Scars, Part 34

by Geri ([email protected])

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

My LiveJournal: http://geri-chan.livejournal.com/

Rating: NC-17 overall

Pairings: Snape/Lupin, Ash/Tsubasa (OMCs), and a few other minor pairings

Author's note: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts.

Disclaimer: Based on the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. 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: Ash and Tsubasa have their ceremony; Branwen gives birth; and both the teachers and the students get up to a little mischief when school ends.
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The day of the celebration arrived, and Ash and Tsubasa met together to exchange gifts in private, as was the crane custom. Ash supposed that made sense, since it would be a little embarrassing to disrobe and re-dress in front of all the guests.

"Here is your token, Ash," Tsubasa said apologetically, handing him a small bundle of black silk. "I'm afraid that I could only manage to make a shirt instead of a full robe."

Ash unfolded the silk and held up his gift: a long-sleeved black shirt with buttons of polished jet and gold embroidery around the cuffs and hem. The stitching was a little crooked, and the buttons slightly off-center, but the flaws would only be noticeable upon close examination. The embroidery was a little odd, though. Ash thought at first that it was a stylized, abstract pattern, but then he realized that it was supposed to be a design of running wolves, although they looked more like a child's awkward stick-figure rendition of an overweight dog.

Ash grinned and Tsubasa's face turned bright red. "I'm sorry; it's horrible, isn't it?" he mumbled. "You can't possibly wear that in public. Here, give it back and I'll--"

"It's rude to take back a gift," Ash said indignantly, clutching the shirt possessively to his chest. "It's mine, and I'm not giving it back."

"But--" Tsubasa protested.

"It's beautiful," Ash said firmly, giving him a kiss.

"You're either blind or overly-polite," Tsubasa sighed. "Honestly, my feelings won't be hurt if you tell me the truth."

"You should know by now that I'm rarely polite," Ash replied. "And I'm not blind, either. I think it's beautiful because you made it for me, and I'd rather wear this than the finest robe at Madam Malkin's, or even a robe made by the finest weaver in the crane clan. I'm wearing this no matter what you say."

"I still think you have terrible taste, but I'm glad that you like it," Tsubasa said, smiling a little ruefully, and allowed Ash to don the shirt.

"And here is my gift to you," Ash said, handing him the hair-tie he had made.

"This is wonderful, Ash!" Tsubasa exclaimed, his face lighting up with genuine pleasure. "How clever; you wove your own hair into it! I would have been happy with a ring, but it makes me even happier to have a token that contains a part of you."

"I can't really take the credit," Ash admitted, although he was pleased by his lover's response. "Your father came up with the idea, and he made the thread. I only braided it together."

"Still, it makes me happy," Tsubasa said, and he removed the cord he was wearing and replaced it with Ash's. The gold thread in the hair-tie was a nice match to his kimono, which was made of forest-green silk embroidered with gold feathers.

"You look beautiful," Ash said in a husky voice, leaning forward.

"So do you," Tsubasa whispered, and his lips met Ash's in a passionate kiss. They were on the verge of stripping off their wedding finery when someone pounded loudly on the door and Kai shouted, "Hey, what's taking so long? We're all waiting for you out here!"

They laughed and released each other, and Ash called back, "We'll be right out!"

"I guess we'll have to wait until after the wedding," Tsubasa said with a smile. Then he took Ash by the hand, and they went out to greet their guests together.

As they had agreed, there would be no formal ceremony, so there was no priest or Ministry official to administer the vows, and no bridesmaids or groomsmen, just their friends and family gathered to share in their happiness and wish them well.

The room was decorated in a tasteful blend of Asian and Western design, with elegant flower arrangements that Narcissa had put together, and beautiful silk tapestries that Yokuto had brought, painted with cranes in flight, or colorful carps swimming side by side. Both were symbols of love, Tsubasa explained: cranes because they mated for life, while the Japanese word for carp, "koi," also meant "love".

Laid out on the tables was a splendid feast, most of which had come from the restaurant that Takeshi's parents ran. Ash glanced over at Takeshi, who smiled at him encouragingly, and suddenly, Ash knew exactly what he wanted to say to Tsubasa. He mentally threw out the carefully planned speech he had written; it had been too stiff and formal, anyway. His new one would probably ruffle a few feathers and stir up some gossip, but after all, one couldn't expect poetry and pretty speeches from a werewolf.

Ash grinned wickedly, and Tsubasa gave him a questioning look. "Something I should know about?" he murmured.

"You'll find out soon enough," Ash whispered, still grinning, and Tsubasa just shook his head slightly and smiled.

"If the two of you are ready, you may begin at any time," Yokuto gently prompted, while the younger werewolves were already fidgeting and squirming with impatience.

