FIC: Aftermaths, Part 83

[geri_chan]

Title: Aftermaths, Part 83
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: ~10,190
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: Takeshi receives some unexpected news from Augustus Pye, and Aric receives some personalized care from his favorite mediwizard.

Part 82 (Previous chapters can be found under the aftermaths tag.)

***

Allegra and Portia were summoned to the Headmaster's office, and McGonagall sternly told them, "You broke the rules by going off alone, and recklessly put yourselves in danger--not to mention the fact that you thereby endangered the lives of your brother and his friends when they insisted on searching for you, Miss Zabini."

"Yes, Professor," Allegra said, hanging her head, the normally irrepressible girl looking unusually subdued and chastened. "I'm very sorry. Please don't punish Portia. It's not her fault; she tried to talk me out of it. I made her come with me."

"No, I'm just as much to blame as Allegra," Portia said stubbornly. "I chose to go with her, even though I knew we were breaking the rules. I wanted to prove that I could be brave, like a real Gryffindor."

Snape let out a little snort of laughter. "Brave, yes, and utterly lacking in common sense--a true Gryffindor indeed, Miss Pettigrew," he said wryly.

Portia gave him an uncertain look, not sure whether she was being insulted or complimented, but Allegra grinned at Snape and then Portia smiled at him tentatively.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor for each of you!" McGonagall snapped, and the girls looked crestfallen.

"Yes, ma'am," they said meekly.

"Does Gryffindor even have any points left, after what was taken from Thomas, Sloper, and Kirke?" Snape wondered out loud, and Allegra groaned.

"However," McGonagall said, the corner of her mouth lifting a little, "you did show great courage in fighting Amos Diggory and Ian Williamson, and Miss Pettigrew did save Master Diggory's life. So I hereby award thirty points to Miss Zabini and sixty points to Miss Pettigrew." Which reduced the total points lost to only ten.

The girls beamed at each other. "Thank you, Professor McGonagall!" Allegra said.

"But the next time you see something suspicious, get a teacher instead of trying to handle it by yourself," McGonagall said sternly.

"Yes, Professor," Allegra said obediently, but Snape doubted very much that she was going to be able to stay out of trouble in the next six years.

Apparently McGonagall thought so too, because she sighed wearily and said, "The two of you are dismissed, then. Do try to stay out of trouble at least until school ends."

"Yes, Professor!" they chorused, and ran out of the office giggling.

"Do you really think they can manage to stay out trouble for an entire week?" Snape asked, and he wasn't being completely sarcastic.

"And here I was thinking that things were going to be a little dull at Hogwarts after Harry graduated!" Lupin said with a grin.

"Merlin forbid--a female pack of Marauders!" Snape said, shaking his head. "Just make sure that Potter doesn't pass the map on to them."

Dumbledore just chuckled, and summoned Blaise, Theodore, Dylan, and Serafina to his office next. "Well, you did put yourselves in danger, but as Professor Lupin allowed you to join the search party, I cannot dock points for that," the Headmaster said.

"It's more like Professor Lupin was badgered into allowing them to come," Lupin grumbled good-naturedly. "But technically, yes, I did give them permission."

"Will you allow me to do the honors, Severus?" Dumbledore asked with a twinkle in his eyes, and Snape nodded. "Thirty points each to Mr. Zabini, Mr. Snape, and Mr. Rosier. And to Miss Avery, whose Healing training and quick thinking helped save Mr. Dietrich's life, fifty points."

The Slytherin students grinned at each other. "That's a bit measly, don't you think, Albus?" Snape objected, but he was smiling faintly, although his black eyes glowered at the Headmaster.

"I'm not finished, Severus," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And to Mr. Dietrich, who was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save another's life, I award one hundred points to Slytherin." The four Slytherins cheered and clapped, as did Lupin, while Snape just smiled smugly. "It's a pity that he couldn't receive his points in person, but I didn't want to wait to acknowledge his heroism. Theodore, perhaps you can convey the good news to your cousin when you visit him at the hospital tomorrow."

"I'll be happy to, sir!" Theodore said, grinning widely.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Dylan asked excitedly. "We're bound to win the House Cup this year!"

"The final tally has yet to be made, Mr. Rosier," Dumbledore reminded him with a smile. "But Slytherin certainly has reason to be confident."

Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall sighed regretfully. They knew that the massive amount of points they had just deducted had probably taken their Houses out of the running for the Cup, but they couldn't let the R.A. members' actions pass unpunished.

"Oh, and by the way, Minerva," Snape said with a grin, "you owe me fifteen Galleons for our little bet. I nearly forgot in all the excitement, but Slytherin won the Quidditch Cup today."

McGonagall glared at him for a moment, then laughed. "All right, Severus. I'll have your fifteen Galleons ready for you by dinner tonight."

"Damn, Slytherin won the Cup and I missed it!" Snape said regretfully. "I spent the entire match in the hospital wing trying to retrieve Miss Bones's memories!"

Lupin smiled proudly, pulling a small golden sphere out of his pocket. "Oh, but you didn't miss it, Severus. I recorded the match for you--you can watch it as many times as you like. My heart nearly stopped when Draco fell off his broom, though."

"No matter; he survived, didn't he?" Snape said airily, taking the sphere from Lupin. A smile of deep satisfaction slowly spread across his face; he could watch Slytherin's moment of triumph over Gryffindor not just once, but over and over again...as many times as he liked. Lupin laughed at the expression on his face, then wrapped his arms around Snape and kissed him. And Snape was so pleased, that he didn't object to this public display of affection, and even kissed Lupin back.

***

Takeshi was supposed to be off on Saturday, but he arrived at St. Mungo's early in the morning to check on Aric. He found the Slytherin boy sleeping soundly, clutching a white feather tightly in one fist. Takeshi laughed softly, feeling very touched. Lukas had stayed with Aric throughout the night, and was asleep in the other bed. Takeshi worked quietly, changing the bandages and dressing on Aric's bite wound without waking either of them. Then he went to check with Smethwyck on Aric's progress.

The Healer looked relieved to see him when Takeshi knocked on his office door. "Ah, Mr. Kimura, I'm glad to see you. I thought you might come in to check on your young friend."

"I just changed his bandages; the bite wound seems to be healing properly," Takeshi said. "How is he recovering from the poisoning?"

