FIC: Aftermaths, Part 75

[geri_chan]

Title: Aftermaths, Part 75
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: ~9,570
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: Narcissa seeks comfort and advice from a friend; Williamson carries out a second attack.

Part 74 (Previous chapters can be found under the aftermaths tag.)

***

When Narcissa arrived for tea, Aileen Pierce noticed that her friend seemed tense and agitated, and that her eyes were red, as if from crying. "Whatever is wrong, Narcissa dear?" she asked gently.

Narcissa bit her lower lip, looking like the frightened young first-year that Aileen remembered from her days at Hogwarts. "I'm pregnant," she finally blurted out.

Aileen stared at her in shock, then exclaimed, "Oh! But you...I didn't know...you never told me that you had a...a...a suitor!"

Narcissa flushed and hung her head. "He wasn't really someone...suitable," she mumbled.

Aileen felt a little hurt that Narcissa had not confided in her about this mysterious lover sooner. But then again, if he was someone unsuitable, perhaps Narcissa had been afraid that Aileen might discourage her from seeing him--which was quite possible, even probable. Well, there was no point in crying over spilt milk; now she had to see if anything could be salvaged from this situation.

"How far along are you?" she asked.

"I'm not sure exactly," Narcissa whispered. "A little over two months, I think."

"Honestly, Narcissa," Aileen said, a little exasperation seeping into the sympathy in her voice, "how could you let this happen? There's no harm in a little discreet pleasure, but to get knocked up like some naive little Gryffindor schoolgirl who doesn't know about birth control spells? I taught you those spells myself when you were thirteen years old!" Of course, back then, little Narcissa had been planning to keep herself "pure" for her future husband--her family had had their eye on the rich and handsome Lucius Malfoy--but the ever-practical Aileen, as cynical as any good Slytherin should be, had known that the best of intentions could go astray, and had taught her younger friend the spells "just in case."

Narcissa blushed guiltily, looking like she was indeed thirteen instead of thirty-seven. "It's just," she said in a small, chastened voice, "that...well...I never used any birth control charms or spells during my entire marriage. I secretly used a fertility potion to help me conceive Draco because I wanted to give Lucius an heir right away. I never got pregnant again after that. I thought...I thought I couldn't get pregnant without magical help..."

"For Merlin's sake!" Aileen snapped. "Everyone knows that a wizard or witch's fertility can be capricious. Some of the Healers say that it's because of the effect that our magic has on our bodies. Just look at Goewin and Mathias Donner, him old enough to be her grandfather and married twenty years before their baby Ariana came along!"

"I'm sorry!" wailed Narcissa, bursting into tears.

Aileen sighed and relented, wrapping her arms around Narcissa, comforting her the way she used to when Narcissa was a homesick first-year at Hogwarts. It had always been Aileen that Narcissa had sought comfort from, never her older sisters Bellatrix and Andromeda. But then, Andromeda had been in Ravenclaw and hadn't spent much time with her sisters, and no one in their right mind would seek comfort from Bellatrix, who even then had been a sadist. Aileen had had the impression that Bellatrix had been jealous of her little sister, because she was so beautiful--the loveliest girl not just in the Black family, but in all of Slytherin--and because their parents had spoiled her, since she had been the baby of the family.

Aileen held Narcissa until she stopped crying, wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, and made her drink some hot tea. "Well, then," Aileen said briskly. "What's done is done; no point in scolding you about what you should have done. The question is, what will you do now? Will this suitor marry you?"

"No!" Narcissa cried, looking horrified.

Aileen frowned disapprovingly. "Is he such a cad, that he won't take responsibility for what he's done? Will he leave you to bear the child, and the disgrace, alone?"

"He's not like that!" Narcissa said defensively. "He doesn't even know that I'm pregnant!"

"Hmm," Aileen said, raising her eyebrows at how quickly Narcissa had jumped to her lover's defense; Narcissa blushed.

"I can't marry him, even if he wanted to marry me," Narcissa said quietly.

"Is he married, then?" Aileen asked, trying to think of which married pureblood men might appeal to Narcissa.

"No, it's not that," Narcissa replied. "It's just...he's not suitable husband material."

Aileen raised her eyebrows again. "Is he a Mudblood or a half-blood, then?" Narcissa said nothing and would not meet her eyes. "Well, if he will not or cannot marry you, then we must find a way to rid you of the child," Aileen said. "It's early enough that it should not do much harm to your body. I know of a place in Knockturn Alley where you can get a potion--"

"No!" cried Narcissa, protectively wrapping her arms around her stomach.

Aileen stared at her in surprise. "But Narcissa, you cannot bear a child out of wedlock; you would be disgraced. And even if you don't care about your reputation, you have Draco to think of--"

"I know, but I can't kill this baby, I just can't!" Narcissa sobbed. "Oh Aileen, I just don't know what to do!"

Aileen sighed helplessly. "Is your lover really so unsuitable?" she asked. "Even if he has Muggle blood, well...times have changed. Harry Potter is a half-blood, after all, and the new Minister of Magic, though a pureblood, is known for his liberal policies."

"You...you wouldn't care if I married a Mudblood?" Narcissa sniffled, looking startled.

Aileen had been taught to look down on those whose blood was not pure; it was practically an automatic reflex in Slytherin House. But she had never wasted much time thinking about it, and she had never felt the strong hatred for the Muggle-born that had driven many of her housemates to join the Death Eaters. "Well, I can't say that the idea thrills me," Aileen finally said after a long silence, "but as I said, times have changed, and surely it's better than having a bastard child." She laid her hand gently on Narcissa's cheek. "So long as you are happy, dear, I will support you."

Narcissa threw her arms around her friend, and Aileen held her once more while she wept. But when she stopped crying and lifted her head from Aileen's shoulder, Narcissa said, "I cannot marry him."

