A Twist of Fate

* * * * *

That evening, Snape answered a persistent knock at his door to find the Weasley twins staring back at him. With a tired sigh, he turned and stepped back inside. He didn't invite the twins in, but he also didn't shut the door in their faces. Encouraged, they followed him into his ridiculously tiny flat.

"We wanted to apologise," George said at once.

"Between Rufus' version of the truth and what you said earlier..."

"And the account of a reliable eyewitness..."

"We've a fairly good idea what happened," Fred explained. "And...it shouldn't have."

"But Rufus has given us his word that nothing of the sort will ever happen again."

Snape's eyebrows shot up. "You mean to keep the man in your employ?"

George scuffed his foot and looked down at his hands. "If it were just Rufus..."

"But there are the children to consider," Fred said.

"Some poor woman was desperate enough to sleep with him?"

George laughed, and Fred shuddered. "I certainly hope not."

Sobering, George explained, "They're not his children. He took them in because he's the only family they have now...thanks to You-Know...I mean Voldemort."

"I see," Severus said. And he did. He could understand why the young, idealistic twins would be hesitant to cast the man aside.

"You won't have to work with him, though," Fred promised.

"That is, if you agree to come back," George added more quietly.

Severus sat quietly for a moment, considering. "My continuing to work for you would be...problematic at best," he said at last.

George nodded, looking somewhat downcast. "Is there any point in trying to persuade you?"

"No."

"We hate to see you go," Fred told him. "You've been a great help to us."

"And we've learned a lot from you."

"More than we ever learned in potions class," Fred added with a broad grin.

"Had you applied yourself half so much in school as you do in your research, you'd have been top of your class."

George grinned, too, then. The off-hand compliment pleased him, but he just said, "We wouldn't have wanted that. Then Mum would have expected us to make something of ourselves."

Fred shuddered theatrically, and Severus couldn't keep a brief half-smile from his lips.

"For the longest time, I was highly disappointed in the two of you. So much wit and talent wasted."

Surprise shown on both of the twins' faces. "What changed?" Fred asked.

Snape smirked. "I began to see your true potential during your final year at Hogwarts - when you waged war against that loathsome Umbridge woman."

Grinning even more broadly, Fred clapped his twin on the back. "Those were the days, weren't they George? Playing at being serious students while we planned our final farewell..."

"And 'fuck you'..."

"To formal education."

The three of them fell into silence for some minutes. "You're sure we can't convince you to stay?"

"I believe it would be best for me to pursue other avenues," Severus replied evenly.

George muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "fucking Rufus." He sighed deeply and then straightened in his seat. "If you're sure...then...well, we know how difficult they've made it for you to find work."

"And we know of another position for which you'd be more than qualified."

"It does involve working with children again, I'm afraid."

"But only three," Fred added quickly. "And they're considerably brighter than most of the ones that you had to deal with at Hogwarts."

Severus was surprised and touched by the twins concern. "It could be worse," he conceded. "Go on."

"We know someone who's looking for a private tutor..."

"Actually, she's looking for a governess. Or, well, a governor."

Fred nodded. "Someone to teach the children and lend a hand with their care. Just looking after them a bit, really."

"There's a house elf for the cooking and cleaning and such," George added.

Snape sat back in his chair, resting his elbows on the chair arms, his fingers steepled together before him. "What is it you're not telling me?"

George flashed Severus his most innocent smile. "I think we've about covered it, really."

"Well, except that you'd be working for Tonks."

Snape's eyebrows jumped up again. "Tonks? I wasn't aware that she had procreated."

"Um...they're not her children."

"More war orphans?" Snape guessed.

Fred nodded solemnly. To both Fred and Snape's surprise, George suddenly grabbed Fred and shook him rather roughly. "They are not orphans," he hissed.

"As good as," Fred retorted.

"But they're not, dammit. Not yet," George insisted.

And it was like a light had gone on in Severus' head. "They're Potter's children," he said. It was not a question.

"Yes," the twins confirmed in unison.

Slumping back in his chair, Severus raised one hand to massage the bridge of his nose. That he would even consider governing Potter's children.... Still, the idea had a certain appeal to it. He'd often wondered how the impetuous boy would have turned out had he been properly taken in hand at a young age.

"What has Tonks to do with this?" he asked.

