FIC: The Revenant, Chapters 12b-13 of 13

[geri_chan]

Title: The Revenant, Chapters 12b-13
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~6,515
Author's note: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: Characters belong to J.K. Rowling, except for Hob, who belongs to William Mayne, and Death, who belongs to Neil Gaiman; no money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Warning: AU; written pre-HBP
Sequel to:  Always, Summer Vacation, For Old Time's Sake, Three's a Crowd, Return of the Raven, Phoenix Reborn, Phoenix Rising, and Aftermaths.
Summary: Lupin goes to St. Mungo's to check on his wounded companions.

Chapter 1, Chapter 2a, Chapter 2b, Chapters 3-5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapters 8-9, Chapters 10-11, Chapter 12a

***

Chapter 12: The Battle (continued)

So Harry opened the spell book, took a deep breath, and began reciting the incantation. Selima told Prospero and Sirius, "We should prepare to restrain Rabastan after James's spirit departs, just in case."

"You're right," Sirius said, taking out his wand and pointing it at James.

"Practical as always, my love," Prospero agreed approvingly.

"My love?" Sirius asked, raising his eyebrows.

Selima glared at Prospero, who said smiled and said, "Sorry, it just slipped out...heat of the moment, after a pitched battle and all that..." But there was a mischievous glint in his eyes, and he did not look particularly repentant.

"Watch your step, or I may finish off what Potter started," Selima threatened in a cool voice, pointing to his wounded shoulder with her wand. But against her will, her lips twitched slightly and curved up in a very faint, barely perceptible smile.

"Well, bugger me," Sirius muttered to himself.

"I didn't think you swung that way, Padfoot," Lupin said with a grin. "I thought that was more my line." He chortled to himself as Snape gave him a sour look over Dylan's shoulder.

"Gryffindors," Snape sighed, shaking his head disgustedly. Dylan raised his head up from Snape's chest and laughed, rubbing his sleeve against his eyes.

Harry uttered the last word of the incantation, and everyone gasped as the shadowy, transparent form of James Potter slowly floated up and out of the body of Rabastan Lestrange, which had now returned to its true form. Rabastan fainted, collapsing to the ground as James separated completely from him, but Sirius bound him with magical ropes  anyway, just to be safe.

"Death," James called. "I'm ready!" And instantly, a pale, dark-haired girl was standing next to him. She was dressed in Muggle clothing, a black tank top and jeans, and she was wearing a silver ankh around her neck. Her eyes were outlined with kohl, a curling black spiral extending below her right eye.

"It's about time!" Death said reprovingly.

"I'm sorry," James said humbly. "You were right all along. Still, I'm glad that I got the chance to say goodbye to Harry." Then something occurred to him. "Say...why didn't you drag me back to the waiting room after I escaped, the way you did when I fell through into Evan's room?"

Death sighed irritably. "I hold power over the dead, not the living. I couldn't touch you while you were in a living body. Of course, I could have arranged matters to hasten your--or rather, Rabastan's--death along, but that would be cheating. And besides, I was hoping that you would come to your senses on your own."

"Thank you," James said, touched that she'd had faith in him, in spite of how stubborn and foolish he had been. Then he noticed that the other wizards were gawping at them in openmouthed shock. "Er...I thought that living people couldn't see me in this form, or you, for that matter."

"I bent the rules a bit for Harry's sake," Death admitted. "So that you wouldn't just be vanishing into thin air from his point of view." She grinned conspiratorially at James and winked at him. "Don't tell my brothers and sisters, all right?"

"All right," James agreed obediently, wondering who Death's brothers and sisters might be, then decided that maybe he would rather not know.

"Take my hand, James," Death said, and this time James reached out and placed his hand in hers. She clasped his hand firmly, her grip warm and secure and somehow reassuring, like shaking hands with an old friend.

"Goodbye, Harry," James said softly, looking back at his son one last time.

"Goodbye, Dad," Harry said, tears running down his face. "Say hi to Mum for me."

A doorway of golden light opened up in front of James and Death, and a pretty red-haired woman peered through it, smiling at Harry. "Say 'hi' yourself," she said, smiling mischievously.

"M...Mum?" gasped Harry.

