Aftermaths, Part 5

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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Damien sent a note via his family owl that said: "Are you kidding? Of course I'd love to come over! I'm really curious to see where Lupin lives, and what he and Snape are like together at home! Would this weekend be okay?" Dylan and Theodore grinned when they read it.

"He says he can come this weekend, if that's all right with you," Dylan told Lupin.

"That's fine," Lupin said.

"What's taking Blodwen so long?" Theodore asked fretfully as they cleaned up the breakfast dishes. "Shouldn't she be back by now?"

"Maybe Blaise is writing you a long reply," Dylan said, winking at him. Just then, Blodwen flew in through the open window. Theodore eagerly took the letter she was carrying and opened it.
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Dear Theo,

I would love to come to visit you, but I can't right now. I promised my father that I would work in the shop during the summer. He runs the store all by himself during the school year, so I try to help him out during the holidays. Business has been good--which is great on one hand, because we need the money, but on the other hand, it doesn't give my dad much chance to take a break. I can't really get away right now, but maybe I can come see you later in the summer.

I'm really sorry; I promise I'll make it up to you later. I miss you, too--I can't believe how much I miss you when you've only been gone for a couple of weeks. But I am glad to hear that you're doing okay, and that Snape has been treating you well.

There's a lot I want to tell you, too. I promise we'll have a long talk when we get together. In the meantime, please keep writing to me. I love you.

Oh, and by the way, I think trying out for the Quidditch team is a great idea. Say hi to Dylan for me.

Love,
Blaise
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Theodore stared at the letter, the expression on his face changing from elated to crestfallen. It wasn't just that he was disappointed Blaise wasn't coming, although he was. There was something off about the letter: it was brief almost to the point of being curt, and the casual tone seemed a little forced, somehow. And he knew that Blaise normally helped his father in the shop when he was at home, but he hadn't thought they were so busy that Blaise couldn't get away for one day...

"Is something wrong, Theo?" Lupin asked gently, a look of concern in his blue eyes.

"Uh, no, Professor," Theodore said hastily, folding up the letter and sliding it back in the envelope. "It's just that Blaise says he can't come; he has to help his father in the shop."

"Shop?" Lupin asked.

"That junk--er, secondhand store in Diagon Alley," Snape replied. "Zabini's father owns it." Then he frowned. "It seems odd, though, that he can't get away for just one afternoon..."

"Blaise says that things are busy in the shop right now," Theodore said quickly, not sure whether he was trying to convince himself or Snape. "But maybe he can get away later. He'll let me know." Despite his words, he felt a knot forming in the pit of his stomach. Maybe Blaise didn't want to see him...no, he didn't really believe that; he took out the letter again and glanced at the words "I love you," to reassure himself. But maybe Blaise's parents didn't want him associating with the son of two Death Eaters...

"Would you like me to talk to his parents?" Lupin asked.

"No!" Theodore said quickly; if there was a problem, he suspected that would only make it worse. "No, it's okay, Professor--"

"Remus," Lupin reminded him with a smile.

"It's okay, Remus," Theodore said. "Really. I'm sure he's just busy. His dad works hard at his job; he runs the store alone, and he doesn't get to take time off unless Blaise is there to help."

"It's good of Blaise to help out his father," Lupin said, still smiling. "He's a very responsible boy. Very well; tell him the invitation is still open, whenever he has some free time. Perhaps the next time Severus or I need to run errands in London, we could stop by the shop to say hello."

"That's not really necessary," Theodore said nervously. He didn't really want to confront Blaise's father; what if he threw them out of the shop, or simply said outright that he didn't want his son hanging out with a Death Eater? As long as he didn't know for sure, he could keep pretending that everything was all right, that Blaise was just busy, and he would stop by later in the summer as he said in his letter. Snape, Lupin, and Dylan all gave him looks of mingled concern and suspicion, and he added, not very convincingly, "I mean, we don't need to make a special trip just for that."

