Phoenix Rising 1 Continued

Professor Snape continued to visit Dylan regularly to give him his Occlumency lessons, for which Dylan was grateful. Not just because they would allow him to protect himself against the Dark Lord, but because they provided a welcome distraction from his captivity: both he and his mother were confined to the house for their own protection; they couldn't even go outside for a walk in the garden. Uncle Math had placed protective spells on both the house and the grounds, but an enclosed building was much easier to protect than an open expanse of land. And ever since they found out Lucius Malfoy had secretly kidnapped Ariane off the estate grounds the day Dylan was forced to take the Mark, the adults were taking no chances with his safety. Although Goewin was still treating Ariane coolly, both women were united in their desire to protect Dylan; he was strictly forbidden to set one foot outside of the house. He couldn't fly on his broom, or simply go for a walk through the woods to be alone with his thoughts, as he was used to doing. He read books, practiced spells, and played chess with his great-uncle or Exploding Snap with his great-aunt or his mother, but soon he was ready to go stir-crazy from being cooped up in the house all the time. Dylan was really more the scholarly type than the outdoorsy type, and normally spent most of his time indoors anyway, but somehow being forbidden to leave made his confinement almost unbearable--he was virtually a prisoner in his own home.

So he welcomed any break in his routine, including those visits from Professor Snape. And he was always happy to see Snape, who was the only person who truly understood what Dylan was going through right now, since none of his family, not even his mother, had ever been branded with the Dark Mark.

Dylan continued to progress well in his lessons; he was growing better at protecting his thoughts and blocking Snape's attacks. After the time Dylan had unintentionally broken into his teacher's mind and seen some of his childhood memories, Snape seemed to have increased his own guard, and nothing like that happened again. He did occasionally get fleeting glimpses of blurred images, though, that usually passed by too swiftly for him to identify, but he had recognized the faces of Dumbledore, Potter's father, the pretty green-eyed teacher who had smiled at young Snape in his memory, and the teenaged boy that the young Snape had been spying on, the one with pale blue eyes and long, brown hair.

"Legilimens!" shouted Snape, raising his wand.

Dylan felt Snape battering at his defenses, but his mental walls held. He raised his own wand and said, "Stupefy!"

The spell did not stun Snape--for which Dylan was grateful, as attacking his teacher still made him slightly nervous--but it did force him to stagger backwards and break off his attack.

"Very good," Snape said approvingly, and Dylan smiled happily. Professor Snape doled out compliments very sparingly, so Dylan knew that any words of praise he received were sincere and hard-earned. "It seems you can defend yourself adequately with a wand, but the Dark Lord will kill you if you raise a wand to him."

Dylan sighed to himself; it seemed that he wasn't going to be given much time to savor the praise he'd earned...

"And so," Snape continued, "I think it is time you started defending yourself with your mind alone."

"Yes, sir," Dylan said obediently, putting his wand away. "What must I do?"

"Keep up your mental defenses as you have been, and try to push me away, but with your mind, not your wand."

"Yes, sir," Dylan said, a little apprehensively.

"Ready?" Snape didn't wait for an answer. "One--two--three--Legilimens!"

Dylan gritted his teeth and braced himself against Snape's attack, trying to keep up the mental image of a fortress wall, thick and impenetrable. He felt Snape's mind attacking his defenses, like a battering ram striking against a castle wall. At first his defenses held, but then a small crack appeared in the wall, and then another...and then he felt memories flowing through those cracks like water: himself as a child, curled up on his mother's lap, as she whispered to him stories about how brave and handsome his father was...Ariane teaching a young Dylan forbidden Dark Arts spells...the burning pain of the Dark Mark being seared onto his arm...

"Enough!" said Snape, breaking off the attack.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Dylan said shakily, rubbing his arm, somehow still feeling ghostly echoes of pain, although he knew they were not real.

"It was good for a first attempt," Snape said, looking a little shaken himself. "You held out longer than I thought you would. Take a moment to compose yourself, then we'll try again. But this time, don't just act defensively; try to push me away. On the count of three, then: one--two--three--Legilimens!"

Dylan concentrated on strengthening his defenses, then gave a mental shove, trying to push Snape out of his mind. The attack receded for just a moment, then resumed with renewed vigor. But Dylan was encouraged by the fact that he had been able to fend off the attack, however briefly, and shoved again, as hard as he could. Snape stumbled backwards again, reaching out to grab at a nearby chair to keep his balance, and a series of images flashed before Dylan's eyes: a hook-nosed man and a beautiful dark-haired woman who, judging by their resemblance to Snape, were his parents...the mysterious long-haired teenage boy, smiling apologetically...young Snape, stirring something in a cauldron as two other boys watched, sly and mischievous smiles on all three faces. One boy had sandy hair, green eyes, and a cheerful, good-natured expression on his face. The other was almost as familiar to Dylan as his own reflection in the mirror, because his mother had a picture of him in a silver frame on her nightstand: a handsome boy with wavy black hair and intense brown eyes. The young man in the picture frame was a few years older than the boy in Snape's memories, but they were undoubtedly the same person--Evan Rosier, Dylan's father.

"Enough," gasped Snape, and to Dylan's disappointment, the image of his father vanished. "Very good," Snape said, but he looked a little disturbed. "I had not expected you to do so well on only your second try."

"Th--that was my father, wasn't it?" Dylan asked, his voice trembling slightly. "The boy in your memory..."

"Yes," said Snape curtly, but he still looked more shaken than angry.

"And the other boy...?" Dylan asked, although he suspected he knew the answer already; the sandy-haired boy was not as familiar to Dylan as his father, but Dylan was almost certain he had seen a couple of pictures of him in a scrapbook Ariane kept from her schoolgirl days. Common sense told him he should drop the subject, since Snape obviously didn't want to talk about it--they never discussed the memories they saw during the lessons--but the sight of his father awoke an old longing in Dylan, and made him more reckless than usual.

Snape just sighed wearily and confirmed Dylan's suspicions. "That was Lyall Wilkes, your father's best friend."

"Yes, Mother has told me about him. And...so did you, a little, last year," said Dylan, recalling how Snape had recounted some of Evan's and Lyall's childhood pranks for him. Since Snape hadn't yelled at him yet, Dylan persisted a bit further and asked, "What were the three of you doing?"

Snape sighed again. "Do you recall the prank I told you about, the one where they sent a Gryffindor boy a box of chocolates laced with Swelling Solution from a 'secret admirer'?" Dylan nodded. "Well," Snape said a little sheepishly, "what I didn't tell you was that I helped them make the chocolates."

Dylan laughed. "I should have guessed! You were the one with an expertise in Potions, after all!" But it was hard to picture Snape playing pranks and acting like a carefree child. "Um...just out of curiosity, who did you give the chocolates to?" He had a hunch, but he wasn't sure...

For a moment, Dylan thought Snape wasn't going to answer, but then he said, "Mr. Potter's father," still sounding sheepish, but a little pleased with himself at the same time.

Dylan laughed again. He wasn't surprised at Snape's answer; after all, he had heard from both his mother and Draco about how Snape had hated Potter's father, and it was clear that he hated the younger Potter as well.

"Those days weren't all fun and games, Mr. Rosier," Snape said sharply. "All three of us took the Mark--" Snape tapped his left arm. "--and I am the only one still left alive."

"Sorry," mumbled Dylan, looking down at his feet. "I remember, Mother told me that Lyall Wilkes was killed alongside my father. I know why my dad joined the Death Eaters; why did Wilkes join?"

Snape hesitated for a moment, then answered quietly, "Because your father asked him to. Because Lyall worshipped your father, and everything Evan did, Lyall did as well."

Dylan looked up and stared at Snape in horror as his teacher's words sunk in. "You're saying he died because of my dad?" Dylan whispered.

Snape looked sad and angry and guilty all at the same time. "Yes and no. We were all eighteen, legal adults, when we took the Mark, so we were all responsible for our own actions. But Lyall was a follower, not a leader, and he always followed Evan's lead, no matter how much trouble it got him into. At first that trouble was just detention, but later..."

Dylan had idolized his father all his life; it was only recently, after he had discovered how ruthless the Death Eaters really were, that he began to suspect that his father had perhaps not been as perfect as he had always thought. When Dylan was forced to break off his friendship with Hermione for her own good, he'd had the fleeting and traitorous thought that his mother might have been better off if Evan Rosier had given her up as well: Ariane had sacrificed everything to be with the man she loved, and in the end she had been disgraced, disowned, and sentenced to exile. And now this revelation, that his father had been responsible for the death of his own best friend, hit him like a physical blow. Dylan wanted to cry out that it wasn't true, to yell at Snape not to tell lies about his father, but then he looked up and saw the sympathy in his teacher's black eyes, and the anger drained out of him. Snape offered pity even less than he offered praise, so if Snape felt sorry for him, then the situation must be even worse than it seemed.

"It was not entirely Evan's fault," Snape said softly. "Lyall was very naive--an odd trait for a Slytherin. He believed what the Dark Lord told us, without question. Some chose to serve merely for power, but Lyall honestly believed that he was helping to save the wizard race by helping to exterminate Muggles and Mudbloods."

"And my father," Dylan whispered, no longer so certain of his father's motives for joining the Death Eaters. "Why did he choose to serve?"

Snape hesitated again, then said, "For both power and love. He wanted power, yes, but mainly so that he could be with Ariane, after her family tried to separate them. But your father was an ambitious man...I honestly don't know whether or not he would still have joined the Death Eaters, if Ariane's family had not forbade their marriage."

That didn't really make Dylan feel any better; if anything, it made him feel more miserable. Snape seemed to take pity on him again, and said, "Evan was not perfect--far from it, but none of us are. He made some terrible mistakes, but he did honestly love your mother. He was willing to defy his House for her sake. I think that is the only reason Lucius Malfoy gave in, and gave his approval to their relationship, because otherwise he feared losing his influence over Evan--and he wanted to recruit your father to his Master's cause. And in his own way, Evan was an honorable man. He could have surrendered to save his life; he could have turned coat to buy his freedom. But he chose to die rather than betray his Lord. He never broke faith with his Master, but the Dark Lord did not repay his loyalty in kind."

Dylan rubbed his arm where the Dark Mark was branded; physical proof of the Dark Lord's betrayal. "Why did you join, Professor?" he asked, wondering if he was pushing his luck too far. But in many ways, the Potions Master was a complete cypher; Dylan still had no idea what had pushed him to join the Death Eaters or what had pushed him away from them, and Dylan very much wanted to know the answer to those questions.

"It's none of your business, Rosier," Snape said, but in a weary voice that Dylan somehow found more unnerving than his anger. The children in Slytherin saw their Head of House as near-omnipotent, and it was quite disturbing to find out that he was human after all.

"You know everything about me and my family," Dylan pointed out quietly. "But I know almost nothing about you."

"Too much knowledge can be a dangerous thing, Rosier," Snape said sharply, sounding more like his old self, and Dylan felt both relieved and disappointed.

"I'm sorry, sir," said Dylan, suddenly afraid that he had gone too far. Snape's goodwill meant a lot to him, and he didn't want to lose it.

Snape said, "That's enough for today. Keep practicing, and I'll come again in a few days if I'm able." He started to leave the room, but paused at the door and said, "I wanted revenge on someone I believed had betrayed me."

Dylan looked up startled, and realized that Snape was answering his question after all. "'Believed'...?" he asked.

Snape smiled at him, but it was a smile tinged with bitterness. "You are perceptive, Dylan...a little too perceptive sometimes. It would be best if you did not let the Death Eaters become aware of that. There is such a thing as being too smart for your own good, you know."

"Yes, sir," Dylan muttered, flushing.

Snape was silent for a moment, then he said quietly, "That person had not betrayed me after all, though I did not realize it at the time. There were others who had wronged me, that I also wanted revenge on...but whatever they had done, it was not worth the price I paid. And in the end, I never did get my revenge...not really." Then he left, closing the door behind him, leaving Dylan with even more questions than he'd had before.
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{Revenge...} thought Snape. His old enemies had suffered, though it had been none of Snape's doing: James Potter was dead, and Sirius Black had spent twelve years in Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit. But somehow Snape had found himself unable to take any pleasure in their suffering; he had lost too much himself...he had lost Lupin, lost his comrades and former classmates Rosier and Wilkes, and most of all, lost his childish innocence. Not that he had ever had much to begin with, but what little was left had been swept away in the tide of blood that marked the Dark Lord's reign. Some of that blood stained Snape's hands and his soul, and no matter what he did to atone for it, he would never truly be able to wash all of it off.

He had intended to visit Lupin at Grimmauld Place after Dylan's lesson, but right now he felt like being alone with his memories. He returned to Hogwarts, and walked by the lake, thinking back to his schoolboy days...
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Classes were over for the day, and the students filed out into the hall. Snape lingered outside the classroom door, scowling as he watched James Potter sauntering down the hall, surrounded by admirers--giggling girls trying to catch his eye, and younger boys who idolized Gryffindor's star Quidditch player. And of course, at the center of the crowd were Potter's three best friends: Black, Pettigrew, and Lupin. Remus Lupin was a decent sort, for a Gryffindor; what on earth did he see in a conceited git like Potter? {Well, let's see,} the little voice in Snape's head said sarcastically. {Potter's rich, smart, and popular, not to mention the star of the Gryffindor Quidditch team...}

Snape didn't even notice Rosier and Wilkes coming up behind him until he heard Evan's sneering voice say, "Look at Potter, strutting around like he owns the school!" Both Rosier and Snape were on the Slytherin Quidditch team, which had lost its last game to Gryffindor, and Rosier was still feeling bitter about it.

Meanwhile, Potter seemed to be describing a particularly daring play he had made during that game while his adoring crowd oohed and ahed. "Just because they managed to win one game, it's totally gone to his head," Wilkes agreed; but then he always agreed with whatever Rosier said.

"Potter's head has gotten so big," Snape said sourly, "that I'm surprised the weight of it hasn't snapped his scrawny little neck."

Wilkes laughed at that image. "That's pretty funny, Snape!"

"We should put him in his place," Rosier said, a malicious gleam in his dark eyes.

"You've got an idea, haven't you, Evan?" Wilkes asked eagerly, sensing another prank in the making. No matter how many times he served detention, he was always up for more mischief.

"Yes," said Rosier, grinning slyly. "I know just how we can take Mr. Potter down a peg or two--but we'll need Snape's help to do it."

"Me?" asked Snape warily. Rosier and Wilkes were famous in Slytherin for the outrageous pranks they pulled--and famous as well for the amount of time they spent in detention.

"Yes, you," Rosier said firmly. "What if we gave Potter a swelled head for real? All we need to do is slip him a little Swelling Solution..."

"And I suppose you want me to make the Solution," Snape said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Professor De Lacy is always holding you up as a shining example in Potions class," Rosier pointed out. "While me and Lyall are just getting by..."

"I don't know..." Snape hedged. "I just finished serving detention for hexing Black."

"Aw, come on, Snape," Wilkes coaxed. "It'll be fun!"

Snape was about to retort that polishing the silver in the trophy room had not been much fun; in fact, it had been particularly galling to have to polish the Gryffindor awards and trophies. But just then, Lupin laughed at something Potter said, and looked up at him admiringly. Snape felt a sudden surge of hatred and jealousy that seemed to originate from his stomach; it felt like his insides were twisting themselves into knots, and he gritted his teeth against a pain that was almost physical. Snape knew with a bitter certainty that Lupin was never going to look at him that way. Though of course Lupin was a penniless little nobody, and a Gryffindor to boot; there was no reason for Snape to care what Lupin thought of him...

"I'm in," Snape said abruptly.

Rosier blinked, startled at Snape's sudden change of heart, then grinned and said, "Great! Now all we have to do is figure out how to get him to take the Swelling Solution."

"Slip it into his food at dinner?" suggested Wilkes.

"It'll be tough to get near the Gryffindor table without them noticing," Rosier said, frowning.

Snape watched as Potter called out to Lily Evans, who gave him a contemptuous look and walked past him without even slowing down. "I have an idea," he said in a silky voice. "It's Valentine's Day next week. We'll send him a box of chocolates--from a 'secret admirer'."

"Not bad, Snape," Rosier said, sounding mildly impressed. "But do you think he'll be suspicious?"

"Not him," Snape snorted. "He's always chasing after that Mudblood girl, Evans. Even though she won't give him the time of day, he's so full of himself that he'll be sure it's from her."


Snape brewed the potion in their dorm room, and they experimented with injecting the solution into some store-bought chocolates, but it was too obvious that the sweets had been tampered with. Finally, Snape declared they would have to make the candy from scratch. They bought big bars of Honeydukes chocolate and melted them down in a cauldron as they stirred in the Swelling Solution.

As they dropped spoonfuls of chocolate onto a tray to cool, Rosier said dubiously, "I don't know if this is going to work, Snape." He prodded an odd-sized lump of chocolate with his spoon. "He's never gonna believe these were bought at Honeydukes."

"Trust me, this is even better," said Snape. "He'll be thrilled that his dream girl went to the trouble of making homemade chocolates for him."

"Has anyone ever made homemade chocolates for you, Evan?" Wilkes asked with a grin. Evan Rosier was the most popular boy in Slytherin House, second only to Lucius Malfoy, and always received a large pile of Valentine's Day cards and gifts every year. In fact, he was so handsome and popular that he received presents from girls outside of Slytherin, which was almost unheard of.

"No," said Evan, looking a little disappointed. "But I have gotten homemade cookies."

Snape said nothing; no one had ever given him anything for Valentine's Day, homemade or not. But at least he would have the pleasure of seeing Potter get his just desserts.


