Title:
Unforseen Complications (until I can think of better
title)
Author:
Raihne
Pairing:
Severus Snape/ Remus Lupin , Harry Potter/ Draco Malfoy
Disclaimer: If I owned these guys
the books would not be for children. So I guess I don't own them, do
I.
Summary: When Harry stumbles
upon an old graveyard and a childs grave with a very suspicious name
who can he turn to?
Does the grave have something
to do with Snape's ever chilling attitude? Or Harry's odd dreams? And
why does
Malfoy keep looking
at Harry like he's seen a ghost?
Note:
This is an answer to a challenge posted at http://www.blooddance.com/mpreg/challenges.html
don't read the
challenge
till you've finished the fic though, or you ruin some of the best surprises.
Italics - indicate a flashback or a pensive memory etc.
//Italics// - indicate thoughts
<Part 0>
Hogwarts
1986
//When you love someone,// Remus Lupin breathed
out a ragged breath, his heart racing and eyes watering, //When your
beloved completes you, you feel so full inside that it forces tears to
your eyes as if, if you don't cry, the emotion would burst free and tear
you apart with the force of it.//
The werewolf bent tenderly and placed a kiss
upon his lover's naked back, traceing his spine reverently, "You make
me a poet Sev." He whispered.
"Do I?" The dark haired man turned to lay
on his well cherished back so that he might face the fair man above him.
"How ironic."
"Hmm? What is?"
"You are an aritst," He stretched and gave
a small smirk, "While you make me feel like a work of art."
"I love you."
"And I you."
Remus lay back in his lover's arms and snuggled,
"You know, we could just forget everyhing and stay in bed all day."
He suggested, "I'm sure your students wouldn't be too disappointed with
a free period."
"I have only been teaching for five months,
it wouldn't do to anger the headmaster. Besides, I would wager on an
hour before someone interrupts that attempt."
"Oh? What would you wager?"
"Remus. . ."
"A kiss perhaps?" The man chuckled and pressed
closer causing Snape to groan.
"I have class Rem. . ."
"It's a rich bet Snape." He teased and rubbed
against his lover giggling when he was pounced upon.
"Don't think I won't collect."
They smiled together and decided to try their
luck once again. It had become almost a daily ritual since their final
year at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. Maybe one of these
mornings Remus would tell his precious potions master that he turned the
clocks back each night so that they'd have time to play and never get in
any real trouble for it.
"You are very happy this morning." Severus
observed, amused.
"I recieved an owl from James."
"Oh?" a cool hint crept into Snape's voice.
"He apologised for the pranks Sev, please
just forgive him."
"What did he say?" He changed the subject.
Remus shook his head, one of these days he'd
get those two to talk to each other! "Lilly is going to have a baby!"
"Really?" Have they been married that long?"
"How long do you think it takes to conceive?"
The fair man joked. "They're naming him Richard James Potter, but they'll
call him Harry."
"Harry."
"Mhmm. If I ever had a baby, I think I'd
call him Harry. It's a good name. But I'd make it short for Harrison."
"Harrison?"
"Like that muggle actor you think is so sexy."
"I didn't say he was sexy." Severus blushed,
"I said you should buy a fedora and a bull whip."
Remus laughed and hugged the other man tighter.
"ung!" He grunted .
"Wouldn't that be something though? Harry
Potter and Harry Lupin?"
"I didn't know that you wanted children."
The pale man sounded pensive. "You never mentioned it before."
"It isn't possible."
"Still. . ."
"Shh. Why should I dwell on the impossible?
I want you more than an imaginary baby." He nuzzled the quiet man's neck,
"I love you so much."
"Why would you give up a dream for me?"
Remus slapped him and frowned, "You're worth
more than a dream." He sighed and lay back beside him, "besides, the
only one I would ever want a baby with is you. A lovely baby boy with
your hair and skin. And maybe green eyes, like mine before I became a
werewolf."
"Harry Lupin-Snape?" Severus snorted, "Well
he'd better get your nose."
His love's musical laughter filled the room,
"Love you, you silly git."
Snape rubbed the werewolf's back and thought
to himself silently.~ ~ ~ ~
Severus Snape pulled himself back to the
present and snapped his Pensive closed. If he'd have known how
limited their time was then, he'd have left the book open twentyfour
hours a day. As it was, he carressed the hard, wyrn skin cover and replaced
it on his shelf. It held only a few precious times, that pensive did.
And a lot of pain too. But he couldn't bring himslef to throw it out or
empty it. It was all he had left. 1986. . . and now it was 2000, fifteen
years since. . .
He stood abruptly, knocking his chair to
the ground. He didn't have time to dwell in the past. He had a class
to teach and a death eater gathering to attend like a good little
spy.
He didn't have time to break.
<Part 1>
Hogwarts
2000
Harry Potter lay on his belly sprawled on
the ground outside Hagrid's hut. It was a beautiful day, crisp and cool
with the bite of an early winter even though the leaves were still red
and gold and clinging to the trees. He wanted to finish up his homework
outside in the fresh air. Well, he Wanted to be playing a mock
game of Quiddich with his freinds. But fate and greasy potions proffesors
had made different plans.
Snape was an utter git! A 48 inch scroll on
the creation and use of any potion that hadn't been covered in class
yet. All because he'd been caught trying to help Neville with his growth
serum. He groaned and dipped his quill once again, doodling on the parchment
before him, not knowing where to begin. //What potion should I choose?
The only ones I know are the ones we learned in class. . . well what
do I want my potion to do? . . . I would like to be able to see my parents
again. . . maybe there's a potion to look into the past or something. .
.// He opened the books he'd gotten from the library after classes. //Past,
past. . . //
Without any warning a large, dark bird flew
down and plucked the quill from Harry's hand!
"Hey!" He snatched for it but the bird kept
hopping out of reach. "Give that back!"
"Talking to birds now Potter?" A deep voice
chuckled behind him, "Weren't snakes enough for you?"
"Leave me alone Malfoy!"
"Now where would the fun be in that? I'm quite
enjoying watching you muddy your robes chasing after a bird. A raven
stole your quill. Lovely bit of mockery there. Why is a raven like a writing
desk?"
Harry noticed the raven take flight and swore
to himself, "Just leave me alone Malfoy."
"Poor little Potter can't afford to loose
a quill."
Harry gathered up his books and ran after
the bird. Malfoy could tease him all he wanted, that quill had been
a present from Sirius. His godfather had enchanted it to improve Harry's
handwritting as a joke last year and the boy fairly basked in the fact
that his father figure had given him a gift, no matter how silly it was.
It was given with love.
He followed the bird into a very old part
of the grounds that he had never been to before. There was a stone courtyard.
It was creepy, slightly foggy and closed off by large, rod iron gates.
When the raven flew inside, Harry took a deep breath before scaling the
locked bars and slipping inside. //Oh God!// His eyes went wide. It was
a graveyard! Tall, towering markers of every shape and size were placed
in rows, some decaying and crumbling others covered in ivy and moss. None
of them were new. Like someone had locked the place up and forgotten about
it.
The bird and quill were forgotten as he walked
through that place. Names he'd only seen in text books looked back at
him from cold stone. Wizards who had shaped the way they lived! Merlin,
Tybalt prince of cats, Godric Griffindor, Saalazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw,
Hufflepuff, Kyd and Marlow and a hundred other names. A flash of pink
and yellow caught his eyes in the grey and Harry made his way over the
rocky, uneven ground toward the color. An old grave stood there, not as
old as the others though, the rock was still clean of moss. Instead a
flowering tree stood over it. Still blooming even though the season was
long since passed. Harry touched one of the blooms, carefull not to break
it from the branch. Pasture Roses with little yellow centers. He thought
back to herbology and the study of flowers. A pasture rose meant 'love
is dangerous'. He shivered in the now biting cold. What could have happened
to make someone plant that on a grave.
