Muggle Means

November 1978, Wiltshire

Severus Snape had given up on trying to cheer his friend Lucius Malfoy up and had settled for keeping him from harming himself in his drunken stupor. The man had every right to get plastered. His wife Narcissa had miscarried for the third time, this time rather late into the pregnancy. It may have been an arranged marriage but Lucius had grown to love his wife deeply, and therefore felt her grief most keenly. His father, Abraxas Malfoy, did nothing to help the young couple with his lectures on the importance of an heir.

Lucius had invited the recently graduated younger man to Malfoy Manor for a holiday before Severus would start his Potions apprenticeship on Summer solstice.

Even at eleven Severus had known that Lucius' support was a means to an end – in his case running Slytherin house smoothly even if unfortunately an unkempt and devastatingly poor Halfblood had been sorted into it. Practical caring the young boy got from Andromeda Black, who had been a 7th-year in 1981. Andi quickly realised Severus' vast talent and taught him spells and potions well beyond his years – to mend and elong his clothes, to make them appear less faded, grooming tips and potions for bruises and little cuts. She had been aware of his feud with the Marauders as well as his pride in holding up on his own.

Anything more than Andromeda's hands-on approach he would not have been able to stand. But by his second year he was ready for Narcissa Black's unobtrusive kindness. As Andi had graduated she had recommended the young boy warmly to her younger sister.

Severus' summer had been a good one. His father had work, his mother was well and able to show her joy of seeing her son again better than in her somewhat stilted letters and he and Lily had spent a lot of time together.

Severus' first year in Slytherin had taught him a lot about choosing his battles and therefore he made sure to spend one or two evenings a week with his father, either tinkering in their own shed or lending him a hand when Toby went out to do repairs in the neighbourhood. Their relationship improved, which in turn made Eileen happy.

Narcissa, the youngest Black sister, possessed neither Andromeda's sharp intellect nor Bellatrix' vivaciousness. But she had the uncanny ability to make people feel good around her and not make a fuss about it. The latter was urgently needed with young Severus Snape. Though young he was not so little anymore and his robes showed a rather inelegant amount of bony wrists and ankles. Not even house-elf-transfiguration lasted more than three hours, which did not bode well for the boy's oncoming year. It was not to be helped, he needed new robes, really new robes, not some from Hogwarts' charity basket.

Before the first days of term were over Severus was the proud owner of a whole new set of robes and uniforms, bespelled to grow at least two more sizes. Narcissa had delivered them with many thanks from her elder sister, and another order for the perfume and shampoo he'd specially brewed for her graduation. The second year knew that neither product was perfect but as the obvious favoritism from the influential Black sisters triggered orders for hair- and skin-care products from a lot of Slytherins he didn't protest too much.

When a week later a parcel full of used but perfectly wearable Muggle clothing arrived Severus knew how he would be able to repay the Black sisters their kindness. It had been rumored that Andromeda – while not officially betrothed – was meant to marry Lucius Malfoy. During their sessions in the library last year sometimes a seventh year from Hufflepuff named Theodore Tonks had joined them. Nothing inappropriate had happened but Andi's and Ted's mutual fondness had been apparent even to a firstie. As were the sad eyes Narcissa turned towards Lucius Malfoy during his visits at school, whenever she thought no one was looking.

Therefore Severus carefully crafted a letter to Lucius, asking for a stroll along the lake. For the other houses in Hogwarts this would have been a proposition, for a Slytherin it was an invitation to plotting.

One Saturday in early November the two set off, Severus searching for the right words and Lucius hoping that the youngster's request would not be unreasonable. Already showing talent in both Defense and Potions Severus Snape was an acquaintance to be cultivated but not somebody on whose behalf he would get his hands dirty.

Lucius was surprised to be asked about marriage contracts, he would not have thought the boy interested in girls already. He seemed to prefer the younger sister of the one he was expected to court.

„So Severus, you like one Prince cousin better than the one who is promised to you?"

The boy seemed to be taken aback by the question but did not answer, instead changing the topic. He eloquently waxed about Narcissa's kindness, beauty and social skills. For even if Severus himself had none such skills, he recognised and appreciated them. How he wished Narcissa could be here now! She would have brought the salient point across easily, even make it appear to Lucius as if he himself had had the idea.

When Malfoy made his farewells in the Slytherin common room Severus was reasonably sure that he would work out why he had been summoned, and hopefully act accordingly.

„Severus!"