"You've grown into a fine young man, Harry," Lily said, smiling at him with tears in her eyes. "I'm so proud of you."

James glanced at Death, who shrugged and said, "So I bent a few more rules."

"Thanks," James said with a grin. He followed Death to the doorway, where Lily crossed her arms over her chest, glared at him, and said, "When we get to where we're going, you and I are going to have a long talk, mister."

James smiled sheepishly at his wife and said meekly, "Yes, dear."

Death and James stepped through the doorway, and as it slowly closed up behind them, James and Lily turned and waved. "Goodbye, Harry!" Lily called. "We love you!"

"I love you, Mum!" Harry shouted, tears streaming down his face. "I love you, Dad!"

"I love you, Harry," James said, looking contented and at peace with himself. "Be happy."

"Look after him for us, Sirius, Rem-" Lily called, but her voice faded away as the doorway closed and blinked out of existence.

"We will, Lily," Lupin said quietly to the empty air. A tear slowly trickled down his face, but he was smiling. Sirius just went over to Harry and hugged him tightly.

And then, with loud cracking noises, Branwen appeared, along with a team of green-robed mediwizards. Accompanying them were three Aurors--Tonks, Kingsley, and Dawlish.

"Well, you certainly took your time getting here!" Lupin scolded them, with the fierce protectiveness of a wolf for its mate. "Severus could have bled to death by now if Blaise hadn't been here to heal him!"

Branwen glared at the mediwizards. "They refused to go anywhere near a fugitive Death Eater, despite numerous threats on my part. I must be losing my touch."

The mediwizards, who paled and broke out into a sweat under the weight of her glare, looked as though they would disagree. "We're healers, not Aurors," one of them whined. "It isn't fair to ask us to put ourselves in danger."

Branwen gave him another glare, and the mediwizard instantly shut up. "I'm sure that Mr. Kimura, at least, would have been brave enough to come to your aid, but he wasn't at the hospital today."

"Yes, he said he was taking a few days off to help Aric get settled in," Lupin said.

"So I had to go to the Ministry and bring some Aurors to act as guards before the St. Mungo's staff would agree to come," Branwen finished. "That's why I took so long." She turned to the mediwizards and snapped, "Well, what are you waiting for? I see three injured people here!" And the mediwizards rushed over to tend to Snape's, Harry's, and Prospero's wounds.

"Remus, are you all right?" Tonks asked Lupin anxiously.

"I'm fine," Lupin assured her. "This is all Severus's blood. Although I wouldn't be all right if Severus had..." His voice trailed off and he shuddered. Then he hugged Blaise tightly and said fervently, "Thank you so much, Blaise!"

"You don't have to thank me, Professor," Blaise told him. "Professor Snape protected me from the Death Eaters, after all. I'm glad to have the chance to repay him, in a small way."

"There's nothing 'small' about what you did," Lupin said firmly, hugging him again. "And you can call me Remus now that you're out of school, you know." As he released Blaise, he exclaimed, "Oh dear, now I've gotten blood all over you, too!"

"It's okay, Remus," Blaise laughed. "It'll wash off."

"It seems that you've already wrapped things up for us, quite literally," Kingsley said, sounding a little disappointed as he spotted the unconscious and bound Rabastan Lestrange.

"You should have notified the Ministry as soon as Lestrange made contact with you," Dawlish said, frowning disapprovingly.

"We were a little busy," Selima said tartly.

"And he...or rather, James...had threatened to harm Dylan if we alerted the Aurors," Lupin said placatingly.

"Was he really possessed by James Potter's ghost?" Dawlish asked, looking confused.

"It's a long story," Branwen replied.

"Well then," Dawlish said briskly. "Let us take the prisoner into custody, and then we can all go back to the Ministry and you can explain it to us."

"These three should go to St. Mungo's for further treatment," the mediwizard in charge said, sounding much more calm and professional now that the potential threat of Rabastan had been neutralized.

"Of course," Kingsley agreed. "We can take their statements later."

"And someone should go back to Snape Manor and tell Theo what happened," Blaise suggested. "I'm sure he's very worried."

"Let me go back to the Manor and let Theo know that we're all right," Lupin said. "Then he can go to St. Mungo's to be with Severus, and I'll go to the Ministry to give my statement."

