The Burdens of Childhood
by Melissa Jooty (email me at cosmic_quest@yahoo.com)


CHAPTER NINE- Dealings With The Devil

"Are you awake?"

Severus rubbed his eyes then frowned thoughtfully. "Yeah, I think so."

"Good, my arm is falling off here."

There were times over the past week when Sirius had been ready to scream to the sky, 'Come back, Snape, all is forgiven.' This morning had been one of those times...

It was as if every child had a pre-programmed instinct to sleep deeply on weekdays and Severus was no exception. His mini Living Alarm Clock, who was usually up at the crack of dawn each day eagerly jumping and pulling on Sirius for his breakfast, decided this morning he would have a long lie. After unsuccessfully shaking the little blight awake, Sirius had to literally drag him from his bed and wash and change him before carrying him all the way down to the Great Hall still fast asleep.

Sirius was not entirely surprised Severus was so tired since he had been a busy boy the previous evening. In the fifteen or so minutes he was talking to Harry yesterday, Severus was quietly making 'potions' in the bathroom. Potions that apparently vitally required a mixture of toothpaste, shampoo, aftershave and his beautiful, sweet Ogden's Firewhiskey he had stashed in his bedroom and had been saving for a special occasion.

And did he receive an ounce of sympathy from his supposed best friend and godson? No, Harry couldn't stop laughing, and when he told Remus, all his friend managed to say between sniggering away was he was not one to 'interfere'. Okay, just because he had bit McGonagall's head off the other day for offering parenting tips didn't mean he was some sort of tyrannical know-it-all parent. Not to worry, Moony would suffer for his lack of understand. Sirius was already planning to ply Severus up with sweets and fizzy drinks then send him off to Remus to baby-sit then he'd see who was crying for support when Moony had to cope with a hyperactive brat high on sugar.

"Are you okay?" Severus asked when a sadistic snicker escaped from Sirius' lips.

"Yes, just thinking." He set the child down and massaged his shoulder, aching from holding Severus for one hour solid. The boy might have been a lightweight but after carrying him for so long he may well have been lugging rocks around. "Now the Headmaster had set up a little schedule for you and first thing is seeing how much you remember of potions."

Severus' eyes lit up. "Will I get to use substances that burn through human skin? Can I make poisons?"

This kid was determined to drive him into an early grave

"You can be such a delight," Sirius said dryly. "And no, I don't think Albus will be allowing you to make anything dangerous."

"Never let me do anything," mumbled the boy.

"Okay, remind me what we talked about last night?"

"When I'm doing potions," chimed Severus, "I'm to follow the instructions."

"And?"

"And I'm not to make it up or use your things in them. I know these things; I used to be the Potions Master after all."

"I just want you to be careful. The last thing we need is this place blown to kingdom come because you wanted to experiment." The latter sentence was a muttered moan only audible to him.

Sirius still was not convinced it was wise to allow the boy run free in with volatile potions even under close supervision. Not only was Potions a dangerous subject when one considered students had been known to concoct a compound with the potential to blast their classroom to smithereens but a Potions Master he might have been, they had to remember Severus Snape was only a child now with the emotions and reasoning of any other little boy. While he agreed wholeheartedly that Severus needed an outlet for the ideas and questions bursting within his gifted mind, he questioned the idea of permitting even the most intelligent six-year-old a freedom with dangerous substances not even available to the younger Hogworts' students was the answer.

But then, what did he know? As everyone was so keen to point out, he had only been a 'father' for all of a week.

And so against his better judgement, Sirius led Severus down to a potion's workroom in the dungeons. The furniture had been charmed to suit a child and the present Potions teacher had wrote up a work sheet for Severus comprised of various potions from the First to Fifth Year curriculum. Beside him, he could see Severus jumping from foot-to-foot, jittery from excitement and eager to start his work.

"Off you go," he said with an indulgent sigh.

He had brought one of Harry's Quidditch magazines to keep him occupied, potions had been one of his poorest subjects in school and the only reason he had voluntarily entered the lab was because Severus was his responsibility, but it lay neglected on a worktable when he found himself unexpectedly enthralled by his young charge.

