—————A—————

"I think this one for Dad." Leo pointed to a small silver cauldron on the shelf, and Aurora came over to examine it.

"No," she concluded. "He has one of those. Although... I think after he started brewing for Professor Lupin—"

"Remus," Leo interjected.

"—his was worn down."

"Because you aren't supposed to use a silver cauldron that frequently."

"It gets too malleable," Aurora agreed. "So, we get him this, and then head over to Flourish and Blotts, get Mum that Charms book, and we're good."

"Agreed," Leo said, watching as Aurora grabbed the cauldron. He wandered along the wall toward the register, passing books when he paused and then backed up. A moment later, he snickered. "Have you gotten that bloke you're seeing a gift yet?"

"Er, why?" Aurora asked.

Leo slipped Grass, Bugs, and Water , a child's introduction to potions and imaginary play from the shelf. "I heard that this was about his skill level."

She rolled her eyes. "Neville's not even in Potions this year," she said, closing the distance between them and taking it from him. She slid it back onto the shelf. "And yes, I got him a gift. A nice book on the varying techniques used in Herbology around the world."

It was, admittedly, much more difficult than she made it sound to find Neville something befitting a Christmas present. It had been a bit easier with Fred. She'd asked her Muggle grandmother to send her prank candy, which she'd mixed in with some regular Muggle candy. He hadn't been able to get around to it until after his father was released from St. Mungo's, but he'd loved it. She was fairly certain a few of the simpler candies in their shop were inspired by them, if not outright Muggle.

The siblings made their purchase, then headed across the street. They were in and out of the shop relatively quickly, having been frequent patrons of the book shop since their youth.

"So," Aurora said, looking at the boarded-up shops that dotted most of the alley, "where shall we go now? Mum and Dad aren't expecting us to Floo back for another thirty minutes or so."

Leo smirked. "I wouldn't mind seeing how the dunderheads are doing with the shop."

She sighed but plastered on a grin anyway. "All right," she agreed, putting her arm around his shoulder and leading him down the alley.

It was still fairly magical, all things considered. Diagon Alley at Christmastime was nearly as impressive as many of the Muggle shops on the other side of the barrier. With the snow falling, the enchanted fairy lights on the awnings, some with garland, some with ribbon, gave a festive feeling that very nearly brought out the Christmas cheer in the pair of Snape children.

And the Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes was among the decked out, even the Fred sign was wearing a Santa hat, as well as his bunny. They could see how busy it was even from a distance.

"I would say the dunderheads are doing well," she commented.

"Yes, but I still want to go see them."

"And you will tomorrow, at Harry and Sirius'."

"Rory, it's not the same," he protested, and she frowned as he stomped his foot a bit. "I'll be your firstie kid brother there."

"And in there, you're what?"

"A friend. Former employee."

"And I go in there, do you know what that makes me?"

He pinned her with a bored look. "You have that numpty for a boyfriend now. Get over it." And then he walked away toward the store, leaving Aurora stunned for a moment.

Get over it? Get over it! What did he know? She was over Fred, completely and totally. And he was right, she did have Neville. She liked Neville, and it was going pretty well.

She squared her shoulders and marched toward the joke shop.

Aurora was stopped short by the snow falling gently inside, though it was warm inside. She thought for a moment that if Santa Claus was real, the twins' shop could have passed for the factory, the way the inside was decorated. There was even a section geared toward holiday-themed pranks.

"Rory!" Leo shouted, and Aurora turned to see him standing near the register with George. She walked over, dodging a group of rambunctious young wizards as she did. "Isn't it awesome?" he asked as she got closer.

"I have to say, I wasn't expecting this at all."

"Well, Fred and I popped into a couple toy shops in Muggle London not long before the holidays started, and we found that they really got into it over there. Thought we'd try something similar here, change some colors, add some details. Been a hit, really."

"Oi! What are you doing here, eh?" Fred's voice said behind her, and Aurora turned to see he wasn't talking to her. He also maneuvered his way through the crowd to join them, and glared at her brother, hands on his hips. "Here you are, walking in here during one of the busiest times we've had since school started, and you aren't even back to brew!"

