Severus perched on the bed, occluding desperately as he stared vacantly at Lily’s boys. There was too much to think about, too many problems, too many potential answers. So, as he had on so many occasions in the past, the young potions master simply shut down part of his brain, so that the wriggling worries would not prevent him from doing his duty.

Said duty, right now, consisted of waiting with the boys until Madam Pomfrey arrived. They appeared cheerful, happily playing with the loose robes Sirius had transfigured for them, with a warming charm added by Severus to stop them from pulling off said clothing. The boys appeared to enjoy the warmth, their lives had so little that it seemed a luxury, Severus supposed.

And many things would be treated as luxuries by the children. Like having an adult who spoke to them, rather than merely mechanically serving their basic needs. Little Harry had been so excited when Severus had tentatively approached him, hissing out a greeting.

//Sunshine, hatchling.//

//Sunshine, fang-nose. Is there meat? Hatchlings are hungry.// the child had responded with wide green eyes and a bright smile.

//You and little hatchling come with me to hunt meat?// Severus had responded, schooling his lips into a smile. Thank Merlin for children’s stomachs. It was an ideal excuse to get them away from It.

The inferi had, of course, tried to follow but Dumbledore’s modified shield charm kept her in his office. As Sirius carried the now be-robed Harry into the corridor, the child had asked why his ‘hatcher’ was not following them.

//Hatcher is tired. Needs sleep// It was not a lie, Lily did need to be laid to rest. Severus was half longing for, half dreading the arrival of Hamad Ra, scheduled, via a quick floo call, for that evening.

Calling in at the kitchens on their way to the Hospital Wing, Severus had glanced into Harry’s mind before ordering cubes of very rare steak for the boys Sirius had nearly shrieked on seeing the almost raw meat. The man was a Gryffindor through and through- what did he think they had been eating? Chicken nuggets and chips?

Yes, this certainly would be a steep learning curve for Sirius. Severus wondered idly if the man’s head was half as full of worries as his. They had to teach the boys so much.

Severus rested his cheek against the iron headboard of the hospital bed, trying to ignore Black’s fidgiting. He had been the same for the first few years at Hogwarts, before he had learnt that polishing the chair with one’s behind would scarcely attract the ladies.

Poppy Pomfrey wandered out of her office, her face pale. Behind her, Severus saw Dumbledore’s patronus vanish. No explanations needed? Lovely.

Severus dragged himself to his feet as Sirius bounced up to the Mediwitch, blathering away. How had he managed to get through auror training with such abysmal powers of observation? But then, he’d always had Potter to watch his back.

No-nonsense as always, Poppy waved Sirius away and started casting diagnostic spells on the two green eyed children. The boys watched, wide eyed at the lights.

//Shiny. Nest-hatchling, look, shiny!//

//Sparkle, like sky lights but blood and water and sand and leaf//

“What are they saying, Severus?” Sirius asked, gnawing at his lip.

“They like the colours of the spells.”

“Oh.”

“Of course they do.” Madam Pomfrey smiled at the children, who grinned back. “They’re both in good health, though slightly lacking in calcium, it’s to be expected I suppose. What’s the little one’s name?”

“He does not have a name as yet.” Severus replied. “We will think of one anon.”

//What is the big snakes hissing?// the toddler whispered.

//Don’t know, said ‘name’.// Harry replied.

//What is ‘name’?//

//What big snakes call other snakes. My name is Hairy.//

The toddler shrieked with laughter //Hairy! Hairy, Hairy, Hairy!//

Sirius’s brows knotted “What’s happening now?”

“They are discussing names.”

“Oh, what am I called?”

“Dog-snake. And before you ask, I am called sharp-nose.”

Madam Pomfrey coughed and Sirius smiled for the first time in almost three years “Sharp nose?”

“Names are descriptions in Parseltongue. Harry thinks he’s called ‘Hairy’.”

“If you say so, Sha…”

“If you ever call me that, Black, I will hex you.”

“Now, boys” Poppy interrupted reprovingly. “Sirius, I would start learning to hold your tongue if I were you. You’re going to be living together for the next fifteen years…”

 “Living together?”

