Aftermaths, Part 45

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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Lupin and Snape watched from the top of the stands as the Slytherin team worked with the prospective members, two at a time, one each in the open Chaser and Keeper positions.

"Millicent's good," Lupin said admiringly, as the girl kicked the Quaffle away from the hoops at the end of the field.

"Yes," Snape agreed. "She's quick and strong; she actually might have made a good Beater if those positions weren't already filled by Crabbe and Goyle. Of course, it's breaking with tradition a bit..."

Lupin grinned and leaned against Snape, resting his head on Snape's shoulder. "Some traditions are made to be broken, Sev. Such as the one that says Slytherins shouldn't date Gryffindor werewolves."

Snape laughed. "Cut that out, Lupin," he said affectionately. "You're ruining my reputation."

"It's not like anyone's watching us," Lupin pointed out, and it was true; all the spectators were below them, and had their eyes fixed on the Pitch.

"It's not like you listen to me, anyway," Snape grumbled.

"Besides," Lupin continued, "your reputation was already ruined the moment I kissed you in the Great Hall."

"True," Snape sighed with mock-regret, and since there was no point in trying to hold on to something so damaged, he slipped his arm around Lupin, who chuckled softly and snuggled a little closer to him. Below them, Pansy, Lavender, and Parvati called out encouragement to Millicent while Blaise, Allegra, and Hermione loudly cheered on Theodore.

As did Lupin. He lifted his head from Snape's shoulder to shout, "Go Theo!" when his foster son took possession of the Quaffle and headed towards the goals.

Snape regarded him with amusement. "I thought that showing favoritism for one of your students went against your Gryffindor ideals, Lupin."

"Of course I'm going to cheer for my son!" Lupin said indignantly.

Snape grinned. "I can't wait to see what you're going to do when Slytherin plays Gryffindor."

"That does create a bit of quandary, doesn't it?" Lupin said ruefully. "I suppose I'll have to cheer for all of them--Harry, Dylan, and Theo."

"Potter will have Black cheering for him," Snape complained, but without the sharp edge of jealousy his voice usually contained when discussing those two with Lupin.

Lupin must have noticed that, because he smiled tenderly at Snape and kissed him on the cheek. "I would make a lousy coach or referee because I always want everyone to win. I wish the game could end in a tie."

"And you call ME a softie?" Snape teased him. "The whole point of playing the game is for there to be a winner."

"Well, I suppose I shall have to root for Slytherin to win, then," Lupin said, "since both of our sons are on the team. But I'll still applaud Harry and the other Gryffindors when they make a good play." Lupin rested his head on Snape's shoulder again, and after a few minutes of silently observing the tryouts, he said, "They're actually starting to function together as a team, instead of as a group of individuals carrying out their tasks independently of each other. Draco's coordinating the plays and relying on his teammates instead of trying to hog all the glory for himself. I think he learned a lot from last year's victory, when he and Dylan worked together to beat Gryffindor."

"I'm sure we can beat Gryffindor again this year," Snape said confidently. "Minerva and I have raised our annual bet to fifteen Galleons."

"You know, I'm not really sure that the teachers are setting a good example for the students by gambling on Quidditch matches..."

"Oh, don't be such a spoilsport, Lupin!"

"Just don't gamble away the Snape fortune, my love," Lupin said, giving Snape another kiss. "You do want to leave Theo an inheritance, after all."

Snape snorted. "A fifteen-Galleon bet isn't going to beggar me, Lupin. Besides, I don't intend to lose!"

When the tryouts concluded, Snape and Lupin headed down to the Pitch, where Draco announced that he had selected Theodore and Millicent to fill the Chaser and Keeper positions, and that he had chosen Malcolm Baddock and Brad Doherty as reserve players.

"Congratulations to all of you," Lupin said, and the new team members beamed at him happily.

"Good work, all of you," Snape said, and their smiles grew even wider. "I have a bet with Professor McGonagall that Slytherin will win the first game of the season, and I'm confident that you won't let her pocket my money."

"Yes, sir!" the team chorused.

"Don't worry, sir," Draco said. "We won't let you down! This year Slytherin will take the Cup for sure!"

"That's the spirit, Malfoy!" Snape said approvingly, patting Draco on the shoulder. He gave the team a nod of dismissal, and they trooped off to change and shower or greet the friends and siblings who had come to cheer them on. Once the team had dispersed, leaving Dylan and Theodore more-or-less alone with him and Lupin, Snape placed a hand on Theodore's shoulder and said quietly, "You did well; I'm proud of you."

