Aftermaths, Part 140

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.
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Meanwhile, the Aurors had not been idle, and after they left Aric's room, Dumbledore, Snape, and Lupin learned that Tonks and Kingsley were in the hospital interviewing Williamson. Snape sent Theodore back to Hogwarts, then joined the others in Williamson's room.

"We've questioned him under Truth Potion, Severus," Tonks said. "He's confessed to staging the werewolf attacks and planting evidence in the Shrieking Shack to frame you--he persuaded Stewart Ackerley to steal the Dark Magic books from the library for him. He also set up Ash's arrest and conspired with Amos Diggory to murder Lukas."

"Were he and Dawlish behind all the hexes, pranks, and threats at the school as well?" Snape asked. "Did he convince Ackerley and his friends to carry them out?"

"No, he doesn't know anything about that," Tonks replied. "And he says that Dawlish had no knowledge of any of his illegal activities."

"Are you sure the Truth Potion you gave him was not defective?" Snape asked skeptically.

"Not unless you're questioning your own potion-brewing abilities," Kingsley told him. "It was from a batch you brewed for the Order. Dawlish was incredibly shaken when he learned what Williamson had done; he couldn't believe that his partner had been running around committing all these crimes right under his nose. He willingly submitted to questioning under Truth Potion to prove his innocence."

"It does make sense," Tonks said. "I don't like Dawlish very much, but he's known in the Ministry as a by-the-book type. He always follows the rules, whether the rules make sense or not, and he always obeys the orders of his superiors, even if those superiors are incompetent or corrupt. He might use a legal loophole to go after you or Lukas, but he wouldn't break the law and frame you."

"How comforting," Snape said sarcastically.

"I suspect that Williamson was using transfigured dogs in the fake werewolf attacks," Lupin said anxiously. "The victims said they were attacked by two wolves, but only one dog was found in the Shrieking Shack. What happened to other dog? Did he kill that one as well?"

"Aric and Lukas nearly died because of him, and you're worried about the bloody dog?" Snape asked incredulously.

"It's an innocent creature," Lupin insisted. "It shouldn't have to suffer because of its master's crimes."

Tonks cleared her throat to gain their attention and head off a potential argument. "Ahem. Actually, I can answer that question for you, Remus. Williamson got two dogs from a Muggle pound to use as fake werewolves. He killed one dog to plant as evidence, but the other is still alive and well. He was hiding the dog in a flat he rented under a false name, and Frank and Alice are retrieving it as we speak."

"Thank goodness," Lupin sighed.

"The dog is evidence that will be used against Williamson at his trial," Kingsley said practically.

"I felt bad about killing the dog," Williamson muttered from his hospital bed. "But I needed something more dramatic than a couple of spell books and some potion ingredients to frame Snape."

"You felt bad about killing the DOG?" Snape asked in outrage. "When you were about to murder Diggory in cold blood, not to mention my student Dietrich and your own ally, Ackerley!"

"Diggory's a werewolf," Williamson said scornfully. "A dangerous beast who should be put down; the dog's life is worth more to me than his." He sounded slightly remorseful, but also sullen as he added, "As for the kids, they weren't supposed to be there..."

"Why you--" Snape snarled, his face turning red with fury, and he pulled his wand out of his pocket.

"Severus, no!" Lupin cried.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill him!" Snape demanded.

"Well, for one thing, Tonks and Kingsley would have to arrest you," Dumbledore pointed out reasonably. "And I know that would make them feel very bad."

"Sparing their feelings is my highest priority," Snape said sardonically, but he put his wand away.

The head Healer of the Spell Damage ward had been watching all of this quietly up until now, but he finally spoke. "You don't need to kill him, Professor Snape. His life is already in your hands."

"What do you mean?" Snape asked, looking puzzled and suspicious.

