Author's Note: Naturally we all know that I have no ownership whatsoever of Harry Potter and his fellow wizarding mates, or of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Original characters are mine.
Thank you FireSenshi2 and Trickster32 to for your interviews.
Trickster32 - Who is Dr Orson? Yet to figure that one out... only that he needs to die a painful death.
FireSenshi2 – Nor do I...
Warning: Extra violent moment ahead.
Chapter Five
Trouble
For five days the two families stayed as low as possible within the Snape-Lupin household. As almost chaotic as it might have been, having four completely energetic boys and two infants to care for, it seemed that they were able to find some way to make it work.
One positive was that the house was almost in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by forest trees.
Remus and Severus had decided to move to Remus's old childhood home after they got their daughters back without telling anyone. When Dumbledore learned that they were no longer at the safe house, he did question them, even asking where they were located, he was simply told that it was best that only a certain few knew and kept it at that. (They informed Splinter and the turtles, and good thing they had).
So, even though everything was covered in snow, the Turtles were able to run around and let off steam where it was appropriate. Taking care, given that they're cold blooded, though they were aided a little where needed by the potion Severus was able to concoct.
"Ever since my transformation, my own blood has changed from being warm blooded to being somewhere in between," Severus explained to Splinter after he showed what was in the potion and what it would do to help the boys. "I can still maintain certain body temperatures, but in certain environments, it's not as easy to do, I believe that is when the cold blooded side comes in. So I managed to create this... irony being that it was created in the EWA facility of all places by my own hand."
Splinter didn't ask for any further details, knowing that there would have been more to how the potion came to be, instead showed his gratitude for a fellow father helping another father out.
Another source of excitement was that Christmas was just around the corner.
While the season didn't always bring much to Splinter and his Turtles, and the last Christmas for Severus and Remus was spent in a cell or doing some sort of test, it was fair to wish that a small quiet affair would be on the agenda.
Remus got caught in a pickle where he was asked, virtually almost ordered, to be at the Christmas get together on Christmas Eve that was being held by some of the Order, including the Potters, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew as part of the guest list. When Remus tried to tell Dumbledore that it might not be possible.
"I am sure Severus will be fine, especially of you bring your two daughters with you, people have been asking to see them, after all, yet you keep denying them the right to cast their sights on such spectacular children," he said, brushing off the concerns. "Also it would have been just after the full moon, you'll be safe around people by then."
When Remus bought this to the attention of his partner and Splinter, Severus was the one to speak up first;
"What do you want to do?" he asks.
Remus shakes his head.
"I do not want to show off Freya and Athena," he was fully honest in his voice on that. "Albus has been pushing for me to present them. I do not know if he's been asking for the same from you, Severus?"
"He's always gotten me on assignments, wanting briefs on what the Dark Lord is doing. Who is also wishing to see them, for some reason he will not elaborate on," Severus replies. "He actually got me working on that particular day, if you remember."
"I am aware," said Remus.
"Why would he wish for your daughters to be shown off?" Splinter asks with a frown.
"I've been told that people are getting more curious, they know they exist, how they came to be... though we gave no such indication that we wanted what had happened to us to be spread. If anything our intentions were to stay low and try and live our lives and not have any attention on us or our daughters."
"Did this Albus Dumbledore, or anyone else you may have told, respect this request?" Splinter was still frowning, trying to make sense of it. "Who else knew the full story when you found your way back?"
"Albus, Minerva and Poppy where the first to know," Severus counted off. "We specifically did ask to not speak of it to anyone, but it did end up being leaked out, because somehow the Dark Lord and his followers found out, thankfully it was after the girls were officially born and better to keep out of sight. Wasn't as easy before that, with concealment charms."
"But once it was out of the bag virtually everyone wanted to know every bloody detail, and see the result of what people didn't think of as possible," Remus adds, sounding tired and annoyed by it. "We've avoided people on ever laying their eyes on them, except for a select few, who knew where the safe house was, even then, any attempt on getting a peek or glimpse was dashed, even my own friends were stopped from truly seeing them, except one."