"You could have owled me a list," Leo argued. "I probably could've brewed during class, if I asked my father politely enough."

"Probably not the best idea to have you brewing contraband, mini-Snape," George retorted.

"Regardless." Leo shrugged.

There was a slightly awkward pause in conversation. She felt eyes on her, and she peeked up to find Fred trying really hard not to look at her and utterly failing.

"We need to head home," she said suddenly. "Our parents are expecting us soon."

She ignored Leo's dramatic eye roll, and George's chuckle indicated that he'd seen said dramatic gesture. Fred turned quickly to face her.

"We'll walk you to the Leaky Cauldron," he offered. "Make sure you two get to the Floos safe. Was gonna grab some lunch anyway, weren't we, Feorge?"

"Sure were, Gred," George replied without hesitation, leading Leo out the door with his arm around the young boy's shoulder.

Fred held his hands behind his back, gesturing for Aurora to lead with a tilt of his head, and she walked toward the exit.

"And what about you?" Fred said as they stepped outside. Aurora peeked at him over her shoulder and discovered that he was a few feet away. "Leo's all set to come back and work for us. You gonna join him?"

"I don't intend to be a Hogwarts dropout," she said pointedly. "And you know that I can think of much better ways to spend my summers."

"Ah, yes, I suppose you would have Neville to entertain you," he said as he came up to walk beside her, still maintaining a healthy distance.

Aurora frowned, glancing ahead as Leo and George laughed at something, but then turned back to Fred. "Neville has nothing to do with it," she said, though there was a small part of her that wondered if he would be able to spend any of his time away from Hogwarts with her.

He'd sent a letter that told her that his grandmother had allowed the visit, but only just, and only for three hours. She took what she could get, but it did make her wonder if his grandmother would ever allow him a bit more freedom.

"Oh?" Fred asked, voice hitching higher.

"Of course not. Since starting Hogwarts, I haven't seen him outside of school. If I relied on others for amusement, then I wouldn't have survived prior to attending school. Can't exactly invite your Muggle friends to your house when your entire family is magical and practicing magic. And with regards to money, I'm not terribly worried. I'll gladly earn my keep helping Dad brew over the hols. Might not be the Galleons Leo was bringing in, but it's enough."

Fred nodded, and Aurora turned away so she wouldn't stare.

They were halfway to the Leaky when he asked, "How's being Beater?"

"It's good. I get to fly, and I get to hit things. We destroyed Hufflepuff in our first match, they traded off with Slytherin for first go. We're supposed to be facing Ravenclaw after the hols. Bit glad Ollie isn't my captain, don't imagine it would've been as fun."

"Oh yes, Ollie." Fred grinned, and George stopped in his tracks to turn around. "You knew that, didn't ya? Oliver Wood is actually Rory and Leo's uncle."

"Yeah, remember that bit," George replied, smiling. "He going to be at this big gathering tomorrow night or are we going to have to suffer through Gin's forlornness?"

Aurora rolled her eyes. "No, not that I know of."

"Don't like that he's dating her," George said thoughtfully.

"Why not?" Aurora asked.

"Always thought he was on the other team, if you know what I'm saying."

"And we don't want her to be a beard," Fred added.

"Fair enough," Aurora conceded, not really able to weigh in on it. She didn't really want to think about a family member's love life.

The conversation for the rest of the way involved little comments and anecdotes about new products, and Leo gave his opinion here and there. The twins saw them off at the Leaky's door, and Aurora and Leo went inside.

She made the mistake of glancing back, something she did and didn't want to do in equal measure.

She was disappointed to find both twins gone.

—————S—————

Severus stood by as Theodore Nott removed his silver mask and vomited just outside the gates. Despite appearing uncaring, his sympathy for the boy ran deep. Very deep.

He'd been there.

His first murder had been his father. For Theo, it had been a random Muggle. And because he was meant to be Severus' protégé, the Dark Lord thought it would be fitting for Theo to kill his first victim in the same way: Sectumsempra .

