Phoenix Reborn 3

Things were going fairly well for Dylan Rosier. To his relief, Draco said nothing more about Voldemort or the Death Eaters, although he did show Dylan some curses and hexes his father had taught him. Dylan pretended to be impressed, and did not mention that his mother had already taught him those very same spells years ago.

On the other hand, Dylan was bored out of his mind in Defense Against the Dark Arts class. All they did was read from a textbook; they weren't allowed to practice any spells at all. Of course he wasn't stupid enough to mouth off to Professor Umbridge, as Harry Potter apparently had, but Draco overheard him complaining in the Slytherin dorm, and told him to keep his mouth shut and not make any waves. He hinted, in that smugly superior way of his, that it was all part of a bigger plan. "You may be bored now," Draco said, "but things will get exciting soon enough, just you wait and see! There are going to be a lot of changes to Hogwarts in the future--changes that will benefit Slytherin." But he refused to say anything specific about what those changes might be.

Meanwhile, Dylan continued his semi-clandestine friendship with Hermione. He met her for a S.P.E.W. meeting in a deserted corner of the library, and to his delight, they were the only ones there, since Weasley and Potter were too busy with getting caught up on their homework to attend.

"What a beautiful ring, Dylan!" Hermione said, as she caught sight of the ring Ariane had given him for his birthday.

He beamed proudly. "It belonged to my father; my mother said I was old enough to wear it now."

Hermione seemed a bit taken aback, but to her credit, she made no comments about Death Eaters, and merely smiled--if a bit nervously--and said, "Well, it's really lovely, and very clever. I've never seen a stone cut like that, to resemble a flower."

"Thanks." He smiled back and changed the subject. "I talked to my Uncle Math over the summer about S.P.E.W."

"Great! What did he say?"

"He said he agrees with you in principle, but the situation is more complicated than you think. Now don't scowl at me, Hermione; I'm just telling you what my uncle said. Will you hear me out first before you say anything?"

"All right," she said reluctantly. "I suppose that's only fair."

"Well, first of all, he says the reason that house-elves are bound in servitude has to do with a balance of power. The elves have a great amount of inherent magical ability; that means that they don't have to learn to cast spells the way wizards do. They're born knowing how to do magic, the way a bird just knows how to fly, or a fish knows how to swim. But Uncle Math says power never comes without a price; the price they pay for their magic is that they can only use it to serve others. That's sort of nature's way of keeping things in balance, keeping them from abusing their powers and becoming too powerful." Dylan snickered. "Can you imagine a horde of house-elves running amok and taking over the world?"

"That's not funny, Dylan!" Hermione said indignantly. "It's not fair to enslave them just because they MIGHT abuse their powers! There are no checks and balances on human wizards; look at Vol..." She stuttered a little over Voldemort's name as Dylan went pale, and quickly changed it to, "...You-Know-Who."

"Well, the Ministry of Magic is supposed to be keeping us wizards in line." Hermione rolled her eyes, and Dylan smiled. "Yes, well, I suppose they're not always very effective. Anyway, Math says he agrees with you, that house-elves shouldn't be enslaved, or at the very least, their masters shouldn't be allowed to abuse them. But he says things have to be done gradually; you can't just up and free them all at once. For one thing, most of them don't want to be freed."

"Dobby did!"

"Dobby is an aberration. Have you talked to any of the Hogwarts house-elves?" Hermione nodded. "Did any of them want to be freed?"

"No, but that's because they've been brainwashed--"

Dylan repressed a sigh and said patiently, "Yes, and you can't undo that brainwashing overnight. If you tore them away from the households they serve, they'd be lost and unhappy."

"Like Winky," Hermione murmured, then said out loud, "So are we just supposed to sit back and do nothing?"

"Uncle Math says that you--I mean, we--have to take things slowly and lead by example. Treat the house-elves kindly, and try to persuade others to do so."

"That doesn't seem like much," Hermione said dubiously.

"He says he would like to see legislation passed that would make it a crime to abuse a house-elf, but most of the wizarding world is opposed to it. They see the elves as their property, and anyway it would be hard to enforce, since an elf isn't likely to file a complaint against its master."

"That's an excellent idea!" said Hermione, her eyes lighting up. "Of course, we'll still work for complete freedom, but that's a place to start! We'll write letters, start a petition--"

"Uh, the Ministry of Magic isn't likely to listen to a couple of kids," Dylan said nervously. Maybe he shouldn't have brought it up--there was no way he could put his name on such a petition without getting into trouble with Malfoy and Slytherin House. "When we become adults, and perhaps have some political influence--"

"There are elves being oppressed right now!" Hermione said. "They can't wait around for five or ten years!"

"They've waited this long already," Dylan muttered. "A few more years won't kill them."

Hermione ignored him. "I'm starting a petition and letter-writing campaign! Maybe you can ask your uncle which wizards and Ministry members might be sympathetic to our cause."

"All right," Dylan agreed, relieved that she wasn't asking him to take a more visible role in her "cause".

"And some elves DO want to be freed, because I've been knitting clothes for the elves and leaving them in Gryffindor Tower, and someone's been taking them!"

"Really?" Dylan asked skeptically, and Hermione nodded emphatically. He hadn't heard of any elves leaving Hogwarts, and he suspected the clothes were just being thrown away, but she looked so happy that he decided not to say anything and spoil her pleasure. She probably wouldn't believe him anyway.

"I'm going to go and get started right away!" Hermione said enthusiastically as she rose from her seat. "I really appreciate your help, Dylan; you're the only one who really believes in what we're doing. Even Ron and Harry aren't really that interested. So thank you." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, then blushed and hurried out of the library.

Dylan just sat there, stunned, for a moment, then reached up and touched his cheek with one hand. A grin slowly spread across his face, and he murmured to himself as he looked down at his ring, "I guess I have your touch with the ladies, Dad."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Harry had reluctantly agreed to consider Hermione's idea of teaching an unofficial Defense Against the Dark Arts class. "But I doubt anyone except you two would want to be taught by me. I'm a nutter, remember?"

"Well, I think you might be surprised how many people would be interested in hearing what you've got to say," Hermione said.

They had a weekend trip to Hogsmeade coming up, and Harry agreed to meet with the people Hermione had sounded out. She said a little hesitantly, "I wonder...what do you think about asking Dylan Rosier to join us?"

"Are you out of your mind, Hermione?!" Ron shouted. "Not only is he a Slytherin, he's a Death Eater!"

"His father, whom he never even met, was a Death Eater," Hermione corrected. "I don't think Dylan is one himself. He's a member of S.P.E.W., after all, and no self-respecting Death Eater would ever work to free house-elves from slavery!"

Ron just grunted. He didn't like or trust Dylan Rosier, but he still couldn't figure out why Dylan had joined S.P.E.W. "He doesn't need any lessons in the Dark Arts," Ron said sourly. "He probably knows more than all of us put together."

"I'm not teaching Dylan Rosier," Harry said flatly. "I don't trust him."

"Has he ever done anything to you?" Hermione demanded. "Has he ever once been rude to you?"

"No," Harry admitted. "But he hangs around with Draco Malfoy--"

"I've already explained to you that he's afraid Draco will get him kicked out of Hogwarts if--"

"It doesn't matter whether he's really Draco's friend or not," Harry interrupted. "We can't take the chance of Malfoy finding out! Even if Dylan's all right, we can't take the chance that he might let something slip by accident, or that one of the Slytherins might follow him to our meetings!"

Hermione argued halfheartedly awhile longer, but Harry refused to change his mind. "I suppose you're right," she sighed. "I'm sure Dylan wouldn't betray us, but it would get both him and us in trouble if any of the Slytherins found out."

"Slimy git," Ron muttered under his breath.

"What was that, Ron Weasley?!"

"Nothing."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Things continued to go well for Dylan. Three members of the Slytherin Quidditch team had graduated last year, so Dylan decided to try out for one of the open slots. Crabbe and Goyle became the new Beaters, and Dylan won the Chaser position. Draco made out that he had put in a good word for Dylan, but Dylan knew that he'd earned the spot. Although he was new at the sport, he was an excellent flyer and learned quickly. In fact, he had to restrain himself a bit, to keep from looking too good and showing up Draco. He knew he would make a better Seeker than Draco, but this was how the game was played in Slytherin House: politics counted for more than talent. Still, he was happy to have made the team at all--and even happier when he found out that not only would Uncle Math and Aunt Goewin be attending Slytherin's first match against Gryffindor, but his mother was coming as well! It was the first time Ariane had been allowed off the estate since Dylan was born; he resolved to play well and make her proud of him.

