discovers the link early on, he may not be as tempted."
Remus and Mr. Weasley nodded in understanding and agreement, but Sirius wasn't going to give up just yet.
"But Harry's still around Dumbledore, so I don't think it would really make that much of a difference."
The other three man gave him stern looks.
"Actually, he's not, Sirius. Dumbledore is aware, or at least suspicious, of the link between Harry and the Dark Lord and thus is avoiding Harry to hopefully make sure that Voldemort won't be as tempted when he discovers link as he would be if Harry were close to Dumbledore," Lucius said.
His cousin sighed and finally gave up.
"You're right. You're right."
"I'll Floo Severus and see what he thinks," Remus said.
"And I'll go check on the boys."
Remus and Mr. Weasley left the room, leaving Lucius and Sirius alone.
"Sirius, I know you and Severus still have your problems, but please at least understand that he loves Harry as if he were his own, just as he loves Jimmy. He will do everything he possibly can to protect him."
The young man sighed once more and nodded.
"Yeah I know. I'm not proud of how I treated him in school, but whenever we're around each other we taunt each other and fight."
Lucius put a hand on his shoulder.
"You tormented Severus for no other reason other than the fact that he existed and was different, even at Hogwarts, and you did so for seven years. Severus is not the kind of man to let something like that go very easily, not even after all these years, though we all wish he would. However, things have been slightly better between the two of you since you rescued Jimmy."
Sirius snorted.
"Yeah, emphasis on 'slightly'. He always picks a fight."
The blond made him look at him.
"He's not the only one at fault when you two start. You jump at the moment he makes one little insult and are always so determined to have the last say that you take it too far without even realizing it. I've seen you two go at it, and you often times strike a nerve for him. So even now, though you may not be aware of it, you continue to hurt him."
The man's face fell.
"You don't have to attack him back."
"I've tried ignoring him, but he just taunts me about that then."
Lucius sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache starting to come on.
"Sirius, I never said you had to ignore him. Try to actually be nice to him. In other words; don't insult him back. You're on the same side, and you guys can't be fighting all the time over an old school grudge."
He sighed and nodded.
"All right. I'll try."
Lucius smiled, patted his shoulder, and left to see if the girls needed any help in the kitchen. On his way there he ran into Remus.
"Oh, Lucius, good, I was just on my way to see you."
"Did you talk to Severus?"
The werewolf nodded.
"Yes. He said if Dumbledore agrees he'll start teaching Harry once he's back at Hogwarts."
"Good. I'm going to see if the girls need any help, so wait for Severus to reply. If they don't need help I'll join you, or if they do I'll join you once I'm done."
"All right."
Remus headed back to the parlor, where the fireplace was, and Lucius went into the kitchen.
"Need any help?"
"Oh, that would be wonderful. Perhaps you could help Hermione with the dishes," Molly said.
He nodded and went to the sink. Hermione smiled at him, and he smiled back.
"Well, Miss Ganger, what would you like me to do?"
"I would like you to call me Hermione."
He chuckled.
"Very well, Hermione. What would you like me to do to help you with the dishes?"
"Could you wash and rinse while I dry and put them away? That's what Ginny was doing, but she took a break to see what the boys are doing."
"Of course."
He rolled up his sleeves and began washing the dishes. After a few minutes, when Hermione was coming back to dry the next set of dishes he playfully splashed her.
"Ah!" she squealed.
He chuckled, and she glared at him.
"That wasn't funny!"
"I beg to differ," he replied with a smirk.
Hermione scowled at him, grabbed her wand, and cast a spell at him. The next thing Lucius knew he was wearing a pink apron with a large heart on the front that read, 'Kiss the Cook'. He tried to take it off, but it wouldn't budge. Hermione smiled and began drying the dishes and putting them away. Giving up on the apron, Lucius continued washing the dishes until they were all done.
"All right, you win. I'm sorry I splashed you. Will you please get rid of this thing?"
"Oh, all right."
With a wave of her wand, the apron was gone.
"Thank you."
Lucius then went to check on the boys just as Ginny was coming back. Finally, it was time for Harry, Draco, Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny to go back to Hogwarts. Harry had been informed that upon his return his father would be teaching him Occlumency. He wasn't entirely sure what these lessons would consist of, but he was sure they would be interesting.