A/N # 1 – Non Con, Mpreg. Angst and unhappiness abounds. Not my characters that I'm abusing.
A mentally exhausted Filius Flitwick was in his jimjams and savoring a cuppa of Chamomile tea before bed. His pleasant thoughts of going to bed where shot to hell when Rowena, his portrait guardian, quietly advised him that Minerva desired to speak with him. As it was a few minutes short of midnight, Filius knew the matter was important and no doubt dealt with Albus' recent spur of the moment trip to Nurmengard. Minerva wouldn't be visiting this late to discuss Quidditch, but oh, how he wished she was.
"Please let her in," he requested. Filius pinched his nose and pushed up his glasses. He forced a smile onto his face when he warmly greeted Minerva.
To Filius' intense apprehension, Minerva, the very embodiment of a Gryffindor Lioness, appeared hesitant. He had seen her exhilarated, cross, amused, snarky and a thousand other assorted emotions during their long friendship, but when Minerva appeared uncertain, it was time to batten down the hatches and put away the broomsticks.
"Whatever is the matter?" The Charms Master softly questioned. "Minerva, love, sit down."
Minerva refused to take a seat; instead, she shook her head.
"I fear that I might know who our mysterious green eyed mage is," Minerva slowly admitted. "The problem is that he's rumored to be quite utterly dead."
"I won't tell him that's he's deceased if you won't," the witty Filius quickly quipped. "I'd hate for him to fall over dead from the shock when he realizes that he's actually alive. But what else aren't you telling me about our very-not-so-dead Wizard? I get this unhappy feeling there is so much left unsaid."
"If I'm right, our green-eyed bonnie boy was instrumental in the near formation of a New World Order," confessed Minerva. "As it stands, our friend is accountable for the complete and absolute annihilation of the Bulgarian Department of Aurors among countless other atrocities."
Quickly, she spoke of her suspicions, why she believed the mage in question was Damyan Draganov and then Minerva repeated verbatim her conversation with Gellert. Mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted, she concluded her dissertation by gracelessly collapsing into Filius' settee. With a soft moan, a dejected Minerva rested her head in her hands.
"You're the smartest mage I know. You see patterns and potentials where others see nothing. Tell me that I'm wrong, Filius," she earnestly pleaded. "I want my hypothesis to merely be the scared musings of a silly old bint. Give me a thousand reasons why I'm wrong, Filius! Reassure me that the boy hasn't gone from the skillet into the fire!"
Her sincere pleas to be proven wrong were met by silence. At last, a less than chuffed Minerva opened her eyes to a silent Filius intently pulling his wispy memories of the mage from his mind and placing them into the air. A heavy tome floated from his library and gently landed on the table that had appeared after Minerva had entered the room. The pages of the book moved as though there was an invisible set of hands flipping them, and finally, it opened on a particular image. The photo was of a securely shackled and spell-restrained, wild-haired mage. His gaze was vacant; his ruined face was bruised, battered and bleeding but his nervous jailers treated him as though he was a rampaging animal. His jittery guards gingerly attempted to force him to face towards the photographer but Draganov noticed them not at all.
Filius swished and flicked his wand, and pulled the picture from the book. The image glided over to where Filius' memory was.
"Hold," Filius commanded. "I'm not overlaying you just yet. Let's clean up his pretty face and calm down that wild mane. Change the hair color, add fifty or so years. Add the beard to hide that chin."
Filius stared at the two images for some time before he started making minute changes to the physical images of the two mages. The nose was changed, the chin modified and wrinkles were added. Finally, he regretfully nodded his head in weary agreement.
"Bloody hell, not Draganov," Filius then fluently cursed in Goblin for some time. "Now the terrible questions begin. Did He Who Caused All This Trouble recruit the bastard to be Severus' nanny? Or is he just a wildcard in this bloody mess? What the bloody hell right does he have to be alive? Are there others of Gellert's Ruddy Brotherhood out there? Is he alone? Or does he have help?"
"I'll wait until the morning to tell Albus," decided Minerva. "He's sleeping right now. He's quite exhausted and I drugged him so he'd sleep."
Filius shook his head.
"No, you must not tell Albus anything about this. Did not Albus tell you that your loyalty to Severus must override everything else?" Filius quickly reminded her. "Albus is not thinking rationally right now. He went to visit Gellert, Min. GELLERT. If Gellert is in contact with any of his followers…"
"Draganov will know that I was asking questions about him," Minerva whispered. She had thought that to confirm Draganov's identity it would be worth the risk, but now, with a clearer mind, she wasn't so sure. "What if Draganov decides to retreat further into the shadows?"
"Quite right, he may hunker down or he might flee, but you have at least managed to confirm who our mage is." Filius' eyes were bright as he quickly spoke. "Actually, it's probably for the best that Severus in under Draganov's care. Remember, Min, Draganov was a Healer-Surgeon and there is no doubt in my mind that Draganov will decide that it is in his best interest to keep Severus hale and healthy. If Draganov is unaffiliated with You Know Who, then he'll know that a dead Severus will not be worth much in trade to You Know Who, the Aurors or Dumbledore. Now that we know who is caring for Severus, Minerva, locating him will be our next concern. As for Albus? This delicate situation requires finesse and diplomacy. He's a burning Phoenix in a wand shop and Albus is the reason why Severus did a runner. It pains me to say this, but Albus must not be made aware of this conversation."
While it would be nice to blame Albus for everything that had occurred, Minerva had to be honest and demand her share of the blame be correctly apportioned. She opened her mouth to point that out but Filius quickly shot her down.
"Tosh! You know I'm right, Min. Yes, you bungled it, but nowhere near as bad as Albus did. It's imperative that we keep Albus out of this, as he's going quite spare. But who can we trust to help us in this matter?" Filius paused.
While Filius was brilliant in all manners of practical and theoretical magic, his keen mind was unable to grasp the subtle clout of favors owed and the hubris of underestimating a shirty mediwitch scorned. Or so Minerva naively thought.
"Horace owes Severus, and I believe Poppy would like nothing more than to spite Albus for his recent overbearing, imperious manner," Minerva suggested.
Filius' mustache quirked and he truly made a noble effort to hide his evil smile. Sadly, it was doomed to failure.