Watching Severus cutting up his ingredients to perfection and correctly adding the right amounts of selected liquids to his cauldron was an awe-inspiring insight into the boy's natural gift. Sirius had never liked Snape so had never found reason to watch him brewing his beloved potions, however, watching Severus now he realized he had seriously underestimated the adult Potions Master's aptitude in his chosen subject.

Even Severus' mannerisms transformed, becoming less like the clumsy six-year-old as his movements grew sleek and sharp in feline grace much akin to the man he once was. The boy's dark eyes were narrowed in deep concentration, his brow furrowed as he scrutinized his cauldron, and with the shadows cast across his young features he never looked more like his elder self than he did now. A number of occasions Sirius had to physically choke back to urge to distract Severus, feeling he was losing a piece of his little charge every moment they spent in this classroom.

He forced the awakening fears to the back of his mind. He wasn't ready to admit that he didn't want to lose Severus, not to Voldemort or to damned potions...and not to a correction of the boy's aging process.

*************************

Much to Steven's consternation, Sirius put an end to the boy's potions session after almost two hours. He wanted to carry on and it was only when his guardian informed him they would were going to the nearby town of Hogsmeade was a potential tantrum derailed. As much as he enjoyed working with the potions and all the fascinating ingredients, the appeal of wheedling sweets and perhaps a toy from Sirius was too tempting for Steven to put up a fuss.

Sirius was helping Steven to tidy up when scuffling outside the laboratory drew their attention. Steven's gaze fixed to the door in childish cruelty; he might chronologically have been thirty-six and the strictest teacher in Hogwarts' history but for now he was a boy and, like all other young boys, there was nothing he enjoyed more was watching a fight and egging on the opponents.

Suddenly a young girl's head popped around the ajar door. "Mr Black, sir, can you please come? Xavier Fontaine is going to kill Brian Karharias!"

"Let me guess, a Slytherin and Gryffindor class?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, how did you know?"

Sirius pulled away from the worktable to follow the girl. "You stay here and tidy up," he told Steven.

"Can't I come?" Steven asked, hopefully. His eyes glistened as the fighting outside intensified and the taunts and jeers from boys who had the same intents as himself echoed into the room. "It's my room and potions anyway so I don't care if they get messed up."

"Sev, don't argue with me."

Steven pouted as Sirius disappeared out the door to break up the fight. Sometimes he wondered if all the adults were involved in a conspiracy to prevent him from having any fun. He didn't understand, the teachers all told him he was really a grown man then they turned around and treated him like...like a *six-year-old*! He had hoped here at Hogwarts armed with this new information about his true age, he would be allowed to do what he wanted but he quickly learnt it was just like living with Jessica except instead of six adults focusing on him and thirty-odd other children, it was sixteen teachers all obsessing over him and him alone.

In sulky obedience, he continued to clean up the various vials and containers. He found it hard to be sloppy with materials he admired with reverence; however, he took pleasure in banging on cupboard doors with more force than necessary.

"Been busy?"

Steven gasped at the voice, his eyes darting up to find three boys observing him. The trio appeared to be around Harry's age, the tall blond of them exuding confidence and power while the two flanking him seemed rather blank and uninspiring.

"Who are you? I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." He never usually applied the 'Stranger Danger' rules to older children but he felt his guard going up in these intruders' presence. Everything was different at Hogwarts and, while the teenagers Steven knew in back home in California were only concerned with cars and the opposite sex, here children of eleven had the power to kill in the blink of an eye.

The older boys smiled, the two stockier boys seemingly taking their cue from the blond. It didn't require great deduction to perceive that the blond boy was their leader although Steven did think his smile was genuine.

"I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself," the blond excused. "My name is Draco Malfoy; this is Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle."

"Malfoy?" Steven repeated, his wariness dissipating at the mention of the surname of his very first wizarding friend.

"Yes, Lucius Malfoy is my father," Draco confirmed. "So, you see, we are not strangers."

Draco motioned for him to come closer. Steven hesitated for a second before approaching the older boy, watching in puzzled interest as Gregory and Vincent began to tidy up for him.

"What have you been up to this morning?" Draco asked again.

