FIC: Aftermaths, Part 51

[geri_chan]

Title: Aftermaths, Part 51
Rating: NC-17 overall, but most chapters are closer to PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin, Theodore/Blaise, and a few other minor pairings
Word count: ~9,730
Warning: AU; written pre-HBP
Author's notes: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Always, Summer Vacation, For Old Time's Sake, Three's a Crowd, Return of the Raven, Phoenix Reborn, Phoenix Rising
Summary: The Yule Ball takes place, and a number of special guests have been invited.

Part 50 (Previous chapters can be found under the aftermaths tag.)

***

About an hour later, Aric sauntered back to the dungeon, looking sweaty and tired but pleased with himself. Lukas felt better, too, the physical exertion having banished some of his demons. He went back to his quarters to take a shower, and the sight of his Christmas presents laid out across his bed reminded him of why he'd wanted to be alone. Selima had sent him what nearly amounted to an entire wardrobe for Christmas--not just a very fine set of velvet robes, but also shirts and trousers made of silk and good linen. He had to look like a proper pureblood Lord when he appeared in court, her card explained. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Lupin, and Takeshi had also given him robes for Christmas, so he certainly had enough clothing to look the part, but he still felt like an impostor, and wondered if he was doing the right thing by challenging Amos for the title. Not that he thought his uncle deserved to keep the title, but Lukas knew that the pureblood elite would never truly accept him as one of their own, no matter how fine his robes were. Did he really want to spend the rest of his life being sneered at and gossiped about behind his back?

{They will do that anyway, whether you regain the title or not,} he reminded himself. He had might as well reap the benefits along with the disadvantages. And Snape had managed to put up with the gossip and disdain and name-calling for all these years, first as a Death Eater, and then when his relationship with Lupin was made public. Lukas felt a grudging respect for the Potions Master, even if he wasn't always sure that he liked Snape.

The Snape family was turning out to be something of a thorn in his side, but Lady Selima was right when she said that it would be cowardly to try to run and hide from his fate. He touched Gwendolyn's present, a heavy gold torc that had belonged to his father, a gift from Anya to Cynric on their wedding day. The Gravenors had swept Anya and Lukas off in such haste after Cynric's death, that most of his father's possessions had been left behind. He had assumed that the Diggorys had destroyed them, or at best locked them away in the attic, but the torc, at least, had survived.

"I kept this," Gwendolyn's card read, "because I knew how much your father loved it, and I wanted something to remember him by. I always meant to return it to Anya someday, but she never came back to London, and died before I could give it back to her. So now I am returning it to you, Cyril. I think your father would want you to have it."

Lukas slipped the torc around his neck, the metal cold against his skin, and turned to look at his reflection in the mirror. The torc was the sort of thing that Slytherins found beautiful, but that others found sinister-looking: the ends of the collar had been fashioned to resemble serpent heads, and it looked like he had a double-headed gold serpent coiled around his neck. Looking into the mirror was like seeing his father's ghost, and Lukas's hand trembled slightly as he reached up to touch the torc.

"For your sake, Father," he whispered to the mirror's reflection, "I will win back the title and become Lord Diggory, no matter what Amos and the other purebloods say."

***

Later that evening at Snape Manor, Snape and his family gathered together in the drawing room to say goodbye to Lady Selima before heading over to Hogwarts for the Yule Ball.

"My, how handsome you all look in your new robes," Selima said lightly, and the boys and Lupin grinned at her while Snape fidgeted impatiently. While his stay at Snape Manor had been surprisingly pleasant, he was looking forward to getting away from it for a little while. Hogwarts was still more "home" to him than the Manor was, and besides, he was hoping that he and Lupin could sneak away from the Ball early and spend some time alone in their quarters. "By the way, Theodore," Selima asked, "who are you taking to the Ball this year?"

"No one," Theodore replied, and Selima frowned slightly. "I waited too long before asking anyone," he added, feigning regret. "I was preoccupied with my studies, and before I knew it, all the Slytherin girls my age had dates. I thought perhaps I could go with Serafina as a friend, but then Draco surprised everyone by asking her out."

"There will be plenty of time for dancing and girls after graduation," Snape said firmly. Personally, he thought the Ball was a waste of time, although for once, he appreciated it, because it gave him a welcome excuse to leave the house.

"The Yule Ball is not just a chance for the young people to dance and flirt with each other, Severus," Selima said sternly. "It is an opportunity to socialize with one's peers, make alliances, and demonstrate one's social standing." To her grandson, she said, "Your dedication to your studies is commendable, but you must not neglect your social responsibilities as well."

"Yes, Grandmother," Theodore said meekly. "I will be more careful in the future."

"The Ball will likely end late," Snape said casually, "so we'll sleep over at Hogwarts and return in the morning after breakfast." Dylan and Theodore smiled, so he assumed that they were looking forward to spending some time with their respective paramours as well.

"I shan't wait up for you, then," Selima replied pleasantly. "Have a good time at the Ball."

"Are you sure you won't come with us?" Lupin asked, ignoring Snape's look of horror. He felt a little guilty about leaving Selima alone in an empty house on Christmas night. "The Headmaster has invited several alumni to the Ball, and I'm sure he would be happy to see you."

"No, thank you," Selima replied, much to Snape's relief. "I'm looking forward to having some peace and quiet for a change. I think I shall sit by the fire, drink some tea, and read a good book. Perhaps I can start translating Severus's Potions text."

"Well then, goodnight, Mother," Snape said, and hastily went through the Floo before his mother could change her mind. The boys followed, after politely saying goodbye to Selima.

Lupin lingered behind for a moment. "Are you sure you'll be all right?" he asked anxiously, although he knew that Selima's pride probably wouldn't let her answer in the negative regardless of her true feelings. "I always hated spending Christmases alone." He had spent a few very bleak Christmases alone, after his parents died and before he reconciled with Severus.

But Selima gave him what appeared to be a sincere smile and said, "Thank you, Professor, but I will stay home tonight. It is my gift to Severus, you see. He has been remarkably well-behaved and reasonable of late, although I know that behaving like a proper pureblood Lord is something of a strain on him, so I wish to reward him. And I am sure that he would appreciate an evening away from Snape Manor and his duties as Lord."

