Chapter 29: Alliances and Bonds

Sirius and Remus returned, three days later, to Potter Manor. The couple had decided to stay more days because Moony was still shaken about the situation, and guilt was hitting him hard. Sirius did not want his boyfriend to turn to drink alcohol in copious amounts again. The reason why his wolfsbane wasn't acting at full strength was that the man had a glass of firewhiskey. He had no plans to leave the reinforced basement. When he floo called the manor, he was so anxious to reach his pack on time that he didn't realize his wolfsbane effects were slipping.

When they returned, they found the house a well-oiled machine. The children did their chores as soon as they woke up, which was around 6.30 a.m. Then, they had breakfast and got ready for class. A tutor would come to teach the kids for a few hours. The tutors were Professor Longbottom, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and to his own surprise, Professor Shaw. Martin had been a schoolteacher in one of the missions he did, and while he could not do magic, but he could give the children classes on non-magical things. He was helping them improve their reading skills and they were beginning to learn about numbers. After lunch, they had time to play and do whatever they wanted.

Emma was spending some time with all the tutors during lunch picking their brains, and then most of the day, she would be in the library or in her room writing. She had been doing some research, and there was electricity in the manor at some point. She had to figure that out so she could type on her computer. Having to type all her hand-written notes would delay her. Emma managed to win the newer elves over quickly by asking for their opinions and inviting them to tea with her. They almost had a stroke because of that. Neesy convinced them that it was in their best interest to attend. The Head House Elf was recovered and seemed stronger than ever. Emma would serve them the tea and the fruits they preferred. She discovered that while elves could eat most things, they chose to eat mostly in a vegan way. They enjoyed fruits, vegetables, leaves, and roots, as well as flowers. The doctor also kept helping Eileen and Severus as well as the Greengrass family as they healed.

Dan would train early with his wife and Martin. The three of them were in great shape and loved working out. They would run, do weight-lifting, calisthenics, and Emma would make them do some yoga. Once Sirius and Remus joined in on the workouts, Sirius did the stretches as a dog to the amusement of the kids who decided they wanted to exercise too. In Padfoot form, he could bend like a pretzel, but in human form, he was very stiff. Dan would shower, eat, and leave for work. Narcissa began taking long walks with Sirius in the afternoons. Their conversations about all the things that transpired with Lucius, all the unspeakable things he had made her do, were therapeutic for her. Sirius would often have to transform when she left his company to run to the forest and punch trees. Neesy mentioned this to Daniel, who bought and installed two punching backs in the backyard. Narcissa was also talking quite a bit with the priest, mainly because the man had become Draco's favorite person. She knew that her boy told Martin things he wouldn't tell her.

After a meeting with Lady Greengrass, the elves began full planting in the greenhouse, and Narcissa asked to help. Lady Greengrass had helped organize crop rotation and design the watering system that would be most efficient. The elves were shocked (some were suspicious) at everyone's willingness to help. They came around quickly when Sirius informed them that if their crops produced more than they could use in the manor, they could sell the extra units and keep the profits. They could then use the profits for anything they wanted. The elves were over the moon. Taking money from their masters was a big No-No, but if they could give themselves wages… that was a different story.

Neville loved the greenhouse and learning with his friends. He was still shy, but he was more willing to start conversations and even joke around. Harry and Hermione were asking all their tutors about Neville's parents, and it seemed to the young Lord and Lady that grown-ups had given up too fast. So, what if spells didn't work? There had to be a way to bring them back if they were not dead… Harry began asking his uncles about the Mind Arts. Both were surprised but agreed to teach them the basics about it.

The Tonks began visiting regularly. They promised to bring Nymphadora over during the school break. The girl was growing desperate to see her favorite cousin again. He would be impressed with how much better she was at controlling her special gift. Even Sharptooth began visiting once a month to explain finances and investments to the adults. Neesy asked the goblin to give her classes too. She wanted to make sure any earnings from the greenhouses would be appropriately used.

