Daddy Dearest Characters: Severus, Serenus, Gaius, Remus, Tybalt, Regulus Summary: After Severus received a letter from their father, the Snape brothers convene to discuss the matter.
As soon as he and Remus arrived at Azoth House, Severus swept his brothers away for a private conference in the kitchen, where they could fortify themselves with tea and he could check to see if Serenus had any interesting leftovers since he hadn't been able to finish his Chinese take-away. He wasn't looking forward to this conversation, but Remus was right: they needed to know.
"What's wrong?" Serenus asked immediately, sensing his twin's agitation. He went to put the kettle on and fetch cups and saucers for all three of them, but he kept glancing at Severus with growing concern as Severus and Gaius sat down at the table. "It isn't anything to do with Bellatrix, is it?"
"No, not Bellatrix, not this time," Severus replied, his tone and expression grim. "This situation hits closer to home."
"Is something wrong with Remus or the children?" Serenus looked at him with alarm until Severus shook his head.
"No, it has to do with our father," Severus said, and from the shocked expression on Serenus' face, he felt it was safe to assume Tobias hadn't attempted to contact Serenus yet. Perhaps, Severus thought, he wouldn't bother trying if he failed to get a response. Then again, the man was a manipulator, and Severus wouldn't put it past him to approach Serenus when going through Severus proved to be a dead end, which made informing Serenus about the situation an even better idea than before.
"What about him?" Gaius asked, his eyes wide as he glanced between his brothers. He, too, had been alarmed at Severus' sudden appearance and then his immediate call for a sibling conference when Severus and Remus were supposed to be shagging their brains out while he and Serenus and Regulus and Tybalt watched the children. He knew it had to be something serious to drag Severus away from his mate, but this was totally unexpected. They never discussed their father, and Gaius hardly ever even thought about the man who had raped his mother and gotten her pregnant but whom he had never seen. It was almost as though the man were dead to all three of them, but apparently, something had happened to make Severus bring up the subject at such an odd time. "Is he finally dead for real or something? Or is it another family curse thing?"
"There isn't another curse as far as I know, and I can only wish he were dead," Severus replied, folding his arms across his chest. "No, the man had the unmitigated gall to contact me this evening."
"What?" Serenus whirled away from the stove and faced Severus, shocked by that news. As far as he knew, Severus hadn't been in contact with their father since he had left home during his teens, and it seemed to him that Severus preferred it that way. "What the devil could he possibly want?"
Severus rolled his eyes and waved one hand dismissively. "He spouted some drivel about wanting the comforts of family in his old age."
Gaius gasped, appalled by the incredible gall of the man who had brought such misery to Severus' and Serenus' mothers daring to contact his sons. Gaius' mother didn't even remember the rape or the man who had done it, but the mere fact of Gaius' existence spoke of just how vile and horrible Tobias Snape was, to have raped his own wife's sister and then wiped her memories and abandoned her in a foreign country for daring to try to help her sister escape. "Is he insane? Or can he possibly be that selfish, to believe that you'd want anything to do with him?" He paused for a moment, frowning in thought. "Does he even know about Serenus and me?"
"He knows about Serenus," Severus replied, and Serenus glanced at him, wide-eyed and startled by that revelation. "He mentioned Serenus by name in the letter. I would show it to you, but Remus banished it, which is just as well because I would have burned it anyway."
"I don't suppose it was too difficult for him to find out about me," Serenus mused, turning his attention back to the whistling kettle. He put together the tea things and levitated the tray over to the table before taking a seat himself. "It's rather unsettling, though. It's..." He shivered slightly and screwed up his face with distaste. "It's creepy to think of that horrible man just knowing about me and my family. I'd rather he had remained ignorant."
"He gave no indication whether he knows of Gaius yet or not," Severus said, glancing at Gaius. "I would guess he does not."
"A relief for me, I suppose," Gaius sighed, then shook his head. "But both of you are my family, and what he does to either of you, he does to me as well. I suppose the question is... what do we want to do about it? I, for one, have no interest in having any contact with the man. My mother may have forgiven him, and I have no desire to seek vengeance, but if he's going to cause either of you or the children pain or grief, I'm all for making him pay for all his crimes, past and present."
Serenus had a more forgiving nature than his twin, but even his sense of "forgive and forget" didn't extend to include Tobias Snape. "I don't even need to see the letter to know I don't trust him. There has to be more to it than him deciding he wants to draw a loving family to his bosom after all these years. As if any of us would conveniently forget what he's done!"
