Chapter 15: Alex's Ability


Classes were over. And Severus was on his way to pick Alex up to take him to their father's office.

Alex looked at Severus with a raised eyebrow as he realized they were heading to their father's office -"Where are we going, the common room isn't this way and I have to drop my things off before I go to detention"-

-"Dad has exempted you from detention today; he wants to see us in his office"- Severus said with utmost neutrality, in the note he specified that Alex didn't have to go to detention today, as conversation could become somewhat lengthy.

-"But, but, why are we going to dad's office, I didn't do anything bad today, I behaved myself, I've been a good boy"- Alex said as he tried to keep up with Severus. He was nervous, and he wanted Kat right now.

-"You are not in trouble, neither you nor me. Dad just wants to talk to us"- Severus said with a shrug.

Alex bit his lip – "And Kat?"- He fiddled with his fingers nervously.

Severus rolled his eyes and sighed exaggeratedly. -"No, she won't come; you'll see her later at dinner or in the common room."- He was really starting to be annoyed by his sudden over-attachment to their older sister.

They both arrived at the office. Severus knocked on the door as Alex hid behind him. Severus walked inside without waiting for an answer, as Alex walked behind him.

Snape looked up when he heard his sons come in. -"You two sit on the couch, please"- He said, standing up from his desk.

Severus shrugged and sat down, putting his school bag on the floor.

Alex looked suspiciously at the couch before sitting down next to Severus, also putting his backpack on the floor.

Snape placed a chair in front of his sons and sat down.

Alex swallowed as he moved to a corner of the couch. He felt nervous, his father didn't seem upset, but still, most of the time he was called to his father's office it was because he was in trouble, even though Severus said he wasn't, he was still alert and wanted to keep his bottom out of his father's reach.

Snape sighed at his youngest son's actions -"Alexander, sit down properly, you're not in trouble, you've done nothing wrong"- He said quietly.

Alex scanned his father for any hint of anger in his magic, when he felt only warmth coming from him; he sat back down where he was.

Severus rolled his eyes as he watched his little brother sit back down next to him and then looked at his father, waiting for the talk to begin.

Snape raised an eyebrow looking at Severus and cleared his throat. -"Very well, Severus, I have a few questions for you"- He said before looking at Alex -"And then I'll talk to you Alexander"-

Alex and Severus nod at the same time.

Snape looked at Severus again -"How did Alexander react to Katarina's fall yesterday?"-

Alex frowns -'Why did dad want to know that?'- He thought, pouting a little. Because of that question Alex wants Kat even more, he wanted her to be here, he wanted to feel her magic and sit on her lap for comfort.

Severus took a deep breath -"Well, first, he was frozen when she fell off the broom. Immediately, I got him out of there, since Kat had asked me to. I had to drag him because he fought all the way to the castle while crying and saying he wanted to go back, I had to pick him up, so I could walk faster. And it was at that moment that he stopped fighting, he just cried Kat's name. I took him to my dorm and tried to calm him down, but I couldn't, he fell asleep from crying so much after an hour and when he woke up a few hours later he started crying again and wouldn't calm down until I took him to sleep with her"- He ran his hand over his face -"Father, he was inconsolable, no matter when I told him she was fine he just kept crying. He always gets a little worried when Kat gets hurt, but he calms down when I told him she's fine, but not this time, I really didn't know what to do"- He finished with a sigh.

Snape nodded as he listened attentively to his son, and now he could understand more why he wanted to give up taking care of Alex, just like him, giving comfort was not one of his virtues, besides having very little patience. And his oldest son had less patience than he did when it came to Alex.

Alex's eyes watered as he listened to Severus speak. -"Kat"- He sobbed, as he remembered everything that happened yesterday, that feeling of fear and insecurity had returned. If it wasn't for his father's warm magic, he would have burst into tears like yesterday.

Severus and Snape looked down at Alex when they heard him sobbing.

-"Why are you crying now?"- Snape said quietly.

-"I want Kat; I want to go with Kat"- Alex said between sobs as tears streamed down his face.

Severus rolled his eyes -"Like that, that's exactly how he got yesterday"- He prayed that he wouldn't burst into tears like yesterday, or he would go crazy.

Snape sighed before getting up, actually Kat and Severus were right his youngest was too sensitive, he needed to keep the kid calm, so he could continue the talk. He picks up the small boy by the armpits, then sitting on the couch placing him on his lap, hoping that would be enough to keep him as calm as possible.

