"What does this mean? Will our children all be magical?"

Wendy and Sebastian cuddled their son to them, staring at Severus.

Snape ran a hand through his hair. He certainly hadn't been prepared for this! In magical families, the first signs of magic, especially at this young an age, would be cause for celebration. He inwardly winced when he realized that the 'hurray, he's got magic, he's not a squib' celebrations probably were a sign of the attitude of the wizarding world in general, even though most families didn't go quite as far as Neville's had to try and encourage magic.

"That's not certain," he said, "you have to realize that having magic means that in some ways, the Wizarding World is behind on many scientific discoveries. We've not needed it much. One of my former students, Miss Granger, is doing several projects, I believe, to see what Muggle science could be incorporated, and genetics is probably one of them. It could be any other children you have will be magical as well, but it could just as easily be that Jeremy remains the only one."

The little boy cooed, chewing on his watch, but finally got fed up with mommy and daddy holding him far too tightly for his liking. He took a deep breath and let out an almighty wail.

"Sorry, darling," his mother muttered, putting him in his playpen and trying to retrieve her guest's watch.

The wailing predictably increased.

"Never mind," Severus shrugged, "it's charmed to be unbreakable and waterproof. He can't hurt himself or the watch."

"Well," Sebastian said, a little pale, "I never thought this was an option. Though I suppose I should have realized there was a chance, however small…"

He motioned to the table. "Let's have dinner. Your plans would have reconnected me in some small way to the world I left, Mr Snape, but now it seems we will be much closer to it than I had thought."

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"Mr Potter."

Harry gave a cautious smile. "Professor McGonagall," he greeted the witch.

They were all frequent guests to the Burrow, and since Hermione had drawn McGonagall into one of her projects, the Deputy Headmistress met up with her here, at times.

She sat down next to him with a sigh. "Don't think I'm doing this for Albus' benefit," she said softly, "he doesn't deserve to know, after how shabbily he treated Severus. Neither do I, considering how poorly I've treated him, as well…I would just really like to be reassured that he is well."

"You know he is well, professor," Harry replied.

"I know. You and Neville have told your friends he is well and I believe you, I simply would like to know a bit more. Is he happy? Does he need anything? Do you think…" she stopped.

Harry put a hand on hers. "Do I think he would reply should you contact him?" he asked gently.

"Yes," his old Head of House turned away a moment, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket. "Merlin knows I've wanted to apologize so many times."

"He really isn't that difficult to find, Professor, if you know your way around the Muggle world a bit," her former student said cautiously, "although I'm not sure how much he wants to reconnect."

Molly walked over, carrying a tray of tea and biscuits. She smiled brightly, always happy to entertain guests.

McGonagall had recovered enough to smile back. "You know, Molly, I saw something interesting in the Book of Names this morning."

The Weasley matriarch set down the tray and looked up. "What, dear?"

"I saw the name of a child that is likely related to you. Jeremy Prewett. That IS the name of your family, isn't it?"

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"You know, I really don't get it."

"It's Muggle magic, boss."

"Don't call me…what do you mean, Muggle magic?" the Potions Master stared at his young employee.

"Some of these are extracts," Michael pointed to a few bottles and tubes, "just blended together without magic. Some others," he pointed to the rest, "have been made with a method that is supposed to increase the potency."

"The potency of the extracts?" Snape asked.

"Yes, but, here's the thing, while they do that, the extract disappears!" Michael said excitedly, "it must be a sort of ritual, don't you think, boss? The materials in exchange for the power?"

Taking out his wand and casting a whole array of spells at the bottles, Severus shook his head. "There's nothing there. No magic."

"Well, it's MUGGLE magic, so wands wouldn't pick it up, right?" Michael argued.

"Even in potions where the traces of some ingredients disappear in the brewing, the potion and its potency can actually be detected," Snape lectured, going into class-room mode, "how else would we know efficiency, or how to dose? If these cures are as potent as they claim, it would be dangerous, even deadly, to not be able to dose them properly."

