July 1993
Snapes' family home
When Severus reached the bottom of the stairs one morning, he saw his wife smiling as she read a letter at the breakfast table, while Liz and Chris watched cartoons in the living room.
"Who's that from?" He asked, giving her a kiss before sitting down at the head of the table.
"Remus. He wrote to tell me he'll be teaching in Hogwarts this year!" She smiled, truly happy. "It'll be so good to spend time with him again."
"So he'll be the new Defence's teacher." Severus sounded annoyed.
"Yes." she smiled at him. "Is that jealousy I see, James' father?" she asked sarcastically.
"Yes." He admitted through gritted teeth.
She smiled, pulling him to a kiss. But a sudden loud noise upstairs had them both frowning. Then they heard the boys arguing:
"That's my shirt, Nicholas!" James shouted.
"No, it's not! Yours is on the bedroom floor – where you left it, three days ago!"
"How do you know that on the floor isn't your shirt?"
"Because mine is clean, James! Mom forbade Tiff from picking up your messes! That's why half our room is a pigsty!" Nicholas shouted.
"I'll show you who's a pig!" and the sound of the two teenagers physically fighting could be heard.
"Downstairs, now!" shouted Severus.
The sounds of their fight stopped and the boys appeared at the top of the stairs.
Florence sighed looking at them as they walked downstairs and sat at the table.
"You, speak." Severus pointed at James.
"You always choose him." Complained Nicholas.
James pushed his brother and Nick turned to punch him.
"Enough!" shouted Florence. "Maybe it's time to finally put you in separate rooms."
"Yes! Please!" exclaimed Nicholas. "Put him in a barn in the backyard, with a mud pool and he'll be right at home!"
"We get it, Nicholas." Florence replied angrily. "James, you really should start taking better care of your stuff."
"If you hadn't told the elves to not pick up my stuff-"
"Stop right there." Said Severus. "Tiffany and Melody aren't our slaves."
"Technically they are." Added Nicholas.
"You know pretty well what your father means." Florence said. "We don't treat them as inferior beings. They help us. Your messes are yours, James. Your brother can put his clothes in a hamper. Why can't you?"
"Saint Nicholas the perfect." mumbled James, angrily.
"Alright. That's it! Being together since the womb ends here." She looked at them. "James will stay in your current bedroom, while Nick will move to the one near Christopher's, so you won't have to share a room anymore; also, Nick will be transferring to Beauxbatons this year, so you'll be the whole year away from each other. How does that sound?"
"Perfect." They said in unison, looking at each other in anger.
"And after breakfast today, James will spend the day with you, Severus. While Nick stays with me. I don't want you two together anymore."
"Great!" they exclaimed.
This won't last a day. Said Severus through their bond.
I know it, you know it, but they don't. Yet.
As ordered by Florence, James spent the day with his father and Christopher, learning about potions and talking about school.
"It'll be a relief to not have Nick in Durmstrang anymore, right?" Severus asked his son as they bottled a Wiggenweld potion in their home lab, in the middle of the afternoon. "Every sentence you say about all the things you've done at school starts with Nick and I. From now on you'll have all the fun to yourself."
James frowned. "Yeah. I think so."
"And when you come home, you won't even have to look at him at all. Each of you has his own bedroom now." Continued Severus.
"Yeah." Said James, his face showing he was thinking hard about the reality of not seeing his brother for months.
Meanwhile
Florence was in the library with Nicholas and Elizabeth.
"I'd hate to share a room with James." Liz said. "He's always making messes and finding reasons to fight with you."
"Aren't you upset that I'll be at the same school as you, though?" Nick asked. "I mean, this will be your first year there..."
"Upset? Of course not! It'll be awesome to have my big brother at Beauxbatons with me!"
"Liz is definitely not like James, Nick." Said Florence. "Won't it be a great relief to not have to worry about what stupid thing your brother is getting up to daily?"
"Yes. I guess it will be." Nick replied, unenthusiastically.
In the evening, when James walked into the room he had always shared with his brother, he stopped after a few steps in.
The right side of the room, known as Nick's side, was empty. He sat on his bed and contemplated how curious it was that the emptiness in the room seemed to reflect how he had begun to feel inside as that day had gone by.
