Aftermaths, Part 39

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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The next day at breakfast, Dumbledore announced that "Mr. Nott shall now be known as Mr. Snape, as Professor Snape has legally adopted him. Congratulations to you both." He beamed at Snape like an indulgent father as staff and students alike stared at them in shock. The other teachers politely congratulated Snape, except for Branwen, who gave him a hug and said, "I'm so happy for you, dear!"

"Branwen, please!" Snape protested, but he couldn't stop himself from grinning.

Meanwhile, the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws whispered to each other and threw curious glances at the Slytherin table.

"Huh!" Ron said. "So Snape's a dad now; I can't believe it!"

"He was already a father to Dylan and Theodore, essentially," Hermione pointed out. "This just makes it official."

"But why does he feel the need to make it legal now?" Harry wondered. "And why adopt just Nott and not Rosier? I thought Rosier was his favorite."

"I'm sure he loves them both, Harry," Hermione said impatiently as several of her housemates gave her incredulous looks. "But Dylan loved his parents, and Theodore...well..."

She fell silent, but everyone had heard the story of how Theodore's father had tried to turn him over to Voldemort to be sacrificed. There was an awkward moment of silence, then Parvati spoke up. "I know why the Professor adopted Theodore! His father is dying, so that means the Professor will become head of the Snape family, which means he'll need an heir of his own!"

"I thought Snape's family had disinherited him," Ron protested.

"The Professor is the last Snape," Allegra piped up, and everyone turned to look at her. "I heard my parents talking about it once. There's no one else to inherit the estate."

"That must be why Snape went to see his parents yesterday and the day before," Lavender said excitedly. "They've probably decided to forgive him and re-inherit him!"

"I don't think 're-inherit' is a word," Dean said. "And who cares what Snape does, anyway?"

"The Slytherins are not the enemy anymore," Lavender told him in a superior tone of voice. "You shouldn't hold a grudge. The Professor is strict, but he isn't a bad person."

"That's right," Parvati chimed in, nodding emphatically. "He let me and Lavender into his Advanced Potions class when he didn't have to."

"You two hated Snape last year!" Dean pointed out.

"Well, that was before we knew the truth, of course," Lavender said. "Before we knew he was a spy."

"Before we knew about him and Professor Lupin," Parvati said, and the two girls giggled.

Dean shook his head, looking disgusted, and Seamus patted him on the shoulder. "Take it easy, mate! Snape's still...well...Snape; he still likes giving out detention and all, but he did fight in the war. So I figure he's okay."

Lavender smiled at Seamus approvingly, and Dean muttered to his friend, "I can't believe you're standing up for Snape just to make time with a girl!"

Seamus turned a little red. "Shh!" he hissed, glancing at Lavender to see if she'd overheard, but she didn't seem to have. "Yeah, I want Lavender to like me," he whispered, "but I meant what I said!"

"Whatever," Dean said with a shrug, and turned away to concentrate on his breakfast. Seamus frowned, looking annoyed and a little hurt.

At the Slytherin table, the students all seemed to be talking at once, demanding to know why Dylan and Theodore hadn't told them about the adoption.

"Sorry," Dylan said. "We didn't want to talk about it without the Professor's approval. I didn't know the Headmaster was going to make a big production about it; I figured Snape would tell everyone himself."

"So we'll have to remember to call you 'Snape' now, Nott," Crabbe said. "Um...I mean Snape. Gee, that sounds kind of weird."

"Better just call me 'Theo,'" Theodore suggested.

"It's hard to picture Snape being a dad," Brad said. "I mean, if you come to dinner late or you forget to do your chores, does he give you detention?" Everyone laughed.

"I don't know," Theodore replied with a smile. "We've never given him the chance to." The children laughed again. "But seriously, he's strict, but he's okay."

"Does this mean that the Snapes are reinstating him as heir?" Pansy asked excitedly. Theodore nodded. "I knew it!" she said. "That's why he adopted you, right? He needs an heir, and he can't have one of his own because he and Professor Lupin..." She giggled.

