Chapter 9

All canon characters belong to JKR.

Thanks as always to June, my wonderful beta.

Chapter 9

After having been up in the Astronomy Tower for almost two hours, Raven and Osiris finally made their way back to the dungeons. Thanks to Osiris, Raven felt he better understood his father, and the reasons he had done the things he did in his youth. Raven had said awful things to him earlier, and was beginning to feel the pangs of remorse. He stood in front of the door to his parents' quarters and reached for the door handle, then paused.

Osiris stood perched on the boy's shoulder, and nudged his small head against Raven's temple.

"Go on, he'll understand," urged Osiris.

Raven turned the door handle and walked in. As he entered, he saw his parents sitting on the couch, with his sister Kat in between them; they all stared at Raven with uncertainty. Severus stood ... with his sleeve still rolled-up and his ever-present Dark Mark visible ... to face his son. Raven gazed at his father's Mark, now knowing its cost, and then he looked up at Severus

"I'm sorry, Dad," he said as he ran into his father's arms.

Severus returned his son's embrace; they stood, holding each other tightly. With Osiris still perched on Raven's shoulder, Severus was able to lift his face and smile at his cousin, silently thanking him.

"I'm the one who is sorry, Raven," Severus pulled back and took the boy's face in his hands. "I have never wanted to change my past as badly as I did when I realized I needed to tell you about it." He brushed the tears from Raven's cheeks, and guided him to the couch.

Raven sat down next to Kat, as Severus sat on the coffee table to face his two children once again.

"The reason for this disclosure now is because we...well, really, I am in danger. There is a Death Eater named Bellatrix Lestrange. She was captured on the battlefield after Harry defeated Voldemort. She found out that I was a spy, and vowed to kill me. My testimony was responsible for sending her to Azkaban."

"Severus," Hermione's voice had a warning tone, but Severus immediately held up his hand to her and shook his head.

"Hermione, they need to know. There is danger involved, and they need to know how serious things may become." Severus' voice shook as he looked at his wife. He had hoped it didn't sound as rough as it did to his own ears, but what he said was true. This was no game, and the children needed to understand that. Hermione nodded in understanding.

"Bellatrix has escaped, and has made some contacts. It is believed she is plotting to kill me as we speak." The children's eyes grew wide, and Hermione felt Kat begin to tremble next to her.

"But she can't get into the castle, can she?" asked Kat, nervously.

"There are ways to get around wards, if one is clever and desperate enough," said Severus. He reached out to caress Kat's cheek, and smiled. "But Albus and I will make sure there are new wards in place that no one can penetrate. Besides, I doubt Bella will risk coming here."

"You said we might be in danger, Dad. Does she... does she want to kill us too?" asked Raven.

"No, sweetheart. You needn't worry about that," Hermione assured him. She took a deep breath, and then continued, while looking at Severus, "Bella wants your father, not us."

Hermione knew that Bellatrix would not think twice about kidnapping and using the children as bait, but they had heard enough stress-filled news for one day. She hoped Severus caught her unspoken wish, to not fill their children's dreams with images of some mad woman coming after them.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Hermione smiled and stood up. "Let's make some popcorn and sit down to watch a movie. What do you all say?"

Crookshanks immediately entered the room at the mention of popcorn and a movie. "Can we watch Shrek Two? I love that Puss in Boots."

Hermione looked at Crooks and laughed.

"I think we can work that into the program," she said, taking Severus' hand as he rose from the coffee table. She turned to the children, "Go on and pick something you both want to watch, then go into the study and wait for your father and me." The children nodded, then disappeared into their former full-time rooms to choose a movie.

"We need to make sure they don't leave the castle until she's caught, Severus," said Hermione as she wrapped her arms around his waist. She buried her face in his chest and breathed deeply.

"Bellatrix needs to be found quickly," Severus said. "The longer she is out there, the more there is a possibility of her finding out about you and the children. I need to sit down with Lucius."

Severus kissed Hermione's forehead, and they both walked into the study to await their children. As they spent the evening with their children, they tried to forget about Bellatrix Lestrange, if only for a few hours.

* * * * * *

That same evening, Lucius found himself having much the same discussion Severus had just had with his own children, Odette and Vladimir. It was no easier for him than it had been for Severus, but in time they forgave their father, much like Raven and Kat forgave Severus.

It had also been necessary for Draco and Harry to tell their own children of those times. It was hard, but having lived through the war as young children themselves, they knew their own children would rise above the frightening images and words.

* * * * * *

The rest of the week was spent in quiet contemplation for Severus. He was confident in the notion that his children were more aware of things than before. It had been a great burden lifted off his shoulders when he finally came clean about his past to them.

On Thursday morning, as he sat next to Hermione in the Great Hall, he began to formulate a plan. Severus decided to contact Lucius later that morning to have a meeting in Albus' office to discuss the matter of Bellatrix Lestrange.

