Prologue

The ghostly man traveled with urgency away from the doorstep, a question haunting his conscience with every passing instant: "Have I done the right thing?"

The wind of the very early morning hour twisted his dark locks in a manner similar to the rage of a scorned lover.  His long hair retaliated against the wind only resulting in whipping against his pale skin leaving a lingering sting.  His clothing danced in the violent air as he continued away, blending in with the night.  The only part clearly visible of the man was one hand gripping a smooth, wooden handle so tightly that it was difficult to see if he were desperately afraid to release it or if it were in fact the true tone of his skin.  Once any observer could see his face, if they dared leave the comfort of a warm bed that cold night, it was noticeable that his face was pale, his features were as pronounced as the agony of his emotions.  His dark eyes were dark as night reflected in a tormented lake. 

He drew back the breast of his outer clothing to look beneath the heavy cloth.  It was in that instant that the first of the sky's tears struck him allowing his own to release.  His tears raced down his angular face at the same frantic pace as his flight to shelter.  He clutched the fabric around the priceless treasure cradled against his chest, shielding it securely against the wind's sting, the night's cold, and the rain's grief.

At last he saw the house, looking ominous in its shadowy silhouette, the pale beginnings of morning behind it.  He descended upon the house like a raven, gracefully and silently.  Still shielding his treasure he entered the dark house, disappearing from the sight of the horrible night, and from any prying or curious eyes.

Later, as he fell into his nightmares he repeated in his mind a final time: "Have I done the right thing?"

        Chapter One

It was a dreary morning, even by the lowest standards.  A blanket of dark grey clouds smothered the sunlight, making it seem closer to twilight than mid-morning.  It was even rare to hear the song of a bird breaking the gloom of that morning.  There was no breeze and thus, consequently, no applause from the fallen leaves or baring branches.  Not only was it silent and dark, but it was cold.  It was November the second and the stagnant air chilled the person who left the warmth of their home.  If the men decided they could not delay their morning commute any longer, they braved the unexpected chill to their cars and drove to work. 

Such was the case for one such household in a uniform neighborhood. 

A small family was in their dining room having just finished their breakfast.  The man of the family stubbornly delayed his morning drive to work as he alternated between shifting his now cold eggs across his plate and pretending to read the newspaper.  He was dressed for work with the exception of his blazer which was draped over the back of his chair.  He was clothed in a white, long sleeved button down shirt with a properly fashioned brown necktie.  At the insistence of his wife, he had donned his new knit argyle pull on vest.  To his dismay, the colors of the vest were maroon, black, and a dark purple that resembled the hue of his face when his temper flared.  He also wore brown trousers and shoes that matched his necktie. 

The man was not a rotund man, or even overweight by any means.  He was simply of a large bone structure that was in good health, coloring, and a moderate living style.  His sandy-colored hair was parted neatly and fixed to keep it in place.  His moustache was carefully trimmed and well kept resembling a horse grooming brush.

Finally, he folded up his newspaper and set it on the table near his plate of rearranged breakfast.  In an instant, his wife leaped from her chair between her husband and child, snatching his plate and setting.  She disposed of the remaining food and returned primly to her chair. 

She was a thin woman, not particularly pretty and not particularly homely either.  She was a mixture of the two extremes with some of her features balancing out her unappealing qualities.  She was very conscious of her dress and appearance, more so than even a child who carefully dresses her dolls.  She wore a simple lilac dress with short puffy sleeves.  The skirt went down to her knees, exposing her stocking-clad legs and white heels.  On top of her dress was an obnoxiously ruffled apron, giving the appearance of a chicken fluffing their feathers out in order to look fuller and more attractive for her mate. 

At last, the man rose from his chair.  He turned and picked up his blazer, slid his arms through and fastened the buttons.  He walked to his wife, who had risen from her chair as he stood. 

"Have a good day at work, dear," she said, in a cheery voice.  The same thing every single morning of the work week.  He took hold of his wife's shoulders and leaned into her, touching his lips to her cheek, like every morning.  They separated and he turned to face his gurgling son who had his food smeared all over himself.  The young child smiled at his approaching father, baring his very few teeth proudly.  He reached his arms to the man squealing loudly. 

"And now, be a good boy for mummy!"  He caught himself before risking a hug to his son, which would inevitably result in getting the food currently all over the boy all over himself in the process.  Instead, he merely patted his son's fuzzy head, who smiled back at him in a lopsided grin. 

He walked out of the kitchen toward the front door, stooping down at the foot of the stairs to grab his suitcase.  At the very moment his hand closed around the doorknob there were three firm knocks from the other side of the door.  The man froze before cautiously opening the door.  The sight that greeted him made the hairs on the nape of his neck stand in alarm. 

On his pristine doorstep was a very weird looking man.  He had pale but healthy skin with a rosy coloring to his cheeks.  His eyes held captive a bright twinkle, a cheerful glitter like the sun reflecting on the bluest sea.  Upon his crooked nose rested a pair of half-moon spectacles.  That object first raised the alarm to the opposite man.  As he eyed him further his eyes grew rounder, his moustache began to bristle, and his body began to tremble - whether from fear or anger the man outside the house could not tell.  The man on the doorstep was dressed in what looked like a giant and strategically arranged piece of drapery that was so long that his shoes were not even visible.  On his head was what looked to be a long and ancient sleeping cap.  But the most alarming feature of the man was his long, straggly white beard. 

After several moments of speechless tension, a soft, frail voice was heard in inquiry.  "Mr. Dursley?" 

It was the voice of the stranger!  How could such a soft voice come from this...weird looking person?  Shouldn't they also have weird voices to match their weird looks?  The man inside the house could not fathom this.  He nodded, unable yet to find his own voice.  Who was this person on his doorstep?  What in the world did he want?  In his inability to figure out the answers to any of these questions, he simply stared at the other man. 

The bearded man stepped calmly and seriously over the threshold of the house.  "I suppose I should come in, before the neighbors notice this rather tense meeting on your doorstep."  He walked calmly into the foyer of the house, right past Mr. Dursley, before realizing the man was not following him and turning to face him again. 

Mr. Dursley, meanwhile, was beginning to turn a frightening shade of red.  How dare this person march right into his house!  Who does he think he is?  His moustache began to twitch in offense, his hand tightened on his briefcase.  With a quick exhaling huff, he slammed the door shut before walking right up to this stranger.  "Now, listen, you-"

"Oh, forgive me, Mr. Dursley.  I am Albus Dumbledore."  The old man held out his hand, but Mr. Dursley was not about to touch the man if he could help it.  Awkwardly, the older man lowered his hand after a moment.  "I simply came to check on young Harry.  Is he doing well?"

Mr. Dursley sputtered for a moment, trying to understand what this man was saying.  When he next spoke, spit caught in his bristling moustache.  "Who in the bloody hell is Harry?"

Dumbledore's eyes instantly lost their twinkle.  Before he could answer, a woman's voice joined the conversation.  "Vernon?  Who is this?"

"He says his name's Albus Dumbledore.  Crackpot, he is, Petunia!" 

Dumbledore turned his back to Mr. Dursley and instead now faced the young woman now in the doorway to the kitchen.  She was holding her now clean son in her arms, supporting his weight with her hips.  "Mrs. Dursley, how is young Harry doing?"

"Harry?"

"Harry Potter."

"My sister's son?"  Her expression, where it was curious moments ago, became twisted in confusion and resentment.  "Why should I know about her son?" she asked, spitting out the words as though poison. 

"Because he was left here last night.  On your doorstep."  Dumbledore's eyes were narrowing and his posture now tense.  His eyes bore into the woman, clutching her son to her now in anger and fear of this unusual man. 

"There was no one left here," Mr. Dursley said, trying to take the man's focus off of his wife and son. 

Dumbledore turned to him then.  "Late last night your nephew, Harry Potter, was left at your door with a note explaining what had happened and the circumstances to his being at your home.  The importance of taking him into your care was explicitly expressed."  He looked closely at the two adults before continuing.  "It is of utmost importance.  Where is Harry Potter?"

"How should we know?" Petunia all but shrieked.  Her son began to wail in her arms, causing her to suddenly retreat into the dining room again.  She placed him back in his high chair and tried to soothe the child.  Unfortunately, she did not see that the old man had followed her to the doorway of the dining room, looking at her intently.  He successfully blocked the entrance from her husband.  She turned around and jumped at seeing the old man blocking her way. 

"He must be found, Petunia," the old man said, in a low voice. 

Her face hardened, her expression stony, her eyes dark.  She turned back to the table and began to occupy herself with the dirty dishes.  "And why aren't his...parents looking for him? Why do I need to do it?"

Dumbledore's face softened.  If they did not read the note, then she did not yet know.  "Lily and James were killed two nights ago."  He continued even after Petunia dropped one of the plates, and knelt to pick up the pieces, her back still facing him.  "You are Harry's only relative.  There was nowhere else for him to go." 

Petunia, still on her knees, whispered in a stilted voice, "And...how did they die?"  Before the old man could respond, Mr. Dursley managed to speak loud enough to get her attention.  She rose to her feet before heading towards Dumbledore, muttering an "excuse me" as she passed him.  She met her husband in the hallway. 

"Go on, Vernon.  It's alright.  He means no harm here." 

Mr. Dursley examined his wife for a moment before seeing a strange shadow in her expression and a stiffness in her features.  "Are you alright?  You're pale as a ghost." 

"I'm fine."  Mr. Dursley huffed in disagreement of leaving this strange man in the house alone with his wife and his son, but he nodded and acquiesced to his wife's wish.  He kissed her cheek again, turned and strode out of the house. 

Petunia stood for a moment in the hallway, collecting herself.  She took several breaths before facing the doorway of the kitchen and dining room again.  With determined and heavy steps she entered the room, prepared to continue cleaning the ruined plate.  To her surprise, she found the old man putting a strange looking stick back into his sleeve.  She went to the place where the remnants of the plate were, only to find them gone.  She looked on the table, nothing.  Then, she looked in the sink.  There were three plates.  Three?  But one broke, how could there be three now?  She looked back at the old man and made a connection in her mind.  She knew what he was, but she did not need to ask him that.  There was something more important.  "How did...they die?"

The old man faced her, his expression kind.  "They were murdered.  By Lord Voldemort.  He was after your nephew that night, but never got there.  He killed James, then he went for Harry.  Your sister, Lily, was with him."  He paused here, in thought.  "Voldemort was about to kill her son, and she put herself in the path of the curse that was intended for Harry.  Because she gave her life for her son, she gave him protection.  Voldemort cursed Harry as well, but with Lily's protection, it rebounded and killed Voldemort."  He took a deep breath.  "Lily gave her son blood protection.  In order for this type of safety to remain intact, a relative must accept Harry into their care.  You are his only relative left, his aunt.  You can give him the protection he still needs from Voldemort's followers, who, no doubt, are trying to locate Harry to finish what their master started on Halloween." 

During this, Petunia sat herself in one of the dining room chairs, staring ahead.  She was completely confused.  Who was Voldemort?  Killed by a curse?  Blood Protection?  What did all of this mean?  She looked up at the man, her eyes slightly misty, her mouth barely open in confusion.  She looked up at Dumbledore, pleading for answers, answers she could understand.  "I don't understand."

Dumbledore sighed.  "Lily and James are dead.  You must take Harry in or he will also be killed by the followers of the...man...that killed your sister and her husband." 

"But I don't know where he is," she spoke in a voice barely a whisper.  She stared at the old man. 

"It seems that no one does, even though he was here only hours ago," he said, not exactly to her, and not exactly to himself.  He seemed lost in thought, as though trying to mentally figure out a puzzle.  After several minutes of silence, even from the young child, Dumbledore spoke again.  "When we find him again, will you take him in as your own?  Will you offer the protection Lily died to give?"

Petunia got to her feet and went to her own son, picking him up again.  She faced away from the old man then, and whispered her reply, "I don't know."  She let a choked sound escape her, a strangled sob.  She waited a moment before she turned around again, only to find that the man had disappeared.  He was there a moment ago, but he had disappeared silently.  Vanished, as though he were nothing more than smoke that blended in with the air around it.

It was several hours later that Mr. Dursley came home from Grunnings Drill Company.  He arrived to find the house silent.  In only a few moments he discovered his wife sitting in the parlor, a saucer in one hand and the cup of tea in the other.  She was staring ahead.  This alarmed Mr. Dursley, having never seen her like this.  "Petunia," he tried cautiously, "what happened?"

After a few moments, she shifted her eyes to her husband.  "Lily and James are dead." 

"Your sister?"  She nodded, looking away and slowly taking a sip of her tea.  "How?" he asked, his hand naturally moving to rest comfortingly on her bony shoulder. 

Petunia seemed to hesitate for a moment, before again meeting her husband's eyes.  "A car crash."

He slept restlessly that night, lost in a nightmare...a nightmare that forced him to relive the horrifying events of the past few evenings.  His eyes moved frantically underneath the clenched lids.  His eyelashes fluttered as though in a delirious fever, matching the pounding pace of his heart.  His breathing came into his lungs as desperately as a drowning man vainly attempting to filter air from the water that surrounded him.  His skin was bathed in a cold, glistening sweat.  His restless body twisted and tangled the bed sheets tightly around his drenched form.  It was his mind, though, that fared the worst as it was lost in the horrors of his memories...of his nightmares. 

The curses of a duel were not near them yet, though they were still clearly heard in the tiny hidden room of the house.  He paid them no mind as she grabbed his hand, his attention focused completely on her. 

"Take it!  Take it!" she choked, her voice raw with emotion.  Desperately, she opened his pale hand and into it pressed a glass bottle filled with a milky silvery substance.  She closed his hand around the bottle, but kept her hands gently, but firmly, around his own.  She entreated him with her glassy gaze, which he met, knowing it may be the last time he could look into her beautiful eyes.  Her eyes glistened with tears, and it was then that he realized that his own eyes were beginning to sting with the saltwater. 

He could only nod before reaching into his robes and producing a thin vial, no taller than the length of his index finger.  With his eyes still locked onto hers, trying to memorize them in these moments, he held it between them and spoke in a trembling voice, betraying his fear, "Take this.  This will protect you from everything.  Even Avada Kedavra.  Swear to me you will drink it!" 

She hesitated.  Her eyes darted to the door for an instant, before he reached to cup her cheek drawing her attention back to him.  "Swear it!"

"It will be taken," she replied, taking the vial from him.  He tucked her glass bottle into the heavy folds of his robes.   

From the front room, the shouted curses grew louder.  It only meant that the fight was coming closer to them.  She ran from the room, tearing her hands from the other man, reaching the doorway to their hiding place.  He followed her closely, directly behind her as she sprinted up the stairs, and into the second bedroom.  She immediately dashed to the cradle, where her son stood, holding onto the bars and grinning toothily at his mother.  She desperately reached for the child, lifted him from the crib, and clutched the boy to her bosom.

 He placed his hand on her shoulder and she looked up into his dark eyes.  Then, a murderous shrill voice screamed the Killing Curse, followed by the dull sound of a lifeless body falling to the floor.  Her eyes looked into his, now filled with terror.  The tears began streaming down her face, her arms around her son tightened.

 "Take it," he urged her as gently as he could.  He forced down his tears.  He drew his wand, and took a deep breath as he prepared himself to duel.  His features hardened, his muscles tensed, his lips set in a firm line.  He began to turn towards the open door as the menacing, heavy steps of death began to approach them.  With a harsh flick of his wand, the door slammed closed, and the lock was drawn.  He heard the steps growing closer, his every thought on defeating the approaching monster. 

He heard his name whispered by her voice, constricted in obvious fear.  He turned to look upon her again, and he noticed the empty vial on the floor, carelessly dropped in favor of more important things.  Her eyes had cleared with determination, her grip on her son loosening.  Through the connection of the longing in her eyes, and the pain in his own they drifted closer together until their lips met, expressing everything that defined them.  Their heartbreak, their adoration, their regrets.  Everything. 

They separated and the steps were drawing ever closer.  "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice breaking.

"I know," he said, his heart breaking.  He framed her face with his hands, one of which still clutched his wand.  His dark eyes found hers.   "I love you," he reaffirmed, before he took her lips again, their tears combining into a single torrent of emotion.  As their kiss ended, he moved his lips against hers, breathing his eternal promise into her body, as though giving her his soul.  "Always." 

The footsteps were deafening now, and the shadowy distinction of someone on the other side of the door was visible.  Her eyes closed, as she held out her right hand and barely spoke the spell she must.  "Expello..." Suddenly, his feet were wrenched from beside hers, and in the back of his mind he heard the crash of glass shattering, as the door burst from its hinges and the darkest wizard of the age stood in the now destroyed doorway, laughing shrilly.  He saw her clenching her eyes, clutching her now crying son in her arms as she spun to face this monster.  He realized, in an instant of horror, that she had forced him through the window to protect him and there was nothing more he could do as he fell to the ground landing on his back still gazing up at the shattered window, paralyzed in helplessness and terror.  He could do nothing but listen.

"Not Harry, not Harry, please, not Harry!"

"Stand aside, you silly girl...stand aside, now."

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead-"

"Stand aside - stand aside, girl-"

"Not Harry! Not Harry! Please, I'll do anything-"

"This is my last warning-"

"Please...have mercy...have mercy-"

He could not hear her voice anymore, for it was drowned by the sound of shrill, cruel laughter.  His vision clouded as his tears intensified, and poured from his dark eyes.  His mouth was open in a silent scream of despair as the room above suddenly exploded in green light and the chilling sound of a woman's scream and a monster's laugh.  His world turned dark as his eyes closed in desperate denial of the feminine voice abruptly cut off by Death.  

His eyes snapped open as his body jerked uncontrollably on the bed.  His trapped hands frantically struggled free of the sheets in which his entire body was tangled.  His long black locks dripped with sweat from his restless nightmares.  His breathing was as harsh as in sleep, though he put much effort into regaining a normal rhythm.  He found himself sitting up in his cold bed, the deep maroon hangings no longer offering the comfort they once had.  His eyes drifted to look out the window.  It was still raining.  Once again, the sky matched his inner turmoil. 

How often must he watch the events of that night?  Was not experiencing it once enough?  Why must it repeat endlessly every time he closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep peacefully?  When he would usually have the answers to every question he deemed worth contemplation, he found himself unknowing and without anyone or anything to turn to for the answers to his questions. 

He untangled his legs and swung them around so that his bare feet could rest on the frigid floorboards of his room.  Once more looking outside at the gloomy weather, his throat released a tortured sob before his body deflated, his hands only managing to catch his head and hold it as he gasped and drew quick, short breaths.  He could not focus on anything, but his pain.  He closed his eyes and saw hers, a painful reminder of something that he will never see in life again. 

Suddenly, as though remembering the delicate situation he now found himself in, he got to his feet abruptly.  He went straight to the window, opened it, and reached outside to the shutter latches.  Efficiently and quickly, he firmly closed them, bolted them, and closed the window itself.  He then went through every room in his home and repeated the sequence with every single window.  Soon, the entire house was cloaked in darkness.  All that was heard was his harsh breathing. 

He stopped breathing for a moment when he realized a careless mistake in his urgency to close all of the windows.  He did not have his wand with him!  Nearing panic, he raced through the darkened house until he came back to his bed where he thrust his hand underneath his thinning pillow and recovered his wand.  He brought the tip to eyelevel and softly spoke a single word.  "Lumos."  The tip of the wand began to gently pulse in a soft pale blue-white glow.  He looked around his room, noticing the things thrown haphazardly about in his hysteria of the last several days.  His eyes took everything in, every piece of clothing, every smashed picture frame, every picture that still moved, even with the broken glass on top of it, everything.  The shattered remains of everything his life was.

Then, he began to walk as though in a daze throughout his house, as silent as a practiced ghost, but as carefully as a predator approaching his first meal in days.  He walked down the hallway slowly, guided by the soft light of his wand towards a room he had not used in many years - his childhood room.  He had left the door ajar, in order to know of any disturbances.  As he neared the door he heard the quiet sounds of sniffling.  He slowly urged the door open enough to admit him.  In a whisper he spoke, "Nox."  Immediately, his wand's gentle light was extinguished.  But the room was not dark.  Another glow was present.  It came from the dark ledge of the bolted window. It was a stone streaked in different shades of green, a malachite stone, enchanted to give off a soft, comforting glow.  It was an improvement to the Muggle nightlight.  It bathed the area around the stone in its soft light, through which was transmitted the energies of the stone.  He remembered his mother had placed this in his room long ago, and it was never removed from the windowsill.  And there it remained, always soothing, always guarding dreams. 

He glided softly closer to the old, battered cradle in the sparsely furnished room.  His dark eyes focused intently on it, seeing the restless shuffling of the tiny body inside.  A soft whimper began, startling the man into stillness.  He listened as the child's movement grew more agitated and his whimpers evolved into quiet cries.  In only a few moments, the quiet cries became heartbreaking sobs, with an occasional coughing sound in between them.  It was the coughing that spurred the young man into action.  He crossed the distance to the cradle and peered inside, seeing the child tossing on the bedding, the small red, blue, and tan woolen blanket tangled around his tiny legs.  The miniature face, features rounded in youth, contorted in restless sleep.  The eyes pinched tightly together, the nose scrunched in distaste, and the plump little lips grimaced only to open to release the choked coughs or the saddening sobs. 

The young man hesitated, unsure of how to proceed.  He looked at his wand in thought as the child's fussing increased in intensity.  Should he use a spell?  He angled his dark wand towards the child and his eyes caught what he noticed previously - the gruesome lightning bolt scar.  A reminder of a curse on the forehead of this child.  Would he be feared by this child if he were to aim a spell directly at him?  He did not want to know that answer.  He lowered his wand, then, trying to think as the child's sounds finally erupted into bloodcurdling screams. 

Instantly, the young man reacted, placing his wand on the window ledge beside the glowing malachite stone.  He reached down into the cradle and lifted the squirming, screaming child from it and into his arms.  He had only ever held a young child less than the number counted on his fingers.  And it was in his apprenticeship when he was required to learn healing before being granted the title of his profession.  He felt awkward, ignorant to the needs of this child.  He pressed the boy close to his chest, with one arm supporting the lower body and the other wrapped across the child's back, his long hands raked into the black hair on the tiny head.  The boy continued to scream, though it was slightly muffled by his shirt and chest.  His mind at a loss, he rested his cheek against the boy's hair next to his own hand.  His eyes grew troubled as he was unable to think of anything to do that would soothe this boy.  Desperately, he searched his own memories for anything that would remind him of the things his mother had done when he would come to her weeping.  But he could not recollect.  His mind was still consumed with his most recent horror, and could not think back to his childhood horrors. 

Without awareness, he began walking.  He did not know to where.  He wandered into the hallway carrying the screaming boy he continued to press against him.  He walked as though in a trance, unaware of his destination only knowing he would reach it.  He came to a doorway at the other end of the hall.  Using his shoulder to push it open he admitted himself and his charge.  He found himself gazing upon a white stone basin that glowed pure.  His eyes fastened on it, and his feet drew him closer as though hypnotized, subconsciously wondering if he could find the answers there.  He looked down into the swirling depths of the basin, seeing the streams of the milky, silvery substance flash images at him.  All of them were her.  A swirl of vibrant hair, the gentle breeze as her veil danced, her arguing with a dark-haired man, crumbled on a bed furiously wiping away tears, holding a piece of parchment as she spoke an incantation causing it to turn blood red in her hands, clutching a child to her body, her smile, her eyes.  The images continued and when he saw one in which she approached a crying child, he thrust his face into the basin's contents and felt himself pulled into the image, the boy he held against him accompanying him. 

She walked quickly to the crying child, who sat miserably in his restrictive high chair.  He pounded his little hands upon the tray in front of him as he wailed for his mother.  She picked him up and began to gently rub the child's back.  She caught sight of the other person in room.  He was a young man with untamed hair that stuck up in all directions, and glasses perched on his nose.  He had several pieces of parchment scattered about the table at which he sat, with a quill in one hand, and a grip on his cup of tea with the other.  His wand lay on the table in easy reach for him, but farthest away from the child's high chair.  She glared at him as she reprimanded in a sweet voice, "You were right here.  Couldn't you handle it?"

"You're doing fine, now, darling."

"Don't ‘darling' me!"  Whatever else she was about to say was cut off by a particularly loud scream from the boy in her arms. 

The young man looked at her now.  "Maybe he's still screaming because you aren't acting much better."

With a hard glare, she angrily turned around and left the room.  She walked to the stairs and walked up to the nursery that she and her husband chose even before they had planned on children.  She opened the door roughly, causing the child in her arms to begin weeping even louder than a moment ago.  Her eyes searched the room, realizing that the item she needed was not there.  With a roll of her eyes, she left the nursery and walked angrily across the hallway and into her bedroom.  Immediately, she saw what she needed.  With her semi-free hand she picked up her wand.  Without hesitation, she left the bedroom and went back across the hallway into the nursery. 

She slowly lowered herself onto the floor.  As she went to settle her son into her lap, she realized that his little hand was firmly grasping a large chunk of her fiery hair.  "Let go," she urged.  The boy's tears continued, but his screams had somewhat lessened to mild cries.  She soon coaxed him to release her hair and then she arranged him to sit in her lap comfortably. 

Her eyes scanned the room again.  She found this item much quicker.  "Wingardium leviosa," she whispered, simultaneously pointing her wand at the stuffed animal across the room.  Slowly, the stuffed white swan rose from its place on the mounted wall shelf.  With jerking movements of her wand she made it seem like it was flying rather than merely drifting towards them.  She made it rise and fall as if it were flapping its wings to get higher. 

Her son was still crying, but he did not notice the swan yet.  She continued the motions of her wand as she lowered her head to her son's ear and whispered, "Honey, look.  Look at the swan.  She's coming to you. See?"

He shook his head furiously.  "No, i's not," he miserably mumbled. 

"Yes, it is, honey.  See?  Look up."  By now, she had managed to drift the swan within her arm length away from them. 

The boy looked up finally, hoping to find his mother was telling the truth.  What he saw silenced his cries at once.  He saw the swan coming closer.  It bounced gracefully in the air as it continued its journey to them.  Even though his face was still streaked with tears, and his nose still sniffled, a smile began to spread across his face.  "Swan!" he cried.  His eyes began to dry and his smile grew.

"Yes, a swan.  Here she comes," his mother said, encouragingly. 

He threw his arms out towards the swan.  He could almost get it.  If it came just a bit closer...With a teasing jerk of her wand, the woman made the swan go too high for the boy to reach.  Just as her son looked up at her with an irritated scowl, he felt the fluffiness of his swan nuzzling against his neck.  His head whipped around and he smiled again, throwing his arms around the small stuffed animal and squeezing it tight.  It tried to wiggle free but the softness tickled his nose, causing the innocent laughter to pour happily from his mouth. 

"You're good with him," said a voice from the doorway. 

She turned her gaze from her happily giggling son to the young man in the doorway, who was leaning on the doorjamb, grinning with a veiled expression.  She urged her son from her lap before standing to face the man.  "I guess it's come with practice handling his father all these years."  He offered a crooked smile, the left side of his mouth curling upwards.  He looked in the boy's direction.  She followed his gaze to watch as the boy crawled throughout the room taking the swan for a walk.  "You should play with him sometimes." 

"I know," he replied, as though he wanted to say more but restrained himself. 

They continued to watch the child as he managed to cross the room to his other favorite toy - a ragged teddy bear.  It was not nearly as glamorous as the swan in his hand.  The boy struggled before managing to seat himself in order to grab onto the bear.  He had learned from previously experience that trying to grab something while having your other hand occupied and raised while crawling would only end with one's face embedded in the floor.  The boy held the two animals in either hand and studied them for a moment.  He turned his head to look at the two adults in the doorway.  He held up the swan and exclaimed proudly, "Mommy swan!"  He held up the ragged bear and happily shouted, "Daddy bear!"  He smiled at the adults as he hugged the two animals to his chest. 

"That's right, little man.  Daddy's bear," said the man, still with his lopsided grin. 

The little boy looked at them both and giggled happily, a beautiful sound to any parent. 

The young man emerged from the contents of the basin, still with the screaming child in his arms.  He now knew what he had to do.  He left the room and walked into the room he had designated for the child's use.  He walked directly over to the windowsill and took hold of his wand.  He gently waved it as it spoke the phrase, "Accio bear."  He heard a soft rustling from the boxes he had deposited near the bed against the far wall.  Suddenly, he saw the torn ear of a teddy bear struggling free of everything else in the box.  It burst from the box and sailed in a direct line to the waiting hand, already holding his wand.  The bear was small and settled easily into his hand.  He walked to the window and put his wand again on the window ledge.  The boy in his arms continued screaming, even when he tried the woman's method of snuggling the animal to his neck.  He began to get frustrated, and he felt a headache arriving.  Why did the child not respond to this? 

"Look," he said to the child.  "It's Daddy's bear."  The child looked at the bear for a moment, before hiding his tear streaked face in the man's shoulder, still crying.  "For the love of Merlin," the young man swore under his breath.  "What will make you happy?"  Whether the boy understood him or it were coincidence, the child furiously shook his head against him.  He sighed.  He did not know what else to do.  He saw her give him the stuffed animal...but not that stuffed animal.  Suddenly, things began to make sense to him.  Who did he turn to when he cried?  His mother.  Who did he go to for advice in his youth?  His mother.  With that thought as a guide he was motivated to action again. 

He coaxed the screaming child to let go of his clothes and he put him back in the cradle.  He threw the old teddy bear to the floorboards in the direction of the bed.  He knew now that the child would ask for it when he wanted it.  But right now, he needed something else, he needed the comfort of his mother, even if it were only in associating it with the stuffed animal with which she gave to him to play.  He picked up his wand again, and it was when one particularly piercing scream reached his tired ears did he finally shout.  "Be silent, boy!"  The boy instantly silenced, shocked from the raised voice of the man.  The young man also froze where he stood, his wand in his hand half raised.  Their eyes met for the second time in their acquaintance.  The boy reached his arm through the bars of the cradle towards him.  The dark eyes of the adult shifted to the pleading arm. 

"S-s-s...wan?" the child whispered, softly, his voice raw from screaming. 

The man shifted his eyes again towards the box, the thrown teddy bear rested near it as though crumbled from despair.  Hanging over the lip of the box was the stuffed swan, as though looking down upon the crumbled form of the ragged bear.  He looked upon it and thought of how fitting it was.  His lips curled in a bittersweet expression and his eyes began to moisten.  He raised his wand towards the swan and brokenly whispered, "Wingardium leviosa."  The swan rose, still staring upon the crumbled bear, ascending away from the other animal.  She left him behind on the floorboards as she gracefully flew across the room. 

The young man shifted and turned as he directed the flight of the swan to the boy who stood waiting for it in his cradle.  His green eyes watched it as it met his eyelevel on the other side of the bars.  The man angled the tip of his wand up, causing the swan to rise above and over the cradle bars, hovering it a moment above the boy's head.  The child whispered to it in a voice so soft it was nearly indiscernible.  "Mommy swan?"  The swan drifted peacefully down into the arms of the boy who held them high in a promise to catch her.  The child hugged her to him, his grip tight, refusing to release her.  He sat back down in the cradle, nuzzling the swan tenderly. 

"Yes," the young man whispered, more to himself than the child.  "Mommy's swan."  He looked upon the abandoned teddy bear by the box, then back at the boy.  He walked to the cradle and peered down into it, seeing clearly that the child still held the swan to him and had managed to lie down again.  He was trying to use his free hand to get his blanket to cover him again.  The man reached down and took hold of the blanket just as the boy got a grip on it.  Their hands met, and an instant later so did their eyes.  The drooping eyes of the boy looked up at the man before the green eyes closed and the little hand went lax in sleep.  The man drew the blanket up to the boy's neck, tucking it around his little body carefully.  He breathed a sigh of relief when the child did not stir with his motions. 

He stood up straight again and gazed upon the sleeping child for a long while, before the glow of the malachite stone caught the corner of his eyes.  With a flick of his wand and a murmured incantation, he levitated the soothing stone and its glow directly over the cradle, leaving it to hover as a guardian star, hoping it would accomplish what it was meant to accomplish.  He recalled now his own mother doing the same with him as a young child.

He was about to leave the room and return to his own bed when he caught sight of the crumbled bear alone in the room.  He walked to it and crouched beside it, his long fingers stroking it reverently.  His eyes wandered to the cradle.  He stood again and walked to the sleeping boy.  He reached his hand to the boy, and placed the bear against the boy's arm that held the swan.  The green eyes fluttered open and saw the bear.  His other hand took hold of it and kept a firm grip on the bear's hand.  The child's gaze flitted to meet the adult's and sleepily he mumbled, "Daddy..." before he fell back to sleep. 

With a small smile, the young man whispered a reply, "That's right, little man.  Daddy's bear." 

There was nothing colorful about the small apartment.  It was monochromatic in varying shades of grey.  It was tidy, but looked as though it had seen better days.  Every piece of furniture bore deep scratches, every curtain was torn to some degree, and some floorboards stuck up around the edges of each plank.  To enhance the gloomy dwelling, nearly everything was covered in a thick layer of dust with the exception of things recently disturbed.  The only clue that anyone even lived in this place was the humble fire burning in the fireplace and the newspapers that littered the floor, all with recent dates.  The most recent of these papers covered the face of a body reclining in an exhausted heap on the sofa. 

He was a young man of thin figure and pallid skin.  Tufts of light brown hair stuck out from underneath the newspaper.  He wore clothing that was fast becoming threadbare with previous patches starting to come undone.  The edges of his jacket sleeves and the bottom of his trousers were frayed.  His shoes were what used to be worn dark brown leather, but now were scuffed and a faded tan color.  His hands were pallid and thin with traces of scars both pink and white.  His face was not seen due to the newspaper that covered it. 

The newspaper was dated 1 November 1981.  The picture just below the headline moved as though it were living, though two thirds of the people were no longer alive.  In the image was a smiling young couple - a man wearing glasses whose dark hair was untidy, and a woman with chest-length hair and almond-shaped eyes - with a young baby in the woman's arms.  The infant had a happy expression as his head tilted to look curiously at the camera then shift upward to look at his mother.  She smiled at the camera, and then looked down at her son, her smile never fading.  The young man's gaze alternated between the camera and shifting to the infant, his lips in a lopsided grin.  The headline read:

HARRY POTTER, THE BOY-WHO-LIVED

Harry Potter, a mere 15 month old, is the only known survivor of the Killing Curse.  Parents, James and Lily Potter, were tragically murdered while defending their son from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The attack at Godric's Hollow left the Potter home mostly destroyed. Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts Headmaster, had this to say. "We all feel the loss of James and Lily Potter, but they would be pleased to know that every precaution will be taken to ensure Harry's safety." The funerals for the Potters will be...

The peaceful crackling of the fireplace suddenly and abruptly flared, startling the sleeping man.  The fire had grown several feet in height and instead of burning orange it flamed green.  He stood quickly, reaching into his inner jacket pocket and drawing his wand, pointing it at the flames in alarm, his blue eyes alert and staring intently at the green fire.  It was only after a few seconds, though, that someone emerged from the flames.  He was a familiar person to the younger man, who lowered his wand with a sigh.  "Professor Dumbledore," he greeted him. 

Dumbledore roughly brushed the ashes from his robes.  His half-moon spectacles were slightly crooked on his nose, and his general appearance was in a small state of chaos, whether from anger or a rush to arrive in this shabby apartment the younger man did not know.  In the older wizard's hand was a folded newspaper.  There was a spark of temper in the older man's eyes as he took several large strides across the room to stand directly in front of the younger man.  He unfolded the newspaper and thrust it in the other man's direction with jerking movements.  "Remus, read this!  Do you know anything about this?"

The younger man, Remus, put his wand back in his inner jacket pocket before taking the newspaper.  Before he could even begin reading, the older wizard spoke again, this time a bit softer.  "I believe you know about James and Lily."  Remus nodded, lowering his head.  He had read the article many times over, and remained secluded in his apartment.  His blue eyes caught sight of a picture on the front page of the newspaper of the very man standing before him.  Dumbledore's likeness seemed to be standing in front of the ruined Potter house, making the statement mentioned in yesterday's paper.  Remus looked at the headline and proceeded to read the beginning of the article.

DUMBLEDORE'S PRECAUTION?

Barely 24 hours after Harry Potter is orphaned, he is also missing! Yesterday, Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts Headmaster, assured the public of the safety precautions to be taken in regard to Harry Potter. The whereabouts of the boy are unknown. Professor Dumbledore cannot be reached...

Remus was unable to read any further because Dumbledore interrupted.  "Do you have any idea where Harry could be?" 

Remus did not look at Dumbledore, preferring instead to look upon his likeness on the newspaper.  "I thought you took him to Lily's sister."

"I have just been in Little Whinging.  I spoke with Petunia."  Dumbledore began to pace in front of the fireplace, his footsteps quick and frantic.  His robes curled around his feet each time he turned around.  "Aside from not receiving Harry, she did not lay a hand on the note I left with him, explaining everything to her.  How the Potters died, the magic that Lily used to protect Harry, the Blood Magic, how important Harry is to our world.  Everything!"

Remus looked at the elder wizard but did not make eye contact.  "You did stay to be sure Petunia took Harry in, didn't you?" he asked, although he already suspected the answer.  His question stopped Dumbledore's pacing instantly, and before he had the chance to answer Remus' question, the younger man continued.  With a flaring temper he admonished, "You didn't.  What did you do, just leave him on the doorstep?  With all the information with him!  Anyone could have it and him, now!" 

"Do you know anywhere that he might be?"

Remus turned away, throwing the newspaper onto the floor landing among several others.  "I have not left my apartment for three days, now, Professor.  My news has come from The Daily Prophet.  All I know is from what I've read." 

"You truly do not know?"  Remus heard Dumbledore's voice closer to him than before.  Remus shook his head, lowering it again as his shoulders tiredly slumped.  He felt a hand on his shoulder then as Dumbledore spoke.  "My boy, you know how important Harry is to us, now.  If you think of anything...anything at all, Remus, please let either Minerva or myself know."  Dumbledore sighed.  "I can only imagine what could be happening to him."

At that, Remus turned to face the Headmaster.  "And if any harm has come to him, you have no one to blame but yourself, Professor."  He fixed his eyes on the bridge of Dumbledore's nose, still refusing to directly meet his eyes.  He had once been warned of eye contact with Albus Dumbledore, and it was advice he intended to heed for many years to come. 

The older wizard looked for a long time at his former pupil before he lowered his gaze slightly.  "I must return to Hogwarts.  There are some things I must attend to.  School is still in session, as you know."  He turned and walked to the fireplace.  He looked around on the mantel until he found what he required.  His fingers reached into the tall, plain silver goblet and pinched some of the glittering powder inside of it.  He threw it into the orange fire and watched for a moment as the flames erupted into green light and grew several feet higher.  He shouted very clearly, "Headmaster Dumbledore's Office, Hogwarts," before stepping into the fireplace and vanishing in a swirl of green flames.  

Remus was once again alone in his apartment.  He glanced back at the copy of The Daily Prophet with Dumbledore's moving picture on the front page.  Harry was missing?  How could Dumbledore lose him after only having him in his care for less than a day?  Was he just careless or did something truly sinister happen?  His mind was spinning.  Just a few days ago, James and Lily were alive and well enough.  Now, they were both dead and little Harry was missing!  The world was turned upside down by a single curse...and a secret that had not been kept hidden!

"Sirius!" Remus spat.  He went quickly to his fireplace and pinched some of the glittering powder from the goblet on his mantel, throwing it viciously into the flames.  They turned green and monstrous again.  With a voice he struggled to control, he shouted as clearly as he could, "Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place!"  Then he stepped into the flames and he too disappeared from the shabby apartment in a swirl of green flames. 

Remus emerged from the fireplace into the kitchen of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.  He brushed off the ashes from his clothing hurriedly before looking quickly around the room.  He saw that no one was in the kitchen and went directly to the doorway leading to the hallway.  He threw open the door and drew his wand.  "Sirius!" he called, softly, his voice trembling, but his wand hand steady.  The house was deathly silent.  This unnerved him.  Usually the house would be filled with the screaming of the late Mrs. Black's portrait, but now nothing.  He walked to the staircase and gazed up them.  "Sirius?" he called again.  As expected, he heard no response. 

He walked carefully up the groaning steps, calling for his former friend every few paces.  And at every call there was a response of silence.  Remus cautiously opened every door he came across, entering the room quickly with his wand raised and ready to scream out a curse if necessary.  Every room he encountered was the same as the kitchen.  Silent and dark.  He came to the very end of a hallway, where there was another closed door.  "Sirius?" he called, softly, once again. 

He flung the door open only to be taken by surprise by a familiar voice barking out a spell.  "Expelliarmus!"  Remus's wand was torn from his hand and sailed towards the direction of the spell caster, who revealed himself from behind the closed bed curtains.  His face was thin and his dark eyes were glaring at Remus fiercely.  In one hand he threateningly held his wand, and in the other he now held Remus's wand.  He stood with his feet squarely and firmly planted on the ground, his posture aggressive and consumed in trembling rage.  His teeth were bared and clenched as he breathed heavily through the mouth.  His long dark brown hair was in massive disarray, and his clothing was haphazardly arranged as though he had recently had a bought of rage upon someone or something and caused more harm to himself than whatever was his enemy. 

"Sirius," Remus began, his nerves on the edge, having just been disarmed by someone he had considered a friend.  Sirius interrupted him, shouting in near hysterical fury. 

"Shut up, Remus!" Sirius threw Remus's wand behind his back and out of sight.  Remus obeyed Sirius's command immediately.  Sirius charged towards Remus, his wand raised level with the other man's throat.  In another instant, Remus found himself pressed against the wall, Sirius's free hand clenched in the fabric of his chest, with a wand firmly pressed into the base of his throat.  "How could you betray James like that, Remus?" Sirius growled in his face, his dark eyes blazing. 

"Sirius-"

"You were their Secret-Keeper!" he screamed, his face twisting in a torrent of painful emotion.  "You sold them, didn't you?"  Remus shook his head in both denial and confusion.  "Didn't you!" Sirius demanded, his voice bellowing, his wand pressing harder against Remus's throat. 

"No, Sirius!" Remus cried, his voice cracking in fear of the hysterical man before him.  "I wasn't!"  In the brief second that Sirius's grip on his clothing faltered and his wand shook, Remus escaped his grip and got several paces apart from him.  "They never even spoke to me of being their Secret-Keeper.  Why would you think that?  Because, as far as I knew, you were the Secret-Keeper!"

"No!" Sirius shouted, cutting off Remus again.  "James - James insisted that it not be me...Just before the Fidelius Charm was cast."  Remus watched Sirius for a moment only daring to approach him, when Sirius looked directly at him and the dark eyes were not blazing, but instead filled with complete loss.  Sirius's wand arm lowered to hang dejectedly at his side, posing no threat to Remus any longer.  Sirius continued to speak, his voice broken.  "He refused...to tell me who the new Secret-Keeper was.  I - I didn't think he would choose anyone other than one of us - a Marauder.  And...then...you disappeared for a while.  I thought he chose you, Remus." 

"Sirius..." Remus began, taking another step.  His voice suddenly refused to work.  Sirius was deflating before his eyes, the fierce and furious man in the room moments ago was quickly leaving behind his broken counterpart.  Remus knew the horrible things the other man was feeling, having experienced them as well. 

"James and Lily dead," Sirius whispered, as though the quieter he said it the less it would be true.  "And...Harry..."  Remus saw a single tear slide down the other man's face.  Sirius did not even use the effort to wipe away its existence.  He let it fall.  Remus watched as Sirius met his gaze again.  When he saw the amount of unshed tears there, Remus's eyes softened.  Sirius and Remus walked toward each other as though in a daze, seeing something familiar and knowing it would be there for comfort.  Sirius grabbed onto Remus and they embraced in a gentle supportive manner, holding onto each other, as though they both held their last friend in the world.  "I was there that night," Sirius whispered, trying to disguise his trembling voice.  "I saw the house.  I saw...James...He looked terrified.  Have you ever seen James like that?  I'll never forget it."  Sirius tried to breathe silently, but it came out as a strangled sob.  "And then I heard someone else there...and...I looked...and it was Hagrid.  He...had something in his arms...something small...something that was crying...Harry.  Dumbledore was right behind them, and...I went to Hagrid and saw Harry...dried blood on his head...and...a scar that wasn't there before.  It looked like a lightning bolt.  He looked at me...and...he didn't seem to even know me!"  Tears broke Sirius of his speech, his entire body shaking and his breathing unsteady and irregular.  "I begged Hagrid to let me take him.  I said, ‘Give Harry to me, Hagrid, I'm his godfather, I'll take care of him.'  But...he said, ‘No.'  And...Dumbledore...said that Harry would be going to his aunt and uncle's in Little Whinging.  Muggles!"  Sirius spat the word like a curse.  "I gave every reason I could against sending Harry there...But...Dumbledore wouldn't...budge.  And...I told Hagrid, ‘Take my bike.'  He asked me why...Why...I told him, ‘I won't need it anymore.'  I...just didn't see the point of...keeping it...Do you remember, Remus?  James and I built it that summer?" 

"Yes," Remus confirmed, "I remember."  Remus found himself smiling a little, lost in the memory of his friends' excitement when they first tested the motorbike and having the flying mechanism work as planned. 

"I couldn't...How could I keep it?"

"To simply remember...better days."

"Those days ended even before...all of this, Remus."  Sirius left the comfort and support of Remus's embrace and walked away from him, going across the room around the bed.  He stooped low to pick up something from the floor.  As he walked back to Remus, the other man was speaking.

"Then, all you can do is remember those days fondly.  Your life is not over, Sirius."  Sirius held out Remus's wand to him.  "Thank you."  Remus pocketed it again in his inner jacket pocket.  "Think back to our schooldays if it helps.  Just..."  As he tried to search for the right words, Sirius's eyes sparked and he met the other's gaze.  "What is it?" Remus asked.

Sirius said nothing.  He walked with urgency to his wardrobe, flinging the door open with enough force for it to bang loudly against the wall.  He yanked a long coat from a hanger and furiously struggled into it.  "Sirius, what is it?" Remus asked again, louder this time.  Sirius seemed to be in a haze of rage again, but much more terrifying than the fury he encountered initially.  Sirius strode right past Remus and out of the door of his room.  Remus followed at a quick run.  Sirius was already bounding down the stairs, with Remus charging after him, trying to catch up.  "Sirius!"  When Sirius turned right at the bottom of the stairs, Remus jumped the rest of the way and grabbed hold of Sirius's arm.  Sirius whipped his head around to Remus, his dark eyes now volcanic with rage.  "Tell me!" Remus demanded. 

"If you weren't Secret-Keeper, and neither was I - and...I said that I couldn't imagine James choosing anyone besides a Marauder - then - that only leaves one other person!" Sirius's whole body trembled with his need for vengeance and his untamed fury. 

"Peter Pettigrew!" gasped Remus.  Sirius nodded, and jerked his arm free of Remus's hold, intending to leave when Remus's voice stopped him.  "Harry is missing, Sirius!"

He turned abruptly and instantly was toe-to-toe with Remus.  "What?" he growled. 

"Dumbledore saw me today.  He told me that Harry's missing."

Sirius swore under his breath.  "He swore that he'd be safe!  How could he - how could-"  Sirius was consumed with his anger that his voice had been taken from him.  "Where could he possibly be?  He could be anywhere!"

"I'm sure he's somewhere safe," Remus tried to reassure him.

"And how would you know?  He could be in the hands of Death Eaters for all we know!"  Sirius closed his eyes and shook his head in a vain attempt to gather himself.  "I - I have to go, Remus."  Remus opened his mouth to protest but Sirius spoke first.  "I have a rat to sniff out and kill."  He turned and began towards the door again. 

Remus could not believe this was happening.  Sirius felt that avenging James was more important than his godson?  What was happening to the world?  "Sirius!  James is gone!  You have a responsibility to Harry, now!  Honor that!"

Sirius faced Remus again.  With sincerity and a steady voice he replied, "And I will, but only after Pettigrew pays for what he's done to James and Lily." 

Before Remus could challenge that statement, Sirius had already walked through the door and slammed it shut behind him again.  Once again, Remus was left alone in a dark and silent home staring at the door through which his friend had left.  With a sigh, Remus felt his shoulders slump and his expression sadden as he turned to walk back into the kitchen.  There on the mantel was an item that held what he was looking for, Floo Powder.  He reached into the unnecessarily elaborate little cauldron and removed a pinch of black, glittering powder.  He threw it into the fire and shouted, "Remus Lupin's Flat," and stepped into the lit fireplace disappearing once again in a swirl of green flames. 

Remus was awoken by an annoying tapping on his window.  He opened his eyes blearily and rose from the sofa.  Was it the next day already?  His vision began to focus as he walked in the direction of the tapping sound.  He moved the torn curtain aside to peer out.  An owl was flapping outside of his window, gripping the newest copy of The Daily Prophet, and a small money purse attached to its leg.  Remus opened the window, admitting the owl inside.  He took the newspaper from the animal and reached into his pocket for the bird's payment, depositing it into the money pouch.  After receiving its money, the owl flew out of the window again.  Remus shut the window again and situated the damaged curtain as best he could before going to the newspaper wondering what had happened worth reporting now.  What greeted him on the front page surprised him just as much as the news of the Potters' deaths. 

SIRIUS BLACK, CONVICTED MURDERER

Apprehended shortly after killing thirteen Muggles and wizard Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black was forcibly removed from the scene by twenty members of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad. Black has been reportedly in league with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named long before Pettigrew confronted Black in a duel resulting in his gruesome death. The only recovered piece of Pettigrew was his finger. Peter Pettigrew has been awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, posthumously. Sirius Black is currently held in Azkaban Prison...

Remus's breath was sucked from his body as though someone had strangled it from his lungs.  He stared disbelievingly at the moving picture of Sirius struggling in the hold of numerous Ministry Law Enforcement Squad members, his mouth open in a silent scream, his eyes desperately searching for a friend, his hair dripping in a liquid that was darker and thicker than water.  Remus's mouth hung open identical to Sirius's in the picture, only his was open in shock, while the picture's was clearly screaming.  Remus stared at the picture for a long while, standing as still as a painter's subject.  He thought of the last conversation with Sirius, just yesterday.  His own voice came back to haunt him.

"Sirius!  James is gone!  You have a responsibility to Harry now!  Honor that!"

"And I will, but only after Pettigrew pays for what he's done to James and Lily."

Remus closed his eyes as he heard the voices echoing in his head.  Sirius will never be able to honor that responsibility now!  Who would now?  "I will," Remus said to himself, opening his eyes to see the struggling Sirius, saying the words almost as a promise to look after what Sirius could not. 

Sirius's picture looked directly at the camera and screamed almost frighteningly into the lens, the emotion visible in his expression obvious to only Remus.  The chestnut-haired wizard sat down on his sofa, still clutching the newspaper, his mind darting in all different directions.  His impulsive mind decided on a reckless course of action to defend Sirius and earn his freedom, before the rational half of his mind took him back to reality.  "Your life is not over, Sirius."  He gazed sadly upon the picture on the front page once more and whispered to it, as though trying to speak to the man pictured, "Now it is, Sirius.  Now it's over." 

Remus sat on his sofa with the newspaper for a long time his mind completely blank and thoughtless.  He stared straight ahead as though he were not among trying to figure out when the world had gone so wrong.  His body was frozen in his position.  He did not know what to do.  Without any other emotion in him but overwhelming grief - for James, for Lily, for Sirius, for Harry - his strength gave out and his tears finally flowed from his blue eyes. 

The house of the Black Family was silent.  There was no one left in the house.  The last member of the family yet living was now forever contained in the wizard prison, Azkaban.  Strangely, a fire was still burning in the fireplace. How a fire managed to last this long without anyone to tend it was a mystery.  But there was someone to tend to the fire.  The same old resident of the household whose service would be forever bound to the family, even in their deaths or other circumstances.  This resident went by the name of Kreacher and he was a house-elf.  He wore an old pillowcase type of garment, stained from extended consecutive wear.  His long, pointed ears were starting to droop in his age, and his large round eyes were not as bright as they once were.  He was getting old, slower, and crankier with every passing year.  However, as ordered by his latest master, he kept the fire burning to keep communication lines open through the Floo Network with those of a friendly nature.  This house-elf shuffled about the kitchen, hiding various items of value in what he had very recently claimed as his room - a cupboard under the sink.  It was when he had just stashed some shiny treasures in his space that the fire flared high and green and a figure stepped through. 

Kreacher slowly, almost lazily, shuffled over to this person and looked up and spoke in a raspy, grating voice.  "Yes, sir?"

"Are...are you Kreacher?" the man asked.  Kreacher slowly nodded once.  "Oh, good.  I need to ask you a few things.  Is that alright?"  Kreacher said nothing to the man, but walked to one of the kitchen chairs and pulled it out from the table, indicating that the man should sit himself in it.  He did, and Kreacher stood beside the sitting man waiting rather impatiently to be asked these questions. 

"Kreacher, has Sirius ever had a man here named James recently, maybe with a young woman, Lily, and a very young child named Harry?" 

Kreacher mumbled something unintelligible, and was asked to repeat it.  "Yes," he reiterated. 

The figure seemed encouraged and asked anther question.  "Were there any toys or things that a young child like Harry would play with or use or need kept here?" 

"Yes," Kreacher responded, trying to not mumble too much, for he hated being asked to repeat himself. 

"Would you please fetch them for me?" he asked the house-elf, who grumbled in protest at receiving an order from someone that he technically did not have to obey, especially when none of his masters were there.  He refused to budge.  The chestnut-haired man asked again.  "Please, Kreacher.  I do not know where anything is in this house.  Please, fetch them for me." 

Kreacher mumbled again in protest but he nevertheless raised his right hand and snapped his long, bony fingers.  He disappeared even before the sound of the snap faded.  In a few moments, he materialized again with a sharp whip-like crack.  He held the handle of a small traveling trunk.  It was black wood polished to gleam in nearly any lighting.  He dropped the handle of the trunk beside the man's chair and then shuffled away towards his cupboard under the sink, mumbling all the way.  The man, meanwhile, opened the trunk and looked at the contents.  Seemingly satisfied, he closed it again.  He left his chair and crouched to pick up the trunk.  He had just turned to the fireplace when he heard a raspy, "Sir?" from the height of his knee.  He looked down to see Kreacher standing beside his leg with a large key in his hand. 

"Yes?"

Kreacher held the key as high as he could towards the man, who bent in order to hook his finger through the ring at the top.  "Kreacher found this key in a letter."  With a snap of his fingers, a letter appeared in his hand.  This, he also held out to the man.  "You looks like a young man in pictures that...Master had."  The house-elf seemed to reluctantly say the word master. 

The man nodded, a weak smile appearing on his face.  "Yes.  I'm Remus Lupin."  He took the letter offered by Kreacher.  He looked at the name on the envelope, Sirius Black, in neat writing which he recognized immediately.  James.  "Thank you, Kreacher," he said, kindly.  He walked to the fireplace.  Remus turned around to look at Kreacher.  "I think you will be able to put out the fire, though.  Sirius will not be coming back for...a very long time.  He will not mind."  He could not bring himself to say that his friend was never coming back.  Even he had not accepted that yet. 

Remus put down the trunk before he pinched out of the cauldron some of the black glittering powder and throwing it into the fire.  The flames grew high and green again.  Remus picked the trunk up again as he clearly pronounced his destination, "Remus Lupin's Flat."  He checked quickly to be sure he had the trunk, key, and letter before stepping into the flames of the House of Black for the last time, and disappearing through the swirling flames. 

Kreacher waited until the flames turned their natural color and height before he shuffled to the fireplace and put out the fire in a final confirmation that no witch or wizard lived any longer in Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. 

Remus had finally settled at his kitchen table and prepared to open the letter that Kreacher had given to him.  He would recognize the handwriting on it anywhere.  It was James's handwriting.  Carefully, Remus opened the envelope and pulled a single page of sloppily folded parchment.  A grin lifted the corner of Remus's mouth as his memory was triggered by James's inability to properly fold a piece of paper.  The edges were always uneven, no matter how many times he would try to line them up.  At least Remus knew for sure that the letter was from James.  He unfolded it and began to read. 

Sirius,

As you know, Lily and I are going into hiding.  Someone told Dumbledore that You-Know-Who is looking for us.  He advised us that hiding would be the best thing, and I agree, for Lily's sake and for Harry's.  We've decided that we may go under the Fidelius Charm soon, and are thinking of potential Secret-Keepers.  As Harry's godfather, I think it is only right to ask you, but Lily isn't so sure.  She does trust you, but she's scared, and wants to be sure that we put careful thought and consideration into this.  I have to say, she is right.  But we did decide on something that would be best for everyone no matter what happens with our decision for Secret-Keeper. 

Enclosed is the key to our second vault.  There is one vault that Harry will be able to withdraw money from when he starts Hogwarts.  Lily and I agreed that we should make another one just in case anything should happen to us.  Harry, or his guardian, which would be you since you are his godfather, will be able to use this money for anything he needs.  If you want to spend your own money for him and let him use this amount for some later purpose, then by all means.  It's your decision.  We gave a spare key for our vault to Dumbledore for safe keeping.  We thought precautions in this would at least ensure that Harry will be taken care of, even in a small monetary way.  Thank you, Sirius.

Keep this to yourself.  And if you even think of spending anything in that vault on yourself I will have to hex you, or turn into an angry Prongs on you!  And you know how terrible that can be. 

                                           Fellow Marauder,

                                                James Potter

Remus refolded the paper and looked at the key the sat on the table nearby.  At least James had planned ahead.  "Probably Lily's doing," he half-chuckled to himself.  She always was practical.  He already had composed a letter immediately after going to Sirius's house that afternoon.  It was a difficult letter for him to write.  All he needed to do now was have it delivered. 

He wasted no further time.  He went through his apartment and prepared the items needed for the delivery.  He had carefully placed the letter back in the envelope and tucked it into the miscellany of items in the trunk.  Along with it he placed the vault key.  He tightly and carefully wrapped the trunk in the proper paper for delivery and tied it with a huge amount of string, securing everything as best he could. 

With caution, he approached his sleeping brown barn owl with the composed letter and woke the bird, which glared at Remus meanly.  "Will you deliver this, Aria?"  She hooted at him at angled her head to read the name on the envelope in her owner's familiar writing.  She snatched the envelope in her beak and then glared at the trunk that was larger than her.  Remus understood.  He drew his wand and said, "Reducio," aiming the wand at the trunk.  Once the spell hit it, the size of the trunk decreased until it was smaller than the owl waiting to deliver it.  Once she saw it was a proper carrying size, she latched onto it with her talons and she flew towards the window. 

Remus opened the window and watched as the owl flew from the apartment with a trunk filled with children's toys, two letters, and a vault key.  As he watched the bird fly away, he hoped that he had made the right decision and that his hunch would prove him correct. 

He hoped that every morning would not begin like this one.  He sat at the head of the kitchen table and the child sat to his right in a highchair charmed from the adult sized chair of the kitchen set.  The boy was a hopeless case when it came to eating, apparently.  He had managed to get more food everywhere else but in his stomach.  It was spread all over the boy's chest, lap, hands, face...everywhere!  The tray of the highchair was smothered in the remains of the boy's breakfast.  He had even at one point taken great delight in throwing what food the young man managed to force into his tiny mouth directly onto the elder's carefully arranged plate of breakfast.  As a last resort, the dark-haired young man decided to charm the spoon to feed the child while he tried to eat what was mercifully spared the child's decorations to his own food.  He even found the corner of his mouth furthest from the boy lifting in a half-smile as the child's giggling was stopped by the spoon that took the opportunity of an open mouth to shove in food, abruptly ending the giggling, until either the boy swallowed, spit it out, or dribbled it down his face only to resume giggling merrily. 

The young man looked up at the child who grinned toothily at him, proudly indicating with the smile his accomplishment of managing to avoid almost two thirds of his breakfast.  ‘Perhaps that is why children are always hungry,' the man thought.  ‘Their food ends up everywhere but their stomach.'

His thoughts were interrupted by an insistent tapping on the closed shutters of the kitchen window.  Wondering who would possibly be tapping on his window, he drew his wand cautiously and approached the closed window, his body blocking the view that any eyes on the other side of the shutter would have of the messy child at his table still giggling and smiling to himself.  He flicked his wand at the closed window, whispering an incantation, and the shutters opened to reveal a brown owl with a letter in its beak and its talons gripping tight to a decent sized parcel.  Seeing this owl was not what he expected.  Without much hesitation but still with suspicion, he walked forward and opened the window, allowing the bird entry into his kitchen. 

The bird set the parcel on the kitchen table, intelligently far away from the reaching hands of the little boy in the highchair, whose attention was immediately focused on the owl as soon as it entered the room.  The owl perched herself on the back of the kitchen chair at the other end of the table, the letter still in her beak.  The dark-haired man looked at the writing on it and froze at the name of the intended receiver.

He reached towards the bird and gripped the envelope.  The bird released it easily then gazed upon him curiously.  The young man pointed his wand to the counter, where a few items from breakfast were still available.  The owl flew to them and nibbled away happily.  He, meanwhile, walked back to his chair and sat in a daze staring at the envelope.  How did anyone know?  He had been careful.  The small giggle of the boy stirred him and he looked at the child and studied him for a moment.  Their eyes met for a length of time before the younger man remembered the letter he held in his hand and his attention went back to it.  He did not even notice when the owl flew from his home leaving him, the boy, and the parcel alone in the kitchen again.  He turned the envelope over and broke the seal, removed the parchment, unfolded it and started to read, his heart pounding in his chest.

Severus,

I hope that my instincts are correct in the writing of this letter.  It was my intention to come to you directly, but I was unsure of the welcome I would receive.  I learned of the attack at Godric's Hollow through what I read, and then was the unexpected host of Professor Dumbledore in my apartment. 

He told me that Lily's son was missing and that the public was blaming him.  I know this may be nonsense, and you most likely do not care about it.  But, when he told me that...Harry was missing my first thought was Sirius Black.  I went to see him and he was not responsible for the, forgive the term, abduction.  When I learned this, the only other name I could think of was your own.  And that is how this letter finds you.

I hope that I am correct.  If he is with you, that is well.  I know that you will do everything in your power to keep him safe.  If not, then I hope this does not cause you grief in any way.  For the sake of the Wizarding World, and his own, I hope he is in your care. 

I have also sent a trunk with Aria containing some toys and other things that I have collected from Sirius' home this afternoon, after learning of his...imprisonment in Azkaban.  There is also a letter which you should read fully.  I hope they are useful and helpful to you, Severus. 

Also, when I spoke to Sirius, he spoke of the night of the attack.  And he mentioned that...Harry has a scar, now.  My memory may be wrong, but Lily had once developed a charm to remove scars, correct?  It may be wise to use one of those charms on the boy, since he will surely be recognized with a mark as distinct as a lightning bolt scar on his forehead.  If the boy has any chance of being a normal wizarding child, then the only option is to remove the scar.  But I leave that final decision to you.   

If you ever need assistance with anything, please, let me know.  I will be glad to help as I used to.  After all, it is thanks to you that I do not suffer as much as years past. 

Remus Lupin

P.S. I regret that contacting you could not be under happier circumstances.

Severus reread the letter.  His tension was lessened with the knowledge that someone supported his decision.  His dark eyes drifted to the package on the table wrapped with a superfluous amount of string.  With a sigh, he rose from the chair and went to the package.  He struggled with the string for a few moments, much to the entertainment of the little boy.  Finally, he wrestled it off, and carefully removed the paper from it.  Realizing that the item was shrunken, Severus pointed his wand at it and muttered, "Engorgio," causing it to swell to its true size. 

He set his wand down on the table and reached out to open the trunk.  To his surprise, it was filled with a variety of items that would keep a child occupied for quite some time.  Not surprising to him was a stuffed animal of a black dog.  He removed each item from the trunk as he inspected them.  When he put the dog on the table, the boy's arms flailed wildly, recognizing that toy as well.  "Surrus!" he cried.  "Surrus!" 

Severus slid his gaze from the book of children's stories to the boy, whose arms desperately reached across the messy tray towards the stuffed dog.  Severus set the book down and picked up his wand again, aiming in the boy's direction.  With a quick cleaning charm, everything but the boy was spotless.  He would never use a particular cleaning spell on this child, particularly since it had once been cruelly misused on him years ago.  With another wave of his wand, he conjured a damp cloth.  Some things simply needed to be done the Muggle way, and cleaning the face of a squirming child was one such instance.  He went to the boy and proceeded to clean everywhere he could without being smacked by a flailing arm, or slobbered on by stray drool.  Once finished, he gave the boy the stuffed dog.  The child began to talk incoherent nonsense to the inanimate animal as he petted his head as tenderly as a little boy was able in his enthusiasm.  With the child distracted, Severus could focus again on the items in the trunk. 

He found a tiny set of mittens and a matching winter hat in the colors of gold and maroon.  Severus groaned softly at the color choice.  He set them aside.  There were several books with colorless illustrations in them - Muggle coloring books.  ‘How odd for Black to have this,' he thought.  Just underneath the coloring book was a small collection of crayons.  At least the boy would have been safely occupied while at Sirius Black's home.  That opinion was destroyed when he noticed the gleam of a polished toy training broom.  Biting back a cry of dismay, he inspected the broom carefully, finally taking notice of the tiny gold etchings towards the bristles of the broom that detailed what a worried adult would look for.

Safety Spells Enacted:

Will not exceed .76 meters (2.5 feet) in flying height. 

Will not exceed five feet apart from parent while flying.

Will not fly if child is not holding broom with both hands.

Will not exceed speed 8.05 kilometers (5 miles) per hour.

Not for children under one year.

If unsatisfied, the Training Broom may be returned to Quality Quidditch Supplies, Diagon Alley.  Questions/Comments?  Owl or Floo Call us. 

Deciding that it seemed harmless enough, Severus placed in with the other items.  Finally, he had nothing else in the box but what he had avoided on the very top, a key and a letter addressed to Sirius Black.  ‘Why would Lupin send me this?' he thought.  Hesitantly, he picked up the letter and opened it.  With his lips curling in disdain, he recognized James Potter's writing.  He began reading the letter.  Someone told Dumbledore that You-Know-Who is looking for us.  Severus gasped as a memory suddenly filled his mind.  He closed his eyes as a memory of a meeting on a cold and dark hilltop what seemed like years ago.  He still heard the words in his head.

"Keep her - them - safe.  Please."

"And what will you give me in return, Severus?"

"In - in return?"

"Anything," he finished aloud.  His eyes opened and they drifted from the letter to the child in the highchair, now asleep in an awkward position with his face nuzzling the stuffed dog, and a trail of drool dampening the fur.  Tears began to flow from Severus's dark eyes.  The child seemed so at peace while he was a walking hurricane of emotion. 

Angrily, he brushed away his tears and continued reading the letter.  At least James and Lily were cautious enough to think of opening a second vault for the boy in the event that anything should happen.  This would make caring for the boy much easier by being able to access funds other than the small income he earned through his work in potion making.  He eyed the key, which he could only conclude was the key for the second vault, before picking it up and carrying it purposefully into his parlor.  The walls were lined with bookcases now filled with volumes of wizard texts and resources, including his personal records.  There were identical copies of the book Moste Potente Potions beside each other.  He removed the one on the right and opened the cover, revealing a hollowed center, where several odd trinkets were hidden, including another key similar to the new one he placed in the hollow book.  He closed it and replaced it on the top shelf.  With meaningful strides, he reentered the kitchen, and put all of the toys and various other items into the trunk again, with the exception of the stuffed dog to which the boy still clung.

He looked upon the boy for several moments before his observations were interrupted as they were earlier by the hooting of another owl flying through his window, which woke up the boy, whose half-open eyes looked at the owl with a letter in its beak.  Just like the first owl, this one perched on the back of the chair and waited for Severus to approach it.  He took the letter, and without another sound the owl flew speedily from the house. 

Severus recognized the writing on this envelope as well.  It belonged to a certain aged wizard mentioned in his previously received letter.  Rolling his eyes, the man opened it and unfolded the thick cream-colored parchment.  He began to read the short and direct note.

Return to your position in Hogwarts, Severus. 

Classes are still in progress.  Report back no later than this evening.

Severus's eyes hardened as he reread the note.  Dumbledore did not seem to know what he had done.  He looked at the boy who was grinning at him sleepily.  How was he supposed to keep the boy hidden in Hogwarts?  If Lupin could figure out where the child had been taken and by whom, surely the Headmaster would be able to put the pieces together.  Lupin! 

Severus quickly put down Dumbledore's letter and picked up Remus's letter from earlier, searching for a particular section.  When he found it, he reread it to himself several times. 

Harry has a scar, now.  My memory may be wrong, but Lily had once developed a charm to remove scars, correct?  It may be wise to use one of those charms on the boy, since he will surely be recognized with a mark as distinct as a lightning bolt scar on his forehead.  If the boy has any chance of being a normal wizarding child, then the only option is to remove the scar.  But I leave that final decision to you.  

Severus instantly made his decision.  He put Remus's letter next to Dumbledore's and he went back into his parlor searching the bookcases for several volumes of leather bound journals that he and Lily had written together during their schooldays containing their own spells, mostly hers.  At last, he found one.  It was a Muggle-looking brown leather bound journal, the pages with gold edges, with little different colored silk ribbons marking certain pages.  He flipped furiously through the pages as he walked back into his kitchen, determined that this child would not be out of his sight longer than necessary.  He sat down in the chair with the book spread before him, searching for the spell that he been frequently applied to him by the caressing touch of a willow wand.  It was marked by the only dark green ribbon in the book.  He read the spell's incantation repeatedly to be sure he had it correct, having never spoken it himself, only been on the receiving end of it.  It was the note in a feminine script that caused his vision to blur with fresh tears after reading it. 

For Severus, to soothe away reminders of painful times. 

Forcing his emotions down again, Severus reread the incantation and moved his wand in practicing motions.   He read the instructions carefully on the procedure of the spell before closing the book and preparing himself to perform it on the boy to his right, who had drifted off in sleep again.  He was unsure whether or not he should do this while the boy was awake or asleep, and so consulted the journal again, his nerves spiking.  He did not find any evidence to either way.  He searched his own memories for the times this charm was used on him.  He was always awake.  ‘Awake it is, then,' he thought. 

Severus reached out his hand hesitantly, still unsure of how to handle a child.  His fingers brushed against the boy's rounded cheek.  The light touch caused the child's eyes to flutter open and meet the dark eyes of the wizard.  Wasting no time, Severus gently placed his wand against the highest tip of the lightning bolt scar.  The boy's attention was focused on the wand, his eyes crossing as he tried to only shift his eyes to see it.  Taking a deep breath, Severus began to trace the lightning bolt scar and strongly spoke the incantation, "Aufer vulnerem."  When the scar changed angles, he repeated the incantation, just as the procedure indicated.  "Aufer vulnerem."  And last, the scar changed angles for the second time, and again Severus spoke the incantation.  "Aufer vulnerem."  He leaned back to see if the charm was correct.  The little boy looked curiously at the man studying him.  A hint of a grin appeared on Severus's face as he saw the scar begin to fade until the child's forehead was clear as though the oddly-shaped scar had never existed.  The child before him looked completely...normal.

Severus got to his feet again and closed the shutters and the window in which the two owls of the day had entered his home, cloaking the room in semi-darkness once again.  He turned to the boy again and simply said, "Time to go back upstairs."  The little boy reached out to him with one arm, the other holding onto the dog's leg.  Severus went to the child and lifted him and the stuffed animal from the highchair.  He held him to his chest securely as he left the kitchen and walked to the staircase that was hidden behind one of the bookcases lining the wall of his parlor.  He went upstairs and into his childhood room, where the cradle stood.  Severus crouched low and set the boy onto the floor to amuse himself with his dog. 

He had several things to do before he could even consider returning to Hogwarts with the boy in his care.  The boxes were still near the bed.  He walked to them and began searching through the contents he had to hurriedly gather that terrible night.  After several moments he found what he was looking for.  He carefully removed the thick, large envelope from the box.  He opened it and took out the equally thick sheet of parchment.  It seemed to be an official document.  There were three sections of the document that he had previously seen altered through one of the memories he was given on the night of the attack.  And he knew that it was now his turn to switch all three into something else.  He knew what he had to do in order to activate the charmed parchment. 

He took the paper from the room, leaving the boy to amuse himself on the floor with his stuffed black dog.  He carried it down the hallway and into his bedroom and straight to his desk.  He opened a desk drawer to reveal a small, decorative knife.  He quickly conjured a small crimson cloth napkin, and placed it on the edge of the desk.  He placed the parchment flat on his desk and pushed the knifepoint into the tip of his left index finger until blood began to flow from the small wound.  He held the deliberately injured finger over one section of the document and allowed precisely three drops of his blood to fall onto the parchment.  As he watched the document for a change he wrapped his hand in the napkin ensuring that there were no stray drops of blood.  Nothing could disrupt this process.  Instantly after the last drop absorbed into the parchment, the entire document glowed in a vibrant blood red color.  He knew this was the time to speak what he needed to.  Pressing his wand to the section where his blood had dripped onto the document, he spoke the words, "Ostende nominem patris."  He moved his wand to another section and spoke a second incantation.  "Ostende nominem mei filii."  Again, he slid his wand downwards on the document directly across from the first section and said a final incantation.  "Tege nominem matris."  The glow of the thick parchment intensified to a degree that Severus had no choice but to close his eyes.  When the parchment finally returned to its original color, he opened his eyes.  Where three names were on each of the three sections previously, three new ones took their places.  With a spreading of warmth through his chest he gazed upon two of the new names. 

Suddenly he heard Dumbledore's voice in his mind from only two days ago.

"If you loved Lily Evans, if you truly loved her, then your way forward is clear."

"What - what do you mean?"

"You know how and why she died.  Make sure it was not in vain.  Help me protect Lily's son."

Severus felt the first hint of a genuine smile develop on his face for the first time in nearly a year.  If only Albus Dumbledore knew how well Severus planned to protect Lily's son.  Still grinning to himself, Severus Snape began packing for his small companion's stay with him at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

When one wanted to arrive or depart somewhere and preferred to remain unnoticed picking the appropriate time is essential.  Nighttime was just poor planning, for all of the suspicious eyes are piercing the night for anything and everything.  The daytime was equally as bad a choice since in the light every action, suspicious or otherwise, could be witnessed from every location.  It was the times between, the changing-of-the-guard times of day that were ideal for secret arrivals and departures - twilight and dawn.  If one had the extra advantage of arriving or fleeing into a crowded area - a forest, a busy street - then time was not as important.  However, if someone had the misfortune of trying to slink through an open area, such as a long walkway up to large gates and then through an even larger open courtyard, time was everything.  The young man had the misfortune of trying to arrive in such an open space.  But, fortunately, he chose the correct time in which to arrive.  Twilight. 

In the cold, overcast twilight of November 3, 1981 there was the sudden sound of a quiet snap.  Where a moment previous the landscape was even, undisturbed and silent, there now stood a man.  His long, black hair whipped about his face as the wind took the hem of his cloak and waltzed with it.  Behind him floated several items, among them a trunk, a stack of books, and a battered cradle, all of which were shrunken to a bearable traveling size.  In his arms was a squirming little boy carefully wrapped in a tartan blanket.  His left arm cradled the child to his chest, while his right hand pressed the boy's covered head into his body to shield him from the wind.  In his right hand, he also held his wand, which he subtly pointed to the shrunken items indicating where they should float. 

His progress up the slope towards the large gates of the immense castle before him was unnoticed by every pair of eyes that would have the opportunity of spying.  He walked easily up to the gates, and tapped them with his wand.  He waited a moment so that the wards could recognize his magic signature before the gates separated a tiny amount, allowing him to push them open only as far as he needed to pass through and guide his trailing baggage behind him.  He did not need to push the gates closed, for as he continued across the courtyard he heard them snap shut again resetting the wards around the castle and the grounds. 

He finally reached the large double doors of the castle.  The entrance doors.  There was only one other time he had been this nervous before them and that was many years ago.  He took a deep breath, looked down and met the eyes of the little boy in his arms, and straightened his spine, preparing to enter the castle.  This was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he was employed, where he had a flat, where some of his greatest miseries were exploited, where few joys were remembered.  He now developed hope that this child could give him reason to have more joys in his life.  He passed into the entranceway of the school, noticing that it was mercifully empty.  He did not yet know how he would explain the child in his arms.  He decided that he would handle that situation when it arrived.

Severus did not even glance around as he began to quickly walk towards his suite in the dungeons.  His walk was of such a speed and force that it caused his cloak to ripple and billow majestically.  It was a talent that intimidated his students and he liked it that way.  He knew that since he was young the students would try to make his life as a professor difficult, making him try his intimidation theories.  Seeing as he had no problems with them thus far, he concluded that his tactics were working.  The journey to the dungeons did not take him long.  The boy in his arms was fully awake and silent, his head turning quickly back and forth trying to take in everything around him as the man carrying him walked at such a fast pace.  At last, Severus arrived at a portrait, which could be considered out of place in the dungeons, but it was personal to him.  Out of habit, he whispered the password, and the portrait swung inward allowing him entrance, his items trailing in behind him before the portrait closed again, safely enclosing Severus and the boy in his teacher's suite.

The Great Hall was bursting with activity, at least with the students.  They were still behaving as though the last several days had not happened nor mattered all that much.  They filed into the Great Hall for dinner, as noisy as ever.  The immense fireplace blazed and bathed the entire hall in a comforting orange atmosphere.  The ceiling, which was charmed to depict the weather of the outside at all times, was just turning into twilight.  Clouds were moving into the sky, covering it in a shroud of darkness.  While the students chattered amongst themselves, there were various quiet conversations taking place at the long staff table. 

In a large throne-like, decorative chair sat the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore.  He was very tense and sat in his chair perfectly straight, his entire body rigid.  To his right sat Professor McGonagall, a tall, elderly witch with a kind but stern face.  She sat erect in her less elaborate chair and wore a false smile when she felt the eyes of a few students on her.  The seat next to her own chair was empty.  Her eyes would drift to it occasionally as the students filed into the Great Hall, as though hoping something would suddenly materialize in the chair or even that it would materialize into something else.  To Dumbledore's left sat a very small creature, not exactly goblin but not exactly human either.  He was a mixture of the two, looking more like a very small old man.  He, like Professor McGonagall, tried to smile but was failing miserably.  To his left was a plump witch with flyaway hair that was just starting to grey.  Her robes and her hat were frayed and patched in numerous places.  Her hands and clothing were covered and caked in earthy materials, be it leaves or simply dirt.  This woman was Professor Pomona Sprout.  With the exception of the Headmaster, these professors served as Head of House for one of the four divisions in Hogwarts - Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.  Professor McGonagall was Head of Gryffindor, while Professors Flitwick and Sprout were Head of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff respectively.  The Head of Slytherin was absent and had been for several days.  This did not go unnoticed by the staff members or the students.  If the students knew something was either wrong or out of place, they knew it had something to do with Slytherin's Head of House - Professor Severus Snape. 

Without a word, Dumbledore signaled for the meal to begin.  This in itself was unusual, considering he would say at least an odd assortment of random words when he had nothing to say, even just to get things moving.  However, with his mood being foul, and his posture tense, he could not find his voice.  If he did, he most likely would have chosen an assortment of a few inappropriate words to begin the meal.  He did not wish to alarm the students by shouting out curses right before a meal.  And thus settled for simply flicking his wrist, after which the plates on the tables and the goblets near them were filled. 

As everyone began eating, Dumbledore looked to McGonagall and spoke.  "Have you heard from Severus?"

She lifted her goblet and took a sip before shaking her head.  "No.  I have heard nothing from him since before-" 

"Before the Potters were killed?" 

She nodded, taking another sip.  Dumbledore gave a tense sigh and turned to the left and asked the same question of Professor Flitwick, who responded with a feeble squeak of a laugh and, "The boy will turn up.  He knows his responsibilities.  You know as well as I, Albus, that it is not in Severus's nature to ignore his duties." 

With such blind faith opposing him, Dumbledore had no choice but to accept the answers of his colleagues.  He began to nibble at his meal.  While the students and the ends of the staff table conversed loudly, the middle was strangely silent.  This continued for a great length of time, until nearly all of the staff and students were finished with their dinner and were enjoying their desserts, contentedly. 

Suddenly above their heads was a loud screech.  A large and impressive owl was flying towards the staff table, a letter in its beak.  The owl glided through the Great Hall looking ominous and dreadful against the depicted rain of the ceiling.  It drifted directly to Dumbledore who took the letter and turned it over, leaving the owl free to fly away again.  The letter was sealed in crimson wax, on top of a looped ribbon of the same shade.  The seal bore a large "M" on it.  This was an official letter from the Ministry of Magic.  Dumbledore's body grew tenser, as not only he stared at the letter, but the entire staff table and the whole student body gazed at it in silent dread and curiosity.  When Dumbledore broke the seal, the dull sound reverberated through the Hall so that even the person sitting farthest away could clearly hear it. 

Dumbledore's eyes began reading the letter, knowing full well that Professor McGonagall was reading it with him by her slight lean in towards him.  There were only several words that jumped out at him.  "...Arrest..."  "...Death Eater..."  "...This evening..."  "...Severus Snape..."  He heard McGonagall try to stifle a gasp with her hand as she read that particular section.  Dread filled Dumbledore for a moment as he quickly reread the letter. 

McGonagall finally found her voice and whispered urgently to him.  "You must do something, Albus." 

Dumbledore continued to stare at the letter for a moment more, before looking up and seeing hundreds of students focusing their attention on him.  Without a word he stood from his seat, still holding the letter, and began to leave the table.  Without looking back, he called for three members of staff to join him.  "Professors Sprout, Flitwick, and McGonagall follow me.  There is an urgent matter."  He then immediately walked around the staff table and began walking down the center of the Great Hall at a quick pace and large stride.  The students shifted to keep him in sight as he walked by them.  McGonagall hurried after him, followed by Professor Sprout, who had scrambled around the table, not expecting to be asked to accompany the headmaster.  Following directly behind the Head of Hufflepuff, was Professor Flitwick, who chose to dart under the table in order to follow the other professors. 

As all of the students shifted and followed the progress of the professors, McGonagall shouted out an order to all of them in Dumbledore's stead.  He had other things on his mind than what to do with the students at that moment.  "Prefects," she shouted.  "Lead the students back to your dormitories!"  With that, she left the Great Hall with the other professors, realizing the mistake in her orders too late. 

Once inside his teacher's suite, Severus released his luggage in the center of the parlor.  He walked into the room to his right, revealing an enormous bedroom.  He looked down at the wide-eyed boy in his arms.  "I think we should give you a room, little one, even if you won't use it for some time yet."  As though the boy understood completely what was coming, he grinned toothily at him, letting out a giggle. 

Severus looked around the room and debated what he should do with the arrangement.  With a satisfied grin, he nodded to himself, readied his wand and began a long string of incantations that caused an unbelievable amount of things to happen within the room.  Things began to materialize while other things flew to the other end of the room.  A large bed flew from one wall to the center of the large room, a trunk speeded past him, an entire bookcase lumbered to rest against a wall, rugs rolled up and then unfurled in their new locations, a desk was slammed into a wall, silver sconces grew from the walls like mushrooms on a tree trunk.  A second bed - complete with hangings - materialized from the air, as did a second desk, chair, a second wardrobe, and a new dresser.  Finally, an entire wall was erected, creating two separate rooms.  The last thing to be built was the dual fireplace, both on either side of the same wall, with a metal grate between the two, allowing one person to see clearly into the other room.  Between the two rooms, there was now another door.  Throughout all of this, the little boy laughed and tried to reach his tiny arms to catch some of the moving pieces of furniture.  The boy's green eyes sparkled as he excitedly watched everything around him change, except for the strong hold of the man's arms.

Severus looked around the new room, and grinned.  "This is your room," he said to the boy.

With a mischievous giggle, the boy reached for Severus's wand, gripped it tight, accidentally aiming it at the bed hangings and screamed the word, "Purper!"  The wand seemed to understand him enough, for a jet of sparks shot from the wand crashing into the bed hangings.  Like a bottle of spilled ink, the bed hangings began to shift color until they became a bright purple.  Severus, angry that the boy dared to touch his wand, never mind cause something to actually happen, could not help the grin from appearing on his face as he saw the hangings turn purple.  With a sigh, he pried the boy's fingers from his wand.  "No child of mine will sleep in a purple bed."  With a wave of his wand, the hangings turned into a deep green. 

With that he walked back into his parlor and summoned the cradle.  It drifted through the door and into his own room.  He enlarged it to its normal size and placed it in the center of the room on the rug.  He placed the child in it as he went to get the other items in the parlor.  With a wave of his wand, the books he brought spread out and found their respective bookcases and places on the shelves along one of the three monstrous bookcases in the parlor, one or two volumes drifting through doors to find their places on the bookcase in his bedroom.  He levitated the trunk from Remus next and walked with it into the newly created room.  He lowered it to rest at the foot of the large four-poster bed. 

With a last look at his work, he walked into his bedroom, where he found the little boy standing in the cradle watching the door intently.  When Severus appeared in the doorway, the boy thrust his arms through the bars towards him, smashing his face into one of them, knocking him backwards onto his bottom.  He began to whimper softly.  Severus crossed the room to the boy, and picked him up.  He began to walk around his room in several laps, whispering nothings to the child.  Slowly, the boy began to quiet, his mouth open in sleep. 

Severus decided it was time to inform someone of their arrival.  He walked out of his room, through the new room, and into the parlor.  He made his way carefully across the room to the fireplace.  On the mantle rested an elaborately decorated Muggle jewelry box.  It was silver and detailed a trail of flowers, with one large one at each corner.  On the lid of the box was the spelling of two names in ancient writing that very few could read now.  He opened the box slowly, before taking out a pinch of glittering green powder.  He threw it into the flames of the fireplace and clearly spoke.  "Remus Lupin."  The fire was now green as the Floo was activated. 

In only a moment, a familiar face appeared in the green flames.  "Severus," Remus responded.  His eyes were slightly worried for a brief moment but once he caught sight of the child safely cradled against the other man's chest, his eyes relaxed.  "I must say I am glad that you have him." 

Severus's lips twitched.  "I wanted to tell you that I've returned to Hogwarts." 

Remus tilted his head, looking surprised, smiling a little.  "How did you manage to get by Dumbledore?" 

"I arrived during dinner, when everyone would be in the Great Hall...He does not know yet." 

Remus tilted his head to the other side.  "Severus, you can't hide the boy forever." 

Severus looked down for a moment.  "I know, but...I..."

Remus interrupted.  "You seem to be taking everything well, though.  He never used to sleep when I held him, or when-"  His eyes grew dark for a moment and his face became blank as he finished his sentence.  "When Sirius would have him." 

"I do not know if I will-" Severus began, but he suddenly stopped when he heard an authoritative voice bellow through the portrait that guarded his chambers.  He heard one sentence that chilled all of the blood in his body. 

"Severus Snape!  By order of the Ministry of Magic, you are to grant us entrance!  You are under arrest on the charge of serving Lord Voldemort as a Loyal Death Eater!"

Severus's eyes grew wide and his jaw went slack, his lips opening in disbelief.  He turned to face the other man in the fire.  "Remus!" he desperately choked.  "Help me!" 

Dumbledore reached the entrance doors of Hogwarts in the speediest timing of his history as Headmaster.  The other three professors followed him closely.  He opened the doors and walked directly into the courtyard, straight to the huge gates.  There were several people waiting on the other side of the gates.  The first of these was the Minister for Magic, Millicent Bagnold.  Her eyes were cold and unforgiving.  Her long black hair was tied back into a tight bun, sitting at the very top of her head.  She stood with her feet firmly planted, her cloak blowing in the wind, with her wand pointed towards the ground.  She made an aggressive specimen.  On either side and behind her were two companions.  They were Aurors - Dark Wizard catchers.  The man on Millicent's right was a ferocious-looking man with tawny colored hair and bushy eyebrows.  His spectacles did nothing to hide his yellow eyes, and he was scarred heavily.  The man to her left was a tall dark skinned man, who wore cool colors of purples and blues.  His face was set in grim determination and his expression was humorless. 

"Headmaster Dumbledore!" the woman bellowed in a voice that carried across the courtyard.  "As Minister for Magic I demand entrance to the school grounds!" 

"Of course, Madam, of course."  Dumbledore made no motion as to open the gates.  "I just received your letter and-"

"The gates, Professor!" she howled. 

"Albus!" McGonagall hissed to her superior. 

"Is it absolutely necessary for you to come here with Aurors for Professor Snape, Minister?  I'm sure he will come quietly for questioning," the headmaster tried to stall. 

With a huff McGonagall stepped forward and struck the gates allowing them to swing open and allow the Minister and the two Aurors into the courtyard.  Millicent Bagnold pushed past the four professors like a furious thunderstorm.  The two Aurors were directly behind her.  The four residents of Hogwarts spun on their heels and began to walk at a faster pace than before as the Minister forced herself into the entrance doors.  At this abrupt entrance the students that were being led away to their dormitories stood shocked that the Minister herself would burst through the doors.  The entire student body froze and stared at the officials being followed by their professors and their headmaster.  Prefects vainly tried ordering their charges to continue to their dormitories, but not a single student moved, including the prefects giving the orders to do so. 

As she began her walk towards the dungeons, the Minister was speaking, "The Aurors accompanying me are Rufus Scrimgeour and Kingsley Shacklebolt.  They will assist in escorting Professor Snape from the premises should he choose not to cooperate." 

From half of their height, Professor Flitwick shouted to be heard, "Severus is not a Dark Wizard!" 

At that defensive statement, the entire student body became noisy.  Whispers ranging from, "I knew it!" to "How can he be?" sounded throughout the entrance hall.  Other varying whisperings caught the ears of the other professors, including those heading towards the dungeons.  "He's a Death Eater!"  "No!"  "Professor Snape is a Dark Wizard!"  "Knew there was something off about him."  These whispers carried halfway to Severus's teacher's suite.  Dumbledore looked behind him as they went and noticed sadly that most of Slytherin House had followed them to see what would happen to their Head of House, and why he was being tracked down by the Ministry. 

They arrived at Severus's portrait door.  The Minister raised her wand to her own throat and said, "Sonorus," before her voice carried all the way back to the entrance hall.  "Severus Snape!  By order of the Ministry of Magic, you are to grant us entrance!  You are under arrest on the charge of serving Lord Voldemort as a Loyal Death Eater!"

When there was a delay in the portrait moving, she turned to Kingsley and Rufus and said, "If there is no answer in a few more moments, force your way through."  They watched the portrait for movement, not knowing the panicked state of the suite just on the other side of the portrait. 

Remus looked at Severus with surprise and uncertainty.  The Severus Snape he used to know would never ask for help like this.  Then again, since Halloween life has been turned upside down for many people, Severus among those for whom it changed most.  "I need to step through." 

Severus nodded.  "Be quick."  The little boy had stirred from the deafening voice that bellowed from the other side of the portrait.  He looked up at Severus with his green eyes, shining in fear, wet with tears.  He reached up a hand and grasped a lock of Severus's black hair, surprising the older man.  The boy had not yet initiated contact until now. 

The green flames flared as Remus stepped through the Floo into the parlor.  "What do you want me to do?" 

Without shifting his dark eyes from the green ones that gazed up into his own, he answered Remus, "Keep him safe.  Do not let Dumbledore or anyone see him.  Do you understand?"  He looked up at Remus searching for confirmation. 

"Of course." 

Severus looked to Remus and began untangling the boy's grip.  "Take him," he said.  Remus reached out to take the boy from Severus.  As soon as his arm was freed, Severus whirled to face the adjoining rooms.  He pointed his wand at the doorway and shouted two commands.  "Accio cradle!  Accio birth certificate!"  Instantly, the items flew through the rooms and to Severus.  He quickly pointed his wand at them again and spoke the incantation, "Reducio," causing both the cradle and the birth certificate to shrink to the size that could easily fit into a pocket.  He gave them to Remus, who put the cradle in the pocket of his trousers and the document into his inner jacket pocket. 

"Professor Snape, this is your final warning!  We demand entrance!" boomed the voice of the Minister. 

Severus looked at Remus again.  "Go!  I will come for him when I can, I swear it."  When Remus stood there for a moment more, Severus prepared to growl at the other man, but then he caught sight of the boy in Remus's arms.  He was silently crying.  It was in that moment that he thought of a similar situation of only a few days ago.  But now, there was no Dark Lord, and there were no tears from the third person in the room.  Just shock.  "Go!"

Remus pinched some of the glittery Floo Powder and spoke just loud enough, "Remus Lupin's Flat!"  The flames turned green and just before he stepped in, the child in his arms screamed a single word. 

"Bear!" 

Severus's breath caught as he understood.  He shouted another command as he pointed to the newly created room.  "Accio Severus's Bear!"  Instantly, the ragged bear that he had tried to give the child before for comfort flew into his waiting hand.  He crossed the short distance to Remus and as he gave the little boy the stuffed animal, he slipped his wand into the inner jacket pocket next to the concealed document. 

Remus's eyes met the other man's.  "Severus-"

Without another word, the professor pushed Remus and his charge into the green flames.  He watched as they spun and vanished. 

The very moment they disappeared there was a deafening blast from his portrait.  Debris flew in every direction into his parlor.  He spun to face the Aurors and the Minister, knowing that he would not fight against them.  He gave Remus his wand for a reason.  He would not let them snap it.  Before the dust even cleared he heard the Minister scream out a single word.  "Incarcerous!"  Severus felt his arms pulled behind his back, and his legs slam together as magical ropes bound his ankles and wrists.  He fell to the floor hard, his breath leaving him in a forceful, involuntary exhale.  More ropes went around his upper arms and chest, and his knees. 

The dust finally cleared and he looked up to see the panicked faces of his colleagues.  Dumbledore stood furthest into the room and was arguing heatedly with the dark-skinned Auror.  McGonagall propped herself up with her hand against the now jagged wall as her other hand was held over her mouth in despair.  Professor Flitwick stood quietly, his eyes shining in compassion as though he knew something the others in the room did not.  Professor Sprout remained in the doorway, not facing the parlor, but trying to encourage the Slytherin students to continue past to their dormitories.  Many were refusing to move and were protesting the Head of Hufflepuff's gentle nudging. 

"Let them see!" shouted Minister Bagnold.  "Let them see their Head of House removed for the traitor that he is." 

It was then that Severus dared to speak.  "Headmaster!  Please!" 

The second Auror, Rufus Scrimgeour, shouted another spell.  "Silencio!"  Severus's voice was stolen from him as he tried to plead to Dumbledore.  He could only now entreat the headmaster and his former Charms professor with his dark eyes, as he desperately tried to beg for help. 

"Shacklebolt!" the Minister shouted.  "Remove him.  We are no longer required here." 

Kingsley Shacklebolt pointedly looked at Dumbledore for a moment more before he lazily flicked his wand in Severus's direction.  "Mobilicorpus."  Severus began to rise into the air, squirming desperately to get free of the bindings. 

Shacklebolt guided Severus through the destroyed entranceway to the suite and into the hallway, where the entire Slytherin House was gathered against the walls.  When they caught a glimpse of their Head of House bound, silenced, and floating above them, some stared in shock, some had tears in their eyes - whether from betrayal or from compassion, and the more daring decided to protest.  "Leave him alone!"  "Let Professor Snape go!"  "No!"  "You can't take away our Head of House!"  Severus could not look at his students, and so he closed his eyes and became still, defeated.  The Minister and the Aurors ignored the uproar amongst the Slytherin students as they nearly paraded their Head of House through the dungeons and into the entrance hall where the rest of the student body was still gathered.  They no longer whispered or theorized.  They simply stared, some happily but some pityingly, at the bound professor being forcibly removed from Hogwarts.  They did not even notice that Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout had followed them back to the entrance hall. 

When the doors finally closed behind the Ministry, Dumbledore spoke quietly to the student body.  Thankfully it was silent in the entrance hall, for the headmaster did not even wish to put the effort into magnifying his voice.  "All students are to report to their dormitories...Immediately."  He turned to Professor Flitwick and addressed him as the sound of hundreds of students heading to their rooms began to grow.  "Would you make sure that the Slytherins are all accounted for in their rooms?" 

Flitwick nodded and headed back towards the dungeons.  "I'll let you know."

Dumbledore then looked to Professor Sprout, "Be sure all of your students are where they should be, Pomona."  She nodded and headed towards the kitchens. 

McGonagall began to walk in the direction of the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw towers, when Dumbledore called to her.  "Minerva!"  She turned to face him, her expression still showing grief.  "Walk with me to my study."  They began on their way to the large gargoyle statue that guarded the chambers of the Headmaster.  They reached the study and Dumbledore and McGonagall entered. 

"Albus, what is to be done about this?" she whispered as she let herself sink into a chair in front of his large desk.

Dumbledore sat himself in his chair and took a deep breath before releasing it and taking in another.  "I must defend him."

McGonagall snorted in disbelief.  "No one - I repeat - no one will ever take your word that-"

"He is innocent?  I know.  He has done some terrible things," Dumbledore mused aloud, as he conjured a steaming cup of tea.  He pointed his wand in her direction and a second cup of tea appeared before her, which she took gratefully.   "Then again, haven't we all at one time or another?" 

McGonagall sipped her tea.  "You must not think that the Ministry will possibly release him.  He may even be in Azkaban tonight!"  She shook her head sharply.  "They do not simply release those accused of being Death Eaters!" 

Before Dumbledore could respond, the door opened and Professor Flitwick entered the study.  "Ah, Filius.  Join us.  Have some tea." 

Flitwick shrunk the second chair opposite Dumbledore's desk to his appropriate height before settling in and accepting the tea.  He then enlarged the chair to its normal height, making him at least on even ground with the other two professors.  "All of Severus's House are in bed.  Some of them threatened to sneak into the Ministry tonight for him." 

"That won't be necessary," Dumbledore said.  "I am trying to devise a way to have him released." 

"If it's even possible," McGonagall mumbled into her tea more than anyone in particular. 

"It is possible, Minerva, if we go about it the...Slytherin way."  Dumbledore's eyes began to twinkle in mischief.  There was a brief moment of silence between the three of them where all that could be heard was the quiet sipping of tea. 

"Albus, I do not have any ideas!  You will never get the Ministry to release him." 

Flitwick choked on his tea.  "Well, I am not about to give up on my former student, even if it means I have to spy on the Ministry and release him myself!" 

Dumbledore's eyes darted to Flitwick with a bright spark lit in them.  "Filius!  What did you just say?"

Slightly confused, Flitwick repeated himself.  "That I will not give up on the boy, even if I have to spy on the Ministry and get him out myself."

Dumbledore smiled and his eyes were sparkling.  "Minerva.  Impossible to release someone charged with being a Death Eater?  What if we claim them as a spy for the Light against Voldemort?" 

It was the coldest place he had ever been.  When his shuddering breath left his body he saw the mist.  He had huddled himself into a corner, hugging his legs in a desperate attempt for warmth.  He shivered uncontrollably as he sat on the cold stone surface of the floor.  His eyes had lost their strength in only one night in this terrible place.  In Azkaban Prison.  Severus froze every time a Dementor drifted before his cell door and inhaled.  Even when he slept his mind was tortured with his worst memories.  He heard them all over again.  Every single one.  He tried shutting his eyes against them, tried to occlude his mind from reliving them, anything he could think of.  His muscles were weak from the tense position in which he remained since he was brought into this horrible place.  His stomach was longing for food, and his throat was in need of even the tiniest drink of water.  Nothing had been given to him except for the striped, threadbare prison uniform that was forced upon him at his arrival.  He rested his forehead onto his knees, hoping that he would not be forced to stay here for long.  Hopefully someone was lobbying for his release.  But who possibly cared enough for him now?  Everyone who ever would have...was dead...Weren't they?

As he was pondering the answer to this question, he heard human footsteps approach the direction of his cell.  He did not think it would come for him, not when there were others who have been in this prison far longer than his single day of imprisonment.  Against his hopes, the footsteps halted in front of his door.  He heard the sound of a wand tapping along the multiple locks on the other side of the entrance before the heavy door slowly opened.  In the doorway was a wizard guard and behind him floated a Dementor.  In rare cases did Severus Snape ever show his fear, but since his sleepless night in the company of Dementors, he was not ashamed to show that he was frightened of them.  He skittishly scrambled as far away from the Dementor as he could.  As the wizard guard entered his cell, so did the Dementor, inhaling as it floated.  Again, his worst memories were forced to the surface of his mind.  As he shut his eyes against them, he found his body restricted again with bindings.   He was levitated again as he was taken from his cell.  It was during this terrible trip that the guard spoke to him for the first and last time, "Someone's had the nerve to defend you in a trial.  I would say goodbye, but you'll be back here soon enough.  No Death Eater's ever been released from Azkaban." 

Albus Dumbledore was slightly nervous.  He paced outside the doors to the Trial Offices of the Ministry's Department of Magical Law Enforcement.  He did not know if his plea for Severus would be taken seriously or as a complete hoax.  He was determined to succeed.  He had received several colorful threats from Professor Flitwick if he should return to Hogwarts without Severus.  He had no other choice but to wait until he was called into the room.  He hoped that they would not be cruel to Severus.   He knew that Severus had enough traumas in his life to even last for long against the powers of a Dementor.  Had he been held in the Ministry last night, or did they actually take him to Azkaban?  He supposed he would know when he saw him. 

Finally, the door opened and a rather young secretary called to him.  "The trial is about to begin, Headmaster."  Without waiting for him, she went back into the room.  Dumbledore prepared his mind for what he may see when he entered the room for Severus's trial.  Gathering himself a final time he stepped over the threshold and into the Trial of Severus Snape. 

The first thing he noticed when he walked into the room was the cruel looking mechanism in the center of the room.  It resembled an ancient torture device.  It was a tall, slender cage with vicious spikes pointing inwards.  This cage with its fierce spikes limited the movement of whoever was unfortunate enough to be confined within it.  The person suffering this misfortune was the Head of Slytherin House, Professor Severus Snape.  His wrists were still bound in front of him.  His long black hair hung like drapes on either side of his clenched eyes.  His slender figure shivered in the striped prison uniform as the shadowy memories dragged to the surface by the Dementors continued to torment his mind. 

There were a large number of wizard officials in attendance in the tiered seating that surrounded the restrained prisoner.  The individual that faced the trembling Severus was the Head of the Department of Magical Enforcement, Bartemius Crouch Sr.  He was a weathered man with a moustache the width of his nose.  His dark hair was beginning to grey and thin.  His eyes were perpetually squinting yet had a clever glint in them.  He sat in his place wearing the traditional black robes of official business, especially during times of trials or other court business.  His hair was mostly hidden by a relatively tall square-shaped hat, giving him the look of authority.  The white cuffs of his undershirt stuck out of the sleeves of the black robes. 

The man next to him was dressed identically.  He seemed to be an aid of some sort.  Other members making up the people of the Ministry were also dressed the same with the exception of the cap.  To the left of this section of gathered officials were members of the press.  To the right and seating also behind the accused were members of the public who wished to watch the proceedings in the trial about to take place. 

Just behind Bartemius Crouch was a former student of Dumbledore's, a student that once shared the same House as the trembling young man in the center of the room.  Lucius Malfoy.  He held himself proudly, as he whispered into the ear of Bartemius.  What he was saying, Dumbledore had no idea.  Most likely he was blackmailing the Ministry official about something.  He was sometimes rumored to be near professional in his blackmailing schemes. 

Taking his eyes from Lucius Malfoy, Dumbledore walked into the round room and took his place in the seating for the public.  He felt a firm hand land on his shoulder and a gruff voice say, "Who do you suppose would defend this wretch?"

Dumbledore turned his gaze upon the person gripping his shoulder familiarly.  He saw a face he knew well, an old friend.  "Alastor Moody," he greeted.  "It has been a long time."

"That it has, my friend," the other man said.  He had a face that looked as patched together as a scarecrow's face, with scars running in many directional slashes, healed over to look like the separation of fabrics.  His eyes gleamed in playful twisted delight.  They were of a soft blue color and they twinkled in a similar way to Dumbledore's own eyes, except where the older wizard's held mischievous delight Alastor's twinkled with perverted, twisted glee.  They slid to Severus Snape, who still stood trembling inside the spiked cage.  "So, who in the room do think is foolish enough to save this one's arse?"

Dumbledore hesitated a moment before answering his long-time friend.  "I am, Alastor." 

The hand on Dumbledore's shoulder withdrew as though burned.  "You?  Merlin, Albus, of all people, you should be able to see that darkness pours from the boy!"

"It is the wishes of my staff that I manage to defend him." 

"Even if I had the entire staff of the Aurors' Office telling me to convince the Ministry of Snape's innocence I would not make a move towards it."

Dumbledore was silent a moment.  "I feel that Severus has a purpose yet, and that we will need him before the end." 

Moody snorted and leaned back in his seat as he spoke.  "For your sake, I hope that turns out to be true.  Wouldn't want to free a Death Eater for nothing, now would we?"

"Of course not, Alastor," Dumbledore replied. 

At that moment, the bang, bang, bang of Bartemius Crouch calling for order sounded, prompting those gathered to be silent.  The trial was about to begin.  Dumbledore did not fail to notice that Lucius Malfoy was nowhere to be seen in the room.  Had he imagined the other man's presence?  The very question slid from his mind as soon as Bartemius began speaking. 

"Severus Snape," Mr. Crouch began, firmly.  "You have been brought from Azkaban Prison by the request of Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.  This is a privilege not usually given, but considering his service to the Wizarding Community, the request was granted.  He wishes to defend the charge put against you of being found a loyal servant to...You-Know-Who...and a Death Eater.  Do you have anything you wish to say?" 

At the mention of Dumbledore's name, Severus's eyes looked frantically about the room as though he were an animal seeking its owner to beg for life instead of being put to sleep.  When his eyes focused on Dumbledore, his mind lost focus of everything else in the room, such was his surprise at anyone coming to his aid.  "Mr. Snape!"  Severus focused his attention again on Mr. Crouch.  "I asked you if you had anything to say."  Severus's mind whirled in desperation to come up with something beyond the standard plea of innocence. 

Finally, after what seemed an eternity for the caged man, Dumbledore rose to his feet and spoke.  "May I speak for him?"  Bartemius Crouch looked to the older wizard for a moment before gesturing his consent.  "Thank you," Dumbledore said as he stepped down into the open area surrounding Severus and in front of everyone seated.  "He was in the service of Voldemort," he began before he was overwhelmed by the sounds of outrage by those gathered.  Mr. Crouch screamed for silence immediately.  Dumbledore continued.  "But it was in the period of time just between summer and autumn that Severus came to me expressing his grief over the path he had chosen.  He asked me for guidance on what course he should take.  I advised him and he settled on a very dangerous path.  He turned from Voldemort and instead chose to gather information of his intentions.  He would inform me of these and he thus began his path as a spy for us in the fight against Voldemort, risking his life by attending every Death Eater meeting to which he was summoned."

"You say a spy?"  Mr. Crouch asked, in a skeptical tone.  "Is it not known that once one becomes a Death Eater they remain so for the rest of their lives?"

"That is usually the case, unless and until something dear to you is threatened."  Severus drew in a quick intake of breath when Dumbledore said this.  He promised! 

To the shock and dismay of Dumbledore, his old friend stood from the seating and in a booming voice demanded, "I say we use Veritaserum on Snape to see if what Dumbledore claims is true!"

Dumbledore and Moody glared at each other for a moment, daring each other to back down.  Unfortunately, their silent battle was brought to an end when Bartemius Crouch spoke.  "The Department of Magical Enforcement concurs with Auror Moody.  Veritaserum will be used on Mr. Snape to determine the truth of this matter.  If there is any indication that he is a loyal Death Eater, he will be returned to Azkaban.  However, if there is a unanimous count among all officials here to his innocence, then Mr. Snape will be immediately released and permitted to reclaim his position at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  Does this suit all in attendance?"  At that question he glanced significantly at professor Dumbledore, who nodded gravely.  Mr. Crouch nodded.  "Very well, send for a vial of Veritaserum." 

"Might as well make it a large one, sir," said Alastor Moody.  "I hear Snape can resist the usual dosage of Veritaserum, seeing as he is familiar with brewing it himself.  If it were me, I'd pour an entire vial down his throat rather than the standard three drops."

"Alastor!  Is that necessary?" Dumbledore boomed. 

"It is when a Death Eater's being questioned." 

Dumbledore huffed again, growing more and more nervous by the moment.  An assistant rushed from the room to fetch the Veritaserum.  During the time in which this person was gone, Mr. Crouch vanished the cruel cage from around Severus Snape.  Instantly, Snape's upper arms were grabbed roughly by two Ministry officials as he was taken away from the center of the room where the cage stood moments ago.  With a second wave of his wand, Crouch caused a heavy throne-like metal chair to appear in the place of the torturous cage.  The Ministry officials forced Severus to sit in this chair, roughly pushing on his shoulders, giving his knees no option but to buckle and slam his body down on the seat of the chair.  His wrists were released from their restraints for only a moment before each arm was slammed onto the armrests and held down until manacles snapped over his bruised wrists restricting the young wizard once again.  His ankles were also then released from their bindings and fastened in the same fashion but to the legs of the chair.  By this time, the assistant returned with a tall, slender vial of dark-colored liquid.  It was delivered to Mr. Crouch, who, with a signal to the outspoken Auror, turned it over to Alastor Moody.

"Questioning of the accused will be conducted by the Auror Alastor Moody," announced Mr. Crouch.  "You may begin whenever you wish."

Moody accepted the potion with a nod.  He walked directly to the wide-eyed Severus who stared nervously at the approaching Auror, trembling in his restraints.  Alastor looked upon the young man for a moment before stopping directly at the man's right side.  He removed the cork of the vial.  Without warning or indication, he grabbed Severus's long locks and jarred his head back, causing a pained cry to escape from Snape's lips.  At the instant his lips opened, Moody stopped the sound by tipping the vial, spilling the entire contents into the young wizard's mouth.  Severus closed his eyes as he began to choke on the amount of liquid being forced into his mouth.  Alastor threw aside the now empty vial and forced Severus's jaw closed, pinching together his nostrils giving him the choice to either swallow - and suffer the effects of the potion - or to suffocate.  Once he felt Snape swallow, Moody released him.  Severus's head fell forward, his ragged breathing clearly heard in the now silent room. 

"What is your name?" Alastor began.

"Severus Snape," he answered instantly, as though by reflex.

"What is your current employment?"

"Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." 

"Are you a Death Eater?"

"I was a Death Eater, until-"

"There!" declared Moody, triumphantly, turning to face Mr. Crouch.  "You see?  He admitted to being a Death Eater!"

At this point Dumbledore spoke up.  "I believe, Council, that Severus was about to say additional information before he was interrupted.  May he be allowed to speak before we jump to conclusions?"

There was a moment of silence before Bartemius Crouch nodded.  "Very well.  Auror Moody, do not interrupt the accused in the midst of his statements."

"Certainly, sir."  With a hardened glare, Alastor Moody turned to face Severus again, whose head was now slightly raised.  His hair framed his eyes, giving him a slightly sinister look.  "What were you going to say?"

Severus glared a moment at Alastor.  "Until the life of someone whom I cared for was threatened."

"And what did you do when this...person...was threatened?"

"I sent an owl to Dumbledore requesting him to meet me at a place of his choosing.  He agreed and sent a reply telling me where and when to meet him.  I arrived at this destination before he did, and...once he appeared I begged him to...swear that he would help me, that he would give his protection.  I did not care how it was done, but I knew that he was the only one that could protect anyone or anything of importance from...the Dark Lord." 

"And did he give this protection?" Mr. Crouch asked, genuinely interested in this testimony, overruling Moody's procedure.

"On one condition."  Severus hesitated as though he were lost in his thoughts.

"And this condition was?" Moody urged. 

"That I give him something in return." 

"And," Mr. Crouch interrupted Moody's questioning again, "what was this...thing you gave in return for Dumbledore's services?"

Severus raised his head and looked directly into the eyes of Bartemius Crouch.  "That I report to him on all of the activities of...the Dark Lord, the Death Eaters, and any of his other followers."

Moody leaped on the opportunity before Crouch could say anything else.  "And did you do this?"

Severus opened his mouth to reply, but before he could speak, another voice chimed in.  The voice of Dumbledore.  "Without Severus, we would never have known that Voldemort had targeted the Potter family-"

"But the result of that were the deaths of all of the Potters!" Crouch roared.

"Which was also the downfall for Voldemort himself!"  Dumbledore shouted.  There was a pregnant silence after that statement.  Severus's eyes were clenched shut, his expression pained.  Dumbledore stared hard at Crouch, who returned the glare.  Alastor remained near Severus, focusing on Mr. Crouch.  "Surely you cannot consider that the man who, in a way, brought about the downfall of Voldemort as a loyal Death Eater.  Granted, it is a roundabout logic but because of him we were able to ensure the end of Voldemort." 

There was another silence.  "I will ask you again, Severus Snape, when did you supposedly turn from the Death Eaters?"

"I transferred my loyalty from the Death Eaters when I overheard that the life of someone of whom I cared for was in jeopardy.  This was near the end of August of this year.  From that point on, I swore to myself and to Headmaster Dumbledore that I would never again be loyal to the Death Eaters or to...him, and that I would do everything I could to disrupt their activities.  Therefore, I gave the Headmaster reports of all of the activities discussed at the Death Eater meetings, at least those which I was able to hear."  He smirked at this point.  "You may have realized that in September and October there were many more successes for the Auror Department and their apprehending Death Eaters than before.  I believe you managed to capture even the famous dueler Igor Karkaroff, yes?"  After a moment of arrogance, his expression collapsed.  "My only regret is that my efforts could not save some people from...horrible fates."  He became silent and contemplative. 