"I need to consult with the lawyer on the progress of our petitions," Snape said, "and I should pick up some more aconite to replenish what we used in the potion this week. So I do need to go to London in the next week or two, anyway." His voice was casual, but his black eyes were staring at Theodore intently. "We could make an outing of it, the four of us. Perhaps stop by the Sakura for lunch?"

"That would be nice," Lupin said cheerfully. "And Fortescue's for dessert."

"Can we stop by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?" Dylan asked.

"If you must," Snape groaned reluctantly.

Lupin laughed. "We can stop by Mr. Zabini's shop along the way, and see if he can let Blaise off for an hour or two to have lunch with us."

"Uh...okay," Theodore said weakly, seeing no way he could reasonably object, not without voicing fears that he would rather not speak aloud right now. "Is it all right if I go for a walk?" he asked, wanting to be alone for a little while.

"Of course," Lupin said. "Just make sure you're back in time for lunch."

"Yes, sir."

"Want some company?" Dylan offered.

"No," Theodore said curtly, and left the cottage, slamming the door behind him.

Lupin's cheerful smile disappeared and a wrinkle furrowed his forehead as he frowned. Theodore had finally been opening up to them, finally beginning to heal from the damage his parents had inflicted on him over the years. His smiles had grown more frequent of late, and Lupin thought that even his tears--such as the ones he had shed over Rafe in the Nott mansion--were a good sign, because it meant that he trusted them enough to share his secrets, felt secure enough to be vulnerable in front of them. So he was troubled to see Theodore reverting back to the sullen, gloomy boy he had been in school; he hoped that it was only a temporary setback.

Snape was concerned as well, although he showed it in a different way. He crossed his arms and stared at Dylan sternly. "Is there some trouble between Mr. Zabini and Mr. Nott that I should know about, Mr. Rosier? Or trouble with the Zabini family?"

"Not that I know of, sir," Dylan replied honestly. He wondered uneasily if his guardians knew that Theo and Blaise were more than friends, and whether he should mention it to them. Could Blaise and Theo have had a fight? No, that didn't make sense; Theo clearly hadn't expected any trouble until he read the letter, and besides, Blaise had been very protective and solicitous of Theo after the battle, right up until school ended. Could Blaise's family not want him to visit them, perhaps because of their connection with the Death Eaters, or maybe because Lupin was a werewolf? Of course this was all pure speculation...

While Dylan was debating whether or not to voice his theories, Snape said, "Very well, then, Rosier. Don't you have something you should be doing right now?" His tone of voice made it clear that even if he didn't, Dylan had better find something to do.

"Yes, sir," Dylan said quickly. "I need to...ah...work in the garden."

Lupin smiled a little, although his eyes still looked worried, as Dylan darted out of the cottage. "Perceptive boy; picks up on hints readily."

"Of course," Snape said, so proudly that Lupin chuckled. "He's not one of your thickheaded Gryffindors." Then, in a more serious voice, Snape said, "There's something odd, about the letter, and Theodore's reaction to it. I have seen Blaise working in his father's shop, but Marius Zabini is fond of his children, and he doesn't strike me as a slave driver; I find it hard to believe that he wouldn't let his son take a day off. And Theodore's disappointment about a friend being unable to visit seems a little out of proportion, though I know he doesn't have many close friends..."

"A lover's spat?" Lupin suggested lightly.

"What?!" Snape exclaimed. "Nott and Zabini? Are you sure, Lupin?"

"Reasonably sure," Lupin replied calmly.

"Did they say something to you?" Snape asked, still looking puzzled and a little stunned.

"They didn't need to," Lupin said with a smile. "Honestly, Severus, I would expect a sly Slytherin like you to be more observant!" Snape glared at him. Lupin continued patiently, "Didn't you notice, at the Yule Ball, how Theodore paid more attention to Blaise than his own date? Or how Blaise looked a little wistful while he watched Theo dance with Millicent?"

"No, not really," Snape said, looking rather chagrined.

"Well, I suppose you were too busy arguing with Branwen and blasting apart rose bushes to notice," Lupin laughed.

