Chapter 5: When the Self-Righteous Thinks Betrayal is Acceptable:
Remus spoke the password to Snape's private potion lab, due to the sometimes complex and sensitive nature of the potions that his mate brewed within, many precautions had been taken to ensure the safety of those within and entering the room. Remus pushed the door, as it opened it made no sound at all thus Severus was unaware that it was about to have company. As the door swung open it reveled Snape moving to and for his caldrons obviously working on a potion. For a moment all three men could see the love that Snape had for his profession he moved around the room as a dancer upon a stage would. It was poetry in motion to see him work.
Waiting until he had added in the ingredient that he had just prepared Remus and company waited by the door until he was done. After he added the ground gingerroot, the men attempted to enter the lab taking up flaking position so that there would be no escape. However, when Sirius entered he found his way blocked as if there was a force field, and when he forcibly attempted to enter he flung back into the opposite wall. Sirius body hitting the wall alerted Snape to the fact that he had visitors looking up he saw Remus and Harry in the room and Sirius on the floor outside his room. Smiling Severus was happy, it had been over a year since he had the force field put up that would prevent Black from entering, however since Severus' mating to Remus and the following truce, he had never had an opportunity to test them. Seeing that they work perfectly made him smile and he made a mental note to himself to thank Draco for creating them. Focusing on his mate he frown, he had expected to be confronted again, possibly with Potter and Black but not so soon, but before he could ask what they were doing in his lab Sirius jumped up and yelled, "What the hell is the meaning of this?"
Snape who had to look down to keep his amused grin from his mate quickly added the next ingredient to the potion after he felt that he was calm enough to face them he looked up. After all they were standing in his private domain and he had to defend it so he said, "Mutt you know very well that you are not allowed in here, especially after the last juvenile prank you pulled, which almost cost people their lives. After that I was able to gain permission to put up wards and shields to keep you and your mutt self out of here."
"Severus!" Remus admonished his mate for baring his friend access to the room. "You know that Sirius did not mean for anything bad to happen. It was an accident."
"No Remus he is not allowed in here, I can't afford for him to take another one of his prank too far. The problem with Black is he never thinks things through to the end, and I'll me damned if I give him another chance to use me to hurt others no matter how much of an accident it would be. You friend does not have the sense that Merlin gave a flea and if he is not monitored I know that he will cause someone serious harm. Now what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" While the other two men wanted to disagree and defend Sirius they both knew and agreed with Snape's assessment of Sirius when it came to common sense sometime Sirius did not use it.
Knowing that Snape would not let his godfather in and that soon Sirius would begin to antagonize Snape, Harry stepped in and approached the subject of his children. Harry looked at Severus as said, "Look Snape you two can argue later. Right now I am hear for you to tell me about the children Remus met today. I want to know everything about my children."
Snape's onyx eyes focused sharply on his mate, while through gritted teeth he addressed Potter's words, "Mr. Potter, as far as I know my grandchildren are none of your concern. And please explain to me why I would have any kind of knowledge about your children? As a matter of fact since when do you have children?" Turning back to his work station Severus picked up a bottle of Dragon blood and added 5 drops to his concoction and the muddy brown color quickly turned ice blue. Nodding with satisfaction Severus turned back to those in his room.
At Snape's words and his blatant dismissal of Harry, made him his temper skyrocket. Harry was officially angry, not only did he resented the fact that he had to Snape of all people about his children, but the greasy bastard was refusing to cooperate and seemed too be enjoying the power of knowledge he had. Harry realized over the past seven years he and Snape had never really put aside their difference and that the man really did not like him, but he never thought Snape could be so cruel. As Harry's anger built the less control he had over his magic. Damn leave it to Snape to make things more difficult for Harry. "Snape! Don't bullshit me I know that you know all about Draco's children. My children."
Sighing, Snape turned back to his caldron casting a cooling spell on the potion within; he covered it with a glass top. After waving his wand to clean up his workstation. Which while calmed him before he had to face the men in his presences did nothing but cause Harry to get more stressed and angry. As Snape wiped his hands he said, "I don't know what you were told by Remus but I am under a wizard's Oath, which I am sure you know how they work and while I am under this Oath I cannot discuss any subject concerning Draco's children with anyone unless allowed by Draco."
Harry was now turning red, more fucking evasions. His power began to get away from his and in the dim of the room Harry hear the vials begin to shake and break, "Damn you, you greasy git. Fine then tell me where Draco is and I will ask him myself."
Eight years ago when Snape had been informed of Draco's pregnancy and who the other father was, he had decided not to take sides so that he would not have to decide between his husband and his mate. But after reading Potter's reply to Draco's letter Severus became firmly entrenched, despite his doubts about Potter's reply, on Draco's side. In fact his choice to support Draco destroyed the budding relationship that he had been forming with his mate's Godson. Therefore, in order to adhere to his Oath while not betraying his mate Severus limited the amount of contact that he had with Potter, this allowed for peace between Remus and him. In the beginning when Draco was having a difficult time with the responsibility of two children, and felt that he had to do it allow because of Potter's letter. Severus had been sorely tempted to exploding and cursing the world's "Golden Boy" and letting them know that he was not so golden after all.