"Do you have Snape blood?" Millicent asked curiously.

"Yeah, my great-great-great grandmother was a Snape," Theodore said. "But I didn't know that until recently."

One student at the table was not laughing or smiling. "So, Theodore," Aric said with a sneer, "moving up in the world, are we?"

"If you want to look at it that way," Theodore said coolly.

"Not much family loyalty," Aric said, "to give up your old name so easily. But then, there are a lot of dead relatives in your wake, aren't there, Theo? Uncle Thaddeus...Aunt Marta...Uncle Rafe..."

Theodore's fingers curled into fists on the table, his knuckles turning white. A worried-looking Blaise put a hand on his shoulder. Most of the other students gave Aric hostile looks, particularly Dylan, Damien, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. "Why would I want to keep the Nott name?" Theodore said in a voice just barely above a whisper, but there was a strong undercurrent of anger and bitterness running beneath the surface. "Why would I feel any loyalty to my family? I hate my father; he tried to kill me. And I hate him because he killed Rafe."

"Changing your name won't change who you are, Theo," Aric whispered back, his voice filled with hatred. "And it won't bring Rafe back."

"Don't you think I know that?" Theodore cried, slamming his fist down on the table, causing everyone to jump. "If you came to Hogwarts just to rub my face in it, then screw you, Aric; I don't answer to you. But I'll tell you one thing." He leaned across the table and put his face close to Aric's, and his dark green eyes were filled with such intensity that Aric actually shrank back a little. "You cannot possibly hate me more than I hate myself," he whispered, then left the table and stalked out of the room. Blaise instantly jumped up and ran after him.

"You might be surprised, cousin dear," Aric whispered as he watched Theodore leave.

"Listen, you son-of-a-bitch," Dylan snarled, reaching out across the table to grab Aric by the front of his robes. "I'm warning you, leave Theo alone! It's not his fault that his father killed your uncle!"

"He let Rafe die!" Aric shouted.

"He was eight years old, you moron!" Dylan shouted back. "What the hell was he supposed to do against a Death Eater? What would you have done in his place?"

"I would have done something!" Aric insisted.

"You would have gotten yourself killed if you tried!"

"I'd rather be dead than a coward!"

"You're the coward, Dietrich!" Dylan snarled, giving Aric a shake even though the other boy was taller and heavier than he was. "Your family knew that Thaddeus Nott killed Rafe Dietrich even if they couldn't prove it. Why didn't they go after him? Why didn't YOU go after him, if you're so damn brave? Did you go and challenge Thaddeus to a duel? No, you did nothing, which is why you're still alive to sit around whining about what Theo did or didn't do!"

Aric turned red and lunged to his feet, jerking free of Dylan's grasp, and started to reach for his wand. But before he or Dylan could do anything else, Lupin and Snape appeared at the Slytherin table.

"What is going on here?" Snape snapped.

"Nothing," Aric said, dropping his hand to his side.

"Nothing, sir," Dylan said. "Just a little disagreement."

"That was awfully loud for 'nothing,'" Snape said sarcastically.

"Dietrich was giving Nott--I mean, Theodore--a hard time," Draco said, and Aric glared at him.

"I warned you to stay out of trouble, boy," Snape said to Aric with a menacing glare.

"He started it!" Aric protested, pointing at Dylan. "He grabbed me first, everyone saw it! I was just defending myself!"

"He was blaming Theo for his uncle's death!" Dylan retorted. "He's been doing it ever since he got here!"

"Dietrich, I ought to send you back to Durmstrang," Snape snarled, but Lupin placed a hand on his arm.

"A detention, I think, will suffice," Lupin said quietly. "Let him serve it with me."

Snape gave him a startled look, and Lupin gently squeezed his arm. Snape shrugged and said, "As you wish. But I'm warning you, Dietrich, any more trouble and it's back to Durmstrang with you!"