They put their homemade chocolates into the empty heart-shaped box that had held the first set of chocolates that didn't work out. Wilkes made a huge heart out of red paper and white doilies, snickering the entire time. They glued it onto the top of the box, and Rosier wrote, "To James: Happy Valentine's Day from your secret admirer," on the heart in a flowing, feminine script. The three boys laughed at their cleverness, and Snape found he was enjoying himself, not just because Potter would be humiliated, but because for the first time, he felt a sense of camaraderie with his Slytherin housemates. He wasn't foolish enough to mistake it for real friendship--they were merely allies temporarily united for a common cause--but he enjoyed it nevertheless.

They snuck into the Owlery before breakfast and used one of the school birds to deliver the package, then hurried to the Great Hall to watch the fun. They had just seated themselves at the Slytherin table when the owl dropped the package on the Gryffindor table in front of Potter.

"Ooh, James, who's your secret admirer?" Black teased.

"If I knew," Potter said lightly, "it wouldn't be a secret." But his eyes slid down the table to where Lily Evans was seated. Although she seemed to be ignoring him, he grinned widely. He opened the box and said, "Hey, homemade chocolates!"

"Whoever she is, she must be really stuck on you, James!" Pettigrew said enviously.

Potter just grinned smugly and popped one of the chocolates into his mouth. From the Slytherin table, Rosier, Wilkes, and Snape watched eagerly as Potter chewed and swallowed. "Mm, they're good!" he said, then held out the box to Lupin, who was sitting next to him. "Want to try one, Remy?"

Rosier and Wilkes grinned at each other; they hadn't intended to dose anyone but Potter, but if other Gryffindors got a taste of the Swelling Solution, well, that was an added bonus. Snape, however, felt slightly alarmed as Potter offered the candy to Lupin; he hadn't wanted to do anything to Lupin, who was the only one of Potter's group who was halfway decent to Snape. {It's not as if Lupin's really your friend,} he told himself, then thought viciously, {It serves him right, for hanging around with the likes of Potter and Black!}

But still, Snape felt relieved when Lupin just laughed and said, "Oh, I couldn't take any--your secret admirer made them specially for you!"

"I'll take one!" Black said, reaching out for a piece of candy, but Potter dropped the box, spilling the chocolates on the floor, and clutched his head between his hands.

"Are you all right, James?" Lupin asked, looking concerned.

"I feel a little dizzy," Potter replied.

"Maybe you should go to the hospital wing," Black started to say, but his mouth dropped open as Potter's head--along with his body and limbs--began swelling up like a balloon.

Rosier, Wilkes, and Snape burst out laughing. Their housemates soon followed suit, but it had not escaped Black's notice that the three of them had started laughing first. As Professor McGonagall hurried Potter off to see Madam Pomfrey, Black ran over to the Slytherin table and shouted, "You did this! I'll get you for this, Snivellus!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Black," Snape said coolly.

Black reached for his wand, but by then Professor Blackmore and Professor De Lacy, the Head of Slytherin, had made their way down from the head table.

"What's going on here?" De Lacy asked in a cold voice, sounding annoyed at having his breakfast interrupted. He was a tall, thin man with silver hair and an air of aristocratic elegance about him. He always looked a little weary, and conducted his classes as if he were reluctantly granting his students a great boon by deigning to share his knowledge with them. Lately, though, he had been looking more tired and frazzled than usual, and it was rumored that he would retire soon.

"Put that wand away before I give you detention, Black," Blackmore added sharply.

Black put away his wand, but pointed at Snape and his two cohorts, and said accusingly, "They poisoned James!"

"That's quite an accusation, Mr. Black," said De Lacy. "Have you any proof to back it up?" Professor De Lacy, like most of the other Heads of House, tended to favor his own House above the others. If his students were caught in the act of wrongdoing, he would punish them mercilessly, but his unspoken motto was, "If I didn't see it, it didn't happen." His reasoning was, if his Slytherins were clever enough not to get caught, he didn't really care what they did, and if they were stupid enough to get caught, then they deserved whatever punishment they got.

Pettigrew ran over with the box of chocolates, while Lupin just watched from the Gryffindor table with a slightly worried look on his face. "Here!" said the mousy boy, thrusting the box at the two teachers. "They must have put something in the candy!"

De Lacy carefully picked up one of the chocolates, examined it closely, and cautiously sniffed at it. "Swelling Solution, I believe. Mr. Potter will be fine once Madam Pomfrey gives him a Deflating Draught."

"If it's something to do with potions, then it must be Snape!" Black shouted.

Snape stared back at Black calmly, and said in a tone of offended dignity, "Does anyone really think that I would be sending Potter, of all people, candy on Valentine's Day?"

"Potter's not at all your type, Snape," Wilkes agreed helpfully, and the other Slytherins laughed.

"He did it!" Black shrieked. "I know he did! And those two probably helped him!"

Blackmore said, "There's no name on the box. Did anyone see them deliver it?"

"It came by owl," Black admitted reluctantly. "But I know it was Snape! Who else could have brewed the Swelling Solution?"

"We all learned how to make it in second-year Potions class," Snape said scornfully. "It's a simple enough potion; even YOU could have made it, Black..."

"Mr. Snape," Blackmore said, a note of warning in her voice, and Snape subsided.

"What self-respecting Slytherin would make such a silly-looking thing, even to poison a Gryffindor?" Rosier asked in an oh-so-reasonable tone of voice, his eyes wide with feigned innocence, as he pointed at the frilly heart-shaped valentine Wilkes had made. "Can you really picture SNAPE sitting in his room cutting out paper hearts?" The Slytherins laughed again, and Professor De Lacy glared at them, although Professor Blackmore seemed to fighting back a small smile.

"Well," De Lacy said as the laughter died down under his quelling stare, "unless you can produce any proof connecting my students to this prank, Mr. Black, you may go back to your table and keep your baseless accusations to yourself."

"So they're just going to get away with it?!" Black howled.

"This may not be a court of law, Mr. Black," Blackmore said in a cool voice, "but we do not convict anyone without evidence. Just as, I seem to recall, no one was punished for certain drawings that were made in the second floor boys' bathroom, since no one could prove who drew them, although there were a few likely suspects..." She gave Black a hard stare, and Black flushed, nervously evading her gaze. Someone had drawn caricatures of Snape with an exaggeratedly big nose on the bathroom wall; Snape knew perfectly well that Black was responsible, but couldn't prove it. Snape had gotten his own back by casting a hex on Black that had made his nose grow till it was nearly three feet long; that was the stunt that had cost him the week's detention he had just finished, but it had been worth it. Blackmore was a strict teacher, but notoriously fair; she didn't normally tolerate such things, but since Gryffindor had not been punished for their last prank, it seemed she was willing to let this one slide on behalf of Slytherin.

Black fumed, and muttered under his breath, "You'll pay for this, Snivelly."

"If I hear one more word out of you, Black, it will be ten points off Gryffindor," Blackmore said. "Now get back to your table."

Snape, Rosier, and Wilkes grinned at each other as Black slunk back to the Gryffindor table, with Pettigrew scuttling after him. Their smiles faded as the two Professors glared sternly at the trio.

"I don't like having my breakfast interrupted," De Lacy said coldly. "And I expect the rest of the day to be quiet and uneventful--in fact, I expect the rest of the week to be quiet and uneventful; is that clear, boys?"

"Yes, sir," the trio chorused. De Lacy headed back to the staff table, but Blackmore lingered behind.

"I'm getting very tired of this inter-House rivalry," Blackmore said in a dangerous tone. "As far as I'm concerned, Gryffindor and Slytherin are even now, so you three had better not put one toe out of line, or you'll all be scrubbing bedpans in the hospital wing. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," they chorused. And such were Blackmore's powers of intimidation, that even Rosier and Wilkes were remarkably well-behaved, at least for a couple of weeks...
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Snape sighed, his mind returning back to the present. He supposed that prank, and a few other similar incidents, were the reason why he had felt so guilty about Rosier's and Wilkes's deaths, and why he had felt duty-bound to help Rosier's son: Rosier and Wilkes had been the closest thing he had to friends in school. Not friends the way the Marauders had been friends, of course, but someone like Snape couldn't afford to be too picky...he wondered if the pangs of loneliness he had experienced in school would have been quite so sharp if not for Lupin. For most of his first two years at school, Snape had been content with his standing in Slytherin House. He had resented Potter, for winning the top rank in school as well as the Headmaster's favor, but on the other hand, his housemates had been impressed by his knowledge of the Dark Arts, and the influential Lucius Malfoy had welcomed the younger boy into his inner circle, which made young Snape one of the Slytherin elite. It was not until Snape became aware of Remus Lupin, that he noticed how alone he really was. It was not until he saw how close Lupin was to Potter, Black, and Pettigrew, that Snape began to covet that same closeness, and was consumed by jealousy and bitterness, because he knew it was something he could never have...

He tried to shake off those old feelings of jealousy and insecurity, reminding himself that Lupin was his lover now. {Lupin loves me,} he tried to reassure himself. {Loves me best, more than Potter or Black.} He remembered what Lupin had told him, the night Snape had saved Black's worthless life: "You can be first in my heart, always," and Snape felt a little better. He knew his thoughts were childish and petty, but it still gave him great satisfaction to know that he was finally first in Lupin's affections, after so many years of following Lupin around and watching from the sidelines just to get a small smile and an occasional kind word. Suddenly Snape no longer wanted to be alone, and wanted more than anything to see Lupin in person. He quickly left the school grounds and Apparated himself over to the Phoenix headquarters.
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"Severus!" Lupin said, looking surprised but pleased. "I'm so glad to see you!"

For once, Snape wasn't annoyed with Lupin for looking happy to see him; in fact, thanks to the unpleasant memories Dylan's lesson had stirred up, Snape was actually grateful for it. Besides, no one seemed to be around right now, so Snape said softly, "I'm glad to see you too, Remus." He almost laughed at the stunned expression on Lupin's face. "What's the matter, aren't you happy to see me?" he asked jokingly.

Lupin recovered quickly, and grinned at Snape. "I'm always happy to see you, Severus! Can you stay over tonight?"

"Yes," Snape said, feeling his bad mood dissipate. "Would you like to--" Snape was about to suggest they go upstairs to their rooms, when Hermione Granger walked in the front door carrying an armload of books. Sirius Black followed behind her, carrying a suitcase. The girl's mangy cat trailed after them, hissing at Snape as if he had heard the unspoken "mangy" comment.

"Hello, Professor Lupin," Granger said cheerfully. Then, politely but a little nervously, "Hello, Professor Snape."

"Hello, Hermione," Lupin said with a smile.

Black frowned when he saw Snape, but all he said was, "Let's get your stuff stowed away, Hermione."

"Thanks, Sirius!" the girl replied, and they both headed upstairs, followed by the cat.

Snape scowled, thinking to himself that his good mood had been very short-lived. "Are the brats moving in already?" he asked, not quite able to keep a whine out of his voice.

"Yes, Severus," Lupin replied calmly. "I was just about to leave with Sirius and Branwen to pick up Harry."

"Lovely," Snape muttered sourly. Then he looked around suspiciously, thinking that the house was awfully quiet. "Are the Weasley brats here yet?"

Lupin sighed, in his usual long-suffering way. "Please try not to call them brats, Severus. At the very least, not when Molly's around. But no, they aren't here yet. Molly and Arthur will be bringing Ron and Ginny over later tonight. Perhaps you'll be relieved to learn that Fred and George are too busy running their new joke shop to spend the summer with us."

"Thank Merlin for small favors," Snape said.

"Yes, well, try not to bring up the subject around Molly. She's still rather upset about them dropping out of school. They refused to come back, even after Albus was reinstated as Headmaster. I hear the shop's doing well, though."

Snape started to say he didn't give a damn about how the shop was doing, then changed his mind. If the shop did well, it meant two less Weasleys at both Grimmauld Place and Hogwarts, which was all to the good, as far as Snape was concerned. He felt a little better; no more worrying about the Weasley twins eavesdropping with their Extendable Ears, no more worrying about them blowing up the house with some ridiculous experiment...

Branwen came down the stairs, followed by a large dog--Black in his Animagus form. Snape stared in shock: she was dressed in Muggle-type clothing--a green blouse, short (well, compared to her usual floor-length robes) black skirt, and ankle-high black suede boots. Her hair was tied back in a long tail, and she looked surprisingly young and girlish--almost young enough to pass for a student, in fact.

She smiled self-consciously and said, "I feel a bit silly dressed like this."

"You look lovely, Branwen," Lupin said gallantly, and Snape belatedly noticed that he was also dressed in Muggle clothes, although his attire--long overcoat over faded-and-patched shirt and trousers--was not that different from what he normally wore.

Snape looked back at Branwen, then realized his jaw was hanging open and hastily closed it. Black seemed to be in a state of shock as well, although it was difficult to tell when he was in his dog form, but his eyes looked a little dazed, and his tongue was hanging out in a way that looked more human than canine. Snape also noticed that the dog's eyes seemed to be staring at Branwen's bare legs, and he frowned and said, "I hope you aren't looking up her skirt, Black..."

Branwen and the dog let out simultaneous yelps. Black growled at Snape reprovingly, but he did seem to look just a bit guilty...

"He had better not be," Branwen said, flushing slightly as she gave the dog an evil look. "Unless he wants to be trapped in that form permanently."

"Why is he in that flea-bitten form, anyway?" asked Snape. "He's no longer a fugitive."

Black snarled, and made as if to bite Snape's ankle, but Branwen snapped, "Sirius, heel!" The dog looked mortified, but tucked his tail between his legs and slunk over to Branwen's side, giving Snape a sullen glare.

Lupin just looked amused, and replied to Snape's question, "He said he'd rather be a dog than wear Muggle clothes."

"Er...you're not going out without your wand, are you?" Snape asked Branwen. She wasn't exactly dressed scandalously--at least, it probably wouldn't seem so if she hadn't once been his teacher--but he didn't see anyplace she could possibly hide a wand in that Muggle costume.

"It's right here," she said, patting a large purse that was slung over one shoulder. "It seems a bit inconvenient, though, for Muggle women to have to tote this thing around everywhere they go." Black had crept forward to growl at Snape again, and Branwen lightly whacked the dog across the nose with the purse. "Hmm, it can come in handy, after all," she mused, as Black yelped and gave her a reproachful look. She ignored him and asked, "Ready to go, Remus?"

"Yes. We'll be back soon, Severus." Lupin looked at Snape a little anxiously. "You are still staying over, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'll stay," said Snape. Although he wasn't pleased about the brats moving in, he really needed to be with Lupin tonight. As the three wizards headed towards the front door, something suddenly occurred to him. "Wait a minute! All three of you are going?" He didn't see Tonks or Shacklebolt around, which was not surprising, since it was not a meeting day, and Lupin had already said that the Weasleys weren't coming till later. "You're leaving me alone with Granger?" Snape asked, feeling put out and somehow a little frantic.

"Surely you're not afraid of a little girl, Severus," Branwen said dryly, and Black made a barking noise that sounded very much like a laugh.

"Well, no, but..." Snape said, his voice trailing off as he tried to come up with a reasonable objection. He didn't know why the idea bothered him so much; it wasn't as if he didn't normally have a dungeon full of brats to look after at school...but the idea of spending his free time, his vacation time, here with the girl--a Gryffindor and Potter's friend, two strikes against her already--was distinctly unappealing.

"Actually, I'm glad you showed up when you did," Lupin said cheerfully. "Even though the house is well-protected, I didn't really want to leave Hermione alone--"

"I'm not a baby-sitter!" Snape yelled. Maybe that was what was bothering him; it was one thing to be an Order member visiting the house where the brats were living. It was quite another to be left in charge of the girl, as if she were a friend or family member. He didn't want to have any sort of personal relationship at all with the children; it was bad enough being their teacher!

"For heaven's sake, Severus," Branwen said irritably. "No one's asking you to baby-sit; the girl is responsible and well-behaved. She'll probably spend the whole time unpacking; I doubt you'll even see her until we get back." Then she grinned. "And besides, you won't be alone; Bane is staying behind." The raven, who was perched on the staircase railing, gave a loud, disgruntled croak and glared at his mistress. "There's no point in going to the trouble of wearing Muggle disguises if I'm going to carry around something as conspicuous as my raven familiar. People will stare, and we don't want to attract attention. Besides, Harry says his relatives hate anything remotely magical or witchy." Bane continued to sulk, and Branwen reached over to scratch him on the head. "You'll protect Severus from Miss Granger, won't you?" she crooned.

"BRANWEN!" Snape howled, while Lupin chuckled and Black barked out another laugh.

"I'll see you soon, love," Lupin said, giving Snape a quick peck on the cheek.

"And don't do that while there are children in the house!" Snape roared.

"Better be quiet before Hermione comes down to see what all the fuss is about," Branwen said with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. Snape glared at her, looking almost as sulky as the raven, and despite his complaints about being left alone with Granger, was a little relieved when she finally left, along with Lupin and Black.

Snape growled to himself, until he realized he was sounding more like a dog than Black, and headed upstairs to his room. To his surprise, Bane flew over and landed on his shoulder. "Oof!" Snape said. "You're heavy, Bane! I wonder how Branwen carries you around all the time without dislocating her shoulder?" Bane glared at him, and snapped his beak shut perilously close to Snape's ear. Snape chuckled and reached up to stroke Bane's chest, and the bird looked mollified. "Well, we've both been abandoned, so shall we keep each other company till they get back?" Bane croaked in agreement, and they went upstairs.

