Aftermaths, Part 124
by Geri ([email protected])
Rating: Mostly PG-13, but NC-17 for overall story
Pairing: Snape/Lupin, Theodore/Blaise
Warning: AU; events that occurred at the end of Order of the Phoenix were
significantly altered from the book.
Sequel to: Always, Summer Vacation, For Old Time's Sake, Three's a Crowd, Return
of the Raven, Phoenix Reborn, and Phoenix Rising.
Summary: The various characters deal with the aftermath of the war, and Snape
and Lupin try to build a family together with Theodore and Dylan. However, some
people are unable to let go of the past...
Author's note: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts.
Disclaimer: Characters belong to J.K. Rowling, except Hob, who belongs to
William Mayne; no money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish
fulfillment on my part.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lady Selima, it turned out, had liked Lupin's suggestion to have an Easter egg
hunt, but she would never use anything so simple and common as dyed hard-boiled
eggs. Instead, she had purchased hollow eggs made of porcelain or gold or
silver, all beautifully painted or enameled or decorated with gilt and tiny
jewels, like Faberge eggs. Some of the simpler, less expensive ones were left
out in plain sight on the lawn, or hidden in relatively easy to find places,
such as under a bush, while the more elaborate and expensive ones were hidden
more carefully, and in some cases, concealed with magic. The grand prize was a
magnificent gold-and-silver creation the size of an ostrich egg, inlaid with a
design of tiny emeralds forming the Slytherin crest of a serpent.
Selima sat on a marble bench in the garden, calmly watching the festivities.
"Just how much did all this cost, Mother?" Snape asked, a bit sourly.
Selima waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Consider it an investment in the
future, Severus. We need to reestablish our position in society, after your
father spent so many years in seclusion, and this will help to accomplish that."
And indeed, the guests seemed to be having a splendid time, exclaiming over Lady
Selima's clever idea. Snape nodded in acknowledgment and Selima smiled smugly.
Then she caught sight of Lukas, and motioned for him to join them. "There you
are, Cyril! Where have you been?"
Lukas shrugged. "Having a chat with one of my students. Besides, it wouldn't be
fair for me participate in the hunt, since I helped to hide the eggs."
"Still, you are the guest of honor here," Selima chided him, "so it would
behoove you to show your face and circulate among the other guests. The whole
point of this is to show them how well you fit in, after all."
"Yes, Lady Selima," Lukas sighed.
"And at least try to look like you're enjoying yourself."
"Yes, Lady Selima."
Lupin showed up just as Selima was wrapping up her lecture. "Well, everyone
seems to be enjoying themselves," he observed.
Allegra was giggling happily as she held up a pretty porcelain egg for Blaise
and Theo to admire. All the eggs were hollow and filled with little trinkets or
treats; Allegra's contained Honeydukes chocolates. Pansy squealed with delight
as she found a silver egg that contained a silver bracelet. Arthur Weasley found
a small golden egg hidden in a bird's nest up in a tree, and proudly presented
it to his wife. She opened it and pulled out a gold locket on a delicate golden
chain.
"Oh, how lovely," Molly said. "Perhaps I'll put one of the children's pictures
in it."
"Ah, but which child?" Arthur asked with a grin. "You wouldn't want to play
favorites, after all. Perhaps I should buy you six more lockets?"
"Goodness, I'd be clinking and rattling as I walked!" Molly laughed. She kissed
her husband on the cheek and said, "I guess I'll just put your picture in it,
then, dear."
Hermione's keen eye spotted an egg that was cleverly disguised as a rock in the
bottom of a small pond in the garden. She dispelled the enchantment and used a
levitation spell to raise it up out of the water. It was made of blue porcelain,
decorated with a design of gold fishes, and contained a string of pearls. Dylan
applauded her and helped her put on the necklace, planting a quick kiss on the
nape of her neck as he fastened the clasp.
"Very good, Hermione!" he said with a grin as she blushed deeply. "Even I didn't
spot that one!"
A wrinkle furrowed Selima's brow as she frowned worriedly. "Oh, Merlin," she
muttered. "I hope that Mudblood girl isn't the one who finds the grand prize."
"The girl is annoying, but she's a clever wench," Snape said grudgingly.
"It's not politic to call a heroine of the war a Mudblood," Lupin reminded
Selima in a reproving tone. "The Minister of Magic has very strong Muggle
sympathies."