The gravestone itself was rough and hand carved.
A werewolf craddling a child wrapped in cloth who had no face. The two
figures rested against a traditional headstone. Harry trace the words
in silence. Harrison Remi Lupin-Snape 1987-1987 A child I never
held who still holds my heart. The words brought tears to his eyes
for the woman who must have written them. He had never even thought to ask
if Remus had a sister. Or was she Snape's sister? The idea of a Lupin with
a Snape, especially considering how much they hated eachother. . . Harry
looked at the wolf carved there in silent thought. Maybe Remus was the father
then. He slipped quietly out of the graveyard. That grave . . .
"Potter?"
Harry looked up into the eyes of Draco Malfoy
and once again muffled a curse. He tried to wipe his tears away without
being too obvious but that was useless. "What do you want Malfoy?"
"Why are you crying?"
"Why are you following me?"
Malfoy stiffened and glared at him. "I'm not
following you Potter, I wouldn't waste my time."
"Of course not."
"You didn't answer me Potter."
"Didn't want to waste anymore of your time."
He tried to walk passed then stopped, "Malfoy, does Snape. . . ?"
Those steal grey eyes looked at him coldly
.
Harry turned and left. He couldn't bring himself
to ask. . . and Daco's eyes were the same color as the grave.
<Part 2>
Upon walking into the great hall, Harry saw
Hermione and Ron right away. He smiled when Ron began waving his arms
as if Harry couldn't pick out his bright red hair in any crowd. "You look
like you're trying to fly off of your stool."
"And good evening to you too sir." Ron mocked
with a grin. "Where have you been all day?"
Harry was quiet a moment then shook his head,
"I was doing my potions assignment. . . did you know there's a graveyard
attached to the school?"
Hermione looked up from her book suddenly interested,
"The one where the founders are burried? You saw it?"
"I went inside to get my quill. . ."Harry trailed
off, "There was a grave there."
Ron looked confused. "That's usually what you
find in a graveyard mate. Or do muggles use them for something else?"
"Oh yes Ron, they strip naked and hold dances
there every saturday night."
"Really?!" Ron's eyes were almost completely
round they were so wide.
Hermione snorted and gave him one of her 'you
cannot be serious' looks. "It was a joke Ron. Muggles use graveyards the
same way that we do. They aren't heathens you know."
"Well how am I supposed to know when you're
serious? It's not like I know any muggles."
"You should take muggle studies with me next
term."
"Why would You take muggle studies?"
"I want to know what the wizarding world 'knows'
about muggles." she shrugged.
Harry listened to his freinds fall into the
same conversation they'd had a million times since Ron told them he wasn't
taking the muggle studies course with them. After a few moments he saw
Snape walk into the greathall and stood, "I'll be right back."
Hermione and Ron stared as he approached the
potions master before Snape could join the other proffesors. "Proffesor
Snape?"
"What is it Potter." His words fairly dripped
acid.
"I was just wondering. . . uh. . ."
"Out with it. Some of us have things to do
this evening."
"doyouhaveasister?"
Snape sighed in annoyance, "There is a reason
people pause in their speech Potter."
"Do you have a sister?"
This earned him a suspicious pause, "I do not
see why that would concern you but no. I am the last of the Snapes."
"oh."
"Quite. Now are we finished with this inane
moment?"
"Does Re. . . uh. . . proffesor Lupin?"
"Does Lupin what?"
"Have a sister?"
"Getting desperate Potter. Young miss Weasley
would be happy to oblige you. Now if you will excuse me. . ." He turned
once again to join the other proffesors.
//Wait a minuet! If Snape is the last of
his line. . .// "Did you marry a Lupin?"
Snape froze. He didn't move a muscle.
"Proffesor?"
Harry's concerned words broke him from his
shock. "Join your freinds mister Potter. The meal will begin soon."
The young Griffendor hesitated a moment.
"If you do not go now I will begin deducting
points."
Harry nearly ran back to the table.
"Harry what were you doing?!" Hermione asked
wide eyed when he returned.
"I had a question."
"You could have asked one of us!" Ron insisted,
"Snape looked like he was livid!"
"What did you ask him?"
Harry shook his head, "nothing."
They let the matter drop as the food arrived
and began to eat. It wasn't until the meal was almost over that Harry
realized Snape had never joined the proffesors.
Hogwarts
1986
Sevrus Snape looked at the detecting potion
he'd just finished and gasped when the water turned light blue. He quickly
brewed another caldron of it and once again added a drop of his blood
to the mixture. Again it turned a light blue color and a rare, ear to
ear smile graced the usualy somber face. //It worked!// He ran his hand
over the flat ridges of his stomach in awe. //I can give you both of your
dreams Remus. I am giving you a child. No, us. I am giving us a child.//
The door to the potions room opened and Severus
looked up at Remus, the smile still on his face.
"What are you up to?" The werewolf smiled lovingly.
"Secret." He teased.
"Keeping secrets from me Sev?" Remus wrapped
his arms around his slightly smaller lover and kissed his neck softly.
"Tell me?"
"Not yet."
"You know how I am. I'll die of curiousity if
you don't tell me."
"I'll tell you soon. I want to be possitive
of it first." He blushed, "I don't want you to be disappointed."
"It's for me?" He laughed and burried his face
in the younger man's hair. "NowI know the suspence will kill me."
"At least I won't have to listen to you complain
about it then."
"Sev! I'm shocked!" He reeled in mock pain and
pulled the potions master to the floor with him, slipping a hand up under
his lover's robes. "Is there anything I can do to convince you to tell
me?"
"You will be the death of me, do you know that?"
Severus gasped as the questing hand found what it had been searching for.
"REMUS!"
"Hush. Let me. . ."
"We're in my classroom! Remus I have a class
of first year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws due to arrive in ten minuets!"
"Then I'll have to hurry."
"Wai. . . ohhh!"
If any of the students thought their proffessor
was in a very good mood that class period, none of them were brave enough
to ask why.
The pensive slid shut and the potions master
hugged it tightly to his chest. That had been the last time he and Remus
had made love, but it had been enough. The potion had worked. //And
when Remus found out. . . he left.// That day was trapped in the pensive
by accident. Severus had left it open while he prepared a wonderful dinner
(cooking being not so different from potion making) to celebrate. He'd done
it. He'd gotten pregnant. //Harrion Lupin-Snape//
"Did I marry a Lupin, Potter?" He whispered,
"No, but I loved one once. I did love one once."
"Severus." Dumbledore stepped into the dark
dungeon room where his potions master now lived and watched the man.
Severus Snape was sitting in a corner, holding onto a thick book as if
it were a life line.
"Severus." Dumbledore repeated.
"Headmaster." Snape stood easily, all weakness
gone from view. "To what do I owe this. . . honor?"
"You are bitter, Severus. Do not allow yourself
to be consumed by the past."
"What do you want?"
"You didn't eat tonight."
"I wasn't hungry." He drawled, clearly annoyed,
"What is the point of this visit?"
"You should be aware. Remus Lupin will be returning
to Hogwarts within the week."
"That is not acceptable." Snape ground out harshly.
“Severus, it’s been fifteen years. You
cannot go on like this my freind. Remus is needed here. I am not asking
you to pick up where you once were, only that you do not intensionally
aggrivate him."
"I do not want anything to do with that creature."
"He is coming. Past greivances must be put aside."
"Grievences? Albus you know nothing of grief."
