On Sunday morning, Marie procrastinated some after breakfast, hoping to catch a glimpse of Harry Potter. She'd heard so much about him, he was the subject of so much lore and she was dying to know what he was like in real life.
She sat in the parlor reading and having tea far longer than she should have.
Immediately after breakfast, Snape had sent Soren to do his "chores" (mainly to tidy his room and the classroom) while he finished some work in his study. When he returned to the parlor at nearly 11am, he was surprised to see Marie still sitting there.
"This is your day-off, Ms. Cloutier, you should go enjoy it. Aren't you meant to be meeting friends for lunch?"
"Not for a little while longer, I'm just enjoying my book." She had borrowed a copy of Pride and Prejudice from his library, and was enjoying it more than she remembered. And she couldn't help but draw some comparisons between Lord Kent and Mr. Darcy—it was fueling her imagination far more than she knew was appropriate.
"Do not miss out on your day for Mr. Potter's sake. He will no doubt be back again soon." Unfortunately. "Today is not a social visit, and we have some very important matters to discuss. You will have other opportunities to meet him. Although, I assure you, he is not nearly as interesting as he is made out to be." Snape couldn't help himself adding that little tidbit at the end.
"Are you kidding? He literally saved the wizarding world, he's a hero."
"A feat for which he is given much credit, yet did not achieve on his own." Snape picked the book out of her hands, marking her page with a non-verbal spell, before closing it and giving it back to her. "Go enjoy your day, Ms. Cloutier. Your fantasies of Mr. Darcy will still be here when you get back."
Marie blushed slightly at having been called out so precisely. "I'm not even that big of a fan of Mr. Darcy, actually. He's a bit too arrogant and stuck-up for my taste. I read Jane Austen for the strong female characters."
"Evidently you dislike him so much you've re-read the Netherfield Ball scene enough times that my poor book practically opens right to it." He gave her a knowing smirk.
"Elizabeth has some very good lines in that scene, I'll have you know. For a woman of her time, she was quite bold and witty. Now if you'll excuse me, I should probably get going, it's getting late." She put the book into her bag and held her head up high as she approached the floo.
Snape reached up for the floo powder he kept on the mantle, offering it to her. "Have a lovely day, Ms. Cloutier. Behave yourself."
"Well that wouldn't be very much fun, now would it?" She gave him a sassy smile, grabbed a handful of floo powder and stepped into the flame.
Snape allowed himself a moment of quiet amusement as he replaced the floo powder, before heading upstairs to look for Soren. He adjusted his countenance appropriately, wanting to make sure he clearly laid out his expectations before Potter arrived.
He checked the boy's room first, and found it empty but sufficiently tidy, before discovering Soren in the classroom, sitting quietly on one of the beanbag chairs attempting to read. With silent steps he approached the boy, not wanting to disturb him. When it was clear he was at a stopping point, Snape made his presence known.
"I see you're practicing your reading. Very good." Snape said, wanting to encourage Soren to spend his free time in scholarly pursuits. He hoped he would take after him that way, rather than being like the majority of his students who used every free moment to seek out mischief.
"Yes, sir. But it's really hard. I'm not very good at it." Soren felt ashamed, he wanted to show his father how clever he was, but he was still struggling.
"Show me what you're reading, perhaps I can help."
"Do you want to sit down on the beanbag with me? That's what Ms. Cloutier does. Then we can look at the pages together." The boy grabbed the beanbag to his right, pulling it a bit closer.
Snape looked down at the hideous red blob, knowing full-well he wouldn't be caught dead in one. "Why don't you choose some books to take downstairs, then we can sit on the sofa and have tea while we read them."
The little boy jumped up, over the moon that his father was going to spend time reading with him. He chose his three favorite books and followed the man downstairs, practically skipping the whole way.
Snape had a lot of other things he needed to be doing, but he figured he had to spend a few minutes with the boy before he banished him for the rest of the day so he could have his meeting with Potter. He was afraid if he did not, Soren was liable to throw some kind of tantrum complaining about how he never spends time with him, or god forbid do something to embarrass him while guests were here.
Soren bounded to the sofa and patted the seat next to him. "You can sit here father, so you can see the pages."
Snape always sat in his armchair, he liked to be where he was alone and no one could invade his personal space. He felt oddly vulnerable sitting on the sofa without the protection of the high back and arms of his favorite chair.
He had left nearly a foot between himself and the boy, a gap which Soren quickly closed by scooting over until he was practically right on top of him. Snape had left no more room on the other side, so he was properly trapped.
"Here, let's read this one. It's about a little boy and a tree. It's kind of sad though."
"I'll do my best not to get too emotionally invested. Go on, start with the title."
Over the next fifteen minutes, Soren sputtered disastrously through the book, Snape having to jump in to help him with nearly every word. It was far worse than he thought based on his discussion with Marie. He would have to get Marie to do some extra tutoring outside of their normal lessons, perhaps some special books on phonics.