Ash gestured for Tsubasa to go first, and he took Ash's hands in his, paused to take a deep breath, then said, "I love my homeland, but I always felt like a part of me was somehow missing in Japan. Perhaps it was because you were waiting for me here in England. You complete me, Ash, and home for me now is wherever you are. I swear that I will stay by your side for as long as we both shall live." And he raised Ash's hands to his mouth and pressed his lips against them with such tenderness and reverence that it took Ash's breath away.

When he remembered to start breathing again, he realized that everyone was staring expectantly at him, waiting for him to state his own vows. Still holding Tsubasa's hands, Ash asked, "Do you remember, when I first propositioned you, you said that you wouldn't go out with me unless I could explain why I liked you? Actually, what you really wanted to know was whether I wanted you for yourself, or if I was just using you as a substitute for Takeshi."

"What?!" a stunned Takeshi exclaimed. "Me? But...we're just friends! I never...we never...well, there was that one time, but..."

"Idiot," Aric said affectionately, throwing an arm around his lover's shoulders. "Everyone but you knew that Ash had a thing for you. At least, it was obvious to me."

From the way that the other werewolves were giggling and gossiping, it seemed that most of them had at least suspected it. Lukas smiled at Ash wryly. "Well, this is certainly a nontraditional ceremony," he muttered under his breath.

Ash stole a quick glance at the other guests: Narcissa looked a little put out that the ceremony was departing from its scheduled planning, and Draco and the elder Kimuras looked bemused, while Lupin looked thoughtful and Snape smiled sardonically. Laura and Harry both looked startled and confused, while Molly Weasley looked as though she wanted to cover their ears to keep them from hearing anything scandalous. Tonks giggled; Kingsley shook his head; and Sirius and Arthur just grinned. A few of Tsubasa's tengu friends, including Karasu, had come from Japan to attend the celebration, and were laughing and gossiping with each other in Japanese, looking amused and intrigued by all the fuss. Ash hesitated before finally turning his gaze on his new in-laws, belatedly worried that he might have offended them, but Reiko looked amused and Yokuto was smiling serenely, apparently secure in the faith that cranes always chose the right mate.

"Ash, I'm sorry," Takeshi said, looking so distressed that Ash began to feel a bit guilty about his impromptu speech. "I never meant to lead you on or hurt you..."

"Don't worry," Ash said reassuringly. "I'm about to explain exactly why I love Tsubasa and not you."

Tsubasa laughed. "Yes, I remember those questions, but I think we're beyond that point by now, Ash. I know that you love me, so you don't need to answer them anymore."

"But I want to," Ash insisted.

"Very well," Tsubasa said, his expression turning more serious now, although he was still smiling slightly. He waited patiently while Ash took a deep breath to compose himself, and all the gossip and laughter faded away as the guests fell silent.

"I didn't know how to answer you the first time," Ash said. "But now I do. You and Takeshi look a little alike because you're related and you both have crane blood, but personality-wise, you're nothing alike. Takeshi is a healer, and he'd never hurt anyone willingly. In self-defense, maybe, but with great reluctance and only as a last resort. You are a warrior, and I could sense it from the moment I laid eyes on you, even though you weren't wearing your swords. I could see it in the way you moved, with the grace and menace of a predator, and the wolf in me found it intoxicating. I was drawn to you, one predator to another.

"Takeshi is kind, sometimes to a fault. When I'm being stubborn or feeling sorry for myself or just generally behaving like an idiot, he's usually too nice to call me on it. You, on the other hand, will give me a good kick in the arse when I need it."

Tsubasa grinned at him, and Ash paused to grin back, then continued, "You wouldn't let me run away from my past." He glanced at Laura, who smiled at him. "But you were also there to support me when I needed it. When I nearly lost myself to the wolf, you called me back to humanity. You push me; you challenge me, and...you complete me. I love you, Tsubasa, and there is no one else in the world that I want other than you."

Tsubasa kissed him, and the room erupted into cheers and applause. "You were so worried about writing your wedding vows, and here you are, giving a speech like a seasoned Ministry official," Lukas laughed. "Better watch out that he doesn't take your job, Arthur!"

Ash shuddered. "Merlin forbid! I wouldn't have his job for all the gold in Gringotts!"

"Lucky for me, then, that my job is safe," Arthur laughed.

"For the moment," Snape said ominously.

"Oh, Severus, must you always be so grim?" Lupin scolded. "This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Can't you leave the cynicism at home for once?"

"I have been accused of many things, but being a ray of sunshine was never one of them," Snape replied dryly.

As the two continued to bicker good-naturedly, Ash leaned over and whispered to Tsubasa, "Do you think we'll ever be like them one day? Fighting like an old married couple?"

"Perhaps not exactly like them," Tsubasa replied with a smile. "Though I am sure we will have disagreements from time to time, as all married couples do. But I don't mind fighting with you if it means we can have passionate make-up sex afterwards."