"You are alive Severus. You could have died
along with the child.”
“Would that be so bad a thing?” Severus asked softly.
“What do I have to live for, Headmaster? I am a Death Eater, looking
for absolution from my sins. My son is dead, my child did not even take
his first breath. The man I love has left me. My heart is broken and my
soul bleeds. I would welcome death, at least then I would be with my son.”
“You owe us more than that, Severus,” Albus said,
his kind voice hardened. “We gave you another chance. I protected you from
the Ministry. You agreed to spy for us. And then because you were foolish
enough to get involved with Remus Lupin, and fall pregnant with his child,
we had to hide you here for six months, loosing much time in finding out
what Voldemort is planning next. I’m sorry to be so harsh with you, Severus,
but these are the facts. You owe me more than this apathy.”
“And am I supposed to just forget my child?!” Severus
snarled.
“Yes,” Albus answered coldly. Severus reared back in
shock. “Listen to me. The child is dead. He has been dead for fifteen
years. There is nothing you can do for him. But there are many children
who are alive now, who will surely die if Voldemort isn’t stopped."
"Like your precious Potter?"
"All of the students here. And at this moment in time,
they are more important than a dead infant. . .” The Headmaster's voice
trailed of as he realized what he had just said. "Severus. . ."
An icy masque had fallen over Severus Snape's face.
He could be cold. He could survive with a soul of ice. It was a state
he had perfected on the day his tears had run out. “Very well, Headmaster.
You are correct, of course. I will fulfill my duties to you. You will
have no cause for complaint. Good day to you.”
"Severus please. . ."
"I said good day."
Dumbledore nodded and turned away. At the door
he turned and found the potions master in the same possition as he was
before. He looked so much like the young man he'd once been. //I
am sorry Severus. There are things that one must do in war, for the good
of the many. Sacrifices need to be made. But I am sorry.//
In the hallway, Draco Malfoy backed into the
shadows quickly and tried to calm his rapidly beating heart. //So that's
why he reacted like that to Potter's question! A Lupin!// The blond
waited until Dumbledor was gone and slipped into the classroom. "Proffessor
Snape."
Snape didn't turn around. "What is it Malfoy?"
" . . . " Draco realized that his proffesor
was hiding his tears and frowned. Weakness was not a trait Slytherins
showed. Draco didn't know how to react. Snape was his favorite proffesor,
probaly the only one who cared about him in the entire castle. The young
Slytherin found himself in the ackward possition of wanting to help.
" . . . " He hadn't had much practice with helping people.
"Well?"
//Well, I can't make it any worst.//
"I didn't know you were gay."
That made Snape turn around. His eyes were hard
as stone. "What did you hear?"
//He thinks I'm going to blackmail him.//
"You realize that if you have a breakdown it will make Slytherin look
bad."
"I am aware of that."
Draco nodded and was quiet for a moment.
"What is it?"
"You can make a potion to allow a male to become
pregnant?"
His eyes were like steel. "Yes."
"And it works?"
"Obviously not since my child was still born."
". . ."
"Why so curious, young Malfoy."
He weighed the pros and cons and decided to continue
with his train of thought. "My father doesn't approve of . . . relationships
between two men. He wants an heir and if my chosen spouse is male I could
not carry on the Malfoy name. But if there was a way then I might be able
to court h. . ."
The hard look was melting as the man before
him realized what he was dancing around. "It isn't like a Malfoy to
ask for help."
"It isn't like a Malfoy not to get his own way."
He countered, "But, there are certain expectations that I must meet as
my father's son."
Snape nodded, "I suppose as the Malfoy heir
you are not expected to hold more liberal ideals."
"No."
"Would you like some hot chocolate? My office
is not far."
Draco smiled, a real smile.
"And perhaps you would like to talk about your.
. . romantic interest."
He blushed and nodded.
"I shall even refrain from asking his name."
"Thank you."
//Remus is returning to Hogwarts. Potter
suspects and Draco knows, at least a part of the story. How can this
continue? How could Albus do this to me again?//
"Professor?" Draco touched his arm and Snape
jumped.
"What?!"
"We passed your office five minuets ago."
He blinked down the corrador and then back the
way they'd come. "You did not tell me."
"You looked like you needed to work through
some things."
"When did you grow up?" He asked with a suspicious
but light tone.
"It happened so gradualy that I didn't notice
it myself."
"I take it the 'boy' you needed to talk about
has had something to do with it."
He nodded a moment then asked, "What will you
do?"
"What do you mean?"
"With Lupin coming back. . . what will you do?"
Snape paused as the answer came to him, such
a simple answer that he had overlooked it before. "I will deal with it."
He said it almost as much to himself as to Draco. "I can't affored to break."
He tried to smile a bit. "It would make Slytherin look bad after all. And
we cannot have that."
"It was a near thing though." The young Slytherin
noted. "I'll have a talk with Potter. Get him to keep his mouth shut."
"No bloodshed Draco. I'll have enough on my
mind as it is."
He grinned broadly.
Snape almost groaned aloud but he was more calm
then he'd been in months. //Remus is coming home. Remus. . .//
<Part 3>
Snape watched from the shadows at breakfast,
while Dumbledore annonced the return of Remus Lupin as the Defence Against
the Dark Arts Teacher. Of course the werewolf would be under strict control
thanks to the wolfbane potion 'generously offered by Proffesor Snape.
'
The 'generous' proffesor was trying not to be
ill.
He noticed young Malfoy watching him carefully
and offered a week smirk. It felt good to know someone was actually worried
about him. Their night time conversations over burbon and hot chocolate
had gotten so frequent that they were nearly every night now. If Snape had
been an emotional man he would have said the boy was becoming so dear to
him that it was almost like his son was alive. But he'd given up hopeful
emotions a long time before. Buried them with his precious child, and his
soul deep love for a man who had walked away from both of them.
//If Lupin is arriving I cannot show weakness.//
He made a mental note to warn Draco that their meetings must be kept a
secret from the lycanthrop. Ignoring the displeased face of the headmaster
he swept out of the great hall the moment announcements were finished. He
might have been cornered into helping Lupin, but he would not show a happy
face over it. He was not happy at all and everyone would be aware of it.
Minerva McGonagal watched Severus storm out and
turned to whisper to the Headmster. "Albus do you think this is wise?
You know what Lupin did to him. Bringing him back once was bad enough,
the animosity between them almost ended in bloodshed. But to bring him
back again. . ."
"Fifteen years ago, I made a decsision that saved
the wizarding world." Dumbledore admitted, "But destroyed a bond of very
true love." He sighed, "And that almost destroyed a man who had trusted
me." He took a sip from his goblet and sighed, "Voldemort is still powerful,
and Harry is still very young, but I fear if things aren't put to right,
we will lose that man. It is time to put things to right, Minerva." The
headmaster looked very old just then. "And it is time that I unmade my
sin."
She studied the bearded wizard carefully. "Are
you talking about Remus? Or are you talking about Severus?"
He just smiled, the twinkle had gone from his
eyes though, and turned it wan.
Harry slipped the invisibility cloak around his
shoulders and slipped quietly into the moonlit halls of Hogwarts. He
was too excited to sleep. Remus was returning! Maybe he would bring Sirius
again! The green eyed boy smiled widely as he slipped toward the main
doors to indulge in some night flying.
A soft noise changed his plans. He peered
down the stairs to the basement below and saw a platinum haired boy walking
by quickly on his way toward the potions room. //Malfoy. What is he up
to now?// Harry instantly dropped the idea of flying and followed the blond
silently. If Malfoy was going to steal something for a potion of some kind
Harry would most likely need to know the antidote soon after he made it.