Eileen Snape was getting stronger each day. The elves readied a room for her, but Severus wanted to have her in his room in case she needed him until she was completely recovered. They were repairing their relationship little by little. Mother and son were very close until Dumbledore intervened. She was upset at having missed so much, at not having been there for him in his most challenging times. He forgave her, and she forgave him for all the horrible things he did while under the influence of potions and charms. His mother's forgiveness was just what Severus needed to get to the other side of his trauma. They helped heal each other. Emma would check up on the woman twice a day to make sure she had taken her potions, to check her blood pressure, which had been a bit unstable. Emma would also come once a day to help Severus with his physical therapy. After Remus' harsh push, the man was bruised but he had no ill will towards the werewolf. That would accomplish nothing. Also, nothing other than Lupin biting Snape would come even close to the Sectusempra Maxima Severus had attacked the man with in his youth.

Neesy loved feeling appreciated. Having so much magic around her made her stronger and more powerful. The Head Elf had managed to improve Dobby's health slowly. He could now nod or shake his head when asked questions, and he was eating by himself. Narcissa had decided to help heal Dobby and the other hurt elves, as she felt guilty about her husband's abuse of the creature, but the elf would shake and whimper if she came near so, she thought she should wait until he felt better. He was on his way to improve, but he would still jump any time Draco or Narcissa so much as looked at him.

Draco was flourishing in this new environment, especially after Martin took him under his wing. Hearing the priest's words in such a heartbreaking moment had moved the child in ways he was too young to understand. Draco would sometimes join his mother when she was talking to Father Martin. The priest was kind, respectful, courteous, and very good at listening. Draco couldn't remember ever hearing his mother talk more than two words without being interrupted or just hushed by his father. He was also growing to like Emma Granger a lot. She was lovely to him and answered all his questions about muggle life patiently. Her hugs were wonderful! Despite what his fa-Lucius had said, he felt like the more people hugged him, the bigger and stronger he felt. Emma kept calling him sugar, and he loved it.

Hermione was a good friend. Lucius would be aghast. But she was smart, patient, helpful, and didn't judge him for his past or his father… or lack thereof. It took Neville a while not to seem scared when Draco would touch his shoulder to get his attention, but they were getting there little by little. Harry was a great friend. He was always careful not to push Draco when he was feeling upset or sad. He had a strange way of calming people down. Harry would put a hand on his shoulder, and the boy would feel like a weight had been lifted off. Draco opened up to Harry once he knew about Harry's past and how much the raven-haired kid had been hurt. The blonde learned this from Father Martin. It made him feel less broken to know he wasn't alone.

The older Greengrass girl, Daphne, joined some of their lessons but as an assistant to the tutors. She was homeschooled but was advanced for her age. She didn't talk much to the kids, but they had been told to expect that. The girl was still mourning, and what she had been through was awful. Several times she would start shaking out of the blue and would take off running with tears falling down her cheeks. Only her mother or Emma could calm her down. Ianthe was still very jumpy at sounds or sudden movements, but she was physically stronger a bit more each day. She now could try simple spells without getting out of breath. Baby Astoria was happy and calm. She seemed to have no remaining consequences from the curse. Astoria was much more at ease than her sister. She would throw her arms up to be held by everyone, especially Narcissa, who, despite her attempt to stay distant, was quickly won over by the child.

The Greengrass elves, who had been fundamental in creating the fortress that Greengrass Manor had once been, were given a crucial task by Emma. The number of elves in the property had increased significantly. Emma told Sirius that she felt they would be much more comfortable in their own space. But she didn't want them to feel they wanted them not to live with the family anymore, so she had recruited Neesy to help her convince them. Sirius once again marveled at Emma's attention to detail. He didn't really believe in God. But if there was a God, Sirius was sure it had to be a female. No man could multi-task with such finesse. They had called on all the elves and presented their case as kindly as they could. Emma did most of the talking. The Greengrass elves created illustrations of what the structure would look like. At first, most other elves looked at Emma suspiciously, as if she was asking them to leave the property, just like she assumed they would. Seeing that there was an actual structure that had been designed by elves for elves, most of them seemed shocked and uncertain.

FLASHBACK

"We think perhaps we could build something like this," Emma said, pointing at the drawing. "We did some research on you, and after consulting the Greengrass elves, who helped design their family's ancestral home, we think that perhaps a tree-shaped structure would be best. It can have windows and doors, fireplaces, or whatever else you may need. I know you don't use beds, but we would like you to have very comfortable nesting spaces."

Neesy smiled with watery eyes and nodded. The other elves seemed touched.

