Aftermaths, Part 31

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.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, at the head table, Snape and Lupin watched with concern as Aric joined the Slytherin table.

"He looks like Rafe," Lupin said, "and he has the same last name."

"He's the son of the Dietrich heir," Snape said, frowning. "Which would make him Rafe's nephew and Theodore's cousin. He's supposed to be at Durmstrang; his family didn't want to send him to Hogwarts after Rafe's disappearance--they wanted as little to do with the Notts and the other suspected Death Eaters as possible."

"So they sent him to a school whose Headmaster was a former Death Eater?" Lupin asked skeptically.

Snape shrugged. "There weren't many other options, Lupin. The Dietrich family has Dark leanings themselves, so it was natural for them to choose Durmstrang over Beauxbatons. Besides, Karkaroff had pretty much severed his ties to the Death Eaters when he turned traitor, and even in the old days, he had little love for Thaddeus Nott."

"Then I suppose it's natural for them to bring their son home, now that they need no longer fear Thaddeus and the other Death Eaters," Lupin said.

Snape was still frowning. "But Aric is the same the age as Theodore, so it doesn't really make sense to switch schools during his last year. It puts him at a disadvantage, starting over from scratch with new teachers and a new curriculum, not to mention having to establish himself in the social pecking order in Slytherin House."

"Well, maybe he wasn't doing that well at Durmstrang," Lupin suggested, although he was beginning to look worried. "Maybe his parents thought he would do better at Hogwarts."

"I'll take a look at his transcript record," Snape said. "But I think there's more to it than that; I'll have to keep a very close eye on Mr. Dietrich."

They were so busy discussing Aric Dietrich that they missed seeing the next few students being sorted, and by the time they looked up again, McGonagall, moving alphabetically down the list of students, had reached the J's.

"Jordan, Jarrett!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Kendrick, Slaine!"

A dark-haired girl nervously approached the stool where the Sorting Hat sat. Lupin thought she looked familiar, and suddenly remembered where he had seen her before. "Isn't that one of your cousins, Branwen? I seem to recall meeting her at the wedding."

"Yes," Branwen replied. "I'm looking forward to getting to know her. I think she's a little intimidated by me, though."

"I can't imagine why," Snape muttered sarcastically.

The Hat seemed to be taking a long time to decide which House to place Slaine in, but finally it shouted, "SLYTHERIN!"

Branwen gave Snape a stern look. "I expect you to look after her, Severus, and see that she's treated fairly."

Snape scowled, wishing that the girl had been Sorted into another House; the last thing he wanted was Branwen breathing down his neck to make sure that her little cousin was not being mistreated. The girl was walking over to the Slytherin table with an apprehensive look on her face, which boded ill for both her and Snape--a true Slytherin would know better than to show such weakness, because the older students would sense it, like a predator scenting blood. Normally they would mercilessly bully and harass such a timid-looking first-year, but perhaps her connection to Branwen would protect her; Snape would have to make sure that they all knew she was a blood relative of the demonic Professor Blackmore. He doubted that they would want to incur her wrath after having seen Draco, Weasley, and Potter run afoul of her last year when they turned Bane into a bunny. On the other hand, it did his reputation--which was already in tatters, thanks to Lupin--little good for them to see that their Head of House was almost as cowed by Professor Blackmore as they were.

Lupin, of course, was just thrilled. "Of course we'll look out for her, Branwen. I'm glad she's been sorted into Slytherin; it means I'll have a chance to get to know her a little better, since I'm living in the dungeon with Severus now." He beamed at Snape, looking so radiantly happy that Snape's irritation eased slightly.

"Laroque, Isabelle!" McGonagall called out, and a pretty girl with long brown hair and green eyes stepped forward. Like Aric, she did not seem to belong with the crowd of first-years; she looked to be about fifteen or sixteen.

"Two transfer students in one year?" Snape asked, raising his eyebrows.

"She looks vaguely familiar," Lupin said.