It came a a surprise when Draco didn't go into
the potions room at all, but approached the picture of Tybalt only a few
feet away. He leaned in and whispered, "Loss," and waited until the portrait
swung fully open, then slipped into the passage. Harry followed quickly
before the way closed up again. He slipped into a dark corner and swore
when he realised that he was in Snape's private quarters.
Draco set his bag by the table in the small kitchen
area and placed some milk and chocolate into a mug, tapping it with a
quick heating charm and then took a spoon from one of the drawers and
began to mix it. Harry's mind was working over time. //Why is he so familiar
with Snape's rooms? Why does he know a proffesor's password?// His eyes
widened. //The rumors can't be true can they?! Is Malfoy . . . doing things
with Snape to get a top score in . . . no. Malfoy has too much pride to.
. . doesn't he?//
"Mister Malfoy." Snapes entrance made Harry jump
a bit but the boy stayed quiet. If he was caught in Snapes rooms, he'd
get detention for life!
"You breaking?" Draco asked.
Snape recognised the real worry in that cold question
and shook his head.
"Lupin will be here tomorrow."
"I know." He poured himself a drink and sat at
the table, placing a large book in the center.
"That your pensive?"
"Yes."
"From that time."
"Yes." He caressed the slightly worn hide and
took a drink before continuing.
"Do you really hate him?"
"No." Snape shook his head, "But if I don't hate
him. . ."
"You hate him so you don't love him." Draco observed.
"From our talks I would say that you can understand
that very well."
"Yes." He sipped his cocoa and the room was silent
for a long while.
Harry began to fidgit uncomfortably. The cold
words spoken between the two of them were classicly Slytherin, but they
were cushioned by a strong feeling of careing between the two sitting
there. Not just a teacher/student careing. . . more like the way Harry
imagined a family might feel. The way Ron and his dad related to each other.
And the way Harry wished he could have related to his own father if Voldemorte
hadn't. . .
"Is there a reason you brought that book out?"
Draco finally asked.
Snape nodded. "I would like to show you what happened.
So that you understand when Lupin arrives."
"You don't have to." He commented. "I understand
already."
"Please."
Harry was shocked at the dreary potion master's
plee.
"I need to share this with someone."
Draco understood that he was being offered a chance
to be closer to the man he'd come to respect and care for. He nodded
quietly.
Harry couldn't leave without being seen. He knew
he shouldn't be watching the memory but didn't know what to do. Then it
was to late, and he stood in place reluctantly as Snape opened the book.
Hogwarts
1986
Severus was working in the kitchen of a much
brighter room. The place was full of little trinkets, plants and photographs
that made it home. One in particular was posted upon the ice box, a smiling
Remus Lupin entangled on the grass of the quidditch field was an equally
happy Severus Snape.
The soft sound of the portrait opening made Severus
look up with a smile, "Remus! Go ahead and shower, dinner is almost done."
Purposeful footsteps brought the werewolf into
the bright room and Severus turned with a smile. A smile that quickly fell
when he noticed his lover's face. "What happened?"
"Did you think I wouldn't find out?" The voice
was low and angry.
Snape's expression was questioning. "Find out
what?"
"Your little 'secret'." Remus spat, "Dumbeldore
told me. How dare you?!"
"I. . . I thought you'd be happy. I did it for
you, well. . . for us." He smiled.
"Don't you dare say it's for me! This was never
about me was it?! This is all about you and I'm sick and tired
of trying! Weren't you satisfied with what we had? I know it wasn't much
but we had each other! Just the two of us. Wasn't that good enough?"
The smile was gone now. "But you said. . ."
"Don't you dare try to pin this on me!"
Severus' eyes were swimming and his tears were
coursing down his cheaks. "I did it for you."
"I didn't want you to!"
"Remi I. . ." Snape tried to touch his arm but
Remus jerked away and swipped jagged nails over the potion master's face,
knocking him to the ground and making him bleed.
"Don't call me that." He snarled.
Severus cradled his arms over his stomach gently,
his eyes still crying but now hardening behind the tears. "Don't ever
hit me again."
"I don't take orders from Deatheaters."
Snape sucked in a painfull breath and sobbed,
"Get Out."
"Can't you handle the truth? Did you ever really
leave them Sev?"
Snape's sobs were more pronounced now, he was
pratically choaking on them. "You know I didn't want. . ."
"Everything is about you. Keep you precious potions.
And leave me out of it." Remus slammed out of the door and Snape sat
there on the floor, clutching his belly while the celebration dinner
he'd been preparing burned.
"But I made it for you. It's not about me. Everything
is for you." He gasped and began to cry.
_____________________
"Severus?"
"Yes Albus?"
"Mr Lupin has left Hogwarts to work as an Agent
against Voldemort. Do you have any idea why he might do something so
rash?"
"He didn't want the baby."
Dumbledore just watched the slim man before him.
"You told him about the pregnancy potion." It
wasn't accusing, just a statement.
"Yes, he was going to leave this morning. When
he came to me I told him that he should wait until your child was born.
I beleived you had told him. I didn't mean to spoil your surprise."
Severus began to laugh painfully, "Oh it was most
assuredly a surprise. He's left me Albus. He didn't want the baby. He
hit me and accused me of never leaving the dark lord, as if the baby was
something to blackmail him with. . . he left me."
Albus patted Severus on the back softly, "Give
him some time young Severus. Maybe it was simply overwhelming." The headmaster
smiled, "It was certainly an unexpected surprize."
"This wasn't a light argument headmaster. Lupin
and I are finished." Snape rubbed his still flat belly softly, "Now all
I have of him is this child. This child is all I have."
Draco starred at Snape for a moment before jumping
from the chair to hug the older man. He didn't care that it could be taken
as a display of weakness. The proffesor looked like he would crumble any
moment from the memory. "He's a bastard." The blond boy snarled. "He isn't
worth it."
"But he was." Snape breathed softly, accepting
the hug and returning it. "Remus Lupin was my life, and he left me dying
inside. And now. . ."
"Now he's coming back."
Snape nodded, "Is it any wonder I am . . . distraught?"
"I wont let him near you."
"That is not why I showed you the pensive Draco.
I need you to understand. . . and I will need you to keep me strong while
he is here. I lost everything fifteen years ago. I cannot bare to lose it
again."
"But you would go back to him."
"In an instant." Snape burried his head in Draco's
shoulder, "That is what love is about."
"I will not fail you." Draco swore.
The hug tightened a bit and then released and
Snape quickly compossed himself. "That was very unSlytherin." He coughed.
"I won't tell if you don't." The blond grinned,
"This can be a house free area."
"In the rooms of the head of Slytherin house?
That hardly seems correct."
"Well since both of the people who frequent this
room have. . . romantic interests in certain Gryffindors, past and present,
it may be our only option."
"As usual you have taken a complex situation and
twisted it into a much more simple scale."
Draco smirked then became serious again. "We both
have our masks to wear Proffesor. Will we ever be able to take them off?"
"Perhaps you will get the chance."
"I don't think so."
"Draco. . . this isn't easy for me to say, and
it will not be easily acheived. . . but love is a very precious magic.
And no matter how it hurt me in the end I would never trade the time I
had it for anything, even to get rid of the pain. Don't let yours go without
fighting for it."
"Bravery is a Gryffendor trait."
"But Malfoys always get what they want."
Draco scowled and Severus laughed, not an evil
chuckle but real laughter.
"Go to sleep Draco. We will both need to be strong
tomorrow."
"Good night proffesor."
Harry snuck out behind Draco and leaned against
the wall as the other boy walked back to his dorm room. //Remus. . .
