A Letter and an Old Friend
An eleven-year-old boy with long scarlet hair in a high ponytail and a leather eye patch covering his right eye sat at an ornate wooden desk pouring over a color-coded map. One strap went all around his head to hold it up and another strip of leather went under his ear and met the other strap at the back of his head to keep it from flipping up. He was also looking over status reports and comparing them to the map while taking notes. His sister, a beautiful scarlette with her hair in an exceedingly long side braid and silver eyes, was curled up in a comfortable chair opposite him with reports in her hands that she read over and made notes within a composition notebook titled "Network."
Occasionally one of them would shift in their spot or ask a question the other would answer in turn. The two siblings were interrupted when a knock sounded throughout the office.
"Come in." The boy spoke. The door opened to reveal a young blonde boy roughly eight years old with a letter in his hand. Terra looked up from his reports as Silver looked up from hers to see the boy shifting nervously where he stood in the doorway.
"There was an owl flying near the borders today with a letter addressed to you, sir." The young blonde walked a little closer and held out the aforementioned letter towards Terra.
"An owl?"
"Yes, sir. An owl. Though it had no direct address, I was told that the owl looked as if it was wondering with seemingly no idea where it was going."
Silver piped up from her seat. "Is there a wax seal with a crest on it?"
"Yes ma'am." He respectfully responded yet again, but this time with a brief nod. He handed the letter over to her when she held out a hand, palm facing up. She flipped it over and saw the Hogwarts crest smack dab in the middle of the parchment envelope.
"Oh, lookie here dear brother. Your Hogwarts letter has arrived, and just like the others for the resident Sanctuary Hogwart's students, no location. Just the name." As she said this, Silver handed Terra his letter. When he opened it, the contents remained the same as any other upcoming witch or wizard from the Sanctuary: a formal acceptance letter, a list of textbooks, school supplies, and in their people's special case: another letter asking for a rendezvous point to discuss more on the matter.
Terra picked up a piece of paper and at once: started formatting a letter.
"How does Grasmere sound, Silver?"
"As good as any for a random town out in Lake District." Terra nodded his head satisfied and continued writing. Silver tuned to face the young messenger still standing in the middle of the office.
"Thank you for your help young one." She said gently. "May I ask for your name?"
"Luke." He answered. "My Ma says it's a noble name."
"Indeed, it is. I see you'll live up to it and make your mother proud." Silver told Luke with a smile. The boy smiled back a bright pearly smile full of innocence and naivety that she wished she still had sometimes.
"Done!" Terra announced loudly, startling Luke, who was waiting for the response so he could send the letter out. "Luke, do you mind sending this letter off for me please?"
"Yes, sir."
"Thank you." With that, Luke left the office to do as he was asked. He was excited to go home later to tell his mother that the Scarlett Siblings thought highly of him. His mom would be proud indeed when she heard the news.
Silver turns to her brother, "When did you set the date and time for?"
"Nine-o-clock in the morning in three days' time." He answered, writing it down on his desk calendar so he wouldn't forget it.
"Wonderful!" She clapped her hands together, balancing her file while she did so. "I'll write it down in my schedule, so I don't forget."
"I can go myself you know." Terra dryly responded as he looked up and deadpanned at his sister.
"I do know; however, as I am your sister it would be proper of me to accompany you." Her phone was out (and wasn't that an interesting development. Smart phones were invented by someone in the Research Division after hearing an off offhand comment by her brother. Of course, they're exclusive to those in the Sanctuary and won't be released into the world as a "new invention" until the year 1992, which will be Silver's second year at Hogwarts. She made sure it would be one of the earlier prototypes released and not the modern-day touchscreens she was used to from The Before.) and the calendar app was opened as she typed away on the keyboard. Elaborating in the notes section what was going on and then setting an alarm as well, she put the phone into her pants' back pocket.
"Isn't there anything you need to do today?" Terra inquired after a few minutes of silence. Silver held up one finger towards her bother as she finished writing down the last couple of things in her notebook then closing both it and the file filled with reports.
