Scars, Part 1

by Geri ([email protected])

My homepage: http://www.geocities.com/geri_chans_fics/index.html

Rating: NC-17 overall

Pairings: Snape/Lupin, Ash/Tsubasa; also a little Theodore/Blaise, Dylan/Hermione, and Aric/Takeshi

Author's note: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts; [] indicates song lyrics.

Disclaimer: Based on the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling; song lyrics are from "Scars" by Papa Roach. No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.

Warning: AU. This story contains a character from Half-Blood Prince, but does not follow the HBP storyline.

Sequel to: Always, Summer Vacation, For Old Time's Sake, Three's a Crowd, Return of the Raven, Phoenix Reborn, Phoenix Rising, Aftermaths, The Revenant, Ash's Story, and Summer Vacation III.

Summary: Lupin and Snape enjoy a tender moment together as summer vacation winds down; Harry starts his new job as a trainee Auror.
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[Our scars remind us that the past is real
--"Scars" by Papa Roach]

Theodore was still working in Ireland on his apprenticeship; Dylan was visiting Hermione and her family in the Muggle world; and Selima had gone off with Molly Weasley to look at potential reception sites for the upcoming wedding of Bill and Fleur. Vorcher was in the kitchen preparing dinner, and Cabal was out frolicking in the garden, so for all practical purposes, Lupin and Severus had the house to themselves and they took full advantage of it, making love all afternoon.

Severus had finally collapsed onto the bed and pleaded exhaustion, and apparently he hadn't been joking this time, because he had almost immediately drifted off to sleep. Lupin, however, remained awake to watch his sleeping lover, smiling at the rare sight of the Potions Master looking peaceful and relaxed, the frown lines that usually creased his face smoothed out in slumber. Lupin felt as if he would be content to just lie here forever, drinking in the sight of his beloved--his raven-black hair, sleek and shiny; his pale skin; his lanky body. He had long ago memorized every plane and curve of his lover's body, by sight and by touch, but he never tired of watching Severus. In fact, he secretly enjoyed these moments, when he could lie awake and watch his lover sleep, partly because of the trust it implied, that the paranoid former Death Eater was willing to sleep by Lupin's side, leaving himself unconscious and vulnerable. And Lupin also savored these moments because he could stare at Severus without him becoming self-conscious and making disparaging remarks about his sallow skin and greasy hair and beaky nose.

Lupin thought his lover was handsome, even beautiful, but it usually made Severus a little uncomfortable when he said so out loud, because the Potions Master had been told so many times as a child that he was ugly, that he had come to believe it. Lupin sighed guiltily, because his friends, the Marauders, had been the main offenders in that, although they were by no means the only students in the school who had insulted and picked on Severus. But what Lupin still regretted most was the way that he had failed to stand up to James and the others and defend Severus, even after they'd become friends and then lovers. Oh, sure, he'd tried halfheartedly to tell them that Severus wasn't really so bad and that they shouldn't pick on him so much, but when they'd failed to heed his words, he had dropped the subject rather than risk alienating his friends.

He stared at his sleeping lover intently, suddenly seized by an irrational fear that Severus might vanish if he looked away, that he might wake up to find that their happiness together was all a dream and that Severus still hated him. He reached out and laid his hand on Severus's chest, and was reassured by the warmth of his skin, and the rhythm of his heart beating beneath Lupin's hand.

Beneath his hand also lay the scar left by the Sectumsempra spell that the Revenant had cast. Lupin smiled tenderly and gently ran his fingers along the scar, which ran from just below Severus's collarbone to just above his navel. It was horrifying to think of Severus nearly being split open and gutted like a fish, but the scar itself did not horrify Lupin. To him it was a blessing, because it meant that the wound was healed and Severus was still alive. It was a reminder of how fragile and precious life was, a reminder to cherish every moment of their time together...

"I love you, Severus," Lupin whispered.
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Snape woke to the sensation of Lupin's hand gently running down his chest. At first he thought it was merely a simple caress, until he realized that Lupin's fingers were tracing the long scar that had been left by the Sectumsempra spell, and he tensed slightly. Snape was still a little self-conscious about the scar although he knew that he was being irrational. If Lupin didn't mind his beaky nose and greasy hair, and had even been willing to kiss and touch the Dark Mark that had been branded on him, it was not likely that his lover would be repulsed by a scar.

"Does it hurt, Severus?" Lupin asked in a concerned voice. "I thought the wound had healed weeks ago."

