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FIC: April Showers (or How Severus Snape Ended Up with Two Werewolves in His Bed)
Title: April Showers (or How Severus Snape Ended Up with Two Werewolves in His Bed)
Rating: PG
Pairing: Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~7,360
Warnings: Unabashed fluff
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Author's note: written for the Snupin Showers challenge on
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lupin_snape. Post-DH AU: Snape and Lupin survived; Tonks didn't.Summary: When Teddy develops lycanthropy, Snape invites Lupin and Teddy to live with him while he develops a child-safe version of the Wolfsbane Potion--on a strictly temporary basis, of course...
***
After the war ended and Snape somehow miraculously managed not only to survive, but to be pardoned of all crimes, he turned down the opportunity to be reinstated as Headmaster at Hogwarts. He knew that many of the students and even the teachers wouldn't be able to accept him, even knowing his true alliances and that everything he'd done had been according to Dumbledore's orders. Besides, if he remained at Hogwarts, he knew that he would be haunted by memories of Dumbledore's death and the way that the old man had manipulated him--all in the name of the greater good, of course--for so many years. He was finally free of allegiances to any masters, and he wanted to make a fresh start in life and attempt to leave the past behind him.
So he sold his little hovel in Spinner's End, and that, combined with the amount he had managed to save from his Hogwarts salary over the years, enabled him to buy a small cottage out in the country. It gave him peace and solitude, with no neighbors to pester him or complain about potion fumes, and access to wild plants and herbs growing in the nearby forest.
He started a mail order potions business--under an alias, since most customers would be reluctant to patronize a former Death Eater, pardon or no pardon. The newly appointed Minster of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, also contracted him to brew the Wolfsbane Potion for the Ministry's new program, which would distribute the potion free of charge to all the werewolves in England. Snape suspected that Potter might have prodded Shacklebolt to offer him the contract, but he was able to salve his pride by telling himself that it wasn't a complete act of charity--there were only a handful of people in the country capable of brewing the very complicated potion, and most of them wouldn't consider the trouble worth the respectable but hardly extravagant salary that the Ministry was offering.
A newly pardoned Death Eater couldn't afford to look a gift horse in the mouth, but Snape didn't really mind. He had his freedom and a roof over his head, and besides, he enjoyed the challenge of brewing the Wolfsbane. And for several months, he was content to brew potions in his solitary cottage.
But after awhile, Snape found himself growing restless and irritable, and he realized to his chagrin that he was...well...lonely. It wasn't as if he suddenly wanted to become part of the Weasley clan (Merlin forbid!), but it would be nice to have an intelligent conversation with someone every now and then, or perhaps to play chess with a worthy opponent.
Coincidentally, around that time, Remus Lupin showed up on his doorstep looking pale and frightened. "Lupin!" Snape exclaimed in surprise.
While they had both been recovering in St. Mungo's, Lupin had come to him and very awkwardly apologized for doubting his loyalty, and Snape had curtly brushed him off with a "You believed what you were meant to believe, Lupin," not wanting to admit that Lupin's lack of faith in him had hurt far more than anyone else's, even that of a close colleague like McGonagall. After Snape began working for the Ministry, Lupin had sent him a letter thanking him for the Wolfsbane Potion, to which Snape had replied that no thanks was necessary, since he was merely doing what the Ministry was paying him to do. He'd had no further contact with Lupin until now.
It was the day after the full moon, and Snape's first guess was that something had gone wrong with the transformation--nothing fatal, obviously, since Lupin was standing on his doorstep, but Snape couldn't allow any flaws in the Wolfsbane to tarnish his reputation as a Potions Master.
"Are you all right, Lupin?" Snape asked, firmly telling himself that he was only concerned about his reputation and not Lupin's well-being. "Was there a problem with the potion?"
"What?" Lupin asked distractedly. "No, it worked fine, the same as usual."
"Then why are you here, Lupin?"
Lupin stared at him with haunted, frantic eyes, and blurted out, "Last night Teddy transformed into a wolf!"
"What?!" Snape exclaimed. "I assume you hadn't bitten the child previously."
"Of course not!" Lupin replied indignantly. "Apparently it just happened out of the blue--one minute he was playing with his toys, the next he was turning into a wolf!"
"I think you had better come in and sit down, Lupin," Snape told him. "This is clearly going to require a good deal of explanation."
Lupin took a seat at the kitchen table and fidgeted impatiently while Snape prepared some tea and toast. "Is the child in any immediate danger?" he asked.
"Well, no, but..."
