Draco woke up first and lifted his hand off Ron's waist, but stopped when he felt the extra weight. No one said he was a fast waker usually, but he was awake now. "Ron," he said, nudging him. Ron rolled and looked at him, so Draco held up their joined wrists. "She struck again."

Ron looked at their wrists, frowning. He sat up and looked at the cuffs. "These are contagion cuffs." He frowned at his bedmate. "When did she come in?"

"I don't know." Draco laid his free hand on his stomach. "You don't think..."

Ron shrugged. "If she did, I'm going to hurt her," he assured the other man. "That's going a bit too far." He tried to take his off but it wasn't budging. "Is there a lock spell on these too?"

Draco nodded. "The same one. I wonder how long this will take?"

"I don't know, but I'm ready to kill something." Ron slumped in on himself. "I'm sorry she's doing this. I don't know why and I'm frustrated, but if she did what we think she did, I'll be here for you. Whatever you need."

Draco patted him on the back. "If she did what I think she did, Xander will get his chance to do a banishing spell and I'll work on ripping her apart."

"Hopefully this isn't how she's coming back," George said from the doorway. He waved at the held up cuffs. "I know. She decided to wake my ass up an hour ago. You won't believe why." He handed over the nice note, obviously written by a house elf for her. "So, congrats, and you can still hide here, Draco." He nodded at the cuffs. "She said today, or you could try to teleport out of them."

"I barely figured it out yesterday." Draco groaned and pulled a pillow over his head. "Don't laugh."

"I'm not," George and Ron said together. They looked at each other and shrugged.

"Draco, you've got court in an hour," George reminded him. "We've got a stitching spell ready so you can get into shirts and stuff, but you two will have to work out your showering on your own. And Fred told mum. She's ready to kill Buffy too if it helps." He walked away.

"We should go do that," Ron sighed.

"Definitely." Draco got out of the bed and pulled Ron with him. "You face one way and I'll get the other."

"We've both had communal showers, it's not an issue," Ron pointed out. He followed the other man into the bathroom. She had gotten their right hands too, so it was extra difficult to do everything like normal. Ron ended up helping Draco fix his hair and Draco decided to fix Ron's for him so it looked less messy. Together they walked downstairs and joined the twins in the common room. "Don't you have work?" Ron asked.

"We set up last night," George told him. "Are you two going to be able to handle this?"

"We've learned how to survive," Draco reminded him. "The judge can only laugh." He looked at Ron. "Floo?"

"We'd better if you're not sure about your teleporting." George fixed their shirts for them and away they went.

***

Emily Snape walked into the dungeons and headed for the worst smell. She found Iggy bending over the potion, sniffing deeply. "How can you stand that?"

He grinned at her. "Easily, it gets worse and I blocked up my nose. The stuff's on the table if you want some." He stirred some more and moved the cauldron off the fire. "What's up?"

"I wanted to see if you had some time to work on the Runes backwork."

He nodded. "Sure. Can we do it in here? I'm supposed to be making this for Madam Pomfrey."

"If we must." She looked around. "It's dark."

Iggy smiled as he pulled a special quill out of his bag, and it lit up. "My dads make it," he said with a grin, sticking it into the table. "Plus." He snapped his fingers and a small faerie glow started above the table. "How's that?"

She smiled. "We've done this before?"

"A few times. Little Ron needs help in Defense and the others in the family are used to finding me down here." He pulled out both of his sets of runes, putting them onto the table. "If you're not actively using that blue set, then it'll start to spell out dirty words," he warned. "They're my uncle's."

She smiled. "I'm sure he had quite a lot of fun with them."

He nodded. "Definitely." He pulled out the notes he had made for her. "Okay, this is what we've done this year, mostly the beginning stuff. Some vocabulary, some syntax, some common words." He handed it over. "That's your copy." She smiled at him. "Hey, I've got a spell and six rolls of parchment in my trunk, it's okay." He sat down, pointing at each one and telling her what they were. By the time he had to get up and do more on the potion, she had the basic letters down and could spell out small words.

***

Simone slid into the house and got out of the way. Little Ron rushed in and up the stairs, so she relaxed.

"What did you do?" the Head Girl asked from her usual place near the windows.

"He's just been pranked by a Ravenclaw and had to get sick," she explained, walking over to look at her. "It was really nasty too. We should probably leave him alone for a few days."

She looked up. "It was that bad?"

"They somehow managed to send slime into his stomach. He's really sick."

She nodded wisely. "I understand. I'll tell the Head Boy when he wakes up from his nap." She smiled. "How was town?"

"Slow, like usual. We strolled, we nibbled, we drank butterbeers, then we came back and found the Ravenclaws picking on Little Ron. Denver's up getting the nurse."

"Good." The Head Girl stretched. "Be smart, prepare for your NEWTs starting the year before. This cramming is horrible."

Simone smiled. "I'll keep that in mind for my OWLs next year."

"Oh, that's right, you've got those." She patted the girl on the arm. "If you want to be a Prefect, you've got to get great scores and keep up your grades."

"I know." Simone pointed up the boys stairs when Madam Pomfrey ran in. "He's in the bathroom. Did the Ravenclaws make it back to their house?"

Madam Pomfrey smiled at her. "No, not in the least, dear. Did you curse them?"

"Not as far as I know," Simone told her. "I think that was a Slytherin. You might ask Agatha." She shrugged at the stunned look. "It is her brother and only she's allowed to pick on him." The nurse shook her head and hurried up the stairs. "That was rather sickening to watch." She walked away. "Iggy's in the dungeon with Snape's niece. We popped in on him before we left."

"What's she like?"

"Like him, only female?" Simone suggested. "She was studying hard to catch up. She's in our year so she'd have time to catch up, and Iggy's teaching her runes." She shrugged. "We didn't really talk. She had that same calm air that he has sometimes. She did smile at him, but then again so does Snape."

"You don't think she's going to hit on him, do you?"

Simone shook her head. "Not a chance. Iggy and Raena are talking through the flood with each other." She winked and walked up to her room, dropping her shrunken bags on the bed. She unshrunk them and sat down with a sigh. Her feet hurt. "I'm back," she called, making sure no one was around. And no one was. So she unpacked the package that had been sent to her new post box. She knew her father suspected she had such a thing, but not why. Fortunately, she had convinced an uncle to get the package from London for her. She unwrapped the new books and the special instrument inside, then quickly hid them under her pillow because someone was coming. "Hi," she said as the other girl walked in, earning herself a funny look. "Sorry, just got my first official porn."

"Oh, let's see then," the girl said, coming over to look. "Ooh, a magazine," she said happily, looking through it. "Can I borrow this?"

"You can copy it," Simone offered. "That way you can get yours messy and so can I."

The girl giggled. "We don't get things as messy as the boys do, we don't shoot like them." Simone sat up. "Really, you never knew?"

"My mum's not really talking about sex with us. She figured daddy would do it and he never mentioned that, probably because I'm a girl and he didn't think about it." She grimaced. "We don't? I've seen stuff where we do."

"That's just some kinky stuff," the other girl told her. Another of the girls walked in. "Come look, she got naughty stuff."

"Cool." She joined them looking through the books and magazine. "How did you get them?"

"I have a post box in London and I bribed my uncle to go get it for me."

"Wonderful," the second girl told her. "You didn't get into trouble?"

"Not yet. I'm guessing anyway." She shrugged. "I didn't check all the regulations but I'm sure I'm not in trouble so far because he came back." Simone leaned back against her pillows. "You know they have shops for that in London, right?" The girls looked interested. "They've got a number of stores that sell that sort of thing. My father's went to a few of them. I found his porn stash a few years back and he told me that I could start my own once I was old enough."

"Wow," the second girl said. "Your father is wickedly cool. My own is stodgy, said I don't need to know anything about sex until I'm married. I pointed out that I'm not getting married anytime soon and he said that I didn't need to date then." She sighed. "He's such an old fart."

"My father sat me down and gave me a long lecture about what would happen if I had sex before I got married, including all these diseases and bringing dishonor to the family."

"I take it they don't know about your boyfriends?" Simone asked dryly. They shook their heads. "Well, I'm not telling. My daddy was very cool and told me anything and everything I needed to know, but since he's such a guy I guess he doesn't understand what women go through all the time. He was great about some things though, explained how to get past the pain things and all that."

The first girl patted her on the leg. "It's okay. After a few minutes, it goes away."

"If you have someone who knows what they're doing, they make sure you're already happy before you reach that point so you don't feel it as much," the second girl put in.

"I think my dad's going to take us to someone professional so we learn the right way first."

"I want your father," the second girl said, flopping backwards onto the bed. "Mine would never think of doing something like that. He's expecting my future husband to know everything and teach me, but that depends on him getting some and that's not that likely these days."

Simone grinned. "I'll tell you how it was." The girls laughed.

"What's up?" Denver asked. The girls hid the books and he gave them a funny look. "You girls are strange."

"No, we're normal, you boys just don't understand us," the first girl said, standing up. "I'd better grab my sweater. I'm going for a walk by the lake." The second girl pouted. "Sorry, but he suggested it." She waved and grabbed her sweater, leaving them alone.

Denver came in and sat on his sister's bed, giving her a look. "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing. I got to get everything I wanted."

"I know, I was there."

She shoved him. "Turn around for five minutes." He sighed and turned the other direction while she hid all of her new special things in her sock drawer. She had to hunt for the toy, but eventually got it in there too. She didn't even want to *think* about a house elf finding it. "Okay, done."

He turned back around. "Did you see Melvin and Andrea? They looked so cute."

"They make a good couple," Simone agreed. "Did you hear? She promised Uncle Ron not to have sex until after they left school."

"There are ways around that," Denver said with a smirk.

"I know, but does he?"

"I'm not sure. Hopefully he'll talk to father about that." He shrugged. "So, give, you wouldn't show me what you at the shop."

She pulled out the wrapped box. "It's for Ravena."

"Ooh, one of those." He giggled. "I'm sure she'll love it." He whistled, bringing Glinda to them. "Can you take that to Ravena? And you can't open it or pierce it."

Glinda looked at the box, then cheeped and picked it up, taking off with it in her beak.

Simone grinned. "I'm sure she'll have fun with that. Uncle Fred made the strings her colors."

"Hemlock will adore that," Denver agreed.

***

The judge looked at the two men, smiling at them. "New relationship?" he asked.

"My former girlfriend is strange and she did it to us," Ron told him.

"Did she knock you out first?"

"She's dead," Ron told him.

"Oh." The judge nodded. "I remember the pranks of the dead while I was at school. Are you both all right?"

"No, but I can deal with it," Draco told him. He glanced around. "She's not coming?"

"This is a preliminary interview, to see what would be acceptable to you."

Draco shrugged. "I want my children protected. If she's truly changed, then I'll allow her partial custody or visitation, but they're *my* children."

"I understand, Mr. Malfoy. If I had gone through this situation, I would have done this long ago."

"The children filed. They had tried to talk to the both of us two years ago and there wasn't anything that could be done. I reformed my behavior and she didn't."

"Ginny was trying to go back to her youth and never quite understood that even as a girl of eighteen she couldn't do that," Ron put in.

Draco nodded. "Exactly. I tried subtle, I tried more extravagant. I tried a lust spell to teach her how bad it was. She ignored it all."

The judge smiled. "I saw the report from the Ministry. Was it really necessary?"

"It was a reaction," Draco admitted. He shifted and Ron moved as well. "There's something else."

"You don't have to," Ron whispered.

Draco looked at him and smiled. "If I don't, she can contest that as well." He looked at the judge. "There's a reason for this," he said, tapping the handcuff on his wrist. They fell off. "Now you do that?" he asked the ceiling. Someone giggled. "I should rip your soul apart and let you flounder and die," he snarled.

Buffy appeared, waving at the judge before looking down at Draco. "Young man, there's a reason for everything I've done. It wasn't my idea, I just follow orders like a good girl." She smiled at Ron. "You two have got to work together closer. Xander's going to have to quit fighting after this next battle. And together, you're bearing the strongest wizard out of both lines. She's going to merge what you do," she said, smiling at Draco, "with what Ron does." She grinned at him. "Besides, you two look so *cute*!" She faded out.

Ron looked at Draco. "At least we're not getting her," he said to soothe the temper tantrum brewing.

Draco pulled himself together. "I'm going to go scream, I'll be right back." He walked out, going to scream and rant at the bitch in the bathroom.

Ron shrugged. "Sorry about that. I guess I'll wait outside."

"You're obviously keeping him calm. If he wants you to stay, you might as well." The judge looked over as Draco came back in. "Feel better?"

"Yes." He tapped Ron on the shoulder and pulled him over to the other side of the room. "The kid's going to take over as the official guardian of the school once it graduates." Ron swallowed. "Male or female, she combined my innate gifts and your nature."

"Wonderful," Ron said sarcastically. "Whatever you need, I'm here. I... I'm not going to run away or anything," he said finally.

"Good, then you can give me foot rubs when my ankles swell." He pointed at the chairs. "Shall we?"

"Do you want me here?"

"You can report back to the rest of the family how fair I'm going to be." He sat down again. "Sorry, but that was necessary." Ron sat down beside him again. "As I was saying, I'm tired of this. I'll let her have visitation or limited custody. I'll even take off the wage garnishment. I have no need of her money and she will. I'm not supporting her."

"She does have a good job," the judge agreed. "I don't see any reason for you to support her. Are you giving your children a living allowance while they're with her?"

"I'll set up another vault and give them keys," Draco agreed. "I still want them the majority of their holidays. I'm the one who helps them shop and watches over them while they're at school."

"Mum would love to be the mediator," Ron put in. "She said Ginny could drop the kids off at her house and Draco could pick them up from there so they could all play together."

"True, they spent most of last summer at her house," Draco agreed. "That would be acceptable to me."

"How long are breaks now? Still nine weeks?" Ron nodded. "Then how about we give her three weeks of that?" the judge suggested. Draco nodded.

Ron coughed. "How much did she ask for?" The judge looked at him. "Ginny was going into this by being practical. If she only asked for three then she didn't want them for more than that."

"I see." The judge checked the second folder on his desk. "She asked for four."

"Then three should be fine," Draco agreed. "They'll spend most of the time at their grandparent's anyway. She can pop around to visit them since they're her parents."

"Very well," the judge agreed. "You'll both be expected to contribute five hundred galleons a year to the children's upkeep and school allowances."

"Each?" Draco asked.

The judge looked at him. "That's a bit excessive. What are they going through that they need it?"

"What about Denver?" Ron asked.

"I'd say over all," the judge told Draco. "Anything else would be naturally occurring for the rest of the family. This is for their uniforms, clothes, and all those necessities and fun things." He smiled. "As for your oldest son, I can't force her to take part in his upkeep, even though she did offer to. I think a thousand a year should cover all five children." Draco nodded. "You'll set up a vault today?"

"Yes, I can do that. It shouldn't take so long." He stood up. "Anything else?"

"No, I think not." The judge cleared his throat. "I would suggest that at least one of you find yourself in a committed relationship, just for the stability."

"She's dating someone decent," Ron said as he stood up. "Met him myself, and I didn't cringe. It was a first."

The judge smiled again. "Why don't you two get together? They're his nieces and nephews so he could claim that he's watching over them for her."

Ron laughed. "We'd kill each other. We just spent the last day locked in a room together and ran out of things to say within three hours."

"Plus, his dead girlfriend gave him triplets," Draco agreed.

"Try it," the judge suggested. "I saw the picture of you two in the paper and I think if you thought about it you could form some sort of alliance at the very least."

Draco looked at Ron. "Don't we already have one of those?"

"Yeah, we watch each other's kids and the like." He shrugged. "Up to you, it's your reputation."

Draco grimaced. "My reputation is still better than my father's and most people assume that I was raised wrong so I don't know any better." He pulled Ron closer and kissed him, and the other man moaned. "That's it, you're going to get laid before you start giving the furniture loving looks." He looked at the judge, who was smirking. "He likes girls, it's just been three years."

"And a half. She was forbidden from her fourth month on," Ron admitted.

"How did you stand that?" the judge asked.

"Long showers and a lot of stress," Ron said honestly. "I'm not as bad as he is." He nudged Draco. "I'll pop around on Percy while you head to the bank."

"You don't need to go to the vaults?"

"I don't have one. My pay is pretty muchly spent as soon as I get it. Having three little ones on thirty galleons is hard."

"Good point." Draco nodded at the judge. "I'll be right back." He steered Ron out of the office. "You can come with me. It will give me someone to chat at so I don't get sick on the ride down." He walked them out of the courts building and over to Diagon, heading for the bank. He had a quiet word with one of the goblins in charge of new vaults, then headed downstairs with Ron trailing him. "Why didn't you take on consulting work over the summers?" Draco asked once they were in the cart.

"For defense? There's nothing really going on. I've done a little bit here and there, but nothing major. Short of going to beat things up for money, I'm living on my paycheck."

"You could have asked Ginny for summer employment."

"I can't do what you guys do," Ron told him. Draco opened his mouth. "We make it, it's fine."

"It's not."

"It is. We're fine. The Watcher's Council give the three a small allowance every month and it's all good. We've got an agreement that they'll pay for the kid's future schooling."

"Ron, the kids are missing out on things."

"It's fine, Draco. Leave it. We're not in debt and it's good."

"If you say so."

"I do," Ron said firmly. "We're fine."

"All right." Draco got out to open his vault, going in to take out a large bag of money, both for the start of the new one and for his own use. He would offer Ron a job, but he knew that sort of pride and Ron would hurt him for it. He might have a quiet word with that Wesley person, but it might mess things up as well. It was probably a problem with the exchange rate. He walked back to the cart and got back in. "All right, just a short stop and then we'll leave."

"Thanks. Gryphons?"

"Later tonight," Draco agreed. "I have something I think I need to do before then. You're coming as well," he ordered as the cart moved. "Don't argue, you need it."

"I don't!"

"You do. You're straight and you moaned."

"I did not!"

"You did, Ron, quit arguing. I'm going, the kids are being watched, and I'm dragging your ass with me. If you argue, I'll be mean and make you go with two of them." Ron's mouth fell open so he smirked. "Do you understand?"

"I can't...."

Draco kicked him. "I have a yearly membership, it's not a problem."

"You can buy yearly memberships to places like that?"

"Only the good ones." Once they reached the surface, Draco led the way to finish doing everything for the new vault, picking up the five keys and heading back to the judge to give him the paperwork. He accepted his copy of the custody agreement and it went into his pocket, then he dragged Ron to the floo so he wouldn't be able to protest. They came out in the exclusive brothel and he smiled. "It's been three and a half years for him," he said, shoving Ron at a woman. "Treat him well and make him relax." A few more women walked over, talking to Ron as they dragged him away. Draco smiled at the Madam as she walked up to him. "Three and a half years," he said in awe.

She smiled at him, patting him on the side of the face. "Some people can do that, Mr. Malfoy. What would you like tonight?"

"Something intense and to plan for my children's first times."

"I have just the thing for you. Pretty, waist-length brunette hair with gold highlights. Something new, but not too new." She took his arm as she walked him away. "Which child is ready?"

"I have my oldest two, my nephew Ignatius who needs some help - he's got a thirty-year-old woman in his sights." She laughed. "And possibly my nephew Melvin. It depends on what he wants since he has a girlfriend at the moment and they've *promised* not to have sex until they graduate."

"Ignatius, the one who just got into the Royal Academy?" Draco nodded. "One of their board comes here for his own stress relief and he was talking about him. I had no idea he was your nephew."

"Ignatius is Xander Harris-Weasley's son."

She brightened up. "No wonder." She patted him on the arm as they walked into the dance studio. "I think you two will get along rather well. She's interesting, has a brilliant mind, and has a thing for the slightly naughty." She smiled at her girl and walked away to check on that poor man. Three and a half years without the comfort of having someone there was unhealthy. She found him being teased by two different women and smiled, leaving them alone. Those two had him well in hand and he would be soothed by the time he left. One of them would even let him cuddle if he wanted. She went to check her monitoring system for the rest of her clients. It was a slow day.

***

Melvin looked at his girlfriend, then at the picnic lunch. "Andrea?" She smiled at him. "I'm tired of the teasing."

She shifted closer and kissed him on the cheek. "There are things that we can do, Melvin, but I wanted to give us time to calm down. Being too anxious would ruin it for me."

He smiled and gave her a real kiss. "I understand that, I wanted to know what you would consider appropriate." She whispered in his ear and he blushed. "Really?" She nodded. "Just that?"

"Well, there's the reciprocal action from what I've been told. It's supposed to be fun and satisfying enough." He moaned. "If you want, you could try that next weekend, when no one else is running around watching us."

He ran a carrot stick over her lips and she nibbled it. "I'd like that. We'll need the time to scout somewhere safe and hidden."

"And somewhere not outside. I don't want to deal with the whole grass and dirt issues."

"Of course," he said, sounding slightly offended. "Having any of that after a picnic would be romantic, but a good breeze would probably ruin it." She giggled and kissed him again, moving away a few inches. "You're sure you want me?"

"Melvin, I love this shy boy act because it's turning me on, but enough is enough. If I get any more warm, I'm going to need to strip right here." He blushed brighter and kissed her on the cheek. "Trust me, Melvin, if you stay around, I'm going to do everything that you've ever wanted and then some."

He giggled. "I'm sure I can think up all sorts of new and interesting stuff. If I have to, I can always ask Simone's father. He knows just about everything to be known about being with a beautiful woman." She blushed. "You are." He stroked over her cheek with his thumb. "Are we more than dating?"

"I'll give you a month before I accept a proposal," she teased.

"Okay." He gave her another kiss. "Eat so we can go find somewhere cozy and out of the way. I want to try that thing."

She picked up her sandwich and ate the biggest bite she could.

***

Draco and Ron wandered back into the house, sated, sleepy, and content with the entire world, even the bad parts. They fell down onto the couch and smiled at each other. "Thanks for that," Ron told him.

"Not a problem," Draco said with a limp wave of his wrist. "Do you feel better?"

"Much," Ron said with a goofy grin.

Xander walked in and stopped to look at them. "What happened to you two?" He saw the shared smiles and raised an eyebrow. "Or should I ask?"

"I helped him take advantage of a membership I have," Draco told him with a content smile. "Want to help us rip Buffy a new one?"

"Oh, I heard about that and called her down to have a discussion." He crossed his arms. "She explained it to me and her methodology sucks ass. She understands that and will never step foot in this school again." Ron opened his mouth. "She can view from where she is. She doesn't need to come down here and harass you more." He walked over and tipped Draco's head up. "Repeat after me, I will allow myself to be spoiled this time."

Draco grinned. "If I must."

"You must," Ron agreed.

"And you," Xander said, letting Draco go, giving him a pat on the head. "The Headmaster has something for you. It came by owl. Something about a book that needs translated." He shrugged at the confused look. "I don't know. That's all he told me." He collapsed into his chair. "The kids are all back in their houses, begging for a real shower, mercy, and to change to a new elective. I effectively scared the shit outta most of them."

"Congrats," Ron told him. "I think I'm going to go take a nap."

"Fred said you might want to nap in ours. Yours is apparently covered in the color dust, bright yellow." Ron shuddered. "Go nap in the bed, I'll take the nest, and Draco can have his own bed unless you two...." He trailed off.

Draco shook his head. "I appreciate having someone to hold, but I think I'll stay up. I still have to go to the gryphons."

"No, you don't. Bill's coming up to talk to everyone again tomorrow. Another full day of lectures, covering what he did last time and even more." He smiled. "Buffy popped in on him too, he screamed at her for over three hours while he had her trapped."

"The gryphons have a way to trap spirits?" Draco asked.

Xander nodded. "It's from the China colony, it's in traditional gryphon, and it's one hell of a book from what I understand. It's one of those where you the author decided only the dedicated would get through his convoluted wording to find any meaning in the first five chapters, which you'll need to understand the rest, done in a more pleasing style." He smiled. "It's coming up, along with another section of books for Iggy, another one for me, and the defense section so I can start to teach Ron Gryphon."

"I get to learn?" Ron asked. Xander nodded. "Why?"

"Because Ginny told them that she wants to do less work and they trust your family. You and Charlie both get to learn."

"Is this pity?" Ron asked.

"No, they said that you'll have to know to help Draco teach that one." He pointed at Draco's stomach. "Which by the way they're holding a major celebration because it's not only going to be the guardian of the school, but also of the colony. And they think it'll be another girl." He smiled. "There's actually a whole book of how this kid's got to come to be, in cryptic prophecy of course."

"Future or past?" Draco asked.

"Past and future. Oh, did you know that you've got stuff sitting at the colony?" Draco shook his head. "Someone cleaned out a dead person's vault and found your family history. There's apparently a few surprises in there when they looked to see who should be getting it."

"I'll get it tomorrow?" Xander nodded. "I'll deal with it then." He heaved himself up. "I'm for a shower." He nudged the nearly-asleep Ron as he passed. "Go nap where the kids can't pounce you."

"I'm good here," Ron told him, curling up on the couch.

Xander and Draco shared a smile. "Thanks," Xander mouthed. Draco nodded then went up to shower and finish waking up. He wouldn't even tell George. Ron had needed the release.

***

Draco looked over as Melvin slid up beside him on the mezzanine later that day. "What did you need, Melvin?"

Melvin blushed. "Uncle Draco, can I come to you for anything?" He got a pat on the head and a nod. "Well, you know about Andrea, right?" He got another nod. "And our promise to Ron?" A third nod. "What else can we do?"

"Ah." Draco smiled. "There are many things, depending on where she sets the limits." He wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders, talking quietly about all the things that they *might* do, if the young lady agreed, and they were careful enough about it. Melvin was bright red by the end, but he had some very good ideas. "Was there anything else?"

"There's the small problem of where and a silencing spell," Melvin told him.

"Oh, that's no problem at all," Draco said with a smirk. "Come, let me show you somewhere that I found in my fifth year." He led the boy down the stairs, taking the opposite last turn before the dungeon, heading left instead of right and down. "This isn't a forbidden section, it's only closed off. No one's needed to use the classrooms because we've got so many empty. So, when I found the room I did, it came as a shock to me that anyone else realized it was down here." He tapped on a door and not hearing an answer walked in. He lit the candles, showing the old, well-used pillows and mattresses spread around. Then he closed the door. "The silencing charm requires your wand to be placed on the cherub's chest." Melvin did so. "This, my boy, is where I did a lot of very naughty things with quite a few people."

Melvin looked around in awe. No one had been here in years by the dust on everything. He looked up at his uncle. "How did you find it, Uncle Draco?"

"Easily, I got lost looking for a storeroom." He grinned. "I only got caught in here once and that's because Snape was looking for me. He's probably the only other person who knows it's here. He said it predated *his* tenure as a student." Melvin's jaw dropped. "There's a small shelving unit over there," he said, pointing at the bright red padded thing on the wall. "It's got a cold shelf so you can keep juice in there. As a matter of fact, there might still be some sort of things around here, lube or some of those muggle condoms maybe." He sat down, pulling the boy beside him. "Now, I shall teach you the most important thing, even though you're determined not to use it." Melvin sat down across from him, still looking stunned. "Are you listening?"

Melvin nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good boy." Draco smiled and opened a small hidden compartment, this one with a scroll, a small pot of herbs, and a candle. "The contraceptives."

Melvin accepted the scroll and grinned. "This is easy."

"Yes, it is, but the Regents don't want to think about any of you doing anything like that in their school. Parents might complain," he said dryly. Melvin laughed. "The herbs are the standard for her to eat, if she doesn't take Ignatius' new potion that is. Either one works."

Melvin handed back the scroll. "Thank you for showing me."

"Remember, it's the third door on this side, after taking the wrong turn from the potion's dungeon." Melvin nodded. "Every other room around here is spelled against a silencing charm thanks to Severus. As a matter of fact, he set most of them up to echo throughout the school."

"Who set it up?"

Draco leaned closer. "Iggy's namesake." Melvin broke up in laughter. "Be very gentle with everything and behave properly with her, young man." He patted Melvin on the head. "The silencing charm also locks the doors, all right?"

Melvin nodded and stood up, closing the contraceptive compartment again and canceling the silencing charm. "Thank you, Uncle Draco."

"Just don't get caught or Tara will rip this place down." He walked the boy out of the room and relocked the door, letting him know what the password was. He walked the boy back to the main passageway and left him there, going to check on Severus. He hadn't looked good when he was storming up the hill earlier. "Ah, here you are," he said, smiling at the older man. "What happened?" He glanced around. "No Ignatius?"

"He's giggling in the storeroom as he spends his hour with Raena." Snape put down his book. "Shut the door, boy." Draco kicked it shut. "You never said anything about it being *that* spell."

"You wanted to know?"

"Yes!"

"Well, it was, and that's what Buffy was on about last night as well," he said grimly. "A true child of prophecy."

Snape groaned and held his head. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine so far. The spell was unfrozen last night when she put contagion bracelets on us."

"That whole thing was because of that?" Snape asked. Draco nodded. "What are you going to do now?"

"I can't very well do anything, can I?"

"There are options."

Draco leaned down, getting into his face. "Then the school and the gryphon colony will fall," he said quietly. "Which is worse?"

"I understand," Snape said, giving him a faint smile. "If you need anything, you are to tell me immediately. Ignatius may not make anything for it."

"You have orders as well?" Snape nodded. "Why?"

"Because the colony elders in Amsterdam are going to try and discredit him from afar."

"They can't do that."

"They can. They have in the past. They'll try it again and it's too dangerous to risk."

"What can we do to stop them?"

"Short of annihilation, nothing."

"What about Xander's oh-so-fun aging spell? If we do it, and take Raena away from them, letting Iggy claim her, then the local colony would have precedent."

Iggy slammed in then turned and shut the door, kicking it repeatedly. "I won't get upset!" he yelled.

"They're trying to break you, boy," Snape told him. "Do not let them."

Iggy turned and looked at them. "No, they just canceled Raena's funding because of me. Fuck them!"

"It's easily fixed," Draco told him.

Iggy shook his head. "It's even more easily fixed. Raena's coming here tonight to talk to Bill. And I promise, we'll stay in separate rooms."

"That's good," Snape agreed dryly. "What else is going to happen?"

"I'm claiming her as my mate. They can't fight over that. Are either of my father's in? Or do I have time to run to town."

"Xander's upstairs, I think George is still in the shop."

"Great. I'll be back." Iggy disappeared, going to talk to his father.

"Oh, shit," Draco said succinctly. "How could they do that to one of their own?"

"All the former potion's masters, up to the last three, were from Amsterdam. It's territorial rights and jealousy. They tried it with the others as well."

"Fuck them then," Draco said with a shrug. "I'd like it if you did a discerning spell on me soon," he said, then he left. This was going to get messy. Maybe Bill Weasley could help. He was always calm in a crisis and usually had useful ideas.

***

Iggy landed in the middle of the shop and picked up the most explosive thing, taking it out back to blow the fuck up. Once he was calmer, and done wishing he could start fires like his father when he got upset, he walked back inside. "Father, I think we need to have a discussion before I finish losing my temper," Iggy said.

George looked at him. "That's coming out of your allowance."

"The Amsterdam colony is trying to kill me and ruin Raena because of me."

"Fred!" Fred came out of the lab. "Switch with me for a bit, a small piece of family emergency just came up." He led his son into the back room, away from the few students still in the shop, and shut the door. "What?"

"Every potion master but myself and the last two have come from Amsterdam." George nodded. "They're *jealous*," he spat. "It's been overheard that there's a plan to ruin something of mine at a critical moment, so I'm not only discredited but it harms someone and I'm banned from making anything ever again." His smile got colder. "Also, since Raena and I are aligned, they've just cut her funding and are threatening her family with expulsion."

George pulled his son in for a hug. "We'll do whatever we can to help, son. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking of being a vindictive shit and announcing that I refuse to do anything for them," Iggy admitted against the comforting shoulder. He remembered this shoulder fondly from his fussier days. "Bill told me."

"All right. We'll do whatever we have to do," George told him. "Does she need help right now?" Iggy nodded. "Are they pushing her for funds or just for time?"

"She's a month away from finishing her Mastery potion." He pulled back and scrubbed at his face. "I want to do something horrible."

"I know."

"I want to hurt them greatly."

George smiled. "I know, son."

"I want to rip them feather from skin and cut them up like the creatures they are!"

"Iggy, I know," George told him. "Feeling less in a rage now?" Iggy took a deep breath and nodded. "First thing's first. Go talk to her parents. Find out exactly what you can do to help or if they want you to leave her alone." Iggy nodded. "Come back and tell us so we can help her, and we'll plan the rest soon enough."

Iggy nodded. "Yes, sir. Snape knows too, he was in a rage as well. Oh, and did you know the spell worked on Uncle Draco?"

"Yes, I do. Your former Aunt Buffy was crowing about it. The child will one day take your other father's place. Go now, before things get worse." Iggy disappeared and George sat down to think. They had the extra money, and they had some major support if necessary. They could get through this. He got up and went to tell Fred what was going on, finding Draco there already. "He's gone to check with her parents."

"Good. Hopefully this will be solved soon enough."

"Iggy's gone protective and possessive on her," George said with a smile. "He's got that same look in his eyes as Xander does whenever one of us is threatened."

Draco smirked. "I knew the boy had it in him." He leaned on the counter. "Do you have anything that can prank the dead?"

"No, son, but we're working on it," Fred assured him. Draco batted at him. "What? Twins share most everything."

"If you'd ask Elizabeth, I'm sure she'd say yes to bearing you a bunch of little pranksters in the making," George told him.

"She doesn't want kids."

"Ask her again, she might change her mind for you." He hit his twin on the arm. "You can adopt William and watch him and Zach get together if you want."

