Chapter Forty-Three

It had been three weeks since the attack and still Severus had come up with nothing.

He had gone to every questionable bookstore in Britain. He had contacted those whom he had worked with in Italy. He had owled every research professional that he had ever made a connection with; every connection that even just the Foundation had connections with – Eugene's networks in particular. But everything turned up blank.

Even Dumbledore could offer no information to help.

Blood Magic was just too rare, too taboo for anywhere to hold material about it.

Severus had considered taking a page out of Black Sr.'s book and heading out to scour the globe in search of one Eugene Hopkins and demand he tell him what it was he had done to Regulus – and he'd be more than willing to demonstrate his own capabilities when it came to the Dark Arts in the process – but he knew such actions were fruitless.

Eugene's determination was adamant and the only successful outcome of such an encounter would be the other man locked up in Azkaban. With Severus as his cell mate.

And then Regulus would have no one fighting for a cure.

Then again, something strange had happened only a few days prior.

Severus lifted the newspaper; The Wizarding Chronicle.

Severus did not read tabloids but this one had demanded it, as it lay unassumingly on one of the low tables in the St Mungo's reception area.

A large picture of Regulus Black graced the front page with the headline:

Black Attack: Warranted or Villainy

Regulus was no stranger to having articles written about him, particularly those that painted him in a less than flattering light. The odious Rita Skeeter had written a handful of them during the trials some years before. Public opinion had been affected accordingly.

Perhaps without said articles, the outcry may have not been quite so vehement when Regulus' case had finally been dismissed in 1981.

The article in the Chronicle was different.

It was not soft on Regulus, per se, but it most definitely lent more in his favour than any article had ever done before. It discussed Regulus past with alarming accuracy, his well-known – yet unproven – role as a Death Eater during the war, the eventual collapse of the trial against him, his actions in the aftermath. It deliberated the question of reclamation and absolution. It reinforced the dangers of following a path of vengeance, as chosen by Eugene Hopkins; the resulting corruption of the soul and, by extension, the community if a person or a people were unable to find it within themselves to forgive.

Severus had kept it, intending on making Regulus read it when he awoke; the writer of the article speaking incredible sense.

Meredith Snow.

Severus had never heard of her. Nor had he ever read The Chronicle before.

He wondered if she was a sympathiser of the Dark Lord. Or perhaps she had been a conquest of Regulus' during the war. She certainly seemed to have a firm grasp of his character.

One article meant little in the grander scheme, especially from a newspaper as obscure as this one. At least, that is what Severus had thought when he had first come across it.

In the days that followed, similar articles began to emerge across the press, as if a ripple effect had been cast.

Some remained true to their scathing portrayal of Regulus Black. Some had softened their views. Some barely even mentioned him. But all held the same underlying message. That it was time to forgive; that the lives lost in the Foundation attack, the innocent, were not worth the price for one man's vengeance.

And so public opinion seemed to level out for the first time in six years, as two sides formed.

Those believing in forgiveness, in the right to redemption, the right to correct the wrongs of the past; and those who believed the opposite, that justice had not yet been served.

Protestors who had previously lined the walls and gates of the Foundation calling for Regulus Black's blood were replaced by demonstrators in support of him, in support of the Foundation, in support of Andromeda Tonks and those who had died.

The Foundation had been closed for three weeks, this odd turn of events taking place during the last, when Heart, Butterman and Littlewood had shown up in his office at Hogwarts, where Severus now spent most of his time.

"We want to reopen, Severus."

Andromeda was dead.

Five others perished with her.

Regulus was incapacitated.

Severus did not think he had the energy and, to be perfectly honest, he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about going back there at all.

Now that he knew the truth about Eugene, now that the memory of the very beginnings of the Foundation had been tainted with such a dark truth, he felt an almost hollowness within his chest just thinking about the place.

"Impossible. There is no one to direct."

"There's you."

Severus met Heart's eyes, holding her look evenly. They all were looking at him expectantly, hopefully, as if he, himself, held the answers to their troubles. But Severus was uneasy, the betrayal still fresh, and a little voice in the back of his mind whispered, ominously, asking him if he could even trust these people.

Never again would he be fooled by a smile, a laugh, a pat on the back.

