Aftermaths, Part 19

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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Snape sighed as he stared down at the photographs. Evan was never able to keep his promise to marry Ariane, and Lyall never had the chance to fall head over heels in love. Within a few years, both men would be dead, leaving Ariane to bear Evan's son, who would never know his father, alone. Snape had never called in the favor Evan owed him, although he had considered doing so to try and convince Evan to leave the Death Eaters. But he never did, because it would have been too dangerous. Evan Rosier had been an honorable man, in his own way, but faced with conflicting loyalties, his devotion to Voldemort probably would have overruled his need to repay his debt to Snape. Snape still felt guilty that he hadn't tried harder to save Evan and Lyall, but reminded himself that Professor Blackmore had done her best to save them and failed as well; even the news that Ariane was pregnant had not convinced Evan to surrender. Evan had everything that Snape did not--a loving family, a devoted lover who had given up everything for him, and an unborn son who would no doubt have been equally devoted to him--yet he had thrown it all away, along with his life, for Voldemort's sake.

"You threw away the chance to become a husband and a father," Snape said quietly. "And for what? For loyalty to your Master? He never mourned your death nor bothered to make sure that Ariane and your son would be provided for. Neither did your fellow Death Eaters; they were all too busy saving their own skins. You were a fool, Evan. Dylan is worth a hundred Death Eaters, a hundred Dark Lords. He is intelligent--if a bit too clever for his own good sometimes; he must get that from you--and loyal and compassionate. You'll never know what it's like, to see him look so proud when you praise his work in class, to have him cry on your shoulder when he's frightened or sad, to have him look at you with complete love and trust in his eyes even though you were the idiot who was careless enough to let Lucius Malfoy kidnap him and induct him into the Death Eaters. You'll never see the way his face lights up whenever that wretched Gryffindor girl is around; I wonder what you'd think about the fact that you'll most likely have a Muggle-born daughter-in-law in a few years. But I suppose I should be grateful; if you hadn't been stupid and gotten yourself killed, then Dylan wouldn't be my son now."

Snape fell silent, shaken by that thought. Dylan had become so much a part of his life these past few years, that he could not imagine what life would be like without him. Snape shuddered, the very thought bringing back memories of the bleak and lonely years he had spent alone before reconciling with Lupin. Of course even if Evan miraculously rose from the dead to claim his son--or, more realistically, if Math and Goewin took custody of Dylan--then Remus would still be there to comfort Snape. But even with his lover by his side, a life without Dylan in it--or Theodore, for that matter--would seem somehow empty and lacking. Even though parenthood had brought with it some complications and problems that Snape had not expected, he still wouldn't change anything even if he could. Even if he could find another home for the boys where they would be safe, loved, and happy, he would never be able to give them up now and he knew that Lupin felt the same way. Lupin was looking particularly blissful and content--in fact, downright smug--these days and Snape knew it was because he finally had the family he'd always wanted, that he thought he would never be able to have. Snape had never particularly wanted children; growing up in the cold Snape household was a not an experience he would care to inflict on any hypothetical offspring, nor did he have any desire to raise a son who would hate him as much as he hated his own father. Having only his parents as role models to follow, it had never occurred to him that he might be able to do things differently and become a "wonderful parent" (as Molly Weasley had put it). Besides, once he had been with Lupin he knew that he would never be able to agree to the kind of political marriage his parents would arrange for him, and he had taken a bitter pleasure in being able to deny them the only thing that they really wanted from him: a Snape heir.

But somehow he had wound up with two foster sons, and even more surprisingly, he was happy about it. "You were a fool, Evan," Snape repeated, then laughed self-consciously. "And I'm an idiot, talking to a photograph of a dead man! That's the sort of thing a sentimental Gryffindor like Lupin would do." He put the photos back into the envelope, packed up everything else and put the box back into the closet, then gathered up his things and headed home.

"So, did you get everything taken care of, Severus?" Lupin asked sweetly.

"Yes," Snape said calmly, not rising to the bait. "Did you three get the party plans settled?"

