Severus collapsed back on the couch with a sigh. It was late at night, nearly morning even and he finally had a chance to rest, but his mind was too crowded to hope for sleep. Tom had only just left, he was quickly becoming Severus's closest friend, which was strange considering the fact that Severus had used to call him "Master" but he wasn't about to complain. The twins had been sent to bed at their bedtime, despite the fact that they had a guest over and even though Severus could tell that they weren't pleased about this, he was glad to see that they had obeyed him without question. He could only keep them safe if they obeyed him, and it was practically safe to say now that they knew that they would not enjoy the consequences if they did not obey him. And if anyone cared to ask Harry and Draco, they believed that the consequences of disobeying their Father were to be avoided at all costs.

Harry and Draco, at the current moment in time, however, where curled up in bed, fast asleep. And it was several hours later when they began to stir. It was about four o'clock in the morning, or maybe half four when Harry awakened abruptly, wondering what had woken him. His question was answered abut two minutes later when a low rumbling sound echoed around his and Draco's room. He'd always hated thunderstorms, from when he was very little and the noise used to sound horrific in the cupboard under the stairs and if he peeked out of the door he could see the lightening highlight the hallway and even when the door was shut it illuminated the floor under the crack at the bottom of the door. Harry sat up in bed in the darkness and shivered and pulled the bed covers tighter around himself, glancing over at his twins bed, he could see that Draco was still asleep. Harry buried down under the covers again, wincing slightly at the next growl of thunder which did seem unbelievably loud considering that they were down in the dungeons and he told himself to stop being silly, but he couldn't go back to sleep and was it him, or was the thunder getting louder? Harry ducked under the covers and squeezed his eyes tightly shut.

Harry didn't know how long it was later, but the thunder had definitely gotten louder and after a particularly loud clap of thunder Harry heard movement from Draco's bed. Harry peeked out from under the covers to sneak a look at his twin, and was it just Harry or did Draco look paler than normal? Draco lay back down on his pillows but Harry noticed that his twin didn't close his eyes. Was Draco as scared as he was? Did twins share fears? It certainly seemed like it in this case… "Draco?" Harry whispered gently.

"Harry?" Draco sounded shocked.

"I hate thunderstorms," Harry said by way of explanation to his twins' unasked question.

"Same here," Draco answered.

"Must be a twin thing," Harry said, eliciting a small grin and a snort of laughter from Draco. Both boys winced again when there was another clap of thunder and Harry slid from his bed, tiptoed across the cold stone floor and slipped into Draco's bed with his twin. Draco then slid his hand into Harry's.

"We're eleven," Draco commented, "you'd think we're too old to be scared by thunderstorms!"

"I know, and we're twelve soon," Harry added. "But everyone's scared of something, I guess."

"I wonder what Dad's scared of," Draco pondered with a mischievous smile.

"Why don't you ask him?" Harry commented innocently, knowing that like him, his twin was still not completely comfortable with this new family situation and that he also wasn't used to having someone he could turn to, to talk about things with.

"No thanks," Draco muttered and both boys winced again when more thundered echoed through their room. "How long can this go on for?" Draco wondered. Harry simply shook his head and clutched Draco's hand tighter. And although he still wasn't comfortable with the idea of having a father who cared, Draco made the decision for both him and his twin. Grabbing his pillow he said, "last one to dad's room is a rotten egg!" and bolted out of the bed and towards the door. Harry grabbed his own pillow and followed his twin and both of them ran to the room where Severus was sleeping.

"We're here," Draco gasped when they got to Severus' room. The door was open slightly and as Harry peeked in he could see their Father was sound asleep.

"Storms must not bother Dad," Harry commented, and Draco nodded. "Makes sense, I guess," he decided. "Dad's not scared of anything." Harry looked at Draco. "You think he'd be mad if we told him we couldn't sleep?" Draco shrugged and they opened the door.

Severus turned over in bed. "Drake?" he said. "Harry? What's wrong?"

"We couldn't sleep Father," Draco admitted.

"Did the storm wake you up?" Severus said. They nodded. "Well it'll pass soon," Severus said. "You can wait here until it's over." He motioned for them to come in and they sat down on his bed, waiting. Harry nodded. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, being scared of a storm," Severus said, drawing his sons into a hug.

Harry shivered as another clap of thunder sounded and Draco looked at him sympathetically. "It'll be over soon, right Dad?"

"I'm sure it will," Severus said.

"It's seems to have gone on for ages so far," Harry muttered, mostly to himself but Draco and his father heard him as well. "You've been awake for a while then?" Severus asked and Harry nodded.

"Harry's been up longer than I have," Draco commented.

"I've always hated storms," Harry admitted quietly.

"Yeah, me too, like you said it must be a twin thing," Draco told him.

"So you two have been talking after going to bed again, then, have you?" Severus asked, sounding distinctly amused.

Harry and Draco giggled. "Yes father," they chorused, knowing that they weren't in trouble.

"Do I even want to know what you were talking about?" Severus asked with a mock sigh and both Harry and Draco laughed, although they shared a long look, should they ask him? "Ok, out with it!" Severus instructed teasingly. "What is it?"

Harry and Draco shared another long look and at the next flash of lightening both boys shivered and Severus tucked his duvet around them both, even though he knew that they were shivering from fear more than cold. "You're not scared of anything, are you dad?" Draco finally asked.

"Oh, Drake," Severus said softy. "Whatever gave you and your brother such a silly notion. Of course I'm scared of things."

"Really?" Harry asked, sounded amazed.

"Of course," Severus told him softly, gently stroking his sons hair back off his forehead.

"Such as?" Draco wanted to know and Harry nodded as well.

Severus leaned back against his pillows and Draco and Harry used one shoulder each as pillows. "Well, my biggest fear would be if something happened to the two of you. I don't want to lose you!"

"You're not going to dad," Draco reassured him and Harry nodded. The storm was starting to fade and Harry could feel his eyes starting to droop, but he didn't want to fall asleep and miss the feeling of being loved in his fathers arms in the middle of the night. He felt safer than he had in a long time, well since ever really, he couldn't remember ever being held in his father's arms…