Scars, Part 14

[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 and "Animal I Have Become" by Three Days Grace. 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. Also, this chapter contains a scene with slightly dubious consent.

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: Tension builds to the breaking point in Ash's and Tsubasa's relationship; Lupin's inner wolf gets a little frisky; and the Macnairs continue to plot against Snape.

Part 13

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

[So what if you can see the darkest side of me?
No one would ever change this animal I have become
Help me believe it's not the real me
Somebody help me tame this animal
--"Animal I Have Become" by Three Days Grace]

Ash was in a foul mood these days. Not just he, but his entire pack had been thoroughly and rudely interrogated by Dawlish, despite Shacklebolt's attempts to mitigate things, and he'd all but been branded a murderer in the press. Rita Skeeter had not--quite--openly accused him of murder, but then again, she didn't need to, because his stepfather had conveniently done it for her in an exclusive interview with the Daily Prophet. Dawlish had been a little more circumspect, being mindful of the fact that Arthur Weasley was still his superior, but he had managed to convey the impression to Skeeter and her readers that Ash was the prime suspect in the two recent murders without actually stating it outright.

And nearly everyone at the Ministry was giving him fearful and suspicious looks, even more so than usual, to the point where he told Arthur that perhaps he should resign. "Your support of me is causing people to question your judgment, and if you are replaced as Minister, I'll most likely be fired, anyway. Maybe if I quit now, at least one of us can keep our job."

Arthur shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but if you resign now, people will take it as a sign of guilt, which will only further weaken my position and convince everyone that werewolves are monsters to be feared. I know that it's difficult to endure all the malicious gossip and suspicious looks, but you have to be strong, Ash. I'm confident that Tonks and Kingsley and Harry will be able to prove your innocence soon."

That was easy for Arthur to say; the worst that could happen to him was that he would lose his job as Minister of Magic. The worst that could happen to Ash was that he would be arrested and locked up in Azkaban for the rest of his life--a fate that he considered worse than death. A wolf's first instinct when faced with danger was to flee, not to stand and fight, unless it had no choice. But the werewolves were no longer anonymous, now that Lukas was a Lord and Ash worked at the Ministry, and hiding among the crowd of misfits and degenerates in Knockturn Alley was no longer an option.

Which was why Ash was on edge and his inner wolf was tense and restless when he arrived at Hogwarts for his scheduled fencing lesson with Tsubasa. He had hoped that an hour or two of sparring practice might help him work off a little of his aggression, but instead it seemed to be having the opposite effect. His werewolf speed and strength were matched by Tsubasa's skill and experience, and Ash's temper, while fueling his strength, hindered his ability to think clearly, and made him a bit reckless and careless.

He had yet to score a hit on Tsubasa, while the crane swordsman had struck several stinging blows to his arms and chest--not hard enough to really hurt him, but enough to get his attention and point out the weaknesses in his defense. Somehow, this annoyed him more than a single, solid blow would, increasing his anger and frustration, and he growled irritably, like a wolf being tormented by a wasp or bee. This was all part of the lesson, of course, but Ash was having a hard time keeping a rein on his temper because the wolf wanted Tsubasa to simply fight all out instead of this endless dancing around--strike and retreat, strike and retreat, over and over again. The wolf wanted to either dominate or be dominated, because that was how the pecking order in a pack was established; it had little patience for any sort of middle ground.

He also felt frustration of a different sort as the practice bout went on, because these mock combat sessions always aroused the wolf. Well, to be honest, Tsubasa himself aroused the wolf, but the fighting heightened that desire, even more so than usual today, with the adrenaline rushing through his body and the smell of sweat--which always made him think of sex, at least when Tsubasa was involved--combining to drive the wolf into a near-frenzy where the line between anger and lust was becoming dangerously blurred. He was not quite sure if he wanted to claim Tsubasa as his prey or his mate--or both.

At least, Ash the man was not sure what he wanted; the wolf was not nearly so conflicted. {Mine!} the wolf snarled impatiently, as Tsubasa and Ash crossed swords, then backed away and circled around each other, looking for an opening. {Just take him, and claim him, and make him mine!}

"No!" Ash gasped aloud, struggling to keep the wolf under control. Most times, the wolf was simply a part of him, but at other times, like now, it felt almost like a separate and distinct personality inside his body. He had never before felt the wolf this strong within him when it wasn't near the full moon, and he was afraid of being swept away and losing himself completely in the wolf's personality. He found it increasingly hard to concentrate on his battle with Tsubasa when he was already battling the wolf, who found his hesitation inexplicable. It wanted to cast aside these silly wooden sticks and simply pounce on Tsubasa and pin him to the floor...or maybe up against the wall...