Of all places in London to run across Lily Evans, no Lily Potter! Blackwell's was known for its large selection of books on medicinal topics, being near King George hospital. And in the obstretician section, no less.

„Mrs Potter."

„Sev, come off it. I thought we had talked everything through?"

Well, she had talked and he had listened, secretly disagreeing half the time but not wanting to risk the tenuous start to rebuild their friendship.

„Yes, we did, Lily. How are you?"

„Fine, fine."

Her eyes told another story and he immediately thought of Potter hurting her in some way.

„What are you doing here? Are you expecting?"

He had to rise an eyebrow at this.

„Well I know that even with magic men cannot carry a child, but your girlfriend, or wife? I haven't read an announcement - "

She trailed off, looking at him expectantly.

„No, I am not married nor did I impregnate anyone."

„Then why are you here?"

An ugly thought crossed his mind. Did she think he was doing some nefarious research for the Dark Lord here? Something to prevent the birth of Muggleborns? Lily Potter could be quite self-righteous, but closer observation showed her meaning to be genuinely curious.

„It would not be right to tell you what I am looking for, but I am trying to help a friend."

She looked at him pensively.

„Is she trying to conceive as well?"

Only his Occlumency training spared him to betray anything.

„But Lils, you aren't married that long. Is it four months?"

„Yes, I know. Only Frank and Alice have been trying for over a year now, and when I didn't get pregnant I started to worry. Petunia is having a baby, you know."

„There are potions to help, I could brew them for you."

„Thank you. I might take you up on that offer in a few months time."

She glanced at the journal Severus was holding.

„Oh. In-vitro-fertilization! Do you think that would work with witches and wizards?"

„Well, it could. If the problem is inactive or damaged sperm, it could help."

„Good luck then. I hope you will become godfather soon."

They parted ways.

Severus did unearth everything he could find on IVF and then outlined a plan. The potions aspect of the project was easy enough, the arithmancy calculations he could do as well, but the charms were tricky. After trying for a while to create some he was at his wits' end. A chance meeting with Horace Slughorn, who asked after „the delightful Lily Evans" reminded him of his childhood friend's prowess in Charms. The young Potions apprentice contacted Lily Potter and together they created charms to determine damaged sperm and separate it accordingly. Insemination would happen the Muggle way, and another charm would transfer the embryo into the womb. A regime of potions was to prepare the witch's body for the pregnancy as well as support its progress.

Lucius had been close-lipped about the reasons for his wife's miscarriages but had let it slip when drunk that the embryos had had severe deformities, which was the reason for them dying prematurely. Knowing that it would be a harsh blow to his friend's pride if his own genetic setup was causing this Severus took great care with how he presented the idea to the elder Slytherin. Lucius listened with growing interest as his young protegée described his research.

„And you just need a bit of my, ah, my sperm to find out if - "

„Yes, Lucius."

„If you will excuse me."

Severus busied himself with the microscope in the laboratory while he waited for his friend. Later Malfoy watched in rapt attention the wriggling sperm cells through the microscope, growing concerned as quite a few of them did move erratic or not at all.

The young Potions master cast the spell to highlight the healthy ones.

„And Muggles found out about this without any magic?"

„They did. They are even well on the way to discern certain inherited diseases by breaking up sperm or eggs into their genetic code. If one has blond hair or brown, if one has a good singing voice – everything is already there in one single cell. And before you ask: some wizarding scientists in the States have tried to find a magic genom, but so far without any results."

Severus did not know how Lucius had convinced his wife, but Narcissa agreed to be the first to try. She went over Severus' calculations and added her own, based on the moon-phases; and she insisted on bringing her trusted mid-wife on board. On one starlit and balmy night during the late summer of 1979 Severus together with mid-wife Ermengarde Smethwyck performed the first wizarding IVF. To everyone's surprise and joy Narcissa got pregnant on the first try, which she attributed to choosing the right moon-phase. Severus was busy with finalising his Potions apprenticeship and therefore did not notice the next three harrowing months too closely. The Malfoys waited rather longer than usual with announcing the pregnancy but when they did a rather tearful Lucius told his friend that everything was well with the baby and that it would be a boy.

Sometime in January Severus met a glowing Lily Potter in Diagon Alley. She had chosen not to try IVF but had used Narcissa's moon-phase-calculations for the best chance of conception. The Potter heir would be born in the middle of summer.