"Then our conversation can wait a few minutes longer," Snape told him sternly, in the same voice he had once used on misbehaving students. "You look as though you're ready to faint, and I doubt that you've had anything to eat since last night. You will do your son no good if you collapse before we can figure out how to help him."
Surprisingly, Lupin actually sat still and shut up. Then again, he had always been fairly reasonable for a Gryffindor, or maybe he was just too exhausted to argue further. Whatever the reason, he meekly drank some tea and ate a slice of toast before speaking again, and when he did, it was to say quietly, "Thank you, Severus--that does help. I feel better with some hot tea and a bit of food inside me."
"You're welcome," Snape replied gruffly. "Now, if you will, explain what happened with your son."
"I wasn't actually there at the time," Lupin said, looking shamefaced. "It's part of the custody agreement that I worked out with Andromeda--that I arrange for someone to look after Teddy during the full moon while I'm, er, incapacitated."
"It's nothing to apologize for, Lupin," Snape said briskly. "After all, you are not capable of tending to a baby in your wolf form; it is only practical to find a baby-sitter during the full moon."
Lupin gave him a startled and grateful look, then continued, "Harry and the Weasleys were baby-sitting Teddy last night at the Burrows. They said that at first everything seemed normal, but then Teddy began crying and fussing, as if he were in pain. They were worried that he might be sick, and then he began...well...changing. Into a wolf." He managed a wry half-smile. "A blue-furred wolf cub to be exact. Fortunately, Harry and Ginny reacted quickly and were able to subdue him with a few stunning spells before he bit anyone, and then confine him in a separate room."
Snape frowned thoughtfully. "Werewolves usually aren't subdued that easily, but I suppose it's natural that a cub isn't as strong as a full grown werewolf."
Lupin shuddered. "Poor Teddy, having to go through the change locked up in a room all by himself! Harry and the others stayed outside the door and talked to him, trying to calm him with their voices and let him know that he wasn't alone, but they're not sure if they really got through to him or not. He must have been so frightened and confused!"
"Where is he now?" Snape asked.
"At St. Mungo's," Lupin replied. "The Healers examined him and he seems to be fine, aside from being tired and sore and a little cranky, which is normal for werewolves the day after the full moon. They're running some additional tests, since they've never seen lycanthropy in a child so young before, but they don't think there's much they'll be able to do for him."
"There have been stories about lycanthropy being passed from a parent to a child, although they were believed to be old wives' tales," Snape said thoughtfully, recalling his past research on werewolves. "But since very few werewolves become parents after they are turned, it was a difficult theory to test."
"I never should have married Tonks, much less gotten her pregnant!" Lupin exclaimed tearfully.
Privately, Snape agreed, but voicing that opinion out loud would only trigger more of the werewolf's maudlin self-pity. So instead he said curtly, "There's no point in crying over spilt milk, Lupin. Besides, would you really wish that your son had never existed?"
Lupin turned pale for a moment, then seemed to pull himself together and said quietly, "No, of course not. I wish I hadn't passed my curse on to Teddy, but I love him dearly and I can't imagine life without him."
"Lycanthropy is a manageable disease with the Wolfsbane Potion," Snape told him. "It is not pleasant, of course, but he can live a fairly normal life without being a danger to himself or anyone else. Adjusting the dosage for a child that young will be tricky, though." There were currently a few underage werewolves that Snape was providing the potion for, although they were all older than Teddy. He adjusted the strength of the potion based on the child's age and weight: a normal adult-sized dose could prove toxic to a much smaller child.
"This is what I feared most, that I would pass my curse on to my son," Lupin said. "But I don't understand--if he inherited the lycanthropy from me, why is it only showing up now?"
"Perhaps a newborn infant would be too weak to survive the transformation," Snape speculated. "It could be that out of self-defense, the body delays the change until the child is physically strong enough to endure it."
"Will you be able to brew the Wolfsbane for Teddy, Severus?" Lupin asked anxiously. "You said yourself that getting the right dosage would be tricky..."
"Tricky, but not impossible," Snape huffed, offended by the implied slight on his abilities. "It will merely take some extra work to calculate the proper formulas."
"Of course," Lupin said, inclining his head contritely. "I beg your pardon; I didn't mean to question your abilities." Snape nodded in acceptance of the apology, and Lupin added, "But--and meaning no offense, Severus--how will I get Teddy to drink the potion? Not that I'm complaining, but it tastes terrible, and Teddy is too young to understand that he must drink it for his own good. How am I to prevent him from spitting it up again?"