Unfortunately, both Laura and Molly happened to be standing within earshot, and the former turned bright red while the latter indignantly exclaimed, "Professor Tsubasa! Please remember to conduct yourself in a manner befitting a teacher at Hogwarts, especially when one of your students is present!"

Tsubasa's eyes glinted with laughter, but he bowed and meekly said, "My apologies, Mrs. Weasley; you are perfectly correct. And my apologies to you too, little sister."

"It's okay," Laura said, still blushing furiously. "But...do you really mean that? That I'm your sister now?"

"Of course," Tsubasa replied, smiling at her kindly. "I have officially taken Ash as my mate, so by the laws of my people, that makes you and I kin as well. If we were in Japan, you would call me 'oniisan'--'big brother'." He winked at her. "But you still have to call me 'Professor' in class."

"I will,  oh...oniisan," Laura said, stumbling a little over the unfamiliar word. Then she smiled up at them with incredulous joy, looking so happy to be part of their family; Ash had felt the same way when Lukas had first welcomed him into the pack.

He wrapped one arm around her waist and bent down to plant a tender kiss on her forehead, saying, "We will always be your family, little sister." He reached out with his other arm to pull Tsubasa into the embrace, and his heart felt so full of happiness that he thought it might burst.

Tsubasa kissed him, reaching up to cradle Ash's face with one hand, his fingers brushing against the scar on Ash's cheek, and suddenly he thought of something he had forgotten to say in his impulsive speech. The visible scars on his body no longer seemed to matter so much, because Tsubasa--and perhaps Laura, too--had finally healed the scars in his heart.
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A couple of hours later, the party was still going strong, with copious amounts of alcohol flowing, particularly between the werewolf and tengu guests, who seemed to be determined to drink each other under the table. The happy couple looked as though they were trying to find a chance to discreetly slip away and consummate the marriage, but their friends persisted in congratulating them one more time and pressing one last drink on them.

Lupin and Snape, however, had no such problem, not being the guests of honor, and quietly slipped out of the mansion to stroll through the grounds.

"It was a lovely wedding, wasn't it?" Lupin sighed happily.

"Well, the actual ceremony was rather short, and thank Merlin, there was no dancing, so as weddings go, I suppose this one wasn't too bad," Snape conceded. Lupin just laughed in response and slipped his arm through Snape's, and they continued walking in companionable silence for a few minutes.

"It's a lovely night, isn't it?" Lupin asked, pausing to glance up at the moon, which cast its pale light over the snow-covered ground, and caused the gray streaks in Lupin's hair to shine silver.

Snape stared at his lover with admiration, but complained in a gruff voice, "It's a bloody cold night, Lupin."

"Must you always be such a romantic, Severus?" Lupin teased.

"Perhaps I could be persuaded to feel romantic in a more comfortable setting," Snape said silkily. "Say, in a bed under several thick blankets with a fire blazing on the hearth."

"That sounds like a reasonable proposition," Lupin said, wrapping his arms around Snape. "I'll even throw in some hot chocolate."

"Then we have a bargain, Lupin," Snape said, and sealed that bargain with a kiss. Lupin's lips felt cool beneath his, contrasting with the heat inside his mouth as Lupin's lips parted to admit Snape's tongue. They Disapparated a few seconds later, arms still wrapped around each other.
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Life returned to a quiet, normal pace after that, although Lupin half-jokingly said that he no longer recalled what "normal" was like. Ash permanently moved into Hogwarts with Tsubasa, commuting to his job at the Ministry each weekday, and on weekends, they would usually take Laura over to Diggory Manor to visit the werewolf pack.

Theodore came home to spend a couple of weeks with his family over the holidays, which delighted Lupin, who was thrilled to have both of his "cubs" home for Christmas. Snape was less effusive, but his usual scowl was noticeably absent from his face, and he seemed to radiate a sense of quiet contentment.

There was a bit of excitement--although of the pleasant variety--when Branwen gave birth to a baby boy in January. Snape and Lupin hurried over to St. Mungo's as soon as they got the news.

"He's beautiful," Lupin crooned, accepting an offer to hold the baby--one which Snape had hastily declined. "Isn't he, Severus?"

Snape privately thought that all babies pretty much looked like each other. The only real difference he could see between this child and the newborn Cedric Drake was that Branwen's baby had black hair and green eyes to Cedric's blond and yellow-green. But since the proud mother was a master of the Dark Arts and part demon to boot, Snape kept his opinions to himself and politely replied, "Yes, quite."

Bane cawed and flew over from his perch on the headboard of the bed to land on Lupin's shoulder and peer down at the baby. The raven was notoriously possessive of his mistress, and Snape had thought he might be jealous of the child, but perhaps he thought of it as an extension of Branwen, because he was regarding the baby with the same look of combined affection and protectiveness that he usually reserved solely for his mistress.