December 1982, Little Hangleton

Tom Marvolo Riddle, self-styled Lord Voldemort, was getting impatient. His followers were lacking in zeal, too busy were most of them with their off-spring. The babyboom within Britain's Pureblood families also rather undermined his political stand on the danger of Muggleborns, as they would not pose a threat to wizarding society because there were so few of them compared to Pure- and Halfbloods.

Sources had told the Dark Lord that a globe with a prophecy concerning himself had appeared in the Department of Mysteries, but so far he had found no way of learning its contents. A further reason for discontent was that monies were tight at the moment, what with his most important supporter financially, Lucius Malfoy, claiming the need for thriftyness, as his wife had just given birth to twin girls who would be needing dowries. Patience had never been Tom's virtue and therefore, when he caught a glimpse of an experimental potion in Severus Snape's mind as he visited the researcher, he made a plan. Full of over-confidence Voldemort never even thought of all this being a trap. The potion, being on the dark side, would render the drinker a half-ghost and therefore undetectable in magical scans. And as the prophecy concerned himself he could just waltz into the Hall of Prophecies, take the antidote and get it himself.

Narcissa Malfoy fretted. Due to her newborn baby girls she hardly ever had time to fret but tonight they had slept for five hours, slept at the same time even, which left their mother with enough energy to worry. While she knew her husband and Severus to be clever and shrewd she feared they might have bitten off more than they were able to chew. They were planning to lure the Dark Lord into a trap via a potion while on the same time constantly undermining his authority. Slytherins they were and therefore the information that was making its way through the Death Eater's ranks – namely that the self-styled Lord Voldemort was a Halfblood, born to an unwilling Muggle and a near-squib mother – could not be traced back to those two. Narcissa had known that Severus rued his joining of the Death Eaters as early as after the first revel. And Lucius had only taken the mark at the insistence of his father, Abraxas Malfoy. Some of the other Death Eaters were truly horrible men, and Bellatrix might well have inherited the feared Black madness, but most of them had joined either because they saw it as a way to keep the old ways or because of family pressure. Of course it was not talked about openly among the wives in Narcissa's cercle of friends but she knew that quite a few were at least uneasy with their husband's decision to join and none of them wished for their children to be part of the movement.

Narcissa supported her husband's and Severus' work towards lessening the Dark Lord's influence and also in their approach of not involving Dumbledore and his Order of the Phoenix but she feared repercussions. And she thought it silly of them not to include her or even the other wives of disillusioned Death Eaters. True, she had given birth to twins only six weeks ago. But she would sit the conspirators down and demand her own involvement.

The naming ceremony for Cassiopeia Narcissa and Callista Druella Malfoy was a rather intimate affair. Knowing most of her good friends were either in their confinement or had very small babies Narcissa did not plan the same lavish event as she had done for Draco. The Malfoy nursery elves had their hands full and the other ones were told to provide footstools for the attending prospective mothers at the first sign of fatigue. The mood was festive, though. The minister waxed lyrically on the quite unbelievable baby-boom, the biggest the magical world had seen in the last three hundred years. Andromeda was here which pleased Narcissa immensely and Lily Potter had sent the most beautiful baby blankets, declining the invitation due to having been confined to bedrest as she was expecting triplets.

The man who was the reason for at least twenty babies without ever bedding a witch kept to the background. Most women had not disclosed fully to their husbands to what extent Severus Snape was accountable for all the little heirs and spares and additional babies. Narcissa, Lily Potter and he had drafted and perfected a fertility program that worked in several steps. Some couples got pregnant with using Narcissa's lunar calculations, some needed potions to boost either the production of viable eggs or more mobile sperm and only very few needed an IVF. At that point the husbands obviously needed to be in the know.

The next step would be to get the ministry on board. The Department of Mysteries was already working on a genetics project under Augustus Rookwood and Lucius and Corban Yaxley had bought enough shares of the Prophet to be in a position to promote its findings. First results said what a lot of the old families had known at some time, only to bury this knowledge under a few generations of Pure-blood fanaticism – it strengthened health and magic if Half-bloods and Muggleborns were introduced into the family tree regularly and marrying cousins was to be avoided at all costs.

With the old families going back to a more reasonable stance on purity Lucius had turned towards revealing prejudices and sycophantic behavior among the Light. Neither were there any Muggleborn professors at Hogwarts nor more than two or three prefects. There had only been three half-blooded Head Girls or Boys during the last three hundred years and Dumbledore himself had done away with classes that helped a smoother integration of Muggleborns into the wizarding world when he had taken over from Armando Dippet. More and more articles were written about the headmaster not living what he preached.