"Hmm," Snape said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose that would explain why Theodore took the risk of confiding in me when Blaise was in danger..." Then he said to Lupin in a deliberately haughty voice, "But this is all speculation, of course. You don't have proof of this so-called relationship, do you?"

"Do I need any?" Lupin asked, cocking his head to one side as he tried to figure out what Severus was getting at.

"It's against school regulations for the students to be having sex with each other, Lupin," Snape said bluntly. "Of course it's impossible to regulate teenage hormones--that's why we have separate dormitories for the boys and girls. Although it doesn't seem to have occurred to our dear founders to take into consideration same-sex relationships..."

"I would think the lack of privacy would put a damper on that," Lupin said with a grin. "Though you and I found ways to work around it..."

"The Slytherin dorms have only two people to a room," Snape interrupted, a faint smile crossing his lips. "And Zabini and Nott are roommates."

Lupin blinked in surprise. "Really? There are four or five to a room in Gryffindor."

Snape grinned. "It's probably because so many of the wizarding elite are sorted into Slytherin, and the parents don't like the idea of their precious little brats being 'herded like cattle' or 'housed in barracks'--or at least, that's the impression I got from talking to some of the older teachers and the parents. There are too many students to give them all single rooms, so apparently they compromised on doubles. Although Lucius did insist that I give Draco a room of his own, and I wasn't in a position to argue. I suppose I should make him take a roommate now, but he only has one more year left, and it seemed like adding insult to injury on top of his father's death..."

"Softie," Lupin said, kissing him on the cheek.

"Cut that out, Lupin!" Snape huffed, but he couldn't quite hold back his smile. "Anyway, getting back to Nott and Zabini...as their Head of House, I would be obligated to separate them if there were evidence that they were having a...shall we say...personal relationship." He raised an eyebrow and gave Lupin an expectant look.

"No, there is no evidence, only my personal speculation based on a few glances at the Yule Ball," Lupin replied smoothly. "Upon further thought, it might only be my overactive Gryffindor imagination."

"Good," Snape said. "Then there's no need for me to take any action. However, hypothetically speaking...could this imaginary relationship be the cause of Mr. Nott's distress?"

Lupin thought it over. "I don't think so. They seemed very close, right up until school let out. I didn't sense any trouble between them." He frowned again. "If Blaise's parents found out about the boys'...ah...friendship, would they be the type to object?"

It was Snape's turn to frown. "I don't know them well, but probably, at least if they thought it would deter Blaise from getting married one day. He is the son and heir of the family, after all. As poor as they are, the Zabinis still cling to their pureblood pride; in fact, they're downright touchy about it sometimes, perhaps because that pride is all they have left. Or maybe they just don't want Blaise associating with two sons of Death Eaters. Then again, it could be you and I that they object to--our scandalous relationship, or simply the fact that you are a werewolf and I a former Death Eater."

Lupin smiled sadly. "Well, I hope it's just you and I; then perhaps they wouldn't object to Theodore visiting Blaise at his home, even if they don't want Blaise to come here. What should we do, Severus? Should we talk to Blaise's parents?"

"No, I don't think so," Snape replied slowly as he considered the question. "At least, not yet. It could be nothing; perhaps Marius really does need his son's help at the shop. Let me see if I can pick up any rumors first. If that fails, we can stop by the shop as you suggested, and try to gauge his reaction. I don't think he'll be outright rude to me, since I'm his son's Head of House, and Blaise's future depends in part on the grades I give him, but I'm sure I'll be able to pick up on any hostility he might have towards myself or Theodore."

"That sounds reasonable," Lupin conceded, "but I don't like seeing Theodore so unhappy."

Snape shrugged. "Nor do I, but at worst they'll only be separated for a few months."

Despite his worries, Lupin grinned at his lover. "Don't you remember what it's like to be a teenager, Sev? A few months, even a few weeks, can seem like forever..."

