Aftermaths, Part 74

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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Sirius and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley met up with Snape, Lupin, Blackmore, Theodore, Dylan, Harry, Ron, and Ginny at Hogwarts on the night of the dinner party. Molly fussed over her children, straightening Ron's tie and smoothing down a stray lock of Ginny's hair.

"Mum, stop fussing!" Ron complained.

"You want to make a good impression, don't you?" Mrs. Weasley scolded fretfully.

"They look fine, Molly," Professor Blackmore told her.

Mrs. Weasley laughed, looking a little sheepish. "I know, I guess I'm a bit nervous. It's just that when I was a girl, everyone coveted an invitation to one of Lady Selima's parties. I suppose it's foolish, but it all seemed very glamorous to me back then--to dress up and mingle with all the most important people in the wizarding world. And now, after all these years, I've finally been invited to Snape Manor!"

"Believe me, you weren't missing anything," Snape muttered sourly.

"I attended a couple of those parties with my parents when I was a kid, before they disowned me," Sirius said, tugging at the collar of his dress robe. "I found them deadly boring."

"For once, Black, you and I agree on something," Snape said.

"Stop fussing, Sirius," Blackmore scolded.

"This thing chokes me," Sirius grumbled, but stopped fiddling with his collar.

"I don't understand," Harry said. "If the purpose of this party is to show support for Master Bleddri, why isn't he coming, too?"

Mr. Weasley looked uncomfortable, and Blackmore explained, "It wouldn't be proper for the Minister of Magic to show such blatant favoritism towards one of the plaintiffs in an upcoming lawsuit. However, it is acceptable for him to show his support in more subtle ways, such as attending a dinner party given by one of Master Bleddri's allies. And the Minister isn't just supporting Master Bleddri; he's also supporting Lady Selima and the Snape family, who stand to lose prestige and influence by going against pureblood mores by backing a werewolf's claim to the Diggory title."

Professor Blackmore's explanation only made Harry more confused. He understood why Snape, whose lover was a werewolf, might offer his support to Master Bleddri, but he didn't really understand why Snape's mother would do so, even if Bleddri's mother had been her friend, since Draco claimed that Selima Snape was a typical pureblood snob (although he had not phrased it in precisely those words). However, Harry certainly didn't feel like asking Professor Snape about it, particularly when he was looking so grumpy.

Theodore noticed the look of confusion on Harry's face and told him, "Don't worry about it, Potter. You don't need to understand how pureblood politics work in this instance; all you have to do is show up."

"Uh...okay," Harry said, a little reluctantly. Dining with Snape's family was not really his idea of a good time, but when Lupin had asked for this favor, Harry had felt like he couldn't turn him down. Besides, Professor Blackmore had informed both Harry and Sirius in no uncertain terms that they would attend this dinner, despite some grumbling on Padfoot's part. And Ron had glumly told Harry, "If I have to go, you'd better come too and keep me company!"

They went through the Floo to Snape Manor, where an elderly house-elf led them to the dining room. Lady Selima greeted her guests politely, shaking Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's hands and saying how nice it was to see them again, under happier circumstances this time. And she complimented Mrs. Weasley on her robe, which made Mrs. Weasley smile and flush with pleasure, which in turn made Mr. Weasley smile.

"Mum bought it special for this party," Ginny whispered into Harry's ear.

"I had no idea Mum had such a hankering to attend a party at Snape Manor," Ron muttered.

Selima greeted Sirius and Professor Blackmore politely, although she frowned a little at Bane, who was perched on the Professor's shoulder. Apparently she had not intended for Bane to be included in the invitation, but Blackmore almost never went anywhere without her familiar. Then Selima turned to Harry, Ron, and Ginny, and said, "Thank you for coming, Mr. Potter, young Mr. and Miss Weasley. It's a pleasure to meet some of Severus's students." She smiled in a charming way, that looked distinctly odd on a face that so closely resembled Snape's. "I hope my son isn't being too hard on you."

