Snape sleeps for several hours, waking only when the room has gotten a bit chilly. He looks up at the hole in the ceiling and marvels at the stars for some time, then closes the hole. He sits up and turns slightly, his gaze falling on the three people sharing the bed with him. He marvels at them, at the wonder of the four of them here in this room, in this house, in this city. Elsbet sleeps soundly, wrapped tightly and securely in Malfoy's arms, Therion sleeps with his arms around them. Dumbledore always said Love is the most powerful Magic there is, and Snape has always known the truth of that statement, but it has never been more evident to him than it is right now.

He rises carefully so as not to wake them, and slides the door shut behind him as he leaves the room. In the living room he can hear the soft rustle of Loki and Cambion playing; he peeks around the corner to check on them, and has to clamp his hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing. Some time while the four of them slept, somehow the two ravens dragged his traveling cloak out of the bedroom and into the front room, and have made a fort out of it. Well, Snape muses, brilliant minds need to be kept entertained. He leaves them to their play and goes quietly into the bathroom. They should really call it the leisure room, because he could see himself spending an awful lot of time in here, just being...relaxed. And having sex. Having relaxing sex...

He seems almost preoccupied with sex lately, at least, he is when he's not obsessing over how to keep up the charade long enough to see things through, and keep everyone safe until the Dark Lord's fall while doing so. Someone under as much stress as he is needs a healthy outlet, he reasons, and he can't think of a better one than that. The humorous thing is that before becoming enraptured with Elsbet, his 'healthy outlet' was reading, and researching new concoctions. As he releases the water for the shower, he accio's Elsbet's soap and shampoo to his hands. He loves the scent of them almost as much as she does, and fortunately, no one outside the city gets near enough to him to notice the fragrance.

Sarcasm and bitterness have their rewards, one has to admit.

He takes his time and enjoys himself, lost in thought...at least until he becomes aware he's being watched, and not by one of his lovers. It's just one of Life's Great Ironies...that one can be comfortably naked around a few choice people, yet completely embarrassed to be seen sans clothing by an animal. Severus Snape is not immune to this irony. It's only Cambion, checking to see why there is water running when everyone is supposed to be asleep, bless him, but it's still bloody unnerving...Snape looks back again and the raven is gone. He wonders, as he rinses himself, what Cambion would have done if he had been an intruder. He realizes that he's never really thought much about what the mixling might be capable of before, but he wonders now; how much of his sire's ability did he inherit?

Snape has a very dim recollection of Loran Bhudraja, but the one clear memory that comes to him now is of the wizard taking out three Death Eaters with a single spell. It's clear because it's not his memory, but rather one he skimmed from the mind of the single Death Eater that was left standing that night. Snape makes a mental note to ask Therion what, exactly, Cambion can do. If push comes to shove, the White City's survival may depend on special individuals like him. As he stops the water and begins to dry himself, Snape ponders his own mixling. He's been giving thought to what Remus said, about Loki's father possibly having been an Animagus, and it makes too much sense to him to be otherwise. And, he's been healed by Silhouettes; when they heal, they leave a little of themselves behind...

He leaves the bathroom and heads into the master bedroom, slides the door closed behind him and looks for his nightrobe he'd thrown in with Elsbet's things the night he cubed her house. Remus is right; it is time Loki began training. Any magical abilities he may actually have will benefit from what his healers left in him, and Snape no longer has any doubt that even the Familiars will be fighting in the battle to come. He finds the robe and slips it on, sighing deeply. The very idea of children and animals, nevermind how special they may be, being involved in any kind of conflict but especially this one, simply infuriates him. They shouldn't be, but they are, and there is nothing he can do about that.

Fucking game of Wizard's Chess. Riddle was always too much of a coward to face Dumbledore himself, or not enough of a fool. Snape thinks that's really what it's all about, that Riddle knew if he faced Dumbledore one-on-one, in a singular battle to the death, he'd lose. And Death is the only thing Tom Riddle fears even more than he feared Albus Dumbledore. Gah! He frowns and snorts in derision; these are not things to contemplate here! He draws his anger and frustration back in and calms himself, then turns to the chair his bag is sitting in, undisturbed. Elsbet never touched it. His heart swells with his love for her, and he chides himself for having expected she'd give in to her curiousity...he should know by now that she will never betray his trust. Well, he does know, but still, he'd hoped she'd peek.

He stretches and decides to go for a fly-over of the city; he needs a little fresh air to clear his head. He leaves the bedroom and looks in on the ravens again, and finds them waiting for him. It is the nature of the Magical's Familiar to anticipate their needs and desires, and Loki would certainly have told Cambion he intended to go flying; he smiles softly at them both and with a single gesture from him, they run to follow. Quietly they enter the room where the sleeping lovers lay, and the two ravens flit up to the ceiling entrances. They wait patiently for him to check on the sleepers, then shift into his own, ebon-feathered form. He joins them on the roof of the little House of Joy, and they take a few moments to preen each other excitedly.

Snape takes wing first, then Loki and Cambion take off together behind him. The night is beautiful and the air is clean, crisp and cool, which is just what he needed. They fly first over the park, then over the businesses that surround the park in a great circle. As they begin their fly-over of the residential districts, they're joined by two other birds. Not ravens, but other Animagi, Brothers from the Silver Night, in fact. Brother Vincam, as a goshawk, and Brother Alois as a kestrel, they chitter their greetings to the black birds and ask Snape if they may join their flight. He tells them that their company is certainly welcome. He also takes the opportunity to ask them about Nodus.

