Scars, Part 13

[geri_chan]

Rating: NC-17 overall

Pairings: Snape/Lupin, Ash/Tsubasa; also a little Theodore/Blaise, Dylan/Hermione, and Aric/Takeshi

Author's note: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts; [] indicates song lyrics.

Disclaimer: Based on the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling; song lyrics are from "Scars" by Papa Roach. No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.

Warning: AU. This story contains a character from Half-Blood Prince, but does not follow the HBP storyline.

Sequel to: Always, Summer Vacation, For Old Time's Sake, Three's a Crowd, Return of the Raven, Phoenix Reborn, Phoenix Rising, Aftermaths, The Revenant, Ash's Story, and Summer Vacation III.

Summary: Greyback seeks out another victim; Lupin goes to the baby shower. (Thank you to The Goblet for suggestions on the baby shower scene!) 

Part 12a, Part 12b

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Glossary of Japanese terms:

Okaasan=Mother

Otoosan=Father
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While Warren was gone, Imogen was left to deal with an irritable Greyback. "I'm bored," he growled sullenly, in a tone of voice that might have sounded whiny if it hadn't been so deep and gravelly. "You promised me blood!" he complained as he paced back and forth in the kitchen of the safe house, brandishing the well-gnawed bone of a joint of beef he had just finished eating. "When can I kill Alden Madley?"

"Not until Warren gets back," Imogen replied, keeping her voice level with a great deal of effort. She was sorely tempted to toss that bone across the room and order Greyback to fetch it, but the werewolf didn't have much of a sense of humor and it wasn't wise to provoke him, the Unbreakable Vow notwithstanding. He was a beast at heart, and if pushed too far, his animal instincts might override his common sense.

"I need Warren to monitor Madley's whereabouts so that we can plan the best time for you to attack him," Imogen continued. "Because of my job at the museum, my movements are watched more closely than Warren's. Furthermore, we want Snape to be distracted by the rival heir before you carry out the second murder. It shouldn't be much longer now; Warren's last message said that he had tracked down a potential heir in France."

"Who knows how long it will take your brother to track down the heir, persuade him to go along with your plan, come back to England, and file the lawsuit?" Greyback demanded impatiently. "I have held up my end of the Vow--now hold up yours! You and your brother promised me prey to hunt!"

They hadn't set a time limit on that promise, but Imogen thought that it would probably be better to humor Greyback this time. She didn't want him to get so wound up that he forgot the Vow and lost control of himself, and besides, it wouldn't hurt to stir up a little fear in the wizarding world.

"Very well," Imogen said. "I have a few potential targets in mind--blood traitors, people who support Dumbledore's policies. Just be careful not to get caught."

"I'm not some inexperienced young cub, to get caught by the Ministry's dogs," Greyback said with an arrogant grin and dropped into a chair, his irritation vanishing now that he'd gotten what he wanted. "I didn't let anyone catch me at Madley's farm, did I? So who is my target to be?"

"Hmm," Imogen said, going over the possible victims in her mind. Some she thought might be too much for Greyback to handle on his own, in spite of his confidence, and others lived and worked in crowded areas that would have too many possible witnesses. "Ah, I have it! A woman who supports Arthur Weasley, pure of blood, but too insignificant for her home or person to be guarded. But the death of an innocent housewife and mother will surely cause a public outcry, and she has indirect ties to the werewolf pack."

"Fine," Greyback growled impatiently. "Just tell me her name and where I can find her."
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The following evening, Greyback was loitering on a dark side street near the cafe where his target, a Gobstones aficionado, attended weekly club meetings. He heard her laugh and say goodbye to her companions, then walk down the street towards him. According to the information Imogen had given him, his target usually stopped by a nearby bakery to pick up treats for her family on the way home. In the old days, no one with any common sense would dare to walk home alone at night, but people felt safe in these postwar days, now that the Dark Lord was dead. Greyback felt like he was doing a public service for the wizarding world, teaching these fat, lazy sheep not to be so complacent.

His target walked towards him, a pretty blonde woman who did indeed look as plump and harmless as a sheep. Greyback sighed in disappointment; he would have preferred more challenging prey, but this would do for now. And then he had an idea to make the proceedings more interesting...

He grabbed her arm and pulled her into the alley as she walked by, clamping a hand over her mouth before she had time to scream. As she struggled, he whispered into her ear, "Don't scream or fight me. If you do, I'll let you go, but I'll take your daughter in your place." The woman went absolutely still and stared up at him with fearstruck eyes. He gave her a fierce, wolfish grin and said, "That's right. I know where she works. I can get to her at any time."

It was all a bluff; he did know where the daughter worked, but it was too public a place for him to easily snatch her from. However, as he had gambled, the mother believed him. He felt an involuntary shudder of horror run through her body, but she slumped in his arms, unresisting. So, she was the noble type--not physically strong, perhaps, but strong of spirit. Greyback was a little impressed; he had known many men and women who would gladly have traded their firstborns to save their own skins. This hunt might be more enjoyable than he had thought.

He took the risk of lifting his hand slightly from the woman's mouth, and she whispered in a voice that quavered only slightly, "Do whatever you wish with me, but I beg of you, do not harm my daughter."

"Then we have a bargain," Greyback said, and Apparated away with his victim.

Later, as she was screaming in pain, Greyback wondered if she regretted making that bargain. He taunted her with that question, but by that point, she was too far gone to give him any reply but a scream. However, just before she died, she breathed one last word: her daughter's name, whispered as reverently as a prayer.
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Aric and Takeshi had the day off from St. Mungo's, so they spent the morning working at the clinic, then headed over to the Sakura to have lunch and visit with Takeshi's parents. But to their alarm, when they arrived at the restaurant, there was a sign adorned with a black ribbon hanging on the door that read: "Closed due to a death in the family."

Takeshi pounded frantically on the door and shouted, "Okaasan? Otoosan? It's me, Takeshi!"

His father Isamu opened the door, looking worried and distracted. "Ah, Takeshi, Aric, come on in. We've closed the restaurant, but I can fix some lunch for you."

"Never mind that!" Takeshi said. "I saw the sign on the door! Is Okaasan--?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry," Isamu apologized. "Your mother is fine, and so is Tsubasa, and everyone else in the family. It's Hannah's mother that died." He gestured at a table across the room where Hannah Abbott was sitting, sobbing brokenheartedly while her friend Ernie Macmillan and Takeshi's mother Haruko tried to comfort her.