"Yes, Horace and Poppy would be perfect as they know the gravidity of the current situation," Filius quipped.
"If Severus was here, he'd hex off your nethers for that pun," Minerva half-heartedly snapped, though there was a ghost of a smile on her lips. Thank Merlin for Filius' irrepressible nature as it was simply impossible to be downhearted in his proximity.
The Charms Master laughed once more but Filius quickly turned serious.
"Minerva, how much do you remember about rescuing Severus?" Filius intently questioned.
Events immediately preceding and following Severus' escape from The One Minerva Would Like to Castrate with a Blunt Butter Knife if His Bits Hadn't Shrunken and Fallen Off Already were rather foggy, Minerva had to admit. Lots of blood, an explosion or three, Filius being flung across the room, a loud splat involving lurid, purple robes, and there were tantalizing flashes of half remembered memories.
"You donate blood to help bind the spiritual and physical essences of both Severus and Albus so that we could locate the child. Albus immediately bonded Severus to keep him alive after his rescue," patiently explained Filius. "It was rather chaotic, Severus was in danger of dying, and time was of the utter essence. Is there any chance that during that period of terrible confusion that Albus accidentally bonded you also? Bonding requires blood, Minerva, and there was great deal of it freely flowing at the time. Severus, Albus and you were bleeding. If your blood had intermingled with theirs and Albus performed the Bonding, you could be Bonded with them."
I couldn't be bloody Bonded to the boys! I couldn't! I'd strongly feel their emotions! That's part of the Bond, the emotional and spiritual connection!
Minerva attempted to collect her thoughts but her mind was still having trouble seriously conceptualizing the thought of being Bonded to both Albus and Severus. As the arbitrator in that unholy troika, Minerva would need a Quidditch whistle, a referee bat and a Stun Stick to prevent an overly protective Albus from overwhelming the traumatized Severus. Yes, one was only supposed to use a Stun Stick on a rampaging dragon, but the thought of using it on Albus Dumbledore while quite juvenile, was emotionally quite satisfying.
Perhaps Fawkes would look the other way when she applied it to a very sensitive part of Albus' anatomy.
There's no way I could be Bonded with them and stay sane! I'd be pulled hither and yon due to the strength of the emotions involved!
"Minerva, if your blood has mingled and you are Bonded to them, I can have a go of using you as a bloodhound to locate Severus. Promote the rumor that you and Horace have resumed your affair, and he'll be able to escort you on your travels. I don't want you facing Draganov by yourself. I have no doubt that you can easily handle him, but I've lost Severus, I couldn't bear to lose you also. A wizard my age? I don't have that many close friends left," admitted Filius.
"You knew about Horace and me?" Minerva painfully asked. She knew her cheeks were the color of sunset. Damn it, Filius was rumored to be utterly clueless about such things!
"I know many dismiss me as an oblivious academic, but you did put a rather jaunty bounce in his step, Min," easily answered Filius. "Just because I refuse to join the hens in gossiping, doesn't mean I don't see the obvious. I just choose not to comment on it. I have ethics, and take the higher road."
Filius knew about Severus, Horace and Albus. Did everyone else know about her affairs? She needed to change the subject and do so quickly.
"I'm not sure if Albus bonded the three of us. I do feel… an affinity… to Severus and the bairn, but I'm not persuaded that this… feeling… is because of a supposed Troika Bonding. There was an understanding between Severus and myself, a chary fondness, if you will, and at one time, I did want a child of my own," slowly admitted Minerva. "Our attachment may not be robust enough to assist in locating him. I'm not sure how strongly he felt toward me."
Filius shook his head in disbelief before he rubbed his tired eyes.
"Min, the boy was quite keen on you. If the boy didn't love you, then whatever emotion Severus felt toward you was probably the closest thing to love that he's ever known."
"I never led him on," she softly protested. "I never promised him more than a tumble. I certainly warned him against him falling in love with me because of his hormones."
"Yes, but you gave him so much more than a mere tumble," Filius gently reminded Minerva. "Severus let you meet the true man behind his façade, and to his extreme shock, you weren't frightened away. You gave what he intrinsically craved; empathy, emotional intimacy and a jolly good time in bed. You readily accepted that he secretly fancied Albus and you didn't take the mickey out of him for it."
"I couldn't mock him for loving Albus," Minerva protested. "How could I? I loved that damn fool too."
"I know that, Min. It's late, Minerva, and it's long past time for you to get some sleep. I'll work on crafting a Charm so I can use you to locate Severus. It will take some time, but you can talk to Horace and Poppy about what we'll need and see if they're willing to help us."
Oxana had already checked on her various patients this morning. Adrik was still deeply asleep and a mute Sasha was staring blankly at the wall which meant that he was in the nadir of his personal crisis. The two familiars had been admired, adored, fed and then thoroughly brushed, and now Grisha and Nadya were intently patrolling the shop. Oxana had just finished the pre-opening checklist for the shop when she heard the bells on the front door jingle as the purportedly locked door easily opened. Grisha jumped on the counter next to her and sounded one quiet, concerned chirp while Nadya streaked past her to rouse Sasha.
The familiars' actions meant only one thing.
Mage. There's a bloody mage at the door and Sasha is having an eppy!
Immediately, Oxana tightened her grip on her wand, and with her left hand, she reached under the counter for a few small toys that Sasha had prepared for unwanted guests.
"May I help you?"
Her tone was cool and composed, but her heart was beating a thousand times a minute. Had one of Severus' former Masters found where he was hiding?
"Ohayou gozaimasu!" That was the cheerful response in English, heavily seasoned with a Japanese accent. "I saw your shop was open for business, Madam. Do you have any Gennoshouko for an ill traveler from Japan? My good friend Hana recommended your shop."
Her heart continued to merrily pound, as she recognized her customer's voice and the code words. Oxana's tight grip on her wand loosened, but only slightly. She put her left hand back on the counter and spread it wide to show her guest that it was empty. Bloody hell, she would have almost preferred Gellert, Dumbledore or even the newest self Styled Dark Lord to waltz into her shop and ask for something for the trots.
