Chapter 5:

Jamie's rumbling stomach woke her up the next morning. All the kids had slept in the same room that night. She and Lily were curled protectively around Rawlins. Sam was next to them, Madi and James sleeping next to each other. Giachi slept on the other side. The little blonde stood up to get a better view of the room she and Lily had been thrown into. A small table had been erected and with a shriek, the house elves that had been setting it disappeared. She approached it and noticed it was filled with toast, jams, eggs and juice.

"Do you reckon it's safe to eat?" she heard her friend's voice ask. Jamie must've disturbed Sam when she stood up. Or maybe the light sleeper also heard the house elves cries. But now, she spun around.

"Why do you ask?"

Sam sat down on one of the nearby chairs. "My mother and Aunt Eden were once held captive. That's how they met. Apparently, Narcissa Fudge made the food and she couldn't cook. I have a feeling she's behind this somehow," Sam said, leaning on her arms. Jamie sighed; Sam was too smart for a six-years-old and it often showed.

Jamie took a seat and looked around. "It looks good. Besides, I saw house elves lay it out."

"Well, I guess it's good to eat." Sam stood up and walked over to the other children. "Okay, Madi, its safe," hse said, helping her little sister up from the bed. James followed suit, leaving Giachi, Lily and Rawlins still asleep. Jamie helped little James up onto a nearby seat and spread some jam on a piece of toast for him. Sam was pouring juice for her and her sister.

Lily woke up a little while later and hoisted herself onto a nearby chair. "I hate eggs," she announced.

"Then have some toast," Jamie retorted. Lily shot her sister a look, which Jamie perfectly mirrored, and took some toast. Sam passed her other friend the juice jug. "Should we wake them?" the other Lupin girl pointed to her brother and his friend.

"They'll wake when they're hungry," Sam answered.

"There's nuff food," Madi supported her sister. "Mommy won't be happy if I hafta wear this again." Sam nodded; Kiki never dressed her children in the same outfit twice in the same week, let alone in a row.

James pointed to some nearby chairs. "We could wear those," he said. Everyone looked over to where the boy was pointing. Four silver dresses were on one chair, complete with white stockings and white Mary-Jane shoes. On the next chair, three green shirts and black pants were laid out along with black socks and shoes.

"Green? Eww,"Giachi said,standing up. "Why do they hafta be green?"

"They're all Slytherin colors," Rawlins said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Do I smell eggs?"

"EWW!" Lily screamed, jumping off her chair as Rawlins helped himself to some of the scrambled eggs. Sam followed suit, but in her case, she ended up in front of Giachi. She stood there, arms crossed.

"What's so wrong with Slytherin?" she asked. "My dad's a Slytherin."

"And you're mom's a Gryffindor," Giachi retorted. "Just like my dad."

"And Mommy's a Ravenc'aw, Giachi," James added, not realizing the nature of the Snape-Black fight. Sam was extremely proud of both of her heritages—school house wise—and was fiercely defensive when either was attacked. Especially since she equated an attack on Slytherin as an attack on her father more than she saw an attack on Gryffindor as one against her mother. Giachi was fiercely proud of his dad's Gryffindor past and always swore his mother was wrongly sorted. Bianca was always highly amused and was constantly telling her son she had been better off an eagle than a lion.

Lily ran in between to make sure no one left the argument with ANYTHING missing. Their parents were always extremely grateful that it was a few more years before the kids received their wands. Then, Severus often joked, they would have to build a bomb shelter. No one would be safe. "Guys," she cried with arms up to keep the two far away. "Look. Let's not make this bad situation badder—"

"WORSE!"

"WHATEVER! Just…don't fight. Please? And we'll wear the clothes, okay?" she directed this last part to Giachi. He sighed in resignation. Everyone else nodded. Pretty soon, they had separated into boys and girls, using the bed as a shield from the other group. Fifteen minutes later, they trooped out, determined to fix their hair. On the vanity across from them sat a few brushes and ribbons for the girls. They set out determinedly to fight what the girls knew would be a tough battle.

"Ow! Lily, you think you could be a little gentler?"

"I wouldn't be so hard if your hair wasn't all knotty!"