"Very well; much better than we expected," Smethwyck told him. "It must be due to his lycanthropy. He should be able to return to Hogwarts in a few days. You know, as a newly-turned werewolf, his healing powers are actually much weaker than they will be after he undergoes his first transformation. I'm not sure that the Blood Poisoning spell would actually have killed Master Diggory even if it had struck him as Williamson intended."

"Williamson is a sadist," Takeshi said contemptuously. "He could have just used a Killing Curse, but I think that he wanted to watch Lukas suffer."

"Well, perhaps we should be grateful for that," Smethwyck said soberly. "Even a werewolf cannot survive a Killing Curse. Your friend would be dead if he had been struck by that spell instead."

"You're right," Takeshi said, his knees going a little wobbly at the thought, and he clutched at the door frame for support.

"Are you all right, Mr. Kimura?" Smethwyck asked in alarm.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," Takeshi assured him. "The thought of Aric being hit with a Killing Curse just shook me up a little."

"Ahem," said a voice from within the office. It sounded like Augustus Pye, but Takeshi didn't see anyone in the office besides Smethwyck.

"Oh, excuse me, Mr. Pye," Smethwyck said. "I got a little wrapped up in my conversation with Mr. Kimura, and I almost forgot you were there." The Healer stepped back and ushered Takeshi into the office, and he saw that there was a communication mirror sitting on Smethwyck's desk. Pye's face smiled at him from within it.

"Actually, I'm glad that you're here, Mr. Kimura," Smethwyck said. "I know it's your day off, and I hate to ask this of you, but since you're already here, would you mind working overtime today? It seems that Mr. Pye won't be able to come in today."

"I'm really sorry, Takeshi!" Pye said. "I know you already covered for me yesterday, and it sounds like you had quite a bit of excitement going on at the hospital, too! I swear that I'll make it up to you!"

"It's all right, I was going to stay to keep an eye on Aric, anyway," Takeshi said, feeling a little puzzled. "But why aren't you coming in?"

"I've eloped!" Pye exclaimed, grinning as he held up his left hand, which was now sporting a gold wedding band. "Actually, I'm in France right now with my new bride!"

"What?!" Takeshi exclaimed. "Did the party go well, then?"

"No, the party was a disaster!" Pye said cheerfully. "My girlfriend's parents had decided to betroth her to another guy, from an old and wealthy Slytherin family. I was trying to make a last-ditch effort to persuade them to change their minds when we got the news that Miranda's fiance had been bitten by a werewolf."

"W-wait a minute!" Takeshi stammered. "You mean to say, your girlfriend is Miranda Tierney?!"

"Oh, do you know her?" Pye asked. "Come say hello to Takeshi, honey."

A pretty blonde girl squeezed into the mirror frame and waved at Takeshi. "Hello!" she said. "Thanks for covering for Gus! Sorry to spring this on you at the last minute."

"I...I don't know Miranda," Takeshi said, feeling a little dazed. "But I do know her fiance. Or her ex-fiance, rather."

"That's right, Healer Smethwyck said that you're friends with the poor fellow who got bitten," Pye said. "I do feel bad for him, and I would never wish such a fate on anyone, but...well, I do have to admit that it worked in our favor. When the news arrived, an uproar broke out at the party, and we were able to sneak out in the confusion."

"I know someone who has a Portkey to France, and I bribed him to send us through," Miranda said. "And we got married before my parents could figure out where we'd gone and try to stop us. We'll honeymoon here for a few days, and by the time we get back, things should have cooled down a bit. My parents won't be happy, but I think they'll accept it. Gus is a pureblood, even if his family isn't as old or wealthy as the Dietriches, and it'll be much less scandalous for me to be married to him than engaged to a werewolf."

"How nice that everything worked out for you, then," Takeshi said coldly.

Miranda flushed. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded. Aric seems like a nice guy, and I'm sorry that this happened to him. He didn't want to marry me in the first place, so I didn't think he'd mind if I eloped with Gus, and my parents would have broken off the engagement even if I'd stayed. Is he going to be all right? If there's anything we can do help him..."

She sounded sincerely concerned, and Takeshi softened a little. "He'll be all right, although it will take a couple of weeks for him to heal completely."

"But what about his family?" Miranda asked softly.

She was a pureblood, and she knew how purebloods reacted to someone whose blood became tainted. Miranda was not what Takeshi had expected; he had expected someone spoiled and snooty. And he hadn't realized that she was so pretty. She seemed like someone that Aric might have been willing to marry, had he not been in love with Takeshi. Like someone he might have eventually come to accept, even like, perhaps even love, if he had gone through with the arranged marriage. And Takeshi felt a twinge of jealousy, although he knew that he was being ridiculous. He knew that Aric loved him, after all, and Miranda was obviously smitten with Pye.

"His family reacted, well...as you might expect," Takeshi replied. "They did not disown him outright, but the heirship was taken from him. But he does have friends who will stand by him, myself included."

Miranda and Pye exchanged a look. "We'll stand as his friends, too, if you think that won't be too awkward," Pye said solemnly. "I mean, with me marrying his fiancee and all. But Miranda says that he didn't want the marriage, that it was all his parents' idea."

"Won't your family object to you befriending a werewolf?" Takeshi asked Miranda.

"Probably," she replied. "But I've already defied them once." She grinned at Pye. "I find it quite liberating. They can disown me if they want, but it will only cause more of a scandal by drawing everyone's attention to it if they do." She added playfully, "Besides, I'm a married woman now. I answer only to my lord husband."

Pye smiled at her, looking completely infatuated, and Takeshi had no doubt that Miranda had her "lord husband" wrapped around her little finger. "I'd like to get to know Aric," Pye said. "I imagine I'll be meeting him eventually, anyway, since I'll be working at the clinic this summer."

Takeshi decided not to mention right now that he intended to take Aric back home with him to meet his family in Japan. He hadn't even discussed the matter with Aric yet. He wanted to give Aric some time to get adjusted to being a werewolf before further stressing him by proposing a trip to meet his new in-laws. "I'll introduce you to him when you get back from your honeymoon, then," was all that Takeshi said to Pye.

"And I'll help at the clinic, too," Miranda volunteered. "To make up for you taking Gus's shifts. I'm not really much good at potion-brewing, but I could help with the paperwork."

Takeshi's opinion of her rose another notch, but he was surprised, given her background. "That would be very helpful," he said politely, but his shock must have shown on his face, because Miranda grinned mischievously.

