Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Severus stepped out of the fire at the Burrow with flawless grace. Jessica was standing next to the fireplace, waiting patiently for him. Just then, a very delighted Molly Weasley bustled into the room, a wide smile on her chubby face.

"Oh! I'm so glad you've finally arrived!" She pulled Jessica into her arms in a motherly hug. "Someone's been asking about you."

Severus looked at Molly suspiciously as Jessica pulled away from her embrace and looked at her with bright eyes.

"Who?" she asked with excited curiosity.

"Oh, I think you'd much rather see who than be told." She then turned to Severus. "May I?"

In a moment of possessiveness, Severus took one of Jessica's small hands into his much larger one, then motioned for Molly to lead the way. Molly gave him a slightly calculating look, though her smile never faltered. She led them through the kitchen, where the once Golden Trio were sitting, the tension in the room palpable, to the back door and out into the back yard.

Molly walked them over to Arthur Weasley, his back to them. Severus caught a snip of the conversation Arthur was having with a seemingly invisible somebody.

"She'd want you to eat them," Arthur said, trying to reason.

"I want my Jessie!"

Jessica's hand slipped quickly from Severus' grasp, and just as the young toddler came into view, Jessica yelled her name.

"Maria!"

The toddler jumped off the chair she was sitting on and ran the few steps into Jessica's arms.

Severus immediately noticed the tears running down Jessica's cheeks.

"After you left, Arthur and I discussed it and decided to take Maria in." Severus had forgotten Molly was even there until her soft voice broke into his thoughts.

"That was kind of you, though I don't quite understand what, exactly, that has to do with me."

"I wouldn't worry on it too much, Severus. In due time you will understand."

With that, Molly walked away, leaving Severus to ponder her hidden meaning.

"Ah! Severus," Arthur said to him, drawing him away from Molly's cryptic comment. "How are you?"

"I am well enough, considering," Severus noted wryly.

"Ah, things not going so well with Jessica, then?"

"No, Jessica is not the problem."

"Oh? May I ask what is, then?"

"You may ask, but I don't have to answer."

Before Arthur could form a response, a weak-looking Remus joined them. Jessica and Maria had run off somewhere; Severus suspected the garden area and convinced himself not to worry. Still looking for his newly adopted daughter out of the corner of his eye, Severus idly sat with Remus and Arthur.

The two men in his company began talking, so Severus gave them his attention.

"Are there any new developments?"

Arthur looked forlornly at Remus. "I'm sorry that there aren't. I am trying, though."

Remus took a steadying breath. "I know you are. I just want to do my part!"

Severus had an idea of what they were talking.

"I'm sorry, Remus, and I'm sure I don't need to explain that they aren't eager to place a child in the care of someone that turns into a werewolf once a month, regardless of how kind, generous, and noble they may be otherwise."

"What of the Wolfsbane?" Severus asked.

Arthur sighed. "They aren't willing to consider because of what could happen should something go wrong."

Severus snorted. "Why am I not surprised? I'm still looking into it, Remus."

"That is encouraging," Remus said sincerely, though there was fire in his eyes.

"You know," Arthur began with a smile in Severus' direction after a few moments of silence, "Ginny has been studying medicinal potions in her spare time."

Severus snorted. "I wasn't aware she had any spare time, what with three children and one on the way."

"What?" Arthur looked confused. "She only has two children."

"No, I definitely consider her husband to still be a child." Severus smirked as Remus chuckled.

"Thank you for your assessment of my husband's maturity, Professor."

Severus turned slightly to see the young Mrs. Ginevra Potter standing there with a small, strawberry-haired girl on her hip.

"On that note, have you adopted a child yet, Professor? I believe the deadline is the first of September." Her lips were quirking in amusement, though there wasn't any accusation or condemnation in her question.

"Why, yes, I have," Severus responded in a seemingly challenging way.

"Charming," a dry voice cut into the conversation. "Who has had the ultimate misfortune of being in your permanent care?"

Severus smirked. Harry Potter had decided to join his wife and newly adopted daughter.

"Her name happens to be Jessica Augustus. She's quite respectful. Must be because of her wonderful upbringing. She had very loving parents." It was a cheap shot, he knew it, but he hadn't been able to resist. Harry Potter brought out the negative in him.

Harry's eyes flashed, and he had just opened his mouth to respond when his red-headed, hot tempered friend, followed closely by his bushy-haired one, ran up to the getting-larger-by-the-second group, interrupting him.

"Ron! Please! Please just hear me out before you jump to conclusions!"

Ron turned to Hermione as the rest of the group looked between the two. Hermione opened her mouth, but Ron beat her to it.