"I believe that my colleague already told you that we need more of the antidote," the Healer replied. "We used up nearly our entire supply treating Mr. Dietrich and Mr. Williamson. Mr. Dietrich received a much higher dosage of the poison, since he was hit with a full-strength spell, but his lycanthropic healing powers, in combination with the antidote, will allow him to recover without any permanent damage. Mr. Williamson received only a small dose of the poison, but his body is unable to heal itself the way Mr. Dietrich's can. We managed to stabilize him for now, but his body suffered permanent damage, and he will die unless he receives a regular dose of the antidote each week."

"Every week?" Snape asked. "For the rest of his life?"

The Healer nodded. "That's right. So you see, Professor, his life is in your hands. The antidote to the Blood Poisoning spell is very difficult to brew, even more so than the Wolfsbane Potion. There are only a handful of Potions Masters in the world capable of brewing such a potion, and I believe that you are the only one in Britain with the necessary skill. I consulted with the Apothecary, Mr. Jigger, and he concurs."

Williamson looked dismayed, and Snape smiled at him maliciously. "And are you asking me to brew the potion for this worthless piece of slime?"

"I am," the Healer said solemnly. "As a Healer, I have taken a vow to do no harm. That includes allowing harm to come to a patient through inaction. I must do my best to save this man, no matter what crimes he has committed. However, by law, I cannot force you to brew the potion. If you refuse to brew it, I will try to obtain it from another source, perhaps your friend, Professor Kamiyama. But it is unlikely that I will be able to get enough of it on a regular basis to keep the patient alive."

"I'll brew it for Aric, for as long as he needs it," Snape said in a cold voice. "But not for him." The word "him" was laced with venom and scorn as he glared at Williamson.

"I think you should reconsider, Severus," Lupin said.

"Surely even your admittedly generous sense of compassion must have some limits, Lupin!" Snape exclaimed. "He not only tried to frame me and the werewolves, he tried to kill Diggory and very nearly succeeded in killing Dietrich and--"

"It's not out of compassion or generosity that I'm asking you to save him, Severus," Lupin interrupted, and Snape looked confused. Lupin smiled, but in a rather nasty way, with a very predatory and vicious gleam in his eyes--the sort of expression that one might expect to see on Diggory's face, or Snape's, but that was alien to Lupin's gentle nature. "Just think, Severus," Lupin practically purred. "Williamson, who hates and despises you, will be dependent on your charity for the rest of his life. Every breath he takes, every bite of food that he eats, every day that he lives to see another sunrise, he will owe to you, and he will never be able to forget it, since the potion that he has to take every week will remind him that he is utterly at your mercy." Williamson had a look of horror on his face, as if he might be wishing that the poison had finished him off, after all. Lupin's smile grew wider, exposing his sharp canine teeth, and Williamson's face turned white. "So you see," Lupin continued, "I do not think you should let him die, Severus--because death is much too swift and merciful a punishment. I want him to live, and to suffer for what he's done."

Tonks and Kingsley were both a little taken aback by Lupin's speech. "Brrr," Tonks laughed nervously, pretending to shiver. "That gave me the chills, Remus! You sounded almost as bloodthirsty as Severus for a moment!"

But Snape was gazing at Lupin with pure admiration in his eyes. "I'm impressed, Remus," he said. "You would have made a good Slytherin, after all!" Then, to Lupin's surprise and delight, Snape kissed Lupin soundly on the mouth, right there in front of the Aurors and the Healer, and laughed, "I knew there was a reason that I fell in love with you!"

Lupin momentarily forgot his anger and relished this rare public display of affection until Williamson stammered, "B-b-but everyone says that you're--"

"What?" Lupin snapped, turning to glare at the Auror. "That I'm a soft touch? Don't mistake compassion for weakness, Williamson. You not only endangered my students and tried to murder one of my best friends, but you threatened my mate." A low growl rumbled in his throat and he bared his teeth at Williamson, who cringed. "It is never wise to threaten a werewolf's mate or cubs." Lupin leaned over the bed, and Williamson whimpered, sinking as far into the mattress as he could, clawing at it with his hands as if he were trying to dig an escape route or a hole to hide in. "And everything else aside, you deserve to suffer just for what you did to that poor dog in the Shrieking Shack! That poor creature died in pain and misery just so you could manufacture some false evidence against Severus--that's despicable!"

