FIC: Aftermaths, Part 54

[geri_chan]

Title: Aftermaths, Part 54
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: ~10,060
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: Dinner at Snape Manor with the Zabinis; Prospero reveals some surprising things about himself and his family. (If you aren't familiar with the story of "The Tempest," which is crucial to this chapter, you can find a short summary at http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/id-130,pageNum-13.html.)

Part 53 (Previous chapters can be found under the aftermaths tag.)

***

Silence fell over the table, then Marius cleared his throat and said impatiently, "This is all very touching, Father, but we are supposed to be discussing Blaise."

"There is nothing to discuss, Father," Blaise said firmly. "I love Theo. Don't blame the Professor for that. He didn't do anything wrong; he didn't know about us. He certainly never encouraged us to get together. We fell in love, that's all. I'm sorry if I've disappointed you, Father, but I won't give Theo up. You can disown me if you want."

"Blaise," Marius said in a placating tone, "it's natural for some boys to want to...ah...experiment...in school, but you can't throw away your future over this--"

"This isn't an experimentation, Father!" Blaise said in frustration. "I love Theo! This isn't a little schoolboy fling!"

"What about your duty as the Zabini heir?" Marius cried.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Father!" Blaise retorted. "What is there for me to inherit, anyway? The junk shop?"

"It's not a junk shop!" Allegra said indignantly.

"I'm sorry, Father," Blaise said gently when he saw the anger on his sister's face, and the look of shame on his father's. "I'm not ashamed of the shop. It's fed and clothed us, and I'm grateful for that. But you're ashamed of it; you don't even want me to run it when I graduate. You want me to go on to better things, but I'm never going to be Ministry of Magic material. And I don't need a title to be a researcher or curator. Allegra can have the title, and her children can carry on the Zabini name."

"But she's a girl," Olivia protested. "She may not be able to find a husband willing to take on our name, especially since we can't afford to offer a large dowry..."

"I'm not marrying some guy who only wants me for my money!" Allegra said scornfully. Then she smiled at her brother. "Don't worry, I'll carry on the Zabini name so that you and Theo can be together."

"It's not fair for you to pawn off your duty on your sister," Marius argued.

"So what do you want him to do, Marius?" Prospero asked. "Make a loveless arranged marriage?"

"Your marriage to my mother worked out well enough, according to your own words!" Marius snapped. "Of course it will be difficult to find a potential bride, what with that little display at the Yule Ball." He sighed and said to his son, "If only you could have been a little more discreet."

Lupin tried to explain, "It wasn't his fault. It was because of the potion--"

"Listen to yourself!" Prospero said angrily to his son. "Would it be all right if he kept a male lover on the side as long as he was 'discreet'? Is it all right if Blaise is miserable, and likely for his hypothetical wife to be miserable, too, so long as you get your heir in the 'proper' manner? You should be ashamed of yourself! That is the kind of thing the Malfoys of the world do, and you are no Malfoy, thank Merlin. Although right now you are acting like one--and you are but a pale shadow of the real thing."

Marius flushed, looking defensive. "I'm not saying I want him to be miserable. Of course we'd try to find a girl who would be compatible with him. I'm just saying that he's young, and what he thinks may be the great love of his life might be mere infatuation."

"Father!" Blaise shouted, jumping to his feet, looking angry and frustrated. But Prospero waved his hand, motioning for Blaise to take his seat, which he did reluctantly.

"Marius," Prospero said quietly, "Blaise is a very sensible and serious young man. When have you ever known him to act foolishly or impulsively? When have you ever known him to defy you?"

Marius frowned. "Almost never," he admitted. "Except when he ended up fighting the Death Eaters at Hogwarts, and I would call that a very dramatic and nearly fatal exception. And it was Theodore's fault that he got entangled with that mess as well."

"It seems to me that Blaise did not go seeking out trouble," Prospero argued. "He found himself in the middle of a dangerous situation and did his best to defend himself and his friends. And was it not you who was adamant that he be Sorted into Slytherin, despite the fact that you knew that House would be filled with the children of suspected Death Eaters and Death Eater sympathizers?"

"All Zabinis are Slytherins," Marius blustered.

"Allegra has proved that all Zabinis are not," Prospero pointed out. "And Blaise strikes me as having more of a Ravenclaw personality. Am I right, Blaise?"

"Yes, Grandfather," Blaise replied, looking a little surprised. "The Hat suggested that I go into Ravenclaw, but I insisted upon Slytherin."

"Because you knew it was important to your father," Prospero said. "Because your father is a little touchy about our lack of wealth, and he felt that being Sorted into Slytherin at least proves that we still have old and pure blood even if we have no money."

"Yes," Blaise said softly, bowing his head. Marius and Olivia suddenly looked guilt-stricken at the thought that their pride might have endangered their son.

"In any case," Prospero said, "I am still the head of the Zabini family, and I do hereby declare that Blaise will not be forced to marry against his will and that he may take whatever lovers he pleases. If Blaise has no children, then the title shall pass to Allegra and her children. There, now that's settled."

"Thank you, Grandfather!" Blaise said, his face filling with joy.

"Th-thank you, L-Lord Zabini," Theodore stammered, looking shocked.

Prospero chuckled. "No need to call me 'Lord,' child. That's an awfully fancy title for someone who is Lord over nothing more than a junk shop--not even that, since I retired and turned it over to Marius. I am Lord of a humble London flat and nothing more."

"It's not a junk shop!" Allegra protested.

"Father, you may be head of the family, but he is my son!" Marius argued. "You have no right to interfere!"

"Open your eyes, Marius!" Prospero snapped. "Can't you see that his mind is made up? Blaise would not defy you like this over a simple infatuation. You say he is young, but he is nearly a man grown. In a few months, he will be a legal adult, and not long after that, he will graduate from Hogwarts as a full-fledged wizard. He is stubborn, as am I, as are you, as are all the Zabinis. Are you really willing to risk losing your son over this?"

"I only want what is best for him," Marius said.

"Do you not recall how you and Olivia came to me when you were not much older than Blaise, and insisted that you wanted to marry?" Prospero asked. "Her family was not on par with the likes of the Malfoys, the Snapes, or the Blacks, but they still felt she could have done better than a Zabini. But she defied her family and married you, and though I knew it would cause trouble for us, I gave you my blessing."