When they finally finished the second book, Snape set it down and turned toward Soren. "That's enough for now. I want to talk to you about what to expect for the rest of the afternoon."
"Mr. Potter is coming!" Soren bounced up slightly on the sofa, clearly looking forward to seeing him. Harry had been so kind and nice to him in those days before he had come to the manor.
"Yes, but we have important business to take care of, so you will need to stay upstairs and out of the way, do you understand?"
"But I want to see him! He promised he would come and visit me!" Soren complained.
Snape ignored the whiny tone. "You may greet him and say hello, and then you will excuse yourself, politely, and go upstairs. You may read or work in the classroom, or spend time in your room. If you wish to go outside, you may do so with Tinny, but you will mind him no matter what. We will have no repeats of what happened last time. Your feet will stay firmly on the ground, and if Tinny has to come get me because you are misbehaving or not following his directions, you will be a very sorry little boy. Am I clear?"
"Yes, sir." Soren blushed slightly with shame thinking about how rude he'd been to Tinny.
"Very well, then. Let's have lunch and then you will go upstairs, change into some of your nicer clothes, and brush your hair. I don't want you to look like a street urchin when they get here."
After lunch, Snape sent Soren upstairs to rest and prepare himself for the company. He took the opportunity to do the same, arranging some papers and doing a quick check of his clothes, face, and hair before settling himself in the parlor to wait. He took slow deep breaths in an effort to calm his anxiety.
At 2:00pm on the dot, Harry came through the floo with two other Ministry officials in tow.
Snape stood from his armchair to greet them, vaguely recognizing both of the other wizards, instantly relieved when he realized they were too old to be former students of his. He was fairly certain he remembered one of them was a Hufflepuff a few years above him, the other one he couldn't quite place although his face seemed familiar.
"It's a pleasure to see you sir, how are you?" Harry looked a bit stressed but was trying to be upbeat.
"I'd be infinitely more pleased if we weren't having this meeting," Snape said flatly.
"I know, I'm very sorry. I'll explain everything soon. First, let me introduce you to two of my colleagues at the Ministry, this is Chester McLaggan, I'm sure you remember his son, Cormac, and his brother Tiberius."
"Vaguely."
The man stuck out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, finally, Professor."
Snape didn't correct him but shook his hand briefly, refusing to pretend he was equally pleased to meet him.
"And this is Andrew Wagtail."
"Nice to meet you," the taller man said, shaking his hand and smiling.
Snape settled into his armchair while the three men arranged themselves awkwardly on the couch. He called for his house-elf. "Tinny, please bring tea for our guests, and ask Soren to come downstairs."
"Yes, sir!" Tinny said, disappearing with a pop before reappearing moments later with a tray of tea and biscuits.
A few minutes later, Soren came down the stairs, his hair combed neatly to one side and wearing a smart white button-down and short navy pants with knee socks. He looked every bit like the son of an aristocrat and Snape allowed himself to feel slightly pleased.
Harry set his tea down and stood up, walking over to the little boy before kneeling down in front of him. "So good to see you, Soren!"
"Hi!" Soren smiled and gave Harry a quick hug.
"How are you, is everything going well? You're looking quite sharp."
"Thank you! My father got me new clothes." Soren beamed. "I'm doing really well, I'm learning a lot and father got me a governess and her name is Ms. Cloutier and she's the best! Today is her day off but you should come back and meet her, she's so nice and she's teaching me all sorts of things. And we play outside everyday in the hedge maze. It's so much fun! I wanted to show you it but father said I couldn't." Soren could barely contain his excitement as the words tumbled out in a stream.
"Soren," Snape said in a warning tone. "That's enough."
Harry gave him a smile and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "That sounds brilliant. And you know you don't have to call me 'sir'."
Before Soren had a chance to reply, Snape chimed in from the armchair. "Yes he does, Mr. Potter. Please do not encourage him to follow in your insolent footsteps, I seem to remember you having quite a difficult time remembering how to properly address your elders when you were a child. I intend for my son to be remembered for his manners, not his cheek."
Harry was highly amused remembering how infuriated he'd made the man that day when he'd talked back to him so boldly in his sixth year: "There's no need to call me 'sir', Professor." He still prided himself on that one, it had been worth every minute of detention.
"Well, just know when he's not around, I don't care one bit." Harry whispered to Soren, giving him a little wink before standing up to his full height.
"Soren, please come and introduce yourself properly to our other guests."
Harry took the boy's hand and walked him back over to the couch where the two other Ministry officials were sitting and drinking tea.
"Soren, this is Mr. McLaggan and Mr. Wagtail."
Soren reached out his hand as his father had instructed him to do. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said as he shook each of their hands.
"You've said your hellos, now you may be excused," Snape said calmly, but firmly as he sipped from his cup.
"Can't I stay for tea? Please, father?" Soren asked politely, taking Harry's hand once more, hoping he could spend a few more minutes with him.