"Yes," Lupin replied. Theodore was still looking a bit sulky, so Snape supposed that meant that Potter was being invited. "We'll need to send out the invitations soon, and stop by Diagon Alley to do some shopping."

"Very well," Snape sighed.

"If it makes you two feel any better," Lupin told Snape and Theodore in a mischievous voice, "I'm sure Harry and Ron will be just as...enthusiastic...about being invited as you are."

Snape cheered up a little at that thought, recalling how much Potter and Weasley loathed and dreaded his Potions classes; the thought of adding a small blight to their otherwise idyllic summer vacation offered some consolation. Judging by the look on his face, a similar thought had occurred to Theodore, and the two Slytherins exchanged nearly identical sadistic grins.

Dylan and Lupin both laughed. "You're not allowed to give them detention during the summer, Severus," Lupin reminded him.

"You take all the fun out of everything, Lupin," Snape complained, pretending to sulk. Lupin just smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

Later, after the boys went to bed, Lupin said slyly, "You bolted out of here pretty fast, Sev; Theodore was a bit put out that you abandoned him. Are you that afraid of losing an argument with a werewolf? I guess that would be quite a blow to your Slytherin pride..."

"Be nice to me, Lupin," Snape said haughtily. "Or I won't share this with you." He took out the bottle of brandy.

Lupin took it from him and read the label. "I'm no expert on these things, but this appears to be a very good vintage."

"Indeed it is, Lupin. One of the annual Christmas bribes--from the Goyles, I believe, several years back. Goyle's too stupid to remember that I don't drink, apparently--well, not much, anyway. But I thought I would make an exception tonight, and share a drink with you in front of the fire."

"There's no fire in the fireplace," Lupin pointed out. Snape pulled out his wand, flicked it carelessly, and there was instantly a cozy fire burning there. "Well, that takes care of that," Lupin laughed. He went to the kitchen and rummaged through the cupboard. "I'm afraid that I don't have any brandy glasses," he said apologetically, taking down two glass tumblers. "These will have to do."

"It doesn't matter, Remus. It tastes the same, regardless."

Lupin poured the brandy into the glasses, saying, "Er...this was a gift from a Death Eater? Are you sure it hasn't been poisoned?"

Snape grinned. "Yes, because I tested it on Draco Malfoy first." He laughed as Lupin's blue eyes flew wide open. "Relax, Lupin, I wouldn't really use Draco as a guinea pig--mostly because his father would have killed me if anything had happened to him. As far as anyone knew back then, I was a loyal Death Eater; there was no reason for anyone to poison me. If even Lucius didn't suspect that I was a traitor, there's no way that idiot Goyle could have figured it out. It was back during Draco's fourth year, when the fake Moody transfigured him into a ferret for attacking Potter. I gave him some tea mixed with brandy to calm him down, and Mr. Malfoy is still alive and well, so I believe it's safe to drink."

"Ah yes," Lupin chuckled. "The incredible bouncing ferret; the Gryffindors still talk about it, you know. Poor Draco; I suppose, in a way, he deserved it, but Moody--er, the fake Moody--still went too far."

Snape chuckled as well, in his low, husky voice. "It was a good learning experience. It taught him that his father's name would not always protect him."

They took their glasses and sat on the floor in front of the fireplace. Snape stared at Lupin, admiring the way the firelight cast red-gold highlights on his brown hair. Lupin smiled at him, then came over and sat on Snape's lap, leaned back against his chest, and sighed contentedly. Snape chuckled again and slipped his free arm around Lupin's waist. "Comfy, Lupin?"

"Very," Lupin replied. Although it was summer, nights in the woods were cool enough that the heat of the fire, while not necessary, was still pleasant, and he reveled even more in the warmth of his lover's body. He lifted his glass to his lips and took a sip of brandy; it really was a good vintage. He felt a warm glow slowly spreading through his body, and was not sure whether it was due more to the alcohol or to Severus.

