The Next Morning

Diagon Alley

The sun was out and it shown down on Aubrey and Severus as they walked down the main street. They were to meet Lord Valandil and Draco…er…Darcy at the Leaky Caldron. Because the sun was out, Ambrosias was back in the suite catching some sleep. Not that he minded in the least. He after all, had the room to himself and the curtains were drawn.

Aubrey never really got bored with Diagon Alley. Not with the Weasley Twins setting up their joke shop. Even if Ron hated his guts, the two jokesters didn’t. They’d more then been a help to him. Even going as far as helping him escape to Hogsmead via the Marauders Map.

Not to mention the fact that their parents and now them were apart of the Order.

“Dad, may I go into the joke shop?”

Severus grinned. “I always were impressed by those boys. They opened up a whole new outlet for potions.”

Aubrey took that as a ‘yes’ and all but scampered into the shop. Fred was there to greet him. “Alright there Aubrey?”

"Nice clothes.” Echoed George. “I’ve never seen the like before…what are they called?”

 Aubrey looked down at his clothing. "Bondage pants…the Muggles who really love rock and heavy metal wear them. It’s brilliant isn’t it.”

“It’s very different. I should like to own a pair of them. It would certainly make us stand out.” Fred said giving his twin a conspiratorial grin. George grinned back at him. “I was thinking the same thing.”

Aubrey was about to tell them what shop the pants were bought…but then he caught sight of Ginny; and then the world melted away…Aubrey felt his skin tingling. She looked so beautiful in her light blue dress and even darker blue cloak with the silver clasp. Her red hair seemed to gleam in the sunlight…or was the sunlight coming from the pretty barrette that held her hair back?

And then someone roughly pushed him to the floor. Aubrey looked up to see a very pissed off redhead. “Oi! Stop ogling my sister! She doesn’t need to hang around you…bugger off!”

Aubrey saw red…and it was all he could do to not tackle Ronald Weasley…instead, he swiftly got back on his feet and as he opened his mouth, the twins stepped in front of him. “Ronnikins, we’ll have you know that this bloke saved our little sister.” Fred’s eyes were steely. “Don’t disrespect him…if not for Aubrey, she’d be dead.”

“You don’t even know him Ron.” said Ginny as she appeared next to Aubrey. Her eyes were flashing. “He. Saved. My. Life.”

“But he’s a Snape, any bastards from that greasy git are as bad as that Great Bat of The Dungeons. You can definitely do better then this bloke.”

Ginny eye’s flashed again, and she slapped Ron across the face. “I’ll be the judge of that, Ronald Billius Weasley. It’s my life and I’m old enough to make that decision for myself. Now sod off.”

Ron only shook his head and stalked off. When he was gone, Ginny smiled at him. “I’ll keep your secret Aubrey…I owe you a life debt.”

Aubrey was fighting the wide grin that wanted to break out on his face. “No debts between us Miss Weasley. It was my privilege to save a beautiful young witch.” Then he raised her hand to his mouth and kissed it. He cut her a bow and then walked away. Going to back towards the door where a smirking Darcy was leaning against the door way.

"That was very smooth cousin. So debonair. So, when’s the wedding?”

Aubrey rolled his eyes. "Nothing like that, not yet. She’s a Lady, and deserves to be courted properly. I ‘m a Genteel Wizard now and I know she’s worth waiting for.”

Darcy grinned again. "Seems you won’t need any etiquette lesson after all.”

“He and his twin were bred from two of the most honorable lines in all wizardry. It’s in his blood.” Severus said as he approached them, having just come from the apothecary shop. He put a hand on his son’s shoulder. "I heard a commotion, and Skeeter hurrying away from the joke shop. What happened?”

Ronald Weasly happened.” Aubrey ground out feeling his blood boiling again. “What bloody right does he have to…wait, did you just say Rita Skeeter was there?”

“Yeah, even some one as highly elevated as that gossip queen has to shop sometimes.” Lord Valandill said as he approached them. "She was wearing a glamour, but it was poorly cast, and my sight is excellent. I could see right through it.”

Aubrey groaned. “Just when the day was going so well.”

Darcy shrugged. "She’s been looking for more dirt on Harry Potter. Tomorrow we head back to school. It’s bound to happen eventually. She’s looking for a celebrity and finding none, she turns to the next best thing. Don’t forget that the Weasleys are still associated with Potter. It can’t bode well for her though. They’ll protect her from the worst of it, but at school she’s fair game.”

“Not if I can help it. We’re bonded. I’ll have to find some way to be two people at once. I wish I could do away with the façade forever and just be Aubrey Snape.”

Just then, a flash went off and they all looked on in horror as a wiry man in a purple cape took off faster then lightning….and was tripped by a figure with a lightweight black cloak on. The snoop looked up in fear as he saw shining amber eyes under the hood.

Laughing wickedly a dark voice spoke to him.

“You’re not going anywhere, spy. We’ll not have a nosy arse like you ruining our lives anymore." Ripping the camera from his grip, he forced the man to look into his eyes. "When you get back to the office of the Daily Prophet, you will destroy any of the pictures you took of Aubrey Snape. Furthermore, you will stay far away from the Snapes…or I’ll come back and drain you of all your blood and leave your body to the werewolves. Oh and you will never mention this conversation to anyone or anything. Now, get too your feet and leave my sight.”

That was all it took for the man to run off as if the hounds of Hell were after him.