Snape frowned and replied, "I admit, that is a complication I had not considered. However, we have a month in which to find a solution. It could be administered intravenously, perhaps." Lupin opened his mouth, but Snape waved off his protests before he could speak. "I know, you do not wish to stick needles in your child. We should keep it in mind as a last resort, but I will see if I can come up with a gentler solution before the month is up."
Lupin gave Snape a startled look that irritated him slightly. All right, it was extremely rare for the word "gentle" to pass Severus Snape's lips, but honestly, did Lupin think that he would inflict unnecessary pain on an infant, for Merlin's sake? But a moment later, Snape's irritation was burned away by the dazzling warmth of the grateful smile that Lupin gave him.
"Thank you so much, Severus! I appreciate all your help."
"I haven't done anything yet," Snape pointed out more mildly than usual, still a bit dazzled by Lupin's smile.
"On the contrary, you've done a great deal for me by providing me with the Wolfsbane," Lupin corrected him. "Even if it is your job to do so. And you are volunteering to do extra work in order to help my son. In spite of Kingsley's reforms, not many people are willing to exert themselves on behalf of a werewolf, so I assure you that your offer of help is very much appreciated."
Snape found himself getting a bit flustered; he wasn't used to being thanked for his efforts--both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore had simply accepted it as their just due. To be appreciated was a new but not unwelcome experience.
Lupin paused, as if waiting for a response, but when none was forthcoming, he continued, "Will you need to examine Teddy in order to calculate the Wolfsbane dosage for him?"
"Yes, of course," Snape replied automatically. "I'll need to weigh him and take a few blood samples." Lupin looked a bit unhappy about the latter, but did not object and nodded in agreement. "In fact, perhaps you and the boy should stay here, at least until the next full moon passes and we know whether the Wolfsbane worked on him or not."
Lupin stared at him slack-jawed, too stunned to reply for a moment. "Are...you sure about that, Severus?" he asked slowly, as if trying to make sense of Snape's words. "I never expected such a...um...generous offer, given our past history." He hastily added, "I'm grateful, of course, but I had assumed that my presence was distasteful to you."
That impulsive offer had passed through his lips before his mind had time to think about it, and Snape replied defensively, trying to justify it not only to Lupin, but to himself. "Whether or not I find your company distasteful is irrelevant, Lupin," he said tartly. "I need to monitor the child's condition and his response to the Wolfsbane, and be on hand to deal with any adverse side effects. Besides, baby-sitting a werewolf cub might be a little too much for Molly Weasley or even Harry Potter, savior of the wizarding world or not."
Lupin smiled in response to Snape's sarcasm, the worry in his face easing slightly. "Ah, I see that the Severus Snape I know has not been replaced by an impostor, after all," he teased, and strangely, Snape was not offended. "But seriously, Severus, are you sure that we won't be an imposition?"
"Of course you will be an imposition," Snape replied matter-of-factly. "However, it is a necessary imposition if I am to precisely calculate the changes to the Wolfsbane that Teddy requires. And it could prove useful in the long run, in case other young children should develop lycanthropy."
"Oh Merlin, I hope not," Lupin said, shuddering. "But still, I suppose it's best to be prepared for the worst. Speaking of which, do you have a secure room in the house for the full moon?"
"The basement should suffice," Snape said. "It has a heavy oak door, and I doubt that a werewolf cub will be able to break it down even if the Wolfsbane doesn't work. And since you are both werewolves, there is no reason why you cannot spend the full moon with your son from now on, and your presence may have a calming effect on him."
"I was always calmer when James, Sirius, and Peter were with me," Lupin agreed, then fell silent and cast a nervous glance at Snape, no doubt expecting him to react adversely to the mention of his old rivals.
Snape was somewhat surprised himself to feel little of the old bitterness. They were dead, and he was alive. He had kept the promises he had made, to Dumbledore and to Lily, that he would protect Harry and help to bring down the Dark Lord. Somehow those old resentments had faded, along with that all-consuming sense of guilt, and he was more at peace with himself than he had ever been. But he had carried around the guilt and hatred for so many years that its absence left a void in him that he wasn't quite sure how to fill. Maybe that was why he'd been so quick to invite Lupin and the cub to move in with him--it would provide a distraction, if nothing else.
"Good," Snape said to Lupin, who looked relieved that Snape wasn't going to bring up old recriminations. "Hopefully you will have the same effect on Teddy. So, the basement for the full moon, and I have a spare room that's currently being used for storage that can serve as a guest bedroom. It'll take a day or two for me to prepare things, but bring the child by as soon as possible, so that I can start on the Wolfsbane preparations right away."