"The nurse tried to tell us that animals aren't allowed in the hospital," Harry said with a grin. "But Bane just gave her this evil look and she ran right out of the room."

"Actually, I'm not sure whether it was Bane or Branwen who scared her away," Sirius laughed. "Of course Branwen insisted on having that oversized feather duster here while she gave birth." Bane cawed and glared at him for a moment before turning his attention back to the baby.

"Congratulations, Sirius," Lupin told his friend.

"Thanks," Sirius said, beaming as proudly as if he'd been the one to give birth. "You'll be his godfather, won't you, Moony?"

"Of course, Padfoot, I'd be honored to be godfather to...er...what have you two decided to name him, anyway?"

Sirius laughed. "We kept debating about it right up until Branwen was ready to give birth. But I guess it's time to pick one now! So what do you think, Bran? I was sort of leaning towards Meredith, after your father."

"Actually," Branwen said softly, "I thought perhaps we could call him Regulus."

"Oh!" Sirius exclaimed, his eyes going wide with shock.

"If that's all right with you, dear," Branwen added. "If it brings back too many painful memories we can call him something else, but I thought it would be a way to honor your brother."

"Regulus," Sirius murmured, taking the baby from Lupin, his eyes filling with tears. He had always regretted that Reg had died while they were still at odds. He had felt responsible, as if he should have done more to save his brother. If Branwen had brought up the idea earlier, he probably would have rejected it out of hand, which was no doubt why she had waited until the last possible moment. But now, as he thought it over, he began to feel that she was right, that maybe this was a way to honor Regulus and make peace with him.

"Regulus Blackmore," he said in a firmer voice, blinking away his tears. "It's a fine name." The baby--Regulus--smiled, and Sirius grinned at his son and said, "See? He approves!"

"So he'll be a Blackmore then, and not a Black?" Harry asked.

"Well, Branwen would like her family name to live on and I don't really care if mine dies out," Sirius replied. "Besides, his first name is coming from the Black side of the family tree, so it only seems fair for his last name to honor the Blackmores." He added jokingly, "I did think about naming him James, but since Moony is going to be the godfather, I didn't think that Snape would appreciate it."

"You thought right, Black," Snape said sourly and everyone laughed--even, after a moment, Snape.

"Besides," Sirius chuckled, "someday you might want to name your own son after your dad, Harry."

"Ah, well, I'm sure that won't be for a very long time," Harry said, flushing slightly. "Besides, you never know, I might have all girls!"

"Then you can call one of them Jamie," Sirius joked, then bent down to kiss his wife. "Thank you, Branwen," he whispered. "You always know what I need, even when I don't."

"Of course, dear," Branwen replied, with such matter-of-factness that Sirius just had to laugh. "I've known you since you were eleven years old, after all."

"And who'd have guessed that I'd grow up to marry my teacher?" Sirius laughed.

"Oh, I'd say that Hogwarts teachers are very much in demand as potential mates," Lupin said with a mischievous grin as he wrapped an arm around Snape and kissed him.

"Moony, please, not in front of the baby!" Sirius protested, and everyone burst into laughter again.
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The rest of the school year passed quietly. Branwen took the rest of the term off to look after Regulus, although she planned to return to Hogwarts in the fall, and Prospero Zabini temporarily took over her classes. He was often seen scribbling in a notebook between classes, and when a few curious students asked what he was writing, he just smiled and replied that he was keeping a diary. Coincidentally, a few months later, Ariel Zoltaire published a new book about a young wizard's adventures at boarding school.

Erika and Henry got married in the spring, and went to Egypt on their honeymoon. Erika insisted on inviting Aric to the wedding, managing to win out over her grandfather's objections to everyone's surprise except maybe Henry's. Aric and Roderick managed to behave civilly, for Erika's sake, but there was no attempt at reconciliation, and Aric left immediately after the reception was over.

Summer arrived, and the students grew a little restless as the end of school drew near. "They've been too well-behaved up until now, and they're overdue for some mischief," Snape said suspiciously to Lupin one night as they were grading papers in their quarters. "I've noticed the seventh-years whispering and gossiping, and I suspect some sort of prank is underfoot."

"Well, if you catch them, you can give them detention, which should please you," Lupin replied with a smile. "And if they're clever enough not to get caught by the vigilant Professor Snape, then I'd say they deserve to get away with it."

"You're always too soft on the students, Lupin," Snape scolded.

"Actually, I can sympathize with them," Lupin sighed. "I feel a bit restless myself." He pushed aside his papers and said, "It's a lovely summer evening, Severus. Why don't we go up to the Astronomy Tower, gaze at the stars, and have a late-night picnic?"

"What, now?" Snape asked, startled. "Are you sure Sinistra doesn't have a class up there tonight?"

