Fred and George Weasley loved mayhem. Not necessarily the kind of mayhem where anyone got hurt, but mayhem where they could laugh at other's misfortune. They had come by a gem just a few weeks ago in Filch's office while they were serving a detention for pranking the suits of armor to curse at all of the professors that walked by. In one of Filtch's drawers of confiscated items was a blank piece of parchment but there was something off about it…finally they figured out the 'magic words'.
"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," George said with wide brown eyes as he watched the castle come to life on what would normally be a blank sheet of parchment.
Fred quickly found the new firstie, 'Harry Potter' up in the first year dorms. "Ickle Harrikins must be in bed already." He frowned at the thought, the young boy should be spending time with his other year mates, having fun and causing some mischief. Not pranking mischief but the kind that allowed all of the students to have a little bit of fun and some laughs with their friends. He was quickly brought out of his thirteen-year-old musings by George's gasp.
"What? What's happened?"
"Look…" George said shakily as he pointed to where their names were located on the map. However, they were not listed as 'Fred and George Weasley'.
"What in Merlin's name?"
"Maybe the map is wrong…"
"What should we do?" They sat in silence for a moment before they shared a grim look with one another.
"Snape."
"You need me to do what, exactly?" The Potions Professor asked darkly as he glared at the menaces that were standing together in his office fairly close to curfew.
Fred seemed to gather his Gryffindor courage first and said, "We need you to brew the 'Family Tree' potion."
"And why, may I ask, would you need that particular potion?" The dark man asked again, this time with a raised eyebrow as he searched the two redheads with his dark onyx eyes.
George bit his lip slightly uncomfortable with the man's x-ray gaze, "Because we have reason to believe that we may not actually be Weasley's."
That seemed to shock the man slightly a confusing look entering the man's eyes. "Then who do you believe you are?"
Both twins seemed to fidget under the man's scrutiny, "We'd rather not say just now. We'd rather let the potion speak for itself. That way if we're wrong no one has to know exactly what we thought."
"Quite Slytherin of you boys." The man said before allowing his hands to fall from the crossed position they were in. He went over to his cupboard and pulled out two potions and two pieces of parchment. "If you want the potion, you will make your family trees here."
They quickly shared a look before nodding and agreeing with the Professor's conditions. They each pricked a finger and let a single bead of blood fall into each potion. When both vials turned bright blue they carefully poured the contents over the blank sheets of parchment. Both of the twins felt their hearts constrict when they did not see the name 'Weasley' anywhere. What they did find made them gasp and glance up at the man in front of them.
Snape raised an eyebrow as he stared at the two boys, "Well?" When neither boy answered he quickly snatched both pieces of parchment and felt himself go lightheaded. "This…is not possible…"
"Sir…" Fred said carefully, his heart pounding loudly in his chest.
Snape seemed to ignore him for a moment before quickly gathering himself, "Please go and collect Mr. Potter. Bring him to the Headmasters office. I shall do my best to find answers and explain to the three of you." Both boys were quick to leave the dungeons as Professor Snape stalked to the Headmaster's office with two family trees in his hands, the evidence of the Headmasters manipulations.
He did not even bother knocking, he simply barged into the man's office, causing the old man to jump in shock. 'Good.' He thought harshly, 'Let him worry.'
"Severus! My dear boy, what seems to be the problem?" The man asked, his eyes twinkling madly at the sight of the frustrated Potions Professor.
He did not speak, he simply thrust the parchment under the man's crooked nose. He felt some kind of sick pleasure when the man's eyes lost their twinkle. "Severus…"
"I don't care if it was for the 'Greater Good'. I don't care what kind of plans and manipulations you had when my sons get here, you will explain everything. Because as far as I knew my twin boys died at birth and my youngest was kidnapped!" The man ranted, his onyx eyes wild with anger and sadness. He never noticed the three boys who had entered during his rant.
The twins were on either side of Harry, holding his hands tightly. "So, it is true?" George asked carefully trying not to allow his hopes to be raised.
"The family tree was right?" Fred added carefully as he squeezed Harry's hand comfortingly.
Severus nodded and motioned for them to sit on the couch he had transfigured. He stood beside where George was sitting and turned towards the Headmaster. "Would you care to explain?"
The old man's eye twinkle was gone as he took in the four people in front of him. He never thought this day would come. He'd been sure they all would have been clueless forever…it was time to come clean.
He sighed and put his hands together on his desk, "Many years ago, when the first war with Lord Voldemort was raging, there were two boys. They were clearly and plainly in love, one was a child of the light. James Potter was born to two steadfastly light supporters. Severus Snape, however, was pulled to darkness after his father had been cruel to him his entire life."
"If we can keep focused, Albus." Severus snapped sharply causing the man to sigh again.
"For the first few years that they were in Hogwarts, they hated each other. Some of the Professors, such as McGonagall and myself wondered if it was something like muggle 'pigtail pulling'." When he saw the twins confused look he elaborated. "When boys make fun of and are mean to the person they really like, trying to gain their attention."