"Then there is only one other option," Aileen said. "You must have the child in secret and give it away." She frowned. "It will be difficult, though. You can disguise your figure with Illusion spells, but if someone--your son, for instance--tries to hug you, he'll notice that there's more of you than is visible. And you will definitely be showing by the time school gets out in June. Perhaps you could go on a long trip overseas...but Draco will think it odd that you would want to be gone when he graduates..."

"Give up my child?" Narcissa whispered. "To whom?"

Aileen shrugged. "An orphanage, I suppose..."

"No!" Narcissa shouted. "I've heard horrible stories about such places!"

Aileen sighed yet again; Narcissa was certainly not making this easy! She dearly loved her friend, but Narcissa had been spoiled and indulged ever since she was a child, and was used to getting her way and having other people solve her problems for her. Aileen had to admit that she was probably also guilty of spoiling Narcissa; she had always wanted a little sister, and as a child, Narcissa had been pretty as a doll, with emerald eyes and golden ringlets of hair, and had looked up to Aileen so adoringly that it had been difficult not to indulge her even when you had known that you shouldn't.

So Aileen once again found herself helping Narcissa out of trouble, but this time it was much more serious than detention for a prank or sneaking out of the dorm after hours. "Well, Dumbledore has always been a bleeding heart," Aileen said, a little irritably. "I am sure he can find a good foster home for the child." As Narcissa opened her mouth to protest, Aileen quickly added, "We won't tell him that it's yours, of course!" She thought things things over, then said, "I'll tell him that one of the workers at Liam's factory, a girl of low rank, got pregnant by a man who refuses to marry her--some pureblood rake who used her for a bit of fun. It's not really all that uncommon, and I'm sure Dumbledore will take pity on the child..." Aileen's expression brightened as something occurred to her. "In fact...maybe he can persuade the Snape family to adopt the baby! After all, it seems that Snape's son is unlikely to be fathering any children of his own, from what I've heard about that ruckus at the Yule Ball. Your baby will have old, pure blood, after all, and the Malfoys are distantly related to the Snapes. We won't tell them that the child is a Malfoy, but I can swear under oath that the child does have Snape blood." Aileen felt very pleased with herself. "And as a Snape, your baby would be well-cared for and would want for nothing. Of course, Theodore is a bit young to be raising a child, and I can't see Severus caring for a baby, but my son says that Lupin is very softhearted and--"

"No!" Narcissa protested, an alarmed look on her face. "Remus can't raise this baby!"

"Why not?!" demanded Aileen, feeling a little put out at having her perfect solution turned down. "You can't keep the baby, but you won't abort it, and you won't give it away! What do you plan to do with it? I know that Lupin is a werewolf, but I'm sure that he would take good care of the baby--"

"It's not that I think he would be a bad parent," Narcissa said softly. "I'm sure he would be a very good one. It's just that...I'm afraid that he might recognize the baby..."

Aileen stared at Narcissa in confusion until the obvious occurred to her. "Lupin knows the father!"

"Yes," Narcissa whispered, dropping her gaze to the floor.

"Well, there's no guarantee that the baby will resemble the father that strongly," Aileen tried to reassure her.

Narcissa glanced up, and she looked frightened and ashamed. "I am afraid that you will hate me if I tell you the truth about the baby's father."

Aileen took Narcissa's hands in hers and said gently, "My dear, I could never hate you. You were once a Death Eater, but I do not hold it against you. Surely you know that you can tell me the truth."

"Remus would actually be a good foster parent to this baby," Narcissa whispered, "because...because...the baby's father is a werewolf."

"What?!" Aileen exclaimed.

"See, I knew you would hate me!" Narcissa wailed.

"No, I don't!" Aileen protested, her thoughts whirling around inside her head dizzily. "It's just...it's such a shock...where on earth did you meet a werewolf, anyway?! I thought Lupin was the only werewolf that you knew, and he's said to be quite devoted to Severus. Wait...Damien said that there's another werewolf teaching there now, the one who turned out to be..." Her voice trailed off, and the look on Narcissa's face seemed to confirm Aileen's suspicions. "Don't tell me that your secret lover is Cyril Diggory!"

"Yes," Narcissa said, her cheeks flaming red. "Only he prefers to call himself 'Lukas.' So you see, I can't send this child to just any foster home. What if it turns out to be a werewolf?" Her face turned from red to sheet-white as she placed her hands on her belly. "What if...what if instead of a baby, there's a wolf cub growing in my womb?"

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic, Narcissa!" Aileen said. "Even if the child did inherit its father's lycanthropy--which is by no means certain--it won't begin to show symptoms for at least a few years. You're not going to give birth to a puppy." There was not a great deal published about inherited lycanthropy, but Lupin and Diggory had shared a few bits of information with their classes, and Damien, who seemed quite taken with his werewolf teachers, had told her about all the fascinating things he was learning in their classes. A little concerned about her son's fondness for the werewolves, Aileen had done some research on her own that seemed to confirm that what they were teaching was true. Which didn't necessarily reassure her all that much, but since Lupin had defended the Slytherin children during the final battle, she had decided to give them the benefit of the doubt.

"I suppose you're right," Narcissa admitted sheepishly. "Still, I'm afraid that I'll have nightmares about giving birth to a wolf cub."

"And yet you won't abort the baby," Aileen said.

"I can't," Narcissa whispered, staring at her with pleading eyes. "I just can't."

"You love him," Aileen said quietly. "Cyril Diggory, or Lukas Bleddri, or whatever name he is currently going by." Tears began to spill out of Narcissa's eyes again. "Well," Aileen said slowly, "the situation might not be so bad after all. He is a hero of the war, and if he wins his lawsuit, he will become Lord Diggory. You would be marrying a Lord, not some penniless nobody."

"B-but he's a werewolf!" Narcissa protested.