"No, you may not. I have given you very clear instructions. Now say goodbye." He flashed the boy a dangerous look that let him know he better do as he was told, immediately. The man did not appreciate being disobeyed at the best of times, he certainly would not stand for it in front of other people.
Soren knew better than to beg and argue, he was absolutely certain his father would have no qualms about scolding him or even smacking him in front of their guests if he pushed him too far. His ears burned at the memory of what had happened the first time he met Marie. No, it was best just to do as he was told.
"Yes,sir." Soren turned back toward the adults on the couch. "It was nice to meet you, and really great to see you, Mr. Potter. I hope you'll come back soon! I have lots to show you and maybe you can meet Ms. Cloutier too."
"Of course, I'd love to." Harry said kindly, giving the boy's hand an affectionate squeeze before letting it go. "I'm really glad to see you doing so well. I'll see you later, kiddo."
Soren leaned in to give him another hug before casting a quick glance over at his father who indicated with a quick upward flick of his head that he should get moving, prompting him to hurry toward the stairs.
Not wanting to take any risks of Soren overhearing yet another conversation that wasn't meant for him, Snape waited for the boy to reach the second floor before casting a silencing charm around the parlor.
"Well, get on with it Mr. Potter, your message was vague, but I can assume that if you're showing up here with two other people from the Ministry that this is not going to be a very pleasant conversation."
"I'm really sorry, sir, but some things have happened since we've brought Soren into your care. There are some…legal complications."
"Such as?" Snape kept his voice calm but he could feel his body reacting, his heart rate quickening, the anxiety pulling at the bottom of his stomach. Nonetheless, he kept his face unreadable and his tone bored.
"We did our best to be as discreet as possible when we moved Soren into your care, but his name has begun appearing on the Registry of Magical Children as Soren Snape. Unfortunately one of the clerks noticed and took it up the chain, now there are a few people starting to ask questions."
"Shouldn't his name appear as Soren Kent? Severus Snape is legally dead. My new identity is legal and valid." Snape had submitted some masterfully forged documents when he took on his new identity and had been pleasantly pleased to have never been bothered by the Ministry again.
"I'm as surprised as you are, we did not anticipate that the registry would change to reflect his new name as soon as he was in the home with you. When I filed his paperwork registering him at this address, I submitted it all as Soren Kent. But the document has altered itself." Harry felt guilty for having to bring him this news.
"Perhaps I can help clarify," McLaggan interjected. "Right now it shows that a Soren Snape is living at this address, which as you know, is registered to Alistair Kent, a supposedly foreign-born wizard now residing in the UK. People are confused, as they have no reason to believe you are the biological parent, and yet, you have also not been vetted or through an adoption process that would give you legal rights to be Soren's guardian."
"Why doesn't it show his name as Soren Kent? That is his name, now. I am his father, my name is Kent. His name is Kent. We did that ridiculous paternity potion."
"It's obvious the magic behind the Children's registry is identifying him as a Snape," McLaggan said, matter of factly. "Which as you might imagine is raising quite a few questions. For a few reasons."
"How can the Ministry recognize me as Kent, but Soren as a bloody Snape? It makes absolutely no sense."
"They are two very different magical documents, and it is obvious that the spells behind each of them are unique. When you…disappeared, I was the one who altered many of the documents for you, including having to do some pretty difficult charms and spellwork so that Severus Snape would officially appear deceased. I had some help, but it was actually really difficult. Thankfully there was so much chaos after the war, no one was paying much attention and the magic on those documents was old. The Registry of Magical Children, however, is new, and unfortunately there is no way we can get our hands on it to alter it. Even if we did somehow manage to get access to it, I'm not sure any of us would have the magical capability to tamper with it."
"Speak for yourself," Snape mumbled angrily, refusing to acknowledge the part where Harry admitted to altering the documents on his behalf. How dare he! Arrogant fool. Snape would rather die than thank him, and the more Harry's words sank in, the more infuriated he became that the overgrown brat would dare do something like that on his behalf. Why would he? Did he want Snape to fall at his feet in gratitude? Or did he just want to hold something over him. For the rest of his life. The audacity. The hubris. He stewed in indignation and tried to put it out of his mind.
"If you do not come forward to clear this up soon, the Ministry of Magical Children's Affairs will be on your doorstep to remove Soren whilst they launch a full investigation. If you wish to retain custody, they will need to begin a thorough vetting process. During which time, Soren will likely be placed in a children's home until either you are approved or another suitable family is found for him."
A week ago, this would have been music to Snape's ears, he would have gladly handed the boy off to the Ministry, preferring to remain in his new identity and never having to deal with any of this again.
But now, he was feeling stuck. He knew if he allowed the Ministry to take custody, it would likely destroy the boy. And even if he preferred his simpler, solitary life, he realized he would never be able to go back to the way it was before. Not now. And what about Marie? She would be devastated. He could always pay her a year's worth of wages, but he would miss her presence in the manor. He knew he shouldn't even be considering it, but the choice wasn't clear…there was no way he was ever going to go back to being Severus Snape.