"She is the niece of Gideon and Fabian Prewett," Branwen informed them, referring to two members of the Order of the Phoenix who had been killed during the first war. "Their sister Emilie moved to France after they died--I think she feared that the Death Eaters might come after her as well, although she wasn't a member of the Order." The Death Eaters had been known to wipe out entire families, so it wasn't an entirely unfounded fear. "She married a French wizard, and Isabelle has been attending Beauxbatons up until now."

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the Hat shouted.

"How do you know all this?" Snape asked.

Branwen smiled. "You and Remus weren't the only ones I spied on while I was...ah...passing the time in my grandfather's palace. I did look in on my fellow Order members and their families occasionally. And besides, Albus mentioned it to me."

"He might have briefed the rest of us," Snape grumbled, but wasn't surprised that he hadn't; the old man took a distinct pleasure in springing surprises on people.

A few more students were Sorted into various Houses, then McGonagall called, "Parkinson, Patrick!" and a plump blond boy stepped forward and donned the Hat.

"Is that Pansy's brother?" Lupin asked Snape, who nodded.

"SLYTHERIN!" the Hat immediately shouted, and the boy ran eagerly to the Slytherin table.

"Pettigrew, Portia!" A thin girl with mousy brown hair cautiously approached, looking even more nervous than Slaine had.

"Pettigrew?!" Snape exclaimed. "Don't tell me that the rat had a daughter!"

"No," Lupin said, "but he did have a brother. I believe Portia is Peter's niece." He saw Snape scowling at the girl and added pointedly, "She is not to blame for what her uncle did, Severus, any more than Dylan is to blame for Evan's crimes, so don't take out your dislike of Wormtail on her."

"Fine," Snape said sulkily.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Portia hesitantly headed towards the Gryffindor table, and several of the children gave her suspicious looks. One boy asked loudly, "Are you related to that Death Eater who was posing as Weasley's rat?"

Portia flushed and said stiffly, "Not any longer. Peter Pettigrew disgraced his family name, and was formally disowned, and his name removed from the family tree."

"Come sit by us," Hermione said kindly to Portia, and then glared at the boy who had just spoken and said sternly, "Everything that happened last year should have taught you to judge people by their actions, not their blood! Otherwise you're just as bad as the Death Eaters who hated people for having Muggle blood! Besides, I'm sure the Sorting Hat knows what it's doing!"

"That's right!" Ginny said emphatically, then elbowed Harry in the side.

"Ouch!" he said. "Uh...right." He was not sure how he felt about a relative of Wormtail--a niece, or perhaps a cousin?--entering Gryffindor. Portia looked a little bit like him, and Harry could not forget that Peter Pettigrew was responsible for his parents' deaths. On the other hand, the Hat would not have put her into Gryffindor if she was a bad person, right? But then again, Peter Pettigrew had once been a Gryffindor himself...had the Hat made a mistake back then, and could it have made one now?

While Harry was pondering all this, Portia took a seat between Ginny and Hermione and smiled at them shyly. The two older girls greeted her warmly, trying to make up for their housemates' less-than-enthusiastic response.

"Hi, I'm Ginny. Welcome to Gryffindor."

"And I'm Hermione--"

"I know who you are," Portia said softly. "You're famous; I've read about you in the Daily Prophet."

Hermione looked a little embarrassed. "Yes, well...don't worry about the others. I'm sure they'll like you once they get to know you." Portia didn't look convinced, but she just nodded in response.

"Sloper, Kenneth!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Jack Sloper, a Beater for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, cheered loudly, then gave his younger brother a hearty slap on the back as he took his place at the Gryffindor table.

"Talbott, Corbin!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

Dylan stared at the solemn-looking dark-haired boy who was heading over to the Ravenclaw table. "My father's mother was a Talbott," he said. "I wonder if we're related?"

"He does look a little bit like you," Pansy agreed. "You might be cousins or something."

"I'll have to talk to him later," Dylan said, smiling at the thought of finding a new cousin and possibly learning something about his grandmother's family.