A sudden, sharp pain in his hand jolted him out of that fantasy, and his sword went flying across the room as Tsubasa knocked it out of his grasp. "I don't know where your mind is, Ash," Tsubasa said sternly, "but it's clearly not on this match. I know that you must be upset about the murders, but you need to control your anger, not let it control you. All of your werewolf strength is useless if you let your emotions cloud your judgment and affect your concentration, leaving you open to attacks like that one."

Ash's hold on the wolf slipped, and he found himself lunging forward to grab hold of Tsubasa's sword and yank it effortlessly out of his hands. "Is it really?" he snarled. "Useless, I mean." He tossed aside the wooden sword and it fell to the floor with a clatter. "Because I seem to have disarmed you."

Tsubasa, looking startled and nervous, took a step backwards as Ash moved towards him. "Not really, because you've broken the rules of the match. If that sword had been made of steel instead of wood, you'd have lost all your fingers."

"But it's not made of steel," Ash--or rather, the wolf--growled. "It's just a stick, and I'm tired of playing pretend. I'm tired of playing games." He saw a flicker of hesitation in Tsubasa's eyes, a single second where he was trying to decide whether to stand his ground or flee, and the wolf took advantage of that moment of indecision, and leapt forward with lightning speed, pushing Tsubasa up against the wall.

Tsubasa's hands reached out, probably to push him away, but Ash didn't wait to find out what Tsubasa's intentions were. He grabbed the other man's wrists and pinned his arms up above his head. Tsubasa struggled, his body twisting against Ash's in an attempt to free himself, but the movement only excited the wolf even more. He growled and pressed his body more firmly against Tsubasa's, allowing the other man to feel his arousal, and Tsubasa gasped.

"Ash," he whispered, and Ash looked into his eyes, expecting to see fear or anger or disgust, but he wasn't quite sure what he saw in Tsubasa's face. His pupils were dilated to the point where the irises were barely visible, making his brown eyes seem almost black, and his lips were parted, his breathing quick and hoarse and ragged. Ash brushed his mouth against Tsubasa's neck, and felt his pulse racing in his veins. He could feel Tsubasa's heart pounding rapidly in his chest, and it suddenly occurred to him that the symptoms for fear and lust were remarkably similar, and he wasn't sure whether Tsubasa wanted him or was afraid of him, or maybe both.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Before he knew what was happening, Tsubasa found his back pressed against the wall, with his body trapped between the wall and the werewolf's body, and he realized that he had never seen Ash at full strength before. Oh, he had fought to the best of his abilities during the practice sessions, but within the confines of the rules that Tsubasa had laid down. For the first time, he was seeing the wolf completely unleashed, and it was both terrifying and glorious to behold. Even disarmed, there were things that he could do to defend himself, but it was difficult to think with Ash growling in his ear, with the hardness of Ash's arousal pressing into his groin. His heart was pounding, his breath quickening with both fear and desire, and when he felt Ash's lips touch his neck, all he wanted to do was to bare his throat and surrender himself to the wolf.

Ash gazed at him uncertainly, the wolf's aggression receding for a moment, and perhaps in that instant, he could have pushed Ash away and attempted to reason with him, or at least disabled him with a spell. But he hesitated, torn between common sense and desire, and the moment passed. He moaned softly, unable to stop his body from responding to Ash's, and as soon as Ash felt Tsubasa's arousal, the doubt in his eyes vanished, to be replaced by the wolf's feral hunger.

Ash's hands grasped his shoulders, and Tsubasa found himself spun around--so quickly that it made him dizzy--and pushed face forward into the wall. He had just barely enough time to brace his palms against the wall to prevent his face from hitting it painfully. Then he could feel the warmth of Ash's body against his, could feel Ash's breath hot against his cheek as he growled in a low, sensuous rumble. And then he cried out as he felt Ash move against him, the werewolf's erection grinding into the cleft of his buttocks with such vigor that he almost thought Ash would penetrate him right through the layers of clothing separating their bodies. And to his embarrassment, he couldn't prevent himself from grinding back against Ash, the two of them dry-humping against the wall like a couple of horny teenagers. In fact, he'd never been so bold as to do this in a classroom when he had been a student at Salem, and somehow, he suspected that the consequences would be even worse for a teacher caught in this kind of compromising position than a student. At the very least, it would be humiliating if one of his students happened to walk in on them, and probably even more humiliating if McGonagall found out about it and gave him a stern lecture--assuming that she didn't persuade the Headmaster to fire him.

