Daddy Dearest - (No Update, Edit)

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 53 ~ Finding Mathias

Severus apparated to his bedroom in his private quarters then headed to Slytherin house. He found Jasmine and asked her if she had seen Mathias.

"He and Andreas ditched out on me this morning, Professor," she said scowling slightly. "I've looked for them all over but can't find them anywhere. I think they're up to something," the witch added helpfully. "Andreas is very sneaky. He could be leading Mathias down the wrong road, sir."

"Thank you, Miss Malfoy, for your astute observations" Severus said a bit sarcastically, well aware that the witch was jealous of his son's relationship with the second-year, as well as her prejudice.

Jasmine beamed at him, thinking he had taken her warning to heart and might separate Mathias and Andreas.

"You're very welcome, sir," she beamed as Severus walked up the stairs to the boys' dorm and private rooms.

Personally, Severus thought Andreas showed some admirable qualities. He was very slow to anger, and handled adversity well. He also kept his marks up and his record clean, though the Potions Master knew there was some reason the boy was sorted into Slytherin. More than likely, his clean record was proof of how cunning and resourceful Andreas really was. Plus the boy had abilities no other wizard at Hogwarts did, student or faculty. He had no qualms about Mathias being Andreas' friend. Severus had a feeling his son was a lot like him. He didn't make friends easily.

Severus walked to Mathias' room and knocked. There was no answer. He knocked again. Still there was no answer. The Potions Master decided to look around his son's room. Maybe there would be a clue as to where he was. He took out his wand and tried to enter with a simple 'alohamora' and found the door was warded. He began to take down the wards but found they were quite powerful. Extremely powerful. He gave up after several minutes. Clearly the boy put his signature on the wards. It would take Severus all day to take them down.

He returned to the common room and exited Slytherin house. He then went to the Great Hall. Lunch was about to be served, but neither Andreas nor Mathias were present. Severus then went to the library and asked Madame Pince if she had seen Mathias. She answered in the negative. She didn't think to tell Severus he had been in the library earlier that week, researching Iboga root. Good thing for Mathias she didn't. Severus would have put two and two together. He was aware some African tribes used the root to take spiritual journeys. He thanked the witch and left the library.

The Potions Master went outside and checked the Quidditch Pitch, down by the lake and even into the Forbidden Forest. He couldn't find Mathias anywhere. Scowling, the Potions Master headed back towards the castle. Suddenly, he felt strange again, as if a part of him was suddenly taken away. Again he saw Mathias' face looking up at him. The boy didn't look to be in any distress, then he walked out of his line of vision.

Severus blinked several times. He felt normal again. The Potions Master began striding towards the castle. There was one place he hadn't checked. The Room of Requirement.

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Mathias and Andreas took the shifting stairwell down to the main hall. Mathias suddenly started as he looked down at the ground floor. His eyes grew wide.

"Andreas, there are blazing lights moving through the castle," he said in a low voice.

Indeed, large, multicolored lights were…well, seemed to be walking around.

"Those aren't lights, Mathias. Those are students. You are seeing their auras," Andreas said, halting their descent. "They probably are completely covered so you can't see who they are."

"No, I can't," Mathias said.

Suddenly a very bright red light entered the main hall from the dungeon corridor. It stopped.

"Uh oh," Andreas breathed, "It's Jasmine and she sees us. She looks very mad."

"She looks like a bonfire," Mathias said.

"Listen to me, Mathias. You have to will yourself to see Jasmine before we get down there. Focus on making the aura grow dim," Andreas directed. "Imagine it fading."

Mathias concentrated.

"Mathias Snape, where have you been?" Jasmine called up to them, "Your father's been looking for you everywhere and so have I. Come down here!"

Jasmine's aura flared as she said this.

"Wow, she's really angry," Mathias said. "Good thing it's just an aura. If it were really fire she'd burn down Hogwarts."

"That is Jasmine's aura most of the time," Andreas said, "Even when she is at peace there is always a bit of anger present. She is never not angry. Now, is the aura dimming?"

Mathias could see Jasmine's form now in the midst of the flame.

"Yes," he said, concentrating more.

"Well, you'd better concentrate harder. Your father will be here soon," Andreas said.

