Chapter Text
Severus awoke with a gasp.
A crushing weight pinned him to the frozen earth, forcing the breath from his lungs. His eyes flew open in the dim grey of dawn, and for one terrible second he could not make sense of what he was seeing.
Then the man above him grinned.
One of the Alphas from the tavern was straddling his chest, his knees planted firmly on either side of Severus's hips. He clawed at the front of Severus's coat, trying to wrench it open with greedy, fumbling hands.
Panic tore through the Omega.
He twisted beneath him, fighting with every ounce of strength left in his small body. One hand reached blindly for Dorian while the other shot upwards, his fingers pressing hard against the Alpha's throat in a desperate attempt to keep him away.
Nothing.
His hand found only cold air.
No Dorian. No Harry, Only the raw, terrified sobbing of his infant somewhere nearby.
"Where are my children?" The words came out as little more than a strangled breath.
The Alpha laughed maniacally.
Severus kicked violently, driving his heels into the man's ribs, but the bastard's weight held him down. The stink of stale Alpha pheromones filled the air, thick and rancid enough to turn Severus's stomach.
He could not overpower him, his pistol was too far away. Then his mind caught upon one thought.
Fire.
Severus released his grip on the Alpha's throat and plunged his hand blindly towards the remains of last night's fire. His fingers closed around a half-burnt piece of wood.
Heat seared his palm, he gritted his teeth and seized it anyway, with a desperate cry, Severus swung.
The glowing end struck the side of the Alpha's face. The man screamed, he recoiled violently, both hands flying to his face as he staggered backwards. His heel caught against the uneven ground, and he crashed heavily onto his back.
Severus rolled away.
He scrambled upright, nearly losing his footing on the stiffened earth, his heart hammering so violently that he could hear the blood pounding in his ears.
Dorian's cries, terrified, Severus spun towards the sound.
Harry stood several yards away, another Alpha had one arm wrapped around the boy's narrow body. One large hand was clamped firmly over Harry's mouth, smothering the scream struggling to escape him. Dorian was in Harry's arms, writhing and sobbing against his brother's chest.
Harry's single visible eye met Severus's, the terror there nearly stopped his heart, tears streamed down the child's cheeks.
Something inside Severus went cold, then it broke.
He drew his pistol. The first Alpha was still on the ground, screaming as he clutched his burned face.
Severus fired, the voice cracked through the cold morning, the bullet struck the man's shoulder.
He lurched sideways, stared for half a heartbeat at the blood spreading across his coat, then scrambled upright and ran.
Only then did the second Alpha release Harry, he ran after his companion without so much as a backward glance.
Severus fired again.
And again.
The Alpha’s crashed through the bushes, stumbling as they fled blindly towards the trees. Severus tracked them with the pistol until they vanished into the darkness beyond the hedgerow.
Cowards.
Severus remained standing in the clearing, his pistol still raised, for several seconds, he could not move.
His breathing came harshly, his hands trembled, then he looked at Harry.
The boy stood perfectly still, tears continuing to spill silently down his face.
Severus lowered the pistol. "Harry."
The child's face crumpled, Severus crossed the clearing in an instant, He pulled Harry against him, wrapping one arm tightly around his shoulders while gathering Dorian close with the other. The infant's frantic cries slowly softened beneath the familiar scent of his Omega parent.
Harry buried his face against Severus's coat.
The Omega closed his eyes, "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking despite every effort to steady it. "I'm sorry, my boy."
Harry clung tighter, neither of them spoke after that, They simply remained there, locked together beneath the ancient trees, while the first weak rays of sunlight crept over the ruined hills.
Severus opened his eyes. They burned with unshed tears, heallowed himself only a few seconds before forcing himself upright.
He gathered their few belongings and packed them onto the horses. He checked the saddles, tightened the straps and made certain Dorian was secured properly before mounting.
Within minutes, they were moving again along the broken road, Severus's heart refused to settle.