"Well, but Olivia was a woman," Marius argued weakly, "and her parents came around after Blaise was born."

"They won't like it when they hear about this," Olivia sighed.

"I am sorry if you feel I have brought shame upon you, Mother, Father," Blaise said stiffly, looking a little hurt.

"Oh no, dear, it isn't that!" Olivia said. She and Marius exchanged a helpless look. "We love you, Blaise, we want you to be happy. Yes, we are concerned about the family's reputation, but...do you know how hard things will be for you if you follow this path?"

"It will not be easy," Marius said quietly. "People will gossip, spread nasty rumors about you. You may find it hard to get a job."

"I can still help him find an apprenticeship," Snape said. "These sorts of things matter somewhat less in the academic world."

"I'm not doing this lightly, Father," Blaise said. "I am prepared to face the consequences of my actions. So long as my family and friends know the truth, I don't care what anyone else thinks."

"And is this all right with you, Lady Selima?" Marius demanded.

"Severus is the head of the Snape family, not I," Selima replied calmly. "It is his place to say what is permissible and what is not."

Snape snorted, and Prospero smiled in amusement, neither of them fooled by Selima's outward show of deference.

"You can't tell me that you don't care about the Snape family's reputation," Marius said skeptically.

"Severus has already brought so many scandals down upon us that I suppose one more hardly matters," Selima sighed in a resigned manner, and Lupin chuckled softly. "But it need not be a total disaster, if we present a united front," Selima added smoothly. "The boys have been discreet up until now, since none of us knew anything about it."

"I'm not so sure of that," Marius muttered, casting a suspicious glance at Snape, but he seemed willing to hear her out.

"It was the spiked punch that caused all the trouble," Selima continued, "and that is where we shall place the blame. Severus shall put forth that the punch was laced with a potion that caused the students to act irrationally, which is true enough. Perhaps he could imply that it was a hallucinogen..."

"I already told everyone at the Ball that I thought it was a form of Truth Potion," Snape interjected.

Selima shrugged. "But you couldn't be sure of what it was without testing it. Besides, it must have been a student who brewed the potion, correct? They could have prepared it improperly, thereby resulting in unexpected side-effects."

Snape nodded, and Blaise said hesitantly, "But I don't want to hide or act as though I'm ashamed of Theodore--"

Selima waved her hand impatiently. "Yes, yes, but surely you need not go out of your way to advertise it. I'm not saying that you should lie, child--I doubt anyone would believe you, anyway. Besides, since when was a Slytherin so concerned about the truth?" Blaise flushed a little, and Selima added, "You need not lie, just be a little discreet so that we can put a good face on things and the school governors need not accuse your Professor of fostering debauchery in his House."

"Of course I wouldn't want to get Professor Snape into trouble," Blaise said hastily.

"The parents will gossip, of course," Selima told Marius, "but the only ones who have a right to file a complaint against Severus are you and I, as only your son and my grandson were directly involved. What we will do is treat it as a childish prank, nothing to be concerned about. If anyone brings the subject up, we will laugh at them for taking it so seriously, and act as if it doesn't bother us."

"Hold your heads up high and laugh in the faces of those small-minded pureblood gossips," Prospero told his son and daughter-in-law. "If you act angry or defensive, you are only playing right into their hands."

"It's true," Lupin agreed, casting a mischievous smile Snape's way. "I've observed that it annoys people to no end when you let their insults slide off your back and smile at them cheerily."

The Zabinis nodded slowly, looking thoughtful. Selima said persuasively, "The order of things has changed, as my son and Professor Lupin so often tell me. Those who were held high have been cast down low--including the Malfoys, who were the primary cause of your loss of status. And those who were once despised as less than human--the werewolves--are now heroes of the war. Fortunes change, Mr. Zabini; Arthur Weasley's has--and perhaps yours can, too."

"If you're trying to bribe me, Lady Selima--" Marius started to say with a look of offended pride.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, don't be so touchy!" Selima snapped irritably. "I'm merely proposing an alliance for our mutual benefit. If the Snape heir is to be seen associating with a young man, at least let it be a young man of high rank and good breeding." The boys looked as though they didn't know whether to be grateful or offended, Snape looked annoyed, and Lupin looked as if he wanted to laugh. "It would also be to your benefit," Selima told Marius, "to have Blaise and Theodore on a somewhat more equal social footing."

Marius nodded grudgingly, and Blaise decided not to remind them that he really wasn't cut out for a fast-track Ministry career and that he wasn't interested in money or power. Since Selima was trying to help them, and Marius seemed to have given in for the moment, Blaise decided to leave well enough alone and let his parents get accustomed to the idea of he and Theodore being together.

With the arguing more or less over, everyone finally turned their attention to the food lying neglected on their plates. Lupin, attempting to make a little pleasant small talk, asked Prospero, "Are you named after the character from 'The Tempest,' by any chance?"

Prospero beamed proudly. "Why, indeed I am, Professor Lupin. In fact, it was an ancestor of mine who inspired the Bard's tale."

"Really?" Lupin asked.

"Oh no," Marius muttered under his breath, "here we go again."

"Prospero, we've all heard that story about a million times," Selima complained.

"I haven't!" Lupin objected.

"I like that story, even if I have heard it millions--well, at least hundreds of times," Allegra said cheerfully. Blaise just smiled.

"An ancestor of mine, the first Prospero Zabini, was the inspiration for Shakespeare's play," Prospero explained. "The Bard took some poetic license, of course, to make things more dramatic. Prospero wasn't really the Duke of Milan, but an advisor to a powerful nobleman; it is safer for wizards to operate behind the scenes rather than rule openly. Even so, my ancestor was accused of witchcraft and forced to flee from his home with his young daughter, Miranda. They managed to escape, but their ship was wrecked in a storm, and they found themselves stranded on an isolated island far from civilization. Fortunately, his magic enabled him to survive and build a home for himself and his daughter." Prospero smiled at Lupin. "Can you guess what his specialty was?"