"No," Snape replied sheepishly. "It doesn't hurt, and it is healed." He laughed in a self-deprecating manner to cover his embarrassment. "And fortunately, I don't have any good looks to be ruined by this scar. Lucius, for one, would have been devastated about having his perfect lily-white skin marred." Although Lucius Malfoy no longer had to worry about such things, with his body moldering in the Malfoy family crypt, which did not sadden Snape in the slightest.

Lupin laughed. "Are you fishing for compliments, Sev? You know that you are always beautiful to me, my love, scars or no scars." In a more serious voice he said, "I would rather that you had not been hurt, of course, but to me this scar is a symbol of your bravery and nobility, and so I shall cherish it." He stroked Snape's scar again, then pressed his lips to it reverently.

"Only a Gryffindor could be so melodramatic," Snape mumbled, feeling pleased and yet embarrassed at the same time, because surely he was not worthy of such reverence. Lupin looked up and smiled at him tenderly, his eyes filled an expression of profound love--all for himself, Snape realized with a sense of awe. He had spent so much of his life watching and hungering after Lupin from a distance that sometimes he found it hard to believe that Lupin was really his, that he no longer had to share Lupin with the Marauders. Snape savored the fact that Lupin's smile was just for him, and not Potter or Black or Pettigrew.

Well, technically Lupin and Black were still friends, but Black was no longer the enemy and moreover, had his own family which now took precedence in his life. Branwen and Potter junior were the center of Black's life now, not Lupin--as Snape was the center of Lupin's life now, so he no longer begrudged his lover's friendship with Black.

"I only did it because I didn't want to be indebted to the bloody Potter family for the rest of my life," Snape said gruffly, but Lupin kept smiling at him, the tenderness now tinged with a hint of amusement.

"And because you would not let one of your students--even an annoying Gryffindor--be killed if you could prevent it, even at the risk of your own life," Lupin said. "And dare I suggest that perhaps you might have saved Harry for my sake, because he is dear to me, even if he is not so dear to you?"

"You may suggest all you like, Lupin, but that doesn't make it true," Snape said, feigning a scowl. "With your overactive imagination, perhaps you should be the one writing maudlin novels instead of Prospero Zabini."

"Perhaps I should," Lupin laughed good-naturedly. "I could write stories about star-crossed Gryffindor and Slytherin lovers who cannot deny their feelings for each other even though their Houses try to tear them apart."

Snape began to regret the sarcastic suggestion that he'd made; Lupin was probably only teasing him, but one could never predict what that idiot Gryffindor might do next. He opened his mouth to object to Lupin's potential career as a novelist, but his lover silenced him with a kiss.

"If I'm going to write a romance novel, then I ought do some research, don't you think?" Lupin purred, with a feral, wolfish hunger suddenly glinting in his blue eyes. He sat up and swung one leg over Snape's hips so that he was straddling the startled Potions Master.

"It's flattering that you have such high expectations of my stamina, Lupin," Snape said in a sardonic drawl. "But while you might possess the strength of a werewolf, I am bound by the limits of a human body."

"I have a theory, Severus," Lupin said in a conversational tone of voice. "I believe that a werewolf transmits a little of its stamina and insatiable desire to its mate."

"Like a sexually transmitted disease?" Snape scoffed, although he suspected that Lupin was probably right.

"I wouldn't have put it so inelegantly, but yes, I suppose so," Lupin said, grinning. "A highly communicable disease. Although it's just a theory, of course. There aren't exactly any papers or books written on the subject. Perhaps I should compare notes with Aric and Takeshi, and Lukas and Narcissa?" Snape glared at him, and Lupin laughed. "Well, perhaps not." He lowered his voice to a husky whisper and murmured, "So shall we conduct some hands-on research and investigate the matter ourselves, Professor Snape?"

"Mmm...yes," Snape sighed as Lupin very slowly and deliberately began grinding his hips against Snape's. He reached up and put his arms around Lupin, pulling him down for a kiss. "For the sake of research..."
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Selima had invited Lukas, Narcissa, and Draco over for dinner that evening, and they all sat around the table making small talk about how they'd spent the day. Selima, of course, had spent the day with Molly; Lukas had met with Tsubasa to go over plans for Physical Defense lessons for the upcoming school year; Narcissa had taken Celine (one of the children from the werewolf pack) shopping for school supplies; and Draco had been working at his job with Lupin's inventor friend Cassidy Sinclair, and seemed excited about the toys and devices they were creating.

"I'm working on a mobile of Quidditch players chasing a Snitch and a Bludger," Draco said. "Well, chasing a Snitch and being chased by a Bludger, actually. It was just a personal project that I was doing for baby Cedric, but Mr. Sinclair says that he thinks we ought to market it."

"Quidditch is always a very popular theme," Lupin agreed.

