An Experiment Gone Wrong

~~~~~~~~An Experiment Gone Wrong~~~~~~~

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"Da? Faather...daaaaa! Wake up!" a boys voice said pleadingly.

"Yeah wake up da....father! Come on wake up!" another boy said while jumping up onto the bed between the two people in it.

The two people in the bed groaned at the sudden burst of energy they were currently the recipients of. "What.Is.It," a man's voice said with a scowl trying to pull the duvet over his head.

"It came! It's here! It's really here!" one of the boys said nudging the other person in the bed. "Do wake up DA! Father!" the boy said again pleadingly.

The other person groaned and sat up rubbing his eyes. "Alright we're up already. As if anyone could sleep with the two of you yelling from the rafters. Now settle down and...what's here?" the man said fully awake now.

"This!" they both said gleefully in unison and shoved two pieces of parchment into their da's hands.

Remus looked down at the two parchments for a moment before it finally registered why they looked so familiar. Nudging his husband on the shoulder he said, "Sev, get up. It's important."

"Remus it's 7 am in the bloody morning. There is nothing that's that important that I have to get up for yet when I don't have to be at work till noon. Now sod off the lot of you and let me go back to sleep," Severus said muttering from underneath the duvet.

"Geez father you're always so cheerful in the mornings aren't you," one of the boys said with a chuckle.

"Only when I'm being sat on and annoyed young man. Now go away and let your father sleep," Severus said scowling.

"Severus I think you should get up. Now," Remus said in a firm tone while stepping back into the conversation again.

Severus groaned as he heard his husband use that particular tone of voice that meant he was being quite serious about what he wanted. Throwing the duvet back he sat up rubbing his own eyes and yawned. "Fine now what is so damned important that I can't get a moment's peace this morning?" he said sarcastically.

Remus eyed his mate thoughtfully for a moment before handing him the two pieces of parchment. At first Severus wasn't sure what they were either until he saw the back of them and the crest he'd known so very well. "So...they've come," he said subdued.

Remus nodded and gave his husband a look before saying, "Boys if you would allow your father and I a moment please? Well meet you downstairs in the kitchen, and try not to wake your sisters."

"Too late Da we're already. up. We could hear them all the way down the corridor. What's come?" a small pretty blackhaired blackeyed girl said with a yawn.

"Really you'd think the world was coming to an end the way you two are carrying on!" another girl said from behind her, an exact copy of her twin sister. "Honestly it can't be more important then going to Disney World next week!" the second girl said huffily.

The two boys glared at their sisters for a moment before one of them said, "Disney isn't half as important now you silly git!"

"Orion Michael Lupin-Snape don't you call your sister a silly git!" Remus said glaring at his son. "Now all of you clear out and let your father and I wake up. Be downstairs for breakfast in 10 minutes and not a minute later and I'll expect you dressed," he said sharply and all four of the children scooted away quickly.

Severus chuckled and wrapped his arms round his husband. "And here everyone thought I'd be the strict one in the family," he said grinning then kissed Remus's neck tenderly. "Mm...good morning my love."

Remus kissed Severus on the lips gently and said, "Good morning to you too my love. What a way to begin the day eh?" he said grinning now.

"Oi, tell me about it," Severus said with a slight groan while unwrapping his arms from Remus, and looked back down at the parchments in his hand with a sigh. "Call it strange but...I was almost hoping these wouldn't come."

Remus sighed as well and nodded then climbed out of bed stretching. "Well they have Sev, so what are going to do about it?"

"I don't know. Do we really have a choice? They're so excited to go Remy...can we really say no?" Severus said getting out of bed himself.

"Personally I'm not deciding anything till I've had a cup of coffee in me. Can't think straight this early in the morning on a Saturday," Remus said muttering and throwing on his dressing gown. "Meet you downstairs," he said over his shoulder and headed out the bedroom door to the staircase.

Severus watched his husband go with a guarded look in his eyes. Every night he etched his husband's face into his mind so that first thing in the morning he could see what changes might have happened overnight. It had been 10 years since they had found out about Remus's shortened lifespan, and so much had happened since then.

