New Beginnings

10 Reviews? Ouch guys! That hurts *nose bleeds* I think it's the least amount of reviews I've ever gotten for any story since I started…and that isn't a joke… it's the least amount I've gotten for each chapter of this story too! what was wrong with the last chapter?

Oh by the way have fun now that its summer for you folk over in America! Enjoy it! (thanks Anna for telling me) hope you all have a good time!

Chapter 28

Comforting Alex


Severus entered his rooms, he found his son lying in bed, and it was barely six o'clock. He knew his son wasn't asleep, not just because of the bond, but because he just knew his son. His breathing wasn't heavy, like it was when he slept, and he was taut like a bow. A silent sigh left his lips, in his quest to make the world a safer place for his son he had neglected him. What gave him the right to say things to Lucius Malfoy, when he was doing the same thing to his son? It just made him a hypocrite really.

Walking silently to the bed, he sat down on the edge, waiting patiently for his son to turn around. It became obvious he was getting some very harsh silent treatment when his son didn't even acknowledge him. He would have been amused at Alex's first true sign of petulance if the situation hadn't been so severe. Given the circumstances he couldn't call it petulance. Alex deserved to be like this with him, which hurt Severus a great deal more than anything in the world.

Severus sighed loudly this time, "Alex…talk to me," he said, trying to run his hand through his sons hair - his touch was rejected. Which caused Severus' heart to jerk very painfully.

"If you don't tell me what's wrong son…I can't help," said Severus speaking again.

He could smell salty wetness in the air; his son was crying silently, Merlin he truly had screwed up. With one swift movement he had his son out of the bed, and tucked into his arms. He knew he was going to have to tell Alex something, so he would at least understand. As a vampire, Alex had strong natural occlumency shields. Unfortunately they wouldn't stand up to a skilled Legillemist. It was a good thing he didn't plan on telling Alex the whole truth.

"Come on son; tell me what's bothering you…remember the rule? To always tell me how you are feeling?" asked Severus softly, caressing his sons face with all the love he felt for him.

"You don't want me anymore," said Alex sadly.

"What makes you think that?" asked Severus aghast - he had a good idea why his son thought that though.

"Are you going to give me away?" he asked ignoring Severus' question.

"NO!" Severus replied right away with all the adamance in the world.

Alex finally relaxed into his fathers arms, he knew he wasn't lying; the bond was the best thing that could have happened between them. Alex always knew his father was telling the truth and how he felt about him. Unfortunately for the past two days, Severus had been closing the bond off. Leaving Alex cut off and adrift, and for the first time truly unsure of himself and his dad.

"Why did you leave me alone?" he asked accusation bleeding into his voice.

Severus sighed again; thinking of the best way to tell him, "Do you remember what I told you about the Death Eaters and Voldemort?" asked Severus quietly.

Confusion wafted off Alex in waves but never the less he nodded his head.

"I'm making sure he cannot find his way back, there are many ways people can choose to come back…and I'm making sure he can't. So you will be safe from him and from his followers." said Severus.

"Like how?" asked Alex.

"There are many ways he can choose to come back, but I'm getting rid of them to ensure he can't." said Severus quietly.

Alex nodded his head in understanding. He didn't understand the full extent, but what he did know was his daddy was looking after him. Making sure the man that had hurt him and killed parents couldn't come back. Couldn't try and hunt and hurt him again, he truly did have the best dad in the entire world.

"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" asked Severus, feeling much better about the situation.

Alex was silent for a few minutes before he asked "Will you close the bond again?" that alone was what had bothered him the most.

"I didn't close it to upset you little one," said Severus softly, "I did it just in case you apparated…where I'm going are dangerous places…and I don't want you accidentally or purposely apparating to me. I would never forgive myself if you got hurt."

"I won't come with you if you promise not to close it," said Alex smug at his compromise.

"Alright, you have my word I won't close the bond again, so long as you do not apparate when I leave." said Severus.

"Kay," agreed Alex remaining cuddled into his dad; he hadn't gotten much sleep the last few days.