"What happened?" Aric asked. "Was Mrs. Abbott ill? I've never seen her at St. Mungo's." He worked in Creature-Induced Injuries, so a person suffering from an illness wouldn't be a patient in his ward, but still, if the illness was that serious, she should have spent enough time at the hospital for him to have seen her passing by in the halls. He frowned as an ominous suspicion began to form in his mind...

"Hannah's mother was murdered," Isamu whispered, confirming Aric's suspicion. "She went out last night to her weekly Gobstones club meeting as usual, but never came home. Both Hannah and Mr. Abbott were working last night, so they didn't know she was missing until they got home and realized she wasn't there. Her body was found this morning in Knockturn Alley, and...I don't know all the details, but one of the Aurors said it looked like she'd been savaged by a beast."

"A werewolf?" Takeshi whispered in a voice filled with dread.

His father shrugged. "Well, it's not the full moon, but I imagine they've called in Healer Smethwyck to examine the body. I thought you might have gone with him, but I forgot it was your day off."

"This sounds like a set-up," Aric said suspiciously. "If someone's out to get the werewolves, could they have targeted Mrs. Abbott because Hannah works here?"

"But if that's the case," Takeshi argued, "I would expect them to attack someone more directly connected to the pack, like myself or..." He suddenly turned pale. "...my family."

Aric growled menacingly at the thought of someone harming his mate or extended family, and Isamu said calmly, "Well, let's not jump to conclusions. Mr. Abbott is at the Ministry talking to the Aurors, and hopefully when he gets back, we'll have a better idea of what happened. But in the meantime, I'll put additional wards on the restaurant, and we should all be careful until these murders are solved. I think it would be wise to Apparate or Floo to and from home and work, especially at night."

Aric and Takeshi nodded in agreement, then went over to give their condolences to Hannah. "I'm sorry about your mother," Aric said awkwardly. He didn't know the Hufflepuff girl very well, and they hadn't been friends at Hogwarts, but still, he felt badly for her. Even though he was estranged from his own family, he knew that he'd be devastated if one of his parents died.

"I'm very sorry for your loss, Hannah," Takeshi murmured, more formally.

"Th-thank you," Hannah stammered between sobs. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose on a handkerchief that Ernie offered, then said to Takeshi's mother, "I-I'll be all right, Lady Haruko. I feel bad that you're closing the restaurant because of me. You should go ahead and open; it's almost time for the lunch rush."

"Nonsense, dear," Haruko said gently. "You're like part of the family now; I would do the same for any of the other workers. It won't hurt to close for one day, and our regular customers will understand."

"I can work," Hannah said stubbornly, although her eyes were red and her face tear-stained. "It's better than sitting around feeling miserable, anyway."

"But the customers look forward to seeing your cheerful, smiling face," Haruko said with a gentle, teasing smile. "It will make them sad to see you so sad. Besides, your father needs you more than the customers do. You should take as much time off as you need, Hannah. But don't forget that we'll be here for you whenever you need us, and you and your father can stop by anytime you want a hot meal."

Kian, the young werewolf who worked in the kitchen, set down a steaming bowl and cup in front of Hannah. "Some hot soup and warm sake," he said kindly. "Master Isamu says it will make you feel better. You haven't eaten all morning, have you? The Master says you need to keep your strength up."

Hannah obediently drank a few spoonfuls of soup and a gulp of the sake, which at least put some color into her pale cheeks. Then she began to cry again, wailing, "I just don't understand why anyone would want to hurt my mother! She's never done anything to anyone! And it's not like she's important--I mean, of course she's important to me and my dad, but it's not like she's a Death Eater or a member of the Order! There's no reason for anyone to hate her."

Haruko exchanged a look over Hannah's head with Takeshi and Aric; it seemed that she had her suspicions, too. But all she said was, "Well, perhaps she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Just then, Mr. Abbott walked through the door, his eyes as red as Hannah's, and his face weary and drawn.

"Daddy!" Hannah cried, jumping to her feet, and she ran over and embraced her father. Everyone else in the restaurant waited patiently while father and daughter comforted each other--well, almost everyone. Aric was eager to learn more about the murder and whether it was related to the murder of Rosalind Madley, but he tried to wait quietly along with everyone else, fighting the urge to tap his foot on the floor with impatience. His foot did twitch once, but he forced it to remain still when Takeshi gave him a sidelong glance of warning out of the corner of his eye.

Fortunately for Aric, he didn't need to interrupt the Abbotts' grieving, because Hannah pulled back slightly and asked, "Daddy, what happened?!"

"I don't know, sweetheart," Mr. Abbott replied wearily. "The Aurors can't even seem to agree on whether the killer was human or not."

"What do you mean, sir?" Aric asked, with a feeling of foreboding.

Mr. Abbott gave Aric a puzzled look, until Hannah explained, "This is Aric Dietrich, Daddy. He was a yearmate at Hogwarts, and he's, um, friends with the Kimuras' son."

Fortunately, Mr. Abbott was too distracted by his grief to notice the "um," and merely gave Aric a polite nod. "Well, one of the Aurors wanted to know if it might be a werewolf attack like that other case, and the Healer said that the bites and scratches on..." His voice faltered and cracked. "...on my wife's body weren't made by a wolf, but they weren't exactly like a normal human's, either. He said the killer had incredible strength..."

"Like a werewolf in human form?" Takeshi asked quietly.

Mr. Abbott nodded. "That's what that Auror Dawlish thinks. He thinks that may be the reason for the murder...because Hannah works here."

"You think that Mummy was killed because of me?!" Hannah cried, aghast.

"Of course it's not your fault, dear," Mr. Abbott quickly assured her, looking a bit guilty. "But Mr. Dawlish says that there is a connection with werewolves in both cases--"

Aric bristled, but before he could say anything, Hannah said hotly, "That's a load of rubbish! Dawlish has been out to get the werewolves ever since he was investigating those so-called werewolf attacks last year that weren't caused by werewolves at all, but his own partner, that slimy git Williamson! He was made to look bad, so he holds a grudge against the werewolves! Besides, it makes no sense at all that a werewolf would attack Mum because I work here! Lady Haruko and Master Isamu are their friends!"