"No, thank you," Fred said dryly. "A little Xander and a little Snape are not the couple I want to watch."

***

Iggy landed inside the library, a major faux pas, but he was tired of this shit. The local colony didn't respect him, he didn't respect them. He walked up to the information desk and leaned on it. "I want to hurt them very badly," he told Raena's mother. "So badly that I'm in a rage and I'm about to go over there."

She smiled. "I know, Iggy. We support you both, even if she does take a deaging spell." She grimaced at a back corner. "She's had to move back home."

"My family wants to know what she needs most. Money, time, a safe haven, a shielding spell so they can't screw her up. Me claiming her officially so she becomes part of my colony.... What do you need?" From behind him, someone laughed weakly so he turned to find his darling standing there. "Raena, are you all right?" He hugged her, holding her tightly against his chest. "Whatever I can do, tell me, and I'm so there," he whispered against his hair.

"You're only going to get yourself in trouble," she pointed out.

Iggy pulled back. "Honey, there's some power with what I am." He grinned. "And not only will I use it, I'm having this explosive rage at the moment and nowhere to let it out. If I could start fires like my father, I'd probably have burnt us all up by now." She laughed again and this time it was stronger. "So, what do you need? My family's offered you anything you want that's in our power."

"I'm all right for right now," she admitted. "They can't ask for my tuition fees back and they can't make me leave the school. They can force me out of the dorms because my living allowance has stopped. They can't make me stop working on my mastery potion either."

Iggy led her a little further away from the desk. "I know I've mentioned it before, but I want to put up a cooky plan." She nodded. "My father is the present master of aging spells." He closed her lips with his finger. "If you deage yourself back to somewhere around mine, we can formally adopt you into my clan, the rules say that you have the choice of changing clans at the age of adulthood. I can also claim you, or even if you don't, and make you a part of my clan. The first would protect you and the second would protect you and your family. Plus, I've got a bit of an idea at the moment anyway." He smiled at her and saw her melt. "If you can do that, you can come to Hogwarts. What's a few more years? It'll give you time under Snape to finish your Mastery potion, which shouldn't matter because Braun's bylaws don't have an age requirement. Or you could finish it and join me at the Royal Academy. Either way. There's a spouse clause," he said with a smile.

She slumped. "Iggy, that's dangerous."

"Do you know how many times my dad's worked the temporary spell? And the permanent spell? They made him practice it back and forth for *weeks* on *hundreds* of things and people. If you want, we can do that. Our elder is coming up tomorrow to talk to me anyway."

She looked over at her mother. "Mother?"

"Take it, dear. You were a beautiful girl when you were fifteen and you'll be wonderful this time."

"Mother, I looked horrible. I had bad skin, buck teeth, and nasty looking hair."

Iggy smiled at her. "You can only be beautiful to me, Raena. Trust me on this. Besides, make yourself eighteen and then we'll only have four years between us." She laughed and hugged him. "Please? Let me help you?"

"I'll talk about it with my family," she promised.

"Daughter, do it," her mother told her. "Your father won't be home tonight and everything's bad right now. If you go through with this, they can't touch any of us."

Raena nodded, but looked unhappy. "What about yours and father's job?"

"Dear one, Amsterdam only has *administrative* force over the library. Nothing else," Iggy assured her. "They can't fire your mother. Not without the Board saying so, not if they don't have a reason. She's safe. I'm going to make it *very* clear how much this has pissed me off." He stepped back. "May we? Please?"

She looked at her mother, who nodded. "Father?"

"Said it wasn't such a bad idea for you to deage yourself anyway," she admitted with a faint smile. "Go. I'll send you your things. Iggy, check with your Headmaster first." He disappeared. "Raena, we love you, but it will be safer this way." Her daughter came over and gave her a hug. "Be safe and be careful. Severus will protect you for me." She kissed her. "Go to Iggy, my sweet, or to his father." She nodded and left to get her Mastery materials, then teleported away. She landed in Hogsmeade, twenty feet outside the door of Iggy's father's shop. She took a deep breath and walked inside, smiling at the man behind the counter. "Are you George?"

"No, Raena, I'm Fred, he's in the back readying Iggy's room for you." He hugged her. "It'll be okay. Iggy and his father are both on a rip right now." He looked around. "I'll be right back." He led her back to the living quarters, handing her over to George. "Should we call the school?"

"He knows." She smiled at him. "I'll try not to be a bother."

"Dear, we've lived with Iggy, we know what you little potion people are like," George said with a grin. "That's why he has a fireplace in his room." He pointed to it, and everything set up so Iggy could brew something. "If you need anything, call us." She nodded. "We're open for another three hours so come out if you want company, or sit in here if you don't." She gave him a hug. "Don't worry, we're nice people, most of the time." She laughed and the twins left.

"She looked so depressed," Fred whispered.

"Iggy's calling upon his calling and is going to beat the snot out of them politically," George assured him. He winked. "Dumbledore just popped in." They walked back into the shop, smiling in unison at the old man. "Can we help you?"

Dumbledore looked at them. "I think it's more of me helping you this time, boys."

***

Iggy brushed his fingers through his hair as he teleported to his colony. "Hi." He handed the gryphon-born doing formal matters his petition. "It's important. They just fucked with me." The born looked shocked. "May I make my case?"

"Of course," Bill said gently. "Is this over the Amsterdam colony?" Iggy nodded and the other elders started to speak.

"Shut up and let me go first," Iggy told them. "It's my life they're trying to ruin." The elders all looked at him, he wasn't normally like this, he hated to argue. "Sorry, but I'm a bit pissed at the moment and I don't have a handy way of relieving that stress like my father and his fires." He took a deep breath. "It was reported to me that the Amsterdam colony was trying to fuck up my life. There was a plan to ruin a potion of mine at the worst instant, thereby harming someone and discrediting me, all because I'm not from there. I know there have been other such incidences with the other non-Amsterdam potion masters. I also know that they threatened my future mate."

"Potential mate," Bill corrected.

Iggy snorted. "Bet me. She's mine and will stay mine. I've even worn her down over our age differences." He grinned. "She's a beautiful woman, Bill."

"I know, we did meet her."

"Yeah, but it's her mind that gets me," he said with a wispy-sounding sigh. He shook himself. "Anyway, they tried to ruin her schooling, and she is going for her Mastery in healing potions as well. They're threatening her family with expulsion. I'm not putting up with this. Unless you can give me one *damn good* reason, I'm removing them from my care, any future help from me outside of an epidemic, and from any and all consideration." He crossed his arms. "Now you can argue and make my stomach hurt."

The female elder laughed. "We had heard of such going on, young Ignatius, but are you sure? This will cause you problems."

"I'm heading for the main Council after this. Fuck them and the eggs they hatched from." The gryphons got together. "If you look at my petition, I've selected a radical course of action that will ensure everyone is safe and healthy. Especially she and I."

The gryphons looked at the petition. "Your handwriting needs work, young man," the female elder said finally. She looked down at him. "Is this your final say?" He nodded. "Even if she later rejects you?"

Iggy laughed. "She won't reject me. We have a connection through the flood. We talk every day now." The elders looked impressed. "All I need is your approval and then I'm off."

"You have it," the female elder told him, the two males backing her senior decision. "Someone will have to take you to the Council though. You should be guarded."

"I welcome any and all help in this matter," he said firmly. "I'm at the stage where I'll kill them myself."

"Then your father should go with you. He is our guardian after all," Bill said with a smile.

"You want to burn down the main Council?" Iggy asked, making the elders laugh. "Give me an escort if you want, just give Daddy someone to watch him too." Bill nodded and whistled, bringing two other people and Xander. The decree was handed back to him, marked with the colony's signature sigil, and then a portal was opened so they could go to the main Council, which was still held in Africa, in Morocco. Iggy strode forward, pushing a few people out of his way. "Move your lazy, political bumming asses," he told one group.

"Who is that?" one of the oldest gryphons ever called out.

Iggy pushed his way through, his escort watching his back. "Ignatius Carmel Harris-Weasley, your eminence. I have a petition of the most grave matter."

The gryphons, five of them on this council, looked down at him. "Why?" one of the females asked. "We know of you. You are our future potion's master."

He nodded. "I am. And I'm a tad bit *upset* with the Amsterdam colony for trying to discredit me and make me harm someone." The surrounding people backed away from him. "The plan was found out earlier by one of my elders so I state my right to not treat anyone from there, unless it is an epidemic. I remove them from my future care and concern, and any consideration that I might give them will come formally though petitions given to my elders." He handed over the petition his elders had signed. "Not only have they planned to harm me, they've planned to harm the one I intend as my mate. As you can see, my colony has agreed with me in this matter."

"You are very young and brash," the oldest gryphon pointed out. "Are you sure of this?"

Iggy nodded. "She is a potion master in her own right in the same field I am. The only difference is that I'm a prodigy and she's a normal potion master of normal abilities."

"I meant the removal, not your future mate," the gryphon said dryly.

Iggy smiled. "A guy my age has his thoughts on his woman, and this has gone too far. They withdrew her funding because she and I were close." He crossed his arms. "Everything I need to say and plan to do is on my petition before this council."

The gryphons read it, although one did mention something about his handwriting. They talked among themselves, then called for the ambassador from Amsterdam. The gryphon stepped forward. "Is this true?" the oldest female asked.

The ambassador looked at Iggy, then smiled. "I don't know where the boy gets his information from...."

"From overhearing your brother and his nest-mate talk," Iggy told him. "Some of us can touch the thought threads, especially when it involves us. Our elder Bill confirmed my overheard things and my colony is fully backing me."

"That means you won't have access to the library." The ambassador stepped closer but Xander stepped up. "I know of you, but you are not one of us."

"No, I'm not. I'm the protector for *my* colony, and you forgot. No gryphon or born can be denied access to the library, whether they be affiliated or not, or whether they be rogues or not. You don't make that call. The only thing your colony gets to do is pick janitors. Now back the fuck away from my son before my amazing firestarting ability comes out and roasts you like the dragon dinner you should be." The gryphon stepped back, looking at the elders. Xander bowed to them. "I'm sorry, but I'm a tad bit upset myself." He looked at the ambassador. "If I didn't have the control I did, they'd be in deep shit right now."

Iggy patted him on the arm. "It's all right, daddy. I'm sure they understand protecting their young." He looked up at the elders. "With your leave or without it."

"What about their young?" the old gryphon asked.

"I would listen to any plea about an innocent or a child," Iggy told him. "Their present structure can go leap for all I give a damn. I've put in there that they can ask my elders and I will consider anything done that way, but otherwise, no."

The elders nodded, looking at each other. "So be it," the eldest female said, then she batted at the ambassador. "Shut up. Your prior similar actions have all been noted by this Council and we are *tired* of it. You may tell them I said that." She got closer to Iggy. "You are quite powerful if you can do what you say."

Iggy nodded. "Some day, when the powerful in their colony change, I may change my mind and remove the petition. Until that date, I'm sure I can hold out long enough." She nudged him so he petted her gently. "Thank you for hearing me."

"It is normal for one to get so pissed over their true mate," she told him. She looked at Xander. "You are the one who was taught to deal with time issues?" He nodded. "Are you planning on doing this spell for the girl?"

"Whenever she's ready. She's a nice young woman and means the world to my son. If she decides not to go through with it, I can even overlook their age difference once Iggy's grown."

"Ah. Wonderful. How much older is she?"

"Seventeen long years," Iggy sighed. "But we are connected, even she admits that." He suddenly smiled. "She said to quit picking on her age."

"May I?" the oldest gryphon asked. Iggy stepped forward and he put a large paw on the boy's head, listening and talking to the girl. He removed the paw and smiled. "A true bonding. We are quite impressed. Perhaps all of your children will be potions people?"

"Maybe. My father uses some in the joke shop he runs. That's where I first saw one."

"An excellent nature," the top female noted. "We hope you will be very happy. When were you going to come for your official greeting visit?"

"This summer," Xander told her. "We had originally planned on going to Amsterdam because he was supposed to take up schooling there, but instead got into the Royal Academy. Therefore we've changed our plans to the secondary target, starting with the main Council this summer so he can meet with the various diplomats and learn some about each of the colonies before he has to go there."

"A wise decision. It should help him quite a lot. Will you be joining him?"

"Myself and my mate," Xander agreed. "When would be good?"

"Good would be July, because it's most cool down here," the elder female told him. "Bring his mate with you as well. She sounds intriguing and we should have heard about her by now." The ambassador cringed. "We will be discussing this, nephew."

Iggy bowed to them. "Thank you for your patience with me and my anger. I will be back this summer. Please, send anything that you might need from me to Hogwarts and I'll respond as soon as I get it." They nodded so he turned, following his escort out. He slumped once he was outside of the chamber. "I'm so tired, daddy."

"I know, son, and we're going to be setting some ground rules right about now." Xander put his arm around his son's shoulders. "There will be no shagging of the Raena while you are in school." He walked him away, letting the escorts lead the way back to the portal. "Not only will there be no shagging, there will be no kisses that last more than ten heartbeats, and no groping of anything that would be covered by the underwear rule." Iggy laughed. "I'm glad you think it's funny now, but trust me, it's very hard to do. And please, if you do break it, don't let me hear it across the flood and don't let me find evidence of it anywhere. Got it?" Iggy nodded. "Thank you. Please talk to your uncle about all the pertinent safety precautions because it's been so long since I've had a woman that I don't even remember what their lower parts look like."

"Yes, daddy. Ten whole heartbeats?"

"I figure the three that your grandmother was going to demand was a bit short. Ten gives you the better part of a minute. Woo her for now, son, show her how wonderful and rotten a Harris in love can be." They walked back through the portal. "Mission accomplished." Raena looked over at them. "Ah, daughter."

"Future daughter, daddy, I'm not old enough to be married, as you just pointed out to me."

"Good point." Xander smiled at his son. "I knew you were brilliant." He looked at Raena. "Did you want to do it now?"

"I'm doing it," Bill told him. "Because you're still pissed. We don't want to end up with her being Maeve's age."

"Lucien might steal her from me," Iggy agreed. He winked at her. "Did you meet the little creature yet?"

"Oh, yes, he was down at the shop. All the children helped me settle in." She looked up at Bill. "What age should we go for?"

"How many years did you want to spend at school?" Iggy asked. "I can handle an older woman." He walked up to her and pulled her head down, kissing her.

Xander cleared his throat. "That was eleven or twelve heartbeats, son." He ended up plucking the boy off her. "Calm down. You've got years."

Raena touched her lips, then looked at Bill. "Can I be his age? I'll put up with the nastiness of youth again."

"We have things for that," Iggy assured her, wrapping her in his arms.

"You can't be touching her," Bill told him. Iggy backed up three whole steps. "A foot farther." He looked at Xander. "Don't we usually have to yell at you about that?"

"This meddling stuff is genetic," Xander told him.

"Ah. That makes sense." Bill leaned down. "Are you certain? We can only do this once."

She nodded and closed her eyes. "I'm ready."

Bill smiled at Iggy and winked, then slowly moved her backwards, sending her back to the young woman of fourteen that she hadn't been the first time. No acne, no baby fat, not even a hair out of place. "There, I believe we should lock you there." He did the locking spell, locking her body at that age so she could start going the right way again. "Welcome, Raena, acknowledged mate of Ignatius, to your new colony."

Iggy stepped back up and held her from behind again. "Open your eyes, sweetie, you're still beautiful." He kissed her on the back of the neck and his father poked him with his cane. "It's not her lips and it lasted less than ten heartbeats."

Raena looked in the nearby mirror, smiling at herself. She had deaged, but she hadn't turned back into a teenager! "Yes!" She turned and kissed Iggy for all she was worth. He melted against her.

"Release the lips," Xander said patiently. "You can do that tomorrow, after we get you uniforms." He looked up at the elders. "Did you know the main Council didn't know about her?"

"Oh, really?" Bill asked. Xander nodded. "How interesting. I'm sure we'll be getting a glowing report from our ambassador."

"We already have and he mentioned that," the female elder agreed. She got down and nudged the happy couple. "Do let her go, Ignatius, she has to breathe." Iggy came up for air and blushed. "Thank you. We were having a serious discussion. Mating can be done later." Xander gave her a look. "Much later." She smirked at him. "Like they're not going to anyway."

"I want him to talk to his uncle before he does that. Draco's found a kick ass anti-fertility charm."

"I've got it already, dad," Iggy complained.

Dumbledore walked into the chamber. "I'm going to have to remind you that you're not supposed to need it, Ignatius. The underwear rule does still apply. Three inches from all edges of anything covered by proper undergarments." Iggy sighed and moved his hands to her back. "Thank you. Raena, welcome to Hogwarts. I have here your letter," he handed it over, "and your material's list. I'm sure that between your adoptive family and..."

"We do not let any potions masters go unhelped," Bill told interrupted. "She now has a book allowance equal to Ignatius'."

"He has a book allowance?" Xander asked.

Bill swatted him. "Yes, he does, you stubborn creature. We were going to yell at you tomorrow about your silly expectation to pay for everything! How dare you take our fun away!"

Xander looked pitiful. "That's how it's done where I'm from. You don't get funding until after you're out of your primary education."

"No wonder the Americans are so odd," Draco said as he joined them. "Raena, nice to meet you. I'm the uncle called upon to give you a very long lecture about proper etiquette and such things." He winked at her. "I think I should take you to get your uniforms." Iggy gave him a pleading look. "Ask Dumbledore, your father, and your Lord and Master for permission."

Iggy looked at them. Xander sighed and shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Fine."

"Go ahead," Dumbledore told him. "I doubt we could keep you away anyway. Do get formal robes, the both of you. You'll be needing them soon enough."

"Yes, sir," Iggy said. "I'll be right back." He popped directly to the dungeon, hugging Professor Snape. "She's coming here! She's my age! My daddy even said I could have kisses and hugs! Can I go shopping with her? Please? I'll be nice and even work on that spot on the floor."

Snape got free of the bouncing child. "Calm yourself, you'll make a bad impression."

Iggy looked around. "It's just us, she knows what I'm like." He gave his best version of the puppy eyes. "Please, Severus. Uncle Draco is taking us so we'll have chaperones. Pretty please?"

"Fine. Get the list off my desk, add mugwort to it since you took all mine, and get it for me." Iggy squealed and did so, leaving with the list. "Impatient child," he sighed. "She'll be around for years now."

Iggy landed back in the elder's chamber, waving the list. "I have stuff I have to pick up for the Great One." Raena smiled at him. "Ohh, and I should probably even help you find the good cauldrons. The guys who do that have some really thin ones if you're not careful." He took her arm. "Can we go now, Uncle Draco?"

"Yes, children," he sighed, shaking his head as they disappeared. He looked at Xander. "No more."

"You're the pregnant one," Xander pointed out.

"Good point," Draco said, looking disgusted with himself. "Will you be paying me back or should I take money with me?" A large bag was handed to him and another to Xander. "What's this for?"

"To pay them back from Iggy's problem book habit," the last elder told him. "Fifty of that is for Raena's outfitting. She'll be getting ten each month from now on, except for the months when we have to outfit her." He glared at Xander. "Put the rest of that back into the bank."

"It's closed," Xander told him. The elder sighed. "I'll give it to George to hold though, so he can do it Monday." He grinned. "Thank you. I'm going to go tell him about this and let him do stuff now."

Draco stopped him, whispering something in his ear. Xander nodded. "Thank you. It's only fair."

"Just remember what he can be like." Xander accepted the other bag, minus the fifty coins and a few more, then left to go back to the store. "I got yelled at," he told Fred.

"George! Your mate's back and he's weighted down with something for you."

George came up from the basement. "Dear, what's that?"

"They got mad at us for paying for Iggy's books and stuff." He handed over the bags. "They yelled at me and I got swatted." He gave his husband a pitiful look. "They made me take it, George, they really did."

"Sweet Merlin," George sighed. "Come on, Xander, we'll find a hiding spot until we can get to the bank. You can even help me count it." Xander nodded, looking happier now. "How did it go?"

"She's his age, they're paying for her as well. The main Council was kinda pissed at the Amsterdam people because they never told them about her and they pulled this shit." He followed his mate into the living section. "They elder gryphon there also said it was a true bonding. And I told Iggy kisses can last no longer than ten heartbeats."

"Wonderful news." George flopped down onto their bed and dumped out both bags. "We spent this much on him?" he asked in awe.

"Yeah, we did," Xander agreed. He looked at the closed door. "George, I want to do something that will piss Ron off so badly that he'll take it to your father."

"I've already started a school account for the three of them and haven't told him yet," George agreed.

"Cool, then we need to tell Draco, he wanted to add to it." Xander looked at all the money. "Are you sure this is all we've spent?"

"No, but I'm sure it's close enough for my bookkeeping," George told him. He gave him a kiss. "Let's count it and then we'll go deposit it first thing on Monday. Yes?"

"Unless you wanted me to spoil you rotten," Xander said with an impish smile.

"No, dear, bank first and *then* we spoil each other." He leaned over and stole another kiss. "Let's count so I can get back to working on a prank you found for us."

"Okay." Xander sorted out coins into stacks of ten. "These aren't standard galleons."

"No, they're not," Fred said from the doorway. "Draco noticed that too. But don't worry about it and hide it somewhere safe. Not down here."

"Severus has a nice vault," Xander offered.

"We can trust him not to steal it," George agreed. They finished counting out piles, keeping a few out for themselves.

***

Iggy walked his darling into Gryffindor, her new home. "Yo! Shut up!" She looked at him. "Sometimes it has to happen." He smiled. "Someone go get Simone and the rest of the family, it's an announcement."

"We're over here," Anastasia called. "Guarding the truce proceedings." She stood up and suddenly smiled. "Raena, how wonderful of you to join our house."

"What!" Simone stood up and looked at her. "You're our age. How?"

"Always one to state the obvious, sister. Father said it was an important thing." He waved. "Hi. Welcome to the crew. Are you in here with us?" She nodded. "Cool. You guys, that's *Iggy's* woman, Raena."

Iggy smiled. "The Amsterdam colony decided to fuck with me and her so she came to live with us." He put his arm around her waist and smiled at her. "Sorry," he said to ease the frown. "You know you talk differently when it's family."

"Good point." She smiled at him. "Does this mean that I have to play quidditch with you?"

"I'd love to help you get into form if you do," he agreed with the most goofy grin on his face. "What do you play?"

"Beater."

"Yes!" Simone said. The other beater looked at her. "Honey, she carries heavy shit around all day, she can probably lift you." Raena nodded. "So now you two can switch off for injuries."

"Okay," the other beater sighed. "Make me take a break." He waved at her. "Iggy's father George and his twin both played so they come help us practice. Welcome to the team. Fucked up how, Iggy?"

"Don't worry about it, it's fixed," Iggy told him. He looked over as the door opened. "Hi, Professor Snape. Let her settle in and I'll show her the way down to your lair so you two can talk."

"Thank you." He handed over a wrapped package. "This came from town for you."

She smiled. "Thank you, Professors Snape. I think we'll work well together."

"Show the meticulous nature you did the last time you were here and we won't have any problems," he agreed. "Settle in and join me." He left them alone.

Iggy kissed her on the cheek, making her blush. "Go settle in and I'll take you down, love." He watched as Simone led the way up the stairs, then braced himself because Denver was hugging and thumping him. "Easy, I need those lungs."

Denver laughed. "That's wonderful news," he said happily. "Did you bring treats?"

"I did," Xander called from outside the doorway. It opened and allowed him inside. "Gee, a party already?" He put down the trays of food. "Madam Rosemerta wants to know if you guys liked the stuffed things so someone send her a letter and tell her. Where is she, Iggy?"

"Putting up her stuff, then we're heading down to the dungeon," Iggy told him.

"As long as you behave. Remember, any smooching over the cauldrons and I'm going to ground you to *my* tower."

"Yes, daddy," Iggy said innocently. As soon as Raena came down and had picked herself out a plate of munchies, he led her downstairs. "Do you get the feeling that my father secretly wants to catch us kissing?"

She laughed. "I'm sure he's just being practical, Iggy." She pinched him on the side. "Your girl am I?"

"Yes," he said firmly. "Otherwise I'll pout."

"Ooh, hadn't better do that," Agatha said from behind them.

Iggy turned her around. "Agatha Potter, Raena Tallias. She's technically our cousin, but is in Slytherin with Ravena."

"Hello." Raena licked off her buttery fingers then shook Agatha's hand. "It's nice to meet more of his family. Are you Little Ron's sister?" Agatha nodded. "I thought so. He sent me the nicest card a few weeks back. Oh, Hilda."

"Is on her way with your things," Agatha told her. "Xander sent me with that message." She nodded at Iggy. "Stay with his crowd, you'll be safer and better protected."

Raena laughed. "I'm already very well protected. Gryphon-borns are just like Iggy for the most part, or like his father for the rest of them. Trust me, I can hold my own. I did with all the boys in my former school." Agatha looked her over. "I look forward to playing against you."

"You're a female Iggy?" Agatha asked.

Iggy nodded, drawing her closer to his body. "Indeed she is. Don't try stuff, Agatha, I'm truly possessive and protective over her." He turned them around and walked away. "We'll talk to you tonight. Go nark to Ryan."

"Good idea," Agatha said, heading to tell her consort. She found him waiting on her. "We've got a female Iggy," she told him before catching a kiss. "Raena's been deaged and has joined us here."

"Well," he said, smiling at her. "He'll be distracted now, won't he."

Emily Snape looked over. "His girlfriend?" Agatha nodded. "Why?"

"Her former colony decided to fuck them up," Agatha said simply. "Iggy is gryphon-born and reacted in typical fashion." Ryan shuddered. "Yeah, and they're one of those cuddly and cute couples as well." She sat next to her consort. "I'm sure your uncle will straighten them out, Emily, but you might want to watch out for her. She's just as possessive as he is. They threatened me."

Ryan gave her a slight smile. "I'm sure they'll stay out of your way. Raena was a beautiful woman when she was here a few years back, but this new return to adolescence has probably done something to her."

Agatha shook her head. "Not at all. And the knuckleheads upstairs are going to try something stupid. We'll end up in a prank war like the one Uncles Fred and Xander got into over Christmas."

"Iggy doesn't like pranks," Ryan soothed. "I'll take him to task if anything should happen."

Snape walked in and looked at his niece. "Ignatius is back if you wanted more help."

"Yes, sir, Agatha was just telling us about that. What's your take on this new girl?"

Snape thought about it. "Raena is a very strong potion's master in the making. I got to look at her Mastery materials and she's quite thorough and meticulous. She doesn't have the innate drive for it that Ignatius does, but she does rate up there with myself on the scale of perfectionism. She and Ignatius are just different enough to probably have some stunning rows in the dungeon, but otherwise they're well suited. She's tough, strong willed, and very stubborn from what I hear. It would be best to meet her for yourself instead of trying to get to know her from others as she does have a very quick nature. Also, I overheard them talking, she'll be aiding Simone Malfoy-Weasley as a beater."

Ravena walked in. "Don't worry about her, she's a pussycat until you piss her off." She gave Agatha a pointed look. "Professor Snape, did I ever get my package? I know my mother would have sent it to you instead of me."

"You did and it's in my desk."

"Thank you, sir." She smiled at him. "Are those two already brewing together?"

"Indeed," he said with a faint smile. "Emily, were you coming down?"

"Yes, sir, let me get my books." She hurried up to her room and came back down with the books she would need, and a sweater, the dungeons were cold. She followed her uncle and Ravena down to the dungeons, happy with this new school so far. They walked in and found the couple mid-grope.

"IGNATIUS!" Ravena yelled.

Iggy looked at her. "What? We've just barely gotten together. Give us a few hours to calm down and for her to figure out I do quirky and frustrating things."

"I already know about them, dear. You do things like chop your ingredients in alphabetical order instead of going down the list." She gave him one last kiss. "Sorry, Professor Snape, but I couldn't resist."

"I do understand, I was your age once, even though I never had a bonding like you two seem to have. It does not excuse you from appropriate behavior." He noticed is niece looking at him. "I was your age at one time," he pointed out again.

"Sorry, but I've heard stories about you as a forth year," Emily told him with a smile. "Mother lied?"

"Most likely," Snape agreed. "You two have an assignment."

"Yes, sir," Iggy said, pointing at the pot behind him. "Already started and we were killing time until something else needed to be added. "Emily, this is Raena, the light of my life and mind." Raena gave him a little shove. "What? Everyone could tell when we were talking because my face lit up."

"You're so sappy," she told him. "Calm down, I can't go back to my old age."

"Good point." He gave her his version of his wicked grin. "Whatever shall we do with all that time?"

"You could help me with more Runes homework," Emily suggested.

"Yup, that way Raena can finish everything for her Mastery potion." He winked and sighed. "A whole month of leaving you alone so you can work."

"I might only need two weeks," Raena offered. "Help Emily, we'll share a table." She opened the packet of her Mastery materials and sat down to make sure everything was there. Emily and Iggy took up the other end of the table, setting out their sets of rune stones and notes. "Emily, where did you transfer in from?"

"Salem. It's nice to be around boys for a change."

"Hmm, sometimes, but they can be distracting," Raena said, moving away from the pinching fingers. "Iggy, behave or we can't go bother Melvin for the Herbology homework."

"Yes, dear." He captured one of his set of stones before it could finish spelling out a particularly vulgar word. "Sorry about that. Like I said, they do it on their own." He spelled out a series of words. "Okay, translate that." She looked at her notes, then shrugged. "I think it's on page thirteen."

She flipped through the right set of pages. "Perhaps the Headmaster was right in putting me back a year. Catching up in just this one will take weeks."

Ravena squealed in delight, holding the contents of her package she had finally managed to open against her chest. "What's that?" Iggy asked.

"Polishing solution." She held up the bottle when everyone looked at her. "Professional grade polishing solution for snitches and a few buffing cloths."

Snape shook his head. "I'm sure you and Potter will be very happy polishing his snitch." Iggy and Raena both snickered. "Ignatius, quit spelling out those words."

"Do you see my hands anywhere near the stones?" Iggy asked. "They're Uncle Bill's set."

"Oh, those," he said with distaste. "I remember him using those. Pick up two or three of them so they can't spell those words. My niece doesn't need to know them."

"We learned them right before holiday break," Iggy told him, but he obediently picked up the most common runes and held them in his hand. The rest moved around aimlessly while trying to form new words.

Raena pulled her wand and froze them. "There, now you can put them back down. They'll start once you pick them all up again." She smiled at Iggy. "Add the goat tail hairs."

"Yes, dear."

"Whipped," Ravena said, then she walked out of the room.

"Yeah, but I'm happier this way!" Iggy called after her.

Snape looked at Raena. "You beat him regularly? Does it help?"

She laughed. "It's an Americanism meaning that he's subservient to me because I'm making him be so." She looked at Emily, who covered her ears. "It's short for pussy-whipped, sir."

"Oh." Snape shook his head. "I'd rather you beat him frequently." Iggy stuck his tongue out at him. "Remember what I told you about that organ last time the last time I saw it?"

"She'd miss it and I can grow it back," Iggy pointed out with a smug smile.

"I can fix it so you can't," Snape said dryly.

Emily took her hands off her ears. "Is it safe now?" Raena nodded. "At least you're going to liven up the school, Raena. I can't imagine it being boring."

"Boring? Here?" Iggy asked. "Damn, you missed all those years of atrocious fun, didn't you?"

Raena nodded. "Fighting, nearly dying. All those fun things."

"That was his father's fault. You'll find that Xander ends up in many such situations. Hopefully it's not genetic." Iggy shrugged. "Try hard to fight it if it is."

"Yes, sir." Iggy added the hairs and stirred them in, then moved back from the shooting bubbles. "Eww, this smells bad. What's it for?"

"Don't ask," Snape told him. "It smells like its purpose."

"It's to clean toilets?" Emily asked.

"Nearly," he said, looking down at her runes. "Switch your last two around. That's a conjugation not the pure word." She did as he said. "Very good. Thank you." He picked up a book from his desk and waved it. "Ignatius, is this yours?"

"No, sir, it's my father's. He's finally decided to try and learn how to brew something besides the sedative and kool aide."

Snape looked at the title, Potion's for Dummies, and shook his head. "Even this may be beyond his scope. Though I do realize where your herbal problem comes from."

"Quit picking on my father or I'm going to tell him and he'll try to tickle you again. This time in the Great Hall."

"That's right," Xander called. "Melvin! I know you're around here."

"He's hiding," Iggy called. Raena smiled at him. "You won't find him."

Xander leaned into the room. "I know where he is, I haven't found the lock mechanism."

Snape moaned like he was in pain. "Those rooms!" he said in disgust.

"Rooms?" Xander asked, walking in to lean against a counter. "What rooms?"

Snape led him away. "Your son's namesake was a student here and created a number of rooms for his ...dalliances." Xander rolled his eyes. "There's four of them throughout the school, and I heard Mr. Malfoy teaching him how to get inside one of them." He grimaced. "I wish I could get rid of them, but the Headmaster refuses to allow them to be touched."

"There's safe stuff in there?"

"Oh, yes, he was very careful about most things. A superb potion's master, a licentious nature, and a desire to combine the two. He created the best working contraceptive potion we have, and ran the tests of it personally."

Xander coughed to try and hide his smile. But he failed. "I read his autobiography. He was an interesting man."

"That's putting it mildly." Snape shook his head. "I didn't know you knew what an understatement was."

Xander grinned. "Of course I do, but I prefer them to be rare and precious things." He looked over as he felt something moving behind him. "That had better not be mine, Melvin."

"It wouldn't be," Iggy called. "I got one earlier."

