Scars, Part 9

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: Rita Skeeter exposes Ash's true identity, which causes an uproar at Hogwarts, and the Macnair twins visit their father at Azkaban.
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The next morning, the extended Malfoy-Diggory family, including the werewolves who lived at the mansion, were having breakfast when the delivery owl arrived with the Daily Prophet.

"You shouldn't waste your money on that trash," Lukas grumbled good-naturedly.

"But my dear, where else would we get our news on the wizarding world?" Narcissa protested gently.

"News?" Lukas snorted. "It's full of lies and half-truths."

"Of course," Narcissa agreed serenely. "But I know how to read between the lines."

"Well, would you rather subscribe to The Quibbler, Lukas?" Katherine asked with a smile. "Lance, Lyra, don't play with your food."

The werewolf twins were drawing mustaches on each other's faces with some egg yolk from their breakfasts, and they protested, "Aw, Mum," as their mother cleaned their faces with a napkin.

"The Quibbler," Draco said, rolling his eyes as he reached for the paper. "At least the writers at the Daily Prophet know that they're lying. Those crazy Lovegoods believe every word that they--Merlin's Beard!" His eyes went wide with shock as he read the headline on the front page.

"What is it, Draco?" Lukas asked.

"I think you'd better take a look at this, Stepfather," Draco replied, handing him the paper. The headline read in bold print: "ASH RANDOLF: THE MINISTRY'S RESIDENT WEREWOLF IS THE ILLEGITIMATE STEPSON OF WEALTHY WIZARD ALDEN MADLEY?!" Printed below the headline were separate pictures of Ash (leaving the Ministry building after work) and Madley (on his farm); neither appeared to be aware that they were being photographed.

The other werewolves jumped up and tried to read the article over Lukas's shoulder. "Who is Alden Madley?" Rachel asked.

"A very wealthy Muggle-born wizard," Narcissa replied. "He owns a vast tract of farmland out in the countryside. But all his wealth can't buy him a place in high society."

"Because of his Muggle blood," Katherine said quietly.

"Well, yes," Narcissa admitted, looking a little shamefaced.

"Lukas, did you know that Ash was the stepson of this Madley person?" Rachel asked in a concerned voice, then hastily stepped back as her pack leader rose to his feet, a look of fierce anger on his face as his fist clenched around the newspaper, crumpling and wrinkling it.

"No, but I have a pretty good idea of who does," Lukas snarled, and marched towards the fireplace.

"Lukas, where are you going?" Narcissa called after him.

"To Hogwarts!"

"But dear, you haven't finished your breakfast yet."

"I need to talk to a certain feathered friend of mine," Lukas said with a grim smile. "And if he doesn't give me the answers I'm looking for, I just might wring his pretty little neck." He flung a handful of Floo Powder into the fireplace and shouted, "Hogwarts School of Magic!"

"Oh dear," Narcissa said anxiously as her husband vanished through the fireplace. "Do you think that he'll be all right?"

"I'm more worried about Tsubasa than Lukas," Katherine said dryly.

"That's what I meant," Narcissa sighed. "I'm worried that Lukas will be arrested if he kills that bird man."

"Well, there's no stopping him when he's in this kind of mood," Rachel said, which did little to reassure Narcissa.

"Don't worry, Mum," Draco said, trying to sound comforting. "Dumbledore won't let him kill Professor Tsubasa. I think."

"Thank you, dear," Narcissa said, a bit sarcastically, but she kissed her son on the cheek anyway.
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The newspaper article was also causing quite a commotion at Hogwarts, particularly at the Hufflepuff table.

"Laura, is that werewolf really your stepbrother?!"

"Not stepbrother--he's her half-brother; the article says that he's Laura's mother's son."

"Well, whatever. Is that why you were asking Celine about Ash Randolf, Laura?"

"Maybe that's why he's been taking lessons from Professor Tsubasa--so that he could meet Laura!"

"Knock it off, all of you!" Rosie finally shouted. "Can't you see that she's upset?"

The Hufflepuffs finally calmed down enough to notice that Laura's face was pale and her hands were shaking. She dropped the newspaper onto the table and cried, "It's all my fault! I've ruined everything!" Then she jumped up and ran from the table, sobbing, and Rosie ran after her.

"Celine?" Tristan asked hesitantly. "Do you know anything about this?"

Celine shook her head, looking very troubled. "Most of the werewolves were cast out by their families, so there's a rule in the pack that you're not supposed to ask anyone about their past. Uncle Ash never talks about his family, and he certainly never said anything about being related to Laura." She added wistfully, "But I like Laura. I'd like it if she joined the pack and became my big sister, but it seems like she's not very happy about the idea."

"I think she's just in shock," Tristan said kindly. "It must be pretty traumatic to suddenly find out that you have a half-brother by reading it in the Daily Prophet."

Zacharias Smith frowned thoughtfully. "I'm not sure that she didn't know about it before today, although I'm sure she didn't expect to read about it in the Prophet. She said, 'It's all my fault, I've ruined everything,' which sounds like she knew about Randolf being her brother. But whatever the case is, we should do our best to support and help her."

The other Hufflepuffs nodded and murmured in agreement. "I guess for now, we should let Rosie calm her down," one of Laura's roommates said. "Once she's calmed down, we can ask what we can do to help."