"Well, I don't really know why," Mr. Abbott said with a helpless shrug. "The other Aurors, including your friend Harry Potter, were arguing the same point with Dawlish when I left. But you can't deny that there is some sort of connection; it's too much of a coincidence that both your mother and Mrs. Madley had some sort of tie to the werewolves. Maybe the killer isn't a werewolf, but someone who hates them and is trying to kill their families and allies. Either way, it's too dangerous for you to keep working here, Hannah."

"What?!" Hannah shouted indignantly. "I am not quitting my job because that idiot Dawlish has been feeding you a pack of lies!"

"Hannah is very dear to us," Haruko said quietly. "We would never let harm come to her while she is in our care."

"It's nothing personal," Mr. Abbott said. "I know that Hannah loves working here and that you've been good to her. But I've already lost my wife--I can't risk losing my daughter!"

"I won't run and hide while my friends are being accused of murder!" Hannah shouted. Aric gave her a startled look, and she smiled slightly at him in spite of her anger. "I don't know Ash very well, but I do know Kian and Kai, and if they say he isn't a killer, then that's good enough for me!"

"It's easy to take the moral high ground when your life isn't at risk," her father argued. "But this is serious, Hannah--"

"I am serious, Dad," Hannah interrupted in a quiet but intense voice. "When Cedric died--no, when Cedric was killed, Professor Dumbledore told us that a time would come when we would have to choose between what is easy and what is right. Everyone wanted to pretend that You-Know-Who hadn't returned back then, because that was the easy choice, but it wasn't the right one. If everyone had taken the easy way out, then the Death Eaters would have won the war and we'd all be dead now. I won't do what's easy if it isn't right."

"I can't bear to lose you as well, Hannah!" Mr. Abbott shouted desperately. "Maybe I'm a coward, but I don't care! I won't let you work here while the killer is at large!"

"I'm an adult now!" Hannah snapped. "You can't stop me!"

"Let us not speak of resigning right now," Haruko interrupted, in her gentle and soothing voice. "But I think it would be a good idea for you to take some time off, Hannah."

"But--" Hannah protested.

"Not because you're afraid," Haruko said. "But because you and your father need time to mourn your mother." She enfolded Hannah in a motherly embrace and whispered in a voice soft enough that only a werewolf could overhear, "I'm very proud of you, Hannah, and I think that your father will be too, eventually. But right now he's frightened and devastated by the loss of his lifemate. If he can't be strong right now, then you must be strong for him, Hannah." Then she released Hannah and said in a normal voice, "Besides, hopefully the Aurors will catch the culprit quickly, and this whole argument will be a moot point."

"I hope so," Mr. Abbott said in a conciliatory but not very hopeful voice.

Hannah walked over to her father and gently took him by the hand. Her face was filled with resolve, and somehow her inner strength made her father look fragile by comparison. "Come on, Dad," she said. "Let's go home." He nodded and smiled with relief.

"Please allow me to come with you and set some protective wards on your home," Isamu offered. "It would put my mind at ease to know that Hannah will be safe."

"Protective wards are my father's specialty," Takeshi said with a smile. "Aside from cooking, of course."

"Ah...thank you very much," Mr. Abbott said, looking both grateful and abashed. "That is most gracious of you."

Before they departed, Hannah gave Haruko a quick hug and whispered, "I won't quit, no matter what!"
After the three of them left, Takeshi and Aric decided to try to find out more details about the murder from Smethwyck. When they contacted the hospital, they were told that he was still consulting with the Aurors, so they headed over to the Ministry.

Fortunately, when they arrived at the Aurors' office, Dawlish wasn't there, so they were able to avoid a confrontation. The purple-haired Auror was there, along with Potter, and they were deep in discussion with Smethwyck, Snape, and Lupin.

"Hello, Takeshi," the purple-haired woman said with a friendly smile. "Come to help us out on the case? I'll admit, we can use all the help we can get."

"Aric, you remember Tonks, don't you?" Takeshi asked.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Aric said, shaking hands politely with the Auror. He'd been interviewed by Tonks and her bald-headed partner after Williamson had nearly killed him, but as he'd been in a hospital bed at the time, recovering from a near-fatal curse and a werewolf bite, he hadn't had much chance or inclination to get to know her very well.

"Thank you for coming in," Smethwyck said. "I was going to call you, Mr. Kimura, but I didn't want to bother you on your day off."

"We just heard about what happened from Hannah and my parents," Takeshi explained.

"Ah, right," Tonks said. "Your folks run the restaurant where Mrs. Abbott's daughter works. How much do you know?"

"Not much," Takeshi replied. "Just that Dawlish is convinced the murderer is a werewolf--presumably Ash." He turned to Smethwyck. "But I assume you have your doubts, sir?"

The Healer sighed wearily. "The victim was beaten, bitten, and scratched. The bite wounds were made by teeth much blunter than a wolf's, but a little sharper than your average human's. Likewise with the scratches; they're too shallow to be made by a werewolf's claws, but deeper than human fingernails would normally cut. And whoever inflicted the wounds had very great strength--strong enough to tear open the victim's throat, even with more-or-less human teeth. That was the fatal blow, although by that time it might almost have been a mercy, since she must have been in great pain for a long time before she died."

"Sounds an awful lot like a werewolf in human form," Aric said reluctantly.

"Well, there are other explanations--a normal human using a Strengthening Solution, for example," Smethwyck replied. "And sometimes a normal person can perform great feats of strength without magical aid if they are under emotional duress, such as extreme fear or anger. But yes, the most obvious answer would be that the killer is a werewolf, especially in light of the fact that both Mrs. Madley and Mrs. Abbott were killed in a similar manner."

"That's what Dawlish thinks," Potter said disgustedly. "He thinks that Ash killed Hannah's mother, even though he's never even met her and has no reason to hate her. Ash even has an alibi--he was at home with the pack when the murder took place. But because all the witnesses are werewolves, Dawlish doesn't believe him."

Tonks sighed. "That's why Kingsley's not here. Dawlish decided to interrogate the other werewolves, and Kingsley went along to try to keep things from getting out of hand."