The members of the Ministry of Magic and all others gathered were silent as they gazed upon the silent accused man shackled to the chair before them.   The long silence was broken by Mr. Crouch's slow speech.  "This session will go into recess during which time the Council will deliberate as to the fate of the accused, Severus Snape."  With a sharp banging sound the Trial of Severus Snape was halted, and the chattering of all in attendance began with two exceptions:  Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape. 

The evening meal was in full swing at Hogwarts.  Where there had recently been only one chair vacant, now there were two.  Professor McGonagall remained in her usual seat, which was between the two empty chairs, making her stand out.  She raked her eyes across the House Tables.  The Ravenclaws were discussing with each other, their heads clustered together as though the knowledge they shared with each other was extremely rare and very secret.  The Gryffindors were as loud and animated as usual, arms flailing in their wide gestures, laughs booming and echoing throughout the Great Hall.  The Hufflepuffs were talking amongst themselves but not nearly as deafeningly as the Gryffindors nor as secretive as the Ravenclaws.  When she looked upon Slytherin House her eyes took them in with a twinge of pity.  They moved sluggishly, with slow, deliberate, soundless movements to reach for a helping of vegetables, or to grip their goblets.  Not a single one spoke.  The table was silent, even as they ate, not a sound was heard from the Slytherins. 

McGonagall reached towards her own drink, which she managed to arrange for a dry red wine that night, and took a long sip.  She looked to her fellow Heads of House, noticing that she was not the only one who was not feeling as well as every other day.  Professor Flitwick constantly seemed to be dabbing his face nervously with a handkerchief between each bite.  Professor Sprout, on the other hand, was running a record for having the most dinner table disasters in one night.  She had spilled the peas onto the floor when she had tried to serve them onto her plate at the beginning of dinner.  She managed to rip her napkin that she had been twisting and pulling ferociously in her lap.  As she reached for her goblet - also of wine that night - she accidentally knocked it forward and to the ground, spilling the red liquid onto the dais on which the staff table rested.  Luckily for Professor Sprout, she was spared the humiliation of the student body looking at her mishap by the doors to the Great Hall being flung open. 

The headmaster walked slowly into the Great Hall.  This was not what caused all of the gathered students to stare silently.  It was the figure walking unsteadily beside their headmaster.  He looked exhausted, like he did not wish to be in the large room, and as though all of his weight was being supported by the headmaster.  When he felt the eyes of everyone on him, Dumbledore looked out at the students and raised his voice.  "I wish you to welcome back Professor Snape, who was found innocent of the charges against him this evening.  His classes will resume starting tomorrow and he will continue to serve as the Head of Slytherin House."  At this announcement, there was an assortment of responding noises.  Some of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs applauded, though very few of the Gryffindors showed any support for their Potions Professor.  It was the Slytherin table that erupted into thunderous applause and cheers, most of them smiling to some degree.  Severus looked up at his House, meeting as many of their eyes as he could while he was reluctantly escorted to the staff table, feeling like he was on display.  The chatter of the other tables resumed almost instantly. 

Once he reached it, some members of the staff acknowledged his return, while others simply looked at him.  Once he got to his seat, Severus found himself staring at a fresh and full plate of food summoned with reflexive speed by his neighbor, Professor McGonagall.  "Thank you," he greeted her.  She nodded in response.  Professor Sprout summoned him a goblet and drifted it over to him, which he took from the air, unintentionally showing his discolored wrists.  Immediately, Professor Flitwick jumped from his chair and scurried over to his former student. 

"Severus, dear boy, let me see your arms."  Without question, he obeyed, baring the bruised flesh.  Flitwick let out a squeak of alarm before brandishing his wand.  "Relax, now.  This won't take a minute."  The little wizard muttered some simple sounding phrases as he gently pressed the tip of the wand against Severus's wrist.  The color began to fade receding until the usual skin tone appeared.  He did the same to the other wrist before inspecting his work.  He giggled merrily.  "There, now.  At least you won't have to visit Madam Pomfrey this time." 

Allowing himself a small grin Severus replied, "Yes, and you know how much I hate it in there." 

"Quite, quite," Flitwick responded.  "I will say this, Severus, you need to get as much rest as possible tonight.  If I am correct, you start the morning with the Gryffindor and Slytherin third years, yes?"

Severus rolled his eyes and sighed.  "Merlin help me, yes.  I do not understand why the headmaster continues to put rival Houses together."  He took a long drink from his goblet of wine, his face showing his approval of Professor Sprout's choice. 

Flitwick spoke low so that none other than the two of them could hear.  "We both know that rival Houses can find deep comfort and peace with each other."

"That was an exception, of which no one else must know," Severus responded.

"And so it shall remain, but I hope this secret does not destroy you, Severus."

"I hope so, too."  Flitwick turned and began walking back to his seat.   Severus got his attention again.  "Professor, would you please come to my quarters soon?" 

"Is tonight suitable?"

"It should be." 

Flitwick nodded.  "Then tonight it shall be.  Nine o'clock."  He turned and continued walking to his seat.  Severus took another look at the Slytherin table, some of the students still looking at him as though not believing he was there again.  He schooled his expression as he lifted his fork and, for the first meal since before returning to Hogwarts, speared a morsel of food and chewed it, appreciating the cooking of the House Elves as much as he did as a student on the first dinner of every new term.

Remus tumbled from the fireplace unceremoniously landing in a heap on the warm hearth. He landed with his body twisted, trying to keep the small figure of the little boy in his arms from being crushed beneath him. It was Severus' fault that they ended up tumbling from the Floo, but Remus could understand and forgive the man for pushing them away. He knew that he would have done the same under the circumstances. Remus struggled to stand from his unusual position on the ground while trying to not let go of the child that had been entrusted to his care. Finally, he managed.

He noticed that there was a soft sound that he had not heard before in the commotion that had occurred only moments ago. He looked down and realized that it was the boy in his arms who had his face buried in the ragged fabric of the teddy bear that Severus had summoned at the last minute. The boy was sniffling softly into it. Remus tried to gently tug the bear free of the child's grip, but the boy shouted, "No!" Then, he clutched the bear to him, burrowing his face into it and miserably said, "Daddy." Remus realized that he would never be able to pry the bear from the boy's arms.

"Harry," he said. "I have to put you down for a minute, okay?" He felt him shake his head. "Only for a minute, that's it." Remus, despite the boy's resistance, managed to put the child down on his sofa. He tried to put him against one of the armrests and as close to the back of the cushion as possible. He figured it was the safest part of the sofa. He looked at the boy for a moment as the child held onto the bear as though it were the last friend he had in the world.

Remus turned his back to the boy, reaching into his pocket for the shrunken cradle. He enlarged it to its proper size and arranged it to sit near enough to the fireplace to ensure warmth, and far enough from the sofa to guarantee that he would not kick it during his sleep or run into it when he woke up for the coming day. With this done, he went back to the boy, picked him up and put him in the cradle, noticing that the boy never once released his tight grip on the teddy bear. He did not know whether or not he should comfort the boy or if he should let the teddy bear do all the hard work. He decided on the bear, for there was something puzzling him, and it pressed against his chest.

He reached into the inner jacket pocket to remove Severus' wand and the document he had placed on his person. Why would Severus give him Harry's birth certificate? Was there some secret on it? Some unknown facts? What was the purpose? He understood why he was given the other man's wand, but why in the name of Merlin would the Potions Master feel the need to remove the birth certificate from his quarters in the presence of the Ministry? He needed to know these answers, and he felt the only way to get them was by doing one thing: investigate the document. Perhaps this was what Severus wanted him to do...Perhaps this was another reason as to why Remus now had the other man's wand.

Remus took out the dark wand and the curled document from his pocket. He sat down on his sofa as he set the wand down next to him on a neighboring cushion. With a sense of dread, he unrolled the thick parchment. His eyes read over the document and saw a name on the parchment that surprised him. The section designated for the father caught his eye. Listed in this section was the name Severus Snape. It seemed wrong. Maybe it was tampered with. There were other sections that aroused his interest. The birth date of the child was correct: 31 July 1980. But, if the date was correct, why was the name Harry James Potter not listed? In the place of the newborn's name was an alien name to Remus. One he had never heard: Tevin Antonius Ryker Snape. Remus blinked and looked again at the section where a different name should be, wondering why it was different, but the long name remained where he felt another should be. His mind in a panic, his eyes darted to the section designated for the mother. There was another unfamiliar name, Sally Vine. Who in Merlin's name was that? Maybe she was a Muggle, but Remus doubted that. He skimmed further through the document to see a very familiar name in the line indicating the name of the chosen godparent or godparents of this child. To his shock, on that dotted line was written Remus Johnathan Lupin.

He dropped the document as though horrified. Why was he named the godfather of Severus Snape's child? To his knowledge, Severus did not even have a child. But according to this piece of parchment, he did indeed have a child. With a growing sense of realization and horror his eyes drifted to the child in the cradle nearby. The boy was now asleep, still holding onto the ragged teddy bear with a firm grip. He did not know what to think. But as he looked upon the boy for a moment longer, he thought of a strange event that happened just over fifteen months ago. He had nearly forgotten it.

Remus was lounging on his sofa, casually reading a book on some varying subject or other. His former year mates did not call him a bookworm for nothing, for it was well-earned. If he had nothing urgent to handle, a book was not far from his side. One would think he should have been sorted into Ravenclaw over Gryffindor, but the Sorting Hat knew best. And there he was, sitting on his sofa reading through the lazy afternoon.

Suddenly, and unusually, there was a soft knocking on his door. Marking his place in his book, he rose and walked to the door. He peered through the tiny peephole and smiled. He opened the door, a welcoming expression on his face as he greeted the person standing on the other side. "Lily."

She stood before him with her red hair secured in a messy braid, loose pieces drooping in various directions. Her green eyes looked pleasantly exhausted, as though the squirming child in her arms had been causing her trouble, but she could not be bothered to be upset too much by it. The little child was barely a month or two old, by the looks of it. His face was scrunched in discomfort and drool trailed down one side of his face. She looked at Remus with a kind grin. "Can I come in?"

"Yes, yes," he said, standing aside, allowing her entrance before he shut the door again. When he turned around he saw that she had made herself comfortable on his recently vacated sofa again. "What can I do for you, Lily?"

"I just wanted to stop by and introduce you to my son formally."

Remus smiled then. "Ah," he sighed. "So the little one is finally cooperative enough for a visit to his Uncle Remus?"

Lily laughed then. A bright melodic laugh. A true laugh. "Yes. That and I was finally able to get away from James long enough to visit someone." She turned her attention to her son. "Isn't that right, baby?" she spoke in a funny voice to the boy, who had then opened his eyes and peered for the first time at the man.

"Oh, Lily!" he gasped. "All I have to do is look at his eyes to know him as your son."

She lifted the boy so that his tiny head was even with hers. Remus found identical pairs of green eyes staring at him for a moment before the boy yawned and broke the staring contest. "He is always tired. James thinks he's narcoleptic, but I said that he's just like his father is when there's a limited number of things he can do. I bet he'll be pretty much unstoppable once he can walk by himself, and once he starts reading!"

"Planning on raising a little bookworm, Lily?"

"It's better than raising a child who knows nothing, isn't it?"

"Well, my opinion may be a little biased," Remus said, holding up his own book.

Lily smiled. Her expression suddenly shifted to something serious. "Remus, there was something I needed to talk to you about."

"What?"

"Well, James and I were talking about who to name as his godfather, and I think that since S-" She was interrupted by the sudden noise from the fireplace. The flames turned green as someone appeared in the flames. Someone very familiar to both Remus and Lily.

"Moony!" the dark-haired man shouted, before Remus could even say anything. He walked over to Remus and gave the other man an enthusiastic embrace. Then, he spotted Lily. "Lily! Why are you here?"

"I was just trying to tell Remus who...we...decided to be godfather."

Before she could continue, the other man continued speaking. "Sirius!" he blurted. "We chose Sirius!"

"Why would you come to tell me that I am not his godfather? That doesn't make any sense," Remus said, confused.

The other man kept speaking. "Well, we thought of you, but then we decided that you would handle not being godfather easier than Sirius would, him being my best friend and all. Err, no offense, Moony."

Remus stared at him for a moment before replying. "None taken, James, I just thought that...I mean..."

"Isn't that right, Lily?" James asked the woman, who was holding the droopy-eyed infant. She did not move her head to indicate either a yes or no answer. It seemed to satisfy James at any rate. He turned his attention back to Remus. "We had a long discussion about this before. Believe me, choosing Sirius is for the best. And besides, with your condition, who knows if the Ministry would even let you gain custody of him should anything happen to either of us, Merlin forbid."

"James! How dare you imply that-"

"James, you and I both know that there is no such law that prevents anyone with lycanthropy from having custody of a child. That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Remus glared hard at his friend. What was he implying by that comment? That he hoped such a law existed? That they chose Sirius because he was not a werewolf? Did they truly think he was so irresponsible and uncaring that he would deliberately put their son's life in danger by not taking precautionary measures to ensure his safety during times of the full moon? How low of an opinion did they have of him?

"Remus, it isn't like that," Lily tried to say, only to be interrupted by James again.

"Lily, I think Harry needs to be put to bed. Isn't it time for his nap?" James carefully took the infant in his arms. He pinched some Floo Powder and tossed it into the flames, shouting his destination, "Potter Home, Godric's Hollow," and stepped into the green flames only to vanish with the boy a moment later, expecting the woman to follow him.

Remus by this point had turned away from the fireplace and leaned heavily on the frame of his window, staring out into the busy streets in front of his flat building. He heard another dash of Floo Powder get tossed into the flames and the same destination whispered clearly. But, what surprised him was what Lily said to him before she left his apartment. "There may come a time when you can be his godfather like I chose you to be. Please visit, Remus, I miss you." By the time Remus turned back to reply to her, Lily had stepped into the flames and had vanished.

Remus opened his eyes as his memory ended. How could he have forgotten that day? It was one of the most confusing days of his life, aside from the point of his life after which he was first bitten up to the first painful transformation to a werewolf. James had seemed...domineering, and as though desperate to hush something up. And Lily...Lily...Remus closed his eyes again, as her voice sounded in his mind again. "There may come a time when you can be his godfather like I chose you to be." His eyes widened in realization. Could it be? He remembered just before he arrived back here in his flat. Harry had screamed for the stuffed animal, that Severus had summoned by saying, "Accio Severus' Bear!" And Harry had said the word, "Daddy," when he had tried to take the bear away. Why? Why Severus' bear?

He picked up the strange birth certificate again. The answers, he knew, were on this document! But, how to get these answers? Suddenly, it became clear to him. Severus did not give him his wand to prevent its seizure by the Ministry of Magic. He gave it to him so that he could use it on the birth certificate itself. He remembered how Severus had slipped his wand into the same pocket that held this document. He was trying to tell him something without actually saying it aloud. Because there had been no time to explain.

Remus snatched Severus' wand and held it firmly in his hand. He did not know what to do. Usually, if something was to be changed on an official document like this, particularly a birth certificate, the blood of either the father or the mother was required. He was neither. Was there maybe a spell? He searched his mind furiously for a spell that may have even had the smallest prayer of working. Finally, he thought of a possibility.

He went to his meager bookcase and searched through the titles until he found one that could possibly work. It was his Advanced, and Very Difficult Spells for the Skilled Witch or Wizard that he had used during his seventh year in Charms Class. He flipped furiously through the pages towards the back, where the spells ceased to be phrases, but entire sentences. They never made it this far in class. He finally found a small passage on revealing the secrets of documents.

‘The wand of a person mentioned in the document is needed to perform this spell. It is rarely used, and usually only in investigative research or in the examining of a late witch's or wizard's will, though other documents have required this spell. To perform this spell, speak the following incantation with authority and clarity as though you are the owner of the required wand...'

Remus took the book with him to the document, reading over the spell several times, to be sure he had it right. He raised the dark wand, then got nervous and checked the spell one last time. Satisfied, he raised the wand again. With a trembling grip, Remus pressed the tip of Severus' wand against the center of the parchment and spoke, hoping against hope they would work. "Pare voci meo!  Per vigram legitimam hanc membranam iudicentem, postulo ut verum altissimum huius tabellae aperitur!" To his amazement and surprise the document shined in a blinding crimson color, before it dulled enough for him to watch the results of his spell come about. He saw letters morph on only one section of the birth certificate. Where one unfamiliar name once was, a very recognizable one took its place. There before him on the birth certificate was the name of the child, Tevin Antonius Ryker Snape, the father, Severus Snape, and the mother, Lily Evans-Snape. Before the parchment had even returned to its normal coloring, Remus Lupin's limp hands released it and Severus's wand, and he lost consciousness.

He was sitting in a dark corner of The Leaky Cauldron, sipping a calming raspberry tea. He had just gotten through the full moon, and was looking the worse for wear. There were times when he hated October, and it was usually whenever the full moon decided to make an appearance along with his...inner beast. He felt like he was the feature of a terrible Halloween celebration, with his illness as the main attraction. There never was anyone around to see it, but that fact never made him feel any better. This was why he sat in a dark corner of a little pub.

The door opened and one of the people he did not want to see him at this point near the full moon entered the pub. It was his old schoolmate, James Potter. His dark eyes looked around the entire room before he found the light brown-haired loner. His face erupted into a smile as he began walking over to Remus. He pulled out the chair across from the huddled man with a flourish before sitting down, still grinning. "How are you?"

Remus made a noise barely resembling a response, keeping his eyes to the contents of his tea. James tilted his head low in order to look at his face. He noticed some fresher scratch marks running across his features, still pink in their attempts at healing. His eyes were dull, and his expression bordered on depression. The state of his disarrayed hair matched his expression. His hands were wrapped around the cup in a contemplative gesture, and his shoulders were hunched. James smiled at him before he reached up and flicked some of Remus's hair, laughing as it fell into the exact same position. "Moony, I have something I need to tell you...about...uh...Evans."

Remus angled his head and finally met his friend's eyes to show that he was listening.

"You know that Evans is getting married right?" Remus eyed him confusedly. "Do you know to who?" Remus shook his head, his expression baffled. James smiled with a huge, bright smile. "Me."

At that one word, Remus became animated. "You? But I thought she-"

"It doesn't matter what you thought. All that's important is that Evans finally agreed to marry me."

Remus stared at James for a long while. He noticed at that moment that nearby tables had stopped conversing and were discreetly gazing in their direction. He knew that as James's friend he had to now put on a face, for their conversation was no longer their own. "That's...wonderful, James," he said, hiding his expression momentarily by taking a long sip of his tea.

James dug into his pockets and threw an amount of money onto the table near his friend's purchase. "Let's take a walk." Without waiting for an answer, James took hold of Remus's upper arm and bodily dragged him from the chair. Remus barely had time to grab his coat before stumbling after his friend. He noticed that as soon as he was at the open doorway the chatter of the other patrons began again.

They walked down the streets for several blocks before Remus could not take the silence anymore. "Why are we out here when I could have finished my tea in there?"

"I'll buy you another tea sometime," James replied. He shoved his hands in his pockets and snuggled his neck further into his thick scarf. "I had something to talk to you about...after I made that public knowledge." 

"What could there possibly be besides you marrying Lily?"

"I'm marrying Evans-"

"Lily!"

"-but I'm not exactly going to be there, and I need your help."

Remus stopped walking and turned to face James. "What do mean, you're not exactly going to be there? How can you marry someone and not be there?"

James took Remus's upper arm again and guided him to the brick wall near the entrance of an alley. The look in James's eyes was deadly serious, which is the reason why Remus was silent. It was a rare thing to see James serious. With a deep breath and a lick of his lips, James gathered his voice in order to speak. "Remus," he began, catching the other man's interest. He rarely, if ever, used his first name over the pet name, Moony. "I need your help." He pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose with his index finger, nervously. "I don't know who else to ask." His dark eyes darted out to the street, making sure no one else could see them. Discreetly, he took out his wand and gave a sharp wave as he spoke, "Muffliato." Then, he turned back to Remus, who nodded for him to continue. "When I said that I wasn't exactly going to be at the wedding, I meant that I wouldn't be there. I need someone else to take my place."

"Why?"

"Because I can't marry Evans. She wants me to marry her. And, we made arrangements to have the ceremony on November third."

"James, that's the day before-"

"The full moon, I know." He removed his hand from his pocket to reveal a small vial. "This is something that Evans gave me. It will prevent your change next month if you agree to take my place. You will not become a werewolf at all with this. But the ingredients were a fortune and it took two months to brew. I've been told to tell you that. Evans hoped it would encourage you to agree."

Remus stared at it for a long while. "And, if I agree, what else would I have to do?"

"You would go under Polyjuice Potion and pose as me for the ceremony."

"Would that interfere with that?" He jerked his head at the small vial in James's hands.

"No.  The brewer assured her that no other potion known to our world would interfere with this."

Remus nodded. "So, I pose as you, then what?"

"You have to go through the whole ceremony-"

"Marry Lily?"

James nodded. "And that's it."

"Why? After all the years you spent chasing after Lily, I would think you would want to be there for the ceremony! I don't understand, James."

"I'm not asking you to, just tell me if you'll do it or not." James looked at Remus intently, daring him to refuse.

Without a word, Remus reached out to take the vial offered by his friend. James took this as a yes, and he embraced Remus enthusiastically. "Thank you, Remus! Thank you so much!" Remus felt a sharp tug in his hair and realized that James had pulled some of his hair out! Remus pulled away from the hug and looked at James, who gave him a lopsided grin and said again, "Thanks," and with a loud popping sound he disappeared, leaving Remus standing on the sidewalk holding the small vial, his scalp stinging.

When he returned to an awakened state, Remus found himself laying on his parlor floor, with the document resting right side up a mere three inches from his nose. He stared at it as though it was a poisonous insect that would strike at the smallest movement. The names were still there. Tevin Antonius Ryker Snape, Severus Snape, and Lily Evans-Snape. How was this possible...plausible? He sat up, leaning against the couch as he took the birth certificate again in his hands. He could not even figure out how or when any of this could have happened. Remus Lupin was not noted for being clueless, in fact, he was noted for the exact opposite! And this document he could not understand.

And why had he dreamed about that time in The Leaky Cauldron? Of all of his memories to haunt him in his dreams, why that one?

His mind was in a whirl as he was assaulted with a memory that occurred only a month after his encounter with James.

The wedding atmosphere was tense, nerve-wracking and blissful. People were whispering in the anticipation of the bride, and awaiting the appearance of the groom and his groomsmen at the front of the church where the officiator of the ceremony, Professor Filius Flitwick, already waited. There were also a few guests that were yet to be in attendance. Remus lingered in the entranceway to the elaborate gardens that would serve as the scene of the wedding. It was beautiful. An autumn wedding that was hailing the approach of the winter. There was an aisle lined in a twin trail of fallen leaves of all colors of a fire...browns, reds, oranges, yellows. The winter berries were beginning to ripen, and the holly bushes were still as green as ever. There were lit, glowing lanterns in a variety of autumn colors giving a burst of atmosphere in various floating spheres. The lanterns floated without any aid but magic.

Remus saw a flutter to his right and looked to see a soft white organza material drifting in the breeze. Curiosity got the better of him and he began walking towards the distracting material when his arm was grabbed tightly and he was pulled through a gate and behind a rather tall stone wall. When he turned around, the last person he expected to see at James and Lily's wedding stood before him. "Severus?"

Severus was before him standing in formal robes that seemed slightly too bulky for him. His hair was as floppy as it normally was, shining not from poor hygiene but from hovering too long over cauldrons. His dark eyes were glowing nervously. He let go of Remus's arm and began to play with his hands as though waiting for an inevitable curse to be cast in his direction.

"Severus?" The dark-haired man's eyes met his. "Are you waiting for something?"

"Someone," he amended.

A few more moments passed and then Remus spoke up again. "Who? And what are you doing at James and Lily's wedding?"

Suddenly, he was embraced from behind and he heard a very familiar voice behind him. "It's not!"

Remus turned around to see a familiar face. "James?" His mind reeled. He never thought he would ever see James Potter and Severus Snape within the distance of a Quidditch Pitch without throwing hexes, jinxes, and curses at each other at deafening volume and rapid-fire speed! "What is going on?"

James smiled at Remus. He, too, was in dress robes that were ill-fitting, but whereas Severus's were too big James's were too tight in certain places. This observation struck Remus as incredibly odd. But he had no time to think on it because James spoke. "Sniv-Severus, you have the potions, right?" This was another thing Remus never thought he would witness: James calling Severus...Severus. And did he have what?

Severus nodded and reached into the pockets of his trousers to remove several vials. He handed one to James and another to Remus. The contents inside each vial was a thick potion that had the distinct aroma of overcooked cabbage. Remus looked at Severus questioningly. "Polyjuice Potion? I don't understand." He looked from Severus to James back to Severus again.

"Potter!" snapped Severus, holding out his hand. "Your hair!" His dark eyes burned into those of the other dark-haired man. James reached up and yanked a few hairs from his own scalp and, without touching the other man's hand, dropped them into the waiting palm. Severus immediately and carefully put the hairs into his open vial, which bubbled as soon as the hair made contact. Without another word he downed the liquid, his expression not showing the dislike for the disgusting flavor of the potion. Suddenly, his features began changing, his frame became slightly bulkier and shorter, his long hair shorter and spiky in the back, and his skin grew golden. He was the spitting image of James Potter...without glasses.

As Remus stared at the doppelganger James Potter, the real one shoved some hairs into his hand. "Change of plans, Moony. No one will be you. And you will not be me."

"Obviously," Remus bit back.

"He will be me, I will be Sirius, and you...will be Wormtail."

"Wormtail? Why the change?" Remus asked.

"We don't have time to discuss why it was changed, Remus," snarled Severus...James...the pseudo-James. "Just do it!"

Remus added the hairs to his foul-smelling potion and asked one more question. "Now, you're sure the other potion will not interfere with this will it?"

The James Potter not yet wearing glasses shook his head in an irritated manner that was clearly Severus Snape. "Yes! The Polyjuice Potion has been altered in order to last far longer than the standard one hour potency, and the potion that I hope you took already, for the love of Merlin, took an extreme amount of experimentation, time to prepare, and to brew. Do not ask me to make that for you again! I will continue to owl you the Wolfsbane Potion regularly, but I will never brew this for you again. It took up far too much of my time...They will not interfere with each other."

"Are you sure?"

The James before him smirked arrogantly. "They would not have given me the title of Potions Master if I weren't sure of anything to do with the subject, now would they?"

The real James nudged Remus with his elbow. "Go on, Moony. I'll drink mine with you."

Remus nodded, and after taking several deep breaths he and James drank their foul potions. James gagged on the awful taste of the stuff, while Remus was able to grimace only a little bit. Taking a batch of Wolfsbane Potion every month made one immune to the supposedly potently awful tastes of other potions. Their features altered in a similar fashion to Severus'. James's hair grew longer and wavy, his frame stayed mostly the same in build but only a tad bit taller. His eyes changed color from dark brown to slate grey. Before long, he looked just like the handsome Sirius Black...with James Potter's glasses. Severus reached out and yanked them from James' face, perching them on his own features. Remus' body grew rounder and heavier, his feet began to feel crammed in his shoes, his hair became blonder, and his eyes felt as though they were in a perpetual squint. He was becoming his Housemate, Peter "Wormtail" Pettigrew. Remus would have given anything to have his own body back in that moment after he had finished his transformation. He quickly transfigured his clothing to fit himself properly.

Severus presented each of them with a leaf from a harvested plant. Without a word, he began chewing on one of the leaves. Following his example, the other two men put the leaves in their mouths and chewed, happily noting that it was a spearmint leaf to mask the foul cabbage smell of the Polyjuice Potion on their breaths.

James, Remus, and Severus looked at each other with strange expressions. James then surprised the other two young men, by doing something that he would never have done to Severus, but exactly what Sirius would have done to James. He threw his arm around the other man's shoulder. Severus tensed instantly, as though he was just hit with a Petrificus Totalus spell. Before James could speak, Severus voiced his remaining concern. "Are you sure you took care of Black?"

James nodded. "Yep. Took him out to the pub last night, got him drunk enough on Firewhiskey so that he'd be passed out for the whole day, and I had Evans-Lily put a charm on him that would keep him in a stasis until this was over and that I could later go back to see him and plant my memory of the whole thing in his brain as though he were here the whole time with me instead of me with you." He gave Severus a shake. "It's all taken care of." Severus nodded, then exhaled shakily. James kept talking. "So, ready to go and greet my bride?"

Remus did not know what to think anymore. He remembered the wedding now...of James and Lily...Severus and Lily...James and Lily. By all records in the Wizarding World, James Potter married Lily Evans on the day of November 3, 1979 not Severus Snape. But, Remus knew that it was Severus who technically married Lily that day, not James. And Sirius was technically in attendance, but he was never actually there! And they had managed to drug Wormtail just like Sirius, but they planted in his memory that he had gotten drunk at the reception and did not remember a thing about the ceremony. Remus barely remembered it. He was getting a headache. He had to think about something else. But every time he tried to think of something else, the birth certificate seemed to stare at him in the face, or memories would attack his brain.

"His godfather when the time comes?" he asked to nobody. "Well," he continued thinking aloud. "I guess that time came, Lily."

His eyes drifted to the child sleeping in the cradle holding the teddy bear. "Severus...a father..." He looked at the child with a new light. He stood from the floor and walked to peer down into the cradle, watching the boy sleep. His features were still changing too much at his age to recognize specific traits of either parent, with the exception of the vibrant green eyes. There was no question that they were Lily's green eyes. "Severus...a father..." he repeated, still not believing it himself. This was all too much for him to deal with right now.

He went into his kitchen and began to prepare himself some tea. He needed some time to think. Did Severus have time to think? When did he find out he was the boy's father? Had he known the whole time? No. He thought that Severus would not be the type of person that would have abandoned his child to be raised by his school nemesis! He got out his favorite mug and stood in front of his stove watching the kettle boil the water, his mind lost in his own thoughts, trying to reconcile what he thought to be true to what was recently brought back to memory or just shoved in his face. Just as the whistle on his kettle began to scream, so did the little boy in the next room. He poured his tea, levitated it to follow him into his parlor again as he went to the crying boy in the cradle.

He picked up the child and held him in his arms tenderly. He looked at him, trying to find traces of Severus in the tiny face before him where he was used to searching for any resemblance of James. Settling his tea on the end table near the sofa, he leaned back and settled himself down in the worn cushions. The boy giggled and reached up, tracing the scars on his features softly. Remus sighed, and decided that it was time to make new introductions. "Hello, Tevin. I'm your godfather Remus." The boy smiled at him and giggled again. The boy snuggled into his chest and continued to giggle. Remus looked out of his window into the night. "Thank Merlin Sirius is not here to see this," he murmured to himself. As though he understood, the child showed what Remus believed to be the first sign of Severus's nature in the boy. He looked out of the window, too, and let out an explosive, hearty laugh as though he too was glad that Sirius was not there at that moment. At least that's how Severus most likely would have reacted. Perhaps there was more of Severus in the boy than he thought. Only time would tell.

The next morning, Remus woke up to find his chest serving as the bed for the little boy that he supposed would now be called Tevin. He angled his head to look closer at the child whose mouth was hanging open in sleep, a trail of thick drool flowing from his mouth onto Remus's shirt. The boy's breathing was steady and light in his pleasant dreams. His small fist was gripped tightly into the man's shirt.

The child's stomach decided to speak, causing him to shift a little in irritation. Then, as though in agreement, Remus's stomach groaned for food. It was the grown man's stomach that woke up the child.  As Remus looked upon the boy, his green eyes opened to greet the new day. He looked around the unfamiliar surroundings, and grew tense. The grip on Remus's shirt grew tighter, his breathing quicker and audible. The boy began shivering but once his eyes found Remus's his entire body froze and his breathing stopped for a brief moment. Their eyes met in a silent tug-of-war, trying to absorb as much of the other person through the stare as possible. The child's eyes narrowed and his mouth turned in a scowl. Remus saw someone familiar in that expression and without being able to control the urge he released a jovial laugh. "You really are Severus's boy, aren't you?"

The boy grinned at him, before his stomach decided to protest again. "Well, then, little one, I think it's time to get some breakfast into you!" He arranged the boy in his arms and managed to get up from the sofa, and walk into his kitchen. Before setting the boy down, he transfigured one of his two kitchen chairs into a highchair. Then, he secured the boy in it and began to prepare some breakfast.

The sound of a tap, tap, tap on his window made him remember that The Daily Prophet arrived as punctually as every day. He went into his parlor and walked to the window, allowed the bird entrance, and grabbed the paper from it. He left his payment in the money pouch attached to its leg and closed the window again once it flew out. He walked with the newspaper back into the kitchen, where he thought he smelled the bacon begin to burn. He tossed the newspaper onto the table and tended to the scorched bacon. What he heard behind him caused his blood to run cold.

"Daddy?"

He turned to the table to see the boy pointing to the newspaper with a smile on his face. The moving picture was of Severus Snape being restrained by two Aurors that Remus recognized, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Rufus Scrimgeour. It did not look as though Severus was putting up that much of a fight, but instead he looked almost resigned, as though he had finally accepted the poor hand fate had dealt him. Remus looked at the picture to the happy, bouncing child in the highchair who continued pointing to the picture saying the word, "Daddy?" Then, Remus finally looked at the headline.

DEATH EATER, SEVERUS SNAPE, IN AZKABAN

Remus let out a cry of dismay and fell into his chair. Severus in Azkaban? What was to happen now? His head fell into his hands as he closed his eyes in despair. Was the charge of caring for this child to pass now to him being his godfather? He did not know how to care for a child. "Severus," he sighed. Was this how the other man felt when he took the boy? Remus began shaking as he tried to gather his strength to face the task of caring for this child on his own. What would he do during the full moon? Severus had been making him the Wolfsbane Potion for years now, and with no one else qualified to brew it nor with the knowledge of the procedure to do so he would be forced to endure the agony of becoming a werewolf who had no knowledge of his true identity or his actions in his animal form. Would he be able to endanger this boy every month without the potion?

His mind was in a whirlwind. He was so lost in his thoughts that he did not even notice that the boy was trying to alert him that the bacon was now on fire.

By the end of the night, Remus was exhausted. He did not think he would be able to manage raising this boy on his own until the boy even started attending Hogwarts. In only one day, he had managed to destroy breakfast - including one of his good pans - along with the boy having an accident on his chest as he held him, having his hair pulled, his shoes strings tied together in a knot that seemed impossible to undo by the mischievous child, and lastly a temper tantrum that could rival an offended hippogriff! It was finally evening, and Remus was wiped out! One day! It was only one day! How did Severus do it for the last few days, when he could barely handle a single day? He was slumped in his sofa hoping that the boy playing with his chess pieces on the floor would soon get as exhausted as he was and want to go to bed.

"Are you sleepy yet?" he asked the child.

The boy shook his head in the negative, as he made a knight charge a castle and knock it down.

Remus's eyes were starting to droop. "I think you are," he pushed.

"No..." the boy drawled as he made the same knight run right over a bishop and straight into the king, causing him to tumble to the ground.

Remus wanted to sleep. And if he had to put the boy in a body bind and force him into silence so that he could sleep he would! He began to get up from the sofa to collect the boy and put the chess pieces back in order. "Time to go to bed," he said.

Suddenly, the boy looked at him and shouted, "No!"  He threw the knight at Remus and as the older man was distracted by this maneuver, crawled quickly under the end table and between the sofa and the wall.

Remus released an exasperated sigh, before going to the side of the sofa, while trying to maintain calm. "Harry?" He grimaced. That was not his name, now! "Tevin? Can you come out?"

"No!"

"Tevin, could you please come out from back there?"

There was a moment of silence, as though the boy thought for a moment before responding. "No!"

"Tevin, come out of there right now!"

"No!"

"Tevin! I am losing my patience-" A soft laugh from the general vicinity of his fireplace alerted him to a visitor. Remus whipped his head to look in that direction to see a very tired-looking Severus Snape standing in his parlor, with his hands behind his back. He stood up from his place on the side of the sofa, alarmed at his presence. "Severus?"

Severus offered Remus a lazy upturning of the corners of his mouth. He blinked slowly, tiredly. Without a word, he walked to his wand, which still rested on the cushions of the sofa, and put it in his inner breast pocket. "Is he giving you trouble?"

Instead of Remus, a small voice from behind the sofa answered in a tone laced with faux innocence. "No..."

Severus raised an eyebrow in question to Remus. His lips curling even further into a smile, he walked to the side of the sofa and peered behind it, immediately seeing the boy. He offered the boy a smile before he spoke. "Will you come out?" The child shook his head and leaned against the wall, grinning toothily at the man. Severus sighed, and as he began to stand up said, "Well, I guess I'll have to find another little boy who wants to hear a bedtime story." He stood fully and only managed to take one step away from the sofa before he felt a tug on the hem of his trousers. He looked down to see the boy gripping the fabric at his ankle tightly, looking up at him with wide green eyes. "Changed your mind, little one?" The boy nodded and Severus crouched low to pick the boy up in his arms. "You'll have a story when we get home, alright?" The boy nodded enthusiastically and snuggled his head into Severus's shoulder as he threw his arms around the man's neck. Severus began to slowly, comfortingly walk along the perimeter of the parlor, knowing that Remus stared disbelievingly at him.

"How did you get out of Azkaban?" Remus asked, after watching Severus for a few moments.

"The headmaster appealed to the Ministry and he came to my defense. There was a trial early today, and they declared me innocent of being loyal to the Dark Lord."

Remus sighed. "I thought I would have to raise him on my own, suddenly being his godfather."

Severus stopped walking and grinned at the other man. "Ah, so curiosity got the better of you, then. You figured out why I gave you my wand."

"Yes. Very Slytherin of you, Severus. Giving me your wand to easily examine the birth certificate." Remus shook his head, and then met Severus's dark eyes squarely. "Why didn't you just tell me before you pushed me through the Floo?"

"I did not mean to push you so hard, Remus. And as to why I did not tell you, would you have believed me if you hadn't seen it for yourself?" Severus's eyes glinted in challenge as he resumed his walking.

Remus thought for a moment, and then he shook his head. "No. I wouldn't have."

"And so you see my reasons." The child began snuggling forcefully into the side of his neck, hinting as only a young child could. "Would you accompany us back to my quarters in Hogwarts? There are things we need to discuss."

Remus nodded. "Of course." He pulled out his wand and shrunk the cradle and birth certificate. Severus had walked to the fireplace, took some Floo Powder and tossed it into the flames, calling out his destination clearly. Remus picked up the cradle and the document before walking into the flames beside Severus and the boy, spinning them off again to Hogwarts.

They left the green flames of the fireplace in one piece and on their feet.  No tumbling from it this time.  Severus held out his hand to Remus, who understood and handed him the shrunken cradle and the certificate.  At receiving them, Severus nodded.  "Make yourself comfortable, Remus.  I'll return in a moment.  I have a bedtime story to recite and a child to put to bed." 

Remus nodded.  Severus walked straight through the large parlor and through the door between the edge of the bookcase and the wall sconce.  Remus watched the door for a moment before he allowed his eyes to wander around the room.  To his left, which he failed to notice before, due to the chaotic nature of the last meeting, was the spacious kitchen.  He wandered into it having a sudden craving for some tea.  His nerves were a wreck and his mind was still confused.  He looked through the cabinets for what he needed, not surprised that a Potions Master like Severus would have an entire cabinet filled with varieties of loose-leaf teas.  He chose a soothing chamomile and set about preparing it. 

As he waited for the water to boil, he decided to wander around some more and investigate the shelves of books in the parlor.  He noticed that they were organized in a similar fashion to a library.  There were entire sections on potion-making, dark curses and their defenses, medicinal practices.  There were sections that would easily serve as supplements to all of the courses offered in Hogwarts, even a small section on Divination, despite the fact that Severus did not put much stock in that field of magic.  He could give any student a book for additional reading in nearly any magical subject, even if he had only one book on it.  Remus shook his head in nostalgia, not surprised that the largest section that completely dominated all others was the selection of reading associated with the Dark Arts.  What did surprise him, though, was the number of volumes within that section that had to do with defending oneself against the Dark Arts, rather than practicing it. 

His attention was drawn from the many volumes of books by the whistle of the kettle.  He quickly prepared his tea and brought the cup back into the parlor with him.  He had just sat himself on the sofa when he heard the quiet sound of a door opening.  He looked to see Severus holding a glowing basin in one hand while he soundlessly closed the door with the other.  His steps grew heavier as he approached Remus.  As he got closer, Remus realized that the glowing basin in his hands was a pensieve.  He did not know Severus even owned a pensieve!

Severus set it down on the table next to the armchair.  Noticing that Remus was nursing a cup of tea, he went into his kitchen to prepare a cup for himself.  In only several minutes, he returned to the parlor and sat down in the chair.  He took several sips of tea before the silence was broken. 

"Is it true?" Remus asked. 

"What exactly are you asking?"

"Are you Harry's father?" 

Severus sighed.  "I am Tevin's father, not Harry's.  As you should have concluded by the birth certificate, the child named Harry Potter never existed.  It was my son that was in hiding that existed all along."  He took a sip of tea.  "And I am going to speak for Lily and myself when I say that I am sorry you had to be deceived about that." 

Remus took an angry mouthful of tea, thanking some higher power for allowing him to choose the calming brew of chamomile.  "Did you know?  When did you find out he was your son?"

Severus stared into the liquid in his cup for a long moment before he replied.  "I found out the night after Lily...and James...died.  I never knew." 

"Severus..." 

Severus put his cup down on the glass coffee table in front of him with a heavy sigh.  "You remember James's and Lily's wedding, right?"

Remus nodded.  "I was thinking about it...recently, actually."

Severus nodded, encouragingly.  "Yes, you remember the Polyjuice Potion..."

"You were James..."  It seemed suddenly as though the pieces were fitting in his mind.  "They never were supposed to get married were they?  It was a cover!"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"The Dark Lord always kept tabs on which of his followers married.  As you know, he and the Death Eaters are very much against anyone not Pureblooded.  Which means all Muggleborn witches and wizards, even Half-bloods, were in danger as long as he lived and the Death Eaters continued to..." Severus sighed, again.  "With Lily being born to Muggles, she was in danger."  Remus opened his mouth to speak, but Severus knew what he was going to say and cut him off.  "Yes, we both know I am a Half-Blood.  He never knew, or if he did, he was unconcerned with it.   A little deceptive enthusiasm for Pureblood superiority goes a long way."  When he saw that it was what Remus was going to ask about, he continued.  "Not only would she be in danger just because of her birth, but if word ever reached him of my marrying her - a Muggleborn - both of our lives would be forfeit.  I could not do that to her."

"Yet you married her anyway!"  Remus saw Severus about to respond, but he continued.  "And do not dare try to refuse that, I was there at the wedding!"

"Yes, you were.  I would not deny our marriage, but I had to keep her safe.  The only way to do this was to have her seem to marry someone else...There was no one else but...James Potter." 

"I remember James came to tell me that he was marrying Lily once.  But, I thought it was wrong because I knew that you had married her only six months ago."

"In a Muggle Wedding," Severus confirmed. 

"Yes, I was there.  She wanted to have a wedding that all of her relatives could attend and not wonder what was going on with a magical one." Remus' eyes unfocused as he was piecing together things he had forgotten. 

Severus began to smile.  "She also knew what would happen to us if we were wed in a Wizard Wedding.  She and I would be hunted until death by the Dark Lord and by Death Eaters.  We both knew this." 

"With it being a Muggle Wedding, I was surprised you still asked me to be your best man."

"I needed someone I could trust.  You were the only one I would want at my side at mine and Lily's wedding." 

Severus and Remus both felt smiles creeping into their expressions as they thought of that day.  It was silent for a length of time before Remus spoke again.  "And, when James...you...married Lily again in the Wizard Wedding, what happened?"

Severus knew what he meant.  "You mean, what made me drive her away?"  Remus nodded.  "I think it would be better if I showed you."  He took his hands to the pensieve and placed it on the center of the coffee table.  "Keep in mind, this was after I was in that raid that the Aurors interrupted...the one that landed me in St. Mungo's..."  Remus nodded.  "This memory takes place in March, when I was about to be released after my two month stay."  With that, Severus and Remus dunked their heads into the pensieve. 

The room was nauseatingly white.  In fact it was so white that it was almost ethereal.  It was too clean and too pristine for anyone to comfortably live in...with the exception of a hospital patient.  The room served just that purpose.  It was the room of a hospital ward.  There was only one occupant in the room, and he lay upon the white bed.  His dark hair made him instantly noticeable.  It was combed properly, and feathered around his face like the folds of the smoothest silk.  His eyes fluttered peacefully as he was nearing awareness and his breathing was unlabored through his nose.  His chest rose and fell rhythmically with his breathing as he tried to cling to his dreams undisturbed.  The white blanket was tucked up to the middle of his chest allowing his arms to rest on top of the covers at his sides.  He was dressed in a soft white gown of the hospital that covered three quarters of his arms.  He looked peacefully picturesque.  There were only two things marring this image:  the dark bruise that spread from the bottom of his right jaw to just below his right eye, and the dark evil stain clearly visible on his left forearm - The Dark Mark. 

"This way, miss," came a voice from the seemingly distant doorway. 

A young woman entered the room.  She had shining red hair that she wore loose and free.  It curled and waved gently, naturally as she walked.  She was dressed in a white dress that reached her slender ankles, with a dark green knit jacket over it.  The jacket was not closed, but rather open, drawing attention to the barely noticeable feminine swell of her abdomen. She hesitated a moment at the foot of the young man's bed, gazing upon him.  After a moment, she went to the chair on the left of the bed.  She lowered herself into it slowly, before she spoke.  "Sev?"

His dark eyes stopped fluttering and opened fully, searching the room for the familiar speaker.  At last, they met the green eyes which he sought.  The left corner of his mouth began to curl in a painful smile.  "Lily?"

She smiled kindly upon him.  Her eyes caught the dark bruise on his face and she reached out to gently touch her fingertips to the discoloration.  "Oh, Severus..."

With a shaking arm he reached across himself for her, his hand finally cupping her cheek with as much gentleness and stillness as he could muster.  "Lily..."  His eyes remained on hers and they began to flood with relief and happiness.  "I'm sorry...I-"

"I thought you were dead."

Painfully, he shook his head.  "No."

"What happened?"

He drew in a deep breath and tried to grin at her reassuringly.  "The result of five curses that caused me to crash hard into a wall at the wrong angle, nothing more." 

She shook her head, her hair spilling over her shoulders.  "No.  I heard whispers that you were killed.  I heard nothing else, Sev, for months.  Almost three months." 

"But, I'm fine, Lily.  Everything will be alright."  His dark eyes pleaded with her to look at him again.  But instead of looking into his eyes, her gaze was fixed on the mark burned into his arm.  He followed her gaze to it.  She moved her hand to the mark and closed her fingers around it, holding his arm.  "Lily."  She looked at him then, and he kept his gaze fixed on hers as he let his hand drift from her cheek to curling around the side of her neck.  "I promise you, everything will be alright." With only the lightest indication of his hand caressing her neck, she lowered her lips to his, silently accepting his promise. 

Still gripping his arm, she guided his left hand to the swell of her stomach.  He ghosted his hand to her familiar hip and rested it there a moment before she guided it back to her abdomen and forced him to press down slightly, hoping that she would not have to tell him, desperate for this conversation to never take place.  She refused to break the communion of their lips, even as he began to pull away, letting her know that he was beginning to understand what she was wordlessly telling him.  Finally, she allowed him to have his way and granted the separation.  She looked at his face and saw that it was fast losing the little color it had in the first place.  His eyes were wide and stared at the swell of her midsection, having now comprehended the situation.  "A...You're...you're pregnant," he stated, knowing it was unnecessary to do so. 

She nodded.  In another moment, Severus's face, though horribly discolored, transformed into the brightest, most beautiful expression that she had ever seen.  She knew that she never had and never would see such an expression of unadulterated happiness on his face again.  "Sev," she choked on her voice, when she noticed that his eyes had started to spill tears of the highest elation.  She knew her next two words would tear him apart, perhaps even forever.  "It's James'."

She could not bear to look at his face.  Could not bear to see his mouth fall open in shocked betrayal, see his eyes deaden, see his entire body go completely rigid.  But she heard his breath stop.  And she felt him rip his hand from her stomach as though it caused more pain than the burning of the mark on his arm ever could.  She heard him rustle the covers of the bed as he shifted away from her.  After many long moments of tense silence, she managed to raise her eyes to look upon him.  Only seconds ago, his face was glowing with unspeakable happiness, but now it was twisted with unspeakable, soul-wrenching agony.  She saw that even though his eyes were clenched tightly, tears managed to course scarring paths down his face.  But now these tears were the opposite of those only moments previous.  His lips were set in a colorless mask, desperate to contain the sobs that screamed inside his trembling body.  His arms held each other as though trying to take comfort from an unseen companion.  She reached out her hand towards him, but stopped halfway.  What comfort could she give him, after killing him with her words? 

She withdrew. 

Looking at him, she wondered why she could no longer see him clearly.  She realized then that she, too, had tears burning her eyes and streaking her cheeks.  She continued to watch him.  His trembling increased, his tears came faster, and he curled further into himself until a sound emerged of indescribable pain that had been rapidly building inside of him.  It began as a soft groan, but it swiftly became a desperate mournful, howling scream.  She stood from the chair terrified, but knowing that he never would harm her in some way.  He threw his head back as the sound continued as though praying to some higher power that it was not true, what she had said was not true.  After this single, long, terrible sound's conclusion Severus' entire body collapsed in on itself upon the bed.  He did not hear her.  He did not hear her choked apology, he did not even hear her as she ran from the room, sobbing.  He heard nothing. 

The scene shifted then in a swirl of silver. 

James Potter sat in an armchair reading from a magazine featuring an article on Quidditch, which he abruptly threw aside as the door opened. 

Remus recognized the location.  Godric's Hollow.  Why were they there?  He looked to Severus.  "Not all of these are my memories.  Some of them are Lily's.  They will help you understand."  Remus nodded and began to watch the memory, not sure where he should be looking.  He began to listen.

"-told him.  James!  It was-"

James rushed to Lily, catching the woman as her legs gave out from beneath her.  He carried her to the sofa and set her down.  The room was overpowered with the sound of her sobbing.  "Lily," he tried.  "What happened?"  She continued to sob, her tears blinding her, unable to catch her breath.  She went into coughing fits as she tried in vain to get herself under control.  "Lily, you have to calm down."  He took her hands and held them firmly.  "Breathe.  Take a breath."  After a long while he managed to coach her into breathing just enough to attempt to form words.  "Tell me what happened."

"How...would you react to something like that?" she screamed.  She sobbed once and tried to continue.  "He...he refused to touch me!  And then! James, his face!"  Fresh tears ran down her cheeks.  "You did not see him!  You didn't see him!"  She tore her hands from his and launched herself from her position on the sofa and into his chest.  He awkwardly wrapped his arms around her and held her as her body continued to convulse in her grief.  "Sev!" she moaned.  "Severus!" 

"You know you had to do it, Lily.  You had to tell him it wasn't his."

She shook her red-haired head jerkily against his chest.  "Sev!"

"If he knew it was his baby ...you know what would happen..."

She coughed and her body shook as she continued to moan the name of the man whose arms were not around her.  "Severus..."

"He would die, Lily.  And you.  And the baby.  You know that."

She did not seem to hear him.  She seemed to be losing her energy.  Her body was still shaking, but slower.  She was still crying but her sobbing had quieted.  The grip on James's shirt was loosening.  Her voice though seemed to become more and more lost, as she continued to still moan in near delirium, "Sev...Severus..." 

James looked down at Lily, whose mind was clearly on one thing - one person - and made a decision.  "We'll tell him.  After all of this is over, after...You-Know-Who is gone, dead...I'll tell him everything.  We'll tell him everything, okay?" 

He did not know if she actually heard him or not.  She nodded against him but said, "Sev..." as though she were agreeing.  He could not be sure.

 "Do you want me to tuck you in?"  When she responded by saying the other man's name again, even softer than the last utterance, he decided he would anyway.  He fumbled and eventually managed to get her into his arms and pick her up.  He walked through the parlor and into the hallway.  He slowly and carefully climbed the narrow stairs in the house leading up to her room.  She still whispered the name as she grew exhausted.  He made it into the bedroom.  Gently settling her on the bed, he wiggled the comforter out from under her in order to drape it across her.  He tucked it in around her body trying not to jar her in any way.  "Severus," he whispered to no one.  "Why did you trust me with something you love so much?"  He sighed.  "You'll know soon enough." 

He turned away from Lily, whose eyes were fluttering wildly in a struggle to stay awake.  "Sev!" she called, just as James was closing the door on his way out of the room towards his own bedroom.  He stopped to listen.  "I love you...I'm so sorry, Sev..."  With that, Lily's ability to speak was no more, for exhaustion was catching up to her. 

Remus heard a voice reply, "I know."  Whether it was James or Severus, he couldn't tell. 

The scene shifted once more.  When it reformed, Remus was surprised to be looking at another hospital bed, only this time there were a great deal more people in the room.  He saw himself in the room.  Why was Severus showing him this?  He remembered this event. 

Or at least he thought he did. 

The three men all gathered around the mother resting in bed as she cradled her newborn, who had yet to open his eyes.  He squirmed restlessly in his mother's arms as though he sensed the people around him and was uncomfortable with the attention.  On the other side of the woman was a young man with light brown hair and a tired expression.  He simply watched the scene, wanting to commit it to memory rather than take part in it.  His eyes traveled over his three friends, Lily, James and Sirius.  He watched them for a moment, taking them in.  The mother tried to arrange the infant in her arms awkwardly, being new to motherhood.  Her red hair was still damp from her birthing efforts and her face was quickly showing exhaustion, but she refused to loosen her grip on the child which she had labored to bring into the world.  The man closest to her, James, wore a grin of honor.  To his right was a handsome young man with long, dark wavy hair.   Sirius.  He tried tickling the infant with his index finger, but it was obvious that he was finding more pleasure in this act than the child, whose squirming only increased in his attempt to flick the annoyance away.  The man bothering the child began laughing. 

"James!  He's adorable!" 

"Yes, he is," James agreed. 

Lily snorted.  "Sirius, I never thought you would be one to coo at a baby!"

"Well, when it's James's son, of course I'm going to smother him with compliments."

Remus watched as James elbowed Sirius playfully in the arm and the two shared mischievous grins.  His eyes wandered to Lily, whose expression took on a contemplative sadness as she gazed upon her son.  He heard the barely whispered name, "Sev..."

"Lily?"  Remus said to get her attention.  She looked up at him and then around to the other two men realizing that she had said the name aloud.  James and Sirius were looking at her with strange eyes, but both expressions were different. 

"What did you say, Lily?" asked James softly. 

"I just said ‘Sev,'" she replied. 

"Now, why would you bring up Snivellus?"

Lily looked hurt, but whether it was the question or the horrid contortion of the name was uncertain.  "I just wish he were here."

"Why?" Sirius exploded.  "Why in the name of Merlin's-"

"Don't curse, Sirius!" bellowed James.

"-would you want him here at the birth of your son?" Sirius finished, his cursing overpowered by James's interruption. 

Lily looked down upon her son again.  "He's still my friend, and I just wish that he were here."  Remus noticed that the only one seemingly upset about this conversation was Sirius.  He saw that James's eyes darted back and forth between Lily and the baby sympathetically. 

"Well, I don't!  I'm glad he's not here!  The less the world ever saw of Snape the better."

Remus had enough at that point.  "That's enough, Sirius."  Sirius gave him a hard glare which Remus matched before the temperamental man looked away. 

From the doorway of the room, a hesitant voice piped up.  "Can I have the name of the child?" The young medi-witch held a clipboard securing an official document and a small compartment for the inkwell.  In her hand was a quill, poised and ready to fill in the blank spaces on the document. 

Lily and James both began to speak at the same time. 

"Tevin-"

"Harry-"

They looked at each other a moment in a silent battle.  "James, you promised."  He looked for a moment that he would refuse her, but then the newborn's eyes opened.  They were Lily's...exactly.  He could no longer fool himself, this boy belonged to Lily and would never be his.  He belonged to his father.  The infant's almond-shaped green eyes gazed curiously at James, as though daring him to deny his mother. 

He nodded, slowly, conceding to keep the promise he had made to her.  He turned to face the medi-witch and took a deep breath before he announced the child's name.  "Tevin Antonius Ryker Snape." 

"What?" roared Sirius, rushing to James with his wand drawn.  "How can you give your son to that git?" he demanded.  His nostrils were flaring, his hair was wild, his entire body shook in barely restrained rage and incomprehension.  His eyes blazed in fury. 

James lazily drew his own wand and simply said, "Expelliarmus," disarming Sirius without even really looking at him.  Sirius's wand flew from his hand as he fell to the pristine floor.  Remus watched this entire scene with interest and Lily watched James with shining eyes.  James waited a moment for the medi-witch to finish with the name of the child.  "The father is Severus Snape."  Sirius groaned in disbelief at this statement.  "The mother," continued James, "is Lily Evans-Snape."  Sirius let out a wordless shout to this statement.  Still ignoring everything behind him, James waited for the medi-witch's quill to stop scratching.  Once it did he aimed his wand at the clipboard.  "Accio birth certificate."  Instantly, the birth certificate flew into his hand. 

"Sir!  You cannot take that.  It must be filed with the Ministry!" cried the witch. 

James did not even spare her a glance as he aimed his wand first at the door, effectively shutting and locking it.  Then he quickly erected a Body-Bind on the witch.  Sirius was still shouting, barely recognizing his best friend.  James aimed his wand at Sirius again and enchanted a silencing charm on his friend.  "I'm sorry, Sirius."  James felt terrible for harming his friend, but once he looked upon Lily and saw her grateful eyes shining at him he knew that he was doing the right thing.  He quickly rolled up the birth certificate, shrunk it, and placed it safely in his inner jacket pocket at his heart.  He closed his eyes, knowing he must do this next thing, but wishing he did not.  He gathered his courage and once more drew his wand. 

He first walked to his best friend, who was still crumbled on the floor.  He looked directly into Sirius's eyes.  He pointed his wand at Sirius and spoke forcefully and clearly.  "Oblittera filium Severi!  Oblittera hunc eventus!"  There was a blinding flash that collided with Sirius's face and when it was gone, Sirius was unconscious on the floor.  James stood quickly and walked to the medi-witch, grabbing the quill and clipboard from her to keep it undamaged.  He repeated his motions to her and spoke again, "Oblittera filium Severi!  Oblittera hunc eventus!"   Again, there was a bright light, and again when it cleared she was unconscious.  Rounding quickly, he darted to Remus, who gazed at him with horror and a question in his eyes as to why he would be subjected to this.  "I'm sorry, Remus.  No one must ever know."  He raised his wand.  "Oblittera filium Severi!  Oblittera hunc eventus!"   Remus's upper body crumbled onto the bed, unconscious.  He aimed his wand at the door again and released the lock on it before turning to Lily.   

James met Lily's eyes, which were glistening with tears.  "Thank you," she whispered.  He nodded to her, the look in his eyes pained.  She picked up her wand resting at the bedside table and pointed it at Remus.  "Rennervate."  Remus groaned and began to wake up, his mind clearly confused. 

James pointed his wand to the medi-witch.  "Rennervate."  She began moaning and she awkwardly tried to get to her feet. 

"What happened?"

"You must not be feeling well.  You suddenly started swaying and then you fainted," James lied, not particularly caring if she believed him or not.  "You obviously aren't feeling well, since you came in here with everything but the birth certificate." 

This woke her up.  "Oh dear!" she exclaimed.  "I should go and get it, quickly then.  I'll be right back!"  With that she took back her clipboard and quill and dashed from the room, never noticing that Sirius still lay collapsed on the floor. 

James went to Sirius and pointed his wand at his best friend.  "Rennervate."  Once Sirius groaned softly, James went down to help him to his feet, grabbing up the fallen wand as he went.  He gave it back just when Sirius asked him what had happened.  "You got a little too excited there, Padfoot.  Maybe you should never be allowed to see a newborn again."

"I mean...yeah..." 

Sirius tried to figure out how he had ended up on the floor.  Just when he was about to ask this question, the medi-witch came back into the room with a new birth certificate.  "Can I have the name of the child?" she asked. 

James looked to Lily, who smiled and then nodded once to him, giving her consent.  He turned back to the witch and said clearly, "Harry James Potter.  The father is James Potter, and the mother is Lily Potter."  This time, there was no objection from Sirius. 

Remus's mind was beginning to hurt as the memory shifted in a blur of silver.  Suddenly he found himself in a very aromatic Potions Ingredients shop - the Apothecary in Diagon Alley.  He made sure that Severus was still beside him.  He was.  He looked around the shop to discover a second Severus scanning the shelves of ingredients expertly.  Remus grinned at this unsurprising image and prepared himself to watch again. 

Severus looked as though he were preparing early for winter.  He wore long black robes with wide ended sleeves.  His hands were covered save for his fingers from the mid-joint to the tips in dark woolen gloves.  Around his neck was a light-weather dark green scarf, which he had tied in the fashion of a cravat so that the ends dangled down at the middle of his chest. Hooked at his left elbow was a rather large woven basket that already had many bottles and jars in it.  Items for purchase.  He held a small slip of parchment in his left hand as his right index finger dragged across the labels on the shelved bottles with the sensuality of a lover.  His long hair was stringy and greasier than usual, most likely due to recent brewing.  He located the needed ingredient and plucked it from the shelf.  With his basket filled with ingredients and his list he drifted towards the clerk of the shop. 

He set his basket on the counter and looked into the eyes of the old wizard, who greeted him enthusiastically.  "Hello, Mr. Snape.  Back again, are we?"

"Yes, Jayce.  I've been coming once a week for years now." 

Jayce was an old wizard who seemed to have been working in this shop since Merlin's time!  His hair was beyond balding...it was sparsely spaced on his scalp.  There were deep wrinkles in his face pulled down beyond the normal range of aging.  No matter what time of year it was it was perpetually winter to this man.  He was always bundled up completely to his neck, and wearing a heavy woolen coat.  He bent down behind the counter only to reappear with a large brass scale.  "Measure them yourself, Mr. Snape.  You always prefer it."

Severus offered a tight grin.  "It's not that I don't trust you, Jayce, I just-"

"Know that when you do it yourself, if there is a mistake it's your own.  I know.  I feel the same." 

Severus set his list on the counter next to the basket and began to measure out what he needed from each of the bottles and jars he had selected.  "You'd best be careful, though, young man.  There may be some competition for your post."  Severus looked up.  "Potions Master.  Young Mrs. Potter seems keen to match you." 

Severus grimaced a moment before he continued to measure as he responded.  "To my knowledge, Mrs. Potter has no interest in my doings, nor should she.  She is fully occupied with her...husband."

"Oh, my boy, I remember when the two of you would come in here together and buy potions supplies from me every week."  Jayce smiled, his mouth difficult to find in the amount of wrinkled skin.  It went slack again, neutral.  "You both are still here every week...but...how come you switched your day to visit my store?  Did you two have a falling out?"

Severus glared at the old man.  "That, as a shop owner, is not your concern.  None of the personal lives of any customer should be your business."  He finished the first ingredient and gestured for a new jar in which to store his purchase.  He was given it by Jayce and bottled the ingredient, labeled the jar, and set it aside so that he could begin the next one. 

"I just remember, Mr. Snape.  You were happy once.  What happened?" 

Severus's fingers hesitated in the chamomile flowers.  "Nothing!" he snapped.  He gathered his temper again and gently set the flowers on the scale.  He sighed as he began to measure carefully.  "Nothing ever happened."

Severus heard the door to the shop open, but did not avert his attention from his task.  He finished with the chamomile flowers and bottled, and labeled his purchase.  He completely finished with his third needed ingredient and had just set it aside when he heard someone moving the bottles and jars in his basket.  Without looking his hand darted to the side and latched onto the wrist of the intruder.  His hand recognized the feel of that skin instantly.  His dark eyes flew to the hand's owner and he immediately released the wrist and jerked away, almost reflexively.  "Li-Mrs. Potter," he snarled, as he caught sight of the young infant she held against her chest with her free arm. 

Lily looked at him for a moment trying to offer a weak smile.  When it was returned with a glare she averted her eyes and continued to search in his basket.  When she found what she was looking for, she removed it from the basket.  Before she could do anything else Severus spoke with clenched teeth.  "Kindly put that back." 

She looked at him with a blank expression.  "I should have known you would be buying the Eucalyptus and the Peppermint.  It is cold season."  She spoke as though she did not hear him. 

"Kindly put that back, Mrs. Potter," Severus growled.  The intensity of his voice almost woke up the child, who squirmed against his mother. 

"Stop, Sev-"

"Do not call me that!"  Without waiting for her to obey, he snatched the jar of eucalyptus leaves and opened it, pinched out a generous amount onto the scale, and roughly twisted the lid of the jar back onto the shop's share.  He slammed it forcibly onto the counter, glaring at Lily the whole time.  He only diverted his attention to measure out what he had carelessly piled onto the scale. 

He deliberately took his time, stalling as long as possible before he bottled it, not wishing to speak with her.  His wish for silence lasted for several tense minutes before it was broken by her voice, which he would never admit that he desperately missed.  He closed his eyes as she asked him a question which he would have easily welcomed had a certain little something - namely the creature held protectively against her chest - not come between them.  "What are the ingredients in a Pepperup Potion?"  He did not answer her.  "Severus?  Tell me." 

"No."

He reached into his basket and began to hastily measure out the amount of the next herb he required, Ginger Root.  He tried to ignore her, but he couldn't.  He could smell the scent of her hair that he had blissfully run his fingers through so many times.  He could hear her soft breathing.  He could feel the air move around her as she did something as simple as move her hand.  Tortured thoughts ran through his mind of times he could never reclaim.  Because of that child in her arms that was not his...because of James Potter.  He closed his eyes for an instant, willing her to disappear, to stop haunting him.  But when he opened his eyes she was still there. 

He furiously stored the measured herb into a larger jar and as he began to label it, the quill slipped from his hand to the floor.  With a frustrated snarl he dropped to the ground for it, preferring then to finish the writing crouched low to the floor, as he tried to gather his expression.  When he quickly stood up again, his head crashed into something.  The soft cry of pain alerted him to what had happened.  He had collided with her brow!  She held her hand over her left eye as she hissed at the sting.  Unfortunately, her cry had woken up the baby in her arms who, now alert to his mother's distress, began to cry at her pain. 

Severus reached out and cupped her cheek instinctively, coaxing her hand to fall and try to comfort her child.  His thumb traced her brow for the tender spot and he smoothed the delicate skin under her eye.  She hissed when he touched the tender spots.  "I'm sorry.  Are you alright?" 

"Yes, Sev."  He looked into her eyes for a moment thinking that he had once delighted in hearing his name from her lips, but now it was a reminder of what could never be again.  He removed his hand from her face. 

"Good," he mumbled.  He began to turn to his basket of ingredients when she touched his elbow.  He realized that the child was starting to scream.  "Will you please silence that boy?"

"You can do it just as easily, you've been trained as a healer."

"There is nothing wrong with him requiring a healer except his existence," he snapped. 

"Severus!" she cried.  She tugged on his elbow forcing him to face her.  In his hand he held the jar of Lavender.  When it ended up in a position underneath the infant's nose, the soothing scent calmed the boy quickly.  He slowly began to quiet. Neither of them really noticed.   "How could you say something like that?  The man I knew would never say that!" 

"Perhaps the man you knew died when he realized that you had played him false just as well as the Dark Lord delivers the Killing Curse!"

Without thinking, Lily's hand flew of its own accord to smack soundly on Severus's cheek, jarring him into the counter, knocking over some of the bottled ingredients.  Just as quickly as her hand had struck him, it covered her mouth which had opened in a surprised, shocked expression.  Severus's eyes were closed as he gripped the edge of the counter until his fingers were white.  He seemed to struggle to breathe properly as though his rage was about to implode.  "Go home to Potter!" he spoke with surprising clarity and force, spitting out the name like a curse.  "And take his spawn with you!"

He did not open his eyes.  He heard her stifle a sob unsuccessfully.  He heard her sway and grip the counter to regain her balance.  He heard her retreating footsteps leave the shop.  He opened his eyes to see Jayce staring openmouthed at him, stunned at the events that he had just witnessed.  Severus's eyes were quickly filling with tears, and he just barely managed to say, "Would you please fill the remainder of my order and owl it to me?  I cannot stay-"  He did not even wait for Jayce to nod before he shakily turned and stumbled from the shop, trying to angrily swipe away his falling tears as he practically ran through the streets to disappear in the crowd. 

Had he looked at the bench to the right of the shop door he would have seen Lily sobbing, tears cascading down her cheeks, trying to comfort a baby who quietly sniffled in her arms. 

Remus and Severus were sitting in the latter's parlor again, hovering several inches above the swirling depths of the pensieve.  Speechless, Remus looked at Severus then, clearly seeing the unmistakable grief, regret and devastation the other man carried from the events of that memory.  "Severus?"  The other man showed no sign of responding.  Remus was beginning to understand.  He stood up from his position and walked to stand at Severus's shoulder.  He hesitantly rested his hand on the other man's shoulder, offering his silent support and sympathy.  "Severus?"  It seemed for a moment that he would not get a response, but suddenly, Severus slowly began to fold into himself as a near silent sound of suffering escaped in a low moan.  Remus watched, his hand still on his shoulder, as Severus's head fell into his hands, his pale fingers combing into his hair.  By the light of the fire, Remus saw damp spots begin to dot the rug in front of Severus. 

He was crying. 

He never saw Severus cry, and now that he was witnessing it, he hoped he would never have to again. 

As the tears began to bleed together on the rug, and the clock struck nine o'clock, the Floo roared and turned green for a moment before a very small man stepped through and onto the hearth.  Remus recognized the little man immediately.  "Professor Flitwick."

Flitwick nodded at Remus as he walked directly to Severus, whom the little professor's eyes had fixed upon the moment he saw the parlor.  "Oh, young Severus.  Come now.  Why are you so dreadful?" 

Severus looked at his former professor but his tears continued.  He opened his mouth to speak but he could not.  Flitwick crept up and stood between his former pupil's knees to look up into his eyes, not minding if the tears were splashing onto him.  "My boy, there is nothing that says you cannot grieve.  For no creature on this earth is immune to it."  Severus took a breath and when he released it, it came as a broken sob.  "There now, my boy."  Flitwick drew his wand, waved it, and conjured a large handkerchief which he offered to Severus.  He took it and held it over his eyes, like a child trying to hide. 

"You wished to see me, Severus?  Knowing you and your thirst for knowledge I am sure this is going to be a tricky one you're going to try to stump me with.  Lily did the same thing when she brought me that birth certificate, mind you!  Took us quite some time to figure that out!"  He let out a feeble squeaky laugh.

Remus found his voice first.  "You knew?"  Flitwick looked at him, as though realizing again that he was even in the room.  "You knew that...Tevin...was Severus and Lily's son?"

"Of course I knew!  Lily came to me to help her with the birth certificate, to disguise it should anyone find it in her home."  Flitwick glared at Remus.  "But before you even think of accusing me, young Gryffindor, it was stressed to me by the girl to not mention it to Severus until after...You-Know-Who was no longer a threat to herself, her baby, or her husband.  She even said that she would make sure that she would tell him when the time came." 

Flitwick looked to the still weeping Severus, ignoring that Remus was staring at him.  "Severus, you need to rest.  You should not have called me here tonight.  Come now, to bed with you."  Flitwick waved his wand at Severus and caused the younger man to close his eyes and fall asleep, the handkerchief falling from his slack grip to the floor.  With another wave of Flitwick's wand, Severus rose gently into the air.  Flitwick walked just underneath his former student as he guided him through the parlor and into the room that the young man had recently created for his son.  Stopping for a moment, Flitwick surveyed the room.  "Mr. Lupin, you should sleep in here tonight.  Someone should stay with him while he is still grieving, and I could think of none better than yourself."  Remus nodded.

Flitwick then continued and guided Severus through the door to the left, which opened to reveal Severus's chambers.  He guided Severus and lowered him gently onto the bed, being sure to set the covers over the young man.  Flitwick's eyes drifted to the cradle where the child slept surrounded by three stuffed animals - the teddy bear, which he clutched to himself, a white swan, and a black dog.  Flitwick grinned to himself.  He waved his wand once more summoning a small vial.  Wordlessly, the little professor undid the stopper, and spelled the liquid inside of the vial to stream through the air towards Severus.  The liquid went straight into Severus's mouth, down his throat, to find its place in his stomach. 

"What did you give him?"  Remus asked. 

"Simply something the boy needs right now: Dreamless Sleep Potion." 

Flitwick walked out of Severus's bedroom and the second one, straight into the parlor again, his goal being the fireplace.  He summoned a pinch of Floo Powder to himself and just before he tossed it in, he turned again to Remus.  "Offer to watch Severus's son while he teaches.  Stay here with him as long as he needs you.  He needs a friend more than anything now, Mr. Lupin."  Remus nodded.  "Another thing, be sure to put out the fire.  We don't want everyone to know about his son before he is ready, do we?"  Finally, he tossed the Floo Powder into the flames, and clearly stated his destination before spinning away in a blaze of green flames.

With a sigh, Remus put out the fire.  He looked around the darkened parlor, briefly wondering how long this would serve as his home too.  With another sigh, he walked into the bedroom.  He realized suddenly how tired he was.  When he touched the bed hanging to pull it back for himself he realized something that was off.  They were green.  "This will not do," he mumbled.  With a simple incantation, he changed them to a long familiar color:  Gryffindor Red.  Satisfied, Remus lay down on the soft bedding and closed his eyes, finding it surprisingly easy to fall asleep. 

He opened his dark eyes and gazed about his room for a moment, wondering how he had ended up in bed, and if he had overslept.  He sluggishly sat up in bed and swung the covers that he did not remember draping over himself the night before from his body.  He realized that he was still dressed in the clothing he wore yesterday.  With a self-berating sneer he rose from the bed and went straight to his wardrobe, past the cradle in the center of the room.  He quietly opened the doors and removed new clothing for the day, which was not dissimilar from those he wore from yesterday, with maybe different embroidery on the sleeve hem, or it was a very dark shade of purple that seemed like black to those not looking carefully enough.  Despite what some people thought, he did enjoy color in his clothing choices.  He closed the wardrobe and made his way into his bathroom intent on a shower.  Just to be sure, he changed his direction and walked to his desk to consult his quietly ticking desk clock for the time.  It was 7:30 AM.  Plenty of time.  He turned from his desk and faced the cradle for a moment.  He heard no disturbances, no shuffling, just the peaceful noises of sleep, of breathing.  He walked into the bathroom to shower before he had to go to the Great Hall and suffer through breakfast.

Remus opened his eyes at the quiet sounds of the neighboring room, made easily heard courtesy of the grating between the two fireplaces that split the rooms.  With a sigh, he climbed out of bed.  He looked down and realized that he did not have a change of clothing.  Sighing again, he picked up his wand and pointed it at his own clothing, muttering a cleaning spell.  Instantly, soap bubbles grew from the fabric of his clothing as they scrubbed his clothes clean.  It also served to clean his body underneath the clothing, since it penetrated all of the fabric.  It wasn't his first choice of bathing, but it was the best he could do without a change of clothes.  He applied another spell to himself after the scrubbing bubbles had finished their task, a drying spell.  Then, he left the room and walked into the parlor. 

He stopped at the fireplace and decided that a little warmth was in order.  He lit the fire and continued through the suite.  He made his way through the spacious parlor and into the kitchen.  He saw the bar of soap beside the faucet of the sinks and walked directly to it.  He turned on the water and worked the soap into a foamy lather before he vigorously washed his face.  He let out a refreshed breath and then began to rummage around the kitchen for something to eat.  He knew that he would not be able to attend any meals in the Great Hall, since his presence was neither requested by the headmaster, nor was it known to anyone but Severus and Professor Flitwick.  He wished he were free to roam the halls of the immense building that had been his home for seven years, but some things needed to have a compromise.  There could be benefits to living here, taking care of the boy while Severus taught.  At least he wouldn't have to wait nervously every month to see if Severus remembered to send the new batch of Wolfsbane Potion.  He could simply get it right here. 

Remus quickly located an assortment of fruit on the counter, deciding that he could settle for that for now.  With practice from the years of repetition, he set about making some tea for himself.  He would never admit it, but Remus Lupin had a borderline obsession with tea.  If he could not think of something to do, he had tea.  If he was enjoying a good book, he had tea.  If he was deep in thought, he sipped on some tea.  He had tea in the morning, afternoon, nighttime.  He would drink tea constantly if he could.  He was convinced that there was nothing in the world that could not be cured with tea.

Except lycanthropy.

He was in the midst of pouring the hot water into a cup when the Floo suddenly flared to life, scaring him.  The steaming water spilled and scalded his hand, causing him to let out a sharp cry.  He tried to scramble out of the way so that the visitor would not see him, but in his rush, he tripped backwards and landed on the floor staring through the legs of the chairs and the table as a small figure came rushing towards him.  It was Professor Flitwick.

"Oh!" he squeaked in a high pitched alarm.  "My boy, did I frighten you?  So sorry!"  Remus managed to sit himself upright, grimacing and holding his burned hand.  "Oh!  You burned yourself!  Was that my fault too?"  He made a few disproving noises as he brandished his wand and aimed it at Remus' hand, murmuring a quiet cooling charm.  The pain began to fade as the charm did its work.  "Now, stand up.  I have something for Severus." 

Remus struggled to get to his feet.  The fall had made him land more awkwardly than he cared to admit.  When he finally did, he saw that Flitwick had already levitated himself onto the kitchen counter where he had wiped up the spilled water and was now preparing Remus' tea for him.  "Thank you."  Remus accepted the offered cup from Flitwick with a nod.  "Now, what do you have for Severus?" 

Flitwick grinned proudly as he searched in his robes for something.  "Well, I was working on this all night and I finally perfected it."  He held out his hand to reveal a jagged clear quartz stone, small enough to easily fit in someone's clenched hand.  "This is a way for him to not worry about his son while he teaches." 

"Conspiring against me, Professor?" came the voice of Severus from where he was leaning against the corner of the bookcase near the kitchen.  He had a smirk on his face.  His hair was still wet from bathing, and hung around his face, dripping every once in a while.  His white towel hung from his neck like a scarf, and he wore a white shirt, and dark trousers.  His feet were bare.  To Remus, it was unusual to see him so unrestrained from his dark clothing.  The other man could not help but look at his friend curiously. 

"No, no, Severus," said Flitwick.  He gestured the young man closer as he held out the quartz.  Severus took it and began inspecting it carefully as Flitwick continued speaking.  "It's like a Muggle baby monitor for Tevin so you do not have to worry about him while you teach.  And Remus and I have come up with the idea of him babysitting while you are in classes."  Severus looked at Remus, who nodded, confirming the older professor's words. 

"And how does this work?"

Flitwick laughed merrily.  "Well, it has been spelled to change color whenever your son's mood or situation changes.  For example, if he is in danger the quartz will turn black.  Red for when he is upset, angry, or throwing a tantrum.  Green for when he is happy.  I've written up a list for you."  Flitwick swished his wand and a piece of paper materialized, which he handed to Severus, who consulted it. 

Monitoring Quartz Color Key

Black................................................................In Danger

White...................................................................Sleeping

Grey.......................................................................Scared

Brown.............................................Stubborn & Disobedient

Red................................................Angry, Temper Tantrum

Orange......................................Uncomfortable, In Distress

Yellow...........................................Missing, Run Off, Injured

Green..............................................Happy, Playing, Content

Blue...................................................................Crying, Sad

Purple........................................Safe & Calm (Do Not Worry)

Pink.............................................................Wanting Parent

~ F. Flitwick                        

Severus looked questioningly at Flitwick.  "But, how does it work?  How will I know what he is doing?" 

Without reclaiming the stone or any indication of what he was about to do, Flitwick pointed his wand at the stone in Severus's hand and shouted a spell.  "Diffindo!"  The stone in Severus's hand split in two.  Flitwick took one of them and tossed it into the air.  With a banishing charm, followed immediately by a placement charm Flitwick made the stone stick to the center of the ceiling in the parlor.  "That placement charm will need to be renewed every five days." 

"Why the ceiling, Professor?" Remus asked. 

"It is the central place in the suite, and the boy will most likely spend a great deal of his time in the parlor while he is awake.  There are not many things that he can injure himself with in here.  It will be able to sense the boy's moods far easier in a central location than in, for example, Severus's room." 

"Fair enough, sir," Severus agreed.  "Thank you."  Remus had wandered into the parlor, staring up at the quartz stuck to the ceiling.  "Well, Remus, are you ready to begin babysitting?"

Remus looked at Severus with a grin.  "I suppose I have no choice." 

Just then, Severus noticed that the rock had changed a new color.  It was no longer clear, but it glowed in a soft rose.  Severus's eyes immediately darted to the paper he still held to find out again what pink meant.  ‘Wanting Parent,' it read.  Severus set the paper down on the table and put the stone in the pocket of his trousers as he walked into the bedroom connected to his own. 

He walked into his bedroom and saw the boy sitting up in his cradle looking around calling for something...someone.  "Daddy!"  He was facing the desk, which was opposite the door in which Severus stood, and did not see him.  "Daddy!" 

By this time Severus had crossed the room and lifted the boy in his arms.  "It's alright, Tevin," he reassured.  "Daddy's here."  The little boy threw his tiny arms around Severus's neck and held on tight.  Severus looked at his desk to the clock.  It was ten minutes until eight o'clock.  He needed to get to breakfast, or else Dumbledore would come looking for him, which he did not want. 

Severus walked with Tevin into the parlor where Remus stood, now nursing his tea.  Flitwick was nowhere to be seen and the Floo was now dark again, indicating that he had left for breakfast and Remus had closed the Floo after he left.  "Tevin, I have something to tell you."  Tevin drew back a little to look at Severus's face.  "I have to teach and cannot stay with you all the time during the day."  From the expression on Tevin's face, it was clear that he did not understand. 

"Go?"

"Not for a very long time.  Just for a few hours."

"Me?" 

Severus took a wild stab at what the child possibly meant by this.  "You will stay here with...your godfather."  He looked at Remus and could not help but notice the smile that began to spread on the other man's face. 

Tevin perked up, his eyes going wide in excitement.  "Surrus?"

"No.  Remus."  

Tevin tilted his head to the side in confusion.  "Waymus?"  He began looking over Severus's shoulder for Remus and then to the sides.  At a look from Severus, Remus put his cup down on the table and went to the two, getting in view of the boy, who spotted him quickly.  "Waymus!" he shouted, flinging his arms out toward the other man indicating his request.  Remus looked to Severus for permission before he took the boy from the other man's arms.  Tevin began giggling as he recognized another familiar person. 

"Tevin," Severus tried to get the boy's attention.  "Look at me."  It was only when Remus pointed to Severus that Tevin looked where he was supposed to.  "Do not give Remus a hard time.  Behave."  Tevin flashed a smile at Severus before letting out a sound that seemed a mixture between a harsh exhale and a short laugh.  Whatever it was meant to be, it satisfied Severus. 

He gave a nod and looked to Remus.  "I'll return at some point during lunch, and for tea later.  You should remember the break right before dinner.  I also spend that here.  I very rarely will return here through the portrait.  I choose to come through my office.  It makes it easier."  He tried offering Remus a lopsided grin, but it was clear that he was nervous.  "If anyone is trying to enter through the portrait deny them entrance.  And do not open the Floo Network.  The last thing we both need is for the headmaster to unexpectedly visit and wonder why you are here." 

Remus smiled.  "Severus, I'm not one of your students that you have to tell to beware of strangers.  Everything will be fine." 

"I know.  I just..."

"You're nervous."  Remus stated this rather than asked it.  Severus nodded.  "Don't be.  I hope you have a supply of food in here.  I have a suspicion that if I asked the House Elves for anything they would report my presence here immediately." 

"There is enough food here, yes." 

"Then, everything will be fine."  The clock in the parlor struck eight o'clock.  "Time to face the little demons," he said.  Severus looked at him with a challenging glint.  "What?  They aren't demons are they?"

Severus walked towards his room to finish dressing for the day, mumbling to himself, "They are when the day starts with Slytherin and Gryffindor Third Years."

Remus let out a loud, boisterous laugh.  Seeing that Remus was laughing, Tevin decided to imitate him and began to add his innocent voice to the older man's amusement.  Remus looked down at Tevin, whose face glowed with laughter.  With the sounds of laughter behind him, Severus finished dressing, left his suite, and entered his office to head to breakfast, which he would spend preparing to face the first group of students he would see since he had claimed his son. 

Severus was having a difficult time keeping his nerves to himself.  It was still ten minutes before the Third Year Slytherins and Gryffindors were scheduled to arrive for class.  He had done a cursory inspection of the Potions Lab, since he had not taught since the previous Friday.  He did not even know if someone filled in for him and taught in his stead, nor did he particularly care, so long as none of the ingredients from his private stores were disturbed, and chaos did not reign during his absence.  After he took his place at his desk, his thoughts began running wild again.  These students saw him being forcibly removed from the castle only two nights ago.  They did not particularly like him before he was accused of being a Death Eater.  What would they think of him now?  Not that Severus Snape was really a man who valued the opinions of others towards him, but when it came to having a firm ruling over students, they needed to obey him.  Detentions could only discipline a disobedient student so much.  And he feared that if he did not settle these rumors about himself quickly he would be spending eternity with students in detentions.  He sighed heavily resting his head in his hands, his fingers raking through his hair.  How to solve this?  He did not know. 

Gathering himself, he reached into his pocket for the quartz.  He placed it on his desk near his inkwell and quill, taking note of the color.  It glowed soft green with an inner concentration of purple.  Happy, playing, calm, and safe.  "Good," he whispered to himself.  Knowing that his son was fine put his mind at ease a little more.  And now to prepare for the Slytherin and Gryffindor students to arrive.  Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.  If the students were either afraid of him for the accusation of being a Death Eater it may not play out as he originally thought.  They may be even more terrified of him and not dare to defy him for fear of whatever dark curse he could punish them under.  He smirked to himself as he thought of this, not noticing that students had begun to file into his classroom, and that their first sight they saw of their Potions Master in this room in nearly a week was the man sitting at his desk with a pleased smirk on his face. 

The classroom was silent for a long while until he suddenly realized that everyone had gathered in the room, were sitting in their places, and were staring at him, waiting for instructions.  Their books rested at their stations before them, unopened but still there.  Each pair of students had a cauldron set up waiting to have foul mixtures ruined inside of them.  But the silence was deafening.  Neither the students nor their professor were sure which would make the first move. 

In the end it was Severus.

"Before any of you decide to delay this class with endless and pointless questions, I will say this and only this.  Yes, I was taken from the grounds on the charge of being associated with Death Eaters.  Yes, I was found innocent of that charge and allowed to return to this classroom where you all find me.  This is all I will answer pertaining to my absence from this room in the last few days.  If anyone has any questions, you are free to devise your own version of events.  I am required to teach, not to indulge and encourage the morbid fantasies of schoolchildren."  He looked around the class to see all of his students staring at him, all with slightly raised eyebrows clearly showing a mixture of surprise and uncertainty in regards of what to think of what their professor just related.  While this sight amused Severus, he did not allow himself to grin or even smirk.  He maintained his stoic expression as he slowly and carefully met the eyes of every Gryffindor and Slytherin student in the room daring them to speak.  None dared.

"That being handled, you are all to redo the last potion assignment since we were in the middle of it when I was absent."  He saw a brainy Gryffindor raise his hand, but chose to ignore it.  "For some of you, this will be a second chance to improve your potion.  The rest of you who were well on your way to managing a somewhat functional brew, I expect the same quality of your work."  The same Gryffindor started waving his arm about like a soldier trying to signal a white surrender flag to an enemy about to kill them.  "What, you silly boy?" Severus hissed. 

"Professor Flitwick came and marked our potions when you were gone."

Severus allowed his lips to then curl into a twisted smile.  "Well, is he your Potions Professor?"  The Gryffindor boy shook his head.  "Then his opinion on the satisfactory completion of a potion is insufficient, and therefore irrelevant.  You will redo this potion and turn it into me by next class.  Begin."

After Severus had spent a great deal of time pacing the room staring into the toxic and questionable creations of his third year students, he swept back to his desk.  His eyes immediately went to the quartz by his inkwell.  He saw the color had changed - it was now a deep red.  With a quick glance at his working students, he discretely took a glance at the color key for the stone which he snuck out of his robes just enough to find what red meant. 

Red................................................Angry, Temper Tantrum

‘Fantastic!' Severus thought to himself.  ‘Leave my son with Lupin for barely an hour and he's already throwing a tantrum!'  He was so preoccupied with his thoughts on how he would toy with Remus's mind after he was finished teaching, that he did not even notice one of his Slytherin students approach his desk until she whispered his name.  He whipped his head around, his hair streaming from the motion, to meet the eyes of the hesitant girl. 

"Professor Snape, sir, class has been over for several minutes...but...I was trying to get your attention to check my potion.  You were-"

"I was thinking.  I expect it would be obvious that I did not really wish to be bothered."  She held her ground and just looked at him.  They had a contest of wills for a moment before he relented.  "But very well, let me see your potion."  He began to stand but froze when he saw the girl's eyes focus on the quartz on his desk.  It was changing colors right before their eyes from the harsh red to a soft blue.  Severus looked at the stone, then at the girl, his thoughts running wild.  Surely this girl would not know what this was for.  She couldn't possibly know.  As though she felt his gaze burning into her, she looked up at him.  Immediately, her eyes went to the floor as though she were ashamed of being caught or embarrassed to have found something besides potions class fascinating. 

Without a word, she turned and headed to her station.  Severus followed her.  While he was examining her brew he noticed her gaze had slid to the quartz again.  He also knew that she had more tact than to directly ask about it.  "Was there something else you wanted to ask me about?  You knew your potion was satisfactory so far."  She nodded.  "Well?  What is it?"

"Sorry, professor, but..."  She pointed feebly to the quartz on his desk.  "I've been wondering what that is the entire class.  It's never been there before and I was just wondering what it was for." 

He schooled his features into an unreadable expression.  "That is a quartz and is charmed to inform me of the status of a being under my care." 

"Like, its moods or something?"

"Emotions and feelings."  He paused for a second.  Had he told this student too much already?  "But, is this really pertinent to potions class?"

"No, sir.  I was just...curious."

"Well, I believe your curiosity has been adequately satisfied."

"Well enough, Professor Snape."

Just this once, he allowed a small grin.  "Your potion is coming along well.  Go to your next class.  I don't want to try to explain giving a detention to a student who has yet to fail an assignment and behaves well in my class." 

She gathered her satchel and slung it across her chest.  "Thank you, Professor."  She began to leave the classroom.

"Are you not forgetting something?" Severus called to her. 

She stopped and faced him again, giving him a confused look.  He slid his eyes to the cauldron, giving her a hint.  "Oh!  Sorry, sir," she exclaimed.  She drew her wand and aimed it at the cauldron.  She muttered the phrase for a Stasis Charm to keep her potion at the stage it was to allow her to continue it later with it having no damaging effect on it between classes.  She turned around again at the doorway.  "I'm glad you're back, Professor Snape."  Before he could reply, she dashed off to her next class.

"Come on, Tevin, just one bite."  Remus tried to coax the child into eating the foul-looking puree on the spoon.  Tevin glared at it disgustingly, refusing to even open his mouth, having learned his lesson from Severus's charmed spoon trick.  Remus's head thudded onto the table.  "Please, Tevin.  Your father will kill me."  He peeked a glance at the boy, who was smirking arrogantly at Remus, looking exactly like Severus when he was trying to prove a point.  "Are you trying to make it difficult for me to be your godfather?"  Tevin shook his head, still smirking.  Remus let his head fall to the tabletop again, his spoon hand still poised to attack the youngster's mouth.  "For not trying you're doing a fine job of it." 

The sound of the door to the suite opened and it instantly caused Remus to perk up.  Almost instinctually, he performed a Disillusionment Charm on himself and Tevin.  He picked up the boy and held him to his chest protectively.  Tevin began to cough.  Remus immediately put a Silencing Charm on the boy.  The last thing they needed was for a disembodied cough to give them away to some mysterious intruder.  In a moment, though, his nerves settled when he saw Severus strip off his outer robes and sit in the armchair in front of the fireplace, removing his wand to light the candles on the mantle, preferring not to open the Floo.  Remus did not dare make a move.  What if this was someone under Polyjuice Potion to look like Severus?  He was not about to mess up this whole situation because of a simple Polyjuice disguise!  So, he did not move.  "Remus," Severus said, sounding tired.  "Take off your Disillusionment Charm and let me see my son, Tevin." 

That was evidence enough that it was Severus.  Clever, and as far as Remus knew, one of two or three people knew Tevin's real name and that he was Severus's son.  Remus removed the charms and approached him.  "I wasn't sure if it was really you." 

Severus looked at him with one raised eyebrow.  "Do you really think someone would disguise themselves as me, know the password to my chambers, and know the name and relation of that boy to me?" 

Remus huffed.  "Well, I would think you of all people would appreciate caution before blind trust in the case of your son."

Severus nodded.  "Yes, that is true."  At that moment, Tevin reached his arms to Severus.  Remus transferred the boy to his father.  Tevin grabbed hold of a handful of his father's dark hair and yanked hard, causing Severus to let out a small gasp.  As he struggled to gently pry the little fingers from his hair, he spoke.  "Was he this troublesome for you all day?"

Remus threw himself onto the sofa.  "You have no idea.  First, he was fine.  He was having a good time coloring in his books." At Severus's alarmed expression he quickly added, "Not your books, Severus, the Muggle coloring books that I sent to you.  Then, he thought you abandoned him or something, because he realized that you had been gone for a little while and he started to throw his - what are they?"

"Crayons?" Severus guessed.

"Yes!  Crayons!  He started throwing them all over the parlor.  He almost hit me in the eye with one!"  Remus put his arm over his eyes as he reclined on the sofa.

Severus looked at his son.  "He has good aim," he said, almost proudly.  "He'll be good in defense class." Tevin smiled at him, displaying his tiny gums and teeth, as though he understood what defense class was.

Remus sighed.  "After that little tantrum I took away his...crayons...and the books and he started crying.  Crying!  He was so loud I thought someone was bound to hear him through the portrait!  Do you know how horrible that would be?  Someone would think you were torturing some poor creature in here." 

"Then, some sort of spell would be useful.  Muffliato, perhaps?  I did create it for a reason."

Remus gave Severus an exasperated look.  "I know, Severus, I know.  But the first thing I thought was to calm him down.  And the only thing that finally worked...was to put him to bed, give him his bear...and..."  He mumbled the rest of the sentence.

Severus looked at Remus.  "What was that?"

"I had to...sing to him."  Severus's eyebrows shot up.  "I know, and yes, I sang.  It was humiliating." 

Severus looked at Tevin for a moment, studying him.  "You managed to coax Remus into doing something he hasn't done since - when were you in Choir, Remus? - First Year, Second Year?"  Tevin giggled.  Severus laughed quietly.  "Already persuasive."  He studied the boy.  "Yes, we will make you into a proper Slytherin yet."  Tevin hissed before he began to giggle, causing his father to join him in a soft chuckle. 

"It's like you two are conspiring, Severus.  Don't corrupt him until at least one person from another House has a fair shot at him."  Remus struggled to sit up. 

"I'm his father, Remus.  In theory, I'll have the most influence on his life."  Tevin chose that moment to yank hard on Severus's hair, causing the older man to gasp at the pain in his scalp again. 

Remus laughed, boisterously.  "What would you do, Severus, if he rebelled against you and ended up in Gryffindor?  How would you feel then?"

Severus managed to detangle the little fingers from his hair.  He looked at Tevin, who was grinning innocently at him.  Severus sighed.  "I secretly pray, Remus, that that day never comes.  But, as Lily would...I would love him just the same, no matter what House he ends up in."

"Even Hufflepuff?  A Snape in Hufflepuff?  Can you imagine it?"  Remus could barely contain his laughter. 

Severus smiled.  The first true smile on his face in a very long time.  "Yes.  Even in Hufflepuff."

The lives of Severus, Remus, and Tevin continued similarly for several more weeks.  It was not always peaceful.  There have been several tantrums thrown by the boy, during which Severus barely managed to control his infamous temper before he stormed into his own bedroom to let out his frustration, leaving Remus to clean up the mess of the child's tantrums.  After a short interval, Severus would reemerge looking as though he had just outrun an angry hippogriff, and on the way trampled through a dense row of hedges.  Severus allowed Remus to move into the room that he had created for his son.  Remus settled in comfortably with the company of his quiet owl, Aria. 

Every day would happen generally the same.  Tevin would wake up Severus, who would feed the boy breakfast, thus letting Remus sleep a little bit longer.  Severus would then go about cooking breakfast for his houseguest.  Remus would usually wake up from the pleasant smell of breakfast.  If he didn't wake up because of that, Aria's quiet whimpering request for food would wake him.  After he ate his breakfast Remus would begin playing nanny for the day, while Severus taught classes.  He would always return during lunch and tea breaks.  He would occasionally take dinner in his quarters, but not often.  He did not want to give Dumbledore reason to suspect him of anything, and besides, he had an entire House of students to take care of.  Every so often he would have House Meetings, prefect meetings, or private meetings with individual students.  Some students complained about other students - whether from Slytherin or otherwise - while others came to discuss their academic concerns.  Some even sought his help in healing their pets, which Severus did not care for and would more likely than not send them on their way to see the Care of Magical Creatures Professor, Silvanus Kettleburn.  Other than that, though, the days and weeks were rather routine for the three of them.  The only hurdle they crossed with a bit of difficulty was the time of the full moon, but it was crossed.    

Severus would not have minded if things could have continued in this way until people would forget that the child Harry Potter ever existed or the entire Wizarding Community just stopped looking for him.  He knew deep down that the Wizarding World would never stop looking for their savior, similar to the Muggle World and their quests for saviors.  But this routine was never meant to last, at least in the same fashion it had been progressing.  It was meant to be altered and adjusted. 

And today was the beginning of it. 

"You silly girl!  You were to add the raven talons before you stir this potion with the feather of a swan."  Severus scowled into the student's potion, not failing to notice that it was a putrid purple color when it should have been orange.  "Such a foolish mistake, I fear, deserves a mark announcing your ineptitude."  With a flick of his wand, he whispered in a stern voice, "Evanesco."  The purple potion vanished.  Severus grinned nastily at the girl with his wand still raised.  "And a mark to match, I think," he droned.  His eyes darted to the empty cauldron.  "Nothing in your cauldron, therefore nothing as your mark."  He began to turn towards his desk. 

"But, Professor Snape, that's not-"

Severus whirled back to face the student.  "Five points from Hufflepuff for, as far as you know, an unstable and disastrous potion and also for arguing."  The girl was silent instantly, her eyes dropping to the empty cauldron.

As Severus continued to glare at the girl, a timid voice rose in the silence.  "Professor?"  Severus's head turned towards the boy, leading his head with his eyes.  Once his gaze settled on the boy, the young Ravenclaw shakily pointed towards his professor's desk.  "Your stone...is...um...glowing bright yellow, sir." 

Severus whirled to face his desk and saw that the quartz on his desk was indeed glowing a very bright yellow.  Without caring that he was in the middle of class, his hand immediately searched his pocket for the slip of paper that indicated to him what each color meant.  What he saw caused nerves to rise at an alarming rate. 

Yellow...............................................Missing, Run Off, Injured

Without hesitation, Severus began towards his adjoining office door.  His stride was unusually tremulous, his hands nervously jittering.  With his hand on the door latch, he whipped his head to his students who were staring at him in surprise.  "Stabilize your work!  Use a Stasis Charm!  Anyone who does not do so will lose ten points each!  And no one is to leave here until class is over!"  He stuck out a quivering arm, pointing at the Ravenclaw boy who spoke up.  "You are to see to that.  If anyone leaves, it is twenty points from your House for each student that leaves!"  As he threw open the door to his office, he heard all of the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students chanting out the Stasis Spell on their cauldrons, and the Ravenclaw boy shouting out the locking spell for the door out of the classroom, asking everyone in the room to listen to Professor Snape and not leave. 

Severus smirked for a moment before he remembered the issue that caused him to dart from his teaching duties so uncharacteristically.  It was four simple words describing a color of a stone: missing, run off, injured.

Remus was calmly sipping a cup of tea perusing a copy of one of Severus's numerous volumes when it happened.  He decided to have his afternoon tea slightly early.  Perhaps then, when Severus returned to take tea there Remus could sneak an hour nap.  He seemed to take more naps than little Tevin, which puzzled Remus and disturbed him when he thought too long on it. 

Earlier he had set up a coloring station for Tevin on the edge of the area rug in front of the hearth.  There were crayons scattered all around the boy, and a coloring book opened wide as he carefully would select a color from the mess, using it with as much precision as he was able.  Once he was done, he would toss the crayon away.  He did not need it anymore. 

Since the boy was so occupied, Remus decided to occupy himself.  He had spent a few minutes scanning the many titles of books before he chose a text from a subject he had been neglecting recently, potions. 

After he had settled onto the sofa, he found something curious in the book.  He was examining the pieces of paper stuck within the pages of the potions book.  It seemed to have been ripped out of another book and tucked away there for safe keeping.  It detailed the ingredients and instructions used for a potion Remus was very familiar with using but not with its brewing.  He perused the ingredients and was a bit surprised at the simplicity of a few.  He was no expert in potions, or their ingredients for that matter.  The title of the potion was one he knew well.  What surprised him particularly were the notations written all around the ingredients and instructions on the pages in a familiar spiky hand.  His eyes lingered on the very first thing, the title.

Wolfsbane Potion~ invented by Damocles (corrected by Severus Snape)

A smile formed on Remus's face.  There were several reasons as to why Severus would choose to alter that particular potion, in Remus's mind.  To prove to himself that he could improve any potion that anyone created, because he was bored and had nothing better to do, or one other option, which Remus wanted to believe.  That Severus wanted to help him.  Remus chuckled to himself.  It was highly unlikely, but it is what he chose to believe. 

He was distracted for a moment when he heard a mischievous giggle at the foot of the sofa on which he lounged.  Remus leaned so that he could see the little boy staring at him, nibbling innocently at his lower lip.  "Yes, Tevin?"  The boy continued to nibble nervously on his lip.  After a few seconds of staring at each other, Tevin shoved a red crayon in Remus's face, colliding with the man's nose forcefully.  Remus let out a gasp more of surprise than pain.  He stared at the boy, who still held aloft his red crayon.  "What did you need, Tevin?"

"Cuwer?" he asked, hesitantly. 

Remus tilted his head.  Not sure what he was asking.  He took a wild stab.  "Yes, you color with that."

Tevin let out a frustrated sound, lowering the crayon.  Then, with renewed energy he thrust it at Remus again.  "Cuwer!" he said, louder, hoping that if he were louder Remus would understand him. 

Again, Remus was unsure and took another guess.  "Yes, Tevin, that is a color.  It's red." 

Tevin lowered his arm again with a growl.  He scowled in frustrated confusion.  His expression changed quickly to thoughtful as he figured out how to make Remus understand.  Then, suddenly, his eyes widened and he smirked to himself.  With a great deal of force for his age, he grabbed Remus's hand and slammed the red crayon into the open palm.  "Cuwer!" he shouted, this time a little happier, convinced Remus would understand this time.  His logic did not disappoint.

"Oh!"  Remus's eyes widened as he understood, as he mentally berated himself for not understanding.  "You want me to color with you?" 

Tevin nodded enthusiastically, smiling in excitement.  He took Remus's hand and tried to drag him from the sofa.  "Okay, okay!  I'm coming!"  Remus closed the book and set it on the sofa as he got up.  "Let me heat the water for your father's tea, first," he said, as he went to the stove for the kettle. 

"Daddy?"

Remus grinned to himself.  Sometimes he forgot that whenever he would mention Severus, Tevin would think his father would appear in the room the very next instant.  "No, Tevin.  Not yet.  He's teaching class now."  He turned on the faucet and filled the kettle.  He put it on the stove, and lit the flame below it.  His hand began to shake.  He looked at it and watched it for a moment.  He sighed.  The full moon was approaching again soon.  He wondered for a moment if Severus remembered to brew him some of the potion he needed.  The potion he discovered that Severus had altered.  The Wolfsbane Potion. 

He began to walk back into the parlor, not really looking up, still occupied by trying to stop the shaking of his hand.  "Alright, Tevin.  What do you want me to color with you?"  When he did not hear a response of any kind, he looked up.  There was no one in the parlor.  The crayons were still scattered, the coloring book still amidst them.  But Tevin was nowhere to be seen.  Remus rushed into the parlor just as the quartz stuck to the ceiling of the parlor began to glow furiously.  It was a bright yellow.  He frantically looked around the room.  His eyes caught sight of the portrait hole entrance, slightly ajar, and he suddenly began to panic.

A red crayon fell to the floor. 

Severus ran through the door of his classroom that led into his private stores of potions supplies, and then directly through the next door that led into his office.  Without stopping, and leaving all of the doors wide open he charged straight through the door of his office that led directly into his bedroom.  His eyes scanned the room quickly for the signs of a disturbance, noticing nothing out of the ordinary.  He slammed the door shut as he entered his room, creating a loud bang throughout the quarters.  "Severus!" he heard from his parlor.  He quickly went across the room and threw open the door leading to the room he build for his son. 

As he came charging through that door, he collided with the other person, who was coming from the parlor.  Before either of them could fall over, Severus took hold of Remus's upper arms in a bruising grip.  "Tevin!" Remus cried. 

Severus shook Remus hard by the arms.  "Where is he, Remus?" he all but screamed at the other man.  Remus opened his mouth to speak but it was not quick enough in Severus's opinion.  "Tell me, werewolf!  Where is my son?" 

"I don't know!"

Severus began to shake, his grip on Remus's arms tightening into a vice grip.  "What do you mean, you don't know!"

"I was making tea and I turned back to him and he was gone!"

"Gone?" Severus shouted in disbelief and shock.

"Gone.  The portrait was open and he was gone!"

Instantly, Severus hurled Remus away from the doorway as he ran forward.  He saw the portrait door was slightly ajar.  Without hesitating Severus ran from his chambers and into the corridor.  He looked up and down the hallway, desperate to see a sign of the child.  He could see nothing.  His breathing began to speed up in a frantic rhythm.  Left or right?  If he went right he would eventually end up in the Slytherin Common Room, and were he to go left he would be making his way to the Great Hall.  He closed his eyes, hoping he was making the right decision as he began towards the Great Hall.  With every step he took his speed increased until he was nearly running through the corridor, his dark eyes searching for the missing boy, and his ears on the alert for the sound of a child. 

Up ahead he heard the clue he needed.  It was a shout from one of his prefects, Poole Roquefort.  "Leave him alone, or Merlin help me everyone will have points taken from their Houses!"

Severus ran towards the commotion as fast as he could, beyond caring that he would reveal his connection to this mysterious boy when he gets to all of his students.  He saw a crowd of Slytherin and Gryffindor students gathered around Poole, who held the wide-eyed boy in his arms.  The boy was struggling madly in the teenager's grip, whimpering as he tried to push against the young man's shoulder in an attempt to break free.  Then, the whispers and talk started.  "Who is he?"  "Children aren't supposed to be in Hogwarts."  "Where'd he come from?"  Poole did not know where to go, and his expression showed it, but he tried to pretend as though he knew exactly what to do in this strange situation. 

A teenage girl stood next to Poole, trying to block the curious Gryffindors from him and the boy.  "Can't you see he's scared?  Clear off!  Everyone!" she shouted.  The other students began to shout against her orders. 

Severus was on the outskirts of the throng separating him from his son.  He would try a bit of patience before forcing his way through the students.  He saw his son was at least off the ground, thanks to Poole.  And Poole's girlfriend, a fellow Fifth Year Slytherin named Metis Sucer, was keeping a solid guard over the two of them.  He heard her shout at the other students, and then all of them revolting against her words.  Severus wondered if they knew he was there.  It was when he heard one sound in particular that his patience was gone.  His son began to cry. 

"Silence!" Severus growled, surprising the students closest to him, especially.  "Let me through."  All of the students obeyed and in seconds, Severus had reached his prefect and his son.  "Tevin?" 

Instantly, the boy whipped his head around searching for Severus.  "Daddy!" he exclaimed, his face still wet with tears.  Shocked gasps were the last thing heard before the entire group of students was covered in silence.  Tevin pushed at Poole's shoulder again as he tried to get his arms to reach to Severus. 

"Professor?" Poole said, unable to say anything else.

"Professor Snape-" began Metis.

"Give me my son," Severus said quietly.  He felt the stares of all the other Slytherins and Gryffindors.  Poole struggled with handling the boy clumsily trying to figure out how to transfer Tevin into Severus's arms.  He was failing miserably.  Losing his remaining patience, Severus took hold of Tevin and lifted him from his prefect's arms. 

Tevin curled his arms around Severus's neck, with a softly voiced, "Daddy."  Severus began to gently stroke the boy's little tufts of black hair soothingly, his fingers almost massaging the scalp.  After a few moments, he simply let his hand rest on the boy's head, holding him against his chest protectively. 

"It's alright, Tevin."  He felt the boy begin shaking in his arms, as he began to cry again.  "Hush," he cooed, swaying on his feet, trying to soothe the boy.  Everyone stared at their professor as though he were under Polyjuice potion and what they were seeing was not truly their Potions Professor holding an infant against him as he swayed before them.  It was too unbelievable. 

Severus opened his eyes and looked at Poole and Metis.  "Ten points to Mister Roquefort for knowing how to handle the unexpected.  And ten points to Miss Sucer for attempting to create a safe environment." 

"Thank you, Professor," they said together, as Severus turned away from them and began to walk back to his chambers. 

After he had gotten away from the rest of the students he turned to face them again.  "If I hear any whisper about what has occurred here just now, I will deduct one hundred points from every student who speaks of it along with serving detentions with me for the rest of your enrollment in Hogwarts.  Do I make myself clear?" 

"Yes, sir!" the corridor of students chorused. 

"Very well.  I believe lunch will be served in the Great Hall in a few minutes.  I suggest you all start on your way there."  Without another word, all of the students turned and began to head straight for the Great Hall for lunch. 

Severus looked at the boy who was trying to burrow his face into Severus's neck.  The man sighed.  "Our secret is out, little one."  Tevin shook his head against him.  "No matter what you say, some people know now."  Tevin shook his head again.  "What a headache you'll be." He began walking back to his chambers.  And as he walked with a crying Tevin snuggled into his neck, he discovered that he had no choice now but to come up with a plan that could fool Dumbledore.  He was going to need help. 

Remus sat at the kitchen table miserably nursing a cup of tea.  A second steaming cup sat at another place on the table, trying to lure its intended recipient towards it with its pleasant aroma.  He took a sip of his tea, hoping that Severus found his son relatively close to these rooms.  He could not have gone far. 

He held the cup of tea between his hands, staring into the liquid.  He knew the day would come when he would somehow fail Lily's son.  He thought he would at least make it for a year.  He couldn't even make it a few weeks!  How could he be a godfather and lose his godson?  Maybe James was right in demanding it to be Sirius.  But Sirius was not around anymore, and it fell to him to fill that post.  Splendid job he was making of it so far.  He was trying to help.  It seemed every time he tried to help anyone, they ended up in danger or worse off than before he became involved.  What would happen were Severus unable to locate Tevin?  What if the boy's accidental magic flared and made him invisible or something crazy like that?  What if he ran into Dumbledore, and he knew him to be Harry Potter?  Severus would never forgive him.  He would call him much worse things than a werewolf.

In a moment, his nerves were settled when Severus walked through the door holding a crying little boy to his chest, and whispering nonsense into the child's ear, trying to calm him.  "Severus!" Remus said in relief, beginning to stand.  He was rooted to his place, when Severus glared hard at him.  Remus lowered his eyes and sighed softly, as he sat back down.  He heard Severus approach the table and pull out the chair, sitting down slowly.  It was quiet for a long while, the only noises being the sipping of tea and putting the cups down again.  In the end, Remus broke the silence first.  "Severus...I'm so sorry."

"I know, Remus.  I know."  It was silent between the two men again, while Tevin continued to make small whimpering noises against Severus's neck, his little arms still wrapped around his father.  Severus looked at Remus for a long while until the other man raised his eyes to his.  "And I am sorry I called you werewolf." 

"That is what I am, isn't it?" Remus said, with a bitter laugh.

Severus's lips curled into a lopsided grin.  "But is that who you are, Remus?" 

They seemed to reach an understanding.  It was a long while before they spoke again.  By that time, little Tevin had fallen asleep against his father.  Remus had finished his tea and had gotten up to make some more for himself when he needed to say what had bothered him since Severus ran from the chambers.  "We won't be able to raise Tevin ourselves." 

"What do you mean?  If it's a question of your lycanthropy, we managed well enough last month." 

Remus was pouring the hot water over the tea leaves in the strainer.  "I know we managed, Severus, but just barely.  And now that he wandered into the corridor...How many students saw him?"

Severus sighed.  "At least twenty.  Slytherins and Gryffindors.  And they heard him call me ‘Daddy.'"  Severus hung his head. 

"What did everyone say?"

"I threatened them with the deduction of one hundred points per person and an eternity of detentions to anyone that even whispered of Tevin."

Remus began to laugh.  "That sounds like a typical response of yours."  He finished preparing his tea and brought it back to the table.  After stirring it for a few moments, he looked at Severus again.  "What should we do?  Threats of detentions and losing house points will not last past a few days." 