"I was doing potions," Steven said, turning away from bemusing scene of the boys voluntarily doing his chores to gaze uncertainly at Draco. "Teacher let me do Fifth Year work."

"My father always said you had the mind of a Potions Master from when you were little."

"You're not just saying that, are you?"

"A Malfoy never says anything unless they mean it, Severus," Draco stated proudly.

Steven's mood brightened. "Are we friends?"

"Of course we are, you used to be my favourite teacher. And shall I tell you a secret?" Steven nodded, eagerly. "You are also my godfather."

"That's going be strange now," giggled the little boy at the idea his godson was nearly ten years his senior.

Draco's smile widened. "I'm sure we'll manage, you and I are going to be good friends. You've supported me since I was born and now it's my turn to guide you. Did they tell you that you and my father have known each other since you were babies?"

"No." Steven paused, unsure if he should voice his worries. His childish need to trust won over his innate vigilance. "I don't think Sirius likes Lucius. He said he's bad."

Draco's sky blue eyes darkened. "Did he now? It's true that Sirius Black does not like my father and the feeling is mutual. But, whether he's bad, that's for you to decide. However, I will ask you not to be too quick to believe everything Sirius Black tells you, especially when he-"

"Malfoy, what are you telling him?"

The two boys turned to the door where Harry Potter stood glowering at Draco. He stalked over and stepped protectively in front of Steven. The six-year-old suddenly felt as if he had committed some sin only he did not know what exactly.

"Simply the truth, Potter," Draco shot back, scathingly, "which is infinitely more than your mangy cur of a godfather is spewing out."

Harry's eyes slit back and Steven was shocked by how manic he appeared. The air around them was charged in barely restrained aggression, Crabbe and Goyle swiftly moving to stand by Draco's side. "Just keep away from us, Malfoy."

"Or what, Potty?"

"Or," Harry glanced downwards at Steven, as if mindful of the child's presence," not even your *Lord* will be able to help you. Come on, Severus, Sirius asked me to bring you upstairs."

With that, he gently but firmly pulled Steven from the lab. The younger boy smiled when Draco waved, Harry was not amused when he noticed and all but yanked Steven along. Aware it was not in his best interests to protest on Draco's behalf, Steven quietly walked beside Harry, the older boy clenching his small hand as they proceeded down the desolate corridor. Instead, he took the opportunity to study the teenager.

Of all the people at this strange school, Harry had to be the most mystifying person he had met thus far and that included the ever-knowing Dumbledore and the sickly Lupin whose oddly coloured eyes reminded Steven of a wolf he saw in the zoo. It wasn't the peculiar scar marring his forehead that Steven was drawn to, living in an orphanage for eight months he had befriended children carrying heavier scars to accompany the stories of abuse they had faced. It was rather the way reserved way in which Harry carried himself with the dulled air of a boy who had suffered every pain and so terribly tired of his life, not a trace of the cockiness and inflated ego of the typical teenager whose world revolved around impressing his friends and the girls.

One did not have to be as perceptive as Steven to sense there was a sadness sheathing Harry like a second skin, weighing him down. He wondered if the Harry had suffered the same magical curse as he, if he was a grown man in a boy's body.

Unable to contain himself, he had to ask, "Why are you so sad?"

Harry blinked. "What make you think I'm sad?"

Steven shrugged. "If it's because you don't have a mum and dad, you can come back to the Centre with me. Most of the kids there have no parents and the ones that do wish they don't. Jessica will take care of you and I know you'll be happy. People there don't stare at you."

"Not having a good time of that either, are you?" Harry asked, knowingly.

"I don't know what's worse, the ones that just stare or the ones who I think I'll kill them if I say so much as 'boo'."

"You'll get used to it, Sev, it took me a while but you do get used to it."

When they first met, Steven had been afraid Harry had been one of the latter group until thankfully the older boy relaxed. He did understand why the children were so apprehensive of him considering a year ago he was their teacher nevertheless that did not mean he enjoyed the effect he had on them. However, he supposed their reaction was far better than what his class would have done if he came across the little girl version of their teacher Miss Farmer. He smirked inwardly as he thought of all the torment they was reap on the teacher who lived to make the second grade a living hell.