"She drew the shortest straw," Fred joked.

George rolled his eyes. "With Hermione...gone...and Ron..." he stopped speaking, uncertain what to say.

"Since Hermione died, Ron hasn't been quite right in the head," Fred explained quietly. "That means the kids haven't got their godparents. And they haven't any other relatives, unless you count those awful Muggles."

"And Mum's got all she can deal with, what with taking care of Ron and trying to help Ginny raise Isabelle."

"If it wasn't for Remus, I don't know how she'd manage. Anyway, before Harry charged off to face You-Kn...Voldemort...he asked Tonks to stay and look after his kids."

"And she's been caring for them ever since."

"But she's at her wit's end," Fred said. "Tonks isn't exactly good with discipline or teaching or any of that."

"She keeps them entertained easily enough."

"But there's only so much one person can do, really."

The twins lapsed into silence again, quietly watching Snape as he sat thinking, absently tracing his mouth with his fingers.

"I'll speak with her," Severus said at last.

Both of the Weasleys let out a relieved sigh.

* * * * *

The next day, George dropped by again, this time to hand-deliver a letter from Tonks. "Fidelius," George explained.

The letter was short and to the point:

The Potter residence is at 39 St John Street, London. George will escort you. Body armour and strong shield spells highly recommended.

Snape might have been amused by the last had he been sure Tonks was joking.

A short time later, Severus followed George up the walk to a modest house in a Muggle neighborhood. The Potter home was rather less grand than he had imagined it would be.

George rapped smartly on the door and then opened it and stuck his head inside. "Tonks?" he called.

"In here," the woman's familiar voice rang out from the other side of a partially open door.

Severus followed George into the house, pulling the door shut behind them, and into the other room.

"Hullo, Tonks," George greeted the older woman.

"Wotcher, Georgie," Tonks replied cheerfully. "Hello, Severus."

Snape was unsure whether to be glad that Tonks seemingly hadn't changed a bit or if he should be horrified by her appearance. She was, unsurprisingly, dressed in a Muggle t-shirt and jeans. Her hair she wore in short spikes -- the same style she had favoured for the last decade. The colour, for her, was rather subdued: a deep blood red. She didn't look a day older than when she'd first joined the Order all those years ago; but then, she was a metamorphmagus.

"Nymphadora," Severus greeted evenly. "You're looking as garish as ever."

Tonks grinned. "That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me all day," she said cheekily. "But if you don't mind, it's Tonks."

"That just isn't right," George complained. "Anyone else calls you that, you draw your wand. How's he rate?"

"I'm trying to be polite," she hissed under her breath. "Good influence on the children and all?" she added, gesturing behind her.

Severus and George both looked, but neither could see any sign of children.

"They've finally driven you mad, haven't they?" George asked.

Tonks, frowning slightly, turned around to look as well. Then she laughed. "They're on the sofa." The high back of the sofa faced the doorway, effectively hiding the children from view.

"Best make certain they're actually still there," George remarked as he crossed the parlour to lean over the back of the sofa.

Two small, glad cries of "Uncle George!" confirmed that there were, in fact, children present.

"Janie, love, give us a hug," George demanded. A small pair of arms wound around his neck, and a moment later he lifted a giggling little girl over the back of the sofa and set her on her feet.

The moment the girl saw Severus, the giggles stopped. She looked up at him with wide, curious eyes and unconsciously straightened her now slightly rumpled blouse.

George stood the second child, a boy of about the same size and age, beside her. The little boy clung to George, his face half hidden in the man's side. Like his sister, he was neatly dressed in Muggle clothing. They had the same chestnut hair and almond-shaped hazel eyes. Severus wondered if they might be twins, and, if they were, if they were even half so mischievous as Fred and George.

Tonks crouched beside Snape, lowering herself to the children's height, and held out her hand. "It's all right, Brian," she said gently. "Come and meet Professor Snape."

Brian's eyes widened further, and he clung more tightly to George. Evidently the boy had heard horror stories about the dour professor. Severus scowled, and Brian turned his face away, hiding it against George's side.

"He's been like this ever since Susan died," Tonks explained. "He was never so shy before." She stood again, stretching slightly as she did so. "Janie, come and say 'Hello,' please."