Draco had come up with an idea that was sure to help them win. Ron Weasley, the new Gryffindor Keeper, was inexperienced and insecure, and became flustered whenever the Slytherin spectators taunted him. So Draco had made up the "Weasley Is Our King" song, and made up crown-shaped badges engraved with the song title for all the Slytherins to wear. Dylan was a little impressed; he had no idea that Draco could be so creative. It made him a little uneasy, though. He felt no pity for Weasley, who looked at Dylan like he was scum and had told all his Gryffindor friends that Dylan was a Death Eater's son, but he knew Hermione would be upset when she heard the song. Dylan just hoped that she wouldn't blame him for it.

The game was going well; Dylan had made some nice passes, and Weasley completely lost it when the Slytherins started singing:

Weasley cannot save a thing
He cannot block a single ring,
That's why Slytherins all sing:
Weasley is our King.

Weasley was born in a bin,
He always lets the Quaffle in,
Weasley will make sure we win,
Weasley is our King.

Weasley made the song a reality, letting Slytherin score three goals. It looked like Slytherin was going to win, but then Potter dived and grabbed hold of the Snitch; Malfoy missed it by just a few inches. The Gryffindor spectators roared, the Slytherins booed, and then--

WHAM! Crabbe hurled a Bludger into Potter's back, and he flew off his broom. Dylan felt a quick stab of malicious pleasure, but silently cursed Crabbe nonetheless. The idiot would probably lose Slytherin points and gain himself detention.

Draco landed beside Potter, white-faced with fury, and sneered, "Saved Weasley's neck, haven't you? I've never seen a worse Keeper...but then he was 'born in a bin'... Did you like my lyrics, Potter?"

Potter turned away, and Draco continued to taunt him. Dylan landed nearby; he had a sinking feeling in his stomach that told him something bad was going to happen. "--We couldn't fit in 'useless loser' either--for his father, you know--"

Fred and George Weasley turned towards Malfoy. Angelina Johnson, the Gryffindor captain, grabbed Fred by the arm saying, "Leave it, Fred, let him yell, he's just sore he lost, the jumped-up little--"

Dylan didn't like the look in the older Weasleys' eyes, and both boys were considerably larger than Dylan and Draco. He placed a hand on Draco's shoulder and whispered nervously, "Draco, you've made your point, ease up--"

Draco angrily shrugged off Dylan's hand and sneered, "--but you like the Weasleys, don't you, Potter? Spend holidays there and everything, don't you? Can't see how you stand the stink, but I suppose when you've been dragged up by Muggles, even the Weasleys' hovel smells okay--"

The Gryffindor team members were fighting to hold Fred and George back; Madam Hooch was too busy berating Crabbe to notice. Dylan whispered urgently, "Draco, please, enough already! Pretty soon they won't be able to hold the Weasleys back, and the term 'Beaters' will take on a whole new meaning!" He grabbed Draco's arm and began pulling him back.

Draco let Dylan pull him away, but turned back one last time to say, "Or perhaps you can remember what YOUR mother's house stank like, Potter, and Weasley's pigsty reminds you of it--"

In the next instant, Potter and George Weasley were charging at Malfoy. Dylan decided that retreat was the better part of valor, and sprinted off to get Madam Hooch. Let Draco fight his own battles; Dylan didn't intend to get beat up for Draco's sake, and he didn't have his wand on him. Besides, casting hexes even in self-defense might get him expelled.

Madam Hooch broke up the fight; she was furious, and sent the two Gryffindor boys to see their Head of House, and Draco to the hospital wing. Later that evening Dylan learned that Potter, George Weasley, and Fred Weasley--who hadn't been part of the brawl, though no doubt would have been if he hadn't been held back--were permanently banned from playing Quidditch.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Malfoys hurried off to the hospital wing to see their son; Narcissa looked concerned, while Lucius just looked annoyed. Ariane was pleased to see them go; she had not forgotten Lucius's impromptu visit over the summer, though of course he had said nothing about it when they met in the Slytherin section of the stands. He had merely greeted Ariane, Mathias, and Goewin with icy politeness, and Math had responded with an equally cold and proper greeting; neither of the men had forgotten that they had fought on opposite sides of the war, and they both despised each other. Math had forgiven Ariane, but she was family, and Lucius was not; and besides, she suspected that her uncle blamed Lucius for getting Ariane and Evan involved with Voldemort in the first place, which was certainly true enough.

She wanted to talk to Severus without Malfoy listening in on them; things couldn't have worked out better if she had planned them herself. Though of course it would have been nice if Dylan's team had won. But still, Draco Malfoy had done her a favor by getting himself attacked by the Potter and Weasley boys. She shook her head slightly; could sly, cunning Lucius Malfoy really have sired such a little idiot? It must be Narcissa's influence; from what Dylan had said, it seemed that she spoiled the brat rotten.

"Mother!" shouted Dylan, running up to his family as they exited the stands. "Uncle Math! Aunt Goewin! Did you see me play?"

Ariane hugged her son and kissed him, and was pleased that he didn't pull away in embarrassment as some of the other children were doing as their mothers greeted them. "Yes I did; you were wonderful, Dylan!"

"We lost, though," he said, looking a little crestfallen.

"You played well," said Goewin, stepping forward to give him a hug. "You did your best, that's what counts. Though I must say that your teammates showed a very distinct lack of sportsmanship."

"Slytherins hate to lose," Ariane said lightly.

"Sometimes defeat strengthens us more than success," Math said gravely, then smiled at his great-nephew. "But I'm very proud of you, Dylan, for the way you kept your head and tried to defuse the situation."

Dylan smiled and accepted another round of hugs and kisses from his family.

Severus Snape had come down from the teacher's section of the stands to talk with the parents of his students. He looked as pale and sour as he had when Ariane had last seen him, but he looked as if he had aged more than the fourteen years that had actually passed. There were deep lines carved into his face--mostly on his forehead and around his mouth, as if from frowning too much, but it was more the bitterness in his eyes that made him look older than he really was. Eventually he worked his way over to the Donners.

"Thank you for looking after Dylan, Professor Snape," Math said in a formal manner, but not as coldly as he had spoken to Lucius Malfoy.

"You're welcome, Mr. Donner," Snape said, but he looked as though he were performing a tedious duty that he couldn't wait to get over with.

"Hello, Severus," Goewin said politely. She had known him at Hogwarts, though not very well, having been a year older, in a different House, and had left school early to study with Math.

"Goewin," Snape said, giving her a curt nod.

"Dylan speaks very highly of you," Goewin said pleasantly, and Dylan smiled nervously.

Snape's eyes and voice remained cold and indifferent, but he said, "Dylan is a good student; he was the top-ranked third-year among all the Houses last term. He is quiet, respectful, and knows how to follow instructions." He scowled as his eyes flickered over to the Gryffindor stands. "Which is more than I can say for some of my other students." Dylan's jaw dropped at his teacher's unexpected compliment, and Snape frowned at him. "Close your mouth, Mr. Rosier," he said coolly. "Unless you want to appear to be as witless as Mr. Goyle." Dylan hastily closed his mouth.

"As Head of Slytherin," Math said, "I hope you will discipline your students. The conduct of some of them during today's match was quite disgraceful."

"Yes, yes," Snape said in a dismissive tone of voice. "Mr. Crabbe isn't very bright, I'm afraid, but he has already been given detention."

"It wasn't just the boy who threw the Bludger, but the Malfoy child--" began Goewin.

"Potter and Malfoy are always arguing," Snape said, giving her a cold look. "Simple schoolboy rivalry. And it was Potter and Weasley who physically attacked my student, not the other way around."

"And that horrible song--"

"Yes, that was somewhat...unusual," said Snape, his black eyes still unreadable. "However, there is nothing against it in the rule book."