"Things are already beginning to get out of hand, and I don't mean just with Dawlish," Takeshi said gravely, then explained how Hannah's father wanted her to quit her job at the Sakura.

"So the fear and paranoia are already starting," Lupin said, sounding worried, sad, and a little resigned. "Again."

"Just like last year," Potter said grimly.

"And the last two wars," Snape added, sounding cynical and weary. "Human nature never changes, Potter."

"Your mother was pretty nice, trying to smooth things over between Hannah and her dad," Aric told Takeshi, although he wasn't sure if he entirely approved of Haruko's kindness in this case.

He tried to keep his voice neutral, but they'd been together long enough for Takeshi to understand what he really meant. "She just doesn't want Hannah and her father to be at odds during a time such as this, when they need each other the most. Besides, my mother is a parent, too, and she knows what it's like to want to protect your children, even if she doesn't agree with Mr. Abbott. And I'm sure that my parents will support Hannah if she still wants to come back to work after she and her father have had some time to mourn and think things over."

"But this is a bad sign," Tonks said anxiously. "It makes me wonder if this is what the killer wants, to stir up fear and prejudice against werewolves, and if that's the case..."

Potter's eyes suddenly filled with comprehension and horror. "Then there will be more murders!"

"A serial killer loose in the wizarding world?" Takeshi asked, turning pale.

"Or another sort of Death Eater," Snape said, his brow creasing deeply in a frown. "One that hates werewolves instead of Muggle-borns."

"Well, we don't know that for sure," Tonks said. "We're looking into the possibility that the killer might have had a grudge against both women, but so far we haven't found any connections between Mrs. Madley and Mrs. Abbott other than a tenuous connection to the werewolf pack."

"The two of them don't really travel in the same social circles," Snape said, still frowning.

"Well, we still need to take a closer look into Mrs. Abbott's background, but yes, I am afraid that the murders are part of a much bigger plot," Tonks sighed.

"Haven't you been able to track down any leads with the information my mother and I have given you?" Snape asked, a bit waspishly.

Potter glared at the Potions Master. "There was a LOT of information to sift through in those school records, Professor! Kingsley interviewed Mrs. Madley's classmates, but none of them could tell him anything useful."

"Yes, yes," Snape said impatiently, "but what about the sanatoriums?"

"The sanatoriums you told us about have either closed down or upgraded to legal standards," Tonks replied. "We were able to get the location of two illicit sanatoriums through your mother's contact--" She suddenly clapped a hand over her mouth and smiled sheepishly at Takeshi and Aric. "Er, please don't tell anyone that; it's supposed to be a secret." They both nodded in agreement, and Tonks continued, "We were able to close down one illegal site, but the people who run it said that they have no missing werewolves, and that was confirmed with Truth Potion. The staff of the second sanatorium had gotten wind of the first raid and fled before we could arrest them, but they left all their patients behind. Unfortunately, we've had a hard time getting information out of the patients, since most of them aren't in their right minds. But from the records we could find in the office, there don't seem to be any patients missing." She sighed again. "I'm glad that we shut down those places, but we still aren't any closer to finding the killer."

"These facilities you shut down were both in Britain?" Snape asked.

Tonks looked startled. "There are others outside of Britain?"

"Of course there are, Miss Tonks!" Snape said impatiently, in the tone of voice he normally used on slow-witted student--or on Gryffindors in general. "Do you think that British wizards are the only ones who have inconvenient relatives they wish to be rid of?"

"Well of course there must be sanatoriums in other countries," Tonks mumbled, blushing like a chastened student. "It just never occurred to me to look outside of Britain for our assassin."

"Be nice, Severus," Lupin whispered, and Snape scowled at him.

"Well, it is a somewhat remote possibility," Snape conceded grudgingly. "But it should not be ruled out entirely."

"We'll look into it," Tonks sighed, running her hand through her spiky purple hair. "I don't suppose...?"

"No, I don't know the exact locations of any sanatoriums outside of Britain," Snape replied. "But I can put you in touch with a colleague at Durmstrang who might." Tonks gave him another startled look--she seemed to be surprised that he had offered his help so readily--and the Potions Master smiled wryly. "Believe it or not, Miss Tonks, I also wish to see the killer caught quickly." His gaze shifted over towards Lupin for a moment, and Aric understood what he meant; Lupin would be affected by any renewed prejudice and hostility against werewolves, even if he had nothing to do with the crimes.

"Well, thank you, Severus," Tonks said gratefully, then turned to Aric and Takeshi. "And thank you for stopping by."

"I'm sorry we couldn't be of more help," Takeshi said apologetically.

"It's okay," Tonks said. "Just let us know if you hear of anything that might be helpful from your patients at the clinic." She hesitated, perhaps remembering his earlier argument with Shacklebolt, and added tactfully, "I'm sure they'd be more comfortable talking to you than an Auror, so you might be able to learn more from them than we would."

"Of course we'll let you know if we hear anything," Takeshi promised.

As they were turning to leave, Tonks said to Lupin, "I really hope that I'll be able to make the baby shower, Remus, but with the way that this investigation is going..."

"You really should come if it's at all possible," Lupin urged. "Isn't your mother going to be there?"

Tonks nodded. "Hopefully I can manage to get away from work for an hour or two. I'd like to see Mum and Narcissa make up." Her mouth quirked in an ironic, slightly lopsided smile. "And if things don't go well, then I'd like to make sure that they don't start throwing hexes at each other. My mum's got quite a temper."

"It must be a Black trait," Lupin said with a smile.

"Baby shower?" Takeshi asked.

"Aileen Pierce is throwing a baby shower for Narcissa and Branwen this weekend," Lupin explained. "Tonks and I are both invited."

"Ah, right, Narcissa mentioned something about it the other day at dinner," Aric said. "But aren't baby showers usually only for women?"

Lupin laughed out loud, and Snape groaned, "Don't even ask, Dietrich!"
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Lupin was pleased to see that Tonks did show up for the baby shower, after all, arriving with her mother, Andromeda, a stately and rather stern-looking woman who had black hair and gray eyes like her cousin Sirius. The resemblance caused Lupin to wonder briefly about Narcissa's blonde hair--she seemed to be the only fair one in the Black family--and whether it might be due to her being born on the wrong side of the blanket, so to speak. But surely if there'd been any hint of illegitimacy, the proud and ruthless Blacks would have disowned her and burned her name off the family tree, so Lupin supposed it must just be coincidence. And according to Severus and Sirius, Narcissa had been spoiled and cosseted by both of her parents, so if there actually was something questionable in her bloodline, it seemed that no one had ever suspected.