Severus rolled his eyes and continued for the old man. He wanted this to get to the betrayal…he wanted to understand. "There was a time when everyone thought James Potter would marry Lily Evens, they had no idea that James and I had begun dating when we entered our fifth year. During our seventh year, we were engaged to be married…I…conceived sometime during that year and gave birth right before graduation." He was quiet for a few moments, collecting his thoughts from a horrible moment. "I was told that our twins had died…" he turned and glared at the Headmaster, "But obviously that was a lie."
"When it became clear to me that you, Severus, were close to joining Lord Voldemort I knew I had to protect your children at any cost. So I spoke with Molly Weasley. She had just gone through a horrible miscarriage…she was supposed to have twins as well. I knew she would care for your twins as her own. Then two years later, when you still had not gone dark, I knew there was still that chance. So when you were ready and became pregnant again I implanted the thought of you going dark into James' mind. He kidnapped his own son and brought him to Lily. He then pretended that he had no idea what had happened and then divorced you. When he came out with Harry and Lily and a few months later it seemed as if he had been cheating on you for years." Dumbledore explained, his eyes still dark.
Severus felt his eyes narrow, "Not only did you tell an eighteen year old boy that his children had died, that it was his fault that they had died, but you manipulated that same boy's husband into leaving him and making him think his youngest son was kidnapped?" he asked in a dangerously calm voice. It caused the hairs on the back of the children's neck stand on edge.
"It was all for the Greater Good my boy."
That seemed to be the last straw for the Potions Master. "I will be taking a leave of absence, Albus. I will also be taking my children with me. We may or may not be back in a month."
"The twins are legal Weasley's now, they need permission from their mother-"
"I am their bloody mother!" Snape yelled, his eyes burning with hatred for the man. "If I were to go to the Ministry right now and explain the situation, their rights and guardianship would immediately transfer to me!" When Severus saw Harry curled up in a ball shaking on the couch, he gently lifted the small boy into his arms and hissed softly to the Headmaster. "Which is something that will be rectified during our time gone. You are done hurting me and my children, Albus. I will not allow it any longer."
He then motioned for the twins to follow him down to the dungeons. He sat on his couch and held Harry on his lap, rubbing the boys back as he shook. Each twin took a side and sat beside their 'mother'. "Mipsey!" he called and a young house elf with wide green eyes popped in.
"How can Mipsey be helpin' you, Potions Masters Snapes?" She asked eagerly.
Severus continued to rub Harry's back as he thought about where to go. "Please pack everything in my rooms and send them to Potter Manor, collect Fred and George…Weasley's things as well as Harry Potter's. We will be leaving here within the hour." The house elf squeaked in excitement and popped out of existence.
"Are you,"
"Really going be,"
"Our mother?" The twins asked together, in a hopeful voice.
Severus' suspicions were automatically raised, "In all reality, I was always your 'mother' I just did not know it." He looked suspiciously at the red-haired boys who were looking down at their laps, "Why? What is wrong with Molly?"
George bit his lip, Severus found he took after James in that respect, while Fred shrugged. "She's not very nice to us. We know she has a lot of kids to take care of, but she was never supportive of us and what we wanted to do."
"What is it you want to do?" he asked as he watched Harry finally stop shaking and finally drop off to sleep.
George gave a small sheepish smile, "We want to run a joke shop. A better prank shop than Zonko's! We have brilliant ideas and we understand potions enough to create what we need…"
"But Mum-Molly never wanted us to do that." Fred said with a frown, "She wants us to be perfect little prefects, like Percy or Bill…but we're not them…"
Snape could tell they were holding back, he prodded a little further, "Is there anything else?"
"Mrs. Weasley would take away their products." A sleepy voice said softly. "And when they would do a harmless prank she would hit them."
Fred and George blushed and whined, "Rhy! You weren't supposed to tell!"
"He's our Mum…" Harry said with a blush as he laid his head on the man's chest right next to his heart. Secretly Harry found the sound of his Mum's beating heart comforting, "I've never had a Mum but I don't think they're supposed to hit you when you do something you love. Or criticize you every chance they get." He hid his face in the Potions Masters robes.
"Harry's correct," Severus said with a small smile to his youngest son he found the young boy's actions to be incredibly cute. "If things had been different I would have been the only 'Mum' you knew, and if pranking and creating harmless pranks is what you love then I would not stop you or criticize you for it. And Molly will never hit you again. Of that I am sure."
The twins nodded and allowed their heads to fall onto the man's shoulders. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Severus sighed, "Alright. We have to make a quick stop at the Ministry before we can go home."
Harry's eyes lit up at the word, 'home'. Severus put it away in his mind for later, he had a talk with the twins about their home life. He'd need to speak to Harry later about his. "I will go through first with Harry. Fred and George you come after, say exactly as I say." When they nodded Severus moved over to the fireplace. Harry still in his arms as he grabbed the floo powder and said, "Ministry of Magic, Amelia Bone's office." And he was gone in a puff of green smoke.