Disclaimer: Neither Acherona nor trulywicked have any claim on Harry Potter or any characters or locations thereof.
Warnings: Angst, lots of it, Male Pregnancy, mental torture, infant in peril, boys in love, friendships broken and new friends gained. Disregards canon in so many ways.
MOCKINGBIRD
Chapter Twenty-Six.
Severus prodded the last magical thread loosened by the potion into the new arrangement and set it into permanence, aware of the sharp eyed, disdainful guard watching his every move. Hah, as if he'd help release this man, a man who had raped and tortured not just men and women but children. That had always been a line Severus had drawn. Never had he harmed a child, never had he struck one or bled one. He straightened and moved to allow the Azkaban healer to cast diagnostic spells on the incarcerated and currently sedated Death Eater he'd been allowed to test his theory on. Perhaps he should feel badly that all these people were was meat to the Ministry but he couldn't, he truly couldn't. These were the worst of the worst in the Death Eater ranks, Death Eaters that even Bellatrix, for all her insane devotion, had disdained.
He stood off to the side and waited for the medi-wizard to make his pronouncement.
The white robed man looked up and nodded, "It works, and without any harm to his magical core, body, or mind. Not that he could get much more insane."
Severus nodded, a grim expression of satisfaction on his face, "Your time has been appreciated. Now, if you'll excuse me," he simply turned and walked out of the room, winding his way down through the prison until he was outside in the warm summer air and sunshine again. He walked to the Apparation point and flashed to Hogsmeade for a brief stop in at the Three Broomsticks. He'd not told Remus where he was going or what he'd be doing aside from saying that it had to do with his reworking of the Dark Mark. Some part of him wondered if his mate would heavily disapprove of the fact that he'd tested it on an unwilling person. He stepped into the pub and sat at the bar, "Rosemearta."
"Hello dearie." Rosemearta nodded to him and finished pouring the small wizard at the end of the bar a pint of honeysuckle mead. She walked over to Snape, her glittering heels clicking against the wooden floor. "What can I do for you professor? It's not many Hogwarts people here during summer." She smiled and pushed her curly, dark hair behind an ear.
"If you still have that elf wine from last summer I would appreciate a glass and an order of chips." Severus only planned on that one glass to take the rough edge of worry off before he went home. He knew better than to drink more than a single glass of elf wine as it was even stronger than firewhiskey without the heavy burn.
"Of course, one moment dearie." Rosemearta dug behind the counter to pull out a dusty, sharp blue glass bottle. She placed a tall glass in front of Snape and topped it off with the elf wine. "Not many who has the stomach for this luv, you're my best customer." She grinned brightly. "Now about those chips, you want vinegar with them?"
He nodded, "Please yes." The bite of the vinegar would off-set the deceptive sweetness of the wine perfectly. It didn't take long for her to get the chips up and he took the first long sip of the wine, letting the complex flavors dance over his tongue before swallowing and breathing out. He picked up a chip and bit in, his lips quirking as he thought that the wine and chips represented Remus and himself rather well. Remus, sweet, complex, and a stronger version of your every day professor, he had a habit of sneaking up on you until your head was spinning with intoxication just like the wine. Himself, plain and common place with a sharp bite that few wished to experience just like the chips. He slowly sipped and ate his way through the wine and chips, paid Rosemearta, and then left to walk back to Hogwarts. He paused by the Whomping Willow, a safe distance away of course, and stood watching it in contemplation.
"Strange huh? How such a rather simple tree can hold so much history? I usually avoid it as much as I can...Not many pleasant memories." Remus regarded his mate with a small smile. He and Teddy had been out on the grounds playing. Remus didn't look much like the professor he was, wearing worn and ripped jeans, an old t-shirt and comfortable sneakers. His graying brown hair was done up in two stubby tails on top of his head, sort of like wolf ears and he had a streak of dirt across his nose. "It's good to see that you're back."
Severus lifted a brow, "You look ridiculous." He glanced back at the tree, "Sometimes I wonder if the tree thinks sentiently and if so what she thinks about all of us, fumbling about her a bit like insects."
"Thank you; you look smashing as well and yes, I missed you too." Remus smiled and went to wrap his arms around Severus from behind, turning his head to check that Teddy was still in sight. "I honestly don't think the tree gives a bloody fuck what we do as long as we leave her alone. Wind, water, the sun on her leaves and deep fertile soil, that's her thoughts I think."
Severus closed his eyes and leaned back into Remus' hold, "Snark is my department remember?" He turned in his mate's arms and snugged his face into the crook of his neck. "I did miss you though."
"Well I have to pick up the slack when you're all gloomy." He ran his hands up and down Snape's back soothingly. "Are you alright Severus? Has something happened?"
"I completed the adjustment to the mark; I'll be able to keep my promise to Lucius." He drank in Remus' touch. "I tested it on an Azkaban resident."
Remus stiffened, he couldn't help himself. He knew a thing or two about being a lab rat, used to test potions and reactions on werewolves. He understood why Severus had done it, understood but he didn't like it. "Oh Severus, I'm sorry you had to do something like that."
The other man just shook his head after flinching almost imperceptibly at his mate stiffening. He didn't think he could explain that he was bothered because he wasn't sorry. He felt no remorse over using a child rapist and murderer as a lab rat. No remorse just because he was a member of the same species. He was bothered because he felt no compassion for him, or any of the others like the human guinea pig. It made him question whether he had any real emotion or if he was just an empty shell of a man who played at being a decent human being.