He watched Harry riding ahead of him, the boy's small figure almost swallowed by the enormous landscape.
He knew Alphas, he had spent too many years living among them not to understand what happened to Omegas who travelled without a pack, without someone powerful enough to make predators think twice.
They would not leave him alone, not after what had happened.
If he stayed anywhere near the village, those men would return, perhaps with an entire pack.
He needed distance, as much as he could possibly gain, and even then, he knew, it might not be enough.
Severus had not seen Harry cry in a very long time, that frightened him more than the gunfire had.
His proud little Alpha, his stubborn, brave boy. He should never have seen any of this.
Harry should have grown up somewhere warm, somewhere safe. He should have known clean sheets and full meals, childish arguments and laughter.
He should never have learnt how to recognise danger in a stranger's scent, he should never have learnt how to run.
And he certainly should never have had to watch his Omega mother pinned beneath another man, wondering whether he was about to lose him.
Severus swallowed hard, the guilt sat beneath his ribs like a stone. He had promised himself that his children would have a better life than the one Britain had left them.
They travelled for half a day.
By then, the horses had begun to tire. Their heads hung low as they trudged along the ruined road, their hooves sinking into mud churned by wagons and refugees.
Harry complained several times that he wanted to walk rather than remain in the saddle.
Eventually, Severus relented, Dorian had begun crying as well. his heart softened.
"All right," Severus murmured. "We'll rest."
They stopped beneath a broad old tree whose roots had broken through the earth like the fingers of some buried creature.
Severus dismounted and tethered the horses securely to the trunk.
He placed Dorian carefully into Harry's arms, and the boy immediately struggled beneath the infant's weight.
"He's heavy."
"He is a baby, Harry."
Harry shifted Dorian awkwardly, trying to find a more comfortable way to hold him. The infant answered with an indignant little cry, wriggling determinedly towards Severus.
"He wants you," Harry muttered. "I think you're his favourite."
Severus gave him a tired look, though the corner of his mouth lifted despite himself.
"No. He simply wants to nurse. Soon enough, he'll prefer you over me."
Harry's mouth twitched, it was almost a smile, Severus allowed himself to enjoy it.
He tethered the second horse before returning to the tree. Then he lowered himself onto the ground, resting his back against the rough trunk.
He took Dorian from Harry and loosened his shirt, attempting to nurse him.
Harry was finally free to wander. The boy immediately found an exposed section of the tree's root and decided, for reasons known only to himself, that he was going to break it.
He planted both feet against the trunk, wrapped his arms around the root and pushed.
Nothing happened. Harry grunted and tried again.
Severus watched him while Dorian suckled against his chest.
Ten minutes passed, then the infant began crying again, Severus sighed, he gently pulled him away.
His body had almost nothing left to give, hunger had hollowed him out. Exhaustion had settled into his bones. For three days, he had survived on little more than a handful of berries and whatever scraps he could find.
There was no milk, he had known there would not be, he buttoned his shirt and rubbed Dorian's back until the baby quietened into a miserable whimper.
He rose and reached into his satchel, a small pouch of berries remained, he poured a few into his palm and ate one, then another.
He forced himself to chew slowly, despite the hunger clawing at his stomach.
"Harry. Come here,” The boy abandoned his battle with the tree, “Eat something."
Harry obeyed, taking the bag with both hands. He had barely bitten into two berries when the horses suddenly reared against their tethers.
Severus froze.
The animals tossed their heads, nostrils flaring, ears pinned sharply towards the trees.
Then he heard it. Hooves of several horses, somewhere beyond the hedgerow.
Severus's hand moved instinctively towards his pistol, the world seemed to contract around him.
“Harry.” The boy looked up, “Get on the horse. Now.”
There was something in his Omega's voice that made Harry move without arguing.
He lifted Harry into the saddle, then placed Dorian into the boy's lap.
“Hold him.”
Harry's small arms immediately tightened around his infant brother.
Severus pulled a strip of cloth from his pack and wound it around Dorian and Harry, securing the baby against his brother's chest.
