Chapter 20: Across The River Of Time
My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.
Spinner's End, Cokeworth England, Muggle World...
Bad weather had seemed to be the staple of Severus Snape's hometown of Cokeworth, England in the muggle world. The constant downpour had not been inspiring in the least as Regulus found himself tending to a leaky roof now and again. It had been quiet as far as the young Snape could tell almost deafening given the silence inside the formerly occupied house. Little by little, Regulus had been fixing up the old place. He had not been sure why, but he figured if he was going to crash in England for a few weeks he might as well see to his father's old place while he was there.
The raven haired American wizard made his way out toward the front steps and caught a glimpse of what looked to be an eleven year old boy making his way toward the cemetery in the rain.
Curious, Regulus left the steps and followed the strange boy as he made his way toward the graves. He had not ventured to this place since he laid his long suffering mother to rest. The elder wizard noted that the boy had made his way over toward his mother's grave. Unable to hold back his curiosity any longer, he caught up to him.
"Hey Kid!" he shouted suddenly filled with rage given where the kid had ended up. "What are you doing at my mother's grave?"
The boy seemed to ignore him kneeling at the grave and staring as if he had not been able to take his eyes off it.
"Elaine." he said softly as if he had been in a trance.
Hearing his mother's name only seemed to increase his rage as he suddenly lunged forward and grabbed the kid by the collar. Regulus' eyes widened when he found himself staring into the emerald green eyes of Albus Severus Potter.
The youngest son of Harry Potter and Hermione's nephew.
"W-What the hell?" said Regulus dropping the boy instantly. "Why the hell are you here kid and why are you so familiar with my mother?"
Albus Severus didn't say a word as his emerald green eyes drifted back to the grave.
"I'm talking to you." said Regulus in a demanding tone. "How the fuck do you know my mother!?"
The thin younger wizard said nothing but didn't take his eyes off the grave of Elaine Snape.
"ANSWER ME!" shouted a testy Regulus Snape.
"I-I don't know." replied Albus Severus seemingly nervous. "I-I don't even know how I got here."
Regulus sighed not sure if he believed this boy but there was something in him that seemed to recognize the truth in his words.
"Fuck." he muttered no closer to any answers than when he didn't know the boy's identity. "Come on...the last thing you need is to be in the rain given how sickly you look as it is."
The nervous young wizard followed the brutish older wizard back toward Spinner's End.
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St. Mungo's Hospital, Muggle World...(1975)
Severus Sebastian Snape had been frantic as Elaine clutched his trembling pale hand. He had not known the first thing about a baby nor the process of childbirth and here he was on his way to the delivery floor with a very terrified Elaine gripping his hand for dear life.
"Severus!?" she said feeling the contractions as they moved swiftly down the corridor.
"It'll be alright." said Severus in a bid to reassure the young woman soon to give birth at only seventeen years of age.
"Severus, please don't leave me." she said truly frightened.
"I'm no coward." he said. "I'll be here."
The nurses pushed him aside and he stopped in the lobby as they continued to wheel her out of his sight. She reached out for him but he wasn't allowed to follow given they had not been married and much too young in the eyes of the hospital staff to have been anyhow.
Severus paced the corridors for news on Elaine and the baby's condition.
He had been informed that she had been fine but the same could not have been said for one of the children.
The future Potions Professor stared at the doctor in disbelief.
"Children?" he asked unsure if he heard the man right.
"Oh..." said the physician stunned. "You didn't know...she had twins...unfortunately one of them didn't make it."
"H-How can this be?" asked Severus caught off guard. "S-She never mentioned being pregnant with more than one...does she know...about the other baby I mean?"
The doctor nodded.
Hearing this Severus made up his mind and pushed passed the doors and groups of nurses. He knew she needed him.
It was almost as if he could feel it.
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Room 201, St. Mungo's Hospital, Muggle World...
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she held a small bundle with raven hair and tell tale pale skin in her arms.
"Severus." she said seeing him at once.
"Shhhh." he said rather nervous around the small thing in her arms.
"I-I'm so sorry." she said as the tears continued. "I lost him...I lost our son."
"Elaine." said Severus softly stroking her cheek. "It doesn't matter anymore...all that matters is what we can do for Regulus now."
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Spinner's End, Cokeworth, England, Muggle World...
By the time Regulus Snape and Albus Severus Potter entered Spinner's End, they had each been soaked to the bone from the rapidly falling rain. The older raven haired wizard set to work setting a fire and getting something warm to drink ready for the two of them to stave off the cold. Albus Severus stood in front of the door with his eyes wide and his hands trembling as he glanced up at the narrow staircase.
