Okay firstly and most importantly I have to beg for forgiveness. This has been horrendously overdue. I am so sorry it's taken me so long. I've been really struggling with things lately, life included. The move took it out of us, followed by all three of us getting a Virus that knocked us out. And for some reason I just couldn't get motivated enough to really sit and write this chapter. When I did start to write I think this chapter got re-written a million times! And I'm still not happy with it completely....
Secondly. This hasn't been beta-read yet as I thought I should just upload it and then put the corrected version up later.
So sorry for errors in advance.. okay onwards and please be gentle with me...
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Damien looked behind him but his mother was nowhere to be seen. He stopped, momentarily struck by her sudden disappearance but before he could do anything the door was thrown open and a man he didn't recognise stood there.
"Hello?" The man frowned down at the boy stood on the doorstep. "Can I help you?"
"I'm here to see Morgana Malfoy!" Damien looked up at him with an arrogance born from being a Malfoy.
"And you are?" Jack inquired softly, making no move to let him in. He detested snotty nosed kids and this lad was King of the pack.
"I am Damien Malfoy, Morgana's brother." He spoke slowly as if Jack was stupid and deaf and Jack had the urge to reach out and cuff the kid around the ears.
"Are you indeed," Jack replied. He heard a movement behind him and was glad to hear the cool tones of Snape.
"Come in, Damien."
Jack stepped aside and the boy shot him a smug condescending smile as he passed him.
Damien stopped inside the door and looked around him with a curl of his lips; obviously not impressed with that he was seeing. Jack shut the door with a bang and was disturbed to see that the child didn't even move let alone jump at the sudden noise.
He caught Snape's eye over the child's head and pulled a face at him but Snape merely smirked back at him before looking down at Damien.
"Good afternoon, Uncle Severus." Damien spoke up. "May I see Morgana?" The boy's voice was childishly high but the tone of arrogant formality was far from childish.
Snape stared down at his nephew.
"Where is your mother?" he asked quietly, ignoring the question.
Damien looked perplexed for a few seconds before shrugging.
"I see." Snape frowned and arched a black eyebrow at him.
"Follow me!" He instructed the boy coldly. "And do not touch anything."
Snape's voice was several degrees below freezing and Jack shivered at his tone but it appeared to roll of Damien's back as he nodded and followed his uncle down the corridor to the kitchen.
"Morgana has not been well and you will only be able to spend a few minutes with her." Snape lead him into the kitchen and pointed to one of the chairs set around the table.
"Sit." He instructed darkly. "And do not move until I return." Snape moved to where a very curious Jack had come into the kitchen and was now leaning against the side, his arms folded across his chest.
"Watch him and keep your wand handy," he said quietly to Jack. He moved to the door and then stopped looking back over his shoulder at Damien.
"Don't trust him, Jack," he intoned and turning swept out of the kitchen.
Jack looked at the skinny child whose nose was stuck high in the air as he sat clutching a small box in his bony fingers. He gave a silent prayer of thanks for his own childhood and stood forward sliding his hands into the back pockets of his jeans, his fingers curling around the smooth wood of his wand.
By the time Snape got to the bottom of the stairs Sengawas already stood there, her face white and pinched.
"Is it Mother?" she asked him fearfully.
Snape shook his head his eyes going to her hair. Meg had just finished dying her hair and it had taken well, leaving it a deep brown with hints of black in the strands.
"Damien is here on his own."
Senga frowned at him and looked back up the stairs to where Meg was coming down wiping her hands on a towel.
"Who is it?" she asked.
"Damien," Snape replied and saw her eyes go wide with surprise.
"Where's Clarity?" he asked her softly.
"Asleep in her cot."
He nodded satisfied and reaching out took a strand of Senga's still damp hair in his fingers.
"You look lovely," he said quietly and not a little awkwardly.
"I don't feel any different." She smiled weakly at him. "You were right it doesn't change anything really..."
Snape sighed and let his hand rest on her shoulder.
"You look as you did Senga, your hair is the same..." He looked into the deep brown of the contacts that covered her eyes. "Your eyes are as they were. Looking at you no one will be any the wiser."
He drew his hand back and was surprised when she reached out and gripped his hand in hers.
"Where is he?"
"In the kitchen," he replied. "You don't have to do this. You don't have to see him."
Senga nodded, took a deep breath and letting go of his hand she moved around the bottom of the banisters and towards the kitchen.
She went in slowly, her eyes darting around nervously. She saw Jack stood by the counter and felt relief flow through her as she heard Snape and Meg move in behind her. She felt their support, not through magic, but just by the fact that they were willing to stay there with her. She looked up at Jack and caught his quick wink; it made her smile weakly at him.