“Keep him close. Don't let him slip.”
Harry nodded, though his face had gone pale.
Severus caught his shoulder, “Listen to me. Run. Do you hear me? Run straight down the road and don't stop.”
“But—”
“I'll find you.”
“You promise?”
The question nearly broke him, Severus swallowed hard and forced himself to keep his expression steady, “I promise.”
He slapped the horse's rump, the animal sprang forward.
Harry clung desperately to the reins as the horse carried him and Dorian away, bearing with it the two people who were more precious to Severus than anything left in this ruined country.
His children. A piece of his heart.
Severus watched them disappear between the trees for only a heartbeat.
Then he turned, the hoofbeats were closer.
He untied his own horse and mounted so quickly that he nearly slipped from the saddle. The animal bolted before he had properly found his balance, forcing him to grip the reins with both hands.
His heart hammered violently against his ribs, he looked back through the branches.
Shapes moved between the trees.
Men. Several of them, their voices carried through the cold morning air.
“Keep after him!”
Severus swallowed, he lowered himself over the horse's neck and drove it harder.
The forest blurred around him, blackened fields, broken stone, skeletal trees stripped bare by winter.
A shot cracked through the morning, Severus ducked instinctively, another followed, then another.
Bullets tore through the branches around him, “Keep going,” he whispered to the horse.
The men behind him shouted, their voices growing louder as they pursued, Severus tightened his grip on the reins and twisted in the saddle, trying to judge how far behind they were.
A bullet grazed his upper arm, pain flashed hot beneath his skin, he hissed but did not slow, blood began running down his sleeve.
Another shot rang out, this time, the bullet struck the horse, the animal screamed. It lurched violently beneath him, its front legs buckling.
Severus barely had time to throw himself clear, he hit the ground hard and rolled across the frozen earth.
The horse collapsed behind him, for several seconds he lay stunned, breathless, staring at the sky.
Then instinct dragged him upright, he turned, a mounted Alpha stood in the road, the man held a pistol loosely in one hand, his horse pawed impatiently at the ground.
Severus backed away, his own pistol remained in his hand, but the Alpha had the advantage of height, distance and a loaded weapon already aimed at him.
“Please,” Severus said, “I have children.”
The man's smile widened, “It's all right. I like fertile Omegas.”
Something cold settled in Severus's stomach, “They won't survive without me.” He continued backing away, “Please. Have mercy.”
The alpha laughed as he slowly advanced the horse towards him.
“Do you need money?” Severus asked desperately. “I can pay you.”
“Please shut up.” The Alpha's grin became uglier, “We only need you alive. Makes things easier. Now lower the gun and slowly raise your hands.”
Severus's jaw clenched, hatred burned through his fear, he lowered his pistol.
A shot thundered.
The Alpha's head snapped violently to one side, Severus simply stared, as blood sprayed across the road, the mounted man collapsed from the saddle.
Severus recoiled, horror and confusion flashing across his face.
He had not fired, before he could turn, another horse thundered between him and the fallen Alpha.
The rider moved with startling speed, an arm hooked around Severus's waist.
He was hauled from the ground and dragged onto the horse, Severus struggled violently.
“No! No, let me go!” He twisted, trying to wrench himself free from the stranger's grip.
Another gunshot cracked behind them.
The rider ducked low and shoved Severus down against the horse, “Get down unless you want us both killed.”
The voice was rough, unfamiliar.
Severus froze, he could feel the man's body behind him, solid and warm despite the bitter cold.
“Please,” he begged. “Don't send me back to them. I'll give you whatever you want. Money, food—anything.”
A shot rang out.
The rider ducked over him, bringing his face dangerously close.
Severus's breath caught, he could smell him, the scent surrounded him, smoke, cold air, leather and something distinctly wild beneath it.
An Alpha.
The realisation made Severus's stomach twist, he immediately tried to pull away, his fear sharpened.