When her darling daughters began to fuss Narcissa said good-bye to their guests who by then were also in the process of leaving. She noticed Severus signing Lucius for a meeting a little later.

Lucius Malfoy had never taken Divination but he still was not amused when Severus Snape wanted to plot with him on the carefully chosen day of his daughters' naming ceremony. He took upon himself the indignity of Apparating to Cokeworth the next morning. How Snape could stand still living in that declining mill town was beyond him. Lucius knew for a fact that the happy parents were generous in their appreciation as quite a few of them had enquired with him for an appropriate amount. A question he had always answered with `How much is a healthy heir?´

Finally Snape had put tea on the table.

"Hook, line and sinker, Lucius! He contacted me and asked whether there was a potion that made the drinker ghostlike and undetectable. I hawed and hemmed and cautioned that I was working on just such a thing but it was not yet tested. He tried to force me to test it before his very eyes but I told him that I hadn't written anything down, that the test should wait until I had trained another Potions master to continue my work for the Dark Lord in case the test went wrong."

"You are the only Potions master he trusts."

"Which is why I am still sitting here, drinking tea with you. He will come back in a week's time with a willing test subject."

Lucius sat up, "That is wonderful news, my friend! I have to talk to my brother-in-law quickly, I think."

Severus Snape thought this a splendid solution to the Bellatrix-conundrum and wished his visitor farewell before joining his mother in the garden. After gaining his mastery he had invested his first earnings in buying the adjoining house to his parents' in Spinner's End. The enlarged basement housed a lab that he improved step by step, the ground floor doubled as a library cum study. Tobias Snape had started to drink heavily after losing his job due to the closure of the mill. After he had ended up in hospital on one of his benders the doctors had told him to stop drinking altogether if he wanted to live a little longer. It took some heavy persuasion by Eileen and Severus plus a failed attempt to stop drinking the Muggle way for Tobias to consent to take a potion. Their life took a better turn then. Snape Sr. found a job as caretaker and general handy man in the local primary. It did not pay as well as his previous work in the mill but with Severus and Eileen contributing to the family income the Snapes were better off than most of their neighbours. Eileen brewed teas, tinctures and salves that were so low-key in magic that they did not break the Statue of Secrecy. Not being able to provide properly for his wife hurt Tobias' pride but as Severus still ate at home and Eileen cared for the magical plants in their combined garden lots he accepted that his son gave them money regularly.

Two days later the Floos between the ladies of the Sacred Twentyeight flared brightly with some astonishing gossip. Rodolphus Lestrange was demanding an annulment of his marriage due to Bellatrix Black's refusal to bear any children. Those connected to Death Eaters were familiar with the woman's stance – she wanted to be her lord's top soldier, which she could not be when pregnant, so no surprise there. The Lestrange heir's turnaround was, though. And the family carried just about enough weight that the Dark Lord could do nothing about it, more so as Rodolphus earnestly argued that he was letting his wife pursue her most ardent desire – fighting for Lord Voldemort - while he was fulfilling another important stance of the Death Eater movement, producing as many Pureblooded children as possible. Cygnus Black did not put up much resistance, the contract was annulled and therefore Bellatrix Black eagerly accompanied the Dark Lord to Severus Snape for the test.

The Potions master had made a variant of the potion that had the wished-for effect and worked perfectly safe. Voldemort cast spell after magical detecting spell at Bellatrix' specter without any result. After two hours she took the antidote and became whole again.

"Severus, you are a true master of your art! Name your boon, it shall be done!"

"My Lord, I only require to be of use to you. Your final and complete victory will be my greatest reward."

"Well spoken, my knight. Lord Voldemort will be generous." They left in high spirits with four sealed phials of the potion and its antidote. Severus Snape counted backwards from hundred in old Gaelic and only then permitted himself the thought `Lord Voldemort will be vaporous and then no more, die, motherfucker!´

Lucius might be very grateful to his friend Severus Snape for enabling him to have a family and for killing the Dark Lord but he was a Malfoy. If he could somehow convince the public that the Potions master was a mere helpful underling he would do it. Severus had to take precautions and therefore sent samples of the potions and an explanation to Andromeda Tonks for safekeeping, just in case. And he might have sent an anonymous letter with a certain code to Alastair Moody, asking the paranoid Auror to put up a surveillance and recording spell in the Hall of Prophecies, cautioning him that if he tried to destroy the letter the code would be tattooed permanently on his forehead. If either the Order, the ministry or Lucius would try to steal his glory he would send a copy of the letters to Moody and Tonks to the Quibbler.