It had been eight years since Potter rejected Draco and his children, and during that time Potter never once contacted Draco to inquire about the children's welfare. But now that his bloody godfathers knew about his dirty little secret, Potter has the nerve to act like he was the victim in the situation. And to save face he now wishes to seek Draco out and claim a place in the lives of the children he told to go to hell. If it were not for the consequences of his Oath he would seriously turn his wand on Potter and hurt him. "First of all Potter you need to get a hold of your magic there are dangerous potions in here that will explode if combined and then there will be 400 dead children. If you fail to do so I will be forced to remove you any way I can." After a moment the vials stopped shaking and when Potter looked calmer Severus continued, "Once again I am sorry but I can't tell you that either. Well I could tell you but it would do you no good since Lucius, Draco and the children are under the secret keeper Charm."
Remus looked at his mate, trying to use his eyes to covey the amount of distress he was in. He considered Harry his cub and right now his cub was angry and hurting, all his instincts were telling him that his cub needed his help, but another set of instinct was telling that he was suppose to support his mate. "Severus, please my mate you have to help Harry, he is our cub and his pain makes us distressed. Harry has been through so much; he needs to be with his children. Please tell him, if not to do what is right then do this for me. I know that Draco only has his father and you, and since Lucius is under the Charm as well you must be their secret keeper. Please take us to him."
Snape was furious, his face became deathly white before it turned a dark purple, "HOW DARE YOU, REMUS LUPIN! HOW DARE YOU, USE OUR BOND TO GET ME TO BETRAY MY SON!"
Everyone in this room was shocked at Severus' outburst, yet Remus chose to ignore it, "Severus, I am not trying to use our bond against you, I am asking you to take into consideration how I feel. Since this thing started all you have cared about is Draco and his wants, well I am your mate what about how I feel. What about my wants, these babies are by best friend's grandchildren as well as my godson's children and I have been denied access to them. If you think about what I am asking you to do you'll know that I am not asking you to betray Draco, but to honor your vows to me and do what is best for those involved."
'I cannot believe what Remus is asking me to do. After what happened to his best friends how can he ask me to betray anyone who has entrusted me with their well being.' Severus' anger knew no bounds at this point and all he wanted to do was hurt his mate. In a deadly calm and subdued voice he said, "I wonder if that was what Voldemort told Peter when he asked him to revel the location of your precious Potters. All I hear from you and Black is 'oh how Harry has suffered'. Well let me tell you both something others worthier than your Godson has suffered injustices in this life. And damn it, Draco, my son is one of them and Remus just so you know I love you very much, we have built a good life together despite the odds. But Remus not even for you will I betray Draco, I am sorry. Now get out of my sight. I don't want to see you right now."
Everyone was so shocked by Snape's words, in all the time they knew him Snape had never talked to his mate like that. Usually he would just walk away and go brew something until both of them had calmed down. Then Snape would go find his mate and talk about whatever caused the problem like reasonable adults until a resolution was reached. Remus, step forward and screamed in his mates face, "How can you compare what I am asking you to do to what Peter did, his betrayal cost James and Lily their lives? We are not going to kill Draco; we want to get to the bottom of this and give Harry an opportunity to get his children."
Looking at Remus as if he lost his mind, "And you think that if Draco loses his children it won't kill him? I will not betray my son. I think I remember Peter trying to explain to Black why he told Voldemort where they were, I think Peter said the Voldemort was going to kill him and Black replied then you should have died. Well I have no intention of telling you anything and I will take it to my grave. Now get out of my lab."
Harry seeing, what this was doing to Remus took him by the hand and led him out of the room. "Lets go to Dumbledore. He will help us." With that Harry and Remus left and collected Sirius in the hallway.
Snape knew that once Dumbledore got involved life would become more complicated for him. Albus would call on old favors and Snape feelings of gratitude and ask him to break his Oath to Draco. Knowing this allowed Snape to take preemptive precautions, first he checked on the burn salve that he had brewed and saw that it had gelled correctly. Taking it out of the caldron he packed it and left it to be delivered to the hospital wing. After that was done Severus methodically went through all the potion rooms and collected those items, caldrons, equipment and ingredients that belonged to him. Severus had to stop and smile one of the benefits of marrying into the Malfoy family was the assurance that he had the best of everything. Casting a semi dark spell that destroyed all stay hair and such that could be used in spells or potions against him. Then he used another a super powered cleaning spell to destroy the rest while getting rid of the evidence.
Walking out of the last potion room Snape continued on to the rooms that he shared with Remus; once there Snape again carefully went through each room one by one and packed all his personal belonging being very careful not to take anything that belongs to Remus. Nothing was left behind clothing, personal items, games and of course all his potions supplies and paraphernalia was shrunk and stuffed into his trucks. Within an hour Severus had everything ready and went through each room casting the same spells he had on the potion rooms, except for the sitting room he would not do this room until he was forced to leave. When that was done Severus keyed the fireplace to his personal code and went the flame was let he took floo power and called a Diagon Ally. He then sent all his belongs through to the leaky Caldron, once there using all the magical energies to disguise his action Severus port-keyed his belongs to the Manor with a quick note detailing what happened upon his return to school. As a precaution Snape asked Lucius to scan his stuff for spells or devises that might alert anyone to where the Manor located as well as to make sure that he had not taken any of Remus' belongs.
Hurrying to Gringotts Severus had a Goblin withdraw 1,000 galleons and place the money in a bank sack. The money was to be delivered to Remus in the morning if Severus did not write to them. After that Severus went back to the Leaky Caldron and floo'ed back to his rooms at Hogwarts. Upon returning to the school Severus to the school to wait for the summons he expected from the Headmaster. Sighing he sat in his favorite chair, "The past always catches up to us." With that he closed his eyes.