"He will be Lord Werewolf," Aileen said whimsically. In a more serious voice, she added, "It is true that many people will shun you, but as they are already shunning you now, I can't see that it will make a great deal of difference. Lady Selima, at least, might welcome you, if it makes her son's romance with Lupin a little less shocking. She is supporting your lover's claim to the Diggory title, is she not? And of course Severus will stand by you, and I've heard that the Minister of Magic is a friend of the werewolves. The favor of the Snape and Weasley families might help make up for whatever disgrace you would face for marrying a werewolf. And if Cyril Diggory is to become a Lord, might he not welcome an heir?"

Narcissa shook her head, still weeping. "No, he told me once that he plans to name his cousin as his heir because he doesn't want to pass his curse on to his children. It's one of the key points of his lawyer's argument, to pacify the Wizengamot, that the title will eventually return to a pureblood wizard. And..." She began crying harder. "He hates all purebloods, because of the way his uncle and grandparents cast him out of the family. He despises us; he'd never want to marry me!"

"He seems to have overcome his distaste long enough to get you pregnant," Aileen pointed out dryly.

"We hated each other when we first met," Narcissa said between sobs. "Yet we were somehow drawn to each other; I still don't understand why. I hated him, too, but we couldn't keep away from each other. Every time we met, we'd trade insults, but the sex was...amazing." She blushed. "Not that it was bad with Lucius, but this was so much more passionate and intense..."

"It's not all that surprising," Aileen said thoughtfully. "Ariane and Evan were much the same, and Severus was always fighting with Lupin and his Gryffindor friends when we were children. Love and hate are flip sides of the same coin, I suppose."

"He broke it off with me about two months ago," Narcissa said miserably. "Right around the time I must've gotten pregnant, come to think of it. Said that we had no future, so there was no point in continuing our affair."

"Are you sure he doesn't know?" Aileen asked suspiciously.

"Yes, I'm sure," Narcissa replied. "He's an honorable man, in his own way. He wouldn't just brush off his responsibility. He'd either marry me even if he didn't want to, or demand that I get rid of the child so as not to bring another werewolf into the world. I'm not really sure which."

"And you don't want to take the chance that he might want you to abort the baby?" Aileen asked. "Or are you too proud to let him marry you if it's only out of a sense of duty?"

"It's not just that," Narcissa said, sounding distraught. "It's Draco--how would he react, not just to having a werewolf stepfather, but to a half-brother or sister? He still hasn't gotten over losing Lucius..."

"Draco is nearly a man now," Aileen said impatiently. "You need to stop spoiling him as if he were a child. He won't like it, but he'll just have to deal with it. It's much more important for you to have a husband and a father for your baby than it is to spare his feelings being hurt."

"It's more than just hurt feelings," Narcissa argued tearfully. "I murdered his father in front of his eyes! How is he supposed to get over that? How do you think your son would have reacted if you had killed Liam in front of him?"

Aileen managed to refrain from saying that her husband wasn't a coward like Lucius Malfoy who would sacrifice his son to save his own skin. Which was probably a good thing, because Narcissa burst into tears again. "Oh Aileen, I know I can't keep this baby, but I don't want to give it up, either!"

Aileen spent most of the afternoon comforting a hysterical Narcissa, thinking to herself that it was going to be a long seven months. But she promised her friend that she would somehow find a way to help Narcissa have the baby in secret and find a good home for it afterwards, although she still wasn't sure how she was going to accomplish that. She was of half a mind to track down Cyril Diggory herself and force him to marry Narcissa, using an Imperius Curse if necessary, but Narcissa had enough presence of mind to demand, "You mustn't say anything to Lukas, Aileen, promise me! Your word as a Slytherin!"

"I promise," Aileen said reluctantly. However, she did notice that Narcissa had not said anything about speaking to someone other than Diggory, and like all Slytherins, Aileen was very good at adhering to the letter and not necessarily the spirit of an agreement. She would have to be very careful, of course; she couldn't entrust this secret to just anyone, but if an opportunity arose to help Narcissa out of her predicament, she would certainly take it...

***

Branwen's elementals continued to keep watch over the werewolves, the clinic, and Amos Diggory. The ones watching the werewolves' house reported that a couple of wizards--Dawlish and Williamson, from the descriptions the elementals gave--often stopped by and watched the house from the outside. They went to the clinic once, and questioned the werewolves there in such a belligerent and accusing manner that Takeshi told them to leave or he would throw them out. The two Aurors laughed uproariously at his threat, but the werewolves noticed a very stubborn and dangerous glint in the mediwizard's eyes, which they had never before seen in their normally kind and gentle friend.

When Takeshi reached into his pocket and grasped his wand, Dawlish stopped laughing and warned, "Attacking an Auror is an offense punishable by a prison sentence in Azkaban," although he did not look overly concerned.

"Aw, what's he going to do?" Williamson scoffed. "Cast a healing spell at us?"

"We'll leave for now," Dawlish said. "But we'll be back. You might want to choose your friends more carefully, Kimura."

"Perhaps you should heed your own advice, Mr. Dawlish," Takeshi said coldly.

"I thought you were going to attack them!" Kian exclaimed after the Aurors left. "Do you really know any combative magic? I thought Healers had to take an oath to do no harm or something like that."

"I'm not a Healer, I'm a mediwizard," Takeshi replied. "And oath or no oath, I will not hesitate to do what is necessary to defend myself or my patients." He did not elaborate on what he would have done if the Aurors had called his bluff, but instead contacted Sirius Black, who as Head of Werewolf Support, had the Aurors banned from entering the clinic unless they could obtain a warrant.

So Dawlish and Williamson settled for watching the clinic from the street, sometimes discreetly, taking notes on who was coming and going, and at other times they lurked outside the clinic in a very obvious manner, intimidating any potential clients. Most of the werewolves started using the Floo to come to the clinic, to avoid having to pass by the Aurors.