"No, the Tower should be free tonight," Lupin replied. "I checked."

"Ah," Snape said slyly. "This isn't a spur of the moment thing, then; you already had it planned."

"I confess," Lupin laughed, throwing up his hands. "I could never fool the likes of clever Professor Snape! I have a nice bottle of elf-made wine, and I've asked the house-elves to prepare a basket of all your favorite sweets, and...Accio!" He flicked his wand and a blanket flew across the room and landed in his lap, neatly folded. "I have a nice picnic blanket here, which could temporarily be conjured into a mattress in case we had the urge to, say...take a nap." He winked and leered playfully at Snape.

"Well, in that case I see no reason to object," Snape agreed smoothly. "My only real objection to our last picnic on the Tower was that the stone floor was rather...uncomfortable."

"I promise," Lupin said in a low, sensual growl, "that I will see to your every comfort, Severus."

Snape jumped to his feet, the homework papers forgotten. "Then what are we waiting for?"
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However, Lupin was not the only one who was feeling restless that night. A group of older students had gathered in a corner of the Slytherin common room and were talking in hushed voices.

"A bunch of us are going swimming in the lake tonight," Brandon Harper told Dylan and Damien. "Are you guys up for it?"

"Who else is going?" Damien wanted to know.

"I am," Yvonne Deveraux said coyly, fluttering her lashes at Harper, who grinned. A few other girls giggled and blushed, indicating that they were going along, too.

Damien looked the girls up and down in a deliberately suggestive manner, and they giggled a little louder. "Sure, why not?" he said carelessly.

"Well, for one thing, you have a girlfriend," Dylan pointed out. "Parvati will kill you if she hears that you've been going skinny dipping with a bunch of girls."

"We're just going for a little swim," Damien replied innocently. "It's not like I'm going out on a date or something."

"Right," Dylan said skeptically.

"And it won't be just girls," Damien added. "Harper will be there."

"And Doherty and Baddock, too," Harper added.

"And you don't have to strip down completely if you don't want to," Yvonne said demurely. "Although no one would object if you want to go...au naturel." The girls giggled again and eyed Dylan just as lasciviously as Damien had eyed them.

"Melissa's going, too," Brad Doherty said, referring to his Gryffindor girlfriend. "And one of her friends is bringing a guy from Hufflepuff."

""It'll be so much more fun if you come, too, Dylan," Yvonne's friend Alicia coaxed.

"I don't know," Dylan said doubtfully. "There's the giant squid..."

"It'll be fine if we stay in the shallows," Baddock said confidently. "C'mon, Dylan, help us out!" He let his gaze slide over towards the girls, indicating that his presence would help ensure their company tonight.

"I have a girlfriend, too, you know. Maybe Damien doesn't care, but--"

"It's just a little swim," Yvonne cooed. "And we won't tell Hermione about it if you don't."

"You do realize that we'll all get detention if we're caught?" Dylan sighed.

"So what?" Harper scoffed. "We've only got a week of school left, anyway. Where's your sense of adventure, Rosier? Your father would have been up for this without a second thought!"

Harper's last remark clearly struck home, and Damien immediately jumped in, sensing that his friend was wavering. "I know you've had to be careful all these years," he said. "But no one believes that you're a Death Eater anymore, and Snape's not going to expel you because you went out for a night swim. Come on, Dylan--you've got to have at least one adventure before we leave school!"

"I think the final battle and nearly getting killed on the Quidditch Pitch were adventure enough, don't you?" Dylan laughed, but he gave in. "All right; I can't shame my father's name. Let's go swimming and to hell with detention or the giant squid!"
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Meanwhile, they were not the only ones who had felt an urge for a night swim. Tsubasa was leading a reluctant werewolf to the shore of the lake.

"This is a really bad idea," Ash whined. "What if we get caught?"

"All the teachers and students are safely in the castle," Tsubasa said soothingly. "Most of them are probably in bed right now. Besides, while the students aren't allowed out of the castle at night, there's no rule that says the teachers can't go swimming in the middle of the night if they want."

"Oh, that will be so comforting if we get caught out here stark naked," Ash said sarcastically. "Besides, what about the giant squid and the mermen?"

"They stay out in the deep part of the lake, I'm told," Tsubasa replied calmly. "If we stay near the shore, we should be all right."

"You're 'told'?" Ash demanded. "I'm supposed to trust my life to hearsay?"

Tsubasa grinned. "Surely a brave wolf like you isn't afraid of a little giant squid."

"'Little giant' is a contradiction in terms," Ash pointed out.

"Come on, it'll be fun," Tsubasa coaxed, tugging at his hand, but Ash stubbornly dug in his heels and refused to move. "What's wrong, Ash?" he asked gently.

Ash hung his head and mumbled, "I can't swim."

"Really?" Tsubasa asked. "I didn't realize. You grew up running wild in the woods, so I just assumed..."

