Severus Snape heaved a weary sigh as he dropped back into his perfectly broken-in seat in his homey, library-esque, living room. Though currently, the shelves were covered in spider webs, skulls, bats, and other assorted Halloween decorations. He had done his best to ignore the decor as much as possible. He stretched his neck methodically, in an attempt to alleviate some of the tension induced soreness. He did not like visitors, particularly uninvited ones, though he knew he had to deal with at least for another hour of the doorbell being rung at just the wrong moment.
Halloween was exhausting, he decided.
No sooner had Severus gotten comfortable, finally settled back into his seat with his book opened in one hand while the other lightly stroked the feet that were resting on his lap, when the doorbell chimed. Again.
"Merlin's left testicle! Will we never have peace again?" He growled dramatically through clenched teeth as he none too gently slammed his book closed before beginning to tenderly lift the feet that rested on his lap so that he could scoot out from under them.
"Don't worry, love, I can get it this time. There's no need to be so dramatic," chuckled the woman beside, as she placed a placating hand on his and began to rotate to place her feet on the ground.
Severus quickly stood and placed a light kiss upon his wife's brow, "You certainly will not, sit right there and keep your feet raised like you are supposed to, witch. Mediwitches orders, remember? I'll deal with the nuisances."
"Fine…" She grimaced and stuck out her tongue petulantly, then called after his retreating figure, "I am fully capable of standing Severus. I'm only pregnant, I can handle walking to the front door!"
"And I am fully capable of taking care of my wife and making sure she does not overexert herself. Stay put, witch." Severus replied with faux annoyance. Stalking towards the front door, Severus summoned the overfilled bowl of treats to him and flung the door open all the way, making three of the young visitors jump in fright.
"What do we say kids?" Asked a cowboy -who looked suspiciously like Harry Potter- with a bright smile to Severus and Hermione, who had stood and begun hobbling over gingerly as soon as she heard the voice that she recognized so well.
"Trick or Treat!" came the disjointed chorus of five young, familiar voices.
Kneeling down, Severus smirked, "A trick it shall be then!" which made the youngest redheaded girl giggle.
Holding out the bowl of muggle candy to the children, he waited until their hands were all close before flicking his wand and turning all of the candy into a swarm of rainbow butterflies.
Red haired children and messy haired brunette children, freckled children and spectacled children giggled and laughed, running around the porch to try and catch the lazily soaring butterflies. Once caught, they promptly returned to sugar filled treats in the children's enclosed hands, making them frown in disappointment.
"You know Severus, I think Hermione has turned you into a bit of a softie," said a beaming Ginny Potter. "That was hardly the sort of 'trick' I would have expected from you even just a few years ago."
"Yes well, I do need some practice in dealing with little gremlins such as these ones. May as well work out the kinks and make my mistakes with ones that aren't my own." Severus smirked until Hermione jabbed him in the side with her boney elbow.
"Nice try, husband, but you have most definitely turned into a softie. You can't change that no matter how much you snark." Hermione leaned against his side and addressed her found family on the steps. "Now then! Happy Halloween! How are my favorite nieces and nephews?"
"Auntie 'Mi!" They all exclaimed before rushing to hug her legs, finally noticing her now that the flittering distractions had been caught.
"Now wait just one moment! You aren't my nieces and nephews! You, young lady, are most definitely a pumpkin, not my little Lily!"
Lily laughed, "No! Silly Auntie 'Mi I'm Lily!"
"So you are! And we have a skeleton and a… werewolf… isn't that lovely ?"
Ron was shaking with silent laughter while his wife, Lavender glared at him, "Ron's idea," she chimed in angrily, "isn't my husband just so very clever? A bloody comedian, he is."
"Quite," Hermione replied, shooting daggers at Ron with her eyes. "Anyway, where are my darling Jamie and Hugo?"
"It's obviously only a skeleton costume , Auntie," replied James with a huff, exasperated at having to explain something to the adults that were supposed to be so smart.
"And I'm Hugo!" giggle the werewolf, raising his paw to grab her hand.
"Oh dear! Of course, how very silly of me! Miss Rose must be this lovely mermaid then! And Al, what is your costume, love?"
Young Albus, in his all black costume, raised his arms up to his side, revealing black bat wings that flowed low behind him like a cape, "I'm the Bat of the Dungeons! Just like Uncle Severus!"
Harry instantly covered his mouth to hold in a bellow of laughter and turned to the side to avoid eye contact with anyone.
Every other adult froze, wide eyed and flabbergasted at the blunt reply from the eight year old. Until Hermione's shock turned into guffaws and snorts of laughter. Gasping for breath between giggles and pursed lips, she managed to ask, "Where… *snort*... where umm, did you hear that, love?"
"Daddy said it!" Albus said proudly, turning to point at his father whose face was beginning to turn red as he held back his laughter. "Daddy helped me pick out my costume and told me it was a very special kind of bat that lived in dungeons!"
"Oh he did, did he?" Severus asked with a scowl and a raised eyebrow.
Harry grinned cheekily, eyes dancing with mirth, "Of course! Doesn't he look just like his namesake? The cute little wings swoosh dramatically and everything! Albus, do the thing I showed you!"
Albus, proud to show off and be the center of attention - a rare occasion as the middle child - lifted his arms out slightly and performed a series of dramatic 360 degree turns. Making his oversized wings flutter out behind him all while fighting to hold the scowl that his father had obviously taught him just for this moment.