"I cannot. I do not have the time. Hogwarts is in session."

Excuses.

"The boss would want this."

Severus glared back at her.

"Severus."

His eyes flicked to the man who spoke, Butterman, the first person other than Cornelia to do so.

"We'll do everything we can. We'll work day and night. The Aurors have finished their investigation and the building has been restored. It's ready so long as we are."

"We are not."

Littlewood spoke up; "You take over the role as director –"

"No."

"Sever –"

"The Foundation is not mine." Severus cut Heart off.

She pursed her lips together, as Littlewood went on.

"Have you seen the Foundation recently, Severus? Have you seen the demonstrators? Have you read the articles? The people want this!"

"I could not care less what the people want, Mortimer." Severus ground out as he stood, turning his back and walking to his bookshelf, needlessly lifting a volume; "It was not so long ago that said people were calling for Regulus' death." He gave a snort, without humour; "Now they almost have their wish and they have suddenly changed their minds."

Anger seemed to be Severus' default emotion these days. At Eugene Hopkins. At the people. At his former colleagues. At his students. At himself.

"We understand, Severus," Heart said, quietly, her tone conveying the truth of the statement; "This…something like this, you can't just bounce back from."

Severus' hand curled over the cover of the book he held as he looked back at them.

"But we can't lose sight of what's important," she went on; "Of what the Foundation means. And what Regulus was fighting for."

Butterman nodded his head in agreement; "If we don't reopen, if we let the Foundation fall, then Eu- then Hopkins gets exactly what he wanted. Regulus Black gone. And the boss' work erased, as if it meant nothing, and he and the place become remembered only because of that day."

Severus walked back, tossing the book carelessly onto the desk; "We have no Founder, no Co-Founder, no Head of Research and, if I was to take up Regulus' role – temporarily – then we would also have no Deputy Head of Research either."

He sat down, dragging his chair forward with a loud scrape across the dungeon floor; "Who would direct the projects? Orion is still in the presentation stages, it will need to be proposed and introduced, and Dorado is in need of constant supervision." He drew over a pile of first year essays he still had to mark, forcibly stabbing the end of his quill into the ink pot, making some slosh over the edge and stain the desk; "And I have no interest in dealing with all the intricate details that Regulus participated in; Learning Centre field trips, Foundation parties, focus groups in the Counselling Wing –"

"Delegate the duties. The Department Heads would be more than happy to increase their workload; to do their bit," Butterman stated, with certainty; "We're all willing to do it. We've discussed it with them."

Severus fingered his quill as he considered it.

There was a silence, as they anticipated his response.

"Severus." Littlewood's voice was steady, sure and true; "We are all behind Regulus Black."

Severus lifted his eyes from the desk to their faces, to each of them, and he could see, without doubt, that they meant it.

He drew in a breath, thinking about Regulus lying there, near death. Knowing that they were right. That this is what he would want.

And knowing that, as much as he protested, he could not just sit back and let everything his friend had built, everything they all had built, crumble without a fight.

Yes, Severus was angry.

Angry in that childish 'I-Hate-The-World!' sort of way that was so familiar, because he had experienced surges of the emotion frequently since before he could even remember.

What was it that Meredith Snow's article had said?

That we could not dwell and drown ourselves in hate and thoughts of past wrongdoings; that we must, as a people, unite - look forward and fight for what is now.

The reminder of the overly-sentimental statement in the article almost made him roll his eyes.

But not quite, as he looked into the eyes of his people.

People behind Regulus. And, he could tell by the look in their eyes now, people who were behind him.

Severus gave a single nod.

"Very well."

The squeals of the two boys could be heard from the other room, clear as day, before the playful roar of Sirius' voice joined in, making their own cries become even louder.

"God, Lily, it's like a bloody zoo in this place!" Julia winced against the noise.

Lily grinned and nodded, as she finished up stirring the tea she had been making; "You get used to it." Her voice was raised to be heard, as she lifted the mugs and headed over, placing one down in front of Julia as she reached the table.

Lily plonked down, closing the door to the living room with a flick of her wand and dimming the noise, somewhat. She turned curious eyes to her friend; "So, I got a letter from Meredith this morning."

Julia sipped her tea.

