First joint outing

The following day Severus got up perfectly rested. It was nine o'clock. Remembering the previous day's events, he called Tilly to see what his children were doing.

- The little masters got up at seven o'clock, went out into the yard, exercised, ate breakfast, selected books from the bottom shelf, and began reading.

Severus hummed and hurried to tidy himself up. He had many things planned for today; he needed to buy the children new clothes, do a heritage check at Gringotts, and pay the Malfoys a visit in the evening.

"Lucius and Narcissa didn't seem to say they were going anywhere. Hopefully they'll agree to sit with the boys. I think Sasuke and Itachi can make friends with Draco, and wean him off the arrogant habits he's already starting to show," Severus thought as he finished writing his letter.

Snape went down to the living room and quickly found a glimpse of the children. Itachi was immersed in reading his old first-year potions textbook (Severus had forgotten he still had it), and Sasuke was reading a book about magical creatures. The children smiled when they noticed him.

- Good morning, papa! - Itachi said.

- Good morning, To-san; I mean Dad," Sasuke blushed, visibly embarrassed by his remark.

Severus smiled encouragingly at him.

- Good morning, sons. I'll have breakfast now, then we'll head to the bank and do some shopping. In the evening, I would like to introduce you to a family of wizards with whom I have long been friends. But first I would like to discuss a matter with you.

Snape sat in the chair opposite the sofa where the children were seated and looked intently into their eyes.

- You confirmed yesterday that various unexplained phenomena have happened to you; it happens to little wizards - magical outbursts. I would like you to tell me more about it. Remember as much as possible: how often did they happen, and what did they look like? Such outbursts can show the development of your magical cores, and their absence can result in problems in development. It is better to deal with issues at an early stage.

The children hesitated a little and looked at each other.

- As far as we can remember, the first outburst happened with Itachi. He started throwing illusions on objects and changing their colours. I wanted to do that, too, and I learned quickly, but I still can't do it as well and as quickly as Nii-san does," Sasuke chuckled at the end of his sentence.

- And you can already consciously control magic?

Snape was amazed. Children have learned to control their own magic on their own! And at what age! Of course, wandless magic was not uncommon, but even an adult wizard needed long and arduous training. And even after those, it took a gift to do more complex spells!

Itachi stepped forward. His entire face expressed the utmost concentration. Suddenly the outline of the room changed, and they were in the orphanage courtyard. Severus was speechless. It was indeed a good illusion. While he was gathering his thoughts, its effect was over.

- I can't maintain it for more than a few minutes yet," Itachi said confusedly.

Severus nodded, trying to keep an impenetrable expression on his face and turned to Sasuke, who at the same time walked over to the wires from the television, and before Snape could stop him, the entire house was plunged into darkness. Ten seconds later, the light bulb blinked and came back on.

- I'm good with electricity, and we're both good at starting fires out of nothing," the younger twin explained.

The child clearly didn't realise that he was putting himself in danger. Snape's fists turned white. He felt the fear of losing his newfound son nearly tear down all his mental shields built up over the years. He grabbed Sasuke by the scruff of the neck and pulled him away from the wires. Gathering all his strength not to yell at the child or frighten him, he growled:

- Don't you ever do that again," he said, remembering his child's habit of doing things he's not allowed to do, "You will only experiment under my supervision. Is that clear?

The surprised boy nodded and sat down again next to his brother. Apparently wishing to lighten the mood, Itachi spoke:

- We're also good at making objects fly.

Both brothers took the books they had just recently read and sent them flying. Watching them do this really allowed Snape to pull himself together, and when they put the books back in place, he asked the following question:

- What have you been doing as training?

- Once we understood the connection between the unexplained phenomena and the emotions we were experiencing, we started trying to evoke them ourselves, which did not work out very well. But one day, we heard older children discussing Indian ways of meditating. They said it helped to achieve harmony between mind and body. We went to the library and found books on meditation. After reading them, we incorporated the exercises they described into our daily schedule. They really helped, and applying magic became more accessible and more manageable.

Severus could not help smiling. Apparently, his gift for cognitive science had had an effect on them. The children might not become Legiliments, but they should learn to put simple mind shields on their minds with no problem.

- You have accomplished much through this training, but I will supervise your activity from now on. I repeat, you must only perform exercises with my knowledge. Is that clear?

- Yes.

- Now, I will eat my breakfast while you continue reading.

And he left for the kitchen. Seeing that The Shadow, his owl, had already returned from his grandfather, he read that Arnold was ready to receive him at Prince Manor tomorrow at eleven o'clock. Attaching the new letter to Shadow's paw, he stroked it on the head and said:

- You'll have to fly again. Wait for Lucius or Narcissa to reply to the letter.