"You mean he's fascinated with all those ridiculous Muggle gadgets," Snape said
sourly.
"I know, I know," Selima sighed. "It's just that most of the people here will
take offense if a Muggle girl takes home the grand prize."
"Let me steer her away from it, then," Lukas said, and went over to join Dylan
and Hermione. "I see you're doing well at the hunt, Miss Granger," he said
cheerfully.
"Yes, this is the second one we've found so far," Hermione said proudly, pulling
a silver egg out of her pocket to show him.
"The egg in the pond was very well-hidden, difficult to detect even with magic,"
Lukas praised, and Hermione beamed at him. He leaned over and said in a
conspiratorial whisper, "Perhaps you should call it a night, before you
humiliate the other guests. Elaine Baddock hasn't found even one yet."
Hermione giggled, looking flattered and a little smug. "Well, it wouldn't be
fair to take all the prizes," she agreed. She reached up to touch the strand of
pearls around her neck. "And I really love this necklace."
"You should thank the hostess for it, then," Lukas told her, and grinned to
himself as he watched her go over to offer her thanks to Lady Selima, who was
obliged to accept it graciously and conceal her irritation. It was small enough
payback for everything she'd put him through tonight. Hermione obviously hadn't
noticed his ulterior motives, but Dylan winked at him, then went over to join
his girlfriend. After making polite small talk with Lady Selima for a couple of
minutes, they strolled through the garden together hand-in-hand, watching the
other guests continue the hunt.
Ron found a gold egg hidden in one of the flower beds, and appropriately enough,
it was decorated with a floral design and contained a small jeweled brooch
shaped like a flower.
"You know, I bet that'd be worth a pretty penny if you sold it," his brother
George said, taking it from his hand and examining it closely.
"I'm not going to sell it!" Ron said indignantly, grabbing it back.
"Then what're you going to do with it, Ronnie?" Fred snickered. "Wear it? I'm
sure it would look really pretty on you!"
"Of course not, you stupid git!" Ron snapped. "It would probably be rude to sell
Lady Selima's gifts--"
"Our little brother is becoming politically savvy," George said with a grin.
"--but obviously I can't wear it myself, so..." Ron blushed a little. "I think
it would be all right if I gave it to someone as a gift."
"Our little brother's got a girlfriend!" Fred exclaimed.
"Shhh!" Ron hissed, turning even redder.
"I'm so proud of you!" George said, throwing an arm around Ron's shoulders.
"You're turning into a real smooth operator."
"You know, George," Fred said thoughtfully as he looked at the hollow egg. "This
gives me an idea for a new product--exploding eggs!"
"That's brilliant!" George said. "They could send out a shower of confetti or a
burst of fireworks when they explode! The possibilities are endless!"
"What about Easter eggs that are like Christmas crackers?" Ron suggested,
getting caught up in the twins' excitement. "Break them and a prize pops out."
"Damn!" Fred said. "Easter's tomorrow; there's no time to get them ready by
then. Wish we'd thought of this sooner."
"We'll have a whole year to prepare for next Easter," George declared,
undaunted. "With all that time, we should be able to come up with something
really spectacular! Besides, who says you can only sell exploding eggs during
Easter?"
Meanwhile, Harry and Tristan simultaneously spotted something shiny up in the
branches of a tree. Harry reached for his wand, but stopped when he saw Tristan
reach in his pocket and then grimace. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Didn't bring my wand," Tristan replied. "No reason to, since I thought students
weren't allowed to do magic outside of school."
"I always carry mine," Harry said. "Just in case of emergencies." He still
remembered the Dementors that had attacked him and Dudley during the summer
before his fifth year. "But we seem to have Dumbledore's permission; at least,
he hasn't stopped anyone from casting spells."
"Guess this one's yours, then, Potter," Tristan said a bit sullenly.
"That doesn't really seem fair," Harry said, pocketing his wand. "Tell you what,
why don't we race for it, no magic?" Tristan gave him a puzzled look. "You can
climb a tree, can't you?" Harry asked, grinning. "It's not really that high up."
Tristan grinned back, a fierce and competitive gleam in his eyes. "This will be
a pre-match, then, before we meet on the Pitch. I won't lose to you, Potter!"
"What on earth are those two idiots doing?" Selima asked.
"Trying to break their necks, it would seem," Snape said sourly.
"I'd better make sure no one gets hurt," Lupin said, heading over to the tree.