"Why are you so tried little one?" asked Severus, were Declan, Riley, Remus and Robert not looking after him properly? He didn't like to think that but it's obvious his son was tired. Then again he had the benefit of a bond, the others didn't. They couldn't tell how he was truly feeling.

"Couldn't sleep," he murmured, a weight had been lifted from his worried little shoulders. He was safe; he wasn't going to be shipped of to Black or asked to go with Declan and his wife. He was just suddenly all too happy to sleep, safely tucked into his dad's shoulder.

"Silly boy," said Severus, affectionately, as his son slipped deeper to sleep.


"How is he?" asked Robert coming in a few hours later, of course everyone in the castle had heard their conversation. It had been as they suspected, Alex had thought he was being given away. Hopefully Alex would be back to normal, what they were angry about was the fact Severus had fully closed the bond. Didn't he know how to close of the locator beacon in the bond? Obviously not - it was something he was going to have to show Severus for future use. The locator beacon was how Alex had managed to apparate to Severus all those weeks ago.

"He's better now," said Severus guiltily.

"That's all that matters," said Robert quietly. Not wanting to wake the tired child up, who was curled around his dad in his own bed. It was a good thing they could stay motionless or Severus would be extremely uncomfortable on that single bed of Alex's.

"We are going to need the Malfoy's to get into Bellatrix's vault aren't we?" asked Severus arching a perfectly sculptured eyebrow in Robert's direction.

"Perhaps…perhaps not, I shall speak to Declan and see what can be done," said Robert. Gringotts was above ministry rule; the only exception was when it came to wizards or witches being in Azkaban. Then their accounts were closed, by Ministry degree, something both Ministry and Gringotts or rather the Goblin king, agreed upon a very long time ago. That however is far as their mutual agreement went. Gringotts didn't tolerate Ministry interference of their running's of the bank.

"I truly do not want to get the Malfoy's too involved, if an opportunity comes along I know he would expose everything." stated Severus.

"I've gathered that much about him," agreed Robert.

Unfortunately because of his actions, Lucius was seen as a heartless man to those around him. The only two people that knew the true man was his wife and child. He would sell his soul for them, much the same way Severus would for his son. Severus didn't give Lucius enough credit; Lucius did love Severus as a friend. He didn't have many he could count as friend or at least a trusted confidant. It may seem like he didn't but he did, it's why he had been chosen as Draco's godfather.

"How's the others?" asked Severus, he hadn't been able to talk to them properly.

"Declan and Remus are going about finding a castle, they plan on opening a school for magical creatures." stated Robert sitting on Severus' bed.

"Really?" asked Severus amused, Declan had talked about doing it for years, it seemed as though the talking had finished and the action started - it had taken a long time.

"Yes," smirked Robert wryly, having a good idea what Severus was amused about "Thanks to Alex."

"Good." said Severus nodding his head.

"I think it's best if we don't hunt tomorrow don't you?" said Robert.

"We will wait to see what Declan thinks is the best course of action," said Severus dipping his head in agreement.

"Indeed," said Robert using Severus' favoured word against him.


"Lucius are you okay?" asked Narcissa coming to bed.

"I'll be fine," murmured Lucius, in truth he had been deeply disturbed by Severus' visit.

"What did Severus want?" she then asked.

"A book," admitted Lucius.

"A book? But you both looked so…angry," said Narcissa, there was something her husband wasn't telling her. He had been so quiet since dinner; he had locked himself away then went to bed without saying goodnight to their son.

"One that the Dark Lord gave me…along time ago. He didn't tell me much, but I got the gist that it was important. I gathered over the years that…it would help him come back if the worst was to happen." admitted Lucius reluctantly. He knew his wife wouldn't give up until she got answers. So he realized it was best just to be honest with her and get it out of the way.

