Severus and Sirius immediately whipped out their wands. "What do you think you're doing here, Malfoy?"
"I've come to fill you all in on a family secret before I kill you."
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Why bother telling us if we're going to kill you?"
"You couldn't kill anyone, Black. You aren't that bold. You could have been great, you know. The Dark lord's right hand, with all the power you possess. You gave all of that up to protect a stupid little baby that supposedly has the power to take down the darkest and most powerful wizard of all time. Ha."
"So far, you haven't told us anything we don't already know, Malfoy. I thought you were going to let us in on a secret. You evil people sure do talk an awful lot when you could talk less and do more evil…'tis really counter productive you know."
Severus would have laughed had the situation not been so dreadfully serious. "Do tell us. Though it is quite pleasing watching you squirm after what you did to us earlier."
"That was Dumbledore, Severus. I only tried to kill you, which, I see obviously didn't work. Fine. I shall tell you what I came here to tell you. You aren't a Snape, Severus. You aren't even a half-blood. Dumbledore, it seems, was quite fond of setting people up with Orion Black. Your mother gave him his first child, his wife his second, and Aurelia McGonagall his third. That makes you and dear old cousin-in-law Sirius brothers." This news didn't really surprise them, since they knew Dumbledore's manipulations went pretty far. It was however, highly suspicious news considering the source.
"What's your purpose for telling us this?"
"It will make it more fun for me when I finally succeed in killing you two, because it will hurt Harry even more if I'm killing his kin. Oh, and there's one more thing I must tell you before I go." They allowed Lucius to stand for his second announcement, though neither one of them was going to let him leave without an Auror escort. "All of you think my little brother is so sweet and innocent. He's been working for the Dark lord this whole time. He's the one who killed the werewolf and the red-haired, muggle loving fool. Perhaps you can have a lovely little chat about it around the fireplace when he arrives home. If you two gentlemen will let me go, I'll be on my way. I'm really not in the mood for killing purebloods today."
"No, you only do that on the weekend," Severus muttered. You are a sick, cruel man. I pity you."
"You aren't going anywhere, slimeball." Sirius re-bound Lucius. "Severus, if you would please take our lovely prisoner downtown…"
"It would be my pleasure, Sirius." Severus levitated the blond to the fireplace and tossed floo powder in. "Paris Magic 1."
In no time, Severus and his prisoner were in the office of the Head Auror of France. Of course, Gawain was missing, but Severus and Sirius both knew how to unlock the wards.
"Meester Snape…ees there something we can do for you?" A tall, dark haired Auror to one look at Lucius and knew immediately that they were about to make the arrest of the century.
"Yes, Samuel, there is. This man not only tried to kill me earlier today, but I also caught him breaking in to my place of residence about half an hour ago. Also, if you take a look at his arm, you will find that he is a marked supporter of You-Know-Who. I brought him here because I trust your Ministry to lock him away for good. I do not trust the British Ministry at all at the moment." Severus set Lucius down so that the Auror performed the customary arrest spells on him.
"Zees ees Head Auror Malfoy's brother, no? We 'ave been trying to get zees man for years. Zees is zee arrest of zee century!" The tall man clapped his hands as if he had just been given the biggest and most expensive birthday gift possible.
"Well then, I shall leave him in your fine custody. See to it that you prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law, and do not let him go free if you can help it, Samuel." With a nod of his head, the Auror took Lucius away, leaving Severus to sort out the problems that were beginning to mount on the home front.
"Severus, take a look at this." The second Severus walked out of the fireplace, Sirius handed him a book.
"What is this?" Severus looked down at the page Sirius had opened for him. Sirius pointed to the first of two branches off of his father's.
"It says it right here in this paragraph, Sev. 'Severus Aurelius (Tobias) Black (Snape)… Oldest son of Orion Black, with Eileen Prince-Snape… Brother of Sirius Charles Black, Liliana Aurelia McGonagall Black (Malfoy), and Regulus Arcturus Black. Current Potions Master at Hogwarts, and Current Head of the Black Family.' Let's just hope that he was lying about the other part."
"I heartily agree on that one, Sirius."
"As do I, boys, as do I." Minerva limped into the room. "I hope you've taken care of the Lucius situation, Severus?"
"I have, Minerva. Were you watching our little spectacle?"
"From a safe distance…My strength isn't quite what it used to be, and with everything that happened in the past twenty-four hours, I'm a bit drained for the kind of control you two showed. I would have killed him straight away, no questions asked."
"You would've killed him? Somehow I doubt that, Minerva. Although… I did tell you that Ronald Weasley and Neville Longbottom were killed, didn't I?"
Minerva's eyes softened. "You did; two more of my little lions gone. That makes four of them this week. How is Harry taking it?"
"Considering the fact that he was forced to watch the Headmaster kill his best friend, and the fact that two of his father figures have died, he's not at all well. I had to give he and the girls dreamless sleep so that they could get some rest and gather the strength they're going to need to fight the rest of this war. It's terrible, Minerva. I wouldn't wish this life on anyone." Severus wiped a tear from his eye.
"Severus," Minerva put her arm around her niece's best friend, and according to their newly discovered kinship, brother. "That is why we stick together. We really are a family here, and times like these are what families are for."
"Remember that promise we made to Lily? That we would do anything to protect her son? Now is the time when, even though it's hard, we've got to put our whole selves into keeping that promise. Together. That's the only way any of us are going to survive this war."
A/N: Here you go! The second chapter in as many days! Please, please REVIEW! It will make me very happy.