Meanwhile, the teachers at the head table were also reading the article about Ash. "Well, I guess this might explain Ash's bad mood," Lupin said. "Coming into contact with your estranged family must be pretty upsetting."

"Tell me about it," Snape muttered, recalling how he'd felt when his own estranged family had renewed contact with him via a Howler sent by his mother.

"You knew about this, didn't you, Tsubasa?" Lupin asked. "You knew why Ash was upset, but you couldn't tell me because you wanted to respect his privacy."

"I'd say that the knowledge is quite public now," Snape said dryly.

"Well, I--" Tsubasa started to say, but he never got a chance to finish his sentence, because at that very moment, Lukas strode into the room, grabbed Tsubasa by the front of his kimono, and hauled him up from his seat.

"You and I need to have a little talk," the werewolf leader snarled.

To his credit, Tsubasa didn't flinch. "As you wish, but perhaps we should have this conversation in private?"

Lukas looked around and saw that every eye in the Great Hall was fixed on them. "Oh, very well," he growled, and set Tsubasa down on his feet, but maintained a grip on the shapeshifter's arm and practically dragged him out of the room even though he was putting up no resistance.

"Albus, hadn't you better do something?" McGonagall asked anxiously.

"Oh, I think that Professor Tsubasa can protect himself," Dumbledore replied calmly, looking unconcerned. "But perhaps Remus and Severus could follow them and make sure that no blood is shed on either side."

Lupin was already rising from his seat and hurrying after the other two teachers, and Snape followed after him, grumbling, "It's bad enough that we have to deal with all the brats. Now we're supposed to baby-sit the teachers, too?"

Snape and Lupin quickly caught up with their colleagues in the antechamber behind the Great Hall, just in time to see Lukas slam Tsubasa against the wall. Tsubasa winced slightly as his body struck the wall, and Lupin winced in sympathy, but the crane man still made no attempt to defend himself.

"You knew, didn't you?" Lukas shouted. "You knew that Ash's family had contacted him, and you didn't tell me!"

"Ash is an adult," Tsubasa said, looking remarkably composed, considering the circumstances. "If he didn't wish to tell you himself, it wasn't my place to--ouch!"

Lukas slammed him against the wall a second time, hard enough for Tsubasa's head to bounce against the wall, and Snape drew his wand and cautiously approached the pair. "That's enough, Diggory," he said. "I understand your frustration, but the Headmaster has ordered that no blood be shed."

"The Headmaster is not part of my pack, but Ash is," Lukas snarled, still glowering at Tsubasa. "And even if Ash is an adult, I've looked after him since he was a cub. And I can't do that if don't know what the hell is going on!"

Lupin walked directly up to the other werewolf, ignoring Snape's look of warning, and placed his hand on Lukas's shoulder. "Please don't be angry with Tsubasa," he said gently. "He was only trying to be a good friend to Ash. And perhaps it's not really Tsubasa that you're angry with, but Ash, for not confiding in you?"

Lukas sighed heavily and released Tsubasa. "I can't believe that he would talk to an outsider about this, but not me," he said, sounding a little hurt. "It's his right not to talk about the past, but if he was meeting his sister, I would have thought that he would tell the pack about it."

"Don't be too hard on him," Tsubasa said, straightening his kimono and rubbing the back of his head as he winced again. "He didn't seek Laura out; she was the one who tracked him down and insisted on meeting him. I think that he didn't mention it to you because he was hoping the whole problem would just go away and then he could forget about it and have his life return to normal. I only knew about it because Laura approached me and asked me to arrange a meeting with Ash."

"I wonder how Rita Skeeter found out about it?" Lupin mused out loud.

Snape had brought a copy of the paper with him, and now that it looked like Tsubasa's life wasn't in imminent danger, he put away his wand and took the time to read the article more thoroughly. "Well, it seems that Alden Madley had a very vocal confrontation with Randolf at the Ministry yesterday, telling Randolf to stay away from his daughter. Probably one of the Ministry workers leaked the news to Skeeter. Some of the low-level clerks sell information to supplement their income, and other workers gossip just for the sheer pleasure of it. The news would soon have become public knowledge even if Skeeter hadn't printed this story. It really wasn't very bright of Madley to have had such a public argument, but I've heard that he's short-tempered and very protective of his daughter. He probably wasn't thinking straight at the time, although I'm sure that he regrets it now."

"What do you know about this Madley?" Lukas asked.

Snape shrugged. "He's very wealthy; his farm supplies a large percentage of the produce and magical plants sold in the wizarding world. He's also very status-conscious and resentful of the fact that the pureblood elite snub him because of his Muggle blood. My mother's friends say that he 'acts above his station'. A werewolf stepson would certainly inhibit his attempts to move up the social ladder." He continued reading the article. "And an illegitimate werewolf stepson, at that. Randolf--his real name is Ethan Madley--was six years old at the time that Madley formally adopted him and married his mother. The mother, the former Rosalind Parker, dropped out of sight shortly after graduating from Hogwarts, and didn't emerge in society again until she married Madley. Probably her family hid her away to avoid the scandal of a bastard child becoming public knowledge--if Skeeter is telling the truth, that is."

"Her articles have been truthful, even if somewhat sensational, ever since she and Hermione came to some sort of secret agreement," Lupin said. "And Laura's reaction seems to indicate that the gist of the article is accurate."