Lupin smiled at her and said gently, "It is true that Severus is uncomfortable with his role as Lord Snape, but he has enjoyed his stay here, and so have the boys and I." Selima looked thoughtful, but said nothing in response, so Lupin said, "Merry Christmas, Lady Selima. We'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Merry Christmas, Professor," Selima replied, and Lupin flung a handful of Floo Powder in the fireplace, and stepped through to join his lover and sons at Hogwarts.

***

Draco, along with several other Slytherin boys in the common room, was waiting impatiently for his date to emerge. Then the girls glided in, proudly showing off their new robes, and Draco started to say, "Finally!" but his voice trailed off and his jaw dropped open in shock when he spotted Serafina. She had done something to her hair to make it wavy and less limp-looking, and framing each side of her face were several thin braids, swinging gently as she walked forward, the purple beads that weighted the ends clacking softly against each other. There was a hint of pink on her cheeks and lips that made her look less pale than usual, and she had used some kind of cosmetics (eyeliner? eyeshadow?) around her eyes, a very subtle shading that nevertheless made her violet eyes stand out dramatically. The simply cut but elegant violet robe she wore also enhanced and called attention to the remarkable color of her eyes.

Serafina smiled self-consciously. "Do I look that silly? I told Parvati and Pansy and Millicent that I didn't want to fuss with all these braids and makeup and whatnot..."

"You look beautiful, Avery!" Draco blurted out, still looking shocked.

No one had ever called Serafina "beautiful" before, and she wondered if Draco was just being polite, although it was a little out of character for him to be careful of another person's feelings. And when he was deliberately flattering someone to curry favor, he usually did so in a much more smooth and polished manner.

But the other boys were staring at her with similarly stunned expressions. "You look really nice, Sera," Theodore said, looking impressed.

"Merlin's Beard!" Damien muttered, looking as slack-jawed as Draco. "Who could ever have imagined...?"

It was Crabbe and Goyle who finally convinced her that Draco's reaction was sincere. "Wow, you look great!" Goyle exclaimed, and Crabbe nodded vigorously in agreement. The other Slytherin boys were capable of dissembling, but Crabbe and Goyle were not. They had no subtlety, and on the few occasions that they tried to lie, it was always painfully obvious.

"Thank you," Serafina belatedly replied to Draco, who smiled and offered her his arm, saying, "Shall we, then?"

She was a little worried about leaving her new kitten alone all evening, but Slaine, Miriam, and Patrick promised to baby-sit Bast, and the kitten seemed perfectly content, curled up against Sable's side on the rug beside the hearth. The older cat looked less than thrilled about the situation, but didn't try to push the kitten away.

So Serafina laid her hand on Draco's arm, and he escorted her out of the dorm. Pansy and Millicent giggled, looking very smug and pleased with themselves.

***

Lupin was surrounded by a crowd of Slytherin students soon after he entered the Great Hall, all eager to know if he liked their gift. "Of course I do!" Lupin laughed. "I'm wearing it, aren't I?" He spun around playfully, letting the robe billow out around him. "I don't think I've ever been so well-dressed before! Thank you all very much."

The Slytherins were pleased, but out of the corner of his eye, Lupin saw the Gryffindor students staring at him in shock. A few, like Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper, gave him hostile, suspicious looks, while others looked shocked, and Harry looked a little hurt. Lupin silently cursed himself; he had been so happy that the Slytherins had accepted him, that he hadn't stopped to think that the Gryffindors, particularly Harry, might see his wearing a Slytherin robe as a rejection of them. He sighed a little, thinking that he might have to start wearing Gryffindor and Slytherin colors on alternating days.

"Is something wrong, Professor?" Pansy asked.

"Nothing at all," Lupin lied, forcing himself to smile cheerfully. It would only increase the tension between the two Houses if he pointed out that the Gryffindors didn't appreciate seeing him in Slytherin colors.

There was one Gryffindor, at least, who didn't seem bothered by his new robe. "You look so handsome, Professor Lupin!" Allegra exclaimed as she ran up to him, followed by her "date," Goyle.

"Why, thank you, Allegra," Lupin said with a smile. "You look very pretty yourself."

"Portia lent me the dress," Allegra informed him brightly. "Isn't it nice?"

It was a nice enough red dress, with a bit too much lace around the neck and sleeves for Lupin's taste, but Allegra obviously liked it, which was the most important thing. "It's lovely," Lupin agreed.

"You look really nice tonight, Allegra," Goyle said gallantly.

"Thank you, Greg!" Allegra replied, beaming at him. "So do you. Say, Professor, have you seen Dylan and Theo? I want to know if they liked their keychains."

"They're right over there with Professor Snape," Lupin said, pointing across the room, where they had stopped to speak with Math and Goewin, who had come to the Ball as guests of Dumbledore. Dylan was accompanied by his date, Hermione. "And yes, they did like your presents very much."

"C'mon, Greg, let's go say hi to them!" Allegra tugged at Goyle's hand, and he smiled at her indulgently and meekly followed along. Lupin smiled after them, amused and touched by the sight of the former bully being so gentle and considerate of the little girl.

Just then, Millicent walked in with Miles Bletchley, and the Slytherins left Lupin's side to cluster around them, welcoming the former Slytherin Keeper like a returning hero. The students were all talking excitedly at once, so it was difficult to follow their conversation, but Lupin was able to gather that Miles, a reserve player for the Falmouth Falcons, had been called upon to replace the regular Keeper after he was injured by a Bludger during a recent match, and that he had successfully defended the goals, contributing to the Falcons' ten-point victory over the Tutshill Tornados. Miles smiled smugly, basking in the adoration of his House.

Millicent, too, was smiling like a cat with a bowl of cream, but for an entirely different reason. She held up her left hand, displaying a glittering diamond ring. "My Christmas present from Miles," she said, and the Slytherin girls shrieked with excitement.

"Oh my God!" Yvonne squealed, her voice rising nearly a full octave in pitch, and Aric winced, as did several other students standing nearby. "Are you engaged?!"

"I'm your best friend!" Pansy said reproachfully. "How could you not tell me about this?"

"Miles just gave it to me few minutes ago, right before we came to the Ball," Millicent explained.

"Now that I'm a full-fledged player, I can afford to support a wife," Miles said, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"But aren't you still a reserve player?" Aric asked, rubbing his ear. "Won't the regular Keeper take over in the next game?"