"I suppose he thinks we feel a paternal bond with him or that we harbor some stupid notion about blood and family," Severus scoffed. "When it comes to him, I will be happy to acknowledge blood ties, provided it is in the form of his blood spilling on the ground." He picked up his tea cup and took a sip, lost in thought for a moment. "As for what to do, I intend not to respond, but Remus thought it best if the two of you were forewarned in case he attempts to contact you next, and I agreed. I hope he will forget whatever plans prompted him to write to me in the first place when it becomes apparent that I am ignoring him, but I am not so optimistic that will happen. He is a stubborn bugger."
"Not that that trait runs in the family or anything," Serenus said, grinning.
"Better stubbornness than evil," Gaius replied, sipping at his own tea and for once not feeling inclined to joke. He glanced at Severus. "You know him, and Serenus and I don't, so if you think he will try to contact you again, or Serenus, I'm inclined to trust your judgment. But what could he possibly be up to, after so much time? He must want something... and I'm not talking about grandchildren to dandle on his knee. The question is, what? He obviously knows you got Snape Manor, Severus, if he wrote to you there. Maybe he thinks he's entitled to it? Or maybe he has some illness that requires something from one of you."
"I have no idea," Severus said, shaking his head. "If I had to hazard a guess, I would say there is a financial motivation behind this sudden renewed interest in his progeny. Our branch of the Snape family tree was never very well-to-do, and Tobias was too lazy and unmotivated to do anything to improve our situation, not to mention too fond of his beer. If he has somehow heard of our success - which is entirely possible, given our advertisements in the Daily Prophet and the shop's location in Diagon Alley - he might have decided it would be in his own best interests to cultivate a new and better relationship with his estranged children now that they are well off."
Serenus pursed his lips in disapproval. "Lovely. Well, if he contacts me, I won't respond to him either. I don't want to have anything to do with him, and I certainly don't want him around the twins. They have Ethelenda and Celestra, and I don't think they are missing out on anything in not having a grandfather, especially one like him."
"You've probably got the right of it, Severus," Gaius said, shaking his head in disgust. "So he's crass on top of everything else - just lovely. But speaking of Ethelenda and Celestra... should you tell them to be on the look out? If he's as persistent as Severus thinks, he might try to go around the both of you to get at the children."
"It would not hurt," Severus said, nodding to Serenus. "We intend to inform Nanny Stella and Lurch. If I can unearth a photograph, I will provide copies to the two of you so you will know whom to look for, just in case he attempts subterfuge. Unfortunately, I doubt I have any, but it may be worth a look through the old family album in case there is a group photograph in there somewhere."
"Tybalt and I will let them know," Serenus said, his expression troubled. He disliked that Tobias Snape had to pop up just as things were settling down and become peaceful once more, but with any luck, they would be able to prevent him from becoming a nuisance or a problem. "Tybalt may have some suggestions as well. He can help from a legal standpoint, I imagine."
"I'm certain there are charms we could use as well, as warning and for protection," Gaius added. He was determined that nothing was going to upset his brothers, because both of them had earned their happiness and deserved to be able to enjoy it in peace. Rising to his feet, he moved to stand between them, wrapping an arm around each of their shoulders and hugging them. "No matter what, he won't be able to hurt any of us, because not only are we forewarned, but the three of us are far more motivated and clever than he could ever hope to be, right? He might have contributed some small genetic component to our lives, but I think we're far more our mother's sons. They fought him, and we will, too."
"Yes, one of them ended up an Obliviated doormat who was likely beaten to death, one of them ended up amnesiac and pregnant, and one of them ended up in exile," Severus said dourly. "That doesn't say much for our chances if we go by their luck. However, we have our innate cleverness and magical strength on our side along with a werewolf and an Auror. That does improve the odds considerably."
"Indeed it does, especially when you consider how protective said werewolf and said Auror are," Serenus agreed, leaning against Gaius and reaching up to squeeze his hand affectionately.
"And the point is that our mothers did try to fight him, even if they didn't succeed, and we're better prepared than they were," Gaius said. "We do have our partners, and more resources are a very good thing." He turned his head to nuzzle Serenus' cheek affectionately, then did the same thing to Severus. "Besides,mein bruder , he will not be expecting the man you've grown up to become. No doubt he thought he had power over you as a young man, and he'll underestimate just how fierce and scary you are all on your own."
Severus gave a derisive snort at that, but he looked a little pleased as well. "No doubt you are right: he has underestimated the man because he remembers the boy." He glanced up at Gaius, one eyebrow raised. "That's right, we do have a Black on our side as well. I keep forgetting he is part of the pack now."