When they reached the stair well, Steven's mind drifted to a problem which had been troubling him. Tentatively, he asked, "Harry, do you not like Draco 'cause he's not in the same team as you?"

The boy sensed the animosity between Harry and Draco was in many ways identical to the venomous emotions dividing Sirius and Malfoy senior, and he was astute enough to perceive this twin aversion delved far deeper than school Houses. There was something going on, a secret no-one deigned to let him in on.

"Sort of," Harry replied. He sounded as if he wanted to say more.

"Do you like me? I'm not in the same as you either."

"Don't be silly, Sev, we're friends."

"Good."

"Just be careful of Ma- Draco. I don't know what he was telling you but he's not as nice as he pretends to be."

Steven was going to pursue the subject when they arrived at the top of the stairs where Sirius was waiting for them and the cold confrontation between Draco and Harry was forgotten. Too busy badgering his guardian about their trip to town, he did not notice Sirius frown in askance at his godson who, in turn, shook his head to indicate his problem could wait.

"You ready to go, champ?" Sirius asked, still watching Harry over the little boy's head.

"Yes, I hope they have a good toyshop in this town."

"And mind to get him to take you to 'Honeydukes'," Harry advised. "Plenty of goodies there."

"You two are going to bankrupt me," Sirius said dryly. "You'd better go back to class, Harry, I'll see you later."

The walk to Hogsmeade was pleasant and allowed Steven the chance to run off his boyish energy. He was hardly locked up in Hogwarts, nonetheless, his boisterous nature was restrained under the gawking eyes of children stunned to see their teacher acting the child he was. Sirius also relished the chance to stretch his legs and enjoy the simplicity of a stroll.

Hogsmeade as a town was not what Steven was expecting. It was far smaller than the towns he was familiar with in America but the quaint little shops selling enchanted goods and fascinating trinkets more than made up for the absence of 'Toys R Us'. As Sirius feared, he did come close to bankrupting his poor guardian, dragging him into every shop where he found something he just *had* to have. Finally, they rounded off their trip with a visit to the bookstore where Sirius had been asked to pick up a book for the Headmaster which was the main reason they had come to Hogsmeade in the first place.

The book shop was the largest establishment in town aside from the inn and glancing around at the towering shelves, the boy had to wonder if there was a single book younger than the ancient Headmaster. He might have read with prodigious ability but he lacked patience to keep with a story more than a few pages long. So while Sirius perused over the academic books on the ground floor, Steven slipped away to the upper floor where the fictional and children's books were stored in hopes of finding an interesting book preferably with at least one picture.

On a display table, a colourful book entitled 'The Adventures of Young Merlin' beckoned him just when he was beginning to think wizards only had time for dull relics. Concentrating on flicking through the book, he gasped in surprise when he ploughed into someone, stumbling back slightly. His shock turned to a smile when he looked up to the hands steadying him.

"Lucius!" he exclaimed.

"Well, well, so we meet again," Lucius replied smoothly, his eyes glistening in humour. "It must be fate."

It was strange to see Lucius dressed in full wizarding robes since he had only ever seen him in formal suits. Steven had to admit that, like the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall, Lucius seemed more comfortable in the robes he wore with grace.

Without hesitation, Steven flew into Lucius' open arms clinging to the older wizard for a moment before stepping back. "You lied to me, you never told me who I was."

Lucius scrutinised him carefully. "Yes...yes, you're right. I was trying to decide if you were happier in your new home than you ever could be here. But, that is your decision to make. I'm sorry I denied you that."

The boy was stunned by the heartfelt apology. Young as he was, he knew men like Lucius rarely acknowledged they were wrong let alone apologised for their transgressions. "It's...it's okay, I forgive you."

How could he not when he still pined for the home he had with Jessica and his friends?

"Thank you," Lucius smiled, "you're a very generous boy." He glanced around. "Tell me, Ste- which do you prefer by the way? Steven or Severus?"

"I don't mind." He frowned. "Which one do you like?"

For some reason, this man's opinion mattered to him. Sirius' allure was losing its sparkle as he became less the friend and more the parent. Lucius, on the other hand, still carried an enigmatic aura that inspired the impressionable six-year-old.