"He has a cracked skull," Miles said cheerfully. "He'll be laid up in St. Mungo's for a few months, and he says he intends to retire before his brains are permanently scrambled. So I'm now the official Keeper for the Falmouth Falcons."

The Slytherins cheered loudly, and Lupin came over and said, "Congratulations, Miles, on both the promotion and your engagement."

Miles shook Lupin's outstretched hand, still grinning. "Thanks, Professor."

"And congratulations to you, too, Millicent. Have you set a date?"

"Thank you, Professor, and no, not yet. We'll have to wait until I graduate, of course. Perhaps next fall or winter."

"A Christmas wedding would be very romantic," Pansy sighed. "Can I be a bridesmaid?"

"No," Millicent replied, and Pansy looked crestfallen. "Because you'll be my maid of honor, silly," Millicent added with a grin. The two girls hugged each other.

"Er...congratulations," Justin said, extending his hand towards Miles. He looked a little uncomfortable standing amongst the crowd of Slytherins.

"Uh, thanks," Miles said, shaking Justin's hand and giving him a puzzled look, as if trying to place his name and face.

"Oh, Miles, this is Justin Finch-Fletchley," Pansy said gaily, gesturing towards her date with one hand, and not so incidentally showing off the wrist corsage of roses that Justin had given her. "You remember him, don't you?"

"Oh right," Miles said, "the one who nearly got killed by a snake in Lockhart's dueling club." He gave Justin an even more puzzled look. "Aren't you a Hufflepuff?"

"Yes, I am," Justin said in an even voice, then smiled and flushed a little as Pansy came over and slipped her arm through his.

"Things are different in Slytherin now," Pansy declared.

"So I've heard," Miles said, his eyes flickering in Lupin's direction, then across the room towards Snape. Then he shrugged and laughed, "Well, you lot will have to get me caught up on all the House gossip!"

Pleased that Justin seemed to be getting along all right with the Slytherins, Lupin excused himself and headed over to join Snape and the others. He was distracted, though, when a pretty brown-haired woman walked into the Hall with a very handsome and dashing-looking dark-haired man. Isabelle Laroque ran towards them, her normally reserved face filled with joy. "Maman, Papa!" she cried, hugging them both, and began chattering at them rapidly in French.

"You should speak English, my sweet, as we were are home in England now," Emilie Laroque nee Prewett gently admonished.

"Yes, Mother," Isabelle said obediently, immediately switching languages.

Lupin detoured to greet the Laroques and said, "Merry Christmas, Emilie. It's so good to see you again. I didn't know that you were coming to the Ball tonight." He knew her, though not very well, from when her older brothers had been members of the Order of the Phoenix. They had also gone to Hogwarts together, although they had not often socialized, since she was a few years younger than him and had been sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Merry Christmas, Remus," Emilie said. "The Headmaster invited us, and I was eager to get a look at my old school again." She smiled, looking around the hall. "It doesn't seem as if much has changed. This is my husband, Thierry, and of course you know Isabelle. My dear, this is Remus Lupin; he worked in the Order with my brothers, and is now a Professor at Hogwarts."

Thierry shook Lupin's hand, and said in a heavily-accented voice, "I am very pleased to meet you, Professor."

"Likewise," Lupin said. He smiled and said pleasantly, "It's so fortunate that Isabelle is bilingual; not many of the British students are, these days. We had a young and homesick first-year student who just moved here from France, and Isabelle has looked after her and made her feel at home. We're very grateful to her." Isabelle gave Lupin a startled look. He smiled warmly at her, and she gave him a hesitant smile in return.

"Yes, little Gabrielle," Thierry said, smiling at his daughter fondly. "Isabelle has mentioned her often in her letters to home."

"Isabelle has always been a good girl," Emilie said, kissing her daughter on the cheek.

"Mother!" Isabelle protested, looking embarrassed and pleased at the same time.

"Yes, it's true that the school used to place more emphasis on learning second languages, back when Hogwarts had more contact with Beauxbatons and the other foreign wizarding schools," Emilie continued. "But the war led to distrust and isolationism."

By this time, Stewart had made his way over to join the group, having followed at a more sedate pace when his date rushed across the room to greet her parents. "Mother, Father," Isabelle said, "this is my friend, Stewart Ackerley. He is my escort this evening."

"Hello, it's very nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Laroque," Stewart said, a little nervously.

"He looks like a fine young man," Thierry said heartily, shaking Stewart's hand. "I am sure that you will look after my daughter and conduct yourself as a proper gentlemen should, yes, Stewart?" Thierry's voice was pleasant, but there was a protective and slightly threatening gleam in his eyes.

"Papa!" Isabelle protested, but she smiled a little.

"Of course, sir!" Stewart assured Thierry, looking even more nervous.

Lupin chuckled and Emilie laughed gently. "Fathers are always protective of their little girls, I suppose," Emilie said, then gave her husband a stern look. "Behave yourself, Thierry."

"I was only making polite conversation," Thierry protested innocently.

Lupin chatted with the Laroques for a few more minutes, then finally made his way over to his lover and sons. They, along with Hermione, were talking with Branwen, Sirius, and Narcissa; the latter two were also special guests of Dumbledore's. Lupin gave his best friend a hug, then smiled at Draco's mother and said, "You look lovely tonight, Narcissa." She looked as elegant as always, in a robe of Slytherin-green velvet with silver piping, and silver lacing on the bodice. Her blonde hair was pulled back in an elegant knot, showing off her silver-and-emerald earrings to full effect. "What pretty earrings; are they a Christmas gift?"

Narcissa smiled, looking pleased, and reached up unconsciously to touch an earring with one hand. "Yes, they're from Draco. He designed them himself."

Lupin winked at Dylan. "My, the Slytherin boys seem to have such good fashion sense!" Everyone laughed but Snape, who just snorted.

Another commotion arose as a green-clad figure entered the Hall; it took Lupin a few moments to recognize the handsome, aristocratic stranger as his friend Lukas. The werewolf leader was dressed in green velvet robes that were several shades darker than Narcissa's, with gold trim and fastenings, and there was a gold torc around his neck. As he drew closer, Lupin could see that he was clean-shaven for a change, and that he had tied back his hair into a neat tail with a green velvet ribbon. Lupin noticed for the first time that Lukas wore a gold hoop in each ear; one of the earrings had what looked like a small emerald dangling from it. He had no idea whether Lukas normally wore earrings or not, since the other werewolf usually wore his hair down loose, covering his ears.

