Author's Note: I'm posting the rest of the story today. Please Read and Review.
Growing Closer
August 13, 1981
Snape had been kept in the Dark Lord's manor for three weeks, the longest ever he and Helen's daughter had ever been apart. Bethany didn't know what happened to him, despite asking: "Snape?" every day. Alexandria and Jacob McGee had stayed in Grimmaud Place with her ever since Christmas.
Sirius had thrown himself into the fights with Death Eaters (once or twice he was over heard saying that he was hoping to hit Snape on the field), the Potters had been distracted by Dumbledore, and the Weasleys were getting their house ready for their new child that was due some time in September.
The McGee's rooms were directly next to Bethany's and because of this, on several occasions over the last three weeks they heard her get out of her crib and go into the room that Snape had claimed when he was forced to remain in the house. At first it had panicked them when they saw the crib empty but after a three times of finding her in the doorway, staring at the empty bed, they knew where to find her.
Jacob was watching Alexandria play a Muggle Magic game with the newly turned three-year-old. It was interesting watching Bethany's reaction to the games. He was independently wealthy, being a half-blood and having no direct line into a fortune, he lived the American dream and settled in California, making it 'rich' so to speak by opening a bookstore that carried everything from Muggle textbooks to the darkest of Dark Arts books. To him, knowledge was power but the only time knowledge became 'evil' was when a person would use that knowledge to harm.
Bethany had just figured out how Alexandria did the magic penny trick after the forth time his wife had done it.
For a child, the bouncy brunette was good at seeing deception and that bothered a part of him. She was too young to understand everything that went on around her but despite that it seemed as if she did. Even though it was only a month past her third birthday she could comprehend certain conversations that should have been beyond her even if she was five. She knew when they were talking about Snape, whether they said his name or not. Then there were times she would stare at you with the shining brown eyes that seemed to show all her emotion and it would be unnerving because it was like she was reading your mind.
Alexandria started another magic trick, the disappearing bean beneath cups. Purposely they were using Muggle means because they were testing to see how much she could comprehend. Without fail the second time Alexandria did the trick Bethany knew exactly where it was. A smile crept across his face as the little girl tried to do the trick on her own but only proceeded to knock the cups over in her attempt to mix them up.
"Jake," He looked at his wife, startled. "You're staring." She said amused. She leaned back on her hands, shaking her dark auburn off her shoulders. "What time is it?"
He glanced at the wall clock. "Around three, do you want to put her down for a nap?"
Bethany jerked her head up. "No nap." She scowled.
Alexandria smiled. "I don't think she wants one,"
"Should we really give her everything she wants?" he retorted back good-naturedly. There was a knock on the door before she could answer. "Enter only if you dare!" he called.
James Potter appeared on the other side of the door, he was attempting a smile but it didn't work too well. "James, nice to see you," Alexandria said standing up. "I thought you were with Albus,"
"Prongs," Bethany clapped her hands smiling.
He nodded. "Lily and I just came from there." Jacob had never seen him look so worried, so serious. "Albus wants to speak with you two," He glanced at Bethany who was now watching them carefully. "I have to talk with Bethany,"
"Is anything wrong?" Jacob asked closing the book he was supposed to be reading.
"Yes. But don't worry, it'll work out soon," even as he said it, it was quite obvious James didn't believe it.
Jacob studied him for a moment before crouching down in front of Bethany. "We'll be right outside, just call if you need us, all right Beth?"
The three-year-old blinked and then touched his face before giggling. "Bye-bye,"
He smiled and ruffled her hair before following his wife out but not before casting a cautious look back at Bethany.
Her attention turned to James. "Ride?" she asked hopefully.
James sighed shaking his head and sitting down on the armchair Jacob had vacated. "No. No ride today, Beth. Lily and I won't be staying."
"Go where?"
Sometimes he hated how smart this child was. "Away. For a while, until Voldemort is brought down."
