Summer Vacation III: Honeymoon in Japan, Part 3

by Geri ([email protected])

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

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Aric/Takeshi, Snape/Lupin

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: This is a continuation of the Always series, but the main focus is on Aric and Takeshi, and Snape and Lupin appear mainly as supporting characters.

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, and Ash's Story. Although it's not so much a sequel to the latter two stories as it is a companion piece. The Revenant, Ash's Story, and Summer Vacation III all begin at around the same time, a couple of days after the ending of "Aftermaths," and pretty much run concurrently.

Summary: Aric keeps busy while Takeshi is at work; Selima has a wedding reception for Lukas and Narcissa.
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Takeshi had to go back to work the next day, but since Smethwyck didn't want to start Aric until he returned from their trip in August, he was left with some free time on his hands. Fortunately, he didn't remain idle for long. Instead of moping around the flat by himself, he went to help out at the clinic, where a very humbled and repentant Stewart Ackerley was volunteering as penance for his role in the R.A.'s crimes. Although Lukas had forgiven the boy, Aric wasn't inclined to be as lenient. He ordered Stewart around in a brusque, Snape-like fashion, but the young Ravenclaw didn't bristle or object, but meekly obeyed Aric's orders, seeming to take the verbal abuse as his due. In fact, he was so meek and penitent that Aric found it a little pathetic, and gave up berating Stewart (since it was providing poor entertainment value), and started speaking to him in a more normal tone of voice. As he watched the boy work, Aric grudgingly conceded to himself that Stewart was a competent potion-brewer, and put him to work preparing ingredients for the Wolfsbane Potion.

Stewart worked hard, without a single word of complaint, and Aric finally told him to take a break around noon. He was just considering whether he ought to go home and have some leftovers for lunch or maybe send Stewart out to pick up some food, when Kai walked into the clinic. In one hand, he was carrying a large metal box by a handle set in the top, and he had a rolled-up newspaper tucked under his other arm.

"Two bowls of ramen, courtesy of Lady Haruko," the blond werewolf cheerfully declared. He set the box down on a counter, slid aside a panel on the front of the box, and took out two large bowls of steaming hot noodles in a brownish broth, garnished with diced green onions, strips of pork, sliced hard-boiled eggs, and a disc of something white with pink swirls (which Aric later learned was fishcake).

"We still have tons of leftovers at home," Aric said, but the hot soup did smell very good, and it would be discourteous to waste his mother-in-law's gift, so he dug into his meal with good appetite.

"I don't really deserve this," Stewart muttered in a subdued voice as Kai handed him the other bowl.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake," Aric said disgustedly. "Spare me the self-pity. Starving yourself and beating your breast with remorse isn't going to make up for nearly getting Lukas--I mean, Master Diggory--killed. If you want to show that you're sorry, just work hard and keep your mouth shut. And eat your damn lunch. You won't do me any good if you faint with hunger and fall into the potion cauldron."

"Yes, Aric," Stewart said meekly, and began eating.

Kai gave his pack brother a quizzical smile. "You're only mad at him because of Lukas? You're not angry that he indirectly caused you to be turned into a werewolf?"

Stewart's face went red with shame, but Aric just shrugged and ducked his head, staring into his soup. "I don't really mind," he said gruffly. "It's kind of turned out to be a good thing."

Stewart gaped at him in shock, and Kai chuckled, smiling knowingly. "Okay, enjoy your lunch; I'll stop by and pick up the dishes later. Oh, and by the way, have you seen the latest Daily Prophet?" He tossed the paper down on the counter, and Aric nearly choked on his food as he read the headline: "RABASTAN LESTRANGE CAPTURED BY HARRY POTTER!"

"What?!" he exclaimed, and Stewart forgot his meekness and rushed over to read the paper over Aric's shoulder.

"I'll take that as a 'no,'" Kai said.

"Takeshi has a subscription," Aric replied. "But we didn't read the paper this morning, because we were...um...running a little late." He flushed as he recalled how his inner wolf had gotten aroused at the sight of Takeshi getting dressed for work, and how he had literally pounced upon his mate. Which had left Takeshi just barely enough time to get cleaned up and dressed again, and grab a cup of tea and a slice of toast before Apparating to St. Mungo's. In the rush, they had left the morning paper lying on the doorstep where the delivery owl had left it, still rolled up and unopened.

"Well, I've got to get back to work," Kai said. "I'll drop by later; you can keep the paper."