"My goodness," Branwen said, raising her eyebrows. "He certainly cleans up nicely."

Sirius slipped an arm around her waist. "Hmmph!" he snorted, pretending to be angry. "I'm not going to have to be jealous of that pretty-boy werewolf, am I?"

Branwen reached up to pat him on the cheek. "Of course not, dear. Don't go all alpha-male on me. If you start a fight at the Ball with Lukas, you'll be sleeping on the couch for a month."

Sirius kissed his wife. "Then I guess I'd better behave myself," he said with a grin, "because I have certain plans for tonight that don't involve sleeping on the couch--that don't involve sleeping, period." Hermione's face turned bright red, and Theodore and Dylan looked a little bemused rather than embarrassed. They still weren't used to viewing Branwen as someone's wife rather than the demonic Professor Blackmore who struck fear into the hearts of her students.

"Must you do that in public?" Snape complained.

"Now you have an idea of how nauseous I get watching you and Moony get all lovey-dovey with each other all the time," Sirius said good-naturedly.

Hermione giggled, still blushing, while Dylan and Theodore tried not to laugh.

Snape glared at his former enemy. "I do not get 'lovey-dovey' with Lupin, as you put it," he said coldly. "I can't help it if the werewolf mauls me in public."

Lupin couldn't resist a challenge, and he immediately wrapped his arms around Snape, cuddling up against him.

"You see what I mean?! Damn it, Lupin, cut that out!"

Lupin laughed and released his lover, and then Sirius happened to notice the light glinting off something shiny on Lupin's left hand. "Is that a ring, Moony?"

"Oh, yes!" Lupin said happily, extending his hand to show off the ring, much as Millicent had earlier. "It was a present from Severus." Snape immediately turned red.

"Oh, how pretty!" Hermione exclaimed. "I love the wolf design."

Sirius grinned at Snape slyly and said, "It looks an awful lot like a wedding band."

Snape's face turned even redder, and he sputtered out a rather incoherent denial. Lupin beamed; Branwen looked amused; Narcissa looked perplexed, not being used to the trio's antics; and Sirius burst out laughing. Snape's hand drifted towards his wand, but Sirius was saved from being hexed when Lukas joined the group and distracted them.

"My, don't you look handsome tonight?" Lupin teased his friend as Snape glared at the werewolf leader jealously. "Though not as handsome as you, Severus," Lupin crooned placatingly, stroking his lover's arm.

Snape's face turned red again. "I have many faults, Lupin, but vanity is not one of them," he said huffily, but the jealousy vanished from his face. "No need to flatter me."

"But I do think you're handsome!" Lupin protested earnestly.

Snape snorted derisively, but he looked more amused than annoyed. "I always said that Gryffindors had no taste."

"You look very nice tonight, Lukas," Branwen said politely.

The werewolf looked uncomfortable, and reached up to fiddle nervously with the torc around his neck. "The robe was a gift from Lady Selima," he said. "She wants me to look the part of a proper pureblood Lord."

"You do," Lupin assured him. "You look very lordly." And even Snape had to nod in grudging agreement. Narcissa looked confused, and Lupin said, "Oh, excuse me. Lukas, this is Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's mother. Narcissa, this is Lukas Bleddri, our Physical Defense and Interspecies Relations instructor."

"You?" Narcissa asked, looking stunned. "You're the werewolf who's stirred up the wizarding world by challenging Amos for the Diggory title?"

"Yes, and it's nice to meet you, too, Lady Malfoy," Lukas said sarcastically.

Before Narcissa could reply, Dumbledore had taken his place at the head table, and was asking everyone to take their seats so that dinner could be served. They broke off their conversation, and the students hurried over to their respective tables while the teachers and adults went to join Dumbledore at the head table.

***

Harry grinned when he saw Ginny walk into the common room wearing the hairclips he had bought her. As it turned out, she was wearing a red robe with gold embroidery, so the garnet-and-gold hairclips matched her outfit perfectly.

"Thank you, Harry," Ginny said, smiling at him as she reached up to touch one of the clips. "I love these; they're very pretty."

Rosier probably would have made a smooth comeback like, "So are you," but Harry wasn't Dylan Rosier, and he was worried that the words would sound trite or forced coming out of his mouth. So he settled for saying, "You're welcome. I thought I ought to make up for Bane stealing your hairclip during the summer." She looked puzzled, so Harry explained about Bane's treasure hoard in the attic.

"So that's where it went!" Ginny laughed. "Well, Bane can keep that one; I think I definitely got the better end of the bargain!" She added, a little shyly, "You look really nice tonight, Harry."

"So do you," Harry replied awkwardly, wishing he'd decided to attempt being smooth earlier. Wasn't it supposed to be the guy who told the girl she looked nice, not the other way around? He was wearing a new robe, a gift from Sirius and Blackmore, but he didn't think that he looked much different than he normally did; his hair as untidy and unruly as ever, despite his best efforts to tame it. He also would have preferred to be wearing something other than green (Slytherin colors), but Blackmore had picked out that particular robe because she said it matched his eyes, and he hadn't wanted to hurt his godparents' feelings.

"Ready to go?" Ron asked cheerfully as he and Hermione entered the common room. He was wearing a black robe that was a bit plain in comparison to some of the other students' outfits, but it was new, and exactly what he had requested his mother to buy for him. After the horrid maroon, lace-trimmed robes Mrs. Weasley had bought him in fourth year, Ron much preferred "plain," and he was thrilled to be wearing something new and not secondhand. Hermione looked very elegant in a robe of dark blue velvet, with her hair pinned up in a knot except for a couple of loose, curly tendrils of hair that hung down beside each ear. "You missed some," Ron said to Hermione, motioning to the loose tendrils, assuming they had slipped out of the knot.

"They're supposed to be there," Hermione informed him. "Parvati spent half an hour getting everything just right. She says it looks more feminine and less severe that way."

"Boys!" Parvati huffed indignantly. "They don't know anything about fashion! Except for Dylan, of course."

Ron just laughed, for once not jealous of Dylan. "That's because Rosier spends as much time on his hair and clothes as you girls!"

