A few nights later, Snape peered over the edge of his book and watched as the four teenagers filed out of the sitting room and headed upstairs for bed. His brow furrowed and he laid his book upon his lap. Lyrica was seated in front of the window deftly crocheting a small baby cap.

"What's wrong, Severus?" she asked as she'd looked up and caught his odd stare.

"Harry. He's been far too well-behaved and nauseatingly polite the last few days. In three days he hasn't once argued for a later bedtime and not one single argument between he and Draco for nearly a week."

"I had noticed that. I was wondering when you would," her eyes twinkled teasingly- a sight Snape despised seeing in Dumbledore's eyes but didn't mind in his wife's eyes.

His left eyebrow rose with mock indignation. "Madame, are you implying that I am neglecting my son?"

"You are most attentive, dear heart," Lyrica's lips curved slowly upward mischievously while she cast her gaze demurely down towards her bare feet. She then sighed, became a little more serious and put down her crocheting. "I had hoped that Harry would get up the nerve to speak to one of us, but he hasn't."

Snape's fingers drummed on the arm of his chair as he tapped his chin with his left index finger. "Harry tends to bring up problems only when he's angry." Using a wandless bookmarking spell, he closed his book and placed it on the ottoman. "I'm going to talk to him." Rising to his feet, Snape went over to the staircase and began to ascend.

Lyrica stretched slightly and examined the little cap of sea green yarn she was crocheting. She smiled down at her belly and touched her still flat abdomen with wonder.

Kalima slithered into the sitting room and up onto Lyrica's lap. The serpent coiled herself about until she rested heavily upon Lyrica's abdomen.

"Kalima. Are you laying claim to thisss egg of mine?" Lyrica stroked the Naga's smooth head and smiled indulgently at the serpent.

"All Sssnape eggsss I mussst watch over. I failed when ssspider bit my eldessst egg. I am grievousssly assshamed."

"Oh, Kalima. There wasss no way for you to know."

"Even ssso, I have decided we ssshall find a way to protect othersss from the pain. No more will sssuffer, child."

Snape apparated into the fourth floor common room, walked over to Harry's closed door and rapped sharply on it. A few seconds passed and then the door opened.

"Something wrong, Dad?" Harry asked looking up at his father.

"I'd like to speak to you, Harry."

Harry wondered if he was in trouble as he opened his door wider to let his father into his room. He watched his father warily as the older wizard looked around the decorated bedroom.

Snape hadn't seen their decorating efforts and half expected to find himself assaulted by the reds and golds of Gryffindor colours all over Harry's room. The decor was spectacular but definitely NOT Gryffindor.

Harry had chosen a blue colour scheme to go along with his wide bedroom window view of the ocean and the beach. Light pine wainscoting lined the lower half of the walls while the upper half was painted in a fantastical mural of colourful life beneath the ocean. Two chairs in blue stained leather sat before the fire where a tea had been laid out on the table between the chairs. One chair also had a light blue, patterned, afghan (quite possibly a gift from Molly Weasley) on it. The bed, also outfitted in shades of blue with dark blue, velvet drapes, was noticeably neat.

"Were you planning on staying up after I sent all of you to bed?" Snape asked with only curiosity in his voice. He sat down in the other chair and indicated Harry should take the one he'd so recently occupied.

"Am I in trouble?" Harry asked quietly as he sat down and picked a corner of the afghan to worry between his fingers.

"I'm concerned, Harry. Lately you haven't been acting like yourself. Although I must admit I could get used to your more polite self, you've been far too polite. You've been terribly correct about not starting any arguments or fights. I've caught you no less than three times desiring to backtalk me, and instead, you bit your tongue. Would you like to explain what's going on?"

Harry's jaw dropped open slightly and then he clamped it shut. "I'm in trouble for being good?" He slammed his back against his chair and crossed his arms tightly over his chest.

"Oh stop being so dramatic!" snapped Snape. "I did not say you were in trouble. Would you mind listening to me when I speak?"

Harry chuffed and nodded his head. The glower stayed put, though.

"Are you doing everything you can to keep from starting trouble?"