Severus had done what he planned on doing the very next day after he'd found out Remus was going to have another litter of cubs. Approaching Dumbledore he laid the cards on the table as it were, and though Albus was reluctant to let him do what he asked, he understood completely. The next two months Severus spent preparing the details of what he planned, and was thankful that everything went smoothly.

The pups, girls this time, arrived a week earlier then planned, and were all Severus. The boys had grown into carbon copies of Remus with brownhair streaked with grey and golden brown eyes. But the girls were blackhaired, black eyed and all Slytherin it seemed from the get go. Once they got past their first year they refused to transform into their cub form and actually they didn't need to.

For some odd reason Severus still couldn't figure out, the girls were not bound by the moon cycle, and didn't transform at the full moon. The boys they had found out after the first year when they finally came out of pup form were most definitely werewolves, but the girls were not. They had had a specialist from St. Mungo's check over both of the girls, and the only thing they found was that the werewolf strand of DNA just didn't exist in them. Which actually was a relief to both Remus and Severus because the boys being werewolves were more than enough to handle at once.

It had come as quite the surprise to everyone nearly that on the last day of the term in which the girls were born, Severus Snape announced his retirement from teaching. They all moved out of the school the day after term ended and into Snape Manor which is where they still were now 10 years later. He had chosen Draco Malfoy (now Draco Potter) to take over as his successor, and he had every confidence that Draco would be up to the task.

Harry and Draco had married as they said they would on July 31st right after graduation. Thanks to Voldemort's demise during the end of Harry and Draco's 7th year, the wizard world was free again. Harry and Draco, along with Sirius, Remus, Severus and most of the Hogwarts staff fought hard and in the end were well rewarded. The injuries were minimal compared to Voldemort's side, for which everyone was grateful. Harry and Draco together cast the Avada Kedavra curse amplifying the intensity of the curse, and once and for all Voldemort was no more.

Draco had ended going against his father in the end after all, and Lucius Malfoy was currently in St. Mungo's ward of the incurably insane. It had been Draco himself that had hexed him to the point of no return. Payback he felt for the rottenly miserable childhood in which he'd lived.

Narcissa Malfoy left Malfoy Manor for parts unknown. She still kept in touch with her son, and had warmed a bit after her husband no longer held control over her, even attending her son's wedding to Harry. Draco never returned to Malfoy Manor, instead lending it over to a cousin of his he actually liked, though he did take whatever was his by rights in the family vault at Gringott's.

Harry was currently a seeker for the Chudley Cannons while Draco was still a Hogwarts potions professor. Thanks to some strings being pulled by Severus, 2 years ago Draco Potter was awarded the prestigious Potions Master award for that year, and Draco and Harry couldn't have been happier.

They didn't have any children as of yet, both too busy to really raise children, but Severus and Remus were pretty sure they would one day. When Harry wasn't out on the pitch he spent his time exclusively at Hogwarts in the same dungeon room that Severus and Remus had first occupied all those years ago. And during the holidays the two of them would take off themselves for parts unknown, coming back completely and utterly still very much in love.

Ron and Hermione married as planned on June 21st that same year Harry and Draco married. Their wedding was small compared to Harry and Draco's, but very well done none the less. At the moment Hermione was pregnant again with their 4th child, and she was working in the ministry on a study team of researchers into making muggle items more useful for wizards. Now that Arthur Weasley, Ron's father, was head of the Ministry Ron had taken over his old job. Thanks to Severus and Remus, they had a very nice home outside of Ottery St. Catchpole, just opposite the Burrow so they could be close to Ron's parents.

Sirius had finally been cleared when Arthur became head of the Ministry, receiving a full pardon and a nice compensation cheque for his missing 12 years of life....a million galleons. He never had settled down with anyone, dating whomever took his fancy at the moment and worked still on his various motorbikes. Currently he was last seen heading over to America in hopes of purchasing a new type of a 'Harley'. Whatever that was Severus and Remus hadn't a clue.

