Dumbledore arrived at Prince Manor the next day around noon wearing a grim face. "I need to talk to Severus and Lucius alone." Were his only words.
The three men made their way into the library and silenced the room. They all took seats, Lucius and Severus were holding their breath knowing this couldn't be good.
Dumbledore sat rubbing his forehead not wanting to deliver this information but felt they needed to know, "Gentlemen, there is no easy way to put this. Bellatrix did set the home on fire; by the time I reached the address there were already muggle aurors and healers there. There was nothing I could do to help. I did manage to find out that the wife is in what muggles call a coma and they think she will live, even with the injuries she sustained due to the house being set ablaze but she will not be well for some time. I assume the draught is what is causing what the muggles are calling a coma. The husband, unfortunately did not survive." Dumbledore said sadly.
Severus paled, "Was it my fault or Bellatrix?"
"Severus, you did all you could, to do the right thing in the position you are in. From what I gathered he died due to the fire, they couldn't get him out in time." Dumbledore assured him. "We do have several other problems and we need to discuss and how to handle them. The muggle aurors believe the child to be dead. We must decide on what is best for the child should his mother recover. If the mother does recover, we have the issue of her knowing you two used magic on her and taking her child. We can't let that information get into the muggle world. We have but two options, we obliviate her memory of that day and return the child to his rightful mother or, we obliviate her memory completely and allow Lily to raise the child."
Severus slumped in his seat, "Lily is already attached to him and she doesn't even know his name. I promised that woman everything would be fine in the end. I can't just steal someone else's child. I know Lily will be heartbroken but we can not keep that woman's child should she return to a state to where she can properly raise him."
Dumbledore nodded, "I agree it would be best to return him to his mother if at all possible. We have another problem. The muggle government knows of our world and is suspicious of how many families ended up in a similar fate. They have alerted the Ministry and the Ministry agrees with them that this was the work of Death Eaters. There has been a large bounty placed on every known Death Eater; both of your names are on that list. I think I can buy you some leniency if you were to turn yourselves in and I explain in private to the Minister what you two have been doing. We have piles of evidence of your help at the Order headquarters. I will leave the choice to you, just know it will be worse if you are caught. The Ministry owes me many favors and I would gladly cash them all in for your freedom." Dumbledore said solemnly.
"Death or Azkaban. I should have known this was too good to be true." Severus said bitterly.
"Severus, we don't know that. I may be able to persuade the Minister to advise the aurors to simply not see you and Lucius." Dumbledore said in a hopeful tone.
"Buy Lucius's way out. I'll serve my time. He has a child to raise. Obliviate Lily the day I go to Azkaban and prepare the paper work for me to sign everything over to her. Neither of you are to tell Lily or Narcissa, you said the choice was mine; this is what I choose. I'll go turn myself in after New Years." Severus said sternly as he stood and left the room.
The mood in Prince Manor was tense all afternoon. Everyone noticed the look of sadness on Dumbledore's face as he bid his farewells.
Lucius did as he was asked; he never said a word to Narcissa or Lily about the bounty on him or Severus, or the plan Severus had laid out for himself.
The Manor remained quite until a high pitched laughter followed by "Well hello little one." Rang through the Manor. They all ran to the source of the noise knowing it was Lily.
"He's awake?" Severus asked before he could even see around the chair.
"Yes, love, he just woke. Isn't he adorable!" Lily beamed looking at the yawning baby cradled in her arms.
Severus timidly made his way over to the chair and squatted down next to Lily, she sat the baby up so he could see all the people impatiently waiting to meet him. The baby seemed to be fixed on Severus, he looked directly at him smiled, cooed and swatted at his nose.
Severus laughed, "Looks like he will be just fine."
Lily smiled at Severus, "I think he will, all thanks to you and Lucius."
"Lily, his mother is alive and I made her a promise. Should she recover we have to return him to her. You understand that right, love?" Severus questioned in a timid tone.
Lily continued to smile at the baby and making faces at him, without giving it much thought, "I know."
"Lily what are we going to call him? We never found his name on anything." Lucius asked to change the touchy subject.
Lily laughed and in a mocking tone saying in the direction of the baby, "Men aren't very smart, no they aren't! If they were they would have seen your name embroidered on the corner of the blanket they brought you to me in." Lily then looked up "His name is Justin. Goofballs."
The room erupted in laughter and they all gathered around the dark haired, dark eyed, smiling baby that now had a name. It took some convincing for Severus to pry baby Justin from Lily but the child kept reaching for him and she had totally neglected herself since the night before.
