Honor

~~~~~~

Severus woke the next morning with a pounding headache, and cramps from his head to his toes from sleeping in the chair in front of the fireplace. He groaned, pulling himself up, and stumbling for the shower. He had classes to teach today, though fortunately the first one was seventh-years. They were at least marginally competant, and some even possessed a modicum of intelligence.

A half-hour later, showered and dressed in clean robes, Severus summoned a house-elf, and demanded a pot of coffee. It didn't take the pitiful creature long to bring him what he wanted, and he poured himself a mug of it, drinking it straight. He hadn't put sugar in his coffee since Honoria left.

A knock on his door made him growl softly, before he went to answer it, expecting a student with a question at a greviously early hour, or Albus with some concern for him, only to find Minerva standing there.

"What do you want, Minerva?"

She raised an eyebrow at his surly tone, wiating patiently for him to invite her in, where she calmly took a seat near the fireplace. The one he'd spent the night in.

"You heard there was another attack?"

"Alistor Veritas, I know. His funeral was yesterday."

"No, yesterday."

Severus frowned, pouring himself another mug of coffee. "I hadn't yet heard."

"Honoria Veritas was kidnapped as she headed home from her husband's funeral." Minerva was watching him oddly as she spoke. "They left only a simple message behind. ÔTell the traitor that she will only be the first.' Her son brought it to Albus. He's still upstairs."

Severus had gone pale when she told him Honoria had been kidnapped, and had sat down heavily in the chair behind his desk. Now his heart pounded with fear, and his mind swirled. They knew. They knew, and they had Honoria.

"Severus?" Minerva was speaking, hovering over him. "Are you all right?"

He hauled his composure around him, a cloak against the pain of his life, glaring up at Minerva. "I am fine, Minerva. You mentioned Mrs. Veritas's son was in Albus's office?" Minerva nodded. "I should speak to him."

He didn't wait for a reply, merely stalking out of his office, and towards the stairs, his robes billowing behind him. Students scurried out of his way faster than usual, his expression convincing them they'd rather be elsewhere, as he strode towards Albus's office.

"Sugar quill." He sneered slightly at the password, and Albus's affection for sugary treats. Once he entered the Headmaster's office, he first noticed the black-haired teen sitting in front of Albus's desk. Marcus Veritas was the image of Severus at seventeen, only improved. Slim instead of skinny, without the pale skin Severus had then, and still retained.

The black eyes turned to look at him, and a slight, sardonic smile graced the teen's lips. "Hello."

Severus nodded in greeting.

"Ah, Severus." Albus smiled at him, grimly. "You've arrived."

Marcus continued to watch Severus as the older man took the other seat in front of Albus's desk, waiting for him to settle himself before speaking. "You're the reason they kidnapped mother?" The boy's voice was soft, almost silky, much as Severus's own voice had been at that age, without the annoying slide in octave.

Severus nodded. "It is more than likely that they wished to send a message to me. Though what, exactly, I am uncertain."

Albus cut off anything Marcus might have said with an upraised finger. "First, Severus, I need to be certain you're not going to do something dangerous, and run off after her on your own."

Severus glared at the older man. "I am not going to throw away my life and hers in a fool-hardy rescue attempt with no backup, Albus."

Albus nodded, a slight, knowing smile on his face. "Second, Marcus, you must promise the same. You are not to go chasing after your mother, and waste your life."

Marcus chuckled, shaking his head. "Old man, you underestimate my intelligence. I have my whole life ahead of me, if I don't squander it on some foolishly heroic attempt. I'm not going anywhere, not by myself."

"Good. I've already told the Order what has happened, Severus. They'll be preparing a rescue as soon as possible."

Severus nodded, remaining silent. He had said he wouldn't try to attempt a rescue alone. Neither would he wait for others to take the time to think up a convoluted plan that wouldn't work. He just needed a small team he could trust.

"Minerva told you about the message that young Mr. Veritas brought?"

"She told me."

"We will need to have Marcus remain here for now, until we can be assured of his safety." Albus raised a hand to still the teen's outburst. "It is the safest place you can be, Mr. Veritas."

"And why would I be a target?" Marcus's gaze was challenging, as he switched it to Severus. "Why can't I go home, and be safe there?"

"Because your home is not safe. The Death Eaters were able to kill your father in your home, they can get through whatever protections you have up again, and kill or kidnap you just as easily."

"But why would they want to? What am I to you that they would think to take me?" Marcus's eyes were narrowed, and his voice was the menecingly soft tone he'd used earlier, annoying Severus disproportionately. Something in the boy's manner and tone warned him that the he already knew the answer, but was looking for him to confirm it. That he wanted to hear the truth from Severus.

Severus met his eyes with a chill in his expression that he had long armored his heart with. The ice that deflected the slings and barbs from students and staff alike, that allowed him to ignore the sidelong looks of pity and the stares of derision. "If you are incapable of determining that reason yourself, I suggest you look in the mirror. You do not look like Alistor, nor do you look like your mother." With that, Severus stood, nodding to Albus before he swept out of the room.

*How much did you tell him, Honoria? Did you merely tell him that he was my son? Or did you tell him everything? Blast it!* He sensed the boy following him, and lengthened his stride. He didn't need to deal with Marcus at the moment, didn't need to deal with a boy looking for a father-figure to replace the one he'd lost.

But Marcus wasn't going to give up so easily. When Severus reached his office, Marcus caught the door before it closed completely, and followed him in, despite the death glare Severus directed at the teen.

"Was there something you wanted, Mr. Veritas?"

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "We both know I have no more claim to that name than you would. He's not my father, even though he treated me like his own son. It's rather difficult to imagine me as his son, considering his hair was a blond, and his eyes were distinctly green. And mother's hair was brown, her eyes blue. But you know that." He paused, waiting for a response from Severus.

"As you already know the truth, there is no need for this conversation to continue, and you may leave." Severus kept his voice icy, wanting only for the boy to leave him in peace to plan.

"You're not getting rid of me so easily. You might have said you wouldn't go after her alone, but you never said anything about making your own plans to rescue mother. I'm not blind, and I'm not stupid." Marcus glared at him, his posture and expression radiating annoyence and anger. "I'm not about to let mother stay in the clutches of the Death Eaters, but I'm no fool. I'm not a fool hero, to try and go find her and rescue her by myself, especially seeing as I haven't a clue where they'd take her. But you would."

"What makes you think I'd take along a teen age boy who is likely to get everyone killed?"

"Because I'm not going to get everyone killed, and I have a stake in this as much as you do." Marcus smirked in triumph. "And I won't let you leave me here to be bored to death by that old fool."

Severus raised an eyebrow.

"And I graduated from Pendragon University at the top of my class this past June." Marcus paused, his expression one of justifiable pride. At seventeen, he would have been the youngest member of that class by most of a decade. "Now, how are we going to rescue mother?"

Severus took the chair behind his desk, a slight, sardonic smile on his face. "Who said anything about we?"