Chapter Sixty-nine;

After Severus and Sirius both got ready, they woke Aidan up and got him dressed – in Gryffindor colors – Sirius made sure to point out before leaving, Severus holding Aidan up as he refused to let Sirius hold him. Together the three walked to Hogsmeade, going into the Three Broomsticks for lunch. Severus put Sirius in a chair with a small sitting stool on it so he could reach the table and Severus sat next to him while Sirius sat across from him. Sirius gave Aidan a smile and rested his chin in his palm, staring at Aidan. Aidan glared when Severus wasn't looking and when he did Aidan's expression turned to a small smile.

"What do you want to eat, Aidan?" Severus asked.

"Um… fruit pie!" Aidan beamed.

"Aidan, that's something you get after the main course." Severus sighed.

"Cheeseburger…" Aidan crossed his arms.

"Aidan, no. Pick something healthier…"

"Oh, let him have a cheeseburger, Sev." Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I don't even think they have cheeseburgers here! I said no, Aidan, you'll have some soup."

Aidan pouted a bit before nodding. "Yes, papa."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "The kid doesn't have to eat healthy every meal… soup isn't even really food, it doesn't fill you up."

"It'll do until dinner." Severus claimed.

"Alright…" Sirius muttered, leaning over and kissing Severus' lips. He smiled when Severus reciprocated, and then pulled away to see a glaring Aidan.

"Papa! Kiss?" Aidan asked. Severus leaned over and placed a kiss to his forehead, and Aidan stuck his tongue out at Sirius, curling his lips into a smirk.

Sirius rolled his eyes at their son, leaning over the table and placing a kiss to Aidan's forehead; Aidan glared and crossed his arms. Sirius claimed his seat again and nodded to Severus who stood up and went to order their food and drinks. Sirius and Aidan were left alone, both glaring at each other – though Sirius was just doing it to get on Aidan's nerves, which was working as Aidan was clenching his fists tightly together.

"When we get back do you want to go for a swim in the lake?" Sirius asked.

"Papa said that isn't safe."

"It's safe with me, I'm your Father, I won't let anything happ—"

"You broke my nose."

"That was an accident, Aid—"

"No it wasn't."

"Uh… what?"

"It wasn't an accident."

"Yes it was, Aidan."

"You're lying."

"Why would I want to hurt you?"

"To get rid of me…"

Sirius blinked in confusion. "Why would I want to get rid of you?"

"Because…"

"Because why?"

Aidan crossed his arms. "Because since I got adopted you two fight a lot."

"Oh, we don't fight, that big argument when you two left was a big misunderstanding."

"I'm not talking about that!" Aidan hissed.

"Then what?"

"You've fought more than six times… I've only been here for nine days!"

Sirius sighed. "Aidan… we fight anyway, even before we adopted you. I'm sorry, none of our fights are your fault, okay?"

Aidan looked down. "Okay…" He muttered under his breath, fiddling with his hands in his lap.

Sirius sighed and stood out of his seat. "Come here." He ordered, holding his arms out to pick Aidan up out of his seat and bring him over the table to sit in his lap, wrapping his arms around his son and holding him close. "We both love you; you're not going anywhere, okay? Your /our/ son now." He cooed, resting his head on Aidan's.

Aidan pulled back and smiled, rubbing at his nose. "You promise?"

"Of course I do." Sirius assured, ruffling Aidan's long hair. "We need to get your hair cut. You look too much like Severus."

Aidan laughed, putting his hands on his head. "No. I like my hair!"

"Fine, fine." Sirius said, kissing his nose. "So, swimming after lunch?"

"But papa said—"

"We won't tell him then. C'mon, we're both Gryffindors. We don't need a Slytherin's permission." Sirius smirked.

"Gryffindor? But papa said I'm a Slyth—"

"Pfft, Gryffindor all the way. It's the best house."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Can… can we do my room in Gryffindor?"

Sirius beamed. "Of course we can! But we'll have to wait on a day that Severus isn't home."

Aidan nodded. "Okay! Oh, and Daddy?"

"Yes, love?"