"Lily, there are five of us, I think we can handle two babies while you go rush through a shower. He will be fine." Severus said almost sarcastically.
Narcissa stood smiling, "Lily dear he will be fine. Go take a minute to yourself, he will still be here when you return."
Lily couldn't argue with the entire room, with a frown she gave in, "Fine, I'll go." She kissed the baby on the head and gently brushed down a wild tuft of hair with her hand before she gave the entire room a look of defeat and quickly made her way upstairs.
Severus laughed, "I bring home a child and suddenly I don't exist anymore! I bet the most expensive bottle of whiskey in this house she comes and takes this baby away from me in 10 minutes."
Lucius slapped Severus on the shoulder, "Mate, that's how it works, babies trump everything and I wouldn't take that bet, in fact, I give it less than 10 minutes."
Remus and Sirius were standing behind Snape playing with the baby. "I say 8 minutes." Remus chuckled.
Sirius snickered, "7 minutes."
Narcissa shook her head at all of them, "That girl was born to be a mother. I hope this all works out. Draco needs changed and I say 5." Laughing as she walked away.
After the task of killing the chosen muggle born children, the Dark Lord went quite again. Lucius didn't bother going back to Malfoy Manor knowing aurors would come and take him away if he were to be found. Severus and Lucius continued to keep the secret of the bounty and his lack of leaving Prince Manor through a series of elaborate lies.
They all fell into their perspective roles, Lily and Severus played mum and dad to baby Justin and Remus and Sirius were the faithful uncles to Draco and Justin.
The days ticked by and in a blink the women had decorated Prince Manor with enough Christmas décor it rivaled Hogwarts Great Hall. When the guys would complain they were met with dirty looks and told, "It's the boys first Christmas!" which usually ended the complaining.
Severus knew what was coming for him and dread didn't even begin to describe the feeling he felt when he thought of being in Azkaban; the thought of Lily being obliviated again was worse than the thought of the lengthy sentence he knew he faced for his crimes. He kept the thoughts drowned in whiskey and focused on how happy Lily was, her entire being lit up when that baby smiled at her. He would simply smile at her playing with him and think, 'I guess this is as close to making it right with her as I deserve.'
Remus and Sirius were the only two who would leave the house so they handled all of the Christmas shopping for everyone. It was a huge task, it seemed as if they had apparated to a town in every country they wouldn't be noticed and bought one of everything for the boys. The adult gifts were much easier to come by.
Lily did send Shelby for Eileen and had her buy Sirius and Remus very nice gifts from all of them for their many trips to make the boys Christmas special. Eileen like Lily fell in love with Justin immediately and soon adopted Lily's attitude that he was their child now.
Christmas morning was chaos; the two babies sitting in their mother's laps were completely overwhelmed by everything handed to them. Shelby had made it her job to capture all family moments since the night Lily and Severus 'accidentally got married'. Shelby took pictures of everything. The little elf was hardly found without a camera on her. She didn't have a clue that those pictures would prove priceless someday. The adults all received beautiful and fitting gifts. It was a wonderful day, Eileen stayed for Christmas dinner and Dumbledore happened by "Just to check on everyone." There was not a word spoken of the Dark Lord or the Order or the war that was raging or anything that was stressful. They all acted as if they were a large normal family having a normal Christmas dinner. It was a beautiful memory they would all have to hang on to in the coming days.
"You can't do this! She needs you, if she loses you and that baby she will have no reason to live. You know I have obliviated her before and it didn't last. You can't obliviate that kind of love Severus. She will remember you in time! I see how you look at that child; you have grown to love him as well. Furthermore, how do we explain to her that suddenly she has a child and a huge Manor with no clue how she acquired it; then I come and have to take Justin back to his mother in the muggle world. Please Severus give me an explanation for all of this." Dumbledore ranted at Severus in the silenced library on New Years Eve.
Severus with his mind made up, "Lie, tell her whatever she needs to hear, and she has Sirius and Remus. They will not leave her and they have gotten her through the loss of a child before." He said in a cold tone.
"She lost a child she never got to hold. She has held him, nurtured him, walked the floor at 3 a.m. with him, SHE HAS MOTHERED HIM! THIS IS DIFFERENT! SHE NEEDS YOU!" Dumbledore yelled.
Severus drew a deep breath, "Have you taken care of Lucius's problem?"
