Aftermaths, Part 9

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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Snape and Lupin were having a cup of tea and enjoying each other's company one morning when an owl arrived with a letter for Snape. Lupin noticed that the envelope was sealed with a blob of blue wax stamped with a stylized Z that resembled a lightning bolt. Snape broke the seal, read the letter, and frowned.

"What's wrong, Severus?" Lupin asked.

"Where is Theodore?" Snape asked, without answering Lupin's question.

Severus looked troubled and a little angry, so Lupin didn't bother trying to coax or tease the information out of him as he would normally have done. "He and Dylan are working in the garden."

"Bring them in here, please."

Severus had just said "please" without any hint of sarcasm or humor; this must be serious. Lupin immediately got up to fetch the boys.

As they walked in, staring at Snape nervously, he held up the letter and asked, "Mr. Nott, would you care to tell me why Mr. Zabini--the elder Mr. Zabini, that is--has asked me to assign his son a new roommate next term?"

Theodore gasped, looking stricken, and Snape regretted being so blunt, but as Lupin had once pointed out, he wasn't very good at being tactful, and there was really no nice way to break this sort of news, after all. "I...I don't know," Theodore stammered. "But...but I suspected, after Blaise's letter, that they didn't want him to see me. I mean, it's kind of odd for his dad not to let him have a day off. I was worried that maybe his parents didn't want him hanging around a Death Eater's son, but I was hoping that I was wrong..."

"You're not going to split up Blaise and Theo, are you?" Dylan asked anxiously.

"What does the letter say?" Lupin asked simultaneously.

Snape chose to answer Lupin first. "Marius was never one to play politics, but he isn't stupid enough to openly insult my foster son. He gives a lot of vague reasons, such as Blaise needing to concentrate more on his studies and not be distracted by friends, and the benefits of learning to associate with people outside of his inner circle of friends, but reading between the lines, I would say that Theodore is correct."

"But--" Theodore began.

"Calm down, Mr. Nott," Snape said in a cool voice, but there was a hint of sympathy in his eyes. "I see no reason to change your current living arrangements; I don't allow the parents to dictate such things to me." {Now that Lucius Malfoy is dead,} he added silently.

"Besides," Dylan pointed out practically, "all the other boys in Theo's age group are the sons of Death Eaters as well."

"Please don't make me room with Crabbe or Goyle," Theodore groaned with a look of exaggerated horror. "Or worse, Malfoy!"

Snape chuckled a little. "No, I don't think that will be necessary. However, I believe that a little chat with Marius Zabini is in order."

"Is that really necessary?" Theodore asked nervously. "Won't it just make things worse?"

"Perhaps we can allay Mr. Zabini's fears," Snape replied. "Or at least make it clear to him that one does not tell the Head of Slytherin what to do."

Theodore looked even more worried, and Lupin said dryly, "Perhaps you should let me do the talking, Severus. We might try tact before you bring out the threats and intimidation."

Snape shrugged. "As you wish, Lupin. Personally, I find threats and intimidation to be far more effective."

"There is a difference between respect and fear, Severus," Lupin said, quoting what Snape had said to Draco during his visit.

Snape scowled and flushed a little. "Fine. But I warn you, you have your work cut out for you. The Zabinis aren't quite as snobbish as the other Slytherin families--mainly because they aren't in a position to look down on others--but they were one of the families who wrote to me protesting about a werewolf being allowed to teach their children."

"Things are different now," Lupin said in a quiet but determined voice. "I'm a hero of the war; the Daily Prophet said so. I don't like exploiting that bit of propaganda, but I will if I have to. And I've been dealing with bigots all my life; I'm not afraid of a few insults."

"Very well," Snape said, regarding his lover with a look of respect; Lupin wasn't really as soft as he appeared to be at times. "I have an appointment with my lawyer the day after tomorrow. You can all come along; Theodore and Dylan ought to meet her, since she's been working on their behalf. Then we can stop by the Zabinis' shop in Diagon Alley." He seemed calmer now that he had decided on a course of action, and gave the boys a nod of dismissal.

"Everything will be all right," Lupin said with a kind and reassuring smile.

Theodore, however, was not reassured. As he and Dylan headed back to the garden, he said gloomily, "Well, that's just great. If Blaise's father starts insulting Lupin, Snape will probably turn him into a toad."

"Yeah, but then Lupin will change him back," Dylan said with a grin.

"It's not funny!" Theodore protested.