A light gleamed in Lupin's eyes, and he said, "He was a Summoner, wasn't he? Ariel is described as an 'airy spirit'--probably an air elemental. And Caliban--the play says he was the offspring of a witch and a devil, but perhaps he was an earth elemental?" Lupin grinned. "I've always been a big Shakespeare fan, and 'The Tempest' is one of my favorite plays."

Prospero nodded approvingly. "Indeed, my ancestor Prospero was the greatest Summoner of his age--no one since has come close to rivaling him in power, except for Branwen Blackmore--one of your colleagues now, I believe. I was very pleased to see Hogwarts add Incantations and Summonings back to the curriculum. But to answer your question, yes, Prospero used earth elementals for tasks requiring brute strength, such as building his house, and he used the air elementals to blow astray a ship carrying the King, causing it run aground on his island."

"And did Miranda really fall in love with Ferdinand, the King's son?" Lupin wanted to know.

Prospero smiled. "The real Ferdinand was not really a Prince, just one of the King's courtiers, another mage in disguise. Prospero the first would never have let his daughter marry a Muggle, not even one who was a prince; he firmly adhered to Salazar Slytherin's principles about keeping the wizarding bloodlines pure. But he did find Muggles entertaining, and even befriended some of them, including our illustrious Bard. He thought old Will had a small streak of magic in him, that perhaps he had stumbled briefly into the Faery world as a child, and retained a certain sense of magic and wonder that worked its way into his stories. In any case, Will decided it would be much more romantic for Miranda to fall in love with a Prince rather than a mere courtier, so he altered the tale a bit. But Miranda and Ferdinand did fall in love and later marry, and Prospero rescued the King and returned home, honor and position restored. And by the way, there was no jealous brother; Antonio was merely a conniving courtier who wanted a rival removed."

"What a fascinating story," Lupin said. "I'd love to hear more about your ancestor some time."

Prospero smiled, looking pleased. "I would be delighted to regale you with tales of Lord Prospero, Professor Lupin. My family and friends are all sick unto death of hearing them."

"That's not true, Grandpa," Allegra said loyally.

"Are you a Summoner, sir?" Theodore asked politely.

"I can summon an elemental or two, but I'm not half the Summoner my ancestor was," Prospero replied modestly. "I did consider taking it up as a profession after I lost my Ministry job, but it was already falling out of fashion even back then. When you mention 'summoning,' people tend to think of demons and Dark Magic instead of friendly elemental spirits."

"So you ended up running the shop in Diagon Alley?" Lupin asked.

"I tried my hand at this and that," Prospero said vaguely, "but nothing ever quite worked out. Then I ended up inheriting a little antique shop when my great-aunt passed away. It started off being much more upscale, but gradually declined into a junk--" He quickly corrected himself as Allegra started to protest." "--I mean, secondhand store, especially after I incurred the Malfoys' wrath for not supporting the Dark Lord. Actually, it was mainly Lucius who was responsible for driving us into near-poverty. It's true that Lucien got me fired from my first job, but he didn't persecute me after that. I think to him, I was too insignificant to be worthy of further attention. But Lucius...as cold and cruel and proud as Lucien Malfoy was, his son was a hundred times worse. That boy never forgot nor forgave a slight, no matter how minor, and he was passionately devoted to the Dark Lord. He even forced Severin, his father's best friend, out of his Ministry post--not for working against the Death Eaters, but simply for remaining neutral and failing to actively support them." Selima nodded, a bitter look on her face. "It was even whispered--though no one dared say it aloud--that Lucius had his own parents killed so that he might come into his inheritance a little early."

"We'll never know the truth now, since Lucius is dead," Snape said, "but you are probably right."

All the talk about Death Eaters made Marius and Olivia look uncomfortable, so Lupin changed the subject. "So, you are retired now, having turned the shop over to your son?"

"I have retired from running the shop," Prospero said, "but I am not entirely idle."

"Father, please!" Marius begged, looking horrified.

Prospero ignored his son, and told Lupin, "These past several years I have been plying the trade of a writer."

"Really?" Lupin asked, looking interested. "What do you write?"

"Father!" Marius cried desperately, which only served to make Lupin and the Snapes more curious.

"Oh, I write novels," Prospero answered casually. "Adventure and romance, mainly."

Lupin frowned. "I'm an avid reader, and I don't recall seeing any books written by a Zabini."

"That's because I use a pen name, so as not to scandalize my family," Prospero said, grinning mischievously at his son, who groaned and buried his head in his hands. "I write under the name Ariel Zoltaire."

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Lupin, Theodore, and Dylan; Snape just raised his eyebrows a little. "You're my favorite author!" Lupin said excitedly. "Theo and Dylan gave me your 'Demon' trilogy for Christmas, as a matter of fact! I wonder--I don't mean to impose, but if I brought by the books one day, perhaps you could autograph them for me if it's not too much trouble?"

"I'd be delighted to, Professor," Prospero said, beaming. "It's nice to meet a fan. I don't really get to meet many, since I can't make any public appearances without giving away my identity. Although it is amusing to sometimes overhear people saying that they like my books, not knowing that the author is standing right next to them."

"Oh, please call me 'Remus,'" Lupin said.

"Then you must call me 'Prospero.'"

"Grandpa's a famous writer?" Allegra asked, looking confused.

"Blaise, did you know?" Dylan asked his friend. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Blaise smiled apologetically. "My parents made me promise not to."

"You should use your real name, Grandpa!" Allegra said enthusiastically. "I'd love to tell my housemates that you're famous! Can I read your books, Grandpa?"

"They're not really appropriate for someone your age," Olivia told her sternly; Allegra looked crestfallen.

"Then I promise to write a story just for you, Allegra," Prospero said affectionately, patting her on the head.

"Branching off into children's books," Lupin mused. "Not a bad idea."

"I was thinking of making a werewolf the hero of my next story," Prospero said with a grin. "The idea of noble werewolf heroes has really caught the public's attention, with that series of articles Rita Skeeter did in the Daily Prophet. Perhaps you wouldn't mind helping me with my research, Remus--you know, make sure the details of werewolf biology in the story are accurate, give me some insight into how a werewolf thinks..."

"Why, I'd be honored, Mr. Za--I mean, Prospero!" Lupin said delightedly.

