A Memory Found
by: Mystical Dragon
"Michael was always braver than me," Severus said, while lovingly tracing the name Michael that Nathan had written for him. "He was strong too," he said.
Nathan stared at the name as Severus changed position to get more comfortable on his lap. Nathan hadn't been the strong one, Severus had. Nathan hadn't ever forgiven the world for what it had done to him but Severus had and tried to make the most of himself while Nathan hadn't bothered. And Nathan's life had been easy compared to Severus's.
"No," Nathan said, hugging Severus to him, "you were the brave one."
Severus shook his head, looking ashamed. "I get scared. Michael never got scared."
Nathan put the notebook on a side table and gently smiled at him. "Severus, there is no shame in getting scared. Remember yesterday when you hurt your arm because you pushed Mommy out of the way when that shovel fell down?"
"I was scared," Severus said. "I didn't want to get hurt."
"But you still did it, right?" Nathan persisted.
Severus nodded his head. "I didn't want Mommy to get hurt."
"That, Severus, is bravery. Being scared of something and still doing it because it is the right thing to do."
"Brave people get scared?" he asked softly.
"Yes. Little Wizard Owen gets scared. Remember when he was fighting that Troll? He was scared."
"He didn't say he was," Severus questioned, confused, his little face worried.
"It said he was terrified," Nathan explained gently. "That means scared."
"Oh!" Severus said and Nathan decided to ask Severus more questions as they read those books. He had forgotten how many words Severus probably didn't know.
"I wish I was a good boy like Little Wizard Owen," Severus said, shaking his head, and looking wistful.
"You are. In fact Michael and Elizabeth showed me and Mommy were you were because you were so good."
Severus pulled away to stare at him, his face serious and wide-eyed. "They did?"
"Yes," Nathan said. "Me and Mommy were searching for the best little boy in the world and Michael and Elizabeth came to us to tell us where he was. That was you. Michael said it was his time to go but he wanted to make sure you had a family before he left and he knew me and Mommy would be good parents to you. Elizabeth gave me this to give you," Nathan said as he pulled out a silver chain from around his neck that had a discolored metal ring hanging from it. "She said she loved you."
"It is Elizabeth's!" Severus cried. "She gave it to Michael that night before the fire to keep it safe! It was her ring. She found it the gutter one day."
"You found it, remember," Nathan reminded him. "Elizabeth told me you had given it to her."
Severus blushed. "She said it was a wedding ring and she was going to marry me when we got big," Severus looked back up at Nathan, his eyes wet. "I miss them."
"I know," Nathan said, hugging Severus back against his chest.
"I was afraid I would never get adopted. That no one would ever want me," Severus said, as he buried his face in Nathan's robes. "I would try to be good but..... I'm not. An evil child can never be good. And no one wants an evil child. Or an ugly one..." he said, his voice choking.
Nathan felt his face flush with fury. How many times had he and Severus been told they were evil in that orphanage? And how many times had Severus been told he was ugly? Nathan had decided to show the world how evil he could be while Severus struggled to be good, with no one ever noticing it. And Severus's looks had always been against him.
"You are good," Nathan said. "Remember that is why Michael and Elizabeth showed me and Mommy were to find you. Because they both knew you were so good. They wouldn't have showed us where you were if you were a bad child. And me and Mommy would be sad without you. And you are not ugly."
Severus lifted his head up, tears streaked his face. "You'd be sad without me?" he asked, his voice hopeful.
"Very sad," Nathan assured him, holding his face in his hands and wiping Severus's tears away.
Severus closed his eyes. "I want them back! I want Michael and Elizabeth back," he said, trying to control himself so he didn't cry.
"I know," Nathan repeated, running a hand up and down Severus's back. "It's okay to cry, Severus. I won't get angry. Go on," he encouraged, "cry."
Severus's face contorted and he flopped against Nathan's chest, sobbing, his small body trembling and shuddering.