"It was a personal attack against the Gryffindor Keeper!" Goewin said, sounding outraged. "Are you telling me that you condone that kind of behavior, Severus?"

Snape shrugged. "As I said, it's not against the rules. Far be it from me to discourage creativity in my students. Besides, I've seen far worse heckling at professional Quidditch matches."

"This is not a professional match!"

Snape gave Goewin an almost amused look, as Dylan anxiously looked back and forth from his great-aunt to his teacher. "You always were tenderhearted, Goewin. But I don't believe in coddling my students. They shouldn't get used to people always treating them fairly or catering to their sensitive little egos, or they won't be prepared for life once they enter the real world as adults."

Goewin spluttered with indignation, and Ariane leaned over and whispered, "Let it go, Goewin. You'll never get Severus to agree with you."

Math said calmly, "Professor Snape has a point, my dear. I believe he wishes to teach his students to be strong enough to survive in the 'real world'." Snape looked surprised, but nodded slowly, giving Math a suspicious look. "But I believe that strength should always be tempered with compassion."

Snape just stared at him silently for a moment, then said, "Well, it has been a pleasure talking with you," although his tone said the exact opposite. "But I'm afraid I have to speak to some of the other parents." He gave them a brusque nod and walked off.

Dylan chattered happily with his family for a few minutes, then Professor Flitwick came over and greeted Ariane cheerfully, as if she had never stood trial as an accused Death Eater. He praised Dylan's progress, then got absorbed in a conversation with Goewin--who had been one of his Ravenclaw students at Hogwarts--and Math. Ariane took advantage of the distraction to slip off and find Severus. Dylan saw her go, but she motioned for him to stay behind, and he obeyed without question. She smiled to herself; he really was a good boy, much better behaved than Malfoy's son!

Snape had apparently finished talking with his students' families, and was heading across the field, back to the castle. "Severus!" Ariane called after him.

Snape turned, looking a little startled, then said, "Oh, hello Ariane," with a considerable lack of enthusiasm in his voice.

"May I speak with you for a moment?"

"If you must," Snape sighed.

Ariane smiled at him, not at all put off by his rudeness; she was used to it. "I just wanted to thank you for all you've done for Dylan."

"You need not thank me, Ariane," Snape replied coolly. "I have done nothing for him that I would not have done for any of my students."

A sudden leap of intuition she'd had last summer had given her an idea of how she might apply some leverage against him. Ariane had written to some of her old Ravenclaw friends who had not completely turned their backs on her, probing for information. She had worded her letters very carefully to keep from arousing any suspicions, and it was only natural that she would be interested in Hogwarts gossip (and especially gossip about the Head of Slytherin) since Dylan was going to school there now, and had been sorted into Slytherin. She had received little useful information, but two things had stood out regarding Severus: one, his bias against Gryffindor in general and Harry Potter in particular; and two, a hatred bordering on obsession towards Remus Lupin. "The Potter boy looks much like his father, don't you think?"

Snape scowled. "Yes, I suppose so."

"A very talented player; it's a pity James isn't around to see him."

"Yes," Snape said sourly. "A real pity."

The old dislike for James was still there, but his reaction was not as strong as might be expected. One theory tested, one more to go. Ariane said in a deliberately casual tone of voice, "By the way, how is Remus Lupin doing these days?"

Snape stopped in his tracks and said sharply, "How would I know?" For just a moment, a frantic look appeared in his black eyes, then was quickly replaced by his usual cold indifference. But it was too late, because Ariane had already seen it.

{Aha!} she thought gleefully. Aloud, she said innocently, "Wasn't he teaching here at Hogwarts?"

"Two years ago!" snapped Snape. "He left before Dylan started school; he was exposed as a werewolf, you know. None of the parents wanted a monster teaching their children!"

"So you haven't kept in touch with him, then?"

"Why on earth would I want to keep in touch with a werewolf?!" snarled Snape. "And a shabby, sneaky, arrogant little git of a Gryffindor werewolf at that!"

Ariane smiled and thought to herself, {To misquote Shakespeare, methinks the Professor doth protest too much!} Still in that casual, innocent voice, she said, "I had heard you had gotten to be friendly with him; my mistake."

"Who told you that?!" asked Snape, his deep voice suddenly turning shrill.

Ariane shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Just some gossip I heard; like most gossip it appears to be false. Don't worry about it."

"People are gossiping about me and Lupin?!" Snape demanded in a horrified voice. His eyes were definitely looking frantic again.

"Perhaps I misunderstood," Ariane said. "Maybe I was thinking of the old days--you and Lupin were almost friendly at one time, weren't you? Back in fifth year, when you were both working on projects for Blackmore and the Headmaster?"

"We were NOT friendly!" howled Snape, spit flying from his mouth.

Ariane was enjoying herself immensely. "All right, Severus, calm down! It's just some silly gossip; don't take it so seriously." She let him fume and fret a few moments longer, then said, "I'm very worried about Dylan, Severus."

"What?" he asked, still distracted by Ariane's "gossip".

"He's very young," Ariane continued, "and I'm afraid there are people who might be trying to get him involved in things he is not yet ready for." She had Snape's full attention now, and he was looking at her warily. "People like the Malfoys." She saw Snape's eyes widen and fill with comprehension, and Ariane said in a smooth voice, "I know as Dylan's Head of House, that you'll protect him, Severus. I know you won't let anything happen to your old friend's son."

Snape was staring at her in horror. "Of...of course not," he stuttered.

"Thank you, Severus," Ariane said. She reached up and patted him on the cheek. "And don't worry about that silly gossip; I won't say anything. I know you would be embarrassed if people started spreading foolish rumors about you."

Ariane turned away without another word and started back towards the stands, before Math grew suspicious of her absence. She knew that threatening Severus like this was a calculated risk--provoking a Death Eater was always dangerous. However, bargaining with Severus was still less risky than openly defying Lucius Malfoy. And Evan had once said that Severus did not like to get his hands dirty, leaving the actual killing to other Death Eaters, so she thought he would probably keep his end of the bargain as long as she kept hers.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Snape just stood there staring at Ariane as she headed back to the stands. {She just blackmailed me!} his mind gibbered in fear. {How the hell did she find out about me and Lupin?! She's been stuck on her family's estate for fourteen years; how can she be hearing "gossip" that I haven't even heard?!} Snape was sure that if rumors had been floating around about himself and Lupin, he would have heard something by now, and that he would have been able to detect a change in Lucius Malfoy's attitude towards him. {Damn Ariane, that conniving bitch!}

{She's only trying to protect her son,} Snape's inner voice said quietly, which made Snape stop to think. Why was Ariane threatening him now? It wasn't like her to do something so blatant. The answer was clear: Malfoy must have threatened Dylan somehow--probably hinted that he expected Dylan to join the Death Eaters. But he was young for that...although Malfoy had taken them to secret meetings while they were still in school, Snape and his friends had not taken the Mark till they turned eighteen and graduated from Hogwarts. Snape had done his best to try and steer Voldemort's attention away from Dylan, to insinuate that he was still too young and green to join the ranks of the Death Eaters. But had the Dark Lord said something to Malfoy? And if Malfoy was recruiting Dylan behind Snape's back, then that meant the Dark Lord still did not fully trust Snape. And did that mean that Snape's other students were in danger as well, or did the Dark Lord want Dylan in particular for some special purpose?

Snape groaned and headed back to the castle. How was he going to keep Dylan out of Voldemort's hands? And if Malfoy ever found out that Lupin was Snape's lover...Snape shuddered. He really wished he knew how Ariane had found out--or perhaps just guessed at--the truth, so he could take steps to prevent anyone else from learning his secret. {Damn you, Ariane!} he thought sourly. {You didn't have to threaten me; I would have protected him anyway!} But at least the fact that she had threatened him meant that Ariane probably did not want Dylan to become a Death Eater, which came as a bit of a surprise to Snape. The boy's cool, composed manner and the polite mask he always wore made Snape suspect that Dylan was hiding something--most likely a knowledge of the Dark Arts and an ambition to follow in his father's footsteps. On the other hand, if Ariane truly wished to protect Dylan, she should have gone directly to her uncle Mathias, and perhaps to Dumbledore, which made Snape suspect that she was trying to play it both ways: she didn't want to subject her son to the dangers of life as a Death Eater, but she was unwilling, or perhaps simply afraid to completely sever ties with Voldemort and his followers. Which put Snape in the very awkward position of having to keep Dylan safe without jeopardizing his status as a double agent.