Allegra Zabini was, of course, the last student to be called. She had been fidgeting impatiently; it seemed to take forever for all the other first-years to be Sorted, but finally Professor McGonagall called her name, and she eagerly ran forward and took a seat on the stool as McGonagall placed the Hat on her Head.

"Hmm, let's see," the Hat said. "Brave...inquisitive...loyal...I think that Gryffindor is the House for you."

"What?" Allegra cried in dismay. "But I'm supposed to be a Slytherin! I want to be in the same House with my brother and his friends!"

"Doesn't ANYONE want to go into the House I select for them?" the Hat asked peevishly.

Allegra giggled a little at how put-out the Hat sounded. "You mean other people have wanted to go into different Houses than the ones you chose?"

"Yes," the Hat said grumpily. "Your brother insisted that I put him into Slytherin even though he was really better suited for Ravenclaw."

"Really?" Allegra asked, fascinated; Blaise had never said anything about that!

"Yes," the Hat replied. "And several of your fellow first-years argued with me as well."

"Really? Which ones?"

"None of your business," the Hat replied firmly. "Besides, we're discussing you. You are not suited for Slytherin. You have no great ambition or desire for power. You are intelligent, but you have no subtlety, no deviousness or cunning."

"Well, I don't mean to be disrespectful, sir," Allegra said, "but my father will be upset if you put me into Gryffindor. And the Gryffindors might not be happy about it, either."

"I'm not saying it will be easy," the Hat said. "Some of them might be prejudiced against you, yes, but I think you will make true and loyal friends there. If you insist, I will place you in Slytherin, but Gryffindor is where you will reach your full potential."

"Are you sure?" Allegra asked dubiously.

"I have been doing this for hundreds of years, child!" the Hat said indignantly. "I believe I might know just a little more about it than you do!"

Allegra giggled again, and glanced over at the Gryffindor table. Well, maybe it wouldn't be so bad, after all...Harry Potter and his friends had been nice to her, and Hermione was Dylan's girlfriend. And if she joined Gryffindor, maybe they would tell her about how they had fought the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters...

The Hat seemed to sense the direction her thoughts were taking. "It will be a grand adventure," it said coaxingly.

All right," Allegra said, nodding.

Meanwhile, at the Slytherin table, Blaise fretted, "What on earth is taking so long?" His sister seemed to be arguing with the Sorting Hat, which was taking an inordinately long time to Sort her.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the Hat.

"OH NO!" wailed Blaise as his little sister skipped over to the Gryffindor table. "My parents are going to kill me!"

"It's not your fault," Theodore said soothingly, patting him on the shoulder; he'd had a sneaking suspicion that something like this might happen when Allegra started arguing with the Hat.

"She's supposed to be in Slytherin!" Blaise shouted, still distraught. "My mother told me to look after her! How am I supposed to do that if she's in Gryffindor?!"

"Don't worry," Dylan said, a little taken aback at seeing his normally calm and quiet friend lose his composure. "I'll ask Hermione to look out for her. She and Ginny really like Allegra."

"But what about the other Gryffindors?" Blaise asked. "Won't they pick on her because she's from a Slytherin family? You know what they're like--they think all Slytherins are Death Eaters and Dark Wizards!"

"Not all of them think that way," Dylan protested. "Hermione and Ginny don't. And the others are starting to change, too."

Pansy nodded. "He's right, Zabini. I'll ask Parvati and Lavender to make sure the other Gryffindors don't bully her."

"Besides," Serafina added, startling everyone at the table since she rarely spoke, "Allegra is stronger than you think. She can look after herself."

Blaise sighed and slouched down in his chair, groaning, "My dad is going to have a fit! If she was going to be placed into another House, couldn't it have been Ravenclaw, or at least Hufflepuff? No, it has to be Gryffindor...typical Allegra, causing a stir wherever she goes!"

Allegra hesitated as she reached the Gryffindor table and saw her housemates staring at her in shock, but then Hermione smiled and waved at her.

"Hi, Allegra!" Hermione called out cheerfully. "I'm really glad you're in our House! Come sit over here with us." So Allegra smiled and ran over to take a seat near her.