"Yes, he is." There was no small amount of pride in Gaius' voice, and he was pleased that Severus did count Regulus as part of the family. After having felt torn between his brother and his lover for so long, it was a welcome change to know that he wouldn't ever have to choose between them again. "So, should we call them in to discuss this, now that you've broken the news? No doubt Remus has filled them in already, but this affects them, too."
"We might as well," Severus replied with a shrug.
"I'll make some more tea and get something to go with it," Serenus said, pushing back his chair. He bent to kiss Gaius' cheek in passing on his way to the refrigerator to put together something to nibble on.
"You are already up." Severus tilted his head back to peer up at Gaius. "You may as well be the one to fetch them."
Gaius smiled at the kiss he received from Serenus, then bent to press his own lips to Severus' lightly. "Yes, your majesty," he said teasingly. It was still disconcerting to think that their father had suddenly decided to try to get in touch with them - or, at least with the twins - but knowing that they all agreed that they would fight him if need be did much to ease his mind. He straightened, gave Severus a light caress on the cheek with his hand, then moved to the door.
"All right, you lot, you can come in now," he said, smiling reassuringly at Tybalt, Remus, and Regulus. "Severus has broken the news, and we should all discuss it now."
Remus stood at once, relieved that things seemed to have gone as well as could be expected. "Good," he said, anxious to return to Severus and make certain his mate was still dealing with the situation as well as he had been. Remus had indeed informed Regulus and Tybalt of the situation, and he had even managed to restrain the big Auror from rushing off to have Moody arrest Tobias Snape for daring to still exist.
Tybalt, for his part, moved quickly, sidestepping Gaius in his anxiety to reach Serenus. He moved immediately to wrap Serenus in his arms, wanting to provide all the support that Serenus might need at the disturbing news. "My poor love," he said, holding Serenus close and tight, not caring about the open icebox. "Say the word, and I'll have Moody toss that piece of slime in Azkaban."
Smiling, Serenus wound his arms around Tybalt in return. "It's tempting," he said, chuckling wryly. "But he hasn't done anything to threaten any of us. Sending a letter doesn't merit being tossed into prison." He patted Tybalt's chest gently. "I'm all right, really," he said reassuringly. "I was surprised, of course, but I'm not upset or worried. We can close ranks and keep him out easily."
"If you're certain," Tybalt said, then bent his head to kiss Serenus firmly. Although privately, he was resolved to find out if Tobias Snape had any outstanding charges against him. If the man had so much as an unpaid broom-parking fine, Tybalt would make certain he was punished as severely as possible for it.
Remus took the seat beside Severus and scooted his chair closer so that he could wrap his arm around Severus' shoulders. He turned his head, kissing Severus lightly. "I know that couldn't have been easy, love," he murmured. "But you seemed to have done well, since they are handling it with good grace.
Gaius, meanwhile, held out his arms to Regulus and looked wide eyed and pitiful. "Don't I get a hug, too?" he asked, although the twitch of his lips belied any real upset.
Severus leaned against Remus' side and rested his hand on Remus' thigh. "It went well," he replied quietly. "We have agreed to ignore his communication and his presence, and none of us want anything to do with him. We are all on guard."
Regulus crossed the room to embrace Gaius. "Of course you do," he said. "Remus told us what happened. Are you all right?"
"Yes, just worried about my brothers and the children, of course," Gaius replied, wrapping his arms around Regulus and holding him tightly. "It seems that my father doesn't know about me, which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned, although if he's identified the shop, no doubt he'll figure it out soon enough." He sighed, looking up into Regulus' face with a rueful smile. "I'm certain you'll be drafted into the Azoth House Defense Force. I hope you don't mind."
"It is all part of being a resident," Regulus replied, offering a one-sided smile. "I may have a useful skill or two to offer."
"I'm sure you will," Gaius replied, then stepped back to pull Regulus toward the table.
Tybalt released Serenus, then held out his arms to accept whatever Serenus wanted to fetch from the icebox. "I'll parcel this out, if you want to finish the tea," he said, tilting his head toward the table. "Severus looks hungry, so we should probably feed before he starts getting cranky."
"Hey, I heard that," Remus said, turning to favor Tybalt with a mock glare. "No picking on Severus. He's had a hard evening."
"Yes, I have," Severus grumbled, crossing his arms again. "I had to give up my new chair and my dinner."