She turned to where her brother sat, his eyebrows lifted when he caught her eyes.
"Damien." She said and sat down on the chair opposite and furthest from him.
"Morgana." He sounded slightly relieved. "Mother said you'd lost all your colouring, that you had white hair..."
Senga shrugged and refused to let him know what her aunt had done for her.
"Have you really lost all your magic?" he demanded and his eyes narrowed slightly "Whatever possessed you to do that you idiot?"
Senga looked at him in surprise, his voice was still cold but there was underlying tone of concern in his voice.
"What do you care anyway?" she heard herself ask and waited for one of the adults to reprimand her for being nasty but no one said anything.
"I don't." Damien shot back. "Well..." He frowned and looked down at the box in his hands. "She said you almost died. You look fine to me."
"I feel fine." She shrugged again and shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"Would you like a drink?" Meg asked them keeping her tone light and even. "Lemonade? Coke?"
"Coke?" Damien looked at her and arched an eyebrow. "Tea would be nice, please."
Meg blinked and shot a look at Jack who rolled his eyes at her and crossed to the sink to fill the kettle for her.
Damien looked up at Jack and frowned.
"Why do you have humans for servants? Why not use house-elves?" he asked curiously.
Jack choked and then laughed as he turned and saw the horrified look on Senga's face.
"He's not a servant!" she hissed at Damien. "He's my uncle!"
"Jack is my brother," Meg said helpfully to him. He pulled a face but didn't look embarrassed for his mistake.
"Where is...mother?" Senga caught Damien's attention again.
"I don't know," he said and once again a puzzled expression crossed his face before he shrugged it off.
Jack poured water into the tea pot as Meg added two tea-bags. She looked across at Snape who was still stood in the doorway arms folded across his chest, his face closed.
He caught her eye and she held up the mug in her hand in silent question. He shook his head his eyes sliding back to look at Damien.
"None for me either Meg, I need to get back." Jack looked at her seeing the troubled expression in her eyes. He reached forward and kissed her cheek before letting his mouth graze past her ear.
"Trust him, Meg. He's knows that family better than anyone," he whispered and stood back from her. She looked up at him and smiled weakly before nodding.
"Well..." he raised his eyebrows and turned to Damien. "Nice meeting you."
Jack looked faintly puzzled as Damien nodded curtly in reply and then looked back intently at his sister.
Jack moved to stand behind Senga; he dropped a kiss on her head.
"You look like a million dollars, princess," he whispered in her ear and then crossed to where Snape stood to one side to let him out.
"You know where I'll be if you need me," he said to them in general and nodding at Snape walked out the door starting to whistle.
"What's a million dollars?" Senga asked Meg turning in her seat to look at her.
Meg looked as she saw Snape step out of the room and follow Jack. She knew he had something in mind, some plan but she had no idea what.
She looked back at Senga and smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"It's a lot of money and an expression that means you look stunning, Senga." Meg smiled to see the blush of pleasure stain her otherwise white cheeks.
"Senga?" snorted Damien, "What sort of name is that?
Senga rounded on him and lifted her nose in the air.
"It's my name!" she said arrogantly.
Damien shrugged again and looked around the kitchen.
Jack turned as he heard Snape call his name. He saw him coming down the hall towards him so he shut the door and waited.
Snape stopped a few feet from him his face dark and unreadable.
"I would be grateful if you could just stay with them for awhile," he said softly. "I'm going to take Damien home."
Jack lifted one eyebrow but knew better than to question him. He nodded and stepped forwards.
"Of course."
Snape nodded curtly at him and turning swept back up the hallway.
He entered the kitchen with Jack on his heels.
"I think perhaps that's long enough for one day, Damien. You may visit again another time if you so wish," Snape spoke coldly as he came in.
Senga stood up relieved that the ordeal was over.
Damien placed his cup on the table and stood up, the epitome of manners.
"Thank you for the tea, it was interesting."
Snape stepped forwards and gripped Damien's shoulder tightly.
"I'll take to your fathers. He's been looking for you," he spoke softly.
Damien looked up at Snape with delight on his face, making him look like a normal child offered a treat.
"Yes, please," he said quickly and Snape nodded. He looked up at a surprised Meg.
"Wait up for me, Megan, we need to talk," he said and then Apparated quickly taking Damien with him.
Meg blinked at the empty space and looked round at where Jack was leaning in the doorway.
"Well..." Meg was lost for words that could be said in front of Senga.
"Mother won't like that will she?" came Senga's soft voice.
"No." Meg looked down at her "I believe she won't like that at all."