Snape sipped his brandy, savoring the taste. The elder Goyle might be an idiot, but he had picked out a good vintage, or more likely, his wife had. Snape rarely drank alcohol, not because he didn't like the taste, but because he hated losing control of himself in even the slightest way, and such loss of control was especially dangerous for a double agent--a slip of the tongue or slowed reflexes due to overindulgence could have proved fatal. But the Dark Lord was dead and the Death Eaters defeated, and Snape felt free to relax a little with Lupin, the one person he completely trusted. The weight of Lupin's body resting against his was very pleasant, as was the cool silky smoothness of Lupin's hair brushing against his cheek. Snape nuzzled Lupin's hair gently, then pushed it to one side so that he could press his lips against the nape of Lupin's neck. The werewolf sighed again, but this time his sigh sounded less contented and more aroused. He leaned back again, pressing his body closer to Snape's and...well...wriggled (there was simply no other word for it!) in a deliberately provocative way. Not that a lapful of wriggling werewolf was unpleasant--quite the opposite!--but they were out in the living room where the boys could walk in on them at any time. "Stop that, you little tease!"

"You started it," Lupin pouted, and wriggled again; Snape gasped. Lupin squirmed around further so that he was face-to-face with his lover. "Besides, it seemed to me that you liked it..."
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Meanwhile, downstairs in the basement, Dylan and Theodore had gone to bed, but were too keyed up about the prospect of their party to sleep, so they lay awake, talking quietly. "I've never had a birthday party before," Dylan said. "I mean, of course my mother and aunt and uncle always bought me presents and made a cake, but I never had a real party, with friends over and stuff."

"I had parties," Theodore said, "but they weren't much fun. It was pretty much the same as it was at Hogwarts, with Draco bossing everyone around. My father would never have let me invite Blaise or Damien because their social standing wasn't high enough."

"This party will be different," Dylan said.

"Yeah, it should be fun," Theodore agreed, then scowled a little. "Even if we have to invite the Gryffindors."

Dylan laughed. "Come on, Potter's party wasn't that bad! The treasure hunt was fun--"

"Because you and Granger won," Theodore interrupted.

"--and wasn't it cool, riding the Hippogriff?"

"It was kind of scary."

"I bet the other kids at school will be green with envy when they find out."

Theodore grinned. "Did you see the way it gave Draco the evil eye?" He explained how Draco had provoked Buckbeak into attacking him, and how the Ministry had nearly executed the Hippogriff.

Dylan laughed. "No wonder it doesn't like Draco!"

"I can't sleep," Theodore said suddenly.

"I know, me too," Dylan said, grinning sheepishly. "We're like a couple of little kids who can't wait for Christmas. But it is our first real birthday party, after all."

"Do you think it's safe to sneak upstairs and get a snack or something?"

Dylan listened for a moment. "Sounds pretty quiet. They've probably gone to bed. Come on." But just to be on the safe side, they paused at the top of the stairs and opened the door a crack before entering the living room. They could see flames flickering in the fireplace, and their guardians seemed to be sitting on the floor in front of it, although the couch was blocking most of their view. They hesitated, trying to decide whether they should enter the room and announce themselves or just creep back downstairs to bed.

Stop that, you little tease!" Snape said.

"You started it," Lupin said in a petulant voice, then they heard Snape gasp. "Besides," Lupin continued, "it seemed to me that you liked it..." There were sounds of kissing and rustling cloth.

"Lupin!" Snape hissed. "Stop that! What if the boys walk in?"

"They went to bed ages ago."

"But what if they come upstairs to use the bathroom or get a drink of water or something?"

Lupin sighed regretfully, then laughed. "Don't get me wrong; I love the boys and I wouldn't trade having them here for anything, but there are times when I miss being able to pounce on you anywhere I please: here in front of the fireplace, the couch, the kitchen table..."

Theodore let out a little gasp, but fortunately Lupin and Snape were too preoccupied with each other to hear it, and Dylan quickly clapped a hand over his foster brother's mouth.