"Who?" Severus then asked, seeming to hear this for the first time.
"James Potter, he was passing through and dropped off some stuff to help with the girls, because he and Lily had plenty of nappies for their own son, and a spare tin of formula. I was holding Athena at the time of answering the door. I thought I told you this?"
Severus shakes his head. "Not to my memory, no."
"Sorry, I thought you did." Remus said, he saw the darkened expression on his partner's face. "He didn't pull any insults toward you, if that is what you are wondering about. If anything he wanted to know if you were actually okay. He didn't pry, if anything, he understood wanting to keep a down low, because of the fact that they're facing the possibility of going into hiding, as are the Longbottoms."
"I'll just refrain from speaking more over Potter, and keep to our initial concern of this on coming Christmas Eve get together you're being forced to go, with our daughters, because I won't be able to watch them, myself," Severus chooses to keep to a monotone voice.
"I am sensing this is someone you do not get along with?" Splinter asks.
"Short answer, not really," Severus answers. "Sirius Black, is perhaps, the worse of the pair... sorry Remus."
"James Potter and Sirius Black were two of the three friends I went to school with, Severus being in the same year as us," Remus supplied to Splinter's curious expression. "Peter Pettigrew being the fourth to round us off."
"Many a fun time..." Severus sarcastically mutters under breath.
"What do you intend to do?" Splinter asks. "I could watch your girls, while you go do what you both need to do?"
"That may bring up too many unwanted questions, Splinter. As, there are those who do know of Severus's position as spy, the Death Eaters don't even know that he is actually part of the Order, as far as we know."
Severus again shakes his head. "Thankfully I haven't been sprung yet. The only thing they have on me is my connection to you, but they don't see you as a threat for some odd reason, more concerned over Dumbledore and those in the 'higher up' of the chain within the group."
"Point is, we don't want you and the Turtles in danger."
"And you do not want your daughters exposed, so this might be something to consider. The decision is up to you, of course. As you say, people do not know the location of your home, am I correct?"
"True," said Severus.
"Also do you have to go to the party?"
"It is considered rude if you do not show up without a good reason," Severus speaks before Remus. "Albus is very fickle over that stuff."
"Unless I am deathly ill, or supposedly still dangerous to be around people, then it would have been acceptable for me to not go. I just do not want to show off our girls," said Remus.
"Then don't," said Splinter. "You are their fathers, you have the final say over what happens to them."
"We will have a serious think over it, Splinter," said Remus, finally. "Thank you."
"I am here to help, where I can," Splinter replies with humbleness.
###
"Where are they?"
"It was decided that Severus and I were more comfortable in having someone we know watch Athena and Freya," Remus answers Dumbledore's question. His voice was even and unapologetic.
"You were told to bring them? How do you know that this person you have looking after them isn't going to cause any harm? Or suitable? Who did you get?"
Remus could hear the disappointment in his old Headmaster's tone, but it didn't deter him.
"That is not your choice to make, Albus. We just know who we have can be trusted and you do not need to concern yourself on who it is."
"Moony!" calls over an excited voice, from across the snow covered courtyard.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some catching up to do."
Remus leaves Dumbledore and goes over to see the James and Lily Potter, a five month old Harry nestled up in his mother's arms, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew.
"We were under the impression you were to bring those daughters of yours," said Sirius.
"Albus wouldn't stop talking about it, almost as though they were stealing some unknown spotlight from Harry and Neville," James joked.
"Yes, well, it was decided to best keep them home," said Remus, pleasantly.
"You left them in the care of Snivellus?" Sirius now gives a deep frown. "Surprised that once they were even born you didn't kick him out!"
A lump of dirt that was poking out from the melted snow leaped up and collided with the side of Sirius's head.
"What...? Wormtail!" Sirius turns on the shortest man of the four old friends, who was standing right next to Sirius.
"It wasn't me! The dirt moved on its own!"
"Oh right! Like dirt can get from the ground to my head on its own!"
"I swear, it wasn't me!"
"It was rather weird," said Lily. "Though serves you right, probably a nice dose of karma for speaking ill of the other father to Remus's children."