Snape was with Remus. . . and Remus. . .// Harry ran outside and practically
slammed into the graveyard, stummbling to the grave with the roses over
it. "Love is dangerous." He whispered. //Harrison Remi Lupin-Snape. Remus'
son. The son he didn't want.// Harry's eyes filled with tears, "How could
anyone not want their child?!"
"So you were listening in."
The dark haired boy spun around to face the potions
master. Tears streamed out of his deep green eyes and he tried hard not
to cry out loud. "I didn't mean to."
Snape studied him a moment. "Save your tears Potter
I don't need your pity."
Harry shook his head, "They aren't for you." He
choaked. "I . . . I wish I had known my parents. I wanted so bad to know
them. . . how could someone not want their child? How could Remus. . .?"
Harry began to sob and found himself wrapped in thick black robes and
thin but strong arms. "p. . . proffesor?"
"If you ever tell anyone about this I will make
your life a living Hell." Snape threatened. "Some people can't love their
own children. They aren't meant to have any. It's easy for them to love
other people's children because then they only get the good and
the bad goes home with the child to the parents. Remus might not have wanted
this child but I did. He was loved more than any child was ever loved. And
your parents loved you too. You weren't one of the unwanted children. Neither
of you were."
Harry nodded wettly and burrowed into Snape's
robes. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. . ."
"You weren't meant to Potter." He let go and stepped
back to hide his own tears in the shadows. "Now go back and get some sleep
before I deduct 100 points for being out of your dormatory at night."
Harry nodded and messily wiped his tears and running
nose on his sleeve before pulling the cloak on and running back to the
main building of Hogwarts.
Snape knelt at the grave and touched the faceless
child softly, "I miss you, you know. Both of you. But for someone without
a child. . ." He smiled slightly, "I have been recieving a lot of hugs
lately." He stood and looked at the damp patch on his robes where Potter's
tears and snot had rubbed off. "A small taste of what we missed together,
and it only makes me miss you more."
<Part 4>
The day that Remus Lupin returned to Hogwarts,
Snape was his usual surly and annoying self. He was nasty to Harry and
praised Draco. He gave the Gryffindors that 'look' when Ron managed to
turn his face orange with yellow polkadots. He took house points from them
and made each one of them wish he'd be eaten by a Basilisk!
Only Harry and Draco noticed the tense lines around
his mouth and eyes.
"Harry! Come on!" Ron tugged at his sleeve with a
big smile. "Remus is at the train! Hagrid said we could go with him to pick
him up! Hurry up or we'll be late!"
The other boy shook his sleeve free, "I . . . uh.
. . I can't go Ron. I have to do something."
Hermione looked up suspisciously, "You have to do
something? But Harry it's Proffessor Lupin! And Snuffles could be with
him! Don't you want to meet them."
"I can't." He replied, skipping over the question
of wanting to greet Remus. Where Harry had been overjoyed before at seeing
his freind again, now he just wanted to avoid the werewolf at all costs.
"Did you get detention again?" She groaned, "Harry!
You know that you need to pay attention in class. Where has your head been
lately?"
"I'm just distracted 'Mione, I'll try harder. Promise."
She looked skeptical but nodded, "You'd better. Exams
are coming and you can't afford to. . ."
"Oh! Will you look at the time!" Ron broke in, despirit
to escape the lecture they'd both heard again and again over the past month
or three. "We've gotta run, luvly talkin' wth you Harry. See you later,
be seein' you. Come on 'Mione, Hagrid waits for no one." He practically
dragged her from the room.
Harry breathed a sigh of releif before slipping down
to the dungeons. He knocked lightly at the portrait and whispered, "Proffesor?"
The portrait swung open, but the face which greeted
him was not the one he'd expected.
"Malfoy!"
Draco grinned, "Fancy meeting you here Potter."
"Uh. . . I needed. . . um. . . where's Proffessor
Snape?"
"Don't you have your own head of house to whine to?"
Draco sneared and began to shut the portrait.
Harry quickly placed his foot in the doorway, "Wait!"
"I am in the middle of something Potter."
"What?"
The blond roled his eyes, "If you must know, I am
taking an inventory of the Proffessor's personal ingrediants and making
a list of what he needs to pick up next time he goes out."
"Can teachers make you do things like that?"
"It's a personal favor."
"Oh."
"Would you mind taking your foot from the door? Some
of us 'do' have things to finish."
Harry would never understand what prompted his next
words, "Can I help?"
Draco looked like he was as shocked as Harry. He controled
his look of disbelief more quickly however. Malfoys did not gape. "YOU,
want to help, ME?"
He nodded.
"Did you hit your head?"
"Malfoy!"
"Why did you want to see proffessor Snape?"
"Huh?"
"Answer the question then maybe I'll let you help."
"That seems a bit uneven."
"Deal with it." The Slytherin smirked and Harry gave
a sigh the was half amusment and half annoyance.
"I know what happened between him and Remus and I
want to help."
"He told you?!" Draco's jaw almost hit the floor.
"Actually I. . . kind of overheard when he told you."
Draco's jaw ticked, "Does he know you heard?"
Harry nodded, "He found me in the graveyard right
after and I got snot on his robes."
"Well that sounds like a wonderfully disgusting bonding
experience." Draco snorted, "Get in here before any of my house mates see
you."
"Thanks." Harry grinned happily.
"Don't thank me just yet. Grab a pen and get to work."
"Remus!"
The werewolf smiled broadly and lifted Ron and Hermione
into a tight hug, "Hello again."
"'Ello Proffessor Lupin."
"Hello Hagrid. You look well."
"Teaching seams ta agree wi' me." He smiled a large
smile.
Ron was practically bouncing, "Did you bring Snuffles?!"
The furry blur that jumped from the train and tackled
the red head was an easy answer to that question. Ron laughed and Hermione
hugged the squirming animangus happily. "Harry will be so happy to see
you!"
Remus looked around and blinked, "Where is
Harry? I thought he would be here to say hello."
Ron nodded, "He was going to but he had stuff to do,
so he had to stay behind."
"Stuff?"
Hermione scoffed, "He's probably gotten detention
again. Proffessor Snape is very hard on Harry, especially since he talked
to him in the Great Hall."
Remus' jaw tightened at the mention of Snape but he
nodded, "Well I will have to wait to say hello to him then." He ignored
the hair prickling on the back of his neck at the mention of Snape's name.
"Why did Harry need to talk to him?"
"He said he had a question to ask." Hermione thought
a moment, "I wonder if that has anything to do with his detention tonight.
Harry seemed very hesitant in telling us anything about it."
"Snuffles can sniff him out when we get back to Hogwarts
and Remus can ask him about it. He'll probably need the distraction from
cleaning caldrons or whatever he has to do this time." Ron suggested.
"Well in that case, shouldn't we be off to the school?"
Remus nodded and looked off into the distance toward
Hogwarts. Something didn't feel right about the situation. And the werewolf
wasn't sure that he was ready to face Severus Snape again.
Harry wrote down ingredients on the labled jars that
Draco placed in front of him and marked the ones that were low or empty.
It was a task that required very little thought, and Harry, hating silence
as he did, quickly begain a conversation. They didn't speak about anything
important or even particularly stressful. The conversation began with a question
about whether or not Draco died his hair (answered with an indignant huff
and a very regal 'I would never!') and from there slid to silly but amusing
subjects like, "Does Dumbledor bleach his hair to keep it white and appear
old and wise?" and from there, "Would Voldemort ever turn to plastic surgery?"
Much to Harry's costernation it was very much like the conversations he had
with Ron.
"You know," he said quietly as the last train of though
was finished, "You aren't at all like I thought you were."
