Angelinus

Chapter 4

Planes and Taxis and Portkeys

They'd slept in until mid morning both Wednesday and Thursday mornings and had to make a request of the house elves for breakfast in bed for two, an unusual occurrence. Severus had stayed with Remus, holding him, stroking him. In every action and reaction, Severus had proved his love for his newly bonded mate and Remus had only fallen ever deeper in love with his very private and tender partner.

It had come as a huge, although not terrible, shock to Severus to find the simple 'fixed term contract' he had envisaged had not been possible. Standing by the lake, he had logically and most earnestly chosen to bind his life to Remus, to support and care for him in sickness and in health with full measure for the next twenty five years, with a common goal to raise the children to the best of their ability. At the end of that term, the unBinding would have been automatic and they would each have been given the choice of going their separate ways or choosing a new form of contract.

Instead, they had each - quite unintentionally - bound their magic and their souls together. It had not been a conscious decision on either part, a spontaneous and joyous fleeing together of two lonely people recognising their other half as their hearts spoke out and their souls melded. They were now effectively one soul in two bodies, each one half of a matched set, and there was no way out of it until death, and maybe not even then!

Severus groaned, and then soothed Remus back to sleep as he half stirred. 'It was just too horribly 'Witches Weekly!'. Sickly sweet romance with hearts and flowers and rainbow bubbles. Dreck!' And yet, who else was going to take care of Remus? Make sure he was never reduced to a mere animal again. Protect his rights as a human being, make sure he was cared for and protected during the moon phase when he had no control over his infection. The man was too softhearted and shy to stand up for his rights, to demand an equal hearing. He had the magic to dominate most of the half witted critics anywhere in the wizarding world but he did not have the, no not a lack of courage, but almost too much humility to blast the bastards. Severus knew he had no such problem, quite the opposite, but Remus seemed to be able to show him a better way than brute force and blasting charms when dealing with red tape.

'And quite frankly, who else would put up with Severus' own little ways? His arrogance and his, what was the word Desiree used? Oh yes 'anal retentive paranoia'. Hah! Blast the woman.' But Remus didn't see his faults; it seemed. Remus saw deeper into his mind and soul and fed a very lonely, insecure part of him hidden at the bottom of his being. He loved Severus for all his faults, failures and phobias. That was why Severus had lost control of the Binding, forging it into a lot more than he had intended.

When he had tried to apologise to Remus on their wedding night, Remus had just laughed and kissed him deeply. "Sev, if I hadn't have agreed, I would not have followed your lead and I would not have let you go any further. Your soul called to mine and asked the question. My soul gave the answer and they both went on together. Sometimes, my love, the head needs to be over-ruled by the heart. I love you and you love me. When all the trappings of society and convention are stripped away that is all there is left and that is all there need be. Remus John Lupin loves Severus Ibrim Snape. End of story."

Smiling in the early morning light, Severus had to agree, Severus Ibrim Snape loved Remus John Lupin, rock bottom truth.

~~<*>~~

However, on Friday morning, there was not time for introspection. Neither of them had dallied in bed past the first cock's crow. Friday was the day their children arrived, whether one accompanied by the Squib or two unaccompanied children, they still hadn't discovered.

"You know, I'm rather torn between nerves and excitement," Remus announced as he touched his wand to his face and banished the beginnings of a grey beard. "I mean these children are virtual strangers to us, not like the Trio's kids whom I have known from birth. I wonder if they will like us. Will they be horrified by me being a werewolf, do you think?"

Severus put his head out of the shower door and glared at Lupin's reflection. "Don't be so wet! They probably are like any of the Gryfindork kids, just as sadistic and nosey. Master Potter's only reaction to learning of your lycanthropy was to say, er, 'Cool! Can we watch?'"

Remus turned to stare at Severus then burst out laughing. "Little Ghoul!"

"Merely Ravenclaw, very intellectually engaged but not very practical." Severus chuckled in remembered amusement. "I am always amazed that two such staunch Gryffindors could produce a pair like Lillian and Paul. I wonder how the young Malfoys will shape up, should be interesting. Now, stop your useless soul searching and finish grooming, I want to get ready too."

Remus glared at his partner then laughed when he realised there was still a pile of bubbles on top of Severus' head. "Might want to rinse out the shampoo first. How is that one working?"

"When will you understand that greasy hair is not a disadvantage in my line of work?" Severus protested in exasperation as he finished rinsing and used the conditioner Remus had procured from somewhere. "Oh Merlin! This stuff is revolting! It smells like rotting seaweed.... Oh! It's not really that bad now!"