-"Kat"- Alex clung to his father's neck staying as close to him as possible. He wanted to feel safe, he didn't understand what was going on with him either, it's like he couldn't control his emotions at all

-"What about his nightmares, does he still have them?"- Snape said as he rubbed Alex's back.

Severus nodded -"Yes, he didn't have nightmares for the rest of the weekend since I gave him the potion. But he had a nightmare the night before Kat's match. I didn't give him the potion because he had fallen asleep in Kat's arms while we were taking him to his dorm, but I left it on his nightstand for him to take if he had one"- He explained himself before a possible scolding -"But he didn't take it, he was crying saying he wanted to sleep with Kat, but I didn't let him because I didn't want him to wake Kat up, but he kept crying"- He sighed remembering that night -"I had to convince him to take the sleeping potion and then take him to my dorm. But the next day he was first in a bad mood because he couldn't sleep as he felt Kat's 'magic' and then he spent the whole day repeating Kat's name, that he wanted to go with Kat"- He ran his hand over his face. -"I didn't give him the potion last night either, I couldn't convince him to take it. But I guess he didn't have any nightmares, since he was in a good mood and Kat didn't say anything to me"- He added quickly.

Snape sighed when he finished listening to his son's explanation, refraining from scolding him for not giving the sleeping potion to his brother, it wasn't the time for that. He looked down at the small boy who was clinging to his neck and sighed again. -"Alexander, son, I need you to calm down, so we can talk"- He needed to hear Alex's explanations now, to be absolutely sure what it was that his son had.

Alex shook his head as he sobbed. -"Kat, I want Kat, please take me to Kat"- He said, clinging tighter to his father's neck.

-"Come on, son, we need to talk about this now, you'll see Katarina later"- Snape said, pulling his son off his neck to look at him.

Alex burst into tears when his father pulled him off his neck; he wanted comfort, not talk -"Waaaahhhh, Kat, Waaaahhhh!"-

Severus sighed in exasperation -"By Merlin, not again!"- He growled at his brother's cries -"Why does this kid have to be a cry baby"- He muttered.

-"Severus Salazar!"- Snape said in a scolding tone before sighing -"Don't call your brother that, you'll only make him cry more"- He pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought about how to calm the kid. After a few seconds he came up with an idea, from his office you could see a clear view of the pitch. He stood up putting his son on his hips and walked towards the window -"Look, there's Katarina, if you stop crying, and we finish our conversation quickly you can go to see her right after she finishes her practice, okay?"-

Alex turned his head towards the window without stopping crying -"Waaaahhhh, Kat, Waaahhhh!"- But he started to calm down when he could see Quidditch pitch. And he stopped crying and just sobbed and sniffed as he watched his sister catch the snitch. -"Kat"- He looked up at his father and nodded before putting his head on his shoulder, he was starting to feel tired.

Severus sighed in relief when the kid stopped crying -'Please, whatever it is that this kid has that has a cure, or I'll end up killing him one of these days, or I'll go completely insane'- He thought, he refrained from saying it out loud he didn't want to be scolded, or get in trouble or worse have Alex burst into tears again.

Snape walked back to the couch and sat down. He straddled Alex over his lap, so he could look at him. -"Now Alexander, tell me about Katarina's 'magic', why is her magic different from ours?"-

Alex wiped away tears as he shook his head -"Everyone has different magic, Kat's magic, it's relaxing, calm and makes me feel safe, if I'm too tired it makes me very sleepy"- He finishes speaking tilting his head, he was a bit confused about his father's question, he thought that everyone could see what he saw -'Mmm, maybe dad is just curious about how I see magic'- He thought resting his head on his father's shoulder, it never crossed his mind that he could be the only one able to see magic.

Snape nodded slowly as he listened to him before sighing when Alex rested his head on his shoulder. -"Alexander, you know I don't like it when people don't look me in the eye when I talk to them or talk to me, please sit properly and look at me as we talk"- He said sternly as he patted his back.

Alex pouted as he took his head off his father's shoulder; he deepened the pout as he looked at him.

Snape bit his lip to keep from smiling at the look on his son's face -"Very good, let us continue. Now, what about my 'magic' or Severus's, what is it like, how does it make you feel?"-

Severus looked at his father blankly, but decided to stay quiet and listen to the two of them talk.

Alex tilted his head slightly -"Sev's magic is the complete opposite of Kat's, it's very cloudy and electric, it makes me feel very active and energetic. It makes me want to bounce and run around all day!"-

Severus lets out a small growl as he heard what he said to Alex about how his magic makes him feel, he didn't quite understand what it meant, but it didn't sound good at all, to him.