Lupin hesitated; he had an appointment with Martin Parry this afternoon. "Come to my office after dinner, Mr. Dietrich."

"Yes, sir," Aric said sullenly.

"And Dylan," Lupin said sternly, "I think you have earned a detention as well." Snape gave him another startled look.

"But he--" Dylan protested.

"Aric may have started the argument," Lupin said in a voice that was somehow gentle and implacable at the same time, "but you escalated it by grabbing him. Weren't you two about to start hexing each other?" Neither Dylan nor Aric said anything. "It's admirable that you want to protect your brother, Dylan, but you cannot fight everyone who says hurtful things about you or the ones you love. It's quite likely that you will hear many more disparaging remarks in the future about werewolves and Death Eaters and...well..." He smiled mischievously at Snape.

"I believe one letter to the editor in the Daily Prophet referred to us as 'moral degenerates,'" Snape said helpfully, not looking particularly disturbed about it.

"So you see," Lupin continued, "you can't go around beating up or hexing everyone who says something you don't like, even if it's mean or narrow-minded or totally untrue."

"Yes, sir," Dylan said in a resigned voice.

Lupin gave both his foster son and Aric a stern look. "Hate each other if you wish--although personally, I think it's a waste of time and energy--but there will be no more brawling or hexing at the breakfast table. Or anywhere else, for that matter. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," Dylan said.

Prompted by a glare from Snape, Aric sullenly said, "Yes, sir."

"What will my detention be, sir?" Dylan asked.

"Hmm, let me think," Lupin said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, and Dylan began to look a little worried. "Ah!" Lupin said, his expression brightening. "Hagrid mentioned this morning that one of his Thestrals is injured, and he could probably use some help nursing it back to health. I'll tell him to expect you after classes are over for the day."

Dylan groaned, but Lupin just smiled at him cheerfully. He glanced at Snape, who looked both annoyed and amused at the same time. Snape shook his head slightly and Dylan sighed and said in a gloomy voice, "Yes, sir."

"Can we have detention, too, Professor Lupin?" Goyle asked eagerly. "Me and Crabbe would like to work with the Thestrals!"

Lupin laughed, "Well, I can't give you detention as you haven't done anything to deserve it, but perhaps I can arrange for the two of you to assist Hagrid with the Thestrals as an extra-credit assignment. Will that do?"

"Yes, sir!" Crabbe and Goyle said happily.

"Very well," Lupin said. "Report to Hagrid along with Dylan this afternoon."

Snape glowered at the entire Slytherin table, although Aric bore the brunt of his gaze. "There will be no more trouble out of any of you today," he said in his most threatening Death Eater voice, "or you will all be very, very sorry. Is that quite clear?"

"Yes, sir!" the Slytherins chorused, most of them going a little pale.

"Good," Snape said, and abruptly turned and stalked away from the table, his black robes billowing around him dramatically. Lupin grinned and hastened to catch up with him.

"I love your flair for the dramatic, Severus," Lupin said.

"By the way, Lupin," Snape said dryly, "did Dumbledore appoint you Head of Slytherin when I wasn't looking?"

"Guess I did kind of take over back there," Lupin said with an unrepentant grin. "Do you object to either of my detentions?"

"Not really," Snape admitted. "I wasn't going to give Dylan a detention, but I suppose you were right. He can't go around fighting with everyone who insults Theodore or you or myself." Snape did not go back to the head table, but instead left the Great Hall to look for Theodore; Lupin followed without questioning him. "But do you intend to do anything to Dietrich besides talk his ears off preaching your Gryffindor idealism?"

Lupin just chuckled. "He would probably consider that a worse punishment than disemboweling horned toads or scrubbing bedpans."

"Probably," Snape agreed, with a small, wry smile.

"I'll try to be especially chirpy and annoying," Lupin said, winking at him. "But seriously, Severus, I don't think conventional punishments are going to work with Aric, and I would like to sit down and have a serious talk with him. I think it's clear now that the problem is that he blames Theo for Rafe's death."

