Chapter One: A Crystal Cabinet

Karel and Marjorie were fighting again.

Gideon could hear them through the walls, shouting at each other about whatever was bothering them now. It really didn't matter the subject, it never did. Karel was drinking again. Marjorie was spending too much time with her clubs. Karel had his girlfriends. Marjorie had her boyfriends. Karel was wasting time. Marjorie was wasting money. Gideon knew all the words by heart now, and could follow them endlessly like tracing the raised veins of his father's hands, up unto the arm till they disappeared under his shirt and skin. He knew they still existed; they were just hidden. The arguments, like the veins seemed to be something his parents needed to exist, they needed to feel the hate and pain and make their children feel it too to understand. Exactly what he was supposed to understand, Gideon didn't know.

Gideon closed his eyes and pressed his head even closer to the pillow, trying to drown out the words. He had heard them all over and over again and by now, the words sounded like bees coming towards him from a distance. He put one pillow over his face and pushed in an attempt to drown out the bugs but couldn't. They were still there, just beyond the surface buzzing and threatening him like they always did. He heard Karel scream his mother's name and cringed, burrowing even deeper into blankets.

Please don't wake Silas and Luc, he prayed desperately, please.

Gideon jolted up in bed as he heard something shatter down the hall. He heard three dull thuds. He heard a door slam open and Karel shout, "That's enough! I want you out, Marjorie! Get your things and get out of my house!"

"I'm taking the kids."

"The hell you are, you little…"

Gideon stared at the door as he heard his mother's drunken steps to his room, followed by his father's steady, heavy footfall. He swallowed thickly and stared at the door in the darkness; silently willing it to remained close. Don't bring the fight in here, he pleaded. Don't wake Silas and Luc...

He shrunk back as something- probably Marjorie- impacted his door hard and made the whole room shutter.

"Touch my kids, and I'll kill you!" Karel shouted. "You and your little friends!"

"Gideon?"

Gideon swallowed heavily as he threw back the covers and slid out of his bed. He inhaled sharply as barefoot touched cold marble. "I'm right here, Silas. I'm here."

"Luc's crying." Silas said, in a matter of fact tone. Even at five, Silas had this sagely, dispassionate way of speaking. Gideon despised it. When he was Silas' age, the fighting use to keep him up, and clutching for comfort that would not come. But that didn't matter. Right now, only Lucius did.

"I'll get him." Still in the dark, Gideon groped for his wand on his nightstand before starting towards Silas (and jolting as the tussling couple impacted the wall.) He knew it was just warming up, and how this was going to end. One parent would leave to spend the night at their lover's while the other would come and wake him, screaming at him for either doing not doing anything and then beating him when he asked what could he have done.

It would be unfair and incorrect to say Gideon dreaded this fate. He didn't. Having known no other life, it was accepted and even expected. He was just tired of it, that's all, amazingly tired and somehow, with it, wise and older then his eleven years of life.

But, it was better that he went through it, having gone through it and survived for years, then one of his younger brothers who have not go through it and suffer anew. See? It all made prefect sense in Gideon's mind. He could bear it, and so he did. It wasn't noble or sad; it was merely life as he knew it.

In his brothers' bedroom, Gideon handed his lit wand to Silas and crept to the toddler bed where a beautiful blond haired child was curled tightly into a ball, clutching a stuffed dragon and trying desperately not to cry loud. Gideon's thin arms found Lucius' frail body as he lifted him up. Gideon leaned against the wall, and held Lucius to his chest, rocking slightly and motioned Silas to sit on the foot of the bed.

Silas, again being sagely and wiser then a five year old should be, walked to his door, and shut it. The screaming in the hall was now twice removed and distant memory. Lucius was still crying, even as Gideon tried feebly to comfort him. Silas was waving the wand around in the dark, watching the light trail around in the dark like a firefly.

"I want to go see Severus." Silas said, idly. "Kai said we could…when mom and dad yell…he said."

Lucius was sobbing for his mother, and Gideon, pushing back yawns and his childish desperation for sleep, was trying to maintain some semblance of control. He didn't know exactly why he needed to look in control or in charge, but it made him feel better so he allowed it. He looked over and nodded. "Alright, Silly." He whispered. "We'll go."