Harry was somewhere ahead, Dorian was with him and Severus was trapped on the back of a stranger's horse.
“Please, My children.” he pleaded, his eyes filled with tears.
He imagined Harry alone on the road, Dorian crying against his brother's chest, waiting for him.
“Hey!” The Alpha's voice cut through his thoughts.
Severus blinked.
“Listen to me, Omega.” The man's breath warmed the side of his face, “You're going to hold the reins and lead us away from the road. While I deal with the bastards behind us.”
Hope flickered through the terror.
“You understand?”
Severus nodded quickly.
The Alpha's expression hardened, “Use your words.”
“Yes.” His voice shook, “Yes. I can do it.”
The Alpha shifted his weight, Severus tried to sit upright, only to realise the man was still braced over him, the Alpha seized Severus's hand and pushed the reins into it.
“Hold tight.”
Then he turned, as Gunfire erupted behind them. Severus gripped the reins with both hands and forced himself to concentrate on the road.
Shots cracked around them, the Alpha fired again and again, Severus kept riding, he could barely breathe.
The horse thundered beneath him, its hooves pounding across the earth while the battle raged behind them.
Then came a scream, A heavy thud, the unmistakable sound of a body striking the ground.
Another horse shrieked. Men shouted and cursed, Severus did not look back, he only kept riding.
Gradually, the gunfire faded, the pursuing hoofbeats disappeared into the distance, only the wind moving through dead branches and the hard rhythm of the horse beneath them.
Severus swallowed, as he searched desperately through the trees and kept going. The Alpha behind him placed one arm over the reins, steadying them both.
Severus barely noticed, half an hour passed. Then he saw him, a small figure beside a tree.
Harry, still mounted and alive.
The boy was looking anxiously over his shoulder, clearly prepared to run again if the approaching rider proved to be one of the men who had chased them.
Relief struck Severus so violently that a broken laugh escaped him, “Harry!”
The horse slowed, Severus barely waited for it to stop before throwing himself from the saddle.
The Omega ran and reached Harry, he pulled him from the horse, wrapping both arms around him.
“Oh, Harry.” His voice broke, “My clever, brave boy.”
He kissed his hair, his cheeks, his forehead, “Thank you.” Tears blurred his vision, “Thank you for being brave.”
Harry clung to him, Severus suddenly remembered Dorian, the infant was quiet.
He pulled back, “Dorian?”
The infant stared back at him with wide, curious eyes, Alive, Unhurt.
Severus let out a shaky laugh, “There you are.”
He gathered both children against his chest, nothing else mattered.
Harry pulled back, “Are you all right, Mama?”
Severus kissed his cheek, “Of course I'm fine—”
He stopped, Harry was staring over his shoulder.
Severus slowly turned, the stranger was dismounting, the Alpha removed one foot from the stirrup and stepped onto the ground, then he looked up.
The world seemed to fall away beneath Severus's feet, those eyes. Hazel and familiar.
Every drop of colour drained from his face, his breath caught painfully in his throat, his heart lurched so violently that, for one dreadful second, he thought it might stop.
James Potter.
Severus stumbled backwards, Harry caught him around the waist, “Mama?”
The boy looked up at him, frightened, “Are you all right?”
Severus could not answer, across the clearing, James regarded him in silence, there was no surprise upon the Alpha's face, only a long, unreadable stare.
“How...” Severus whispered, He drew his pistol, the muzzle pointed directly at the alpha. “How did you find me?”
James's gaze dropped briefly to the weapon before returning to Severus's face.
“Put the gun down, Omega.” His voice was low and rough, controlled despite the chaos surrounding them, his eyes flickered towards Harry, the boy was staring at him anxiously.
Severus took two steps backwards, one hand shoved Harry behind him, the other curled protectively around Dorian's tiny head.
He placed himself between his children and the Alpha, “I asked you a question, Potter!”
James's jaw tightened, “We don't have time for this. We can—”
“Shut your fucking mouth. And slowly put your gun on the ground.”