"We think that by having your own space, you can decide if you want to bond and raise families," Sirius added with a playful smile at Dobby, who was looking at Neesy with heart-shaped eyes.

The elves began looking at each other with small smiles. Neesy said, "Missy Grangy, Master doggie, can we talks to decide?"

"Of course," Emma replied, pulling Sirius out of the kitchen. They would wait until they were called back in.

In the kitchen, after silencing the walls and door to keep their conversation private, there was an uproar. All the elves were talking to each other at high speed. Some seemed happy, others scared, some were excited, and a few seemed upset.

Neesy rang a small bell to get their attention. "Elvesies!"

They all stopped talking and turned to her.

"We should votes and do what most of us want," Neesy said in a friendly tone. "I thinks Master and Mistress is being very generous."

"I don't be trusting your missy," an old Malfoy elf said. "No human be that good to elves for no reason."

Neesy gasped. "You takes that backsies! Missy Grangy is kind. She is being a very good human. You do not talk bads about Missy!" her fists glowed with elven fire.

"Neesy," Trippy said, pulling on her apron. "They don't know missy Grangy much. That being why they don't trust her."

"I will show yous my memories, then," Neesy said with a confident smile. She projected her memories to the other elves.

After a blur of memories, most elves had decided they did trust Emma Granger and Sirius Black. They voted and decided that they did want their own space so they could raise families and live in a community.

Emma and Sirius were called back inside.

"What have you decided?" Sirius asked with a neutral expression.

"We votes. We is wanting the treehouse nesties community," Neesy said happily. Emma smiled brightly at her. The elf then frowned and continued. "But Missy Grangy, Master Doggie… We is worried. How can we pay for the things we is needing?"

Sirius chuckled. "Neesy, house elves, all of you have been helping keep this home running. You have adapted incredibly quickly to all the changes and to this crazy, ever-growing family. We are very grateful to all of you for your service. You have been willing to risk your lives for people in this family more than once. You have worked more with each person who has joined us and you have never complained." Several gasps were heard at this. Sirius quickly explained before he offended anyone. "Not that we thought you would. Your service has been exemplary. We will be happy to pay for what you need out of the manor's coffers. Just tell us what you want and we will get it, just like we did for your greenhouse. Once your crops start selling, you can invest that money into anything you want. That includes the treehouse."

The elves behind Neesy seemed shocked but grateful. Neesy just clapped and jumped into Emma's arms, giving her a big hug. She let go and did the same to Sirius."Missy and Master is being the best! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You are welcome. We appreciate all the hard work you do here and want all of you to feel comfortable," Emma said, beaming at the rest of the elves.

"By the way, this doesn't change anything else. You are all still to answer to your own Head of House. If necessary, we will eventually discuss changes. Your opinion matters to us. If you have any issues or concerns, just tell one of us, and we will try to deal with it. Understood?"

A general "Yes, master," was heard.

Emma smiled at Sirius. This was a huge triumph.

END FLASHBACK

Sirius had called a council with all the other adults in the house after he met with Minerva and Augusta, who had done their own research on alliances. The women had brought documentation, and they had gone over the parts of the book on alliances that Sirius had taken notes about to share with the witches. Both women had raised excellent points. They believed that an alliance would be extremely useful and beneficial as long as it was crafted carefully. All the adults were briefed by the two professors who created a comprehensive summary of the topic.

As it happens, the women in the room, magical or not, were having a silent conversation the men were not privy to. Ianthe was trying hard to keep a neutral face, but she was no Malfoy. Sacrificing her House's historical autonomous decision-making for democratic choices was not easy for her to do. Narcissa could tell that Ianthe did not like some of the things she heard. She was miffed. Why would Ianthe ask for an alliance, if she wasn't willing to do what she had to do to be in a successful one? Ianthe noticed Narcissa staring daggers at her and returned the icy stare. Emma could sense both witches were having a fight. She looked at Narcissa questioningly. She shook her head and looked at Minerva, then pointedly at Ianthe, who was now frowning. Emma sighed and shrugged at Augusta. Lady Longbottom was too old for the stare down petty games. She hit her cane to the ground once and cleared her throat.

The men, who had been oblivious up to that point, jumped.

"Okay, ladies. Spit it out. You will not succeed in trying to set each other on fire no matter how hard you stare. I'm too old for this," she stood up and stared the younger women down.