"Voldie?"
Her nickname of him caused him to crack a smile. "Yes…he's…he's threatened us. He's looking for us right now."
Bethany merely stared at him.
"We, the Longbottoms too, won't be around very much."
Part of him wondered whether she really understood what he was saying but then he had to remind himself that this was the child that had a spurt of accidental magic in the middle of one of Snape and Sirius' fights and silenced them both. She was stronger that she let on.
"We came here to say goodbye."
"Harry?"
James blinked before smiling. "Lily has him, do you want to say goodbye?"
"Safe?" the girl looked around the room as if Voldemort was going to jump out from behind the couch or curtains.
"Yes, Beth, it's safe." He looked at the door. "Lily," His wife appeared in the doorway with a bright-eyed Harry. "Harry learned how to crawl, Beth," as if to prove his point Lily placed Harry on the ground by the door.
He was waving at first but then spotted Bethany. Happily the little guy crawled towards the familiar child.
"Harry," The big green eyes were staring at her. "Stay safe, stupid." She said so firmly that Lily muffled a laugh.
James looked at his wife. "She's been listening to Snape too much."
Lily nodded in agreement. "Be polite, Bethany."
The brown-haired girl looked up at Lily. "Lilee sad?"
"Yes, Beth, I'm sad that we have to go away."
"Come back?"
"We will, one day." Lily shot a look at James. "Sooner rather than later,"
Harry squealed and grabbed at Bethany's hand, trying to put her fingers in to his mouth. Bethany looked at Harry. "No away lik mama, Harry."
James glanced at his wife. She wasn't any happier at going away than he was. Hiding was not something Gryffindors did...at least that was his opinion until Dumbledore revealed the active pursuit Voldemort had started because of the blasted prophecy. That prophecy changed everything. He knew for a while that he was on the sour side of Voldemort but that didn't mean he expected a prophecy that could apply to his son or the Longbottoms to arise, a prophecy that said that Voldemort would mark one of the two children as his equal. Snape, the rotten bastard, had passed what he heard of the prophecy to Voldemort before he turned spy but currently the active search for the Potters had stepped up.
Bethany looked up at him just as Sirius raced into the room. "Is it true James? Is it true?" he demanded.
James looked at his best friend. "Hi Sirius,"
Horror dawned on his face. "Dear Merlin, James what are you going to do? Harry where is—" He spotted the near one-year-old on the floor and dove to him, sweeping him into his arms and giving the boy a tight squeeze. "Merlin, James, we have to kill him! We have to kill Voldemort before he kills Harry! We can't—"
He was cut off by an out of breath Peter Pettigrew coming into the room. "Sirius what was that about? You broke—"
"There's a fucking prophecy about Harry, Wormtail." snarled Sirius.
"SIRIUS BLACK! WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!" Lily thundered causing all members of the room to jump, startled.
"I'm sorry Lils, but…but he's my godson,"
"And he's my son," she shot back, her green eyes murderous. Sirius was looking a cross between worried, hateful, and angry. Lily, in one movement pulled her son from him and deposited him into James' lap. "You're point being?"
"He was just worried, Lily. Over come with emotion and—" Peter tried but she cut him off.
"Shut up, Peter."
His jaw snapped shut and he looked away, ire burning in his eyes.
"I want to kill the freak once and for all, Lils. If he so much as thinks about hurting Harry I'll kill him!"
Lily crossed her arms. "And all the other times he threatened families we didn't get this reaction from you, this whole war has been like a game to you."
Sirius stared at her in shock. "It's personal, Lily. I can't just stand by and do nothing. He's going to attack Harry."
"The prophecy could also be about Neville," Lily retorted.
James shook his head, hating when Sirius and his wife argued. "Prophecy?" Peter piped up. "What prophecy? What is going—"
"Shut up, Peter!" Sirius and Lily both snapped.
