And here is chapter 2. Sorry it's been a while, but I'm sure we all know how busy life can get, sadly. :(
Chapter 2
Severus awoke to find his room was pitch black. The room was silent; all he could hear was the quiet noise of his own breathing. Turning his head he wordlessly uttered a spell and the room was engulfed in a low and cold light. He sat up in his bed and glanced around the room. It was just the same as when he had drifted off into an uneasy sleep. His long and black cloak hung from the doors of his wardrobe, his black leather shoes sat on the floor by said wardrobe, patiently waiting to be used, his wand was place in his wand holster which he was around his wrist at all times. A protective spell lay on both the wand and the holster, so they would never break. After what happened to Rachel, the group had taken every protective method to make sure that they would stay safe in their continued search for their missing friend. Severus felt his heart tug and the thought of her name. It had been 8 years since she had gone missing, and each day felt like a continuous struggle. She was the first thought of the day, the last thought at night, and continuously wandering through his thoughts during the day. Severus had almost missed his final exam because of his continued search for her. But thankfully he had managed to pass the exam, even thought all he could think of was Rachel.
A lot had changed in the last 8 years. The group had not only graduated from Hogwarts but also from their respective training. Maddy and Lily had both completed their Healer qualifications and had both been placed at St Mungo's for their training. Both occasionally helped there if they were needed but now worked with Madam Pomfrey in the Hogwarts hospital wing. Frank and Tonks completed their Auror training and although Tonks had been a year behind, and somewhat of a bit clumsy, she and Frank often worked together during their missions. Sirius had gained his reputation as a hit wizard, working with the Aurors when they needed his skills and occasionally working with Frank and Tonks on specially selected missions. James had had a short lived but successful career as the Chaser and Captain for three seasons for the British Quidditch team, but had to retire after being hit rather hard by a low flying Bludger. Alice had gained her degree in Herbology very quickly, and upon learning that Professor Sprout was looking for a teacher to join her and help take some of the pressure of her as the only Herbology teacher, Alice applied for the position, and was quickly snapped up. Remus gained his degree in Astronomy, a rather ironic joke between the group, and he now worked with Professor Sinistra at Hogwarts. Severus had gained his potion masters degree whilst gaining his teaching degree, and after being approached by many successful apothecaries, he chose to return to Hogwarts after Slughorn retired.
Career prospects however weren't the only changes over the 8 year period. After deciding that life was too short and it should not be wasted, Alice and Frank had married after they had finished their first years training, with Tonks and Remus following 18 months later. Maddy and Sirius married after they both graduated. James and Lily had been engaged since the summer of their first years, but it took until nearly 6 months after they graduated for them to tie the knot. Lily had stated she couldn't marry until she had her sister back with her, but after a long talk with her mother, she announced that Rachel would want her to be happy, and by marrying James she would be happier than she had been in a long time. Petunia and Vernon also married, and we're now parents to 4 year old Dudley. Alice and Frank announced not long after Petunia and Vernon, that they too were having a baby, and eventually had a baby boy named Neville. James and Lily also had a baby boy around the same time, naming him Harry James, after his father, and were also parents to 18 month old Ava Rachel, after her auntie. It took Tonks and Remus a while to settle down, after Remus feared he would pass on his werewolf genes to any children they may have, but luckily 2 year old Teddy Lupin, was born with out inheriting his fathers illness, however he did inherit his mothers 'skills'. Not wanting to be left out of all the groups fun, Sirius and Maddy were parents to 3 year old twins Sarah and Hannah, who were identical in every way.
The children had grown up hearing many stories of their brave and courageous Auntie Rachel, and although they had seen pictures of her, each dreamed of one day meeting the woman they all looked up to. Severus meanwhile had stayed alone for the 8 years, never once seeing any other witch. He waited and waited for Rachel to return, and knew that he would never be able to look at anyone the way he looked at Rachel. He loved his honorary nieces and nephews with all his heart, (even though many of his students doubted he had a heart, at least one that wasn't cold and black) but he couldn't help but feel jealous at the thought of what he and Rachel may have had. Glancing to the table placed by his bed, he smiled at the picture of Rachel smiling and laughing at something he had said. She looked so carefree in the photo that Severus had had another copy made, which he kept in a secret compartment of his cloak, so he could keep her close to him at all times.