Alex didn't notice his brother's growl and kept talking -"And yours is very strong and very intimidating, but it's also sometimes warm and makes me feel safe, but unlike Kat's magic, when I feel your magic I feel like nothing bad can happen to me, whereas with Kat it's like everything bad is gone away"- He smiles widely -"I really, really like Kat's magic!"- At the mention of that his eyes watered again -"Kat"-

Snape nodded as he rubbed his back -"Come on, son, don't cry, just a little more, and you can go with Kat and feel her magic"-

Alex nodded as he sniffed -"Okay, I won't cry"- He tried to hold back his tears.

Severus raised an eyebrow, feeling even more confused. -'I think I got lost in this conversation'- He thought in frustration of not understanding anything.

-"Good boy"- Snape continued rubbing his back -"Can you feel other people's magic or just ours?"-

Alex thinks for a moment -"I can see them, but they don't make me feel anything, it's like I know they have magic, but I don't feel anything coming from them"-

Snape nods -" Well, that would be all, you've done very well, just a little bit more, and you can go with Kat"-

Severus saw the perfect opportunity to speak - "Father, could you explain to me, because I'm not understanding anything, seeing and feeling magic, what does it all mean?"-

Snape places Alex on Severus' lap and then gets up from the couch.

Alex frowns slightly when he was no longer in his father's lap, but then snuggles into Severus' lap. Seeking some comfort as he waited to be taken to Kat. He yawned, feeling emotionally tired, his emotions were a mess, but because of Severus' magic, he couldn't sleep, it filled him with a little energy, so he wouldn't fall asleep.

Severus settled Alex in his lap so that his head was resting on his chest and rubbed his back as he watched him yawn, maybe he could fall asleep if he did that, it would make things easier.

-"I'm still researching, but I think Alexander might be a magical aura reader"- Snape says as he walks over to his desk and takes a book from it.

Severus blinks rapidly. -"He's a what?"- If he was confused and lost before, he was even more so now.

Alex looks at Severus and then at his father, not understanding what was going on. He decided to concentrate on not crying again, he had to be tough and wait until he went with Kat. He played with the sleeve of his robe to distract himself, not paying attention to the conversation going on around him.

-"A magical aura reader, a person able to see and feel the people' magic, the creatures' magic and even the magic objects"- Snape sat back down on the couch and placed the book on his lap -"It's a magical ability; your brother is the bearer of a magical ability"-

-"And what does that have to do with why he's been so physically attached to Kat?"- Severus had heard of magical abilities, and that it was something that not everyone possessed, but only very special cases could possess such abilities.

Alex looked at his father wanting to sit on his lap again, Severus' magic made him want to bounce. He continued to play with his sleeve as he pouted, he wanted to get some sleep, but couldn't, he wanted to go with Kat, but couldn't, he was really frustrated.

Snape thinks for a moment wanting to organize his words, so he could explain everything in the best way to his son -"Magical aura readers are characterized by being very affectionate and more so with those magics they are attracted to, in this case Katarina. They are also very sensitive to situations that are very stressful or that produce very intense emotions, whether good or bad. According to Katarina, she has had to carry Alexander in her arms practically everywhere since the boggart incident and that his attachment to her has increased since two days ago right after the incident with Miss Hunter"-

Severus nodded. -"Yes, he really was very traumatized by that incident, even after he had accepted that it was all fake he still wanted to be with Kat most of the time. And besides, when Kat was carrying him after everything that happened with that brat, he said it was a very stressful day for him and Kat's magic made him feel better"- He thought for a moment -"But I don't understand, I thought all Alex's attitudes were due to his personality, he's always been a very sensitive kid"-'Because he's the youngest and pampered'- He thought, refraining from saying it out loud -"And he's always been attached to Kat, but it's only because she has more patience than us and is more affectionate"-'And she's practically been his mother'- He thought, and also refrained from saying it out loud -"But none of that is out of the ordinary, why now? Why didn't we notice it before?"-

Snape opens the book and looks down at him -"According to this, one is born an aura reader, so it's not unusual that every time Alexander had a problem, he went to where Katarina was, since, as he says, everything bad goes away when he feels her magic. But this ability becomes stronger as the individual grows up. At first aura readers can only feel the magic of those closest to them, but in time he will be able to feel the magic of almost everyone who possesses it"- He sighs -"I know very well that my parenting methods with Alexander, may have led him to be a very sensitive kid which also caused him to become very attached to Katarina early on, that is why we did not realize that something was wrong, but rather that it was the personality he acquired from the different experiences during his growth"-