"I'm just trying to be what you want," he sighed heavily. "I thought you'd like it if I were on my best behavior."

"No child is on their best behavior twenty-four hours a day, Harry. What I want is for you to be able to be yourself."

Harry shook his head. "I can't do that. I get into fights with Draco and Ron and I always manage to wind up doing something stupid that gets us hurt. That stuff always makes you mad."

"Ah," Snape said with a little more understanding. "It isn't that you're trying to keep from getting into trouble, but you're attempting to make certain I don't get mad."

Harry, looking as though one of his deepest secrets was being peeled apart, chose to keep silent. He watched his father's face for some clue as to what the man was thinking, but Snape was far too good at keeping his thoughts from showing on his face.

Snape was thinking, but he was thinking this was one of those times where he just needed to sit silently and wait the boy out. It had worked once before and he hoped the little trick would work again.

Five minutes passed and Harry was really starting to feel uncomfortable with his father's silence. Snape didn't look angry. More placid, really, as though he were waiting for someone to serve him tea. Harry glanced at the tea set and briefly wondered if he ought to go ahead and offer his father some tea. He shrugged to himself thinking that was a stupid idea and shifted in his chair.

Suddenly Snape rose from his chair, walked over to Harry's small bookshelf, perused the titles and picked out a book. He then re-seated himself and opened the book and began to read.

Harry stared incredulously at the older wizard. Now what's he doing? he thought to himself. I thought he wanted to talk to me.

You don't seem all that willing to talk to him.

Shut up, Harry snapped at his inner voice.

You do know you've been an idiot all this time, insisted his inner voice.

If it keeps him happy...

Oh right, he looks really happy. I think it was happiness that made him tell you that you have been acting like some kind of Imperioused puppet.

Harry really wanted to punch his inner voice. When had it become so damn sarcastic?

"Dad?"

Snape really wasn't reading, but he didn't look up from the book. "Yes, Harry?"

"Uhm... are you happy about becoming a real father now?" Harry bit his lower lip and tugged the corner of the afghan between his fingers.

Snape looked up slowly and closed the book. "I was under the impression that I've been a 'real' father for quite some time now. Over a year, now. Do you think otherwise?"

"I...!" Harry's jaw was working, but no sound came out. He was certain he'd said the wrong thing, but Snape looked as calm as he had been before. "I mean... the baby... she's yours, but I'm not. Well, not by blood... I..." Harry slumped in complete embarrassment and dejection. When he finally had enough nerve to raise his eyes to look at Snape, what he saw in the older man's eyes made his heart hurt.

Snape was disappointed, but not in Harry. He was disappointed in himself for not realising that the adoption had not so easily allayed all of Harry's fears and insecurities. He had not known that Harry still wasn't entirely secure in the knowledge that he was wanted.

"Harry, have you been worried all this time that Lyrica and I won't want you after the baby is born?"

Harry abruptly shook his head in a fierce desire to deny what his father was saying to him. He didn't think that, did he?

You know that you do, smirked his bloody stupid inner voice. Why would they want a freak when they're going to have a nice, normal child?

Harry blanched and felt sick. That inner voice had sounded way too much like his Uncle Vernon. Even worse- Uncle Vernon was right.

Snape's gaze hardened as Harry's bright green eyes dulled and began glazing over. Kneeling hastily down on one knee before his son, he held Harry's chin steadily in one hand, silently incanted Legilimens, and was immediately assaulted by the siight of the huge, intimidating figure of Harry's Uncle laughing at him.

"What have I been telling you, stupid boy! Freakishness always will out. So they've done the kind thing, but what did you expect? No one wants a filthy, little, snivelling freak like you when they can have their own, normal children!"

Snape watched as Vernon grasped Harry by the collar of his over-sized shirt, dragged him across the floor and over to the stairs. Vernon then opened a small door and shoved Harry into the small space, kicking him for good measure.

Snape left Harry's mind and spoke firmly, "Harry James Potter-Snape, you're MY son. You are not a freak!" grasping Harry by his upper arms, he jerked the boy sharply. "Listen to me!"