"Hmm," Snape said thoughtfully. "Madley was one of the parents who protested the hiring of werewolf teachers. I assumed at the time that it was just the usual bigotry, but if he knew that his stepson was a werewolf, that would explain a great deal."

Lupin took the paper from Snape and looked over the article. "This says that Ethan Madley was presumed dead after a werewolf attack. If Mr. Madley truly believed that his stepson had been killed, it would be natural for him to hate and fear werewolves."

"Or he used the werewolf attack as an excuse to fake his stepson's death, much the same way that Diggory's family faked his death," Snape said cynically. "Madley didn't exactly seem overjoyed to find out that his son was alive."

"I think that the Madleys really did believe that Ash was dead," Lukas said, frowning. "Ash told me about the attack, and that he let everyone think that he was dead because he was afraid of being imprisoned or killed if they found out he'd been turned."

"The Ministry wouldn't have imprisoned or executed a child," Lupin said. "Although he would have had to put his name on the Werewolf Registry."

"Ash didn't know that at the time," Lukas said impatiently. "Besides, his parents would have legally had the right to lock him up in an institution if they wanted." He added bitterly, "I don't know much about Ash's past, but I know that they weren't loving parents."

"His scars," Lupin said, as the realization slowly dawned on him; Snape raised an eyebrow at the plural word "scars," since the scar on Ash's face was the only one that was readily visible. "A werewolf heals wounds without a scar, so he must have received those scars before he was turned, and if he was a child when he was turned, then..."

"One of his parents must have inflicted those scars on him," Snape finished grimly.

"Maybe it was better when I didn't know who his parents were," Lukas growled. "Because then I wouldn't be able to track them down and kill them. Slowly and painfully."

"I know how you feel, but you mustn't do anything reckless," Lupin warned his friend. "Narcissa and the baby need you. And Ash wouldn't want you to go to Azkaban for his sake."

"I'm sorry," Tsubasa said, bowing his head to Lukas. "I did not wish to betray Ash's trust, but I had no idea that things would get so complicated. If I had known that the matter was about to go public, I would have tried harder to persuade Ash to tell you about it himself."

"It's not your fault," Lukas sighed. "Ash can be a stubborn git when he has his mind set on something."

"Look who's talking," Snape muttered under his breath.

"I heard that, Snape," Lukas said, tapping his ear. "Werewolf hearing." He turned back to Tsubasa and said, "I apologize for...uh..."

"Pounding your head against the wall?" Snape helpfully supplied as Lukas glared at him.

"Don't worry about it," Tsubasa said with a smile. "It's nothing compared to my training with the tengu. My instructors used to beat me black and blue in practice when I was a novice student."

"Warriors," Snape said, shaking his head. "They're all masochists."

"I was worried that things weren't going well between you and Ash, but he must really trust you, to tell you things about his past that he hasn't even told us," Lukas told Tsubasa. He grinned and winked. "Should I be expecting you to become an honorary member of the pack soon, the way that your cousin has?"

To everyone's surprise, Tsubasa's expression suddenly turned sad. "I don't know," he said quietly. "I think that Ash has to sort out things with his family before he can think about anything else." He gave them a halfhearted, slightly forced smile. "We should get back to the Great Hall; class will be starting soon."

"Would you take over my first class?" Lukas asked Tsubasa. "I think that I should go talk to Ash."

"Of course," Tsubasa replied. "I have a free period in the morning, so there's no problem."

"Unless...would you like to come with me?" Lukas asked hesitantly.

"No, I think that you should talk to him alone," Tsubasa replied. "But you can tell him that I'll be here if he needs me."

Tsubasa left the room and Lukas sighed, "I guess that I was right to be worried about them."

"I spoke to him last night," Lupin said. "He implied that they were having problems, but that Ash was mostly upset about something else--his family, I assume."

"I'm going to try to catch Ash at home before he leaves for work," Lukas said. "I'll try to be back in time for my next class."

"I'm sure that Albus will understand," Lupin said, and Lukas took the Floo to the werewolves' London townhouse. "I don't understand," Lupin said, shaking his head as he read the article again.

"Which part did your Gryffindor brain fail to comprehend, Lupin?" Snape asked sardonically. "Randolf's illegitimate birth, his probable abuse at the hands of his parents, or the way he faked his death? Which was quite clever for a twelve-year-old, when you think about it. It all seems clear enough to me, even if it does sound a bit melodramatic, like something out of a bad novel. The only part that truly remains a mystery is the identity of his real father."

Lupin smiled only faintly at his lover's sarcasm, too worried and distracted to laugh as he normally would have. "No, I understand all that, Severus. I think it's horrible and despicable for a parent to abuse a child, but I understand that it happens sometimes. What I don't understand is the difference between the way the Madleys treated Ash and Laura. I don't really know them, but I've seen them on Quidditch days, and they seemed like loving parents. Of course, they could be putting up a front in public, but Laura doesn't act like an abused child. She seems very happy and open and trusting--unlike Theo and Serafina, who were always distrustful and wary."

"It's not really all that uncommon for parents to favor one child over another," Snape replied with a shrug. "The Dietrich family doted on their sons Karl and Rafe, but treated their daughter Marta with contempt. And of course there's your friend Black's family, who disowned him in favor of Regulus. And Marta and Sirius were legitimate children; Madley might well have resented having to raise another man's son, and took out his anger on the boy."