Severus nods -"So, just to clarify, he was born that way, and because of how we've treated him over the years, in Kat's case, that she's practically taken care of him since he was four years old caused not only an emotional attachment, but a magical attachment as well?"-

Snape nods -"Exactly, in my case, since he's seen me how I treat most people in a very different way than I treat him or you, he's been able to associate my magic as not only strong and intimidating but also as safe and warm, or at least that's how he feels about it. And in your case, you're always teasing him and making fun of him constantly which causes you two to fight constantly, which may have made him associate your magic as something that requires a lot of energy, or at least that's how he feels about your magic"- He raised an eyebrow, trying not to sound like a scolding -" Of course this is just my speculation, as we can't be sure what the reasons were for Alexander to perceive our magics in the ways he does. What I am sure of is that magical aura readers only have in common that they can see magic, but what each aura makes them feel varies depending on how they perceive people, their experiences, their mentality, their maturity, and other things"-

Severus lets out a groan when he hears what his father said; now it made sense why his brother was so hyperactive around him and the way he acted around him.

Snape closes the book and looks seriously at Severus -"Now Alexander is experiencing a great increase in his abilities which brings as a consequence that his emotions are sky-high, that he is even more sensitive to things that happen to him and will constantly seek comfort from Katarina, having her close or hugging her, makes his emotions stabilize and return to normal, as his eyes have to get used to feel and see new magics that he is not used to"-

Severus raises an eyebrow. -"So, he'll be physically attached to Kat forever then?"- He asks genuinely intrigued, his sister was going to have it even harder than she had it now.

Snape shakes his head. -"No, he will seek comfort and affection from Katarina when he feels insecure or scared, as in the case of these two days, but the more time passes he will learn to control his emotions and stop depending on her. But the effects that her magic produces in him will not cease, he just does not need Katarina's comfort urgently, he will look for it to feel better when he really needs it as he has been doing so far, but he will not cry as he did a while ago, nor will he have the need to go to sleep or to be with her for any little thing"- He sighs, hoping that maybe when his youngest's emotions stabilize he will mature a little and most of the things he does he will stop doing them.

Severus puts his hands on his head as he growls. -"That means that since he has said that my magic makes him feel full of energy, that means that every time I take care of him, he will be bouncing, running and jumping around me not wanting to stop. And now that his emotions are a mess, my magic will only make him worse?"- Now that he had said it out loud he had realized that the next three weeks were going to be a hell, having the kid running and bouncing around.

Snape nods -"Possibly, I still need to keep investigating more things, like how long does it take until his magic stabilizes? If it will only be once, or will it happen several times? And other more things that I will tell you in due time?"- He still didn't want to tell him about the possibility that he and Kat might also develop some ability, since it didn't seem like they were born with any and besides they hadn't developed any so far. So the possibilities were minimal.

Severus sighs, not wanting to think about his future with an even crybaby and more hyperactive Alex -"Just one more question, why this kid didn't say anything, obviously what he has is not normal"- He looked down at Alex and almost answered his question himself as he realized how concentrated the kid was playing with his sleeve -"You don't have to answer, I think I already got an idea of why"-

Snape nods as he sighs a little frustrated when he realizes that his youngest wasn't listening to the conversation. -"Alexander, did you hear anything I said?"- He puts his hand on his son's shoulder when he didn't get an answer -"Alexander!"- He shook him a little.

Alexander looked up at his father with watery eyes -"Can I go with Kat now, daddy? Pretty please"- He sniffed, he really couldn't stand it anymore, he felt so bad, his emotions were in chaos, he didn't want to cry, but he's about to.

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose before looking at Severus. -"I guess it doesn't matter for now, I'll sit down and have a talk with him later when I have all the information, since it seems that being born like this, he still doesn't realize it"- He looked down at Alex -"We're done talking, you can both leave"-

Alex nodded and jumped off Severus' lap and ran for the door.

-"Alex, wait for me, you can't go around alone yet!"- Severus said as he grabbed his and Alex's school bag and got up to walk towards him before he could leave the office -"Goodbye, father"- He said as he opened the door.

-"Bye, dad"- Alex said as he ran out of the office and Severus followed him.

-"Alex, don't run!"-That was the last thing Snape heard before his office fell silent.

Snape got up and walked to his desk. He wrote a couple of letters and sent them with an owl and then summoned an elf and asked him for a couple of things, he needed to advance his investigation as fast as possible.