After Harry had filled him in a little on the past weeks and they had dinner together, Remus had turned in early. The change from child to man was tiring, as well as the emotions and memories racing through his mind in no specific order at all.
He quickly discovered that sleep had been a very good idea – he spent the night dreaming and sorting out the confusing mess inside his head. He slept late and lazily stretched in the sunlight. His room overlooked the grounds and he could just make out the playground. He smiled fondly. Dressed, and having breakfast delivered to his rooms, he sat down to eat his favourite toast and jam. A cup of tea, properly sugared and with a generous splash of cream accompanied it.
A soft knock on his door shook him from his content musings. He opened the door to a pale and somehow smaller looking Snape.
"Severus," he greeted, astonished.
The Potions Master did not quite meet his eyes. "May…May I come in?"
"Of course. I was just having breakfast, would you like some?" Remus queried.
Snape shook his head to breakfast, but he did accept a cup of tea. He sat cradling it in his hands and looking into the hot liquid as if he was trying to read the tealeaves without first drinking the tea.
"How are you doing, Severus?" Remus asked, "I know I was quite confused last night, though sleeping helped."
The other man nodded. "The memories organized themselves overnight," he admitted, "but it does not make the entire series of events any less confusing."
"Harry took me from the room quite quickly," Remus sipped his own tea, never taking his eyes off the man he would now forever consider his younger brother, "did you and Albus talk?"
"A little," Severus kept his gaze on his tea.
"What happened?"
Severus bit his lip. "He held me at first – I did not quite understand why I felt comfortable with that, considering…I remembered hating him and being angry with him. He told me he was sorry, that everything was alright, and it took a while before I registered what he was saying."
"He was sorry for locking us up together, and for many more things," Remus softly commented.
"He explained that," Severus recalled.
"I am sorry, Severus," Albus whispered in the dark hair, "I will not fail you again, I promise."
Severus lifted his head. "What happened? Why am I here? Did I have an accident?"
"No…" the Headmaster looked at him sorrowfully, "I am afraid this is all my fault, child. I thought…I wanted to help you, Remus and Harry to get along. I lured you into an abandoned room and locked the three of you in."
"WHAT?" Severus stared at him, wide-eyed.
"You panicked," Albus admitted painfully, "and you retreated, too far in your mind for me to reach – or for you to be able to return on your own."
Severus was dazed. "But…the only way to counter…"
He gasped. "No! Not de-aging?!"
"It was the only solution," Dumbledore pinched the bridge of his nose, "and Remus, after thoroughly chewing me out, offered to join you – give you a chance to get to know him without fear."
"How…how old was I?"
"Two," Dumbledore said softly, "we celebrated your second birthday a few weeks ago. Remus was four and a half."
Silence reigned for a little while after that.
"And Potter?"
Albus nodded. "Harry helped me look after you two."
Severus paled, and Dumbledore could barely catch his fist as Severus threw a half-hearted but sincere punch at him.
"You hit him?" Remus said in awe.
"Tried to," Severus swallowed, "for a moment I was afraid that he would…but he just held my wrists and allowed me to yell at him. I remember him yelling at us…something to do with the playground? No, the playground was a good place…"
"We only had good places," Remus smiled happily, "but yes – one morning we snuck out and went to the playground. We were caught, of course."
"What…what did they do?" Severus asked a bit frightened.
"Nothing bad, Severus," Remus assured him, "they took us back up to the tower where we were given a time-out and we were banned from the playground for a few days – until your birthday party."
"Oh."
The dark man seemed to digest that information for a bit. "That…I guess that is not so bad."
"No," Remus confirmed, "it wasn't bad at all. We were happy and loved, Severus."
"Potter…"
"Harry is not his father, Severus," Remus said softly, "he took good care of us. He is not a spoiled little prince. If anything, he was mistreated by his relatives. As much as I loved James, he would have used the situation to taunt you, I know. Harry is entirely different. He doesn't want to continue hating you, and I never hated you in the first place. I just wished that you wouldn't be afraid of me."
"Is that why you volunteered to be de-aged as well?"
Remus nodded. "To get to know you as a brother. I hoped that without the wolf, we would be able to get along better. And I thought…that perhaps it would be comforting for you to know that you weren't the only one running around as a small child this summer."
A smile so small that Remus almost thought he had imagined it passed the still pale face. "It was strange. I woke up this morning and the only one I could imagine going to was you," Severus admitted, "something lingered. I am still – unsure of Gra…the Headmaster. My first thought was…was to talk to my big brother," he stuttered before dropping his teacup and rushing for the door.
"Severus, come back here," Remus said firmly, "there is no need to run."