James's expression hardened, neither moved, then, slowly, he lowered his weapon, his eyes never left Severus.
“There are at least five men following you,” James said. “And you're wasting time arguing with me.”
Severus swallowed, he had heard nothing, but that did not mean they were not coming.
He took two cautious steps backwards, “Two steps back, Potter,” he ordered, keeping the pistol trained steadily upon the Alpha. “Then turn your back to us.”
James obeyed without argument, and too calmly.
That composure irritated Severus almost as much as the situation itself. James simply turned his back, shoulders broad beneath his coat, as though having a pistol pointed at him were an inconvenience rather than a threat.
Severus's gaze shifted towards Harry, “Get on his horse. Hurry.”
Harry hesitated only for a moment before moving.
Severus stood with the pistol trained steadily on the Alpha. When he saw that Harry had regained his balance in the saddle, he turned towards the second horse and mounted, Dairon perched awkwardly against his shoulder. Managing the infant with one arm while keeping the pistol raised in the other made the task painfully clumsy, but Severus had no time to waste.
He looked towards Harry and gave him a sharp signal.
“Go.”
Harry stared at him for a moment, wide-eyed, before gathering the reins.
The Alpha had not moved.
He stood several paces away, apparently calm, making no sudden gesture that might frighten the horses or provoke Severus into firing. For one brief, treacherous moment, the Omega thought he might actually get away.
Harry's horse had barely begun to move when James suddenly broke into a run.
He came alongside the boy's horse with startling speed, boots pounding against the wet earth. Severus's stomach dropped.
“Harry!”
Before Severus could even comprehend what Potter intended, James seized the reins and tore them from the boy's hands.
Harry cried out in surprise as the horse shied beneath him.
“Potter!”
Severus kicked his own horse forward, desperation surging through him. He barely had time to draw breath before James swung himself up with effortless agility, landing behind Harry in the saddle.
Then he drove his heels into the horse's flanks.
The animal surged forwards.
James and Harry swept past Severus in a blur of dark coats and flying mane, disappearing along the ruined road.
For one stunned heartbeat, Severus could only stare.
Then the horror of what had happened struck him.
“No!”
He hauled his horse around and spurred after them, Dairon clutched tightly against his shoulder.
Severus raised his pistol, but Harry was directly in front of James, a single shot could kill his son before it ever reached the Alpha.
Severus lowered the weapon, fury and helplessness twisting violently inside his chest.
“Potter! Give me back my son!”
Severus kicked his horse into motion and chased after them.
The road was little more than frozen mud and broken stone. His horse struggled over the uneven ground, but James's mount was already pulling ahead.
Severus gritted his teeth, his heart hammered against his ribs.
He had not even had time to secure Dorian properly around his waist. The infant was still pressed against his chest, and every jolt of the horse threatened to loosen his hold.
He could not think, he could barely breathe.
Since arriving in that cursed village, he had not been granted a single hour of peace. One calamity had followed another, each worse than the last.
And now James Potter had taken his son.
“Harry!” Severus shouted until his throat burned, “Jump off the horse!”
Harry twisted around, as he tried to pull himself free.
But James's arm immediately tightened around his slender body, holding him securely against his chest.
Harry struggled, he kicked and twisted, but he was too small and too weak. He could not break the Alpha's hold.
“Harry!” Severus's voice cracked with desperation, “Jump quickly!”
James lowered his head slightly, speaking close to Harry's ear, “You'll break your legs if you jump from a horse moving this fast.”
His tone remained maddeningly calm, “That is your first lesson.”
Harry stopped struggling for a moment, James glanced towards the road behind them, “Secondly, your Omega’s is frightened half to death.”
Harry frowned.
“He's been running from those men for too long. He's exhausted, terrified, and thinking only about keeping you and the baby alive.” His arm remained firmly around Harry, “He can't see that I can get you away from them.”
“Why are you helping us?” Harry asked cautiously.