"Thanks," Aric said, and waved goodbye in a distracted manner as he read the article. In contradiction to the headline, Harry Potter claimed in his interview with Rita Skeeter that he had not really captured Lestrange, but that Professor Snape had done most of the work. The article did note that Snape had been heroically wounded during the pitched battle by a Dark Spell cast by Lestrange. It seemed that Prospero Zabini had also been present, and had been wounded fighting the fugitive Death Eater as well. It was quite confusing, but apparently Lestrange had been seeking revenge on both his former comrade Snape and the Boy Who Lived, and had kidnapped Snape's foster son, Dylan, saying that he would kill him unless Snape brought Harry Potter to him. It also seemed that Lestrange had desecrated James Potter's grave out of spite. Harry had agreed to accompany Snape to save the hostage's life, and it seemed that Lupin, Sirius Black, Selima Snape, and Prospero Zabini had also come along. It wasn't quite clear why Zabini had come along, perhaps just coincidence, since the article said that he had stopped by to visit Professor Lupin when Lestrange issued his ransom demand. The reason why he was visiting Lupin was not stated, but perhaps no explanation was needed, since it was now an open secret in the wizarding world that Blaise and Theodore were lovers.

So after he finished working at the clinic, Aric stopped by Snape Manor to visit his cousin and find out what had really happened. And he discovered that the real story was even more incredible than the Daily Prophet's account: that Rabastan had attempted to raise James Potter's spirit and been possessed by it. Aric had to promise Lupin that he wouldn't tell anyone but Takeshi the truth because the Ministry didn't want to start a panic, but personally Aric doubted that anyone would believe him even if he did tell them the truth. He hardly believed it himself.

Takeshi also kept the promise he had made and told Aric to invite Dylan and Theodore over to watch movies at their flat. They came over the night before Theodore had to leave to return to his apprenticeship in Ireland, and ate popcorn and watched a video, some kind of "action" movie, Takeshi called it, with a lot of gunfire and explosions and a little romance thrown in. The three pureblood boys had trouble following the plot since the Muggle world was so alien to them, but they all agreed that it was highly entertaining, with a kind of guilty glee, like schoolboys who had snuck into Hogsmeade without permission and raided the candy store. Takeshi seemed to find their reactions even more entertaining than the movie, and laughed and said they could come over again sometime, perhaps when he and Aric returned from Japan.

And soon Lukas returned from his honeymoon with Narcissa. The pack gathered at the Diggory estate to greet their pack leader and his mate, and also to help him open up the mansion, which had been closed up and uninhabited for years. There was a moment of awkwardness when Narcissa faced the pack, her velvet gown and jewels unintentionally emphasizing the social difference between herself and the werewolves, not to mention the fact that she certainly wasn't dressed for a day of housecleaning. But then the twins, Lyra and Lance, broke the ice by running up to Narcissa and declaring that she was as beautiful as a princess. And to everyone's amazement--Aric's included--Narcissa knelt down, letting her skirt spread out on the dusty floor, and gathered the werewolf twins into her arms, saying that they were adorable children. In hindsight, maybe he shouldn't have been so surprised to see her maternal instinct aroused, since it was obvious that she had spoiled Draco rotten as a kid, but then again, even Draco looked shocked to see his mother fussing over the twins as if they were her own. It probably helped that the twins were blonde and beautiful, a kind of reflection of Narcissa's own beauty, but whatever the reason, it instantly endeared her to the pack. And she actually did turn out to be quite adept with cleaning spells, although she ended up helping mostly by playing with the younger children and keeping them out of the way while the adults worked.

Although Lukas had intended for his family to split their time between the Malfoy and Diggory estates, they ended up living mainly at Diggory Manor.

"It's easier to live here," Draco confided to Aric, in a rare moment of unguardedness. "Our old home...it's got too many memories of my father."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Aric agreed, remembering how Isamu's well-meant offer to call him "Father" had awoken painful memories of his own parents. They weren't dead, of course, but in a way they were dead to him. Maybe that was why Draco had chosen to confide in him although they'd never been close before, because they had both been betrayed by their fathers, in different ways. Draco just nodded solemnly, seeming to understand what Aric was thinking.

Several of the werewolves moved into the Manor at Lukas's invitation, including the families with children, and Kian and Kai. Aric kept his promise to teach the latter two how to play Quidditch with some equipment that Lupin borrowed from Hogwarts, and soon several of the other werewolves joined in, enough to make two teams with Aric and Draco acting as the captains. They would never reach professional quality, of course, but they had grasped the basics by the time Aric was ready to leave on his trip, and Draco promised to continue their training while he was gone.