"There was a creek that ran through the woods, but no one ever taught me to swim," Ash said. "My mother and my aunt had no use for me, and my stepfather was too busy at the farm."

"Well, it's nothing to be ashamed of," Tsubasa said kindly. "Come on, I'll teach you." He grinned. "The dog paddle is easy enough."

"Ha ha, very funny," Ash said sourly, still gazing at the lake with trepidation. "I don't know..."

"It will be fun," Tsubasa repeated, then gave him a sultry smile. He untied the sash of his kimono and let the garment slide off his shoulders and down to the ground.

"Oh," Ash sighed, gazing at his mate appreciatively. They had been living together for several months now, but he never failed to be captivated by Tsubasa's beauty, and he looked almost ethereally beautiful tonight, like something out of a fairy tale, with the moonlight casting a glow over his fair skin.

Tsubasa kicked off his sandals and slowly pulled his underpants down his long legs and gracefully stepped out of them. Then he turned and walked into the water, swaying his hips invitingly. "Come on, Ash," he called, glancing back over his shoulder.

"Merlin's balls!" Ash swore under his breath. "I can't believe I'm doing this." But he stripped off his clothes and reluctantly joined his mate.

Tsubasa slowly coaxed him into the lake, one step at a time, the water washing over his feet and ankles, then his calves, and then his knees, until finally they were waist-deep in the lake.

"It's cold," Ash complained.

"It's pleasantly cool," Tsubasa said cheerfully. "You'll get used to it in a few minutes. Or should I help warm you up?"

"I think you should," Ash replied, wrapping his arms around his mate. Tsubasa kissed him, caressing his chest with one hand, while his other hand slid down Ash's stomach and below the water...
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Up on the Astronomy Tower, Snape and Lupin had polished off two slices of chocolate cake, leaving behind only crumbs, and were now working on a bowl of strawberries and cream. Lupin was feeding Snape a strawberry, shivering with pleasure as Snape licked traces of cream and fruit juice from his fingers, when suddenly he cocked his head to one side and frowned.

"Did you hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?" Snape asked.

"I'm not sure," Lupin replied, then rose to his feet to gaze over the Tower wall. "There's someone over by the lake," he said, then used one of the telescopes to get a better view. "Oh my!" he exclaimed with a startled laugh.

"What is it?" Snape asked, and came over to take a look. "Ah, I see. I might have expected it of the werewolf, but I didn't know that Professor Tsubasa was such an exhibitionist."

"Not all werewolves are exhibitionists, Sev," Lupin said with a grin, then gazed through the telescope again. "Ash actually seems rather shy about it, although Tsubasa seems to be doing a pretty good job of changing his mind."

Snape frowned disapprovingly; Lupin seemed to be taking a little too much interest in the proceedings at the lake. "I had no idea you were such a voyeur, Lupin," he said, his voice sharpening slightly with jealousy. Both Ash and Tsubasa were attractive men--much more attractive than a homely Potions Master, and he didn't like the idea of Lupin finding pleasure in gazing at their naked bodies.

"I'm not," Lupin protested, smiling at Snape reassuringly. "I was only wishing that we had thought of it first." His voice turned husky with desire. "I would love to see you naked in the moonlight, the water washing over your body, leaving it wet and glistening..."

"Lupin," Snape said hoarsely, reaching for his lover, but then Lupin cocked his head again and said, "Wait a minute. Did you hear that?"
___________________________________________________________________________________________________


The group of students were making their way towards the lake when they heard voices, and they quickly ducked behind some bushes. "Damn it, someone else got here first!" Harper swore.

"Who is it?" Dylan asked. He hadn't been enthusiastic about the idea at first, but now he was rather disappointed that he wouldn't get to have one last adventure after all. A bit of skinny dipping was hardly on the grand scale of the pranks that Evan Rosier and Lyall Wilkes had pulled at Hogwarts, but Dylan felt as if he ought to get into at least a little mischief before he left school, so as not to dishonor the Rosier name.

"Oh my God!" Yvonne squealed. "It's Professor Tsubasa and Mr. Randolf! And they're taking off their clothes! Or at least the Professor is!"

The other girls began squealing, too, and Damien hissed, "Keep it down! Do you want them to hear you?" Fortunately, the werewolf appeared to be distracted by the sight of his lover disrobing, and his keen ears didn't seem to pick up the girls' voices.

The girls covered their eyes with their hands, pretending to be too embarrassed to watch, but Dylan noticed that they spread their fingers apart wide enough to peek through them. "Merlin, he's so handsome," Alicia sighed.

"He's almost as pretty as a girl with his clothes on, but he's definitely male," Brad observed.

"We really shouldn't be watching this," Melissa protested halfheartedly, but she didn't seem to be in any hurry to look away.

