The Twins had not been able to speak to their father about the planned dinner during their Potions Class on Wednesday so Harry was surprised when he was asked to stay on after his class Thursday morning for a few minutes. "There's been a slight change in plan" his father informed him, "We will be going home for dinner tonight instead now. Brendan and Aurelia will be coming too. Meet me at the entrance to Dumbledores office after class and bring pyjamas and any books or anything else you might need for the evening."
Harry blinked in confusion, "We're going home for the night? home to the manor?"
His father nodded, looking absolutely delighted about the prospect.
"Why?" Harry demanded to know.
"I thought it would be nice for us to catch up, and for you to be able to see Brendan and Aurelia." he explained patiently.
"Yes but why tonight?" Harry asked suspiciously, "Why not some weekend? We are coming back for class tomorrow aren't we?"
Severus confirmed that they would return to the school in time for classes on Friday and tried to explain that it was more difficult for him to get away at the weekend as there was a greater need for him to be in the castle to keep an eye on his Slytherins. An explanation that would have sounded very plausible were it not for his son already being aware of his biweekly Sunday lunches at home with his younger children.
Harry called him out on it, but he managed to salvage it by telling the boy he had interrupted before he had finished and that he also didn't want to take them away from their own socialising opportunities on a Sunday afternoon.
Relieved that Harry seemed satisfied with that explanation he asked if he would inform the twins and then sent him off to catch up with his friends.
They raced down to the Great Hall for lunch, Ron being anxious that all the nice food would be gone before they got there if they didn't hurry but they needn't have bothered as his father hadn't held him back that long so they were still there long before lunch was actually served.
Spotting Lily and Evan on his way in, he decided he had better speak to them first, in case they disappeared straight after eating, and so asking Ron and Hermione to keep him a seat he made his way reluctantly towards the Ravenclaws.
He really didn't want to be the one to tell his brother and sister about the change in plans, they had seemed apprehensive about this dinner enough as it was and were convinced their father meant to inform them that he was getting back with Morgana or something and so as expected they didn't take the news well.
"But why?" Evan whined loudly, Harry shot him a pleading look, he had tried to let them know as discreetly as possible, the last thing he wanted was to have half the school debating their mysterious dinner plans and his brothers tone was drawing attention.
"He said Brendan and Aurelia would be there" He whispered, hoping they would follow suit.
"And Morgana?" Lily asked distastefully, though thankfully quietly.
"Well he never actually said but I would assume so" Harry replied sympathetically before suggesting he meet the Twins, who had never been to the Headmasters Office before, at their usual rendezvous point first and walk up with them.
They nodded grudgingly, then having noticed their father enter the room, glowered up at him.
On spotting them he smiled warmly despite their unfriendly looks and gave them a brief nod, he was pleased to see that Harry had done as he asked and was letting the Twins know the new arrangements but he could see that none of the three of them were in any way enthusiastic about the plans but needs must and all that, it was better to have them annoyed with him than be attacked by a werewolf.
Both Harry and the Twins had their final class of the day outside, and with each having to return to their respective tower to collect their things before making their way to the Headmasters office it was much later than Severus had hoped when they arrived at the manor.
They were greeted by the sight of Morgana swinging Brendan round and round the hall, as he squealed excitedly for her to go faster.
She stopped suddenly upon seeing them and unable to keep her balance would have fallen and likely injured them both had his father not stepped out to catch them.
"Sorry Severus, Brendan was getting a little bored of just waiting" She explained in embarrassment as she swayed from side to side waiting for the dizziness to recede.
"Where's Aurelia?" He asked looking somewhat amused while continuing to hold them steady.
She gestured towards one of the banquettes lining the wall and sure enough the little girl was there playing silently with her doll, watching them.
He beckoned her over to say hello, and when Brendan, annoyed with him for spoiling his fun once again, began to squirm he released them, and picked up the little girl instead. It was only then that he seemed to remember Harry and the Twins who were standing behind him.
"Well aren't you going to say hello?" he prompted.
"Hello" Harry and the twins chorused politely to no one in particular just as Loxie appeared to announce that dinner was ready to be served whenever they were ready.
The table in the dinning room, like a lot of wizard furniture, was enchanted to be able to accommodate the necessary number of people. On Harry's first visit to the manor it had been set for eight with his father sitting at the head and the twins at the places to his immediate left and right. He had been placed beside Evan and that was where he would usually sit when it was just the four of them but he had tried out other seats too, particularly during his friends visits, sometimes sitting beside Lily and sometimes sitting further down the table. He even got to take his fathers place at the head of the table for his birthday dinner when the table had stretched to seat thirty-two, but other than for that dinner Lily and Evan had always sat beside their father until Aurelias first visit to the manor.
