Professor Black: A Reader Insert

49. Trials and Tribulations

Severus Snape cursed all known generations of Dumbledore. There must be something foul that mixed within that family's blood to wind up with something so twisted like Albus had been.

He had received the floo call hours ago and had immediately made arrangements for getting to their children's sides as quickly as legality would allow. Sending a patronus to both his bonded wife and Joan. The prefect was just as much as a part of this family as Reggie's scaly friends, even if they distance themself. He could understand why, even if he didn't agree with it. Even his Puff understands it far more intimately than he could as she was in their place.

Returning to the matter at hand, he was lucky. If their bonding was fruitful, and it was very bloody likely that it was, it wasn't too far along the pregnancy to worry about international portkey travel too much, that and Timeus made damn sure he knew about fifty applicable stasis charms once he even had the inkling of them being in the family way. That didn't change the fact that he basically blasted his wife with almost every diagnostic spell known to wixen kind, Joan slipping in their own as he had lowered his wand. The scathing look she sent the two of them was chastisement enough, even if they both avoided the pregnancy detection spell she wasn't exactly pleased with the kit gloves.

So he sat running through every likely treatment plan the boy will need because if he were to anxiously pace as he's wont to do, he will be kicked out of the hospital, and thusly be absolutely useless to his wife. His wife. It's surreal. Maybe this was the other shoe? The universe and magic tamping down their collective bliss before we have a massive baby boom on our hands. That's going to happen anyway if Puff decides to make more fertility totems just because she can.

Thinking back on the possibile potions scripts and what will be needed for both Regulus and Kim. Severus turned his mind from a possible spiral towards his potions stores and the constant inventory he keeps.

~~~~~

Rabastan Lestrange wasn't the sanest of men, at the moment especially, nor was he the most fit. He felt something deep within him was very slowly restoring his mind. A barrier that broke within his very soul. A memory playing through his heart and pulling him up out of the haze of the hell he's been trapped in.

The image of a young girl that his sister-in-law would brag about as she showed pictures she stole during her teas with her aunt. She was bringing him back, in some way. It wasn't romantic, as she wasn't his type. His mind drifted briefly to his Barty with a sad twang in his chest. What he was feeling was a sense of purpose from the young girl, who probably wasn't so young anymore. He was being called into service by someone or something other than the lord he chose to swear to.

He remembered faintly when Bella learned where the girl had been sorted, she wasn't wearing any of the protective jewelry she was in the habit of wearing when it happened, then it was like something snapped in her making her act exactly as she was told not to by their lord. Absently, there was the twist in his gut that reminded him that his father scanned the letter to check for spells just as he followed after his brother to reel Bella in. Then there was lack of any real trial along with the extended stay at their new holiday resort casa de dementor and voila they were absolutely broken.

His cell door opened bringing his attention back to the present.

"Due to newly revealed evidence, your case has been revisited." A man that looks suspiciously like a friend of his father's from school said as he stood there within the cold stone 'room'.

"I don't mean to sound ungrateful or anything, but who are you?" Rabastan managed to get out as he continued to stare at the man.

"I am Timeus Moro Riddle, Lord of the lines of Slytherin and Gaunt. I believe, Scion Lestrange, our fathers were allies of a sort in school. The Knights of Waldo or something like that."

"Walpurgis. My Lord's son?" The younger Lestrange brother was always a tad too quick for his own good.

"Aye, part of the evidence being his will the other part is what's being extracted from Albus Dumbledore as he lies prone in hospital in America. Your brother has already received this news and has made the necessary preparations that he can. Lord Black has made an effort to set up required treatment for Lady Bellatrix, once necessary tests have been performed and reviewed." Rabastan can sense a sort of glee rolling off the man at the state the headmaster was in.

"Why would he put in such effort?" The prisoner asked ever wary as he was brought up to be.

"Lady Bellatrix has a niece does she not?" There was a glint in the stranger's eyes that was reminiscent of his lord when he knew the answer to the question already.

"Yes, what does that have to do with Bella?" So, Rabastan used the tactics Barty taught him when dealing with his lord when he was like that, honest and blunt.

"She is now Lady Prince and has cubs of her own that she wishes her family to st the very least visit during the high holy days. She is also your bloodline's queen."

"You know." Rabastan stiffened painfully at the revelation.

"The number of pelts we had to retrieve that belonged to a Lestrange was rather telling." He revealed, how many of his kin were skinned before they were safe.

"And you are telling me this because?" The nearly entirely broken man needed answers.

"Let's just say that Lady Magic has selected one of her current litter to be my Heir, solving an issue for me as I have no inclination to take a Lady nor a fellow man to my bedchamber. That being said as a service to my father, would you be inclined to serve as my heir's guard once they be born?" He flared his magic some, even his magic tasted of his Lord's.

"Unfortunately, I am not long for this world. It's been almost a decade since Barty was last seen breathing by me. I will serve until I can no longer do so." Rabastan decided that blunt honesty was the best policy, at least he'd die free.

"He is yours." It wasn't a statement.

"Aye, he came as Bellatrix cast the first spell." He furrowed his brows as he reminisced. "He is why the Longbottom's still live, Rod and I, we were lucky to keep her attention off of the Longbottom heir, but that wasn't enough."

"I have news for you then." Lord Slytherin pulled out a newspaper from his robes and held it out.

There on the front page was his Barty, alive and angry and giving a dressing down to a collection of elder wixen that included his father who was avoiding meeting his eyes.

His Barty lives.

So will he.

"It will be an honor to guard your heir."