"My dad and his brother were from Cokeworth, you see." Rose begins as Danu and Harry both sit on the edge of their seats, their now cold mugs of tea each resting on their knees.

Rose sat across from them on a tufted stool, as they sat on a hideous green sofa with floral stitching. Everything in the room was mix-matched and eccentric, but seemed to flow nicely together, as if all of it were normal. If she hadn't known without a doubt that Rose were a Muggle, she would assume that she were a witch trying desperately to fit in with the confusing style of a modern Muggle.

"Lily and Petunia's father, Alan, and my father, Sydney, were twin brothers. My dad moved to Edinburgh for work, and there he met my mum, Rosemary. I went back every summer and stayed with my Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Alan; my dad thought it was important to spend time with my cousins, and to be honest, he had a rough go at it after my mum died when I was ten. I'm two years older than Petunia; four years older than Lily. Petunia could be a bit much, especially when Lily was involved. I don't know what happened between them, no one could explain it. There were inseparable, then when Lily got accepted to that boarding school where she met James, Tuney couldn't stand it. She hated Lily for it, would call her awful names and make her cry all of the time. I remained as close as possible with both of them, until I met Sirius, and Tuney lost her mind. Moved out the very next day, wouldn't speak to anyone in the family or tell them where she lived. She came back months later, flaunting about her new boyfriend and her flat in London. Brought the man to her mum and dad's the next day, big boring oaf of a man. He proposed right there in the parlor, and what could they do, say no? They had just gotten their daughter back. So, they went along with it, and Tuney married him in December of 1977, couldn't even be bothered to ask Lily to be her maid of honor, and was so furious with me still that I wasn't even invited to the wedding. If anyone can hold a grudge, it's Petunia. No idea where she got it from, her parents were just about the kindest people you could imagine."

Rose sighs deeply, her eyes glaze over slightly before she snaps herself back to the presents and takes their still full mugs of tea from them. She walks away without a word, a shuffling sound in what was likely the kitchen was all that could be heard as Harry and Danu both take in the room. Above the pink painted mantle is a large portrait of Rose, her husband, and their two daughters all lying on their stomachs with their chins resting in their hands, and bright, sunny smiles. In the corner of the room is a waist high giraffe with umbrellas sticking out of its back, the couch remains hideous and loud, but seems to fit more so now that Danu has a chance to glance around some more. The wall opposite the large bay window is white, giving one the impression from the street view that the house were normal; two of the opposite walls are painted a bright yellow, and the wall housing the large window has a yellow wallpaper with pink flamingos, some sort of palm trees, and what appeared to be white tigers. A massive fake parrot sits on a glass end table with gold plated legs alongside a fake plant, its leaves spilling over its sides. Two large artificial palm trees are placed on either side of the ugly sofa, it's branches bending and swaying in the slight breeze of the ceiling fan above them. The scent of apple cinnamon air freshener was still overpowering, Danu didn't think she could ever get used to it as she swipes her finger under her nose once more to stop it from running into her mouth. Outside of the large photo over the mantle, there is no other indication that children lived in the house at all, at least as far as the room they were sitting in was concerned. Nearly every inch of the yellow painted walls were filled with posters of jazz bands, rock bands, and whimsical drawings of animals filled in with bright colors.

Rose returns then, carrying three long stemmed wine glasses and a bottle of red wine. She offers Danu a glass, and she promptly shakes her head no. Harry accepts, and holds the glass at arm's length for Rose to fill to the brim before filling her own and settling back down on the tufted stool she had been sitting on.

"How did you meet Sirius?" Harry asks as he bring the glass of wine to his lips and takes a hearty gulp. A faint whisper of a smile passes her lips as she reminisces for a moment, just as Sirius had done when Danu asked who her mother had been.

"My father died of heart failure shortly after my eighteenth birthday, even though I was an adult, my aunt and uncle took me in. I was off to uni shortly after that and would return to their house during the summers. The summer before my final year, I came down to the kitchen and leaning against the fridge was the most handsome man I had ever seen. Lily was still pretending not to be dating James, so him and Sirius would come over under the guise of working on schoolwork during the day, and then sneak out to a nearby park after dark. I followed her one night, not wanting her to get into any trouble. Sirius and I started talking, and I was smitten. I was twenty, and I didn't know that he wasn't even seventeen, not until a month later when James accidentally let it slip! I mean, he looked like an adult, had a motorbike, and was talking about moving into his own flat. He told me that he was eighteen and I never questioned it. James called me a cradle robber for weeks after I learned the truth. Sirius and I would meet up every night, everything happened so quickly. By the time he had to go back to that boarding school they all went to, I was convinced I was in love. I went back to uni, and Sirius, James, and Lily went back to school. A few weeks later I found out that I was pregnant. I didn't know what to do. I reached out to my Aunt Phyllis, and she told me to come home. I refused, but the school found out and everyone decided it would be best if I went home until after you were born, and then I could continue my studies the following year. I was young, and not ready to be a mum. When Lily came home for Christmas, she said that Sirius had arranged a flat for himself outside of London, and he wanted you and I to live with him. I didn't think that I was ready for that at all, and I doubted he was either; he was so young. But, he kept sending messages through Lily, begging me to let him have you. So, when you were born, I stayed with him at his flat until the end of summer, and then I went back to uni. I was young and quite immature, I have regret my actions every moment for the last twenty-five years. Sirius and I had a massive row, I told him that I didn't want to be a mum, and that he could have you. He told me not to come back, and I didn't. I finished my studies, became a solicitor, and then later a barrister; just last year I was appointed the title of Queen's Council. I met Vincent, my husband, shortly after I turned thirty; he's a financial officer. We have twin girls, they're eleven now. Their names are Chloe and Iris, they're going to be so excited to meet you."

