Chapter Fifty-nine;

The next morning Sirius and Severus skipped breakfast to lie in bed for a few extra hours, much to the dislike of Severus who kept trying to get up but would be pulled back down and held in bed by a very sleepy Sirius. When they finally emerged from the chambers, dressed and ready for the day, they went straight out of the school and to the edge of the apparition barriers. Severus took hold of Sirius' hand, apparating them to an alley next to the orphanage. When they appeared, Sirius shuddered away the nausea feeling and hooking his arm over Severus' shoulders, walking beside him into the orphanage.

They took a look around when they entered and saw a few kids run past them laughing. "Both of you stop runn—" A woman turned down the corner to yell at the children and then stopped and stared at Severus and Sirius, smiling widely. "Sirius and Severus Snape-Black?" She asked, walking towards them.

"Yes." Sirius answered.

"Excellent! I've been expecting you, just on time, I see. Albus has given nothing but—" she paused to signal them to follow her as she began to walk down the hall. "Nothing but excellent recommendations, any child that goes with you two will be lucky, I know it." She said, smiling at them over her shoulder and then walking into her office. "I have the papers right here." She said, picking up a folder and opening it to show seven papers. "I need signatures, if you would, of course you don't need to do any tests, you know, like drug tests, and things like that since they're required for your jobs and I've been sent everything I need." She said as she spread the papers out and summoned two quills.

They both signed all the required documents. "Ahem, okay, now I have something to attend too, here-" she paused to hand them a paper. "It's a map of the orphanage, of course it's very small, and so you can't get lost. Get to know the children; you have all the time possible. You can even leave and come back to continue getting to know the children if you wish." She muttered as she stood up and walked out.

Sirius and Severus exchanged a look and then both looked down at the map. "Uh… you lead the way?" Sirius asked. Severus rolled his eyes and stood up, walking out. Sirius trailed behind. "So, first we should probably decide… Girl or Boy?"

"Uh…"

"I like the idea of a boy."

"As do I. A girl next time then?"

"Sounds great, okay. So… uh, how do we narrow the choices?" Sirius asked as a group of children ran past them.

"We don't just narrow the choices down, Sirius… they're not dogs, we don't choose a certain breed and go with it." Severus groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Alright, sorry, I'm… new to this."

"And you think I'm not?"

"That's not what I meant, love."

"Right…"

The conversation stopped as they stepped into the main room, which had lots of toys lying around and was occupied by about twenty children all chattering, and playing together, and coloring. Sirius walked over to a table and took a seat, talking to some of the children while Severus stood by the door, staring at them all running around. His eyebrow quirked when he swore he heard his name being called. He turned around and peeked out in the hall, and saw a small green snake slithering down and then turning.

Severus turned to look at Sirius over his shoulder, which was consumed in helping a child color in a picture. He turned back to the hall and walked in long strides down it until he reached where the snake had turned. He took a look around and noticed all the doors were bedrooms. He slowly walked down the hall, trying to find the snake, and then stopping when the snake poked its head out into the hall and hissed at him and then pulled back into the room. In curiosity he stepped forward to the door, stepping inside and staring at the snake which laid curled on the bed, his eyes lifted when he saw a boy sitting in a chair by the window, in the middle of painting what looked like a beach.

"Hello, Severus." The boy muttered.

Severus' eyebrow quirked as he recognized the voice. "Aidan."

Aidan turned to look at Severus over his shoulder, smiling. "How're you?"

"Quite fine, you paint?" He asked as he stepped further into the room, leaning his hand over to the snake that hissed and nipped onto his finger, Severus wincing slightly.

"He's not poisonous. He just likes to hold on like that." Aidan assured him.

"Yes, I know he's not poisonous. Where did you get him?"

"I—"

"You?"

"I found him outside the other day. We're not allowed pets, you won't tell, right?"

Severus smiled at Aidan. "Of course not."

Aidan smiled brightly. "And yes, I paint. But only when I'm bored."

"You're very good at it."

"Thank you." Aidan said, turning back to his painting and picking up some yellow to add in the horizon.

Severus took a seat on the bed, pulling the snake into his hand. "I take it was you who called my name? Unless I've spontaneously became a parselmouth."

"Yes, I did, and then I asked Scylax to lead you back here." Aidan answered, finishing up his painting.

Severus quirked his eyebrow. "What do you mean you /asked/ him?"

Aidan turned to look at Severus, blinking. "I—" Aidan stopped and sucked in his bottom lip.

"Aidan…"

"You'll think I'm a freak."

"I would never think that, Aidan."

"If you say so…" He said, looking down at his snake. [I can speak to snakes.] He hissed.

Severus stared in shock, his jaw slightly dropped. "How?"

Aidan frowned and looked down at Scylax, smiling at him as he crawled off Severus' wrist and down the bed, Aidan reaching over and letting Scylax slither around his wrist protectively. "My Fath—ex-Father, he used to tell me that our family was related to Paracel-us. Um."

"Paracelsus."

"Yes, I can't say it that well… um, anyway, and my great-grandfather had the gift as well. I'm not a dark Wizard, I swear. I-I don't think I am at least. I'm glad I don't have magic, I think if I did, I would be one, because you know…"

"Just because you're a parselmouth doesn't mean you'd be a dark wizard."

"That's not what everyone says. I mean look at Vold—"

"Look at the person who defeated him."

"What do you mean?" Aidan asked, looking up at Severus.

"I mean he's anything but a dark wizard. He did one of the most selfless acts recorded in history, destroying Voldemort, and even now, after school he's becoming an Auror to continue protecting."

"So…"

"You're not a dark wizard."

"I'm not a wizard at all."

Severus sighed. "You are a wizard. If you were to marry a pure-blood, and have children, they would be pure-blood. Because you are of Wizarding-blood. Your magic is just… stored away of sorts."

"Stored away?"

"Yes. Stored away, locked away, and you can't unlock it. That doesn't make you any less special than anyone."

"Thanks…" Aidan muttered, smiling weakly.

"Of course." Severus said as he leaned over and ruffled the boys' hair. Severus stood from the bed and gave a weak smile. "I have to go find my husband. Why don't you come with me? You can joi—"

"No thank you. I'm going to paint a bit more. Have a nice day." Aidan said as he turned around and began to paint on a new piece of paper.

Severus sighed quietly and turned on his heel, walking down the hall to find his husband. However he didn't know that Sirius was standing against a corner, on the opposite side that Severus turned in the hall to walk down, listening to Severus and the boy talk. He turned his head and watched Severus turn down the corner and took this time to walk into the boys' room, staring as the boy began to paint. "Hello."

Aidan turned around. "Hello."

"I'm Siri—"

"I know. I remember, sir."

"Uh, so, Severus seems to have taken a liking to you."

"Has he?"

"He doesn't speak to many people like that. Especially kids."

"I see…" Aidan said, staring down at his wrist.

"Aidan, right?"

"Yes."

"What's your full name?"

"Aidan Aureolus Nixon."

"Nixon… is the surname if you—"

"Yes, sir."

Sirius smiled brightly, taking a seat on his bed where Severus occupied previously. "Well, Aidan. I'm Sirius Orion Black. It's a pleasure to meet you, even though you already knew my name." He began, holding his hand out for the boy to take hold of as a greeting. "How would you like to become Aidan Aureolus Black?"