"I don't know."  Severus looked concernedly at the sleeping infant he held. 

Remus looked at Tevin and Severus, feeling an emotion he could not really define.  "Severus..."  The other man's eyes met his.  "You know you can't hide him forever." 

"I know."  He closed his eyes.  He took a deep breath.  "I suppose there's nothing for it except to reveal that I have a son."

"What about Dumbledore?  He'll know that Tevin and Harry Potter are the same boy.  He'll take him from you." 

Severus let out a shaky breath as he stood.  He began to pace, holding his son even more protectively against him.  He leaned his cheek against his son's dark hair.  "I don't know what to do, Remus.  I can't reveal him without risking Dumbledore taking him from me.  I can't keep him hidden either.  How can this possibly work?"  He closed his eyes again, trying to hold in his frustration.  "Maybe I should have left him with Lily's sister." 

Remus took a step towards Severus, angrily.  "Don't say that, Severus!  You know what she's like!  Do you really think she would have treated him well?"  Severus looked at Remus doubtingly.  "Severus," Remus said, in a gentler tone.  "You did the right thing.  We both know it." 

"Then how can this work, Remus?  Tell me that!"

Remus blurted out the first thing he thought of.  "If you were married-"

"Have you lost your senses, Remus?"

"Severus, just listen for a moment!" Remus shouted at the other man, immediately regretting it as he noticed Tevin shift in Severus's arms.  "Listen.  If you were married, having a child around you would not be so foreign or unexpected.  With a mother, we could weave some elaborate story to explain their presence here and the fact that you have a child would not be unexpected."

"That is ridiculous.  Dumbledore knows that the only woman I have ever loved is Lily!  He saw me the night she died, Remus!  You don't understand!"

"I do understand, Severus!  You were not the only one who lost someone that night!"  Remus felt tears in his eyes.  "You lost Lily twice, but I lost James and Lily.  And then Sirius the next day!  Do you know what that feels like?  To lose everything you knew?"  Severus looked at Remus through different eyes.  "It's because of you that I even have...Tevin.  If you hadn't have taken him...I'd have no one.  Neither would you.  So, yes, Severus, I do understand." 

Remus walked to the counter and leaned heavily against it.  Severus stared at Remus, watching him as the other man struggled to regain control of his emotions.  After a very long time, Remus managed to control his voice.  "A mother figure is the only way this can hope to work, Severus.  We both know it."  Both men were silent for several minutes. 

"We'll have to find a way to convince Dumbledore that whatever we come up with is the truth," Severus reminded Remus.

"I'll go to Professor Flitwick.  He's already helped you.  I'm sure he would do so again."  Severus nodded in agreement, although Remus's back was to him.  Remus sighed heavily.  "Is there anyone you can trust to act like the mother?" 

Severus's mind whirled through the small list of females that spoke to him, from his years at Hogwarts to the time he spent earning his Potions Mastery.  And suddenly a voice sounded in his head.  ‘If you ever need help, I will come to you.  Nothing I could ever do can repay what you have done for me.' Severus looked at Remus's back for a moment, then he looked at his sleeping son.  "Yes," he whispered. 

Interested, Remus turned to face Severus.  "Who?"

"Ophelia Fay."

Professor Flitwick had been perusing through some horribly written Charms Essays when the flaring of his Floo caused him to throw his quill across the room in his surprise.  "Professor Flitwick?" asked a familiar voice.  The tiny professor looked to the fireplace and saw Severus Snape's face within the green flames. 

"What can I do for you, Severus?" he asked as he flicked his wand in the direction of his thrown quill, causing it to gently float back to him. 

"Can Remus step through?  He needs to speak with you." 

"Of course, of course," Flitwick replied cheerily.  He began to get down from his chair when he figured it out.  He wiggled a finger at Severus as he rounded his desk.  "Ah!  You wanted to be sure I was alone before sending Remus through, didn't you?"  Without waiting for a response he continued.  "Clever boy, Severus." 

Severus smirked.  "I'll let him come through."  His face withdrew from the flames before they grew monstrous, though they stayed a vibrant green.  Remus stepped through the flames and walked into his old professor's office. 

"Remus Lupin," Flitwick greeted the young man in a merry, squeaky voice.  "You have never come to simply chat with me." 

Remus laughed.  "No, sir.  You'll have to wait a little longer until I visit for a simple chat."  Remus gazed hard at Flitwick.  "Severus and I need your expertise in some complicated Charms work, Professor."  Flitwick's eyes brightened with the prospect of the coming challenge.  The former Gryffindor student settled before the Head of Ravenclaw and prepared for a long morning. 

She had just finished tending to the numerous plants crammed on or around the windowsills.  Her dark brown hair was tied back in a half up ponytail to keep it out of her face.  She was wearing older-looking, dirty clothing.  It seemed like it was clothing accustomed to having soil, mud, and dust rubbed into it.  She was fair-skinned, though now it had patches of dirt all over it, as she had rubbed the sweat from her face with her dirty hands, thus effectively smearing the soil on her hands all across her face.  She was pretty but in a plain way - not overly attractive, just simple and average.  She was a petite young woman, but from her bearing it was clear she was a force with which to be reckoned.  She held her thin and equally petite wand up to the soil of a newly repotted thyme plant and said, "Pluviamitis."  A soft sprinkling of water came from the tip of her wand, gently watering the plant at which it was pointed.  She smiled as she watched the water absorb into the fresh soil. 

Her tender musing was interrupted by the forceful flapping of wings.  She canceled her watering spell and turned to greet the creature that had flown into the cluttered little kitchen.  It was an owl that she did not know holding a letter in its beak bearing handwriting that she recognized instantly.  He had not contacted her for two years.    

She took the letter from the owl's beak and stared at her own name on the envelope.  After staring at it for several moments, she began to open it.  She removed the letter with the recognizable spiky writing and began to read. 

Ophelia,

You once told me that if I ever needed your help, you would come to me.  The time that I need your help has arrived.  Please travel by Floo Powder to my quarters in Hogwarts.  You need to say, "Severus Snape's Parlor, Hogwarts" in order to get here.  Arrive punctually at three o'clock.  For reasons I will later explain I will open my Floo at three o'clock for one minute only.  I would tell you more, but when you arrive and everything is explained, you will understand the need for these measures. 

Severus Snape

P.S.  Don't worry.  I'll be sure to have tea ready for you, as always. 

She stared at the letter.  As customary for Severus, any instruction he gave was strict and plainly worded.  One minute of an open Floo?  Leave it to Severus. 

She flourished her wand and summoned a quill to her waiting hand.  When it arrived, already wet with ink having been resting in it, she took a small piece of paper from her table, on which she usually wrote down recipes and potion instructions for herself.  On this paper, she quickly wrote a response. 

I accept.  I will arrive directly at three o'clock.  And I will admit, my curiosity has been peaked. 

Ophelia

She quickly put it in the envelope in which her letter arrived, crossed out her name, and wrote in Severus's name.  She offered it to the owl, which immediately took it, and flew off. 

Ophelia sent her quill back to its inkwell before sitting heavily in the chair by the table.  Her mind was lost in thought.  She remembered that night.  The night almost two years ago.  She still relived it sometimes in her nightmares.  It was the night that she realized how much Severus Snape valued his friendships, the night he saved her life. 

Ophelia was aware that Autumn was in full swing, that it was growing darker earlier, and that a witch born to Muggle parents should not risk leaving her home in time of growing darkness.  Ophelia was defiant.  She refused to hide.  She refused to be ashamed of her parents.  And thus she walked through the streets of London.  It was this night that she learned of the wisdom involved in all the talk that Muggleborns should exercise caution while You-Know-Who was on the move. 

She was on her way home.  She walked calmly and with no hurry in her stride.  In her arms were some small plants that her friend would likely require for his potions experiments.  She was only too glad to oblige him when it came to raising potions ingredients for him.  After all, he did help her when she was a scared First Year, sorted into Slytherin House, where her birth was ridiculed publicly.  No one had approached her nor helped her when she was struggling with something so simple as trying to use a quill instead of the pens and pencils to which she had been accustomed until then.  The only person who came forward was a Second Year, Severus Snape.  He spent hours with her in the common room, teaching her to write with a quill, how to understand magical theories and concepts, and he helped her when she was having some trouble in certain subjects.  They became friends quickly, comforting each other in the worst times of humiliation and defending each other in the most needed times.  It was this friendship that proved her salvation that night.

She had just left the Leaky Cauldron from Diagon Alley and had gone only several blocks through London when suddenly, she heard screaming.  She stood still and tried to see what was happening.  Up ahead of her, on the sidewalk, lay a writhing and twitching family of witches and wizards.  A mother, a father, a teenage daughter and a little son.  Standing over them were four people - she could not tell if they were male of female - all wearing long black robes, pointed black hoods, and masks made of skulls.  Each had a wand pointed at a member of the family.  They all chorused one word.  "Crucio!"  The family was sent into screaming and painful twitching again.  Ophelia hid near someone's shrubbery beyond the gate to their flat, watching with wide, horrified eyes.  She knew what these people were now.  They were Death Eaters, servants to You-Know-Who...to the Dark Lord...to Voldemort. 

The four Death Eaters stopped their torture of the family abruptly.  A rough, gravelly voice spoke down at them.  "If you are Muggleborns or Blood Traitors, you will die."  As the family lay gasping for breath, two of the Death Eaters grabbed the children.  The mother began to hoarsely protest, but was instantly put under the Cruciatus Curse again.  The teenage girl was screaming, the little boy crying.  Wands were held at the children's heads, as their arms were held securely.  "Let this be a lesson to you," said the same Death Eater, as he signaled the others with him.  They, with the children, disappeared, apparating away to an unknown place. 

The mother weakly called for her children.  The father was still trying to regain his breath.  Both of the parents had tears running down their faces.  With a sneer, the remaining Death Eater sneered at them, and raised his wand intending to curse them again. 

It was this moment that Ophelia could not hide any longer. 

She sprang up from her place and ran towards the remaining Death Eater, raising her wand viciously.  The Death Eater caught sight of her and instantly disappeared just as she screamed, "Stupefy!"  In another moment, she heard a pop from behind her, and whirled to face it.  Only she was too late. 

In mid turn, she heard a hissed, "Expelliarmus!" and her wand flew from her hand.  While it was still in the air, the Death Eater summoned it to him.  She faced him and saw the man's lips twist in a cruel smile.  "Filthy Mudbloods," he whispered.  "Join us.  My Master is expecting a...gathering of your worthless kind."  With that, he grabbed her neck and with another pop they disappeared from London, the parents left behind... 

...When they arrived, the first thing Ophelia comprehended was the high screams of the teenage girl and little boy she had witnessed being taken.  She struggled to turn her head to see their condition.  She heard the whimpering of other people near the location of the children.  They were adults, male and female.  As she struggled to see them, she was thrown to the ground roughly by her neck.  She landed close to the boots of another Death Eater.  She did not dare raise her eyes.  She did not want to see what was happening. All of the screams stopped suddenly.  

"Well done, my friends," hissed a deadly quiet voice.  Ophelia heard the soft sound of bare feet walking around the other witches and wizards that, like her, were on the ground surrounding by the other dark wizards.  Some may have been witches, but she did not know.  She heard the owner of that voice stop occasionally, as though he examined whomever he halted before.  Every once in a while there was a sob or a whimper from someone on the ground.  She kept her eyes down.  But, at last, she saw pale bare feet approach her and stop in front of her.  She saw his pointed toenails like claws ready to sink into her.  She saw the tip of a pale wand come under her chin and push her head up.  "Such a pity.  Who would have thought a Mudblood would be of my own House."  Despite gazing directly into the eyes of the darkest wizard of the age, Lord Voldemort, she distinctly heard a faint gasp from whoever belonged to the black boots next to her.  She had no time to register it when suddenly she felt as though her mind was being burned.  She concentrated hard, and after a moment, Lord Voldemort looked at her for a moment in surprise.  "You surprise me.  A Muggleborn with a talent for Occlumency." 

He stood up straight, before he spoke louder to his followers.  "As a reward for some of your efforts you may...play with our guests.  You!"  He pointed his wand at a Death Eater, and then to one of the captive witches.  "Take her."  He pointed to the young teenage girl next, and then to a larger bulky man.  "Do what you like with her.  That one returns to her filthy parents.  Damage her." 

The man walked towards the girl menacingly.  The girl trembled violently, and clutched her younger brother to her desperately.  The boy was shaking and crying against her.  "Clover," he cried. 

"Shush, Clovis!" she said, trying to sound stronger than she was at the moment. 

"Clover..."

The big man grabbed the girl's arm and began pulling her to her feet.  The little boy held onto his sister and went with her.  The girl tried to resist the man's grip, but was knocked down by his heavy fist.  The little boy almost fell with his sister, but got back on his feet quickly and dealt his best punch to the man's leg.  He kicked the boy to the ground as though he were an annoying undisciplined puppy.  He grabbed the girl again, and hauled her to her feet.  Clovis threw himself onto his sister's legs trying to stop the man from taking her away. 

Ophelia got to her feet and was about to walk forward when an arm curled around her body, and slammed her into the chest of the arm's owner.  A dark colored wand pressed into her clavicle and a voice whispered to her.  "Don't, Ophelia.  You won't help them."  Recognition widened her eyes, and she tensed in the man's grip.  When the little boy grunted in his effort to stop the progress of the man and his sister, she shifted to try to break free.  "Please!" the voice behind her quietly snapped.  "Don't!"  She stilled. 

Lord Voldemort watched the struggle of his servant, the teenage girl and the boy.  "Such noise, little boy," he cooed, as he approached the boy slowly.  The boy did not acknowledge him.  Voldemort continued to him.  "Let your sister go, boy!"  Clovis shook his head violently, his grip tightening on Clover's legs.  Before anyone could do anything else, the area was blindingly brightened by a green light as Lord Voldemort lazily growled two words.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"No!  Clovis!" Clover screamed.  She began to struggle now to reach the dead body of her little brother.  "No!  No!"  With another flourish of his wand, Lord Voldemort stole her voice.  She was still screaming but not a single person could hear it.  Her grief was deafening to no one but herself.  Soon enough, she disappeared within the ranks of the other Death Eaters.

Ophelia stared at the dead boy.  She could not believe anyone could be capable of killing a child.  Her body went still from shock while she was still held by the arms of the man behind her.  Without realizing it, Voldemort had made his way to her again and had begun speaking to the Death Eater that held her.  "...claimed her?" was the first she heard. 

"Yes, my Lord," was the answer of the man who restrained her. 

"Do what you will with her, then." 

The man nodded.  He began to roughly force Ophelia away from the others.  She heard a barely whispered, "Accio Ophelia's wand," followed by the sound of something moving quickly through the air, only to be deftly caught in the hand the was still pinning her to him.  It was after a little while that she realized that he had taken them quite a distance from the gathering.  "Where are you-"

"Silence!" he snapped.  "We're not far enough."

He forced her ahead another thirty strides before he stopped.  He lowered his arms from around her.  Immediately, she whirled to face him, her arms flailing wildly as she spun.  She amazingly and luckily caught the Death Eater's skull mask and tore it from his face.  The motion jarred him so badly that he ended up laying at her feet just as she had minutes ago to him.  She held the mask tightly, knowing he still had her wand.  As she was trying to hurriedly figure out her next step, the Death Eater looked up at her.  The face was one she knew well.  "Severus!" she gasped in complete shock. 

He lay before her, breathing hard, not speaking.  He could not speak.  He nodded, his head hung low.  "Severus," she breathed, still clutching the mask.  She knelt before him. 

"I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"No, you-"

"I had to get you away from there."  There was a silence between them.  A long silence. 

"Why did you bring me here?  Won't anyone get suspicious?" 

Severus shook his head.  "No.  He knows that I prefer some...privacy in which to...torture those I claim for sport."  She must have looked alarmed because he quickly continued.  "I have never actually tortured anyone.  They only think I do.  You see, I developed a spell, Ophelia."  She looked at him, beginning to trust him.  "It makes you scream, but there is no pain.  You show all outward signs of being in great physical pain.  I swear, though, none will come to you." 

She looked hard at him, seeing that his eyes were pleading for her to trust him.  "Ophelia.  It's the only way I have been able to- I'm doing this to save you."  He begged her with his eyes.  "Trust me." 

Ophelia handed back the skull mask to Severus, who in return offered her wand to her.  They both stood.  "I trust you, Severus." 

He nodded.  He reached into his robes and produced a glowing bright green potion.  "This will emit a glow as you take it that will be as bright as the Killing Curse, and hide you until I can return to you once the meeting is over.  You will not be able to move nor speak.  I will find you then."  Ophelia nodded, accepting the vial.  "Be sure to drink it as soon as I allow you to stop screaming."  He took several steps back.  "Prepare yourself."  He extended his wand aiming at the center of her ribcage.  "Reprobapoena!" 

Ophelia screamed louder, longer, and harder than she ever had in her life.  She did not feel any pain, but just as he said, all the physical signs of torture appeared on her.  Bruises began to color her skin, bones seemed broken, and skin looked torn and bloody even though there were no such wounds on her.  It was a gruesome sight, and an equally gruesome sound, but she felt no pain.  She met Severus's eyes as she was screaming.  He nodded to her.  She opened the vial of the bright green potion.  In a single moment, Severus withdrew the spell and she tipped the vial back and drank it.  She began to glow.  A blinding, bright green glow so bright Severus shielded his eyes from her.  In another moment, the light disappeared, and it seemed as though she was gone.  She was not seen, nor did she make a sound. 

Severus carefully approached her location, feeling along the ground for her invisible form.  He found her soon enough, though he could not see her.  He waved his wand and conjured a bright orange leaf.  He placed it on the ground and applied a sticking charm between it and the grass.  "I will return as soon as the meeting is over."  With that, he walked away, leaving her there, lying on the grass, voiceless and invisible.

He returned just as he said soon enough.  His body was shaking as though he were overwhelmed with nerves.  When he caught sight of the orange leaf, he fell to the ground and continued shaking.  "Ophelia?"  He reached his hand towards her.  He crawled to the orange leaf and felt along the ground in front of it for her.  Finally, with a violently trembling hand he gripped her hand.  He sighed in relief.  "Don't let go," he said.  He could not yet see her, nor hear if she made a response.  "The effects of the potion will disappear once we leave here."  With a pained sigh, Severus reached into his robes and removed a small object.  It was a raw emerald gemstone.  He held it in his right hand firmly.  He enclosed her hand and the gemstone between both of his own.  With a tenderness in his labored voice he whispered, "Meus domus, meus uxor, meus salus."  With a near silent snap Severus and Ophelia vanished. 

They landed in a heap in a parlor that Ophelia did not recognize.  She looked around the room, noting that it was humbly furnished, with many items that would be found in a muggle home.  Was this Snape's house?  She didn't think it was.  She looked at him.  His breathing was ragged and quick, his eyes closed tightly as though he were in great pain and trying to hide it.  His hands still were clenched around her hand, which held the Portkey that brought them here, wherever here was.   "Lily!" he called with a raspy voice. 

Ophelia heard the sound of clinking glass before she saw a young woman with red hair come from a hidden door in the wall.  She knew her instantly.  It was Lily Evans.  So they had reconciled after all.  Lily came into the parlor already speaking before she entered.  "Sev, do you have any idea how late you-Ophelia!  How did you get here?"

"I was-"

"Rescued her from the Death Eaters...attacked her," Severus managed to rasp out.

Lily frowned at Severus as she knelt beside him, putting down the nine bottles of varying shapes and sizes on the floor, along with a leather bound book, with many colored ribbons sticking out of it to mark important spells.  "Well, aren't you just the heroic knight?" 

Severus tried to deal her a witty comeback, but could not think of anything but the pain he was in.  What he would have said came out a strangled groan. 

"Are you hurt at all?" 

"Wounded?"  At her confirmation of what she meant, he continued.  "No."

Lily managed to coax Severus onto his back and haul his upper body into a semi upright position in her lap.  She bent her elbow so that his neck would be well supported so that she could complete the next step.  "Open your mouth, Sev," she cooed.  He obeyed her instantly.  She twisted the top from the first bottle.  "First one is Wit-Sharpening Potion, okay?"  He nodded.  She upended the bottle and allowed him to take a large gulp of the potion.  Then she replaced the top.  Ophelia watched Lily tend to Severus with the tenderness of a lover.  Perhaps they more than reconciled.  Ophelia could not help but smile. 

Lily administered several other potions to Severus like the first one.  The second potion she coaxed him to swallow a dosage of was a Calming Draught.  The third was a small dosage of the Draught of Peace.  The last potion he allowed her to feed him was a Strengthening Potion.  It only took a few minutes for them all to start to affect Severus.  As they waited for the potions to take effect, Lily reached to his left arm and closed her fingers around where the Dark Mark would be.  His breathing was labored and he opened his eyes to look at her.  She brushed his damp hair back from where it stuck to his face, before leaning into him to touch her lips to his forehead.  She began to massage his left arm through his dark robes.  His breathing relaxed as her soothing ministrations calmed him and the potions she had given him became potent in his system. 

He eventually pulled himself up into a sitting position away from Lily.  After a quick explanation of Ophelia's injuries, her former schoolmates began to tend her.  She was first given a Blood-Replenishing Potion, on Lily's orders, since it seemed by her wounds she would have lost some blood.  Severus began to clean her wounds with the fearsome Wound Cleaning Potion, which smoked on contact with her injuries.  Anything that made contact with her skin and smoked Ophelia always subconsciously felt was unsafe to even be near your skin, never mind actually on it.  After her wounds were cleaned, Lily and Severus both dressed them with Murtlap Essence carefully.  Then, with the skill of a practicing healer, Severus gave her a dosage of Calming Draught. 

Then, Severus picked her up and carried her to the sofa, where she assumed they would force her to stay the night.  Lily had arranged the throw cushions into a comfortable sleeping arrangement, and stood next to the sofa with an afghan in her arms, ready for when Severus put her down.  Once her body was made comfortable, Lily covered her with the heavy crocheted blanket.

Severus knelt down by her head with one more potion in his hand.  "It's a Sleeping Draught.  You need to sleep before going home.  And you need to sleep peacefully."  She nodded before opening her mouth in permission.  He gave her a dosage and carefully fixed the stopper in the bottle before standing.  As her eyes began to droop, she grabbed for his hand, only managing to brush it.  But he felt it anyway.  He turned to her. 

"Severus..."

"Yes, Ophelia?"

"If you ever need help, I will come to you.  Nothing I could ever do can repay what you have done for me."  She thought she heard him quietly thank her, but couldn't be sure because her eyes fell shut very quickly.  The next time she woke up, she was home.  She wasn't even sure if it was a dream. 

Apparently it wasn't...

Ophelia emerged from the fireplace in Severus Snape's parlor in Hogwarts precisely at the appointed time.  She was expecting to see only her former House mate, but instead was surprised to see Remus Lupin, her old professor, Filius Flitwick, and a young child resting comfortably against Severus's chest.  They all stood from their seated positions as she came through the fireplace.  Severus smiled kindly at her as he stepped forward. 

"Hello, Ophelia," he said, in a soft voice he rarely used.  It was the same voice he had used to comfort her during their schooldays when she had been taunted for being a Muggleborn, not only by other ignorant students, but especially by other Slytherins.  It immediately put her at ease.

"Severus."  She went to him and gave him a somewhat awkward embrace considering the child snuggled against the man's chest.  He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, trying to awkwardly return her greeting.  "It's been a long time."

He smiled again at her.  He looked nervous and uncomfortable to her keen brown eyes, but it was hard to tell for sure about anything when it came to Severus.  There was one question that she very much wanted answered at that point.  ‘Who is this little child?'  When she realized he was speaking again, she was forced to focus. 

"...know Remus Lupin, and Professor Flitwick."  Remus nodded at her as he was announced, and Flitwick smiled fondly at Ophelia.  She confusedly offered a grin to them, before she heard Severus talking again.  "...down?" 

"What?"

Remus scrambled away from where he stood in front of his former position on the sofa.  "You can have my place." 

Ophelia realized that Severus had asked her to sit down.  She went to the newly vacated place of the sofa, and sat down slowly.  She was anxious to know why Severus asked her here and reminded her of her promise to give him help if he ever needed it.  She had heard that he had been arrested and put on trial, only to be declared innocent.  Did it have something to do with that?  She had next to no influence at the Ministry.  What could she possibly do for him?  All she did was raise common potions ingredients for Jayce's shop in Diagon Alley, and secretly at times for Severus!  What help could she be?  She did not have to wait long. 

"Ophelia, I know this must be confusing, but I couldn't say exactly why I wanted to see you in my owl.  There was too much at stake."  Severus had sat down beside her on the sofa, the child in his arms asleep with a tiny hand gripping the wizard's shirt firmly.  Flitwick had sat back down on the armchair.  Remus, meanwhile, made himself busy by extinguishing the fireplace, and then he made his way into the kitchen to putter around with the dishes and the stove.  "And I'm sorry that I had to only allow a small timeframe for you to arrive, but..."

Flitwick took over.  "Miss Fay, I think we should start at the beginning."  With that, the half-goblin began the narration of the deaths of James and Lily, how their son was orphaned, and the surprising secret that Lily revealed to Severus through the use of the small bottle of memories she forced him to accept.  They explained everything, the entire story as quickly and precisely as possible.  By the time they were explaining when Dumbledore defended Severus at his trial, Ophelia had a headache.  As though he were psychic, Remus produced a freshly brewed cup of chamomile tea, offering it to her with a small smile.  She accepted it gratefully and drank it.  She was paying close attention to this long story, but she had still to figure out why she was sitting in this parlor.  "And since Tevin wandered off, Remus was bright enough to point out what was missing." 

Ophelia, Flitwick, and Severus looked at Remus, clearly asking him to explain his plan.  He put his teacup and saucer on the mantle.  As he cleared his throat nervously, he began wringing his hands.  "I suggested to Severus that in order for him to allow Tevin to leave the flat, and to not really get Dumbledore's curiosity peaked..."  Remus winced, hoping for the best but dreading the worst.  "Tevin needs a mother."

Ophelia's eyes widened in instant understanding.  She put her tea on the table in front of the sofa.  Then, she rounded on Severus.  "You want me to pretend to be Har-Tevin's mother?  Severus!  I never meant that-"

"Would it make you feel better if I told you that this is in name only?  Nothing will change for you, really." 

"I'll have to live here, probably."

"With me, yes.  But you can go back and forth to your home, or to my house in Spinner's End whenever you want.  The details are your choice."

"I'm his permanent babysitter."

"In a way." 

Ophelia was shaking her head.  She stood from the couch and walked to the fireplace, leaning heavily on the mantle, staring into the extinguished fire.  Remus shuffled awkwardly next to her.  Her breath was coming in short, panicky gasps.  "Ophelia?" she heard Severus's soft voice, tinged with nervous fear. 

"What?" she whispered, starting to be overwhelmed by the revealed plan.

"Please."

She turned and looked at her old schoolmate.  His expression was pained, and in an instant she realized how desperate for her acceptance he was when she saw how he clutched the little boy to his chest.  His hand gently held the boy's head to his heart, his long fingers combed through the hair.  Severus's dark eyes stabbed her own in a hopeful plea.  She closed her eyes against the image.  "Severus, I can't do this.  I know I promised to give you any help you would ever need but this...this is too much to ask." 

She wanted to take it back when she saw his entire body seem to deflate in her rejection.  His eyes closed, and his head slowly dropped to rest his cheek on the child's head.  The little boy woke up at that point.  "Daddy?"  Severus hid his sad expression from the boy and instead began stroking the soft black hair.  "Oo wan' swan?"  Without another word, Severus rose from the sofa.  As he turned to go, the little boy caught sight of Ophelia, and shrieked.  "Who see?" he shouted, pointing at Ophelia. 

Even though he whispered, everyone in the room heard his response.  "An old friend, Tevin."  He began to leave the parlor, heading towards the bedrooms.  Tevin craned his neck to look over Severus's shoulder as he was carried away.  Ophelia's expression crumbled at what he said.

"Make you sad."  Tevin glared at Ophelia. 

"Yes, but I want her to do something she cannot do.  I will not force her-"  Anything else he would have said was silenced by the closing of the door. 

Ophelia lowered her head.  When she looked up, she was staring into the eyes of Remus Lupin.  "Remus, I-You know I can't do what he wants."

"No, you don't want to.  You're perfectly able to, it's just something you don't want to give."  With that, he turned from her, snatched his tea from the mantle, and walked into the kitchen.  Ophelia looked at Flitwick for some sort of help, but he was not looking at her.  With an angry huff she went into the kitchen after Remus. 

"What do you expect me to do?  Throw away everything about my life, just to help him raise a child that he suddenly finds out is his?  I have a life, Remus!  I have a job!"

Remus rounded on her so quickly that she jumped back a step.  "He's lost everything, Ophelia!  The only thing keeping him even sane right now is that little boy!  If Lily didn't find a way to tell him that he was his father...I don't want to think about what he'd be like right now." 

"But why does he want me?"

"He trusts you!  You were one of the only other people who even knew about him and Lily, you have no family of your own, you're a Slytherin!  It makes sense!"

"So, you think that if Severus starts waltzing around Hogwarts suddenly with a wife and seventeen month old son, no one, especially Dumbledore, will be suspicious?"

A short squeak interrupted the two.  They saw Professor Flitwick leap down from the armchair and scurry over to them.  "That is where I come in.  Remus and I had a rather long discussion today about how to solve the little problem of...Dumbledore's suspicions.  It's very risky, but if it works...it will be remarkable!" 

Ophelia barely listened.  "No!"  She threw her arms up in the air, and began to head back to the fireplace.  Remus sprang forward and grabbed her by the upper arm.  She whipped her head to face him, her eyes blazing.

"I know that it isn't what you want, but think about this.  Yes, Severus is a Death Eater, and you're a Muggleborn.  Something like that would be reason enough to keep a relationship quiet.  It's the same reason that Severus and Lily decided to arrange a staged marriage between her and James.  The very same reason.  And with the rumors of the things that happen at Death Eater meetings to Muggles and Muggleborns...would it be all that surprising if one of the women victims ended up pregnant with a Death Eater's son?"  Ophelia slowly started to realize that Remus knew that she had been taken to one of those meetings once.  Severus must have told him.  She began to relax in the other man's grip.  Noticing this, Remus continued.  "It all fits.  You were taken right around the same time that Lily conceived.  The timing is perfect, the situation is perfect."

Ophelia felt her eyes begin to water.  She met Remus's blue eyes, and seeing the gentle sympathy in them, felt her resolve begin to crumble.  "Please, help him.  That boy is the only thing he has left of Lily.  Don't make him lose him as well."  His voice softened then.  "He saved your life once, Ophelia.  You promised to help him if he ever needed it.  He needs it now more than anything.  Save his life now." 

Ophelia felt the first tear streak her face.  She looked at the closed door that Severus had left through with his son.  She knew what had to be done.  He asked her for her help.  She promised it.  Was she ready to give up her life to help Severus?  What about her job?  Where was she to live?  Surely, she could not stay with her cousin anymore.  What was she to do?  The image of Severus's face as she rejected his plea flashed through her mind again.  She felt more tears streak her face.  Her legs began to shake.  She tried to lock her knees to hold herself up, but she felt herself falling.  She never hit the floor. 

Remus had caught her and held her to his chest steadying her.  He did not know what to say, or if he should even say anything.  He waited until she was able to breathe smoothly again.  When she regained her breath, she looked up at him, her eyes still flooded.  "Okay..." she whispered.  "Okay..."  Remus looked at her, trying to judge her emotions.  He only came up with one word: resigned. 

Severus closed the door and stood leaning against it for a moment as he struggled to refrain from allowing his tears to fall.  He closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing.  He felt a cold touch framing his cheeks, and when he opened his eyes, he looked into almond-shaped green eyes.  He realized Tevin's tiny hands held his face between them.  His lips curled up into a bittersweet smile.  "Daddy not cry," said Tevin to him in a sweet innocent voice. 

"No," he breathed.  "I won't." 

Severus forced himself to look around the room that he had recently created for the little boy in his arms.  When would he use it?  Never.  All hope of raising his son depended on the presence of a woman, and she had refused to help him.  He looked around the room. He had imagined that years from now, his son would be struggling with a Transfiguration essay at his desk.  That could never be now.  His eyes caught the area carpet in the center of the room.  His mind taunted him with the image of his son sitting cross-legged in front of a small cauldron with a potions book open nearby, and various ingredients scattered all around him.  Severus pictured himself walking in and kneeling next to the little boy, carefully instructing him on what to do next.  All too soon, the image disappeared.  He looked to the four-poster bed and saw his son trembling beneath the comforter as he sat on the edge reassuring him from a nightmare that had awoken the child.  All of these things would never happen now.  All because Ophelia had refused to help him. 

"Daddy?"  Severus was pulled from his bitter daydreams by his son's voice.  He looked at him.  "Swan make you better." 

Severus smiled and walked into his room where the cradle was.  He picked up the white swan and carried it and Tevin back into the other room that he had hoped the boy would call his own.  He gently set Tevin on the carpet and gave the boy the swan to play with.  He walked to the foot of the bed, and sank to his knees before the trunk.  Slowly, fearfully, he opened it and looked inside.  It was empty.  Severus sighed.  Remus must have put everything in it away in the room somewhere.  With a sad smile, he drew his wand and pointed at the wardrobe.  "Accio mittens."  His voice cracked as he almost choked on the words.  The little pair of gold and maroon mittens sailed through the air to his waiting hand.  "Accio hat."  The matching hat followed the path of the mittens.  He placed them into the trunk like he was arranging a body for burial. 

When he summoned the broom to himself, the bristles of it had accidentally brushed Tevin's head.  He watched as Severus caught the broom and placed it into the trunk.  Tevin left the swan behind and crawled quickly to Severus's side, knowing that he had to get there quickly and that walking was still an adventure for him.  When he reached Severus, he looked up at him with large watery eyes.  The only time his toys were ever put away was when he was bad.  What had he done? 

"Daddy?  Why toys go ‘way?" 

Severus looked down at Tevin with a broken expression.  He did not hear the door quietly open behind them.  He tore his eyes away from his son and aimed his wand at the desk behind him.  "Accio crayons."  They began to fly through the air, and Tevin pulled himself to his feet, using his father's clothing as a support.  He knocked the crayons off course like a beater to a bludger. 

"No!  I bad?  Daddy!  No!"  Tevin tugged on Severus's sleeve hard.

Severus closed his eyes as he replied, "Tevin...I...I can't keep you here."

"Go?" 

"Yes."

"No!  Like you!"  Tevin threw himself at Severus's side, gripping whatever fabric his little fingers came in contact with, clinging to Severus as he buried his face in the cloth. 

"I like you too, Tevin, but I..."  Severus choked on the rest of his words.  "I have to take you to your...Aunt Petunia's."  He felt Tevin shake his head furiously against his side.  Severus put down his wand and took the boy in his arms.  "I'm so sorry, Tevin.  I am so sorry."  He held the boy against him, wanting to commit this moment with his small son to his memory.  "I'm so sorry..."  He knelt there in front of the trunk, holding his son and swaying side to side slowly like the pendulum of clock that was counting down the seconds.  He was stirred to alertness by a feminine voice in the room. 

"Severus?" 

He turned his head and saw Ophelia through his blurred vision.  "What do you want?" he whispered, his voice soft and resigned. 

She looked at Severus holding the boy to his chest as he faced an open trunk with a few items placed carefully inside.  "What are you doing?"

Severus glared at her as best he could.  "I am getting my son's things together.  Thanks to you, I cannot raise him.  I have to take him to Lily's sister.  He has nowhere else to go."  He got up and quickly fled with his son into his bedroom, his robes billowing behind him.  Ophelia followed him quickly.  Remus entered the room shortly after her, to see Severus place Tevin in the cradle. 

"No go, Daddy!"  Tevin clung to the bars of the cradle with one hand, as he reached up towards Severus with the other. 

"I don't want to," Severus said.  "I want to keep you with me more than anything."

Tevin reached through the bars instead to grab the hem of Severus's shirt.  "Why?" 

"Severus!" Ophelia tried to get the older wizard's attention.  When he did not turn to her, she looked to Remus and nodded.  He drew his wand swiftly.  She reached to Severus and grabbed his right hand tightly before pulling roughly on his arm, jerking him off balance, tearing him from Tevin's grasp.  Tevin shouted as he saw his father forced from him.  Severus fell to the ground, his captive hand instinctively closing around hers that held his own.  Still, she did not release his hand.  As he struggled to regain his balance, she dropped to her knees opposite him.  "Remus!" she said, making it sound like a command for the other man to approach, which he did.  Just as a surprised Severus managed to get to his knees, Remus placed the tip of his wand on the joined hands of the two Slytherins as he stood over them.  And before Severus had a chance to do or say anything else, Remus began speaking. 

"Will you, Ophelia Fay, act the part of the mother to Severus Snape's son, putting Tevin's safety and well-being above that of all others, including your own, until it becomes unnecessary or death first takes you?" 

"I will."  When a thin cord of flame snaked from the end of Remus's wand to coil around their joined hands, Severus's eyes widened in shock.  He understood what was happening.  Ophelia was swearing an Unbreakable Vow.  He tried to pull his hand from hers, but her grip was strong and she held his hand tightly.  Remus quickly resumed speaking.

"Will you, Ophelia Fay, keep the other identity and relations of Severus Snape's son, particularly that of Lily Evans, secret from all who do not presently know of it?"

"I will."  A second thin, flaming, wiry cord burst from Remus's wand and wound itself around their hands, intertwining with the first, to settle firmly in place around their hands.  Severus looked at Ophelia, who wore an expression of complete concentration and sincerity.  His dark eyes went then to Remus, who wore a similar purposeful expression.  Lastly, he looked upon his son.  Tevin was gazing at the proceedings with keen, focused interest.  He was completely hypnotized.  He was quiet so that not even his breathing was audible.  Severus's attention was brought back to the spell when he heard Remus resume speaking once more.

"And will you, Ophelia Fay, protect Tevin from any danger, including those who do not seem to approach with a harmful intention, so long as it is in your power?"

Ophelia looked into Severus's eyes, commanding him silently to look at her.  "I will."  A third blazing cord slid from Remus's wand, and twisted itself among the others to wind itself around their joined hands.  The adult wizards watched as Severus's and Ophelia's hands began to glow red hot from the completion of the Unbreakable Vow.  Tevin watched as well, with wide, green eyes. 

"It is done, Severus," Ophelia said, in a firm and resolved voice.  "You can keep your son." 

That night, Severus, Remus, Ophelia and Filius Flitwick sat around Severus's kitchen table having just finished an extremely lengthy and extremely detailed discussion. 

Tevin was smart enough to know that the adults were up to something important, and decided to leave them alone.  He spread himself on the floor near the unlit fireplace with several blank sheets of parchment, and his crayons all over the floor.  He kept himself occupied by drawing all sorts of pictures in the endearing style of a young child.  It did not escape the boy's notice that his father would occasionally peer over at him to see if he had run off again.  He had tried it once, and it was a scary experience that he was not keen on repeating...on his own at least. 

Severus looked back at the others at the table.  Their plan sounded secure and like it would work.  The execution of it, however, was another matter entirely.  He was relieved that tomorrow was Saturday.  It might give them the time they needed.  He looked at Tevin for a moment, seeing the boy furiously drawing something on the blank parchment he had taken from his desk for the boy.  "When should this happen?" he asked everyone else that had gathered. 

Flitwick looked at the young man with an unusually serious expression.  "As soon as possible.  With an Unbreakable Vow having been made-"  He turned his head sharply to Remus.  "-which I should have been told about!  What if something went wrong?" 

"But it didn't, professor.  That's all that matters," Ophelia spoke up.  "It's done.  We have to focus on the next step." 

"Yes," Remus agreed, desperate to get off the subject of the Unbreakable Vow that had occurred just before the afternoon classes resumed earlier that day. 

"With certain factors considered," continued Flitwick, "things should now progress very quickly.  Ophelia, I would request a meeting with Dumbledore.  Write your owl him immediately.  Send it from off the school grounds tomorrow."  She nodded before summoning one of Tevin's pieces of parchment to her.  She produced a quill already wet with ink, and began to write her note, pausing to be sure of the proper phrasing.  "Remus, while Ophelia has her meeting, you need to take Tevin back to your flat...along something for him to play with.  We don't know how long this will take, you know."  Remus nodded.  "And Severus, you-"  He stopped when he noticed that Severus's attention was focused on something at a level lower than the tabletop. 

Severus had felt a tug on his shirt as Flitwick was explaining to Remus what to do.  He looked down and saw his son, standing on his own feet, holding a piece of parchment in his hand.  In the hand that still held onto Severus's shirt, was a brown crayon.  "Yes, Tevin?" 

Without saying anything, Tevin thrust the parchment towards Severus's face, who accepted it.  He looked at it and saw that it was a drawing of a stick-figure man with long black hair.  The jagged arrow pointed to the man was labeled, ‘Dady.'  There was a circle at the end of his stick arm that he assumed was supposed to be his hand.  From the circle was a line.  Was that his wand?  Next to him in the picture, and with their arms joined by a circle-hand, was a smaller person, which another equally jagged arrow had labeled, ‘me.'  In his other hand was the neck of an illustrated version of his stuffed swan, whose label was clearly missing the ‘w.'  Severus tried not to laugh as it looked like Tevin was strangling the swan rather than simply holding it.  But he could not hold back a smile.  "That's very nice, Tevin.  Thank you." 

Tevin smiled triumphantly and began to slowly walk back to his drawing station.  Severus watched him go, realizing that he had yet to see his son walk on his own.  Tevin flopped back down, causing Severus to grimace in concern for a moment, and proceeded to seize another crayon with which to make his next masterpiece. 

Flitwick cleared his throat.  Severus looked back at his old professor.  "I'm sorry." 

"As I was saying," Flitwick continued in a business-way.  Severus put the picture down on the table, only to have Remus grab it to study it, a smile on his face.  "After Remus leaves with your son, you will visit the Headmaster and ask him to accompany you on a walk about the school.  Talk about having disciplinary problems with the students since your arrest.  Make things up if you need to.  I only need a few minutes to adjust the registry book in his office.  It will not take me long.  And I also need to handle that phoenix of his."  Severus nodded.  "After that, it's up to you two."  Flitwick nodded to Ophelia, who was writing the headmaster's name on the envelope which contained her just-written owl.  She finished the owl and sealed it. 

"I understand," Severus said. 

There was silence for a moment around the table, before it was broken by Ophelia.  "How likely is this to work?"  Silence answered her.  She sighed.  "Shouldn't we test the spells?  We're basically performing an Imperius Curse, but...a legal one." 

"No, no, Miss Fay," Flitwick defended himself.  "We are simply adjusting the memory slightly.  There is nothing against that."

"I'm actually astounded that ‘Obliviate' is not an Unforgiveable Curse.  It's terrible," Remus said. 

"All I'm saying is that we should test it on...someone before we go and try to do this on Dumbledore!  If it doesn't work, who knows what he would do to us!" she reasoned. 

Everyone around the table thought about this claim.  At last, Severus nodded.  "I agree.  We need to test it on someone." 

"Any suggestions?" Flitwick asked everyone. 

After a moment, Ophelia looked up.  "My cousin.  It's not even close to Dumbledore, but it'll at least let us know if the spells work."  Everyone at the table nodded. 

Arabella Figg was shuffling about the house, wondering how her cousin could make such a mess in her house.  She knew that she raised herbs and other magical plants for the man who owned the Apothecary in Diagon Alley.  She was not jealous of her cousin for this because she herself bred Kneazles for the Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley.  While she made her living like this, she rarely ventured with her cousin into the Wizarding World.  It frightened her.  And besides, her cousin had warned her that things were dangerous for Muggleborns, Muggles, and Squibs like herself.  She did not go outside often anymore. 

She was not terribly fond of her neighbors, either.  There was a neighboring family in particular of which Arabella was not sure what to make.  The parents were loud, falsely cheerful, and their house was flawless.  Were they human?  She looked about her own kitchen.  There was dirt on the floor, thanks in part to her cousin's plants, and in part to her half-bred kneazles that thought something was buried in the plant pots.  Speaking of plants, they seemed to be everywhere in her house!  Every windowsill had at least seven plants crammed onto it.  One of the kneazles knocked a few off this afternoon because it wanted to sit on the windowsill.  At least it would be obvious if someone stepped into her house that people lived in it!  She did not think that would hold true for her neighbors. 

Just as she was about to sweep up the dirt on the floor with her cousin's flying broom, her fireplace's calm orange glow erupted into a green blaze!  Her nerves spiked for a moment as she remembered that her cousin told her to put out the fire after she had left hours ago.  She forgot!  But her fear was settled when she saw that very same cousin emerge from the green flames.  She let out a breath of relief.  Although that relief died when in the next moment, a small dwarf-like creature emerged from the fire, along with a young man with long dark locks.  While the little one amused her a little, the man almost frightened her as he looked at her from head to toe in one sweeping glance with a look that seemed to stab her.  She backed up into the table as the group approached.  The kneazle on the windowsill hissed loudly.

"Don't be afraid, Arabella!" her cousin said, coming closer. 

"Who-who are they, Ophelia?" she asked, pointing a trembling hand towards her companions. 

"It's alright.  This," Ophelia said, indicating the tiny dwarf on her right, "is Professor Flitwick.  He taught me Charms at Hogwarts."  Flitwick offered a cheery greeting, which Arabella was only able to manage a weak smile in reply.  Ophelia gestured to her left as she drew her cousin's attention to the dark-haired man.  "And this is Severus Snape.  He went to school with me.  He was a year ahead of me."  Severus nodded at Arabella, who stared wide-eyed at him, terrified he would turn her into something gruesome.  She felt that he was not the sort of person you wanted to upset. 

"What are...you doing here?" Arabella asked, gulping audibly, she clutched Ophelia's broom close to her tightly. 

Ophelia smiled in a way that nearly frightened Arabella.  "They needed to test out a spell or two here.  It's nothing to worry about." 

Arabella relaxed her grip on the broom, and dropped her eyes.  She thought she heard her cousin softly say, "I'm sorry about this, Arabella."  She looked up, and saw that Ophelia and Severus had their wands drawn and had suddenly gotten directly in front of her.  Ophelia thrust her hand forward at Arabella's face, her palm towards her, the fingers extended wide as her wand also pointed at her cousin's head.  Arabella had no control of her neck and head, and when Ophelia's hand rose so did her face.  Then, Arabella heard Ophelia speak.  "Animadverto meus lumen."  Her eyes, without her control, locked onto Ophelia's brown eyes firmly.  She could not blink, she could not look away.  Severus circled like a crow to Arabella's side and pressed the tip of his wand to her temple.  Then, Ophelia began speaking, and her mind was filled with pain as she looked into her cousin's eyes wishing she could look away, but finding herself incapable to do so.  She found herself remembering events that she did not truly remember.  Arabella was paralyzed by the pain of the powerful spells her cousin and her friend were weaving in her mind.  When they were finally finished, her eyes closed and she slumped forward, unconscious. 

When she woke up, she had no recollection of Ophelia and Severus performing any spell on her.  She only wondered when she would be visited by her cousin, her husband, and their little son again.  She found a note on her table, being tapped curiously by a kneazle, and she picked it up to read it.  It was from Ophelia, telling her to expect a visit from her family again within the week. She grinned and stuck the unfolded note to her refrigerator with a magnet.  Then, she began to make dinner, a pleasant smile on her face, as she looked forward to the next time she would play with her cousin's little boy.

Remus held Tevin to his chest as the boy slept quietly.  He was studying Tevin's picture that he had drawn before the group left to test their spells.  There was something important on it, that he needed to tell Severus.  He nervously awaited the return of Severus, Ophelia, and Flitwick from their test subject's home.  He did not agree with testing it on a poor unsuspecting squib, but it was their best option.  He sat on the sofa, reclining lengthwise on it, wondering how they were going to return since he had extinguished the fire.  His answer came soon enough. 

Severus walked into the suite through the entrance of the portrait hole and quickly made his way to the fireplace as he removed his wand.  He lit the fire with it and in moments it turned green admitting Ophelia and Flitwick into his chambers.  Remus looked at the reassembled group and could not tell what had occurred while he sat there on the couch with the boy like a housewife waiting for her husband to return from work.  "Well?" he asked.  "How did it go?" 

Severus slid his eyes to Remus, with a satisfied smirk on his face.  "According to plan, I think." 

Ophelia and Flitwick dusted themselves off before heading further into the parlor.  "She believed it.  The spells worked," Ophelia confirmed. 

"We stayed for a few moments under Disillusionment to be sure," Flitwick elaborated. 

Remus looked at the three of them as they smiled at each other.  He looked again at the picture.  "Well, having them work on a squib is totally different than them working on Dumbledore.  You know it is!" 

"But the point of testing them was to see if they worked at all and they do!"  Ophelia said defensively, an excited gleam in her eyes.  She met Severus's eyes, which were glowing with excitement and optimism. 

Remus opened his mouth to be the voice of reason again, but was stopped when Flitwick spoke first.  "You both realize that you will need much more strength for when this is performed on the headmaster?"  Severus and Ophelia nodded, their expressions growing serious.  "I suggest you both rest tonight.  Send your owl, Ophelia.  And Severus, you need to conserve your powers.  Altering memories of people while they are still in their minds is difficult enough on a muggle, never mind a very powerful wizard like Dumbledore."  When Severus opened his mouth to defend himself, Flitwick spoke first.  "I know you are a superb at Occlumency and Legilimancy, Severus.  But as you know it takes a great deal of magic to maintain and to use.  You need to be at very high strength when you meet with Dumbledore."  He looked at his former students for a moment before shuffling to the fireplace again.  He summoned some Floo powder to his hand, and spoke his destination clearly.  "Tell me when your meeting is, Miss Fay, as soon as he responds, whatever the time.  Good luck, everyone."  With that, he stepped into the green flames and disappeared. 

Ophelia looked at Severus and then at Remus, who was holding Tevin.  "Severus?"  He looked at her, questioningly.  "Could I-Is it alright if I hold him?" she asked. 

Severus nodded.  He walked to Remus and extended his hands to him.  Remus carefully transferred Tevin to his father, who woke up as he was jostled a little.  He peered up at his father with his mother's eyes.  Severus's heart lurched.  "Tevin, I want you to meet someone."  Tevin continued to look at him, not saying anything.  Severus took him to Ophelia, who stood nervously near the fire, which she had just extinguished.  "This," Severus said, as he stopped in front of her, "is Ophelia Fay."  Tevin looked at her as though he did not trust her.  He remembered that she had made his father upset earlier.  "Would you let her hold you?"  Tevin tensed in his arms and gripped onto his father's shirt.  He turned his head away from Ophelia. 

"I won't hurt you, Tevin."  Tevin slowly turned his head to look at her, his glare not lessened.  After trying to frighten her with his scowling for a few minutes, he realized that he was not intimidating her. 

"Pwomise?" he asked in a quiet voice, still not trusting her. 

"I promise." 

"‘Kay," he said, almost so quiet that both Severus and Ophelia missed it.  Carefully, Severus gave his son to Ophelia.  Tevin instantly tensed once his father was no longer in contact with him, and he looked to him with wide, fearful eyes.  Ophelia began swaying back and forth like she had seen mothers do with children.  She was not all that sure what to do.  She was not a mother.  But she needed to learn and figure it out fast, otherwise...she looked at the faded lines on her hand.  She would die if she didn't learn. 

"It's okay, Tevin," Severus said to the boy.  He looked at Ophelia.  "Walk around the room with him."  She nodded and began to slowly walk around the borders of the parlor, quietly whispering to the boy, who always kept his father in his line of vision.

Remus waited for a moment before he felt he could safely distract Severus.  "Severus, I've been thinking while you were gone.  Did you look closely at the drawing Tevin did today?" 

Severus looked at Remus, surprised by the odd question.  "I...thought I did.  Why?" 

"Well, look at it again."  Remus stood from the sofa and handed the drawing to Severus.  "Look closely." 

Severus looked at the drawing again.  He saw the same stick figures of himself and Tevin, who held the swan by the neck.  He did not notice anything odd or out of the ordinary.  What was Remus talking about?  "I don't-"

"Look at the colors."

Severus looked again and when he saw what Remus was trying to point him towards seeing, he felt unobservant.  How had he managed to notice everything suspicious around him, but fail to notice this?  He met Remus's eyes.  "The eyes."

Remus nodded.  "The swan has green.  Was it Lily's?"  Severus nodded, not trusting himself to speak.  He remembered one of Lily's gifted memories, one he did not show Remus.  She had sewed the swan like a muggle on the sofa one day, while James was struggling to quiet her screaming infant son.  James had asked her why she thought Harry needed another stuffed animal.  She had said that he already has a piece of his father with him, with the ragged teddy bear, and that she felt he should have a piece of his mother with him too...just in case she couldn't be there for him one day. 

Remus noticed Severus seemed lost in his thoughts and spoke again to bring him out of it.  "He got your eyes right.  But his..."

"He made them brown."  Severus studied the picture for a moment. 

Remus let the moment linger to see if Severus was thinking what he was thinking.  "I wonder if he did it deliberately."

"Maybe he doesn't know what color his eyes are."

Remus shook his head.  "But he does raise an interesting point with it, mistake or not, don't you think?"

"No.  I know what you are going to say."  He put the picture down on the mantle, angrily. 

"You need to change his eyes to look like yours."

Severus shook his head, his hair swaying with the motion.  "I can't do that.  They're Lily's eyes, I-"

"That's exactly why you need to change his eyes."  Remus stepped in front of Severus, forcing him to look at him.  "Everyone who saw him and knew Lily always said he had her eyes.  His eyes cannot remain Lily's without people knowing instantly who he is."

"But I removed the scar!"

"People will know him regardless of a lightning bolt scar or not."  Severus turned away from Remus, who followed him to stay in front of him.  "Severus, I know it'll be difficult to take away the last physical trace of Lily on your son, but...Spells can only go so far to hide from people what is in front of them.  If he still has her eyes, you don't have a hope of convincing Dumbledore of anything, no matter how many memories you alter, or how many spells you put him under."

Severus closed his eyes as he heard the headmaster's voice in his head on the night Lily died, when he had been sought out by Dumbledore in his tormented grief.  ‘Her son lives.  He has her eyes, precisely her eyes.  You remember the shape and color of Lily Evans's eyes, I am sure?'  He looked at Remus, his dark eyes shining with tears.  When he released his breath, it was almost a sob. 

"Get me the charms book from seventh year, Lupin."  Remus drew back for a moment, stricken that he was back to being addressed as ‘Lupin' rather than ‘Remus.'  But he knew that Severus only did that when he did not agree with him, but knew him to be right.   

"Severus, you need to rest your magic."

"Get it, Lupin!" he snapped. 

Without another word, Remus went to the bookcase along the wall, scanning the shelves for where Severus kept volumes and volumes of Charms books.  He found the familiar book and plucked it gently from the shelf.  Remus remembered referencing his copy of it when he examined Tevin's birth certificate weeks ago.  He never would have imagined he would be here now.  He returned to Severus and handed him the book. 

Severus opened to the contents his shaking finger stroking the page as he looked for the type of spell he wanted.  He found it after flipping to page three of the contents.  Then, he flipped further to the required page.  His eyes darted back and forth as he read.  Without taking his eyes from the book, he called to the other adult in the room.  "Ophelia, bring my son here."  He never looked at her, but he heard her coming, and he heard her stop beside him. 

Severus looked up and met Lily's eyes in the body of their son.  He reached out to cup his son's cheek, looking into the emerald eyes as though trying to memorize what he already knew.  He smiled at his son, who smiled back at him, and for an instant, Severus thought it was Lily smiling at him.  He could almost hear her voice telling him that it would be okay. 

"Tevin," he said, softly.  "Don't be afraid.  I won't hurt you."

Tevin looked at Severus trustingly.  Even when Severus raised his dark wand, the boy did not flinch in Ophelia's arms.  He was relaxed.  Severus took a deep breath, steadying his wand, and looking into his son's eyes, his wife's eyes.  When he spoke, it was soft, almost mourning.  "Vos gero lumen tuus patris."  A brown forked jet of light shot from his wand and hit Tevin's eyes.  The boy still looked at him trustingly, without fear.  Remus came up beside Severus and they watched the effect of the spell.  Lily's green eyes slowly became muddy, turning hazel for several moments.  The trust they held still remained.  Severus held his breath and began shaking.  Remus put his hand on his shoulder to try to steady him.  Then hazel became a light brown.  Severus could not see any trace of the green he loved so dearly in his son's eyes anymore.  His vision became blurred as tears flooded his eyes.  After he had furiously blinked them away and his vision cleared, he looked into a mirror.  Two pairs of dark brown, nearly black eyes, met, the younger eyes stared with innocent trust into the older eyes. 

Severus sobbed, grieving for the loss of green eyes that left him twice, both times of his making.

Albus Dumbledore was having a good morning.  His new shipment of lemon drops arrived this morning at breakfast.  His lemon drops always brought a smile to his face.  He could not figure out what about them fascinated him so much.  All he knew was that the little yellow candies were delicious!  Even Fawkes liked them!  This both delighted and dismayed the elderly wizard, because it meant less for himself but it also meant having a friend, even if it was his pet phoenix, who shared his liking for the candies.

He had just offered his hand containing one of the yellow candies to his phoenix, who was contentedly resting on his perch, when a great horned owl flew into his office with an envelope in its beak.  Dumbledore sighed, and went to the owl, ignoring the fact that Fawkes cooed in disappointment from having the candy taken away. 

Dumbledore took the letter and opened it.  His blue eyes scanned the writing through his half-moon spectacles quickly.  He had not heard from this student in a very long time.  Since she was a student, in fact.  The letter took him by surprise.  He read it a second time before he looked at it half suspecting some ill intent.  However, she had never given him trouble.  She meant no harm. 

"I'm about to leave to find the headmaster," Severus announced to Flitwick as soon as he saw the half-goblin's office. 

"Very good, Severus.  Let me get myself prepared."  Flitwick scurried about his office, gathering a few slips of parchment on which he'd written down several new spells.  He snatched his wand from the desk after hopping up onto his chair.  With his materials in his arms he turned to Severus again.  "Is she ready?"

"Yes.  She is in Hogsmeade waiting for a reply to her letter." 

"But is she ready?" the small wizard asked again.

"She better be."

Flitwick raised an eyebrow at Severus.  "And you, my boy, are you ready?"

Severus drew in a long breath before answering.  "Yes.  As ready as I ever could be."

"And Remus?"

Severus nodded.  "He's at his flat with my son.  No doubt occupying him in some way."

Flitwick looked hard into Severus's eyes.  He did not want to ask it, but he knew he had to.  "And if this whole thing fails?"

Severus tensed visibly in his expression.  He glared at Flitwick.  "It won't fail.  I won't allow it to fail." 

Flitwick nodded.  "Very well, Severus.  I'll arrive in ten minutes in the headmaster's office.  Good luck, my boy."

Without another word or change in his expression, Severus's face disappeared in a flurry of green flame. 

Albus Dumbledore had finished writing a reply and had decided that before this newly scheduled meeting was to take place, a small sort of snack would be nice.  He opted to walk to the kitchens today, since it was a weekend and the students would not be overtaking the hallways trying to get to their classes on time.  He smiled merrily as he left his office, dreaming up what treats he would have. 

He was nearing the corridor to the kitchens when he saw someone heading his way.  "Severus," he said, loudly in the empty corridor, his voice reverberating off the walls.  "What brings you to the kitchens?" 

Severus looked relieved as he reached Dumbledore.  "I was about to go searching for you.  May I speak with you?" 

"Of course, though we must make a detour in the kitchens.  I have an appointment in half an hour."  Without waiting for a reply, the older wizard headed towards the kitchens.  Severus followed.  Once Dumbledore entered the kitchens, and after being greeted by all the house elves, with whom he placed his order of a slice of lemon crème pie, did his attention return to his young professor. 

"What can I do for you, Severus?"

"Ever since my...arrest...I've been having difficulty in keeping the students in line.  Not the first and second years.  I think they're a little frightened at the thought of being taught by someone who spent a brief time in Azkaban.  I mean everyone above them."

Dumbledore conjured a large plush armchair and sat down in it just as a chipper house elf arrived with his pie.  With a pleased grin and quiet chuckle, he picked up his fork and stabbed the pie enthusiastically.  After he savored the first bite, he conjured a second chair.  "Do sit, Severus.  I cannot truly enjoy something as wonderful as this pie with someone standing over me."

With a scowl, Severus sat down in the chair.  "Headmaster, what can I do to keep-"

"Be patient.  Let me eat this first, and then we will talk about your situation."  Dumbledore looked down at the house elf that was still standing next to the arm of the chair, staring at him with giant tennis ball eyes.  "Would you get another slice of this for Severus?"

"That's not necess-"

"Oh, no, I insist!  You will enjoy it." 

Before Severus could attempt another protest, he found a house elf in front of him holding a slice of pie out to him.  He looked at Dumbledore, who gazed at him from over his glasses.  Sighing, Severus accepted the pie and began to eat it slowly, hoping that he could delay Dumbledore's trip back to his quarters long enough for Flitwick to do his part of the plan. 

The fireplace flared to life in a vibrant green, catching Fawkes's attention.  Before the flames had even lessened, he heard a voice shout out a phrase.  "Incendio!"  Fawkes had just started to flap his wings to try to fly away before he was hit by the bursts of flames that someone had thrown at him from the fireplace.  The phoenix vainly tried to flap his wings, his eyes closed in pain as he burned.  Suddenly, his body crumbled, and he had no more memory. 

Filius Flitwick stepped from the green flames just before they died.  He saw the pile of ashes where the screaming bird was only moments ago with a wicked smile.  Part one was accomplished for him.  He knew he had to hurry just in case Severus could not delay Dumbledore for a long period of time. 

The half-goblin darted throughout the large office, trying to find the Hogwarts Student Registry.  He knew what it looked like.  It was a large, opened book, which was spelled to record the names of all future students at the time of their births.  If only he could find it.  He knew it would not be in the main part of his office, and so he darted to the room just off of it.  It happened to be the headmaster's bedroom.  His eyes scanned the room, and saw nothing that could lead to the book.  He even checked wardrobes.  Dumbledore may find a twisted delight that he had hidden the book in an enlarged closet to keep it out of harm's way.  Flitwick was determined!  He was going to find this book!  He headed into another chamber connected to the bedroom.  This looked to be a sort of library.  Flitwick groaned at the sight of the books.  He saw the Sorting Hat stir on the top shelf and he dove behind an ottoman.  He waited until he heard the Sorting Hat stop rustling before he peeked over the top of the ottoman.  It was sleeping again.  Flitwick suddenly remembered that the Registry would not possibly be here.  It was always opened. 

He saw another door in the library and he ran quickly over to it.  He pulled on the door and ended up on the floor!  It was locked.  Excitement coursed through him.  With a flick of his wand he performed a non-verbal unlocking spell.  He heard the satisfying click of a lock unlatching.  He ran up to the door again and gave a firm tug.  The door silently drifted open.  And there on a tall pedestal was the book for which he was searching.  It was much bigger than he ever thought it would be.  It was opened, as a large, blue plumed feather scratched away.  It was recording names.  Flitwick levitated himself to the height of the book before conjuring a high stool.  He looked at the book and noticed that at least one hundred names could fit on one side of the opened book.  It was taller than him!  The quill was about a third of the way down on the right of the book.  Flitwick ran his finger down the opposite page of the names and dates of what would be his future students.  He even got a little carried away looking at the names.  He wondered who would be promising. 

Hermione Jane Granger......................................1 September 1979

Daphne Greengrass..............................................23 October 1979

Terry Boot..........................................................2 November 1979

Padma Patil.........................................................11 January 1980

Pavarti Patil..........................................................11 January 1980

Seamus Finnegan..................................................1 February 1980

Ronald Bilius Weasley................................................1 March 1980

Michael Corner.............................................................4 April 1980

Lavender Brown..........................................................12 May 1980

Gregory Goyle............................................................28 May 1980

Draco Lucius Malfoy ....................................................5 June 1980

Ernie Macmillan............................................................8 July 1980

Neville Longbottom.....................................................30 July 1980

Harry James Potter......................................................31 July 1980

Pansy Parkinson......................................................3 August 1980

Blaise Zabini..........................................................10 August 1980

Vincent Crabbe.......................................................19 August 1980

Luna Lovegood...........................................................15 May 1981

Colin Creevey............................................................19 June 1981

Ginevra Molly Weasley...........................................11 August 1981

‘Oh, dear!' Flitwick thought.  ‘Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy have had a son.  This should be interesting.'  Flitwick smiled, remembering for a moment how skilled Lucius Malfoy was in his magic, and the very pretty and sweet Narcissa Black.  He had no doubt their son would be talented.  His finger passed ‘Harry James Potter' in his curiosity...until he remembered that he needed to do something here, not just peruse the Registry Book!

He reached into his robes and pulled out a small piece of parchment.  He looked at his own new spell, reading it over several times.  Then, he touched his wand in the small space between the names of Neville Longbottom and Harry James Potter.  "Adaugeortus."  The space between the two names grew larger, pushing the other names below Harry's down a little.  "Tevin Antonius Ryker Snape pro Harry James Potter in triginta primoris July undeviginti octoginta."  The space below Neville's name began to glow for a moment before Tevin's name began to bleed onto the page in the book.  Flitwick watched as Tevin's name appeared and grew as dark as the others in the book.  He smiled as he saw the addition.

Ernie Macmillan........................................................8 July 1980

Neville Longbottom.................................................30 July 1980

Tevin Antonius Ryker Snape.....................................31 July 1980

Harry James Potter...................................................31 July 1980

Pansy Parkinson....................................................3 August 1980

Flitwick got down onto the floor again, his mission complete. He made his way quickly out of the library, shutting and locking the door again, and silently running past the Sorting Hat.  He dashed through the bedroom and then into the office again.  He saw the head of the newly born-from-the-ashes phoenix moving lethargically.  He did not know how much time he'd spent in Dumbledore's office, but he knew it was long enough!  Without wasting anymore time, he removed a small pouch from his robes and tossed the whole thing into the fireplace, sending the flames into a bright green.  He was not about to use some of Dumbledore's floo powder.  He shouted out the location of his office, before turning to face Fawkes's perch.  His eyes met the eyes of the phoenix, and he knew that he could not risk the phoenix somehow telling Dumbledore that he'd been in the office without the headmaster.  "Incendio!" he shouted again, sending bursts of fire at the helpless phoenix, setting him on fire again until the bird was reduced to ashes. 

Just as he heard voices approach the headmaster's office door, the green flames shifted back to a normal cozy color and height.  All that was different was the phoenix that was struggling to be born from the ashes of its assassination.  Then the floo flared again, and a young woman fell to the hearth. 

Ophelia finished reading the reply from Dumbledore as she leaned against the wall on the side of The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade.  As soon as she finished reading, she began to walk back towards Hogwarts.  She took a slow pace, knowing that she had a half an hour before she was supposed to meet with Dumbledore.  She hoped that Severus managed to continue talking to Dumbledore without making it seem as though he were stalking him back to his office.  She also hoped that Flitwick succeeded in his tasks. 

Before she knew it, she found herself near the gates to Hogwarts.  Luckily for her, she saw a familiar person striding through the gates, looking aggravated.    "Professor McGonagall!" Ophelia shouted, just as the older woman was about to close the gates again, which would have prevented her from entering.  "Wait!  I have to get into the school!" 

McGonagall squinted towards Ophelia who jogged to reach the gates, trying to figure out who the young woman was before her.  "Miss...Miss Fay!" she exclaimed, remembering the woman.  "What business do you have at the school?"

"I have a meeting with Headmaster Dumbledore in about five minutes."

McGonagall raised her eyebrows.  She barely opened the gates, in a subtle signal for Ophelia to enter the grounds.  When the younger witch hesitated, the elder barked at her, "Well, go on, Miss Fay!  I am called to London immediately and cannot wait for you to dawdle!" 

Ophelia scrambled through the gates, feeling like a second year student again for a moment being caught doing something she should not have been doing.  She jogged to the giant doors of Hogwarts, finding it strange that she'd been in the castle already but arrived by floo.  It was a strange sensation to her to be entering the castle by the large doors that used to greet her as a student. 

She entered through the doors, and her brown eyes immediately scanned entrance hall.  There was no one about.  She then decided to not chance it.  She began to walk at a brisk pace and she reached the changing staircases quickly.  She took the path that would lead her to Filius Flitwick's office as fast as she could.  Within seconds she made it to the portrait.  "Professor Flitwick!" she called, hoping that he was inside.  She heard the flaring of the floo network from inside the office, before the door was flung open. 

She darted inside the office, hearing Flitwick shout at her.  "It's done.  They're coming now!  Go!  Good luck!"  He never touched her, but she swore that she was pushed into the floo, only to fall onto the hearth in Dumbledore's office just as the door opened.  When she looked up, she saw Dumbledore's eyes sparkling in barely contained laughter. 

"Well, Miss Fay, did you forget to use the floo since being a student?"

Ophelia smiled at Dumbledore, noticing that Severus stood behind Dumbledore, smiling softly.  "I suppose I did."

Severus stepped around Dumbledore and went to Ophelia, knowing he had a part to play now.  He held out his hand, which she took to steady herself as she got to her feet.  She did not wish to let his hand go, to make sure that the older wizard saw the contact, but when they turned their attention to Dumbledore, they saw that he was not even looking at them.  He was hunched over a perch, staring at the ashes, which were slowly stirring. 

"Oh, Fawkes," he sighed.  "You could not wait until I returned until you set aflame?"  He looked to his former students.  "It was very near his burning day.  It came just a little earlier.  He's never exactly on time.  Untamable these phoenixes."  He walked around the other side of his desk shaking his head, setting his wand down on the corner.  He did not need it, not with these two.  He trusted them. 

"Now," he began.  "What can I do for you, Ophelia?"  He suddenly noticed that Severus still stood beside his visitor.  "Oh, I'm sorry, Severus.  You may go.  If you still have trouble with the students, let me know.  Remember take as many house points from them as you wish, and give the most disgusting tasks on detentions.  That should make them obey you a little better." 

Severus looked at Ophelia as though for her permission.  He turned his body slightly looking like he was about to step from the room, when he turned back to face Dumbledore suddenly and quickly.  As he did this, Ophelia shouted, "Animadverto meus lumen!" with her wand aimed at Dumbledore's face.  The attack was unexpected for the older wizard, but he fought the command, and was about to summon his wand to him but he was interrupted by the firm voice of Severus. 

"Petrificus totalus!"

Dumbledore's body went rigid, his eyes fixed straight at Ophelia, obeying her earlier command to meet her eyes.  Severus snatched Dumbledore's wand from his desk, not willing to take the chance of him breaking the spell somehow before they had finished their work.  In an instant, Severus hoped that Flitwick's spells would work.  He gave Dumbledore's wand to Ophelia, her free hand closing around the wood, and holding it tightly.  Severus circled Dumbledore's desk until he stood somewhat behind Dumbledore's seated form.  He pressed the tip of his wand to Dumbledore's temple.  With a muttered spell, Severus began to enter the mind of Dumbledore, the attempt becoming easier while he was unable to defend himself without his wand.  Severus's eyes closed as he focused his magic to Dumbledore's mind.  When he had entered the place he needed to be, he nodded to Ophelia but he did not open his eyes.  He needed to be focused on this.  She understood and began to speak the new spells that Flitwick developed for them. 

"Vos recipero Tevin Antonius Ryker Snape ut filius Severus Snape quod Ophelia Fay."  A bright purple streak of light issued from her wand and floated through the air softly to land on Dumbledore's forehead, before it snaked its way to the tip of Severus's wand at the temple, where it slid into the older wizard's head.  Severus began panting in his efforts to plat the thought.  When he had succeeded, he nodded again at Ophelia. 

"Operor non quaero Harry Potter.  Puer est tutus."  Another purple strand flowed from her wand and drifted to Dumbledore, landing again on his forehead.  Then it wound its way to Severus's wand, before the younger wizard pushed it into the older wizard's head.  His breathing was increasing with the strain on his magic.  Sweat began to moisten his forehead.  Ophelia knew he was being drained of his magic.  His part of these spells was much more difficult than hers.  She continued quickly to the next spell, just as Severus nodded tiredly.

"Vacuus testimonium vel nuto vos mos recipero Ophelia Fay ut uxor Severus Snape quod matris Tevin."  Yet another purple light streak flew at Dumbledore, only this time hitting him in the chest over his heart, then slid up his neck and to the wand at his temple.  Severus forced the thought into Dumbledore's mind, trying hard to breathe.  His magic was nearly drained.  He drew in a ragged breath and held it, trying to have as much energy as he needed to finish the spells.  He barely managed to nod at Ophelia. 

"Vos non memor nostrum tentatio."  This time, the light was white as it contacted Dumbledore's face, spreading out as though she had just splashed him with water.  The light encircled his head that made it look like a glowing Bubble-Head Charm.  It was drawn to the dark wand at his temple before Severus used as much magic as he dared to force the thought into the headmaster's head.  After he completed this, he quickly tore his presence from the mind of Dumbledore. 

Ophelia watched as Severus leaned heavily on the edge of the desk.  She put down Dumbledore's wand back where he originally set it on the desk corner.  She reached into her jacket pocket to reveal a small vial.  "Here, Severus.  Drink this." 

He opened it with trembling hands and sniffed the potion, trying to identify it.  He closed his eyes as he placed the scent.  "Thank you," he whispered, before he tipped his head back, pouring it down his throat.  In only moments, he felt the effects, his strength was returning to him and his breathing evened out.  He looked at Ophelia.  "Remove the curse from him." 

Ophelia pointed her wand at the stiff Dumbledore and released him from the Petrificus Totalus spell.  Dumbledore blinked when he was released, and he found that he could not recall why Severus was still in his office after he dismissed him.  He sat and looked at the two former Slytherin students closely, searching his memory.  He could not remember.  He looked at Severus with narrowed eyes.  "Weren't you just leaving, Severus?"  The younger wizard turned and began to leave as he did before. 

"Actually, headmaster," Ophelia interjected, "what I needed to talk to you about has something to do with Severus, too." 

Dumbledore's eyebrows rose curiously.  "Oh?  Well, then, Severus, by all means stay."  Severus turned around to the desk and came back to stand near Ophelia.  "What can I do for you Miss Fay?" 

"I was hoping that I could get your help."

"With what?"

Ophelia took a deep breath, and mentally preparing herself to say two words she never thought she would say as a phrase.  "With protecting my baby." 

"Oh!" 

Before Dumbledore could think about it for any length of time, Ophelia continued to speak.  "A little over two years ago I was taken by Death Eaters...and...tortured.  I didn't know until a little while later that...I was pregnant.  While I was...I was..."

Severus stepped forward looking concernedly at her.  "I attended her during her pregnancy.  After all, I was trained as a healer, and I am her friend."

Dumbledore looked between the two of them.  "What exactly are you asking, Miss Fay?" 

"If it is alright, may I stay in Hogwarts?" 

Dumbledore sighed sadly.  "I'm afraid that is impossible.  The only way is if you were married to one of the staff or teaching here yourself."  He took off his glasses and wiped the lenses clean with his robes, feeling a headache coming on.  As he did this he missed Severus and Ophelia look at each other. 

"Headmaster," Severus said, softly.  "Would it be possible if...if I were to protect her and her child?"

"You already swore to protect one child, Severus, wouldn't another be difficult?" 

"Let me adopt him."

Dumbledore looked hard at the two of them.  He studied them.  He never knew Severus to be adamant about anything that he did not feel was his responsibility.  He narrowed his eyes in suspicion at Severus as he asked, "And why the concern and willingness in this case, Severus?" 

Severus gazed back steadily.  "Because I was the Death Eater that impregnated her." 

Dumbledore's eyes widened.  "Well!" he gasped.  "That certainly explains a good deal."  He looked at the two before him.  "Let's discuss some details if I were to allow Miss Fay and her child to stay here, then."  Severus and Ophelia sat down in the large, comfortable chairs facing Dumbledore's desk.  The headmaster then began to give the two some rules and guidelines to follow, to which they listened closely.

For the first time since James and Lily died Remus Lupin was genuinely smiling.  He found the sound of a child's laughter contagious and not at all unpleasant.  He ran forward again as Tevin struggled to mount the training broom to steady him.  But he was slow, and the boy slid off the side, landing on the floor with a thud.  The boy laughed as he looked at Remus.  Remus smiled at the boy. 

"Now, Tevin, alright.  Let's try again."

"Fall off, ‘gain," Tevin said around his giggling, as he got back to his feet. 

"Yes, you did," Remus laughed.  He held the broom steady in one hand while the other held Tevin's hand.  He helped Tevin to the broom.  "Now, grab it with both hands."  Tevin quickly grabbed the broomstick with both of his little hands.  With step one accomplished, he looked at Remus for what to do next.  "Now, step over it."  Remus lowered the broom a little to make it easier for the child, who bent over as the broom he was holding tightly was lowered.  He lifted his leg over the broom and managed to straddle it.  He looked at Remus and smiled in accomplishment.  "Very good, Tevin.  I'm going to let go now.  Try to follow me."

Remus let go of the broom and it began to float a little higher off the ground.  Tevin squealed in delight as he felt his feet leave the floor.  He gripped the broom tightly.  When the broom continued to rise, he got nervous.  He began to curl into the broom like it would help him stay on it better.  "Tevin?"  He looked up and saw Remus standing a few feet away.  "Come on."

"How?"

"Lean forward a little bit."  Remus demonstrated, shifting his weight forward on his feet.  Tevin hurled his weight forward on the broom, and found out that that was a mistake.  The broom zoomed forward heading right for Remus's knee.  Remus dropped down and grabbed the broom handle, jarring it to a stop.  He was knocked onto the floor and found that the force of the stop made Tevin fly off the broom to collide with his chest. 

He heard a muffled sound against his shirt.  "Tevin?  Are you alright?"  He urged the boy to take his face away from his chest.  When he looked at Tevin's face, he realized that he was laughing again.  Remus smiled.

"Ready to try again?"  Tevin nodded with a huge smile.  Remus righted himself and set Tevin back on his feet.  He walked Tevin through the steps to getting on the broom again.  When the boy was settled on it again, Remus realized a possible reason for Tevin's difficulty.  "Stay there, Tevin." 

Remus went into his kitchen and opened a door that was tucked into the corner of the cramped space.  He pulled out his ragged, rather old-looking broom.  He put it on the table and tried to fix the arrangement of the bristles.  Suddenly he heard a jarring crash!  Grabbing his broom, Remus ran back into the parlor.  He saw Tevin in the middle of chaos.  The boy was nibbling on his bottom lip as he held a ripped lampshade in his hand, and the broom handle in the other.  The lamp belonging to the lampshade was on the floor...in pieces.  Remus sighed.

"And how did the lamp break, Tevin?"

Tevin whipped his head to Remus.  "It fell."

"It fell?  By itself?"

Tevin nodded, still chewing on his bottom lip.  "Bwoom attack it."

Remus laughed.  "The broom attacked it, did it?  Were you riding the broom?"

Tevin shook his head.  Remus knew the boy was lying, but he knew that the boy was more frightened of being in trouble for breaking something than for lying.  With a kind and patient smile, Remus took out his wand and muttered, "Reparo."  The pieces of the lamp began to fuse back together in their original shape.  Tevin watched in fascination, his brown eyes growing wide.  Once the lamp was fixed, Remus picked it up and put it back on the end table.  When he looked at Tevin again, he saw that he was struggling to hold back tears.  "What's the matter, Tevin?"

Tevin looked up at Remus miserably.  "You tell Daddy..."

Remus smiled and crouched down to the boy.  "Well, I won't tell him if you don't." 

Tevin smiled and his brown eyes lit up.  "Pwomise?"

Remus conjured a handkerchief and wiped his godson's eyes.  "I promise."  After he vanished the handkerchief, he picked up Tevin's training broom and held it in front of the child.  "Now, ready to try again?"

Tevin nodded, accepting the broom.  Remus held up his own broom and he walked to the most open spot of his parlor.  Tevin followed him with his little broom.  "Now, I want you to do what I do, alright?"  Tevin nodded excitedly.  Remus and Tevin mounted their brooms.  The older wizard showed the child how to properly hold the handle.  The brooms rose off the ground.  This time, Tevin did not fall off. 

Bellatrix Lestrange stood over the kneeling forms of Narcissa Malfoy and Severus Snape.  They were older now.  Her wand was pointed at the linked hands of the blonde witch and the wizard.  Narcissa's voice shook as she spoke.  "Will you, Severus, watch over my son, Draco, as he attempts to fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes?"

Severus responded, "I will."  A thin wire-like strand wound around their hands from Bellatrix's wand. 

Narcissa continued to speak, quieter this time, "And will you, to the best of your ability, protect him from harm?" 

Severus still met her eyes.  "I will."  Another cord sprang from Bellatrix's wand and snaked its way around the joined hands. 

Narcissa's voice then changed.  It almost sounded a mix between relieved and grateful.  "And should it prove necessary...if it seems Draco will fail..."  Severus's hand twitched in her grip, but he did not pull away.   "...will you carry out the deed that the Dark Lord has ordered Draco to perform?" 

Severus stared at their linked hands for a moment, hesitating, before responding, "I will."  Narcissa smiled at Severus, tears in her eyes, as the third rope coiled around their hands...

...Narcissa stood in front of her husband, Lucius Malfoy, in a private library.  She had tears running down her face.  Lucius walked towards her as though he were approaching a terrified and trapped rabbit.  "Cissa," he whispered, "I swear to you, I will never force Draco to enter the Death Eaters.  Do you understand?" 

She looked at him, her tears still coursing over her cheeks.  "You cannot promise that.  You cannot control the Dark Lord."

Lucius had almost reached his wife.  "I have been given a task."

He had reached his trembling wife, who had turned her back on him.  He took a gentle hold on her shoulders, his thumbs rubbing circles through her clothing.  He drew her against his chest and wound his arms around her body.  She allowed the embrace, and lightly set her hands on his arms where they held her.  "My love, everything I have done has been for our family's - for Draco's - security and safety."

There was a long silence.

"What is this...task?" 

Lucius sighed behind her.  "Years ago, Severus revealed a prophecy to the Dark Lord, but only some of it.  It is being kept in the Department of Mysteries.  I have been charged to retrieve it from Potter once he has it.  The only other thing I can tell you is that our safety depends on success."

Narcissa lowered her head, a new trail of tears streaking her face.  Lucius felt the drops splash his hands.  She inhaled shakily before whispering, "Then, don't you dare fail."

~ 4 November 1981 ~

With a desperate gasp for breath, Narcissa Malfoy awoke.  She'd had another vision.  What did it mean this time?  Both mentioned the Dark Lord.  But...He was dead!  And both at least mentioned Severus Snape.  Why?  Narcissa sat up in bed, and hunched forward a little, holding her head in her hands, combing her fingers along her scalp.  She clenched her eyes shut as she thought of her dream vision, puzzling through its meaning. 

Her head snapped up as she latched onto the other key factor, her eyes opening suddenly.  She gasped.  She threw the bedding from her body and ran to her vanity chair to snatch up her silk dressing gown.  She struggled into it as her breathing quickened, and her eyes began to moisten.  Her heart hammered in her chest as her trembling hands just managed to tie her gown shut.  Without bothering to slide her pale feet into her slippers, she threw open the door to her bedroom and ran out. 

She ran through the corridor to the newly furnished room two doors down.  She flung open the door, causing it to bang against the wall loudly.  The room was monstrous and would serve as a very comfortable bedroom in the future, but not just yet.  She saw the outline of a beautiful cradle in the darkened room.  She ran to it, not seeing the shape of a tiny body that would make the blanket look like a hilltop rather than a plain.  Her pale hands gripped the top of the rails as she stopped at it, her long blonde hair flowing forward like curtains blown in a breeze.  She saw nothing, no shape within the cradle. 

"Oh, Merlin!" she whispered to herself.  She ran from the room, not bothering to shut the door.  She ran again down the hallway, only this time, she managed to find her voice. "Lucius!  Lucius!"  She ran screaming her husband's name as loudly as she could.  After every shout that she heard no response, she grew more terrified and her tears began to fall 

When she made the turn into their very large dining room, her shoulders were grabbed in a tight hold that she was not expecting.  She bucked and screamed in surprise and began to struggle from the grip on her arms.  "Narcissa!" she heard distantly in her mind, but could not overcome her panic.  She continued to buck frantically, her long hair streaming.  "Cissa!" The arms holding her shoulders suddenly drew her forward and clasped her body to the chest of a familiar person.  She began sobbing loudly, as the embrace in which she was trapped stilled her, and the heartbeat her ear was pressed against soothed her mind with its rhythm. 

"Calm down," the blonde man whispered softly to her.  She tried to lessen her sobbing in order to speak. 

"Lucius..." she moaned, only able to say that much, her husband's name. 

She felt him loosen his hold on her enough to run his hands comfortingly up and down her spine.  Narcissa loved Lucius's hands.  They were well cared for, soft, and graceful in every motion he made with them, even if it were to run his finger over the words in a book.  It was what she fell in love with first about Lucius Malfoy, his hands.  She liked to watch them, even if they were still.  She watched, but she never touched.  They were forbidden fruit to her, but once he would touch her with his hands, she was under his spell.  She never could resist the touch of his hands, and she never wanted to.  She did not know what she would do without the comfort of his touch.  She hoped she would never have to learn. 

"What's wrong, Narcissa?" he asked quietly.  He reached under her chin and tipped her face up to look at him.  She continued to cry and it pained Lucius to see it.  He stroked her cheeks with his thumb, wiping the tears away.  "What's wrong?" 

"Draco's in danger." 

A smile formed on Lucius's lips, as though he were holding back a laugh.  "What?  That's not possible.  He's just in the dining room making a mess of breakfast as usual."

Narcissa shook her head.  "No.  It's-It's not now.  He will be."  She began to hyperventilate again, her breath coming in short panicky gasps. 

Lucius grew alarmed again at his young wife's fear.  "Narcissa, look at me."  When she did not do so, he urged her again.  She still refused to look at him, and he grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him.  He descended upon her like a bird of prey and claimed her lips, swallowing her sobs.  The effect was instantaneous.  She softened in his arms and held her breath.  When he released her, he ran his hand through her long hair, but what she said took him by surprise.

"Severus Snape."

Lucius drew back a little from Narcissa.  "What of him?" 

"He can help us."

Lucius looked at his wife with a strange gaze.  She recognized the look as one of suspicion.  "Lucius?"  He set his lips into a firm line, refusing to speak. 

He released her from his embrace and properly offered her his arm, as though his completely improper kiss had not just happened.  Confused, she accepted it and wound her arm through her young husband's as he gracefully led her into the dining room.  The only person in the room was their young son, Draco, who sat in a high chair taking great delight in using his food as a chalkboard, with his finger acting as the pencil.  Even though Draco was the only other person in the room, Lucius had made it clear to Narcissa that their son should never be exposed to anything improper right from the beginning.  He would only witness his parents using proper manners and behaviors.  Lucius was determined to instill his aristocratic methods into their son.  And if it meant that he would escort his wife into the dining room for every meal the proper way, then he would.  Draco Malfoy would not go around without a dignified poise, or a developed sense of who he was and what he was when he was older.  He would know his place in the wizarding society and how to conduct himself accordingly.  Lucius was determined to succeed in this mission if it took him the rest of his life.  He would not have a wild son go and spoil the family name.  It would simply be unacceptable. 

Lucius helped Narcissa into her chair, before he turned to the side and shouted, "Dobby!"  With a snap, a small creature materialized.  It was their family servant, a house elf.  He looked up at Lucius with a grimace and large watery eyes, afraid that he had done something wrong.  "Get breakfast for my wife."

"Of course, Master Malfoy, Dobby is-"

"Now, Dobby!"  The house elf disappeared with a snap.  Even before Lucius had settled back in his chair in front of his own food, Narcissa found herself looking at a full breakfast. 

"Lucius..."

"Not now, my dear," he said, in a kind voice.  He glanced at Draco, who was still fully occupied with drawing pictures in his food rather than eating it.  "Would you feed Draco, Narcissa?" 

Narcissa nodded at her husband and picked up the tiny spoon on the tray of her son's high chair.  She patiently began to feed her son.  He smirked at his mother, his eyes glowing with a playfulness that she found irresistible.  A soft smile grew in her expression as she carefully guided the spoon to Draco's mouth.  Obediently, he opened his mouth and let his mother guide the spoon into his mouth.  He closed his lips around the spoon and she removed it.  He moved his jaws to chew even though his food did not require chewing.  He just knew that his parents chewed when they ate, so why shouldn't he?  When he swallowed, he smirked again at his mother, who smiled gently back at him. 

Lucius watched his wife feed their son with a tender expression.  He would never tell her out loud, and especially with Draco around, that he found her most beautiful when she interacted with their child.  Her own youthfulness surfaced and she glowed.  She was always beautiful, but her beauty grew since they discovered that she was pregnant with Draco.  He was so consumed with watching her that he did not even notice that Dobby had placed that morning's Daily Prophet at his elbow on the table. 

Narcissa looked at Lucius and saw him watching her.  She smiled and felt embarrassed when she realized that she was blushing.  She was about to look down when her eyes caught the headline of the paper at Lucius's elbow. 

DEATH EATER, SEVERUS SNAPE, IN AZKABAN

She gasped, suddenly remembering what had frightened her so terribly.  "Lucius!  Look at the newspaper!"

Lucius looked down and saw the headline.  He remembered that she had whispered the other man's name just outside of this room only minutes ago.  Why?  He quickly scanned the article.  "It seems Snape has been arrested for being a Death Eater." 

Narcissa's eyes went blank as she remembered the visions of her dream.  "And should it prove necessary...if it seems Draco will fail...will you carry out the deed that the Dark Lord has ordered Draco to perform?"  Her eyes focused again.  She knew what it meant.  They needed Severus Snape.  "Lucius.  You need to help him." 

Lucius looked at Narcissa as though she'd just sprouted horns.  "I beg your pardon?" 

"The Dark Lord will give Draco a task one day." 

"Cissa, the Dark Lord is-"

"Dead, I know.  But he'll find a way to come back.  I don't know how, but he will.  And when he does, he will give our son something to do.  But we need Severus to watch over him, and protect him, because I..."  She took a deep breath.  "I don't think you will be able to do it."  As she interpreted her vision without thinking of a gentler way to say it, she realized how it might sound to her husband. 

"Do you mean I will be...dead?" he asked, looking a little sick.

"I don't know," she answered.  "All I know is that we need Severus.  We cannot ensure Draco's protection without Severus." 

Lucius looked hard at Narcissa.  "You had another vision in your dreams."  She nodded at him.    "I must say I am surprised that you did not beg me to petition for your sister's freedom."  She chose to ignore the comment about her sister, Bellatrix Lestrange, who now was snug in an Azkaban cell.  He looked down at the newspaper, at the picture of Severus Snape being forced from what looked to be Hogwarts.  He looked back at his wife, who gazed at him with pleading eyes.  Lucius let out a frustrated sigh.  He looked at his happily grinning son, whom his wife claimed would one day be in danger, and that the only person who could protect him is Severus Snape.  He looked through the article again. 

...The trial for Mr. Snape will

take place at 9:00 am today in...

He looked up again at his young son.  He made a decision.  Nothing was more precious to him than his family.  He got up quickly from the table and strode into their parlor.  Narcissa followed him, the hem of her dressing gown fluttering behind her in her flight.  Lucius was standing in front of their lit fireplace looking at the clock that rested next to their container of floo powder on the mantle.  It was 8:30am.  "Lucius, can you make it?"

"It will be close."  He turned from the mantle.  "Dobby!"  In an instant, the house elf appeared.  "Bring me my cloak!  Now!"  Dobby vanished.  Lucius had enough time to look at Narcissa, before Dobby appeared again with a large, black velvet cloak neatly folded in his bony arms.  Lucius lifted it and draped it on his shoulders.  He was about to grab some floo powder when Narcissa stepped forward and adjusted his cloak.  He grabbed her hand and stopped her.  "Don't fuss over it.  I'll have to straighten it again when I come through the floo anyway." 

"I'm sorry," she whispered. 

"I'll return soon."  He pressed his lips to her hand before he took a pinch of floo powder, and threw it into the flames.  "Ministry of Magic!"  He looked at Narcissa as he began to step into the green flames. 

"I love you," Narcissa breathed. 

Lucius did not say anything, but he smiled at his wife.  Then, he disappeared into the fire.  When the noise of the floo died down, Narcissa suddenly became aware of a familiar little voice shouting, "Mama!  Mama!"  Narcissa headed back into the dining room so that she and her son could finish breakfast.  

 The multiple fireplaces in the Ministry of Magic lobby were almost constantly flaring green as witches and wizards and all sorts of magical beings able to use the floo network arrived.  Out of one of the flaring green fireplaces came the young but dignified Lucius Malfoy.  He emerged, dusted off his black clothing, and adjusted his velvet cloak.  He was glad that he was in the habit of dressing for the day almost as soon as he got out of bed, otherwise arriving even close to on time to do his wife's wish would have been an impossibility.  His sharp grey eyes darted all throughout the lobby as he searched for an official of the Ministry. 

He caught sight of a young Ministry aid trying in vain to shove her way through the throng of people bustling all through the Atrium.  Lucius pushed his way through the crowds, muttering an occasional apology to those who looked important enough to deserve it.  He finally reached the girl and threw his hand out to latch onto her shoulder.  She spun around quickly, and her large blue eyes looked at him.  "Where is the trial for Severus Snape being held?" 

She looked at him like he was an idiot.  "Level 10, like always!" she spat.  "All of the courts are there."

Lucius's grip tightened on her shoulder.  He normally would have thrown a curse at the girl for talking to him like that, but he restrained himself, settling to grip her shoulder tightly.  "Which court?"

"Uh...I don't know." 

Lucius let her go, muttering as he passed her in the crowd as he headed towards the lifts.  "Stupid girl."  As he was battling his way through to the lifts his grey eyes were caught by a person wearing the uniform of the Wizengamot.  When the man turned to look behind him briefly, Lucius recognized the wizard's face.  "Crouch!" he said to himself, as he pushed through the crowd with renewed vigor in an attempt to reach the Ministry official.  Hopefully he could get into the same lift on the way to the court. 

"Come on, boy!" Mr. Bartemius Crouch shouted behind him to the aid that carried an armful of parchment, stooping quickly to pick up one that fell from the top of the pile.  He followed Crouch towards the lifts as fast as his burdened body could go. 

Lucius somehow managed to get right next to Mr. Crouch's aid.  He then passed off the little man and marched right to the Ministry official.  "Mr. Crouch?"

Mr. Crouch turned his head just enough to get Lucius in his peripheral vision.  "Mr. Malfoy," he returned the greeting. 

Without anything else, Lucius continued.  "Are you presiding over Severus Snape's trial?"

"Yes, but I am almost late, and he is just coming in from Azkaban now.  The boy will arrive before I do, it seems." 

Lucius's mind refused to listen after the word ‘Azkaban.'  They shipped him to Azkaban?  Lucius was thankful he'd claimed that he'd been subjected to the Imperius Curse and was thus forced to work for Voldemort.  It saved him from the horrors of Azkaban.  Strange that he hadn't been forced to testify under Veritaserum.  But they held Snape in Azkaban only for the accusation?  That seemed cruel of the Ministry.  But that was not the issue in question for Lucius. 

"I would like to testify for him."

Mr. Crouch turned to face Lucius then, stopping his forceful and wide striding to the lifts.  The aid slid to a stop behind Lucius, the abrupt stop causing half of his armful of parchments to fall to the ground.  He scrambled to pick them up.  "Mr. Malfoy, we just released you from the same crime.  And now, you wish to testify for Mr. Snape?  How could you do that?"

Lucius leaned forward to Crouch.  "Even though one is put under the Imperius Curse, sir, they can still remember their surroundings very clearly." 

"I'm sorry.  If you had wished to testify for Mr. Snape, you should have notified us last night."  Mr. Crouch spun and continued walking.  His aid slid around Lucius, who stood there a moment, dumbfounded.  Crouch and his aid entered one of the open lifts.

Lucius's eyes bulged for a moment before he darted into the lift with them.  "I only found out about this trial twenty minutes ago!"

"That is not my problem, Mr. Malfoy." 

"Would you like me to make it your problem?" Lucius mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" Mr. Crouch asked. 

"How can we solve the problem?"

Mr. Crouch looked at Lucius with a cold, suspicious expression.  "If you are so worried that Mr. Snape has no one to defend him, would you be more at ease if I told you that Albus Dumbledore is testifying for him?"

Lucius was surprised, but he managed to school his face into a relaxed expression.  "Albus Dumbledore?"

Mr. Crouch nodded.  "Do you think your influence would be greater than his?"

Lucius did think his influence would be greater, but he was not stupid enough to come right out and say that.  He held his tongue, but the effort made him clench his lips to make them into the thin pale line.  "I would still like to attend if you do not mind."

Mr. Crouch shook his head.  "It is a public hearing after all." 

Lucius waited until the lift opened again, with a pleasant voice chiming that it had arrived at "Level 10 - Wizengamot Courtrooms."  Mr. Crouch and his aid walked ahead to the scheduled courtroom.  Lucius followed them with a silent, prowling stride.  Mr. Crouch walked directly to the doors of the courtroom and opened them.  Lucius took in the status of the courtroom in one sweeping glance.  He saw the other assembled members of the Wizengamot, members of the press, members of the public, and a handful of Aurors.  One he recognized right away was Alastor Moody.  He knew that if anyone arbitrarily took over the proceedings it would be that particularly enthusiastic Auror.  Moody had wanted to question Lucius during his trial using Veritaserum, but his request was refused.  Was it because the wizard on trial was a high member of their society?  Lucius still did not know, but for whatever the reason he was grateful that the potion was avoided.  He knew it was dangerous with Moody here.  What if he saw him? 

Lucius walked quickly to Mr. Crouch's side again.  "Please, let me testify for Mr. Snape." 

Crouch seemed to ignore him, and shouted out a command.  "Admit the accused!"  A tall, barbaric cage-looking object with spikes was erected in the center of the courtroom.  From an entrance in the middle of this cage rose the trembling figure of Severus Snape, still wearing the striped uniform of a prisoner of Azkaban. 

Lucius looked at Severus and for a moment thought that he looked nothing at all like the proud young Slytherin he knew.  He looked nothing at all like the confident Potions Master.  He looked like a terrified young man.  Lucius was brought back several years to when he was a new prefect and he had patted the back of the eleven year old Severus Snape as he sat at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall for the first time.  Even then, as a young child, Severus looked more secure, more confident than he did at this moment almost ten years later.    

He tore his eyes from his housemate's figure and entreated once more to be allowed to testify.  He had leaned forward right next to Bartemius Crouch's ear in order to not be heard by the other Wizengamot members.  In his peripheral vision, he noticed that the doors of the courtroom opened once more and that Albus Dumbledore had strode in.  Then, Crouch, without looking at Lucius refused to allow his testimony again. 

Lucius saw Dumbledore walk to sit next to Alastor Moody.  In that moment, Lucius made a decision.  It was risky, but he was left with little other choice.  He discreetly drew his wand and with it under his cloak aimed it at Mr. Crouch.  "Imperio!" he whispered.  He felt resistance for a moment from the other man, but Lucius increased his own willpower and made the curse stronger.  The resistance crumbled.  Lucius, with his wand still trained on Crouch, leaned into the other man's ear again and whispered, "Severus Snape is innocent of his charges.  You will release him no matter the evidence against him."  His grey eyes searched the courtroom again to be sure that no one could tell what had just happened.  He noticed that everyone's eyes were focused on Severus Snape in the cage.

With a hidden but wide flourish of his wand, Lucius whispered another spell.  "Totus alieno tentatio praeter Severus Snape, Albus Dumbledore et Lucius Malfoy."  He did not know if the spell worked at that moment but he had faith that it would in time.  Perhaps once the trial was concluded.  He snuck a glance at Mr. Crouch's face again and saw that he was still under his very strong Imperius Curse, and with a neutral expression concealing his satisfaction, he made his way to the public seating of the courtroom.  He went all the way to the back of the crowd and sat down in the corner.  He had a nice vantage point of the proceedings, and was able to see Mr. Crouch very well just in case he needed to reinforce his spell.  The last thing Lucius did was put himself under a Disillusionment Charm, so that he could watch the trial unnoticed and observe if his charms worked. 

Narcissa was propped up on the parlor sofa by throw cushions jammed in the corner of it.  Draco was snuggled against her side, attentively focused on his afternoon story.  She was just reading about how the little dragon learned to breathe fire to protect its brother when the fireplace flared green.  Draco was frightened and pointed to the green flames shouting, "Dragon!  Dragon!"  Narcissa tried to hush her son's frantic shouts, when Lucius stepped through the flames, calmly dusting himself off. 

"See, it's your father, Draco, not a dragon," she said. 

"Oh," Draco grumbled, slightly disappointed before he plastered a smile on his face with which to greet his father. 

Lucius was too tired to even remove his cloak.  Those spells were a little taxing for him, especially to stay under Disillusionment for that long.  He walked directly to his wife and son.  "He is free." 

Narcissa smiled and let out a relieved breath.  Her lips curled into a gentle smile.  "Thank you, Lucius."

A small voice piped up from Narcissa's side.  "Who free?"

Lucius reached out and softly stroked his son's hair.  He bent down to press a kiss to Draco's forehead.  He shared a smile with his little son.  "Your protector." 

Lucius slid his eyes to his wife's gaze.  "I think you may continue your storytelling."  She brought the book up again, got her son's attention, and resumed telling the story.  Lucius went to the huge armchair near the fireplace and lowered himself down into it.  He relaxed his spine and watched his family.  Seeing the relief on his wife's face, and the innocent smile of his son, he knew that if there was one thing he wanted people to say about himself when he died, it would be that he would stop at nothing to protect his family, no matter the cost. 

He never imagined that the Wizarding World would consider him much differently in only a few years. 

Severus Snape and Ophelia Fay stood outside the open doors to the Great Hall listening to the sounds of the student population approaching for dinner.  Tevin was excited as he looked into the Great Hall for the first time.  "Daddy, go!"  He shifted in Severus's arms.  Severus and Ophelia were staring ahead looking nervously at the empty tables.  The staff table never looked farther from the doors than it did that night.  Some of the other teachers were taking their seats from where they entered through the back entrance.  Tevin began to fidget excitedly, his little hands banging on his father's chest. 

"Are you nervous?" Severus asked.  Both Ophelia and Tevin did not know to whom he asked the question.

"A little," she whispered.  Tevin shook his head.  He was far too excited to be nervous. 

"I'm sorry that we have to pretend to be married, Ophelia."

"It's okay.  It'll just be...a while before I get used to everyone calling me Mrs. Snape."

Severus's lips twitched, before his face was transformed into a bitter grimace, remembering the red-haired woman he once called ‘Mrs. Snape' affectionately until he hid her as ‘Mrs. Potter.'  He did not want Ophelia to be called by a title to which only one woman had the right.  He was about to speak when she did first.

"I don't want Tevin to think of me as his mother.  Don't have him call me that."  She looked up at him with determined eyes. 

Tevin looked up at Severus, wondering what he would say.  The little boy did not want to call her his mother either.  He already had a mother.  His brow crinkled as he came to a disturbing question.  ‘Where did Mommy go?' 

Severus answered Ophelia.  "To be honest, I had no intention of my son calling you ‘mother,' but I'm glad you suggested it."  He met her eyes, and tried to ignore the fact that if it weren't for him in the first place, his Lily would be here instead of Ophelia.  His life would not have to be lies upon lies if Voldemort had attacked the other child born at the end of July.  Why did he choose Lily's son?  Why had he even delivered that prophecy?  All of this was his fault.  He looked away from his friend.

He barely heard her whisper, "Dumbledore is looking at us."  He looked up and saw the headmaster was speaking to Minerva McGonagall, but his eyes were angled to focus on the three of them in the entrance.  "How should we go in?" 

Even the weight of his son in his arms could not calm him at the moment.  "I suppose just side by side?  We aren't exactly supposed to be in...love."  He choked on the last word.  Tevin looked up at his father, before glaring at Ophelia, remembering that the last time his father was upset it was her fault.  She grew uncomfortable under the boy's hard glare that now so much resembled his father's. 

The noise of the students coming closer to the doors was growing.  Severus looked down at Ophelia and took a deep breath.  "Well..."

She nodded at him.  "Here we go."

Side by side they stepped into the Great Hall, walking down the center of the room, making a direct path to the staff table.  They were not really noticed yet by the other staff members except for the smallest of them.  Professor Flitwick looked at the trio with glittering eyes, their bold appearance finally confirming that the spells had worked.  That hurdle was cleared.  Now it was time to get the rest of the school's reaction. 

Severus led Ophelia around the side of the staff table, which he noticed had been extended to contain more of the staff than usual.  Did Dumbledore intend to announce the arrival of his son and Ophelia to every single person in Hogwarts?  With a slightly sick feeling in his stomach, Severus walked to his usual chair.  Ophelia took the one to his right.  Severus was glad that Flitwick had moved his seat to be beside him.  He'd always liked his old Charms Professor.  The half-goblin leaned into Severus after the wizard seated himself. 

"I received a curious owl this afternoon, Professor Snape, which mentioned that the Headmaster intended to make an important announcement at dinner."  Flitwick smiled mischievously at his former student.  He glanced meaningfully at the smiling Tevin who squirmed in excitement in Severus's arms.  "I wonder what that could mean." 

As though they were students late for class, the rest of the staff of Hogwarts bustled into the Great Hall and sat in their seats when their pupils arrived in the Great Hall.  The delicate-looking Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Belladonna Bienskie, was surprised when she turned to her left intending to speak to her usual neighbor, Severus Snape, but found herself facing a young woman with brown hair.  "Oh!  And who are you?"

Ophelia stared at the woman with wide eyes.  She opened her mouth to reply when Belladonna asked another question.  She liked her questions to be answered right away.  If they weren't she moved on to another one.  She'd been asking questions non-stop since she was a very young child.  It was one of those habits that just never grew out of her.  It frustrated her students to no end.  "Are you a new professor?"

Ophelia found her voice.  "No.  I don't teach here."

Belladonna was confused.  "Then why are you here?  And in Professor Snape's seat?"

Severus leaned backward to be seen from behind Ophelia.  "Professor Bienskie, I would like you to meet my wife, Ophelia." 

Belladonna's eyes softened.  "Oh.  This is a surprise.  When did you-"

Severus and Ophelia were spared that question when they heard the tinkling sound of a spoon against a wine goblet.  All of the gathered students and the faculty looked to the center of the staff table at the maker of the cheerful sound, Professor McGonagall.  "Attention!  Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words."

Dumbledore stood from his throne-like chair at the center of the table.  "Before we all begin our excellent dinner, I would like to announce that there will be two new faces in Hogwarts."  Not only were the students beginning to whisper to themselves, but the staff was too.  "I would like you all to welcome Professor Snape's wife, Mrs. Ophelia Snape, and their son, Tevin." 

The effect of the words was instantaneous!  There were many very surprised faces in the Great Hall.  Even McGonagall seemed surprised.  Severus never felt so noticed in his life.  He'd been under scrutiny before, but not like this!  Every single person in Hogwarts was looking at him.  Ophelia offered a polite smile to everyone looking her way.  "Smile, Severus." 

"I can't."  Ophelia looked at him, and he looked a little like a frightened animal.

"Then, look at your son.  You look terrified."

Severus's head snapped down to look at his son, who was completely enjoying the attention of hundreds of people staring at him.  Tevin smiled in excitement and clapped his little hands.  He looked up Severus and said one word that snapped everyone out of their stupor.  "Daddy!"  There was some clapping then from the students in their attempt to welcome the rest of their professor's family to Hogwarts.  Chatter erupted at the same time.  The staff joined in, unless they were among the professors that were making their way to gather around the Snape family. 

McGonagall amazingly got there first, even with having to go around Dumbledore's chair.  "Severus, I didn't know you had a child." 

"We were protecting him."

McGonagall reached out her arms towards Severus, and he understood what she wanted.  Tevin only saw an unfamiliar older woman's arms coming at him.  He let out a small shriek and tried to burrow into Severus's chest.  "Oh dear," McGonagall said.  "I won't hurt you, Mr. Snape."

Severus looked up at his former professor.  "He still has a little separation anxiety from Ophelia and me." 

"Oh, that's understandable, but really if he can still see you..."  McGonagall reached out again. 

Tevin had peeked out from his father's robes and saw the scary woman coming at him again.  "No!" he cried. 

"Tevin!" Severus admonished.  "Professor McGonagall is kind."  He looked up at the Gryffindor Head of House.  "A little stern, but kind."

"Really, Severus.  You aren't exactly a teddy bear in your classes."

"Bear?" Tevin asked, his head poking up from the robes.  He and Severus both looked at McGonagall.

"Merlin, he looks like you, Severus," she said, as the two pairs of deep brown eyes gazed at her. 

"You have bear?" Tevin asked McGonagall. 

"I might have the bear," she said, realizing that it might be her chance to hold the boy.  "Would you like him?"

"Professor McGonagall!" Severus tried to protest her tricking his son.

Tevin was quicker and louder though.  He threw his arms to McGonagall as he shouted, "My bear!"  Without any response, McGonagall plucked the boy from his father's arms. 

Severus went to get him back, but Ophelia touched his arm gently.  He looked at her.  "No one will hurt him in front of the whole school." 

"But everyone wants to-"

"You haven't been around babies, have you?"  He shook his head.  Most of his knowledge of children consisted between the ages of eleven and seventeen.  "When there's a baby around, women will want to hold it.  It's natural."

Severus looked back towards McGonagall and saw that Ophelia seemed to be right.  There was a group of the female staff members gathered around McGonagall who managed to get Tevin settled just enough in her arms.  They were all making strange noises at his son.  It was like their vocabulary had instantly shrunk and rendered them only capable of babbling.  Did this happen with all women around babies?  Lily never acted like this in the memories she gave him.  Sirius Black did, but not Lily. 

Severus was surprised to see the librarian, Madam Pince, close to his son.  Madam Pomfrey's head was poking out from over McGonagall's shoulder.  Belladonna's hand had reached out to tickle Tevin's cheek, who kept jerking his head away like her fingers were annoying flies that needed to be flicked away.  Even Madam Hooch had shoved her way into the group.  He never thought the owl-like woman could resemble the bird more until now.  She was cooing at his son.  Lastly,  Professor Sprout had made her way over, dirt-covered clothing and all. 

McGonagall and Sprout were talking, and then, to Severus's surprise, McGonagall passed Tevin to the Herbology professor.  The Head of Hufflepuff reached her finger to the boy, and tried to tickle him like one of her plants and she said a string of words that made no sense together.  Some dirt got in Tevin's nose, and he sneezed loudly!  All of the women made a surprised sound like the child just did a trick.  Sprout grew nervous when the sneezing continued and she handed the boy back to McGonagall. 

"She works in dirt all the time, little Tevin.  Yes, she does," said Madam Hooch in a strangely infantile voice, as she took Tevin from McGonagall.  "We'll have you flying in no time.  Then you can fly all day with your Auntie Rolanda, won't we? Yes!"  Tevin looked at her with huge eyes, beginning to panic. 

Severus turned to Ophelia.  "This is unbearable, Ophelia."  He noticed that she wasn't even looking at him, but at the group.  "What is it?"

"It just got better."  Severus turned around just as Madam Hooch transferred his son to someone Severus did not want holding Tevin until the boy would be a little more able to defend himself.  Hagrid.  Severus was stricken still by Hooch's audacity to give his son to Hagrid! 

"‘ello, there, little tyke!" the half-giant said, as Madam Hooch gave the boy to him. 

McGonagall stood between the two, her hands hovering underneath Tevin in case someone dropped him.  "Now, Hagrid, hold him carefully." 

"I know, perfessor McGonagall," he growled.  Neither of them noticed that Tevin was so frightened that he'd started shaking and breathing quickly. 

Severus and Ophelia managed to stand when Tevin let out his first scream.  Hagrid stood there, holding the boy, with big eyes glossing over in nervous tears.  "Yer alrigh'.  Won't hurt ye."  Tevin kept on screaming, and began crying.  Severus and Ophelia were trying to get through the group of gathered women.  Hagrid looked at  McGonagall for support.  "‘m doin' this right, aren't I perfessor?" 

Whatever McGonagall was going to say was drowned out by Tevin's screaming.  "Daddy!  Daddy!"  The boy's face was wet with tears, and they kept coming even though his eyes were closed.  Hagrid began to shake nervously.  He knew the entire school was looking at him, wondering what he'd done to make the boy hysterical. 

"Hagrid!" shouted Severus as he made it through the female throng.  He reached out his arms and gently took his son from the half-giant. 

Hagrid looked at Severus with guilty eyes.  "I didn't hurt ‘im, Perfessor Snape.  I didn't hurt ‘im." 

"We know, Hagrid," Ophelia reassured the large man, as Severus worked to quiet his son.  All of the gathered women professors watched him, not wanting to miss their young colleague around a young child.  He was always so stern, so severe, and watching him with a little child seemed to soften him.  It was a bizarre transformation. 

"Jus' wanted te say ‘ello," Hagrid miserably mumbled. 

"It's okay, Hagrid," Ophelia said, gently. 

"Didn' mean te make ‘im cry, Mrs. Snape."  Ophelia decided to give up and let Hagrid talk.  Her reassurances weren't doing anything anyway. 