"Yes, Severus," Lupin replied, giving him another warm smile. "Thank you so much. I can't tell you how much it eases my mind to know that you will be there in case Teddy needs help during the full moon."
"I have already agreed to help you, Lupin. There is no need to flatter me further," Snape said dryly, though without any heat.
"It isn't flattery if it's true," Lupin replied. "You are one of the most talented and capable wizards I have ever met."
"Only 'one of'?" Snape grumbled. Lupin burst into laughter, and Snape thought that he ought to be annoyed by that, but it felt as if Lupin were laughing with him instead of at him, as if he were in on the joke rather than the butt of it--as he had been during their schoolboy days. He also found himself distracted by the way the corners of Lupin's eyes crinkled with merriment, and the way that Lupin looked ten years younger when he grinned. He hadn't seen Lupin smile or laugh like that in a very, very long time, and he felt his own lips curving upwards in response before he managed to pull them back down into a frown. He cleared his throat and said gruffly, "Well, you probably want to get back to your son, and I have to start preparing the basement and the guest room..."
"I'll go back to St. Mungo's and pick up Teddy, then," Lupin said, taking the hint. "I'll bring him back here for you to examine, and I can help you clean up the rooms. I ought to lend a hand, since Teddy and I will be the ones imposing on you."
"Indeed, you ought to lend a hand," Snape agreed sternly, but secretly found himself looking forward to Lupin's return.
***
Snape had second, and even third and fourth thoughts about his impulsive offer to let Lupin and Teddy move in, but found that his apprehensions were unfounded. It turned out that Lupin worked from home as a translator so that he would be able to look after Teddy. His father was originally from France, so he had learned the language at home as a child, and made a decent if not extravagant living translating novels and magical textbooks from French into English and vice versa. Snape worried a little about having Lupin and the child underfoot all day, but Lupin kept out of his way while Snape was working, unless Snape specifically requested his presence to run tests on Teddy.
As for the child, for the most part he seemed content to play with his toys while his father was working, and when he did get fussy, Lupin would take him out for a walk or put up a silencing spell around their room if the weather was bad. Snape found Teddy's crying to be mildly annoying, but not as bad as he feared. When he fussed or threw a tantrum, there was generally a logical reason for his behavior: he was tired or hungry or needed his diaper changed, and once he'd had a nap or some milk or a clean diaper, he would settle down again. Actually, he was much less annoying than many of Snape's former students at Hogwarts, who had been far more disruptive without any such excuses.
And Snape did welcome the chance to have a decent adult conversation over meals with Lupin, and it turned out that the werewolf not only played chess, but was a challenging opponent. Snape began to look forward to their games in the evening after dinner, with the two of them sipping glasses of wine as they studied the chessboard, while Teddy played with his toys in the playpen, or occasionally napped on Lupin's shoulder.
On one such night, Teddy roused from his nap and began to squirm, blinking sleepily, and then with more alertness. Lost in thought, Lupin absentmindedly moved Teddy to his lap while he pondered his next move. Teddy's eyes brightened with curiosity and he reached out to grab at the pieces before Lupin could stop him. In Lupin's haste to grab the baby, he ended up knocking over the chessboard and the pieces fell to the floor with a clatter, except for the King, which was clutched in Teddy's chubby little fist while he cooed and gurgled proudly.
"I'm so sorry, Severus!" Lupin exclaimed, holding onto Teddy with one arm, while he awkwardly began picking up the board and fallen pieces with his free hand. He cast an apprehensive glance at Snape, obviously worried that some sort of angry outburst was forthcoming.
At first Snape was a bit annoyed--did Lupin really think he was such an ogre that he would yell at an infant who was too young to know any better? Then again, that was the image he had cultivated, after all, because fear tended to inspire more obedience in students than likability. However, the students that he had yelled at were old enough to know how to behave and to know what was expected of them in class. If they misbehaved, then they had earned whatever punishment Snape chose to dole out--at least, that was how Snape saw it. But others no doubt saw only the ogreish Professor Snape, and in a way, Snape had enjoyed that sinister image.
So he decided instead to be amused and said, "You can't fool me, Lupin--you deliberately enlisted the aid of your son because you saw that I was winning. I would have had you checkmated in a few more moves."
Lupin smiled in relief and retorted good-naturedly, "Nonsense! I was only lulling you into a sense of false security. I would have had you checkmated within a half-dozen moves!"
