Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters.

Now that that's out of the way, let's begin…

Last time,

Severus steps out of the floo and into his home, leaning against the fireplace for a moment and letting out a breath. He feels tears in his eyes, covering his face with his hands as he tries to calm down. He hears movement and looks up as he lowers his hands, immediately pulling out his wand. He freezes as he sees who is sitting on his couch, a mad grin on his face.

"Bonjour, Papa."

Now,

25th December 2001

"Sevrin?" Severus stares at his son in shock. He hasn't seen him since he was seven. Now he's sixteen. Severus wouldn't have even recognised him if they'd passed on the street.

Sevrin chuckles, "What, didn't you miss me?"

"You shouldn't have come here."

"I only wanted to see you, Papa."

Severus furrows his brows, pain shining in his eyes. "And your père? You don't want to see him?"

Sevrin's demeanour shifts to something far more dangerous. "He's a monster, Papa. I was quite glad to find out you were no longer with him." Sevrin shakes his head, "I'll deal with him, you could help me."

"We worked so hard to raise you four to be good kids. To raise all of you to be good people. How did that go so wrong, Sevrin, why are you like this, why are you hurting people?!"

"I'm helping them," Sevrin replies, "You'll see that eventually, everyone will."

"No." Severus turns away from him. "I'm going to contact the Aurors now, Sevrin. I suggest you leave before they get here." Severus waits a few minutes, knowing that Sevrin is trying to see how serious a threat that was, but it wasn't a threat, it was a warning, a promise, one Severus intends to keep. He moves, grabbing a handful of floo powder and throwing it into the fireplace. "Ron Weasley."

A few moments later Ron's face appears in the Fire. "Professor?"

Severus looks behind him and sees that his son is gone. He turns back to the floo, "It's Sevrin, he was here." He steps back as Ron immediately comes through, wand already drawn.

"Where?"

"Just left a few seconds ago, he can't have gone far."

"Call Draco, tell him to search the perimeter," Ron directs, in full Auror mode as he moves further into the house, searching for the fugitive. He searches every room and every hiding spot before coming back into the living room, Draco coming in a few moments later.

Draco shakes his head as he pockets his wand, "Nothing. Kid moves quick."

"Nothing inside either. How the hell did he get away?" Ron looks at Severus, "You were by the floo the whole time?" Severus nods. Ron sighs, looking to Draco with a frustrated expression. The two have a silent debate before Ron nods, looking to Severus once more. "I'm going to post a few Aurors to watch your house, Remus' too."

"I don't think he'll go see Remus. Not to talk, anyway. He…" Severus hesitates a moment before forging on, "He said he was going to 'deal with' Re. I'm not quite sure what he meant by that but I don't think it will end well for Remus."

Ron nods, "Did he say anything else?"

"Only that he still believes Remus is a monster and eventually people will see he's helping them."

"Okay. Draco, wait here until Brocklehurst and Harmon arrive. I'll head to Lupin's and fill him in, talk to the French Aurors about putting some people on their place. We'll update Tonks tomorrow."

Draco nods before Ron heads through the floo to Remus and Sirius' apartment.

"Don't worry, Uncle Sev. We'll get him." Severus smiles at his godson, though the statement provides no real relief.

26th December 2001

Between waiting for Aurors, filing reports, and he and Ron getting caught up spit-balling ideas at the office, it's not until 3 in the morning that Draco actually gets home. His alarm wakes him far too soon for his liking and he walks zombie-like (no offence Sev) into the kitchen.

"You got in late, everything okay?" Harry asks as he passes him coffee.

Draco smiles, gratefully taking the cup. "There was an incident, one I cannot tell you about, before you ask," He replies with narrowed eyes.

Harry holds up his hands in surrender, "I'm not even on the Sevrin story. Though if we're talking about information that would be of help…"

"I'm not telling you about the attacks, Harry. It's an ongoing investigation, you'll have to go through the proper channels if you want a statement from the department."