Severus had seated himself again in his chair at the staff table.  He held his still screaming son against his chest.  He ran his fingers through the boy's hair and stroked his scalp and began to sway slowly in his chair.  Professor Flitwick watched as Severus slowly managed to get Tevin's breathing back to normal.  The boy was hiccupping quietly, and his tears kept coming, soaking through Severus's clothing, but he did not mind.  He pressed Tevin's ear to his heart, hoping the rhythm would soothe him.  It had always worked with Lily when she was upset, and it seemed to work on their son before. 

Tevin mumbled, "Daddy.  Scared." 

"I know, Tevin.  I'm sorry."

"S'okay."  He hiccupped again. 

Flitwick leaned over, thinking it a good opportunity since Ophelia was talking to the group of witches...and Hagrid.  "She'd be proud of you."

Severus looked at Flitwick.  His voiced stopped in his throat.  He continued to sway with his son.  "Remember that, Severus.  Let that be your strength." 

Severus's attention on his old Charms professor was diverted when he heard Tevin miserably mumble against him.  "Daddy, feel bad."

"What?"

Before he could get a response or before Tevin could repeat himself, he found that his son's nerves had been stretched to the limit that night.  His son began coughing like he was heaving.  In only a few more seconds, Severus found his chest covered in vomit and tears.  He had to get his son out of here.  He looked at Flitwick.  "Tell Ophelia I took him home."  Flitwick nodded. 

He ignored Flitwick's sympathetic laughing as he left the Great Hall through the door near the staff table.  Let Ophelia deal with everyone else.  Severus thought to himself as he made his way to his quarters that it may have been too soon to bring Tevin to the Great Hall.  He held his son with one arm and drew his wand with the other and he vanished the vomit carefully.  Once he put away the wand again, he held his son gently with both arms. 

"Sorry," Tevin miserably whispered, thinking if he talked too loud, he might get sick on his father again. 

"It's alright, Tevin.  It's alright.  It was too much excitement for you, wasn't it?"  Tevin nodded, starting to cry again.  Severus stroked his son's hair softly.  "Hush, now.  We're going home."

"Waymus?"

"If you like we can visit him.  Would you like to?"  Tevin nodded against Severus.  "Alright.  We'll visit him as soon as we both clean up, alright?"  Tevin nodded again.  Severus made it to his quarters and had managed to clean the two of them up rather quickly.  He got Tevin ready to visit Remus before he hurriedly scribbled a note to Ophelia, letting her know where they were going to be. 

Severus lit the fireplace and tossed in the floo powder, and saying his destination clearly, before walking into the green flames. 

Remus Lupin was back at home having that night finished a rather enjoyable muggle novel.  He enjoyed reading, and was not against reading some good muggle-written fiction once in a while.  He had just begun washing his dishes, which he preferred to wash by hand, since he found it a rather therapeutic activity.  It allowed him to think.           

He heard the sound of his floo exploding to life, interrupting his dish-washing meditations.  He did not even dry off his hands before he charged into the parlor, his wand raised, intent on cursing the intruder.  He was not expecting anyone tonight.  The people that stood in front of his fireplace were one of the last people he expected, but he did not disapprove of their arrival, just the state of it.

"Mum?  Dad?" 

A tanned witch with glowing silver hair stood next to a weathered, dark-haired wizard.  Both of them looked like Remus usually did after suffering through a full moon, exhausted and withdrawn. 

"Remus..." the woman choked on her son's name. 

"Mum, what's wrong?"  Remus put his wand down on the end table by the sofa, as he went to his mother.  She looked frailer than the last time he saw her.  She instantly wrapped her arms around her son and then exploded into sobs.  Remus looked at his father, whose blue eyes shined more than usual as he was struggling to hold back tears.  Remus held his mother as he mouthed to his father, "What happened?"

Mr. Lupin took in a ragged breath.  "I think we should sit down."

He led his wife and son to the sofa and gently urged them all to sit down together.  Remus was still holding onto his mother who was sobbing uncontrollably against his chest.  Mr. Lupin looked at his son, not knowing what to do. 

"She couldn't sleep until she saw you were alright."

"Why wouldn't I be alright?"  Remus was getting confused, and he never liked being confused.  "What's happened, Dad?"  His father's eyes got glossier, and his lips trembled.  "Dad..."  For some reason, Remus felt that something had happened.  Something bad.  What would cause his parents to be like this?  Even when he'd been bitten by Fenrir Greyback as a child, neither of his parents ever cried in front of him.  Suddenly, Remus knew what it was, or at least what it was about.  He just hoped he was wrong.

"Dad, did something happen to my-"

"Your brother's dead." 

Remus looked at his father in shock.  He instantly stiffened.  His brow furrowed in confusion, denial, incomprehension, anger.  He had trouble finding his voice.  He swallowed several times.  His mother's sobs increased when her husband blurted it out like that.  "How?"  His father looked down at his hands.  Remus realized that he felt guilty.  At that realization, he knew.  "Greyback.  He...caused this?"  He couldn't bring himself to say that the werewolf killed his brother. 

His father nodded slowly.  Remus knew that his father still felt guilty for insulting Fenrir Greyback all those years ago, which resulted in the werewolf biting Remus in revenge.  Alator Lupin was consumed with guilt as he was forced every month to lock his son away during the full moon as the lycanthropy transformed Remus into an animal.  He had to hear Remus scream as he was turned into a werewolf, hear the destruction in the room that he'd locked his son in as the boy's mind was corrupted and no longer his own.  When he'd open the room again, he would find his boy naked, sobbing and bleeding, curled into himself on the floor unable to understand what had happened to him. 

Remus's brother did not understand at first what had happened to his twin, or why he'd be locked up once a month.  Then he figured it out, and swore that one day he would get revenge on the werewolf that caused his brother to turn into a monster against his will. 

Remus remembered his parents being worried about his attending Hogwarts initially.  What would happen at the full moon?  The family had met with Headmaster Dumbledore to voice their concerns several times.  A tree was planted for Remus soon after.  It was called the Whomping Willow, and was charmed to prevent people from coming near its secret passage (unless they knew how) that went underground and into a house that had no doors to the outside.  That building was called the Shrieking Shack, and because of the frightening sounds heard from within its walls during the full moon due to Remus's illness, it came to be known as the most haunted building in all of Britain. 

Every month during the full moon, Remus would go there and become a werewolf.  Dumbledore had made sure that he'd be excused from classes for as long as it took for him to recover.  His professors never hinted at their knowledge, but Remus suspected that all of the professors that taught him knew he suffered from lycanthropy.  They were not stupid, and they would have to be suspicious since he always fell sick at the full moon. 

His parents did not think Fenrir Greyback would be likely to come back for their sons, but they took a precaution anyway.  They separated the twins.  Remus went to Hogwarts, and Romulus went to Durmstrang Institute.  They never counted on the fact that Romulus would be so bent on getting revenge on Greyback for infecting his brother. 

Alator struggled to speak to tell his son.  "He...hunted Greyback down.  Dueled, and...I didn't think he would.  Neither of us did."  Both of the men noticed that Mrs. Lupin's sobbing had quieted and her breathing was starting to even out.  "Would you mind if-"

"Dad, you don't need to ask."

Alator drew his wand and, while the three of them were on the sofa, transfigured it into a large bed.  Together, they lay Silvia Lupin down and conjured a blanket and comforter for her.  Remus took the two throw pillows and enlarged them, tucking one under his mother's head tenderly.  Alator and Remus got off the bed and made their way into the small kitchen, letting the fire burn to keep Silvia warm as she slept. 

Remus sat down at the kitchen table heavily as his father walked throughout the kitchen.  "Would you like some hot chocolate, son?  I know it always makes you feel better." 

"Sure," Remus whispered.  He heard his father open a cupboard, then close it, and open another one.  He couldn't find what he was looking for.  Remus stood up and walked to his father.  "Dad, sit down.  I'll do it."  He tried to lead his father to the table, but the older man resisted. 

"No, I need to do something." 

"Dad, just sit down.  It's fine."

His father broke out of his grasp and continued looking through the cabinets.  "I used to make you boys hot chocolate all the time, remember?"

"Yeah, Dad, but-"

"He never liked it as much as you did, though."  He found two cups and set them on the counter.  Then, the older man searched out the container of hot chocolate that he knew his son would have there somewhere.  Remus was about to tell him where to find it when his father managed to locate it in the third cabinet he opened.  "You boys would come back from...wherever you explored that day...and I'd always make you hot chocolate."  He found a spoon that was in the drying rack by the sink, and scooped out several spoonfuls per cup.  "You'd sit at the table so impatient for the water to boil.  Romulus would just complain that I didn't conjure it.  Do you remember what you'd always say to him?"  He looked at Remus with teary eyes.

Remus tried to smile, but couldn't.  "That any good drink was worth waiting for."

Alator nodded as he put the kettle on the stove and ignited the burner.  "You used to play chess while you waited.  Do you have a chess set, Remus?"

"Of course I do, Dad." 

"Could you play with me while we wait?"

Remus felt tears sting his eyes then.  "Sure.  Hold on."  He went into his parlor and went to the end table where he'd set his wand next to the chess set.  He picked up his wand and put it on his person before picking up the chess set.  He carried it into the kitchen and found his father already waiting at the table, the man struggling to keep himself composed.  Remus sat down across from him and set down the chess board and pieces. 

They began playing.  It wasn't a wizard chess board, but a muggle one.  By habit, Remus was playing the white pieces.  Several moves passed before the silence was broken.  Every time his father spoke it made his heart lurch a little more.  "Your brother never let you play the black pieces, did he?" 

"No."  He moved his knight.  His father moved his bishop.  Then, Remus moved a pawn. 

"And he'd try to distract you by talking, but you were never fooled.  You were very focused, Remus."  Remus did not respond, just let his father talk.  In only a few moments, Remus got his pieces where he wanted.  "Did Romulus ever beat you?"

"No."  Remus moved his castle and took a pawn.  His father sighed and moved his queen, which his son took with a bishop.  His father then moved his knight and left his king open.  Remus moved his queen and said, "Checkmate," just as the kettle began to whistle.  It was like his brother's ghost shouted in frustration at losing again. 

"Always good at chess," his father choked out as he stood to get the kettle.  Remus stared at the knocked over black king piece.  His brother was dead.  It was just starting to set in with Remus. 

He heard a shatter on the floor and Remus looked up.  His father put one of the cups quickly on the table and knelt on the floor, his tears coming freely now.  Remus got out of the chair and knelt in front of his father.  "Dad, I'll get it." 

"I guess I'm not meant to make two hot chocolates anymore," the man moaned, his voice strangled from his tears.  He picked up a few pieces of the cup from the scalding drink on the floor. 

"Dad, I'll get it."  Remus was barely holding back his own tears.  He couldn't stand to see his father like this.  The only other time he'd seen his father cry was after his first full moon.  He'd held him for hours afterwards apologizing endlessly for insulting Greyback and causing him to bite him.  Remus forgave his father, but his father never forgave himself. 

Alator could not hold onto the pieces and they fell back to the floor.  "I'm so sorry, Remus.  I'm so sorry for everything.  If I never insulted that monster none of this would have happened.  You wouldn't be sick.  Your brother would be alive." 

"Dad-"  Remus could not take anymore of this, of his father's guilt.  Remus went around the mess of the shattered hot chocolate cup and grabbed his father in a fierce hug.  At the contact, Alator collapsed to the floor, his fists clenched in Remus's lapels, a horrible sound wrestling from his throat.  Remus went with him to the floor and held onto his father.  The older man slammed his head into Remus's chest as his sobs were so intense he could not put voice to them.  Remus closed his eyes and tried to not join his father's crying.  His parents needed him strong since they could not be the strong ones anymore. 

Soon his father was reduced to whimpering, and Remus felt that he needed to encourage his father to sleep.  He recognized that his father was lost in his memories and his mind somewhere and might not even react to him anymore.  Remus struggled to pick his father up, levitating him a little with wordless magic.  He brought him to the newly transfigured bed and set him down beside his mother.  He stood back and saw that both of them looked miserable even in their sleep.  He wished he knew how to help them. 

Remus went back into the kitchen and fell to his knees.  He began to clean up the shattered cup, finally allowing himself to cry.  He held back his sobs, but allowed his tears to pour down his face.  He'd thrown the pieces into the waste basket in the corner, and got out his dish rag from the now cold water.  He went back to the spilled hot chocolate and wiped it up from the floor.  He did not even hear the floo flare up in the next room. 

"Remus?" 

Remus did not get up, he did not even really turn around.  He only turned his head enough to identify who stood in his kitchen.  "Severus..." 

But Remus had turned his head just enough for Severus to see the tear streaks on his fellow wizard's face.  Severus rushed over and crouched down beside Remus, looking unsure of what to do.  Remus saw that Severus's young son was looking at him with wide eyes.  "Uncew Waymus sad."  Remus nodded and closed his eyes against the tears.  His sluggish movement with the rag grew vigorous as he tried to distract himself.  "Why?" 

Both of the adults ignored the boy.  Remus shook as he stood up and put the rag back in the cold water.  He leaned heavily on the counter, shoulders hunched, taking several deep breaths.  "I'm sorry, Severus.  I'm just...not very sociable right now." 

Severus did not say anything.  He held Tevin and stood from his crouch on the floor.  He did not approach Remus, but waited for the other man to make a move.  Tevin looked from Remus to Severus and back to Remus.  He clearly wanted to ask a question, but knew he should be quiet.  When adults are quiet, he was supposed to be quiet too. 

"Do you know any...anything that would help someone sleep better?" Remus whispered.

Normally, Severus would have teased Remus for forgetting the common sleep aid herb, Lavender, but not that time.  "Yes." 

"Could you help my parents sleep peacefully tonight?"  Remus still did not turn around. 

"Of course."  Severus took a moment to transfigure one of the table chairs into a high chair.  He set his son into it, and whispered for him not to bother his godfather.  Tevin nodded, and stayed quiet. 

Severus walked to stand just behind Remus.  "Do you have any lavender oil?" 

Remus nodded and raised a shaking arm to point in the general direction.  "Far right cabinet."  Severus went to it and opened it.  He found a jar of lavender and took it out.  He looked around for some sort of applicator for the oil but he could not find anything. 

Rather than trouble Remus for something so trivial, Severus took the oil into the parlor.  He looked at Remus's parents for the first time, having never met them.  He could see that most of Remus's features came directly from his father, with the possible exception of his light, straight hair.  Remus would one day look like his father. 

Severus placed the jar on the end table before going to the fireplace.  He gently tossed the floo powder into the fireplace and stuck his head in the flames.  It took a few minutes, but when he returned fully into the parlor he held several new items in his hands.  He put everything on the hearth next to his foot as he set up a contraption on the mantel.  The framework of this first object held a bowl in the air about six inches high.  He retrieved the small candle from the floor and placed it underneath the bowl in the framework.  He bent again to retrieve the three oils next to his foot.  He unstopped the first and allowed nine drops of bay-laurel oil to drip into the elevated bowl before stopping it again.  He repeated this process with six drops of cedarwood oil and sweet-orange oil.  The room slowly began to fill with the scent of the mixed oils. 

Severus walked back to the end table, leaving the other items on the mantel.  He moistened his fingertips with the lavender oil, using his thumbs to spread it on his fingertips and to warm the oil.  Gently, he lowered himself onto the bed near Mrs. Lupin's head.  Slowly, he reached out his hands and touched his fingertips to her temples.  Without applying much pressure, Severus began to rub small circles into her temples, his fingers massaging the lavender oil into her skin slowly.  He continued this until he saw the tense lines in her face begin to relax.  The room was beginning to be covered in the relaxing scent of the warm oil on the mantelpiece.  Once the tension was gone from her face, Severus stopped his movements. 

He rose from the bed and coated his fingertips with more oil.  He walked around the bed and lowered himself onto it, this time beside Remus's father.  With a little more nervousness, he leaned over the older man and touched his fingertips to his temples and began to trace slow circles, working the lavender oil into the man's skin.  It took longer than Mrs. Lupin, but eventually Mr. Lupin's expression softened and relaxed in sleep. 

Severus rose from the bed again, gathered the lavender oil from the end table and walked back into the kitchen.  At first he didn't notice that Remus was not leaning in front of the sink until he was drying off his newly washed hands.  He turned around to see Remus sitting at the table across from Tevin.  They were looking at each other.  A cup of now lukewarm hot chocolate rested at the head of the table, a little away from the two. 

Tevin reached forward to grab the fallen black king.  He stood it upright on the chess board, and then resumed looking at Remus. 

Remus's expression looked blank, lost.  Severus found himself unsure of what to do or what to say, if anything.  Then, he remembered something, a piece of Lily's advice. 

Lily had dragged Severus into the candy shop in Hogsmeade, Honeydukes, during one of the weekends the students of Hogwarts were allowed to visit.  She seemed to be on a mission as she led him to the large display of chocolate.  "Lily, why are we even here?  You said you wanted to go to Scrivenshaft's for a new quill."

"It's Remus's birthday tomorrow, Sev.  I want to get him a present."

Severus snorted.  "So you are buying him chocolate?  Won't that give him a different idea?" 

Lily looked at Severus with a look that clearly showed her near inability to hold back a laugh.  "What?  That it's a love gift?"  Severus stuttered as he tried to answer.  "Really, Sev," she laughed, reaching for a huge chocolate bar.  "It happens to make Remus feel better.  Everyone has their comfort food.  Remus's is chocolate." 

She began to walk towards the register, and Severus hurried to catch up to her.  "Awfully feminine of Lupin, isn't it?" he asked, as Lily was given the bag with the chocolate bar inside it. 

She looked at him with a mischievous smirk.  "I happen to know a certain Slytherin who is very fond of chocolate."

Severus pretended to look surprised, but couldn't hide his smile.  "And who might that be?"

Lily laughed before she took his hand and led him from the shop.  "Don't be stupid.  You know perfectly well it's you." 

Severus laughed as she dragged him out of Honeydukes.  "I was just making sure you didn't buy anyone else chocolate, especially another Slytherin."  Lily's laugh followed them all the way to Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. 

Severus saw the cup of hot chocolate sitting on the table and drew his wand silently.  He muttered a warming charm on the liquid.  When steam rose from it again, Severus picked up the cup and held it out to Remus.  "Remus."  Remus looked up at Severus.  Severus drew the other man's attention to the steaming cup of hot chocolate.  "Drink this.  You'll feel better." 

Remus looked up at Severus again.  "How do you know that?"

Severus tried to offer a smile.  "Lily told me once that chocolate is your comfort food." 

Remus's lips curled into the hint of a smile.  He accepted the cup and took a small sip.  "She was always a clever witch."  He took another sip before setting the cup on the table and inhaling the scent of the chocolate.  When he opened his eyes, he met Tevin's gaze.  "She wanted you to be a bookworm, you know, young man."  Tevin had no idea what a bookworm was, but he didn't care.  He smirked at Remus, glad that someone was talking to him. 

"Feel good, Waymus?" 

Remus smiled a little bit more.  "A little."  He took another sip.  "Your father was right.  Chocolate somehow makes me feel better."  Tevin smiled at Remus, and his godfather did his best to return the smile. 

Hogsmeade was never a pleasant place for a witch or wizard with a small child, and that was because of one store, Honeydukes.  Not only was Severus Snape less than enthused about taking his young son into Hogsmeade, but he was even more less enthused about acting as a chaperone to the annoying percentage of the Hogwarts student population at least in their third year who were awarded the privilege of going to Hogsmeade.  Severus was determined to not endure it alone, so he had Ophelia come with him.  Why not make it a family outing?  Who knows, Tevin might even bond with Ophelia. 

The weather was starting to get colder, and Severus was forced to dress his son in the Gryffindor themed mittens and hat that Remus had sent him after he took Tevin from the doorstep of Petunia Dursley.  He was tempted to spell them to a different color but Tevin had glared at him when Ophelia had asked if they should make them Slytherin themed.  Tevin was firm in his refusal to have them changed to anything but gold and maroon, and so the colors stayed. 

Severus remembered McGonagall's reaction to Tevin, as she figured he was the son of two Slytherins, wearing Gryffindor colors.  She laughed and proceeded to tell Tevin that maybe he would soften his father towards her house.  Tevin had laughed as though they'd agreed to some sort of plan.  McGonagall was just thrilled to be making progress with the boy. 

As Severus had to keep an eye on the students wandering all throughout Hogsmeade, he asked Ophelia to handle anything related to shopping that they actually needed.  "Oh, thanks, Severus," she said, trying to hide a smirk.  "Leave the shopping to the woman."

He smiled.  "Well, it is the common practice." 

Ophelia reached out to take Tevin.  "Should I take him, then?  That would make it even more common.  Leave the man to wander around while the woman  and the children shop." 

Tevin laughed and looked at Ophelia.  It had been a week since the scary incident in the Great Hall.  After being passed around by many people he did not know, the boy practically sought out Ophelia's company.  It was wonderful progress in the minds of the adults, but Tevin was not so sure.  She was not his mother.  He reached out his arms to her, and Severus transferred him to her arms.  He always looked slightly worried when Tevin was not with him. 

Ophelia noticed his worried expression and smiled at Severus.  "We'll be fine.  It's Hogsmeade.  It could be worse."  He nodded, looking less than convinced.  "I'll only go to Gladrags...and maybe Zonko's-"

"No, not Zonko's-"

"-while you go to Scrivenshaft's.  I'll meet you in...Madam Puddifoot's?"

Severus flinched.  "No.  Not Puddifoot's, please."  Ophelia looked worriedly at Severus as she noticed his expression darken.  "I don't want to ever go there again."

"I'm sorry, Severus.  It was a stupid thing to say."  She came forward and spoke quietly to him.  "I didn't think you-"

"We went there together...just before...I..." Severus lowered his head, his black hair falling low to hide his face. 

"It's okay," she whispered, reaching out to rub his arm, comfortingly.  "I'm sorry." 

With his head still lowered he said quietly so that Ophelia had to focus to hear him, "It's alright."  He took a moment before he lifted his head again, only to find his son looking inquisitively at him.  He mustered up a soft smile for the boy.  "You go and have fun shopping, while I watch over these...moronic children." 

Ophelia gave him a smile and turned to go with Tevin, who looked over her shoulder to shout, "Bye, Daddy!"  Severus smiled and waved after the boy. 

At that moment, a Gryffindor fourth year threw a snowball right through his line of vision to collide soundly with a Ravenclaw third year's head.  Severus turned to see the Gryffindor try to hide behind a pole unsuccessfully.  "Five points from Gryffindor!" Severus snapped at the Gryffindor, before walking off towards Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop.  He'd heard they'd just developed a peacock feather quill pen that was guaranteed to never drip, splatter or clog.  It sounded very interesting.

There were children from Hogwarts running and walking all over Hogsmeade, many of them were throwing tightly packed snowballs across the street to each other.  This was not a place to bring your child.  This was a warzone!  That's just how Lucius Malfoy felt as he brandished his wand to deflect flying snowballs from his wife and son as they walked through Hogsmeade. 

He did not usually frequent Hogsmeade, but Narcissa had another dream last night and demanded that they go to Hogsmeade that day.  It was important.  Her husband was beginning to doubt his wife's interpretation as his well-dressed family walked through the street, making them stand out as much as a House Elf in a gathering of Centaurs. 

Lucius would take the shelter of any shop at this point.  Narcissa clutched Draco to her body, just in case Lucius missed a stray snowball.  Draco, though he was curious to look around Hogsmeade, decided that saving himself was more important than his curiosity and so he burrowed his face into his mother's body. 

"You would think the professors of that school would think to not allow such dangerous behavior!" Lucius growled at Narcissa as he managed to block another snowball. 

Narcissa looked up at Lucius.  "I remember you threw a snowball at me once." 

Lucius stole a glance at his wife.  "You were not trying to protect a baby at the time.  Had that been the case, all attempts at hitting you with a snowball would have ceased."

Another snowball was soaring through the air, on Narcissa's right.  Lucius swept his wand over her head and deflected it.  "That's it!" he said, growing more and more frustrated.  "We're going into the next door."  He led his family to the first door he saw, threw it open and ushered Narcissa and Draco inside.  When he calmed down, he looked around and discovered that they were in Gladrag's Wizardwear. 

There was an entire wall layered in the most garish socks he'd ever seen.  They were bright colors, with patterns that made your eyes hurt if you looked at them too long.  Some of the images on them moved like their pictures.  Some even spoke!  Why anyone would want talking socks, Lucius would never know.  It was something he did not understand.  His lips curled into a sneer as he took the shop in.

Draco dared to peek out to look around the store.  His grey eyes widened as he saw the many bright colors attack his senses.  His mouth fell open in excitement.  Then he saw a very bright blue fuzzy winter hat.  He stretched out his arm towards it, his fingers straining to simply touch the material. 

Usually, Narcissa would have been paying attention to every movement her son made, but her eyes caught sight of a young woman up ahead by the scarves.  She recognized her.  The woman held a young boy in her arms as she tickled his nose with the soft fabric of a bubblegum pink scarf.  The child sneezed and then the woman laughed and she put the scarf back.  She was reaching high to another one, when the boy grabbed hold of another one.  She noticed the boy held a scarf and she looked at it with the boy. 

"Daddy." 

"You think Daddy would like that?" she asked the boy with black hair. 

He nodded, and snuggled with the scarf.  It was a dark emerald green color.  It was a warm, heavy, woven fabric, but gleamed and shined like it was satin.  It flowed like it was thin silk.  It was deceptive, and strikingly attractive.  "Okay, should we get it for Daddy for Christmas?"  He nodded again.

"You can't tell him, you know."

He looked up at her, and stopped snuggling with the scarf.  "'kay!"

She looked at the little boy.  "Do you promise?" 

He nodded again.  "Pwomise."  The woman took the scarf out of the boy's hands and she began walking to the register, getting lost in the crowd. 

"Lucius?"  She saw her husband turn towards her.  She was about to keep speaking until she saw Lucius carefully pry their son's fingers from a frightening-looking blue fuzzy hat.  "Should we brave the outdoors again?"

"Well, there might be something interesting in Dervish and Banges.  Are we aimlessly wandering around until we see what you dreamed, Cissa?"  He looked down at her, and when her eyes met his he knew the answer.  "Very well.  You said it was in a shop?" 

"Yes," she answered.  "But we need to come out of a shop to see the first part of it."  As they turned to leave the same dark-haired woman Narcissa saw a moment ago hurried past them into the streets. 

"I've seen her before," Lucius said, to no one in particular. 

"I saw her a moment ago.  I can't remember her name, but I swear she was a Slytherin." 

Lucius stared after the woman, who held a young boy in her arms, and had the handles of a bag around her wrist.  Lucius guided Narcissa with his hand at her back out of the shop again his gaze intent on the woman.  If Narcissa thought the woman used to be a Slytherin, why in Merlin's name would she dress her son in Gryffindor colors?  That made absolutely no sense. He did not get a good look at her face.  Lucius led his wife through the street again, following the woman.  Mercifully, the students of Hogwarts decided to stop throwing snowballs at each other. 

Suddenly, she turned around.  Lucius's grey eyes met her brown eyes, and in a moment Lucius knew her. 

Lucius, now a sixth year student, walked through the portrait hole from the hallways with a young second year, Severus Snape.  He'd befriended the boy since he'd first sat down at the table just after being sorted by the Sorting Hat into Slytherin. 

"So, you see, Snape, knowing about the Dark Arts is not always a bad thing."

"It just seems like it would set me up to be viewed badly, that's all." 

"What?  Like...a Death Eater?  It's not all bad, you know."

"It seems like the reputation isn't worth it, Malfoy."  

Then a quiet sniffling sounded from behind the large black sofa.  Lucius did not show much interest in the sound, but Severus crept towards the noise, and peered behind the sofa.  "Hello?"

It was a little girl, a first year.  She had long dark brown hair that covered her huddled body like a blanket.  "Hi," she miserably mumbled. 

"What's your name?" Severus asked.  Lucius walked up behind the younger boy to stare stoically down at the crying girl. 

"Ophelia Fay," she answered.  Then, she looked up at her housemates.  Closer to her was a boy nearer her age with longer black hair.  Behind him, looking at her like she was an annoyance was an older boy with blonde hair.  He frightened her right away. 

The younger boy smiled at her.  "My name's Severus Snape."

"Hi, Severus."

"Come on, Snape," the blonde said, "I have a book for you.  Don't waste your time with pathetic babies like this one."

"Hold on, Malfoy," Severus said.  "Why are you crying?" 

She wiped her eyes quickly.  "People are making fun of me."

That caught Lucius's attention.  "In Slytherin?"  She nodded.  "I'll handle it."

"Why would they make fun of you?" Severus asked. 

She looked down again.  "Because I don't know how to write with a quill.  I'm used to pens and pencils.  I just found out I was witch this summer." 

Before Severus could say anything, Lucius spoke.  "A Mudblood?"  His face contorted into a disproving grimace.  "A Mudblood in Slytherin?" 

"What's a Mudblood?" she asked.  She didn't like this Malfoy person, but the dark-haired boy didn't seem too bad.  She looked to him for the answer.

"It's not that imp-"

"It's a disgrace to this House!"  With that, Lucius Malfoy walked away, wondering how a Mudblood had possibly been sorted into Slytherin. 

Lucius drew in a breath as he recognized her.  Ophelia Fay.  How was that possible?  "She's supposed to be dead," he whispered in surprise. 

Narcissa looked up at Lucius.  "Who?  That girl?" 

"Yes.  I thought Snape killed her."

Narcissa followed her husband's line of vision.  "What is her name?"

"Ophelia Fay."  Lucius looked at the boy in the younger woman's arms.  "Having a Mudblood in Slytherin is bad enough, but to make it worse, her brat is wearing Gryffindor colors." 

Narcissa felt that this was not what they needed to focus on, and was about to tell Lucius that when a darkly dressed young man came out of Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop.  A young man they both recognized instantly.  Severus Snape.  The Malfoys watched as Severus walked right up to Ophelia and greeted her with a smile, holding up a small, thin box triumphantly.  The little boy in Ophelia's arms squirmed, and reached out to Severus.  Severus lifted the boy from her arms and settled him in his own arms.  Ophelia took the box from Severus.  They they spoke for a few more seconds before they separated and headed to different shops.

"Lucius.  We need to split up.  You spoke to Severus in a shop."

Lucius looked at Narcissa.  He knew that she'd just seen what she had dreamed.  "Alright.  Anything in particular I should do or say?" 

"It will all happen as it was meant to.  But you have Draco with you when you speak to Severus."  Before he could protest, he found his arms occupied with his young son.  Draco always seemed to prefer to view the world when held in his taller parent's arms.  He held his little head high and looked out at the world, taking everything in with a strange smile on his face.  "If you go into Honeydukes, you know you are in the right place.  I'll be joining you soon." 

Lucius knew that Draco had no idea what Honeydukes sold, so when he asked, "Where would you like to go, Draco?" the response of his son surprised him.

"Candy!"

Lucius followed the pointing arm of his son, and saw that he was pointing directly to Honeydukes, where Severus had just entered.  Strange that Draco would already like the idea of sweets before he'd really sampled any.  Narcissa laughed next to her husband.  "Of all the things he got from you, it had to be your love for sweets."

"I take no such enjoyment in candies," Lucius mumbled, as he began to take his son towards Honeydukes.  Draco smiled wider with every step closer to the shop they got.  Lucius would never admit it, but he secretly was hoping to visit Honeydukes.  At least with a child he could pretend he really didn't want to be there. 

"Isn't this bizarre, Sev?"

Severus rolled his eyes and walked over to where Lily stood examining a multicolored feather quill pen.  There was a tag on it in loopy, superfluous script.  "What is that...thing, Lily?"

"It's a quill!"

"I know!  What kind?"  Severus smiled as he watched her turn the quill delicately over in her hands.  It looked as though she were afraid it would break. 

"The tag says it changes colors with your mood.  Do you think it means the color of the feather or the ink?"  Before Severus could reply, she conjured a piece of parchment and pressed the tip of the quill down.  She thought for a second before she began to write.

Severus Snape is my best friend. 

Severus's breath caught for a moment as he read the words.  The ink was violet.  Even though he never wanted to see his name written in purple ink again, the sentence in that ink caused him to smile.  "That is so interesting!  What does purple mean?" Lily exclaimed.

"I think it means...magic?  Or...harmony?"

Lily rolled her eyes.  "Are you guessing?"

Severus tried to hold back a laugh.  "Yes, I'm guessing!  I don't know what color means what." 

Lily huffed as she put the quill down.  "I thought you were supposed to know everything about the Wizarding World, Severus Snape."

Severus could not hold back the smile then.  "If I knew everything about the Wizarding World, Lily Evans, I would not need to be in school, now would I?" 

Lily turned and met his eyes.  "I guess not."  They stared at each other for a second.  Lily then darted forward and, as she passed him, grabbed his hand.  "What were you studying over here?"

"It was nothing."  Severus tried to stop her from going over to the display of the eagle quills that were guaranteed to never run out of ink.  That would be very handy. 

Lily knew him better than to believe him.  She figured out almost instantly what caught her friend's eye.  She stopped just in front of it.  A display quill levitated in front of them, showing off the merchandise from every angle.  "This is what you want, isn't it, Sev?" 

"No," he lied. 

"Yes, it is!"  She plucked the quill from the charmed display platform.  She examined it like she had examined the other quill.  "Guaranteed to never run out of ink," she read the tag.  She looked at Severus with an amused grin.  "Leave it to you to want the practical ones."  She conjured another piece of parchment and wrote another line. 

Severus always gets practical items, and it makes him adorable.

In normal circumstances, Severus would have vomited at being called adorable, but when it came from Lily, it was like she'd just said that he was handsome to his face.  He smiled.  His happiness at the thought was dashed when he saw that she'd kept writing. 

Maybe I'll buy him this quill.  He'd love it!

"No, Lily."

She looked at him.  "No, what?"

"Don't buy me the quill." 

She looked at him confusedly. "Why not?  I can buy Remus chocolate, but I can't get you something you'd use?"

Severus turned away.  "I can take care of myself.  I don't need it, I just want it."

"And I want to buy it for you.  What's so wrong with that?"

Severus struggled for a moment.  The day had gone so well and now all because of a feather it was going to be ruined.  Severus turned to face Lily again, who still held the quill in her hand.  "My whole House knows I am from a poor family.  What would they think if I had an expensive quill?  Someone like Malfoy would have this, or Black...or-"

"Sev, don't bring that toerag up today."  She looked at his miserable expression.  "Just because you can't afford it, or that it wouldn't be expected of you to have it, doesn't mean you shouldn't have it.  I might want something...oh, I don't know...like a collapsible cauldron made of gold or something.  Do you think I could really afford something like that?"  Severus shook his head.  Lily stepped closer to him, smiling softly.  "But if someone ever bought it for me, I'd still keep it, because I'd wanted it." 

"It wouldn't be fair if you could get me things, but I could never get you anything nice."  He lowered his head. 

Lily's eyes softened at him.  "Sev, look at me."  He raised his head just enough.  "If you think that I want you to get me things, and that I was only your friend for your money, do you really think I would still be friends with you?"

"Sometimes I think you shouldn't be..."

Lily flinched.  "Stop, Sev.  I'm your friend because I like you, and I like spending time with you.  And you can make me smile when I don't even want to.  No one else can do that.  I don't care if you never buy me anything nice.  Just stay with me." 

Severus slowly began to smile.  Lily smiled back at him and put the quill back in its display, where it continued to levitate.  Lily took his hand and they walked out of Scrivenshaft's. 

When Christmas arrived two weeks later, Severus received a thin box from Lily.  When he opened it and saw an Endless-Ink Eagle Feather Quill Pen, Severus cried on Christmas, because for the first time someone gave him something he'd actually wanted rather than needed.

Severus looked through the displayed quills in Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, looking for something he could purchase for his son for the first Christmas they would spend together.  What should he get?  He had no idea.  But he knew that Tevin's mother would have most likely wanted to try to teach her son how to use a quill as soon as possible.  Severus thought that a seventeen month old child was a little young to learn to use a quill pen, but maybe he just did not know.

Maybe he should ask someone.  He was about to walk towards the sales clerk to ask the proper age at which to begin to instruct a child in using a quill pen, when he thought better of it.  Sales clerks had one goal, to sell their product.  He suspected that a sales clerk would tell him that he could start teaching a child to write with a quill at the time of birth, just so long as they could sell you a quill.  Maybe he shouldn't ask someone. 

As he was about to leave the shop, he caught sight of something.  He was drawn to it.  He plucked the levitating quill from the display and looked it over.  It was not dangerous.  It was bendable.  It looked like a quill, like a feather, but it wasn't.  He looked at the tag, which indicated that it was appropriate for children six months and up.  Was it ink? 

He conjured a parchment and tested the quill.  To his surprise, he found that it was a pencil.  It was a flexible, bendable, unbreakable quill that housed charmed graphite instead of harmful ink.  This was interesting.  He could maybe teach Tevin how to draw with a pencil, while he grew accustomed to a quill!  His son would know how to use a quill as he further learned how to write, and draw, and everything!  Severus felt a smile spread on his face at these thoughts. 

As the sales clerk was putting the quill into a thin box, Severus thought of one more thing that made the quill perfect.  Tevin may not understand, but one day he would.

A quill that was a pencil was exactly what Tevin was, a combination of magic and muggle heritage. 

With a smile, Severus left to shop, spotting Ophelia and Tevin instantly.   He walked to his friend and his son, raising the small, thin box with a triumphant grin on his face. 

"What is that?" Ophelia asked.

"This," Severus said, holding the box at Tevin's eye-level, "is my son's Chritsmas present."  Tevin reached his arms out to the box, but Severus held it out of his reach.  "Not yet, young man.  You have to wait a little while."  Tevin continued to reach towards him, squirming in Ophelia's arms.  "I suppose it's up to me to teach you patience, Tevin."  He lifted Tevin out of Ophelia's arms, and settled the boy against him. 

"Do you need to go anywhere else?" he asked Ophelia. 

"Well," she began to reply as she took the box he still held.   "I have to get some more tea."  She restrained herself from saying ‘Madam Puddifoot's' since Severus reacted so poorly to it last time.  "Where should I meet you?" 

Severus thought for a moment, before looking down at Tevin.  "How would you like to visit the candy shop your mother and I went to every Hogsmeade weekend?"

Tevin smiled and his brown eyes glowed.  "Yeah!" he shouted, happily. 

Severus smiled.  "Honeydukes it is, then."  He looked at Ophelia.  "Meet us there."  Ophelia nodded before setting off towards Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop.  She knew they both needed some more strawberry and ginger tea.  Maybe she would buy a few ounces of licorice tea for Severus's Christmas present. 

When Severus brought Tevin through the door of Honeydukes, it was clear that he'd never been brought there by James or Lily.  Tevin's face lit up in delight as soon as the door opened.  The shop was filled with Severus's students purchasing items, browsing through items, or grouped together in little clusters sucking on some lollipops of who-knows-what flavours.  With the flavours they had for those Every Flavour Beans, Severus was extremely cautious about what exactly he was buying when it came to sweets.  Who would really want to suck on a lollipop or hard candy that tasted like a rotten egg? 

Tevin pointed out where they should go in the cluttered little shop.  Severus obliged his son and went to wherever the boy indicated.  At one point, Severus had just walked past something that was very interesting to Tevin, and failed to stop.  In the boy's excitement, he flung his arm back to tell his father that he wanted to see what just went by, but instead his arm smacked Severus in the jaw. 

"Tevin!"  Severus was about to continue but when he saw the delight on his son's face, he did not want to cause it to disappear with a scolding.  He'd tell him later. 

"Daddy!  Toc'late!  Toc'late!  Fer Waymus!"  Severus looked straight ahead where Tevin was pointing and found that he was pointing directly to the chocolate assortment in one corner of the shop.  How did he know that was chocolate?  Maybe Lily had brought him here.  No.  She would never bring her young son into a candy shop.  It must have been James...or Sirius!  Severus rolled his eyes at the thought.

Severus took Tevin to the chocolate displayed on the shelves.  When Tevin looked at Severus, he realized that the boy was asking which one to choose.  "Is it for Remus?"  Tevin nodded.  "He'll eat any of them, Tevin, just pick one."  Tevin picked one up then changed his mind.  "Is this a Christmas present from you?"  Tevin chewed on his bottom lip and nodded shyly.  "If it's from you, he'll like it no matter what kind you choose."  It took Tevin several more minutes before he decided on a rather large dark chocolate bar.  When he decided, he looked up at his father with a devilish, satisfied smirk on his little face.  "It's a good choice," Severus reassured his son, before he took it so that he could purchase it.    

Severus was heading away from the chocolate corner, when a smooth voice stopped him in his steps.  "I didn't know you'd taken up the profession of a hired nursemaid, Severus."  He did not even have to turn to know who it was.

"Hello, Lucius."  Then, he turned.  He met the grey eyes of Lucius Malfoy, who still stood about a head taller than him.  Severus was a tall man, but Lucius towered over people.  He presented a rather imposing figure, especially with his well-groomed appearance.  However, because of associating with Lucius Malfoy since he was eleven years old, Severus knew him well enough to know when a statement like that was made in jest or in complete seriousness as an insult.  "And I am not a nursemaid.  This is my son, Tevin."

Severus looked down at Tevin, who was staring at Lucius Malfoy intently.  He looked all the way down to the blonde man's polished boots all the way up to the top of his white-blonde head.  It was like he was deciding whether or not he was comfortable with this new person. 

"Say hello, Tevin." 

Tevin hesitated for a moment before muttering out, "Hi."  Tevin then noticed that like him, this blonde stranger held a boy about his age.  Tevin's brown eyes met the grey gaze of the little blonde boy.  "Is he yours?"

Lucius smiled kindly at the boy.  "Yes, this is my son."  Lucius coaxed the boy in his arms to let go of his arm.  The blonde child seemed terrified to meet these dark-haired strangers.  "This is Draco Malfoy."

Draco, when he heard his name, tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at Tevin.  Tevin glared back.  Draco was trying to do the same thing that Tevin was doing.  Could he trust this boy in front of him? 

"Draco," Lucius hissed at the boy in his arms.  "You are forgetting your manners."

Before Draco could say anything, Severus spoke up.  "Isn't he young to be learning etiquette, Lucius?"

"No age is young to learn manners.  I would have thought that after your dealings with those ruffians who tormented you so long you would think the same."  Severus succeeded in not flinching at the veiled mention of James Potter and Sirius Black.  He didn't know how his son would react to either name.  "Besides," Lucius continued, "I'm determined that my Draco will uphold his family name honorably." 

"I'm sure you are."

Severus was aware that Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy had had a son, but he had never met him before.  He was not surprised in the least that Lucius's son would resemble his father.  With such a strong resemblance to Lucius, Draco would either have it very easy or he would have it very tough.  Would he be forced to follow in the footsteps of Lucius?  Severus hoped that the boy would be allowed to become his own person, although from the look of things it seemed that Lucius was set against that idea. 

"Draco," Lucius said again to his son.  "Aren't you going to say anything?"

Draco looked up at Lucius for a moment.  "Hi," he said, slowly, as though Tevin would not understand him.  His other two friends that he played with could not even speak yet, so Draco always took his time speaking to people his age.  "You have friends?"

Tevin looked up at Severus unsure of the question.  When he figured that he was on his own with this one, Tevin answered Draco.  "No."

Draco made a disgusted face.  "Be my friend!" he exclaimed. 

Tevin nodded, excited at the idea of maybe having someone his age to play with!  Draco smiled at Tevin.  "‘Kay!" Tevin shouted, a smile growing on his face. 

Severus watched his son and Draco interact as much as they could.  He wondered if Lily would have had a fit if she'd known that their son just made friends with the son of Lucius Malfoy.  He wagered that she would not have even let Lucius near them, nevermind introduce Draco to Tevin. 

"This is a surprise," Lucius said to Severus quietly, as the boys continued to talk about whatever they could manage.  "Usually Draco is not this friendly.  He must like your son, Severus." 

"I suppose so."  Severus looked down at Tevin who was currently examining Draco's blonde hair with his Gryffindor mitten, as Draco managed to pull one of said mittens from Tevin's hand to investigate it. 

Lucius opened his mouth to say something, but he was stopped by the arrival of a familiar woman at his side.  "Would I be wrong to assume that this is your son, Severus?"

Severus looked and saw a sweet-faced, blonde woman standing beside Lucius.  "Yes, Narcissa.  This is Tevin." 

"He looks very much like his father.  Just like our Draco."  Narcissa looked over at the two boys with a satisfied expression. 

"Severus?"

He turned to face the last member of their group to join them with a welcoming smile.  "Ophelia, you remember Narcissa Black and Lucius Malfoy?"

Ophelia smiled as best she could at the Malfoys.  "How can I forget?" 

Narcissa nodded to Ophelia before focusing again on Draco and Tevin.  When she next spoke, it was directed only to Severus.  "It seems our children have become friends rather quickly."

Severus offered a tight-lipped smile.  "So it would seem, Narcissa." 

Narcissa got her son's attention.  Draco looked at his mother.  "Would you like to have Tevin come over to play?"  Draco smiled and nodded instantly. 

"Really, Mrs. Malfoy-"

"Narcissa, that is very-"

"Are you sure that's wise, Cissa?" The other two were overruled by the voice of Lucius. 

Narcissa looked at Draco.  "Draco wants Tevin to come to play with him, and I think it would be nice for Draco to have as many friends as he could, especially considering the dimwits you let him play with now."  She looked at Severus.  "I'm sure that your son cannot possibly be a dull child with you as his father." 

Tevin looked up at Severus, finally understanding that going to play with Draco would be like when he played with Remus, except with someone small like him. "Pease, Daddy?" 

"Pwease?" Draco piped up from Lucius's arms. 

Severus looked at Tevin.  He saw the hope and excitement clearly in his son's eyes.  "Alright." 

Lucius and Narcissa smiled.  "Very well, then, Severus.  I hope you will join my wife and son for dinner on Friday.  You remember when my family would serve dinner, yes?"  Severus nodded.  "Then, we will all see you then at Malfoy Manor." 

Lucius and Narcissa turned to leave the shop.  Draco leaned and peered around his father's arm.  "Bye!" 

Tevin waved excitedly at Draco.  "Bye!" he shouted back. 

Ophelia stood beside Severus, feeling as though she were invisible.  It was just like in school, since word got out that she was born to muggles. Lucius Malfoy never looked at her once. 

The dinner atmosphere was unusually tense in the dining room of Malfoy Manor.  The aesthetics of the place was festive for Christmas and elegant as the Malfoy status allowed.  The table glowed warmly with the light of several enchanted, floating candles.  The seating arrangement suited everyone, with Lucius and Severus at the heads of the table, the women to their left and each woman's respective child to their left.  While the men would spend time discussing safe topics like the political goings-on in the Ministry and Hogwarts, the woman were silent and fed their sons.  Then, an awkward silence descended after the polite talk could not be talked about anymore. 

The only sounds not awkward were the happy sounds of two young boys enjoying their easily edible dinner.  Despite favoring their own sons, both Severus and Lucius could not help but admit that the boy to their right and not their own child was growing on them quickly.  Every so often, Lucius would find his gaze drifting to Tevin just as much as he would watch Draco.  The same could be said about Severus watching Draco.  Narcissa and Ophelia were occupied by their own meals and with helping the boys get more food in their stomaches than everywhere else.  Both Draco and Tevin were messy eaters.

Lucius was still puzzled, however.  He thought back to several days ago when he had encountered Severus and his family in Hogsmeade.  He stared at the dark-haired woman at his table.  Under no circumstances would Lucius have ever considered allowing a mudblood to eat in his house.  They were simply not worthy.  Yet here she was, Ophelia Fay, the mudblood Slytherin who somehow managed to still be alive.  He remembered her at a Death Eater meeting.  He remembered that the Dark Lord had commented that even he was surprised that someone not of pureblood heritage had ended up in Slytherin.  Lucius swore that Severus killed her.  And yet here she was, with an infant son, Severus's son, that she dared to dress in Gryffindor colors, and having the nerve to sit at his table and eat the same food as him.  It was almost outrageous.  Then again, he and Narcissa had invited her with the boy and Severus to their home. 

But the puzzle was slowly giving him an unbearable headache. 

Dinner had ended and the dessert was being served.  It was just as everyone was sampling the first spoonful that Lucius broke the silence in the conversation.  He stared at the dark-haired man across from him as he spoke in a level and steady voice.

"Tell me something, Severus.  How is it that a pureblood enthusiast, such as yourself, is married to a mudblood that by all means should be dead?"

Severus's hand stopped midway to his mouth as his eyes snapped up to meet his host's.  There was a small clatter as Ophelia dropped her spoon.  Narcissa raised her eyes to her husband, nervously.  Lucius continued to stare at Severus.  The two boys did not understand the question and continued to giggle happily and make faces at each other. 

The tension was thick at the table and Lucius and Severus continued to stare at each other, their bodies stiff as statues.  Ophelia said nothing and stared down at the table.  Narcissa's eyes darted back and forth between the other three adults.  She knew that Severus and Lucius would stubbornly keep staring at each other until one of them backed down.  She also knew that after an insult like that Ophelia would not dare to speak.  It would be up to her, it seemed.

"Mrs. Snape," Narcissa spoke quietly, waiting until Ophelia looked up at her.  "Would you come with me into the nursery with your son?"

Ophelia did not nod or voice her acceptance in any way.  She indicated it by standing and picking up Tevin.  Ophelia stood awkwardly for a moment while Narcissa picked up Draco and then went to Lucius's side.  She leaned towards her husband's ear and whispered to him.  Lucius finally blinked, breaking the stare with Severus, looked at Narcissa, and nodded curtly.  Without looking once at Lucius or Severus, Ophelia followed Narcissa from the dining room. 

Narcissa led Ophelia up the stairs and down the long hallway to the bedrooms.  She entered a room that was dark at first until she stepped inside.  The wall sconces flared to life as soon as she crossed the threshold of the room.  It was a room that she'd run into several weeks earlier in a panic when she'd dreamed about making an Unbreakable Vow with Severus.  The room contained a cradle in the center of the room.  There were toys scattered all over the room.  All of them were wizarding toys.  There was nothing that a muggle child would play with here. 

Narcissa lowered herself almost balletically to the floor, immediately setting the tone of the nursery as informal and relaxed.  Draco squirmed out of her arms and used her sleeve to haul himself to his feet before he turned with his head held high and began to walk towards his pile of toys a few feet away with which he was determined to occupy himself.  Narcissa looked up at Ophelia, who now held a squirming Tevin in her arms.  Tevin saw that the other little boy had been allowed to go and play.  He wanted to, too. 

"Sit down, Mrs. Snape.  There's no tension here with my husband not around."

Ophelia lowered herself and Tevin to the floor, only with far less grace than Narcissa.  Tevin immediately wrestled his way out of her arms and quickly crawled his way over towards Draco.  The two women watched the boy speedily head towards the blonde.  "Has Tevin not learned to walk yet?" Narcissa asked.

"No, he walks," Ophelia said, feeling the need to defend her friend's son.  "He is just still unsteady on his feet yet and when he wants to get somewhere quickly he chooses to crawl."  Ophelia smiled as she remembered something that happened the other day when Severus was focused on a potions article and was oblivious to everything else.  "He followed Severus around the entire suite the other day, crawling after him.  Severus didn't even realize." 

"Did he say anything to get his attention?"

Ophelia laughed.  "No.  Tevin just kept following him.  I think he was pretending to spy on his father."

Narcissa surprised Ophelia by actually laughing.  "If Draco ever did something like that to Lucius, I think he'd have a fit."  Narcissa smiled softly as she looked again at her son.  "Then, again, Lucius adores him so much.  It's hard to tell how he'd react until Draco does something." 

The two women watched as Tevin picked up a toy that was behind Draco, being sure that the blonde wouldn't notice it.  Just as Tevin had settled with it, Draco turned and saw his toy in Tevin's hands.  "Mine!" he cried.  Draco smacked Tevin's hand and the toy fell to the ground.  Rather than crying, Tevin glared at Draco, who stood over the other boy with as much intimidation as he could muster. 

"You play with other toy." 

"Still mine!" Draco snapped. 

Narcissa frowned.  "Draco," she called.  Draco looked over at his mother with an innocent expression.  "You won't keep friends if you don't share." 

Draco frowned at his mother then.  "Mine," he mumbled. 

"Yes, it is yours, but you have to let others play with some of your things when they come over." 

Draco's bottom lip trembled.  Ophelia couldn't tell if he was trying to hold back tears or his anger.  "Friends hurt toys." 

Narcissa tried not to smile at this.  She looked to Ophelia.  "He means Crabbe and Goyle's boys.  They're destructive little trolls, really."  Ophelia was surprised at her admittance of not liking the sons of two men with which she was positive the blonde woman's husband associated.  Narcissa looked back at her son.  "Tevin won't hurt your toys." 

"He will!" Draco whined. 

"Ask him, Draco."

Draco seemed to think about this for a moment, before he turned to face Tevin who was still sitting in his place, simply looking at the fallen toy, having no desire to get smacked by his new friend again.  "You hurt my toys?"  Tevin looked up and shook his head.  "Swear?"  Tevin nodded.  Draco walked over to the toy and flopped down onto his bottom when he lost his balance trying to pick up the toy.  Tevin laughed at him, but stopped when Draco scowled at him.  Then, Draco began to laugh, and Tevin continued laughing with him.  Draco picked up the toy and held it towards Tevin.  "Play with it."  Tevin accepted the toy.  Draco picked up another toy and the two began to play peacefully.

Narcissa then turned to Ophelia now satisfied that the children were not going to beat each other up somehow.  "Mrs. Snape," she began. 

"Ophelia," she corrected Narcissa.  She didn't want to be called ‘Mrs. Snape,' but she certainly didn't think Narcissa, and especially Lucius, had earned the right to call her by her name.  However, her desire to avoid ‘Mrs. Snape' overruled her own pride. 

Narcissa paused then tested the name.  "Ophelia, I have something to ask you."  Ophelia nodded for her to continue.  "Would you permit Lucius and me to get your son a Christmas present?" 

Ophelia would be lying if she'd said she wasn't surprised by the question.  Should she answer this?  She thought about what Narcissa would respond with were their positions switched.  And thinking this way, she had her answer.  "I would have to ask Severus's opinion first." 

Narcissa smiled.  "I thought as much when Lucius said I should ask you.  I told him to ask Severus before I brought you here.  But I'm sure that Severus would allow it.  I was only curious as to whether you would approve or not." 

Ophelia felt like she was being backed into a corner somehow.  Was this some sort of game to Narcissa?  Was this a test?  She decided she'd rather side with caution.  "I would answer that it would depend on what this present was."

Narcissa turned her head to look at the two boys who were now finding a new way to play.  Draco was showing off his training broom to Tevin, and showing him his progress in learning how to at least mount the broom.  Tevin then took it and showed him how he'd been taught.  Then, Draco pushed Tevin off the broom before he managed to fly it anywhere.  Tevin waited on the floor for a moment, watching Draco get back on, before he shakily ran forward and ran full-force into Draco sending both of them and the broom to the ground.  Draco and Tevin began to laugh together when they both knocked their heads on the broomstick in their fall. 

"Nothing harmful, I swear, Ophelia." 

Ophelia narrowed her eyes at Narcissa's profile.  "Forgive me if I find it a little difficult to accept the promise of a prejudiced pureblood," she began heatedly, seeing the surprise on Narcissa's expression as she whipped her head to Ophelia, and hearing the laughter of the two children stop at the tone she was using, "just as much as you find it difficult to accept that I was born to muggle parents!" 

Ophelia got to her feet, barely containing her rage at the evening any longer.  She stopped at the door when she heard Tevin wordlessly protest her leaving the room.  She turned and saw that the two boys were staring at her quietly.  Tevin was in the middle of the room, obviously having taken several steps towards her.  He was reaching towards her with one of his little hands.  Draco and Narcissa both wore matching expressions.  Wide eyes, and slightly opened mouths.  Ophelia tore her gaze away from Tevin and looked hard at Narcissa.  "Make sure Severus brings Tevin home.  Can I trust you with that, at least?" 

Narcissa recovered her serene expression.  "Can you, Mrs. Snape?" 

Without saying anything else, Ophelia left the nursery and walked through the corridors with a speed just short of running.  She reached the parlor and headed directly to the fireplace, interrupting the conversation between Lucius and Severus. 

"Ophelia, what's the matter?" Severus asked, standing from the armchair. 

"Nothing!" she snapped.  She pinched some floo powder from the mantel and threw it into the blazing fire.  She saw Severus coming quickly towards her in concern, and heard that he was speaking, but not what he was saying.  She muttered her destination and practically jumped into the fire, spinning away from Malfoy Manor. 

Lucius watched his wife lead Severus's wife and son out of the dining room, now having one goal in mind.  The request of his wife.  "Be sure to ask Severus about getting his son a Christmas present."  After he was sure the women and children were gone, Lucius looked again at Severus, who was still glaring at him.  Lucius was about to speak but the younger man beat him to his voice.

"Was that necessary, Lucius?"

"What?"  When you did not want to talk about something, play ignorant.  Lucius knew perfectly well what Severus meant, since it was his question that brought the dinner to an abrupt stop. 

Severus scowled disprovingly at Lucius.  "You know very well what." 

Lucius smiled charmingly at his younger friend.  "I meant no offense by it."  Severus opened his mouth to argue.  "It is just something that's been bothering me since we all met in Hogsmeade."  Severus stared at Lucius in disbelief.  "I truly thought the woman was dead.  We both know you took her for your sport that one meeting long ago.  What made you spare her life, then?"

Severus looked down at his place setting.  "She was a good friend.  I did not want her hurt."

"Even good friends, despite being mudbloods, are not worthy to be in our world, Severus.  You know this."  Severus's head snapped up at the derogatory term.  "And to make everything more confusing, she may have been your friend in Hogwarts, but under no circumstances would that mean you would ever align yourself with her."  Lucius watched the other man's reactions carefully.  "Why would you seek to have her?  To marry her?  Answer me that, Severus."  Severus said nothing.  "Did you think you could protect her from our lord if you were to marry her?"  Lucius began to smile in a very unfriendly way.  "Not even you would be that naïve.  You know that she would be killed.  So what was it?" 

"I..." 

Lucius talked over him again.  "I remember that you claimed her for sport at the meeting.  And...if I am not mistaken, you took her away from the rest of us.  Why?" 

Severus looked as though he was going to be sick.  He did not want to discuss this with Lucius.  But the charade needed to continue.  He just hoped Lucius would believe him.  "I...took her." 

Lucius looked at Severus for moment.  "Took her?"  Then, he seemed to remember that sometimes his young friend preferred the older usages of certain words.  "Ah," he purred as the realization happened.  "You enjoyed her by force then.  And yet, usually we kill them afterwards.  But why not her, Severus?"

"Because...I...because I love her."  Inside his head, Severus was repeating to himself.  ‘I'm sorry, Lily!  I have to lie about this!  I have to lie for our son!'  He looked up at Lucius, who was looking at him closely.

"You've always had a tendency for affection towards the less deserving, haven't you?"  Severus forced himself to nod.  "First to that Gryffindor mudblood and now this one.  From what I heard you were always with her up until your fifth year.  What changed?"  Lucius clicked his tongue in a fake sad sound.  "It was that Potter scum, wasn't it?  If she was so cruel to you after that...incident...what made you plead for her life when our lord marked her for death?"  Severus did not answer.  He clenched his jaw. 

Lucius waved a hand dismissively.  "Nevermind.  We aren't going to talk about the idiot Potters.  I'm more interested in your wife.  How did you end up marrying her?"

Severus looked up at Lucius.  "A while after that meeting...she...came to me.  She was pregnant." 

"Is the boy really your son, Severus?  It wouldn't be the first witch to take advantage of you." 

"I did several tests to confirm her child was mine.  After that, I agreed to tend to her pregnancy.  We decided that it would be unwise to marry with the Dark Lord still hunting down all non-purebloods.  I offered, but she refused.  She thought it would have put me in danger." 

"Probably her only smart decision," Lucius drawled.

Severus resisted correcting him.  "Then, when she gave birth, she didn't see me.  She went into hiding.  It was probably for the best.  And, once...the Dark Lord was...defeated-"

"Careful, Severus.  You mean murdered."

"Very well," Severus conceded.  "When the Dark Lord was murdered, she sought me out and expressed a willingness to marry.  I wanted to help raise my son, and so we were married." 

Lucius raised an eyebrow interestedly.  "This was...how long after Halloween?"

"Almost the next day." 

There was a steady silence for a minute between the two wizards.  It was not nearly as tense as the last silence.  But then, a thought struck Lucius.  "Out of curiosity, Severus, when was your son born?" 

Severus met his eyes steadily, as though daring Lucius to challenge him.  "July thirty-first." 

Lucius smiled, and then proceeded to laugh as he stood from the table.  "Then, be thankful our lord did not have a reason to suspect you of thrice defying him, or you would not have a family to speak of right now!" 

Severus stood and followed Lucius out of the dining room.  "Yes," he whispered, more to himself than to Lucius.  "Fortunately." 

Lucius led Severus into the large parlor.  The blonde walked directly to his favorite armchair directly near the roaring fireplace.  Before he sat down in the comfortable-looking leather, Lucius unstopped the crystal decanter on the table next to the chair, and poured himself a small amount of brandy.  Without turning to Severus he spoke, "Would you like a drink?" 

"No, thank you, Lucius," he replied before settling himself in the chair on the other side of the table at which Lucius stood.  With a glass of brandy held in his pale hand, Lucius lowered himself into his black leather chair.  He took several small, delicate sips of the drink before he spoke again.

"Onto lighter matters on behalf of my wife."  Lucius looked at Severus then.  "We have been thinking of getting your son a present of some sort for Christmas.  Would you approve of this?" 

Severus thought of Lily, and what she would say to this situation.  If only Lucius knew that he had just offered to buy a Christmas present for the child that defeated Lord Voldemort.  The irony amused Severus, and he could not resist the smile on his face.  "Thank you, Lucius.  Just so long as it is nothing harmful or associated with the Dark Arts or something like that." 

Lucius scoffed into the brandy that he was now swirling in the glass.  "What kind of person do you think I am, Severus?"  He sighed.  "I may be hard and somewhat...cruel at times, I suppose, but I would not wish to harm my son, or yours for that matter.  There are limits to everything." 

Severus looked at Lucius for a long while.  "I would not object to my son receiving a present from you and Narcissa." 

Lucius nodded at Severus.  "Excellent.  I have just the thing for your boy.  I'm sure he'll enjoy it."  Severus's face turned to an alarmed expression.  "I told you already, Severus, it will not harm him.  Don't worry." 

There was a peaceful silence until quick footsteps were heard in the hallway approaching the parlor.  Suddenly, Ophelia burst into the room and headed straight for the fireplace.  Severus stood from the chair and began towards her as she snatched up some floo powder.  "Ophelia, what's the matter?" 

"Nothing!"

Severus began to walk towards Ophelia, concern clearly on his face, but he was too late.  She spun away from Malfoy Manor before he could find out anything that was upsetting her.  He stood looking at the empty fireplace, wondering what had set her off like that.  Then he heard another set of footsteps in the hallway.  He heard Lucius set the glass on the table, and rise from his chair. 

"Cissa, what happened?" Lucius asked, as he went to his wife. 

"I don't know.  I asked her about getting Tevin a Christmas present and-"

Severus interrupted Narcissa's explanation.  "Where is my son?" 

"Upstairs in the nursery." 

Severus left the parlor and headed through the corridors, not even sure where he was going.  He heard Narcissa and Lucius following him.  "What are you doing, Severus?" 

"I'm taking my son home, Lucius."  Severus stopped in the middle of the hallway, suddenly aware that he did not know where the Malfoys designated as their son's nursery. 

"Two more doors ahead on the left," supplied Narcissa.  Severus continued walking until he turned into the room where he found Draco and Tevin were playing together smiling and giggling. 

"Tevin," Severus called his son.  Tevin whipped his head towards his father's voice so fast that he toppled over.  Draco laughed at him.  Severus walked into the room and knelt briefly by his son.  "Hello, little Draco."

"Hi!" Draco said with a smile. 

Severus took hold of his son.  "Come, Tevin.  We're going home." 

"No!" Tevin shouted, and began to squirm out of his father's hold.

"Tevin!  I won't tell you again." 

"Want to stay and pway!" the little boy screamed. 

"No!  You can come back another day.  Time to go home."  Severus picked Tevin up, despite the boy squirming in his arms.  Draco had managed to stand up and was looking at the man stealing his playmate away with wide eyes. 

"Why go?"  Draco asked Severus. 

"Because it's time to go," Severus said.  He was anxious to get out of here and find out what had set off Ophelia so badly, other than the question Lucius asked at the table.  There had to be something else. 

Draco began to cry, but he held back his sobs as much as possible.  Narcissa ran forward and held her son to her chest.  Lucius stood rooted in the doorway watching all of this occur.  Severus swept past him and headed back to the parlor.  "Tend to Draco," Lucius barked at his wife before following Severus's retreating form.

Lucius caught up to Severus just as the younger man pinched some floo powder from the mantel.  Tevin had started to cry and scream loudly in his father's arms.  Severus seemed to not pay attention to it as he seemed focused on getting out of Malfoy Manor.  Lucius raised his voice to be heard over the screaming child.  "Severus, whatever just happened...don't let it affect our sons's friendship."

Severus didn't say anything to Lucius.  He threw the powder into the fire and shouted out his Hogwarts home.  Lucius grabbed his arm before he stepped through.  Severus glared at Lucius.  "Tevin is welcome here anytime, as are you, my friend."

Severus was about to bite out a reply, but reigned in his temper.  "Thank you for dinner, Lucius."  He shook Lucius's hand from his arm and stepped through the fireplace, leaving a flustered Lucius Malfoy behind in Malfoy Manor. 

When Severus arrived home with Tevin, he immediately noticed the silence of the suite.  Ophelia wasn't here.  With his son still screaming and crying in his arms, he pinched another sample of floo powder from the flowered silver box and shouted, "Spinner's End!"  He stepped through with his son to his home when not in Hogwarts, only to find it as empty as the suite in Hogwarts.  He began to panic.  Ophelia had run away from this situation.  She'd abandoned them.  What if she did? 

She would die.  She'd made an Unbreakable Vow. 

When her fireplace flared green for the second time in minutes, Arabella Figg knew the most likely identity of the new intruder.  Her cousin's husband!  Fury boiled in the squib's blood as she rounded from the huddled, crying form of her cousin on the sofa, who was clutching some scalding fresh tea in her shaking hands.  Arabella was not exactly an intimidating woman, but right now she was angry! 

Severus stepped through the green flames, with his screaming and clearly upset son in his arms.  The sound of little Tevin agitated like that sent Mrs. Figg over the edge.  She stormed up to Severus and snatched the boy from his arms. 

"How could you, Severus?"  Without waiting for his response, she took Tevin into another room where four of her kneazles were playing with balls of string and set the boy down amongst them.  The animals immediately gathered around the upset boy and nuzzled him to try to comfort him.  Arabella knew the boy would be fine there, and went back into her parlor.

Severus stood just in front of the fireplace with a stunned expression.  He was obviously surprised to have been verbally attacked as soon as he'd appeared in the floo.  "I beg your pardon?" he asked Arabella as she once again stormed up to him. 

"I don't understand why you would allow anyone to say something like that about Ophelia!  That she should be dead?  Why didn't you defend her?"

Severus's famous temper was now sparked.  He ignored Arabella and strode forcefully to the huddled form of Ophelia.   "Is that what this is about?  Lucius saying you should, by his reasoning, be dead?"  He saw her flinch, and unsuccessfully hold back tears but he continued.  "Or why I married a muggleborn?  What did you expect me to do, Ophelia?" 

"Nothing," she mumbld into her tea. 

"Was it just Lucius saying that or did Narcissa say something in the nursery?" 

"No, nothing..."  She refused to meet his eyes.

Severus flung his hands up and took a few steps away from her, before spinning around again and standing over her.  "Then, what in Merlin's name did you expect me to do?" 

"I don't know!" she shouted at him, finally raising her eyes.  "But not just sit there!" 

"So you would rather I had told them everything?  Everything that's happened that brought us to this point?" 

Ophelia put her teacup down with surprising force, as she stood from the sofa.  "Of course not, Severus, but maybe - just maybe - you could have said something to defend me!"  Severus was about to say something when she cut him off.  "If we're supposed to do this-"

"I was angry that he said those things!  Do you think it stopped once you were gone?"  Ophelia's mouth snapped shut.  "He kept questioning me and questioning you and everything about us, and Tevin.  Remember that meeting when I saved you?  Lucius certainly does!  He didn't stop asking about it!" 

"But that was after you failed to say anything for me.  Even Lucius would defend his wife.  But then I suppose you always had trouble defending the people you care about since they always end up dead!"

 "Stop!" Severus bellowed, as an image of a house with an upper window blaring with green light and a young woman's scream assaulted his mind.  He clenched his eyes.  Objects in the room began to shake as the wizard's temper flared and his magic spiked.  Severus turned away from Ophelia and leaned heavily against the mantel, trying to calm himself by watching the orange flames.  His breaths came in short, panicky gasps.  His body shook violently. 

Ophelia covered her mouth with her hand, shocked at what had just come from her own voice.  Arabella looked back and forth between the other two adults.  Ophelia suddenly ran out of the room, and the squib heard her cousin's quick footsteps on the stairs followed by the slamming of a door.  She watched for a moment as Severus struggled to regain control of himself. 

When he seemed a little more stable, she approached slowly.  "Severus..."

"Leave me alone," he whispered, not raising or turning his head to look at her. 

"I don't understand why she is asking too much of you."

Severus was still not calm enough to think before he spoke.  "Of course you wouldn't understand.  You're just a squib!"

Arabella felt her own fury rise, but she succeeded in reining it in.  "I'd rather be that than a coward like you." 

At that moment, Severus snapped his head up to meet Arabella's eyes.  He wore an expression of complete shock, his jaw hung slack and his eyes were bright.  Movement caught his eyes over Arabella's shoulder and in the archway of the other room he saw the face of his little son, who had tears flowing from his eyes, but he made no sound.  And despite having the physical traits of his father, at that moment, Tevin looked so much like Lily from only a few years ago.

Severus and Lily stood on the outside of a doorway that the Slytherin never thought he would willingly be in his whole life.  The home of James Potter.  Lily stood closer to the door as Severus shuffled awkwardly beside, but slightly behind, his young wife. He was trying to stay as much out of the rain but as far from this door as possible.   "I don't want to do this, Lily." 

Lily took a deep breath and knocked on the door.  She looked at Severus, who wore an almost unreadable expression, but she was able to decipher it clearly.  "It'll be fine, Sev," she whispered to him.  She reached up and brushed his dripping hair back from his face softly.  She ran her hand down his left arm before she took his hand.  He looked down at their hands but was brought out of this observation when he saw a flash of wet red hair swoop into his vision, only to feel her lips claim his.  Neither of them noticed the door opening.

"Well, this is an awkward sight to find on my doorstep." 

Lily broke their kiss and faced the young man in the doorway.  "James!" she greeted with a smile. 

"Come in," James said, opening the door for his newly arrived guests.  Lily practically skipped into the house, giving Severus no choice but to follow with his hand still gripped in hers.  "Snape," James acknowledged as the former Slytherin entered his house. 

"Potter," Severus returned.  Even with the tension somewhat lessened between them, they still were not able to get over years and years of bitterness.  But for the sake of Lily, the two of them tried to at least be civil to each other. 

Lily dragged her husband into the cozy and very Gryffindor-themed parlor and flung herself down on the sofa, pulling Severus down beside her.  She noticed that Severus was sitting stiffly in the overly maroon and gold room, and she leaned her head against his shoulder and whispered, "Relax." 

"I'm trying," he said.

"Try harder."  Severus drew in some deep breaths to try to relax, but he was still rigid.  He was not looking forward to the coming conversation.  Lily took her husband's left hand in both of hers and began to play with the interwoven gold, silver, and bronze wedding band around his finger.  She liked to play with his wedding ring as she held his hand.  She discovered that it soothed him when she would touch it.  His dark eyes watched her hands play with the ring, and he began to smile.  The tension in his fingers lessened as she massaged his hand and the ring on his finger.  When he shifted his eyes to search out hers, he saw that she was watching their hands intertwine with an expression of peace.  She felt his gaze on her and her eyelashes flitted up to reveal the striking emerald eyes that mesmerized him since he first saw them as a child.  "I love you, Severus."

He offered a small smile.  He always nearly stopped breathing every time she said it.  "I love you," he replied, saying it quieter than her but no less sincerely.  She smiled at him. 

They both were startled out of the moment when they heard the front door close and firmly lock, with a quietly added spell.  Must have been James.  Severus thought he was taking an awful long time to play host, until he saw his former tormentor waltz into the parlor from a second door with three teacups and saucers floating in front of him, and each of them were stirring themselves with a spoon.  Apparently, James still showed off whatever he could whenever he could.  Severus was not impressed, but Lily chuckled. 

"While usually I would welcome the arrival of any visitor," James said, as he drifted the teacups and saucers to Lily and Severus, and sat down in a fluffy chair.  "I was going to meet Sirius tonight.  He'll probably think something happened to me."  James swung his feet up to rest on the ottoman in front of his chair. 

"I'm sure Black can survive an hour or two without your presence, Potter," Severus drawled, as he took a sip of tea.  He grimaced at the taste.  "What is this?" he asked, looking disgustedly at the tea in his cup. 

Lily laughed softly and took a sip of her own tea, grimacing like her husband.  "Good try, James, but you mixed our flavors again.  Severus likes the Ginger.  I like the Caramel Apple."  She took the tea from Severus's hands and gave him hers.  They both raised the switched cups to their lips and this time did not grimace.  They exchanged a side glance and both tried to hold back a smile, and both chose to cover it by taking another sip.

James raised his own cup.  "Lemon. I'm not that picky." 

There was a comfortable silence between the three of them as they enjoyed their tea.  Lily finished hers first and as she was looking for somewhere to put it, James pointed his wand at the cup and saucer and it floated to rest on the mantel.  She looked over into her husband's cup and saw that he'd barely had any of it.  It was like he was trying to delay the upcoming conversation.  "Sev."  He looked at her, his features schooled.  She saw in his eyes his reluctance.  "Don't stall anymore.  We agreed on this."

When Severus answered it was barely a whisper.  "I know..."

Lily took his tea from him and didn't wait for James.  She floated it to sit beside hers on the mantel.  Then, she reached down and took Severus's hand.  "It'll be alright, Sev."  She saw him try to muster up an encouraging smile but it came out as a look of pain.

Lily turned her head to James.  "James, we've come to you to ask you a favor."  James's eyebrows disappeared into his fringe of spiky black hair.  He adjusted his glasses like he always did when he was preparing to concentrate.  "It's really his idea, but..."

Severus took a deep breath before he spoke quickly as though to get it over with as fast as possible.  "I can't protect Lily." 

"Sev!"  She looked at him.  "That's not what-"

Severus continued talking for the first time directly to James.  "The...Voldemort is hunting down every Muggleborn he can.  He just killed a Death Eater's wife in front of everyone three nights ago, and..."

"Then, why did you become a Death Eater, Snape?" James spat out the words. 

Severus glared at James.  "I had no choice.  You know that already.  I know you think that I wanted to be there, but-"

"That's not what we're here to talk about!" Lily interrupted.  "James!  Things are...getting dangerous..."  She saw Severus miserably lower his head.  "Not only for witches and wizards like me, but for everyone.  Severus is also in danger because of..."

"Being a Death Eater."

"Yes."  Lily squeezed her husband's hand, and felt a little more confident when he returned the gesture.  "We've tried to think of a way that could protect both of us until maybe...Voldemort is gone."  James nodded for her to continue.  "We couldn't think of anything else but to-"

There was a knock on the door.  James leaped to his feet.  "It's Sirius!  Wait here, I'll send him off."  James disappeared towards the front door.  There were muffled sounds of a conversation for a few moments. 

Lily turned to Severus.  His hair had fallen to shield his face.  She tucked some of it behind his ear, and saw that his face was streaked with tears.  "Sev," she moaned sadly.  She turned his face towards hers, and wiped away his tears with his fingertips.  "This won't be forever.  After Voldemort's gone we'll be together again like we said.  Marrying James won't make me love him." 

"You can't be sure."

"Sev, I love you.  I wouldn't have married you otherwise.  I wouldn't be asking James this if I didn't know that it would save you from death."  She framed his face with her hands.  "Look at me."  His dark eyes slid up to meet hers.  "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you." 

"You said this was for the best, for both of us.  I know we both don't like it, but it is the best idea we have.  I'd rather be in danger and still with you." 

Severus snorted quietly.  "No, you wouldn't." Neither of them noticed that James had returned and stood in the doorway.  "You deserve to be safe and happy and not fearing for your life every day.  I can't give that to you, Lily." 

Lily ran her fingers through his silky hair and settled them at his neck with her fingers clasped at his nape.  "Damn you, Severus.  What will it take to make you realize that I would rather be with you than anyone else?"  Severus looked as though he were in pain.  "If you can't see that I don't like this idea as much as you, then you're as much of a dunderhead as you like to call everyone that annoys you." 

"You need to get away from me so that you can be out of danger.  I don't want to lose you, Lily."  Finally, Severus reached up and held her face tenderly in his hands. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to his wife's.   "I love you.  And if it took giving you into the care of someone I still...don't like all that much...then I will, because I want you safe.  I want you protected. And as much as I hate it-"

"So you are saying, that you are in my house to propose that I marry Evans and somehow protect her with that arrangement?" James interrupted.  " Seems a bit-"

"James!" warned Lily.

"This," James said, pointing an accusing finger at Severus, "right here, is why you should never have stayed with him!"

Lily looked at James disbelievingly.  She shook her head, her damp red hair flowing with the movement.  "James! Stop!"  She glanced at Severus and saw that he was looking miserable, again. 

"Yeah, Snape, you may have won the girl, but when it really comes to proving what you'd do for her you hide away and refuse to do what you should!"  Severus snapped his eyes up to meet James's heated gaze.  Lily took Severus's hands so that he would not draw his wand.  She sensed that a duel might explode between the two rivals. 

"I know you won't believe me, James, but Severus is a wonderful husband."

"Who runs and hides from his duties to you when he should defend you!"  James threw his arms in the air.  "How can you tolerate that?" 

"Because I love him!  Why can't you understand that, James?" Lily shouted. 

"Because he isn't protecting you, and if he won't then he never deserved you!"

Severus tore his hands from his wife's and stood face to face with James.  "And what would you have me do, Potter?  Run into every situation like you with your reckless Gryffindor bravery and end up killed?  What good would I be to my wife then?"  He clenched his hands in an attempt to resist drawing his wand. 

"At least I face the danger I put myself in!"

"I'm keeping her out of danger by my actions!"

"And what are those, Snape?  Leading a double life?  Pretending you want to kill everyone not pureblood while you're married to a muggleborn witch?"

Severus began to shake in his anger.  "You have no idea what I have endured for Lily!  I've gone through more for her than you ever will!"

"So, you've faced Voldemort!  So have I!  You've been tortured!  So have I!  But I've always been outspoken in my views while you hid in the dark with only your potions!"

Severus was now leaned in so close to James that he could see every detail of the other man's eyes.  "At least I am not a slave to Dumbledore and a foolish Auror that fights before he thinks!" 

"I'd rather be that than a coward like you, Snivellus!" 

Severus reacted on instinct.  In a moment, James was sprawled on the floor of his parlor, staring up in surprise at the other dark-haired man standing over him.  Severus cradled his own hand to his chest.  After the two stared at each other for a long while, Severus turned away from James only to stop in his steps when he saw Lily.  She made no sound, but tears flowed from her beautiful green eyes.  And in an instant, Severus was ashamed of himself. 

While he looked at Lily, he spoke to James.  "Potter, I have never had a reason to ask anything of you.  Yes, I lead a double life.  Yes, I am a Death Eater.  But I love my wife.  I would never want harm to come to her.  I am asking you to protect her because if Lily remains at my side, she is in more danger than ever before.  You were my rival.  If she is with you, she has no connection to me.  She would be safe.  I'm asking you to protect that which is most precious to me."  During all of this, Severus fixed his gaze on the tearful eyes of his wife. 

He heard James manage to get to his feet.  James walked forward and stood beside Severus for a moment before he went to Lily and sat beside her on the sofa.  Lily looked at James as he lowered himself beside her.  "Is this what you want?"

Lily lowered her eyes before shaking her head.  "No, but I know that it is the best option.  If I am with you, Severus is clear of any suspicion with the Death Eaters.  Voldemort would have no reason to hurt him, or to kill him.  I couldn't...if Severus were killed...Please, James.  Help Severus, help us." 

James looked at Lily for a long while and then shifted his eyes to Severus, who only had eyes for Lily.  James sighed and looked back at Lily.  "If I do this, it'll have to be made public.  With a huge wedding and all of that.  Nothing can be done secretly." 

"I know," Lily said. 

"I won't let you marry her," Severus said suddenly, surprising the other two. 

James recovered first.  "But you said-"

"You've somehow made it through Hogwarts, Potter.  Surely you've heard of Polyjuice Potion.  I will attend the wedding and be you.  You will not actually marry my wife."

James looked Severus up and down before meeting his gaze.  "I haven't said yes, yet, Snape." 

"If you have any true affection for Lily, which even I will give you the benefit of the doubt to that score, you would give her what she wants, even if it makes you unhappy." 

Severus and James looked at each other in a silent battle of wills.  It was quiet in the parlor of James Potter's home for several minutes.  Finally, James nodded.  "Alright.  Alright, Lily," he said, turning to the redhead.  "I'll go through with this staged marriage."

Lily smiled.  "Thank you so much, James." 

James offered a smile to her.  "How long is this to last?"

Severus answered, "Until the threat of Voldemort is no longer an issue."  James began to talk, but Severus beat him.  "I know.  It can be a very long time.  I hope it won't be, but..." 

Lily stood from the sofa and went to her husband.  James stood after her.  Then, James spoke, "You know, the Order of the Phoenix is...getting better at rounding up some Death Eaters.  Things have been busy in the Aurors's office too.  It might not be that long."

"I hope so," Lily said. 

James looked at Severus and then had an idea.  "You know," he began, "with you involved in the Death Eaters, maybe there is a way that you could let us know what they're planning so we could catch more of them." 

Severus didn't want to admit that the idea was surprisingly good for James Potter.  "I'll pass on word if I am able." 

James nodded.  "Well, I suppose I should head off to find Remus then.  Tell him you agreed to marry me tonight.  Might as well get started as soon as possible."  He left the room and came back a few seconds later wearing a light weather coat. 

Lily had lit his fireplace and was standing in front of it with Severus.  The man had his arm around her waist, and from the angle of her shoulder, her arm was most likely curled around his back, with her hand somewhere near his shoulder blade.  James would never say it out loud, but he thought that Lily and Severus suited each other, and looked peaceful together.  Severus took a pinch of floo powder from the mantel.  Lily turned to look at James.  "Thank you, James."

James nodded. 

Severus threw the floo powder into the flames and spoke their destination.  "Godric's Hollow, Snape home."  The fire turned green.  "Go on, Lily.  I'll be right behind you." 

"Behave," she said. 

"Don't worry," he reassured her.  He kissed his wife briefly before she stepped into the green flames heading home. 

Severus turned to face James.  "I won't say this again, Potter.  Thank you."  Before James could respond, Severus continued.  "This doesn't mean that I like you."  He took a breath, and tried to make his voice non-threatening.  "If you hurt her-"

James held up his hands in front of him.  "I'll take care of her, Snape.  I swear it." 

Severus nodded.  "I wanted to force you to swear an Unbreakable Vow about this, but Lily objected.  She thought it would make you feel trapped."  He locked eyes with James.  "I'm trusting you to keep your word.  Don't make me lose that trust." 

"I won't," James said.  The two wizards held each other's gaze for a long while, silently coming to an agreement.

Severus nodded again, before pinching some more floo powder and repeating his destination.  Without another word, Severus left James Potter's home. 

Severus approached the door upstairs slowly.  He hesitated as he moved to turn the knob.  Pulling himself together he turned the knob and opened the door, which creaked noisily on the old hinges.  He winced. 

Ophelia looked up as Severus timidly entered the spare bedroom.  She didn't want to say anything.  She felt horrible enough with what she said earlier.  She'd basically said that Lily's death was his fault.  "I'm sorry," she choked on the words. 

"I know.  I am too." 

Ophelia motioned for him to come into the room.  Severus walked in and stood in front of her.  They were silent for a few minutes.  Finally, Ophelia spoke, barely able to stand the silence.  "I don't trust the Malfoys, Severus." 

Severus's expression was hard to read.  "I know but they...please believe me when I say that they mean no harm."

"Except to mudbloods like me!"  She practically spat the derogatory term. 

Severus flinched and he felt the familiar sting of tears.  "Please, don't say that word."  Severus lowered himself on the bed next to Ophelia.  "I've asked so much of you in this situation, and haven't given you much of anything in return."  Severus looked down at the bare floorboards.  "I'm sorry, Ophelia. I'm trying." 

Ophelia unsuccessfully tried to stifle a sob.  "Just try a little harder, Severus." 

Severus heard Lily's voice in his head.  ‘Try harder.'  Severus looked at Ophelia.  "I'll do my best.  It's all I can promise you." 

Ophelia openly sobbed then.  She turned to face Severus, and when their eyes met, they both leaned forward to wrap their arms around each other.  She cried into his chest and he just held her to him.  Between her sobs, Ophelia managed to speak.  "It's enough, Severus.  It's enough." 

Later that night, Lucius Malfoy was startled when his floo roared to life and the face of Severus Snape appeared in his fireplace.  "Severus, what a surprise to-"

"Lucius!" snapped Severus, impatiently.  "I'm only saying this once.  I will only permit my son to come to your home under the following conditions.  You will refrain from insulting my wife because she is muggleborn, or my son because he is a half-blood.  I would never speak poorly of Narcissa or Draco.  Give me the same courtesy.  I don't care how you choose to deal with it.  Pretend to ignore it, or my son will have no further contact with Draco, nor will I associate with your family.  I will not tolerate that kind of treatment towards my family because you feel that their blood status makes them inferior to you and yours.  The decision is yours, Lucius.  Do what you will with it." 

The floo died down, leaving a speechless Lucius Malfoy in its wake.  He got out of his chair and went off in search of Narcissa.  He had to discuss this with his wife.    

Severus considered it a small mercy that most of the students of Hogwarts had gone home during the holiday.  There were only a few students in the whole Great Hall that were fortunate enough to see him borderline lethargic!  He was exhausted. 

Last night was Christmas Eve and it was the busiest he'd been on that particular day since before he'd pushed his Lily to James Potter's...protection.  Even tired, Severus managed to smile as he thought of the first Christmas he'd spent in Lily's company with her family during the holiday.  Then, his smile faded as soon as it brightened his expression.  With a strangely jealous feeling, he thought of how he'd never gotten the chance to spend Christmas with Lily as his wife.  Hospitalization - thanks to a battle and a rather nasty combination of spells - had robbed him of the opportunity the first year from visiting his wife where she lived in Godric's Hollow, which he'd gifted to her and James after their staged wedding.  He'd been in Saint Mungo's for several months, finally waking up in early March, only to have his heart broken when his sweet Lily had told him that the child growing inside of her...was not his.  And so, he'd missed the last opportunity to spend Christmas with his wife.  And now, James was dead, his Lily was dead, but their son survived.

But the boy was his.  Severus looked down at the boy sitting on his lap at the table with a bittersweet smile.  His wife lived through their son.  If the last few weeks were anything to go by, the boy had inherited her lively nature.  Severus tiredly grinned.  He knew he was in for a long and exhausting fatherhood.  Just like with Lily, he was expecting to be pulled along for the ride by his son, and he was determined to enjoy every moment of it.

It was Remus's idea to let Tevin open his presents on Christmas Eve, rather than Christmas Day.  "Lily did it too.  She had everyone there exchange presents.  I think she was hoping that it would allow her time to sleep the next morning.  She most likely didn't want to be awakened by an overexcited little boy - and by that I mean James, not your son.  Can you imagine what it would be like when Tevin's old enough to run in and jump on your bed and wake you up on Christmas morning screaming about presents and everything?"  Remus's eyes glowed with a childlike enthusiasm as he said this, as though he had experience with this practice.

Severus looked at Remus gravely.  "It'd be a nightmare."  Remus had laughed at that. 

Ophelia walked into the room from the kitchen wiping Tevin's face.  "Seems your son, Severus, was so excited for Christmas that he had trouble keeping his food in his mouth." 

Severus stood and went to Ophelia holding out his arms.  "Are you excited for Christmas, Tevin?"  Tevin smiled mischievously and nodded as he practically leaped into his father's arms.  Severus smiled as he walked his son to the modest Christmas tree in the corner of Remus's parlor.  They'd all agreed to spend Christmas Eve at Remus's flat just in case anyone who was unaware of their friendship happened to try to stop by Spinner's End or Severus's home in Hogwarts.  Remus had taken care of decorating the tree since Severus had very little practice in it himself.  He suspected that were he to decorate a Christmas tree, it would turn out looking rather dreadful.  

Severus managed to lower himself onto the floor without using his hands, since they were occupied by his young son.  Tevin's arms began to flail in his excitement when he saw the small amount of colorfully wrapped presents.  Severus laughed at his son's excitement. 

"Let him down, Severus, before the boy manages to stupefy you with a good smack to your face," said Remus with a chuckle from his seated position near the tree.  He was also on the floor. 

Severus allowed the frantically squirming Tevin out of his hold.  Remus smiled at his godson, who was heading directly to the presents.  "Wait, wait, Tevin!  You remember how this works!"  Tevin stopped instantly and looked at Remus with wide eyes.  "You have to let someone give out the presents." 

"Pwesents!"

Remus smiled.  "Yes, Tevin, presents." 

"Now?"

Remus shook his head, laughing quietly, as he reached underneath the tree and picked up the first present.  He looked at the attached tag.  "Ophelia."  She walked towards the others and lowered herself with them to the floor.  Remus handed her the present.  Remus went through some more, handing them out to those intended to receive it.  He went to pick up another one, but found it snatched away by Tevin.

"Tevin?"

Tevin chewed on his bottom lip nervously.  He got to his feet and walked to his godfather with the present.  Remus watched as the boy walked to him and in a single movement thrust the thin package at him, and lowered his eyes.  "This for me?"  Tevin nodded, still not looking up at the man.  Remus smiled and took the present.  "Thank you, Tevin." 

"Kay..."  Tevin walked back to his father, who was smiling at his son. 

"That was very nice, Tevin."  Tevin threw himself at Severus and hugged him.  Severus looked at Remus.  "He picked it out himself." 

Remus nodded with a smile.  "Well, should we do this all at once or watch everyone?" 

"E'ryone!" Tevin shouted from where he'd climbed to perch in his father's lap. 

Everyone began to open their presents, although Severus had a little difficulty with an enthusiastic child in his lap.  He took his time opening his gifts in favor of watching his son open his presents with the same energy and laughter that was pure Lily.  He found himself suddenly wondering what it would have been like to spend Christmas with Lily as her husband, or as a husband and father at the same time.  He looked down at his son tearing the paper from a present and Severus realized that just a father would have to be enough. 

He was so distracted that he didn't even notice Ophelia and Remus give polite hugs for their gifts to each other.  Remus had been given a book by Ophelia, all about mythologies of the world.  She remembered that Remus was usually found lurking in that section of the library for fun as a student, reading every myth he could find.  ‘Myths have the best and most inspiring stories,' he'd once explained.  ‘They make you want to do something extraordinary with your life.' Remus had given Ophelia a pair of gardening pots that were charmed to water themselves if you were away from them. 

Remus had then opened the gift he'd received from Severus.  It was small, but it consisted of three different darkly-stained glass jars, each with specific labels.  One was Raspberry Tea, another Strawberry Tea, and the last was Chamomile Tea.  "Thank you, Severus." 

"It should help you through your pain." 

Remus opened the last present, the thin wrapped item from his godson.  He gently removed the wrapping.  "Look, son," Severus said to the boy who was snuggling himself in the silver, green, maroon, and gold afghan Ophelia had given his son.  "Look.  Remus is opening your present."  Tevin gasped in anticipation and watched the unwrapping. 

When Remus revealed the present in the wrapping, he smiled and chuckled.  It was a chocolate bar.  Remus looked at his godson.  "Thank you, Tevin."

"Like it?"

"Yes, I do.  I'm sure it'll be delicious."

"Dilcious," Tevin tested the word.  Everyone softly laughed. 

Tevin looked up at Severus.  "Daddy?  Open pwesents!" 

Severus smiled.  "Alright, alright."  Severus picked up a square box and delicately removed the paper, hoping to rip it as little as possible to maybe use it on someone's future present.  Lily had made fun of him when he'd spent Christmas with her family and he'd carefully folded up the decorative paper from his present.  What she didn't make fun of, though, was when she found it in his trunk carefully hidden in a small box labeled "Fondest Memories."  When she'd asked him what made it special, he'd told her he wanted to remember his happiest Christmas, and rather than hide the present itself away, he could hide its wrapping.  He'd made her smile then. 

He opened the box and found a neatly folded scarf.  He reached inside the box and took it out.  It surprised him with his thickness and its warmth.  It was dark emerald green, and it shimmered like fine satin.  He rubbed the scarf between his thumb and fingers and was impressed with the feel of it.  It flowed and felt like silk.  It was a very appealing scarf. 

Severus looked up at Remus and Ophelia.  "Who is this from?" 

"Me!" chirped a delighted voice below his eyes. 

Severus looked down at Tevin.  "You?"  Tevin nodded, chewing on his lip.  "It's very nice.  Thank you." 

"Wear it." the little boy insisted. 

"Now?  It's a little warm right now for it, Tevin."  Severus glanced at the roaring fire nearby. 

"Wear it!" he shrieked.  He wanted to see his father wear his first Christmas present and he was not taking no for an answer.  Severus looked at his son and obeyed.  He wound the scarf once around his neck, leaving the two ends dangling on either side. 

"How does it look?" 

Remus and Ophelia were trying to hold back a giggle as Tevin reached up and yanked hard on both ends of the scarf, tightening it around Severus's neck.  Severus was jarred down at the movement, and he gasped more in surprise than from actually choking.  Tevin had a look of satisfaction on his face.  "Good!" he proclaimed.  Tevin smiled at Severus and the two pairs of brown eyes held for a moment. 

Then Tevin seemed to remember.  "More pwesents!"  Severus laughed softly.

He reached around his son and picked up two thin rectangular boxes.  The one tagged for him was longer than the one he'd marked for his son.  He gave the smaller one to Tevin and once the boy began opening it, he untied the string around his own present.  He knew it was from Remus by the string.  When he opened the lid to the revealed box, his breath was stolen from him and he stared in surprise at the item resting gently on folded fabric in the box he held.  He didn't hear anything.  He missed his son's reaction to his gift.  He missed Ophelia explain to Tevin that it was like a pencil but of a feather.  He missed Tevin try out the writing instrument on the box in which it came.  Severus's attention was focused on the item he held. 

"Severus?"  Remus asked, wondering if he'd made a mistake in his choice of present.  "Are you alright?" 

With his attention still focused on the gift, he replied with the only words he could manage.  "Where did you...get this?" 

Remus offered a crooked smile.  "I went to Godric's Hollow after all of the Aurors and Muggles had left, and...took a few things.  I hope that it was alright." 

"Yes," Severus whispered, trying to find his voice. 

He felt a tug on his sleeve and then heard his son's voice.  "Wha' is it?"

Severus reached into the box with his other hand, and tenderly, reverently brushed his fingertips along the smooth, polished object inside the box.  "It's a wand, Tevin." 

"A wan'?"  Tevin crinkled his nose in confusion.  "Swan?  Mommy?"

Severus flinched.  "Your mother's wand."  Severus continued to caress the wand he would have recognized instantly.  Severus sighed as he thought of the owner of this wand, his dear wife, his best friend.  Finally, he was able to tear his eyes from the willow wand to tearfully meet Remus's eyes.  "Thank you."  Remus nodded at him.  "I'm sorry I failed in returning the gesture." 

"You've made me your son's godfather and continue to brew the Wolfsbane Potion monthly for me.  That's enough for me." 

Severus looked again at Lily's wand safely nestled in the the soft emerald fabric and ran his fingers along it as though he were imagining the surface he stroked was her warm skin and not the cold wood of the wand. 

Ophelia noticed that Severus was completely distracted by Lily's wand, and so she decided to distract Tevin.  She held up the boy's last wrapped present.  "Come here, young man."  Tevin crawled out of Severus's lap and across the floor to Ophelia.  Once he crawled into her lap she gave him the very small box.  He struggled with the string for a minute and giggled as it gave him trouble.  Severus looked at his son as he replaced the lid on the box of his gift.  He watched his son open his last present.  Tevin had trouble getting the item out of the box and so decided to dump it out into his other hand.  Tevin looked at the golden orb curiously, while Ophelia smiled, and Severus groaned. 

"Really, did you have to give him a Golden Snitch?"

Remus smiled.  "Well, it was James's snitch.  It was in their vault." 

"How do you have access to Potter's vault?"

Remus looked ashamed of himself for a moment.  "Because it's a little difficult for a werewolf to gain employment, James supported me financially with what I needed.  He and Lily gave me another key to their vault for whenever I would need it.  Don't worry.  It isn't your son's vault that they set up.  It's a different one.  I'm not taking money from your son." 

"I didn't think you would." 

"No, no.  It's from James's inheritance, I swear." 

Tevin gave a fearful shout when the golden orb sprouted wings and began to hover at his eye level.  Severus rolled his eyes.  "Really, Remus, a snitch?"

Remus looked fondly at Tevin, who reached out to the snitch, which dodged his hand.  "You know, if Lily wasn't so outspoken your son would already be playing with it.  James wanted to give it to him when he bought him the training broom.  But Lily refused saying it was too dangerous."

"It is."

Remus smiled at Severus.  "I know you, like Lily, want to raise a bookworm, but the boy has to have some play mixed in with his work and learning.  Not everything can be about education.  Let him have some fun.  He is a child you know, Severus." 

Severus sighed, turning his attention to Tevin, who was now on his feet trying to chase after the snitch, which staying just ahead of him.  "Who knows," he said, "perhaps chasing the snitch will improve his walking-"

"And running," supplied Ophelia. 

Suddenly, Tevin dove towards the snitch, pinning it underneath his body.  The three adults laughed.  "Or how to fall without injury."

Severus glared without meaning it at Remus.  "Don't give him ideas, now."

Now it was breakfast on Christmas morning, and Severus was tired.  His son was constantly stealing food from his plate, having the best position to do so being perched directly in front of it on his father's lap.  He was stealing a rather crunchy piece of bacon when an owl landed directly in front of the plate, slamming the small box it carried onto the table.  Tevin shrieked and flung his arms up, the bacon sailing through the air. 

Severus reached towards the owl who gripped a letter in its beak.  With a gentle tug, the owl let it go and then flew away.  Severus carefully opened the envelope and began reading. 

Severus,

As a gesture of apology, please accept this gift from my wife and me.  Furthermore, before things turned sour at my home, we had proposed to get your son a Christmas present.  Unfortunately, what we have in mind will only work if you were to accompany us.  It will not harm him, I swear it.  But, should you decide to accept this offer, meet with us in the Leaky Cauldron at twelve o'clock, noon, today.  We hope you will accept. 

                                                                          Lucius

Severus put the letter down on the table between himself and Ophelia before reaching for the box that the owl left on the table.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ophelia pick up the letter to read.  He opened the box and looked inside.

"Pwesent?"

"Yes, son, it's a present."

"Mine?"

Severus smiled at Tevin.  "No, for me."  He recognized the item inside instantly.  It was a pair of ultra thick dragon hide gloves, which should be used when brewing particularly dangerous potions.  They were expensive.  For a fleeting moment Severus thought that Lucius was trying to almost purchase his friendship.  ‘He has no motive to do that, though,' he thought.  He closed the box again, and then looked to Ophelia, whose expression darkened at the letter. 

"Would you go with us to meet them?" 

Ophelia sighed and looked at Severus nervously.  "I'm not feeling that well, Severus."

Severus's expression softened.  He knew it was a lie.  "He won't insult you."

"I know, but...I don't want to be near them again yet."  She looked down.  "Just...tell them I'm sick or something, anything." 

"Alright.  I won't force you." 

Ophelia nodded and stood from her place only to run into Hagrid.  "‘Ello, Mrs. Snape.  Surprised ye didn't see me comin' righ' at ye."  Hagrid held a basket in his big arms, which had a rather thick cloth draped over it.  He was looking a little anxious about something, but Ophelia couldn't tell what.  She suspected it had something to do with whatever was covered up in the basket. 

"If ye don' mind I ‘ave a present fer young Tevin." 

Ophelia shifted out of his way and Hagrid slowly made his way to Severus and Tevin.  Hagrid froze when Tevin caught sight of him and pierced him with huge, fearful eyes.  Tevin reached up and grabbed his father's arm tightly before he began whimpering in fright.  Severus looked apologetically at Hagrid.  "Tevin, it's alright.  It's only Hagrid."

"Big and scary and hairy!" 

Severus held back a smile at the words chosen to describe the half-giant standing next to him.  "I know he's big and hairy, but he's not scary."  Tevin's whimpering grew louder as he clung to Severus with his other hand.  "He won't hurt you."  Tevin snuggled as close to Severus's chest as he could and buried his face in his black robes.  If he wasn't seeing Hagrid, then maybe he'd go away. 

"What is that, Hagrid?" Severus asked, nodding at the covered basket. 

"Oh, well, uh...I brought a peace offerin' fer Tevin.  Dinna mean te scare ‘im like tha' when I firs' met ‘im."  He held the basket out towards Severus and Tevin.  Slowly and carefully, Hagrid lifted up the covering.  Severus craned his neck in curiosity to peer into the basket. 

Something mewed inside it!

Two glowing eyes peered back at Severus.  Severus was not about to lean closer.  Then, the creature came a little into the light.  It was an animal Severus was familiar with, but one with which Ophelia was even more acquainted.  "Why do you have a kneazle, Hagrid?" she asked. 

By this point, Tevin bravely peeked his head over his father's arm, on which he still maintained a tight grip.  He was studying the kneazle from the safety of his father's arm, but he did not dare look away from this creature.  Hagrid noticed that the little boy was actually looking at it. 

"Happy Christmas, Tevin," he tried, slowly bringing the basket closer to Severus's arm.  "It's a baby one.  Only two months old.  She canna hurt ye.  Claws aren't sharp yet." 

Tevin stared at the little kneazle.  It was small and fluffy and had big eyes.  Tevin chewed on his bottom lip.  Then he looked up at Severus who nodded at him.  Tevin then looked at Ophelia and she smiled encouragingly at him.  As he was looking between the two, no one but Hagrid noticed that the kneazle had climbed out of the basket and had snuck under Severus's arm to join Tevin on his father's lap.  Then, Tevin felt something nuzzle his side and he looked down to see the kneazle!  The boy froze and looked at it clearly frightened. 

Everyone was looking at the situation occurring on Severus's lap with tense anticipation, but no one made a move towards improving it.  Severus took a deep breath and had an idea.  He began to stroke the fur of the kneazle that was trying to snuggle with his son.  He didn't understand why this particular creature would frighten him since he'd played with them at Arabella Figg's house.  Maybe it was because it came from Hagrid.  Severus hoped that by showing Tevin that petting the kneazle and that it was safe, his son would calm down.  After watching his father run his hand along the purring kneazle Tevin figured it was safe and he began to do the same, but with a little rougher force.  Severus, having no desire to be stabbed by the creature's claws, sharp or not, and he took his son's hand and guided him on how to pet the animal.  "This is not like your dog or your swan or your bear, Tevin.  You have to be nice to it." 

"Nice," repeated Tevin as Severus guided him in petting the kneazle. 

"Now, what do you say to Hagrid?"

Tevin looked up from the furry animal and up at the very hairy giant.  He took a big gulp and managed to say, "Tanks, Haggid." 

Hagrid smiled.  "Yer welcome, Tevin!"  Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a huge sneeze that almost knocked him off balance.  Everyone, including the new kneazle, looked at him in alarm.  "Sorry," the giant man said.  "Cats make me sneeze, ye know.  Tha's why I ‘ad a cover on ‘im." 

Tevin just giggled. 

Severus entered the Leaky Cauldron and instantly spotted the three blondes waiting by a column near the center of the large pub.  It was little Draco who first noticed Severus and Tevin.  "Tevin!" he shouted, pointing enthusiastically at his newest friend.  Tevin responded by screaming Draco's name.  Lucius and Narcissa walked forward and met Severus near the large table in the center of the room. 

"I was beginning to think you would not come, Severus," Lucius said with a slight tremor in his voice.  Was he nervous? 

Severus met Lucius's grey eyes steadily.  "I accept your apology, and that being the case I've come as you have requested."  Lucius nodded stiffly at Severus, and Narcissa smiled in what seemed to be relief.  "And thank you for the gloves.  I actually did need them." 

"I thought you might."

Without another word, Lucius turned and began leading the way to the backdoor of the Leaky Cauldron.  Narcissa, with Draco, and Severus followed behind him. 

"Where are we going in Diagon Alley?" Severus asked.

Narcissa grinned secretively.  "It's a surprise, Severus, for both of our sons."

Severus tried not to show his dissatisfaction, particularly when his son looked excitedly up at him.  Another of Lily's traits.  She liked surprises, whereas Severus liked to be prepared and did not trust surprises. 

As Severus dwelled on the options of where Lucius was taking them all, he didn't realize that he was following without seeing where they were going.  Before he knew it, they had entered Diagon Alley, and walked down the street to stop in front of a shop that every witch and wizard entered before their first train ride to Hogwarts.  Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.

Lucius held the door open for both his wife and Severus, since they were holding their children.  Then, he followed them inside.  A light bell sounded as they entered the shop, and just as Lucius got comfortable in the only chair in the shop, a thin, pale man emerged from the rows and rows of stacked rectangular boxes.  Severus was wondering why they were standing in this shop.  Surely Lucius was not thinking that he was going to buy wands for Draco and Tevin.  There was almost ten more years until that day. 

"Mr. Lucius Malfoy, what can I do for you?" asked Ollivander in a soft voice, making the quiet shop have a lonely feel to it.

Lucius did not get out of the chair.  "I've read recently that you have developed a new kind of wand.  Is this correct?"

Ollivander smiled.  "Yes, it is.  Judging by the two young children here I assume you are in the market for them?"

"Yes.  I am very interested in them." 

"One moment, then, Mr. Malfoy."  Ollivander spun slowly like a levitating quill on display and walked back into the depths of his shop.

Severus walked over to Lucius's seated form.  "Do you mean to buy wands for them?  They aren't allowed yet."

Lucius was looking at Draco who was staring in complete awe at the gigantic and silent shop around him.  His little mouth was hanging open at he slowly turned his head and looked at as much as he could.  "They are for these wands, Severus.  They're newly developed."  Then, Lucius looked at Severus.  "Training wands."

"Training wands?"

Lucius nodded.  He was about to explain when Ollivander returned to the front of the shop his arms laden with a pile of small, rectangular boxes.  He managed to lower the entire pile onto the counter and keep it balanced.  The wandmaker looked at Severus.  "I've developed training wands, Mr. Severus Snape, for those parents who wish to teach their children some spells before they attend school."

"But children aren't allowed to perform magic," Severus protested, coming closer to the counter with Tevin.  "It's illegal."

"No, no, no.  You misunderstand me."  Ollivander's eyes began to twinkle in a way that reminded Severus of Dumbledore when the older wizard felt that he had just come up with a clever plan.  "These wands do not actually perform the spells.  They glow a specific color to indicate whether the technique involved in a spell is done correctly."  Ollivander opened one of the boxes.  Narcissa had come forward with Draco.  Both of the boys were looking at the wands with wide eyes.  Ollivander picked up the wand and held it before everyone.  "If a child performs the incantation correctly, along with the proper flourishing hand gesture, then the tip of the wand will glow purple.  If the child has the incantation correct, but not the required gesture you will see yellow.  Should the child have the incantation incorrect, but the gesture is correct for a similar incantation as to what he or she attempts, then the tip will glow orange.  And if everything is just wrong, then the wand will glow red."  He pointed the wand at the rolled parchment inside the box.  "I have a color key with each wand."

Lucius leaned back in the rickety chair, seeming to fully enjoy this moment.  "It seems that Severus is still a little doubtful.  Would you demonstrate, Ollivander?"

The wandmaker nodded his head.  "First I need to match one of the children with a wand."

"Very well.  You may find my Draco's match," Lucius said, finally standing to see up close as his son was fitted with a wand.

Ollivander started opening up box after box of wands and gently putting it in Draco's hand one by one.  Draco's eyes grew impossibly bigger with each new wand he held.  Narcissa guided her son into waving the wand about to test his compatibility with it, but so far, none of them sparked at the waving.  Finally, at the second to the last wand, Draco let out an excited and surprised cry when the wand in his hand sparked green. 

"Very good," said Ollivander.  "Did you teach your boy any incantations yet, Mr. Malfoy?" 

Lucius nodded.  "Draco," he said to his son, whose eyes darted up to meet his father's.  "Accio." 

Draco nodded as he pointed the wand straight ahead, steadily, and cried out the incantation.  It came out more like the word, "Echo!"  The tip of the wand in Draco's hand glowed orange for a moment before it faded away.

Ollivander smiled.  "There, you see?  Young Malfoy did the correct gesture, but mispronounced the spell.  That is why the wand was orange." 

Lucius and Narcissa beamed with pride at their son, who held the wand with a huge smile on his face.  "This will be most helpful, Ollivander.  What do you think, Severus?" 

Severus had watched the process carefully and was running out reasons to deny this to his son.  "It's..."  He looked at the wandmaker.  "It's fascinating." 

Lucius laughed.  "Oh, come now, Severus!  You don't really intend to not allow Tevin to practice before attending school, do you?" 

Severus clenched his jaw.  If he consented to this, what kind of spells would his son know by the time he was eleven?  He remembered the rumors halfway into his first month as a First Year - that he knew more dark spells and hexes than even some Sixth Year students.  Would his son have the same rumors spread about him?  He certainly hoped not. 

Lucius saw Severus's indecision and he took his arm and walked him to the corner of the shop.  "What is the matter?"

"Nothing, it's...nothing."

Lucius looked at Severus in concern.  He'd rarely seen the other man uncomfortable like this.  "Don't you see how good for our boys this will be?  We can teach them to use spells before they even attend.  They'll be sure to succeed in their classes.  They'll be able to defend themselves when they're picked on, if they even are.  It's a wonderful advantage.  Our boys will be the finest wizards Hogwarts has ever seen, with the exception of me, you, and the Dark Lord, of course."

Severus took a deep breath and looked at his son.  Even though Tevin looked at him with his brown eyes, Severus saw the spirit of his wife, who died from the killing curse at the Dark Lord's wand.  Severus looked up at Lucius, his face hardened.  "I will not permit my son to learn any curses."

"Severus-"

"No.  None.  No curses." 

Lucius wondered where this came from, but did not think that the corner of Ollivander's shop was the right place, nor was Christmas Day the right time to find out.  "Alright, Severus.  No curses."  Severus nodded, and Lucius led the younger man back to the counter. 

Ollivander was instructing Draco on some tricks on how to better hold his new wand, and the boy was paying very close attention during the lesson.  Narcissa looked at Lucius as the men returned.  Ollivander saw them return and faced Severus.  "Have you decided?" 

"Yes," Severus said, quietly.  "I believe my son would like a wand?" he asked this to the boy in his arms.  Tevin didn't look at Severus, but at the pile of wands and nodded, chewing his lip in an attempt to hold in his excitement. 

Ollivander nodded.  He saw that he'd tried all of the wands on Draco, except for one.  He decided that if this one failed, he would start to replace all of the other wands in their boxes as each one failed the boy.  He took out the last wand in a box and held it up.  "Give me your hand, little Snape." 

Tevin stuck his hand out, his eyes focused on the wand the old man held.  Ollivander placed the wand in Tevin's outstretched hand and coaxed his fingers to close around it.  Before Ollivander took away his hand from Tevin's the wand furiously sparked green.  "The first try," Ollivander whispered in awe.  "That is a rare thing."  He looked at Severus.  "To be honest, I did not expect the alder wand to produce an effect." 

"Why?" 

"As you know, I use certain things in the cores of my wands.  Dragon heartstrings, unicorn hair, and phoenix feathers.  But I experimented with the wand that your son holds.  Inside that wand is the feather of a hippogriff."  Ollivander smiled at Severus as though he knew something that no one else did. 

"And what is my son's?" Lucius asked. 

Ollivander looked at the wand in Draco's hand.  "Dragon heartstring and rowan."  This time he smiled at Lucius as though he held a secret that Lucius didn't know. 

The wandmaker's expression was starting to unnerve the adults.  Lucius reached into his robes.  "What is your fee, Ollivander?" 

"Fourteen galleons for both." 

Lucius gave Ollivander the required money and Ollivander went about busily putting the boys's wands back in their boxes and returned them to the respective parents.  Lucius began to lead them all out of the shop, but they were stopped by the wandmaker's soft voice.  "Oh, Mr. Malfoy!"  Lucius turned around to look at the man, whose eyes were glittering like stars.  "You have a special son with great destiny and skill.  Cultivate that carefully." 