It had been a bloody mess, literally and figuratively. At first, Theo was still just getting the hang of the spell, or at least that's what Severus told the Dark Lord when the man they nabbed from somewhere, only had minor wounds that just wouldn't stop bleeding. Then Theo was a bit too enthusiastic, and while it wasn't the bloodbath Severus had made with his father, it was close.

There was the traditional holiday revel right afterwards, with all the typical activities that tended to follow. As was always the case, Severus remained a spectator and the Dark Lord had him sit to his right-hand side, making idle commentary and small talk as though there weren't Muggle-borns being assaulted and a terrible bloodbath splayed in front of them.

Theo had stood off to the side, completely unmoving, probably so deep in his Occlumency that time stood still for him. He was mechanical when Severus excused them for the evening, citing a need to return to Hogwarts before anyone noticed their absence, and Apparated them to the gate. No need for a student to know of his exception to the rule of Apparition.

When the young wizard finally managed to breathe, he croaked, "You're sick. You're sick and twisted, all of you. Knew my father was good for nothing, but this..."

"You may have noticed I wasn't among them," he deadpanned.

"No. No, you just had to teach me a spell of your own creation that—" he paused, retching with nothing more to expel, then continued. "That man was nothing more than meat. A cow for slaughter."

"And now you know how the Death Eaters work."

"I never wanted to know!" Theo raged. "I may not like Muggle-borns, or even Muggles, but I don't want to see them dead!"

"And what is the difference between a Muggle-born and a pureblood, Mr. Nott? What if the man you killed tonight had been a wizard that you didn't know? Would you have been able to tell the difference? The women and men they use for pleasure, how can you tell that they're Muggle-borns? I believe at least one of them was a half-blood. And yes, Mr. Nott, before you get anymore self-righteous on me, I do know who most of them were and I did not stop it. Doing so would be monumentally stupid. Now, curse me out all you must, but using that spell, brutal though it may be, did not damage your soul anywhere near the degree an Unforgivable would."

"But I am damaged. I am a murderer. How can I look—" he stopped, collected himself and realized what he was doing. He Vanished the mess he made, standing straight, squaring his shoulders.

Severus pursed his lips. "You're wondering how you can face Mr. Zabini and Miss Greengrass knowing the blood that stains your hands?" he asked, and he watched Theo flinch and nod. "After I was made to murder my father the same way you killed that Muggle this evening, I returned to find Professor H. waiting for me, leaving me no time to think of how I could face her again as a killer. It's never gotten easier, but with time, I have come to accept that she will still love me, regardless. They don't need to know, but if you tell them, don't withhold a single bit of the truth. Don't hide behind half honesty."

Theo stared at him, calculating. "Does Aurora know?"

"Yes. And Leonidas."

"So, your whole family—"

"Yes," Severus said firmly.

"To be frank, sir, I can't stand to look at you right now."

"Most can't." He gestured toward the castle. "Go. The password to the prefects' bathroom is mermaid tail. None of them are here for the hols, so you might as well take advantage."

Theo nodded and started walking back to the castle.

Severus remained outside, wondering if there was much point to heading inside. Hermione and the children were at the cottage. With only Theo and a couple first years at the castle for the holidays, Minerva had asked Rolanda to keep an eye on them while Severus had a holiday away from the castle. Dumbledore should have been the one to approve such a thing, but it seemed all the administration work had been passed down to his deputy.

As Mr. Nott vanished inside, Severus Apparated into his backyard.

It was snowing there, casting an enchanting glow on the house dotted with fairy lights.

He watched through the window as Hermione, Aurora, and Leonidas puttered around in the kitchen, making cookies. And of course, because the children couldn't use their wands to help, Hermione was doing it the Muggle way, which meant there was flour in her hair and on her clothes, same as their daughter, while their son somehow still looked pristine.

It occurred to Severus, though not for the first time, how much they were not children anymore. A boy just a few months older than his daughter killed a stranger for the pleasure of a madman not four hours earlier. She had faced down his "comrades" and done so admirably. His son was starting to understand the intricacies of the politics that hung over his life like a dark cloud, and the risks associated with having a Muggle-born friend.

