What Could Possibly Go Wrong
This Order meeting wasn’t like your every day meeting with the bickering between the stubborn red-haired mother of all seven Weasley offspring and escaped queer who also coincidentally was the godfather of the boy who lived whilst a werewolf, Metamorphmagus, two official Aurors, the rest of the Weasley clan and Godson of said escapee watched on in a mixture of tension, annoyance, grief and amusement. No; this meeting was unlike anything they’d had before.
Only three were called upon this time by Albus into the gloomy kitchen of twelve Grimmauld Place; Molly, Sirius, and Remus. Remus and Sirius were late to the summoning call from Albus - the phoenix Patronus had interrupted a steamy session between old school friends and now Lovers. The small red teeth marks along Sirius’s neck and the hungry look that flashed within the ocean like eyes of Remus whenever he dared glance at Sirius were the only evidence that the two had only moments ago been so close to engaging in sex. Sirius entered first, as casual as you like, reaching for his silver flask that sat on the kitchen side. “Strange calling, Dumbledore,” Sirius said, pulling up a seat at the old table but as his eyes glanced up to the old man he was taken back.
Within the arms of Albus was a small bundle of a child. Shoulder length black hair as dark as ever, curly at the end but otherwise quite unkempt hid the pale little sunken face of a starved child. Two large black pools stared at Sirius, mainly fear but there was a hint of curiosity for the silver shiny thing in Sirius’s hands. The little boy was obviously naked under the large Black robe that was wrapped around him like a protective cocoon, Sirius could see his shallow collar bones and it truly made his heart shatter. Confusion with a mixture of anger sprouted across his face. “Who is the child, Albus?” He asked, approaching, his flask left abandoned now in his pocket.
The child instantly retreated into the black cloak that was tucked around him, curling up into a small ball and pressing closely into Albus’s body. The boy wanted to hide away, obviously frightened.
Remus’ firm hand was quickly pressed on Sirius’s shoulder, stopping the last living Black from going any closer.
Albus ran a soothing hand over the tiny child's bony back, he had a way with little things. His magic swirled around the toddler, calming and protecting him, giving the boy a sense of security and stability. He didn't wait for any more questions to be asked. “I have reason to believe this is Severus Snape,” Albus spoke slowly, wanting his words taken seriously. “I found the small child shuddering in a bundle of clothing within Spinners End, Snape's home for the summer breaks. He does not have a child and the wards at Hogwarts respond to the boy.” Albus said calmly, keeping his voice still.
Sirius and Remus shared a pale look, their bodies stiff with awkwardness. How could they handle this situation? Sirius looked to Albus and the small thing grabbing at the fatherly man's chest and beard for comfort, his heart beginning to ache and grieve for memories lost long ago of a skinny black haired boy who once roamed the very room they current stood in. Sirius wanted to speak, to say something, but he just wasn’t sure on what to actually say.
“I can look after him, until this is all sorted, Headmaster.” Molly chimed in after a few moments of silence amongst the three Order members, its
founder and the tiny skeleton of a child.
For some reason, her presence completely slipped Sirius’s mind his attention drawn only to the two a few feet in front of him. He balled his fists but carried on remaining silent.
Remus wasn’t any better; He had taken a step away, into a darker part of the kitchen and simply watched. He’d always been awkward where Severus was involved, their past was a confused one; a mixture of sexual tension, sinful desires and strange cravings neither dared acted on. But now he was a child, an innocent bundle of bones and skin, the sight sickened him. The cogs in his mind were turning and turning away but they came to an abrupt halt at Albus’s reply to the motherly woman.
“No, I think it will be for the best if Severus is kept here and raised by Remus and Sirius,” The aging man replied, his hands hadn't stopped caressing the child's back, drawing lines with his fingers to entice a giggle from tiny soft lips but the stick like child was silent and unmoving apart from soft tremors of fear.
“Professor-" Molly choked out, hazel eyes opened wide.
“However,” Dumbledore raised his hand up, denying her the chance to protest, “I want you keeping a close eye on them. Molly, you'll check up on the boy and give him health checks and such. I expect the three of you to work together in this situation.” His voice had taken a firmer tone now, a glimpse of something flashed in the old man's blue eyes, perhaps it was a fatherly love he had for the boy once a man?
Molly was dumbfounded at Albus’s strange choice of parental figures for the child, but like anyone (besides Sirius,) in The Order she trusted him with calling the shots. Both Molly and Albus turned to the two Marauders, awaiting a reply.
“Why?” Sirius finally spoke up, a sense of responsibility filling his heart. He hadn’t felt like this since Harry was born! “I mean, yeah. We’ll do it, I’ll do it, but why?”
“What do you mean-?” Remus stammered out. “This is a serious decision,” Remus murmured gently into Sirius’s pierced ears from behind him, breath running down the purebloods neck. “Look, I’ll follow you with whatever choice you make but you need to think this through, Sirius,” Remus only used his real name when giving bad news, “This is Severus Snape we are talking about - What happens when he comes back?” Those panic filled green-blue eyes looked desperately to Molly and Albus for help in his case.
For the first time in years, Sirius felt disappointed in Remus. His body tightened as he turned around to face his friend. Black eyes locked with teal eyes. “Moment alone, please.” Sirius listened for the sound of footsteps and the door shutting. “Moony…-”
“Don’t Moony me, Sirius.” The old greying wolf growled, turning away. He wasn’t the best at keeping eye contact, even if it was with the love of his life. “I’m a werewolf, we don’t know how many Moons I have yet, and you.. You are not a free man.” Remus spoke the truth, even if Sirius didn’t want to hear it.
“How hard can raising a baby be?” Sirius sneered back at him, taking out his flask and finally taking a sip. He would be ashamed to say this wasn’t the first drink he had had that day. “We did a fine job with helping James with Harry.”
“We didn’t raise Harry!” Remus growled again, voice raising slightly which was quite out of character for the usually mellow man. “James and Lily did, I was barely there, off doing missions for Albus. You weren’t there when Harry needed a diaper change, or when he wouldn’t stop crying. You weren’t there to comfort him during the middle of the night to comfort and soothe a screaming baby.” He snapped, running a hand through his greying hair. “Sirius, a child isn’t all giggles and smiles, all chasing butterflies and playing in the mud or going to candy stores. A child is.. Responsibilities, sleepless nights, hard work.”
“Then why would Albus ask us to look after the kid? Even if it is Snivellus - Severus - we could handle it! Moony, this might be our one chance if having a family…” Sirius pleaded, the very sight of a child had triggered some deep baby fever, Sirius had always been good with kids, growing up with a little brother had made him quite the parental person. The moment Harry had been born the same feeling erupted in his heart but at that time the tension between him and Remus had been insane.
“Sirius-" Remus sighed, exhaustion on his scarred face.
Sirius’s fingers dug into his palm, clutching his fists hard. “Please! Remus… Please. You keep saying how I need to sort Severus out for fuck sakes, now we have an easy option that works for everyone and you're denying me it?!”
“I said I would support you… Not once did I claim to deny you.” the werewolf said bitterly, eyes narrowed and looking away. “Fine. Keep Severus here, look after him, but if that man, that boy, gets hurt he is going straight to the Burrow!” The stress of the approaching moon was hard enough without this on his mind.
A wide grin spread across Blacks handsome, stubble-covered face. He hadn't grinned like this in months, maybe even years. Sirius eagerly planted a kiss onto Remus’s equally hairy cheek. “Silly bastard. What could possibly go wrong?” He left the room to tell the other two and collect their new ward, his chuckling echoing through the halls, pulling a smile out of Remus as well.