Harry huffs, "You being good at your job really gets in the way sometimes," He says jokingly, Draco chuckles at him. "Aren't you supposed to be on paternity leave, anyway?"

"Yeah, that was before we got stretched thin dealing with Rin and the ongoing attacks."

"Stretched thin, you say…?"

"Harry!"

Harry chuckles, "Alright, alright, I heard nothing. Seriously, I'm only doing some basic work from home, don't worry about the kids. You just keep being the amazing officer of the law that I know you are." Draco smiles, leaning his forehead against Harry's. He opens his mouth to respond just as the sound of crying comes from the nursery monitor spell. "I got her, you drink more caffeine, you look dead."

A few hours after Draco leaves for work, Harry's in his office editing a co-worker's draft as Delphini sits on a chair at his desk beside him doing some drawing, and Bella lays in a basinet on the other side of him. A knock at the front door draws his attention.

"I'm gonna see who that is, can you watch Bella for me, Little One?"

Delphini nods to her Dad, moving into his seat when he gets up to watch her little sister, immediately booping her nose affectionately.

Harry smiles at his kids before he steps out of his office and to the front door, opening it to find Anthony Goldstein, the reporter who had been working on the story of the attacks with him prior to him taking some time mostly off but still helping a bit because it's Harry and when has he ever known how to relax.

"Anthony, what's up?" He asks as he steps aside to let his partner in.

"I got a lead on the attacks," he starts, Harry already reluctantly cutting him off.

"I'm on paternity leave, Anthony."

"You're gonna wanna hear this."

Harry grimaces, biting his lip, trying to shove down his curiosity, and then huffing. "Alright, what is it?"

Anthony grins at the victory, handing him a plastic bag. Harry looks at it, frowning.

"Fur?"

"Werewolf fur."

"Where did you get this?"

Anthony winces, "It might be best you don't know. But listen, my source says it belongs to Greyback. Your friend, Lillie, she's met him, right? She'd recognise his scent?" Harry nods slowly. "The Aurors have to know it's werewolves, regardless of whether or not it's him. So they've probably spoken to the Werewolf Sanctuary already. We should talk to her, she might let something slip."

Harry looks towards his study for a moment, seeing Delphini playing with Bella's feet gently. Then he nods. "Okay, but we've got to bring the kids."

"Everyone who works there knows Delphi anyway, I'm sure someone can keep them distracted while we ask some questions."

"Dray's gonna kill me for this."

Severus is showing a couple a few pamphlets in The Sanctuary's lobby when Harry, Anthony, and Delphini walk in, Harry pushing a pram containing Bella.

"Dromeda!" Delphini calls excitedly as she sees one of her favourite people in the world.

"Delphini, what are you all doing here?" She asks, suspicion in her voice as she walks around the reception desk and over to them, hugging Delphi when she's within range.

"Just came to see Lillie. She around?"

"Yes, in the office with Little Benni."

"Would you mind watching the kids for a bit?"

Andromeda still looks suspicious but nods and takes the kids around to the desk.

Harry smiles broadly earning a confused look from Anthony. "Still not used to saying kids plural." Anthony chuckles at him as the two head further into the sanctuary towards Lillie's office. They find the door open and so knock on the doorway.

"Harry, Anthony, hey," Lillie greets, Benni looking over and smiling before looking backdown at whatever paperwork the two are going over.

"So, we were wondering –"

"Aurors told us to say nothing if certain reporters dug up enough to come asking questions here," Lillie tells them both straight away.

"We just have one question and it's not even anything connected to the case legally yet."

"Because you haven't told the people actually in charge of looking into this important information?"

"Exactly, now tell me, do you recognise the scent of the werewolf this came from?" Harry asks as Anthony holds up the bag.

Lillie frowns, taking it and sniffing a little. Her eyes widen. "He's back? I really thought he'd left the country." Anthony and Harry exchange a look that is somehow equally victorious and concerned at the same time while Lillie tells Benni who the fur belongs to.