"Oh, my parents won't like that either, but what they don't know won't hurt them. It's not like any of their friends are likely to stop by the clinic. Anyway, even if they do find out, I don't care what they think. And I think it will be fun helping Gus at the clinic. I've never met a werewolf before." Miranda's eyes gleamed with excitement. Takeshi had almost forgotten that some of the young purebloods got a thrill out of seeking out the forbidden; most of Ash's customers were wealthy young purebloods, after all. Buying Muggle toys was a relatively harmless way for them to rebel, and before all the bad publicity generated by Williamson's fake werewolf attacks, the werewolves had become glamorous figures to many of the young wizards. Maybe the wolf-shaped good luck carvings would come back into fashion now.

"Well, I have met Aric, of course," Miranda continued. "But he wasn't a werewolf when I met him, so I guess that doesn't really count."

"He is the same person that he was before," Takeshi said quietly. "The only difference is that he will transform into a wolf once every month. But his heart and his soul are still the same."

Miranda's expression turned a little more serious, at that reminder that the werewolves were real people, and not just stories in the Daily Prophet. "Well, Gus says that you're an expert on werewolves, so I guess you would know. I don't really know Aric; we only talked for a little while at the Quidditch match yesterday. But he must be brave, if he risked his life to save his teacher. Although truthfully, that sounds more like the sort of thing a Gryffindor would do."

Takeshi smiled. "Slytherins can be brave, noble fools, too, it seems."

"Thanks for covering for me, Takeshi," Pye said. "We'll be back in a few days, and you can meet my lovely bride in person."

"You're welcome, and congratulations on your marriage, Augustus," Takeshi said, and Pye beamed at him. "I must confess that I'm a little confused, though. You never mentioned that your 'future Mrs. Pye' was betrothed to someone else."

"Well, it's kind of complicated," Pye said. "We met at a nightclub several months ago..."

"I was hitting all the clubs, celebrating my freedom after graduating from Beauxbatons," Miranda continued, smiling impishly. "I have a reputation for being a little wild, you know. Well, at least it seems that way to the stuffy old pureblood ladies who sit around gossiping over tea all day. Anyway, I was flirting with a handsome young man, when the girl he was with took exception and tried to smash a beer bottle into my face." She sniffed disdainfully, looking a bit more like the spoiled pureblood that Takeshi had been expecting. "Obviously a very common, low-bred wench."

"And what do highborn wenches do when someone tries to steal their boyfriends?" Takeshi inquired.

"Nothing so crude as that!" Miranda said scornfully. "Personally, I would have cast a hex--covered my victim's pretty face with a lot of ugly warts or something."

"I would still love you even if you were covered with warts, my dear," Pye said loyally.

Miranda smiled. "Anyway, my face did get cut, although not very badly. And Gus happened to be at the club that night with some friends from St. Mungo's, and he came over and tended my wounds. He was very sweet and gallant, and he did a good job with the healing spells, too." She gestured at her face; her skin was flawlessly fair and smooth. "See? No scars."

"So we started dating," Pye said, picking up the story. "Things got serious, and eventually Miranda brought me home to meet her parents. And then we got a big shock."

"Gus is a pureblood, so I didn't think they'd object," Miranda said. "I thought they'd be pleased that I settled down and wasn't 'running wild' anymore."

"But they decided that I wasn't good enough for Miranda," Pye said, still looking a little hurt at the memory. "My blood may be pure, but my family doesn't have much money or influence. I do have a good job at St. Mungo's, but Miranda's parents wanted something more. They wanted Miranda to make a 'socially advantageous match.' They said it would be a waste for her to marry me, because my family had nothing to offer them."

"That's when they began negotiating a marriage alliance with the Dietrich family behind my back," Miranda said. "And then the next thing I knew, I was being whisked off to France with my parents. I didn't even have time to say goodbye to Gus."

"She tried to send me letters, but her parents kept intercepting them, so I didn't know that the betrothal contract had actually been signed," Pye said. "I knew that they were trying to find a 'more suitable' husband for Miranda, but I didn't realize just how far things had gotten. I kept thinking that they would come around eventually. When Miranda got back from France, she managed to sneak my name onto the invitation list for her mother's birthday party."

"My father's secretary wrote up and sent out the invitations," Miranda explained. "She doesn't know Gus, so he was just another name on the list, and she didn't think anything of it."

"I thought I'd make one last-ditch attempt to get them to change their minds," Pye said earnestly. "Healer Smethwyck told me I'll be promoted to full Healer status soon, and I thought that might make a difference with them. I thought if I could just convince them how much we love each other, and that I would take good care of Miranda, that they would change their minds."

Pye had been a Gryffindor at Hogwarts. He was an idealist and a romantic who believed that love would triumph over all. But Takeshi could see from the sad and slightly cynical smile on Miranda's face, that she had known Pye's efforts probably would have failed.

"And I was trying to work up the courage to run off with Gus, if necessary, and let my parents disown me," Miranda said.

How ironic; it seemed that Aric and his fiancee had shared the same problem all along, unbeknownst to each other. "It's not easy, to cut yourself off from your family," Takeshi said sympathetically.

"Well, I don't think that will happen," Pye said cheerfully. "Miranda's parents were pretty upset when we told them that we had eloped, but so far they haven't disowned her yet. So anyway, I didn't mean to mislead you, Takeshi, but it seemed too complicated to explain the whole story to you, so I just said that I needed the day off to attend my girlfriend's mother's birthday party. But I would have told you the whole truth if I had known that Miranda's fiance was your friend."

"That's all right," Takeshi said. After all, there were quite a few things about himself and Aric that Pye didn't know, but he didn't think that this was really the time and place to get into it. "I'm happy for you two, and I can guarantee that Aric won't be upset about your marriage. If anything, he'll probably be relieved."

"Oh, that's good," Pye said, looking relieved himself. "Well, goodbye, then. We'll bring back some souvenirs from France for you!"

"Enjoy your honeymoon," Takeshi told him, then left the office and got to work. He tended to Pye's patients, checking on their conditions and dispensing medication when necessary. He was glad that Williamson had been put in a different ward, because Hippocratic oath or not, he didn't think that he could bring himself to treat the man who had nearly murdered his mate. He had heard that Snape had agreed to brew the antidote potion, and he took a bit of vindictive pleasure in knowing that Snape would go out of his way to make Williamson's potion as foul-tasting as possible--and the antidote wasn't particularly pleasant to begin with.

After he'd made his rounds, he went back to Aric's room to see if he was awake, and was alarmed to find Lukas helping a pale and sweaty Aric hobble across the room and climb back into bed.