Snape shook his head. "We should send him back to Durmstrang."

"He's wrong to blame Theo, of course," Lupin said. "But he must have loved Rafe very much to feel such anger. Rafe was a fellow Gryffindor and a friend of mine; perhaps I can get through to Aric--"

"You're wasting your time, Lupin. That boy is a hopeless case."

"Almost everyone said the same thing about Draco," Lupin reminded him. "They all believed that he would turn out to be a Death Eater, but you and I got through to him."

"All right," Snape said reluctantly, "I'll let you try to work your magic on the boy; you did manage to charm all my other Slytherins, after all. But if I think he's becoming a threat to Theodore, I'll expel him."

"Of course I would never want to put Theo in danger," Lupin said, "but so far Aric has restrained himself to taunts and insults. I don't think that he intends to physically harm Theo."

"He'd better not," Snape said grimly, "if he knows what's good for him."

"Aric is a Slytherin, Severus," Lupin said gently. "Like it or not, he is one of yours--ours--now, and we are responsible for his well-being."

Snape grimaced. "You would have to remind me of that," he complained. "I'll try to do my duty as Head of Slytherin, but my son's welfare is more important to me than that duty. If I have to choose between them, I'll choose Theodore."

Lupin gave him a look that was both tender and sad. "I hope it won't come to that, Severus," he said softly.

"So do I," Snape sighed.
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Blaise ran down the corridor after Theodore. "Theo, wait!" he called, but the other boy didn't slow down. Blaise finally caught up to his lover and grabbed his arm, forcing him to come to a halt. "Theo, what happened to your uncle isn't your fault," he said urgently. "You can't let Aric get to you like that!"

Theodore sighed and leaned against the wall, suddenly looking very weary. "Aric and I never liked each other, even as little kids. He was kind of a bully, and we were always getting into fights at family gatherings, but we didn't really hate each other, either, until Rafe died. I guess I can't blame Aric for hating me. I don't think I hate him so much as I hate the fact that he reminds me that it's my fault Rafe is dead. Even if he doesn't open his mouth, just looking at him makes me feel guilty. Aric looks a lot like my uncle, you know."

"Theo, it's not your fault," Blaise repeated helplessly, but it was obvious that his words weren't reaching Theodore. "You were just a child; there was nothing you could have done. Please tell me you didn't mean what you said about hating yourself. You've been so happy recently, living with the Professors and Dylan, and now the adoption. I hate to see you looking so miserable again."

He slipped his arms around Theodore and pulled him close. For a moment, Theodore leaned into the embrace, then he pulled away, saying, "Not in public, Blaise."

Blaise reminded himself that he had agreed that they should keep their relationship secret until they graduated, but he still felt hurt. He tried not to show it, and Theodore was too preoccupied to notice. Blaise was still wracking his brain trying to think of something to say that would comfort Theo, when Lupin and Snape showed up, much to his relief. Surely the Professors would know what to do.

"Theodore," Snape said, looking concerned, "I didn't hear everything that was said, but I heard enough." He placed his hand on Theodore's shoulder. "You are not responsible for Rafe's death."

Theodore just stared up at him with that weary, guilty look in his eyes. "He was trying to protect me," he whispered.

"I repeat: it was not your fault," Snape said in his testy Potions Master voice, yet it was tempered with a hint of sympathy. "I am not saying these things just because I like hearing the sound of my voice. The one most to blame, of course, was Thaddeus, and after that, Rafe himself." Theodore began to look a little offended and opened his mouth to protest, but Snape cut him off. "I'm not saying that he deserved to die, but he behaved very foolishly. Coming from a Slytherin family, he should have known better than to confront a Death Eater directly. He picked up too much of that Gryffindor idealism and hotheadedness at Hogwarts."