"That is the most absurd thing I have ever heard," Snape said. "Why on earth would you let them take him out of my custody, knowing full well I am his biological father."
"We wouldn't be able to stop them, sir. The problem is that very few of us know the truth, and we've done our best to conceal it for as long as possible, but Soren has come to the attention of a department that is outside of our full influence. We have two choices, either you come and speak to them yourself and tell them who you really are. Or you continue to live as Lord Kent, and submit to a whole adoption approval process, which may or may not be granted. There are people kicking up a fit right now that some mysterious wizard no one has heard of was given custody of an orphaned child without anyone doing a proper background check and approval process."
"Since when? No one seemed to give a toss where orphaned children went before. As you well know, Mr. Potter." Snape couldn't keep the vitriol out of his words.
"Yes, but a lot has changed since the war, Professor." Harry declined to mention that he was one of the biggest supporters of this new policy. Having been an orphan who grew up in a less than ideal home, he had stood as one of the champions for this law four years ago, when the Ministry of Magical Children was first created.
"So it appears."
"There were too many magical children left without parents after the war and following a few…unfortunate incidents…the Ministry put together several new regulations. Anyone who choosing to foster or adopt a magical child has to submit to a full review process to be approved. It can take months, even years in some cases. They don't want vulnerable magical children to be exploited. There was particular concern for the children of Death Eaters."
"So what, you propose that he will just go into care until then? Absolutely not." Snape was suitably horrified by the thought.
"We would make sure he was in safe hands," said Wagtail.
Snape just glared at the Hufflepuff, whom he now remembered as one of the more inept prefects he'd seen in all of his days. "I refuse to have my child be ripped away from his home. Again. He is just starting to settle in and feel safe here, do you have any idea what it would do to him if he were carted off by the Ministry. For the second time in so many weeks."
"The other option is that you claim him as your son, but that means that we would have to undo the registry of your death. It is a valid option."
Snape shot daggers at McLaggan. He's as useless as his idiot son.
"I'm sorry, sir. I really did try to do everything I could to protect your new identity…but Soren has complicated things," said Harry.
"You lied to me, Mr. Potter." Snape was livid now, pointing a sharp finger in his direction. "You told me when you brought him here that there was nowhere else for him to go and that wizarding law demanded that I take custody. When in fact that was complete nonsense. And now we are in a legal quagmire that is going to end up destroying one or both of our lives. Either way, a little boy's future is going to be ruined. This is your doing! What kind of games are you playing?"
Harry looked slightly ashamed. "I'm truly sorry. I honestly believed this would be the best place for him, sir. He deserved to be with family, not an afterthought in the system. If you knew what I knew, you wouldn't want that for him either. I was thinking of Soren's best interest. And even though you were reluctant at first, I knew you would eventually grow to care for him and you'd be able to protect him better than anyone. As you clearly have done."
"How dare you!" Snape slammed his hand down on the armrest and stood up so he could tower over Harry, sneering into his face. "Your audacity has no limits, Potter. Who do you think you are to presume you know what is best for me or for Soren. Is this some kind of sick joke? An opportunity to take revenge on me for some perceived slight in your school days?"
"I would never do that, sir. You forget, I know how much you sacrificed for me, and what you did to protect me. I honestly didn't think the Ministry would ever know. I did my best to bury things the same way I did for you 6 years ago because I wanted you to live your life in peace, you deserved it. You have no idea what I've risked to keep your identity hidden all of these years. I did that for you. Because you deserved a new life, a happy life. I wanted that for you…I still do. There was no way to know that his name would show up like that."
"Enough." Snape scoffed, simmering rage in the edge of his voice. "You have put me in an impossible situation. There must be another way out of this. I refuse to accept that these are my only options."
"I'm afraid there's not," said McLaggan. "We've been looking for days to find another solution."
"Well. Look. Harder." Snape enunciated every single syllable. "I want to see every single law, referendum, memo related to this. There must be a solution you're missing."
"That is why I brought them today. I figured you would want all of the information. Mr McLaggan is an expert in magical law, and Wagtail works as a liaison to the Children's Ministry— he knows their policies and their people better than anyone. And I trust both of them. Implicitly." Harry was glad he'd had the foresight not to have this conversation alone.
"Please, Lord Kent, sit down. We'll go through everything together and hopefully you'll be able to make an informed decision when we're through." McLaggan guided Snape back to his armchair, gently coaxing him to sit back down.
Snape felt defeated in the moment, but he was determined to find another way. Neither of these two options were acceptable to him. "How much time do we have?"
"I think I can buy us another week. Maybe." Harry looked over at Snape and felt sympathy for him. "You know, it wouldn't be the end of the world just to come forward and admit who you are. You could still live the life you're having now, no one would bother you, I'd make sure of it."