Tristan, who was smaller and lighter, scrambled up the tree with the agility of
a squirrel. Harry, who didn't really have much experience climbing trees, pulled
himself up more by sheer determination than skill. It helped that he was in good
shape, thanks to the Physical Defense classes. And at least this tree, unlike
the Whomping Willow, wasn't trying to kill him. The branch that held the egg
looked too light to support him, so he clung to the trunk of the tree and
stretched his arm out as far as he could, but it was just out of his reach.
"It's mine, Potter!" Tristan said triumphantly as he crawled out onto the
branch.
"Watch out!" Harry called as the branch sagged dangerously under Tristan's
weight. "It's going to break!"
"Just a little further," Tristan murmured to himself, ignoring the warning.
"There!" And just as he closed his hand around the egg, the branch cracked and
gave way. Harry lunged out and grabbed Tristan's arm, which caused him to lose
his balance and they both fell. He grabbed at a branch with his free hand, but
it snapped under their combined weight. Harry was bracing himself for impact,
when a levitation spell caught them just before they hit the ground, and they
landed with only a slightly jarring thump.
"Are you all right?" Harry asked, a frantic look in his eyes.
"Yeah, sure," Tristan replied carelessly, then held out his hand. "And I managed
to hang onto the egg!"
"Is a gold egg worth getting killed over?!" Harry shouted, and Tristan stared at
him in surprise.
"I hate to say it, Potter," Snape drawled in his deep, sardonic voice, "but you
took the words right out of my mouth."
"You were supposed to use magic to get the egg out of the tree," Lupin informed
them.
"I didn't have my wand," Tristan said.
"We both spotted it at the same time, and I wanted to play fair, so I said we
should get it without magic," Harry said, looking distraught. "It was a stupid
idea; it's all my fault. I'm so sorry."
Tristan was starring at him, looking puzzled and thoughtful, when Gwendolyn came
running over. "Tristan! Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Mum," he replied calmly, rising to his feet and dusting off his
robes.
A crowd was beginning to gather around them, and Lukas tried to defuse the
situation. "Boys will be boys, Gwen," he said soothingly. "There's no harm done.
Surely this isn't the first scrape that Tristan's gotten into?"
"No," Gwendolyn sighed. "He actually did fall out of a tree and break his arm
when he was eight years old, and I thought I was going to have a heart attack
during his last Quidditch match."
Robert Ames grinned, looking more proud than worried by the memory of his son's
Quidditch match, and his wife glared at him.
"I'm really sorry, Mrs. Ames," Harry said remorsefully.
Gwendolyn's expression softened and she smiled at him kindly. "It's not your
fault, Harry. Tristan's been getting into mischief ever since he was a baby. And
I saw that you tried to catch him when he fell. Thank you."
The Ames family walked off, and Harry stared after them, still looking guilty.
The crowd began to disperse and continue with the Easter egg hunt, looking a
little disappointed that the excitement was over.
"It's all right, Harry," Lupin said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. "No
one was hurt."
"I could've killed Tristan," Harry whispered. "The way I got Cedric killed."
"Oh, Harry," Lupin said, his eyes filled with concern, "it's not the same
thing."
By this time, Sirius and Branwen had joined them. "Indeed," Branwen said firmly.
"Falling out of a tree is hardly the same thing as a Death Eater attack."
"And you didn't tell that kid to climb out on that branch," Sirius pointed out.
"In fact, you tried to stop him."
"Perhaps Mr. Ames-Diggory should've been a Gryffindor," Branwen said dryly. "Hufflepuffs
are usually more sensible."
"Ah, but the competitive spirit can overwhelm common sense at times," Sirius
said with a grin, throwing an arm around Harry's shoulders. "And the boy is a
Seeker; in fact, Gryffindor has a match against Hufflepuff coming up soon,
right? The injuries you've received playing Quidditch are probably worse than
the ones you would've gotten falling out of the tree even if Moony hadn't caught
you with his spell."
"I've never quite understood the fascination with a game where the equipment is
enchanted to attack the players," Branwen sighed.
"It makes the game more exciting, Branwen!" Sirius argued.
Branwen gave him a dubious look and said, "Sometimes I think that all Quidditch
players have taken a Bludger to the head one time too many." Lupin and Sirius
laughed, and after a moment, Harry laughed along with them. The three adults
smiled with relief.