Theodore smiled at him, his face practically glowing with love and pride and sheer joy; if that glow had been literal rather than metaphorical, it would have been blinding, and Snape was once more awed and touched by the depth of his son's love. He still felt a little unworthy of it, and bewildered as to how it had all come about, but he resolved to be a good father to Theodore, and to Dylan as well.

"Thank you, sir," Theodore whispered, sounding a bit choked up himself, and Snape squeezed his shoulder, then stepped aside to let Lupin hug him.

As usual, the werewolf had no problem showing his emotions. "Oh, Theo, I'm so proud of you!" Lupin said, hugging him in what looked to be an almost painfully tight embrace. "I can't wait to see you play!"

"Thank you, Remus," Theodore said, hugging him back. He sounded a little breathless, either overcome by emotion, or maybe he was just having trouble breathing due to the force with which Lupin was squeezing his ribcage. But if it was the latter, he made no complaint.

Snape grinned; he'd heard the wolf's fierce protectiveness in Lupin's voice, and despite his earlier misgivings, he didn't think that Lupin was going to have any trouble rooting for Slytherin over Gryffindor. Dylan smiled at his foster brother and father, and Snape, mindful of the possibility of sibling rivalry even though Dylan didn't seem resentful, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Good work, Dylan. The team seems to be in fine shape. I'm looking forward to seeing you beat Gryffindor again."

"Thank you, sir," Dylan said with the charming, rakish grin that looked so much like Evan's. "We've got a really strong team, and I can't wait to play my first match with Theo."

He sounded genuinely happy about his brother making the team, so Snape gave him one more affectionate pat on the shoulder, then let Lupin, who had finally released Theodore, hug his other son.

"I'm so proud to have both of you on the team together! Severus and I will be rooting for you!"

"Thanks, Remus."

And then the boys' friends came down from the stands to greet them. Hermione politely congratulated Theodore, who was so ecstatic that he accepted her congratulations and shook her hand without the air of resigned disapproval that he usually regarded his brother's girlfriend with.

"Thanks, Granger," he said, still grinning from ear to ear.

Blaise gave Theodore a hug, and Allegra was jumping up and down with excitement. "I knew you'd make the team! I can't wait to see you play! Congratulations, Theo!" Theodore laughed and accepted the girl's hug, and bent down so that she could kiss his cheek. "Oh, and these are my friends Emma, Chloe, and Portia."

"Hi, nice to meet you," Theodore said, still too euphoric to notice or care that they were wearing Gryffindor colors.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "How unusual to see Gryffindors at a Slytherin practice," he said, but in a mild tone, because Lupin was giving him a look that said he had better not give them a hard time.

Emma, Chloe, and Portia still looked a little intimidated, but Allegra blithely replied, "Oh, but Theo is my friend, so of course I had to come cheer him on! And Parvati and Lavender came to cheer on their friend Millicent, too." The two older Gryffindor girls were congratulating their friend, and Damien took advantage of the opportunity to do a little flirting, and soon they were all laughing together, the girls smiling coyly and fluttering their eyelashes at him.

"He's even worse than Evan was," Snape muttered disgruntledly, and Dylan just laughed and slipped his arm around Hermione's waist, pulling her close.

"I'm happy to leave the title of School Playboy to Damien. After all, even Dad settled down when he found the right woman."

Dylan and Hermione began gazing at each other in an insipid, lovesick manner, and Snape growled, "Please don't do that in public!"

Lupin laughed and slipped his own arm around Snape's waist. "Oh, don't be such a grump, Severus! Besides, a Slytherin shouldn't be so prudish!"

"Cut that out, Lupin! Honestly, you're worse than the students! And it's not the physical display of affection that I object to, just the nauseating manner in which they moon over each other. If I wanted to subject myself to that sort of thing, I'd go to Madam Puddifoot's!"

Allegra giggled, and her three friends stared at their teachers, wide-eyed and incredulous. Lupin winked at them. "Thank you for coming; I think it shows good sportsmanship on your behalf. Gryffindor and Slytherin may be rivals on the Pitch, but there's no reason why they can't be friends off the Pitch. Please feel free to stop by the practice sessions anytime."

"And who appointed YOU Head of Slytherin?"