As for Severus and Remus themselves, life couldn't have been better. Not that it had been easy raising two sets of twin children, but Severus wouldn't have traded it for the world. They had never lied to the children in exactly who and what they were, both wizard and witch, not to mention being werewolves. Severus and Remus had decided however not to teach the children magic, in fact they had stopped using much magic themselves at home unless needed.

Severus of course still was a Potions Master, and 5 years ago had decided to take his knowledge to a place it could be most used. Approaching Arthur Weasley with a proposal, he was grateful when Arthur gave him the go head right away. In fact Arthur had been astonished when he realized the Ministry hadn't any department like the one Severus was thinking of creating.

Severus hand picked an elite team of potion experts from round the world. In the end only 5 other people made up the 6 man/woman team of top secret researchers. They were instructed by him to never reveal what went on behind the closed doors of the office in which they worked, and in five years not one of them had betrayed Severus's trust. Anything over the last five years they had created or improved were approved in the end by Arthur, and all proceeds of any sales of the potions went to the ministry, after of course his staff got paid.

Not that Severus needed the money, he didn't. When his mum had passed on 4 years ago at the nice muggle age of 96 she left everything to Severus. That included a private Gringott's vault she had been living off of, the Manor itself, several homes in Greece, Italy and Egypt, along with a very nice chateau in France that she had come into possession of somehow. Severus kept all of them but the chateau, the very thought of anything French brought back memories he never wanted to have again.

As it was the money he received for the potions work went for other things. He donated a lot of it to Hogwarts of course, the place he would always consider home, where he had spent nearly all his life, and where he had fallen in love. Some of the money he had given to Ron and Hermione to help them magically build their home. And the rest went on anything else that struck his fancy, or just simply sat in Gringott's till he would need it.

What he never revealed to anyone was the whole reason behind why he had set up the research team in the first place. For Arthur's sake he created the potions that enabled them to continue their research, but that wasn't the biggest thing they had been working on. Thanks to Severus the research lab was completely updated with both muggle and wizarding instruments and apparatus as possible. With Sirius, Harry and Hermione's help a few years ago, he even managed to learn to use a muggle computer thing, and he wondered how he'd ever lived without one to organize his research.

It had been 5 years since beginning the research he'd started with his team, and it had been 5 years of a lot of disappointments and failures. But Severus Snape wasn't a man to give up on what he wanted, and he knew somehow he would find what he so desperately needed to have. Bringing himself back into the present however now he shook off the nagging thought that Remus had had more grey in his hair this morning, though it could have been a trick of the light...he hoped anyway.

Throwing on a pair of muggle shorts and a tee-shirt he headed himself downstairs, only to find he was the last one to come downstairs. He gave Remus a quick kiss on the cheek as Remus handed him a cup of coffee, then sat down and opened this mornings Daily Prophet. Scanning the front page he nearly choked on his coffee. "Holy shit!" he said sputtering.

"Father said a baaaad word! Aren't you going to yell at him da?" Silvius, the other twin boy, said with a giggle.

"Really Severus, you know not to talk like that round the children," Remus said in a clipped tone and put two plates down in front of the boys. "Now stop giggling at your father and eat your breakfast please," he said and walked over to where Severus was sitting. "Sev what is it?"

Severus was sitting staring at the newspaper as if it was going to come up and bite him. "I...don't...believe it..." he said in an awestruck voice.

Remus leaned over his husband and scanned the front page wondering what Severus was so agitated bout. When his eyes fell on a particular article he reacted pretty much the same way and said exactly the same thing, causing the boys to giggle yet again and the girls to just roll their eyes.

"Honestly Da, what is it that's got you and father in such a flurry?" Misha said staring at both her parents.

"I bet it's something really bad, they never curse less it's bad..." Ryanna said shrugging and going back to finish her breakfast.

"It's not anything bad children....just something...unexpected is all," Severus said slowly and turned to Remus. "I take it you didn't know bout this either?"

Remus shook his head and sat down in the chair next to Severus. "No I didn't. But...wouldn't he have said something to us sooner? I mean...if he expects er...well...that...shouldn't he have said something by now?"

"Trust him to wait until the very last moment for something like this. And announce it first so we can't back out. Oh honestly that man drives me insane sometimes with how he maneuvers us!" Severus said with a scowl.