No, her early morning customer was IshikawaByakko, Gellert's one time personal, private executioner. His arrival on her doorstep could only mean that an emergency had occurred but Snezhana, the defacto Head of Gellert's Brotherhood, was leery of using the standard manner of communication. Of the surviving members of the Brotherhood, only Ishikawa Byakko was able to openly move in the daylight as his countless victims were dead and unable to identify him to the proper authorities.
"I'm sorry to hear that our cuisine is adversely affecting you," she murmured in what she hoped was a sympathetic tone. While she doubted that Byakko actually had the trots, it was always wise not to offend him. He was almost as tetchy as Sasha was. "Let me see if I have any Gennoshouko. I'm afraid that it's not particularly popular here."
"I would be extremely grateful," the Japanese mage assured her. "If you have anything similar, I would indeed be most appreciative as I have a flight to Agadir that I can not miss. My delicate stomach is proving quite the annoyance."
Agadir, Morocco meant Byakko was informing Ilias and Amina next. Bloody hell! Byakko was using Muggle transportation? That meant Snezhana had ordered a complete magical lockdown. What the hell had happened?
The silver haired mage stepped into view, a slight, nebbish looking man. For all the world he appeared to be the stereotypical Japanese tourist. There was a rather expensive looking camera with assorted doodads hanging around his neck to complete his charade as a tourist. Yes, he looked like a sightseer, except for the fact that Byakko's cold, dark eyes were utterly devoid of anything resembling humanity.
"I can offer you something, but I need to make it," Oxana said.
Byakko nodded his head once in silent acknowledgement. Quickly, she expertly combined the chamomile tincture, the blackberry brandy and a few other essential oils before shaking the mixture vigorously. She poured the liquid into a small vial and gingerly handed it to Byakko.
"One teaspoon every thirty minutes," she briskly instructed. "Fifteen quid."
He quaffed the drink, handed her payment, and then bowed once more.
"Keep the change." A fleeing smile graced his face, and he whispered, "My sincerest regards to Damyan," before he quickly left the shop. Oxana tightly crumpled the bill in her hand, and then she quickly relocked the shop door and flipped the sign to "CLOSED."
Her hands were shaking, and she stuffed them into her apron's pockets. Ishikawa Byakko scared the bloody hell out of the Russian Auror once known as Ekaterina and she wasn't ashamed to admit it.
"Company, Oxana?" rumbled Sasha from the hallway. It seemed Nadya had been quite determined in rousing Sasha as he was sporting several raw, oozing scratches on his hand.
Oxana glanced at her lover, saw that his hair was a mess and his clothes rumbled.
"Byakko just delivered a message from Snezhana." Oxana then handed him the crumbled bill. "Straighten your hair and clothes as you look a fright. You'll scare off our paying customers as they'll think you've gone round the bend."
"He couldn't tell you what's happened?" Sasha questioned, deliberately ignoring her tart comments on his appearance. He placed the bill on the countertop and began meticulously straightening it with his fingers.
"Wouldn't," Oxana stressed.
She had been Sasha's companion for several decades and his lover for the last dozen or so years, but his erstwhile companions were not her friends. The Brotherhood… tolerated… her for Sasha's sake and for no other reason. If she managed to outlive Sasha, Oxana suspected that Byakko would swiftly dispatched to quickly post her to the afterlife. After all, while Oxana knew too much about the Brotherhood to be permitted to live unfettered, Snezhana was too wary of Sasha's temper tantrums to openly move against her. It was a small mercy that her death would be painlessly quick, as the Japanese Assassin-Mage prided himself on his complete professionalism.
Her life would be significantly less complicated if Sasha hadn't decided to intervene in that alleyway in Geneva. Yes, Ekaterina Sidorova Dobrolubskaia would be dead, but she wouldn't be in Manchester dealing the problem child known as Adrik. Her instincts were finely honed after so many years on the run, and they were screaming that the magical maelstrom surrounding Adrik, Dumlbedore and the newest Dark Lord was the reason why the monster known as Ishikawa Byakko had been unleashed.
"Byakko's blinkered," Sasha offered by way of terse explanation. He narrowed his eyes and intently peered at the bill. He grimaced at the message and within short order, the bill spontaneously combusted. "Gellert sent a message via a sparrow to Snezhana. Unfortunately, it wasn't a bigger brained bird as all Snezhana made out was that Gellert was quite concerned. The Brotherhood is incommunicado from this point on but Byakko will be dispatched with updates once Snezhana determines what exactly happened. Toma and his extended family have already been moved to a safe location. Once they get settled, the others will be relocated also."
"We're moving then?" Oxana asked. She tried not to sigh, but Manchester had been their happy home for many years. "Where will we be sent?"
"I had previously discussed our possible redeployment with Rada. They know our heartstone will have to be carefully dismantled, so they're giving us sufficient warning to properly shut it down. She was quite vexed that I picked up more strays but she agreed to make room for all of us, including the baby, in Bermuda. The parentage of the child must be a tightly guarded secret as she believes that both parents are under my protection. Adrik will be passed off as the father, and the mother will have supposedly died in childbirth." Sasha's voice was deadly serious. "The others… they would not understand my participation."
Bloody hell, Sasha, I don't even understand why you're getting involved with this!
"He may not wish to continue under your care," Oxana reminded Sasha. "Did you forget his noble attempt to throttle you?"
"You know, I do remember something about that," dryly commented Sasha. "He'll just have to be reminded of the many good reasons why he can't be permitted to leave. Let's go talk to our patient. You're a calming influence so I want you to sit in on our little conversation."
The man once known as Severus Snape but now answering to the name Adrik, needed to pull it all together and do so quickly. If he appeared the slightest bit vulnerable, the rabid wolf known as Sasha would rip out his throat. That was Severus' first, second and third dark thoughts of the morning. The fourth, darker thought was that Ari was damn lucky that Damyan hadn't just bloody slaughtered him and used his body for compost for his assorted exotic herbs.
He sat up in the bed and protectively pulled the blankets over his naked form. Obviously, the pragmatic Oxana thought he was close to doing a runner and had decided the easiest way to prevent his escape was to take away all this clothes. Why must they insist on him being absolutely starkers, couldn't they leave him in a pink, fuzzy dressing gown? He didn't have shoes; he didn't have pants… where the hell did they think he'd go?