Minerva nodded in agreement. "Augusta is right, ladies. The sooner you say what is troubling you, the sooner we can fix it."

Narcissa crossed her arms. "I just find it very puzzling that she was the one who asked for an alliance in the first place, and now she looks like she would rather eat hippogriff dung…"

Sirius would have chuckled, but Remus stared at him in a clear "don't you dare" fashion. Daniel looked like he was about to ask what a hippogriff was, but he didn't have a chance.

"Excuse me?! Did you expect this to be easy for me? Do I have to remind everyone in this council that it was the most extenuating circumstances that forced me to ask for such a favor!?" Ianthe stood angrily, her chair making a loud noise in the otherwise quiet library. "My family was neutral for generations!"

"Blah, blah, the mighty Greengrass neutrality! We have heard enough about it! None of us have exactly had an easy life, Ianthe!" Narcissa stood up noisily as well.

Emma looked at both women who were standing to her left and right as if she was watching a vicious tennis open final.

"Well, it was mighty! It isn't my fault that you married a Death Eater! He gave you power and money. But now you all live in infamy. You are so used to seeing families being Dark as normal that you thing being neutral is offensive or disgusting! It served my family well for several generations!" Ianthe yelled, hitting the table.

Narcissa blushed angrily. She was shaking. "Power and money!? I was a Black! I already had those! I married him in a stupid whim because the man I really loved married someone else. Do you really want to know what my loving husband actually gave me, you bitch?!" Narcissa lowered all her glamours and her makeup spells.

Ianthe gasped and blanched; she had to sit down. Minerva lowered her eyes sadly. Augusta was glad her scar fading concoction was coming along nicely. She could hardly wait to help Narcissa. Father Martin, who asked to participate just for learning's sake, was looking at Narcissa with wide, horrified eyes. He wasn't horrified at her appearance. He just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that a husband would do that to his wif. He was starting to understand why Draco was so traumatized. Emma wanted to hug her friend, but she felt Narcissa was too angry to welcome her affection.

Severus hadn't seen Narcissa's face without glamours for years, and this was a nasty shock for him. She was not done telling Ianthe off.

"This! This is what he gave me. I was given as a sex toy to all his twisted, sick friends to do with as they saw fit. I was beaten, humiliated, raped, imperiused to do things so debasing you could never imagine. I get to look like a monster for the rest of my life, thanks to him! The only reason I didn't end my misery was my son! We have all suffered! As did all the families in the last war that couldn't afford to be neutral! Did you ever think about that?! We both know that if House Greengrass had been a minor house, you wouldn't have lasted one generation being neutral! Poor people cannot afford neutrality! They need protection from richer, more powerful families!" Narcissa yelled. "There are sacrifices to be made when alliances are formed, but compromise is necessary when you work with others! If you feel so uncomfortable with that, this is not going to work. I will not risk my family's safety to protect you and your daughters if you are not willing to reciprocate regardless of the sacrifice that may entail!"

Narcissa's breath was shaky. She refused to cry in front of Ianthe. Severus got up, put his hands on Narcissa's shoulders from behind and pulled her to him. She looked at him in a begging manner. He understood immediately. "Excuse us. We will return in a while." The pair left the Library. It wasn't until they reached her bedroom that she fell on her knees and cried while Severus held her awkwardly.

"I-I had no idea," Ianthe said weakly.

"We know. So does she," Emma said with a sigh. "Or she will… eventually. Perhaps I should go talk to her..."

"Love, I think Severus will do a good job there..." Daniel whispered. Emma nodded. She would talk to her friend later.

"Narcissa does have valid points, Ianthe," Minerva said with pursed lips. "My mother always thought that neutrals were free, unaffected, and disengaged."

"Meaning?" Ianthe asked with a frown. Minerva was about to respond but Augusta beat her to it.

"Neutrals are useless," Augusta said, shrugging. "For society, I mean."

"How so?" Ianthe asked, trying not to sound as offended as she felt.

"Well, neutral is useless to the powerful and useless to the powerless. They just exist in their own little, safe bubble, where no one touches them, but where they also are no help to anyone else," Augusta explained with a lifted brow.