"Well, Sev, as your consort, I figured that I sort of shared in your authority..."

"My WHAT?"

"Well, that is what your mother called me, after all--your 'consort in all but name' I believe were her exact words..."

Dylan and Hermione were laughing out loud; Theodore and Blaise were manfully trying to restrain their laughter, with their hands clamped firmly over their mouths, but little choked snorting noises kept escaping; Allegra was still giggling; the other first-year Gryffindor girls' eyes looked like they were going to pop right out of their heads with shock; and now the rest of the students remaining on the field were beginning to stare at them as well. Snape grabbed Lupin by the arm and quickly hustled him off the Pitch.

"She didn't say you were my consort," Snape said, glaring at his lover. "She said she would let you be my consort in all but name if you would let me make a marriage with a pureblood woman and ensure that the Snape line doesn't die out."

"Well, we've given her a Snape heir," Lupin pointed out, "so I feel as though I've done my part and am entitled to call myself your consort. Besides, it's not up to Selima to choose your mate." Lupin growled and nipped at his neck. "The wolf has already done that."

"Lupin, please!" Snape protested. "At least wait until we reach our quarters!"

The werewolf gave him a feral, sensuous smile, his lips pulling back from his teeth to expose his sharp canines. "Well then, we'd better hurry. It is getting close to the full moon, after all, and you know what that means..."

Snape cursed out loud, even as he felt a surge of lust run through his own body in response to Lupin's smile, and he fairly ran to his quarters, dragging a laughing Lupin with him.
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The two lovers ran past a couple of students along the way, who gave them puzzled looks.

"What's wrong with the Professors?" one asked.

Lukas, who also happened to be passing by, gazed after the pair with an almost envious look in his eyes. "Full moon," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than the students.

"What?" the student asked, sounding even more confused.

"Never mind," Lukas sighed. "You wouldn't understand." He headed to his own quarters, resolving to take a cold shower. He had never taken a permanent mate as Lupin had, but he'd had his share of casual lovers, and he knew how the waxing moon could enhance one's physical desires, and how satisfying those desires could ease the stress and pain that normally accompanied the the week of the full moon. But it was not really the urge to get laid that was bothering him so much as the fact that he was lonely. He missed his pack, especially as the full moon drew near; Remus was a friend and a fellow werewolf, but he was not really pack. Remus already had his own pack, including a mate and cubs, which only served to accentuate Lukas's loneliness. It was a myth that werewolves mated for life, but like most myths, it had some basis in fact. There was no biological imperative binding them solely to one mate, but wolves were social animals--the term "lone wolf" being something of a misnomer--and werewolves had a strong need for companionship and a sense of belonging. Ironically, that was often difficult to find, since they had been scorned and reviled by most of wizarding society up until very recently. But when a werewolf did form an emotional bond with a lover, or even just a friend, it tended to be a very strong one. Lukas had been content with his role as pack leader, a sort of father figure to his wolves, and had not felt a particular desire to take a lifemate, but observing the bond between Remus and Snape made him feel strangely wistful, as if something was missing from his life and he had not realized it up until now. If Dumbledore was so set on hiring werewolves, it would be nice if he would hire a female werewolf--a pretty, single female werewolf. Of course, he already knew most of the female werewolves in London, and while many of them were attractive and brave and loyal, and he had even indulged in casual affairs with a few of them, he could not really picture himself spending the rest of his life with any of them...
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Meanwhile, Snape and Lupin were completely oblivious to the discontent they had awakened in their fellow teacher. They stumbled into the bedroom, practically tearing the clothes off each other's bodies; small black buttons went flying everywhere as Lupin yanked Snape's shirt open, while Snape ripped open a seam on Lupin's shirt as he tugged at it, but they barely noticed. They carelessly flung their clothes aside and tumbled into the bed together. There was some quick fumbling for lubricant, and in their haste they spilled most of a bottle of lavender oil on the sheets, filling the air with a cloyingly sweet scent; a cleaning spell would easily have taken care of that, but neither of them wanted to take their hands off each other for even the short time it would take to cast the spell.

A few minutes later, Snape was buried deep in Lupin's body, and Lupin whined urgently, clawing at his lover's back to urge him on. As Snape began thrusting into him harder, Lupin's whine turned into a growl as he lifted his hips to meet those thrusts, and soon growling turned into frantic howling. Snape bit down hard on Lupin's throat, then thrusted one last time, and Lupin came, and for one long moment, he forgot who and where he was, aware of nothing but the intense wave of pleasure washing over his body.