Parvati and Lavender looked offended, but Hermione laughed along with Ron. "It's true," she admitted. "He is a bit of a peacock."

"But he is lovely to look at," Parvati sighed.

"Aren't you dating Pierce now?" Harry asked.

"That doesn't mean I've gone blind, Harry," Parvati said matter-of-factly and everyone laughed.

When a boy was escorting a girl from another House to the Ball, it was considered courteous of him to meet her outside her dorm, which meant that while Damien, Dylan, and Brad were coming to Gryffindor Tower to pick up their dates, Ron had to go down to the dungeon to meet Daphne.

"Well, I've got to go pick up Daphne," Ron said. "We'll meet you guys in the Great Hall." He lowered his voice and added, "Remember not to mention the letter to anyone, okay? Her snooty housemates will give her a hard time if they find out; the Slytherins think it's not 'proper' for a girl to ask a guy out or something like that."

"I think that's silly," Ginny said, and she and Harry grinned at each other. "But I won't say anything."

"She's so shy," Hermione said, "that it's hard to believe she actually worked up the nerve to ask you out."

"Guess it must be the old Weasley charm," Harry laughed, slapping Ron on the back; his friend grinned proudly. Harry thought it was a bit odd that his friend was taking a Slytherin girl to the Ball, but Daphne seemed nice enough, and Ron had been floating on cloud nine ever since he'd received her letter.

"No girl has ever asked me out before," Ron had confided in Harry earlier. "Bill always had girls crawling all over him, but none of them ever paid any attention to me." Harry knew Ron had been hurt that both of his love interests--Fleur and Hermione--had not returned his feelings, and that he had always felt overshadowed by his brothers and Harry, so he had been extremely flattered when Daphne invited him to the Ball. Harry wasn't sure whether Ron was really smitten with Daphne herself, or if he was just overjoyed that someone, anyone, was interested in him for himself. On the other hand, Ron hadn't been very flattered by Luna's crush on him, so maybe it really was love. Even if it was just infatuation, Harry was grateful to Daphne for making his friend so happy.

They left the dorm, and the three Slytherin boys were already waiting outside. Jack and Andrew muttered something about snakes under their breath, but Dylan ignored them, bowed to Hermione, and offered her his arm. She smiled at him and laid her hand on his arm, and they walked down the hall together. Harry took a deep breath, then bowed and offered his arm to Ginny--with not quite the same flair as Rosier, perhaps, but Ginny smiled and slipped her arm through his, and they headed to the Great Hall together.

Harry and Ginny took their seats at their assigned table. Dylan and Hermione were supposed to be sitting at the same table, along with Ron and Daphne, but they went over to say hello to Dylan's great-uncle and aunt first; Dumbledore had apparently invited a number of friends and alumni to attend the Ball this year. Harry had been a little surprised that Dylan was willing to sit among the Gryffindors rather than ask Hermione to sit with the Slytherins, but he was glad that he would be able to sit together with his two best friends.

Snape and Lupin entered the Great Hall together, and Snape went over to talk to the Donners while Lupin was mobbed by a crowd of Slytherins. Harry's jaw dropped when he saw what Lupin was wearing--a fancy green dress robe emblazoned with the Slytherin crest!

"Wh-why's Lupin wearing a Slytherin robe?" Harry stammered, feeling stunned, and then a little hurt. "Even if he's living with Snape, he's still a Gryffindor!" Lupin glanced across the room and their eyes met for a moment; Lupin looked startled, then gave Harry a small, apologetic smile before turning his attention back to the Slytherins.

"I think the Slytherins gave it to him," Ginny said calmly. "I know they all chipped in to give him some sort of special, secret Christmas present. They've been excited about it for the last couple of weeks, but they wouldn't tell anyone outside of Slytherin what it was."

"And you know all this because...?" Harry asked.

"Because I pay attention to what's going on around me, and I talk to my Slytherin classmates," Ginny replied impatiently. "Don't make a big deal about the robe, Harry; you'll only hurt Professor Lupin's feelings. It's a Christmas present, so he has to wear it to be polite. Remember those red and gold robes Tonks gave him for Christmas last year? He still wears them every now and then, even though Snape complains that they're hideous. Besides, I think that Lupin's probably happy that the Slytherins gave him a gift, when just a few years ago they were sneering and looking down their noses at him."

"I guess," Harry said dubiously. But he still thought it was a bit disloyal to wear, not just a green and silver robe--plenty of people were wearing green tonight, after all, himself included--but one with a Slytherin crest. Although maybe it was not Lupin, but the Slytherins he should be upset with, for giving him the robe in the first place. It was like they were staking a claim on him or something, saying that he belonged to Slytherin now, and not Gryffindor.

Ginny seemed to guess at what he was thinking. She gave him a hard look and said sternly, "Don't make a big deal out of nothing, Harry."

"I didn't say anything!" Harry protested, a bit guiltily.

Ron and Daphne arrived, and Dylan and Hermione joined them once the Headmaster asked everyone to take their seats. Daphne greeted them shyly, and smiled when Hermione complimented her on her robe (pale green embroidered with white flowers).

"Thank you," Daphne said in her soft voice. "That's a very pretty necklace you're wearing; I like the flower design. Was it a Christmas present?"

"Yes," Hermione replied. "Dylan gave it to me." At first glance, it appeared to be an abstract design of silver filigree, but upon closer examination turned out to be an intricate design of vines and roses. She smiled warmly at her boyfriend. "Thank you, Dylan. I really love it; it's so beautiful."

"You're welcome," he replied quietly. "I'm glad that you like it. It belonged to my mother."

"Oh!" Hermione gasped, her eyes widening as her hand flew up to touch the silver necklace around her throat. "I...I didn't realize. Is it really all right for me to...?"

Dylan smiled at her, looking serious but not unhappy. "Yes, I don't think she'd mind. My father had it made specially for her, so it was meant to be given and worn with love."

"Oh, Dylan," Hermione whispered, her eyes filling with tears, "I promise that I'll always treasure it!"

"I will treasure your gift, too," he assured her, reaching up to touch the "love" and "friendship" charms he was wearing around his neck.

Ron leaned over and whispered to Harry, half-jokingly and half-enviously, "God, Rosier is so smooth!"