"Rafe tended to act without thinking," Lupin sighed. "I hate to admit it, but it seems to be a Gryffindor trait."

"And part of the blame lies with myself and the Headmaster," Snape continued grimly. "I could have testified against Lucius and Thaddeus and the other Death Eaters, but when we discovered that Voldemort was banished but not truly dead, we decided that I needed to keep my cover as a Death Eater, because we knew that he would return again someday. But if I had testified and sent Thaddeus to Azkaban, then he would not have been able to kill Rafe. Or to hurt you, for that matter." Theodore stared at him, looking stunned. "You know your history, Theodore. Not everyone can be saved in a war; sometimes decisions of expediency are made, and individuals are sacrificed for the greater good. I never intended for Rafe to be sacrificed, but that does not change the fact that he is dead. I am far more to blame for his death than you are."

Snape stared solemnly at his son, waiting for Theodore's response with just a hint of anxiety in his black eyes. Theodore still seemed too stunned to respond, but Blaise burst out, "But if you hadn't spied on the Death Eaters, then we might have lost the war! And they might have killed you for being a traitor when the Dark Lord returned!"

Theodore suddenly went pale at the thought of Snape being killed. "I don't blame you, Prof...Fa..." He stumbled over his words, not seeming to know whether to call Snape "Professor" or "Father"; he finally settled on, "...sir."

Snape relaxed, looking relieved, and said, "Then please don't blame yourself, Theodore. You were only eight years old; there was nothing you could have accomplished, save to have gotten yourself killed as well. There were others far older and wiser than you--" Snape grimaced. "--well, older anyway--who should share the burden of guilt. Myself. The Headmaster. The Ministry and the wizarding world at large for refusing to see the danger that was right in front of them, for allowing Lucius Malfoy to buy them off with his money and his reputation."

"It is true that Rafe wanted to protect you," Lupin said gently. "So he would not have wanted you to throw your life away for his sake. He would have been glad that you survived, and I think he would have been proud of the way you fought the Death Eaters in the end." Theodore's eyes filled with tears, and Lupin stepped forward and hugged him tightly.

Theodore looked much better, and a little more at peace with himself when Lupin finally released him. "Thank you, Remus," he whispered.

"You're welcome," Lupin said, smiling at him tenderly. "I know the situation with Aric is difficult, but try to bear with it, and remember that it's not your fault. I think that deep down, Aric must know it isn't really your fault, but sometimes grief causes people to act in strange ways and look for someone, anyone, to blame, whether it's their fault or not." He paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. "Sometimes people use anger as a defense mechanism to keep their grief at bay."

Theodore didn't look entirely convinced, but he just said, "Yes, sir."

Snape looked extremely uncomfortable, and he said gruffly, "Class will be starting soon." As if on cue, the bell signaling the end of the breakfast period rang. "The two of you had better run along or you'll be late. And don't worry about Mr. Dietrich; Lupin and I will handle him. If he gives you any more trouble, let me know."

"Yes, sir," Theodore said. He was about to head to class when he realized that he had left behind his bookbag in his haste to leave the Great Hall; so had Blaise. They were about to head back when Dylan and Damien ran up, carrying their bags.

"Figured you'd need these," Dylan said with a grin.

"Thanks," Theodore said, grinning back at him, and Dylan looked relieved.

"Don't listen to that stupid git Dietrich," Damien said scornfully. "Everyone knows he's full of hot air. God, I never thought I'd meet anyone more annoying than Malfoy!"

"Hey!" Draco said indignantly from behind them; he was accompanied by Crabbe and Goyle.

Damien laughed. "No offense, Draco!"

Draco just snorted. "Are you okay, Nott? Sorry, I mean Sna...uh...Theo?"