"Freedom and uselessness are very similar. Your family retreated for generations to your ancestral home and refused to help the good side or the bad side. You may not know this because all of you lived away from reality, dear, but your neutrality felt like a betrayal to those fighting evil," Minerva said, crossing her arms. Losing her husband in the war was something she would never get over.

"What?! How so!?"

"In the last two wars families, especially poor ones, lost many people. They counted on strong, powerful families to help them. Can you imagine being forced to identify with one side and having that cost you your family's life because you don't have a fortress to hide in?" Augusta said with a frown.

"Ianthe, respectfully, we heard rumors that your elves had to remove corpses from your tall barriers when they would pile up and start... reeking," Remus said with a look of disgust.

"We just assumed it was dark forces trying to break in to hurt us…" Ianthe said, looking genuinely shocked at this.

"It could have been friends thinking they could come to you for help in their hour of need…" Sirius sighed.

"That is neither here nor there anymore. What matters is what we do going forward," Daniel said in an attempt to bring the conversation back on track.

"I agree. However, there can be no half-assed intentions here, Dan. We will eventually be going to war. You are a veteran. You know that there can be no hesitation. No doubting. Doubts cost lives, limbs, and sanities," Sirius said, crossing his arms. Remus nodded, wrapping his arm around Padfoot's waist in silent support.

Daniel nodded with a frown, "I know, man. I really do. But we need to come to an agreement one way or another."

Augusta sighed. Then perked up as an idea struck her. "Emma, dear, your organizational skills are impressive. What do you think we should do?"

Emma looked surprised but smiled as both Augusta and Minerva nodded enthusiastically at her skills. "Thank you…. Um, okay… Listen. The whole purpose of this meeting was for you both to share all the information you had on alliances with all of us who are much less knowledgeable. Right?"

The professors nodded. Emma went on, "By the way, thank you for the glossary and the timeline at the end. Very helpful for us muggles." The witches smiled. "I think that now that we have the information, each family should have a family meeting and do a SWOT to forming an alliance."

"A what?!" the wizards and witches said with puzzled looks on their faces.

"A SWOT. It's a strategic planning technique used to help a person or an organization identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats…" Emma replied with a smile. The rapid blinks she received made her explain further. "Now, you may not be certain about what those are, but allow me to explain. You can take some pen and paper and write a list. Okay? Under Strengths, you write characteristics of the project, in this case, the alliance, that give it an advantage over others. Under Weaknesses, you write characteristics of the alliance that put it at a disadvantage relative to others. Then, under Opportunities, you can write elements in the environment that the coalition could exploit to its advantage. Finally, you write the Threats, which are elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the alliance."

"I think that is a wonderful idea," Remus smiled. Sirius nodded.

Augusta whispered to Minerva, "I knew she could propose a good solution!"

"Absolutely!" Minerva quickly agreed.

Ianthe was pleasantly surprised by Emma. When she looked at the way Daniel Granger was looking at his wife, with so much pride and love, she felt her husbands' absence acutely. She missed him so much. He knew a lot more about war and politics than she did. "Emma, once we do this SWOT… Then what?"

"Well, we can reconvene and see which things are repeated in each category. Do we have Strengths in common? Threats in common? And once we have a comprehensive list, I think agreeing on what this alliance would look like will be much easier," Emma shrugged.

"Love, I think something else that we should do separately is come up with a set of Yes, No, and Maybe," Daniel added. Emma nodded. "This may be too much information…"

"There are no blushing virgins here," Emma chuckled. Daniel side-eyed Martin who was looking like a deer caught in headlights. Emma's eyes widened and she made an effort not to laugh. Everyone looked at them curiously. Augusta looked at the priest like a predator seeing their next meal. Martin blushed furiously and looked pointedly to the ground. Emma coughed, "Anyways, some therapists suggest all couples should have a Will do, May do, Never ask me again type of list when it comes to... sex."

Sirius looked at his boyfriend with a raised brow. Remus blushed and looked away. "Tell me more, you goddess divine," Sirius winked at Emma, who chuckled.

Remus swatted at Sirius. "For the umpteenth time, Padfoot: READ. THE. ROOM!"

Minerva's lips were pursed. She looked embarrassed. Augusta seemed as interested as Sirius and said, "Don't listen to this uptight wolf, dear, do tell us more!"