"It almost sounds like you're more concerned about the damned dog than me," Snape grumbled petulantly.

"Don't be silly, Severus," Lupin said, managing a smile although anger still smoldered in his eyes. "But you are capable of defending yourself, while the dog was not. It was an innocent animal dependent on its master's kindness, and you used and betrayed it, Williamson."

"Don't preach at me, you--" Williamson started to retort, but Snape interrupted him.

"It would not be wise to insult my lover," Snape purred, a malevolent smile slowly spreading across his face. "Considering that your life is dependent on my mercy--and as all the students at Hogwarts can testify, I have none." Williamson immediately fell silent. "In fact," Snape continued, thoroughly enjoying himself, "I suggest that you apologize to him."

"I apologize," Williamson said through gritted teeth.

"That didn't sound at all apologetic or respectful," Snape said disapprovingly.

"Please forgive me for my rudeness, Professor Lupin," Williamson said humbly, although he looked as though the effort of it might finish him off where the poison had not.

Apparently the Healer thought so, too, because he quickly said, "I'm afraid the patient must get some rest now, if you want him to live to stand trial."

"We've gotten all we need out of him at the moment," Kingsley said, not sounding particularly concerned about Williamson. "We've arranged to have a guard posted outside his room."

"That's fine," the Healer said. "Although he isn't going to be capable of getting out of bed for at least a couple of days. Professor Snape, I take it that you have decided to brew the antidote? We only have a few more doses left, and aside from Mr. Williamson's needs, Mr. Dietrich will need to continue taking it for a couple more weeks."

"I will brew it--for now," Snape said, giving Williamson a significant look. "I'll start a batch tonight."

"Thank you," the Healer said gratefully, and politely but firmly ushered them out of the room.
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They went to the Ministry of Magic next, to sit in on Amos Diggory's questioning. They were joined by Dawlish, Arthur Weasley, and Morrigan, who came as Lukas's representative, since he refused to leave Aric's side. Dawlish seemed very subdued and uncomfortable, and avoided meeting either Lupin's or Snape's eyes. They all sat down together in a small room that was bare of furnishings except for a long table and several chairs. The bleak gray stone walls and the lack of windows gave it a grim, claustrophobic air--which was quite intentional, as it was meant to intimidate to the suspects who were questioned there.

"Ash Randolf has been released, with the Ministry's apologies," Arthur informed Morrigan.

"Thank you," Morrigan said. "I'm sure that Master Diggory will be relieved to hear that."

"We have a warrant to question you under Truth Potion," Kingsley told Amos, holding up a piece of parchment stamped with the Minister of Magic's seal.

Amos just remained slumped in his chair, his eyes looking dull and defeated. He put up no resistance when Kingsley ordered him to open his mouth, then poured three drops of Veritaserum onto his tongue. In an emotionless, droning voice, he answered all of the Aurors' questions, admitting to his role as a conspirator in Williamson's crimes.

"I was trying to protect my family's reputation and keep the promise I made to my parents," he said in a hollow voice. "Cyril tried to blackmail me, the way his father blackmailed my parents."

The others looked a little confused, except for Morrigan, who explained, "Master Diggory recently found evidence that his father had hidden years ago, pages from the diary of Lord Cyrus Diggory, which proved that the lycanthropy came from the Diggory side of the family. Unfortunately, Master Diggory tried to handle this privately between Amos and himself, and did not share this information with me until I stopped by the hospital to see him just before I came here."

"I see," Tonks murmured. "He told Amos to back off, or he'd expose the truth about the Diggory family, so Amos decided to kill him."