When Aurelia was there his father sat with his two daughters either side of him, relegating Evan to sit the other side of Lily. Harry wouldn't have thought that his brother had any particular desire to actually sit with their father but his being downgraded from his usual spot was clearly one of the things upsetting him.
Today, there were only seven seats around the table, as there had been since the table shrunk back to its usual size following the Twins Birthday dinner in August, the usual 8th chair seemingly having vanished completely, but while the 7th chair had previously been on his fathers left leaving Harry seated between Aurelia and Brendan at their last family dinner, it had now been moved to the right putting Brendan on his mothers left beside Evan, and Harry on her right, a change which went some-way towards mollifying Evan at least as it meant he was no longer obliged to converse with her.
It took a while for the conversation to start to flow. Aurelia never really spoke much and the twins, upset with their father for having invited Morgana, were being unusually muted and speaking only when they were directly spoken to. Brendan had commandeered all of his mothers attention, chattering away in a continuous drone of a whisper meant only for her ears, leaving Harry and his father the only ones really making any effort but eventually the twins urge to share their excitement about their new lives at Hogwarts surpassed their desire to punish their father by giving him the silent treatment and the atmosphere started to thaw.
By the time it came to dessert, Harry was surprisingly having somewhat of a pleasant time and an unsuspecting visitor might even have genuinely mistaken them for one big happy family. The illusion didn't last long though.
When they finished eating his father excused the children from the table, suggesting that they go upstairs to play. This disappointed Harry somewhat as he had been hoping he might have a chance to take a broom out for a quick flight around the grounds but he knew Brendan and Aurelia were too young to go flying and he had left his Nimbus at School anyways so up to the Nursery they went.
They were mid way through a game of Snakes and Ladders, Harry providing no end of entertainment for his younger brothers and sisters by taking to the snakes and directing them into funny formations when their father and Morgana appeared in the doorway.
Their father crossed the room to talk to them, "I have to go back to the school" he informed them sadly, "but you can stay here with Morgana and I will come back to collect you in the morning."
The twins looked first at each other and then Harry, an expression of pure horror marring their faces, silently begging him to say something that would make their father change his mind.
"Is something wrong?" Harry asked, standing up, "Wouldn't it be easier if we just came back to school with you now? Err give us more time to work on our homework and that."
The Potion Master shook his head, "It's nothing you need to worry about but Professor Dumbledore has asked that I return as soon as possible, but it doesn't need to spoil the evening for all of us, you stay here," he encouraged, "continue your game, you will still have plenty time to do your homework when Brendan and Aurelia go to bed."
Harry looked to the twins who had also now risen to their feet and shrugged, he had tried his best.
Clearly though, the thought of having to stay at home with Morgana was worse than the thought of what the punishment for challenging their fathers wishes might be as Evan stepped forward, "No Father," he informed him defiantly as Lily moved to quickly gather up their things, "We don't want to stay here on our own, please can we go back to the school with now too?"
Their father scowled but his sons uncharacteristic behaviour did make him pause for thought "Why don't you want to stay?" he asked softly.
If they had told him the truth then, that they were scared to be left there alone with Morgana, Harry knew that their father would have taken them back to the school with him immediately, whatever the real reasoning behind the unprecedented trip home, but unable to voice his concerns in front of her, Evan was forced to merely shrug. A gesture that failed to win them any sympathy from the man whatsoever.
"I will come back to get you in the morning after breakfast and bring you back to the school in time for your first class." he told them again sternly.
They nodded reluctantly, resigned to the fact that he would not be convinced to change his mind.
He smiled and kissing each of the five of them on the top of the head wished them goodnight. "Morgana is in charge!" he instructed, "Please be on your best behaviour and do as she asks. If you have a genuine need for me, for any reason, send one of the elves and I will return to you immediately but only if you genuinely need me. Please do not disappoint me in this."
Harry and the twins nodded solemnly as Brendan and Aurelia looked after him in surprise, this was something strange for them too, they had never stayed here before without him being here, insisting upon it, and had assumed the change in plans meant that they would be going back home for the night after all.
Morgana was waiting for him in the doorway. "I told you they wouldn't be happy with this." She whispered.
"It will be fine" he whispered back, before thanking her once again for helping him.
"You owe me now remember" she replied with a grin.
He rolled his eyes, "We'll see about that in the morning" he said sceptically, then planting a gentle kiss on her cheek, bade her goodnight and left.