"You alright kid?" asked Regulus confused by the boy's strange behavior. "I mean...I know I was a bit pissed about you being by my mother's grave but I thought you would have gotten over it by now."
"It's not that." replied Albus Severus in something of an emotionless tone. "It's..."
"It's what?" asked Regulus finding himself curious about the strange kid once more.
"I don't know." replied Albus Severus with a bit of aggression of his own.
Regulus sighed.
"Alright kid." he said resigned to getting back to the warm drinks. "Have it your way...but once the weather lets up I'm taking you back home."
"Fine by me." muttered Albus Severus sitting in the armchair near the fire.
Shaking his head in annoyance, Regulus made his way toward the kitchen. It had been strange to note that he had yet to even venture into the kitchen given the length of time that he had stayed here.
Once his business in the surprisingly clean and pristine looking kitchen had been concluded, Regulus turned his attention to the steaming cups of hot tea. He had know tea was good on days like this, courtesy of his father and figured it would put the kid's mind at ease.
"Come and get it kid." called the raven haired wizard.
Albus Severus got to his feet after staring at the fire for a bit and approached the door to the kitchen only to be stopped dead in his tracks.
After several minutes, Regulus hadn't seen hide nor hair of Albus Severus Potter and went to investigate fearing the kid bailed in the middle of the storm. He had been stunned to see the boy staring at the door to the kitchen as if he had been in a trance.
"Hey." said Regulus confused about the boy's strange behavior. "The tea's getting cold."
"I-I'll take mine out here thank you." said Albus Severus finding his voice despite not taking his eyes off the door.
"Listen...kid there is something weird going on with you and I think you should talk to your old man about it." said Regulus observant.
"I don't need his help." said Albus Severus bitterly. "All he cares about his me getting into Gryffindor at Hogwarts...but I already know that's not the house I'm going to."
Regulus had arched an eyebrow at this.
"And what house is that?" he asked not at all familiar with Hogwarts houses despite it being known to him his father was the Head of Slytherin.
"Slytherin." replied Albus Severus. "I'm going to Slytherin house...I can already tell...and I don't want to play Quidditch...he wants me to but I'd rather read and study potions...he doesn't seem to be interested in what I want to do...he's already picked out seats of my games."
"Well that's sucks." replied Regulus. "My old man never cared much for Quidditch...I never knew what the hell it was given that I went to school in North America."
"At least you didn't have to endure being a Potter." said Albus Severus.
"Being a Snape wasn't as fun as you'd think." replied Regulus. "Especially in a new place with strange faces."
Regulus sighed.
"Tell you what...we'll continue this chat over some tea...it should make you feel better." he said.
"You mean the calming draught should make me feel better." said Albus Severus.
"Calming draught?" asked Regulus caught off guard.
"You mean you didn't know?" asked Albus Severus with a small smile. "Your father always put it in your tea whenever you were ill or upset."
"How would you know that?" asked Regulus with an arched brow.
Albus Severus shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know." he replied. "I think I dreamed it once."
"You're a strange kid Potter." said Regulus unsure what to make of this boy.
"And you are lost Snape." replied Albus Severus. "Or at least that's what the man in my dreams always says."
"I'm curious to know what this man looks like." said Regulus.
"I don't know." replied Albus Severus. "He always keeps to the shadows...but his voice is deep and always sad."
"Alright, this is getting to be a chore." said Regulus. "Come on before the tea gets cold."
"I can't go in there." said Albus Severus suddenly frightened at the prospect of entering the kitchen.
"What do you mean?" asked Regulus. "It's clean if that's what you're worried about."
"No." said Albus Severus more firmly.
"Kid..." started Regulus seemingly losing his patience.
"I said no." replied Albus Severus in a stern tone. "I cannot go in there...he killed her in there you can't make me go in there!"
The comments from the young frightened wizard had stunned the raven haired wizard.
"What are you talking about?" he asked more confused than when this all began. "Who was killed and who is HE?"
"I'm not going in there." said Albus Severus ignoring him as his magic began to swirl in reaction to his distress.
"Alright...alright...calm down." said Regulus conceding. "I'll get the tea for fuck's sake."
Albus Severus seemed to have calmed a bit and made his way back toward the armchair.
Regulus ventured into the kitchen to retrieve the tea.
This was turning out to be one strange fucking day.