Harry took a deep breath and fought to focus his gaze down upon Snape. He spoke slowly, as though he were emerging from a thick fog, "Uncle Vernon's been coming in my dreams and I just can't shut him up. I know he's wrong, but he's so much bigger than me and... and..." his cheeks reddened with deadly embarassment. "He still scares me." Harry's hands grasped tightly onto Snape's shoulders. "I'm not jealous of the baby, really I'm not. I just... I just... I can't..."

"You can't help it when those memories of the past remind you that you don't deserve to be wanted or loved by anyone." Harry simply nodded and bit his lip again.

Snape transfigured the chair into a small sofa so he could sit beside Harry. Kneeling was a bit tough on his knees these days. Once he was seated next to his son, he put an arm around his shoulders and drew the boy comfortingly against his side.

"I never imagined myself with a family, Harry. Especially since I fully expected to be a casualty of this war. All of that changed when we were sent back to 1898."

Harry sighed heavily and grimaced. "Yeah, we gave you migraines and you were stuck with us. I can see how that changed everything," Harry's voice was laced with sarcasm.

Snape's arm tightened in warning about his son's shoulders and he frowned, "I'll not deny that the four of you greatly irritated me, but Harry, that is the nature of children. Even the fight you and Draco got into my classroom before that disastrous detention wasn't entirely unexpected."

"You have to admit, though, you were stuck with us," insisted Harry.

"Of course I was!" he snapped and when Harry made to yank away from him, he tightened his embrace. "That fact didn't bother me, though. I was... worried that I was inadequate to the task of providing all of you with what you needed from a caring adult. In your case and that of Hermione's and Ron's as well, I knew that any affection I might show would be seen as suspect. When I realised that I no longer had to play a game or kowtow to Death Eaters, I discovered that I was capable of caring for all of you."

"So were you afraid of losing that when we got back to our time?" Harry asked as he leaned closer to his father's warmth. He curled his bare feet up onto the sofa and Snape adjusted the afghan over his son's lap.

"I was terrified of what I'd be going back to. A place where I wouldn't have Lyrica by my side, and a place where I couldn't show my children that I loved them. That very last moment when you stepped through the Mirror of Erised I made the decision that I couldn't wait for others to decide my future. I knew the risk I took in bringing Lyrica to the future, but I wasn't going to be without her. I felt the same way about you when I asked you to be my... our son, Harry."

"I thought, maybe, that you were repaying a debt to my mother." Harry's fingers were so intent on tearing a hole in the edge of the afghan that Snape laid his hand over his son's hands to still them.

"I didn't adopt you because you're Lily's son, Harry." He tipped Harry's face up so he was looking into his eyes. "I adopted you because I love you and want you in my life. You deserve to be with a family that loves you for who you are, simply Harry. Not the Boy-Who-Lived." A single tear slid down Harry's cheek and Snape thumbed it away. "I am pleased knowing that I will be a father, for a third time, for 'real'."

Harry's heart, which had felt torn so very recently, filled with warmth, with love from HIS father. It felt good knowing that Snape, his DAD, hadn't wanted him for some ulterior reason, but because he was just a kid. A normal kid that sincerely wanted someone to take care of him, talk to him when he was worried, and wouldn't turn their back on him when he got in trouble.

"Harry, how do you feel about having a little sister?" A shadow of a smile crossed his lips as he asked the question.

Harry didn't answer immediately. Truth be told, he hadn't really thought of the baby that way. He grinned suddenly. He was going to have a little sister! "I'm going to be a big brother!" Harry beamed as he realised what he was saying. "Huh. That's kind of a big deal, isn't it?"

"As it should be. I expect you and Draco to take your roles as big brothers very seriously. Draco has had some practice in the big brother department, so you'll follow his lead, won't you?"

Harry nodded, the smile still radiating from his face.

Snape patted his son's shoulder and tousled his hair. "I think you can go to sleep now, can't you?"

"I think so." He stood up and padded over to his bed. He allowed his father to help tuck him in. Just as Snape was stepping away from the bed, though, Harry grabbed his forearm. "Dad... the nightmares..."

"I'll bring you some Dreamless Sleep Potion, but just for tonight. We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow so I'd like you well rested."