"Then why did he marry Ash's mother in the first place?" Lupin asked, still looking upset.

Snape shrugged again. "Maybe he loved her. Or maybe it was some sort of political alliance, although the Parkers don't have a great deal of wealth or influence. My mother might know. But there's not really anything we can do about it, anyway--the damage is already done, and the scandal is out in the open. In time, it will blow over, although Alden Madley's reputation might suffer permanent damage, but he deserves it."

"Laura doesn't, though," Lupin said sadly. "Neither does Ash."

"Life isn't fair, Lupin," Snape said, but he looked solemn despite his flippant words. "Randolf's real family might be scum, but at least he still has his pack."

"There is that," Lupin agreed, although he still looked troubled. "I wonder who his real father is?"

"Most likely someone either very far above or very far below the mother's station," Snape guessed. "In the first case, the father wouldn't want to marry her, and in the second, her family wouldn't want her to marry him."

"If this were one of Prospero's novels, Ash would be the secret son of a prince, and he'd inherit a great fortune at the end of the book," Lupin said with a smile.

"And a princess bride, but I suspect that he'd rather have a groom," Snape said wryly. "I doubt that Randolf is a prince, but if Madley legally adopted him, he has the rights of a legal heir, and he could sue for a portion of the inheritance. The bulk of the estate would probably go to Laura, since she's Madley's biological child, and the court tends to follow the pureblood tradition of blood lineage, but Randolf could receive some compensation, especially if he can prove that his parents mistreated him. In fact, Madley would probably be willing to pay him hush money to prevent the case from going to trial."

"I think that Ash just wants to be left alone," Lupin said.

"Well, if he changes his mind, I can introduce Morrigan De Lacy to him," Snape said with a nasty grin that would have made his students shudder. "That woman could probably convince the Wizengamot to find the Dark Lord innocent. Separating Madley from some of his wealth would be child's play for her."

"It's lucky that Morrigan's on our side," Lupin said, smiling. "I'll tell Lukas to pass your offer on to Ash, but I don't think that he'll take you up on it." Lupin's smile faded and he sighed. "It's too bad that this isn't one of Prospero's novels, after all. I don't think that this story will have a happy ending."

"Probably not," Snape agreed. "Oh, and by the way, Lupin, how do you know that Randolf has 'scars'?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Lupin replied.

"It's obvious that he has one scar on his face," Snape corrected. "If he has any others, they must be someplace hidden beneath his clothes, which then brings us to the question, when and why did you have the opportunity to see Randolf without his clothes on?"

"It's not what you think, Severus," Lupin laughed.

"I certainly hope not," Snape replied, scowling ferociously. "Because then I would have to kill Randolf, and the Headmaster frowns upon his teachers murdering people."

"When I was talking with Lukas in his office the other day, Ash walked in with his shirt open and his chest bare," Lupin explained. "He had a number of small scars on his chest--burn marks, I think, which would support the theory that his parents abused him. I'm not exactly sure why Ash was walking around bare-chested, but he had just come from his lesson with Tsubasa, so we had assumed..." Lupin let his voice trail off suggestively, then frowned. "Although it seems now that he might have been meeting with Laura, so maybe he was trying to show her what her parents did to him as a child."

Snape relaxed and said, "Well, if that's all it was, then I guess I'll let Randolf live. But I don't expect you to make a habit of viewing any men in a state of undress--other than me, of course."

"Of course," Lupin said agreeably, then smiled and kissed Snape on the cheek. "You know, it's kind of sweet that you're jealous, Severus."

"I am not 'sweet'!" Snape protested indignantly.

"Well, lucky for me, I have an acquired taste for sour Slytherins," Lupin teased. "Excuse me, I mean, Slytherin, singular. Just so there's no confusion." He kissed Snape on the mouth, a long and deep kiss that left no doubt about his "taste" for a certain Slytherin.

"We'll be late for class," Snape said breathlessly when they came up for air.

"It's not like anyone's going to give us detention for being late," Lupin said with a mischievous grin.

"Anyone could walk in on us," Snape protested.

"Doesn't that just add to the thrill?" Lupin asked.

"Which one of us is supposed to be the Slytherin?" Snape asked dryly.

"Gryffindors like to break the rules sometimes, too, Sev," Lupin said with a wink. "Come on," he coaxed, giving Snape a come-hither look. "Just a quickie; it'll only take a few minutes."

"I think I need to invent some kind of libido-suppressing potion for you," Snape grumbled, but he pulled Lupin into his arms and kissed him. He idly wondered if werewolf blood could be used in an aphrodisiac, then decided that it would carry too much risk of infection for a normal human, and an aphrodisiac was the last thing that an already hormonal werewolf needed. And soon Lupin's hands and mouth were exploring his body and very insistently demanding his attention, so Snape sighed and surrendered himself to the moment, temporarily setting aside thoughts of potion formulas. Sometimes having a werewolf lover was a little inconvenient, but he supposed that it wouldn't really matter if they were a few minutes late to class...
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"Where's Ash?" Lukas demanded as he stepped into the townhouse.