Xander walked back in. "Excuse me? You got an invisibility cloak earlier?" Iggy nodded. "Why?"

"Bill told Uncle Draco I'd need one. I got one at the same time I got new formal robes." He grinned. "They said I'd need some for my future visiting things."

Raena looked up at Xander. "We both got one of them, even though his uncle was quite picky."

"You have no idea," Iggy told her. "He occasionally dresses my father too." He grinned at her then gave the potion one last stir and sat down again. "How is the vocabulary going?"

"All right. I've gotten through three of the lists."

"I tell you what, I'll make you a worksheet later. One column with the runes, one with the words."

"Iggy, let me write it for you," Raena said, patting him on the hand. "Your handwriting is horrible."

"I can't be perfect," Iggy told her. "I tried my best, but that's not my fault."

She smiled at him. "It's okay. They make quills which will write for you."

"He's not allowed to use them in school," Snape told him. "Only Ms. Reams is and that's because hers writes in Braille."

"Son, practice your handwriting by writing her love notes. You can use some of the chicks and help Simone train them at the same time," Xander suggested, pushing himself off the counter. "You two behave and help Emily catch up. Emily, did you want to come over tonight to our tower?"

"No thank you, Professor Harris-Weasley. I think I'm going to be doing some homework." She gave him a faint smile. "Thank you anyway. Is Lucien still around?"

Xander nodded. "Did he wake you up?"

Emily nodded. "He tugged on my arm to wake me up and asked if I wanted to cuddle a fine thing like him."

Xander burst out in giggles. "I can't wait to tell his father he said that!" He walked away, going to find Draco.

Snape shook his head. "That boy may yet drive me to retirement."

"By then I'll have my Mastery and we can fill in for you for a year of sabbatical," Iggy offered.

"I'm sure," Snape told him. "Please help Emily."

"Yes, Severus." Iggy spelled out a new word. "Try that one."

***

Xander walked into the house and found Draco lounging on his couch. "You won't believe what Lucien did this morning," he said, starting to laugh again. Draco sat up, putting down the remote. "He walked up to Emily Snape's bed, and woke her up." Draco groaned but Xander waved a hand. "That's not the great part. He asked if she wanted to cuddle a fine thing like him."

Draco flopped backwards, pulling a pillow over his head. "My son!" he complained. "I'll talk with him tonight."

"Where is the little love monster?"

"Napping in your nest with Maeve. I couldn't part them, he had her held too tightly." He removed the pillow. "How is the poor girl settling in?"

"Fine. They put her into the fourth year so she wouldn't have so much to catch up on. Iggy's teaching her runes. Why did my son need an invisibility cloak?"

"Because the big Gryphon said so," Draco told him. "I don't argue. They both have one. I'm sure one of them is being put to good use by now."

"Melvin borrowed one. I caught him sneaking back to the tower." Draco smirked. "Did you know that there were four special rooms built?"

Draco frowned. "I only found one."

"Snape knows where they are. Ignatius Spenser went to school with Dumbledore, I'm sure he knows where they all are as well."

"Maybe I'll bribe him to tell me," Draco said thoughtfully. "A nice bottle of brandy or something."

"He always tells me to buy him socks," Xander told him. Lucien stuck his head around the stairs. "Look who's up."

"Lucien," Draco snapped. "Come here." The little boy came over and tried his damndest to look cute and innocent, but he was a Malfoy. "Did you go into Slytherin this morning and wake people up?"

Lucien smiled at him. "I was good, I only woked up one," he said, turning up the innocence. "She laughed."

"I'm sure she did," Draco told him, lifting him up to hold him. "You may not go into Slytherin and you will not go into the girls dorm. You are much too young to cuddle with any of the young women over there."

"But they like cuddles. Ravena does."

"I know, but not from you. They want to cuddle boys of their own age." Lucien frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, starting to pout. "I promise, once you're old enough there will be many women who want to cuddle you. Until then, you will leave all the women over there alone. Plus, all the women in Gryffindor and the other houses as well, Lucien." Lucien gave him a pitiful look, but he broke out into a smile. "You will obey or you will be grounded and not allowed to come back for weeks, son."

"Yes, father," he said pitifully. "No Maeve?"

"No Maeve," Draco agreed. "For *weeks*." Lucien smiled and Draco shook his head. "Keep it up and it will be months, son."

"Yes, father," he said at his most pitiful. "I can't live without my Maeve. A month is a really long time to be without my Maeve."

"Then you had better be a good boy," Xander told him. "No more going to get cuddles from the women."

"Yes, sir," Lucien said, but he was still pouting. At least until Maeve came down the stairs, then he pounced her and cuddled her. "I got you!" Maeve squealed and giggled, tickling him.

"It's good to see happy kids," Xander said, smiling at Draco. "Now all we need to do is to make you happy."

"I'm content."

"Not the same thing."

"I'm happy enough," Draco told him.

"Not happy enough," Xander pushed.

"Stop it."

"I just want to see you happy, son."

"I'm happy enough!"

"Quit nagging him," Ron yelled from upstairs. The triplets came running down the stairs. Followed by their father. "If he says he's happy, he's happy enough for now. Once he decides he's not really happy, then we can nag him and set him up on numerous dates." He sat down to watch the kids play. "Where's William?"

"Probably with Zach," Draco said dryly. "They're probably trying to corrupt each other toward the other's nature and may be succeeding."

"I still think it's cute, those two together," Ron said with a grin. "A little Xander and a little Snape, best friends and buddies."

Xander flicked his cane at him, making him yell. "Don't say that. They'll end up driving each other insane some day soon and Snape will be forced to deal with them."

Gwen came over and climbed into Xander's lap, smiling up at him. "I'm a good girl," she said proudly. "I go potty."

"So I heard this morning at three," he agreed. "That is very good. What should you get as a reward?"

"I should get candy." She smiled at her father. "Pink candy."

"We'll have to take you down to the shop on Monday and get you some," Ron agreed. She squealed and got down, coming over to hug his legs. "Good girl, Gwen. Now go play nicely."

"Okay!" She ran back to the other kids, climbing back into the playpen. "I get treats for going potty."

"No fair," Vinnie yelled.

"If you used the bathroom you could have some too," Ron told him, tipping his head back but not quite turning around enough to see him. "You and Minnie both."

"Okay, we will then," Minnie said, her determination face firmly set. "We will go potty this weekend."

"That's fine, tell me when it happens," Ron told them.

Draco looked at him. "I had much more trouble than that."

"That's the beauty of triplets," Ron said with a smirk.

"The horror being changing three diapers at once?" Xander teased.

Ron nodded. "Exactly!" He shifted over as the escaped Maeve climbed up onto the couch and hid under his robe. "Not wanting cuddles?"

"Shh!" She made sure she was fully covered and couldn't be seen, with a helpful hand from Ron to cover her shoes up.

Lucien walked over and looked around, but didn't see his best friend. "Daddy, is Maeve hiding?"

"No, son, not at all," Draco said, pointing at the child-sized growth Ron had. Ron swatted at him. "What? I'm supposed to be bad."

Lucien smirked. "I guess I'll have to get candy all by myself then," he taunted, walking away.

Maeve burst out of the robe and chased after him, right out into the hallway.

"Kid!" Xander yelled. He started to get up but Ron and Draco both beat him.

"Sit," Draco ordered. "Watch the other three."

Xander grimaced. "I'm not that slow," he called after them.

Ron and Draco ran after the errant children, but they were just a bit quicker it seemed. They ran around a corner and screamed, the parents hurrying to catch up to them. Draco stopped first, not wanting to run through the ghost. "Baron, how are you today?" He snagged both kids and put them under his arms. "Sorry, escapees."

Ron took Maeve and backed up a step. "Sorry 'bout that."

The Bloody Baron looked at the children, eventually pointing to Lucien. "Yours, Malfoy?" Draco nodded, looking like he was calm. "Do you know what he has been doing?"

"Not really, but I know some of it and am working on stopping him whenever I hear of things."

"Good," the Baron said with a smile, chilling both adults to the bone. "He walked up to me last night and asked if I were scary. Said that infernal blonde creature that plagued you was worse."

Draco shrugged. "I guess that's open to interpretation. To the ones she hunted, she might have been considered worse. Personally, I find you more scary." Ron nodded. "I'm sorry he bothered you."

The Bloody Baron looked Draco over, then frowned. "Again?"

"His daughter tripped it by accident. This one will be the next guardian."

"Oh." The Baron nodded. "I've heard of that prophecy. Then I'll congratulate you and expect your next one to have better manners." He flashed his most scary face at the children, making them scream, then floated off.

Ron leaned against the wall, sighing in relief. "Let's get them back to the house."

Draco nodded, starting to look faintly green. "Let's." He carried Lucien back and went to hog the big bathroom for himself.

Ron hurried into the extra bathroom Xander had put in for such emergencies. He had never understood the phrase 'scared the piss out of someone' before. Now he did.

Xander looked up from playing with the kids and smiled. "What happened to you two?"

"The big scary ghosty," Maeve told him, nodding. "He meanie."

"He tell ucky stories," Lucien told her, patting her. "I 'tect you."

"I'm sure you will," Xander agreed.

***

Ravena woke up as something plopped onto her bed, it was the middle of the night and nothing should have been above her. She looked at the creature, then started to scream, waking up the other girls and most of the tower. "You hurt my cat!" she yelled, pouncing on the person trying to get out the door. "Iggy! Help!"

Iggy appeared and punched the guy, knocking him out. He waved his hurting knuckles. "You yelled?"

"He hurt my Hemlock!" she said, starting to sniffle.

Iggy walked over and looked at the cat, then shook his head. "We've got to get him to an animal healer. I know where Andrea takes Storm and Pumpkin so we'll go there. Okay?" She nodded. "Put on a robe and I'll take you with me." Ryan ran in. "I'm taking her and her cat to the vet. The poor thing's intestines are wrapped around its neck like a bow," he said at his coldest. "Deal with him before I get her sister and brother." He cradled the cat gently in his arms and took Ravena's hand in the other, rushing her to the emergency vet clinic that Andrea used. He had been here over the summer with her and Pumpkin. "Help!" he called as soon as they walked in the doors. "Someone tortured her cat." He handed the little kitten over and kept Ravena from running after them. "You stay here, I'm going to get your dad, okay?" She nodded, still sniffling, and sat down on one of the plastic chairs. Someone tapped him on the shoulder. "Oh, hey, Ministry people. Unmentionables?"

"Yes," the woman said, smiling at him. "What's going on?"

"Someone tortured my cat," Ravena said, starting to glare at the woman. "We're trying to save him now."

"That's a good reason for teleporting here," the woman agreed, smiling at her. "I'm not doubting it was important, but we do have to be protective."

"Can I call her father?" Iggy asked.

"Go ahead." Iggy walked outside, going to wake up Draco, and his own father. His dad could deal with all the formalities. He came back with Draco, and an outfit for Ravena to change into. He himself had thrown on some clothes and was more than prepared to do the idiot harm once they pulled Simone and Denver off him. He sat down on Ravena's other side, looking at the Ministry agent. "I'm sorry for breaking the rules, but I thought it necessary this time."

"That's fine, Ignatius. I'm not faulting you for your quick action. Next time, we do have a vet you can use."

"Would they be up?" Ravena asked.

"We'll have Hemlock transferred as soon as they say we can," Draco assured her, wrapping her in his arms. He looked at the Ministry agent. "They're not in trouble?"

"Not in the least. Were that my animal, I'd do the same thing." She smiled as the nurse came out. "How is...Hemlock?" Ravena nodded.

"In surgery. The cuts were very precisely done, they looked almost surgical in nature."

Ravena swallowed. "One of the boys in my school is a tad bit loose mentally."

"It was his younger brother," Iggy told her, crossing his legs. "Neither's wrapped too tightly. Someone said something about him doing it to prove he loved her."

"I'll kill him," Ravena muttered.

"Only if your brother didn't do it already," Draco said, giving her a faint smile. "Don't worry, he'll be punished."

"Yes, daddy." She leaned into his side. "Is Hemlock all right?"

"We're doing everything we can. There was minimal bleeding and damage to the tissues. The cat was already knocked out so we aren't worry about that either." She looked at the odd woman. "Her mother?"

"School official. This happened on school property," the agent told her. "I'm their escort."

"Oh." She smiled. "I'll make sure you have a copy of the medical records then, for his expulsion."

The woman nodded. "Oh, he will be," she promised. "And promptly sent away for a mental health checkup." The nurse nodded, looking satisfied. "Ignatius, did you call the Headmaster?"

"He's the one who told me that Denver had beaten Simone to the boy's body. He also agreed that it was a necessary move and that we are excused from classes until we got back and caught naps." She nodded. "Uncle Draco, don't you need to go to the bank?"

"I'll be going as soon as they open up," Draco told him. "Don't worry about it." He squeezed his daughter gently. "Nap for now, Ravena. It will pass the time while your kitten is in surgery." She nodded, her eyes starting to droop. "You as well, Iggy."

"I'm fine," Iggy told him. "I've done a number of all nighters in the lab." The nurse looked up at him. "I'm a chemistry whiz."

"Oh." She smiled. "That must be wonderful. Are you in special classes?"

"Direct apprenticeship," Iggy told her. "My teacher's quite the man."

"We'll probably be seeing him before long," Draco admitted.

When the veterinarian came out a few hours later, he found a young boy and the strange woman still awake and talking to another odd man, and the family asleep against each other. He smiled at the boy. "Is it your cat, young man?"

"Hers." Iggy nudged Ravena, waking her up. "It's the doctor."

Ravena blinked up at him, looking adorable. "How is my baby?"

"Hemlock is doing very well, if he wakes up." Ravena nodded. "Do you know what herbal concoction this person might have given him? Hemlock hasn't woken up yet."

Iggy yawned. "Tell me what you know of it and I probably can." The vet looked at him. "I'm a chemistry whiz. Ask my Headmaster."

Albus Dumbledore nodded. "He is. We're all very proud of how good he is in it. It's said he's a prodigy."

The doctor got the file and came back with the lab results. "We found this."

Iggy looked at it, yawning again. "It's one of two he could have used. What're his kidney functions looking like? High or normal?"

"Normal."

"Okay. Then it should wear off in about six hours total. It's a standard sleeping draught for humans." He quickly wrote down the ingredients, leaving out the incantation over it. "My father uses it sometimes for his nightmares. It's made special for him by a master." He looked up at the doctor. "I get to mix it sometimes with the help of the master."

"Are you interested in the herbalism trade?" the vet asked him.

Iggy nodded. "At times. It's one of many interesting things I'd like to work with. I find it fascinating what you're supposed to be able to do with a simple potion." The agent smiled at him. "Like I said, it's a six-hour potion and Hemlock should start to slowly wake up. If he snaps awake, it's a bad thing, watch his heartrate and blood pressure. One or the other may spike."

"Thank you." The doctor smiled at them. "Would you like to come visit him?"

"Please," Ravena agreed, allowing herself to be led back to the recovery section of the animal hospital. She gently petted her kitten's head. "It's all right, Hemlock, I'm here and we'll get him for daring to touch you," she whispered. "You rest and heal and I'll take care of the idiot who dared to harm you." She gave him a kiss on the side of the nose and looked up at the doctor. "He's really fine?" The vet nodded. "What else was done?"

"He was fixed, castrated with a fortunately sharp instrument at least. He was also scored on the pads of his feet. We're not sure if anything was done to his eyes or not, we don't think so but we'll have to see how he reacts to the light once he wakes up."

"Can we move him to a vet closer to our school?" Draco asked. "You were the only place we were sure was open."

"Of course. We can have him transferred as soon as he wakes up and we make sure he's stabilized. Where is your school?"

"Further up-country by about an hour," Iggy told him. The doctor looked skeptical. "We were on a school outing closer this way. The annual trip to the city for the zoo and museums."

"Oh." The vet nodded. "Perfectly understandable. Of course we can transport the poor thing. Are you wanting to do that? We do have that odd pet ambulance service."

"No, we can do it. He'll probably be soothed by riding with me," Ravena told him. "Thank you for saving him." She smiled. "You take care of one of my friend's animals."

"Really?"

Iggy nodded. "A guide dog named Pumpkin?"

"Oh, yes, delightful dog. Shepard. Very nice owner. She goes to school with you?"

Iggy nodded. "She's our cousin's girlfriend as well." He put an arm around Ravena's shoulders. "Come on, let's go back to the school and let your father and the Headmaster deal with the paperwork stuff. You can ask Denver what he's done so you can finish the stupid creature off." She nodded, starting to look scary again. He led her outside and into the alleyway. The sun was just starting to come up as they disappeared. Iggy walked her into her tower, arm still around her shoulder. "Hemlock will be fine," he told the people standing around.

Snape sighed in relief. "That's excellent news." He smiled at Ravena. "He's nearly dead."

"It's not enough," Ravena said coldly. Snape backed away from her. "I intend to make sure he pays for what he did to my cat." Even Agatha shuddered at the ice in her voice. "He harmed him horribly. Wrapped his intestines around his throat and tied them in a bow. Castrated him. Scored his paws. Possibly blinded him."

"And he did all that while the cat was under human strength Night Out," Iggy added.

Snape looked down at them. "I will handle it, Ravena. As the head of your house...."

"It's *my* cat," she interrupted. "You can have him when I'm done with him." She turned and walked back out, going to hunt the idiot down. She ran into her older siblings, all of them trying to calm down each other. "Where is he?"

"Will Hemlock live?" Anastasia asked.

Ravena nodded. "Barely. Where is he?"

"Infirmary. Between us he's got a fractured jaw, four broken ribs, and a broken leg," Simone told her. "What are you going to add?"

"His intestines around his neck and castration, just like he did to my cat. I think it's fitting." She dodged away from them, heading up there to deal with the creature. Judicious use of her wand knocked Madam Pomfrey's assistant out and silenced the cubicle. Unfortunately her father found her as she was starting to cut into his stomach and pulled her out of there. "No, he deserves it!" she shouted, struggling to get away from him. "He did it to my baby! He can suffer too!"

"Ravena!" Draco snapped. The little girl stopped moving, never having heard that tone before. She started to sniffle again. "I know you want to harm him greatly, it's understandable. I even know how deep the anger goes in you, but it is not your duty to do so. Someone else will punish him. Wether it be Severus or someone higher, he will be punished. You have my word on it. If no one else does it, then I will make sure he is punished."

Ravena nodded, and started to cry. "He hurt my baby, daddy."

"I know." He held her tightly, picking her up to take her away from the future dead person. He gave the curtains one last glare and left, unaware of the fact that even he could create anger bombs. It was amazing what happened when an explosion propelled a scalpel at someone's lower anatomy. As the nurse found out when she went to check on him. It was noted and never mentioned again, everyone assumed that Ravena had gotten justice for her poor cat.

The kids in the house who heard about it were very nice to Simone for the next few weeks. They didn't want to be on her bad side. It was a horrible place to be. Or her father's, which was probably nicer but still. Even the nice Professor Maclay was careful of how she treated Ravena in front of the house, though she was always nice to the young girl.

***

Iggy got a whole ten minutes of rest after getting back from the vet's and filling out the reports before someone woke him up, and did it quite rudely with a hard shove. He opened an eye. "Hi, Uncle Oliver, what's wrong?"

"Iggy, I know you're tired, but I need a big favor." The boy pulled himself up in his bed and gave him a patient look. This kid was great. "Someone stole my personal broom and I'm hunting it, but I have to drop this stuff off by noon today at the Board of Director's office, the guys over the Quidditch leagues. Can I get you to drop it off for me?"

"Sure. Floo or not?"

"I know their floo address, but they've got a gryphon-born from your colony there," Oliver said hopefully. It was nearly noon and he would get turned down if it wasn't in there. "I heard her talking about you."

The boy got up and grabbed his pants, sliding into them. "Sure. Tall, blonde, red highlights?" Oliver nodded. "Happy looking for the broom. Ask Ravena." Oliver gave him a hug, handed him the package, and left. He pulled on the rest of his clothes and slicked back his hair with his hands, pulling it into its usual ponytail. "Okay, it's her, so I can find her," he muttered, picking up the paperwork. He searched through the flood, finding his colony mate easily. He smiled and teleported, landing just inside the doorway. His colony mate looked at him. "I'm just the messenger," he said, holding up the forms. "Oliver Wood sent me with this for the Director?"

"Just a moment, Ignatius." She smiled at him and buzzed the head office. "Go ahead in. It's the green-framed door. Tell him I'm pushing for him, he's great."

"Thanks. I think so too. He can even stand against Simone." He walked in and smiled at the man behind the desk, shaking his hand. "My Uncle Oliver asked me to deliver this for you?" he asked, handing over the package.

"Oh, yes." He smiled and opened it, looking at the x-ray. The boy hissed. "It doesn't look that bad."

"It does, I've seen it from the other view." The other x-ray was pulled out and held up and even the director hissed. The bone had split roughly down the center and only was attached on one side, but some excess bone had grown into the split, pushing the halves apart. "I've been looking at the bone weakening charms and potions for him, just in case there was a method the team's doctor might have overlooked, but short of weakening a section and then cutting it into the correct shape and putting it back together again, I couldn't find anything."

"That's an interesting solution," the Director said, putting the x-rays down. "Who are you again?"

"Ignatius Harris-Weasley."

"Oh, yes, the potion's prodigy. How did you meet Oliver?"

"Uncle Harry introduced us. He's family and he likes Oliver so...." He shrugged. "It's often like that around the house. He can stand up to an assault by my cousin Simone."

"Really? I caught your last game. Very impressive." Iggy grinned at him. "Are any of you wanting to play professionally?"

"Simone and Denver might. I'd rather play on a local league since I'm going to be busy serving the various colonies with my mate."

"Your mate?" the director asked with a smile.

Iggy nodded. "My mate. Wonderful woman. She's going to start playing beater with us if Simone can convince her Quidditch is supposed to be more than fun and games, that you're supposed to want to hurt the other side. Raena's not buying it yet."

The director chuckled. "I'm sure your cousin will be very persuasive." He patted the envelope. "What do you know about this muggle doctor?"

"He's the one who fixed my father's knee when it was damaged, then fixed it a second time when necessary. He's got a replaced knee of his own, runs marathons, and lives next to some noisy wizards who celebrated the last World Cup. He knows."

"Really?" he asked, sounding interested. "He's being allowed to keep the knowledge?"

"He can't talk about it. My father cast the charm himself."

"Hmm." He looked at the forms. "How did you get here?"

"Teleporting. I can do that," he said with a shrug. He waved his hand for show and caught his father's next appointment card. "This is his doctor's phone number and address if you wanted to talk to him." He handed it over with a grin. The director smirked at him. "Hey, I'm almost fourteen, I like to show off sometimes. It's fun at my age."

"Good point. If I could have...." He trailed off when he saw the boy looked at the ceiling.

"I'll bring it back, dad, he needed the address for the doctor." Iggy shook his head. "Sorry, my father just yelled at me."

"You can talk through the flood?" Iggy nodded. "Damn, that's handy."

"Not when you're my age," Iggy said dryly, cracking the older man up again. "I've met the doctor through my father's appointments. He's very good - likes his patients, wants to see them healthy. He's really interested in what I can do because my pain potions are more effective than a lot of the muggle pain killers for arthritis. He got permission to use one on himself."

"Wow." The older man tapped the card a few times. "Can you put me in touch with him? Possibly get him here for an appointment?"

"Today, now, or otherwise?"

"Now if you could. Between you, the team's doctor, and him, we might be able to come up with a plan that wouldn't violate any rules."

"Deal," Iggy said, standing up. He put a thumbtack on the floor. "So I can come right back." He waved and left from that spot, heading to the alley beside the doctor's office. He casually changed his robe so it looked like a trench coat and walked inside, whistling happily. He smiled at the receptionist. "I'm Xander Harris' son and I'd like a moment to ask the doctor a question about his medication?" He smiled cutely. "Can you work me in? I only need a few seconds."

She smiled at him. "I'll try." She hurried back, going to check with the doctor. "If you'll have a seat, he's got ten minutes between patients for you." Iggy gave her another grin and sat down, waiting patiently.

The doctor popped his head out of the back area. "Iggy? What's wrong?" He held the door so the boy could follow him, smiling over at him. "That pain stuff you made works wonders. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I make a lot of it near the games so I just added another person onto it." He walked into the office and closed the door. "Actually, I'm here about Uncle Oliver. The director wanted to talk to you today, see if it can be done in a more .... our sort of way. Do you have any time? I can go back and tell him, then come right back here."

"I have about an hour this afternoon. How about one? I scheduled myself an hour to run before I do surgeries, but I can wait."

"Thanks. Hold on." Iggy put down another of his thumbtacks. "So I can get back here," he said for the quizzical look. He teleported back to his other one. "He's busy at the moment, but he's got an hour at one if that'd be okay with you."

"That would be fine," the director agreed. The man in the portal beside his head nodded as well. "Can you get him here?"

"Sure. Not a problem." He disappeared again, going back to the other thumbtack. "That would be wonderful. The team's doctor and the director both wanted to talk to you. Should I come pick you up here, or should I blindfold you and bring you there?"

"I'd prefer to drive," the man said with a slight smile. "That stuff where you disappear looks dangerous."

"Only if you don't know what you're doing," Iggy told him. "I've been doing it since I was nine, in direct violation of a law." He grinned. "Driving we can do. Cab fine with you?"

"That would be fine. I'll meet you in front of the building at quarter til."

Iggy nodded. "Good enough. Thank you." He picked up his thumbtack and waved, going back to the director's office. "We'll be here at one, taking a cab with a blindfold," he reported. "He thinks that teleporting can be dangerous."

"I'm sure it can be, apparating is," the director agreed. He handed over a card. "That's where we are. The building's shielded so the driver shouldn't see anything. Or there is the wizard's cab. They take our money so you wouldn't have to exchange any."

Iggy shrugged. "I could probably use some books anyway. Should I get Uncle Oliver?"

"No, we'll do this without him. Best not to get his hopes up and all that," the director said. He handed back the appointment card. "So your father doesn't yell at you again."

"Thanks." Iggy grinned. "We'll be here at one." He picked up his thumbtack and left, heading to the shop to beg for his allowance. "I'm on an errand for Uncle Oliver," he said at the look his Uncle was giving him. "They're deciding on his shoulder's fate today."

"Oh, that's wonderful," Fred said, smiling in joy. "How?"

"I'm pulling his doctor over there for a conference at one. Which I got invited to sit in on. So I'll need one of the books I stored down here a long time ago, and money for lunch and a cab."

"Go ask your father, he's in the back trying to find a few of the coins he dropped. They still haven't been to the bank yet." He frowned. "Didn't you just get your allowance from the gryphons?"

"Yeah, ten galleons."

"And you spent it on...."

Iggy grinned. "Treats. I'm fourteen, Uncle Fred. What would you have spent it on?" He walked into the back, tapping on his parent's door. "Daddy?" George grunted, Iggy found out why when he walked in. George was halfway under the bed reaching for something. "Why didn't you summon it?" he asked, closing the door.

"Because it won't summon," George said as he reappeared, galleon in hand. "What's up? And why aren't you in school?"

"Oh, it's been a *long* night," Iggy told him, sitting on the bed. "Let's see. Ravena's cat got attacked by one of the psycho darlings in Slytherin so I had an emergency teleport to the vet's with her and the cat. We were there until about eight this morning. I got a bit of sleep after filling out the reports on our emergency teleport then Uncle Oliver begged me for a favor, to take all his stuff to the Director's office since he was hunting the dunderhead who stole his broom." George smiled at that. "Then the director asked me to get his doctor." He handed over the card. "Daddy's. I'm going back to get his doctor at quarter til one for a conference. Which I was invited to sit in on. So I'll need the potion book with the bone set stuff."

"It's in the medical cabinet," George told him. "What else did you need?"

"Lunch and cab money?"

George sighed as he stood up. "What happened to the stuff you just got?"

"Dad, I'm fourteen, where do you think it went?" Iggy asked, grinning at him.

"The candy shop?"

"Yup. The candy shop, and for a sundae with my lady." He grinned. "So, may I? I'm excused from classes for the day because I'm kinda exhausted."

"Sure." George handed over another ten galleons. "Eat real food and use the wizard cab, young man."

"Yes, sir." Iggy stood up. "Medical cabinet?"

"Yes," George said patiently, looking at the clock. "You've only got twenty minutes before you have to be there."

"I was going to pop over to the Three Broomsticks and grab one of those pastry things to eat on the way," Iggy admitted, waving. "Thanks, dad." He walked out, heading for the lab. "Medical cabinet," he reminded himself as he stood in front of them, reading the labels. He found it and opened it with his lock spell, smiling at the book he needed. It fit easily in his pocket once he shrunk it, and the cabinet was relocked; he wouldn't let the temptation to take them all win. He had enough from the prodigy program that his parents didn't know about yet. He walked away, waving at his Uncle Fred. "I'll yell if it's good news," he said as he walked out the door. As promised, he went down to the tavern and grabbed some take away, then went to pick up the doctor. He used his wand to call the cab to them, giving the cabby the card with the address once they were inside. "Want a bite?" he offered the doctor.

"Is it any good?"

"Lamb and feta with spinach. It was the only one she was making today." The doctor took a bite with a smile. "So, you think this will go all right?"

"I hope so. At the very least, we should be able to ease his pain. At the best, he'll play again."

"Hey, which player you takin' care of?" the cabby asked.

"Wood."

"Oh, hearda him. Doesn't he teach now?"

"He's on a year's leave to rehab his shoulder," Iggy told him. He smiled and paid the guy, including a tip. "Thank you." He got out, walking the doctor inside, still nibbling on his lunch. He walked the man into the office. "We're back," he told the gryphon born doing the receptionist's post.

"They're waiting on you, Iggy," she said with a smile. She stole a bite of his lunch when he held it out. "That's good! Who's making those?"

"Madam Rosemerta at the Three Broomsticks. It's a new thing." He walked the doctor into the office. "Here we are." He took the seat closest to the window and finished his lunch, then wiped his fingers off and pulled out the book, unshrinking it.

"That's a handy spell, I bet," the doctor said, handing over his copy of the records. Oliver had given him permission if such a meeting occurred.

"I have over six hundred books and most of them go everywhere with me," Iggy told him. "All in a shrunken case." He opened the book, flipping until he found the potion he wanted. "Okay, after doing cursory research, I didn't have time for more, I found a potion to make a bone gel-like. It's a bit strong, but I can weaken it with a few trial runs." The team's doctor looked at him. "Sorry. Iggy Harris-Weasley." He shook his hand. "Standing in for my mentor of course, but I can make this potion easily."

"I've seen it used before," the team's doctor admitted. "Would it really help?"

Iggy pointed at the doctor. "Ask him."

"If you could turn it the consistency of butter, then I could easily scrape off the excess growth and put it back into place." He pulled something out of his pocket. "Then I would put the halves back together and hold them in place with a few of these. They're screwed in on either side of the break."

The team's doctor looked at the little metal bars, then handed them on. "They're not exactly standard issue."

"They're the metal equivalent of a tying bar," Iggy put in. "Only stronger and permanent. No need to take them back out."

"Yes, we do usually leave them in. His father had one put in across a small fracture we found in his leg from a fall he took right before we were doing his surgery over holiday."

"Is he better?" the team doctor asked.

"My dad had some sort of scar tissue growing over his fake joint and it was rubbing badly and pushing the joint out of place. Not only does he feel better now, it's amazing. He can walk about three feet now without his cane if he has to. Slowly, but he can."

"Wonderful news," the director said. "You wouldn't be upset over us helping with the surgery?"

"In fact, if Ignatius can do what he says, it'd make it easier. Usually we'd cut the ball fully apart instead of the partial butterflying we've got right now. It'd cause some pain because we'd have to use a bone saw to both make the cut and to shave off the extra. Personally, I think it's wonderful that you've got something to ease some of that. Cutting bones can often cause slipping and overcutting if you're not careful. Having the bones the consistency of butter or slightly harder would cure a lot of that."

"Let me check to make sure it gets that soft. It says here gel, but I'll check with the Lord and Master." He put down one of his thumbtacks and left back to the school, appearing outside the dungeons. He cleared his throat and Snape came out, looking down at him. "We're in conference over Oliver's shoulder," he said quietly. "They're talking about using the bone gelling formula."

"It's too strong to be applied to a single spot. There's a better one," Snape told him. He noticed the book. "It's not in there, it's in one of the advanced medical texts. Let me get it."

"Will you come sit in?"

"If it would help," Snape agreed. "You are good enough to brew it."

"But I've never done that one before and you obviously have."

Snape nodded. "Let me get someone in here."

Iggy stepped inside. "Guys, we'll be back in ten minutes. If you fuck up, my father's listening and he will come down here and make your lives a living hell after the night we've had." They all shuddered and bent over their potions. "Thank you." He smiled at his mentor and shrugged. "Dad's in his alternate classroom."

"Oh." Snape grabbed the book from his locked case and followed Iggy into the hallway. "Shall we?"

"Sure. Oh, Uncle Draco found out that you have to synch yourself to the magic, letting it flow through you. That'll stop the nausea." He took his mentor's hand and took him with him, heading back to his thumbtack. "Sorry, but I've never brewed that potion so I'm deferring to a higher power."

The director nodded at Snape. "Thank you for coming so quickly."

"It'd be a relief not to have to make the pain potion every week." He turned his book around, showing the potion he was suggesting off. "The one Ignatius had thought to use is too strong and will melt the bones around it as well. This one can be applied to the area of a break to trim down bad fractures so they can be healed correctly."

