Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings belong to J.K. Rowling.
A/N: I probably won't post the next chapter until after the holidays. Enjoy and Merry Christmas! =)
Severus stared at the note for a moment, frozen and unsure what to do. He had known she would come but he wondered how long he had until… suddenly the doors to the Great Hall flew open. Severus looked up and there she was. Bellatrix. His heart clenched as he looked at his wife for the first time in so long. She was extremely pale, thin and looked exhausted. Her clothes were disheveled, torn and her long dark hair a tangled mess. Her eyes locked with his and tears filled them. She stared at him before her eyes shifted their gaze to the child sitting next to him. "Kaiden?" She stumbled in further, holding in one hand a green plush snake that Severus recognized as Kaiden's when he was a baby.
Kaiden looked to his dad. "Who is that?" She looks familiar…
Severus thought quickly. Bellatrix needed to compose herself before reuniting with Kaiden, otherwise she might frighten him and that was not the first impression she would want to make. "Albus, take him to my quarters." He said quietly as he stood up.
Dumbledore nodded and stood up as well, sympathy in his eyes. "Kaiden, have you played exploding snap yet?"
"No. What is it?" Kaiden got up and started to follow the Headmaster, darting a look at the woman who was just staring at him.
"No, where are you taking him?" Bella began to run to the Head Table. "I want my son! My baby!"
Kaiden gave a sudden intake of breath as he realized that the woman was his mother. She looked so different from the picture he had been shown of her. He hesitated in going with the Headmaster.
Severus caught Bellatrix in his strong arms before she reached the table and nodded to Albus to continue to take Kaiden. His son was staring at Bella in shock and realization. "Kaiden, go with Professor Dumbledore please." He said in a firm yet gentle voice. He turned his attention back to his wife once Albus and Kaiden had left the room.
Bella began struggling in her husband's arms. "Let me go! I want my son! Our baby, Severus!"
"I know. Bella, I know." Severus tried to sooth her. "He's alive. He's okay."
"Let me go to him then!" Bella pushed him away, her dark eyes wild. She whipped out her wand and cast a hex at Severus who was already prepared and had cast a Protego.
"Stupefy!" Bella shrieked again as she pointed her wand at him.
Severus managed to dodge the spell in time. "Bella, stop! You will scare our son if you go to him acting like this!" He said sternly.
"Please, I want my baby. Please," Bella whispered, dropping her arm and holding her wand loosely. "I killed our baby. Forgive me for killing our baby."
Severus disarmed her and then held her in his arms. "No, you did not kill our baby. He was taken from us." He told her, relishing the feel of her in his arms. "He was taken from us Bella. We both were made to believe he was dead."
Bella shook her head frantically. "No! We buried him! The candles, I need to turn out the candles!" She began struggling to get away again.
"Didn't you talk to Narcissa?" Severus asked in a hard voice as he kept a tight hold on her.
"Cissy sent me a letter telling me Kaiden was alive." Bella said in a small voice as she sagged in his arms. "It contained a picture of you and baby. It can't really be our baby but he looked…" She began crying. "He looked like us. But it's fake!"
Gritting his teeth as Bella struggled to get away from him; he produced a vial containing a strong mixture of Wit-Sharpening Potion and Memory Potion. He had tweaked it and hoped it was strong enough to counteract the potion the Dark Lord had given her. As he had been the one to supply the Dark Lord with potions, he had a pretty good idea of what the monster had used. He poured it down her throat even as she clawed at him in an effort to push the vial away. He let her go once he was sure she had swallowed the potion.
Sputtering, she glared at Severus. "How dare…" She stopped and shook her head. It was as if a fog was lifting from around her. The memories began coming back, her thoughts getting clearer. She remembered Narcissa coming over and making her tea. She remembered thinking Narcissa was acting strange and then getting sleepy after the tea. And then she woke up to the room being on fire, yet somehow she had not been burned at all. The auror's had told her that her candles had caused the fire which resulted in the death of her child. Grief and guilt had consumed her and she had pushed away her husband, family and friends. The Dark Lord confirmed to her that she didn't deserve forgiveness and throwing herself into being a death eater was the only way to forget. After the Dark Lord vanished she had left, knowing she deserved the isolation with nothing but the knowledge that she had killed her son.