Theodore felt oddly touched that they had all come to check up on him. He wondered if some of what Snape referred to as Lupin's "Gryffindor sentimentality" was beginning to rub off on him, for him to start feeling sappy about Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, for Merlin's sake! But then he thought maybe that wasn't such a bad thing after all, as he recalled the times that Lupin had comforted him and tucked him into bed and stayed to watch over him after his bad dreams. And Lupin's influence had changed Snape as well; he doubted that Snape would ever have been able to say, "I love you," or offer to adopt him without Lupin's encouragement. Not because Lupin had forced Snape to take pity on him, as he had once assumed, but because Lupin seemed to bring out the best in Snape, to draw out the hidden core of compassion that no one else had seen. Lupin had done it to all them, Theodore suddenly realized, not just Snape, but himself, Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Serafina, Doherty--all the Slytherins. He had believed in them, and it had somehow become impossible for them to let him down and betray his trust.

"I'm all right," Theodore said with a smile, and he meant it. It suddenly seemed easier to put up with Aric's presence, knowing that he had his family and friends by his side.

"Good," Lupin said, looking relieved. "You had better head to class, then. We'll see you at lunch."
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Snape breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Theodore and the others leave.

"Are you all right, Severus?" Lupin asked.

"I gave him the perfect excuse to hate me," Snape replied, "and I was afraid he'd take me up on it. But I would rather have him hate me than himself."

"You underestimate him, Severus," Lupin told him. "I think it helped him to know that he is not the only one struggling with feelings of guilt and regret. And besides, he loves you very much; he could never hate you."

Snape's lips curved in a slightly twisted and not entirely happy smile. "I have loved you since I was fifteen years old, Lupin, but that didn't stop me from also hating you. That is what you were referring to, wasn't it, when you were talking about anger being a defense mechanism?"

"Not just you," Lupin said softly. "Sirius also."

"Oh, being compared to the mongrel makes me feel so much better," Snape grumbled, rolling his eyes.

Lupin laughed, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Don't forget that the two of you are related!"

"Please don't remind me!" Snape groaned.

"I'm sure Sirius will be equally horrified when I tell him, if that makes you feel any better."

"Only a little," Snape said sourly.

"Don't pout, my love; it's not becoming," Lupin said, kissing him lightly on the mouth.

A group of first-years passing through the corridor on their way to class stopped to gawk at them. "And what are you looking at?!" Snape snarled, and they turned pale and ran off.

"Temper, temper," Lupin said.

"It's all your fault," Snape said accusingly, "for embarrassing me in public. It's very unprofessional, you know, for teachers to be caught kissing in the corridors."

"Very," Lupin agreed solemnly, although his blue eyes were filled with laughter. "Meet you in your office between classes?"

Snape tried to scowl at him, but he couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from curving up into a smile. "Make it your office," he said. "The last time we almost knocked over the students' potion samples."

"Well, you should have cleared the desk first."

"I would have, but someone seemed to be in an awful hurry..."

"I'll see you in my office, then, after first period," Lupin said, winking at Snape. "Don't be late."

"I am always punctual, Lupin," Snape replied with an air of offended dignity.
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Aric's first class of the day was Transfiguration; no Potions class today, thank Merlin. He watched a delighted smile spread across his cousin's normally sullen face when McGonagall called on him, saying, "Mr. Nott...excuse me, I mean Mr. Snape." And McGonagall, who seemed like a pretty stern, no-nonsense type (though not as bad as Snape), smiled indulgently at Theodore's reaction.

Aric scowled, wondering what he was doing here at Hogwarts; he could have stayed at Durmstrang, where he had many friends, was one of the stars of the Quidditch team, and was well-regarded by his teachers. But when he'd heard about his uncle's death, he had insisted on transferring to Hogwarts to...well, he wasn't exactly sure what. To make Theodore pay for Rafe's death somehow, he supposed. Because he was sure it was Theo's fault that Rafe was dead. Aunt Marta had been too cowed by her husband to complain about him to her brother, so it must have been Theo who had caused Rafe to confront Thaddeus and thus lose his life. Theo had always been a little whiner, and Rafe had always been protective of him; Aric remembered how Rafe used to scold him and his older sister for picking on Theodore.