"Which is exactly what we're going to be doing," the doctor said, smiling up at him. "My, you're impressive. I thought most wizards were like Xander and Oliver."

Iggy coughed, trying not to smile. "Professor Snape is a potion's master and my mentor, he's in a class by himself." Snape looked at him. "You are! There's no other wizards quite like you."

"There are many of us. You'll be seeing them this summer if you go to the conference with me."

"Can I wear the red robe?" Iggy asked with a grin.

"If you must. You'll stand out, but if you feel comfortable being the center of attention."

"I'm going to be the youngest person there," Iggy pointed out. "I'll already stand out."

"Good point." Snape looked at the director. "From what I understand, this isn't too far off what we do for serious injuries, though it's usually done on shattered legs."

"I hadn't thought about that," the team doctor admitted. "It would be about the same. Using the procedure in a new way."

The director nodded. "Good point." He reactivated the portal, showing a small Asian man. "Director Yashira," he said respectfully. "We've made a decision on the petition I sent to you for your ideas. It was pointed out to us that we'd be using a technique we already have in a new way. Would the International Council refuse him to play if he was chosen for a World Cup team?"

The other director leaned backwards, obviously sitting in a large chair. "We would not. What would be done?"

"We would be weakening the bone around the broken area and trimming it so it could be put back together," the muggle doctor told him. "Then we'd be placing fasteners across the break to hold it stable."

The metal bar was held up. "It's a muggle device, but we do have something similar."

"This man went to a muggle?"

"Our own doctors were stumped." Snape snorted and the present director smiled at him. "We were thinking linearly instead of in a more fluid manner."

"Indeed." The director looked at the bar. "That would go across the break?"

"Yes. To hold it stable," the team doctor's said. "Like a tying band, only permanent."

"He'd probably have two to three total," the muggle doctor put in. "It's meant to be left in the body, specially created for such situations."

Yashira nodded. "We would not mind, but I would have to ask the rest of the board. It could be seen as favoritism."

Iggy cleared his throat. "Oliver might not mind if he could play professionally, but not internationally. If he had it done while waiting for the decision would that be all right?"

Yashira looked at him. "Who are you?"

"Ignatius Harris-Weasley and my mentor is right there," he said, pointing at Snape. "We were asked to help with the weakening potion."

"Indeed," the man said, looking him over. "Do you play?"

"Chaser. With two Malfoys and a Potter."

"Oh." He smiled. "I caught one of your games, young man. Congratulate both seekers. Very interesting."

"Little Ron worships the snitch as his personal Goddess," Iggy told him. "He taught Ravena to see it the same way."

"Interesting." The International Director held up a finger. "They are mostly in the next room. Let me talk to them." He walked away.

Snape patted Ignatius on the back. "Have you gotten any sleep?"

"Very little," Iggy told him. "Did the dolt live?"

"Barely. Somehow what happened to the cat's nether regions also happened to him."

"Good," Iggy said coldly. "Ravena should have done to his intestines what he did to her cat."

"Someone hurt one of the girl's animals?" the team doctor asked.

Iggy nodded. "One of the stupid idiots in Slytherin decided to prove he loved her by harming her cat. I spent most of last night at the veterinary hospital with her." He yawned again. "Then Uncle Oliver had his personal broom stolen." He looked at Snape. "Did he find them?"

"And the girl had to be pulled off him," Snape said dryly. "She was a fan."

"Was?" the director asked.

"She's probably seeing the game differently now. He yelled at her for a good twenty minutes before anyone saved her. The Headmaster was quite impressed with his vocabulary. I think even Simone learned a few new phrases from him."

Iggy snickered. "I'm sure I'll hear them tonight then." He checked the date on his watch. "Do I have practice tonight?"

"Yes, Ignatius, you do. Your cousin is still trying to teach your mate how to be forceful on the field. Your mate seems to see it as only a game." The director hissed and the team doctor groaned.

"I've never caught a game. Good is it?" he asked. Everyone but Snape nodded. "Ah. Perhaps I'll be brought up for one?"

"Oliver would probably give you season tickets," the team doctor told him. "So, you're muggle?" The doctor nodded. "How did you hear about us?"

"My neighbors," he said dryly. "They kept yelling about a snitch and a quaffle late one night and kept me up. Apparently his side didn't win."

"Oh." The team doctor nodded. "Must have been the last Cup. Four years ago?"

"Or so," the muggle doctor agreed. "I'm perfectly happy with what I know. I knew there was more to life and taking care of my two wizard patients has proven it."

Snape looked confused. "He takes care of my father's knee," Iggy told him.

"Ah. You're him then. Were you thinking about asking for permission to cross over?"

"I was considering it, but I know it'd probably end up in a large fight within your government."

"Probably," the director agreed.

The team doctor shrugged. "We don't have anyone who specializes in things like bones. We don't really specialize at all outside of women's problems."

"They need their own," Snape pointed out. "They still mystify most everyone."

"True," Iggy agreed. "Even Raena mystifies me sometimes." Snape nodded. "And I can hear her mind."

Snape smacked him across the back of the head. "Do learn to keep secrets. People can use that against you two."

"Sorry, sir," Iggy told him, giving him a pitiful look.

"You obviously need a nap." Snape rolled his eyes. "Make sure you have one before you come down tonight."

"Yes, sir."

The International director came back. "There wasn't great agreement, but their own doctors pointed out that we do the same thing for shattered legs. Will this muggle be working on him?" The British director nodded. "Then there may be a challenge to him playing from Russia and Japan, but we see no reason for the operation to not go through." He bowed and closed the portal from his end.

"Yes!" Iggy said, smiling at everyone. "Can I tell Uncle Oliver now?"

"If you desire," the director said. He looked at the doctor. "We'll want to watch or help with the operation of course."

"Fine. If you want, we can even do it in your own hospital if you can get permission. As long as you have equipment that will monitor his bodily signs, I have no problem with it."

"We do," the team doctor told him. "I'll arrange it. Do you have a while?"

The doctor checked his watch. "I'm due in surgery in forty minutes. You can come back with me. I'm sure your people have offices nearby, and that's why I was chosen?" Iggy nodded when looked at. "Or we could talk on the way back."

"My pitch is in the other direction."

"He's three blocks from Diagon," Iggy told him. "The hospital is connected to his office building."

"That would be fine then. I could use some more polish." The team doctor stood up and walked the man out. "Have you enjoyed working on us so far?" he asked as they left the offices.

Iggy looked at the director. "May I?"

"Let me write an official letter and you can deliver it," the man said tolerantly. He quickly pulled out the letter he had started earlier and finished it, signing his name with a flourish. "There you go. Thank you both for your help." He smiled as the young boy and the stern professor disappeared together. "What a pair," he sighed. "Youth and energy, and power with control." He shook his head, glad he didn't have to teach the boy anything.

Iggy let Snape off outside of his office and went running up the halls, going out to the flying area. "Uncle Oliver!" he yelled. Oliver looked over and smiled at him. "I have a letter for you," he said with the biggest grin. "And you have to tell Uncle Fred and daddy first."

Oliver opened the letter, then broke out in laughter, hugging him. "You are the best!" he said, pounding him hard on the back. "Thank you, Iggy. How did you do it?"

"The director asked if I could get your doctor in for a conference. We just got done. They're going to use a bone weakening potion and trim it, then screw it together. It's even been approved by the International committee, but you're to expect a challenge from Russia and Japan."

"YES!" Oliver shouted, dancing around. "Dismissed!" He grabbed his broom and took off for town to spread the good news.

Iggy looked at the kids. "You heard him, go have quiet fun until class change." They ran off. Iggy collapsed onto the grass, looking up at the sky. He enjoyed cloud watching, it made him feel at peace. He closed his eyes against the brightness of the sun, and fell back asleep.

That's how Raena found him a few hours later. She nudged him with her foot. "You do know that the ground is muddy?" she asked with a fond smile.

"I got used for my amazing teleporting ability," Iggy said, accepting her help up. "I've had a few hours of sleep so far."

"Poor Iggy," she said, nudging him as they walked into the school. "How is Ravena's cat?"

"Hemlock should be fine. At least the dolt did it with surgical precision." He wrapped an arm around her waist. "Want to watch me take a nap in the common room?"

"If you'd like. Emily was looking for you though."

"Damn, I forgot."

"It's all right," she soothed. "I'm sure she realizes that you've not slept hardly at all yet." She kissed him on the cheek. "We'll talk to her at dinner time."

"Good idea, dear." Someone rudely grabbed Raena from him and Iggy glared at the seventh year Slytherin. "Problems, Trundel?"

"What's a fine woman like you doing with a little girly nerd like him?" the boy asked. He leered at her. "I could show you things he can't."

"Like what, how to catch a disease?" Iggy asked. He pulled Raena away from him and behind his back. "Back the fuck off. My woman. Get over yourself. Just because *you* can't get laid doesn't mean you have to pick on those of us with girlfriends."

"I get laid plenty," the boy sneered. "I'm going for your *uncle's* record."

"I doubt it," Iggy told him. "You haven't gotten any at all from what I hear." He crossed his arms. "Unless you want this to turn into a fight, I'd leave. I'm running on nearly no sleep and you're annoying me past the point of reason."

"Is that so? What're you going to do? Bring up one of those girly glitter bombs?" he sneered.

"No, this," Iggy said, punching him. Then he pulled his wand while the idiot was down. "Now then, I warned you. This is your last chance before I do something you'll regret for many years."

"Enough," Lupin yelled. "Ignatius? Would you mind putting that away?"

"Not until he puts away his knife," Iggy told him.

"Now," Lupin ordered sharply. Both young men put up their weapons. "What is wrong with the two of you? Ignatius, you usually have more sense than to start fighting."

"He started it by trying to take Raena!" Iggy told him firmly. "Fuck him, she's mine!"

Raena patted him on the back. "Don't worry, Iggy. I only like smart men and he doesn't qualify." He smiled at her and put his arm back around her waist. "That dunderhead grabbed me and forcefully pulled me against his obviously unwashed body," she told the professor. "Then he made insinuations about how he was going to 'lay' me." She looked disgusted. "I'd rather sleep with a mountain troll." She gave the boy the disgusted look. "Maybe if you bathed once in a while, you could find someone willing to spend time in your presence instead of trying to steal other people's women."

Lupin hid his smile. "Is this true, Trundel?"

The boy shook his head and pointed at Iggy. "I was engaging the young woman in a pleasant discussion when ...." A viewing portal opened and showed the scene. "Hey!"

"Shut up," Draco said as he walked up to them, putting his wand away. "You disgust me as well. How dare you sully the house with your pitiful rape attempts. A real Slytherin never has to resort to anything lower than bribing to get slept with. Obviously the hat needs adjusting." The boy flinched and backed away from him, and the person walking out behind him.

"What is going on here?" Snape demanded. The portal started to play again with a flick of Draco's wand. "Trundel, my office now," he hissed. "You do not touch women when they obviously don't want you." The boy scurried away. "Cancel the portal." Draco did so. "Ignatius, detention, tomorrow night. You do not use that much force against a weaker being."

"Yes, sir, but I only used my fist and my brains."

"Exactly," Snape told him, then he looked at Lupin. "Did you have anything further to add?"

"No, I think that about solves it. As long as Raena doesn't want to make a formal complaint?"

Raena shook her head. "I'm sure the Lord and Master will yell at him more than enough for me," she said with a smile for Snape. "Thank you for helping me. We're going to our house."

"I still need a nap. Can you tell Emily I'm sorry I missed helping her today, Professor Snape?"

"I already did," Snape said as they walked away. He shook his head. "Do move your hand five inches north," he ordered. Raena's hand on Iggy's rear moved up to his back. "Thank you."

Draco snickered. "I was more subtle than that."

"Teach them that trait," Snape demanded, going to deal with the idiot.

Lupin looked at Draco. "How long have you been able to do that?"

"Since the summer Ravena aged herself. I've learned quite a lot of tricks studying theory." He smirked and walked away. "I'm off to teach Ron gryphon."

"Have fun," Lupin called after him. He headed for his own walk. "I wonder if Iggy knew he was muddy," he mused as he headed for the path to town.

***

Iggy woke up from his nap when someone pinched his nose closed. "It had better be good," he groaned.

"I brought you food and it's cold," Simone told him. "It's time for practice."

"Shit." Iggy sat up and took the plate with a nod. "Thanks. Where's Raena?"

"Changing." She sat beside him. "What did Trundel do?"

"Just grabbed her and insinuated that he could please her. I'm sure he's sorry by now. Snape's probably still yelling at him." He shoved food into his mouth. "Any new news on Hemlock?"

"He's been moved back to the local vet's office and Ravena was taken down there to pet him some more. The vet gave him a healing potion and said it should be a few days. Though his paws are going to need to be babied. The scoring went pretty deep and the vet said the pads don't really grow." Iggy nodded as he continued to shovel food into him. "Did you really help Uncle Oliver with his petition?"

"Yup," he said between bites. "He won."

"We all heard about that," Denver said as he walked over. "Eat slower, you'll get a stomachache."

"Bad enough I have nightmares," Iggy said, finishing the food with a belch. "Okay, now what?"

"Change. You're still caked in mud," Simone suggested with a smile. "Were you really napping in the field?"

"Yeah; I didn't mean to, but it was comfy enough." He handed over the plate and went up change, coming back down in his usual practice spandex outfit. Raena whistled. "My dads bought it for me," he said with a blush. "Very comfy."

"I'm sure." She took his hand as they headed out to go practice. "Is she really serious?"

"She's really serious," Iggy agreed. "There's a great rivalry between us and Slytherin. We've played them already, but we play every game like we're going to kill the other team. She even hits bludgers at us sometimes." He shrugged. "She is the driving force behind us."

"Oh." Raena smiled at Simone's head. "I always thought it was just a game."

"It is, until it's you up there winning," Denver told her. "Our father told us so."

"He plays seeker," Iggy told her. "Just like his daughter, only without the desire for the snitch that she has."

"It was amazing, how Little Ron described it to her," Simone agreed, turning to walk backwards. "He made her see how beautiful it was and made her desire it as much as he does. I think it's almost sexual for them now."

"Possibly," Denver agreed. He waved at Little Ron. "There he is. Oh, and Ravena."

"She got sent polish," Iggy told them.

"You do know that polishing the snitch is a sexual metaphor?" Raena asked. The other three nodded. "Do they?"

"They're still young and innocent," Simone sighed as she walked onto the pitch. "Where's the captain?"

"Busy," Little Ron called down. "Detention with Black." He looked at Iggy. "I heard about Trundel. Nice move with the punch and the wand pull."

"I'm not that fast with the draw, but I can definitely distract until I've got it out," Iggy quipped, leaning against the smaller stands the two younger kids were sitting on. "How is she?"

"She's fine. Got a little bit of tarnish in her carvings," Ravena said, shooting him a grin. "Thank you for hearing me last night."

"Honey, you nearly made me jump out of my bed," Iggy told her. "You've got one hell of a yell on you."

Draco coughed. "Your captain can't make it and suggested Ron fill in, but he's got a room full of assholes right now so he sent me. Do you want to practice or not?"

"We need to get Raena up to speed, daddy," Simone told him with a grin. "She thinks it's just a game."

Draco hissed. "That's nearly heresy around here." He shook his head. "You'll have to teach her to be mean, daughter. She'll need it to play against Agatha."

"I'll need protective gear to play against Agatha," Raena told him.

"Not if we knock her off first," Simone said happily. Her father and brother laughed. "Okay, let's warm up. We'll play beater games for now."

"Fine with me," Little Ron told her. "I'm staying right here."

"Good," Denver told him. "You're too delicate to hurt." Little Ron glared at him. "Casts make you slower."

"Good point," Ravena agreed. "I'll protect him from any stray bludgers. You guys go beat each other up." They took off. "I will," she said as he gave her a skeptical look.

"I'm older."

"I'm faster," she retorted with a grin.

"Maybe, but I'm still older and should protect you."

"Children, protect each other," Draco sighed, finally accepting the fact that the only person who would ever understand either of them would be the other. Potter could have his fits, he would be mature about this. Now if only he could find Simone and Denver suitable dates. At least suitable for the present time.

***

Iggy tapped on the girls' dorm door and walked in, climbing in with his cousin. "Nightmares," he explained at the grunt.

"So you climb in with her?" Andrea asked.

"If I climb in with Raena, I'll get in more trouble, violating the boyfriend rules. If I crawl in with Simone, I'm only violating the 'no boys in the girls' side rule. One detention instead of suspension. Sorry, love."

"I understand. She probably shields better than I do." Iggy nodded in the darkened room and snuggled in. "Good night, Iggy."

"Night." He kissed Simone on the side of the neck to let her know he was there. She wouldn't feel his body, but she felt anything against her neck.

She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed, blocking out all the nasty images. "Fight?"

"Attack coming in a while," he whispered. "Small one, looking for a body."

"Okay. You tell your dad and mine tomorrow." She threw one of her bare legs over his.

"Why are you naked?"

"I'm like that," she said sleepily. "Got underwear on."

"Thank you." He slowly fell back to sleep, hoping that the nightmares would finally leave him alone.

***

Ron and Draco walked up to the girls' fourth year dorm and Ron pounded on the door. It opened for him, showing Andrea mostly ready. "Is there a missing person over here?" Draco asked.

"He's having nightmares about an attack," Raena said, working on getting a comb through her hair. She was partially dressed. "They're both still asleep. Let me put on a shirt please."

"Why did he climb in with her?" Ron asked the girl.

"Boyfriend rule versus the no boys rule," Andrea said with a shrug.

"Oh." Draco nodded. "Less punishment. Reasonable really. Everyone ready for the sleepy Iggy monster?" One girl in the bathroom called 'no'. "Tell me when."

She came out, pulling her robe tighter around her. "Okay, I'm done." She shrugged at the dirty looks the other girls gave her. "What? I don't care that he's not going to be looking at me, I was still naked."

Raena laughed. "Maybe I should work on my hair downstairs. Then he won't pause."

"We've seen the Iggy morning monster since our first year," the girl who slept on the left of Simone told her.

"This is nothing new," another agreed. "Though I am surprised that he didn't even sneak a kiss." The other girls murmured their agreement with that.

"He's being good," Andrea reminded them. "He'll sneak in some other time to sleep with her." They all giggled.

"If he does, his father said he's sleeping in our tower until he graduates," Ron told them.

Draco nodded. "He can find un unused classroom like the rest of us did."

"Aren't the desks too hard for that stuff?" the girl in the next bed asked.

"Not if you find a storeroom," Draco told her. "There's all sorts of old furniture scattered around the place if you look hard enough." He nodded at Ron. "Go wake the boy up before he's late."

Ron walked over and shoved Iggy, getting sleepy mumbles. "You in deep shit," he told him.

Iggy sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Someone's going to attack the school again," he said through a yawn. "Something about a ghost, a grotto, and a body?" He looked at Ron. "Sorry, but the nightmares were intense. It's happening soon."

"We know," Draco said patiently. "Kindly go back to your own side now. Get off my daughter before your mate thinks that you enjoy snuggling up to her."

Iggy slid off the bed and walked past him, only stopping for a kiss from his sweetie. "See you in a few," he said as he walked away.

"Simone!" Draco said sharply, waking her. She sat up and looked around. "Out of bed, now, young lady."

"Fucking bite me," she sighed, laying back down. She wasn't quite awake yet. "Iggy broadcast all night. The idiots in black and silver were *annoying*!" she complained, pulling a pillow back over her head.

"Black and silver?" Ron asked. "Death Eaters?"

"Oh, most likely," Draco agreed. "It would fit. They're coming for Slytherin's body."

Simone raised a hand. "Why was the ghost talking to Uncle Xander if it was Slytherin?"

"I don't know. Write out what you know over your quick breakfast. You have ten minutes to make it to the Great Hall," Ron told her. She flipped him off like her uncle did instead of how her father did it. "Would you like another suspension?" She continued to hold up the finger. Draco shook his head, starting to laugh. "Support me here, okay? She's your monster."

"I have a bat and I hate loud noises, I tend to hit at them," Simone warned as she flipped over.

"Get out of that bed!" Draco told her, coming over to pull her physically from it. It was going to be one of *those* days apparently. "Why are you wearing those?" He looked at her thong and pushup bra. Very unlike her.

"Have to do laundry." She yawned. "My life sucks sometimes." She pulled on a shirt and sat down to figure out the intricacies of her pants.

"Shower?" Ron suggested.

"Took one last night." She slid into her pants and stood up, pushing her feet into her shoes. She blew kisses at her father as she walked past him. "See you this afternoon for our workout."

"I doubt you'll be awake," he called after her. He shook his head and left the girls' room so they could get changed without his presence.

"Is it always like this?" Raena asked as Ron walked past her bed.

"Only some mornings," he said with a smile. "Ten minutes before you have to be down there or you won't have time to eat." He closed the door and the girls started to scramble for their clothes.

"What would you normally be doing right now?" Andrea asked as she pulled up her hair.

"Right now, I'd be doing the same thing. Living in the dorms at the school meant I could leave ten minutes before I had to teach a class and make it on time." She gave up and pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

"What are the dorms like at college?" the girl in the bed next to her asked.

"You have your own room." The girl sighed wistfully. "It's got a little desk, big enough for three pieces of paper or almost a book and a sheet of paper. A little tiny bed with a lot of lumps and springs, and you still have to share the bathroom with the floor."

"Maybe I won't go then," the girl noted. "It doesn't sound exciting at all."

"The bed's big enough if you want to cuddle," Raena told her. "Barely, but you can if you want to get *real* close."

"You had boyfriends?" Andrea asked.

Raena nodded as she followed the blind young woman down the stairs to meet up with the dog waiting on them. He had taken himself out for a walk. "I used to date a lot, Andrea. Long before I met Iggy, but I used to date."

"Can we ask you questions?" a fifth year asked. "There are some things I don't understand."

"Sure." She smiled at her. "We'll do it tonight. Take over the dorm room and have treats. I have a spell to make little pastries." Someone tugged on her ponytail and she turned, finding Denver there with Iggy coming down the stairs. "Come on, we're going to be late."

"I know. Can I ask you why women are difficult?" Denver asked her.

She laughed. "We're easy, you're thinking too hard." She followed Andrea and took Iggy's hand as he moved up next to her. "Let's go eat."

"Caffeine is a god," Iggy told her. "I hate mornings."

She laughed. "I noticed." She gave his hand a squeeze. "Just five more weeks and school's done for the summer."

"And you're coming to stay with us," Iggy said with a grin. "Grandma said so and we're spending the summer at their house again."

"Yeah, so mum can make up with us," Denver snorted. "Did you hear? We got our own vault for allowances." He sat beside his sister. "Are you up?"

She glared at him. "I'm not sure the vault applies to you," she told him. "Mum's being fussy again."

"Dad got me a key."

"Okay then, I guess we're splitting the thousand five ways instead of four."

"Soon to be six," Andrea pointed out as she sat across from them. "How is your father feeling?"

"All right so far. No sickness to date that he's admitted to," Simone told her. She shoved a piece of toast into her mouth. "Want anything from near me?" Andrea looked around, she had her sight spell back on again. She shook her head. "Eggs are beside Iggy." They both looked at him, he looked like he was sleeping sitting up. "Maybe he should go to the infirmary," Simone suggested.

"You both spent all night tossing and turning," Andrea agreed.

"'mfine," Iggy mumbled. He put his arms down on the table and put his head on them. Raena leaned over and whispered in his ear and he smiled. "Okay. Later?"

"Only if you wake up."

He forced himself to sit back up. "I can nap in potions anyway. I've already done the one for today." He yawned and Denver stuck a piece of toast in his mouth. "Fanks," he said through it, taking a bite.

"Where will you sleep in potions?" Andrea asked.

"There's a cot in the back," Iggy told her. "I've used it before on overnights." He shrugged and picked up his books. "See you guys in Transfigurations," he said.

"Herbology," Simone corrected. "Wrong day." He looked confused. "Isn't it herbology after potions?"

Denver nodded. "I think so."

Iggy waved a hand. "Whatever. I'll see you then." He blew a kiss at Raena and snatched another piece of toast to eat on his way down there. Fortunately, the dungeon was empty so he didn't have to sneak into the office. He just curled up and fell asleep again. Nightmares sucked.

When Snape came in, he heard the snoring and went to investigate the loud noise. "This is not your bedroom," he said coolly. Iggy shifted and mumbled something. "Do wake up now. You have class and I will flunk you."

"Then you'd have another year of me. Nightmares, sorry." Iggy kicked the blanket off the bottom of the bed and caught it, covering himself. "Wake me up later to yell at me before herbology."

"You have Transfiguration today."

"Simone said I had herbology."

Snape crossed his arms. "Why didn't you go to the infirmary?"

"Because bothering you is more fun?" Iggy suggested, rolling onto his other side. "Please let me sleep, or I'll tell Slytherin on you when he gets summoned back."

"Excuse me?" He walked over and shook the young man, waking him fully. "What was that you said?"

"The idiots coming to assault the school are going to not attack the school, just the grotto he's buried in. They're going to try and resurrect him, and barring that, call back his spirit to have him help them make a new Voldemort. Can I nap now?"

"You will write this down for me."

"Ask Simone, I crawled in with her." He flopped backwards and covered up his head. "Night, Severus. Happy annoyances."

"Go to the infirmary," he ordered, turning away to go prepare for class. He could get the full story out of Simone. She always saw what he did.

"The herb smell is calming. It's this or I'm napping in the greenhouse."

"Fine, then do not snore. You'll disrupt the class." The office door slammed shut, making him jump. "Two nights of detention!" The tiny sound of 'yay' floated out. "Impertinent brat," he sighed. But he did appreciate the little creature. Though he now had two of them....he could threaten Iggy with losing his place to Raena.

"Not unless you want me to come help her," Iggy called out weakly. "We can always make out in here."

"Do sleep now," he snapped.

"Thank you. Happy annoyances."

Snape listened, and soon there was the faint sound of snoring. It must have been a very bad night if he was making that sort of noise. When Simone came in, he grabbed her and drew her out into the hallway. "I want an account of his nightmares."

"Has it occurred to you to ask me instead of ordering me?" she told him, getting free of his restraining hand. "I might help you if you asked instead of ordered, but I don't like orders and I'm having a bad day. So fuck off until you ask nicely." She walked back inside and slammed her books down, leaning on them to watch him as he walked in.

"Ms. Malfoy-Weasley, twenty points for your mouth yet again," he told her. "And you'll do as I say or I'll have you expelled."

"I've been good enough to be sent to another one," Simone pointed out. "And I'd instruct all the chicks to come shit on your desk." She smirked when he glared at her. "I could care less at this moment. He kept me up too."

Snape rolled his eyes. "Either do as I say or leave."

"Thanks. I could use the nap."

"To the library," he continued smoothly, like he intended it all along. "I'll be seeing a meter-long paper tomorrow morning on one of the Hephaestian potions. Your choice of course." Her middle finger slowly came up and she gave him a meaningful look. "It could be two meters. Or you will fail the class."

"Ooh, yay," she sighed. "Iggy, I need a book." One came flying at her head. "Thanks." She smirked at him. "Anything else...sir?"

He grabbed her by the hair and walked her up to her father's classroom. "Your daughter is an annoyance," he said bluntly.

"Simone," Draco said patiently. "What did you do this time?"

"I don't take orders from anyone, especially not mean people who I can beat the hell out of," she told him.

Draco looked at his mentor. "She's still half asleep. Wait until she wakes up and tell her again. She'll be more obedient then or lose the right to fly all summer long." Her mouth fell open in shock. "And I mean it."

"Fucker."

"That's a month," he said with a fond smile for her.

"You self-righteous asshole! I don't care if you did donate the sperm that helped create me! I am not some creature to be ordered around."

Snape smacked her one and she shoved him, knocking him into the pile of mats. "As for you," she started.

Denver walked in and calmly drew Simone away. "We're going to go wake her up now, before someone kills her. The Headmaster wants to see her." He led his sister away, patting her hand gently. "Come on, Simone, you need to finish waking up. This naughty behavior means that you'll be grounded all summer and then what fun will I have? No bludgers being hit at me, only Iggy's books for company. You'll be all alone. Anastasia and Ravena will have to give you a makeover for fun." She whimpered. "So please wake up. It's time now, classes have started."

"But I'm tired," she whined. She trudged up the stairs to the Headmaster's office, somewhere she was very familiar with. He smiled at her. "I'm tired, sir. Can I please take a nap?"

"After you write out the account of Ignatius' nightmares," he agreed, using a gentle, pleasing tone of voice. "I promise I'll excuse you up to the infirmary to take a sleeping potion. You can even nap on Xander's couch if you want, or his nest if he ever gets up." She slumped. "Please, Simone?"

"Yes, sir," she sighed, taking the quill he held out so she could write out the pertinent points. "Is that good enough?" she asked.

"Did you overhear any of the dialogue?" She shook her head. "All right then, if anything else comes to mind, you let me know, dear. Go take your medicine and take a long nap." She nodded, leaving happier than she had come up.

"You're bloody amazing," Denver told him with a bright smile.

"It comes from studying people, my boy. Your father usually has a much lighter touch than he showed this morning. He must have gotten some bleed-off from Ignatius and Xander as well. Follow her so she doesn't run into that wall again." The boy hurried off and he laughed. Those two were so bad sometimes. As a team, Draco and Severus were quite amusing.

***

The little pot on Draco's dresser rocked back and forth, violently starting to smoke. The two human spirits had torn the demon apart for its energy and were trying to escape. Eventually, it fell off the dresser and the lid flew open, letting them out. The female moved away from the male, smoothing down her garments and checking her hair. She looked at the male. "Now what did you have planned?"

"Why don't we check these children of his," Lucius Malfoy suggested. "I want to see my supposed heirs."

Narcissa Malfoy glanced around. "I feel innocents downstairs. Perhaps it's them?"

"He has a young one, that one might be down there." He floated down the stairs, his wife following him. He found seven children playing in the living room, being watched by a sallow-faced, smiling idiot of a woman. She was easily knocked out by his wife and they both looked at the children. One felt like it was of his line, but looked like three of the others. "Dear Merlin," he said in disgust. "He spawned with a Weasley."

She shrugged. "At least they're pure. Look at the little girl. She's obviously not and he's clinging to her."

"My Maeve," Lucien said, glaring up ghosts. "You go 'way. Me 'tect them!"

Lucius sneered down at him. "Do you know who I am?"

"Bad person," Maeve said, moving beside Lucien. "Even badder than everybody." She moved into his path so he couldn't get to her cousins. "You go away now or I'll call my daddies!"

"And what will they do?" Narcissa asked her.

"Kick your ass," William said, looking up at her. "He does that lots." He looked at Zach, who nodded and they stood up. Zach was younger but he was bigger and he could protect the other kids. "I swear, if you don't leave, my daddy will rip you apart."

"Our mummy will kill you," Minnie shouted. "She's strong."

Gwen tugged on her sister's shirt. "She not allowed back here. But Uncle Albus and the big scary guy is. We get them?"

"Yes, do get the 'big scary guy'," Lucius sneered.

"Baron!" Zach yelled. Within a heartbeat the Bloody Baron was in, called by the future head of his house.

"He's mean and bothering us," William told him, pointing at the ghosts. "Make them go away!"

The Bloody Baron looked down at him. "You're as odd as your father, boy, but I do agree. They're not supposed to be here." He looked at Lucius, who backed up a few steps. Narcissa stood her ground. "Leave the children alone before I have to tell their parents. The children were quite correct, they can rip you apart."

Lucius sneered from his safe distance. "No one can rip a spirit apart or they would have gotten rid of you long ago."

The Bloody Baron smiled. "What makes you think I'm not wanted?" he sneered back. "Unlike some." He looked down at William. "Get them out of here, go find the Headmaster, boy."

"We go," William ordered, getting his cousins moving. They couldn't fight, but they would protect his Zach friend. Lucien pulled Maeve with him, which made William happy, he was protecting his sister. He looked at the ghosts again. "You be okay?" he asked the Baron.

"Yes, boy, I'll be fine. Go find the Headmaster."

"All right." He walked out, following the others. The Headmaster met them in the hall, and the kids babbled at him. "Stop it. The ghosties are mean and they upset Maeve," William told him.

"What ghosts?" Dumbledore asked, steering them toward the nearest classroom, Transfiguration as it happened. "May I ask a favor and have you watch them?" he asked Black. The teacher nodded. "Thank you. I think we're having a small ghost problem."

"The blonde again?" Black asked.

"No, two this time, Malfoys." Black shuddered. "Is Draco still around?"

"He's out flying," Maeve told him, smiling sweetly. "We watched him from the window."

"Thank you, dear. You behave for Uncle Sirius."

"Okay. Can he be doggy?" William asked.

"Not right now. Sit down," Black told them.

Dumbledore hurried back, going to see if he could help with anything.

***

Up in the infirmary, something drew Simone from her nap. It didn't quite wake her fully, but it was bothering her. She hated when these things came at her, but she knew it was a bad thing. She slid out of the bed and put on her shoes, heading back to her house. On the way, she grabbed a sword from one of the suits of armor, never realizing she had it in her hand until she walked in. She found the sitter knocked out, the Headmaster knocked out, and three ghosts sniping at each other. "You," she sneered at the two unfamiliar ones. She had seen their pictures and knew who they were. "You came back again? Didn't you learn well enough the first time?" She walked closer, around the Bloody Baron to stand in front of them. "You're not wanted here, nor are you staying. I won't let you harm the children. Father would be pissed."

"What are you going to do?" Narcissa asked her.