"We'll never know now, will we?" Snape said skeptically, then smiled wryly at Teddy, who was still happily waving Lupin's King around. "At least the child seems to grasp the concept of the game--he has claimed the crucial piece, after all. He might well prove to be a more challenging opponent than you in a few years!"
"I've no doubt of that," Lupin laughed, and Snape found himself laughing along with Lupin. Teddy giggled happily, and for the first time, his short blue hair turned long and straight and black, and his nose became more prominent and beaky.
There was another moment of tension where Lupin seemed to hold his breath, and then Snape said approvingly, "Clearly the child recognizes the superior chess player," and he and Lupin burst into laughter again, while Teddy looked puzzled but pleased by their reaction.
***
The month passed more quickly than Snape had anticipated, but he was able to come up with what he believed would be a safe but effective dosage of the Wolfsbane for Teddy. "I've diluted it considerably and made a few minor adjustments to lower the toxicity of the potion," Snape explained. "And I've also come up with a way to get him to drink it."
"You've found a way to alter the taste?" Lupin asked hopefully.
"I'm afraid not," Snape said regretfully, then paused to realize that a month or two ago, he would not have felt the least bit sorry about how foul-tasting the Wolfsbane was. In fact, he would have said that Lupin was an ungrateful wretch if he dared to complain about it (which Lupin never had), and he ought to be grateful that he was able to keep his sanity and didn't have to be chained up or caged like a beast during the full moon. But in just a short time, Lupin's and Teddy's comfort had come to matter to him, and he wasn't sure what that meant or how he felt about it.
"Severus?" Lupin prompted, and Snape quickly shook off his concerns. Right now, he had a concrete problem to focus on, that needed to be dealt with as quickly as possible, since the full moon was only a week away.
"I have not yet found a way to make the potion more palatable," Snape said briskly. "However, I have created a potion that will dull Teddy's taste buds. It's perfectly harmless and will wear off after a short time, but it should enable him to drink the potion without tasting it, and he shouldn't be able to tell the difference between the Wolfsbane and a bottle of milk. By the way, there's no reason why you can't use it as well, Lupin."
But Lupin just smiled and shook his head. "I can't say that I like it, but I've grown used to the taste. The bitterness serves as a reminder of how hard you've worked on the potion, and how terrible it was to spend the full moon without it. It reminds me to be grateful for everything that I have, so I try to think of the taste as being bittersweet...metaphorically speaking, of course."
Snape rolled his eyes and said, "There's no need to be a martyr, but suit yourself, Lupin." Secretly, though, he was touched by Lupin's words.
Snape used an eyedropper to place exactly three drops of the taste-numbing potion on Teddy's tongue, and Lupin fed him a bottle of Wolfsbane Potion, cooled down to skin temperature, and Teddy drank it all without a fuss. "It worked like a charm," Snape said with satisfaction, taking the child from Lupin's arms to examine him more closely. "Temperature, breathing, and heart rate all seem to be normal. We won't know until the full moon if the potion is completely effective, but at least he doesn't seem to be taking any ill effects from it. Of course, I will continue to monitor his condition."
Teddy smiled placidly up at him, then burped loudly and spat up a gob of saliva and Wolfsbane onto Snape's chest. Lupin chuckled; he had grown used to Snape's presence, as Snape had grown used to his, and he no longer expected Snape to lose his temper every time that Teddy cried or made a mess.
"Sorry, Severus; I should have burped him before I gave him to you."
Snape handed the baby back to Lupin and said calmly, "As a Potions Master, I assure you that I am quite used to getting splattered with vile substances. A bit of baby spit-up is nothing compared to toad bile or Flobberworm mucus. However, I will have to take into account that not all of the potion will actually make it into Teddy's stomach, and adjust the dose accordingly."
The next several days passed without event, and finally, the day of the full moon was upon them. Teddy grew more tired and irritable, which was normal for a werewolf; Lupin probably felt the same, but endured it more stoically. Snape filled Teddy's bottle with the final dose of Wolfsbane, saying, "I've added a mild painkiller to his potion today. I've made sure that it won't counteract any of the Wolfsbane ingredients, and it should help to ease his transformation."
Lupin smiled gratefully, though he still looked a bit gray and wan as he rose slowly to his feet.
"You rest; I can give Teddy his bottle," Snape said, then flushed slightly when Lupin gave him another grateful smile. "Clearly you are tired and sore, and I don't want to run the risk of you dropping the poor child on his head," Snape said gruffly. "He already has enough to overcome, being the son of an idiot Gryffindor, without adding to his disadvantages."