“I don’t like seeing children get hurt,” James replied, as he hauled hard on the reins with a low groan, the leather creaking beneath his gloves, and the horse gave a sharp, irritated snort. James brought it to an abrupt halt, then swung the animal sideways across the road, deliberately blocking Severus’s path.
The Omega's horse reared in alarm.
Its forelegs pawed wildly at the air, hooves striking at nothing, and Severus lurched in the saddle. He immediately threw one arm around Dorian, dragging the infant tightly against his chest, while his other hand clawed desperately for the reins.
His fingers slipped, as the horse came down badly, its hooves skidding against the cold earth. Severus lost his balance and fell from the saddle, the world pitching sickeningly upside down around him.
He did not think, he simply turned his body, curling himself around Dorian and taking the fall meant for the child beneath his own weight.
Before he could hit the ground properly, James was already moving.
The Alpha vaulted from his horse and charged towards the panicking animal. He caught Severus from behind, one powerful arm locking firmly around his waist while his other arm reached for the infant, keeping Severus upright and Dairon safely pressed between his forearm and the Omega chest.
“Let go of me!”
Severus fought him at once.
He twisted violently in James’s grasp, desperate to break free without sending Dorian tumbling from his arms. His boots scraped against the frozen road as he struggled, every ounce of his remaining strength poured into escaping the Alpha’s hold.
James tightened his grip, He ducked, shifting his weight, and forced Severus down onto his knees.
“Get your damn hands off me!”
Severus drove his elbow backwards.
It struck James hard enough to draw a low groan from the Alpha, but he did not release him.
Severus kicked wildly. He twisted, thrashed and fought with everything he had left. His breath tore painfully from his lungs, each movement growing more desperate than the last.
His screams carried through the abandoned grounds.
They seemed horribly loud against the dead silence of the morning, James clenched his jaw.
If the men who had been following them were still somewhere beyond the trees, they could not afford to let those screams carry any farther.
With one arm, James secured the infant against himself. With the other, he clamped his hand firmly over Severus’s mouth and nose.
“Shut up,” he said, quietly but no less stern.
Severus’s eyes widened.
He gasped against James’s palm, struggling for breath. His back struck the Alpha chest behind him, and he fought harder, panic flashing across his face as the Alpha’s scent surrounded him.
Harry was still perched upon the horse.
He stared at them from the saddle with wide, frightened eyes, too young to understand what was happening and too terrified to look away.
“Harry—”
The word came out muffled beneath James’s hand.
The boy stared at him in horror, Something inside the Omega broke.
He struggled again, though his strength was already abandoning him. His arms trembled. His legs buckled beneath him. The frantic pounding of his heart seemed to grow louder and louder until it drowned out everything else.
The trees beyond the road began to blur, the grey morning dissolved into indistinct shadows, bare branches and pale strips of dying light.
His vision narrowed until Harry was almost the only thing he could see.
The boy remained on the horse, staring helplessly at him, Severus tried to reach for him.
He could not, his limbs had become unbearably heavy, his body refusing to obey him. The cold ground seemed to rise beneath his knees as darkness crept steadily across the edges of his vision.
The last thing Severus saw was Harry staring back at him helplessly.
Then James’s voice came through the darkness.
“Shhh.” The Alpha’s voice had changed. It was unexpectedly quiet now, almost gentle, “You’ll be all right.”
Severus could barely keep his eyes open, the fight had finally gone out of him.
James tightened his hold around him, preventing the Omega from collapsing onto the ground.
“You and the children,” he murmured.
Severus’s head sagged.
“But you need to sleep now.”
-
Severus awoke in the dead of night.
He came upright with a start, breath catching as the bitter air struck his face. For several seconds, he had no idea where he was. The darkness, the unfamiliar smell of smoke and damp earth, the ache in every bone.
Dorian was asleep beside him, bundled against the cold. A little farther away, Harry sat opposite the flames, dragging a crooked wooden stick through the ash. At the sound of Severus moving, the boy looked up.
