Hello all. I'm back with another update. I'm trying to get back into writing. I just have writer's block. This quarantine has given me more time to rest than I normally have. I'm still working, (I'm an emergency veterinarian at a 24 hour facility), but with social distancing and stores closed, I'm home more than usual. Hopefully, I'll continue to use this time to write.

I hope all of you are staying safe right now. Don't panic. Just use common sense with keeping yourself safe and WASH YOUR HANDS.

ON WITH THE SHOW!

This chapter had a mind of its own, and it de-railed quickly. Bear with me.

The last week of the semester flew by quickly with little trouble. Narcissa was anxious about the upcoming trip to Gringott's. In her heart she knew something was wrong. The other children had clearly all aged, but Harrison didn't seem to have grown at all. She wanted to just nurture him and enjoy him being this young and tiny, but she knew it wasn't right. She almost wished that the Goblins would tell them that Harrison needed to grow up naturally again, but that wouldn't be fair. It wasn't fair to Harrison, and it wasn't fair to Severus. The man she claimed for a little brother had waited so long already for his mate, and it would be cruel to make him wait for Harrison to completely grow up normally again.

She hadn't slept well all week. She was kept up by her ramblings and un-ending thoughts/worries over Harrison. Most nights, she would wander into the nursery to watch him slumber before finally crawling into bed with him to hold him tight. Tomorrow was Saturday, and they would finally go back to the Goblin healers. She had taken Harrison to Poppy multiple times, and all she could tell was that Harrison was a small, but healthy three-year old.

The next morning, Narcissa looked wrecked as she carried Harrison to the dining room for breakfast. Severus and Lucius shared a worried expression as she sat with him in her lap. Lucius tried to reach for Harrison as he spoke, "Good morning, dear. Why don't you let me take care of our little one this morning? You look like you could a few extra hours of sleep. I can call Gringott's to let them know we will be delayed until the afternoon."

Narcissa, overtired, overreacted as she squeezed Harrison tight to her chest, "I don't think so! I've been waiting all week for this. We won't put it off any longer! I need to make sure my baby is ok, Luc. I won't be able to sleep until then."

Lucius knew better than to argue with Narcissa. She was a Black witch after all. He simply patted her hands over Harrison's back and kissed her temple as he calmly replied, "As you wish. We will have a quick breakfast and then head to the Goblins."

Severus knew that Narcissa would need to relinquish her hold of Harrison to get ready, but he knew that if he or any other adult tried to take Harrison away, Narcissa might yell again. He turned towards his slightly older son and whispered, "Freddie, I have a dangerous mission for you. Cissy needs to get ready, but she's been adamant about keeping Harrison within her arms lately. You need to use that Slytherin cunning of yours to get her to hand him over to you. Once you have him, bring him to the nursery. I will be waiting to bathe him and get him ready for the day. Lucius will take care of your aunt. Do you think you can do that?"

Fred smiled and nodded his head, "I'll give it my best shot. I'll include George to be sure to tug on her heart strings. We'll lure her in with our puppy eyes. Give us ten minutes to solidify the plan and back-up plans."

Severus chuckled and kissed the side of Fred's head, "That's my boy. I'm not sure how you ever got sorted into Gryffindor."

George answered this time, "That's easy. Survival instincts kicked in, and we knew we had to outsmart the old hat."

Fred reached around their father to smack the back of George's head, "Ha, as if!. I went first. I threatened the hat to place us in Gryffindor or be burned. He seemed offended, but then I just explained why we needed to be in Gryffindor. He said that we were made for Slytherin, but he forgave my brash threat since we were surrounded and raised by so many Gryffindors. Looking back, that old hat was very smug. You think he knew this was going to happen?"

George laughed, "Definitely, Gred! It's MAAAGGGIIIC! That makes sense as to why you were almost a hat stall, and it chose so quickly for me. You had already threatened the poor old cloth."

Severus laughed out loud at the antics of his twins and he pulled them close for a brief hug. He thought briefly to how different his life was now. He was casually hugging two teenage boys that he loved with all of his being. He silently thanked Lady Magic for turning his life this way. He wasn't going soft though. Just because he loved his family and showed a little familiarity behind closed doors, didn't mean he was going to become a bleeding Hufflepuff. He was still the formidable greasy (although not really that greasy anymore) potion's master to the public.

After breakfast, Fred and George walked confidently up to Narcissa. They pulled out her chair as she stood with Harrison, and they greeted her with much enthusiasm. Narcissa smiled warmly at the twins, returned their greeting, and made to walk around them, "Excuse me, boys. Harrison and I need to get ready for the day."