"Actually, there is." She answered. Her brother looked at her waiting for an elaboration and she blankly stared at him until she finally understood what his silent question was. "I need to check on the wolfsbane and make sure there is enough for the upcoming full moon. Then, I need to inspect the sectioned off forest for them to make sure the barriers are in good shaped to hold them. After that, I'm going to head over to the Medical Division to talk to Shaun and see if his group of people have made any headway on the cure for lycanthropy, that, and Griffin was trying to see if there was a way to alter it so that the condition could be more like the skin changers from Twilight. In complete control, increased strength, and heightened senses both in and out of wolf form, oh and making them not look so sickly and deformed. So, like, healthy looking dire wolves in essence. I'm honestly leaning more towards Griffin's idea. No shame or discouragement for Shuan, but the only real reason that werewolves want to desperately be cured is because they have no rights in the wizarding world. So far, they absolutely love it here because we made sure to annihilate discrimination and properly educate everyone that it is a condition that these innocent people had no choice in getting. Now, the werewolves all have jobs that won't fire them for having to take a couple days off a month. They have a stable income for their families. And they have other werewolves to empathize with and any packs that they join or create stay alive and cared for. They don't have the worries that they had outside of the Sanctuary." Silver ranted.
"Is that why Greyback's attacks have seemed to stop?"
"From my intel. Yes."
Terra was floored. He knew that the whole issue with werewolves mainly stemmed from Greyback's crude attempts in trying to get the wizarding community to understand what Terra and Silver had managed to do in the Sanctuary. The progress that the "mysterious" Grey Knight leaders had made had spread through the werewolf grapevine, which remains a closely guarded secret by the werewolves themselves, and seemingly reached the ears of one Fenrir Greyback. Who, after learning that the one thing that he's been trying to accomplish finally was realized, he stopped his attacks. Someone finally understood and werewolves were being taken care of. They have the jobs and the money now to pay for the wolfsbane potion themselves. They are finally allowed to get married and have families of their own. Fenrir was so relieved.
(He didn't think it was possible but there was the proof right there. Werewolves coming to him positively beaming. Healthy, clothed, and fed.)
It was unanimously decided by all werewolves that they would tell no one other than another werewolf about it, and no witch or wizard, even those of high standing, was the wiser. Underground organization indeed. All those who knew did one of two things. Move to the Sanctuary, which they agreed was so rightly named, or go around informing other werewolves that there was hope for them. Some even officially joined and became part of the Grey Knights. And oh, were they shocked speechless to find out exactly who lead this whole organization. A pair of siblings not even of Hogwarts age yet at the time. Though they couldn't really complain. They had a home now and were forever grateful. The ones who had joined or moved to the Sanctuary after The Fall, which is what the midnight ambushing was officially called by everyone, they learned the gruesome history of what started the organization on the first place, what everyone has lost, and that there really was a third leader who had perished in The Fall. Any one new equally paid respect to those who had fallen. Especially Cascius's, as his sacrifice saved the lives of the Scarlets.
And if Silver got an expansion to her intel network no one said anything. Those werewolves volunteered to help and offered to be part of the network anyway. She just accepted and told them they would be paid handsomely as it is an actual high paying job in the non-magical world.
(Oh, the things she was learning about the Order of the Burnt Chicken Nuggets)
(She has better names for it she swears. They just aren't "kid friendly" she says.)
"Holy Shit," whispered Terra, "Do you expect him to want an audience with us anytime soon?"
"Not likely," Silver said as she stood up, "From what I've been informed he's out spreading the word as well. More werewolves tend to believe him more often than not. His name carries a lot of weight in the werewolf community. Of course, there is always the odd one that despises his guts for turning them and won't give Fenrir the time of day." The two shared a knowing look. It was obvious who she was referring to. Terra rolled his eyes with a heaving sigh. 'That is just sad. Ever heard of double-checking sources? I know there's other werewolves he could talk to.' He thought to himself.
"However," She added, "I do expect him to want to at least talk to us himself one day in the future. I highly doubt he will just let us be for too long. The question is when."
