Disclaimer: As always, JKR owns the HP universe; we only enjoy playing in it.
A/N: Things are getting interesting, are they not? R/R!!!
Morning shown brightly through the only window in Severus and Hermione's bedroom. The light
began to crawl over the bed until it cast its rays upon their faces. Hermione arose, squinting
slightly at the dawns coming. Severus, however, turned himself over, placing the pillow that was
once beneath him over his head.
"Get up!" Hermione laughed as she slapped her husband's bottom. He jolted from the startling
slap, mumbled incoherent things, then fell silent.
"How can you breathe like that?" Hermione questioned as she pulled up a corner of the pillow.
"Practice." Severus replied, moving his face out from underneath the pillow to greet his wife with
a chaste kiss. Hermione sat up and glanced out the window, forcing Severus to sit himself up so
that he could move closer to his wife. He brushed her long, soft hair over her shoulders, running
his fingers gently across the center of her back as his lips followed with a trail of warm kisses.
Severus placed his other hand on her shoulder to help brace her now quivering form. Hermione
lifted her hand to lay it gently atop of her husband's, effectively stopping his plight. Shuffling
herself out of bed, she grabbed a near-by robe and placed it around her nude figure. Severus
watched her with rapt wonder, before getting up himself.
The couple donned their attire and headed into the livingroom.
"I'm going to check on something first." Severus stated as he made way for his office. Hermione
watched as her husband left the room before heading towards the kitchen. Suddenly she stopped.
The sound of muted weeping, as if someone were sobbing with a pillow pressed against their
face, was echoing quietly through the halls. Turning a complete 180, she headed in the direction
of Taryn's room; worry for her child spurning her to see what was wrong.
~*~
Severus made his way to the safe in his study. He looked at the dial and was partially glad to see
that it was left on the last number he had set it on. His curiosity was not satisfied, however.
Turning the dial, he opened the safe. His fears had proved correct; the athame was gone.
Growling with rage, he slammed the safe door, not bothering to lock it, and made his way swiftly
to Jordan's room.
"JORDAN SEVERUS SNAPE!" He bellowed as he entered his son's room. Jordan's eyes shot
open almost immediately. His body was mangled in the covers, which caused him to fall off the
bed and onto the floor when he tried to untangle himself.
"Give it back this instant" Severus persisted.
"Give what back?" Jordan threw the blankets back atop his bed.
"The athame, Jordan!" Severus glared intensely at his son. Jordan looked at his bed then gazed
across the room.
"I don't have it!" He stated vehemently, just as he turned to his left to see a cookie and the athame
on his night stand.
"How can you lie to me? I am your father! I demand respect!" Severus spat, obviously angered by
the fact that his son had openly lied to his face.
"I didn't take the bloody athame!" Jordan snapped back at his father. "You probably put it there
just so you could blame it all on me, just like you always do!" Severus stared at the boy,
clenching and unclenching his fists. "What next? 50 points from Gryffindor? 100? What do you
want from me?!" he yelled with exhaustion in his voice.
"Give me the athame." Severus was very stern and demanding as he stood, waiting for his son's
reaction. "Now." He added, attempting to calm his tone.
Jordan grabbed for the athame, knocking the cookie onto the floor. "Take it! I don't want it!" he
hurled the athame at his father. It caught a scruff of Severus' robe, pulling the man back against
the door as the blade entered the hard wood, nearly missing the flesh.
Two very distinct and sharp screams hailed from the other side of the door. Severus was pulling
the knife out of the door and his robes as it slid open from the women's entrance. "What is going
on in there?!" Hermione entered the room with Taryn right behind her. The two women's gazes
shifted between Severus and Jordan.
"You are a liar and a thief." Severus' voice was as icy as his gaze.
"I.. Hate.. You.." Jordan tensed up before making a quick break for the door.
"Mum?" Taryn shook uncontrollably, on the verge of tears. Scared and confused, she ran from
the room, following her brother's steps.