"I still have to work out a few kinks in the system, though," Draco said. "The Bludger and the Snitch have a tendency to get tangled up with each other."

"And what about you, Severus?" Narcissa asked politely. "How did you and Remus spend your day?"

"Oh, we spent the day going over some research that I've been putting together," Lupin replied innocently as Snape choked on his food. He paused to pat his lover on the back, then continued, "I'm thinking of writing a paper on werewolves."

"You're certainly qualified, Professor," Selima said dryly.

Lukas laughed, then looked thoughtful for a moment. "Seriously, Remus, you really ought to consider writing a paper, maybe even a book. Most of the texts that currently exist on lycanthropy are are full of inaccuracies or outright lies."

"Like 'Wanderings with Werewolves' by Gilderoy Lockhart?" Draco snickered.

"That idiot," Snape muttered, still looking annoyed by the memory of the former DADA teacher. "You have no idea how much self-control it took not to strike him down with an Unforgivable Curse during that dueling demonstration we put on."

Lukas chuckled, then continued, "So perhaps you should write a more accurate textbook, Remus. Between the three of us--" He gestured towards himself, Lupin, and Snape. "--and your friends in Japan, you've amassed quite a bit of information on werewolves." He sighed, looking wistful. "My father once possessed what was probably the largest collection in the world on lycanthropy: textbooks, bestiaries on Dark Creatures, books on werewolf folklore and legends, potion recipes, even never-published notes on illegally-conducted experiments. But unfortunately, Amos and his parents apparently destroyed it all after my father died. Sirius asked the Aurors to question Amos about it for me, and Amos said that they burned all my father's books and papers, then razed his house to the ground to get rid of any evidence of my lycanthropy." Lukas smiled bitterly. "I suppose that I should be grateful that they only sent me into exile instead of killing me."

"Amos was afraid to get blood on his hands, at least back then," Snape said. But he knew from experience how easily committing one misdeed could lead to another and then another and so on, with each incident increasing in severity, until one was in so far over one's head that there was no turning back. That was how Voldemort had drawn many of his followers into the Death Eaters, after all--things had started off with a few secret meetings and illicit lessons in the Dark Arts, and then they'd begun testing some of the hexes they had learned on Muggles (because, after all, who cared what happened to a Muggle?), and then they started using more severe hexes on those wizards that Voldemort deemed his enemies, until the Death Eaters found themselves committing murder in the Dark Lord's name. Some, like the Lestranges, had willingly embraced their descent into darkness, while others, like Regulus Black, had realized their mistake and tried to escape, only to find that no one was allowed to leave the Dark Lord's service, save in death. For Amos Diggory, it had begun with what might have seemed to him a small sin at first; he had committed no crime of his own, but helped to conceal his parents' crime, the murder of his brother, out of misguided filial love and loyalty. But to keep that secret, he'd had to send his young nephew into virtual imprisonment and exile, and live a lie for years, hiding the truth even from his sister and his wife. And in the end, he had become so obsessed that he had been willing to commit murder (or at least attempt to) in order to protect that secret and the family honor.

Lukas nodded somberly, and Draco broke the awkward silence that followed by saying, "Well, the books might be gone, but you must remember some of the information that was in them, since you've told us so much about your father's research and the various cures that he tried. And you've learned a lot from your experience as leader of the werewolf pack. Maybe you could collaborate with Professor Lupin on his book."

"Well, I haven't decided yet if I actually am going to write a book," Lupin pointed out with a smile.

"I was only twelve years old when my father died," Lukas said, a look of sorrow and nostalgia falling over his face like a shadow. "Old enough for him to explain, in a general way, about my lycanthropy and what he was doing to try to cure it, but he didn't always go into specific detail, especially about the illegal experiments. I only remember little bits and pieces of things."

"But still, you knew things that I didn't," Lupin said thoughtfully. "You knew that inherited lycanthropy usually manifests at around age four, because an infant's body can't handle the strain of the monthly transformations."

"Well, it's only a scholarly theory that my father read about, but it seems logical," Lukas said with a shrug.

"And you knew that you could transform when the moon wasn't full, if the wolf felt threatened enough," Lupin continued. "I'd heard rumors about it, but I wasn't sure if they were really true until I saw and experienced it firsthand when we fought the Death Eaters."

"It's very rare, but I saw it happen to my pack members a couple of times," Lukas replied. "We led rather dangerous lives. But none of us ever became permanently stuck in our wolf forms, as you say happened to some of the Japanese werewolves."

"Maybe we really should pool our knowledge and write a book," Lupin laughed.

"Just how much information do you intend to put in this hypothetical book?" Lukas said, beginning to look a little worried. "On one hand, I would like to see something that would counteract all the lies out there, but on the other hand, too much knowledge could be a bad thing. Won't it make people fear us more if they believe that we can transform at any time?"

