A visit to the Slytherin Head of House, the next afternoon, resulted in Dumbledore being cheerfully greeted by the little Potters, who climbed onto his lap and demanded lemon drops.
"Boys!" Phoebe chided, "what's the magic word?"
"Please?" two pairs of wide eyes, one brown, one emerald green, were turned to the old man who obediently retrieved some of the candy from his pocket.
"Don't go giving any to Lily!" Phoebe warned, "she's too small. She can have a biscuit."
A little while later, the boys had gone to play outside, and Lily was sitting in Harry's lap, sucking a biscuit and trying to get as much as possible on her Daddy's clothes.
"What's the matter, Albus?" Harry asked brightly, avoiding his daughters' small hand that tried to smear soggy biscuit into his hair.
"I would like to borrow young Mr Diggory on Saturday evening for dinner," Albus requested.
"By all means, go ahead," Harry waved his hand, "as long as I know he's with you it's fine. Where are you taking him?"
Albus looked a little distressed. "I'm taking Severus and Cedric out for dinner on Saturday evening to make up for my appalling behaviour to Severus earlier this week, when he got into that fight."
He launched into the tale of what happened and how Luna had been able to prevent a breech between grandson and grandfather. When he was done, a lone tear trickled into his beard. Little Lily gazed at him in amazement.
"Aby cwy?" she climbed down Harry's lap to comfort the old man with a very sloppy kiss and pieces of extremely unappetizing cookie.
Albus cuddled her gently. "Thank you, darling," he smiled at her but looked up gratefully to Phoebe, who took the little one out of the room to put her down for an afternoon nap.
Harry shifted uncomfortably. "I think, Albus, that you are allowing yourself to be influenced by your memory of Severus's school years. Up until now it was easier because you didn't know Severus before he was eleven, and you could enjoy his childhood relatively free of concern."
He bit his lip. "But now that Severus is in school, you relate everything that happens to your memories of the first time. I think you need to learn to let go of that, and enjoy your grandson's time in school, just as it is now. Otherwise it will be very frustrating for you, and extremely unfair to Severus. You have never reacted to any mischief of his quite so extreme – the poor child must have had the shock of his life."
"He did," the Headmaster sighed, "We are alright now, I think, but it must never happen again. I am glad that this time, I have staff that know me and Severus, who are willing to step in when I make a mistake."
"He's in safe hands with Luna as his Head of House," Harry agreed, "she's as unconventional as ever, but all her Ravenclaws know she would do anything for them. You making up by taking him and Cedric out on Saturday will do him good, too. Oh, since we are exchanging children anyway – could I borrow Severus for a day when you get back from your holiday?"
"Of course," Albus nodded, "are you planning an outing?"
Harry blushed fiercely. "I always wanted to go to a Muggle rollercoaster park," he confessed, "but of course, during the war, I couldn't, the Dursleys would never have taken me, and after the war I was physically incapable. Once I was cured, the kids arrived fairly soon…Phoebe gave me tickets as an early Christmas present. The boys are too young, and I'd like a day out with Severus."
The old wizard smiled happily. "Oh, I'm sure he'll love it. Go right ahead and ask him if he wants to go."
"Did you ever take him?"
Albus shook his head. "I had planned to, but I thought he should go with someone younger…"
Harry gaped as realisation dawned. "You planned for me to go with him! Honestly, Albus, you manipulate like other people breathe! How old was he when you decided I would end up his godfather?"
Dumbledore looked away a tad bit embarrassed. "The day after you arrived here to teach," he admitted.
The tiny baby gurgled a little, his small hands waving about. The old man held him and laughed as he allowed his index finger to be caught.
Lifting the baby into the air, the Headmaster rubbed his crooked nose against the soft cheek before sitting down with the child cuddled securely against his shoulder. The pain of losing the Potions Master was lessened a bit, in these difficult days, by the thought that he was finally able to give the infant Severus the affection and love he needed.
"I'll get to see you grow up happy this time," he lightly patted the diapered bottom, "and if we're lucky, I'll get to see you become a grown man with a family of his own."
He brooded quietly, the baby asleep on his chest.
"I do have to make sure someone will look after you in case something happens to me. Someone who loves you."
A bit depressed Dumbledore realized that so far, there were no candidates available for the position.
"They will come to love you in time, I'm sure," he took the child in his arms and rocked him as he made his way to the nursery to put him to bed, "if only Harry lost his stubborn streak he would make an excellent guardian. He has so much love in him, and so few people to extend that love to."
A yawn was his only response. Severus turned his head a little, tucked a small fist under his chin and drifted off, happy with his current caretaker and unable to share his granddad's concerns.
Harry sighed after Dumbledore related the memory.
"Manipulative old coot," he muttered half affectionately, half exasperated, "you and your Greater Good."