Lucius's brow furrowed in confusion, but he nodded and led his wife and son out of the shop.  Severus held open the door for Narcissa to pass.  "Mr. Snape," called Ollivander.  Severus darted his eyes up to meet those of the old wizard.  "Your son is of two different worlds, but he will rise to great things.  His friendships will be his greatest ally or his greatest weakness.  Be sure he chooses the correct alliances."  Severus stared at Ollivander, wondering if it were possible that the wandmaker somehow knew that the boy in his arms was Lily's son.  That would be impossible.  Severus was frozen, holding open the door. 

"Severus!" Lucius called from a little down the street.  "Come along!  It's getting late.  I would like to invite you and yours to our home!  Dobby should begin making preparations for dinner in half an hour." 

Severus did not reply to either Ollivander or Lucius, but stumbled from the shop, his mind in a panic.  Ollivander calmly went back to putting away all of the training wands with a smile on his lips.  "Curious," he said to himself.  "Curious..."

Draco was silent as he crept around the doorjamb looking for his target.  It was a game now, one they've played since they discovered how easy it is to sneak around in Malfoy Manor.  Both of them hunted each other.  Certain places were still off-limits, such as Lucius's library, and his parents' room, and any other rooms where there were objects that were either more valuable than both children together ever would be or would injure them greatly should they fall on them or break near them.  They were careful to avoid those places.  And so Draco tip-toed through the hallway, plastered as close to the dark walls as possible, with his training wand at the ready. 

The blonde had a feeling that he knew where his friend was hiding.  He just needed to look, and getting there quietly was the trouble.  He crept up silently behind the tall wingback armchair that his father favored.  His friend was small for his age, and during their wizard hide and seek, he frequently hid on or near furniture.  Draco knew this was because if it took a while for the one who was trying to find the other person, it was nice to be in a comfortable spot.  At least, that was the opinion of his friend.  Draco, on the other hand, could hide himself away somewhere and stay there for hours if need be. 

Draco was silent as he crept towards the big armchair near the fireplace.  Then, there was an obnoxious whine from the floorboard under his toes.  Draco's eyes widened and he leaped behind the sofa!  When he landed, he lay there breathing for a few moments, thinking his attack had been ruined.  After a few moments of no other noise but his own worried breathing, he felt it was worth the chance to peer around the sofa.  He saw a dark head start to peer around the back of the chair a little ways off, and Draco took the opportunity! 

The blonde charged with his wand out.  He ran as fast as he could towards the armchair and the dark-haired head that was slowly coming around the back of it.  "Tarantallegra!"  The tip of Draco's wand glowed bright purple, showing that he would have gotten the spell correct.

The black-haired boy's brown eyes widened in surprise from the spell and gave a cry as he propelled himself from the chair backwards, landing easily on his side on the floor.  Draco ran up to his fallen friend and looked unhappy.  "That's not what you're supposed to do with that one!"

From his spot on the floor, the other boy looked up at Draco.  "You said, ‘Tarantallegra!'" 

"Yeah!  And you fell over!" 

"That's what happens!"

Draco rolled his eyes.  "No!  You fall over at Petrifus Totals, or whatever it is!  I said, ‘Tarantallegra!'"  The other five-year-old boy looked at him confusedly.  "It makes your legs move all over!" 

"Oh!"  All of a sudden, the boy began moving his legs in every direction he could while on the floor.  "Like that?" 

Draco watched the twitching and flailing legs for a few moments, before shaking his head and disgustedly saying, "I don't know, Tevin!  I'm not an expert!"

Tevin waited for the moment when Draco looked away from him before he pointed his wand quickly at the blonde and shouted, "Relashio!"  The tip of Tevin's wand glowed purple.

It took Draco a moment to remember what the spell did, but when he did, he pretended that his wand hand was being burned and he gasped and dropped his wand melodramatically.  He heard Tevin get up from the floor and run away somewhere as he went to pick it back up again.  Out of the corner of his grey eyes, Draco saw the edge of a curtain flutter.  Draco grinned on one side of his mouth, feeling one step ahead of Tevin.  He pretended to search for his friend around other objects for a few minutes, even leaving the room to pretend to check the hallway.  Then, Draco wandered back into the room he'd come from and made his way erratically to the large window, where the long heavy curtains hung.  With a very quick and single movement, Draco pushed aside the curtain and found himself facing the tip of Tevin's wand.  Both boys looked stunned for a moment as they floundered for a spell, but Draco recovered first.  "Silencio!"  Tevin played along once the blonde's wand tip shined purple, and moved his lips as though he were trying to speak and his voice had been taken from him.  Draco quickly performed what would have been a Freezing Charm at Tevin.  Once his wand glowed purple, and they both knew that it would have been correct, Tevin instantly stood still in the position he was when the wand glowed purple.  It looked uncomfortable, but the position that anyone would have been in if they were hit with a Freezing Charm probably would be uncomfortable.

Draco ran out of the room after he threw the curtain back over Tevin's still form.  He ran right out of the door and slid to the side of the doorway.  He pressed himself against the wall and waited, listening for Tevin's approach.  He waited, and waited.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw slow movement.  He snapped his head towards it and saw his mother standing in the hallway with a frown.  Draco looked up at Narcissa and held his finger to his lips, trying to tell her to be quiet.  Her eyebrows rose on her face, but she indulged in her son's playfulness.  Draco turned his head back to the doorway to wait for his prey. 

Tevin waited for as long as he figured the spell would have worn off before he got to his feet again and tried to quietly go to the doorway.  It was the only way to leave the room anyway.  He raised his alder wand and was searching his mind for a spell.   A good one.  He remembered one that his father taught him more or less by accident. 

Once his father came back into the parlor and saw the mess on the table, Tevin knew he was in trouble.  From his hiding place under the table, which even he admitted wasn't that good of a hiding place, he saw his father's face go from surprise to frustration and then to anger.  "Tevin!" he called for the boy.  Tevin trembled under the table. 

Severus walked closer to the table and drew his wand, trying to figure out how to clean up the mess that only his son could have made.  There was ink bleeding all over the tabletop, covering the three pieces of parchment in streaks and puddles of black.  The quill itself was soaked, the feather now dyed black.  It used to be a brown and white turkey feather.  It looked like a crow's feather now.  The bottle was still tipped onto its side, the ink still pouring from it.  There were ink-shaped fingerprints on the bottle, which made Severus think that someone had tried to right the bottle at some point only to have it stay on its side. 

To Severus, the most dismaying item was the small book of An Introduction for Chidlren to Magical Plants & Properties.  He'd bought the book for Tevin when they were in Diagon Alley the week before.  It had full-page illustrations of various plants and on the opposite pages it listed the basic uses and properties of the plant.  Less than seven days later, the pages were soaked in ink.  He was so proud that his son had picked the book out himself, even if the boy was not really aware of what the book was.  His son was interested in plants, and it was a promising start to shaping him into a fine potions student. 

"Perhaps some of it is salvageable," Severus mumbled to himself as he lifted the dripping book from the ink puddle.  He put the book in the sink to let the dripping ink fall into it and down the drain.  Then he went back to the table and was about to try to rescue the stained quill when he saw a hunkered down shape dashing along the wall towards the bedrooms. 

"Oh, no, Tevin!" he shouted.  "Come here!"  Tevin pretended to not hear his father and continued to make his way quickly to his room.  Severus followed him at a brisk step.  "Tevin!" 

Tevin slammed the door of his room.  There was no point in being quiet.  He knew he'd been seen.  He searched his room for anything under or in which he could hide.  He knew his father would find him but there was always hope he could get out of it for a few minutes until Severus calmed down.  Tevin ran to his wardrobe and threw open the door.  He jumped inside and shut the wardrobe door.  He tried to hide himself behind his hanging clothes as best he could. 

He heard the door to his room open again, and knew his father was in the room.  He heard him sigh before mumbling something.  "Point me Tevin."  It was like his father knew exactly where he was, because in seconds the wardrobe opened and he heard his father's voice, though slightly muffled by the clothes in which he was hiding.

"Tevin, come out."  Tevin held his breath, hoping that his father wouldn't see him.  "Tevin," said Severus, in a voice that suspiciously sounded like he was trying not to laugh.  "I can see your feet." 

Tevin sighed and peeked his head out from the clothes to meet his father's dark eyes.  He looked displeased and rather angry.  Tevin hated it when he made his father angry.  Only several things happened in those cases.  His father gave him several swats on his bottom, which Tevin did not like at all.  Although, afterwards his father would hold him while he tearfully apologized and then would tuck him into bed.  If that didn't happen his father made him write a letter to his godfather and tell him all about "how he was a bad boy."  That was worse than the first option.  And the third punishment was usually that his father would deny him dessert.  Tevin suspected that his father only did this when the house elves served his favorite desserts, because whenever it was an after-dinner treat that he did not like too much, his father never forbade him from having dessert. 

Tevin did not want any of these things to happen and so he began to hurriedly explain.  "Daddy, it was a accident!  It just fell over when I went to write and I tried to fix it but it got worse!  And then I heard you come back and knew you'd get mad!"

Severus sighed.  "So you thought that running away would make it better?"

Tevin shook his head.  "No."

"Then why did you run away?"

Tevin looked down and Severus waited.  Tevin flung himself behind the clothes again before he miserably said, "Mad at me."  He could not hold back his tears and he slid down the back of the wardrobe and hugged his knees to his chest.  The clothes were shoved aside and he saw that his father had crouched in front of the wardrobe. 

"Tevin."  Tevin dropped his forehead onto his arms, hiding his face, with a dull thud.  "Don't do that."  Severus reached out and took his son's tiny, bony shoulder.  "I'm not mad at you.  Was it an accident?"  Tevin nodded but didn't look up.  "Then how can I be mad at you?"  Severus shifted and reached into the wardrobe.  He held Tevin with an arm hooked under the boy's knees and the other cradling his back as he lifted him out of the wardrobe with a sigh.  "You're getting bigger, you know." 

Tevin buried his face into his father's chest and refused to look at him.  Severus stood up and took a second to regain his balance.  "Do you want to go to bed?" 

Tevin finally looked at Severus.  "Is it bedtime?" 

Severus's lips curled into a smile when he saw the dots of splashed ink littering his son's face like freckles.  "I think it's bath time first."

"No! No!"  Tevin began to playfully squirm in his arms.  Severus laughed as he carried his son through his own bedroom and into the bathroom.  Without setting Tevin down, Severus managed to begin running the water.  "No!" 

"You're covered in ink, Tevin!" 

"No, I'm not!"  The boy increased his squirming. 

Severus set him down on his feet.  Tevin hugged himself to prevent taking his clothes off for the bath, and scowled at his father.  "Tevin," Severus said, in a voice as intimidating as he could while he was smiling, "don't make me stupefy you, young man." 

After a few more minutes, Tevin was in the bubbly water and his head was moving back and forth with the motion of Severus's fingers washing his son's black hair.  Severus's sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and lather had crept up to the middle of his forearms.  "Daddy?"

"What?" 

Tevin tried to look at Severus, but the pressure of his father's scrubbing fingers made that impossible.  "What's stupefy mean?"

Severus stopped washing Tevin's hair and picked up his wand.  "Close your eyes tight."  Tevin obeyed and clenched his eyes.  "Pluviamitis," said Severus.  As soon as the spell was said, Tevin felt a gentle shower of water on his head rinsing away the lather of the shampoo.  He knew from past experience that he shouldn't open his eyes or mouth until his father told him.  "Open you eyes."  Tevin did so and looked at his father.  "Stupefy is a spell that makes someone lose consciousness."

"Makes someone-"

"Makes someone sleep for la ittle while."

Tevin's brow crinkled.  "Like Mommy?"

Severus flinched.  "No, not like Mommy.  Like you when you take a nap." 

Tevin bit his lower lip.  "Oh."  He looked like he was trying to understand.  Severus was about to explain when the boy looked up again.  "Can you show me?"

At that moment, Severus felt something brush up against his side.  He looked down and saw the fluffy kneazle that was given to his son by Hagrid on Tevin's first Christmas at Hogwarts.  Tevin spotted the kneazle and reached his wet hand out of the tub towards the kneazle.  "Minnie."  The white kneazle took a few steps to sniff at Tevin's soapy hand before it withdrew. 

Minnie was turning to leave the bathroom when Severus pointed his wand at the animal and said quietly, "Stupefy."  The kneazle froze as the red jet of light shot from Severus's wand.  Tevin let out a surprised cry as Minnie fell to the ground. 

"She okay?"

"She's fine," Severus reassured his son.  "That's what happens when someone gets hit with the Stupefy spell." 

"They fall over?"

"Yes."

Tevin stared at the unconscious kneazle on the floor.  "What then?"

Severus raised his wand towards the kneazle again.  "Well, you need to say something else to wake them up." He looked at his son to make sure he was watching.  When he saw that Tevin's attention was on him, he said, "Rennervate."  Red light burst forth from his wand again, and hit the kneazle.  Minnie stumbled to her four legs and faced Severus angrily.  She arched her back, bared her claws, and hissed meanly at Severus before dashing out of the door. 

Severus looked at Tevin, who was trying to hide his laughter from behind the lip of the tub, but his shaking shoulders gave it away.  "What are you laughing at, Tevin?"

"Minnie yells at you like Mrs. Minnie."  Severus and Tevin both knew that he was referring to the stern Head of Gryffindor House, after whom Tevin had affectionately named his kneazle.

Tevin chanted the spell in his head as he approached the doorway.  He knew that most likely right around the door Draco was waiting to attack.  He had to be quicker.  He reached the door just as he heard Draco scream out a spell.  It scared him so badly that Tevin tripped over his own feet and fell to the floor, completely unaware that were they actually dueling he would have tripped anyway.  Draco had shouted out the Tripping Jinx. 

As he was on the ground, Tevin rolled to his side and shouted, "Stupefy!"  The tip of his wand glowed purple.  He was waiting for Draco to go rigid and fall over, but he did nothing.  "It makes you go to sleep!  You have to fall over!"  Tevin got to his feet and faced Draco.

Draco smirked at him.  "I whispered ‘Protego.'"

"No!"  Tevin knew he was lying because Draco's wand would have turned purple.  "You liar!"

"I did!"

"It's not fair!" 

"Boys!" spoke up a firm feminine voice from above them.  "That's enough dueling for today."  The two boys looked up at Narcissa, whose arms were crossed at her chest.  Both the boys lowered their wands and mumbled apologies.  Narcissa tried not to grin.  "I have to have Dobby clean up the messes you made in this house before your father comes home, Draco." 

"Sorry, mother," Draco said, as he shuffled his feet nervously. 

"Sorry, Mrs. Malfoy," said Tevin.

Narcissa sighed then smiled.  "Go outside, boys.  It's nice out." 

Draco and Tevin looked up at Narcissa then with smiles.  They ran towards the back door to the expansive yard, but right at one of the staircases, Draco went right and started running up the steps.  Tevin stopped in confusion.  "Meet you outside!  Give me a second!" shouted Draco as he didn't stop in his dash up the stairs. 

Tevin went outside and headed onto the perfect green grass.  He didn't have a lawn at home.  His father had taken it over with plants.  It made it less expensive than buying everything for potion-making.  Tevin understood, but he still wished he had a yard to play in like Draco.  Tevin reached into his pocket and found the small golden orb that he and Draco always played with outside.  He held it in his hand until the silvery wings sprouted from it and it shot into the air.  Tevin ran after it and jumped to try to catch it.  The snitch dodged his hand and he ran and tried to jump higher, but it escaped his capture again.  When Tevin jumped again he was nearly hit by a large flying object!

As he pulled himself together on the grass he looked up and saw Draco hunched over a broom that was far too big for him.  Draco was curled into the wood but extended his arm towards the flying golden snitch.  He flew fast and changed directions clumsily, but so long as he was going straight the blonde boy flew very well.  "Draco!" Tevin shouted.  "What is that?"

"A broom!  Thought you would know that!" shouted Draco from quite a distance above Tevin. 

Tevin rolled his eyes.  "I know it's a broom!  Where'd you get it?"

"Mother!  Sure beats the training brooms we have!" 

Tevin remembered when he watched a first year flying class from Professor McGonagall's office window while his father was talking with the other professor.  He wanted to learn how to fly so badly.  He'd cracked the window open just enough to listen to Madam Hooch snap instructions at the eleven-year-olds.  She announced that the brooms might be a little fidgety since they were school property and none of them about to ride the brooms actually owned them.  He also knew that first years weren't allowed to bring their own brooms.  But he did want to have his own one day.

"When?"

Draco sailed back down towards the ground after the snitch stopped by Tevin's head.  Tevin quickly snatched the golden ball out of the air.  Draco managed to slow the broom and dismount.  His blonde hair was wildly disarrayed like Tevin's hair.  "Took me forever to find it!  Mother kept it hidden all this time!"  He leaned the large broom against his body so he could better show it off.  "But I found it yesterday.  It's old, though.  I bet she had it when she went to school.  See?"  Draco pointed to the lettering on the end of the handle. 

"Nimbus 1500," Tevin read the bronze lettering. 

The boys admired the large broom for a few minutes, touching the handle, feeling the bristles.  They inspected it fully.  After they spent a little while staring at it, Draco's grey eyes lit up.  "Hey, let's play Quidditch!"

Tevin liked Quidditch, but his father never let him chase the snitch on a broom unless he was watching.  Even with the newer training broom he had, Tevin sometimes still had trouble flying.  The thought of flying this new and very large broom without his father watching made him nervous.  "Draco, maybe we shouldn't.  Wait for Mr. Malfoy-"

"Are you joking, Tevin?  As though Father would ever let me fly Mother's old broom!"

"Then why are you?" challenged Tevin.

Draco smirked.  "Because I can."  He mounted the broom again.  "Come on, just let the snitch go and I'll chase it if you don't want to." 

Tevin took out the snitch and held it tightly in his hand.  He heard Madam Hooch's lecture to the first years.  "But Madam Hooch said that a broom that's not yours can throw you off." 

"It won't.  It's Mother's broom!  It won't throw her son off!" 

Tevin sighed, but still didn't let the snitch go.  He looked at Draco who was astride the broom waiting for his friend to let the snitch go.  "No, Draco.  It's not safe."

Draco sighed and got off the broom.  He walked over to Tevin.  "Fine, then, Snape!  I'll play myself!"  Faster than Tevin realized, Draco snatched the snitch from his hand and he threw it into the air.  Draco then positioned his broom so that he could mount it.

"No, Draco!  No!" Tevin shouted as he charged Draco.  He dove to tackle the other boy to the ground, but Draco's grip on the broom was stronger and Tevin found himself clinging tightly onto Draco and hurriedly rearranging himself to sit properly on the broom, which Draco flew away from the ground at a stomach-wrenching speed.  Tevin was paralyzed with fear.  He clung to Draco tighter and hoped that his friend would catch the snitch quickly so that they could go back to the ground.  At one particular direction change, Tevin thought he was going to be sick.

In only an instant later, Tevin's sick feeling reached a whole new level when he heard a man shout from the ground.  "Draco!  Get down here now!"  Tevin craned his neck backwards and saw Mr. Malfoy standing there looking irate as he stared up at them. 

"Draco," Tevin said, unable to control the tremor in his voice, "we have to land." 

Draco's arm was extended and he was almost at the snitch.  "Almost got it!" 

Tevin looked down and saw the Mrs. Malfoy had joined Mr. Malfoy outside and she was looking almost as sick as Tevin felt.  "Draco!  If you do not get down here I'm taking your wand away!"

Draco snorted as he reached towards the snitch.  "No, he won't."

Tevin watched as Mr. Malfoy stalked back inside the house only to appear again moments later with a polished broomstick.  It was obviously a newer model than the one they were both riding.  "I think he means it, Draco." 

"No, he doesn't," Draco said, just as he closed his hand around the snitch.  "Got it!" 

Tevin somehow managed to grab his snitch from Draco's hand and shove it in his pocket just as Mr. Malfoy's broom reached theirs.  Without a word, but with a glare that almost made Tevin wet himself, Lucius latched onto the handle of the Nimbus 1500.  "How dare you?" he snapped at them.  The breeze of flying made his long blonde hair stream like a banner in a storm, and it only made him look angrier in Tevin's opinion.  "Stealing your mother's broom like this and riding it!  Not only you, Draco, but you both have to go at the same time?  Do you have no sense at all?"  By the time he'd finished saying this, Lucius had touched back down onto the grass.  He ignored the brooms on the ground, knowing that either his wife or the house elf would bring them back into the house.

Without waiting for anything, he grabbed both boys by their shirt collars and hauled them into the house.  "I never would have thought that you would be this stupid, Draco!  We buy you a training broom for a reason!  So you don't get hurt!"  He forced the boys to sit on the sofa, not caring that he was being less than gentle.  "Both of you sit there and be quiet!  Do you understand?"  Tevin nodded immediately and Draco was too scared to move.  "Draco!" Lucius shouted.  Draco forced himself to nod. 

Lucius spun around and lit the fire with a snarled spell.  He grabbed some floo powder and threw it viciously into the flames, shouting, "Severus Snape!" before sticking only his head into the fire. 

Tevin and Draco looked at each other obviously terrified of what would happen to them.  Tevin knew he should not have let Draco fly the broom.  He knew he should have left the snitch at home.  He knew he should not have tried to tackle Draco off the broom.  He knew he should have gotten Mrs. Malfoy as soon as he saw Draco fly past him.  It would not matter now.  Mr. Malfoy was telling his father all about this and his father would be angry with him.  Before Tevin could stop himself, he felt his eyes sting.  "He's going to kill me," he whispered.

Draco looked at Tevin.  "Your father won't but mine will."  Draco looked back at his father, whose head was still in the fireplace.  "I never saw him so mad." 

Draco looked back at Tevin just as Lucius stood from the hearth.  He came menacingly at the boys on the sofa and took Tevin by his arm.  "Come with me.  You're going home."  Draco began to get off the sofa, thinking he was going too.  "Don't move from that sofa, Draco!" Lucius barked at his son, who instantly sat back down.  "I'll deal with you when I return." 

Lucius threw some more floo powder into the fire, shouted out his destination, and dragged Tevin through the fire. 

Ophelia stood near the fireplace after having just unexpectedly chatted with Lucius Malfoy.  She wished Severus would end his class early so that he could deal with Lucius, but it seemed as though it were up to her.  She held onto the book she was reading to steady her hands.  The fire flared green and out stepped Lucius.  He jerked his arm and forced Tevin out from behind him.  Ophelia looked at Tevin and saw that he was crying.

"Do you know what I found your son doing, Ophelia?  He was riding my wife's old broom trying to catch a snitch!"  Lucius brought Tevin in front of him. 

Ophelia looked down at the boy.  "Is that true, Tevin?"

"Are you going to listen to a child over me?"

"Yes!"

Lucius let go of Tevin's arm and took a few steps towards Ophelia.  Tevin tried to get out of his way but found himself on the floor.  He scrambled back to his feet and watched the confrontation.  "Would you have preferred then that I let him continue flying and maybe break his neck when he fell off?"

"Tevin flies very well, Lucius." 

"Not on an unfamiliar broom!"

Tevin knew that Ophelia was nervous around Lucius, and he could tell that her resolve was beginning to waver.  "Draco was with me, Mr. Malfoy!" he shouted.  "If I broke my neck, Draco would too!"

Lucius whipped his head to face the boy, and he leaned down to get his face even with Tevin's.  "I see that Severus is teaching you manners well.  This is between your mother and me, not you.  So be silent and-"  Anything else that Lucius was about to say was cut short as his ankle exploded in pain.  He looked down and saw that a fluffy white animal had bitten him in the ankle!  "What in the-that beast bit me!"  He raised his wand and intended to curse the creature, but he stopped when Tevin snatched the animal in his arms and ran out of the room. 

Ophelia silently praised Tevin for saving Minnie and getting away from the situation as fast as possible.  Although, she also wished that he was still there, because she was stuck with Lucius Malfoy.  When she turned back to face him, she saw that he had lowered himself into a chair and had shifted his clothing to expose the bite marks on his leg.  It did look fearsome.  As though forgetting that it was Lucius she approached him.  "Are you alright?" 

Lucius examined himself and conjured a handkerchief.  He began wiping the small amount of blood from his ankle.  "That thing is dangerous!" 

Ophelia smiled despite the fact that the animal had bitten him.  "She's only ever bitten you." 

Lucius sneered at her.  "I'm so fortunate, then." 

Ophelia laughed.   Just then she heard a door open.  She looked up and saw Severus enter the parlor from the portrait entrance.  "If those moronic third years melt one more cauldron, they'll certainly be gaining about three weeks of-Lucius!  What are you doing here?" 

Ophelia stood.  "Minnie bit him." 

Severus's brow crinkled.  "That's not like her.  Did you do something, Lucius?"

Lucius began to shake his head and deny it, but Ophelia spoke first.  "He was somewhat yelling at Tevin."

"Tevin's home?"

This time Lucius spoke up.  "Severus, you're a healer.  Would you mind?" 

Severus walked over to Lucius and knelt down by his exposed ankle.  He could not help his lips twitching into a smile.  "You must admit that she bit you very well."

Lucius grimaced.  "Now that you've both properly praised your vicious pet, heal me."

Severus drew his wand.  "Alright."  He aimed the wand at the marks on Lucius's ankle.  "Episkey."  Lucius gasped as his wound felt like it was burning for a moment.  Then, it felt as though ice had been applied to the area.  When the sensation wore off, the wounds had closed.  Lucius stood to test it, but discovered that while the external wound had been healed, the soreness remained.  He sat back down in the chair. 

"I thought Tevin was supposed to stay for dinner, Lucius," Severus said as he put his wand away.  "Did something happen?" 

Lucius looked gravely at Severus before answering.  "Apparently our boys do not understand the reason of training brooms.  They somehow found Cissa's old broom and they both got on it at the same time.  They were chasing your son's golden snitch when I went outside.  They were flying so high, Severus.  I'm not even sure if they realized how high they were." 

"Did you stop them?"  Severus asked as he sat on the sofa. 

Lucius nodded.  "I...I fear that I...may have been a little rough with the boys.  I dragged them into the house, and was very angry with them." 

Severus sighed.  "I'm sure I would have been the same way." 

"No, I was so...frightened that they would hurt themselves that I...even when they were back safely on the ground I was still-"

"It was adrenaline, Lucius.  You didn't have time to calm down yet." 

Lucius sighed.  "I don't want your son to be afraid of me, Severus, and..."  Lucius met Severus's eyes.  "I think I may have scared him badly just now.  I think I scared Draco a little, as well."  Lucius sighed.  "I'm sure Cissa is talking to Draco now, but would you talk to Tevin for me?" 

"I'll be talking to him anyway." 

Lucius nodded and stood from the chair.  He took a step forward and found his leg nearly gave out.  He gasped in pain and took another step forward.  Ophelia looked toward Severus, hoping that he would help his friend to the fireplace, but saw that Severus was already approaching his son's bedroom door.  When Lucius gasped again, Ophelia went forward and took his arm supporting him.  Lucius sighed in relief.  She helped him to the fireplace and he pinched some floo powder.  "I'm sorry about your leg," she offered, surprising herself.

Lucius looked at her with an expression that clearly showed his own surprise at her statement.  His eyes slid to her supporting hands.  He tossed the floo powder into the fire without looking.  He was still looking at her supporting him.  He said, "Malfoy Manor."  The flames turned green.  Ophelia helped him to step into the flames. 

Just before he spun away Ophelia thought she heard him say, "Thank you."

Severus knocked on his son's bedroom door softly.  "Tevin?"  He waited for another minute and then opened the door.  He looked around the room and did not see his son.  "Tevin?" 

Then he heard it.  Sniffling. 

He walked to the closed bed hangings, which never changed from the maroon that Remus had colored them when he used to stay there.  "Tevin?"  He heard the quiet whimpers behind the heavy fabrics.  He pulled them aside and saw his son.  His son's back was to him, the little body curled up in a fetal position.  His shoulders shook as he tried to cry quieter.  The white kneazle was curled up at the bottom of the bed, her bright eyes glowing as she watched Severus lower himself gently onto the edge of the bed. 

"Tevin, turn around."  Tevin shook his head but his whimpers continued.  "Son, look at me." 

Tevin twisted around and when he looked at Severus, he began to sob.  The boy flung himself at Severus and wrapped his little arms around his father's chest.  Severus wrapped his arms around his son's shoulders.  "I hate Draco!" Tevin sobbed.

"You don't hate Draco."

"Yes I do." 

"Why do you hate him?" 

Tevin hugged his father tighter.  "He got me in trouble.  He made you get mad at me." 

Severus drew back a little from Tevin.  He cupped the boy's chin and tilted his tear-streaked face up to his.  "Look at me," he ordered.  Tevin's dark brown eyes met his father's.  "Do I look angry with you?" 

"No?" Tevin said, hoping it was the right answer.

"That's right, I'm not angry.  I'm...relieved that you're alright.  Do you understand?"  Tevin shook his head.  "I'm relieved that you aren't hurt." 

Tevin began to sob and buried his face into Severus's chest.  "I'm sorry!"

Severus let Tevin cry for a few moments before asking, "What happened at Draco's?"

With his face still against his father's chest he began to explain.  "We were fighting with our wands inside and then Mrs. Malfoy told us to go outside.  I used the spell you told me, too, but Draco didn't listen!  I went out and was playing with the snitch and then something flew by my head!  Draco was on a really big broom and he caught the snitch and then said we should play Quidditch, but I told him you don't let me unless you're there.  And Draco took the snitch off me and threw it and I thought he was going to die so I tried to push him off the broom but he flew it when I got to him and we were flying!  And I said we should go back and he said, ‘no!'  Then, Mr. Malfoy saw us and yelled at us.  He flew and took us back home and dragged us into the house and then he threw us in the room and talked in the fire and then he took me home and he yelled at Fay and I got mad and then Minnie bit him!  And I got Minnie and ran in here."  He squeezed his arms around Severus.  "Don't kill me, Daddy!"

Severus looked at his son in horror.  "I would never-Tevin, it's alright.  Everything's alright.  You're home."  He held his son close to him and whispered assurances.  He pressed Tevin's ear to his heart like he used to when the boy was a toddler.  It always soothed him.  Soon enough, Tevin's sobs began to quiet until he was hiccupping softly.  "Do you feel better?"

Tevin nodded against him.  "Tired." 

"I imagine you are with such an exciting day."  Severus continued to hold the boy against him.  He looked down and saw that Tevin's eyes were drooping.  "I think you need a nap."  Tevin nodded again.  "Come on, into bed."  Severus drew back the covers.  Tevin wiggled his way sluggishly under them.  Severus gently tucked him in and smiled at his son. 

"I'll wake you up for dinner." 

"Okay, Daddy."  He began to close his eyes.  Severus stroked his son's wild hair at his forehead comfortingly. 

"Don't think you're getting out of a punishment."  Tevin opened his eyes again and focused on his father.  "I'm confiscating your wand."  Severus thought for a moment before he grinned.  "And no dessert at dinner tonight." 

"No," Tevin protested sleepily, closing his eyes.  "Treacle tarts are tonight." 

"That's exactly why you aren't allowed to have them."  Tevin groaned quietly.  "Tevin, look at me."  Tevin opened his eyes again and looked at Severus.  "It was very dangerous for you and Draco to fly like that.  You could have been hurt very badly.  Do you understand me?"  Tevin nodded.  "Don't do it again." 

"Okay," he whispered.

"Promise me you won't fly on any broom but your own."

"I promise."

"Or do anything foolish that Draco wants to do but that you know is not safe." 

"I promise, Daddy." 

Severus stroked the hair at his son's forehead again.  "And I want you to write to Uncle Remus about this."

Tevin groaned, louder this time.  "Daddy, that's not fair!"

Severus grinned.  "If you continue whining I'll give you a chore like the ones I give the bad students for detention."  Tevin stopped instantly.  "Go to sleep, son.  I'll wake you for dinner."  Tevin's eyes closed.  Severus stayed sitting on the edge of his son's bed, stroking his hair.  "And I did hear you say that you used Stupefy on Draco.  Well done."  With his eyes closed, Tevin smiled.  "Cheeky," Severus whispered, affectionately before he stood, closed the bed hangings for his son, and left the room quietly. 

Tevin waited with his father in the parlor excitedly for the arrival of Draco.  Tonight was the Halloween Feast at Hogwarts and it would be the first one that Lucius allowed Draco to attend.  Narcissa wanted Draco not to know the grounds of Hogwarts until he attended the school so some things would still surprise and delight him, but Lucius was eventually convinced to let Draco come to the Halloween Feast after both of the boys begging him year after year.  Lucius was also determined to send his son to Durmstrang Institute for his education, so he saw little harm in exposing him to Hogwarts.  And now, Tevin waited next to Severus, holding his hand, for Draco to get there. 

Tevin looked up at his father and saw that he seemed far away.  He always looked sad on Halloween, and Tevin did not understand why.  Severus always sent him to sleep at his godfather's on Halloween, unless he was very sick like he was every month.  Tevin wondered why his father acted like a ghost on Halloween, like he was so sad he couldn't do anything but walk around.  His father was almost silent on Halloween.  Severus was not a talkative man, but he barely spoke on Halloween.  Tevin did not understand.

The fire burst into green flames and out stepped Lucius and Draco.  Tevin heard his father swallow and he squeezed the larger hand.  He felt like he did the right thing when he felt it squeeze back. 

"Here we are, Draco," Lucius unnecessarily announced.  Draco was wearing expensive looking clothes like he would be attending an elegant dinner party rather than the Hogwarts Halloween Feast.  The blonde boy looked like he was desperate to be wearing anything else. 

Lucius leaned a little to his left, but he looked supported by something behind Draco.  It looked like a tall stick.  "Go on, Draco," Lucius urged, with a gentle push to his son's back.  Draco walked up to Tevin and stood beside him, sweeping his grey eyes up and down his friend's form, noting jealously the comfortable and less constrictive clothing the professor's son was permitted to wear. 

Then, Tevin saw it.  Lucius was leaning on something and it was a stick.  When Lucius walked forward he supported himself with the cane.  "Why do you have a cane, Mr. Malfoy?" 

Lucius fixed his gaze on Tevin.  "Because your dear pet was kind enough to bite me." 

Tevin looked down at Lucius's leg next to the cane.  "Sorry," he mumbled. 

Lucius actually smiled then at Tevin, before speaking to Severus.  "My wife got this for me.  She thought it would add to my dignified image and it also had a convenient quality that I was most impressed with."  Lucius shifted his weight to his right and lifted the cane.  Tevin and Draco watched closely as the silver shape of a hissing snake head was visible on the top of the cane. 

"Why is it a snake?" Tevin asked.

Lucius looked down at Tevin in surprise.  "Because I was a Slytherin."

"Like my dad?"

"Yes, like your father."  Lucius grabbed the snake head and held it up to search for something on the silver band at the bottom of the figure.  He seemed to find it because a moment later, the cane split in two and he drew his wand.  It had been hidden inside the cane!  Tevin gasped in admiration. 

Lucius pointed it at Tevin accidentally as he drew the wand and Tevin went rigid.  He thought he saw something in his mind.  A flash of green from the end of the wand, but that was absurd.  He blinked to rid his head of the flash.  His little hand tightened on his father's and he edged closer to Severus.  Severus looked down but other than that, no one else reacted. 

Lucius had continued talking.  "...thought it would be clever to fit my wand to the cane.  Reminds you of dueling with swords, doesn't it, how they used to have swords hidden in canes.  Leave it to my wife.  Although, I will admit the snake does make gripping the thing very comfortable."  He said all of this as he put the wand back into the cane shaft, making it a functional walking aid again.  "I may even keep it like this after I heal." 

"It is impressive, Lucius," Severus offered, quietly.  "I think it's time we went to dinner," he said to the boys.  Draco's eyes lit up in excitement and he smiled shyly. 

Lucius looked then at his son, but he spoke to Severus.  "He shouldn't give you any trouble.  He's been warned what would happen if he did."  He looked warningly at Draco, who lowered his eyes.  "Behave, Draco."

"I will, Father," he said. 

Lucius gave a curt nod and walked with the support of his cane to the fireplace.  He was still getting used to walking with the cane, and therefore his stride had lost some of its intimidation.  In another moment he had vanished in the green flames. 

Severus let go of his son's hand and drew his own wand.  "Come here, Draco."  Draco walked over to Severus a little hesitantly.  "You look uncomfortable."  Draco nodded.  Severus waved his wand over the boy's figure and muttered a string of spells.  Draco looked down and saw that his clothing was getting a little looser and that it was looking similar to Tevin's outfit.  "I think that's a little more appropriate for a dinner at Hogwarts.  It's not like one of your father's social parties." 

Draco moved about and tested the freer clothes.  Then he beamed up at Severus.  "Thanks!" 

Severus tried to offer a grin, but his lips only twitched.  "You're welcome.  I'll have to change them back after we return."

"Okay." 

Severus put his wand away and looked at the boys.  "Follow me."  Severus walked to the portrait hole, opened it, and walked into the hallway.  Draco trotted after him as Tevin made sure the portrait closed.  Tevin jogged to catch up to his friend. 

"Did you get your wand back?" Draco asked, as they walked quickly to keep up with Severus's large stride. 

"No," Tevin said, miserably.

Draco sighed.  "Me neither.  It's been two weeks."

"I haven't been allowed dessert in two weeks either."

Draco smirked.  "Mother's been sneaking me sweets just before bed, even though Father said I'm not to have any." 

"You're lucky," grumbled Tevin.

Draco smiled and his face brightened.  "But you can have dessert tonight, right?" 

The answer came from Severus ahead of them.  "Only tonight, and after that it's back to no dessert."  Tevin groaned.  "I could extend it," came the threat.  Tevin snapped his mouth shut.

It was quiet in the hallway as they made their way to the Great Hall behind Severus.  As they rounded one of the corners, they began to see the students of Hogwarts making their migration to dinner.  Draco took the opportunity of everyone else making noise to talk.  "What's it like?"

"What?"

"The Feast!"

Tevin blushed, feeling a little stupid.  "Oh!"  He cleared is throat awkwardly.  "It's big and there's lots of food!  And pumpkins everywhere!"

"Really?"  Draco seemed to get more and more excited with every step closer they took. 

Soon, the amount of people heading towards the Great Hall was getting too much for Tevin and Draco.  Tevin usually went with his father to dinner through the uncongested staff entrance.  He knew that his father led them this way so that Draco could get the full excitement of walking into the Great Hall, but Tevin wished his father took them the normal way. 

In another few seconds, the main hallway was so crowded that Tevin could not even see his father anymore.  "Daddy!" he shouted.  "Daddy!"  Draco seemed to get nervous from Tevin's nervousness and he had no desire to lose his friend in this crowd.  Tevin found his hand snatched tightly by Draco's.  "Daddy!"  Tevin and Draco were looking everywhere. 

"Tevin, you troublemaker!" came a young voice from right behind them. 

Tevin whipped his head behind him and saw his father's favorite potions student.  "Clarabel!"  She was the young student years ago who first asked Severus what the glowing stone meant when she stayed behind in class.  After she first met her Head of House's young son, she always looked out for him in the halls.  She was with four other fellow Slytherins, all of them in their seventh year.  Clarabel's best friend, Neal Ampion, stood to her right and next to him was Gair Short.  On Clarabel's left were the other two girls, Modesty Flavian and Elvira Mask.  Draco felt immediately comforted at the sight of Elvira.  She looked very similar to his mother but younger. 

"Did you lose your dad?" Neal asked.  He was a thin, but healthy young man with carefully arranged messy dark hair.  He had a sad expression on his face and it seemed to stick.  Despite the sadness, his face was kind. 

Tevin nodded.  "He's that way," he said, pointing to where everyone was heading. 

"Alright, come on," Neal said, holding out his hand.  Tevin took it and Neal began to lead him towards the Great Hall.  Clarabel followed them. 

"Come on!" Tevin said to Draco, turning his head back to his friend. 

Since he did not want to be separated and lost in the crowd of Hogwarts any longer than necessary he decided to try Tevin's method of getting there safely.  Draco walked right up to Elvira, whose blonde hair was the exact color of Narcissa's, and took her hand.  She looked down at Draco in surprise. 

"Looks like he wants to go with you, Elvira," laughed the other boy. 

"Leave her alone," said Modesty.  She bent down a little and pierced Draco with her dark blue eyes.  "What's your name?"

Draco ignored the question and instead spoke to Elvira.  "You look like Mother."

"Oh!" she exclaimed.  "I do?"  Draco nodded, smiling. 

"And who's your mother?" asked the boy, Gair. 

"She's...Mother," he was not sure what they were asking.

The teenagers all looked around at each other trying to figure out how they were going to find out who this boy was.  Then, Gair looked at the blonde boy and held out his hand.  "I'm Gair, what's your name?" 

Draco's eyes widened as he understood what they wanted.  "Malfoy!"  The teenagers looked on in excitement.  They had all at some point heard of the name Malfoy.  The blonde boy took Gair's hand and shook it.  "Draco Malfoy." 

"Come on," said Modesty.  "We should get him to the Great Hall before the Feast starts."  She began leading the way.  Gair and Elvira followed her lead. 

Gair was interested in the young Malfoy and wanted to talk to him.  It was strange to see children in Hogwarts.  That is until Professor Snape brought his son to live with him.  "Do you like Quidditch, Draco?"

Draco looked at Gair and nodded enthusiastically.  "Do you play here?"

"Yes, I do.  I'm the captain of the Slytherin team and I play chaser." 

"I want to be captain one day," Draco said. 

"Do you fly yet?"  Draco's smile disappeared and he looked down at the floor as the group continued walking. 

Gair looked at the two girls worriedly.  "Did I say something wrong?"  The girls shrugged.  Suddenly, a group of younger students bumped into the Slytherins.  The seventh years all drew their wands faster than Draco could see.  He did not know how Elvira still held onto his hand and leveled her wand at one of the boys that smashed into them. 

"Watch it, Wealsey!" she growled at the fourth year student.

"My name's William!" he snapped back as he drew his own wand. 

Gair stepped forward.  "Well, then, William, move on!  We have a kid with us." 

William looked down and saw little Draco trying to hide behind Elvira's leg while still holding her hand.  He darted his blue eyes back to meet Gair's.  "What are you doing with him?"

"Doesn't concern you, Weasley!" said Elvira fiercely. 

"Kidnapping him, then.  Typical of a Slytherin," he said, knowing it was a challenge. 

"Take that back, Gryffindor!" snarled Gair, raising his wand higher. 

"Make me!" he replied. 

"Serpensortia!" shouted Elvira.  From the tip of her wand burst forth a snake that landed coiled around William's neck.  William grabbed it and tried to get it off of himself.  Draco watched from beside Elvira with interest.  This is what the spells did that he and Tevin pretended to use. 

"Everte Statum!" shouted the Gryffindor boy next to William, who just managed to get the snake off of his neck.  The spell shouted by Vin Newnham forced Gair off of his feet and flying backwards.  He landed on his back with a groan.  Draco's mouth fell open in surprise at what the spell caused to happen. 

"Stop!" shouted Modesty.  "This is ridiculous!"  She saw the snake was hissing at William from the ground.  She pointed her wand at the snake and said, "Evanesco."  The snake vanished from the floor.  "Now, let's all just go to the Great Hall before we all get detention!" 

"It's a little late for that," said Gair as he walked up to Elvira's side. 

They all became aware of two professors stopping in front of them.  "Professor McGonagall," whispered William with a tremor in his voice.

"Professor Snape," acknowledged Elvira. 

Both professors nodded at the greetings.  Severus held his son in his arms, who was watching the scene with wide, dread-filled eyes.  The image of the Head of Slytherin holding a little boy made him much less intimidating than usual.  McGonagall made up for it.  "Explain the meaning of this immediately!" she ordered. 

The younger boys started to speak together.  The Slytherins all stood quietly.  They knew from experience that it was better to stay quiet and accept what was coming from the other professors since their own Head of House was most likely going to give them detentions or take points later.  Sometimes he did both. 

McGonagall pointed her wand at William.  "You, Mr. Weasley!  Explain what happened!" 

William cleared his throat and began speaking.  "Well, Vin and I were just heading to dinner and we got a little excited and ran into Mask and Short there and they started a duel!"

Severus looked disappointedly at his Slytherins.  "Is that true?" 

Modesty stepped forward.  "Actually, professor, Elvira told Weasley to watch where he was going and Gair told them that we had a child with us." 

McGonagall interrupted the story then.  "A child?  Who?"  She looked down and saw the little blonde boy trying to make himself invisible behind Elvira's leg.  "And who are you?"

Draco was quiet in his response.  "Draco Malfoy." 

"You must be Lucius's son, then."  Draco nodded.  McGonagall turned to look at Severus.  "I suppose this was your idea."

Severus offered a half-apologetic grin to his old professor before he shifted Tevin in his arms.  Once he managed to hold him with one arm wrapped around him, he extended his other hand towards Draco.  "Come here, Draco."  Draco let go of Elvira and practically ran to Severus.  He took his hand and stood next to the potions professor nervously. 

McGonagall looked at the students before her.  "As for you two," she said, gesturing with her wand to Vin and William.  "I think detention will be appropriate.  See me in my office tomorrow where I'll inform you of what that will entail.  And five points each taken from your house." 

"For what?" protested Vin.

"For dueling in front of a child.  Who knows what spells he's just learned from you."  Then, she spun to face Severus.  "I leave the punishment of your students to you, Professor Snape."  With a stern expression she looked at William and Vin.  "Come with me!"  Then, McGonagall walked towards the doors of the Great Hall and the two Gryffindor boys followed her. 

Severus looked at his seventh year students for a moment before he sighed.  "I'll speak to you all in my office tonight after dinner.  I will be taking points and you will all serve detention.  We'll discuss it later.  Go."  The group of students walked away from their Head of House suddenly not in the mood to be festive during the feast. 

Severus put his son down and took his little hand.  "Come on, boys, before you miss the start of the meal."  With one hand of each boy in one of his own, he led them into the Great Hall.  He ended up dragging Draco for two or three steps as the blonde froze at his first sight of the Great Hall. 

Draco's mouth hung open as he took in the giant room.  There were four very long tables that ran the length of the entire hall.  A large table rested on the raised dais at the end of the room, which seemed like a mile's walk away to Draco.  He saw a very old man looking at him from the table.  He sat in a thronelike chair in the middle of the table.  The gaze made Draco feel uneasy.  He continued to look around the huge room as Severus led him and Tevin towards the staff table.  The ceiling looked like they were eating outside, but he could see the support beams of the vaulted ceiling so he knew they were still inside.  But the best part was all of the carved pumpkins that floated above the tables.  There must have easily been at least fifty of them.  There were giant fiery hanging torches along the walls that hung from the mouths of dragon carvings on the walls.  There was so much to take in that Draco did not even know where to look.

Tevin smiled next to his father as he walked down the aisle with him.  He'd seen the atmosphere of this feast for the last few years, and this year he was excited to be able to talk about it with someone he considered his friend.  He could always talk to the first year students but they were much older than him and didn't like talking to him for a long time. 

"Where are you going to sit tonight, Tevin?" Severus asked his son. 

Tevin looked around for some of the older students that liked to talk to him.  Draco found his voice before Tevin could find someone he wanted to sit with.  "Could we sit with Elvira?" 

Severus looked down at Draco.  "Did you make a new friend already?"

"I like her," he announced.

Severus raised an eyebrow.  "She's a little old for you, Draco." 

Draco scrunched up his nose at Severus.  "What?"

Severus shook his head.  "Nevermind."  He spotted Elvira at the Slytherin table.  She was nestled between Gair and Modesty.  Across from them sat Clarabel and Neal.  Severus walked the boys around one side of the Ravenclaw table and back up the aisle between Ravenclaw's and Sytherin's tables until he reached the small group of his seventh years. 

Severus was about to speak but Draco was apparently feeling more confident than he seemed.  He let go of Severus's hand and excitedly climbed onto the long bench forcing his way between Elvira and Gair.  The two teenagers looked down at Draco.  Gair laughed and said, "Looks like I've got some competition for you, Elvira." 

Elvira rolled her eyes. 

Clarabel looked up and saw her Head of House standing behind her friends with his son looking for a place to sit.  "Tevin!" she called.  Tevin craned his neck to see her.  "Come and sit by me."  Tevin smiled and was trying to figure out if he should run around the table, or crawl under it.  Before he knew it, he found himself floating gently in the air.  He looked back to his father and saw that he was holding his wand aloft with a stoic expression on his face.  Tevin smiled when he realized that his father was floating him over the table.  Severus lowered his son onto the floor on the other side of the table.  Tevin smiled and climbed onto the bench to sit between Clarabel and Neal. 

As Severus concealed his wand again, he looked at the seventh year students sitting with the boys.  Neal and Clarabel met their professor's eyes.  "Don't let them eat so much that they get sick." 

All five of the students looked at him and grinned.  "We won't, Professor Snape," said Neal with a reassuring smile. 

Severus nodded and walked to the staff table.  As soon as he took his seat Dumbledore stood from his chair and said a strange assortment of words after which the tables blossomed with all sorts of disgustingly sweet treats.  There were caramel and candy apples.  Mercifully, there were also natural apples.  Those were the only normal things on the menu from the house elves that night.  Everything else was an explosion of sweets and non-nutritious food. 

Even the staff table was covered in the sweets, although as requested a proper dinner was presented to Severus and several other professors who always found it a necessity to have an actual dinner.  Dumbledore was happily munching away on what appeared to be a very large piece of carrot cake and seemingly humming to himself in his delight. 

As Severus requested earlier, two proper plates of dinner appeared alongside his own.  With a casual flick of his wand, he sent the two plates through the Great Hall to land softly in front of Draco and Tevin.  He watched proudly as his son put down the caramel apple and began to eat the dinner that had floated to land in front of him without questioning it.  Draco stared at it looking disgusted.  Tevin said something to Draco, who finally picked up a fork and viciously stabbed a roast potato wedge and took a bite, his expression very unhappy.  His grey eyes looked to the students around him jealously as they snacked on various treats while he ate healthy food. 

Severus watched the boys eat for a few minutes before he began to eat his own dinner.  ‘At least Lucius has no grounds to accuse me of feeding his son only sweets for dinner.'  Severus began to cut the meat on his plate with a satisfied feeling.  When he looked up at the boys again, he saw his son wave and smile at him.  Severus tried to offer a smile back, but like every Halloween since he had found his son he just couldn't manage it. 

Draco had gone home with a slight stomach ache.  Severus had given him an anti-nausea potion which was infused with licorice tea.  He had just sent Draco home, when only seconds later Tevin came into the parlor with a satchel, of which Severus had supervised the packing, and a pillow. 

"Are you ready to go?" Severus asked Tevin, who nodded.  "Very well."  Severus turned to the mantel and pinched some floo powder.  Just before he was going to toss it into the flames he felt something collide with his side before it wrapped around him.  He looked down and saw that Tevin was hugging him for dear life.

"Why can't I stay home?"

"Because Remus misses you."

Tevin looked up at Severus.  "Every Halloween?" he asked doubtfully.

Severus drew in a deep breath and then let it out with a deep sigh.  "Tevin, Halloween is very hard time for me.  I want you to enjoy Halloween, and you can do that much better with your godfather than with me."

Tevin shook his head and hugged his father.  "I can help."

"And Uncle Remus gets lonely sometimes.  I can't keep you all to myself."  Severus gently pried his son's arms from around him, and he crouched to the boy's eye level.  "Your godfather needs some company sometimes too.  He lost some dear friends once on Halloween."  Severus picked up his son's fluffy pillow and held it out to Tevin. 

Tevin took it and hugged it like he was hugging another person.  "Did you lose mommy on Hallween?" 

Severus gasped and lowered his eyes.  It was silent in front of the fireplace for a long few minutes.  When Severus looked back up he met the questioning eyes of his son.  "Yes, I lost your mother on Halloween." 

"Is that why you never smile today?"

"Yes," Severus choked, for once allowing his emotion to show to his son.  He tried to hold in his tears as best he could but one escaped to slide down his cheek.  Before he could wipe it away, he felt the smaller hand of his son touch his face.  The boy looked at him with a compassion that far surpassed the level he should have been able to demonstrate at his age. 

"Don't be sad, Daddy," Tevin whispered, as he traced the path of the tear with his fingers, effectively wiping it away.  "I don't like when you get sad." 

Severus tried to smile for his son, but instead he grimaced.  "Come here."  Tevin stepped forward and Severus took the initiative and brought the boy to his chest, hugging him tenderly against him, sliding the fingers of one hand through the wild black hair of his son.  He did not rub Tevin's back, or stroke his fingers through the hair, but he simply held his son. 

Tevin let his father hold him until he felt the pressure of the embrace lessen.  He drew back and looked at Severus.  "Should I go to Uncle Remus's now?"

"Only if you want to."

Tevin thought for a moment.  "I want to.  He might get sad like you." 

Severus nodded.  "He probably would.  You've stayed with him on every Halloween so far." 

Tevin nodded.  "‘Kay."  Tevin picked up his pillow and adjusted his satchel. 

He waited for his father to toss the floo powder into the flames and said, "Remus Lupin's Flat."  With a gentle hand to his son's back, he guided the boy into the fire. 

Tevin faced Severus and just managed to say, "Goodnight, Daddy," as he was spun away towards his godfather's flat where he spent every Halloween night.

"Goodnight, son," Severus said to the orange flames, knowing Tevin could not hear him.  "Sleep well."  Despite Severus's wishes for restful sleep, neither father nor son slept peacefully that Halloween night. 

Remus stood pensively in his little parlor waiting for his godson to come through the fireplace like he did every year.  What made this year different was what he was doing while waiting.  He had found a box he'd hidden in one of the closets.  It was filled with keepsakes from his schooldays, pictures, doodles, old notes from classes, a watch that ticked away the moon phases with each day.  He'd picked up a framed picture from the box and had taken it to the mantel.  It was taken in the Gryffindor common room during seventh year.  He remembered the time. 

"You can't move that piece there, Lily," James said, standing over Remus's shoulder as he gazed down at the muggle chessboard. 

"Why not?"

Sirius, who sat sprawled on the sofa studying a large and folded parchment, looked out of the corners of his eyes at Lily.  "Even I know that the knights move in an ‘L' shape, not a diagonal shape."  Then something caught his eye on the parchement and he announced, "He's on the move again."

James went over to the back of the sofa and looked at the parchment.  "Who's on the move?"

"Snivelly!" said Sirius.  "Probably off to torture someone.  Practicing for...him, no doubt."

Lily took a deep breath and then leaned to look at the parchment, before a smile graced her features.  "Isn't he with your brother?"

Sirius huffed through his nose.  "Regulus isn't my brother anymore."

"Was that a sore subject for you?" Lily asked, knowing the answer.

"Yeah!  You know it is!  So I would appreciate it if-"

"Now you know how I feel when you bring up Severus Snape the way you do!" Lily shouted.

It was quiet for a minute before James looked at the parchment.  He drew his wand and tapped it.  "Mischief managed."  Then, he looked at Sirius.  "She has a point, Padfoot.  Everyone's got their things that set them off, so let's just not talk about it anymore, okay?" 

Sirius worked his jaw and grumpily folded up the parchment.  Before he could do anything else, James snatched it from his hands and began prancing around the common room holding it above his head.  Sirius leaped up and began chasing James around the common room, reaching for it. 

"Give it back, Prongs!"

James ran past Remus, who snatched it from James and proceeded to take over the running around the common room.  James flopped down next to Lily, who was watching the childish play and was shaking her head.  "Thank you, James, for telling him to-"

"You're welcome." 

James looked at the chessboard as Remus ran behind the sofa, and Sirius decided to climb over it and tackle the other boy to the ground, shouting, "Give me it!"  Just then, Peter Pettigrew ran towards the straining hands of Remus and Sirius and snatched up the parchment.  Sirius struggled to his feet, started to run, but tripped over Remus and fell back down.  Peter had a head start up the stairs to the boys' dormitory.  In only seconds, Sirius followed him.   

James moved one of Lily's pieces.  "There," he said, with a triumphant grin at her, "he'll be forced to take that rook or give up his queen, but that puts you in line for check...maybe even checkmate." 

"I hate chess," she mumbled under her breath. 

Remus stood from behind the sofa and walked back to his spot on the other side of the chessboard, studying it as he sat down.  Before he managed to sit down however, Sirius came barreling down the steps again holding the parchment aloft, as though it were the House Cup.  Someone called him and he posed with the parchment provactively, much to the amusement of most of the female Gryffindors.  "Hey, bring that camera over here!" he said to the girl who took the picure.  Sirius led the girl to his friends and told her from what vantage point to take the picture.  He threw himself on the sofa again, still holding up the parchment like a trophy with a huge smile on his face.

James laughed and leaned closer to Lily.  "Would've thought you'd be better at chess with all the time you spend with Snape."

Lily smirked and looked at James.  She gave him a gentle push with her elbow.   "Shove off!  We brew potions together, and study."

James raised an eyebrow in mock surprise.  "Really?  Because I swore I caught you snogging him in the library a few times."  Remus looked at the two with a smile, as Lily turned to James with a scandalized expression.

 "You're seeing things, James Potter." 

 "You say no, but your blush says yes," James cooed, trying to hold back a laugh. 

Lily's mouth fell open and she pushed James.  "Now!" shouted Sirius to the girl with the camera!  There was a flash and the moment was caught forever.

Remus looked at the moving picture.  He saw himself laugh and point as Lily's mouth opened in laughter as she playfully pushed James, who fell onto his side in the foreground of the picture.  But he was still laughing.  Sirius was smirking but then his head turned to James and Lily with an expression that clearly indicated his laughter.  Remus smiled sadly.  "The world was simpler even then," he said to himself. 

His fireplace suddenly turned green and he turned to it with a kind smile on his face.  Tevin walked from the fireplace, holding onto his pillow and a small bag.  He smiled shyly up at Remus and shuffled up to his godfather and hugged him with the arm that wasn't wrapped around his pillow.  Remus hugged the boy gently.  "Happy Halloween, Tevin." 

Tevin shook his head.  "It's not happy."

Remus drew away from Tevin.  "Why not?" 

Tevin looked up and met Remus's eyes.  "Mommy died today." 

Remus gasped as he saw the tears well up in his godson's eyes.  "Your father finally told you, then." 

"You know?" 

Remus nodded and took Tevin's shoulders and led him to the sofa and forced the boy to sit down.  Tevin held his pillow to his little body and hid his face in it.  Remus knew that the boy was crying, and trying to hide it.  Remus looked at the mantel and saw the picture of himself, Sirius, James, and Lily.  He picked it up and looked at it for a minute.  Then, he looked at Tevin.  A thought suddenly occurred to him. 

"Tevin," he said, quietly.  Tevin looked up at Remus.  Tears streaked his face.  "Have you ever seen a picture of your mother?"  Tevin shook his head.  Remus was shocked.  He knew that Severus had pictures of Lily, and some of them together.  To never show his own son those pictures was something he could not understand.  Remus looked at the picture again and then brought it over to the sofa.  He sat down next to Tevin and held out the frame to him. 

Tevin took it and looked at it.  "She's my mommy?"

Remus looked at the picture with him, leaning closer to the boy.  He pointed unnecessarily to the red-haired girl who was pushing the boy with glasses.  "That's your mother, Lily.  She's seventeen in this picture." 

Tevin touched his finger to his mother's laughing face.  "She's pretty."

Remus smiled.  "Yes she is.  Lily was always pretty."  Remus let Tevin take her in for another moment before he pointed out the boy wearing glasses.  "That's James.  He watched over you when you were little, before you lived with your father."  After he said this, the picture moved again from the beginning and James was pushed over by Lily. 

"Why did she push him?"

Remus smiled.  "Because he was teasing her."

"Teasing's mean," Tevin said, quietly. 

He looked at his godson in surprise.  ‘If only you knew how much James teased your father, if you could call it teasing.'  "That's right, Tevin.  Teasing is mean." 

Tevin pointed then to sandy haired boy on the left of the picture who was pointing at James and Lily.  "Who's that?"

"That's me."

Tevin's head whipped around to look at him.  "You?"  Remus nodded, laughing a little.  The boy made a face.  "No, it's not," he said, looking back at the picture. 

It was quiet as Tevin looked at the picture some more.  Finally, he pointed to the other black-haired boy with long wavy hair who lounged on the sofa.  "Is that Daddy?" 

Remus flinched.  "No," he said, looking at Sirius's smirking face sadly.  "That was Sirius." 

"Surrus?  Like my dog?"  Tevin asked looking up at Remus. 

"Yes.  Like your dog."

"Wish I can ‘member them," Tevin sadly said.  Tevin and Remus spent the next few minutes simply looking at the happy picture.  Remus wondered how everything could have gone so wrong after the time the picture was taken.

"Go brush your teeth, Tevin," Remus said as he got up from the table.  He took hold of the plates and cups and took them to the sink.  He began running the hot water to fill up the sink.  After he rolled up his sleeves, he heard Tevin run back into the parlor.  Just as Remus began to wash the first plate he heard the little boy come running back into the kitchen and through another door leading to the tiny bathroom.  He heard the water run and then shut off, followed by the tell-tale sound of someone brushing their teeth.  Soon enough, the water turned on again and the sound of spitting was heard from the little bathroom.  Then, Remus heard Tevin's little feet padding through the kitchen and back to the parlor.  Just as Remus finished the last of the dishes, he heard Tevin return to the kitchen. 

"Did you know you drink a lot of choc'late?"

Remus looked down at Tevin with a blank expression before he felt his lips curl into a smile.  "Your father says the same thing to me many times."

"He's right."

Remus dried his hands on the dish towel.  He saw that when they spoke of Severus, Tevin's expression saddened.  "What's wrong, Tevin?" 

Tevin shook his head and walked into the parlor.  Remus followed him after he turned off the kitchen lights.  He found Tevin curled up on the sofa already changed into pajamas and snuggled around the pillow with his head barely on it.  With a flick of his wand, Remus transfigured the sofa into a bed.  With another flick, he changed his clothing into warm fleece pajamas.  He smiled at Tevin, who in response crawled to the far side of the bed and turned his back to his godfather.  Remus sat down on the bed and lay down. 

Whenever Tevin slept at his godfather's the sofa became a bed.  The sofa was Remus's bed, and he had to make it big enough for two people.  The first time Remus had Tevin sleep by himself and he slept on the floor.  When Tevin realized that his godfather slept on the floor he said that they should share the bed.  No one should sleep on a floor if there was room in a bed. 

Remus allowed the fireplace to blaze away.  Fire relaxed him to sleep sometimes, and so it remained lit when he slept.  As he stared at the flames, he thought of Halloween.  Of James, of Lily, of Sirius, of everyone whose lives were forever changed because of that night.  He looked to his godson's back.  It was shaking. 

"Tevin, what's the matter?" he asked again. 

"Nothing."

"You can tell me, Tevin.  It's better to talk about it when something is bothering you." 

Tevin shifted until he was facing Remus.  "Daddy never talks when he's sad." 

Remus looked at Tevin in concern.  "You aren't your father." 

"He's sad today." 

"I know he is." 

Tevin bit his lip, as though he didn't want to say anything more.  Remus shifted so that he was a little closer to Tevin.  "You shouldn't let your dad's sadness make you sad." 

"Daddy doesn't like Halloween ‘cause Mommy died on Halloween."  Remus nodded, trying to hold off his own tears.  He remembered how he felt during that time.  He couldn't imagine what Severus felt.  His voice was stuck in his throat, but Tevin continued.  "How come I have fun on Halloween?  I should be sad too like Daddy!"  Then, the tears came for the little boy.  "I shouldn't have fun.  I should be sad and quiet.  The Feast at home is bad not good.  I shouldn't have the sweets.  I shouldn't play chess with you!  I shouldn't have hot choc'late and cookies with you!  I should be like how Daddy is.  How come I can have fun but Daddy can't?" 

Remus took hold of Tevin and pulled the boy to his side.  Tevin flung his arms around his godfather and buried his face into Remus's chest.  He sobbed as the day's emotions finally caught up with him.  Remus held Tevin to him, patiently waiting for the tears and sobs to lessen.  When they finally did, he tilted Tevin's face to him.  "Your father would want you to have fun today." 

"Why?"

Remus took a deep breath.  "Because," he said softly, "the night your mother died still haunts your father.  That doesn't mean he wants it to haunt you."  Neither of them said anything after that.  After another moment or two, Tevin laid his head again on his godfather's chest and stared ahead at the fireplace.  Soon enough both Remus and Tevin were lulled to sleep by the flames.

The door burst from the hinges and the red-haired woman spun around to face it.  The words said between the woman and the intruder was slurred, almost muffled.  He could hear the sounds, but could not make out the words.  And then, he was picked up from his cradle and pressed against the woman's chest.  She and the intruder were still arguing.  And then suddenly, blinding green light shot towards them.  The woman screamed.  It was a terrible sound to hear while the high-pitched laughter of the other person reverberated in the room. 

Suddenly the screaming stopped and he was falling, but hands still held him, though they were slackening every instant during the fall.  He hit the ground and then dazedly looked up at the approaching figure, who was still laughing.  Then, something was pointed at him and the intruder said the same thing that he said only seconds before.  Green light blinded him...

...He heard this new voice before he opened his eyes.  These were not the sounds of bad laughter.  It was like the sound he made when he was in pain.  He opened his eyes, and when he did, the sounds of this new person stopped instantly.  He stared into the eyes of the dark figure that cradled the woman to its chest, with her red hair falling like a willow tree's branches.  Suddenly, the new man's head spun to the broken door for a moment and then back to him.  There seemed to be a moment of hesitation before the dark shape rose, and ran to a window to disappear. 

Tevin's eyes sprang open as he struggled to draw in a breath.  His eyes darted around to look for the red-haired woman, whom he now believed was his mother, on the floor, but she was not there.  And who or what was the dark shape?  What was that blinding green light?  Who made the green light? 

He looked at the fireplace, which only had small flames still ablaze in it.  Tevin reached over and poked Remus in the arm.  "Uncle Remus!"  Remus did not stir.  Tevin grabbed his should and began to shake him.  "Uncle Remus, wake up!"  Remus shifted in his sleep but otherwise did not wake up. 

Tevin looked around desperately.  He needed answers, and he was growing scared.  Was this dream real?  He had too many questions about it.  If his godfather was not going to give him the answers, then he had to go to someone that would.  Tevin jumped from the bed and walked to the mantel.  He strained to reach the floo powder, but he could not reach it.  He looked around, and then remembered that he'd seen Draco once drag a chair over to the bookshelves once to steal his father's book on curses that was stored on a very high shelf in the library at Malfoy Manor. 

Tevin went into the kitchen and grabbed a chair.  He tipped it over and it fell with a loud crash.  Tevin froze for a minute, waiting to see if his godfather would come running in yelling at him.  When nothing happened, and he was sure Remus was still sleeping, Tevin grabbed the back of the chair and he dragged it into the parlor.  It took a great deal of his energy to stand the chair up again, but he eventually managed.  He climbed up onto the chair and then took some floo powder.  He hopped down and threw the floo powder into the fire.  "Snape home, Hogwarts!"  The small flames turned green and Tevin leaped into them, spinning off home.

Tevin fell onto the hearth of his father's quarters at Hogwarts only to find the parlor completely dark.  This was unusal, because his father almost always left one of the wall sconces burning so that his son could find his way through the rooms in the middle of the night if he needed to get up for some reason.  But it was dark in the parlor this time. 

Tevin waited for the fireplace to go from raging green to normal orange before he even dared to make the walk to his room door.  He almost ran into the armchair, but he made it easily enough to his room.  He walked inside and saw that it was equally as dark as the parlor.  "Daddy?"

He heard nothing in his room.  "Daddy?" 

Then he walked to the door that separated his room from his father's room.  There was a dull light shining in this room.  Tevin found this strange, but he ignored it in favor of his mission.  He opened the door quietly so that he wouldn't wake up his father.  "Daddy?" he whispered.  He knew that his father hated to be woken up from his sleep.  For some reason, he always reacted like he was being attacked.  It was because of this that Tevin never woke up his father if he could help it.  But not tonight.  He wanted answers. 

He walked directly to Severus's bed, the hangings of which were closed.  "Daddy?" Tevin said, a little louder this time.  When he heard nothing in response, he pulled back the hanging just enough to try to see inside.  "Daddy?"  He heard nothing.  No shifting, no breathing, no sound at all.  For a fleeting panicked moment, Tevin thought that his father was dead and that had been the reason he sent him to Remus's that night.  This idea fled his mind as quickly as it came once he went to shake his father awake and his hand landed on nothing but the covers on the flat bed. 

His father was not there. 

Severus stood quietly in his bedroom in front of his bookcase staring at one of the only physical objects he had left of his wife - her willow wand.  He looked at it for a long moment before the longing to touch her overwhelmed him.  He knew he could never touch her again, but when his fingers curled around the slender wood he could almost imagine that they were wrapped around her hand.  He was touching what she had once touched, and in that way, he was holding her hand again. 

His breath came quicker as he was brought from these sentimental thoughts and saw that he only held his wife's cold wand.  He reached up his other hand and held the tip of the wand, his thumb and index finger stroking it softly, wishing that he could only touch her again.  But the wand offered none of her warmth, just coldness. 

Severus closed his eyes as emotions began to choke him, making him thankful that he had Remus to watch over his son every Halloween.  It spared Tevin seeing his father unravel as the greatest sin of his past haunted him.

Voldemort prowled the ground in front of the kneeling Severus Snape, who was cloaked in the anonymity of dark robes and a concealing mask.  "Give me your arm," he ordered. 

Severus looked up and did not move for a fraction of a moment before he raised his left arm towards Voldemort.  The Dark Lord grabbed him by the wrist and jerked back the black sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark burned into the pale skin on the forearm.  Voldemort drew his wand and pressed the tip to the Dark Mark on Severus's arm, sending a dull throb through the younger wizard's arm. 

Voldemort looked to the sky in anticipation.  Under his breath he whispered, "You will be rewarded for this information, Severus.  Rise."  Voldemort released Severus's arm, and the younger man stood.

Other Death Eaters apparated around Severus and Voldemort with a cacophony of popping sounds.  Severus adjusted his mask, trying to look as though he too had just arrived.  When the gathered Death Eaters were silent, Voldemort began to prowl around the circle in which he was enclosed.  "I have received information that can threaten our existence.  And it all depends on one person!"  All of the masked Death Eaters shifted in their increased attention on his words. 

Voldemort strode powerfully around the inner border of the circle, looking each of his followers in the eyes as he passed them.  "I need the names of children!"  Voldemort's walk began to slow as he approached Severus's masked form.  He looked directly into his informant's eyes as he spoke carefully, silently asking for confirmation.  "I want the names of every child born at the end of July!  Bring these names to me!"  He stared into Severus's eyes.  Severus nodded to confirm the words with a barely perceptible movement.  Then, Voldemort continued past him and shouted his order one last time. 

"Do what you must, my friends, but bring me those names!"

Severus opened his eyes and saw that he had drawn the wand he held so tenderly in his hands closer to his heart.  His head fell forward and he drew a shaking breath.  "Lily," he breathed.  "Oh, Lily."  He felt the first of his tears develop.  "If I knew then..."

He walked across the room and sunk down upon his bed, his hands cradling the wand gently, and his head bent low over it as though he were in penitent prayer.  "I'm so sorry, Lily..."

Severus stood again in a gathered circle of masked Death Eaters, watching Voldemort prowl the inner border as per usual.  Voldemort quickly drove his long-fingered hand forward and dissolved the mask from the Death Eater's face before him.  "Speak, Rodolphus!  What have you learned?"

The other man looked at Voldemort with clever eyes and a wicked smile.  "A boy."

"Stop delaying and tell him!" shrieked a female voice nearby.

Voldemort tilted his head, before he strode to the female figure.  With a much slower motion, Voldemort dissolved the mask from the woman.  "And what information do you have for me, Bellatrix?"

She smiled at Voldemort and turned her head smoothly to the side, looking at him through lowerd lashes.  "There's a boy we found born on July thirtieth.  Neville Longbottom." 

Voldemort grinned at her before he began to turn away from her.  She stopped him with her low and seductive voice.  "There's another one, my Lord."  When Voldemort turned to face her again she continued.  "His name is Harry Potter.  Born on the thirty-first." 

Voldemort met her eyes and then his lips curled into a twisted smile.  "You will earn a reward for this, Bellatrix," he purred to her.  She smiled in return. 

Voldemort resumed his prowling around the circle until he stopped at another Death Eater, repeating the rough dissolving of the mask.  "Augustus, with your position in the Ministry, you have access to the files of every wizard.  Tell me what you can of the parents." 

"Already done, my Lord."  Voldemort nodded at him to continue.  "The first are Frank and Alice Longbottom, Aurors, Purebloods."

"What of the Potter boy?" Voldemort hissed. 

"Parents are James and Lily Potter, members of the Order of the Phoenix.  She's a Mudblood." 

Voldemort's eyes narrowed as he took in the information.  "The boy is a Half-blood, then." 

"Yes, my Lord." 

Voldemort said nothing else as he turned from Augustus Rookwood.  The atmosphere was quiet for a long while before Voldemort spoke again, but it was so quiet that only the Death Eater nearest to him was able to hear the voice.  Severus Snape.  "Born to those who thrice defied me..." he murmured.  His eyes slid to the side to meet Severus's gaze, who nodded imperceptively, though he seemed to hesitate. 

Voldemort continued to walk after he noticed the nod.  After another several moments of silence, he spoke again.  "Leave me!  All of you!  I will summon you all when I have made my decision."  Everyone began to disapparate from the circle.  Suddenly, Voldemort whirled to face Severus.  "Severus, remain." 

Severus and Voldemort stared at each other until everyone else in the circle had disappeared.  "My Lord?"

Voldemort approached Severus, walking as though he was floating.  "I made my decision just after hearing about the children." 

Severus straightened his spine.  "Yes, my Lord?"

"My target is the Potter boy."  Voldemort did not see Severus stiffen as he said the words.  Voldemort did, however, notice that Severus did not speak.  "You say nothing."

Severus took a deep breath before speaking.  "My Lord," he began carefully, "what is your intention for ridding yourself of this threat against you?"

Voldemort studied Severus for a long while before replying.  "Is that your place, Severus?"

"No, my Lord," Severus said, looking down to the ground.  His spine was stiffened, and his entire body tensed. 

"Speak, Severus." 

Severus drew in another deep breath and then slowly raised his eyes to meet those of Voldemort.  "My Lord, you spoke of a reward for delivering the prophecy to you."

Voldemort nodded like a monarch to his subject.  "Very well.  You have a request."  It was not a question.

Severus kept his eyes on Voldemort's as he returned the graceful nod.  He opened his mouth to speak the familiar, sweet name, but his sense of caution choked him until he managed to substitute her name for something less emotionally tying.  "The woman."

"The mother?"

"Yes."

Voldemort looked at Severus curiously.  "Surely there are other witches that can satisfy you, others more worthy of you." 

Severus had expected an initial refusal.  "That may be so, but I want her spared.  No pain would be worse for her than to be alive and forced into an alliance with me as your follower, while her husband and son are dead."  Voldemort regarded Severus in silence for a moment, studying him.  Severus felt Voldemort reach out with his mind and try to search his own, but Severus was content.  He knew his own skill in Occlumency was unmatched.  "I request that she be spared...for my own pleasures."

Voldemort continued to study him before his lips curled into a twisted grin.  "Very well, Severus, the woman is yours.  I will spare her." 

Severus's eyes sprang open.  He'd fallen asleep and had fallen to his side, his hands still gently holding the willow wand.  He could not escape the memories of the events leading to his wife's death, nor the measures he desperately tried in order to keep her safe.  He could not escape being haunted by it whether he was awake or asleep no matter what he did. 

He rose from his bed with the wand and walked across the room to place it back on the high shelf of the bookcase.  He never showed his son Lily's wand.  How could he explain it all to Tevin when he still had difficulties with what had happened?  He carefully put the willow wand down and gazed at it for a moment. 

He remembered asking Voldemort to spare her.  He remembered not trusting the dark wizard to keep his word, and so he had gone to another wizard, to Albus Dumbledore, whom he did not trust, but whom Severus knew that Voldemort feared.  Going to the wizard who commanded the Dark Lord's fear was enough of a reason to seek his protection for his wife, his Lily. 

Severus stood before Dumbledore, in the midst of a heated discussion on a hilltop.  He was confessing to the older wizard. 

 "If she means so much to you, surely Lord Voldemort will spare her?  Could you not ask for mercy for the mother in exchange for the son?"

"I have-I have asked him-"

"You disgust me!  You do not care, then, about the deaths of her husband and child?  They can die, as long as you have what you want?"

 "Hide them all, then.  Keep her-them-safe.  Please."

"And what will you give me in return, Severus?"

"In-in return?"  There was a pregnant pause, before Severus replied in a quietly desperate voice.  "Anything."

"Even spy for me?  Reporting to me of all of the activities of the Death Eaters?"

"Yes."

"You realize that it would greatly put your life in danger."

"Yes."

"Very well, Severus.  After every meeting you attend, I want you to come immediately to me.  Find me, and report to me and only me."  Dumbledore turned away from Severus, intending to leave the grassy area. 

Severus stepped forward.  "Wait!"  Dumbledore stopped and faced the younger man, but did not verbally reply.  "What do you intend to do for them?" 

Dumbledore smiled and adjusted his half-moon spectacles, looking like a man who had just thought of a clever plan.  "I think the Fidelius Charm should do nicely."  With that, Dumbledore disapparated away, leaving Severus behind and alone on the windy hilltop. 

Despite the new bargain he had just entered into with the headmaster of Hogwarts, Severus felt worse than when he'd bargained with Voldemort.  Both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore promised him that Lily would live.  Yet Severus felt that both of them made empty promises.  And at that moment on the hilltop, with the wind dancing with his robes and hair, Severus swore that he would protect Lily.  He would ensure her survival. 

Severus walked away from the bookcase and to the hidden doorway that led to his office and private lab.  He walked as though he were under the Imperius Curse, but one where he was forced to walk through the steps that would make him remember the events of horrible memories not one that commanded him to perform malicious acts. 

He used his office as his own private potion brewing lab.  He hid the location of the lab tables, behind a wall.  It looked like a protrusion invading his office, but there was a small, barely noticeable space between the bordering wall and the deceptive wall that would enable him to slide through into the surprisingly spacious lab. 

Like a man no longer in control of his body, he walked to this thin opening and slid into the lab.  His dark eyes scanned the neat and clean tables, the various cauldrons set neatly on the shelves against the far wall, and finally upon the sealed transparent cabinet, inside which rested several thin vials, each no taller than his index finger.  They were filled with a pale, glowing blue liquid which was so clear that it looked like glowing water.  He remembered how he developed this potion.  Like every year since, he wished he had brought more with him that night.

Severus traveled through the streets of Diagon Alley as though he were being chased by a rabid hippogriff.  He had no concern that he was very nearly running past the leisurely strolling wizards and witches.  He had three destinations and very little time to experiment, although his mission required experimentation. 

He did not run, but he was certainly walking with a long, rushed stride. 

He made a direct line to the towering white building and passed quickly through the bronze doors and then immediately through the silver doors into the lobby of Gringotts Wizarding Bank.  He was surprised yet delighted that the counters were littered with very few customers.  He walked directly up to the closest one and barely waited for the goblin behind the counter to acknowledge his presence before he had two small golden keys between them. 

"I want access to my vault and my mother's vault."

The goblin looked at him disprovingly, most likely for the young man's rudeness and demanding attitude.  "Name?" he asked. 

"Severus Snape."

The goblin took his quill and flipped through a book, deliberately taking his time.  He seemed to have found Severus's name and he scratched in something in the book before looking up to the man.  "Vault numbers?"

Severus huffed in aggravation.  He was pressed for time.  "Vault 691 and 930."

The goblin looked again in the book and made a fewmore scratches with his quill, before he disappeared from his chair.  Severus took back his keys and waited impatiently as he heard the goblin shuffle behind the tall counter.  After a moment, the goblin emerged from a doorway that was underneath the countertop.  The goblin looked up at Severus and said, "Follow me."

Severus followed the quick-footed goblin through another door that led to carts on tracks.  The goblin and Severus got in and in an instant the cart was speeding away.  It jarred to an abrupt halt after a moment and Severus had to hold onto the side for fear of being thrown from it.  The goblin announced, "Vault 691!" and sprang from the cart.  It held out its long-fingered hand.  "Key, please!" 

Severus handed the goblin the key to his vault.  The goblin made quick work of the key and then used the one belonging to Gringotts afterward.  The door opened with a groan, and Severus stepped inside. 

There was not a great amount of wealth that could be attributed to Severus Snape, but it was enough for him with which to live comfortably enough.  He thought of James Potter for a moment, knowing that the size of his humble hill of galleons, and sickles and knuts would only equal a miniscule fraction of the pompous wizard's hoard.  He wondered for a moment if James even appreciated the gesture that he had sent the other man half of his salary in order to support Lily, as his honor would have it no other way.  He had asked for James to protect her, and Severus was willing to support her, even if James was perfectly capable to support her on his own obscene inheritance.  Lily was his wife, and he had given his word that he would support her...even after she'd given birth to James's son, making their marriage void.  Severus loved her, even still, and would keep to his bargain. 

And so, he lived on only half of his salary, while he gave the rest to Lily. 

Severus looked at the amount of money in his vault having the thought that what he possessed may not be enough to save her.  He did not know what he should take from the vault.  However, he knew that he needed to be prepared for the unexpected and so he emptied his vault of what he had, which was a very humble amount.  He walked out of the vault and the goblin closed the door and locked it. 

Severus and the goblin got back into the cart and raced off to the second vault that Severus named.  "Vault 930!" announced the goblin.  Severus and the goblin repeated the process of entering the vault.  It was his mother's old vault.  He felt like an intruder going into her vault, even though she could not reprimand him for doing so.  She was dead and had left him her vault.  It was less than what his own vault had contained, but it just might be enough for his purpose.  Severus added his mother's money with his own and left the vault. 

Only several minutes later, Severus was practically running through Diagon Alley again, intent on getting to his second stop.  He walked into Magical Menagerie and headed straight for the section where all of the toads were kept.  Severus signaled for the saleswoman to come over to him.  She was a sickly-looking woman that seemed to have been defeated by the demands of all of the animals she sold and kept in her shop.  "Can I help you?" she asked.

"How much are your toads?" 

Her tired muddy hazel eyes slid over to the tanks filled with toads, then drifted her gaze back to Severus.  "They're the cheapest animals I sell.  One galleon each."

Severus licked his lips as he thought for a brief moment.  "Alright, I'll take...twenty of them." 

The woman smiled, but with her sickly appearance it looked like a grimace.  "Is that a question or-"

"Give me twenty toads, witch," Severus growled. 

The woman was surprised, but she did as he ordered.  She moved quickly, not bothering to be sure if the twenty toads she counted out for him were healthy or not.  She brought them to the counter.  Severus followed her and when he got out his money bag, she looked at him questioningly, suspiciously.  "Why would you need twenty toads at once?"

Severus took out the twenty galleons and set them on the counter.  He took hold of the box of toads.  "That isn't really your concern is it?"  Then, he left the shop and began towards his last destination.

He made it to the Apothecary's Shop in unprecedented time and when he entered the shop, he found that it was mercifully empty. 

He walked directly to the ancient-looking man behing the counter.  "Merlin's beard, Mr. Snape, you look terrible!  Are you alright?" 

Severus looked at the shop keeper with wild eyes.  "Hopefully, everything will be alright once I acquire all of these ingredients, Jayce."  He produced a long slip of parchment from an inner breast pocket in his dark robes. 

Jayce took the parchment and looked at it.  It was long.  His old, drooping eyes looked over each requested ingredient and the further down the list he read, the more his questions became visible on his face.  "Mr. Snape, many of these are very rare."

"I know you have them, Jayce," Severus said, with a voice that betrayed no uncertainty. 

Jayce looked up at Severus and studied him for a moment.  "Because they are rare, they are very expensive." 

"I had guessed."

Jayce hesitated, looked at the list again, then back at Severus.  "I do not mean to sound accusing, but can you afford all of this?"

Severus's expression crumbled.  "How much would it be?" 

"Almost a fortune."

Severus nodded, his lips set into a firm line.  He drew his wand and pulled out the shrunken money bag containing everything from his and his mother's vaults.  He pointed the wand at the bag and muttered, "Compotus."  In an instant a tiny sliver of parchment sprang from the bag.  It had an amount written on it in writing identical to his own penmanship.  He gave the new, smaller parchment to Jayce.  "Just give me what you can with this amount of payment."

Jayce took the paper in his other hand and looked at it.  Then he looked to the list of needed ingredients.  After a moment or two a thought struck the old apothecary.  "Mr. Snape, is this everything you have?" 

 Severus was at first offended by the man's presumption to ask such a personal question, but he forgave this old man since he'd been coming to him since he was a young boy of eleven.  He swallowed in embarrassment.  "Yes."

Jayce's eyes softened in a mixture of kindness and pity.  "Severus, I cannot take this from you.  Potion making is not worth everything you own." 

Severus noticed that the man had called him by his first name, but like many other things about Jayce, he ignored this too.  His body went rigid when he replied.  "This potion is."

"Is it worth every galleon you own?"

"This is worth everything I own in the world, even my own life." 

Jayce looked in Severus's eyes for a long while before the determination and desperation in Severus's eyes forced him to relent.  "Very well, Mr. Snape."  Jayce produced a box and set it on the counter.  "Would you like to measure everything out yourself as usual?"

"I would prefer you measure this time, but I will label them for you to speed the process.  I know there is quite a list." 

Jayce nodded.  "Yes, there is."  He came around the counter and began to make his way towards the potions ingredients that lined the walls.  "Yes, there is."  Jayce and Severus developed a quick system as the ingredients on Severus's list were brought to the counter, measured, bottled, and labeled.  It was the last item that Jayce had to retrieve from a locked cupboard behind the counter.  Inside were the very expensive ingredients.  He plucked a delicate, blood red glass bottle from the shelf.  He turned and looked very seriously at Severus.  "Are you sure you know what you are doing before you buy this?"

"I hope so."

"I'm sure you know this, Mr. Snape, but phoenix tears are one of the rarest potion ingredients on this earth."

Severus's gaze was trained on the tiny red bottle in Jayce's palm.  "I know.  If it took everything I own, I would still have it." 

Jayce handed it to Severus.  "Use it carefully.  This is all that I have of it.  I cannot supply you with more should you make too many mistakes."  Severus put the tiny bottle of phoenix tears into his inner breast pocket. 

"Then, I will be sure to brew it correctly."  Severus gave Jayce the money bag, not giving the old man a chance to check the amount within it.  Severus put the box of toads on top of the potion ingredients and then picked them both up at once.  He left the shop and once he was outside in Diagon Alley, he apparated away with a snap. 

Severus appeared again just outside of the apparition border of the Hogwarts grounds.  He walked directly to the gates with his boxes.  He set them onto the ground and drew his wand, muttering the incantation to make his purchases float behind him.  Then, he tapped the wand against the gates, disabling the wards to allow himself entrance into the school. 

He went to his office door and entered quickly, kicking the door shut behind him.  He went through the office and slid behind the wall and into his private lab.  He motioned for the boxes to rest on his lab table as he began to prepare his scales and his cauldrons.  As he began to work, he remembered something. 

He left his labs and went into his office, directly to the hidden door in the wall to the left of his desk.  He went through and entered his bedroom.  He walked directly to his bookcase and pulled a tall, old dusty volume from the shelf.  He opened the cover to reveal a thin hawthorn wand. 

It was his mother's old wand.  He'd recovered it once she died, before his father was able to snap it.  He was thankful that he'd thought to take her wand now, because the spell he intended to use would result in extreme difficulties were he to use his own wand.  He took the wand from the book before replacing the volume on the shelf. 

Severus strode back into his office and slid into his private labs.  He set his mother's old wand down on a lab table farthest away from the cauldrons.  Then, he began to work, ignoring the croaking of twenty toads still in their box. 

Hours later he removed the eighteenth toad from the box.  There were seventeen others scattered all over the lab tables.  They were all dead.  Severus looked exhausted, like he'd been on his feet brewing for weeks rather than simply a day and a half.  His hair hung limply and heavily on either side of his face.  His hands were red and blistered from several exploding cauldrons, but he ignored the bubbling, pus-filled skin.  He had a task, and he would not sleep until it was completed.

 He took a small syringe and inserted it into the fresh potion, drawing a small sample into it.  Severus stared at the toad sitting on the table in front of him, waiting patiently for it to open its mouth.  "Come on," he whispered.  Then, the toad croaked and Severus wasted no time.  His left hand latched onto the toad and as its mouth was open in its loud protest, he aimed the syringe and released the potion into the toad's mouth.  The animal made a strange gurgling noise before it seemed to have swallowed the potion.  Severus released the toad and waited, again with patience.  It looked at him, defiantly silent, until it seemed to need to make a sound.  It croaked again, sounding just as healthy as it had before Severus force-fed it his experimental potion. 

Severus picked up his mother's old wand again for the eighteenth time and once again aimed it at a toad.  "Avada Kedavra," he whispered.  A green light shot from his mother's wand and the toad fell to the table...dead.  Severus's shoulders slumped and he sighed.  He pushed the corpse of the toad to the side as he set the wand down again.  He walked back over to the cauldron to try again.

Once it was completed, Severus filled a new syringe with the new potion.  He approached the nineteenth toad that sat calmly upon the lab table.  Once it croaked, Severus grabbed it to hold it in place and then emptied the syringe into the toad's mouth.  He waited until the toad made another sound.  It lived.  Then, he picked up his mother's wand again and pointed it at the toad.  Severus drew in a deep breath.  If this attempt failed, he had only one last toad on which to test the potion.  Staring hard at the toad, Severus firmly said, "Avada Kedavra."  Green light shot from his mother's wand and sturck the toad.  It fell to the table, and it did not breathe. 

Severus stared at the motionless toad for an unbelieving moment before his control snapped.  He released a bellowing cry and grabbed a potion stirring rod and hurled it against the stone wall.  It shattered.  Severus turned away from the toad and ran his fingers through his limp, greasy hair.  His mind raced as he tried to work out how he could fix the potion one last time and get it right.  He began to panic in the silence of the lab.

Until he heard a sound from behind him.  Severus, with his hands still gripping his hair in rising panic, turned to look behind him.  What he saw brought tears to his eyes. 

The toad lived.

Severus lowered his hands in speechless shock.  He stared at the toad for a moment, not trusting that his eyes saw the toad sitting up and breathing.  He did not believe it until he heard once again the toad emit a strong and healthy croak. 

Severus reeled backwards in shock until his spine collided against the wall.  His mouth hung open, and his body was stiff.  Then, the realization of what he had just accomplished set in.

He'd just invented a potion that countered the Killing Curse.

Tevin stood still for a moment, his mind in a panic.  His father was gone when he needed him.  Where would he go?  What would he do?  Tevin blindly made his way back into the parlor.  He stared up at the top of the mantel of the fireplace.  It was at that moment that Tevin was mad that his father put the floo powder so high.  Then again, his father had an unusually tall fireplace, so it was really the fireplace's fault that the floo powder was so high, too high for him to reach. 

He tried to remember what his father told him to do when he was in trouble.  The first thing he'd been told was to find his godfather, but he could not do that because he needed the floo powder and that was out of reach.  The second person that his father told him to go to was either Professor Flitwick or Professor McGonagall.  Professor Flitwick was not in Hogwarts that day.  Maybe he was sick, or he was visiting someone.  Tevin decided that the only choice was Professor McGonagall. 

Tevin went to the portrait door and he left his Hogwarts home.  He had never been outside of his home in Hogwarts after all of the students were ordered back to their dormitories.  It was not as bright as normal.  The halls were too quiet.  Even though he had to watch out during class times to avoid being trampled by the students, Tevin would prefer the rough and busy crowded atmosphere than this dark, quiet and lonely place. 

Tevin tried to remember the way to Gryffindor Tower.  If he could find that place, he would be able to find Professor McGonagall's office or even her quarters.  Tevin walked up staircases and down staircases, his nervousness increasing by the minute.  He realized that this was a bad idea.  Not only had he left his Uncle Remus's home without telling him, but when he got home, his father was gone.  Now, he had thought that he could find Professor McGonagall, but he could not find her. 

Tevin was in the middle of a staircase when it suddenly moved!  Tevin let out a surprised shout as he fell onto the stairs, his brown eyes looking around himself terrified.  He scrambled over to the railing and clung to it as the entire staircase moved.  He looked through the balusters as the staircase moved and his panic reached such a height that he began to cry. 

Tevin continued to cry and hold onto the railing even after the staircase stopped moving.  He closed his eyes and he felt that this night could not have gotten worse.  His godfather didn't know where he was, and his father was gone and wouldn't know where he was.  No one knew where he was. 

"I don't know about you, but when I was made prefect all I wanted was to be Head Boy, and now that I am, I don't want to be anymore," said the seventeen-year-old boy as he walked alongside his classmate in their nightly patrol of the hallways. 

"Well, I was very excited to be made Head Girl," said the girl. 

He rolled his eyes as they walked down a long staircase, passing off the multitude of sleeping portraits on the castle walls.  "You would, Laurie."  It was quiet for a moment before the boy found the silence unnerving.  "Don't you find it at all, I don't know, too much sometimes?"

Laurie stopped on the staircase and looked at him with a raised eyebrow expression that reminded the Hufflepuff boy of her Head of House, Professor Snape.  "No, I think being Head Girl is really...rewarding.  And besides, do you really think the Headmaster would have chosen us if he didn't think we were responsible enough for it, Cliff?" 

"Well," stalled the Hufflepuff, "no."

Laurie smiled at Cliff before she threw her arm around his shoulders, "I knew you'd figure it out sooner or later." 

Cliff shrugged her arm off of him.  "Shove off," he laughed, causing her to start laughing. 

All too soon, though, he noticed that he was the only one laughing.  Cliff looked at Laurie in concern, seeing that her gaze was focused on the staircase to their right.  "What is it, Laurie?"

She didn't answer, but made a sharp right and headed down the staircase to the crumbled little body that clung to the railing of the staircase.  "Merlin!" she gasped. 

"What?" Cliff said, following her.

Laurie did not even turn around as she responded.  "That's Professor Snape's son!"  She knelt down next to the little boy and began to whisper to him. 

"Well, what's he doing all the way up here?" said Cliff, in a voice mixed between worry and confusion.  He knelt down next to her. 

Laurie had just managed to get the boy to look at her.  "Tevin?"  The little black-haired boy looked at her with watery eyes, but he said nothing.  "What are you doing up here?" 

"Daddy's not home.  Not supposed to be by myself," he mumbled, trying to wipe his nose with his sleeve.  Cliff winced and used his wand to produce a handkerchief and handed it to the sniffling boy. 

Laurie smiled kindly at Tevin.  "Well, you were by yourself walking through the castle, weren't you?"  He nodded.  "Why were you by yourself, then?"

He looked down at the handkerchief and began to fiddle with the material.  "Trying to go get Perfesser McGongull," he said quietly.

"Are you supposed to find her when you can't find your dad?" Cliff asked.  Tevin nodded. 

Cliff and Laurie looked at each other.  "Should we take him to Professor McGonagall?"

"Now?"

Laurie's eyes hardened at Cliff.  "Yes!  Do you want to leave him here?"

Cliff looked sick.  "We'll be waking Professor McGonagall up!  Can't you just take him back to the Slytherin dorm with you?"

Laurie looked at Cliff lke he was an idiot.  "Do you know what Professor Snape would be like if his son wasn't where he was supposed to be when he gets back, even if it's in the Slytherin dorms?"  Cliff stared at her cluelessly.  "He'd give everyone detention, most likely.  And, personally, I don't want to have detention with Professor Snape." 

"Yeah, I don't blame you."

"You're not being nice about Daddy," came a small voice.

Laurie looked at Tevin.  "We aren't saying your dad is a bad person, Tevin, just what he makes people do at detention is bad." 

"Okay," he said, though he sounded like he did not believe her. 

Tevin gave Cliff back his wet and snot covered handkerchief.  The Hufflepuff boy grimaced as he realized that it was covered in more than just tears.  He vanished it with his wand. 

Laurie stood up and looked down at Tevin, whose dark brown eyes followed her movement closely.  "Come on, Tevin.  Let's go see Professor McGonagall."  She held out one of her hands to the boy.  After a moment, Tevin took her hand and she helped him to his feet.  "There you go, come on."  She began up the staircase with Tevin holding onto her hand and Cliff walking behind them. 

Suddenly, the staircase moved again.  Tevin shrieked and flung himself into Laurie's hip, wrapping his free arm around her tightly as he hid his face in her robes.  "It's okay, Tevin," she said, trying to sound comforting, but clearly surprised that he'd thrown himself at her.  "The staircase is just moving.  They do that sometimes."  Tevin shook his head against her leg, his arm wrapped around her squeezing her.  Soon enough, the staircase stopped moving.  Laurie looked down at the little boy clinging to her.  "See?  It's stopped."  Tevin peeked out from the safety of her leg.  She began to walk away, leading the Head of Slytherin's son by the hand.  Cliff followed after them. 

Laurie led them all directly to the portrait that marked the entrance of Professor McGonagall's chambers.  However, they were soon enough confused.  "Do you know how we get it to open?" she asked Cliff.  He shrugged his shoulders.  She sighed in aggravation, trying to remember if she'd ever heard the Gryffindor Head of House say it. 

"I know it!"

Laurie and Cliff looked down at Tevin in surprise.  "You know the password to get into Professor McGonagall's home, but not where it is?" Cliff asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.  Tevin nodded.  "Alright, then, what is it?"

"Not supposed to tell anyone." 

The two seventh year students looked at Tevin with wide eyes.  "Are you serious?"  Cliff asked. 

"I'm sure Professor Snape told him not to say anything, Cliff.  You know how he is." 

"Yeah, and I know that right now, his kid is our responsibility, so we should be allowed to know how to get him where he needs to go!" 

Tevin watched the two older students argue for only a moment before he turned to the portrait and cleared his throat quietly at the sleeping image of a sleek dark cat.  "Wake up," Tevin said.  The cat in the portrait did not move except to open its eyes and stare at Tevin.  "If I say the password will you let me in to see Perfesser McGongull?"  The cat barely nodded, but Tevin saw it.  He turned around to look at Cliff and Laurie, and saw that they were still arguing.  "Mafdet," he whispered to the cat.  The cat closed its eyes and the portrait silently opened just large enough for Tevin to squeeze into the home of Professor McGonagall. 

When Cliff and Laurie turned around again after their argument, Tevin was nowhere in sight. 

            "Tonight I remove our greatest threat!" announced the voice of Lord Voldemort as he stalked around the inner circle of his gathered Death Eaters like a vulture searching for its next meal.  He whirled around to face a particular servant of his, his dark robes floating around him like smoke.  "And I will spare the mudblood for your amusement, Severus." 

The masked Death Eater he faced nodded.  "Thank you, my lord."

Voldemort resumed his pacing.  "Bellatrix," he purred.  The owner of the name was masked like all of the others gathered, but she shivered at the sound of her name on the Dark Lord's lips.  He stood before her.  "I want you to go to the Longbottoms.  Play with them as you wish."  Bellatrix's lips curled into a twisted delight.  "Take whomever you wish."  Then, Voldemort swept his arm out in a grand flourish.  "All of you go.  I will summon you when our victory is achieved!" 

"My lord," ventured a voice from the circle.  "Do you not wish one of us to accompany you, for your protection?" 

Voldemort smirked as he faced the speaker.  "Lucius, my slippery friend, do you think I need protection from the Potters?" 

"No, my lord, I was only thinking as a precaution, that is all."  Lucius bowed his head.

Voldemort shook his head at Lucius.  "Loyal of you, but unnecessary.  No, Lucius, I go alone."  He looked out again at those gathered.  "Go!  All of you!"  Death Eaters began to disapparate from the circle. 

"My lord, what would you like us to do to the Longbottoms?" asked Bellatrix, coming forward from the circle, those she chose to accompany her gathered behind her. 

But Severus Snape did not stay to listen. 

It was cold outside that night.  He gathered his heavy winter cloak tightly around his body as the wind tried to steal it from him.  He entered through the gothic iron gates and walked through the stones until he found the one he sought.  He stood for only a moment before it, only long enough to read the name carved into it.  ‘Lily Potter.'  As soon as he read the name, the skeletal letters that spelled her name, Severus Snape fell to his knees at the grave, a choked sob torn from his throat. 

The wind was stronger in the late hour as he knelt on the frosted ground, gathering his cloak closer around him, trying to seek warmth.  He looked at the ground that had long since settled in front of the stone, and finally began to speak.  "He's gotten bigger."  He shivered under his cloak.  He seemed to struggle for something to say.  He breathed quietly and saw his hot breath carried off by the wind.  "He's very much like you, Lily.  The older he gets, the more I notice.  He's kind, and a little too curious for his own good."  Severus let himself smile sadly.  "And he's starting to talk back to me.  Like you used to."  He looked down at the ground and curled into himself, his need for warmth becoming greater.  "He's so much like you.  And because he's like you, and he reminds me so much of you, it makes...my missing you...hurt a little more each day."  He felt the first hot tear course down his cheek.  He struggled to draw breath.  "I miss you, Lily." 

Severus allowed his tears to fall freely.  "I'm glad he isn't like me.  I hope he stays like you, because if he's like you, then he won't end up like this.  Like me."  He looked up at the hazy sky, which was filled with clouds that glowed in front of the moon.  "I'm sorry, Lily."  He looked back at the engraved name on the stone.  "I'm sorry for everything.  I'm sorry I failed you.  I'm sorry I couldn't protect you.  I'm sorry I was so...angry at you.  I'm sorry for not trying hard enough to save you."  He reached to the cold ground and grabbed the frozen grass in his shivering hand.  "I'm sorry for never telling our son about you.  I know he should know you and how much I love you, but...I can't.  I can't."  He ripped the grass from the frozen ground.  "If I told him and he said something to someone that...Ophelia is not his mother...that you were...that we were married and that our son and Harry Potter are the same child...I don't know what would happen."  He began to smooth the torn grass back against the now bare dirt.  "And the possibilities...some of the things that could happen terrify me more than anything.  And this is why I can't tell him about you.  Forgive me for that.  I shouldn't keep you from him, but...I don't have a choice." 

Severus sighed again, feeling the taste of his tears as he wet his lips with his tongue.  "If I lost our son, Lily, I do not think I could survive.  I love him as much as I still love you."  The wind suddenly gusted so strongly that it knocked Severus off balance.  He barely caught himself with his hands, but as he fell to the ground, he remembered the last time he saw his wife, the last time he would taste her lips, the last time he heard her voice...screaming.

With a quiet snap he arrived on the quiet street in Godric's Hollow.  He wasted no time in running down the street to the very house where he spent a short time with his wife.  He knew the house well.  He remembered every room, every time that he would surprise her with an unexpected embrace, an unexpected kiss.  But that was when she was his, before he was presumed dead.  Before James Potter took advantage of the false marriage and made it real, made Lily Snape into Lily Potter. 

Potter.  He suddenly remembered why he was there.  He may only have seconds.  He walked directly up to the house and pounded on the door.  From the other side of the door he heard approaching footsteps.  He opened his mouth to speak but stopped when he saw James standing in the doorway, unguarded, unarmed. 

"Snape!" he gasped, shocked to see the other man on his doorstep. 

Severus pushed James into the house and slammed the door after he entered the house.  "Are you a fool, Potter?  You are under the Fidelius Charm and you answer your door without your wand?  Are you insane?" 

James's mouth fell open.  "Nice to see to you, too," he mumbled.

Severus pushed him aside.  "Get your wand now, and put up the strongest wards you can at every entrance!  Now!" he ordered.  "Where is she?"  He did not wait for a response.  He went to the bottom of the stairs and shouted, "Lily!  Lily!"  And then he heard the one sound he missed more than anything - her voice.

"I just put him to bed, so stop-Severus!"  She froze against the top newel post, steadying herself.  "Severus, what are you-"

Severus began up the stairs, desperate to reach her.  "Lily, the Dark Lord is coming for you!"  Lily's face went blank for a moment before her green eyes slid to meet those of James Potter.  "Lily!  Get out of here, now!  He's coming for you tonight - right now!"  James nodded at Lily, before he went to the parlor and picked up his wand, quickly erecting any wards he could think of to protect the entrances of the house.  Severus stood in front of Lily and framed her face with his hands, forcing her to look at him.  "Please, Lily.  If I ever meant anything to you, please get somewhere safe.  Please." 

"Lily!" shouted James from where he stood in front of the door.  "It's time.  I'll keep watch.  It's time." 

Lily nodded and took Severus's hand and went quickly down the stairs.  She led him past James who was furiously producing spells, and over to the wall formed on the side of the staircase.  "Pay attention, Severus," she said, without looking at him.  She pressed her hand against the wall and closed her eyes.  "Iauna patefacio pro mater, pater, et filius."  Then, the shape of a door that would typically mark a cupboard under a staircase became visible with a small knob at waist level.  Lily grabbed it and yanked the door open. 

"Hurry, Lily, in case we don't have enough time!" shouted James from the doorway. 

Lily pulled Severus into the hidden room quickly, not bothering to shut the door.  The room was far bigger than a room under the stairs should be.  It was the size of a small walk-in wardrobe.  In the very center of the room stood a table upon which was a small wooden box.  Along the walls were shelves from the floor to the ceiling.  They were lined with bottles, all of which glowed with a thick milky silvery liquid.  "Lily, what are all of-"

"Shut up!" she snapped.  She whirled to face the shelves on the walls.  Each bottle was labeled clearly.  She plucked the bottle on the top shelf labeled ‘Essential: Key Truths.'  She faced Severus.  "This is important, Severus.  This room is filled with duplicates of my memories." 

"Why?"  But Severus's question was never answered. 

"Lily!" shouted James from where he was still erecting wards around the door.  "He's here!  Take Harry and run!" 

Lily gasped in terror.  She ran to Severus with the bottle held in her hands.  "I wish I could explain, Sev, but-"

They heard the front door tear from the hinges, the wards clearly having fallen.  Then, shouts began.  The voices of James Potter and Voldemort warred with each other as their spells began to destroy the entrance and parlor of Godric's Hollow. 

The curses of a duel were not near them yet, though they were still clearly heard in the tiny hidden room of the house.  He paid them no mind as she grabbed his hand, his attention focused completely on her. 

"Take it!  Take it!" she choked, her voice raw with emotion.  Desperately, she opened his pale hand and into it pressed a glass bottle filled with a milky silvery substance.  She closed his hand around the bottle, but kept her hands gently, but firmly, around his own.  She entreated him with her glassy gaze, which he met, knowing it may be the last time he could look into her beautiful eyes.  Her eyes glistened with tears, and it was then that he realized that his own eyes were beginning to sting with the saltwater. 

He could only nod before reaching into his robes and producing a thin vial, no taller than the length of his index finger.  With his eyes still locked onto hers, trying to memorize them in these moments, he held it between them and spoke in a trembling voice, betraying his fear, "Take this.  This will protect you from everything.  Even Avada Kedavra.  Swear to me you will drink it!" 

She hesitated.  Her eyes darted to the door for an instant, before he reached to cup her cheek drawing her attention back to him.  "Swear it!"

"It will be taken," she replied, taking the vial from him.  He tucked her glass bottle into the heavy folds of his robes.  

From the front room, the shouted curses grew louder.  It only meant that the fight was coming closer to them.  She ran from the room, tearing her hands from the other man, reaching the doorway to their hiding place.  He followed her closely, directly behind her as she sprinted up the stairs, and into the second bedroom.  She immediately dashed to the cradle, where her son stood, holding onto the bars and grinning toothily at his mother.  She desperately reached for the child, lifted him from the crib, and clutched the boy to her bosom.

 He placed his hand on her shoulder and she looked up into his dark eyes.  Then, a murderous shrill voice screamed the Killing Curse, followed by the dull sound of a lifeless body falling to the floor.  Her eyes looked into his, now filled with terror.  The tears began streaming down her face, her arms around her son tightened.

 "Take it," he urged her as gently as he could.  He forced down his tears.  He drew his wand, and took a deep breath as he prepared himself to duel.  His features hardened, his muscles tensed, his lips set in a firm line.  He began to turn towards the open door as the menacing, heavy steps of death began to approach them.  With a harsh flick of his wand, the door slammed closed, and the lock was drawn.  He heard the steps growing closer, his every thought on defeating the approaching monster. 

He heard his name whispered by her voice, constricted in obvious fear.  He turned to look upon her again, and he noticed the empty vial on the floor, carelessly dropped in favor of more important things.  Her eyes had cleared with determination, her grip on her son loosening.  Through the connection of the longing in her eyes, and the pain in his own they drifted closer together until their lips met, expressing everything that defined them.  Their heartbreak, their adoration, their regrets.  Everything. 

They separated and the steps were drawing ever closer.  "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice breaking.

"I know," he said, his heart breaking.  He framed her face with his hands, one of which still clutched his wand.  His dark eyes found hers.   "I love you," he reaffirmed, before he took her lips again, their tears combining into a single torrent of emotion.  As their kiss ended, he moved his lips against hers, breathing his eternal promise into her body, as though giving her his soul.  "Always." 

The footsteps were deafening now, and the shadowy distinction of someone on the other side of the door was visible.  Her eyes closed, as she held out her right hand and barely spoke the spell she must.  "Expello..." Suddenly, his feet were wrenched from beside hers, and in the back of his mind he heard the crash of glass shattering, as the door burst from its hinges and the darkest wizard of the age stood in the now destroyed doorway, laughing shrilly.  He saw her clenching her eyes, clutching her now crying son in her arms as she spun to face this monster.  He realized, in an instant of horror, that she had forced him through the window to protect him and there was nothing more he could do as he fell to the ground landing on his back still gazing up at the shattered window, paralyzed in helplessness and terror.  He could do nothing but listen.

"Not Harry, not Harry, please, not Harry!"

"Stand aside, you silly girl...stand aside, now."

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead-"

"Stand aside - stand aside, girl-"

 "Not Harry! Not Harry! Please, I'll do anything-"

"This is my last warning-"

"Please...have mercy...have mercy-"

He could not hear her voice anymore, for it was drowned by the sound of shrill, cruel laughter.  His vision clouded as his tears intensified, and poured from his dark eyes.  His mouth was open in a silent scream of despair as the room above suddenly exploded in green light and the chilling sound of a woman's scream and a monster's laugh.  His world turned dark as his eyes closed in desperate denial of the feminine voice abruptly cut off by Death.

Minerva McGonagall's head shot up when she heard her portrait door unexpectedly open.  Her sharp eyes glanced at the clock on her desk where she was busy grading a desperately attempted answer on her last Transfiguration exam.  It was unusual that anyone would want to visit her at this time of night, despite that it was only ten o'clock.  However, those who would visit her at this hour would certainly have notified her in advance.   She set down her quill and gathered her tartan robe around herself a little tighter, before she left her bedroom and went to investigate. 

She heard nothing amiss in her kitchen, nor her parlor.  She was just beginning to think that Peeves was playing a joke on her when she noticed that the blanket that she usually had draped over the back of her armchair fall behind it, followed by the sound of something heavier than the blanket hitting the hardwood floor.  She went over to the armchair and saw that there was something moving under the blanket.  She drew her wand and aimed it at the moving mass before grabbing the edge of the blanket and yanking it away. 

"Tevin Snape!" she shouted, surprised.  "What in Merlin's name are you doing here at this hour without your father?" 

Tevin looked terrified with her wand directly pointed at him, and he looked at her with watery brown eyes.  "Daddy isn't home.  He said that if he's not home I'm supposed to find you." 

McGonagall lowered her wand and looked at the boy concernedly.  "Where are your parents?"

Tevin looked saddened by the question.  "I don't know."  After a moment he looked up at the older witch.  "Can I stay here until they come back?" 

McGonagall sighed.  She nodded brusquely and offered Tevin the large blanket.  He took it and held a section up as he tried to figure out how to best wrap himself in it.  McGonagall shook her head with a tired smile and picked up two of the ends and wrapped the boy in the heavy blanket.  When he realized he was wrapped up enough in it, he looked at her with a beaming smile. 

"Come on, now," she said, beginning to walk back to her bedroom.  "I'm sure it's far past your bedtime."  She looked over her shoulder and saw that the bundled up boy was shuffling his way awkwardly down the hallway after her. 

"Yep!" he said, as though proud he was staying up later than he was allowed to stay awake. 

McGonagall shook her head as she entered the bedroom.  "Go on, Tevin, into bed with you."  She sat back down at her desk to resume grading the pitiful essay. 

Tevin tried to run while wrapped in his blanket cocoon, but his legs were restricted and could only go so far.  He stood at the side of the bed for a minute before he spoke to her.  "Perfesser?  I can't get up there without messing up the blanket.  Can I sleep somewhere else?" 

She looked at him from over the lenses of her glasses.  "And where would you like to sleep instead?" 

Tevin chewed his lip as he thought.  "The sofa?" 

"You want to sleep on the sofa?" 

Tevin nodded, shyly smiling.  McGonagall sighed, and removed her glasses.  She found herself wondering how Severus managed with the boy.  Who had ever heard of a boy who would rather sleep on a sofa than a bed?  What other strange preferences did the boy have?  She did remember the day he asked her if he could name his pet kneazle after her.  How could she not like the boy after that?  Despite the odd requests, she did know that she enjoyed when Severus brought his son to watch the Quidditch games.  From the first day Tevin and Severus sat next to her in the stands, she discovered that she liked the boy.  From that day on, every time Tevin and Severus attended a game, they sat next to Minerva.  She was just glad that she did not have to watch him all the time. 

"Alright, then.  Sleep on the sofa.  Go on."  Tevin began to shuffle out of the room.  "I better see you sleeping, and not trying to steal a snack from my kitchen!" she shouted after his retreating form, as she put her glasses back on intending to return to grading. 