Harry sighed happily knowing that at least for this evening he'd sleep untroubled. "Thanks, dad."

Plans to visit an apothecary went out the window the next day when an owl from the Headmaster disturbed breakfast: an emergency Order meeting had been called. Breakfast was forgotten as everyone went to dress and then used Snape's amulet portkey to take them to the street in front of #12 Grimmauld Place. Once in the door they were greeted by a harried looking Headmaster who appeared as though he'd not slept in at least 48 hours.

"Severus, Lyrica, normally I would send your sons upstairs with the other children, but what has happened concerns them."

Snape noticed the grip the Headmaster had on his forearm was a firm one that at first he took to be the old man needing physical support due to his lack of sleep. A look in the old wizard's eyes told him that it wasn't age that plagued the Headmaster, but distress.

"Draco and Harry can attend but should the topic disturb them in any way, I will send them out," he glanced between the two boys and they nodded acceptance of their father's decree. Then he looked to Ron and Hermione, "Go upstairs. I'm sure you'll discover soon enough what this is all about."

Ron gulped wondering if his uncle knew of the twins latest invention for spying: Extendable Ears. A smirk from the man confirmed Ron's suspicion. With a roll of his eyes, he yanked on Hermione's arm. "Let's go, Hermione."

Hermione pulled away from Ron's grip and quickly kissed Draco's cheek. She then went to follow an exasperated Ron.

Once Ron and Hermione were headed up the stairs Snape, Lyrica, and their sons were ushered into the kitchen. To Snape's surprise the kitchen was crowded with Order members, many who didn't attend every meeting.

Molly Weasley, who was usually busy putting the kitchen to its proper use sat wringing her hands at the table with her husband, Arthur, standing behind her. Next to Arthur stood the senior Auror, Kingsley Shacklebolt and sitting in front of him was the rather skittish, blue-haired young Auror, Nymphadora Tonks. Skulking in the corner was the redoubtable thief, Mundungus Fletcher, whose body odour leant a decidedly unpleasant tang of filth to the already stifling air in the kitchen. Snape wondered, for the umpteenth time, why the Order either didn't increase the size of the kitchen, or met in the much larger living room.

There was no place else to sit in the cramped kitchen, so Snape pulled Lyrica close to his side, away from Mad-Eye Moody, and directed Harry and Draco to stand in front of them.

Moody's sharp elbow bruised Snape's upper arm and he glared at the old Auror who was just as unpleasant as his faux counterpart. "Ye really lose that Mark, Snape, or did you find a good glamour for it?" hissed Moody glaring down at Snape's left forearm.

Harry couldn't stop himself and struck out his arm sideways at the older wizard. Snape caught his son's arm, gripping it tightly in warning, before the blow could connect. He leaned down and hissed in the younger wizard's ear, "Behave yourself or you'll be headed up the stairs, young man."

"But, he..." Harry began to protest.

"Quiet!" snapped his father as he clamped both hands upon Harry's shoulders.

Dumbledore had observed the short exchange and shot his own warning glare at the fractious Moody who merely sneered and then moved to the other side of the room.

"Kingsley," Dumbledore's voice overrode the minor murmuring amongst the Order members. "If you would?"

Kingsley Shacklebolt took a deep breath as he wrapped his dark fingers over the lapels of his robes. "Late last night there was a mass escape of Death Eaters from Azkaban. They were aided by the Dementors who vanished with the escapees. The Minister has decided that this information must be kept from the general public for as long as possible. Although the Daily Prophet will make no mention of the escape, The Quibbler is preparing an article that will hit stands this evening." He smiled wryly.

Dumbledore nodded thanks to Kingsley as those who had not heard this news muttered either to themselves or their neighbor. Lyrica felt Draco begin to tremble and so she wrapped her arms around him. Draco put his hands upon his mother's forearms and gripped tightly.

"Fudge doesn't believe Voldemort's back?" blurted Harry. "Even after this?"

Arthur, Kingsley, Nymphadora, Moody, and Dumbledore all shook their heads. Dumbledore added, "It would not serve his political career if Cornelius Fudge admitted that Voldemort had returned, Harry. At a time when he could be a force for uniting the wizarding world, his desire for more power only further divides it. A situation that Voldemort quite prefers."