Meanwhile, the elemental watching Amos had little to report. In fact, the elemental complained to Branwen that Amos led a very boring life. He followed the same routine every day: he had breakfast with his wife, then kissed her goodbye and went to work, then returned in the evening and had dinner with his wife. The only thing out of the ordinary was that one night Amos used the Floo to visit Ian Williamson, and the elemental was unable to follow, being repelled by wards similar to the ones protecting the Ministry of Magic.

"Most Aurors ward their homes as a precaution," Branwen said when she reported back to Lukas, Snape, and Lupin. "It doesn't necessarily mean that he has something to hide, but..."

"But I find it interesting that my uncle and this Auror are having private meetings," Lukas said.

"I could picture the two of them conspiring together," Snape said thoughtfully, tracing his lips with one finger. "Even as a boy, Williamson was the type who liked bending the rules--and breaking them, if he thought he could get away with it. Typical Gryffindor." He scowled at Lupin, who smiled at him. "And from what I've heard, he hasn't really changed all that much." He turned to Branwen and said, "You said before that Amos wasn't the type to get his hands dirty. If they were behind that false werewolf attack, Williamson was probably the one who actually carried it out."

"Are they such close friends that he would take such a risk just to help Amos?" Lukas asked. "If he got caught, he could lose his job, not to mention be sent to Azkaban."

"Williamson's an arrogant git," Snape said. "He won't believe that he could be caught. And he isn't fond of werewolves, but you're right, I can't picture him risking his career just to help out a friend. If he's doing this, there's something else in it for him."

***

The following night, Williamson staged another "werewolf" attack. He worked alone, since Amos was getting cold feet, and wasn't much good with the dogs anyway. Amos was a nice fellow, but he didn't have the courage it took to do an Auror's work, Williamson thought to himself condescendingly. It took a special kind of person to become an Auror, which was why the requirements were so stringent.

Well, it didn't really matter, Williamson told himself. He could manage perfectly well on his own. He went to the apartment where he kept the dogs, then very carefully transfigured them to resemble werewolves. He gave one of the "wolves" blond fur, and made the other one brown. Then he added streaks of gray to the brown--a subtle touch that required a good degree of skill and control, but it was worth the effort. Williamson stood back and admired the dogs for a moment, feeling extremely pleased with his artistry. Now the second "wolf" could pass for Remus Lupin or Ash Randolf; Williamson didn't particularly care which of the two werewolves would be blamed. He despised that gutter rat Randolf for posing as a hero in the Daily Prophet, but it would also be sweet revenge to be able to arrest Snape's lover. Well, with enough time, perhaps he could ensnare both of them.

He Apparated himself and the dogs to a dark London alley, and his target approached soon afterwards. For his second attack, Williamson had chosen the head of the Baddock family for several reasons. First, the Baddocks were a prominent Slytherin family that made no secret of their disdain for non-humans and the Muggle-born. Second, although there was a nominal alliance between the Snapes and the Baddocks, since Elaine Baddock was Selima Snape's friend and the Baddock children were Slytherins, it was likely that an attack on Mr. Baddock would cause strife between the two families, especially if Snape's lover was a suspect in the attack. And finally, Baddock was a convenient target, because he was a creature of habit. Once every month, always on the same day and at the exact same time, Baddock paid a visit to a discreet house of pleasure. And most importantly, he always left at the same time and took the same route home, which made it easy for Williamson to lay in wait for him. The longer Williamson lingered in one area with his pet "wolves," the greater the risk of being discovered and exposed. But since he knew almost to the second what time Baddock would appear, Williamson could make a quick hit-and-run attack and be gone long before any of his fellow Aurors reached the crime scene.

Right on time, Mr. Baddock appeared, whistling cheerfully to himself as he walked down the street. (He never took the Floo directly to or from the brothel, for fear of his wife being able to trace back his whereabouts.) Williamson cast an Imperius Curse and commanded the dogs to attack Baddock. When Baddock's screams started to draw attention from the nearby homes and businesses, Williamson quickly called back the dogs and Disapparated. The dogs hadn't had time to inflict fatal damage on Baddock, which was part of the plan. He wasn't a murderer, after all; he rationalized to himself that no permanent harm was being done to the victims of the "werewolf" attacks, and besides, it was a necessary sacrifice in order to expose Snape and his allies. And of course there was also the fact that Williamson needed living victims who would be able to testify that they had been attacked by werewolves.

Back at his hideout, Williamson dispelled the enchantment on the dogs, restoring them to their normal appearance, cast a quick cleaning spell to get rid of the blood on their muzzles and paws, then patted them and rewarded them each with a thick steak for a job well done. Then he quickly returned home to await the call that would summon him to investigate the very attack that he had just instigated.

He and Dawlish rushed Baddock to St. Mungo's; Williamson was glad that Takeshi Kimura was not working that night. Arrogant little brat; well, they'd see who would have the last laugh after Williamson locked up all Kimura's pet werewolves. Smethwyck, though, gave Williamson a suspicious look as he conceded that Baddock's wounds were consistent with a werewolf attack, but noted that the patient didn't seem to be showing any signs of infection.

"Is it possible for a person to be attacked and yet not be turned?" Dawlish asked.

"Not that I know of," Smethwyck replied, frowning. "Unless the werewolf is stopped before it draws blood, which almost never happens. But once the werewolf tears through the victim's skin with its teeth or claws, the victim is always turned, or dies of his wounds if they are too severe."

"I don't want to become a werewolf!" Baddock wailed.

"You show no signs of infection, Mr. Baddock," Smethwyck said. "Perhaps in the dark, you mistook two feral dogs for wolves?"

"They were wolves!" Baddock shouted hysterically. "Great big brutes with long fangs and sharp claws!"

Smethwyck's assistant, a Trainee Healer named Augustus Pye, said almost eagerly, "Perhaps we're dealing with a new strain of lycanthropy!" He sounded excited about the prospect of having a new disease to study, and Baddock gave him an affronted look.