"You won't!" he replied.  "I'll go right to sleep!"

"We both know better than that, Tevin!" she said, in her normal voice.  When she heard him laughing in the parlor, she wondered if she said that as quietly as she thought. 

A loud snap from a piece of burning wood in the fireplace woke Remus Lupin from his sleep abruptly.  His eyes opened and his whole body jerked from the unexpected sound.  He dazedly looked over at the fireplace as it crackled quietly, bathing the room in a soft orange glow. 

Then he saw it.  One of his kitchen chairs near the fireplace!

Remus flung the covers away from his body and propelled himself from the transfigured bed.  He was now instantly and fully awake.  As he neared the chair, he realized that there was a faint dusting of powder along the chair.  He knew what it was instantly.  Floo Powder. 

Remus spun around and stared at the bed.  He didn't see a lump on it, other than where the covers piled after he flung them from himself.  He was at the bed in two strides, and he searched through the bedding.  He found no trace of a little boy in the bed anywhere. 

"Tevin?" he called.  When he heard no answer he began to get nervous. 

He left the parlor and went into his kitchen, his eyes searching the room frantically.  "Tevin?"  He ran to the doorway of his little bathroom, and gripped the doorjamb tightly.  He did not even bother calling for the boy since the room was so small.  Remus ran a hand through his hair as he staggered back into the parlor, his eyes staring fixedly on the chair dusted with his Floo Powder. 

Then, he had an idea.  Remus went to the single bookcase against the wall, and found an old, folded, weathered piece of parchment.  He hurriedly reached for his wand and pressed the tip to the folded surface of the paper.  Remus took a deep breath, and pushed down the memories involved with this ragged piece of paper before he said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." 

Slowly, ink began to appear on the parchment.  He began to quickly unfold it, searching every moving name on the parchment for one particular one.  Then he saw it.  ‘Tevin Snape.'  It was unmoving on the moving staircases...with two people heading towards it!

The pieces began to fit into place.  Remus closed the parchment, but the ink remained visible on it.  Without hesitating, he pinched more powder than was necessary and flung it forcefully into the flames.  "Snape Home, Hogwarts!"  He stepped into the green flames and spun away from his little flat.

Ophelia Fay came through the fireplace with her arms burdened with large, spiky-looking plants.  She made her way over to the kitchen table and put them down, hoping they would land safely on the surface.  She sighed in relief after succeeding and leaned heavily on the table, willing her stiff arms to loosen again. 

It was only a few moments later that the fireplace erupted again in green flames and someone stepped out, holding a folded piece of paper.  She spun shakily to face the intruder, raising her wand in alarm. 

The man who stepped through the fireplace looked around crazily before he spotted her in the near darkness of the parlor.  "Ophelia!" he snapped.  He strode to her quickly in a way that reminded her of Severus.  "Where's Tevin?" 

Ophelia looked at him with furrowed brows.  "What do you mean, ‘where's Tevin?'  Isn't he with you tonight?" 

Remus shook his head.  "He was, but he must have left after I fell asleep."

Ophelia crossed her arms and stared hard at Remus.  ‘Tevin doesn't just run off for no reason, Remus!"

Remus didn't say anything and instead quickly began to unfold the parchment.  "I know where he is...but...I can't go get him."  He pointed to Tevin's name, which was currently in Professor McGonagall's parlor.  "He's here."

Ophelia looked at where Remus indicated.  "I thought you were going to tell me that he was somewhere in danger or something.  He's...Is he really in McGonagall's home?"  She looked suspiciously at Remus.  "Is that...true?"

Remus looked at her firmly.  "The map never lies.  It can tell you where everyone is in Hogwarts."  She looked at him doubtfully.  Remus flipped the folds of the map until he found what he was looking for.  He pointed to the parchment.  "There we are, right now, in this room." 

Ophelia looked and there were two names side by side on the paper.  ‘Remus J. Lupin' and ‘Ophelia Fay.' 

Remus flipped the folds over again until he found Tevin's name.  "Looks like Professor McGonagall found him." 

"She's going to come here looking for Severus or me."

Remus nodded.  "And when she does, she can't find me here." 

Ophelia sighed.  "So, I'll be blamed for being a bad mother." 

Remus looked at her.  "I know I should have watched him closer, Ophelia.  I know that you leave Severus alone on Halloween so that he can deal with-"

"You can't be expected to stay awake forever making sure nothing happens to him any more than Severus or I can." 

It was quiet for a moment as they watched the map to make sure that no one left the Head of Gryffindor's home.  After several minutes, Remus broke the silence.  "Severus told him, Ophelia." 

"Told him what?" 

Remus clenched his jaw as he continued watching the map.  "He told him his mother died on Halloween."  He looked up and met Ophelia's eyes, a look of dread passing between them.  "And then when he was with me..."  Remus hesitated.  "I...I showed him a picture of Lily."

Ophelia took this in for a moment.  "And...what happened?"

Remus smiled bittersweetly as he looked at the boy's name on the map.  "He said that he wishes he could remember her."  He looked up and met Ophelia's dark eyes.  "He should know about her."

Ophelia smiled sadly.  "He does now."

Severus opened his eyes and realized that he was lying on the ground.  It was still nighttime, still dark...and very quiet.  Severus sat up and ignored the pain in his whole body as he moved.  He saw the house in front of him.  His house.  The house he'd chosen for his Lily.  It looked as though disaster had struck it. 

And then he remembered everything.

With a soft groan, Severus managed to get to his feet.  He was unsteady, but he did not care as he made his way to the remains of the front door.  He entered the house and thought he was prepared for what he would see inside, but he instantly found that he was not.  All of the Death Eater meetings in which he'd seen people struck down lifeless by the Killing Curse could not have prepared him for what was in the home in Godric's Hollow. 

The first thing he saw was a body at the bottom of the stairs.  It was crumbled and pushed aside as though it had been kicked aside postmortem.  As though even in death, James tried to stop Voldemort from going up the stairs.  Severus looked at James, really looked at him.  His glasses rested on the carpet several feet away from the body.  His eyes were open in death but his expression bore no fear, only fierce determination and a firm visage of courage.  Severus reached out to close James's dead eyes with the realization that the other man had died like a true Gryffindor - brave to the very end. 

Severus looked up the stairs, hoping to hear any sound.  It was still too quiet in the house.  He stepped over James's body and climbed the stairs, his muscles growing stiffer with every step.  And then he was there.  He barely took in the door thathad been torn from the hinges.  All he saw was the crumbled form of his wife.  He could not have sobbed if he had wanted to, as his throat closed in grief at the horrible sight of her body. 

His legs became limp as he looked at her.  He fell to his knees and could not stand again.  And so Severus crawled to Lily.

His hands shook as he gathered her into his arms, her limp body shifting like draped fabric.  He cradled the back of her skull with his quivering hand.  Her eyes were closed.  He was grateful that he did not have to see her green eyes dulled with death.  It would be unbearable.  He smoothed her red hair back from her face which was quickly losing the last traces of warmth.  "Lily," Severus choked on the name.  "Lily."  With his hand cupping the back of her head, he held her body to his as he began to rock back and forth.  "Lily..."

He looked at the floor and saw the bottle he had given her.  It was empty.  How had his potion failed?  Maybe it took longer for a person to absorb the effects than it did for the toad.  "Lily," he whispered into her ear.  "Wake up, Lily."  He peered at her motionless face, hoping to see the flutter of her eyelashes.  "Please, Lily."  He cradled her to himself again, and held her.  "Please, wake up..."  He closed his eyes to prevent tears from falling. 

And then he heard a shaky breath.

Severus's eyes snapped open and he leaned away from Lily's face.  "Lily!"  He began to hope, to believe she was alive again.  He cupped her cheek and looked at her.  "Answer me!" he encouraged.  "It's me.  Severus."  He heard a small, quiet moan.  "That's it, come on," he said.  Then he realized something. 

Lily's lips never moved.  She was still cold. 

Severus looked up and then he realized what had happened as he had faced the door before she threw him from the house.  The answer stared at him with his wife's green eyes in the form of her son...He was alive. 

Minerva McGonagall was standing in her parlor staring at the little boy currently occupying her sofa in a rumpled mess of a blanket, a throw pillow, and his four limbs splayed all over the piece of furniture.  She couldn't understand why Severus and Ophelia would leave their son by himself.  Did they neglect the boy?  Was it an accident? 

She knew it was probably not the best course of action, but she wanted to find out how Tevin came to be by himself.  However, she also knew that she couldn't leave him alone in her home either.  She decided to take him with her and wait for either Ophelia or Severus to return home.  She would question them then. 

The aging professor waved her wand and quietly whispered some incantations that made the sleeping boy deaf to any noises, and kept the blanket wrapped tightly around his body.  Then, she waved her wand again and had Tevin floating in the air and drifting ahead of her towards her portrait entrance. 

He heard someone approaching him, and suddenly he found that he did not know what to do.  Severus still held his wife's body to him, but stared at the boy's eyes...at her eyes.  There were two pairs of footsteps.  One was heavy and the other pair was soft, but not feminine.  Then, there was a voice that came up the stairs to Severus's ears. 

"Poor James."  It was an old voice that the young man knew very well.  He heard the loud sniffling of the other person.  "Hagrid, go and check the upstairs for Lily and Harry...if they survived."

Then, heavy footsteps began to slowly thump up the stairs.  Severus tensed as he heard Hagrid come up the stairs.  His dark eyes darted all around the room looking for a way out.  How could he escape unseen?  He saw the destroyed door.  He saw the window from which Lily threw him earlier.  From outside of it, he heard the cracks of people apparating into the front lawn.  That window was not an option anymore.  He whipped his head around and there it was.  An undamaged window that faced the side of the house.  There was a tree just outside of it.  It would work. 

He looked down at the woman in his arms.  He knew he could not take her.  He had to leave her.  If she was not found, it would be thought she was alive.  His gaze flicked to the little boy who stared at him silently.  He knew that she had sacrificed herself to save her child.  He knew that he had to leave her here so that her last action would be known.  Severus sighed in resignation and pressed his lips to the crown of Lily's head.  Then, he gently lay her body on the floor. 

He began to get to his feet hurriedly as he heard the footsteps of the half-giant reach halfway up the stairs.  He began to walk past the boy, but was stopped by a small tug on his robes.  He looked down and saw those lovely green eyes moist with tears.  "I have to go," he whispered to the boy.  As though he understood, Lily's son let him go. 

Severus walked quickly to the undamaged side window and quickly opened it.  Then, he stepped onto the window ledge and prepared himself to exit the house.  Then, he noticed that Lily's son was gazing at the bottle that had minutes earlier contained his potion.  No one could find it.  Severus raised his wand and whispered, "Accio potion bottle."  The now empty bottle flew into his waiting hand. 

He saw the shadow of Hagrid's body on the wall as he came up the stairs.  More quickly and silently than a shadow, Severus escaped through the window and into the tree before a very quiet crack signaled his departure from the ruin in Godric's Hollow. 

"On the move," announced Remus just after he hurriedly swallowed a mouthful of tea.  He leaned forward in his chair to study the open map on the table.  "On the moving staircases."

Ophelia looked at the map with Remus.  "Is Tevin with her?"

"Yes."

"Here it comes," she muttered to herself.  "She'll accuse me of being a bad mother."

Remus looked at Ophelia from the side of his teacup and he finished the drink.  "She could also be planning to mention that Severus is irresponsible.  It's not as though you are the only one to blame in terms of his upbringing, you know."

Ophelia stood and put her cup in the sink.  "I know, but...Professor McGonagall and I never exactly got on." 

"From the stories you and Severus have both told me about how she treats Tevin I would say that she likes him."  Ophelia sighed.  "Speaking of Severus, Ophelia...Where is he?" 

She turned to face him, with a deeply troubled look.  "Remus, it's Halloween.  Where would you go if you were Severus?" 

Remus nodded.  He met her eyes.  Nothing else needed to be said.  "I'll bring Severus home." 

"Thank you."

Remus looked at the map again.  "She's almost here.  I can't be found here."  He got up from the chair and headed toward the fireplace.  "I'll use the map to see if it's safe for me to bring Severus home."  He pinched some floo powder and then tossed it into the flames.  "Give my love to Tevin, and if he asks tell him I'm not mad at him for running off."

"He will ask that." 

Remus smiled faintly.  "I know."  Then, he spun away in the flames. 

Severus's body was distorted by his pain as he sat in Dumbledore's office.  He was not sure how much more of the headmaster's voice he could take...not after everything that he'd seen that night. 

"You know how and why she died.  Make sure it was not in vain.  Help me protect Lily's son."

"He does not need protection.  The Dark Lord has gone-"

"The Dark Lord will return, and Harry Potter will be in terrible danger when he does."

There was a long pause, and slowly Snape regained control of himself, mastered his own breathing.  At last he said, "Very well.  Very well.  But never-never tell, Dumbledore!  This must be between us!  Swear it!  I cannot bear...especially Potter's son...I want your word!"

"My word, Severus, that I shall never reveal the best of you?"  Dumbledore sighed, looking down into Snape's ferocious, anguished face.  "If you insist..."

"I do," Severus said firmly.  "Please."  He lifted his tortured eyes to meet those of Dumbledore's which that night failed to twinkle. 

"Very well," Dumbledore finally said. 

Severus's head fell as he struggled to contain a sob, which only sounded like he was gagging on his own regret and failure.  Dumbledore reached out to his newest professor and rested his hand on the darkly clad shoulder.  "You need to rest."

"No," moaned Severus miserably, his curtained black hair swaying.  

"Severus..."  Dumbledore took a deep breath as he discreetly angled his wand.  "Forgive me."  Severus could hold it back no longer as a sob tore free from his throat.  It was short lived, however, with a single word from the older wizard.  "Stupefy."  Severus collapsed forward abruptly, landing in Dumbledore's arms asleep. 

It was the next night that Severus awoke in his own bed.  He looked around and realized he had no idea how much time had gone by or how he had come to be in his bed.  What he did know was that he was in Hogwarts.  He peeled the covers from his body carefully.  He managed to get his legs over the side of the bed. 

Then he tried to stand.

His legs buckled and he fell to the floor.  He caught himself on his hands, but could not prevent his chest from hitting the floor as well.  When he landed, his breath left him in a pained exhale.  He'd landed on something.  He suddenly remembered.

Lily.  She'd given him something.  Memories!

With renewed adrenaline-charged motivation, Severus got to his feet and hurried to his pensieve.  He reached into his robes reverently and held the glass bottle that contained something of Lily.  These were her memories.  He had something of her.  His mind wandered to the point in which she gave this bottle to him.  She could have died just after giving this to him.  Why was this so important?  She risked death to give him this one bottle.  More than any other question Severus needed to know the answer to that one. 

Before the silvery-milky tendrils had a chance to settle, Severus had plunged his head into his pensieve seeking the answer.

Ophelia walked into Tevin's bedroom only moments after Professor McGonagall's departure.  The Head of Gryffindor had lectured her about her shortcomings for a time, but in a clever way that made the younger woman realize that she was being cautioned and warned not threatened.  No matter what, however, Ophelia did not exactly appreciate some of the remarks from the Deputy Headmistress. 

Unfortunately, McGonagall had removed the spells from Tevin once she'd set him down on his bed.  Tevin woke up immediately and heard every seething word that the older woman had said to Ophelia.  He thought that if they were making him cry then they were probably hurting Ophelia too. 

"Tevin?" she called from the doorway. 

"You okay?" he asked from his blanket cuccoon. 

Ophelia sighed and walked into his room.  "I'm fine."  She walked all the way to his bed and stood beside it for a moment as she asked, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Tevin nodded.  Ophelia sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at the little boy.  "Why did you leave Uncle Remus's?"

Tevin chewed on his bottom lip nervously.  He refused to look at her.  "Was he mad at me?"

"No.  No, he was very worried when he woke up and saw you were missing."

Tevin looked miserable.  "Sorry."

"He's not mad, Tevin.  But you didn't answer my question.  Why did you leave Uncle Remus's?"

He began to play with the blanket edge.  "Had a bad dream."

"You left because you had a bad dream?"

"I tried to wake up Uncle Remus and he didn't.  Daddy said to get him if someone didn't wake up.  But Daddy was gone."

Ophelia sighed.  "What did you dream about?"

Tevin looked at her then and said, "Mommy," his brown eyes trying to tell her what his mouth did not.

"Your mother."  He nodded. 

The witch and the little boy said nothing to each other for a long time.  Finally it was Tevin who broke the silence.  "You aren't my mommy."

"I know," she said, trying to keep herself composed. 

It took another few minutes for Tevin to look at her again.  "Can we pretend?"

Ophelia was struck with an emotion she didn't know what to call.  She didn't trust herself to talk so she nodded. 

"Draco says his mommy tucks him in."

Ophelia knew what he was really saying and she began to tuck the covers around Tevin's little body.  When she finished the task, she stood back to look at him.  She thought he looked a little silly and at the same time adorable.  He looked at her, though, with an expression that clearly looked as though he were nervous about asking what he wanted.  She decided to guess.  "Do you want to stay here?" 

He nodded.  "Does it help keep bad dreams away?"

"Sometimes." 

Tevin thought about it for a moment before he looked at her again.  "Stay?" he asked, with a voice filled with hope. 

She didn't say anything.  Ophelia simply scooted Tevin over in his bed enough to give her room to lie down.

He emerged from the pensieve with a struggling gasp.  He stared down at the tendrils of Lily's memories in shock.  "I'm his father," he whispered.  "Oh, Merlin, I'm his father."  The realization suddenly brought guilt as he thought back to a certain encounter in Diagon Alley.

"There is nothing wrong with him requiring a healer except his existence."  He had said that about his own son!  How could he have said that?  Then he remembered what he'd said to Lily. "Perhaps the man you knew died when he realized that you had played him false just as well as the Dark Lord delivers the Killing Curse!"  Severus closed his eyes in painful remembrance, his hand coming up to his cheek where she'd hit him for that comment.  She'd been right to strike him.  He'd deserved it. 

"Oh, Lily, why didn't you tell me?"

He could almost hear her response in his mind.  He knew what she would say.  ‘I'm telling you now, Sev.'  And in that moment, he knew what he had to do.  His jaw set with fierce determination.  He knew why she'd given him the memories that she had.  She gave him all the instruction he needed.  She gave him a roadmap for what he had to do. 

He had to return to the wreckage of Godric's Hollow and find that room under the staircase.  He had to take all of the bottled memories from the room.  He needed to rescue the boy's favorite toys if he could.  He'd seen Lily play with her son with a swan and an old ragged teddy bear - his old teddy bear.  He needed to take a baby blanket, Lily's journals, and the box that was in that room under the stairs.  But most importantly, he needed to take the birth certificate. 

Lily's memories told him where to go and what to do.  He was going to do as Lily wanted.  He was going to raise their son. 

With a snap, a person arrived in the cemetery.  There was not a sound in the quiet resting place of the dead.  Remus knew the location of the graves of his friends.  He made his way through the cemetery quickly.  Finally, he found what he sought. 

The crumbled form of Severus Snape lay on the ground unconscious in front of a gravestone bearing the name Lily Potter.  Remus almost ran to the other man and knelt beside him.  "Severus!"  He turned him over and looked at his face.  He was breathing, but it sounded unusual.  Then, Remus knew.  Severus was feverish.  "Come on, Severus.  Let's get you home."  Remus touched held onto Severus and then apparated them away from the graveyard.

Tevin was contentedly reading through a simple book he picked up from Madam Pince in the library.  It was a book for the First Year students.  One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore.  His father wanted him to learn the basic properties of twenty entries each week. 

The fireplace roared to life in a burst of green.  Then, two blondes that Tevin knew very well came through.  Tevin closed his book and jumped up.  "Draco!" 

"Hi, Tevin!" said the blonde boy. 

Tevin noticed the other person that came through with Draco.  "Hi, Mrs. Malfoy." 

Narcissa smiled down at Tevin.  "Hello, Tevin.  Is your father teaching right now?"  Tevin nodded.  "I had a question or two for him.  Would you mind telling him to call on Lucius and me later?"

"Okay," Tevin said, shifting his weight as though eager for her to leave. 

"Is...Ophelia here?"

"She went to get something at home.  She should be back soon." 

Narcissa looked a little unsettled by this information.  "And they left you here by yourself?" 

"It's normal.  She raises plants for Diagon Alley and my dad teaches all day.  They work.  I don't mind."

Narcissa did not respond for a moment.  She wondered if Tevin was subtly insulting her and Lucius.  She brushed it off in her mind.  There was no way the boy was that clever, even if Severus Snape was his father. 

"Mother," Draco said from at her side.  "We'll be fine.  We won't do anything bad."

Narcissa looked down at her son with a slightly doubtful expression.  "Draco, if you get into any sort of trouble-"

"I know, mother!  Father will take my broom away again...and my snitch."

"And what else, Draco?" 

"My training wand," he said reluctantly. 

Narcissa sighed before she reached out with an elegantly gloved hand and cupped her son's cheek.  Draco began to whine and squirm, but she tightened her hold.  She leaned down and pressed her lips to her son's forehead.  Draco made a noise of disgust, and frantically wiped where she'd kissed him.  Tevin contorted his face in an attempt not to giggle.  Narcissa turned to look at Tevin as she released Draco, and Tevin quickly schooled his expression into polite neutrality.  "Keep him out of trouble, Tevin."

"Okay."

Narcissa then left through the floo again, leaving the two boys in the parlor. 

Draco stormed off towards the bathroom, urgently feeling the need of a mirror.  Tevin followed him.  Draco managed to get up on the small step-stool at the sink so that he could see himself in the mirror.  He began to meticulously smooth his hair back into the style it was before he had destroyed it due to his wiping away of Narcissa's kiss.  He turned on the sink and wet his hand before running his fingers over his hair, hoping that when the water dried, his blonde locks would be plastered to his head in the way he wanted.  Tevin couldn't help but laugh at his friend. 

Draco whipped his head at Tevin and glared fiercely at him.  "Appearances are important, Snape!  You would think you would try to make yourself a little more..." his bright eyes looked Tevin over from head to toe, taking in the messy black hair and very casual clothing, before continuing.  "...presentable, but I suppose being around two parents who make potions all day and play in the dirt, you have to be prepared for messes." 

Draco went back to styling his hair.  Tevin watched him without responding to the slight insult about Severus and Ophelia.  Draco tilted his head side to side, trying to look at himself from every angle he could before he thought himself satisfactory in appearance.  He turned off the sink and hopped off the step-stool.  "So!" he exclaimed cheerfully.  "I brought something for us to do so we don't get bored out of our minds in this place."

At that moment, a fluffy white kneazle came into the bathroom and rubbed her body along Tevin's legs.  Tevin picked her up and left the bathroom, knowing that Draco would follow him.  Tevin took the animal into his room and put her on his bed. 

"You still have the red hangings?" complained Draco from behind him.  "Any color is better than red."

"I like red," Tevin said.  He was preoccupied petting the kneazle.  Then, he remembered.  "You said you brought something to do?"

Draco smirked at him.  "Yeah.  Wait until you see it!"  Draco walked up to Tevin as though he were about to share a very important secret.  Draco reached into his pocket and pulled out a carefully folded up piece of paper.  With a mischievous gleam in his eyes, Draco unfolded the paper.  It was clear that it had been torn from a book by the ragged edge on one side. 

Draught of Peace

"You're not serious, Draco." 

"No?"  Draco looked offended at Tevin, but the gleam never left his eyes.  "You think I took this out of a book in Diagon Alley just to show you I'm a thief?"  He laughed.  "No, Snape.  We're going to make this."

Tevin knew the name of that potion.  It was difficult and commonly misbrewed by... "Draco!  My dad teaches that potion to Fifth Years!  We're nowhere near ready to make that!  It's never going to turn out right." 

Draco smirked again at Tevin.  "If it turns out right, your father will be so impressed."  With that, Draco darted out of Tevin's room and barged straight through Severus's room and through the door that led to his private brewing lab. 

"Draco!" called Tevin as he ran after him.  "If it's wrong, he'll be really mad!"  When he got to the lab he saw Draco had already found a cauldron and had put it on the table somehow.  "Your dad will take your broom away!"

"And my wand, I know."  Draco scanned the recipe for the potion as he wandered around the room.  "Really, some things are worth getting in trouble for."

Draco quietly opened the door that led to Severus's store of potions ingredients.  He tip-toed into it, his blue eyes searching the labels on each bottle for what they needed.  He began to climb the ladder to get to the higher ingredients. 

"Draco," whispered Tevin, hoping that his father would not hear them in his private stores.  "Potion ingredients are dangerous.  Some are poisonous!  We shouldn't be playing with them."

He was forced to stop talking as a bottle was tossed down to him carelessly.  Tevin caught it, and examined the label.  It was powdered moonstone.  "And you shouldn't throw the bottles either!"

"Shut it, Snape!  It's fine.  See?  You caught it, no harm done." 

Tevin mumbled, "This time." 

Draco hurriedly scurried down several rungs of the ladder, his one arm cradling several other bottles.  When he was a few rungs from the ground he leaped off the ladder and landed loudly.  Tevin flinched.  Draco smirked wickedly at his friend.  "Come on, then.  Let's go brew a potion."

With that, the two boys went back into the private brewing lab of Severus Snape. 

After Tevin insisted that they cross-reference the recipe for the potion in his father's potion-making books in their parlor they finally began to brew.  They both decided to use one of Severus's old potion books, Advanced Potion-Making.  They found that it might be a good idea to use all of his helpful hints that were doodled in the margins rather than assume what the directions on Draco's loose page meant. 

They were both kneeling on top of the lab table, bent over the fuming cauldron.  Tevin held the stirrer gingerly and looked into the cauldron with a fierce look of concentration.  Draco held the textbook in his hands on his lap, and kept glancing at the instructions every so often.  It seemed that every time he would look back into the cauldron his grimace grew more and more pronounced.  

"Honestly, Tevin, you think you'd be better at this considering who your parents are," he said in a voice very similar to Lucius's tone when he was displeased with something Draco did.  "I mean really, your mother raises magical plants and your father brews potions for a living!  How could you not be good at this?"

Tevin glared at Draco.  "This is harder than it looks.  Dad makes it look easy."

"Probably because he knows what he's doing."

Tevin stopped stirring.  "Are you actually admitting that you don't know what you're doing?"

Draco snorted.  "No," he said, haughtily.  "I'm saying you don't know what you're doing, even though I've been dictating to you perfectly."  Draco looked quickly at the book.  "By the way, you should keep stirring."

Tevin did not resume his motions.  "If you think you could do better then go on." 

"I'm not doing it.  You're the potion maker's son.  You do it."  Draco clutched the book to himself.  "I'm more suited for reading."

Tevin huffed and slowly began to stir.  "What do we do now?" 

Draco consulted the book again, "You pour in the syrup of hellbore."

Tevin noticed Draco's use of ‘you' instead of ‘we' but chose to ignore it.  "What amount, what height from the cauldron, how fast, how-"

"It says ‘a thin, constant stream for two seconds, at about point two two eight six meters, while constantly stirring.'"  Draco and Tevin exchanged horrified gazes. 

"How high is that?"  Draco mimicked his arm up and down until it reached to a height he assumed was correct.  Tevin groaned.  "We should have brought in a ruler." 

Draco shrugged.  "We could always guess."

Tevin glared at Draco.  "If there's one thing my dad always said about potion-making it's that you never guess about anything!  He said it's an exact art and a subtle science."

Draco picked up the bottle labeled Syrup of Hellbore, and opened it, before standing up on the table.  He mocked Tevin quietly, mumbling, "Exact art...subtle science."  While Tevin continued to stir, Draco tipped the bottle and a thin stream of syrup poured from the bottle into the cauldron. 

While Draco watched the consistency of the syrup, Tevin watched the potion in the cauldron.  "Draco," he said, "I think we should-"

He never finished.  The potion in the cauldron exploded and both boys were thrown backwards and off the table.  Draco was thrown back into the wall before he fell to the ground, trying to stop his fall with his hands.  When he landed he heard a sickening snap.  He looked and saw that his left wrist was at an odd angle.  At the sight of it, Draco began to hyperventilate and panic.  Tevin was also thrown backwards, but he landed directly onto the stone floor, his back taking most of the impact, but his head bounced disturbingly against the floor.  He lay there blearily for a moment, feeling sick and dizzy.  He realized that he still held the stirrer.  Tevin let go of the stirrer when he comprehended that it was now melting in his hand and burning his palm and fingers.  He looked up at the table to see that the cauldron was lopsided and melting and the ruined potion was oozing over the sides of the table onto the floor.  He vaguely hoped that his father's book had survived the explosion.  He breathed in relief when he noticed the now ripped cover leaning dangerously against a cupboard on the other end of the room near Draco. 

Draco looked up and saw the state of the room.  He groaned.  He frantically thought about what he had to do first.  He knew he hurt his wrist.  First thing was first.  "Infirmary," he said to himself.  Draco pulled himself to his feet and cradled his arm as he looked around.  He knew he still had his wand on him.  He knew he didn't need to bother looking for Tevin's, because he knew it was still in his friend's room.  "Tevin?" he called.  He got a groan in response.  Draco stumbled his way over to his best friend and shook him.  Tevin moaned louder at him.  "Come on, Snape.  We have to get to the infirmary." 

"Book," moaned Tevin.

"What?"

"Dad's book.  His favorite."

Draco looked around for the potion book they were using.  He found it close to where he'd landed.  "Alright we'll stash it in your room before we go, okay?"  Tevin groaned again in what Draco interpreted to be an agreement. 

"Now."

"You want me to do it now, Snape?"

Tevin nodded, and then grimaced as he regretted the action.  "Yeah."

Draco stared at Tevin in disbelief.  "You must be joking," he mumbled to himself as he stalked over to the book.  He picked it up and was surprised that the potion hadn't gotten on it.  He thought about it and realized that he'd probably pushed it off the table with him when the explosion threw him backwards.  At least, that is what the blonde thought.  Draco half stumbled and half jogged through the doorway and into Severus's room, and through the next door that connected that room to Tevin's.  Without stepping over the threshold, Draco tossed the book into the room and watched it slide under Tevin's bed.  He nodded satisfactorily and then made his way back into the lab as quickly as he could. 

"Tevin?"  He heard a soft moan answer him again.  He saw that Tevin was still on the ground.  Draco made his way over.  "Come on, Snape.  Get up."  He leaned down and saw that Tevin's eyes were unfocused and that his head was lolling side to side.  "Oh bloody-"  Draco used his uninjured hand to grab onto Tevin and haul the boy's arm over his shoulders.  Draco almost fell over as he tried to stand up straight to get Tevin standing.  "Come on, Tevin, you can't expect me to drag you all the way there!" 

Tevin's head continued lolling about and he barely managed to get his feet to work.  Draco struggled to stay upright as he supported nearly all of Tevin's weight.  "Ridiculous," he fumed.  He managed to get them both to the hidden doorway that led to the corridor.  Draco opened it just enough to check that no one was in the halls.  He peeked out the door and then he began his journey to the hospital wing of Hogwarts, hoping that no one would find them struggling down the hall. 

"Oh!  I'm so sorry!" practically shouted the fourteen-year-old girl, who began picking up the books and parchment that had flown in every direction. 

The boy on the ground was shaking his head.  "No, it's fine." 

"You okay?"  Before the Gryffindor boy could respond, she continued speaking as she crawled around hurriedly on the floor picking things up, not noticing if they belonged to her or the boy at that point.  "I'm just so clumsy sometimes that I walk before I look where I'm going.  And then things like this happen and that's how everything gets ruined." 

"I'm fine, really."  The boy started to help her pick the books and parchment up.  "Um," he said, trying not to sound awkward.  "You mixed up our stuff."

"Oh, Merlin!" she shouted.  She put it all back on the floor and began to sort it into two piles. 

The red-haired boy began to help her.  "I'm Charlie Weasley, by the way," he said. 

"Tonks," she replied, focused on her separating task. 

"Just ‘Tonks,' then?" he teased with a smile as he put one of the books on How to Put Out the Fires of a Tempermental Dragon in his pile. 

She sighed dramatically.  "Nymphadora."  She picked up a now broken quill and pointed the nib at the boy, as her hair turned bright red and her eyes a matching scarlet.  "Don't call me that or I'll hex you so fast you won't even know it!"

Charlie held up his hands.  "Whoa!" he said, smiling.  "You're a Metamorphmagus!"

"Don't tell anyone, or I'll hex you so-"

"Fast I won't even know it," he finished for her.  "Alright." 

"And don't call me Nymphadora!" she whispered, her hair turning back to a mousy brown color and her eyes going back to a dull grey. 

 "Alright, won't call you by your name."  After a pause he studied her.  "What should I call you then?"

Without looking at him she replied.  "Tonks." 

Charlie nodded.  "Okay, Tonks you are." 

She offered him a shy smile.  "Sorry about your quill."  She held it out to him feebly.  He took it without a word, but with a small grimace.  He knew he would have to pluck up the courage to write to his parents and ask them to send him another quill.  Maybe he would try to ask his brother, Bill, for one first. 

"What year are you in?"

"Um, fourth.  What're you?" she fired back, a little defensively. 

"Third!" he squeaked.  They finally got everything in a pile respective of its owner and they picked up their stack.  Charlie began to walk away from the library and then stopped when he saw that Tonks looked like she couldn't decide where to go.  Charlie walked back to her.  "Hey, where are you going?"

"I was going to go do some studying, but I don't really want to anymore."

Charlie bit his lip anxiously.  "Well, I was going to head outside after I put my books back in the Tower...maybe visit Hagrid for a bit and see if he has a new pet to see..."  He shuffled his feet awkwardly.  "You want to come along?"

Tonks looked up with an expression as though she couldn't understand the verbal gesture.  Then, she smiled.  "Yeah!"  She hurried over to Charlie and then they began to walk towards Gryffindor Tower.  "Mind if I put my stuff in your common room?" 

Charlie shook his head.  "Nope."

She gave her pile to Charlie and he dropped them off in his dormitory.  When he came back out of the portrait hole, they began to walk towards the main doors.  

"Just to warn you," Charlie said, "Hagrid sometimes has some fierce animals so if you are feeling really clumsy maybe you should stand back.  They might set you on fire or bite you or sting you or something." 

Instead of being frightened like Charlie expected any girl would be, Nymphadora's eyes lit up brightly.  "Really?  Cool!" 

"Come on, Snape, this is impossible with you like a corpse!" whined Draco as he was now practically dragging Tevin down the corridor. 

"Stop," moaned Tevin. 

"What?"  Tevin moaned the word again, fainter this time.  "You want to stop?"  Tevin tried to nod, but failed.  "We're only halfway there!" the blonde whined again. 

Then Tevin lurched forward, almost taking Draco with him.  Tevin surged forward again and then fell to his knees out of Draco's grasp.  "Tevin!" he shouted, getting down next to him.  "Come on, get back up!" 

Tevin's head flew backwards and when it came forwards again, he was heaving.  Before Draco could get completely clear of his friend's vomit, he found that his shoes and the hem of his trousers were splattered.  Draco let out a dismayed sound that was a mixture of pity and disgust.  He watched as Tevin continued to heave on the floor.  Draco looked up and down the corridor helplessly.  He didn't think he had the strength to drag Tevin the rest of the way to the infirmary, but he knew he couldn't leave him by himself there as he vomited.  "Help!" he began to shout.  He went down the corridor at least twenty paces and shouted again.  "Help!"

"So, what do you want to do when you get out of Hogwarts?"

"I don't know," Charlie replied.  "Maybe go off somewhere and work with something wild, like...like dragons!  That would be amazing!"

Tonks smiled at him.  "I think I'd like to be an Auror." 

"Why?" 

She shrugged.  "Don't know, really." 

"You're going to have to work on watching where you're going," he teased. 

Tonks, to her humiliation, felt a faint blush heat her cheeks.  "Shut up," she half-giggled. 

In the moment of silence in their conversation they both heard something.  "Help!" 

Tonks turned to Charlie with wide eyes.  "Did you hear that?"  Charlie nodded just as they heard the cry for help again.  "Where's it coming from?"  Then they heard it again.  Charlie pointed. 

They both began jogging down the corridor towards the cry.  When they found the problem, they saw two children in the hall.  "Oh no," she moaned.  "That looks like Professor Snape's son down there on the floor."

"Is that...vomit?" 

"Looks like it," she said, starting forward determinedly.  She looked back and shouted to Charlie.  "You'll have to learn to deal with it if you want to work with animals."  Then, she found herself on the ground, barely registering the surprised and half-horrified shout that accompanied her descent. 

She looked up and saw a blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy looking at her with a pained expression.  "Oh!  I'm so sorry!  Are you okay?"  She had a moment of déjà vu when she realized it was the second time in a half hour that she'd run into someone and landed on the floor. 

"No!" he bit back.  "We have to get to the infirmary!"

"That must is obvious," said Charlie as he reached them.  "What happened?"

Draco looked uncomfortable.  "Um...an accident."

Tonks made her way over to the kneeling form of Tevin who was crying from the effort it took his body to expel what was in his stomache.  "You poor thing," she said, drawing her wand.  "Evanesco," she said firmly as she pointed her wand at the vomit on the ground.  It vanished.  She began rubbing his back. 

Meanwhile, Charlie looked patiently at Draco.  He knew from experience about little kids.  "What kind of accident?"

Draco glared at Charlie.  "I'm not going to tell you!  Only my father and Tevin and the nurse needs to know." 

"And Tevin's father, don't you think?" he replied, calmly. 

Draco didn't say anything to that.  Charlie looked at Draco like he was some sort of animal specimen that he was trying to determine how to deal with.  "What's your name?"

"Draco Malfoy." 

No one noticed Tonks stiffen next to Tevin. 

"Well, Draco Malfoy.  You need to get to the infirmary, and I can get you there.  That sound alright to you?"  Draco nodded.  "Okay, then.  You can walk, right?"  Draco nodded again.  "Okay, I'll carry him," Charlie said, nodding his head towards Tevin, who miserably knelt on the ground with Tonks rubbing his back. 

Charlie helped Draco to his feet and then went over to Tevin and Tonks.  "You still coming?" 

Tonks looked up at Charlie with a look he knew well - the look of an animal desperate for escape.  "Ton-"

"Someone should go and tell Professor Snape," she cut him off from saying her name.  "I'll meet you outside the doors in a bit, okay?"  She scrambled to her feet and took off down the corridor before anyone could say anything else. 

Charlie watched her run away with a bit of confusion before a tiny moan caught his ears.  He looked down at Tevin and as he was trying to figure out how to pick him up, Draco spoke.  "His head's all wobbly.  I think he hit it."  Charlie nodded and then he slowly managed to get Tevin in his arms.  Then, he stood up and he began to lead Draco down the corridor - while he carried Tevin - to the Infirmary.  "Don't worry, you two," he reassured them.  "Madam Pomfrey'll fix you up in no time." 

On the other end of the hallway, Tonks continued to run.  She stopped for a moment to check if the Potions Classroom was occupied.  She listened at the door and heard Professor Snape's voice through it.  She didn't want to burst through the door, so she thought to wait in his office.  She had begun running again before she looked where she was going when her shoulder hit something that was sticking out of the wall.  She was jarred to the side and then she stared at the protrusion. 

It was a door!  Curiously, Nymphadora peered inside.  What she saw was a disaster zone.  There was a melted cauldron on a table, with a ruined potion dripping off of it.  The smell of the room was overwhelmingly bad.  Despite that, she wandered inside.  She looked around and saw that there was another door in the room.  Again, overpowered with curiosity, she approached.

When she went through she was in a bedroom.  She walked over to the desk and then saw handwriting that she'd seen on her potions homework for the last four years.  "Oh no," she gasped, as she realized that she was standing in her Potions Professor's bedroom! 

Without thinking of turning around and going back, she ran for the first door she saw which was right in front of her.  She went through it and found herself in another bedroom which obviously belonged to a child.  She had a fleeting thought that it was odd that the bed hangings were Gryffindor red before she ran to the next door.  She flung it open and ran into what she instantly realized was a parlor.  The first thing she saw was straight ahead of her - the fireplace was blaring green! 

Then, a man stepped out of the green flames.  A man with light brown hair, pallid skin, and a thin physique.  Nymphdora tried to hold back her gasp by clamping her hand over her mouth, but she knew it was heard when the man's bright blue eyes darted up and stared directly at her. 

They both stood frozen, staring at each other, surprised at the other's presence.  Finally, the man spoke in a soft and tired, but alarmed voice.   "Who are you, and why are you here?" 

The fourteen-year-old Hufflepuff and the man who had just come through the green flames of the floo network stood at an impasse.  Neither of them took in the other person's clothing, or any other attribute.  They simply looked into each other's eyes and stared.  Nymphadora was too terrified to answer the man's question from several moments ago.  It was bad enough that she had wandered into her professor's home in the school.  Now she was caught in them, which added a whole new level of humiliation.  She was caught by someone she did not recognize. 

"Answer my question," the man ordered in a firmer voice than before.  "Who are you, and why are you here?" 

Nymphadora tried to answer.  She did.  Her mouth opened but her voice simply would not work.  What came out was a mousy squeak.  What did she say to someone who caught her in her professor's home? 

The man held up his arms in a gesture of peaceful caution.  "Do you need to sit down?"  He awkwardly pointed to the armchair or the sofa without lowering his hands or averting his eyes. 

She slowly crept forward towards the armchair.  She did not take her eyes away from his as she walked.  Her feet had almost reached her goal when suddenly one foot decided to not obey her brain.  Her foot knocked into the corner of the sofa and she flailed to regain her balance. 

Remus reached out and grabbed the girl by her upper arms to try to steady her.  "Careful, there!"  She planted her hands onto his chest and slammed into him.  For a fleeting moment, Remus thought that it was a long missed feeling to hold someone again before he instantly shoved the thought from his mind when he realized that it was a young girl!  A teenaged girl!  One of Severus's students!  That thought made him a little sick.  In the nausea of his self-deprecation, Remus practically threw the girl into the armchair before stumbling backwards, away from her. 

They still stared at each other.  Nymphadora took several deep breaths as she tried to calm down from the embarrassment of her near fall.  Remus also took several deep breaths but not for the same reasons.  After they both began to settle down, he asked once more, "Who are you, and why are you here?"

She seemed to understand this time.  "I'm...I was...looking for Professor Snape." 

"In his home?" he asked with a disbelieving expression. 

"Yes - no!"  Nymphadora grimaced.  Without intending to, her explanation spewed forth quickly.  "I know I shouldn't be here, but I found this door that led to a lab and then there was another door and then I was in his bedroom - I think - which was really weird, and then I ran through another room and ended up here and then you came in and here I am!"

Remus stared at this babbling girl as though she were insane.  "That tells me how you got here, but not why."  He sighed, then waved his hand dismissively.  "Let's try again.  What is your name?"

"Tonks."

"Tonks.  Is that your first name or your last name?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head as though she were yelling at herself in her mind.  "Sorry.  My name is Nymphadora Tonks." 

He looked at the color of her tie.  "And you are in Hufflepuff."  Without waiting for her to nod, he continued.  "What year are you?"

"Fourth."

Remus nodded.  "Okay.  And why is a Hufflepuff Fourth Year student named Nymphadora Tonks in Professor Snape's quarters at this point during the day and not accompanied by the professor himself?"

At this point, Nymphadora had had enough of being interrogated.  So she mocked him.  "Why is a strange man in Professor Snape's quarters without the professor himself?"

Remus looked surprised by the girl's sass.  "I am a friend and have always had the liberty of visiting unannounced should I desire it.  I cannot believe that same priviledge has been awarded to you, has it?"

She had the frame of mind to look embarrassed.  "No."

"I thought not," he said in a clipped tone, clearly showing his aggravation.  "So why are you here?"

She studied Remus for a few moments.  She was at this person's mercy, but she only wanted to tell what she needed to tell to Professor Snape and him alone.  "I don't want to tell you."

"You will tell me," Remus practically growled at her.  "My skill is far above your own.  I can make you tell me."

"How?  By Veritaserum?"

Remus actually smiled.  "That's one way." 

"Or by reading my mind?"

"Can you defend yourself?"

"No," she answered quickly.

Remus pointed a finger at her as though he were instructing a course.  "And that is something you should never do, Miss Tonks.  Never admit your weaknesses to an unknown enemy."  He relaxed his posture.  "I, however, am hopefully not your enemy.  I can be, but I don't want to be." 

Nymphadora watched as Remus turned his back to her slowly.  She was about to jump to her feet and shout out a spell to incapacitate him.  However, she only got to jumping up out of the chair before she heard him mutter something and saw the tip of his wand over his shoulder.  Her body went rigid and she fell to the floor.  She realized that he had used the Petrificus Totalus spell on her.  Sometimes she hated people older than her. 

She could only watch helplessly as Remus picked her up carefully and deposited her on the sofa.  At least he positioned her head to face him as he went about her professor's kitchen preparing some tea for himself.  She had to admit, though, that whatever he was brewing smelled delicious.  He was sitting at the table, his chair facing her stiff body when she heard the entrance of another person.  Remus looked up towards the sound. 

"You didn't happen to destroy my private lab did you?"

"Severus, you have a visitor," Remus announced, nodding towards her.

"Oh?  You mean besides you, Remus?"

Tonks filed the other man's name away in her memory.  She realized then that he neglected to introduce himself.  She thought that was very rude of him.  Her thoughts had wandered like that until the shadow of her professor fell over her.  "Miss Tonks," he said in surprise.  "How did you find yourself in my home?"  She saw by his expression that he was not amused at her presence. 

Remus proceeded to explain their encounter to her professor in annoyingly good detail.  As he told of when Snape entered the room, the dark-haired man waved a hand to cut him off.  He turned to Nymphadora.  "I suppose I should remove that spell, Miss Tonks."  Severus drew his dark wand and pointed it at her, strongly incanting the counter spell. 

Nymphadora realized that she could move again.  She sat up on the sofa and proceeded to explain.  "Professor, Charlie Weasley and I were heading outside when we heard someone calling for help in the corridor.  When we saw that it was your son and...Draco Malfoy..." She slurred the name in distaste.  "We knew they were hurt and thought we should get them to the infirmary."  She stopped there, reluctant to tell the rest. 

Severus stared at her.  "Go on, Miss Tonks."

She took a breath before hurriedly launching into the rest of the story.  "Well, I realized that you might not know about them being hurt, so I said I would come and find you and tell you."

"And you did not first think to check my classroom?"

She blushed.  "I...ran into an open door."  Her blush deepened when she heard Remus burst out in a laugh that he covered up by sipping some more tea.  "I went in and saw that your lab was ruined, and then went through another door..."  Horror at the memory of her invasion of her professor's home filled her. 

"Which led to my bedroom."

At this point, she could not even look at her professor she was so embarrassed.  "And then I ended up in here, met...Remus," she said, testing out the name and glancing at the tea-drinker, who smiled at her.  "And then he cursed me."

Remus stood from his chair and walked to stand near the mantel.  "You deserved it.  You were not being careful.  You'll thank me one day for that."

Severus looked at Remus with a raised eyebrow.  "Enough, Remus."  He then turned back to the student.  "Although he is right.  He did not know if you had designs to cause anyone harm.  He reacted with caution, is that not right, Lupin?"

Nymphadora filed the surname away in her memory.  ‘Remus Lupin,' she thought.  She tilted her head to study the man who leaned against the mantel sipping his spice-smelling tea.  She was so focused on him that she missed his reply to her professor. 

"Miss Tonks, you said that Mr. Weasley took my son and Draco to the infirmary?" Severus asked her. 

She nodded.  "Only a few minutes ago." 

Severus nodded.  "Remus, put the fire out.  I can't have people dropping by now with you here.  Ophelia will understand.  If she comes home let her know what happened."  Remus nodded.  Snape turned to face his student.  "Miss Tonks, I am assigning you detention tonight to be served after the evening meal.  I have more to discuss with you.  If you say a word of this conversation to anyone, I will Obliviate you, school rules notwithstanding.  I must have your word that this conversation remains between us."

"But why?"  Nymphadora was confused. 

"Do I have your word or not?"  Severus had charged up to the girl, looking as menacing as the rumors of the student body made him out to be. 

She nodded stiffly.  "Yes!" 

Severus straightened and gazed hard at her.  "If I hear a single whisper of what occurred since you ran into the door to my labs until you leave my home, you will regret it...or not remember what it is you should regret.  Do you understand?" 

"Yes, professor," she said.  At this point, she was frightened. 

"Then come with me.  You will go with me towards the infirmary.  I presume you were going somewhere before this...unforeseen incident with a door occurred?" 

She nodded, understanding what he was doing.  "I was going outside with Charlie."

"I will send him out to meet you.  He will also be serving detention with you tonight." 

With that, Severus escorted Tonks towards the portrait hole entrance of his home.  As the door began to open she heard Remus call to her.  "It was nice to meet you, Miss Tonks." 

She turned and smiled at him.  "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Lupin!"  Unfortunately, her professor had grabbed her by the arm and was forcing her through the doorway.  If she had looked where she was going, she might not have slammed her shoulder into the doorjamb.  But she thought it was worth it as Remus's laugh bid her goodbye from the room. 

When Tevin opened his eyes blearily the first thing he saw was his father, who was wearing a scowl on his expression, his eyes filled with disapproval and his arms crossed firmly over his chest.  He did not dare say anything.  He knew if he apologized he would have to explain why he was apologizing.  With having just woken up, and still not feeling well in his stomach, he did not really remember everything that happened.  He certainly did not want to simply greet his father.  It would make his father think he did not care about himself and how he had ended up in the infirmary.  Tevin bit his bottom lip and chose to say nothing. 

There was a small groan and rustling in the bed next to him.  He turned his head to look and saw that Draco was waking up.  Draco groaned quietly as he opened his eyes and looked around. He quickly figured out that he was in the infirmary.  He began to chuckle.  "Tevin?"

Tevin was about to respond when he caught the glare from his father.  He said nothing. 

Draco turned to look toward his friend.  "We made it."  Then, his blue eyes saw Severus.  His mouth snapped shut and his face became blank of any expression. 

Severus stared at Draco stoically.  "If by ‘made it' you are referring to the potion that destroyed my private labs, then you are incorrect.  You did not in fact make it.  It was a failure, due to the inexperience of two reckless boys who should know better."  Draco stiffened, and Tevin looked as though he wanted to disappear into the infirmary bedding.  "However, if you refer to surviving the explosion of the incorrect potion, then yes.  You did ‘make it.'" 

Draco opened his mouth slowly to respond when the doors to the infirmary were flung open.  The dread and unease he felt increased instantly at the sight of his parents.  Both of them stood in the doorway for an extra moment as they scanned the infirmary for their son.  When they found him, Draco found himself being charged by his mother.  Narcissa reached her son's bed and sat herself onto it reaching for Draco's left arm, which was wrapped up securely. 

"Oh, Draco!  What happened?"

Draco looked reluctant to speak, especially in the presence of his father and Tevin's father.  Severus answered for him with a displeased look to Lucius.  "They moronically decided that their knowledge of potion-making was of such a high quality that they could brew unattended.   Sufficing to say that it blew up and your son ended up breaking his wrist while mine is suffering a concussion and a burned hand." 

Narcissa cradled Draco's arm tenderly, smoothing his hair back from his forehead.  "I knew I should have stayed." 

"What I would like to know is where you boys got the potion recipe that you managed to explode," demanded the harsh voice of Lucius, who looked just as angry as Severus.  There was a shuffle of sound behind the two men.  Both of them turned towards the disturbance, though Severus turned with a bit more reservation.  "And who are you?" Lucius snapped. 

The red-haired youth shuffled his feet.  "I'm...Charlie Weasley, Mr. Malfoy." 

Lucius curled his lip in disdain.  "A Weasley." 

Severus interjected, "He brought the boys here after he found them in a corridor.  Your son was dragging mine here when he couldn't manage any further.  Luckily, Mr. Weasley was there to assist them."

Charlie looked to his professor thankfully.  His good mood was ruined when Lucius Malfoy muttered, "Luckily, indeed."  He said it in such a way that made it obvious that he was of the opinion that no one in the room could be considered lucky in any way.  "Are you injured in some way, Weasley?"

"No, sir," he replied. 

"Then, get out!" Lucius snapped again, his eyes flashing in blatant disregard.  "This is a family matter of which you are not." 

Charlie's head lowered.  He knew of his distant relation to the Malfoys, and was well aware of the disownment of his relative from the Black family line that families like the Malfoys would bear his family some sort of dislike.  Despite this, he chose not to say anything in response.  Instead, he quietly made his way to the doors of the infirmary. 

"Thank you!" he heard from one of the beds.  Charlie turned and saw Snape's son looking at him.  The adult Malfoys were all looking at the other boy in surprise.  Then, when his parents weren't looking, Charlie saw Draco look at him and offer a hesitant smile.  He knew it was all he would get out of the young blonde.  Charlie nodded at them and turned again to leave. 

"Mr. Weasley," this time called the voice of his professor. 

Charlie once again faced the infirmary interior.  "Yes, professor?"

"I expect to see you in my office tonight.  I believe you still are scheduled to serve a detention."  Severus had walked forward so that Lucius and Narcissa could not see his face. 

"Professor?"  Charlie was confused. 

Severus's dark eyebrows rose as the corner of his mouth lifted.  "Do not think that this...rescue has exempted you from serving detention tonight after dinner as scheduled."  He tilted his head ever so slightly and widened his eyes meaningfully at Charlie. 

Charlie's eyes widened as he realized what his professor was trying to do.  "Oh!  I'm sorry, professor!  Yes.  This evening.  Of course."  Then, Charlie turned quickly and left the infirmary, before his insane verbal stumbling could make it any more obvious how dense he could be sometimes. 

"You will fine your friend outside waiting for you."

Charlie smiled at his professor.  "Thank you, Professor Snape."  Then, the red-haired boy dashed off towards the entrance of the castle to meet Nymphadora Tonks outside. 

Severus turned back to the Malfoys and his son.  Lucius was standing at the ends of the beds directly between them.  "Draco, you still have not answered my question.  Where did you get the recipe for this potion?"

Neither boys said anything.  Draco looked at Tevin.  "Don't look at him, Draco!" Lucius snapped.  "I don't need you scheming any more than you apparently already have."  Then, Draco finally mumbled a response.  "What?  Say it clearer."

"Took it from a book." 

Severus spoke up then, trying to lessen the harshness of Lucius's attack.  "From what book?"

"One of mother's."  The answer was reluctantly spoken. 

"Let me understand you.  You took a recipe form one of your mother's books and memorized it?" 

Draco didn't dare look at his father.  "I ripped it out."

"You ripped it-"

"We checked it with one of dad's books," interrupted Tevin, trying to divert the adults's attention.  It worked.  They all looked at the younger Snape.

"Which book, Tevin?" 

"The one you like the most."

"Advanced Potion-Making?"  Tevin nodded.  "You know I use that book for the older students." 

"I know." 

Narcissa lowered her head.  She usually let the immediate discipline get handled by Lucius.  She was always there for her son during the aftermath of his father's rage.  Lucius in that moment looked livid!  He pursed his lips as though trying not to explode in verbal rancor.  Severus only sighed as he pinched the bridge of his hooked nose.  "And you thought this was a good idea?"

Both Draco and Tevin answered.  "I don't know."

Severus raised an eyebrow, as Lucius glared murderously at his son.  "You don't...know.  And yet you did it anyway."  Severus was at least satisfied that the boys both looked regretful of their stupidity.  He looked at the other man and drew his attention.  "Lucius, a word outside?"  All the blonde man managed was a curt nod before he briskly strode out of the infirmary.  Severus followed and closed the doors behind their exit. 

"Be happy they aren't severely hurt." 

Lucius shook his head and closed his eyes, his anger leaving him, but the disgust still remaining.  "They should know better than that." 

"They're children, Lucius.  You should see the imbeciles I have in classes."

Lucius began pacing in front of Severus.  "I don't know how to make him less...reckless than he is." 

Severus chuckled softly.  "If you aren't careful, you're likely to have a son in Gryffindor." 

Lucius whipped his body to face Severus and drew his wand pointing it in a blind rage at the dark-haired wizard.  "Do not even joke about that, Snape!  My son will never be in Gryffindor!  Never!" 

Severus looked at Lucius completely unfased by the wand leveled at him.  "Then we have to somehow correct their recklessness, don't you think?  Temper their blind idiocy with a little more...education perhaps?"

Lucius lowered his wand, recognizing the glint in his friend's eyes.  "What do you suggest?"

Severus met Lucius's gaze.  "Make them learn about the dangers of certain plants or give them a potions lesson every so often." 

"You want them near a cauldron again after this?"

"It is unavoidable once they turn eleven.  The more they know going into the situation the less likely they will be to falter or act recklessly or stupidly." 

Lucius seemed to consider this proposal for a short while.  "Who would teach them?  Obviously not you, because you are in the classroom constantly."

Severus nodded.  "I was thinking that Ophelia could enlist them as helpers in our garden at home.  If she is unavailable perhaps I can convince Professor Sprout to force them into helping her tend the greenhouses.  On the weekends, I can instruct them in brewing." 

Lucius again considered this idea.  Then he nodded.  "Although I am not entirely supportive of this idea, I know the end result should prove...promising."  Severus knew that he spoke of his disapproval of Ophelia and the Head of Hufflepuff in that veiled response, but he chose to ignore that.  "Very well, Severus.  We'll take Draco home and be in touch about this."

"When would you like their lessons to begin?"

Lucius did not even pause.  "Before Draco's healed I think.  Let him know that sometimes you need to work through your pain to succeed." 

And so, a week passed before Draco and Tevin were at Spinner's End with Ophelia, who was walking them through the small but thriving herb garden.  Draco's wrist was still wrapped while Tevin's hand was still banaged.  They both looked miserable as they stood in front of a potted plant that they could not identify. 

"This plant boys," Ophelia began.  "Is called Feverfew.  What do you remember about Feverfew?"

They stared up blankly at her. 

"You just read about it an hour ago inside.  Would the Latin name help?"

"Maybe," Draco's voice cracked.  He had little hope of remembering almost anything of what he read earlier. 

"It's Latin name is Tanacetum parthenium."

Draco's breath huffed out is dismay.  "Didn't help."

Ophelia looked at the other boy.  "Tevin, do you know?"

When he looked up he was making a nervous face.  "It makes you have fewer fevers?"

Ophelia smiled as Draco bumped his shoulder to Tevin's.  "Good one," the blonde said, encouragingly.

"A good guess maybe," she said.  She reached down to touch the little daisy-looking flowers.  "Feverfew is used mainly to prevent migraines and to treat stomachaches." 

"What're migraines?" asked Draco.

"Really bad headaches."

"Like the ones that my father gets?"

"Maybe, but I've never seen your father with a headache." 

Draco nodded as he thought about it.  "They're bad!"

Ophelia tried not to laugh.  "Okay, so what does Feverfew do, boys?"

Draco answered first, ready to outdo his friend.  "Helps with migraines!"

Ophelia nodded.  Tevin completed the answer.  "And helps stomachaches."

"Ready for the next plant?"

"No," grumbled Draco.  As Ophelia led them towards the next potted herb, he looked at Tevin.  "This is misery."

Professor Pomona Sprout was just finishing a class with Second Year Gryffindor and Slytherins when there was a quiet knocking on the doorway of the greenhouse in which she held her last class.  "Come in," she called.  She saw two heads peer into the greenhouse.  One of them was blonde and the other black-haired.  The blonde had a nervous expression, while the other boy smiled warmly.  Professor Sprout brushed her hands on her work apron.  "Hello, boys.  Back again are we?"  She motioned them in with her hand.

Tevin and Draco walked into the greenhouse.  Sprout noticed that the both of them carried a slip of paper.  She realized that they probably had potions ingredients written down.  Knowing Severus it was probably a different list for each boy so that they could not help each other.  "What have you boys been sent to retrieve today?"

They both looked at their lists and then at each other to silently decide who would talk first.  Draco decided to go first.  "I need some Cowslip flowers, Masterwort root, and Knotweed."  Sprout nodded and then looked to Tevin. 

"And I would like to get some Avens root, a little bit of Heather, Hollyhock flowers, and some Licorice root." 

Sprout smiled fondly at Severus Snape's son.  "You know where they are, Tevin.  Go on."  Tevin smiled at the Herbology professor.  "Be sure to wear your gloves," she called back. 

"Okay," he replied as he headed away through the greenhouse, snatching up a pair of gloves along the way. 

Sprout walked up to Draco at that point.  "Well, Mr. Malfoy, what are you waiting for?"

Draco looked down at his list then back up to the professor.  He was nibbling his lip and fidgeting with the parchment slip in his hand.  "I...I don't know what Masterwort looks like, Professor," he admitted quietly. 

Sprout erupted in jolly laughter.  She set her hand on Draco's back and began leading him through the rows and rows of plants.  "Was that all?  Well, we'll have you straightened out in no time, won't we?  Come on."  She stopped at her work table and grabbed an extra pair of gloves, giving them to Draco.  "You'd best put these on though, dear.  The last thing I need is you getting pricked and sick by a nasty plant of mine." 

Draco looked up in alarm at that sentence.  "Plants can get me sick?  How?"

"Some plants you just aren't supposed to touch, Mr. Malfoy."  She pointed across the greenhouse to a row of plants that had long vines that seemed to be fighting with each other.  "Like that one.  If your fingers were to touch the thorns you'd be sleeping for two weeks straight."

Draco's expression turned horrified.  He then saw that in front of another row of plants was a basket of earmuffs.  "What are they for?"

"The earmuffs?"  Draco nodded. 

"They're for Mandrake plants, Draco!" shouted Tevin as he approached them. 

"Why do you need them?"

Tevin looked at Sprout for the answer, despite that he already knew it.  She answered.  "Mandrake plants scream, Mr. Malfoy.  The babies will only knock someone out if they hear it.  Now, the adult plants on the other hand-"

"They kill you, Draco," finished Tevin. 

Draco's eyes widened. 

Tevin and Draco were on their way back to the Slytherin area of the castle, when the sounds from an open doorway caught their attention.  Even with their baskets of carefully wrapped and separated plant items that they had to deliver to Tevin's father, they wandered towards the doorway.  They peered around the corner and saw two familiar people. 

"I was wondering, Minerva," said the aged Dumbledore, "if you might be able to help me solve a problem."

The older witch barked out a laugh.  "I thought it was part of the job description for anyone who worked in this school."

Dumbledore smiled at her before his expression became serious again.  "I've been growing concerned about Severus's boy, Tevin."

"What about him?  Surely he isn't acting up."

"No, no," Dumbledore waved his hand dismissively.  "It's not about any sort of trouble he's giving anybody."  He sighed, looking very disturbed.  "It's more about...what he's not doing that is concerning me."

Draco and Tevin looked at each other confusedly.  McGonagall conjured herself a goblet and sipped from it.  "Such as?"

Dumbledore followed his colleague's example and produced a drink for himself.  "Have you never noticed any strange behavior that he exhibits towards his parents?"

"No.  He's actually quite well-behaved for his age.  It surprises me that some of my seventh year students have worse manners than that boy." 

"I'm not talking about his manners.  I'm talking about how he acts with Severus and Ophelia."

McGonagall took a sip from her goblet.  "I'm afraid you're going to have to elaborate on that, Albus."

Dumbledore began to pace.  He was quiet for a few moments before he faced McGonagall.  "He always calls Severus ‘father' or ‘dad,' but never, not once, have I heard him call Ophelia anything close to ‘mother.'  Do you not find that a little odd?"

McGonagall looked as though she was both disturbed and throughtful at the same time.  "No," she answered.  "He calls her ‘Fay' if I remember correctly."

Dumbledore nodded.  "Her last name."  He stared at McGonagall as he sipped from his own goblet.  "Or nothing at all.  Strange is it not?"

McGonagall looked very disturbed at that point.  She simply nodded and then continued to sip from her goblet. 

Meanwhile from their spot peering around the door, Tevin tugged Draco's sleeve.  "We should go," he whispered.  Tevin began to lead his friend away. 

"Tevin, what were they talking about?"

"Nothing," he answered a little too quickly.  "We have to get back to my dad.  Now."  As he began to drag a reluctant Draco away faster than a moment ago, he thought of the strange conversation he'd once had with his father a few years ago.

"Tevin, I want to talk to you."

Tevin looked up from where he was on the floor, with a spells book open in front of him and his training wand in the other.  He was just about to learn the Wingardium Leviosa spell.  "Now?" he asked. 

Severus crossed his arms over his chest.  "Now, Tevin.  Out here."  Tevin closed his book on the floor and got up.  "Leave your wand there."  With a soft groan, Tevin put the wand on his desk.  The last time he'd left it on the floor, Minnie had gotten a hold of it and he found his pet kneazle chomping on the handle.  Now it had small bite marks on it.  Tevin liked to think of them as nicks from dueling. 

The six-year-old Tevin came out of his room and saw his father standing near the sofa and his reading chair.  Tevin slowed his gait as he got closer.  His father looked angry about something.  "Am I in trouble, Daddy?"

"No," he answered.  "I need to talk to you about something very important." 

"Okay."  Tevin went over to the sofa and got up onto it.  He looked at his father and waited for the discussion to start. 

Finally, Severus began speaking, but he was still standing.  "People have realized that you call me ‘Dad' or something like that."

"Am I not supposed to?"

"No, no.  You are, but..."  Severus sighed.  "Some of the other professors are starting to notice that you don't call Ophelia anything like ‘mother.'"

Tevin's brow crinkled.  "But she's not my mum."

"I know.  You know that, and Ophelia knows that." 

"Should I start calling her that?"

"She doesn't want you to."

"Why?"

"She doesn't want you to feel like she's trying to take your mother's place in any way.  If you were to call her that, if anything, she would be very uncomfortable."  Severus smiled at his son.  "That being said, I have thought of something that may help you."

Tevin was about to say something when his father knelt on the floor in front of him.  He knew that whatever his father was about to say was very serious.  "Tevin, I need you to pay very close attention to what I'm about to tell you."  Tevin nodded.  "Under no circumstances are you to be alone with certain people in this school.  You can be alone with Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout, and Madame Pomfrey in the Infirmary.  But under no cirumstances are you to ever be alone with the Headmaster, or Professor McGonagall, or Hagrid.  Do you understand?"

Tevin did not expect his father to say something like that.  "Um..."

Severus reached forward and gripped his son's shoulders.  "Tevin.  This is very important.  Do you understand?"

Tevin nodded.

"Repeat what I said."

Tevin took a deep breath.  "I can be by myself with Professor Flitwick, Sprout, and...Madame Pomfrey, but not Aunt Minnie, Hagrid, or...Professor..."

"The Headmaster." 

Tevin nodded.

"Say it."

"The Headmaster."

Severus looked at him like he would disappear if he let his son go.  He tried to smooth Tevin's uncooperative hair back, only to have it stick up as usual.  He cupped his son's cheeks in his hands.  "Promise me you will never be alone with them." 

"What about if Draco's with me?"

"No.  You have to be with another wizard or witch that can defend you."

"Why would I need to have someone defend me?"

Severus looked down and then back up.  Tevin was frightened by the tears he saw his father struggling to hold back.  He couldn't even breathe.  "Tevin!  Son, promise me."

Tevin felt his own tears well in his eyes.  His father must have a very good reason to make him promise something like this.  To see his father so vulnerable made Tevin scared.  "Tevin."  He felt a tear slide down his cheek, only to have his father's thumb wipe it away. 

He forced himself to speak.  "I promise, Daddy."

Severus let out a breath and pulled his son to his chest and held Tevin to him tightly.  "Don't ever forget your promise, Tevin." 

Tevin let his father hold him for a while before he asked him a question.  "Won't you be there to defend me?"

He heard a choked sound above him.  "As long as I live."

Draco glanced at Severus's imposing figure as he held the stirring rod over the potion.  "Why do I have to do it?"

"Because you're not shaking," Tevin pointed out. 

Draco saw Severus try to hold back a grin at his son's frustration.  Then, the blonde gathered himself and stirred in a figure eight pattern twice.  He held his breath as he completed the motion.  He did the rest of the step and then looked at Tevin.  They both leaned forward to look into the cauldron that they'd spent the last few hours hovering over as Severus watched them.  Tevin bit his lip as he stared into the liquid, and then looked at Draco again. 

"Do we have to stay here and watch it for fifteen minutes?" whispered Tevin.

"Do you have somewhere more important to be?" 

"Watching the Quidditch game," grumbled Draco.

"Will you be willing to walk out of your exams when you both are admitted to Hogwarts, or will you stay until you finish them?" Severus asked with a small smirk. 

"If we don't stay we fail," said Tevin in alarm.

"That's right."

Draco sighed.  "Father told me that he's thinking of sending me somewhere else for school."

Tevin looked at Draco in horror.  "What?" he shouted.  "Why would he do that?  He can't split us up."

"Yeah he can," said Draco, miserably.  "He doesn't trust Dumbledore."

"Headmaster Dumbledore, Draco," corrected Severus.  Draco glared at him before looking back at Tevin.

"He said that if someone that lets mudbloods-"

"Draco," growled Severus in a warning tone.

"-muggleborns," amended Draco with obvious reluctance, "to this place, then Father wants me to have no part in it."

Tevin looked back into the cauldron, then up at his father.  He saw the veiled sadness in his father's eyes, and he knew the reason for it.  There were times that Tevin didn't like Draco or his parents, and it was always when they insulted witches or wizards that were not purebloods.  "Well," Tevin began quietly.  "My mum's muggleborn."

"Yeah, but she's at least useful."

"What does useful have to do with anything?" shouted Tevin.  He faced Draco heatedly, his lips set in a thin line.  "Think of Crabbe and Goyle!  They can barely read, nevermind do this," he said, gesturing to their cauldron.  "I'm a half-blood and am keeping up just fine with you with these potions."  Draco stared at Tevin as though his best friend had just slapped him.  Tevin looked at the potion, remembering that Severus had told him many times that his real mother had been just as skilled in potion-making as he was.  Tevin was proud to have inherited some things from his mother.  "Just because you're a pureblood doesn't make you better than everyone else."  With that, Tevin hauled himself off the floor, taking the first year potions textbook with him, and he left the brewing lab and went into their home in the castle, not even botheringn to close the door behind him. 

Draco felt his eyes tear up as he stared into the potion again, refusing to move from his spot.  He knew that Tevin's father still stood at the other door, willing to wait out the time to test their potion.  The potion began to resemble an orange paste.  He knew why Severus had them brew this potion.  They both had been burned in their last attempt at making a potion.  This was the Burn-Healing Potion.  Draco had a small burn on his arm near his elbow.  He also knew that Tevin had burned the back of his hand trying to save the other ingredients.  Thinking about it made him feel worse for believing what his father had been drilling into his mind about purebloods.  Draco knew that Tevin may even be better at potions than him. 

Suddenly, Draco heard Severus's voice from right next to him.  "It's been fifteen minutes, Draco."  Draco refused to look at him.  He saw the Severus had placed a large jar next to him.  "Please put it in that.  I have to go and check on Tevin." 

Draco stared at the empty jar long after the lab had grown silent since Severus left it. 

Tevin strode angrily through his father's room and threw open the door into his own.  Before really entering, he shouted and threw the textbook.  He heard an animalistic sound of surprise and then a blur of white ran from his room.  "No, no," Tevin shouted, not realizing that he was scaring the kneazle more.  He followed it into the parlor.  "Minnie, wait, come back.  I'm sorry."  He began to approach the kneazle that was seeking shelter in the corner of the room. 

"Tevin?"

He swung his head towards the kitchen and saw Ophelia.  She was in the middle of cooking something it seemed.  Her hands were dusted in flour and her hair was slightly disheveled.  "How did the potion go?"

Tevin tried to stop his trembling lip by biting it.  He shrugged his shoulders as he looked down at the floor.  "Come here," she said.  He walked over to the counter where he discovered that she was making a pie.  "Tevin," she said, gently.  "Look at me."

Tevin raised his head and tried to keep himself under control.  Ophelia seemed to study him for a moment before returning to the task of making a lattice top on the pie.  "Did you and Draco finish the potion?"

"I think."

Ophelia looked out the side of her eyes at him.  "You think?" 

"I got mad and left before it was done."

Ophelia pretended that they were talking about his last flying lesson with Madam Hooch instead of the real topic of conversation as she continued with her pie.  "What happened that made you mad?"

"Well..."  Tevin shuffled his feet.  "I got mad at Draco."

Ophelia stopped for only a second before she kept working.  "Why?"

Tevin was quiet for longer than he should have been.  Finally, Ophelia looked at the seven-year-old.  "Why did you get mad at Draco, Tevin?"

"He said that he wasn't going to come to Hogwarts for school because his father says that he shouldn't have to go to school with muggleborns."

Ophelia was beginning to understand the problem.  It was a recurring one between their family and the Malfoys.  "Tevin, some people just have prejudices against others that they just have a very hard time ignoring."  She knew what that was like.  Even after years as Severus's wife, Lucius and Narcissa were still less than warm to her.  Thankfully, they liked Tevin well enough, but when it came to the muggleborn mother of Severus' son, it was something entirely different.  "Some people just refuse to change."

"But Draco's my best friend.  How can we be friends if he hates everyone who's not a pureblood?"

Ophelia stopped working on the pie and looked at Tevin fully.  "I'm sure he doesn't hate everyone that's not pureblood.  He likes you."

"But I'm half pureblood." 

"Tevin," Ophelia reached out and tilted Tevin's head back with her fingertips.  "Just because wizards like the Malfoys don't like muggles, or muggleborns, or even most half-bloods...that doesn't mean that you should not like them.  If you started to hate all of the purebloods in the world then you would be just as bad as they are."

"But they're not bad."

Ophelia smiled sadly.  "No, they're not really bad.  They're just...uninformed."  Tevin looked at her in confusion.  "Did you say anything to Draco?"

"I told him that I'm a half-blood and was doing just as good as him.  Then, I said that Crabbe and Goyle can barely read - and that they're purebloods."

"See?  You're already ahead of some pureblood twits, even though those two are certainly not the most intelligent examples of pureblood wizards."

Tevin smiled at her.  "Yeah, they're both pretty stupid."

Ophelia smiled at him, then she pulled one of the kitchen chairs to the counter.  "You want to help me finish this pie?"

Tevin nodded and then climbed up onto the chair so that he could see the top of the counter.  They slowly began to work on the pie quietly.  It was when they were putting the pie into the oven, which Severus insisted on having in their home, that Tevin spoke again.  "Fay, do you think Draco will ever change?"

Ophelia closed the oven and then brushed the flour on her hands all over her skirt, not caring that she made it dirty.  "If he's really your friend, and if being friends means that much to him, then he will change."

Tevin looked desperately hopeful.  "How do you know?"

Ophelia offered him a tender smile.  "Because a long time ago there was a wizard who was corrupted into thinking like that, and it almost cost him his best friend.  He realized that she was more important to him than any blood status, that she was better than so many other wizards and witches that were anything other than pureblood.  And so he changed for her."

"Did you know him?"

She nodded.  "Yes, I did."

"Who was he?"

There was a pause as Ophelia looked long at Tevin, at Severus's boy.  "He was your father."

Severus walked into his home just as Ophelia told his son about how he had changed his ways for Lily.  He was reluctant to interrupt. 

"Really?" 

Ophelia was still looking at Tevin, who was beaming up at her.  "Yes," she said.

"So, Draco might end up liking muggleborns?"

Ophelia laughed then.  "I wouldn't go that far, Tevin, but he may not hate them eventually."

When he heard Tevin laughing, Severus knew he could reveal his presence.  "Tevin, come here."  His son smiled at him as he obeyed.  "The potion you both made was correct." 

"Really?"

Severus nodded.  Tevin launched himself at his father and held onto him.  Severus returned the embrace slowly.  "Dad?" Tevin asked against him.  Then, he pulled away as he looked up at him.  "Is it true that you once hated everybody not a pureblood?"

"I didn't hate them, Tevin.  I..."  He was not enthused about broaching this topic with his son.  "I was...When I was in school, things were less than pleasant.  There was someone on the rise to power," he stopped abruptly.  He wondered if his son was ready to hear this.  He looked at Ophelia, who nodded at him.  "He was a very bad wizard, and he was against...he felt that anyone that was not of pure blood status was a threat to the Wizarding World, and he...thought they had no place in our world.  So, he wanted to..." He looked down at Tevin and saw that he was staring up at him with his brown eyes, listening to every syllable he said.  "He began to pick people to join his side."

"Like quidditch tryouts?"

Severus winced.  "Not exactly like quidditch tryouts.  He would use threats and sometimes he would send your friends to try to convince you to join their side.  This dark...lord...was very cruel to muggleborns and half-bloods.  He would hurt them very badly, and sometimes he would kill them."

"Did you get hurt?"

"Yes.  I was hurt very badly before I agreed to join him."

Tevin looked at him in horror.  "Why would you do that?"

"Because I was...trapped.  When he wanted something, he did not stop until he got it.  And he wanted me.  I was hunted for a very long time before I was caught and...brought to him."  Severus swallowed thickly.  "There were very few things you could refuse him, and even I gave in."  His son was still looking at him in horror. 

"But Fay said you changed for mum." 

Severus nodded.  "I did change.  But I changed long before I was brought to that bad wizard.  I was pressured by my housemates into believing things that no one should, that non-purebloods were inferior."

"But you aren't a pureblood."

"No, I'm not, but sometimes you have to pretend to be something you're not in order to have friends that will help you and to stay out of trouble."  Severus took a deep breath.  "Tevin, one day when you are a student in Hogwarts, you will understand better what I'm trying to tell you.  There will be students that are prejudiced against other students for no other reason than that they might be different from everyone else, or that they were born to muggle parents, or that they are completely devoted to their education rather than sports, but more than that there will always be students that will dislike others simply for being sorted into a different house.  Friendships have been strained and even ruined because of problems and issues between houses."

"That's stupid.  If...Draco or Crabbe or Goyle came here and we were in different houses I'd still be friends with them."

"Prejudice does odd things to people."  He hugged his son to him.  "One day you'll understand." 

Tevin shook his head.  "I don't want to."

Draco finished cleaning up the lab and decided that he should bring it to Severus in their home.  As he made his way through the bedrooms he heard the end of what seemed to be an important conversation.  He pretended to not be around and he lingered in the dark of the doorway to his friend's room, awkwardly holding the container of Burn Paste.

"-and we were in different houses I'd still be friends with them."

"Prejudice does odd things to people.  One day you'll understand."

"I don't want to."

Draco waited another few minutes to be sure that the conversation ended before wandering out into the parlor.  He looked up and met the eyes of Ophelia and realized that she knew that he'd heard the last bit of that conversation.  Then he looked at Tevin and his father.  He felt a twinge of jealousy that his father never hugged him like Tevin's did.  Whenever he sought some sort of comfort from his parents he always had to go to his mother.  He watched Tevin and Severus separate, before he shifted on his feet. 

"Draco," Severus acknowledged as he turned away from his son, running his hand through Tevin's black hair.  "Have you finished?"

Draco held up the container with a nod. 

Severus gestured for Draco to come forward.  When both of the boys stood in front of him, Severus took the Burn Paste from Draco and looked at them.  "This is a very acceptable brew."  Both of them looked at him with barely concealed excitement.  "If you can answer the three questions I ask the first year students in their first class, you both will be allowed to brew on your own."

"What are the questions?" asked Tevin.

Severus smiled softly at the two of them.  "Not yet, boys.  I think there's something else you both wanted to do today, unless I'm mistaken?"

The two boys remembered at the same time.  They looked at each other happily.  "Quidditch!" they both shouted. 

"Yes, quidditch," said Severus.  "Go on, put on the colors of the house you want to cheer for."

Tevin and Draco ran back into Tevin's room and headed right to his standing wardrobe to get a house scarf of their choice.  Draco always brought his mother's old green and silver scarf so that he could cheer for Slytherin, even if they weren't playing that day.  Tevin had one scarf for each House.  He knew people who played in each House and would fairly switch which team he would support.  Today he chose a different House than Slytherin. 

"Another ten points for Gryffindor!" 

Tevin clapped from his place between Professor McGonagall and Draco, who was practically snuggled against Severus's side to get as far away from the Gryffindor head of house as possible.  Slytherin was not playing in this match, but Draco was not about to refuse seeing a quidditch game, particularly if Tevin was going to watch it.  His father encouraged him to attend as many games as possible before he would allow Draco to attend the World Cup so that he could understand the rules in better detail and get accustomed to watching the fast-pace of the sport.  As he said, ‘Simply playing with the snitch doesn't make you understand the game.'

Suddenly, everyone in the stands were the victims of a strong breeze as a flurry of all six chasers flew past them, their red and blue robes blurs of color.  From the other direction, one lone red blur flew past their seats.  It was the Gryffindor seeker, Charlie Weasley.  "The golden snitch has been spotted, and the battle of the seekers has begun!" announced the student commentator, Sarah Sirran of Slytherin. 

Only moments behind the Gryffindor seeker flew the blue-robed seeker from Ravenclaw.  From that point on, Draco cold care less that Slytherin was not playing the game today.  This was his favorite part of quidditch games - the climactic grab for the snitch.  His eyes were riveted to the two seekers.  Tevin was also watching, cheering on Charlie Weasley next to McGonagall. 

The seekers swerved dangerously throughout the stadium at a fierce and frightening pace, dodging instantly and changing direction as though instinctually.  They were even with each other and closing in on the golden snitch, both of the players reaching out their arms to grab the fast, winged ball. 

"Weasley!  Starr!" shouted another player on the pitch. 

Even before the other player had finished shouting the names of the seekers in warning, a bludger struck the head of the Gryffindor.  The Ravenclaw girl, Danica Starr, now free of competition, grabbed for and captured the snitch.  "Ravenclaw wins," Sarah commented quietly, her attention more focused on the fact that a fellow student had been knocked from his broom.

However, no one except Sarah noticed Danica's victory.  Everyone watched with horror as Charlie Weasley began to plummet to the grass and sand of the quidditch pitch.  With expert speed and accuracy, Madam Hooch swooped down like an owl to capture a mouse and she plucked the unconscious Charlie from the air.  She touched down on the ground, blowing her whistle as she landed.  All of the other players hovered above their flying professor and the injured Gryffindor, watching as Hooch set him on the grass gently. 

Madam Hooch drew her wand and said something that only the students and spectators nearest her could hear.  Draco and Tevin certainly could not being so high from the ground.  But from the professor's wand sprung a silver-white corporeal shape.  It was an owl.  Madam Hooch seemed to speak to it for a moment before the magic owl flapped its wings and flew towards the castle.  Then, she ran her wand down the length of Charlie's body, hovering several inches above him.  Tevin recognized this action as a medical check.  She was making sure he was not fatally or even very dangerously wounded. 

Suddenly, there was a collection of shapes that were running across the grass towards the flying instructor and the unconscious boy.  There were three people, all students.  Two of them were clearly of a relation to Charlie, if their flame-red hair was anything to go by.  The third, however, was not a Gryffindor, but Tevin recognized her at once by the way she tripped over her own feet in her haste to reach the prone boy.  It was Nymphadora Tonks.  The three students gathered around Hooch and Charlie. 

As everyone watched the commotion for an unknown length of time, it seemed that Madam Pomfrey arrived at the scene all the way from the hospital in record time.  She had even arrived on her own broom!  Tevin rarely saw this occur.  Although it was rare for Madam Pomfrey to attend a match since there was always someone needing attention in the infirmary, which prevented her from coming to the rescue of one of the injured players.  They were usually flown to her, not the other way around. 

There was a brief conference down on the grass of the pitch before the biggest of the Weasley brothers, whom Tevin knew to be William - or Bill as he preferred - picked up his brother and took hold on Charlie's fallen broomstick.  He mounted the broom as Tonks held it steady.  Then, Bill followed Madam Pomfrey back towards the castle.  Tonks found herself unexpectedly hugging the youngest of the three Weasley brothers, Percy, to her body after he threw himself at her.  She was the nearest thing for comfort it seemed. 

Madam Hooch blew her whistle again and then signaled to Sarah Sirran, who would announce once again the outcome of the match.  "Ravenclaw wins by a score of one ninety to Gryffindor's seventy!"  The Ravenclaw students exploded in cheers. 

Severus leaned down to the two boys as the cheering continued.  "I think it's time we put your new skills to the test, don't you?"

Tevin and Draco swung their heads to look at him.  "How?" asked the blonde.

Severus stood and guided them out of their seats and towards the long stairs to take them back to the ground.  "There are quite a number of potions and salves that Madam Pomfrey needs restocked.  Would you like to help her?" 

"Yeah!" said both boys excitedly. 

Severus smiled as he led them down the stairs.  "Then, let's get started.  First we have to go to the infirmary and see what she needs.  After that, you boys will start brewing."

Tevin realized why his father had proposed this to them.  "We can see if Charlie's okay too!"

Severus nodded.  "I thought we could achieve two things at once while we visited the infirmary."  Draco realized that sort of thinking from his own father.  It was a trait he could appreciate. 

Once again, Tevin and Draco found themselves in Severus's private brewing lab, but this time he wasn't hovering over them as they nervously completed a potion as though they were taking a nerve-wracking examination.  They were enthusiastically working independently now.  Tevin and Draco both decided to split the long list that Madam Pomfrey had given them to help her restock the medicinal potions.  Tevin got to work on the potions that required ingesting - like the tricky Skele-grow Potion, while Draco worked on the topical potions - such as Bruise Healing Salve.  They figured out that Tevin excelled at the more watery potions, while Draco was more skilled in the more viscous potions.  It was a system they both liked. 

Tevin had just finished bottling the Skele-grow Potion.  Draco was just adding the last step to his concoction, so Tevin took the opportunity to read through the needed ingredients for his next assignment.  He left his station and headed towards his father's private store of ingredients for potion-making.  He was looking for Ground Dragon Scales.  His potion required three large scales to be freshly ground in a mortar and pestel in order to complete his next potion.  He climbed the ladder in the small and cramped room, peering all the way to the backs of the shelves looking for his rogue item.  Finally he found it.  However, he only found one scale...not three. 

Tevin climbed back down the ladder, and then headed back into the lab.  He put the scale on the table on which he was working, and did not even stop at it.  "Tevin, I'm almost done with-"  But Tevin did not stay to hear what Draco had to say.  He went straight into the door connecting the lab to his father's bedroom.  Then he walked through his own room and into the parlor. 

"Fay?" he called.  There was no answer.  "Fay?" he tried again.  He turned around and then found himself on the floor after screaming out in surprise. 

"Tevin!" she exclaimed as she helped him stand again from where he'd fallen over onto the floor.  "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he mumbled grumpily.

"How is the brewing going?"

"Fine," he said, letting his voice trail off.

Ophelia tilted her head, recognizing when he wanted to ask something but held off until he got either her or Severus to ask.  "But?"

When he responded, it all came out in a rush.  "But I need dragon scales for the next potion I have to make and we only have one.  Can we go get some more?"

Ophelia looked at Tevin for a long moment, trying to stretch out Tevin's nerves as long as possible.  Then, she smiled teasingly.  "We have to bring Draco."

"I know.  He'd be mad if he didn't get to come anyway."

Ophelia said, "Go get him, then," as she conjured a small piece of parchment and a quill with her wand, as Tevin ran back the way he came.  She brought the items to the kitchen table and wrote a quick note to let Severus know that she was taking the boys to Diagon Alley for some needed potions supplies.  By the time she'd finished the note and put a tea cup on the corner to hold it down, Draco and Tevin were in the parlor.  They both held lists of what they needed from the Apothecary.  "Come prepared, boys?"

They nodded.  "Did you check to be sure we don't have what you need?"  Again, they nodded.  Ophelia accepted the response and then activated the floo. 

Just before sending Tevin through first, she heard him ask quietly, "Can we get some ice cream at Fortescue's?"  She chuckled softly and pushed him through without an answer. 

"Please?" asked Draco, as he stepped up to the fire.  He received the same treatment as Tevin. 

After she sent the boys through one by one she followed them to Diagon Alley, her mind already made up about Fortescue's. 

With their arms burdened with the items on their list from Jayce's apothecary, Tevin, Draco, and Ophelia made their way towards Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.  The pile of bottles and boxes in both boys' arms were so high they had to rely on the taller Ophelia's guidance in which direction to walk, when to stop, or when to keep going. 

Under Ophelia's instruction, the boys were heading towards one of the outdoor tables in front of the parlor.  One moment, Tevin was staring straight at the boxes in front of his face, and another he was staring at a man that looked like a very disheveled, slightly crazier version of Draco's father from his new position on the ground.  What surprised him was that none of his baggage had fallen to the ground and it was in fact floating above him in the same formation that he'd been carrying it.  Tevin stared up at this very odd-looking man above him, undecided for a split second on what he should do. 

Draco, meanwhile, was struggling to look around his pile of boxes at the misfortune that had befallen his friend.  He turned and then unbalanced himself.  While he heard several spells muttered at once, he found himself in a similar situation as Tevin.  He was only luckier considering that Ophelia managed to grab hold of his arms to keep him from completely falling to the ground.  Draco looked around and noticed that his items and those that Ophelia had been carrying were also floating in the air. 

Finally, this less-than-pristine version of Lucius Malfoy began to speak in an oddly friendly yet eccentric way, his head tilting oddly as he spoke.  "Look at this!  I trip over you, and your little friend there trips over my daughter." 

Tevin stared at him in confusion.  He had no idea who this man was, nor who he claimed Draco had tripped over.  Draco was totally preoccupied with gazing at the very pale woman who stood over him.  She had hair so blonde it was white.  She offered a thin and pale hand to him.  Hesitantly, Draco accepted it, and was hauled to his feet. 

"Xeno," said this ghostly-colored woman to the man, "help the boy up."

He laughed boisterously as he shot out his hand towards Tevin.  "At your service, young man."  His voice only made Tevin stare longer at him.

Tevin said the first thing he could think of.  "Tevin Snape." 

With his hand still poised to help him up, his expression turned puzzled.  "Hmm?"

Tevin noticed out of the corner of his eye that Draco had been righted and was staring at the strange man with wide eyes.  He looked terrified for his friend's safety...or sanity.

"My name is Tevin Snape."

The man rolled his eyes and jerked his head to the left as he snorted.  "I'm Xenophilius Lovegood!" he announced, using his free hand to brush his long hair away from his features.  Tevin thought that it didn't really do much to make him look more presentable.  The man clearly grew tired of waiting for Tevin to take his hand and so he grabbed it and yanked the boy to his feet. 

Now that Tevin was standing he noticed that there was a girl peeking out from around what Tevin assumed to be Mr. Lovegood's wife.  This must have been the daughter he'd mentioned a moment ago.  She, like the woman whom she peered around, was pale-skinned, with long blonde hair.  In her hands was a cone of pinkish ice cream that she was slowly licking as she peered at him curiously.  Tevin looked at her, and their eyes met.  He offered a timid smile to her.  She tilted her head, then turned her attention back to her ice cream. 

During all of this, Tevin didn't notice that introductions were taking place.

"-my wife, Celene.  And hiding behind her mother, is my little Luna." 

Ophelia nodded and introduced herself in return.  "And this is Draco Malfoy."

"Oh!" Xenophilius exploded, in a voice that was a mixture of nervous and awed.  "You must be Lucius Malfoy's son.  With a face like that there can't be a mistake."

Draco's face crinkled in disapproval.  "What's wrong with my face?"

"Nothing, dear," said Celene Lovegood from beside her husband.  "He means that you look very much like your father, that's all."

This seemed to satisfy Draco, because he relaxed his features.  Neither boy noticed that Ophelia and Xenophilius had floated their packages to the table next to the one at which Luna sat licking her ice cream.  The adults continued to talk to each other, while Draco looked rather uncomfortably at Luna.  Tevin, however, was intrigued at her lack of response to Draco's last name.  It was as if to whom other people were related meant nothing to her.  Tevin looked at her eating her ice cream...then realized it may have simply been that she just was way too interested in the pink confection.  Either way, Tevin was curious and so he walked over to stand right beside her.

Without a word or glance in his direction, the long-haired blonde shifted over a little to make room for him.  Tevin sat down next to her.  Draco, not wanting to be standing there between the chatting adults and the two other people his age, flopped himself down across from the two. 

"What flavor is that?" Tevin asked the girl. 

She stopped licking the ice cream and then stared at it as though she hadn't noticed she was even eating it.  She seemed to think for a moment before responding.  "Vanilla Radish Pudding, I think...with just a hint of some spices or something to make it sweet.  I don't know what they are, but...it's a nice enough taste."

"I doubt it!" mumbled Draco.   

Tevin stared at Luna and then his eyes went to the strange ice cream.  He would never have dared to try that flavor.  He thought only crazy witches or wizards ate the really bizarre flavors like Vanilla Radish Pudding!  Then, he had a terrifying thought.  ‘Am I sitting next to a crazy girl?' 

She seemed to read his mind.  "I know it's a strange choice, but you shouldn't judge until you try it."  She licked it again, and this time Tevin noticed that a tiny piece of strawberry went with it.  That must be the sweetener.  She then held out the cone towards him.  "Would you like to taste it?"

He really didn't, but he also didn't want to insult the girl.  She could become a new friend, even if she was a bit odd.  Besides, she did have a point about having an opinion on something before trying it.  It almost mirrored his view on Draco's prejudices with blood-purity in the Wizarding World.  He decided to try it, even if he thought he would end up sick from it.  Just as Tevin was reaching for the cone, he found himself clutching a spoon that had been materialized in his hand.  Then, as the children watched, Tevin found his arm carving out a spoonful of the ice cream from the portion in the cone.  He looked up at Ophelia, who shifted her eyes to Xenophilius, who spoke.  "You know better than to share food like that, Luna."

She grinned apologetically at her father before looking expectantly at Tevin.  Looking at the ice cream, he almost reluctantly opened his lips and put the spoon in his mouth.  He let it sit there for a moment so that he could get used to the strange taste.  Then, after it had practically melted in his mouth, he swallowed.  Luna was still looking at him, waiting for his verdict on it.  Without knowing he was doing it, Tevin found himself nodding.  "It's..."  He looked at her silvery-grey eyes shining in anticipation at him.  "It's not bad."

"Bet it's not good either," said Draco, making himself noticed again. 

"I didn't say that," Tevin defended.

"Doesn't mean you weren't thinking that."

Luna replied quietly to Draco.  "It doesn't mean he was thinking that, either."  Draco glared at her.  "He only said that it wasn't bad.  If that's as far as he wants to say then it's okay."  Then, she turned to Tevin.  "Most people either really like it or really hate it." 

Tevin awkwardly held the empty spoon, not knowing exactly where to put it.  "Is that...your favorite, then?" 

She nodded as she licked the ice cream again.  "I've always liked radishes.  I try anything with them in it.  They're actually a very pretty food."

Tevin looked down at the spoon that he decided to hold against his leg.  "I never noticed."

At that moment, Ophelia finally spoke to them.  "Are you boys going to get some ice cream or not?"

Draco seemed ecstatic to talk to someone other than this weird girl across from him.  He leaped up and walked right towards the window where he could order his ice cream.  Ophelia turned around and spoke to Tevin.  "What kind do you want, Tevin?"

Tevin looked at Ophelia and then back to Luna enjoying her ice cream.  "Can I get two flavors?" 

"If he does, I want two, too!" burst out Draco.

"Okay, you'll both get two," she said, rolling her eyes at Draco's competitiveness.  "What flavors do you want, Tevin?"

"Strawberry Pie and..."  He hesitated and then looked again at his empty spoon.  "And Vanilla Radish Pudding." 

When Tevin turned around to look at Luna he saw that she was shyly smiling at him.  He offered a small smile in return.  What they both missed was a glance shared between Xenophilius and Celene Lovegood. 

While they were gone, Severus had checked over the brews that Draco and Tevin had been working on for Madam Pomfrey.  He was helping the boys replace the ingredients they had to restock in the huge potions cupboard.  He decided that he would wait to tell them what he thought of their potions until after they had put everything away.  Ophelia had gone to the Spinner's End home to tend to several things.  At least, it was the excuse they always used whenever she really meant that she was going to go and have some tea with Remus Lupin.  Draco never knew. 

"Is that everything, boys?" he asked, from his place on the floor, while the two boys were both on the ladder.  Draco was in the middle of the ladder so that he could hand the ingredients to Tevin that needed to go on the higher shelves.  Tevin occupied the top few rungs, waiting for whatever Draco passed up to him from Severus. 

"There's one more box by the floo," answered Tevin. 

"Don't move," he insisted, as he went to fetch it.  The last thing he needed was one or both of the boys to fall off the ladder and destroy several shelves of potions ingredients. 

As he walked into the parlor and approached the box, he saw something that surprised him.  "No, no, Minnie!" he shouted at the white, fluffy kneazle that was chomping away on a rather mildly-toxic-to-non-humans plant leaf.  He picked up the kneazle and then pried open her mouth.  The kneazle was reluctant to allow this sort of manhandling and twisted her head in any direction she could manage to escape his hold.  "Hold still you insane animal!" he snapped at her. 

He finally managed to look inside her mouth and saw that she had in fact been chewing on the leaves for at least several seconds before his arrival.  He groaned, then shouted for his son. 

The two boys came barreling into the room, thinking that they'd gotten the wrong replacement ingredients or something.  What they discovered was much worse. 

Severus shoved Minnie into his son's arms.  "You have to hurry and take her to the Care of Magical Creatures Professor."

Tevin nodded.  "Kettleburn." 

Severus nodded.  "Tell him that she ate some Baneberry leaves." 

Tevin looked worriedly at Minnie.  She didn't look well at all.  While he stared helplessly at her, he felt Draco pulling him along by his sleeve.  "Come on!" the blonde boy shouted, forcing him out the door.  Then, they both began to run through the halls of Hogwarts.

In record time, the boys were well on their way towards Kettleburn's office.  However, just as they were passing the grand entrance doors, Tevin made a quick dash out of them and outside.  Draco almost fell over at the sudden change in direction.  "Where're you going?  Kettleburn's office is that way!" he shouted, feebly pointing back into the castle. 

"Hagrid's better at this then him!" Tevin shouted back.  Impressively, the darker-haired boy's pace increased.  Draco had to struggle to even keep the same distance between them.  If only he had his broom with him, he'd be able to overtake his friend.  Then, Draco wondered why they didn't decide to fly the kneazle to help.  It would have been much faster. 

Before he realized it though, they had reached the primitive hut that belonged to the Gamekeeper of Hogwarts.  Hagrid.  Draco only met him once or twice, and each time he reminded him of an awkward teenager that couldn't do much of anything but trip over his own feet or stutter around girls he liked.  Draco could not understand that.  Thanks to his father, he never tripped over his own feet, and he never had an issue speaking clearly.  He would rather not say anything at all than open his mouth and stutter like a moron!  Hagrid also disgusted him because it seemed as though he'd never known what a comb or brush was for.  He had such a lack of civilization that Draco wondered how some people could possibly live with themselves in conditions like that. 

Tevin was furiously kicking on the door to the hut, as he held his pet in his arms.  Draco decided to stay off the porch as far as he could without looking like he was completely reluctant to enter the place once the door opened.  He knew he'd be dragged into the hut as soon as it opened, but if he could get one last gasp of fresh air before being forced in there, he'd take it. 

The door opened.  "Tevin!  What're you doin' ‘ere?"

"Minnie's sick!  She accidentally ate Baneberry!"  Tevin tried to shove the kneazle at Hagrid. 

"Tha's dangerous tha' is!" shouted Hagrid in alarm.  He threw the door wide open.  "Bring ‘er in, an' I'll see what I can do fer ‘er."  Tevin practically leaped into the hut.  It was at that moment that Hagrid noticed Draco.  "You comin'?"

With a sigh, Draco followed.  He stood as close to the door as possible.  In the center of the floor lay a huge and rather disgusting lump of flesh that was supposed to be a dog.  He remembered that he'd heard this thing's name was Fang.  Obviously Hagrid never saw what real dogs were supposed to look like.  His father's two dogs were graceful creatures.  They actually looked like dogs.  Well-groomed, well fed.  In other words healthy and aesthetically pleasing.  The complete opposite of this creature. 

Draco was brought out of his analysis by a monstrous sneeze!  In alarm, Draco looked up and saw that Hagrid was holding a gigantic handkerchief against his face and that his black beady eyes were watery.  "Sorry, Tevin.  Allergic ter cats an' such."

It was getting darker outside, which meant the house was growing darker, by the time Hagrid finally announced that he would be keeping Minnie with him for a night to watch her recovery closely.  Draco was getting anxious.  "Can we go yet?"  He knew that the evening meal at Hogwarts was about to commence, and there was no way he was going to miss it, even if he had to eat dinner in Tevin's house.  He didn't get to go to the Great Hall every time he was here.  Unless it was a holiday.  Those were just far too awesome not to attend in the Great Hall. 

Hagrid got up from his humungous chair and lit a very long match so that he could light his lamp.  He did after all have to escort the two boys back to the castle.  Hagrid was reaching over his bed for his huge lamp when he sneezed.  The sneeze made him lose his grip on the long match and then suddenly his bed was on fire!

Draco backed up in alarm towards the door, having no wish whatsoever to die in this person's hut.  Tevin, meanwhile, stared for just a moment, while Hagrid hurriedly put the fetched lantern on the table nearby.  Tevin grabbed the tea kettle from the potholder on the center of the table, opened the top and dumped the still semi-hot water onto the flames.  The fire was out, but now Hagrid's bed was soaked.  Everyone stared at it for a second, before Tevin held the now empty kettle back to the big man.  "Sorry, Hagrid," he mumbled. 

Draco, having no desire to stay in this chaos any longer than was necessary, began to walk back towards the castle without waiting for the other two.  They'd catch up to him if they wanted. 

Severus was sitting at the kitchen table when Draco and Tevin returned.  They walked in looking a bit tired.  "Did Professor Kettleburn help?"

Draco looked at Tevin, thinking his friend was stupid not to listen to his father when he told them where to go.  Tevin answered.  "No, but Hagrid did."

Severus looked at them firmly.  "I thought I told you to take her to the Care of Magical Creatures professor."

Tevin walked up to his father.  "I know, but Hagrid knows Minnie better.  I mean, he gave her to me and everything.  Kettleburn would just make her mad, even if he tried to help."  When Severus went to reply, Tevin continued.  "Besides, I trust Hagrid more."

Severus sighed before he looked at Draco, who shrugged.  "While you were both gone visiting, I decided to go over your potions you're supposed to give to Madam Pomfrey."  The two boys looked anxiously at him, holding their breath.  "And I have decided that they were brewed successfully enough to be used in the Infirmary Ward."  At that bit of news, they both smiled.  Not that they doubted they would be satisfactory, considering they've known more aout potions since the First Years for the last two years.

Tevin mouthed the words with his father from where he and Draco were sitting in the front of the classroom, just behind Severus's desk.  He loved to watch the first day of classes.  So many students made fools of themselves.  There were others that didn't even flinch when they were suddenly called on - whether they raised their hand or not didn't mean they were safe.  The students were anxious in his father's classroom, and Tevin really couldn't figure out why. 

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking.  As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is real magic.  I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses...I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death-" 

This was Draco's first time watching the first potions class that the First Year students ever had.  His grey eyes were sparkling in his excitement as he listened to Severus and watched the eleven-year-olds practically wet themselves in their seats.  However, when he heard that last phrase from the potions professor, he turned to his best friend.  When he spoke, it was a quiet whisper.  "Can he really do that?"

"Do what?"

"Stopper death!"

Both boys looked at Severus with narrowed eyes.  Tevin had never taken his father's memorized ‘speech to the First Years' literally before.  His brow furrowed as he looked back at Draco.  "I don't know." 

"If I could stopper death, I wouldn't tell anyone, just save the ones I wanted to live."

Tevin nudged Draco in the arm as he noticed his father had begun to patrol through the seated students.  It was his favorite part of the first class.  "Here's where we find out how many of them are stupid or not."

"Mister Spyeks," Severus called on the first quaking student, who looked at him with wide blue eyes.  "What would you get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"Um," the Ravenclaw boy stuttered, desperately trying to think of anything! 

Tevin leaned into Draco.  "It's Draught of Living Death," he whispered confidently.  Draco listened and waited for the answer.  But he either missed it, or Severus didn't give the answer yet.  Either way, he moved on to another student.  A girl this time. 

"Miss Pointe, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

"I don't know, professor," confessed the brown-haired Hufflepuff girl. 

Tevin rolled his eyes and shook his head.  "Goat's stomach," he growled.  "I could do better than them."

Apparently, Severus heard the latter half of his son's comment.  He turned his head and gave him a look that clearly told the boy to behave and be quiet.  Tevin met his father's eyes and grinned.  Severus shook his head and continued to prowl for his third victim. 

He found one.  "Mister Donahue," he singled out to the red-faced, bright-eyed Hufflepuff boy sitting right in the front of the classroom.  "What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"I know that one!" Draco exclaimed excitedly.  Tevin grabbed his arm to quiet him, but it didn't matter.  His father was already responding to Draco.

"While that may make your father proud, Draco, this is not your class.  If you can't sit there quietly for it, you'll be sent back home.  Do you understand me?"  Draco's happy excitement vanished instantly.  His smile faded and he simmered down beside Tevin, mumbling a weak apology.  He refused to apologize for knowing something when others didn't. 

Severus turned back to the Hufflepuff boy.  "Well, Mister Donahue?"

The boy met his professor's gaze squarely.  "There is no difference, sir.  It's the same thing."

Severus nodded with approval.  "Ten points to Hufflepuff for studying before term began.  If any of the rest of you thought that you could manage your classes without opening your books, then you will be wasting your time."  He made his way back towards the front of the class.  "Now, I could assign the other two questions from moments ago to turn in at the start of next class," he trailed off as he gave his son a look that before he continued speaking, "or I could give you the answers." 

All at once the class unanimously exclaimed to learn the answers.  It was the answer he received every year since he began this ‘first class speech' approach.  This year, however, he was going to do it a little differently.  "Tevin," he said, "What would you get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Tevin's face lit with excitement.  It was the first time his father allowed him to be active in the class.  "Draught of Living Death," he answered clearly.  His father lifted one corner of his mouth.  It was a look Tevin knew well.  He was trying not to show that he was proud.  Tevin was surprised, however, when Severus addressed his other question to someone else. 

"Draco, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Draco looked stunned that he was being included in this.  Stunned, yet thrilled.  He smiled as he responded, his voice almost sounding like he was singing in his happiness.  "A goat's stomach."

"Very good."  Both boys looked at each other proudly.  Severus, meanwhile, continued speaking to his class.  "Are you willing to let yourselves be bested by these boys that are almost half your age?"  Everyone shook their heads in the negative.  "Then I suggest you brew the following potion successfully before the end of the period.  If you do, I may reconsider thinking of all of you as absolute dunderheads and dread the future of the Wizarding World." 

Some students dared to snicker at that comment, while the more studious immediately got out their cauldrons.  Severus waved his wand at his chalkboard and, after only a moment, writing filled the board.  "Instructions are there.  You have the remaining forty-five minutes."  As he walked back to his desk, he actually smiled at Draco and Tevin, who returned it wholeheartedly. 

"So can we take them now?" asked Tevin. 

Severus nodded.  "I've already put them in some crates here for you both.  They should be light enough for you to carry."

Draco and Tevin groaned, but only the blonde dared challenge it.  "We have to carry them?"

"Yes.  A little carrying never hurt anyone, boys."  He picked up his own crate. 

"Why can't we bring them along with magic?" whined Draco as he hauled his crate into his arms, making a much more dramatic spectacle than was necessary. 

"Because you shouldn't use magic for everything," Severus responded, as he led the way out of the suite and into the hallway, knowing that they would both follow him. 

"Father does," grumbled Draco. 

"Yeah," Tevin said, struggling to get a comfortable grip on his crate of potions.  "Even for closing doors."

Once they arrived at the Infirmary, Severus was kind enough to the boys to handle the potions business with Madam Pomfrey.  Tevin instantly saw the only occupant in a bed of the wing - Charlie Weasley.  He already had a visitor in a chair whose back was to them.  However, Tevin recognized the mousy brown hair. 

"Hi, Tevin," groaned Charlie from the bed, smiling at the two boys.  "And Draco," he added, after noticing the blonde.

Both boys offered smiles, though Tevin's was significantly wider than Draco's, as they approached Charlie.  "Are you okay?" Tevin asked. 

Charlie gave them a half-hearted grin and nodded.  "Just a few more potions and I should be fine."

"I did not say that, Mister Weasley," came the stern voice of Madam Pomfrey from her office door where she was still discussing potions with Snape. 

"Sorry, one more gross day of enduring gross potions."

Tevin frowned in disapproval at Charlie.  "They really aren't that terrible."

Charlie tilted his head challengingly at the boy.  "I bet your dad flavors yours for you."

Draco shook his head, having endured Severus's potions before, but Tevin beat him to vocalizing the protest.  "No, he doesn't.  Putting flavors in potions makes them useless.  It's better to just swallow them as fast as possible."

Charlie shook his head, giving up the battle of potion tasting.  Tevin smirked at winning the discussion. 

While this small debate had occurred, Draco's focus was on the girl sitting at Charlie's bedside.  He stared at her with unrestrained curiosity.  Finally, he marched up to her and waited until she looked at him.  When she did, he noticed that her eyes shined in...something.  Maybe she was uncomfortable for some reason.  "I saw you before," he stated, as though trying to puzzle it out himself.  "When we got hurt...with the...potion thing."

She nodded at Draco but said nothing.

"You never told us who you are.  That's a bit rude, isn't it?"  His gaze hardened on her.

Her expression turned stricken.  "Calm down, Malfoy," Charlie said in a patient voice.  "This is...Tonks."  He almost said her first name, but remembered he promised to not do so.  He had no desire to see if her threat to hex him for it was meant.  She did, however, glare at him heatedly. 

Draco's eyes hardened even more as he looked at her with realization.  "Tonks," he spat.  "Nymphadora Tonks?"  When she stiffened, he knew he was right. 

Charlie and Tevin watched without knowing why Draco's tone had suddenly turned to stone.  "You know each other?" Charlie asked.

Tonks went to respond but Draco spoke up first.  "I know of her but never met before.  She was disowned with her filthy mother from my mother's family." 

"Don't you-"

"Why?" asked Tevin in surprised horror.

Draco didn't take his eyes off Tonks.  "Her mum married a muggle and disgraced her family!"  Then, he whirled on Tevin.  "That's what happens when you betray your bloodline, Snape!  Your family disowns you!" 

"That's awful!" cried his friend. 

"Wouldn't you disown someone that betrayed you?  I know I would!"  Draco turned his cold eyes back to Tonks, who was rigid in her chair.  "She deserved it, anyways.  Marrying a muggle like that!"  He flicked his attention to her necktie.  "Thank Merlin you aren't in Slytherin.  I wouldn't want to be in the same house as a bloodtraitor." 

Tevin watched as Tonks began to shake in anger and saw that her hair and eyes slowly began to turn scarlet.  Then, he saw Charlie's gaze shift to his hands in his lap.  He realized that what Draco was saying was making both of the older students uncomfortable.  "Draco," he began, but it was no use.  Draco simply kept talking, whose face by now was crinkled in distaste.

"No wonder you ended up in Hufflepuff!  A pathetic house for a pathetic excuse for a-"

"Draco Malfoy," interrupted Severus.  "I hope you didn't plan to finish that sentence."

Draco's eyes darted to Snape for an instant and then they glared at the now red-haired, red-eyed Tonks.  "No."  Severus looked at him like he didn't believe him. 

"Nevertheless, I think it's time for you to be going home to your parents."  Severus didn't fail to notice Tonks's eyes drifting to him in gratitude, a soft shine to them, despite their angry red hue. 

"But I'm supposed to stay the night!" he protested. 

"And you would be if you hadn't thought to insult everyone you meet.  There is a time to use such tactics, but that time was certainly not now.  When you understand that, perhaps I will reconsider allowing you to stay."  Severus allowed himself to smirk at the blonde boy.  "I thought your father would have taught you better manners."

Draco bristled for a second before his expression softened.  His father was certainly a weakness to him.  While he instilled the importance of blood purity in his son, he also encouraged the idea of choosing your battles.  Draco looked at Tevin and found himself embarrassed that his friend was looking at him with the same fire that shot from Charlie and Tonks.  For a moment, Draco understood what it meant to be disliked...and he did not care for the feeling. 

Without another word, Draco turned away from everyone and walked to Madam Pomfrey's office and knocked on the door.  She turned to him and raised her eyebrows in a silent question.  He took it as permission to speak.  "Can I use your floo?"

"Of course, Mister Malfoy," she said, taking the container of floo powder from the mantelpiece to bring it to his level. 

Draco couldn't bring himself to speak, so he settled for a curt nod.  He reached into the container and took a handful of floo powder.  He spoke his destination clearly and didn't look back into the Infirmary as he stepped into the green flames.  When he arrived home, Draco thought it was one of the first times he'd ever had to run from something, to retreat, to back down. 

If something like marrying anyone who wasn't pureblood such a shameful thing, why did he feel that announcing his disowned cousin's family betrayal was the wrong thing to do?  As he looked up into his father's face where the older man sat in his favorite armchair in the sitting room, Draco realized that he had no answer to his own question, and knew that he could never ask his father about it. 

And for the first time, Draco Malfoy felt very much alone.

He studied his own wand as he held it and gently turned it in his hands.  The wand occasionally swelled in certain places along the shaft, giving it an almost delicate appearance.  But this wand was anything but delicate.  It was a powerful wand.  It was the Elder Wand, and it was his to master. 

