Chapter Four
Giving Leeway
Tangerine Spots or not, Lucky had no choice but to return home on time because of her job at the bank. It had been a somewhat reluctant departure; not necessarily because she didn't want to come home as much as the fact that she simply didn't want to work again. But after being reminded by Jennifer more than once what the penalties were for not fulfilling her end of the contract, Lucky soon found herself grasping the key that took her to the front door of the Baker Street house.
The door opened in front of her, and Lucky blinked in surprise when she saw Sirius Black standing on the other side.
"Don't tell me he's got you putting in even more security?" Lucky said when she saw the meter in his hand.
"Right now I'm just checking it," Sirius sighed, closing the door for her before he began inspecting it again.
In the front room, Alex was pacing restlessly while Jay and Rus were busy trying to get off a pair of magical mitts that kept them from trying to itch their spots. She looked up curiously to see who was at the door, brightening visibly when she saw who it was.
"Hey, Lucky! Do you want to babysit? I'll pay well," Alex bribed.
"I got a shift in a couple hours," Lucky explained. Alex immediately slumped. "What's the matter with you, anyhow? Used to be you'd jump at the chance at seeing your kids this early in the week."
"I have a job just like you do, Lucky, a job that really needs me right now," Alex explained.
"More than these two?" Lucky asked, then noticed that Rus had wandered towards the kitchen and made a beeline towards the icebox. "Hey, have they been fed?"
"Um… I think Ben gave them breakfast before he left for work. That was only a couple of hours ago…"
"Yeah, but they always get a snack about now," Lucky explained.
"If they were hungry, they would have told me," Alex said with annoyance.
"Kids don't always use words to communicate, Alex, especially these two," Lucky said, helping Janus climb up onto one of the stools by the counter.
"Well, maybe normal kids don't use words, but mine do. Isn't that right, Janus?" Alex said.
"Juice please!" Janus agreed.
"I'm getting it, I'm getting it," Lucky sighed. "Hey, you! Get out of the drawers, I can get that." Rus walked away from the icebox carrying an apple, apparently pleased with himself.
"Aren't you going to get one for your brother too, Rus?" Alex asked. Icarus frowned and tried to hand the apple to his brother.
"They always share it," Lucky explained, taking the apple from him and cutting it into four pieces. "If they didn't, we'd have a whole larder full of apples with single bites taken out of them."
"Well, that isn't very nice. You shouldn't ever do that," Alex frowned at them.
But the boys had missed some of the conversation, and since they weren't exactly sure what it was they weren't supposed to do, they looked over at Lucky anxiously until she set down their juice and gave them each two pieces of apple.
"I need to go unpack and get a shower in and get ready for work. You got this, right?" Lucky asked.
"That's very funny! You almost act as if I don't know how to take care of my own children!" Alex scowled. Shrugging it off with a sigh, Lucky went upstairs.
It wasn't long before there was the sound of someone at the door again and Rus immediately got up to check it out. Jay debated it a moment, looking between his snack and his mother before getting up himself.
"Are you done already? That's only your Uncle Sirius, you know," Alex told him.
"Daddy!" Rus declared from the hallway, and Jay took off. Alex folded her arms in irritation and then noticed the time.
"What, is that all?" Alex murmured. She was going to go find him when Jay ran in to snag an apple off his plate. "Sit down when you're eating, young man!" Jay glanced between his apple and the stool forlornly.
"Hey," Benjamin said glumly as he walked into the kitchen carrying Rus and putting him on a stool. Jay immediately put his hands up.
"I'm so glad you're back. I've been on the shells with work all morning! How did you manage to get off so early?" Alex added curiously.
"I got sacked, Alex," Ben said, giving Jay a hand up and glancing at their plates. "Wow, did you make this yourself?"
"It's not like it's a big deal…"
"Well, you could have had them take their mitts off," Ben said with a chuckle, helping Jay with his.
"Never mind that, why were you sacked?" Alex said.
"Oh, I missed a deadline last night and we lost an account. And when Mr. Barks tried to write me up for it, I gave him a piece of my mind and told him where to stuff it. The man has no sense of priority," Ben said grumpily.