"That's fine, Remus," Kingsley said with a sympathetic smile.

Dawlish hesitated for a moment, then said a bit grudgingly, "I suppose that's all right."

Lupin kissed Snape on the cheek and said, "I'll come see you as soon as I'm done at the Ministry."

"I won't hold my breath," Snape said dryly, knowing that Lupin would be questioned at length by the Aurors, especially Dawlish, who was a stickler for the rules.

Lupin just laughed, then Apparated home to see his anxious son.

***

Chapter 13: Epilogue

After some very long interviews and a great deal of explaining, Lupin and the others were finally released by the Ministry. They were scolded for not reporting the kidnapping and Rabastan's appearance to the Ministry sooner, but since they had managed to capture Rabastan, they were let off with only a reprimand, and no mention was made of any Dark spells that might have been used to combat the Revenant.

The Ministry also decided not to make public the knowledge that Rabastan had summoned James's spirit and turned him into a Revenant. This was partly to spare Harry further pain and embarrassment, but mostly because the public at large was just beginning to settle down after the alleged werewolf attacks and Death Eater conspiracies had been proven false. Most of the Ministry officials--Arthur Weasley among them--were afraid that the news that a fallen hero of the war had been temporarily turned into a an undead Dark Creature would only cause more fear and unrest.

"I would prefer not to cover things up," Arthur said quietly. "But I think it would be better to let James rest in peace, and leave his memory untarnished. The last Death Eater at large has been captured, and that's all the public needs to know. I doubt that they would believe the truth, anyway, even if we told them what really happened. I can scarcely believe it myself." Then he smiled, thanked them for apprehending Rabastan, and allowed them to leave, saying that they must be anxious to get to St. Mungo's. Tonks and Kingsley went with them, to take statements from Snape, Harry, and Prospero.

Sirius, Branwen, and Kingsley went to visit Harry, while Lupin, Selima, Dylan, Blaise, and Tonks went to see Snape. Theodore was sitting at Snape's bedside, and he said accusingly to Blaise, "I can't believe that you and Professor Blackmore Apparated off and left me stuck at the Manor with Vorcher," but he was smiling.

"It wasn't my idea," Blaise protested good-naturedly. "The Professor didn't really give me a choice; she just grabbed my arm and Disapparated!"

Theodore laughed and hugged his lover, saying, "Thank you for saving Father's life!"

"He'll be all right, then?" Lupin asked the Healer who had been treating Snape. It was the same Healer who was in charge of the Spell Damage ward, the one who had asked Snape to brew the poison antidote for Aric and Williamson.

"The Professor will be fine," the Healer replied. "Mr. Zabini did a good job treating him, and probably saved his life. He should fully recover in a few days, but I'm afraid that there might be some scarring, even with magical healing and applications of healing salve. The wound was so large and deep..."

"It doesn't matter," Lupin said, smiling tenderly at his mate. "I will consider it a badge of honor, a scar bravely earned in combat."

Snape looked a little embarrassed and muttered sarcastically, "It's not like I'm worried about ruining my good looks."

"Unlike Dylan," Theodore said, grinning at his foster brother. "The entire female population of Hogwarts would be devastated if he marred his pretty face or body with a scar." Then he hugged Dylan and whispered in a more serious voice, "I'm glad that you're all right."

"I'm fine," Dylan said reassuringly, but the Healer frowned at his bloodstained hands and wrists. Dylan allowed the Healer to examine him, but insisted, "I'm fine; they're just minor cuts and scratches. I'll put a little salve on them later."

"This will be quicker," the Healer said, and cast a brief healing spell that caused the wounds to vanish, and Dylan thanked him.

Lupin thanked him also, then asked, "Can Severus come home, or will he have to stay in the hospital?"

The Healer smiled. "Well, I suggested that he stay overnight for observation, but the Professor objected most vehemently." Snape scowled fiercely at the Healer. "And if he's well enough to argue, I suppose that he's well enough to go home. Just make sure that he takes it easy for a couple of days, and remembers to apply the healing salve to his wound three times daily until it's fully healed."