"It wasn't just about the estate, or even getting the Ministry to release Mr. Randolf," Morrigan said. "He could have handled that through an intermediary, such as myself. But he wanted to learn the truth about how his father died, and he knew that Amos would never discuss such a thing with a stranger or in front of witnesses, so he arranged to meet with Amos alone today, and, well..."

"So how did Cynric Diggory die?" Snape asked Amos, knowing that Selima, as well as Lukas, would want to know the answer to that.

"Cynric went searching through the old family histories, trying to discover clues that might indicate whether the lycanthropy came from our side of the family," Amos replied dully. "Anya did the same with the Gravenor histories, but she found nothing, while Cynric found a reference to a Diggory girl with inherited lycanthropy, whose name had been removed from the official family tree hundreds of years ago. My parents' patience with Cynric was wearing thin, and they were just about ready to disown him. Even if he went public with Cyril's lycanthropy, it would hurt Cyril more than it would hurt us. And even if Cynric tried to claim that the lycanthropy came from our side of the family, without any proof, people would be much more likely to believe it came from the Gravenors, since they were known for practicing the Dark Arts. But then Cynric did find proof that the lycanthropy came from our side of the family, and he threatened to tell the entire wizarding world about it if our parents disowned him. They saw that as a betrayal--an unforgivable offense, especially since our family have always been Hufflepuffs, and prized loyalty above all else."

"They didn't exactly show a lot of loyalty to their own grandson," Snape muttered, but Amos either didn't hear him, or was able to ignore his comment since it wasn't actually a question.

"They decided that Cynric had become a threat that must be eliminated in order to protect the family's reputation," Amos continued. "They sent him a message purporting to be from one of his illegal potion suppliers, claiming to have found a potential cure. The Wizard Wireless Network had predicted a thunderstorm that night; it had been raining all week. So they sabotaged the carriage beforehand, knowing that the crash would be blamed on the storm rather than foul play. It helped that my brother had a reputation for being reckless; flying out in the middle of a thunderstorm was exactly the sort of idiotic thing he would do, and no one really found it suspicious. Well, a few people--mostly Cynric's Slytherin friends--did, but there wasn't enough of an outcry to get the Ministry to launch an official investigation. Most people chalked it up as the usual sort of malicious gossip that the Slytherins like to spread."

"Were you in on the plot to kill Cynric?" Snape asked. Lukas had already told them that Amos had claimed that he hadn't known about it, but Amos had not been under the influence of Veritaserum at the time.

"No," Amos replied. "I loved my brother. As much as I argued with him, disagreed with him, and sometimes even hated him, he was still my brother and I loved him." Those passionate words were uttered in a dull monotone; an eerie contrast that was an unintended side effect of the Truth Potion, which rendered the imbiber preternaturally calm and emotionless. "If I had known what my parents were going to do, I would have tried to stop them. But they did not tell me about it until the carriage had already crashed."

"And what did you do then?" Tonks asked curiously.

"Cynric was dead, and sending my parents to Azkaban wouldn't bring him back," Amos said. "I had to protect them. Right or wrong, they were my family. Besides, it was partly Cynric's fault. He drove them to it. If he hadn't been so stubborn..."

"What about Lukas...er...Cyril?" Snape interrupted. "Whose idea was it to hide him away on the Gravenor estate?"

"Mine," Amos said. "My parents meant for Cyril to die in the crash, too. The message they sent to Cynric said that he should bring his son with him, in order to test the cure right away. The whole point of this was to erase any evidence of lycanthropy in the Diggory family, after all. But while my brother was foolhardy with his own life, he would never do anything to put his wife or son in danger. Well, aside from feeding Cyril experimental potions. But I could have told my parents, if they had asked me, that Cynric wouldn't bring Cyril with him to the meeting--especially if it meant flying in a thunderstorm. So I contacted the Gravenors. We agreed that with Cynric dead and Anya too overwhelmed by grief to function, it was the perfect opportunity to get rid of Cyril."

"So you let the Gravenors do your dirty work, because you were too cowardly to do it yourself," Snape said contemptuously.