Severus returned his attention to the little girl, who was still staring at him with wide eyes. Unlike her brother, she didn't seem to be afraid of Snape. She crossed the room to stand before him, craning her neck to look up at his face, and held out one tiny hand.

"I'm very pleased to finally meet you, Professor," she said in a spot-on imitation of the most formal of adult tones. "I've heard a great deal about you. I'm Amelia Jane Potter. I'd be pleased to have you call me Janie, though."

Severus' lips twitched in what might have been a smile as he shook Janie's hand. "The pleasure is mine," he replied formally.

The little girl beamed up at him. "That," she said, pointing toward the boy, "is my little brother, Brian. He's shy."

"So I noticed." He turned his attention to Tonks again. "I thought there were three?"

"Oh!" Tonks exclaimed, whirling around to look toward the far end of the room. "I've gone and let her nap too long. She'll never sleep tonight," she wailed.

"I'll go wake her," Janie volunteered, immediately disappearing through the door.

George rejoined Tonks and Severus. He was now carrying Brian, who had let go of George's middle only to cling tightly to his neck. "Grace is the baby," he supplied helpfully.

"She'd just had her third birthday before...well before everything," Tonks added. "Janie will be eight next month, and Brian will be seven soon after."

Severus remembered the scandal surrounding the birth of Amelia Jane Potter. Harry and Susan were only just out of school; Janie likely had been conceived whilst they were still students at Hogwarts. Much to the disapproval and disappointment of both Molly Weasley and Susan's mother, Abigail, the two teenagers had chosen for reasons known only to themselves not to marry.

Harry, by that time, had decided against any sort of work in Magical Law Enforcement, choosing instead to work with the Weasley twins and mind the baby. Susan, though, had stayed true to her dream of training to become a healer. Despite having two children in rapid succession, she'd completed that training with honours.

Snape remembered Susan as one of the few students who had actually excelled in his class. She had been quiet, but not timid, respectful, but not sycophantic. He'd been rather disappointed when he'd heard she'd gotten involved with Potter; he'd always thought she deserved better.

Janie strode back into the parlour then, disrupting his moment of retrospection. In her wake padded a much smaller girl, who was still rubbing sleep from her eyes. Grace paused just inside the doorway and looked up, her wildly curling black hair falling into her sleepy hazel eyes.

"Can you say 'hello' to Professor Snape, Grace?" Janie asked, again sounding more like an adult than a child.

Grace merely stared up at Snape. Then, without warning, her tiny chin began to tremble and tears spilled from her eyes. "Want Daddy," she whimpered.

The tears seemed contagious; within seconds all three children were sobbing wretchedly. George held Brian more tightly and rubbed his small back; he himself seemed on the verge of crying. Tonks gathered the girls to her, blinking rapidly to keep her own tears at bay.

Severus stood watching the emotional display, his own feelings hidden beneath an impassive masque. He wondered how Potter could have left his children defenceless to go haring off in search of vengeance. He, Severus, had no great love of children. Yet he was here, and Potter was not.

* * * * *

Tonks stepped into the large formal dining room, where Severus had taken refuge after the scene in the parlour. She stumbled a bit on her way in as she had somehow managed to snag her shirt on the doorknob. With a bit of a sigh, she dropped down into the chair to Snape's right.

"Sorry about that. I'm not sure what set Grace off - it never seems to be the same thing twice. Not that she gets like that often, mind, but...well, the children do miss their parents."

"Of course they do."

"Yes, well." Tonks sat still for a moment, seeming to collect herself. "If you're still interested, we can discuss what the job here would entail," she suggested.

"That is why I'm here."

"Of course. All right, then. What I'm looking for is someone who can teach the children the basics - reading and writing, arithmetic, and whatnot. But I also need someone to help me look after them. The ideal candidate for the position would also have to be a good role model and a fair disciplinarian," Tonks began. "You'd be paid a weekly wage, plus free room and board."

"I would be expected to live here?" Snape asked, his expression darkening.

"Erm...I don't suppose that would be a requirement, but it would save you the trouble of traveling so far every day."

Severus thought it over for a moment. He had no love for his cramped flat in Hogsmeade. The Potter home was certainly more comfortable. And, too, there was a poetic irony in living in Harry Potter's home that appealed to the darker side of his nature. "It's something to consider," he said.