Lily's lips twitched in a smile.

"I didn't think you two spoke anymore."

"We lost contact, that's all," Lily admitted, her quest to find a cure for James having resulted in the loss of many old friendships; "But I wrote her earlier this week after the article. Just to say I thought it was great, what she was saying."

"Mhm. And what did she say?" Julia asked, feigning nonchalance, lifting a biscuit and dipping it into her tea.

"She said; 'well, I thought you would, since Julia had been so adamant I write it'."

Julia grinned.

"Why did you do it?"

Julia lifted another biscuit to dip; "Lots of reasons. Maybe it'd get you your job back. And, y'know, he's Black's brother and he's been pretty up in arms about the whole thing. Not to mention that adorable little kid of his you've been harbouring for the past three weeks; he doesn't need to grow up thinking the whole world hated his pops."

Julia shrugged as she added; "And hey, he's a good guy. Least, he seems to be, from what I've seen."

"Even though he was a Death Eater?"

"You don't think he's one of the good guys?"

"I do," Lily conceded; "I just didn't realise you'd spent enough time with him to think so as well."

Julia lowered the mug from her lips, looking thoughtful for a second; "I spoke to him a few weeks ago, at Harry's party. You can see it in him. See that he carries it." She shrugged, reaching for a cake this time; "He's trying. And –" she took a bite; "second chances are wonderful things, my friend. People should grant them more often."

Lily smiled, nodding slightly in agreement.

The door to the living room burst open and Harry and Malachi ran through, squealing, throwing themselves down low behind the kitchen counter.

Sirius followed, slowly, with a teasingly menacing gleam in his eyes, supporting himself on the crutches he had finally acquired from St Mungo's a few days before.

It was time, the Healers said, a couple of weeks after Sirius' had the first tingling in his legs; as the feeling slowly returned, the potions and healing charms finally beginning to take effect. His despondency only increased with each day he spent in it; more time sitting, thinking. About Peter Pettigrew and, Lily suspected though he had now stopped voicing it, thoughts about Severus Snape as well.

The news from the Healers that it was time to move to crutches where possible, alternating between those and the chair as need be, and he would soon be back to normal. No need for either of them.

Not soon enough for Sirius. As soon as the first tingling in his legs had presented he had been adamant that he wanted out of the chair. Immediately.

"Can we go flying, Uncle Sirius?" Harry asked, from where he and Malachi were cowering behind the counter.

"Sure."

"Yes!" Harry jumped up, making to run up the stairs.

Malachi followed, his expression becoming a frown; "I can't go flying, Harry! Severus will be here for me soon." Their voices faded away as they hurried up the stairs, evidently to retrieve Harry's broom.

Sirius' playful expression evaporated at the mention of Severus and he lowered himself, slowly, onto the chair at the table next to them; "Don't see why Sniv – Snape," he quickly corrected himself; "has to come for him at all. He's been fine here the past few weeks."

"He's his Godfather, Sirius," Lily said, reaching for a biscuit; "Malachi lives with him. He was only here while Severus tried to find out how to help Regulus."

"Which he still hasn't done."

"I don't see you doing anything to help," Julia pointed out.

"I'm taking care of his kid, aren't I?"

"Sirius, don't start." Lily shot him a look; "Severus will be here any minute."

She hoped Sirius and Harry would be gone by the time he did; she didn't want a repeat of what had happened on Harry's birthday. Especially not in front of her son.

A knock at the door put dash to her hopes.

She shot Sirius a warning look before she stood and made her way over, opening the door.

Severus lifted his chin in acknowledgement; "Lily."

Her smile came instantly. Other than a brief glimpse of him at Andromeda Tonks funeral, she hadn't seen him at all since she and Sirius had taken Malachi from St Mungo's a few weeks before.

"Hey, Sev." She stepped aside; "Come in."

"I can wait outside."

She frowned, reaching and grasping his arm; "Don't be silly, it's raining!" She pulled him in, before he could say another word.

Severus stood, awkwardly, in the kitchen, his eyes glancing briefly in the direction of Sirius and Julia who were staring right at him without any shame whatsoever.

He cleared his throat, giving Julia a nod and studiously avoiding Sirius' eyes.