Snape narrowed his eyes and dropped his voice, spewing the venomous words through clenched teeth. "As if I would ever believe another word out of your filthy lying mouth, Potter. Besides, I refuse to have my son go through life carrying that despicable name. I do not wish for him to be taunted and bullied at school, or denied opportunities later in life for being the progeny of the evil, traitorous Severus Snape. He is innocent and kind, he deserves so much better than that."
By the end of his tirade, Snape was truly despondent. He couldn't stand the thought of Soren carrying the burden of his own sins. Perhaps he would be better off in the Ministry's care after all. A nice family to adopt him, maybe with other kids he could grow up with, a mother and a father who loved him. Properly.
"If I let the Ministry take him you promise me that his true identity would be protected? That no one outside of the Ministry would ever know his real name. I want everything changed. Legally, properly."
"It is definitely possible," said Wagtail. "There was a lot of concern for the children of Death Eaters being targeted after the war, one of the reasons these regulations were put in place. Once an adoption arrangement is made, all of the documents are sealed, and the records are changed to reflect their new name. It doesn't guarantee no one will ever know, but the Ministry makes every effort to protect the most vulnerable children. No one would dare leak it."
Snape nodded, leaning further back in his chair, the decision now becoming more difficult. "I want him protected at all costs. No ties to Severus Snape, whatsoever."
"Sir, what are you talking about? You can't really be considering this!" Harry was shocked that Snape saw himself this way. Surely he had seen the press tour he'd done on his behalf when the war ended. He'd made sure everyone knew the truth, that Severus Snape was a freedom fighter and a martyr, a double-agent who sacrificed himself for the cause. There were articles in the Daily Prophet, praising his contributions for months. "You're a legend you know. People revere you, respect you. No one thinks you're a traitor."
"Do not mock me, Mr. Potter, I do not have the energy to deal with your infantile attempts to goad me. Now show me the papers. All of them. There must be another way."
McLaggan put his briefcase on the table and opened the locks. "This may take a while."
Upstairs, Soren was getting bored. He'd tried entertaining himself with some books, but he couldn't read well enough and it wasn't that fun all alone. He'd taken a short nap and then walked down to the classroom for a bit, but there was nothing really fun to do by himself. He'd counted the money in his bank a few times, but there were only so many times he found that entertaining. He desperately wanted to go outside but it had been storming for the last hour and despite his begging, Tinny had refused to take him out in the rain, per his father's instructions. And there was no way he'd dare disobey Tinny again.
He was extremely tempted to know what was going on downstairs, but he knew if his father caught him eavesdropping, he'd be in huge trouble, so he laid on his bed for a few minutes talking with his rabbit before his mind drifted to his wand.
For several minutes he sat there debating whether he should pull it out and play with it. It's not playing, he reminded himself. It's practicing. That was how he justified it to himself. If he wanted to be a great wizard like his father, he had to start practicing now. Besides, his father had said he was doing spells at home way before he went to Hogwarts, why should it be different for him? Maybe because he said I was to never ever touch a wand. But as long as he was careful…
Soren opened his door and creeped down the hallway to make sure his father was still downstairs. He couldn't hear anything, but from the top of the stairs he could see shadows moving in the parlor below so he knew there were still people there.
After tiptoeing quietly back to his room, he softly closed the door. He walked immediately to the wardrobe and reached back until he felt the bag, his heart beating loudly in his ears as the adrenaline surged in his body. Fumbling around, his fingers finally brushed against the smooth beech, the feel of it sending a surge of magic up his arm. He leaned forward and strained until he could wrap his tiny fingers around it, reveling in the way it felt in his hand. As soon as he held it in his hand, he could feel his magic vibrating around it, making him feel strong, almost powerful. It was intoxicating.
He took it over to his bed and started with his usual "routine"— some lumos and nox (he only did aguamenti over the sink now, just in case), a little leviosa and he'd been practicing summoning things around his room with Accio although he could still only do light objects that were close by, and not consistently.
Ever since he'd seen his governess enlarge the coins, he'd wanted to try it. First he tried to enlarge his rabbit, and failed a few times before he realized he didn't actually know the counter-charm to shrink him back again, which would definitely have people asking questions. So he spent a few more minutes practicing his summoning skills. He managed to summon a quill and a sock, but not much else, and he quickly became bored again.
The one spell he was dying to try was the one that would cause a stream of fire to shoot out of his wand. He'd watched his father and Tinny do it several times, but it wasn't until he saw his governess do it that he properly heard the incantation.
After a few more boring minutes of doing "easy" spells he knew how to do, he gave into temptation and walked over to the small hearth on the left side of his room. He pointed his wand at the logs sitting in the fireplace and waited a moment, wondering if he should really try it…he debated, but ultimately he couldn't stop himself. Incindio! he said confidently, copying the wand movements he'd seen from his father. Nothing happened.