Sirius made a grimace, as he continued to try and blindly get the muck off him.
"Severus, like it, or not, shares custody of Freya and Athena, we share the decisions made in their welfare and if you have a problem with that, Sirius, then I am sorry, as I am not going to be a part of such pettiness," Remus simply said. "This is not the first time you've made a jab, you've made several over the past few months since becoming aware of the situation, even without knowing the entire details of it all. It doesn't matter, nor should it. Speak what you like about Severus whilst I am not around, but if I hear the slightest of insults toward him when I am around, expect more than just a speck of mud to the head."
Sirius stares at Remus.
"Wait? That was you? How? You weren't holding your wand!"
"You know that I have gone under many changes since being in that shit hole! You don't need to know it all, just know that I will not tolerate the crap coming from you when it comes to the other father to my children. Got it?"
Sirius saw a dangerous yellowish tinge flicker within Remus's blue eyes for a moment. It wasn't even a full moon anymore, the full three day phase had passed two nights before, but the boyishness Sirius usually displayed with arrogance and without care vanished within the second of seeing it.
"How is Severus handling parenthood?" Lily decides to cut in. Though she had broken off the friendship to Severus back in their fifth year at Hogwarts, she couldn't help wonder how her old friend was keeping.
"I think he copes better than I do," Remus answers politely.
Sirius wanted to say something, but refrained.
"Do you think that whoever took you would try again?" Peter asks, sounding nervous. "Or try and take others?"
"I am unsure, Peter. Someone tried to palm my own daughters by making it look like a dumping, thankfully with the intervention of someone who had no idea, only to see a pair of just over two month old babies, stopped the process of whoever was meant to retrieve them from a dumpster in an alleyway, all the way in New York City, of all places."
"New York?" James was surprised. "First we've heard of that detail. The Order was just told that there was no cause for alarm and that the twins were now back in safety."
"Not sure if telling people that there ought not be any alarm is the right idea, for all of it still confuses me as to how and why it even happened, as well as to who was involved," said Remus, his face in a pensive sort of expression.
"Also to learn that people are disappearing left, right and centre, including children," Lily mentions, looking down at her son, as if worried such a thing would happen, she certainly hoped not.
"Well, we are in a war, Lily," Sirius points out. "Not all of it can be on this conspiracy theory of some facility, run by these people who are fucked up. I mean how much of it can it be real?"
"Well, the war is a good way to make people disappear. If it was some figment of one's imagination, it seemed pretty realistic when I was stuck in that shithole," said Remus, as if to remind Sirius who he was talking to.
"Sorry, mate, I just meant that -"
Remus shakes his head, frustrated by his friend. Even now, after everything that has happened to him, Sirius still won't believe that Remus and Severus had, indeed, been kidnapped and forced to endure the abuse they've copped from Dr Orson and his White Coats. That the whole notion of Remus 'hooking up with a Death Eater, but not just any Death Eater, Severus Snape' is nothing but a big hoax and that the girls, no matter who 'freaky' their existence was, should be well away from 'the greasy haired git'.
The words of the past playing over in his head right now. He knew that there was whispers of a mole that was close to the Potters, the fact that Remus was, in fact, with a 'Death Eater', didn't really sit well with some. Then again, he had to remind himself over and over that not everyone knows of Severus's position, the fact that he joined up because of multiple reasons, reasons he was allowed to learn, because of how close they became to speak of such deep, dark secrets.
Wanting the tension to cease, because Sirius was pushing a boundary again, and to the simple fact that James strongly sided with Remus on so many occasions – perhaps because he's a father himself now, he's gotten a new perspective on things, (which Sirius didn't quite understand, but fell silent to keep his best friend happy), decided to change the subject, asking how they thought of the latest round of Quidditch.
Remus was relieved by this, Sirius, not so much, but once the conversation got going, almost all had been forgotten and was pleasant once more.
During their converse, Remus spied Dumbledore leaving toward the entry of the castle, accompanied by someone, who was heavily cloaked.
His eyes widened when he saw the colour of the coat that was shown when the cloak wearer accidentally wiped open for just a moment, before the person closed it tightly around them. It looked like Dumbledore was in some deep conversation, low voiced, as no one could hear, plus being in the distance. The old man's face was wearing a profound grimace.
He was snapped out of it when he heard;
"What are you doing here?" coming from Sirius, voice with a lace of venom.
Remus saw Severus walking toward him, face panic-stricken. Ignoring the glares that were fixed on him.
"Someone's been in our home!" he said before Remus could utter a word. "They've taken the children."
"What about...?" Remus went to ask, stopping short of speaking Splinter's name.
"They blind-sighted him with a sleep potion injection," said Severus. "He's still not able to really move, though he's awake, as to why I know as much as I know."
"I've just seen what I believe to be a White Coat going into the castle with Dumbledore," Remus points to the direction he saw them going.
Severus spun on his heel and charged toward the doorway. Remus followed in hot pursuit, pretending to have not heard the mutterings of the other guests and especially those telling him to stay where he was, he needn't to worry himself with Severus Snape in whatever he was after.
He didn't stop, going where his feet would take him, he passed through the open doorway, looking at each direction, hearing hushed tones going more toward his left.
"You know full that is what I had hoped."
Severus frowns, for it sounded like Albus Dumbledore, quietens down his pace, carefully, one step at a time, inches toward the conversation that was just around the corner.
Remus just entered and saw what Severus was doing, so stayed where he was, until Severus sprung around to face whoever was there.
"You!" voice filled with sheer hate, more hate that he may have shown toward Sirius Black.
Remus hurried forward as Severus had clearly moved and a grunt escaped. When he reached to where they all were, his own eyes turned into a glaring glint and his face contort with loathing.
"Severus, don't do anything foolish," said the voice of Dumbledore.
"Where are they?" Severus snarled, paying no attention to the old man.
A chubby build of a man with balding head was squirming with fear, wanting to be released from the grasp of Severus's viced grip on the front of his cloak, back right on up against the wall.
"You're too late, Severin and Roman!" he says. "You should have chosen your friends more wisely."
Severus forced the man to look right into his dark ferocious eyes, penetrating the not so guarded thoughts. He saw everything!
Without a word or warning, snap!
The chubby man's body collapsed to the ground... without its head, which was still in Severus's hands.
"Enjoy the Headless Hunt," his voice of deathly still, dropping the head, and then whirling right on to Dumbledore. "You! You were the one responsible for it all!"
"What?" Remus was bewildered by this.
Dumbledore gave away nothing to betray what he was thinking or feeling.
"Do you really believe that?" he simply asks. "I am not the one who just killed a man in cold blood."
"No, I killed a child rapist and someone who, when they found out about my pregnancy threatened to do whatever he liked with them, because there was no stopping him. It's all for experimental purposes. That is what they all say, when they gear up to do whatever torture they can dream up of.
"You also know that I can perform Legilimency. I saw you in there, in his memory, showing the pictures of not only Remus and my children, but of other children..."
"You misunderstand the context of my actions, Severus. I was only merely trying to delay and mislead him away from finding the children he and his colleagues were wanting to find."
Not sure whether to believe this, or not, Severus just turns to Remus.
"I know where our girls, and possibly the boys, have been taken!"
"Wait!" Dumbledore called out.
Stopping the pair in their tracks.
"We cannot waste anymore time, Albus!"
Then Dumbledore pulls out a single satin handkerchief.
"This will speed you on your way."
Severus and Remus stared at it with uncertainty.
"I am not your enemy, here. I only want what is best for you and your children," the Headmaster said.
The two men took a hold of the handkerchief and next they knew they were not longer standing in Hogwarts castle, instead they were right next to an old watermill.
Coming from inside were the cries they knew so well...
How on earth did they get past Splinter? Who was involved? Stay tuned. As for the chubby bloke, I don't think he'll be accepted into the Headless Hunt... and it was just a small snippet of Snape's abilities... and a hint of how dangerous both he and Remus actually are...