Snape said solemnly, "Yes, I remember." The short time that their romance had lasted had passed by in a flash, while the days after they had parted had seemed to pass at a torturous crawl. He pulled Lupin into his arms and kissed him. "I love you, Remus."

"I love you, too, Severus," Lupin said tenderly, then glanced around. "I'm not sure how long the boys will be gone; perhaps we should continue this in private..." He took Severus by the hand, and his lover willingly followed him to the bedroom.
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Theodore returned in time to help Lupin and Dylan fix lunch. He seemed calmer, though still a little depressed. Lupin patted him kindly on the shoulder and said, "I'm sorry Blaise can't come to see you. But hopefully he'll be able to find some time to visit later, and of course you'll see each other when school starts again."

"That's true," Theodore said, cheering up a little. Three months was a long time, but not forever. Looking forward to going back to school was nothing new; he had always hated going home for the holidays, and spent most of his summers counting the days until he could return to Hogwarts, where he was safe from his father's abuse. At least here with Lupin and Snape, nobody would be hexing him. He smiled at Lupin, who smiled back, looking relieved. He firmly squelched the little voice in his head that asked, {What if his family tries to make him choose between them and you?} He slipped his hand into his pocket for a moment, touching Blaise's letter, remembering the words "I love you". Besides, he didn't even know if there was really a problem with Blaise's family; maybe he was getting all worked up over nothing.

After lunch, the boys studied quietly at the kitchen table, while in the living room, Snape read a Potions text, jotting down notes for possible lessons for the coming school year, and Lupin read a Japanese comic book, chuckling quietly to himself every now and then.

Eventually Dylan and Theo looked up to see what he was laughing at. Theodore said, "I didn't know you could read...what is that, anyway? Japanese?"

Lupin smiled. "Yes, it is. I can also speak and read French and German; I've mostly worked as a translator when I wasn't teaching at Hogwarts."

"I didn't know that," Dylan said.

"Severus is fluent in Japanese as well," Lupin said pleasantly.

"Really, Professor?" Dylan asked Snape. "Oh, I remember...the Daily Prophet said you worked with a Japanese wizard to invent the Wolfsbane Potion."

Snape flushed and muttered, "Yes, well, I thought it best to learn the language in order to prevent any possible errors of communication, particularly when working on such a complex potion...now if you don't mind, I'm a little busy right now." He ducked his head, letting his black hair fall in front of his face like a curtain, and pretended to be engrossed in his book.

Lupin laughed and joined the boys in the kitchen. They looked at his book curiously. "Is it hard to learn?" Theodore asked.

"It's more difficult than learning, say, French or Spanish, because the language isn't Latin-based, but it's certainly not beyond your capabilities. Would you like me to teach you a little?"

"Sure," Theo said, looking interested.

"Professor Chizuru taught us a few words and phrases in her afterschool club," Dylan added. "And we did some calligraphy."

"The kanji characters are beautiful, but very complex. We should start with the basics, the simpler hiragana and katakana alphabets..."

Lupin worked with them for most of the afternoon on the Japanese lessons, and the boys seemed to enjoy it. Snape looked up from his book and smiled at the sight of the three of them absorbed in their work; he was pleased that Lupin had found a way to distract Theodore from his worries. Lupin happened to glance up and noticed Snape watching them. He smiled and winked at Snape who, for once instead of getting flustered, simply winked back at him and returned to his book.

That night they had dinner early, so Lupin would have a chance to eat before his transformation. "Though I suppose I could always give you a bone to gnaw on," Snape said sardonically, recalling Lupin's behavior during the full moon last summer when they were staying at Black's house. Lupin just chuckled and ate his stew, which Snape had cooked partly because even with the improved Wolfsbane Potion, Lupin was always a little tired this close to the full moon, but also to prove to Lupin that he could cook if he wanted to. It had turned out pretty well, if he did say so himself, Snape thought. Not quite as good as Molly Weasley's cooking, perhaps, but it was certainly edible.

"Not bad, Severus," Lupin said after his first bite. "Pretty good, in fact. I wish I could say the same for the potion." He grimaced at the smoking goblet, then took a deep breath and downed it in one quick gulp.