He drew up his breath and repeated it, louder this time, swishing his wand with more determination. Nothing.
He tried a third time and then a fourth, but on the fifth try he could feel his magic pulsing along with his frustration and he gritted his teeth and yelled incendio, channeling all of his energy. The moment the word left his mouth, an enormous flame leapt out of his wand that was so powerful he fell backward and lost control, his flailing wand now shooting a stream of fire all over the wall, the floor and his curtains, his room quickly becoming engulfed in flames.
He scrambled to his feet and grabbed the wand, attempting an aguamenti to put out the flames but the small stream of water was completely useless as the fire raged through his room.
Panic began to overtake him and he grabbed his rabbit from the bed before that too went up in flames. He ran out of his room, his wand in one hand, his rabbit in the other. He knew he needed his father, but he was terrified he would murder him if he knew he'd been playing with magic. He dashed to the classroom to hide his wand before sprinting for the stairs, passing a shocked and screaming Tinny on the way.
"Father, FATHER!" Soren screamed as he ran down the steps, pure terror on his face.
Snape looked up suddenly to see Soren running toward him in a panic, and his heart rate immediately quickened. He stood from his chair, ignoring the three other men in the parlor, swishing his wand to undo the silencing charm.
Soren screamed out again, "Father, help! Fire! There's a fire!"
"What, where?"
"My room is on fire!" Soren was ashen and he was shaking, his eyes wide with fear.
Just then Tinny appeared, panicking and coughing. "Master, you must come quickly. I has tried to put it out, but we needs more help! Too much smoke!"
"I'll be right there. Tinny, do not go back in there without me." Snape said firmly as Tinny nodded his head, coughing again pitifully.
"Soren, stay right here. Do NOT move, do you understand me?" Snape grabbed Soren by the arm and looked at him in the eyes as the acrid smell of burning fabric hit him in the face. He looked up to see smoke at the top of the stairs. "Stay here. Promise me you'll obey me."
Soren nodded, "I promise," tears running down his face as the four men bounded up the steps to the West wing, wands at the ready, Tinny following behind them.
Within a few minutes, the men had the fire under control. It had singed the walls, burned up the curtains completely, and destroyed part of the bed and the carpet, but it was nothing that couldn't be repaired or replaced.
Now that the fire was out, Snape opened the window to let in some fresh air. His throat and lungs burned slightly, as he had been slow to cast a bubblehead charm in his haste to get upstairs.
"Wow, that was intense." Harry said, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, smears of soot on his face, his lips dry.
"Accidental magic," said McLaggan, knowingly. "I do not miss those days. When Cormac was 9 he once turned our dining table into a giant marshmallow because we wouldn't let him have more pudding. But this…from a seven year-old? You certainly have your hands full."
"Perhaps, gentlemen, we can continue our conversation another day." Snape summoned several flannels and soaked each of them with cool water from his wand before handing them to his guests and wiping his own face. Using the opportunity to breathe down his blood pressure. "I think this is an appropriate time to end things."
"Yes of course. I think we made good progress today, I will reach out to you tomorrow, we can maybe find another time to meet in the next few days," Harry said.
Snape nodded his head at Harry. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a traumatized little boy I need to take care of."
Harry was quietly impressed, he'd known Snape was the protective type but he was seeing a whole different side of it with his son. Even if Snape was furious with him at the moment, he didn't regret his decision to bring Soren here. It might get a bit messy, but it was obviously the right place for him to be. He'd already had an inkling that Soren had inherited his father's powerful magic, and there was no one else who'd be able to help him learn to use it like Severus Snape. Regardless of what the man wanted to believe about himself.
As soon as they got downstairs, the three wizards quickly took their leave and exited through the floo, leaving Snape alone with Soren, who was sitting balled up on the couch clutching his rabbit and sobbing, rocking back and forth slightly.
Snape sat down next to him and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but before he knew what was happening, Soren had thrown himself across him, with his head on his lap and his thin, fail body wracked with sobs. "Shh, everything is alright. It's over. Everything is alright."
Soren just cried into him, terrified by what he'd just witnessed and ashamed he had been the cause of it, he couldn't bear to lift up his head.
For several long minutes they stayed like that, Snape with a reassuring hand on the boy's back, patting him rhythmically while he cried.
"Are you hurt anywhere or just scared?" Snape finally asked.
"I'm not hurt," Soren finally choked out between sobs. "My room is gone, everything is burned," he said, crying even harder. "I ruined it. I'm sorry!"
"All of it can be fixed or replaced. You, on the other hand, cannot. Now can you sit up and tell me what happened?" He tapped Soren gently on the hip.
"I don't know," Soren said, wailing as he lifted his head, clutching his rabbit to his chest for dear life.