"Oh, so you've now discovered my charm and stunning
good looks?" Draco grinned, the expression half way between evil and playful.
"Actually I meant the way you haven't insulted me
once during this whole conversation."
"We all slip up now and then Potter, I'll try to remember
to insult you more often."
"No, that's okay." Harry giggled.
Draco's eyes widened in surprise, "Did you just giggle?"
"No. It was a laugh. A very manly belly-laugh."
"That was most definitly a giggle." Draco decided
and Harry groaned. "I wonder what the students would say if they knew their
precsious hero giggled like a little girl."
Harry blushed and the blond boy grinned. It was more
of a smile really, it lit up the pale face and Harry gasped at the attraction
the sight sent through him. He froze and tried to figure out what had just
happened.
"Potter? Oi Potter, it was just a joke." Draco crawled
across the floor and nudged Harry's shoulder, "Potter! Snap out of. . ."
Harry had decided that action worked better than thinking
and let his body lead him. His body led him to surge forward and capture
Draco's mouth with his. The ebon haired boy decided his liked letting his
body do the thinking and shut down his mind completely.
Draco groaned and clutched Harry to him, slipping
his tongue past the parted lips.
The other boy gasped and deepened the kiss further.
He moved his hand to clutch the blond boy's arm and knocked over the jars
that were nearest to them. The sound snapped them apart. "Woah." Harry
breathed.
Draco touched his lips and looked up at Harry, "That
was very nice."
"Yeah."
"Did you even mean to do that?" He smiled at the blank
look on Harry's face.
"No."
"Can you form complete sentences?"
"No."
The Slytherin rolled his eyes and helped Harry up,
settling him at the small kitchen table while her picked up the jars that
had tumbled over. Luckily nothing had spilled or broken. He'd just about
finished the inventory when Harry spoke up in a small voice.
"Draco?"
"Hm?" He washed his hands and placed the papers, quill
and ink on the table before taking a seat himself.
"What was that?"
"A bloody good kiss."
Harry blushed again. He seemed to be doinf that a
lot lately. "You know what I mean."
Draco sighed, "That. . . that was four years of pent
up emotion."
"Oh."
"Shocked?"
"A little." He admitted.
Draco shrugged, "You were the one who wouldn't take
my hand."
"You insulted Ron!"
The blond looked at Harry carefully, "I was ten years
old, and my father was my hero. Of course I said what he would have said
in the situation. It was the best I knew."
"So you were trying to impress me. . ."
"It backfired a bit didn't it."
"A bit?" Harry asked incredulously and fidgited in
the silence that followed.
"Awkward isn't it." Draco acknowledged.
"A little." Harry smiled a bit, "I keep waiting for
the other shoe to drop."
"What?"
"It's a muggle expression. It means I'm waiting for
something bad to happen."
The blond frowned a bit, "You know, I don't really
hate you."
Harry smiled, "And I don't think you're a slimy git."
"If we called a truce it would cause chaos in both
our houses."
"Everyone would want to know what happened." Harry
agreed.
"No one would know how to behave around us."
The green eyed boy spoke quickly, as if the words
were racing to get out before his mind could comment. "Doyouwannatryit?"
Draco smiled, expertly sifting through the jumble
of words as only a Malfoy could do. "Of course." He pressed another kiss,
light and more swift this time, upon Harry's lips.
Harry blushed yet again.
"That's getting to be a habit." Draco grinned.
"Do you want people to know about. . . er. . ."
"Us kissing and liking it?"
"Yeah."
Draco shrugged, "I am a Malfoy, it doesn't matter
what other people think as long as they still fear me."
"That's awful!"
"That's pure blood politics." Draco ammended and kissed
Harry again. "One good thing will come of it though."
"What?"
"If we suddenly come out to the school, eyes will
definitly be off Severus and Lupin."
Harry smiled, "Snape is a lot different than I thought."
"You're view of people has been shifting a lot the
past couple of days hasn't it? Just don't start cozying up to the rest of
the Slytherins. I might get jealous."
Harry blinked, "Are we that kind of freinds?" He asked,
unsure of how Draco's thoughts were turning, "Are we exclusive?"
The blond nodded and smirked, "I don't kiss just anyone
you know."
"I kissed you." Harry observed.
"Details, details." Draco waved his hand as if he
were batting away an insignificant idea.
"You know, you look very royal when you do that."
"I know." He smiled and kissed the other boy again.
"Does this make you my boyfreind?" Harry questioned
softly.
"Nah. It makes you my boyfreind."
"Can we tell Ron and Hermione first?"
"If I can be there when you do. I don't want to miss
the looks on their faces." Draco snickered.
"Are you going to even try to be nice to them?" Harry
questioned in a slightly annoyed voice.
"I won't try to be mean." Draco promised.
Harry nodded and looked down at their entwined hands.
"Isn't this moveing fast?"
"I've been waiting four years."
Harry recalled the conversation he'd heard. "I'm the
Gryffindor present and Remus is Past."
"You heared that too." Draco observed.
"I didn't mean too. I couldn't get out without Snape
noticing and giving me detention for life."
"Big bad Harry Potter scared of the nasty potions
proffessor?"
Harry nodded, not a bit ashamed. "Terrified."
That made Draco laugh and the laughter made Harry
smile. "Harry Potter you are a real treat!"
"I try." Harry smirked and leaned in for another kiss.
A throat clearing broek them off abruptly. "Did you
inhale any of the potion ingrediants?" Snape asked with a very serious
face.
"Proffessor Snape!" Draco smiled, "He said yes!"
The dark man smirked, "You act like it was a marraige
proposal."
"In a way." Harry smiled shyly. "We're . . . coming
out. Tomorrow."
That caused the older man to pause. "Are you sure
that is wise?"
Draco nodded. "We know what we're doing."
"Really." He deadpanned.
A barking sound from the corador stopped the conversation
and Harry's eyes got wide as saucers, "Snuffles!" He ran out the portrait
hole and was tackled by the large dog and accousted with a rough doggy
tongue. "You came too?! I didn't really think you'd be able to come back!"
Draco and Snape stepped into the hall and watched
the scene with expressions of disgust and amusment.
"Hello Harry. We've missed you."
The laughing green eyes shuttered and Harry jumped
up to stand in front of Draco and Snape. "Proffessor Lupin."
Lupin's eyes looked hurt and the dog at his side had
gone quiet, looking from Harry to Lupin to the Slytherins Harry was protecting.
"Harry? Is everything alright?"
"Proffessor, Would you please leave. I'm. . . serving
detention."
"You didn't look like it a moment ago." He observed.
"I. . . it just started. Please, I don't want to loose
house points."
"Oh." Remus looked confused but nodded, "Okay Harry.
I'll see you later."
"I'll see you in class proffessor." He nodded and
turned away.
Remus glarred at Snape, sure that Harry's odd mood
had something to do with him and the Malfoy standing beside him. "Come on
Sunffles."
The dog looked at Harry as if asking if everything
was okay, then licked his nose and followed the teacher down the corrador.
Draco waited until they were gone and then smirked
at Harry. "You are a horrible liar. It's a good thing you weren't placed
in Slytherin, we'd have eaten you up."
Harry smiled and replied in a soft tone, "There's
still time." He tried to sound sexy. It might have worked better if his
face hadn't matched Ron's hair from blushing so hard.
Snape snorted and shook his head. "You do not have
to ruin your relationship with your mentor because of things that happened
years ago."
"I know. I just can't stand to be around him when
I think of what he did. Anyone who would leave their family and give up
their child. . . I just can't beleive Remus would do that!"