But before Aric left on his trip, he had a party at Snape Manor to attend: a wedding reception for Lukas and Narcissa, organized by Selima Snape.
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Aric received an invitation to the reception but Takeshi did not. "I don't have to go," Aric said, frowning at the invitation.

"It's all right, love, I have to work anyway," Takeshi replied, sounding unconcerned. "I'm putting in a few extra hours since I'm leaving St. Mungo's short one mediwizard for two months."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Aric asked anxiously.

Takeshi smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Really, I don't mind. I'm sure that Remus could coax an invitation out of Professor Snape for me if I asked him, but Lukas has already celebrated his marriage with his real friends. There was the wedding and reception at Hogwarts, and the pack gathered at Diggory Manor to welcome Lukas and Narcissa when they came back from their honeymoon. This--" He tapped the invitation, heavy cream-colored card stock printed with gold ink. "--is all politics. Lady Selima's party is all about helping Lukas carve out a place for himself in pureblood society. There's nothing I can do to help Lukas politically at the moment, so my presence at the reception isn't required, and personally, a pureblood party isn't really my idea of a good time."

"You make it sound like so much fun," Aric said, smiling at his lover wryly. "Now I don't want to go, either."

"Oh, it won't be all that bad," Takeshi said, grinning back at him. "Professor Snape, Remus, and Dylan will be there, and so will many of your Hogwarts friends, I imagine. And besides, you should be on hand to give Lukas moral support. There won't be any other werewolves there besides you and Remus."

"Because they have no political clout?" Aric asked with a cynical smile. "Well, neither do I, so I'm not sure why I got an invitation."

"You're the cousin of the Snape heir," Takeshi replied. "And Lukas's unofficial foster son; he might have asked that you be included on the list. And you are a hero, at least among the young wizards and witches, for the way you risked your life to protect Lukas. From what I hear, Lady Selima is clever enough to see that you could be an asset to her party."

"Very well," Aric sighed. "I'll go to support my pack leader." He wrapped an arm around Takeshi and pulled him close. "But I hate every minute that I have to spend away from you."

"We'll be leaving for Japan the day after the party," Takeshi said, kissing him again. "And then we'll find some private time to spend together. You can think of it as our honeymoon."

"Mmm, I like the sound of that," Aric said, nuzzling his mate's neck and undoing the fastenings on his robe. "But maybe we can start the honeymoon a little early..."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Hello, Aric," Lupin said, giving his former student a hug. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too, Professor...er, Remus," Aric replied, returning the embrace and looking only a little flustered. He was beginning to grow used to the werewolves' frequent displays of physical affection, and Lupin was particularly affectionate, even for a werewolf. "Hello, Professor Snape," he said after Lupin released him.

"Good evening, Dietrich," Snape said glumly, sipping at a glass of wine.

"Oh, don't look so glum, Severus!" Lupin said cheerfully. "This is a party, after all."

"I hate parties," Snape said sourly.

"Well, at least it's not your party," Lupin said consolingly. "Lukas is the center of attention tonight, not you."

"Thank Merlin for small favors," Snape muttered, drinking more wine.

"And you might want to watch your alcohol intake, Sev. Lady Selima won't like it if you get drunk and cause a scene."

Snape just growled irritably, and Aric prudently moved away. It was always better not to be in the near vicinity when the Potions Master was in a bad mood. Guests were circulating around the ballroom, drinking wine or champagne and nibbling on plates of finger foods while they gossiped with each other. A house-elf walked through the room with a tray of drinks; he paused to offer the tray to Aric, who took a glass of wine. Holding court in the middle of the room were Lukas and Narcissa, looking regally handsome and beautiful in their formal velvet robes. Lukas was politely accepting congratulations from the party guests, and a stranger would never have guessed that he was a werewolf, with his aristocratic good looks and the cool, polished charm and manners of a pureblood Lord.

And Narcissa, who had been persona non grata in the pureblood world ever since Lucius Malfoy had been exposed as a Death Eater and slain in battle, was surrounded by a bevy of pureblood women, all chattering at her eagerly.

Draco was watching from the sidelines, a look of bemusement on his face, and Aric went over to join his fellow Slytherin. "What's going on?" Aric asked.

"Oddly enough, it seems that marrying a werewolf has increased Mother's popularity rather than the opposite," Draco replied. "The women seem to find the idea scandalously exciting. Not that they'd ever marry one themselves, you understand, but they get a vicarious thrill through gossiping with Mother about it." Draco lowered his voice to a whisper. "And I suspect that a few of them wouldn't mind secretly bedding a werewolf even if they would never wed one. There are rumors going around that the werewolves' bestial nature and inhuman strength make them...er...shall we say, particularly insatiable and vigorous lovers." Aric choked on his wine, and Draco smirked. "So, any truth to that rumor, Dietrich, or is it all hogwash?"

