Credits: Poem's Mia's. The two toned little boy is mine, the restaurant is Mia's and the song Forever and Always applies to the disclaimer on our profile.
Summary: On an early day, Severus comes home to a quiet house, silent as night, and looks through the pictures they had taken together. Some were sad, some were smiling, but it didn't matter because the love was there down to the very last picture. Memories sometimes do remind you just how much you loved someone when you've nearly forgotten who you fell in love with.
Warnings: Minor AU, Mild slash, Possesive!Harry, Minor ooc, Flashbacks, Extreme fluff.
Characters: Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy.
Pairings: Severus/Harry/Lucius.
Genre: Romance, comedy.
Rating: T
Words: 3850
Author's Note: Well, my dears, this has been updated rather quickly considering we weren't sure that we were going to write another chapter. But we have become rather excited about this idea of Reminiscence so we may just keep on going with this story. If you have any scenes you'd like to have portrayed in our flashbacks of this couple, then let us know. Mia's words for this one are: "Minutes that Mattered is a continuation of Falling all over again but it can be read as a standalone. This one was written using a photo album because there are some moments in life that can only be captured using a camera and others that can't even be caught with a million words." And with that, I close us off for this chapter and on we sail.

In sweeping bounding waves, it rose and fell,
a force to be reckoned with.
Like rippling red flames, it shivered and shuddered,
wiggled and burned everything into ash.
It was the wind, brushing and swishing with a shuddering sigh,
uprooting the flower beds and bending river heads.
Through everything, it was the rock,
steady, still, a place to return to.
Love will never be utterly lost.

Minutes that Mattered

The sun was high above head providing nothing but light in the cold days of winter as a quiet door slowly slid open. It was just after noon and the sun was at its highest point in the sky but there was no accompanying heat to the brightness of the star. The warmth from the flickering fire in the living room fireplace, however, wafted out the doors, unfurling tendrils of mist reaching out into the cold before it was cut short as the door was snapped shut in a hurried slam for the cold had started to invade the indoors as well.

Pulling off my shoes in a tidy manner, I lined them up at the edge of the wooden planks neatly – Lucius would have a fit if I simply threw them all around. Once my robe was hung, I made my way to the inviting heat of the living room and sat down across from the fire on the couch, pulling a blanket over my legs as I relaxed into the cushions.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a photo album that I hadn't seen in a long time on the table to my right. Picking up the soft leathery book, I placed it in my lap and a finger rubbed over the cover, tracing the title, Minutes that Mattered. The edge of my lips twitched slightly at the words written in golden letters against the black leather that bound the book.

Flipping open the book, I looked at the first page and read over the words that were etched into the blank page in a delicate script "Memories are the magic that mends the mangled." Underneath those words, there was another sentence written in the same soft, elegant hand, "When I'm but a memory, I want to be remembered by the minutes that mattered. Love, Harry." I didn't remember that being there the last time I had seen the book.

Turning that page over to join the cover, the back was blank but the page opposite it was not. The paper was thicker and slightly textured. Green eyes smiled up from the page and I had to stop myself from falling into a memory of the red haired witch. The man that stood beside her brought a spiteful feeling inside but it was swiftly pushed aside as an image of my small beloved flashed in my eyes. Under the picture, Harry had written in soft and respectful letters "In loving memory."

That picture was swiftly but gently turned and I looked at the picture behind it. Unlike the first which was still, this one was moving. A tiny, black haired baby lay in his bed, seemingly asleep, in the beginning. Then his eyes opened and their summer forest colored depths shimmered. Then his mouth pulled into a gurgling smile.

My eyes softened slightly against the moving picture as it flashed back and forth through its animation. The index finger of my right hand touched the picture in awe for a second then I shook out of it and turned to the page opposite it. It was another title page but the letters were more flowing and relaxed than before as the words seemed to just sweep over the page, "You washed into my heart and took over my soul. The love I am able to give, I'll gladly give to you."

When the page was turned, it took a few seconds for the surprise to wash away. It was the day of Harry's graduation and I was standing to the side in the first few seconds of the moving picture. And in the next, Harry was openly staring at me with that pixie grin spread all the way across his lips.

I felt myself falling back into the memory of the day as I stared at the picture. That was the day Hogwarts had the biggest surprise of all…

As soon as I saw that impish grin flash in my direction, I felt my hands tense into stiffness and I took a half step backwards unconsciously. I knew that look and that whatever he had planned would only bring a whole lot more trouble. After a few moments of silent pleas for him to behave on his last day of school, I sighed in acceptance. My mischievous brat would never behave in the slightest.