Fred nudged George forward, and he gave his best puppy eyes, "Of course, it was just that we haven't had much chance to spend time with little Harrison lately. We were hoping that we could take him off your hands for a little while this morning. Daddy will be able to get him ready for Gringott's."

Fred noticed that Narcissa clamped down a little on their target a little harded, so he added his best puppy eyes too, "Please, Aunt Cissa. This way, you and Harrison can get ready at the same time, and we will get to the bank a little faster."

That seemed to do the trick. Lucius gave a sign of approval behind Narcissa's back as he stepped up and wrapped an arm around her, "Let the twins have Harrison for a little while. We'll get you ready, and then he will be back in your arms for a bit. You look like you could use a little pampering or a nice soak in the tub before we go."

Narcissa relented, "Very well. I guess I could spend a little time to refresh this morning." Then she turned to Fred and George, "Are you sure that you can handle getting him ready?"

Fred made a gesture of crossing his fingers over his heart while George replied, "Yes, Auntie. Dad will make sure the little guy is ready."

At that, Harrison let out a squeal of happiness, "Alpha!"

She reluctantly handed him over, "Alright. If you need anything, please come and get me."

Lucius then guided her away with a thumbs up over his shoulder to the twins.

Fred set Harrison on the ground, and spoke mysteriously, "Alrght ickle Harrikins. Let's race up to the nursery. Dad's waiting on you. Last one there is a rotten…"

He didn't get a chance to finish his statement because Harrison suddenly started FLYING through the house. Fred stood there dumbstruck, while George chased after him, shouting, "Harrison, wait! Fred, come on! What if he falls?!"

Harrison went giggling all the way into his stunned mates' arms. Severus caught the squealing child as he flew into Severus's bedroom and tried to mask his surprise, "Did you just FLY?"

Harrison hugged him hard and nodded his head as Fred and George came barreling into the room. They each gave a sigh of relief to see that their little charge was safe in their father's arms. In return, Severus raised a lethal eyebrow to his sons and icily asked, "What have you done?"

They eeped, "Nothing. We swear!"

He squinted at them skeptically, "You haven't given him any experimental potions or anything to make him float?"

George swore, "No, Dad! Honest! We'd never experiment on Harrison."

Fred added, "Yea, we'll save that for Regulus."

The following growl from the hallway made Fred's eyes go wide. Severus smirked, "You'd better go make nice with the mutts now. I need to have a word with my little mate."

Fred and George left to go smooth things over with Remus and Sirius, and they promised that they would never give Regulus anything experimental without prior permission. Meanwhile Severus was having a conversation about accidental magic and safety concerns with flying. He forbade Harrison from flying without a broom until he was much older and able to better make decisions on his own.

Soon the family was stepping into the vast and grand entrance hall at Diagon Alley's branch of Gringott's. Narcissa was once again holding Harrison, but she looked a little more refreshed. It's a wonder what magic can do. A goblin named Rignak would be assisting them today, and they followed him back to the healing chambers.

Narcissa relayed their situation, and soon the scannings were underway. All of the children were perfectly healthy, and most of them seemed to be aging like normal. The head goblin healer addressed the family, "Nothing seems amiss. All of the children are healthy. Draconis is currently 11 years old. Regulus, Drusilla, and Rabastan are currently 8 years old, and Harrison is currently 3 years old."

Narcissa cried and picked Harrison back up while Lucius addressed the Goblin, "Yes. That is the exact problem. The children were all de-aged by some mystery potion three weeks ago. We were seen by a goblin healer who said that the children would age 1 year per week. Everyone but Harrison is aging at that rate. Harrison hasn't aged at all."

The Goblin healer scratched his chin and shook his head, "I see your concern, but there is no reason to fret. You were informed that the child inspected would age 1 year per week, but Harrison was never examined. You extrapolated that all of the children would age at the same rate, but all of the children were not contaminated in the same means. Harrison ingested the potion while the others just inhaled it."

Lucius nodded his head, "But what does this mean for my youngest? How soon will he be 14 again?"

The goblin gave an eery sharp-toothed grin, "He will be 14 again in 11 years."

The hall was completely silent except for the different sounds of disbelief from the family. Severus was the first to answer, "You mean to tell me that I have to wait 14 more years for him to be of age?! Merlin be damned. There has to be another way."

The goblin kept the toothy grin as he replied calmly, "There is."