"Ooh, now Mr. Randolf is taking off his clothes, too," Yvonne said eagerly.

"Wow, he's got a lot of scars," Alicia said. "But they're not ugly. In a way, it makes him seem even more..."

"Dangerous," Yvonne said in a breathy voice. "Exciting."

"This is no fun," a disgruntled Harper complained. "At least, not for us guys. Why couldn't it be a female teacher going out for a swim?"

"Oh, and do you really want to see McGonagall naked?" Damien retorted. "I suppose Sinistra's not bad looking, but she's old enough to be our mum. You know, Dumbledore needs to hire some pretty young female teachers for a change. It's too bad that Professor Chizuru went back to Japan."

"Yeah, well, she's married to Master Karasu now," Brad pointed out. "And if he ever caught you spying on her like this, he'd probably use his sword to cut off your--"
___________________________________________________________________________________________________


"Wait a minute," Ash gasped. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Tsubasa asked, starting to turn his head, but Ash quickly grabbed his face with one hand to stop him.

Ash placed his mouth against Tsubasa's ear and whispered, "Don't turn around, but I think someone--several someones--are watching us."

Tsubasa laughed, as if he and Ash were just indulging in a bit of lover's banter. "Where is it coming from?" he whispered back.

"Behind us and a little to the left," Ash replied, brushing his lips against Tsubasa's neck and casually moving so that he could get a better view of the shore. "I just saw that bush twitch. And I distinctly heard a girl giggle."

"Students, then," Tsubasa said, more amused than annoyed. He had spent about ten years living with the tengu, who had little modesty or shame regarding their bodies. And as a prank, a tengu girl had once stolen his clothes while he was bathing in the river, so it was a somewhat familiar experience for him. Still, a prank required payback, and Tsubasa grinned as he thought of a suitable revenge--the same revenge he had exacted on his tengu prankster. "Can you scare our little voyeurs out of the bushes?" he asked.

Ash marched up onto the shore and roared in his scariest wolf-growl, "Who's there?!" Several students squealed in fright and ran out of the bushes. Tsubasa gestured with his hand, calling upon his intrinsic weaving magic. He was a terrible weaver, but creating something was always more difficult than destroying it. It was child's play to use his magic to pull the thread out of the seams of the students' clothing, causing them to fall to pieces on the ground.

There were shouts and squeals of dismay as the students snatched up the pieces of their clothing and hightailed it back to the castle as fast as they could run. Ash threw back his head and laughed. "So are you going to give them detention or take off points?"

"I think they've learned their lessons," Tsubasa replied, grinning smugly. "Of course, they might still run into trouble if Filch catches them sneaking back into the castle like that. I think I saw Mr. Rosier among them; he might be smart enough to find a bush or tree to hide behind and fix his clothing before he goes back inside. I do hope the students are familiar with mending spells."

"I think they were mostly Slytherins," Ash said, grinning back at him. "They'd better hope that Snape doesn't catch them sneaking back into the dungeon."

"That would be even worse than running into Filch," Tsubasa agreed. "Well, I don't think we'll be disturbed any further tonight. Shall we resume our swimming lesson?"

"Let's," Ash said, and they headed back into the water, laughing.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________


Lupin smiled, turning away from the telescope and pointing it skyward once again. "Remind me never to get on Tsubasa's bad side."

"I don't see why you're so impressed," Severus said disdainfully. "I could do that just as easily, although I admit I would need a wand."

"Yes, I remember," Lupin laughed, recalling the spell that his lover had invented that caused one's clothes to fall apart at the seams--very convenient when one was in a hurry to make love, with no need to fumble with buttons and zippers. "I also recall that you weren't quite as good at putting my clothes back together."

"I bought you a new robe," Severus said huffily.

"Yes, you did," Lupin agreed, kissing his lover to soothe his ruffled feathers. "Shall we get back to our picnic and give Tsubasa and Ash some privacy?"

Mollified, Severus allowed Lupin to pull him back down to the blanket. "You were the one who wanted to spy on them," he pointed out. Then one corner of his mouth twitched up in a reluctant smile. "Although I have to admit, that was pretty funny."

"I was only making sure that there were no students in danger," Lupin said virtuously. "And apparently the only danger they're in is of being extremely embarrassed if they get caught sneaking back into the castle naked. Are you going to give them detention?"

"Maybe," Severus replied, grinning wickedly and sending a shiver of anticipation down Lupin's spine. "If Filch catches them, I'll let him deal with them. If not, I'll let them feel relieved for a little while, then pounce and give them detention and let them wonder how I found out about their night expedition."

"Professor Snape knows all," Lupin laughed. Actually, he had found Ash's and Tsubasa's skinny dip to be a little arousing, but he could never tell Severus that without sending him into a rage of jealousy. Although it wasn't so much that he was lusting after either man so much as it made him want to do the same things with Severus. And well, maybe the idea of spying on someone unseen was just a tiny bit exciting, Lupin admitted to himself. He pushed aside the plates of food and Transfigured the blanket into a soft, plush mattress. Then he began to undress slowly and provocatively.