~
Megan couldn't believe what was taking Snape so long. Clarity had been fed, played with, bathed and was back to sleep again, as was Senga.
Jack was currently lounging on the settee in front of the TV.
"I can't imagine where he is," Meg said for the hundredth time as she paced the living room floor.
Jack moved to his left slightly when she blocked his view of the telly.
"Meg! Move please, I want to see what Dirty Den is going to do..." He waved his hand at her to move.
"Jack! How can you sit there and watch that. Look, go on home, it's late, Hilary will wonder where you are."
"Hilary knows where I am; I spoke to her through the fireplace. She's fine about it and so am I. He asked me to stay till he got back and I will do, lest I bring the full fury of Snape down on me." He joked and sighed switching the telly off when he caught sight of Meg's worried face. "Look, I was joking; I'd stay here with you anyway you know that. He'll be okay, he always is."
"How long does it take to drop one small boy off?"
"One rather obnoxious brat is the words I'd have chosen," he corrected her wryly. "I've never seen a kid quite like that before. Uncanny. At his age I was climbing trees, scraping my knees and getting into all sorts of harmless trouble."
"You were normal," Meg said absently.
"Were?" he queried laughing. "What are you trying to say sis?"
Meg half smiled at him and rolled her eyes good-naturedly.
"You don't really want to know do you?"
"No probably not!"
Snape at that moment came through the living room door and Jack held out his hands.
"See what did I tell you?" he said and uncrossing his ankles stretched his lanky frame out before running both hands through his long untidy hair and getting to his feet.
He tucked his shirt back in and grinned at Snape.
"All's present and correct, Capt'n." he quipped and mock saluting to Meg he winked at Snape. "Maybe I can get to watch Eastenders at home in peace now. If Hilary has managed to work out which buttons to press on theDVD recorder that is; you know, some of you purebloods are surprisingly slow when it comes to normal everyday appliances." He shrugged as if it was one of life's great mysteries and would never be solved.
"Thank you, Jack," Snape's voice was deep but it reflected some of the tiredness he was feeling.
"You're welcome," Jack replied and sauntered out of the living room to Apparate with a soft pop home.
Meg turned to Snape and folded her arms.
"Well? Or are you going to keep me in the dark on this as well?" she asked and winced at how sharp her tone was.
He glared at her and turning left the living room switching the lights off as he went.
"Come with me and I'll tell you everything you want to know," he threw over his shoulder.
"Everything I want to know or everything you want me to know," Meg muttered as she followed him, but he heard her and looked back over his shoulder briefly before carrying on up the stairs to their room.
They both undressed in silence and it was Meg who was first to get into bed. She pulled the sheets up and sat there watching as he sat on the edge of the bed still in his trousers and shirt.
"You want to know what has been going on, don't you?" he asked her quietly not looking at her as he slowly undid the buttons on his shirt.
"You want me to tell you what I did tonight at the Malfoy's. Why it took me so long to come back home?" He turned his head and looked at her one black eyebrow rose.
Meg frowned at him and nodded, her hands clasped on the sheets.
"And if I tell you, will I be judged as being one step closer to being a Death Eater again?" anger evident in his voice.
"I never said you were like that. I never said you could be like that again!" She shot back as she stared into his cold black eyes.
"Yes, you did. Maybe in not so many words but the implication was there, Megan," he contradicted her sharply, his face intent but the deep scowl was still between his eyes.
"I admit that I couldn't understand why you went to the Malfoys, until Jack very rightly pointed out that he is after all her father, or sort of anyway." Meg spoke slowly. "But I know that you did what you felt right for her and I had no right to question that and I'm sorry for "getting on my high horse" as Jack puts it." She glared at him, angry with him even while she was apologising to him.
"There was no other way around it, the ministry would act to late, I realise that now. I judged you for doing something that I would have done had I been you." Meg drew a deep breath her fingers clenching around the sheet.
"I got confused and it needed Jack to kick me back into line." She shook her head and looked at him and sighed all the anger left her as she just felt weary.
"She called you a Chameleon," she said quietly. "And I fell for it." She shrugged "She told me that you presented an image that you wanted me and everyone else to see, an image of something you weren't. That the Severus who was part of the Dark Lord's inner circle had never really gone away. That it just needed something like this to wake him up and in those few seconds she was right. She's clever, she's evil. She knew that you were keeping things from me, how she knew I have no idea but she knew and she used it and it worked." Tears filled her eyes as she stared at the blanket. "I knew she was wrong, deep inside I knew she was wrong, knew that I could trust you with my life, with Clarity and Senga's lives and not regret it. But I was so angry that you hadn't told me about adopting Senga, and that I had to hear it from her, that she could use that against me. And then to come home and have Jack tell me about the men from the ministry; it was like the icing on the cake. As if it was underlining everything she had told me. You don't let me in on anything and I'm left feeling so unsure."