At the Gryffindor table, Max Malfoy and Artemesia Potter looked up to find a note flying towards them from the Slytherin table. Draco's son reached out his hand and grabbed it, then held it so he and Artemesia could both read.

Max & Arte:

Raven

Max looked over to Raven and nodded, then the note disappeared. Raven and Kat told the other Slytherins in their gang ... Max's sister Samara, Armando Potter, and Odette and Vladimir Malfoy.

After their classes were done for the day, all the children found their way to the third floor. Even though no students were allowed there, they all knew secret passages that lead them to practically anywhere in the castle without being seen, all courtesy of two very sneaky animals and highly prized map. When they were all in front of the room, Raven performed the task of making the entrance appear. On his third pass, the door appeared and they all walked inside.

Max looked around the room and glared at Raven. "Just once, could you at least make it just a little less Slytherin?"

They sat on the floor atop the large cushions that surrounded a low table. Odette went to the corner and opened the sideboard. She took out two pitchers of pumpkin juice, and handed them to Samara. Then she reached inside once again and took out a plate of chocolate chip cookies and some ham and cheese sandwiches, and placed them on the table. After helping themselves to the food and drink, the children began their weekly meeting.

"So, Armando. Were you able to find anything out about that tapestry that used to hang in the Order headquarters you told us about?" asked Raven.

Armando shook his head, as he took out a small piece of paper from his pocket.

"I'm afraid I couldn't get much. Dad has it tucked away somewhere. I didn't want to ask him outright where it is. Ever since 'the talk'," Armando made quotation mark gestures with his hands, "he's all suspicious every time I ask anything about the past." The rest of the group nodded in understanding.

"Well, we know for certain that Bellatrix is my father's aunt. We really don't need to know more than that," stated Samara.

"Has she tried to contact him?" asked Raven.

"No, Dad said she's always been a hateful person. She doesn't care about anybody, never did. Except Voldemort that is," stated Samara.

"She's bloody insane, too," said Vladimir.

"You would be insane too, if you spent almost twenty years in Azkaban," Artemisia chuckled.

"No, she was crazy before that too," said Armando. "Dad told me once about what she did to his friend Neville's parents."

"Is Neville the Auror we saw a few days ago, talking to Uncle Severus and Aunt Hermione?" asked Max.

"Yes," Armando nodded and looked at his notes. "When Neville was very young, this Bellatrix woman tortured his parents with the Cruciatus Curse until they went mad from it. They wound up spending most of their lives in St. Mungo's. They passed away a couple of years ago."

"How horrible," gasped Odette.

Max swallowed the cookie he was chewing and nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I'll say one thing, though: those Death Eaters were real bad asses. And ruthless bastards, too."

Raven and Odette looked at Max with narrowed eyes, as the rest of the group did the same.

Max sat back, folded his arms across his chest, and held firm. "Don't look at me like that, you two. They may be your fathers, but you can't tell me my Uncle Sev and Granddad Lucius aren't two of the scariest bastards you've ever seen when they get pissed off." The rest of the kids looked at each other and nodded in affirmation.

"True,"

"Yeah,"

"Too right," said Raven as he set down his sandwich, "Now, lets get down to the rest of this meeting."

* * * * * *

On the other side of the castle, Severus sat in Albus' office with Hermione by his side, as they waited for Lucius to arrive.

"Severus, I don't like this plan of yours. It's too dangerous," said Hermione as she squeezed his hand.

Severus looked at her, then pulled her towards him and kissed her lightly on the lips. "It's the only way, love. I don't want to risk her coming after me and then finding you or the children. This way..."

"This way, you're a sitting duck," she huffed, interrupting him before he could finish.

"I, madam, am no duck," Severus told his wife. "Hermione, Bellatrix is a fugitive; she will not risk doing anything to me out in the open. The plan is to let her see me, to let her think that there is a chance of getting to me outside of this castle. I don't doubt she will try to make contact with me in some fashion if I am out in public."

As Severus tried to calm Hermione down and make her see his plan was not as dangerous as she thought, the fireplace sprang to life and Lucius stepped out.

"Good afternoon, all." Lucius bowed his head and looked around the room.

Albus sat at his desk, and Hermione and Severus sat on two chairs directly in front of him.

"Lucius, good afternoon. Please, have a seat," said Albus, as he motioned for Lucius to sit.

"How did things go with you?" asked Severus.

Lucius smirked and shook his head. "All things considered I can't complain. Odette had a fit, and Vladimir ran and hid in the dungeons for several hours. Sometime around supper, they calmed down and let me finish explaining things to them. They seemed all right when I dropped them back off at school on Sunday."

"I fared much the same way with Raven. Kat took it a little better, but still, it wasn't easy."

The two former Death Eaters nodded their understanding.

As their conversation died down, Albus spoke. "Gentlemen and Madam, shall we begin?"

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Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.