So he opened his mouth to tell Ash to stop, but instead he heard himself groan, "At least lock the door!"

He heard the rustle of cloth as Ash presumably pulled his wand out of his robes, and then the werewolf barked out the incantations to a locking spell and also a silence spell. {Ah, good idea,} Tsubasa thought distractedly. {I hadn't thought about that.} It would be nearly as bad if a student or teacher overheard them moaning as it would if they actually walked in on them having sex.

Ash turned his attention back to Tsubasa, growling and tugging impatiently at the ties of his hakama. The skirt-like garment slipped off his hips and fell to the floor, then Ash yanked down Tsubasa's underpants and pushed his kimono up above his waist. There was more rustling of cloth as Ash fumbled with his own clothes, and the metallic rasp of a zipper being pulled down. Then Tsubasa felt the tip of a wand touch his skin just below the bunched-up folds of his kimono as Ash murmured a spell, and something wet and slippery trickled down between his buttocks. Ash's fingers slipped inside him, and he moaned, pushing back against them eagerly.

Ash growled impatiently, and the movement of his fingers was quick and rough, but still, Tsubasa wondered if it meant something, that the werewolf was taking the time to prepare him at all when he was clearly overwhelmed by his animal nature. Maybe Ash was trying to fight the wolf...or maybe the wolf didn't want to hurt its mate. Which would mean that this was something more than a quick shag, and he didn't know whether he found that idea comforting or frightening...but it was difficult to think with that rhythmic in-and-out motion of Ash's fingers distracting him, and he lost his train of thought entirely when the fingers pulled away, and something hard and blunt nudged at him, then thrust deeply into him without any more warning than that.

He offered up a quick mental blessing for the silence spell, because he couldn't stop himself from crying out as Ash thrust into him hard and fast, almost brutally, with no gentleness or tenderness, just the single-minded need of an animal in heat. In fact, since he couldn't see Ash's face, he could almost imagine that he really was being mounted by a wolf, especially with Ash growling and snarling hungrily into his ear. He groaned loudly, finding the idea strangely intoxicating, even though bestiality was not something that had ever appealed to him before. Of course, he was part animal himself, so the idea was not as repellant as it might have been to a normal human, but he'd never felt the urge to mate in his crane form, either. Besides, most of his previous lovers had been tengu, and a crow and a crane were not exactly physically compatible.

He moaned helplessly as Ash continued to pound into him, his own body rocking forward and back with the motion of the werewolf's body. It felt so good, so right, to have Ash inside him, but he still wanted more. He was hard and aching, and he wanted to touch himself, but Ash was thrusting into him so hard that he needed to keep both hands firmly braced against the wall to keep from being slammed into it. And Ash seemed to be too caught up in his own need to notice Tsubasa's at the moment.

"Please," Tsubasa begged, then cried out as Ash thrust into him even harder, if that was possible. He wasn't sure if it was really in response to his plea, though, or because the werewolf was nearing climax; his growls had given way to rapid, almost desperate panting. With a final, deep thrust, Ash came inside him and a howl echoed through the room, a sound that was eerily wolf-like and didn't seem human at all.

Before Tsubasa could utter a single moan of frustration, Ash bit down hard on the back of his neck, and he cried out as his hips bucked forward with a jerk, thrusting into empty air, and he came without Ash even needing to touch him, semen splattering against the wall in front of him.

Breathing heavily, Tsubasa leaned forward, resting his forearms and forehead against the wall because his legs felt rather wobbly, and he wasn't sure if he could keep standing upright without any support. Ash slumped against him with a sigh, his head lolling forward to rest on Tsubasa's shoulder. The weight of Ash's body against his own felt good, and now that the edge had been taken off their mutual lust, Tsubasa found that his fear and tension had also drained away, to be replaced by a feeling of utter contentment.

Unfortunately, that feeling did not last very long, because a moment later, Ash whispered in a trembling voice, "Sweet Merlin, what just happened here?"