He needed to talk to the Headmaster, but he stopped by his office first to pick up a tonic to ease the massive headache that he felt coming on. Snape had just drank the tonic--which eased the throbbing in his head, but did nothing to loosen the knots of fear in his stomach--when he heard a knock at the door. "Come in," he called.

Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy walked in, and Snape bit back a groan and forced himself to smile. "Hello, Lucius, Narcissa. How is Draco doing?"

"He'll survive," Lucius said coolly.

"That Potter boy is a monster!" Narcissa said indignantly. "And that Weasley brat as well, whichever one he is--I can't tell all those red-headed brats apart! They could have killed my poor Draco!"

"I'm sure they'll be punished, Narcissa," Snape said in a soothing tone.

Lucius smiled maliciously. "Dumbledore has been soft on the Gryffindors, but things will be different now, with Umbridge as High Inquisitor. The old man's days are numbered, I would say." He laughed, and Snape joined in. "By the way, Severus, did you happen to speak to Ariane Donner?"

Snape forced himself to stay calm and show no emotion. "Yes," he said in an indifferent tone. "She was rather guarded, though, since her uncle was with her."

"What did she say?"

Snape knew that a half-truth always sounded more convincing than an outright lie. "She asked me to continue to look after Dylan, for Evan's sake."

Lucius looked thoughtful. "And how is young Mr. Rosier coming along?"

Snape shrugged. "Well enough. He gets good marks in all his classes, and he's quite adept at Potions. But, like his mother, he is very guarded; it's very hard to tell what he's thinking."

Lucius said, with just a hint of impatience in his smooth voice, "Surely by now, Severus, you must have gotten some idea if he...takes after his father."

"He is much more cautious than Evan ever was," Snape replied. "Probably because he's afraid of being expelled if he steps the slightest bit out of line."

"I think we can prevent that, with Umbridge on our side," Lucius said with a smirk.

"Good," Snape said coolly. "I'll attempt to reassure him of that--subtly, of course. I have told him a few stories of his father's schoolboy escapades, and he seemed to enjoy that." Lucius nodded approvingly. "I will of course continue to...steer him in the right direction, shall we say? But it will take some time to win his trust, and...ah...make him a worthy candidate to take his father's place. He is still very young, after all."

"Not so young, Severus. You were only a year or so older when I first introduced you to our old comrades. And our ranks have thinned over the years; we need new blood."

Snape bowed his head. "I'll do my best, Lucius."

"I'm sure you will, Severus," Lucius said with a smile. He turned to his wife, holding out his arm in a gallant manner, and said, "Come along now, dear, we must be going."

Narcissa laid her hand on her husband's arm, but looked back at Snape as they headed towards the door. "Please look in on Draco, Severus, I'm still worried about him--"

"For heaven's sake, Narcissa," Lucius said impatiently, "it was just a bloody nose and a few bruises!"

"I'll stop by the hospital wing to check on Draco," Snape said.

"He'll be in the dorm; Pomfrey's sending him back after she patches him up," Lucius said, pulling his wife out of the office.

"Then I'll look in on him a little later," Snape said calmly. "I must go to the Headmaster now to discuss Potter and Weasley's punishment."

"And make sure you keep those horrible boys away from him!" Narcissa called out as she and Lucius left.

{If you're so concerned about your son,} Snape thought, {why can't you see that the Dark Lord is a much bigger threat to his safety than Potter and Weasley?}
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lucius Malfoy sat in a private room at the Leaky Cauldron, sipping a glass of brandy. The door opened and Gwydion Donner walked in, followed by his twin brother Gilbert. Gwydion was scowling fiercely and held his wand up, as if expecting an attack.

Lucius smiled and said, "Put that away, Gwydion. As you can see, I'm unarmed." He set down his glass and held up his empty hands. Gwydion tucked his wand into his belt, but made a show of keeping his right hand near the wand. "Please have a seat, gentlemen. Would you care for a drink?"

"I'm not interested in socializing with you, Malfoy," Gwydion said curtly. "Let's just cut to the chase, shall we? You claimed to have some information that would benefit me and my brother. Though I don't know how I can trust the word of a Dark Wizard."

Malfoy took no apparent offense at the insult, and continued to smile pleasantly. "Very well. It has come to my attention that your Aunt Goewin has named Dylan Rosier as her heir."

Gwydion looked startled, then quickly covered up his surprise with a sneer. "I suppose Ariane told you that! I knew she was a Death Eater all along, just like her good-for-nothing Slytherin lover!"

"Actually," Lucius said calmly, "I heard it from my Ministry sources. You must be very upset, that your Uncle and his little trophy wife have chosen to bypass you in favor of...what is the term you like to use...that Death Eater's spawn?" Gwydion's face turned red as he fumed in anger. "And the Donner lands are passed down through the female line, are they not? If you do not produce a female heir, they could revert back to Ariane; to Dylan's daughter if and when he grows up, marries, and sires a child; or even to Mathias's daughter, should he manage to get a child upon that lovely wife of his. I know he's getting on in years, but age means little to a wizard of his power..."

Gilbert--slow-witted though he was after his "accident"--understood the meaning behind Malfoy's words, and glowered at the other wizard. Gwydion's face turned even redder, and he clenched his fists as he said, "If you summoned me here just to taunt me--"

"Not at all," Lucius said in a hurt tone. "I wish to help you, Gwydion. I can help you keep your inheritance, and perhaps take Dylan's as well."

Gwydion gave Lucius a suspicious look. "And why would you do that? Wasn't Dylan's father your friend?"

Lucius sighed dramatically. "Yes, he was, but alas, Ariane seems to have conveniently forgotten our old friendship. Now that Dylan has an inheritance of his own, she seems to think that she no longer needs us."

Gwydion laughed harshly. "Then she is wiser than I thought!"

Lucius leaned forward and raised an eyebrow. "Ah, then will you forgive her and accept her back into the family?"

"Never!" said Gwydion, with more than fourteen years of hatred fueling the heat in his voice. "I will never forgive her for sullying our family name and bearing a Slytherin brat!"

"And of course," Lucius added in a silky voice, "if Ariane were taken back into the bosom of her family, you would no longer be the Donner heir..."

"What do you want?" Gwydion hissed.

"I am giving you a chance, Gwydion Donner, to align yourself with the winning side--"

Gwydion snarled, "You're out of your mind, Malfoy, if you think I would ever join the Death Eaters!"

"My Lord has great power, Gwydion, and willingly shares that power with those who serve him," Lucius said in a soft, seductive voice.

"Come on, Gilbert, we're leaving," Gwydion said. He was just placing his hand on the doorknob when Lucius said:

"Power enough to permanently eliminate all rivals to the Donner title."

Gwydion hesitated for a moment, then said firmly, "I am the Donner heir. My mother will never forgive Ariane, and any talk of Dylan and Mathias having children is pure speculation. I don't need your help, Malfoy."

"What about revenge, then?" Malfoy whispered, still in that seductive voice. Gwydion froze, his hand still on the doorknob. "Wouldn't you like revenge on your sister who betrayed you, on the aunt and uncle who humiliated you and turned you and your brother into beasts? Those three years must have been long ones, Gwydion. Did you retain your mind, Gwydion, a man trapped in the body of a beast? Or did your mind turn bestial as well? The latter, I think, judging by your brother. Can you remember what it was like to think like a beast, to know nothing but the need to feed and rut and flee from predators--"

There was a murderous look in Gwydion's gray eyes, and he whipped out his wand and pointed it at Lucius. "Shut up!"

Lucius stared back at him coolly, with no fear in his eyes. "If you kill me, Gwydion, you kill any chance of gaining revenge. You kill any chance of curing your brother."

Gwydion slowly lowered his wand. "What are you talking about?" he asked, panting a little from the effort it took not to kill the smug bastard sitting in front of him. "Gilbert has seen the best healers in the wizarding world, and they all say that the damage done to his mind is permanent."