“Yes Black. How else are we going to raise two children?”

“But not the same… not the same room or anything” Sirius asked desperately.

“No, definitely not.”

“Okay then.” A pause “Where ARE we going to live?”

“You will work it out soon enough” Poppy stated. “I want to keep these boys for observation for a few days so you have time enough to think.”

“Thank you Poppy” Severus replied. It had been his most pressing worry, where to take the children. His quarters were out of the question- too many pointy, poisonous things and Sirius had sold his flat to fund his search.

“Snape, lets grab a bite to eat and work stuff out.” Sirius scratched at his head. “I need some food in me.”

“The children will probably be ready for a nap soon” Poppy assured. “Off you go.”

Severus glanced over at the boys on the bed, who were happily prodding the light on the bedside table, giggling as it turned on and off.

“Now is as good a time as any I suppose."

0o0o0

The Hogwarts kitchens were remarkably quiet and empty, a result of it being the easter holiday, Severus thought. The elves must all be in the dungeon level, busy crafting the huge, ornate chocolate eggs which would adorn the tables that Sunday. As Sirius plonked himself at the end of one of the long tables a tiny house elf bustled up.

“May Hester help yous sirs?”

“A “Flittiwixs” pale ale would be good” Sirius said, rubbing his eyes.

“A coffee please, Hester” Severus replied

“I has some of that Turkish coffee. With the nice flutterbloom honey perhaps?” Hester replied, fluttering her sparse eyelashes at Severus.

“That would be lovely.”

“And can we have some food?” Sirius asked “Medium steak, digestive biscuits and some bits of red pepper, cut into little strips?”

“Youse was always very strange Mr Sirius Black.” Hester shook her head “Youse has gotten stranger. Would you like anything to eat Mister Potions Master Sir?”

“A meat pie and mash would be lovely” Severus said automatically.

“Comfort food mate.” Sirius commented, gnawing on a nail. “Amy Evans always did a good meat pie, didn’t she?”

“Yes.”

An uncomfortable silence lingered. Sirius took a draught of his ale and sighed.

“By tonight, we’ve got to work out quite a lot of stuff.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve got Grimmauld place but it’s… not the sort of place to bring a kid up. That place has so much darkness ground in that you couldn’t clean it up in a month of Sundays. Even if I threw out the ornaments and books, the furniture itself is cursed and as for the portraits…” Sirius shook his head.

“Spinner’s End is also inappropriate. Certain… unfortunates know of its whereabouts and it is traceable through the post office merely if you know the name ‘Snape’”

“Got it.”

“Hogwarts is an option. Much of the castle is empty, including some of the larger towers.”

Sirius shook his head “I love Hogwarts and everything but…” Sirius looked down “I don’t know whether I can trust everyone here, you know? Kids are capable of some awful things and, well, it’s one thing sending an eleven year old here, they can be told stranger-danger and all that, but a toddler? It’s too dangerous.”

Severus nodded “A safe-house then. I will ask Albus if there were any which were unused.”

Sirius bit his lip “Perhaps we’d should be hide in plain sight.”

Severus raised his eyebrow “How can we hide Harry Potter in plain sight?”

“No one’s seen him for three years, no one knows he has a little brother. Hell, no one knows he’s even alive! We could give them new identities, the team did it for a few of high risk people during the last war and mostly they survived.

Severus allowed an expression of respect to filter into his features “You surprise me, Black” 

Sirius shrugged, pulling a grimace “Yeah, James meant a lot to me and I don’t want to change the kid’s name or features, much less pretend anyone else is his dad but…” he sighed “Look at what happened to Alice and Frank- just because the bastard’s dead doesn’t mean that his followers were all rounded up. Besides…”

“Besides what?”

“I wasn’t the only one still looking, you know. There were other people, two or three maybe. They still want to settle the score and, well, it’s not worth the risk, is it?” Sirius looked uncomfortable “Gryffindor bravery is one thing but James hid for the sake of Harry, left his ancestral home, his job, even his friends, even Moony, we even cut off Moony just in case it was him. After all that, I’ve got to keep Harry safe, whatever it takes.”