Spending the day with his father had been great, however James had caught himself more than ten times wanting to share something with his twin – but Nick hadn't been there.
Meanwhile, down in the library, Nicholas wasn't feeling as cheerful about being away from his twin anymore either, at least not as he'd been that morning. He had thought of many clever jokes during the day, but he had had no one to share them with. He had read some interesting things and automatically turned to share them with his twin – but James hadn't been there. Nicholas was tempted to use his bond with his brother, but he didn't for he wasn't sure he'd be welcome after their fight that morning.
But while he pondered about his feelings of loneliness and loss, some thoughts started to come to his mind: Who'd discuss Quidditch with him until he fell asleep? Who'd talk to James, make him company, when he couldn't sleep? Who would he call when he needed help? Who would be James's partner at school?
Nick felt his heart clench, the pressure in his chest making it a little hard to breathe, and he could tell that anxiety attack wasn't just his.
"Are you ok, Nick?" Liz asked, looking at her brother. "You look a little sick all of a sudden."
"No, I'm not ok." He whispered, "And I think there's something wrong with James too."
Florence stopped reading her book to look at him.
Finally.
"And do you care enough to have me go there and check on him?" she asked.
"Y-yes, mom." He nodded.
Florence opened the door to the twins' bedroom and walked in, spotting a hyperventilating James sitting on his bed.
"What is it, Jamie? Couldn't contain your happiness at seeing this big room is now just for you?" she wasn't going to let him out of that situation easily.
The teenager just shook his head.
"Well, better get used to it." Florence continued. "In less than two months you won't be sharing not even a roof with your brother. Liz is very excited she'll have Nick with her in Beauxbatons."
She saw when he started to shake his head faster and his shoulders shook as he began to sob.
"What's wrong, baby?" Florence asked him, sitting by his side on the bed.
"I don't want to..."
"Don't want to share a roof with Nick for the next days either?" She pushed him further. "Alright. I'll send him to your grandmother's tomorrow then."
"No! No, mom, please!" James seemed alarmed; he held her hands. "I-I'm sorry. I won't ever fight with Nick again! Please, mom, please don't send him to Beauxbatons!"
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."
James nodded and got up from his bed, walking to the door, finding Nick sitting on the floor of the corridor, crying just like him.
He kneeled beside his brother.
"I'm so sorry, Nick! I won't pick fights with you again. I'll try to be a little less of a pig."
"It's ok, Jamie. This day was punishment enough. I forgive you, bro." He hugged his twin, and slowly they stopped crying. "But now we have to convince mom to not send me to Beauxbatons." He sounded worried.
"She even threatened to send you to grandma's tomorrow, man! Because she thought I didn't want you here anymore." James said, horrified.
"Let's go talk to her!"
They got up and Florence appeared by the door of their room, smiling.
"You two have never, in your lives, been able to spend a whole day apart, boys." She opened her arms and they threw themselves at her, in a group hug. "I hope you've learned that today."
"We have." They replied in unison, smiling.
Florence kissed each of their cheeks.
"Now, I've already put your things back in here, Nick. And I'm not sending you to Beauxbatons."
"Thanks, mom." And he looked at James. "Come on, I have to tell you a lot of things about today!"
"Same here!" and they ran downstairs.
"Hi, dad!" Florence heard them say in unison and she sighed in relief, watching them spend the day apart had been painful even for her.
"So, it didn't last a day, as predicted." Said Severus walking into the corridor.
"Thankgoodness. Not even I could take another day like that."
He hugged his wife, "They'll have to learn to live apart one day, but they still need each other."
"Yes. Let them be kids a little longer." She whispered, tears gathering in her eyes as she worried about the future.
August 1993
It was late night, Remus was at a table inside the Hog's head with a very strange man sitting in front of him.
The man was eating Aberforth's weird-looking food as if it were the best meal in the world. While Remus just looked at him and shook his head.
"What? I've missed this." Sirius said pointing to the cheap firewhisky in his glass. "Regular people usually take for granted having a full stomach and some alcohol to relax." Then he looked at the door. "Remind me of why we are here waiting for Snivellus?"
