"Cousin!" a voice yelled as the door opened. "Auntie! Uncle!"

"In here, Logan, dear!" Neph called, and a teen around Balt's age came in. "How was work?"

"Amazing." Logan beamed, " I got to brew the new Fertility potion today! HOLY SHIT YOU'RE POTION MASTER SEVERUS SNAPE!" Logan was suddenly in front of Severus groveling. "I'm so honored to meet you, sir. You were my inspiration in wanting to becoming a Potions Master!"

Sirius and Remus were roaring with laughter. Severus had cocked an eyebrow. Logan was getting kicked in the head by a very tired and sick looking Balt. Neph and Helios were smiling and everyone else just looked shocked.

"Go away, Logan!" Balt whined, "Uncle Sirius brought him here for me not you!"

"Oh, you have Balt's book, have you checked out page 5? " Logan asked swatting playfully at Balt. "We've been trying to figure that one out for a long time. Since Balt first got sick. I haven't been much help since I really don't have an in depth understanding of what he is trying to create. " Severus turned to the page and began reading. "Balt says it's a Potion Form of Chemotherapy but I don't know anything about Chemo to understand."

Severus nodded as he read.

"It's a sound theory ." He finally spoke he could hear a ruckus going on behind him. "You're saying this formula doesn't work?"

"I haven't been able to brew it to the standard that Balt would be able to do it so I can't really tell you." Logan admitted, " I've only ever gotten to step 18 before it blows up on me. This is just his latest update based on my last attempt. I think it's just my skills lacking."

"Where's your lab?" Severus asked, standing his eyes not leaving the book. "I would like to see if this works."

"This way." Logan pulled him along a laughing Helios following. "Balt's going to be so happy if this works!"

Said Balt was sputtering and blushing but was really in no fit state to protest in anyway. He made a note that if this worked he'd share credit with Severus. He had to admit the man was hotter than he imagined. Maybe a little too skinny but other than that he could just tell the man was his type. He wished he could go into the lab but he hadn't been allowed in for the last month because he'd gotten sick again.


"Uncle Siri I honestly love you." Balt mumbled as he drifted off into sleep. "Thank you."

"No problem, Balt." Sirius beamed his chest warming at Balts words. "Although I will never ever admit to him just how hard it was to get Severus here."

Remus chuckled everyone else had been forced out and blocked by the wards.

"How did you get Severus here?" he wondered.

"I showed him back issues of Potions Monthly and swore on my magic I wasn't playing a joke on him when I said I would take him to meet Balthazar Blackwell. " Sirius replied, "Turns out he's just as curious about Balt as Balt is him. So once I took the stupid vow it was a lot easier to get him here. but of course we argued for hours before I figured out I needed the damn vow. I guess I can see the reasons behind it of course. I've grown up since then and I did eventually apologize for our past. "

"You did all this for our little Balt?" Neph seemed on the verge of tears and hugged him. "Thank you, Sirius. We both know that Balt has wanted to meet Severus Snape since he first read an article by him."

"Really?" Sirius asked, "I thought it was only when Severus first responded to one of Balts articles."

"No that just confirmed his conviction to meet him one day." Neph laughed, waving her hand. " Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Moony are you feeling well?"

"It's Lupin." Remus said blushing. "Remus Lupin, werewolf. I'm in town hunting for a job. "

"Very well, we'll set up a guest room for you." Neph waved off the man's sputtering. "Taffy. " An elf appeared. "we'll have Mr. Lupin joining us for the foreseeable future please set up a room for him."

Taffy nodded and left with a small pop.


A loud explosion woke Balt several hours later. Logan and Severus came running out of the lab hands covering their mouths and noses.

"Merlin!" Logan fell over in a hacking cough. Remus was at his side trying to see how to help the young werewolf. "That concoction is going to kill me before he gets it right!"

"This is why werewolves aren't meant to brew potions." Remus laughed, he was helping pour milk down Logan's throat. Neph was doing the same for Severus. "We are more sensitive to the smells and vapors. "

"I'm sorry." Balt was standing in the kitchen archway leading into the living room he was wrapped in a blanket. "I didn't mean to kill you guys."

"Step 20 ." Severus breathed. "Threw off the whole potion. It's not compatible ."

"I was afraid of that." Balt huffed taking his book. " So I need a compatible with the others but still has the same properties." he was obviously slipping deep into thought. "..."

"Wasn't there an experimental hybrid plant that they were working on in Austria. " Remus asked, eyeing the book over Balt's shoulder. " Neville was speaking about it..."

"Oh, that's right!" Balt said he suddenly had his quill and was writing. " Sigweed. (Si-J-weed) It's perfect now I just have to work out the portions. According to the Herbology Journal it's more potent..."

He was soon back in his chair not noticing that Severus had followed him and had yet to take his eyes off of him. Severus sat down on the couch to calm down after the botched up potion and to watch the Potion Prodigy who he knew was going to make this potion work and if he died before he managed he , Severus would finish it and make sure the world knew of Balthazar Blackwell and his discovery. He would in no way take any credit for anything. He watched the sick boy and wondered where all the tubes of medicine was.

"You aren't getting treatment are you?" Severus finally asked, he could hear Black yelling loudly outside. "You're refusing?"

"Yes." Balt nodded. not looking up at Severus not wanting to see the look in his eyes. He kept writing trying to work out the formula. "I will be my own test subject and I can't do that if that other stuff is in my system..." he went into a coughing fit and blood splashed over his hand. He absently wiped his mouth and continued working. "I know I almost have it. It's staring me right in the face I just need to make the connection."

"You're very sick, Balthazar." Severus said, "I can see, my best friend had a baby brother who died when he was seven because of this cancer. You're not ..."

"Going to last much longer." Balt finished, "I know. I only have a few months left if that according to my Healer. I have to finish this because I refuse any other treatment. "

Balt was slipping into sleep again as he worked he was fighting it he really wanted this potion and Severus silently vowed to do everything and anything he could to help the young boy.