"Sorry, Theo," Dylan said soothingly. "I was just trying to cheer you up. Don't worry, everything will work out. Snape's already said that he won't separate you two; the Zabinis can forbid Blaise to see you during the summer, but they can't do anything once you're back in school. And after you guys turn eighteen and graduate--"

"What if they threaten to disown him?" Theodore interrupted, voicing his worst fear. "Would he really choose me over his family?"

"My mother chose my father over her family," Dylan reminded him quietly. "But hopefully it won't come to that."

"I know that all the girls in Slytherin think that story about your parents is the most romantic thing they've ever heard," Theodore said, still looking frantic. "But one of the reasons why they find it so romantic is because it's the kind of thing you read about in books that almost never happens in real life. You grew up in exile, away from all the politics, so I don't know if you realize how much family and carrying on the bloodline means to the purebloods, Dylan. Even if Snape manages to smooth this over now, sooner or later they'll want to arrange a marriage for Blaise, and when they find out about us, they'll hit the roof. Personally, I don't care if the Nott line dies out, but Blaise's parents aren't like mine, and he loves them..."

"He loves you, too, Theo," Dylan said gently. "He won't abandon you. If he wouldn't let the Death Eaters scare him away from you, he certainly won't let his parents come between you."

"But his family--"

"I've met them at the Quidditch matches," Dylan said. "They seem like nice people, and they love him. They might be upset when they find out that you two are lovers, but I don't think they'll disown him over it."

"Are you sure?" Theodore asked, sounding both hopeful and skeptical at the same time.

"Pretty sure," Dylan replied. "They don't strike me as being as stubborn as my grandmother. Uncle Math says she was different when she was younger, but she always seemed cold and hard to me. Not just because of the way she treated my mother, but the way she was able to kill her sons without batting an eye. Blaise's parents aren't like her."

"But they'll still want an heir," Theodore said. "Maybe...maybe if he has to get married, we could still...you know..." That was the way it had been done for hundreds of years, after all: people made political marriages and had heirs of the proper bloodlines to satisfy their families, and discreetly kept lovers of their own choosing on the side. But even the thought of making such an arrangement with Blaise made Theo feel sick; he didn't think he could stand to share Blaise with someone else, and it all seemed so sordid, somehow...maybe some of Lupin's Gryffindor idealism had rubbed off on him.

"Don't be stupid!" Dylan said, sounding angry. "Blaise wouldn't do something like that!"

Theodore felt a peculiar sense of relief at the indignation in his friend's voice. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right, you stupid git," Dylan said, but in an affectionate tone. "He loves you. Don't worry about it. And besides, he has a sister, right?"

"Yeah, Allegra. She's supposed to be starting at Hogwarts next term, I think."

"Well then, the Zabini line won't die out if she has kids someday."

"But she's a girl..."

Dylan shrugged. "So what? The Donner title and the Blackmore title are passed down from mother to daughter. And a woman can inherit the title in other families if there's no male heir available to claim it: Serafina will inherit the Avery estate since her father had no sons."

Theodore wasn't sure that the Zabinis would see it that way, but at least it gave him a little hope--more than if Blaise had been an only child, anyway. Sometimes he envied his foster brother's close relationship with Snape, but right now he was very, very glad that Dylan was here. "I'm really glad that you're my brother now, Dylan."

"Me too," said Dylan. "It was lonely sometimes, out on Uncle Math's estate. None of the villagers would let their children play with me. I loved my mother and Math and Goewin, but I used to wish that I had a brother or sister, and now I do." Dylan teared up a little at the thought of his mother, but he smiled, and Theodore smiled back at him, feeling some of his anxiety ease. "Everything will be all right," Dylan said, and Theodore tried to believe him.
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Two days later, Lupin and the boys followed Snape through the fireplace and emerged in a posh-looking office. A beautiful young woman rose from her desk to greet them; she was clad in sleek, wine-colored robes and her reddish-blonde hair was twisted up in an elegant knot at the back of her head. She smiled at them pleasantly, but there was something in her green eyes that made the wolf in Lupin stir and regard her with a sense of caution. Something about her reminded him of Lukas, although he didn't think that she was a werewolf...and then he realized that the wolf was recognizing a fellow predator, albeit a human one. Despite her pleasant smile, he sensed that she would be a dangerous woman to cross, and Lupin was suddenly very glad that she was on their side.

Snape didn't seem to notice anything amiss, and introduced his family to the woman. "Morrigan, this is my colleague, Remus Lupin, and our foster sons, Dylan Rosier and Theodore Nott. Lupin, Dylan, Theodore...this is Morrigan De Lacy, the lawyer working on our behalf."

"I'm very pleased to finally meet all of you," Morrigan said, still smiling, and shook their hands.

