A/N: My response to Savita's parental figure challenge. The prompts are listed at the end of the story.
It had been years since the end of the war. Everything was peaceful. No more crimes ensued by the death eaters, but suddenly it all goes wrong. It started when the death eaters attacked our house.
My father and I were reading quietly in front of the hearth. It was one of our nightly routine. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. My father rose and went to open the door but before he reached the handle, the door burst open in front of him. He was knocked off to the nearest wall. My eyes widen and fear started to fill my heart. There were four men, all dressed in black cloaks. The man with blonde hair noticed me and he smiled at me.
"Well, good evening little wolf." They all laughed and they started to fire spells to destroy our things. I was rooted to the spot. I can sense that my father was starting to regain his consciousness. I clenched my hands by my side and stomped off my fear to answer him.
"What do you what?" He smirked and they all stopped.
"Nothing. Just a little fun." His words hit me like cold water. Suddenly, the hell started to break loose. My father cast a spell at their direction and one of them fell. My father quickly cast a defensive spell to us.
"Go Ted! Call your godfather now!" I quickly dashed to grab some floo but one of them was quick and he easily destroyed our floo and blocked my way to the fire place.
"NO!" I shouted and then I heard my father shout my name.
"Sorry my boy, but we're not finish yet." The blonde man cast a spell in my direction and my father was too far to reach me. His protection didn't work because the spell was too strong. I hit the wall and then darkness claimed me.
^.^
I woke up to the sunlight from the windows and a pounding headache like there were elephants running in my head. I slowly opened my eyes and noticed my unfamiliar surroundings. Suddenly, I remembered what happen to our house. The door open and then a man in black entered the room. I flinched and my heart started to beat fast. He came to a stop beside my bed and handed me a vial of potion.
"W-Who are you?" I managed to ask even if my mouth was too dry.
"Drink this. I didn't bring you here just to poison you." His voice! I think I heard it somewhere. I can't trust him but there's something in him that I felt I can trust him. I was speechless when he helped me to sit up and he slowly brought the vial in my mouth. I grimaced at the taste and I cough.
"Severus Snape." He said and then my jaw dropped. Could this be… Is he really… My father always said that a man named Professor Snape made our wolfsbane potion but I never see him in person since they always met outside the house.
"Are you really Mr-" I study his features. He has long black hair that reached his shoulder, has long hooked nose and has onyx eyes.
"Take a rest boy." He started to leave and I grabbed his wrist before he escape.
"Wait Mr- Professor Snape. Where's my father?" There's something at his eyes that told me something was wrong.
"He was at the room next door. Listen boy, your father-"
"I want to see him. Please." I didn't let him finish and I can feel my eyes started to burn. He frowned but he helped me to stand up and walk to my father. It was like I was walking to my doom. I only have my father, since my mother died at the final battle. I don't know what I will do if something happen to him.
"W-What happen to him?" When we reached my father, I quickly ran at his side and sobbed. He's not moving but he's breathing.
"He was in comma." Those words hit me like someone blocks the airs in my lungs. I sobbed harder, ignoring the other man in the room.
"NO!" I repeated again and again.
"P-Please help him!" I turned to the other man.
"I will do everything I can." With that, he left the room, gave us some privacy.
^.^
The night of the full moon came and the professor helped us to our transformation. He gave us potion. He led me outside and even waits for my transformation. When I was back as a kid, I was too exhausted to walk so he carried me inside. We thought that my father will somehow wake, but he was still sleeping.
^.^
One month passed since the attack. A lot of my father's friends visited us. My godfather also asked me to come with him but I think, we were better if we stay here at the house of the professor. I heard my Uncle Ron saying how terrible Professor Snape was as a person. But he's different. Even if he's not a professor anymore, he can still reduce the people around him as students. He fed us and took care of our every need. He was always in his lab preparing potion to my father.
One night, I was really bored and I got the nerve to ask him something. I don't understand anything in the book in front of me. The professor was sitting at his favorite chair in front of the fire reading. I slowly closed the book and looked at him.
"What are you staring at?" He asked in deep voice and I took a deep breath before answering.
"C-Can we play chess?" The professor looked at me and raised his brow.
