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 60 ~ While Walking Through the Woods

Mathias did quite well on his end-of-year exams, earning top marks. Severus was extremely proud of him, although his only comment was:

"You made fairly decent marks."

Mathias knew this was high praise from his father and beamed happily as Severus scowled at him.

Mathias took to occlumency like a dragon to fire. His first night he was able to repel his father from his mind after a small, desperate battle. That was because Mathias had an awful amount of secrets he didn't want discovered, not even by his father and it added to his intent when casting the spell. Severus focused on seeing earlier memories from childhood rather than recent ones formed at Hogwarts, wanting to give Mathias some privacy.

The Potions Master wasn't sure when he himself became interested in naked witches, but he caught a couple of glimpses of quite a curvaceous and very naked blonde woman in the boy's mind. She had to be a fantasy. There was no way he could have seen her. Fantasizing about witches at eleven years old? Maybe he'd better give the boy a sex talk soon. A more in-depth one about the actual mechanics of it as well as the desired outcome.

By the time school let out three weeks later, Mathias was able to drop his occlumency walls solidly, with all the delicacy of a huge meteor crashing to earth. The boy was a quick study. It was good he could do it, but anyone trying to read his thoughts and memories would definitely know the young wizard was purposely blocking them. They had to work on subtlety next, then on targeted blockage, closing off large blocks of memories without appearing to do so. This was what Mathias needed in order to face Voldemort.

Hermione was very disappointed when Mathias owled her, asking if he could stay at Hogwarts for the summer with his father. But then again, she had to work every day and Mathias would have been home alone for much of the time. She owled him back and said she would discuss it with his father. Severus had no problem having Mathias stay with him. He had an extra room in his quarters that the boy could occupy and they could get to know each other better, as well as work on his occlumency and potions skills. He would bring Mathias home on the weekends to see his mother, stay overnight and leave in the morning so they could spend Saturday and Sunday together alone.

The first time Mathias saw Severus sitting at the kitchen table in a house robe and rather fluffy black bedroom slippers, he grinned from ear-to-ear. Hermione was bright red the entire breakfast as they ate together. Mathias knew the Professor was laying wand to her after all. But to her relief, Mathias didn't seem to have any issues about it, other than to ask, "Did you have a good night, Professor?"

Hermione's redness knew no bounds when her son asked this.

"Yes, I did, Mathias," Severus replied, sipping his coffee and smirking as he cut his eyes toward Hermione.

"That's good. And did you have a nice night, mum?" Mathias asked her.

If Severus scattering all her beauty supplies and fucking her on top of her mirrored dresser for what seemed like hours was having a nice night, then yes…she did. Thank the gods for silencing spells. Mathias had been listening too, hoping to hear something that indicated how well they got along.

"Yes. I did," she said. She couldn't turn any redder so just sat there, mortified.

After breakfast, Mathias returned to his bedroom and Severus watched as Hermione cleared the table. He'd like to fuck her again, simply because she was so embarrassed about Mathias seeing him here, not knowing he and the boy had already discussed this issue.

"You had a nice night last night, eh?" the Potions Master said to her silkily. "Nice? Is that the way you would describe what I did to you, witch?"

Hermione had just gotten her color back…now she flushed again.

She turned around scowling at the wizard, her back resting against the sink.

"No…it wasn't nice what you did to me," she hissed at him. "I don't want to talk about this now. Mathias might hear us."

Severus stood up and strode over to Hermione and pressed his body against hers possessively, bending her back over the sink.

"I'd like to fuck you right here. Imagine Mathias hearing that," he said wickedly. Then he kissed her.

Mathias happened to walk into the kitchen just as Hermione's arms wrapped around Severus' neck. He couldn't see the kiss because Severus' back was turned to him, but by the way his father's head was moving, he was giving his mum one big kiss. Since she was holding him so tightly, she must have liked it very much.