"Whatever I have to." She smiled coldly at her grandmother. "In case you hadn't heard, I'm a force in my own right. There's no one around here who can stand against me when I'm pissed." She lifted the sword. "Leave. Go find some unsuspecting muggle and bother them. We don't need or want you."

Lucius sneered at her. "You're another crossbreed, aren't you?"

"No, I'm a witch, stupid. Get it right." She looked at the sword, then at him, then pulled her wand, which made the grandparents move back further. "Oh, are you scared?" she said in her most patronizing tone of voice. "What? You didn't realize that a gryphon-born started our family line back when we were Foylfans?"

"That's a lie," Lucius hissed.

"It's not. You can check if you want. It's far back, but it's still there. Father helps the gryphons translate spells into your pitiful version of magic."

"You're not so strong, young lady," Narcissa said coldly.

"You'd be surprised," Simone laughed. "I'm not only *the* best beater in school, but I am the muscle that can make *any* Slytherin reconsider coming anywhere near any of us."

"Lucius, she's a Gryffindor," the Bloody Baron sneered. "How does it feel to be supporting that house now?"

"It's not true!" Lucius thundered.

"Fuck you, yes it is. You're such a bloody moron and an arrogant git you can't even see what's in front of you." She enchanted the sword and tossed her wand aside. "I don't need my wand to deal with you, there's something satisfying about taking creatures on physically. Just ask Uncle Xander."

"That creature?" Narcissa sneered. "What does he have to do with you?"

"A lot. He's helped father and mother raise us. Our favorite cousin is his oldest. You'd be surprised how the families have intertwined. We even play with the Potters all the time."

"I'll kill my son," Lucius said, starting forward, but the sword went through him, making him start to burn. "What did you do!" he shouted, moving back.

"Just about what I'm going to do now. First I blessed the blade, now I'm going to pour holy water on it." She pulled her small vial of holy water out of her pocket and poured it down the blade, watching as it dripped off the end. "Uncle Xander insists that we carry one with us wherever we go. It comes in handy." She waved the too-heavy sword around again, barely able to do more than that. "Come on, I'll get you again, you dolt. You never learned your lesson the first time and now you've lost your chance at immortality. Even the Slytherins among us don't appreciate you. You're nothing but a weak annoyance and will never be anything but a weak annoyance. You have no great power, no great sense, and no great ability to please any lover you take. We've learned better than that." He moved forward and she thrust the sword again, hitting him on what would have been his stomach if he had been alive. "Don't you get it yet? You're useless to your entire family." She noticed her grandmother floating back, but she was moving away not toward her so it would be okay. She thought hard about getting her father here. He would be able to rip this spirit apart. She swung the sword and cut him on the groin, making him howl as the holy water hit his core being. "Like I said, useless."

"I am not useless," Lucien thundered, dodging the sword to attack her the only way he could, by moving through her.

Simone pulled her boot knife and stuck herself while he was in her, hoping to hurt him worse. She winced in pain, but he seemed to melt away. "Next?" she asked her grandmother.

Narcissa smiled at her. "I'm not here to bother you, simply to look at the family line, girl. You are quite a lot like my grandmother."

"Yay. Met her once, she bored me too." She shrugged. "Anything else?"

"No, dear, I think I'll leave you in peace. Tell me, that boy, how was he born?"

"Daddy bore him himself. He's pregnant right now as a matter of fact."

Narcissa held in her hiss. How dare he! Her own son, being so stupid. "Thank you. Tell him I said I'm going to leave him alone."

"Don't go to the Potter's either. He's got a spirit there who will kill you," she warned, sitting down on the steps hard. "Leave, grandmother, and never come back."

Draco and Xander ran in together, Draco casting a containment before she could move, Xander heading to Simone's side because he had seen the knife sticking out of her stomach. "What did you do?" he asked her.

"I made grandfather disappear," she whispered, smiling at him. "Can I have a hug?"

"You can have a lot of hugs, once you're out of surgery," Xander told her, gently picking her up. "Draco, we're going to the infirmary. Follow." He teleported up the few floors. "Poppy!" She came running. "Her Grandfather came back to bother her. She stabbed herself. He might still be in there."

"Damn stupid heroics," the nurse muttered as she looked the girl over. "She's infected. Get me Severus and Tara. Where's her father?"

"Fighting with his mother. Dumbledore was on the floor. I'll get him after this."

"Let your son do it," she told him. Just get me Severus and Tara."

"Deal." He disappeared, teleporting down to Tara's classroom. "Sorry to interrupt, but we'll need you to go take Simone's grandfather out of her before we remove the knife in her stomach," he said, breaking her concentration. The kid being held up in the air fell, but was caught by a few of the other students. "Poppy needs you and Sev. Now."

"On it," Tara told him, giving him a quick pat as she jogged past him. "Get Iggy! He's in Herbology."

"Guys, clean up the mess and cancel the circle," he reminded them, heading out to the greenhouses. He found Iggy immediately and pulled him and Denver outside. "Stop," he said at the opening mouths. "Your grandparents got free. Simone fought Lucius. Iggy, go move the two knocked-out people in the tower if they're still there, then help Poppy and Severus work on Simone. Denver, she fought him and she's injured," he said once Iggy was gone. "He tried to take her over apparently and she stabbed herself." The boy's face hardened. "She's possessed right now and your grandmother is contained at the moment. Head to the infirmary to wait. Got it?" The boy nodded. "Go now." He gave him a little shove, watching as he ran away. Xander walked back into the greenhouse. "One of you gryffs please get Iggy and Denver's things and bring them back to the house. Simone's been injured and is in the infirmary. They're excused from everything else for the day." Raena stood up. "If you want, go." She nodded, grabbing both bags and taking them with her own to give them back to their owners. "Don't worry, it wasn't an attack," he said when the sniffling started. "Her grandfather's spirit came back."

Madam Sprout looked at him. "Lucius, here?"

Xander nodded. "In my house no less. We're dealing, it wasn't a real attack, just one on Simone." He gave them a reassuring smile and left them there.

"Children, put away those plants and come help me with the ones in the next greenhouse. They're healing herbs and may be needed to help the poor girl," Madam Sprout said, hurrying them over to greenhouse five.

***

Draco stormed into the infirmary, stopping when Xander put a hand on his chest. "How is she?" He looked at the curtained room, trying to see inside.

"They're working on unpossessing her right now. They have to do that before we can start to heal her or they might bind him in there for good. The knife missed everything important." Draco looked at him. "She's fine for now, Draco. Let us get her free and then we'll be able to fix her fast." Draco nodded. "Go talk to Dumbledore, he's in the back section and wants to know if everything is handled."

"She's back in the pot by herself," Draco said bitterly. "She told me that Simone attacked first."

"She was trying to stop him, even if she only reacted," Xander said soothingly. Draco nodded. "Go give a report. Tara pulled out her bitch act with your sperm donor a few minutes ago." That got a faint smile and Draco left. "Daddy's here," he called.

"Ten more minutes," Poppy Pomfrey called back.

Someone screamed and everyone came running, but Severus walked out with a tightly closed lead container, carefully held away from his body as it smoked. "It's done. They're removing her bootknife now." Draco nodded, clutching his son for strength. "She won, he's nearly dissipated."

"How did he get out?" Denver asked.

Iggy looked at him as he walked out. "I found the pot that Uncle Draco used to trap them on his floor." He handed Denver the knife hilt first. "She'll want it back."

"Why does she carry one of those?" Tara asked.

"Because she's like that?" Iggy suggested. He patted her on the back. "You did very good, but you need a rest, Aunt Tara."

She smiled at him. "I know, Iggy. I'm going to curl up with Zach and Maeve."

"They're all in the dungeons," Xander told her. "I moved them down there so Sirius wasn't forced to deal with children. Raena's watching them for you."

"Thank you," Severus said, nodding at them. "I'll check the children for any taint."

Draco shook his head. "We warded Lucien. I didn't realize Simone was open to the spirit plane so we never closed her off."

"She's not really," Tara assured him with a faint smile. "She's not a medium, she's more open when she's nearly asleep. Poppy said she had been under a sleeping potion most of the day because Iggy was still broadcasting at her."

"Somehow our minds fit that way," Iggy told her. "It's like she puts a shield over my mind when we're together and napping. It keeps the visions away."

"I'll work with you both," Tara told him, giving him a pat. "Good work, Iggy." She took Severus hand and walked away with him, going to hold the children.

Poppy came out of the room and nodded at the worried family. "She's fine. You can go back there. She's still asleep and should stay that way for a number of hours." She pulled Xander aside. "Watch her. We're sure we got most of it, but we can't be sure we got all of it," she whispered.

"Oh, do tell me as well," Draco said dryly.

Xander looked at him. "They cleaned out most of it, but there's a chance a bit of him contaminated her. We need to watch for funny behavior."

"With Simone?" Denver asked. "How would we tell?"

"If she suddenly started to pick flowers and sing songs to cats?" Xander suggested. "Maybe if she sends all the chicks away?"

"If she does any of those, I'm going to chain her up and fix her myself," Denver muttered. "That'd be scary." He walked in, climbing up to curl up beside her.

Draco nodded. "I agree, that would be frightening. Why would my father make her do such things?"

"Because she's still fighting him," Xander told him with a slight smile. "Think about it. How else would Simone draw attention to herself?"

"Good point. Either that or start to act like her sisters." He walked in, giving her the hardest hug he dared. "You won, little one, but never do this to my nerves again. I'll beat you myself next time," he whispered. Denver giggled. "You either," he pointed out. "I told you to tell me if they came back, not to take them on yourself!"

"Yes, father," Denver said meekly. His father reacted strangely when he was upset.

Xander shook his head and left them alone, going to talk to the Headmaster. "How's your head?"

"Just fine, Xander. Thank you for asking. Where are the children?"

"Dungeon. Sirius looked panicked when I picked them up. Maeve was singing to him." He grinned. "It was so funny."

Dumbledore smiled. "I'm sure it was. How is Simone?"

"Injured, still fighting probably, but we've done the best we can. As soon as she wakes up, we'll make sure she's fine." He patted the aged hand lying on the blanket. "Want a book?"

"No. I think I'll be out of here before I need one." He looked toward the door as someone came running in. "Melvin?"

"Ravena. Anastasia went to hit something in the gym. Melvin's curled up in Andrea's lap for comfort." Raena walked in, with Iggy. "Have you told Melvin and Ana?" Xander called.

"They know, they're coming," Raena told him. "Has anyone checked the children?"

"Tara said she was going to," Iggy assured her. He checked on Simone then smiled at Draco. "She hit the right spot. No nerves, little blood supply, not deep enough to puncture her intestines."

Draco looked at them. "That's supposed to comfort me?"

"Two inches deeper and she would have had to go for real surgery," Iggy said dryly. "That should comfort you."

Draco nodded, going back to holding his daughter.

***

Simone woke up and stretched, like on normal mornings. She slid out of her bed and headed for the bathroom, then paused. "I took one last night," she said, shaking her head. Her roommates looked at her like she was insane. "What?" she whined. She walked back to her trunk and dresser, pulling out a standard outfit for the day. She paused at the pants, but her hand just wouldn't pick it up. She tried again, but no go. Instead, her hand grabbed the skirt that was a bit too short for her these days. "No way." She tossed it back into the drawer and finally managed to grab the pants and toss them onto the bed. That drawer was closed and her underwear drawer was opened. Her hands went for the normal sports bra and boxer shorts, but it paused again, no matter how much she wanted it to grab her favorite boxers - a pair she had stolen off her father. She used her other hand to pull out the wanted boxer shorts, but tossed them back into the drawer. Suddenly, it was like the world went black. When she woke back up, she was dressed in a shirt, thongs, and stockings under the too-short skirt. She noticed her hair was slicked back. "I look like a tramp," she told herself. Something in her mind told her that she should be so she could breed true for the family. That almost made her turn around and change, but she blacked out again and woke up in the Great Hall by the windows. "Okay." She looked down at the rest of the family, who was looking at her. She shrugged and got up, heading down to sit with them. "I guess I'm feeling odd today," she told Iggy and Raena. Fortunately, neither of her siblings were down yet. "Do I look okay?"

Iggy opened his mouth but Raena covered it with a hand. "Simone, you can see right through that shirt."

"I don't know why I put it on," Simone told her.

Denver walked in with his cloak and put it around his sister's shoulders, grabbing her to pick her up and sling her over his shoulder with a grunt. "Stupid brat. How dare you come down looking like that." He walked away with her.

Iggy looked at Raena. "Thank you for the tact. Did you want to wake up Tara and Severus or mine and her fathers?"

"I think I'll do Severus and Tara," she noted. She made a sandwich from her eggs and bacon, eating it as she walked away.

Iggy did the same thing, only with ham, and headed back to his father's tower. He knocked on Draco's door first, frowning at him when he opened it. "Simone showed up dressed like a ho this morning. Was that the abnormal behavior we were supposed to watch for?"

Draco groaned. "He always did say girls were only good for one thing," he noted. "Where is she?"

"Denver grabbed her and carried her out of the Great Hall. Want me to wake up Daddy?"

"Not necessary," Xander called. His door opened. "I'm up. Where is she?"

Iggy shrugged. "Find Denver. He's probably screaming at her. You could see her nipples through the shirt. And the tops of her stockings under her skirt when she walked."

"Fuck me," Draco sighed, grabbing a shirt to put on over his pajama bottoms. They were velvet, it would do for now. He walked out, mentally searching for his son and daughter. He found Denver screaming in the infirmary. "Enough," he said tiredly. "She probably can't help it."

Simone looked up from her holding her head. "I picked out normal clothes, I swear, Daddy. The black boxers I got off you, a sports bra. My normal loose pants and a long shirt." She looked down at her feet, thankfully in her own shoes. Wearing another person's shoes was just icky. "I don't know how I ended up like this!"

"It's him, sweetheart," Draco soothed. "He thinks you'll make him little Malfoy babies. He never could see a woman for anything other than her uterus." He gave her a hug and pulled the cloak back around her. "Just in case," he said when she frowned at him. "We don't want any boys to get the wrong idea."

"Daddy, I can beat them up if they try to grab me," she reminded him. "Not that I might mind sometimes, it'd be nice to be noticed for being female sometimes."

"I know," he told her. He looked over as Tara walked in, removing the cloak. "Is this the odd behavior you wanted us to watch for?"

Tara looked at the outfit, then nodded. "Yeah, that was it." She looked into Simone's eyes. "Severus will be up in a minute. Do you want to change, Simone?"

"Please? These stockings are nasty feeling. They itch!" Tara smiled. "Why is that?"

"Lace isn't always soft," Tara agreed. "Netting is never comfy." She helped Simone off the table and led her away. "Come on, I'll make sure you put on real clothes." She led the girl back to her house, through the students hurrying to their first classes. She smiled at the boys who were showing just a bit too much interest. "She's possessed," Tara told them. "Her grandfather." They nodded, having heard about that.

Of course, a few of them just stared in shock. Forget her outfit from the Christmas Ball, she looked hot now! Damn, that girl wiggled and jiggled just right! There was a small rush to the nearest bathroom by a number of young men once the strict Professor Maclay had walked past.

When Iggy saw her, he raised an eyebrow. "All right there, Simone?" She nodded, giving him a brave smile. "I've got an extra large shirt if you want it."

"Maybe," she agreed, looking down at herself. "Do I look like the tart I think I do?"

Iggy nodded. "Yeah." He grinned. "The whole outfit screams 'I'm my mother's daughter'." Tara snorted, but shook her head, giving them stern looks.

"Damn, I was hoping for less than that."

"Not with your version of the family endowments," Iggy pointed out, nodding at her chest.

"Iggy," Tara said coolly.

"Oh, those," Simone sighed, cupping them. "I hate these things." She dropped her hands, not knowing that a few guys had seen her, including Oliver Wood. "Let me change into real clothes. Of course, I'll probably end up in my practice clothes with my luck." She sighed and followed Tara up to her room, allowing her to help her change. "Spandex," she muttered, pulling some out. "I still look hot, but tough, Grandfather. People want my ass in this outfit." She took off the ho outfit and put on the blue unitard bodysuit, snapping the crotch back up. Then she put on a wrap from her bathing suit set and her boots. "How do I look now?"

"Better," Tara agreed. "Are you comfortable?"

"I didn't pass out when I put it on," Simone pointed out. "That's better than this morning." She made sure to pause in front of the mirror so the lech could get a good look. Somewhere in her head a purr went up. "Sick bastard," she muttered. "Am I good enough?"

Tara nodded, handing her the vest she had taken off herself. "For your chest."

"Am I sticking up?" she asked with disgust. She flattened them down, but they sprung back up. "These things are just nasty." She waved off the vest. "I wear it at practice. People have seen me in it before." She walked out, stomping back to the infirmary. "I'm tired of being sick," she whined. A few of the boys in the halls watched her pass, and got smacked on the head by Tara. "Aunt Tara?" she asked, turning around. She caught a boy staring at her. "What?" she asked patiently.

"You're a girl," he said in awe. He walked up to her and gave her a hug, squeezing her butt while pressing her breasts against his fifth year chest. "Damn, girl, date me?"

"We'll see, once I'm not possessed by the lech, my grandfather," she told him, patting him on the back. He let her move back and gave her a hard, deep, and probing kiss. She came up breathless and watched as he ran away. "Damn, maybe I should keep him," she said in shock. She looked at Tara. "Who is he?"

"A fifth year Ravenclaw, their backup keeper," Tara said with a smirk as she walked the girl on. She caught a few more boys looking at the poor girl and glared at them, scattering them from the halls. "It's class time," she reminded a few of them.

One boy fell to his knees in front of her. "I thought your sister was the pretty one," he told her, giving her a smile.

Simone patted him on the head. "She is. I'm the tough one."

He grinned. "I like handcuffs."

"Enough!" Tara snapped. "Detention with me tonight, Parks."

"Yes, ma'am, but it's worth it," he told her, getting up. "I thought you were stunning at the Ball, but today." He sighed. "I'm glad I got a good grope in while we danced."

"Oh, that was you!" Simone said, nodding. "I got a bruise from that." She pinched him on the stomach. "There. Better?" He nodded and walked away, the other boys following him when Tara opened her mouth. Simone looked up at her. "What is with them?"

"You're a beautiful girl," Tara told her. "You've got the best of both parents, and they appreciate beautiful women with brains and brawn." She finished the trek up to the infirmary, meeting up with her husband in the hall before the marble stairs. She gave him a grateful look. "There have been a few people who showed their appreciation," she told him.

Severus looked at the girl. "In that outfit, I can see why. Why is she wearing it?"

"Lucius didn't knock her out and redress her," Tara told him. "It's some of her practice clothes."

"I see." He tapped the girl on the head. "Do not wear that outfit in front of my house," he ordered. "They don't need the distraction."

"I'm a distraction?" she said, brightening up. "That wasn't just because someone bribed them, or because they're funny?"

"No," Tara said, shaking her head. "It's not just the odd ones. I caught at least fifteen boys looking at your rear."

"Wow." She grinned. "Maybe being possessed isn't so bad."

"It will be if you ever wear that outfit around the school again," Snape said dryly, turning her so she walked up the stairs. "Go back to your normal clothes, Simone."

"But these are comfy and I wear them when I work out," Simone told him. She smiled up at him. "They're made for that, not for attracting boys."

"Yes, but they seem to do that as well and you should be aware of that," Snape told her. "You should always be aware of your appearance and it's effect on others." He walked her into the infirmary. "She and the simpleton came to a more pleasing agreement."

Draco looked at her, then shrugged. "It's better," he admitted. "You've been seen in that outfit before around the gym."

Xander looked over. "You look much better," he said with a grin. "Like a young athlete."

"Someone bowed at my feet," Simone told him. "Another one gave me a kiss." Her father's eyebrow went up. "Daddy, can you give *me* the sex talk now, and keep in mind that I'm a girl and don't shoot disgusting things at women."

"Of course," he said, leading her away. "Are you sure you want to do this with him in there?"

"From what you've said, sex disgusted him," she said with a shrug. "Maybe it'll make him want to leave me alone. At the very least, this is making me want to remember the contraceptive spell."

"Very good point," he agreed with a smirk. He swore he could almost hear the groan. "Would you like the full one? The one where I tell you everything you can do and all the safety precautions? Or the other one where I only give you the basics?"

"Daddy, I have a toy, I think I'm ready to have the full one. I had to find out from someone else that girls don't make things that messy."

He chuckled. "No, they don't. I did give you the boy's version the last time and I'm sorry, Simone." He pulled the drapes so they could have some privacy.

Inside her head, Lucius moaned. He had never heard of some of those things, and they were quite disgusting. His son did these things? And he wasn't totally corrupt? He shuddered as the boy described something so nasty that no one he knew had ever done it. Why would anyone even touch a woman there with anything but his equipment?

***

Anastasia looked over as her sister was let back into the house. "Are you sane?"

"Yeah, daddy forced him out of me with the sex talk," Simone said as she sat on the couch. The guys around her looked at her. "It's my usual practice clothes. I wear this sort of stuff under my uniform."

Her fellow beater looked over at her. "Don't say that, they'll only come so they can get off at the game. They won't cheer at all." He winked at her. "Though if I knew you wore that, I might have caught a grope way back when you hurt your shoulder."

"If you had, our father would have had you killed," Anastasia pointed out. She looked up from her homework. "Trust me, he might do it anyway. She's only fourteen."

"Yeah, but I learned a lot today," Simone told her. "Someone kissed me and someone went on his knees in front of me." She frowned, then shrugged. "It's been an interesting day."

Ana frowned. "Someone fell on their knees in front of you?" Simone nodded. "Damn, no one does that for me," she complained.

"Ana, if you would consent to date one of us smelly men, we'd worship at your feet," a sixth year told her. "You said you wouldn't ever touch a smelly man-type person." He looked over at her. "All you have to do is say that you're ready to date and we'll all line up." His girlfriend reached over and smacked him hard. "Sorry, dear."

Raena walked in and looked at the outfit. "Well, it's more tasteful," she said with a smile to show she was teasing. "How was your day, Simone?"

"It sucked the big one," Simone told her, smiling at her. "I loathe the infirmary. Now I know why Uncle Xander begs to be let out."

"I'm sure you do," Iggy said as he walked in. He nodded at the outfit. "You haven't worn that one in months." He kissed Raena on the cheek. "Let me get changed and I'll follow you out to the greenhouse."

"That would be fine," Raena agreed with a tolerant smile. She walked over and leaned on the back of the couch, looking down at Simone. "What did you do today to combat boredom?"

"I got the extended version of the sex talk for girls," Simone told her. "Daddy even remembered to change things around so he was talking about my body instead of his."

"Wonderful news." Raena looked up as Iggy hopped down the stairs. "That was fast."

"Line in the bathroom," he said with great disgust, heading for the one down there. He didn't know why all the boys were going off over his cousin. Sure she was hot, but really. He walked out once he was done and had washed his hands, nodding at the door. "Shall we join Melvin and Andrea?" he asked with a smile.

She snuck a kiss. "Yes, we should. Maybe we can find another of those rooms." She winked and walked away, and he nearly whimpered.

Yes, she was so much more interesting than his cousin. Maybe she'd let him kiss her again. He might even get to touch her. She smiled at him and he shrugged. "I'm still only thirteen, my mind works in that way."

"I know, Iggy, I know." She smirked and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "We'll talk about that later, dear."

He moaned in pleasure. "Okay. I've got books."

"I'm sure you do," Ron said as he walked past him. "Simone?"

"Inside wondering why boys were staring at her rear," Raena told him.

"Because she's got breasts and they're boys?" Ron suggested, moving on.

***

Xander looked around the Great Hall, just trying to see who had sent the flowers to Simone. Her father was not happy with whomever it was and was trying hard to figure out who had sent the owl. Xander smiled at Agatha and Ryan, heads bent together to plan something. He nudged Draco, nodding at the couple. "Think they're going to get into trouble soon?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Draco agreed. "Did you know Anastasia got given a condom earlier?"

"It's a practical gift," Xander noted. "She can borrow some of mine if necessary. I have colored ones."

Draco looked at him. "Why?"

Xander grinned. "They're cute. Just ask George."

"I can't imagine a blue one coming at me," Tara put in. She laughed at the look her husband was giving her. "What? Can you?"

"This is not an appropriate dinner conversation," Snape noted.

Xander looked at Draco and Tara. "I like the red ones, they turn kind of purply."

"Ooh," Tara said with a smile. "I like purple."

"Absolutely not," Snape muttered into his dinner.

"Do they come in all colors?" Draco asked.

"So far, I've seen green, blue, red, yellow, which was nasty looking, purple, teal, and black. There's supposed to be different shades of blue coming out next year."

"A black one?" Tara asked. "Is it supposed to make you think you're with a different race?"

"No, it's true black, like the color of your mate's robes." Snape dropped his fork. "I've got an extra one if you wanted to see it. George doesn't like to use those."

"Enough," Snape hissed. "Change the subject."

Draco shrugged and looked at Tara. "I gave Simone the long version of the talk earlier, changed for a girl's body. I might have messed up a bit with the problems part though."

Tara waved a hand. "I talked with her when she started, she's got that part covered."

"I meant doing things during it."

"Got that too," Tara told him with a grin.

"Enough," Snape hissed again, sounding more deadly this time. "Do talk about something other than bodily processes and sex."

"Yes, dear," Tara said with a smile. She patted him on the hand. "Did you see the potion Iggy was working on today? I didn't think he needed it already, but he said it was for someone else."

"What was my son doing this time?" Xander asked.

Tara looked at him. "A wizard's version of viagra. Said it would make him millions."

Snape put his head down and moaned. "Stop it, please?" he pleaded.

Draco smirked at him. "What? This is normal discussion about the house."

Xander nodded. "It's this or talking about our various partners and how they're doing funny things."

"Or the kids," Tara offered.

"Yes, talk about the children," Snape said, lifting his head. "They're innocent."

Tara shrugged. "All right." She looked at the boys. "Did Lucien really taunt William and Zach to kiss?"

"What?" Snape thundered. "They did what?"

"It was an innocent thing," Draco told him. "Most children do it at least once. Denver did it with Melvin once and with Simone another time."

"Still. Did anyone catch them at it?"

"I did," Xander told him, grinning at him. "I pointed out that it wasn't proper for them to be kissing in the middle of the hallway. They promptly walked into Ron's classroom and started up again."

"Kindly keep your son away from mine," Snape told him.

"But they're not doing anything wrong," Draco told him. "Simply tell them that they're too young to kiss each other. They will listen to reason, most of the time."

"Yeah, it's not like they did the grope thing," Xander added. "Melvin did that once or twice to figure out why some people didn't have what he did."

"Still, I would prefer that the boys spent some time apart."

"Okay, but you get to tell William," Xander said.

"If I must."

"Yeah, you must because I'm not," Xander told him, smiling at him.

"Fine." Snape picked up his fork.

Draco looked at Xander. "So, did George like that trick I told him about?"

Snape dropped his fork again and walked out.

"Severus," Tara said, following him. She caught him in the empty back hall and pulled his head down, kissing him. "We're sorry. You can come eat."

He shook his head and pulled away. "I'll eat in our rooms. Join me if they ever finish that disgusting talk."

She smiled. "I find it very interesting." She leaned against him. "I wouldn't mind seeing you in one of those black ones," she whispered against his neck. He shivered. "You, in black, coming at me."

He pushed her away. "No." He walked away.

"But, Sev," she called. "It'd be cute. I'd like it for my birthday!"

He shook his head. "I already have your present," he called back. "Join me when they're done."

Tara giggled and went back inside. "He's eating in our rooms."

"Have fun jumping him to make him uncranky," Xander told her. "Want us to keep Zach tonight?"

She slowly smirked. "Yes." She got up and went to follow her mate. She walked in just as the elf was leaving, closing and locking the door. "I've got something for you," she teased, picking up his fork and feed it to him. He leaned back and let her sit in his lap. This was his favorite sort of teasing.

Upstairs, Draco and Xander exchanged smirks. It had worked beautifully. Tara owed them big.

***

Ravena walked up to her cousin in the halls. "Iggy, can I ask you for a favor?" she asked, looking her cutest.

He took the lollipop out of his mouth and looked down at her. "It depends. Is it mean, horrible, or something up my alley?"

"The first and third," she said firmly. Iggy nodded so she led him away from the rest of his group. "Some of the sixth year boys have been asses recently to the girls and I've heard all the complaints. I want to do something about them, but I am not the prank master your father is. Can you maybe find me something to set off in their room?"

"I've got the stuff to do the argument stopper dad used at Christmas," he offered. "It's painful, shocking, and horribly disturbing."

"That's what I need," Ravena agreed. "Will you make me one?"

"Let me ask first, make a few discrete inquiries, and then I'll make you one." She grinned. "You know I'd do almost anything for you," he said, tugging on a loose lock of hair. "You'd better get back to class." She hurried off. He smiled and thought at his father, but it was a different source who answered him. In the form of someone grabbing his arm and pulling him away.

"I'll send him back," Dumbledore called as the students walked into the Defense class. He stopped the boy in an unused hallway. "No."

"It'd make them see reason," Iggy told him.

"No, Ignatius. Doing that particular prank will get you in a lot of trouble. Not only will you be liable for any damage and the cost of fixing everything, but also for fixing or replacing their wands. You may not bring that prank into this school unless it's a matter of life and death."

"Then how about dad's 'look funny but you can't see it' spell?" Iggy asked.

Dumbledore thought about it. "That would be the worst I could approve of," he said finally. "Are they really that bad?"

"One of them pinched Raena the other day in Potions. She had to hit him to make him leave her alone."

"I understand that your nature is calling out to harm them, but please keep it more neutral. This offense is bad, but not that bad."

Iggy nodded. "Okay, well, how about a rotating version of that spell? Sort of like roulette?" Dumbledore shook his head. "No penises out of noses," he offered. "Just funny looking potato heads."

"No, Ignatius. Think more along the lines of humiliation, not reasons to commit suicide."

"The Ronmonkey?" Iggy asked.

Dumbledore nodded. "That would be the most appropriate I believe. Yes. Do that one." He smiled. "Good boy." He walked away.

Iggy thought about how he was going to do this one, all at once or individually. A bright idea came to him and he smirked. He walked into Defense and shrugged. "The Headmaster wanted to see what I was planning for this summer," he explained at the look his Uncle gave him. He sat down and worked out how he was going to do this. He would get the notes from Denver later.

***

At dinner that night, Iggy walked over to talk to Emily. "Did you want to practice Runes tonight or were you going to go to the girl-in that Agatha has planned?"

"I was going to be with the other women in my house," Emily told him. She smiled. "Thank you for your help, Iggy."

"Hey, not a problem." He seemed to drop his borrowed wand - Melvin's - so he picked it up, casting the charm as he stood up. "Anytime you need my help just yell my way." He walked away. Man, using someone else's wand really did make a difference. He cleared the previously done spell by casting another few charms at his other cousins, which they expected. As he leaned down to talk to Melvin about a picnic that weekend, he subtly slipped the wand into his cousin's pocket. Only one person caught him and she winked. She hated the idiots as well. He went to join the family for dinner, watching to see who was going to get it first.

One of the boys picked up his books and started to walk away. He got all the way to the doors when he changed, becoming part teddy bear, part human, and started to sing and dance to a Monkees song.

Up on the dias, Ron and Xander both choked and spluttered. "Stop it, whoever did it," Ron shouted once he had wiped his mouth off. "That's cruel." He glared at Xander, who shrugged. "Did you let that spell out?"

"No! It's safely stored in the shop's safe." He caught a clue and looked down at his son, who was eating and watching the action. "Ignatius Caramel Harris-Weasley, cancel that right now!"

"I didn't do it," Iggy told him.

"We can check your wand," Snape reminded him.

Xander flicked his wand at the boy and he stopped. "Ignatius."

Iggy got up and walked up there, handing over his wand. "Check it if you don't believe me."

Snape cast the 'last known spell' charm and frowned. "Who did you bite on the rear?"

"Me," Simone told him. "Early this morning."

"I'm sure it was fitting," Snape said, handing it back. "Whoever did that will be suspended."

Dumbledore looked at him. "Really?"

"It is harmful."

"Actually, it's not," Xander told him. "I developed it. It doesn't hurt, it's just humiliating."

Ron nodded. "Trust me, I was a test subject back around his wedding. It doesn't hurt anything other than feelings."

"Still, they should be suspended."

"We'll see what justification they give," Dumbledore told him. "That boy does have some legitimate complaints against him so it might have been an unknown victim getting back some of their own for his harassment."

Snape got up and walked out.

Xander looked down at his son, who shrugged. "You're in for it," he whispered. Iggy went back to his seat. "The charm should be broken, I never put a recast portion into it. You have to cast it again each time you want it to go off. We will find whoever has that spell."

Ron nodded. "I may not like Professor Snape, but I will stick up for him in this instance. Find another way of getting back at them."

Iggy smirked and moved to the next charm on the porn magazine the boys had been carrying around. It was a rotating spell. The next one would probably be gotten that night.

***

Snape stopped Iggy the next morning before he could walk into his classroom. "I know it was you," he hissed, walking the boy into a nearby storeroom so they could have some privacy. "What did they do?"

Iggy cast a silencing charm. "You mean besides picking on the girls about their burgeoning womanhoods? Or the one who picked on a girl who started bleeding in class? Or how about the one who pinched my mate on the ass?" Snape continued to glare at him. "I didn't have anything to do about it, but I can give you about fifty good reasons why it was done. You can take my word on it or not."

"I can also sense lying," Snape told him.

"Bully for you," Iggy replied in the same tone of voice.

"If one more instance happens...."