"Yes, well, it's not that big of a deal, is it? Half of your income ended up going to the nanny anyways…"
"You're the one who insisted we get a nanny instead of relying on family resources," Ben reminded her.
"Yes, but now that you're out of a job, you can look after them full time. It isn't as if we need the money, and anyways, if you're here then I don't have to worry about getting called away from work again," Alex said.
"I didn't go to college to be a house husband, Alex," Ben said irritably.
"Oh, stop being so proud! It isn't as if you don't want to be here anyway. But I really need to get to work," Alex said, kissing Jay and Rus on the cheek and then attempted to kiss Ben despite the fact he was apparently in no mood for it. "Cheer up! At least you get to spend a lot more time with the boys, not that they didn't always like you better anyway. We'll talk about it later, maybe over the weekend. Be good, Jay and Rus! No itching!" she added with wag of the finger before making a hasty exit.
"Daddy is sad," Rus confided to Jay, who had noticed that himself. Frowning at that, Jay gazed at the apples in his hand and offered Ben one. Ben slumped in resignation before finally accepting the apple.
"Thanks," Ben said, glumly nibbling on it. Feeling more reassured, Jay and Rus turned their attention back to their snack.
It was several days later when Doctor Bliant had declared that despite lingering spots they were no longer contagious. The House Elves under Mercy's instruction had everything impeccably clean to insure that nothing lingered, and after a bit of extra convincing, Jennifer arrived home with Quintin in arms and with Leu dragging one of the suitcases behind him.
"Back at last!" Jennifer declared as they stepped inside. "Lucky? Ben? Anyone home at all?" she called out, and then heard Descartes' muffled cry. "Sounds like your father is home, at least. Leu, go put Copper back in her aquarium and change… and don't you dare start breaking out your chemical kit just yet. Make sure you leave your laundry out for the Elves… Mercy?"
"Yes Mistress?" Mercy's voice replied.
"Oh, it's good to hear you! We were so worried about you for a while there. Are you all right now?" Jennifer asked her concernedly.
"I have always been all right, Mistress. Shall I put away Master Quintin's things for him?" she asked.
"That would be lovely, thank you, Mercy," Jennifer agreed. She took a moment to change the baby and put him in a fresh set of clothes before bringing him into the basement with her. A thin but telltale haze was drifting in the basement despite the open window, and Jennifer stepped down curiously to see Severus working by the cauldron oven.
"Good morning, Severus," Jennifer said. "We're back!"
Descartes cawed out happily while Rasputin, lying on the top of the shelves, gave her only a cursory look.
"Quiet down, Descartes," Severus said distractedly as he was carefully adding a powder to the mix. "Jennifer, you complain about my tobacco smoke around the children and yet you bring him down into the lab?"
"And here I thought you'd want to see us after a week on your own," Jennifer harrumphed.
"I've hardly been alone a minute in the interim, I assure you," Severus said. "In fact, I believe this is the first morning that Ben felt brave enough to take the boys out since their illness, even if it was at my insistence."
"Oh?" Jennifer asked curiously. "He's not working?"
"I'll explain in a moment. Why don't you settle Quintin in the front room and make some coffee. I'll be up as soon as I am done bottling this Buck-up Brew."
"Buck-up Brew? I don't remember that ever being a part of our normal inventory. We've always used Heartsease Balm," Jennifer said thoughtfully.
"Yes, I know, but I think this will be easier for Benjamin to use," Severus explained.
"Ben? What's wrong with Ben?"
"Coffee?" Severus reminded her.
"Oh, all right," Jennifer said, walking back up the stairs. She frowned when she got into the living room and realized how far the crib in the pen area was from the kitchen. Glancing at Quintin, she adjusted him to one side and got her wand out long enough to move the crib into the kitchen before finally settling him down in it.
She had gotten the coffee started and had begun rummaging through the cabinets when Severus finally made it upstairs. He peered quizzically at the crib as he walked in.
"Getting attached to this one, are we?" Severus observed.
"Severus, we did have an intruding Elf on this property a week ago, and considering we're still not sure exactly how it got in, I'm not taking any chances," Jennifer said curtly.
"Very well, I suppose you have a point," Severus decided, going over to check on him.
"So what's going on with Ben, Severus?" Jennifer asked.