"They already know," Lupin reminded him. "Rita Skeeter reported how the werewolves fought in the final battle, and of course there was your dramatic transformation and rescue of that little girl from the runaway Graphorn in Diagon Alley."

Lukas scowled at the memory of the latter incident, and Narcissa teased, "It's your own fault for playing hero, my love."

An irritated sigh hissed through Lukas's lips. "I suppose so. Even Takeshi told me that I was acting like a stupid noble Gryffindor hero. Well, he didn't actually say 'stupid,' but it seemed to be implied."

Snape smirked. "I knew there was a reason why I liked Mr. Kimura."

Lupin laughed, then said, "But to answer your question, Lukas, people fear the unknown. I think that knowing more about us would cause them to fear us less, not more. The way that our students no longer fear us, because they know us as people instead of just werewolves. And it would help newly-made werewolves to better understand what has happened to them and what they will become. With the Wolfsbane Potion in wide use these days, hopefully there won't be many more victims of werewolf bites, but from time to time, a few people will be born with inherited lycanthropy as we were."

"I guess you're right," Lukas agreed reluctantly. "I'll try to recall what I can of my father's research and write it down for you. But I am a little busy at the moment, with school starting soon and a baby on the way." He smiled lovingly at his wife and rested his hand on her stomach, which formed a rounded curve beneath her robes.

"The baby won't be born for a few months more," Narcissa laughed, laying her hand over her husband's. "There's still time for you to help Remus with his book."

"Things will only get busier after the baby is born," Selima predicted. "If you intend to help Remus, you might as well do it now before the baby is waking you up every few hours demanding to be fed or changed. Which means that you should also probably enjoy sleeping through the night while you still can."

"Draco was a very fussy baby," Narcissa said, smiling indulgently at her son.

"Aw, Mum!" Draco protested, his face turning red.

His mother kissed him on the cheek and added, "But he was worth every moment of those sleepless nights."

"Mum!" Draco protested again, but he smiled a little.

Lupin chuckled. "Well, I'm sure that Cedric Drake will cause you some sleepless nights, but at least you'll have several baby-sitters ready at hand." Lukas's pack had promised to help with the baby when it was born, and were all eagerly awaiting the birth of their "little brother". "Work on those notes when you have time, Lukas; there's no rush."

"Maybe your book will become a bestseller, and you'll become famous, like Lockhart," Draco said with a grin.

"He's already famous," Selima pointed out. "Or perhaps 'infamous' would be a more accurate term."

Snape groaned, "As if people weren't gossiping enough about us as it is! If he really does write a bestseller, that Skeeter woman will start hounding us again!"

"You're all getting a little ahead of yourselves," Lupin said, looking amused. "I haven't even written the book yet. And even if I do write it, there's no guarantee that I'll be able to find a publisher, let alone become a best-selling author."

"With my luck, you will be," Snape said gloomily.

"You say that like it's a bad thing, Professor," Draco said, still grinning. "I think it would be pretty cool to know a famous author."

"Then I'll be sure to send you an autographed copy, Draco," Lupin joked, and Snape groaned again.

Narcissa smiled and tactfully changed the subject; a good pureblood wife always knew how to keep a conversation running smoothly. "Have you heard from Theodore recently, Severus? How is his apprenticeship coming along?"

"He just wrote to us a few days ago, and he seems to be doing quite well," Snape replied, looking relieved at the change in conversation topics, and pleased to have a chance to brag about his son. "He finds his work interesting, and has impressed Master Tremayne enough that the old curmudgeon intends to keep him on even after the dig is over." The reclusive and antisocial Runes Master had not taken an apprentice in years, and had only reluctantly agreed to accept Theodore as an assistant on a provisional basis, for the duration of the archaeological dig. "It seems that the dig will last longer than originally expected, though. They're having trouble translating the runes, as the wizard who originally built the tower seems to have invented his own runic system or used some sort of code. Theodore says that the team has found several interesting magical artifacts, which they are handling with utmost caution, as this wizard appears to have been dabbling in Dark Magic."

"How intriguing," Narcissa murmured.

"What sorts of artifacts?" Draco asked eagerly.

"They aren't entirely sure what some of them do," Snape replied. "Which is why they are handling them with such caution. I expect that the Ministry will end up confiscating most of them for safekeeping."

Draco sighed regretfully and Lupin said with a smile, "The artifacts that are deemed safe will eventually be put on display at the Museum of Wizarding History, so you might still have a chance to look at them, Draco. Actually, I was thinking that it might be interesting to discuss the dig and the artifacts in DADA class or History of Magic, depending on just how Dark a sorcerer this wizard really was."