"Morrigan...De Lacy?" Lupin asked, his eyes widening. "Are you by any chance related to--?"

"Augustine De Lacy, the former Head of Slytherin?" Morrigan finished. "Yes, he was my uncle."

"I had no idea...why didn't you tell me that your lawyer was Professor De Lacy's niece, Severus?"

Snape shrugged. "You never asked. Besides, you were neither a Slytherin nor a particularly good Potions student; I didn't think you were especially close to the Professor."

"Besides," said Morrigan with a mischievous smile, "I suspect Severus enjoys catching people off-guard." Snape glowered at her, and Lupin laughed.

The name "De Lacy" nagged at Theodore's memory, and then he remembered a conversation that he had once overheard between his father and Andreas Avery. "Professor De Lacy...he was murdered by Death Eaters, wasn't he?" Theodore asked nervously.

"That is correct," Morrigan replied calmly.

"Then...why are you helping us?"

Morrigan was silent for a long moment, as if taking some time to decide how to reply. "I would not represent just anyone, Mr. Nott. Some of the imprisoned Death Eaters asked me to represent them, and I turned them down. But from what Severus has told me, it seems to me that you and Mr. Rosier are as much victims of the Death Eaters as my uncle was. Nor do I have any particular love for the Ministry; they were not very sympathetic to my family when my uncle was killed. At the time, all Slytherins were regarded with suspicion."

"You seem to get along very well with Severus," Lupin observed, "considering that most people believed he was a Death Eater himself up until recently."

"I never quite knew what to make of Severus," Morrigan said. "Of course I heard all the rumors, but Uncle Augustine always spoke highly of him; I found it hard to believe that he could have had a part in my uncle's death. And he was kind to me when I was a student at Hogwarts."

Lupin, Dylan, and Theodore all stared at Snape with identical looks of open-mouthed shock. Snape glared at Morrigan as if she were an errant student and snapped, "Ms. De Lacy!"

"Well, kind for a Slytherin and suspected Death Eater," Morrigan clarified with a laugh, not seeming to be intimidated by her former Professor. "I was a student when Severus began teaching at Hogwarts, shortly after Uncle Augustine died. He expressed sympathy to me in private, and it seemed to be sincere. As a teacher, he didn't favor me, but he treated me fairly. And he discouraged some of the students from harassing me."

"Oh, you did most of that on your own, Morrigan," Snape said, a small smile of malicious satisfaction playing around the corners of his mouth, although he still looked slightly peeved. "You were quite handy with hexes." He turned to Lupin and said, "Some of the Death Eater sympathizers were verbally harassing her because her uncle had been branded a traitor. And one of the boys tried to...ah...take liberties with her person. She cast a very nasty Stinging Hex upon all the offending parts of the young man's anatomy."

Both Snape and Morrigan grinned widely. Yes, Morrigan De Lacy was definitely not one to cross, Lupin decided. "Let me guess," he said aloud. "You were a Slytherin."

"Of course," Morrigan laughed. "I am a lawyer, after all. That goes without saying."

"After that," Snape continued, "the students left her alone. Particularly once I reminded them that her uncle was a Potions Master with a special talent for poisons. I did promise to do my best to have her sent to Azkaban if she succeeded in murdering any of them, but they didn't seem to find that very comforting."

"Fortunately, they didn't call your bluff," Morrigan said. "Because I didn't inherit my uncle's talent for Potions. I got decent grades in Potions class because I followed the instructions correctly, but I just didn't have that natural feel for it that one must have to become a Master. Uncle Augustine had no children of his own, and I think he was a little disappointed that there didn't seem to be any potential Potions Masters among his nieces and nephews. Which was why he was so pleased when you came along, Severus. He was happy to have a protege to pass his knowledge on to, even if it wasn't one of his own blood. And while I may not be a Potions Master, I am a very good lawyer."

"Indeed you are, Ms. De Lacy," Snape said. "That became apparent to me when you managed to talk Professor McGonagall out of giving you detention when you transfigured one of your harassers into a pig during her class. In fact, by the time you were done, I thought she was going to give you extra points for performing such an advanced spell!"

Lupin chuckled, and the boys looked a little bemused--both at the sight of Snape laughing with a former student, and at the thought of someone being able to talk McGonagall out of handing out a detention.

"Suffice it to say that I was never fully convinced that Severus was a Death Eater," Morrigan said. "Besides what I knew of him from my uncle and my own personal experience, there was the fact that Dumbledore hired him. While the Headmaster has a reputation as a bleeding heart, he isn't a fool. So when I heard that Severus had been working against Voldemort all along, I was relieved, but in hindsight, not surprised."