"Uh, no, ma'am," Harry replied, casting a nervous glance Snape's way, and wondered if she had just made a joke. He wondered how Lady Selima could look so much like her son and yet so different at the same time. Her features had been obscured by her veil at the funeral, but now he could see them clearly. She was indeed the same woman Harry had once glimpsed in Snape's memories during his Occlumency lessons--although of course many years older now. If she was Snape's mother, she must be at least in her late fifties, but she looked much younger, and was still very beautiful despite a few strands of gray scattered through her hair (still less than Lupin's), and faint lines around her eyes and mouth. She had the same black eyes as Snape's, cold and piercing, and she also had black hair like her son, but hers looked sleek and shiny while Snape's hair always seemed to look a little lank and greasy. Snape had a hint of his mother's coloring, but while her skin was a warm honey-gold, Snape's was paler, and the touch of gold only made him look sallow and jaundiced. She carried herself with much the same air of arrogance that Snape did, but she somehow managed to look graceful and dignified at the same time, while Snape only looked menacing and ill-tempered.

Speaking of which, Snape was looking rather ill-tempered at this particular moment. "Can we get on with this, Mother?" he asked impatiently. "It's near the end of term, and I have a lot of work to do, not to mention that the boys--that all the students need to study for their end-of-term tests and projects." He gave Harry and Ron a pointed look. "Some more than others."

"Mind your manners, Severus," Selima scolded, in much the same way that Mrs. Weasley scolded her brood when they misbehaved. Ron snickered, then gulped and turned pale when Snape shot a murderous look his way.

They took their seats, and Vorcher served dinner; it was a good thing that Hermione wasn't here to talk about house-elf rights. There was an uncomfortable silence at the dinner table at first, punctuated by awkward bursts of small talk; Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked a little out of their element; Harry, Ron, and Ginny were intimidated by the presence of their Potions teacher; Theodore seemed a little uncomfortable about dining with the Gryffindors, although Dylan outwardly seemed at ease; and Sirius kept fussing with his collar, finally undoing the top few buttons of his robe to loosen it a little. But Lady Selima was as socially adept as her son was not, and managed to draw people out and keep the conversation running smoothly. She chatted with Mr. Weasley about his work at the Ministry, then engaged Mrs. Weasley on two of her favorite subjects: cooking and her children. Selima listened with all evident interest as Mrs. Weasley shared a recipe for Raspberry-Rum Trifle that she had found in Witch Weekly, although Harry couldn't picture the elegant Lady Snape cooking in the kitchen--or reading Witch Weekly, for that matter. Selima also inquired politely about the older Weasley boys, and listened attentively as Molly Weasley talked about how worrisome it was to have Charlie working so far away in Romania with dangerous beasts like dragons, and how nice it was that Percy had settled down with a nice girl, and that she hoped Bill would pop the question to that sweet girl Fleur soon, too.

Selima also talked with Professor Blackmore about her work at Hogwarts, and chatted pleasantly with Sirius about his work in Werewolf Support, despite the fact that Dylan had told Hermione that Lady Selima did not approve of her son's werewolf lover. Theodore and Dylan told her about the Career Fair and the apprenticeships they had been offered. Ron perked up a little and said, "So Dad, what's the deal with flying carpets? I mean, why are they illegal? I don't see what's so bad about a flying carpet when people go around riding brooms all the time. Mister Bashir says it's a conspiracy--"

Mr. Weasley groaned, "So he's gotten to you, too!"

Lady Selima laughed gently and said, "I must apologize to you, Minister, for my cousin's persistence. This issue of the flying carpets has become something of a fixation with him, I'm afraid."

Mr. Weasley sighed. "It's not your fault, Lady Selima. And off the record, I don't really have a particularly strong objection to flying carpets. But that law has in been in place for many years, and getting the Ministry to change its mind about something is rather like pulling teeth."

"I understand, Minister," Selima assured him. "You must pick and choose your battles. It would be unwise to contend with the Ministry over such a trivial matter when you want their cooperation on more important issues--such as, for example, equal rights for nonhumans."

"Exactly!" Mr. Weasley said, looking gratified. Sirius regarded Lady Selima with a bemused look on his face, while Snape merely looked sour and Lupin looked amused.