"Taryn!" Hermione yelled after her while watching her husband collapse onto the floor.
"What have I done?" He groaned into his hands, body racking with sobs. Hermione fell to her
knees at Severus' side, laying a gentle hand on his back.
"Severus, stop crying." Hermione demanded softly, urging him back onto his feet. "You're
stronger than this; you're made of better stuff!"
"No I'm not." He replied sullenly, wiping the offending tears from his eyes with shaky hands.
"So what are you going to do?" She folded her arms across her chest, anger flaring in her eyes.
"Sit here and wallow in your self pity, or go find our children before Voldemort does?"
"He's bent on ruining us, Hermione." Severus replied, pouring himself a glass of brandy. "Don't
you see it? Don't you feel it?" Swirling the liquid in cup, he refused to meet her eyes. "He
/already/ has them."
"Then go get them back!" She yelled, thrusting her finger at the open doorway. Severus froze,
staring into his glass for what seemed like an eternity, before hurling it across the room. It
shattered against the brick, brandy spraying the floor amidst a shower of glass shards. Turning to
his wife, eyes ablaze with fire, he seized her about the shoulders and pulled her into a rough,
passionate kiss.
"I love you." He ground out, staring into her eyes. In a flash, he was gone; Hermione left to pray
with silent remorse for the safe return of her family.
~*~
Jordan plowed through the confused students, not caring that he was clad only in his Chudley
Cannon's pajamas. Clenching his fists, he let the tears fall in graceful streaks down his pale
cheeks as he slammed the doors open. Screaming, he broke into a frantic run; he never noticed
the icy snow melt beneath his bare feet.
It may have been pure anger which drove him to seek comfort in the dangerous confines of the
Forbidden Forest, possibly pain; all he knew was that he had an insane urge to get away - a thirst
for freedom. Freedom to scream at the top of his lungs and cry until his tear ducts ran dry.
Freedom to destroy anything in his path...
A bubbling growl rose in his throat as he blast an offending bush from his path; a guttural,
animalistic howl emanating as twigs slapped in his face.
The snow covered floor to the forest hid many things: plants, animals, and fallen twigs, among
many others. Jordan noticed none as he barreled aimlessly through the thick underbrush; didn't
bother to see what caused him to lose his footing.
Arms flailing about his body, he fell into an untidy heap; mud and snow flying upon impact. It
was at that moment that he finally felt the cold penetrating his body, the slush-like mud seeping
through the thin cotton of his pj's.
But he didn't move. He lay there, shivering and drenched from head to toe; but he still didn't
move. He heard the crackle of thawing ice above, the snap of twigs as unseen animals ran about.
Eyes closed, he drifted lazily into unconsciousness.
"Do you believe me now?" It was like a soft voice being carried on the wind; so light that Jordan
barely heard it.
"Yes." He whispered in reply, choking back a sob.
"J..." The voice was closer, hissing out his name. "Let me take away your pain."
"Why?" Jordan cried out, tears seeping through his shut eyes. "Why do you want to help me?"
"I'm hurt that you would doubt my sincerity, Jordan." Came the sinister reply, inches away from
his face. "I'm hurt that you don't trust me..."
"I guess I don't trust much of anything."
"Let me show you what I can do for you." The voice whispered, dancing across his skin. "You
have nothing to lose...it all slipped from your grasp years ago."
"That's not true!" Jordan defended, anger swelling in his chest.
"From birth, the world shunned you; though you were too naive to feel it."
"What do you want from me?" Jordan muttered wearily, sighing in defeat. "What must I do?"
"Be patient, my loyal servant." The voice hissed, drifting away. "All will be revealed in due
course."
The voice was gone, but Jordan suddenly felt like a thousand knives were piercing his chest.
Screaming in agony, his eyes shot open as the pain coursed through his body. The force of the
shock rocked him back into consciousness; and he sat, blinking at the sudden onslaught of light.