He released the owl and headed towards the table Tilly had already set up. After a quick breakfast, he and the children apparated to the jar. The children immediately began to look around. Waiting for them to turn their attention back to him, Snape said:

- Itachi, Sasuke, this is a magic bank. Goblins are working on it. They don't have the most excellent looks and rather vindictive nature. Still, they are extraordinary financiers, and their services, though expensive, are in high demand because they employ professionals in their trade. They always hold neutrality and cannot be bribed. This building has no ministerial rules, only the laws of magic. Fear not; one of its fundamental laws is that children are untouchable. Anyone who harms them will pay one way or another. Keep up your dignity. Keep up with me. When we are in the study, we must follow the goblin's instructions. I'll answer your questions as soon as we get out of here. Is that clear?

- Yes," the twins nodded in sync.

As soon as they entered the bank, Snape headed straight for the Prince family attorney. When he saw him, Kryptouch smiled and, after saying hello, offered him a seat.

- Meet Kryptouch-san; these are my sons, Itachi and Sasuke," Severus said.

- Hello, Mr Kryptouch," the children said in turn.

- Hello, little heirs. I take it you want to run a blood test for them?

- Yes, that's right.

Kryptouch took out a ritual bowl and performed the ritual after explaining to the children what was required of them. The first was Itachi.

Itachi Yoshi Robinson - Heir Prince, second in line, purebred, six years old.

Mother: Azumi Keiko Robinson - purebred, dead.

Father: Severus Tobias Snape - Heir Prince, first in line, half-blood, 26 years old.

Brother: Sasuke Indra Robinson - Heir Prince, third in line, pureblood, 6 years old, twin.

Gifts: Potions, Mentalistics, Sharingan (Eternal Mangeke).

Personal Abilities: enchantments (caster), artefacts, wandless magic.

- What is Sharingan? - Severus asked the goblin.

- Unfortunately, this is the first time I've encountered one myself. It is most likely a legacy from my mother's side, and I am no expert in Japanese ancestral gifts. I can send a request there for an extra fee.

- Yes, please. Send me the results with an owl. Now let's check on Sasuke.

Sasuke Indra Robinson - heir prince, third in line, purebred, 6 years old,

twin - Itachi Yoshie Robinson,

Mother: Azumi Keiko Robinson - purebred, dead.

Father: Severus Tobias Snape - Heir Prince, first in line, half-blood, 26 years old.

Brother: Itachi Joshi Robinson - Heir Prince, second in line, pureblood, 6 years old.

Gifts: Potions, Sharingan (Eternal Mangeke and Rinnegan).

Personal Abilities: martial magic, artefacts, transfiguration, wandless magic.

Looking over the worksheets, Snape rejoiced that both of his children possessed potion abilities. Wandless magic was also a significant gain. He thanked Kryptouch, and after saying goodbye and paying the bank, they went out into the fresh air.

- Shall we get something to eat first or buy you some clothes? - Severus asked.

- We'll get some clothes. We rarely had anything new at the orphanage," Sasuke replied.

And they headed towards Madam Malkin. But before they could start moving, Severus led the children around the corner and cast an illusion on himself.

- I want your presence in my life to remain a secret. I don't like people prying into my private life, and if anyone finds out about you, I'll be asked many questions," Snape explained his actions.

They got there fairly quickly, and after buying two pairs of robes, shirts and trousers, they headed for Fortescue's shop. Snape had tentatively reduced the purchases and put them in his pocket. Itachi wanted to try the raspberry and chocolate chip, while Sasuke opted for simple ice cream. After buying the children ice cream, Severus chose the far table, and after casting a privacy spell, he invited the children to ask them questions.

- What are artefacts, enchantments and transfiguration? And combat magic is the ability to cast spells used in battle? - Itachi asked.

- Let's start with the second question. That's not entirely true; even a tickling spell that any freshman can cast can damage an opponent under certain circumstances. A gift for martial magic can help you predict enemy moves and recognise bits, even non-verbally cast ones. As for artefacts, it's the science of creating items with specific magical properties. For example, this morning, you, Sasuke, were reading a book about magical creatures and came across moving pictures. They were created with such a camera artefact. In places where magic is strong, like Hogwarts, electricity doesn't work, so it became necessary to make such things. Let me tell you immediately: there are no magic cameras, televisions, refrigerators or telephones. Incidentally, the latter is often replaced by unique enchanted mirrors. Enchantments are the ability to cast complex, magically costly spells and chains of them. For example, you may need to stick a banner on the wall, but the attacks will eventually wear out, so you'll need to keep renewing them, or you may need to add another spell to complete the effect. Spellcasters are people who not only have the ability to cast spells but can also create something new themselves. Transfiguration is the ability to turn things from one state to another. For example, a hedgehog into a needle. The highest transfiguration is when people turn into animals, for example. Such people are called an image.