"Its marine scented. After the fuss you made over fruit scents I thought you might like it!"

"To use a certain Gryffindor's favourite saying, Bloody Hell!"

Remus laughed as he exited the bathroom and pulled on his outer robes. Yesterday an owl had delivered a parcel from Madam Malkin's for him containing two very smart sets of spring weight robes, one in tobacco brown, one in soft dove grey, and two pairs of loafers. When he asked Severus about it, the impossible git had simply clammed up and refused to say anything until he threatened to send them back. Then Severus had exploded, demanding to know what it took to get his stiff-necked stubborn arse to accept a simple bloody present! Severus did outraged dignity and huffy upset perfectly, completely obscuring the original issue until Remus found himself apologising, which made him narrow his eyes and vow revenge on Sev. He got his revenge last night, although they had both screamed at one stage or another. Smiling at the small love bites on his neck, Remus finished fastening the grey robe's high collar and settled to wait for Severus to finish dressing.

Severus came out in a thin black silk shirt and black wool trousers, his hair damp and curling on his shoulders. Buttoning his cuffs, he sighed as a curl slithered over one obsidian eye and flopped onto his cheek. Raising his hands, he pulled them through his hair and left it totally dry as he drew it back into a ponytail low on his neck.

"How do you do that?" Remus asked fascinated as the now straight and sleek hair clung to the silk of Severus' shirt. He quickly muttered a holding spell over the ribbon as the fine, silky strands began to slide free.

"Wandless magic? You just concentrate," Severus offered, slightly muffled as he hunted out socks and boots. "Ah! Here they are. I've been using wandless magic all my life. No one told me it wasn't possible when I was a little kid so I just kept doing it until I got caught and then there were repercussions over keeping secrets; but it comes in handy. It's not as powerful or as effective as true magic but it can get you out of tight spots with the element of surprise," he stated matter-of-factly as he pulled on his boots. A heavy robe of black wool was whirled over his thin shoulders and the buttons virtually fastened themselves as he stood up. "Ready?"

"You are something else!" Remus declared as he reached up and kissed one sallow cheek. "How come your parents didn't notice you had performed wandless magic? Mine would have had pink kittens and thrown a party to celebrate."

"My parents were, otherwise engaged," Severus replied harshly, a sneer twisting his face and Remus realised he had trod on a sore spot accidentally. There was much about Severus' past and his very nasty relationship with his father that he refused to ever talk about. Remus had learned to respect his reticence but was always receptive if Severus chose to say anything.

"Ah well, their loss, your gain," he said gently, slipping a hand into Sev's and squeezing reassuringly as they entered the main corridor heading toward the great hall.

"Idiot werewolf," Severus murmured affectionately.

"Stupid vampire," Remus replied in amusement then groaned slightly when he realised a couple of Hufflepuff girls were staring round-eyed at them. One glare from Severus sent them fleeing but the damage was already done. Now the whole school would resound with the rumour that Severus was a vampire, again. "I'm so sorry."

"What for? Everyone knows I am a vampire so it's nothing new ask them. However, they can't explain why I am able to teach class in the daylight without going up in smoke. Reputation must work for you not against you, Remus. Mine was getting a little tarnished with all the hearts and flowers around here, but this should polish it back up to terrifying again, quite nicely." There was a certain smug satisfaction to his tone.

Remus gaped at his mate then burst out laughing. "You are the living end, aren't you?"

"Living dead, don't you mean?" Severus retaliated as they swept into the great hall for breakfast.

Remus massacred the cheese and tomato omelette that was on his plate, reducing it to shreds rather than eating it, Severus noticed. Turning slightly, he murmured out the side of his mouth. "If you don't eat that immediately, I will force feed you, do you understand?"

Jumping guiltily, Remus quickly bolted a mouthful then turned to glare at his partner in exasperation. He caught a glimpse of worry behind the flat black gaze and smiled slightly. "I'm just not hungry."

"You always eat well but never gain weight so missing a meal is not good for you. Now eat!"

Remus' mouth dropped open and he sniggered as he assessed Severus untouched plate. "'Said the kettle to the pot!' When it comes to eating and gaining weight, you aren't exactly a shining example, my love."

The last two words took the sting out of his statement and Severus nodded slightly. "Agreed. I wonder if the students would be horrified if I kissed you right now. Or would they think I am feeding?"