Snape paused on the first landing; what was that dreadful caterwauling noise coming from down the hall? He had thought Black and the others had gotten rid of all the vermin in the house, but perhaps Miss Granger had managed to stumble across a previously hidden occupant. He pulled out his wand and headed down the hallway, grumbling to himself, "I told Lupin I'm not a baby-sitter!"

But as he drew closer to the source of the sound, he realized it was music--or at least something that was supposed to pass for music. He peered in the half-open door of Granger's room, and saw the girl bent over her suitcase, unpacking her belongings. The "music" was indeed coming from some Muggle contraption; no doubt Lupin would find it fascinating. Snape scowled and pocketed his wand, and had turned to leave when suddenly a small object came flying out of the room and struck him on the leg. He winced and reached down to rub his shin, as Bane squawked and flapped his wings to keep his balance on Snape's shoulder.

Granger, looked up, startled, at the sound of Bane's voice. "Professor!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you standing there! I was aiming for the wastebasket." She hastily ran over to pick up the object, which was a small box that had fallen open and spilled out its contents, a pair of rose-shaped silver earrings.

"Considering your aim," Snape said sourly, "it's a good thing for Gryffindor that you don't play on the Quidditch team." The girl flushed, then picked up the box and earrings and threw them in the wastebasket. "Er..aren't those Mr. Rosier's Christmas gift to you?"

"Dylan doesn't want to be my friend anymore," Granger said in a rather snippy tone; if they'd been in class, Snape would have taken points off Gryffindor for that. "So I don't want his presents!" As she turned away, Snape noticed that her eyes were red, and he thought he heard a sniffle as she continued to unpack her suitcase.

{It's none of my business,} he told himself as he lingered outside the door. {It's none of my business, it's none of my business...} But his body was not listening to his mind, because he found himself bending down to retrieve the earrings from the wastebasket. {Damn it, hanging around with the werewolf has made me soft!} He stood there scowling down at the earrings in his hand. Why was he doing this? It wasn't as if he wanted Dylan taking up with a Gryffindor girl... Bane cawed softly, as if to encourage him, and Snape growled, "You're just as bad as your mistress." He strode across the room and slammed the earrings down on the girl's desk with a loud thump. She looked up with a start as Snape said curtly, "A gift from a friend should not be so easily discarded."

"But...but..." Granger stammered. She clearly wanted to tell him to mind his own business, but unlike her friends Potter and Weasley, was too well-mannered to talk back to a teacher. It was a pity, really, that she had been sorted into Gryffindor, but she was too much of a goody-two-shoes to have ever been sorted into Slytherin. And of course, a Muggle-born girl probably would not have fared very well in Slytherin House...

"Do not blame Mr. Rosier," Snape said, still in that curt, cold voice. "It was I who told him to sever relations with you."

"B-but why?" Granger asked, looking hurt and angry.

"Use your head, you silly girl!" Snape snapped. "I thought you, at least, had some sense, even if your idiot friends have none! It would be dangerous if people found out that Dylan had a Gryffindor friend."

"I know Dylan was afraid of getting expelled, but--"

"I said dangerous, not inconvenient, Miss Granger!" Snape snarled. "Getting expelled is the least of Mr. Rosier's worries at present."

The girl began to look frightened. "Dylan is in danger?"

"Do you really need to ask, considering everything that's happened recently?" Snape asked impatiently. "Is it not obvious that we are all in danger? I know that little detail has not escaped your attention, because the Headmaster told me the true purpose behind the 'Dumbledore's Army' you organized."

Granger flushed, and looked at Snape nervously, as if expecting to be berated for her role in the illicit group. When he said nothing, she asked, "Dylan is in danger, because Vol--" Snape flinched, and she hastily changed it to, "--You-Know-Who would be angry if he found out the son of one his followers was associating with a Gryffindor? Or is it something more...?"

The girl, like Dylan, was too damn clever for her own good. "Let's just leave it at that, Miss Granger," Snape said in a tone that brooked no argument. "I've already told you more than I should. To say more would put both you and Dylan in greater danger." Granger gave him a startled, thoughtful look, and Snape silently cursed his little slip of the tongue; he had not meant to imply that he was concerned about the girl, because he wasn't! Really! He was merely worried that she might get both Dylan and himself killed if she started gossiping to her friends, and they in turn spread it around the school.

"So Dylan doesn't really hate me," she sighed in relief.

Snape scowled. Stupid moony girl; he had thought Miss Granger was more sensible than that. {I seem to recall a boy who spent most of his time at school mooning over a certain werewolf...} the sarcastic voice in his head pointed out.

{So who asked you?} Snape retorted. Aloud, he said, "No, he does not. But you will not repeat any of this to anyone, including Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley." Then, remembering that Granger had shared this room with Ginny Weasley last summer, he added, "Or Miss Weasley, for that matter. In fact, this conversation never happened; do you understand me, Miss Granger?"

"Yes, sir," she said, smiling at him gratefully. "Thank you, sir." Snape felt his face grow hot, and he quickly turned away to leave, when Granger called out, "Oh, Professor?"

"What is it?" he asked irritably.

"Would...would you tell Dylan that I'm not mad at him anymore?" Granger asked timidly.

"Do I look like a messenger owl?" Snape said in a waspish voice. The girl's face fell, and Snape once again cursed Lupin for infecting him with his softhearted attitude. "Oh, very well," he grumbled. "When I happen to see him, which might not be till school starts again." Which was a lie, of course, but he didn't want any of the children to know that he was secretly giving Dylan Occlumency lessons.

Granger beamed at him. "Thank you, Professor Snape!"

"Remember, this conversation never happened!" Snape growled in a threatening voice.

"What conversation?" she asked innocently.

Snape turned on his heel and quickly fled the room. From his shoulder, Bane began to laugh in a hoarse, croaking voice. "Oh, shut up!" Snape snapped, but the bird, like most of the other occupants of the house, paid him no heed.


Hermione sat down on the floor in a state of shock. Had Professor Snape actually done something NICE for her? Although she consistently defended him to Ron and Harry, she would never have expected him to do such a thing; even though he was on the side of the good guys, she knew it was unrealistic to expect Snape to suddenly start behaving as kindly as Dumbledore. She giggled a little at that thought, and Crookshanks ambled over and curled up in her lap. She absent-mindedly stroked the cat as she replayed her conversation with Snape over in her mind. No matter how hard she racked her brain, she could not come up with a logical reason for Snape to have told her about Dylan's true reasons for breaking off their friendship...except to spare her feelings. Why would Snape care whether her feelings were hurt or not? He had never gone out of his way to be nice before. But on second thought, that wasn't really true...he had given them those Potions textbooks for Christmas last year, even if Professor Lupin had made him do it. And come to think of it, he had just complimented her, if in a rather backhanded way: he had thought she was sensible enough to be told the truth, intelligent enough to recognize the danger, and trustworthy enough to keep it confidential. He had even agreed to carry her message to Dylan--rather grudgingly, to be sure, but still, he had agreed to do it.

"I knew he wasn't so bad after all!" she said triumphantly to Crookshanks, who just purred at her. She wished Harry and Ron had been here to witness what had just happened, because they stubbornly persisted in doubting Snape's loyalty despite the fact that Dumbledore trusted him. It was too bad that she couldn't tell them about it, but she had promised to keep it a secret. She sighed and muttered, "Oh well, they probably wouldn't believe me, anyway..."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sirius was delighted that his godson was coming to stay for the rest of the summer; even Snape's unexpected arrival couldn't dampen his good spirits. But he really hoped that Remy wasn't going to keep making out publicly with Snape on a regular basis. Sirius frowned; he would have to remind Moony to behave himself--there were going to be children in the house starting today, after all! It seemed like Snape was going to be around a lot more this summer, more's the pity...ever since Snape had saved his life, Sirius felt even more uncomfortable around the Potions Master than usual. {Damn it, why did it have to be Snape who saved me?} Sirius thought to himself. Then he remembered how Branwen had scolded him for being ungrateful, and his conscience reminded him that he had never thanked Snape for saving him. (He supposed that a "Thank you, you slimy git!" didn't really count.) Still, Snape didn't seem to expect to be thanked; he said he had done it only for Remus's sake, and he seemed to hate Sirius as much as he always had. Suddenly Sirius wondered if their positions had been reversed, if it would have occurred to him to risk his life to save Snape's, if only for Remy's sake. {Probably not,} he admitted, and that made him a little uneasy--did that mean, that of the two of them, Snape was the better man? Then Sirius shook his head vigorously, as if trying to shake off those disturbing thoughts. The whole point was moot, anyway, since Sirius did not know how to perform a Blood Healing spell--it was classified as Dark Magic, and thus was not taught at Hogwarts. Snape must have learned it either from his parents or the Death Eaters. Wouldn't that be ironic, if Snape had saved Sirius with a spell Voldemort had taught him? Sirius laughed, albeit a bit grimly.

Well, he had no time to think about Snape right now; it was time to go pick up Harry. Sirius quickly transformed himself into dog form and left his room. Branwen emerged from her own room just as Sirius was trotting down the hall, and he froze in his tracks at the sight of her. Instead of her usual long robes, she was wearing Muggle clothing: a green blouse just a shade lighter than her emerald-colored eyes, and a black skirt that ended just above her knees. Her waist-length hair was tied back in a ponytail, and that last touch made her look much younger than her years. She looked almost girlish...very pretty, in fact.

Branwen saw him staring and misunderstood his expression; she was usually more perceptive, but perhaps it was harder to read a dog's face than a human's. "I know I look silly dressed like this," she said with a scowl. "But since we have to go out among Muggles..." She sighed. "It's a pity I can't turn myself into a dog, too. Well, come on, let's go and get this over with."

Sirius followed obediently, still a little stunned. Not helping his state of mind was the fact that Branwen's long legs were more-or-less at his dog form's eye level. {Branwen has legs,} he thought in amazement, then told himself sharply, {Of course she has legs, you moron!} But he had never noticed before what nice, shapely legs she had, since they had always been covered up by her robes... Horrified, Sirius-the-dog paused to shake himself and try to get his brain working properly again. He could not be having these kinds of thoughts about his former teacher, the dreaded Professor Blackmore, whom all the students had feared, who had given him detention on countless occasions!

"Sirius," Branwen called impatiently, "what are you doing? Honestly, sometimes I think your brain turns as doggish as your body when you transform!"

Sirius hastened to catch up with her, grateful that dogs don't blush, and doubly grateful that Branwen could not read his mind. He followed her downstairs, apparently still looking somewhat dazed, because Snape frowned and said, "I hope you aren't looking up her skirt, Black..."

Sirius yelped guiltily, because although he hadn't been looking up her skirt, he had been staring at her legs, still having those very unsettling, less-than-platonic thoughts. He growled at Snape angrily; to think he had been feeling guilty about not thanking that slimy Slytherin bastard! How could Snape read Sirius's face when Branwen couldn't? Maybe the time he spent with Remus in wolf form had taught Snape to read canine expressions better than most people...

Branwen yelped as well, glaring at Sirius as she said, "He had better not be, unless he wants to be trapped in that form permanently."

Sirius gave her a hurt and offended look; why did she always automatically believe Snape?

"Why is he in that flea-bitten form, anyway?" sneered Snape. "He's no longer a fugitive."

{I'll show you who's flea-bitten!} thought Sirius, as he snarled and bared his teeth. He was just about to take a chunk out of Snape's leg when Branwen snapped, "Sirius, heel!" He gave her a mortified look, but she glared back at him mercilessly, transformed back from pretty young girl into stern Professor Blackmore. There was no arguing with that look or tone of voice; Sirius reluctantly slunk over to her side, glaring sullenly at Snape. Well, one good thing about this was that those disturbing new feelings had abruptly vanished, as if he had just been doused with a bucket of cold water.

Remus, that traitor, looked amused by the whole thing, and said, "He said he'd rather be a dog than wear Muggle clothes."

Sirius was beginning to sorely regret that decision. And he didn't like the way Snape was looking Branwen up and down; should a man who was supposed to be gay be looking at a woman, particularly his former teacher, that closely? And in front of his lover, no less? Well, perhaps it was just shock, because the expression on Snape's face was more affronted than prurient, but Sirius still didn't like it.

"Er...you're not going out without your wand, are you?" Snape asked, clearly trying to picture where on earth she could have hidden it.

"It's right here," she said, patting a large purse that was slung over one shoulder. "It seems a bit inconvenient, though, for Muggle women to have to tote this thing around everywhere they go." Meanwhile, Sirius was creeping forward, hoping to take a bite out of Snape to punish him for his insolence. Unfortunately, Branwen noticed and swatted him on the nose with her purse. SIrius yelped and glared at her as she said, "Hmm, it can come in handy, after all. Ready to go, Remus?"

{I can't believe I was just thinking she was pretty!} Sirius thought petulantly. {We're talking about demonic Professor Blackmore, after all!}

Sirius sulkily followed them to the door, taking a little pleasure in the fact that Snape was very put out about being left alone with Hermione. Even more amusing was the look on Snape's face when Branwen told Bane to stay behind and "protect" Snape from Hermione. The Potions Master and the raven stared at them with near-identical grumpy expressions on their faces as Branwen, Remus, and Sirius left. Sirius felt quite happy to leave both of them behind; he had never liked Bane. In school, the bird used to sit on a perch by Professor Blackmore's desk, glowering at the students and squawking loudly to alert his mistress when any of them got up to mischief behind her back. And once, Bane had pecked Sirius on the hand sharply, hard enough to draw blood, when the raven had caught him trying to sneak a dungbomb into Snape's bookbag. Sirius was not at all surprised to find out that Bane was actually a creature from the Demon Realm sent by Branwen's forefather, Araqiel, to watch over her. Most of the children at Hogwarts had secretly thought that Bane was a demon, anyway.

But his bad mood evaporated once they got outside, and he ran ahead and frolicked like a puppy as Branwen and Remus laughed. It felt so good to get out of the house, it felt so good to no longer be a fugitive and a prisoner! Sirius ran barking at a flock of pigeons, sending them taking to the safety of a nearby tree in a flurry of flapping wings and falling feathers. One downy feather fell onto Sirius's nose, tickling it, and he sneezed loudly, the force of that sneeze causing him to sit back on his haunches.

Branwen shook her head. "What did those pigeons ever do to you, Sirius?"

Remus just smiled indulgently. "Oh, let him be, Branwen. He was cooped up in the house for almost a year, after all."

Branwen and Remus walked at a sedate pace as they headed to the train station to meet Harry. Sirius ran ahead, working off his pent-up energy, then ran back to bark at them impatiently. "Take it easy, Sirius," Branwen said. "There's no rush. We've got plenty of time, and it's too hot to be running around in weather like this. And you're the one with a fur coat; don't blame me if you faint from heatstroke."

Lupin laughed. "Actually, the fur serves to trap air between the hairs, keeping us canines cool in the summer and warm in the winter."

"Well, you would know, I suppose," Branwen conceded with a smile. "By the way, aren't you hot in that coat?"

Lupin sighed. "Yes, but it's the closest I could get to a wizard's robe, and I admit I would feel a bit undressed walking around without a robe. Besides, I need somewhere to hide my wand, and unlike you, I can't carry a purse." He grinned. "At least, not without attracting unwanted attention."

"Yes, well, I suppose this Muggle outfit does have its advantages," Branwen said. "For one thing, it's much cooler than a long robe..."

But her outfit also had some disadvantages, which became obvious when a young man passing by them blatantly ogled her. She scowled at him and started to mutter a hex under her breath, but Sirius leapt forward, barking and baring his teeth in a threatening manner. The man hastily crossed to the other side of the street, shouting, "You should keep that dog on a leash!"

"Good dog," said Branwen, patting Sirius on the head. Sirius barked happily and wagged his tail. He remained by her side the rest of the way to the station, and his presence seemed to ward off the attentions of any other would-be admirers. A few more men gave Branwen appreciative glances, but quickly continued on their way when the saw the huge black dog at her side growling at them menacingly.

Branwen and Remus grinned at each other over Sirius's head. "You've become quite the watchdog, Padfoot, old friend," Remus laughed, reaching down to scratch Sirius behind the ears. Since it was Remus, Sirius tolerated it and wagged his tail. Actually, the scratching did feel very good when he was in dog form, but he still couldn't understand how Remus could let Snape touch him like that. Moony was a good person and a loyal friend, but he had the worst taste in men...

Then thoughts about Snape vanished from his head as he caught sight of Harry. His aunt, uncle, and cousin stood behind him, looking fearful and resentful, but Sirius had eyes only for Harry. He jumped up, placing his front paws on Harry's chest as he covered Harry's face with enthusiastic swipes of his tongue.

"I'm happy to see you too, Snuffles!" Harry laughed, giving the dog a hug. His relatives hurried off, as if they couldn't get away fast enough, and Harry turned to greet the other two wizards. "Hello, Professor Lupin, Professor Black..." His jaw dropped open when he saw Branwen in her Muggle outfit. "...more," he finished weakly.

"Do I look that ridiculous?" she sighed.

"No, not at all!" Harry hastily demurred. "You look very pretty!" Then he blushed, his face turning bright red.

Branwen laughed. "What a gentleman you are, Harry! So much more well-mannered than your godfather," she added, looking at Sirius, who glared at her as everyone laughed. Then he gave in and started laughing too, barking and wagging his tail.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Harry didn't mind walking back to the house, laughing as Sirius barked happily and ran in circles around him. He carried Hedwig's covered cage, and Lupin took his suitcase, casting a quickly muttered charm to make it lighter.