Nathan didn't dare try to make Severus stop crying. He needed to cry. Nathan doubted he had been allowed to cry that first time when he had found out he and Elizabeth were probably dead. The stupid orphanage people wouldn't have let him. They threw cold water on kids for crying. Or hit them. A child quickly learned to bottle up all emotions, except anger, there. Anger was something that couldn't be beaten out of a child, it just simmered there, waiting to explode.
Ivan popped in next to Nathan and smiled at Severus and him. "He is getting better," Ivan said approvingly. "You are a good father."
Nathan smiled. Only to Severus, though, only to Severus.
"Where's Florence?" Nathan asked, running his fingers through Severus's clean hair. Ivan made a potion everyday to wash it with so it was never greasy.
"She is making something for Jacenty," Ivan said.
Nathan gently moved Severus so he was more comfortable and started to rock. All their chairs were rocking chairs now, thanks to Ivan, because Ivan noticed that Severus loved the motion. The boy kept crying and Nathan just held him, letting the hours tick away.
"How is he?" Florence asked, startling Nathan awake.
Nathan wiped his eyes and looked around. Fourteen hours had passed by with the two of them just rocking. Nathan's stomach ached but he wasn't about to move until Severus was ready.
"He's okay," Nathan said, yawning. "Crying is good for him."
Severus opened his eyes and shyly looked around, slightly afraid of having cried. His eyes and nose were red and puffy and his face was streaked with dried tears. Florence kissed the top of his head. "I love you, Sevvie," she said.
Severus's face froze. "You... you love me?"
"Yes," Florence said, "I love you."
Severus blushed scarlet and ducked his face. "I love you too," he ventured, and Nathan wondered if Severus had ever heard those three words directed at him before.
Florence hugged him tightly. "You're so sweet. I love you very much."
Severus started to cry again. Florence gently leaned him against Nathan's chest and scratched his back while she knelt by the chair.
"He's very emotional," she whispered to Nathan, concerned.
"It's to be expected," Nathan said, keeping his voice low so Severus couldn't hear over his racking sobs. "I never saw him cry. I guess he figured since I didn't, he shouldn't."
Florence shook her head. "Poor baby," she said. "But he's our son now so he'll be okay. Severus," she said, kissing his temple and helping him sit up. "I made you a bowl with Ivan's help," Florence said, moving a large bowl into their sight.
It had three children carefully drawn on it in silhouette, two little boys and a girl in between. The children and a band on the top and bottom of the bowl were reddish color while the background for the children was white. It was very nice looking, one of Florence's best.
Severus wiped his eyes and eagerly took the bowl. "It is me, Michael, and Elizabeth!"
"Yes," Florence said, smiling at him.
Severus stood up on Nathan's legs, carefully handing the bowl to Nathan, and hugged Florence. "I love it," he said, sobbing a little again.
"Good, Sevvie," she said. "And I got a little medallion for you to carry around with the same design on it."
Florence handed Severus a clay medallion, with the design on it. It had a leather cord through it to make it into a necklace.
Severus felt it, smiling through his tears. "Thank you. It's pretty!"
"Put it on," Florence encouraged, taking it and slipping it over his head. Nathan then slipped the ring around Severus's neck too.
Severus smiled. "Michael and Elizabeth will be with me always now," he said, nodding his head and hugging the bowl.
"Let's put it in your room," Nathan suggested.
"Okay," Severus agreed and Nathan got up, holding Severus to him and making sure he didn't drop the rather heavy bowl.
"I'm going to fix something for you two to eat," Florence said as she headed to the kitchen.
Ivan walked behind Nathan as he went to Severus's bedroom. Once there, they stood in the doorway, looking for a nice place to put the bowl.
"I'd rather have it in your room," Severus said softly. "So I can see it when I wake up," he whispered.