"Madi, maybe I'll let Jamie brush my hair, okay?"

"Otay. Can you b'aid mine?"

"Sure thing, kid. Lily, you want me to do your hair next?"

"Would you? I think my sister might be out for revenge."

"Well, if you bloody well didn't pull so hard!"

"Jamie! No cursing in front of the children."

"Giachi, WE ARE THE CHILDREN!"

Finally, everyone was presentable. "It's about time," a cold voice sneered. The children turned to face a rather tall man with long blonde hair pulled back with a black bow. He wore dark black robes with a black scary looking cane. He stalked into the room, glittering black leather boots reflecting the sunlight that managed to come through the curtains. "I thought you were going to kill each other first," he said, stretching out a gloved hand to pat Sam's head.

"Don't touch her!" Giachi said, standing in front of the Snape girl. The man "tutted" and withdrew his hand. He crossed them behind his back and stared at each of them with his cold gray eyes.

"Obviously, you don't know who I am," he said. "I am Lucius Malfoy. And you are currently my guests, but I do have a few rules for you. After all, children need rules.

"First, you are only to associate yourselves amongst the rooms you were placed into. Namely, this entire floor. You'll eat separately and the house elves will take care of it.

"Secondly, don't complain about the food or clothes we lay out for you. Be grateful, you spoiled brats! Thirdly, if we call for you, you are to come promptly. And we will be addressed as 'sir' or 'ma'am' appropriately, understand?" The seven heads nodded. "Good. Now try to be quiet." With that, he left.

Jamie marched out in front after the door slammed and crossed her arms. "Well, we just received some rules. And we know the number one rule about rules, right?" Six heads nodded enthusiastically. "So, we'll have to teach Mr. Malfoy that rule…that all rules were meant to be broken."

Severus woke up the next morning to an empty, but not yet cold, bed. Kiki must've woken up earlier to feed. Garret. He pushed himself off the bed and changed in regular clothes since the students wouldn't be back for a week. He put on a button down silver shirt and black pants before turning to pull his hair back. Severus took a look at the freshly pressed black robes he would be wearing once school started. Sam always had a habit of hiding underneath them while he taught. She was so quiet no one knew that their potions professor's daughter was there.

Then the day before hit him like a sack of bricks. He plopped down on the bed, head in his hand. No, it was a bad dream. Rather like his Phantom of the Dungeon dream. And like that nightmare, morning had come and he would roll over to find his daughters in the next room playing or reading quietly. Not that they were in the hands of a madman he was ashamed to have once called a friend.

That was it. It was a dream. He stood up and walked out into his living room. Only to find nothing really there, nothing changed. There was no little black haired girls playing with their dolls or reading. He walked into the kitchen to find Kiki staring blankly ahead, a cup of (most likely by now, cold) coffee clutched in her pale hands. Garret laid kicking in a bassinette set up for him. Severus plopped down as he realized it wasn't a nightmare…well, rather it was but he was actually living it.

"I guess you were hoping it was some awful dream," Kiki said, a bit too hollowly for Severus' liking. He reached over and held her hand. "I was hoping the same thing. But when I got up to feed Garret, I checked their beds and their little bodies weren't in there." At this, she broke down crying. Severus crossed the table in seconds and gathered his wife in his arms. They just sat there, curled up together on their kitchen floor, her crying hysterically into his shirt.

"It'll be fine, we can't give up now," Severus said, rocking her gently. "If we stop then the kids might as well stop their rebellion."

"I know, but it's so hard. If only Harmony and I didn't respond to that false alarm."

"Then you would've been knocked out with Bianca. Don't play the 'what if' game, Kiki. You never have and I don't think you should now. Start now and you stop living. Lucius took my daughters; I don't want him to indirectly take my wife's spirit."

Kiki sniffed and allowed herself to be picked up by her husband. He gently placed her on the couch, covered her with a blanket and told her to rest. "How did you know I didn't get much sleep last night?" she yawned. Rolling over, Kiki was soon sound asleep.