"I've made many mistakes," Dumbledore admitted immediately, "with more people than just Severus. With him, however, I have a very unique opportunity to undo the damage I caused. I failed him this week, but I am still determined to make the most of it."
sssssssss
"Where are we going, Uncle Harry?"
Christmas holidays had officially started an hour ago, and Severus was getting more and more excited. First he would be leaving for two days with Uncle Harry. Then they would celebrate Christmas together with his godparents and most of the regular inhabitants of the castle. On Boxing Day he and his grandfather would leave on a four-day trip. After the few days in which he had thought he would not be allowed, Severus was especially looking forward to it.
The Saturday after the misunderstanding with his grandfather, the Headmaster had taken Cedric and himself to Hogsmeade a little early, and with two galleons pocket money each had allowed them to do some shopping. They did, of course, spent quite some time in Honeydukes buying treats for themselves and their dorm mates. Cedric had at first been quiet and intimidated by the presence of the venerable Headmaster, but when he realized that Albus Dumbledore was present as the grandfather of his friend and not his professor, he relaxed and chatted happily.
Dinner had been nice. Cedric had been to the Three Broomsticks once in a while with his parents, but this was the first time he could relax and enjoy.
"My parents always order for me," he confided in Dumbledore, a bit shy, "they keep telling me what my brother loved to eat and then order the same for me without asking. I HATE shepherd's pie even if Cedric loved it. I like stew with warm rolls."
"Me too," Severus seconded, after a look of sympathy at his friend.
"An excellent choice," Albus agreed with a smile, and ordered three plates of stew and a basket of warm rolls. He eyed the young Slytherin with some concern. He too remembered Cedric Diggory – the elder. While he had been an admirable student, it was wrong to hero-worship him, and certainly damaging to this child to try and mould him into his long-dead brother. Perhaps he ought to have a chat with Amos in the near future, or better yet, ask Arthur Weasley to do so. Amos seemed to respect Arthur.
"You know," Severus announced, "it's kind of confusing that you keep calling your brother and yourself Cedric. Maybe we should give you a nickname."
The other boy's eyes lit up and Dumbledore could have kissed his grandson for the suggestion.
"I'd like that. They always call my brother 'Ced' when they talk about him."
"Well, then we can call you Rick," Severus decided.
The newly christened Rick grinned widely. "Perfect. I think I can even convince my parents to call me that, since it's still part of my name."
The rest of the evening passed amiably and at dessert, both boys got a mischievous look as they handed the Headmaster a package. When the old wizard opened it, it contained a bag of lemon drops that he immediately started on and tried to force upon the boys, the waiter and everyone foolish enough to come near.
"So, where are we going, Uncle Harry?" Severus pulled Harry's sleeve.
"It's a surprise, Junior," Harry affectionately ruffled the dark hair. Albus kept it shorter than it had been before and some Muggle shampoo worked wonders on the natural greasiness.
"We are leaving by plane tomorrow morning," he informed the boy, "I'll Apparate us to Heathrow. Now, off to bed with you, I will come get you at six."
When Severus had said his goodnights and disappeared into his bedroom, in the Headmaster's office now that the holidays had started, Albus curiously eyed Harry.
"Where ARE you going? Disneyland Paris?"
"No, we're just hopping across the North Sea to Holland. There's this amusement park called Efteling, it's supposed to be good. We have a two day pass to the park and will stay in the hotel – it's actually a fairy tale castle," Harry sounded even more excited than Severus.
sssssssssss
The next morning, Harry woke a very groggy Severus, helped him dress and led the still half-asleep boy from the castle. Just outside the wards, at the Apparition point, the cold air had roused the youngest wizard sufficiently to grin in anticipation.
"Come here," Harry pulled him close, focussed and Apparated away to the Wizard Entry Point at Heathrow.
Severus was used to Uncle Harry teaching him Muggle ways of transport, including the bus and train systems, but this was the first time he would be on an airplane. On their way to the gate he saw several of the huge contraptions through the windows. At the check in, Harry handed over their tickets, but since an overnight bag was all they brought with them, he did not need to check in any luggage and they quickly made their way to the plane.
"Are we going to fly back tomorrow?" Severus asked.
Harry shook his head. "No, because we would have to leave the park quite early if we did. Tomorrow I'll just Apparate us back, but at least now you know how travelling by plane works."
He laughed himself silly, a little later, when Severus treated the take off as if they were already in a rollercoaster, cheering happily. The short flight was over within the hour, and they landed on Schiphol Airport, where Harry once more pulled Severus close for the final Apparition. They landed in front of an old looking wall. Pointing towards the gates, where a long row of people had already gathered, waiting for entrance.
"Here we are, Severus. The Efteling."