"He betrayed us, Hermione! He betrayed you!" Ron spat furiously.

"No, Ron! He did what he had to do to stay alive! He fought with us to the end! He killed his best friend to save your sister! I would think you could get over the fact that he joined them, considering he was on our side the whole bloody time!"

Severus was curious as to whom they were talking, but listened with the rest of the group.

"Maybe I just still love you." Ron's voice was pathetically soft and full of vulnerable sincerity.

Instead of tearing up, as Severus fully expected her to do, Hermione became furious, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Don't you dare throw that in my face, Ronald! In case you forgot, you decided to end things! I'm moving on with my life...with Blaise!"

Ron looked ready to blow, Severus noticed amusedly, but before he could, the young Mrs. Potter deftly stepped in.

"Hermione, I have something inside I really need to show you," Ginny said and pulled Hermione away before she could even think to protest.

Ron watched them, fuming.

"Ron?" Harry ventured tentatively.

The ticking bomb exploded. "The nerve of her! We haven't even been separated for four months, and she's already with Blaise Zabini! A Slytherin! A Death Eater, no less!"

Severus felt the need to interrupt his misguided rant.

"Blaise Zabini was a spy for Professor Dumbledore. It would do you well to remember that."

Ron glared resentfully, then stormed off. Harry followed dutifully.

Arthur sighed, and Severus turned back to see him rub his forehead.

"You were telling me about your daughter's venture into medicinal potions?" Severus offered softly.

"Yes, yes. It turns out she was helping to find a cure for Hermione's newly adopted boy."

"What is the problem?" Remus asked curiously.

"Well, it seems he has severe allergies to the sun, not too different from those of a vampire."

"Does the Zonlicht Serum not help?" Severus asked, his attention focusing on the conversation now that the trio had disappeared.

"It does, but only for a very limited time. Mark, that's his name, can only be in the sunlight for a few minutes, even under the influence of the Serum."

"And is Mrs. Potter attempting to enhance it?"

"Something along those lines. When she found out she was pregnant, she stopped going to the lab, so I'm not sure where she is in her research."

"As a matter of fact," Ginny had returned, once again alone, "I may have finally had a breakthrough in my research. I have to run things by the team still, and there are many tests to be run, but the research looks very positive."

"Is there anyone else with that condition?" Remus asked, his eyes slightly cloudy.

Ginny frowned. "Not alive. This condition is extremely rare, and those who get it only have an expected lifespan of seven, maybe eight years."

"And how old is Miss Granger's charge?"

Ginny looked gloomy. "He's already six years old."

"Did Hermione know him beforehand?"

"Yes. Mark's a half-blood, and his mom was a good friend of her family."

"How does it look for him?" Severus asked, trying to get a full understanding of the situation.

"Well, compared to the files from previous cases, his is really bad, and it's amazing he's still alive." Ginny sat down and sighed. "I just wish there was more I could do!"

The group grew quiet, and Severus' mind was reeling. He was happy. His newly adopted daughter was more than bearable, and he now had a project...two things he could look forward to after a long, dreadful day of teaching. This feeling was foreign to him, but he decided not to worry about it. He wondered if he should feel guilty for being happy.

Severus looked up to see a young girl covered in mud running to him, crying.

"Professor!" Jessica cried. "Davey pushed me and was laughing about it!"

Severus stood, his wand already out. With a flick of it, the mud covering Jessica disappeared. He walked to the sniffling girl and picked her up easily. She clung to his neck and wrapped her short legs around him as best she could.

"Where is he?" Severus asked softly, wiping her tears softly with his thumb.

Jessica pointed toward the back garden, and Severus walked in that direction, balancing Jessica on his hip. He turned the corner to find a rather amusing scene.

A young boy, Severus guessed about ten years old, was glaring defiantly at an irate Percy Weasley.

"There are rules that you must follow, David Saunders!"

"You aren't my father, you traitor!"

Mr. Saunders proceeded to step on Percy's foot, causing Percy to howl in pain, and then he ran off. Jessica was giggling softly in his ear, her tears finally receding.

"Oh! Professor! I'm terribly sorry about him! We've tried so hard to get him to come to terms with everything that has happened and all the change!" Percy's wife, Penelope, cried out.

"Be sure this does not happen again, Mrs. Weasley."

Penelope nodded furiously. "Yes, sir."

Severus nodded slightly at her, then turned, with Jessica still hanging onto him, to head back to the group.

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A/N: Reviews, as always, are loved and appreciated!

Chapter polished up on January 29, 2010.