Gilbert looked down at his feet, feeling ashamed although he did not know exactly why.

Lucius reached into a pocket on the inside of his robe, pulled out a small glass bottle, and set it on the table. Gwydion reached over and picked it up, looking at it carefully. "What is this?" he asked.

"A token of good faith on my part," Lucius replied. "A gift to you, with no strings attached. All I ask is that you think about what I have said tonight."

"What is it?" Gwydion repeated impatiently.

"A Mind Restoration Potion," Lucius replied, smiling as Gwydion gasped in surprise. "It can restore your brother to sanity--though the effect is only temporary, of course. But there is more where that came from; as I said, my Lord is generous to those who serve him."

"How do I know this is not really a poison?" Gwydion asked, but his voice was breathless and he could not take his eyes off the bottle in his hands.

"Give it to me," Lucius said. Gwydion hesitated, then reluctantly handed it over. Lucius pulled out the stopper, took a small sip, then handed it back to Gwydion. "As you can see, it is not poisonous. I had anticipated your reaction." Lucius smiled sardonically. "Fortunately, it has no effect, ill or otherwise, on someone whose mind is not damaged. There should still be enough left to restore your brother's mind for about six hours."

Gwydion stared at the bottle, then looked into his brother's dull, confused eyes, torn between his mistrust of Lucius Malfoy and his desire to help Gilbert.

"Brother?" Gilbert whispered. "Will that potion help me?"

"Yes," Gwydion said slowly. "I think so."

"Please," Gilbert said, holding out his hand. He had just enough sanity left to know that there was something wrong with him, retained just enough of his memory to yearn after the old self that he no longer truly remembered.

Gwydion handed him the bottle, and Gilbert downed it in one gulp. "Brother?" he asked anxiously. "Are you all right?" He turned to Lucius, saying, "If this is a trick, I'll kill you, Malfoy--"

"Brother?" Gilbert said, and Gwydion's attention snapped back to his twin. His gray eyes looked clear and unclouded for the first time in years. "I...I feel as if a fog has been lifted from my mind..."

"What do you remember?" Gwydion asked, grabbing his brother by the shoulders and staring into his eyes.

"I remember that we...that I..." Gilbert's voice broke off, and he looked ashamed. "I remember that night with Goewin," he whispered. "And I remember Uncle Math summoning us to him; I remember how angry he looked. He turned us into beasts..." Gilbert began to shiver. "Those years were like a nightmare. I remember him turning us back into men, but everything between then and now is fuzzy and unclear, like a dream. I feel awake for the first time in years..."

Gwydion's eyes filled with tears and he embraced his brother. "How touching," Lucius drawled, and the two brothers turned to look at him. Lucius stood and headed for the door. "Enjoy your little reunion--for as long as it lasts."

"Wait!" Gwydion cried. "Do you have more of the potion?"

A very satisfied smile slowly spread across Lucius Malfoy's face. "Of course. But that is the only free sample you are getting."

Gilbert and Gwydion looked at each other. "What do you want, Lucius?" Gwydion asked hoarsely.

"You know what I want," Lucius replied softly. The brothers still hesitated. "Well, think it over," Lucius said in a more brisk tone. Then he added, smiling at Gilbert maliciously, "While you are still able to think, that is. You can reach me by owl, Gwydion, when you make your decision. I hope you make the right choice; you will find the rewards of serving my Master to be great...far beyond a steady supply of Mind Restoration Potion. If you play your cards right, you can be Lord of far more than the Donner estates, Gwydion..." He brushed past the two men and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Lucius left the inn, laughing to himself. The Dark Lord had not yet completely given up on Ariane and Dylan, but Gwydion didn't have to know that. Once Gwydion and his brother took the Mark, it would be too late to change their minds. Perhaps if he was lucky, Lucius would be able to bring the entire Donner family under the Dark Lord's control, and his Master would be very, very pleased with him...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Harry and his friends were deeply depressed after Harry was banned from the Quidditch team. The one thing that cheered them up slightly was Hagrid's return to Hogwarts--although that alarmed them as much as it cheered them, because Hagrid looked awful, as if he had been beaten, and he was vague about how he had gotten injured.

Meanwhile, Hermione was decidedly cool to Dylan after the match. When they ran into each other at the library one day, she said in a cold voice, "Nice song."

"Aw, come on, Hermione," Dylan protested. "You know that wasn't my idea! It was--"

"I know, I know," Hermione replied impatiently. "It was all Draco's fault, right? But someday, Dylan, you're going to have to stand up for what you believe in, unless you want to be Draco's lackey all your life!"

She walked off in a huff, and Dylan stared after her, feeling angry and ashamed at the same time. Hermione did not realize how right she was, Dylan thought grimly. Someday soon, he was going to have to make a choice--permanent and irrevocable--about which side he was on. Perhaps this was all for the best; there was no way he could continue a friendship with a Gryffindor if he became a Death Eater.

But Dylan found that he missed her, and a couple of weeks later, sent his owl Blodwen to her with an envelope...

As Hermione opened the letter, a small purple flower--slightly squashed from being stuffed into an envelope--fell out into her lap. The letter inside said only, "Can we still be friends? Dylan." The letter was clear enough, but she was puzzled by the flower, and Hermione was never one to let a puzzle go unsolved. So she went to the library (as Dylan knew she would), and after a little research, discovered that the flower was a hyacinth, and that in the Language of Flowers, a purple hyacinth meant "I'm sorry" or "please forgive me". She smiled to herself, wondering where he had obtained a blossom so late in the year, and sent back an unsigned reply that simply said, "Yes."

They had little chance to talk to each other, but smiled and exchanged brief greetings when they passed in the halls or bumped into each other at the library, and as the term drew to a close, Blodwen dropped off a small box wrapped in shiny silver paper and ribbon. Hermione sent Dylan a present of her own: an herbology text on magical flowers. She didn't put her name on the package in case one of his Slytherin roommates happened to see it, but used wrapping paper with a floral design and topped it off with a big purple bow. Dylan, of course, knew immediately who had sent it, but his Slytherin friends took no notice of it because Dylan had already received a deluge of gifts from his many female admirers.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

As Christmas drew near, Harry looked forward to spending the holidays with the Weasleys because he desperately wanted to get away from school. But he felt guilty when he thought of Sirius spending Christmas alone in that gloomy house with only Kreacher for company. But then they all ended up spending the holidays with Sirius after all, after Harry had the vision of Mr. Weasley being attacked by a giant snake, which turned out to be true: since his house was closer to the hospital than the Weasleys', Sirius invited them to stay with him until Mr. Weasley was well.

Christmas morning arrived, and Harry felt full of good cheer. Instead of people opening presents in their rooms, as they usually did at school, Mrs. Weasley insisted that everyone come down and open their presents together under the huge Christmas tree Sirius had put up. Harry and Ron hurriedly got dressed and ran downstairs, joined by Hermione. Mrs. Weasley smiled at them as she went through the huge pile of presents under the tree and began sorting them into stacks. She pointed to three good-sized piles of presents and said, "Those are yours, dears, but do wait till everyone comes down before opening them." Ron groaned impatiently and began shaking and poking at his presents until his mother scolded him, "Stop that!"

But soon enough, the other inhabitants of the house arrived, the adults yawning, and the Weasley children rushing eagerly to the Christmas tree. Then Harry's mouth dropped open, for descending the staircase with Lupin and Blackmore was Professor Snape, who was looking cross and more than a little embarrassed.

"Merlin's Beard!" Ron exclaimed. "What's HE doing here!?"

"Shh!" Mrs. Weasley snapped. "Professor Snape is a member of the Order, you know."

Ron subsided, still gawping at Snape, but Mrs. Weasley had no such control over Sirius. "What are YOU doing here!?" Sirius snarled. "I don't recall inviting you!"

"I'm a member of the Order, Black," Snape said with a sneer. "I don't need an invitation. Besides, I assure you that spending the holidays with you is not my idea of a good time. It was--"

Lupin started to open his mouth, but Blackmore interrupted, "It was MY idea, Sirius. Severus had some information to pass along anyway, and I told him I would like to spend the holidays together with my former students. My family and most of my old friends are dead, and I cannot contact the ones that remain while I am in hiding. So you, Remus, and Severus are the closest thing to family that I have left."