"Hi," Harry said, smiling at her; he felt more confident about accepting her into their ranks than he did Portia Pettigrew. Blaise was a decent sort, for a Slytherin, and there didn't seem to be any malice in Allegra, either. She seemed like a good-natured and cheerful--if overly-talkative--little girl.

"Hi, Harry!" Allegra said, smiling back at him, and the other Gryffindors relaxed a little, seeing that Harry--who was the savior of the wizarding world, after all--had accepted her.

"Aren't you Blaise Zabini's sister?" Colin Creevey asked in a curious but not hostile tone. "I would have thought you'd be Sorted into Slytherin."

"Me too," Allegra agreed. "I was really surprised when the Hat told me I should go into Gryffindor, but I guess he knows best." She mimicked the Hat's indignant voice: "I have been doing this for hundreds of years, child! I believe I might know just a little more about it than you do!" Most of the children at the table burst out laughing, but a few still regarded her warily, Dean Thomas and Portia Pettigrew among them.

At the head table, Snape sat there looking stunned. "I don't think a Zabini has ever been Sorted into Gryffindor before!"

"I sort of thought she might be," Lupin said, looking amused, "although I didn't say anything, since she seemed to have her heart set on Slytherin. She seemed much more like a Gryffindor than a Slytherin to me."

"Yes, annoying chatty and cheerful," Snape grumbled. "Well, at least she won't be my problem."

"She still might be, at least indirectly," Lupin said. "Blaise seems rather upset about it."

"I'm not surprised," Snape said. "Marius is going to be livid when he hears about this."

"And I'm worried that some of the Gryffindors might have a hard time accepting her," Lupin continued. "Although I think that Hermione, Ginny, Harry, and Ron will look out for her."

"Are you sure?" Snape asked skeptically. "The girls, perhaps, but Potter and Weasley--"

"Have matured a lot over the summer," Lupin said firmly. "And I've no doubt that Hermione will remind them if they start to backslide."

"So that bossy Gryffindor wench will come in good for something after all," Snape chuckled. "You're probably right, but I'll have a word with Minerva just in case."

"Have a word with me about what, Severus?" McGonagall asked as she took her seat at the head table.

"About how the Gryffindors will react to having a Slytherin in their midst," Snape said.

"If you're referring to Allegra Zabini," McGonagall said, "she cannot, by definition, be a Slytherin if she is in Gryffindor House."

"You know what I mean," Snape snapped.

McGonagall sighed. "Yes, I know," she admitted. "I will keep an eye on her, but I think that the hostility between Houses has lessened since the war ended. I'm more worried about Portia Pettigrew."

"Well, Hermione seems to have taken both girls under her wing," Lupin said with a smile. "But yes, I think we should all watch them carefully, Portia in particular, to make sure that they're not harassed."

Snape frowned; he knew from experience that the teachers could not stop the students from harassing each other if they were truly determined to do it. Oh, they could punish flagrant offenses like hexing, but they couldn't stop the petty taunting and name-calling. Even the hexing could be difficult to punish, if the offenders were not caught in the act. He scowled as he remembered how many times Potter senior had gotten away with hexing him--the teachers, save for Branwen, had tended to give the golden boy the benefit of the doubt, and besides, Snape had not often complained to the teachers. He had known Potter would find a way to weasel out of it somehow, and running to the teachers for help would have caused the Gryffindors to call him a whiner and made him appear weak to his fellow Slytherins. No, Snape had usually kept silent and plotted his own revenge on his tormentors.

Lupin laid a hand on Snape's arm and whispered, "Things are different now, Severus. I'm not letting any student get away with the kinds of things that James and Sirius did. Neither will you or Branwen, I'm sure."

Snape flushed and gave him a suspicious look. "Are you sure you've never learned Legilimency?"

Lupin smiled at him tenderly. "It's just that I know you so well, my love."

Several of the teachers, Hagrid among them, were staring at Lupin and Snape incredulously; they were still having a little trouble adjusting to the fact that this very unlikely couple was indeed a couple. Others, like Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Branwen, merely looked amused. Lukas Bleddri just snorted and shook his head.