"I agree. With all the promoting of this place he's been doing and he hasn't even seen it? Yeah, I'd think he would want to really see it someday to. Maybe even see some other werewolves he's met in the past."
Silver didn't say anything until she was at the door ready to step out. "There is one in particular I'd really like to have come, but he's drowning too far deep in his guilt and self-hate to know that something truly good for him is possible." With that, she stepped out the door and continued on towards the hospital's labs to talk to Shaun and Griffin.
"How's the progress been coming along?" She asked. Shaun was sitting at a lab table with a microscope and many slides with drops of blood and other samples on them.
Shaun ran his hand through his hair with an exhausted sigh. "I haven't made much headway with my project. There's still so much unknown about lycanthropy that making a permanent cure with no side-affects is seemingly impossible. I just don't have enough data to work with."
Silver pondered this for a moment. "Did you take any blood and DNA samples?"
"Yeah, several. Still got nothing concrete. It all seems so jumbled up and unorganized in a manner of speaking that it makes no sense at all. How are they even functioning? Their DNA alone is like a tangled ball of yarn with knots everywhere. It doesn't operate anything like it should."
"What do you mean "doesn't operate like it should"?"
"What DNA sort of reads for maybe the liver, kidneys, stomach lining, hell, even the femur is really a forty-year-olds skin tissue. Explain that one to me." Shaun stressed, clenching his hands into fists so tight Silver was worried he was going to draw blood.
"I don't think I can." She answered in a whisper.
"Oh, I can!" A bubbly voice jumped in. Shaun and Silver both startled at the unexpected voice. They turned around to face the lab doors to find that Griffin had walked in, most likely, towards the end of their conversation given by his comment.
Shaun had the most irritated look plastered across his face as he regarded Griffin in all his weird ass glory. He was wearing crocs—
"Then please, be my guest."
Griffin flipped off his cousin. "Gladly, Bitch." Silver sighed and pinched her nose. Is this what it's like for others to deal with her brother and hers' bickering? Now she knows why Asvard got gray hairs starting to grow so early.
"The reason why the DNA is so jumbled is because it's human DNA with canine DNA trying to mix together." He started.
"We know this already Griffin. Get to the point."
"I am! Anyways. Normally, with non-magical people the canine DNA is so incompatible that it causes the death of the victim, much like someone dying from an organ donation gone wrong. The body rejects it so strongly, the person is killed. Are you with me so far?"
"Yes." Shaun and Silver answered.
Griffin nods his head. "Okay. So, the reason why magical people are able to survive this "DNA donation" is because the magic in the body, more specifically the blood which has your immune system, forces the two DNA to be compatible with each other. Now, normally, a person shouldn't be able to function even half as well as someone missing nearly half their chromosomes, but magic does the rest. Magic makes it function. This is also the reason why werewolves have compromised immune systems, sickly looking wolf bodies, and excruciating transformations."
Silver blinks for a few seconds while Shaun just stares blankly at him. "When you put it like that it sounds so simple." She said.
"Yeah, that was hard to figure out until I got some regular samples from people unaffected and non-magical people and started making more comparisons. Now, to the question about how things operate in a werewolf? It's quite simple when you think about it. What are the toughest things in the body? The femur is the strongest and densest bone in the body. The liver, kidneys, and stomach lining are all things that keep poison from getting into the rest of the body. Mix this all together and you get the dense, tough skin that is resistant to most spells of a werewolf." Griffin crossed his arm with a huff, satisfied with his explanation.
"Fuck you, Griffin." Shaun scowled.
Said man just cheekily grinned. "I know, we can't all be as majestically brilliant as I am."
"I think it's just because something so lacking of logic and common sense requires someone of equal standing to understand." Silver imputed.
Griffin's head snapped over to a smirking Silver. "Did you just call me stupid?"
"You have to ask?" She responded as she started leaving the labs.
"Hey! Hey, Silver! Come back here! Take that back, Bitch!"