He was already halfway across the platform to me and his glowing eyes kept flashing in amusement that I knew would only spell disaster for me later. By the time he stood before me, I only lifted an eyebrow at his shorter frame and looked at him in question. He stood on his tip toes and pulled me down by my tie, his other hand ominously snaking around my neck. His lips pressed against mine then curved upward into a grin as he coaxed me into furthering the kiss.

Purring excitedly, he pushed my lips apart and pulled my tongue into a dance. I gave a roll of the eyes and wrapped one arm around his waist, my hand at the small of his back and pulled him up a little to better the angle and his arms tightened around my neck. His thumb rubbed into the skin around the base of my neck and I decidedly pushed his tongue back, resigning to the kiss.

When his hands slackened enough for me to pull back, he was purring at a low, consistent rate and his eyelids fluttered open and shut before he just closed his eyes and rested his head against my chest, wrapping his arms instead around my back. A soft, satisfied sigh escaped him and he pressed his cheek against me even harder.

I heard a low pitched growl beside me and I turned my head to find swirling grey and blue staring almost lustfully back at me. He laid one hand on mine around Harry's back and the other swept around me. Pushing forward, he gave no chance of escape as he pressed into a forceful kiss.

It was then that there was an undeniable screech of "What!?" by no other than Draco and that shocked everyone in the great hall out of their stupor and soon there were more shrieks of surprise flying left and right. Chaos ensued all around but Lucius didn't care and simply kept his tongue wrapped in mine. When he did pull back, he sent a silencing glare all across the entire room and order was immediately achieved.

Harry purred against my chest then smiled that one grin that he had developed over the years that sent a fearful chill down spines, "Now they know who you belong to, Sev." He glanced back at his classmates and that sadistic smirk regained its sharpness, "Oh and I didn't, still don't and won't ever like any of you." With that, he turned his face back to me and released my back for favor of my hand and he dragged us both off.

I heard Draco and a certain little red headed witch in the background yelling profanities and I couldn't help the smirk that flashed at the knowledge of what Lucius would do to his son later.

The smirk reemerged as I remembered Draco's punishment. He had washed his mouth with soap and had a docked allowance for a month. I could still hear the whining. With a quiet snicker, I shook my head in amusement. Looking up at the fire for a few seconds, I stretched my toes, allowing myself a few moments to just relax into the fire.

On the mantel above the fireplace, there were a few little glass and ceramic knickknacks. There was a globe the height of a coffee mug and it was all black with nothing on it. When magic touched it searching for something, many different things could be seen on it. It was a gift to Lucius and I from Harry, more to Lucius than anything, his job required it more than mine but I could use it to look for where my ingredients could be found.

A glass book lay flat beside it with its delicate pages protected by a spell and a ward that was wrapped around it. The book was a gift from me to Lucius and Harry. Unless touched by the magic of its intended owner, it was simply a book of brittle glass. But if the magic of its owner touched it, the book would morph into a biography of someone they wanted to meet that has already passed into the netherworld. I had gotten it for Harry because he should at least know something of his parents and Lucius needed to know Voldemort's – or Tom Riddle's - life.

On the other side of the globe, there was an enchanted ceramic scroll. From Lucius to me and Harry, it was like the book. When it was touched by our magic, it would read our diagnostics then create a meal menu based on the results. He chose it because Harry and I tended to have a small habit of forgetting to eat and getting enough sleep.

Of course it had taken me collapsing of exhaustion before he started forcing us to use the scroll. But after a month, and plenty of reassurance that we were healthy as could be, it had claimed its place on the mantel all the same.

I looked out the window and sighed as the small blurs of snow fell to the ground in their own erratic dance. My gaze slowly shifted back to the album as the warmth enveloped my body from my feet up and I pulled up my legs onto the couch beside me – no one would ever know that I could actually relax. The blanket was shuffled around between the book and my legs so that it still covered my feet.

Turning my full attention back to the pictures in the book, my eyes softened involuntarily at the still photo. Shadowy hair swept around thin shoulders – strikingly similar to the fashion of my robes – and framed a pale face that gave strong impressions to any who met him. His soft lower lip was slightly swollen because of the bruising kiss Lucius had given him before we left.