Amos just stared at him blankly, still drugged by the potion and unable to summon up enough emotion to take offense. "I didn't want any more blood shed. Lord Gravenor was a sneaky Slytherin bastard, but he loved his daughter. He wouldn't have hurt Cyril, at least while Anya was still alive. The Gravenors had a large country estate in Wales, and agreed to keep Cyril safely confined there. Except that they didn't do their job. He escaped after Anya died. I kept expecting him to show up at the Diggory mansion to confront us, or maybe go to the press or one of his father's friends, but he never did. Maybe he was afraid that we would kill him. Maybe he didn't think that anyone would believe him if he said that he was Cyril Diggory, since Cyril was supposed to be dead. After awhile, I figured he would never show up. And then the war was in full swing, and everyone, myself included, was more worried about the Death Eaters than one stray werewolf. If I had known how much trouble he would cause me later, maybe I would have killed him when I had the chance, when he was still a puppy." A hint of contempt crept into his voice, a sign that the Truth Potion was beginning to wear off.

"I've heard enough," Arthur said disgustedly. "Lukas is your nephew, Amos--it was your duty to protect him as a child, not to lock him up and steal his inheritance!" Then he added in a scathing, sarcastic voice, "But I guess your vaunted Hufflepuff loyalty doesn't apply to werewolves." Snape was impressed; he almost sounded like a Slytherin. He had never seen cheerful, idealistic Arthur Weasley look so angry before. But then, Hufflepuffs were not the only ones who valued loyalty. The Gryffindors did as well, and Arthur considered Lukas to be a friend.

"He destroyed my family," Amos said sullenly. "None of this would have happened if he hadn't been born a werewolf."

"Listen to yourself!" Arthur shouted. "Lukas didn't ask to be born a werewolf! And what difference does it make, anyway? He and his pack risked their lives to fight the Death Eaters and save the very people who made them outcasts. While you, a respected pureblood, plotted to murder your own nephew, and endangered innocent students in the process! Tell me Amos, which one of you is really the monster? What would Cedric think if he could see you now?" Amos hung his head, and Arthur snapped, "Take him away!"

Tonks and Kingsley escorted Amos to a holding cell, and he went along meekly. His spirit seemed to have been broken the moment he realized that his family's reputation, which he had been willing to commit murder to protect, was utterly ruined.

Arthur sighed and shook his head. "He was a friend, once. I wonder if things would have gone this far if Cedric had lived? The thought of his son seeing him as a criminal might have prevented him from stooping to murder. And Cedric was a kind lad; I don't think that he would have held Lukas's lycanthropy against him. Perhaps he would even have tried to encourage a reconciliation."

"Or that might have given Amos even more reason to kill Lukas," Snape pointed out. "In order to prevent his werewolf nephew from 'corrupting' his son, or to keep Cedric from learning that his grandparents committed murder."

"Amos was always very protective of Cedric," Arthur conceded, sighing again.

"He had the capacity within him to kill, even before Cedric died," Snape said. "He covered up his brother's murder. He handed his nephew over to the dubious care of relatives who despised him. Did you notice that he said Lord Gravenor wouldn't have harmed Cyril while Anya was still alive? Which means that he also knew that the Gravenors would probably kill him if anything happened to Anya. And once she died, Amos doesn't seem to have wasted any time worrying about his nephew's welfare, only about what might happen to his family's reputation if the supposedly dead Cyril Diggory turned up alive. It's a small step from condoning murder to committing it." Snape smiled bitterly. "And believe me, I know. The Dark Lord used that tactic often enough. Most of the Death Eater initiates simply observed kills and sacrifices at first, before graduating to actively participating in them. Although a few, like the Lestranges, needed little encouragement..."

Dawlish gazed at Snape, a very thoughtful expression on his face, until the Potions Master glanced in his direction, and Dawlish quickly looked away. There was a brief awkward silence, which Dumbledore broke by asking, "What will happen to Lukas, Arthur? He won't be charged for infecting Mr. Dietrich, will he?"