"You need his help. He knows how to get to the safe-house inside Hogwarts' grounds. And he's bringing you a wand. Also, he's making an experimental Polyjuice that will last a week, instead of an hour, for you to be able to live here in Hogsmead without attracting attention."
"I'm not sure I'll take anything made by him with 'experimental' in front of it." Said Sirius, bitterly.
"Florence is helping him make it. She wouldn't let Severus poison you."
"So she's on speaking terms with Snivellus, now?"
"You could say that." Remus whispered; he had promised not to talk about Severus and Florence being married, Severus wanted to break the news to Sirius himself.
"What's taking him so long to get here? I bet he's doing it on purpose!"
"I don't know." said Remus, worried. But then the front door of the pub was opened and Severus walked in. "Look, there he is." Remus said, and the relief was clear in his voice.
Severus walked towards them and sat at the table, "Evening, Remus." He greeted just him.
Sirius finished his firewhisky and glared at the man. "Snivellus."
"Prison did you good, mutt." Severus replied in a bored tone.
"Why did it take you so long to get here?" growled Sirius. "Every minute I'm here someone could recognize me and I'd be done for!"
Severus stared at Sirius for a while and then he looked at Remus.
"As he's not trying to kill me, I'm right to assume that you haven't told him anything."
"No. We agreed you'd be the one to tell him." said Remus. "Or maybe Florence should."
"What should I know?" asked Sirius. "What should Florence tell me?"
"Oh, nothing of importance. She's my wife now, that's all." Severus said with a smug smile.
Sirius seemed startled for a moment but then he jumped over the table, taking Severus to the floor and trying to punch him, but missing.
Remus just picked up his friend and pulled him away from Severus.
"You bastard! I'll kill you! You don't deserve her! She's mine!!" Sirius screamed.
"Stop it!" Remus shouted.
"She'll never be yours! You dirty mutt!" Severus had his wand on Sirius' throat. "She's my wife!"
"I'll kill you, Snivellus!" Sirius tried to punch him again.
"OUT!" Aberforth came running and screaming at them. "Get out of my bar right now!"
Remus grabbed Sirius by the jacket and dragged him outside.
Severus put his wand inside his pocket and followed them after leaving one galleon on the table.
They walked through Hogsmeade's main square, going towards the woods, where they stopped near the entrance of the Forbidden Forest.
"When did they marry?" Sirius asked Remus.
"About two months after you got arrested. Do you want to tell him, Severus?"
"There's nothing to tell. Florence is my wife now and we owe him no explanations, Remus."
"Since when are you two on a first name basis?" Sirius was furious.
"Since school, Sirius. You're the one who's always had a problem with Severus."
"Let's take him to the safe house so I can go home." Severus said.
"Home to my Florence." Growled Sirius.
Severus was on him in a second, punching him on the mouth.
"Shut up, mutt! She's my wife!" he grabbed Sirius by the jacket and walked deep into the Forbidden Forest, dragging the fugitive man with him.
Once they were far enough from anyone, Severus threw him onto the ground and handed him a wand.
"This is for you. Dragon heartstring, reed, fifteen inches. As close as your original one as I could find."
Sirius didn't even thank him, he just got the wand and cast:
"Expelliarmus."
But Severus easily sent the spell back and looked at him, unhappy about what he was about to say: "I know that you lied about being the twins' father to protect them, and I'm forced to thank you for doing that."
Sirius frowned, "I love Florence. I did that to have her by my side." He walked close to Severus. "And I'll be around, Snivellus. Any small chance I see of getting her back, I'll take it."
Severus punched him again and Remus had to intervene before the taller man seriously injured Sirius. "That's enough, Severus!" he shouted as he helped Sirius get up from the ground. He looked at his fugitive friend: "He could have broken your jaw, dumbass! Stop being childish! Grow up already!"
Severus started walking down the secret path towards the safe-house, not looking back to check if they were following him or not.
"I can't believe she married him! Stupid Snivellus..." Sirius mumbled. "For thirteen years I was locked up in Azkaban while Snivellus slept with Florence! A confirmed Death Eater with a better life than me!"
"Stop that!" exclaimed Remus. "Severus has helped the Order of the Phoenix in so many ways not even I know all that he has done! And Florence's always loved him, not even if he died you'd have a chance with her – she'd most likely die shortly after him." He paused, walking a little faster to catch up with Severus. "And I'd appreciate if you talked about anything other than Florence, neither of us can beat him in a duel. I won't risk my neck if you have a death wish."