A red faced, teary eyed, Ron guffawed in the background, clutching to Harry's shoulder for support to keep from falling off the bottom step. Ginny covered her mouth with her hand and from the look in her eyes she had not been privy to her husband's scheme, but based on the tension in her posture, she was trying with all her might to not follow her brother's example. Lavender's eyebrows were raised all the way to her hairline and her face was slack in horror, no doubt expecting berating or hexes to start flying soon.
Harry though. Harry was grinning from ear to ear, immensely proud of his son and lightyears beyond amused to have pulled off a prank the likes of which would have made his father and the Marauders proud. It, of course, helped that he and Severus had buried the hatchet and become friends, so he knew that this would not actually hurt the man's feelings. He had been surprised to find that the stoic, dour man was actually rather funny and pleasant company without spying and a war looming over him. And Hermione, she likely made the biggest difference in the man.
Albus stopped his theatrical swooshes and looked up at his godparents, smiling wide.
A pursed lipped Severus knelt down to his level and said "That was very well done young man," before placing an extra piece of candy in his bag and ruffling his hair. Standing and addressing his wife he said, "You need to find new friends. I'm no seer," he nodded at Harry and glared, "but I expect that one of your current ones will be getting what's coming to him very, very, shortly."
"Oh admit it, Sev, that was funny! You love me!" Harry teased with a goofy grin.
"Oh yes, certainly. Of course I do, I've protected you your whole life, I'd never do anything to harm you! Particularly when there are witnesses, Potter." Severus replied with a smirk as he summoned a top hat from the nearby counter. "Instead, I think I shall have to reward your offspring for dealing with such a… role model of a father. Gather round children, I happen to have another treat for each of you! Here you are, you can each grab something out of this hat."
"Yay! Thank you Uncle Sev!" replied several excited young voices.
"Oh wow! A Drum set!" exclaimed James.
Ginny and Lavender locked eyes in horrified shock.
"A horn!" said Lily, smiling and hugging the instrument.
"Yay!" cried Rose, who pulled out a tambourine and started smacking it.
"A guitar!" squealed Hugo.
"A… bag… with tubes?" asked Albus confused.
"That, my dear boy, is a set of bagpipes! It is a very important instrument from Scotland. It takes a lot of practice to learn how to play. Do you think you can practice a lot and learn how to play it?" Severus asked with a genuine smile.
"Yes! I'll practice all the time!" burst Albus as he leapt forward to hug his godfather. "Thank you thank you thank you!"
"You are all very welcome, children." Severus said kindly, but there was a menacing glint to his eyes when they met Harry's, causing him to visibly shiver, "Now these are all charmed to help teach you to play and you can even have them play on their own so you can watch. But make sure you practice, playing music is a lot of fun and it's good for you too. So practice early in the morning and late at night too. It will make your parents so very happy. I'm sure."
Harry Potter's shoulders visibly sagged and his face was already drawn in anticipation of enjoying his children's new toys. "Touchė," he grimaced, "I… deserved that."
"But we didn't!" growled Lavender rather realistically, obviously not holding in her acquired werewolf traits.
"Come along inside everyone! I prepared some hot cocoa, treats, and some games!" Hermione said with a smile, ushering the hoard of Potters and Weasleys into the living room. She directed the children towards the apple bobbing and pin the head on the skeleton while ushering her friends towards the mulled cider that she had brewed.
"You seemed to have that prepared well ahead of time, darling," Hermione noted with a hint of inquiry to her tone.
"I am always prepared, my love. Particularly when it comes to paying back Potter and his less than amusing stunts." Severus said with a mischievous smile. "For example, I know that Potter always takes the Golden Snitch mug when he visits, so I have added runes that will make the alcohol added to it have none of the usual effects… aside from the hangover which will be significantly intensified."
"Severus!" Hermione faux admonished.
"All in good fun dear, besides, what else would you expect from the bat of the dungeons. But… if you did want to find different friends, I truly would not be upset. At all. Don't keep these ones on my behalf." Severus grinned playfully at his wife, who just rolled her eyes and smirked. Gently, he gathered her into his arms so that her back pressed against his chest and he rested his hands upon her protruding belly. Severus lifted slightly, making Hermione groan at the relief of having some pressure taken from her back and feet. Nuzzling against her neck while they watched the children play he murmured, "Happy Halloween, my love. I guess… you can keep these dunderheads as friends if it makes you happy."
"Happy Halloween, darling," Hermione replied, kissing his cheek before walking off to visit with the girls.
Severus just stood watching her for several moments, smiling to himself until she caught his eye and beamed brightly back at him before flicking her hand, encouraging to go socialize.
With the choice being between the adult dunderheads and Quidditch talk and the smaller dunderheads, he decided to go over to the children where he magicked up candy flavored bubbles and dancing shadows, to the extreme amusement of everyone present. The young ones were awed because of the tricks themselves. But the older onlookers were dumbfounded by the man creating the spectacles. How incredible it was to see such joy on the face of someone who had only ever known misery, someone who never thought that he deserved more.
Hermione absently rubbed her belly while she stood watching her husband. A small smile lit her face and unshed tears caused her eyes to sparkle with pure happiness for the man that she loved.