Silas' cool exterior broke into relief as he darted towards the fireplace. Gideon called him back sharply and he turned, shyly and started. "You said we could!"

"Put your hand in my pocket and keep it there." Gideon ordered, as he shifted Lucius in his arms. The boy burrowed his head in Gideon's neck and it took everything in him not to move away. Lucius needed touch to be assured, and so he'd get it. He felt Silas' small hand tug into his pant pocket as they walked to the fireplace and stood in it. He shifted Lucius to rest on his hip and with one free hand took hold of Silas' shoulder. Gideon inhaled and braced himself for the unpleasant sensation of being pulled by his bellybutton to Akel Dama.

And was confronted by enormous gold eyes of the Snape Golem. The behemoth was tall and thick with dark brown leathery skin that shone like polished leather. Just under the skin, flowing like blood were strange glyphs that pulsed back and forth to give the creature life. The creature's face appeared waxed over with no attention given to creating a more human appearance; it was devoid of a nose, and ears and there was no tongue in the mouth that added to a subtle eeriness of seeing the creation's mouth form silent words.

And for a second, Gideon and Silas faltered and stumbled back into the fireplace. Gideon's arms tightened around Lucius out of instinct as the Golem reached one massive paw of a hand over to swat at them. Silas made a sound and inched closer to Gideon.

"Deacon, back away, you're scaring the children." Ordered a voice from behind the Golem. The Creature reared up again and turned to regard the man before bowing his head and stepping away to reveal Kaiser James Snape to the children.

Kaiser was staring at the children with his familiar tired eyes and sad smile. Even dressed in a wrinkled uniform and looking beyond exhausted, Kaiser was a sight to be feared and respected. Not a handsome man in the strictest sense of the word, he had his mother's rough, worn features and long nose but didn't hold them with grace, like his brother who was simply beautiful to look at. Kaiser's eyes were dark hazel and almost always hidden under glasses. His hair was dark chocolate and looked black with gray barely beginning to grace it and the scars on his face that cut through his features but didn't take away from the sincere happiness that was on his face at the sight of the Malfoy boys.

"Hello, young ones." He said, happily as he walked towards them. He raised one hand and waved it at the Golem. "Open up the guest bedroom, Deacon, and try not to wake Alchemy. I'll never get him back to sleep if you do."

The Golem bowed deeply, turned and leered at the children once more before disappearing upstairs to complete his tasks. A Golem was difficult to create, even for a skilled Wizard, and even harder to maintain control over. Although not illegal, this from of wordcraft was considered an offspring of the ancient arts of Necromancy and Runes so it was feared and Kaiser had probably created his Golem with this in mind, as well as he desire for protection. He was known for his showmanship, as well as his talent, and no one with half a mind would ever think to question Kaiser on his endeavors. A Master of Transfiguration, and the unofficial King of the immortal Hecate Compound, Kaiser was a sort of living god that had a legacy he wielded like a dynasty.

And Gideon had been completely enamored the Auror God for as long as he could remember. He looked up at Kaiser, and pushed back a yawn. "I'm sorry for waking you, Kaiser. It's just that…"

"No worries, Gideon." Kaiser cut him off. "I was working anyways." He turned and called to his lit office. "Sydney! Malachi! Rio! Get out here. Break time!"

"About time!" Came a voice as the three appeared from his office. The first ones to appear were a couple, the man being a few years younger then Kaiser, with solid black hair and blue eyes that came out first, muttering in German about the lateness of the hour and the woman being a tall, stately beauty with fire red hair and piercing green eyes. The woman wore a gray uniform and looked the most alert of the group, watching the boys with surprise and curiosity.

The youngest of the group, Sydney walked out last. He was wearing a white t-shirt and jeans with gloves on and his loose, long blond hair hanging over his face. He stifled a yawn and looked at the kids. "Are these the replacements?" He deadpanned. "They just get younger and younger."

"Back off, Sydney." Kaiser rebuked, squatting down and picking up Silas in one arm and taking Lucius from Gideon in the other. "These are my unofficial children."

"I thought I was your unofficial child."

"No, you're my Kaga replacement."

"I resent that." The woman muttered.

"Don't get him started on what you are, Rio." Sydney rebuked.

The woman, Rio, arched a brow and looked at Malachi, smiling. "Back me if I quarrel?"

"Don't you dare betray me, Malachi!" Sydney called.

