Children, Meet the Wizards
"I remember that you look… adequate… in Armani, Kingsley," said Zelda, smirking as she greeted him. "Come meet my picky daughter, so she can decide if you're worthy of Michael."
She pulled him by the hand over to where Lily stood, looking taken aback by this shockingly charismatic man.
"Lils, this is Kingsley Shacklebolt," she said. "He's another wizard."
Lily pulled her gaping mouth closed and carefully said, "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Shacklebolt."
Kingsley smiled endearingly and said, "I've heard a great deal about you, my dear Lily." He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it lightly.
Michael and Elijah joined them, and Lily threw her arms around the man who'd been her surrogate father for years.
"God, Michael, I could kill you. You've been in London for months and haven't visited me." She pulled back and looked narrowly at him. "You look good, brat, so I might forgive you… unless this guy turns out to be only another temporary uncle. I want one that's a keeper!"
"Hey, you've pestered me enough. What about your mom? She's the one who's giving you an awesome new stepfather. Interrogate her!" He smiled endearingly at Zelda, chuckling at the curled lip he received in response.
"I'm starving," she announced haughtily. "You can all stand around mocking me, but I'll be at the table, finishing off your cranberry glop."
Zelda turned and saw Severus standing apart from the group, watching expressionlessly. Her heart melted at the sight of her husband looking so alone, so she went straight to him and hugged him firmly.
"Ready to eat?" she asked.
Severus had flashed back to his old solitary life, watching Zelda with her family. But when she turned to him, her heart was in her eyes.
"Of course," he replied, sharing a brief visual memory of their wedding.
Zelda reached for his hands instinctively, and the memory of that golden moment washed over her, suffusing her with warmth. She gave him a small, secret smile and led him to the table.
"Did you kids have a good Thanksgiving?" she asked, when they were all seated.
Lily rolled her eyes. "I worked a regular day. Some American friends got together and did a sketchy Thanksgiving, but I already had plans, so I didn't go." She took a bite of turkey with gravy and sighed. "This tastes fabulous."
"Were the plans something to do with Leif?" asked Zelda mischievously.
"How can you read my mind when we live so far apart?" asked Lily, exasperated. "I went out with the guy for a few weeks, he wanted a nice, traditional, nurturing-type wife, and I wasn't interested. I guess I could be thankful yesterday for ending that dead-end relationship."
"Nurturing isn't a bad thing," said Zelda mildly.
"Not if it's a two-way street," replied her daughter acerbically. "In Leif's mind, our roles were all arranged. I was the nurturer and he was the nurturee. Maybe I'll do it mutually, with the right guy, but I'm not signing on for a lifetime of servitude with anybody!"
"That's my girl," Michael exclaimed, grinning broadly. "Hang in there, Lils. Mr. Right's probably just around the corner."
"Is it okay if I don't hold my breath?" she asked caustically. "God, Michael, how easy was it for you to find Mr. Right?"
He chuckled. "Once your mother started meddling in the magical world, it was a breeze."
Kingsley looked cynically at him. "Easy?"
"Once you met me, it was only a matter of time before you succumbed to my fatal charm," said Michael smugly. "Besides, I knew you had to be gay the minute I saw you in that Armani suit. No straight guy could pull it together the way you did."
Kingsley threw back his head and laughed uproariously. "Merlin, Michael, who could resist such a bloody arrogant prat? I knew I was onto something hot when I saw you stroll into St. Mungo's and practically reorganize the entire bloody place. Half the staff was eating out of your hand within a week."
"I prefer to think I'm filling a need in your community," Michael replied more seriously.
"And you are," said Kingsley, "but it's the way you're doing it that's so fantastic."
Elijah had been watching the two men together, a wistful look in his eyes. "Are you staying in London for good then?" he asked slowly. "Selling your house?"
""I have an amazing job there," replied Michael. "The house is just a house, Eli. But I want you to visit me in London any time you want to. With magic it's easy."
"You're not going to be too cool for us, are you? I mean, we're not magical, or anything…" said Lily, laying bare her brother's fear along with her own.