"I'm perfectly capable of remembering those instructions on my own," Snape said tartly. "You needn't talk about me like I'm an invalid or a child."

"Oh, don't be so grumpy, Severus," Lupin said, bending down to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I'm looking forward to being able to fuss over you. And you ought to be looking forward to having me wait on you hand and foot."

"Merlin help us, a werewolf playing nursemaid," Snape said, rolling his eyes.

The Healer politely excused himself, saying that Snape could leave whenever he was ready. Tonks had to interview Snape, but mercifully kept the session brief. "Just going through the motions to satisfy the bureaucrats," she said cheerfully. "Everything is pretty much wrapped up already. Lestrange was already tried and sentenced in absentia after he fled, so we don't even have to hold a trial, although he could hire a lawyer and file an appeal. But even if he should get a new trial, which is rather doubtful, the Wizengamot would never let him go free."

"Is he going to push for a new trial?" Snape asked. "Is he even still sane, after practicing Necromancy and sharing his skull with Potter?"

"Well, so far he's not putting up a fight," Tonks replied. "He was put in a solitary cell at Azkaban, and I'm told that he just sighed contentedly and said how quiet and peaceful it was. I'm not sure whether that counts as sane or not. But either way, he's no threat to anyone right now." Then she grinned. "You know, you're quite the hero, Severus--saving Harry's life by risking your own, and quite dramatically, too! You even have the scar to prove it! Arthur wants to recommend you for the Order of Merlin."

Snape groaned in dismay. "Please, not for saving Potter--it would ruin my reputation! If they must give me a medal, at least let it be for capturing Rabastan!"

"Yes, you wouldn't want people knowing that you acted like a noble, self-sacrificing Gryffindor," Lupin teased.

"Like an idiotic, reckless Gryffindor, you mean," Snape grumbled. "I only did it so that--"

"You could pay off your debt to the Potters, yes, yes, I know," Lupin finished soothingly.

"Don't patronize me, Lupin," Snape said sulkily.

Tonks chuckled and said, "Well, I ought to go interview Mr. Zabini now. I'll leave you two lovebirds alone." Then she quickly ducked out the door, just barely evading a jar of healing salve (which the Healer had left behind) that Snape hurled at her. The jar bounced off the wall and landed to the floor with a loud clatter, but did not break.

"Temper, temper, Severus," Lupin chided mildly.

"Um...I should go check on Grandfather," Blaise said hastily.

"I'll go with you," Theodore volunteered.

"Yes, and I should thank him for helping to rescue me," Dylan said, grinning at his parents.

"Yes, you go on ahead," Lupin said cheerfully. "I'll look after Severus." The boys left and Lupin asked Selima with a mischievous smile, "Don't you want to look in on Prospero as well?"

"His wound was hardly life-threatening," Selima said coolly, giving Lupin an icy stare. "However, I will look in on him--after I have a word with Severus." When Lupin didn't move and just stood there smiling pleasantly, she coughed delicately and added, "In private, if you don't mind, Professor."

"Oh, of course!" Lupin said brightly. "I'll just visit Harry and Prospero, and I'll be back in a few minutes."

Snape gave his mother a wary look, obviously wondering what she wanted. "I suppose that I should thank you for giving me a brief respite," he said after Lupin had left. "The werewolf's good cheer does get a little grating after awhile."

"Sometimes I think that he does it on purpose," Selima said.

"I'm quite sure that he does," Snape said dryly. "So, Mother...what did you want to tell me that you can't say in front of Lupin?"

Selima hesitated, flushed, then cast her eyes downward and said softly, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Snape asked, staring at her in confusion.

"For not protecting you from your father," Selima whispered, still staring at the floor, unable to meet his eyes. "I let him punish you as he saw fit, up to and including a Cruciatus Curse. My own parents used hexes to punish me when I was a child...but I had never experienced a full-strength Crucio spell before. I didn't really know what it was like. I know that it's too late now, but...I am sorry, Severus."