Couldn't a man be allowed a bloody pair of pants? Must his bits dangle in the breeze?
Even the faux Albuses had let him retain some dignity by allowing him clothes. Savagely, he crushed that thought, not wanting to examine it too closely. They hadn't allowed him much in the way of dignity…
"I am a fool," he growled. "I am a fool who wears my heart on my sleeve. I cannot control my emotions; I wallow in painful memories and allow them to consume me. I can not allow this weakness; I must be stronger for Ari's sake. This is nothing compared to what I have endured through the years. I have done far worse in the service of the Dark Lord. My body, my mind… they are nothing but currency which I will use so that Ari will survive."
There was a knock on the door, and then the door swung open. Savagely, he clawed at his leg, focusing and embracing the pain as a means to control his emotions.
"It's considered polite to ask before one barges into a room," Severus snapped. For good measure, he added a copious amount of the Old Severus in his tone. The Dark Wizard would be reminded that Severus Snape was still a force with which to be reckoned.
The Bulgarian Wizard heard the snap in Severus' voice and he appeared not impressed at all by the frightened, naked man huddled under assorted blankets. He merely rolled his eyes and barked a laugh.
"One of these days, you'll narrow your eyes and I'll drop dead on the spot from an overwhelming, all-encompassing terror. Right now, I'm afraid that I just feel… ticklish as you look peckish, boy. Not just simply peckish, but tetchy, petulant and dyspeptic, Adrik. Do you need peppermint for your swelling belly?"
Sasha's tone was mocking, and Severus' backbone bristled.
"Morgana's bloody rags," interjected a rather annoyed Oxana. "You two must be related. Do I need to oversee this meeting if anything is to be accomplished besides a pissing match between you two?"
"I'd thought we'd first drop our trousers and compare the length of our wands before our pissing contest. Don't want the boy at a disadvantage if his wand is not appropriately sized for the challenge," sardonically retorted Sasha.
Oxana growled and Sasha appeared startled by the sound emanating from her throat.
"Very well, Adrik, out of respect for Oxana's delicate sensibilities, let us put off our pissing contest for another day. I asked you if there was anything I might need to know about your condition before I treated you. I decided to let you keep your secrets, but that was before you attempted to murder me. Like it or not, you are stuck under my roof for the next few months as I can not risk you being captured by Dumbledore, your Dark Lord or the British Aurors."
"You can Obliviate my memories," Severus reminded Sasha of the easiest solution. "Drop me in the street and I will remember nothing of my time here. Oxana, I would appreciate if you would return my clothes before you put me in the alleyway."
"You're not going anywhere in your current condition as your recent ordeal is still too fresh. Need I remind you that an Obliviate will not work on a mind unhinged by traumatic memories," stated the Dark Wizard.
Unhinged.
He was not unhinged.
He was perfectly, absolutely sane.
The Albuses had taunted him about his shaky grip on reality and how he'd prove dangerous to his child. The Headmaster believed that Severus was a nutter and it would be best to separate him from the sprog. Yes, the Headmaster hadn't shared his belief with him, but Severus had seen the appraising, weighing look in his blue eyes and known it for the truth.
"My mind is not unhinged," retorted Severus. "I am far saner that you are for I didn't murder my wife and unborn child."
That reckless retorted caused an angered Sasha to lunge toward Severus and Oxana deliberately stepped between the two wizards. She wasn't a match physically for the Bulgarian mage, but she still managed to hold the enraged mage back. His green eyes were blazing in fury, and his neck veins were obviously distended and throbbing.
Damyan Draganov was incensed and far too late Severus remembered the stories of what happened when Damyan lost his tenuous grip on his temper. He had burned down a substantial part of Minsk. Yes, they claimed it was a lightning strike, but Severus knew the truth.
I woke the Dragon, Ari. He will slaughter me and nothing will be able to prevent it.
"Very well, you are completely sane, my new found friend," Sasha stated in a very controlled tone. "You regularly make a habit of attempted murder because you truly believe that I am St. Albus. I Obliviate your sane mind and the traumatic memories will break through so that any half-trained Legilimens within mental distance will hear your sniveling. If not that, when and not if, St. Albus finds you, he will break you easily, discover who I am and I will find him on my doorstep. I will not allow Oxana to be harmed due to you. As for my wife and unborn child, I had nothing to do with their murders. Dana had her throat slashed by a Muggle. I merely came home, found my world utterly destroyed and I was deemed the guilty party."
The Bulgarian spat that comment at Severus, and Oxana grabbed Sasha by his arm when he moved still closer to the bed. His left hand inched toward his pocket where no doubt his wand was located.
He was going for his wand, and Severus knew his death was imminent.
"Dami, please, please." The witch's voice was soft, soothing and composed. It seemed that she possessed no fear of the enraged Sasha which meant the witch was either insane or a brillant actress. "The boy doesn't know the truth; he only knows the propaganda that they spread about you. He's been badly traumatized by Dumbledore and this new Dark Lord. Is it no wonder that Adrik is frightened of you? You look like Dumbledore, I've told you that, and those lies they've spread about you have had decades in which to fester and worsen. He reacted badly during the Reiki; you know that it's not uncommon during Reiki to have an emotional breakthrough. His child's an innocent in this, like Iskra was."
For a moment, Severus feared that Oxana had gone too far, as Sasha's face blanched. For a moment, Sasha did nothing. Then he held up his hands, bit his lip and nodded his head.
"Find out his secrets, Katya," Sasha roughly ordered. "Find out what your blessed innocent is hiding."
After Sasha stormed out of the room, Oxana took two deep breaths and then sat down on the edge of the bed. She reached for Severus' right hand and gave it a hard, comforting squeeze.
"Looks like the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Program is actually working on Sasha," she softly admitted with a shaky laugh. "Else you and I would be bloody splattered all over the walls for the second time in two days. When Sasha calms down, I'll discuss adding the Desensitization program to your treatments. You two are walking, and talking Poster Boys for Post Traumatic Stress. He's come a long way, as at least he can get angry without blowing off the roof, though I have to admit that I wasn't so certain about mentioning Iskra. He was quite close to completely losing it then, but he managed to step back from the precipice. The wards didn't even tremble…"
It seemed that his disbelief over the truth of Oxana's statement was apparent to the witch. That was far nicer way of saying that he believed her an absolute nutter for thinking Damyan Draganov was anything close to being controlled.