"So what do we do?" asked Harry, his voice slightly tinged with uncertainty.

"We prepare. Severus, your family is safe where they are, are they not?" Snape nodded firmly. "Good. You'll let Mr. Weasley know that he can either stay here at Grimmauld Place with his family, or return with your family."

As the meeting continued there was talk about the Dementors, werewolves, and giants all joining the Dark Lord's forces. Snape listened and grew more and more angry that his sons had been brought into this particular meeting which only added to their fears. Harry was determined to hear all of it just for one thing that might help him to kill Voldemort, but there was nothing. Draco had remained silent and holding onto Lyrica. Just as Tonks began talking about the guards at Azkaban that had been killed by the mad witch, his aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco bolted from the kitchen, quickly followed by his brother.

Draco raced up the stairs and slammed his way into the bathroom. Falling to his knees in front of the commode, he vomited up what little he'd had in the way of breakfast. His head was spinning and hot so he lay down sideways with his cheek against the cold tile of the floor.

This was how Harry found the panicked Slytherin. Grabbing a washcloth, he wet it and knelt down beside Draco. Gently Harry began pressed the cool cloth to the back of his brother's neck.

"They're both out there now," rasped Draco as he struggled to sit up.

"Lucius and Bellatrix," affirmed Harry and Draco nodded.

"Why aren't you scared, Potter?" Draco accused as he pulled away from the Gryffindor's ministrations.

"If you hadn't beaten me to the bathroom, I'd be where you are right now."

Draco smiled grimly and took the washcloth from Harry and draped it over the back of his neck.

"I'm scared... a lot, Draco. I worry about you, Ron, Hermione and Mum and Dad... everyone. I worry about whether or not I'll be able to face HIM."

"Draco? Harry?" a timid knock sounded on the bathroom door and Hermione peeked around the door. "What's wrong?"

"Death Eaters!" Draco snapped acidly. He then shrugged. "What else?"

"Bellatrix, Pettigrew, and a bunch of other Death Eaters escaped from Azkaban last night. Seems that Draco and I are on the top of Voldie's hit list," explained Harry resignedly.

"Oh no..." Hermione whispered as she knelt down beside Draco and enveloped him in her embrace. She helped him to his feet after several quiet minutes. "Maybe you should lie down until the meeting's over."

As Harry watched Hermione leave with Draco he leaned back against the tub, rubbed at his scar and sighed heavily. He missed Luna and hoped that she was all right.

The Snape family spent two days at Grimmauld Place after the Order meeting mostly so the teenagers could have an impromptu get together. After waffling a bit, Ron had opted to stay with the Snapes and Hermione at Billeghdonn Cove for the rest of the summer. He'd see his family again when they returned to Grimmauld Place to celebrate Harry's birthday at the end of July.

Unfortunately, two semi-unwelcome guests had followed Snape and his family to his ancestral home: Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. The two men had sat in for a few lessons at Hogwarts during Defense Association classes, but neither one had a chance to put into practice any of the lessons. They came now to learn how to tap into Ley Lines and to increase their abilities in order to be better able to fight beside Harry.

On a bright Saturday morning, Snape in his teaching robes strode back and forth before an appreciative (except for a disgusted and bored looking Sirius Black) audience.

They were all out in the widest part of the garden behind Billeghdonn Manor. The teenagers were attentively seated upon the grass while Lyrica and Remus Lupin occupied a stone bench. Sirius stood behind the teenagers alternately scowling at Snape and taking in his surroundings.

Snape faced his small class and began his lecture, "In any fight you have a better chance of succeeding if you understand the weaknesses and strengths of your enemy. I have created a series of golem enemies for you to encounter after this lesson. You MUST memorise what I tell you. This is not knowledge that you can write down. You will be unable to take your notes into battle." He gave Hermione a pointed look and she glared back at him.

"I have had an unfortunately unique opportunity to study the Death Eaters," Black interrupted with a sarcastic snort that was ignored by everyone, "so listen carefully. We will begin with the most dangerous of the Dark Lord's minions and that is Bellatrix Lestrange."