"Your new chair?" Serenus paused in loading up Tybalt's arms with leftover lasagna, alfredo, garlic bread, and tiramisu to glance questioningly at Severus. "Remus is spoiling you rotten again, isn't he."
"I'm not doing anything he doesn't deserve." Remus hugged Severus again, then brushed his lips over Severus' cheek. "Besides, it makes me happy, too."
Gaius sat down at the table, chuckling and shaking his head. "You complain about soppiness, Severus, but you and Remus are the worst of us all in your own way," he said. He reached out to take Regulus' hand, squeezing it lightly. "Not that there is anything wrong with that, of course."
"No, indeed," Tybalt agreed, carrying the multitude of containers to the table. "Make yourself useful, Gaius, and warm this lot up while I get plates and silverware, would you?"
"Of course." Gaius drew his wand and began to cast charms on the containers. "Everyone had best stand back and let Severus choose first, if they value their lives and limbs."
"I am not soppy," Severus protested indignantly, and he huffed at Gaius. "Nor am I greedy. I will not lop off any limbs if I do not choose first."
"Of course not," Serenus said soothingly, moving to stand behind Severus' chair and kissing the top of his head. "But I got a serving of goulash just for you anyway," he added, placing a bowl in front of Severus and warming it with a tap of his wand. He looked around as the others took places around the table and began dishing up the various selections, which were an odd mixture of Italian, Egyptian, and gypsy fare, and he couldn't help but smile, satisfied by the sight of a full table, most of his family gathered around. The circumstances were unfortunate, but he was always grateful to have his family all in one place. Being able to feed them on top of that was an added bonus.
Tybalt passed around plates and utensils, then moved to stand behind Serenus, dropping a kiss on the top of his head, mirroring his kiss of Severus. He could see the look in Serenus' eyes, and he smiled, wrapping his arms around Serenus from behind and nuzzling his ear. "The gang's all here - or at least the over seven set," he murmured, an edge of laughter in his voice. "You've fed them and given them tea, so you sit down and eat, too, and I'll play waiter if need be."
Remus dished up a helping of alfredo, then passed the dish on to Gaius. "Thanks, Serenus. You constantly amaze me with your ability to feed an army at the drop of a hat. You should have opened a restaurant instead of a cosmetics shop. Although I would imagine that Tybalt has an appetite to match his size, and he might bankrupt you!"
"Hmphf." Tybalt stuck his nose in the air, although his eyes were full of humor. "I do have prodigious appetites. In all ways." He leered at Serenus, then patted his bottom. "Go on, you, sit down. You've earned it."
Serenus flashed a cheeky grin at Tybalt. "You may have prodigious appetites, but I have no trouble satisfying all of them," he replied playfully as he took his place at the table and began serving himself. "I love to cook," he continued, glancing at Remus. "Working only part time at the shop allows me to indulge myself, and having an appreciative audience helps. Tybalt and the twins seem to enjoy whatever I prepare, and now Gaius and Regulus are here. That isn't counting what I send to Harry andFaelan or the times Harry drops by and raids the fridge. It's been wonderful because Ethelenda has been passing down her family recipes to me, and Regulus has been teaching me how to prepare Egyptian cuisine."
"Preparing food for more than one person does make a difference," Regulus agreed. "I find I am more motivated to cook when I am not the only one eating."
"You both cook fantastically well, and I'm glad I get to savor the results," Gaius agreed cheekily. He laid a hand on Regulus' thigh under the table and squeezed lightly. "You're a man of many talents, Regulus Black, and I like them all. Very much."
Tybalt chuckled, moving to carry cups and fetch more tea before sliding into the seat next to Serenus. "And I have no complaints about my needs being satisfied," he smirked. "I'm a lucky man to have snagged you all for myself."
"I'd say we're all lucky," Serenus replied, smiling warmly at Tybalt, and Severus rolled his eyes.
"Yes, yes, we're all lucky and one big united force that nothing can tear apart, blah, blah, blah," he said. "Less mushy nonsense and more eating. I cannot endure suchsoppiness on an empty stomach."
They ate for a few minutes in quiet, enjoying the company, then Gaius glanced at Severus, his expression more somber than it had been before. "Severus, I have a question, if you feel like talking about it," he began, his expression somewhat pensive. He felt bad returning to the previous topic when everyone seemed to have relaxed, but he was curious, and he felt it might help him and Serenus understand what they were up against. "What was it like growing up with him? I mean, I know it wasn't good, but was it always that way? Did he have any redeeming characteristics at all, ever?"