"I don't think so," Smethwyck said. "I think it is far more likely that someone is using normal dogs or wolves to attack people, for some reason--perhaps to generate fear and hatred of werewolves?"

"An interesting theory," Dawlish said coolly, "but why don't you stick to healing the patients and leave the investigation up to us? For now, I want you to monitor Mr. Baddock and Mr. Pritchard until after the full moon passes, just to be sure that they weren't turned."

The Healer reluctantly nodded, and the two Aurors left, Williamson smiling very smugly.

***

The Aurors paid another visit to Hogwarts, and questioned Lukas and Lupin again, much more aggressively this time. But Lukas told them with a spiteful smile that he had been having tea with Dumbledore and McGonagall at the time, and both Professors backed him up. "Unless you're questioning my word," McGonagall said coldly.

She and Dawlish eyed each other with equal hostility. "I think your loyalties might be misplaced," the Auror said disdainfully, "but I do not think that you would lie about this." He said nothing to the Headmaster, but the look in his eyes said plainly that he thought Dumbledore would have no trouble stretching the truth.

Lupin said quietly, "Severus and I were in the Slytherin common room all night. I was playing cards with several of the students; you can check with them if you like."

"You think you're so clever, Lupin," Williamson sneered. "But let's see how eager the Slytherins are to protect you once they realize that your kind are hunting down their parents."

"I have faith in my students," Lupin said in a level voice, with no sign of fear. "They know me, and they know Lukas, and they know that we would never do anything to hurt them. They've learned not to judge people on appearances; it's a pity that you haven't learned to do the same."

"Well, you may have charmed the children, but it's their parents who wield political power in the wizarding world," Williamson snarled. "See that you don't forget that lesson, Professor!"

The Aurors left in a huff, and went to question Ash and the other werewolves at the London townhouse, but Lukas sent Morrigan to keep them at bay. Even so, Dawlish and Williamson threatened to haul Ash in for questioning, but then Sirius and Branwen arrived.

"Things have changed around here, in case you haven't noticed," Sirius said coldly. "I know that the Aurors are no longer allowed to arrest people without evidence or lock them up without a trial. If you think that no one will care what you do to these werewolves because they have no money and aren't from pureblood families, you're wrong. They are under my protection, as Head of Werewolf Support Services, and as head of the Black family."

Williamson scowled; even though the Black "family" consisted solely of Sirius right now (Branwen didn't count, because she was keeping the Blackmore name), he still wielded considerable power, not just because of his wealth and his name, but because he was the godfather of Harry Potter and a friend of Arthur Weasley.

To the Aurors' surprise, Branwen said, "Mr. Randolf is not responsible for tonight's attack; he never left the house this evening. Nor did any of the other werewolves who reside here."

"How do you know that?" Williamson demanded.

"Because my elementals are watching this house and its occupants," Branwen said, and the air elementals swarmed around her as the Aurors gaped in shock. They were invisible to normal human sight, but they made their presence known by tugging playfully at Branwen's hair and causing her robes to billow out. "With the werewolves' knowledge and consent, of course," Branwen added calmly.

"So you are relying on the word of invisible creatures," Dawlish said sarcastically. "And we are supposed to rely on your word in turn."

"How can we trust you?" Williamson demanded. "Your family has a long history of practicing the Dark Arts!"

Branwen gave him a contemptuous look. "I was hunting down Dark Wizards when you were still in diapers, boy." Williamson's face turned bright red, and Sirius and Ash snickered. Even Dawlish almost cracked a smile before quickly setting a stern expression back on his face. "I was an Auror myself once, and I challenge anyone to say that I did not fight as hard as any other Auror or Order member during the war. The Death Eaters killed my parents and tried to kill me; do you really think that I would ally myself with Dark Wizards or Dark Creatures after that?"

"I fought alongside her," Sirius said hotly. "She risked her life countless times to keep idiots like you safe! In fact, she very nearly was killed..."

Williamson opened his mouth to continue arguing, but Dawlish spoke first, a thoughtful look on his face. "Mad-Eye Moody trusts you," he said to Branwen.

"Mad-Eye is crazy," Williamson protested.

"Yes, that's true," Dawlish agreed. "But he tends to be crazy in a paranoid way, seeing Dark Wizards behind every corner. And yet, he trusts you, Blackmore, despite your family's reputation. And the Aurors who worked with you during the first war all say that you fought bravely, even the ones who don't like you. So I am inclined to believe that you are not in league with murderous werewolves or whatever remains of the Death Eaters. But I do believe that some of the people that you call friends may be deceiving you."

"Your vote of confidence is touching," Branwen said coolly. "But I still trust my judgment over yours."

"So be it," Dawlish said. "I will accept the werewolves' alibi for now. But I will be watching them closely, and I will show no mercy to anyone involved in these attacks, even if they gave aid to the culprits unwittingly."

"I'll keep that in mind," Branwen said with a touch of sarcasm that Dawlish seemed to overlook. He merely nodded curtly and left. Williamson followed, looking sulky.

"Thank you," Ash said gratefully. "I think that you probably just saved my hide there."

Morrigan added her thanks as well. "It's a good thing that you came along; the other werewolves don't have the same protection that Lukas does--they do not live in a nearly impenetrable castle, and they have no ties to important pureblood families. The Aurors were nearly on the verge of taking Mr. Randolf in for questioning over my objections, and I couldn't have physically tried to stop them without risking arrest myself. I'm sure that I could have gotten the Minister to order his release, but that would take time, and I don't put it past the Aurors to use coercion to try and force a confession out of Mr. Randolf in the meantime."

"But now we've played our trump card," Branwen sighed. "I had been hoping to keep the elementals' presence a secret a little longer. Still, they served their purpose, if they were able to provide an alibi and prevent a false arrest."

Morrigan left, promising to consult with the Minister of Magic and see about getting a protective order to prevent the Aurors from abusing their authority. Sirius and Branwen went to Hogwarts to report back to the others.

