Go the Distance

In case there was any doubt, I don't own the Harry Potter series or any recognizable characters. But thank you for the compliment.

Also thank you to everyone who reviewed.

I came up with two endings, one alternate universe and one leading back to the canon storyline. I'm going to finish/post the complete alternate first and then the canon. The chapter titles will either start with AU: title or C: title just to make life easier. This is the first of the AU.

Severus kept his eyes on the floor. He could hear Gideon and Fabian arguing in the other room, but at this point he just didn't care. When Alastor had tossed him through the floo he'd expected to end up at the Ministry…coming flying out of the Prewetts' cramped little fireplace—and promptly whacking his head on the armchair sitting in front of it—had been a decided shock. As was the fact that both brothers had been home. They'd stared at him for a long moment, and then Fabian had hauled him up by his robes and dragged him into the kitchen while Gideon stuck his head in the fireplace.

He touched his nose gingerly. At least Fabian had healed it for him…had made an attempt to heal the bruise on his forehead from that bloody armchair, too, while Severus was scrubbing the blood off his face and robes. But then he'd been sent to Gideon's bedroom to wait, and…well, here he sat. He'd thought about going out the window—he could make it down to the street level with only a little bit of effort—but there didn't seem to be much point.

The voices in the outer room rose in pitch suddenly, and he tensed. What were they going to do with him? Surely it didn't take this much discussion to drop him at the Ministry…well, unless they were waiting for something. Or someone. Like Alastor. The door swung open, and he stood quickly.

"Honestly, I don't think either of you have more than half the common sense of a—" A woman with hair just as red as either of the Prewetts turned towards Severus, and her expression altered abruptly from annoyance to a broad smile. "Well, hello."

"Hello," he responded cautiously.

"My name is Molly Weasley. Those two idiots out there are my brothers, Merlin help us all. And you must be Severus."

"Yes, ma'am."

"No need for that, Molly will do fine." She stepped further into the room, glaring back over her shoulder. "Now, since I wouldn't trust either of those two to take care of a houseplant for more than a few hours never mind a child, you're going to be staying with my husband and I for a little while. All right?"

He shrugged. It wasn't like anyone was giving him any other options. And it had to be better than Azkaban.

"Well, good. Do you need time to get your things together?"

"I…no. This is all…." He shrugged helplessly.

"We'll drop his things off," Gideon said from the doorway.

Whatever he and Fabian had said, Molly was obviously still irritated with them. "I suppose you should be able to manage at least that much. Come along, Severus."

He blinked as she took his hand as though he was nothing more than a toddler but followed her to the floo without comment. It had to be better than sitting and waiting for something to happen.

"We're going to the Burrow," Molly told him with a warm smile. "Just toss the powder in and say your destination. Now, I'll go first and show you how it's done."

Severus nodded politely and refrained from mentioning that this wasn't precisely his first time using a floo. She stepped into the flame, and he glanced back at Gideon and Fabian. Both of whom were looking at him with unidentifiable expressions. He swallowed hard and followed Molly.

"Ah, good, I was afraid you'd got lost."

He wondered how precisely one was supposed to get lost in a thirty-second timespan, but she was already dusting him off and tugging him across what was obviously the sitting room and into a small kitchen.

"Now, it's a bit past lunchtime but the boys said that you hadn't eaten so why don't you just have a seat while I fetch the boys back from their grandparents?"

He decided after a moment that the 'boys' who said he'd missed lunch must be Gideon and Fabian while the 'boys' she was fetching were…well other boys, but he didn't have time to respond before she stepped back into the sitting room and then the floo. While she was gone he took the opportunity to examine his surroundings a little more closely. The kitchen was fairly small as he'd first observed, with a little room off to the side that was obviously for laundry. There had been a few other doors off the sitting room, but he wasn't going to go poking about now when Molly was certain to return very shortly.

It wasn't more than five minutes before he heard a roar from the fireplace and turned to look through the kitchen door. Molly was back, one hand holding that of a redheaded boy and the other supporting another redhead against her side.

"—andpa said I could," the one holding her hand whined.

"Perhaps next time," Molly returned. "Now go sit down."

He glowered. "There's a boy in my chair. Make him move."

Severus flushed and started to stand, but Molly waved him back down. "William Arthur Weasley, is that how we address a guest in this house? Now you can just put your nose in that corner until you remember your manners."

"But—"

The hand not holding the younger boy went to her hip. "Don't argue with me young man."

He stuck out his lower lip but obediently went and stood in the corner by the sink, and she shook her head. "Let me just put this one in his room, and I'll be right back."

As the sound of her footsteps faded, boy in the corner shot a murderous glance over his shoulder at Severus. Severus gazed back evenly. He might not be in a state to stand up to an adult right now, but he wasn't about to be intimidated by a toddler either.

