40Ch. 1: Family?
Disclaimer: Me no own Harry Potter, but I do take claim on Darkness and Midnight.
Shadow walked through the streets making himself blend in before ducking into a back alley. As soon as he had taken three steps two pairs of arms encircled his waist from either side. The pair didn't speak as they all continued walking until they reached a fire escape. They climbed the ladder one after the other and when they got to the roof allowed themselves to relax finally.
"You've been gone way too long little one."
"I wasn't gone that long Darkness. Anyways, here. I got us something to eat."
"You said you were taking a walk," piped up Midnight.
"Yeah yeah but what's a person to do with you two overbearing personas. Besides I didn't go no further than our boundaries and I know for a fact that the two of you were watching me the entire time." They laughed and let it go.
"Well, what did you expect luv."
"I was bored," he pouted.
"We could keep you from your bordism if you wish," whispered Midnight in his ear wrapping his arms over his neck and then sitting down and pulling him into his lap.
A couple of hours later, while Shadow was curled up in Midnight's lap and Midnight was being held by Darkness, all were asleep but Darkness who planned to stay awake as long as they slept. They wouldn't be caught off guard. An owl appeared and Darkness tried to wave it off but it wouldn't budge. Eventually Shadow sat up when he felt the owls stare.
"Why is there an extremely bored looking owl that looks exasperated sitting on the edge of the roof staring at us," asked Shadow.
"I don't know but it doesn't want to leave and short of having to get up and make it go away while I'm quite comfortable, it can just sit there and wait for whatever its waiting for," answered Darkness.
As soon as the words left his mouth the owl flew forward and sat at Shadow's feet. It started hopping up and down and thrusting its leg out. They noticed the letters tied to it and decided to just take them. Shadow reached forward and tried to remove all the letters but after he had taken one it tried to bite him. "Hey." The owl then hopped over to Darkness and he sighed and grabbed one of the envelopes. Midnight reached out his hand and took the other one. "Happy now," he asked it. It nodded its head and he shook his.
They read through the Hogwarts acceptance letters and looked at each other. "What do you make of this," asked Shadow.
"Well, we know the place is real. Do you think it'd be possible to find our father's there? Since it is a boarding school it would be a semi permanent home," said Darkness.
"How much are we going to need to get in is the question," asked Midnight.
"I don't know. Send a few questions with the owl and see what happens," replied Darkness.
Shadow drew out a little silver pen and slid it across his wrist and let his blood gather in it before pulling it away and licking his wrist. "So what do we write? How much is it to get in? Where do we have to go to get there? Where exactly is it located? Do you need papers on us, cause we don't have them?"
"Sounds good to me," replied Darkness. "Go for it," said Midnight.
Two days later they had a reply.
Mr. Potter,
You have been invited to this school since your birth and your fee was paid then once you were accepted by the school herself. You will only have to pay for your school things in Diagon Alley when you go to retrieve them. If you wish I can send one of our Professors to make your transition easier. Please respond soon. Please send a date and time. I assure you no papers are needed.
Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster of HogwartsShadow penned back a response. It would be nice to have some of our questions answered. Thank you. You can find us in the garden park at six p.m. any day this week.
"What do you look like, a gardener, well not anymore buddy," supplied Midnight.
"Maybe I should have signed my name."
"Probably."
He added Shadow Kuro to the letter before giving it to the owl. "Go wherever it is you go girl." The owl hooted and flew off.
Dumbledore read the letters again. The boy had wrote we and our. Hopefully he wasn't too messed up.
"Severus, please come to my office please."
"What is it that you want now Albus?"
"I would like for you to give Mr. Potter his introduction into the wizarding world, and remember our agreement."
"Fine, where is the brat?"
"In the garden park near his home. He will be there around six."
"Very well, I shall take my leave."
"He will need to know how to get to Diagon Alley and to purchase his school belongings." Severus sighed. "Good day Severus." Sev made his way to the door and without looking back as soon as it was closed disappeared to where he was to meet Harry Potter. Albus knew he had been in love with James and to try to make him hate his lover's son, his son, just made his blood boil. The old man should know better than to mess with a vampire and their family.
When he appeared he saw three boys walk in at exactly six-o-clock. Two had their arms wrapped around the thirds waist in the middle. He remembered when he and Sirius used to do that to James, while Remus just walked behind or in front of them laughing at them and shaking his head. For the headmaster to try to make an entirely different world for Harry Potter, one where Sev himself hated his lover and him, for Sirius and James to be dead, he couldn't do it. He could not and would not do that to his own child. There truly was no such Harry Potter, only one Alec Potter-Snape, but the headmaster was trying to destroy that. He would not let it happen. They had all claimed James as theirs and they were willing to share him if he was willing to be shared. It had all turned out for the best.
They saw a man begin to study them before he zoned out and a look of pain flashed through his eyes. They watched his stance and knew that he had once been like them. They could see it in the way he stood, the way his eyes, even unfocused, caught the tiniest movements around him. Shadow whispered to the other two. "Be nice." They nodded. They trusted Shadow to know what he was doing.
