I do not own any recognizable characters or the Harry Potter Series. I am not making any profit from this post. And I have no intention of ever publishing this fanfiction professionally.

Severus was sitting in his study, sipping coffee and reading Brewers Monthly when their family owl soared in the window with the mail. He immediately recognized the one on top.

"Harry! Come in here for a minute."

"Hold on! I'm on the coda."

Severus just smiled and started sorting the other mail. A letter from a fellow potions master, a reply from Minerva, the Daily Prophet, and adverts.

"My letter from Hogwarts!" Harry exclaimed, breaking the seal and quickly reading it.

"Now that it's come, we'll go to Diagon Alley. Do you wish to stay with Remus the last month of the summer and then take the train? Or join me at the castle early?"

"Er- I'll go with you."

"Let me know if you change your mind. Now go get dressed."

"We're going to Diagon today?"

"As much as I enjoy jostling crowds, best to do things now rather than later. We'll be Apparating straight there so there's no need to wear Muggle clothes if you don't wish to."

The list was half finished already. Severus already had all the potions ingredients and equipment and Harry had a collection of telescopes. The clothes were covered as well, Severus having not parted completely with black clothing reflected in both their wardrobes. To mark the occasion, Severus bought him a cloak pin while Harry was picking his pet in the Magical Menagerie. Harry had chosen a black cat and somehow convinced Severus to buy both a baby Niffler and a fruit bat as well. They were heading to Olivander's when the Niffler launched out of the hood of Harry's cloak onto a passing woman, attempting to pluck out her hairpin. The woman calmly untangled its paws from her hair and handed it back to Harry with a smile.

"Oh! Severus!" She said, finally catching a glimpse of his guardian, who was pinching the bridge of his nose, behind him.

"Narcissa. I wasn't expecting to see anyone else here for Hogwarts shopping."

"I thought to come before all the hustle and bustle. We were just heading to Ollivander's, actually."

"That's where we were going, too." Harry piped up before Severus could make his excuses.

"Excellent. Shall we, then? Draco, come say hello."

The boys shook hands, a little shyly, and said nothing more. Upon reaching the wand shop, Harry was soon preoccupied getting measured and then going through some motions with his mother's wand. Draco opened the book he was carrying, fully immersed, and the two parents started talking, both a little stiff.

"I didn't know you had a child." Narcissa started.

"Ah. Yes, well. How's Lucius?"

"Draco tells me he's doing well, though it was over a month ago he last saw him."

"Are you…?"

"I ended things shortly after the War. He still lives in his family's castle and Draco occasionally stays there. I managed to gain ownership of Grimmauld."

"Good for you." Severus said, relaxing slightly.

"I am happy. And Draco will be a much better man, if I have anything to say about it."

"If I recall correctly, anything you were determined over had a way of going in your favor. So I'm sure he will."

"I see you're managing just as well, and with Harry Potter, no less," Narcissa commented as Ollivander seemed to be finishing with said boy, "There's no need to get paler, Severus. Your boy is in no danger from me. And I'll make certain not from my ex-husband or his crowd either. You're a good man to have done what you did."

"There wasn't any alternative in my eyes. And he's brought me no small amount of happiness."

"As has my Draco," Narcissa agreed fondly, watching Ollivander measure her son.

"Dad! He said that it might take the core some time to get used to me but since I'm related to the original owner, it might not."

"If it does give you trouble, tell me. Your mother wouldn't have wanted you to miss out on your full potential."

While Draco tested wands, Narcissa talked to Harry about how to keep Nifflers occupied, having had one when she was young herself. Severus was busy evaluating the bag of Potion ingredients the mother and son had bought.

Severus said, "Nearly everything here is in order, Narcissa. I'll send you replacements for the few that are not later tonight," just as colorful sparks shot out of the wand Draco was just given.

Not wishing to part just yet, they stopped at Fortescue's for a small treat. Narcissa pulled out a camera and instructed both boys to stand side-by-side, holding their wands. Once the photo was taken, she tapped her wand against the camera and it produced the picture. Another tap of her wand, this time against the photo, made a duplicate. She pulled out a self-inking quill and began writing on the back of both photos.

"Let's see. Sixteen July, Nineteen Ninety One. Draco with pine and dragon heartstring, twelve and three fourth inches, nice and supple. Harry with willow and unicorn hair, ten and one fourth inches, swishy."

Minerva gave Severus a hard time over the Niffler and the bat, which, she pointed out, were not on the list of accepted pets.

"You just can't resist those big doe eyes, can you?"

"Of course I can. And I do," he argued, muttering additionally, "Most of the time."

As it turned out, the cat (Madrigal) was quickly attached to Harry but yet so was the Niffler (Capriccio), and despite Severus' wishing, the two animals got along famously. Still facing the fact that a Niffler was quite plainly not on the list of accepted pets, Snape went to receive permission from Dumbledore, who granted it without hesitation. The bat (Batty Koda), to Severus' vexation, adopted the permanent perch of the professor himself. Another thing they also got permission for was Harry sleeping in his own room in the castle should he want to.

Harry was fidgeting the entirety of his last meal at the staff table for the year. The anticipation for the next day was full to bursting. He wasn't leaning towards one house or another but there were wizards he admired and family and friends he didn't want to disappoint. All those thoughts were swirling in his head and Severus paused mid bite when Harry's worries strayed to what he thought might be his dad's hopes for him. Severus had them retire early, skipping dessert.

"Harry," he sighed once they had sat down on the couch in their sitting room, "I don't care which House you are sorted into. I don't want you to be anything but happy, alright?"