"Do you think your mom's too cool for you? She's marrying a wizard, but she won't stop loving you, right?" Michael looked knowingly at the pair. "You do have an actual father, but you two are the only kids I'll ever have, and you'd have a hard time getting rid of me."
Elijah remained silent, but Severus saw the blue eyes, so like Zelda's, alight with relief. He saw that in contrast to Lily, this young man was far more reserved, keeping his anxiety inside. For the first time, he, Severus Snape realized that he was now a stepfather. He choked back a brief fit of panic, feeling his appetite completely vanish. Somehow he had not expected Zelda's children to be so… real.
"You're very quiet, Severus," Michael commented wickedly. "How do you feel about becoming a stepfather to my two fantastic kids?"
Zelda had been watching her husband since they'd all been together and knew this was a shock. He seemed fairly comfortable with Lily, but she wondered if Elijah, younger, introverted, yet passionately hopeful, might be a dreadful reminder of Harry Potter.
"You're noisy enough for all of us, Michael," replied Severus acidly. He felt Zelda's hand on his thigh, under the table and smiled faintly.
"I never imagined being married," he said, looking directly at Lily and Elijah, "so I never imagined being a stepfather. I have no idea what you expect."
Lily liked his honesty, so she responded in kind. "Don't hurt our mom. If you're good to her, I'll be happy."
"Easily done," he replied. "Your mother is quite wonderful."
"Are you going to take her away?" asked Elijah, fixing his eyes intently on Severus. "I can't see you, a wizard, living in our house, pretending you can't do magic. So where will you live?"
"We have not decided yet, but as Michael said, with magic, it is easy for you to travel to us," said Severus firmly.
There was silence, while they all finished eating. Severus realized that perhaps he was hungry, and that he would need his strength as he learned how to be… a stepfather.
"What did you do for Thanksgiving, Eli?" asked Zelda.
"I went over to San Francisco and helped serve dinner to homeless people living with AIDS," he replied softly. "It was fun and they fed me too."
Zelda beamed at her son. "And I was worried that you wouldn't have a place to go. You're all grown up, boy."
"And you're getting married," he said. "So when's the big event, Mum?"
She blushed. "Um, well… I just remembered last night. I… Eli, it's complicated, a long story. The bottom line is, we were married in the early hours of August ninth, but I was Obliviated two days later…" Zelda's voice failed and she looked helplessly at Severus.
He looked at the horrorstruck faces of Zelda's children and said, "It's unexpected. This is why we didn't wait until Christmas. We shall explain everything, but it'll take time, and there are parts that Zelda does not yet remember."
"In the meantime, there's plenty more food, and since Zelda cooks but once a year, we should all make the most of it," Michael declaimed with an evil smirk.
"Sev told me that you knew about this," said Zelda, glaring. "Have you told everyone you know?"
He smiled winningly. "I'm the most discreet guy you'll ever know," he said. "So maybe Kingsley knows, but how can I keep a major secret like that from him? It'd be like living a lie."
Lily and Elijah had spent a long moment staring at each other in shock. Their mother had been married for months without telling them, and in fact, it seemed she hadn't even known until now. But Michael was there, and seemed to think it was okay. Their mom was the same, except happier than they ever remembered seeing her. Then there was her husband…
"They're in shock," said Michael, watching the pair as they shared that long, doubtful moment.
"It's a lot to take in," said Kingsley. He had watched his lover's happiness in the company of these two youngsters and frankly envied Michael his good fortune at being part of their lives.
"We have plenty of time for explanations, so everybody eat up," said Zelda firmly. "But leave room for pie."
Severus studied her closely; worried that this might be difficult. However, her eyes were bright and she slipped her hand under the table to rub his thigh fondly. This was one of the happiest adjustments he must make in his life. After never allowing himself to be touched, growing accustomed to cold isolation, to now feel so loved filled him with delight. He enjoyed her hugs and kisses, the little affectionate caresses, more than he could ever admit to anyone.