Mathias backed out of the kitchen, smiling. Obviously, his father and mother were quite compatible. He had never seen Justice kiss her like that. He went back to his room. He could get pumpkin juice later.

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The only bad thing about summer vacation was that Andreas was gone. He went home. Mathias missed him greatly. It was as if he'd lost a limb. But he and Severus did things together, brewing medicinal supplies for the infirmary, practicing occlumency and talking about Voldemort. Severus was very candid with him and didn't hold back any of the gory details of his reign, or his own role in it.

"What you read in the DKV literature is all lies, Mathias, meant to give the Dark Lord a positive face. He is gaining followers another way now. And that Dark Mark they receive is very dangerous. They can be controlled through it…it has a kind of mass Imperious curse on it, though it is a different kind of curse we can't figure out."

Mathias thought about Andreas' vision. So that's how it started. The Dark Lord used his mark to make people kill each other. That mark was the key.

"Can't mum help figure it out?" Mathias asked, "She's very clever sir."

Severus shook his head.

"If your mother was found to be doing anything that could affect the DKV negatively, she would be sacked. The Ministry has a non-involvement policy," his father replied.

"But this is important. Mum could always get another job," Mathias said, frowning.

"Your mother worked very hard to get the position she has, Mathias. She will soon be the Department Head. That is a very prestigious and well-paying position," the Professor said.

"But according to what I've read, if the DKV has its way, only purebloods will be able to hold positions like that. Mum could lose her job anyway," the young wizard said.

"Yes, it is possible. But she isn't going to walk away from a good situation because of what could 'possibly' happen," Severus replied.

Mathias realized the Professor was right. His mum was stubborn like that.

"But things are different now. Mum didn't have you helping her financially before. Now you give her money to help…she doesn't have to work for the Ministry now if she didn't want to," Mathias said.

"But the point is, she does want to, Mathias. She wants to receive the honor she's worked so hard for," Severus said soberly.

"She should be more concerned about the wizarding world," Mathias said under his breath, "And all the people that are going to die because of that Mark."

Then he looked at his father.

"But you have the mark," he said horrified, "That means…"

Severus shook his head.

"No. I have an original mark because I am one of the original inner circle of deatheaters. He can only summon and cause me pain with this mark. It couldn't be replaced, thank the gods," he replied.

Mathias heaved a sigh of relief.

Severus changed the topic. Mathias was asking an awful lot about the Dark Lord lately. It was as if he were obsessed. Severus told him all he could and answered any questions he came up with. He had also taken out several historical books from the restricted section for him. The old books that held the true background of the Dark Lord.

Initially Severus was concerned, but after consideration, thought it might be good for Mathias to know all he could about Voldemort. If the Dark Lord was still in power when he came of age, his knowledge might help him in some way. Hopefully he wouldn't be.

"Tonight we are going harvesting in the Forbidden Forest, so I suggest you retire a bit early," Severus said. "This particular flower can only be harvested on the first night of the full moon. It's called a moonflower and is very important in healing potions."

Mathias stiffened.

"What's wrong?" Severus asked him, frowning slightly. "You look like you've seen a Manticora descending on you."

"I…I've just never been in the Forbidden Forest before. I've heard stories about it," Mathias lied.

The Potions Master's face relaxed.

"Don't worry. We'll be safe, believe me," Severus replied. "Now I'm going to go check on that elixir. It is very volatile at this stage and I would prefer that you not come with me in case of an accident. You can wander about the castle or stay here if you wish."

"All right, sir," the boy replied as Severus left the study.

Mathias hadn't stiffened because they were going into the Forbidden Forest. He had stiffened because they were going into the Forbidden Forest on the first night of the full moon. That was the night Professor Trelawney was supposed to perform her "ritual" devised by him and Andreas.

If the witch hadn't figured out she'd been duped yet, Mathias hoped she would come after he and his father had harvested the moonflower. If his father saw her…

Mathias shuddered.