Lucius was tiring of the Goblin's games, "Well don't leave us waiting. What is this other way?! My son cannot grow up again, no matter how dismal his first childhood was. He deserves to grow up with his siblings and cousins as the same age."

The goblin replied, "Very well. You may administer an aging potion, but it can only be given every three to four weeks. Be warned, that it is not always easy, especially if his first childhood was as dire as you claim. Every three weeks, you will administer the potion. The child will age 1 year at a time. When he wakes up, his body will be exactly as it was when he turned that age the first time, including any ailments/injuries. It can be quite painful to grow that much all at once."

Narcissa was silently crying and holding Harrison tight. Lucius put an arm around both of them and sadly questioned, "So those are our options? Let him grow up normally again or give him an aging potion every three weeks that will have unknown ramifications?"

"Yes."

Severus walked up to Lucius, Narcissa, and Harrison and gently cupped his little mates face, "Let him grow up again. I can't handle the thought of him being in pain or going through the misery of his past twice. I can wait forever to be with him as long I still get to have him around."

The family started to argue about which option they should choose. Some thought Harrison should choose, and others thought he was too young to make such an important decision.

Severus was the one to end the argument, "Regardless of which route we choose, it takes 24 hours to brew the aging potion. I can start on it today, and we won't have to decide until then. There is nothing more to be done here, so let's go home."

They all made the trek back home a little more somber than they were before, but at least they knew Harrison was happy. Narcissa was still in overbearing protective Momma bear mode, and she tried to sequester Harrison away all day again. The other children were all going out to play in the snow, and Harrison wanted to join them.

Narcissa was going to insist that he stay with her, "I don't know, baby. All of the other children are so much older and bigger. Isn't it better that you stay here with Momma?"

Harrison was torn. He wanted to go outside with his siblings, but he also didn't want to hurt his Momma's feelings. He was saved by his Daddy, "Dear, let the little one go outside and play with his siblings and cousins. There are plenty of eyes to help watch over him. You can't coddle him forever."

Narcissa relented, "Fine, I'm just going to layer him up and place a warming charm on him to be sure that he's warm enough." Then she looked at her other two children, "Draco, Luna, darlings, everyone line up so I can cast a warming charm on all of you. I don't want any of you getting sick."

The children all humored her, and then they were all running to play outside.

Narcissa was thoughtful and melancholy as she watched, from the window, the children playing in the snow. She was so worried about her baby. She watched on as the others had a snowball fight and made snow angels. They were all gentle with Hadrian. She continued watching as they tired of those games and suddenly dispersed.

Fred, Harrison, and Draco didn't run off like the others. Draco turned and closed his eyes, and Narcissa realized that they must have switched to playing hide and seek. Draco was the one to seek first because he was silently counting and hiding his eyes. Fred and Harrison didn't run and hide though. She watched a myriad of emotions go through both of their faces. Harrison was disappointed, then sad, then curious, then happy. She smiled at the thought of whatever Fred had told him to stave off that little tantrum, and she watched Fred's worried expression morph into one of relief as they started to make a large snowball.

Narcissa watched as they made their snowman. Fred had accio'ed some of his father's things, and they used a stick to make it appear as if the cloak was billowing. She laughed at the resemblance of the snowman to her little brother and imagined what his reaction would be.

Fred was wonderful at keeping Harrison distracted and entertained while the older children all played their game of hide and seek. Two bright patches of red stood out in the stark white yard as the two eldest red heads walked calmly out to where Fred and Harrison were making their snowman. Harrison squealed when Bill and Charlie approached them, and the elder redheads took turns greeting Harrison before they gave Fred some attention too. Harrison was happily ensconced in his big brother's arm when Bill and Charlie, always the responsible older brothers, shooed Fred away to go and play with the rest of the children. She watched as they catered to Harrison and made improvements to the snow man potion's master.

From here, Bill and Charlie looked very similar, but Narcissa could note some minor differences. Bill had a more rugged look. He was about ½" taller, and he was broader than Charlie. Charlie was lithe in every way, and Narcissa could see his pureblood heritage and bone structure despite being a Weasley. Charlie blended into her family well, even with his bright red hair. If he was blonde, he would look as if he were actually Lucius and Narcissa's child. He was pale and had striking blue eyes.