"Severus!" Remus exclaimed in shocked amusement, a little louder than he intended, causing Minerva to glance over and meet Severus' raised eyebrow.

She glanced quickly between the two men then smirked slightly as she leaned across, pushing a plate of steak into easy reach. "Need a little iron reinforcement today Severus? You don't seem to be enjoying the kippers and kedgeree."

"Bugger off Minerva," Severus said without heat, making her laugh and Remus blush.

"Have you thought how you are going to get the Squib and the children out of the Muggle Floo area, er, airport?" She asked more seriously, turning her chair a little to talk more comfortably.

"You could always call for the Knight Bus," Lydia Halfpenny offered most warily, still not terribly comfortable after her run-in with the pair in the kitchens.

Before Remus could reply, Severus snorted in disgust. "I think not. Filius made me a portkey, which should make transport easy enough. And yes, Minerva, it is powerful enough to move even a Squib and a couple of small children. Flitwick knows his business."

"I wasn't about to question it," Minerva put in acerbically. "I was merely about to say you may have to expend some of your dubious charm to reassure the young woman that you are not about to kidnap and devour her, you being so...."

"Enough children," Remus intervened before Severus could finish drawing his indignant breath. "Miss Solstein will cooperate fully with both of us, without casting Unforgivables. She will not be alarmed nor will she be upset in any way. Now both of you eat your breakfasts and give us all a little peace."

Both older teachers stared at the usually unassuming man then both shook their heads in unison. "He is no fun at all!" Minerva muttered in disgust.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Severus, murmured back and they smirked at each other making Lydia blush and Remus snort in embarrassment.

~~<*>~~

Apparating from outside the school gates, the pair appeared in Diagon Alley's public Floo area. They could have taken the floo from Professor Dumbledore's office but Severus hated the spinning sensation and so had chosen to apparate. Remus had been a little worried that he would not have the where-with-all to make such a long jump with Severus but it proved to be easy enough. Ignoring the speculative looks the few people in the area gave them, they checked the directory and discovered there was a privately owned Floo-talker in a café near the public airport.

Going to a small side floo, Remus called the Thirsty Dragon Coffee House and was gratified to be answered immediately by a young man with a surprised look on his face. It only took a moment to negotiate a quiet spot to apparate to and within ten minutes, they were on their way. The owner of the Thirsty Dragon, one Markus Leighton-Moody, was delighted to have any wizard pop into his shop and had directed them to a small employee's lounge on the first floor of the building. He was waiting by the door when the two wizards literally popped in, his jaw dropping when he saw who had entered his establishment.

"Professor S-Snape, Sir?" He gasped, blanching a little.

"Moody," Snape replied, staring down at the younger man, a former student from Hufflepuff who had finished his OWLS eight years before. "Have you met Remus Lupin-Snape? My husband?"

The man's jaw hit the ground as Remus bowed slightly, a small, understanding smile reassuring the younger man. "Thank you for the use of your establishment. He refused to use the floo, to undignified."

"Oh! Er, yes then. Won't you come downstairs? We are open for business and my wife is probably dying of curiosity by now. She was Matilda Greenwell before our marriage."

"Ravenclaw," Snape commented as they followed the nervous man downstairs. "The coffee smells very good. We have some time in hand, would you care to indulge Remus?"

"That would be nice. Hot chocolate please." Remus smiled at the young woman behind the counter as Severus pulled out a chair for him and settled him at a small, round table in a large bay window. The room was pleasant, lace tablecloths and linen napkins and silver cutlery, unfortunately. Severus intercepted the teaspoon and butter knife that came with the scones they ordered, before Remus could be burned.

Moody almost wet himself under Snape's glare and succinctly worded hiss on the werewolf's inherited allergies to silver, his stupidity in not remembering his DADA lessons and his shortened life expectancy if he forgot again. The young man apologised profusely for not knowing Remus was a werewolf in the first place, his failure to pass his O.W.L.s with an acceptable standard and anything else Snape desired him to abase himself for. He took away the offending offerings, preparing a whole new plate of scones, a china pot of coffee and a china pot of hot chocolate before bringing them back with hastily procured plastic cutlery. Surveying the spread carefully, Severus finally nodded his grudging approval and poured Remus a cup of chocolate before serving his own coffee.

The young couple held their breaths until both older men nodded their approval then both sighed in relief. Remus' sharp hearing heard Matilda murmur that she had been sure Snape was about to hex her husband just then. Severus was also as acute of hearing and smirked in unbelievable self-satisfaction, which made Remus shake his head resignedly. It was no use deploring the man's demeanour, it was ingrained and as much a part of him as his breeding.

