Chapter 2 – Upon the Land

I am a man upon the land
And I am a silkie upon the sea
And when I'm far and far frae land
My home it is in Sul Skerrie.

Vivian looked up from preparing Ryan's lunch at a knock on the door. "Now who could that be?" she asked herself as she wiped her hands on the towel at her waist. After making sure Ryan was still occupied with his train set, she peered out the window, her brow furrowing at the man in a suit standing outside her door.

He didn't look comfortable in the suit, and there was a scowl on his face Vivian suspected was his normal expression. Something fluttered at the back of her mind, the brief image of a woman in cloak handing her a small bundle, but it soon vanished, and Vivian sighed, opening the door.

"Can I help you, sir?" She had a polite smile on her face, which the man didn't return.

"I need to speak with you concerning Ryan." He sneered slightly when he said her son's name, and Vivian's smile faded.

"Why?" She was tense, ready to close the door in the man's face. Se didn't care if it was rude, she had a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach that was telling her to take Ryan, and run. To get her son as far away from this man as possible.

He didn't give her an answer, or a chance to close the door, though Vivian wondered for a moment what the stick he pulled out was going to do. A dreamy feeling came over her, and she watched as she let the man into her house, leading him into the room where Ryan was playing with his trains.

Snape released the Muggle woman from the Imperius curse after she'd led him to where his son was, mentally snorting as a look of horror came to her face. "I'm not going to hurt you, daft woman," he snapped as she scooped up his son, backing away from him.

"What do you want?"

Snape set the attaché case on the low table on one side of the room, carefully pulling out the parchments he'd prepared. "My son." He held out the parchments to the Muggle woman, scowling when she shook her head.

"I don't understand. Ryan is my son. Mine and Andrew's." She gave him a confused look, holding his son closer. "He was born two years ago, here, in August."

"Your memories have no doubt been modified." Snape had expected this, and he set the parchments aside with a sigh. "The boy which you call Ryan was born at 12 Grimmauld Place, in London. His mother was Hermione Granger, who brought him here without my permission, and against the current laws in the Wizarding world concerning child custody."

As well as performing illegal memory charms on Muggles. No doubt had help from Potter and Weasley. If Dumbledore hadn't forbidden me to harm you, I would have you sent to Azkaban faster than you could blink, Granger.

The Muggle woman shook her head. "No. You're insane. Get out of my house before I call the police."

Severus sighed. "Your Muggle authorities will not be able to assist you, Miss. They…"

"It's Mrs. McAllister." The Muggle woman was clutching his son very close, and the boy was beginning to pick up on her distress. He twisted his head around, and his black eyes met Snape's.

Both of them jumped when the boy let out a gurgle of laughter, and squirmed to be let down. "Crow-man, mummy!"

The Muggle woman began to tremble, and sat on the chair that was closest to her. "You've been watching Ryan. How long? How long have you been trying to get to my son?"

Snape's jaw tightened, and he carefully restrained the urge to hex the woman. "He is not your son, Mrs. McAllister. He is my son, and I will not permit him to remain in a Muggle setting any longer." He paused, his next words tasting sour in his mouth. "I am willing to allow that he will prefer to have your company, and that of Mr. McAllister, and have arranged for you to continue his care. Provided that you accompany me back to my residence."

"You're absolutely insane. I will not leave my home, and I will not allow you to take Ryan away from me. He is my son. I brought him into this world, and I am not going to let your ridiculous story take my son away from me."

"I have already told you, your memories have been modified…"

"No!" The woman was getting hysterical, shaking her head violently, and it was effecting the boy as well, making him wail.

Snape scowled, and reached into the attaché case, pulling out the bottle of memory-enhancing potion he'd brought with him. It was used on cases of accidental or purposeful memory modification on wizards, and he had no doubt it would be effective on a Muggle as well.

Summoning a mug, he poured the potion into it, and stepped over to the woman. "Drink this."

Mrs. McAllister shook her head. "No."

With a sigh, Snape brought his wand up. "I'm not good at memory charms, and more so at those meant to reverse memory modification. You have a choice between the potion, and my shaky skills with memory charms."

She stared at the wand as if it were a poisonous snake, and nodded. "Fine. I'll drink the... potion." Her hand wasn't steady, and Snape held the mug to her lips, snorting when she gagged, almost spitting it out.

Vivian fought the queasy feeling in her stomach as she swallowed the bitter mixture the man fed her. She didn't want to believe magic was possible, but she didn't want the dreamy feeling to come over her again. Who knew what she'd do? Maybe even give him Ryan. No. Never. He's my son. He has to be my son. I remember giving birth to him.

She shook her head as the memory, which had been clear and sharp, began to fuzz. The first few days of Ryan's life were all becoming fuzzy, and Vivian shook her head again. "What's happening?"

Looking up at the man, she saw an impassive face, simply watching her. "What was that? What's happening?"

"Those memories which have been modified are reverting to their original state. It may take several hours for them all to return to normal. In the meantime, there are other matters to discuss. Such as your relocation, or, should you chose to remain here, the relocation of what I chose to keep of my son's current belongings."

"But why? He's happy here. He has a family, and you want to take him away from that. It doesn't matter if you're right, and he was born elsewhere, as someone else's son. He is my son now." She bit her lip. "I even have a birth certificate…"

"No doubt forged." The man dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Granger and her cronies have broken several laws in order to keep my son hidden from me. I have no doubt they would have forged a Muggle birth certificate as well." An unpleasant smile came to hi face. "Fortunately, magical birth certificates cannot be forged. They are created at the birth of a magical child at the Department of Records in the Ministry of Magic. Copies may be obtained, but originals cannot be forged."

