Note- I'm sorry. I really hadn't realized it has been this long. At first changed what I wanted to do then lost my motivation because I didn't know where to go. Now I do, who I've decided to put Severus with hasn't changed though. Huge hint in this chapter about who that is.
"Are you sure he's going to be alright?" Molly asked the healer for the fifth time. Matthew getting sick had thrown her for a loop. Arthur had taken the day off because she was exhausted, Matthew hadn't been sleeping well for days.
Arthur had been playing with Billy and Charlie while she napped, and Matthew slept in his cot. Something woke her up, a nightmare she thought. It caused her to run to the baby's cot. She found him sleeping but his cheeks were just a bit too pink for her liking. Then touching his forehead, it was burning to the touch, in fact his whole body was burning up. After yelling for Arthur, she grabbed Matthew and ran for the Floo. She just saw her husband when she was grabbing the Floo powder. Traveling with a baby in the Floo was easy because of a protection of children under five. They weren't big enough to properly use it and Matthew couldn't even talk, he had just started trying.
Arthur said he would take the boys to her parents then be right behind her. None of the healers told her anything. It was like they were completely ignoring her while they used so many salves and healing spells on him. When Arthur arrived, that was when the healer got chatty. If her son wasn't so sick she might think more on the doe eyes the woman healer was giving her husband. All she cared about was her baby being safe. The healer had then asked them about family history, but they didn't know it. When they told her that Matthew was adopted she rolled her eyes and went on with more questions. Adoption in the wizarding world wasn't looked down on but some purebloods didn't agree. Afterall, no purebloods would ever put up for adoption. If the child's parents died there was usually family or a trust with a guardian named, even the not well-off ones. After a lot of arguing they had decided on Muriel to be the boys' guardian. Her parents weren't in the best health and Arthur's mother had died before he finished Hogwarts. His father wasn't the most dependable wizard. Muriel was a grumpy old witch but would outlive them all.
"He's perfectly fine, Dear. You heard the healer; it was just a cold."
"I've had two babies before him, none of them got sick like that."
"The healer said that it could run in the biological family. We can strengthen his blood by having a blood adoption, but I don't want to do that before he's old enough to agree. It's a big decision that I don't want to take away from him."
Molly looked at her husband and smiled. "You're a good one, you know that? I don't think I could have picked a better father for my children."
Arthur wrapped his arms around Molly. "We're going to make it. He's going to grow up strong and healthy. If it becomes a common thing, I promise I'll let the blood adoption happen." He leaned down and kissed her.
"There is something I need to tell you."
He smiled. "I think I know."
"You do, do you?"
"You're sniffing my collar; you only did that when you were pregnant with Billy and Charlie."
She smiled. "I can't get anything by you, can I?"
"Why would you even try?"
Severus ignored Moxy as she sat food on his bedside table. He didn't want to eat; he didn't want to talk, and he didn't want to be looked at. The aurors had questioned him for what felt like forever about if he saw who had cursed him. He had been stupid and fell asleep on the grounds of Hogwarts. There were supposed to be protections but somehow the person got on the grounds and was able to curse him and move him without being noticed.
Then after they left his grandparents started asking him if he had a baby. Not wanting to lie, he said nothing. Looking at the sadness on their faces made him feel like pond scum. But he couldn't tell them about Matthew.
He had been worried when James told him that Matthew was sick. Then he was angry that two of the most loudmouthed people at Hogwarts knew about the baby. James and Sirius were worse than Petunia used to be when they were little.
It was surprising Peter told him the baby was going to be fine. That made him feel better until he found out they knew it was a professor who was the father. Only Rin knew which one and probably Petunia too. Severus hated people talking about him, feeling sorry for him, and just overall thinking about him at all. Now that it was summer and he was older, he thought he might be able to convince his grandparents to let him go out on his own. Severus just wanted to be somewhere where no one knew him for a while. But that was probably never going to happen now.
"I heard him speaking to Petunia before she left for Seoul. He wants to get away for a while but doesn't think we'll let him go alone," Nexus said.
His wife had been beside herself since the day on the Hogwarts Express when they found Severus unconscious. Not only was she worried for their grandson but also for their great-grandchild.
"Too right he won't be going. He's too young to be off galivanting around. He's too innocent to see people for who they are."
"Maybe if we let him go with friends, they can protect each other," Nexus said hopefully. He could see his grandson disappearing more every day. Nothing short of veritaserum will get the truth out of him about the pregnancy or the other father. Maybe if they let him have some independence he'll start to heal.
"Like they protected him at school? No, I will not have it. Anyway, Petunia and Rin have already left for the summer."