"Have your aunt and uncle been treating you all right, Harry?" Lupin asked.

"Yeah, that warning you guys gave them seems to have done the trick," Harry said with a grin. "I think they're afraid you might turn 'em into toads or something."

"'Or something,' I think," Blackmore said with a wicked smile. "One does like to be creative, and toads are rather passe..."

"I never want to make you angry at me, Professor!" Harry said fervently, and the adults laughed. He enjoyed the walk home, making small talk with Lupin and Blackmore, and laughing at Sirius's antics. Blackmore's mood seemed to have changed along with her style of dress, because she laughed and joked with him in a surprisingly lighthearted manner. And he hadn't been lying earlier at the station; she really did look very pretty in Muggle clothing. Not that she looked ugly in wizard's robes--far from it, but she looked much less intimidating like this.

They reached the house, and Sirius transformed back into his normal shape and gave Harry a proper hug. Hermione came running down the stairs to hug him as well. Then to Harry's surprise, he saw Professor Snape descending the staircase with Bane perched on his shoulder. Snape was feeding Bane a small cookie, which the bird gobbled down eagerly. "You're getting crumbs on my robe," he complained, and the raven rubbed his head against Snape's cheek affectionately before flying over to Blackmore's shoulder, squawking at her in alternately relieved and scolding tones.

"Goodness," she said, petting the bird and trying to calm him down. "You'd think I was gone for a week, with all the fuss you're making!" As she watched Snape brush cookie crumbs off his shoulder, she said, "You shouldn't spoil him, Severus, you'll make him fat." Bane croaked indignantly.

"He's already fat," Snape said sourly, and Bane croaked again. "My shoulder is killing me; I don't know how you can carry him around all day. I was just feeding him to keep him quiet--I'm glad you got back before he ate me out of house and home."

"It's MY house and home," Sirius muttered under his breath.

Lupin laughed as he walked over to Snape, saying, "You mean you were afraid he'd clean out your secret stash of sweets, Severus!" Then he leaned close and said softly--just barely loud enough for Harry to overhear--"You old softie."

"LUPIN!" Snape said, looking as indignant as Bane. He glared at Lupin, then glared at Harry as well, his face looking more sour than ever. Lupin just grinned at him, and Snape turned on his heel and went back upstairs, looking rather huffy. Lupin laughed and followed behind him.

Harry felt very strange; he knew he should be grateful to Snape for saving Sirius's life, but Snape continued to treat him as unpleasantly as ever, as if nothing had changed. And he felt very uncomfortable knowing about the relationship between Snape and Lupin. The fact that they were both men was disconcerting enough--though Harry didn't think of himself as prejudiced, he had never known anyone who was gay before, but mostly he just didn't understand what Lupin saw in Snape. Lupin was a very nice person who had been a friend to Harry, and he didn't really like the thought of him being with Snape, who had tormented Harry at school for the past five years. Besides, Snape was rude, bitter, sarcastic, and if all that wasn't bad enough, he had gotten Lupin fired--or to be more accurate, forced him to resign, but it amounted to the same thing--from his job at Hogwarts two years ago. Why on earth would Lupin want to be with someone like that?

"Come on, Harry," Sirius said, interrupting his thoughts. "Why don't we get you settled in and unpacked?"

"Sure, Sirius."

Hermione started to go after them, but Blackmore stopped her by placing a hand gently on her shoulder. "Would you help me get dinner started, dear? Molly will be busy moving Ron and Ginny in, and besides, we shouldn't expect her to cook for us all the time."

"Yes, Professor," Hermione said obediently, and Harry shot Blackmore a grateful look, knowing she was deliberately giving him a chance to talk to Sirius alone. Then he had the worrisome thought that she might be versed in Legilimency--it seemed almost as if she had read his mind. He certainly hoped not! He tried to reassure himself that it was only natural that he'd want to spend some time alone with his godfather after being apart for so long, and it didn't take a mind-reader to figure that out.

"Can I ask you something, Sirius?" Harry said, once they were alone his room.

"Sure, Harry," Sirius replied, grinning cheerfully at him as he began helping Harry unpack and hang up his clothes in the closet.

"How long have Lupin and Professor Snape been together? And WHY are they together--I mean, what does Lupin see in him?"

Sirius's smile vanished and he sighed heavily. "I wish I knew, Harry," he said, sounding a bit disgruntled. "I can't figure it out myself; you'll have to ask Remus if you really want to know. As for 'how long,' they got together in fifth year while working on Professor Blackmore's project, then broke up after--" Sirius broke off and flushed, and Harry could guess why: they had broken up after Sirius sent Snape to the Shrieking Shack. Sirius cleared his throat and continued, "Then, apparently, they got back together again while Remus was teaching at Hogwarts."

"What?!" Harry exclaimed. "B--but Snape was so mean to Professor Lupin the entire time he was there!" He paused to think, then said reluctantly, "I guess it could have been an act so that no one would suspect the truth, but then why did he get Lupin fired?"

"It was my fault," Sirius admitted, looking shamefaced and resentful at the same time. "Snape's always hated my guts. When he caught all of us together in the Shrieking Shack, he thought Remus had been helping me behind his back, and--typical Snape--wouldn't listen to any explanations. And I suppose he was pretty ticked off that I escaped and didn't get thrown to the Dementors." Sirius smiled briefly, with a look of bitter satisfaction. "So to get revenge, he exposed Moony's secret."

"Why would Lupin want to be with him after he did that?" Harry demanded.

"Beats the heck out of me," Sirius said with a shrug. "Remus claims they talked things out and that Snape apologized afterwards." Sirius looked rather dubious. "Personally, I don't understand why Remy took him back, but he's always been soft on Snape, even when we were kids. He's always felt sorry for him, claiming that he's just lonely and misunderstood." Sirius sighed, a bit guiltily. "I knew all along that he didn't approve of the way we treated Snape back in school, even though he never said anything. Branwen says that Remus could sympathize with Snape because they were both lonely and misfits."

Harry was silent for a moment, remembering the memory he had seen in the Pensieve, where his father and Sirius had tormented Snape, much as Harry himself had been bullied by his cousin Dudley and by Draco Malfoy. He hated feeling sorry for Snape, but he was struck by the thought that Snape must not have had an easy time of it at school...and then he remembered that other childhood memory of Snape's he'd seen during their Occlumency lessons. "I saw some of Snape's memories," Harry said slowly. "In his head, I mean, during the Occlumency lessons, not in the Pensieve. Did you ever meet his parents?"

"A few times, when they came to school functions," Sirius said with a frown, "but I didn't really know them. They seemed cold and snooty, like most of the other pureblood families, including my own. Why do you ask?"

"Because I think I saw Snape's father cast a Cruciatus Curse on him," Harry replied.

"What?!"

"Well, I'm not sure, but that's what it looked like," Harry said. "Snape was only five or six years old in the memory. It looked like he had broken some toy and his father was punishing him. He--the father--raised his wand and cast a spell; I couldn't hear what he said, but Snape was rolling on the floor screaming in pain." Harry shuddered, remembering the time Voldemort had cast the Crucio spell on him. "It sure looked like a Cruciatus Curse."

"His own father?" Sirius asked, looking stunned.

"I think so. The man had a nose just like Snape's, but lighter-colored hair. And there was a woman too, I guess his mother? She was really pretty, with black hair and sort of golden-tan skin."

"Yes, that sounds like the Snapes," Sirius said weakly.

"His mum just stood by and watched," Harry said incredulously. "She didn't try to stop his dad from hurting him! She didn't even look angry or scared, just...bored, almost. Like she just didn't care."

Sirius shook his head, looking a little shaken. "The Snapes have always been a nasty lot, but I never knew they were that bad." He paused, thinking for a moment, then said, "Branwen told me once that Snape had a 'difficult childhood' but never explained what she meant by that. I suppose that having your parents cast Unforgivable Curses on you might count as 'difficult'..."

Harry shuddered again. "I really hate Snape, but when I think about that I can't help but feel sorry for him...do you suppose that's why he's turned out like he has?"

"Maybe," Sirius muttered, looking stubborn and mulish. It seemed that he didn't want to feel sorry for Snape anymore than Harry did.

Suddenly Harry remembered one of the other memories he'd seen. "There was another memory...he was about twelve, maybe thirteen...he was lying in the mud, and Lupin came over and offered him a hand up." Was that why he had fallen in love with Lupin? Because Lupin was the first, maybe the only person, to ever treat him kindly? He said as much to Sirius, who just scowled.

"Yeah, I remember that. It was our second year; Gryffindor and Slytherin were playing a practice match in the rain. It was pouring so hard that everyone but Snape and your father came down. Snape fell off his broom--it was his own damn fault, he deliberately jostled James, and James's broom went out of control and knocked Snape off his. He fell in the mud and we were all laughing our heads off, except of course for Moony. Remus has always been softhearted; he went over to help Snape up, and instead of being grateful, Snape pulled him down into the mud, too. Remus just laughed it off, though." Sirius shook his head again. "There's no accounting for taste, but love isn't logical, I guess."

Harry figured he wasn't going to get any further insight from Sirius, and decided to drop the subject. "Listen," he said nervously, "don't tell Snape what I told you, okay? He's mad enough at me as it is."

"Don't worry, I won't say anything," Sirius assured him. "And if Snape gives you any problems, you come see me and I'll set him straight!"

Harry nodded, but remembering how Sirius and Snape had nearly gotten into a duel over the Occlumency lessons, privately resolved to handle any problems on his own.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

To Snape's surprise, not only did the Weasleys arrive that evening, but Dumbledore as well. After the children had excitedly greeted each other and were sent to their rooms to get ready for dinner by Molly, Snape quietly asked the Headmaster if they could have a word in private.

"Of course, Severus," Dumbledore said cheerfully, and they retreated to the drawing room.

Snape stammered, "I...do you..." He paused to take a deep breath, then started over again. "I'm willing to resume Potter's Occlumency lessons...if you still want me to."

"Severus," Dumbledore said, looking surprised and concerned, "are you sure that's what you want?"

Snape scowled. "Of course I don't WANT to, but he needs the lessons. But...I'll understand if you don't trust me, after that fiasco..."

Dumbledore laid a hand on Snape's shoulder and said gently, "It's not a matter of trust, my boy. And...I owe you an apology, Severus." Snape stared at him, dumbfounded. "I should not have asked it of you in the first place, after all the other burdens I have placed on your shoulders. But I am an old man, and forgot that some wounds are not so easily healed..." Snape flushed, looking down at his feet to evade the old wizard's kindly eyes. "Forgive me, Severus, for forgetting how much you suffered during those years. I never meant to belittle your pain."

Snape stepped away, shrugging off Dumbledore's comforting hand. "It was a long time ago," he mumbled.

"Not so long ago," Dumbledore said, still in that gentle voice, "for the memories are still fresh for you, are they not? When you look at Harry, you see his father...I think that is the real reason you hate him, not because he is a mischievous boy who breaks the rules, although it is certainly true that he has broken a number of the school rules over the years."

"It doesn't matter whether I hate him or not," Snape snarled. "I don't have to like someone in order to teach them!" {A good thing too,} Snape added silently, {or I wouldn't be able to teach anyone other than Dylan!}

"Are you sure you can handle teaching Harry, Severus?" Dumbledore asked seriously. "Can you overcome your feelings enough to teach him effectively? Answer me truthfully, Severus; there is no shame in saying 'no'. If anyone is to blame here, it is me--"

"Yes," Snape said through gritted teeth. "I can teach him." When Dumbledore looked at him doubtfully, he added sardonically, "Lupin and Branwen have already lectured me extensively on how the lessons are more important than my pride." Then he said quietly, "I promise I won't let my pride get in the way again. Please, Albus...I know I screwed up. I want...I want to set things right." Snape flushed with anger and shame; humility did not come easily to him. {I can't believe I'm begging the Headmaster for a chance to teach Potter,} he thought to himself sourly.

"It would be a big help," Dumbledore admitted. "I was planning to teach Harry myself, but I don't have enough time to stop by the house on a regular basis--"

"The Dark Lord has already reached him once," Snape said firmly. "I don't think it wise to wait till school starts to continue his lessons. I'll be visiting the house regularly--" Snape flushed as the Headmaster grinned knowingly. "--so I might as well give Potter his lessons as long as I'm here."

"Very well," Dumbledore said. "As long as it's not too much for you, on top of your other duties--you are already teaching Dylan, and of course there is your undercover work..."

"The Dark Lord has not summoned us much recently," Snape replied. "I think he's lying low for now, until he can come up with a better plan. If things change, I will of course alert you."

"Very well," Dumbledore repeated. "I am trusting you, Severus, to let me know if you find you can't handle it. I won't be angry if you decide you cannot continue the lessons, but you must be honest with me."

"Yes, Headmaster," Snape said, bowing his head. "I promise I won't let you down this time."

Dumbledore smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "I know how difficult this must be for you, Severus," he said softly, "and I appreciate it. I'm very proud of you, my boy."

Snape looked up, startled, and before he could stop it, felt a warm glow of pleasure at the Headmaster's approval, such as he had not felt since he was twelve years old, when he realized that Potter had supplanted him in the Headmaster's affections. Dumbledore's smile grew wider, and Snape mumbled something unintelligible about needing to get ready for dinner, and hastily fled the room. But that warm glow remained with him as he headed upstairs, and it compensated, just a little, for the unpleasant task that lay ahead of him this summer...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Harry was chattering with his friends at dinner, enjoying a delicious meal of chicken and noodles that Hermione had helped Professor Blackmore prepare. "When you think about it," Hermione said earnestly, "cooking is almost like Potion brewing. You have to add just the right mixture of ingredients--"

Snape snorted derisively, but he looked less grumpy than he normally did. He had even been carrying on a quiet and civilized conversation with Lupin before being distracted by Hermione's remark.

"What's up with Snape?" Ron whispered to Harry. "Since when is he friendly with Lupin?"

Harry shrugged nervously. He knew the truth, of course, that Snape and Lupin were lovers, but he had been sworn to secrecy. To his relief, Dumbledore spoke before he could answer.

"If I could have your attention for just a minute, I have a couple of announcements to make," the Headmaster said, tapping his water glass with his fork. Everyone set down their forks and looked up attentively. "First of all, it is now official, that Branwen and Remus will be returning to teach at Hogwarts next term!" Everyone but Snape applauded; the Potions Master just leaned back in his chair, with his usual sour expression on his face, but Harry noticed the corners of his mouth twitching upwards just a little, as if he were trying to repress a smile. "Remus will of course be resuming his position as Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor, and Branwen will be teaching her specialty, Incantations and Summonings, which the school governors have agreed to restore to the curriculum!"

The children looked at each other with eager and excited expressions, while Mrs. Weasley looked a little worried. "Is that really wise, Albus?" she asked nervously.

"I'm not going to teach them to summon demons, Molly," Blackmore said dryly.

Mrs. Weasley flushed, and Mr. Weasley patted her hand reassuringly and said, "Now, now, dear, you know how much Branwen cares about the children...she would never do anything to put them in danger."

"I only want them to be able to defend themselves," Blackmore said quietly. "I will teach them to summon minor, helpful spirits and elementals. I will teach them how to bargain for, and not compel, the service of such creatures. I will teach them nothing that smacks of the Dark Arts."

"I know, Branwen," Mrs. Weasley said, looking a little embarrassed. "I didn't mean to imply that you would. It's just..." She hesitated as she saw the children staring at her, and seemed to change her mind about what she was going to say. "It's just that I'm worried that some of the students might try to, ah, misuse the spells..."

"Almost any spell, however benign, can be misused," Snape pointed out, giving Harry a brief glare. "However, I doubt anyone will try misusing those spells more than once, after Branwen gets through with them." He grinned wickedly at Professor Blackmore, who grinned back.

"Just think, Bane," Blackmore said as she fed the raven a tidbit. "A whole generation of students who have never heard of us, who have never served detention with the demonic Professor Blackmore..."

Mrs. Weasley choked on a mouthful of food; when she recovered, she shouted in a reproachful tone, "BRANWEN!"

Ron went pale. "Remember when they were comparing detention methods at dinner last year?" he hissed. "She's the one who taught Snape everything he knows! I'm not so sure I want to be taking classes from her..."

"Don't you want to learn how to do Summonings spells?" Hermione asked. "I think it sounds fascinating! And as long as you stay out of trouble, you won't be doing any detention."

"It's not that simple sometimes," Ron said defensively.

"You are a prefect, Ron," Hermione said in that infuriating tone she used whenever she was trying to get Ron and Harry to behave responsibly. "You have to set a good example--"

The Headmaster cleared his throat and the children fell silent. "And," he said, "since Professor Snape will be spending the better part of the summer at this house--" Ron looked horrified. "--he will be resuming your Occlumency lessons, Harry."

Harry looked even more horrified than Ron. "B--but...but..." he stammered.

Sirius jumped to his feet and glared at Snape. "You've got to be joking!" he shouted. "You're going to let Snape teach Harry after what he did the last time? It's all his fault that Harry and the kids nearly got killed!"

"There is plenty of blame to go around, Sirius," Dumbledore said quietly. "We all share responsibility for what happened. You, for refusing to remain safely at home." Sirius flushed with anger and guilt. "Harry, for spying on Professor Snape's thoughts in the Pensieve, and for recklessly setting off on a rescue mission instead of trusting Professor Snape to take care of things." Harry blushed as well. "And most of all, myself, for letting my emotions blind me to Harry's and Severus's needs." Sirius slowly sat back down in his chair. "And yes, Severus was wrong to stop the lessons, but he wishes to make amends for that now." Snape's face turned red, and he scowled down at his plate.