"And it's good to know I still can Severus. Otherwise I'd have to say I am getting too old," an amused voice said from behind them causing everyone to nearly jump out their seats.

"Albus for Merlin's sake, don't sneak up on us like that!" Severus said with a groan as he noticed Orion had upturned his glass of pumpkin juice. "Now look what you did, at least be so kind as to help my son clean up the mess you caused Albus," he said folding his arms over his chest and glaring at the headmaster.

Albus chuckled and with a quick mutter of a spell the glass was back upright, the juice cleaned up, and new juice was repoured. "Truly am sorry about that Orion."

"It's alright Uncle Albus, you just surprised us that's all. What are you doing here? Are you here because we got our acceptance posts this morning?" Orion said happily.

"So that's what you two were on bout this morning! At least it proves your not squibs after all..." Misha said with a mocking grin.

"Hey! Shut up, we're not squibs! You just wait and see, we'll run circles round the two of you when you get to Hogwarts!" Silvius said with a glare at his younger sister.

"We'll just see bout that Silvius James Lupin-Snape! You just watch...we'll be the one's running circles round the two of you!" Misha bit back but was stopped before she could say anymore by her Da.

"Enough all of you! Since you decided not to finish your breakfasts, take your plates to the sink and go finish getting ready for the day. We've got a lot to do today and I don't want to be late doing it. Now run along so we can talk to Uncle Albus," Remus said in his 'I-mean-business' tone of voice and the children did as they were told and soon only the three of them were left in the kitchen.

"The certainly are well behaved aren't they considering things," Albus said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Hmph. I wouldn't say that by any means Albus. It's bad enough the boys are already turning into..." Remus began.

"Marauders?" Severus said cutting him off with a grin.

Remus glared at his husband then a slow grin crept onto his face and he nodded. "Yeah...they certainly are aren't they," he said softly.

"Would you have expected less Remus? They are your son's after all," a bemused Albus said.

Remus shook his head and chuckled. "No, I suppose not. Though I suppose the 'true' marauders will never be again...." he said with a reminiscent sigh.

"Remus I'm sure when they get to Hogwarts they'll find a way to bring them back. Call it the 'next generation'," Severus said giving his husband a small reassuring smile then turned back to Albus. "Now Albus, what is this?" he said pointing to the Daily Prophet.

"You're not seriously going to do this are you?" Remus said giving Albus the once over look he gave his children when they were hiding things or being bad.

"I think it's time don't you? Over 50 years is a long time gentleman, and I can honestly say that now is the right time for me to do this. Minerva and I have discussed it at great length, and we have every faith in what we have decided," Albus said firmly.

"But Albus...are you sure? It's been 10 years...I'm not even sure I could do it anymore. I have barely even used magic in the last 10 years let alone something like this...." Remus said in an unsure voice.

"Nonsense. You never stop knowing how to use magic, even when you haven't for a while. I have confidence that everything will work out for the best," Albus said.

Remus didn't seem so sure all of what was being discussed was a good idea and Severus knew exactly why he was thinking that. "Remus could you go make sure the children are getting ready to go? I need to talk to Albus a minute...privately," he said.

Remus shot Severus an odd look before saying, "Alright, but don't be too long we have things to do today." Turning back to Albus he looked at him thoughtfully for a moment and said, "Albus, much as I agree in theory that this is a good idea...in factual it would never work. I'm sorry but the answer is no. Pop round when you're not trying to play Merlin and we'll catch up then," he said firmly and turned round and headed out the kitchen shutting the door behind him.

Severus sighed as he watched his husband leave and shook his head. "He's right Albus, the answer's no. If you're planning on still doing this, find someone else. We're not interested. It's too late anyway...." he said with a deep sigh.

Albus looked at his friend for a moment carefully and noticed a few changes since he'd last seen this man a short few months ago. Severus's once jet black greasy looking hair was now lined with grey and looked soft and silky. The were much more lines round his eyes from stress and worries then should have been for a man in his early 50's. Though his attitude has soften considerably in the last 10 years, he still had the Slytherin way of thinking sometimes, and was still as stubborn and ornery as could be.