Watching the boys, she noted Bill was also more serious than Charlie. She pondered if that was because Bill had a larger role in raising Charlie and the others. They were both all Alpha, but Charlie had an easier time with other authoritative figures than Bill. Charlie had no problem with the line of command in their new family, while Bill still bucked some under the authority of his new father-in-law/Dad. Narcissa and Lucius both noted this, so they weren't strict with Bill. Not that they really needed to be. He technically was a grown man, and he was very mature and responsible. They both were. Charlie had loosened up since being around them. She could see where the twins learned some of their mischief from Charlie. She hoped that providing love and a supportive environment would mellow out Bill like it had Charlie. She hoped their family would be able to relieve some burden from him and allow him to act his true age now, rather than a parent to his siblings.

To hell with traditional staunchy pureblood behavior. Narcissa wanted her family to be happy now. They'd lived long enough under the pressures of society, and all it brought her was a broken family and sadness. Now, they were more relaxed and repairing broken relationships/bonds. She wasn't under any delusion that she didn't treat her children a little younger than they were. She was making up for lost time. Bill and Charlie could both benefit from that. As long as her family maintained social graces in public, who cared how they acted in private? She wished they'd always lived this way and that all of the Weasley's had grown up with them.

She was suddenly struck with inspiration! Charlie was finished with school, and he wasn't due to start back at Hogwarts until the students went back in the middle of January. They had three weeks at home. Bill was due for a vacation. He had two weeks off for the holidays, and she was sure they could convince him to take an extra week off to stay home with the family. Before she told the boys her plan, she needed to clear it with the rest of the adults.

Lucius watched his wife as she peered out of the window observing the children. He perked up as he noticed her mood brighten, and he braced himself for whatever idea she just had. She looked sure of herself, and he knew this would be one of those times that a Black witch got her way….or else. He chose to embrace this head-on. He smirked and tried to butter her up a little, "What is going through your beautiful mind, my dear?"

Narcissa rolled her eyes at him fondly before she sobered up and answered, "We should de-age Charlie and Bill."

Lucius frowned. That is not what he was expecting, and he knew that it was not possible. They were fully-functioning adults with careers, and it would be selfish of them to take those things away. He hesitated, "Cissa…"

Narcissa pressed on, "Hear me out, Lucius. I don't want to permanently de-age them. Just for the holiday."

Lucius relaxed and laughed, "Thank Merlin. You made me nervous for a second."

He still wasn't quite sure, "Cissa, I don't know if this is a good idea still. I know you want to make them happy and show that you love them, but you can't just de-age everyone to make everything better. All of the other children are already de-aged."

Narcissa huffed, "That's not true. The twins are their natural age. You act like it's a bad thing to want to help them. Like we intentionally de-aged all of the children trying to fix them. We didn't. It started as an accident, and we are making the most of the situation. The only one that wasn't an accident is Little Rabastan, and he chose himself to be de-aged, so don't tell me it's not a good idea."

Lucius held his hands up in surrender, "Fine. Fine, fiery witch. We shall ask Charlie if he would like to spend some time younger for the holiday, but we cannot force him. We also cannot bring the option up to Bill without Rod and Bella's approval. As much as you want to take care of everyone, Bill is theirs first and foremost."

Narcissa smiled like the cat that got the canary, "That's all I ask. Let's go and speak with Bella!"

She cast one more longing look at Bill, Charlie, and Harrison before leading Lucius to Rod's study. Like a woman on a mission, she entered without knocking. Lucius smirked at the scene that met them while Narcissa blushed and shielded her eyes.

Bellatrix also blushed deeply from her position over her husband's knee. Luckily, or possibly more embarrassing (as they were seeing her punished) this wasn't a sexy spanking, so she didn't have a costume on, and there were no sex toys displayed. She was fully clothed except for her exposed, slightly red bottom sticking up over Rodolphus's lap.

He paused briefly to address whoever had rudely entered his study without preamble. He gave Narcissa a single raised eyebrow and addressed her, "It's improper to enter an occupied room without so much as knocking, Cissy. If it happens again, I might have to give you a little taste of what Trixie is currently receiving."

Narcissa politely apologized and kept her eyes averted. She offered to come back at a more convenient time, but Rodolphus declined, "Nonsense. This is just a bit of discipline. We're very nearly done, and then we can address whatever is so urgent that you barged in here."

Bellatrix complained from her position and tried to get up, but Rodolphus just held her down, "Don't move, witch. You've earned this spanking, and you're going to get it, regardless of present company. A little humility may do you some good after all."

Lucius couldn't hold in his snort. Him and Bellatrix had always had a rivalrous brother-sister relationship. He was amused at the prospect of seeing her chastised. Rodolphus glared at him with a no-nonsense look, "Keep it up, little brother, and you can also get a taste."