"Maybe you should see why it's happening. They may be from your house, but they're not worth any thought from you," Iggy said coolly. "Nor are they worth any distress from you. It's their behavior that's probably gotten them into trouble, let it ride, sir. They deserve whatever they get. I'm sure many of their victims are quite pleased at the moment."

"They're not that bad, boy."

"They are," Iggy said, his voice starting to drip with ice. Snape took a step back. "Not only have they physically groped a young woman in the greenhouses, which I witnessed, they did it to a girl who ended up in tears because they then taunted her over not liking it. One of them, the one who I heard grew a cat's tail and ears last night, exposed himself to a girl two days ago while you were in the office, again something I witnessed because I was doing that potion with you. Raena snapped at him to stop it and he made fun of her for it, saying she was a cold virgin who'd never be able to enjoy a *real* man. He's lucky he's still got his dick at this point." He shifted his bookbag so he could cross his arms, a direct imitation of his mentor. "The one who got it at breakfast had just told Ravena that he wanted to force her to suck him off. Personally, that boy sickens me as she's still very young and much too young for anything like that. If you don't like the fact that his victims, which count both male and female members, are getting back some of their own, then that's your problem, not mine. I won't be threatened." He glanced around, searching the room for people. And he found one. "Hi, Uncle Spike."

"Iggy. Shh."

"Fine." Iggy looked at the stunned teacher again. "If I helped them cast the spell on that little pictorial that they're carrying around then I'm happy to have been of service. Slytherin or not."

"It is still highly inappropriate."

"You wanted me to poison them?" Iggy asked. "I could have and we both know it. I was being nice by giving out those spells."

"I do understand your anger."

"You don't have a clue," Iggy told him in derision. "Do you know what it's like to watch every female you give a damn about, but one, be made fun of, groped against their wills, and have to defend themselves against things that should have been put to death at birth?"

"They can reform."

"Then they'd better do it damn fast, before I decide to weigh in with something so horrible that it'll make them wish for a convenient Dark Lord to sympathize with them." He looked in the shadows, then back at his teacher. "Are we done?"

Snape grabbed him, squeezing his arm. "You dare bring up his name...."

Iggy pushed him off. "There's people coming to try and bring him back. You proved long ago that you have more brains than most of the creatures who fell into his trap because you made it out. It wasn't an attempt to harm you or make you feel bad."

Snape's eyes narrowed. "How did you know?"

"We do brew together and have managed to get into potions that require you to roll up your sleeves, Severus," Iggy said quietly, stepping closer again. "I've known since I was five and I first saw it. I knew it was bad then, and I later learned what it meant. I've never said anything because I know it hurts you to think about the weakness you showed that allowed you to fall into that particular trap. The dark can be seductive, but you figured out that you had more sense than that, or maybe just more humanity. It's never colored how I see you, and it never will. It's part of your past." He stepped back. "With that said, your house happens to hold a lot of sheep who'd be more than thrilled to have someone to come up and order them to obedience. The majority of them aren't any better than minions, and I doubt Spike would even turn them for that."

"Too true," Spike said as he came out of the shadows with his bird. "We're hunting," he said in explanation. "Taking care of a mouse problem for the white-beard upstairs." His bird, Baby, cooed at him. "Want to head back to the shop? I'll be down tonight."

"There's a tunnel that goes into town somewhere," Iggy told him. "I think it goes to the sweet shop."

"Won't get me back to the nest," Spike pointed out. "There's a nice couch I can nap on back there."

"You will not say anything about this."

Spike shrugged. "Who'd care? He was beaten years ago." He lit a cigarette, which made Baby shriek at him. "Shut it, you, or become lunch." She flew off, probably heading back to her nest. Spike took a long drag and let it out slowly. "Everyone touches the dark at least once, and some stay there for longer. You left it mostly. Big deal."

Iggy nodded. "That's how I see it, only I see it as a matter of having brains. You're not the evil bastard Uncle Draco's father was, big deal."

Snape shook his head. "There are many who would care."

"If you looked into it, there might be a way to remove it. Magical mark or not. Have you thought about having it cut off?"

"No wizard would do that."

"Who said anything about a wizard?" Iggy asked. Snape's mouth hung open. "Now, are we done? I'm not admitting anything about cursing those simpletons and you're not going to be able to pin it on me. You can suspend me to my tower if you want, I'll go take a long nap. Maybe the nightmares won't come back this time."

"Again?" Snape asked, his former concerns melting away. The boy wouldn't out him and accepted him for it anyway. "What now?"

"The same battle. There'll be a small diversion force coming at the school. Everyone else will be heading for the grotto where the grave is. They've decided to try and call him back to get his approval. All I know is that daddy's going to fight the small diversion while Uncles Ron and Draco are going to head for the grotto force, which is bigger. Slytherin's going to say something, there'll be a small change, and then the guardian role is going to be passed on from daddy to those two."

"I see. No other specifics?"

"A few were real death eaters who desperately want someone to follow. They're looking for not only a leader, but a scapegoat to protect them so they can plan underneath them. One said it was easier before, crucio or not. The others are dressing like them because they're outfits that make people scream and run. They've got to be the last Death Eaters in the world."

"What dolts," Snape sighed. "Him coming back means that they'll die."

"They're the faithful," Iggy reminded him. "They wanted to bring him back. Think of them like Lucius was. A leader who wants someone above him to blame when things start to go wrong. They like having a master to work under and they can't really be bad guys without one because they consider it too dangerous." He uncrossed his arms. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, Severus."

"We'll discuss that later, Ignatius. You are still in trouble."

"Yay me," Iggy said dryly. "What else is new?"

Snape shook his head. "If someone had complained to me...."

"Who would have?" Spike asked. "They're too scared of you to complain." Iggy nodded.

"They're too scared to come to the head of their house over problem members?" Snape asked. Iggy and Spike both nodded. "They have to know that I will protect them."

"Of course you will, until it's the middle of the night and they figure out who it is. Or until they're in another class and it starts again. I know someone complained formally and nothing's been done."

Snape thought about it. No one had come to him since Draco's class had graduated. He was considered too scary to approach anymore. He thought about his classes, and how his students reacted to him in there. They were cowering more than the Hufflepuffs were. He shook his head. "I will talk with my females tonight."

"You might want to bring along Tara," Spike suggested. "You doing a complete turnaround might scare them more." He smirked. "Time for a vacation?"

"Oh, yes," Snape agreed. "I'm taking one this summer and coming back a month late."

"Tell me I don't have to run the seventh years," Iggy whined. Next year's seventh years weren't listening to him because he was younger than them.

Snape patted him on the head. "No, you won't have to. You'll do the first four years and Raena will handle fifth and up and you will do the advanced class." Iggy sighed in relief. "Are you coming with me to the conference?"

"Daddy's being trained this summer as a keeper, I wanted to help with that," Iggy admitted. "I'll be listening and will pop down if I have to." He grinned. "I'm going to spend most of the summer with my head in Raena's lap and letting her teach me how to make her happy in a sexual way."

Spike laughed. "Good idea. Always let the woman tell you. They're all different and they all have odd quirks."

"She used to be thirty," Iggy told him with a grin. "She's dated before. I only want to be worthy of her."

"I'm sure you'll learn fast enough," Spike told him. He had seen that same look on the boy's father's face back when he had first gotten together with his mate. "Ask that uncle of yours if he'll help."

"I did, and I got some good tips, but it's not the same as practical knowledge."

Snape shook his head. "Why must all of you talk about sex in front of me?"

"Because Aunty Tara's been wanting more of it and you're scaring her?" Iggy suggested. Snape groaned, covering his face. He patted his mentor on the chest. "Don't worry, she loves you, she's just horny. Go play with the woman, Severus. She's hot for you." He grinned. "Am I still in trouble or should I go yell at the fourth years while you go talk to her?"

"Tell them how to do the featherlight potion," Snape said, opening the door. Iggy walked over to the dungeon and he went to talk to the spouse. Spike just laughed. Snape walked into Tara's classroom and motioned her out into the halls. "What are you doing?" he asked, closing the door.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Someone finally told you?"

"You might have mentioned it to me instead of going behind my back."

"I tried to hint and you didn't get it," she told him. She moved closer. "Why do you think I wore that nightgown? Or even why I changed my perfume to one that you liked more?"

He looked down at her. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, you've had a lot of stress this term," she soothed, laying a hand on his chest. She gave him a smile. "Remember in the future that I'm still here. That way I won't have to ask Draco for some help in making you think about the subject again." She snuck a kiss to his chin. "We'll talk tonight if you want."

"I would like to hear your complaints," he offered.

"Easy, you haven't talked to me in weeks." She backed off. "I'd like to personally change that. And possibly find a way to make you look at me every day after I'm dressed."

He looked her over, noticing the ugly flowered dress she was wearing. "If I had, I would have made you change."

She giggled. "Why do you think I wore it? It's not because I like it."

He nodded. "You can yell at me tonight. I will sit there and do nothing."

She patted him again. "That would be nice. Your exams are already written and Emily is fine. It's time to pay attention to me again, Sev, or I'm going to get pissed and throw a fit that you won't be able to ignore." She walked back into her classroom and shut the door.

He shook his head and walked back down to his own. Xander was waiting on him. "Word of advice. Flowers are great for Tara, but she'd love something sweeter, like a picnic," he told the older man. "She's mushy sometimes and loves to be spoiled and pampered. Or even just listened to. Have her read to you, she'd enjoy it if you listened." He walked away. "Zach's in there. William got gropy again."

"Thank you." Snape shook his head and walked into his classroom, finding his son helping one of the Slytherins stir his cauldron. He opened his mouth.

"He did it right," Iggy told him. "I made sure before I let Zach help him." He looked up from his book. "There's a problem over in that section," he said, pointing to most of the rest of Slytherins. "They seem to have a problem with common measurements. I told them that the first cauldron that explodes, they're cleaning it up."

Snape nodded. "That is reasonable. They should if they're responsible." His house looked hurt. "He is correct. After four years, you should be able to measure. I will be having a talk with my house tonight, in various segments. You will have time tonight right before dinner. I'll expect you to be there." They all nodded. "Thank you." He pointed at one girl. "Why is your solution green? It's supposed to be gray with purple."

Iggy looked over at her. "Because she's catching up. Emily needed to do that one once and what better time since she saw Raena and I redoing ours last night for Professor Flitwick."

Snape looked at him. "Weren't you supposed to be helping her with that?"

"We are," Raena told him with a slight smile. "She's up to that potion. That means she's only two months behind now."

"Ah." He nodded. "Very well then, continue, Emily." She nodded and finished slicing up the bladders. "You'll need those finer."

"Yes, sir." She chopped them in the other direction. "Thank you, sir."

"You're being given the chance, do not waste it." He went back to his desk and sat down. Iggy smiled at him. "Why aren't you doing anything?"

"Because mine is still brewing from last night and should continue to do so for the next two days?" Iggy suggested. He pointed at the cauldron, which was being stirred by an automatic spoon, something he had started last night before leaving for the evening. "You told me I had to do that one and I've already done this lesson four times."

Snape frowned at him, but it was a mild frown. Ignatius had shown he was equal in determination and mental prowess earlier. "Very well. Do something constructive." Iggy held up the book for him to read the title off the spine. "Alchemy again?"

Iggy shrugged. "It's a painless hobby that could lead to a new philosopher's stone and the best healing potion yet."

"Indeed, as long as you don't use it for the wealth."

Iggy grinned at him. "I get a good allowance. If I did, it would only be occasionally and never for very much. Plus, I know I'm not making the Elixir of Life. That'd be dumb, to keep something like that around."

"We'll make two vials, for emergencies to keep patients alive long enough," Raena said quietly. "And nearly no gold."

"Yes, dear," Iggy said, giving her a grin. "Is it time for allowances yet?"

"No, Iggy."

"Shoot." He buried his nose back in his book, only to be startled out of it when something exploded at the table next to theirs. "The mop is in the corner of the office, on the other side of the filling cabinets." One of the Slytherins huffed and went to get it. "Thank you. I'm tired of cleaning up after you lot just because you're too dumb to measure."

"The next detention you have, I'll make sure to make that silence potion," Snape told him, smiling evilly.

"Oh, that's so cruel, sir," Raena said with a mean grin.

"You as well."

She sighed. "Yes, Professor Snape. We'll try not to get detentions." Under the table she pinched her mate's thigh, making him smile at her. "We'll be talking tonight."

"Yes, dear." He blew a kiss. "Want to trade books? I'm back into the theory part and it bores me. This one isn't even related to anything pertinent, he's just espousing." She switched books with him.

"Is your middle name really Caramel?" one of his housemates asked.

Iggy looked up and nodded. "My fathers were hoping for it to influence my nature and abilities with girls."

"Then why didn't you ever date any of us?"

"Because I'm very particular in what I want in a spouse," Iggy told her.

"Spouse am I now?" Raena asked, smiling just a bit to show she was teasing.

Iggy summoned something from his room in town and opened it, showing the ring it contained to her. "Yes, you are." He slipped it on her finger. "Anyone able to witness?"

"So witnessed," Denver and Simone noted together.

"Anyone outside the family?" Iggy asked. "Just for the sake of protocol."

Snape smirked. "I will bear witness."

Iggy smiled. "Thanks, Professor Snape." He smiled at his spouse and gave her the best kiss he could. "When we're eighteen, you can have whatever sort of wedding you want. I won't complain a bit about any lace, any flowers, or any relatives you might have." She looked stunned. "So, I do proclaim you to be the head of our nest."

"Huh?" the slytherin girl cleaning the floor asked.

"Gryphons are female headed," Simone told her. "The females rule the flocks."

"She's the practical one," Iggy agreed. "She'll make sure all bills are paid and that neither of us get lost in our research." He smiled at her. "If you accept."

She nodded, still looking shocked.

Snape walked back and looked at the ring. "What sort of stone is that?" he asked, looking at the silver band with the simple red stone embedded in it magically.

"It's called I'm paying Uncle Draco back for the next forty years," Iggy said dryly. "He said it was suitable and showed my future promise of wealth."

Snape lifted the ring up to look at it in the dim light. Then he grabbed Iggy by the ear and drug him up to Draco's classroom. "Tell me you didn't embed a piece of the old philosopher's stone in the ring you gave him," he demanded.

"You gave it to her?" he asked with a smirk.

"What better time? We're both doing things we like in a class that is our future. Can you think of a better place?" He beamed. "Witnessed by three people and I'm going to beg and plead for her to do one that she'll adore when we're out of school for the rest of everybody."

Raena walked in and pushed Iggy against the wall, kissing him deeply. "That was sneaky," she accused.

He looked pitiful. "But I couldn't resist. You looked beautiful in the light down there. Your glowing radiance was calling out to me, begging me to reach out and touch it if only for a brief second," he whispered, moving closer.

Draco looked at Snape and shook his head. "I didn't teach him that."

Snape shuddered. "Pure sap."

Raena glared at them. "Shh! I'm being wooed and convinced that my abrupt capture and wedding was the blessing it is." She looked back at her mate. "Tell me more, dear." She leaned into his body as he whispered in her ear, starting to giggle as he quoted bad poetry to her. She smacked him gently on the chest. "Iggy!"

"I'm not telling your parents," Draco told them.

She laughed. "Your parents are going to throw fits, Iggy."

"They can blow, you're mine," Iggy told her, giving her a happy smile. "We can have Simone tell them."

"Iggy."

"Okay, we'll tell them." He thought really hard, then smiled. "They're on their way up." He looked at Uncle Draco. "You hide behind him and I'll tell them and join you really fast."

She did as he said, going over to talk to the two men. "It's really a piece of the philosopher's stone that got destroyed by Agatha's father?"

Draco nodded. "You can still find bits and pieces of it now and then around the school. I found that one laying in the office and asked the Headmaster for it. He split his shard in half for you."

"Wow. I'll have to write him a really nice note." She looked over at the sound of footsteps. "Either it's the family or someone just screwed up majorly in the dungeon." Simone jogged in. "Problems?"

Simone turned and let Zach down. "Big ones. The whole Slytherin side just exploded, but two, and knocked over most of the rest of ours."

"The mop is in the office on the other side of the filing cabinets," Iggy said patiently.

"It knocked over Emily's and it's presently eating through the floor," she told him.

"In that case, the spill powder is in the blue cabinet by the door, and it's in the *big* container marked spill powder. Throw it from a safe distance and then move in."

"I'll go," Draco told him. "This way I won't get cried on by your fathers." He followed his daughter back down. He shook his head at the mess. "Better you than me in detention tonight," he announced, taking down the *big* container of spill powder and handing it over. "Toss it at the mess," he encouraged the boy standing there with it. Unfortunately his own son. Too bad he was not any good at potions. At least he was good at something, which couldn't be said about many of the students in the class from what he'd heard. "Toss it on there before it eats the floor," he ordered. Maybe being cried on would have been better.

Iggy looked at his fathers and the Headmaster as he walked in to join them. "Hi." He smiled and backed up. "I'm married." He ran to hide behind his mentor.

Xander opened his mouth, then shook his head, looking at his own mate. "Am I dreaming?" George pinched him, making him wince. "Never mind."

George smiled at his son's favorite teacher. "Married? Would *you* care to offer more of an explanation?" he asked pleasantly, ready to explode.

"Your son summoned a ring during class and put it on her finger, asking for witnesses. Then he announced that they were married. His uncle provided the ring." Raena stuck her hand from behind Snape's back so they could see it. "Yes, it's a beautiful ring, with a piece of Potter's broken philosopher's stone in it."

"That's what he needed it for?" Albus asked, walking over to examine it. "Very pretty. Are you content with this arrangement, Raena Tallias?" She nodded, peeking out at him. "Are you sure? Gryphon marriages are permanent. They are unable to be dissolved."

"Yes, Headmaster. I'm very happy with Iggy. I've never felt this much frustration and attraction for anybody before."

"What a very apt way to describe being married," Xander mused. His husband punched him on the arm. "Ow! It was witnessed by whom?"

"Denver and Simone as family and Severus as non-family," Iggy said, peeking out of the other side. "I'm letting her throw the wedding of her dreams when we graduate, without any complaints from me and any help she needs."

George groaned and put his face into his husband's chest. "Our son is a moron after all," he complained.

"Hey!" Raena shouted. "He's not. He's very sweet. We did it in the potion's dungeon while we were both reading."

"You're still in school!" George shouted. "Does this not occur to either of you?" They both nodded. "You can't sleep together."

"Oh." Raena blushed. "Um, okay. Iggy?"

"We can sneak about like everyone else," Iggy assured him. "Or steal Melvin's room."

"Allowances can be made," Dumbledore said calmly. This was unusual, but after all he had been through.... He smiled at the couple. "We'll need a gryphon official to make it known."

"I called Big Bill," Iggy offered. "He deserved to know. He reminded me to keep my shields up so he didn't have to hear my wedding night."

Xander and George both burst out laughing. "He said the same thing to us," they said together. Then they shared a kiss.

"Okay," Xander said, accepting it. "You get to tell everyone else in the family. We'll call them all here and will uphold this decision. There will be no children from the union. There will be no overt sexual playing in classes. In front of everyone else, you are to act like everyone else." The kids both nodded and slowly slid out from behind Snape, but were still close enough to Dumbledore to dive behind him.

"Mum's going to kill you, Iggy, you know that, right?"

Iggy nodded, and pointed at his wife. "She can help Raena with the wizard version when we're eighteen."

Raena nodded. "Then we'll have to tell my family as well." Iggy smiled at her. "Can they come meet yours?"

"Sure," Iggy told her, giving her a soft and gentle kiss. "Will you promise not to laugh at me tonight?"

"Dear, I can teach you everything you'll ever need to know to keep me happy," she promised. "It'll take about six hours and we'll hopefully both be tired by the end."

He grinned and nodded like a bobble head doll. "Okay."

Dumbledore coughed. "Perhaps we should allow you two to stay in your father's tower for the night."

"Only if I'm staying in town," Xander said dryly. "And Ron and his kids too."

"We can manage that," George assured him. He smacked himself on the forehead. "Let me tell Fred first, and then we'll summon the family for dinner tonight. Dear, food. House elves or not, I don't care, but let's not do this in the Great Hall. Mum's still shuddering whenever we suggest she come eat with us in there. Giving her news and then expecting her to eat in there will give her flashbacks." Xander nodded. "Headmaster, I beg your indulgence, but would you please teach my son about timing!" He turned and walked away.

"Bad timing," Xander agreed. "It was his day in the lab."

Iggy winced. "Sorry, daddy," he called after him. "I'll come help this weekend if you want."

"Yes you both will," George called as he walked away.

Draco strolled back in. "The mess has been managed. What's left to be done?"

Xander put an arm around his shoulders. "Telling everyone, including her family, to be here around the end of work today. You can now be the official messenger of doom, son."

"Fine," Draco sighed. "Raena, I suggest you change into something a bit more pleasing than your school uniform. You do look a bit tasty in it, but the family will want you to seem mature. You as well, Ignatius, though I doubt much will save you from your grandparents." He walked away, going to inform everyone of the family meeting.

"Son, we've now got new rules to make," Xander said happily.

"I'll leave you to that," Snape said quickly, taking the Headmaster with him. Xander looked like he was going to explode into many messy pieces.

Iggy gave him his pitiful look. "She was glowing and beautiful, dad, and I couldn't resist."

"Son, next time, just have sex on the desk like all the other students." Raena giggled. "Do you know how many problems this will cause?"

Raena nodded. "I do, but we're happy, Xander."

Xander sighed. "I know, and I'm not going to yell at you for being happy, I just want some of my practical nature to rub off sometimes. You had to do it in class? Did you not want to keep it a little bit of a secret?"

"No," they said together. Iggy grinned. "But I will submit willingly to that ten-year infertility spell."

Raena looked at him. "Ten years?"

Xander nodded. "Hermione Granger found it in the library. She never found the word for five, but we can adjust it that way if you want."

"No, ten is good," she told him. "Is it difficult?"

"We'll need another person to cast it with you," Xander told her.

"I'll do it," Simone said from the hallway. "Major bad headed this way." She slipped away, managing not to be seen by Lupin and Black as they stormed in. Or Ron, who was right behind them.

"Guys, family business," Xander told them. He smiled at Ron. "Did you want to hear now or later at the family meeting?"

"I just heard," Ron said dryly, walking over to pick up her hand and look at the ring. Then he looked into her eyes, seeing the happiness in them. He looked at his nephew, who was not only happy, but begging. He sighed and let her go. "Fine, but I don't want to see it, hear it, or otherwise have to deal with you two and sex for at least another two years."

"Yes, sir," Iggy told him.

"We're all leaving them in the tower tonight," Xander told Ron. "Do you want his room at the store or ours?"

"I'll take his, the kids can sleep in the spare room," Ron agreed. "You're fourteen and too young to be doing any of that."

"I don't think it matters to them," Lupin said gently. He smiled at the couple. "Are you serious?" They nodded. "Happy?" They nodded again. "Knowing what you just did?"

Iggy nodded. "We do. Gryphons mature faster. But I promise, we won't tell you anything about our sex lives for at least another two years." Ron snorted. "We're going to do the infertility charm that Uncle Ron and them did to make sure nothing happens, and we're going to be very quiet and cuddly only in private."

"And I'll play backup beater for the house team," Raena finished.

Iggy grinned at her. "Okay. If you want."

Lupin looked at Xander. "Females rule the nest," Xander told him. "He's supposed to be obedient to her."

"Ah." Lupin nodded. "Then we'll support you in this," Lupin told him.

"Like hell. They're kids!" Black shouted.

"Who're years ahead of our physical age," Raena reminded him. "There's a reason why every gryphon-born hits puberty at ten or eleven. Iggy's been fully mature enough to do that since he was eleven." Iggy nodded. "And I promise, if we have to, we won't have real sex for the next two years." Iggy's mouth dropped. "There are other things, dear."

"As long as I get kisses and cuddles," he sighed. She whispered in his ear, making him blush. "Okay, we can do that instead."

"I'll accept that," Xander agreed. "I might even let you two sleep in the same bed in our tower."

"But not in Gryffindor," Ron told them.

"We can touch minds and walk into each other's dreams," Raena told him. "We can handle that much. We'll cuddle on the couch instead those days."

"Or sneak off," Black said with a smirk.

Iggy nodded. "Yup. Sounds really good about now."

"After you tell the family," Xander told them. Ron nodded. "Then you two can sneak off somewhere."

"If we sneak off, we'll get into trouble," Raena reminded him.

"Madam Rosemerta has rooms," Ron told them. "If you explain it to her, or better yet, Xander explains it to her when he goes to get a cake or something, I'm sure she'll at least consider letting you two hide up there for your non-sexual cuddling."

"If Melvin can do it, so can we," Iggy pointed out.

"Good point." Ron frowned at them. "You're really serious?" They nodded. "Then you're good." He threw up his hands. "I'm going to go back to class now and pound my head against the wall while I think up bad things that could happen. Have fun. Tonight after classes?"

"Yup," Xander told him, giving him a pat on the back.

Black glared at them. "You're still too young."

"Bite me," Raena told him. "He's mine, get over it. I do know what I want in a mate. Everyone who's touched us knows that we're truly mated, it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. I was going to go ring shopping this weekend for him since the tradition is that the female kidnaps the male."

He stormed out. Lupin winced. "Tread very carefully in Transfiguration for the rest of the school year," he advised, but he was smiling. "I'm happy for you if you are. Is this permanent?"

Iggy nodded. "Gryphons and borns mate for life. There's no such thing as a divorce and most widows don't remarry."

"Wonderful news then," Lupin said, giving them both hugs. "I'll see you both in class." He smiled at Xander as he walked away.

Xander closed the classroom door and looked at them. "Not having actual sex is going to be the hardest thing of your lives," he told them.

"My birthday's later, so we'll be sixteen, which is legal within the wizarding world," Iggy told him.

"As long as you can protect yourself against the Ministry."

Raena nodded. "We'll file it tomorrow, or this weekend if his grandfather or Uncle won't help. Having the recorded nuptial on file will help some of that. And they can't go against a gryphon wedding, can they?"

"No one's done this in a while," Xander told them. "I had Percy look it up. He was amused and said it'd take nearly six months, probably over the summer."

"Oops?" Iggy asked. "How much did you lose?"

"A foot massage." Xander shook his head. "Still not the point. It's going to be tough because your bond will be screaming at you to consummate it, and you can't. So the only advice I can give you is slowly work your way up to it. If you go slow enough, you can stretch out the need until he's sixteen." He opened the door. "Now go to class. You've got Ron and he'll stop all the rumors." They walked out, hand-in-hand like always. "Kids," he sighed.

***

Draco walked out of the floo at the Burrow, smiling at the older women at the table. "Molly, a moment please?" He walked into the living room. "We're holding a family meeting tonight after classes. Can you come?"

She nodded, biting her lip. "Bad news?"

"No, good news, unless it makes you mad." He grinned. "The only thing I can tell you is that the bond grew too strong."

"Iggy and Raena?" she hesitantly asked. He nodded. "Torn apart?"

"Oh, no, dear, not in the least. Never again." She looked stunned. "Yes, them. In the dungeon no less."

"They're underaged by Ministry standards."

"Not by gryphon standards," he reminded her. "They've made some agreements that they'll be needing your help with eventually. They want everyone up there to make the formal announcement tonight."

"All right. Do you want me to tell Arthur and Percy?"

"No, I can do it. I won't tell them as much so don't ruin the surprise." He smiled and sauntered away, happy with himself. Both of those children would need protected in the future and the best person to do so was the other. Besides, she could pull Iggy out of a book or a potion, it had to be love. He walked out into the Ministry on the other end and strolled causally to Percy's office, familiar with it from many times visiting the archives. He walked in and smiled at the man he was seeking. "Weasley, a moment?" Percy looked up and broke out into smiles. "You heard?"

"I surmised by your expression. Meeting tonight?"

"After classes if you don't mind. Your mother knows the gist but we're not spreading around the whole word until the meeting."

"That's fine. I'll bring the paperwork. I already checked with the record's department. It can't be contested because of what they are, even though they're too young by our standards. How did George and Xander take it?"

"Wonderfully. Only a few yells. They've promised to hold off the end result for a bit at least."

"Wonderful news," Percy agreed with a smile. "He's got a thumbtack at the Gryphon library so you can tell her parents. Invite them over for some of the holidays. I'd love to meet her mother."

"I will." He patted him on the arm. "We'll eat in tonight."

"Oh, good. Mum wouldn't want to eat in the Great Hall after last time." Someone coughed. "I'll see you tonight."

Draco nodded. "Have fun with your latest project. If it's the one for Ginny, it's a lost spell. Lost back in the War of the Ancients." He nodded and went to tell Arthur since he was here. He walked into Arthur's office and nodded at his assistant. "Is Weasley in?"

"He's in a conference right now," the assistant said. "Shouldn't be too much longer if you'd like to wait."

"Tell him I'll be back soon, possibly in a half-hour or so, and to make time for a short trip tonight." Draco smiled at her before walking away. Bill was at the office. Charlie was at the school. Ginny should be at the office. Her parents next then. He concentrated on finding Iggy's signature. He found three spots nearby, and one farther away, so headed for that one. He landed with his nose almost smashed against a door and shook his head. "That boy needs better placement of those things," he muttered as he walked inside. He found Raena's mother easily, she looked just like the girl. He smiled at her. "Xander and Ignatius sent me to invite you over for a family meeting tonight," he said.

She smiled at him. "They didn't," she said.

"Depends on what you think they did," he said with a casual shrug. He looked at his hands. She squealed, bringing an older man running. "Can you attend tonight for the official announcement and dinner afterwards?"

"What's going on? Is this man bothering you?"

"No, Stephan, he's watching over my daughter and brought *wonderful* news." She pulled Draco's face over and kissed his cheeks. "We will be there tonight. Just to Hogwart's?"

"That would be the floo address, or you could floo to Gryphon's Tower, it's Xander's personal floo in the school and many of us will probably be there. Say, after classes end and dinner?"

"Of course. Formal, not so formal?"

"I'm expecting at least one to be wearing a dress, and one to be wearing jeans." He looked at her outfit. "Come like that, it should be fine." He smiled. "I had best get back to my messenger services. You might want to move Ignatius' thumbtack further back. It's too close to the door." He winked and walked away, leaving her there. He teleported back to his office, finding Bill with his feet up on the desk and Ginny bent over an old text. "We're having a family meeting for an announcement tonight after classes end. You're expected to be there."

Bill looked at him. "Who's calling a family meeting this time?"

"Iggy."

Bill's feet hit the floor with a thump. "Iggy. My nephew Iggy?" Draco nodded. "Why is *he* calling a family meeting? Is someone sick?"

"It's good news," Draco told him with a smirk. "I can't tell you any more. Just be there after classes end and we're having dinner afterwards."

"Must be a big announcement," Ginny said, looking over at them. "Good news and a big announcement. Someone's pregnant?"

"Well, technically," Draco said, smiling at her. "That will be the second one given out tonight. Xander will probably force it."

She slammed the book. "You didn't!" she accused.

"No, Minnie did." She frowned at him. "She tripped the spell and for a good reason, Virginia."

"He's having the next guardian of the school, the one who will help it stand against the next dark power," Bill said dryly. He looked at Draco. "Did you look over that list?" Draco nodded. "A veela?"

"It explains why I'm so irresistible," Draco said smugly.

"There's a veela in your family tree?"

"My great-grandmother on my mother's side. The child has a carefully crafted prophecy about it. Buffy was sent to enact it."

"That's why she came back?" Bill asked. Draco nodded. "I'm sure Ron was thrilled."

"Considering she locked us in the room and put contagion cuffs on us? He's a bit shocked still."

"It's Ron's?" Ginny asked in disgust.

"It's not like they did anything to get this way," Bill said sharply. She backed off. "It was a device and a spell, and he'll make sure that the community and the school lives on."

"And the colony," Draco told him. "It'll be the guardian of both. Only you two and Xander's family know so far."

"We'll help any way we can," Bill offered. "I would've if I had been there for the others of course."

"Of course." Draco smiled. "Who wouldn't want to touch my pregnant stomach?" He winked and left, heading for the floo. To Arthur next. He had a few minutes' wait while Arthur finished justifying himself to the Minister of Magic, but nodded pleasantly when the asshole walked past him.

"Draco," Arthur said happily. "Come in. Is it a social call?" He closed the door. "What happened now?"

"Iggy has an announcement to make tonight. Would you be willing to come and stay for dinner?"

"Of course. What sort of announcement?" He got a smirk. "Because I just heard the most interesting rumor from the boss."

"Ah." Draco sat down. "Let me guess, Dumbledore had to say something?" Arthur nodded. "By gryphon law, it's done. They've agreed to hold one at eighteen for the wizarding community at large."

"That's very nice of them, but they're a bit young."

"It was only a matter of time."

"Yes, but it could have waited longer," Arthur pointed out.

"They've already been marked as acknowledged mates, Arthur. The gryphons accepted them as such now since February." He smiled and leaned closer. "It was so cute. He just summoned the ring and put it on her finger, then asked for witnesses from what I was told. In the potion's dungeon, while they were reading."

Arthur smiled at that. It was cute and so very like Iggy. "They're still a bit young."

"They've agreed to hold off on consummation for two years. Spread the other stuff out a bit and the like. Everyone has harped on their age so far."

"Then I'll be happy for them and trust that Xander is being practical and handling that sort of thing," Arthur decided. "Who haven't you told yet?"

"You and Molly know all of it. I'm assuming Ron will tell Charlie." He thought about it. "I guess I just have Potter. Iggy likes him and he'll want him there."

Arthur nodded. "He's got practice today so he should be easy to find."

