Auspice

The Potions' Master was a tall man, dressed in all black. His clothing was well-tailored and expensive, his frock coat ending at the knees and made of the finest wool. His dark hair, now outgrown and streaked with grey, was pulled away from his face with a ribbon, a detail his wife had suggested. A few stray locks, not quite long enough to be tied back framed his face in a manner that was not unattractive. His hands were clasped behind him, an imperious brow raised as he stared down the boy in the cellar.

Gesturing to the far wall, he pointed to the dozens of bottles that lined the specially made shelves. "Elf made wine," he stated, his hands returning to his back, though one of them was tightly fisted. "Very expensive, difficult to get ahold of. Have you tried any?"

The question held a note of sarcasm and the boy shuddered beneath his gaze. He did not have the chance to make up an excuse before he spoke again. "Or was it one of my daughters you were tasting, young Mister Lupin?"

Severus Snape and his wife had four children. With the new law in place, they had had to ensure the birth of a male heir. The Ministry, now overrun with Deatheaters, had turned to more medieval ways of running the wizarding community. In their attempt to secure their lineage, Madam Snape had given birth to two girls, before finally having a set of fraternal twins, one of which a boy.

The man was fiercely protective of all his children, determined to keep them safe at any cost. However, his eldest, his firstborn daughter, held his heart with an iron grip. Very obviously her father's daughter, she was difficult to approach, the man never too far from her as he loomed in the background. An ever present sense of being watched haunted those who came close enough to the girl.

When the new laws on marriage had been implemented, he had been forced to take a wife to ensure the continuation of magical blood. Because of his role in the war, he had been granted the choice of a bride. Whichever witch he wanted. Out of spite for the new government, he chose a Muggleborn rebel. If only to get her out of trouble, he had promised her he would keep her safe after she had saved his life. After the Potter boy had died at the hands of the Dark Lord, the new authorities had made quick work of the rest of the rebellious forces. Only some of those who were of Pureblood had been spared. Those of Pureblood, very young children, and Madam Snape, of course.

The Snapes were fortunate. Due to the Potions' Master's standing with the Dark Lord, they had managed to live quite comfortably. Few others were as lucky.

Voldemort, impressed by Snape's miraculous recovery from a very near death, had decided to keep him close by. After murdering Harry, he had become the true owner of the Elder wand and had no reason to suspect Snape. As a reward for remaining faithful, the man was gifted a manor in Northumberland with a large plot of land, more money than he knew what to do with and a permanent position as Headmaster of Hogwarts.

At first, the man had declined the position at the school, not wanting to have anything to do with the new curriculum imposed by the board of governors. Though, when he saw that the pink toad had been instated in his place, he was quick to change his mind. If he could protect any of those children in the slightest of ways, he would. Umbridge as headmistress was bad news for everyone.

The house in Northumberland had several small hunting cabins on its grounds, stretching far into the forest behind the manor. Rebels who had remained hidden during the sweep after the war had taken refuge in said cabins after Snape had found them. Shortly after marrying, the Snapes had travelled extensively in search for any remaining survivors, bringing them home to offer sanctuary, healing the wounded and the sick.

Despite suspicions, no one would dare question the Dark Lord's highest ranks. If only to avoid his wrath, Snape was rumoured to be as equally unmerciful to those who crossed him.