When the offender was gone, the cloaked figure walked to his father’s side. "Dad, there’s no time to lose. Abrosius said still keeping his hood up. I’ve gotten an important letter from the Headmaster. It was sent with Hedwig." Saying this, he handed the rolled up missive to his father.

Severus nodded. "Get yourself out of the sun. I don’t want you to burn up.”

They retreated back to the Twin’s shop. Without pausing to greet the twins, Severus walked up to the nearest twin. "Something has come up with the Order I need a place without windows."

Fred nodded. "I have just the place." He led them into the back store room and stood near the door keeping watch.

When they were alone, Ambrosias pulled down his hood. "It's from the Headmaster. Asking us to go retrieve a muggle born from the London Orphanage. He was supposed to reply to the acceptance letter but the lady in charge hasn’t replied. He’s worried that You-Know -Who might attempt an attack on him if he tries to make it to Diagon Alley on his own. He also thinks their might be something wrong with the boy that prevents him from communicating distress.”

Severus nodded. "I know whom he’s referring too." Then he looked at the boys. "I looked over the school files from his Primary. His name is Jacob Mason and he’s got a mental disorder the Muggles call Asperger's Syndrome. It makes it neigh impossible to interact with others he didn’t grow up with. We’ll have to tread carefully with him." Then he looked at his sons.

"But you boys may get further with him then I would."

Y"ou want us to befriend him…get him to trust us." At his nod, the boys looked at each other and then filed out of the room.

It didn’t take long to get the old archaic building. The trio stood before the imposing doors and all felt a shiver of dread…not from them. But from someone in side. Severus let the moment pass as he stood in front of the door and used the knocker.

A few moments passed and a kindly woman with a worried face appeared as the door open. "Welcome Gentleman, my name is Madame Lacey. How may I be of service?”

"I am Professor Snape. I am here to retrieve a young man by the name of Jacob Mason. I was taking my sons shopping at a market near by…"

“There’s no need to continue Professor Snape. I’m one of you.” she said as she welcomed them inside and shut the door. The witch was a petite blonde beauty with blue eyes. She wore a pair of blue jeans and a pale pink blouse with a pair of sturdy but comfortable loafers. She twirled her fingers activating a muffling spell so no one could overhear them. “The Ministry hired me to keep an eye out for children of magical heritage that may be abandoned here. So far, only Jacob has shown up."

“The headmistress here is not the most pleasant woman to work for, but the children matter more. I have been most concerned for our young wizard. He’s has no friends here because of his accidents. I’m aware of how cold I sound. But I think he’d be better off at Hogwarts. The mistress here tends to be harder on him because of his difficulties. She thinks he’s slow and lazy because of his mental problems. She singles him out for the worst of the chores…trying to teach him a lesson. I step in when I can, but I can’t be everywhere at once…at least not without breaking the statute of secrecy.”

Severus nodded. "I understand completely Madam. This is why I’ve brought my boys. I’ve read through his school files and he may find it easier to trust other boys then a man like me. Students tend to find me intimidating.”

"I remember you professor. I graduated the first year you taught potions. But I don’t scare easy. Even though I wasn’t that good at potions. It wasn’t my gifting.”

Severus looked her over. "Ah, I see…that would make you a…Hufflepuff?”

The witch rolled her eyes. "Not likely. I was a Gryffindor. You have to be to work under the …under my employer.”

Severus smirked and glanced at the stairs. I sure hope the boys are successful.

The twins stood outside the door of the only closed door. They’d been shown to the ‘weirdo’s room by an older boy. Ambrosias paused for a moment. "This is the one. I can sense his abilities…and his fear. I better stay here, I’d look like a bloody monster to him.”

Aubrey nodded and then knocked. “Jacob? Are you in here? I’d like to talk to you.”

There was a long silence before the door cracked open. A yong boy with shaggy black hair peeked up at him.

“Hello?”

“Hello Jacob. My name’s Aubrey. I’m from the school…a fellow student. I was told I’d find you here…may I come in?”

The boy dropped his eyes and backed away from the door. "I don’t want to go.”

Aubrey walked in silently as the boy retreated to his bed. "Why don’t you want to go. It’s a cool place to live. You’ll love it there.”

"I’m different…what if no one likes there. I’m not normal.”

Aubrey smiled at him. "I’m not normal either and it has nothing to do with my new clothes. I’m a wizard just like you…for the first 10 years of my life, I was constantly reminded of the freak I was and it wasn’t until my friend Hagrid came for me that I realized that my reletives were wrong about me. You’re no more strange then me."

"Even with my assburgers?”

Aubrey chuckled at him. "Aspurgers, you mean? Well I talked to my father about it and he’s a professor at the school. He tells me that its not a defect, its just means that you’ll have difficulties making friends…it won’t be impossible. If you’d like, I’ll take you under my wing until you settle in.

The boy looked at him. “You’ll help me?”

Aubrey grinned at him as he stood to his feet. (he’d been sitting next to the wizardling on the bed.) "Of course. Now, why not gather up your belongings?"

The boy got up from his bed and pulled out a beaten up threadbare pack and pulled a tattered blanket from the bed and a few pairs of clothes that had holes everywhere. The underclothes weren’t in much better shape either. He’d definitely need more clothes. That was for sure.

When at last he was done, he approached Aubrey who put an arm around him and guided him out the door.

On hearing them come out, Ambrosius faded into the shadows and after they passed he followed after them silently as a shadow. He was already forming a plan in his head. He had a definite feeling that he’d be playng his brother’s part more then a few times in the coming year.