He recoiled and felt a burning of hatred in his chest all the more. He hated being ignored…why could Sirius speak and not him!
Sirius was looking at James for help. "The Headmaster never said it was about Harry, only that it could be," James elaborated. "Besides, Voldemort is now actively searching for us. That's why we have to be care—"
"So it could be Longbottom?" Sirius seemed visibly relaxed.
"I cannot believe you, Sirius!" exclaimed Lily suddenly. "You're ready to seek Voldemort out yourself when it was Harry but since it could be Neville you act as if it doesn't matter!"
"I never said that!"
Lily was outraged. "You implied it!"
Peter tried to speak again, "Lily, it was just that he would have been—"
"SHUT UP PETER!" Sirius and Lily exclaimed.
James found Peter's eyes on him, desperately looking for someone to stand up for him or something. But in this regard, he had to agree with his wife and best friend. Peter really needed to be quiet. "Just be quiet, Wormtail."
He missed the crestfallen look which was soon replaced with hatred, cold hard resolution, and then a mask of indifference. Unbeknownst to any of them, as Peter slipped from the room a pair of large brown eyes watched him with an uncanny understanding in them.
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Four days later Albus fired-called Grimmaud Place with dire news: Severus Snape had stumbled into Hogwarts two days ago and slipped into a coma earlier that night. Alexandria, though not employed as such, was a professional Healer who would work at hospitals when a crisis occurred. The Headmaster was requesting that she come and check Snape over for anything Poppy may have missed.
The fire had just returned to normal color when Jacob came in holding Bethany who was rubbing her eyes. "She woke up," he said glancing at the clock. It was three minutes to two in the morning. He summoned a bottle with water in it. "She won't go—" He stopped short when he saw the paleness on his wife's face. "Alex what is it?"
The auburn-haired woman looked at Bethany and then Jacob. "He came back. He's at Hogwarts," Jacob was still trying to figure out why that would worry Alexandria. They had agreed not too long ago that they would allow Bethany's contact with Snape to remain intact merely because of the attachment she had to the man. "Albus told me he slipped into a coma. The Headmaster wants me to come give him a check-over."
Bethany squirmed in Jacob's arms causing him to snap out of his stare and hand her the bottle of water. The child began drinking as he sat down. "Do you think he's bad off?"
"I don't know." Alexandria pulled her knees to her chest, balancing on the chair carefully. There was a cup in front of her and the American Magical Community Press (AMCP) newspaper next to it. He had known she had gotten up at some point, unable to sleep, but he didn't think it outright insomnia. "He looked afraid, Jake. You know how Albus thinks of him."
"How long was he away?"
She sipped the liquid from the cup. "Almost a month, Albus said it had never been that long." After a moment she abruptly sighed and set the cup down, standing up. "I'm going to go get dressed; I'll fire-call you when I learn more." Jacob nodded. Bethany squirmed as Alexandria leaned down and kissed her husband. "Make sure the little tyke gets to bed," she said ruffling Bethany's hair before kissing the top of her head.
Jacob watched his wife retreat. She would floo from the living room so Bethany didn't see her leaving. Snape had left via floo and now, because of his long absence, the three-year-old panicked when she saw someone going through the green flames. His daughter touched his face causing him to look at her sharply.
She stared up at him, with the bottle in her mouth still, as if asking what was wrong. He smiled and sat her on the table in front of him. "You should be asleep, Beth."
The child blinked. "S'eep sca'y," she said softly, her eyes no longer shining with anything. To his consternation they had turned a dull brown, as they often did when she was sad or scared of something.
"Sleep's scary?" he questioned. Bethany looked down nodding. "What makes it scary?"
She looked up at him, her lips in a frown. Her hands covered her eyes. At first he thought she was playing the pee-a-boo game she played when Ronald Weasley was over but when she didn't remove her hands he realized she was trying to tell him she saw something scary in her sleep.
"Monsters?"