Snape conjured a bench and seated himself with a flourish, casting his teaching robes dramatically behind him. Lyrica quickly hid the smile that came to her lips at seeing her husband's intimidating teaching pose.

"Ronald, tell me why the witch Bellatrix Lestrange is dangerous."

Ron answered firmly, "She's barmy."

Harry sniggered and quickly stifled the noise from a sharp look from his father.

Snape crossed his arms over his chest. "A little elaboration, Ronald, if you would."

Ron considered his reply and then spoke, "She's completely mad and a fanatic for the Dark Lord which makes her vicious and unpredictable."

"So what are her weaknesses, Snape?" demanded Sirius, not yet willing to concede that the Potions Master knew what he was talking about. "How do children best that wench?"

"By not hesitating," he replied sharply. Snape was annoyed by Black's presence and it was getting harder to reign in his temper.

Lyrica intervened, "What is her skill in fighting, Severus?"

Snape took a deep breath and then spoke, "Bellatrix is skilled at Rapid Fire Casting. She is able to incant at most three spells; one right after the other. Her favorite Rapid Fire combination is a Disarming Curse, a Blasting Curse, and then a Cutting Curse. Her goal is to cause as much damage as possible so that she can knock down her opponent and cast the Cruciatus Curse. She then likes," he sneered distastefully, "to use an Evisceration Curse as a killing blow. Rarely will she use the Killing Curse."

"The Whipcord would disrupt her Rapid Fire Casting," remarked Draco and he was met with agreement by nods from the other three students and an approving smile from his father.

"What's a Whipcord?" asked Remus.

Draco spun quickly, shot out his hand, and the werewolf was knocked off the bench.

"Draco!" Snape ground out a stern rebuke.

The blonde cringed and stammered out an apology as Lupin, with Lyrica's help, drew himself dazedly back onto the bench. "I really didn't mean to put that much force into it, Dad."

Snape was now standing over his son. "Do that again, and I promise that you'll be the main ingredient in my next potion. Understood?"

Draco gulped and nodded.

"Severus, what was that spell that Draco hit me with?" asked Remus.

"Ley Line Magic, Lupin," explained Snape. "By tapping into a Ley Line and coiling, or storing it around his own magical core, Draco is able to access that energy at will and to mold it into his use. My son," he cast the blonde boy a quick glance that was warm with pride, "crafted the more benign Summoning Spell into an offensive force that acts very similarly to a whip. Harry uses a variation of the Whipcord that is called the Noose to yank an opponent off their feet, to bind, or to choke. I think you'd find it similar to Locomotor Mortis," he said with a pointed frown at the werewolf. Remus seemed to withdraw somewhat into himself as the past haunted him momentarily.

Snape continued without regard to Lupin's discomfort, "Hermione is quite talented in wielding another aspect of the Whipcord she dubbed Dagger."

Lupin's jaw dropped as he realised what the young girl could do. "That sounds decidedly deadly, Severus."

"I hope to never kill anyone with it," she murmured softly, almost to herself.

"With enough force and intent, all magic can be deadly," said Snape flatly.

"But you'd use it, Hermione?" asked Sirius with a tinge of horror in his voice.

A steely glint came into the girl's brown eyes, "I would, Sirius."

"What the hell are you playing at, Snape?" shouted Sirius in outrage. "You're turning them into killers?"

Snape found Black suddenly too close to him and shouting into his face. "I'm giving them what they need to fight killers, Black. Do you expect them to win a war against a group of powerful, Dark skilled witches and wizards with simple disarming and stunning spells?"

"Their souls, Snape," hissed Sirius. He felt a hand tightening on his forearm and he jerked away instinctively. When he felt the grip harden he looked down at his godson. "Harry? He's trying to turn you into a murderer."

"The Dark Lord murdered my parents, Sirius. The Death Eaters have tortured and murdered... many. I don't want to kill anyone, but if the price is the life of someone I love and a Death Eater's, I won't hesitate."

Sirius fell to his knees and gripped Harry's shoulders tightly. His expression was full of anguish. "What has happened to you, Harry? Don't you understand the consequences of taking someone's life?"