"I mean James, Sirius, Remus and the blond one, Peter I believe. I ran into Fleamont during my trip to Gringotts. He said the boys are going to Switzerland for a trip to see the tatzelwurms, a good and harmless adventure for a bunch of sixteen-year-olds. I think that sounds like something Severus would like. It would get him out and some fresh air, not shut up in his room all day." Tatzelwurms were creatures with the features of both a cat and a serpent. It was an adventure many school aged children go to do. He might have even done it himself in his youth. He didn't find anything but a nasty case of hives.
"I always did love to go to see the sights in Switzerland. Maybe we should take him, like a family trip."
"Flora, he'll want to be with his friends."
"He's been with them all school year, why doesn't he want to be here," his wife said, her eyes watering.
"When you were sixteen did you want to spend time with your parents or friends?"
"My parents, of course."
"Forgot for a second you're Hufflepuff to the core."
She snorted but he wasn't her usual, she was so sad it was breaking his heart. "I just worry. What if one of his friends is the one that got him in trouble?" she whispered.
"We have to trust him. We don't know the circumstances of any of it. But I saw those boys that night, they would do anything to protect him."
"That's another thing, someone hurt him and could do it again. None of them are of age yet. What if something happens and they are hurt because they can't use magic?"
"A million what-ifs can happen, but I don't think they will. Let the lad grow up."
"That's funny from a Slytherin like yourself. I seem to remember quite a few of your mates that didn't leave home until they were married."
"Most liked their parents, luckily I was never stricken with the affinity. Let's ask Severus if he wants to go. This might all be for naught."
"Fine but if he goes, you're going to have to spend the whole time here with me. No running off to argue at the Ministry that your rights were infringed on because they won't allow you to join the Witches League."
"It's discrimination, that's what that is. I demand justice." He could see his wife's lips start to show signs of a smile, so he went further to make her laugh. "It's an outrage, I deserve to join the league. I've been telling them for years they need a big strong wizard to show them how to do things."
Flora glared at him. "Nexus Prince, one day you are going to joke too much and have to defend yourself to a bunch of angry witches. I wouldn't even stop them from killing you."
"But what a way to go." He ran before she completely got her wand out.
Way back when they were first married, Flora tried to join the Witches League, but she was denied, and they never really gave her an answer why. Since that day, he petitions the Ministry for his own acceptance mostly just to annoy them for turning down his wife and making her cry. It had been almost forty years and he was still doing it, that'll teach them to be Slytherin haters. She didn't know but he did, she was turned down because she was married to a Slytherin. It was discrimination but they would never admit to it, so he tried his own hand, reveling in each time the letter came, and he was called to make his appeal. Dumbledore always seemed very entertained by the whole thing and would come to watch the hearing.
"Merlin save me, go on and ask him. I'm going to see if I can find a chaperone," Flora said.
"Just what a bunch of sixteen-year-olds want to hear."
"We do this my way or he's not going."
Nexus knew when he was beat. She was a good woman so she would get a chaperone that wasn't strict, just one to make sure they were safe.
"It's going to be like having my mum watching us. I feel like a child," James ranted.
They were waiting for the old witch that his grandmother had found. It was so embarrassing that this was the only way he was allowed to go. Severus could already tell Sirius and James were very annoyed with the whole thing. They probably didn't even want him to go along anymore.
"I can't be the only one thinking this, we need to leave before she gets here," Sirius said, standing up from the bench he was sitting on outside of Florean's Ice Cream Parlor.
"What? Why? My grandmother will kill me if we scarper. I've already hurt her enough," Severus told them.
"Listen, mate, about Switzerland, we lied," Peter said.
"Wormtail," both James and Sirius hissed.
"What? He was going to find out sooner or later that we're going to Romania."
"I thought we were going to Switzerland?" Severus was really confused, and he hated that. He was smarter than the bunch of them, if they wanted to go somewhere else they should have told him. If they had he would have fought more about not having a chaperone.
"There's no way my dad would let us go if we told him we were going to Transylvania," James said, rolling his eyes.
"Transylvania? Why?"
"We're going to find vampires." Sirius looked so giddy about the idea, Remus on the other hand looked a bit sick.
"You're joking right? That's the most idiotic thing I've ever heard." Severus grabbed his bag, ready to take the floo in Flourish & Blotts and go home. He should have guessed what they were doing wasn't what they said. They were always getting into trouble, and he would not be brought into some international wizarding incident by two idiot Gryffindors. If Peter and Remus were smart they'd go home too, but they aren't they are James and Sirius's little lap dogs. Severus thought with age they would stop playing this stupid games but obviously not.
"Where are you going?" James asked, stepping in front of Severus, blocking his path.