"He's really come quite far in controlling the Rage," Oxana insisted. "Sasha doesn't enjoy it when he loses control. In spite of what you've heard, he's not a mindless monster. He didn't kill Dana or Iskra."
"Who's Iskra?" Severus softly questioned.
"His daughter. It's Bulgarian for 'spark', as he and Dana hadn't decided on a proper name for the poor babe before everything went to shit. Once again, I can assure you that Sasha will not throw you out into the street. He's taken you into our Household, tied you in our heartstone..."
Once more, Severus was unexpectedly overwhelmed by how forcibly the Russian witch reminded him of Minerva. Bloody hell, Oxana had attempted to deflect the worst of Sasha's ire away from him at the risk of her own safety. Minerva had done much the same for him when his unwanted reappearance at Hogwarts had disrupted the Headmaster's equilibrium. Would it not have been better for all if he hadn't been rescued, as the Headmaster wouldn't have to deal with the awkward repercussions of a sprogged up, spunk covered Severus? The brave Minerva had stayed the Headmaster's fury and had attempted to broker a tentative accord between them. Yes, the Dumbledore-Snape Treaty had been doomed to failure, but damn it, she had tried.
For her goddaughter's sake, she had attempted the impossible.
I owe you so much, Minerva. I hope you know that I appreciated your kindness. You, and you alone, have always been kind to me. Would that I had only known that before now!
"A heartstone? He tied me into his heartstone?" Severus repeated.
Heartstones were notoriously finicky and for Sasha to have grafted him into a fully operational heartstone meant that Sasha possessed a great deal of magical skill, not just raw power.
"Our heartstone as I put a great deal of myself into it," snapped Oxana. For good measure, she poked him in his rather sore chest. "I helped graft you."
Really, was it truly necessary to jab his sore man boobs? At the rate they were expanding, he'd shortly be in true need of a damn brassiere.
"I am a fairly competent witch, Adrik, and perhaps you should start remembering that. I understand that yes, Sasha is far more impressive than I am as he has a distressing tendency to leave a trail of mass destruction in his chaotic wake."
Oh yes, she was kin to Minerva, and he felt comfortable in responding in kind.
"While Sasha's ability to knock down mountain ranges is quite remarkable, some of us prefer magic used with some subtlety," he retorted.
His quip earned a dry laugh from Oxana.
"You're tied into it; you needed the magical support as the babe was draining you dry. As I was saying, Sasha has brought you into our Household, and he'll do what he can to fix your arm. I would highly recommend that you do not attempt to murder him again. He's gets quite cross when that happens. There are some other issues that have risen to the surface which have upset our normally rather placid Sasha so he's thin-skinned and tetchy. We have to leave Manchester."
"I can see why he might be upset," quipped Severus. "Manchester is such a nexus of magical, cultural and intellectual pursuits."
But if they were leaving Manchester, would he still be able to return to Hogwarts for the birth? He had promised the Headmaster he would… No… he couldn't worry about that now, as he still had his sincerest doubts that he'd be alive in August.
"Manchester has been the closest he's had to a home since Sofia," Oxana softly explained. "People don't know him as a kin murder here; they just think that he's the barmy old codger that runs the local New Age shop. That's given him a certain amount of solace. We're moving as most of the remaining Brotherhood is being redeployed."
"Redeployed? Are your friends attempting to take over the world once more?" quipped Severus. "The Dark Lord may have other plans."
"I don't know why we're being moved. Sasha is instructed when and where to move, and he does so. He doesn't ask why, as he is a good little soldier. His friend is quite vexed, but she's agreed to take you, me and the child as part of a package deal with Sasha. I believe that she doesn't approve of my relationship with Sasha as she worries that I will revert back to my true nature at the first opportunity."
"She's not afraid of Sasha, but she's troubled by you?" For good measure, he gave her a long, apprising look, ignoring the fact that he was bloody starkers except for a few strategically bunched bed sheets. "See, someone else appreciates subtlety."
"I was never a supporter of Gellert, I was a Russian Auror, Adrik. The Brotherhood fears that I will turn on them."
Severus didn't quite know how to answer that shocking revelation but Oxana continued to talk.
"It's a very long story on how I was seduced to the dark side, but speaking of long stories, I need to know why you attacked Sasha. I have this feeling that you'll want to be wearing more than bed sheets when you tell me the truth. Sasha will only help you if he believes that you're telling him the truth," Oxana explained. "No more lies, Adrik. No more dissembling, dithering, evading or hedging."
To give her credit, Oxana attempted to make their serious conversation appear to be nothing more than a cheerful chinwag over a cuppa and bickies. Severus, on the other hand, was quite familiar with reporting unhappy tidings to the Headmaster and he decided that manner of presentation would be the most professional way of handling this conversation. He had his pride, barely, and like bloody hell would he snivel in front of anyone.
It was only for Ari's sake that he decided to speak. The Dark Lord, the Headmaster, Poppy and Minerva had all but signed off on his death certificate as they believed the prognosis of his long term survival was quite doubtful. Only Sasha and Oxana believed that they could get him to term and therefore, he needed them desperately for Ari.
Only for you, my love, would I admit my shame to anyone.
He kept his tone dispassionate, savagely repressing all emotions. Now it was time for a cold, dry report, not covered in useless emotions. Matter-of-factly, he recited what had occurred to him, glossing over the unimportant issues.
Yes, Albus had taken him for a lover on the night before he had been abducted. He lied then, claiming that their sexual congress had been the results of high holiday spirits combined with too much punch. Nothing more, he insisted, firmly denying that there had been any emotional involvement on either of their parts. It wasn't a complete lie, merely a half-truth as his had been the only emotions invoked in their tumble. Dispassionately, he discussed how the conception had inadvertently taken placed that night thanks to the ministrations of the Dark Lord.
He attempted to brush over his misadventures with the Faux Albuses, but he found himself horribly talkative. He struggled, but he couldn't cease talking about what cruelties he had endured, and his voice cracked even while his throat grew parched. Sasha was in the room, and while his heart screamed at him for not noticing the mage's arrival, Severus' mouth was too engaged to care. Was there something in the damn tea? The frosting on the bickies? They had drugged him and he hadn't noticed!