Snape stared at his mother; it was rare to see proud Lady Snape so humbled, and he found it disconcerting and slightly disturbing. He thought of the way he had hated her as a child, and their awkward attempts to build a lasting truce for Theodore's sake. He thought of the way she had wept when Theodore suffered a fractured skull when a Bludger hit him during a Quidditch match, and how she had apologized to him once before, after that very same match, as a matter of fact, for not stopping his father from punishing him. And then he belatedly realized that for the first time that he could recall, Selima had called Lupin by his first name earlier today when they had been discussing how to combat the Revenant. And she had let the dog remain in the house for Dylan's sake.

Snape sat up in bed and shrugged, wincing a little when the motion tugged at his healing wound and caused a twinge of pain. "We agreed to let the past be, Mother. And...while I can't say that I forgive Father for what he did, perhaps it prepared me for what was to come." He smiled, a bit grimly. "The Dark Lord inflicted the Cruciatus on his servants many times, whenever we displeased him or simply when he happened to be in a bad mood. In a way, Father's punishments strengthened me, because I was already accustomed to the pain. I can't say that it was ever pleasant or anything less than excruciating, but my prior experience did allow me to handle it better than the other Death Eaters. I did scream; one can't help it, of course, but I never groveled or wept or begged for mercy, and that did help me win the Dark Lord's respect and favor."

Selima turned pale, seeming more taken aback and troubled than reassured by his words. "Severus, I..."

"It's all right, Mother," Snape said quietly. "As you said, it's too late to change the past. We should concentrate on the present and the future." He asked, a little hesitantly, "We've been doing well enough lately, haven't we?"

"Yes," Selima said, with a startled but grateful smile. "Well enough, for the most part. At least, Professor Lupin hasn't scolded us much recently." They both laughed, then Selima said in a more serious voice, "Why don't you come home and recuperate at the Manor, Severus? If you were only staying away because of the dog..."

"We would have come over sooner if Lupin hadn't insisted on adopting that mutt," Snape said, with an exaggerated sigh of disgust. "He wanted to take a couple of weeks to train the dog properly in the hope that you would allow him to bring it to the Manor. But since you've already granted Cabal dispensation, there's really no reason to delay."

"The dog seems fairly well-behaved," Selima admitted. "Besides, as we already have a werewolf running loose in the Manor, I suppose that a dog doesn't make that much difference."

Snape let out a short, gruff, but sincerely amused bark of laughter. "No, I suppose not!"

"I'm going to check on Prospero before I return home," Selima said.

"Go ahead, Mother," Snape said. "We'll meet you back at the Manor."

"I'll tell Vorcher to prepare your rooms," Selima said, and then departed.

Prospero certainly seemed healthy enough, when Selima found him chatting cheerfully with Lupin, Theodore, Dylan, and Blaise. However, she learned from the Healer that his wound was a little more serious than it looked.

"On the surface it looks like a minor burn, easily treated with Burn-Healing Paste," the Healer explained. "But looks can be deceiving. The spell actually burned past the skin, deep into the muscle tissue, down to the bone."

"Will he be all right?" Selima asked, beginning to grow worried.

But the Healer nodded and smiled reassuringly. "He should make a full recovery so long as he takes the potions that I'm prescribing, and applies salve to the wound regularly. It'll take about a week to heal completely. In the meantime, he should avoid putting any strain on that shoulder--no heavy lifting and so on."

The Healer left, and Prospero said mischievously, with a sidelong glance towards Selima, "I understand that Remus will be playing nursemaid to Severus. It's a pity that I don't have someone to look after me."

"I'll look after you, Grandfather," Blaise volunteered, with a look of wide-eyed innocence.

"That's very kind of you, Blaise," Prospero replied, "but I was hoping for a slightly prettier nursemaid."

"Perhaps Professor Lupin can look after you, Prospero," Selima said sarcastically. "Since he will already be playing nursemaid to Severus."

"Ah, does that mean that I can stay at the Manor while I recuperate?" Prospero purred as Selima blushed.

Lupin grinned and said sweetly, "It would be an honor to look after my favorite author." As Selima turned to glare at him, he added, "Come on, boys, let's go check on Harry," and quickly hustled himself and the three boys out of the room and closed the door behind him, leaving Selima and Prospero alone.

There was a long, awkward silence, where they just stared at each other, and there was a hint of anxiety in Prospero's eyes despite his mischievous smile.

"I'm glad that you're all right," Selima finally said. "I hadn't realized that your wound was that severe."