"I know I'm a Bitch!" The nine-year-old responded and called over her shoulder, "I'm a beautiful individual that corrects hoes like you!" She heard a gasp and the slapping of a hand over chest as the lab doors closed behind her. Anyone who passed by her couldn't figure out why she was cackling all the way down the hallway, and frankly, they didn't want to know.
Three days later saw the Scarlets heading into Grasmere in Lake District to meet up with the Hogwarts teacher that would be accompanying them to "introduce them to the wizarding world." Silver wanted to laugh so badly but bit down on the inside of her cheek harshly in order to keep a straight face at the mere thought. They were sitting at a table sipping at their orange juice and nibbling, or in Terra's case inhaling, their Belgian Waffles waiting for this person to show up. Of course, the two were half an hour early to the agreed meeting place. Since they hadn't had breakfast yet, they decided to order some food.
Fifteen minutes later, roughly ten minutes before the meeting time, a man in a well pressed, three-piece black suit that left everything to the imagination with equally polished black dress shoes arrived. As the man approached, he saw the two children sitting alone at an outside table at the deserted breakfast parlor. A sign on the window said "Going out of business" in large bold letters. Isn't there supposed to be an adult accompanying them? Where was their parents, and if not, at least a guardian? But the two remained alone.
When the man double-checked the sign of the shop, he realized that this was the meeting place for one Terra S., as was the signature on the return letter. There was an empty third chair waiting for him with a menu placed on the table in the same spot. The two children were dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans, simple but functional. Then he got a good look at the children as he came ever closer to them. Their hair a deep, rich red. A red that looks as if their hair simply dripped with blood. Scarlet. His mind whispered to him. He remembered heads of hair that same color, once upon a time, eight years ago. It wasn't until the girl, who could have been no older than ten, heard his nearing footsteps and looked up to meet his eyes and—oh.
They were silver. Those eyes sparkled and shone and glittered. He knew those eyes. He knew that hair and those glittering eyes like he knew what his favorite childhood toy was long ago. His mind recalled a cold winter's night sitting by the fire with a little body cradled carefully against his chest. He nearly choked when he saw them sitting there healthy and intact. She would be nine-years old by now, wouldn't she? And the boy, the one sitting across from her, he would be starting Hogwarts this year. That would be why he's here. The boy turned and faced him as well and the man got a good look at the custom soft, but sturdy, leather eyepatch covering his right eye. He remembered doing what he could for that eye, and how helpless he felt when there was nothing else he could do. Yes, he knew these children. No, not children. The girl was an angel, the boy…well behaved at least.
The boy gestured for him to sit at the awaiting chair politely. The man obliged. He went to introduce himself because obviously they would have been too young to remember him, the girl even more so, but he couldn't get the words out. His throat felt strangely tight, and his eyes held a familiar burn that threatened to make itself known to the others. He swallowed back the lump in his throat and the first thing out of his mouth, before he could even stop it was, "You're welcome."
The girl's lips upturned at the corners gently and those eyes sparkled and glittered even more up at him. Her heart leapt at the sight of this man. She knew she would see him again someday.
The girl opened her mouth and the words that came out were certainly not the ones that the man had expected at all. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed —"
"—Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The man interjected and finished the quote for her. The two shared a look. He didn't think she would have remembered being that young, but then again, she was always an odd one.
"I would have dealt with the legalities regardless of the difficulties." He told her softly, his low voice of velvet swept over her like the gentle waves of a calm ocean beach lapping at her ankles. The girl's eyes watered, and she choked out her next words wobbly and in broken phrases. "Truly you would have?"
"Always." He answered in a sure tone. "You both have grown quite a bit." The girl sniffled and dabbed at her eyes with a napkin.
"Yeah, it's been a rough couple of years for us, but we did it." The boy answered the man.
"I noticed your name on the letter was Terra S.?" The man raised a brow in question.
"Indeed. Terra Scarlet, at your service." The eleven-year-old boy gave a bow of his head in greeting. Though clearly knowing each other, the man introduced himself anyway. He thought it was secretly amusing; however, he clearly wasn't fooling the girl.