Benni snatches the fur off of them. "You two cannot run anything about this in your paper. The world is barely accepting werewolves as it is, can you imagine how devastating it would be to their community if this gets out?"

"Greyback is killing people, don't you think they should have some warning to be on the lookout?" Harry asks.

"You put this out there you don't just put a target on the heads of every werewolf in the country, but also your family, because Greyback won't take kindly to it. Harry, the Aurors can stop him without putting anyone else in danger. Please, don't run this story."

Anthony and Harry both internally debate this for a moment before Anthony sighs, nodding and taking the fur back. "Look we can put in an anonymous tip but they can't accept this as evidence without knowing where it came from and I can't expose my source without risking Greyback targeting them."

"At least they'll know to look in his direction," Lillie states.

Harry nods, and he knows she's right, but something just feels wrong.

Ron, Draco, and Tonks sit around Ron and Draco's desks in the bullpen as Ron fills her in on what transpired the night before, the Aurors around them in the conversation as well.

"And you found no sign of him?" Tonks asks.

"None," Ron replies, "It's like the kid just…disappeared," He explains with a 'poof' hand gesture.

"I just don't get it," One of the other Aurors, David Branson, says, "Lupin went to Azkaban at the age of 7, so he never went to Hogwarts, could never use magic. I mean, with Snape as his father he's probably got some idea around potions, but the kid's got no magical training, never even had a wand. So how in the hell could he have vanished in the space of a few seconds?"

Draco winces slightly, "Unless he didn't. Maybe Snape gave him a headstart."

"You think he'd do that?" Tonks asks.

"I…think that we can't rule out the possibility that he had time to get away."

"That, or someone who does know how to use magic is helping him," Ron adds.

"I honestly don't know which scenario is worse," Draco states, dragging a hand over his face.

"He wasn't alone in Azkaban, maybe someone there gave him pointers?" The last member of Ron's team, Marrione Sim, suggests.

Ron nods, "Alright, Malfoy, Sim, you two ask around Azkaban. Tonks' team have put together an extensive list of who he talked to and when, use it. Branson, you and I are going back to Snape's house, we'll take another look around, ask a few more questions, see if something gives."

"I'll get you that list," Tonks tells Malfoy and Sim who follow her out of the room.

"Did you hear the latest on the werewolf attacks?" Branson asks Ron as they gather their stuff to head over to Spinner's End.

"No, they finally get a lead?"

"A tip came in, Greyback's back in town."

Ron's eyes widen as he looks at him. "Oh fuck."

"Yeah, that's everyone's thought right now. Crown's freaking out about being tasked to corroborate the tip and then hunt him down if it's true."

"Better her than me," Ron replies with a shrug, though still off-kilter by the news. "Wonder why he came back now."

Severus heads back to France with Benni when they leave The Sanctuary for the day.

"I just can't believe this is happening," Benni says, referring to her brother as her Papa fills her in on Sevrin's visit.

"I know what you mean."

"Hey! How's The Sanctuary going?" Sirius asks as the two walk over to the kitchen island and find Sirius elbow deep in dough.

"Lillie and Aunt Mary are keeping it running smoothly. I knew they would but it's hard to remember that when I'm at Hogwarts."

"If only worrying about that tempered your spirits at all," Severus complains without true heat.

Benni grins innocently, "Just carrying on the family legacy, Papa. You'll have to blame Père for that one."

"Oh, I do. Don't you doubt that for a moment." Sirius and Benni both snicker at that.

"Besides, most of it's Dannie's idea anyway."

Severus shakes his head, "I'd better get going, I expect Ron's going to be back at some point."

"Thanks for bringing me home," Benni says, "I know it's a floo and it's not like I'm walking home alone or anything but…" Benni curls in on herself a little.

Severus hugs her and gives her a reassuring look. "Anytime."

He gets home and, sure enough, it's only ten minutes later that Ron knocks on the door.