"I couldn't either." Snape frowned, "I learned."
"Will you be okay?" Harry asked.
"I will not break."
Harry bit his lip and hesitated a bit before lunging
forward and hugging the foreboding proffessor around the waist.
Draco muttered something that sounded like 'utterly
adorable' under his breath.
Snape smirked at Draco, "You, mister Malfoy, are
smitten. Now if you wouln't mind, kindly extract your 'boyfreind' from
my person."
Harry stepped back and frowned at the potions master
a bit.
"I am fine mister Potter. Thank you. Twenty house points
for coming to the aid of a teacher."
The boy smiled, "I didn't do it for points." He promised.
"I know."
Harry nodded and played with Dracos hand nervously,
which made the other boy smirk even as he glowed. "Proffessor?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For jumping to conclusions like Remus just did.
I never really apologised to you for thinking you were a traitor first
year, or for everything we said about you."
"It was your first time in the wizarding world. Learn
from your mistakes Potter, that is why you make them."
"Just forgive me. Humor me okay?" He begged.
Snape rolled his eyes and kissed Harry's forehead,
shocking the boy, "There, I forgive you."
"Good." The boy blushed.
"You had better both get back to your freinds. It's
late."
"P. . . proffessor?"
"Hm?"
Harry swayed nervously and stared at the floor, "I.
. . I can be your son for you. I know I'm not him but. . . I can be 'a'
son. So you wont feel so alone anymore. And I know you aren't my dad but,
you could be like a stepdad or something. . ." He swallowed and continued
in a softer voice, "And I wont be alone anymore."
Severus Snape shocked all three of them by hugging
Harry Potter close again, fighting down tears. "You'll do Potter." He said
gruffly.
Harry smiled and hugged the taller man tighter, they'd
both lost someone, maybe they could make one family out of two broken ones.
//And Draco makes three.// He though calmly, squeezing the blonds hand before
looking up, "Can I call you dad?" He joked with a sniffle.
"If you try it in public I'll have you taged as an
idiot and laughed at until you can't show your face again outside of your
room." He warned. Then his stance softened. "But in private, I would be
. . . honored."
"Thanks. . . dad."
<Part 5>
They had been in Snape's rooms longer than either boy
had realized. When they entered the halls they were deserted and the few
small windows that dotted the dungeon walls told them it was already dark
outside. "Um. . ." Harry shuffled his feet a bit and nibbled his lower lip,
once again unconciously playing with Draco's fingers. "Do you wanna come with
me?"
"Eventually." Draco smirked, "Although I don't think
that this is the place for it."
Harry turned red again. "I. . . uh. . . I meant did
you want to . . ." He chose his words very carefully to keep and innuendo
out of them. ". . . accompany me to the Gryffendor common room where we can
tell Ron and Hermione that we have . . . that I'm your. . . uh. . . That
we're a couple."
Draco smiled at Harry's efforts and was once again
reminded of what a total and complete sap he was over the dark haired boy.
"I would like that. It's always amusing to see Weasley's brain short out."
Harry snickered and then caught himself, "Weren't you
supposed to be nice to them?"
"That 'was' nice. I could have said-"
"Okay! I believe you!" Harry cut him off and giggled
when Draco kissed him for it.
"There you go giggling again Potter." The blond pointed
out as they climbed the stairs to the tower. "You are such a girl."
Harry smacked his arm playfully, "Well I hope I get
to be the boy sometimes."
"I look hideous in dresses."
Harry paused midstep and stared at his new boyfreind
incredulously, "You say that as if you know."
Draco shrugged and then smirked again, "I dare say
though, that red is my color."
Harry tried not to choak on his laughter, "Is it? Do
you think it's a sign?"
"Well you do look brilliant in green." The Slytherin
blushed a bit when Harry turned to stare at him.
"You really have been watching me."
"Of course. I told you that."
"I guess it didn't really sink in until just now."
Draco nodded in understanding and then looked up at
the portrait they'd stopped in front of. "This is it?"
"Yeah. Any second thoughts?"
"No."
Harry nodded and took a deep breath. "Then lets go."
Draco grabbed his arm. "Wait."
Then green eyed boy turned back to face his new boyfriend
and searched his face, "Draco?"
"What if they don't like me."
Harry's face didn't move, then hsi lips twitched a bit,
and his eyes crinkled up at the corners, and then, as if a floodgate had been
opened, he began laughing so hard that he ended up slumped on the floor.
Draco looked down at him in distaste.
"I. . . I'm sorry D. . . Draco. . . but really! 'Wh.
. . what if they. . . they don't l. . . like me!'." He kept laughing
until tears slipped from the corners of his eyes.
"I missed something." He observed and knelt beside Harry
on the stone floor, "Would you care to explain why my, albeit out of character,
bit of insecurity, is so very amusing?"
"It. . . hehe. . . it's a muggle thing." Harry smiled,
trying to control himself. A giggle escaped anyway.
"You're giggling again."
"Can't help it." Harry giggled and Draco captured his
lips for a strong moment before letting go. "You kissed me again."
"Can't help it." He leaned forward again and smiled into
the kiss when Harry wrapped his arms around his shoulders. They were so busy
that neither one noticed the sound of the portrait opening until. . .
"Oh my GOD! Ug! My eyes feel dirty! Can a person wash
their eyeballs?! Hermione! Help me wash my eyeballs!"
Harry and Draco looked up to the open entrance and Ron's
retreating form, then at each other.
"That might have gone better." The Slytherin noted and
helped Harry to his feet.
Harry was staring at Hermione, who was trying to keep
Ron from going upstairs to shampoo his pupils. "Harry?"
"Uh. . . surprise?"
She glarred and Harry hid behind Draco.
Draco looked over his shoulder and snorted, "Coward."
"Yes, yes I am."
When Ron grabbed Hermione's wand and advanced, they both
decided bravery was overrated. Luckily there was a convenient couch to hide
behind. "Draco if we die, I just want to say this has been the nicest hour
of my life."
"Harry, if we die, I'm haunting your dead ass! This is
all your fault! 'Can we tell my freinds first? Come on Draco'"
"You sound just like me."
"Really? I've been working on it." Draco blinked, "Wait!
Stop that! I'm mad at you!"
Ron and Hermione just stared at the couch in shock. The
red head handed Hemione's wand back to her without moving his gaze from the
cushions hiding the bantering couple. She took the wand in the same way. Neither
were quite able to get over their shock.
"Uh. . . Draco?"
"What?!"
"We aren't dead."
". . ."
Slowly, a blond and a dark head peered over the back
of the sofa. "I think we broke them." Harry whispered.
"RICHARD JAMES POTTER!!!"
Harry covered his ears and flinched, "Nevermind. Hermione
still works."
"Come with me." She grabbed Harry and Ron and Draco snatched
up his boyfriends hand as they were dragged to Hermione's single room. "You
two are sooo lucky that everyone else was asleep already! What were you thinking
making out in the hall like that?!"
"Uh. . ." Harry smiled a bit, "We weren't really thinking.
. ."
"That is glaringly obvious! Now what is going on? Did
you inhale something of Snape's while you were serving detention? Ingest anything?
Did something get on your skin?"
"Did you hit your head and lose your mind?!" Ron screamed.
"Ron. That isn't helping."
Harry held tight to Draco's hand and shrank back from
his friends a bit. This was going to be a long night.
Remus Lupin waited around a nearby corner. He wanted
to talk to Harry, but the look that the boy had given him left him no illusions
that the boy might want to see him. Snape had gotten to him somehow, that
had to be it. Harry Potter had been giggling over Draco Malfoy for goodness
sake! The werewolf only hoped that the silver tongued Slytherins hadn't talked
Harry over to the other side.