Lupin smiled; bloodline mattered little to an outcast werewolf like himself, and it no longer mattered as much as it had to Narcissa, who had taken a werewolf husband. So he told himself to let sleeping dogs lie, and chuckled silently at his own analogy.

"Andromeda," Narcissa said, in a slightly stiff and nervous voice.

"Narcissa," Andromeda replied, handing her sister a present wrapped in silver paper. The expression on her face was not exactly hostile, but cool and unsmiling.

As if to make up for her mother's coolness, Tonks gave her aunt a hug and said with slightly forced exuberance, "Congratulations, Narcissa! Here's something for little Cedric!"

"Ah...thank you, Nymphadora," Narcissa said, accepting the gift graciously, although she looked a little flustered by Tonks's unusually demonstrative greeting. 

"And you too, Branwen!" Tonks said, giving the other expectant mother a hug as well. Branwen's raven familiar Bane croaked out a protest as he was nearly dislodged from his perch on his mistress's shoulder.

"Thank you, Tonks," Branwen said, returning the embrace with a laugh, while Bane continued to squawk grumpily. "It's good to see you, Andromeda."

"Likewise, Professor," Andromeda said politely, handing her a package identical to Narcissa's.

"Hello, Andromeda," Lupin said cheerfully. "Sirius sends his regards." He hadn't known her very well, but he had met her a few times in the past, since she had remained friendly with Sirius after the rest of the family disowned them both, and she had always treated him politely. Of course, that was before his lycanthropy had been revealed.

She raised an eyebrow, looking startled to see him here, but she just nodded at him politely, with a little less coolness than she had shown her sister, and said, "Hello, Remus. It's nice to see you again."

Meanwhile, Lady Selima, who had already paid her respects to the guests of honor, watched the Black sisters' interactions with a look of cool interest, no doubt filing away her impressions in her vast store of information, on the off-chance that it might become useful someday. Lupin had to admire her expertise at scheming and manipulation, even if he didn't entirely approve of it.

The other guests arrived shortly after Andromeda and Tonks, and greeted everyone cheerfully. Delia and Goewin were probably aware of the estrangement between Andromeda and Narcissa, but politely pretended that they weren't. Gwendolyn, Lukas's young aunt, who didn't associate much with the Slytherin elite, seemed genuinely oblivious, and was bubbling over with happiness and excitement at the thought of Cedric Drake's birth.

She gave Narcissa a hug and a kiss, and said, "I can hardly wait to see my nephew born--I think I'm almost as excited as you, Narcissa!" Then she laughed and added, "My great-nephew, I mean. Oh dear, that makes me feel old!"

Gwendolyn's goodwill seemed to set Narcissa at ease, because she relaxed, looking less nervous, and said gaily, "Nonsense, dear. You're younger than I am, and I absolutely refuse to think of myself as old! I promise, Cedric shall always call you 'Aunt Gwen,' not 'Great-Aunt'!"

Their hostess, Aileen Pierce, looked relieved that the party was starting off, if not exactly smoothly, at least without any hexes or sharp words being exchanged. She very quickly and efficiently gathered the gifts together and placed them on a table, then ushered everyone into their seats around the dining table.

The table was set with the makings of a very fine tea, similar to the kinds of things that Selima usually served at Snape Manor: dainty crustless sandwiches cut into small triangles, scones topped with Devonshire cream, delicious-looking little teacakes dusted with powdered sugar or decorated with pastel icing and silver non-pareils, and of course a pot of tea, along with plenty of cream, lemon slices, and sugar cubes to flavor according to one's tastes. However, despite the dainty appearance of the food, Aileen had prepared a generous amount of it--more than enough to feed the appetites of two pregnant women, not to mention a hungry werewolf.

The party favors made it clear that this was a baby shower rather than a regular tea, though. Beside each plate there was a little cradle-shaped basket, cunningly folded out of origami paper and filled with sweets, and there was a centerpiece shaped like a tiered cake made out of folded diapers and towels. A few strategically placed silver diaper pins shaped like snakes held the "cake" together, and Lupin had to smile; only a Slytherin would use snake-shaped diaper pins.

They made harmless small talk over tea, with Aileen steering the conversation towards safe topics, such as how Gwendolyn's son Tristan was doing at Hogwarts, or how cute and clever Goewin's baby Ariana was. It was the sort of thing that would have bored Severus out of his mind, but after living under the shadow of war for so many years, Lupin found it comforting to be able to indulge in some meaningless, friendly chitchat instead of Order strategy sessions.

Something brushed against Lupin's leg under the table, causing him to jump slightly. Severus wasn't present, and he doubted that any of the women would be playing footsie with him--not that Severus was the type to play footsie, anyway, although Lupin sometimes enjoyed teasing him during mealtimes in the Great Hall. Curious, he looked down to see a calico cat staring up at him hopefully.

"I guess you don't mind that I'm a canine," he chuckled, and fed the cat a bit of ham from one of his sandwiches.

"If you feed one, then they'll all be begging for handouts, Professor," Aileen cautioned, and sure enough, several other cats suddenly appeared, mewing plaintively. "And I've already fed them, even though they'll try to convince you that they're starving! Shoo!"

She chased the cats out of the room, and Andromeda said, looking a little bemused, "You have a great many familiars, Aileen."

"Oh, they're not familiars," Aileen laughed. "Just pets...and sometimes pests."

"Aileen is too softhearted to turn away a stray at her door," Narcissa said, smiling fondly at her friend.

"Hmm," was all Andromeda said, but there was a thoughtful look on her face. Perhaps she thought that it was unusual for a Slytherin to be softhearted, or perhaps she was wondering if Narcissa was one of Aileen's "strays". Out of all Narcissa's pureblood friends, Aileen was the only one who had not abandoned her after the Malfoys' fall from glory after the war ended.