Sirius had opened his mouth to protest, but closed it with a snap. He obviously didn't like the idea, but it was difficult to argue with Blackmore; it would only make him look cruel and churlish if he attempted to deprive her of the company of the few friends that remained from her past. Besides, Sirius, along with Lupin and Snape, still seemed to be slightly in awe of their old teacher.

Blackmore smiled pleasantly as Sirius sulked. She plucked a strand of silver tinsel garland off the tree and made a wreath for her hair, and wrapped the remainder around Bane's neck. The bird cocked his head and paused to admire his reflection in one of the large glass ornaments hanging from the tree. Meanwhile, Lupin and Snape sat on the floor next to each other beside their presents. Harry noted, with a little stab of malicious glee, that Snape's pile was much smaller than everyone else's. Actually, he was surprised that Snape had gotten any presents at all!

Harry resolved not to let Snape spoil his Christmas, and soon the children were happily tearing open their presents.

"Thanks for the Broom Compass, Harry, it's excellent!" said Ron.

"Thanks for the book, Harry!" Hermione said happily. "I've been wanting that New Theory of Numerology for ages! Oh! And thank you for the perfume, Ron!" She opened the cap and took a little sniff. "It's really unusual."

"No problem. Er...thanks for the homework planner."

Hermione opened a small box and took out a pair of small silver earrings wrought in the shape of roses. "Oh!" she exclaimed softly, blushing slightly.

"They're lovely, dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "Who are they from?"

"Dylan Rosier," Hermione said, still blushing.

"What?!" exclaimed Ron and Snape simultaneously, although Ron sounded angry while Snape sounded shocked.

"They're probably hexed!" Ron snapped.

"Don't be silly, Ron!" Hermione retorted. "Dylan's very nice; I don't know why you always assume the worst of him."

"Maybe because he's the son of a Death Eater," grumbled Ron, but in a low voice, casting a nervous look at Snape.

"Let me see those," Snape ordered, and Hermione reluctantly handed the earrings to him. He looked them over carefully, then gave them back. "There's no enchantment on them."

"We checked all the presents to make sure there were no nasty spells hidden on them before bringing them into the house, just to be safe," Lupin added.

"I didn't know you and Mr. Rosier were friendly, Miss Granger," Snape said; he didn't sound very pleased about it.

"We met on the train platform last year before school started," Hermione said, blushing again. "We're in different classes, of course, but we study together in the library sometimes." The look on Ron's face said this was news to him. "Dylan says it would cause trouble for him if Draco Malfoy found out we were friends--" Then she hastily cut off the rest of her sentence, remembering that she was talking to Draco's Head of House.

"Some friend, if he's ashamed to be seen with you," Ron sneered.

"It's not like that!" Hermione protested. "Dylan's on probation, just because of who his father was, which isn't fair at all, and if Malfoy made trouble for him, he might get expelled--"

"A likely story!" said Ron.

"No, Miss Granger is correct," Snape said, to the children's astonishment. There was a thoughtful look on his on his face, and he was tracing his thin lips with one finger in an absent-minded fashion.

"Then you won't mention this to Draco, will you, Professor?" Hermione asked nervously.

Snape blinked, snapping out of his reverie, and said in a cold voice, "Your personal life is of no interest to me, Miss Granger, so I see no reason to discuss it with anyone, including Draco Malfoy."

Hermione gave Snape another nervous look, but he had turned away to watch Lupin open his presents, so she put the earrings on, saying, "It's really quite clever of him, don't you think?" Harry and Ron stared at her blankly, and she added impatiently, "Giving me rose-shaped earrings; you know--roses, Rosier?"

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Ron muttered.

Meanwhile, Snape muttered something under his breath that sounded like, "Just like his father..."

Mrs. Weasley said brightly, attempting to change the subject, "Well now, children, there are still lots of presents to open!" Snape seemed inclined to let the subject drop as well, so the children turned their attention back to their gifts.

Sirius and Lupin had given Harry a set of excellent books entitled Practical Defense Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts. He flipped through the first volume eagerly; he could see that it was going to be highly useful in his plans for the D.A. "Thanks, this is really great!" Harry said enthusiastically. "It'll come in really handy for--" He paused, looking at Snape's sour face, and finished a little lamely, "--For my studies."

"You're welcome, Harry," Lupin smiled. "Severus, aren't you going to open your presents?"

Snape began opening his packages, looking as if he would rather be back in his dungeon at Hogwarts. He opened several presents that were gifts ("Bribes," Ron whispered darkly) from the parents of his Slytherin students: boxes of expensive chocolates, equally expensive bottles of wine, and a couple of spell books. Snape set them to one side indifferently. Mrs. Weasley had given the Potions Master what she gave everyone else--a hand-knitted sweater (in Slytherin green) and some mince pies. "Er...thank you, Molly," Snape said, although without much enthusiasm.

"You're welcome, Severus," Mrs. Weasley said pleasantly.

Meanwhile, Blackmore was opening her presents, and unwrapped a book: Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven. "Thank you, Severus!" she exclaimed, and Snape flushed and mumbled something that might have resembled, "You're welcome."

"Snape gave someone a present!?" Ron hissed in shock.

"Shh!" Hermione hissed back.

"He can't give us detention when we're not in school, can he?"

"Shh!"

"It's Bane's favorite book," Blackmore was saying happily. "I used to have a copy, of course, but most of my possessions were destroyed when the Death Eaters attacked my house..."

To the children's further surprise, Snape had given Mrs. Weasley a present as well--a large bottle of healing potion. "Thank you, Severus!" she said. "This will come in very useful, what with the children always getting into mischief--"

Snape mumbled an unintelligible reply, looking more than ever like he wanted to slink back to his dungeon office.

Harry continued to open his presents--a furry brown wallet with fangs from Hagrid, a box of Every-Flavor Beans from Ron, and a small, working model of a Firebolt from Tonks--but he also kept one eye on Snape as he did so.

Snape unwrapped a box of Chocolate Frogs from Dumbledore, and a tin of fancy individually wrapped cookies from someone in Japan named Kamiyama. Lupin got a small wooden fox statuette from the same person. Blackmore gave Snape a thick tome bound in black leather, some sort of grimoire on potion-brewing, and Snape thanked her with a great deal more enthusiasm than he had shown for the sweater. Then, to Harry's shock, the next present Snape opened was from Lupin. It was a large book whose cover was illustrated with a colorful painting of a fox dressed in robes, standing on two legs like a man. Harry had no idea what it was about, because the words printed on the cover were not in English; they looked Asian, but he wasn't sure exactly what language it was.

Hermione knew, of course. "I didn't know you could read Japanese, Professor Snape!" she said without thinking.

Snape scowled at her and said coldly, "There is a great deal you do not know about me, Miss Granger."

Blackmore leaned over and peered at the book with interest. "What is it about?" she asked.

Snape read the cover and flipped through the book. "It appears to deal with legends and lore concerning kitsune and other Japanese shapeshifters." Blackmore cleared her throat expectantly and gave him a stern look. Snape looked sulky, like a schoolboy who has just been reprimanded by his teacher, but he turned to Lupin and said, rather ungraciously, "Yes, well, er...thank you, Lupin. It doesn't deal with potions, but I suppose it's not totally useless."

Harry glared at Snape, but Lupin didn't seem to be offended. "You're welcome, Severus," he said cheerfully.

"Here," Snape said gruffly, picking up a package and thrusting it at Lupin without looking at him.

"For me?" Lupin said, sounding surprised, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief. "Why, thank you, Severus!"

"Oh, just shut up and open it!" Snape snarled, his face turning red. Harry felt his jaw drop open again, and he heard Hermione and Ron gasp in surprise. Snape got Lupin a Christmas present?! Harry could not have been more surprised if Lord Voldemort had walked into the room dressed as Father Christmas.

Beneath the wrappings was a scroll. Lupin unrolled it, revealing a simple but beautiful drawing of a wolf done in black ink. "Why, Severus!" he said breathlessly, the mischief gone from his voice and eyes. "It's beautiful! Thank you so much!"