"Were you playing with matches?" Snape took his chin in his hand and gave him a stern look. He and Tinny always lit the fireplace with their wands, but Snape kept matches around the manor just in case. He had grown up poor in a council flat where he was often freezing to the bone and he had an irrational fear of being unable to light a fireplace if he needed to, even if his magic was drained or his wand was broken. It was probably silly, but it gave him peace of mind. He hadn't thought to remove them when Soren came, realizing the manor was far from child-proofed.
"No, sir. I promise!"
"Then tell me what you were doing when it happened. It is not unusual for wizards your age to have bouts of accidental magic, especially if you were having intense emotions."
"It must have been that," Soren lied, diverting his gaze and fidgeting with his rabbit's ears, praying his father wouldn't see right through him. "I was frustrated that Tinny wouldn't let me go outside to play and I was bored. I didn't know that would happen, I'm sorry!" He started sobbing again.
Snape could see he was truly upset and was blaming himself. "You need to breathe, Soren. You're unharmed, that is what is important. Now take a deep breath before you make yourself ill."
Soren took a few deep breaths and then fell back onto his father, it was the most physical contact he had ever had from the man and he craved it, desperately.
"I'm sorry," he wailed into his father's side, his small arms wrapping tightly around him, hoping the man would return the embrace.
"You do not need to apologize for something you cannot help. Accidental magic happens to most witches and wizards, particularly those with strong magic. It is ultimately a positive sign that your magic is intact." Snape was uncomfortable, but he extended one arm and laid it on Soren's back, resuming his reassuring pats.
The guilt was making Soren feel sick, but he didn't want to ruin this perfect moment by telling the truth. He wasn't an idiot.
"Now where am I going to sleep?" Soren lifted his head up, his face all swollen and blotchy.
"I can repair your room in a matter of minutes, there is nothing to worry about. Even if I could not, there are plenty of other rooms in the manor. That is the least of my worries right now."
Just then, the floo roared and Marie stepped out, her hair slightly more disheveled, her arms full of shopping bags, and a huge smile on her face. Immediately she could see something was wrong.
"What happened? Is everyone alright?" She dropped her bags onto the floor and rushed over to Soren, where he was curled up against the side of his father's chest, tears still streaming down his face.
"We had a little episode of accidental magic just now. Soren's room caught fire, and he is scared. I am trying to reassure him that this is perfectly normal, many magical children have similar episodes."
"Oh Soren, darling, I am so so sorry. You didn't get hurt, did you?"
Soren shook his head before pressing his face further into his father's body.
"That is so scary, I'm so sorry." Marie sat down next to them, reaching out to put a hand on his back, smoothing it down his shirt as a fresh wave of tears came over him.
"He'll be alright, he's just frightened."
A new feeling blossomed in Marie watching the man comfort his frightened son. She knew he wasn't the most affectionate type, so seeing him soothing Soren so gently made her heart swell. She was starting to worry this was more than a little crush and a fun bit of sexual tension. Don't even think about it, Marie. You need to quit with the Jane Austen books, you've lost all sense of reality.
They sat like this until Soren's tears stopped and he fell asleep on his father's lap, surrounded by the only two people he had in the world.
"Would you mind helping me repair his room, Ms. Cloutier? I'm sure it would go much more quickly with the two of us, and perhaps you have some ideas for how it might be a more…comfortable space for a child."
"Yes, of course!"
"You do have your wand on you, I hope?" He gave her an eyebrow raise for good measure.
Marie pulled her wand out. "I do. I told you I learned my lesson." She flashed him a smile.
"Good girl."
Those words caused her stomach to clench and a flush ran up her neck. Seriously Marie?
"I'm going to try to get up without waking him, I'll leave him to rest on the sofa until dinner."
Marie watched as the man slowly and gently lifted Soren, laying him back down on the couch. With a swish of his wand, a blanket came flying into the room and he snatched it out of the air before laying it on top of the boy.
The two of them made quick work of repairing Soren's room. Marie had seen the man perform some impressive magic before (not to mention the flying), but watching him do so much complicated spellwork so quickly left her awestruck. Who is this man? She was sure she'd never seen another witch or wizard with the power, control, and speed he had with his wand.
Snape was also enjoying watching Marie put her touches on the room, and she was truly gifted, particularly with transfiguration. She made creative use of some lesser known spells to improve upon some of his work. He'd fix something, and she'd transfigure it into something slightly better. He'd known she was a clever witch, but it was the first time he had seen her do more than simple spells.
"Well done, Ms. Cloutier, I think Soren will be very pleased with his new room." He looked around in satisfaction. "I can see now how you aced your O.W.L.'s, your transfiguration skills certainly are Outstanding."
Marie had to admit, it looked pretty good, and his words of approval melted her to the core. She'd turned it into a real children's bedroom. Nothing tacky, of course, but with a few brighter colors and furniture, including a little table where Soren could sit to color or draw (or do schoolwork, as she told Lord Kent). She tried to put little educational touches with an explorer theme, putting a charmed map mural on one wall, and some pictures of animals she knew he liked. In one corner, she made him his own little reading nook with small bookshelves, even transfiguring a child-size armchair that looked heavily inspired by the one Lord Kent was always sitting in. She finished off by charming the ceiling so that at night it would twinkle, something she knew Soren would really enjoy. Overall, she was quite proud of herself.