"Those cowards!" Lukas raged. "They couldn't get to me, so now they're going after my pack!"

"Don't worry," Sirius tried to reassure him. "Arthur won't let anything happen to them."

"I wouldn't count too heavily on Weasley's help if I were you, Black," Snape warned.

"What are you talking about, Snape?" Sirius demanded indignantly. "I know that you don't like Arthur, but you can't deny that he's been a friend to the werewolves--"

"That's not what I'm talking about, Black!" Snape snapped. "What I mean is that if these attacks continue, Weasley will be in danger of losing his job, and then he will hardly be in a position to help the werewolves! Oh, don't look so shocked, Black. My father was ousted from his job when he made the wrong enemies, and even the Minister of Magic is not immune to power plays. People have accepted Weasley's liberal policies only because he is a hero of the war, but soon his opponents will start saying that his equal rights bill has turned werewolves loose on the street and put the populace in danger. I think that very soon he will be too busy fighting to keep his own position to have much time or effort left to spare on the werewolves' behalf."

"And if a new Minister is chosen..." Lupin said, turning pale.

"If we're lucky, it will be someone fairly moderate, like Amelia Bones," Snape said. "And if we're not, we could have another self-serving idiot like Fudge or worse, a fanatic determined to push an anti-werewolf agenda...say, like Dolores Umbridge. The Ministry could rescind the equal rights bill and restore the old anti-werewolf legislation, perhaps even go a step further and have all the werewolves rounded up and incarcerated."

"I would rather die than be caged," Lukas whispered.

"There's even a possibility that your uncle could become Minister if Arthur Weasley is deposed," Snape continued. "Amos Diggory hasn't done anything particularly exceptional in his career, but he is one of the most senior Department Heads left after the Death Eaters were purged from the Ministry. And his son's death at the hands of the Dark Lord might garner him a sympathy vote."

"You think that Amos arranged these attacks so that he could become Minister of Magic?!" Lukas exclaimed, looking horrified and outraged.

"No," Snape replied calmly. "I think that he arranged these attacks to discredit you and prevent you from taking the title from him. The possibility of becoming Minister is probably just a nice bonus for him."

"This is all a worst-case scenario, though," Sirius argued. "Arthur hasn't been deposed yet."

"And hopefully he won't be," Dumbledore said. "But Severus is right; we must be prepared for the worst."

"And the worst is more than merely losing the trial," Lukas said grimly. "Amos may or may not have killed my father. And while he may have felt some slight familial affection for Cynric, he has none for me. I don't think that he would hesitate to kill me if he thought he could get away with it. He wouldn't consider it murder; he would consider it putting down a dangerous beast."

"He allowed you to live and settled for merely exiling you when you were a child," Snape agreed. "And you returned to haunt him. He won't make the same mistake twice."

"I'm not afraid of risking my own life," Lukas said softly. "But my pack..."

"We must discover who is behind the attacks before things reach the point where Arthur is replaced," Branwen said firmly. "Or rather, since we already know, or at least suspect, who is behind them, we must find a way to prove it."

"But in the meantime, if the worst should happen, tell your werewolves to go to the Sakura," Snape told Lukas. "The Kimuras can send them through the Portkey, and Professor Kamiyama will shelter them until it is safe for them to return."

"Won't that also put the Kimuras in danger, if the Aurors discover that they helped us?" Lukas objected.

Snape gave him an impatient look. "You should have realized by now that they're not just simple restauranteurs, and that the Portkey isn't used just to facilitate tourism or cultural exchanges. Dumbledore and Kamiyama conspired to have the restaurant and the Portkey established in order to help foster an alliance between Britain and Japan, in preparation for the Dark Lord's return. The Kimuras took the job of running the restaurant knowing that their lives could be in danger if the Death Eaters discovered the truth. For that matter, they took a risk simply by backing the Wolfsbane Potion Distribution Program when the Death Eaters were at large and hostility against non-humans was running high."

"But...but...they brought their children with them!" Lukas cried, looking shocked. "Takeshi, and his brother too, before he went back to Japan. It's one thing to risk their own lives, but the lives of their children?"

Snape shrugged. "Well, the danger was minimal at the time, since Voldemort had just been defeated, and the Kimuras were taking on an assignment that was expected to last many years. They probably didn't want to be parted from their children for that long. And I don't claim to be an expert on their culture, but some of the old Japanese wizarding clans still seem to have a sort of samurai mentality, where the children are expected to assume the responsibilities and risks of their clan at a young age. Haruko never talks much about her family, but Kamiyama mentioned once that she comes from a very old and noble clan."

"Takeshi doesn't seem to resent them for it," Lupin said, although he was a little disturbed as well. "And he's certainly developed into a very mature and responsible young man."

"Most of the Order members did not send their children out of the country, although they knew that their families might become targets for the Death Eaters," Snape pointed out. "And if you could, would you foster the children of your pack with human families, to spare them from the poverty and prejudice and risk of vigilante attacks that their parents suffer?"

"No," Lukas conceded. "Maybe in some ways they would be better off if we did, but I take your point. A pack, or a family, belongs together. Very well, I will tell my pack to follow your advice, Severus. Although I'm not sure what they would do in a foreign land; none of them but Ash can speak even a few words of Japanese, and even then, his vocabulary is limited to video game terminology." Lukas smiled wryly. "I doubt that would be of much practical use in everyday life."

"Hopefully, it would only be temporary," Snape said. "And besides, it's better than being killed or imprisoned. And it is, as Black said, only a worst-case scenario. I agree that it would be much better to expose the real culprits than to send your pack into exile. We need to watch Amos, and we need to watch Dawlish and Williamson as well. I don't trust those two any farther than I can throw them, and the Aurors have a history of bending the rules to capture their prey."