His expression was wary.
Severus scarcely registered it. His attention had already been drawn elsewhere.
To his right, leaning against another tree as though he had every right in the world to be there, sat James Potter, half in shadow, watching him with an unsettling calmness.
The thick fur cloak was wrapped around his broad frame, making his already imposing figure seem larger in the darkness.
Severus's stomach tightened.
He immediately reached for Harry, pulling the boy towards him until he was tucked firmly against his side.
"What have you done to my children?" he demanded, his voice low and sharp.
James studied his face for a moment.
"I found them food," he said. "And somewhere warm and safe to sleep."
Severus swallowed. Suspicion still crawled beneath his skin. He placed two fingers beneath Dorian's nose, checking for breath.
Warm air brushed his fingertips, only then did he allow himself to breathe. As he bent towards Harry, lowering his voice until it was scarcely more than a whisper against the boy's cheek.
“Did he hurt you?”
Harry shook his head.
“Is he telling the truth? Is that all he did?”
Harry lifted his face and looked directly into Severus's eyes.
“He didn't do anything bad, Mama.”
Some of the tension left Severus's shoulders, though he did not loosen his hold on him. His gaze returned to Potter.
James had turned towards the horizon. Firelight caught the edges of his face revealing the hard lines that war and years of surviving them had carved into him and the pale streaks running through the dark hair at his temples. He looked older than he had any right to look.
"How did you find me?" Severus asked accusingly.
For several seconds, James said nothing.
Then he reached beside him, picked up a length of wood and pushed it into the embers. The fire stirred reluctantly, sending a shower of sparks into the night.
"I could ask you the same question," he replied. "I've been living in that village for some time."
Severus's jaw tightened. He could scarcely believe the audacity of him.
"Are you one of them?" he demanded. "Did you follow me to—"
"I was one of the men in the bar." James's voice cut through his and Severus fell silent.
"I saw what you did to them," James continued. "And do you know what else I saw?"
He turned then.
The change in him was immediate, his voice rose as he leaned forward, his expression hardening.
"I saw them today. Five men, perhaps more, making plans to find you. And they would have been quite satisfied whether they killed you or rap —"
He stopped.
Severus had already covered Harry's ear with one hand and pulled the boy tightly against his chest, shielding him from the rest.
James's mouth closed, for a moment, neither spoke.
The Alpha looked away first, for Severus's eyes were pleading. He exhaled slowly as he settled back against the tree.
"I followed you because I meant to save you and your children," he said more quietly. "That's all that matters now. And, for what it's worth, you might try being a little more grateful."
Severus gave a humourless laugh.
“You snatched my son from beneath my nose, knocked me from my horse, and then rendered me unconscious, Potter.” His voice was low, every word steeped in restrained fury. “So forgive me if I have failed to express my gratitude in a sufficiently warm and gracious manner.”
The baby flinched at the sound of his mother’s voice.
Severus sighed at once and placed a hand against Dorian’s tiny chest. He stroked him gently, feeling the faint, steady rhythm of his breathing beneath his palm. His touch remained tender despite the exhaustion dragging at his limbs, and he kept his eyes fixed upon James.
Potter, however, appeared remarkably unconcerned by his anger. He continued stirring the fire with a charred stick, sending a few sparks spiralling into the darkness.
“I’ll put it out in a few minutes,” he said eventually. “Try to keep yourselves warm for the remainder of the night.”
Severus frowned. The abrupt change of subject irritated him more than any insult might have done.
“You cannot do this. The children will freeze.”
“Yes.”
James looked at him.
There was something different in his gaze now. Something sharp and cold beneath the weariness, something that made Severus instinctively tighten his grip around Harry’s hand.
“But at least they won’t be murdered in their sleep because someone saw our fire.”
The words settled heavily between them.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Beyond the trees, the faint glow of a ruined village stained the horizon. The wind carried the distant smell of smoke.
James looked towards Harry.
“Come closer to the fire and warm yourself, lad.”