Daphne overheard and giggled. "He's like a character out of one of Pansy's romance novels!" she agreed.

Ron grinned, looking happy to hear a girl speaking of Dylan Rosier with something less than complete and utter adoration. They looked at their menus, then placed their orders and watched their plates magically fill with food. "So what's up with Lupin's new robe?" Ron asked casually, digging into his plate of roast turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes. "Did Snape give it to him?"

"It's from all of us in Slytherin," Dylan said cheerfully.

"It was Pansy's idea," Daphne added softly.

"Yes, she thought it would be nice to show him that all of us Slytherins accept him as one of us now," Dylan explained. "Some of them, like Draco, gave him a hard time when he first started teaching here, and they feel kind of bad about it now. So it's to show him that things have changed, and we're happy to have him living in the dungeon with Snape, and that we're grateful for the way he's looked out for us. He's always believed in us, when everyone else said we'd all turn out to be Death Eaters."

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Dylan!" Hermione said approvingly. "I'll bet it means a lot to the Professor." Ginny gave Harry an "I told you so" look and nodded in agreement.

Ron didn't look at all perturbed by the matter, but he was still euphoric about being invited to the Ball by Daphne. "I saw Sloper and Kirke giving him dirty looks," Ron said between bites of food. "Guess they don't think a Gryffindor should be wearing Slytherin colors."

"Oh dear," Daphne said, looking distressed. "We didn't think about that. Do you think it will cause trouble for the Professor?"

"I guess we should have realized," Dylan said, frowning. Actually, there had been a certain feeling of smug satisfaction in claiming Lupin as an honorary Slytherin, in knowing that he was "theirs" and not Gryffindor's, or at least, not solely Gryffindor's. But they hadn't intended to get Lupin caught up in the middle of a House feud.

"Oh, don't worry about Sloper and Kirke," Ron said, gesturing dismissively in the air with his fork. "They're a couple of boneheads. If they cause trouble, we'll knock some sense into them, right Harry?"

"Er...right," Harry agreed. Daphne smiled admiringly at Ron, who sat up a little straighter and seemed to stick his chest out a bit. It reminded Harry of the way that male pigeons courted the female pigeons, and suddenly he was choking back laughter, and Lupin's Slytherin robe no longer seemed like such a big deal, after all.

"Well, maybe you can get him a Gryffindor robe for his birthday," Dylan suggested practically, then paused and frowned again. "When is his birthday, anyway?"

"Uh, I don't know," Harry said, feeling a little embarrassed by his ignorance when Lupin had been such a good friend to him. "I can ask Sirius."

"And I'll ask Professor Snape," Dylan said. "I wouldn't want to miss it, after everything he's done for me and Theo."

"I think it's silly," Ginny declared. "I mean, I think it would be nice to get him something for his birthday, but it's silly to get him a Gryffindor robe just because the Slytherins got him a robe with their House crest. I mean, what if the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs get offended? He'll end up having to wear a different House robe every day of the week!"

Put that way, it did seem silly, and they all burst out laughing. "It could happen," Dylan said with a grin. "He is the most popular teacher in the school! Everyone likes him, not just the Slytherins and Gryffindors."

"Yeah, you don't see anyone trying to give Snape a Gryffindor robe," Ron pointed out, and they all laughed even harder.

"Oh my God," Dylan gasped, laughing so hard that tears were running out of his eyes, "can you just picture that?"

Harry could, and the mental image made him laugh until his stomach hurt. It was almost as funny as the Snape-boggart dressed in Neville's grandmother's clothes, although it was difficult to top the stuffed-vulture hat. After that, the conversation flowed smoothly over dinner. Daphne didn't say much, but she seemed a little less skittish and a little more relaxed than she usually did, and she smiled and laughed softly at all Ron's jokes, which Ron seemed to find very gratifying.

{Well, I guess there's someone for everyone,} Harry thought to himself. After all, even stuck-up, priggish Percy had managed to fall in love and get married.

***

From the head table, Lupin was relieved to see Harry and Ron laughing and getting along with Dylan and Daphne. He resolved to have a private chat with Harry later, but hopefully the Slytherin robe wasn't going to be a big issue. He turned his attention back to his dinner and his companions. Math and Goewin had brought Ariana with them, and Goewin was trying to feed the baby, but little Ariana seemed much more interested in all the bright lights and strange people around her than in the spoonfuls of baby food, which mostly ended up on her and not in her.

"Oh, dear," Goewin said. "She's usually such a well-behaved child."

"She's just excited to be in a new place, I'm sure," Dumbledore said genially. "Why don't I hold her for a little while you get something to eat? I'm sure she'll be hungry later." He took the baby and bounced her gently on his knee, and she stared at his long, white beard in fascination, then grabbed at it with both hands and tugged hard. "Oh my!" Dumbledore laughed, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon glasses. "She's a very healthy baby, with a good, strong grip!"

"Ari!" Goewin scolded while Math chuckled. Satoshi came over and distracted Ariana by turning into his tanuki form and wiggling his whiskers at her. She laughed delightedly and outstretched her arms, and the tanuki picked her up. She giggled and stroked his furry face, then laughed and pointed when she caught a glimpse of his striped tail. She was passed down the table from person to person, as nearly everyone, especially the women, wanted to coo and fuss over her.

"Such an adorable baby," Emilie said, and smiled nostalgically at her husband. "Remember when Isabelle was this small?"

"It seems like yesterday," Thierry agreed.

Two of the people at the table, however, were not overawed by the baby, and looked less than thrilled to be there. Lukas didn't like formal gatherings to begin with, and Dumbledore had seated Narcissa next to him, which Lupin feared was a mistake. Narcissa had changed a great deal, to be sure, but her pureblood prejudices could not be erased overnight. The odd thing was that they made a very beautiful and striking pair, both of them blonde-haired and clad in green velvet, looking elegant and aristocratic. But for most of the Slytherin elite, no amount of money or beauty could make up for the lack of blood purity.

"So you are the werewolf teacher Draco has been telling me so much about," Narcissa said disdainfully. "You are not what I expected."

"Funny," Lukas said with an ironic smile as he lifted a glass of wine to his lips, "you are exactly what I expected, Lady Malfoy." His tone of voice made it sound like an insult.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Narcissa asked coldly.