"Steven is a fine name, your Muggle friend Miss Roscoe chose well on your behalf but Severus is a name with much history and power in our world. Did you know there was a great wizard warrior named Severus who lived not long after Merlin's age? Your father named you for him."

"Really?" Suddenly, the appeal of his true name 'Severus' went up a few notches.

No-one had ever told him much of his birth family and his lineage other than his parents were dead. In fact, he knew more of Harry's background than he did his own, a fact which was starting to bother him now he gave it thought.

"Oh yes, he too chose well when he named his only son, so I hope you are not offended that I call you Severus." He seemed pleased the boy did not protest. "As I was saying, are you alone here? I cannot believe the old fo- Headmaster would allow you to wander alone."

"Sirius is down there," Steven replied, waving in the general direction of the stairs. "He's picking up a book for the Headmaster."

"Is he now? And is he the one who has been assigned as your foster father?"

He nodded then dropped his gaze. "He's doesn't like you. Did you do something...bad?"

"What makes you ask that, young one?"

"The way he says your name, I think he really hates you."

"Very perceptive of you, Severus." Steven jerked in surprise when Lucius took his chin gently and lifted his head up. "And what do you think? Do you believe I am 'bad'?"

Steven's jaw set in defiance. "I know you're friends with that rat-man who tried to kill my friend."

"What leads you to this assumption?" There was no anger, just casual interest.

"He mentioned your name when he tried to kidnap me last week."

Lucius nodded thoughtfully. "You are partially correct, Severus, your rat-man- Peter Pettigrew, a useless fool if I ever met one- does know me in passing. But he is no more my friend than Sirius Black is." He took a moment to ponder something then sighed in slight despair. "In fact, if you wish to know more about Pettigrew you would do well to ask your new foster father. If I recall correctly, he, Remus Lupin and Pettigrew were all good friends through their school lives and after, as close as you are to your own young friends Alison and Chance."

Inhaling sharply, Steven shook his head in denial. No, it couldn't be true; Sirius and Remus could not possibly be friends with the very man who nearly murdered Allie in chilling ease. He didn't want to hear these lies!

He back-pedalled, ready to run to Sirius, when Lucius swiftly placed restraining hands on his shoulders to hold him in place. Steven tried to pull away but his strength was no match for a grown man's.

"Please wait, Severus," Lucius appealed, "allow me to explain." He wanted to cry out for Sirius, anything to be away from the utter nonsense Lucius was spilling to him but a deeper part of him was hungry for information. He ceased his struggles, glowering at the older man yet indicating he was listening. "I simply want you to be safe and I do not think men like Lupin and Black have your best interests at heart. You do not remember them but I do. Oh, I remember what cruel, wicked little boys they once were and how they- Pettigrew included- would torment their classmates while the Headmaster laughed at their games. Don't be so hasty to trust them."

"If I can't trust them, who can I trust?" Steven asked, plaintively. "They've looked after me this week and never hurt me once."

"I can see that they have not failed you so far," Lucius conceded. "I am only seeking to warn you to be on your guard, Severus. Be mindful of Black and Lupin, they are not what they seem."

Both turned to the staircase when they heard Sirius call up, "Sev, time to head back."

"I should go now," Steven said, backing away.

He wasn't sure what Lucius meant, he was talking as if Sirius and Remus were some kind of murderers or conmen. And he wasn't ready to accept they knew, moreover were friends with, the rat-man AKA Peter Pettigrew. Jessica had always told them to 'think before acting' if one wanted results. First, he needed time to meditate on what Lucius had told him and pick a good time to confront his guardian with these supposed facts before judging them.

"Wait a moment, child." Lucius plucked out a silver chain from a pocket of his robes, allowing it to dangle from his hand. Hanging on the chain was solid silver snake coiled up and adorned in an intricate pattern of tiny emeralds and diamonds. Inching forward, upon closer inspection, the boy could see the snake pendant was in fact a locket. Steven's eyes widened when Lucius reverently placed the chain around the child's neck. "All I ask of you is if you are ever in trouble, if Black and Lupin are ever to do something to frighten or anger you then I want you to find my son Draco or one of the other Slytherins. They will always be keen to help a fellow Slytherin. But if that cannot be achieved, open the locket and you will be instantly transported to safety where you will be under my protection. Do you understand, Severus?"