Danu doesn't say anything, just sits there frozen, staring at her mother with an opened mouth and furrowed brows. It had worked, the storyline they had spent hour after hour pouring over before the fire in her living room had actually worked. Hermione was the one to thank, she had come up with the story, wrote it out and read it religiously, poured her heart into it, and now Rose was recalling something that had never even happened. It had been for the best, everyone agreed. There was no reason to tell Rose that she hadn't been raised by Sirius, he was dead, he couldn't say otherwise. Danu rarely, if ever talked about her childhood, or what she could remember of it, anyway. Severus was the only person who held even a glimpse of her past, and he burned the diary she had recorded each of her drunken nightmares in. As far as Rose ever needed to know, Sirius raised her to the best of his ability, never remarried, kept her and Harry as close as possible, and died a quick death nearly six years ago. With any luck, Hermione would be successful with implanting the memory of Rose telling her husband of her eldest daughter as easily as she changed Rose's memory. Harry startles her by placing his left hand over her right hand resting on her thigh, she reaches out with her left hand and pats his hand, silently telling him that she was alright. Severus had pulled him aside that morning and spoken to him in private, no doubt warning him to look out for her reactions, as if she were a child prone to tantrums.

"You're married." Rose announces. Stunned for a moment, Danu looks down at her attire, wandering what had given it away, only to find her wedding band glistening in the lamp light.

"Oh. Yes, I am. I have a daughter, too. Her name is Lorna."

Danu leans forward slightly and reaches into the back pocket of her jeans to produce a polaroid of Lorna she had brought with her, just in case Rose were interested in seeing her grandchild. It was taken on Christmas morning with the Muggle camera Harry had bought her for her birthday several years before. Lorna's hair is a wild mess of curls, her blue eyes glisten in the bulbs from the Christmas tree, and a wide smile is plastered on to her face. She's sitting on her bicycle, her legs spread wide to the sides as Severus pushes her through the house. All that can be seen of Severus is his lower arms and legs, Lorna is the main focus. Rose plucks a pair of red reading glasses from the table before her and takes the photo from Danu's outstretched hand. She smiles to herself, shakes her head slightly, and makes to pass it back to Danu.

"You can keep it." Danu says quickly. "If..if you want to, anyway. You don't have to."

"Don't be silly. I would love to keep it." Rose smiles warmly at her from across the small space. "She's lovely. A grandma, wow. I can't believe it. I guess I am getting old, I've been lying to myself about it for years. The girls are going to love this. She looks so much like Sirius."

"Yeah, she does, doesn't she." Danu chuckles, finally able to openly admit the truth without fear of Severus overhearing and becoming upset.

"And your husband? What is he like?" Rose asks, a look of genuine curiosity etched upon her face as she finished her glass of wine.

"Well, he remembers you, actually. You met a time or two. His name is Severus Snape, he was childhood friends with Lily."

"Sev—" Rose's brow scrunches in concentration, it's several seconds before she speaks again, her face changed into an unknown expression. "But..he would be nearly my age now…Severus Snape. I can't believe it. Petunia hated the poor boy for no reason, she tormented him. He gave it back, mind you, made her run home crying often, not that she didn't deserve it. What about you Harry? You're awful quiet over there."

"Oh, uhm..I have a wife; Ginny. She's great. And a son, his name is James Sirius. Sirius was my godfather."

"You look like James." Rose smiles kindly at him. "You've got Lily's eyes though. She was so beautiful."

—

Two days later Danu tries to hide her trembling hands in the greenhouse as she gives Molly a tour. She had stopped by that morning with a loaf of homemade bread, two chocolate pies, and a large cranachan as an apology. She marvels at the number of plants in the greenhouse, their stages of growth, and how well Danu had been tending to them. They agree to barter, Danu gives her a spare key and tells her to come by any time for anything she may need. Finally, Molly pulls her in to a tight hug and congratulates her on finally meeting her mother. Harry and Hermione had told her all about the meeting.

Severus hadn't said much when she returned, she hadn't expected him to. He asked whether the plan had worked, and when she informed him that it did, he slipped upstairs to give Lorna a bath. He fell asleep before her that night, as she sat on the sofa staring into the fire until dawn.

Lorna and Severus had left early that morning. She wanted to be wherever her father was, and today, her father needed to be in Devon at the new apothecary he had recently purchased to begin clearing it out for opening day. Lorna loved all things magic, she loved watching, memorizing spells, and practicing the wand movements with her training wand she had gotten for Christmas. A pang of jealousy washed through Danu as Lorna hurriedly followed her father out of the door. Not once had she gotten Lorna to come to the greenhouse with her, which was the sole purpose of Severus even constructing the damned thing. Instead, she chose to spend her time shadowing Severus around the attic brewing room and coloring in the floor as he worked.