"What happened?!" Takeshi exclaimed.

"Nothing," Aric said, looking embarrassed. "I just needed to go to the bathroom, that's all."

"I was asleep," Lukas said dryly, "and instead of waking me up or calling for a nurse, he decided to get up on his own, despite having been bitten by a werewolf and having received a dose of poison that would have killed an elephant. He actually did make it there on his own somehow, but he collapsed on the way back, and the crash woke me up."

Aric flushed. "Using a bedpan is rather humiliating, and all the students at Hogwarts have an aversion to them, anyway."

"Yes, I do remember that bedpan-scrubbing is Professor Snape's favorite punishment," Takeshi said. "But you can always ring for help if you need it." He pointed to a rope hanging from the ceiling, which would ring a chime when pulled on, that would summon a nurse or mediwizard.

"I didn't think that just walking across the room would be so tiring," Aric said sheepishly.

"You nearly died yesterday, Aric," Takeshi told him, trembling a little at the thought. "The Sanguis Veneno spell is especially deadly, because it moves the poison through the body so quickly that it's difficult to get the patient to a Healer in time. It will take some time for your body to repair the damage inflicted by the poison."

"So how long before I can go to the bathroom alone?" Aric grumbled.

"You'll probably feel very weak for the next couple of days, although it's difficult to say exactly, since I'm not sure how much your lycanthropic healing powers will speed up your recovery. But the Healers recommend bed rest for the next few days."

Aric looked a bit sulky, and Lukas told him sharply, "It's better than being dead, Mr. Dietrich!"

Takeshi smiled. "Why don't you go back to Hogwarts, Lukas? If he's well enough to complain, it means that he's recovering."

"I promised to stay with him," Lukas objected.

Takeshi noticed that the werewolf was still wearing the same robes that he'd had on yesterday, and that they were rumpled from being slept in. "At least go home, take a shower, change your clothes, and have something to eat. I can stay with Aric for now."

"Go on," Aric told him, looking a bit guilty now. "I'll be fine. You should at least get some breakfast."

"I'll leave you two lovebirds alone, then," Lukas said with a grin, and both Aric and Takeshi blushed. "And the term 'lovebird' is quite apt in your case, Takeshi. Why didn't you ever tell us that you were a non-human, too? Or part-human, anyway." He cuffed Takeshi lightly on the ear, the way he often cuffed his pack members, although much more gently than he would have struck his werewolves. "Surely you knew that we, of all people, would not have scorned you for having 'impure' blood."

"I'm sorry," Takeshi said apologetically. "It wasn't that I didn't trust you. But the crane folk are very secretive, and we aren't supposed to reveal our identities to people outside the Japanese wizarding community. And even in Japan, the pureblooded cranes usually keep to themselves, and don't mingle much with the other races. A few human men won crane wives with their bravery and compassion, but other unscrupulous men sometimes tried to take them by force--our women were prized for their beauty and their magical talent. This gave rise to other legends, of men who tried to force celestial maidens to become their brides by stealing their feather cloaks, without which they could not return to the heavens."

"Like the legends about the selkies, who could not return to the ocean when their sealskins were stolen," Lukas said.

"Yes, although the cloak is a device invented by some storyteller," Takeshi replied. "We don't need cloaks to transform. But a powerful enough sorcerer could bind and enslave a crane woman or man with a spell similar to an Imperius Curse. The crane folk are not fierce warriors like the tengu, and are not especially strong in the combative magics. So over the centuries, they became rather secretive and insular."

"But what about Chizuru?" Lukas asked. "Why did they let their princess travel so far from her home and teach at Hogwarts last year?"

Takeshi smiled. "Because her father, the ruler of the crane people, dotes on his daughter and can deny her nothing. And don't let Chizuru's sweet smile and gentle manner fool you; she can be quite stubborn when it comes to getting her way."

"Will you get in trouble for revealing your secret?" Aric asked anxiously.

"It's all right," Takeshi assured him. "You are my mate now...or you will be, I hope." Takeshi suddenly found himself feeling a little shy and uncertain. He knew that Aric loved him, but they had never made any formal pledges to each other.

But Aric smiled at him, blushing. "Of course," he said. "If you'll have me."

"Then that means you are part of my family now," Takeshi told him, feeling a sense of relief and joy. "Which means that you are not an outsider. And you are also part of Lukas's pack, so they are my family now as well. And Theodore is your cousin, so Remus and Professor Snape are now family to you through him. Which just leaves Professor Dumbledore, but I'm sure that he can keep a secret."

Lukas chuckled. "You're as sly and clever as a Slytherin, Takeshi. Well, I guess I will go back to the school for a little while, then, if you'll be all right, Aric. A shower would be nice."

Lukas left, and Aric said ruefully, "I wouldn't mind a shower, either. I feel pretty grubby. But I don't think I could stand up long enough to take one, and I'd probably pass out and drown in a bathtub."

"Well, I can help you with that, at least," Takeshi said cheerfully. He left the room briefly and returned with soap, towels, clean hospital robes, and a large basin of warm water.

"Wh...what are you doing?" Aric stuttered.

"I'm going to give you a bath, of course," Takeshi replied. "Unless you'd prefer to have one of the nurses do it." Aric's face turned bright red, and Takeshi said teasingly, "No, on second thought, that won't do. I'm not letting you get a bath from a pretty young nurse."

"It doesn't matter," Aric teased back. "You're prettier than any of the nurses."

And then Takeshi was the one blushing. "You can be charming when you wish, I see. I'm not sure that 'pretty' is the word I would use to describe myself, but I'll take it as a compliment."

***

"Would you prefer 'handsome,' 'good-looking,' or 'gorgeous,' then?" Aric joked in an attempt to cover up his nervousness as Takeshi pulled a privacy screen around the bed and helped him undress. He found himself blushing like a virgin schoolgirl, and Takeshi said in an amused voice, "Don't worry, Aric. I doubt that you have anything I haven't seen before."

Which of course made him turn even redder. Aric told himself that he was being silly. He had never worried about being naked in front of the other guys in the Durmstrang Quidditch locker rooms. But Takeshi wasn't just one of the guys; he was Aric's lover-to-be. His very beautiful and very clothed lover-to-be. Being naked while Takeshi was fully clothed made him feel vulnerable and embarrassed. Come to think of it, he had never seen Takeshi in anything other than his lime-green St. Mungo's uniform. He wondered what Takeshi would look like in casual robes. He wondered what Takeshi would look like wearing nothing at all...

