Severus Part 2
Severus shook himself and touched the warm smooth wing of the tiny dragon. Harry?
He spoke down the mate bond.
A warm sense of assurance flowed down the mate bond as well as confirmation.
Harry, are you well? Fleur asked, sounding frantic. Where are you?
A sense of space, a mental picture of the bathroom, and the distinctive sinks opening to the Chamber.
Harry, why are you not speaking in words? Fleur demanded, while also sending the sense of movement and haste.
Harry, in answer, sent a sense of himself. Small, comfortable, cuddled into Severus’s shoulder. Severus could not stop cradling and petting the tiny thing.
Severus?
Fleur, love, he seems very well. But he seems to have had something of a creature inheritance. He’s very tired from his transformation and is in his creature form.
What creature???
I’ll let you see. But he’s well and safe, as is Tom. Also, the basilisk is alive, tame, and in the bathroom.
I…what?? And the Headmaster?
No one has been able to tell me. For that matter…I need to send Patronuses to Lupin and the rest. Excuse me, love.
Fleur sent a wave of love to them both and went quiet.
Severus was just starting his patronus when a furious Draco Malfoy stormed into the room, saw the basilisk, screamed, and fainted dead away. Tom, sleepily and wandlessly levitated the boy to join him in the coils of the snake, an idea which Severus found laughably optimistic.
Severus sprinted to the doorway and stopped; arms spread. A tall man who was very nearly Remus Lupin stared at him, his arms around a very pale Sirius Black. “The basilisk appears to be safe; the baby dragon is healthy and well and is Harry, and I have no idea what to tell you about the other man.”
Lupin stared at him, but Sirius reached hesitantly for the dragon. “Harry,” he breathed, voice breaking.
Severus nearly fought him, but he released his breath and handed the baby dragon to his father. Harry cheeped happily and promptly curled up to sleep in Sirius’ arms.
“Oi, are we living in the bathroom now, or what?” Ron Weasley asked, from where he was tending to Draco.
“The Wards are strong enough, now.” The tall stranger said. “I can get us all to Grimmauld, if you would like.”
“Sorry, who the fuck are you?” Ron asked.
“Grandfather,” Sirius Black muttered, leaning against the wall, wide eyed, absently petting the jet-black baby dragon in his arms.
“Sirius, son, you look a bit peaky.” Grandfather (?) said in concern.
“Sirius, you don’t have a grandfather.” Ron Weasley said flatly. “And Grandfather Ward is…a ward.”
“Ronald Weasley, I am so glad we have you as a voice of reason.” Grandfather said slowly. “I am not, strictly speaking, Sirius’ Grandfather. I understand if Sirius does not wish me to inter the sanctity of Grimmauld. It is his home, and I have not…”
“Oh, for…Tom, are you alright?” Sirius demanded, striding forward to cast diagnostics over a sleepy Tom and whimpering Draco. “Can you vouch for this creature?”
Tom nodded, blinking lazily. “Celeste is nothin’ but a precious baby. Sorry if I ain’t much use at thuh moment. It took a lot of powah tuh kill…an’ heal…and resurrect.”
“Okay, well, not everyone is going to be as pro-basilisk as you.” Sirius muttered. He stared at the dozing snake, curled affectionately around Tom. “Grandfather Black, if you can safely transport Tom and the basilisk to one of the greenhouses…Remus, am I crazy?” He turned to ask the werewolf who broke into a bewildered smile.
“Yes, Sirius. You are absolutely insane. But if you’re asking, can we keep a basilisk in the greenhouse the answer is also…yes.”
Remus kissed Sirius and leaned over to start work on reviving Draco.
“See, this is why the wolf is superior.” Draco muttered, head lolling. “Nobody else in the world is this understanding. Where have you hid the treacherous old teacher? Because it doesn’t matter, I’m gonna fucking tell.”
Severus had no idea what was going on. He plucked Harry from Sirius, gathered up Weasley and Draco and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” Sirius demanded.
“I’ve dealt with Tom Riddle, in some form or other, for decades of my life. I’m finding Fleur and apparating she and these boys home to Grimmauld. You can deal with the mad little snake man.”
“But Sev, I love yuh so much.” Tom whined. “You taught Soulless Me all about feelin’s and shit. Why do you hate me now?”