Bethany peeked out from behind her right hand. "Mean man," the little girl said finally.
Jacob studied her. Even though she could speak and understand relatively easy neither he nor his wife had been able to get her speak about the nightmares that woke her up every few nights. The ones she usually escaped her crib in search of Snape for.
"And what did this mean man do?"
The trusting brown eyes filled with emotion all of a sudden. The first emotion was sadness, the second fear, and the third he couldn't identify. "'urt mommy," she whispered.
"Helen?" no matter how long they had spent together if Bethany called one of them it was by their name, not mom or dad.
The child nodded. "She iz s'eeping now,"
He opened his arms and she fell into a hug. "That mean man isn't real, Bethany. He's gone now."
Jacob felt her nod into his shoulder. For a while they stayed that way and he wondered if she had gone to sleep when: "'ake?" he heard her murmur. "W'ere Sever-us?"
He stiffened uncontrollably. Pulling away he looked at her. "Why do you ask?"
"Bad man keep him away,"
"He'll be back." He tried to make his voice confidant.
"W'en?"
"Soon,"
The girl nodded before bringing the bottle back to her mouth. "You should be asleep, Beth." He said finally. She looked at him. "It's night, time for all little girls to be in bed."
"No more bad and mean man?"
He smiled at her standing up. "No, Beth. They won't hurt you,"
She held up her arms and he lifted her up. "S'eep wif you?" She asked as they were half way to his room.
"You want to sleep with me?" Bethany nodded solemnly. He hadn't been planning on going back to sleep but if that got Bethany to sleep so be it. "All right, little one." He turned towards his room.
He set the pillows up on the headboard so he could sit and leaned against them as Bethany settled down under the covers next to him, her head in his lap and her hand clutching his night-shirt. The light was on beside his bed and he dimmed it enough that it wouldn't bother his little girl as he read.
"Night Bethany,"
"Night, daddy," She murmured moments before falling asleep.
Jacob's heart clenched both in shock and joy. His brown eyes welled-up with tears as he looked down at the small child.
She called him daddy.
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
August 20, 1981
Alexandria had been gone for three days and Bethany had started getting as suspicious as a three-year-old can get. Right now, as Jacob went of the finances of his book store, Bethany was curled into Remus Lupin's lap as he read her a story. They hadn't expected to be gone from America as long as this. The final adoption papers, needing only Alexandria and Dumbledore's signature sat under the many sheets he had spread across the den's desk.
The store was going in waves of profit and then dropping for a day or two before sky-rocketing. He wasn't quite sure why and what was causing it and he wanted to figure out what it was and why. But he couldn't seem to focus on his work. His mind kept drifting back to Bethany and then Snape.
Despite Dumbledore's insistence that they stay away, Jacob couldn't help but think that the presence of his little girl might bright Snape out of the coma. Snape put on a large act of hating everyone and everything. Jacob knew that but he also knew that Snape had a soft spot for his daughter and his daughter for Snape.
Remus looked over at him as he ended the story. "She really must not like afternoon naps," he commented as Bethany reached over him to the pile of books she had brought over, handing him another one.
Jacob smirked. "No, she really likes stories and won't fall asleep to them." Remus had decided to read her a story to put her to sleep, now three stories into the sitting Bethany wasn't looking any more tired than before.
"You could have warned me," the werewolf said good-naturedly.
"You wanted to read her a story and she loves them, who am I to argue?" Jacob said with a shrug. "I'm going to get a coffee, you want anything?"
"Water, desperately." Remus said as he opened the next book.
Jacob shuffled off to the kitchen, knowing full well he could have spelled water there but he needed to move around. He was fetching the glasses when his wedding ring started to grow warm. He and his wife had special rings spelled to let the other know when one wants to talk to them. The brown-haired man grabbed a two-way mirror Sirius and James had spelled for him and looked into it. Alexandria was there looking nervous.
"What is it, hon?"