"Yes, Severus," Lupin said meekly, but he grinned widely, and Snape had the feeling that he hadn't fooled the werewolf in the slightest. Still, since Lupin hadn't contradicted him, Snape pretended not to notice, and picked up Teddy from his crib and gave him his bottle. Although he'd been crying and fussing earlier, he calmed down when Snape placed the nipple in his mouth, and steadily drank until the bottle was empty. Snape was prepared this time: he threw an old towel over his shoulder and gently patted Teddy's back until he let out a contented burp.
As moonrise drew near, Lupin and Teddy retreated to the basement. Snape had installed a window in the door, made of glass spelled to be strong as steel, so that he could monitor Teddy's condition. Lupin would be with Teddy, but in wolf form, he wouldn't be able to tell Snape if anything was wrong--well, he could probably howl or whine in distress, but he wouldn't be able to give Snape any helpful details, so Snape had decided that he needed a way to monitor Teddy directly.
"Even if something does go wrong, Merlin forbid, it would be dangerous for you to expose yourself to the risk of a werewolf bite," Lupin said, looking torn between his concern for Teddy and his concern for Snape.
"Believe me, Lupin, I will take all due precautions, and have stunning and restraining spells ready," Snape replied. "Teddy is only a cub, and if Potter and Miss Weasley were able to subdue him without any trouble, I can certainly do the same." Lupin smiled slightly at the note of offended dignity in Snape's voice, though he still looked worried, and Snape added in a more serious voice, "Though of course I will not take any unnecessary risks."
"Very well," Lupin agreed. "I will defer to your judgment then, Severus, and once again, I thank you for your help."
The change went as well as could be expected, which wasn't to say that it was easy. It was bad enough to watch Lupin's transformation, to hear his bones cracking as his arms and legs re-shaped themselves, and to see his face contort with pain, although he managed to hold back any cries or howls to avoid alarming Teddy. But it was almost heartbreaking to watch Teddy's little body twist and distort itself into the shape of a wolf. At least the painkiller appeared to be working--he whimpered and whined a little, but didn't seem to suffer as much as Lupin did, and Snape made a mental note to add a painkiller to Lupin's potion next month as well. Actually, perhaps that should be a standard addition to all the potions from now on, and Snape made a note of that as well.
Once the transformation was over, Teddy sprawled out on the floor, his sides heaving as he panted quietly. Lupin came over and snuffled at him in a worried manner. Once he was satisfied that Teddy was unharmed, he laid down next to his son and licked his face reassuringly. Teddy seemed drowsy and lethargic, and napped for most of the night, curled up against Lupin's side. Snape bunked down in a pile of blankets next to the basement door, just in case of any emergencies.
He was woken the next morning when the door nudged against him as Lupin opened it. "Did you sleep there all last night, Severus?" Lupin asked.
"Ah...yes," Snape replied, hastily rising to his feet. "The Wolfsbane Potion is my responsibility, after all," he added gruffly. "If anything harm should befall Teddy because of the changes I made, it would damage my reputation as a Potions Master."
"I see," Lupin said gravely, but a glint of humor twinkled in his eyes. "Well, your reputation remains intact. Teddy seems fine, if a bit sleepy." He was holding the child in his arms, and Teddy was sleeping peacefully against his chest.
"Let's go upstairs and I'll take a look at him," Snape said.
A brief examination proved that Teddy was healthy, if a bit cranky when the examination woke him from his slumber. "He's fine, but was a bit more drowsy last night than I expected," Snape declared. "I think I will try decreasing the amount of aconite next month--if you are willing to extend your stay here, Lupin."
"As long as you're willing to have us, I'd be delighted," Lupin replied with a smile. "If you'll give Teddy his bottle, I'll start breakfast for the two of us."
"You must be tired after your transformation," Snape protested.
"I'm fine," Lupin assured him. "I had a good nap last night in my wolf form, and I was able to sleep easier knowing that Teddy was all right. You looked after us all night, Severus--let me look after you now."
Lupin made a hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausages, and toast, and while Snape ate only half of what Lupin did--the transformation used up a lot of energy that needed to be replenished--he thoroughly enjoyed it. He wasn't used to having someone else take care of him, but it was rather nice.
***
The following month's new Wolfsbane formula left Teddy feeling more alert, even a little playful, and the painkillers that Snape added to Lupin's dose eased his transformation a good deal. Lupin was effusively grateful, but Snape said that he wasn't quite satisfied and wanted to tinker with the Wolfsbane a little more, and Lupin readily agreed to extend his stay for another month.