"A typical pureblood snob," Lukas told her bluntly. "Arrogant, petty, and narrow-minded. You look down upon others because in your mind, it makes you feel bigger to make someone else feel small." As Narcissa turned red with rage, he added, still with that ironic smile, "Even though, as a disgraced former Death Eater, you have no right to be looking down on anyone else. But I suppose you can comfort yourself with the fact that at least you're not a werewolf."

"Lukas!" Lupin snapped. "That's enough!"

"We had might as well be at one of my mother's parties," Snape sighed, looking glumly at his glass of wine. "I would like to spend one evening talking about something other than status and blood purity if it's all the same to you two, Bleddri, Narcissa."

"I will behave myself if the werewolf does," Narcissa said, glaring at the werewolf in question.

"And Bleddri," Snape continued, "you might consider this something of a test, a trial run, if you will. If you intend to win back the title, at some point you are going to have to associate with the pureblood elite without openly insulting them. You're going to have to prove to the court that you are able to conduct yourself as a proper Lord should." Bleddri looked sulky, and Snape added in an insinuating voice, "Note that I said 'without OPENLY insulting them'--my mother knows a thousand subtle ways to insult someone while being completely polite and proper on the surface. You should talk to Lady Selima, Bleddri. Subtlety is key when dealing with the purebloods, and no one does 'subtle' better than my mother."

"Great," Lukas groaned, slumping back in his seat. "I have to take lessons in etiquette from Lady Selima!"

"I feel for you, Bleddri," Snape said with a heartless grin.

"Should you really be helping him with this, Severus?" Narcissa asked, frowning disapprovingly.

"You've never been close to the Diggorys," Snape pointed out. "What do you care who inherits the title?"

"That's not the point," Narcissa argued. "It sets a bad precedent, appointing a werewolf head of a pureblood family."

Snape's black eyes gleamed dangerously and his voice took on a sharp edge. "Don't forget that it was a werewolf who helped save your son's life!"

Narcissa flushed and ducked her head, looking a little ashamed of herself. "Of course I didn't mean Remus," she mumbled.

"Lukas aided us in the battle, also, Narcissa," Lupin reminded her gently. "While he did not save Draco directly, he and his pack killed or disabled several of the Death Eaters and giants, who would otherwise have been free to hurt or kill the Order members--and the students." Narcissa bowed her head, and she and Bleddri ate in stony silence. Lupin sighed and tried to ignore them, participating in more cheerful conversations with other occupants of the table, and took a turn playing with little Ariana.

After dinner, the dancing began. Draco came over and dutifully danced with his mother for one song, then escorted her back to the head table before leading Serafina onto the dance floor. "Oh my goodness!" Narcissa exclaimed. "Is that really Serafina Avery?"

"Yes," Lupin replied cheerfully. "She looks very lovely tonight, doesn't she?"

"She looks beautiful!" Narcissa said, still in shock. "But she was always such a plain little thing..."

"I never thought she was plain," Lupin said. "She has beautiful eyes and a beautiful smile. The problem is that she never used to smile. Theo is a handsome boy, too, but no one ever noticed because he was always sullen and scowling. Beauty comes from within as well from without, Narcissa. Sera and Theo had learned it was safest not to attract attention to themselves, so they projected a sort of 'don't look at me' air, almost like a glamor or obscuring spell, if you will, although there was no real magic involved. But now that they no longer feel threatened..." Lupin smiled.

"Perhaps," Narcissa said, still staring at her son and Serafina in bemusement. "Although I think the new dress and hairstyle might have a little to do with it as well."

Lukas shook his head impatiently. "There are plenty of girls in the school who are prettier than Miss Avery, new hairstyle or no. None of them has ever made Mr. Malfoy smile that way before." Draco was smiling at Serafina shyly as they danced, a far cry from his usual air of superiority. He seemed a little bedazzled, and not at all aware of any of the other couples around them. Narcissa pursed her lips, looking unsure as to whether or not she should be pleased by this turn of events. "At least she's a pureblood," Lukas couldn't resist pointing out, and Narcissa glared at him.

Dumbledore was rising from his seat, having asked McGonagall to dance with him. "Why don't you take Narcissa out for a spin on the dance floor, my boy?" he suggested to Lukas.

Lukas and Narcissa both gave him identically incredulous looks. "You've got to be kidding," Lukas said.

"No, I'm not," the Headmaster replied, although there was a twinkle in his eyes. "Narcissa doesn't have an escort, and I know that you'll just sit here brooding all night unless I order you to have some fun." He patted Lukas on the shoulder. "You must learn how to relax and enjoy yourself, Lukas."

Lukas growled irritably. "I do know how to have fun," he grumbled. "It's just that your idea of 'fun' seems to differ radically from mine."

"A dance or two won't kill you, Master Bleddri," McGonagall said, looking amused. "All the other teachers are dancing." That wasn't quite true, because Snape and Lupin were still sitting at the table, but most of the other staff members were out on the dance floor. Branwen and Sirius were dancing together, of course, and Satoshi was dancing with a laughing Madam Pomfrey (he had changed back to his human form but retained his whiskers and tail). Even Filch was dancing with Madam Pince, although he looked awkward and ill at ease.

"Go on and dance," Dumbledore told Lukas and Narcissa. He added with a cheerful smile, "That's an order."

Lukas stood and bowed to Narcissa with icy formality. She rose and curtsied to him with equal coldness, then laid her hand on his proffered arm, just barely touching her fingertips to the surface of his velvet sleeve, as if she wanted as little physical contact with him as possible. They walked out onto the dance floor, and Dumbledore chuckled, not looking at all concerned by their less than enthusiastic reaction.

"Well, shall we, Minerva?"

"I hope you know what you're doing, Albus," McGonagall murmured as she took Dumbledore's hand.

That left Lupin and Snape alone at the head table, save for Math and Goewin, who were feeding Ariana, who was now finally ready to eat her supper. "Would you like to dance, Severus?" Lupin asked.

Snape scowled at him. "You've got to be kidding," he said, in much the same tone Lukas had.

"But all the other teachers are dancing," Lupin pointed out with a mischievous smile.

"I don't wish to make a spectacle of myself tonight," Snape informed him, the look on his face implying that Lupin had offered an affront to his dignity.