Gradually awareness returned to him: the weight of his lover's body on top of him; the sound of Severus's breathing, harsh and ragged; the scent of sweat and sex mingled with the perfume of lavender...Lupin blinked, then smiled and tenderly kissed Severus, running his hands through his lover's thick, black hair. "That was wonderful, Sev," he said, his own voice also a little ragged as he tried to catch his breath.

"Likewise," Snape said, returning the kiss and gently caressing Lupin's cheek. He shifted position slightly so that he was lying next to Lupin instead of squashing him, and put his arms around his lover and pulled him close. They snuggled together contentedly, Snape lazily stroking Lupin's long hair, and Lupin affectionately nuzzling Snape. But after a short time, Snape suddenly noticed that Lupin's breathing had quickened and his nuzzling was growing a little more purposeful as he planted a kiss first in the hollow of Snape's throat, then on the spot where his neck joined his shoulder, and then began nipping gently at Snape's neck with his sharp teeth. Lupin pressed his body closer against Snape's, leaving no doubt that the werewolf was rapidly becoming aroused again.

"Lupin," Snape protested with a laugh, "you have to give me some time to recover!"

"You know how I am when the full moon is near," Lupin laughed, then he writhed against Snape and moaned in a more urgent voice, "I need you, Severus."

Well, the sensation of Lupin's body writhing against his was certainly delightful, but... "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak--or at least a little tired," Snape said with a grin. Lupin only moaned in response, then whined a little. "Well, how can I resist that?" Snape laughed. He loved those wolfish noises Lupin made in bed, and there was no reason for Lupin to suffer while Snape waited for his flesh to catch up with his spirit. He pushed Lupin onto his back and kissed him deeply, letting his tongue run across Lupin's teeth and tongue. Then he pulled away--Lupin whimpered a little in protest--to cover Lupin's neck with soft kisses and sharp little bites; the werewolf sighed. Snape slowly kissed his way down Lupin's chest, pausing to close his mouth over each nipple in turn--sucking, licking, and nipping with lips, tongue, and teeth. He heard a sharp hiss as Lupin inhaled, arching his back.

Lupin moaned, twining his hands in his lover's hair, his voice filled with both desire and frustration; what Severus was doing felt wonderful, but other parts of his body were demanding attention even more urgently. Severus finally moved on, his mouth continuing its journey down Lupin's chest. Lupin shivered, delighting not just in the sensation of Severus's lips, but also of his hair (sleek and shiny, not greasy!) trailing against his bare skin. His breathing quickened as Severus's lips moved from his chest downwards across his belly, but stopped short of going where Lupin wanted them to. Instead, Severus pushed apart Lupin's legs and slowly began kissing his way up the inside of one thigh, from knee to crotch, and then the other. By the time he finished, Lupin was writhing and groaning with frustration. "Severus!" he growled. Severus looked up and gave him a wicked grin that only served to intensify Lupin's need. "Please, please, please," Lupin whimpered.

Snape savored the pleading note in Lupin's voice and the way his blue eyes were dilated and unfocused with lust. He let Lupin writhe and whimper just a little longer, then finally ended the torment by bending down and taking Lupin into his mouth. Lupin let out a wild, wordless cry, his hips involuntarily jerking up off the bed, thrusting up into Snape's mouth. Snape continued his ministrations, delighting in the way Lupin moaned and tossed his head from side to side, clawing at the sheets with his hands. It was not long before Lupin howled as he came, then fell back against the bed, his body seeming to go limp and boneless with release. Snape swallowed; a slightly bitter aftertaste remained in his mouth, but to be frank, it was nowhere near as bad as the Wolfsbane Potion, and besides, any evidence of how much Lupin needed and desired him was welcome to Snape. He kissed Lupin, who willingly parted his lips and entwined his tongue with Snape's. Lupin put his arms around Snape and pulled him close, then broke off the kiss and laughed, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"Well, Severus, the flesh, as you put it, seems to be quite willing now!"

It was true; watching Lupin writhe and moan and plead had been extremely stimulating, and Snape found that he was more than ready for another round of lovemaking. "Well, I suppose it's my turn to wait for you to recover," Snape laughed, although his body was telling him very insistently that he was ready NOW.