Snuffles nipped at his calves, trying to get him to move
toward the Gryffindor's common room. "Sorry. I have something I need to take
care of. Why don't you go visit with Harry okay? I'll meet you back at our
room."
The animangus gave him a calcuating look but then nodded
and disapeared around the corner.
The dungeons were colder than he remembered them being.
He stepped carefuilly, trying not to make a sound as he approached the potion
master's chambers. It had been a game once, to see if he could sneak up on
his lover. Now there was no joy when Severus didn't catch him before he touched
the door. Those days were a lifetime ago. Joy was a lifetime ago. Snape had
done something that he could never forgive him for. Then to say that he'd
done it for them?! With his anger firmly in place again, Remus knocked on
the wall beside the portrait.
There was no answer for a long time and when the portrait
did finally slide open, Remus almost didn't recognise his once lover. Snape
looked old and tired. The shadows played over the contours of his face as
if it were their favorite playground. Those wonderful black eyes that
used to sparkle with slightly malicious mirth over the world's folly, those
eyes were flat now, angry and closed off. "Voldemort not treating you well?"
He was shocked that such malicious things had come from his mouth!
"Welcome home." Snape's voice was flat. "What do you want?"
"What have you done to Harry?"
"What are you refering to?"
"He was protecting you! From Me! What did you say to him?"
"I didn't tell him anything, he watched my pensive."
"Conveniently left where a student could reach it and
full of Dark Arts propiganda?"
"I haven't used the dark arts since you left."
"I feel honored, so you just use them for me."
"I would have done anything for you." He whispered, the
words barely made it passed his lips.
Remus fell into his Slytherin's eyes and felt his heart
breaking, "So why couldn't you stop?"
"I couldn't give you what you wanted with white magic.
There was no spell that could. . ."
"I didn't want a spell. I just wanted us!"
"And a child."
"It was pillow talk Severus! You turned to the dark arts
because you thought I would leave because I wanted a baby?! Merlin! How twisted
are you?! I just came to warn you. Stay away from Harry. He doesn't need
any more darkness in his life."
That was the last straw. Severus looked livid. Remus had
never seen him look so angry! "James's Harry! Your precious Potter! I have
done nothing to 'your' Harry! Keep your little piece of James and Lilly and
get out of my life! Take your Harry just like you took ours and may you have
to best of times!" With that the portrait slammed shut.
"SNAPE!"
"We are done here, Remus." Snape spoke through the closed
door and Lupin stood there staring until finally he forced his legs to move.
He got around the corner and collapsed against the wall, hands clentched
in tight fists, body shaking in anger.
He couldn't stop trembling. //Dark Arts whore. Stubbourn
bloody fool! Even after all this time he still says it was for us!//
The sound of the portrait opening again cut off his jumbled thoughts and
he held his breath as Snape walked passed him without noticing him in the
shadows. //What is he up to?// The werewolf followed silently as the
potions master left the school and stepped into the soft flurry of the first
snow fall. Once upon a time the soft white ground and swirling flakes would
have been romantic, but now all they did was make it harder to track the
dark man. //Why would he leave so soon after talking to me? And to not
see me there, he must have been distracted. He's up to something.//
The hunt led him to a huge stone wall and tall metal gates.
Hogwart's Cemetary. //Huh?//
Slipping inside without a sound, he followed the soft
sound of talking until he came across Snape. He hid behind a statue, but
was unable to look away from the scene before him. Severus stood, staring
at a headstone of a werewolf and child, a study of black amidst white and
pink. There was an enchanted rose tree shadeing the grave and shedding it's
petals into the wind, sending them dancing along with the snow, to surround
the stoic figure before it. The snow had covered the ground and painted the
stone and the potions master with a mantle of white. Snape's raven black
hair whiped around in the wind as if it was trying to grasp hold of something
lost and tears pooled in those deep black eyes.
"Everyday I ask myself why I didn't die instead." He was
whispering hoarsly. "He's home. He said that I was twisted for using Dark
Arts. Maybe you would have been twisted too, since you were the product of
my dark craft. Potter. . ."
//Here it comes, he must be using the grave as cover
the relay messages to the deatheaters. Sneaky sacriligious bastard.//
"Potter volunteered to be a son to me. So that neither
of us would be alone. He has been a constant reminder that some people's
children can survive. A monument to my faliure to you and to Remus."
//What?//
"But he can take some of the greif away. Is it wrong of
me to want peace after so very long?"
Remus watched the usually heartless man with shock on
his face. Snape leaned in and pressed his slightly parted lips to the werewolf's
while laying one pale hand over the stone child it held. the tears fell as
the dark man kissed unyeilding stone. The moment was frozen, like a page
taken from time's grip, until the wizard pulled back a bit to rest his forehead
against that of the stone creature's.
"The family that I will never know." He whispered, "I
would have loved you both with every breath inside of me. I do." Then he
pressed a last kiss to the stone and walked away, a bit unsteady in his step.
Lupin waited until he was sure the other man was gone,
and then slipped from his hiding place to read the inscription on the stone.
A gasp escaped him and he fell to his knees, tracing the words over and over,
not wanting to know what they told him.
Harrison Remi Lupin-Snape. His child. Sev's child.
Take your Harry just like you took ours!
I did it for you. Well. . . for us.
I couldn't give you what you wanted with white magic
I'll tell you soon. I want to be possitive of it first.
I don't want you to be dissapointed.
I would have done anything for you.
just like you took ours!
You took ours!
Ours!
"Our child." He gasped, tears falling down his cheeks
just as they'd coursed over Severus' a moment before. "That was why. . .
That was why."
Hogwarts
1986
"Remus I have recently become aware of something you
should know."
"Headmaster?"
"Please, sit down. Would you like tea? A lemon drop perhaps?"
Remus was getting nervous, Sev was waiting for him and
he was going to be late if this wasn't over soon. "No thank you sir, could
you please tell me what this is about?"
"Severus."
The werewolf sho to his feat and gasped, "What happened?!
Is he okay?!"
"He has been using the dark arts, Remus."
The tall wizard fell back to his chair in shock, "What
did you say?"
"Severus Snape has been using the Dark Arts. He is brewing
something right here, in Hogwarts."
"But he left the Deatheaters. He Came back to us.
He came back for me Albus."
"I am sorry, but perhaps. . ."
"A spy." Golden eyes widened in shock, "He's a spy for
He Who Must Not Be Named."
"The only thing we are sure of is that he has been creating
dark potions."
Remus was beyond listening. His world was crumbling around
him. "A Deatheater."
"I am sorry, Remus."
The trip to their rooms was made in a fog of disbeleif.
He stepped into their small home and found Severus in the kitchen, smiling
like he hadn't betrayed them all.
"Remus! Go ahead and shower, dinner is almost done."
It was a while before he could calm himself enough
to growl, "Did you think I wouldn't find out? Dumbeldore knows what you've
done. He told me. How dare you?!"
"I thought you'd be happy. I did it for you,
well. . . for us." Severus grinned and Remus wanted nothing more than to
make that grin stop. He would NOT let the Slytherin slither his way out of
this one!
"Don't you dare say it's for me! This was never
about me was it?! This is all about you and I'm sick and tired
of trying! Weren't you satisfied with what we had? I know it wasn't much
but we had each other! Just the two of us. Wasn't that good enough?"
"I did it for you." Snape moved forward but Remus
couldn't bare the thought of that lying filth touching him. He pulled away
and lashed out, next thing he knew, Sev was on the ground bleeding, and he
was leaving.
"Oh Merlin. What have I done."
~tbc~