"And what are your plans for the future, Mr. Potter?" Selima asked Harry with a pleasant smile. "Surely every employer in the wizarding world must be competing for your services."

Harry flushed and said, "Well...uh...I haven't really decided yet, ma'am. I've gotten offers from some Quidditch teams, or I thought maybe I might become an Auror..."

"Yes, it is only natural that you would want to follow in your father's footsteps," Selima said, taking a sip of wine.

"Dad was an Auror?" Harry asked, startled. "Or...do you mean Sirius?"

Sirius smiled warmly at Harry, looking surprised but pleased at the thought of being referred to as Harry's "father". "James wasn't actually an Auror, Harry," he replied. "But he essentially did the work of one, fighting the Death Eaters as a member of the Order of the Phoenix. He and Lily both fought bravely." Sirius blinked, looking a little teary-eyed.

"That is what I meant," Selima clarified. "I apologize if I misspoke."

Harry gave Selima a puzzled look; Snape hated James Potter, but apparently his mother didn't share the same sentiment. Or was Selima only flattering him because she thought of him as someone important, the Savior of the Wizarding World, as Snape often sarcastically referred to him? "I...I had wanted to become an Auror and fight the Death Eaters," Harry said hesitantly. "Only, there are no more Death Eaters now, so it doesn't seem so urgent..."

"There have always been Dark Wizards in this world, for as long as our kind have been in existence," Selima replied calmly. "Although one hopes, by Merlin, that we shall never again see one so strong as Voldemort. But I have no doubt that there will be a continued need for Aurors in the future, even if that need is, as you put it, not quite so urgent as it was before."

"I think I would like to become an Auror," Ginny declared.

"You're certainly on the right track," Lupin said cheerfully. "Your grades in Defense Against the Dark Arts are excellent, and so are your grades in Potions, if I'm not mistaken."

He glanced at Snape, who grudgingly said, "Miss Weasley's grades are adequate."

Lupin grinned and winked at Ginny, saying, "That's high praise coming from Severus," and Snape scowled at him.

"And what about you, Mr. Weasley?" Selima asked Ron politely.

"Well, I dunno," Ron replied with his mouth full, then paused to chew and swallow as his mother glared at him. "If Harry's going to become an Auror, maybe I'll apply, too--if I can pass my N.E.W.T.s, that is."

"And is your ability to pass them in question?" Mrs. Weasley asked sternly.

"No, of course not, Mum!" Ron said hastily. "Or I'd like to try out for a professional Quidditch team, or Charlie said he could get me a job in Romania..."

Mrs. Weasley heaved a long-suffering sigh, and Selima smiled sympathetically. "It's such a trial having just one son," she said as Snape glared at her. "I can't imagine what it must be like to have six to worry about."

"Tell me about it," Mrs. Weasley sighed, then proceeded to describe in detail what a trial her sons were, especially Fred and George. Ron looked so mortified that Harry couldn't help but laugh. Actually, it was a relief that Mrs. Weasley was keeping Lady Selima occupied, because it meant that Harry wasn't required to make small talk. By the time Mrs. Weasley had run out of things to say about her sons, dessert had been served, and soon afterwards, they were thanking Lady Selima for her hospitality and getting ready to leave.

"Oh, and by the way, Severus," Selima called out at the last minute.

"Yes, Mother?" Snape asked warily.

"You will come to stay for the holidays, won't you?" Selima asked casually. "You and Professor Lupin and the boys?"

Snape looked about as thrilled at the prospect as Harry would be to spend Christmas with the Dursleys. "I'm not sure, Mother. I believe the Headmaster is planning to hold a Yule Ball this year--"

"Another one?" Selima asked. "I thought it was normally held in conjunction with the Triwizard Tournament."

"There is no Tournament this year," Snape replied, "but the Headmaster feels it would be appropriate to celebrate, as the war is finally over."

"Perfectly appropriate," Selima said. "But you can stay at Snape Manor and take the Floo back to Hogwarts to attend the Ball."