While Andromeda was pondering, Lupin picked up the thread of small talk by offering some speculation about the upcoming school Quidditch season. "Severus thinks that Slytherin has a strong team this year, and he's confident that he'll win his annual bet with Professor McGonagall. Allegra Zabini appears to be a promising young Seeker for Gryffindor, though."

"Ah yes, Blaise's little sister," Aileen murmured. "How odd, that a Zabini should become a Gryffindor."

"There's a black sheep in every family," Andromeda said dryly, with a small smile that was slightly bitter.

"Sirius used to say the same thing," Lupin said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood, but Andromeda's smile remained humorless.

"Mum, behave yourself," Tonks whispered nervously.

Aileen looked a little dismayed that the small talk had veered off the "safe" course, but she recovered quickly and changed the subject, saying brightly, "Well then, why don't we have Narcissa and Professor Blackmore open their presents?"

Everyone was nearly finished eating by this point, anyway, so they pushed aside their plates and Aileen brought over the presents. Lupin snatched one last teacake off a tray and munched on it while Narcissa and Branwen opened their gifts.

Selima gave them baby clothes made out of fine silk--green with silver embroidery for Narcissa, and black and silver for Branwen--that looked beautiful but seemed rather impractical to Lupin, considering that babies tended to drool and spit up on their clothing quite a bit. Selima must have noticed the skeptical expression on his face, because she leaned over and whispered, a bit impatiently, "They are spelled to be easily washable, of course."

She sounded like Severus lecturing one of his denser pupils, and Lupin couldn't help but smile. "Of course," he agreed amiably. "I should have guessed."

Aileen also gave them baby clothing, although made of more practical cotton and flannel rather than silk--little shirts and bibs and pajama sets in shades of green and silver for Narcissa, and blue and black for Branwen. That made Lupin wonder whether it was a custom for Slytherin purebloods to clothe their children in House colors, as if priming them for entry into Slytherin starting from the time they were in the cradle. That conjured up an image in Lupin's mind of a baby Severus dressed in green silk outfits embroidered with a serpent crest, and he thought that perhaps he would ask Selima if she had any baby pictures of Severus the next time they visited Snape Manor. Of course, he'd probably have to ask her when Severus wasn't around, unless he wanted to risk being turned into a toad, or at least endure a lot of shouting and complaining. Severus tended to be a little touchy about things like that, but Lupin supposed that he was probably worried that cute baby pictures might undermine his image as the dreaded Potions Master. Lupin grinned, becoming even more determined to see those baby pictures; he was sure that Severus had been an adorable baby.

Gwendolyn gave them cuddly teddy bears, and Goewin gave them bottles of colic tonic and teething salve, saying with a grin, "They're not as cuddly as Gwendolyn's presents, but they're a lifesaver when you're dealing with a screaming baby!"

Delia gave them music boxes that played soothing lullabies. "She probably doesn't remember now, but when Serafina was fussy, I would sing to calm her down," Delia said with a nostalgic smile.

"Music soothes the savage beast--or baby," Lupin joked.

"Oh, babies can be little beasts at times!" Aileen laughed. "Especially when they're screaming to be fed at two in the morning!"

The mothers in the group laughed ruefully, and Lupin said, "Maybe I should be grateful that Dylan and Theodore came to us as teenagers!"

"Oh, teenagers come with a completely different set of problems, as I'm sure you know, Professor Lupin," Aileen said, rolling her eyes. "But Dylan and Theodore are good boys, and even Damien hasn't given us too much trouble."

Lupin's gifts were opened next. He had given Narcissa a plush toy dragon, in honor of Cedric Drake's middle name, and a plush black bird to Branwen. It looked a bit like Bane, except that the toy bird's beak and feet were yellow instead of black, and it was a good deal more cuddly and friendly-looking than the irritable Bane.

"It's actually a stuffed crow," Lupin said apologetically. "It was the closest I could get to a raven. I did consider getting you a stuffed bunny, but I thought that Bane might be offended by that." Bane gave Lupin an evil glare, proving that he hadn't forgotten about the incident where a combination of hexes cast by a feuding Harry, Ron, and Draco had accidentally transfigured him into a bunny. "Sorry, Bane," Lupin said, doing his best to sound contrite when he really wanted to laugh. The raven looked mollified, then turned to examine the stuffed toy, gazing at it closely with his beady eyes, then giving it a tentative poke with his beak.

"That's for the baby, not for you," Branwen said firmly, pulling the toy bird out of his reach, and Bane hunched down on her shoulder sulkily.

Lupin chuckled and scratched the raven gently on his head. "I'll buy you another one if you like, Bane, so that you won't have to share it with the baby."

There were just two sets of presents left, Andromeda's and Tonks's. Andromeda gave both expectant mothers identical silver rattles with clear crystal windows that were set into the bulb portion of the rattle to show off the tiny semiprecious gemstones inside. No one other than Lupin seemed to find this odd, so he supposed it must be a common sort of toy for the children of the pureblood elite. He smiled and shook his head slightly, wondering if he would find solid gold toys encrusted with gems in the Snape Manor attic.

As for Tonks, she had purchased the toy wolf cubs made by Lupin's inventor friend Cassidy Sinclair--a brown cub for Narcissa, and a black cub for Branwen. "Since your baby is both a Black and a Blackmore," Tonks said with a grin and a wink.

"I'm sure the baby will love it," Branwen laughed.

"The pack children love these things, too," Narcissa said with a smile, tapping the toy wolf on its nose, causing it to bark and wag its tail. "Although Lukas finds them annoying."

"I seem to recall," Andromeda said coolly, "that you once told me that you would have nothing to do with me if I intended to bear mongrel children to my Mudblood husband. It's a little ironic given the current circumstances, don't you think, sister dear?"

Narcissa flushed, and Tonks hissed, "Mum! You promised to behave!"

"You stay out of this, Nymphadora!" Andromeda snapped. "You're the one that my sisters and parents referred to as a mongrel, after all!"

"I know that!" Tonks retorted. "But do you intend to hold a grudge for the rest of your life, and even after death, like that horrible painting of Sirius's mother? Narcissa's changed, and she's trying to make peace with you, so you could at least meet her halfway."