"I still don't like it," Sirius grumbled. "I thought you were going to teach him from now on."

"I intended to," replied Dumbledore. "But I don't have time to stop by regularly during the summer, and Severus does. It's crucial for Harry to learn as much as he can, as quickly as he can, in order to prevent a repetition of the previous incident."

"I won't be fooled by Voldemort's visions again," Harry mumbled.

Snape visibly winced at the mention of Voldemort's name. "It isn't just the visions, Potter," he said sharply, with a hint of condescension in his voice, as if he were pointing out the obvious to a particularly dull-witted student. "We don't want the Dark Lord to be able to pull information out of your head. Imagine the harm he could do if he found out the identities of the Order members and our plans..." Snape went a little pale, not surprisingly, since as a spy, he would be the one in the most danger if Voldemort found out Snape was double-crossing him.

Mrs. Weasley looked a bit confused, since she hadn't known about Harry spying in the Pensieve, but she said, "If Albus and Severus think it's important for Harry to have these lessons, then he should take them, Sirius."

"All right," Sirius said, giving in with ill grace, "but I'm warning you, Snape, if you step out of line--"

"Enough, Sirius!" Lupin snapped impatiently, before Snape could react. "We have all made mistakes in the past, including you! Severus is doing the best he can to make up for the mistakes he made. And don't forget, he did save your life!"

Both Snape and Sirius looked extremely annoyed about being reminded of that fact, and Sirius reluctantly subsided.

Mr. Weasley said curiously, "How did Severus save you, anyway, Sirius? We never heard the full story." Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione looked eager to hear about it as well.

"It's none of your business!" Snape and Sirius snapped in unison, then stopped, startled, and glared at each other.

Lupin and Blackmore both laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled softly. "Let us be grateful that he did save Sirius, and just leave it at that," said Blackmore.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

"I'm so proud of you, Severus," Lupin said later when they were alone.

"Oh, shut up, Lupin!" Snape snapped, blushing and looking irritated. "I've already heard all that from Dumbledore!"

"Well, I'm proud of you, nonetheless," Lupin said with a smile, wrapping his arms around Snape and nuzzling his cheek.

Snape's irritation melted away. "You're impossible, Lupin," he grumbled, but his tone was affectionate as he returned the embrace. He buried his face in Lupin's hair, remembering how much he had wanted to see Lupin after reliving some of his schoolboy memories during Dylan's Occlumency lesson. "I love you, Remus," he whispered.

Lupin smiled and said, "I love you, too, Severus," but he sounded a little concerned. "Is everything all right?"

"Why do you ask?" Snape asked defensively, pulling back a little to look at Lupin.

"It's not that I'm not delighted to have you here, Severus," Lupin replied. "But you showed up unexpectedly, you actually said that you were glad to see me, and you said 'I love you' without being prompted..."

"I don't always have to be prompted," Snape said, feeling a little hurt. Then he thought it over, and realized that it was true that he usually--though not always--said the words after Lupin had already said them first, which made him feel guilty. "I know I don't say it often enough, Remus," he said apologetically. "But you know I love you; I've never loved anyone but you--"

"Shh," Lupin said, laying a finger across his lips. "I know you love me; I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to make you feel guilty." Though he did treasure and savor each time Severus said those words, because he didn't say them very often. "It's just that you seemed...a little upset today." "Needy" was the word Lupin was really thinking of, but he knew he would hurt Severus's feelings if he said that. When Severus showed up needing reassurance, it was because he was troubled by something--usually thoughts of the past, but in the rush of picking up Harry and getting the children settled in, they had not really had time to sit down and talk.

"Dylan's progressing well in his lessons," Snape said. "A little too well--he managed to push past my defenses and stir up some old memories."

"Unpleasant memories?" Lupin asked anxiously.

"Not exactly," said Snape, his mouth twisting in a crooked smile. "Pleasant enough...but bittersweet, in retrospect."

"Tell me about it," Lupin said.

"I suppose you won't leave me alone until I do," Snape sighed. "It's a long story..."

Lupin smiled, took him by the hand, and led him to the bed. "Sit," he ordered. "Talk to me."

"Pushy little werewolf," Snape complained, but he smiled and obeyed. And with Lupin sitting next to him, pressed up against his side comfortably, still holding his hand, the story about the Valentine's Day prank was a little easier to tell.

"So it WAS you," Lupin laughed. "I always suspected...well, it wasn't very nice, Severus, but then again, neither were the pranks he played on you..."

"It was because of you that I did it," Snape said softly, and Lupin looked startled. "Oh, of course I hated Potter and wanted to get back at him, but Rosier's pranks almost always led to detention, and I wasn't keen on getting in trouble so soon after my last detention. But then I saw you smile at him--not the apologetic sort of smile you used to give me, but a real smile. You looked at him the way almost everybody else in the damn school looked at him, like he was some kind of hero, and suddenly I was so jealous; I wanted you to look at me that way, and I knew--or at least, I thought--you never would. So before I knew it, I agreed to help Rosier with his prank."

"Oh, Severus," Lupin said sadly. "I didn't--"

"It's all right, Lupin," Snape interrupted. "It's not your fault. The prank was fun, and we even got away with it--but it wasn't completely satisfying, because I still didn't have you. That's why I hated Potter so much--not just because he was an arrogant git, which he was, or because he showed me up in class and on the Quidditch field, which he did--but because you were his friend and not mine."

"Severus--"

"I wanted you so badly that it hurt," whispered Snape. "And that scared the hell out of me, so I tried to convince myself that I hated you, but I couldn't, not really...even when I hated you, I couldn't stop needing you, couldn't stop wanting to be near you..."

Lupin looked very distraught, and his blue eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry, Severus!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around Snape and holding him tightly. "I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you--"

"It's all right, Lupin...I mean, Remus," Snape said, reminding himself that Lupin preferred to be called by his first name. He stroked Lupin's hair comfortingly. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad. We were just children, we didn't know any better...with the hatred between Slytherin and Gryffindor, it was almost impossible for us to be together. I know you love me now; that's why I came today--I wanted to see you, and hear you say you love me."

"I do love you, Severus, I love you so much!" Lupin said, kissing him fiercely.

"I love you, too, Remus," Snape gasped, when Lupin finally broke off the kiss. "My, the wolf has gotten aggressive recently!"

Lupin grinned at him. "Yes, and you like it; don't deny it, Severus!"

"Yes, I do," Snape admitted with a laugh. "But don't let it go to your head."

Lupin just snuggled against him contentedly and nuzzled his neck. "I'm glad you came by today."

"Me too," Snape said. They held each other in companionable silence for a few moments, then Snape said quietly, "I wasn't just upset today because of you, Remus. Seeing Rosier and Wilkes in my memory stirred up some guilty feelings." Lupin said nothing, but gave him a sympathetic, encouraging look. "They were my friends, or at least the closest thing to friends I ever had...and I couldn't save them."

"That's why you've worked so hard to save Dylan," Lupin murmured.

"Yes," Snape said, then reluctantly admitted, "but for his own sake as well." Lupin smiled at him tenderly, and Snape scowled and asked, "What are you smirking about, Lupin?"

"You're not as cold-hearted as you like to pretend, Severus Snape," Lupin said.

"Yes, and I blame it all on you," Snape retorted. "You're a bad influence, Lupin!"

Lupin grinned at him proudly rather than contritely, then said in a more serious tone, "Wouldn't it make more sense to bring Dylan here, and teach him and Harry together, rather than running back and forth between here and Wales?"

Snape said, "I don't want either of them to know that I'm teaching the other. I don't really trust Potter to keep a secret--" Lupin sighed, and Snape frowned. "And the less they know, the less they can betray, just in case the Dark Lord does get past their defenses."

"I suppose you're right, Severus," Lupin reluctantly agreed.

"Besides," Snape continued, "I have to work with them one-on-one, anyway. I can't really teach two students at once, because I can only enter the mind of one person at a time."

"Oh well," said Lupin, feeling a little disappointed. "I had just hoped that we could make things a little easier for you. And I thought it might be good for Dylan to spend time with the other children..."

Snape snorted. "A Slytherin among Gryffindors? Weasley and Potter can't stand him; we'd probably have to stop them from hexing each other!"

"I don't think that Harry hates him, exactly," Lupin said, but Snape didn't look convinced. "And aren't Dylan and Hermione friends?"

"Sort of," Snape said, flushing a little as he remembered how he had reassured the girl earlier; he didn't want anyone, even Lupin, to find out about that. "But it's not really safe for them to continue that friendship, particularly with Dylan being in the Death Eaters now."

"Sometimes I hate the idea of Houses," Lupin said, looking both sad and angry. "It kept us apart for so many years, and now it's coming between Hermione and Dylan."

"They're just friends, Lupin," Snape said impatiently. "Or at most, infatuated. It's not love everlasting."

"How do you know?" Lupin retorted, then laughed at Snape's horrified expression. "But even if friendship is all it is, they should still not have to be torn apart by the division between the Houses. Branwen had the right idea, twenty years ago."

"Well, next term you can always try to recreate Branwen's experiment," Snape pointed out, though he didn't look like he thought much of the idea.

"Perhaps I will," said Lupin thoughtfully.

"Just try to actually teach them something, and not just play matchmaker," Snape added sourly.

Lupin smiled at him flirtatiously, suddenly looking like a fifteen-year old boy again, and said slyly, "It worked out well enough for us, didn't it?"

"Well enough," Snape agreed huskily. "In the end." They kissed, and it was as sweet as their first kiss, over twenty years ago--no, even sweeter, because after the long years of separation, Snape cherished his lover all the more. "Am I first in your heart, Remus?" Snape whispered, already knowing the answer, but wanting to hear it anyway.

"Always, Severus," Lupin whispered back tenderly. "You are always first in my heart."

Snape kissed Lupin urgently, and lay back on the bed, pulling Lupin down beside him. Then it suddenly occurred to him that there was something he had never said, and even though he was sure that it was obvious to Lupin, he thought that he should say it aloud at least once. "And you are first in mine, Remus. You always have been, ever since the first time you smiled at me..."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Snape did not begin the lessons immediately; first he had to go to Hogwarts to borrow the Headmaster's Pensieve. He had been doing without it to teach Dylan--it was too much trouble to lug the stone basin back and forth for each lesson--but there was no way that Snape was going to allow Potter any more access to his memories than was absolutely necessary. It was bad enough that boy had seen as much as he had...

Snape commandeered the drawing room for their Occlumency lessons, but the first lesson did not go very well: Potter was too nervous and Snape too tense for either of them to accomplish much. Potter was able to hold off Snape's attack for a little while, but then his defenses broke, and Snape was subjected to a flood of unwanted memories, mainly scenes of the boy being tormented by his Muggle relatives, and finally, Black being struck by Bellatrix Lestrange's near-lethal spell. That was unnerving enough, but Snape shuddered with horror when he saw that Branwen had nearly fallen through the Veil with Black before pulling him to safety--neither Lupin nor Branwen had told him how close a call it had been. Snape didn't think that Potter fully understood the significance of the veiled arch, but Snape knew that anyone who went through the Veil never came back; even though Branwen had not been wounded, if she had fallen through the Veil, she would have died along with Black.

After that, Snape called off the lesson early. Potter stared at him apprehensively, obviously expecting to be reprimanded, but Snape just said curtly, "Keep practicing. We'll try again in a couple of days; I'll expect you to do better next time."

"Y--yes, sir," Potter said, staring at him in shock.

Snape scowled; he didn't want the brats to think he was going soft. "Get out of here, Potter," he growled, and the boy fled. Snape sighed; it was going to be a long summer...


Dylan's lesson went better, except that Snape had to relay Granger's message. "Ah, Mr. Rosier," Snape said after the lesson was over, "I have a message for you from Miss Granger."

"From Hermione?" Dylan asked, startled.

"Yes," Snape said gruffly. "She says that she is no longer angry with you."

"Wh--what?" the boy stammered. "Why?"

"I suppose because she understands why you broke off the relationship." Snape hastily turned to leave, saying, "I'll see you next week, Rosier."

"Professor, wait!" cried Dylan. "Did you tell her why I...?"

Snape scowled. "I didn't tell her that you are now a Death Eater, if that's what you're asking. I merely dropped a few hints, and she was perceptive enough to pick up on the fact that it's dangerous for you two to be associating with each other right now, even though she doesn't know exactly why."

Dylan looked grateful, but puzzled. "When did you see Hermione? Was this before school let out? Or--"

"It's none of your business, Rosier," Snape snapped. "I told you before, there are some things you are better off not knowing. I said I would pass on the message, and I have. Let's just leave it at that."

"Yes, sir," Dylan said, reluctantly but obediently, and Snape relaxed a little The boy was so much better behaved than Potter... "Thank you very much, sir. It means a lot to me, to know that Hermione doesn't hate me." Dylan hesitated, then said, "I don't suppose you could tell her that I--"

"I'm not a bloody messenger owl!" Snape shouted, and Dylan went pale.

"Sorry, sir," the boy mumbled.

"Nothing else has changed," Snape said angrily. {Stupid, moony, hormonal teenagers!} he fumed. "It would be dangerous to resume your friendship, even in secret. Don't send her any letters; the mail system is not safe from prying eyes. Do you understand me, Mr. Rosier?"

"Yes, sir," Dylan said in a resigned tone. "I understand. Still, like I said, it does mean a lot to me, just to know that she doesn't hate me. So thank you, Professor. I really do appreciate you bringing me the message."

Snape made a growling noise deep in his throat, and left without another word. {Damn werewolf,} he grumbled to himself. {It's all his fault I'm going soft!}
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dylan scratched his head, not quite sure what had just happened. Had Professor Snape, of all people, really brought him a message from Hermione? But Snape hated Hermione--hated all Gryffindors in general, and Potter's friends in particular. So why would he be talking to Hermione during the summer? She had to have given Snape the message after school let out; she had still been treating Dylan coldly right through the last day of school, and surely if she'd had a message for him then, she would have spoken to him personally, or at least sent it through someone else. Dylan was pretty sure that Snape was the last person Hermione would approach to carry a personal message.

Although Snape--as well as Dylan's own family--had told him very little ("for your own safety"), Dylan wasn't stupid. He knew that Snape and Dumbledore must be secretly working against the Dark Lord, and since they had come to talk to his family, Uncle Math and Aunt Goewin must be involved somehow as well. That made sense; a sort of underground group to counteract the Death Eaters. It would have to be secret, because until recently, the Ministry had refused to acknowledge the return of the Dark Lord, and also because the Dark Lord had eyes and ears everywhere--including the Ministry of Magic. But surely Hermione, however talented a witch she was, was too young to be involved with this secret organization. He might have suspected that her parents were involved, if she had not been Muggle-born...

Regardless of how or why Snape had met Hermione during the summer--for all Dylan knew, it was just a chance encounter--why on earth would he agree to carry a personal message? He was the one who had ordered Dylan to break off his friendship with Hermione, after all. Could it be he felt guilty about that? Dylan shook his head; he had a hard time picturing Snape caring whether a couple of teenage students had their feelings hurt or not. Then again, Snape had held Dylan while he wept, that night he had been forced to join the Death Eaters... Dylan sighed and gave up trying to figure Snape out; ironically, it seemed like the more time he spent with the Potions Master, the less he understood him...
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In contrast to Dylan's steady progress, Potter was erratic. Sometimes he was utterly incompetent, while at other times Snape was hard-pressed to fend off his counterattacks. Snape had noticed that the boy's emotional state affected his performance, and right now, since he was happy to be living with his friends and godfather, he was doing better than he had at Hogwarts. But this was dangerous, because it left him open to manipulation--the Dark Lord was a master at playing on people's hidden weaknesses and desires.

"You must learn to control your emotions, Potter," Snape said sharply, then deliberately baited the boy. "Your father was a sentimental fool, and look what happened to him."

"Don't talk about my dad that way!" Potter yelled, predictably. Snape attacked without warning, and a few moments later, the boy was on his hands and knees on the floor and Snape found himself with another headful of unpleasant memories: more abuse by Potter's Muggle relatives, Potter's Ministry hearing last summer, and--the last memory made Snape scowl furiously--James Potter as a boy, clearly an image he had gotten from the Pensieve.

"That wasn't fair," Potter muttered.

"Oh?" Snape said coldly. "Do you suppose that the Dark Lord will give you fair warning before he attacks? Do you think that he won't try to make you lose your temper, in order to weaken your defenses?"

A slowly dawning look of comprehension spread across Potter's face. "You were trying to make me mad on purpose?"

Snape didn't bother to answer, since the answer should be obvious, even to a dolt like Potter. "As I said, Mr. Potter, you must learn to control your emotions."

"I'm trying," he protested. "But it's not easy!"

"If Occlumency was supposed to be easy, then I wouldn't be wasting my spare time on these lessons," Snape snarled. The boy's face went red and he glared at Snape. "Control, Potter," Snape reminded him coolly.

Potter took several deep breaths and managed to calm himself. "I'm ready, sir," he said, a look of determination on his face.

"We'll see if you're ready or not," Snape said with an air of lazy indifference. "Put away your wand."

"What?" Potter asked, startled.

"You have proven that you can defend yourself with a wand--when you don't let your emotions overwhelm you." He watched Potter's face carefully; the boy's temper flared at that last remark, but when he saw Snape watching him, he managed to get himself under control. "So now we shall see how you do without a wand. A mage well-versed in Occlumency should be able ward off attacks with his mind alone." The boy reluctantly put away his wand and visibly braced himself. "One--two--three--Legilimens!"