Lupin smiled tenderly at Snape and said, "So someone besides Albus, Branwen, and myself had faith in you, Severus." Snape just glared at Lupin, feeling rather miffed that his image as the sinister Potions Master and terror of the students at Hogwarts had apparently not been as convincing as he had thought it was.

"It's a good thing she wasn't a Death Eater," he grumbled, "or I'd probably be dead."

"No chance of that," Morrigan said, looking serious now. Then in a brisk tone, she said, "Well, enough reminiscing about the past. Shall we get down to business?" Snape nodded, and Morrigan said, "Please take a seat," indicating the four chairs neatly arrayed in front of her desk. Once they were seated, she took her own seat and picked up a sheaf of papers from the desk. "I have reached a tentative agreement with the Ministry, pending your approval, of course. Regarding Mr. Nott's petition, a fine of one thousand Galleons will be levied against the Nott account at Gringotts, but the Ministry will drop all further claims against the Nott estate, and confirm Theodore as the Nott heir."

"I had expected the fines to be heavier," Snape said, looking a little surprised.

Morrigan smiled in a very smug manner. "I was able to bargain them down, using the Aurors' abuse of authority during the search at Nott Manor as leverage. It could be rather embarrassing for them if that little incident were made public."

"Does the public really care if the Aurors trash a Death Eater's house?" Theodore asked cynically.

"No, but they might care if the Aurors trashed the room and personal belongings of a child, an orphaned boy who rejected his parents' teachings and courageously fought against the Death Eaters at the risk of his own life," Morrigan replied, and Theodore's face turned red. "I apologize, Mr. Nott; I do not mean to make light of your situation," she said in a gentler voice. "I know that you would not exploit your personal losses for sympathy, and that you would not want that incident to become public knowledge. The Ministry doesn't know that, however, and I have no compunctions about using it to shame them into lowering the fine and giving up their claim on your estate."

"I...see," Theodore murmured thoughtfully, the flush fading from his face.

"Of course, your friend Arthur Weasley was urging them to reach an amicable settlement, but he can only push so far without alienating all of his under-Ministers," Morrigan told Snape and Lupin.

"He's not MY friend!" Snape snapped in a waspish voice, and Lupin chuckled.

Morrigan ignored the interruption and continued, "The fine is steep enough that the Ministry will not lose face, but it still leaves a sizable balance in the Nott account, enough to keep up the estate and for Mr. Nott to live on for quite some time, providing he isn't too extravagant."

"I don't want the estate," Theodore said sullenly.

"Yes, Severus mentioned that to me," Morrigan said calmly. "If you wish, I can help you arrange the sale of the estate and mansion when the time comes. However, as you are underage, the estate and the money in your family account will be held in trust for you until you are eighteen. You cannot sell the estate before then, and in any case, I believe it would be in your best interest to wait a year or two. With the current anti-Death Eater sentiment, you would likely only get a fraction of the full market value if you sold it now. But in a year, or two, or three, things will have died down enough that you should be able to get a better price for it."

Theodore shrugged; it didn't matter much to him, as long as he didn't have to live there. "If that's what you think best, Professor," he said to Snape.

"I believe Ms. De Lacy's advice is sound," Snape replied.

"Well then, if you wish to accept the Ministry's offer--and I believe it is the best one we will receive from them..." She paused, waiting for Snape and Theodore to nod their assent. She flipped through the papers she was holding until she came to the last page and continued, "Then please sign here, Mr. Nott. And Severus, you and Professor Lupin need to sign below as his guardians; since he is under eighteen, your consent is required as well."

"Please call me Remus," Lupin said with a smile.

"Then you must call me Morrigan," she replied, smiling back at him.

Snape read through the papers carefully before accepting a quill from Morrigan and signing them. Rather than looking offended, she nodded approvingly. "A true Slytherin trusts no one," she said, then added with a laugh, "and certainly not a lawyer!" Lupin chuckled, and Snape made a noise halfway between a snort and a laugh, then handed the papers over to Theodore and Lupin to sign.