"No floo?" Snape asks in confusion.

"We had a look around outside again while you were out," Ron explains.

Severus frowns, mildly uncomfortable with that, "Right, well, come on in."

"We just need to run through with you what happened last night again," Branson explains.

Severus sighs, gesturing for the two Aurors to take a seat.

"We're just having a hard time understanding how a kid with no training could disappear like that so quickly," Ron explains.

"You think I let him leave before I called you."

Ron raises his eyebrows, "Now why would you assume that?"

"You weren't around when it happened," Severus tells him, "But for the record, we're talking about the person who tried to kill my daughter and traumatised her so badly she did not speak for four years. The person who tortured my then-husband. The person who tied me to a table and flayed me," Severus reminds them, choking up on the last few words. He shakes his head, "I said I was getting Aurors, but I did it straight away without delay. I don't know how he got away, but it wasn't because I let him."

"I happen to know a few questionable decisions you've made in the past in an attempt to protect people that you care about," Ron points out, "Joining Voldemort for one." He leans forward in his chair. "See you and your friends have a long history of covering for each other, and while so far that's gone well for everyone, I hope you realise how badly it will this time."

Severus stares at him for a moment, then he shakes his head. "You're wasting your time here. And while you do it good people are in danger."

"He's your son, you must have some idea where to find him," Branson reasons.

"If I had any idea how his mind works, if I could predict what he'll do, I would have stopped him before he attacked my family!" Severus stands up, "I don't know where he is. So get out of my house and go find him."

Ron and Branson exchange looks for a moment before Ron nods. The two rise, heading towards the floo.

"We'll be in touch."

Severus heads straight back to Remus and Sirius' place, finding Sirius still baking as Benni and Remus sit at the island bench. They both turn around when they hear the floo, Remus walking over in concern as he takes in Severus' obvious anger.

"They think I'm helping him!"

"Who thinks what now?" Remus asks in confusion.

"Ron! That other Auror! They think I'm helping Sevrin! As if I would, I didn't even want to help him when he was on the run, they think I'd help the kid that tried to kill me?!" Severus rants, flinging a hand at Sirius when he refers to him.

Sirius rolls his eyes, "I'll ignore that, shall I?"

"Sev-" Remus tries to say, but Severus keeps ranting.

"I'm not helping him!"

"Severus!"

Severus turns to look at Remus, emotion clouding his face. "I'm not helping him," He says again quietly.

Remus smiles sadly at him, pulling him into a hug. "I know, Sev. I know."

Ron heads home after filling his team in on the rather unhelpful follow-up interview with Severus, a bone-deep exhaustion quickly taking over.

"Tough day?"

Ron looks up at his girlfriend, smiling a little despite his tiredness. "Yeah, tough day."

Romilda walks over, sitting down on the couch and pulling Ron down with her, cuddling up to his side. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Just hard to be working a case so closely related to people I care about."

"Should you even be working it? Isn't that a conflict of interest?"

"Technically. I argued the point that I'd never even met Sevrin. I just…" Ron runs a hand over his face as he wraps an arm around Romilda. "I'm new, the fact that I'm running this investigation is a miracle and I still have so much to prove. I feel like I've only gotten this far because of the whole Inimicus thing and not actually my own merit and…and I don't want it to be that way."

"Babe, if that were true, it would be Draco in charge, not you. He was second," Romilda points out, smiling at him, "You are an amazing Auror, Ron. You gotta believe in yourself, like I do."

"I just don't want my family to hate me when this is all over."

"You're trying to protect them. Things are painful and fresh right now, but when Sevrin's away and this can all be put behind us, they'll understand. They're just scared right now. I can't imagine what it would be like to have my child turn against me like that."

Ron nods at that, "Yeah, neither can I. Must've been a living nightmare."

"Yeah, well, we've dealt with those before. We'll do it again." Romilda kisses Ron who looks at her gratefully.

"Yes, we will."