Aric shook his head slightly; no, he definitely should not be thinking about such things, especially now! "Relax, Aric," Takeshi said in a much kinder and gentler voice, as if sensing his discomfort. So Aric lay back and tried to relax as Takeshi ran a warm, damp washcloth over his body, wiping away dirt and sweat and flecks of dried blood. It felt good.

It felt a little too good, actually. The gentle touch of Takeshi's hands on his body caused a certain portion of his anatomy to spring to attention, and it was impossible to hide his arousal in his current state of undress. He felt his face grow hot as Takeshi raised his eyebrows and smiled.

"Well, it's a pity that we can't do something about this," the mediwizard said in a low, sultry voice that Aric had never heard him use before. "But the Healers did say that you shouldn't be doing anything strenuous right now. So consider this a promise of things to come." Takeshi leaned forward and kissed Aric on the mouth, a soft, lingering kiss at first, that slowly deepened as Aric parted his lips to let Takeshi's tongue slide into his mouth. He let out a muffled groan as all the blood in his body seemed to rush straight to his groin. He wanted to push Takeshi down on the bed and take him right then and there, but his little jaunt to the bathroom had left him feeling too weak to do anything but lie there and accept the kiss.

And then Takeshi's glasses slid down his nose and struck Aric in the face--which didn't really hurt, but it startled him and broke the mood.

"Oops, sorry," Takeshi said with a grin, straightening up and pushing his glasses back into place.

"Why don't you fix your glasses or get a pair that fits?" Aric asked, feeling a bit disgruntled about the interruption.

"Oh, actually they do fit, or at least I can charm them to stay in place," Takeshi said casually. He touched the bridge of his wire-rimmed glasses, chanted a brief incantation, and they settled on his nose more securely. "But it seems to disarm my patients, make them laugh a little, and set them at ease. Many people find hospitals slightly intimidating, and most of my patients are already frightened since this is the Creature-Induced Injuries ward, which means that everyone here has been the victim of some sort of attack."

"Huh," Aric said, feeling more than a little surprised. So that absent-minded scholar bit was all an act. Takeshi was a bit more devious than he had realized. "Do you even need to wear glasses at all, or are the lenses just plain glass?"

"I really am a bit farsighted," Takeshi said with a smile. "I need them to read and see things up close, although I can see quite well from a distance."

It occurred to Aric that the exotic vision he'd seen yesterday contrasted sharply with the image of the mild-mannered mediwizard standing before him. "The glasses and the braid, they're a disguise, aren't they?" Aric asked thoughtfully. "They help make you look normal. Because without the glasses, with your hair unbound, you're so beautiful that people might suspect that you're not fully human."

Takeshi blushed, his cheeks turning a very becoming shade of pink, and he laughed, sounding embarrassed but also flattered at the same time. "It's very kind of you to say that, Aric, but you're not exactly an impartial observer. The ones we love always look beautiful to us. I wear glasses because I need them to see and I'm too squeamish to get contact lenses, and I wear my hair in a braid because otherwise it would get in my way when I work, and I'm too vain to cut it."

"You ARE beautiful," Aric insisted. "And don't cut your hair; I like it long."

"Then let me repay your compliment with another kiss," Takeshi said playfully, and bent down to kiss Aric again. This time his glasses stayed where they were supposed to.

When they came up for air, Aric said, red-faced and a little breathless, "You know, this isn't helping that--" He gestured at his crotch. "--to go away."

Takeshi laughed again. "Here, let me help you cool down." He laid his hands on Aric's chest, whispered a charm, and that flushed, overheated feeling ebbed and gave way to a sense of coolness that slowly spread through Aric's body, like a cool breeze easing the heat of a hot summer day. His breathing and heart rate slowed, rendering him calmer. He also felt his erection rapidly wilting, and he wasn't sure whether to be alarmed or relieved.

"Well, you're certainly capable of fending off unwanted advances," Aric joked a little nervously, also recalling the way Takeshi had hurled him across the room at the clinic.

"Oh, don't worry," Takeshi said with a grin. "Your advances will be most welcome, once the Healers give you a clean bill of health. And once we're in someplace more private than a hospital room." He asked almost shyly, "You'll move in with me once you graduate, won't you?"

"Of course," Aric said happily, and suddenly his family's rejection didn't hurt quite so much. "It was worth being turned if it means that I'm able to be with you, even though that's not why I did it. I'm not the heir anymore, and I doubt that the Tierneys would want a werewolf for a son-in-law, anyway."

"That reminds me, I have some news to share with you," Takeshi said. And as he finished bathing Aric, he explained how Miranda had eloped with Pye.

"Well, good for them!" Aric laughed.

"So you don't mind?" Takeshi asked, looking relieved.

"Of course not," Aric said. "I never wanted to marry her in the first place, so your friend Pye is welcome to her." He grinned. "Maybe we can all double-date sometime." Then his smile faded. "Although I guess my family is probably disappointed about losing the alliance." Takeshi suddenly frowned, looking troubled. "But I don't regret what I did," Aric hastily assured him.

"It's not that," Takeshi said, still frowning.

"What is it, then?" Aric asked. The mediwizard hesitated, remaining silent as he helped Aric slip into a clean robe. "'Keshi," Aric said, beginning to grow worried, "what's wrong?"

"Perhaps I shouldn't say anything," Takeshi said reluctantly. "Since it doesn't really matter now. But I can see that it will worry you if I don't tell you. I believe that your family lied to you about your grandfather's illness, Aric. I believe that they used it as an excuse to convince you to sign the betrothal contract."

"Grandfather didn't really have a stroke?" Aric asked, feeling stunned.

"He did have a stroke," Takeshi replied. "St. Mungo's wouldn't participate in a hoax like that. Your grandfather was seriously ill when he arrived at the hospital, but from what I can gather, the Healers were able to stabilize him relatively quickly. Which means that your family probably knew that he wasn't dying when they asked you to sign the contract."

"They tricked me?" Aric whispered. "They lied to me?"

"I believe so," Takeshi replied in a gentle voice. "Although you would have to check with your grandfather's Healers to be absolutely certain."

"It sounds like something they'd do," Aric said with a bitter smile. "Grandfather threatened to disown me if I refused to go through with the marriage. I'm sure he wouldn't hesitate to tell what he'd consider a harmless white lie in order to convince me to do my duty. All for the good of the family, of course."