"Hmm, not a bad idea," Snape said. "You ought to discuss it with Mr. Zabini, since he'll be assisting with the History classes."

"I still can't believe that Blaise is going to be a teacher!" Draco said, looking bemused. "I guess it suits him; he always was the studious sort. But I always pictured Granger more as the teacher type, with the way she's always lecturing everybody."

"She would be a good teacher," Lupin agreed. "But I think that she would be good at anything she sets her mind to, including potion-brewing. She'll start working for the Apothecary when she and Dylan get back."

"Out of all the women in the wizarding world, he had to set his heart on a bossy, know-it-all, Muggle-born Gryffindor wench," Snape grumbled

"Look on the bright side, Severus," Lupin said cheerfully. "They're bound to give us very intelligent grandchildren someday. Maybe even a future Potions Master or Mistress."

"With my luck, they'll all be Gryffindors," Snape predicted pessimistically, and everyone laughed.
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Meanwhile, Harry was getting settled into his new job as an Auror. He'd been a little nervous about it, but to his pleasure, discovered that he'd been assigned to work with Kingsley Shacklebolt and Tonks, his favorite Aurors, for his training period.

"Welcome aboard, Harry!" Shacklebolt said heartily.

"Thanks, Mr. Shacklebolt," Harry replied.

"No need to be so formal, Harry," Shacklebolt said, patting him on the shoulder. "We're colleagues now, so call me 'Kingsley'."

It was nice to be treated as an equal by an adult that he respected, after years of being treated like a kid who needed to be protected, but also a little intimidating, as he felt the need to prove himself worthy of his new colleague's respect.

"Thank you, Kingsley," Harry said. "I'm looking forward to working with you. I know that I have a lot to learn."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Kingsley said with a grin. "You single-handedly defeated You-Know-Who, and Rabastan Lestrange is sitting in a cell in Azkaban right now, thanks to you."

"Um, actually that's mostly because of Professor Snape," Harry mumbled, flushing; he knew that he had really screwed up in the battle with the Revenant. Despite Snape's warnings, he had let his guard down, lulled by the fact that his father's spirit had been possessing Lestrange's body, and he would have been killed if Snape hadn't saved him. He was glad that James's spirit had finally been laid to rest and that Lestrange was in prison, but he didn't feel that he could take full credit for those things.

Tonks seemed to sense his discomfort, and said lightly, "Well, I know one thing for sure, Harry--things are never dull with you around! In fact, I'm hoping that you'll liven things up around here a little." She grinned and winked at him, and Harry smiled back at her.

"You know that old saying, Tonks--'be careful what you wish for,'" Kingsley warned, but with affection and good humor rather than censure. "But she's right; things have been pretty quiet recently, now that all the Death Eaters have finally been rounded up. Hopefully that will prevent any more public panics like the ones caused by Williamson and that R.A. group."

Both a corrupt Auror, Williamson, and a group of students whose relatives had been murdered by the Death Eaters, had been bent on taking revenge--not just against the actual Death Eaters, but on Professor Snape and the Slytherins, because they had assumed that all Slytherins must be Death Eaters, or at least Death Eater sympathizers. They had engineered a series of false threats and attacks designed to play on the public's fears and whip up anti-Slytherin (and anti-werewolf) sentiments, and had succeeded all too well until their plot had finally been exposed. Harry hadn't believed that Professor Snape was still a Death Eater, of course, but he had worried for awhile that a real Death Eater might have been involved in the attacks.

"Are you really sure that all the Death Eaters have been captured or killed?" Harry asked nervously. "Not even the other Death Eaters knew about Wormtail at first, after all."

"It's true that Voldemort kept a few of the Death Eaters' identities concealed even from his followers during the first war," Tonks replied, looking serious now. "But Severus believes that the Dark Lord called in all of his Death Eaters for the final battle--it was the final confrontation between you and Voldemort, and there was no reason for him to hold back in what he believed would be a make-or-break battle. And we've questioned all the surviving Death Eaters under Truth Potion, and none of them know of any comrades still at large. So yes, I think that we've found them all."

"Which isn't to say that there aren't still people out there who sympathize with You-Know-Who's beliefs," Kingsley added. "But right now, everyone is eager to disavow themselves from any connection with the Death Eaters, including--no, especially--the Death Eaters' families." He smiled wryly. "Most of them made a great show of expressing shock and horror at the actions of their Death Eater relatives, and more than a few of those names were burned off the family tapestries. They're all either keeping a low profile or slavishly declaring their loyalty to Arthur Weasley's administration. We are keeping a close eye on certain people, but no one seems to be inclined to cause any trouble right now." He grinned at the violet-haired witch. "Which is why Tonks has been getting bored lately."