"Yes," Steven whispered, mesmerised by the older wizard's enigmatic voice. He didn't believe Sirius could ever harm him but he was too enchanted by the locket to defend his guardian.

"Come on, Severus, chop chop," Sirius called once more.

"I have to go." This time, it was said with reluctance. He tucked the chain and locket under his school shirt he was forced to wear, intuitively aware Sirius would not be impressed with the gift. "Will I see you again?"

"Do not fear, I will always be on hand to lend a friendly ear, my boy."

Steven beamed. "Good."

*************************

Lucius smiled as little Severus scampered off. He had to admit the youngling was as engaging as his Dragon was at the same age and, with every rendezvous, he was growing increasingly fond of the boy. He was looking forward to when Severus took his rightful place at their Master's side and he would be able to assist in moulding the child into a fine man. Not that the elder Severus was not worthy, he had simply been led astray by that chancing Dumbledore and his lies. This time, Lucius and his fellowship of Death Eaters would insulate the boy from deviating away from his path as Dark Prince.

What a wonderful coincidence to bump into the child at the bookshop. He had been intending on dropping in at Hogwarts later in the week laden with gifts for the boy but this chance meeting provided him with the opportunity to talk without interfering Gryffindors meddling in affairs that did not include them. Why, if they were so concerned about Severus' welfare, they should have done more to prevent him from turning to the Dark Lord twenty years ago.

It was galling to hear it confirmed that Dumbledore had indeed placed Severus with the same man who came so close to killing him when both were Sixth Year boys. Not even the supposed 'sneaky, vile' Slytherins would perpetuate such an deed. In fact, Lucius had to wonder whether Black was mentally stable if he was capable of murder at a mere sixteen years of age. Not that the dawdling fool Dumbledore would admit to this, he was too wrapped up in the supposed perfection of his Golden Gryffindors.

Lucius had only discerned the truth to Black's despicable 'prank' two years ago when Draco had owled him a hastily scrawled letter explaining Remus Lupin was a werewolf. He had always been aware of how Black and his pathetic gang had tormented Severus from his first day at Hogwarts right through to their Seventh Year, rather cowardly when one considered not only was there four of them but the so-called teachers did nothing to reprimand the little bullies for what they were. Lucius had afforded Severus some protection, which only extended until he finished school in the younger Slytherin's Second Year.

Then one morning in October of Severus' Sixth Year, a panicked Evan Rosier urgently contacted him with details that one of Black's prank gone terribly wrong and Severus was in the hospital wing suffering deep shock. When he was finally released two days later, he refused to say what happened, not even a visit from Lucius would yield the truth. That in itself greatly worried him since Severus always looked up to him as his boyhood hero. All he knew was the feud between Black and Severus had flared up ten-fold and that both Lupin and the Headmaster were involved. With the hindsight of Draco's letter eighteen years later and managing to prise some information from Severus, Lucius loosely pieced together that Black must have sent the Slytherin boy to Lupin on the night of the full moon and, as per usual, Dumbledore had instead swore Severus to secrecy rather than punish the guilty.

Sickening but hardly surprising. Black may not have been responsible for the Muggle-loving Potter and wife but all the Slytherins of his generation sensed he was not the holier than thou Gryffindor he portrayed to the teachers.

And now they had placed Severus in the hands of Dumbledore's pet criminal. It had been on the tip of Lucius' tongue to leak all this to the boy Severus, open his eyes up to the deceit of those around him, yet he held back. It was enough to plant doubt in the boy's powerful mind. Hopefully, he would begin to question Black and Lupin and realize there were holes in their stories. And when that happened, Draco would be ready to steer to the boy into his hands.

Perhaps, when he delivered Severus to their Lord he would suggest he and Narcissa be temporary guardians until the child came of age. After all, the Dark Lord did not want to play father to a six-year-old boy, he only wished to possess the powerful mage Severus would grow up to be.