After everyone had finished, Severus and Kingsley magically cleaned the kitchen area as the young people watched in amazement. Then they all went to sit around the fireplace. Elijah sat down on the hearthrug next to Rowena, who welcomed him with moist doggy kisses.
"I really love this dog," he said, calming her with skilled hands. "I'm glad you have her. But she's purebred, and probably cost someone a lot of money. Aren't you kinda… stealing someone's dog?"
Zelda laughed suddenly. "Michael, you jerk!" she said mockingly. "You knew when I put signs around town that she came from out here, and let me waste my time."
He smiled apologetically and told Elijah, "After she came home with her memory of the summer gone, I did some fast talking to get your mother to take Rowena. So I said she was a stray, which she was, but not where she came from."
"It seemed incredible, the way she took to me so fast," Zelda said, rolling her eyes. "Then Severus told me that he found her out here, hit by a car. I realized my new stray dog had been with us here, in the summer, and already knew me."
"After all this time, she belongs with Mom and Severus," said Lily. "Look how happy she is. She would've died without them."
"Yeah…" muttered Elijah, still not convinced. "I really like her, she's great, but if someone else misses her… I mean, maybe she was stolen."
"At this point, I feel she came to us for a reason," replied Zelda slowly. "Maybe that's heartless, but I can't think of many situations where I'd return her to someone else. It may be ethically vile, Eli, but I feel she's meant to be with us."
He rolled his eyes. "Not the feeling, Mum," he groaned. "I can't argue with the damn feeling."
Lily and Michael exchanged amused glances, while Severus and Kingsley looked appraisingly at the pair.
"What's the feeling?" asked Kingsley.
"Mum's spooky instinct for knowing what we're going to do and how things are going to be," he said. "My friends and I thought she was a mind reader when we were kids. No one else's mom was like her, when we were growing up. I never got away with anything."
Severus looked enquiringly at his wife, his lips twitching. He offered her an amused glance, causing her to blush slightly.
"Okay, it was always there. Even though I didn't understand what I was doing, it came in handy."
"You mother has a magical gift that makes her able to see into another person's mind," Severus told them.
"Magic?" asked Lily. "I don't understand. Where does this magic come from and how can my mom do magic? Mom, can you do wand stuff like Severus and Kingsley?"
"No," she replied calmly. "I can't do wand stuff, and their education teaches them to see the world differently than we do. Magical thinking is real in their world, not delusional fantasyland, a la Disney. The rules are different when you're a wizard."
"How come we don't know anything about this?" asked Elijah. "If there's a whole magical world, a society and hospitals and schools and stuff…" He shook his head irritably.
"Magical society began separating from the Muggle world many centuries ago," said Kingsley. "It's not always a neat and clean separation, but the majority of non-magical humans think magic's an illusion."
"So we shouldn't tell anyone about this, I guess," said Elijah slowly. "Say, if Mum can do magic, can we?"
"I don't know," replied Kinsley with an appraising glance at the two.
"Who'd believe this?" asked Lily. "This is going to take some time to grasp." She yawned. "You know, some of us are suffering from jet lag. What's next?"
"Can you stay overnight?" asked Zelda, looking hopefully from one to the other. "Now that Severus knows where he's going, he can bring you home any time."
"I'd love to, Zel," Michael said cheerfully. "Kingsley too."
"Pest," muttered Zelda. "Of course, it is your house… I suppose."
"There is that," said Michael smirking. "Also, I haven't seen Lily and Eli for too long. If they're staying, we're staying. I know how much you and Severus love company."
"I can stay until Sunday, Mom," declared Lily. "I have lots of questions. I feel like I've been kidnapped into a vacation. This is amazing!"
"I have to work at noon on Sunday," said Elijah.
Severus thought at first of offering them the use of the bedrooms created for Potter and his friends, however, these two were Zelda's children, and entitled to their own rooms.
"Lily, if you wish to rest, I shall make a room for you," he said. Rising, he pointed his wand and a door appeared on the same wall as the door to his and Zelda's bedroom.
"What colors would you prefer?" he asked courteously, opening the door.