"Technically, it's a crime to infect someone with lycanthropy," Arthur said. "But since he did it in order to save his student's life, and Mr. Dietrich consented to it, I think that I can prevent any charges from being filed. Mr. Dietrich is a legal adult, is he not?" Dumbledore nodded, and Arthur continued, "Then his parents cannot press charges in his name. If Mr. Dietrich does not wish to file a complaint, the matter should end there."

Lupin sighed with relief. "Thank Merlin!"

A few minutes later, Kingsley and Tonks returned, along with Frank and Alice Longbottom. Frank was walking a large dog on a leash; it appeared to be a mongrel that was mostly German Shepherd, with one or two other unknown breeds mixed in. Its fur was black on its back, shading to a combination of gray and tan on the rest of its body.

"We found this dog in the flat Williamson rented under an alias," Frank said. "Along with a few of the same ingredients found in the Shrieking Shack, and some notes on the Sanguis Veneno spell. I don't think that there's any doubt that Williamson used this dog, and the one found in the Shrieking Shack, in the 'werewolf' attacks on Pritchard and Baddock. Nor is there any doubt that he tried to frame Professor Snape."

"And the staff at St. Mungo's also retrieved a vial of what turned out to be the so-called Werewolf Potion from the pocket of Williamson's robe," Alice added. "Apparently he intended to plant it on Master Diggory's body after he killed him, in order to link him to Professor Snape and imply that they were conspirators."

Frank and Alice exchanged a look, both of them looking uncomfortable and a little ashamed. "It seems that we owe you an apology, Professor," Frank told Snape. "We doubted your loyalties, despite the fact that Remus and Albus both vouched for you, and despite the fact that by all reports, your help was crucial to winning the war. Like most people in the wizarding world, we had trouble believing that the Death Eaters were no longer a threat. But it turns out that we were chasing shadows--there were no Death Eaters at work here, only a corrupt Auror-turned-vigilante playing on people's paranoia and prejudice."

"So we most humbly and deeply apologize," Alice said.

"We apologize to you, too, Remus," Frank told Lupin. "We should have trusted you, instead of just assuming that you were blinded by love like an infatuated teenager. And we should have listened to Neville, too. He told us once that you always tell your students to judge people by their actions, and not by their Houses or their families."

"Thank you, Frank, Alice," Lupin said quietly. "That means a lot to me."

"It takes a great deal of courage to admit that you're wrong," Dumbledore added, with a sidelong glance at Snape, who just grunted and nodded curtly, not exactly accepting the apology, but not rejecting it, either.

"What will happen to Williamson and Amos?" Lupin asked, changing the subject, and the Longbottoms looked grateful.

"They will have to stand trial," Arthur replied, "but I am certain that they will receive long prison sentences. Amos may get off a little lighter, since it seems that he was mainly following Williamson's lead, and Williamson carried out most of the dirty work by himself. But he's still guilty of attempted murder, and I won't let him get off with a slap on the wrist."

"Whatever sentence he receives, his life has already been ruined," Dumbledore pointed out. "All his crimes were committed in order to protect his family's reputation, and ironically enough, he has ruined that reputation with his own actions."

Snape did not look as though he thought that was punishment enough, but he just scowled and said, "What about Williamson?"

"I'm pushing for a life sentence in Azkaban," Arthur replied grimly. "He not only committed assault and attempted murder and tried to frame you and the werewolves, but he abused his position as an Auror, betrayed the oaths that he took to uphold the law. He betrayed the trust that the people of the wizarding world place in that office."

"You should add animal cruelty to the list of crimes he'll be charged with," Lupin said. "I still remember the look on the face of that poor dog from the Shrieking Shack." He shuddered, then looked over the dog Frank had brought. "Well, at least this one seems unharmed."

"It seems healthy enough," Frank said. "Williamson left plenty of food and water for the dog, and he doesn't seem to have abused it--apart from transfiguring it into a wolf to use in the staged werewolf attacks."