The Snapes watched the hustle and bustle of the Muggle traffic as they enjoyed the break after their busy morning. Remus had not realised how tense he was until the chocolate seeped into his system and he felt the muscles in the back of his neck ease and loosen under its soothing flavour. Even Severus was moved to remark that they made a very fine cup of coffee as he poured another and sipped it delicately.

Thus fortified, they had Marcus call them a taxi to take them on the last part of the journey to the airport. Severus had never been in a Muggle car before and had no idea of what to expect as the large black vehicle pulled away from the curb. By the time they arrived at the airport, Severus had managed to lose every single vestige of colour he'd ever had. His nails had punctured the fabric of the car's bench seat and Remus wondered if he would have bruises where his husband had been strangling his arm during the journey. Unwrapping Severus' long fingers and carefully easing him out of the vehicle, Remus refrained from teasing him in any way as his partner stood rigidly on the pavement and refused to budge an inch further.

The driver accepted the Muggle money Remus handed over and grinned as the man refused the change he offered, not realising the odd silvery coins looked dangerous to the werewolf. Taking Severus by the arm, Remus guided his almost catatonic mate into the revolving door that gave ingress to the airport Arrivals building. Once back under an artificial roof, Severus seemed to snap out of his blue funk and glared down at his shorter partner.

"If you ever suggest we do anything like that again, I'll hex you to the Outer Hebrides, I warn you so! That was worse than riding a floo!"

Remus laughed.

The airport was chaos; Muggles everywhere, children screaming, laughing, crying and generally shouting in a very disorderly fashion. Severus wished he could cast a Silencing Charm over the whole pack of them but Remus seemed unaffected by the hustle and bustle. Severus briefly recalled that the werewolf had lived as a Muggle himself for a number of years and was not totally ignorant of their world. The sound of a hungry dragon screaming made him flinch and look around wildly but Remus' hand on his arm stopped him going for his wands. An almost unintelligible voice made an announcement in three languages and Severus managed to piece some of it together using the English and French versions of the words.

"Qantas Flight ......... Australia is landing and .......... bark at ....... All passengers will be ..... through the East ....."

The two wizards exchanged puzzled looks but then Severus noticed a large board with flight names and flashing lights. The name of the flight they had been given was now flashing the disembarking signal and this caused the crowd to surge against the barriers with an eager, hungry sound. Remus shivered, still a little sensitive from the closeness of the full moon but more from the recognition of the predatory mood of the crowd around them.

"Er - Remus? Have you any idea how to recognise this Sandy Solstein?" Severus asked almost dispassionately, tall enough to see over most of the crowd in front of them.

Remus opened his mouth then closed it with a snap. "No."

Bending his head to stare down at his shorter mate, Snape rolled his eyes in exasperation. Remus grinned at the familiar, narrow eyed glare then pulled a scrap of parchment out of his pocket. Carefully using his wand as a quill, Remus printed 'Solstein' on the parchment and muttered a growth spell over the scrap. Passing it up to Severus he grinned when Sev clicked his tongue impatiently but the taller man did raise the sign as soon as the first trickle of passengers began to emerge from the tunnel.

~~<*>~~

Alexandra Solstein stared down at the child sleeping uneasily on the seat next to her. She looked so angelic when her eyes were closed but she had been a little demon, only getting worse as they boarded the plane. Not that Sandy blamed them. Hey, here she was a trusted friend taking them away from everything they had even know off to a place that was as foreign as Outer Mongolia to the twins.

When the news first came on the radio that there was a big fire out west, Sandy had been at work in the hospital. Her friend Babs Kelley had turned the station up and called her attention to it, knowing she came from the Mildura region. It wasn't until the next day that the police called and told her about Graham and Lacky being burned to death in their horse barn while trying to let the animals out. It wasn't until she spoke with the station manager that she learned Lacky had been pinned under a rafter and Graham had been overcome with smoke while trying to get her out.