Tonks nodded. "Dobby takes care of the cooking and cleaning, but he's a bit odd, even for a house elf, so I don't really feel comfortable entrusting the children to him." She paused again, thinking. "I can't really think of anything else."

"The children have always been taught at home." It wasn't a question but Tonks nodded anyway.

"Harry taught the children himself. Because of the threat to the family, he and Susan didn't feel safe sending them off to school. Actually, the children have spent almost all of their time here, in the house or in the back garden, except for the occasional trip to the Burrow."

"I see."

"After Harry...after Harry ended up in St Mungo's, I tried to take over teaching, using his notes and lesson plans. That didn't go so well. Actually, to be honest, it was a complete fiasco. It's impossible to look after Grace and teach the older children at the same time. I have no idea how Harry managed it. I just hope between the two of us, we can manage the three of them," Tonks said, nodding her head toward the parlour.

Severus glared at Tonks. He'd dealt with far greater challenges. After all, he'd taught these children's father. And Neville Longbottom. And the Weasley twins. The list could go on indefinitely.

Tonks merely returned his gaze, a slight smirk turning up the corners of her mouth. "I already know your qualifications, and I'm prepared to make you an offer," she said after a moment. Snape gave a nod, just the barest inclination of his head, and Tonks named a sum that, while not as generous as his wages at Weasleys' Wheezes, seemed more than adequate.

"Draw up a contract," he said shortly, "and send it to me. I've arrangements to make if I'm to live here."

To his surprise, Tonks flashed him a brilliant smile. "Done. I'll owl it to you first thing tomorrow. You can move in over the weekend and start work on Monday, if that suits?"

"I look forward to it," he replied, although his tone implied otherwise.

Tonks showed him out, the grin never leaving her face. As Severus made his way home and began to pack his things, he couldn't help wondering just what the girl found so amusing.

* * * * *

Monday morning found Severus on the doorstep of 39 St John, traveling case in hand. The contract had been signed over the weekend, and, for the second time in less than a year, Severus' belongings had been sent ahead of him to his new residence. Tamping down the tendrils of apprehension he felt niggling at the back of his mind, Severus raised one hand and rapped smartly on the door.

A few minutes later, he knocked again. And then again.

Finally, he could hear the distinctive sound of the bolt sliding open. A moment later, the door opened, and Grace Potter smiled up at him. "Hi," she said brightly.

Scowling, Severus stepped into the house and shut the door beside him. As little as he knew about small children, he knew they shouldn't be allowed to open the door to a virtual stranger. Where was Tonks?

A loud whoop from somewhere deeper in the house deepened the scowl. The sound was obviously not that of a person in distress; rather, it reminded him of the noises the boys at Hogwarts would sometimes make whilst pegging one another with conjured snowballs.

Carefully setting his case aside, he hefted Grace and settled her on his hip. To his surprise, her arms immediately went around his neck as she snuggled close to him. At least, he thought, she hadn't burst into tears at the sight of him.

Another whoop echoed through the house, accompanied by raised voices. Severus followed the sounds first into the hallway off the foyer, then up the stairs, and finally to one of the upstairs rooms. He peered through the open doorway.

The room looked as though it had been ransacked by thieves. Tonks stood in the midst of the clutter, looking as if she might cry. The children both stood before her. Brian, who was wearing nothing but a beige towel wrapped around his waist and a headband with a few feathers stuck in, looked as if he, too, were on the verge of tears. Beside him, Janie, who wore a similar feathered headband along with looked like a burlap bag fashioned into a sort of frock, stood with her arms crossed across her chest and her chin tilted upward in a defiant stance. Both children, Severus noticed, had streaked black and red ink on their faces.

"What precisely is going on here?" All three of the room's occupants jumped at the sound of Severus' voice.

Brian immediately lunged forward and buried his face in Tonks' side, smearing her shirt with ink. Janie, though, smiled at him. "We're playing red Indians," she said. "We read about them in one of our storybooks."

Grace broke her silence then. "I wanna feather."

"You don't need a feather," Severus told her. "For that matter, neither do you," he added, addressing himself to the older children. "Go and get cleaned up. Now." His tone brooked no argument.

Janie shrugged and set off to do as she was told. Brian merely tightened his grip on Tonks' waist.

"Brian, you should go and wash up, too," Tonks told him gently. The boy didn't move.