Harry angrily tried to shake Sirius' hands off his shoulders, but the man's grip was too tight. "I killed Professor Quirrel in my first year. I killed a basilisk in my second year. I almost killed you in the Shrieking Shack last year. A prophecy tells me I have to kill Voldemort." He finally jerked his body out of Sirius' grasp and stepped back in front of his father. "I think I have a pretty good idea what the consequences are, Sirius."

Sirius backed away from Harry and then advanced upon Snape. Lyrica rose to her feet and stopped Sirius before his threat towards her husband could escalate into a fight. She turned the man to face her.

"We don't want the children to kill anyone, Sirius, even a Death Eater. However, on the battlefield these children will be soldiers and they must be prepared to kill if a fight comes down to it. They cannot afford to hesitate."

"But, their souls..." whispered Sirius to Snape's young wife.

Lyrica touched the distressed man's hand and looked deeply into his dark brown eyes. She spoke softly, "Many innocent souls will be tarnished before this is all over, Sirius. It will be our love for each other that will save us. Now, please allow Severus to continue with his lecture. The information he has to impart is important."

With Sirius sufficiently subdued, Snape continued with his lecture. One by one he detailed strengths and weaknesses of each of Voldemort's Inner Circle of Death Eaters. By the time Dobby brought lunch out to everyone they had finished and were discussing amongst themselves what they'd learned while Snape interjected with pointed questions every few minutes.

After lunch was a practical lesson in combined fighting. Remus and Sirius watched for a half hour as the teenagers were paired up and went through a series of spells against golems that Snape had constructed to mimic the Death Eaters he had talked about in the lecture.

Harry and Draco were paired first and started out against the Bellatrix golem. They began using their wands and went through a perfectly choreographed, side-by-side dance that destroyed the golem with a final, combined casting of Expelliarmus, the Disarming Spell.

"That was far too perfect," said Lupin with a slight frown upon his face. Both boys had rather triumphant looks upon their faces as they both breathed heavily.

"It was wicked!" exclaimed Sirius. "You two looked like mirror reflections of each other."

"That's what was too perfect," insisted Lupin stubbornly. "It's impossible to be that coordinated unless you've been drilling them ceaselessly." The werewolf glared at Snape.

Harry chuckled. "It's our Ley Line Magic, Remus. Lyrica showed us that not only can we tap into it, but we can link our magical cores and fight together. We think and react as one."

"Yeah!" shouted Draco with a little too much enthusiasm.

"Sever the link, you two, before you burn out," warned Snape.

In the blink of an eye, the euphoric expressions on both boys faces vanished. Harry flopped to the ground and Draco soon followed.

"Harry? Are you all right?" asked Lupin going to the boy's side.

"It is a side effect of linking magical cores with the aid of the Ley Line energy," explained Snape. "It causes euphoria... a kind of adrenalin burst, if you will."

Lupin crossed his arms tightly over his chest, still very concerned. "Severus, what did you mean by them burning out?"

"They cannot link indefinitely. It is a drain on both of their magical cores, even with the extension of power given by the Ley Line. We have determined that it is best to sever the link after six spells and re-tapping the Ley Line in order to re-charge."

Harry could see that Lupin was still dubious about the method. "We don't have to link, Remus. It isn't as smooth, or as powerful, but we have memorised routines which can be used by anyone who doesn't like the link."

"I'd like to see that," the werewolf entreated.

Draco stood up. "Ron? Blasting combo routine?"

Ron stood up and joined Draco. Snape activated another golem and this time, without wands, the boys attacked the advancing golem with a series of memorised spells that ended with a combined Concussive Wave that sent the golem crashing right into Sirius. Both golem and Sirius landed heavily in a bed of tall Delphinium flowers.

As the golem disintegrated, Remus and Harry went to help Sirius to his feet. The ex-fugitive brushed his hair from his forehead and settled a hard gaze upon Snape.

"All right, Snape. I'm convinced. Think you can teach me and Moony this magic of yours?"