Rafe would kneel beside them, his brown eyes filled with disappointment, not anger, which would have been easier to bear, and say in a gentle but stern voice, "You should be kinder to Theo. He has a difficult time of it at home, you know." Thaddeus had been smart enough never to physically harm his wife or son in public, but he lashed out at them verbally often enough, which had caused Rafe to regard him with dislike and suspicion.

"Yes, Uncle Rafe," Aric would mumble obediently, even though he had privately thought that it wasn't his problem that Theo was too much of a wimp to stick up for himself; maybe his father would respect him more if he didn't cringe and snivel so much. But he had kept these thoughts to himself, because Rafe was a softhearted Gryffindor and wouldn't understand. Rafe had scandalized his family by becoming a Gryffindor, but he was so irresistibly charming that they couldn't help but forgive him. A smile and a wink was all it took to disarm his angry parents or siblings; there was something about Rafe that made it impossible to hate him. The children in the family all adored him and competed with each other for his affection. Rafe had sworn that he loved them all equally, but it had often seemed to Aric that Rafe had a soft spot for whiny little Theodore, who warranted extra attention because his daddy was mean to him, poor baby. Unconsciously, Aric's upper lip curled into a sneer. That little bastard had not only witnessed Rafe's death, but had kept it secret all these years, letting Aric and his family live with the grief and worry of not really knowing what had happened to their beloved son, brother, and uncle.

Only after the war was over and Thaddeus Nott safely dead did Theodore come forward and tell the truth. It didn't seem fair to Aric that Theo got to live happily-ever-after with a new family (even if his new "parents" were a perverted werewolf and former Death Eater) when Rafe was dead, lying in some unmarked, unknown grave. Theodore had claimed not to have known what Thaddeus had done with the body; the Aurors were trying to obtain information from the imprisoned Death Eaters, and Aric's family had hired Seers to scry for the location of Rafe's grave, but it was likely that they would never have a body to bury.

And now Theo thought he could move on, throw away his past along with his name, and take on the title of the Snape heir. Well, Aric wouldn't let him. He wasn't exactly sure how, but he intended to take revenge for his uncle's death. He would watch, and wait, for the right opportunity.
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Aric's next class was Defense Against the Dark Arts; he wasn't exactly thrilled about it, but at least it would give him a chance to study the werewolf.

Lupin rushed in through the door a few minutes after class was supposed to have started. "I'm sorry I'm late," he said breathlessly, looking a little flushed. "I...ah...had a few things to take care of in my office." He smiled at Daphne Greengrass, who was sitting quietly at the back of the room. "Welcome back, Daphne. I hope you're feeling better."

Daphne blushed as everyone turned to look at her. "I am, sir, thank you," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

Because Aric was sitting right behind Pansy, he was able to overhear her when she leaned over and whispered to Millicent, "Nothing wrong with her except that her family was afraid of the Death Eaters."

"Is there something you would like to share with the class, Miss Parkinson?" Lupin asked.

"No, Professor," Pansy said hastily.

"Then let's get started, shall we?" Lupin said. "Last year I taught you how to shield yourself from curses and repel them. Of course it's always better to avoid a curse if you can, but sometimes it's impossible, so this term I will teach you curse-breaking."

"Lycanthropy is a curse, isn't it?" Aric asked with an air of feigned innocence. "Will you teach us how to defend against it?"

The entire class, Gryffindor and Slytherin alike, glared at him murderously and for a moment, Aric thought he'd finally gone too far. But Lupin just smiled pleasantly and replied, "Professor Snape already covered werewolves in this class during third year when he was substituting for me, Aric, but I'll be happy to go over it with you if you like. You can make an appointment to see me in my office for private tutoring, and in the meantime, please read the chapters on werewolves in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and A Guide to Dark Creatures. You can find them in the library if you don't already own them. Oh, and please prepare a summary of what you've read and have it ready to turn in by Monday; that'll give you the weekend to work on it."