"Afternoon, Professor!" Julia greeted him with a wide smile.

"Miss Bradbury."

"Hey, call me Julia. It's probably time, right?"

Severus lifted his chin in acknowledgement before turning his attention back to Lily; "Is Malachi ready?"

"His stuff is ready. Right now –" A clattering overhead drew their attention to the ceiling; "Well, right now he and Harry are…being boys."

Severus raised an eyebrow; "So it would seem." Lily saw his eyes move to the side, in the direction of the others in the room, without moving any other part of his body, before his voice lowered and his voice softened correspondingly; "I appreciate you taking him. I know it must have been an inconvenience –"

"It wasn't an inconvenience." Sirius' voice sounded from the table, having easily heard the exchange, though the tone was by no means amicable. It was hard set and laced with contempt that he seemed unable to keep under control.

Severus' jaw tensed and twitched; he seemed to consider the statement for a second before he finally turned his attention to Sirius. They stared one another down for a moment before he spoke; "Black."

"Snape."

Silence.

"What's wrong with my brother?"

"A curse." Severus' lip curled.

"We knew that from the start. So, you've spent the last three weeks doing – what? Because it sounds like you've still got nothing."

"Perceptive as ever."

Sirius looked like he was going to explode under the strain of reigning in his hatred while Severus stared him down with open disdain.

"Surely you could just ask your Death Eater buddies –"

Severus met Lily's eyes at that; she gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head – no, he doesn't know – as Sirius carried on without noticing the exchange.

" – what they know about it? It's Dark Magic. Isn't that your forte?"

"Sirius." Lily said, warningly. Sirius met her eyes and she held his look. They had argued the night of Harry's party. Heatedly. It was the first proper argument they had had since he had returned from his search for Peter and it was just a fiery as they had always been before.

This time, though, Lily's message was clear; if Sirius did not back off, did not give her the space she needed, then she and Harry would be gone. No question about it.

Sirius had so far taken the warning to heart and had not mentioned Severus again.

"Black," Julia spoke up; "Why don't we head?" She nodded at the door to the living room. Sirius looked very reluctant to move, even as Julia stood and raised an eyebrow at him.

He drew in a breath, sending a dark look in Severus' direction before he grasped at the crutches and awkwardly hoisted himself upright, following Julia from the room.

Lily turned her attention back to Severus, who was still staring at the door; his own expression revealing the same loathing that Sirius had just been expressing.

"So."

He met her eyes when she spoke.

"How is Regulus really doing?"

The coldness in Severus' expression, still lingering from the exchange with Sirius, dimmed somewhat; revealing the worry that he carried for the other Black brother. But it was there and then it was gone; "The Healers have opted to use protective hypothermia as a means of slowing the spread of the curse. The suppressants used previously are beginning to becoming ineffective."

"Do you need anything?"

Severus looked at her, eyes softening, and he shook his head; "No. Thank you. You've already done enough." He glanced upwards; "I do appreciate you taking Malachi for this time. I had not…I did not mean for it to be so long."

Severus opted to forget the fact he had offered to take Malachi back twice already, this being the third, and that Lily had offered to keep him longer each time he had asked. This week, he had been insistent; the boy was his responsibility.

"It's okay." Lily smiled; "He's not been any trouble and, y'know, Sirius –" his expression flickered slightly –"Well, he doesn't say it but he really appreciated the time with him too."

"It was not for him."

"Alright," Lily rolled her eyes, giving him a little nudge as she walked past him, wondering at his oddly distant demeanour; "Do you want some tea?"

"No. Just the boy and then we'll go."

She walked back, holding an empty mug and raising an eyebrow; "I haven't seen you in three weeks and you just want to take off? We could catch up. Sirius was going to take the boys flying."

Severus looked oddly uncomfortable, glancing in the direction of the window, as if looking for anyone who might be watching them.

Lily frowned at the behaviour; "Uh, Sev? This is my house. No prying eyes here."

"Speaking of which," he said, briskly; "The Foundation shall be opening again next week."

Lily's eyes widened; "Really? I…the last I heard people weren't sure if we'd even be opening again at all."

"It was just decided today."

Severus' behaviour was…off.