"Poor fellow," Lupin said sympathetically, then held out his hand towards the dog, who tentatively sniffed at it, then licked it. Lupin patted the dog and scratched behind its ears, and the dog barked happily and wagged its tail.

"It seems friendly enough," Frank observed.

"What will happen to the dog?" Lupin asked.

Frank shrugged. "The Ministry will care for it until Williamson's trial is over, since it might be needed as evidence. After that...well, I suppose we'll try to find a home for it." He looked at Arthur.

"Oh no, don't look at me," Arthur said hastily. "Not that I'd mind, but Molly would never allow it. She always put her foot down at getting a dog; she said that looking after seven children was more than enough work for her."

"My flat is too small for such a big dog," Tonks said.

Lupin looked at Snape with pleading eyes, and the Potions Master snapped, "Don't even think about it, Lupin!"

"But Severus..." Lupin said in a wheedling tone.

"No," Snape said firmly. "I am not having some hairy beast shed fur in my quarters--except for you, of course. Not to mention having it run around knocking over my Potions equipment."

"He seems like a very well-behaved dog, Severus," Lupin objected. "And besides, you do most of your potion-brewing in your workshop, anyway, and I'll be sure to keep the dog out of that room."

"No," Snape repeated.

"But if they send him to the pound, he'll probably be put down," Lupin said, his blue eyes going wide and tearful.

Snape knew it was all an act, but he still felt a twinge of guilt. "Give it to Hagrid, then," he said gruffly. "It'll be happier running around outside than being cooped up in the castle, and I'm sure Hagrid will be thrilled to get another pet."

"Or maybe not," Tonks joked. "It only has one head, after all."

"I'll take him out for walks before and after classes so he won't feel bored or cooped up," Lupin said. "Or maybe I could take him with me to class--"

"No!" Snape said.

"Actually, I have no objection to that," Dumbledore said helpfully, and Snape glared at him.

"But Severus," Lupin said in a childish whine, "you promised that I could have a dog after we moved in together!"

"Are you going to hold me to a promise that I made when I was fifteen or sixteen?" Snape complained. "And anyway, it wasn't a promise, it was a joke!"

"Oh please, Severus," Lupin continued to whine. "Please, please, please!" Tonks, Arthur, and Dumbledore began to laugh, while Kingsley, Dawlish, and the Longbottoms stared at the pair incredulously.

"Oh, cut that out, Lupin!" Snape growled, although he already knew that he was defeated. "Honestly, you behave more childishly than a first-year! What kind of example are you setting for your students?"

Lupin leaned over and cooed into Snape's ear, "Pretty please, Severus?"

Snape's sallow face turned bright red, and he glared at Tonks, who was laughing so hard that she nearly fell off her chair. "Enough!" he snapped, then glowered at Lupin fiercely. "You're the one who's going to feed it and walk it and clean up after it," Snape said in his sternest Potions Master voice, in an attempt to salvage his pride after being publicly henpecked by his werewolf lover. "That beast will be your responsibility; don't expect me to lift a finger to help."

"Yes, Severus," Lupin said meekly.

"And I'll expect you to train it properly," Snape continued. "No messes on the carpet or barking in the middle of the night. If it can't behave, then you'll have to give it to Hagrid or build it a doghouse outside the castle."

"Yes, Severus," Lupin repeated. "He seems very well-behaved; I'm sure it won't take long to train him properly." He told the dog, "Sit," placing a hand on the dog's hindquarters and gently pushing down. The dog took the hint and sat, the very picture of obedience. Lupin patted the dog and said, "Good boy," and it wagged its tail happily.

"Oh, very well," Snape sighed. "Although I'm sure I'm going to regret this later."

"Thank you, Severus!" Lupin cried, flinging his arms around Snape and kissing him on the cheek.