He knew it wouldn't be pretty on a number of levels.

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Wandtips glowing, Severus and Mathias carefully made their way through the Forbidden Forest. The full moon was high in the sky, casting its bright monochromatic light over the grounds, but because of the thickness of trees, the wizards had to provide their own illumination.

"The crop of moonflowers are in a clearing towards the middle of the forest," Severus said to Mathias as he led the way, "We won't need our wands to see them."

Mathias stepped over a large root, marveling how his father could move through the woods without his robes snagging. Everything seemed to be grabbing Mathias' robes.

Suddenly Severus stopped, listening intently. There were a number of animal and insect noises that they had heard when entering the forest. What had his father heard?

"Do you hear that?" Severus asked his son in a low voice, still listening, his brow furrowed.

"All I hear are animals," Mathias replied, trying his best to hear something out of the ordinary.

"That's no animal. Keep low and stay close to me," Severus said, moving into stealth mode and walking forward, his wand dimmed somewhat.

Mathias stayed right on his heels.

As they moved through the forest, Mathias thought he heard something. He stopped a moment, listening.

"Keep up!" his father hissed at him. Mathias scurried to catch up. There was a glow behind the trees and they could hear someone talking.

"Who is that?" Severus said, putting out his wand and moving from tree to tree now. "And what is that awful stench? It smells like…like garlic and dragon dung."

Mathias' heart sunk as they moved closer to the strange light and odd voice.

Severus made it to the last line of trees and looked around the one he stood behind. Mathias moved to the next tree down, also looking toward the clearing.

At first, Severus' mouth dropped open in shock…then a look of amazement, followed closely by disgust settled on his face. His large nose was noticeably wrinkled as the scent of dragon shit washed over them. They would have the misfortune to come out of the forest downwind. Gods.

"Cover your eyes, Mathias! Don't look if you don't want to be scarred for life, son!" Severus hissed at him warningly. But it was too late. Mathias had seen all he needed to.

It was Professor Trelawney.

The witch was in the moonflower clearing, naked and completely brown because she was covered from head to toe in pungent dragon dung. A garland of cut garlic was strung around her neck. The odor was absolutely ghastly, as was her bony body dancing wildly around and around the bonfire…the witch spinning and chanting odd words as she did so. In the process, Sybil was trampling the moonflowers.

Severus was appalled and disgusted. What the fuck was the witch doing? Was she insane? He listened to the words she chanted in her spooky, hollow seer voice.

"SAERDNA DNA SAIHTAM! SAERDNA DNA SAIHTAM!"

Severus frowned slightly. There was something familiar about that chant.

Mathias looked on caught between horror and mirth as the skinny witch fulfilled her monthly obligation to the "Spirits of Mbutu." He took in the scene intently, intending on sharing it with Andreas when he returned next term.

"The stupid woman. She's destroying the moonflower crop," Severus hissed, staring at the crushed flowers in frustration as Sybil's dung covered feet continued trouncing them. "Wait here, Mathias."

"Dad, you're not going out there?" Mathias hissed back at him, again addressing Severus as his parent in his excitement.

"I just need a couple of flowers. There are a few uncrushed ones on the perimeter. I can harvest those. She won't see me," the wizard said, casting a disillusionment spell on himself.

Mathias' eyes went wide as he tried to follow his father's movement. He saw Severus' shimmer as he crept toward the bonfire and the untouched moonflowers.

Sybil continued to chant and dance, the sight and odor of the witch becoming almost unbearable. Sybil had no curves to speak of, very tiny breasts and sharp bones and joints everywhere. Severus wondered if the witch had ever been fucked in her life as he grasped the first flower. He yanked it out by the root and moved to the next.

Suddenly, Trelawney stopped dancing and peered around with a wary look.

"Is someone there?" she called, covering herself.

Severus froze, hoping his shimmer didn't register. Mathias ducked behind the tree and held his breath as Sybil looked directly at the copse of trees he was hiding behind.