His wondrous eyes weren't looking at the camera, and instead he was looking at the child in his lap. His eyelids had partway closed as he looked down at the boy and his eyelashes curtained the luscious greenery of his eyes from view. There was a soft glow to his skin because of one of the lights and he honestly looked like a gift from heaven.

That picture in specific had been taken at an orphanage that our little dark haired wonder was thinking of sponsoring, for magical children of course. He had sat down with each of the children there, even some of the older ones – not in his lap – and made small conversation. It was times like those that reminded me of the gentleness he was capable of…

I was morosely seated in a very uncomfortable plastic chair that was much too short for a man of my height and the lighting in the place spelled utter misery for my oncoming migraine. Did I ever mention that I did not like kids? The snotty nosed, slobbery, crying brats could go somewhere else for all I cared but I couldn't find an excuse to return home and I most definitely could not voice my opinion without fear of castration by one very angry, dark haired pixie.

Lucius – the lucky prat he is – got out of accompanying us because he had work to get done and he made sure to snicker in my direction as Harry had dragged me out the door in a hasty rush. He was going to be cooking for everyone for the rest of the month for that.

In the corner farthest from the children, I watched from the murky shadows as the little sweaty creatures pushed this way and that all around; just to see Harry who sat in the middle. There was a photographer to one side but otherwise, every other person in the room was under the age of twelve with the exception of me, Harry, the cameraman and the mistress of the orphanage.

The woman clapped her hands twice in succession and waited for the bustling horde of children to calm into silence before speaking. "A line, children, get into a line. You'll each get to meet Mr. Potter." Once the order was somewhat regained, she smiled at the children and nodded, "One at a time now."

I could see Harry's lips arched into a small, welcoming smile from my distance and it still brought a little bit of flurries deep inside. He turned to the first child, a little girl with a frazzled mess for hair and he said something that I couldn't hear but she smiled broadly and climbed up into his lap.

Running his hands gently through her most definitely knotted hair, he quickly removed any knots and smoothed down the wild hair before moving her against his flat stomach. Pointing at the camera, he said something that made her giggle and the picture was taken with a flash of yellow light.

The scene continued on before my eyes and the next thing I knew, he was sitting with the last boy in his lap. The boy had distinct hair; it had two shades of brown, a darker at the base of his neck and around his hairline and a lighter brown for most of the hair. He squirmed this way and that nervously and Harry shifted slightly before calming him with soft words.

I saw the flash of the camera and I knew that Harry hadn't been looking at the camera so I made a mental note to get the picture later. When both were ready, the picture was retaken and the boy scampered off excitedly to the side with his peers. I rose from my seat in the corner and made my way over to the photographer, my eyes narrowing to reduce the brightness of the insane lighting.

When the photographer had left, I had the photo securely in my pocket and Harry was once again surrounded by the little nosed pests but he looked too happy among the children for me to run his fun so I just stood to the side and watched him chat with the kids and answer pointless questions one after another.

Watching his interactions with the children, I felt a slight twinge scratch incessantly at my chest. The man really was a beauty, his swirling eyes looked at each child as they spoke, giving undivided attention to every one of them as they desired it. Each time he spoke, he managed to include all of them and he easily wrapped them around his pinky finger.

It was then that I wondered whether I had been tamed just as easily as these children that sat cross legged, staring intently at him listening to every word that spilled from his lips. In a way, I already knew I had been and that it was inevitable to deny but on the other hand, there was that disgusting pride buried deep down inside that had me denying it anyway. I knew that he had both Lucius and I whipped like puppies and I was almost mortified, but I had to roll my eyes at that. I leaned back and watched as the hero of the wizarding world entertained children.

That photo was one I debated with myself multiple times but usually, I ended with the same result; it was a picture taken at one of his best moments and that was all that mattered. I stared at the picture for a few moments then turned the page again.

The next picture was one Harry had taken – secretly – of me in bed. I had been taking a nap after lunch because work had been stressful the day before. The sheets lay in a heap at my waist and my hair was undeniably scattered all over behind my head. "Severus, the coiled snake hisses to protect and warn, not to threaten," was written in Harry's handwriting underneath the picture along with another sentence, "The snake sleeps in a coil with its awareness awake, much like you."

Across from my picture there was one of Lucius. The blonde man stood at the front door of the house a few years back. The left side of his hair was combed all the way back but the right was left free falling and he wore a white suit with a blue tie. He was looking back into the house as he held the door open to the outside. The lettering this time was elegant and fancier as it read out, "Lucius, the snake is equally as beautiful as he is prideful. The snake has the slyness of the master mind in the dark. My love has betrayed me twice in falling for snakes like you both."