"Let's do that then," Nathan smiled as he headed towards the bedroom where he and Florence slept; and Severus since they had turned him into a child. Their bed was rather crowded, having four people in it since Ivan always slept with Severus.
They put the bowl down on one of the end tables and magicked it to stay there so it wouldn't get knocked over. Looking down at Severus, Nathan touched his nose. Severus flinched.
"Ivan, can you make his nose into a regular sized one?"
"Yes," Ivan said as Nathan sat down on the bed and turned Severus to face Ivan, being careful to keep his arms around the little boy.
"I can have a normal nose?" Severus asked, his eyes excited, as he looked up at Nathan and then at Ivan.
Ivan nodded his head and carefully stroked Severus's nose with two long blue fingers. "It is normal sized now."
Conjuring a mirror, Ivan flipped it around and Severus peered at his face. He was shy about it, and tried to avoid looking at his reflection but he wanted to see his new nose and eventually, after a minute, he took a deep breath and looked in the mirror. He quickly looked away, blushing, and then looked back.
"It is smaller," he said. "But I'm still ugly," he murmured, disappointed.
"Says who?" Nathan demanded. "I think you're cute. Not as cute as me but you're cute."
Severus shyly looked up at Nathan. "You think I'm cute?"
"I think you're very cute," Nathan told him.
"I think you're cute too," Ivan said, pushing Severus's hair out of his face. "And elves never lie."
Severus buried his face in Nathan's robes again, out of embarrassment this time.
"I think Mommy has the food ready now," Nathan said, standing up and holding Severus close enough to him that he could still keep his face hidden.
"What's wrong with Sevvie?" Florence asked as they entered the kitchen.
Nathan whispered to her what they had done and then said, "We told him he was cute and now he's hiding his face from us until we pay him some money to see it again."
Severus shook his head, but he didn't reveal his face. "No!"
Florence pulled him away from Nathan and he buried his face in her neck, not wanting anyone to see him.
"I made chocolate pancakes, doughnuts, sausage, and French fries," Florence listed as Severus slowly turned his face so he could see the food.
They were his favorites, as near as they could tell.
Florence sat Severus down on a chair and piled the food in front of him while Ivan climbed into the seat next to him and dished his own food out.
"Want to watch movies all day?" Nathan asked. Ivan had brought a television and some movies (that Ivan approved of) and for some reason, though the entire place was magical, they worked. "And eat junk food while we do it?"
Severus nodded his head, as he stuck a fork in a sausage. "Eat pizza? And popcorn?"
"And those rice krispy squares," Ivan added.
"And M&M's," Severus added. "And chocolate frogs."
"And ice cream," Florence added. "And root beer."
"And cheese," Nathan said.
When they went into the living room, the food was all there. Strings of popcorn going from one to wall to the opposite wall, popcorn balls floating near the ceiling with strings dangling down like they were balloons. M&M's, and Bernie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, floating in the air, in some places so thick that one would have to swim through them. There were frogs hopping around the floor and sugar quills drawing things on the wall (happenings from the Little Wizard Owen books). Pizza turning circles on the walls as if they were wheels and the rice krispy squares were dancing on the bookcases. Cheese cubes were stacked into the shape of a train and the ice cream was shaped into a dolphin. And the root beer was a fountain along one wall, spiraling up from a bird bath like holder and coming down, cups were dangling along the sides.
Nathan stared at Ivan, amazed. "This is great!"
Ivan nodded his head. "This is for my Jacenty."
Severus gasped and then laughed, running into the room with Ivan and capturing some food. He pulled down two popcorn balls and nibbled on them and then went after some M&M's. Florence got some ice cream in a mug and put root beer in it. Nathan snagged some pizza and cheese and settled on the couch with Severus snuggling right next to him.
"I love this!" Severus said, looking up at Nathan with very trusting eyes. "You are a great Daddy! And you are a great Mommy!" he said to Florence, taking a sip from her Root Beer and eating some of Nathan's pizza. "And you are a great Elf!" he said to Ivan, making sure that Ivan was securely snuggled in, along with him, in between Florence and Nathan.