"Has she tried to make peace?" Andromeda demanded. "She has oh so graciously deigned to invite us to her baby shower--now that she's a blood traitor herself, married to a werewolf and bearing his child. But she has yet to apologize to me for the things that she said when I married your father--and I assure you that 'blood traitor' and 'mongrel' were the least of the insults that she threw in my face. Are you truly sorry, Narcissa, or are you only willing to associate with us because no one else will have you now that you are disgraced?"

"For Merlin's sake, Andromeda!" Aileen snapped. "Narcissa was only a child when you married Ted! She was only repeating the things that her family--your family--had taught her. How long are you going to hold a few childish insults, spoken in ignorance and the heat of the moment, against her?"

"But she has not been a child for a very long time," Andromeda replied, in a soft but unforgiving voice. "She grew up, and she supported her husband and his fellow Death Eaters while they hunted down and killed people with Muggle blood--people like my husband and daughter. It was only a year or so ago that she renounced them."  

"But renounce them she did, eventually," Selima said, her black eyes fixing on Andromeda in a cool stare. Lupin could almost feel the temperature in the room drop by several degrees; no one did "cool" as well as Lady Selima. "And by the way, I resent the implication that Narcissa keeps company only with the dregs of society. I assure you that the Snape family's wealth and status are as high as they have ever been."

"Your son--" Andromeda started to say.

"Is a scandal, indeed, but also a hero," Lupin hastily interjected before she could say something that might cause Selima to lose her temper; her eyes were already narrowing dangerously. "And we werewolves are not as scandalous as we once were, either. Things have changed since the war ended, Andromeda. It is true that Narcissa has made some grave errors of judgment in the past, but she did risk her life to fight against the Death Eaters in the end. And I think that all of us, no matter what side of the war we were on, have done things that we regret. I think that what matters most is how we conduct ourselves in the present, and try not to repeat the mistakes of the past."

"But it is true that I have never apologized to Andromeda," Narcissa said quietly. Lupin knew from experience that Slytherins hated to apologize or admit they were wrong, but Narcissa bowed her head and said humbly, "So I apologize to you now, Sister, for the things that I said and the way that I treated you after you married Ted." Then she raised her head and met her sister's eyes. "But you are wrong to think that I only want to reconcile with you because I have no friends. I do have friends." She gestured at the people sitting in the room, and Lupin and the women smiled. "Only a few, but friends who are much truer than the ones that I had in my Death Eater days, and I value them all the more for that. The reason that I wished to make peace with you, Andromeda, is because our entire family is dead except for you and me and Sirius and Nymphadora, and I do not wish to lose what little family I have left."

Andromeda stared at her uncertainly, obviously torn as to whether or not to accept Narcissa's overture of peace, but then Tonks sighed heavily and complained, "I really wish that you wouldn't call me 'Nymphadora'!"

That lightened the mood, and the others laughed. "I'm sorry, but it is your name, dear," Narcissa said with a smile. "It isn't seemly to call a woman by her last name."

"It's a perfectly fine name," Andromeda sniffed, looking offended.

"Do you have any idea how much it got me teased at Hogwarts?" Tonks groaned. "And how many times people thought it would be funny to call me 'Nympho' or 'Nymphomaniac'?"

Aileen giggled, and the others tried not to smile while Tonks sighed in a long-suffering way. Andromeda just repeated, "It's a perfectly fine name. You shouldn't let the taunts of a few ignorant people bother you so much."

"It was more than a few, Mum," Tonks grumbled, in what was obviously a long-standing argument between Andromeda and herself.

"And I am sorry that I didn't get to know my niece sooner," Narcissa added. "Because she is a very kind and brave young woman."

Tonks looked startled but pleased, and her face turned pink, in contrast with her violet hair. Andromeda gave her younger sister a long and thoughtful look, then finally said, "Well, as you said, there are few enough of us left, so I suppose we might as well make peace." She extended her hand to Narcissa, who looked stunned for a moment, then hastily clasped it.

"Peace, Sister," she said softly.

An awkward moment of silence followed, which Aileen broke by exclaiming cheerfully, "Well then, this calls for a celebration!" She brought out a bottle of fine wine to celebrate the sisters' reconciliation, and some sparkling cider for Narcissa and Branwen.

They sipped their wine and cider, and the conversation flowed more casually and easily, with all of the women except for Tonks and Branwen sharing stories about difficulties they had suffered during past pregnancies.

"I threw up every morning for two months straight..."

"That's nothing! My morning sickness didn't ease up until the fifth month..."

"Nymphadora used to kick me so hard that I thought she might kick her way right out of my stomach! And then, when it was finally time for her to be born, she refused to come out! I was in labor for nearly forty-eight hours..."

"Mum!" a mortified Tonks protested.

"You know, you aren't being very reassuring," Branwen said dryly, resting a hand on the rounded swell of her stomach, which had only recently started to show. "Considering that this is my first child, you ought to be trying to make me feel better instead of making me wonder why anyone would want to get pregnant in the first place!"

"Oh, it's the prerogative of a mother to complain about what a trial childbirth is!" Gwendolyn laughed. "But in the end, it's all worth it! You won't regret it when you hold your baby in your arms for the first time."

The other mothers smiled tenderly and nodded in agreement, and then Aileen said with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "Ah, but the worse trial is that husbands always seem to treat pregnant women as if they're made out of glass!"

"It's true," Goewin agreed. "Math used to act like he was afraid that I'd miscarry if I exerted myself in the slightest. I suppose most women would be happy to be waited on hand and foot by their husbands, but I quickly grew bored of just sitting around doing nothing."

Aileen coughed delicately. "Actually, what I meant was that husbands tend to be too...shall we say, gentle...in the bedroom. Liam was afraid to touch me after about the sixth month, when I was pregnant with Damien."

"Oh," Goewin said, her face instantly turning scarlet.

Gwendolyn was blushing as well, but she giggled, "Yes, Robert was the same way when I was pregnant with Tristan. Like he thought I would break if he touched me!"

"Yes, it's true," Branwen sighed regretfully without any apparent embarrassment. "Already, Sirius is nervous about...being intimate."

Lupin felt his own face turning red; this was a little bit more than he really wanted to know about his best friend's lovelife!