"Albus will kill me for doing this, but you need to bring Bethany here."
"Why will he kill you?" He hadn't seen his wife so worn and tired in a long time.
She glanced behind her before whispering in to the mirror. "Several reasons," Jacob stared at her, waiting for her to elaborate. "Jake…" she swallowed hard. "He's dying."
He gripped the mirror harder. Bethany might not be able to deal with another person she cared about dying. "What?"
"He won't wake up, even though he is healed enough to. I'm theorizing he doesn't think he has anything to live for," the pain in his wife's voice caused him to sit down with a thump. "I think when he first came here, before Albus sent him to the hospital wing, he was awake and Albus told him about us."
"Remus is here; shall I send him home or take him with us?"
Alexandria shrugged. "Do whatever, just come…and say you wanted to visit me because Beth was getting nervous or something."
Jacob smiled despite himself. "She has been wondering where you were…I'll be there in ten or fifteen minutes." He started to put the mirror away.
"Jake?"
He stopped looking back at it.
"I love you."
A soft smile spread across his lips. "I love you too, Alex"
She disappeared from the mirror and his face now reflected back at him. Sighing Jacob slid the mirror into his pocket and strode out of the room. Remus stopped in mid-sentence. "What is it?" he asked.
"Come here Beth," Jacob held out his hand. The three-year-old stared at him before sliding off Remus' lap and waddling over to him. "We're going to Hogwarts to visit Alexandria,"
Remus studied him and shook his head. "And Snape,"
Bethany's head whipped to the werewolf. "Sever-us?" the hope and fear in her vice intermingled.
"Yes, little one, lets go get shoes on you," Jacob said. Bethany nodded and started towards the staircase with Jacob following her.
"Jake!" called Remus coming out of the living room. "Is he okay?"
Jacob looked back at him, knowing full well Bethany had stopped her awkward climb and was staring at them. "Come with us and find out,"
True to his word they were ready in ten minutes and tumbling out of the floo in the Hospital wing. Alexandria was sitting at the desk in the office with Poppy Pomfrey bent over the desk, filling a sheet out. Both looked up startled, hands twitching to their wands.
"Jake, Beth…Remus, hi," Alexandria jumped up, sounding surprised.
"Hi love, Beth missed you and wanted to see if you were okay," Jacob lied, glancing at Pomfrey who was watching them.
"Oh, little one, I'm okay." Alexandria crouched down and held her arms out.
Bethany stared uncertainly at her before going into the hug. They had to get Pomfrey out before Bethany asked about Snape. He was concocting a plan just as Pomfrey spoke.
The carrot-haired woman shook her head signing her name to the sheet. "You don't have to lie to me, Mrs. McGee; personally I think the Headmaster is making a mistake not letting Bethany see him. If he comes down I'll distract him." With that she opened the door and motioned for them to go out.
The moment the three-year-old saw the door open she bolted from Alexandria's arms and hurried as fast as her little legs could take her into the extended Hospital Wing. Twice she fell and the two parents twitched to help her but she got up and looked around, as if trying to find him.
"This way Beth," Alexandria held out her hand.
Bethany grabbed it and allowed herself to be lead to the bed where Severus Snape lay in a coma. "Up pleaz." She asked pointing to the bed.
Alexandria lifted her onto the bed. "Careful please, Beth."
The child nodded curtly and crawled towards his face. She lifted the limp arm up and set it on his chest. "Sever-us," she said softly touching his face. "Wake up. Pleaz wake up. I miss you." The auburn-haired witch kept close watch on the vitals.
No change. A dwindle of hope was dashed.
If Bethany couldn't bring him out of the coma, she didn't know what would…It was an hour before Bethany started crying and buried her face into Snape's shoulder. Unable to do anything but try and comfort her, the two parents tried to pick her up but she resisted. She wanted to stay.
"Is it safe?" asked Jacob as his daughter curled into the crook between Snape's arm and his chest. She was trying to put his arm around her.