"It's nice to see you, too, Lukas," Matilda replied with cheerful sarcasm. "Ash locked himself upstairs in his room as soon he saw that." She gestured at a copy of the Daily Prophet lying on the dining table. "Oh, and he drank himself sick two nights in a row. I guess now we know why."

"Is he really Alden Madley's stepson?" Brian asked.

"How would I know?" Lukas snapped. "I found out about it the same way you did, by reading the paper this morning! Apparently the only person that Ash confided in about meeting his sister was his pretty peacock."

"Crane," Kyra corrected, and her pack leader glared at her and then stomped up the staircase.

Matilda sighed. "Have you ever noticed, that for two people who aren't related by blood, Ash and Lukas are a lot alike?"

"You mean stubborn and bad-tempered?" Kyra asked with a grin as she buttered a piece of toast. "Yeah, I've noticed."

"Alden Madley is very wealthy," Brian said, frowning in concern as he stared at the newspaper. "He could make a lot of trouble for Ash--and the rest of us--if he wanted."

"Well, Lukas is a Lord now," Kyra said as she bit into her toast. "And he's got the backing of the Snape family and the Ministry of Magic. I'm not worried about Alden Madley."

"I'm not worried about Alden Madley's money, but I am worried about Ash," Matilda said, gazing anxiously up the staircase. "I've never seen him like this before."

Upstairs, Lukas knocked on the door, and when there was no response, he pounded on it harder.

"Go away," Ash said.

"Goddammit, Ash, open this door or I'll break it down!" Lukas shouted.

After a short silence, Lukas heard the sound of footsteps and then the click of a lock turning. The door opened and Ash stood behind it, looking bleary, red-eyed, and unshaven. Lukas pushed his way into the room and demanded, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We don't have to talk about the past; that's the law of the pack," Ash said sullenly.

"But this is happening in the present," Lukas argued. In a quieter voice he added, "You could have trusted me, you know."

Sullenness gave way to guilt, and Ash sank down onto the bed, looking weary and defeated. "I'm sorry, Lukas. It's not that I don't trust you. It's just..." He sighed. "I think that as long as I didn't tell anyone about it, I could pretend that it wasn't real."

Lukas sat beside Ash and put an arm around him. "You talked to Tsubasa," he pointed out, but his voice sounded more amused than accusing.

"He already knew about it, sort of," Ash sighed. "That girl gave him a letter for me and told him that I was a long-lost relative who was supposed to be dead, so I kind of had to explain things to him."

"You did more than talk, I hear," Lukas said with a grin.

"Yeah, but I screwed that up," Ash replied gloomily. "I screwed everything up."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Lukas said, smiling. "He seemed very concerned about you."

"Really?" Ash asked, cheering up just a little, and Lukas nodded; he decided not to mention the part about slamming Tsubasa up against the wall. Wolves were protective of their mates, and even if Ash and Tsubasa weren't exactly mates yet, he was pretty sure that they were working up to it.

Then Ash sighed and looked gloomy again. "I said some really mean things to that girl," he admitted guiltily. "Everything I said was true, but...I was kind of harsh on her."

"Laura seems pretty sheltered," Lukas said quietly.

"I know," Ash said, hanging his head and looking shamefaced. "That's what set me off, because..."

"Because her parents took good care of her, but not you?" Lukas asked gently. "I know, Ash. It's not quite the same thing, but it's hard for me to see how Tristan and Gwen can love Amos so much, when I always thought of him as a monster. But he was different with them than he was with me. It's strange, but sometimes people can be good and evil at the same time."

"When I was a child, I would have done anything to make them happy," Ash whispered sadly.

"We're your family now, Ash," Lukas said, hugging him tightly. "We're your brothers and sisters, and we will never betray you."

"I know," Ash sighed, finally relaxing a little, and he rested his head on Lukas's shoulder for a moment. "That's what I told the girl, that my pack was all the family I needed or wanted. But she was so persistent that I finally lost my temper and told her the truth about how and why I got turned. She must have told her father what I said, because he came looking for me at work the next day, and...well, I guess you read what happened in the Daily Prophet. Which reminds me..." He reluctantly pulled away from Lukas. "I should get ready for work."

"Why don't you call in sick today?" Lukas suggested. "I'm sure that Arthur would understand." He smiled. "Besides, I suspect that you really do feel sick; you look like you have one hell of a hangover."

"I do," Ash admitted sheepishly, pointing to an empty Firewhiskey bottle on the nightstand. "And I really don't want to face everyone at work, but I feel kind of cowardly hiding at home."

"Time enough to face the music tomorrow," Lukas said. "Get some rest today; I'll talk to Arthur for you. Do you want me to stay with you? I'm sure that I can get Dumbledore to give me a day off."

"No, it's okay," Ash replied. "I'll probably be sleeping most of the day, and Matilda's here to play nursemaid if I need one."

"Matilda's more likely to tell you to get your lazy arse out of bed than play nursemaid," Lukas said with a grin. "But I'll tell her to go easy on you today." He patted Ash on the shoulder and rose to his feet. "Get some sleep and stay out of the Firewhiskey. And kiss and make up with Tsubasa. He said to tell you that he's there for you if you need him. He really seemed worried about you."

"Yes, Lukas," Ash mumbled, gazing down at the floor and not meeting his eyes.