Snape looked worried, picturing a thinly-veiled version of Lupin as the protagonist of Prospero's next novel. Prospero winked at him and said reassuringly, "Oh, don't worry, Professor. I just want Remus to help me fill in some of the background details--I promise my character will be purely fictional."

"It had better be," Snape growled.

"And I'm sure my publisher would object if I made the hero's lover a Potions Master," Prospero added. "Although perhaps a Potions Mistress..." Snape glared at him, and Prospero laughed, "Just kidding, Professor Snape!"

"Just how attached are you to your grandfather, Zabini?" Snape asked Blaise coolly.

"Very, sir," Blaise replied meekly. "Please don't kill him."

"I make no promises," Snape said, glaring at Prospero again. "But I'll try to restrain myself so long as I don't see any resemblance to Lupin or myself in any of your grandfather's books."

"You should write a story about your ancestor," Lupin said, ignoring Snape. "About the first Prospero and the true story behind 'The Tempest.'"

"I'll consider it," Prospero said with a smile. "Although it would be difficult to do so long as I remain anonymous."

"All the girls in Slytherin read your books," Dylan told him, "and most of the boys, too, although some of them pretend that they don't." Then he frowned, looking puzzled. "But if you're such a successful author, then why...?" His voice trailed off, but Prospero understood what he left unsaid.

"Then why are we so poor?" Prospero finished. Dylan flushed, but Prospero looked unoffended. "Well, first of all, I only get about ten percent of the cover price of each book; the rest goes to the bookstores and the publisher. Also, I only sold a modest number of books up until recently; enough to support myself with, so that the income from the shop could go solely to Marius and his family, but not enough to get rich on. In the past year or so, though, my books have been selling extremely well--particularly the 'Demon' trilogy. I think I'll be able to negotiate a higher royalty rate with my publisher for my next book."

"That's why you could afford to give me a music box for Christmas!" Allegra exclaimed. "Mummy and Daddy got me the toy wolf cub they promised me, and I thought it was strange that I got two expensive presents for Christmas!"

Prospero smiled at his granddaughter and tousled her hair. "I've done well enough that I offered to help Marius with your and Blaise's school expenses, but your father is too proud to take money that comes from such a dubious profession. But at least I can buy my favorite grandchildren nice presents for Christmas."

Allegra giggled. "We're your only grandchildren, Grandpa!"

Marius looked both embarrassed and annoyed by his father's gentle scolding. "Your father writes tales that stir the imagination and touch the heart," Lupin told him. "That's certainly nothing to be ashamed of."

"Writing serious, academic titles is considered respectable by the Slytherin elite," Snape explained to his lover. "Writing romance and adventure novels for the masses is not."

"Personally, I think that being respectable is highly overrated," Lupin said.

"Agreed," Prospero laughed, raising his wineglass in salute.

Lupin and the head of the Zabini family had a fine time at dinner, laughing and discussing Prospero's novels; Marius and Olivia looked resigned, if not happy. Prospero drew the boys into the conversation, getting them to admit to reading his books, and asking them which were their favorites. Allegra listened raptly, and Snape suspected she was going to find a way to read her grandfather's books with or without her mother's permission. Still, he and his own housemates had often read books forbidden to them when they were children, and Snape didn't think that reading a slightly racy novel was going to do the girl much harm--certainly much less harm than reading books on forbidden Dark Spells would. Prospero Zabini was surprisingly charming and charismatic--much more so than Marius and Blaise. Snape suspected that Allegra had inherited her outgoing nature from him, but he still had no idea where her naivete had come from--perhaps from her late grandmother, if the woman had been foolish enough to be besotted with Lucien Malfoy.

Eventually, dinner came to a close, and the Zabinis rose to leave and thanked Lady Selima politely for dinner.

"You're welcome," she replied. "I am glad that we were able to reach an understanding." She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Thank you for the flowers you sent to Severin's funeral, Prospero."

Prospero bowed slightly, looking very solemn, all the mischief and laughter gone from his face. "I am very sorry for your loss, Selima," he said quietly.

"Are you?" she asked coolly.

Prospero looked up and met her eyes without flinching. "Yes, I am. I had no love for Lord Snape, but I am sorry for your sake, Selima. I am sorry for your grief."

"Am I supposed to give a pretty speech about how Severin and I found friendship and comfort together?" Selima asked sarcastically.

"No," Prospero replied, "but he was your husband and the father of your son. You must have felt some sense of loss. And for that, I am sincerely sorry."

Selima had no answer for that. After a moment of awkward silence, Prospero cleared his throat and asked, "May I call upon you again in the future?"

"I am not sure that would be appropriate," Selima said stiffly

"Not as a suitor," Prospero added quickly. "At least--not yet, as you are newly widowed and that would be unseemly. But as an old friend, to talk about our grandsons' education and futures." Prospero smiled at Lupin. "And Remus did promise to help me with my next book."

"If you wish to come by the Manor to see Professor Lupin, I will not stop you," Selima said with an air of indifference.

Prospero grinned widely and lifted her hand to his lips. "Then I will call upon the Professor sometime soon," he said. "I bid you a good evening, then, Lady Selima, and to you also, Remus, Professor Snape. It was a pleasure to meet you, Theodore, Dylan." He smiled with all apparent sincerity and held out his hand, and Dylan and Theo shook it.

"Likewise, sir," Theodore said, still looking a little dazed by the fact that he and Blaise had won the approval of their grandparents.

"I'm sure we'll be seeing much more of each other," Prospero said cheerfully to the Snapes, "seeing as how we are all family now, in a sense." Then he threw a handful of Floo Powder into the fireplace and stepped through the flames before anyone could respond. Marius glared at his father, then followed him; Olivia followed with a sigh. Grinning, Blaise and Allegra said goodnight to their hosts and left through the Floo as well.

Selima shook her head. "He's a grandfather now, and he still plays the part of the charming rogue."

"How did Prospero's wife die?" Lupin asked curiously.

"She died in childbirth, along with their daughter, when Marius was ten," Selima replied.

"How sad," Lupin murmured, then a speculative look filled his blue eyes. "But that means he is a widower, and you are now a widow, Lady Selima..."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Professor!" Selima snapped. "This isn't one of Prospero's silly novels. We aren't going to renew some old school romance after forty years!"