As he continued to turn the wand gently in his hands his mind wandered elsewhere.  For a moment, Albus Dumbledore found himself thinking about Harry Potter.  He was still lost, missing...and had never been found.  He knew the boy would sooner or later make an appearance.  If anything, they would all know for sure where he'd been all this time once the owls delivered his letter.  Maybe it was better that Harry was out of sight of the Wizarding World.  If he were anonymous, it could possibly even mean a better form of protection. 

He heard a small keening sound from his familiar.  Fawkes, his phoenix, angled his bright head ceilingward before sadly whining.  Then, he majestically burst into flames.  Usually Fawkes didn't like to have an audience - not even Albus himself - when it was time to burn.  However, perhaps it could not be avoided this time.  Dumbledore turned his attention to his phoenix to watch one of the many marvels left in their world - the rebirth of a phoenix. 

He found himself staring for a very long time at the ashes, waiting for the newborn bird to peek its naked head from the pile.  The last time he'd seen his phoenix reborn was years ago.  Could it have been almost ten years ago?  That seemed like an awfully long time.  He watched as Fawkes slowly grew to his full height and his brightly colored feathers began to grow from his skin.  It was a very slow process which Albus did not remember taking this long the last time he saw Fawkes on a burning day.  Then Dumbledore's mind assulated him with a memory. 

He looked down on her with eyes sparkling in barely contained laughter.  "Well, Miss Fay, did you forget to use the floo since being a student?"

Ophelia smiled at Dumbledore, noticing that Severus stood behind Dumbledore, smiling softly.  "I suppose I did."

Severus stepped around Dumbledore and went to Ophelia, knowing he had a part to play now.  He held out his hand, which she took to steady herself as she got to her feet.  She did not wish to let his hand go, to make sure that the older wizard saw the contact, but when they turned their attention to Dumbledore, they saw that he was not even looking at them.  He was hunched over a perch, staring at the ashes, which were slowly stirring. 

"Oh, Fawkes," he sighed.  "You could not wait until I returned until you set aflame?"  He looked to his former students.  "It was very near his burning day.  It came just a little earlier.  He's never exactly on time.  Untamable these phoenixes."  He walked around the other side of his desk shaking his head, setting his wand down on the corner.  He did not need it, not with these two.  He trusted them. 

"Now," he began.  "What can I do for you, Ophelia?"  He suddenly noticed that Severus still stood beside his visitor.

Dumbledore began to theorize as his gaze still looked upon his growing phoenix.  It took several more minutes before Fawkes turned to him and trilled in satisfaction.  It was then that Dumbledore knew that the phoenix was finished with his rebirthing process. 

He stood from his chair and walked around his desk to where Fawkes stood on his perch.  He was starting to suspect something...something he knew deep down was important.  "I'm sorry, Fawkes," he said, running his hand along the feathers on the bird's head.  He raised his wand and leveled it at the phoenix, who looked at him as though with complete trust.  "Incendio," the wizard said forcefully. 

Fawkes made no sound as he burst into flames. 

Dumbledore waited for a moment for the rebirthing process to happen.  In a matter of seconds rather than minutes, the ashes shifted and the head of a baby phoenix emerged.  In a fraction of time it took Fawkes to emerge earlier he was sprouting feathers and thrilling.  Fawkes hopped up onto his perch and extended his wings in a stretch. 

This experiment confirmed it in his mind.  All those years ago, when Ophelia Fay first feel through his fireplace, when Fawkes was just finishing his emergence from his ashes, when he returned to his office with Severus Snape at his side.  It was not his natural burning day. 

Someone had set Fawkes on fire that day, and Dumbledore was determined to find out who did so and why. 

When he reached the door to Hagrid's hut, he heard other voices from the other side of the door that weren't only Tevin's and Hagrid's.  "I'll get the door, Hagrid," said a feminine voice that Draco definitely recognized from a week ago.  The door opened and he was face to face with Nymphadora Tonks.  She had a welcoming smile until she saw Draco.  "Oh.  It's Malfoy." 

Draco was tempted to shove his way past her but didn't think that would work out well for himself.  He'd been left with no other choice in their last encounter but to leave, and he was not about to do it again.  He waited until she would step out of his way but she did not move.  They were then engaged in a staring contest. 

"Let ‘im in ‘ere!" shouted the booming voice of Hagrid. 

With a huff, she turned and walked back into the hut to take her place at the table next to Charlie.  She reached out to frame the rather large mug between her hands.  Draco didn't see another spot for him to sit, and rather than shove himself somewhere he couldn't fit or get rude and demand someone let him sit instead, he simply opted to stand next to Tevin, who was curled up in Hagrid's gigantic armchair with his healthier-looking kneazle on his lap purring and snorting its contentment.  He tried to be as inconspicuous as possible, which in itself was unusal for him.

"What were ye sayin', Charlie?" asked Hagrid, looking at the young Gryffindor. 

Charlie offered a shy grin from where his lips were on the rim of the mug.  "Oh, yeah, well.  I was saying that there are going to be more Weasleys coming to Hogwarts in the near future."  No one noticed Draco's eyes widening more with each word the Gryffindor spoke.  "Next fall, my twin brothers, Fred and George will be starting their first year.  They get into enough trouble at home as it is now.  I imagine it'll only be worse once they come here and get away from mum and dad.  Then, there's my other brother, Ron."  He looked at Tevin and Draco then.  "I think he'll be in your year."  He shifted his attention back to Hagrid again.  "Then, there's Ginny.  Only Weasley girl.  She'll be here the year after Ron.  They'll be lots of us here at once."

By then, Draco could not keep himself quiet anymore.  "Is that all?  Merlin, there're a million of you!" 

Charlie smiled indulgently at Draco.  "Not a million.  Only seven." 

Draco groaned.  Tonks, realizing the conversation might turn mean on Draco's part, decided to speak.  "There aren't anymore from my family."

Then, Draco mumbled to himself, quietly enough not to be heard - at least he thought.  "That's because they're scared of another Hufflepuff embarrassment."

Hagrid glared at the young blonde boy.  "Better a Hufflepuff than a Slytherin.  There's not been a single witch or wizard went bad tha's not from Slytherin!" 

At that the two boys that were not currently students of Hogwarts looked at Hagrid with stricken expressions.  It was Tevin who found his voice first.  "Our parents were Slytherins and they're not bad." 

"He didn't mean that everyone in Slytherin will end up being a bad person," Charlie tried to clarify, but the younger boys did not even seem to hear him.

"My father's not a bad person.  He's good and strong and...And my mother is the best mother there is!" Draco was struggling to hold himself together. 

"And my dad trusts you, Hagrid.  You don't think he's a bad wizard do you?"

Hagrid looked at Tevin with a spark of alarm in his beady black eyes.  "O' course not, Tevin.  I'm only sayin' tha' wizards tha' go bad are always from Slytherin."

Displaying one of the prized traits of her House, Tonks spoke up with a calm voice.  "Not every single wizard or witch that turned bad could possibly be from Slytherin.  I'm sure there were a few bad Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs."

"Even Gryffindors, too, I'd bet," piped up Charlie from next to her. 

"It's just not possible that Slytherin is the only House to produce evil."

It grew quiet for only a moment before Tevin spoke again.  "My dad says that evil comes in many forms, and most times in ways you least expect them." 

"Wise young man, yer father, Tevin," Hagrid said, thumping his huge mug on the table for emphasis.  "Wise young man." 

Tevin looked over at Draco to see if his friend was alright.  The blonde's head was facing the ground and he was trying desperately not to look at anything but his shoes.  "Draco?"

Draco took a deep breath before whispering to his best friend.  "Can we go back to the castle?" 

Tevin looked around at the others gathered in the hut.  Hagrid had a peculiar expression on his face.  Was it regret?  When Severus's son looked at Tonks and Charlie, the Gryffindor rose to his feet.  "I'll walk them back."  He looked at Tonks.  "You coming, too?"  She nodded before getting up, gently nudging the two young boys towards the doorway, Minnie whining in Tevin's arms at having been disturbed.

"Thanks for the tea, Hagrid, as always," said Charlie, reaching out to take Hagrid's hand. 

"You come back now, Charlie."  Charlie nodded and was about to follow Tonks out of the half-giant's home, when Hagrid exclaimed, "Wait, wait!  I fergot ter give you this."  He walked to a shelf near the back of the hut and in only another moment he returned with a thick book in his hand.  "Here ye go."

Charlie accepted the book and looked at the title.  Dragons, Where to Find Them, and How to Tame Them.  He began to smile.  "I figered ye'd need tha', seein' as how yer all interested in ‘em." 

"Thanks, Hagrid."  He inspected the worn cover.  "Is this a loan?"

"Nope.  You keep tha' ‘til ye don' need it no more."  Hagrid tried to smile kindly at the Gryffindor, who returned the expression a little more successfully. 

"Thanks."

It wasn't typical that Tevin had dinner at Draco's home without Severus.  Ophelia still refused every invitation for dinner, and Tevin could not understand why.  The Malfoys ate some foods that were even better than what Hogwarts served!  Why Ophelia would not want it was something that confused Tevin.  He wanted to ask her, but his father always sidestepped the question saying something about it being an adult problem and that he should not worry about it. 

The only drawback to eating at Malfoy Manor was that he had to have perfect table manners, which sometimes made him more nervous and a little clumsy.  Thankfully, Draco's parents seemed to tolerate the clumsiness with tight indulgent smiles, acknowledging that Tevin was at least trying. 

Lucius and Narcissa were politely discussing matters going on at the Ministry, while Draco and Tevin ate their food.  The adults would occasionally glance in their direction to make sure they were eating everything on their plates and doing so properly, not randomly and wildly shoving food in their mouths.  "There's been a great deal of discussion about the upcoming Minister for Magic elections.  It may be a somewhat tight race this time." 

"Oh?" Narcissa asked, as she took a sip of her dark wine gracefully. 

"Talk has gotten more and more frequent these days with the elections coming near the end of the year." 

Tevin tried to follow the conversations between Draco's parents, but where his own father and Ophelia tried to keep topics of discussion at dinner to things like plants, antidotes, poisons, dunderheads in class, and anything to do with Hogwarts, it seemed that all Draco's parents talked about was politics and things going on in the Ministry!  It was frustrating.  Tevin could not possibly contribute anything worth saying to the conversation.  He glanced at Draco and noticed that his friend seemed to be thinking the same thing.  Then, he noticed that Draco was acting a little odd.  His friend was using his fork to push his dinner around on his plate.  Tevin stared for several minutes, during which time Draco took not a single bite.  His staring must have drawn the attention of the adults because the tone used by Lucius Malfoy softened as he spoke to his son.

"Draco, are you alright?"

Draco didn't look up and didn't say anything.  He did, however, nod. 

"Draco, sweetie," his mother spoke gently.  "You're not sick, are you?"

He shook his head.  "No," he said.  "Just...thinking."

Lucius raised his own wine glass to his lips and began to take a long and slow sip.  Narcissa continued to speak to her son.  "What are you thinking about?" 

Draco then looked up from his plate and met his mother's gaze.  "Nymphadora Tonks," he answered.  Tevin's eyes bulged instantly. 

Lucius tried to cover the fact that he'd just choked on his wine by noisily setting his fork down on the table.  He then cleared his throat, fixing his son with a gaze of stone.  "And why would you be thinking of...her?"  Out of the corner of his eye he saw his wife stiffen in her chair.  Draco's gaze shifted nervously from his father to his mother.  "Draco," called Lucius with a bit harder of a tone than moments earlier.  "Answer me."

Tevin was looking at Lucius thinking he was glad that the blonde man sitting at the head of the table was not his father.  He liked Draco's parents and everything except when they stared at you like they could see through to your very soul!  He looked at Draco, hoping that his friend wouldn't upset his parents.

"I met her in Hogwarts, and-"

"Are you...friends with her?"  The third word seemed like it was pried out of Lucius's throat. 

"No, father.  I just.  Well..."

Lucius leaned forward, his hands together, fingers interlaced in front of his plate.  "Well, what, Draco?"

Draco was a little nervous to say what he wanted.  He swallowed thickly and then looked down as he answered.  "She doesn't seem that bad."

Narcissa watched as Lucius sighed heavily while still gazing at their son.  "Her mother betrayed this family, Draco.  You know that.  She was disowned from your mother's family all because she felt she could get away with marrying a muggle."  With every word, Lucius's expression twisted in distaste.  "Like her mother, Nymphadora is a disgrace to our world.  Do you want to be friends with a bloodtraitor, Draco?"

"Lucius," Draco's mother tried to hush her husband's oncoming discussion, but he waved her off unconcernedly.  Narcissa heard nothing else of Lucius's lecture to their son after that sentence.  It was eerily similar to something her father had once said.  She silently gasped as her own memories pummeled her mind. 

"Please, just for an hour or two, Ciss, please?  Just don't say anything."

Narcissa shook her head, her lovely blonde tresses swaying with the movement.  "You're meeting him again, aren't you?" she growled.  "That muggle boy!"  She spat the word like it was a curse. 

Andromeda walked up to her younger sister, her dark auburn-black hair shining in the light of the wall sconces near the door, and took her sister's pale hands in hers.  "Please.  If anyone asks, tell them I'm visiting Aunt Walburga and Uncle Orion.  Please.  It's important to me." 

Narcissa shook her head.  "If anyone else knew about this..." she trailed off.  "Dromeda, they'd disown you." 

Andromeda bit her lip and smiled sadly.  "I know, but I can't help it.  I wish I didn't have to sneak around like this."

"Then date a pureblood."

Andromeda flung Narcissa's hands away.  "Is that all that matters to you, Ciss?  Everything's fine as long as you date a pureblood?"  She shook her head.  "I never thought you'd start to think like everyone else in our family." 

Narcissa tried to go to her sister, but froze when Andromeda backed away.  "I just don't want you to be hurt, Dromeda." 

Her older sister walked to the front door.  "The only person who hasn't hurt me yet is my muggle boyfriend.  Think about that, Ciss.  Purebloods really can't be better if they hurt their own family.  At least Ted doesn't hurt me." 

"Dromeda, don't go," the youngest Black sister tried again, but the other girl had already left through the door. 

Narcissa stood looking at the closed door wondering what had happened to her sister when she heard a tongue clicking from the shadows on the staircase nearby.  She then heard her eldest sister's voice.  "What would daddy think of little Andromeda now?"  Narcissa turned horrified eyes to Bellatrix, only finding that she was able to follow her black-haired sister as she skipped down the hallway to where they both knew their father would be reading the Daily Prophet.  However, while the older sister skipped with cruel glee, the younger darted after her with climbing dread.

"I never want to hear you speak of her or to her again, Draco, do you understand?" Lucius was practically hissing at his son. 

"What if I see her when I visit the school?" 

Narcissa looked at her son, hoping that he would be able to cling to his innocence far longer than she ever could.  She was still young when her family had gathered that horrible day.  She closed her eyes and remembered. 

"Come on, girls!" shouted the voice of Cygnus Black, having clearly amplified his voice with magic.  "We're late!  Your aunt and uncle are having a little dinner for the family.  Your cousin survived his First Year at Hogwarts, even if he was sorted into Gryffindor." 

Narcissa was finishing with her earrings when a soft knock sounded on her doorjamb.  She looked over at the source of the noise and smiled brightly.  "Lucius," she giggled his name.  He looked away from her for a moment, a little uncomfortable by the extremely feminine manner of her tone.  He liked her intelligence and her very pretty features and the normal speaking tone of her voice.  But sometimes when she got very girly and giggly like that he was a little uncomfortable.  If he'd wanted to date a simpering, giggling little twit he had plenty of witches to choose from.  He was fortunate to have found Narcissa Black, in whom those qualities very rarely emerged. 

She was trying to get her necklace on and was obviously having difficulty.  Lucius, being at the awkward age of sixteen, didn't know if he should go over there and offer to help or if she would yell at him and insist she could do it herself.  So he stood there, awkwardly shifting his weight from one foot to the other. 

He saw her blushing in the mirror.  "You could help with this, you know," she said. 

He tilted his head and intelligently mumbled, "what?"

Out of nowhere, he found himself shoved into the room.  He spun quickly to face his girlfriend's oldest sister, who was smiling at him coyly.  "Get over there and put that necklace on her!" she snapped, her tone of voice completely contrasting with her expression.  He gaped as Bellatrix's new husband came up to her and snaked an arm around her waist, pressing her to his side with a rather frighteningly lewd grin.  "Go on," she hissed at Lucius. 

All of a sudden, Lucius heard Narcissa's voice from directly behind him.  He wondered if it was in the nature of the sisters to sneak up on people like that.  "Go away, Bella," Narcissa ordered her older sister.  "And tell Dad that we'll be down in a minute." 

Bellatrix smiled, but without showing her teeth, only her lips curled upwards.  "Be quick, though, Cissy.  Don't want to miss...dinner."  Her smile spoke of knowing some secret that no one else did.  Then, she cackled almost insanely and led her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange, away from her little sister's room. 

Narcissa closed the door with a roll of her eyes.  "Ever since she got married, she's been a little unbearable."

Lucius smiled at her.  "I wouldn't know.  I don't have the older sibling problem." 

She laughed through her nose.  "Lucky you."  She walked back to where her necklace lay abandoned on the vanity.  She held it up then turned to face Lucius.  "Well?" 

Lucius picked up the cue and made his way over to her, reaching for the gold chain.  When he had it, he watched as Narcissa used her hands to bare the back of her neck of her long blonde hair.  He lowered the pendant chain in front of her face, and she adjusted her grip on her hair to keep it out of his way as he wound the chain to meet at the nape of her neck.  He fastened it carefully, making sure that it was correct before he looked up and saw Narcissa looking at him in the mirror, her cheeks colored a flattering rose.  She was about to fix her hair again when her father's voice shouted from the bottom of the stairs again jarring the two out of their daze. 

"We should go before he thinks we're doing something we're not supposed to be doing," he said. 

"Bella probably said we were doing something awful." 

He tried to laugh but it didn't quite come out right.  To try to cover the awkward sound, he cleared his throat and offered Narcissa his arm as he'd been taught was the proper thing to do.  She smiled at him and accepted.  He took a deep breath and escorted her out of the room.  "Are you nervous, Lucius?"

"About what?"

"Meeting more of my family."

Lucius managed to chuckle that time.  "Of course not.  I'm...just fine."

They were the last of the household to step through the green flames of the floo that spun them right to Orion and Walburga Black's home at Number 12 Grimauld Place.  The sight that greeted them was not what either of them expected. 

Cygnus Black had his middle daughter's hair clutched in his fist and he was pulling her out of the room.  Andromeda held her father's wrist desperately trying to lessen the pain caused by her father.  Narcissa stared in horror with her mouth open wide as she instantly took in her mother's face, which was empty of any emotion, and the matching smiles of Bellatrix and Rodolphus as they watched Cygnus forcibly remove Andromeda from the room and down the hallway.  Narcissa met the eyes of her younger cousins.  They were children!  Regulus was clutching Walburga's skirts and hiding behind them, but it was clear his eyes were wide with confusion.  Sirius, the elder of the two boys, was being held back by his father, Orion, as he tried to go to his older cousin to help her.  The situation finally registered with Narcissa at her uncle's words. 

"Don't you dare help that bloodtraitor, Sirius."

And in that moment, Narcissa understood.  She gripped Lucius's arm tighter as the entire family followed the lead of Cygnus Black, who dragged Andromeda violently into a particular room in the house.  Numb with disbelief, Narcissa was grateful that Lucius was practically steering her into the room.  She was grateful that he had enough tact to lead her to the back of the room where they could be farthest away.  It was merciful of him.  And for that small mercy she was glad.  Her sister was about to receive none. 

The family had been gathered into the room that contained the Black Family Tree. 

"You were born into the Noble House of Black, Andromeda.  Did that mean nothing to you?" her father roared in his daughter's face, which was now streaked with tears.  Narcissa knew what was about to happen.  The evidence of others' fates was already there on the tapestry.  Movement caught her eye to her right and she looked over and saw Bellatrix and her husband.  Her oldest sister's hand was on her husband's chest, gripping his robes, while her face was that of complete satisfaction.  Narcissa was horrified. 

"And now you go around consorting with a muggle?  A muggle, Andromeda!"

"Please, dad!" she cried, trying to pry her father's fingers from her hair. 

"Please, dad!" mocked Bellatrix with a high-pitched sing-song tone, before she laughed cruelly at her sister's humiliation. 

Narcissa then looked to her left and saw the eleven-year-old Sirius still struggling against the grip of his father, and the nine-year-old Regulus with his face almost completely hidden behind his mother, but his expression of uncomprehension. 

"You've disgraced yourself!" continued the booming voice of Cygnus.  "You've shamed this family!"  With his free hand, he drew forth his wand and pointed it at Andromeda's likeness on the tapestry of the Black Family Tree.  "You've betrayed us all, and for that you'll suffer the consequence of it." 

"No!" shouted little Sirius. 

"No!  Daddy, please!" sobbed Andromeda. 

"Incendio!" cried Cygnus.  A burst of flame shot from his wand and burned the image of Andromeda Black on the tapestry.  He pulled his daughter's hair and forced her to look at her place now aflame.  "You are not my daughter."  The fire was starting to go out.  "You are not a Black."  Where Andromeda's pretty face had once been on the tapestry, there was now a dark, smoking, charred burn mark.  "You are dead." 

Narcissa watched, completely numbed by the shock of the events taking place, as her father threw her sister to the floor, where she remained in a crumbled heap sobbing.  As he had led the family into the room, Cygnus led them all out.  He stepped over Andromeda's shaking form on the floor.  Bellatrix practically skipped from the room, humming mockingly as she left, the cruel sound echoing down the narrow hallway. 

Narcissa's gaze was riveted to her sister.  Lucius began to escort her from the room.  She resisted for a moment, trying to get him to change direction to go to Andromeda.  "Dromeda," she whispered, barely able to get her voice to work. 

Lucius used his escorting arm to tug her forcefully back to him.  She looked at him with eyes blazing in anger.  When she saw the compassion in his eyes for her - but not for Andromeda - she felt a little of the fight in her die.  "No, Cissa," he whispered gently to her, trying to convey much more with those two words. 

She bit her lips to stifle a sob as she looked again at her sister.  Then, she felt a hand close over the one that she looped through Lucius's.  When she looked at it, she saw that he was holding her hand.  She released only one sob, closed her eyes, turned her back on her older sister, and allowed Lucius to take her from the room. 

Narcissa realized that when she opened her eyes she had missed her husband's entire lecture to their son.  Instead she found her husband looking at her with a gentle concern.  "Darling," he said, resting his hand on hers carefully.  "Are you alright?"

She nodded and tried to smile, knowing it was a grimace.  "Yes."  She covered up her slip of composure by taking a long sip of her wine and avoiding her husband's eyes. 

Tevin and Draco looked at each other almost desperately as they both tried to come up with something to talk about.  They were almost done with their dinners and were torn between keeping quiet and finishing their food as fast as possible so that they could leave the table, or distracting the adults from possibly going into another long discussion about politics in the Wizarding World. 

Draco looked at his parents and could not decide what to discuss, so he said nothing.  He did not like to see his mother shaken like this.  Something clearly upset her, since she usually did not ever spend more than a moment at a time sipping her wine.  She'd had the rim of the glass at her lips for the last few minutes.  And his father did not usually make an effort to physically check that his mother was alright.  Yet there he was, in the middle of dinner no less, holding his wife's hand and speaking in hushed tones to her.  Their behavior was so atypical that Draco was almost desperate to bring some normality back in any way he could.  The only thing open to him was to bring up another topic that may bring the attention of one of his parents back to him. 

"Today we heard Charlie Weasley talk about his brothers and sisters that are going to be in Hogwarts after him."

The look that both of his parents gave him made Draco wish he'd decided to say nothing at all. 

Lucius's face was that of patient frustration, as though he was trying to gather himself so that he could speak reasonably to his son rather than explode in another tantrum.  He'd already done this during this meal and was reluctant to do so again, considering how tense it was now between the four of them in the room.  "Boys," he began with a deep breath.  "I know you've brought up Charlie Weasley several times to me, and I have to be rather blunt when I say that I do not think it is a wise decision to associate with that family or anyone in it."

This time, it wasn't Draco that spoke but Tevin.  "Why?  Charlie isn't that bad.  He helped us when we messed up the potion like that and had to go to Madam Pomfrey."

Lucius shifted his gaze to the dark haired boy on Draco's left.  "Just because someone helps you once, does not mean they would do it again if the situation came up.  There are many times that the exact opposite happens.  Yes, he helped you both because there was no one else around.  Why would he do that?  He's a Hogwarts student, and you are a professor's son, Tevin.  He may have helped you because he hoped to get some sort of special treatment from your father in his classes."

Tevin's face became offended in expression.  "My dad doesn't treat anyone special in class!"

"Don't raise your voice at me, Tevin," said Lucius in a tone that demanded obedience.  "The thing you must understand about some people, boys, is that they will stay by your side so long as you are useful to them for some reason.  Once that reason does not apply anymore, then you will find yourself abandoned.  There are countless people that will do this.  To you, Draco, because of our bloodline, and our authority in our world, and our wealth.  And to you, Tevin, because your father is a professor in Hogarts and your mother is a potions ingredients maker.  People will want something from you.  Do you understand, boys?"  Draco nodded. 

"What's this have to do with Charlie?"

Lucius sighed.  "What you both must understand about the Weasleys is that they all have red hair, freckles, and their family consists of more children than those parents can afford.  They'll try to make connections with whoever can give them more things from that friendship."  He looked at the eyes of both boys.  "Do you understand?"

"Manipulating," Tevin said. 

Lucius nodded.  "Exactly.  I want you both to be careful around people like the Weasleys.  People like that will use you until they get what they want and then they'll be done with you." 

Draco and Tevin nodded.  Even though what Draco's father was saying made sense, Tevin didn't think Charlie and Nymphadora Tonks were using him or Draco for anything.  Some people really were simply nice people and didn't want anything in return. 

Tevin was trying to sleep in the transfigured couch-turned-bed, courtesy of Narcissa Malfoy, in Draco's room and having a difficult time of it.  For some reason he could not fall asleep.  So he stayed bundled up in the covers and hoped that sleep would come to him soon.  He wondered if what was keeping him awake was bothering Draco as much as him.  The answer came a little sooner than he expected.

"Dobby," whispered his friend from somewhere in the room.

Tevin studied his best friend by the moonlight filtering in through the window.  Draco was sitting in front of his unlit fireplace, staring at the ashes.  He was wrapped in a blanket and his shoulders were hunched.  He made a sad and lonely little picture.

There was a quiet snap and another voice sounded in the room.  "Dobby is here, master Draco." 

"I want something to eat."

"Should Dobby bring master Draco something sweet or not sweet?"

There was a moment's hesitation.  "Sweet."

"Hot or cold, master Draco?"

"Cold," Draco said quietly.  "Milk, I think.  With cookies." 

Then there was another snap as Tevin realized that Dobby had disapparated again to do Draco's bidding. 

"Draco?" he called, not really knowing if he should be bothering him.  Draco turned at his friend's voice but said nothing before he slowly turned back to stare at the ashes of the fireplace.  "Are you okay?"  Tevin got out of the transfigured bed, dragging his topmost blanket off with him as he walked over to his friend.  Neither of them said anything else for a few moments.  The dark-haired boy settled himself on the floor next to Draco. 

It was after both of them had stared at the empty fireplace for a few minutes and long after Dobby had quietly left the glass of cold milk and the plate of cookies in front of Draco that the blonde finally spoke.  "I don't understand," he said, just before he took a bite from one of the cookies.

Tevin took a cookie from the plate and took a bite.  "Understand what?" he asked. 

"How can Father be so against anyone who likes mudbloods and muggles and halfbloods...but can..."  He took another bite of his cookie as he thought of a word.  "...accept your mother, who's a mudblood..."  He caught Tevin's glare and then corrected himself.  "Muggleborn, and you, who's a halfblood, and your father, who likes muggleborns?"  Draco took a slow drink of his milk as though he were trying to imitate his parents when they drank their wine.  "That doesn't make any sense to me."

Tevin found himself responding without meaning to.  "Maybe he's getting used to it, and maybe he'll like them, too, one day."

Draco snorted.  "Please.  The day Father starts to actually like muggleborns is the day..."  He floundered again for a good comparison.  "The day Hogwarts gets destroyed!" 

Tevin chuckled half uncomfortably next to Draco.  It was quiet for another few moments, the only sounds in the room was the sound of cookies being eaten and the sipping from a shared glass of milk.  They eventually curled up on the floor in their blankets, both too lazy and contented by food to drag themselves back to bed. 

"Do you think it'll matter, Snape?  What your blood purity is?" Draco asked aloud in the dark room as they both looked up at the ceiling.

"Maybe not now," Tevin replied.  "But...maybe someday." 

But Draco was asleep before he could hear Tevin's reply. 

Dumbledore was not typically in the habit of walking around the castle spying on the students or staff in broad daylight, but he was thinking that an exception had to happen that night.  Ever since his experiment with Fawkes recently, he was growing more and more convinced that some sort of answer would be found with Severus Snape and his wife, Ophelia Snape...or as she was formerly known, Ophelia Fay.  It was also times like this in which a little...undercover observing was necessary. 

And that explained the reason for his wandering the castle under a particularly strong Disillusionment Charm, standing directly in the open doorway to his Potions Master's classroom, listening to a conversation that had begun several minutes ago.  What he was hearing was quite interesting.

"The older he gets, the more I feel that...like I'm waiting for something to happen."  Severus was gathering up potionmaking supplies from his last class of the day and replacing them in the classroom cupboard by each item.  Ophelia was helping by directing several charmed wet and soapy rags to scrub the desk surfaces.  Severus closed the cupboard and faced his wife.  "Not death exactly, but nothing good either.  It's like I'm just...waiting for someone to blindside me with a Cruciatus Curse."  He walked up to stand next to Ophelia, who was waving her wand at the scrubbing rags.  "I know it's coming, but I can't really be prepared for the pain when it comes."

There was the sound of approaching students in the corridor.  Most likely some of the Slytherin students on their way to either the library or to claim their favorite seat in the Great Hall for dinner.  Dumbledore was surprised however, when Severus's head jerked up to stare exactly where he was standing concealed.  For a moment, Dumbledore felt a spike of nervousness.

"Severus?" asked Ophelia as the professor walked purposefully towards the doorway to the classroom.  Dumbledore retreated until his back was against the opposite wall, out of the way of any approaching students, and out of Severus's way.  Severus grasped the wooden door to his classroom with one of his hands as he looked out into the corridor, his dark eyes sweeping investigatively in either direction.  Slowly, as though he knew that Dumbledore was nearby and hiding, Severus reached out his hand, moving it through the air as though blindly searching.  His eyes still stared hard into the corridor.  

Ophelia stood at his side then in the doorway.  "Severus, what's wrong?"  She reached out with her right hand to grasp his arm and force it to lower again.  "Are you alright?" 

Then, Dumbledore noticed it.  There on Ophelia's hand were marks.  They were marks he would recognize on sight.  They were the marks left behind when someone swore an Unbreakable Vow. 

Before he could look at them any further, Severus slammed the door to his classroom shut.  But Dumbledore heard one last thing his professor said.  "We can't speak of this again openly." 

As the Headmaster made his way back to his office before he would attend dinner in the Great Hall, one question puzzled him.  Why would Ophelia Fay swear an Unbreakable Vow?

"We can't speak of this again openly." 

Severus walked briskly through the back door of his classroom and through all the others that eventually led to his suite.  He knew that Ophelia was following him when her voice was right behind him every step of the way.  "Severus!  No one was there!"

"You didn't notice how something sounded different in the door?  How it almost sounded muffled?"  Severus had walked through the bedrooms and was furiously pacing in his parlor, his long black robes trailing him like aggravated smoke.  "Someone was there!"  He caught Ophelia's concerned and doubtful eyes.  He pointed his pale finger at her.  "Do not, do not think I'm losing my mind." 

"I'm not, but-"

Severus's face twisted.  "I'm sure there was someone there.  And they heard me talking."  His pacing grew more furious.  "They know that...something, that I'm - we're - hiding something.  And now that they know that-"

He stopped pacing and walked directly to one of the many walls in the parlor that was covered in books.  He grabbed one of the shelves with his hands and leaned heavily forward.  "If someone heard us, and they corner Tevin...I can't watch him constantly." 

Ophelia walked up to Severus and tried to rest her hand on his shoulder comfortingly only to have him jerk her away like her hand was an annoyance.  "Severus, you knew you couldn't protect him forever." 

He sighed.  "What if it wasn't a student who heard us?"  He stared ahead at nothing in growing horror.  "What if it was the Headmaster?"

She sighed.  "The spells we put on him years ago could not possibly have failed now.  They were strong spells.  We did them well." 

He shook his head.  "What if it wasn't enough?"

"It was enough." 

Severus hung his head.  "We can't know that." 

"We have to believe it was enough," she said, trying to calm him down. 

He began to tremble where he leaned against the bookshelf.  "Believing does not change things, Ophelia.  I believed that I could save Lily that night and she died anyway, no matter what I did to save her.  What if the same thing happens with Tevin?"

Ophelia and Severus were quiet for a long while.  "I haven't known you to simply let things happen, Severus.  You always have a next step."  She went to stand so that she was within his eyesight.  "What's your next step?  If you think Tevin needs more protection, what's your next step?" 

Severus turned his eyes away from her and stared ahead at the bookshelf in front of him.  Then, his eyes lost the despair and instead gained the spark of an idea.  With the care of a scholar, Severus removed a book from the shelf.  He looked at the title, a plan began to blossom in his mind, and a small smile began to curl his lips. 

The title read, Occlumency: Theory and Practice. 

Behind him, his fireplace erupted in flames.  Without looking, he knew who it was that arrived in his tiny flat.  He felt someone approach and wrap an arm around his shoulder before a soft kiss pressed against his temple.  "Happy birthday, sweetie," whispered a quiet, mournful voice. 

Remus's soft smile disappeared when he remembered abruptly that today was also his brother's birthday.  But his brother was dead now.  And just like Halloween was less than pleasant for Severus Snape, he knew that his birthday was just as painful for his parents.  "Thanks, mum," he whispered. 

"Would you like some tea or anything, Mrs. Lupin?" asked Ophelia as she faced the silver-haired woman, wiping her hands on a towel. 

"Who is this, Remus?" asked his mother, her eyes sparkling with interest at the sight of the young boy sneaking a finger full of icing from the newly decorated cake with a sly little grin.  The youngster waved shyly at her with his other hand.  She waved back as a response followed her question.

"This is my son, Tevin," answered Ophelia. 

Silvia Lupin straightened in interest.  "Your son?"  She looked at her husband meaningfully.  Alator nodded at her.  They were thinking the same thing.  Perhaps there was hope for their son after all.  This glance went unnoticed by Remus and Ophelia as one of them brought the newly finished chocolate cake to the table, while the other scolded Tevin for the tasting. 

Alator and Silvia managed to eagerly situate themselves as close to the little boy as possible.  They wanted to make a good impression on the boy, after all.  Remus began to cut his own birthday cake carefully making sure there were equal pieces and enough for everyone.  Alator noticed that Remus was making sure to cut six pieces rather than five.  Was there another guest missing?  He didn't have much time to think further on this question as Silvia occupied the other woman with conversation.  He didn't want to pay much attention, so he turned to his son.  "Chocolate cake, Remus?" 

His son laughed quietly as he handed him a plate of cake.  "Actually, I wanted vanilla, but-"

"I wanted chocolate!" announced Tevin, proudly. 

Remus chuckled again as he sliced one of the six pieces in half and gave that halved piece to the boy.  Tevin pouted at it, and as he picked up his fork asked, "How come I only get half?"

"Because we all know I'd get in trouble if I gave you an adult sized piece." 

Tevin grinned and shook his head. 

Alator was surprised at this.  In his experience, when a child was told that they couldn't have the same amount of something as an adult, they would usually throw a fit of some sort.  But this boy did not.  He accepted the situation without protest.  This was so strange that he found himself asking before he could stop himself, "Why aren't you angry about having less than everyone else?"

Tevin looked up at Alator Lupin as though the question he'd just put forth was insane.  "Because if I have half now, I can have the rest later.  I get to eat it twice, when everyone else can only have it once." 

Alator's eyebrows went up in surprise at the answer.  All he was able to mutter out was a simple, "Oh," before he resumed eating his piece of cake.  The boy did have a point, actually. 

During the brief silence of everyone eating their birthday cake peaceful silence reigned.  At least it did until Silvia asked a question that surprised everyone in the room.  "So, Ophelia, when did you start seeing my son?"

Ophelia was only capable of staring wide-eyed for a moment at Silvia, her fork with a bite of cake poised halfway to her mouth.  Alator froze in his place as though hit with a Petrificus Totalus charm.  Tevin stared in horror at the older woman.  Remus, unfortunately, choked on his bite of cake. 

"Um," he stammered.  "We're not..."  He looked to the side and saw that Ophelia looked very uncomfortable, while Tevin looked as though he were searching for escape.  Luckily for Remus, he was saved the awkward response at the arrival of his fifth guest and the person for whom the extra piece of cake had been set aside.

"I'm sorry, Remus.  The meeting took a little longer than I thought it would.  Who knew that the Heads of House have so much to discuss when we all get in one place without students?" 

Remus was never happier to have Severus Snape interrupt him.  He smiled in welcome, but it was Tevin who rescued the situation.  "Dad, Remus saved you your piece."  He pointed to the unclaimed piece of cake. 

Severus grinned and levitated the plate and fork to him so no one would have to move out of his way.  He looked at Remus.  "Only half for Tevin?" 

"As usual," came the other man's reply. 

"Good," Severus said, as he speared his first mouthful with his fork. 

Silvia and Alator were watching with confused eyes.  Ophelia caught their expressions and decided to have mercy.  "May I introduce my husband, Severus Snape?"

Silvia was still trying to adjust to the thought of being deprived of grandchildren - even adopted ones! - to focus on what the younger woman had just said.  Meanwhile, Alator looked at Severus with a penetrating gaze as though working out a puzzle in his head.  "Snape," he wondered aloud.  "Why is that-"

"He's been making the Wolfsbane Potion for me for quite some time." 

Alator's eyes brightened at this bit of information and he extended a hand towards Severus as he stood.  "In that case I should thank you."  Severus awkwardly held his plate and fork in one hand in order to accept the offered handshake.  "Thank you for helping him like that.  Not many people, even in our world, would do that for a werewolf." 

Severus shifted his weight as he darted his gaze to Remus.  The other man seemed to understand what he was asking and nodded almost instantly.  "It's a small favor for my son's godfather."

That was something that Silvia definitely understood.  Things suddenly made sense to her now.  "The boy's your godson, Remus?"  Her son smiled softly and nodded.  "Oh, that's wonderful!" 

"Mum, Dad," spoke Remus in a voice that indicated complete seriousness.  "You can't say anything about this to anyone."

"Why?" asked Alator. 

"It's-"  He looked to Severus for help. 

"My family and I have a delicate situation.  We're not wanted by the Ministry or anything like that, so it's nothing dangerous...really," he trailed off, wondering just how much they should reveal to Silvia and Alator. 

"But why would we-"

"Mum, please," growled Remus.  "You have to trust us.  Remember how my lycanthropy was never discussed with anyone unless it was completely necessary?"  When his parents nodded, he continued.  "Think of this like that.  If anyone found out that I'm connected to Severus's family, things could go very wrong very quickly.  Please."

His parents stared at him with careful, calculating eyes.  They were trying to understand.  His mother spoke first.  "Could you lose them?  Could anyone...hurt you...or them?"  Remus knew that she was thinking of her now dead son, of his brother. 

"Yes."

Silvia took in this information for a moment and then looked to her husband, whose expression was just as grave.  He nodded to her and then they both looked at their son.  "You have our word."

"We won't mention any of it to anyone," elaborated his father.

After the agreement had been settled, the rest of the humble birthday party passed with a little more cheer than it had since the death of Romulus Lupin.  Silvia and Alator were thrilled to see that their son had friends to support him again.  After all, all of his school friends were either dead or locked away in prison.  They were the lucky ones to have their boy turn out just fine. 

Tevin opened his eyes and found himself staring into his father's gaze.  "How was that?" he asked. 

Severus's expression was serious but it slowly gained approval.  "Better.  You're getting much better at visualizing a shield for yourself." 

Tevin nodded at his father.  He badly wanted to stretch his legs from their crossed position on the floor, but he knew he shouldn't until his father released himself from the same position across from him. 

Severus looked at the open book on the floor to his right.  It was open to a chapter on creating a calm and centering shield for the Mind Arts.  He flipped the page to see what the next step would be.  It seemed to be a chapter focusing on strengthening the foundations of one's shields.  He looked at his son and saw that he was desperately trying to hold back a yawn.  Severus closed the book softly.

"Remember when we discussed how to successfully produce a corporeal Patronus?"

He saw Tevin nod.  "Think about your happiest memory."

"What is different about your shields in practicing Occlumency?"

"You have to think about something that calms you down the most."

Severus nodded.  He looked at his son for another moment and then began to unfold his legs from their crossed position.  He saw that Tevin followed his lead and began to stretch.  However, the boy looked like he was already almost asleep.  "Come on, Tevin," he said, softly.  "Time for bed." 

"Aren't we doing anymore?"

Severus smiled.  "You're practically sleepwalking.  You're making enough progress so far."  He gathered his son in his arms and got to his feet.  "You're getting big."

Tevin mumbled in his tiredness.  "Too big to be carried."  It was a half-complaint. 

"If I have to carry you to bed, then I will do that no matter what age you are."  He entered his son's bedroom and approached the bed with maroon hangings.  The white kneazle, Minnie, was curled up on the bed.  She lifted her head at their approach and mewed softly.  When Severus used a little bit of magic to pull the covers back, Minnie jumped off.  She knew the routine by now. 

Severus got his son settled in his bed and was pulled the covers up around him, when the boy spoke again.  "What if you're really old and can't pick anything up?"  Minnie jumped back up on the bed. 

Severus tried not to laugh.  When his son was tired, it seemed that all common sense went right out of his head.  "I'll carry you with magic." 

Tevin's eyes finally fell closed.  He only had the energy to mumble, "okay..." before he was asleep.

He turned around quickly and ran towards the open doorway.  With a thundering sound, the door slammed shut.  He pounded on the door for a second, and then tried to push it.  When that failed he slammed his body against the wood.  The sounds he was making were desperate.  He was desperate to escape.

A feminine voice cried out behind him further into the room in which the boy was locked.  "No!  Don't touch him!"  Then, that same voice shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"  A shimmering silver butterfly flew right towards the boy trying to open the door. 

An aggressive voice shouted an unknown spell and then a jet of red light hit the silver butterfly.  It disappeared in a swirl of smoke.  "Run!" shouted the female. 

"Obliviate!" shouted the unseen man.

"Protego!" countered the woman.  As she pushed the boy away from the door, a blast from the first spell collided with the pale blue shield she'd conjured to deflect it, causing a blinding light for only a moment.  When it dissipated, the boy was seen crumbled on his side just to the left of the door.  He blearily opened his eyes and then began to scramble away, his expression terrified. 

He woke up choking, his body convulsing as he tried to breathe.  He felt a hand on his shoulder urging him to turn onto his side.  "Son," called a familiar voice.  "Son!  Wake up."  Tears ran down his face as he began to heave, breathing still difficult.  He even heard his father's voice say, "Anapneo," but nothing happened.   He was still heaving and choking.  He clutched his father's robe in terror. 

"Cissa!" his father shouted, for once allowing fear into his voice.

In another few moments, Draco knew his mother had arrived.  In another moment, and with no hesitation she said two words, "Expello morbus."  With his face streaked in tears from the violent dry-heaving, Draco obeyed the spell's command and proceeded to vomit right on his father. 

He instantly thought that he would have been reprimanded for it, but he was a little surprised when his father used his hand to smooth his son's sweaty hair out of his face.  "Oh, Draco.  Are you alright?" 

Draco nodded drawing in struggling breaths, his throat burning with the effort. 

"Say something, sweetie," urged his mother. 

"Sorry," he croaked. 

"For what?" asked Lucius.  Draco hung his head miserably.  A hand cupped his cheek and tilted his head up gently.  He met his father's eyes.  "For what?" he repeated.

"Your robe," he managed to say. 

Lucius frowned at Draco, and again surprised the boy with what he said, "It can be easily cleaned." 

Lucius and Narcissa waited until Draco was breathing a little steadier before they spoke again.  It was Narcissa who said something first.  "Draco, what happened?  Was it a nightmare?"

Draco would have complained that he was getting too old for nightmares, but what he'd dreamed seemed more important than whining about what he should actually call it.  "I don't know...it was a dream."

Narcissa tensed.  Lucius was still focused on whether his son was getting better and calmer.  His hands seemed to be checking everything.  "What kind of dream?" she asked, letting Lucius fuss over their son in his own way.

"Um...there were spells and I couldn't see two people in it."

"Did you know anyone in the dream?"

Draco looked at his mother then.  "Not until right when I woke up."  He was confused. 

By this point Lucius had stopped checking his son over manually and had shifted his attention to his wife.  "Cissa, what are you-"

She waved her hand at him dismissively.  Her attention was solely on her son.  "What did you dream?"

Nervously and not really understanding, Draco told his parents what occurred in his dream...or nightmare.  "Then, right before I woke up, I saw the boy's face...and...it was Tevin." 

Narcissa stared at her son with an expression that Draco could not decipher.  Lucius's gaze flicked between his wife and his son.  Draco was not the only one confused.  Lucius still gripped Draco's shoulders firmly, sure that without the support his son would simply flop back in back.  It was because of this that he noticed his son was shivering violently.  "Draco?"  Now he noticed that even the boy's lips were shaking.  "Draco?" he called again. 

Then, Draco's lashes fluttered and his eyes rolled back into his head, his neck going limp and his head lolling backward. 

In that instant, both Narcissa and Lucius were panicked.  "He's shivering, shaking."  Lucius tried to touch his boy to soothe him.  He gathered the covers and blankets on Draco's bed and was hurriedly tucking them tightly around his son's shaking body when Narcissa spoke.

"He's covered in sweat."  Then, realization dawned.  "He's feverish!  We should take him to Saint Mungo's."  She moved to gather Draco up. 

"No," Lucius said.  He looked desperate.  "Is it a real fever or is it something else?" 

"What do you mean?  Why are you wasting-"

"Does Draco have your gift, Cissa?"  Narcissa stared at Lucius.  Then she looked at their son.  "Someone doesn't just suddenly get a fever," he continued.  "Do you remember when you had your first vision?  It was much, much later than his age, but...do you remember?"

Numbly, she nodded.  "I was sick, too.  I was...like this." 

"You were like this," he agreed.  "I almost took you to Saint Mungo's but your parents forbade it.  Because they would register you." 

Narcissa lowered herself onto her son's bed, watching helplessly as he twitched and tossed restlessly.  "Then, what will we-"

"We have to see if he gets worse.  If he does, I'll go to Severus.  He's almost as gifted at therapies as a Master Healer.  He'll be able to help us." 

Narcissa shook her head and laughed bitterly.  "We'll owe him countless favors." 

Lucius tried to offer a comforting smile, despite the difficulty in doing so when just in front of him lay his sick son.  "I think by the time both of these boys grow up, we'll all be nearly even in favors." 

Lucius used his wand to clean his robe of the vomit and then to silently drift an armchair near the bed.  He sat down in it and prepared to spend the night with his wife, watching over their son.  "If he isn't any better by morning, I'll go and get Severus." 

Narcissa's eyes were fixed on Draco, but she nodded at his words.  It was enough for Lucius.  Together they watched over their feverish son. 

It was quiet in the Hogwarts suite in which Severus Snape and his son lived when Lucius Malfoy came through the lit fireplace.  He looked around the parlor and kitchen quickly, and when he found no one, he went towards the connecting bedrooms.  "Severus?" he called.  There was no one in Tevin's room.  He went to the door separating the boy's from Severus's bedroom and knocked firmly.  "Severus."  When there was no response he took it upon himself to open the door anyway.  No one.  He checked the bathroom, just in case, but it was as empty as all of the other rooms. 

He briskly walked through into the Potions Master's office and labs.  Nothing.  Then, he went straight up to the door that led to the Potions Classroom.  Finally, he heard Severus. 

"Have you any capacity to listen?" the professor was shouting at an apparently dimwitted student.  "The instructions state that you are to stir the brew eight times counterclockwise not nine or ten!  Or do I have to repeat the lecture I give the First Years to every single year until you leave this school?"

Lucius was seriously thinking about barging into the room and demanding that Severus come to his home and help him care for his son.  Then, as he heard his friend continue to admonish the student on the other side of the door, he wondered if bringing an already aggravated person to tend his son would be a wise idea.  Would Severus do what was required and insist on registering his son?  Could he allow that?  He contemplated this as Severus continued to shout at the students for several minutes. 

Closing his eyes, Lucius made a decision. 

He went back to the fireplace and tossed in a pinch of powder.  "Spinner's End," he said.  When the flames turned green he stepped into them. 

In only another moment he had emerged from the fireplace in the Snape home in the run-down neighborhood of Spinner's End.  He stood still for moment.  Did he really have to go searching around for this scattered family?  With a huff, Lucius decided to start from the outside and work his way back in and then up.  He left the house and stepped outside into the tiny garden in the back of the Snape home.  He sighed in relief when he noticed a familiar person in the action of mid-plantcare.  "Ophelia," he called.

She looked up in his direction, her dark hair a little disheveled and unkempt, some of it escaping from the half ponytail she was sporting.  It was probably due to the wind and activity.  She looked at him apprehensively and wiped her hands on her apron.  "Lucius," she acknowledged. 

He took that as permission to come closer.  "My son is...very sick."

"Take him to Saint Mungo's, then," she said, turning away to resume her work. 

Lucius's hand reached out and latched onto her upper arm and forced her to face him again.  "Don't you think I would if I had faith that they'd be able to help him?"

"Then, why come to me?"

"Because Severus is working right now."

She jerked her arm from his grip and tilted her head in an offended manner.  "And I'm not working?"

Lucius let out a frustrated sound.  He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath.  "Ophelia, I know that we are not the closest of...friends."  He almost choked on the word.  "But please.  We think that Draco may be gifted in the Sight.  Did you know that when a witch or wizard has their very first vision they may end up with a high fever or some other illness?"  He noticed that Ophelia had stopped what she was doing and had turned a curious glance to him.  "If I took him to Saint Mungo's to treat a Sight-induced fever, I would be forced to register him as a Seer.  You know that, at least." 

Ophelia nodded.  "I see.  I take it Narcissa is not registered."

Lucius knew that Ophelia did not say it as a question.  He shook his head.  "I was with her when she had her first vision.  Her illness was not as severe as Draco's is now."

"And considering that, for the most part, the Sight is passed on through the family line, and that Narcissa is not registered as having it, that this will be another skeleton in the Malfoy family?"

Lucius and Ophelia spent a tense moment staring at each other.  It was a battle of wills, and one from which he refused to retreat.  And as for the skeletons within his family...

Then, a small triumphant smile spread over Ophelia's face.  "Why should I help you now?  You've never once asked me for help until you have no other choice, which seems to be the case now.  Why didn't you just interrupt Severus's class and drag him to your son?"

Lucius hesitated.  Did he want to reveal to her - this mudblood - that he had not interrupted Severus's class because he knew that if his friend knew about Draco's newly presented ability it would be difficult once the boy attended school, that he thought Severus would watch him constantly?  Did he want to tell her that a situation like that would be difficult for both of their families once their boys attended Hogwarts?  For that matter, did he even want to tell Ophelia that he'd finally agreed to Narcissa's pleading to let their son attend Hogwarts with Tevin in the first place?  No.  He was not in a divulgatory mood.  However, if there was something he knew how to do it was manipulate. 

"And if I were to tell you that what Draco Saw had something to do with your son?"

There it was.  He knew he had her attention when she stiffened and then slowly looked at him.  "What did he See?" 

Lucius shook his head as he pierced her with his eyes that had long grown icy.  "Treat my son and I will tell you."  Confident that she would agree, he turned away from her and began to walk back towards the house, intending to continue until he heard her come behind him.  He knew it wouldn't be long before she would agree to this. 

But as his back was turned to her, he did not notice Ophelia stare at the burn marks on her right hand as she gave her reply.  "Wait." 

"She's been with him for hours, Lucius."  Narcissa was clutching her wine glass so tightly her already pale fingers looked as white as a snow bank.  "What if something went wrong?"

"We were told not to disturb her, Cissa."  He stood directly behind her armchair, one of his hands resting on the very top of it while the other lifted his wine glass to his lips. 

She turned her head to look up at her husband.  "Since when has that stopped you?"

He waited for a long moment until he'd properly savored the taste of the wine in his mouth and then the sensation of it going down his throat before he spoke.  "Think of my obedience as an act of good faith.  She said she would help Draco and that she was not to be disturbed until she came out of his room.  As much as I do not wish to..."  He paused to take a quick sip.  "I have to trust her."

Narcissa nodded slowly, bringing her own wine to her lips and drinking deeply from the glass.  Her other hand was clenched on the arm of the chair.  She was clearly a wreck with nerves.  Lucius, while experiencing similar feelings on the inside, was much better skilled at concealing them.  He seemed only to be a man that was enjoying his evening wine and nothing more.

Both of them heard a door open and then close.  In an instant, both parents set down their wine glasses on the nearest surface and rushed toward their son's door.  Standing just outside of it was a tired-looking Ophelia.  Narcissa walked right up to the darker haired woman with anxiety in her own eyes.  "Is Draco-"

Ophelia nodded.  "He should be fine.  He's...conscious now.  But he should be fine." 

Narcissa pressed her lips together thinly before a tentative smile appeared on her face.  "Oh, good."  Without even waiting for Ophelia to move aside, Narcissa forced her way through the door to see her son. 

Ophelia looked at Lucius.  Even though she was tired from the exertions of playing healer, she did not forget the conditions under which she was brought to Malfoy Manor, however reluctantly.  "I did my part.  Now, tell me what he Saw."

Lucius's eyes looked her over head to foot and back up.  "You look hungry.  Come with me." 

It had been years since Ophelia had been in this house and voluntarily eaten a meal with Lucius Malfoy.  The first and only time had ended in the man insulting her and commenting that she should have been dead.  She did not say anything to the blonde man as he ordered his house elf, Dobby, to bring them a light meal and to fetch his wine from the library and provide a fresh glass for Ophelia. 

She hesitantly sat down with one chair between them.  He sat at the head, which was probably his customary spot.  She felt a little better with one empty chair separating them, but not much.  Slowly, she began to eat the admittedly appetizing sandwich in front of her. 

"Thank you for helping him."  Lucius seemed to speak with a great deal of reluctance or distaste. 

Ophelia only just managed to meet his gaze.  She was surprised to see that the proud Malfoy looked decidedly uncomfortable.  This image stunned her.  "You're welcome." 

He shifted in his chair.  "I find that I am forced to admit that for a mud-"  He took a steadying breath.  "For a muggleborn you are a gifted witch.  I have to say it because only a gifted witch could have helped Draco through something like the Sight Fever." 

Ophelia stared at Lucius in shock.  She wasn't sure anymore if this was real.  Lucius would never acknowledge skill in anyone other than a pureblooded witch or wizard, with the possible exception of Severus Snape.  Her mouth fell open as she fumbled for words - any word - to say in response.

"As I said, I would tell you what Draco Saw."  Lucius finally looked up to met her gaze.  "He Saw Tevin attacked.  There was someone else in the room.  A girl.  She used a Patronus to try to send for help, but it was destroyed or countered.  He wasn't sure.  Tevin couldn't escape, and someone - a man, he said - shouted ‘Obliviate.'  The girl with Tevin pushed him aside, and tried to protect him.  There was a blinding light, and when Draco could see someone again, it was Tevin watching something unseen come towards him."  Lucius looked hard into the alarmed eyes of Ophelia.  "Draco said that Tevin looked terrified." 

Ophelia was struggling for composure.  "And then?"

Lucius shook his head apologetically.  "He woke up.  He doesn't know anything else.  Not who the girl was, or the identity of the wizard that threatened them."

Ophelia took this in.  "But Tevin's in danger."

"Yes."

Ophelia closed her eyes, steadying her breathing.  "Should I tell Severus?"

"We don't know anything else other than your son will be attacked by a wizard at some point."  Lucius sighed.  "I'm sorry."

"When a someone like Draco Sees something does it always come true?"

Lucius shook his head.  "I don't know about Draco, but when Narcissa Sees anything it always comes true."  He saw that Ophelia was about to ask again.  "Always," he stressed. 

Ophelia stood from the chair feeling suddenly trapped in the large dining room.  "If I tell Severus he'll be so nervous he'll shut Tevin up in the house and never let him out."  She shook her head.  "I can't tell him." 

Lucius stood from his chair and followed her as she retreated to the parlor where the fireplace was blaring.  "That is your decision, but-"

Ophelia spun to face him.  "It's my responsibility to take care of him.  Of both of them.  I can't let Severus drive himself insane with the fear that something will happen when no one even knows what it is.  And I can't keep Tevin locked up because I'm scared something will happen to him.  I just have to do my best to keep them safe."  The fingers of her right hand twitched.  "To keep my son safe." 

Lucius looked at her with an expression that Ophelia had never seen from him towards her.  If it were from anyone else she would have called the feeling behind it respect.  "We have something in common after all," he said in a hushed tone with deliberate annunciation.  "I never would have thought it." 

Ophelia nodded slowly.  "The world is strange that way." 

Lucius nodded in agreement.  He pinched the floo powder from the mantel and threw it into the fire.  "Spinner's End," he ordered.  The fire turned bright green.  As Ophelia stepped into the fire she heard Lucius clearly say, "Thank you." 

The blonde man turned away from the fire and found himself looking at his wife, who looked both much calmer and a little more pleased thasn usual.  She was smiling at him softly and her eyes glowed in approval.  Lucius did not say anything to Narcissa.  Instead, he went to his son's room and perched himself on the bed next to Draco's sleeping body where he kept vigil for another night.

The middle of the day during the end of May was not typically a time for things to unexpectedly happen in any household on Privet Drive...

...until an owl flew through the neighborhood and landed on top of a chimney in broad daylight.  In the owl's pointed beak was clutched what seemed to be a letter.  It waited and waited until the owner of the house, who was currently in the humble backyard with quite a plethora of strange looking cats, went back into it.  Then, the owl swooped down to the front door and, as efficiently as a courier, slid the letter through the mail slot.  With its task complete, the owl flew off until Privet Drive was just as quiet and uneventful as it always was in the middle of the day.

Her patience finally paid off when she spotted her cousin emerging from the entrance of The Leaky Cauldron with her young son.  He was getting so big!  They must have been in Diagon Alley today making a delivery to Jayce, the Apothecary shop owner.  It also looked like they had been shopping briefly.  Tevin held an elaborately wrapped box in his hands as though it were an injured animal - carefully yet firmly.  The box was covered in sheer ribbons and tied in very interestingly shaped bows, with what reminded Arabella of pixie dust - were Peter Pan and Tinkerbell real?  They could be real considering witches and wizards with magic wands were real! - glittering from the box with every bouncing step the boy took.  She wondered who the present was for. 

But she didn't wait to think on it too long.  Arabella stood up and crossed the street before Ophelia and Tevin could reach the side alley from which she guessed they were about to leave for home.  Her cousin had once mentioned Apparition to her, and when she had demonstrated it to Arabella...well, sufficing to say she was thoroughly uneasy about travelling in such a way.

"Ophelia!" she shouted, trying to catch up to her.

Her cousin's head darted in the direction from which she heard Arabella's cry.  Then, she spotted her.  "What are you doing here?  You don't usually lurk outside of The Leaky Cauldron, do you?  You know some could consider that-"

"Creepy, I know," said Arabella, as she reached into her pocket, still keeping pace with Ophelia.  "But I got this...odd letter and was wondering if you knew anything about it."

Ophelia looked at her cousin with confusion.  "Who was it from?"  She looked down at Tevin who was still admiring the wrapped box in his hands. 

"Dumbledore."

Ophelia stopped for a moment, her face blank.  This time, Tevin noticed the conversation and had also stopped to look at the two women.  His brown eyes shifted from Ophelia to Arabella.  "Do you have it on you?"

Arabella nodded and took an envelope from her pocket.  She handed it to her cousin, who opened it then stared at it strangely.  She tried to say something, but wasn't sure if it would help the situation that had suddenly grown tense.  "I received one like this years ago from him, but I have no idea why I'd be getting another one." 

Ophelia's gaze darted to Tevin who was looking at her anxiously.  Then, she focused on the letter again.  After another moment, she folded the letter up again and roughly shoved it back into the envelope.  She took a breath, and then looked at Arabella.  "Would you mind if I borrowed this?  Severus might want to see it."

Arabella nodded.  "Of course.  Do you think he'll know anything about it, then?"

Ophelia, when she nodded, looked nervous.  "He might."  Then, she reached out her hand towards her son, who looked at her with clear confusion, but took her hand anyway.  "Come on, Tevin.  Time to go home."  She turned to her cousin, despite the fact that she had resumed walking.  "I'll talk to you later, Arabella.  And when I know something about it, I'll let you know, alright?" 

Arabella nodded.  Just before Ophelia turned down the side alley from which they would apparate home, she heard Tevin ask, "What was in the letter?  Why would Dad want to see it?"

Just before the little crack that meant her cousin had apparated, Arabella was sure that she heard Ophelia say, "Something bad, Tevin." 

Severus was surprised to welcome back a confused son and an unsettled wife.  "Severus," Ophelia whispered urgently.  Then, she seemed to remember something.  She turned to the younger Snape.  "Tevin, go to your room and put Luna's present away."  Tevin hesitated before he did as he was told.  Severus knew his son well enough to realize that Tevin very much wanted to find out what was causing such restlessness in Ophelia but that the boy also knew that if it would affect him that Severus would tell him about it in time.

 Severus waited until the door to his son's room shut before he turned to Ophelia.  "What is it?"

She thrust an envelope at him.  "Look at this!"

Her nervousness seemed to absorb into him as he took the envelope and opened it, then unfolding the letter inside.  What he noticed first was the handwriting.  He knew it well.  That alone made him nervous.  Then, he began to read.

Arabella,

Years ago I charged you to watch over Harry Potter. 

He will be in the care of the Dursleys in the near future.  I need you to do as I asked long ago and watch over him.  His arrival is imminent.  Expect another letter upon his arrival in Surrey.

~ A. Dumbledore 

Severus choked on his breath.  "No."  His hands began to shake as he looked up at Ophelia.  "How-how did he find out?  We were careful.  We used the best memory charms.  We-"

"Severus, stop!"  Ophelia grabbed his wrists and made him focus on her.  "You can't panic.  Not now." 

Severus's eyes were darting all around the room.  "He heard.  It was him in the hallway that day.  He heard us talking."  Then his expression crumbled.  "He knows." 

"Severus!  You need to focus!" 

Neither of the adults heard a door open during all of this.  They did not know they were not alone until they heard a very quiet, "Dad?"  Both Severus and Ophelia looked toward the slightly opened door and saw Tevin peeking his head out of his room.  "Are you alright?"

Severus struggled to calm down.  He took several deep breaths and bit his lips to hold back any noises.  The hands in Ophelia's grip were shaking badly, the parchment trembling dangerously.  All he could do was shake his head in response to his son. 

Ophelia decided to take charge of the situation.  "Sit down, Severus."  She guided him into the armchair where he physically deflated.  He was clearly panicked.  By then, Tevin had wandered out of his room and was approaching the older man looking innocently terrified at his father's vulnerability. 

"Tevin?"  The boy looked up at her questioningly.  "Would you mind asking if you could go over to Draco's for a little while?" 

"Why?"  He looked quickly over at his father.

Severus nodded at him, with a movement lacking his normal grace.  "Do as she says." 

"Are you alright?"

Severus shook his head.  "No.  No, I'm-I've just read something very upsetting and-"

"He needs some time to get himself under control," finished Ophelia.  She went over to the fireplace and activated the floo.  She stuck her head into the green flames.  But Tevin's attention was no longer on her.

Tevin looked at his father in concern.  He tried to peer at the letter that was still shaking in his father's hand, but his father caught him and the older man turned it upside down and pressed it to his leg. 

Severus looked at his son for a long moment before he seemed to relax only slightly.  "Tevin, would you like to practice your Occlumency training tonight?"

"Will you be alright enough?"

Severus's eyes narrowed.  "Of course.  You have to learn this."

"Why can't we do it now?" 

Severus looked down at the parchment he was pressing into his leg.  "I need to take care of some things first.  Things about this letter."  He stared at it for a long moment before he looked back at his son.  "But we'll work on it tonight.  I promise.  I'll be alright by then.  We'll do it tonight." 

Tevin looked at Severus, unsure as to what he should say.  Nothing was making sense to him ever since they'd met Arabella Figg just outside of The Leaky Cauldron.  He shook his head to try to understand what was happening.  

"Severus," said a familiar voice from near the fireplace.  Tevin and Severus looked up to see Narcissa Malfoy in the parlor.  "I can see she's not exaggerating," she remarked as she took in Severus's state.  "Tevin, would you like to visit?" 

Tevin looked at his father again and waited to see what he would say.  Severus nodded at him and quietly said, "Go on.  One of us will come and get you later."  Tevin looked disappointed as he miserably walked towards Narcissa.  With a backward glance of confusion and discontentedness, he was spun away in green flames with Draco's mother to Malfoy Manor. 

Severus closed his eyes and breathed deeply before he looked up at Ophelia's patient and nervous face.  "I don't know what to do." 

"The only thing I can think to do is to ask everyone what they think we should do."

Severus was confused at her wording.  "Everyone?"

She offered a sympathetic smile.  "Who were the other people that know about all of this?"

Then, he realized what she was trying to get him to figure out.  "Remus and Flitwick."  She nodded.  Severus looked at the letter again.  When he spoke it was with growing stability.  "Would you go to Remus and bring him here?  I'll get Flitwick." 

Ophelia nodded and then after only a moment, she disappeared in a tornado of green flames.  Severus gathered himself and shoved the letter into an inner breast pocket before he stepped forward to the floo and spun away to the Charms Professor's office.

It was vaguely reminiscent of a discussion almost ten years ago.  The subject had not changed.  These four were still trying to determine how to protect a boy.  Only now, this boy was eight years old instead of an infant.  But these four people were once again confronted with the challenge of how to protect the boy. 

Filius Flitwick sat in a spelled chair so that he was at the proper height.  His shining eyes were now dull with dread.  To his right was Severus Snape, looking equally as troubled as his colleague.  Across from Flitwick was Remus Lupin, who was in the midst of reading the letter, his expression growing more and more ill with every word.  Lastly, across from Severus was Ophelia Fay, who looked upon him with kind and compassionate eyes. 

Remus set down the letter and released a troubled sigh.  Everyone stared at the letter in the middle of the table like it was a corpse on display at a wake. 

"Professor Flitwick," Severus whispered, as though reluctant to ask.  "How did I fail in those spells?"

Flitwick's head twitched as he silently argued with himself before answering.  "Did you cast any spells before them?  In at least eighteen hours before adjusting the Headmaster's memories, did you perform any magic at all?  If you did, your magic may not have been at full strength."  He waited for the response, gazing at his former student.

Ophelia's face paled in realization.  "You changed his eyes."

Severus's expression crumbled.  "I changed his eyes.  I took away Lily's eyes and gave him mine."  He looked at Flitwick in despair.  "Did I do this?  It was a simple spell - his eyes.  Would it have-"  Then, with piercing clarity, Severus remembered.  ‘You need to be at very high strength when you meet with Dumbledore.'  Flitwick had told him.  And Remus!  Remus had tried to warn him.  ‘Severus, you need to rest your magic.'  Why didn't he listen?  Why was he so arrogant to think he could do even one spell without risking his son's safety?  Was all of this his fault? 

"There must be something we can do," said Remus, snapping Severus out of his downward spiraling thoughts. 

"We can't think Dumbledore will fall for memory alteration twice."

Flitwick nodded.  "No, Ophelia, we can't.  That option is closed to us." 

Severus gazing hopefully but helplessly at Flitwick.  "We have to try something." 

"If Dumbledore suspects what we think he does - that Tevin and Harry are the same boy - then he'll be watching you, Severus, and Ophelia, but he'll especially be watching Tevin," Remus rationalized aloud. 

"Then, we have to have someone watch Dumbledore.  Or at least listen for anything that would tip us off of his intentions," said Ophelia. 

Everyone was silent as they tried to think of their options.  "What if," began Flitwick quietly, "we were to select a small group of students, the best in each House, for instance?  Train them in defense as though they were going into battle, and have them listen and watch for anything mentioned about Severus, or Ophelia, or Tevin?" 

The other three gathered around the table stared at the little professor as though he were either insane or a genius. 

"Are you proposing a sort of body guard group?  Won't that endanger the students?" Remus asked. 

"We could always brief them about the danger involved," Flitwick said.  "Or tell them it is an exercise in Auror training." 

"No," Remus said.  "You can't go around endangering your students - children - like this!  What if Dumbledore attacked any of them?  What if they get hurt?  Or what if-"

"Do you really think Dumbledore would attack any of the students in this school?" Flitwick asked, his voice squeaking in his surprise.  No one noticed Ophelia stiffen at the question. 

Remus pursed his lips as he snatched up the letter from the table, unfolded it, and then slammed it on the table again, pointing at the words. "‘His arrival is imminent,' it says.  And you ask me if I think he's capable or willing to use force to bury Tevin and bring back Harry?  It seems that answer is right there in his own writing!" 

"Then, what do you suggest?"

Remus deflated then.  "I don't know.  Go into hiding.  Get Tevin away from here."

"Hiding never works, Lupin.  We should all know this better than most," Severus said, looking sadly at his son's godfather. 

It was quiet for a long moment after that.  Then, Flitwick broke the silence.  "I'm not usually one who's willing to put my students in danger, but this is our best option."  No one said a word, but they nodded somberly.  "The next thing to decide," continued Flitwick, "is who to put in danger."

"One from each House, you think?" asked Severus, finally looking up from the menacing letter.  Flitwick nodded.  "Do you have anyone in mind?"

"They should probably be the most skilled students.  Ones that would do well as Aurors one day," suggested Remus, "especially if their cover story is Auror Training Preparation."

Flitwick and Severus nodded as they thought of their many students.  "Of my own House," finally announced the Charms professor, "I think I would recommend Judy Lewis."  With a flourish he waved his wand and a document was conjured in the air.  He took it and placed it on the table in front of Severus, so that the Potions Professor could read it, while he summed up her skills for Ophelia and Remus.  "She is highly skilled in Charms and Transfiguration.  She'll be entering her Seventh Year in the autumn, planning to take her N.E.W.T. level classes in Charms and Transfiguration.  When she was a Fifth Year and we had our career counseling sessions, she had told me that she has an ambition to teach either a Charms or Concealment and Disguise course in the Ministry for Aurors in Training."

Remus nodded.  "Sounds like an ideal candidate."

Severus nodded.  "I know the girl.  Her potions work is adequate, but she has prevented many injuries from her quick charms use when other students were too busy panicking over their mistakes."  He set the paper on Judy Lewis towards Ophelia, who was already nodding in agreement since Remus spoke. 

Remus looked at Severus.  "And from Slytherin?"

Severus thought for a long moment before a particular name stood out to him.  "Xuxa," he said.  "One of my Sixth Years.  Xuxa Nisal." 

Before Severus could do so, Flitwick had already conjured forth Xuxa's academic records.  Flitwick announced several key points about her as he skimmed over the parchment.  "Excels in Herbology, Potions, and Defense Against the Dark Arts." 

Ophelia's gaze snapped to Severus in recollection.  "Wasn't she the only girl to play on the Slytherin Quidditch team in over a century?"

"I thought Slytherin doesn't allow women to play on the House Team," said Remus. 

Severus somehow managed to smirk.  He was fond of this particular student.  "The only way she managed that was when Ronan was injured and unable to play.  When he held try-outs for his replacement seeker he refused to allow her to participate.  She was outspokenly offended by her boyfriend forbidding her from it, and she waited in the stands with her broom shrunken in her cloak.  She saw the snitch immediately, but wanted to wait for just the right moment.  After several of the boys at try-outs were still flying about for twenty minutes looking for the snitch, Xuxa had had enough, and she enlarged her broom, mounted it and caught the snitch in less than twenty seconds.  She demanded to fill in for her boyfriend as his replacement until he was recovered.  The team voted, and they allowed it by barely a majority, but she ended up playing for half of the year."

"And Slytherin won every game she played," put in Ophelia. 

Flitwick shook the paper in his hand.  "While that, if anything, may point to her being quite observant, we have to get back to whether or not she is the best in Slytherin for this."

The mood instantly became solemn again.  Severus nodded firmly as he said, "I believe she is.  She is very talented in Defense.  If we have the students work together on this, they should at least know each other.  If I am correct, aren't Miss Lewis and Miss Nisal friends?"

Flitwick nodded energetically.  "Best friends."

Remus nodded as though he were the one to officially decide.  "Two down.  Two to go.  Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, then."

Ophelia was the next one to speak up.  "What about that Weasley boy?"

"Which one?"

Ophelia rolled her eyes.  "Charlie." 

Flitwick immediately conjured up the records on Charlie Weasley.  "He has very similar skills to Miss Nisal, actually.  Most notably in Potions."

"Anitdotes, mainly," amended Severus.  "Regular potion-making is not his strongest discipline."

"Well, a good antidote-maker is something, don't you think?" asked Ophelia. 

Severus nodded in agreement.  "He's younger than the other two we've chosen."

"But he is extremely observant according to remarks from his Care of Magical Creatures instructor's notes, particularly in tracking an animal," continued Flitwick.  He peered at Severus from the top of his eyes, not lifting his head to look at the young man straight on.  "It is a promising skill for what we'll need these students to do." 

With a barely perceptible nod, Severus accepted the choice for the Gryffindor student.  "And from Hufflepuff?"

It was quiet for a long time.  No one could think of a student from Hufflepuff that was qualified enough for this.  Everyone was so deep in thought that no one noticed that Remus had done what Flitwick had done for the past three students and conjured up the academic record of a Hufflepuff student.  He was studying it intently in the silence.  After quite some time of contemplation, Remus whispered uncertainly, "Why not..."

Severus looked at his friend. "Why not who, Remus?"

Remus looked up but said nothing.  Instead, he handed the parchment to Severus, who looked only at the name before he returned his gaze to his former yearmate.  "You must be joking."

Remus shook his head, his manner completely serious.  "Look at her qualifications.  There's one there that has nothing to do with training that sets her apart from the other three we've already chosen!"

Severus looked again at the parchment.  When he saw the one word to which Remus had alluded, he was forced to agree with him.  "She's a metamorphmagus," he whispered in surprise. 

"And wants to become an Auror," finished Remus.  "How can you refuse that?"

Severus scowled.  "She's terrible in potions."

"A good fighter doesn't really have to be good in potions, Severus," Remus said, gently.  "She can become anything and anyone without Polyjuice Potion and her disguises could last far longer than one hour.  She's skilled in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and Transfiguration.  With skills like that, she doesn't need to carry weapons.  She can create them, conjure them, or use any sort of spell to do the job."  Remus took a breath before continuing to press Severus.  "Sure, Charlie Weasley and Xuxa Nisal are good at Potions, but can they fight?  Are they truly resourceful in a combat situation?  Here you have a student who is capable of combat and wants to become an Auror.  Why would you turn her down for this?"

Severus grew aggravated.  "Why are you pushing her onto me, Remus?"

Remus met his gaze solidly.  "Because I know what it's like to be underestimated, and considering your reaction, I bet she always is."  

Unexpectedly, Severus found himself suddenly several years in the past, remembering a certain detention from years ago...

He stared at the two students from his place in the front of his Potions Classroom.  He knew they were still uncertain as to why they were even sitting in the room for a detention they could not possibly have deserved.  Severus agreed.  They didn't deserve to be serving detention, but the circumstances demanded a more private conversation than a simple chat in the hallway would allow.  That being the case, detention was the best and least suspicious option.

"I know you're wondering why I've assigned you detention tonight," he said, deciding to be merciful and break the proverbial ice. 

The Hufflepuff and Gryffindor relaxed just a little. 

Severus would have smiled had the situation not been as serious.  "I'm not going to force you to do anything distasteful for this.  I have to speak with the both of you of what happened today."  He began to walk towards the seated students.  "However," he said, almost as an afterthought as he brandished his wand and levitated some objects towards the pair.  "Just in case another of our faculty decides to visit, I have to have you doing something."  He nodded at the objects in front of them.  "Miss Tonks, if you would use the mortar and pestle to grind the ingredients in front of you and then put them into the empty vessels next to you, Mister Weasley will properly stopper and label them." 

The students nodded and began to perform their mercifully light assignments with no protestations.  It was silent for a long while before Severus decided it was time to explain the real reason for their detention.  "Miss Tonks," he began.  "Mr. Weasley."  He waited until they were both looking at him.  "You did nothing wrong today."  Severus made an odd facial expression as though an inner voice had just reminded him of something.  "In fact, I believe I should thank you for helping my son."  The two students simply nodded to their professor expecting him to continue speaking.  He did not disappoint. 

"But there is something I have to make clear to you."  As he said this, his attention shifted solely to Nymphadora Tonks.  "I know you would have told Mr. Weasley all about what happened when you went to find me to inform me of the situation with my son and Draco Malfoy."

Tonks opened her mouth to respond, but Severus spoke first.  "What happened and who you met cannot go beyond the three of us.  Do you understand?"

The two students shook their heads this time.  By Charlie's expression, Nymphadora had said nothing to him about her encounter in their professor's home.  Severus sighed.  "The man you met today, Miss Tonks...When I was a student, he and I were not what you could call friends.  Those who knew both of us in our days as students do not believe we have ever become friends.  It must continue to seem that way."

Tonks narrowed her eyes.  "Then why was he in your home?"

Severus looked at her with an odd expression as though weighing what exactly to tell the girl.  "Because he is my son's godfather."  Both students were clearly shocked by this information.  He let them take it in for a moment.  "As it is, very few people are aware of this.  It must be kept quiet."  

"Professor?" spoke up Tonks.  He looked directly at Nymphadora. "Why did you have to extinguish the floo when he was there?"

"Because not even the Headmaster or the other staff members in this school know that we have reconciled since our time as students, and it must remain that way."  He was growing impatient with her questioning.

"But, Professor, why can't anyone-"

"Because lives depend on it!" Severus snapped.  He sighed as he reigned in his temper and realized that the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students sitting in front of him were clearly surprised by his anger. He finally looked at Nymphadora again.  "Miss Tonks, you have never met him.  Do you understand?" 

Her response was a long time in arriving.  "Will I ever see him again?"

"I hope not."

"Why?"

Severus looked down and gathered his thoughts.  "Do you know the incantation of ‘legilimens'?"

Nymphadora shook her head.  Charlie, however, sat a little straighter.  "It's kind of like mind-reading, right, professor?"

Severus nodded.  "In a way.  It is a spell that allows a witch or wizard to enter the mind of another and find every secret of the other person, every memory, the identity of everyone held dear, your fears, your most treasured of objects and people."  The faces of his students were growing still and statuesque in their fear.  "It is an unpleasant experience...and not one I would wish on anyone.  It enables someone to pick anything from another's mind and use it as a weapon against them.  With that spell you can also control another's mind.  It is a very dangerous spell." 

Charlie whispered in response.  "Why isn't that an Unforgivable Spell?"

Severus looked at Charlie then.  "Why isn't Obliviate considered an Unforgivable Curse?" 

Charlie and Tonks exchanged glances at the question.  They obviously agreed with their teacher. 

"There is one defense to Legilimency."  He waited until they were both looking him in the eye.  "It is the craft of Occlumency."  Their faces went blank.  "Only those who require its use are typically familiar with it.  It acts as a sort of shield to protect you and your mind from invasion."

"Like the Protego Charm?" ventured the Gryffindor. 

Severus shook his head.  "Not precisely." 

"Professor," spoke up the Hufflepuff.  "Why aren't we taught Occlumency in Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

Severus looked at Nymphadora with an expression that very nearly gave away that he was impressed by the question, but a moment later the look was veiled again.  "Because only a skilled Legilimens would be capable of instructing students in it.  And also, it could be considered unethical to train students in an art that involves exposing everything in a student's life to the instructor while they are learning Occlumency."

"Oh," both students said quietly. 

It was quiet for a long moment before Severus began speaking again.  "However, we have digressed in this discussion."  He focused once again on Nymphadora.  "You both must keep Remus's identity safe.  If someone were to hypothetically use Legilimency on either of you and discover his connection to me...then everyone involved will be in grave danger.  Do you understand?"

Both of his students nodded. 

"I need your word for now."

"I swear, Professor Snape, to not say a word about Mr. Lupin," came the immediate response of Nymphadora Tonks. 

"Me too.  I don't even know what he looks like, but I promise that, too."  Charlie Weasley looked confused as he spoke the words, but it did not lessen the determination and resolve in his expression. 

Severus gazed at the pair of them, thinking it was not exactly much to go on, but...

"It will have to do," Severus finally determined.  "Provided she is the best option in Hufflepuff."

"I can't think of anyone else better suited for it," admitted Flitwick. 

Remus leaned back in his chair a little, though his back was straightened with a satisfaction that comes from besting another person at their own game.  Ophelia stared at the four pieces of parchment on the table containing the records of the four students.  Severus sighed.  "Alright.  How do we notify them all that they will be agreeing to potentially put their lives in danger?"

A slow smile spread over Flitwick's tiny face.  "I have an idea."

Remus watched his godson entertain himself on his parlor floor.  A variety of objects were spread out in front of the boy.  Among them was Tevin's favorite writing utensil - the pencil-quill he'd received from Severus during their first Christmas together, sheets and sheets of parchment, an open inkwell, and Remus's old Charms book which was opened to a page more towards the beginning than the end.  Tevin was bored by this point during his visits and usually spent his time practicing very difficult spells for his age with his training wand then writing down whether or not he could do them successfully.  If he failed to perform the spell correctly, he would make a note of it on one of his sheets of parchment to later show his father.  Severus would usually then give his son several quiet sessions of instruction on how to perform the spells correctly, unless they were a questionable charm that no child under the age of thirteen should even be performing, nevermind an eight year old child!

While Tevin was completely absorbed in his task, Remus Lupin was faring less than ideally.  Ever since that meeting with Flitwick, Ophelia, and Severus earlier he was getting increasingly more worried about the safety of his godson and his friends.  It was as though history were repeating itself, only instead of James, Lily, Sirius, and Harry the players had changed slightly. 

He watched his godson from his chair in his kitchen as he slowly nursed a cup of tea.  Opened in front of him was a rather worn piece of parchment - an impressively large piece of parchment - with many folds.  It had clearly been folded and unfolded many, many times with use.  Remus looked back at the parchment and saw several names all grouped into one spot - in a place that Remus knew as Severus's Potions Classroom - on it. 

Severus Snape

Ophelia Fay

Filius Flitwick

Charlie Weasley

Nymphadora Tonks

Xuxa Nisal

Judy Lewis

He sighed to himself as he looked again at his godson, who had just seemingly performed a spell successfully since his training wand let off a purple glow.  According to the map, Severus and Flitwick were offering their students the chance to put their lives at risk for the sake of Severus, his son, and Ophelia.  Finally, when Remus looked back at Tevin, he knew that he'd made his decision.  "Mischief managed," he said.  All of the ink on the parchment disappeared.

He stood with much more confidence than he really felt and approached Tevin, taking the parchment with him.  When he reached him, the boy looked up at him from his seated place on the floor and offered him a satisfied smile.  It was the expression that stopped Remus's voice in his throat.

"Look!" he said.  With an energy only found in an excited young boy, Tevin flourished his training wand as he forcefully incanted, "Relashio!"  The tip of the young wizard's wand briefly glowed bright purple before it extinguished. 

"Very good," Remus said half-heartedly.  Under normal circumstances, he would have been much more supportive, but not that day.  That day he was absorbed in other thoughts...thoughts that had nothing to do with the successful performance of a charm.  

Remus crouched low next to his godson.  "Tevin," he said, the seriousness of his tone was caught by the boy.  Tevin's smile vanished and put all of his attention on his godfather.  "I have something for you.  It's very important." 

Tevin said nothing.  He stared directly into Remus's eyes.  Remus looked intently at Tevin before continuing, trying to impress the importance and seriousness of the situation on the boy.  The older wizard held between them the large parchment.  "This is for you.  It was mine when I was a student in Hogwarts."  He held it out closer to Tevin.

The boy hesitantly accepted the folded parchment.  "What is it?  Just spare parchment?"

Remus tried to laugh, but he failed.  "No, Tevin.  It's..."  Remus sighed harshly.  He drew his wand and pointed it at the parchment.  Gently, he touched the tip of the wand to it.  "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."  Suddenly it was as though the parchment came to life.  Trails of footprints appeared then disappeared all over it.  Each set of footprints had a name next to it. 

"Is it a map?"

"Yes.  When I was a student we used it to evade people in the school."  Remus smiled in fond remembrance.  "Or, sometimes, to find people." 

Tevin was already unfolding section after section.  "Is that really Professor McGonagall?"

Remus made a show of looking to where Tevin was pointing.  "Yes.  This map never lies.  It can't lie." 

Tevin continued flipping while Remus watched him closely.  "Is my dad on this?"

Remus leaned forward and folded over several pages of the map until he found the location that he knew Severus was standing.  He pointed out his name.  "See?  Right there is your father." 

Tevin looked at the other names that were gathered around his father's name.  He recognized them all - they were students from the school.  He knew some of them - particularly Charlie and Nymphadora - more than the others, but he still knew who they were.  "Why are all these people there, too?" 

Remus knew exactly why.  "I think that's a question better answered by your father, Tevin."

Tevin went back to studying the map.  Then, after staring at the names for a long while for many moments, he wasked a question.  "Is this how you always knew when to come when no one else was there?"

Remus nodded.  "If others in Hogwarts knew that your father and I have been friends for many years things would be very different for all of us."  He didn't want to discuss this in greater detail, not now...not yet.  "But, Tevin, I wanted to give this to you to help you."

Tevin stared at it, his expression growing more and more confused by the moment.  "Why?  I don't need it."

Remus offered a half-smile.  He wished that weren't true.  "With this you can use it to find people that will help you."

Tevin looked at his godfather.  "With what?"

Remus hesitated.  "Enemies can come from where you least expect, Tevin.  You have to know who you can trust.  This map will let you find the ones you trust when you need them.  They won't need to find you with this because you'll always know where they are.  With this map, Tevin, you know where your enemies are and can avoid them."

Tevin nodded.  "How do I make the map go away?"

Remus smiled proudly.  He touched his wand to the map.  "You simply say, ‘Mischief managed.'"  The words, the map, and the names all vanished from the folded parchment. 

Tevin gave his godfather a wicked smile.  "But my training wand doesn't let me do real magic." 

Remus and Tevin stared at each other before the older man laughed.  "Well, then, Tevin!  I suppose we'll have to keep it on all the time for you then, won't we?" 

Tevin nodded.  "Uh-huh." 

Godfather and godson spent the next several hours looking at every section of the map, Tevin constantly asking questions while Remus patiently answered.  In the middle of one of Tevin's questions, the fireplace exploded in green flames.  Ophelia's face was there in the fire.  "Hello, Remus."  Then, she looked at Tevin.  "Your father wants you to come home, Tevin."  Her image disappeared from the fireplace. 

Tevin jumped up from his place on the floor and was about to step through the floo when his godfather's voice stopped him.  "Aren't you forgetting something?"  Tevin turned and saw Remus holding up the still-activated map, looking at it pointedly.  "Don't show this to your father right away."  Remus stood and went to the fireplace and snatched up some floo powder for Tevin.  The fire had since returned to its natural orange shade.

Tevin took the map.  He nodded.  "I won't tell Dad."  He folded it up as much as he could and then put it in his pocket, pulling his shirt down as much as he could to try to hide it from view. 

Remus tossed the powder into the flames.  "Snape home, Hogwarts."  The fire grew as it turned from orange to green.  "I'll see you soon."  He gave him a gentle nudge.

Just before he stepped into the fire, Tevin wondered aloud, "What if I don't know they're my enemy?"  But he was gone before Remus could answer. 

Severus turned to face his old Charms professor after he'd dismissed the four students from their joint detention from his classroom, gazing hard at the tiny professor. He waved his wand subtly.  "Muffliato." 

"That went well," ventured Flitwick. 

Severus's eyes lost some of their hardness.  "I'm not sure I can do this to these students." 

Flitwick came to his former student.  "We've told them everything-"

"-that they need to know, but not everything they should know.  How is that justifiable?" 

Flitwick sighed.  "You listen to me, Severus Snape, and you listen well."  He pointed his wand at Severus from his much lower position.  "The four students we've chosen are the best candidates we have.  It's why we chose them.  They will know the risks."

"How?"

Flitwick lowered his wand and shrugged.  "I'll draft up a parental agreement for each of them, telling them that we are working on developing a new course for Hogwarts." 

"That seems to be pushing the truth, don't you think?"

Flitwick's expression was wickedly clever.  "Necessary in this case."

"So we'll lie to their parents about the danger these students are going to be in." 

"You've already been lying to the Headmaster now for how many years, now?" 

Severus and Flitwick locked gazes firmly.  Finally, Severus admitted defeat.  "Very well.  Draft your release."  A moment later, he left his classroom and entered his Hogwarts home.  He saw Ophelia waiting almost nervously by the fireplace.  "Tell my son I want him home."  He was walking into Tevin's room as he heard Ophelia toss powder into the flames. 

Tevin fell to the floor of his room, panting heavily.  "Dad.  We have to stop."

Severus charged at his collapsed son and hauled him to his feet.  "Your shields were stronger last week.  You have to do better than this.  I know you can."  He barely steadied the boy before he stalked back across Tevin's bedroom and raised his wand. 

"Dad, please!"

"Legilimens!" barked Severus.  All speech was impossible for Tevin in that instant.  Memories assaulted the boy in rapid succession, good, bad, it didn't matter.  It was as though his head was being slammed repeatedly against a wall and split open.  He tried in vain to erect his mental shield, but it only made his head hurt worse.  He tried then calling out to his father, but he knew he didn't hear him. 

Without being fully conscious of doing so, Tevin grabbed his own head and clenched his eyes in an attempt at keeping tears at bay.  Tevin screamed out for his father until his throat hurt.  It was only when he was distantly aware of wetness on his cheeks and the faint sensation of his body smashing into the ground that his father's attack stopped. 

When Tevin opened his eyes and looked up at his father, he saw that his posture was rigid and stiff.  Severus took only one step forward but then halted immediately.  It looked like Minnie when she accidentally scratched someone and was wondering exactly how to apologize for the misdeed.  Severus looked down at the wand in his hand in shock. 

"Tevin," he whispered in a tone Tevin had very rarely heard. 

"Dad," he croaked from the floor, blinking slowly, knowing he couldn't stop his own tears.  Why did his father hurt him like that?  He couldn't even begin to guess. 

Then, his father was at his side again.  Tevin felt his hands gently encased and lowered from his own head.  "Son, I'm-"  Tevin kept his eyes closed as Severus ran his thumbs over the tracks of Tevin's tears, wiping them away.  "Oh, Tevin.  I'm so sorry, I-"

Tevin opened his eyes, then, and looked directly into the identical eyes of his father.  "Why did you do it so hard?  Are you mad?"

Severus's face crumbled.  "No, son, not angry.  I'm-I'm worried.  You have to learn this quickly, Tevin." 

Tevin did not understand.  "Why?"  When his father didn't say anything else, he tried again.  "Why do I have to learn Occlumency faster than before?"

He took a long time to respond.  "You have to be able to protect yourself if I'm not there." 

"You said you always would be."

Severus shook his head, his dark hair swaying like curtains in a gentle breeze.  "Unfriendly wicthes and wizards can be anywhere, Tevin, and I may not always be at your side to help you."  Tevin looked at his father in alarm.  "If I can, I will always be there, but if I can't I need you to be as well prepared as you can be."

"But, Dad, why are you pushing Occlumency like this?"

Severus smoothed back his son's unruly hair.  "Because it can save your life.  And Tevin-I-"  He choked on his own voice.  "Tevin, son...I can't lose you, too." 

The only thing Tevin could do was wrap his smaller arms around his father.  "You won't, Dad."  Severus embraced his only child and tried desperately to hold back his fear, his tears, and his sobs, but succeeding at none of them. 

Three days later, Dumbledore and McGonagall were not in the Great Hall for the mid-day meal.  However, everyone else - at least on staff - was in attendance.  While enjoying a particularly delicious lunch in the Great Hall, Filius Flitwick received four letters.  He had a suspicion as to who had sent them as soon as they were dropped near his plate.  With an excited little squeak and a quick dab of his napkin to his mouth, the small dueling expert opened each letter.  His smile increased with each one. 

"...I agree to allow my child Charles Weasley to participate in special, experimental instruction for the development of a Pre-Auror Training Class to take place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

Signed: Molly Weasley and Arthur Weasley

Relationship to Student: Parents

Date: June 6, 1989"

The others were the same form.  All he had to do was check for one section - the signatures of the guardians. 

"...Signed: Ren Nisal & Haruo Nisal"

"...Signed: Ted Tonks, Andromeda Tonks"

"...Signed: Gwen & Aaron Lewis"

Filius Flitwick exhaled in relief.  He looked out into the Great Hall and saw Severus's young son amongst the Hogwarts students.  They've all become accustomed to the boy's presence.  It was rather remarkable.  Tevin was huddled over an open book on the Slytherin House table as he devoured his lunch.  Next to him was Ronan Aloysius, a young and handsome boy with a calculating gaze and soothing carriage.  He was a god student, excelling at Charms, and an ideal candidate for a boyfriend.  However, he was already taken, and she sat beside him.  Xuxa Nisal, a young girl of Japanese descent, looked every bit as intelligent and clever as a member of Slytherin should.  She was the only girl to have ever played Quidditch for Slytherin in centuries - and all because she refused to be underestimated.  She was constantly alert and listening for anything interesting around her.  Flitwick nodded to himself.  He thinks they made the right choice from Slytherin. 

For the first time in several days, Flitwick was hopeful.  He put all of the letters back into the envelopes in which they came to him.  He would conceal them as soon as he left the Great Hall.  He had to protect them as much as he could.  Leaving their identities anywhere for someone to see would lead directly to their own attack.  This was something Flitwick could not handle.  He was already guilty about not telling them everything - especially the danger and risks involved.  The last thing he needed was a serious situation going on with these students. 

He tucked the letters into his robes and then looked to the side.  Severus was eating slowly, as usual, but with his focus that much more on his son.  Finally, he seemed to have become aware that he was being watched.  He turned his eyes to his former professor. 

"They've agreed, Severus." 

"All of them?" the younger man asked, spearing a steamed carrot. 

Flitwick nodded, cheerfully sipping his wine.  "I'll show you the letters later." 

Severus almost snorted.  "I believe you, Professor."  His voice trailed off and Flitwick recognized it all too well. 

"But?"

Severus sighed.  "I find it curious that both the Headmaster and his Deputy are absent the day you receive the parental releases."  He reached for his own wine then. 

Flitwick giggled.  "Severus, I happen to know that they are planning out next term's House Prefects right now." 

"During lunch?  They couldn't do it after classes?" 

Flitwick's glee vanished immediately.  "I know you're worried, my boy."  He took a long, much less cheerful sip of wine.  "And I would be lying if I said that I wasn't worried, too." 

Severus and Flitwick both looked out over the students in the Great Hall.  "I know," Severus said quietly.  "I know." 

Tevin felt a nudge on his back.  He glared up at his godfather, who only chuckled at him.  "Well, go on, then.  Are you waiting for a welcoming ceremony?"

Tevin sighed and then, with the determination typically associated with Slytherins, stomped up the stone steps of the house.  He raised his hand to knock on the door, but it was flung open just before he'd managed to touch it. 

"Hello, young Mister Snape!" exclaimed a more-than-normally disheveled Xenophilius Lovegood.  He took Tevin's upper arm firmly and tugged him into the house, smashing the boy against his chest in an overly enthusiastic hug. 

"Xeno," the voice of Luna's mother, Celene, came from the spiral staircase that dominated the center of the house.  She was just coming down from a higher floor.  "Don't kill the boy!" 

Xenophilius released a half-embarrassed and half-joyful laugh as he released Tevin from the suffocating embrace.  "We didn't tell Luna you were coming."

Before Tevin could say anything, Celene was suddenly beside her husband.  "We knew you wanted to surprise her."

Tevin managed to mumble out, "Not really," but no one heard him.  He would have rathered Luna knew he was going to visit.  He felt bad enough that he'd missed her birthday. 

Xenophilius extended his arm right over Tevin's head as he looked at the older man that brought Tevin to their home.  "I'm Xenophilius Lovegood, sir.  And this is my wife, Celene." 

Tevin skirted out from under Xenophilius's extended arm to find himself looking directly at the ever-quiet and almost shyly smiling Luna Lovegood from her place sitting on the spiral stairs.  He slowly approached his friend, distantly aware that introductions were taking place in the house between Luna's parents and his godfather.  The closer Tevin got to Luna on the stairs, the more her smile grew. 

"Hi, Luna."

She didn't respond right away, but fluttered her eyes to her feet.  It was a purely shy gesture.  "Hello," she said.  "What is that in your hand?"  Now that she'd spotted it, her curiosity was peaked.  Tevin shuffled awkwardly, quickly looking behind him to see his godfather talking to Luna's parents.  "Is it a gift?" 

Tevin blushed this time as his gaze darted to the floor.  He walked up to Luna with quick little steps, and held out the wrapped box, not daring to look at her.  He was beyond embarrassed.  The only other person - besides his father, Ophelia, and Remus - that he'd ever given a gift to was Draco.  Luna was a girl.  This could get weird.  He let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding when he felt the box taken from him. 

When he didn't hear it being opened after what seemed a very, very long time Tevin looked up at his friend.  She was still holding it and staring at it contemplatively.  "It's for you."

Then, without looking at him, Luna smiled.  "I usually prefer to open presents alone.  That way, if I don't like it, I don't have to lie to someone and say I do."

Tevin stared at her with confusion.  "So, you want to-"

"Open it myself later, yes." 

"Oh."

It was silent between them for a long while.  Silent and awkward.  Usually they could always find something to say, but Tevin was sure this weirdness was all because of the wrapped up box that had gone from him to her.  Finally, it was Luna that broke the silence.

"We're going away soon."

Tevin was excited to have something to talk about.  "Forever?  Where?"

Luna grinned at him, but did not reveal her teeth.  Her lips thinned as they spread in her smile.  "No, not forever.  Just the summer I think."  She reached out her hand to him.  "I made a map.  We hope to find creatures that no one's ever seen before!"  She shook her offered hand at Tevin, urging him to take it.  "I can show you."

Hesitantly, Tevin put his hand in hers.  With a kind smile, Luna led Tevin up the winding staircase. 

"We've met Tevin's father and mother, but we've never met you before, sir," said Xenophilius, as he stared at Remus Lupin with a suspicious twinkle in his eyes.  Celene used her wand to levitate three cups to their little group.  Each person took one of the cups and sipped it slowly.  "So," said Xenophilius instantly after he swallowed his mouthful of tea.  "Who are you to Tevin Snape?"

Remus studied the liquid in his cup for longer than was necessary.  "I am his godfather."  Then, he deliberately sipped the hot liquid. 

 Celene took in this information calmly, while Xenophilius continued to study this new person.  "You've never been with him in Diagon Alley when we've all met at Fortescue's."

Remus didn't miss a beat.  "I'm away often."

Neither did Xenophilius.  "For work or for leisure?"

This time, Remus hesitated only a moment.  "You could say a little of both.  My life is very sensitive to nature."  He sipped his tea again.  He had no idea what the flavor could possibly be!  It was spicy yet bitter all at once.  Not exactly to his taste, but he was not about to be a rude guest and refuse it. 

Xenophilius was about to ask another question, but Celene finally managed to speak first.  "Xeno, why don't you check on the children?"

Xenophilius smiled softly at his wife before he nodded just so and left the pair alone.  He was curious anyway to see what sort of things Tevin Snape could be getting Luna to talk about.  He liked the boy, even if he thought there was something suspicious about his godfather.  

Celene smiled kindly at Remus.  She raised her wand and levitated the cup from his hand.  "I can tell you aren't enjoying that flavor, Mister Lupin."  She laughed when his grateful expression only confirmed it.  "Don't worry," she reassured him.  "I won't tell Xeno." 

Remus was uncertain as to what was acceptable for him to do in this house.  How much at home could he make himself?  He wasn't sure.  He opted on the side of caution and contented himself by leaning just enough to balance his weight properly against the top corner of the cluttered writing desk.  "Mrs. Lovegood," he began before he was abruptly interrupted. 

"Celene."

Remus nodded.  "Celene," he acquiesced.  "How was Luna's birthday party?"

At this question, Celene's expression lost its pleasantness.  She hesitated in her response, as though she were choosing her words carefully.  "There are many people in this world that have nothing better to do than judge others."

Remus was taken aback by this.  He was about to speak, but she continued.  "She has some friends that she spends time with when we go to Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade.  She's even made friends on our trips to find their mysterious creatures in other countries."  She sighed as she began to manually wash the cups from tea.  She did not look at Remus.  "It isn't the children.  It's the parents." 

Remus didn't know how to respond to this.  What he did know was that sometimes silence comforted more than words.  He went to stand beside Luna's mother at the kitchen sink.  Without a word he held out his hand in askance for the rinsed but still wet cup.  She looked up and he saw that she was trying to compose herself as best she could.  But she did offer him a tiny smile as she gave him the cup.  "I'm glad that she has Tevin for a friend.  At least his father doesn't judge her by her parents."

"If Tevin and Severus were ones to prejudice then you can be sure that I wouldn't-"  Remus clamped his jaw.  He'd said too much.  He tried to say something else - anything else - to conceal his slip.  "You both have nothing to be ashamed of."

When Celene looked at him with a studious expression he knew that she did not miss it.  He watched her as she swept her gaze over the faded scars on his face.  He even saw her thinking.  "You said your life is sensitive to nature, Mister Lupin."  He was scarcely breathing.  "And I assume that you know what it's like to be prejudiced against based on what you almost said, which means you are something that most of our kind would still call..."  Her eyes narrowed in thought.  "...different." 

"Yes."  His reply was nothing more than a whisper.  He gripped the cup so tightly that his fingers were colorless. 

Then, her expression was one of comprehension.  "You're a werewolf, aren't you?" 

Remus lowered his head as he swallowed thickly and put down the first cup to dry.  Immediately, he picked up the second.  He refused to look at the blonde woman.  He was stunned to find a pale hand gently resting on his arm.  His shock was increased when she touched her fingertips just below his chin and tilted his head up to look at her.  What he saw was not pity, but rather compassion.  "And like my family, you have nothing for which to be ashamed." 

For the first time in years, Remus Lupin was rendered speechless. 

Luna's room was filled with drawings, loose parchment, capped inkwells, and books - so many books!  Tevin was convinced that she had so many books that it could possibly even rival the collection that his father kept...at least the one they had in their home in Spinner's End.  The one at Hogwarts was absurdly huge!  Plus they had the library in the school.  Nevertheless, Tevin was impressed for two reasons.  Firstly, he was impressed by the sheer amount of books.  Secondly, he was impressed in a completely different way by the complete disorganization of it all! 

However, the chaos of the room did not hinder Luna.  She seemed to know exactly where everything was in the room!  Tevin was taking every step gingerly so that he didn't accidentally crush anything, while she was practically bounding through the mayhem!  Eventually, she pushed on his shoulders and he found himself plopped onto the only visible area of carpeting in the room as she skipped through her room intent on searching for something.  In a matter of moments, she seemed to locate it and she brought it back to Tevin and flung herself down beside him. 

"Look at this!"

Tevin noticed that the book in his hands had a sort of pieced together quality to it.  It was extremely colorful and there were all sorts of headlines about creatures that Tevin was sure could not possibly exist.  In several instances, the word Quibbler was used all over the cover alone.  He tentatively opened the cover.

"Mum helped me make it," supplied Luna to his curiosity.  "She used a permanent sticking charm to the pages so that I could keep all of these things in one place and they don't fall out." 

Luna reached over and turned a few pages before she pointed to a sketch that was stuck in the book.  "I'm going to take a trip with Dad one day to find that."

Tevin looked at it, trying to hold back telling her that the creature she wanted to find could not possibly be real.  Instead, what he said was, "What is it?"

Luna giggled.  "Don't you know?  It's a Crumple-Horned Snorkack!"  Tevin looked at the drawing doubtfully.  "They live in Sweden, but no one's actually seen one.  This is what it's supposed to look like.  Me and mum and dad are going to be the first people to find one!"  She looked at him with a shy smile. 

Tevin wasn't sure anymore if Draco was wrong and Luna Lovegood was just a little...off.  When Xenophilius Lovegood opened the door a moment later, he saw his daughter and her friend staring at each other.  Another moment after that, Luna asked him to tell Tevin all about Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. 

"Expecto Patronum!" shouted two students on one end of the parlor belonging to Professor Snape's living chambers in Hogwarts.  The result of their spells was a bright shield.  Dejectedly, the two students lowered their wands. 

"Almost!" encouraged the small Professor Flitwick.  "You, Miss Lewis, have almost produced the full-bodied Patronus."  The two girls, Judy Lewis and Xuxa Nisal, exchanged competitive glances.  As best friends, they were always trying to outdo the other. 

Not one to admit defeat, Xuxa raised her wand again and cried out, "Expecto Patronum!"  The result of the charm was a half corporeal version of her true Patronus.  The only thing visible was a pair of wings before the half-animal dissolved again. 

"Nearly there, Miss Nisal, well done!"

Xuxa gave Judy a smug and teasing grin.  Judy shook her head at her friend from Slytherin, and exclaimed the incantation of the charm again.  Feathers took shape from her wand, and then it quickly turned into the form of an owl.  The three occupants of the room all stood and looked at the silvery owl that flew around the room.  When the Patronus faded, Flitwick gave a little excited hop and shouted, "Well done!  An owl.  Very interesting, Miss Lewis!"  He conjured a piece of parchment and an ornate quill and jotted something down before he vanished it with a wave of his wand. 

Xuxa was about to try to match her Ravenclaw friend's level when three other people came through the nearby door that led to the corridor outside of Professor Snape's home.  The professor led the way and was followed by Nymphadora Tonks who was half-carrying, half-dragging Charlie Weasley along with her.  They all looked exhausted.

"What happened?" cried Flitwick.

Severus motioned with his wand to Nymphadora.  "Lay him down on the sofa."  She began to comply, while the Ravenclaw and Slytherin students hurried to help her. 

Severus wasted no time in meeting Flitwick at the kitchen table.  "Mister Weasley is the furthest from picking up the Occlumency lessons.  His mind is not particularly strong." 

"Did you-"

For just an instant Severus looked a little guilty.  "I may have been too forceful.  He was unconscious before he could even try to get his shields up."

Flitwick's face did not betray his thoughts.  "You can't push them too hard.  They're not as gifted at this as you, my boy."

Severus sighed.  "Sometimes it's difficult to remember that."

Flitwick nodded.  "I know."  Then, the smaller professor could not hold in his excitement any longer.  "Miss Lewis has produced a full, corporeal Patronus only moments before you came in." 

"Really?" 

Flitwick nodded, clearly allowing his pride to come through.  She was of his House after all.  "A wonderful owl!" 

"And Miss Nisal?"

"Almost there.  She's halfway to a full-formed one.  All we can see are wings.  Very exciting."

Severus knew that his former professor was always a little excitable when his students succeeded in his field of expertise.  He briefly smiled.  Then, he thought of the lessons that he was conducting.  "The best in Occlumency right now is Miss Tonks.  I think it's her determination to succeed." 

"Or to prove herself to you."  Flitwick looked at his former student mischievously.  "I know how hard on her you are in Potions Class." 

From the other side of the living space, the professors heard their students practicing enthusiastically.  "Expecto Patronum!"  From the wand of Nymphadora Tonks there emerged a set of wings. 

"Mine has wings, too!" exclaimed Xuxa before Nymphadora's was able to fully take shape.  It dissolved as she lost her concentration. 

"So does mine," added Judy.  "Except mine are feathers.  It's an owl."

"Wicked," groaned a very tired Charlie from the sofa. 

It was time to return to Hogwarts.  "It's been a pleasure," said Remus to Celene, as they watched Luna lead Tevin down the spiral stairs by the hand.  Xenophilius followed behind them, looking oddly pleased about something. 

"I'm sure that he made Luna's day today by visiting," her mother said.  From her expression, Remus could tell that both the Lovegood parents were fond of Tevin. 

The kids were talking as they came towards the fireplace where Remus and Celene stood.  "Maybe you can come with us to find the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.  We're not sure when we're going, but it might be even more enjoyable with a friend."

Tevin smiled at her, even though his eyes were clearly saying that he wasn't sure how seriously he should be taking the conversation.  "Maybe."

Luna looked up and it seemed she only just noticed that Remus was next to the fireplace.  "Is it time to leave already?"  Remus nodded with a kind smile to the blonde girl.  "That's a shame," she said.  "We didn't even go out into the garden to show you what we've been growing this year."

"There's always next visit, Luna," put in Xenophilius from behind the children. 

Luna seemed to glow.  "When can he come back?" she asked her father. 

Xenophilius looked the image of a doting father.  "Whenever he'd like."

Luna and Tevin exchanged genuine matching smiles. 

Remus didn't really want to, but he knew Severus would nearly start panicking if he didn't have Tevin home in time.  "Come on, Tevin." 

Tevin only took one step in his godfather's direction before Luna flung herself at him and hugged him as only children could do.  "Bye, Tev!" 

Remus was surprised to see Tevin hug back.  "Bye, Luna."

In another moment, Remus was spinning through the green floo flames with his godson towards a certain Potions Master's Hogwarts Suite.

The fireplace erupted in green as Remus and Tevin stepped through into the parlor of the Snape residence in Hogwarts.  Remus instantly realized that he probably could have waited for a few more minutes at the Lovegood home with Tevin when he saw that there were four students in the room. 

"Mr. Lupin!  Good to see you!" announced Flitwick as he came dashing out from behind the sofa.  "And young Snape."

"Hi, Professor," Tevin said cheerfully, causing a happy little squeak from the Charms Professor. 

While this greeting was being exchanged, Remus went right over to Severus.  "I'm sorry.  You said to have him back by now so I did.  I thought you'd be done."

"I did, too, Remus."  Severus shook his head as though to remember something.  "What's done is done."

"Mr. Lupin?" came a quiet voice just out of his peripheral vision. 

Remus turned and acknowledged the young girl.  "Miss Tonks.  We meet again." 

A smile spread on her face and her hair turned bubblegum pink.  Remus noticed that with her hair pink it almost - just almost - disguised her blush.  He could't help but smile back at her. 

"I almost did a full Patronus today."

Remus was suddenly in academic mode.  "Oh?  Was it recognizable?"

She shook her head, but her happy expression did not change.  "Not yet, but I know it has wings." She bit her lower lip suddenly as though nervous.  Remus opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, but she found her voice first.  "Do you want to know what memory I used to get just wings?"

Once, again Remus opeed his mouth to reply, but he was beaten again vocally - this time by Flitwick.  "My, my!  Our time for training is up for today, everyone.  Back to your Common Rooms before the Prefects start giving you detention for wandering the halls!" 

Nymphadora's hair returned to its mousy brown color as she lowered her head as though embarrassed.  She quietly turned from Remus and gathered her bag along with the other students, before they were all ushered towards the portrait door so they could all go back to their respective dormitories, Flitwick waving them on behind them. 

"That was interesting."

Remus turned to face Severus.  "What?" 

Severus grinned on one side of his mouth at his friend.  "Nothing."  Then he turned his attention to his son.  "Did you have fun at Luna's?"

Tevin bounded over to his father excitedly.  "She wants me to come with her and her family when they go to Sweden to find Crumple-Horned Snorkacks!"

Severus made a face that looked like he'd just eaten something rotten.  "Tevin, there's no such thing."

"But," protested the boy, "she had sketches of it and everything."

Severus shook his head.  "Tevin, there is no such thing as a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, no matter what sort of illustrations she has of it.  She's filling your head with nonsense." 

"Is not."

Severus only stared at his son for a long moment before his tone softened.  "Go wash up.  We'll work on your shielding before bed."  Tevin sighed in quiet protest, but went to do as his father asked. 

Luna was a fan of saving almost everything.  She carefully removed the ribbons from the box and gently set them aside before she got to the main part of the present that Tevin gave her.  Part of her was curious, while the other part of her was excited.  Only her family had gotten her presents before.  She slowly opened the box, wanting to prolong her suspense as long as she could.  She didn't need to worry.  Right on the top was a small, folded piece of parchment. 

She took it out and read it.  There wasn't much on it.

Luna,

I hope you like these. 

- Tevin

Luna tilted her head.  That was certainly an odd thing to put on a card.  Of course the gift-giver would hope the recipient would like their present!  However, when she looked in the box again, what Tevin had written no longer seemed odd.  Nestled on carefully folded fabric was a pair of beaded objects.  They had a hook on the end of them.  What the hook connected to was an object that she recognized.  Radishes. 

"That's a very thoughtful gift he gave you, Luna."

Luna turned and saw her father leaning on the doorjamb of her room, a strange expression on his face.  She wasn't sure if he was pleased or if he was in pain.  It may have been both.  It wasn't his expression however that confused her more.  "Why?"