Gently prising Grace's arms from around his neck, Severus set the child on her feet and moved to stand beside Tonks.

"Brian Potter." His voice was quiet, but had a hard edge to it. The boy finally looked up. "Go. Wash. Up."

Brian fled the room, almost knocking Grace over in his haste.

Tonks closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she gave Snape a tired half-smile. "That could have gone much worse."

Snape glared at her. She returned his gaze fearlessly, daring him to say anything further on the subject. At last, Severus looked away, glancing down to see what was brushing against his leg in such an irritating manner.

Grace looked up at him with an impish grin from where she was trying to tickle him with a feather. "Brian dropped it," she said, as if that explained everything.

Tonks sighed. "I'll show you your rooms and the rest of the house once I've rounded up Dobby to deal with this mess."

"I begin to see why you've had difficulties with the children," Snape said thoughtfully.

"Because I've taken a pack of harridans to raise?"

"Because you haven't any grasp of the concept of discipline," Severus replied. He drew his gaze away from Grace, who was now exploring the sensation of the feather against her own palm, and looked Tonks squarely in the eye. "The children created this catastrophe. They should be tasked with setting it to rights."

"They won't do it." Severus raised his brow as if to challenge the statement, and Tonks gave him a rueful grin. "Perhaps they would if the order came from you."

"The children refuse to treat you with respect because you don't demand it of them. You coddle them and kowtow to their whims, so they use it to their advantage. You have to be firm with them."

"You think you know so much," Tonks hissed, "but you haven't the faintest idea. I've tried 'being firm' with them. Brian bursts into tears and usually ends up hiding in the attic. And Janie...Janie likes to tell me that 'Mummy wouldn't speak to us that way' or 'Daddy would let us.'" She dropped into a crouch beside Grace and stroked the girl's curls. "Thank Merlin for Gracie. You're my little angel, aren't you?"

Grace smiled at Tonks and tickled her chin with the feather.

Just then the two older children marched back into the room. "All clean," Janie announced. A puzzled expression settled on her face as she surveyed the condition of the room. "Where's Dobby?"

Severus pursed his lips and looked down at Tonks. She held his gaze for only a moment before standing with a sigh and turning to face Jane. "Why do you want to know where Dobby is?"

Janie looked at Tonks as if the woman had lost her mind. "To clean up?" she said uncertainly.

"Oh, you mean in here?" Tonks asked, gesturing theatrically to the chaos all around them.

"Yes?"

"Don't you think perhaps that the people responsible for this mess should be the ones to clear it up again?"

Janie's eyes widened in shock and then narrowed dangerously. "You mean you think Brian and I should clean up? We're not house elves," she said, crossing her arms across her chest.

"No, you're not," Tonks agreed. "But that doesn't mean you can't pick up after yourselves."

Janie opened her mouth to protest further, but suddenly caught sight of the disapproving scowl on Severus' face. She shuffled her feet for a moment. "When do we start our lessons?" she asked him, veering away from the unpleasant and potentially dangerous topic of household chores.

Inwardly, Severus smirked. If Janie was anything at all like her mother, her interest in lessons was likely genuine and could, therefore, be used against her.

"I had intended to begin your lessons this morning," Snape lied, "but my plans, quite obviously, have been disrupted. Perhaps after lunch, if the two of you have managed to restore this room by then."

Janie gave a sharp nod and fell to work. "You have to help, too, Brian," she chided her brother, who still hovered in the doorway.

Brian glanced nervously at Snape, and then toward his sister. He hesitated a moment more before edging into the room and beginning to help gather up the scattered books and toys, watching Severus out of the corner of his eye the entire time and cautiously keeping his distance from the man.

Tired of her feather, Grace pitched in to help her brother and sister, apparently viewing the chore as some sort of game.

Tonks watched the children work for a minute or two before gesturing for Snape to follow her from the room. "I think Brian's afraid of you," she said quietly, once they were in the hallway.

"He wouldn't be the first."

"You're going to be living here, Severus. It isn't good for him to be frightened on someone who he's going to be around 'round the clock. Couldn't you...I don't know. Try being nice to him?"

Severus' scowl was all the answer she needed. She scrubbed her palms over her face and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can see this is going to be a great lot of fun," she muttered.