Ianthe blushed and looked down. This wasn't the type of conversation that was acceptable in polite company. Martin coughed and got up to get a glass of water from a side table.

Emma laughed. "Well, it's as I said. Write down things you are willing to accept in an alliance, things you absolutely will not be willing to do, and, most importantly, decide gray areas."

"Gray?" Sirius frowned. "I thought you preferred us Blacks, gorgeous."

"Oh, I do. I find Narcissa and Andy absolutely stunning..." Emma replied right away.

Dan cleared his throat, "What Emma meant is that there are things we may not love doing but we are willing to do to please our partner and vice versa," Daniel replied with a shrug.

"Any examples you care to share?" Sirius winked.

"Wouldn't you want to know…" Emma gave him such a saucy smirk that he had to blush. Daniel smirked at his wife's expression. She delighted in making people uncomfortable, particularly people who were used to making others hot and bothered.

"Oh! I have an example… Like when my husband wanted me to-" Augusta couldn't say anything else.

"Do. Not. Finish. That. Sentence!" Minerva exclaimed, silencioing Augusta, who began laughing with no sound at the stern professor's horrified face.

"Minnie! You are no fun!" Sirius laughed. "I wanted to hear about her sexcapades! I bet she could teach us more than Herbology!"

"Sirius Orion Black! Have some respect for my gray hairs, especially considering you caused many of them!" Minerva replied, narrowing her eyes. "Remus, control this reprobate you call a boyfriend!"

"Oh, don't fret Minnie, he does," Sirius replied, adding a playful RAWR at his boyfriend who blushed even more but growled back despite himself.

"You are incorrigible!" Minerva exclaimed throwing her hands up in a clear giving up gesture.

"That's not true… Remus punishes me regularly, Minnie," Sirius winked at the spluttering, blushing woman who, despite her severity, couldn't help but laugh when he wiggled his brows suggestively. Remus looked like he could melt from mortification. Soon enough, everyone was laughing.

Augusta ended the spell Minerva placed on her. "He's so much worse than me. At least with me, one entire gender is safe!"

"That is so true!" Emma replied. "No one is safe with that one!"

"Anyways," Daniel interjected, pulling his wife to him. "How about we take a week to do the SWOT and the Will, Won't, Maybe lists? We can meet again same time and day next week."

"Agreed," everyone replied.

Narcissa realized it had been around half an hour since she stopped crying. Yet, neither herself or Severus made any attempt to move. He was sitting on the floor with his long legs stretched out and separated by her body. Her side was against his chest, and her head was resting safely in the crook of his neck. She began to realize how comfortable she was, how wonderful she felt, and what an intimate position they were in. Severus' arms were tenderly encircling her. One hand rubbed her upper back in up-and-down, repetitive motions. Another hand caressed her hair. Her right arm was wrapped around his middle and her free hand was resting on his chest without moving.

Narcissa began freaking out inside. She had no idea what to do or say. This good kind of intimacy was more than she had had in years. She found herself craving more. It was nice to feel a man was there for you. His presence was calming, familiar, intoxicating, but modest all at the same time. Kind men were a rare occurrence in her life. Narcissa decided to pretend she had fallen asleep. That would save her the embarrassment if he seemed upset or disappointed. She closed her eyes. To her surprise, she woke up a couple of hours later on her bed, under the covers, with the ghost Severus' kiss on her forehead and a tiny arm wrapped around her. Draco was sleeping next to her. She snuggled her boy and went back to sleep.

Severus knew Narcissa fell asleep when her breathing became deep and calm, and her body felt no longer tense against his. They hadn't talked much. There wasn't anything he could really say to her that would make her feel better about the confrontation with Ianthe or the despicable abuse she had suffered. He remembered a cold January night years ago when Voldemort had imperiused Narcissa to serve Severus sexually as a reward for a job well done. Lucius wasn't happy with that, but he wouldn't defend his wife to his lord and savior. Severus had accepted provided that he could have her in another house citing it seemed wrong to take his reward in his godson's home. Voldemort laughed at this but didn't question it. He was celebrating.