"Does it taste as bad as it smells?" Dylan asked.

"Worse," Lupin said, shuddering.

"Kamiyama and I have tried everything we could think of, but there's just no way to alter the taste without making it less effective," Snape said apologetically.

"It's all right, Severus," Lupin assured him. "It's a small price to pay to keep my sanity during the full moon." He took a sip of tea to wash the taste out of his mouth.

"Did you really invent it for Prof...for Remus, like the Daily Prophet said?" Dylan asked Snape.

Snape scowled at his favorite student ferociously; although Theodore went a little pale, Dylan looked unfazed. Snape sighed inwardly; Lupin was a bad influence...it was hard to keep up a menacing image when you had an affectionate werewolf constantly snuggling up to you and calling you a "softie". "You'll rot your mind reading that trash, Rosier," he snapped.

"You didn't answer the question, Severus," Lupin cheerfully pointed out.

Snape turned his scowl on his lover; he had been hoping that the boys wouldn't notice that he had evaded the question. "Fine," he said grumpily, giving in with ill grace. "Of course I invented it for Lupin. Do you really think it was sheer coincidence that I was working on a potion to help werewolves when my former lover was one?"

"No need to be so grouchy, Severus," Lupin chided him gently.

Snape gave him one last glare, then turned his attention back to his food, muttering under his breath about nosy reporters, meddling old wizards, and annoying werewolves. Lupin just smiled at him fondly.

The sun was beginning to set as they cleaned up the last of the dinner dishes. "Perhaps I should retire to my room," Lupin said; he wasn't sure how the boys would react to his transformation. "The moon will be coming out soon."

"Does...does the transformation hurt?" Theodore asked hesitantly.

"A little," Lupin said, "but the pain is over quickly. The improvements that Severus and Professor Kamiyama made to the potion a few years ago have made the transformation process much easier. You remember how ill I used to get near the full moon during your third year, Theo."

"Yes, I remember," he said solemnly. "You look much better now."

"Thanks to Severus," Lupin said, smiling at his lover.

"It's mostly thanks to Kamiyama," Snape said, looking a little embarrassed. "He was the one who came up with idea of adding the duckweed to the potion."

"Do you need to be alone when you transform?" Dylan asked. "I mean, you're not dangerous during the full moon when you take the potion, right?"

"No, I don't need to be alone," Lupin replied. "And in fact, Severus usually keeps me company during the full moon when he can. It's just that the transformation can be a rather...disturbing...sight if you're not used to it, and I didn't want to alarm you..."

Dylan and Theodore exchanged a look. "You don't need to hide away for our sake, Remus," Dylan said. "This is your home, after all."

"We saw you as a wolf on the battlefield," Theodore said. "You saved my life. I'm not afraid to watch you change."

Lupin felt his eyes fill with tears as he smiled at his foster sons. The wolf inside Lupin felt very content and just a little smug as it regarded its mate and cubs. {Mine,} it growled happily. {My pack.} Lupin dabbed at his eyes with his sleeve, then said, "Let us go and await the moonrise, then."

They all sat together quietly in the living room, not saying much, just sharing each other's company and waiting for the moon to rise. Finally, silvery moonlight spilled through the window, and Lupin rose from his seat and crouched down on the floor. His limbs shortened, his fingers curling into claws; his face lengthened into a snout; and his body seemed to blur as it changed, long hair and smooth skin and clothing melting into silver-speckled brown fur. Then a large wolf lay on the floor; it got to its feet and gave itself a shake.

Despite their words, Dylan and Theo found the transformation and the sight of the huge wolf in front of them a little unsettling. As if sensing their nervousness, the wolf whined, staring at them with anxious blue eyes.

Those blue eyes looked just like Lupin's, and there was human intelligence behind them. "R...Remus?" Dylan asked, cautiously extending a hand towards the wolf.