The children nodded thoughtfully.

- What are your gifts and abilities? - Sasuke asked.

- I have a gift for potions and mentalism and personal abilities for battle magic, wandless magic and enchantments. I'm also a spellcaster, just like you, Itachi.

- So you can create new spells? Have you made anything yet?

- Yes, I've managed to create some valuable spells. Some of them I use, like in potions. I've also made a few combat ones. But the easiest one to use is Mufliato. It is used against eavesdropping. Those near the mage applying it hear a buzzing sound.

The children finished their desserts, and Itachi looked wistfully at his plate.

-Would you like another portion? - Severus asked with a smile.

It amused him how such a usually serious child could look so defeated because he was out of ice cream.

- He has a sweet tooth. You last saw him in Dango. One time his teacher got us a box of dango, and he ate it in one sitting. He didn't even share it with me.

- You gave it to me! - Itachi protested, "And I'm not saying that someone can eat a kilo of tomatoes at once.

Itachi added slyly. Severus chuckled. Finally, the children began to open up to him. Deciding to consolidate his progress, he asked:

- Tell us more about yourself? What are your hobbies, what do you like, and what don't you like?

Itachi smiled, and Sasuke jumped with laughter. Raising an eyebrow, Snape indicated that he wanted an explanation.

- Nothing, it's just that we've been asked questions like that once before," Sasuke explained, "I'll go first. My name is Sasuke Robinson. I am six years old. I like tomatoes, inventing things, and spending time with Itachi. My hobby is working out. Interested in plants, and generally various substances and their properties, as well as Japanese culture. Hate fanatics, fanaticism, and people who don't make any effort but complain that they can't do anything. Dream: to have a big family. Still waiting for a goal. Probably to keep his family safe.

Severus tensed at that last statement. Losing his mother at such an early age had taken its toll on Sasuke. He made it his goal to prove to the child that he could protect both of his sons in case of danger.

- My name is Itachi Robinson. I am six years old. I like dango, creating illusions and making magic, helping others around me, and spending time with Sasuke. I'm also into Japanese culture and am interested in the properties of various substances. I want to study medicine in the future. I hate wars and fanatics. Dream: world peace and that people learn to do without conflict. Goal: To keep my little brother safe.

Severus smiled. He was glad there was such a strong bond between the children. From the example of Sirius and Regulus Black, he had already seen how communication between brothers could go, or rather, that it could be absent altogether, and he was glad that it didn't affect his children.

- Well, let me tell you about myself. My name is Severus Snape. I love learning new things, potions, and my sons. Hobbies: creating new spells, also passionate about learning the dark arts and how to counter them. Hate: Wars, fanatics, idiots, Gryffindors, and people who only have heads for decoration. Dream: To open my own lab. Purpose: To keep my children safe. Now, come on, we have one more place to visit, don't forget, even though you've had your snack, you must eat everything Tilly has prepared, or she will be offended. And don't worry, Itachi. We'll take some more sweets with us.

Severus bought more ice cream and headed towards the pet shop. He guessed that mere owls were unlikely to be to their liking. Entering the shop, he said:

- You may choose one animal at a time. This is my present to you.

The children scattered around the shop. Soon Itachi came holding a massive raven with red eyes on his arm. Sasuke found himself next to a terrarium with poisonous snakes. He was interested in Boomslang. "A future Slytherin," Snape laughed to himself.

- The animals you choose can be tied to you, and then they will become Familiars, animals with a special bond with their masters. They will sense your mood and will be able to find you anywhere. If you wish, we can perform the ritual now.

The children agreed, and Severus paid for the purchase of the animals and the ritual. Before they left the shop, Snape put a spell on the snake so it wouldn't bite anyone.

- What will you name them?

- I'll call my raven Kura.

- And I'll call my snake Mannda.

- That's good. We can go home now. Hold your pets tight.

And they apparated. With the illusion removed from his appearance and his purchases increased, Severus headed for the kitchen, where Tilly poured apple juice for the children. A shadow had already flown in from the Malfoys with an answer, and reading that they were expected by four, Snape checked the time. There was half an hour to go. After a quick lunch, he handed the children their purchases and sent them to change.

- As soon as you're ready, sit in the living room. I'll warn the Malfoys that I won't be alone and'll be right back. Remember to put your robes on.

Throwing a pinch of gunpowder into the fireplace, Severus departed for Malfoy Manor.