For now, he had to watch and wait. It would be difficult, Lucius was not a patient man. Still, the thought of reporting to his Master brought a smile to his face. He could already hear the sweet screeches of terror and impending pain when he told the Dark Lord of how that coward Pettigrew nearly cost them the boy. Aah, it was the little things in life that could be such a delight...

*************************

"Look how hard I hit it, Harry!"


"Good job, Sev, you'll make a great Quidditch player."


These were the moments Sirius treasured. In the spare hour or so before the evening feast would be served, Severus had cajoled Harry and Ron to abandoning their homework to play with the soft children's bludger and bat he had purchased in Hogsmeade. Sirius and Remus had decided to accompany the boys to the deserted Quidditch field. The men sat back with the newspapers and books they had brought while the children played, the two older boys holding back for Severus' sake. As boyish chuckles drifted in the wind mingled with half-hearted directions from the teenage Quidditch players, Sirius could almost pretend he was out for the day with his sons and their friends.


Smiling at the boys' antics, Sirius settled back to read. He had picked up a great book, 'You and Your Boys: A Father's Guide to Raising Sons Through Infancy to Adolescence'. It offered advice for everything from the first tooth to the first wand. While he was admittedly not as fond of reading as he should be, this book cried out to him and offered him the possibility of answers not just in relation to Severus but also Harry.

Now that he had been pardoned, he had hoped to have a more active role in his godson's life. That was quite likely now that Harry was sixteen and those hideous relations of his were dropping hints they no longer had a legal obligation to the boy. It infuriated him to hear Lily's own sister was so unaccommodating to her only nephew yet he was always looking forward to becoming a full time parent to Harry, duties he should have been entitled to fifteen years ago.

A shadow cast over him and he set his book aside to find Severus standing in front of him.

"I'm cold," the boy said, his green robes pulled close to him.

This from a man who stubbornly refused to leave his dungeons even in the dead of winter.

"Here," Sirius said, drawing Severus closer to put his jumper on, "let's get this on you and you'll soon warm up."

"You're used to the Californian summer," Remus smiled. "Here in Scotland, winter closes in by September."

Sirius pushed the boy's robes aside so he could pull the jumper over his head when he noticed something sparkling against his shirt. Dropping the garment, he reached forward to find Severus wearing a silver chain with an elegant snake locket hanging down from it. A locket he knew the boy did not have that morning.

"Where did you get this?" Sirius demanded, lightly clutching the locket. He forced himself to keep hold of his fraying temper, he didn't want Severus to close himself off.

By now, Remus was sitting up and both Harry and Ron had approached at the commotion. Severus twitched nervously, excuses being conjured up behind his dark eyes.

He sighed. "Lucius gave it to me." He had the grace to sound guilty.

"Malfoy?!" He could see Remus gesturing for him to calm down but how could he when Malfoy had his slimy hands on his boy? "When the hell did you see Malfoy?"

"This morning, in the bookshop. He gave it to me, said it'd help me in an emergency."

Remus ran his wand over the snake. "It looks like a portkey."

"Malfoy is trying kidnap him?" Harry asked, his green eyes burning with similar rage to his godfather's.

"It's just for emergencies," Severus pointed out.

A small part of Sirius knew he should have been glad the boy was at least being honest with him and his clandestine meeting with that git. At the moment, all he could think of was wrapping his hands around Lucius Malfoy's throat and squeezing.

"Didn't they ever teach you about speaking to bloody strangers, boy?" Sirius asked, shaking Severus slightly. "Give me that thing."

Severus wrenched out of his grasp, yanking the locket protectively to him. "It's mine! And Lucius isn't a stranger, I knew him back home and Jessica never said I couldn't see him." The boy glared at him, confused and hurt.

"I don't even want to think what lies that cretin's been filling your head with," Sirius stressed, pained to think of this innocent child in the company of a Death Eater. He conveniently forgot Severus also was once a follower of the Dark Lord. "He's evil, his kid is evil, his friends are evil, everything about him is evil. You cannot see him again."

"Is that right?" Severus challenged. "He's not the only one with evil friends, is he? I know you and Remus used to play with rat-man. He nearly killed me and you used to be friends with him!"