"William Weasley!" Molly exclaimed from the doorway. "Unless you'd like to be standing in the corner with a sore bum, you'd best turn around right now!"

Apparently it wasn't an idle threat, because his head shot back around. "Sorry Mummy!"

"You'd better be." She took something out of the preserver and then sank into the chair beside Severus, offering him the wrapped sandwich. "Sorry about that. Someone's got it into his head that he's too big to be taking naps—an attitude his grandfather is encouraging, Merlin help me—and when he doesn't take one he tends to be a right grouch around this time of day."

"It's fine," Severus assured her, wondering whether he should wait to eat until they had something as well, or….

She gave him a half-smile. "Go on, eat. We've already had lunch, but you're far too thin to be skipping meals."

There was silence for a few moments as he unwrapped the sandwich and ate as quickly as politely possible, and then she turned to the boy. "William, if you think you can behave properly, you may come greet our guest."

The boy turned and walked over. Whether he was still annoyed with Severus or not, he obviously knew better than to express it in front of his mother. "Hello, my name is Bill Weasley. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Severus gravely took the hand the boy stuck out imperiously at the end of the rote statement. "Hello, my name is Severus Snape, and it's a pleasure to meet you as well."

"I'm four and a half," he announced when Severus released his hand. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"Oh." He made a face. "That's old."

"Bill, why don't you go play in your room for a bit?" It sounded like a suggestion, but it obviously wasn't one, and he nodded at his mother and disappeared. "Bill is my oldest, and the younger one who was sleeping when we arrived is Charlie. He'll be three in a few months."

Severus nodded politely.

"Now, we—Arthur and I—have been expanding the house a bit…both boys have rooms on this floor, but we're going to put you up off the second landing. Will that be all right?"

"Yes, ma'am…uh, Molly," he corrected at her frown. "Arthur is…?" He was fairly certain that he'd heard the name before, but he wasn't certain where.

"Oh, my husband. He works at the Ministry; he'll be home in a few hours."

"Um…how long will I be staying here?"

It was her turn to frown. "Until school starts, I would assume. That's what it sounded like when the boys floo-called me, anyway."

And he didn't get any say in this? No one was going to talk to him, no one was going to tell him anything…well, that wasn't exactly unusual, now was it. He set the last of the sandwich down on the table. "I'm a little tired, do you mind if I go lay down?"

"Of course, of course." She flicked her wand and banished the sandwich remains. "Right this way."

The room just off the landing was small, but it had a bed and dresser. "Now, the toilet is just up those stairs, and the master bedroom is just beyond it. I'll bring your things up when the boys drop them off."

"Thank you."

And then she was gone, and he was left in silence once more. So apparently Alastor hadn't gone to the Ministry, or they'd decided that he wasn't worth bothering with. Either way….

He took off his boots and flopped back on the bed. Not that he didn't prefer being here to being in a Ministry cell or Azkaban—or, for that matter, being returned to his grandparents—but was he going to be passed around like a hand-me-down robe until he was of age? First he'd been at Alastor's, and…he swallowed hard. He wasn't going to think about that right now. Fabian might have healed his nose, but if he pushed up his sleeve he knew that there would be a bruise in the shape of hand around his bicep where Alastor had gripped his arm to haul him home. But then he'd been at Gideon and Fabian's, and sure it was cramped, but it hadn't been so bad. And now it was Molly and this Arthur person's place, and still with no one even bothering to ask him what he thought about it. Maybe he wasn't of age, but he could bloody well take care of himself just fine. Why had Alastor even bothered looking for him if he was just going to throw him away anyway?

Severus rolled over and wrapped his arms around a pillow. Things had gone wrong so bloody quickly. He'd been an idiot to deal with Riddle, he knew that now, but…. He'd never seen anything like the naked fury in Alastor's eyes when he'd found Severus at the train station earlier. Not from his guardian at least.

Burying his face in the pillow, he forced himself to calm down and think. What was done was done, worrying about it wouldn't change anything. It wasn't that long until school started, and then…well, if his part in the attack on Gideon and Alastor hadn't been revealed things could go on like normal. He'd have to figure out something to do about next summer, but that was a long way off. And if the Ministry had been notified…well, he'd know soon enough. At least he was fairly certain that there weren't any rubbish bins on patrol here if he had to run again.

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"Sev-us, play!"

Severus ducked his head against the tree trunk and bit back a groan at Charlie's cry. Unlike the older boy who was still harboring some distinct animosity for reasons Severus never had been able to figure out, the younger one had latched on to him immediately as some kind of personal toy. And when said toy wouldn't do exactly as he wanted…well, Severus hadn't realized that a small child could have such a large lung capacity before. After a week spent in the company of the Weasleys he knew that Molly would intervene if it became a full-blown temper tantrum, but Severus couldn't help but feel a little guilty when one of the boys ended up in the corner because of something related to him. Besides which, it wasn't entirely certain that he wouldn't end up in the corner as well if she thought he was sulking about…she'd put him there after lunch a few days ago when he complained too much about being sent outside to play. He wasn't five years old, he was perfectly capable of determining for himself if he'd like to go play in the pond or stay inside and read one of Arthur's history books, but she didn't seem to believe that.