But Malachi smiled and turned to Rio. "Lead and I will follow."

"Quiet all of you!" Kaiser rebuked, "These kids have already been through a battle, they don't need you apes going at it. Into the kitchen, we need ice cream before we go back to work."

"Ah, Caesar's answer for everything." Sydney proclaimed, as he grabbed Malachi's shoulder and Rio took the other. "All hail Caesar."

Kaiser watched them go, and looked down at Gideon. "I'm sorry, young one. They shouldn't have been so loud. I'll tell them off for you."

Gideon smiled at Kaiser and tucked his hand into Snape's pocket as the Auror began to lead them upstairs. He leaned in closer and rested his head against Kaiser's ribs. The Auror ticked from his pocket watch and Gideon found the sound soothing and comforting. Everything about Kaiser was quiet and safe and warm. His wife Sabine was soft-spoken and gentle with arms that felt like down feathers and could rock and sooth a crying child and made everything better with her lyrical voice. Reiner, his brother, was loud and joyful and could take the whole world and make something happy and adventurous. And Akel Dama was always a hectic wonderful mess whenever he came that felt lived in and loved, unlike the polished Elysian Fields that were adorned like a crystal cabinet and meant to be viewed but never used.

Here Gideon felt love and safety, whereas at home he could find none of it and quietly he envied Kaiser's son. Severus Alexander was a little older then Silas and a quiet but assured boy that rarely ventured anywhere without the reassurance that his father or uncle were somewhere in shouting range. Gideon hated him for that. He hated that Severus was only one child and had a utopia to live in while he and his brothers lived in a beautiful glass prison with parents that could hurt as well as love. He hated hating his parents and felt pangs of guilt as he thought such things, but couldn't stop. Here, hearing Kaiser as he ticked and laughed and hugged and kissed, Gideon couldn't help but envy and despise Severus.

"Here we are." Kaiser's voice broke his musing. He pulled away from Gideon to tuck Silas and Lucius into the huge king-sized bed that Deacon had turned down for them. Silas and Lucius were already asleep as Kaiser folded the warm blankets around them and kissed their foreheads before pulling away and extending his hand to Gideon. "Well, your turn."

"I'm not sleepy." Gideon whispered, watching him.

Kaiser exhaled and watched him in the dark. "It's very late, Gideon. You should rest. Come on, into bed. Tomorrow I'll take you, and Severus out for breakfast at Hecate before taking you home."

"They're going to get mad at me for coming here again."

"Nonsense, I'll take care of it." Kaiser reassured him. "It'll be okay."

Begrudgingly, Gideon walked to the bed and crawled into it. He felt Kaiser fold the blankets around him comfortably and was assured by the warmth that came with them. Looking up, Gideon met his eyes, and took his hand into his. "It's going to happen again."

Kaiser's smile flickered for a moment. He looked down and patted Gideon's hands. "I know." He allowed. "But you know Akel Dama's always opened for you guys if you ever get scared." He looked back up. "You're brave for your brothers, Gideon. Thank you. They're lucky to have you." He smiled again, and narrowed his eyes playfully. "Not bad for a Slytherin. What year are you going to, anyways? Sixth? Seventh?"

Gideon laughed. "No, second."

"Ah, a very fine year. Well, I'll make sure to buy you something for the school year."

"Tomorrow? We can go after breakfast."

"Maybe," Kaiser said, looking towards the door. "I'm working on a very important case but I'll try and make it happen."

"What's the case?" Gideon said, sitting up, excited. "Dark Lords? Werewolves?"

"Go to sleep, Gideon."

"Tell me and I'll sleep."

Kaiser laughed. "That's blackmail, you snake." He chuckled and leaned in closer to whisper in a dark dramatic tone. "Vampires. They've crossed the border into England and I have to make sure they don't attack humans."

"Wow…"

"Very wow-worthy." Kaiser clapped his hand over Gideon's as he stood. "Now sleep and I'll see you in the morning."

Gideon watched as Kaiser walked towards the door and called out just as he was about to disappear into the hall. "Kaiser? Things will get better right?"

Kaiser stopped and turned. Something changed in Kaiser even though his face still looked assured and commanding. It was something in the eyes that made him look older and weaker somehow. "They always do," He whispered. "Eventually."