Lily grinned at her brother and entered the room, where she found a comfortable looking bed, nightstand, a wood stove and a bright, modern bathroom. The walls and bedspread were white.
"Holy shit!" said Elijah reverently. He had followed them into the new room and looked around the newly created room. "Is this real?"
"What is real, to you?" asked Severus. "It is here and usable, for as long as I choose to have it here."
"But how… I can't believe this!" said the young man.
"Believing in magic's going to get easier, I think,' said Lily, "but understanding it's something else." She smiled tentatively at Severus and said, "I like greens and yellows, like daffodils in the spring."
"I see," he replied thoughtfully. Already she was starting to remind him of her mother, and he used what he knew of Zelda's taste. He pointed his wand and the walls were a cheery yellow. The bed was covered in a soft spring green, with a comfortable pile of pillows. The huge window was curtained with filmy white fabric.
It's great!" said Lily appreciatively. "Thank you." She looked quizzically at him, realizing that this harsh-faced man was more complicated than anyone she'd ever met. "Eli won't stop asking questions until he understands this, you know. I don't think it bothers me, though. It's not me, although I wish sometimes that things could be easy."
"Magic can make a few small things simple, but it is deep and complicated. Nothing my life has been easy, until your mother found me," he replied.
"Severus!" called Kingsley. "Phineas Nigellus is here."
He grimaced irritably. "You may as well see a magical portrait," he said to them. "He is an advisor to the Headmistress of Hogwarts, and occasionally she sends him to speak with me."
Severus led them out of the new room and discovered the others standing in front of the portrait frame.
"Finally, Snape. I do not have all day to hang about waiting for you," sneered a haughty looking wizard in formal green robes.
"What is it, Phineas?" asked Severus curtly. "I believe we are no longer at war. What could be so urgent?"
"Headmistress McGonagall wishes to speak with you," the late Headmaster replied frigidly. "She realizes this is not the optimal time, but hopes you will allow her to visit you today."
Severus frowned. He looked at the others, who obviously had no idea what it was about. Resignedly, he said, "I am at her disposal, of course."
"I shall inform her," replied Phineas Nigellus. "I believe she will join you soon."
He looked appraisingly toward Zelda, and then back to Severus, saying, "Professor McGonagall informed us of your marriage. Congratulations, Professor Snape."
"Thank you," replied Severus coolly.
The portrait wizard looked toward Zelda and nodded, receiving a tiny smile in return. He then walked out of the frame and there was silence.
"What was that?" asked Elijah, looking at Michael. "Was it a real person?"
"In their world, pictures move," said Michael. "But Phineas Nigellus is more special than that. The dead Headmasters of Hogwarts leave an imprint of their personality and life experiences in their magical portraits. They serve and advise the current Headmistress. The first time I saw him, I couldn't believe it. But there are portraits at St. Mungo's too, and you know me, I had to find out about them."
"Yeah, we do know," said Lily fondly. "When Mom and Severus get tired of our questions, we can pump you!"
Severus went to Zelda, standing next to Kingsley, and pulled her into his arms. "I am sorry, my girl," he said softly.
"Why?" she replied lightly. "You can't hide here forever, playing Muggle house with me." She caressed his cheek and smiled up at him.
"I wish I could," he said, a slight frown appearing.
"You're just tired," she said. "We woke up early. After Minerva leaves, I think a short nap is in order."
"I do feel quite… exhausted," he murmured, amusement lighting his black eyes.
Kingsley and Michael looked at each other, cynicism flashing between them.
"Sorry, kids," said Michael loudly. "Those two need a lot of rest, but when they abandon you, I'll still be here."
"Shut up, Michael," murmured Zelda. She was still encircled by Severus's arms, smiling merrily.
Lily saw the laughter in her mother's eyes. She felt a pang, since she'd never seen her so happy as now, with this strange man… But it was good, she realized.
"Michael, you pest, this is their honeymoon. A weird one, but still…" Lily said, smiling at Zelda. "Don't harass my mom."
A sudden sharp knock drew all eyes to the door. Elijah, who was closest, opened it and froze, mesmerized by what he saw.