E Pluribus Unum

A/N - The title is latin for \'state secrets\', since so much of what happens between Kat and Sev is classified. Lady Aidil I know you think doting dad would be out od character for Severus, but I have the personal experience of several men I know who were cynical and jaded and bitter except where their kids were concerned. Severus has the love and devotion of his own Slytherins, there has to be a softer paternal side that Harry never sees in the books. Thanks for all th ewonderful reviews, tamargirl, I hope your husband wasn\'t too confused by your antics, I was just glad to know that everyone was enjoying the story so far. Thanks to Kate who has beta\'d these chapters for me mulltiple times as I re-worked them, she is patient, kind and wonderful!


Chapter 3 – Arcana Imperii

The Magical Workings Room was dark stone and lit only by torches. In the rather Victorian MSA offices, it was a throwback to a thousand years ago. A permanent circle was embedded in the stone, gleaming golden in the torchlight. Flora Chanel stood in garments that would have looked at home at a Mayan ball game: jaguar pelt draped over her head and shoulders, feathered armbands and sandals. Albus was as he always was, dressed in bright gaudy robes that distracted the viewer from noticing the keen eyes and his aura of leashed power.

Kathryn stood in the circle, draped in black robes, listening to the soft drone of Madam Chanel’s chanting. Albus stood behind her, watching as Flora unwrapped the bindings that held Kathryn locked into loyal service to the MSA.

As the layers of binding twisted away, Kathryn felt freer and lighter, as though tiny weights were being lifted from her. She wondered how it would be to feel this way all the time.

A scene of blood and snow wandered through her thoughts and she sighed. She knew that if the bindings hadn’t been in place she would have torn the bastard limb from limb with every ounce of Magic in her. Intellectually she knew it would have been wrong, but she had never been able to work up the attendant emotions of guilt or regret.

The last binding fell away and Kathryn knew she could apparate away and be free forever, right then. His eyes, vivid in her memory, held her in place. She stilled her wild thoughts and held onto the thought that if she just endured this one indignity, she could crawl into bed beside Severus and never have to leave him again.

The image of his face relaxed in sleep distracted her mind from the sensation of tightening cords as Albus began his bindings. She kept her mind on her goal, knowing that soon she wouldn’t even feel the ties that bound her; they would be like her breath, unnoticed until she directed her attention to it.

Albus’ voice was warm and soothing, a gentle ripple in her consciousness. It was strange how she had come to trust the man so completely over the last year. Not that she thought him infallible; far from it, she just knew that he would do his very best at all times and his very best was very good indeed. She doubted that she would have agreed to this situation if it were anyone besides Albus, no matter how much she missed Severus.
When the last words drifted away into silence, Kathryn shifted and stretched herself, testing the bonds. She raised an eyebrow at Albus, for they were far looser than anything Madam Chanel had ever placed on her. She kept her mouth shut though, as he smiled at her former boss, for she realized that Madam Chanel had no clue as to what he had done.

With a smile, she hugged the older woman and hefted her bag of worldly possessions on to her shoulder.
Albus reached out with one hand and presented her with a book. As she grasped it the familiar tug of a portkey jerked in her midriff and she felt the world whiz by.

The house at 12 Grimmauld Place was dark and silent when she arrived. The time difference between London and Virginia made it about one in the morning here.

She stood in the hallway, looking up the staircase at the landing. Since last she visited, someone-- Molly probably-- had been hard at work. The fixtures, once all dark and creepy, were now brightly polished brass. The banisters gleamed dark wood and the stairs were covered with brightly patterned Persian carpet runners. It felt welcoming and homey. Too bad the portrait of Sirius’ mother was still there behind its curtains.
Somewhere nearby a baby began to fuss and cry. Trained by years of living in a large family, Kathryn instinctively followed the sound. She climbed the stairs and came to a partly open door. Peering inside, she saw the source of the robust wailing.

A wicker bassinet wiggled, as tiny arms and legs kicked and she moved forward into the shadowed room. She could make out no details, but reached into the bassinet and picked up the tiny figure.

“Hey, you, what’s wrong?” She cooed at the baby and stuck a pinkie into the child’s mouth. The baby latched onto the finger hungrily and Kathryn immediately began looking for a bottle. She located a row of them on a nearby shelf and adjusting the baby into proper feeding position, she checked the temperature and then popped it into the baby’s mouth. The tyke began greedily pulling on the bottle’s nipple with little happy noises.

“Lumos.” Kathryn turned with a smile at the sound of the much-loved voice as the light came up in the room.

Severus was pulling himself groggily from a couch by the bassinet and Kathryn was amused by the picture he presented. He wore only a plain white shirt and black trousers, his suspenders twisted and shirt half open. He had a growth of stubble and bleary eyes. He held his wand in one hand and looked about ready to drop.

“Hello, Severus.” She stepped rds rds him, baby still cradled in her arms. He was staring at her like she was some sort of mirage and she grinned. “Miss me?”

He groaned and hobbled towards her.

“Kathryn?” He was running the ragged edge of exhaustion and she kissed him gently, afraid she might knock him over.

“Get some sleep, love. I’ll take over with Ryan.” She nudged him with a hip, since both hands were full and watched as he stumbled back to the couch and collapsed onto it.

“Between Voldemort and Ryan, I am not getting any sleep at all.” He murmured and Kathryn’s amusement turned to concern.

“Sleep now, Sev, I’ll stand watch.” His face began to relax into sleep and she sighed. Poor angel, he looked like death warmed over. She had never seen a more welcome sight, though. She settled into a nearby rocking chair and paid full attention to the little boy cradled in her arms.

Now that she knew who he was she studied him. He had pale eyes, somewhere between blue and gray, a mop of thick curly black hair and a tiny button nose. He was tiny, perfect and adorable. He was looking up at her with his unfocused gaze in contentment. Tiny slurping noises accompanied his meal and she hummed softly as she fed him.

“Hello pretty boy.” She kissed him lightly on his brow and smiled down at him with a quiet joy. His frantic suckling came to an end and she withdrew the bottle, setting it on the small end table next to a rocking chair. She stood and shifted the baby so she could burp him and walked with him back and forth while he made some rather amusing noises.

A turn of her head revealed that Ryan had drifted back to sleep on her shoulder and she checked his diaper before tucking him back into the bassinet.

Severus was sprawled on the couch in a very uncomfortable position. There were times she really hated how bad she was at transfiguration; Minerva could turn the lucouccouch into a feather bed. With a sigh, she gently turned him so he wouldn’t rise with a crick in his neck and draped a blanket over his recumbent form.

She dropped a kiss on his forehead and went in search of a bedroom and some sleep.