Mrs. Weasley looked shocked, though she tried to hide it with her usual good-natured smile. Ginny, Fred, and George exchanged looks of disbelief. Blackmore smiled, looking very amused, while Sirius looked not only surprised, but furious. Harry wasn't sure why; perhaps he thought Snape was trying to taunt Lupin with the fact that he was a werewolf? But Lupin looked touched and pleased, while Snape didn't have the nasty smile on his face that he usually did when he was taunting someone. His face had turned even redder, and he refused to look Lupin in the eye. He had hunched his shoulders and was staring down at the floor, looking for all the world like a child in class who hadn't completed his homework and was doing his very best to become invisible.

"It's nothing," Snape mumbled in such a low voice that Harry could barely hear him. "Professor Kamiyama sent it to me, and I had no use for it, so..." His voice trailed off and he glanced up and saw that he had no presents left, so he started to inch back, muttering, "Well then, if we're all done here..."

Lupin's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, preventing him from leaving. "Not so fast, Severus! I believe the children still have a few gifts left to open." Snape flashed him an almost plaintive look, which Lupin returned with a stern one.

"Oh, don't be a Scrooge, Severus," Blackmore said lightly. "It won't kill you to be sociable one day out of the year." Snape looked as if he disagreed, but remained in place, yanking his arm free of Lupin's grasp, a very sullen expression on his face.

The children continued opening presents, until everyone else was done, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione each had just one gift left. Harry picked up the heavy, rectangular-shaped package and read the tag which said, "To Harry, From Lupin and Professor Snape". His jaw dropped open yet again, and he heard Ron yelp, "Professor Snape?!"

"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley said sharply.

"Er...thank you, Professor Lupin, Professor Snape," Hermione said in a polite voice, but her face was pale and she looked as if she were about to faint.

Ginny's mouth was hanging wide open like Harry's, while Fred sorted through the empty wrappings on the floor, saying, "How come we didn't get a present, too?"

"Do you really WANT a present from Professor Snape?" George hissed under his breath.

"Fred, George!" Mrs. Weasley scolded.

Sirius looked shocked, Blackmore still looked amused, and Snape said to Lupin, "Damn it, Lupin! I told you not to put my name on the tags!"

"But Severus, I didn't want to take all the credit," Lupin said innocently, his blue eyes merry once more. "They're actually from you; you paid for them."

"LUPIN!" Snape roared, sounding outraged, and his face was redder than ever.

"Go ahead and open your presents," Lupin said to the children cheerfully, apparently unconcerned by the fact that Snape's hands were twitching as if he wanted to wrap them around Lupin's neck.

"Oh, thank you, Professor Snape!" Hermione exclaimed with real pleasure. Her present was a thick book entitled Advanced Potion Brewing. The look on Snape's face changed from angry to mortified, and he looked as if he would gladly have crawled under a rock if one had been available.

Harry and Ron received the same gift: A Beginner's Encyclopedia of Potion Ingredients. "Er...thank you," Harry said, with about as much enthusiasm as Snape had shown for his sweater.

Mrs. Weasley glared at Ron until he mumbled, "Yeah, thanks."

"You're welcome," Lupin said with a smile, and looked at Snape expectantly.

"Don't thank ME!" Snape snarled. "It was all Lupin's idea! I just gave him the money for it since he seemed to be rather short on funds!" He sneered at Lupin's shabby robes, but Lupin just smiled at him like an indulgent parent overlooking a child's temper tantrum.

"Severus did help me choose the titles since potions aren't really my specialty," Lupin added helpfully.

Snape's face was gradually changing from red to purple. "Only because you kept badgering me about it until I gave in just so you would leave me alone!" he retorted. "And besides," he said with a sneer, "Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley need all the help they can get in Potions. If they fail my class this year, I'll be stuck teaching them again next year, and I would do almost anything to prevent that!" He glanced at Hermione, but apparently was unable to come up with anything insulting to say about her.

"A simple 'you're welcome' would have sufficed, Severus," Blackmore said mildly.

Snape made a low growling noise in his throat, but the blood was beginning to recede from his face, restoring it back to its natural sallow color.

Mrs. Weasley gave him a nervous look and said cheerily, "Well, I'll go start breakfast..."

"Can I go NOW?" Snape asked Lupin, with a slightly whiny note to his voice.

"You can take your presents up to your room, certainly," Lupin replied. "But don't forget you promised Branwen you'd stay for dinner. And besides--" A mischievous gleam twinkled in his eyes, and he leaned over and whispered something in Snape's ear. Snape's face turned bright red, and he stared at Lupin with a look of mingled outrage and embarrassment. Without saying a word, he jumped up and fled back up the staircase as if there were a pack of demons on his heels. Harry would have given almost anything to have known what Lupin said to Snape.

"Behave yourself, Mr. Lupin," Blackmore scolded him, but there was a hint of laughter in her voice. Bane was making a loud cawing noise as if he found it funny as well.

"I don't know what you mean, Professor Blackmore," Lupin said with a look of wide-eyed innocence. "I don't know why Severus is so touchy; some people just don't like the holidays, I guess." He began gathering up Snape's gifts, which he had left on the floor in his haste to flee. "I'll just go and take these up to him."

"Let the slimy git pick up his own presents," Sirius said with a scowl.

"Now, now, Sirius, let's show some Christmas spirit, shall we?" Lupin said, but then an owl appeared, flying into the room and dropping a large parcel on the floor. Mrs. Weasley, who had just been about to leave and go to the kitchen, looked at the box, burst into tears, and ran out of the room.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked in dismay.

Fred picked up the parcel and scowled at it. "Percy sent back his Christmas jumper." He tore off the outer layer of brown paper, revealing a present wrapped in bright Christmas wrapping and ribbon.

George turned the present over in his hands, then sorted through the discarded brown wrapping and said angrily, "He didn't even include a note asking how Dad is or anything!"

Lupin looked worried. "I'd better go talk to Molly."

"No," said Blackmore, rising to her feet. "You go see to Severus; I'll look after Molly."

Blackmore headed towards the kitchen, and Lupin went upstairs with Snape's gifts. Sirius hesitated, still looking put out, then followed Blackmore out of the room.

"Well, this has certainly been an interesting Christmas," Hermione said brightly.


Neither Lupin nor Professor Snape came down for breakfast, but none of the adults seemed particularly concerned about that, and the children were rather relieved that they didn't have to eat with Snape scowling at them across the table. Harry just hoped that Professor Snape hadn't killed Lupin for embarrassing him in front of everybody this morning. But Snape had seemed oddly cowed by Lupin, which was strange; he had clearly bought the Christmas presents for them at Lupin's insistence, and he had let Lupin prevent him from leaving the room when he obviously wanted to flee. It just didn't make sense; Snape was a little afraid of Blackmore, but he had never seemed to be afraid of Lupin before.

"Maybe Professor Snape's not so bad after all," Hermione said hopefully. "He is a member of the Order, after all. Maybe he was just acting like Professor Lupin made him buy us those presents because he was embarrassed about doing something nice. And it was nice of him to get us those books."

Even though Lupin wasn't really a Professor anymore, Hermione tended to call him that because she said it was rude to just call him by his last name, and she didn't feel comfortable calling him by his first name. Harry had the same problem, although he had no trouble calling Sirius by his first name; he'd feel silly calling Sirius "Mr. Black". Maybe it was because Lupin had been their teacher; he certainly wouldn't have felt comfortable calling Professor McGonagall "Minerva," for instance...

Meanwhile, Ron was giving Hermione a disgusted look. "It's bad enough you feel sorry for that crazy house-elf Kreacher! Now you want us to start liking SNAPE?!"

"I didn't you say you had to like him, Ron," Hermione said impatiently. "I just said he can't be all bad. The Headmaster trusts him, after all. And Kreacher's not right in the head because of all those years of oppression! Which reminds me, I have a Christmas present for him--"

"Have you got a present for Snape, too?" Ron asked sarcastically.

"No," Hermione replied, looking a little worried. "But I would have got him one if I had known he was going to give us something. Do you think St. Mungo's has a gift shop?" Hermione hurried off to fetch Kreacher's present, and perhaps ask Mrs. Weasley if the hospital had a gift shop; they were planning to visit Mr. Weasley there later in the day.