Lukas frowned, but it wasn't like he could force Ash to get together with the crane. Maybe Tsubasa was right, and he needed to sort out this mess with his family before he could deal with his lovelife.

"All right," Lukas said. "I'm going back to Hogwarts, but I'll come back and check on you when school gets out."

"Thanks, Lukas," Ash mumbled and crawled under the covers.

Lukas left the room and slowly descended the stairs, still frowning. Ash had never been the type to crawl away and hide. Even as a child, he had been brave and defiant. At times, he was hot-tempered and reckless, but never cowardly, and he had never given in to despair, not even when his best friend Jonathan had been murdered by the Death Eaters. Instead, he'd been determined to fight and get revenge. But this time they were facing a totally different kind of enemy, and Lukas wasn't sure how to fight them, or what he should do to help Ash.
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That same day, the Macnairs went to Azkaban to visit their father. A guard was supposed to supervise their visits, but as usual, Warren slipped him a bribe to give them some privacy. The guard was a pureblood who had little love for Mudbloods and half-bloods, and had some sympathy for the Death Eaters' ideals even if he did not agree with all of their methods. And he saw no harm in making a little extra money on the side; visitors were always searched before each visit, and their wands and other magical items confiscated, so there was no possible way for the Macnair twins to break their father out of prison.

"You have one hour," the guard said, holding open the door to Walden's cell. After the twins stepped through, he locked it behind them and left.

"It's good to see you again," Walden said. The Macnair children were well-educated, and unlike most of their peers, spoke several different languages, so during their visits, the family always switched between French, German, and Romanian to confuse anyone who might be listening in on them. They had an arrangement with the guard, of course, but Death Eaters trusted no one and were always prepared for betrayal--especially in light of Snape's defection.

"You look well, Father," Warren said, but it was a polite lie. Walden looked as though he had aged several years since he had been incarcerated, even though he had only been in prison for about one year: his once mostly-black hair was now liberally streaked with gray, and the lines on his face had grown much deeper. Locked around his neck was a silver "Squib Collar"--a device that prevented the wearer from using any magic. Ironically, it had been invented by one of Walden's fellow Death Eaters, Gwydion Donner.

"I look like hell, son, but it's nice of you to say so," Walden said, embracing his children. There was only one chair in the room, which Imogen took, and Warren sat beside his father on the cot that served as his bed. "I'm glad to see you," Walden said, "but perhaps you should cease these visits, at least temporarily. You should be trying to regain public respectability by professing abhorrence for my crimes."

"Never, Father!" Warren said fervently. "We would never betray you!"

"You would not really be betraying me," Walden said impatiently. "You would be deceiving those fools who follow Dumbledore like sheep. You would be building a foundation for our return to power."

"Tell him about Professor Snape's offer," Imogen urged her brother.

After Warren explained, his father nodded thoughtfully. "That might be a solution. If you left England for a few years, then the public's fears will have faded, and they might be more forgiving when you come back. You might even win a little sympathy as a child who has had to live in exile for his father's crimes. But be wary of what Snape might ask in return for this favor; he's a devious bastard."

"I know that we cannot trust him, but we might find a way to betray him before he betrays us," Imogen said.

"That's my girl!" Macnair said approvingly. "Spoken like a true Macnair! But be very, very careful with Snape. He has far more experience at deceit and betrayal than either of you put together. Get more information about this apprenticeship and keep me informed."

"Yes, Father," the twins chorused obediently.

"And here, we brought you the latest copy of the Daily Prophet," Imogen said, handing the paper to her father. Walden took it eagerly; the guards never shared much information with the prisoners, so the twins' visits were his only way of getting news from the outside world.

"You might find the lead story amusing, Father," Warren said with a grin. "It turns out that Alden Madley has a bastard stepson who's a werewolf."

"That Mudblood always likes to act as if he's as good as a pureblood," Imogen laughed maliciously. "That should put him in his place! Dirty blood calls to dirty blood; a Mudblood is no better than a beast, anyway. Why Father, what's wrong?"

Walden's face had turned pale, and his eyes were filled with rage. He pointed at the picture of Ash Randolf and asked in a taut voice, "Does this man look familiar to you at all?"

Imogen and Warren exchanged puzzled looks. "He's Arthur Weasley's pet werewolf, the one who was recently hired to work at the Ministry," Warren replied. "Should he look familiar?"

Walden lowered his voice to a whisper, although it was unlikely that the guard, even if he was listening, would understand the mixture of languages they were speaking. "You do not know him, but this man is your half-brother."

"What?!" Warren and Imogen cried out.

"Shh!" hissed Walden. "Don't attract the guard's attention. This Ash Randolf, or Ethan Madley, is the result of a youthful indiscretion with a woman named Rosalind Parker not long after we both graduated from Hogwarts."

"Father, how could you?" Imogen asked reproachfully.

"This was before I was engaged to your mother, my dear."

"I don't care about that," Imogen said impatiently. "What I meant was, how could you be so careless as to let this woman bear a child who could taint our family honor?"