Aric glared at Draco as he choked and coughed. "None of your goddamned business, Malfoy! If you really want to know, go ask a werewolf out on a date!"

"I could," Draco said with a grin, "but I don't think that Serafina would like that."

"Yes, you don't want to make Avery mad; you could wind up in St. Mungo's," Aric agreed. "So are you two actually a couple?"

Draco sighed. "Well, we're sort of working up to it, I think, but it's not easy. She's not your typical girl, who likes to be courted with flowers and jewelry."

"You should take her on date to a bookstore or a library," Aric said, intending to be sarcastic, but Draco's expression brightened.

"Hmm, actually, that's not a bad idea, Dietrich."

Another thought occurred to Aric. "And you should ask her if she'd like to help out at the clinic. It would be good experience, since she's studying to be a Healer, and you have a good excuse to hang around the clinic since you're Lukas's stepson."

"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Draco said enthusiastically. "Thanks, Dietrich."

Aric shrugged. "No problem."

It seemed that Draco hadn't been kidding about the rumors, because several young pureblood women appeared, including a few that he recognized from Hogwarts, and started flirting with him. Some just giggled and batted their eyelashes at him while the others asked in breathy voices what it was like to be a werewolf, and--with coy, suggestive glances--if he was still ruled by the beast's nature even in human form.

"Um...ah..." Aric stammered, a trapped and frantic look in his eyes. Just a few months ago, he would have enjoyed the company of several pretty and flirtatious young women, but all he could think about right now was how he could extricate himself from this situation as quickly as possible. He was also glad that Takeshi hadn't come to the party, after all. Although his lover wasn't quite as jealous as a wolf, he did have a rather vindictive streak.

He flashed Draco a pleading look, and the other boy grinned, looking as if he found the situation highly amusing, but took pity on Aric and said, "Oh, I think I hear Stepfather calling us. Excuse me, ladies, I need to borrow Mr. Dietrich for a few minutes."

The girls pouted, and one of them cooed, "Hurry back."

"Thank you, Malfoy," Aric said fervently as they hurried away from his admirers.

Draco laughed. "You could just tell them that you have a boyfriend, you know." Because Draco spent so much time around the werewolves, he was aware that Takeshi was more than just a friend and roommate to Aric.

"I don't want to cause a big scandal at Lady Selima's party," Aric replied.

"Are you kidding?" Draco said. "Celebrating the wedding of a pureblood woman to a werewolf--this whole party is one big scandal!" He glanced around. "And the crowd seems to love it. I'd say that the party is a huge success."

"Hello, Aric, Draco," Lukas said, giving the boys a wolfish grin. "Are you enjoying the party?"

"Yes," Draco replied, as Aric simultaneously replied, "No."

Lukas laughed and affectionately slipped an arm around Aric's shoulders. "Well, neither am I, if it makes you feel any better."

"Not really," Aric said frankly. "Can I leave yet?"

"No," Lukas replied cheerfully. "I can't leave since I'm the guest of honor, so neither can you. Misery loves company, Aric."

"At least protect me from those girls," Aric pleaded.

"What?" Lukas laughed. "I didn't think that a Slytherin trained in the Dark Arts needed any help protecting his virtue. Presuming that you have any virtue to lose, that is."

"Ha ha, very funny," Aric said, giving his pack leader a sour look. "I'm not so much afraid of the girls as I am of what Takeshi will do to me if he hears that I've been flirting with a bunch of women. Even if they're the ones doing the flirting, not me."

"Ah yes," Lukas said sagely. "It's really not a good idea to make a healer angry. Anyone who knows how to heal pain also knows how to inflict it."

Aric groaned as Lukas chuckled, and then Lady Selima called, "Oh Lukas dear, there's someone I want to introduce you to..."

"Excuse me, Aric," Lukas said with a grin. "Duty calls. But perhaps you could go stand next to Snape; he'll probably scare off most of your overzealous fans with his mere presence."

Aric reluctantly conceded to himself that Lukas had a point, and went over to rejoin Snape and Lupin.

"So are you enjoying yourself, Aric?" Lupin asked.

"Not really," Aric replied.

"Join the club," Snape said, glowering at the laughing partygoers.

"You're leaving for Japan tomorrow with the Kimuras, I understand?" Lupin asked.