"JORDAN!" A frightened voice cried out from nearby.
A/N: Things are getting interesting, are they not? R/R!!!
Morning shown brightly through the only window in Severus and Hermione's bedroom. The light
began to crawl over the bed until it cast its rays upon their faces. Hermione arose, squinting
slightly at the dawns coming. Severus, however, turned himself over, placing the pillow that was
once beneath him over his head.
"Get up!" Hermione laughed as she slapped her husband's bottom. He jolted from the startling
slap, mumbled incoherent things, then fell silent.
"How can you breathe like that?" Hermione questioned as she pulled up a corner of the pillow.
"Practice." Severus replied, moving his face out from underneath the pillow to greet his wife with
a chaste kiss. Hermione sat up and glanced out the window, forcing Severus to sit himself up so
that he could move closer to his wife. He brushed her long, soft hair over her shoulders, running
his fingers gently across the center of her back as his lips followed with a trail of warm kisses.
Severus placed his other hand on her shoulder to help brace her now quivering form. Hermione
lifted her hand to lay it gently atop of her husband's, effectively stopping his plight. Shuffling
herself out of bed, she grabbed a near-by robe and placed it around her nude figure. Severus
watched her with rapt wonder, before getting up himself.
The couple donned their attire and headed into the livingroom.
"I'm going to check on something first." Severus stated as he made way for his office. Hermione
watched as her husband left the room before heading towards the kitchen. Suddenly she stopped.
The sound of muted weeping, as if someone were sobbing with a pillow pressed against their
face, was echoing quietly through the halls. Turning a complete 180, she headed in the direction
of Taryn's room; worry for her child spurning her to see what was wrong.
~*~
Severus made his way to the safe in his study. He looked at the dial and was partially glad to see
that it was left on the last number he had set it on. His curiosity was not satisfied, however.
Turning the dial, he opened the safe. His fears had proved correct; the athame was gone.
Growling with rage, he slammed the safe door, not bothering to lock it, and made his way swiftly
to Jordan's room.
"JORDAN SEVERUS SNAPE!" He bellowed as he entered his son's room. Jordan's eyes shot
open almost immediately. His body was mangled in the covers, which caused him to fall off the
bed and onto the floor when he tried to untangle himself.
"Give it back this instant" Severus persisted.
"Give what back?" Jordan threw the blankets back atop his bed.
"The athame, Jordan!" Severus glared intensely at his son. Jordan looked at his bed then gazed
across the room.
"I don't have it!" He stated vehemently, just as he turned to his left to see a cookie and the athame
on his night stand.
"How can you lie to me? I am your father! I demand respect!" Severus spat, obviously angered by
the fact that his son had openly lied to his face.
"I didn't take the bloody athame!" Jordan snapped back at his father. "You probably put it there
just so you could blame it all on me, just like you always do!" Severus stared at the boy,
clenching and unclenching his fists. "What next? 50 points from Gryffindor? 100? What do you
want from me?!" he yelled with exhaustion in his voice.
"Give me the athame." Severus was very stern and demanding as he stood, waiting for his son's
reaction. "Now." He added, attempting to calm his tone.
Jordan grabbed for the athame, knocking the cookie onto the floor. "Take it! I don't want it!" he
hurled the athame at his father. It caught a scruff of Severus' robe, pulling the man back against
the door as the blade entered the hard wood, nearly missing the flesh.
Two very distinct and sharp screams hailed from the other side of the door. Severus was pulling
the knife out of the door and his robes as it slid open from the women's entrance. "What is going
on in there?!" Hermione entered the room with Taryn right behind her. The two women's gazes
shifted between Severus and Jordan.
"You are a liar and a thief." Severus' voice was as icy as his gaze.
"I.. Hate.. You.." Jordan tensed up before making a quick break for the door.
"Mum?" Taryn shook uncontrollably, on the verge of tears. Scared and confused, she ran from
the room, following her brother's steps.