Snape laughed, a low and wicked sound. "Having a whole school filled with children didn't stop you, you little exhibitionist! How many times have you called me into your office for a 'quickie between classes'?"

Lupin laughed, sounding almost as wicked as Snape. "Ah, but you enjoyed having your way with me on the top of my desk, didn't you...?"

There were more kissing noises, followed by panting and heavy breathing, then Snape growled, "Let's take this into the bedroom, Lupin."

As the two men rose to their feet, Dylan quickly closed the door, then he and Theo very quietly retreated back down the stairs to their bedroom. "I think we'd better skip that snack," he said.

"I've lost my appetite," Theodore muttered, then burst out indignantly, "We eat off that kitchen table!"

"Well, actually we eat off plates that we put on the kitchen table," Dylan corrected him helpfully. "Besides, I'm sure that they used a cleaning spell afterwards..."

Theodore shuddered. "I don't even want to think about it!"

"Doing it on a table sounds like it would be kind of uncomfortable, though," Dylan said in an almost analytical tone, frowning a little.

"Will you stop that?! I'm never going to be able to look at that table again without picturing the two of them on it!"

"Do you suppose Remus has a table fetish?" Dylan wondered. "He did say something something about his desk at school..."

Theodore groaned, "I'm never going to be able to look at his office the same way again, either!"

"Well, at the very least, we should make sure to knock before entering his or Snape's office," Dylan said with a grin. "Or any teacher's office, for that matter--who knows how many of them might be carrying on secret affairs?"

"I don't want to think about it!" Theodore said. "I'm going to bed."

Dylan laughed. "Goodnight, Theo."

Theodore crawled into bed, grumbling, "Maybe you could Obliviate the memory of that conversation out of my head. I swear, I'm never going upstairs for a late-night snack ever again!"
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The next morning, they found Lupin cooking breakfast in the kitchen, while Snape sat at the table sipping a cup of coffee and reading the Daily Prophet, the same as always.

"Good morning, sleepyheads!" Lupin called out cheerfully. "I thought you were going to sleep right through breakfast. Ham and eggs sound good to you?"

"Sounds great," Dylan replied. "Do you need any help?"

"No, everything is just about done. Have a seat." As Lupin began filling their plates with food, he frowned at Theodore. "Are you feeling all right, Theo? You're looking a little flushed."

"No, I'm fine," Theodore hastily demurred as Dylan choked back a snicker.

Lupin placed his hand on Theo's forehead. "You feel a little warm," he said, sounding worried. "Maybe you're coming down with something."

Snape looked up from his paper. "I can brew him a tonic if he's coming down with a cold or the flu."

"I'm fine, really!" Theodore insisted, while Dylan coughed to disguise his laughter.

"They both seem to be coming down with something," Snape said, giving the pair a suspicious look. "I have some Elixir of Vitality leftover from..." He hesitated, then decided it would be better not to mention that he had been brewing it for the Dark Lord, who obviously no longer needed it. He cleared his throat, then continued, "Well, I have some on hand, and I think that both Mr. Rosier and Mr. Nott should have a draught to stave off any potential illnesses." Snape grinned as his foster sons exchanged glum looks; they knew from experience, having brewed it in class, that the Elixir had a very unpleasant taste. It was an almost invariable rule that most potions that were good for you tasted horrible. It was possible to sweeten the taste of the Elixir with honey, but Snape never bothered with that since an underlying bitter aftertaste still remained and besides, medicine ought to taste like medicine, not candy. "Cheer up," Snape said mercilessly. "It's not half as bad as the Wolfsbane Potion."

"Yes, Professor," they chorused, obediently if not enthusiastically. He fetched the potion and watched over them sternly as they gulped it down, then began eating their breakfast in a much more subdued manner. Lupin smiled at Snape and shook his head a little, but said nothing. Snape just grinned and began eating his own breakfast, feeling quite pleased that he still had the ability to keep mischievous children in line despite the damage Lupin had done to his reputation.

 

Part 20