Lucius straightened up quickly, "I apologize. We'll just sit over here and wait quietly."

Rodolphus inclined his head at them and turned back to the upturned bottom over his lap. He rubbed briefly before addressing his recalcitrant wife, "Trixie, I apologize for the intrusion, but this makes no difference. You know why you're getting this spanking, and you've definitely earned it. I won't disclose the reason you're being disciplined to present company, but I won't end the spanking prematurely either, understand?"

Bellatrix, embarrassed, sniffled out, "Yes, Rod. Please just get it over with."

Without further ado, he brought his hand down firmly. Rodolphus continued raining hard methodical smacks on his wife's bottom and sit spots until she started to squirm. Narcissa seemed very uncomfortable, but Lucius just held her hand and comforted her. Narcissa had not been at the receiving end of a spanking since she was much younger. She'd never given Lucius reason to discipline her, and she hoped that she never would. The last time her father spanked her, she was 19. She didn't know how she felt about being threatened a spanking from Rodolphus. He'd never been around for the majority of her adult life, and she didn't realize, until this moment, that he was also her head of house. She wasn't Veela, but she didn't think that made a difference to the strict alpha if his threat was anything to go by.

Bellatrix's whimpers turned into cries and then sobs before the spanking finally stopped. He held her over his lap rubbing her hot bottom until she calmed down, then he gently helped her up. Luckily, she was wearing a dress today, so her modesty was somewhat recovered when she stood and her dress fell flat. Rodolphus stood and took her hand and led her to the corner. She made one sound of protest, and he gave her a few more firm spanks and deposited her in the corner. He sternly spoke, "For that, you will stand on display for five minutes to calm down and think about your behavior. Do not move until I fetch you."

Then he walked away from her sniffling in the corner with her dress hiked up to expose her very red punished bottom, and her hands folded behind her back.

Rodolphus, Lucius, and Narcissa made small talk for five minutes before he released her from the corner. Narcissa kept subtly glancing at her older sister in the corner. She'd always known that Rodolphus had a strict hand with her, but it was different to see it in action. Finally, Rodolphus brought Bellatrix back to deposit her into his lap, and she blushed when she looked at her younger sister and brother-in-law.

A knock at the door broke the awkward tension in the room, and all eyes turned to Severus as he billowed in. He, at least knocked, even if he didn't wait to be invited in. Rodolphus scowled briefly. He stopped abruptly as he felt all eyes on him, and he stared back trying to assess the tension in the room. He noticed Bellatrix, shamefaced and teary-eyed, on Rodolphus's lap. Narcissa was flushed and averting her eyes while Lucius looked smug. Rodolphus's face was schooled, and, like usual, he wasn't giving away any emotion.

Severus briefly considered his seating options. An open chair right next to the chair Bellatrix and Rodolphus were sharing or a vacant seat next to Lucius on the sofa. He didn't know what to make of the tension in the room still, so he chose the safer option….next to his older brother. He sat next to Lucius and subconsciously leaned closer to him as if to provide some protection and support before he spoke/whispered to him, "Luci…is this some kind of intervention? What have I done this time?"

They all laughed boisterously, except Severus, who was even more flustered now. He tried to keep his facial expressions schooled, but it was hard around his family. To the outside world, he was snarky and independent, but to his big brother and sister, he was their first charge, and he would always be precious in their eyes. Lucius and Narcissa had always taken care of him while Bellatrix had always set him on edge. Rodolphus seemed very strict, but calm, and he wasn't sure how to take the man just yet. His relationship with his new "older siblings" (Bellatrix and Rodolphus) was still unfamiliar and precarious, Lucius and Narcissa were his rocks.

Lucius was still in a teasing mood, but Rodolphus, ever the older brother and caregiver, took sympathy of the youngest of them, "Take a deep breath, littlest brother. You aren't in trouble, and we're not here to discuss your misdeeds."

Severus slumped in relief, and Rodolphus raised an eyebrow and added, "Unless there's something you need to confess."

Severus's eyes widened slightly, and he immediately shook his head in the negative. Rodolphus narrowed his eyes skeptically, but he didn't press any further. Lucius wrapped an arm around both Severus and Narcissa and spoke teasingly to Bellatrix, "Have no fear, Bella, we won't mention anything about what we witnessed, and it's already forgotten. Now, Cis-

Severus interrupted suddenly intrigued, "Wait! What did you witness? What did I miss?"