"I'm sorry, Aric," Takeshi said quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Aric demanded.

The mediwizard gave him an apologetic and slightly guilty look. "I was afraid it would seem like I was trying to turn you against your family. I was afraid that you wouldn't believe me. And even if you did believe me, I knew you would be hurt by it. But my brother convinced me that it wasn't right to keep the truth from you, so I was going to stop by the school and talk to you after the game, but, well...obviously with everything that happened, I never got the chance."

"You've never lied to me, 'Keshi," Aric said, reaching out to clasp the mediwizard's hand in his own. "You may not have told me the entire truth about a few things," he added dryly, and Takeshi smiled at him sheepishly. "But you've never lied to me. I would have believed you. It's all too easy for me to believe that my family could have lied to me."

"I'm sorry," Takeshi repeated, and Aric could see the pain and compassion in his eyes. He could have used that information to his own advantage, to try to turn Aric against his family. That was what a good Slytherin would have done. But he hadn't, because he had wanted to spare Aric pain, because Aric's feelings had mattered more to him than his own.

"I'm not," Aric said firmly. "My family wouldn't have hesitated to slander you, if the situation had been reversed. I was a fool, Takeshi. You're the only one who's ever loved me without expecting anything in return. Well, except for my Uncle Rafe. I should have chosen you. I shouldn't have waited until a werewolf bite rendered me worthless as heir."

"It doesn't matter," Takeshi whispered, tears spilling from his eyes, but he was smiling at Aric joyfully. "All that matters is that we're together now." And he leaned down and kissed Aric again. This time the kiss was more tender and sweet than arousing, but it still left Aric feeling a little dizzy. Of course, that could just be an aftereffect of the poison, but Aric didn't really think so.

Then the door opened, and Lupin called out, "Hello? Is it all right for us to come in?"

Takeshi hastily straightened up and pushed back the privacy screen. "Of course, Remus," he said, blushing just a little. "Aric's doing well, and I'm sure he'd love to have some visitors."

"And are you taking good care of Aric, Takeshi?" Lupin asked, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Of course, Remus," Takeshi repeated, his blush deepening. "Well, I'd better get back to work. And I'll bring you some breakfast, Aric. You need to eat to keep up your strength." He quickly gathered up the basin, towels, and dirty clothes, and exited the room.

Lupin entered the room, along with Snape, Theo, and Dylan. Lupin and Snape were carrying stacks of books, and Theo and Dylan had their arms full with boxes and baskets and bags of candy.

"What is all that?" Aric asked.

"Get-well cards and gifts," Theo announced with a smile, as he and Dylan deposited them on the nightstand next to Aric's bed. "You're a hero in Slytherin now, you know--in the whole school, actually, since you saved Master Diggory."

"He seems to be quite a popular teacher," Dylan added. "Considering that most of the students leave his classes feeling bruised and battered."

"I thought you might be bored," Lupin said cheerfully. "So I brought you some books to read." He placed a stack of books on the nightstand; they appeared to be novels by Ariel Zoltaire, the romance author who was so popular with the Slytherin girls. Aric shook his head slightly and smiled; somehow it didn't really surprise him that Lupin read romance novels. That wasn't really Aric's cup of tea, but he thanked the werewolf politely. As Lupin set the books down, he accidentally dislodged a white feather, which floated down to the floor.

"Sorry, what's this?" Lupin asked.

"Oh, that's mine," Aric said hastily, trying not to blush. It was Takeshi's feather, which Aric had set on the nightstand for safekeeping after he woke up. "It's a...uh...quill pen."

The end of the quill had not been trimmed, and was unstained by ink, but Lupin just smiled knowingly and did not contradict him. "I'll put this away in the drawer, then, so that you won't lose it."

"Thanks," Aric mumbled, losing the fight against blushing.

"And here, Dietrich," Snape said briskly, handing him two fat, heavy textbooks. "School is almost over, but there's no need to let your mind rot while your body is recovering. These are texts on healing herbs and potions, which you should be studying if you still intend to apply for a job at St. Mungo's."

"Thank you, Professor," Aric said, feeling surprised to get a gift from Snape, even if they were only textbooks. "But will St. Mungo's be willing to hire a werewolf?"

"It seems that Arthur Weasley will retain his position as Minister of Magic, after all," Snape said. "Which means that the equal rights bill is still in effect. Not all of the department heads are as open-minded, but it seems that the head of this ward, Hippocrates Smethwyck, is willing to take you on. I spoke to him on the way in, and he seems to think that werewolves might feel more comfortable being treated by one of their own, so he seems to regard your condition as an advantage rather than a liability. Although it does mean that you won't be able to work during the full moon, but he says that he can schedule your days off around it."

Aric was too stunned to reply with anything more than, "Oh." It seemed that his dreams had come true, in a roundabout way: he would become a mediwizard as he had wanted, and he would be with Takeshi. This wasn't exactly the way he had planned it, but he wasn't really unhappy. The loss of his family still hurt, but he had known all along that he would have to choose between them and Takeshi. And it had been they who had abandoned him, not the other way around, which made him feel less guilty about it. Although perhaps his grandfather thought that Aric had abandoned his duty to his family by allowing himself to be turned--or by putting himself in a position where it was necessary to be turned. But while Aric had been willing to sacrifice a great deal for his family, including his own happiness and a possible future with Takeshi, he could not have let someone that he cared about die, not even for the sake of his family's honor.

"Well then," Snape said curtly, "I need to consult with the head of the Spell Damage ward, and deliver a potion to him."

"You go on ahead, Severus," Lupin said cheerfully. "We'll visit with Aric for a little while."

Snape nodded and left the room, looking a trifle embarrassed. Maybe he was worried that he was ruining his reputation by showing even a little concern about one of his students. Meanwhile, Aric had many questions for Lupin, who patiently answered them and explained the events leading up to yesterday's attack, and what had happened afterwards.

Aric sighed with relief when he learned that Master Diggory would not be punished for turning him. "I'm glad," he said. "Because it would have been my fault if anything happened to him."

"It would have been Williamson's and Amos's fault," Lupin said firmly. "But the point is moot now, anyway."

"You gave me and Blaise such a hard time," Theo told him. "But you and Kimura were an item all along, you sly dog!" But he was grinning, and didn't look angry.

"Sly wolf," Dylan laughed.

"We weren't really an item," Aric protested, feeling his face grow hot. "I mean, we were only friends...I didn't think of him that way...not until my parents decided to marry me off to Miranda, but by then it was too late..."