"Nah," Michael responded flippantly, "No harm at all. See?" He opened a bottle and downed it in one go.

Snape's eyes went wide and he started casting at the young man instantly.

"Fool! You unbelievable dunderhead!" he raged, "Of all the idiotic…"

He waved his wand and Michael stilled completely. The Potions Master rushed to the floo.

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Ron walked in on his mother studying an old book.

"Mom? What are you doing?"

"My cousin had a magical son," Molly said, "the last time I saw him was before I married your father, and he was only a child, then. The family cast him out when he disappeared into the Muggle world."

"Your accountant cousin?" Ron asked.

"Yes. Sebastian. Here, see?"

Ron peered at the book and nodded. "Cool. So the kid will be coming to Hogwarts at some point."

Molly sniffed. "I'm not letting my family be raised by Muggles," she said, "I've sent your father to the Wizengamot with a petition to take custody of the boy."

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Harry and Neville, upon receiving Snape's panicked Floo call, had found Hermione and headed over to the potions lab, where they found Severus sitting next to a cot containing the motionless form of his employee.

"I didn't know…I have no idea how to counter Muggle magic!" he said, "I put him in stasis and called you, hoping that you might know, Ms Granger."

"Muggle magic?" Hermione asked, confused, "what do you mean? What did he take?"

Snape pointed to the collection of bottles on the desk. "We are researching Muggle cures," he said, "and the idiot drank a whole bottle of one of the most powerful Muggle potions before we even found out how the magic works and what kind of rituals are used in their creation. I couldn't detect any magic in them at all…."

Hermione giggled. The three men looked at her reproachfully.

"Miss Granger, this is no laughing matter!"

"Sorry professor," Hermione desperately tried to tool her face into a professional expression, but failed miserably, "It's just that there is no Muggle magic that you could detect from these. The, eh, rituals used for them don't work the same way as ours…"

"I was afraid of that," Severus muttered, eyeing Michael with concern, much to Harry and Neville's secret amusement.

"Professor, please just lift the stasis from him," Hermione put him out of his misery, "there's nothing wrong with him. He's not been poisoned or anything, I promise."

Reluctantly the Potions Master did as she asked, and Michael soon sat up with a grin. "See? I told you…"

He stopped. Cheeky and fearless he might be, even Michael recognized by the expression on Snape's face that continuing right now would be extremely detrimental for his health and continued employment. Harry, Neville, and Hermione automatically took a step back, knowing very well what the throbbing of that particular vein on Snape's forehead meant.

"I believe," Snape started – and boy, couldn't THAT voice have cut through solid concrete with the contained fury behind it, Michael winced – "that a lengthy…LENGTHY…course on safety regulations and testing procedures is required before you will so much as approach these labs again."

He took a deep breath. "Go with Mr Potter and Mr Longbottom to their office. Write down every bit of information you have found, and then explain to me, in writing, in excruciating detail why simply downing a potion when we do not know what it does and how it does it, is the absolute HEIGHT of stupidity. It is Thursday. I do not want to see you until after the weekend."

"Boss…" Michael started, but Harry and Neville grabbed his arms and started to drag him away. "Not now, believe us, not now," they whispered frantically.

Severus sat down heavily at his desk, burying his face in his hands. "That boy will be the death of me," he groaned.

Hermione picked up a few of the bottles, waiting for him to recover and trying her absolute best not to snigger any more.

"Miss Granger,"

"Hermione," she corrected.

"Hermione, perhaps you, as well, could share your knowledge on these remedies…?"

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On Sunday – Michael still on probation but dismissed for the weekend – Snape once again floo'ed the Foundation's office, this time with a grim-looking Sebastian in tow.

Harry and Neville, summoned to meet them there, were waiting with some apprehension.

"What happened?"

Sebastian took a deep breath. "Molly happened," he growled, "she and her husband are trying to take our son from us."