"Well, after the past seven years, I wouldn't mind too much if things were a little boring for a change," Harry laughed.

Things continued to remain quiet for the first several weeks of Harry's apprenticeship. They inspected Borgin and Burkes for contraband Dark Magic items, but found nothing illegal--not that the shop didn't possess such things, Kingsley informed Harry, but Mr. Borgin was clever enough to have hidden them or moved them out of the shop before the inspection.

"He's a sneaky bastard," Kingsley said, in a tone of grudging respect.

Other shopkeepers in Knockturn Alley weren't as clever or sneaky as Mr. Borgin, and the Aurors were able to confiscate a few illegal items and potions. None of the items were dangerous enough to warrant a prison sentence, but stiff fines were levied against the offending shops.

Aside from checking suspicious stores for Dark Magic contraband, the Aurors also investigated complaints or reports filed about individuals suspected of using Dark Magic or possessing Dark items or spellbooks. Most of the reports turned out to be false, the result of people being overly paranoid and jittery because of the recent scare, and in one case, a false report had been deliberately filed by someone who held a grudge against the supposed Dark Wizard and wanted to get him into trouble. The person who had filed the report received a severe tongue-lashing from Tonks and Kingsley, as well as a heavy fine. Harry was impressed that Tonks, who had always seemed so cheerful and amiable, could give a lecture almost as blistering as Snape's--almost, but not quite, but then again, no one except Professor Blackmore could match Snape in delivering a scathing lecture.

The most exciting thing that happened was the time that they were called upon to break up a duel, except that it was really more of a heated argument that got a little out of hand and ended up with the quarreling pair flinging hexes at each other. Harry, Tonks, and Kingsley broke up the fight, dispelled the curses, and let the pair cool off overnight in separate jail cells before levying fines on them in the morning.

Despite what he had said about not minding if things were boring, Harry was just a little disappointed; he had thought that being an Auror would be more exciting than this. Of course he was grateful that he didn't have to fight any more Death Eaters, and he knew that he should appreciate the peace and quiet, but secretly he could sympathize with Tonks wanting to liven things up.

One benefit of Harry's new job, however, was that he was able to spend a lot more time with his godfather. Since Sirius worked at the Ministry as the Head of Werewolf Support Services, they often had lunch together in the Ministry cafeteria. Tonks and Kingsley would usually join them, along with Sirius's new assistants--Harry's former enemies, Crabbe and Goyle. Dennis Creevey and Brad Doherty were also working for Sirius part-time as summer interns, which meant that they were paid only a token pittance of a salary, but would be able to put in their resumes that they had worked at the Ministry, which would sound impressive to prospective employers.

On this particular day, Ash Randolf joined them. He usually sat with them when he ate at the cafeteria, although Harry wasn't sure if that was because he enjoyed their company or because most of the other Ministry employees avoided him, either out of fear or bigotry. Ash (as he'd told Harry to call him; he'd laughed out loud the first time that Harry had addressed him as "Mr. Randolf") got along pretty well with Tonks, Kingsley, and Sirius, but Sirius's assistants seemed to make him a little uncomfortable. It wasn't that they were unfriendly, but rather the reverse: because they all looked up to Lupin so much, they regarded all werewolves with a sense of awe and hero worship, and wanted to ask Ash many questions about what it was like to be a werewolf. Ash, however, was a very private person--or at least, Harry assumed that he was, since he revealed almost nothing about his personal life during their lunch conversations. But that wasn't really surprising; Master Diggory and Lupin had both said that most werewolves were used to keeping their lycanthropy a secret, since in the past they would have been ostracized and sometimes even imprisoned or killed if people discovered their secret.

Harry knew what it was like to be the center of unwanted attention, and tried to change the subject when Ash looked like he was tired of being pestered by the young wizards' well-intentioned questions.

"I thought you wanted to start a Thestral carriage business, Crabbe," Harry said, and the werewolf shot him a grateful look.

"Yeah, I do," Crabbe said eagerly, his attention diverted as Harry had intended. "But me and Luna were gonna run it together, and she still has another year at Hogwarts before she graduates. And we'll need some capital to start off with, so I thought it would be a good idea to get a job and save up some money first."

"Very practical of you," Sirius said approvingly. "Tell you what, Crabbe--draw up a business plan and show me that you can make this work, and I'll make an investment in your business."

"Really?" Crabbe asked, his eyes lighting up. "Gee, thanks, Sirius!"

"Way to go, Crabbe!" Goyle exclaimed, slapping his friend on the back. "Your first investor!"