Potter actually held off the attack fairly well, but without being able to counterattack with a spell, his defenses eventually crumbled. Snape saw: Potter writing lines under Umbridge's watchful eye, the words he wrote cutting themselves into the back of his hand...James and Lily Potter smiling from inside the Mirror of Erised... Snape hastily broke off the spell. "Not bad for a first attempt," he conceded grudgingly. "But try to push me out of your mind next time." Potter looked a little confused and frustrated, but Snape really didn't know how to explain it any better than that. "Once more--one...two...three...Legilimens!"

Potter was getting better at defending; his mental wall was solid, holding up against Snape's initial assault. He continued the attack, and felt Potter's defenses start to give, then suddenly, Potter lashed out with a mental "shove" with far more strength than a beginner should have been able to muster. He stumbled backwards, tripping over the coffee table and falling back against the couch...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Harry felt Snape start to break through his defenses, and gritted his teeth. He was not going to fail again, was NOT going to give Snape more excuses to taunt him with those sneering, sarcastic remarks...he wondered if Snape was deliberately being unhelpful, with those vague instructions to "push me out of your mind," with no explanation of how to go about it. {All right, if he says to push, then I'll push!} Harry thought, and imagined himself shoving Snape away from him as hard as he could. Unconsciously, he thrust his hands forward at the same time he pushed with his mind, and suddenly he was flooded with Snape's memories: Professor Lupin sitting at the head table on the first day of Harry's third school year, looking tired and ill, his gray-streaked hair falling across his face...a teenaged Lucius Malfoy speaking persuasively to a young Snape and a boy who looked much like Dylan Rosier, except that his hair was shorter and curlier...a young Lupin and Snape throwing snowballs at each other...adult Snape scratching a large brown wolf behind its ears as it wagged its tail happily...a young Lupin fainting as Snape rushed forward to catch him...

Snape screamed, and Harry caught sight of one last, blurred memory--a crowd of people clad in black robes and masks--before the images abruptly vanished and Snape was gone from his mind. So abruptly, in fact, that Harry staggered back a step, lost his balance, and landed hard on his backside. He nervously looked up, expecting to see Snape as furious as he had been the night Harry had looked into the Pensieve. But Snape was not even looking at him; he was lying back against the couch clutching his left forearm, and Harry realized that the scream had been one of pain, not anger--or at least, not solely anger.

"Professor?" Harry asked hesitantly. "Are you all right?"

"Do I look all right, you idiot boy?" Snape snarled.

Harry scrambled to his feet and headed for the door. "Should I get Professor Lupin?"

"NO!" Snape shouted, and Harry froze in place. "I'm all right," he said through gritted teeth as he let go of his arm. "But our lesson is over for today. Get out of here, Potter."

"Are...are you being summoned?" Harry asked. "By Vol--by the Dark Lord?" He knew he was pushing his luck, but he was frightened, and despite the fact that he hated Snape, a little worried about his teacher, because Harry had never heard him scream like that before.

"I have already told you, such things are not your concern, Potter!" Snape yelled. "Get out of here! Now!"

Harry fled the room, but despite what Snape had told him, he went to look for Professor Lupin. Professor Blackmore had left the house on an errand, and Harry didn't think that he should bring his concerns about Snape to Sirius, since he was still irritated about the Occlumency lessons. He ran upstairs and knocked on Lupin's door; to his relief, Lupin called out, "Come in."

Lupin was sitting at his desk, several books spread out in front of him, as he scribbled something on a roll of parchment. He looked up, smiled, and said, "Hello, Harry." He saw Harry's curious look and added, "I was just working on my lesson plans, but they can wait. What can I do for you?"

"It's Professor Snape," Harry said uneasily. "He was giving me my lesson, and all of a sudden he screamed and grabbed his arm--like this." Harry clutched his forearm in the same place Snape had. "He said he was all right, but..."

Lupin jumped up and ran out of the room. Harry followed behind, saying nervously, "He'll probably be mad that I told you--"

"I'll deal with Severus," Lupin said in a curt voice that was very unlike him; he looked tense and worried. They reached the drawing room, and Lupin walked in without knocking. "Severus?" Lupin called, but the room was empty.

"Was he summoned by Voldemort?" Harry asked.

"Probably," Lupin replied, looking more concerned than ever. "He must have Apparated over right after you left." He muttered under his breath, "Damn it, Severus, you could have said something, or at least left me a message." Lupin gave Harry a strained smile and said, "Don't worry, he'll be all right," sounding more like he was trying to convince himself than he was Harry.

"What's going on?" Sirius asked, poking his head through the open doorway.

"Severus is gone," Lupin said, looking a little pale. "Summoned. Voldemort must be calling a meeting."

"Well, that's good, right?" Sirius said in a hearty voice that sounded as false as Lupin's attempt at nonchalance. "I mean, he might be able to get some important information..."

"How can you be so casual about it?" Lupin shouted, and Harry jumped a little; Lupin almost never lost his temper, no matter how much he was provoked. "Don't you care that Severus is risking his life every time he answers one of these summons? Do you hate him so much that you don't care if he dies, as long as he brings back your precious information?!"

"Hey, take it easy, Moony!" Sirius said, looking a little hurt. "I don't like Snape, but I don't want him to die, either. You looked worried, so I was just trying to be reassuring. And Snape's tough; he can take care of himself."

"He's not as tough as you think, Sirius," Lupin said softly. "You don't know what it costs him, to keep up this masquerade."

"I'm sorry, Moony," Sirius said, looking uncomfortable. "I just--"

"No, I'm sorry, Sirius," Lupin interrupted. "I know you didn't mean it that way; I'm just on edge. Every time Severus answers Voldemort's call, I'm so scared that it will be a trap, that Voldemort will have discovered Severus is a traitor--" He broke off, as if suddenly remembering that Harry was still in the room. "I'm sorry, Harry," he whispered, trying to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. "I worry too much; I'm sure Severus will be fine."

"Yes, he will," Sirius said gently, putting an arm around Lupin. "Snape is a sly one, and he's got his Occlumency to protect him. He won't let old Voldie get the drop on him."

Lupin managed a small laugh. "I'd like to see you call the Dark Lord 'Old Voldie' to his face!"

"Next time I see him, I will," Sirius said with a grin. "And don't worry about Snape, I'm sure he'll be back in time for supper!"

Lupin seemed comforted a little by Sirius's attempts to reassure him, even though he was clearly still worried about Snape, and Harry felt proud of his godfather for setting aside his dislike of Snape in order to help his friend. Perhaps Sirius had finally taken Professor Blackmore's lecture (and stinging slap) to heart, Harry thought, recalling the way she had chewed out both Snape and Sirius for the way their "stupid, petty quarrels" were hurting Lupin, the day Snape had saved Sirius's life.

Lupin left the room, and Sirius followed, having no reason to think that Harry might be worried about Snape as well. Harry lingered behind in the drawing room, glad enough to be left alone; he was still confused and disturbed by the memories he had seen. Nearly all the memories had centered around Lupin, showing a side to Snape that Harry had never seen before, and found disconcerting. He could never in his wildest dreams have pictured Snape laughing and playing in the snow as a boy, or petting what was clearly Lupin in his wolf form. And there was also the memory of young Snape catching Lupin as he collapsed--Snape had looked frightened and concerned, much as he had during that scene in the Pensieve when he had found Lupin in the Shrieking Shack. Harry had asked Sirius what Lupin saw in Snape, and now he was beginning to understand, just a little, what that might be... But Harry had hated Snape for so long, that he was finding it hard to let go of that hatred; he didn't want to like Snape, or even feel sorry for him. He sighed, finding it easier now to sympathize with his godfather's persistent refusal to let of of his long-held enmity for Snape.

Almost as disturbing were those other two memories that did not feature Lupin: the blurred scene of the Death Eaters, and a glimpse of what was probably Dylan Rosier's father. The Rosier-in-the-past had looked like a normal boy, not like someone who would later turn out to be a Death Eater. And what had the young Lucius Malfoy been talking to them about? Had he been trying to persuade Snape and Rosier to join the Death Eaters...?

Professor Blackmore appeared just before dinner, carrying a stack of books--apparently her errand had been to gather some textbooks for the coming school year--and a large box of pastries for dessert. Snape had still not returned, and after being told what had happened, she tried to reassure Lupin--sort of.

"I won't say 'everything's going to be all right' when none of us can guarantee that," Blackmore said quietly. "But Severus knows the risks. He is one of the most talented mages I know, and is as well-prepared for trouble as anyone can be, under the circumstances."

"What if that's not enough?" Lupin protested.

"We are all putting our lives at risk, Remus," Blackmore pointed out. "You could have been killed when we went to rescue Harry and the others; do you think it was easy for Severus to stay behind at Hogwarts and wait for us?"

"No," mumbled Lupin. "But I still hate this."

"Severus told me that Voldemort may not completely trust him, but that Voldemort won't kill him as long as he thinks Severus may be of some use to him. And I think he's right; as long as Voldemort isn't able to place another agent in Hogwarts, I think Severus will be safe. And not to be vain, but I think Voldemort will especially want a spy in the school now that I have returned."

"I suppose you're right, Branwen," Lupin said reluctantly.

"Besides, Voldemort hunts down traitors ruthlessly. I think remaining with the Death Eaters is probably the lesser of two evils. If Severus openly broke with the Death Eaters, he would probably be killed if he went anywhere other than the school or this house. And even the school might not be completely safe--he is the Head of Slytherin, and some of his students are the children of Death Eaters..."

"You think Voldemort might use a child as an assassin?" Lupin asked, horrified. Harry shuddered; he could easily picture Draco Malfoy in such a role--the Slytherin boy had gloated over Cedric's death after all. But still, how could a student, even one as nasty as Draco, possibly be a match for an experienced wizard like Snape?

"Only as a desperate measure, but if there were no other choice, I would put nothing past him," Blackmore replied.

"Branwen, you're supposed to be cheering Moony up, not making him feel worse!" Sirius scolded.

"Sorry," she said with an apologetic smile. "Let's go eat dinner, and hope Severus will turn up in time for dessert." She held up the cardboard box enticingly. "It would take more than a pack of Death Eaters to stand between Severus and a box of sweets!"

Lupin laughed weakly, but only picked at his dinner that night, and everyone else was subdued as well.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stunned by the unexpected strength of Potter's attack, for a moment Snape was helplessly swept away in the tide of memories...damn it, he hadn't removed enough of them! But there was a limit to how much the Pensieve could hold, and a limit to how many thoughts a person could safely remove from his head. Snape had been with Lupin through numerous transformations, and it was impossible to remove every memory of himself scratching the wolf behind the ears. It was also impossible to remove all his childhood memories of Lupin, because he had thought about Lupin obsessively for almost every waking moment since the end of their second year. So when he felt the Mark burning on his arm, at first he thought it was another memory, thought he was a young Death Eater being branded for the first time, and he screamed...

Then he realized that the pain was real, and in any case, his memory of the branding was in the Pensieve. He must have looked bad, because Potter actually seemed worried as he asked, "Professor? Are you all right?"

"Do I look all right, you idiot boy?" Snape said sarcastically.

"Should I get Professor Lupin?"

"NO!" Snape shouted; he didn't want Lupin worrying about him. "I'm all right," he said through gritted teeth, forcing himself to let go of his arm despite the pain. "But our lesson is over for today. Get out of here, Potter."

"Are...are you being summoned?" Harry asked. "By Vol--by the Dark Lord?"

"I have already told you, such things are not your concern, Potter!" Snape yelled; the stupid boy did not know when to leave well enough alone. That sense of curiosity would get him killed one day, if he wasn't careful. "Get out of here! Now!"

The boy fled, and Snape took a deep breath to try and calm himself; it would be dangerous to face Voldemort in an agitated state. This was probably a routine summoning; he had sent the Dark Lord a message regarding Dumbledore's reinstatement of Lupin and Branwen at Hogwarts. In order to keep his status as a double agent, he had to feed the Death Eaters enough information to make Voldemort think he was worth keeping alive, and so Dumbledore had permitted Snape to feed the news to Voldemort before it was made public. Probably the Dark Lord wanted to discuss the information he had received. At least, he hoped that was all it was...


"Master," he said, bowing low to Voldemort before taking his place among the other Death Eaters who were also arriving. There were several gaps in the circle they formed.

"Severus," Voldemort said coolly. That was a bad sign, but then the Dark Lord had been in a foul mood ever since the botched attempt to steal the prophecy. When everyone was assembled, Voldemort shared the information Snape had sent him about Lupin and Blackmore. There were a few murmurs of surprise or distaste, but no one was eager to offer unsolicited comments, particularly when the Dark Lord was in a bad mood. "I am not surprised to learn that Dumbledore is reinstating his pet werewolf," Voldemort said, "but Branwen Blackmore...it was quite a shock to see her alive and well at the Ministry!" He sounded annoyed, but also intrigued. "Have you learned where she has been these past many years?"

"She and the Headmaster gave me only very vague explanations," Snape lied. "They said she was in hiding, for her own safety."

Voldemort looked pleased for a moment, then frowned. "She was a bold wench; not the sort to cower in terror for fourteen years."

"Clearly there was more to it than that, my Lord," Snape agreed respectfully. "I have seen her face-to-face, and she looks no older than she did when she was a teacher at Hogwarts. I don't think it's a glamor, and she was never really the vain type anyway. She was badly wounded in the battle with our fallen comrades, and she says the 'ally' she summoned took her back to his own realm for healing."

"What sort of ally?" Voldemort asked sharply.

"She refused to be more specific, my Lord," Snape answered. "But she was skilled at summoning elementals and their like. Which would account for her youthful appearance; time flows at a different rate in the spirit realm."

"I don't think it was an elemental that tore my three Death Eaters into pieces. Literally." Voldemort's eyes glowed red with anger.

Snape bowed low again, hoping a show of humility would stave off the Dark Lord's anger. "The Blackmores have always been rumored to dabble in the Dark Arts," he said. "She could have summoned some sort of Dark creature, possibly even a demon. But I don't know how she could possibly have survived fourteen years in the Demon Realm with both her life and sanity intact. Or how she managed to escape, if that's where she was."

"You don't know much, do you, Snape?" a nearby Death Eater said in a taunting voice just barely above a whisper. It was Wormtail, alias Peter Pettigrew; it seemed that his childhood animosity towards Snape remained even though they were now supposedly serving the same master.

Voldemort's hearing, however, was excellent. "When I want your opinion, Wormtail," he said, "I will ask for it. Crucio!" But the Dark Lord seemed only slightly annoyed, breaking off the spell after only a couple of minutes, and Wormtail's screams died down into pathetic whimpers. "Oh, stop blubbering, you little coward," Voldemort said, looking down at him in disgust. "Before I really give you something to cry about!" Wormtail immediately fell silent. "However, he does have a point, Severus," Voldemort continued. "You have brought me only one piece of real information; the rest is pure speculation."

Snape sank to his knees and bowed his head. "I am sorry, Master. I will do better in the future." But he knew apologies and excuses meant little to the Dark Lord, and braced himself for a Cruciatus Curse.

"I am sure you will, Severus," Voldemort said with a merciless smile. "But let me give you a little added incentive."

Voldemort flicked his wand, and Snape cried out in both pain and surprise. It was not a Cruciatus Curse, but a much nastier variation of the Stinging Hex Potter had cast on him during his first Occlumency lesson; it seemed the Dark Lord was feeling creative. It was almost--though not quite--as painful as the Crucio spell. He fell forward, his palms hitting the ground to prevent himself falling completely prone, and saw red, blistering welts covering the backs of his hands. He didn't need to check beneath his robes to know that the burning, stinging welts covered most of his body.

"Get up, Severus," Voldemort said, and Snape slowly rose, wincing as his clothes chafed against the welts as he got to his feet. Voldemort smiled, seeming to be in a much better mood now that he had vented his ire upon Wormtail and Snape. "It's a pity that Blackmore joined the wrong side," he said regretfully. "She could have been useful to us." None of the assembled Death Eaters pointed out to their master that killing Blackmore's parents might have turned her against him, since none of them had a death wish. But, as if he had heard, Voldemort added, "It's too bad I had to kill Meredith Blackmore. I don't know how such a softhearted fool was ever accepted into Slytherin."

Across the circle, a pair of gray eyes flickered in surprise. Gwydion Donner had not known that Voldemort was responsible for the late Lord Blackmore's death, but he had only recently joined the ranks of the Death Eaters. But then again, Snape had not known either--at least, not for sure--until Branwen had told him.

"Watch her carefully, Severus," Voldemort warned him. "Of the two, Blackmore is the most dangerous; she killed many of our brethren. If you can find a way to discredit her..."

"The school governors were reluctant to allow Dumbledore to re-hire her. At least half of them think she practices the Dark Arts; I am sure I can play upon their fears...and for the moment, at least while she is at Hogwarts, we can keep an eye on her..."

Voldemort frowned thoughtfully. "That is true. She is less dangerous as a schoolteacher than an Auror, or even worse, a rogue mage running loose on her own. A good point, Severus," he said approvingly, and Snape bowed low to show his gratitude. "We will let Professor Blackmore remain at Hogwarts for now, but do what you can to spread those rumors about her...the less credibility she has with those in authority, the better. And I want you to watch her every move, Severus, and keep me informed."

"Yes, my Lord."

"As for the werewolf..." Voldemort looked less concerned, but a little puzzled. "I wonder why Dumbledore has been so adamant on bringing him back. He called in many favors to have the anti-werewolf legislation set aside in Lupin's case."