He seemed oddly tense, compared to the previous relaxed way he had been with her before all of this had happened. He met her eyes for merely a second before they darted away, as if not wanting to let them linger too long; as if he was uncomfortable just being there. With her.

The thought made her pause, as the realisation came to her; that it was probably because of what had happened right before the attack.

She had almost kissed him.

Caught up in the moment, maybe, but the intent had been there and she was certain that Severus had been aware of it. She'd noticed the way his breathing quickened for a second, before it seemed to stop all together as he'd just gazed at her. He'd looked into her eyes, at her lips; all signs, she thought, that he would be a pretty willing participant in what was about to come next.

Perhaps she had misjudged his feelings on the matter. He certainly didn't seem all that keen to be close to her now. In fact, he made the effort to step away whenever she moved in any direction; keen to keep a good two metres or so between them.

His mixed signals were confusing her. Hot and cold. She supposed this was his one-foot-out-the-door mode, the one she was particularly wary of spooking. And one there had been no sign of that day on the grass.

Severus had taken her hand. Had been so open with her when she had asked about what had happened during the war. And when he had spoken, she had seen a vulnerability in him that she already knew was there, had seen glimpses of in the past, but that he always seemed to keep buried away.

His guard had dropped and he'd revealed himself to her. Shown enough of himself and who he had become that any reservations Lily had previously about their relationship, what they could be, had simply slipped away. They had become insignificant in the face of the reality of the man before her.

Now, though, the guard was back up. Way up.

Severus was barely even looking at her as he shifted on his feet, eyes glancing around the kitchen; not really interested in what was there, she could tell, only doing so he didn't have to look at her.

Lily felt suddenly embarrassed and, for the moment at least, was glad of Severus' reserved nature; that there was no way he'd turn around and ask to discuss the whole thing.

Maybe they could just pretend it hadn't happened.

She felt an uneasy jolt as considered her earlier thought; that she could scare him away if she made a wrong move.

Had she already done so?

Running footsteps sounded on the stairs and then Malachi's voice sounded; "Severus!"

The little boy's expression lit up when he set eyes on his Godfather. Severus raised an eyebrow at the boy but Lily could see a fondness in his eyes when he spoke; "Malachi. Shall we go?"

Malachi nodded, seemingly at total ease with the command in Severus' voice. He ran from the kitchen into the living room, leaving Harry standing and staring at Severus with the same shamelessness that Sirius and Julia had been regarding him with when he first arrived.

Severus stared right back at him.

And then Harry smiled; "Hi Professor Snape!"

Severus looked away; "Mr Potter."

Lily was struck with the realisation that this was probably the same tone he used when addressing his students.

"Thanks, Uncle Sirius! Bye!" Malachi came back in, a broomstick clutched in his hand, sending Lily a bright smile; "Thank you for letting me stay, Mrs Potter."

Lily smiled, returning the shy hug he offered, before he hoisted his bag from the floor and walked up to Severus with a smile; "I'm ready."

"What is that?"

Malachi glanced at the item in his hand; "It's a broom."

Severus eyed it.

"Uncle Sirius gave it to me! Can…can I keep it?"

Severus said nothing, just urged him by with a hand to the shoulder and the boy's smile brightened, as he called goodbye to Harry.

Severus met Lily's eyes while Malachi pulled the door open.

"I'll see you next week, then?" she said, forcing aside the little uneasy twist in her stomach that had started to form. Tried to push aside thoughts about the almost-kiss, when she considered that Severus' behaviour now was probably his rejection of it; withdrawing into himself in the hopes that she would get the message.

Kissing was most definitely a no-go area for them.

"Yes." He seemed hesitant, like he wanted to say more, but he didn't. After a moment he just nodded and stepped from the kitchen, into the outdoors, clicking the door shut behind him.

Lily's eyes went to the open window, as Severus made his way up the path. Malachi was swerving side to side up ahead as he walked, splashing in the puddles as he did so, not quite a run but not walking either, and she heard Severus' voice carry back when he spoke.

"It seems that Black has suitably corrupted you."

Lily's lips twitched but the amusement was almost hollow; the feeling dampened by the mistake she had made.

Her foolishness in thinking that Severus could have wanted anything more than friendship in the first place.