Lucius hushed him, "Shh. Sev, it's rude to interrupt when adults are speaking."

Severus rolled his eyes and huffed, but he refrained from saying anything. He refused to admit he was acting childishly. Something about Lucius just brought out the more immature emotions in him.

Lucius smirked and continue, "Now as I was saying before I was interrupted by our baby brother. Cissy has something she wanted to discuss with you two regarding Bill and Charlie."

Severus huffed again and crossed his arms (definitely not pouting), "Oh. Discuss with those two, huh? Why am I even here if you didn't want to include me in the conversation? Why not just put me down for a nap with the rest of the children instead?"

Lucius narrowed his eyes and dryly said, "You're about to be reprimanded like child if you don't lose the attitude. I was just teasing you at first. What's wrong?"

Severus scoffed, "Nothing."

Rodolphus didn't like the attitude, but he was more worried about Severus and whatever was clearly bothering him right now. Narcissa's eyes were soft as she assessed Severus, "Sev, baby brother, what's eating at you right now?"

Rodolphus saw his expression before he exploded, but he wasn't able to provide damage control before it happened. Severus let forth some raw magic, and the light bulbs in the room blew up casting the room in darkness. Rodolphus quickly lit all of the backup candles with a swish of his hand, but even the ascent into darkness didn't stop Severus's tirade.

He was now standing and gesticulating everything that had been pent up inside: worry about the children, about Harrison, about his unknown assailant, about stressing over the assailant coming back for the children, about always being treated as the baby brother, as a child. He was in his 30's damnit!

Rodolphus's spanking hand itched, but he gave Lucius a second to address the reproachful behavior first. Rodolphus may be the head of the family, but Lucius had always been Severus's guiding light. Rodolphus was curious when Lucius calmly sent off a Patronus to parts unknown. Lucius then just raised a stern, elegant eyebrow and nodded his head in the direction of the corner.

Severus's expressed blanched briefly before he hardened his resolve and steadfastly refused. Narcissa tried to diffuse the situation, "It's ok, Lucius. Sev is just overwhelmed and stressed out. He didn't mean anything by his outburst. Don't get too upset over this."

Severus, already lost in his rage, saw red at Narcissa trying to defend him, "Quiet, you interfering witch! Even now you try to defend me, Narcissa. I don't need your protection. I'm not a frail child anymore, and I don't need your coddling."

During his outburst, he didn't notice the two figures coming out of the floo. He jumped when he heard his adoptive mother scolding him, "Severus Tobias Dumbledore Prince! How dare you speak to Narcissa that way! Apologize, right now, young man!"

Severus turned in bewilderment and embarrassment in response to being scolded by his pseudo mother in front of Rodolphus and Bellatrix. He was used to being reprimanded in front of Lucius and Narcissa by the stern Scottish witch. After all, there was a reason, Albus and Minerva were the grandparents to their children.

Rodolphus looked between Severus and the two disapproving figures that had just floo'ed in (Minerva and Albus), and he watched the scene unfold. He looked smug, and it irked Severus further.

Severus thought briefly, 'in for a penny, in for a pound. They're going to kill me anyway, so I might as well leave a mark.', before he continued his tirade. Albus's concerned grandfatherly eyes morphed to disappointed rage before he silenced his adopted younger son, "Severus, that's enough."

He grabbed the younger dark-haired man by the ear and dragged him to the corner that Lucius had previously directed him to as he lectured, "You will stay here until you have calmed down and are ready to discuss what's bothering you like the adult you claim to be."

Then Albus walked away. He transfigured a big soft couch for him and Minerva to sit on, and he ignored the pouting man in the corner. Severus started to talk, but Albus just applied a silencing charm, "Ah ah! People in corners do not speak."

Narcissa watched Severus with sad, worried eyes. Albus spoke to the remaining adults, "Hello, everyone. Lucius, thank you for sending for me. It seems this was long overdue. Now let's have a nice discussion, so that we can move to more pleasant things and spend some time with the children."

Lucius spoke up, "As I was trying to say earlier, Narcissa has an idea concerning Bill and Charlie that she'd like to discuss."

Narcissa and Bellatrix both straightened up and immediately forgot about their previous embarrassment and drama. Their children were their first priority, and a little shame didn't matter as much as their children. Rodolphus smirked in approval at Lucius for steering the conversation to something productive so quickly while Narcissa gushed, "It's Christmas break, and this is our first Christmas all together as a family. We have three weeks off of work and school to spend with everyone including Bill and Charlie. Since most of our children are de-aged anyway, I thought we could offer de-aging to Bill and Charlie as well for the break. I'd like to spoil them and provide them the opportunity to be children without all of the responsibility this time."