"Sev-us!" Charlie wailed again.

"I'm right here." He lowered himself out of the tree—one whose branches were high enough that neither of the Weasley boys could ever hope to climb up after him—and made his way to where the boy was playing in the mud.

A handful of mud landed on his robes. "Play."

"Don't do that, your mum won't like it if we get too dirty."

Charlie considered for a moment and then offered a round toy with two hoops inside it that spun when it was shaken.

"Thank you. What are we playing?"

"Severus? Charlie? It's time for lunch!"

"Thank you, Molly." Severus put the ball down with the rest of Charlie's toys—they'd be fine out here for the time being—and offered the boy a hand as he stood.

"Up!"

"Up it is." He swung the boy onto his shoulders and began to make his way back towards the Burrow. She hadn't been calling for Bill so presumably he was already inside, but Severus kept an eye out anyway. The stunt with the eggs yesterday had been annoyingly creative for a four year old, and despite the fact that Molly had cast a cleaning charm on him before swatting Bill and putting him in the corner that robe still smelled like egg to him.

He put Charlie back on his feet as they crossed the threshold. "Uh, Molly, I think this one might need a cleaning charm before we eat." He'd cast one himself, but aside from the underage magic bans his original wand still hadn't been returned and he didn't want anyone knowing about his new one just yet.

"A—Merlin! Charles Septimus Weasley, what were you into?" He didn't answer and she shook her head and swished her wand, banishing the mud. "Both of you, come wash your hands. Bill! Come in here and eat!"

There was a roar at the floo as the four of them were sitting down, and Severus was surprised to see Fabian step through. He probably shouldn't have been—Fabian was one of her brothers, after all—but he hadn't seen either of the Prewett brothers since he'd come here. Even his things had been delivered through the floo while he was outside rather than being brought over.

"Uncle Fabian!" the two boys exclaimed, crowding him for hugs.

"Hello, boys, Molly. Severus."

Severus nodded politely in return and did his best to hide his nervousness.

"Sorry I can't stay long; I just came to return a few more of Severus' things. Didn't realize that they were still at Alastor's." He offered Severus a package wrapped in cloth.

Severus took it automatically, surprised at the weight. He recognized his light cloak obviously—these must be most of the things that he'd taken with him when he'd tried to run; they hadn't been with the things sent over before—but from the feel of it there were several books included as well. "I…thank you."

"Want a present!" Charlie demanded.

"Me too," Bill agreed.

"Hm. Well, I think I might…." Fabian dug around in his pocket and produced two forever-spinning tops painted with bright colors. "I do believe these are for you."

Molly gave him a half-glare. "You'll spoil them."

"I'm their uncle; it's my right. Besides, I was bringing something for Severus and I couldn't just forget my two favorite nephews, now could I?"

Molly couldn't quite hold the glare, nodding towards the kitchen. "Won't you at least stay and have lunch with us? It won't take long."

"I'd love to, but things are busy at work."

"Well, stop by this weekend. And bring Gideon as well."

He gave her a smile but didn't make any promises, stepping back into the floo.

Severus shifted the bundle in his arms. "Molly, I'm going to—"

"You can put them right there and come have lunch."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she was absolutely manic about making certain that everyone ate, and she obviously didn't plan to back down. "Yes, Molly." He liked her well enough, he really did, but he wished that she didn't insist on treating him as though he was only a bit older than Bill. Being told when to eat, when to sleep…even his food was given to him pre-cut for Merlin's sake.

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Severus looked up at the ceiling and groaned. He'd gone up to bed early—mostly to avoid being dragged into yet another family game night with the Weasleys since being tired was one of the very few excuses that Molly would accept—but he'd only slept for about four hours before waking up and now he couldn't go back to sleep. He could try and read, but the woman had an annoying habit of knowing as soon as a light came on, and she'd already taken away one of the books Fabian had brought for him for reading it when he was supposed to be 'playing'. He'd tried pointing out—again—that he was fifteen and had never been one for running about, but she hadn't been impressed with that answer. It had been a good book too…an old defense volume with some interesting counters that he'd like to try. She'd said she'd give it back, but so far she hadn't and he didn't want to push.

With a sigh, he rolled to his feet. Maybe a glass of water or something would help. He made his way slowly down the stairs and into the sitting room, surprised to see light coming from under the kitchen door and the muted mutters of conversation. Molly's voice was easy enough to pick out, but the second voice…. "Alastor?"