"If I must," Draco said, heaving himself up. He could already fell the weight gain starting. "It'll probably cause problems with my image, but oh, well." He waved. "After classes." He left the building, using the floo. He came out onto the pitch's entrance and waved a guard over. "I've been sent to talk to Potter," he announced.

"Is this a union thing?" the guard asked, looking him over.

"Merlin, no!" Draco said, sounding horrified. "If he got taken by my team, why would I want to stay on as seeker? I'd have to trade myself to somewhere other than near him." He sneered. "I was sent with family news." He straightened himself up. "If I might see him?"

"Sure. You wait on that bench and I'll tell him." He waved a hand at a bench and walked away. Arrogant prick. He found a coach where he expected him and nodded him over. "There's a blond haired arsehole here to see Potter. Said it's family business." The coach went to look out and came back looking confused. "Do you know him?"

"That's Malfoy. Seeker for Chuddly." He whistled and pointed at Harry. "Visitor!" Harry nodded and came down, landing in the bleachers beside his coach. "Malfoy's here to see you. Said he's got family news."

"Hopefully it's not that one of them's dead," Harry said, picking up his bottle of water and walking out to meet with him. He walked through the turnstile and sat down next to him. "Family news?"

"Iggy's got an announcement to make tonight after classes are done, then we're all having dinner. Plus I've got one as well."

"There's rumors about yours. Again?"

"Minnie tripped the spell I used the last time. Buffy made sure of it.

"Oh." Harry shrugged. "She's still living?"

"To date. The child's the next protector of the school and the colony."

"Twenty years of the family at Hogwarts now," he said happily.

"We'll have more children long before then," Draco noted. "Xander may get his wish of fifty years of us being there." He stood up. "You'll come?"

"I wouldn't miss it. I wanted to meet his girlfriend." He looked up and saw the twinkle in the other man's eyes. "Oh, really?" he asked.

"Really. Very cutely I might add." He smiled and headed for the floo. "Don't be late. The walking stomachs will be there as well."

"I'll keep that in mind," Harry called after him. "I'll be bringing Oliver so he doesn't sit home alone with Mellie."

"Bring her as well. I'm sure Percy's girl will be there." He walked into the floo and disappeared.

Harry smiled to himself. It was great to get happy news for a change. Nothing to do with his daughter at all.

***

George walked into the shop and turned the sign, leaning against the glass.

"I suppose it was bad news?" Fred asked from behind the register.

George pounded his head against the glass a few times. "He enacted an old gryphon ritual," he said quietly. He turned and leaned against the door. "He's married now. Did it in Potions, while they were reading beside each other."

"It was probably his perfect spot," Fred said dryly. "Truly married?"

"By gryphon law, they're permanently bound." He walked over to lean next to his twin. "They've agreed to hold off on everything groiny until he's legal at sixteen. They've even agreed to hold a ceremony for the rest of us after they graduate. My son is married."

Someone pounded on the door. "Just a sec," Fred called. He gave his brother a quick pat. "At least they're not going to have children. Iggy can mix up an infertility potion easily." He walked over to answer it, finding the tavern owner on the other side. "Sorry about that, Madam Rosemerta, we were having a small family discussion."

"I heard the news," she said, slipping inside. "Really?" George nodded, turning his head to look at her. "But they're so young!"

"By gryphon standards, they're not. They've got this mental bonding that was declared to be the same as a marriage already." He put his head on the counter. "I'm wandering between anger and happiness and I'm not sure either is right."

She walked over and gave him a pat. "Try for acceptance. It can't be broken." Fred gave her a smile. "Will they need anything from me?"

"It depends on how Xander wants to do the family dinner tonight," George admitted. She looked at him. "They've agreed to hold off on anything sexual until they're legal."

"Wonderful, but I doubt it."

"They'll be spreading it out," Fred told her. "Starting with kissing and slowly moving up."

She nodded. "That I can see. That boy of yours has some phenomenal control, but not enough to not touch her at all." She grinned. "I bake a mean wedding cake if they want one."

"That would be wonderful," Fred agreed. "Enough to feed the family by the end of classes?"

"I can do a sheetcake in that amount of time, but nothing too fancy."

George lifted his head. "This is Iggy we're talking about. He adores your cakes." He reached behind the counter and grabbed his necklace, putting it on so he could send his husband a quick thought. He smiled. "Okay, we're going to go half house elf and half you. You get the cake, some of those nice pastry things if you can, and the veggie casserole Xander and Tara adore so much. The house elves are doing everything else, and understand that you're bringing part of it up so they don't have to work so hard. They pouted, but Dumbledore said it was only fair since Iggy had eaten your cooking for half his life." She laughed and nodded. "So if you can do that, we'd be forever grateful and will gladly pay a ten percent surcharge for the hastiness."

"It's not a problem. Want the pizza ones?"

"I think the kids would worship at your feet for those," Fred told her with a grin. "Merlin, I might. Oh, I'm coming over for lunch. We need to go shopping again."

"I'll set you out some stew and that mushroom dish," she agreed. "When?"

"Probably in about an hour. It's been pretty dead today." She nodded. "Thank you for not yelling, Madam Rosemerta."

"Honey, I saw how he talked about her and how his face lit up when he was thinking at her. It was only a matter of time." She gave them one last smile and walked away, turning the sign back over to open on her way out.

Fred patted George on the back. "It could be a lot worse, it really could."

"I know, but I'm still not sure if I should yell and scream, or if I should run out and buy a present."

"Stick with presents. I'm sure they'd appreciate that." The door rang as someone came in. "Welcome." Fred moved back behind the counter. "Go play in the lab, it'll make you feel better." George trudged that way, nodding the whole way. Pretty soon, something was thrown and one of the everbouncing balls fell off the display, starting itself off. "Crap," Fred muttered, trying to catch it. The kid with the mother giggled and ran after it. "Sorry, they're kinetic."

"So I can see." She smiled at him. "Very cute."

"Thanks." He let it alone, it would only get loose and be returned eventually by a frustrated mother who couldn't get their kids inside for the night. "It comes when you whistle, but it bounces just out of reach." He walked back behind the counter. "Yell if you need anything."

"I will. Is that appropriate for his age?"

"It's just above choking size. Even if I swallowed it, I couldn't choke on it and a young child can't fit it in their mouth. We tested it on our family's brood of two and three-year-olds to make sure it was safe."

"Wonderful news." She smiled and caught the one her son was chasing. "I think we'll take this. It should amuse him for at least the next week."

"What about dogs?" the boy asked. "Is it too small for them?"

"Only for the very big dogs," Fred told him. "We have a bigger version, it's a knut more, and it's in the cabinet under the display. Not even the very big dogs can choke on it, but it doesn't have a container that will hold it so your mother will have to find something that it can't bounce about in."

She handed back the smaller ball. "Very nicely done," she said with a smile.

"Like I said, the whole family seems to have kids. We routinely test everything on them," he said with a smile. "The other drawer."

The boy opened the next drawer down and pulled out a larger ball, this one the size of his mother's purse almost. He held it up and Fred nodded. "Wow. Not even the big dogs in town can swallow that."

"The big dogs are in town?" Fred asked. The boy nodded. "Big black things? Look like a big mutt?" The boy nodded again. "I'll have to pop over and see my brother then. He's taking care of them for their owner, Hagrid."

"I heard he was sick. How is he?"

"Apparently he's got a big abscess in his stomach. He's under treatment and expected to get better by the end of the summer. My brother Charlie's filling in for a break from his dragon preserve in Romania."

"Wonderful news." She put down the money for the larger ball. "Thank you, Mr. Weasley."

"Thank you, Mr. W!" the boy said as he followed his mother out. He waved and nearly got hit with the door, but it released the ball, which his mother caught for him again.

Fred wandered back to the lab. "One of our little customers just said he saw the pack of dogs in town."

"Hmm, Charlie must be down for a bite," George said. "You go tell him."

"Fine, come watch the store."

"All right." George put the test tubes down, keeping them separate. "Have a good lunch."

"I usually do," Fred agreed, walking that way. He met up with his brother in the back of the tavern, accepting his lunch from the passing waitress with a smile. "Thank you." He sat down, knocking one of Charlie's feet off the seat. "Did you hear?"

"'Bout the nephew?" Charlie asked with a smirk. "It's so cute. I'll get to tease poor Melvin to no end next class with him."

"What did Melvin do?"

"Finally made it official with Andrea last weekend."

"That's old news." Fred leaned closer. "Iggy married his this morning in the potion's dungeon." Charlie's mouth fell open. "We're having a family meeting tonight after classes end and then dinner together. Coming up?"

"Sure. I'll even bring the pack so they can beg and plead with the tots." Charlie shook himself. "In the dungeon?" Fred nodded, taking a bite of his mushroom dish, one of his favorites ever. "Why?"

"Because this is Iggy we're talking about and it's his home-away-from-home."

Charlie nodded. "I can see it that way, but why now?"

"Not a clue. Because he decided it was right? Because he didn't learn from Ginny? Because he's Iggy and wanted it that way?"

"All good reasons," Charlie agreed with a smile. "Can I try?" Fred let him steal a bite of the mushroom dish. "Damn, that's great."

Fred nodded happily. "I know. I have it every chance I can talk her into making it. It's a secret recipe." He looked around. "George can't decide if he's happy or not."

"I'd be yelling, but I think mum's going to do it for him. How did Xander take it?"

"Practically from what George said." Madam Rosemerta walked over and handed him a slip, which he looked at. "My tab or tonight's feast?" he asked, smiling up at her, accidentally hitting her ample chest with his head.

"Tonight's feast. Your tab's only half that, Fred."

"I'll send George over with it once I go back." She gave his head a pat. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. It's good to get happy news." She sat down with them. "No attacks this year?"

"During exams," Charlie told her. "Small one, no danger to the students. They want Slytherin's body back."

"That's good to know," she said dryly. "A small one this year?"

Fred nodded. "As far as we can tell. They're getting better again."

"So," she said casually. "What's this I hear about Malfoy and his amazing spell?"

"It was tripped by accident," George said as he joined them. "Ron's down for a bit of peace and quiet to think." He sat down at the table beside Charlie, against the wall. "It was actually a fortuitous accident that was prophesied."

"Oh?" The family nodded. "Why?"

"The next guardian," Fred told her.

"Potter the next generation?" she suggested.

George smiled. "Don't let him hear you say that, but yeah, basically." She smiled back. "It was so odd. Ron's dead girlfriend came back to make sure it happened."

"Fortunately it's a World Cup year next year and he won't have to play," Charlie put in. "Any word on when they're doing Oliver's shoulder?"

"Next week," George told him. "They've got it carefully planned and the muggle doctor assisting is set up nicely at St. Mungos. They like him over there it seems. He volunteered to see a few more badly broken cases. The nurses all adore him because he's prompt and polite. He listens to them when they've got suggestions."

Fred nodded. "He's a nice man. Takes care of Xander's knee as well. Actually makes him listen to orders and follow them."

Madam Rosemerta laughed. "Now I know that you're pulling my leg. No one can make that man follow orders."

"He not only made Xander rest over the holidays, he threatened him with not okaying sex if he didn't listen. Trust me, he listened."

She shook her head and stood up. "Then that man has my vote for the next Minister. Merlin knows he'd be better at it." She walked away.

Fred handed George the slip. "For tonight."

George nodded. "Fair enough. Even with the ten percent tip added on. Thoughtful of her to not make us think after a long day."

"I'm happy that you two have found such a home here," Charlie told them.

"Missing the scaly things?" Fred asked.

George grinned. "Or is there a woman there'bouts?"

"Neither, I miss the peace and quiet. The occasional roar is nothing to a bunch of twelve-year-olds trying to whisper." Fred laughed. "You think I'm kidding, but I'm not. Those kids are so noisy it's not funny. They scared a goat the other day that was found in the forest."

"Who'd let a goat loose in there?" the waitress asked as she came over to refill water glasses.

"We don't know, it just walked out one day," Charlie told her. "How do you put up with the students?"

"Xander gave me this neat little toy that'll let me embarrass them or toss them out on their arse," she said with a smile that showed her dimples. "All I needed was a few good examples and then they behaved from then on." She winked at him before walking away.

"Always attracting the women," Fred said sadly, shaking his head.

Charlie snorted. "Not that I ever do anything with them anymore. Think Xander'd turn me back a few years if I asked?"

"Probably, but then we'd have to watch you," George told him.

"It's not as fun as it sounds. It's like having all new equipment and having to relearn what it does."

"By eighteen I knew what mine did," Charlie told him.

"Yeah, but your body has to adjust and it's not exactly the same as it was back then. Trust me."

"Oh, I do," Charlie said with a smirk. "How young was it last time?"

"Fourteen. I needed an idea and it let me get it." Fred finished off his lunch and stood up. "I've got to find money."

"I brought enough to get yours too," George told him, accepting his usual sandwich from the waitress. "Thanks. Fred, if you want to head to the bank, get the money for dinner."

"Yes, George." Fred walked out, shaking his head. His twin had turned bossy since getting married.

***

Iggy and Raena looked around the gathered family, watching them catch up and chat. He whistled. "I think it's my turn to ruin the family's appetite so let's get this out of the way already." He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. "I finally made my move this morning and declared her my ultimate prize. And yes, it was in the potion's dungeon for those who had heard the rumors. Now you can yell and we'll go eat."

Arthur smiled at him. "I'm sure most of us realized it was going to happen, it was only a matter of time." There was a lot of assenting noises, even from the other kids in the room. "You do know what you're doing and what precautions you have to take?"

"We do," Raena told him. "We've agreed to wait until we're legal, grandfather."

Molly beamed. "Then I can only see this as a happy time. Are you going to hold another ceremony so the rest of the family can interfere?"

Raena laughed. "Iggy's promised me that we'll have one right after graduation. Anything I want and anyway I want it since he did it the traditional gryphon way this morning."

Agatha stepped forward. "You're serious? The rumors were true?" Iggy nodded. "And you're not going to break up, fight in the halls, or otherwise show some instability?"

"Gryphons mate for life, Aggie," Iggy told her. "There's no out for us."

She frowned. "That's dumb. You should have waited longer." Her father groaned. "No, it needs to be said. Yes, you're very mature for your age, but you're still growing and changing, the both of you. You could decide that you hate each other once you're fully adults, or even grow apart. What will you do if that happens?"

"We'll still be friends and there are traditions if you find your mate isn't right for you after all," Raena told her. Iggy looked at her. "It's usually called an open nest, or two households."

Iggy nodded. "I've seen one. Our colony's ambassador has one." He shrugged. "It might happen," he agreed, "but we're both very tight. Aggie, you don't have any idea what it's like to have someone who syncs so close to you that they can walk into your head at anytime and instantly know what you're thinking about and will jump in to help you see both sides of the issue. We had this discussion during our naps earlier."

"You still need a nap?" Ravena asked.

"Even I need a nap," Xander told her. "They're busy little creatures." He shrugged. "Agatha, those were very good points, very maturely given and well thought out. Ten points to you for being able to reason, even though you're obviously seething at the moment." She looked at him. "It's obvious to those who know you, Agatha. It's not a contest. You don't have to match them, no matter what Ryan says about it." She shifted uncomfortably. "Do you want to talk to one of us about your alliance?"

"We'll talk tonight," Molly told the poor girl. She had never liked that alliance idea, it smelled like slavery to her and she had argued long and hard with the girl's father over it. She would have been helped just as much by being in that house. Harry patted his daughter on the head and gave her a hug. She smiled at him. It was so hard for him sometimes.

Little Ron looked at him. "You're still playing?" Iggy nodded. "Then hell, let's eat!" That cracked nearly everybody up.

Raena's mother stood up and walked up to her daughter, looking down into her face. "You wish this union?" Raena nodded. "Then we will not disagree. You are happy and we did expect it sometime, even if you hadn't degaged." Her husband nodded. "What will you be doing during this summer?"

"They'll be at my house," Molly told her. "All the children will be."

"With the exception of our trip back to Morocco in July," Iggy said smoothly. "After all, Simone has to have someone to whine to during her grounding." He smiled them. "I know it was abrupt, but it just seemed like the perfect time."

"A perfect time is often the best thing," her father agreed. "I allowed myself to be kidnaped from work one day when she was ready and we were married two weeks later, when she was finally tired." His wife swatted at him, but she was smiling. "The fact that you did the capturing does not matter to us. She knew she was baiting the trap that snared you." He shook Iggy's hand. "If you harm her, you will die. Most horribly."

"If I hurt her, you'll have to stand in line behind all them," Iggy pointed out, nodding at his family. He laughed and the older man broke. "You know I'd never harm her. She's my light, my shining ability to do something other than my homework."

Raena pinched him before he could get started. He had done that earlier for nearly two hours, until she had shut him up with a kiss. "He's still being gooey."

Her mother nodded. "Many men can be like that when the women they love overwhelm their senses." She nodded. "Introduce us, daughter."

"Yes, mother." She led her parents around the room, letting Iggy be pounced by his cousins. Fortunately they were already in the tower so any noise was just fine. It wouldn't bother another person. Not even when Bill outed Draco, accidentally on purpose.

Molly screamed, "What were you thinking!"

Ron whistled to get attention, but it was Charlie's that was louder. "Quiet, people. Yelling is only giving some of us great headaches."

"I have something for that upstairs," Xander told him. "The kids sometimes do stuff so dumb it gives me one." Charlie grinned at him. "Yes, he is. That's why Buffy was back, to finish enacting a prophecy that would bring an official guardian to Hogwarts in time to guard against the next dark force rising."

"Another kid in my position?" Harry asked.

Ron nodded. "Basically," he said with a grin. "Only this time we get to sit back and give helpful hints, like 'go read that history book'." Harry cracked up.

"You were never an official guardian, it just worked out that way," Draco told him. "There hasn't been an official one in nearly seventy years. The last one died just about as Dumbledore started teaching." Everyone looked impressed. "This one will not only guard the school, but also the colony. It's important. That's why we didn't rip Buffy's spirit to shreds." Ron mumbled something. "Needless to say, it's not Ginny's and if the father doesn't want to claim it, I'm fine with that."

Ron hit him on the back of the head. "Big slimy git. It's mine. Buffy undid the freezing when Minnie tripped the spell, like she did with Xander, and she put contagion cuffs on us. Anyone who says anything against this kid, gets in my face too."

Molly sniffled. "Ron." She hugged him. "I'm so sorry."

"It's all right, mum, we're dealing." He smirked at Draco, who was rubbing his head. "Xander's even making him allow us to spoil him."

Molly switched to Draco, giving him a hug. "I'm so happy for you. I know that this child will be hell on everyone's nerves if it's anything like Ron, but we'll manage."

Arthur patted Draco on the back. "We will manage," he agreed.

"It can't be any worse than having to train Minnie," Little Ron pointed out. His namesake looked over at him. "When does she start fight training, Uncle Ron?"

"Not until she's five," Xander told him. "We'll make it a big game so she doesn't realize for a few years." He grinned at Ron. "Wes said she's far down the list if it makes you feel any better."

"It does," Ron admitted. "She might not be called?"

"She might not be called," Xander agreed.

"I'm sure the triplets are thrilled about this," Ginny said.

"They don't know yet. We're waiting until he's huge to tell them so they can do the belly patting routine to prove it to themselves," Ron told her. "It's easier that way with the little ones."

"I remember patting Ravena and having her kick," Simone said as she came over to hug Ron. "I'm sorry you got pounced for this duty, Uncle Ron, but think how kick-ass this kid will be."

"Simone," Draco warned.

"It will be," Ron told him with a smirk. "It'll be a little me with your powers."

"Your mouth and my brain?" Draco suggested dryly. Ron glared at him and he smirked. "That would be fine, let's hope he doesn't have your freckles as well."

"Most of mine disappeared," Ron countered.

"Boys," Percy said dryly. He shook his head. "Perhaps we should give the new couple good advice?"

"Yes, let's," Arthur agreed. "Iggy, those of us who have had long term relationships would like to give you both some advice." The couple smiled at them, sitting down for this. "Mine is never go to bed angry, because she might strangle you in the middle of the night when she can't get to sleep because of it."

Molly swatted at him with an eye roll. "That's very true. Iggy, never pick a fight in the kitchen. There's many sharp items at hand and she'll think about them if she's that upset with you. Or when she finally gets pregnant."

"We're doing the anti-fertility spell that Uncle Ron did his last year," Iggy told her. "Ten years before anything happens like that for us."

"Which would give us another seven years of unchallenged Weasley takeover of the school if they time it right," Xander put in happily.

"You really want that record, don't you?" Fred asked, mystified by him. Xander nodded, looking very happy with the prospect. That man was just odd. George smirked at him. "Don't even think about it."

"By then we might have other grandchildren anyway," Molly pointed out. "Fred, dear, when were you getting married?"

"I'm George, mum," Fred told her, walking away.

She looked at George, who played along. "Well?"

"Next year sometime. I'm working my way up to thinking about it." He smiled. "And I'm still George, daft one." He held up his wedding ring, the only thing that *definitely* told the two apart. Fred glared at him. "Well, you are!"

"Not yet I'm not. I'm enjoying this dating thing. So is she. We'll marry the same year Charlie does."

Charlie choked on his drink. "'Scuse me? Isn't that like Tara saying she was following Ginny's lead in getting married?" Fred frowned, then nodded looking happier.

"Uncle Fred, remember I had to fix that one," Iggy told him with his most evil smirk and a wink. Fred gave him a pathetic look. "I'll give you three more years before I have to step in. Then we'll make Elizabeth up for the wedding and you'll be so stunned that you'll accept when she asks you. We'll have to have double honeymoons." Molly chuckled.

"We'll see," Fred told him, smirking back. "I've been stunned by her before and she's never taken advantage of it."

Xander clapped Charlie on the back. "So," he said. "What can we do to get you hooked up? You're apparently next on the list." The whole family cracked up, going about their dinner plans.

***

Xander looked up from his grading, feeling something funny at the edge of the school's boundaries. He had set up watchers to tell him when something bad or unusual was happening around the school so he would have time to react. He sighed and put down his pen as he felt more people popping in at the edges. It was time he guessed. They would have to do this the night before scores were due. He stood up, grabbing his cane/wand and his regular wand. He sent a message to his son to lock the house up tight and to watch the kids. He was in the tower instead of Gryffindor tonight and would be able to handle the defense there if necessary.

Not that these people were getting into the school, but it was better to be prepared.

He walked up the stairs, heading for the front door, meeting up with his favorite former students there. "Do you want the grotto force or the minor force coming this way as a distraction?"

"You get these idiots, we'll get the others," Ron told him. Draco nodded his agreement and followed him out toward the burial place of the body that had lived under his house for a number of centuries. Ron cleared his throat once they were ready, getting their attention. "You're trespassing and the Headmaster wants you gone," he said simply. "Leave or die."

One of the death eaters smirked at him. "By whose hand, boy?"

"Mine," Draco told him, casting his first charm. It was time to fight, not talk. Ron could talk if he really wanted to. The fight was on.

Back at the doors, Xander took up his usual impressive stance in front of the doors, sneering down at the diversion force. "Do you really want to try me?" They turned tail and ran. "Good, run home to your mommies and cry!" he called after them. He enchanted the door so it'd only open for someone who was supposed to be there and walked out to join in the other fight. It looked like a lot of fun. He missed fighting. He fired as he waded in, sending a few of the people running with a scream of horror. "Oh, come on, I'm not *that* bad," he called after them. "I promise to play nicely!"

Draco looked at him, using his free hand to brush some of the hair out of his face. "Remind me to wonder later why you scare them."

"Okay. But I'm hoping it's something like my reputation instead of my appearance." He grinned and punched someone else, sending him crashing to the ground. "Are you supposed to be here?" he asked in his most patronizing tone.

They slowly moved the fight back to the grave, and the remaining fighters circled the person doing the summoning spell. They defended him against all attempts, even working together to put up a shield around him and the grave.

Ron managed to pierce the shield before the idiot finished, killing him, but another man took up the chant and finished it before he too died.

A stiff breeze popped up and a slow, lazy-sounding voice floated over it. "Well." The ghost started to solidify. "What have we here?" He stopped to hover against one of the bodies on the ground, taking the language from it's mind before he said anything else. He had been listening and these folks talked differently.

Xander looked at Slytherin. "You know, I thought you'd look tougher, like Snape."

"That family is still around?" Slytherin looked around at the bodies littering the path of the fight. "What are those?"

"Don't ask, you'll only be disappointed," Draco told him.

Slytherin floated over to look at him, looking over all of him. "Interesting. Your choice?"

"Not this time, but I accepted the accident for what it was and am bearing the future guardian."

"I remember that prophecy. That would make you Flaymol or a Foylfans?"

"Malfoy now," Draco told him. "We took on the family name during a marriage and changed the other so that the two halves of the family blended together."

"Ah." Slytherin nodded. "It happens. I remember the originator of your line, boy."

"Beats me, I'd like to forget most of them," Draco quipped.

Slytherin laughed. "Yes, times have changed." He looked at the bodies, then at the other two. "How much have they changed?"

"Read my mind," Draco offered. He looked over as Snape walked out, his wand in his hand, and Agatha, Ryan, and Ravena behind him. "The true heirs of the house," he noted.

Slytherin looked them over. "You are obviously a Snape," he told Snape, who nodded. "You show great darkness penetrating you, but light slowly taking it over."

"That's his wife," Agatha said arrogantly. "Who're you?"

Slytherin laughed, throwing his head back and all that. "Ah, yes, the legend lives on. Potters?"

"We dropped the 's' in the Middle Ages," she said, starting to frown. "Who are you?"

"Dear, that's Slytherin," Ryan told her, patting her on the hand. "His pictures don't do him justice."

"Yes, well, the painter had an unfortunate accident while he was painting it. One of the gryphon chicks ran over him and decided to help since his arms were both broken," Slytherin said dryly.

"There used to be gryphons here?" Ravena asked. "Attending or serving?"

"Both." He looked her over, then back at Draco. "Yours?" he nodded. "Very interesting blend of the two families. Are there more like her?"

"They're Gryffs," Ron told him. "The last is too young."

Xander put a hand on his shoulder. "Let it go, Ron. He's not going to hurt them. He's evil like Draco is, not like Lucius was." Draco and Snape both nodded. "I do have a question. Why are all the idiots put into your house? I mean, I know they make decent enough minions, but did you request it that way?"

Slytherin looked at him. "They put incompetents in my house?" Snape and Draco both nodded. "We will have to do something about that. First, let me look at the current leaders." He waved a hand, summoning any true Slytherins within the castle. Emily Snape walked out, alone. "Dear." She smiled at him. "You are his?" he pointed at Snape.

"His niece. The rest of the family doesn't associate due to some unfortunate decisions on his part. Tara and Zachariah are coming, she's trying to keep him inside, but Lucien was demanding."

"That's fine," Snape told her. He looked at Xander, who shrugged. "You can't hear her?"

"I already told her it was all right to bring those two out, and Maeve and William if they really wanted to show up." Xander leaned on Ron's shoulder, his ankle was swollen again.

Slytherin looked over at the shining creature of the Goddess walking toward him with the children. He looked at Snape. "Yours?" he asked, sounding incredulous.

"We suit each other," he said stiffly.

"I adore him and he sees me for the naughty creature I can be," Tara told him with a smile. "Why does everyone think I'm so pure?"

"Because you radiate it," Slytherin told her, looking her over again. "Ah, a bonding potion, made by a Master in training. Very interesting. Where is he?"

"He's guarding the other children," Tara told him. "Him and his wife."

"He's mine," Xander told him.

Slytherin looked over the children and laughed when he came to William. "Saved yourself did you, young man?" William nodded. "Very well done. You are well suited to be in my house if the hat so chooses, otherwise Gryffindor will do for you until you find your true nature."

"Again, my kid," Xander told him. "If he goes to your house, he's going to have to do something about the idiots."

Slytherin nodded. "Possibly." He looked at Ryan. "You are true-born, but not of this community. Your parents were like her?" he asked, pointing at Tara. Ryan nodded. "Yet you have adapted. You show signs of learning both sides of the magic. Your doing?" he asked Tara. She nodded, smiling at him. "Such a delight to see that things are continuing on at a rapid pace. Are your kind finally accepted? The Druids and other Celts were never accepted in my time."

She shook her head. "We're not accepted by muggles or the community here, but I've learned to adapt."

"Then you are a very strong witch and more than suited to marry a true heir of the house. Long live your line." He turned to look at the three adults, the guardians. "You fought all these?"

"Together," Ron told him.

"Hmm. Interesting." He looked at Ron. "A long family line, very intertwined I might add with his." He nodded at Draco. "You are the guardian's other parent." Ron nodded. "It was not a question so you must be a Gryffindor?" Ron nodded again, beaming at him. "It shows. Most guardians have been one of you." He looked at Draco again. "Why are you a guardian?"

"Because I'd rather have my form of evil around than the greater ones that your line spawned," Draco said dryly. "Xander saved my life and gave me a direction, I owe it to him and to protect my children."

Slytherin looked at Xander, then at Draco. "What do you teach?"

"Demonology. Alternative Defense." He shifted. "I also teach a physical fighting preparation class with him and another teacher."

"Well. Things have changed. We used to abhor the aurors."

"Some of us still do," Ron said dryly. "They're useless most of the time and show up to beat up on the good guys."

Slytherin smiled at him. "Then not everything has changed." He looked at Draco. "You will let me view your memories?"

"If it pleases you. I can't very well stop you," he pointed out. "You do have my permission if it matters to you."

Slytherin floated closer, laying a hand on Draco's forehead and slowly sinking it inside. He closed his eyes and reviewed all that the boy had seen. Then he pulled back with a wordless cry and walked over to Snape, doing the same to him. "What happened to my house!" he shouted. "That bloody irresponsible hat!" He floated up. "How could it do that to my legacy! I knew we should have picked something else!"

"Easy, there was nowhere else to put them," Xander pointed out. "Your most evil and genius could always use the minions so it put them there to learn their place at an early age." Draco looked at him. "Do you have any other explanation for it?"

"Not really, but I never thought of it that way," he admitted. "I guess we do cull the minions fairly quickly and train them in their places."

"You had your two bruisers," Ron reminded him.

"That was more carrying on the tradition," Draco said with a wave of his hand. "Their fathers served mine. It was expected."

Slytherin floated down to face him. "Yet, you found yourself." Draco pointed at Xander. "Yes, I will have words with him." He floated over but Xander stood his ground. "You are not scared of me?"

"You're dead and I've seen scarier dead people recently," Xander noted. "I can fight you before you get any of my family."

"Yes," Slytherin said with a devious smile. "The flock elder, yet you still do the job of one of the young." Xander shrugged. "Did you not learn better while you were raised?"

"I wasn't raised in a colony, I was raised on a hellmouth. Everyone fought there if they knew, or they became a statistic."

"I see." Slytherin looked him over, noticing the cane in his hand and the wand in the other. "Do you consider yourself fit to be a guardian?"

"I'm a little slower, but I can still fight. I took out a few of the bodies myself. It's been that way my whole life."

"Yes, but it is not necessary, boy." Slytherin smiled at him. "Apparently your elders were remiss in teaching you flock hierarchies. You are the one who formed this flock. You adopted into your family a lot of others. That makes you an elder, not a guardian."

"I am what I am, as Popeye said," Xander noted dryly.

"Yes, you are. You are a teacher, a parent, and the *backup* guardian. It is not your job. You are taking the meaning from these two younger one's lives by taking their position within the flock."

Draco nodded. "We've been trying to get him to slow down ever since he was seriously injured four years ago."

"I'm fine."

"Be that as it may, it is not seemly for an elder to fight."

"I'm not that old either," Xander told him. "The white is from my hellmouth draining me to protect itself two years ago."

"I saw. Quite remarkable I might add, but now it is necessary to take your formal position. You are a flock elder, you lead your family and your adopted siblings. It is the job of the younger siblings to protect while it is your job to make sure that everything goes on." Xander frowned at him. "You cannot do both, boy, it takes too much out of you. You will never have the time to do anything you like."

"True," Xander agreed, "but I can't just turn over the duties."

"No, you are not. You are teaching the next generation how to do your job as you move on. It is much like parenting a child." He pointed at William and Maeve. "As they grow, you teach them how to become adults and take on adult roles. Perhaps one of them will follow some of my legacy, but perhaps not."

Iggy and Raena came jogging down and stood between the ghost and their elder. "Leave him be," Iggy said coldly. "My father is not your plaything."

Ron gave him a hard nudge. "Get out of the way. They're just talking at this point. You can kick someone's ass later."

Slytherin laughed. "You are much like I remember your line to be. Now all you need is a desire for creatures and pranks."

"It got split up," Draco said dryly. "There's seven children in that family."

Ron grinned. "We're like this from my father's line?"

"Yes." Slytherin looked him over. "Wait until Gryffindor sees you," he sighed. "He will be happy that his house is still being kept up." He noticed a few more people coming down the hill and looked at Draco. "You have more than that one?"

"I have five children born and the one on the way," he agreed. "They kept the house noisy so I didn't have to think too often."

"Ah." Slytherin nodded. "I had a mistress for that." He looked at Simone, then shook his head. "I see your mother's line is firmly represented in your blood." He looked at Iggy and Raena smiling at her. "You captured him already?"

"I let him capture me," she said with a knowing smile. "He's worthy and a prodigy."

"So I see." He looked Ignatius over. "You should have been mine."

"The hat said I didn't have the personality for your house," Iggy told him. "Besides, it might have upset my parents." Slytherin nodded. "Was my namesake your line as well?"