Larry Mundingi and his wife Elsa had taken charge of Angelinus thank Goodness, as they were well aware of the nature of the child. Social services had tried to step in but the locals had upheld the Mundingi's claim until Sandy got there. The fire had completely missed the town even though it had devastated both Crown land and the sheep stations around it. At the local solicitors office, Sandy learned she was to be in sole charge of getting Angelinus to England and into the care of Lacky's cousin Severus Snape. That hadn't been the shock. The shock was that both Graham and Lacky had left her enough money to give her a good start on the day dream she and Lacky had shared all those years ago when they first met. Living and working in London or studying at the prestigious Oxford College was always Sandy's wish but her parents had not been able to afford it and she had never managed to save enough to make it happen either. That her big chance came because of tragedy took some of the glow off.

Still, she had made arrangements for the Mundingis to run the station, taken Angelinus and set off to fulfil Graham and Lacky's final wishes for their children. And that's when sweet little Angelina and Linus had turned into the Scream Machine! They couldn't agree on what to wear which caused a screaming match. They couldn't agree on what to eat, another screaming tantrum. If she told them off for fighting they broke down into the most soul searing weeping, sobbing for their parents until their little body was shaking and clammy from the effort.

Then there was the deliberate naughtiness, things they hadn't done since they were tiny. Linus decided to cut their hair off in chunks. Sandy had been horrified and Angel outraged, fortunately next morning it had all grown back again. Then Angel had drawn Mummies and Daddies all over the hotel wall in texta. They deliberately broke toys and destroyed clothes but worst of all, and most likely the least controlled behaviour was the wet beds and midnight nightmares.

All these things were bad enough when staged at home or in a hotel but when they started to happen in an airplane, Sandy couldn't cope! At first the adventure had been enough to engage their attention, looking out the window, talking to the stewardess, getting their drinks served to them like grownups. Then they got bored and started to fidget, then to wail then to scream at the top of their lungs, which made the rest of the passengers glare or cringe. When the sobs got too much, one of the other mothers had come down the aisle with a very determined expression on her face.

"Look dear, I know you may have your own ideas but the rest of us are fed up. Your daughter is keeping everyone else awake and we have had enough. Now! This is a mild sedative, it will slow her down, possibly enough to make her go to sleep and give the rest of us a break because, believe me, the next stop may be where you get off if she doesn't shut it!"

"Are you threatening me?" Sandy fired up, her own temper frayed beyond endurance.

"Nope, just giving you the drum. Look, you are all done in too and I'll bet you could use the break? Here, let me give her just a spoonful and you will notice the difference straight away." The woman deftly poured a teaspoon of the thick pink liquid into Angelinus' wide-open mouth, causing the child to choke half way through her latest scream.

The little girl coughed and spluttered, spraying the seat and the meddlesome woman with sticky pink liquid but some went down the hatch. A few minutes later Angelinus stopped thrashing, her struggles slowing until she flopped limply over the seat, shuddering breaths still wracking her from time to time. Sandy let out a sigh, some of her own tension leaving her as her charge settled.

"Maybe you should try a mouthful yourself," the woman said, not unkindly, passing over the bottle. "Hang on to it if you need it later."

Sandy wrapped her hand around the small brown bottle with a guilty flush. She wouldn't use it, it was wrong, not good to drug children but... At least Angelinus was resting at last, although the sighing had not stopped and she hadn't woken up for three hours. They had even had a stopover in Amsterdam that had not disturbed the sleeping child. She was pretty sure that that was not right but she was so tired! And she still had to fight her way through customs yet, and immigration and probably the nightmare of baggage handling!

Sandy felt tears welling in her eyes, self-pity and grief clawing at her usual optimism. It was all just too much for her and she buried her face in her hands to shed a few quiet tears, hoping no one would notice. There was no one to help her at this point and a small child was depending on her totally. With no choice in the matter, Sandy pulled her self together and began to plan logistics for moving a sleeping child, a ton of luggage and her carry-on luggage all by herself. Her resolve nearly faltered but she squared her shoulders and gritted her teeth as the seatbelt sign flared into life.

~~<*>~~

The majority of passengers had come and gone before a huge mound of luggage balanced precariously on a small luggage trolley trundled into sight. A small, dishwater blonde woman tried to push the trolley with one hand, the other clutching a small child to her body while two pannier sized bags bounced and jounced at her hips, threatening to overbalance her at every step. She looked around with black ringed eyes that seemed glazed and dull, barely flickering when they spotted the sign Severus held up. She tried to turn the trolley toward them but the luggage pile threatened to topple so she gave that up in resigned exhaustion.