"Severus?" Bellatrix locked eyes with him, seeing nothing but love in those obsidian eyes. How could I have ever left him? Her own eyes darkened. "It was Narcissa?"
Severus nodded, relieved that the potion appeared to have worked. "I thought she would have told you when you returned after getting her letter." Although I should have known better, he thought.
"She just said a death eater had taken him."
"Self-preservation at its best I suppose." Severus said darkly. "The Dark Lord ordered Narcissa to kill Kaiden. He knew he was losing us to the light and thought that if we went through the loss of our son, especially if you thought it was your fault, that we would be even more focused on him."
Bellatrix's eyes widened in horror as she mentally relived her sister's strange behavior that night. "I felt sleepy after she made tea. She never makes tea." Bella frowned in thought. "She drugged me?"
"The Dark Lord gave her a potion to confuse you. I believe it was enhanced to make you…well…insane." Severus looked at her. "No offense." He added.
Bella waved her hand dismissively. "Never mind. What did she do with Kaiden? Where has he been all this time?"
Severus looked away for a moment. "Lily and James Potter's son Harry had passed away the day before she gave you that potion. She talked them into switching the babies. She was supposed to kill Kaiden but couldn't and figured this plan was the only solution. Lily charmed Kaiden with a strong glamour to make Kaiden look exactly like their son. He became Harry Potter."
"The Boy-Who-Lived," Bella whispered in shock. "When did you find out?"
"It was several days ago. Albus brought who we thought was Harry Potter to the infirmary as he was sick," I'll wait to tell her why, Severus thought with a grimace. "I helped Poppy treat him and it was decided he would stay here at the castle for the summer. I felt…a connection to him. I spent time with him and discovered he was a smart, sweet child. And then his Hogwarts acceptance letter came only it was not addressed to Harry Potter but Kaiden Snape. Albus cast a couple of spells that revealed he was our son and he was also able to break the glamour. We have been introducing Kaiden to the wizarding world little by little." Severus answered as he reached out and gently brushed back strands of Bella's hair.
"Where has he been all these years? Lily and James were killed." Bella said, anger in her voice at the thought of her sister betraying her. She shook her head. She was still feeling a little woozy.
"With Lily's muggle sister," Severus said stiffly. He would wait to tell her everything.
"I want to see him!" Bella insisted.
Severus nodded. "Perhaps we will get you some clean clothes first? A shower and a hairbrush would not hurt either." He smirked slightly.
Bella looked down at her grimy clothes. "Oh," She swayed a bit. Suddenly she felt overwhelmed and still a bit confused. For so long she had believed she was the reason Kaiden was gone. She still had questions…there were still things she didn't understand.
"I've missed you Severus." Bella whispered as she gazed up at Severus's face.
Severus squeezed her hand. "I've missed you too." He responded in a gruff voice. Slowly he was starting to get his family back.
"I really didn't kill him? I still don't…why was he sick? Why didn't Narcissa tell us…?" She swayed again and Severus looked at her in alarm.
"Bella," Severus stepped forward. "You didn't kill Kaiden. He was taken from us." Before Severus could continue to reassure her, she fainted and was caught by her husband.
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"The poor thing," Poppy murmured as she ran another diagnostic over Bella, who was still unconscious in the infirmary. "She's beyond exhausted and has not been eating enough." She had spelled dreamless sleep and an extra strength nutrition potion into Bellatrix. She had also cast cleaning and refreshing charms and a spell that untangled and cleaned Bella's hair. "She and Kaiden will both be taking a nutritive potion for awhile." She said in mild exasperation.