Fleur appeared in the doorway, and Severus handed off Harry and Ron to her, casting a featherweight charm and carrying Draco like a baby. “I do not hate you, Tom. I am delegating you. You got beyond my talents when you decided to reanimate a snake the size of a muggle underground train. I shall see you all, I devoutly hope, for a debrief at Grimmauld.”
“Mum’s gonna need to hear this. Dad too,” Ron mumbled.
“Mum,” Remus breathed. “Oh, Merlin. I’ve forgotten Molly. And Regulus…and Hagrid…and Circe and Mars, who else did I call?”
Severus left Remus to his fretting, Sirius and Grandfather (?) to their warding, and Tom and his snake to their napping. He took his mates home and hoped there was nothing he had forgotten.
Of course, there was something. He literally begged on bended knee, and Fleur groaned, kissed the baby dragon on top of the head, and sprinted away go and gather up Lucius and Bellatrix, while he stayed to get Harry settled with Draco and Ron in Harry’s room.
“Kreacher!”
“Potions Masters Snapey is not exactly the boss of Kreacher…” The house elf sniffed and then fell to his knees before the tiny dragon in Snape’s arms. “Master Heir Harry Potter Black is the first dragon in the family in generations!” Kreacher drew in a shuddering breath. “And he is being the most adorable thing…”
“Kreacher, yes, we all agree, but can you…oh, never mind.” Severus muttered as the Harry-dragon nuzzled Kreacher’s cheek and the little elf burst into tears and began petting him reverently. “Would you care to hold him?”
“Oh. Oh. Kreacher is not worthy. I…oh, look at the tiny claws!” Kreacher had dragon Harry bundled in a glowing blanket and was cuddling him to his tiny shoulder. “You is incredible, you is. Kreacher is honored…”
Severus set to work conjuring blankets and summoning the ever-present chocolate from the kitchen.
“Kreacher is to be doing that.” The little elf glared at him.
“I truly did not want to disturb you,” Severus said, with a kind of sincere weariness. “You are occupied with more important matters.”
“Kreacher is a house elf. Kreacher can be doing many things at once.” Kreacher scoffed imperiously.
“Very well, then. There are to be many people here within the next few hours. What preparations can I assist you with?”
Kreacher stared at him for a long minute and then snapped his fingers once. Twice. Three times.
“The kitchen is being started. The guest rooms is refreshed. The wards is being knowing that guests is coming but is being checking for anybody with ills intent.” Kreacher cuddled the baby dragon close and shook his head, looking up at Severus with concerned eyes. “This baby is being needing dragon fire. There is being a dragon at Gringotts, maybe the goblinses can…”
There was a small rumbling in the walls, and Severus knew people were arriving.
“The wards is letting people into the…the greenhouse?” Kreacher’s face screwed up.
“Oh, Merlin,” Severus said, knowing he was forgetting something. “Kreacher, if Longbottom is in the greenhouse, apparate him here immediately, please. He is going to be frightened out of his mind, but there is no danger.”
Kreacher stared and then snapped his fingers.
Neville startled and stared around. “There…there might be a really big snake in the greenhouse.” He told Severus, looking up at him with wide, slightly glassy eyes. “And if it is, it was materializing out of the wards. You know. Like in a fog. Like Sirius does sometimes.”
“Merlin, your parents?” Severus gasped.
“They're in their rooms. Shouldn’t we...should we do something?” Neville asked shakily.
“Come here, mate.” Ron said, feet propped up on the coffee table, holding up a lazy arm. “It’s just the basilisk. She’s alive, and a guest, and Tom’s best friend, and we don’t know why. Kreacher, if you’ve a bit of power to spare…”
Kreacher snapped his fingers and a blanket enfolded Neville. He sat between Ron and Draco, who immediately sealed him between them. Draco handed him a cocoa and resumed staring at the ceiling, his own feet propped on the coffee table.
“Anyone care for a calming draught?” Severus asked, studying the boys.
Ron shook his head. “Not at the moment, thanks. Might hit me like a train, later. But really. For me, it’s just you know. Quidditch. Chased by a giant bird. Held captive. Polyjuice Potion. Opened the Chamber. Minimal, really. It’s all in a day’s work for Harry, innit?”
“Where is Harry?” Neville asked. He took a long sip of his cocoa. “And um…is your dad a bird, Draco?”