Severus was horrified when he realized she wasn't just under imperius but also under the influence of several potions. He took her to his former family home. He reversed the imperius using Draco as a stimulus. Then, he gave her a flushing draught, a nutritious meal, and told her to get a good night's sleep. He would be working downstairs. She had seemed so grateful and so surprised that he wouldn't use her that he had been shaken by her perception of him. Then again, he knew that other Death Eaters would use and abuse her as much as they could in the time given. He was given twenty-four hours. That time would allow her to rest and regain her strength. At the peak of the war, she was given away to devious, violent men and women regularly. Severus had rarely felt more low as a human, that when she began trying to touch him and undress him with glazed eyes and slurred speech, not to mention an endless void of sadness in her expression.

From that night on, he would always ask for her as a reward so he could give her breaks from all the trauma and abuse. He knew it wasn't much, but it was all he could do at the moment without blowing his cover or endangering her further. One night that she was in his place, he left her in his room to take a bath. She kept repeating she felt dirty. This was after a particularly gruesome night at the mercy of Yaxley, who had to be ripped away from her, by four people, after her desperate screams made Lucius think she would no longer be able to serve her purpose. Severus was downstairs reading and had to run to her aid when bloody water poured downstairs. She was fully dressed and had deep cuts on her wrists. He had barely reached her on time. Narcissa had begged him to let her die and to take care of Draco. She knew it was unfair of her to ask him to do something he could not do. But she was too broken that day. Severus swore he would find a way to help them both before she found a way to succeed in taking her own life.

Now, having her in his arms, safe and sound in Potter Manor, he felt grateful. He thanked his lucky star, Lily Jade, that he had a do-over to really help Narcissa and Draco. He would do better. He kissed her hair, and she did not stir. He maneuvered slowly to carry her to the bed while he ignored the protests of his sore muscles. He waved his wand to levitate her while he pulled the covers back. He then lowered her to the bed, covered her, kissed her forehead, and sighed. As he turned to leave, he saw that at some point, Draco had opened the door and was staring at them with concern. Severus approached the child and crouched in front of him like Emma told him he should when he wanted to communicate better with children.

"Godfather, is she okay?" Draco asked in a whisper, looking at his mother with a frown.

"She wasn't feeling well during the meeting…" Severus replied back in a whisper.

"Why?" the boy asked with uncertainty.

"Well, I'm sure she will tell you when she wakes up."

"Can I help?" the boy looked at Snape with fear in his eyes.

"Absolutely. Narcissa says your hugs always make her feel better. I think you should join her in bed," Severus pushed the boy slightly towards the bed.

"What about you?" Draco asked.

"What about me?" Severus asked in confusion.

"Aren't you going to join mother in bed too?" the kid asked innocently.

Severus opened then closed his mouth several times. He blushed. "I can't do that, Draco."

"Why not?"

"It's inappropriate…" he hoped his godson would let it go.

"Why? You love my mom," Draco said. Severus immediately noticed it was a statement more than a question.

"Narcissa is asleep. She wanted to rest," Severus began. He then realized this was a golden opportunity to make Draco aware that a woman's consent was essential. The boy was paying close attention. "She didn't invite me to her bed, Draco. No man should ever force his presence or his company on a woman. No matter what. Okay? If your mother asked me to stay, I would. She is asleep so she cannot tell me to join her, and therefore, I will leave so your mother can rest comfortably as she wanted."

"Okay. Godfather… you do love my mother, right?" the boy insisted.

Severus thought about the question. He nodded with certainty. He still didn't know if his love was also romantic, but Draco didn't ask that. Emma told him that you only give children the information they ask for: not more, not less.

"I would really like to have a father like you…" Draco looked down, teary-eyed.

"You have no idea how much that means to me, Draco," Severus lifted the boy's chin and pulled him in for a tight hug. The man felt better right away. "Your mother is right. Your hugs do make people feel better."

The boy smiled, tightened his hold on the Potions Master, and said a muffled, "I wof you!"

Severus smiled, kissed the top of Draco's head, and said, "I love you too, son."

The man took the boy's hand and helped him get under the covers with his mother. He turned around and left, casting a spell to close the curtains and to make the room cooler. He walked towards the Library. Severus realized he needed to sort out his feelings. That meant he needed to talk to Emma.

A/N: Thank you for reading! We are almost at the end of part one. I was able to end this from my new shiny gamer chair that I got for my back issues. It is super comfortable. Thank you for the follows, the favorites, and the comments. You are lovely. I hope I can update soon. Stay safe. -Lux-