"I'm fine," Prospero said. "Severus's injury was much worse than mine."

"Severus had reason to risk his life," Selima said, giving Prospero a thoughtful look. "He thinks of Dylan as his son. But Dylan is not your kin..."

"Oh, there's probably a Rosier or a Talbott or a Donner in the Zabini family tree if you go far back enough," Prospero said lightly. "But it doesn't really matter whether we're related by blood or not. He's one of Blaise's best friends." He smiled tenderly at Selima and said quietly, "And you care about him. That alone is reason enough for me to fight for him."

Selima flushed again, and said uncertainly, "Prospero...I..."

"Don't worry, Selima," Prospero said, the laughter and mischief gone from his voice now. "I was only kidding about staying at the Manor. Your mourning period for Severin is not yet over, and I would never do anything to dishonor you or cast a stain on your reputation."

"But...your shoulder..."

Prospero smiled. "I can manage to look after myself one-handed for a few days, and if not, I can stay with my son and his family until I'm healed. But don't think that I'm giving up. Once your year of mourning is up, I intend to start paying court to you."

"I don't intend to remarry, Prospero," Selima said defiantly. "Someone needs to look after the Snape estate, and Severus spends most of his time at Hogwarts and Theodore is still working on his apprenticeship. If I am no longer Lady Snape, I will not legally have the right to run the affairs of the Snape family. And..." Her voice trembled slightly.

"I understand," Prospero said gently. "You did not seek to become Lady Snape, but you earned that title and the power conferred by it, through years of hard work. I understand that you cannot just give it up." Selima looked a little ashamed at his words, but still defiant as well. They both knew that it was more than duty that was behind her desire to keep the title, but Prospero did not fault her for it. It was his fault, after all, that she'd been forced into an arranged marriage with Severin Snape. It was his fault that she'd had to give up on love, and been left with only power and status to cling to for comfort. She had been Lady Snape for so many years that the thought of losing the title must seem like losing her identity, and Prospero had no desire to take it from her if she needed it that badly.

"I care nothing for propriety, Selima, you know that," Prospero said softly. "All I care about is you. All I want is to be with you, even if you never become my wife or take my name. I would be happy to live in blissful sin with you, or even just to pay discreet visits to the Manor in secret. No one would need to know about us, if that is what you wish."

"You...you would do that for me?" Selima whispered.

"I would do anything to remain by your side," Prospero replied, in a quiet yet intense voice. "I let you go once, Selima. I will never make that mistake again. Even if you turn me down, I won't give up. I'll wait for you, for as long as it takes."

There was another long silence, which Selima broke by saying, "Living in sin would be scandalous indeed, but between my son and the werewolf, and your grandson and mine, scandal is becoming routine for the Snape family." She hesitated for a moment, then continued, "I'm not ready to give you an answer now, but...ask me again, after the year of mourning is over."

"I will," Prospero said. He smiled and held out his hand, palm up, and Selima placed her hand in his. And they both knew, despite what she had just said, that she had already given him her answer.

Lupin lingered outside the room, his keen werewolf hearing able to pick up every whisper, despite the closed door. A very satisfied, almost smug smile spread slowly across his face, then he quietly tiptoed away down the corridor towards Harry's room.

A short time later, Snape was out of bed and preparing to leave the hospital. He was just donning his robe (torn and bloodstained, but he would only have to wear it long enough to take the Floo back to the Manor) when the door opened. He was not surprised to see Lupin, but he was a little surprised to see Potter with him. The boy's robes were torn and bloodstained like Snape's, but his wounds, which had been much less serious, all seemed to be healed.

"What did you want, Potter?" Snape asked. After the words had left his mouth, it occurred to him that they were something less than gracious, considering that the boy had willingly put himself at risk to help Dylan. On the other hand, it was his father's fault that Dylan's life had been endangered in the first place, and besides, Snape rather doubted that anyone would expect graciousness from him, no matter what the circumstances.

"I just wanted to thank you, sir," Harry said earnestly. "For saving my life."

Snape scowled at the boy. Really, he much preferred it when Potter junior had hated him and stared at him with insolent defiance! All this Gryffindor idealism was slightly nauseating in large doses; putting up with Lupin on a regular basis was about all that he could handle.