Slytherin smiled, nearly leering. "Indeed he was. It was unfortunate that after him the line was warped so very badly. If I find him in the afterlife, I will hurt him myself for his actions against so many worthy." He looked over Iggy again, then at Ravena and the ones with her. "Brains, strength, control, that is what I wanted in my house. Not the ones like those." He pointed at the bodies. "I will talk to the hat and fix its instructions."

"There's nowhere else for them to go," Ron told him.

"Still, I would rather not have them. Evil they may think they are, but they are no more than children playing at evil and wanting to be naughty." He looked at Tara. "Will you get the hat for me, dear? Your glow is blinding." She nodded and walked off. "Girl," he snapped, pointing at Anastasia. "You will watch over them."

"Bet me, I don't take orders from anyone," Anastasia told him, pulling herself up as high as she went. "Especially not the dead. I've had enough of that recently, thank you."

Simone patted her on the back. "That's Slytherin. He's not going to possess any of us."

"He'd better not," Denver said dryly. "I think we've had enough of that for the rest of our lives."

Slytherin nodded. "I saw. I agree that your grandfather was a waste of time, but he got us to a very important point. The next official guardian. Not some little boy who had to fight, but the next appointed one." He smiled at Draco. "I am very proud of the way you've handled it so far."

"It's not the first," Draco reminded him.

"I saw that as well, and the pain you have been through. She will come around and see what she is missing."

"Too bloody late for that," Simone sighed. "Mum's gone too far and her actions are too much."

"She still gave birth to you and you should respect her for that much."

"Yay! I'm my father's daughter, just ask him."

"Simone, your mouth and a bar of soap are going to have a meeting," Xander warned. She sighed and leaned against her brother's shoulder. "Thank you. Personal fights shouldn't be aired out at this moment. We'll do group therapy later this summer."

Draco looked at him, then at the ghost. "Do finish what you were saying earlier."

"Perhaps a demonstration instead," Slytherin said, pointing his wand at one of the dead. It jumped up and ran at Xander, who got knocked on his ass, but the dead guy was hurt worse. "Do you see the point now?"

Xander got to his feet and used his cane to disintegrate the body. "Do you see mine?"

Slytherin smirked at him. "Is fighting all you've ever known?" Xander nodded. "But the local Hellmouth is not active. I cannot feel it."

"I was born and raised in Sunnydale."

"No wonder. You probably worked with a Slayer as well then." Xander nodded. "I thought as much. Let me see?"

"Sure, peruse away, just respect the walls so I don't have to see them again." He closed his eyes as the hand sank into his forehead. He felt a small yank and backed away, but Draco had moved over and was holding him in place. "Get away from the creature."

"It does not belong," Slytherin said patiently, pulling out the two ghosts with it. "You have had those since you were sixteen?"

Xander thought back, then shook his head. "Right before that birthday."

"You've been possessed that long and never did anything about it?" Ron asked in shock. "By what!"

"A hyena and an alternate him," Slytherin said, glaring down at him. He tucked the other ghosts into himself, a pocket of his robe. "Now do you see sense?"

"I need them."

"Not any longer," Slytherin said with a smile that showed how brilliant he was. "You are an elder, not the true guardian. You protect if you have to, if these two fall. A gryphon is not like a hyena, we do not get challenged and have to fight for supremacy, it comes with age, boy." Xander slowly shook his head. "Yes, it does. Trust me, I was raised by a born. That is why they helped build this school." He looked at Iggy. "It is enough that you have raised one of my legacy, if not of my house. You have also taken in those of my true legacy and nurtured them. You are an elder and should act like one, not like a foolish young." He frowned at Draco. "You, what do you teach?"

"The physical part of his class that he can no longer handle," he said calmly, steadying Xander before letting him go. "I also teach flying and fill in for Ron when he's gone or Xander when he's ill."

"Then who teaches theory?"

"No one," Snape told him. "It was removed from the curriculum millennia ago."

"Well, put it back!" Slytherin thundered. "How can you expect these children to learn anything meaningful without theory!" He shook his head. "Boy, do something about this. I saw you were a Regent."

Draco walked over and removed the masks off a few of the dead idiots. "So were they, most of the board is lying here actually. I will see what I can do once there's enough of us serving again. I enjoy theory personally. Learn all sorts of fun things." He smiled at Xander. "Didn't you?"

"Theory and I got along okay, I like the pranks and the building better. Theory is more Iggy."

Iggy shook his head. "Not me, theory bores me unless it's medical or potions theory. That's why Transfigurations and I get along so rottenly."

Slytherin nodded. "That is usually how it is divided. The practical, the healing, and the thoughts," he said, pointing at each. He looked over as Tara walked down with the hat. "You could not find my first student?"

"The Bloody Baron's cowering in the house, he thinks you'll blame him," Tara told him as she handed over the sorting hat. "It's had a rough few years." Agatha sighed.

"You had better not have damaged it, girl."

"I didn't want in your house. Potters aren't Slytherins."

"There have been a number of you, about ever fifth generation actually. What is your brother?"

"A gryff," Ron told him quietly. "And in love with the snitch."

"Good, the game is still going on," Slytherin said with a smile before he put on the hat. He listened to the hat's greeting and started to yell at it mentally, making it justify itself. He finally took it off. "If it had another option available, ones like those would not have been forced on my house," he said in disgust.

"It's not like the other houses want them," Xander reminded him. "Hufflepuff is full of the nice kids. Ravenclaw the smart ones. Gryffindor is full off."

"The ones who make my life a living hell," Snape put in. "They who fight and whine."

"I'll get you for that someday," Simone told him. He glared at her. "Keep it up, I'll gladly keep a tally."

"Sorry, you woke her from a nap."

Draco shook his head. "Simone, do sleep more often at night before we have to start sedating you. This morning behavior of yours is annoying."

"Fuck you."

Slytherin reached into her and pulled out a small ghost as well. "There was the problem with that."

"It's been happening since she was able to talk," Denver told him. "If that's Grandfather, it's more recent than that."

"Indeed, but it was her grandmother."

"Mother always was a bit cranky in the mornings," Draco agreed. "Did she put a marker on her?" Slytherin nodded. "Then I'll expect better behavior from now on." Simone gave him the finger. "Grounded. One week without your broom." She gave her finger a meaningful look and then at him, smiling at him. "You're already at a month and a week this summer."

"Oh, let us punish her," Anastasia said with a wicked smile. "I'm thinking complete makeover and making her be like that the whole time of her grounding."

"Father has other children, you're expendable," Simone pointed out.

Denver looked at the ghost. "Can you put it back in? Or maybe one of the ones from Uncle Xander?"

Slytherin squeezed his eyes tightly shut and laughed, shaking his head. "No, I cannot, child. She will behave better once she is fully awake. It has always been like that with your family when they wake up."

"It's a more extreme form of your father's detest of sunlight in the mornings," Xander told him. "He swears at the drapes and the house elves, she swears at everyone."

"Good point," Denver sighed. "I must have missed that part."

"I'm sure if I came and climbed in with you so my nightmares tormented you, you'd be cranky too," Iggy said dryly. Simone nodded her agreement of that one.

"Yes, do shield that one, bright one," he told Tara, pointing at Iggy. "The seeing he is doing will drive him insane one day, when everyone is talking about something he has done."

"Been there, done that, on a smaller scale," Iggy admitted. He took Raena's hand and squeezed. "So, my father won't fight anymore?"

"Only if Draco and I fall," Ron told him. "Then you'll be expected to help out as well."

Iggy nodded. "Fine with me. Dear?"

"Fine with me," Raena agreed. "It's expected to be so." She looked at Xander. "No arguing either. You are an elder, deal with the responsibility." She looked at the ghost again. "Are you going to talk to the Headmaster?"

"He's on his way down. He had to stop the panic in the halls," Tara told her. She looked toward the schools and smiled. "He's walking out the door now after locking everyone in." She looked at the ghost. "Where are the others?"

"There is a map in my private lab which shows their positions. We each had a copy."

"We only found your large library and a few floor safes," Iggy said sadly. "Where's the lab? And can I have it?"

Slytherin smiled at him. "You may share it with your fathers. He needs somewhere to get out his naughtiness. You have the whole of the dungeons if you need more room. Besides, it is a small lab. Under the stairs."

"We feel the room but we can't get into it," Snape told him. "It appears each spring, just before solstice."

"Yes, it would. I created and consecrated it on Spring Solstice my third year in the school. It is waiting for a new potion's master. Now that there are three of you, it should open for one of you."

"Where's the latch?" Raena asked.

"That hollow stair," Iggy told her. "We found the latch, but it never worked before. On Solstice?"

"Yes, probably," Slytherin agreed. "I embedded the soul of my favorite concubine in the creation so I could have her with me." He shrugged. "It was sentimental but she always knew how to calm me down when I needed it."

Xander nodded. "George does that for me."

Slytherin looked at him again. "Why did they give you my old tower instead of the lair?"

"It's collapsed in on itself," Snape told him. "They got moved over there so the rest of us didn't have to hear their children screaming with colic."

Slytherin smiled smugly. "I was told that they do that by my wife."

"I grew tired of listening to it and they needed more room anyway," Snape countered.

"Xander and Ron's family share the tower," Tara told him, putting a hand on Severus' back to calm him down.

"It is all one family."

"To Xander. To some of us they're separate families that work together," Tara told him. "More like a small colony. Our son joins them often." She saw the pointed look given to Maeve. "I bore her for Xander and his mate," she said with a blush.

"Why did they not bear him themselves?"

"Because my mate isn't a good candidate and she wanted to be pregnant again," Xander told him. "Not that it's any of your business." Slytherin looked at him, trying to stare him down. "It won't work, my phoenix does that too and I always win," Xander told him.

"Mine too," Simone agreed. "Oh, Raena, Hilda showed up earlier. I had her drop the trunk on your bed." Raena smiled at her. "It had a note that said there were two more shipments. I sent Hilda home with help, the other chicks could use it to enforce their training."

"Thank you, Simone." She smiled at Iggy. "You're not going to laugh at my doll collection."

He shrugged. "Okay. I won't laugh at your doll collection. We all collect something. I have books and you have dolls."

"I have books too, just not as many as you do," she told him.

"Kids," Draco said, shaking his head. "Argue and make up later."

"Yes, sir," Raena said with a smile. She noticed the ghost looking at her. "We're newly married."

"You will work it out," he assured her. "You are compatible enough. You will work it out." He looked at Xander. "Are you going to comply?"

"If I have to, I'll tie him down and take care of him until he learns his spot," Draco told him. He glared at Xander, who glared back. He flicked his wand at him, turning him into a little dog, a dachshund. Xander got back at him by calmly limping over and biting him on the ankle. "OW!" Draco shook him off and Xander growled at him. "Fine, brat." He turned him back and Xander immediately swatted at him. "Behave, Xander, or else."

"Children!" Snape snapped. "Stop it this instant. Behave like the adults you are."

Xander looked at him. "He turned me into a dog. After what happened with his cat spell, I'm supposed to be pissed at him."

"I'll remove it later," Draco told him. "Only if you behave. Or you can spend the rest of this momentous meeting on a leash." Simone snickered. "You can as well." She gave him the finger again so he turned her into a pomeranian. "Put a leash on her, Denver."

Denver picked up the fuzzy creature that looked like a footstool with a squished face. "Yes, sir. Please don't do it to me."

"If you behave, you don't have to worry about it." Xander opened his mouth. "I mean it."

"I can see the future leaders of the flock will be have a great fight on their hands," Ron said dryly. "I'm not bowing to you."

Draco smiled at him. "I can make you."

"I can still beat your ass," Ron retorted.

"Enough!" Tara yelled. Both boys looked at her, giving her hurt looks. "I don't care if it is fun, quit fighting. Draco's not the only one who can change your form against your will."

"I'm not that good yet," Ravena noted. "Give me another year, Aunty."

She smiled at the girl. "I know, Ravena. Until then, I think I can fill in the gap." She glared at the two of them. "After Xander comes George, then you two and Iggy. You can fight about that later."

They nodded, still giving her pitiful looks.

"Now I see why he chose you," Slytherin said in appreciation. He looked over as the Headmaster joined them. "Finally. Who are you?"

"That's our Headmaster," Ryan told him. "Albus Dumbledore. Said to be one of the greatest of the present age."

Slytherin looked him over, then nodded slowly. "You are effective and intelligent, a nice change over a few that I have seen in their memories."

"She was a good woman."

"I was not talking about her," he said with a slight sneer. "I am talking about your predecessor." He shrugged. "I will make a few demands."

"I'll meet them if possible. I notice a majority of our Board of Regents is lying around so I can't guarantee an instant acquiescence."

"That will be fine." Slytherin started to pace. "First, you must at least find the other bodies. My map should help you with that task. Call them back and let them talk to the stupid hat. It has messed up and needs new instructions to deal with some inconsistencies. You do not have to bring them back, I am aware of the curse laid upon us as we left by our appointee." He stopped to think about it. "What was his name?"

"He was a Snape as well," Dumbledore told him with a faint smile. "Are you going to demand a fifth house for those who won't fit anywhere else?"

"No, it was shown to me that the stupid are culled easily and used for minions. Girl, do find one," he told Ravena, making her preen. "You two as well," he told the obvious couple. "You will need some."

"I have a few that I use," Agatha told him. "Including him."

Ryan smiled sweetly at her and turned her into a statue. "She still occasionally slips back into her former problems," he apologized. "I'll turn her back soon enough."

"Right now," Tara told him coldly. "There's been more than enough of that already." Ryan changed her back. "Agatha, we will be discussing this."

"Yes, ma'am," Agatha said, looking humble, but she would get Ryan for that later. She caught sight of the ghost looking at her. "What?" she asked impertinently.

"You have been warped but you can recover. Do not go down that path or you will join the one who set you on it. Without your powers as she is."

"Yes, sir," she sighed. She hit Ryan, knocking him down. "Don't ever go there again. You'll regret it."

"We'll settle this later," Ryan told her. "I will not fight in front of such an honored guest." He stood back up, touching his bloody nose. Denver thoughtfully handed him a tissue. "Thank you." He glared at her, silently telling her she would pay later.

Slytherin looked at Snape. "I do not envy you watching over these three at the same time."

"One has three years, one has four, and one's a second year," Snape told him. "It's only a problem for a few more years, then I'm taking a vacation."

Slytherin laughed. "I am sure you will be. Appoint those two to fill in," he suggested, pointing at Iggy and Raena. "I am sure they will do well and be very experienced by then."

"And barely graduated ourselves," Raena pointed out. "We're fourth years as well."

"It doesn't matter," Snape told her. "You're doing the first years tomorrow so I can sleep in."

"Yes, sir," she said smartly. "Fairy glows?" He nodded. "Done." Iggy nodded over her shoulder to show he would help. "You'll be in class, love. Don't make me reprimand you already." He kissed her on the cheek. "It won't get you out of Transfiguration."

Dumbledore laughed. "Yes, it's going to be an interesting time. There will be a member of this family in the school for the next twenty years." Slytherin groaned and patted him on the shoulder in sympathy. "What other demands did you have?"

"That you fix the sorting hat, that you restart theory classes, that you name those two the *official* guardians and get their flock elder taught in the ways of being an elder, and that " he paused to think. "What was the fourth one?"

"That we get a better picture of you?" Anastasia suggested. "So you can float around for a while and talk to the other kids and ghosts in your house?"

"No." He shook his head. "The only one I want to talk to is lurking in the woods, I will talk to him soon enough, my dear. Oh, that was it, that you continue in the finer traditions of the school. Upstanding values and all that." He looked at the married couple, then the bickering ones. "I do understand that they are together, but really."

"Ignatius did that without warning the rest of us," Dumbledore told him. "He's agreed to hold off on anything until he's of legal age at sixteen."

"Wonderful, but how are they supposed to get together?" Dumbledore looked stunned. "Fun is as much a part of growing up as learning is, young man. Surely you uphold that tradition as well."

"We do it anyway," Denver told him. "Uncle Xander's husband runs a joke shop. Third years and up are allowed to go down and buy things."

Anastasia nodded. "Plus, we do all sorts of sneaking off to make out when we've finally found someone we can tolerate. The challenge makes us smarter."

Slytherin smiled at her. "I am sure you will do quite a lot of that, young lady." She grinned at him. "Do find someone who appreciates you for your brains and not just your assets." He floated up. "I shall leave tomorrow if anyone wants to talk to me."

"Come to my office if you'd like to talk to me," Dumbledore encouraged. "I'm usually up there." He smiled at the attending people as soon as the ghost floated away. "Draco, change your daughter back and take your whole family back to the tower. I'm going to come talk to you soon enough."

"Yes, Headmaster." Draco obediently got everyone moving in that direction.

Dumbledore hung his head, moaning deep in his chest. "Why me?" he asked himself.

"You said you wanted an interesting life," Snape told him before walking away.

"I'm sorry I ever said that now," Dumbledore said as he walked away. "I was so dumb in my youth and I regret much of it now."

***

Later that night, Slytherin floated into the children's nursery. He looked down at William. "You sent yourself away from them, but are you safer now?"

William smiled at him. "They're good."

"I know." He touched the young man's mind, seeing the power contained in there. He smiled at the boy and finished removing the damning marks from him - such things annoyed him. "There, now you are all theirs. Be safe, young man. Behave as well." William giggled and snuggled back against his huge teddy bear. Slytherin floated over to look at Lucien and Maeve, who was being used as Lucien's teddybear. "You two are so adorable," he sighed. "Best friends but not more. Hopefully you will accept it eventually." He smoothed the wrinkles out of their auras as well and moved on, going to check on the one he had liberated earlier. He found him curled up in his nest with his mate held tightly, and it made him happy. He had worked with the lines that had spawned this one and it was good to know that it was carried on so well. Even if the boy was an annoyance because he couldn't follow orders. He could already see the defiance building. Well, his true heir would take care of that. He was sure it would be amusing. He nudged Xander, making him shiver and wake up. "I wish to ask you something." He floated away, going down to the living room. He found a sleeping human on the couch and rolled his eyes, going to his library and opening the secondary door, apparently they hadn't found the multi-use door. Xander wandered down and looked at the new door in the same spot. He looked confused. "Have you never seen one of those trunks with multiple locks?" he asked with a smirk. "Very handy things."

"Yeah, I have one," Xander agreed, following him in. "Does that mean each of the dots are openable?" He closed the door so he wouldn't wake up Bill. "What's going on that you need to talk to me about?" He belted his robe, this room had a breeze.

"I was looking for the remains of my line and could not find any. The only reason I could come up with was a very powerful spell, which I noticed the traces of in the entryway. Along with your power signature."

Xander sat down in a chair and curled up. "Did you see what he had done?" he asked quietly.

Slytherin nodded, floating down to be on a similar level, it was only polite and this situation was too unusual for him to be anything but. Imperious possibly, but nowhere near his usual forceful self. "I saw some, but second-hand information from your acknowledged son. I saw more graphic representations from the Snape's mind."

Xander nodded. "And I doubt he let you see the worst. The tortured children, the people Voldemort tortured until they begged to die or kill themselves. The women he had tortured by watching everything they loved being torn apart in front of them." Slytherin frowned. "Read Dumbledore's memories of the time. He heard or saw it all, from both times he was around." He spread his hands out in a classic 'what else could I do' gesture. "He came here and intended to kill the children. I had one chance and that was the spell that came to my mind. I even hesitated, because I had read the warnings and knew what it could do to those fighting beside me. In the end, it was the children in the school or him," he said calmly.

"You really have fought your whole life," Slytherin said in appreciation. "A daring move, though fairly brainless."

"All I saw were the horribly mangled bodies that would have resulted and I couldn't let it happen. He was stopped permanently. No convenient bringing him back, no third go-round. Just peace."

Slytherin smiled at him. "I have an appreciation for the situation, and I do understand your reasoning. Had I been there at that moment, I might have cast the same thing. There are higher ones, but only for when you are ready to give yourself as a sacrifice." Xander nodded, having seen them. "Would you do it again?"

Xander gave him a self-depreciating grin. "Maybe you didn't see my last few years when you were in my head?" The ghost laughed. "Trust me, I'm living by a new standard, one that someone told me. I'm seeming less fantastic now." He touched his scarred leg. "These and my cane came because I was protecting Ron's family from the Watchers. They came at the same time as the footsteps on the front stairs. That same year, I ended up taking on the Ministry before this incident. I'm tired of fighting, and I know I'm getting out of date for it, but sometimes you have to."

"I understand that," Slytherin said, thinking about this young man. Intriguing, but not so different from many other guardians. "Do you feel that you have not prepared the young for their duties?"

"No, I think I did an amazing job with Draco, Ron, and Harry, they're the stick I use to measure my other students against, but I can't let them handle it by themselves. They're young. Neither have mates to carry on for their children. I do, even though my mate hates the fact that I fight."

"He's wise in that. You will end up dying that way."

Xander shrugged. "That's how I expected it really. When you live on a hellmouth, it's like that."

"Yes, but now you are not on one."

"No, I'm in a school full of young men and women without control. There's a new enemy rising in twenty years or so, plus there's the ever-present threat of being attacked because of what I am. Being a teacher won't cut it this time, Salazar. Even if I were escorted everywhere by one of them, I'd still end up fighting now and then."

"Good reasoning, but you forget something," he said with a smile. "Things change."

Xander nodded. "As do people usually. I've seen some of the purest people go so very dark that they were punished for it. And I've seen the reverse. Draco used to be a smart-mouthed little bastard who picked on Ron and Harry. Now look at him."

"Yes, he is the epitome of his line, the best of the best, but you are not well."

"I'm well enough. The hellmouth quit draining me. I can walk some without my cane. It's an alternate wand actually." He smirked. "I do know what I'm doing."

"Yes, but you are not seeing," Slytherin told him, pushing the point. He brushed his awareness against the boy's pitiful shields. "See, boy, know what I do."

Xander shook his head, escaping it. "I don't want it. Knowledge is dangerous, Salazar, as you once said. The family will continue. We're a prolific lot."

"If you do not leave it to them, for the most part," he conceded, "your family will fall and you will never get to see your first grandchild."

Xander nodded. "I realize that too. I do pick my battles more carefully, but I am guardian of this school. No matter how much you protest, you can't change my fundamental nature."

"Actually, I can," the ghost said dryly. Xander quirked an eyebrow. "It would be easy to change it so you could not fight."

"Then my family will fall when one of the idiots who don't like us for what twenty-seven ancestors ago did attacks," he said with a shrug.

Salazar smiled. "Not necessarily. There is much I want to show you. Will you come with me out of your body?"

"As long as you make sure I get back into it before dawn. George would worry."

"Agreed." Slytherin pulled Xander from his body, waiting until the young man had adjusted to move him anywhere. Almost immediately an annoying blonde popped up. "What are you?" he asked her.

"I'm a Buffy, his best friend."

"I think we went over this already," Xander told her, frowning at her. "Salazar Slytherin, this is Buffy Summers, former Slayer and mother to Ron's triplets."

"I saw them, very powerful witches and wizard." He bowed in the best courtly manner. "If you will excuse us, we have much to do and very little time." He took Xander with him, shooting off. "This is your home glade." He pointed at the grave markers. "I see you have never been here?"

"Bill said I wouldn't like it."

"Indeed, it was not pleasant, but they were alive long enough." He pointed at them. "These are the gryphons who started your line, boy."

"I have a name."

"Sorry. Alexander." He smiled at him. "You remind me of them. I knew their parents, on both sides. They all tried to get the young to stay in the colony but they wanted to leave and see things, go exciting places. So they left, and were attacked here. The humans ripped them apart and burned their nest. They were found a few days later by her mother." Xander looked sick. "This is what you feel will happen, is it not?" Xander nodded, looking up at him. "Have humans not changed enough to escape this fate?"

"Let me show you," he said, pointing behind them. "Go to Diagon." They zoomed off again, landing outside the quidditch shop. "Did they play the game like this in your day?"

"Brooms were new in my day. I personally used a floating spell whenever I needed to go any place." He looked at the broom. "Very sleek, much better than we had. What did you want to show me?"

"Downstairs in the basement." He checked his watch. "Is it midnight or just after?"

"It is nearly one."

"Then they may still be here." He floated in and down to the basement, to the meeting of the new radical movement, the one to have his kind locked up and/or exterminated. He knew he was on their list as a dangerous specimen, and was listed as 'to be destroyed on sight'. Draco had heard and told him. "Look in their heads if you think things have changed."

"They are small."

"It only takes a few and there are plenty who won't say a word against them."

Slytherin floated over, going to touch the mind of the one the others were deferring to. He grimaced when he saw what was in her mind, pulling back and shaking his head. "She is not one of mine."

"Did you see?"

"I did." Slytherin joined him. "I had no idea that it had gotten so bad."

Xander took his hand. "Take us to Stonehenge, the sixth colony cave, if you would." They went off, landing inside the caves. The watch gryphon glanced in their direction but shook his head like he was imagining it. "Can he see us?"

"No, I have cast an obscurity spell." He looked at the young creatures, all born, laying in a tight ball. "What happened to them?"

"They're the reason I fought the Ministry last fall. They were taken and tortured by them because they were supposedly dangerous." He waved at the bodies, two less than there had been. Both of them had recovered some and had been taken back to the normal caves to be helped further. "Their families are gone, and no one's sure if they'll live. Your house has a reputation for doing things like this." Slytherin looked at him. "Even if it's not true and a lot of their captors were Ravenclaws." He shrugged. "I refuse to let my family end up here."

"I have things to help you with that," Salazar told him, taking him back to the school. "You are a very strong born, Alexander, and just as torn between my house for your abilities and Gryffindor for your nature as your acknowledged son's children are." He opened up another section of the library and walked in, waving a hand to start the lights. "This is my library from the gryphons. Some of these books have probably been lost over the centuries." He looked at the stunned human and smiled. He would have liked this one, even if he had been in Gryffindor. He did what had to be done, but didn't brag about it like most of the Gryffindors he had seen chosen. Even Godric had bragged and it had been annoying. This one settled in with calm acceptance and did what had to be done. He pulled down a particular book and floated it over. "Give your elder this one, Alexander. It may yet help some of those. By undoing their connections to their powers and helping them rebuild them it could ease some of the pain they feel."

"I'll give it to him as soon as I get up tomorrow," Xander agreed. "What do you want us to do with the rest of the library? Oh, and Iggy would kill me if I didn't ask. Did the others leave similar things? We've rescued Hufflepuff's from the sucking black hole after those fairy things took two of Draco's daughters. Are there more hidden spots?"

Slytherin laughed. "Yes, many of them. This school was built with the delight of the hunt in mind. Tell him we each left a work area and a personal library here when we left. We all left on the same day and went our separate ways because we couldn't stand to be here anymore, or in each other's presence. Godric's is minuscule, and nowhere near his tower. If the lair was caved in, then his might as well, but you are a builder. His was hidden down by the dungeons actually because he hated the sunlight in the mornings." He smirked. "Much as your Draco does." He looked up. "Ravenclaw used to stare out her window at the stars every night, thinking about what might be out there and if the other planes and dimensions attached to this one saw the same ones. I had more than this one, hiding my knowledge around the school for whatever occurrence went on so I would always have knowledge at hand. I will leave it to him to hunt them in his spare time with those clues."

"Thank you." Xander grinned. "He needs the challenge. It's not like he does anything the simple way."

"It is often that way for prodigies, then they wonder why people look at them like they are freaks of nature," he agreed. "He really should have been mine."

"His other father is a Gryff. It would have killed him."

"I understand, but still. The best potion masters should all have been mine. I had the touch for it and am the reason why it is taught here at all." He smiled and pointed at the fireplace. "Do take the stubborn one and show him the hidden panel on the back as well. Tell him it's for his daughter Minnie. She might need it some day." He started to fade out.

"Um, putting me back?" Xander suggested before he could go. "Not really used to this nearly dead thing."

"Of course," he said smoothly. He led Xander back to the other library, watching as he climbed back into himself. "Do you have a link with your mate?"

"I have one from my last bout of fighting, the lightening activated it. He's got a lover's crystal."

"Indeed," he said, sounding interested. "Very nice compensation." He waited until Xander had woken up. "Do keep your fighting to times of protecting the flock. Your personal family is your responsibility. The school at large and your colony are that of the real guardians, those two young men." He held up a hand at the opened mouth. "I will tell your mate such so he understands, but you need to shift more toward the magical attacking styles now. Compensation is wonderful, but it should not be a way of life."

Xander nodded. "Thank you."

"You are welcome. Remember, all but the second one is a library. That one is something else entirely and I am not sure you want to open it. I will talk to your flock elder and remind him to remind you often about you only protecting your personal flock. Be safe, Alexander, and guard my heirs well. I find you...worthy." He faded out.

Xander shook his head and checked his watch. It was nearly dawn. He stood up and stretched, then grabbed his leg when a cramp hit. "Ow, owowowowowowow!"

The door was pushed open. "Dear?" George said, walking in. He walked over and helped Xander back into the chair, working on the knot. "When did you find this?"

"Slytherin showed me."

"He came back?"

Xander nodded. "He said he finds me worthy," he said with a grin. The rest could wait, he could hear Iggy moving around. "The son's going to love this."

George took a look around, then frowned. "I'll get Serverus."

Xander stopped him. "Each of the decorated tiles goes to a different room, but the second one goes somewhere we might not like. The one with the book on the table needs to be found first because it's got to go to Bill for the tortured ones." George nodded. "I'm sitting right here until my leg quits hurting. Iggy will find me eventually," he said with a smile.

"All right." George gave him a kiss. "What else did he say?"

"He clarified some things. Showed me where the first couple that started my line was buried. It's east of here and back down toward the Burrow. We came to an understanding that I would protect the family and Draco and Ron could protect the school and whatnot."

George grinned at him. "Excellent news. I can agree with that." He winked. "We'll celebrate later. Let me go find the grumpy people." He walked away. "Morning, Headmaster," he said as he passed him by.

"I never knew these were so extensive," Dumbledore told him.

"Godric's is down by the dungeons, Ravenclaw could look out her office at the stars so she could think. Slytherin's got a number of these around the school." Dumbledore's mouth fell open. "I had a visitor. We chatted. I asked so Iggy wouldn't beat me for it."

"Very well then," Dumbledore said with a smile. "I'll let him find them for us." Iggy walked in and looked around in confusion. "There's more than one library it seems."

"It's like those trunks with multiple locks," Xander told him.

Iggy burst out in giggles. "Oh, this is so great. Thank you, Salazar! I'll put them to good use!" He danced over to look at the shelves, frowning. "Not potions."

"We need to find the one with the book lying out," Xander sighed as he stood up. "It needs to go to the colony." He followed everyone out. "The second one goes somewhere we might not like."

Iggy, of course, tried that one first and found an alternate doorway to Diagon. "Hey, potions is going to be easy to get stuff for now," he said happily. He walked in and looked at the general room. This was apparently a storeroom. There were piles of boxes. And mice because one ran out and squeaked in alarm. Iggy whistled, bringing one of the chicks down to take care of it. It was gobbled up readily.

Dumbledore looked at Xander. "Well, you had an interesting night. Would you care to tell me about it?" he asked, steering him away. "Why does that go somewhere uncomfortable?"

"I don't know. Oh, we've got to get Ron to open the hidden spot on the back of the fireplace. It's for Minnie."

"Very well. We can suggest that to him." He smiled. "It's odd to think of him as a nice man."

"I think he just wants to make up for all the shitbags that have gone through his house. Voldemort especially."

"Shit, snakes!" Iggy shouted, coming out of that room as fast as he could. "Fucking big ones!"

"He did talk to them," Dumbledore agreed with a smile. Now he understood.

Serverus ran in and stopped to look in the open room. "There are more?"

"Each of the decorated tiles is a different lock," Xander told him. He smirked. "We had a long discussion. He likes the Iggy monster. Told me how to find the other's libraries as well." Iggy whimpered and fell to his knees. "I'll tell you later, son, enjoy this one for a bit."

"We'll definitely need a new library," Dumbledore said happily, leading Xander back to his office for a *complete* account of his night.

***

Draco looked over as Xander shooed the students onto the train. "He really said that?" he asked again.

Xander nodded. "He really did. The potion's lab opened and in it was a door to the original one. Severus immediately claimed everything in it for himself and found a door leading back downstairs. He said it's even got a view but no sunlight. He said it's his by right because he's the teacher. He even found one of his line's cauldrons, marked with the initials. Emily was very impressed and wrote her mother a long note about the visit." He looked around, there were only a few kids trying to still get on. "Hurry up, ten minutes," he called. The conductor held up five fingers. "Five minutes," he corrected. The mad scramble started and only one kid had to run and jump on at the last moment. Xander smiled at Draco. "So, want to help me hunt the bodies this summer?"

"If you'd like." He scratched the back of his neck. He had a small sunburn from playing with Lucien outside the day before. "When did you want to leave?"

"Albus said he wants us to leave before the contractors get here. By the way, he really liked the stained-glass windows that were suggested by the new Board members. Said they'll be perfect for the new library and not damage the books, a good solution." He walked over to him. "Are you going to help us move books?"

"I thought Iggy was doing that with Percy's help," Draco said, sounding mildly interested.

"They are, but they could still use help moving the boxes down to the storage area."

Draco shook his head. "No, I don't believe so." He pulled his wand and zapped Xander, knocking him out. "I still have to teach you your lessons, young man." He picked him up, remembering his cane and wand, and sent them to his house. He already had the perfect room set up. He settled the older man into the bed and cast the spell to let him float now and then for a few hours, but he couldn't get out unless he had direct permission. He created the safe corridor to the bathroom and back, the only place Xander was allowed. Then he smirked his most evil and left.

It was fun being him.

THE END, for now.

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