The wolf approached, sniffed at his hand, then licked it affectionately, behaving more like a pet dog than a werewolf. It ducked its head under Dylan's hand, as if asking to be petted. Dylan gingerly stroked the top of the wolf's head; its jaw dropped in what appeared to be a lupine grin, so Dylan continued petting it, and scratched behind its ears. The wolf barked happily and wagged its tail enthusiastically, and Dylan laughed. The wolf took that as permission to jump up and cover Dylan's face with enthusiastic swipes of its tongue. Dylan laughed again, and Snape said with mock-sternness, "That's hardly appropriate and professional behavior for a teacher, Lupin." The wolf went over to Snape and licked his face. "Don't drool on me, Lupin!" The wolf barked out a laugh, not one bit fooled by Snape's sour tone of voice, and licked his face again. Theodore was looking a little left out, so the wolf bounded over to him and jumped up, bracing its front paws against his chest.

Theodore let out a little yelp of surprise, taken off-guard as an affectionate--and very large--wolf jumped on him and swiped its tongue across his face. In his enthusiasm, Lupin forgot his strength, knocking Theodore off-balance, and tumbling them both off the couch and onto the floor. Theodore yelped again as a cold and wet nose touched his face, as the wolf sniffed at him and whined anxiously, a concerned look in its blue eyes. "I'm all right, Professor," Theodore reassured the wolf, then suddenly started laughing at the thought of addressing a wolf as "Professor". The whole situation suddenly seemed comical and just a tad surreal. The wolf barked, sounding relieved, and began covering Theodore's face with wolfish kisses. "Professor...Remus...I'm okay, really!" Theodore laughed, then spluttered as the wolf swiped its tongue across his face again. "Argh! That's very wet, you know!"

"Wolves drool, Nott," Snape said in a conversational tone. "That's what they do. Not to mention shed fur on your good robes..."

The wolf ignored him and continued licking its cub's face. Theodore tried to push the wolf away, but it seemed to be a playful and only halfhearted attempt, so the wolf barked, wagged its tail, then continued with what it was doing. Dylan knelt down on the floor beside them, so the wolf assumed that he wanted to join in on the fun, and jumped on him as well.

Snape smiled indulgently from his seat on the couch as he watched the boys wrestle with the wolf playfully as if it were nothing more than an overgrown puppy. Which it was really; Snape noticed that Lupin, even when he was jumping on the boys and pinning them to the ground, was gentle and very careful not scratch them even slightly with his claws. It was odd; he had felt jealous last summer, when Potter and Granger and the other children had been petting and feeding the wolf, but he didn't mind watching Lupin play with Dylan and Theodore. In fact, he was happy to see the boys acting so carefree and childlike after all they had gone through. Theodore especially; while Dylan had been forced to live in exile and put up with his grandmother's and uncles' insults, at least he had been raised by a loving family, even if Ariane had been misguided in her attempt to raise Dylan as a future Death Eater. But Theodore had grown up in a family that was even worse than Snape's own, and he could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times he had seen the boy laugh, and still have a few leftover. He was happy for Lupin's sake, too; he knew that his lover had been a little afraid of transforming in front of the boys, but clearly there had been nothing to worry about.

After a good, long romp, the wolf finally wore the boys out. "I give up," Dylan laughed, too tired to fend off the wolf's affectionate "attacks". He and Theodore lay sprawled out on the floor, looking exhausted but happy. Lupin licked both their faces on last time, then jumped up on the couch and flung himself down across Snape's lap. Snape obligingly scratched behind the wolf's ears, and it growled contentedly. The boys marveled at the sight of Snape smiling down tenderly at the wolf as he scratched behind its ears and stroked its fur. It was getting late, but all four of them felt so content simply to be in each other's presence that they were loathe to leave and break the mood. Snape knew he should send the boys to bed, but he yawned and leaned back against the couch, thinking, {Just a few minutes more...} But by the time those few minutes were up, Snape had fallen asleep, with Lupin snoring contentedly in his lap, and the boys were fast asleep on the living room floor.

Part 6