"Don't go all maudlin on me in public, Lupin," Snape complained, but the expression on his face softened a little, and he seemed comforted by Lupin's words.

Now that the first-years had all been Sorted, Dumbledore stood and made his usual welcoming speech, complete with the warning about staying out of the Forbidden Forest, then closed with, "And I would like to introduce a new member of the staff to you. Master Satoshi has remained with us to teach Illusions, but Professor Chizuru and Master Karasu have returned to their home in Japan. Madam Pomfrey will give special classes in Healing to those of you with the Healing Gift, and Master Bleddri will take over Master Karasu's classes. He will also teach a new class in Interspecies Relations." He motioned to Lukas, who stood and nodded curtly, then took his seat again. The students applauded halfheartedly, then immediately began gossiping with each other excitedly as Dumbledore said, "Now let the feast begin!"

"He's a werewolf, isn't he?" Pansy asked. "I read about him in the Daily Prophet!" She gave her new teacher an appraising look and said, "You know, he is kind of good-looking..."

The other Slytherin girls gave Master Bleddri a closer look, and Millicent said, "I suppose so, if you like the bad-boy type." The werewolf was handsome enough, with high cheekbones and aristocratic features, and his long hair was an interesting shade--or more precisely, shades--of blond. Most of it was a buttery-yellow shade of blond, but interspersed here and there with streaks of white-blond and darker streaks of golden-brown almost the same color as Lupin's hair. His eyes were feral-looking, though, an almost bestial shade of yellow-green, and instead of an ordinary wizard's robe, he was wearing a long black leather trenchcoat that was scuffed and faded.

Pansy laughed and said pertly, "I'm a Slytherin; what other type would I like?"

"But he's a werewolf!" Yvonne said, looking horrified. "You can't possibly be thinking of mixing your blood with that of a beast!"

Crabbe and Goyle immediately took offense. "Professor Lupin's a werewolf!" Crabbe said angrily. "Are you calling him a beast, too?"

"Oh, take it easy, Yvonne," Pansy said impatiently. "I just said he was handsome; I didn't say I was going to marry him!"

Yvonne subsided, cringing a little, as Goyle growled, "Professor Lupin's not a beast!"

"I see things have changed in Slytherin House since my father's days," Aric said scornfully. "Befriending werewolves--no wonder my parents sent me to Durmstrang!"

"Feel free to go back anytime!" Theodore snapped.

"Oh, did I hurt your feelings, Theo?" Aric shot back. "I forgot Lupin is your daddy now--or is it Snape? Which one of them is the mummy, and which is the daddy? Lupin looks like the submissive type to me, but appearances can be deceiving..."

Crabbe and Goyle were rising to their feet, and Dylan and Blaise were trying to restrain Theodore from taking out his wand and hexing his cousin, who was laughing at him mockingly. The other students at the table were also glaring at Aric, and a riot might have broken out except that just then, a great horned owl flew into the Great Hall, distracting everyone as it dropped a red envelope on the table in front of Professor Snape and flew out again. Snape stared at it in horror for a moment, then took out his wand in an attempt to destroy it, but he was too late.

"SEVERUS SNAPE!" the letter screamed in Selima Snape's voice, loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear. "YOUR FATHER IS DYING! COME HOME AT ONCE!" Then it literally exploded, leaving behind a scorch mark on the table and bits of singed red confetti.

Snape's face turned sheet-white, and a dead silence fell over the hall; one could literally have heard a pin drop. Snape jumped up and ran from the table, and Lupin, Branwen, and Dumbledore immediately got up to follow him.

At the Slytherin table, even Aric had been stunned into silence. Theodore stared after Snape uncertainly, not sure whether he should go after him or not; Dylan had no such doubts. "Come on," he said impatiently as he rose from his seat. "What are you waiting for? We've got to make sure the Professor's okay."