"Lucius wouldn't sleep with me once the baby started showing," Narcissa said, a shadow falling across her face. "He said he was being considerate of me, but I always suspected that he just didn't want to touch me while I was so fat--I felt as huge and ungainly and ugly as a whale. I was so relieved when Draco was finally born!" Then her expression brightened. "But Lukas says that he thinks I'm even more beautiful now that I'm pregnant." She giggled and smiled slyly. "He was worried that he might hurt me and the baby at first, too, but I assured him that I wasn't that delicate, and, well...let us say that his wolfish ways are a benefit in this sort of circumstance." She lowered her eyes demurely, but said with great relish, "He cannot control himself when the full moon draws near."

The women laughed merrily, and Lupin's face grew even redder. "I'm not sure that I should really be listening to this conversation," he muttered sheepishly.

"Ah, but you must confirm for us, Professor Lupin--is it true that werewolves are insatiable lovers?" Aileen asked, grinning wickedly.

"Aileen!" Narcissa protested, laughing, and Goewin and Gwendolyn gasped at her boldness. Selima just rolled her eyes a little.

"I think," Lupin said, still blushing furiously, "that Narcissa has already answered that question."

Andromeda shook her head and sighed, then said, "Men always seem to think that a woman's...appetite...decreases when she's pregnant, when really, I've found that it's more the opposite."

The other women giggled and nodded, except for Delia, whose marriage to Andreas Avery had not been a happy one, and Selima, who sipped at her wine and held herself aloof from the conversation, as if she found it slightly distasteful. And of course, Tonks, who looked even more mortified than before.

"MUM!" she shouted, clapping her hands over her ears. "Do you think I want to hear that kind of stuff about you and Dad?!"

"You should be paying attention, Nymphadora," Aileen teased. "After all, in a few years, I expect you'll be making a baby of your own with that handsome Mr. Shacklebolt!"

"Speaking of which," Andromeda said, frowning at her daughter, "is 'handsome Mr. Shacklebolt' ever going to make an honest woman of you?"

"Mum!" Tonks cried.

"Well, you've been seeing each other for over a year now," her mother pointed out unrepentantly. "In fact, the two of you have moved in together, haven't you? I'm not sure if I approve of that."

Lupin saw Selima's eyes light up with interest as she mentally filed away that bit of gossip; evidently, she hadn't heard about it yet. "There is a saying, Nymphadora," Selima said sagely, "that there is no need to purchase the cow when one can get the milk for free."

Andromeda nodded in agreement, and Tonks said indignantly, "I am not a cow! And begging your pardon, Lady Selima, but it's none of your business--nor yours either, Mum! I'm an adult, and it's my right to live my life as I see fit, with or without your approval."

"No matter how old you are, you're my daughter and I worry about you, Nymphadora," Andromeda protested, looking a little hurt. "First you take that dangerous job as an Auror over my objections, and now you're living with an older man who doesn't seem to be in a hurry to marry you--Kingsley is one of my contemporaries, you know. He's old enough to be your father."

Tonks sighed irritably. "You're exaggerating a bit, Mum, and besides, I don't see that the age difference is all that big a deal. Math is old enough to be Goewin's grandfather, after all. Er, no offense, Goewin."

"None taken," Goewin said serenely. "Although the circumstances that resulted in our marriage were a bit different from yours and Kingsley's."

"It isn't really all that big a difference," Selima said casually, unexpectedly coming to Tonks's defense. "No more than the difference between myself and Severin."

"Well, yes, but that was an arranged marriage, wasn't it?" Andromeda asked.

"Yes, but if Mr. Shacklebolt and Nymphadora wish to make a match, I see no reason for you to object," Selima replied. "He is of good family, and pure of blood. Although if she were my daughter, I would hurry the wedding along."

"I don't care about his blood purity," Andromeda said sharply. "All I care about is whether he will make my daughter happy or not."

"Ahem!" Tonks cleared her throat to interrupt their conversation. "Shouldn't I be the best judge of whether or not Kingsley makes me happy? Which he does, by the way. And you don't need to talk about me like I'm some despoiled maiden from a romance novel. Kingsley and I did discuss marriage, but I said that I wanted to take things slowly and not rush into it. So you see, it was my idea to postpone getting married, not his. As for moving in together, we were keeping separate flats, but it seemed like a waste of money when we were spending most of our free time at my place, anyway. It's just more practical to live together."

"Then why not get married?!" Andromeda demanded.

"Jeez, Mum, you're so old-fashioned," Tonks said. "Aren't you the one who ran off with Dad and got disowned by your family?"

"I was disowned for marrying a Muggle-born, but at least I married him!" Andromeda snapped.

"I love Kingsley," Tonks said in a more serious voice. "And I'm sure that we'll get married someday, but I'm not in any rush, and I want to wait until the time is right."

Andromeda heaved an exasperated sigh, and Selima said sympathetically, "Young people these days--it seems as if they live to vex their parents, don't they? Although, come to think of it, you must have vexed your parents considerably in your day, Andromeda dear."

Andromeda glared at Selima for a moment, than laughed helplessly and said, "I suppose I did! So is this my punishment?"

"Honestly, Mother!" Tonks said crossly. "It's not like I plan out my life with the sole intention of annoying you! I told you that Kingsley and I will get married someday--when we're ready, and not before!"

Aileen patted her hand comfortingly. "It's every parent's wish to see their child safely and happily settled down, Nymphadora. And I'm sure that your mother's eager to see you get married and give her a grandchild or two."

"I'm a little afraid of having children now, after all the stories I've just heard!" Tonks said, only half-jokingly. "And will everyone please stop calling me 'Nymphadora'?!"

"It's a perfectly fine name!" Andromeda insisted, and Tonks groaned while everyone else laughed.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

"So how was the baby shower?" Snape asked when Lupin returned home.

"Interesting," Lupin replied with an amused smile, handing Snape the candy-filled paper cradle. Snape popped a chocolate into his mouth, and Lupin continued, "Very educational, in fact. I learned a great deal about childbirth, and much more than I ever expected to know about the sex lives of pregnant women."

Snape choked on the piece of the candy, and Lupin solicitously thumped him on the back. "Never mind," he gasped. "Forget I asked!"

"Oh, and Andromeda wants Tonks and Kingsley to hurry up and get married. It seems she doesn't approve of them living in sin--"

"Lupin! I just said I don't want to know!"

"And," Lupin added with a grin, "they wanted to know if werewolves really are insatiable lovers."

"LUPIN!"

Part 14