"Why not?" Lupin asked in a reasonable tone of voice. "You're both single now. Of course I understand that you need to observe a mourning period for Lord Severin, but after that--"

"It was a foolish, childish infatuation, nothing more!" Selima insisted, but she was blushing a little. "It was over and done with long ago. We are both much too old to start over again."

"You're little more than a third of Dumbledore's age," Lupin pointed out. "I'd hardly call you 'old.'"

"I don't wish to marry again!" Selima snapped. "And certainly not Prospero, who is clearly still as irresponsible as ever! Mind your own business, Lupin!" And then she stalked out of the room, her skirts swirling around her, looking much more flustered than was normal for cool, controlled Lady Snape.

"Hmm, I think that's only the second or third time that she's actually called me by my name and not 'Professor' or 'the werewolf,'" Lupin mused. "I think that might be a good sign, even if it was said in anger."

"She's right, you know," Snape told him. "Stay out of this."

"But what if she still loves him?" Dylan asked. "Blaise's grandfather acts like he still has feelings for her. I mean, why else does he write all these impossible love stories about a beggar falling in love with a princess, or a demon falling in love with a human?"

Snape glared at his foster son. "Perhaps I should ban Zabini's--excuse me, Ariel Zoltaire's--books from Slytherin House. Clearly they're a bad influence on my students."

"Don't you think your mother deserves a little happiness, after all she's been through?" Lupin asked.

"What makes you so sure that Prospero Zabini will make her happy?" Snape retorted, evading the question. "I've never seen two people more unlike and ill-suited to each other. I'll bet they fought like cats and dogs even when they were still courting back in school."

"You mean, like us?" Lupin asked sweetly, and the boys grinned. Snape silently cursed himself for walking right into that one.

"My mother is more sensible than I am," Snape growled.

"True," Lupin agreed calmly, "but I believe there's still hope for her." He smiled lovingly at Theodore and reached up to stroke his cheek. "It wasn't Slytherin practicality and ambition that made her decide to stand by Theodore and Blaise; I think it was love. Love for her new grandson, and fear of losing him. And perhaps love for Prospero as well. It wasn't until she got a good look at Blaise that she finally gave in, after all. Did you see the way she looked at him, almost wistfully?"

"I suppose it's useless to ask you not to interfere," Snape said wearily.

"A complete waste of time," Lupin agreed cheerfully, and Snape smiled a little in spite of himself.

"I don't understand why I'm not the one with gray hair, considering everything you put me through," Snape grumbled as Lupin grinned. He held out his arm and Lupin took it, and they headed upstairs to their bedroom together. The boys laughed softly and followed.

***

The remainder of Christmas vacation was uneventful, much to Snape's relief. When Dylan went to visit the Donners for a few days, the house was a little more quiet than usual, at least until Prospero Zabini stopped by as promised to interview Lupin for his "research." He brought more roses and a box of pastries, which Selima accepted with polite but cool thanks. She served the pastries with tea in the sunroom, watching with her usual blank expression as Lupin and Prospero engaged in an animated conversation. Snape listened in bemusement as Lupin described the transformation process and what it felt like to live with his wolfish side in much more detail than he normally did with strangers or even his curious students. He just hoped that Lupin wouldn't regret it when Prospero's book came out, and silently vowed that he would make Prospero very, very sorry if he did anything to hurt or embarrass Lupin, Blaise's grandfather or not.

Prospero also chatted with Theodore in an easy, friendly manner, which eased Snape's hostility and raised his opinion of the man slightly. He honestly didn't seem to mind that the boys were a couple; perhaps it helped that Theodore and Dylan were apparently fans of Ariel Zoltaire as well. Snape smiled wryly to himself as he sipped his tea; Prospero wasn't as vain as Gilderoy Lockhart, but he clearly enjoyed hearing Lupin's and Theodore's praises of his books.

Then again, Prospero Zabini was a Slytherin, and one could not overlook the possibility of ulterior motives. Prospero made a few attempts to initiate small talk with Selima, and seemed to give up and turn his attention back to Lupin and Theodore when his efforts were rebuffed with cool, curt responses. But Snape noticed how he kept watching Selima out of the corner of his eye, even when he was talking to someone else. It was very subtle, but not unnoticeable to Snape, who had spent years obsessively watching Lupin from a distance. Maybe Prospero welcomed the boys' romance because it gave him a chance to get reacquainted with his old flame. Snape wasn't really sure how he felt about that; even if he'd had little love for his father, it was disconcerting to watch his mother being courted by another man.

"Don't you think your mother deserves a little happiness?" Lupin had asked, and Snape had avoided answering the question. Did he want to deny her a second chance at happiness with her old love as revenge for his miserable childhood? No, not really, he finally decided after thinking it over for a long time. If he had not entirely forgiven his mother, neither did he want to actively hurt her. She had become a part of his family when he had returned home and accepted the heirship, however reluctantly, and Theodore and Lupin had grown attached to her. Trying to pursue a vendetta against his mother would upset the delicate balance they had achieved, might harm not just Selima, but also his lover and son. But...it was difficult to picture Selima being happy--truly happy, and not just pleased with some political triumph she had achieved. It was even more difficult to picture her as a young girl in love with a very unsuitable and impractical young man. And yet she must have loved him, if she had planned to marry him, if she had gone to the trouble of devising a scheme to win her family's approval for their marriage. For the first time, Snape realized just how much her marriage to his father must have changed her, and how much she must have given up to become a proper and loyal wife to him. And for the first time, he began to feel a little sympathy for her--which immediately awoke conflicting feelings of resentment, because he didn't want to feel sorry for her. Snape sighed to himself; things had been much easier when he had simply hated his mother.

"Well, thank you for your time, Remus," Prospero finally said, when the tea had gone cold and there was nothing left of the pastries but a few crumbs.

"Oh, it was my pleasure!" Lupin said warmly, and Snape scowled a little. Perhaps the comparison to Gilderoy Lockhart was a little too apt; he disliked seeing Lupin looking almost as starry-eyed as the female students had over Lockhart. Prospero autographed Lupin's books before he left, as he had promised, and also a couple books of Theodore's that the boy had brought out, giving Snape a sheepish and apologetic smile. Then he thanked Selima for the tea, bowing over her hand and kissing her fingertips. Selima gave him a disdainful look, but Snape noticed that she did not pull her hand away.