Xenophilius slowly walked into the room and knelt beside his daughter.  "Well," he began, with the reluctance of a parent thinking they were having a conversation too soon in their child's life.  "This is your first present from a boy, yes?"

Luna smiled and nodded enthusiastically.  "Yes!"

Xenophilius nodded.  "Now, what you will learn as you grow up is that when a girl gets a present from a boy it usually means something...a bit more than just giving a present." 

The confusion was beginning now.  It must have been the look on her face that prompted her father to elaborate.  "You see, most boys are shy or don't ever want to talk about their feelings - especially to a girl - so they sort of leave clues for the girl to figure out what they're trying to tell the girl." 

Luna was now suspicious.  What she thought her father was suggesting was ludicrous...wasn't it?  "Tevin is trying to tell me he likes me?"

"I think that he's trying to tell you that he-"

"Of course he likes me!  We're friends!  I hope he likes me if were friends." 

Xenophilius sighed.  "Luna," he said, gently taking the box with the radishes from her hand and putting it down on the floor beside them.  "I did the same thing with your mother." 

"But you aren't shy around mum."

"I was before you were born.  I was very shy around her.  I never would have been able to tell her that I loved her out loud, so I gave her a few clues along the way.  Left her riddles and things.  It wasn't very clever, really." 

Luna looked at her father as though he were the key to all worldly knowledge.  "So, if Tevin is trying to tell me that he likes me he'll give me more presents?"

"Don't judge it by how much he gives you, dearest, but by what the present means that he gives you." 

Luna stared at Tevin's present for a long while next to her father before she dared to ask, "Did you give something like that to mum?" 

Xenophilius nodded.  "Yes.  And very soon after she gave me a matching one."

Luna looked at the curious charm that hung around her father's neck.  Her mother had the mate of his necklace.  It was a curious design - an interwoven triangle, circle, and straight line.  A very simple-looking thing, really.  "Is it your charms?"

Xenophilius tenderly touched the charm, a soft smile playing at his lips.  "This is a symbol of three things that will make one master of death.  Thankfully, your mother was a clever Ravenclaw who understood what I was trying to say." 

"What does it say?"  Now she was beyond curious. 

"It means that not even death would make me love your mother less.  That what I felt for her would be more powerful than if death were to separate us." 

Luna looked at the very simple shape at her father's chest in a completely new light.  Such a simple thing could mean something so powerful?  Then, she looked at her present from Tevin.  "So, what does a radish mean?"

Xenophilius smiled at her.  "You're a smart girl, Luna.  You have to figure out the clue he left you."  Then, her father stood up again, and left his daughter's room. 

Only moments after he'd shut the door, Luna had searched through her volumes of books until she found one about plants.  She quickly turned the pages until she found what she was looking for - radishes.  She read it several times through.

This plant is sometimes a symbol of protection.  To give one as a gift is to wish for the recipient's safety. 

Luna stared at the entry and then stared at the the radish earrings.  Was Tevin really giving her a gift of protection?  From what was what she could not figure out.  The gesture, however, was thoughtful as her father said, though. 

With a dull thud of the book closing, Luna Lovegood immediately decided that she would get her ears pierced as soon as possible.

"Draco?" Tevin said quietly from their place in front of their cauldron, where he lazily stirred their concoction.

"Hmm?" the blonde responded. He looked as glum as Tevin felt.

"Did your dad change his mind yet? About Durmstrang?"

Draco's expression darkened and his finger stopped guiding his reading in the potions book. He blinked and then quietly sighed. "No."

"So, you're still going there and not Hogwarts?"

Draco nodded. Both boys hated to discuss this topic. "Mother wants me to go to Hogwarts. She wants me to stay close to home. But Father wants me to go to the best school he could think of...and that's Durmstrang."

Tevin brought up the same argument he always used in this conversation. "But you like Hogwarts."

Draco responded the same as always. "I like Durmstrang, too, but..."

This was the first time that word ever came into Draco's response. "But?" Tevin prompted.

"But you and Uncle Severus are at Hogwarts."

The two best friends looked at each other for a moment before Draco's attention was caught by a commotion in the driveway across the street. It was a family of three, just like his except that they were completely dissimilar to his family. For instance, they were obviously muggles if the large machine in front of their home was anything to judge them by. The woman was very thin, while the man was rather plump. The child, on the other hand, looked like his entire body suffered the swelling jinx! Draco swore that if he gave the boy a shove, he'd roll wherever he pushed him. The mental image made Draco snort.

"What, Draco?"

"That!" the blonde said, pointing out of the window at the family across the street. "Look at that!"

Tevin looked out of the window. "It's just some family..."

"Of fat muggles!" Draco began to snicker to himself. "And you wonder why my family doesn't like muggles!" Tevin began to uneasily laugh. "Because of people like that! Muggles are an embarrassment in the world everywhere. They really shouldn't be allowed anymore, really. They should all just go away forever - leave it all to us."

"Including muggleborns?"

"Of course, Snape! They don't really count in the Wizarding World."

Tevin looked down before he glanced again at the strange and loud family across the street as they all gathered into the car. It wasn't as though he hung around muggles completely, but he wasn't as prejudiced against them as the Malfoys. After all, Ophelia was muggleborn...

Draco seemed to think of that fact at the same time. "Except your mother. She's alright. She doesn't count as muggleborn, really..."

Ophelia and Arabella were in the next room from the two boys, spending time catching up with each other as the groomed the kneazles that were due at the Emporium in Diagon Alley by the beginning of December. This particular brood of kneazles was evenly tempered but extremely curious - too curious.

Arabella looked out of her window and saw once again that the family across the street still had one child in tow. She heaved a heavy sigh.

"What's wrong, Bella?"

Arabella shook her head as she ran her groomer's brush along the kneazle's bright orange fur. "There should be another child in that family. It makes me wonder what happened to the boy sometimes."

"Did he die?"

Arabella was confused. "Well, I never really found out. I was told I was supposed to keep an eye on the other boy, but I've never seen him."

"Then, how do you know that that-" She was about to say an unkind adjective. "-large boy isn't the one you were supposed to watch?" Suddenly, a spike of fear hit Ophelia. She suddenly remembered a phrase from a piece of parchment.

Years ago I charged you to watch over Harry Potter.
He will be in the care of the Dursleys in the near future.

The realization and connection made Ophelia nearly rip out the kneazle's fur as her arm jerked instinctively while she brushed him. The kneazle hissed at her and ran off into the next room. She was stunned. "Harry Potter." She barely saw Arabella look at her. "Harry Potter is supposed to live there." That family had to have been that of Lily's sister - Petunia! She stared out of the window for a second looking for any similarity between Lily and the blonde woman who was getting into the car. She saw nothing in common. But it had to be Petunia.

"He was supposed to be there. Dumbledore thinks he's found him again." Arabella continued to brush the kneazle, not noticing the tension in her cousin. "Wonder where the boy's been all these years."

Ophelia tried not to look in the next room where Draco and Tevin were brewing potions. She could not afford to even give Arabella a hint. She looked at her cousin, trying to study her, wondering just whose side she would be on if she were to know. Would she go running to Dumbledore? Would she keep quiet and be another on the inside - one of the few who knew Tevin's other identity? At that moment, Ophelia realized that she had no idea.

It was a revelation that frightened her.

"I don't know."

Arabella snorted. "Very odd that a boy like that could just vanish off the earth for this long, and no one knows about him, isn't it?"

Arabella was asking too many questions. Ophelia needed to change the subject, but she couldn't find a safe topic. Not with the terrible thoughts of how things could go wrong so quickly spiraling through her mind. "And why his family hasn't been looking for him."

"Never liked them much," her cousin said. "Spoil their boy rotten." She gestured out of the window with her brush. "Just look at him!"

Ophelia looked but she didn't really look at the rotund boy. She looked at Petunia. She wondered just what sort of life Tevin would have had if he had been raised by his magic-hating aunt. She remembered Severus telling her that Lily's sister disdained the magic that the two of them could do. Not because it was exactly evil, but more because she herself could not do it. What would have happened to Tevin? It was for everyone's best interest that Severus snatched his own son from Petunia's front step. She doubted Tevin would be as pleased with his young life in his aunt's care as he was with his father.

"Mister Snowflake," called Arabella, as she left her grooming table looking for the extremely fluffy white kneazle. "You're the last one!"

Ophelia came out of her reverie at that. How long she'd been lost in thought looking out the window at Petunia's house and family she could not be completely sure. Whatever it was, it was far too long.

"He's in here!" shouted Tevin from the other room.

Ophelia watched as Arabella seemed to ready herself for battle before going into the other room. "He hates getting brushed. I can never figure that out. Most kneazles like grooming time. And he runs away from me when I come for him." She started toward the other room. "You be ready at the table with that brush. He runs fast."

Ophelia laughed. "I'll be ready."

Arabella smiled back at her then started off on her hunt for Mister Snowflake.

The time seemed to go agonizingly slowly before she heard anything from the other room. But the silence was more than made up for when it sounded as though chaos broke out in the other room. It was laden with hissing, growling, and shouting.

"You were in charge of it! Can't even mix the thing without being distracted!"

"You're distracted, too."

"As if I could help being distracted with the spectacle those muggles make of themselves across the way."

"Boys! Stop. You're scaring Mister Snowflake."

"Bet he's scared of you, really."

"Draco! Shut it!"

There was a protesting hissing sound and a snarl that followed.

"I caught him, Aunt Bella!"

"Are you mad, Snape? Get it away from the cauldron!"

It was that sentence that sprung Ophelia into action. It did not seem that Draco's complaints were always valid, but in this case she agreed with him. She quickly headed toward the other room. But no matter how fast she moved, she could not slow the events just through the door.

"Give him to me!"

"The cauldron!"

"It's not his fault!"

"Draco, no! You'll burn your hands!"

Draco screamed. "Move, Snape!"

She had only gotten to the archway separating the two rooms before she was blinded. She grabbed onto the doorjamb for support. In that moment, she heard three distinct sounds.

The explosion itself.

Screaming.

And the sounds of bodies smashing against something solid as they were thrown by the explosion of the cauldron.

Then, there was silence.

She did not want to, but she had to open her eyes. She saw the blood, and she saw the three bodies on the floor. Once the image of the room settled in her mind, it was instinct and adrenaline that drove her forward. Ophelia knew that these injuries were beyond her ability - at least all of them at once. She needed to bring them to help. She saw that the boys were breathing, and that they were the least harmed. It was Arabella. Arabella lay in a pool of blood, the burned and charred body of her now dead kneazle in her soaked arms. She was not moving, her breathing was labored.

Ophelia grabbed hold of her cousin's arm and with a snap disappeared from the house to apparate her to the help she needed.

It was another snap that found her just outside of Saint Mungo's Hospital. The hospital seemed eerily quiet in her moments of near panic. She didn't even think to cry out for help. The only thing she noticed was the tiny sound that came from Arabella at her feet.

"Arabella!" she cried as she crumbled to the ground, managing to cradle her cousin's broken body.

"I can't," came the gurgled response. It was a terrible sound. It was in that moment that Ophelia realized there was damage to her cousin's lungs.

"We're at Saint Mungo's. I'm getting you help."

"-can't die yet."

Ophelia struggled with tears. "You're not going to die."

But Arabella didn't seem to notice Ophelia's presence anymore. "-Potter boy...must-" She coughed with the effort to speak. "-watch him. Dumble...dore said it's-" She coughed violently then, blood beginning to run from the corner of her mouth. "-important."

Ophelia couldn't even speak. She was frozen where she was. All she could do was say one word. "Help." Not even Ophelia knew if it was a cry for the medical staff of the hospital or if it was to reassure her dying cousin.

Arabella moaned softly in pain, her head lolling. Ophelia steadied her and looked into her eyes. "You're going to be fine," she said through clenched teeth. "I promise you'll be fine. Do you understand me?"

Arabella said nothing. She released the little air she managed to get into her drowning lungs, and let her eyes fall closed. Ophelia was chilled in terror. "No, no!" With an extreme surge of desperate strength, Ophelia rose to her feet with Arabella in her arms.

She walked only a few steps before she was overwhelmed with pain. She fell back to the ground with her burden, gasping. With dawning horror, Ophelia identified the source.

In her terror, Ophelia apparated back to Privet Drive with Arabella's body. She was not even certain if she could reverse this pain in which she now found herself, but if it were possible, she knew what she had to do. What she had to do was protect the two young boys who were within the wreckage of the parlor of her cousin's home.

But it did not change the simple horrifying reality that the long-faded marks on her hand no longer resembled scars.

Her right hand was burning.

It seemed like it took a long time before he could see clearly once he regained consciousness. It took even longer for him to remember exactly what had happened that brought him to where he was now. He remembered making a potion with Draco, then talking about the muggle family that lived across the street. Once he remembered the white kneazle that came running full speed into the room, the rest of what happened hit him seemingly all at once.

Mister Snowflake ran into the room, directly at them with Arabella behind him. Tevin helped her catch the animal, but it was angry, and it swished his tail in every direction as he squirmed frantically in his grip. It was the tail that had knocked the cauldron over. Draco had tried to stop that from happening, but in his instinctual reaction to keep the cauldron from tipping over and spilling the potion, he burned his bare hands on the very hot metal of the cauldron. Everything after that happened so quickly. The potion spilled from the cauldron, and it flowed directly into the flame that was heating it. Then, the explosion took them all in different directions, smashing Tevin into the stonework of the fireplace where he almost immediately lost consciousness. All he remembered in the moment that his vision was going dark was his best friend's scream.

Draco.

Tevin's eyes grew huge as he looked around the chaotic room. It hurt to move his head, so he turned his head slowly. When he noticed that his head hurt, he reached up carefully to check for injuries. He brought his hand back to look at it and saw that it was stained red. He was bleeding from his head. He looked dizzily at his hands, finding some minor scratches on them. They were also bleeding. It wasn't terribly serious, but his head might be. His whole body was throbbing in pain, but he didn't think he was bleeding anywhere else. He just hurt.

"Draco?" His voice sounded quiet even to himself.

He saw Draco but didn't hear him. With slow care and effort, Tevin began to crawl towards his friend. If he was hurt, it was very likely that Draco was too. "Draco?" he tried again. The blonde didn't make a sound.

"Fay?" Tevin called. He still sounded quiet to himself. "Fay!" he tried a little louder. He stopped crawling. The house was quiet. He didn't even hear the other kneazles moving in the house. It was as though they knew something bad had happened, and thought silence was the appropriate response.

Silence met him no matter what he did or what he said.

Tevin knew that he needed help. And he needed help now. Not only for himself, but for Draco. His crawling had gotten him far enough away from the fireplace to be able to see the objects on the mantelpiece. When he looked in that direction he briefly had the thought that it was a good thing the explosion hadn't thrown him directly into the fireplace. It was still burning. That was certainly lucky.

What was also lucky was that the floo powder container had ended up on the floor from the explosion!

Flooded with relief at this, Tevin began back to the fireplace right for the floo powder. He needed to get someone. His father was in class right now, and that room didn't have a fireplace. It was probably why many students complained that it was cold down there. Severus always countered their whining by telling them that if they were so desperate for heat that they should maybe work harder and directly above their cauldrons as it was why potions-brewers were never cold. They were always around heat when brewing. Most of the time, it silenced the students into obedience.

Tevin snatched a pinch of floo powder and tossed it into the flames. If Fay was unconscious here, and his father was in class, there was only one other person he could call for help. "Remus Lupin," he said, as clearly and loudly as he could. When the flames turned green, Tevin painfully shoved his bleeding head into the fire. He needed to talk to his godfather.

Ever since Tevin Snape came into his life, Remus was beginning to think he would never again know what a normal day entailed. It was one of the first times recently he was able to sit down quietly and try to do a little bit of reading. Except it was disturbed by none other than his godson.

"Uncle Remus?"

Remus was about to respond in his usual teasing manner, until he saw that his godson looked injured. That could only mean that he was the emergency contact of the moment. "Tevin? What in Merlin's name happened?"

Tevin looked at him very seriously, but as though he was exhausted. "There was an accident. Draco's not moving, and-and I got hurt."

Remus hurriedly closed his book and half tossed it onto his sofa. "I'm coming through right now." Tevin extended his hand through the green flames to his godfather. Remus took it and allowed Tevin to lead him through to Arabella Figg's home.

He quickly looked Tevin over, and realized that the head wound was probably the biggest concern. "Anything else hurt?"

Tevin nodded as he responded. "My hands are scratched, but that's it." He showed Remus his hands. "But Draco's worse. He hasn't even woken up yet."

Remus nodded and went over to the blonde. "Draco?" He touched the back of his hand to the unconscious boy's forehead. "Draco?" He noticed that there were several angry burns on all of the boy's exposed skin - his arms, hands, neck, and face. They were all oozing and bleeding. His hair was a mess. His breathing was alright, though. He was just badly burned and unconscious.
Remus looked at Tevin gravely. "I think we should get the two of you to Saint Mungo's." Tevin nodded. "Now, your father will definitely want to know what happened, so-" He drew his wand and flourished it very deliberately. "Expecto Patronum!" From the tip of his wand burst a silvery stream of light, which landed upon the floor and took shape as a wolf. When it was fully formed it was as though it were alive as it turned and looked at Remus, awaiting its instructions. Remus met the gaze of the Patronus wolf. "Go to Severus and tell him what happened." The wolf did not respond verbally, it did not nod. It simply turned and then ran straight through the walls of the house.

Remus looked again at his godson, who was staring at the wall where the wolf was last seen with an emotion akin to amazement. He took hold of Tevin's shoulder, and, with the least amount of pressure required for the process, grabbed Draco's upper arm. He closed his eyes and with a quiet snap the three of them disappeared from Arabella Figg's home...

...just as Ophelia Fay appeared cradling her hand and looking around frantically for two young boys.

"Five points from Hufflepuff," he barked as an explosion of black soot shot up from the pair's cauldron, staining the two completely. They didn't even feel the need to argue the point deduction. They knew they'd messed up.

A Ravenclaw snickered next to them. He couldn't help it. They looked hilarious like that! His lab partner and girlfriend, Judy Lewis, elbowed him hard to try to get him to stop, but it didn't do anything. However, his laughter died when he heard Professor Snape clear his throat right in front of his cauldron. "Would you like to lose points for your house, Mr. Alroy?"

Rufus Alroy sobered immediately. Judy glared at him. "No, Professor Snape."

Severus arched one eyebrow. "I thought not."

He was about to move on to Nymphadora Tonks's cauldron when a silvery wolf came running into the classroom, drawing gasps from the majority of the students and his full attention. The wolf came right up to him and looked directly into Severus's eyes.

"There was an accident. I don't know where Ophelia is or if anything happened to her, but I'm taking Tevin and Draco to Saint Mungo's. Draco is a little worse off than Tevin. I'll be waiting with them until you arrive. Don't worry, Severus, but I know you will." Then, the silver wolf dissolved from the classroom.

Instantly, all of the students began talking to each other. That is, all but one. "Professor," she said. Severus looked out of the corner of his eyes and saw the concerned gaze of Nymphadora Tonks. "Was that-" She hesitated, and then mouthed Remus's name.

Severus nodded at her. Then, his attention went back to the class. With a quick motion of his wand, he established stasis charms on all of the cauldrons in the room. "Class dismissed. All of you will return on your break periods tomorrow, or each student missing will be responsible for ten points removed from their houses."

With the sounds of his students groaning behind him, Severus left the classroom, and went directly to the fireplace in his office. Almost without stopping in his stride, he summoned floo powder directly to his hand, banished it into the fire, shouted his destination and was spinning away through green flames to Saint Mungo's Hospital.

Somehow, he was able to get the two boys to be treated in the same room on the third floor of Saint Mungo's. Quite an accomplishment, actually, considering he was not related to the blonde in any way! But when a man appears in Saint Mungo's with two young boys injured in a potions accident, the staff only really cares about helping those who need it. Remus sat in his chair between the two beds - Draco on his left and Tevin on his right. He would alternate his attention from Draco to Tevin and back repeatedly. It was just as he was looking over Draco that the door to the room flew open, and he nearly leapt from his chair in surprise. 

"How are they?" Severus asked immediately, ignorant that his entrance frightened Remus. He went directly to his son, and perched on the edge of the bed. His dark eyes ran over his small form mentally cataloguing every area he could see, taking note of every injury. With a tenderness that surprised Remus, Severus brushed the fringe of dark hair away from Tevin's face, letting his hand linger on the boy's cheek. This simple action reminded Remus exactly how precious his son was to Severus.

"They'll be fine," Remus whispered, still rocked by the realization. "They said it was good to have brought them in when I did. The potion they were brewing had become unstable and poisonous-" Severus flinched at the term. "-but it was found quickly enough and they were able to get the toxins out of both of them."

It was as though Severus suddenly remembered that Draco had been involved in the incident. He turned his head to look at the blonde from his place next to his son. "Have the Malfoys been told about Draco?"

Remus shook his head. "I don't know."

Severus nodded. "They need to be told, and..." He hesitated, then looked at Remus with an an unspoken apology in his eyes. "When they know, they'll leave everything to come to their son."

Remus understood what Severus wasn't exactly saying. "And I can't be here when that happens." Severus nodded. He breathed deeply before he stood. "Go and tell them. I'll be gone by the time you come back from that conversation."

"I'm sorry, Remus."

Remus came to stand beside his friend. "Don't be. I wouldn't want to be in the same room with the Malfoys long anyway. No offense to them."

Severus allowed himself a small grin. He brushed his son's hair back again, not hearing Remus begin to leave the room until he also stood from the edge of the bed. He rushed out after Remus. "Remus," he called. The other man turned in the corridor outside of the room to face him. "Thank you."

Remus's only reply was with a nod. Then, he turned and began to walk towards the door that led to the exit of Saint Mungo's Hospital. Severus watched his son's godfather leave through the doors before he went to the third floor's waiting area, intent on using the fireplace. He took a pinch of floo powder and tossed it into the fire. He had some distressing news for Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy.

Remus left Saint Mungo's but he did not return to his flat. Something wasn't right about this whole situation. He knew that Severus usually supervised the boys during their potion brewing, unless - in most cases - he had classes to teach of detentions to sit through. If Severus was unable to supervise, then usually Ophelia would do so. If that was the case, there were only several possibilities.

The boys were secretly brewing a dangerous potion without telling anyone. This would definitely explain why no one else knew about it, and why Tevin had to resort to calling him for help.
But if no one knew about it, why would they be brewing at Arabella Figg's house? Wouldn't they be brewing somewhere else? A random room in Malfoy Manor - which would eliminate the need to call him for rescue if Draco's parents were right there? Spinner's End? Somewhere in Hogwarts? No.

They were at Arabella Figg's house because Ophelia was visiting her cousin. That had to be true. And if they were there, why would Tevin ask him for help and not Ophelia? She wasn't there when he'd arrived. What had happened to her?

Where was she now?

Remus needed to know why Ophelia wasn't the one that Tevin had gone to when he was hurt. He needed to go back to that house. He needed to know what happened.

Sometimes it was never fun to regain consciousness. "Why were they making such a dangerous potion in the first place?" bellowed his mother's voice. He knew that if his mother was there, than it was very likely his father was also there.

"The potion itself isn't dangerous-"

"Then how did Draco end up here like this?" came the venomous tone of his father.

"-only the reaction it had with direct contact to fire made it dangerous."

He felt a hand brush his hair away from his face. The hand was much too small to be his father's. It must be his mother. Either way, he couldn't muster up the strength to open his eyes to make sure.

"Are you implying to me that my son did this on purpose, Severus?"

There was a moment of silence, but only a moment. "Perhaps it escaped your notice that my son is also lying in this room with injuries."

The comment was ignored. "Draco would never be so foolish as to knock over a cauldron that was extremely unstable like that!"

Draco recognized the dangerous tone in which both his father and Tevin's spoke, particular when the latter responded, "And you believe mine is?"

"Both of you just stop!" whispered his mother, harshly. "They're both going to recover and from now on their potion-making will be monitored a little more closely." He heard the men in the room face his mother. "Can we all agree on that?"

Severus quietly agreed, while his father inhaled deeply. He was still very much annoyed by something. He only needed a moment to know what that was. "Where's your wife, Severus? Shouldn't she be here in distress over her son?"

At that point, Draco had had enough of his father nearly dueling with his friend's father. He decided it was time to make his consciousness known. He managed to moan just enough to get everyone's attention, and effectively stop conversation. "Draco! How are you feeling?"

"Horrid," he mumbled, without quite managing to get the words out. His mother ignored his poor pronunciation and pretended that she understood him perfectly. It didn't much matter to him, as he was far more interested in the bandages covering his hands and arms. He felt some on his neck as well, and a strange thick paste-like ointment on his face. "What happened, Mother?"

He only half listened as she told him what she knew about the incident. The rest of his attention was on his father and the older Snape, who were quietly talking to each other a few feet away from his bed. He was quite interested in what they were saying, as they both looked more and more worried as they continued to speak. After a moment or two, Severus raised his voice only a little, but enough for Draco to hear, "I don't know where she is, Lucius!"

Tevin's father then went and sat next to him on his bed. Draco wondered if Tevin had even woken up yet. He saw that Tevin's head had a bandage wrapped around it once. Probably to keep some sort of healing potion from getting all over the pillow if he tossed his head while he slept.

Draco's view of his friend was then blocked by the figure of his father coming to stand at his bedside. "Don't worry, Draco, we'll get you back home soon. The staff tells me that you were badly burned in your accident." Draco nodded, feeling sleep coming again. His mother's gentle stroking of his hair lulled him back to sleep.

Even before he was fully aware of his surroundings, he heard his name called out. "Remus!" He looked in the direction from which she cried, and then he saw her. Ophelia was crumbled into herself on the floor of the destroyed parlor. Beside her was Arabella. Remus rushed to them, and noticed immediately the stillness of Arabella. He touched her neck, her jugular...Nothing. There was no pulse.

"She's dead, Remus!" Ophelia growled at him.

He had never heard her sound like this. He took her in with his eyes. She looked haggard. Her hair had come loose and hung like drapes around her face. Her features were twisted in a fierce grimace. There was dirt on her clothing. But the two most important things he noticed in her form before him were the tears streaking her face, and how she clutched her right hand to her chest. It was that hand that caught his attention the most. She held it to her tightly with her left hand, but it could not disguise the blood that was seeping through. "Ophelia..." His voice died as he began to reach for her bleeding hand.

She pulled violently away from him, but her quick movement unbalanced her. Remus steadied her instinctively. "You're hurt. What's wrong?"

"Remus," she said in a whispered exhale. "My head hurts. It's..."

Remus reached out one hand to touch her gently. "You're burning up. You might have a fever."

He was now growing more and more concerned with every moment. "What else is wrong?" She shook her head slowly. "You have to tell me."

When she looked at him it wasn't with pain, but with resignation. "Every muscle in my body hurts, and-" Her determined expression finally forfeited its strength. "Remus, I-I think I broke my vow. I think I broke my Unbreakable Vow."

It took him a moment to understand. She looked down at her bleeding hand, and he followed her attention to it as well. She took away her left hand so that he could see the right one. The marks that had remained faint on her hand from the day she swore the Unbreakable Vow were not only completely visible now, but they were the angriest red he'd ever seen a wound. They looked like three vicious scratches from a feral beast, running jaggedly along her hand. These marks were bleeding profusely, and they pulsed with her heartbeat in a bright red glow.

He drew his wand and was about to speak a healing spell. She grabbed his wrist with her uninjured hand. They locked gazes. "It won't help. You know what happens now. You can't break and Unbreakable Vow."

He shook his head, denying that this was happening. How could this have happened? "What can I do?"

Ophelia couldn't hold back her tears. She shook her head, at a loss for how to answer him.

"But you're in pain."

"Yes."

Remus nodded. Despite the blood covering them, he took her hands. He watched her take a deep breath and close her eyes. If he couldn't save her, then maybe he could make her comfortable. He closed his eyes and in the next moment both Remus and Ophelia disappeared from the house, leaving Arabella's body behind.

He woke up when Lucius's voice was right above his head. "Go home, Severus." He looked up at his blonde friend, whose expression was sympathetic. "You have classes tomorrow morning, don't you?"

Severus ignored the question. "Tevin hasn't woken up yet."

Lucius sighed. "He knows you've been here with him."

"I should be here when he wakes up."

The protest this time came from Narcissa, who still remained at Draco's side. "But what use will you be if you're this exhausted?" She offered a gentle smile. "Tevin will understand."

Severus shook his head again. "My son is the most important thing to me, not my position at that school."

"And he knows that. But he also knows that you need that position, too, for him and for yourself." Lucius understood Severus's need to be at his child's side. But where he was able to ignore his professional obligations once in a while to tend to his family, he knew that Hogwarts professors were not usually given that luxury. And on that occasion, he felt compassion for his friend. "Go home, Severus. I'll let you know when he wakes."

Lucius helped Severus to his feet. "Very well," the dark-haired wizard complied after he was hauled halfway up. They had made it down the corridor toward the same fireplace that he'd called the Malfoys before Severus spoke again. "What about you? Will you leave as well?"

Lucius chuckled softly. "Well, being on the Board of Governors at times has its priviledges. Sick days, for example."

Severus realized that he was a little jealous of Lucius, just because he was able to take days off from his position. Dumbledore rarely allowed his staff time off. Severus assumed the Headmaster considered days without classes to be days off. Untrue. Those were the days typically set aside for staff meetings. Perhaps the headmaster was simply consumed by whatever work he did, and felt that all of his staff should function in the same way, regardless as to whether or not those staff members had families with whom they would much rather spend time.

By the time he'd had this realization, the flames of the fireplace were already green. "As soon as he wakes up, I'll let you know, Severus." And with that, Lucius gently urged the younger man into the green fire.

Severus stepped out of the fireplace that was in the parlor of his Hogwarts suite. It was quiet...very quiet. He then remembered. "Ophelia?" He went through the rooms of the suite, through his office and private labs, and - just in case - through the potions classroom. "Ophelia?"

She was not there.

He went back to the fireplace, tossed in some floo powder, and shouted, "Spinner's End, Snape Home," and was spinning off again through the fire, hoping that he would find his missing friend there.

Remus knew he was no healer, and with this task he had no ambition to ever become one. He had followed Ophelia's instructions as soon as they arrived at the house at Spinner's End. Together they'd managed to get her into a bed so that she could recline and be a little more comfortable. After that, her fever began to worsen. She'd told him what to do to try to bring her fever down, and it worked only a little. She was still in control of her own mind. She could still speak. "Keep me from delirium," was one of her many instructions, and Remus was determined to follow it.

He had pulled a chair up to her bedside, from which he was constantly administering potions and salves to her. He even helped her drink water. There were various bowls near them. Some on the bedside table, one on the floor to the right of the chair, another to the left, and one on the bed. The bowl on the bed contained Essence of Dittany. He would let her burning and bleeding hand rest submerged in the solution for several minutes, just long enough before the Unbreakable Vow's wounds began to rebel against the solution and sting rather than be soothed. Once it began to sting, he would remove her hand from the Dittany and wrap it in aloe leaves, the clear-yellow juices trying to stop the bloodflow. It was able to soothe the wounds for a brief time before they would only begin to bleed again. Then, back into the Dittany it went. This was delaying the bleeding, but it was certainly not stopping it. When she was not drinking water, he was bathing her forehead with a water-soaked cloth, and tipping a pain-reducing potion into her mouth.

"I have to speak to Severus," was what she kept repeating. As long as it was in his power, Remus was going to make sure she did that. He only hoped that he would return home before he was unable to keep her there. He did not know if Severus would leave his son.

"Ophelia?"

Both Remus and Ophelia looked to the doorway of the room. He heard her try to call for Severus. He was downstairs. He'd actually left Tevin at Saint Mungo's. It surprised yet relieved Remus. "Severus! Upstairs!"

He heard the footsteps and in only another few moments, there was a figure in the doorway to the bedroom. Remus saw him take in the situation quickly, but with an incomplete understanding. "Severus." The other man made eye contact with him, and Remus tried to make his expression say what he could not put voice to. When Severus looked away from him and to Ophelia, he knew that the other man now understood what was happening.

Ophelia was trying to reach towards him with her left hand, and it was that action that spurred him into action. He went to the other side of the bed and lowered himself onto it slowly. With a care that Remus was certain very few people had ever seen him display, Severus enfolded her uninjured hand in his. He opened his mouth to speak, but choked on his voice. As she had with Remus, she said it for him. "I broke my Vow, Severus."

His dark eyes met hers and his expression was of grim denial. "I could heal you."

"You can't heal someone from this."

"I can try. If I could just-"

"No, Severus. You can't."

Severus shook his head. He let his gaze drift to her right hand, his mind clearly trying to solve how to heal her. "I know I can help you."

Ophelia laughed, but it came out as a sob. "But not in any way that would keep me alive. You know that and I know that." Remus saw Severus begin to do something that he hadn't seen in years. Severus's eyes began to fill with tears. "You know the only thing you can do."

Severus lowered his head, his long hair trying to shield his tears from them. "I won't do this."

"I won't suffer that way."

Severus shook his head. "But I'll be killing you."

Ophelia did not take her eyes from her friend. "I'm already dead."

It was then that his barriers broke. Severus finally released a whispered sob.

Remus knew he should leave, but he did not want to draw attention to himself in this moment. This was a moment that was incredibly personal between his two friends, but if he made noise now...if he moved now, he knew things that needed to be said would never be said. Stealing himself to be strong, to not break, Remus froze in his chair.

"I'm so sorry, Severus," Ophelia continued. "I never meant to let you or Tevin down like-"

"Don't!" Severus snapped. "Don't apologize." He sobbed quietly again. "I should never have asked you to do this. I should never have contacted-"

"No, Severus. I made this choice. The Unbreakable Vow was my choice." Ophelia raised her hand from the Dittany solution and cupped her bloody hand to her friend's cheek. "Don't you dare feel like what's happening to me is your fault." The blood from her hand was running down her arm, but no one seemed to notice it. "You carry so much guilt, Severus. Let it go."

Silence reigned between the three of them for a long time. Remus refused to move or speak, but he watched Ophelia studying Severus as the other man regained a small amount of emotional control. That silence was broken when Severus reached his hand back toward the open doorway and whispered, "Accio Basilisk Venom." In seconds, a tiny vial settled into his waiting hand. He unstopped it, and then turned to look at her again.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I couldn't save Lily, and now I can't-"

"Oh, Severus," she breathed, allowing her own tears to fall. But where her earlier tears were from pain, these were from something else. "You did save me. All those years ago, remember? If you weren't at that meeting, if you didn't recognize me...You did save me. And you saved Lily, too...when you pushed her away, and when you saved her son, when you took him home. You saved him." She tried to smile at him. "I cheated death once. I can't do it twice. And I made this choice."

Severus reached his hand to the back of her neck. He had listened to her; it was clear by his expression. But now he was trying to be the healer, the potions master. "Lean your head back onto my hand." He brought the Basilisk Venom toward her.

Before he could coax her to drink, she latched onto his wrist to prevent it. "Arabella is dead. Dumbledore cannot know that. He told her to watch over Harry Potter when he's found, remember?"

Severus nodded. "I remember."

"He must think she lives."

Severus was looking at her gravely. "He will." Ophelia nodded to him and parted her lips. Severus slowly poured the contents of the vial, the Basilisk Venom, into her mouth. She closed her eyes as she swallowed, as though she were relishing the flavour of a delicacy rather than a poison.

Finally, she opened her eyes. "Thank you."

Severus was near tears again. "Ophelia..."

Her eyes began to fall shut again. But her smile grew. Remus watched her until he could no longer hear her breathing. When he brought his attention away from her peaceful expression, he saw that her body had grown still. The venom had done its work.

The two men were still and silent for a long while. Remus was fine for a length of time until he felt like the magnitude of what had just happened was suffocating him. He stood from the chair as slowly as possible, trying not to distract Severus or jar him from his contemplative state. He had only just stepped past the doorway when Severus called his name, halting him midstride. When he turned, he saw that Severus was looking at him, but he had not moved from Ophelia's side.

"Arabella's dead? It's true?"

Remus nodded. "Yes. I saw her."

Severus's eyes went away from Remus and stared at the floorboards in thought. "And if Dumbledore cannot know that, then that leaves one question."

"Who will take her place?"

Severus nodded. "Yes."

Neither man moved. "You mean Polyjuice Potion. Someone has to be disguised as Arabella so that Dumbledore will not know of her death."

"Yes."

Remus sighed heavily. He looked hard at Severus. Decision made, Remus straightened tall and spoke with as much conviction as he could. "I can do it."

Severus jerked his head up to look at Remus in surprise. "You can't. You didn't interact with her, know her mannerisms."

"But you did, at least a little, correct?" When Severus nodded once he continued. "Give me memories of her so that I can study them, learn how she was."

"Remus-"

"We're the only ones who know about this. You can't do it. I can."

Severus shook his head. "Even if you could, what about when the full moon comes?"

Remus met the dark eyes of Severus's, the challenge clear. "You once improved the Wolfsbane Potion so that it completely prevented my change into a werewolf. And you made it so well that it did not interfere with a certain Polyjuice Potion that I drank before your second wedding to Lily." He saw the spark of recognition in his friend's eyes. "Make it again, and again, until I don't have to keep that pretense up."

Severus stared at Remus for a terribly long time. "Remus, that version of the Wolfsbane takes two months to brew. And I can't afford those ingredients indefinitely."

Remus thought for a moment. "Arabella sold kneazles to the Emporium in Diagon Alley."

"Yes."

"What if those sales cover the difference between the two versions of the potion?"

Remus saw Severus thinking, calculating in his head. He realized that Severus was likely aware of the approximate income that Arabella made off of her kneazles. After a while, he nodded. "It might. You'll have to learn how to breed them and raise them."

Severus retreated into himself again, clearly thinking the process out of what exactly they were discussing. Remus knew this would be a Herculean task. Finally, Severus spoke again, still from his place at her side. "Very well."

"So," Remus said, for the first time feeling uneasy with Severus's sudden acceptance of his idea. "What happens now?"

"Well, first we must harvest everything we can from Arabella's body. Everything. Contrary to popular belief you don't have to use hair. It can be anything. It calls for 'extract of The Transfigured-Being-to-Be,' though hair is typically used, as it's easiest to obtain." Remus did not know this. He always thought it was hair and only hair that would suffice. "I'll separate it into doses for you. After that is done, I'll extract the memories I have of Arabella so that you can learn how she was."

Severus suddenly stopped speaking and pinned Remus with his gaze. "Remus, are you absolutely sure about this?"

Remus looked at the unguarded and uncertain expression Severus wore. He knew that he did not doubt his intention, but he was wondering if he truly understood the scope of what he'd suggested. But Remus was not about to back down now. "Yes, Severus, I am."

"This could last decades."

Remus took a deep breath. He had thought of this, and whatever came he would have to resign himself to it. "Then it will last decades." Decision made, and having no other assurances to give Severus, Remus walked away from Ophelia's deathbed and resolved to wait for the other man near the fireplace. They had harvesting to do.

From the moment Severus informed Tevin of Ophelia's death, he knew he could have done it better and gentler.  "It was an accident, Tevin."  Only a second after he'd said those words did Tevin's brown eyes well with tears of guilt. 

"It's because of me."

Horror filled Severus and he knew his expression showed it. "No, Tevin.  It wasn't your fault.  It was never your fault."

"If I'd paid attention to Draco and the potion and where the kneazle was then it wouldn't have happened."

Severus took his son into his arms and pressed his head to his chest, to comfort his son and to hide his own guilt.  "You can't control anyone or anything else's actions.  You know that." 

"But I could have stopped it."

Severus thought back to the main cause of the event that brought them both to this moment.  It had seemed such a small price, such a small asking price, so that Severus could keep and raise his son. 

"Will you, Ophelia Fay, protect Tevin from any danger, including those who do not seem to approach with a harmful intention, so long as it is in your power?"

"I will."

"Will you, Ophelia Fay, keep the other identity and relations of Severus Snape's son, particularly that of Lily Evans, secret from all who do not presently know of it?"

"I will."

"Will you, Ophelia Fay, act the part of the mother to Severus Snape's son, putting Tevin's safety and well-being above that of all others, including your own, until it becomes unnecessary or death first takes you?"

"I will.  It is done, Severus.  You can keep your son." 

So simple, an Unbreakable Vow, and yet so dangerous.  He looked down at his son, knowing that despite his friend's death, having his son with him, having her play the part - to near perfection - of Tevin's mother, was certainly worth it.  As much as he regretted Ophelia's death, as much as her absence now pained them both, he knew that he was grateful for what she'd sacrificed to give him his son.  To prevent Petunia Dursley from raising his son, from raising Lily's son. 

Yes, it had been worth it.

It had all been worth it.

Severus ran his fingers through Tevin's hair, and let the silence reign between them.  He didn't want to give his son the news like this, not in Saint Mungo's.  Not in the presence of the Malfoys.  He didn't want their pity, or their condolences.  Severus closed his eyes, trying to block out the world, and sooth his son's trembling. Tevin was putting up an admirable fight in holding back his sobs, but not even his father's dark clothing could disguise the wetness of his tears, nor muffle the sounds coming from his throat.  The young boy sounded like a wounded animal. 

"Severus."

He refused to open his eyes until he felt a hesitant hand on his shoulder.  When he looked up it was to see Lucius Malfoy wearing an expression he had never seen on the man.  The blonde looked overwhelmingly compassionate.

"If you need anything..."  He trailed off, uncertain how to do this. 

Severus understood and was merciful.  "Thank you, Lucius." 

Lucius nodded, tightened his hand on Severus's shoulder in an attempt at support, before he returned to his family on the other side of the room, where Narcissa sat at their son's side, her hand clasping her child's as both of them slept.  Lucius settled himself close by on Draco's bed without disturbing them to keep silent watch over them both. 

Severus continued to hold his son until the quiet sobs subsided, and Tevin fell asleep.  Lucius and Severus watched over their families silently. 

Severus Snape decided that it was only fitting that he give the woman that had publicly been his wife the funeral that his first and only wife deserved but never received.  There was still some bitterness in him that James Potter had determined the manner in which Lily had been cared for post-mortem.  That decision should have been hers - and if not hers, then it should have been Severus's - certainly not that of the man who had only masqueraded as Lily's husband. 

Lily had deserved better than to be simply laid to rest in the earth.  In a simple wooden casket, lowered into the cold November ground in Godric's Hollow, in the place that Severus had chosen for them to live.  She should have been brought home, to him where she belonged.  Instead, she was forever linked with James Potter.  And to the rest of the Wizarding World, the truth of her marriage, of her son's father, died with her and the Dark Lord on the night of Halloween in 1981. 

A truth was only kept alive now by four people. 

Ophelia's funeral took place on the grounds of Hogwarts, at the Black Lake.

Severus wanted it to be a mixture between a muggle funeral and a wizarding funeral, as was appropriate for Ophelia, having come into the Wizarding World to muggle parents.  And while he was a man of potions, he was uncertain as to the process of preparing someone for a funeral upon their death.  He had experienced the pain of loss many times, but he had never been charged with how to care for the dead.  But he knew that it was going to be a funeral worthy of the woman and friend that had sacrificed so much of her own life in order to protect another woman's secret.  To protect his own secret. 

Despite being partially against a public funeral, he did not wholeheartedly protest when Professors Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall held meetings with their houses in order to rally the students in supporting their professor and his son in their grief.  And therefore Snape did not fight when McGonagall declared that the students of the school would be attending Ophelia's funeral. 

The houses were separated just as they were in the Great Hall.  A central walkway formed an aisle between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students on one side, and Gryffindor and Slytherin students on the other.  In the front row of the seating for the students were the prefects for each house, and various members of the staff.  Even Filch attended, though looking less than enthused, and was clutching Mrs. Norris to his chest, as though imagining how he would function without his beloved pet.  In front of the four Houses was a single row of seats on either side of the aisle.  In the seats directly in front of the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students, were several places reserved for the Head Girl of Hogwarts, followed by an empty chair for Professor Sprout.  Next to that seat was a family consisting of three members: Celene, Xenophilius, and Luna Lovegood.  The youngest was the closest to the aisle. 

She stared across the aisle at her friend.  Tevin was not looking anywhere but the ground, as though the grass was the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen.  However, the boy sitting next to him realized that Tevin was not even really looking at the grass.  Draco's gaze flicked from his silent friend to the waters of the Black Lake, to Dumbledore - who stood at the edge of the lake - who would be overseeing the funeral, to his parents besides him, and then to Luna across the way.  He wasn't sure where he should be looking, so he looked everywhere.  There was an empty seat between Lucius and the Head Boy of the school. 

Tevin barely listened to what was going on around him.  He heard the Headmaster announce why everyone was gathered at the edge of the Black Lake that morning, but he did not fully comprehend the words.  He did not want to.  He heard everyone shift in their seats to face the back of the assemblage.  But he did not.  He was overwhelmed with guilt, despite what his father tried to tell him.  He knew he was responsible for Fay's death.  When he finally looked up and met his best friend's gaze, he knew that Draco was also feeling responsible for what had occurred to lead everyone to being there that night. 

Ophelia was dead because of them. 

Severus was assisted in the rear of the gathered students, staff, and friends by his fellow Heads of House.  He looked upon Ophelia's lifeless face.  All of the heads of house did an admirable job in helping with these preparations.  Professor Flitwick had done his best to keep her in stasis until this funeral, keeping as much of her color as possible.  Professor Sprout had given up some of her time in order to pick some of the more aesthetic buds in her greenhouses.  She had placed them all around Ophelia's body where she lay in the shallow, one-person boat that served as her casket.  The buds decorated her loose dark hair and filled in the empty spaces in the boat.  Her hands were crossed just below her chest.  Clasped in her grip was not a bouquet of flowers, but instead two items balanced one atop the other.  The first was a broom, decorated with silver and green ribbons and trails of vines with unbloomed flowers.  The second item, atop the broom, was her wand.

Severus stood at the front of the boat, just to its left, nearest her head.  Professor Flitwick stood to the right of it, looking more somber than Severus could remember.  Just behind the small professor was Professor Sprout, who'd managed to remove all traces of dirt and leaves from her formal robes.  And behind Severus was the firm and silent Professor McGonagall.

From the edge of the Black Lake, Dumbledore welcomed everyone to the funeral, and gave his signal to approach to the four heads of house with a deep nod.  As one, the four drew their wands and silently incanted a levitation charm.  The boat rose from where it rested on the grass and hovered only three feet from the ground.  With Dumbledore narrating Ophelia's qualities in life, and her role as Severus's wife, and Tevin's caring mother, they began to bring the boat down the aisle.  Everyone gazed upon the procession as it passed, and everyone wondered how their Potions Master was handling the situation so seemingly stoically.  But one look at the man's son gave their answer.  Tevin was watching the boat come closer to the front where he sat, and the child finally let his tears fall.  Slowly, those gathered began to realize that their professor could not allow himself to grieve yet.  He was trying to keep as much of his strength as possible for his son.

The walk to the edge of the Black Lake was one of the longest walks Severus had ever made.  Flitwick erected a hovering charm on the boat to keep it from resting on the grass before he took his place to stand in front of the humble choir of Hogwarts.  Sprout took her seat in front of their houses between the Head Girl and Celene Lovegood.  Severus remained beside the hovering boat, his attention focused down on Ophelia's body.  McGonagall waved her wand the length of the boat slowly before she, too, took her seat in front of her house, just to the left of Lucius Malfoy.  It was only after she sat that the purpose of her gesture became clear. 

All of the unopened buds in the boat surrounding Ophelia began to slowly open, to bloom, and fill the boat with life and color.  She might have only been sleeping. 

Severus heard nothing that was being said.  He heard nothing that Dumbledore was saying about Ophelia.  He only heard the soft sounds coming from his son.  His attention only shifted from his child when Dumbledore approached the boat, and used his wand to slowly ease Ophelia's wand from her grasp. 

"I present you, Severus Snape, Ophelia's next of kin, with her wand.  May you treasure it in her loving memory for as long as you shall live."  The wand rested suspended above the boat between Dumbledore and Severus.  The younger man held out his hands, palms up, in silent asking for the wand.  Dumbledore slowly sent the wand into Severus's waiting hands.  "I am truly sorry for your loss, Severus.  And for your son's."  Severus looked at Tevin, who stared at him in return sharing their grief.  And in that moment, Severus realized that Tevin was still carrying the guilt of Ophelia's death, just as he was still carrying the guilt of Lily's death.  He hoped that Tevin would not follow in his footsteps and continue to grieve and carry that burden for the rest of his life as he had, and still was.  He tore his gaze from his son, clutching the wand to his chest. 

"And now, we must all say farewell to a clever witch, a skilled herbalist, compassionate woman, caring wife, and loving mother.  May you rest comfortably in the afterlife to come, Ophelia Snape."  Dumbledore stepped aside and nodded to Flitwick.  He turned to face his choir students who all straightened in readiness. 

With his wand, Dumbledore sent the funeral boat out onto the waters of the Black Lake just as the first phrases began under Flitwick's leadership.  "Carry my soul into the night.  May the stars light my way..."

Everyone watched the boat as it drifted further and further away from the shore.  Severus knew he had to wait until it was only a little further out before he did what he needed to do.  "Cantate vitae canticum, sine dolore actae..." 

Finally, the time was right, and Severus quietly whispered, "Flagrantia," and swept his wand in a grand motion ending in an abrupt flick towards the boat.  A single ball of fire shot forth from the tip of his wand and traveled in a steady arch to land directly in the boat.  Ophelia's body began to burn.  "Incendio," he said afterwards, sweeping his wand in the required pattern of the spell, sending a shower of smaller flames onto the boat.  Everything, including the wood of the vessel, began to burn on the water. 

"...the ones I loved, I never will forget.  Never will forget."

Severus did not know exactly when everyone began to leave to return to the indoors of Hogwarts.  He did not care.  He remained where he stood at the shore holding Ophelia's wand in one hand, and his own in the other, watching the fire on the lake.  It seemed as though from a great distance he heard people's footsteps and their murmured conversations.  He never heard him approach, but he felt his son's quiet presence at his side. 

"I'm..." a small and hesitant voice spoke up just behind them. 

"Go on, darling," urged a male voice. 

Luna took a breath before speaking again.  "I'm sorry about your mother, Tev."

Severus heard the little nickname that Luna had given his son and inhaled sharply.  As he stared at the fire, he did not hear Tevin's response, nor did he actually see what was taking place before him.  He was lost in a memory he had nearly forgotten.

He looked around at the other children in the nearby boats, including those that were sharing theirs on the first journey to the castle across the lake.  "Don't call me that, Lily, not here."

Her surprise was clear.  "Why not? I've called you Sev since before we came here, since before we got our letters."

"Because it's..."  He hung his head, his long black hair hiding his blush.  "Because it's embarrassing."

Her laugh, even at eleven, was musical.  "So, just because we're magical and going to Hogwarts that has to change?" 

"Seriously?" Severus heard the mocking voice behind him of one of their train compartment companions.  "I like our name better for him."

"Snivellus? Yeah, me too!"  Then, they snickered to themselves. 

To his shock, Severus felt his hand taken by his friend.  His eyes darted to hers in surprise.  What if someone saw them?  What if they made fun of them?  Or worse, what if they made fun of her?  Lily smiled at him.  "Ignore those dunderheads," she whispered.  "They're just stupid toerags, anyway." 

Severus tried to return her smile, and when her own widened he knew that she appreciated the attempt.  She knew that he had little in his life about which to smile.  She leaned closer and spoke teasingly.  "And I'm still going to call you Sev, Sev." 

"Look!" the sandy-haired boy in the next boat shouted excitedly to a boy with identical features to his own.  "Look, Romulus!  It's Hogwarts!" 

Lily's gaze turned away from him in complete excitement.  As the castle came into the view of the boats, there were unanimous sounds of awe.  Lily was the only one who laughed.  "It's beautiful!"  

Severus agreed but he was not looking at the castle.  He just stared at their entwined hands and smiled. 

"Bye, Luna," Tevin managed to reply. 

There was an awkward shuffling of feet and then it was quiet again near father and son.  "Severus," came a familiar low tone on his other side.  He heard it but could not respond.  Lucius seemed to understand this.  With a soft sigh, the blonde man next to him slowly raised his wand.  "Favillae et sertum ascendare ad caelum."

Severus was still staring at the burning boat and Ophelia's remains as a soft white light similar to a Patronus shield enveloped the boat.  "Dad," called Tevin at his side.  "What's that do?" 

Severus couldn't speak as he watched what was happening on the water.  The light was absorbed by the flames for a moment before the fire was extinguished abruptly.  Then, slowly and softly something pale rose delicately from the boat.  Severus's eyes filled with tears as he watched.  "It's a..."  But he could not continue.

Lucius realized his grief and began to explain to Tevin.  "It is a spell that encourages passage to the afterlife." 

"But what's coming up from the boat?"

"That is everything about your mother that was good, and that loved you and your father." 

It was quiet as the three of them watched the ashes rise up from the lake.  "She looks like snow." 

"Yes, she does, Tevin.  She loved you both very much." 

Tevin was quiet again for a moment.  "I'll miss her." 

Lucius's response was genuine, and the three simple words a surprise to all three on the shore.  "So will I." 

It was at that moment that Severus finally let his tears fall. 

Things were not improving in their home, however, even after the funeral.  Tevin began to spend an excessive amount of time sequestered in his room, no matter at which home they spent their time.  Like he had for the last three weeks, Severus would often find him sitting alone on the floor, with Minnie curled up against one of his legs.  Tevin did not much speak to his father.  He did not know what to do.  It was just such a day that he found Tevin curled up on the large chair in their parlor, with a book open on one arm of the chair, his kneazle curled up just to the side of the furniture piece. 

"Tevin?"  His son did not look up.  "It is dinner in the Great Hall."

"Not hungry."  The response was hoarse, but Severus wasn't sure if it was due to lack of speaking or from crying. 

"It's one of your favorites tonight.  And treacle tart is for dessert."

"I said I'm not hungry!" 

Severus sighed.  "Tevin, please.  You need to eat something.  You haven't eaten all day."

"How do you know?" snapped the boy.  "You're teaching all day."

"You know I must do that.  I have to do my job here, so that I can take care of you."

"You've never taken care of me!  Fay always took care of me, because you were too busy teaching or making potions!"  Finally Tevin looked up, and Severus saw the evidence of recent crying.  It was something he never wanted to see, and he couldn't speak at the sight of it.  His son gave him no time to respond anyway.  Tevin tossed his book onto the nearby table as he stood, his face twisting into anger.  "And if she wasn't then Uncle Remus did!  Or the Malfoys!  And if they're all busy I'm always by myself or with the older kids when they don't have classes because you're never here!" 

"Tevin," Severus choked.  "I try-"

"No, you don't!  You don't try at all!  You just hide in the lab or class all the time." 

"I'm working to keep you safe."

"You didn't keep her safe!"

Severus stepped back as though stricken.  He wasn't sure if Tevin had meant Ophelia or Lily.  Either way, the accusation stung.  It was true.  "No, I didn't."

Tevin faced his father stubbornly, his expression twisting further in an attempt to hold back tears.  "Then how can you keep me safe?"

Severus couldn't hold back the sob.  "I don't know.  I can only do my best, son.  That's why I have your Uncle Remus, and the Malfoys, and everyone else looking out for you." 

"Why am I so important?"

Severus could have said anything at this moment.  That Tevin was the same boy as the missing Harry Potter, famous for defeating Voldemort in infancy.  That should Voldemort ever return to life, as many thought highly possible, that Tevin was destined to defeat him again.  But that would not have been the truth.  The truth was far simpler.  "Because you're my son, and I will do anything to protect you." 

The boy's tears finally streaked his face.  "But why?"

He could not restrain himself any longer.  He took his son into his arms and held him close.  "Because I love you."  As his son's tears soaked through his collar, his own began to wet the boy's black hair.  He ran his fingers through his son's hair.  "Just like Remus loves you, and the Malfoys."  He fought the lump in his throat.  "And Ophelia."  He choked back his sob.  "And your mother, your real mother.  She loved you so much." 

"I wish..."  Tevin sighed softly.  "Nevermind."

Severus tilted Tevin's head up toward him to meet his eyes.  "No, no, what is it?  What do you wish?"

"I wish they didn't die.  Fay and mum.  I wish they didn't die."

"So do I."  Severus tried desperately to think of something to say.  Anything else to
say to ease his son's pain. 


"Even though everything is arranged and it's only days away I...I don't want you away from me.  I know it's for the best, but I...I wish it wasn't Potter."

Lily frowned.  "You've never wanted to back out of a plan like this before.  Why this one?"

"Because it's Potter.  I don't trust him, or Black."

"Sev, it'll be fine.  You trust Remus, though, right?"

"More than the others, yes."

She grinned knowingly.  "Stop lying.  I know you like Remus.  You've actually called him your friend once or twice."  He nodded in reluctant agreement, chuckling to himself at the idea that he'd managed to become friends with one of the people that associated with his former tormentors.  Then, Lily's tone grew serious.  "We both know this won't be permanent.  Once this stupid war is over, and there's no more Voldemort, and we don't have to hide anymore, then everything will be fine."

"That's very utopian." 

She swatted his arm.  "Don't crush my dreams, Sev.  I'm serious!"

He sighed.  "But what if it doesn't happen, Lily?  What if you actually like being married to Potter?"

She snorted.  "I won't."

He did not even hear her as his thoughts raced.  "What if something happens?  What if he can't protect you enough?  Or what if one of us is killed?"  He was interrupted by his wife firmly planting her lips to his, cutting off his panicked thoughts. 

"Neither of us will get killed.  You know more defensive and offensive spells than anyone, and James Potter is in the Order, and used to fighting off dark wizards.  We picked a good person in him.  I'll be safe.  I have someone to protect me.  But there's no one to protect you, and that's what makes me nervous.  What if something happens to you?"

He shook his head confidently.  "Nothing will happen to me." 

"It better not."  Then, a wicked smile grew on her face.  "And as for liking Potter over you?"  She shook her head and snorted again.  "I'm surprised you even thought that, Sev."  She turned contemplative.  "I love you, and I will never leave you because I'll always be here."  She ran her hands gently from where they framed his jaw, down his throat, to rest together over his heart.  He reached up and covered her hands with his.  "No matter where I am." 

Their eyes met for only an instant before husband and wife kissed. 

Then, suddenly, he had the words.  "Tevin, your mother, Lily..."  Tevin looked up at his father.  "She was very wise.  There was a time when I had to go away from your mother for little while.  And I was afraid that she would forget about me, or that she wouldn't love me anymore by the time I could come back."  Now, more than ever, Severus wished that the eyes looking up at him so hopefully were the beautiful green of his mother's.  He wished that he never had to change them.  "She told me that she would never leave me." 

"But she did." 

"Not on purpose."  Severus waited until Tevin was listening attentively.  "You see, son, the ones that love you can never leave you.  You'll always be able to find them again in your heart, and in your memories.  And so long as they're there, they never truly die." 

He knew that his son understood the words, but not the meaning.  And Severus knew that it would only be until Tevin stopped grieving that the meaning would become clear. 

One day he realized his innocent mistake.  Tevin no longer enjoyed potions.  He was most likely reminded of the day of Ophelia's death.  A potions accident began the whole horrible chain of events that led to Tevin's silence and grief. 

Severus did not offer potions experiments again.  He did not like seeing his son deflate while listlessly stirring a brew.  Instead, while keeping his father company in his classes, Tevin would seek shelter in studying other subjects.  With a moment's curiosity one day, Severus looked at the book in front of his son.  It was a large tome on plants and on herbs.  Was it Tevin's way of remembering Ophelia?  By studying her field of expertise? 

The Great Hall was a different matter.  Tevin had typically bounced from house table to house table, mingling each meal with countless students.  Now, he only put himself near certain students, all of whom were frequent visitors in Severus's special auror training program.  His mood determined where he would sit.  It was more often than not the Gryffindor table and thus Charlie Weasley.  There all he had to do was ask Charlie one question about some magical creature and the young Gryffindor would talk incessantly, mostly about dragons even if that wasn't what was asked about.  He would stear the lecture that way.  When he wasn't terribly keen on talking about anything, he would go over to the Hufflepuff table and sit beside Nymphadora Tonks.  She knew his spirits were down and so she would try - and impressively to Severus, she almost succeeded - to coax a smile from Tevin when she would use her metamorphmagus talents to change her face into various animals.  Her margin of success did not always get even a small upturning at the corners of the boy's mouth, but with each hint of a smile she managed out of Tevin, Severus knew there was hope for his son's healing. 

"At least he is beginning to smile again," said Flitwick from his seat at Severus's side in the Great Hall. 

Severus's gaze did not waver from his son.  "Not as freely as before."

Flitwick did not quite sigh.  "Death grips some more strongly than others.  This you should know very well, my boy."  He laid his hand gently on his former student's arm at the elbow.  "Have your wounds healed at all?  Not just this last one, either." 

Severus understood.  "I don't think they ever truly will, no matter what happens." 

Flitwick nodded to Tevin.  "Then you must give him time as well.  It's taken you so long to get to where you are, Severus.  He's a child who's truly experienced loss for the first time.  And as we both know, first deaths are sometimes the hardest.  Give the boy time to heal.  He has friends and family who love him and will help him.  Some of us are not so lucky."  He looked pointedly
at Severus. 

He understood what the small professor was trying to say.  "I know.  I was not so fortunate." 

"You never had time to grieve properly, because you had to be strong for your son."

Severus nodded gravely.  "And I still do." 

Flitwick shook his head.  "Let yourself share in his grief.  You'll always grieve for your wife."  Severus caught the change in his voice.  He knew he was not referring to Ophelia.  "Because no one else quite understands that pain.  You both share this one, however.  You must support each other now." 

Severus looked across the Great Hall and met his son's gaze.  "Thank you, Filius." 

Flitwick patted the elbow where he'd rested his hand.  "You're welcome, my boy." 

Tevin was sitting next to Charlie Weasley at breakfast one day when a shadow loomed over a section of the Gryffindor table.  Both boys turned around.  "‘Ello, Tevin...Charlie," greeted Hagrid.  "I just hatched those eggs, ya know, the, uh..."  His voice lowered.  "The fire crabs." 

Charlie straightened his posture.  "Really?"

Hagrid grinned proudly.  "Cute lil' fellas, they are.  Shiny shells an' all." 

Finally, something managed to get Tevin's attention.  "Can we see them?"

Hagrid was so excited that he nodded immediately.  "O'course.  Jus' ask yer father, Tevin.  Don't want him to worry ‘bout where yer goin'." 

Tevin nodded and then swung his legs over the bench at Gryffindor table.  Hagrid and Charlie watched him run up to the staff table.  Severus listened to his son and then nodded, saying several short words.  Tevin ran back and looked up at Hagrid.  "He said I can go, but only if I watch.  I'm only allowed to face the crabs so I don't get burned."  

"Good idea, yer father has," Hagrid agreed.  "Wouldn't want him after me if one o' the crabs accidentally burns ya, ya know." 

Tevin nodded. 

"Right, then!"  Hagrid clapped his large hands.  "Off we go, then." 

Charlie sprung from his seat and waved to Tevin.  "Let's go, little Snape.  Time to see how those lessons of your dad's are paying off, right?" 

Tevin nodded and followed Charlie and Hagrid to the half-giant's house.  They reached it quickly.  Obviously, the three of them were more excited than they were willing to admit by the length of time it took to get there. 

Hagrid went over to a cage in front of the house and took hold of a ragged and burned piece of fabric.  With an enthusiastic flourish he removed the fabric from the metal cage.  "Ta da!"  His joyful noise instantly shifted to an alarmed shout when the cage was filled with bursts of fireballs.  "Ooh!  Must'a scared ‘em a bit."  He leaned down closer to the cage.  "Sorry ‘bout that, little guys!"  There were sounds of annoyance from the cluster of tiny creatures in the cage.  Charlie and Tevin crept closer slowly.  "Aren't they adorable?" gushed Hagrid. 

Tevin looked at the fire crabs, straining and stretching his neck as much as he possibly could.  "What...are they?"

Charlie answered for Hagrid.  "They're kind of a mixture between a crab, a turtle, and an incendio charm." 

Tevin's eyes widened.  "So, they...they made the fire?" 

Charlie smiled.  "Yeah, you know how dragons shoot fire from their mouths?"  He waited until Tevin nodded.  "Well, with these guys, the fire comes from the other end."  He knew Tevin understood when his expression shifted from the furrowed eyebrows of thinking to the widened eyes of comprehension. 

"You mean they..."  The boy gestured what he was too embarrassed to say.  "...and it comes out their..."  He couldn't say it as he stared into the eyes of one of the newborn fire crabs. 

Charlie indulged him.  "Out their bums, yeah." 

"That's not right."

Charlie and Hagrid both laughed, while the fire crab that was staring at Tevin defiantly shot out a tiny burst of flames from its rear. 

"Now, everyone!" shouted Flitwick to his students that were gathering up their materials.  "Remember to cancel your avis charms!  We don't want birds flying all over the school, do we?" 

Tevin heard cancelling charms murmured by the students that had managed to conjure the birds as he made his way towards the small professor.  When he caught sight of Tevin, he seemed to skip for a moment on his pile of teaching books.  "Young Master Snape!" he exclaimed.  "What can I do for you?"

Tevin looked up at Flitwick on his perch.  "I'm having...nightmares."

Flitwick's head tilted like a watchful and curious bird. "This sounds like something you should be discussing with your father, little one, or Madam Pomfrey."

Tevin waved his hand dismissively, looking so much like his father in that moment.  "But there was a charm or a curse in it, and I don't know if he'd know it."

Flitwick stared at Tevin for a long moment before he acquiesced.  "Go on."

As Tevin began to speak, Flitwick climbed down from his stack of books.  "Well, I'm in my bed...in a room, but it's not my room.  Not here or at home, so...I don't know where I am."  Flitwick nodded in encouragement.  "And then all of a sudden the door flies open and someone's there.  I can't see them, and then a girl is screaming, and then it's very quiet.  Then, a green light explodes and-"  Tevin didn't even notice that the professor had frozen where he was just near the bottom of the book stack. 

"Have you had this dream before?"

The question surprised the boy.  "Yes."

Flitwick nodded.  "And does anyone else know about this dream?"

Tevin ignored the question.  "What is the green light?"

Flitwick stared at the floor as his fingers twitched on his wand.  "I..."  He considered a complete lie to the boy, but knew as soon as the thought struck him how impolitic it would be.  "It is a dark curse, Young Snape.  A terrible curse." 

Tevin nodded at the non-answer.  "Can I look it up?"

Flitwick nodded, but knew that it wasn't exactly in a book that was easy to access, particularly by an underage witch or wizard, nevermind a child.  But Flitwick thought this might  be a good thing.  It would give the boy something to do.  It might get him to focus on something other than his grief.  "It's difficult to find, but you can find the spell." 

Tevin nodded, and then turned around to leave.  "Thanks." 

The boy did not hear Flitwick scurry to his fireplace, throw in floo powder, and call his father.  He did not hear him say, "Severus, the boy is trying to find out about the Killing Curse."  Tevin was already down the hall by this time.

Madam Pince had been the librarian in Hogwarts for far longer than she cared to admit.  She'd seen the interests of countless students shift from one thing to the next.  She's seen thousands of students grow up from their first year in the school to the day they left for bigger and better things.  But she'd never had the privilege to see a wizarding child's interests shift from infancy before. 

She watched as Severus Snape's young son ran his fingers along the spines of the books on the shelves.  He was very much like his father already, refusing help and choosing to do things on his own time and in his own way. 

She remembered Severus as a student, usually on his own, unless he was studying.  Severus would spend a great deal of time in the library typically researching the Dark Arts.  What many of his fellow students did not know was that while researching the Dark Arts, he spent almost as much time researching Defense Against the Dark Arts.  Madam Pince was certain she was among the few that knew this about Severus Snape. 

However, where Tevin Snape was usually quick to find what he needed, today he seemed to get increasingly more frustrated with each book he returned to the shelves.  As a librarian, it was Madam Pince's duty to assist those who could not quite find what they were looking for. 

She walked to the table that he had managed to fully take over, and looked at the subject matter of his tome choices.  Her eyebrows rose as she took it in.  She mourned just a little for the loss of the tiny and innocent child that Severus Snape had carried into the Hogwarts library for the first time. 

"This is Madam Pince, little one," Severus informed the toddler he held against his chest with one arm.  The boy had a firm grip on the man's dark robes, and his face was almost hiding in the young professor's long dark hair.  "Come on, say hello."

Slowly, the child turned his head to face Madam Pince.  "Hi," he whispered. 

Madam Pince smiled wide.  "Hello, young man."  Then, her attention went to Severus as the boy hid among his hair and burrowed his face into Severus's neck.  "It took you long enough to bring your son where you would so frequently hide."

Severus actually looked admonished and tried to hide a grin.  "He's very shy."  Both of them took in the boy who was trying to make himself invisible. 

The librarian laughed.  "I can see that."  Then, she was back to being a librarian.  "Are you looking for something in particular or are you only here for introductions?"

Severus shook his head.  "I, uh...It seems I need some children's books temporarily added to my own collection." 
 

She tried very hard not to show her reaction not only to the idea of this formidable young wizard reading a child a story, but also trying to disguise children's books among his collection of potions and spells texts.  The idea brought a smile to her face.  She instead nodded and turned to lead them away to the section that would contain what they needed.  She kept sneaking glances behind her as she walked. 

"Look, Tevin, look," Severus was saying as he pointed at something to the side.  Tevin peeked out from the safety of his father's shoulder.  When he saw what his father wanted him to see - a student holding a book up near a shelf, let it go, and then the book float to its place on the higher shelf - the young boy gasped in shock.  "And over there, look."  Tevin whipped his head around to where his father pointed again and this time began to giggle.  There was a stack of books with legs!  As the stack passed them, Tevin realized that it was a person behind the books, which were floating in front of her.  Either way, it was still funny to the little boy.

Madam Pince reached the section and flicked her wand sharply.  Several books came off the high shelf and drifted down to her free and waiting hand.  "Do you already have some books, Severus?"

"Very, very few, so I'm sure almost anything would be acceptable." 

She nodded as she read out the titles to see if he wanted them.  "Misha, the Magician and the Mysterious Amulet?"  Severus shook his head.  She listed off several others before she just had to ask a question.  "Muggle or Magical authors?"

"Either." 

Madam Pince stared at him.  "You are not making this any easier, Mister Snape."  She continued.  "Anything by Hans Christian Andersen?"  She let the books with the titles facing him drift past.  Occasionally, he would take one from the procession and let it hover next to him.  "The Brothers Grimm?"  This category was much more successful apparently.  "Ah, and you must read him some of these."  She practically forced him to accept the last book.  Both adults noticed the interest the boy was showing in it. 

Severus turned to his son.  "Should we take them home?"

Tevin nodded.  "Read?"

"Yes, I'll read some to you tonight."

"Now?"

Severus shook his head.  "No, not now.  Before bed."  Tevin looked at his father with an expression that Madam Pince knew well on children.  Few could resist it.  Severus sighed.  "Alright, on the way home I'll start one.  Which one?"

Tevin's smile was instantaneous and monstrous.  He pointed to the last book.  Severus gave a look to Madam Pince, which she understood.  She used her wand to make notations of which books he was taking with him, the dates they were to be returned, and lastly conjured a string with which to tie his stack of books together so they would stay in one stack despite the numerous people in the halls of Hogwarts.  Just in case.  With a nod, Severus placed a following and charm on the books, and then used his wand to have the requested book float in front of them as they walked back to the suite in Hogwarts he called home. 

Madam Pince heard Tevin's delighted laughter as his father began to read as they left the library.  "There was once a kindly old wizard who used his magic generously and wisely for the benefit of his neighbors.  Rather than reveal the true source of his power, he pretended that his potions, charms, and antidotes sprang ready-made from the little cauldron he called his lucky cooking pot." 

"You, Daddy?"

"No, not quite like me."

Madam Pince smiled when she heard Tevin insist, "You." 

She knew that she would never see that child again as she looked at the subject matter in which he was so engrossed.  He was so absorbed in his research that he did not even hear or notice her approach.  "Mister Snape, I remember when you would prefer fairy tales to looking up spells like a student."

He was in no mood to be playful, however.  Not today.  "I'm trying to find something."

She looked again at the books spread out before him.  "A spell or curse it seems."

He nodded, seriously.  "It's green.  It happens and then there's a green light." 

Madam Pince stiffened.  She knew perfectly well what he was looking for.  It was at times like these that she was grateful for the restricted section.  "Well, I'm sure you'll-"

Tevin sighed in frustration.  "Can you help me?" 

She shook her head.  "Not this time, Mister Snape."

Tevin did not look angry, but rather confused and discouraged.  "Why?"

She looked at him wondering why he wanted to know the Killing Curse.  "Because it is a dangerous curse that you're researching.  And someone your age would not be able to access the books which contain it."

"It's in the restricted section."  It was not a question. 

Madam Pince nodded deeply.  "For which - as you know - you need a professor's permission to access.  And I'm sure none of them would grant that permission."  Tevin's face twisted in displeasure and complete annoyance.  When she continued, her voice softened.  "Let this rest, Tevin.  Don't go looking for the bad in the world before you have experienced the good." 

He nodded, but she knew he was just agreeing so that she would leave him in peace amongst his books.  She decided that she would humor him, and walked away, leaving the young Snape to his fruitless endeavor. 

January had just begun and Remus Lupin did not see much of a change in his godson.  If anything, the boy was beginning to resemble his father more and more recently.  Both of them now shared dark, brooding moods, and would constantly bury themselves among the ink and parchment of books.  ‘Not terribly unlike Lily in the books aspect, though,' he thought, with a bittersweet smile. 

He stared out across the street of his new home away from home.  There he was watching Lily's sister's family.  Rather, he watched the door for any sign of activity from the house.  There was not terribly much.  The portly husband would go to work every morning while Petunia Dursley would stand in the open doorway waving to him like she'd never see him again.  Despite the repetitive life these Dursleys led, it seemed they were a very contented family.  He rarely saw the child, unless it was when he went to school or somewhere with his parents, but otherwise, the boy never much went outside, never really did much of anything, it seemed.  Petunia, on the other hand, seemed to be trying so hard to be the perfect housewife - pretty to look at, sweet to her husband, doting to her child, keep the home picture perfect, and...that was it.

It was almost time for him to meet Tevin at Spinner's End, while Severus was teaching and then monitoring detentions.  He sighed.  Remus told Tevin to bring a broom with him this time.  Surprisingly, Severus gave his approval on this idea.  It seemed that he was as desperate as Remus to bring joy back into Tevin's life since Ophelia's death. 

All he had to do was feed this plethora of kneazles before he left.  Thankfully, it did not take long to do.  How did Arabella do this all the time?  It was exhausting, and something of which he was not terribly fond, but he would do his best.  He would certainly rather be a kneazle minder than be a woman, however.  It was an extremely disconcerting experience.  For the first time in his life, he did not mind that he turned into a werewolf once a month.  Masquerading as a woman was far worse.  He had to remind himself that he was adopting the traits of the opposite sex willingly, unlike his lycanthropy.  Either way, he'd rather the fur and the claws, and the craving for raw meat, and the madness than this. 

He fed the kneazles and used the floo to go directly to Spinner's End.  There he waited for the Polyjuice Potion to wear off so that he would shift into his own body...but in woman's clothing.  He'd begun keeping a change of clothing everywhere he typically went.  It was akward enough for him that he had the body of a woman and wore women's clothing nowadays...but that didn't mean he wanted to wear it all the time.  When he was Arabella, he was Arabella.  But once Remus Lupin started to come back, he needed men's clothing.  It was that simple. 

And so, he arrived at Spinner's End, and immediately waited out the transformation in the loo, then changed his clothing, and snatched up Severus's old broom on the way back to the parlor to await his godson's arrival. 

It was not long.  The fireplace blazed green for a moment before Tevin stepped through, a broom in one hand.  The dark brown eyes looked up at Remus.  There was nothing there.  They were empty. 

Remus said nothing to Tevin.  Did not offer him a smile.  He knew he'd probably been receiving too many of those comforting, pitying smiles lately.  He did not want to be one of them.  He knew what that felt like.  He knew that pity was suffocating.

Instead, he simply nodded, and then slowly headed toward the back door of the house that led into the small herb garden.  His step faltered only once when he remembered that the garden could be painful for the boy.  Ophelia had tended it for her work selling potions ingredients to Jayce in Diagon Alley - at least those that Severus didn't use for his own work.  Tevin and Draco had spent many hours assisting her while learning about potions ingredients.  Remus continued, knowing it would be worse if he were to change direction now. 

Tevin had followed him silently, but Remus knew he was close behind him.  He could feel the boy's presence.  Remus went into the garden - the exact center - and waited.  After many long moments of silence, he turned around.  Tevin was taking in the garden, slowly making his way toward Remus, with his broom held high in one hand so it didn't drag on the ground.  Occassionally as he passed various plants, all without leaves and dusted with a thin layer of snow, Tevin would gently touch it.  Remus allowed him this.  From the look in the boy's eyes he was lost in his memories.  He stood staring at one plant and then would take several steps closer to his godfather before catching sight of another plant, experiencing another memory.  Finally, Tevin reached Remus. 

Ignoring the sheepish and apologetic expression, Remus simply nodded and held out his hand.  Tevin understood and did not hesitate to take it.  Then, godfather and godson disapparated away from the garden...

...to reappear in one of the biggest empty fields Tevin had ever seen. 

Without a word, Remus mounted the broom, knowing that Tevin would follow his example. Slowly, he brought the broom to hover and then he urged it slowly forward and up.  He had the sudden thought as he gave a little more direction and speed to his broom as to how much Tevin had grown.  He remembered teaching his godson how to fly when he was still so young.  How he'd fallen off the broom several times, and knocked over and broken his lamp - but it was easily fixed with a simple Reparo charm.  Tevin had made so much progress since that day in his shabby little flat. 

He picked up Tevin's training broom and held it in front of the child.  "Now, ready to try again?"

Tevin nodded, accepting the broom.  Remus held up his own broom and he walked to the most open spot of his parlor.  Tevin followed him with his little broom.  "Now, I want you to do what I do, alright?"  Tevin nodded excitedly.  Remus and Tevin mounted their brooms.  The older wizard showed the child how to properly hold the handle.  The brooms rose off the ground.  This time, Tevin did not fall off. 

Tevin had not fallen off since that day when he fully learned how to properly ride a broom.  Remus was deliberately going slowly so that his godson would not think it was a race.  It was just for the peace of flying that he was doing this for Tevin.  With the chilly wind rustling through his hair, and cold air stinging his eyes, it was still fresh and soothing in its own way. 

He looked behind him, and found himself simply gazing at the boy.  He looked completely calm as he flew at a leisurely pace.  He was not racing to pass off his godfather, or to catch him.  He was trailing behind him, sure that Remus would not lead him astray.  He trusted Remus.

Tevin followed Remus for only a little while longer before he decided to drift to a stop in the air, hovering where he stopped.  Then, Tevin closed his eyes.  Remus watched him as he stayed hovering in the wintry breeze, letting the snow that was being coaxed up from the ground by the wind brush against his young face.  Tevin licked his dry lips, and then let his mouth stay open just enough to breathe.  Remus turned his broom and began to circle widely around him, watching him as he gave him a wide berth. 

After Remus circled around for the fifth time to get in view of his godson's face, he almost stopped breathing when he saw that Tevin was calmly and peacefully smiling. 

"Would you like to go to Diagon Alley today during lunchtime?"  He flicked his gaze down to the letter in his hand meaningfully. 

"With who?" 

Severus almost chuckled.  "Draco and his parents."  Tevin nodded. "I'll let Lucius know."  He held out a smaller piece of parchment towards his son.  "And there's a letter for you as well." 

Tevin took it.  He opened the letter, wondering who in that family was writing to him this time.  When he looked at the unfolded parchment, he saw that the writing was not the elegant script of the father, nor the feminine slant of the mother.  It was most definitely his best friend's writing, which was growing closer and closer to his father's penmanship every time he wrote to Tevin.  He must be trying to emulate it...but Tevin didn't know if it was because he admired his father or because he was determined to forge his father's signature in the future.  He wouldn't put it past Draco. 

To Tevin Snape,

Mother and Father have decided that we're going to Diagon Alley to look at some new things.  I think there is a new broom!  I want it.  It's the best broom these days.  I'm not leaving until I have it.

Do you know the World Cup is this year?  Father got our seats.  One of the best views of the game, of course.  I'm not sure who is playing.  Are you going?  You should come with us.  I'm sure Father can get you a seat next to us.  Father can do anything.

You should come and fly with me on the broom I'll get today.  It will be fun. 

From,

Draco Malfoy

There were times when Tevin wondered what it would be like to be Draco, to afford any and everything...and never really have to learn what the word patience meant.  Times like this, when his friend would brag about owning the latest broom or always going to things like the Quidditch World Cup. 

He must have been scowling for his father to ask, "Tevin, what's wrong?"

Tevin shook his head.  "Nothing...just..." He handed his father the letter as an explanation. 

Severus read it even quicker than the letter from Lucius.  He sighed.  "Draco is a privileged boy, and is not always aware how he sounds to others sometimes.  You'll have to forgive him for that."

"I do, I just..." 

Severus knew what his son wanted to say.  "Wish that I could give you everything you want like Draco's father.  I hope you know that I try my best for you." 

"I know." 

Severus offered a sad smile to him.  "And I, too, wish I could do more. But-"  His smile turned wicked.  "-I am not so proud as to refuse gifts for my son from his friend's father, now am I?" 

Tevin grinned back at him.  "Do you think he'll get me a broom, too?" 

Severus's eyebrows rose mischievously.  "Maybe not a broom...but he does like to spoil you just a little."  Tevin grinned.  "Go back to Mr. Weasley.  He probably wants to continue his lecture.  What is it today?"

Tevin rolled his eyes. "Another dragon."

"Ah.  Then, don't keep him waiting.  Where will you be right before lunchtime?" 

Tevin chewed on his bottom lip for a moment, thinking.  "Um..."

His father sighed again.  "Have Miss Tonks bring you home after her last class.  You tend to go with her to Charms class, if I'm correct?" 

Tevin didn't even try to lie.  "I like Charms class."

"So did your mother."

He knew he meant his real mother.  "Really?"

Severus nodded.  "We often tutored each other.  I would help her in potions while she would assist me in charms.  We both became very skilled in both subjects that way."  They both shared a smile.  "I'll see you then, son."

Lucius saw his son staring and blocking out almost everything else around him.  His world had come to consist of just the broom and the glass between them. Lucius smiled fondly at his son.  Narcissa caressed his elbow with her thumb from where her hand rested in the crook of his escorting arm.  He knew from the gesture that she, too, was watching Draco fondly. 

However, movement caught his eye and he looked in that direction.  Severus and Tevin had arrived in Diagon Alley and had found them.  Severus said something quietly to his son, and then made eye contact with Lucius and held his index finger to his lips.  Lucius understood. 

Tevin crept up to stand beside Draco at the window, his attention split between his friend and the broom.  "It's not as nice as you made it out to be," he announced. 

Draco actually jumped and smashed his forehead into the glass of the display window.  "Tevin!" he whined.  Then, he turned firey eyes on his friend.  "Are you mad?  Look at it!  Anyone who has that broom will be the envy of all wizard kids!" 

Tevin smiled.  "And that's why you want it?  To make everyone jealous of you?"

Draco straightened and posed like an immature peacock, but he snorted.  "People are jealous of me just because I'm Draco Malfoy.  I don't need the newest broom to make people jealous."

Tevin shook his head and spoke around a quiet chuckle.  "Just more than before."

"Well, announcing to everyone that my father can afford the best helps."

Tevin's amusement died just a little.  He was painfully reminded of the brief conversation he'd had with his father at breakfast.  He turned his head to look at his father, who gave him an apologetic smile.  Tevin realized that the comment had stung them both, even though Draco did not mean for it to happen.  ‘You'll have to forgive him for that,' his father had said that morning.  He smiled at his father, who seemed to relax at their new private joke. 

He turned back to Draco and they continued to discuss the appeal of showing off the newest broom model to everyone they knew.  "Except with Crabbe and Goyle," Draco rambled on.  "They don't know the difference between last year's brooms and the latest ones.  It'll be amazing if Goyle can read by the time we go to school, Snape."

While this was going on, Lucius had given Narcissa permission to take the boys into the shop to get Draco's broom.  At her husband's urging, Narcissa did just that and ushered the boys inside.  Draco didn't need to be told twice.  Tevin followed his friend, the blonde's excitement carrying over to him. 

"So, Severus," Lucius said, once they were alone outside the shop.  "What do you say to the proposal in my letter?"

Severus pursed his lips in thought, watching the boys through the window of the shop.  "I don't know, Lucius."

Lucius frowned.  "But he's never been to the World Cup match, has he, your son?"  Severus shook his head, and the blonde man sighed.  "I've already got him a seat.  Draco will be excited for him to go with us.  You know the boys enjoy the game.  And honestly, you can't expect them to be content with games played by students forever."

"I know, but...I suppose I wouldn't mind if he went."  Lucius smiled in victory.  Severus held up a hand.  "But I want him to decide, not me.  If he wants to go, he can go.  I'm only telling you that I won't mind if he decides to go." 

Lucius was confident.  "Oh, he'll go."  The boys were already at the register with Narcissa.  "Once Draco asks him to go, your son won't be able to say no."

Severus knew that was true.  "Is anyone else going with you?"

Lucius scowled.  "Your son is the only appropriate friend Draco has.  Do you really think I would be foolish enough to spend money on someone unworthy of my son?  Really, Severus." 

Severus was surprised and flattered.  He briefly wondered if Lucius would say the same sentence if he knew that Tevin Snape was the same boy as the still missing Harry Potter.  He highly doubted the words would have left the blonde's mouth.  "What about Vincent and Gregory?"

Lucius actually laughed at the question.  "Those two are complete imbeciles!  When they get older, they'll make better bodyguards than friends.  The muscle behind the brains, if you understand me."

Narcissa and the boys were on their way to the exit.

"And Draco is the brains among those three?"

Lucius stood proudly.  "Of course.  Draco's incredibly intelligent."  He seemed to realize his mistake.  "And Tevin.  Both our boys are going to be formidable wizards when they grow up."  This was a claim that Lucius had been announcing since the boys received their training wands when they were tiny children.  And with each year, Lucius grew more and more convinced that it was destiny that Draco and Tevin would be the greatest young wizards of their age.

As Draco and Tevin came bounding excitedly out of the shop, Draco holding up his new broom like it was a trophy to show off, they both collided with a young boy who was approaching the store.  They all landed in a heap right in front of the doorway.  Narcissa stared and proceeded to block the doorway to prevent anyone from leaving the store and stepping on the boys.  It took another moment for the other three adults to act. 

Severus hauled his son to his feet and proceeded to brush off the dusting of snow from his clothing, while Lucius only attempted to help Draco up.  The younger blonde, however, was having none of it, and preferred to place the blame on the other boy who was still on the ground.  And as per usual, Draco did this loudly and shamelessly.   

"Are you blind?  Didn't you see there were people coming out of the shop?"

The older woman, who must have been the boy's grandmother, looked positively frightening.  Tevin could not look away from the taxidermied bird that was perched threateningly on her wide-brimmed hat!  Who wore dead birds on their heads?  He endured his father's fussing without complaint simply because he could not look away from that bird! 

The young and chubby boy, on the other hand, was quivering in the snow and obviously trying to hold back tears.  "I'm sorry," he said, miserably. 

"You should be!" shouted Draco.  "Clumsy oaf, you are!  Some wizard you'll make one day!  Can't even stand up or walk without causing disaster!"  He picked up his new wrapped broom from the ground, and shook it in front of the boy's face.  "Could have broken my new broom, and then you'd have to replace it!  And this broom is expensive!  I bet you can't even afford one from ten years ago, nevermind this one."

"Draco!" hissed Narcissa.  She prided herself on her family's name, but sometimes that pride could be taken a tiny bit far by her son. 

Draco turned to glare at his mother, who glared right back.  Lucius grabbed Draco's upper arm and jerked him forcibly out of the way, using his wand to get the snow off of his clothing, and then to dry him off. 

While this silent confrontation occurred between the Malfoy family, Tevin finally managed to look away from the bird on the older woman's hat and offered a hand to the boy still on the ground.  "Are you alright?"  The boy didn't look up at him, but he nodded miserably.  He wiped his nose with his hand to try to cover up his sniffling, then with that same hand he took Tevin's and let the dark-haired boy help him up. 

"I'm sorry about this, ma'am," Severus was quietly saying to the older woman. 

She was firmly building up walls and seemed determined not to allow this encounter to wound her pride.  She hissed her reply to him so low that only he heard it.  "At least your boy isn't as rude as that one." 

It wasn't quite an acceptance of the apology, but it would have to do.

Severus was about to use a drying spell on the chubby boy, but the strict-looking woman beat him to it.  He lowered his wand helplessly.  He did notice, however, that she had included Tevin in the drying charm.  That alone indicated the acknowledgement and acceptance of his apology to her. 

"Ignore him," Tevin was saying softly to the other boy.  "He's a little proud."  The quiet one just nodded as his lower lip trembled. 

Satisfied that the boys were dry, the bird-hat-wearing woman grabbed the boy's arm and led him into the store, shoving forcibly and meaningfully past Narcissa Malfoy.  "Let's go, Neville.  These people are not worth your time."

Draco sputtered from his place next to his father, who still had his arm in a firm grip.  Narcissa was openly shocked at the comment and stared after their departure.  Severus stared after them, too, but not for the same reason as Narcissa.  He suddenly realized who it was they had just encountered.  Tevin, meanwhile, was extremely confused.

"Dad, who were they?"

It was not Severus who responded to the question, but Lucius.  "That," he spat venomously, "was Neville Longbottom and-"

Tevin interrupted as he looked back at the now empty doorway.  "He was so quiet."

"He's a coward!" said Draco. 

"Well, you yelled at him like that."

"He could have broken my-"

"Was that his mother?"

Draco snorted again.  "That old bat?  That's a really old mother, if it is!"

This time Tevin looked at his father.  He was about to ask something else, when Lucius gave some more information.  "That is his grandmother, Draco.  He lives with her." 

Tevin simply accepted the statement, while Draco asked for more information.  "How come he doesn't live with his parents?"

Severus drew in a sharp breath.  Lucius's response was flippant.  "Oh, they were driven to insanity."

"Lucius, that's enough!" snapped Severus. 

The boys noticed the tension between their fathers as they glared at each other fiercely.  Narcissa then did the only thing she could think of to break the tension between everyone.  She turned to Tevin.  "Sweetie, would you like to attend the Quidditch World Cup this year?" 

This question was enough to divert the attention of at least the two boys.  Tevin's eyes widened.  "Really?  But," he gestured to his friend, "Draco said you'd have to get another seat, and didn't have an extra one."

Narcissa smiled.  "He didn't know.  But we do have an extra seat at the match.  Would you like to go?" 

Tevin's face brightened and he nodded excitedly.  "Yes, please!"

Draco clapped his friend on the shoulder.  "It's going to be fun, Snape!  You never went, did you?"  Tevin shook his head.  Draco's excitement increased.  "Well!  It's not like the games at Hogwarts!  It's much bigger and faster!  The rules are still the same, and everything.  You do know the teams, though, right?"  This time, Tevin nodded.  "Good.  At least you're a little prepared.  Of course I hope the England team plays, but if they don't then I hope the Nordic Team hosts this year.  Their pitch is in a glacier!"

"Really?  It's all ice?" Tevin was extremely interested now. 

"Of course it's ice, Snape.  Glaciers are ice, you know." 

Draco and Tevin suddenly started walking away from their parents.  Lucius broke his gaze away from Severus to follow them protectively, though mainly he was getting uncomfortable with the fury Severus was aiming at him through his eyes.  The boys continued talking as they led their parents through Diagon Alley.  Lucius kept close to the boys, determined to avoid another confrontation like the one with Neville Longbottom and his grandmother, while Narcissa and Severus trailed behind them.  "I'm sorry for that," he said, quietly. 

She shook her head.  "It's alright.  I don't think the boys need to know about the Longbottoms yet, either.  They're still children."

The boys were talking animatedly, and sometimes drawing Lucius into the conversation as well.  They loudly talked about Quidditch all the way to the next store.  There was a comment that Draco made about the hopelessness of some Quidditch teams from ever getting better than last place that amused Tevin so much that he burst out in unrestrained laughter.  Severus's gaze softened at the sound that until that moment he had been unaware of the degree of which he missed hearing it. 

The sound must have been heard by Narcissa.  "It's been a long time, hasn't it?  Since he laughed like that."

Severus's tone was soft.  "Yes, it has.  He's been so different since Ophelia's death."

She nodded.  "I know.  It's good to hear him laugh again.  It means he's healing."  Shesmiled at Severus encouragingly.  For the first time in many weeks, Severus felt the weight of Ophelia's death lessening. 

Now that the excitement from the holidays had passed, the students of Hogwarts were once again ready to focus on their spells and potions instead of their presents and new possessions they'd recently received from their friends and family.  It was also a time when the interest around the school peaked about Quidditch.  It seemed everyone was interested in Quidditch that year.  Quidditch Through the Ages was getting borrowed from the library at a frightening consistency.  Students were studying the subject like it was part of the O.W.L. or N.E.W.T. exams. 

Everyone, that is, except four particular students that had increasingly more frequent lessons with two professors of Hogwarts.  Once Severus's grief had lessened, and Tevin began to resemble himself just a little more, Filius and Severus had agreed that it was now more important than ever to prepare their four chosen students.  They had been progressing nicely, and had clearly practiced as much as they could over the holidays.  Now, it was a matter of shaping them into the guardians that they hoped they could all become. 

Severus and Filius tended to train them in pairs.  Filius would use Severus's parlor for Charms lessons, while Severus used his private labs for Occlumency strengthening. 

"Once more, Mister Weasley," encouraged Flitwick, knowing that the young Gryffindor was so close to producing a full Patronus Charm.

"Expecto Patronum!" shouted Charlie Weasley, deciding that maybe if he were more forceful with the incantation, his level of success might increase.  From his wand burst a bright light.  It slowly took shape. 

"Hold onto that memory, now!" shouted Flitwick in his excitement. 

Charlie focused as much of his mind as he could as he maintained the spell.  Suddenly, the silvery light became large wings...batlike wings.  Distantly, he heard Nymphadora Tonks suggest that very creature aloud, but Charlie continued to keep his focus.  Then, the bat wings had a body that was clearly not a bat.

Flitwick almost fell off the coffee table in his excitement.  He could not contain his small skip of pride as he beheld the corporeal Patronus now flying all around Charlie Weasley.  Nymphadora stared at it, a mixture of jealousy, frustration, and awe on her features.  "A dragon," she breathed. 

Charlie lost his concentration in his own excitement.  He turned to Tonks.  "I was hoping it would be a dragon."  Then, he smiled.  "I mean, it really couldn't be anything else."

She laughed too.  "Not really." 

Flitwick was scratching something furiously on some parchment.  "Oh, well done!  Well done, Mister Weasley!"  After he'd made his notations, he vanished the quill and parchment then turned to the young Hufflepuff student.  "And, now, you, Miss Tonks.  Have you been practicing this charm as well?"

She nodded.  "Yes, professor.  I have, but mine isn't full yet."

Flitwick was positive and encouraging.  "We'll get you there.  Let's see what we have so far since last time."

She took a deep breath and focused on her memories, trying to find the strongest one.  She thought she might have found it.  "Expecto Patronum," she said, firmly. Her wand produced the same light as Charlie Weasley's, but it was not nearly as strong.  Just as Charlie's had begun, it began to transform into a corporeal figure starting with a set of wings.  Only the tips of these wings were discernible, and immediately after taking shape did they begin to waver.  In her frustration, her concentration broke, and her charm began to fade.  She let out an angry growl as the silvery light vanished from the parlor. 

It was quiet for a moment before Flitwick broke the awkward silence.  "Don't be discouraged, Miss Tonks.  This is a very difficult spell.  Now, let's work on it again, this time I want you to keep hold of your memory - whatever it is you chose - and keep it strong."  She nodded miserably.  "Are you ready?" 

She raised her wand again.  "Expecto Patronum."  It was an even more disappointing spell for her.  Not even wings emerged.  Her shoulders slumped at her failure.  

Flitwick recognized what she needed instead.  "Let's move on to dueling.  Defense isn't only about Patronus Charms, you know."  The last he said to Nymphadora with a meaningful grin.  "Mister Weasley, you attack first, and then we'll see how long you both last without injuring each other."  The two students raised their wands in a formal duel stance.  Quickly, Flitwick announced, "Begin!" 

While Tevin found learning about Occlumency incredibly interesting, he found watching others learn how to perform it incredibly uninteresting.  He was glad that his father finally allowed him to watch some of the lessons he was teaching to the four best students in the school, but it was so boring!  There wasn't much said.  Just a lot of concentration, and occasional staring at each other.  It wasn't like watching a duel.  That was exciting.

He'd rather be visiting Luna - as weird as being in her home could be at times.  At least there were all sorts of crazy and bizarre things to do there.  All sorts of weird stories her father told during lunch...and dinner...and tea time.  It didn't matter what time of day it was!  If there was someone around that was willing to listen, Mister Lovegood was chatting about some unheard of beast in Sweden, or the tiniest gnome known to wizard-kind...which he was convinced he had
actually seen when he was trimming the little garden on the side of their house. 

Draco's house could be fun.  They always had a good time together.  It didn't matter what they were doing.  Besides, now that they were going to the Quidditch World Cup this year...Tevin smiled to himself.  He couldn't wait.  Sure, they've watched countless games at Hogwarts, but the World Cup was something else entirely.  It was Quidditch to the extreme. 

Or maybe he could ask to visit his godfather.  He hadn't seen him as often as he'd used to, and now that he was actually thinking about it, the idea bothered Tevin.  Remus would always step through the floo for a random tea chat, or to see what his godson and his father had been up to since he'd last seen them.  But not so often anymore.  Now he did not visit sometimes for a few weeks at a time.  And when he did come by he looked exhausted.  His godfather had always been a little tired and sickly-looking, but not as much as he seemed to look now.  Tevin reminded himself to ask his godfather about it next time he came to see him. 

"Good, Miss Nisal, very good," his father praised as they ended their staring competition.  "Your shields are developing well."

Xuxa smiled at her Head of House's compliments.  "Thank you, professor."

Severus nodded at the girl before turning to the Ravenclaw.  "While Miss Nisal rests, let's begin your lesson." 

Tevin saw Judy Lewis preparing herself for his father's mental attack on her.  He was curious to see which House was better at Occlumency.  The Slytherin or the Ravenclaw.  He wasn't sure just by looking at the two friends.  He supposed it was much like comparing him with Draco in flying.  Tevin was more focused than his friend, but stayed on course.  He was deliberate.  Draco, on the other hand, was much flashier and dared to try unusual methods.  There was one time that Draco lifted and flew up to several feet whilst keeping his broom straight up, and staying in a standing position before he mounted the broom like a normal rider.  Tevin preferred the non-flashy style.  He just liked to ride.  Draco liked to show off. 

"Legilimens!"

Tevin's attention came back to the Occlumency lesson.  He'd probably learn something if he actually paid attention.  But unlike the two Hogwarts students, he just couldn't concentrate on it. 
 

"Now, I think we've worn ourselves out for the time being."  Charlie and Nymphadora were lying on opposite sides of the room, groaning their agreement.  Flitwick smiled indulgently.  "You both obviously had some aggression building up for a while for you to end up like this."  He waved his wand and things began to right themselves about the room.  "Anything in particular either of you would like to discuss?"

Charlie shook his head.  "I'm fine."

It was Nymphadora who spoke up.  "I'm frustrated about my Patronus."

"Ah," Flitwick encouraged.  "I was wondering when you would mention this."  By that time the room had been straightened and Flitwick was making his way to his Hufflepuff student.  "Some witches and wizards never manage a corporeal Patronus.  That you've come as far as you have is quite an accomplishment, especially for your age." 

She wasn't comforted by the statement.  "But I'm so close."

"I won't lie to you and tell you that you'll get there with a bit more time, practice, and patience.  As a teacher I should tell you that, but I won't.  You may never get there."  Then, he grinned wickedly at her.  "But that doesn't mean time, practice, and patience won't help." 

She rolled her eyes.  "I know."

"Now, up, up - both of you!  I want you both to look over this immensely informative tome I brought for the two of you to look at in your own time."  He pointed his wand behind him and gave it a harsh flick forward.  Drifting closer to him from behind were identical copies of a book.  "You're both farther along with my lessons than Miss Nisal and Miss Lewis.  Let's not embarrass Miss Lewis about it, however.  She is my House and would be ashamed to think that she'd failed my teaching somehow." 

"It's our secret, professor," Charlie said, somewhere between a laugh and a whisper. 

Charlie and Nymphadora reached towards the floating books and looked at the covers.  It was a highly advanced charms book.  The Gryffindor and Hufflepuff exchanged an intrigued look.  "We're that good at this?"

Flitwick was still smiling.  "I think it's time we challenged you both a bit more."

They began to leaf through the pages, stopping here and there on a certain spell or eyecatching enchantment.  "I didn't even know this was possible!" gasped Nymphadora.  She looked to her professor, who was holding back some merry chuckling.

"Did you really think your education stops once you leave Hogwarts?  No, dear Miss Tonks.  It only begins here." 

There were days when he really enjoyed sitting next to his father at the staff table during meals, and other times when he'd much prefer to be among the students.  It was getting more and more interesting to see kids come to the school each year that was just a little bit closer to his own age.  Soon he wouldn't be allowed to sit beside his father at the staff table. 

Because he would be sorted, and he would start living in Hogwarts like every other younger person there - like a student.  He'd go to classes soon and actually get graded!  He'd be taking exams! 

He'd be Sorted.

That meant no more sitting at any table he felt like that night. He would have to sit at his House table. 

But what if he had friends in another House?

Tevin looked back at the Slytherin House Table.  His father was a Slytherin.  He could end up there.  He turned to look at the younger students near him.  They were in his mother's house.  Gryffindor.  His gaze wandered to his father at the staff table, who was deep in discussion with Professor Flitwick.  Would his father be mad if he didn't get sorted into Slytherin? 

What if he was sorted into Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw?  Neither of his parents were from there, so it would be entirely odd for that to happen!

"Alright, there, Snape?"

Tevin looked up at one of Charlie Weasley's younger brothers.  His twin sat to his right, and both were staring at him.  One of them was Fred and the other one was George.  He never thought he'd be able to get it right with which was which.  They looked exactly the same!

"Uh-huh," he muttered distractedly, going back to eating his stew. 

One of the twin Weasleys leaned over the table toward Tevin.  "Any chance we could have a gander at that map of yours again?"

"Fred and I have been thinking about it a lot," said the other twin.  And if they weren't switching identities again, the one on the right was George.

"I'm not supposed to have it out all the time."

Fred laughed.  "And I bet you always do what your dad tells you."

"Mostly."

"We don't."

Tevin shook his head.  "I know."  His father usually told him about the latest dunderhead that served detention with him right after said detention had ended.  Ever since their first month at Hogwarts, Fred and George Weasley had been mentioned at least once a week.  They were quickly becoming known as the school troublemakers. 

For once, Tevin was glad that his father forbade him from showing anyone except him, Professor Flitwick, Remus, Ophelia, Judy Lewis, Xuxa Nisal, Nymphadora Tonks, and Charlie Weasley his map.  The first time he brought it into the corridors was the start of this school year, and he hadn't been very careful about it.

"See, Charlie?  It shows everyone!" Tevin enthusiastically pointed to the inked feet and name flags on the parchment labeled ‘Charlie Weasley' and ‘Tevin Snape' at the Gryffindor House table.  He held the huge parchment just under the edge of the table, letting it peek out just enough for the two of them to see. 

"Diggory, Cedric!" shouted Professor McGonagall from the front of the Great Hall.  Next to her was the stool on which every student of Hogwarts was to sit as she placed the Sorting Hat on his or her head, waiting for its decision. 

A skinny, dark-haired boy walked up to McGonagall.  He radiated confidence, but not arrogance.  He calmly hopped up onto the stool, and closed his eyes as the Head of Gryffindor put the old worn hat on his head.  It didn't take long.  "Hufflepuff!"  Cedric smiled and hopped off the stool.

"See?  There he goes, Charlie, look!"  He pointed to the flag with Cedric's name.  They darted their gaze from Cedric to the name on the parchment, watching the flag track his every movement, until it stopped when Cedric sat down at the Hufflepuff Table.

They continued to watch everyone's progress both in real life, watching as they walked from one place to another, and on the map.  There was even a moment when Tevin told Charlie that Filch had just come into the Great Hall without turning to face the big doors.  But Charlie looked and laughingly told Tevin that he was right.   Tevin had grinned cheekily back at the older Gryffindor.  "No, the map was right.  It never lies."

"Weasley, Fred!"

Tevin got very excited.  "Is he your brother?"

"One of them."

Fred was quickly sorted into Gryffindor.  When he passed off the other first years and head towards the two of them, Tevin realized why Charlie decided to sit on the edge of the second years.  And it wasn't so that Tevin could get a good view.  Fred was loud as he threw himself onto the long bench across from Tevin and Charlie.  "If I didn't end up here, do you think mum and dad would be furious?"

Charlie shook his head.  "Surprised, maybe, but not furious."

"I think deep down they would be mad.  Who would they cheer for come Quidditch games?"

"Whichever son didn't make them mad that day, I would think."

"Well, then I guess it's good I'm not somewhere other than Gryffindor!"

Fred was so distracting that neither Tevin nor Charlie realized that someone had come up behind them...until he spoke.  "What's that big piece of parchment, there, brother Charles?"

"Well, brother George, it belongs to Tevin here and you can't have it."

It was then that Fred really looked at the boy sitting next to his older brother.  "How's he here?  He looks as old as Ron!"

"Only smaller!" added George.

"No, I'm not!"

George gave Tevin a look of suspicion.  "You don't even know Ron.  Unless you've been spying on us or something and no one knew."  He saw the hesitation and slightly guilty expression on the younger boy's face.  "You have been spying!  Let's see then!"

"Yeah, let us in on the secret!"

Charlie intervened then.  "Leave him alone.  Remember how I used to tell you about Professor Snape?"

Both Fred and George grimaced.  "The potions professor?"

"Sounds like he's a right git, that one."

Tevin bristled and was about to give the twin Weasleys a tongue lashing, but Charlie beat him to his voice.  "This is Professor Snape's son, Tevin."

Fred and George froze instantly.  Even though Fred recovered first, the pause was still too long.  "Did I say ‘git'?"

"I heard ‘great,' there, Fred."  George was looking desperate.  "Yep, ‘like he's right great, that one' is what you said."

Charlie leaned closer to Tevin.  "Ignore them.  They've always been pathetically dim-witted."

"Pathetically dim-witted?" gasped Fred in mock outrage. "Are not!"

"We're remarkably clever for our tender age!"

Tevin smiled to himself.  "If you're so clever, how come you weren't sorted into Ravenclaw?"

"Because like all Weasleys we have red hair, and red hair means Gryffindor.  It's meant to be."

That made no sense to Tevin.  He looked at Charlie, silently asking his help in leaving the madness that had descended on the Gryffindor table.  Charlie knew what he was asking.  He drew his wand and gave the parchment under the table a tap, whispering, "Mischief managed." 

But while George did not exactly always seem to pay attention, he in fact did pay attention a great deal.  He saw all of the ink disappear on the parchment in Tevin's hands. In his astonished excitement, he grabbed onto his brother's shoulder and Tevin's shoulder and launched himself forward so quickly it was impressive that he did not smash his head on the table.  "Hang on!  How did all the ink go away?"

Fred didn't hesitate.  "We are in a school for magic."

George didn't seem to hear his twin.  He rounded on Charlie.  "What is it?"

Tevin and Charlie exchanged a look.  "It's up to you, Tevin.  It's your map."

That got Fred's attention.  "Map? A map of what?"

"He's got it under the table!" Immediately, Fred disappeared from his seat.  It was so quick that Tevin didn't know where he'd gone until he felt a hand tugging the parchment to the floor.  Fred was under the table. 

"Go on, Charlie," said Tevin, reluctant to show the twins his map, but knowing they might leave him alone if he did what they wanted. 

Charlie shook his head and tapped the blank parchment with his wand again.  "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."  The ink slowly began to take shape.

Fred and George made noises that Tevin had heard muggles make at extremely large and colorful firework displays.  Then, the questions came.

"Wait, now, those are people?"

"Where are they?"

"Is that me?"

"And me?"

"And Charlie?"

"And is that...no."

"Yes," Tevin answered the half-spoken question.

"Merlin's Beard, it's everyone!"

"Everyone! And what they're doing!"

"And where they are!"

"Does it work all the time?"

Tevin was getting anxious.  The twins' voices were getting louder and more excited with every single question.  What if someone else heard them? 

A new voice spoke over the new twins of Gryffindor as a dark wand came from behind their little group and tapped the paper.  "Mischief managed."  The group turned at the same time to see the stern expression on Professor Severus Snape's face.  He looked decidedly unhappy.

Tevin and Charlie couldn't bring themselves to utter a word in their defense for showing Fred and George the map.

But Fred and George certainly had something to say. "Wicked." 

Charlie had received detention that night, and Tevin had the map taken away for two days.  When his father returned it, it was with a firm warning never to show it to anyone else except him, Professor Flitwick, Remus, Ophelia, Judy Lewis, Xuxa Nisal, Nymphadora Tonks, and Charlie Weasley.  It was something Tevin was definitely in agreement with, and willing to do without argument.  

 

"Mister Weasley, Miss Tonks, remain behind a moment."  The Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were surprised by their Potions Master's request, and failed to hide that surprise from the man.  "You are not in trouble," he reassured them.  Instantly, their tension lessened. 

Severus decided it might be best to sit at his desk so that they knew he was relaxed.  It might make them less nervous.  "I have an unusual request for the both of you."

Charlie and Nymphadora exchanged a glance.  Obviously, his seated position did nothing to make them more comfortable.  In a way, Severus was pleased.  Some of their lessons were sticking.  "Would either of you be interested or available to assist me in something?"

Nymphadora was kind, but she was certainly not stupid enough to agree to something without knowing what that was first.  "I'm curious, but I'm not saying yes until I know what you're asking, professor."

Severus could not contain the tiny grin at the left side of his mouth.  "Very good, Miss Tonks."  He looked at the two of them closely before continuing.  "Since Ophelia's death, things have...It's been difficult at best to make sure that my son isn't..."  He sighed in frustration.  "He's on his own too much for his age."

Charlie, having been on the receiving end of this type of question before many times, realized what his professor was trying to ask.  "Do you need a babysitter, sir?"

Severus's eyes flicked to the Gryffindor.  "Exactly, Mister Weasley."

Charlie nodded.  "My parents ask me and Bill this all the time.  We've had to look after every one of our younger brothers...and Ginny, too, since I can practically remember."

Nymphadora shifted her weight nervously.  "I'm not as experienced as Charlie.  I don't have any other siblings."  She looked at Charlie and offered him a small smile.  "He's a better choice for this, sir."

Severus shook his head.  "I'd like the two of you.  Tevin is the most comfortable with you two, and I know you are both reliable and trustworthy."  He looked at them seriously.  "Otherwise I never would have chosen you for these lessons with Professor Flitwick and me." 

The two students nodded. 

Severus leaned forward, placing his weight on his elbows that he perched on his desk.  "Now, I will need to know your free periods.  That is if you are both willing to do this."

Nymphadora nodded but it was with a lack of confidence.  "I'll try my best, professor."

Charlie nodded with much more enthusiasm.  "It'd be just like babysitting my brother, Ron.  I think he's about the same age as Tevin."  Then, his eyes sparkled.  "Professor, may I write to my parents and ask if they would like to watch him if none of us could?  He'd probably get along well with Ron.  Ron's a wicked Quidditch fan, too."

Severus was not certain of this idea, but he did trust this young Gryffindor.  He realized that Tevin truly only had two friends.  Draco Malfoy and Luna Lovegood.  Would it be such a risk to introduce him to more children his own age?  He would meet Ron Weasley when they attended Hogwarts anyway.  Would meeting a little early do that much harm?  "Please do.  Have your mother or father reply to me directly." 

Charlie smiled, looking rather pleased with himself.  "Right, sir.  I'll get right on it.  Mum will be surprised."

Severus dismissed the two of them with a small shake of his head.  As they left the potions classroom, he heard Charlie Weasley excitedly talking to Nymphadora Tonks about how much fun Tevin could have at the Burrow.  He hoped that Mrs. Weasley agreed.  

Molly Weasley read the letter for the third time before handing it to her husband, Arthur.  "What do you think?"

Arthur looked it over quickly.  Unlike his wife, he only needed to briefly skim over the gist of the letter. "Someone to visit on occasion to play with Ron and Ginny?"  Arthur shoved a forkful of his dinner into his mouth.  "What do you two think?  Would you like to meet Tevin Snape?"

Ron Weasley was mindlessly stabbing his fork into his dinner, looking completely disinterested in the conversation. 

Ginny, on the other hand, brightened a little.  "How old is he?"

Molly looked at her only daughter with affection.  "He's Ronald's age.  They should be in the same year.  Wouldn't that be marvelous?"

"Sure, mum.  Marvelous," mumbled Ron. 

"I hope he's nice," thought Ginny aloud. 

"I'm sure he is," reassured Arthur to his youngest children.  "Well, I think it's a splendid idea."  He folded up Charlie's letter and put it next to his water glass. "Would you like to reply with a resounding yes, dear, or should I?"

By her lack of response, with the only exception being a smile, he knew her answer.