But Sirius kept on mumbling about life's injustices as they walked.
They went deep into the dense forest, until they reached a two-story house with a wraparound porch and Severus opened the door with a touch of his wand. He walked in and went straight to the kitchen. He was on guard duty with Remus for that night and for the next day, then Dumbledore was going to send others to look after the fugitive until the experimental Polyjuice was ready.
"You don't really believe someday I might be friends with him, do you?" Sirius asked, sitting on the sofa and pointing towards the kitchen. "He hates us!"
"No, he hates you. And you tried to kill him when we were at school!" Remus looked at his friend exasperatedly. "Severus even thanked you for helping Flor with the twins, what else do you want?"
"For him to drop dead." Sirius mumbled.
Severus laughed from the kitchen.
After they had a delicious late-dinner of roast turkey, rice and salad that Severus had taken with him, the three men sat silently in the living room.
Severus's mind was on his family; just that morning he had seen his wife and children, but he already missed them.
He closed his eyes.
The twins were starting their fourth year in Durmstrang already; Elizabeth would be going to her first year at Beauxbatons; so, after the first of September, only Christopher would be home.
It is time to make more babies. He thought, smiling.
"Look at him." Sirius whispered to Remus. "He's probably thinking about her."
"She's his wife, Sirius. He can think about Florence all he wants. You're the one who shouldn't be thinking about her at all."
Sirius didn't reply.
Next day, early morning
Severus was sleeping in the living room, on a comfortable bed he had transfigurated from the sofa. However, about four in the morning, something woke him up. So he got up and walked around the four-bedroom house, finding Remus still sleeping in a room, but Black was nowhere to be seen.
"Remus, wake up! Where's the dog?"
"What?" Remus sat up. "He's not sleeping?"
"No. Where the hell is the stupid mutt? Didn't he tell you anything?"
"No. Maybe he just went for a walk..."
"He'd better return soon." Severus growled.
And so they waited.
Nearly twenty-four hours later, Remus and Severus had already looked for Sirius in the forest around the house – in case he had gotten hurt or some forest creature had killed him, but they didn't find any clue of his whereabouts.
So they apparated to Hogsmeade and Severus found a Daily Prophet of that day inside a trash can.
"There's nothing here about him having been caught." said Severus, putting the newspaper back into the bin.
"What will we do now, Severus?"
"There's not much we can do, Remus." he sighed and looked at the empty streets. "Look, since we're here and Black is missing, would you mind if we spent the night at my house?"
"Of course not. But we must warn Dumbledore."
"We'll go to the castle once the sun is out."
They walked through the dark village and five minutes later they were at Severus's house. He touched his wand to the door and it opened for him.
They entered the silent house, it was almost two in the morning, everybody was sleeping already.
"Tiffany." Severus called.
"Master Severus?" the little elf said. "Mistress Florence will be so happy to see you home already, Master!"
"Is Flor asleep?"
"Yes." said Tiffany. "Mistress Florence, Mistress Liz and little Master Chris are already sleeping. The Masters James and Nick are in their bedroom, but still awake."
"Ok. Remus is spending the night here, take him to one of the guests rooms. And I need breakfast to be served early tomorrow."
"No problem, Master. Mr. Lupin, follow Tiffany, please." and Tiffany led Remus upstairs.
Severus gave his dirty jacket to Melody, and took a deep breath, looking around his family home with a smile before walking upstairs.
As he passed by Elizabeth's bedroom he could see Chris sleeping beside his sister, Liz had a book beside her, and Chris slept with his head on his sister's lap. Severus went into the room, took the book from the bed and put both children in a more comfortable position. He kissed their heads and went to his own room.
When he opened the door, the image of his beautiful wife sleeping on her stomach, her arms around his pillow, brought a big smile to his face. But he was too dirty to just lie down beside her, so he went to the bathroom.
After showering, he finally lay down on the bed, holding Florence in his arms, pulling her to his chest.
Severus kissed her lips, softly, and smelled the sweet vanilla of her hair. He closed his eyes and sighed.
He was home.