Aric nodded. "Yeah, we'll be there for about two months, visiting Takeshi's family." He sighed inwardly. Takeshi said to think of it as a "honeymoon," but it would probably involve meeting many more in-laws, which made it seem less appealing. He just hoped that all of Takeshi's relatives were as nice as Haruko and Isamu, but he couldn't help but remember Takeshi's comments about how some of the pureblooded crane folk were prejudiced against part-bloods.

"Then Severus and I will see you in about a week," Lupin said cheerfully.

"What?" a started Aric asked.

"Oh, haven't I mentioned it before?" Lupin said. "We've been invited to Chizuru's and Karasu's wedding. They taught at Hogwarts for half a year as part of a diplomatic mission, so we were colleagues and allies...and we came to be friends as well."

"Oh right, I remember," Aric said. He hadn't been attending Hogwarts then, but he had heard some of the other students talking about the shapeshifter teachers from Japan.

"We were afraid we wouldn't be able to attend," Lupin continued, "but Theodore is settled in at his new apprenticeship, and that whole...er...unpleasantness with Lestrange has been resolved, so we're free to take a little vacation."

"My colleague Professor Kamiyama, the co-creator of the Wolfsbane Potion, has invited us to stay with him for a few weeks, to attend the wedding and to conduct some Potions research afterwards," Snape explained. "So it will actually be more of a working vacation."

"You make it sound so boring, Severus," Lupin complained good-naturedly. "I'm sure you won't be working the entire time. There will be time for a little sight-seeing, maybe a romantic walk in the woods..."

"I can hardly wait," Snape said sourly.

"And of course there's the wedding," Lupin sighed happily, ignoring his lover. "I'm sure that will be very romantic!"

Snape groaned out loud. "Every time we go to a wedding, Lupin, you do something to embarrass me!"

"Nonsense, Severus, you exaggerate," Lupin said dismissively. Then he gave Snape a sultry smile and purred, "You know, it's the first time since the war ended that we'll be having a vacation alone, just the two of us. Theodore will still be in Ireland, and Dylan wants to stay behind to visit with his great-uncle and aunt." He leaned in close, his lips nearly brushing against Snape's cheek. "So we could consider it a belated honeymoon..."

"Lupin!" Snape hissed, glaring at his lover with a look of outrage on his face. Aric had the feeling that he would have been shouting at Lupin except that he didn't want to attract Selima's attention.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Selima walked towards them, casually chatting with Molly Weasley. "Thank you so much for the cake you sent over, Mrs. Weasley," Selima was saying.

"Oh, it was no trouble at all," Molly said. "I thought that Severus might like a little comfort food while he was recovering from his wounds." She shuddered. "Thank goodness that Lestrange was finally captured! Now we can all rest easy knowing that the last of the Death Eaters is in prison." She smiled at Snape. "Thanks to Severus and Harry." Snape scowled at her, but both Molly and Selima seemed unperturbed. "You must be so proud of your son, Lady Selima."

"Oh, I am," Selima said serenely. "Severus dear, please don't scowl like that. This is a party, after all. At least try to look like you're enjoying it." As her son turned red and started spluttering, and Lupin tried to choke back his laughter, Selima turned back to Molly and said, "And you must be proud of your sons, as well, Mrs. Weasley. They have all turned into fine young men--young Percy, working alongside his father, and the other boys served honorably in the Order of the Phoenix..."

"Well, I must admit that I worried quite a bit about Fred and George, but they've settled down and their business is doing quite well. Oh, and please call me 'Molly,' Lady Selima."

"Oh, but then you must call me 'Selima,' Molly," Selima said, giving Molly a warm smile.

Molly smiled back, her eyes sparkling with pleasure, an awed and flattered look on her face, making her look not so much like the Minister's wife or a mother of seven, but like a young schoolgirl who has just been befriended by the most popular girl in school. "Well...thank you, Selima."

"It is I who should be thanking you, Molly. That upside-down cinnamon-apple cake was simply delicious."

"Oh, it's nothing," Molly said, flushing slightly. "Just a recipe I got from Witch Weekly. I did experiment with it, though, substitute a few of the ingredients...I could owl it to you, if you like."

"Oh yes, you must do that," Selima said, smiling as if nothing would please her more. "And then you must come to tea at the Manor next weekend, and we can talk about our sons over tea and cake."

"Oh, I would like that very much!" Molly said delightedly. "Actually, I could use your advice on a certain matter, if it wouldn't be too much trouble. Bill has finally proposed to Fleur, and planning the wedding is proving to be something of a trial. Not so much the wedding itself, but which people to invite, and how to avoid offending the ones who aren't invited..."