"A small bit of a family crisis, it would seem. Apparently there was an emergency at his work the day that the boys came down with Tangerine Spots and his boss took exception to the fact that Ben chose his family over work, which of course, made Ben turn around and take exception to his employer," Severus explained.
"Well, I should think so! I wouldn't stay with a job that had a problem with me leaving work due to a family emergency!" Jennifer declared. "Did he quit his job, then? I know I would have."
"Yes, well, apparently the debate got heated enough that he was sacked first," Severus explained. Jennifer grimaced. "And it also didn't help that Alex's idea of cheering him up was to suggest that he simply stayed home with the children full time."
"Yes, I'm sure that went over well. Poor Ben," Jennifer sighed. "Where are they now?"
"Visiting his sister, I believe. Benjamin can take care of himself for the most part; you know he's always been sensible, although I do wonder what effect this is having on the children considering our suspicions about Janus," Severus said.
"Maybe now would be a good time to go ahead and test him. I've been talking to Lunette about it and she gave me some basic Truth-seeking tests for preschoolers that I think he can handle," Jennifer said.
"Perhaps, just make certain Ben and Alex know what you're planning first," Severus warned.
"I will, Severus, but I seriously doubt they'd mind," Jennifer said. She handed him his coffee before getting one herself. He only took one sip before he grimaced.
"It's cold," Severus said.
"Cold? But I just made it, you just saw me," Jennifer said with bewilderment, and then began switching buttons experimentally. "The grinder doesn't work either."
"Is the power off?"
"Oh now, Severus, you know this coffee pot has always been magic driven," Jennifer sighed at him.
"So it has, come to think of it. Sirius rigged something for it, didn't he?" Severus mused, experimentally fiddling with the back of the coffee pot for a moment before shrugging. "I suppose we're about due for another one. Considering how old this thing is, it probably just gave out."
"I'd hate to get rid of it…" Jennifer frowned.
"It's just a coffee machine, Jennifer. Yes, I know you have memories attached to the thing, but the memories aren't going anywhere even if we do have to replace it…"
"That's just the point, Severus. I didn't have any memories when you gave it to me," Jennifer argued. "I think I'm going to ask Sirius to take a look at it first."
"Very well, Jennifer, but would you care if I got another one in the meantime? I'd really rather not deal with cold coffee every morning." Severus said.
"Fine, but I'm not getting rid of this one," Jennifer said stubbornly.
Suddenly the two of them heard a howl and the sound of someone barreling down the stairs. The two of them ran into the hallway and nearly ran into Leu in the process.
"Help! Help! Copper ate my Snitch! She's going to die, isn't she? Tell me she isn't!" Leu said frantically.
It was less than five minutes later that Severus found himself sitting at Sagittari's dining table with a worried boy beside him fidgeting restlessly with his fingers. Jennifer was calmly helping herself to Sagittari's leftovers while Quintin slept on her other arm, apparently undisturbed by the abrupt change in scenery.
"Llewellyn, I've been thinking," Severus said with his head propped up in his hand. "How would you like your own owl?" Jennifer looked over at him with an amused expression before turning back to her snack.
"Is Copper going to die?" Leu asked seriously.
"I highly doubt it, especially considering how quickly we got her here and into Sagittari's capable hands. That wasn't the point, really. I just thought you might like one to take to Hogwarts when you start this year. They're good for sending messages and things," Severus explained.
"Oh! Well, I wouldn't mind that," Leu admitted.
"Good, then it's settled. I'll take you right before I head back to work. That way you have time to get acquainted," Severus said.
"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat while we wait, Leu?" Jennifer asked.
"No, thank you. I'd rather wait until I know how Copper is," Leu said solemnly. "Besides, isn't it impolite to raid someone's kitchen without asking like that?"
"Yes it is," Severus said before Jennifer had a chance to say anything.
"We have a sort of standing agreement, Leu," Jennifer explained.
"What does that mean?" Leu asked.
"It means that because she raids the doctor's kitchen so often that if she stopped doing it now, Sagittari would insist that she be the one to get a check up," Severus said. Jennifer made a face at him, but kept right on eating.
Finally the door opened and Leu looked around with an anxious look on his face as Sagittari walked in from his office, glancing between them thoughtfully.
