Aimee
"CASTOR! GET THE F-CK OFF OF ME!"
Pollux pushed his twin brother off of his chest, rolling around and pinning him down on the ground. Blue eyes blazing, he bared his teeth, ignoring the laughs coming from Castor's throat.
"You stupid git," Castor laughed, rolling over and dumping his much smaller counterpart off of him. Standing up, he brushed his robes and offered his hand to Pollux.
"You should know better than to wrestle with me." Castor grinned as he pulled Pollux up.
"True… Where's Mum?"
Castor shrugged, looking around their room. It was completely trashed – clothes and parchment lay strewn on the floor, books stacked up all over the room, even on the two beds standing in the middle of it. Posters of various Quidditch teams – including the one their eldest brother was on – adorned the walls, the players waving at them.
Sighing, Castor walked out of their room and down the hall, passing quite a few doors on the way. Finally coming to the last one, he knocked twice and waited for it to open.
Lily stuck her head out, raising it a bit when she saw her youngest son. "Hello Cass, what's up?"
"When's Dad gonna be back?"
Severus had been at Hogwarts for nearly a week now, with no talk of returning. He had been working with the current Potions Master on the Cure for nearly three years now, and was often gone.
"By tonight, hopefully." Lily answered, ruffling her fifteen year old son's hair. "You and your brother weren't wrestling again, were you?"
Castor grinned sheepishly, "I'm careful, honest."
Lily crossed her arms, a smile tugging on her lips. "Just don't crush him. He's smaller than you, you know."
"Yes, I know." Castor grinned, his green eyes lighting up slightly. "Are Harry and Ethan coming to dinner?"
Lily laughed, "You know damn well, Cass, those two refuse to be in the same room with each other for more than thirty seconds."
"And why is that?" Castor asked, slightly miffed.
"It's a long, long story, love." Lily smiled, backing away from the door. "Come on in, talk to your old mother."
Following his mother in, Castor sat down in one of the large armchairs and watched his 53 year old mother collapse into one of the larger sofas.
"So, is Harry coming to dinner at least?"
Lily nodded, "Him and Draco."
"Doesn't he have a game in a few days?" Castor asked, curious. Lily nodded once more.
"Against the Chudley Cannons."
Castor grinned, "They're gonna get flattened."
"Perhaps." Lily smiled, suddenly becoming very still. Her eyes glazed over slightly, and a moment later she spoke.
"Your father's home."
Castor grinned and got up quickly, throwing the door open to the room and running back down the hallway, grabbing his twin and running down a set of stairs into the entrance hallway, where Severus stood, removing his traveling cloak. Next to him was Lily, a grin on her face.
"Dad!" Both Castor and Pollux spoke at the same moment,
running towards their father and stopping right before him. Smiling, Severus
gave the two bear hugs, his pale skin radiating warmth.
"Figure anything else out?" Lily asked her husband,
wrapping her arms around his torso.
"We're close," Severus nodded, "Very close."
"Good." Lily nodded, her amber eyes twinkling slightly. Looking from her husband to her sons, she shook her head suddenly, glancing at her watch.
"It's nearly 6… Jubby should have dinner ready soon, I'd imagine."
Severus nodded, looking around the foyer. "Where's Glory?"
Lorelei Glory was the youngest of the nine siblings, being only twelve years old.
"She's out with Remus." Lily answered, eyes moving towards the floor slightly.
"He's coming to dinner?"
"Him and Harry." Lily answered as the twins trailed behind them.
"Draco too, I'm assuming?" Severus asked, opening the door to their bedroom and leading the three inside. Turning around, he laughed. "You guys, really."
"Harry and Draco are coming to dinner?" Pollux asked curiously, then turned towards Castor. "Did you know about this?"
Castor nodded slightly. The two thirty-three year olds were Castor and Pollux's favorite company, mainly due to Draco's outspokenness and Harry's readiness to allow them to get away with murder. Each of their visits were met with anticipation and excitement – Harry and Draco made sure the twins were never let down.
Their relationship had gone from hatred to friendship to what they deemed as love within a matter of three years, unbeknownst to their parents. It was known Draco had been bi – or at least suggested multiple times – but when Lily and Severus had found about Harry, it had come as a total shock.
Their reaction, as parents, had driven the two men to their first of many fights and breakups. Draco, staying true to Harry, had dated very few people during these times, never once straying from him. Harry, however, had become – in Draco's words – a complete slut. Much to Draco's delight, however, Harry never slept with another man, and much to Severus' relief, his partners had only been female.