Both Sirius and Remus stilled as Harry and Ron gasped. Merlin only knew what else Lucius had told the boy. He didn't think he had said anything about Moony's lycanthropy since Severus didn't seem afraid of his werewolf friend but what of their years at Hogwarts, the pranks and the teasing?

*Snivellus...*

He couldn't bear for his foster son to hate him, not like before. It was different then. He had fought so hard this week to prove to himself he was a good man and a suitable father, he didn't want to lose Severus like this.

Moony cleared his throat then patiently asked, "Did Lucius tell you that?"

Severus sullenly nodded and they could all see the jumble of anguish and fury flashing across his youthful features, his ability to suppress his emotions into a stoic expression not fully grasped yet by the six-year-old.

"Well," Remus hesitated for a moment then sighed, "it's true, we were once very good friends with Peter Pettigrew, the rat-man. When we were young, Sirius, myself, Peter and Harry's father James used to go about together."

The boy bit his lip at the unexpected confession and suddenly Sirius was glad Remus could be honest when he was ready to lie. "You used to bully the other children?"

"Yes," Remus stated, making no excuses, "we were stupid, thought we were funny but we must have hurt quite hurtful to some of the other children." It obvious to Sirius and the older boys that the words 'hurtful to you' were the unspoken apology. "We got away with more than we should have and had an inflated view of ourselves. But, Severus, we never ever knew what Peter was capable of, that he would have it in him to hurt a child. We never even saw it when he helped to murder Harry's parents."

Severus' gaped in shock. "He killed Harry's mum and dad?"

"He led Voldemort right to them," Harry replied, scowling at the thought. "I hate him too, Severus, but I don't blame Sirius or Remus for what he did."

"And he pretended to be my pet rat for years," Ron piped up. "He was just waiting for the day to strike back. I should have fed the git to Hermione's cat when I had the chance."

As much as he enjoyed this Pettigrew-griping session, Sirius had to ask," Is there anything else Malfoy told you? Anything you want to ask us about?"

'Please don't ask about Remus or the Shrieking Shack,' he begged inwardly. 'Please don't know about what I did to you.'

"Just that I had to be careful. And that I shouldn't really trust you."

Sirius pulled the boy close. "You can *always* trust us, kid, we're your friends and we'll always protect you. You just leave the worrying to us, we'll take care of you. No-one will hurt you here."

"I trust you," Severus said, softly.

Smiling and relieved all was well, Sirius kissed the boy's forehead. "You're a good kid, you know." He suddenly wished he could have taken back the last twenty-odd years and start afresh with the then eleven-year-old Snape, befriend him before Slytherin tainted him. When he was innocent as this child was now. "Tell you what, keep the chain but be very careful not to open it."

"I won't," Severus promised, brightened at the idea he could keep his gift.

"And if you see Malfoy again, please tell us." Sirius didn't think it would be magnanimous of him to add, 'so we can kill him.'

When Severus vowed to do so, Sirius nudged the boy back to play. There was no need for a six-year-old to be too concerned with matters involving Malfoy and his cronies. However, this incident should never have happened had Sirius not been so lax in protecting Severus from all the threats surrounding him. While he was willing to allow Malfoy's brat son some leverage since he was a student at Hogwarts and was probably too smart to try anything under Dumbledore's nose, he would ensure Malfoy would not have another chance to corner his boy again even if that meant Severus would not be setting foot outside the school grounds until he was eighteen.

"I promise you this, Moony," Sirius hissed, "if that Death Eater bastard comes near him again, so help me I *will* kill him. I don't care if they toss me back into Azkaban, I will make him suffer like the git he is."

To his credit, Remus made no attempt to dissuade him.

End of CHAPTER NINE- Dealings With The Devil


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Hi again, sorry for making you all wait so long for this and I certainly hope it was worth the wait. With the summer holidays, I haven't had much chance to right since we actually had a decent, hot summer for a change. Hopefully, I'll have more peace to write now the schools are back and the brat brother won't be around all day to bother me!

I hate to repeat myself but I want to thank you all again for the wonderful reviews I have received for both this and my other fic 'His Four-Legged Friend'. I'm still not sure if I'll be continuing with that but I promise to finish this off before deciding what to do. Anyway, thank you again for the reviews and please do feel free to do so with this new chapter!