Disclaimer: All JKRs except for a couple of OCs and some other veering into AU.
"Molly, I was a raving lunatic. I pulled my wand on the Minister of Magic, I hexed my husband, and then I attacked him."
When she woke up the next morning, Barbara sent and owl of apology to Kingsley and an owl asking if she could have tea with Molly Weasley. The older woman sent a return owl of invitation almost immediately. Barbara was now sitting in the kitchen of the Burrow, sipping tea and shredding a biscuit.
"Attacked him?"
"Well, sort of...he stopped me then...he didn't want...not when I was so angry..." Barbara stumbled and blushed to a stop.
"I see."
"I feel like I can talk to you about this because it's Order business and because you have such a successful marriage. I can keep a classroom at peace by raising an eyebrow and I can tell you the recipes of dozens of potions without looking, but this is so outside of my experience."
"And that's why you're going to be a success, Barbara. "You're willing to admit that you're learning, and you're pushing through. It is just hard, some days. The hardest part is admitting that we don't know the answers and need to feel our way through it."
"How do I do that?"
"You just do. Your greatest ally is that man of yours. The more tightly you hang on to each other, no matter what, the better your chances of success."
"But what about when at the same time I want to hex him into next week and--" Barbara stopped and blushed again.
"Make passionate love to him?" Barbara nodded, looking down, and Molly smiled. "You will probably have many such days. Go with the love, always. Just be sure that the love is in control of the anger every time.
"You will also find that there are days when you want to hex your children into next week while at the same time you want to smother them with affection. Welcome to marriage and motherhood, dear."
"How do you do it? What you've suffered and struggled with?"
"I couldn't do it without Arthur... When we face the things we must face together, somehow we can."
A couple of hours later Barbara walked out of her kitchen hearth to see her husband sitting at the table with a small stack of books.
"I had thought that you would come through here. So you spoke with Molly, then?"
She nodded and he saw that she looked more cheerful than she had that morning. "She sent me home with this pot of stew. I helped her make it and then she said we made way too much. Where are the kids?"
"They're at the school, having tea with Hagrid."
"Tea with Hagrid?" Her eyes took on a mischievous glint. "They'll want this stew, then. What are you working on?"
"Well, when the kids left I went to look over Mother's old books. She had several that included information on Legilimancy. This one, in particular, mentions a skill very similar to that one that you have. Here, you see, they describe that the negative effects can be diminished through Legilimancy with someone with whom the person has a deep emotional connection. The effects dissipate when someone shares it."
She sat next to him and they read the passage together.
"You knew." She looked up at him with stars in her eyes. "Severus, you knew instinctively how to take care of me when you found me in that classroom last winter and again last night when I was distressed beyond control. Professor Dumbledore said in those notes that I wear my heart on my sleeve...I usually get overwhelmed and then go on a crying jag..."
"These books are written toward dark uses. Albus never would have read them."
"I'm not so sure, or maybe it's in other books, too." Barbara looked into his eyes so that he could see the memory she had recalled.
"Barbara, this will be a source of pain for you, but also of joy because you will know great love through it."
"He didn't explain what he meant. I think he knew I would find what we have together. That someone with your skills in Legilimancy would help me to use it properly."
"But I caused--"
"How could you know what I would see, or that our connection could go so far geographically? Did you have any hint of it?"
"I never thought it was possible. Albus and I had discussed in more of an abstract...you know, as a hypothetical possibility, a connection between two great Legilimens. We certainly never discussed it in this sort of context, I didn't actually believe it was possible. We need to work with it, and take proper care. I don't want you or the baby to be hurt."
"What you and Kingsley did, trying to hide it from me until it was over, was reasonable in its way. It's important to me that you knew how to care for me when you got home. You are the best man I know and I've never wanted to kiss you more than I do this minute."
"I can accommodate you on that."
They were interrupted when Hagrid and the kids came in the kitchen door.
"Aunt Barbara! See what Hagrid gave us!" Alice said while Howard held up a cage with an owl inside.