February 2nd, 1983, Ministry of Magic

Bellatrix Black was cackling with glee when her master was holding the prophecy in his hands. Their victory was imminent! Lord Voldemort put a warding spell around himself while listening to the spere.

"Come, my dear, we have work to do! It is prophesied that a child born to those who trice defied me, born as the seventh month dies could be my downfall. We have to find out which child that could be and kill them!"

For a second Bellatrix feared for her nephew Draco, born on July 20th two years ago, but calmed herself. His parents would never defy their lord, even if they were unduly preoccupied with their children. Outside the Hall the conspirators took the antidote. Bella thought it tasted a bit different from the last time. She would be furious knowing such a banal thing was to be her last conscious thought.

Moody was there to watch Voldemort and his paramour turn even more misty before drizzling down towards the ground. He threw a class five containment spell over the wet patch on the floor, the sphere and the two empty phials. The boys from the Department of Mysteries could have their fun with it, he had seen the specters of Voldemort and Bellatrix Black disintegrate with his very eyes.

July 15th, 1984, Malfoy Manor

The Malfoys were indubitably one of the richest families in wizarding Britain but yet another set of twin daughters might put a dent into even their fortune dowry-wise. If they got dowries that is. On the heel of Narcissa's and other witches' demands to more involvement in politics feminism had finally reached even the Pureblood circles. Amelia Bulstrode had returned to her job in the Aurory six months after the births of each of her children, leaving them in the care of her bewildered husband while steadily rising to be now assistant head of the department. Flora Yaxley was staying in Scotland with her offspring but was one of the most effective networkers the whole of Britain had ever seen. Severus Snape expected her to become Minister of Magic in about fifteen years. Lily Potter was spearheading a day-school for wizarding children from six years up, open to Muggleborns as well, while financing a foundation that provided Wolfsbane for free, the first step towards better werewolf laws.

Aurora Lily and Andromeda Lucia had been named and were sleeping in the shadow of the trees surrounding the Malfoy ritual stone circle under the watchful eyes of nanny elves. Little Draco Malfoy had complained to his godfather that he really, really would have wished for a brother. He had been dragged away by Harry Potter who was hiding from his three little brothers. Severus Snape slunk deeper into the shadows as was his usual behaviour at such events. To his consternation his favourite bench behind the old elder was occupied. He was about to turn back when he saw what the woman sitting there was reading. It was his latest article for a French potions magazine and she was scribbling in the margins with a biro, with lots of exclamation marks. Severus was intrigued.

"Good day, madam." The woman looked up. She had dark blond hair in a simple bun, freckles on her slightly upturned nose and glasses but what caught his attention most were the small cuts and potions stains on her hands.

"Good day to you, too. I believe we haven't been introduced. I am Genevie Malfoy."

"Severus Snape at your service."

"Master Snape!" She was blushing and seemed torn between wanting to hide the magazine and discuss the article with him.

"What are your thoughts on my findings?"

A lively debate followed in which Severus was astounded by the woman's thorough understanding of his research. He asked why he'd never read of her work or met her at a conference.

"I am grew up in Canada, my father humored my interest in potions but never consented to a formal apprenticeship with a Potions master. I am exchanging letters with several masters and mistresses but I haven't published anything. When Cousin Lucius extended an invitation I came over here. I do hope to gain my mastery in Britain, I have a meeting with Master Jiggers next week."

"He is a hard task-master but very knowledgeable, I apprenticed with him as well."

Thus started an acquaintance that would eventually lead to a courtship and later marriage of two of the finest minds in potions. Their children came without any help from either lunar cycles or tisanes.

January 2000, Diagon Alley, Flourish and Blotts

The bookshop was packed, even with magical enlargement of the shop not all customers fit when Hermione Granger, a young Hogwarts graduate and Lily Potter presented their book "How a petri dish vanquished a Dark Lord & why this wouldn't have worked without us witches". Lucius Malfoy and Alastair Moody had told their version of events and Snape and Lily Potter confirmed the stories while keeping up a campaign for informing the wizarding public about healthy reproduction and genetics.

In the years to come the book would be a staple in every British wizarding household.

Fin