"That sounds like a good plan," Lupin said cheerfully.

Snape glanced back and forth from his mother to his lover, a trapped look in his eyes. "But the Headmaster may require the services of the teachers to...er...help prepare for the Ball--"

"My, I had no idea that Dumbledore was such a slave driver," Selima said sarcastically.

"I don't believe your services are required, Severus," Lupin informed him helpfully, "except as a chaperone, the night of the Ball. Unless you'd care to join Professors Flitwick and Sprout on the decorating committee."

Snape glared at Lupin. "And perhaps Dylan has other plans," he continued. "Did the Donners want you to visit over the holidays?"

"Of course Dylan can stay with his great-uncle and aunt if he wishes," Selima interrupted. "I don't see how that would prevent the rest of you from coming to Snape Manor."

"Actually, I wanted to spend Christmas with you and Remus and Theodore, since it will be our first Christmas together as a family," Dylan said, and Snape's expression softened a little. "So I would be happy to stay at Snape Manor with you, since Lady Selima has so kindly invited us. But Aunt Goewin and Uncle Math want me to come spend a few days with them after Christmas."

"Very well," Snape sighed in a tone of resignation.

"We'll see you in a couple of weeks then," Lupin said to Selima chirpily as Snape glared at him again, and Harry bit his lip and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, exiting through the fireplace before Snape could catch him laughing.

Back at Hogwarts, Sirius said, "Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," echoing Harry's own thoughts.

"Your mother is a very charming woman, Severus," Mrs. Weasley told Snape.

"Yes," Snape said sourly, "she's very charming when she wants to be--which is generally when she's trying to impress someone among the pureblood elite. But woe betide anyone who has the misfortune to incur her wrath."

"Does that mean we're among the elite now, Dad?" Ron asked excitedly.

Snape looked even more sour than before, and snapped, "That should be obvious, Mr. Weasley! There is no higher position in the wizarding world than Minister of Magic!" He turned his gaze on Harry and added sarcastically, "Except perhaps Savior of the Wizarding World."

"Temper, temper, Severus," Lupin chided gently.

"Yes, people think your father is an important man now," Mrs. Weasley told Ron. "But don't you be letting it go to your head!"

"I have a headache," Snape said sulkily, and stomped off to the dungeon without another word. Lupin grinned and followed him after saying goodnight to Sirius, Blackmore, Harry, and the Weasleys. The Slytherin boys also said goodnight--Theodore politely if without much enthusiasm, and Dylan with his usual smooth charm--and hurried after their guardians.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley returned home, and Ginny and Ron went back to the Gryffindor dorm, but Harry went up to Blackmore's quarters with his godparents to spend a little time with Sirius before he left. Harry looked around and noted that the rooms had the same basic layout as Snape's, a small parlor with adjoining bedroom, although since Blackmore's quarters were located in one of the upper levels of the castle, there was also a window overlooking the school grounds, which Snape's dungeon quarters lacked.

"So what are your plans for the holidays, Harry?" Sirius asked heartily.

"Well, I thought I'd come stay with you at Grimmauld Place, if that's all right," Harry replied, feeling a little confused. Didn't Sirius want him to come home for Christmas?

"Oh, of course!" Sirius said. "What I meant was, what lucky young lady will you be taking to the Yule Ball?" He grinned mischievously and winked at Harry, suddenly looking like a young Marauder once again.

Harry found himself blushing. "Um, well...I took Ginny last year."

"So is there something going on between you and Ginny?" Sirius asked. "She's certainly a very pretty girl; she has spunk, too--much like Lily. Of course, she does seem to have a liking for Snape, but I suppose there's no accounting for taste..."

"Sirius," Blackmore said in a warning tone of voice.

"Well, the thing is," Harry said, still blushing, "we just went to the Ball as friends. I mean, she had just broken up with Dean back then, and I had broken up with Cho and neither of us was seeing anyone, so..." His voice trailed off.

"Well, there wasn't much time for romance, with everything that was going on last year," Blackmore said sympathetically.