Severus went still, and then he carefully put down his fork as he considered how to answer the question. He drew in a deep breath, tamping down the old injured part of himself that he had tried to leave behind when he'd left his father's house; he had carried it with him all these years, and it had reared its ugly head when he had read Tobias' letter, but things were different now, and he would not let his old fears and insecurities regain strength.
"I suppose he must have had some redeeming characteristics," he said slowly, turning his gaze downward as he thought back to his childhood. "He managed to convince my - our - mother to marry him, after all. But all I remember is an angry bully who terrorized his wife and his child."
Gazing at Severus with sympathy, Serenus reached out to rub Severus' shoulder gently, but he didn't interrupt, and Severus glanced sidelong at him, a flash of gratitude in his eyes for the silent support.
"He had trouble holding down a job, and he drank, which meant money was always tight. He was a mean drunk and free with his fists. My mother tried to protect me from him, but that was difficult to manage, and it made things worse for her. I have always suspected he caused her death, although I cannot prove it. I was at Hogwarts when it happened, and I only have his word regarding what happened."
Remus put down his fork, sliding closer to Severus and putting an arm around him. "At least you ended up nothing like him at all," he said quietly. "You learned to be different and better."
Gaius bit his lip and sighed. "No matter what happened to him, there is no excuse for what he did to you or your mother... or my mother. I'm sorry you had to endure all that, Severus. I wish that you had gotten away with Serenus so that you didn't have to grow up with such a horrible man."
"So do I," Serenus said quietly, still rubbing Severus' back soothingly. "But you survived, and as Remus says, you learned to be different."
"He affected me more than I care to admit," Severus said gruffly, remembering the anger and bitterness he had nursed for long that had colored his perception of the entire world and remembering the fear he'd had on learning Remus was carrying their child. The last thing he'd wanted was to be the kind of father that Tobias had been, but he hadn't had any other role models to show him a different way. Fortunately, he had managed not to repeat the patterns his father had instilled, and for that, he was grateful.
"No doubt he did," Regulus said. Of all those gathered at the table, he could relate to Severus' experiences most; his parents had never struck him, but they had inflicted mental and emotional abuse on him. "Which is why your change is such a triumph. You overcame great odds and obstacles, and as they say, living well is the best revenge."
"Indeed it is." Remus nuzzled Severus' cheek. "His influence over you is over and done. And you're living very well now, aren't you? If not, you just let me know and I'll do everything I can to make it better."
Gaius leaned closer Regulus, knowing that Regulus, too, had suffered from having terrible parents, and he'd also overcome the obstacles of his upbringing. "I'm glad that all the cycles of abuse have been broken; everyone in this room has earned the right to be happy."
"Agreed," Serenus said firmly. "We've all improved our lives tremendously, and we're going to see to it that we keep our peace and happiness, no matter who tries to intrude upon it. I like what we've all created together, and I don't want to lose it or see it tainted by someone like Tobias Snape."
"Nor do I," Severus said. "He had his chance, and he threw it away. I am not inclined to offer him another." He squeezed Remus' leg gently and leaned over. "I am living quite well," he murmured. "You have already made my life immeasurably better, and I can think of nothing I lack... except having more than five minutes in my new chair."
"I think we can remedy that," Remus replied. He glanced around the table. "If we're all done here, I think I'll take Severus home and make up for our interrupted chair time." He grinned at Serenus as he rose and offered a hand to Severus. "If you don't mind, since the children are already in bed, I'll just let sleepingSnapelets lie and we'll get them in the morning."
Serenus grinned back and made a shooing gesture at the pair of them. "Go ahead," he said cheerfully. "The night is still young, and there's still plenty of time for Severus to enjoy his new chair. We'll all be fine here, including theSnapelets."
Clasping Remus' hand, Severus rose to his feet quickly. "Then we will see you in the morning."
"Don't be surprised if I barge in over breakfast," Serenus teased. "You've got me curious about this chair of yours and what it does."
"If you're very good and nice to me, I might be persuaded to share it," Severus said loftily. "I can think of another hedonist who would probably sell his soul for five minutes in it," he added with a knowing look at Gaius.
Gaius laughed. "I'll let Serenus have first crack at it... I'll be there at lunch."
Tybalt snorted in amusement, then rose and began clearing plates. "Good night, you two. Don't do anything we wouldn't do!"
"Then that leaves us wide open with possibilities," Remus replied. He wrapped an arm around Severus' waist. "Good night!" he called out and led Severus from the room, eager to return home and enjoy all the possibilities inherent in Severus' new chair and in the very relaxed and grateful Severus who would be using it.