"Thank you for telling me Severus." Remus held the other man tighter, feeling his mate's distress about something and feeling bad that he couldn't do anything to make it better. "You know enough about me and my past to know I wouldn't like this and you still told me, I love you Severus, no matter what happens and what you do I love you and it will never change. Your willingness to help friends and to keep your promises is one of the things I admire most about you. Imagine the joy you'll bring to Lucius and Narcissa. Think about the good you're doing."
Feeling Remus relax and hold him closer made relief shimmer through him and he lifted his head, "Remus, shut up and just kiss me."
"Gladly." Remus pulled Severus close and slanted his mouth over his mate's, kissing him with everything he had, trying his best to show how much he loved him.
The heat of the kiss exploded through him, lighting him up from the inside and stirring the deep love and passion he felt for his mate to the forefront of his mind. The force of it erased the numbness that had been with him since he'd finished modifying that mark and he kissed back almost desperately, pouring everything he was into the kiss. He jolted a bit, breaking the kiss when tiny hands tugged on his robe sleeve. He looked down at Teddy who smiled up at him and held his arms out, "I get kisses too Papa!"
Severus smiled and stooped to pick the toddler up, kissing his cheek, warmth and love melting the ice and filling his heart.
"You get all the kisses you want cub." Remus grinned and pulled on one of the tails on top of Teddy's head that mirrored his own. "Hey Teddy bear...I think Severus needs wolf ears too, how is he going to be pack otherwise?" He gave his mate a look filled with mischief.
Severus narrowed his eyes and sneakily transferred Teddy to Remus' arms before stepping back, "You will have to catch me first," he turned on the ball of his foot, giving Remus a challenging look, and took off at a run towards the castle. He'd let them catch him, in their quarters but not before. He was human, loved, and did indeed feel, but he also had a reputation among the remaining summer staff to maintain.
Remus laughed loudly and hoisted Teddy up on his shoulders. "Come on then Teds, let's catch our running wolf." Both the Lupins gave up loud howls and chased after Severus with laughs and giggles.
Snape made it into the castle and had to weave around Minerva as she was coming out of the Great Hall, "Excuse me Minerva," he ignored her startled look and continued on towards the stairs, vaulting over a railing and up towards Remus' tower quarters.
Teddy giggled and waved at the headmistress as he and his Daddy ran by, "Hi Aunt Minnie we gonna catch ow runnin woof! Bye Aunt Minnie!"
"Sorry!" Remus called over his shoulder as he took the stairs three steps at a time, for once thankful for his wolf speed. "It looks as if our runner is planning to hide in the den, we should definitely be able to catch him there don't you think?" Remus noticed the open doors to their quarters and slowed down, planning to sneak up on his mate. Of course there was no way Severus wouldn't hear them coming with Teddy's giggles and howls.
Teddy nodded excitedly, giggled again, then fell silent so they could sneak up on Papa.
Severus waited behind the door, lips twitching as Remus crept in with Teddy on his shoulders. He held his finger to his lips when Teddy turned and saw him through the crack between the door and the doorjamb, his dark eyes gleaming with playfulness. He waited until they were both far enough into the room that he could shut the door and then he swung it so it clanged shut and locked. He folded his arms and lifted a brow, "Really? You mean to tell me I was able to hide behind the door love?"
Remus grinned. "I blame you, you're very...Distracting." He plucked Teddy from his shoulders and placed him on the floor. "Oh no, our wolf has trapped us in our own den, what should we do now?" Remus crept closer towards Severus, looking forward to a wrestling match with his mate even with their cub in the room.
Teddy giggled, "Tickle!" He surged forwards, shrieking happily when Snape caught him up in his arms, neatly avoided Remus, and fell backward onto the couch.
"Oh no! Not tickling! Perhaps I shall tickle you?!" He wiggled his fingers along Teddy's ribs, delighting in the shrieked giggles of the child.
Remus watched his family with his heart in his eyes before he dived down, joining the tickling match. "Cower in fear; the big bad wolf is going to get you both." He jumped on them, mindful not to hurt either of them as he started to tickle them both.
Both Severus and Teddy laughed and squirmed and cried mercy until Severus took matters into his own hands and grabbed the back of Remus' head and brought him down for a kiss, distracting him from the tickling.
He melted into the kiss immediately, tasting Severus' lips with a happy sigh, all thoughts of tickling and being the big bad wolf forgotten. Merlin, he loved Severus so much and seeing his mate like this, happy and free and so god damned gorgeous. It was a privilege and Remus would never take it for granted, the wonderful fortune that had landed him Severus Snape as his soul mate, his other half and his perfect match in every way. "See, I told you...So very distracting." Remus smiled against Severus' lips when the soft kiss ended.
"Hmm, well if one has the ability, one must use it," The curve of Snape's lips matched his mate's. A giggle made him aware that there were small hands in his hair and he looked into Remus' eyes, "He put pigtails in didn't he?"
Remus' eyes glittered with mirth and he pulled back some so that he was able to watch a pair of very lopsided pigtails residing on top of Severus' head. "Yup, you're a wolfie now, just like us."
Teddy giggled and kissed his Papa's forehead, "We a pack now!"
Severus smiled, "I have no complaints about that," he looked into the warm honey eyes of his mate, "none at all."
Once again Remus was filled with warmth and pure happiness at his mate's acceptance of them, of all that both he and Teddy were. "That's good love because once you're pack, you never go back." Remus couldn't help but grin at his own lameness but he couldn't care less, he was happy.
Snape smiled wider, "Good, now before evening comes and I call Lucius," he twisted and grabbed Teddy to blow raspberries on the giggling boy's tummy. He fully intended to immerse himself in his family's love for the rest of the day.
To Be Continued…