At the end of each month, Snape found another minor adjustment that he needed to make, and Lupin didn't seem to mind extending his stay at Snape's cottage indefinitely. He jokingly said that he wasn't in any hurry to lose a live-in baby-sitter: Snape had quickly grown used to Teddy's presence, and didn't mind looking after the boy when Lupin was busy with his work. Teddy was a bright and spirited child, and even at that young age, he showed good taste, since he seemed fascinated by the potion-brewing process and loved to watch Snape work. (By this time, Lupin was welcome in his workroom, as was Teddy, as long as the boy was being supervised by one of them.) By the third month, Snape had given Teddy his own little toy cauldron and a wooden spoon, and he would happily play with them for hours.
Even though Snape kept tinkering with the potion, he deemed it safe enough that Teddy no longer needed to be kept locked up. He and Lupin would chase each other and wrestle playfully, or play with the rubber ball and plush toys that Lupin had bought him. And once he was worn out, he would drowse happily in Snape's lap as Snape gently stroked his back and occasionally scratched behind his ears as his fur shifted back and forth in color from blue to gray-streaked brown to black. And Lupin would drowse just as contentedly at Snape's feet, looking for all the world like a docile (if oversized) lapdog.
***
After awhile, Snape lost count of the months until one April full moon evening, Lupin scratched at the front door, asking to be let out while Teddy bounced around at his heels, yipping excitedly.
"Want a run, do you?" Snape asked indulgently, bending down to scratch behind Teddy's ears; Teddy licked at his hand affectionately in return. "All right, then, but just remember--it's fine to chase rabbits, but don't go eating any. You don't stay in wolf form long enough to fully digest a meal, and your human stomach can't handle a belly full of fur and bones."
Lupin gave him a reproachful look that seemed to say, "Of course I know that." Snape chuckled and opened the door, and the two werewolves bounded out of the cottage. He noticed that Lupin slowed his pace so that Teddy could keep up, with his shorter legs and oversized paws that he had yet to grow into. The wolf cub was a bit awkward and ungainly, but still moved with more ease than when Teddy was in his human form. He was only just beginning to toddle around, and far from fearing the full moon, he seemed to look forward to these moonlight runs.
With the wolves out from underfoot, the house was a good deal quieter, but a bit lonely. Snape told himself that they would be back soon enough and that he should put the peace and quiet to good use, so he puttered around in his workroom for a couple of hours, until the sound of heavy rainfall startled him from his work.
"Teddy will be getting drenched," he muttered to himself, and quickly threw on a waterproof cloak and grabbed an umbrella, then set out in search of his two housemates.
He needn't have worried. The rain didn't seem to bother the two wolves at all, and in fact, Teddy seemed to be having a grand time jumping into every puddle he could find. But when he saw Snape, he ran up to the Potions Master, barking happily.
"Honestly, Lupin, don't you have better sense than to come in out of the rain?" Snape scolded crossly, and Lupin hung his head, his mouth dropping open in a sheepish grin--if a wolf could be said to look sheepish. "Back to the house, both of you!" he ordered sternly, and the wolves followed him home, although Teddy kept jumping into puddles along the way. Finally Snape picked him up, cradling the wet, muddy wolf cub against his chest. Teddy squirmed in protest, but once it became apparent that Snape was not going to let him go, he licked Snape's face and settled quietly in the crook of Snape's arm.
"Idiot wolves," Snape grumbled, setting Teddy down on the floor once they were safely inside the cottage. He noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye, and shouted, "Lupin, don't you dare!"
The warning came too late. Both wolves shook themselves vigorously, and soon Snape was as soaked as they were. He glared down at them, and they gave him sheepish looks, but he could see the little gleam of mischief in their eyes.
"BATHROOM--NOW!" he bellowed, and the two werewolves scurried off to the bathroom as fast as their legs could carry them.
Once both wolves had been thoroughly scrubbed and toweled dry, and the muddy paw prints spelled off the floor, Snape changed out of his wet clothes and into a clean, dry nightshirt, then settled down in his bed. The wolves had followed him into his room instead of going to their own or sleeping on the rug in the living room, and Teddy whimpered up pathetically at him from the floor.
"Oh, all right," Snape grumbled, and lifted the cub up onto the bed, and a furry little body settled happily beside him. Then suddenly the mattress heaved and sagged as Lupin jumped up onto the bed as well. "You know, you are not a lapdog, Lupin, even if you act like one," he said sourly, and Lupin swiped his tongue across Snape's cheek in response.
While Snape was busy wiping wolf slobber off his face with the sleeve of his nightshirt, Lupin settled down beside him and laid his head on Snape's chest with a contented little growl.