"I'll try to have the elementals watch them," Branwen said. "But as you have seen, their usefulness is limited by their inability to bypass certain protective wards."

"I'll ask Kingsley and Tonks to keep an eye on their colleagues," Dumbledore said. "And perhaps I will speak to Frank and Alice Longbottom as well."

"Attacking innocent people in order to frame Lukas and his pack seems a bit extreme, even for the Aurors," Lupin said, looking troubled.

"I have to agree with Snape this time, Moony," Sirius said reluctantly. "Some of those Aurors believe that they're above the law. Attacking innocent people is extreme, but neither of the victims died--they could convince themselves that the ends justify the means."

"And Baddock is a former Slytherin who toadied up to Lucius Malfoy, even if he never joined the Death Eaters, so the Aurors might not view him as an 'innocent' victim," Snape said sourly. "This might even be a way to kill two birds with one stone, to punish a Death Eater sympathizer and frame the werewolves at the same time. I doubt that they would have felt much remorse if Baddock had died, but they probably needed him to survive so that he could describe the 'werewolves' that attacked him--lucky for Baddock. And don't forget, Lupin, that they aren't just trying to frame Diggory and his pack. You were also on their suspect list tonight." The Potions Master's black eyes gleamed with cold fury, and he said in a low, dangerously quiet voice, "I will not forget that."

Lupin knew from experience that Severus was at his angriest not when he was shouting, but when his voice dropped almost to a whisper, soft and yet heavy with menace, as if he was turning his anger inwards, focusing all his energy on coming up with a way to revenge himself on the object of his wrath. And Severus--like most of his ancestors, from what Lupin had read in the Snape family histories--could carry a grudge for a very, very long time. He still hated James Potter after more than twenty years, even after James's death. And Severus was doubly dangerous when he was protecting not just himself, but someone that he loved. Lupin thought to himself that Amos Diggory and the Aurors--if they were truly behind the fake werewolf attacks--had made a major mistake when they chose to make an enemy of Severus Snape.

***

Dumbledore granted the Baddock children permission to leave school and visit their father in the hospital the next day. Snape and Lupin were waiting in the common room with the other Slytherins when Miriam and Malcolm returned, looking very distraught. Miriam immediately threw herself into Lupin's arms, sobbing, "Mummy and Daddy and Grandma blame you and Master Diggory for the attack! They say that they're going to have you fired and arrested!"

"We tried to tell them that you would never do such a thing, but they wouldn't listen," Malcolm said, close to tears himself, but struggled to hold them back, because Slytherin boys weren't supposed to cry.

Lupin wrapped one arm around Miriam and gently patted Malcolm's shoulder with his free hand. "Don't worry," he said soothingly. "The Aurors already came and questioned us. Master Diggory and I both have alibis, so they won't be able to arrest us."

"The Aurors told Daddy that they can't prove it yet, but that they will, and they'll lock up all the werewolves," Miriam said, still crying.

"We told them how you and Master Diggory are good teachers," Malcolm said, "and how you protected the Slytherins during the final battle. But Dad got mad and said that you brainwashed us. I'm really sorry, Professor."

"It's not your fault, Malcolm," Lupin said gently. "Thank you for defending me to your parents."

"For all the good it did," Malcolm said glumly.

"Do you honestly think that I would just let those idiot Aurors take Lupin away, Baddock?" Snape asked scornfully.

Rather than being offended, Malcolm perked up a bit. The Potions Master was a formidable mage, after all, a former Death Eater skilled in the Dark Arts. Of course he would be more than capable of defending Professor Lupin. "N-no, sir," he said, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand.

"We're taking steps to protect ourselves and find the real perpetrators of the attacks," Lupin said. "I can't give you all the details, but rest assured that we're not just sitting back waiting to be arrested. Master Diggory and I have many friends who believe in us and are trying to help us."

"We believe in you, too, Professor!" Miriam said, and the other Slytherins echoed her words loudly--all except for one.

Lupin's gaze drifted over to Aric, who scowled at him and said gruffly, "I think you're a softhearted, meddling, annoying git, but I don't think that you're a killer. If your worst enemy tried to attack you, you'd probably just ask them to have a cup of tea with you and try to get them to tell you all about their problems." Then he turned on his heel and stalked out of the common room.

"He's always such a jerk," Malcolm said, but Lupin just smiled fondly.

"No, Malcolm, that was Aric's way of saying that he believes in me, too," Lupin said, then grinned at Snape. "You have to learn to read between the lines when dealing with ill-tempered Slytherins."

"Dietrich was right about one thing, Lupin," Snape said, glowering at his lover. "You are an annoying git."

"I love you, too," Lupin said and kissed him on the cheek as the Potions Master spluttered in outrage, and the students laughed, their worries eased for the moment.

***

Ravenclaw and Slytherin had their rematch game, and Ravenclaw lost, much to Stewart Ackerley's disgust, although it wasn't really a surprise, since Slytherin had been heavily favored to win. The R.A. didn't try to cast any hexes at this match, since the chance of being caught was too great; the teachers had increased security and were especially vigilant at the match. Stewart chafed a little at the restrictions, but it comforted him to know that his father's Auror friends shared his suspicions and were working to expose Snape and the Slytherins for what they really were.

Ian Williamson attended the match, and Stewart spoke to him in private afterwards, asking whether the Aurors had made any progress.

"I know what they are," Williamson sighed, "but I need to find proof of it. The Slytherins are a sly lot, and the new Minister won't allow me to arrest them without strong evidence. Arthur Weasley means well, of course, but he's a little too trusting."

"So they're going to get away with it?" Stewart asked, feeling angry and disappointed.

"I didn't say that," Williamson said with a smile. "What we need to do is lay a trap for them."

"And how are we going to do that?" Stewart asked eagerly. The Auror had said "we"--which implied that he was including Stewart in on his plans, which the young Ravenclaw found very flattering. It was his ambition to become an Auror himself, of course.