As Theodore followed his foster brother, Draco called out, "Wait!" and the two boys turned to look back at him. "If...if it's true...tell the Professor I'm sorry, okay?"

"Okay," Dylan said, and he and Theo ran after Snape. They found him in his dungeon office, still white and trembling slightly.

"I'm going to kill her!" Snape raged. "She had no right to embarrass me in front of the entire school!"

Lupin gently laid a hand on his lover's shoulder, and decided not to remind him about the numerous letters that he had burned unopened. "We have more important things to worry about, Severus," he said softly. "Has your father been ill?"

"How would I know?" Snape snapped. "I haven't spoken to him in years!"

"There has been no gossip about it," Branwen said, "but Severin Snape has been something of a recluse for many years."

"You must go home, Severus," Dumbledore said gravely. "I'll give you a leave of absence if necessary."

"I'm not going home!" Snape shouted.

"They're your family, Severus," Dumbledore said quietly.

"They're not my family!" Snape screeched, looking wild-eyed and on the verge of hysteria. "They disowned me!"

"They are still your family, Severus," Dumbledore said sternly. "Your mother needs you."

"I don't give a damn what she needs! Where were they when I needed them?!"

"If you won't do it for your mother," Lupin said in a quiet but urgent voice, "do it for yourself. If your father is truly dying, you will never have another chance to make peace, or at least reach some closure, with him."

"Have you not heard a single word I've said, Lupin?" Snape shouted. "There will never be any peace, any closure with my family unless I fall into line like a good little Slytherin heir and marry some woman of the proper bloodline and sire a pureblooded Snape brat! Is that what you want?!"

"No, Severus," Lupin replied calmly. "But I still think you need to go home and see your father. I think you will regret it if you do not."

"Go, Severus," Branwen said in her sternest Professorial voice. "If your father truly is dying, you will be rid of him soon enough. Go this once and say your farewells." Then her voice softened and she smiled just a little. "Besides, I'm sure that Selima will keep sending you Howlers until you do." Snape groaned, horribly certain that she was right.

"Go, Severus," Dumbledore said, gently but firmly. "That's an order."

"I'll go with you," Lupin said.

Snape gave him a shaky smile. "I wasn't planning on going without you," he said; he didn't think that he could face his parents without Lupin's moral support. "But be prepared to hear a lot of nasty insults."

"I doubt they'll say anything I haven't heard before," Lupin said, unperturbed.

"Oh, Lady Selima is very creative," Snape said with an ironic little smile. "She can curse in four different languages."

"Then we'll have something in common," Lupin laughed. "We're both good with languages!"

"I'm sure she'll be delighted to hear it," Snape said sarcastically. He still looked unhappy, but a little less pale. "All right, let's get this over with."

"Professor?" Dylan asked timidly. "Can we come with you, too?"

Snape looked at him, startled; he hadn't even noticed that the boys were in the room. "Are you sure you want to? You've met my mother; this isn't likely to be a heartwarming little family reunion."

"Yes, sir," Dylan said firmly. "We're sure." Theodore didn't feel quite as certain of that himself, but he nodded.

"Very well," Snape said. He knew that he shouldn't subject the boys to the confrontation that was sure to follow, but he was feeling weak enough right now to want the support of his entire family--his real family--standing by his side when he faced his parents.

"Oh, and Draco said to tell you that he's sorry about your father," Dylan added.

Snape nodded. "Well, you may thank Mr. Malfoy, but let's see what the situation is before people start doling out their condolences. Perhaps my mother is exaggerating the situation." That was probably wishful thinking; Selima Snape was not given to hyperbole, but like any Slytherin, she was capable of deceit. Maybe this was merely a trick to get him home so that she could try and convince him to give them an heir. He really hoped that was all it was...then he wondered why he was hoping that. He hated his father; what did he care if the man lived or died? He told himself that he didn't care, that he just wanted his parents to leave him alone; why did they have to bother him now, after fifteen years of silence? He sighed, then stepped forward and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder from the mantle, threw it in the fireplace, and said in a resigned tone, "Snape Manor!"

 

Part 32