"She won't hurt him. Everything is healed," Alexandria said sadly. "Everything but his mind." She said inaudibly.
They were quiet for a moment as the tears fell down Bethany's face minutes before she fell asleep. "Let's let her sleep," he whispered motioning for them to go back to the Nurse's Office.
Remus sighed and followed them back. "How did he get that way? Was he awake when he first arrived?"
"Dumbledore isn't speaking, at all. He comes periodically in and asks how Snape is doing but then leaves, locking himself up into his office." Alexandria bit her lip and then something occurred to her. "Remus, I thought James and Lily were going into hiding."
His brow furrowed as Jacob sat down on a lounge-couch. "They were. Why what's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong, I just saw them earlier. They are in Dumbledore's office. Harry is with them along with Sirius and Peter."
There was something that passed through Remus' face before he smiled tightly, said his goodbyes and disappeared through the floo. Alexandria glanced at Jacob. "Should I not have told him that?"
"I'm not sure." Jacob and Alexandria fell into silence before he let out a long sigh. "I'm going to go see Albus." Alexandria stared at him. "If Snape doesn't pull through this, we're going home with our daughter."
The auburn haired woman blinked. "But what about the Order?"
Jacob shook his head. "We're not members, Alexandria. We're not even declared. We're supporters, nothing else and I'm tired of being in Grimmaud Place with people popping in at random times. I want to go home with our daughter and start raising her properly." Alexandria stood up and headed out the office. "Where are you going?"
"You think I'm going to sit here while you give the Headmaster a piece of your mind? I've got to watch this." She said with a smirk.
He captured her in his arms and lowered his lips onto hers. "This is why I love you,"
"Not for my looks," she said with a flounce before they made their way to the Headmaster's office in silence.
"We don't know the password," Jacob said, that only occurring to him as they turned the corner and saw the gargoyle at the end of the hallway.
Alexandria snorted. "Just who do you think you're married to?" she asked before saying some sort of sweet (Blood Pops…who would ever buy that?) making the gargoyle spring to the side. Raised voices reached their ears as they ascended to the door.
"….the only man who can tell us is unconscious in the Hospital wing!" Lily's familiar voice thundered.
"Lily, you cannot blame him for Snivelus' condition." Sirius spoke.
"I can't, can I?" the voice was deadly. Alexandria and Jacob looked at each other. "He was awake and lucid when he first came here, isn't that right, Headmaster?"
"Yes."
There was a silence passing through the room.
A male voice spoke in low deadly tones. "What did you do to the man who can tell us whether Voldemort is still pursuing us or not?"
Alexandria was surprised to hear the question coming from James. She knew that group of friends quite clearly hated Snape.
"Come in Mr. and Mrs. McGee," came a tired voice.
They looked at each other before pushing into the room. The Headmaster was sitting at his desk looking very tired with James and Sirius sitting across from him. Lily was on her feet looking a cross between shocked and royally upset. Peter was leaning against the back wall, watching the scene and they could see Harry in the 'library' of the office playing with some toys, a strong aura of magic around him, keeping him blissfully unaware of the argument in the main area of the office.
"I wish you hadn't brought them here," the Headmaster said to Alexandria, obviously referring to Jacob and Bethany.
"You didn't tell me he was awake when he first got here," Alexandria countered. "What did you say to him? He was bad off enough,"
With a wave of his wand Albus conjured two more chairs. "Please sit and I'll explain." Distrustfully they obeyed. "I'm fairly certain if Voldemort was still seeking you, Severus would have told me the moment he got back."
"You sure about that?" Sirius snapped. "He hates James; Snivelus probably would not only not tell us if Voldemort was but help in—"
"Sirius Black that is enough." Albus said in a quiet but hard voice.
"Why hasn't he woken up yet?" Peter voiced.