A commotion arose from the other end of the garden, and they went over to
investigate. It turned out that Aric had found the grand prize, shrunken down by
magic and hidden with concealing spells in the eye of a stone serpent sculpture
in the garden. He retrieved it with a flourish of his wand, and the egg popped
out of the stone and instantly resumed its normal size and shape. The assembled
guests applauded politely and Lady Selima congratulated him.
"Too bad that slimy git had to win the grand prize," Dylan muttered as he
clapped his hands together halfheartedly.
"Shh!" Hermione scolded, although she didn't like Aric much, either. The
Slytherin boy was smiling happily, looking pleased with himself; he looked quite
different without his usual condescending sneer on his face. "Maybe he and
Theodore can still become friends one day," she said hopefully, although without
much certainty.
"When hell freezes over," Dylan snorted.
"But Professor Snape used to hate Professor Lupin, so anything's possible,"
Hermione argued.
"If Aric and Theo ever become friends, I'll eat my hat," Dylan said.
"You don't have a hat," Hermione pointed out.
Dylan laughed. "Then I'll wear Luna's lion hat and run around the school in
Gryffindor robes!"
Hermione laughed as well. "I would love to see that! What a pity that it will
probably never happen."
"Well, if I knew that sort of thing turned you on..." Dylan purred into her ear
softly, and Hermione's face turned bright red.
"Dylan Rosier!" she exclaimed in a voice that sounded more like Professor
Blackmore's, and hit him on the arm.
"Ouch," Dylan said, grinning unrepentantly as he rubbed his arm. "It's a good
thing I like feisty women."
"Keep it up," Hermione said, still in that stern tone of voice, "and you'll see
just how 'feisty' I can get."
"Is that a threat or a promise? Ow!"
Meanwhile, Aric opened the egg and found that it contained a beautiful jade
bracelet shaped like a coiled serpent. He smiled, accepting the congratulations
of the other guests, and felt rather proud of himself when Lupin and Diggory
complimented him on the way he had detected the hidden egg and dispelled the
enchantments.
"The spells are quite complicated; it takes a delicate touch to undo them
properly," Lupin said. "Actually, it's good practice for some of the advanced
curse-breaking spells that we'll be covering in class. Remind me to give you
five points for Slytherin when we get back to school."
"Thank you, Professor," Aric said. The Easter egg hunt, as silly as it was, had
managed to distract him from his worries for a little while, and he felt much
better.
The party began winding down after all the eggs were found, and the guests
returned home soon after that. Still feeling pleased with himself, Aric offered
the bracelet to his mother. "Would you like it, Mum? It's not really my style,
and it looks a little small for me, anyway."
"It's beautiful, dear," Alison said with a smile. "But why don't you save it for
a betrothal gift? I'm sure Miranda will love it."
And instantly Aric's good mood evaporated, and all his worries returned. He went
to his room and stared at the bracelet, a brooding expression on his face, then
put it back in the egg, which he angrily stuffed in the bottom of one of his
dresser drawers, beneath a stack of socks and underwear.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
The birthday party for Lupin the next day was a much more low-key affair.
Sirius, Branwen, and Harry came, of course, as did Lukas. The latter's presence
probably accounted for the absence of Draco and Narcissa, who did not show up
but sent a gift saying that Narcissa was still sick and Draco was looking after
her. They didn't play any games, but simply chatted and enjoyed each other's
company as they ate a lunch and birthday cake prepared by Vorcher. After
dessert, Lupin opened his presents. He received books from Lukas, Sirius and
Branwen, and Narcissa and Draco. Harry and, oddly enough, Lady Selima each gave
him one of the small wolf good luck charms that had become popular recently.
Lupin grinned at Selima, pleased and touched that she had not only given him a
gift, but one that acknowledged his wolfish nature. She retorted in a cool
voice, "There is no disguising what you are, Professor, and with all the trouble
that you Gryffindors get into, it seems to me that you need all the good luck
you can get." Lupin just laughed and thanked her.
Snape, looking rather embarrassed, gave him an Easter basket from Honeydukes
filled with chocolate eggs and bunnies, marshmallow chicks, and jelly beans.
"Severus always gives me an Easter basket every year," he informed the others
cheerfully. "I guess this year you could call it a combination birthday and
Easter basket!"
Snape flushed and growled, "It's the typically childish sort of thing that
appeals to your Gryffindor nature."