"Argh! Cut that out!" Snape shouted. "Merlin's Beard, Lupin, the dog is better behaved than you are! Maybe I should put YOU in the doghouse!" The dog cocked its head to one side and gave the two of them a puzzled but friendly look. "And don't YOU even think about jumping on me, you mangy mutt!" Snape told the dog, who just continued to sit in place and wag its tail.

"Well, that's settled then," Arthur said cheerfully. "The dog will have to stay at the Ministry for now, but you can have him as soon as Williamson's trial is over. But don't worry, we'll take good care of him in the meantime. And I imagine you will need a little time to prepare for your new pet--to buy dog food and whatnot."

"And move anything breakable out of reach," Snape added sourly. "By the way, Lupin, what do you intend to do with this animal during the full moon? Would a dog regard a wolf as an enemy or a fellow canine?"

"I don't think he's been trained to hunt wolves," Lupin replied. "He'll probably think I'm just another type of dog. There could be a problem if he considers me to be a strange dog intruding on his territory, but even if my body changes, my scent should still be familiar to him, so I don't think he'll attack me, although he might be a little confused. But if he reacts badly to the transformation, we can have Hagrid baby-sit him during the full moon."

"And what about summer vacation?" Snape demanded. "We can't take him to Snape Manor with us."

"Why not?" Lupin asked. "It's a big house; I'm sure there's room enough for one dog."

"If you think you can convince Lady Selima to allow you to bring a dog into the mansion--her beautiful, immaculate mansion filled with expensive rugs and valuable, breakable antiques--be my guest, Lupin," Snape said. "Just don't expect any help from me."

"You'll be a perfect gentleman, won't you?" Lupin crooned, kneeling down to pet the dog. "You'll show Lady Selima what a well-behaved dog you are, won't you?" The dog barked once, as if to voice its agreement, and licked Lupin's face.

"It's your funeral," Snape said with a shrug.

"Well then, that's settled," Arthur repeated. "We'll let you know when you can pick up the dog, Remus."

"No need," Tonks said. "I'll be happy to drop him off at Hogwarts for you."

"Oh joy," Snape muttered to himself.

As he and Lupin and Dumbledore started to leave, Dawlish called after them, "Snape? Wait just a moment. I...I think that Frank and Alice aren't the only ones who owe you an apology."

The Auror had a sour expression on his face, as though he had just bitten into a lemon. Snape looked startled at first, then smirked and waited expectantly.

"It seems I was wrong about you this time, Snape," Dawlish said grudgingly. "But don't think that I won't be keeping my eye on you."

"Was there an apology in there somewhere?" Snape asked sarcastically.

"On behalf of the Ministry of Magic, I apologize for wrongly accusing you, Professor Snape," Dawlish said through gritted teeth.

"And on behalf of Severus, I accept your apology," Lupin said cheerfully, and Snape glared at him, since he'd had no intention of accepting the apology. In fact, he'd intended to stretch out the Auror's discomfort and humiliation for as long as he could. Blithely ignoring him, Lupin continued, "I know that I could not have expected you to immediately believe in Severus's and Lukas's innocence, since you do not know them as I do. But once you had fixed your attention on them as suspects, you did not bother looking elsewhere. I hope that in the future, you will not be so quick to judge on appearances."

Dawlish flushed as if he were a student being lectured in one of Lupin's classes, and in fact, Lupin had been using the gentle tone of reprimand that he normally used on his students when he felt that they were being unreasonable. If he hadn't disliked the Auror so much, Snape might have felt a little sorry for him. "In the future, I shall be certain to investigate all my cases very thoroughly," Dawlish growled in a low voice, looking both ashamed and annoyed.

"It takes a big man to admit that he's wrong," Lupin said in a placating tone. "I know that it wasn't easy for you to apologize, and I appreciate it, Richard."

Dawlish just grunted and nodded, looking more embarrassed than ever. "I will take my leave, then," he said politely, but the look on his face said that he hoped he wouldn't have to see Lupin and Snape again for a very, very long time.

Chapter 141

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