"He doesn't think he has a reason to live." Alexandria said with a glare. "You told him about the adoption didn't you?"
Albus nodded. "Before he left, he asked me if the laws would ever allow him, once the war is over, to adopt a child."
It took a moment for what he said to sink into the five adults
"He wanted to adopt Bethany?" James choked.
The aging man nodded once more. "I believe he was hoping he could."
There was a stunned silence after Dumbledore's statement. Alexandria and Jacob looked at each other linking hands. They knew Dumbledore would sign the Release of Guardianship papers and Bethany would come home to California with them but it was still unnerving that Snape wanted their daughter. Sirius was the one that broke the silence by a rather hysterical giggle escaping from his lips.
"That's a good one, Headmaster. Next you'll be saying he loves the girl and doesn't just want to hand her to Voldemort." Despite the amusement in his voice there was venom behind it as if threatening that if anyone said anything to the contrary he would hex them.
Jacob shook his head. As much as Snape made him uneasy, he knew just as well as the rest of them that he was not true to Voldemort. "Sirius, he is our spy." No one else spoke up and the death glare Sirius hot him made him shutter slightly. "He is no more true to Voldemort than I am."
"Now we don't really know who you're loyal to, now do we, McGee?" snarled Sirius, looking very much like a wild dog. "You're not fighters…no you bloody Americans don't want to get your hands dirty like that. Leave it for the Brits to die, you'll just pick our pockets after it and all will be well with the world."
Alexandria felt her husband's grip tighten. "You went too far, Sirius. Apologize," Albus intervened.
Sirius made a low growling noise. "He's a supporter, but do we really know for what side? Look at his bookstore; it has more Dark Arts books than the Malfoy family!"
Jacob rose to his feet. "This, coming from the man who owns several houses that are dripping with Black Magic!" he exclaimed. "The same man who sent a fifteen-year-old boy into the lair of a werewolf, not just any werewolf but one who was supposed to be your friend! You're darker than I'll ever be!"
Black was on his feet now. "You want to say that again?" he asked whipping his wand out.
"GLADLY!"
"Expelliarmus!"
Jacob's newly extended wand and Sirius' flew to the back of the room and into Peter's hand. "Stop acting like a child, Padfoot. I don't like Snivelus any better than you do but he has done some good things and helped us. You can't deny that,"
"Give me my wand back, Peter." He was clenching his hands in fists, Sirius' blue eyes glowing with anger.
"Peter just give his wand back." James sighed, earning him a slap up the back of the head from Lily.
The scrawny, peevish looking man glanced about for help before Jacob spoke. "No, let him keep it, Black. So you don't end up hurting yourself with it."
"Jacob McGee!" snapped Alexandria shaking her head.
"He has a point, Sirius." Lily tried softly.
Hope rekindled in Peter's eyes. "He saved Lily and James last year, remember? He knew Voldemort was going to attack Diagon Alley the day that the Aurors were doing their inspection. The day Lily and Harry were there shopping. He could have just let it pass but he didn't. He—"
Sirius cut him off. "If he was so good, Pettigrew, then why didn't he find out about Helen?" He spat.
"You can't blame him for that can you?" Lily found her voice and managed to gape in shock. "He told us about the Ministry and Voldemort was there. The Ministry would have been over turned if we weren't there."
"How can you be sure it wasn't a distraction? Huh? Those bastards kept Helen with them for three fucking months before we got her out!" Sirius turned his hatred to the red haired woman. "Rosier had tried to get her several times after she had Bethany! Snivelus should have bloody known this was Voldemort's distraction to get her!"
"Should he have?" asked Peter shaking his head. "We didn't. It had never occurred to us until it was too late that not enough Death Eaters were—"
Sirius whirled around. "Shut up you fucking little rat!"
Peter's jaw snapped shut, looking startled and hurt all in the same moment. "J-J-James, help m-m-me here," he pleaded after a moment, his stutter beginning to return.