"I was careless," Walden admitted, grimacing at the memory. "Rosalind was from a middle-class family of questionable bloodline, and of course I never intended for it to be anything more than a brief dalliance, but I underestimated both her ambition and her naivete. She claimed it was an accident, but I'm sure that she got pregnant on purpose; the silly chit actually thought that I would have to marry her, like some idiot honorable Gryffindor. I told her in no uncertain terms that I would never sully my bloodline by marrying her, and I gave her some money to get an abortion. She dropped out of sight after that, and I assumed that her parents were keeping her on a short leash to prevent any other 'accidents'. Several years later, I heard that she married Alden Madley, and that Madley adopted her young son, and I realized that she didn't have the abortion, after all. Still, as long as Madley was willing to claim the child as his, and Rosalind made no demands for me to acknowledge him, I decided to let things be for the moment. By this time, I was already working for my Master, and I had more important things to worry about. I thought that after we won the war and rose to power, then I would eliminate Rosalind and her brat, but then that wretched Potter child vanquished the Dark Lord, and I was hard-pressed just to keep myself out of Azkaban. I couldn't risk being connected to a murder, so I had to let Rosalind and the boy live. And not long after the war ended, the boy was killed in a werewolf attack, so I thought that my problem had taken care of itself. Only it seems that he didn't die, after all."

"Are you sure he's yours?" Warren asked doubtfully, looking more closely at the photograph in the newspaper. "He doesn't look anything like you; maybe your lover played you false, and the father is some other man."

"The shape of his face is a little like Father's," Imogen disagreed. "But his hair and eyes are lighter, so the resemblance is not immediately apparent."

"That is good, because no one has yet guessed that he might be a Macnair," Walden said. "And I would like to keep it that way. And unfortunately, Warren, I do not think that Rosalind played me false, although now I wish she had; I am certain that she had no other lovers while I was seeing her." He crumpled the newspaper in his fist. "Forget about Snape's offer for now; our first priority must be to erase this stain on the family honor. No one must learn that the Macnair line has been tainted by a werewolf."

"Not to mention that he could try to make a claim on the estate, like that werewolf leader did," Warren said, looking alarmed by the thought. "Cyril Diggory stole the Diggory estate right out from under Amos's nose."

"Amos gave him a little help, I think," Imogen said dryly. "If he hadn't joined in on Williamson's plot, the Wizengamot might have favored him over his nephew. But yes, we must find a way to keep the werewolf from taking what is rightfully ours. Since he is a hero of the war, and we are Death Eater sympathizers at best, it is possible that the court might award him control of the entire estate, or at least a significant portion of it. Although..." She frowned thoughtfully. "Since he has made no claim on the estate as yet, perhaps he doesn't know who his father is?"

"It's possible, even likely, that Rosalind never told him," Walden agreed. "She seems to have been very close-mouthed about it; I've never even heard a whisper of a rumor that I might be the boy's father. She could have pressed harder for me to acknowledge her son, and perhaps try to get some kind of financial settlement, but I think that she feared to, because of my involvement with the Death Eaters."

"But if she feels you are no longer a threat..." Imogen said.

"We must eliminate her and the werewolf as soon as possible," Walden said firmly. "And her husband, in case she told him the identity of her son's real father. And anyone else she might have confided in."

"It will be difficult, with the Aurors watching us so closely," Warren said, frowning. "They've been keeping a close eye on us ever since Shacklebolt and Tonks ran into Imogen at the museum."

"I think they thought that I might be plotting to steal those artifacts they delivered," Imogen said. "There were a number of interesting items, but nothing worth risking a prison sentence for. Ironically enough, there was one artifact, a medallion, that Professor Bletchley thought might be some sort of control device for a werewolf's transformation."

"Werewolves," Walden murmured thoughtfully. "If we could make it seem as if my dear son is a dangerous monster, then we might not have to kill him ourselves; the Ministry would do it for us."

"Normally it would be easy to stir up hostility against a werewolf, but the Ministry will be suspicious of a fake attack occurring so soon after Williamson's fraud," Warren objected.

"Ah, but what if it wasn't a fake?" Walden asked, a smug and spiteful smile slowly spreading across his face. "If a werewolf slaughtered Rosalind and Alden Madley, wouldn't their estranged son be the most obvious suspect?"

"Yes, but where would we find a werewolf assassin?" Imogen asked doubtfully.

"As it happens, I know of one currently incarcerated in a sanatorium in Romania," Walden replied.

"Who is it?" Warren asked curiously. "A former Death Eater? I had thought that the werewolf members were all slain during the first war."

"One remains alive," Walden said. "The most vicious and bloodthirsty of the Death Eater werewolves, the leader of the pack himself: Fenrir Greyback."

"But I thought that the Dark Lord killed him!" Imogen exclaimed.

"For many years, so did I," Walden replied. "But after I completed my mission with the giants and won them over to our side, my Master was well pleased with me, and confided to me that he had only pretended to kill Greyback. He thought that someday he might find a use for him, and so he had Greyback committed to an institution in Romania, a place where wizarding families pay a hefty fee to hide relatives who might prove to be an embarrassment or a disgrace, whether due to insanity or a curse like lycanthropy."

"And this prison has held him for twenty years?" Warren asked incredulously.