Brad, whose father was an accountant, volunteered, "I'll help you figure out your expenses, and how much you'd have to charge to make a profit."

The three Slytherin boys chattered excitedly, making plans for Crabbe's business, and Harry whispered to his godfather, "Is that really okay? What if the business fails?"

Sirius shrugged, unconcerned. "Any investment has an element of risk, Harry. Crabbe and Luna seem determined and willing to work hard, so I'm willing to take a chance on them." He grinned and added, "Besides, it will annoy my mother's portrait to see me squandering the Black fortune."

The talk turned towards work after that, and Ash mentioned that his department (Misuse of Muggle Artifacts) had fined a semi-famous Quidditch player for possessing prohibited Muggle devices, which reminded Harry of all the fines that the Aurors had handed out to people caught using Dark Magic or possessing Dark items.

"I never realized before that the Ministry collected so many fines," he said.

Crabbe and Goyle laughed knowingly, and Harry frowned. The two Slytherins had a reputation for being not-so-bright, and it irked him a little that they could make him feel ignorant, although there was no malice in their laughter.

Kingsley smiled and asked, "Where else do you think the Ministry gets the money that it runs on, Harry?"

"I never really thought about it before," Harry admitted. "I guess I assumed that they collected taxes or something, the way the Muggle government does."

"Yes the Ministry does collect taxes, but it prefers to call them 'licensing fees,'" Tonks said, rolling her eyes. "Any wizard or witch who runs a business needs to obtain a license from the Ministry, for which they must pay a fee. And of course people who want a favor from the Ministry usually pay a large 'donation'..."

"You mean a bribe," Harry said.

"Yes, but 'donation' is the polite term for it," Tonks replied. "Arthur has been trying to discourage that sort of thing, but you can't expect to completely root out corruption overnight."

"Politics and corruption go hand-in-hand," Ash said cynically. "You can't really separate them. It's the same in the Muggle world, too."

"I don't believe that," Dennis protested. "After all, Mr. Weasley got elected Minister of Magic, and he passed the equal rights bill."

"Just because a piece of paper says that we're equal, it doesn't mean that people think of us as equals," Ash said, motioning towards the other people dining in the cafeteria, most of whom were studiously avoiding looking at him, or casting disapproving sidelong glances his way. He glared at one of the latter, a young Ministry clerk, who turned pale and quickly looked away.

Dennis looked like he wanted to argue further, but this time Sirius changed the subject. "So, Harry, Crabbe, Goyle--what are your yearmates up to? Have they all found apprenticeships?"

"Well, let's see..." Harry said. "Ron's apprenticing at the flower shop with Mr. Greengrass, of course, and Hermione is working for the Apothecary and for that lawyer, Ms. De Lacy. Although I don't know how she intends to work two jobs without a Time-Turner. Neville's been apprenticed to a friend of Professor Sprout's who specializes in growing herbs for healing potions and salves. Dean got a job in Muggle Relations, and Seamus is working at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Apparently the shop's done so well that Fred and George were able to expand and hire more people."

"Good for them!" Sirius said.

"I'm not sure what Parvati and Lavender are doing, though," Harry added.

"We ran into Millicent last weekend," Goyle said. "She's busy preparing for her wedding to Miles Bletchley, by the way. Anyway, she said that Parvati's working at Gladrags Wizardwear in Hogsmeade--and she's designing Millicent's wedding dress. And Lavender's going to Japan next month to apprentice with Professor Chizuru for a few months. Her apprenticeship was supposed to be over the summer, but they had to postpone it because of the Professor's wedding." Goyle sighed, a dreamy and wistful expression spreading across his face at the thought of the beautiful crane princess.

Crabbe rolled his eyes. "Millicent went on and on about how she wished she could have gone to the wedding and how romantic it must have been. I'm sure Pansy would've too, except that she's not here. She got an apprenticeship with Ali Bashir, Professor Snape's cousin, and so did that Muggle-born boyfriend of hers, Finch-Fletchley."

"Justin did?" Harry asked, startled. "I hadn't heard that. I guess it must be serious between them."

Crabbe smirked. "Pansy's family is furious, but Pansy doesn't care; she's having a great time at her new job. Mr. Bashir's a merchant, so they get to travel all over the world looking for goods to bring to England. Where are they now, Goyle?"

"Uh...India, I think. Or was it Egypt? I'm not really sure, but she's supposed to be back in time for Millicent's wedding."

"And I guess that you already know that Theodore's apprenticed to that Runes Master, and that Zabini will be a teacher at Hogwarts," Crabbe continued.