The filth poured from his mouth as he detailed exactly what had happened to him. Sasha wanted the truth, and therefore Severus would give him the bloody truth. Let the bastard revel in his nightmares.
After Severus' voice grew hoarse, Sasha poured him something from a dark green bottle and assured him it was quite safe to drink. Whatever the liquid was, it tasted like fruit juice, burned like Holy Fire on the way down, and left him feeling extremely mellow. The sane part of Severus was horrified when he became even more talkative thanks to whatever it was. The words were pouring from his mouth, and his emotional control was slipping terribly.
He continued to talk while Sasha continued to pour until at last he was admitting the bitterest truth.
"They put memories… in my head. I accept in my heart …that they didn't happen, but my mind clearly remembers. The Headmaster didn't do those horrible things to me, but …. I was… Dumbledore's Whore and I was… so damn proud… I was overjoyed…. because he enjoyed my body so much. He… he… and… I…I…remember … can hear the noises…the taste… the smells… the feel …it didn't happen… but it's still in my head. He's not… that type of man… He's proper… not pervy…He wouldn't… never to a student…It wasn't… him… He's not… a paedophile. He's not!"
His mouth moved and he couldn't voice his true horror as the Dark Lord's compulsion still silenced his tongue.
The Dark Lord is using me to weaken the Headmaster.
Severus was screaming that in his mind, and no one could hear him.
"Drink the rest," Sasha gruffly ordered. "It'll help."
A few long swallows and the bottle was empty. He was completely emotionally gutted and yet for the first time since Christmas, he felt at peace with himself. Too tired to run and with no place to go, it was time for him to stop fighting, and just accept where fate placed him.
"Do you truly want the child, lad? You reek of magic and Compulsions," Sasha softly questioned. "Answer true."
"Yes, I want her," he admitted. "How could I not want part of him that's only mine? I ran only because he was furious with me, rightfully angry that I was the vessel for his child. I'm not the proper sort for a miracle like this. My only worth to him was being a spy. I can't teach, I can't spy, I can't do a damn thing; I can't even carry her to term… He promised that he'd take care of me, he bribed me with presents, and then after I agreed to the Bonding, he reneged. I do not blame him; as I'm tainted… soiled…not the proper vessel at all. He wants to save his daughter from my corruption. She'll never know about me, never know how much I wanted her…It's for the best, you know… It is…"
"Dumbledore is bloody arse who most assuredly doesn't belong on the pedestal you insist on placing him," Sasha stated with firm conviction. "Sooner you realize it and knock him off it; the better it will be for you."
Oxana shook her head at the sheer romantic obtuseness of Sasha. How could Sasha fail to see that Severus was deeply enamored with Albus?
"Why did he do that?" Oxana softly questioned. "Why all the bribes then?"
"It's Wizardry law. When Albus proposed the Bonding, he acknowledged that child was his. He can gain custody now as Adrik, by agreeing to their Bonding, confirmed that he is the father. In fact, if he can prove that Adrik is a danger to himself and the child, Albus can have him committed to a medical facility until the child is born," explained Sasha. "Adrik, you are in a great deal of trouble."
"It's not a surprise that you panicked during your Reiki session with Sasha as you've been Charmed to respond that way." Oxana finally stated. "Some of the rituals they performed on you will make it extremely difficult for you to ever be comfortable being touched."
There was a long, drawn out silence and then Sasha sighed.
"You're a bloody pawn. They deliberately damaged you and let you escape. The child was intentionally engendered to weaken you, necessitating Dumbledore to magically support you. What a horribly brilliant and utterly twisted plan it is. Their goal to distract Dumbledore also explains why Severus is popping up everywhere," rumbled Sasha.
"I'm what?" Severus questioned.
"There were six sightings of you this morning. The newsreaders on the telly are having bloody orgasms from sheer excitement as everyone's panicking. There's rioting in the streets, strident demands for resignations and all sorts of chaos. The Muggle police are looking for you which mean that Aurors, Dumbledore's people and the Dark Lord's people are no doubt in merry pursuit. You, my dear boy, are wanted by a great many people, none of whom I would entrust to change Grisha's kitty litter."
Sasha stretched like a cat, popped his neck and then cracked his fingers.
"It's another Wizarding war," Oxana whispered. "We're in the midst of it, Sasha."
"I'll leave," Severus quickly offered. "You don't need to get involved."
Where the hell could he go?
"It's a noble sentiment, but it's too bloody late, we're already involved and no one will look kindly on our participation. Here's the game plan. Oxana, I'm afraid that you'll be running the shop for the next few days. I'll be busy with Adrik so I might forget to eat or sleep. You'll need to make sure I do as Adrik will be rather displeased if I physically collapse during his treatment. Adrik, I'm sure you've become accustomed to your face, but it's long past time to change it," Sasha stated. "It's too damn recognizable. After I change your face, we'll have to work on your damn posture, it's too bloody rigid. You need to slouch!"
"Make his hair curly, and give him your cheekbones," Oxana suggested. "We can pass him off as your grand-nephew or something like that. We can claim he was in a lorry accident and then sent on to us as he's not quite right in the head. I don't think you've had much experience with Manchester Muggles, Adrik, so if you act noticeably odd, we can always blame it on that. If anyone talks to you, mumble something about Becks and Manchester United."
"Becks? Manchester United?" Severus questioned. "What are they?"
They answered him not as they were too busy discussing their plan to make him disappear.
"I've constructed the splint, the potions have been brewed and I've set up the room. Very well, Oxana, take Adrik to the room, medicate him and I'll join you shortly. I need to get rid of our one-armed man and replace him with my grand-nephew. Welcome to the family, Adrik."
"Does this mean that I can call you Great Auntie Oxana?" Severus questioned.
"I'm not that old," Oxana snapped. "And don't even think of calling me Auntie Ox, I will not stand for that!"
As the days after Severus' second disappearance turned into a fortnight and then a month, Minerva kept her eyes firmly on Albus Dumbledore. The strain of being the Headmaster of Hogwarts, leading the Order of the Phoenix in the war against You Know Who and the disappearance of Severus weighed heavily on the older mage. Instead of his normally forceful and energetic personality, an obviously drained Albus had become indecisive and hesitant.