"Well, perhaps voyeurism isn't so bad if it puts you in this kind of mood," Severus conceded, staring at Lupin with hungry and appreciative eyes, which aroused Lupin further.

"I'm always in the mood, Severus," Lupin purred.

"True," his lover agreed.

"Come here and take off your clothes, Professor Snape," Lupin ordered.

"Bossy wolf," Severus complained, but complied promptly. The bowl of strawberries and cream was still half full, and he reached over to scoop up a generous dollop of cream with his hand. Then he slowly smeared it across Lupin's body, circling his nipples and sketching swirls across his belly, pausing to grin when he reached Lupin's crotch. "You're already standing at attention and I haven't even touched you there yet, wolf. Perhaps you really are a voyeur."

Lupin gasped as he felt his lover's hand close around him, moving up and down with maddening slowness. "It's only...that...I want you...so much...Sev," he panted.

"Then let me oblige," Severus said, and proceeded to very carefully and thoroughly lick off all the cream he had just spread on Lupin's body. By the time he was done, Lupin was moaning uncontrollably.

"Severus, take me now," he growled impatiently.

"Bossy wolf," Severus grumbled again, but his voice was also hoarse with lust. "Let's see, we'll need..." he muttered, rummaging through the picnic basket until he found the small vial of lavender oil that Lupin had packed. "You always come prepared, Lupin," he said with a grin. "I like that about you."

"No one is coming just yet," Lupin said pointedly. "Nor is anyone likely to, unless you get over here and make love to me. Now."

"If you keep making puns like that, I just might leave you there," Severus said, but they both knew that it was an empty threat. He teased Lupin a little longer, slowly pouring the oil over his fingers and slicking it over himself.

"You seem to be at attention there yourself, Professor Snape, and I haven't touched you yet, either," Lupin growled. "Let me remedy the situation." He reached out and firmly grasped hold of "the situation," so to speak, eliciting a wild groan from his lover, and things began to proceed at a much more satisfying pace.

Severus pushed Lupin onto his back, kissing him passionately as he slipped two fingers inside him. Lupin growled and writhed appreciatively, but soon that was not enough. "Now!" he growled insistently, pulling his lover down on top of him, then groaned as he felt Severus enter him, reveling in the sensation of being stretched and filled.

He wrapped his legs around his lover's waist, trying to pull him in deeper, clawing at his back to urge him on. Their bodies rocked together with increasing franticness, until off in the distance, Lupin heard a wolf howl, enflaming him even further. He titled back his head and whispered, "Claim me." A familiar wave of pleasure-pain washed over him as Severus sank his teeth into his throat, and Lupin howled his joy to the night sky.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________


Tsubasa and Ash lay entwined together on the shore of the lake, panting softly, letting their bodies cool down after a vigorous bout of lovemaking. They both jumped with a start when they heard a wolf howling out in the distance.

"Merlin, is someone else spying on us?!" Tsubasa exclaimed.

"No one's in the bushes," Ash said, sitting up and looking around. "It sounds like it's coming from the direction of the castle, but it's too loud to have come from indoors. Maybe from the courtyard or the Astronomy Tower?" He frowned suspiciously. "You know, Lukas always goes home at night, so there's only one other werewolf in the castle right now."

"Shouldn't Professor Lupin be in the dungeon with Professor Snape?" Tsubasa chuckled.

"Maybe like us, they wanted to get some fresh air," Ash said with a grin.

"Well, this has been fun, but I think I've had enough company for one night," Tsubasa said, reaching for his clothes. "Shall we go back now?"

"Yes," Ash agreed. As they got dressed, he added, "Er...it just occurred to me, but if we could hear them, does that mean that they could hear us?"

"Hear you," Tsubasa corrected. "I wasn't the one who was howling. Probably, but I don't think they'll say anything about it, because then they would have to explain what they were doing in the courtyard or up on the Astronomy Tower."

"Probably the Astronomy Tower," Ash said. "I don't think they'd be doing that in the courtyard. Unless they're complete exhibitionists."

"Well, you never know," Tsubasa said. "Remus strikes me as the sort who might enjoy that sort of thing." They both laughed, and walked hand-in-hand together back to the castle.

THE END.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the interests of disclosure, I got the idea of the girls peeping through their fingers from "The Basketball Diaries" by Jim Carroll. There's a scene in the book where a girl covers her eyes and peeps through her fingers at a boy who, er, has forgotten to zip his fly and accidentally exposes himself. And a reader suggested a skinny-dipping scene for one of the earlier stories in this series, but I never managed to work it in until now.

Snape/Lupin Index