"Of course it's no trouble, Molly," Selima replied. "I understand; I went through similar problems myself, organizing parties when Severin worked at the Ministry. Yes, you must come to tea, and we will work on the wedding plans..."

The two women walked off, Molly still gazing at Selima like a starry-eyed schoolgirl, while across the room, Selima's friends Priscilla Parkinson and Elaine Baddock were watching with affronted looks on their faces, practically pouting at seeing their position usurped by a former nobody, only adding to the image of schoolgirl cliques and rivalries.

Lupin looked amused, while Snape and Aric just stood there, looking stunned. "Your mother doesn't cook, does she, Severus?" Lupin asked calmly.

"No, but Molly doesn't know that," Snape replied, still looking a little dazed. "Mother will probably give the recipe to Vorcher and have him bake the cake." He shook his head and said incredulously, "I can't believe that Molly Weasley has just become my mother's new best friend!"

"I admit, it does seem a little surreal," Lupin chuckled. "But your mother is a practical woman, and extremely adept at playing politics. It's only logical that she should befriend the Minister of Magic's wife."

"I remember my grandfather saying once that it was really Lady Selima who was behind Lord Severin's career," Aric said. "But I never fully appreciated what he meant before today. Merlin's Beard, Professor, if your father hadn't offended Lucius Malfoy, she might have made him Minister of Magic! Hell, she could have been Minister herself if she wanted to pursue a political career!"

"That is truly a scary thought, Dietrich," Snape said, shuddering; Lupin just laughed. "You know, Lupin," Snape said, giving his lover a puzzled look, "I would have expected you to be more disapproving of my mother's new 'friendship'. You know that Selima is only using Molly."

"Still, this new friendship might be good for her," Lupin replied. "Molly is sincere, and doesn't care about politics and ambition. If, Merlin forbid, the Snapes should fall from grace again, Molly won't abandon her the way her other friends would." Lupin glanced at Priscilla and Elaine. "I remember that Selima said once that Anya Diggory was one of the few real friends she had. Perhaps with time, she might come to value Molly as a true friend and not just a political ally."

"Perhaps," Snape said skeptically. "But I wouldn't count on it, Lupin. Sometimes your Gryffindor idealism amazes me."

Lupin smiled. "My idealism is intact, because I have seen truly amazing things, Severus. A man who claims to be a cynical and jaded Slytherin risking his life to fight the Death Eaters and protect his students, for example. Your mother accepting a werewolf into her family. And a young pureblood heir willing to risk his life to save someone that he cares about, and give up his blood purity and his inheritance for the sake of love." Snape and Aric both blushed, and Lupin gently teased, "So tell me...who are the real idealists here?"

Unable to come up with a better retort, Snape grunted, "Oh, shut up, Lupin."

"Hello, Aric," a familiar voice said. "Hello, Professors."

"Erika!" Aric exclaimed, turning to greet his sister with a startled but pleased smile. "I didn't know that you were coming to the reception!"

"It's good to see you again, little brother," Erika said, giving him a hug. "Yes, Lady Selima sent an invitation to the Dietrich family, but for some reason, I was the only one who wanted to come." Brother and sister exchanged sad and cynical smiles. "I packed up your things and had them delivered to your new address. Did you get the trunk yet?"

"Yeah, it just came in yesterday," Aric replied. "Thanks, Erika. Does this mean you're back in England permanently?"

"Yes, I tied up loose ends and quit my job in Germany," Erika said.

"Have you transferred to the London branch of Gringotts?" Lupin asked politely.

"No," Arthur Weasley replied, coming up beside Erika and briefly laying a hand on her shoulder. "She is my newest employee at the Ministry of Magic."

"What?!" Aric exclaimed.

Erika grinned. "Yes, I've just been hired to work in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

"Well, there was a vacancy in that department since Amos Diggory was sent to prison," Arthur said, giving Aric an apologetic look. "And since he was partly responsible for the attack on you, I thought it might serve justice to offer your sister a position in the Ministry. I would've offered it to you personally, Aric, but Remus told me that you have your heart set on a career as a mediwizard."

"Yes, that's right," Aric said firmly. "I already have a job lined up at St. Mungo's, so Erika is more than welcome to the Ministry position."

"I actually would have liked your sister to work in International Magical Cooperation," Arthur sighed regretfully. "But since the father of your ex-fiancee is the Head of that department, I thought that might create an awkward situation."

"I'm honored to be working in Control of Magical Creatures, Minister," Erika said, bowing slightly. "I promise that I'll work hard and prove your faith in me."