Harry nodded gratefully. "Yeah, I was too busy worrying about getting killed by Voldemort to think about girls--" Sirius raised his eyebrows and gave Harry a skeptical look. "Well, mostly," Harry laughed. "I guess maybe I did think about them a little bit."

"Well, now there's plenty of time for romance!" Sirius declared. "So are you going to invite Miss Weasley to the Ball again this year, or has another young lady caught your fancy?" Harry blushed again, but remained silent. "Hmm," said Sirius thoughtfully, "your father was a one-woman kind of man, and I think you take after him, Harry."

"I want to ask Ginny to the Ball," Harry said, his face still feeling hot, and he knew it must be beet-red. "But I think she'll think I'm just asking her as a friend again."

"And you would like to be more than friends?" Sirius asked, and Harry nodded. "Do you think Ginny could think of you as more than a friend?"

"I don't know," Harry replied helplessly. "She used to have a crush on me when she first started Hogwarts, but that was just because I was famous. Now she just treats me almost like I'm one of her brothers--which includes telling me off when she thinks I'm doing something stupid!" He smiled ruefully, thinking of how the younger Ginny used to regard him with awe, but he supposed he preferred her the way she was now.

Sirius chuckled. "Well, your mum used to tell off your dad often enough when they were kids!"

Harry suddenly remembered that Blackmore had mentioned that Sirius had been quite a ladies' man in his younger days. "Hey...Sirius?" he asked hesitantly. "How can you tell if a girl really likes you or not?"

Sirius leaned back against the couch and grinned. "Kiss her," he suggested. "If she kisses you back, it means she likes you; if she slaps you, it means she doesn't."

"Oh, that's very helpful!" Blackmore said sarcastically, as Harry protested, "I can't do that! Come on, Padfoot, be serious!"

Sirius shrugged. "I don't know, Harry. I had a lot of girlfriends in school, but I wasn't serious about any of them."

Blackmore sighed. "I'm afraid that your godfather can't give you very good advice, Harry, because he never really had to pursue the young women at Hogwarts. For the most part, they pursued him."

Sirius smiled tenderly at his wife. "Branwen is the first, and only, woman I've ever really loved."

"Well, how did you tell Professor Blackmore that you liked her?" Harry asked desperately. "I mean, I know you got together after the final battle, but you never said exactly how it happened."

"I kissed her," Sirius said, grinning from ear to ear, "and she didn't slap me!"

"You're a big help!" Harry groaned.

"You're incorrigible," Blackmore told her husband, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. She smiled at Harry and said, "You should just be honest, Harry, and tell Ginny how you feel about her."

"But what if she doesn't feel the same way?" Harry asked. "Won't that make things weird between us?"

"It might, for a little while," Blackmore replied. "But if you care about each other enough, even just as friends, you'll work through it eventually. Your friends Ron and Hermione worked things out, didn't they?"

"You know about that?" Harry asked, startled.

"Well, the entire school was gossiping about it, thanks to the Slytherins who witnessed their argument at Madam Puddifoot's," Blackmore said, looking amused. "But yes, even before that, I could see that Mr. Weasley had feelings for Miss Granger, who in turn had feelings for Mr. Rosier. It took courage for Ron to tell Hermione how he felt, and he shouldn't regret that he did so, even if she did not feel quite the same way about him. Things were awkward between them for awhile, I'm sure, but in the end, they worked it out and their friendship is probably the stronger for it."

"Well, yeah, but--"

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained, Mr. Potter," Blackmore said in a sterner voice. "Look at Remus and Severus, who spent almost twenty years apart because each assumed that the other one did not love him. They nearly destroyed their lives and their chance for happiness together because they were too afraid to tell each other how they felt. Live without regret, Mr. Potter. Don't look back twenty years from now and say, 'what if...?'"

"It's only a date to the Yule Ball," Harry protested weakly, although he knew it was really more than that.

Blackmore smiled and said in a lighter tone, "Come now, Harry, surely facing Miss Weasley can't be as hard as facing the Death Eaters?"

"No," he said glumly, "it's harder."