"Severus Snape, at yours." He gave the same kind of bow of the head to the boy. Where they learned this kind of greeting, he doesn't know, but it was short and humble. Greatly unlike the snobbish and stuck-up greetings of the pure bloods. Severus turned to the girl to learn her name as well.
"Silver Scarlet, master wizard." The same tilt of the head. The honorific greatly startled Severus and with a shock, he recognized the greetings. J. R. R. Tolkien, what a wonderful author he was. He was also equally pleased to know that they had kept the last names that he had gifted them on a whim.
"And where did you get the first names from?" He wondered. Silver's name has so clearly been given from her eyes and he couldn't blame whoever had come up with that idea. They truly were such beautiful things. He wasn't expecting the sad reply of, "A really good friend." He didn't ask anymore questions on the matter. He knew deeply carved grief when he saw it. Knew it like he knew the back of his hand. From there, the group of three spent more time than they meant to catching up. They told Severus that they had met someone who would become a dear friend of theirs a year after they left his home only to lose him to a robbery and fire three years later.
Severus empathized with them and even shed a few tears along with the two children for their fallen friend. He wanted to tear apart the world searching for the people who had hurt them. Forced them to relocate somewhere away and out of reach to most people. They said that they made a family with people who were like them that they met along the way. They had told him nearly everything they could. Everything except the Grey Knights and the location of where they lived. Anything that they confided in Severus with; however, would remain a secret until they decided on spilling it themselves.
When Severus took the two with him to get Terra's school supplies, he told them of how he achieved youngest potions master in the world, and he nearly blushed at the praise and awe the two showered him with. Many people had done so already, but it never felt the same as when these two did it. It felt to him as though he truly did earn his title. Like all his hard work was truly worth it. He felt truly appreciated he even took them out for ice-cream. They were quick to give sincere thanks to him and to a Yahweh. he didn't know who that was, but by the way they had closed their eyes and said the thanks softly he almost thought they were praying.
He was careful not to be too out of character around others but with Silver and Terra? He felt like his own person again and he didn't mind that they could somehow see right through any of his poker faces that he threw on in public. Silver was so sweet and thoughtful as well. While they were out and about in Diagon Alley (and boy did Silver have a laughing fit when she heard the name. Diagon Alley. Diagonally.) she had gotten him a set of small unnoticeable cufflinks at a store they passed by based off of an offhand comment Severus made about them looking remarkably like Silver's eyes. He felt much like how he'd think a father would feel when his children got them a thoughtful gift. He was touched. And if he had put on the cufflinks on immediately no one said anything. Though Silver gave him a smile as bright as her eyes and he felt a near forgotten warmth spread through his chest that left him feel lighter than he's had in years.
(Later on, he'd find out that that was what it felt like to be loved. It really was the small things that kept the darkness at bay.)
When it was time to return home later that day, Severus inquired about how they were getting home.
"We have our ways." Terra answered cryptically. Letting them go off on their own went against so many things Severus believed in and reinforced at Hogwarts, but the sheer sureness in their eyes made him cave. Before they left, Silver handed him a piece of paper.
"On your own personal owl, if you've got one, cast this incantation and it'll come straight to one of us two with out needing to know the address of where we are. You won't be able to track it though." She told him. Both the Scarlets where being tight lipped about where they lived, but considering how their last home went down and who they lost in it? He really couldn't blame them with trying to keep it confidential. Even from him. He respected that. He just advised them to be safe and careful and it wasn't until Terra pulled out a pendant necklace, a Star of David, did he realize it was a portkey that was taking them home. Relief flooded his system to know they would be going straight home. His kids would be safe.
Silver ran up and hugged him tightly around the middle and burrowed her face into his stomach. Severus's response was immediate. He wrapped his arms around her much like he did when she was just a babe. She returned to her brother's side and grasped the necklace. Then, with a single whispered word from Terra, they were gone. But Severus didn't fret, for he knew this time for sure, that he would definitely be seeing them again. And with regular correspondence.
It wouldn't be until later that evening that it would occur to Severus that he had referred to the Scarlets as his kids. He wasn't bothered to correct himself.