The insecure look he got shocked him, and he got up. "Severus, I know. It lingers with me, too. You will always be my brother, too," he said matter-of-factly, "I am glad that you think of me that way now. I have to know, however…"
He took a deep breath. "Are you still afraid of me?"
Snape rubbed his face. "Not…not really afraid of you," he eventually clarified, "but the Shack…that night…"
"Dealing with the aftermath of facing a werewolf is something you need help with," Remus commented, "believe me, I know. If you wish, I will make an appointment with the Healer that helped me when I was bitten."
"Thank you," his brother said, this time with a small but real smile. "Could you tell me everything you remember about the past weeks? My memories are a bit fuzzy still – I was only two, after all."
"Certainly," Remus poured him a new cup of tea, "I saw you for the first time the morning after we were de-aged. You were asleep in your cot…"
sssssssss
Harry walked into the Hall for dinner. He had spent the day in Gryffindor tower, not wanting to risk running into his Potions Master. The Headmaster was already seated and they ate in silence for a while. When they looked up at the door opening, both jaws dropped.
Remus and Severus came in, side by side, laughing about something.
"…you really attacked Ron Weasley?" they heard Severus ask.
"Well, he was being mean to you. Besides…" Remus's voice lowered.
Harry recovered first. "I guess we know where they went, now," he muttered.
The Headmaster nodded as the two approached the table.
"Headmaster," Severus nodded, "Mr Potter."
"Se- Professor Snape," Harry responded nervously.
"I am not about to tear you apart," the Potions Master informed him, "I need a little more time, but I was – pleasantly surprised by your behaviour."
He sat down next to Remus and smiled briefly at Hagrid and Minerva, who had joined the staff table just before they arrived.
"Severus…" Dumbledore began.
"You have to give me time," the Potions Master cut him off, "I have to think on things. I have spying duties that I don't know how to return to, brewing for the infirmary to do and a lot of feelings to sort out, Granpa. I can't just…"
Albus felt himself warm at Severus's unconscious use of his honourary grandfather title. Perhaps all was not lost.
"You are not returning to spying, Severus," he said softly, though the only people present were Order members – and Harry.
"It is not safe now. The infirmary is stocked up fine with potions we bought. Thanks to your brewing over the years the budget for potions had hardly been touched. I hope you and I can sit down for a few long talks soon."
Remus frowned when he saw his brother bite his lip and pick at his food. "Severus," he began, "Granpa is not talking about scolding you."
Harry, Hagrid and Minerva decided this was a good time to make themselves scarce.
Severus stabbed a piece of chicken. "He is going to complain about me," he muttered, "how it is all my own fault."
Albus got up from his chair and moved to sit next to his grandsons.
"Severus, child, I am not going to chide you over something I did wrong," he took the tense hands in his own, "I am going to help you, like I should have long ago."
Slowly dark eyes met his own. "You were nice to me when I was little. I remember being held, feeling safe," Severus said, his voice high with wonder, "I do not understand…"
"It is not going to be like before, Severus," Albus assured him quietly, "I got quite a few telling-offs and did a lot of thinking these weeks. I am heartily sorry for how I neglected and wronged you, and I will make it up to you. If you will permit me."
They could see the emotions battling on the normally stoic face – the longing and trust of the two year old with the wary guarded expression of the adult. Finally the longing won out and Snape nodded, though still with a healthy amount of mistrust. That would have to fade with time, Dumbledore realized, and it was his job to prove to Severus that he was trustworthy.
He released one of Severus's hands and took one of Remus. "You are still my boys," he said with conviction, "you always will be. You will always have a home with me. Why, I left the nursery intact for now – I do realize you do not fit your cot anymore, Severus, but I thought you might enjoy keeping your dragon," he teased lightly, sensing Severus's need for a little emotional space.
Two embarrassed grins were his reward, and he knew that while it would take time, in the end it would be all right.
ssssssssss
Severus stood leaning against the playground fence, studying the ship.
"You know, we played Pirates there a lot," he heard a voice behind him.
Remus walked up, his hands in his pockets.
"Harry I remember, and a duel of sorts," Severus frowned, "but the rest is hazy."
"Ah – that was the day before we were re-aged, Harry told me. Hermione and Neville came over, and the three of them played with us. Hermione and the two of us were captured, and Harry fought Neville over us with sticks. Neville threatened to take away our desserts, and when he was defeated, his punishment was to eat porridge for a week. Apparently I did not like porridge as a child," Remus grinned wryly.
"Neville?" Severus shook his head. "I talked to Harry. We agreed on a truce and the possibility of some sort of friendship over time."
He cast a sideways glance at Remus. "Things have changed, haven't they?"
Remus affectionately patted him on his back. "They sure have, little brother. They sure have."