"I may need a bigger bed at this rate," Snape complained, but there was something comforting about having two warm, furry bodies snuggled up against him, and he soon fell soundly asleep.
***
Snape woke up the next morning, still with two bodies snuggled against him, but they were no longer furry, and he flushed when he saw Lupin's long, gray-streaked hair fanned out across his chest. To spare them both embarrassment, Snape tried to ease Lupin off his chest without waking the other man, but Lupin, stirred, stretched, and yawned widely.
"Good morning, Severus," Lupin said, smiling at him sleepily.
"G-good morning, Remus," Snape stammered, so unnerved by the fact that Lupin's mouth was only a scant few inches away from his own that it barely registered that he had called Lupin by his given name for the very first time. It did register with Lupin, though, because his eyes instantly became alert, and his smile grew broader and warmer.
Snape cleared his throat and attempted to pull himself together, with only limited success. "You seem to be behaving a bit oddly, Lupin--" he started to say.
"Remus," Lupin corrected him pleasantly, leaning in a little closer.
"Remus," Snape echoed in a slightly hoarse voice. "I may need to make a few changes to the Wolfsbane, so I think that you and Teddy should stay for another month."
"Severus," Lupin purred, turning Snape's name into something that sounded oddly erotic. "We both know that there's nothing wrong with the Wolfsbane Potion. If you would like us to live with you permanently, then just say so."
Snape was overwhelmed by panic for a moment--rationally he knew that Lupin probably wasn't adverse to the idea of living with him, or he wouldn't have made the suggestion, much less continued staying in Snape's cottage for so many months. But still, he couldn't help worrying that Lupin might say "no." Snape had not had a true friend since the falling out with Lily, and he had never had a true lover. He was not a virgin, of course, but his bed partners had always been a matter of convenience and satisfying a physical need. There had never been anyone that he cared about, and certainly no one who cared for him. As long as he clung to the illusion that their living arrangement was merely a professional, temporary arrangement, at least he didn't have to suffer the humiliation of rejection if Lupin decided to move out.
Some of his fear must have shown on his face, because Lupin's expression softened and he said gently, "And I would like to be reassured that I won't have to pack up and leave at the end of each month."
It hadn't occurred to Snape that Lupin might be feeling insecure, too. That, and Lupin's gentle, encouraging smile, gave him the strength to ask, "Lupin, will you and Teddy move in with me?"
"Yes, Severus," Lupin replied without hesitation. He tilted his head forward to close the remaining inch or two of space between them and kissed Snape.
Snape thought for a moment that he must be dreaming, but when he hesitantly wrapped his arms around Lupin, the other man felt very warm and solid and real. He returned the kiss with more confidence after that, and things were beginning to get a little heated when a childish and very familiar little giggle reminded them that they weren't alone.
Startled, they broke off the kiss to see Teddy sitting up in bed, wide awake although he'd been fast asleep a few minutes ago, laughing and grinning happily at them. "You little scamp," Snape growled as picked up the child, but Teddy was not the least bit intimidated, and just laughed and threw his little arms around Snape's neck. Snape held Teddy close against his chest and found himself unable to speak because of the lump that seemed to have formed in his throat.
Lupin smiled tenderly at him, and his voice sounded a bit husky as he said, "Teddy knows what we should have known all along--that the three of us are a family, Severus."
"Yes," Snape agreed hoarsely. "A family." He held Teddy to his chest with one arm and reached out with the other to pull Lupin into a three-way embrace. And suddenly both he and Lupin were laughing and crying at the same time, while Teddy stared at them with a puzzled look on his face, as if wondering what all the fuss was about.
***
April always held a special meaning for Snape after that, even years after that first kiss, and even after Teddy graduated from Hogwarts. He would never forget how a rainy April night had brought two rambunctious werewolves into his bed and his heart and his life, and how the three of them had become a family together.
-End-
***
Afterword: I had intended to post this on my official Snupin Showers day, April 19th. It was only supposed to be a short little ficlet where Snape scolds Lupin and Teddy for tracking mud into the house after frolicking in the rain during the full moon. But then I wondered if I should explain how Lupin and Teddy had come to live with him, and suddenly that became the main focus of the story and it became a whole lot more complicated! Haha, I should've known better--I am almost incapable of writing a short story! Somehow, almost everything I write turns into a mini-epic. Guess I'm just long-winded! ;-)
Btw, since I didn't finish the story in time, I created this bibliography of werewolf novels + plot bunnies for my official post, in case you're curious.
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Thank you for sharing!
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