James sighed, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Peter just shut up. Let us deal with this."
He blinked rapidly before his face hardened. "I h-h-h-hav-v-ve th-th-th-things to d-d-do," He tossed the wands on Dumbledore's desk and stalked out, slamming the door shut behind him.
"You guys are pathetic." Alexandria said quietly. "Not only are we accusing a man who has done more than his share to make retributions for what he did in the past but we're accusing a man who very well could die within thirty-six hours if we can't get him out of his coma. How can you men be so heartless?" she asked in shock.
There was another stony silence following her statement. "Sirius, Mr. McGee, please sit down." Albus said after a moment. Without a word from either of them they sank into their seats. "I believe that we strayed off of topic here." He let out a long sigh before turning to Alexandria. "I do believe I know a single way to raise him out of the coma, but I've hesitated to do it because I do not like what it implies."
"You could have brought him out of the coma all this time and you didn't?" the auburn haired woman said indignantly.
"Severus…Severus has a strong sense of duty Mrs. McGee, even if he doesn't think that he has the right to live, if we tell him that he still has a duty to complete…that..." Albus cleared his throat. "That he can't die until the war is over I do believe he will wake up."
Alexandria's jaw dropped. "How do you know that will work?"
Albus shut his eyes. "Because I've used it before on him…"
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Jacob held Bethany as Albus half shouted at the prone form of Severus Snape. The three-year-old so obviously didn't understand why the Headmaster was yelling at her friend. Hell, Jacob himself didn't completely understand it either. It hadn't even occurred to him that their adopting Bethany would have such an impact on this man.
James and Lily watched with bated breath as Albus began to demand Snape to wake up. Sirius had opted to stay in the Headmaster's office with Harry and secretly Jacob was glad. The two of them often bashed heads but never to such an escalated shouting match. He did know one thing for sure: he wanted to leave with Bethany as soon as possible.
A movement caught his eyes and his wife gave a tiny gasp. Severus Snape moved again before blinking and opening his eyes. "Sever-uz!" Bethany exclaimed trying to run forward but Jacob grabbed the back of her shirt to stop her.
Coal black eyes went from Albus to Bethany and then to the other. "Fuck off," he moaned and rolled over, his back facing them.
"Sever-uz?" the three-year-old said in a tiny voice.
"I'll leave you to check him over, Mrs. McGee" there was a haunted look in the Headmaster's blue eyes as he left the room.
Lily and James glanced at them before nodded their heads at Alexandria, Jacob, and then Bethany and slipping out. "Come on Beth, why don't we get you some dinner," Jacob tried to lift his daughter up.
"NO!" she exclaimed and there was a burst of magic. He found himself sprawled on the floor as Bethany waddled over to Severus' bed. "Sever-uz awak?" Bethany asked going to the side of the bed where Severus was facing.
Alexandria helped Jacob to his feet. "What was that?" she whispered.
"Defensive magic I think…." He said in shock.
The black eyes of her friend stared straight ahead, not looking at her at all. "Sever-uz waz hurt." She said softly. "I waz scawrd." He gave no reaction. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Are ye mad at Beth?" the child asked sadly. "I sorry."
"Bethany please come away from there," Jacob said in a strained voice.
The three year old shook her head, a few large tears splashing down her cheek. Bethany reached out and touched Snape's arm. The onyx eyes hit her with a glare that was filled with contempt. "Pleaz, Sever-uz…don go away lik mommy."
A very tense silence passed through them before he raised his arm up. "Get up here, idiot child," he said in a voice so low Alexandria and Jacob almost didn't hear it.
Bethany's brown eyes lit up and she yanked herself up onto the bed. Curling into a tiny ball next to him, he draped his arm across her. "Thank ye," she slurred before closing her eyes.
He sighed and shut his own. Why did Dumbledore had to remind him he still had responsibilities? Why couldn't the old man have let him die in peace?