Severus slumped into the chair next to her and grasped Bella's hand. "The potion to restore her clarity was too much for her all at once. Especially when she realized her own sister had set her up." He said quietly.
Poppy patted him on the shoulder. "She will be okay Severus. She will feel better after a much needed rest. And then she will be able to see her son."
Severus's expression softened. "Yes she will. I need to check on Kaiden. Will you alert me if she wakes up while I am gone?"
Poppy nodded. "Of course," Poppy hesitated. "I do suggest waiting to tell Bella about how Kaiden was raised until she is more, shall we say, mentally stable. She will be overwhelmed as it is."
"I had already decided to wait on telling her." Severus assured her. "Though I know her, she will want to know everything." And Merlin help anyone who gets in her way once she finds out, he thought grimly.
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Kaiden laughed as the cards exploded and nearly singed off Dumbledore's beard.
"Oof! Well, that can sometimes happen." Dumbledore said ruefully as he patted his beard down.
"This game is fun! Except for you almost catching on fire, I mean." Kaiden amended.
"Would you like to play again?" Dumbledore asked brightly.
Before Kaiden could answer, his father stepped into the room.
Severus raised his eyebrow at the half burnt cards strewn on the floor and the blackened hairs on the Headmaster's beard. "Having fun?" He asked in amusement.
Kaiden jumped up from the table and ran to him. "Professor Dumbledore taught me how to play exploding snap!" He said excitedly.
"I see that," Severus smirked as Dumbledore waved his wand over his beard to fix the burned hairs.
"Dad? Is that lady really my Mum?"
Severus sat down after exchanging a look with Dumbledore. "Yes. She is in the infirmary right now…she will be fine." He quickly assured Phoenix after seeing the alarmed look on his face. "She's just been very sad and alone for a long time."
"Because of me," Kaiden said guiltily. "I'm sorry." He was startled when Severus gently took him by the shoulders and stared into his eyes.
"Look at me. You have nothing to be sorry for. We were all victims of someone's deceit, you most of all. Nothing is your fault, do you hear me?" Severus said. He wanted his son to understand.
Kaiden felt like a baby as tears filled his eyes and he fell against his father, who hugged him and whispered words of comfort to him. "It's okay son. It's okay now." He tightened his arms around his son and he unexpectedly could feel tears fill his own eyes.
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Bellatrix slowly woke up and took in her surroundings. Wait; was she in the Hogwarts infirmary? Suddenly the day's events caught up with her and she sat up quickly. Severus was here…and her son was here! She needed to see him, hold him so she could know that it was really true.
"Bellatrix?" Poppy asked as she came out of her office. She smiled. "Are you feeling better dear?"
Bella slowly stood up. "I feel much better Madame Pomfrey." She said, her eyes darting around the room. She looked down and noticed that besides wearing the standard infirmary gown she also had on her old favorite blue dressing gown. Severus. She reached out and picked up the plush snake that she had held onto all these years. If Severus worked here then his quarters would be in the dungeons, she thought. She eyed the fireplace and headed towards it. It would only make sense that the infirmary was connected to Severus's floo.
"Wait Bella! You should be resting. I will summon Sever-"Poppy stopped as Bella disappeared into the green flames, calling out for Severus's quarters. Poppy sighed. Well, she had tried.
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Severus was talking quietly with Dumbledore while Kaiden built a house with his exploding snap cards when he heard the floo flare up. His eyes widened when his mother stepped through, looking more like she had in the photo he had seen.
"Bella?" Severus took a step towards her and then stopped, watching as Bella stared at Kaiden.
"Kaiden?" Bella whispered as she looked at her son.
Kaiden nodded and then his mother let out a cry and crossed the room, enfolding Kaiden into her arms. She kept whispering my baby, my baby over and over again. Kaiden hugged her back, feeling an immediate connection to her just as he had with his dad.