Severus nodded “I too, promised to protect Harry.” It was the least he could offer; once an enemy showed their underbelly, a good Slytherin did one of two things- took the opportunity or called a truce. 

Even if Severus hadn’t agreed to look after Lily’s child, he would have found it more difficult than he cared to admit to take the first option: possibly at Dumbledore’s behest, Sirius had acted with respect towards Severus since he had joined the Order and, although Lily was not Severus’ wife or relation so, under the old laws, there was no magical debt owed for Sirius frantic search, there was nevertheless something that felt like a debt. 

“As far as I am aware, Regulus’ disappearance was never fully explained. Voldemort considered that he may have been taken by the aurors, as you know, a body was found on the outskirts of Hogsmeade, shortly before the attack on Godric’s Hollow.”

“No one knew whether it was Reg, I know. Sent my mother mad.”  Sirius said woodenly. “My brother’s kids?”

“Identity potions and glamours are notoriously difficult to maintain, especially on a child, and Polyjuice is not recommended for infants. The boys are both under the age of five, so a blood adoption would change their features to resemble those of the Black family, any Potter traits that remain would be easily explained and, should their eyes remain green, the connection to the Peverells is also well known.”

Sirius nodded “Yeah. It’s permanent, though.”

“All the better. The boys may need protection for the rest of their lives and, should we decide to tell them their history, they will just have to accept that we made the choice that would best protect them.”

“What about their names?”

“Regulus was proud of his lineage so Harry should have a name associated with that house. The toddler is another story, his father would have predeceased him so his mother would have chosen.”

“What about the mother?” Sirius asked suddenly “Who was she and how come she gave them up now?”

Severus looked thoughtful “We need someone who is at least a half-blood, a muggleborn would tempt reprisals. Perhaps a woman who lived alone, who may have died alone and left the children in the care of a house elf. That may help to explain any strangeness.”

Regulus thought for a moment “One branch of the family lives in France, the split off after the Potters. I think I heard that Esme Nigellus died of dragonpox about two years ago but she was in her late forties I think.”

“All the better, it could be a reason why Regulus did not mention the match.” Severus Said thoughtfully “Was there a post-mortem? Did she have many friends?”

Sirius shook his head “Nah, she died in the Paracelsus hospital so the death certificate was signed off without any fuss. As for friends, she was a bit of a shut-in for the last 20 years. Her fiancé died and left her a large house in the countryside. If it hadn’t been for me, she’d not even have had a funeral, there was no one else at the cremation but the priest.” Sirius said sadly.

“So you handled her affairs?”

“There was no one else.” Sirius shrugged “She was a Black and, well, it’s a crap family but I had to at least get her a decent burial.”

Severus nodded “So, it is plausible that you discovered the boys when administering her estate. Did she have house elves?” 

“One I think, still in the house from what the will said.” Light dawned on Sirius “I could possibly get it, I am the head of the family now.”

Severus allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction “It appears a good story. I shall do some research before we release the information, however.”

“How do we explain you, though?” Sirius asked “We can’t just expect people to think it’s natural that we of all people have shacked up together.”

“Regulus was a close friend” Severus said quietly “It was well known amongst the Death Eaters.” On seeing Sirus’s expression, Severus added “We were both young men who had foolishly pledged allegiance to a cause which turned out to be far worse than either of us could have imagined and, from what he confided in me, I know that Regulus was searching for a way to leave before the end. All I have to say is that I am the boys’ godfather, that the elf in question relayed this information and that, like adults, we chose to forget our differences for the greater good of our dependants.”

Hester considered this an appropriate moment to approach the table “Your meals, sirs. And your ale Mr Black and your coffee Mister Professor Sir.”

“Thank you, Hester.”

Sirius picked up his steak and started to gnaw at it. Severus sighed.

“I think that, now we know what the cover-story we are using, perhaps it may be a good idea to discuss house rules?”