Lupin's lips curved slowly into a sensual smile, and he tilted his head to one side and lowered his eyelids slightly, giving Snape a come-hither look. "Oh, I don't see why you can't get the party started, Sev; I'm sure I'll catch up with you soon enough." He rolled over onto his stomach, then propped himself up on his hands and knees, and turned his head to glance at Snape. Lupin's long gold-and-silver hair fell across his face, but it didn't hide his playful snarl as he bared his teeth, nor the feral look in his pale blue eyes. "Take me," he growled, "as another wolf would take me."

Snape normally preferred to make love to Lupin face-to-face, because he loved watching Lupin's face contort with desire, loved to watch the way his fair skin flushed with lust and exertion, the way his mouth opened in a moan, the way his eyes went wide and unseeing at the moment of climax, or conversely, the way they squeezed shut as if the ecstasy was almost too much to bear. No matter how caught up he was in the moment, Snape tried never to close his eyes during their lovemaking, wanting to keep them fixed on Lupin's face the entire time. But suddenly he found the idea of making love to Lupin in this position very exciting; maybe it was the snarl and the wolfish look on Lupin's face. He didn't need a second invitation; he gripped Lupin's waist with his hands to brace himself, and with one swift thrust, was sheathed in his lover's body. Lupin pushed back against him in an encouraging, but slow and almost languid manner, and Snape matched his pace, but soon Lupin began to groan and push against him in earnest. Lupin turned his head again and growled at Snape, his eyes feral and wanton, more wolf than human.

Snape knew, since his relationship with Lupin had been made public, that people gossiped about them behind their backs--some good-naturedly, like the idiot schoolgirls who giggled and thought it was all very romantic, and some more maliciously. People in the latter group muttered darkly about bestiality and speculated as to what he and Lupin did during the full moon (personally, Snape thought they were the real perverts, not he and Lupin), but the truth was that Lupin's wolf form aroused tenderness rather than lust in Snape; the gossips would probably be disappointed to find out that nothing more went on other than a little ear-scratching on Snape's part and a lot of slobbering and tail-wagging on Lupin's part. On the other hand, he did find the sight and sound of Lupin acting like a wolf in his human form to be very arousing. He continued thrusting, more rapidly now, slamming hard into Lupin's body, panting and sounding not unlike a wolf himself. Lupin let out a strangled little howl and shoved his hips backwards to meet Snape's thrusts, and Snape reached beneath him to stroke Lupin's erection--he had definitely "caught up" with Snape as promised.

A violent shudder ran through Lupin's body, and for a moment he froze, paralyzed by indecision, unable to decide whether he wanted to move backwards to meet Severus's thrusts or forward with the stroking motion of his hand. He whined, which seemed to excite his mate further; the pace of both his thrusts and his strokes increased. The wolf snarled and took over completely; Lupin frantically threw his body back and then forward, again and again, and then he was howling as his body convulsed with pleasure; a small, only dimly aware part of his mind noticed that Severus had come as well.

Lupin collapsed on the bed, and Snape collapsed on top of him, both of them exhausted and gasping for breath. Snape rolled off of Lupin onto his back, which certainly made it easier for Lupin to breathe, but Lupin, still craving contact with his mate, draped himself across Snape's chest, sighing happily.

Snape reached up to stroke Lupin's hair, saying, "Please tell me that was it for tonight, Remus; I don't think I'm up for another round!"

Lupin raised his head slightly to smile at his lover. "I think that is sufficient for tonight, but you know that the wolf's appetite will continue to increase as the full moon draws closer."

Snape groaned, "I'll have to take a Strengthening Solution to keep up with you!"

"For all your complaints, Severus," Lupin said with a grin, "you've never failed to, ah, rise to the occasion, if you'll forgive the pun."

"Ha ha, Lupin, very funny," Snape said with a scowl that didn't fool Lupin for one second. "I suppose that's what passes for wit in Gryffindor House."

Lupin just chuckled and laid his head back on Snape's chest, and closed his eyes, listening to the sound of his lover's heartbeat. "I love you, Severus," he said softly.

Taken a little aback by the sudden shift in mood, Snape snorted and said gruffly, "I love you, too, you annoying little werewolf." Then after a moment's silence, he said in a gentler voice, "I love you, Remus," and tenderly stroked Lupin's hair. Not long after that, they both fell into a deep and peaceful slumber.

 

Part 46