"Thank you, Lord Kent. Your wand work is incredible, by the way, how did you learn to cast spells so quickly?" She knew she sounded like a doting fan, but she couldn't help it, she was really impressed.
"Practice, Ms. Cloutier. Hard-work, dedication, and practice. Which is why I want to impart these virtues on Soren. Even a wizard with mediocre magical ability can be exceptional with enough discipline and hard-work."
"Yes, I agree."
"Well, that might be a first," Snape replied, tucking his wand away and readjusting his sleeves. "I'll be honest, I've been quite worried about Soren's magic because his mother struggled even with the most basic spells, but the fire Soren produced today was quite impressive. I've seen other children make things explode or create a small flame here and there, but I've never seen a child his age create anything like that. It could mean he is dealing with some very powerful magic indeed. We will have to be quite careful." Snape didn't want to sound like he was gloating, but it was hard to hide the pride in his voice.
"I agree. I'm sure you'll find it silly, but I've seen some studies about using emotional regulation tools to help prevent outbursts of accidental magic. The results were excellent, but it does involve mindfulness tools like deep breathing, checking in with your body, and relaxation exercises. All things I'm sure you don't believe in." Marie waited for him to mock her.
"Not at all. I think mindfulness and being able to control one's emotions are the foundation of being able to harness the full extent of one's magic. I employ them often. In the past, these tactics were critical to my ability to perform certain skills. I think it is an excellent idea to begin this with Soren as soon as possible. If he can learn how to do this effectively while he's young, he will have a definite advantage over many of his peers when he begins to practice real magic."
"Wow, I didn't expect that." Marie said, lifting her eyebrows in surprise. "I'll definitely start doing that with him."
"There is a lot about me you don't know, Ms. Cloutier." He paused for a moment to let that sink. "Now, shall we go down for supper?"
When they tried to wake Soren, he moaned and cried and refused to get up.
"Maybe we should just let him sleep if he needs it, that kind of magic might have really drained him."
"He will be up all night. And he needs to eat." Snape tried again to rouse Soren. "Soren, wake up. It is time to eat."
"I don't feel well. I want to sleep." He didn't even open his eyes, instead rolling on the couch and pressing his face into the back cushions.
"I think he'll be fine for one night." Marie put a hand on Soren's forehead to feel for a fever but it was cool. "Does anything hurt, Soren?"
"My whole body. Please let me sleep," he said, starting to sob again. "Please father, please."
Snape stood over him for another minute trying to decide what to do. He was not one who would ever give in to a tantrum, but that's not what this was. He could see that Soren was not himself, he was still paler than usual and clearly so exhausted he could barely keep his eyes open. Snape pulled out his wand and ran a quick diagnostic spell, but there was nothing physically wrong with the boy, he was just drained and coming down from a traumatic event.
"Fine. I don't want him making himself ill, I'll take him to bed." Snape hoped he wasn't setting a bad precedent, but maybe Marie was right and the magic had drained him, and as a small child it could take time to recover. "But I'm going to give him a restorative potion and something to help him stay asleep. Hopefully he'll sleep until morning and wake up refreshed."
Snape retrieved the potions from his lab before returning to the couch, lifting Soren into his arms, and carrying him effortlessly up the stairs to his room. He laid him on his new bed and the boy curled up right away, still shaking slightly. One at a time, Snape gently removed each of his shoes and set them carefully at the foot of the bed.
With a swish of his wand, Snape transfigured the boy's clothes into pajamas and he helped him under the covers, making sure his rabbit was still nestled in his arms. He sat for a moment on the side of the bed and looked down at the little face, seeing more pieces of himself in the long dark lashes, the shape of his chin, even his ears. It was a bizarre feeling to see himself in this tiny little human. His gut wrenched when he imagined how the boy would react when the Ministry came to get him and he quickly pushed the thought from his mind.
He pulled out the two vials and attempted to get Soren to sit up, but ultimately ended up kind of pouring the potions down his throat while he held him upright, limp like a rag doll. Soren complained slightly but didn't make a huge fuss before lying right back down.
"Stay in bed. Do not even think of getting up before morning." He reached a hand out and pulled the covers up slightly before leaving the boy to sleep. "Goodnight."
Soren didn't respond, he just closed his eyes and fell back into a deep, deep sleep.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Thanks for reading! OMG- so much going on here. What do you think Snape is going to do? Will he find a solution? Do you think Soren is going to get away with it?
Will Marie and Snape enjoy their first little dinner alone :) SO much fun ahead, folks.
As always, I LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear from you. Your comments and words of encouragement keep me writing! Please let me know what you think! I love hearing your theories and ideas!