"I was being sarcastic!" shouted Ron, but Hermione was already out of earshot.

Harry and Ron exchanged incredulous looks. "So why do you think Snape gave us Christmas presents?" Harry asked.

"Hell if I know!" said Ron. "Maybe the world's going to end!"


The world did not end, but the three children had another shock when they returned from visiting Mr. Weasley. There was Christmas music playing--it seemed to be coming from a magical music box that belonged to Lupin--and Blackmore was dancing with Lupin in the living room. Sirius was laughing, seeming to have recovered from his earlier bad mood, and Snape looked less sour than usual; in fact, he had a very faint smile on his face. That scene was startling enough, but what happened next was what really shocked them. The song was ending just as the children arrived home and spotted what was going on in the living room, but the four adults had not yet noticed them. Lupin let go of Blackmore and bowed to her, then the sorceress curtsied to Snape and said, "May I have the next dance, sir?" Snape scowled at her, but she refused to take no for an answer, grabbing him by the hand and hauling him to his feet. "Come, Severus, I thought you were too terrified of me to disobey me!" she said with a laugh.

"Well, I wouldn't want your demonic grandfather to put a curse on me," Snape grumbled, but in an almost good-natured tone. And to the children's shock, he began waltzing with Blackmore almost gracefully around the living room. Lupin was grinning widely, Sirius looked like he didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused, and Snape--Snape actually smiled and looked as if he were enjoying himself!

The children stood there with their mouths hanging open until Sirius happened to glance up and said, "Don't look now, but we've got company."

Startled, Snape looked up and saw his three students. A horrified look appeared on his face and he jumped away from Blackmore so quickly that it almost seemed as if he had Apparated across the room. Lupin covered his mouth with both hands, but muffled little snorts of laughter kept escaping from between his fingers.

Snape started to beat a hasty retreat, but Hermione called out, "Professor Snape! Please wait a moment!"

"WHAT IS IT?!" he snarled, and Hermione flinched and turned pale.

"Severus!" snapped Blackmore, her green eyes blazing with anger. He glared at her, but she held his gaze, staring him down as coldly and ruthlessly as he had ever stared down any unruly student in his classes. Harry felt himself breaking out in a cold sweat even though their anger wasn't directed at him; he understood why Snape, Lupin, and Sirius were still intimidated by her. Harry had never thought he would meet another teacher as imposing and frightening as Snape, but Blackmore was apparently more than a match for him; Harry shuddered a little at the sheer intensity crackling through the room like a thunderstorm about to break. Snape held her gaze for a very long moment, but it was he who finally dropped his eyes and looked away first.

Snape cleared his throat and said in a sullen, but more subdued manner, "Well, what is it, Miss Granger?"

Hermione was still a little pale. She timidly stepped forward and handed him a small package with a hand that trembled slightly.

"What's this?" Snape asked with a frown, staring down at the red-and-green striped parcel in his hand.

"It appears to be a Christmas present, Severus," Lupin said helpfully, in a bright, chirpy tone, apparently having recovered from his fit of laughter. Snape glared at him.

"Um, I--I know it's not much, but I just wanted to thank you for the books you gave us," Hermione stammered nervously.

"That wasn't necessary," Snape growled, his face beginning to turn pink. "I told you it was all Lupin's idea!"

"Severus," Blackmore said in a stern tone of warning. Snape subsided and tore off the wrapping, revealing a green wool scarf.

"I know it's not much," Hermione repeated apologetically. "There wasn't much of a selection at the hospital gift shop--" She hadn't thought Snape would appreciate a postcard, a teddy bear, or anything with a Santa or reindeer embroidered on it. "--And I figured at least green is the color of Slytherin House..." Her voice trailed off uncertainly.

"It's very nice, Hermione," Blackmore said firmly. "Isn't it, Severus?"

That last sentence had been more of a command than a question, and Snape muttered, "Yes, well...thank you, Miss Granger." It came out sounding rather grudging, but Hermione smiled in relief.

"You're welcome, Professor Snape."

Snape glared at everyone in the room. "I think I've had all the holiday cheer I can stand for one day," he said in an acid tone of voice. "I'm going upstairs to rest."

As he turned and walked towards the staircase, Blackmore called out, "Oh, Severus!"

"What now?!"

Blackmore did not seem to be at all put out by his surly tone. She glided up to him and said, "I know this wasn't exactly your idea of a good time. Thank you for spending Christmas with us; it meant a lot to me. And could you look up for a second?" She was smiling mischievously, and Snape gave her a suspicious look, then cast his gaze upwards and saw a small sprig of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. Snape's black eyes flew wide open, but before he could step away, his former teacher stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. Snape's face turned bright red, and for the second time that day, he ran up the stairs as if being pursued by demons.

Sirius jumped up and ran under the mistletoe. "Do I get a kiss too, Branwen?" he asked playfully, batting his eyelashes at her.

"It's Professor Blackmore to you, Mr. Black!" she said sternly, lifting a hand as if to slap him, but there was laughter in her eyes, and she gave him a peck on the cheek as well. Then, although Lupin was standing nowhere near the mistletoe, she walked over and kissed him for good measure. She noticed that the three children still seemed to be in a state of shock, and she smiled and said, "Don't mind Severus. I know he can be difficult at times, but he is a good person at heart." Sirius muttered something under his breath, and she gave him a sharp look as she added, "Just as I know Sirius is a good person at heart, even if he does behave like a spoiled brat at times." Then she left the room, softly singing, "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me...a raven in a Christmas tree.."

Lupin was laughing his head off while Sirius pouted and muttered, "She never had a sense of humor when we were in school!" Lupin picked up his music box and headed up the stairs, still chuckling. Mrs. Weasley poked her head in the doorway and called out that she needed some help in the kitchen, and Sirius left to help her, still looking rather sulky. The three children were left standing alone in the living room.

"Merlin's Beard!" gasped Ron. "Blackmore kissed Professor Snape! That's disgusting!"

Hermione had a thoughtful look on her face. "Do you suppose Professor Snape likes her?"

Harry's and Ron's jaws dropped open. "You mean like her, like a boy likes a girl kind of like?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Well, that would explain a lot," Hermione said calmly. "Why he stayed for Christmas, why he let Professor Lupin talk him into buying presents for us...maybe he wanted to impress her."

"How would buying presents for us impress her?" asked Ron dubiously.

"By showing her that he's a nice person!" Hermione said impatiently, giving him a you-just-don't-get-it look. Ron clutched at his throat and made gagging noises.

"I don't know," said Harry. "I can't picture Snape liking anybody that way..."

"Well, he WAS dancing with her when we came in," Hermione pointed out.

"Oh my God!" Harry exclaimed, looking horrified. Snape in love? It was too bizarre to contemplate, and quite frankly, thinking about Snape and Blackmore together made him feel slightly ill. "You...you don't suppose she fancies HIM, do you?" he stammered.

"Gross!" said Ron, making a face. "How could any woman fancy him! With that big nose and that greasy hair--"

"Professor Blackmore's not the shallow type," Hermione said in a lofty tone. "I'm sure she cares more about what's inside a person than about their looks. I mean, I know he's not a very nice person, but he is risking his life to help the Order--"

"So he says," muttered Ron.

"--So he can't be all bad. And she knew him when he was a boy, so maybe she knows some things about him we don't. Maybe he was nicer when he was younger."

"Not according to Sirius," Harry said skeptically.

"Well, Sirius isn't really all that objective about Snape, in case you haven't noticed," Hermione said. Harry bristled at the implied insult to his godfather, but Hermione didn't notice and continued, "And she did just kiss him under the mistletoe."

"Yeah, but on the cheek," Harry said desperately. He liked Branwen Blackmore, even though she was a little scary, and he didn't want her hooking up with a slimy git like Snape; surely she could do much better than him! "And she did kiss Sirius and Lupin too..."

"I think I'm going to be sick," Ron announced; his face did look slightly green. He turned and ran off to the bathroom.

"You shouldn't have eaten all that candy before breakfast!" Hermione shouted as Harry ran after him. "I don't know," Hermione said musingly to no one in particular. "I think it's kind of romantic. And besides, if he falls in love, maybe he'll be nicer in class. Love tames the savage beast and all that..."
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