Mathias had excellent powers of concentration, and Andreas' comment boosted them substantially. Jasmine suddenly came into full view, scowling up at them prettily. Mathias felt his stomach jump as he looked at her and remembered how beautiful she became when she grew up. And she was supposed to be the first one he…he…

"Did you do it?" Andreas hissed at him as he saw the wizard's eyes glaze over.

"Yes, yes I can see her. I can see everybody," Mathias said.

Andreas almost slumped in relief.

"Ok. Good. Now what will we tell her and your father?" Andreas asked as they slowly started down the stairs again.

Mathias thought about it.

"We can tell them we were in the Room of Requirement practicing spells," Mathias replied. "Jasmine will be mad that she wasn't invited, but that's all right. My father knows I am advanced in spells and wouldn't want anyone else to see what I can do, so he will accept that, I hope."

"It sounds good," Andreas said as they walked down the main staircase toward Jasmine, who stood there with her hands on her hips.

"Where have you two been? I looked everywhere for you," she said, looking at them suspiciously. She noticed Mathias was looking at her a bit oddly.

"We were practicing spells in the Room of Requirement," Andreas replied.

Jasmine didn't look as if she believed them.

"All day?" she said accusingly.

"I was teaching Andreas a couple of spells. That takes time," Mathias responded, still staring at Jasmine.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked him, wiping at her face. "Is there a bogey hanging out of my nose or something?"

"No…I was just…just looking at you," he replied lamely.

"Well stop it. You are giving me the creeping fugwugs," she said. "Anyway, your father is looking for you. You better let him know what you two were up to," she said bossily. "And I don't appreciate you ditching me. You could have just told me you had something to do. I would have been fine with it."

Jasmine stormed away.

Andreas looked at Mathias.

"You don't believe that do you?" he asked the pale wizard.

"Not a bit," Mathias replied as the main doors opened and Severus strode in. He saw Mathias and Andreas standing in the main hall and walked over to them.

"Where have you been, Mathias?" he asked his son.

"In the Room of Requirement, practicing spells sir," he replied, Andreas nodding in confirmation.

Severus' black eyes moved from one boy to the other. They both looked all right and Mathias didn't drop his eyes once or shift them like his mother did when she lied. Of course, the boy could take after him and be a consummate liar. The Potions Master didn't want to invade the boy's mind. He was fine, and entitled to go off on his own after all.

"Why were you looking for me, Professor?" Mathias inquired.

Severus thought quickly.

"To ask you if you wanted to watch me brew Wednesday evening," the wizard lied. He didn't want Mathias thinking he was checking up on him.

Mathias' entire face lit up.

"Yes sir," he said enthusiastically.

"Very well, Wednesday night it is then. And bring a quill and some parchments to take notes," Severus said to the beaming boy. "Good day Mr. Snape and Mr. Mbutu."

"Good day sir," both wizards said as the Professor strode away and turned down the dungeon hallway.

Both Andreas and Mathias looked at each other with relief. They also headed for the dungeon corridor.

"Your father knew something was happening to you," Andreas said to Mathias as they slowly walked down the hall.

"How do you know that?" Mathias asked.

"His aura. It was worried. He didn't want you to know," the wizard replied as they entered the Slytherin corridor.

Mathias looked at Andreas.

"Why didn't I see your aura, Andreas?" he asked his friend. "Shouldn't I have seen it?"

Andreas smirked.

"My people learn to dampen their auras when they are very young. It is the only way to keep out of trouble with your parents. They can tell when you are lying. I dampened mine so you wouldn't be frightened or shocked when you awoke."

"Can I learn to do that?" Mathias asked.

He didn't know how many people had the ability to see auras, but if they told so much about a person, then he would like to protect his from the eyes of others.

"Possibly," Andreas said, "but first I must teach you how to view auras and what colors go with what emotions and motives. After that, we can work on teaching you to dampen your own."

"Sounds good," Mathias said.

His stomach growled.

"I'm starved," the wizard said, rubbing his stomach.

Andreas smiled at him.

"Come on. I have some pumpkin pasties in my room," the boy said.

Andreas threw his arm around Mathias' shoulder as they walked up the stairs. Mathias grinned. It was the first time someone had done that and it felt…well…real.

"I have to look after my brother's welfare after all," Andreas said, grinning at Mathias.

Mathias grinned back at him as they headed down the corridor to Andreas's room.

Having a brother was going to be great.

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A/N: Please review.