Snape forced himself to remain calm and show no fear. "I think partly because he wants to use Lupin as an example, to teach the students about prejudice and tolerance."

"Dumbledore has always been an idealistic fool," Voldemort said contemptuously. "But you said 'partly'...?

"The other part is sheer sentiment, I believe, my Lord. He has always been fond of Lupin, since he was one of Potter's friends, and I think he feels sorry for him. Lupin has...fallen on hard times in recent years."

"What has the werewolf been up to since you got him dismissed?" Voldemort asked curiously.

"Mainly living off the charity of friends, it seems," Snape said indifferently. "And he managed to get the odd translation job here and there." He sneered, "Menial work; nothing a Muggle couldn't do."

Voldemort smirked. "Dumbledore is soft and weak, and that will be his undoing one day. Very well, Severus. Keep an eye on our two new teachers. You have made some insightful observations, and I am mildly pleased, but I expect you to bring more hard information next time."

"Yes, Master," Snape said humbly.

"Does anyone else have news to report?" Voldemort asked, his eyes sliding expectantly over to Gwydion Donner.

"Yes, my Lord," Donner said a little sullenly. "I have obtained a position in the Ministry of Magic, in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, as you requested. My specialty is magical research, so rather than doing the work of an Auror or guard, my job will be to aid in developing spells to take the place of the Dementors--that is, to keep the occupants of Azkaban safely imprisoned."

"Excellent!" Voldemort exclaimed. "You will be in a perfect position to help free your comrades!"

"Er...but my Lord," Donner in a nervous but carefully respectful tone, "won't it look suspicious, if the prisoners escape, right after I begin working on the security arrangements for Azkaban?" Voldemort began to look annoyed again, and Donner hastened to add, "I mean, if I lose my position, you will lose an ear inside the Ministry."

Voldemort seemed mollified. "We can let a suitable interval of time pass," Voldemort conceded, "so that it does not look too suspicious. It won't hurt to let Lucius and the others cool their heels a bit, since they were careless enough to get captured in the first place. And you are a clever boy, Gwydion--I am sure you can find a way to shift the blame to someone else."

"Yes, my Lord," Donner said, a spark of malicious pleasure flaring in his gray eyes.

"You have earned your reward, Gwydion," Voldemort said, beckoning to Wormtail, who handed Donner a wooden chest. Snape could hear the sound of bottles clinking against each other as Donner took the chest, and knew that it must contain the Mind Restoration Potion he had brewed. "It looks as though your brother is in need of it," Voldemort added with a nasty little smile.

Snape looked over at the Death Eater standing next to Gwydion. A pair of gray eyes nearly identical to Gwydion's stared back at him with a dull, uncomprehending look. Voldemort beckoned again, and Wormtail retrieved a smaller chest and handed it to Snape. "You will continue to brew the potion," Voldemort ordered.

"Yes, my Lord," Snape said obediently, although the process was a difficult and time-consuming chore that would make his Order duties--including the Occlumency lessons--more difficult. But one did not turn down the Dark Lord and expect to live. Besides, as long as Voldemort needed the potion, Snape's chances of survival remained good, because none of his fellow Death Eaters were capable of making it.

Voldemort asked if anyone else had information to report and no one did. The Dark Lord berated them for being a pack of useless fools and dispensed a few more curses. Snape was relieved not to be included in the "useless" category, and judging by the look in his eyes, so was Gwydion Donner. Bellatrix Lestrange, who had once been the most slavishly devoted of the Dark Lord's followers, was one of those who was punished, and as she cringed and cowered on the ground, Snape saw fear and just a touch of resentment in her dark, heavily-lidded eyes.

Finally, Voldemort dismissed them, to Snape's relief, because the welts were still aching and smarting--the initial pain might not have been as bad as a Cruciatus Curse, but it lingered longer. He Apparated, returning home--well, he supposed he couldn't really call the Grimmauld Place house "home" since it belonged to Black, but the definition of "home" to Snape had become wherever Lupin was...
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Snape deposited the chest in his room, and went looking for Lupin. The pain must have affected him more than he thought, because he realized he had forgotten about the welts covering his hands and face when he stumbled into the dining room. But he was quickly reminded when everyone stared at him in horror.

"Severus!" Lupin exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "Are you all right?"

Snape saw the children staring at him openmouthed, and said irritably, "I'm fine, Lupin. It's a minor hex, nothing more." Branwen had also jumped up, and was drawing up a chair for him, which he slowly lowered himself into, wincing with pain.

"It looks like more than a minor hex, Severus," Lupin said in concern. "I--we--were so worried about you--" He reached out with one hand to gently touch Snape's cheek, being careful to avoid the welts.

Snape saw the children's eyes bug out with shock--all save Potter--and without thinking, he slapped Lupin's hand away. Lupin's blue eyes filled with hurt, and then anger, and he turned on his heel and stalked out of the room without another word.

Snape suddenly went cold with fear, and completely forgot about his pain. He jumped up and ran after his lover, shouting, "Lupin! Lupin, wait!" He caught up with Lupin in the hallway and grabbed his arm, forcing him to come to a halt.

Lupin jerked his arm out of Snape's grasp, saying in a bitter voice, "Aren't you afraid that someone might see you touch me, Severus?" And indeed, the children, as well as Branwen, Black, and the elder Weasleys, were watching from the dining room doorway.

Snape flinched; certainly no one was more entitled to be bitter than Lupin, after all the hardships he had endured, but Snape had never heard him use that tone of voice before. "Come on, Lupin!" he protested in a hushed tone. "You know I didn't mean it!" Lupin just stared back at him, with that hurt and angry look still in his eyes. "You never used to mind, when I fought with you at the dinner table at Hogwarts--"

"It's one thing when it's a game we're both playing," Lupin said angrily, "and another entirely when you push me away, in the safety of our home, when I'm concerned about you!"

Snape flushed with guilt, but argued, "You know I'm just trying to protect you--"

"I don't see any Death Eaters around here, do you, Severus?" Lupin shouted.

"Just one," muttered Black.

Snape shouted, "Shut up, Black!" at the exact same moment that Lupin shouted, "Shut up, Sirius!" Then they glared at each other.

"If word leaks out because the children gossip about us--" Snape began, but Lupin cut him off.

"They've known for over a year that you're a member of the Order of the Phoenix," Lupin retorted, "and have not betrayed that secret. Why should this be any different? They've all been victimized by Voldemort, they know what's at stake!"

"What do you want from me, Lupin?" Snape asked in frustration.

Lupin gave him a sad and bitter smile. "Something you aren't ready to give, apparently," he said softly.

Snape felt another surge of fear and guilt. "Lupin--"

Lupin took a deep breath, then said, "I'm too upset to talk about this right now, Severus." He turned away from Snape and continued down the hall.

Snape was consumed with fear; he had never seen his lover lose his temper like this before. He forgot Lupin's promise that he would always love Snape and never leave him. He forgot Lupin's promise that Snape would always be first in his heart. All he knew was that he was terrified that Lupin was walking away for good this time. "REMUS!" he shouted.

Lupin stopped in his tracks, and turned to stare at Snape, apparently in shock at hearing Snape use his first name in front of witnesses. Snape heard Weasley say, "'Remus'?" in an incredulous tone, but he ignored it. His next move was one of sheer desperation, and only his fear of losing Lupin could have made him do it: he ran forward, grabbed Lupin, and kissed him hard on the mouth. He saw Lupin's blue eyes fly wide open, then slowly close as he returned the kiss. Snape knew that he would probably feel mortified later, but right now, all he felt was blissful relief. He pulled Lupin close and held him tightly, and felt Lupin return the embrace, one arm wrapping around Snape's neck, the other firmly twining itself in his hair and pulling his face down to be more thoroughly kissed. Snape heard someone scream, and would have laughed, if his mouth had not been otherwise occupied, because the very high-pitched shriek came not from Miss Granger or Miss Weasley, but from Miss Weasley's brother. He also heard Black mutter, "Get a room, you two," and heard Branwen shush him, but he didn't care, because all that mattered to him right now was Lupin.

Finally Snape broke off the kiss, and Lupin stared at him, his eyes widening again. "Severus Snape," he said breathlessly, "you never cease to amaze me."

"Happy now?" Snape asked, trying for a sarcastic tone, but it came out more relieved.

Lupin smiled. "Very happy, Severus," he said, leaning into Snape's embrace and contentedly resting his head on Snape's shoulder.

"Are you sure, Lupin?" Snape persisted. "There isn't anyone else you'd like to inform? Perhaps you'd like to send out announcements to the Hogwarts' staff?"

"Don't push your luck, Severus," Lupin warned; his voice was stern but there was a glimmer of amusement in his blue eyes.

Despite that amused look, Snape felt ashamed of himself. "I'm sorry, Remus," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to hurt you, I just wasn't thinking..."

"I'm sorry, too, Severus," Lupin said, the amusement leaving his eyes, "for losing my temper."

"Merlin's Beard, Lupin!" Snape exclaimed in disbelief. "You're entitled to lose your temper once in awhile!" He flushed again. "Especially after everything I've done to you," he added quietly. "I'm the one who should be apologizing, not you."

"Then let us forgive each other," Lupin said, and the lovers tenderly embraced, forgetting that they had an audience until they heard Ron Weasley squeal, "Wh...wh...what's going on here?!"

Snape looked up, blushing, and scowled at the children. Potter looked almost as embarrassed as Snape felt, Granger and Ginny Weasley were staring at him in openmouthed shock, and Ron Weasley looked horrified as well as shocked. "If you ever breathe a word of this to anyone, I swear I will kill you!" he snarled.

"Severus!" Molly Weasley cried out reproachfully.

"I will impress upon the children the importance of keeping your relationship secret," Branwen said calmly. "Why don't you go upstairs and let Remus tend your wounds?"

"But I have news," Snape protested weakly, then seeing the look of eager interest in Potter's eyes, added sharply, "for Order members only."

"Can it keep till morning?" Branwen asked. "Is anyone in imminent danger?"

Snape thought it over for a moment; the news about Gwydion Donner's position in the Ministry of Magic was important, but there was no immediate danger, since the planned break-in at Azkaban was being postponed. "It can wait," he said, "but not for long. We should convene a meeting tomorrow; I have very important news to relay."

"Very well," Branwen said. "I will send out the messages. Now go upstairs and get some rest." That last sentence was said in her best no-nonsense professorial tone, and Snape smiled.

"Yes, Professor Blackmore," he said obediently, and followed Lupin to their rooms.


Lupin retrieved a jar of healing salve from Snape's stores. "Take off your clothes," he ordered.

Despite the pain, Snape grinned. "That eager, are you, Lupin? Is it near the full moon?"

"Very funny, Severus," Lupin said, then grinned, a little wickedly. "But if you'd prefer to have Molly or Branwen tend to your wounds..."

"No!" Snape said, and hastily undressed. He sighed and relaxed as Lupin applied the salve to his skin; the pain began to recede, and Lupin's touch was even more soothing than the salve. "I really am sorry, Remus," he apologized again.

"I know," Lupin said. "So am I. Maybe I overreacted; I was on edge ever since Harry told me you were summoned." Snape started to scowl, and Lupin said, " Don't blame Harry! You could have told me you were going, or at least left a message!"

"I'm sorry," Snape mumbled. "I just didn't want you to worry."

"You think you can disappear without a word, and I won't worry?" Lupin asked, his voice starting to rise in pitch and volume. He paused to calm himself. "Sorry. I can't help but worry, but I'll worry less if you keep me informed."

"Yes, Remus," Snape said meekly. "I'm sorry."

Lupin very carefully kissed him on the cheek, and then continued treating Snape's welts. "I was so worried, imagining the worst, and then when you slapped me away, all that tension just burst out at once..."

"I told you, Lupin, you don't have to apologize. Merlin knows that I deserve it, not just for this, but for all the other times I've hurt you--"

"I know you didn't really mean it," Lupin interrupted. "But I was hurt and angry, and I wanted to hurt you in turn...it was an awful feeling; I never want to feel that way again." He hesitated, then said softly, "And...I saw your face. You were scared. Scared of losing me?"

A sudden lump in his throat rendered Snape mute, and he nodded silently.

Lupin gently cradled Snape's face between his hands and said, "I have told you before, Severus, nothing will make me leave you. Nothing will make me stop loving you. No matter what you do, no matter how much you push me away, I will never let you go."

"I don't deserve you," Snape whispered.

Lupin shook his head, with a touch of impatience. "I'm not a saint, Severus. If I rarely lose my temper, it's because I was always afraid of losing control of the wolf. It was only when you accepted the wolf, that I was able to accept it as well. And I am jealous, possessive, and insecure." He growled a little, baring his teeth. "You are my mate, and I want the world to know you are mine." He gently nipped at Snape's throat. "I know that you love me, but I want you to acknowledge that love in public. I know it's too dangerous to really go public, but among the people we trust, I want you to treat me like your lover, not your enemy." He lifted Snape's fingertips to his lips and kissed them. "I want to know that you love me as much as I love you."

Snape threw his arms around Lupin, heedless of the welts and salve covering his body. "I do love you, Remus!" he whispered fiercely. "I have always loved you, I would do anything for you!" They held each other tightly for a long time, then he added with a hint of dry humor, "Even humiliate myself in front of the children for you."

Lupin laughed. "A fate worse than death! Seriously, Severus, I know how hard that was for you, and I appreciate it." He kissed Snape on the cheek again. "Now I know you truly love me."

"Now that I've proved my undying love for you," Snape said in a sour voice that--judging by Lupin's grin--wasn't fooling his lover one bit, "can we call a truce? If I promise not to push you away, will you agree not to molest me in public?"

Lupin giggled. "As I long as I can molest you in private."

"Agreed," said Snape, trying to keep the sour look on his face, but his lips twitched upwards in a smile.

"Now, let's finish treating your wounds," Lupin said, and continued applying the salve.

Despite the pain--which was really not so bad now anyway, since the salve was doing its job--the feel of Lupin's hands caressing his body was starting to have its usual effect on Snape. "You've got salve all over your robes," he observed.

"It's an old robe," Lupin said with a shrug. "It's no big deal."

"Perhaps you should take them off," Snape purred, ignoring Lupin. "So that you don't completely ruin them." Lupin glanced up, a little startled, at that purr. Snape grinned. "Besides, that would put us on a more equal footing; I am in a rather...undignified...position at the moment."

Lupin smiled back at him slyly. "So it would make you more comfortable if I undressed?"

"Much more," Snape purred.

"But Severus," Lupin said in mock-concern, "I'm afraid I might not be able to control myself around you."

"Did I say that I wanted you to control yourself?"

"But you're hurt, Severus," Lupin protested with real concern this time, although his eyes were still merry.

"I made that salve myself," Snape said haughtily. "I assure you it's quite effective. Besides, it's just a few welts."

"More than a few," Lupin said, applying salve to the inside of Snape's thigh. But despite his words, he let his hand linger there longer than necessary, and Snape shivered. "But I suppose we could be careful..."

"Very careful," Snape agreed in a husky voice.

"Perhaps we should continue this on the bed," Lupin said, his voice turning slightly hoarse as well. "For your comfort, of course."

"Of course. And since you're so concerned about making me comfortable..."

Lupin smiled and began to unfasten his robes.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Harry's eyes went wide with horror as Snape staggered into the dining room, a little unsteady on his feet. He looked awful; bright red welts stood out in sharp contrast against the dead-white skin of his face and hands. Voldemort must have done that to him...had he found out Snape was a traitor? But no...Voldemort surely would never have let him live, if that were the case...

The other children stared in shock as Lupin gently touched Snape's face in a gesture of concern and affection, and Snape slapped Lupin's hand away. Then they all jumped up and ran to the doorway to watch as Snape chased after Lupin.

"Get back here and mind your own business!" Mrs. Weasley scolded, but Professor Blackmore stopped her.

"No, Molly," she said quietly. "Let them be."

"But--"

"Severus has been hiding this long enough," Blackmore said in that quiet voice. "They need to see this. Or rather, Remus needs them to see it."

Mr. Weasley was peering curiously over the children's heads. "Goodness," he muttered to himself. "I still can't believe it, Remus and Severus..."

"What do you mean, Daddy?" Ginny asked, but he didn't answer.

Mrs. Weasley heaved a sigh of resignation. "Honestly, Arthur, you're as bad as the children!" But in spite of herself, she came over to watch as well.

Sirius shoved his way into the crowd packed in the doorway, scowling furiously as he watched Lupin and Snape argue. "I swore I'd turn that slimy git into a slug if he hurt Remy," he growled, reaching for his wand, but let his hand fall back to his side when he saw Blackmore glaring at him.

"Leave them alone, Sirius," she said sternly. "They have to work this out by themselves."

"It's one thing when it's a game we're both playing," Lupin was saying angrily, "and another entirely when you push me away, in the safety of our home, when I'm concerned about you!"

"What on earth is he talking about?" Ron wondered out loud.

"You know I'm just trying to protect you--" Snape argued.

"I don't see any Death Eaters around here, do you, Severus?" Lupin shouted.

"Just one," Sirius muttered.

Lupin and Snape both yelled at Sirius to shut up, to the children's further surprise. They had never seen the always calm and patient werewolf lose his temper like this before. They continued to watch as the pair argued, and saw Snape's face fill with fear and guilt.

"REMUS!" Snape shouted as Lupin turned away from him.

"'Remus'?" Ron asked incredulously. "Snape never calls Lupin by his first name!" Then he let out an ear-piercing shriek when Snape grabbed Lupin and kissed him firmly on the mouth, in full view of everyone. Hermione's and Ginny's mouths dropped open in shock, and Harry was a little stunned himself, even though he knew the pair were lovers. He quickly looked away; he had already witnessed this type of scene once before, and had no desire to see it again.