"Taryn!" Hermione yelled after her while watching her husband collapse onto the floor.
"What have I done?" He groaned into his hands, body racking with sobs. Hermione fell to her
knees at Severus' side, laying a gentle hand on his back.
"Severus, stop crying." Hermione demanded softly, urging him back onto his feet. "You're
stronger than this; you're made of better stuff!"
"No I'm not." He replied sullenly, wiping the offending tears from his eyes with shaky hands.
"So what are you going to do?" She folded her arms across her chest, anger flaring in her eyes.
"Sit here and wallow in your self pity, or go find our children before Voldemort does?"
"He's bent on ruining us, Hermione." Severus replied, pouring himself a glass of brandy. "Don't
you see it? Don't you feel it?" Swirling the liquid in cup, he refused to meet her eyes. "He
/already/ has them."
"Then go get them back!" She yelled, thrusting her finger at the open doorway. Severus froze,
staring into his glass for what seemed like an eternity, before hurling it across the room. It
shattered against the brick, brandy spraying the floor amidst a shower of glass shards. Turning to
his wife, eyes ablaze with fire, he seized her about the shoulders and pulled her into a rough,
passionate kiss.
"I love you." He ground out, staring into her eyes. In a flash, he was gone; Hermione left to pray
with silent remorse for the safe return of her family.
~*~
Jordan plowed through the confused students, not caring that he was clad only in his Chudley
Cannon's pajamas. Clenching his fists, he let the tears fall in graceful streaks down his pale
cheeks as he slammed the doors open. Screaming, he broke into a frantic run; he never noticed
the icy snow melt beneath his bare feet.
It may have been pure anger which drove him to seek comfort in the dangerous confines of the
Forbidden Forest, possibly pain; all he knew was that he had an insane urge to get away - a thirst
for freedom. Freedom to scream at the top of his lungs and cry until his tear ducts ran dry.
Freedom to destroy anything in his path...
A bubbling growl rose in his throat as he blast an offending bush from his path; a guttural,
animalistic howl emanating as twigs slapped in his face.
The snow covered floor to the forest hid many things: plants, animals, and fallen twigs, among
many others. Jordan noticed none as he barreled aimlessly through the thick underbrush; didn't
bother to see what caused him to lose his footing.
Arms flailing about his body, he fell into an untidy heap; mud and snow flying upon impact. It
was at that moment that he finally felt the cold penetrating his body, the slush-like mud seeping
through the thin cotton of his pj's.
But he didn't move. He lay there, shivering and drenched from head to toe; but he still didn't
move. He heard the crackle of thawing ice above, the snap of twigs as unseen animals ran about.
Eyes closed, he drifted lazily into unconsciousness.
"Do you believe me now?" It was like a soft voice being carried on the wind; so light that Jordan
barely heard it.
"Yes." He whispered in reply, choking back a sob.
"J..." The voice was closer, hissing out his name. "Let me take away your pain."
"Why?" Jordan cried out, tears seeping through his shut eyes. "Why do you want to help me?"
"I'm hurt that you would doubt my sincerity, Jordan." Came the sinister reply, inches away from
his face. "I'm hurt that you don't trust me..."
"I guess I don't trust much of anything."
"Let me show you what I can do for you." The voice whispered, dancing across his skin. "You
have nothing to lose...it all slipped from your grasp years ago."
"That's not true!" Jordan defended, anger swelling in his chest.
"From birth, the world shunned you; though you were too naive to feel it."
"What do you want from me?" Jordan muttered wearily, sighing in defeat. "What must I do?"
"Be patient, my loyal servant." The voice hissed, drifting away. "All will be revealed in due
course."
The voice was gone, but Jordan suddenly felt like a thousand knives were piercing his chest.
Screaming in agony, his eyes shot open as the pain coursed through his body. The force of the
shock rocked him back into consciousness; and he sat, blinking at the sudden onslaught of light.
"JORDAN!" A frightened voice cried out from nearby.