"They're just teasing you, Aric," Lupin chuckled.

"But I am sorry that I gave you a hard time," Aric said, feeling ashamed of himself as he remembered how he had taunted Theo in the past, and not just about Blaise. And yet his cousin had still stood by him and pleaded for his life.

"It's okay," Theo said, smiling. "I forgive you. I'm just glad that you're all right."

"You were a real git all year," Dylan said. "But since you saved Master Diggory, I'll forgive you, too." He gestured at the pile of gifts on the nightstand. "And so does everyone else in Slytherin. There's even a few gifts from the other Houses. Hermione and Allegra sent you get-well cards, and Tristan sent you a box of Chocolate Frogs. And he wants to thank you and apologize to you in person when you get back. Seeing his uncle nearly kill his cousin really shook him up. He's a brat, but he does love Master Diggory."

"It's shook up all the Hufflepuffs, to learn that one of their own nearly became a murderer," Theo said, looking more serious now. "Since they place so much value on loyalty. And Amos Diggory was trying to kill his own nephew, which makes it even worse in their eyes."

"Loyalty isn't always a virtue," Dylan said softly. "Not if you give your loyalty to the wrong person, the way my father gave his loyalty to the Dark Lord."

"Sometimes a single trait can be both a strength and a weakness at the same time," Lupin said gently.

Aric wasn't sure how to reply to that, so he was relieved when he saw the door open, thinking that it was Takeshi returning with his breakfast. But instead, it turned out to be his sister Erika, carrying a large bouquet of flowers.

She smiled, but looked ill-at-ease. "I stopped by last night, but you were sleeping," she said to Aric, then nodded at Theo. "Hello, Theodore."

"Hello, Erika," Theo replied politely. "This is Professor Lupin, my foster father. And Dylan Rosier, my foster brother."

"How nice to meet you, Erika," Lupin said brightly. "Dylan, Theo, why don't we go find a vase for those lovely flowers?"

Aric knew that Lupin was trying to give them some privacy, and he appreciated the gesture, but he felt a little nervous about being left alone with his sister, not knowing what her reaction to his lycanthropy would be. "We'll be back soon," Lupin reassured him with a kind smile, as if sensing his misgivings, and the three of them left.

Aric and Erika just stared at each other for a minute or two, until Aric said, "Well, you'll be the heir now," just to break the silence. "I guess you've got what you always wanted."

"I won't lie," Erika said quietly. "I did want the heirship. But not this way. I'm sorry, Aric."

"It's okay," Aric said, feeling a little ashamed of himself. He hadn't meant for those words to sound so accusing. "It's not your fault. And to be honest, I'm kind of relieved. I didn't really want to be heir, anyway."

"Since when?" Erika asked, looking surprised. "I know you didn't want to marry Miranda, but surely she's not so repulsive that you'd willingly become a werewolf and give up the heirship just to avoid marrying her."

"It's nothing personal against Miranda," Aric said, nervously glancing away from his sister. He was tempted not to tell her, but she was going to find out the truth sooner or later, anyway. Gossip always traveled fast in the wizarding world. Even if he and Takeshi were discreet, eventually people were going to figure out that they were more than roommates. He was just glad that his conversation with his parents and grandparents had not gotten this far.

"It's just that I'm in love with someone else," Aric finally said. "Otherwise I'd have agreed to the betrothal sooner, even if the idea of marrying a total stranger isn't exactly appealing."

"Really?" Erika exclaimed, looking shocked and then curious. "Who is it? Not that Deveraux girl, surely."

"Yvonne?" Aric said, shuddering with feigned horror. "I'd never have another moment of silence for the rest of my life if I married her! I swear that girl never stops talking."

Erika laughed, then smiled at him shrewdly. "Hmm, then it must be someone completely unsuitable. If your secret girlfriend had been a pureblood of high rank, then Grandfather would at least have considered the idea."

"He'd never have considered the idea, because it's not a girl that I'm in love with,"Aric said, flushing. "It's a guy."

"What?!" Erika cried, her eyebrows shooting up into her forehead. "Well, that's rather unexpected!" But although she sounded shocked, she didn't seem disgusted. "So who is he? Do I know him?"

"I don't think so," Aric said, feeling relieved although he was still blushing. "But maybe you might have passed by him on your way in? His name is Takeshi Kimura; he works as a mediwizard in this ward."

"The one with the glasses and the long braid?" Erika asked. "He was here when I came to see you yesterday. I thought he seemed to be a little more concerned about you than a mediwizard normally would be about a patient." She smiled slyly. "He's a pretty boy, although I didn't realize that he was your type." She laughed as Aric blushed harder. "So that was why you wanted to become a mediwizard!"

"It's not just because of Takeshi!" Aric protested. "I wanted to become a mediwizard before I...before we...that is..."

"I was just teasing, little brother," Erika said, bending down to kiss his cheek. "Does he make you happy?" Aric nodded, his face still beet-red. "Then I'm glad for you," Erika said. "I'm glad that you have something to compensate for what you're losing. Although I never thought that you were the type to give up everything for love." Then she saw Lupin's books on the nightstand and added, "Never thought you were the type to read those kinds of books, either, but that might explain a few things..."

"They're not my books!" Aric said indignantly. "Professor Lupin brought them!"

"Did I hear my name being taken in vain?" Lupin asked cheerfully, as he entered the room carrying a vase and a pitcher of water.

"Thank you, Professor," Erika said, arranging the flowers in the vase. "I'll come visit you again as soon as I can, Aric, after I take care of a few business matters."

"Back in Germany?" Aric asked. "I guess you must have been called away from work pretty suddenly."

"I need to finish up the project I'm currently working on and see if I can arrange a transfer to the London branch of Gringotts," Erika said. "Because..."

Her voice trailed off, and Aric finished, "Because Grandfather wants the new heir to be closer to home. I understand. I don't hold it against you, and I don't envy you. You know that Grandfather will probably try to arrange a marriage for you soon."

"I don't mind," Erika said. "I don't have my heart set on anyone in particular, and I'll do what is necessary to ensure the succession. And I don't intend to just marry the first man that Grandfather picks out. I am willing to make an arranged marriage alliance, but my husband must be someone that I can respect. He must be worthy of fathering the future Dietrich heirs, after all."