"Severus, I know what you thinking and you're wrong," Albus said softly.

Severus shook his head and got up from the table with his coffee mug and went over to the sink, standing there for a moment with his shoulder's slumped. "No Albus I'm not. In 5 years we've gotten only a little closer to a solution...and we're running out of time. Each day he gets weaker...each day he gets..." he couldn't even continue his words since his voice choked up at the thought of the failures.

"Severus listen to me. You are one of the greatest Potion Masters that I have ever met, and in my long life that's saying quite a lot I know you will find what you seek...and perhaps...this might help..." he said quietly and got up to walk over to Severus, holding out a piece of parchment he'd taken from his robes.

Severus turned round brushing away the tears that had started to fall and took the parchment questioningly. "What is this?"

"Just read it. You haven't been the only one in the last 5 years to want to help him Severus. I've been making discrete inquires as well amongst people I know....and though it's taken time, this is what they have come up with," Albus said.

Severus opened the parchment hesitantly and scanned through it quickly then stopped short. Going over the carefully diagrammed calculations, the recipe and the words an excitement began to spread through him. He looked up at Albus in disbelief. "My gods...I don't believe it...this...this could work!" he said awed now.

Albus chuckled and gave him one of his famous twinkled smiles. "I hope it will Severus, I truly hope it will. Now I will take my leave and we will talk again further on this other issue. Perhaps next week?" he asked.

Severus was still too awed to say much but he remembered that next week was not a good idea. "No, we promised the children to go that muggle err...park whatever it is...Disney World? Gods know why but they want to go so we won't be here next week. And I'll need time to get this ready....and make sure it will work. Give me till the end of the month, by then I should know some results."

Albus nodded. "The end of the month then. And Severus?"

"Yes Albus?"

"You will allow the children to attend Hogwarts this coming term I hope? We both know it's where they belong, even if you have tried to shelter them a bit," Albus said softly.

Severus sighed deeply, unsure of what to say. "For good reasons Albus. It was hard enough having one werewolf at the school 40 years ago...but two werewolves at the same time with no one there who would understand them...that's asking a lot more than Remus and I are willing to give. Despite all the advances we've made thanks to Arthur, werewolves are still mistreated and given far less then they should have. Can you really see the two of them at Hogwarts?" he said bitterly.

Albus sighed and walked over to put a hand on Severus's shoulder reassuringly. "I know it will not be easy to overcome thousands of years of fear and hatreds, but if anyone can it will be those two boys. I have as much faith in your children as I have in you Severus. Good luck," he said and seconds later he was gone.

Perhaps Albus was right, the boys had grown up knowing the hardships of what they were and that life wasn't going to be easy on them. Unlike Remus who had been thrust into the life he had, the boys had been given a rare opportunity to accept what they were right away, and with the Wolfsbane potion they had never known a day of being anything but a silent tame werewolf during their transformations. And maybe...just maybe...that would be enough. Remus had found his marauders back then, and maybe now so would the boys. At least he would hope so.

Severus looked down at the parchment one last time and folded it back up, hiding it in a pocket of his shorts. Checking the muggle wall clock that Hermione had given to them years ago as an anniversary gift he saw it was close to 9 am already He knew the rest of the research team wouldn't arrive at the office till noon, but he had no intentions of waiting.

Sprinting up to where Remus and the boys were he apologized to them and told them he had to go into the office early and that he'd catch up with them later for dinner. He hid his excitement from them because he didn't want them to suspect anything was too much out of the norm since as it was he was going into the office 3 hours early. Giving the children quick hugs and Remus a kiss on the lips, he dashed off to their room to get dressed.

These days he no longer dressed in the all black and somber garb that he did 10 years ago. Choosing a nice grey dress shirt and matching trousers, he threw on his green and silver lined robe and quickly apparated out to the Ministry. There was a new hope for the future in his heart, one that hadn't been there in 10 years now. And if all went well....then the future could begin again for him and Remus....and everything Severus ever wanted would finally come true.

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