Lupin was happy with all of his presents, but the gift from Theo and Dylan made
him laugh with delight. It was one of Cassidy Sinclair's toy wolf cubs, but not
a model currently on the market; its fur was brown streaked with gray, like
Lupin's hair.
"Thank you so much!" Lupin said, laughing as the toy wolf squirmed in his arms,
licking his face and wagging its tail furiously.
Theo and Dylan smiled proudly. "We commissioned it specially from Mr. Sinclair,"
Dylan said. "He was more than happy to do it, since it was for you."
Snape glowered at his sons. "The two of you are dead meat," he hissed softly,
but the boys just grinned, and Lupin thought it was a sign of how far they had
come, especially Theo. They no longer flinched every time Snape raised his
voice; he was no longer just their teacher, but their father. They were a
family.
"I heard that, Severus," Lupin said in a mild voice. "Please don't threaten our
sons."
"I am not having a yappy little mutt running around my quarters," Snape said
huffily.
"It's not like a real dog; you can turn it off," Theodore said helpfully.
"And it won't make a mess on the carpet!" Dylan laughed.
"And you promised me that I could have a pet dog," Lupin said in a wheedling
tone of voice.
"When did I say that?" Snape asked with a frown.
"Remember back in fifth year, when we were talking about what we were going to
do when we graduated?" Lupin reminded him. "We were going to run a potions shop
together, and I said we should live together in a cottage with a picket fence
and a pet dog. And you said it would probably be an apartment over the shop
rather than a cottage, but that I could have the pet dog if I wanted."
"For Merlin's sake, Lupin, that was over twenty years ago!" Snape snapped. "We
were a couple of foolish teenagers back then."
Sirius snickered. "I didn't know you were such a romantic, Snape."
Snape shot a murderous glare his way. "The cottage, the picket fence, and the
dog were all Lupin's idea, not mine." He turned back to Lupin and added in a
tone of scathing sarcasm, "And you will note that we are not running a potions
shop together."
"You teach Potions," Lupin said. "Isn't that close enough?"
"The terms of the agreement have not been met," Snape said adamantly.
"Well, perhaps you do take after your mother's side of the family, after all,"
Lupin said with a sly grin, then laughed as both Snape and Selima glared at him.
He decided that he'd teased his lover enough, and relented and said, "Don't
worry, Sev. I'll keep him in my office."
"See that you do," Snape growled. "After all, we already have one canine in the
family--you. I think that's quite enough."
"Now what should we name you?" Lupin asked the cub, who barked happily and
licked his face.
"It's a bloody toy, Lupin," Snape said. "It doesn't need a name."
"I'd suggest Romulus," Dylan said with a grin, "except that Allegra's already
named her cub that."
"She thinks that you're descended from the real Romulus and Remus," Theodore
added.
"Yes, I did tell her that Remus is an old family name," Lupin said. "And there
is an old family legend that says Remus and Romulus were really shapeshifters,
and not just humans raised by a wolf. But there's no way to know if that story
is anything more than a legend. After all, according to some legends, Merlin is
still alive and sealed away in a tree where the enchantress Nimue left him
centuries ago."
"That's not really true, is it, Professor?" Harry asked, wide-eyed.
Lupin smiled. "Well, nobody really knows, Harry. But I rather doubt it. Tales
tend to become exaggerated and twisted over time."
"There are a few people I wouldn't mind sealing away in a tree," Snape muttered
under his breath, glancing at Harry and Sirius.
"Be nice, love," Lupin said.
"I'm a Slytherin, Lupin," Snape retorted, sounding offended. "It's impossible
for me to be 'nice'."
"Maybe you could name it 'Fluffy' after the dog that was guarding the
Philosopher's Stone," Harry joked.
"He rather looks like a Fluffy, doesn't he?" Lupin said, cuddling the toy wolf.
Snape groaned. "Then that thing is definitely staying in your office! I refuse
to allow a creature called 'Fluffy' into the dungeon!"
"You could call it 'Cerberus' instead," Branwen suggested. "That's the real name
of the three-headed dog from Greek mythology. It's a properly fierce name, and
not at all cute."
"Oh, yes," Snape said sarcastically as the wolf cub licked Lupin's nose. "It
certainly looks very fierce."
But Lupin liked the name, as did Dylan and Theo, so the wolf cub was dubbed
"Cerberus" in spite of Snape's disparaging comments.