"I'm sure that you will, Erika," Arthur said with a smile. Then he spotted Molly waving across the room at him. "Please excuse me; I think my wife wants to talk to me." He sighed heavily. "Probably to discuss wedding plans."

"Yes, Molly told us the good news about Bill and Fleur," Lupin said.

"It is good news, but it's turning into such a production," Arthur sighed. "Honestly, I don't know anything about picking out flowers and bridesmaids' dresses and such; I don't know why Molly keeps asking my opinion about them. And to think that I'll have to go through this five more times! If only I could get all the kids married off in one mass wedding and just be done with it..."

Lupin laughed. "Well, Ginny's still in school, but I think it's likely that we might see a wedding between her and Harry, and Ron and Daphne in a few years. Maybe you could persuade them to have a double wedding. I don't think that Charlie, Fred, and George are ready to settle down yet."

Arthur laughed, a little ruefully, and hurried over to his wife, looking a little harried. Aric turned back to his sister, and Lupin took Snape by the arm and led him away to give them some privacy.

"Are you happy about the job?" Aric asked.

"Yes," Erika replied. "I wasn't really planning on a career dealing with magical creatures, but I got good grades in Study of Magical Creatures." The course at Durmstrang, while similar to Hogwarts' Care of Magical Creatures class, put as much emphasis on learning how to defend against the creatures as it did on how to care for them--which might have been a helpful addition to the Hogwarts classes, considering the kinds of animals Hagrid had them caring for. "And it's a Ministry position--that's the main thing."

"Father and Mother must be proud that their heir will be working at the Ministry after all," Aric said, a little bitterly.

"Aric," Erika said, looking worried, "you're not upset about me taking the position, are you?"

"No, Erika," Aric reassured her. "I'm still angry at Father and Mother, and Grandfather and Grandmother, but I'm not angry at you. I meant what I told Weasley; I don't want to work at the Ministry, so you're welcome to the position, Erika. I really mean it."

"Good," Erika said, relaxing. "Are you happy, Aric?"

"Yes," Aric replied, the bitterness easing and a smile spreading across his face as he thought of Takeshi. "I've never been happier in my life."

"I'm glad," Erika said, smiling at him. "You'll have to introduce me to your boyfriend later."

"It's too bad that we're leaving for Japan just when you've come back to England," Aric said regretfully. "But we can get together and have dinner when we get back." He grinned. "I'll take you to my in-laws' restaurant; the food is great there."

"I'll look forward to it," Erika said, grinning back at him. "In the meantime, I'll get settled in at the Ministry."

"I'm sure you'll be running the department in no time," Aric laughed.

"The Minister didn't actually give me Amos Diggory's position," Erika said. "It would cause too much dissension if he appointed a newcomer over the older and more experienced workers. The next senior staff member after Amos was promoted to Department Head, and I'm moving into the new vacancy." Erika smiled smugly. "But don't worry; I intend to work my way up to Department Head eventually. Sooner rather than later."

"I've no doubt of it, sister dear," Aric said with genuine respect. He held out his hand and asked, "Would you like to meet my pack leader?"

"I would love to," Erika replied, placing her hand in his. "I should pay my respects to the guest of honor, after all."

So Aric led her over to meet Lukas and Narcissa, and Erika politely greeted them and thanked them for looking after her brother. Narcissa seemed pleased to meet a pureblood woman who was being friendly towards her without wanting to discuss prurient gossip about her werewolf husband, and the two were soon deep in discussion as Narcissa gave Erika some advice about Ministry politics. Erika seemed pleased to receive it, and listened with interest, knowing that Narcissa had an intricate understanding of how the Ministry worked, since Lucius had worked there for so many years.

"I like your sister," Lukas told Aric. "She rather reminds me of a wolf herself."

"She's definitely a predator," Aric said with a grin.

"I think that her coworkers and superiors at the Ministry had better watch their backs," Lukas said with a sly smile.

"Oh yes," Aric agreed fervently.

Lady Selima announced that the dancing would begin, and music started playing on cue, and Lukas excused himself and escorted Narcissa onto the dance floor. Aric was about to ask Erika if she wanted to dance, when a very angry-looking Paul Keller marched up and demanded, "Where's Takeshi?"

Apparently Paul's family was high-ranking enough to warrant an invitation to Lady Selima's party. Aric vaguely recalled that the Kellers were a well-off pureblood family, although nowhere near as wealthy and high-ranking as the Snapes or the Blacks or even Aric's own family. "He's not here," Aric replied coldly. "He had to work tonight. But if you have a problem with him, you can address it to me, Keller."