Severus smiled and went back inside to handle Garret, who was starting to fuss. "I guess you feel a little neglected, don't you?" he cooed to the child. Garret stuck a tiny fist out and encircled his father's bony finger. Severus started to hum a tune only to realize he was humming "If I Can't Love Her" from Beauty and the Beast. He looked over to his slumbering wife and then down at his cooing son. He smiled as he realized how far he had come from that dream so long ago.

Remus carefully picked up the discarded little denim skirt off the floor. He held it close, smelling the juniper scented soap Harmony used for the children at bath time. He hung the skirt on a hanger and placed it in Jamie's closet before turning to her side of the bedroom. As usual, it was a complete mess—just like Harmony. Little socks were everywhere, mixed in with dolls and books. Her bed was messy and he began to pull down the gold sheets and red blankets. Once the little chick Jamie had had since she was a few months old was sitting on the bed, he turned to face Lily's side of the room.

Lily was definitely the neat-freak of the family. Not only were the pale pink sheets and pale purple blankets perfectly arranged on her bed, but the stuffed animals she slept with were too. Her books were arranged alphabetically and everything was folded or hung up. Her laundry was actually in its basket right by her door for the house elves to handle. He chuckled and then sighed as he walked out of the twins' shared room before heading towards his son's. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Alida calmly playing in the living room, complete control of the couch hers.

Remus was surprised to find Harmony already in the room, wearing a pink shirt and jeans, sitting on Rawlins' bed. She was clutching a picture close to her while staring down at another one on the bed. He sat down next to her and placed an arm around her waist. The picture lying on the bed was the cutest picture that Remus obviously wasn't aware of being taken. He was asleep on their couch back in 14 Grimmauld Place with the twins (still babies) sleeping on his chest, an arm protectively slung over their tiny backs. Harmony lay against his chest, sobbing uncontrollably as he pulled the picture clutched to her chest away to get a look at it. In it were three pictures—all of them of Harmony and their newborn children. "Oh, Honey," he cooed to her, stroking her hair. They just sat like that until Harmony could control her tears.

Sirius walked down the stairs blindly—only being led by his intense hunger and the delicious smells coming from his kitchen. He walked into the living room and tripped over a piece of luggage. He pushed himself up and brushed off his clothes as he contemplated what had just happened. It wasn't' everyday that he tripped over such pieces. The last time was when Harmony had returned and, in hers and Remus'…passionate…reunion, had forgotten to put the luggage somewhere out of harm's way. So, why was this luggage here?

He stared till Bianca came out of the kitchen. She plopped down next to her husband, Arden in her arms. "Are you going to come inside and eat breakfast or do you want to continue staring at my mother's suitcase?" she asked, stroking her husband's cheek.

"Your mother?" he croaked. Bianca sighed.

"Yes, remember? We agreed last night we would talk to her about…"

""About the boys being kidnapped,"Sirius finished, pulling Bianca closer to him. He wiped away a few of her tears while trying to remain composed himself. "So, what's with the luggage?"

"I told you. She's now setting up camp until Giachi and James come home."

"Sirius and Bianca, get in here now for breakfast! Where did Molly keep that spatula?" Giacinta Jennings' voice was heard from the kitchen. Sirius paled at the mention of Molly Weasley's infamous "Spatula of Death" and the thought of his mother-in-law using it. He immediately dashed inside while Bianca followed with an amused look on her face and a clapping Arden.

A/N: I'm back! And I've learned this: My family+11 days+ a lot of time in the carnot good. I was vacationed out by our fifth day. But I did manage to finish the sixth Harry Potter book and needed the other six days to reconcile everything. Especially between canon!Snape and my!Snape. Thanks go to:

Roxy Black: And we fanfic addicts as well as the people who supply them don't wish for a rehab.

SarahtheBardess: As an author, you really shouldn't play favorites…but Sam is one of mine. She's going to be a big part in the story (which I am watching slowly slip from the control I had when I started). The baby talk was the hardest but I'm trying. I love my! Snape too.

cerzee: Thank you and trust me, by the end of this, you'll all be questioning Lucius' sanity. Even I'm questioning it and I'm writing it!

Okay, I was hit was a large plot bunny for this story. So, I have to go feed it and make sure it's still in its chains! Mac