"Maybe you could get Sinclair to give it two more heads," Snape said sourly.
"He can be a watchdog and guard my office," Lupin said whimsically, patting the
toy on its fuzzy head.
"What is it going to do, lick any intruders to death? Nauseate them with its
sheer cuteness?"
"Perhaps we could have Mr. Sinclair install some sharp teeth into its mouth,"
Dylan said.
"Well, I wouldn't want Cerberus to bite any of the students by mistake," Lupin
said with a smile. "Hmm, perhaps I could use him as a prop in class when I'm
lecturing about werewolves."
Snape groaned, "Whose idea was it to put a Gryffindor in charge of a Dark Arts
class?"
"Another Gryffindor," Lukas reminded him dryly. "Dumbledore seems to have a
rather odd sense of humor."
"It's a Gryffindor trait," Branwen said.
"Should I be offended by that?" Sirius wondered out loud.
"It can't be that bad," Harry said with a grin. "She did marry you, after all."
"So you must love me for my Gryffindor sense of humor, then," Sirius said to
Branwen.
"It might be a little more accurate to say that I love you, but merely tolerate
your sense of humor, dear," Branwen said in a slightly patronizing tone, and
Sirius pretended to pout. The others laughed, except for Snape, who merely
smirked, and Selima, who sighed and regarded them all with a look of
long-suffering resignation.
After the party was over, Lupin and Snape and the boys began packing to return
to Hogwarts. Selima met them in the drawing room when they were ready to leave.
"Before you go, I wanted to give you these," she said, handing Snape two framed
pictures. "The photographer just owled them to me; I paid extra for a rush job,
since I thought you would like to see them before you left. I think they came
out quite well."
As she had promised (or threatened, if you looked at it from Snape's point of
view), Lady Selima had arranged a session with a photographer to take a family
portrait while they were at Snape Manor over the holidays. Snape had grumbled
quite a bit, but had given in to the inevitable and posed for the picture,
knowing that his mother would not stop nagging at him until he did. It actually
had not taken that long, as the photographer had seemed a little nervous about
being around an irate former Death Eater, and had worked quickly and
efficiently.
Lupin and the boys crowded around Snape eagerly to get a look at the photos. One
was a formal family portrait just of the Snapes: Selima, Severus, and Theodore.
Snape looked sour and intimidating--in short, the same as always--while Selima
and Theodore looked properly solemn and grave. The other photo included Lupin
and Dylan, and was a bit more casual, although they all looked resplendent in
their finest dress robes. In it, Snape continued to glare at the camera, but
Lupin, Dylan, and Theodore were smiling happily, and Lady Selima had allowed a
very faint and cool smile to cross her face.
"I think they came out quite well indeed," Lupin agreed. "May we have a copy?"
"Those are for you to keep," Selima told him. "I had the photographer make up
two sets of prints. I assumed that Severus would want one set to keep in his
quarters at the school, while of course the other shall remain here at the
Manor.Ó
"Thank you, Lady Selima," Lupin said. "That's very thoughtful of you." Selima
looked a little uncomfortable, and Lupin added in a gently teasing tone, "Or is
it insulting to refer to a Slytherin as 'thoughtful'?"
"It doesn't matter," Selima retorted, a hint of dry humor in her voice. "I do
not expect good manners from Gryffindors."
"Then you will never be disappointed," Snape said in his smoothly sarcastic tone
of voice, and Lupin laughed good-naturedly, then elbowed Snape in the side.
"Thank you for the pictures, Mother," Snape said, taking the hint.
"You're welcome, Severus," Selima replied. "It is only proper, after all, for
the Lord to have a picture of his family."
"Yes, Mother," Snape said. He decided that maybe having a family photo wasn't so
bad after all. He didn't particularly enjoy staring at his own image (vanity was
never one of his flaws, except perhaps when it came to his pride in his
potion-brewing skills), but he never tired of looking at Lupin and Dylan and
Theodore. It was a reminder that he had a family--one of choice rather than
blood. Although Selima was of his blood, and things were much better between
them since they had finally resolved some of their differences after Theodore
was injured. It would never exactly be a comfortable or affectionate
relationship, at least not in comparison to a sentimental Gryffindor family like
the Weasleys, but they had reached an understanding. And as he politely bid
goodbye to his mother and promised to visit again later, he realized that for
the first time, he was not dreading having to return to Snape Manor.
Chapter 125
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