"You need not thank me, Mr. Potter," Snape said coolly. "As far as I am concerned, we are even. You owe nothing to me, and I am freed of all obligation to the Potter clan."

Harry seemed unsure of whether a response was expected from him or not, but he nodded and said, "Yes, sir."

"Well, run along then, Potter," Snape said gruffly.

"Yes, sir," Harry said obediently, then paused at the door. "And sir...I'm glad that you'll be okay."

Lupin chuckled as Snape glowered fiercely at Harry's departing back. "You get angry when he's rude to you, and angry when he's polite. There's just no pleasing you, Severus."

"The Potters don't need to expend any effort to be annoying," Snape grumbled. "It seems to be an inherent trait. At least with Mr. Potter having graduated, I won't have to see one in my classroom for quite some time."

"Not until Harry marries and has children at least," Lupin agreed with a smile.

"That's more than a decade away at the very least," Snape said dismissively. "Two, if we're lucky. By that time I could be Headmaster." He grinned evilly. "And I won't let the little brats get away with the things that Dumbledore did."

Lupin laughed, then asked, "Severus?"

"Yes?" Snape replied, noticing that the expression on his lover's face had changed from mischievous to pensive.

"Did James's apology make things any better for you?" Lupin asked hesitantly. "I mean...did it give you a sense of closure, or anything like that?"

Snape frowned slightly. "I wasn't really thinking about it, Lupin. I was more worried about bleeding to death and trying to send Potter on to his heavenly reward before the Revenant took over again. I don't think that I can forgive him, if that's what you're asking."

"I know that's probably too much to ask," Lupin agreed. "He did some terrible things to you. But...it made me feel a little better, to know that he finally realizes what he did was wrong. It's always bothered me, that he could behave so cruelly and feel no remorse. He was always kind to me, of course, but seeing that side of him used to frighten me."

Snape tilted his head to one side and gazed at Lupin curiously. "I have been and still can be quite cruel at times. Do I frighten you?"

Lupin thought it over and replied, "No, not really."

"Why not?" Snape demanded, sounding a little offended.

Lupin smiled. "I don't know. Maybe because it's an inherent trait of yours." Snape gave him a sour look at hearing his own words repeated back to him, and Lupin laughed. "Sorry, I don't mean to be flippant. Perhaps it's because you never tried to hide that side of yourself. The two of you have always been opposites, Severus. James was outwardly friendly and compassionate, with a hidden streak of cruelty towards those he did not like. While you, on the other hand, have a hidden streak of compassion beneath the outward air of menace that you project."

Snape scowled at Lupin. "You see everything through rose-colored lenses, Lupin. And please don't mention your ridiculous theories to anyone else; you'll ruin my reputation."

Lupin laughed merrily and reached out and cupped Snape's face between his hands. "I don't want to make you over into a Gryffindor, my love. I told you before, I love you as you are--your bad temper, your Slytherin deviousness, all of it. I love you, Severus." And he kissed Snape very gently and tenderly on the mouth.

"Hmmph!" Snape said, but his expression softened slightly. "And I love you, Remus, even if your Gryffindor idealism gets on my nerves at times."

Lupin slipped his arms around Snape's waist and gingerly embraced him, being very careful of his still-healing wound. "Thank you for helping James to move on," he said softly. When Snape started to protest, Lupin added, "Oh, I know that you were only trying to save Dylan and that you didn't do it for James's sake, but thank you anyway. It meant a lot to me, and to Harry too, to be able to say goodbye to James."

"Yes, well, hopefully we've heard the last of Potter senior," Snape said gruffly.

"I got the impression that he was moving on permanently," Lupin said.

"Good," Snape said. "Because I can like him much better knowing that I'll never have to see him again." Lupin laughed, and Snape smiled, suddenly feeling much better, knowing that James could never come between them again. Not just because he was dead--permanently, this time, one hoped--but because Lupin was now strong enough to stand by his chosen mate regardless of what his friends thought.

"At least Potter did one good thing before he died," Snape said, only slightly grudgingly. "He gave Dylan some comfort and closure regarding Evan." He paused, then asked, "Do you really think that he met Evan in...er...limbo?"