Lupin smiled cheerily at Aric, who turned red with anger as the other students started snickering, although they quickly subsided when Lupin gave them a stern look. {I walked right into that one!} Aric thought ruefully. Now he was stuck with an extra homework assignment, and it was possible that Lupin would actually follow through on his threat of extra lessons, although Aric hoped he was only bluffing. From now on, he would no longer underestimate the werewolf just because of his gentle demeanor and supposed Gryffindor idealism. Aric belatedly realized that it might be better to keep a low profile and stop attracting so much attention to himself. He had to start thinking like a Slytherin, and use his brain instead of being controlled by his emotions. He'd allowed his hatred for Theodore to overwhelm him, which had caused him to act recklessly; he couldn't get his revenge if he got expelled from Hogwarts. He needed to be patient until the right opportunity came along, and in the meantime, perhaps he could lull Theodore and his "parents" into complacency.

"Yes, sir," Aric said, trying to look suitably chastened.

Lupin returned to his lecture on curses, explaining that there were many different types of curses, and nearly as many different ways to break them. "Some can be broken with a simple Finite Incantatum spell, while others might require a complex incantation or a special type of potion. To break a curse, you must first understand what type of spell you are dealing with. Most times it is obvious, but there are times when a person might not realize that he or she is under a curse, if it is cast at a distance or secretly placed on some item in their possession. So to begin with, I will teach you the Aperio spell, which makes magical enchantments visible to the human eye."

Aric repressed a sneer, and refrained from telling Lupin that he had learned that spell two years ago at Durmstrang. Malfoy, however, self-importantly declared that he already knew how to cast it.

Lupin just smiled mischievously. "Yes, come to think of it, you, Harry, and Ron have all seen the spell demonstrated by Professor Blackmore, and you did have some experience dealing with difficult-to-break curses." For some reason Aric did not understand, all three boys turned red and the class started snickering again.

Aric had to grudgingly admit that Lupin knew his stuff. He demonstrated the Aperio spell and had the students practice it for the first half of the period, then spent the second half discussing ways to recognize and break curses. They practiced a few simple spells, but the reading that Lupin assigned as homework covered much more advanced spells. Lupin was far more patient and indulgent than Aric's instructors at Durmstrang, but he seemed to be effective; the students all mastered the basics of what he was trying to teach them, although some were better at it than others. Aric noticed that Lupin altered his approach with each student: he gently coaxed and encouraged Crabbe, Goyle, and Longbottom, praising their efforts profusely; offered more brisk and hearty encouragement to Potter and Weasley; and responded to Malfoy's slightly condescending declarations of "I know that spell already" with a cheerful, "Then why don't you demonstrate it for us, Draco?"

Lupin doled out points at the end of class, the amount depending on how well each student had performed. Even those who had not been entirely successful with their spells got at least five points, and Aric had performed the spells with ease since he had already studied them at Durmstrang. Lupin smiled and said, "Ten points to Slytherin for Aric. You show excellent mastery of the Aperio spell, which will come in very useful when we attempt to unweave the more complex curses. Well done."

Aric stared at him in shock, too stunned to react, and Lupin moved on to the next student. Aric's teachers at Durmstrang were more like Snape, who clearly favored certain students above the others, usually those whose families were wealthy and influential. So why was Lupin paying a compliment to his foster son's enemy? Come to think of it, although he had given Aric detention this morning, Lupin had also punished Dylan, his other foster son. Was this just Lupin's Gryffindor idealism at work, or was he trying to trick Aric into letting his guard down? Aric resolved to be careful around the werewolf. Then he saw Theodore flash him a resentful look, and he felt a small twinge of malicious pleasure. Aric, of course, had no interest in cultivating a werewolf's friendship, but perhaps he should, if only to make Theo jealous. It was a small and petty thing, but it could be the first step in taking revenge on his cousin.


 

Part 40