"How is Copper? Is everything all right?" Leu asked.
"That would depend, Mr. Murphy. Do you have any intentions of letting a Snitch loose in your room again?" Sagittari asked.
Leu shook his head with a serious expression on his face. Matching the expression, Sagittari took the Snitch out of his pocket and handed it over to the boy while Jennifer and Severus both grimaced at the thought of where the Snitch had been.
"Apparently, she somehow managed to swallow it whole, so it still appears to be functioning properly," Sagittari said. "As for Copper, she'll have some stitches you will need to look after and I have a prescription to give her for a week or two, but I'm sure your parents will have no trouble filling it themselves. I would keep her in her aquarium for awhile until she recuperates, young man, especially if you have any plans to bring her to Hogwarts with you this year."
"You mean I can take Copper as well?" Leu asked in surprise.
"As well?" Sagittari asked, glancing curiously at the sour expression on Severus' face.
"My father said I might have an owl if I'd like," Leu said.
"I suppose that would be up to you which to bring then, although I think Copper might miss you if she would have to stay home. You can only bring one familiar, after all. You have enough responsibilities looking after yourself and your homework, and I think you'll find one familiar is more than enough," Sagittari said.
"In that case, I think I'll just bring Copper instead. Is that all right?" Leu asked. He glanced over at Jennifer who seemed to be more interested in her food then the conversation, so he glanced over at Severus.
"Yes but… Llewellyn, Benjamin and the boys would have no trouble looking after a toad, and an owl would be a lot more useful. Wouldn't you rather have a familiar that was actually capable of doing more than eating and sleeping?" Severus asked pleadingly.
"Isn't that all that Rasputin and Ratfly do?" Leu asked. Severus grimaced at that.
"He does have a point," Sagittari agreed. Jennifer tried her best to keep a straight face.
"Fine, Copper can go, although it pains me to say it… assuming you do as the doctor says and keep her healthy enough," Severus said with a sigh.
"I will do my best to follow your directions exactly," Leu said emphatically.
"That would be a nice change, considering how little some others I won't mention pay to my instructions about the health of their familiars," Sagittari said. "Come along to the patient room with me, Mr. Murphy."
"Thanks much," Leu said, going in when the centaur opened the door.
"I never thought I'd see the day one of my family went to Hogwarts with a toad," Severus mumbled. Jennifer smiled at him sympathetically.
"What matters most is letting Leu have a familiar that's right for him, Severus, family pride or not," Jennifer pointed out, handing him Quintin so she could clean up the table.
"Fine," Severus said with a sigh, then glanced at the baby. "But you, Quintin Snape, are getting an owl."
"Want to make a wager on that?" Jennifer said half-jokingly, putting the dishes in the sink.
"You're on," Severus decided as they got up to join them in the other room.
It was not long before Leu was settled with his convalescent frog that Severus' thoughts turned to getting ready to head back to Hogwarts. He spent a good deal of the morning going back and forth packing in their suite, often passing and looking in the crib with a frown as he packed his trunk, wondering if the feeling of something hanging over them was his imagination or not. It didn't help when he went to sort through the library and saw the same forlorn expression on Leu's face from where he sat in the doorway and watched Severus pull his favorite books down.
"So you're going there on your own, then?" Leu asked.
"Yes, you'll be staying here with your mother and sister," Severus said, glancing through one of the books before putting it back.
"And you'll be by yourself in that huge castle?" Leu frowned. "Won't you get lonely?"
"Professor Weasley will be there for a couple of days, and Sagittari is just across the courtyard, after all, and of course Rasputin and Descartes are going. To be honest, I usually have so much work to do to prep for the new school year that I welcome the quiet… most especially this year. There is still a lot of backlog from that silly Otherworld business, and I really must get caught up on it before the first board meeting. Assuming I'm not called home every other day because someone was playing with Quidditch balls in the house or sneaking off to the river when he thought no one was looking, I should be able to get it done…"
"River? I wasn't sneaking off to the river," Leu said quickly.
"I didn't say that I was speaking of you. It could have been hypothetical," Severus said. Leu wisely decided to keep silent. "However, now might be a good time to remind you that you're not really even supposed to go to the broom park without supervision until you are twelve, and I ask that you not leave the house without Lucky or an adult while I'm gone."