Snape rose to his feet and said in a silky voice, "Allow me to see you out, Lord Zabini," which caused Theodore and Lupin to give him puzzled looks, and Selima a suspicious one.

"Why, thank you, Professor Snape," Prospero said pleasantly and followed him out of the room. "Although I do wish you would simply call me 'Prospero.'"

"Because, as you told your son, we might have been family under different circumstances?" Snape asked, a little sarcastically.

"That, and the fact that I'm not much for formalities," Prospero said with a smile, showing no sign of being offended.

"Don't get me wrong, Prospero," Snape said. "I'm grateful that you've been so understanding about Theodore and Blaise, and that you helped smooth things over with your son. But I want to make it clear I won't allow any harm, however insignificant, to come to my family. I would take it most amiss if, say, a parody of a certain werewolf appeared in your novels, or if unsavory rumors began circulating about my mother taking lovers before the official mourning period is over."

"I did not think that you were one to be concerned with guarding your reputation, Severus," Prospero said with a gentle smile.

"I don't give a damn about MY reputation," Snape said flatly. "I'm well aware that I've already ruined it several times over. But my mother cares very much about hers, and no one can cast any doubt upon Lady Selima's honor--as yet. And I know how many of her so-called friends would love to see her knocked off her pedestal." Snape was suddenly acutely aware that Selima had little more than her reputation or honor left to her now that her husband was dead and her son had assumed the title. She had once said that Snape could cast her out of the Manor if he wished now that he was Lord, and technically she was right. She did not really have anything else of her own; all her wealth and power had come to her through her husband, and she kept it only on sufferance, because her son chose not to take it from her. No wonder she had always guarded her reputation so fiercely.

"It is well, Severus, to see that you are so protective of your family," Prospero said softly, still with that gentle smile, and Snape's face turned red. "I was worried about Selima when I heard the news of Severin's illness and then his death, so I am glad that she has someone looking out for her well-being. I'm glad that she isn't alone." Caught off guard by this unexpected response, Snape was too flustered to come up with an immediate reply. In a more serious voice, Prospero said, "I swear on my family's honor that I intend no harm to your mother, that I will do nothing to jeopardize her reputation or stain her honor. I have hurt Selima once before with my careless stupidity and youthful pride; I swear that I will never do such a thing again. A second chance at love is a great miracle, Severus--one that I never expected. I have waited forty years for this chance; I will not risk ruining things by being impatient and moving too quickly. I know that not only must I observe the social proprieties of courting a widow, but that it will take time to gain Selima's trust again."

"Even so, you seem very confident that you can win my mother over eventually," Snape observed in a sour voice.

Prospero gave him a charming, mischievous smile that would have looked more at home on Lupin's face than on one that looked so much like Blaise's. Blaise was unusually quiet and meek for a Slytherin, while Snape highly doubted that anyone had ever used the word "meek" to describe Prospero. "But I am a hopeless romantic, Severus," Prospero said lightly. "Which you would know if you had read any of my books."

"Why did you decide to grant your approval to the boys?" Snape asked. Normally he would not have bothered asking such a question of a Slytherin, but Prospero was eccentric enough that he just might answer honestly. "Was it just so that you would have an excuse to see my mother again?"

"I want my grandson to be happy," Prospero replied. "After what happened to Selima and myself, I vowed that I would never let any of my children or grandchildren be forced into arranged marriages. Even if Blaise had been in love with Draco Malfoy instead of Theodore, Merlin forbid, I would still have done the same thing, so long as I was sure that the boy really loved Blaise and wasn't just using him. Actually, Blaise tells me that he considers Draco a friend now, which is certainly something I had never pictured happening, but I trust my grandson's judgment--in both his friends and his lovers."

"So your motivation was purely selfless," Snape said skeptically.

Prospero smiled. "Well, I won't deny that I welcomed the chance to see Selima again when I learned who Blaise's secret lover was. I see no reason why we can't all be happy." Snape let out a little snort, half in derision, half in amusement. "But I must admit that your mother surprised me--I thought I would have to persuade her as well as my son to let the boys remain together."

"Yes, she surprised us all," Snape admitted. And he had a sneaking suspicion that Selima would not have given in so easily if Blaise had not been a Zabini.

"So perhaps there is hope for me after all," Prospero laughed.

"Maybe," Snape conceded grudgingly. "But I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you."

"No, that would be most unwise," Prospero agreed, still smiling cheerfully. "As I said, I know I must take things slowly. So for now I will simply be grateful that she just barely tolerates my presence in her company. And so as not to overstay my welcome, I will bid you good day, Lord Severus." He bowed with a flourish, and Snape almost smiled in spite of himself.

He scowled fiercely to cover it up. "I prefer 'Professor' to 'Lord,'" he said coolly. "This 'Lord' business is my mother's idea. Although I suppose you can continue to call me by name, since we suddenly seem to be on a first-name basis."

"I beg your pardon if I have given offense, Professor," Prospero said, bowing again.

The apology was politely worded, but Snape thought he could still detect a hint of laughter in Prospero's voice. Honestly, the man should have been a Gryffindor; no wonder he and Lupin got along so well! "You'd hardly be the first," Snape said irritably, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture.

"Then I bid you good day, Severus," Prospero said, and departed through the Floo.

Snape returned to the sunroom to find Lupin trying to press one of Prospero's books upon Lady Selima. "I have no interest in reading that sort of trash," Selima was protesting.

"Just try it," Lupin urged. "It's not really fair to judge a book if you haven't read it."

"Whatever gave you the impression that I was fair, Professor?" Selima retorted.

"His books really are good, Grandmother," Theodore chimed in.

"It might give you some insight into Prospero," Lupin cajoled.

"I don't need any insight into him," Selima said coolly. "I knew him quite well when we were younger, and he doesn't seem to have changed much over the years."

"Please, Lady Selima," Lupin wheedled in the tone that always grated on Snape's nerves. "Just try reading one of them. If you don't like it, I promise I'll never bother you about it again."

Selima sighed irritably and held out her hand. "Very well, if only to silence you."