Sybil wasn't wearing her glasses, but she still thought she felt a presence. She walked over to her discarded robes and picked up both her glasses and her wand. She put on her glasses and began walking toward Severus, her stench almost gagging the wizard as she drew closer. He had dropped the moonflowers the moment she stopped dancing and stood stock still, holding his breath as she walked past him, her wand held straight out before her. The Potions Master breathed a small sigh of relief as she passed, before realizing she was heading for the trees where Mathias was hiding.

Shit.

Mathias saw the witch approaching and tried to disappear back into the forest. Unfortunately, he stepped on a dried twig. It snapped.

"Come out!" Sybil cried, charging forward. She shot a stunner through the trees.

Desperately, Severus drew out his wand and stunned the naked witch before she made it to the tree line and his son. Sybil shrieked and dropped like a stone, her shapeless ass turned toward the sky...a small dung-covered moon shining beneath its namesake.

Severus ran past her fallen body into the woods.

"Mathias? Mathias!" he called. At first there was no answer.

Then came a pained, "I'm over here, dad."

Severus followed the sound of Mathias' voice and found him sitting on the ground grimacing, rubbing his ankle.

"She didn't get me with the stunner, but I twisted my ankle on a root when I was dodging it," the small wizard said.

Severus dropped to his heels and examined the boy's ankle. He then pointed his wand at it and said a mending spell. Mathias sighed with relief as his father looked at him with concern.

"Did you hurt anything else?" he asked his son.

"No. I'm fine," Mathias said as Severus helped him up and brushed off his robes, straightening them. Mathias looked up at him smiling as he did so. Severus realized he was being an indulgent, over-protective father and dropped his hands, scowling down at the little wizard.

"You should watch where you're going," he said gruffly, turning back toward the clearing.

"Yes sir," Mathias said, following him, still smiling.

He saw Professor Trelawney sprawled on the ground smelling of shit and garlic. His nose wrinkled both at the sight and the smell. She certainly was no grown-up Jasmine. She was so skinny she looked as if she should be hospitalized. She was wrinkly too. He watched as Severus quickly harvested the viable moonflowers then strode back quickly. Sybil was starting to stir.

Mathias waved at him warningly, and Severus dipped into the woods on the far right of the waking witch. Together, both wizards beat a hasty retreat, the Potions Master placing his arm around his son's shoulder and disapparating with him back to Hogwarts.

Sybil groaned and lifted her head as the sound of thunder registered. What had happened? Did her stunner ricochet off of the trees and hit her? Groggily she stood up and walked back to the bonfire and over to her robes, where she looked at her watch. Damn. She was going to have to start over.

The witch took a deep breath, then began to dance around the fire again, chanting the sacred words that would bring her great powers.

"SAERDNA DNA SAIHTAM! SAERDNA DNA SAIHTAM!"

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The moment Severus and Mathias arrived in Severus' bedroom, the wizard put his collection bag down and strode into the study to his writing desk. He opened the drawer and took out a piece of parchment. Then he picked up a quill, dipped it in ink and wrote something down. Mathias watched from the bedroom door.

The Potions Master stared at what he wrote, then wrote something else. His eyebrows went up in surprise, then he frowned and looked up at Mathias.

"Do you mind telling me why Professor Trelawney was covered in garlic and dragon dung and dancing around a bonfire while chanting your and Andreas' names backwards?" Severus asked his son.

Mathias swallowed.

How was he going to explain this one?

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A/N: It was time for a little humor before all the dark situations come down on us. Ewww, can you imagine what that must have been like to see Sybil? Brrrrr. Lol at Severus telling Mathias to cover his eyes. Trelawney must have a bit of a sixth sense to have detected the wizards. I almost feel sorry for her. Almost. If Severus figured out what she was saying so easily, what's that say about the witch's level of intelligence? Ah well…it was still fun to write. Please review.