Bellatrix looked giddy at the idea of having another little one to care for, and Rodolphus didn't see any problems with it either. "I think it's a marvelous idea. Why don't we call them in here to discuss their options?"

The house elf was sent to bring the two eldest red heads to the study. They knocked and waited for an invitation to enter. Upon entering, Rodolphus praised them, "Ah. Finally, someone with proper manners. Thank you, young men, for knocking and waiting for acknowledgment to enter. Please come in and have a seat."

Slightly confused, Bill and Charlie entered the study. When they came fully into the room, they noticed Severus with his nose in a corner, and they both immediately froze in question and slight embarrassment at seeing their ex-potion's master turned uncle being punished like a child in the corner.

Albus waved his hand, "Never mind him. He's earned this. I'm just sorry we didn't have presence of mind to remove him from the room first. Let's keep this between us please."

Charlie nodded while Bill answered, "Yes, Headmaster."

Rodolphus reminded Charlie to answer verbally, and he echoed Bill, "Yes, Headmaster."

Albus smiled with his grandfatherly eyes, "Nonsense, boys. Call me Grandpa now. I insist, and Minnie is to Grandma or Nana."

Bill and Charlie both flushed, "Yes, sir, Grandpa."

They assessed the room and noted that there were only two seats remaining, one next to Rodolphus and the other next to Lucius. They split and sat by their new respective father figures. Lucius placed a hand on Charlie's shoulder in greeting, and Charlie leaned towards him slightly, but he otherwise didn't make any sound. Bill spoke up to Rodolphus, "You wanted to see us, sir?"

Rodolphus brought up the conversation they were just having, "Yes, son. It's come to our attention that you and Charlie didn't have the best childhood. This is our first Christmas together as a family, and we'd like to make it as special as possible. We have quite some time together to spend in the manor, and we were wondering if you'd like to relive your childhood to an extent. We could de-age you and allow you to spend some time in a younger mindset for the holiday if you wish."

Bill and Charlie both seemed skeptical. Neither answered for a minute, then Charlie looked at his parents and spoke, "I don't know. With everything going on right now, this might not be the best time. All of the kids are de-aged and defenseless. We haven't decided yet what we're going to do about Harrison. We don't know who attacked Uncle Severus and what ramifications or dangers that will entail. Plus, Draco is having a hard time of this as it is. I don't think he would cope well if his alpha was suddenly de-aged. I think I'd like to stay my actual age."

Narcissa looked at him proudly and cupped his cheek, "Oh, sweetheart, don't think about anyone else. Let us be the adults right now. You shouldn't have to worry about those things. This is why we want to offer you this experience, so you can be a child without all of these worries."

Bill sheepishly spoke, "Charlie's right. We are both powerful wizard's, and it would be very selfish to allow ourselves to be de-aged right now. There is too much to worry about. I've come to terms with my childhood. It made me who I am today, and I think it's gotten me pretty far."

Minerva spoke up next, "Right you are, William. I've watched you and Charlie grow from young cubs to strong, powerful, courageous Lions."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes, "Enough with the Gryffindor sentimentality. With that said, you are both fine young men. We are happy you're both in our family now. Why don't you take the day to think it over and tell us your answer after dinner?"

Bill nodded and then quickly remembered to answer, "Ok, mother. We can think on it a little. Can I make a request?"

Bellatrix took his hand and squeezed gently, "Anything, Bill."

Bill smiled back at her and spoke, "This actually pertains to Uncle Severus. Could he join our conversation briefly?"

Albus and Lucius shared a silent conversation before Lucius stood and went to address Severus. He walked closed and spoke quietly in the man's ear. Severus nodded stiffly, and then followed Lucius back to the sitting area. His face was slightly pink in embarrassment for his outburst and in chastised in front of everyone, including his former students turned nephews.

Severus went to reclaim his seat, but Charlie was now sitting there. A brief sweep across the room told him that all of the chairs except for Rod's desk chair were taken, and he wasn't brave enough to sit there yet. He wouldn't have hesitated sitting there if they were in Lucius's study.

Lucius got a wicked gleam in his eye as he noticed Sev's deliberation, and then he quickly pulled the man to sit on his lap. Severus squawked and tried to stand up immediately, but Lucius and Narcissa were holding him down. He put up a token fight and then settled quickly with a slight pout.