It was a quiet day in which Severus spent most of his time going through his store cupboard arranging and noting down items he was low on for the new term. The other Marauders were away on their holidays visiting family, and although they had begged him to come with them, as no matter where they went they were all treated like sons and daughters to all their respective parents; he politely declined the invitations, and stayed at the castle, alone. Some of the other teachers were still their, those who didn't have families to return to, even Albus and Minerva had stayed for a bit, before Albus decided to take a short break, and somehow managed to convince Minerva to go with him.
Severus was just about to call it a day, when he heard a noise in his classroom. He pulled his wand from the holster, but quickly pocked it again when he heard a voice call out, "Uncle Severus?" He left the store room to find his classroom was now filled with his nieces and nephews. Sarah spotted him first and rushed to him holding out her arms for a hug. Severus bent down to kneel on the floor, and the girl rushed into his open arms, followed quickly by her sister. Both girls took after their mother, with chestnut brown locks and brown eyes, however their personalities showed they were Sirius's children. Teddy's hair turned bright blue, a parody of his mothers pink hair, when he spotted his uncle and he too rushed for a hug, falling over twice, proving he had inherited his mother's clumsiness. Harry held his sister in both his arms; he too smiled when he saw Severus but hung back so that his sister didn't get squished in the mound of children. Neville also hung back. Since he and Harry were close in age they had become fast friends, and often played together when their parents were working. Ava just squealed. When she had first met Severus, he had scared her, with his long black clothes and his tendency to yell at his students, but since then her fondness for the man her mother considered to be a brother, had grown and grown and now there was nothing more the little girl liked than a big snuggle with her favourite uncle.
"Uncle Severus we missed you." Sarah and Hannah said in complete unison. With Teddy tapping a "missed you" onto the end.
"Grandma and Grandpa asked where you were." Harry told him. Ava just giggled.
"Mummy and Daddy said that they would bring you next time." Neville said quietly. Severus smiled. Although he was a private man, he loved it when his family came to visit.
His mother Eileen still lived in the house they had moved to after she left Tobias. Severus was sure he heard somewhere that Tobias had died in an accident, but it didn't bother him in the slightest. Tonks had also lost her father to cancer, but the rest of the children's grandparents were still going strong, including the formidable Augusta Longbottom.
"Did you miss us, Uncle Severus?" Hannah asked.
"Of course I missed you." Severus said hugging the girls again.
"We bought you a present from holiday." Sarah said, grabbing her uncle's arm and pulling him up. "But mummy and daddy said you have to come and get it yourself, so they could say hello too.' Severus laughed.
"We'll then, we had better go hadn't we?" He stood up, and grabbing his ingredients list to bring with him, positive Alice had some of the ingredients somewhere in the greenhouses.
The children ran along ahead as Severus followed them back to their parent's quarters. He had taken Ava from Harry's struggling arms and the little girl was very happy to be in the arms of her favourite uncle. Since he had taken over the job as the head of Slytherin, Severus's quarters where located in the dungeons, where as the rest of the group was scattered around the castle. The Black's and Potter's quarters were close to the hospital wing in case of an emergency, the Lupin quarters were close to the astronomy tower as they could get without actually being in the tower, and the Longbottom's were in the main group of staff quarters. Alice was also joint head of Hufflepuff with Professor Sprout. The children were the only ones who lived in the castle full time, so the teaching staff all treated them like one big family. The only other child who lived at the castle was Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy.