Lupin hesitated, looking over the stack of books he was holding, as if trying to decide which book to give her. He finally settled on "The Beggar Prince," which Snape recalled seemed to be a reworking of the story of Aladdin, from the plot Dylan had described when they were discussing Ariel Zoltaire's books on Christmas morning.

Selima glanced at the cover and the summary on the dust jacket. "He seems to have lifted the plot from 'The Thousand and One Nights,'" she observed, a little disdainfully.

"Was he fond of those tales?" Lupin asked casually.

"He was always fond of fanciful tales," Selima replied distractedly, still reading the book jacket, "and I once gave him a copy of--" She abruptly cut off the sentence, flushed, and glared at Lupin, who was smiling at her innocently. She stalked out of the room, taking the book with her.

"I'd like to borrow some of those other books if you don't mind, Lupin," Snape said, taking amusement in the look of shock his lover gave him. It wasn't often that he could catch the werewolf off-guard rather than the other way around.

"Of course, Severus," Lupin replied when he recovered. "But may I ask what brought about this change of heart?"

"Maybe my mother doesn't need any insight into Prospero Zabini," Snape said, "but I do. If he's going to be meddling in the affairs of this family, then I need to get an idea of what he's like, what motivates him. If these books will help me do that, then I'll wade through the tripe that's in them, as distasteful as that will be."

Lupin smiled and handed him a stack of books. "You might be surprised, Sev; you might actually like them."

"Yes, and the Ministry of Magic might decide to grant the house-elves equal rights, but it isn't very likely," Snape said sarcastically.

But when he skimmed through the books, he discovered that they seemed to be well-plotted, with the action moving along at a quick pace, and the characters were vividly depicted. He had not read much fiction since he was a student, although there were times when he would have welcomed a brief distraction from his misery after losing Lupin and then becoming a Death Eater and a spy. But he had preferred to let his bitterness and hatred fester rather than seek escapism through fairy tales and fantasies that would never come true.

Still, Snape had to admit that the stories were entertaining, if a little melodramatic. Dylan's observation that Prospero's books were all "impossible love stories" turned out to be an astute one. Nearly all the books involved some sort of romance thwarted by social imbalance: a poor young man falling in love with a wealthy highborn girl or vice versa; a demon king falling in love with a mortal woman; a young wizard falling in love with a princess of the Sidhe. One story was about a star-crossed romance between lovers from feuding families, reminiscent of "Romeo and Juliet," except that it had a happy ending; all of Prospero's stories did. They were either a form of wish fulfillment, or the man had a romantic streak in him worthy of a Gryffindor--maybe both. Prospero certainly had a silver tongue, as Selima had claimed, and his charm and wit could have promoted him through the ranks of the Ministry if he'd been willing to flatter the right people--which apparently he hadn't. Snape wasn't able to glean anything else useful from the books, but he kept reading them anyway--just to be thorough, of course.

"Sev?" Lupin called. "It's time for dinner."

Snape looked up from the book he was reading with a start. "Oh, I didn't realize it was that late."

"Yes, you seemed to be quite absorbed in that book," Lupin said with a smile.

"It's research, Lupin," Snape told him in a haughty voice.

"Yes, of course it is," Lupin said with a grin.

"Sarcasm does not become you, Lupin," Snape said, glaring at him.

"I'm just agreeing with you," Lupin protested, giving him a wounded look. "I don't see how you can take offense at that."

"Right," Snape snorted.

"Now who's being sarcastic?" Lupin laughed.

***

The next day, Selima took Theodore to visit the art gallery that was part of the Snape holdings. Snape wasn't overly interested in art, so he remained behind, intending to do more "research" on Prospero's books. However, as he was reading, the book suddenly flew out of his hands, and he looked up to see Lupin standing in the doorway, the book in one hand and his wand in the other.

"I thought you were going to tag along with Theodore and my mother," a startled Snape said.

Lupin shook his head, pocketing his wand and setting the book aside on the desk. "No, I thought it might be better to let Selima and Theo spend some time alone together." Lupin slipped his arms around Snape and bent down to kiss his neck. "Besides, I thought it might be nice for us to have a little time alone, too." Lupin straightened up and started to pull away. "But if you're too busy with your research..."

"No," Snape said hastily, grabbing hold of Lupin, "I think it's time I took a break, anyway. There's only so much of that maudlin tripe I can read in one sitting."

They spent a pleasant afternoon making love, and were dressed and having tea in the drawing room when Selima and Theodore returned. It seemed that the outing had gone well, because Theodore was smiling and Selima looked calm and relaxed, even a little amused.

"I bought you a present, Remus," Theodore said.

"And here it's past Christmas!" Lupin laughed.

"It's just something small," Theodore said, reaching into his pocket. He handed Lupin a small leather pouch that contained a wolf figurine similar to the one Ali had given him for Christmas, except that this one was made of polished wood instead of turquoise.

"How lovely," Lupin said. "Thank you."

"Mr. Bashir sold a bunch of these carvings to the gallery," Theodore explained, "some made from wood, like this one, and others made from ivory or gemstones. The manager said they're very popular, especially with the younger witches and wizards."

"It has to do with the werewolves' newfound popularity and their role as heroes in the war," Selima said, a look of sardonic amusement on her face. "They aren't actually enchanted, but the young people treat them as good-luck charms."

"Good-luck charms?" a puzzled Lupin asked.

"Charms to give one the strength and courage of a wolf," Theodore said with a grin.

"I don't know how all this got started," Selima said, rolling her eyes, although she still seemed amused. "Young people get the most ridiculous ideas sometimes."

"Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if Ali started the rumor himself," Snape mused.

Lupin laughed, "Well, perhaps we should get one of those for Lukas! He could use a good-luck charm with his trial coming up."

"That reminds me," Selima said, "I should invite him over for tea. His trial will be coming up soon, and I want to be sure he's prepared for it."

"Poor Bleddri," Snape muttered under his breath.

***

Lukas showed up the next day dressed in the green-and-gold robes and the torc he had worn to the Yule Ball. He still looked stunning, even though the effect was slightly marred by the sullen scowl he wore, and Selima gasped when she saw him.