"I don't think he would lie about something like, Severus," Lupin replied. "He hated Evan, almost as much as he hated you. He wouldn't offer comforting lies about an enemy, not even to try to make up for what he did to Dylan. I believe that James really did meet Evan, and was able to see him as a human being--flawed, but still human--instead of a monster."

Snape just nodded. He still didn't like James, and doubted that he ever would, nor did he precisely forgive his old enemy. But he felt a strange sense of freedom, as if those old childhood memories and hurts and resentments no longer weighed on him so heavily. Maybe he had found closure of a sort, after all. Or maybe it had nothing to do with James, but rather was Lupin's loving smile that lightened his heart. He silently reached out, took Lupin's hand, and lifted it to his lips.

Lupin smiled at him tenderly, then said musingly, "You know, meeting Death was sort of a comforting experience as well, in a weird sort of way. I mean, I always thought of death as something kind of scary--maybe because there was a good chance that I was going to die quite violently and painfully as a member of the Order--but Death personified turned out to be pretty nice. Not that I'm in a hurry to meet her face-to-face, but when it happens...it's a little comforting to know that Death seems to be kind and compassionate, and even has a sense of humor. Not at all the stereotypical image of the Grim Reaper." He paused for a moment, then said more to himself than to Snape, "I never imagined Death as female before. Does that make me sexist?"

"The fact that she was wearing Muggle clothing bothers me much more than the fact that she's female," Snape muttered sourly.

"Perhaps she appears differently to each person she comes for," Lupin suggested. "James spent a lot of time in the Muggle world, thanks to Lily, but perhaps to a Slytherin, Death would appear garbed in traditional wizard's robes. Besides, if you think about it, there's no reason why she shouldn't be dressed as a Muggle. Many more Muggles die than wizards, just because there are so many more of them than us. And we do tend to be a bit longer lived."

"When we aren't being slain by Death Eaters and Dark Lords, that is," Snape said dryly.

Just then, Dylan, Theodore, and Selima (who, it seemed, had not gone ahead to the Manor after all) walked into the room. "Are you ready to go home, Father?" Theodore asked.

"Yes," Snape replied without hesitation. Lupin smiled and held out his hand, and Snape took it. Somewhat to his surprise, Snape noticed that Selima did not object; she did not even roll her eyes at them or sigh in resignation.

"Let us go home, then," she murmured, so they did. And for the first time, surrounded by his family--lover, sons, mother--Snape truly felt at home in the Manor, and was sincerely glad to be there. He was slightly appalled to find that he was even glad to see Cabal and Vorcher. He worried that Lupin might have infected him with his Gryffindor sentimentality, but he kept that rather embarrassing piece of information to himself, and let Lupin lead him upstairs to their room.

Lupin insisted that Snape should get some rest, and helped him undress and climb into bed, fussing over him solicitously while Snape grumbled vociferously, all the time secretly enjoying it. Finally, once Snape was securely tucked into bed, Lupin kissed him on the cheek and said, "I'll let you get some rest now, Severus. I'll check on you later."

"I'm not dying," Snape said peevishly. "It's not like you need to check on me every five minutes to make sure that I'm still alive."

Lupin just smiled at him, cheerful and unflappable as always. "I'll give you some peace and quiet, then."

But as Lupin started to leave, Snape found himself calling, "Remus?"

"Yes, Severus?"

"You can...er...stay if you like," Snape mumbled.

"Oh?" Lupin asked innocently. "I thought that I was annoying you with all my fussing and ceaseless chatter."

"Let me amend that," Snape said tartly. "You can stay as long as you're quiet. It's just that if you're going to be popping in and out 'checking' on me, I would find it much less annoying if you just remained here to begin with."

"As you wish, Severus," Lupin said, smiling tenderly, then he undressed and crawled under the covers beside Snape. He said nothing more, apparently obeying Snape's admonishment to be quiet, and simply wrapped his arms around his lover. Snape sighed, feeling secure and content in his beloved's embrace. And just before he drifted off to sleep, he thought he heard Lupin whisper, "I love you, Severus. You are first in my heart, always."

THE END

Next story in the series: Ash's Story, Part 1