The Order was grumbling over the change in Albus. Only Mad Eye was brave enough to openly voice his concern that Albus was focusing too much on Severus' disappearance instead of the war at hand.
"The lap dog has gone back to his Master, Albus. You need to stop wasting our limited personnel on these Severus sightings. Let the Aurors get him, if it is actually HIM, and send him to Azkaban," Moody insisted. "I'm tired of chasing down Severus to find out that's just a bloody Muggle. You need to focus on the war, Albus, not on your turncoat."
A few of the more foolhardy members, encouraged by Moody voicing what they secretly felt, nodded their heads in agreement. Albus then looked at each Order member, judging how they reacted. Sirius was in agreement, Remus looked uneasy; Arthur's face was impassive…
Finally, he glanced at Minerva. He looked so weary that her heart nearly broke.
"Do you agree with Alastor?" Albus softly questioned.
"I most assuredly do not," she firmly stated. "If Alastor is too old, and yearns to stay next to the fire to rest his aching bones instead of searching for Severus, you will send me in his place."
As expected, Alastor roared a protest, and the Order meeting disintegrated into complete chaos. Accusations were raised, names were called, and disparagements and character assassinations were flung with wild abandonment.
Finally, the mild-mannered Arthur Weasley had enough. He stood up and loudly spoke. As he was suitably trained orator, being a father of seven children, his voice cut through the noise.
"I'm sure You Know Who did this deliberately. He discovered that Severus was loyal to Albus and broke him. He then let Severus escape, so Albus would have to deal with the wreckage. No doubt Severus was thoroughly indoctrinated with the mistaken belief that since he was no longer able to spy for Albus that he'd be no further use to the Order and that Albus would return him post-haste to Azkaban. No wonder he fled, because after all he's done, the lives he has saved, he knew how he would be treated and we're supposed to be the Good Guys! Yes, I don't particularly care for him but we were all working toward the same goal. Albus, you will notify me the next time there is a Severus sighting as I will go!"
He slammed his hand on the table and then sat down.
"I'll go," Aberforth offered. He intently stared at his brother and shook his head. "There's something you're not telling us, something you're hiding. One of your grand and glorious plans has gone all pear-shaped, hasn't it?"
"I have complete faith in Severus. My trust in him has not wavered once," Albus calmly stated. "That's all about which the Order needs to be concerned."
Assorted Order members inserted their two sickles into the discussion but Albus quickly called the meeting to a close. Minerva was waiting for him to leave when Albus stopped to speak with Dora Lupin.
"So, how are you feeling?" Albus softly questioned.
Dora patted her belly while the proud father-to-be Remus beamed.
"Wonderful," she assured Albus. She shushed Remus when he barked a laugh.
"Your husband seems to disagree," Albus prompted.
"Since she conceived on New Year's Day," Remus stated, ignoring a poke in his ribs from his wife. "I think that is why she's so morning sick as she was quite hung over."
"First three months are the worst," Dora explained. "Least that is what my Mum assures me. We'll be hitting the three month mark next week, so I expect the nausea to immediately cease. You do understand that, don't you?"
Dora warmly spoke to her belly, and Remus shook his head.
"She talks to her belly all the time. I fear the day it will answer her," he admitted.
"Arthur informs me that this is a special time for a husband and wife, so if you need anything, let me know," Albus offered. "I know they haven't increased the Auror salary in years, and a teacher's salary is even worse. If you have need of anything, you'll let me know, please."
He made small talk with the Lupins for a bit, and then only after the Lupins left did he realize that Minerva was still in the room. Albus grinned at her, a rather shaky smile.
"He's three months along now," he informed her in a shaky tone. "Fortunately, I see our lovely Dora enough that I can guesstimate how Severus is progressing. I'm sure by now that he needs new clothes as Dora eagerly modeled her new maternity clothes last week. I hope... that he has... them."
His eyes were quite moist and he made a great deal of noise shuffling papers that truly didn't need to be shuffled.
"I should have given him space," he softly admitted. "I just wanted to make everything right for him; instead, everything's gone all pear shaped, Min. The Order is rebelling; Alastor and Sirius will convince more of the others to stop joining in our searches for Severus and… I have to find him, Minerva. He's out there, Min, and we must find him before Voldemort and the Aurors do."
"I know," she stated.
Albus glanced at her and shook his head.
"That was a cue for you to tell me, 'I told you so!'" Albus explained.
"You're self-flagellating yourself so thoroughly I fail to see the need why I should break into a sweat." Minerva tartly quipped.
"Minerva," was all he said, but she heard his appreciation for her.
They returned to Hogwarts before he spoke once more.
"Care to join me for dinner in my quarters? I'm not up to dealing with the noise of the Great Hall," he softly confessed. "Please say yes, I'd like not to be alone with my dark thoughts."
"I'd love to," she admitted. "But I have other plans for dinner. The Lupins, Pomona and Rolanda have promised to keep an eye on the students."
"Slipping out with Horace, are you? I've noticed that you and Horace seem… cozy," Albus slyly stated. "Fawkes shared with me the most interesting scandal. You were snogging with Horace in the Great Hall?"
She had easily recruited Horace and Poppy into Filius' plans, and a rather eager Horace had taken to squiring her around Hogwarts in order to promote the idea that they had rekindled their affair. For good measure, he even backed her into a corner and energetically snogged her in front of a stunned Rolanda Hooch. For that stunt, he had nearly earned a Hex until she had decided it would be far better just to snog him right back. Tonight, the two of them were making the first attempt at Filius' Locating Severus Spell and she had no bloody idea how well it would work.
"With everything that has happened recently, I thought I'd make use of Horace's Bon Vivant Spirit as a pick me up," Minerva explained. "He's promised to take me some place quite exciting."
"I'm glad for you, Min," Albus stated. "Though if I catch you and Horace snogging in the Great Hall, I will be required to take points from both your Houses."
"You did that to me when I was Head Girl," Minerva protested. "But I don't believe you can penalize Houses for the actions of their teachers."