“Haven’t the foggiest, Longbottom.” Draco stared at the ceiling. “I have to tell Lupin about Sirius and Kettleburn. Kettleburn of all bloody people!”
“I…sounds rough, mate.” Neville gave him a small nudge with his shoulder. “But um…nobody’s mentioned Harry?”
“He’s very well,” Severus said, rubbing his temples. “I don’t suppose he wants to speak to you himself?”
Indignation came through the mate bond, weariness, and contentment as the baby dragon cuddled with Kreacher.
“I imagine that it might be difficult to summon the energy to talk in the state he is currently in. I suppose it is acceptable to tell Mr. Longbottom, since the rest of this lot know?” Severus sighed.
Affirmation and pleasure ran through the bond.
“Um, sir. Who are you talking to?” Neville asked.
“Kreacher, please allow Mr. Longbottom to take a look. Harry, send for me down the bond if you require anything. I’m going to see if I’m needed in the greenhouse.”
Assent and love flowed back to Severus and his eyes stung. He would never get used to the endless wordless affection of his mates.
“Look after each other, gentlemen. As ever, Kreacher is in charge.”
“Obviously,” Draco scoffed.
“Neville’s Kreacher’s second,” Ron mused, eyes drifting closed. “Got more sense than the rest of us. Might be all the mind magic collapsing, but I think I’m about due for a nap.”
The greenhouse was, well. A madhouse. Severus shook his head and cast a protego between the snarling spitting basilisk and the shrieking, clawing veela.
“Double booked, are we?” Severus asked, shaking with the effort of holding the shield against the ramming, snarling veela.
“Severus, your timing is, as ever, impeccable.” Remus got to his feet from where he had been presumably thrown back and darted forward to reinforce Severus’ shield. “I fear we overestimated the weariness that traveling through the wards would induce in our two guests here, and Grandfather Black and Sirius left them off and immediately went to fetch the others.
“Fleur?” Severus asked, a touch of panic hitting him.
“I’m alright, Severus,” Fleur’s voice, a little distorted, came from in the back corner of the greenhouse. She was half-transformed and seemed on the edge of control. “I told them this was a poor idea. Veela do not do well at being contained. They are, apparently, even worse at being disassembled.”
“And you?” Severus asked, preparing to kill Sirius Black for harming his mate.
“I knew what was coming, so I am…fine.” She said, staggering a little. “But Lucius was already beyond himself. I don’t know what can be done…I’m going to have to subdue him again. Before he ruins Neville’s lovely plants.”
“I can talk him round,” Bella said, climbing out from behind Fleur. “He’s mine. He’ll listen to me.”
“Tom, can you convince your basilisk to be calm if we can contain Lucius?”
“She can understand you. Dunno how. She nevah could b’fore. Celeste, honey,” and then the young man began to speak Parsletonge. The enormous snake eyed Severus distrustfully before curling up around Tom and hissing forcefully.
“I don’t know that I need a translator for that.” Severus said. “We don’t intend to allow Tom or anyone else to be harmed. I would appreciate it, Madame Celeste, if you could attempt petrification before resorting to killing our raging veela.”
The giant snake dropped her head in a nod. Severus made a note to explore that more later. “What do you need from us, Fleur?” Severus asked.
“I am going to fully transform and pin him down. Hit him with all the stunners possible. Honestly, while I have him, run up, open his mouth, and spell the stunners down his throat. Bella, you can try coming up and talking him round, but only after I’ve pinned him. Does everyone understand?” Fleur Delacour sounded like a general and Severus tried not to preen at the thought that she was his. “Remus, once I have him, perhaps put another protego in back of us for containment. Tom, if you could reinforce that…”
“I’m a little useless,” Tom said, sounding a little drunk, more like. “I will give it a shot.”
“No, you will not.” Remus said firmly. “He nearly depleted his magical core doing Merlin knows what. You will conserve your strength, Tom. Lady Celeste, you will look after Tom until we deal with this?”
Severus didn’t know that a serpentine face could so clearly express disdain. She hissed something at them and curled tighter around Tom.
Tom sighed, closing his eyes. “She says I’m hers.”
“Alright then,” Remus Lupin said, sounding appropriately disconcerted by that response. But as befitted a parent of Harry Potter, he moved on. “Whenever you’re ready, Fleur.”
Fleur locked into a ready stance. “Now,” she said and shot forward, transforming as she went.