"P-Please?" I looked at him with puppy eyes, the one I use at my father when I asked for something I really like. He closed the book he was reading and then waved his wand to set the chess in the table.
"Are you ready to be defeated?" I thought he was going to reject my offer but my eyes widen when he replied that. I grinned at him and felt warm inside me.
Ever since that night, I started to feel comfortable with him. I even got the nerve to ask him to teach me how to defend myself to other people. We never talked about the attack. When I asked him how he took us and what happen to those men in black, he always said it was none of my business. I'm still young to know about those things.
Even if I'm still young, he allowed me to fight him in a friendly duel. We cast spells after spells. Very simple spells, mind you. I always tried to fire a spell at his direction but he always blocks it until I'm too tired to fight back.
He called to a stop when he noticed I'm too tired. We ate outside like we were having a picnic. I manage to bite some sandwiches when exhaustion took over. I felt the professor helped me to lie down and put my head in his lap.
"Thanks Da." I whispered and smiled. I didn't even notice I said those words and how that simple words shocked the professor.
Those are times I felt I was well loved, like I have another father taking care of me. Sometimes, when we were in the room of my father, I caught him looking at my father with… longing and care. It always brought a smile in my face when I think of having a complete family.
^.^
One night, when we were in the room of my father, waiting for the result of the potion again, the professor said something that warms my heart to the core.
"You know, I'm there when your mother gave birth to you." I smiled at him and asked him if he could tell me what happen in that time.
(flashback)
"Here's your potion wolf." Remus smiled at him and replied in a tired voice.
"Thank you Severus." Suddenly, the ring Remus was wearing started to glow. Remus gasped and Severus frowned.
"Tonks! She's going to- C-Can you come with me?" Severus raised an eyebrow in reply. He was about to decline when the wolf turned to him with pleading eyes.
"Please?" Severus sighed and then nodded. The wolf was very nervous and he was clearly out of mind to invite him to come with him. When they arrived at the house, Poppy was already there in the room. Tonks was panting and Poppy was saying push again and again. The wolf quickly went beside his wife and Severus stayed outside the room hiding behind the walls. They all waited until they heard the cry of a small baby.
"It's a boy!" Poppy said and that's the time when Severus left the happy family behind.
Back in the room, when Severus finished his tale, I noticed that my father moved his fingers.
"Dad?" Although it's a small move, happiness bloom in my heart and I quickly moved to grasp my father's hands in my small hands. I turned to the professor and grinned from ear to ear. Tears started to fall from my eyes when my father slowly opened his eyes.
^.^
When my father woke up, I felt something changed between us. Although the professor took care of our needs, it felt like he started to put some distance between us. When I asked the professor about it, it only made everything worse.
"Can I ask you something Professor?" We were eating at that time in the dinner table. My father was still too weak to join us here. The professor didn't answer so I took that as a yes.
"Why- What-. " I didn't know what to ask and I felt stupid to ask the professor about it.
"Spit it out boy!" I flinched at the harshness of his voice.
"Why did you change?" I blurted out because I really felt nervous and I knew it was a stupid thing to say. Silence settled between us.
"How dare you ask me that kind of question?" I gulped and fought back the tears that threatened to fall.
"I- I-" No words came to my mind.
" No. Don't say anything. You're just a kid and you're not supposed to talk to me. Now, go back to your father." He never used that kind of tone to me ever since we came in his house. Tears started to fall and I shouted at him for the first time.
"I'm not a kid anymore and it's not a stupid question!" I ran to my room and sobbed in my bed until I fell asleep.
^.^
When I woke up, I went to the bathroom to wash my face. I slowly went out my room after that and walked to my father's room. I forgot to go to him last night because I fell asleep. I was about to open the door when I heard my godfather talking to my father. Although, I only heard my godfather since my father can only reply in a whisper.
"That night, when the remaining death eaters attacked your house, Snape quickly contacted us. He said he discovered that Lucius was planning an attack those people inside the order for revenge. He was planning to start it on you. When we went in the house, we were almost late they were about to leave it but we managed to catch them in time. They were now in Azkaban for good. We were with Snape at that time and he quickly went inside the house to check on you and Teddy. When he saw you lying in the floor, he quickly waved his wand and carried you in his arms. He told me that he will take you in, since he was the only person who can cure you. I took Teddy and brought him here in his house." I was shocked when my godfather told the story of that night. So, we owe it all to him. My father replied something, but I can't hear it.