Snape sighed and lifting a hand ran it through his dark hair letting it fall to partially obscure his face.
"Believe it or not I was going to tell you about Senga and the ministry," he said quietly and all the anger had gone from his voice. "Everything happened so quickly and then it just seemed as if it was never the right time."
"Please don't keep me in the dark deliberately, Severus," she said it softly but he heard her.
"I didn't do it intentionally," he said quietly shrugging out of his shirt and letting it drop to the floor. He turned on the bed and knelt beside her staring at her intently.
"But you have to understand something, Megan. Sometimes things happen too fast for me to be able to do anything except deal with it. Like with the Malfoys, I don't always have time to sit you down and tell you what I'm going to do. I didn't even know myself that was going to happen till I got there. Same with tonight, I had no idea Damien was going to come and see Senga but it presented me with the perfect opportunity and I couldn't let it pass."
"I know that," Meg said sitting up straighter and had the grace to blush. "Well, I do now Jack pointed it out to me."
"If there is one thing I regret more than anything it's knowing you had to face Odile alone."
Meg shook her head and unclasped her hands to reach out and stroke his face.
"I can face her, I can face anything as long as I know what's going on," Meg said softly. "She was only able to use that against me because I didn't know. Had I known she would never have got that far." She frowned and her hand dropped to the sheets.
"I know I let you down," she said quietly, her eyes on his nose, unable to meet his eyes. "I know that I promised you I'd back you come what may and then I doubt you. I don't like what has happened to us, Severus. I don't like this tension between us."
"And neither do I," he said quietly and moved to sit beside her, drawing her against him wrapping his arm around her.
"You haven't let me down, Megan. I know exactly what she's like. I just wish you'd told me everything she'd said to you." He stroked his fingers up and down her bare arm. "I am what I am, Megan. I can't change any more than I already have. What you see is who I am. I am not a chameleon with you. I will admit that there are times that I do present an image for people, but my survival has depended on that more than once. But I have never presented you with anything but the truth."
"I know," Meg sighed and buried her face into his bare shoulder. Her shoulders shook and he felt the wetness of her tears on his skin.
"I took Damien to Malfoy Manor." Snape changed the subject abruptly; they could talk in circles for hours and he doubted that Meg could take much more. She was mentally exhausted not to mention still physically exhausted from pregnancy and childbirth. He knew that it took a year for a woman to recover both mentally and physically from childbirth and he knew that he hadn't been making allowances for her. Had Odile attacked Megan two years or even a year before Clarity had been born there would have been no room for doubt in Megan's mind, she would have wiped the floor with Odile. But so much had happened to her and it was one of the reasons why he tried to hold back from her slightly. He tried to protect her but it had backfired and she was quite right when she said it left her vulnerable; he had left her vulnerable and he wouldn't do that again.
"Lucifer was suitably thankful," Snape smirked slightly as he remembered his face when Snape had handed over Damien. "He insisted I stay for a drink and I agreed thinking I could find out what had been happening."
"And did you?" came her muffled voice.
"Ministry have been snooping round there as well. They think Damien is the key to getting Odile."
"And Lucifer will allow them to get Odile first?" she lifted her head slightly so she could wipe her eyes.
"Not if he can help it. In some respects..." he faded out slowly and she looked up at him.
"What?" she asked slowly.
He looked down at her, his black eyes glittered.
"Whatever happens to Odile she has brought it on herself," he said quietly. "I won't step into to help her, but I find myself hoping that it is the ministry that gets to her first. Lucifer will be merciless and I don't care for Senga to get any more hurt than she already has." He leaned his cheek into her hand turning slightly to kiss her palm.
"We must tell her soon that we have adopted her." Meg lifted her other arm and wound it around his neck pulling him down towards her as she lay back on the bed.
Snape nodded before bringing his head down to hers his forehead resting on hers.
"We'll tell her tomorrow."
Meg bit her lip and pulled her head back from his slightly.
"Severus. Why did Damien come here? I mean why did he really come here?" She looked up into his black eyes. "Why would Odile let him come here knowing that you could take Damien away from her?"
Snape sighed and sat up disentangling himself from her.
"I don't know," he replied "Lucifer asked me the exact same question and I had no answer for him either. Lucius suggested that she wanted Damien with them because she knew her time was limited so to speak. One way or the other it's only a matter of time before she's caught."
"But you don't think that do you?" she said carefully.