"Fine," Paul snapped. "Tell him to stay out of my personal life and stop sending his friends to carry malicious gossip to my girlfriend! Anna came to me in tears the other day, all hysterical over some nonsense Hannah Abbott told her--and I know that it was Takeshi who put her up to it!"

"It's not nonsense, and you bloody well know it," Aric snarled. "All she did was tell Anna the truth--which you obviously haven't."

"Whatever I choose to tell or not tell my girlfriend is none of your or Takeshi's goddamned business!" Paul said through gritted teeth, obviously struggling to keep from shouting. "He gave up his right to interfere in my life when he--" Paul paused, his eyes flickering towards Erika, who was watching their argument with interest. "When we had a disagreement about pureblood social customs, and chose not to associate with each other any longer," he finished more circumspectly. "Tell him that I never expected him to be so petty."

"He's not doing it out of spite, you stupid git," Aric retorted, finding it increasingly hard to control his inner wolf and keep himself from attacking the man who had insulted his mate--and not just any man, but a former rival, someone who had dared to touch his mate intimately. And worse, someone stupid enough not to value what he'd had, although Aric supposed that he should be grateful for Paul's stupidity, since it had turned out to be his gain. Still, the wolf wanted to rend Paul limb from limb, while Aric would have settled for punching him in his handsome, arrogant face. Aric's lips drew back from his teeth in a snarl, and Paul took a nervous step backwards.

Aric realized that he was baring his teeth in a wolf-like manner, and took a deep breath, trying to get himself under control. "He's only worried about Anna," Aric said, with what he felt was admirable restraint. "He doesn't want to see her get hurt."

"It's none of his business!" Paul repeated. "Tell him to stay away from me and from Anna, or I'll..."

"Or you'll what?" Aric snarled, forgetting about control and restraint.

Paul turned pale, but he blustered, "Or...or I'll make you sorry, werewolf or not! In fact, if you try to threaten me, I'll have you locked up as a dangerous beast!"

"Oh, I don't think you want to do that," Erika said sweetly.

"And who the hell are you?" Paul asked.

"Erika Dietrich, newest member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," she replied. "It's my department that decides what is and is not a dangerous beast." She gave Aric an amused little smile. "And I hardly think that my little brother is a dangerous beast."

"Dietrich? Brother?" Paul said, looking from Erika to Aric. "You're his sister?"

"That's right," Erika said. She took a step forward, grabbed his wrist, and said, still smiling sweetly, "And it's not a good idea to threaten my family."

"I don't care who you are--" Paul started to say, then yelped and said, "Hey, that hurts!" when Erika tightened her fingers around his wrist in what Aric knew from experience was a bone-crushing grip. She had always been strong for a girl.

"Go ahead and scream if you want, Mr. Keller," Erika told him. "But that would attract attention, and it would be pretty humiliating for everyone to see a girl kick your arse across the ballroom, wouldn't it?"

"She can do it, too," Aric helpfully informed Paul.

"Ow ow ow!" Paul whined, as Erika literally started twisting his arm. "Okay, okay, I'll leave your brother alone! Let go of me!" Erika released him, and he hastily fled, pausing briefly to glare at Aric, but only once he was safely out of Erika's reach. Then he left the ballroom, and presumably, the Manor itself.

"Well, Erika," Aric said with an ironic smile. "I'm not sure whether I should thank you or feel humiliated that I needed my big sister to beat up the bully who was picking on me."

"Oh, I know that you could have kicked his arse yourself," Erika said with a grin. "But that would have gotten you into trouble, since technically you are a 'dangerous beast'. And as the newest member of my department, I don't really have that much clout at the Ministry yet. But now he won't dare mention this to anyone, because then he'd have to tell them that he was scared of a little girl." She batted her eyelashes innocently.

It was a bit of a stretch to describe Erika as "a little girl," Aric thought, although he prudently kept that opinion to himself. She was tall and statuesque, but still a few inches shorter than Paul, and dressed in an elegant formal gown, she looked as feminine as any of the other pureblood ladies present. And although she hated doing so, Erika could simper and act dainty when it was necessary. No one who didn't know her intimately--such as the little brother she had once beaten up for breaking her favorite doll--would ever believe that she could physically manhandle and threaten Paul. If he tried to file a complaint against her, he would only look like an idiot and a coward. Aric had to admit that it really was better to let her handle it than to take on Paul himself.

"Thank you, sister dear," Aric said, kissing her on the cheek. "Would you care to dance with me?"

"I would be honored, brother dear," Erika laughed, allowing him to take her hand and lead her onto the dance floor.

Chapter 4

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