Lucius the veela screeched and flailed, but the poor man/creature had already exhausted himself, so Fleur managed to pin him to the ground in moments. He was heaving, screeching, roaring, and Bella knelt beside him, stroking his head.
“Lu, love,” she murmured as Remus contained them within the Protego. “It’s me, dear. It’s alright. Everything’s going to be alright.” The veela screeched and Bella looked stunned.
“Oh, dear. I’m feeling…what he’s feeling and he’s…it’s Tom. Tom’s the problem.”
“Of fuckin’ course,” Tom muttered, eyes still closed.
“He’s jealous. He thinks Tom and I are…Lu, love, I’m yours. It’s just…none of us knew it. Don’t hate Tom for…”
“Kreacher!” Remus yelled over the screeching veela.
Kreacher popped into view, looking a little put out. “Master Lord Wolfy, Kreacher is trying to look after all the boys and dragonses, what…” He stared at the chaos before him.
“Kreacher, is it possible for you to take Tom and his basilisk to…” Remus dropped his voice low.
Kreacher stared at them for a long moment and then snapped his fingers. Tom and Celeste the Basilisk popped from view. Kreacher gave a small, slightly sarcastic bow and vanished. Instantly, the raging veela calmed. He changed from an enormous bird-dragon to a large, winged gargoyle-esq man. Bella slid into him and wrapped her arms around him as Fleur slowly moved back, transforming into a similar being.
“Bellatrix,” Lucius groaned. “Mine.”
“Of course, Lu. I’m here.” Bellatrix kissed Lu on both cheeks and held him against her. “I’m yours. Breathe, sweetie. Breathe.”
“Right, then,” Severus breathed, lowering his protego.
Remus looked everyone over, then moved to the walls. “I’m going to try my hand at a little warding. Thank you both.”
Severus nodded, shaking. He was wrapped in the strong arms of his stunning gargoyle-esqu warrior of a mate and nearly carried along to the door. “If you need anything further, Remus, do not hesitate.”
Remus nodded, waving them on. “I think all should be well, here, now.”
“Draco,” Lucius Malfoy gasped out and Severus pressed his face into Fleur’s shoulder and groaned in unison with Remus and Fleur.
“He needs his boy,” Bella said, half pleading, half defiant.
“This day just never ends,” Severus muttered. He allowed himself to bask in the comfort of Fleur’s arms for a moment before stepping back from her and fixing his eyes on Lucius. “Lucius Malfoy, are you in or am I still communicating with the absolute savage who had to be fought down by my mate?”
Lucius snarled at him, but went very still.
“Look at you,” Severus said. “Are you yourself, or are you the veela? Because your son does not know the veela. He will look into your eyes and right now, all he will see is the black-eyed demon who tried to kill him while he was at play.”
The veela screeched.
“And you are proving my point!” Severus spat out. “Draco deserves safety. Security. Peace. You have not provided that. You allowed his home to be overrun by his tormentors. You were never married to his mother. You gave him everything for years and then in one fell swoop could provide him nothing. So I shall not provide him to you with you stuck halfway between yourself and your creature, with his aunt fawning all over you, with your mind only minimally engaged. You want Draco Malfoy?” Severus leaned into the man’s face. “Then show me Lucius.”
The veela struggled and screeched for a moment and then melded into an exhausted, shaken, pale man with icy blue eyes that were absolutely undoubtedly Lucius Malfoy’s.
“Severus,” Malfoy said slowly, looking at the greenery around him, the woman draped over his chest, the werewolf, half-transformed veela, and potions master staring down at him. “What is happening?”
“Congratulations,” Severus said heavily. “You’re a veela. Remus, if you don’t mind…”
“Of course, Severus. Blankets and chocolate of course…”
The Fleur-Veela scooped her mate into her arms once they were out of the greenhouse.
“Humiliating,” her beautiful mate sighed but wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed her cheek.
“Mine,” she murmured. She apparated them into the small sitting room beside Harry’s bedroom and sank down on the small sofa with him. “You are mine, Severus Snape. I feel you have forgotten.”
“Never,” Severus said, studying her face as though trying to memorize it. “I could never forget that. I am yours, Fleur-Veela. And you are mine.”
“Correct,” she purred, leaning towards his face. “But lest you dare to forget, even for an instant…”
“I…reminders are always appreciated…” Severus said, his words fading into a desperate groan as her mouth claimed his.