After Rachel's disappearance Lucius and Narcissa had apologised to the whole group for all the torment and trouble they had helped to cause for the group during their years at Hogwarts, and a weak friendship had been formed. Although the group had strong suspicion that death eaters had been behind Rachel's disappearance, they couldn't prove it had been anyone at the castle who had committed the act. Bellatrix and Rudolphus were currently both in Azkaban for their parts in many death eater crimes, but neither would confess to knowing what had happened to Rachel. Lucius and Narcissa had turned their back on their families and what they stood for, and now currently resided at the castle. Lucius had been very keen on Arithmancy in school, and helped Professor Vector teach the subject, whilst Narcissa helped Madam Pince in the library.
After following the children to the Potters quarters, the door was opened by a smiling Lily. She took her daughter from Severus and beckoned the children inside. The entire group was sat in various places, Maddy and Alice were on the sofa with a space in the middle which Lily sat down in, Remus was sitting in a chair, with Tonks perched on his knee, Frank was sitting in a chair next to the sofa, and James and Sirius were sat on the floor. Sirius grabbed hold of his daughters and pulled them onto the floor with him and began tickling them, to which both the girls giggled. Harry jumped on his dad, Neville slipped over to his mum and Alice pulled him onto her lap, as Teddy as slipped onto his mothers knees. Severus took a seat on the floor with James and Sirius.
"So how was the holiday?"
"It was nice to get away from everything, but I still wish you'd have come with us." Lily said as Ava fought to get off her lap. Lily put her on the floor and she hurried to Severus, who sat her on his lap.
"Mum and Dad really wanted to see you." She added. Since Rachel's disappearance, Severus had become an honorary son to William and Elizabeth Evans, as well as Lily and Petunia becoming like daughters to Eileen.
"Maybe next time, eh?" Severus said. They only smiled a response.
"So where is everyone, place seems really quiet?" Sirius said as he sat with a daughter on each leg.
"Well as far as I know, the only ones who should still be away from the castle are Albus and Minerva." The group looked confused.
"Minnie never takes time away from here." Frank said.
"Apparently Albus convinced her to come on a short break with him, something about a coffee shop with the nicest cakes he has ever had." The group laughed. Albus's sweet tooth was a well known fact.
"That reminds me," Lily said suddenly, "James remind me I have some of mums cakes for Albus."
"Can we give Uncle Severus his present too?" Sarah asked.
"Sure sweetie." Maddy said, as the children rushed from the laps of their parents to get Severus's gift. They came back a few seconds later with a book, which they presented to the stunned man.
"Mum found some old photos whilst she was cleaning the loft the other weekend, so she put some together in a scrap book for you." Lily explained.
"We put some in too." Harry added. Severus flipped through the book and found photos of the group from years gone by. There was one of him and Lily taken at Kings Cross before they got on the train for their second year, along with loads from the trips they had all been on over the summers. The children had also included a few photos of themselves with Severus playing in the grounds of the castle. One photo on the very back page however made Severus stop. It was a black and white photo of himself and Rachel dancing together at the ball in their final year, the last night Severus had seen Rachel alive. Lily must have taken it whilst they were dancing. He could feel his eyes beginning to fill. Suddenly he felt numerous pairs of small arms hugging different parts of his body.
"Don't cry Uncle Severus." Hannah said. "Don't be upset."
"I'm not upset girls." Severus said closing the book. "This is lovely thank you." Severus said hugging back the best he could.
"I can't believe how long it's really been since we saw her." Tonks said quietly. Alice and Maddy each put an arm around Lily who smiled a thank you at the girls. James and Sirius each placed a hand on each of Severus's shoulders and squeezed then gently.
"We'll get her back. She's out there somewhere, just waiting to come home." Frank said. The other nodded an agreement. They all knew how hard it had been on Severus to loose Rachel. For all of them it was like loosing a sister, but whereas each of them had someone they could come home to at the end of the day, Severus had only an empty room. Although they tried their hardest to make sure he always had someone, it was hard, very hard.
"We will find her." Maddy said.
"And when we do we won't let her go again." Severus added.
I think this has to be one of my favourite chapters to date. I love writing from Severus's point of view, I think he has such an amazing story and I love being able to tell it in my own way. So as always please read and review and I have a big shout out to xxxMadameMysteryxxx for being the first review of my new story.
Beth xx