Within a few days both Remus and Sirius had mastered tapping into a Ley Line at Lyrica's instruction. She also took them through the practice of basic spells before turning them over to Snape. Snape taught his two enemies the combined spell casting routines and then taught them how to link their magical cores via the Ley Lines.

The first time Remus and Sirius linked to fight one of Snape's Death Eater golems he set a Lucius golem against them. The golem, programmed with Lucius Malfoy's fighting skills, attacked brutally and fast. It was when the golem stepped back in perfect imitation of its real counterpart to appraise its work that the two men were able to take their advantage. Casting a one-sided shield that prevented most spells from reaching them, but allowing them to cast their spells, they soon had the hapless golem scattered to its component organic material.

The euphoria hit both men as soon as the Lucius golem was gone. Sirius began jumping around yelling triumphantly at the top of his lungs. Remus couldn't stop giggling. Snape ordered the two Marauders to sever their link. Once the link was gone, they were still acting somewhat like idiots. Irritated with the two men, the dour Potions Master cast a Sobering Spell that calmed them both instantly. While they collapsed wearily upon the sandy beach where they'd been working, Snape left them for the solitude of his lab.

Lucius was accompanied by Pettigrew and Bellatrix Lestrange as he worked the spell to find his son. He had failed in finding Snape, but hoped that with the furor over the mass escape that he'd have a chance at detecting Draco with the blood spell. If not, punishment from the Dark Lord would be severe and possibly deadly.

"Why not a simple tracking spell, Lucy?" she asked, deliberately using the insipid nickname she'd coined for him when he was much younger. She tried to flash him a winsome smile, but with the toll her imprisonment had taken on her body, and her teeth, it only gave him a chill of disgust.

Lucius Malfoy ground his teeth together and wished, once more, that they had been allowed to leave Bellatrix behind in Azkaban. He was attempting the Familia Vestigium spell upon his son and the blasted witch would not keep her interfering nose out of his business.

"As you well know, dear sister-in-law, a Tracking Spell is limited by distance. I would need be within a mile of my traitorous son in order to track him." For once Lucius desired Snape's ability to frighten even a Death Eater with those cold, black eyes of his. He had never been able to intimidate the vile mad woman, but the ugly Potions Master had managed, at least twice, to put the fear of the Dark into Bella.

Lucius did his best to ignore the skelatally thin Bella and began his spell by dipping his wand into a phial of his son's blood. He did not need to use his own since he'd long ago collected Draco's blood for other uses.

The wizard had expected his wand to feel as disgusting as it had when he'd used the Dark Lord's blood, but this time there was an uncomfortable feeling of warmth and familiarity traveling up his wand arm. The feeling unnerved him much more than the way the Dark Lord's blood had caused. Beginning the complicated incantation and the wand gestures he cast the spell until the final shouted words.

"Familia Vestigia!" This time there was a glowing nimbus of grey-green light emanating from his wand. Lucius smiled a smile completely without warmth.

He'd found Draco.

"Are you certain this is safe, Severus?" asked Lyrica as they walked down the beach past the anti-apparition wards that surrounded Billeghdonn Cove. The children, animated and excited at their anticipated excursion, were ahead of the two adults.

"Enough, Lyrica," Snape ordered tightly. "We are together and all of us have our emergency portkeys. We are also traveling to America. In order for the Dark Lord to track us that far, it would take some considerable Dark Magic."

"But..." she began a new protest and he stopped, catching his wife by the elbow.

"My dear, have we not taught those children to defend themselves?" she nodded, a blush coming to her cheeks. "They are strong and well prepared, Lyrica, especially our sons. Now please, put your worries aside and let us enjoy this excursion."

Snape leaned down and kissed Lyrica's cheek as he put her arm over his and they continued onward to meet the teenagers at the apparating point. He knew very well that it was a risk traveling beyond the safety provided by their home, but it had been two weeks since the Death Eaters had escaped from Azkaban at the beginning of July and he wanted to do his restocking of his lab for items and equipment he hadn't been able to obtain through Owl Order. That and the four teenagers needed at least one day of freedom. Snape felt confidant that Nereid Gardens located in the United States, would be relatively safe.

He hoped he was right.