"You kept that in our home?" gaped Narcissa completely shocked at her husbands actions. She had been ever so glad the night Voldemort was defeated. She was devastated for little Harry, she never showed it but she felt it. He hadn't deserved what happened to him, growing up without parents. He had deserved even less what those Muggles and Dumbledore had done to him. Dumbledore had made sure the prophecy came true, knew who the real spy was. Let her cousin remain in Azkaban, she wasn't close to her family anymore. Not since the war had started and they had been forced to chose sides. Her sister had become a maniac, her other sister written off, and she couldn't see her for fear of the Death Eaters coming for her family. She couldn't even get to know her niece, Nymphadora because of it.

She hated it but until Voldemort and his real Death Eaters were taken care of - she lived in fear.

"It's gone now love," soothed Lucius.

Narcissa shook her head, then it dawned on her "Does that mean Severus' is bringing him back?" she shrieked in shock.

"No, he's getting rid of it, he doesn't want him to return." stated Lucius quickly.

Narcissa breathed a sigh of relief but unbidden a memory began to surface…

"Lucius…" said Narcissa her voice strange and emotional.

"What's wrong?" asked Lucius his eyes wide sitting up abruptly.

"There's more of them out there," she said dead deep down in the pit of her stomach.

"What do you mean by that Narcissa? What do you know?" asked Lucius.

"Bellatrix has one…I remember her bragging one night…completely drunk…remember the Christmas party before they got arrested for their crimes against the Longbottom's?" asked Narcissa.

"Yes," said Lucius, he remembered the party, unfortunately he hated those things, and he wished he didn't remember them. Having drinks and pretending to be their best friends when he was disgusted with them all. Especially the Lestrange's, he had avoided them most of the night. They were worse if possible when they had a drink in them.

"She kept going on about receiving a cup from him, how she was 'our' lord's favourite…" she croaked looking disturbed and shaken.

"Merlin's beard…I'm surprised she didn't use it straight away," said Lucius in surprise. Like him she maybe didn't know how to use it. It was a good thing they had been arrested, or surely she would have figured it out by now.

"If Severus is trying to do what we think he is…maybe its best we let him know?" suggested Narcissa.

"He might need you to find out Narcissa…and it could expose us," said Lucius quietly.

"Do you want Draco to grow up and forced to join that maniac?" asked Narcissa bluntly.

"You know I don't," said Lucius sounding as though he was in pain at the mere suggestion of it.

"Then we have no choice but to help Severus, on the down low." stated Narcissa sharply. She loved her son more than anything else in this world, if she could create a world where Voldemort couldn't come back, he'd get to know his cousin and aunt. Merlin she missed Andy like crazy, she had turned out the best of them.

"Fine," said Lucius knowing it was futile to fight against his wife when she was in a mood like that.

"Good." said Narcissa smugly.

"Tomorrow we will, tonight we sleep." stated Lucius firmly.

"Of course dear," said Narcissa giving Lucius the feeling of some control.

Lucius nodded very aware that his wife was just letting him feel as though he had won. She was Slytherin to the core; so much more than he was that was for sure. He was curious to know more about Alex Snape too. Was he like Severus? Or his biological father James? He wanted to know how a little boy had been able to take out a man the world had feared without the aid of a wand. He glanced down at the brand on his forearm and sighed. He'd do whatever he could to stop his little boy, staring down at his arm in loathing as he did just now.


"So what do you think?" asked Robert back down the stairs beside Riley, Declan and Remus.

"About what?" asked Declan distractedly.

"The vault, Bellatrix's vault…could we get the Ministry to confiscate it? Without too many questions? Would the goblins even go for it?" asked Robert. Declan know the most about the workings of the Ministry and Gringotts. He had worked extensively and for a long time in each building. He knew all the laws, banished or not, and he knew how the Goblins felt. He was definitely their go to man when it came to things about the law.

"Well the Ministry does control it, I suppose I could suggest to them…about taking a few things from her vault and selling them…to families who had lost people?" suggested Declan.

"Will that work?" asked Remus surprised.

"If not then we shall just have to convince the Malfoy's it's in their best interest to do so," said Robert viciously.

"Then that's what we shall do," stated Declan.


There we go. R&R please.