Aric smiled. His grandfather would probably find it much harder to run roughshod over Erika. As much as he hated to admit it, his sister was much tougher than he was; she always had been, even as a child. He felt a little sorry for her, though, that she probably wouldn't love her husband the way that he loved Takeshi. But Erika had never been much of a romantic, unlike the Slytherin girls who sighed over Ariel Zoltaire's novels. Her deepest desire had never been any man or boy, but the heirship of the Dietrich family, and she was finally getting her wish. He hoped that she would be happy. And hopefully, her husband would turn out to be a nice guy, someone that she could at least like. But he had no doubt that Erika would be able to keep him in line, whoever her future husband turned out to be.

"And don't feel guilty about breaking the marriage alliance," Erika added. "Grandfather lied to you when he said that he was dying."

"I know," Aric replied. "Takeshi told me." He smiled ruefully. "I guess I was the only one too stupid to figure it out. But as it happens, Miranda broke the alliance as well. She ran off and eloped with Takeshi's coworker when she heard that I'd been turned." Erika looked startled, and Aric said, "It's kind of a long story. I'll tell you about it later."

"I look forward to hearing it," Erika said. "This is starting to sound like one of Zoltaire's novels." As she left, Aric heard her whisper to Theo, "Please look after him, Theodore," although she clearly hadn't intended for him to overhear that. Theo nodded solemnly in response.

Snape returned shortly after Erika left, and said that they should be getting back to Hogwarts. "We should let you get some rest, but we'll come visit you again in the afternoon," Lupin promised. "Is there anything you'd like us to bring you?"

"Yes, actually there is," Aric said. "If you wouldn't mind getting me something from my room, Theo?"

"Sure," Theo said with a grin. "So long as you don't have any nasty wards set up to trap me."

Actually, Aric did have a few protective wards set up to guard his belongings, so he explained to Theo how to disarm them, and what he wanted Theo to bring. His cousin raised his eyebrows a little, but said, "All right, I'll bring it by when we come back," without asking for an explanation.

Snape lingered behind as the others left the room, and Aric gave the Potions Master a puzzled look as he cleared his throat, looking a little uncomfortable. "It seems that you will not be returning to the Dietrich estate when school ends," Snape said stiffly, "and, well...there's plenty of room at Snape Manor. Although I'm sure Diggory would let you stay at the werewolves' townhouse since you're part of his pack now, but I just thought that the Manor might be...ah...a somewhat less traumatic transition..."

"Did Theo ask you to do this?" Aric asked, feeling a little dazed by the unexpected offer.

Snape coughed again, looking embarrassed. "Not exactly, but I know that he was worried about you. And Lupin's always picking up strays; I suppose one more hardly matters. It seems that we're adopting a dog, as a matter of fact. At least you're already housebroken."

Aric stared at Snape in amazement. Had the Potions Master just made a joke? "Thank you, sir. But...um..." Aric blushed. "I'll be moving in with Takeshi after I graduate."

"Oh, of course," Snape said, looking relieved.

"But feel free to stop by and visit anytime!" Lupin called out, poking his head through the doorway.

"I told you to wait outside!" Snape snapped, but Lupin just grinned at him. In a very formal and dignified manner, Snape said, "You may of course visit your cousin at the Manor, if you wish." Then he turned and stalked out of the room, his black robes swirling around him. Lupin winked at Aric and waved goodbye before following Snape.

Takeshi returned as Snape and Lupin left, bearing a large, steaming bowl of soup, and the savory aroma caused Aric's stomach to rumble. "Sorry," Takeshi said apologetically. "I know you haven't had anything to eat since yesterday morning, but I saw your sister come in, and I thought you might want some time alone with her."

"That's fine," Aric said. "I wasn't hungry up until now, but suddenly I'm starving." His hand trembled slightly when he tried to lift the spoon, so Takeshi took it and began feeding him spoonfuls of soup. "I'm not an invalid," Aric complained, but secretly he enjoyed having the mediwizard fuss over him, although he felt a little embarrassed as well.

"Actually, you are an invalid right now," Takeshi said sternly. "So if you want to regain your strength, you have to eat."

"Yes, sir," Aric said, with an exaggerated air of meekness. The soup did taste very good; it was thick and rich and meaty. But it wasn't normal breakfast fare, which puzzled Aric slightly.

"The newly-awakened wolf craves meat," Takeshi explained. "And a meat-rich diet will also help you replenish the blood that you lost. But your body is still recovering from the poisoning, and I don't think that your stomach could handle anything stronger than soup right now. If you can keep down your breakfast and lunch, we can try some solid food at dinner."

"I really am an invalid," Aric sighed, swallowing another spoonful of soup. He hadn't been craving anything until Takeshi mentioned it, but now his stomach rumbled again at the thought of a nice, juicy steak.

"Count your blessings," Takeshi said. "There's a patient in the next ward who can't eat anything but rice gruel."

"Soup is just fine," Aric said hastily.

Takeshi smiled. "I'll fix you a home-cooked meal after we move in together," he promised.

"I'll hold you to that," Aric said. "Er...you can cook, can't you?"

"Of course I can, silly," Takeshi said. "I practically grew up in the kitchen of the Sakura."

"That's good," Aric said. "Because I can't. So otherwise we'd have to eat out every night or starve."

"It's not that hard," Takeshi laughed. "If you can brew a potion in Snape's Advanced class, you're certainly capable of following a recipe."

By the time Aric finished the soup, he felt full and sleepy and content. "Get some rest, love," Takeshi whispered, kissing him on the forehead. "I'll come see you again after I check on my other patients."

"Fine," Aric yawned. "So long as you don't kiss any of them."

Takeshi laughed softly and kissed Aric again, this time on the mouth. "No, you're the only one who gets that kind of specialized care, my wolf."

"Good," Aric said smugly, and closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Part 84

***

Afterword: I didn't originally plan for Miranda to be Pye's girlfriend, but The Goblet suggested it when I was posting the story on the snape_n_lupin Yahoo Group, and it seemed like a great idea.

Also, I borrowed from two different Japanese folk tales to create the background for the crane people. The first is the story that Takeshi already mentioned, of a crane turning into a woman and marrying the man who saved her. The other is a completely different tale, of a man who steals the cloak of a celestial maiden and forces her to remain with him, since she cannot return to her home in the heavens without it. It actually has nothing to do with the cranes, but the two stories seemed to fit together somehow, since they both deal with non-human women marrying human men. Or maybe it's because at the time, I had been reading the Ceres manga by Yu Watase, which is based on the legend of the celestial maiden.