Florence and Nathan looked at each other.
"No Dark Arts," Florence mouthed. "None."
"Agreed," he mouthed back as the movie, Star Wars, started to play.
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Remus looked around at the assembled group (Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Arthur, Molly, Dumbledore, Moody, McGonagall, Draco, and Sirius (Draco had been told all about him)) while he quietly sipped at the headache curing potion that Madam Pomfrey had given him that morning. He couldn't believe it. Severus had been kidnapped from Hogwarts, even with Dumbledore in the same room, by a Dark Elf!
And now they were waiting for a Dimitrius Savin to show up because he had a Dark Elf too and Dumbledore wanted to know more about the creatures.
"Father didn't mention anything about a Dark Elf," Draco said, filling everyone in on what Remus had heard him talking about to Dumbledore earlier in the day. "He just said that Lestrange found a way to make a year pass by for every day and that when Snape hits fifteen they are coming out. The room that was supposed to be Snape's bedroom is sealed off. No one can break into it to see what is happening in there."
Sirius swore. "Great," he muttered. "The Lestranges are bad enough by themselves, we don't need another one added to the list."
Remus felt the same way.
A knock on the door and Arthur got up and opened the door, being careful not to let the person see Sirius yet. A man hobbled into the room, using a cane and in obvious pain. He glanced around at everyone, no emotion flickering across his gaunt and strained face, as he looked at Dumbledore.
"I got your message," he said as Arthur closed the door. "Emerald, show yourself."
A little blue elf appeared by him. Remus frowned. That was a Dark Elf? The creature looked... cute. With its blue face, round nose, long ears, and large green eyes.
"Dimitrius Savin," he introduced himself, slightly wheezing, as he leaned on his cane. Remus studied his face. The man wasn't that old. "How can we help you? Your letter wasn't very clear."
"We have a teacher here, Professor Severus Snape, who was kidnapped, we believe, by a Dark Elf," Dumbledore explained.
Dimitrius looked down at his elf. "Kidnapped?"
The elf shook her head. "Dark Elves don't kidnap unless they have reason too."
"Was he in trouble?" Dimitrius asked as Moody pulled out a chair for him and beckoned him to sit down. The man smiled and gratefully did so.
"He wasn't in trouble," Sirius snapped, "until..."
Dumbledore held up a hand. "He was taken to two known Death Eaters and we believe turned into a child."
Dimitrius seemed shocked. "My word!"
"Here's a picture of him," Dumbledore said, sliding a picture over to Dimitrius. "Do you have any idea..."
He trailed off as Dimitrius, who was looking at the picture, slowly rose, his face paling and his breath coming in shorter gasps.
"What is it?" Moody growled.
"Where was he raised?" he man asked softly.
"Knockturn Alley," Remus supplied, wondering what was wrong.
The man laughed, a cracking one, devoid of any amusement. "One of the few places we didn't look. We didn't think Vasya would do that to her baby," he said, slumping down into his seat. "Thank goodness she did that though. Their child is still alive!"
"Vasya?" Draco said, staring at Dumbledore than at the man. "You know the name?"
"Yes, Vasya and Cezar," Dimitrius said, tapping the picture. "This boy is the spitting image of his grandfather. Cezar's father. That would explain why a Dark Elf has him. Ivan was Cezar and Vasya's Dark Elf."
"Ivan!" Dumbledore said. "Severus said he called to Ivan and then he later said that Ivan was there. I thought he was imagining things."
Remus was very confused. "You know his parents, then?"
"Are they still alive?" Dumbledore asked.
Dimitrius closed his eyes. "Cezar was my best friend when we were in school. Vasya and the two of us used to do things together all the time," Dimitrius opened his eyes, and tears slowly streamed down his face. "I murdered them."