The two were once again in a only-friends stage, which seemed to suit them fairly well for the time being. Harry, having a steady girlfriend on the side, and Draco, once again staying true to form, were due in the Snape Mansion at any time as Severus started unpacking.
"None of the other children are coming?" he asked, hanging five sets of robes in the wardrobe.
Lily shook her head, taking in a deep breath. "Ethan… well, Harry's coming. Kaylee's too busy with her kids to come, Dea's in France, Drake's off in America with his girlfriend, and Dakota's too busy with the wedding."
"But Cass, Glor, and me are coming." Pollux grinned, stretching his lanky frame out across one of the sofas.
"Cass, Glor, and I." Lily corrected automatically, glancing over at the desk.
I need to talk to you alone, it's important.
Kick the twins out then.
Can't.
And why is that?
He's looking at me.
Severus sighed, shaking his head and turning towards the twins. "Guys, out. Your Mum and I need to talk."
Mumbling slightly to one another, the two left, closing the door behind them, leaving Severus and Lily alone.
I wonder if Pollux's figured out all he has to do is look at you and he gets what ever he wants?
Knowing my luck, he has. Can't I go in and change his eye colour in the middle of the night or something? Please?
And how exactly would you care to explain that to him the next morning?
Err…
Exactly. Now why did you want to talk to me alone, seeing as how we're not really talking at all?
Minerva sent me something.
And what would that be, love?
The answer.
Severus dropped the book he had been holding, his black eyes wide with shock. "Pardon?"
"You heard me." said Lily, her gaze locked downward.
"You mean… How?" Severus' face had gone pale, and he had taken a seat next to his wife on the bed.
Lily shrugged, "I'm not sure exactly." She held up two pieces of parchment, one with scrawly handwriting on the front, bearing Lily's full name.
"I read Minerva's letter. Here." She handed the second piece of parchment to Severus, who opened it curiously.
Dear Lily and Severus,
Before Albus Dumbledore died, he told me something that has stunned me even to this day, 15 years later. I'm sure you're quite aware of the situation I'm referring to, so I won't bother to elaborate. The answer – the one I'm sure you two have been wondering about ever since Castor and Pollux were conceived – lies within his last letter. If you feel as if the contents could bear more harm then good, please, don't allow yourself to read it. For the sake of the twins.
I'm not entirely sure how I came across it; your grandfather had his own ways of doing things, as brilliant as he was. Please, read his letter with great caution, or perhaps not at all. I did not open it, but he also briefed me on the contents. I can assure you, the answer lies within.
Please inform the twins I wish them a very Happy 15th Birthday.
Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Severus turned the letter over carefully in his hands, reading it for a second time, hardly believing his eyes. Finally tearing his eyes away from it, he looked at his wife, a feeling of utter helplessness washing over him.
"We don't have to." Lily said quietly, "It'd just be nice to know. It really doesn't matter now."
Severus nodded numbly, agreeing. "The question is, when do we tell Remus, and more importantly, the twins?"
Lily sighed, shrugging. "Tonight, I guess. Can you think of a better time?"
Severus shook his head, "No. But, we must tell the twins before we open the letter… Can you inform Remus when he arrives? And Harry, please."
Lily nodded slowly, her auburn hair falling into her eyes. Looking up at him, she started trembling slightly, then finally rested her head against his shoulder.
"This is it." Holding the letter bearing her name
in her hand and turning it over time and time again. "Fifteen years worth
of wondering, of fights… It all boils down to this."
Severus kissed the top of her head, running his
fingers through her hair. "You know just as well as I do that it won't
matter what the envelope contains. To the twins, perhaps, but to me – just
as I raised Harry as my own, I have done it to the twins as well. It doesn't
matter to me anymore, they're my sons, regardless of blood."
Lily nodded, "What if Remus… if he wants them?"
"That would mean they were his, and love, I highly doubt that." Severus smiled slightly. "I have a feeling things will turn out for the best, love. If not – we'll play it by ear."
Lily smiled, craning her neck up and kissing him quickly. "Fifteen years of hell… It's over. By tonight, we'll know."
"For better or for worse." Severus smiled, kissing her back. "The worst that can happen is they're Remus', and the man deserves some good in his life. Micah's turning out to be quite the brat."
"Definitely Narcissa's daughter." Lily grinned, pulling herself up and sitting on Severus' legs. "Blue eyed, blonde haired beauty – and she knows it."
"Too bad her and Kaylee aren't the same age," Severus shook his head, "They would have gotten along well."
Lily gasped and laughed, smacking Severus' arm. "She got that from your side of the family."
Severus nodded agreeing with her, "More than likely."
(And if you didn't read the author's note, get your butt back up there and read it.)