Both of his godparents laughed, although not unkindly. "Yes, Ginny Weasley certainly is terrifying!" Sirius teased, and Harry had to smile a little. "Well, Harry, if you don't want to come right out and pledge your undying love to her, I think you can let her know in more subtle ways."

"Such as?" Harry asked.

"Oh, you know," Sirius said, gesturing vaguely. "Tell her how pretty she looks, steal a flower from the greenhouse for her, suggest you go for a stroll together along the lake. If she feels the same way about you, I can almost guarantee that you'll know it pretty soon. But if it seems to make her uncomfortable and she starts making up excuses not to be alone with you, then it probably means that she just wants to be friends, and you can back off with no harm done to your pride."

"I think you should skip the 'stealing a flower from the greenhouse' part, though," Blackmore said dryly. "Unless you want Professor Sprout to give you detention. And I still think the direct approach is best."

"Well, thanks for the advice," Harry said, a bit evasively, not saying whose advice he intended to follow. Blackmore was probably right, but Harry didn't think he had enough courage to try the direct approach, and Sirius had a lot of experience with women, so he probably knew what he was talking about. Harry suddenly recalled the many times that Snape, Lupin, and Blackmore had accused Sirius of being immature, and tried to push those thoughts out of his mind. "Um...it's getting late, so I should probably head back to the dorm."

"Goodnight, dear," Blackmore said, and kissed him on the cheek. Bane croaked, looking a little jealous, the way he usually did when his mistress showed affection to anyone but him.

"Goodnight, Harry," Sirius said, giving his godson a hug. Then he winked and whispered, "Let me know how things go with Ginny, okay?"

Harry flushed again, feeling like his cheeks must be permanently stained red by now. "Okay," he said, and fled in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.

Sirius closed the door, chuckling and shaking his head. "Maybe he doesn't take after his dad, after all. I can't remember Prongs ever being that shy and awkward around girls."

"No, he was just loud and obnoxious," Branwen replied with a wry smile. "Personally, I prefer Harry's naivete. He hasn't had much of a childhood, Sirius. In some ways, he's had to take on the responsibilities of an adult at a very young age, and in others, he's still a child, socially behind his peers."

"I know," Sirius sighed, his smile fading, and he wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her close. "He's never really had a chance to just be a kid, the way James and I did. We can't return those lost years to him, but maybe we can make it up to him, a little. We can help him enjoy his last year at Hogwarts, and...maybe we shouldn't rush him into choosing a career. I mean, he should take his N.E.W.T.s, of course, but he doesn't have to look for a job right after graduation. He could take a year off to just enjoy himself. He could hop on Buckbeak and take a trip around the world, maybe visit Charlie in Romania." He knew that Branwen didn't really approve of students being idle and goofing off, so he added coaxingly, "It would broaden his horizons, be a learning experience for him..."

"You don't have to convince me, Siri," Branwen said with a smile, much to her husband's surprise. "Harry seems a bit unsure of his future plans. Perhaps he should take some time to get settled and decide what he really wants, rather than just taking the first opportunity that comes along, or doing what everyone expects him to--like following in his father's footsteps." Sirius kissed her soundly, and Branwen laughed, a wicked gleam glinting in her green eyes. "Of course, that doesn't mean that he needs to remain idle. He can continue his studies informally--Blackmore Manor has a library nearly the equal of the one at Hogwarts. He could try his hand at different things, perhaps volunteer at the clinic. Or perhaps we could arrange for him to study in Japan for a few months with Severus's friends--"

Sirius cut her off with another kiss. "Or perhaps," he suggested gently, "we could just let Harry decide what he wants to do, and if necessary, make his own mistakes and learn from them--as you and I did."

Branwen blinked, looking startled. "Why...that's actually very wise of you, my dear. It seems you have grown up, after all."

"I'm not a little boy anymore, Professor," Sirius laughed, then gave her a lascivious grin and waggled his eyebrows in a way that was much more comical than lewd. "Want me to prove to you just how much I've grown up?"

Bane croaked sullenly as the laughing couple retreated into the bedroom and closed the door behind them.

 

Part 75