Dumbledore narrowed his eyes, "You know I have, why do you feel as though you must face this alone? I told you from the beginning I would stand behind you when this time came. Let me help you dammit!"
Severus simply shook his head, "That's all I really needed to know. My crimes, my punishment. I will take them like a man; Sir, one does not take the brand thinking he will live happily ever after. I have gotten far more happiness than I ever deserved. She married me, I have known love that I never thought possible and for however long it lasts I gave her back the child I took. I have but one request. Should she have to return Justin, find an orphan from our world and help her adopt him. She will have more than enough money to take care of herself and a child for ten lifetimes."
Dumbledore paced the room, "You refuse to change your mind? There is nothing I can say to persuade you to let me help you?"
"No sir, I made this mess. I have done things that are unforgivable and well…. I guess you could say the dementors have come calling." Severus said unfazed.
Dumbledore was now livid at Severus's causal demeanor of leaving the life he had worked so hard to make, "Severus, I truly appreciate all you have done for our world to help the light. Without you, we would be losing this war. You have walked a tight rope between light and dark and saved hundreds of lives, one of which your wife downstairs thinks hung the moon. For you to walk away from her and him like they don't mean a damn thing to you… makes you a selfish bastard!" Dumbledore said in a menacing tone as he marched out the door slamming it and disapparating without a word to anyone else.
Severus sat quietly letting the words sink in. He thought for a while and then laughed, "Too good to be true. My happily ever after is over." He mused to himself as he finished the glass of whiskey.
The mother's had the babes asleep long before midnight with silencing charms on their rooms. Dobby was with Draco and Shelby was with Justin. This year the foursome had grown to six plus two babies but they held on to their tradition of ringing in the New Year together and smashed. At the stroke of midnight the kiss was given (which had to be explained to Narcissa and Lucius beforehand) and the toast to 1981 "May this be the year we have waited on since 1978" Sirius said in a laugh.
"Dear Merlin it has to be this year!" Remus chimed in.
"You've done this together since 1978?" Lucius asked a bit shocked.
"Well actually it started New Years eve 1977." Lily said with a tipsy giggle.
"Well we are late to the party then." Lucius said with a smirk. "I guess our invitations got lost by the owl you sent?" Lucius said picking at Severus.
Severus barely gave a grin, "I suppose so." Severus fell into deep thought about how much he would miss each person, before they entered his life Azkaban would have been a walk in the park but now he had more happy memories than sad ones. He found himself getting depressed by the thought and decided that he would not spend his last night with his family like this. No, tonight they would raise hell and be young and carefree one more time before he disappeared from their lives tomorrow. "Ladies, if you could go anywhere in the world right now where would it be?" Severus suddenly asked.
Lily and Narcissa looked confused at each other. "I'd like to see Las Vegas for real….." Lily said with a coy grin.
Severus gave a cheek splitting grin, "Oh really Madame Snape. It just so happens I have never been there before either. Have any of you been?" Severus asked his housemates.
He got a room full "No's." "Well then that is where we shall go then."
"What?!" rang out from several people. "We can't leave the boys!" Lily said firmly.
"Yes we can love. Ladies get dressed nicely and quickly. I will have everything arranged by the time you get done." Severus sent for Dumbledore and asked for one more night of happiness, which required a port key.
Dumbledore returned with the port key and upon handing it over to Severus parted with, "I really wish you would change your mind." Severus nodded and Dumbledore left.
Severus then sent for Eileen. His disheveled mother arrived quickly and panicked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to know if you would like to assume your grandma position and stay here with Justin and Draco and let us all have a night out. We will be leaving the country but you know you are safe here and there are three elves here to help you." Severus said playing the grandma card to get his way.
Eileen slapped Severus's arm, "Merlin! Don't scare me like that! I thought something was wrong with the baby! Of course I'll stay with them."
Severus rubbed his arm and chuckled, "You can sleep in our room, Justin is in there. Dobby will come get you should he need help with Draco."
"Severus, I have been a mother for quite some time. I can handle two little babies, especially with three house elves. Now you go change, those clothes won't do. Go on now." Eileen said pushing Severus toward the stairs.
Severus dug in his heels and stopped, he turned and looked at his mother with nothing but love on his face, "Thank you mum, for everything. I love you and thank you for never giving up on me." Then he gently kissed her cheek before bounding up the stairs.
Eileen placed her hand over the spot her son had just kissed and a tear rolled down her cheek, she loved the affection but knew something wasn't right. 'I'll get to the bottom of this as soon as they depart.' She thought.