"Now, as for Mr. Rosier's petition," Morrigan said, picking up a second, thicker, stack of papers, "the Ministry is willing to cede the Rosier title and lands to Dylan--providing we do not seek further reparations, namely the money that they took from the Rosier account in Gringotts, which has long ago been spent or funneled into various Ministry accounts. The Rosiers were wealthy, and I estimate that there were at least several thousand Galleons in the account, so this bargain might strike you as somewhat unfair, Mr. Rosier. However, if we fight them in court, they will no doubt bring up the crimes that your father committed as a Death Eater, and the fact that you gave the vampiric roses that were used in the prison break to Voldemort, even though you had no choice in the matter. And they will probably argue that your father never married your mother, so therefore you are entitled to no portion of the Rosier inheritance. A specious argument, since there is ample precedent of an illegimate heir inheriting the family title if no legitimate heir exists, and you are the last living Rosier. In our favor is the fact that the Ministry literally stole the estate from an unborn baby, and believe me, I will play that up as much as possible. But I need to warn you that they will drag your name through the mud if this case goes to trial. On the other hand, if you accept their settlement, you get the estate, which remains untouched by the Aurors, since they were never able to bypass the guardian roses. I have never been inside the Rosier mansion, but most of the wealthy pureblood families keep money and items of value hidden on their estates--particularly the Slytherin families. Paranoia is, after all, a Slytherin trait, and most of them keep a secret stash in case of emergencies. I can't guarantee that such a stash exists in your case, but I am almost certain that it does. I doubt it will be anywhere near as much as was confiscated from Gringotts, but it is still likely to be a tidy sum. And you are of course still heir to your great-aunt's estate, so you will not be penniless regardless of what you do or do not find in the Rosier mansion. I would advise you to accept the settlement, but the decision is yours, Mr. Rosier. Would you like to take some time to think it over and discuss it with your guardians?"

"No," Dylan said, after only a moment's hesitation. "I don't care about the money. I am more than capable of earning a living on my own, and as you said, I am still heir to Uncle Math's and Aunt Goewin's estate. The true value of the Rosier estate to me is that it was my father's home." He turned to Snape. "I don't know if I want to live there, but I would like to go back sometime and see my father's room, see if I can find some family potraits or photographs, see if I can get an idea of what my father and grandparents were like. I don't want to risk losing it over a few thousand Galleons."

"As you wish, Dylan," Snape said, laying his hand on his foster son's shoulder for a moment.

Morrigan handed the papers to Snape. "Then if you'll all sign here, please..."

They signed the papers and handed them back to Morrigan. "Thank you," she said. "I will send them to the Ministry immediately. As soon as I receive the deeds to the estates, and the paperwork confirming Mr. Nott and Mr. Rosier as the heirs to their respective estates, I will forward them to you."

"Thank you, Morrigan," Snape said. "I appreciate everything you've done for us."

Lupin raised his eyebrows at that courteous response, and whispered into his lover's ear, "I may faint with surprise."

"Oh, shut up, Lupin," Snape hissed.

Morrigan politely pretended not to notice. "You're welcome, Severus," she said, extending her hand. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you." Snape shook her hand, and Lupin and the boys thanked her as well, then they left the office and headed for Diagon Alley.

"She seems quite formidable," Lupin told Snape. "I hope you're paying her well."

"She is, and I am," Snape said smugly. "She's a junior partner in the law firm, but she's the best lawyer they have; I wouldn't be surprised if she were running it in a few years. People tend to underestimate her because she's young and female, but I doubt they'll be doing that for much longer."

"It seems her parents chose well when they named her," Lupin said.

"Goddess of War, indeed," Snape laughed.

"How did you come to choose her as a lawyer, Severus?" Lupin wanted to know. "Have you kept in touch with Morrigan over the years?"

"No, not really," Snape replied. "Though since she was my mentor's niece, I kept tabs on her career over the years. And don't forget that I was a Death Eater, and the pureblood wizards spend most of their time gossiping about each other behind their backs. I heard a few things about an upstart young female lawyer, enough to make me want to hire her."

"A lawyer with ethics," Lupin mused. "How astonishing."

Snape let out a little snort of laughter. "You've been hanging around me too long, Lupin; you're starting to sound as cynical as a Slytherin. Morrigan's ethics are rather flexible, as are those of most Slytherins. I won't say that she would never defend a client she knew was guilty, but she does hate the Death Eaters because of what they did to her uncle. No amount of money could ever persuade her to defend one."

"Is that why she agreed to take our case?" Lupin asked. "Because the boys had also been victimized by the Death Eaters? Or perhaps because of your ties to Professor De Lacy?"

"Both of those reasons, I believe--at least in part," Snape replied. "The other part is her quite substantial fee. I assure you that she didn't grant me any discounts for the sake of sentiment."

"A true Slytherin," Lupin said, and they both laughed. Dylan and Theodore also laughed, but exchanged a solemn glance when their guardians weren't looking. They both knew that they owed Snape a great deal, and that he probably would not accept their money if they tried to pay him back for Morrigan's fee when they received control of their estates. They silently resolved to find some other way to return the favor, someday.

 

Part 10