Severus heard the one in the middle whisper 'Be nice.' Good, he would be able to play nice in return and not get in trouble with Albus. He watched as they slowly walked towards him and then stopped and beckoned him to follow them. Without hesitation, he followed. Once they were in a secluded area they turned back to him and sat on the ground in a patch of grass.
"Mr. Potter."
"Actually my name is Kage Kuro but the owl seemed pretty insistent on me getting that particular letter."
"Shadow Black or Black Shadow?"
"Shadow Black. This is Darkness and Midnight Black."
"May I ask if you are lovers are just extremely close?"
"Nope. That's our secret now. Tsk tsk. That would ruin all the fun," answered Midnight smirking before tightening his arms around Shadow as Darkness did the same.
"May I ask why you chose the names you did. They are clearly not the ones given to you."
"I took Shadow because I remember being called the shadow bat and that my father was always associated with the shadows."
His eyes flashed and Shadow stopped. "I. I used to be called that when I was in Hogwarts and even now to some degree the students call me such, before the title was given to my son." Shadow looked at him then turned back to the other two.
"Do you think he could be," he trailed off. Severus watched them and he felt some sense of recognition hit him. Shadow spoke up again. "We are looking for our fathers." Shadow stared him directly in the eye and Severus had a random thought.
"I could find out if you will consent to give me a few drops of your blood." Instead, Shadow walked forward and held out his wrist.
"Are you a vampire?" He watched Sev turn and look before he lightly showed his fangs. He then showed him his and Severus chuckled.
"It would only figure."
"You'll definitely know for sure this way. Only a sip." Severus nodded. If he was his son truly like he knew then he would only need a sip. Looking at the boy, he nodded his consent and Severus gently bit into his wrist. After one sip he knew it was true. No matter how much Dumbledore had tried to change his son it hadn't worked. He nodded.
Shadow bowed. "Hello Father." He had finally found his father. After all their years of searching.
Severus bowed back and when both straightened Sev couldn't help it. He hadn't hugged his son since he was three. He smiled and wrapped his son in a hug and he only briefly tensed before he relaxed and hugged back.
Not to be selfish he pulled back before joining Midnight and Darkness. This time it was Midnight who spoke up. "They called my father Moony and I remembered a song that he would sing. I don't remember all of it though." Severus smiled. He remembered. Occasionally he would still find Remus humming it to himself when he was sad or extremely happy. He thought it would be funny if they realized that the names they used now were the ones in the song Remus had made up.
"I remember being called darkness grim by someone long ago. My father was a grim but I remember more than one person calling me such."
"Would you like to meet your fathers?" They turned to him and he could see the pure hope shining in their eyes but he knew they would not ask. They would not present themselves weaker in front of him than they had already done so. It was Shadow that nodded. "Do you trust me to bring all three of you together to an unknown location?" His response was their pulling of Shadow back and wrapping their arms around him.
Midnight spoke up. "We're brothers but we're also lovers." He took that as his signal. He touched the two on the edge of the semi-circle they had created and they landed in a hidden manor that no one besides Severus and his lovers knew of.
When they landed they immediately crouched down as they had three wands pointing at them. Remus was the first to recover at the sudden appearance when he saw that Severus was calm. "Lower your wands." They did so and just as quickly as they had straightened up James was passed them, as he had been halfway hidden behind his protective lovers, and was hugging the three boys. When Remus tried to approach him, he growled at him and bared his fangs. Slowly Severus made his way forward talking lowly and touched James's back. Slowly but surely his tension faded and Remus and Sirius also placed their hands on his back.
They all felt comforted by James holding them. This was where they were supposed to be. This was their mother. He would love them unconditionally. They were safe here. They were home. Finally. Severus growled and they looked up at him, clinging to James as they were.
"Dumbledore is calling me back." Turning to them he asked, "Will you stay here?" They nodded. "I will return as soon as I can. Be easy with each other. You must learn before you can test boundaries. We will have to get their things for Hogwarts soon if they still wish to go." Everyone nodded. They refused to let go of James afraid this was all just a dream. Remus and Sirius made themselves comfortable on the floor and summoned some blankets to them. While James ran his hands through each of their hair occasionally Moony started singing. Eventually Sirius and even James joined in.
"Go to sleep my little midnight moony,
Sleep as our mother watches over you,
Go to sleep my little darkness grim,
Sleep as our mother watches over you,
Go to sleep my little shadow bat
Sleep as our mother watches over you,
Your stag will hold you,
Your moony will sing to you,
Your grim will play with you,
Your bat will protect you,
Your stag, moony, grim, and bat will watch over you,
Sleep as our mother watches over you,
Hush little midnight moony,
Hush little darkness grim,
Hush little shadow bat,
Sleep as our mother watches over you."
They all looked at them and then smiled before closing their eyes and giving in to the sleep they desperately needed. Remus sang once more to insure their rest. He lay down on the floor and situated everyone so that when they all awoke they would be together.