Tears streamed down Bella's face as she held her son. It seemed surreal that she was actually holding him in her arms. She lifted her head and locked eyes with Severus who stepped over and enfolded them both in a hug. The three of them just stood there, hugging and crying at finally being reunited. They were complete now.
Dumbledore moved quietly to the door to leave and give them privacy but he couldn't help conjuring a camera and taking a picture without them knowing first.
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After a several minutes Bella pulled back and wiped her eyes before looking Kaiden over. "You're so handsome, look at you! Are you okay? Why are you so thin?" Bella exclaimed as she fussed over her son.
"Um…" Kaiden felt flustered, not sure how to answer that. He also wasn't used to being fussed over.
"Bella take a breath." Severus said dryly. Kaiden looked completely overwhelmed.
Bella shot him a mild glare but did smile sheepishly at her son. "I'm sorry. It's just…I can't believe you're here. I still don't understand how but I'm just so happy." She hugged Kaiden again. "I missed you so much! I thought about you and Severus every day. I want to know everything about you! Where have you been living, what was your first word and –"
Severus put his hand on her arm. "Relax. He is still getting used to everything himself."
Bella took a deep breath. "You're right, of course." She looked at Kaiden. "I hope I'm not scaring you. I just missed you so much. To think you were alive this whole time." She shook her head. "Where have you been?" Her eyes narrowed as she remembered her realization from earlier. "Narcissa did this didn't she? Did she have you this whole time?" Anger began to fill her eyes.
"I don't know who that is," Kaiden said as he backed up against his dad. His father put an arm around him.
"Bella, we will talk about this privately." Severus said firmly. He knew Bella would explode in anger when she found out everything and Kaiden didn't need to see that.
"Fine. But I will know everything." Bella said determinedly. She smiled at Kaiden. "Look at you. He's beautiful isn't he Severus?"
Kaiden blushed and Severus chuckled. "You're embarrassing our child Bella. But yes, he is."
Bella studied Kaiden thoughtfully. He was almost eleven yet he looked eight or nine. Why? She needed to know everything about him but she didn't want to let her son out of her sight again.
"Are you hungry?" Severus asked Bella. He glanced at Kaiden. "As our dinner was interrupted, I believe you didn't get your dessert?"
Kaiden's face lit up. He was still getting used to being able to eat all he wanted and also getting to have dessert. His favorite was Treacle Tart. "I can still have it?"
"Of course. And then it will be time for bed." Severus said as he moved to the kitchen.
"Aww…" Kaiden started, his face falling. He stepped closer to his mother and she immediately pulled him into another hug.
"It is almost your bedtime as it is." Severus pointed out. He understood Kaiden wanted to stay up and talk with his mother but he knew Bella's patience was limited and she would want all the details on Kaiden. It would be best if the child was asleep when Bella found out everything about Kaiden's childhood. "Tomorrow the three of us will be able to catch up and spend the day together. I believe you were interested in trying out your new wand?"
Kaiden's face brightened back up. "Yes sir." He said enthusiastically. He looked at his mother as they sat down at the kitchen table. "I got my wand today, and all of my school supplies! Diagonally is amazing!"
"Diagon Alley," Severus corrected as he watched the enchanted look on Bella's face as their son babbled on.
"Oh, right," Kaiden grinned as he dug into his Treacle Tart.
"So it was your first time there?" Bella asked as she took a sip of her tea.
"Yes," Kaiden answered after swallowing a mouthful of Treacle Tart. "It was brilliant! Well, except for that one lady who asked us questions, I didn't like her. And the lady who measured my robes thought I looked too young to be starting Hogwarts," Kaiden frowned, still smarting from that. "But dad says I will grow as now I get to eat balanced meals and take that nutritive potion."
Severus shut his eyes. Uh oh.
"Aren't you used to eating balanced meals?" Bella asked causally though her eyes were hard.
Kaiden bit his lip. "I'm getting used to it," He said finally.
Bella's eyes flew to her husband's and seeing the pain and anger in his eyes, she knew instantly that their son had been mistreated.
TBC: