Chapter Twelve

Elaine hadn't been inside the Ministry since the day she and Ben had married. Standing inside the Atrium with Severus felt odd. They both had their wands inspected to by a man named Eric Munch, and they continued on to level ten, where the custody arrangement was to be. Ignatius Moore met them there, giving a sharp nod to Severus before turning to Elaine.

"All you have to do is answer their questions, Mrs. Davies," he instructed her. "Nothing more, nothing less. Do not add embellishments, just state the answer as precise as you possibly can. Do you understand?" Elaine managed a nod as Severus bid her a quiet farewell and slipped into the courtroom. When he was gone, Elaine took a deep breath. "You have nothing to worry about, Mrs. Davies."

They entered the courtroom together, which was emptier than she would have expected. Chester was already there, speaking softly with a dark skinned woman. He glanced up as she entered, giving her a nasty smirk. Elaine turned away, attempting to ignore him, and spotted Harry and Remus sitting side by side. She let out a small gasp, her surprise plain. Ignatius leaned over to whisper to her. "We've asked character witnesses to testify for you. The knowledge that you aren't a mudblood after all will work for your benefit." Elaine simply nodded, feeling dizzy. "Are you well?"

"Yes," she managed. "It's all ... it's a lot."

"I know it is," Mr. Moore told her gently, and she looked at him. "But from a professional standpoint, you are the best fit for this child." He looked around as someone else entered, marching over to the podium. "Come, let's take our seats."

"I am Theodore Vanderbeck, and this custody arrangement is about to begin. Please take your seats," the man standing at the podium declared, and everyone rushed to their seats. Elaine felt Vanderbeck's eyes stop on her. "Chester Lee Davies is petitioning the courts to gain custody of Rowan Benjamin Davies, from his mother, Elaine Marie Evans Davies. Mr. Davies is represented by Evelyn Shacklebolt, magical attorney at law. Mrs. Davies is represented by Ignatius Moore, magical attorney at law. Shall we begin?" He cleared his throat, glancing down at some parchment sitting in front of him. "Mrs. Davies." Elaine jumped, startled, her heart pounding in her chest. "You are the birth mother of Rowan Benjamin Davies, born October 19th, 1993, correct?"

"Yes sir."

"And the child's birth father is one Benjamin Wyatt Davies, died July 16th, 1996?" Elaine nodded, her throat stuck. "A verbal answer, Mrs. Davies."

"Yes sir."

"And how was Mr. Benjamin Davies killed?"

"Murdered, sir, by death eaters." Elaine clasped her hands together, trembling.

"By death eaters." Vanderbeck turned one of the sheets of parchment over, reading what was written on the back. "And yet you've been seen with a Mr. Severus Tobias Snape, a known death eater?"

"Excuse me sir," Moore interrupted. "Those charges were dropped years ago and do not hold relevance now."

Vanderbeck huffed, but moved on. "You hold the position of Defense instructor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, correct?"

"I do."

"And this is, apparently, a recent position. What job did you hold prior?"

Elaine let out a breath. "I was unemployed. Benjamin and I had decided I would keep house, and he would work."

"So." Vanderbeck raised his eyebrows at her. "You have no previous work experience. Why would Albus Dumbledore hire you?"

"I had the highest grades in Defense of my class," Elaine stuttered. "I - I had training with Alastor Moody after graduation, and would have gone into the Auror corps had Rowan not been born. I was qualified."

"As a mudblood?" Elaine drew in a sharp breath as Vanderbeck continued. "Surely there were people who were just as qualified, with purer blood?"

"Sir." To Elaine's surprise, it was Shacklebolt who had stepped forward. Her dark eyes were possessed with emotion. "Her job history and qualifications are not what is at question here. It is her commitment to raising her child that is."

"Thank you, Ms. Shacklebolt," Vanderbeck snapped, then turned to Chester. "What job do you currently hold?"

"While it is unnecessary for me or any of mine to work, I hold a position in the Ministry of Magic's Obliviator headquarters," Chester declared. Elaine withheld an angry gasp, as Vanderbeck nodded absently. "I am also a pureblood," Chester added unnecessarily.

"Mr. Benjamin Davies was your nephew, correct?"

"He was."

"From your petition, you believe your nephew was a death eater as well, correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Do you have reason to believe Mrs. Davis here is also a death eater?" Elaine lifted her head and stared at Vanderbeck, mouth open in disbelief.

"I do."

"Mrs. Davies, could you please lift the sleeve on your left arm?" Elaine withheld protest, and lifted her sleeve, revealing her bare arm. "Clean. Thank you, Mrs. Davies." He turned back to Chester. "Mrs Davies has a job, a place to live, adequate child care, and is not a member of You-Know-Who's death eaters, therefore I have no reason to take the child, Rowan, from her. This case is dismissed."

Elaine gasped, feeling a load of stress fall from her shoulders as Chester angrily stood up. She had expected this to go differently, and she'd also expected it to last longer. She felt Severus slip beside her. "Let's go," he murmured, and they left the courtroom.

The Malfoy house was quiet as Elaine and Severus walked through the front door, causing them to look at each other. "Narcissa?" Elaine called, pulling her wand out. "Lucius?" Silence answered them. "Kospey?" The house elf appeared at her elbow, his entire body trembling. Elaine knelt down so she was face to face with him. "Kospey, where are Narcissa and Rowan?"

"Gone," the tearful house elf murmured. "They is gone. The bad man took them."

"Bad man?" Elaine whispered, her heart pounding. "Which bad man?" She couldn't think of a reason the dark lord would abduct them from the Malfoy manor, but what other bad man could it have been?

"The bad man who is young Rowan's father," Lucius Malfoy said, entering the room. His face was pale. "It's Ben. He's alive, and he's kidnapped Rowan and my wife."

There's not much to this chapter, but here it is! This has been in the works since the beginning, so thoughts, opinions?