Taking pity on her, Remus gracefully vaulted the barrier rail and hurried across to take control of the luggage. "Sandy Solstein? Hi, I'm Remus Lupin-Snape; let me push this for you." He headed for the gate and quickly guided the obviously exhausted young woman to where Severus could meet them at the end of the barrier. It was a matter of a moment to relieve her of the two huge bags and draw her over to a quiet corner away from the crowd. Severus was very keen to demand where the second child was but Remus hushed him with a look, signing that he should deal with the luggage.

Glaring, Snape moved his wrist to release his wand from its forearm holster. It slid into his hand almost unnoticed, almost indistinguishable from the pale, sallow skin of Severus' fingers. It was the third wand Severus had owned and used, and possibly the most eccentric. His first had been a standard eleven inches of willow with a dragon heartstring core, broken when he left the Death Eaters the first time. His second wand, an unregistered duelling wand he still carried regularly, was twelve inches of ebony with a dragon scale core. However, the wand he preferred for everyday use had come from Germany and was barely six inches long. Even worse, its core was of mermaid hair coiled on itself in a figure eight loop. One end of the tress was set flush with the point; the other end protruded from the base of the wand and actually contacted the wielder's flesh when held. The final eccentricity of the wand was that the virgin Rowan wood was bent so that the wand itself was curved along its length. While it was not a fast reaction wand like the instant action of the duelling wand, once a charm was cast, the quadruple loop of mermaid hair seemed to concentrate and enhance the spell, making it four times more powerful that the original intent. When Snape released it from the wrist holster, the curve fitted perfectly into his palm, concealing it from all sight.

The muttering of an illusion charm and a shrinking charm reduced the luggage to a tiny pile on the table while no one saw any difference. Remus nodded his approval as he popped one of the shrunken trunks into his own pocket. Sandy Solstein perked up a little at this obvious display of magic but no one around them seemed to be any the wiser.

"Oh, you're good, mate," she stated softly, almost intimidated as a perfectly shaped black brow rose in comment.

"I think a certain number of answers are necessary at this point. My cousin told me there would be twins but you only booked seating for two and you are obviously carrying only one child."

"Actually, I'm not. This is Angelina and Linus Morecombe. Look, it's a long story and I am exhausted. Angelinus has been hell to travel with and it wasn't until one of the women on the 'plane gave me some sedative medicine that they settled down a little and fell asleep."

Remus concentrated hard on the tiny child in the girl's arms, his nose wrinkling just the tiniest little bit as he sniffed delicately. His brows knit, as he smelled both a young female and a young male in the child. His surprise was not concealed from Severus as he held out his hands and Sandy almost automatically handed the limp bundle over to the small, sandy haired man. Stroking the child's honey brown curls aside, Remus bent his head closer and sniffed again. "That's odd, I smell... something... Severus, sniff. Do you recognise the scent?"

"Oh, that was probably this stuff a woman on the plane gave me. It's just an over the counter medicine for restless babies. They only swallowed about half a dose as they spat most of it out." Sandy handed over a small brown bottle, which Severus opened and sniffed, drawing his head back sharply.

"Oh Merlin! Check the child's heart, quickly Remus."

"It is missing a beat, every now and again," Remus said in shock.

"Here, take this to Poppy and tell her the child is poisoned with this foul concoction. I will cover you." Severus handed over the offending bottle and Remus Apparated, a slight 'pop' all that marked his going. In his place, his image sat still, holding the child on his lap.

"Whoa! I am impressed! But why the flurry, it was just pharmacy medicine," the girl asked, a note of panic and worry colouring her tone.

Severus ran his hands through his hair, totally dislodging the holding spell Remus had put on it for him. "The child is a magical creature, quite powerful, as your letter stated and obviously labouring under some sort of guising spell. Into that unstable mess you have casually poured belladonna and morpheas malicia. Oh the bottle had their chemical names but our world usually gives the real names. All I can say is thank Merlin you didn't give the child the full dose as recommended on the bottle, she would not have survived the journey. So, let us move on now as these charms will fade away soon and we have to be out of here first."

Sandy grunted as she climbed wearily to her feet. "You know, if I wasn't so tired I would be screaming in insanity. So what sort of amazing surprise do I get now?" She asked wearily as she stumbled along beside the extremely tall man in the black raincoat.

"I have a portkey," Severus murmured as he remembered his manners and cupped her elbow to help her along.

"What's a portkey?"

"It's a travel device that will transport us to Hogwarts. Here, put your finger on this galleon and you will feel a pull in the region of your navel. It will take us to the school."

"Is that where Remus has taken the kids?"

"This is so," Severus replied smoothly as the magic took hold and Sandy screamed.