"I'm sorry to inform you, but your house was destroyed. As much as I like to take you and Teddy with me, I think Snape really know how to cure you. He was not the git I met at the school before. He was-" I didn't hear the next words when the professor showed up.
"What are you doing there boy?"
"I-I-"
"For Merlin's sake, can't you at least form a coherent sentence?"
"Sorry." I look down at my feet and didn't even notice when the professor pat my head. I stared at him and I can't help myself but to hug him. He was stiff as rock, but somehow, he return my hug.
^.^
When my godfather left, the professor gave the potion to my father. The silence was deafening. I gulped and gathered all my braveness.
"Can we stay here forever dad?" I asked him and his eyes widen and the professor didn't even react. My father turned to the professor. I bit my lip as I waited for their reply.
"But-" My father said and the professor beat him to it.
"You can stay here Lupin as much as you like." I grinned from ear to ear and those words were like music in my ears.
"But…" The professor added and my heart stopped when I heard that word.
"I need to punish you Teddy for acting like you did last night and for listening to the elders speaking." I sighed out loud and my father turned to look at me.
"The punishment will be… You'll clean those cauldrons later in my lab." I grinned. I never went inside in his lab. Does it count as a punishment?
"What are you talking about Severus?" My father asked out of curiosity.
"Ask your son about that, I have something productive to do." With that, the professor left and I remain in the room to tell my father about what happen.
^.^
I think I can finally say it was a happy ending for all of us. Even if the attack left a scar to us, we still survived and somehow, found another important part of ourselves. We were still living with the professor until I go to Hogwarts. Every time I think about leaving them both in the house makes me giggle. Before I went to Hogwarts, the professor decided to take an examination for a job in St. Mungo's.
"Good luck Da!" I manage to say to him before he apparate out. He smirked and I have to stop myself from running to him and hugging him.
Well, you know, since he was a potions master, what do you expect? He was now part of the St. Mungo's researcher team.
Everything changed for all of us. My father and the professor's relationship deepen.
^.^
The day finally came when I was about to go to Hogwarts. My fathers, I like to think of them now as fathers, took me to King's Cross Station.
"You know, I think I don't like to go to Hogwarts and leave you both." I said softly to them. I hugged them both, and Da knelt in front of me and whispered. In reality, I am afraid of what awaits me there.
""It's time you let go, son." He kissed my left cheek and added,
"There's a wonderful world ahead of you and you have to let go of all your fears and enjoy everything." I smiled at him and hugged him again. He rose and then took my father's hand. With that, I walked to the barriers waving at them both, feeling at ease somehow.
^.^
The sun shone brightly above us. Not much people gathered around us. The day has finally come, the one I awaited the most. Today, my fathers will be married and we will finally be an official family. I love them both and I'm happy that they found each other. Maybe they found each other before I was born and they were too afraid of what awaits them next but, now, they finally have the strength to open their feelings for each other.
"Hey Da." I managed to talk to him before the wedding. He was nervous and I can feel it.
"Son." I smiled and it was like music to my ears to be called in that name by my Da.
"Are you nervous?" I smiled and he frowned.
"Of course not!" He arranged his bow tie and I help him to that.
"Yes you are!" I laughed and he smiled.
"Thank you." He said and I looked at his eyes.
"I'm the one who must thank you Da. We found you and you gave us happiness." We smiled at each other for a long time until my father appeared at the door.
"Stop that drama. Come on." He said and then we went out with pure happiness in our hearts.\
^.^
"Do you, Remus Lupin take him as your bond mate in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"
"I do."
"Do you, Severus Snape take him as your bond mate in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"
"I do."
You may now kiss your bond mate.
As I watch them kiss, I can't help but thank those people that attacked our house. Because of them, my fathers find true happiness.
A/N: Here are the lists of the events in the challenge:
An examination
An argument
A goodbye
A marriage
Childbirth
A game of Quidditch, chess etc
A parental punishment
A picnic
Death-eater attack
A friendly duel
My Additional prompts are:
"It's time you let go, son."
music
scar
elephant
words