He picked up the papers he had set down again, and held them out to her. Vivian took them with a trembling hand, not truly wanting to read them.

Aquilo Tobias Snape

13 February 1999

Mother: Hermione Jane Granger

Father: Severus Snape

Vivian looked up from the first paper, which had the picture of a tiny child on it, and a pair of footprints. "Your name is Severus Snape?"

"You may call me Professor Snape, or sir." The man scowled at her, and Vivian shivered. He was a man used to getting what he wanted.

"Of course, Professor." Vivian looked down at the piece of parchment in her hand. It was truly fascinating. It wasn't like the paper used for the birth certificate she and Andrew kept in a lock box under their bed. "But this only proves you have a son. Not that Ryan is that son."

"Look at the rest of the documents, Mrs. McAllister," snapped Snape.

Professor Snape,

I am writing in regards to a subject which is of great concern to you. I may have the information you require to locate your son, who has been missing since a few days after he was born.

It began this Sunday past, as I was checking on Ron. He was, as you know, involved in a battle with Death Eaters a few weeks ago, and had not woken up since he was brought to 12 Grimmauld Place following the battle. He woke up while I was checking on him, and he asked me if he could trust me with a secret. He needed to tell someone, in case he didn't make it.

I informed him that since he was awake, he was unlikely to die, but he said that there was always the chance that he could. Maybe not this time, but another. He insisted that I listen, and he told me that two years ago, after Hermione's son was born, he and Harry went with her to the Hebrides, to what the wizarding world commonly calls the Isle of the Silkie.

There, he told me, they made sure that her son could be raised safely, and far from this war. He was given to a Muggle couple, though Ron was unable or unwilling to tell me the names of the Muggle couple. He said that it was necessary, and extracted from me a promise not to inform you.

This was a promise I could not, in all good conscious, make, so I merely asked him what reason would I have to speak with you, much less share such a secret with you. He took it as a promise, and I will not inform him that it was not meant as a promise.

I was appalled that he could think of keeping this information from you. I could understand Hermione not informing you of her intentions, as she was raised in the Muggle world, and it is the same with Harry. But Ron is aware of the traditions of the Wizarding World, and as an Auror, he should be aware of the laws as well, and he should know that what he and Hermione and Harry have done is illegal.

Please do me the favor of not mentioning this letter, or its contents at the next meeting. We do not need the inevitable arguing that would ensue.

Neville Longbottom

"Illegal?" Vivian's brow furrowed, looking at Snape. "What does he mean illegal?"

"If you bothered to read everything that I handed you, you would not need to ask such questions. But as you have, I will tell you." Snape leaned closer. "In the wizarding world, the father must be informed and consent to anything that is to be done with a child. A mother may not make decisions concerning the child's welfare alone, unless the child's father is dead, or she is uncertain of the father. But that is not the case with Aquilo, and Miss Granger did not inform me of her intentions, nor did I consent to allow my son to be raised by Muggles. Nor would I ever have done so."

Vivian hugged Ryan closer, a sudden fear stabbing through her at the malice in Snape's black eyes. "But you said you would leave him in my care."

"If you relocate to my current residence. You may speak with your husband on this matter, but I demand an answer before nightfall."

Snape watched the Muggle couple after the man, Andrew, came home, a sneer on his face at the fearful looks being shot in his direction. Fear is a healthy reaction, one they should keep. One Granger and her cronies should have had. This would never have happened if they were properly afraid of me.

The Muggles appeared to come to a decision, and the man cautiously approached Snape.

"Sir, I don't know what you expect me and my wife to be able to do if we move away from here. We can't simply pick up everything and move. What jobs are available where you live? Can I expect to find one?"

Snape cut the man off with a sharp gesture. "You can maintain the residence, while your wife takes care of my son. It would not be safe for you to be outside of the grounds of my residence, nor would I care to take the time to inspect any Muggle job site for the safety of one person.

"Nor will you have need of employment outside of what I offer. I am capable…"

He was cut off by the door being blown open, and he whirled to face the person in the doorway. Black-cloaked, and a bone-white mask marked the man as a Death Eater, and Snape didn't give him a chance to let out a curse, shouting the Killing Curse.

The Muggles were frozen where they stood, staring in horror at the dead body. Snape snarled, without turning, "You have no choice now. It isn't safe here."

"Who was that?" The woman's voice was shaky.

"He would have killed you and my son. That is a Death Eater, and you are not safe here. You can accompany me, or you can remain here and die. I do not care. My son is coming home with me."

"We need to pack."

"You do not have time. I can provide you with clothing more appropriate to the world in which you will be living when we arrive." Snape grimaced at the thought, but he didn't have time to regret the decision. He didn't know if there were other Death Eaters already here, but he doubted that the one he had killed would be alone. "We must leave now."

The man nodded, and beckoned the woman forward, the two staying close to him as they left the house. Snape threw a hex back at the house after they left, and the roar of an explosion could be heard behind them as they ran.

Author's Note: Thank you to duj and Dragonero for your reviews.

duj - How Hermione and Snape ended up having a child together will be explained in the epilogue. Which I will have up before the end of the month.

Dragonero - (1) It's more Neville is living with Professor Snape, and that's because there are things the house-elf just won't do, and Snape hasn't the time. Among other reasons. (2) He wants the child because... well, read the next chapter and his conversation with Dumbledore. I'll let you draw your own conclusions. (3) Hermione will... deal. She's not actually very visible in this story except at the beginning and the end. (4) Um, it's not a Hermione/Snape romance, keep reading to find out where the story heads, and about the Muggles and Snape and his son - interactions and survivability. (5) I hope this chapter answered the problem with the Obliviating of the Muggles.