"Get a room, you two," Sirius muttered grumpily.

"Shh!" hissed Blackmore.

"Happy now?" Snape asked sarcastically, when the kiss finally ended.

"Very happy, Severus," Lupin replied, and Harry thought his three friends were going to faint when Lupin snuggled against Snape contentedly. And as if everything else hadn't been shocking enough, Snape actually apologized to Lupin! In a way, that was more shocking than the kiss, because Snape never apologized to anyone. Lupin apologized as well, and the two teachers embraced tenderly.

"Wh...wh...what's going on here?!" Ron asked in outrage, although his voice came out as more of a squeak than a shout.

Snape's face turned red, and he gave the children a murderous look. "If you ever breathe a word of this to anyone, I swear I will kill you!"

"Severus!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, and suddenly she looked as fierce and protective as a mother bear. Harry lifted his hand to his face to hide his smile; he didn't think even the dreaded Potions Master would be a match for Mrs. Weasley when she thought her children might be in danger.

"I will impress upon the children the importance of keeping your relationship secret," Blackmore said calmly. "Why don't you go upstairs and let Remus tend your wounds?"

"But I have news," Snape protested, but in a halfhearted voice. Harry looked up eagerly, and Snape added sharply, "For Order members only."

"Can it keep till morning?" Blackmore asked. "Is anyone in imminent danger?"

"It can wait," Snape said, "but not for long. We should convene a meeting tomorrow; I have very important news to relay."

"Very well. I will send out the messages," Blackmore said, then added in a stern voice, "Now go upstairs and get some rest."

"Yes, Professor Blackmore," Snape said with surprising meekness, and he and Lupin left.

Blackmore smiled at Hermione, Ron, and Ginny, who were staring at her expectantly. "Why don't we go back into the dining room and talk about this over dessert?" she suggested.


Blackmore had bought cream puffs and eclairs for dessert, plump and oozing rich cream, but the children barely touched them as they listened to her calmly explain how Lupin and Snape had "grown close" while working on her class project, and how they had parted bitterly over Sirius's prank.

"So it wasn't just a prank," Hermione said; of all the children, she was usually the quickest to pick up on things. She gave Sirius an accusing look and said, "You were trying to break them up, weren't you?"

Sirius flushed and muttered, "I was trying to protect Moony; I was afraid Snape was going to hurt him...I just wanted to scare him off, that's all."

"If Remus had hurt or killed Severus in his wolf state," Blackmore said angrily, "he probably would have been imprisoned or executed!" The children gasped, and she gave them an impatient look. "What, you hadn't realized that? Werewolves are just barely tolerated in our society; the Ministry would never let one who had attacked a human go free, even if it was an accident."

"I didn't realize," said Harry, turning pale. "I knew Snape's life was in danger, but I never thought that Professor Lupin's might be, too..."

"Well, you were not the only one who didn't stop to think," Blackmore said, shooting a glare in Sirius's direction.

"All right, I admit I was stupid!" Sirius shouted, looking ashamed and a little sullen at the same time. "I didn't think! I never meant to hurt Moony! I didn't even mean to hurt Snape--not really; I just wanted to scare him!" Blackmore glared at him again, and he said in a quieter and more sincerely remorseful voice, "I could never have lived with myself if anything happened to Remus because of me." He looked up at Harry. "I owe so much to your father, Harry. By saving Snape, he also saved Remus. So he is doubly a hero."

Blackmore's expression softened slightly, although she still looked concerned, perhaps picking up on the fact--as Harry had--that Sirius had expressed relief only over Lupin's life being saved, not Snape's. From the thoughtful look and small frown on Hermione's face, he thought that she might have noticed too. "In any case," Blackmore continued, "Severus felt betrayed by Remus, and they remained apart for almost twenty years."

"But it wasn't Professor Lupin's fault!" Ron said indignantly.

Blackmore sighed. "No, but Severus has always been incredibly stubborn. And...there are other factors at work here. Severus had a difficult childhood; I cannot give you any of the details, but suffice it to say that he had little reason to trust anyone." Harry flushed and squirmed uncomfortably, remembering the memories he had seen during his Occlumency lessons and in the Pensieve. "And the inter-House rivalry has also served to foster distrust between Slytherin and Gryffindor."

"Slytherins are all slimy gits," Ron muttered under his breath.

"That is exactly what I'm talking about!" Blackmore snapped, and Ron cringed. "Yes, I'm sure that many of the Slytherin children have been unpleasant to you...but each and every one? Or do you judge them solely based upon their House?"

"Dylan's all right," Hermione said.

"I thought he didn't want to be seen associating with a Gryffindor," sneered Ron.

Hermione started to say something, then bit her lip and fell silent.

"The pressures are great," Blackmore said in a kinder voice, "not to associate with someone from a rival House. It is difficult for such a friendship to survive, when the Houses of both parties regard them as traitors for associating with the enemy." Ron flushed, and Hermione gave Blackmore a grateful look. "As Remus and Severus discovered," Blackmore added, and Sirius flushed as well. "But do not judge Severus too harshly. Despite his anger, he has always cared about Remus. You must not tell anyone I told you this, but Severus helped to create the Wolfsbane Potion." The children stared at her in shock; this was news even to Harry. "He let his partner, a Japanese wizard named Kamiyama, take all the credit so that no one would discover he had anything to do with it."

"He did it for Professor Lupin?" Ginny asked, her eyes wide. "He kept quiet about it so Professor Lupin wouldn't find out?"

"Well, partly because the Death Eaters might find it suspicious, but yes, I suspect he covered up his role in the potion's creation mainly so that Remus would not suspect he still cared about him." Blackmore sighed. "He is such a stubborn boy..."

"When did they get back together again?" Hermione asked.

Blackmore smiled. "When Remus began teaching at Hogwarts."

"WHAT?!" Ginny, Ron, and Hermione shrieked in chorus. "But Snape acted like he hated Lupin!" Ron said. "He got Lupin fired!"

"There is a very thin line between love and hate," Blackmore said. "At first, the hate was real. But eventually they worked things out."

"How?" asked Ron skeptically.

"That's between Remus and Severus," Blackmore replied. "If you want to know the details, you'll have to ask them."

Harry privately thought he would rather take on all the Death Eaters without his wand rather than ask Snape for details about his love life, and from the expressions on his friends' faces, they clearly agreed. But it might be safe to ask Lupin, if they could talk to him when Snape wasn't around...

"Then, after they got back together, Severus kept up the pretense of hatred so that no one would suspect the truth," Blackmore continued.

"But...why did he get Professor Lupin fired?" Ginny asked in bewilderment.

Blackmore gave them that impatient look again. "Can't you guess?" she asked, her eyes sliding over to Sirius.

"He thought Professor Lupin was helping you," Hermione said to Sirius. "Again."

Sirius hung his head guiltily, but muttered, "Snape didn't have to be so damned stubborn..."

"They made up again afterwards," Blackmore said. "But the damage was already done. Remus's secret was exposed, and he had to leave Hogwarts."

Harry and Hermione stared at each other, remembering how Snape had shown up at Lupin's office right before he left the school. "That's what he was doing that day!" Harry exclaimed. "He came to apologize to Lupin!" He shook his head, still having trouble picturing that.

"How could Lupin forgive him?" Ron asked, still looking confused and indignant.

Blackmore smiled. "Remus is very forgiving. And Severus has his good points, even if he doesn't show them to you very often. He made the potion for Remus. He risks his life spying on the Death Eaters. He's worked hard to protect Harry, even if he isn't very gracious about it. He embarrassed himself today in front of you to prove his love to Remus. And he saved Sirius's life."

"WHAT?!" Harry's friends exclaimed again, and Sirius scowled.

"That's right," Hermione said, "Professor Lupin mentioned something about that the night we moved in, but he didn't say anything about how or why, and Professor Snape didn't want to talk about it."

Blackmore grinned. "Sirius was badly wounded in the fight with the Death Eaters. Severus cast a healing spell that transferred his own strength to Sirius, a particularly dangerous spell. If anything had gone wrong, Severus could have died."

"You're kidding!" Ron said disbelievingly. "He hates Sirius!" Then, perhaps recalling that he had thought Snape hated Lupin as well, he added hesitantly, "Er...doesn't he?"

"I would never kid about such a thing," Blackmore said with a straight face. "Yes, he does hate Sirius, but Sirius is Remus's best friend, so he saved Sirius for Remus's sake."

"You knew?" Ron asked Harry, looking shocked and a little hurt. "And you never told us?!"

"He couldn't," Blackmore interrupted, to Harry's relief. "He was sworn to secrecy. And the three of you must swear to keep all this a secret as well. Severus was concerned about more than just being embarrassed in front of his students. If the Dark Lord or the Death Eaters should find out he is having a relationship with Remus, an ally of Dumbledore and an enemy of Voldemort, they will realize he is a traitor and most likely kill him." She gave them a very stern and serious look. "It is very important that you keep your silence, and say nothing, not even to your friends and family. Well...except Molly and Arthur, of course; they already know. But even the other Order members, apart from Tonks and Kingsley, do not know about this. If a hint of gossip should leak out in school, for example, and the child of a Death Eater should hear..."

The children went pale, and solemnly promised not to tell anyone.

"I still can't believe it," Mr. Weasley muttered. "Snape, of all people!"

"Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley scolded.

"I thought Professor Snape was in love with YOU," Hermione suddenly blurted out to Blackmore, and blushed as Blackmore burst into laughter.

"Why did you think that, dear?" she laughed, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Well, because he was dancing with you last Christmas," Hermione said, still blushing, "and because you kissed him under the mistletoe."

"SNAPE? And BRANWEN?" Sirius asked, sounding like he didn't know whether to be amused or outraged.

"I love Severus," Blackmore said with a smile, "but not in that way. I have known Severus, Remus, and Sirius since they were eleven years old. I love them the way I would love my own children, if I had any."

"But they're adults now," Hermione pointed out. "And they're actually older than you are now, since you didn't age in...er...wherever it was you were hiding for fourteen years."

"You're right, Hermione," Blackmore said thoughtfully. "But I was their teacher for so long that I suppose it's difficult for me to see them as adults sometimes."

Sirius snorted, and said, "You certainly lecture us as if you were still our teacher!"

"Only when you behave childishly," Blackmore retorted, but with a smile, and Sirius scowled for a moment, then laughed and smiled back at her. Blackmore turned back to Hermione and said, "I'm afraid that even if Severus weren't already involved with Remus, I could never think of him romantically. I can't help but think of him as the young boy I was so concerned about over twenty years ago..." She sighed, and suddenly looked tired and guilty. "I cared about all my students, especially the Slytherins, whom I wanted to save from Voldemort...Dylan's father was one of them. Evan Rosier was a charming and mischievous boy once, before the Dark Lord corrupted him. So many of my former students are dead--Rosier, Wilkes, Riggs, and Foley--and others, like the Lestranges and the Malfoys, willingly gave up their souls to Voldemort."

"It's not your fault, Branwen," Sirius said quietly, patting her on the shoulder in a slightly awkward, but sincere attempt to comfort her.

"Well, at least Severus survived," Blackmore sighed, laying her hand over Sirius's for a moment. "Even if he is scarred by his time among the Death Eaters...but then, the war left scars upon all of us, I suppose." She saw the children looking at her, anxious and uncomfortable, and she smiled and said in a lighter tone, "Anyway, I suspect Severus would be horrified if you told him that you thought he was in love with me! I am, after all, the dreaded Professor Blackmore, who terrorized my students!" She grinned and added, "And I gave Sirius and Severus detention on many occasions!"

"Yes, I remember that well," Sirius said sourly, and Blackmore laughed.

"What about Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Oh, Remus was a good boy," Blackmore said. "I never gave him detention. He only got into mischief when James and Sirius dragged him along into one of their foolish stunts."

"What sort of stunts?" Ron asked, a speculative gleam in his eyes.

"That's enough!" said his mother firmly. "It's getting late; finish your dessert and go to bed!" She saw Sirius suppressing a laugh, and added, "And don't go filling their head with nonsense, Sirius! As Harry's godfather, you're supposed to be setting a good example for the children!"

"I didn't say a word, Molly," Sirius said innocently, then turned his attention to his dessert, pretending not to notice Mrs. Weasley's you-aren't-fooling-me-one-bit glare. The children grinned at each other, quickly gobbled up their pastries, and headed upstairs.


Instead of going to bed immediately, they gathered together in Harry's room.

"I can't believe it!" Ron kept saying. "Lupin and SNAPE?!"

"Who would've thought Professor Snape was gay?" Ginny asked, still sounding shocked herself.

"Well, it's not like I could ever picture a woman wanting to touch that slimy git," Ron said. "But then again, I can't imagine a guy wanting to touch him either!" He made a face. "Gross!"

"Well, I really thought it was Professor Blackmore that he liked," Hermione said in consternation; it was not so much that she particularly wanted them to be together, but she always hated being proven wrong. "Still, it does explain a great deal...like why he came over for Christmas last year and let Lupin talk him into buying us presents. And it explains why Professor Lupin was always nice to him, no matter how rude he was, even after Snape got him dismissed from his job. I thought he just felt guilty about the prank Sirius pulled, but he must have still been in love with Professor Snape all those years..." She sighed dramatically.

Ron made a gagging noise. "That's disgusting!"

"Well, I'm surprised to find out that they're gay," his sister said, "but I wouldn't really call it disgusting."

"That's not what I meant!" Ron snapped. "Although it is pretty weird, to find out that your teachers are queer! But Lupin's a pretty nice guy; even if he is gay, what the hell does he see in Snape?!"

"Sirius says Lupin always felt sorry for Snape when they were in school," Harry said. "Because of the pranks Sirius and my dad used to play on him. He says Lupin thought Snape was 'lonely and misunderstood'. He says Lupin sympathized with Snape because he felt like a misfit too, being a werewolf and all, I guess."

"Lonely?" Ron asked disbelievingly. "Snape? He acts like he can't stand being around people!"

"Maybe it's just an act," Hermione said thoughtfully. "He can't be all bad, since he's risking his life to spy on the Death Eaters. And he did create the Wolfsbane Potion for Lupin."

"You think he's so mean because he's lonely?" Ginny asked skeptically, but she thought it over. "Well...maybe. If he was as unpopular back then as he is now, I guess he might have been."

"If he wants to be popular, he should treat people more nicely," Ron grumbled.

"Maybe he doesn't know how," Ginny said.

"Sirius said Snape was kind of an oddball in school," Harry said.

"In my old school, before I came to Hogwarts," Hermione said slowly, "some of the kids teased me a lot. It hurt my feelings, but if I let them see that, they would just tease me more. So I pretended like I just didn't care, and eventually they got bored. Maybe that's what Snape was doing. Taken to more of an extreme, of course."

Ron shook his head, but Ginny said, "Professor Lupin was the nicest teacher we ever had. I suppose if he likes Snape, there must be SOMETHING good about him..."

"There's the Wolfsbane Potion," Hermione pointed out again. "And he did save Sirius."

Since Blackmore had already mentioned it, Harry figured it was safe to tell his friends about what had happened in the Headmaster's office after the battle with the Death Eaters. He explained how Snape had risked his life with the Blood Healing spell, and how Snape had said he had done it for Lupin.

"Wow," Ginny said softly.

"Snape used Dark Magic to save Sirius?" Ron asked, looking confused.

"I think it's only Dark Magic if you use someone else's blood," Harry said. "But Blackmore said it is prohibited. I don't really care whether it is or not, since it saved Sirius's life!"

"I told you he was on our side!" Hermione said triumphantly. "I told you he was all right!"

Ron rolled his eyes but said nothing. It was a bit difficult to argue that Snape was really working for the bad guys when he had saved Sirius. Finally he mumbled, "I still don't understand what Lupin sees in him."

"I think it's sad," Hermione said with another dramatic sigh, "how they were parted over a misunderstanding for twenty years."

"It is sort of romantic, when you think about it," Ginny said thoughtfully, as Ron stared at her incredulously. "They were separated for all those years, and even though they hated each other--"

"Well, actually, Lupin says he never hated Snape," Harry interjected. "But Snape hated Lupin."

"--And even though Snape hated Lupin, he must have still felt something for him, because he made the Wolfsbane Potion for him," Ginny continued. "And then, after twenty years, they finally met again at the same place they had parted, and realized that they still loved each other..."

"You've been reading too many romance novels, Ginny!" Ron snorted.

"But they still can't be together," Hermione said, ignoring him. "Well, only in secret, because they can't let the Death Eaters find out..."

"They have to hide their love," Ginny said melodramatically, and both girls sighed in unison.

Harry was staring at them in disbelief, and Ron exclaimed, "You two are crazy!"

The two girls gave Ron and Harry rather patronizing looks. "Boys!" sniffed Ginny. "You just don't understand!"

"Girls!" Ron retorted. "I can't believe you're getting all sappy and moony over Snape!"

"I can see why you don't have a girlfriend," his sister said scornfully. "You don't have a romantic bone in your body."

"They're too young to understand," Hermione said, giving the boys an almost pitying look.

"We're the same as age as you!" Harry protested. "And a year older than Ginny! What's so romantic about Snape?"

"Everyone knows that girls mature faster than boys," Hermione said in a smugly superior tone of voice. "Come on, Ginny," she said, and the two girls left the room.

"Women!" Ron said in disgust. "I'll never understand them!"

"Me neither," said Harry, shaking his head.
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