"What's the matter?" Lukas growled. "Robes not on straight? Or is just that it looks ridiculous for a werewolf to be dressing up as a pureblood Lord?"

"It's just...in those robes...with that torc...you look like Cynric come back to life again," Selima stammered. To the shock of the others in the room, there seemed to be tears glimmering in her eyes.

"Are you all right, Mother?" Snape asked.

Selima turned away for a moment and hastily composed herself. When she turned back to them, her face looked calm and controlled once more. "Yes, I am fine," she replied. "It was just the shock of seeing Cyril. He has always resembled his father, of course, but dressed in proper clothes, he looks more like Cynric than ever. Green and gold were his favorite colors, and he always loved the torc that Anya gave him on their wedding day. I think that you should wear that exact outfit to court, Cyril. Most of the members of the Wizengamot are old enough to remember your father, and if you stand before them as you are now, none of them will be able to deny that you are Cynric Diggory's son."

"Very well," Lukas said, reaching up to fiddle nervously with the torc.

"And don't fidget!" she snapped. "It makes you look like a child waiting to be punished for some misdeed. A Lord should be calm and composed; you must project an air of arrogance, as if there is no doubt in your mind that you are in the right."

"Yes, Lady Selima," Lukas replied in a resigned tone, and Snape gave him a sympathetic look while Lupin tried not to laugh. Theodore just sat there looking bemused at the sight of his grandmother scolding and lecturing the werewolf teacher that all the students at Hogwarts were a little afraid of.

They talked and drank tea for about an hour, as Selima drilled Lukas in pureblood etiquette, correcting his speech and mannerisms, and lecturing him in the proper way to address the court and his pureblood peers. "And they are your peers," she reminded him. "Your blood is as good as theirs; you are descended from two old and noble pureblood lines--never forget that, and don't let them forget it, either."

"Yes, Lady Selima," Lukas said. Actually, since he had grown up in a pureblood Slytherin family, he was already familiar with pureblood etiquette, although his manners were rusty from disuse, and he simply needed a few reminders and a little practice, rather than needing to be taught from scratch. He had idolized his father as a child, and found himself recalling the way that Cynric could convey either respect or contempt with a slight nod of his head, or couch a subtle insult within polite and flowery words. When Selima commanded him to act like a "proper" Lord, Lukas automatically found himself reacting in the way that he thought his father would.

"Very good," Selima finally said approvingly. "If you can keep from growling and baring your teeth, you'll be fine."

Lukas bit back a growl and glared at Lupin, who was trying to choke back his laughter. Actually, that was the hardest part--controlling his temper. Falling back into pureblood mannerisms and patterns of speech was easier than he had thought it would be, but he had allowed his wolfish instincts to dominate him for so long that it was difficult to overcome them. They had saved his life more than once, during his years on the street and in the final battle with the Death Eaters, allowing him to react instantly to defend himself against danger without having to stop and think about it, but it was a hindrance in the precise, formal, ritualized world of the pureblood elite.

Snape, surprisingly, was more sympathetic than his lover, perhaps because he'd also endured Lady Selima's lectures for most of his life. "You're doing fine, Bleddri," he said in a placating tone. "You've managed to refrain from killing Lupin, my mother, and your students, which certainly shows a great deal of self-control, as far as I'm concerned." Selima gave him a cold look, and Lupin kept laughing. "Besides, it's only temporary," Snape said, ignoring the other two. "You only have to behave yourself long enough for the court to rule in your favor."

"That's true only up to a point," Selima corrected her son. "If you behave in an irrational manner, that might give cause for Amos or someone else to challenge your right to head the Diggory family."

"But the court doesn't like to reverse its decisions," Snape argued. "It makes them look foolish. So while you may have to behave with a little more decorum in public from now on, I don't think you need to worry unless you start biting people or howling at the moon."

Selima shot another glare at her son, then began describing the members of the court, and who was likely to be friendly or hostile towards him. "They might convene the full Wizengamot for this," she said. "Normally they wouldn't bother for a simple matter of inheritance, but appointing a werewolf head of a pureblood family would be setting an unheard-of precedent, so I think it's quite likely that a great deal of importance will be attached to your case."

"Lovely," Lukas muttered.

"The majority of the Wizengamot were allies of Lucius Malfoy up until recently," Selima lectured. "But some of them simply feared him and are glad to be rid of him, while the others will tread carefully to avoid having people suspect them of being Death Eater sympathizers." She paused, then continued in a matter-of-fact voice, "Fortunately, Dolores Umbridge, who was responsible for much of the anti-werewolf legislation, has still not recovered from her nervous breakdown, and is currently knitting doilies and muttering incoherently to herself in a ward at St. Mungo's, so I hear. And Cornelius Fudge, who placed a great deal of importance on blood purity and would likely have opposed your claim, is dead, making way for a much more liberal Minister of Magic in Arthur Weasley."

"Yes, that's very fortunate," Lukas said dryly, then leaned over and whispered to Snape, "Remind me not to ever get on your mother's bad side." Snape smiled sardonically, and Lupin chuckled.

"It is always dangerous to make an enemy of a Snape," Selima said coolly; apparently her hearing was almost as good as a werewolf's. "Now, if you are quite done, may I continue?" She waited until she had their full attention, then continued, "Since Dumbledore is openly supporting you, Cyril, I suspect that he will not be allowed to head the Wizengamot due to personal bias, in which case Amelia Bones will likely preside. She comes from a Hufflepuff family, and was on friendly terms with your father's parents, though not overly close to them," Selima said. "But it could be worse; she is known for being scrupulously fair, and I believe she'll judge the case on its own merits. Also, she backed Arthur Weasley's candidacy for Minister, and supported him on the equal rights bill."

"Yes, Morrigan said much the same thing," Lukas agreed. "And she said she might need to call upon you--all of you--as character witnesses."

"Of course," Selima replied. "We will help in any way we can."

"You have our full support," Lupin assured his friend warmly, and Snape just nodded curtly.

"Good luck, Master Bleddri," Theodore said with a shy smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Snape," Lukas sighed. "I suspect I'll need all the luck I can get."

Part 55

***

Afterword: The Tempest is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, and while writing the story, I was thinking about how Ariel reminded me of an elemental spirit, which made me decide to name Prospero after the hero of the play.