"Better be nice to Zabini, or he'll dock points from you," Goyle jokingly told Dennis and Brad. "Man, how weird is that, to be housemates with the guy one year, and the next have to call him 'Professor'?"

"Well, actually, I've heard that since he's only an assistant teacher, he'll be given the title 'Master,'" Brad replied calmly. "When the Headmaster decides that he's ready to start teaching classes on his own, probably in a year or two, he'll be granted the title of 'Professor'. That's what my Dad told me, anyway--he's the accountant for one of the school governors, so he hears a lot of stuff about the school. He also heard something about Dumbledore hiring a new teacher from Japan, but I don't know what he or she is supposed to be teaching."

"What?" Dennis exclaimed. "Really? Who?"

"I just said I didn't know," Brad replied, a bit irritably.

"I can fill you in on that," Sirius said cheerfully. "Apparently the new teacher is someone that Dumbledore met in Japan. Your teacher's a he, by the way--his name is Tsubasa, and he's one of the crane people, like Professor Chizuru. He'll be assisting Professor McGonagall with her Transfiguration classes, and he was trained in swordplay by the tengu, so he'll be helping out in Physical Defense class as well."

This was the first that Harry had heard of it. "You never mentioned anything about this before," Harry said, a little accusingly.

"I only just heard about it myself," Sirius said. "One of the werewolves just mentioned it to me this morning." He turned to Ash. "He had dinner at your place the other night, right?"

"At Lukas's manor," Ash replied, blushing a little for some reason. "We were having a welcome back party for Takeshi and Aric, and he's Takeshi's cousin..."

"Well, I can see why Master Diggory would need someone to take over his classes, since Lady Narcissa will be having his baby soon," Brad said thoughtfully. "But why does McGonagall need an assistant?"

Professor McGonagall had always seemed very capable and in little need of assistance, except for the time that she'd been hospitalized after being struck down by an Auror while trying to keep Hagrid from being arrested during Harry's disastrous fifth year.

"Professor McGonagall's not sick or something, is she?" Harry asked, suddenly worried.

"No, nothing like that," Sirius reassured him. "It's some sort of cultural exchange thing, I think, like when Chizuru and Karasu were here. I can ask Moony for more details."

"Tsubasa said something about the Headmaster wanting the students to get a different perspective on magic," Ash added, which seemed to confirm what Sirius had said.

"Oh, that's good," Harry said, feeling relieved. "I'm almost sorry that I graduated; it sounds like it might be fun taking lessons from him."

"We'll tell you all about it, Harry," Dennis promised.

"I kind of miss Physical Defense classes, especially the swordfighting, even though I always ended up with a lot of bruises," Harry said with a rueful grin.

"Well, maybe this new Professor might be willing to give you private lessons," Sirius said. "Kai says that Tsubasa promised to give Ash lessons; maybe he might be willing to teach both of you." Ash choked on his food, and Sirius asked, "Are you all right?"

The werewolf coughed, swallowed the mouthful of food, then took a sip of water before growling, "Yeah, I was just eating too fast, I guess." Then he gave Harry a brief, resentful glare, which bewildered Harry since Ash had always been friendly towards him before.

"Um...well, I'm kind of busy with work right now," Harry told his godfather. "I think it would be better if I concentrated on my Auror training for now."

"Very responsible of you, Harry," Kingsley said, smiling at Harry approvingly. "You'll make a good Auror."

Ash seemed to relax then, and joined in on the conversation as it turned to talk of the upcoming Quidditch season, smiling pleasantly as if nothing had happened, and leaving Harry to wonder what had caused the werewolf's brief ill-temper or if he had imagined the whole thing.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ash felt a surge of jealousy at the thought of Harry joining his fencing lessons with Tsubasa. He didn't need a handsome young rival who was a legendary hero in the wizarding world, one without a disfiguring scar. Well, actually Harry did have a scar, but it was usually hidden by his hair, and anyway, the lightning-bolt-shaped scar on his forehead was a sign of his heroism, a proud reminder of the fact that he had defeated Voldemort, and certainly nothing to be ashamed of. While Ash was a scarred, scruffy, penniless werewolf...

Then Ash silently scolded himself for thinking like an idiot. Harry was dating Ginny Weasley, after all, and seemed to have no romantic or sexual interest in his own gender. And Ash himself wasn't penniless anymore now that he had a job at the Ministry. But it would put a damper on things if Harry ended up taking lessons with Ash; it would certainly be harder to flirt with Tsubasa and suggest that they go out for a drink after practice if Harry was around.

But then Harry decided that he was too busy with work for fencing lessons, and Ash smiled happily. Things were looking up again, and he couldn't wait for his first lesson...

Chapter 2

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