For the first time in far too long, she saw a real smile on Albus' face.
"Try me," he retorted. "You might be surprised what I can do."
His dreams were multi-colored extravaganzas of complete and utter nonsense. In some, he was awkwardly dancing with a smiling Albus who was tenderly cosseting him. In others, he pushed a giggling Ari on her damn swing until his arms protested and still he continued to push her still higher and higher. When the dark dreams attempted to overwhelm him with remembered pain and fear, they seemed to be thwarted by a barrier.
He had drifted from such a dream where the combined forces of the Order of the Phoenix, the British Aurors and the Death Eaters had been held at bay by a spitting, shrieking blue grey cat when he heard someone speak.
"Time to wake, Adrik," called a female voice.
Carefully, he opened his eyes. He was in a dark room, and two people were watching him. For good measure, there were two blue grey cats peering at him also. It seemed that he was the raree show for this evening.
"Where am I?" It seemed as good a question as any, plus far better than "Who the bloody hell are you?"
"Manchester," said the male. "Do you think you can sit up?"
"I think I can," he said. He struggled a bit, and the female hissed.
"Don't use your left arm," she said. "It's still in bad shape."
"My left arm?" Severus blearily questioned. "I don't have a left arm…"
Gingerly, he pushed himself up on his right arm, and the woman quickly propped pillows behind his back. Merlin's scrote, he had boobs the size of Pansy Parkinson's breasts! It wasn't proper that he knew the exact size of Pansy's breasts, but he had to deal with that embarrassing accident in her third year. If it had been a Gryffindor that had attempted to increase the size of her breasts, he would have ridiculed them in front of the entire school, but since it was Pansy, he had kept the matter private. Though to keep his reputation intact, he had made her write a thousand lines of "My breasts are not melons, and they should never ever be the size of honeydew melons." He hadn't checked to see if she had actually written all thousand lines because he just couldn't bear mentally reliving the image of Pansy with those melon-sized breasts.
Oh yes, once he got past his manboobs, he did have a large cast on his left arm. He even had fingernails on his left fingers. Proper fingernails! His fingers even wiggled!
"Well, now you do," proudly stated the man. "It worked even better than those idiots in Mages Medizinische Monatszeitschrift said it would. It was sheer genius on my part to decide to ignore their instructions. I should send an owl to Mages Medizinische Monatszeitschrift and remind them of the correct way to filtrate."
"Yes, they're definitely post a correction from you," snapped the female. "I'll put out the welcome mat for your fan club."
Now he remembered where he was. Sasha. Oxana. Grisha and Nadya.
"Sasha, Oxana? How long have I been in treatment?" Severus questioned.
"About a month," Sasha admitted. "We fed you and the babe. She seemed to delightedly growing whenever we checked in on her."
"I'll say she has grown," Severus snarked. He rubbed his temple with his right hand, and he realized that he now had curly hair. "What have you done with my hair?"
"We changed your appearance," Oxana reminded him. "You and Sasha could be related now, which was the idea."
Uncertain of his reaction, they were reluctant to bring his mirror, but at last, he won the argument. His long hair was heavily streaked with gray and it was curly. Not just wavy, but curly like Sasha's hair. He even had a shortly cropped salt and pepper beard to match but it was his facial features that had changed the most.
He looked like Sasha's illegitimate son only with dark eyes. The cheekbones were the Bulgarian's mage, and his hook nose had been modified. Severus took an experimental sniff and he realized that Sasha had even fixed his deviated septum. Poppy had been after him for years to allow her to fix it, but he had a real phobia of someone putting their wand up his nose.
"She's alright?" Severus softly questioned. "This… modification… didn't adversely affect her, did it?"
"Yes, she's fine, Adrik." Sasha assured her.
"Thank you," he whispered. It was all he could say, and so insufficient.
"Since you've been having a nice long lie-in, you need to get out of bed. We've got new clothes for you, even proper shoes, so we're going out to dinner. There's a new place I'd like to try. It's located on the Curry Mile," Oxana explained. "This way we can see how well your disguise works."
"You start working in the shop tomorrow," Sasha added in a very strict tone. "Tonight's your last free meal, so eat hearty. I plan on getting my money's worth out of you."
Sasha helped him get washed and dressed, and Severus was surprised by how snug his trousers were. Everything zipped and buttoned, but they were tight. Fortunately, it was mid March so he could wear one of Sasha's oversized jumpers that successfully hid his belly. That done, his left arm was carefully placed in a sling.
"Things are progressing," was Sasha's offhanded response when Severus tugged at his waistband. "Like they're supposed to do in such matters. I'm Charm it when it gets noticeable, don't you worry. On the way back, we'll stop at Oxfam and see if we can find better fitting clothes. They're a Muggle charity shop, so we might have to rummage to find something that fits."
"It's coming out of my future paycheck, right?" Severus softly questioned.
"Damn right, they're the charity shop, not me," Sasha easily agreed. "Come on, Curry Mile awaits. I'm feeling festive, so we'll take a black cab."
Minerva tightly grasped Horace's hand.
"Ready?" She needlessly asked.
"Yes," Horace quickly assured her. "Wand on the ready!"
She cast the spell, and the two of them landed in dark alley which opened onto a street chock full of restaurants. It was loud and noisy, and Horace hustled her out of the alleyway.
"Saki Turkish Bar and Pizzeria? The Pink Garlic Indian and Chinese Restaurant? Cinnamon?" Horace questioned. "Where the bloody hell are we? Are we in the Colonies?"
Minerva clutched the medallion in her hand. According to Filius, it would help lead her to Severus.
"Which way do we go?" She silently asked. "Where do we go from here?"
The medallion stirred once in her hand, and then stopped.
Bloody hell, where the hell was Severus?
A/N # 2 - Saki Turkish Bar and Pizzeria, The Pink Garlic Indian and Chinese Restaurant and Cinnamon were all located on the Curry Mile at one time or another. The Curry Mile is a nickname for the part of Wilmslow Road running through Rusholme in Manchester, England. The name is earned from the large number of South Asian restaurants along the road, thought to be the largest concentration outside of the Indian subcontinent. Although less than a mile the road boasts at least seventy restaurants, take-aways and kebab houses. (thanks to wikipedia for that!)