"It is a very secure institution, with a record as good as Azkaban's--before we Death Eaters broke out of it, that is," Walden said. "Greyback is kept heavily sedated and bound with enchanted silver chains. When the Dark Lord last checked, shortly before the second war ended, Greyback was still there. When I did so well with the giants, my Master asked me to liaise with the werewolves as well. However, their leader Lukas Bleddri was proving stubborn, and I suggested to my Lord that we get rid of him and replace him with someone more pliable, the way that we did with the giants. However, there were no likely candidates within Bleddri's pack, and that is when the Dark Lord told me about Greyback. He toyed with the idea of bringing back Greyback to get rid of Bleddri, but then he captured Goewin Donner and heard her prophecy, and he abandoned that plan in favor of the attack on Hogwarts. As far as I know, Greyback is still rotting away in the sanatorium."

"You want to use Greyback to kill the Madleys and lay the blame on Randolf!" Imogen exclaimed.

Walden nodded, but Warren protested, "But how will we control him? You said that the Dark Lord himself killed Greyback--or at least locked him up--because he couldn't follow orders."

"We could use an Imperius Curse," Imogen said hesitantly.

Walden shook his head. "No, Greyback is very strong-willed, and the curse won't hold for long on him. Of course, it's possible that his incarceration broke his spirit, but I wouldn't count on it. There is a certain amount of risk involved, but there is a way: the Unbreakable Vow."

"We'll grant him his freedom in exchange for his service, but he'll have to swear by the Vow not to betray us," Imogen said excitedly.

"Imogen, you will cast the spell, and Warren will make the Vow with Greyback," Walden instructed. "You must word the Vow very carefully to ensure that there are no loopholes he can use to betray you. Make him pledge loyalty to the Macnair family, and swear to obey all of your and Imogen's orders, and to do no harm, directly or indirectly to yourself, your sister, and me. In return, you will promise to free him from the sanatorium and provide him prey to hunt. He will probably demand that you pledge to do him no harm as well, but make your Vow as vague as possible. You will have the upper hand over him, since he has little choice but to accept or spend the rest of his life locked in a cell. And his thinking will be dulled by the drugs he is being fed."

"And Father and I will not be bound by the Vow," Imogen said with a sly smile.

"It still seems like a great deal of trouble to go through just to get rid of Randolf and the Madleys," Warren said dubiously. "Surely there must be a less complicated and less dangerous way to eliminate them?"

"You must look at the bigger picture, my son," Walden said with a smile. "Greyback is a bloodthirsty bastard, and he won't be satisfied with killing just two or three people. He'll want more prey, and we can use that to our advantage. Let him continue to kill, and let chaos and fear reign in the wizarding world. The public will believe that Arthur Weasley put them in danger with his equal rights bill that let werewolves run loose on the streets, and they'll soon be calling for his removal."

"Particularly if prominent purebloods become victims of this werewolf rampage," Imogen said gleefully. "People will say that the Death Eaters might have been right about some things, after all. And if Weasley was wrong about the werewolves, maybe they'll believe that he was wrong to befriend Muggles and Mudbloods, too."

"And if Weasley and his friends fall from grace, then a power vacuum will open up," Warren said with a grin. "One that could be filled by us, or at least someone more friendly to our cause. And if that happens, then perhaps we will be able to free you, Father. Forgive me for not recognizing the wisdom of your plan sooner."

"Lukas Bleddri, or Cyril Diggory, as he is calling himself now, won't be able to tolerate a rogue werewolf killing people in his territory for long," Imogen said thoughtfully. "He and Greyback will eventually have to fight, and if Diggory kills Greyback, then we lose our servant. But if Greyback kills Diggory, then he would be able to take control of Diggory's pack, and we would have not just one, but an army of werewolves under our control. Is Greyback strong enough to take Diggory?"

"At full strength, yes, I believe so," Walden replied. "Although it may take him some time to recover from two decades' worth of imprisonment. But werewolves have strong constitutions, so I believe that he will regain his strength quickly."

"Will Diggory's pack really follow Greyback if he kills their leader?" Warren asked. "They won't rebel against him?"

Walden thought it over, then replied, "A few of them might rebel, but I believe that most of them will follow him. They live by their wolf instincts, and wolves instinctively follow the strongest wolf in the pack, whether they like him or not. And with their beloved leader dead, they'll be in a state of confusion and fear. They'll be so cowed that it shouldn't take much effort for Greyback to beat them into submission--literally, if necessary."

"The Dark Lord had trouble controlling his werewolves during the first war," Warren said, thinking out loud. "But Greyback will be bound to us by the Vow, and the Wolfsbane Potion will keep the werewolves sane during the full moon."

"We'll need to brew the potion for Greyback ourselves," Imogen said. "Unwanted questions would arise if we were seen purchasing it at St. Mungo's or a potion shop." She smiled. "Fortunately, Warren and I were excellent Potions students, so I suppose we must be grateful to Snape for that, if nothing else."

"As I said, there is some risk in this plan," Walden warned his children. "Even leashed by the Vow, Greyback is still a very dangerous man. And there is the possibility that Diggory will somehow be able to defeat Greyback. I'll be here in Azkaban, so the two of you are the ones who will be bearing the burden of that risk."

The twins exchanged a look, then nodded. "I believe that the rewards are worth the risk, Father," Warren said firmly.

"And even if Diggory does kill Greyback, as long as he manages to kill the Madleys first, we'll still have gotten our money's worth out of him," Imogen said practically.

"Very well, then," Walden said approvingly. "I shall tell you how to find Greyback..."

Chapter 10

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