It had always been Danu and Lorna.

Now it was only Danu.

Danu shakes her head abruptly, doing her best to shove that feeling as deep as it would go.

"You aren't yourself." Molly says, pulling Danu from her thoughts. Her hands still; she had been picking at the skin around her thumb nail again. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah." Danu forces a smile, but knows it isn't genuine without even needing a mirror. "Just really sorry that I upset you. I never meant to hurt your feelings."

"No, there's something else going on." Molly announces, raising her brow and pointing her finger at Danu as she stands across from her on the other side of a large terracotta pot housing an impressive looking wormwood. "It's Severus, isn't it. You're not happy, are you?"

"I—I don't know." Danu finally admits as she hangs her head.

"Well either you are, or you aren't. There is no in between when it comes to this. What's the matter?" Molly plops down on a stool and pats the smaller one next to her, intended for Lorna.

"I'm nervous when he's around because I'm terrified he's going to leave. I'm anxious when he's gone because I'm afraid he's not going to come back. I sometimes lay in bed after he's fallen asleep raging because he was with someone else for two whole years. I'm afraid he's going to leave with Lorna, or worse, leave without her and I'm not going to be able to make it better."

"He won't take her from you. I would kill him with my bare hands."

"Yeah." Danu chuckles slightly. "I just…I need to learn how to trust him again. Do you need any dittany? I have a ton." Danu swipes a stray tear from her eye and jumps from the stool, desperate to put space between the two of them before Molly notices and changing the subject to keep from breaking down completely.

Hours later Danu paces the living room floor with James on her shoulder, patting his back and swaying gently to get him to sleep. Harry had stopped by unannounced and asked her to watch him for the night. He and Ginny had gotten into a heated argument earlier that morning and he desperately wanted to make it up to her by taking her on an impromptu date. Danu agreed, and Harry dropped little James off an hour later.

Lorna comes barreling in through the back door, her voice high and shrill as she shouts for no true reason. James wakes with a jolt and squeals into her ear as his fists lock in her hair, Lorna's halfway up the stairs before she even notices Danu standing there.

"Oh. Hi mummy. I have to go to the loo." then she turns and stomps up the two remaining stairs before slamming the bathroom door behind her.

"Ah, I see we have an additional child." Severus announces as he wipes his feet on the mat in front of the door.

"I told Harry I would watch him for the night. He wanted to take Ginny out on a date."

"Touching." Severus murmurs as he brushes past her, his hand skimming across her forearm and down her side lovingly before following Lorna upstairs.

James was harder to get down that Danu had expected him to be. He had always been a mild, easy to manage child. Tonight, however, was a completely different story, as he was likely missing his mother so close to bedtime. Finally, after two hours, James was sound asleep in Lorna's old cot in her and Severus' bedroom, and Lorna was freshly bathed and being read a story in her own bed. Danu stretches on the sofa, a mug of tea in her hand and Bram curled up on her lap. Bram stretches, yawns, and trots upstairs to join Lorna in bed.

"A lot of work?" Danu asks as Severus walks down the stairs and makes his way to the cupboard to pour himself a mug of tea.

"No more than expected." Severus grumbles as he drops a sugar cube into his mug and stirring, the soft cling against the mug vibrating throughout the room.

"Was Lorna good?"

"As good as Lorna can be. She was a quite stubborn and energetic for a time, then settled herself to drawing while I labeled vials and cleared cobwebs."

"Sounds like a busy day." Danu brings her mug to her lips and watches Severus over the rim. He takes a sip of his tea, places it on the table, then runs his hands through his hair before leaning his head back on the back of the sofa. "You know, you've never taken me on a date."

"Potter filling your heads with ideas?" Severus smirks as he reaches for his mug again.

"No, just stating the obvious."

"We live together, we have dinner together every night. No need for theatrics."

"Okay." Danu responds, her heart dropping slightly at his words. "I get it."

"Get what?" Severus asks, raising one brow at her.

"Nothing." Danu murmurs as she stands and takes her mug to the kitchen. "Lorna's birthday is coming up. I think we'll do a small party here. There was this graphorn stuffy that she really liked, and I have a few books in mind. She loves your gifts, so whatever you decide will be perfect."

"I have a few things in mind, if I can ever leave the house without her."

"She just really likes spending time with you."

"I am not complaining, I enjoy her company."

"I do too. Feels like I see her less now than I did when I was working." Danu sighs as she pours herself a glass of water and sits back down on the sofa next to Severus.

"Bring her to the greenhouse with you." Severus retorts as he drains his mug.

"She isn't interested in herbology, Severus. She only wants to learn about potions with you."

"Then I will teach her the importance of learning both. They go hand in hand, she can never be too prepared for Hogwarts." Severus answers seriously as he heaves himself from the sofa to bring his mug to the sink before turning and making his way upstairs to get ready for bed.