I flipped through a few more pages and came to the final picture in the book and my body stiffened a little. The picture sent me directly into another memory. It was just after we had moved into our house and out of the mansion…

Seated on the large bed in the master bedroom, my back was leaning against the multitudes of pillows Lucius had stocked the bed with. Harry was curled under one arm with his head on my thigh and Lucius was leaning against my other side, his legs entwined with mine. It was a quiet winter afternoon and I was just easing into relaxation.

We laid in silence for a good portion of the evening but as the sun began to set, grey eyes turned to me and pale lips pulled into a small quirk of a grin that would be better called a smirk. He gave a low rumbling sound as he spoke, "Do you remember what date it is today, Sev?" From the tone of voice, I could tell the date had some kind of importance but I couldn't really decipher what he meant.

I lifted an eyebrow in question, "The date? January ninth, I believe." When Harry lifted his head to look at Lucius with his symbolic grin, I grew somewhat suspicious, "And what does the date have anything to do with this?" Even I could hear the caution in my voice and the slight bite.

Harry and Lucius looked at each other briefly then both turned to me with a spark of mischief twinkling in their eyes, "Oh nothing. Just that maybe you forgot your birthday."

It took a few moments for it to register but when it did, my eyes widened slightly then immediately narrowed, "I see. It's my birthday." I looked at them for a moment then rolled my eyes, "And? I know there's more you want to add to that."

Green eyes widened with excitement and Harry immediately tackled my chest back onto the pillows with a purring giggle, "We're going to celebrate." He singlehandedly dragged me out of the bed and pulled me down the hallway with our third lover tailing behind me at a more leisure pace.

I would have taken my hand back but Harry had a grip that was almost impossible to get free from and he was strong enough to practically drag me around on my butt if I didn't move to keep up, so I just let myself be pulled along. He stopped at the kitchen where there was a cake suited better for a muggle wedding placed on the counter.

I half gaped at the cake that was iced in black with white lettering, "Wishing you a pleasurable celebration." I stared at the cake for a long while then looked at Harry with a raised eyebrow.

He snickered and pushed me towards it, "Cut it! I want to eat cake." I had forgotten about his sugar addiction and rolled my eyes as I walked over to it and started cutting into the large black and white cake.

The black icing gave off the scent of licorice and I sat down to eat the slice of cake on my plate. It was licorice tasting and I smiled partway at my favorite flavor. I wasn't sure how Harry had figured it out but I didn't really care that much. Instead, I ate my cake and Lucius just sat across from me and watched with a small smile. He only had a taste for chocolate and wouldn't touch anything else.

Being so wrapped up in the photo album, I didn't hear the front door open and close or the two pairs of footsteps that were headed my way. Looking at the final picture, I smiled slightly and closed it with one last glance at the final page.

I gave a slight jump when there was suddenly a pair of lips on my cheek and I turned to look at Harry as his infamous grin spread from cheek to cheek, "You're home early, Sev." He noticed the book in my hands and took it, replacing the book in my lap with himself.

Catching sight of light hair, I spotted Lucius leaning against the doorframe but he straightened and started walking over towards us. He leant against the armrest, "You look awfully comfortable there." He really did like poking fun at me but then he smiled, "Come on, it's your birthday, Sev, let's get you off the couch and dressed. We're going out to eat."

Harry placed the album back where it had been and he tugged me up and off the couch. Once again, I was found to be dragged around and this time I was manhandled into clothing by both my dark and light haired lovers. Not exactly the most pleasant thing, being manhandled that is.

Once I was dressed satisfactory to them, they also changed into more "aristocratic" clothing then we were off before I could even register what was happening. By the time I snapped out of it, I was seated in a private section of a high class restaurant and Harry had ordered already.

Smirking in my direction, Lucius placed his menu down, "You blacked out for a second there. Order something, or we'll be here all afternoon."

With a sigh of exasperation, I ordered swiftly and lifted an eyebrow at the two mischief makers, "So why are we celebrating today again?"

Shining eyes rolled to the ceiling and Lucius shook his head in mild amusement, "I already told you. It's your birthday and until you start remembering it yourself, we're going to keep celebrating it." His voice was thick with an I-told-you tone.

A soft chuckle reverberated from my throat without my awareness as I remembered the last line of the book, much to my lovers' confusion. They really would always be in my memories whether I wanted them to or not.

"Forever and always…I'll be in the minutes that matter."