"C-can I still join a baseball team?"

Sirius chuckled, leaning his forehead on Aidan's. "Of course you can."

Aidan grinned, and turned in Sirius' lap, leaning back against him as they waited for Severus to bring back their food. When he did, they silently ate, both ignoring the look they kept getting from Severus as he tried to figure out how they made up so fast. After lunch, and Aidan stealing a few bites of Sirius' meat pie when Severus wasn't looking, the three left and headed back towards Hogwarts. Aidan was hanging onto Sirius, and the whole trip they were both snickering to each other, and receiving glares from Severus.

When they approached the Lake, Severus finally huffed. "What are you two laughing about?"

"Nothing, papa." Aidan smirked.

"… Sirius, by Merlin I swear if you are planning some sort of prank and being a bad influence on Aidan, I will—"

"We're not, love. Trust me." Sirius responded, smirking at Aidan.

"Then I demand you tell me why you two keep giggling!" Severus fumed.

"You really want to know?" Sirius asked.

"Of course I do, you dolt!" Severus glared.

"Alright, Aidan, let's show him." Sirius said as he put Aidan on the ground.

Aidan smiled and leaned over to pull his shirt over his head, Severus' eyebrow quirked at the act. Aidan tossed his shirt on the ground and ran as fast as he could towards the Lake, followed by Sirius who had turned into a dog and raced his son towards the Lake. They both jumped in and began to splash one another, ignoring the at first widening of Severus' eyes and then the glare with anger in them. He stomped over towards the lake and crossed his arms.

Severus growled. "Sirius! He is going to get sick! It is still practically winter!"

Sirius barked and jumped around in the lake, Aidan giggled. "It's not cold, papa!"

"Yes it is! I demand you get out of there! There are merpeople and a squid roaming in those waters!"

"We're in the shadow, papa!" Aidan argued, crossing his arms and then bellowing out laughter when Sirius turned back into a human, pulling his soaked shirt off and tossed it onto the shore, picking up Aidan and walking out until he was where while standing the water stopped at his shoulders, holding Aidan up.

Severus growled and turned on his heel, storming up to the castle, still being ignored by the two. "So, Aidan, do you know how to swim?" Sirius asked, smiling.

Aidan widened his eyes and shook his head. "No."

"Alright, I'll teach you, okay?" Sirius asked, holding Aidan out. "Spread your arms and move them like this—" He paused to move the one arm that wasn't holding Aidan up in the motion of a doggy paddle.

Aidan smiled. "Okay." He muttered, moving both his hands in that motion, when Sirius completely let go, Aidan began to kick his feet, and even though he went under a few times – each time being brought back up by Sirius – he got the hang of it, doggy paddling around Sirius.

Sirius turned into a dog and was grabbed onto by Aidan – swimming out in the deep and barking. Aidan smiled and leaned against the dog, his arms wrapped around Sirius' neck. He yelped when he was splashed by water, turning to see Harry and Ron swimming towards them. "Hey, Pads! Aidan!" Harry called, pulling Aidan to him and smiling.

"Hi, Uncle Harry." Aidan said, wrapping his arms around Harry's neck.

Sirius turned back into a human and smirked. "Uncle?"

"Yes! He's Uncle Harry, and Uncle Ron, and Aunt Hermione." Aidan said, smiling.

"You should tell papa your uncle and aunts when we get back in." Sirius smirked, placing a kiss to Aidan's wet head.

"I will. Papa's mad." He said, whispering the last part to Harry.

Harry smirked. "Did Sirius make him mad?"

"No, we both did, but I'm going to blame it on Daddy." Aidan answered.

"Hey!" Sirius poked his side, and Aidan giggled.

"Well, I don't want papa mad at me, plus it was your idea!"

"Plus, he's a mini-Marauder; he does the crime but not the time." Ron grinned.

"Yeah!" Aidan said, beaming. "Harry and Ron told me all about your mischief in school!"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Thanks for telling him, Harry."

"Welcome, Snuffles." Harry responded, walking away with Aidan towards the shallow part where he could sit and Aidan could walk.