"Oh, what's the big deal, Severus?" Lupin asked. "Everyone knows we're a couple! And nearly everyone here saw me kiss you at the head table last term!"

"Don't remind me!" Snape groaned.

"Oh, pretty please, Severus?" Lupin wheedled in the whiny voice of a child begging for a toy or a sweet. "Pretty please with a cherry on top? Please, please, please--"

"Enough!" Snape snapped as Math and Goewin began to laugh. The Potions Master sighed in exasperation, as he realized that refusing to give in to Lupin could prove just as embarrassing as the opposite would. "One dance," he growled, "and that's it!"

"Three," Lupin bargained.

"One," Snape repeated firmly.

"Two," Lupin counter-offered, "and I promise not to kiss you in front of everyone at the Ball."

"Oh, very well," Snape said huffily, giving in with ill grace, then glared at his lover suspiciously. "Have you been taking lessons from Uncle Ali?"

"No," Lupin said sweetly. "It's a natural gift." He held out his hand, and Snape sighed and took it. They received a few shocked stares as they began to dance, but most of the students were used to seeing Lupin and Snape as a couple by now, and just grinned or giggled. Emilie Laroque, though, who had been away from England for many years, and who had never known Snape very well to begin with, stared at the couple, a dumbfounded look on her face, while her husband raised his eyebrows.

"Things are certainly different here at Hogwarts than they are at Beauxbatons," Thierry said mildly.

"Things must have changed since I was last here," Emilie said weakly.

Lupin smiled up at Snape lovingly, and he whispered, "Thank you, Severus." The Potions Master's grumpy expression softened for a moment, and he gave Lupin a small smile in return before turning to glare at a giggling Slytherin girl.

"You owe me for this, Lupin," Snape growled.

"I promise I'll make it up to you tonight," Lupin whispered into Snape's ear in a sultry voice, and smiled in satisfaction as he felt a shiver run through his lover's body.

"You're evil, Lupin," Snape whispered.

"It must be the influence of my Slytherin robe," Lupin laughed.

Nearby them, Narcissa and Lukas were still arguing as they danced. "You have corrupted my Draco, putting these notions of 'physical defense' into his head," Narcissa was saying. "Do you know that he asked me to buy him a sword? Apparently the Dietrich boy got one for Christmas, and now Draco wants a 'real' sword, too!"

"Then perhaps you should be angry at Mr. Dietrich, not me," Lukas replied.

"It's because of your class that he got interested in swordplay in the first place!" Narcissa retorted.

"Then take your complaints to the Headmaster," Lukas snapped. "He's the one who created the class in the first place; even if I wasn't here, someone else would still be teaching it. Anyway, you should be glad that your son is learning how to defend himself!"

"What does a wizard need with a sword?" Narcissa demanded. "Draco should be learning defensive and combative magic, instead of wasting his time on your silly classes! You are corrupting him--"

"It was your husband who tried to corrupt Draco and the other students!" Lukas interrupted, and Narcissa's face went pale, and then red. She abruptly jerked away from him and stormed off the dance floor.

"You went too far, Lukas," Lupin said disapprovingly.

"Nobody asked for your opinion, Lupin," Lukas snarled, although he looked just a little guilty. "She's a typical pureblood, refusing to listen to what she doesn't want to hear."

"Her whole life was turned upside-down," Lupin said. "She's not a bad person, but it takes time to overcome a lifetime's worth of prejudice. And Lucius may have been an evil bastard, but he was still her husband. You should apologize to her."

Lukas snorted derisively, but turned to follow Narcissa, calling, "Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you!" Narcissa ignored him, and ran out of the room.

Snape sighed, "So much for subtlety. My mother has her work cut out for her."

Lupin smiled. "Lady Selima is up to the task, I'm sure. Do you think we ought to check up on the two of them and make sure no blood is shed?"

"If Bleddri hasn't killed my mother for meddling in his life, he isn't going to hurt Narcissa,"Snape said, unconcerned.

Draco and Serafina were still so wrapped up in each other that they didn't seem to have noticed the disturbance. Crabbe, who was dancing next to them with Luna, reached over and tapped Draco on the shoulder. "Huh?" Draco said, looking up with a start.

"Didn't you see?" Crabbe asked. "Your mum had a fight with Master Bleddri and stormed out of the room."

Draco shrugged. "She doesn't like the idea of me taking Physical Defense lessons, even though they're required, and she had a fit when I asked her if I could buy a sword. I'm sure she'll cool off after a little while. I'll talk to her later." Then he resumed dancing with Serafina.

Since Draco didn't seem worried, Crabbe turned back to Luna with a smile. Snape blinked his eyes in disbelief. "Lupin, is that girl dressed like a Christmas tree?" Luna was wearing a pointed green hat on her head that was topped off with a twinkling gold star, and she was wearing a green dress that flared out at the hem, giving her body a conical shape. The dress was trimmed with rows of tinsel and shiny red and green ornaments.

"Yes, Severus," Lupin replied calmly.

"Oh, good," Snape sighed. "I was afraid someone had drugged the wine. I know I didn't drink enough to start hallucinating."

Lupin laughed, then moved closer, resting his head on Snape's shoulder. After a moment of hesitation, Snape's arms closed around him, and Lupin sighed contentedly. He was here, in his lover's arms, and everyone could see his claim upon his mate; the wolf could not be happier.

"Time's up, Remus," Snape said softly when the second song ended.

Lupin sighed, reluctant to end the moment, but a bargain was a bargain. "Thank you for you indulging me, Severus," he said.

"You promised to pay me back tonight, remember?" Snape reminded him with a wicked grin, and although Lupin had been looking forward to the Ball for weeks, he suddenly wished the night was over.

"I always keep my promises, Sev," Lupin said in a husky voice.

"Yes, you are disgustingly honorable, like all Gryffindors," Snape agreed good-naturedly. "I've indulged you, so now it's my turn to have some fun." He reached for his wand and grinned again. "Let's go for a stroll in the garden," he said, offering his arm to Lupin.

Snape didn't often initiate public displays of affection, so Lupin was delighted, although he felt a bit sorry for the students who were making out in the rose bushes. Still, you'd think they would have learned by now to take their amorous activities somewhere else. "As you wish, Severus," he said, slipping his arm through Snape's, and they casually strolled arm-in-arm across the room and out into the garden.

Part 52