The other adults were amused to see this side of the usually dour potion's master, but they tried to mask their emotions to prevent him some embarrassment.

Bill, bless him, dove right back the conversation, "Uncle Severus, with all of this talk about de-aging, I think it would be a good idea to allow George to be de-aged. The twins never got enough attention, and George is especially sensitive."

Charlie smiled, "Bill's right. Freddie has always been the more dominant. I think it would be really beneficial for George to be allowed to be younger for a while."

Severus thought it over briefly, "I will talk to the twins tonight. If it is amenable, then I will begin the brews tonight so that they can be taken before bed."

Albus twinkled, "Excellent idea, my boy. Now, why don't you and Charlie go and relax for a while before dinner. Think about your options."

Knowing a dismissal when they heard one, the youngest men left the room. They headed to the garden to spend some time quietly deliberating.

As soon as the red heads were gone, Severus squirmed on Lucius's lap. He tried to stand, "I think I'll go and speak with my twins now."

Lucius held him tighter, "Not so fast, young man."

He changed his attention to the women, "Ladies, why don't you go and check on the children and give us some time alone?"

Narcissa stood and cupped Severus's cheek as she walked to the door, but Trixie complained, "How is that fair? I was punished for all and sundry to see, but the greasy bat gets privacy?!"

Minerva stared back at Lucius, "I don't appreciate the name-calling, but is this true?"

Severus looked ready to bust, "No! You cannot do this with them here! It's not my fault she was punished in front of people."

Bellatrix taunted him, "Oh, poor itty baby Snivellus. Afraid to cry in front of me? Why? We already know you're a little baby."

Lucius stood in a flash, wand drawn, with Severus behind him, "Trixie, that's enough. You obviously haven't learned anything. I won't stand for you treating Severus this way. We no longer follow that mad man, and Severus is now legally your little brother. Act as such. Would you treat Narcissa this way?"

Bellatrix looked angry at being rebuked, but then her gaze swept to the sad expression on her baby sister's face, and she crumpled some. Narcissa walked up to Bellatrix and pleaded, "Please don't treat him that way. I love him and feel for him the same way you feel for more, possibly more so. I helped to raise him, and I sheltered him at school. For me, please try to get along."

Severus's retort died on his lips at Cissy's acclamation. He huffed slightly and spoke, "Cissa, for you, I would do anything. If you want me to try and get along with Bellatrix, then I will try my best."

Narcissa embraced him and cupped his cheek again, "That's my boy. Thank you."

Bellatrix also deflated, "Fine."

Minerva interrupted then tension, "I hope that is all settled. Now, fair is far. Severus, you chose to make a troll out of yourself in front of everyone, so you deserve to be rebuked in front of everyone."

Severus nodded his head in defeat, but Bellatrix, surprisingly, spoke up, "No, that's ok. We should check on the children anyway."

The men stayed behind. They spoke about all of the points Severus had brought up. In the end, they decided that being humiliated in the corner in front of Bill and Charlie was punishment enough since Severus was truly stressed. He apologized to everyone, and he owed an apology to Narcissa.

They decided that they would let Harrison decide which option he want to take, whether to take potions or age naturally.

They decided to try and forget about the attack on Severus since the manor had impenetrable wards. They would worry about that again when the time for school came back. Albus and Minerva only had 10 students staying over the holiday break. They decided to room everyone together in the Hufflepuff dorms, so Minerva and Albus only had to be present for dinner for chaperoning duties for part of the break. They would spend the remainder of their time at Lestrange Manor with their expanding family.

They would revisit the de-aging for the holidays with the twins and Bill and Charlie to see if any of them wanted to be de-aged for a bit.

Lastly, Severus demanded that he be treated more like an adult and stop being teased for being the baby brother. Albus, Rodolphus, and Lucius all laughed. It was too much fun to give up teasing him. Rodolphus answered, "I'm sorry, Severus, but I'm many years your senior. I recognize that you are a powerful wizard, but in this family, you will always be the baby brother. I have seen Lucius as an annoying little pipsqueak since Trixie and I have been courting, and you are most certainly his baby brother. This will not change. I will try to keep teasing to a minimum and not in public or in front of the children, but I will not refrain from good-natured jibes. You respond too beautifully."

Lucius wrapped his arm around Severus and planted a loud kiss on his temple, and Albus responded, "Come now, Severus. You'll always be Minnie's baby!"

Albus laughed at his own joke and Severus groaned, "Overbearing older brothers and senile old men."