"I need you to get something for me from the Hogwarts library," Williamson whispered in a conspiratorial tone, and named two books.

"But those are Dark Magic books!" a startled Stewart exclaimed. "They'll be in the restricted section of the library!"

Williamson gave Stewart an amulet, a flat gold disc carved with magical runes strung on a gold chain. "This will allow you to bypass the wards and alarms," the Auror said. "But it won't turn you invisible, so you'll have to be careful not to let Madam Pince spot you. If you're caught, I won't be able to help you. In fact, I'll have to disavow any knowledge of your activities."

"But you're an Auror," Stewart said, feeling puzzled. "Can't you just ask for the books?"

Williamson shook his head. "No, because Dumbledore is fond of his reformed pet Death Eater, and he won't help me if he thinks I'm trying to cause trouble for Snape. Besides, this needs to be done secretly, so as not to warn Snape and the Slytherins."

"Oh, of course," Stewart said, inwardly scolding himself for not seeing the obvious. If Williamson was baiting a trap, of course he wouldn't want to give the target any warning!

"So will you help me, Stewart?" Williamson asked.

"Of course, sir," Stewart replied, feeling both nervous and excited.

"Good lad!" Williamson said warmly, clapping him on the shoulder. "You have the makings of a fine Auror; I'm sure your dad would be proud of you."

Stewart smiled, filled with a warm glow of pride. "Thank you, sir. But may I ask what you need the books for?"

Williamson smiled and winked at him. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that, Stewart. At least, not just yet. But I promise that you will be helping me to expose Snape for the snake he is."

"Then I'll do it," Stewart said firmly. "You can count on me."

But despite his bold words, Stewart did not try to steal the books right away, because he was a little nervous about being caught. He was determined to become an Auror like his father when he graduated, and being caught stealing Dark Magic books would definitely be a black mark on his record that might prevent him from realizing his dreams. It was strange; he had been more excited than worried when carrying out all the R.A.'s other plans, but none of those plans had required him to sneak past Madam Pince, who watched over the library like a hawk. On the other hand, he wanted to help Williamson arrest Snape, so he needed to get those books, but he also needed to be careful and wait for the right moment.

Two days later, he still had not stolen the books. There always seemed to be someone around whenever he went near the restricted section--if not Madam Pince, then another student. He was brooding about it over breakfast when an owl dropped off a letter for Isabelle at the Hufflepuff table. She looked at the envelope, and seemed to recognize the sender or the return address, because she smiled. But when she opened the letter and started to read it, she suddenly burst into tears and jumped up and ran out of the room.

Stewart ran over to the Hufflepuff table and demanded, "What happened? What did the letter say that upset her so much?"

"I don't know," Susan Bones said, looking worried. "She didn't say anything, just started crying. I saw the return address on the envelope; it was from someone at Beauxbatons." Stewart looked down at the table, hoping to get a clue from the letter, but both the letter and envelope were gone; Isabelle must have taken them with her. "Maybe I should go to talk to her," Susan said.

"No, I'll go," Stewart said quickly, and hurried after Isabelle before Susan could object. He found her weeping in the classroom that the R.A. used for their meetings. "Isabelle?" he asked hesitantly. "What's wrong? Was there bad news in that letter?"

"Oh, Stewart," she said, looking startled. She wiped the tears from her face and said, not very convincingly, "It's nothing. I'm just being silly. I feel embarrassed now for making such a fuss about it."

"It's not silly to cry when you're sad," Stewart said quietly, handing her a handkerchief. "I...I cried a lot after my dad died."

Isabelle wiped her face and smiled at him a little more sincerely. "Thank you, Stewart."

"Maybe you'd feel better if you talked about whatever's bothering you?" Stewart suggested. When she hesitated, he added, "Or if it's something you'd rather talk to another girl about, maybe Susan--"

"No," Isabelle said, quietly but firmly. "I don't want to talk about it. It's...personal. It's just something I have to deal with on my own. But I'm all right, Stewart; don't worry about me."

But Stewart was worried. Even if she wouldn't confide in him, he still wanted to find a way to cheer her up, or at least distract her from whatever was bothering her. So he told her how Williamson had asked him to steal the Dark Magic books from the library, although the Auror had warned him not to talk about it with anyone else. Stewart felt a little guilty about breaking his promise, but he rationalized that Isabelle was trustworthy and would never betray them.

And he felt gratified when Isabelle's face lit up, her eyes shining with excitement. "That's wonderful, Stewart!" she exclaimed. "We must do whatever we can to help your Auror friend!"

"I'll do it today!" Stewart said, suddenly filled with determination, and resolved to get the books today no matter what. He wouldn't dither around like a coward any longer!

"Can I do anything to help you?" Isabelle asked.

"Oh no," Stewart said hastily. "I mean, I'm sure I can manage on my own. I wouldn't want you to get into trouble too, if anything went wrong."

"Haven't we been working together all along?" Isabelle asked, with just a touch of reproach in her voice. "If you get caught, you won't be able to get the books to Mr. Williamson. I'll distract Madam Pomfrey, so that you can get into the restricted section."

Stewart had to admit she had a point. Isabelle was the one who had formed the R.A., after all, so she had a right to be involved if she wanted. Besides, he doubted that he could stop her even if he wanted to, so he agreed, a little reluctantly, to let her help him.

It worked like a charm. Madam Pince actually liked Isabelle, because she was quiet and studious and respectful, and always returned her library books on time and in pristine condition. So when Isabelle asked for some help finding an obscure Herbology text, the librarian was happy to oblige. Conveniently, the Herbology section was located on the opposite side of the library, and for once, there were no other students lingering near the restricted section, so Stewart was easily able to slip in and grab the books and slip out again. He forced himself to walk, not run, out of the library to avoid suspicion, trying to keep up a calm demeanor. Then he headed straight to the Owlery to send the books to Williamson.

Part 76