"Home, now move."
"What? NO! This was supposed to be a fun trip and when my dad said you were going we thought it was time you had some real fun. Not to talk bad about Petunia and Rin but they are both boring, all they do is schoolwork," James whined.
"I like to do schoolwork. Just because we have plans for our future doesn't involve a stay in Azkaban doesn't mean we're boring. I find childish pranks boring."
"They're hilarious, did you see what we did to that Sixth year Slytherin?" Sirius boosted.
"No, but I heard about it. How can you be so cruel to someone?"
"They're Slytherins, they are dark wizards and probably will grow up to do bad things. There are rumors they are joining that group, the one all the dark wizards join…Death Eaters. They deserve everything they get." James looked smug; it was annoying.
"You don't get it do you? I could've been a Slytherin just as easily if Sirius hadn't put that stone in my robes. That's why the Sorting Hat put me with Ravenclaw, it thought after everything the Slytherins wouldn't accept me."
"No, you don't get it. They were never going to accept you. Your blood isn't pure so at best you would be their whipping boy. Is that what you wanted? And you wanting to be like them is pathetic." Remus hissed for James to stop speaking. "I didn't mean that," James said, realizing what he said.
"I think it's the first thing you've meant when talking to me in a long time." Severus walked around James but instead of going to the bookstore he started to run but stumbled into someone, causing them both to fall.
"Watch it," a new voice said. Severus heard the Marauders catch up to him.
"Are you alright?" Remus asked. Before he could answer, Sirius stopped him yelling at the new arrival.
"What are you doing here?" Sirius yelled at his little brother, Regulus.
"Mum and Dad are going to the Spain to visit with friends."
"They don't have any friends," Sirius sneered.
"I'm just telling you what they told me. Mum said you have to take me with you, or you're not allowed to go. You would have to come home and stay with me."
"You're only a year younger than me. This is unacceptable. Kreacher can take care of you, it's his job anyway."
"Mum said-
"Fine, fine. Do you at least have a bag packed?"
"Kreacher is getting my things together as we speak."
"You are so spoiled; you can't even pack your own bag."
Severus felt all the fight go out of him. He couldn't leave Regulus to the Gryffindors because he didn't think being Sirius's brother would protect him from them…his brother included.
"If we're going to go, let's go. What's the plan? How are we getting there?" he asked.
"Well, that we thought we'd take it as we went," Remus said.
"So, no plan?" Severus asked coldly.
This was going to be worse than he thought. Still angry at Sirius, he didn't want to talk to him, so he directed his question at Remus.
"Maybe we could take the floo," Peter suggested, Severus rolled his eyes.
"You can't use floo to travel to other countries. You can do a firecall but not travel," Severus told him.
"Portkey?" Sirius asked.
"You have to be of age to make one and it's a difficult enchantment," James told them.
"What about Kreacher?" Regulus asked.
"What do you mean?" Severus asked.
Regulus smiled. "Well, Kreacher isn't bound by any wizarding law except his of servitude. He can transport us anywhere we want but the further away the more magic he depletes. So, we may have to make some stops along the way for him to rest and eat."
"You're talking about him like he's a person," Sirius said.
And here Severus thought the Gryffindors were all about inclusion, guess that ended when they didn't like something. A bunch of hypocrites but as horrible as it was, they were his horrible hypocrites. As shameful as it was, besides Rin, Petunia, and Gideon they were his only friends.
As Regulus was explaining it to Kreacher, who had just arrived with his bag, James knew he had to apologize. He didn't know what came over him, he was just trying to get Severus to see how bad Slytherins were. But then again, Severus's grandfather was a Slytherin and one of the kindest people he'd ever met. That might change once he finds out about the trip. If he kept this up he'd lose Severus as a friend much less anything else.
"So, this is the deal, Kreacher said he can't take us that far, we're too many. But I told him about your original plan about Switzerland. He said if we go there in the way it's planned, he can take us to Transylvania from there," Regulus said, even James could hear the excitement in the boy's voice.
Sirius had told him Regulus never did anything without permission from his mother. So little Reggie was finally having some rebellion in his life. Sirius's mother would probably blame both James and Sirius for corrupting her little boy who was a good little pureblood.
"Do we even know who the chaperone is?" Remus asked.
"That would be me and if you think you're giving me the slip to run off somewhere else, you're sorely mistaken."
James closed his eyes; this wasn't going anything to plan. When Severus said they were having a chaperone picked out by his grandmother he thought it would be some old witch that was easily fooled.
"Andromeda, it's great to see you, cousin," Sirius said trying to look charming. It didn't work cause she just glared at them. This was going to be awful.