He tossed the stick aside.
Harry obeyed. Far too readily, in Severus’s opinion.
The child shuffled nearer to the flames and held his hands towards the warmth, his fingers trembling slightly as the heat reached them. James leaned back against the tree once more and watched him with a faint, satisfied look.
Severus narrowed his eyes, “I don’t recall you ever possessing a heart, Potter.” The sneer in his voice was unmistakable.
James had already forced himself upon them tonight. He had taken Severus from his horse, struck him unconscious, frightened the children, and then dragged them away from the road as though their wishes were of no consequence whatsoever. Worse still, he had forced Severus into accepting his protection, whether the Omega wanted it or not.
That was what stung most.
Severus had spent time surviving without anyone's protection. He had learned to trust no one, to depend upon no one, and to keep his children close enough that no stranger could ever take them from him.
Yet James Potter had appeared from the darkness and, in a matter of minutes, overturned all of it.
He had rescued them brutally and violently. And now, somehow, he was the one giving orders.
Severus hated him for it.
He hated the humiliation of having been overpowered. Hated the wounded pride he refused to acknowledge. Hated, most of all, the uncomfortable awareness of James’s Alpha presence lingering at the edge of his senses even after the immediate danger had passed.
James ignored the insult. “Why Cragcroft?”
Severus’s jaw tightened. He hated that calmness.
Hated the way James could sit there as though they were discussing the weather.
“It’s none of your business.”
James gave a small nod. “Very well.” There was no argument. No demand.
He simply reached forwards and began smothering the fire.
The flames died reluctantly beneath the earth and ash, hissing as the last tongues of orange disappeared. Soon there was nothing left but a faint red glow between the stones.
“I’m going somewhere nearby to Cragcroft,” James said. “We can share the hardships of the journey for a while, then go our separate ways.”
He groaned as he stretched his legs before settling beneath the tree.
Just like that. Decision made.
Severus stared at him, for several seconds, he was almost too stunned to speak.
James Potter had simply decided what would happen next and, without so much as asking permission, had included himself in their journey.
He had not asked whether Severus wanted him there. Had not asked whether he trusted him.
Had not asked whether Severus could tolerate having an Alpha at his back while travelling through a country where every road seemed to lead towards another battlefield.
Yet, deep down, Severus could not honestly claim to be surprised.
James had always been like this.
Even as a boy, he had behaved as though Severus’s life were somehow his concern. Who Severus spoke to. Whom he kept company. Where he went. Where he came from. What he did.
Potter had always possessed that infuriating habit of forcing himself into matters that did not belong to him, as though the mere fact that he had taken an interest in something gave him the right to meddle.
Apparently, years apart had changed everything except that.
“No, we won’t,” Severus hissed, staring at James’s reclining form.
The only response he received was the slow, steady sound of the Alpha’s breathing.
Severus’s mouth tightened. Hedid not trust James Potter. He did not forgive him, and he certainly did not want him travelling beside them.
Tomorrow, he told himself, they would part ways, as he stretched out beneath the tree.
But before allowing himself to sleep, he carefully settled Dorian against his chest, the baby stirred once before relaxing again.
Harry curled into Severus’s side, pressing close until his head rested between Severus’s neck and shoulder. His small body was warm against him, and Severus instinctively wrapped an arm around both children, sheltering them beneath his coat as best he could.
For several minutes, he stared upwards. The sky stretched above them, vast and black and merciless.
There were no stars, only clouds moving slowly across the darkness, swallowing what little moonlight remained.
Yet, for the first time in longer than he cared to remember, with Harry breathing softly against his neck and Dorian’s tiny body warm against his chest, Severus felt something unfamiliar settle within him.
A thin thread of tranquillity, spun almost imperceptibly through the darkness.
The wind moved through the branches overhead.
Somewhere beyond the trees, a distant sound echoed across the forest, Severus listened until the sound faded. Then, exhausted beyond endurance, he finally allowed sleep to take him.