"Lucky is always working, and with goblins, too. I still don't understand why you let her work at that bank," Leu said.
"Llewellyn, Lucky is old enough to decide where she wants to work, and she is more than capable of handling anything that might come up. And I know for a fact that what you went through while in their care had an impact on you, but even understanding that, there will be a time when you must come to terms with the fact that not all goblins are out to get you," Severus said.
"Of course they're not now, you bought off my debt. They don't care about anything if you pay them," Leu said.
"On the contrary, their interests in economics has more to do with wanting political leverage and trying to gain control over vast wizard company investors that already depend on them to keep their companies going," Severus said.
"What does that mean?" Leu asked.
"It means, Leu, that the goblins themselves are trying to buy their own freedom just like we bought yours," Severus explained. "Only since it's for their entire race, it is a much, much longer process than what it took us."
"Is that why they're so greedy, then?" Leu asked.
"Llewellyn, if a Frenchman walked up to you and stole your coins, does that mean that everyone from France is a thief?" Severus asked.
"Well, no, but the bank is their government…"
"All the same, just because the government behaves in a certain way doesn't mean all its people do. Lord help me if people start comparing me to the Ministry," Severus added. "We are, however, getting off the subject. I expect you be on your best behavior while I'm gone. Your mother has enough to juggle this year with Quintin and having to look after Jay and Rus while Ben is job hunting. I will drop by if I can, but at the latest, you'll see me during Corey's birthday party. By then you should have had your letter and your shopping started if not finished."
"Will I have to go to Corey's again this year?" Leu asked.
"No, since your sister has to work, you may stay here the two weeks before school and take the train up… but don't you dare make us regret the decision to let the two of you stay," Severus said sternly.
"No, sir," Leu said solemnly.
"Good," Severus said, picking up a couple more tomes and his tobacco pouch before walking over towards the door. Leu quickly got out of the way, walking ahead of them as they made their way into the kitchen. Jennifer was standing at the counter with a cup in her hands, pointing to it when they came in.
"The coffee pot is working again, Severus! It just seemed to start up on its own," Jennifer explained.
"That's rather odd," Severus frowned. "Is Sirius going to look at it?"
"Yes, he said he would when he drops by to put in that new House Elf monitor thing you ordered, although I am wondering if we aren't going a bit overboard with that," Jennifer said.
"We still don't know what happened to our Head Elf that day, and considering you, Quintin and Leu will be here for another month while I'm at work, I'd rather not take any chances," Severus said defensively.
"We'll hardly be alone, Severus. After all, Ben and the boys will be here, and there's always Alex and the others popping in and out at any given time. You have very little to worry about. I can take care of myself, you know," Jennifer said.
"I never said you couldn't, but forewarned is forearmed, and I know you do your best defending when you've had time to plan out a mode of attack…"
"Exactly who are we at war with, Severus?" Jennifer challenged him with exasperation.
"I don't know, that is part of the trouble," Severus murmured. "Promise me you'll do your best to stay alert?"
"Of course I shall. Stop being so overprotective," Jennifer scolded him.
"I'm not being overprotective, Jennifer. Protective, maybe," Severus said curtly. Jennifer smiled enigmatically at him.
"I suppose I can live with that," she decided. "I think I'll pop in for lunch on Sunday if you're free. I'm hoping to test Janus right after I talk to Alex on Saturday."
"Good, then you can tell me how it turns out," Severus nodded. "Time to go… back to school for me, and soon all of us. Llewellyn, do your best to keep your mother out of trouble until then."
"I'm not sure I would know how to do that," Leu admitted seriously.
"I suppose that makes two of us. I haven't figured out how to do that yet either," Severus decided.
"Oh goodbye already," Jennifer said, shaking her head at Severus as he left. "Leu, why don't you go play in the backyard for a bit and keep Janus and Rus company in the sandbox?"
"All right, but I'm not so sure how I can keep you out of trouble from there…"
"Shoo!" Jennifer scowled, coaxing him out the door. Double-checking the coffee pot to make sure it was still working, Jennifer began to get ready for lunch.