"No." Severus looked down at her. "No I don't. She doesn't have any more love for Damien than she does for Senga. There were merely a means to an end and I don't think that's changed now. She's used him somehow but I'm unsure how."
"Do you think he's in danger?" she asked not liking the idea that he would be hurt in any way. She may not have liked him much but he was still a child and in need of protection.
"Not now he's with Lucifer." Severus shook his head. "That was one of the reasons I took him there. They'll find out if she's done anything to him and they'll deal with it."
"Do you think it's wise? Sending him there. Look what happened to Draco? He was disowned, what about Damien? If he turns out okay they'll disown him as well and if he doesn't turn out well we'll have helped to create another little Death Eater."
"Megan." Severus looked down at her. "You can't help everyone. You can't save the world single-handedly. Some things are out of our control and Damien is one of them. Lucifer and Lucius will send him to Hogwarts when he's old enough and while he's there and under Albus' care there is always hope."
Meg nodded and closed her eyes with a sigh.
"Why is everything always so difficult?" She moaned.
Severus lay beside her, hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling.
"I don't know."
"Life isn't fair," she moaned again.
"No it's not. But it is fairer than death," Severus pointed out.
Meg chuckled and looked at him before turning on her side and resting her chin on his chest. She trailed a fingertip up and down his chest as she thought over everything that had happened.
"Keep that up and I'll show you fair," Severus said wickedly and caught her hand in his.
Meg blinked and then looked at him slyly.
"Is that a promise or a threat?" she asked her lips curling in a smile.
"Why don't you find out?" came his dark chuckle.
~
Meg yawned as she entered the kitchen the following morning. She could hear Snape with Clarity in the living room. He had got up with Clarity when she had woken earlier leaving Meg to lie on for awhile which she was grateful for.
There was only a few days left till the start of term and she knew that he'd soon be out of the house for most of the day. She was beginning to miss the thought of going back to Hogwarts although she knew there was no way she'd give Clarity up.
She moved forwards and something caught her eye under the kitchen table. She bent forwards and saw the box that Damien had been holding yesterday. She didn't recall him giving it to Senga nor did she recall him saying anything about it.
"Severus?" she called not touching the box but peering at it anyway.
Snape appeared in the doorway holding Clarity in his arms. She was tugging at his hair happily.
"Look. Damien left it yesterday." She pointed at the box on the floor by the chair.
It was small about three inches by three inches and was wrapped in shiny red paper with a tiny bow on the top.
"He brought something for Senga but didn't give it to her." She said. "He must have forgotten."
"Don't touch it," Snape said firmly and held Clarity out to her.
Meg took the little girl and was instantly rewarded by a sloppy open mouthed kiss.
Meg kissed the little girl back and rested her on her hip.
He moved towards the box and crouched beside it before taking his wand out.
"It's not a Port Key." He frowned after a few minutes. "And neither does it seem to have any magic attached to it."
He bent forward and picked the box up. Undoing the bow and taking the paper off, he reached inside the box and drew out a tiny cut glass vial.
"That's pretty," Meg said as she saw the many facets of the glass reflect the light.
"Dangerous things often are," he said dryly and held the bottle up trying to see what was inside.
"I had better take this upstairs to see what it is." He stood up in one fluid motion and looked at her.
Meg nodded at him and felt a chill run down her spine.
"I don't like it," she said uneasily.
He set the bottle down on the table and moved towards her.
He kissed her forehead and was instantly caught in a pair of chubby hands.
"Da."
Meg looked at Clarity in shock and then up at Snape's black eyes.
"She called you Da," she said excitedly, all thoughts of the vial gone from her mind.
"She's too young to be talking yet." Snape dismissed it but Meg could see the gleam of pleasure in his eyes as he looked at Clarity. "Although you are going to be very advanced," he mused. "Considering who your parents are it is to be expected."
Meg snorted at him and then her smile faded as she saw the vial on the table.
"Be careful," she said looking at it.
He blinked, picked it up and went towards the door.
"Of course."
Meg watched him disappear out the door and not for the first time wished Odile had never been born.
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A/N:
Ducks thrown tomatoes. Yes I know that was as lame as lame gets but it was a transitional chapter and hard to write. I needed to get that vial into Snape's hands and Damien out of the way.
I usually like to respond to everyone who is kind enough to review personally, but if I did that this time, it'd be another month before I posted.
So I would just like to say a really really BIG thank you to everyone who reviewed.
Some of your reviews actually got me thinking and have shaped the chapters to come!
It won't be that long next time.... Hides in shame...
Thank you for reading and for staying with me despite me terrible procrastination.
Have a great day wherever you are.