"She's from a family of owls that lives near the school. I've raised her from a baby. She'll do alright," said Hagrid.
"Thank you Hagrid. Can we interest you in dinner?" Barbara had stood to hug Alice and Howard and was now moving toward the cupboard.
"No, no, already have plans. 'Bye, Alice, Howard. Just feed here like I said and she'll be fine."
"Goodbye Hagrid! Thank you."
"Thank you so very much, Hagrid. Have a good evening." Barbara saw him out the door.
They finished dinner preparations while Alice and Howard described their visit. They had taken a walk in a part of the forest after which they had tea. Hagrid introduced them to some of the creatures.
"It sounds like a delightful time," said Barbara.
"Just as long as we remember that you never go into the woods without someone like Hagrid. You were there for the battle last year, Howard? You remember some of those beasts? Most of them behave for Hagrid, but I wouldn't count on it by myself," Severus looked a little stern, but smiled. "We wouldn't want either of you to be hurt. So...what's her name?"
They continued chatting over dinner and shared clean up duties in the kitchen afterward. The family spent the evening together in the downstairs sitting room, playing Exploding Snap and Chess while listening to the wireless.
At some point, the wireless played a song from the Snapes' wedding and the kids shouted, "Dance, dance!" Then the two children watched with delight as Severus walked over to Barbara and drew her to her feet so that they could comply with this request. After that song they then danced with the children, too, before going back to Snap and Chess.
After the kids were in bed, Barbara sat in the middle of her own bed, taking her hair out of a long braid and combing it out. Her husband surreptitiously watched her while holding a book open. She still had stars in her eyes.
"You know, with that braid in your hair, you looked hardly old enough to be a mother at all, let alone the guardian of two teenagers."
"Sir, you're too kind."
"In fact, you looked about old enough to be in one of my advanced classes."
"Professor, could you tell me how to get an O on my NEWT?"
"Are you done with your hair?"
"Yes." She set the brush on her nightstand.
He set down the book and stood. "Well, then, my dear student, I've always found hands on instruction to be the most effective teaching method for my favorite..."
"So much the better," smiled Barbara, extinguishing the lights.
The cries woke her several hours later. She sat up and caught her breath.
"Do you want me to--" Severus sat up and kissed her shoulder.
"No, it's Alice. I'd better."
Barbara put on her dressing gown and went down the hall to Alice's room. Howard was standing in the doorway, worry etched onto his face. "I can't calm her down."
"Bless you, you shouldn't have to, dear. I'll see what I can do."
Barbara sat on the bed and put her hand on Alice's shoulder. "Alice...Alice...you're safe here."
"Oh, Aunt Barbara..." Alice flung herself at the woman. "They kept torturing them and asking where we were. We couldn't move or speak. We just had to watch..."
"I'm sorry, dear. It's just awful. I'm sure your parents wanted to keep you safe, just like you are, now. They wanted you to have the chance to grow up and have children of your own."
Eventually the girl quieted down and Howard went back to his own room. After Alice was fully asleep again, Barbara crossed the hall and looked into Howard's room. He was still awake.
"Are you okay?"
"Her nightmares aren't as often. That's good. Last year, some of the girls in the dorm used to go at her about it in the common room. They would say things like it was our own fault. We're so much better off, now."
"So are we," smiled Barbara, "but what I wanted to know, Howard, is how are you? You saw the same things your sister did."
"I'll be okay. I'm glad they caught the guys who did it."
"You know that if something troubles you at all, you can come to us. Good night, dear." She kissed his forehead and left him.
When she got back to her bed, her husband pulled her close. "How are they?"
"They'll manage, but it's unfortunate that their own house at school isn't really for them. I'm glad they have us, now," she murmured. "So many families torn apart."
"So many still in danger."
"Do you really have to?"
"There's a task for which I'm uniquely qualified."
"As long as you come home every time I can accept it. I'm not sure I'll ever like it."
"I will come home to you. Every time. Trust me."
She hugged him tightly. "I do trust you."
A/N: Thank you for reading, and a special thanks to those who have taken time to reveiw.