Yet here in this moment, he could pretend that they were normal children, enjoying the holidays with their parents, making cookies with their mother.

Aurora looked up just then and startled momentarily before giving him a small smile and a wave. She went back to assisting without saying a word, as though she knew he needed to be an observer, to savor this memory. It could very well be their last normal holiday. It didn't matter the horrors and atrocities of the evening. Severus pushed that aside to etch this scene into his mind to cherish in the inevitable dark times ahead, to get him through it.

When he had his fill, and the chill began to get to him, he finally went inside.

—————H—————

In the spirit of the holidays, peace on Earth and all that rot, Hermione was the one waiting with Aurora for the Longbottoms to come through the Floo.

Severus was at Grimmauld Place, sharing a drink with Sirius, Alastor, and Minerva; Leo was probably tucked away in the library there; and since the Weasleys were arriving as she and Aurora were leaving, she assumed that it was now chaos over there.

But their home was quiet, with Aurora silently sitting on the other end of the sofa, appearing deep in thought. It was nearly suffocating, without any holiday cheer except for the Yule tree in the corner.

"So," she said into the silence, seeing Aurora lift her head a bit, "have you thought much on what you want to do after Hogwarts?"

Aurora groaned. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"Because it's important," Hermione retorted, turning to face her daughter head on. Aurora continued to look ahead, but Hermione went on anyway. "You might still have two years left, but after this year, you can limit or increase your course load as you see fit and gear it to the career of your choice. I know you'll qualify anyway, but the matter of principal is, should you want to be an Auror, you need N.E.W.T.-level Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts..." She got no response from Aurora, who stared at her fingers in her lap. "A Curse-Breaker? You would need Runes and Arithmancy for that." Nothing. "Perhaps a Ministry official? It's always good to be prepared with an area you'd like to be in. For instance, Muggle relations. I know you haven't taken Muggle Studies, but there's always—"

"What's the point?" Aurora snapped.

"Aurora—" she started to scold but stopped when her daughter lifted her hand.

"There's a war."

"I'm aware."

"So, has it ever occurred to you or Dad or anyone that some of us may not have the luxury of pointing our wands at a board and choosing a path because the world is our oyster? Mum, I'm a Death Eater's daughter. But I'm also Harry's friend, and to be frank, I have no intention of abandoning him. I was already seen at the Ministry; how long do you think before anyone at that battle figures out who I am? Dad said the Dark Lord wanted Draco—"

"How did you know—?"

"I have ears, and I use them. You and Dad have a tendency to forget that just because I should be in bed doesn't mean that I am."

Hermione sighed, nodding.

Aurora sighed too, rubbing her forehead. "I can't think of 'after Hogwarts' because my place in all of this has made it impossible to know what comes next. All I know is I don't want to be a potions mistress, and I don't want to go into teaching." She flopped her head back on the couch. "And I am not going to go work for Fred and George."

"What in the world makes you say that?" Hermione asked, glad to have something to break the tension a bit.

"They offered."

The Floo flared before Hermione had a chance to ask more, and Neville emerged, followed shortly by his grandmother.

Augusta Longbottom looked around the cottage, her uncertainty transparent before her eyes fell on Aurora.

"We will be here, young lady, to take you through to St. Mungo's at 1pm," she said, looking down her nose at Aurora.

"Yes, ma'am."

"I don't tolerate tardiness of any kind, for any reason," she said sternly, and Aurora nodded again. "So, when I come back through to retrieve Neville, I expect him to be waiting for me. One o'clock."

"Of course," Aurora said, and only at Augusta's nod did Neville step away from her.

The woman turned her sharp gaze to Hermione. "Mrs. Snape, I trust that there will be a chaperone with them at all times?"

Hermione's brow arched. "They'll be with friends, and there'll be a plethora of adults around. You have nothing to worry about."

"Good." And without another word, she left.

Hermione's shoulders sagged, and she chuckled as she noticed both teenagers did the same. "I can understand why it was a tossup between her and Severus for your boggart, Neville. She's a fearsome woman."