Ah, yes, they tell him, Brother Nodus has been behaving erratically of late, so much so that we have become concerned...that perhaps he can no longer be trusted. He asks them what has changed, and they give him all the details they have. They tell him that over the past two years, Nodus has become more outspoken against the Community Good, and against education allowances granted to young Muggle-born witches and wizards. He is and has always been the sole voice in that, but despite the fact that he has no support, he has gotten louder. He has always opposed any assistance given to Elsbet, and he opposed Snape being granted Sanctuary. He was outraged when Remus Lupin was granted Sanctuary, but, the Brothers tell him, they believe granting Lucius Sanctuary was the final straw.

Cambion adds to this what he himself has observed of Nodus' activities, and Snape asks them point blank, do you believe he is a danger to us? Could he pose a threat to the City? There is a tense silence between the flyers for several moments, then they tell him, yes. We fear that may be a possibility. Things click in Snape's head, certain things fall into place. Then we must insure he does not have the chance. The Brothers agree, and Snape asks them if they have spoken with the Silhouettes regarding this matter; they tell him they felt that was best left to him.

He had thought about flying out over the Southfarthing, but now he thinks better of it. As they change direction toward the Garden of Dreams, the Brothers bid Snape and the ravens good morn, and take their leave. Snape feels it's about one, maybe two in the morning; he knows most of the folk he needs to see will be awake now. As the trio lands, he regains his human form and tells Loki and Cambion to fly straight home. He tells them to say only whom he is visiting if anyone is awake and asks where he is. They depart without delay, and Snape turns to see some of his dearest friends here approaching.

He is greeted warmly and responds in kind, and after only a few minutes, he's sitting with them and drinking Chamomile tea and munching pistachio almond cookies. Elsbet would be so jealous...but Chime brings him little bags of the tea and a few cookies tightly wrapped for him to take back to her, so she can share in his treat. "So," Dance begins slowly, almost teasingly, "Therion has joined your Family...?" In mid-bite he looks at his friend, brows raised, and Song laughs along with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. "We hear your heart, brother," Candle says, "and it sounds very happy. Except for the little thing that's brought you here." Snape finishes the cookie and takes a sip of tea, then gives them the information that has been conferred to him. They're not surprised, really; they had felt strange things from Nodus, but had hoped he would straighten himself out.

"Alas," Guildenstern says, "apparently not." Bell and Book explain that lately, it's been hard to read him, and he's been spending less time out in the city. Warderbirds have told them that he's been seen in the Muggle village, which is odd, because there are only a couple of Magicals still living there, and the villiage is virtually deserted now. "Nearly everyone has fled out of fear," Bell says. Snape rubs his chin and sighs. "If he has become increasingly difficult to read, it is likely he has some skill with Occlumency. Either he is improving it on his own, or he is being taught." Dance frowns mightily. "He's walking a thin line then. A very thin line. If he crosses it, no one in this city will miss him."

Snape takes a deep breath and holds it for a moment, then asks them if they can secure the Muggle village. "Unfortunately, not while there are still Muggles in residence. The Muggles who were Magic-aware have fled with their families already, any Muggles still there, which wouldn't be many, are just average Muggles, ignorant of us. They'd have to be relocated, which would be easy enough for us to do. But any Magicals still there...that could be tricky. The ones who only had shops there, well, they've closed their shops and either moved on, or just reopened here, because they live here. But the few that lived there," Rosencrantz pauses, "let's just say there were good reasons they lived outside the White City rather than in." Snape sighs softly and Dance tells him, "we'll do what must be done to secure the village. Don't you worry about that. This sacred Sanctuary hasn't stood as long as it has just to come undone because of a few loose ends."

Song asks Snape what else is bothering him, and he asks her why the Southfarthing is empty. All the gathered Silhouettes exchange glances, and Chime tells him that parcels of land there were reserved long ago, but no one has ever used them. "I know that habitation outside the city center is different from that in the Districts; how long do reservations there last?" Candle shrugs. "Not that long, and it's been at least twenty-five years since the last reservation was made. All but one of the reservists have passed on, or have left. Reservations are non-transferrable, and once you leave the Sanctuary for more than a year, you lose it." Snape sits back in his chair and sips his tea. It's cold now, but he doesn't mind. He takes a bite of cookie, mulling things over in his head.

"Have any of you been out that way?" They tell him that they have not, not in some time, but the Warderbirds keep an eye out for them. Bell asks him why and he says, "because the Southfarthing is a liability, my friends. It is a vast, unprotected area, and if an adversary wished to breech our defences, that would be the place to do it." He feels their reactions; they're upset with themselves for not having thought of it before. "What would you have us create there, Severus?" He forms the image in his mind and holds it for them; there are nods of agreement, and Chime says, "yes, something that will not arouse too much interest from any of our Muggle folk in the Districts that face the area." Guildenstern grins widely and quips, "and a rookery in the center of the Southfarthing?"

Snape doesn't answer; he sees a group of Silhouettes emerging from the midnight landscape. As they come closer he realizes Fire and Rain are leading them, and it's been so long since he's seen them, he feels a tiny surge of joy. They nod to him and he nods back, and from behind them Cappadocius says in her raspy voice, "no worries, Severus, we'll have an outpost and your rookery there before the sun rises. That's a promise." A faint smile crosses his lips and he finishes his tea, then he rises. He needs to be heading home, they know, but they want to keep him a little longer. There are gentle touches and mental caresses as he departs, hoping he gets back in before anyone wakes...