"If you have to ask, then you're not as bright as I thought you were, Ash," Tsubasa replied bitterly; in spite of that explosive session of lovemaking, nothing had changed, it seemed. He angrily shoved the werewolf away from him and pulled up his underpants and hakama, ignoring the wet trickle of Ash's semen running down his thighs. "You know perfectly well what just happened," he added as he knotted the ties of the hakama around his waist.

"What do you want from me?" Ash cried, a hint of panic in his voice.

"I want you!" Tsubasa shouted, finally losing his temper after weeks of patient, cautious courtship--save for the one night they had slept together after receiving Laura's letter. The two of them had been dancing around each other like wary sparring partners ever since they had first met, never quite connecting in spite of the attraction that they both obviously felt. Ash wasn't the only one who was tired of playing games; Tsubasa was tired of being patient and understanding with his not-quite-lover, and he was tired of the werewolf's inability to make up his mind about what he wanted. "I want all of you, not just your body--I want your whole heart, Ash! Get out of here, and don't come back again until you can give me that!"

"I...I'm sorry," Ash mumbled guiltily, hanging his head as he adjusted his clothing. "I didn't mean to...I just lost control. I hope I didn't hurt you."

"You stupid wolf!" Tsubasa shouted furiously, because Ash had hurt him, although not in the way he had meant. He wasn't sure what angered him more: the fact that Ash thought he would let himself be taken against his will, or the fact that the werewolf had rejected him yet again.

He reached out and placed his hand on Ash's sleeve, and then invoked the Weaving magic that was intrinsic to the crane clan. Tsubasa lacked the skill and talent of his cousin Ichiro, but he possessed enough innate ability to make thread obey his commands in a crude sort of way--enough to manipulate the cloth of Ash's robe and cause it to constrict and bind itself around the werewolf.

Ash let out a startled cry as his sleeves pinned his arms to his sides, and the loose folds of his robe wound around his legs, effectively hobbling him. It would not hold him for long; Ash's werewolf strength would probably allow him to break free in a few minutes at most, but it would immobilize him long enough for Tsubasa to prove his point.

"Accio!" Tsubasa cried, and a sword flew off the rack on the wall into his hand--a steel sword this time, not a wooden one. He kicked Ash's legs out from under him, knocking him onto his back, then pounced on the werewolf, straddling him and pinning him to the floor. Ash struggled for a moment, but went completely still when Tsubasa pressed the razor-sharp edge of the blade against his throat.

"Never make the mistake of thinking that I'm helpless because I've been disarmed, Ash," Tsubasa hissed, as the werewolf stared up at him, eyes wide with shock, looking more stunned than frightened. "You could not lay a hand on me if I did not permit it. Never forget that."

Ash nodded mutely, moving very slowly and carefully to avoid being cut by the sword, then tilted his head back--exposing his throat in a gesture of submission. Tsubasa sighed wearily and lowered his sword, realizing that it was himself more than Ash that he was angry at. If Ash couldn't lay a hand on him against his will, then he had no one but himself to blame for what had just happened.

And then he gasped as he felt very tangible evidence beneath him that Ash was becoming aroused again. He blushed with chagrin; it was stupid of him to have pulled such a stunt, and moreover, put himself in such a compromising position when he knew that the heat of battle excited the wolf.

Tsubasa's body was slower to recover than Ash's, but he felt desire beginning to stir within him in response to Ash's arousal, and he hastily scrambled to his feet, releasing the spell on Ash's robe. "Get out!" he shouted, and was relieved when Ash meekly slunk out of the classroom, because despite his indignant words, he wasn't sure that he could have resisted temptation if Ash had remained. And he wasn't really sure that he could stick to his resolve if Ash came back again later; he seemed to lose control of his body whenever the werewolf was near. Being taken up against the wall had been completely unexpected--but also raw, and hot, and exciting, in a way he had never experienced before, like the primal urge of two animals in heat. He suddenly began to fantasize about being alone in his office with Ash, imagining the werewolf bending him forward across the desk and taking him from behind...

And now he was fully hard and aroused, despite the fact that he'd just had sex a few minutes ago. Tsubasa cursed and punched his fist into the wall, welcoming the pain because it distracted him from his lust.

He replaced the sword on the rack, then leaned against the wall, cradling his bruised fist in his good hand; fortunately, nothing seemed to be broken, and a bit of healing salve should set things to right, but he didn't need to be a Seer to foresee a lot of cold showers in his future. This was not what he had imagined when he had wondered what meeting his lifemate would be like. He had imagined physical pleasure, yes, but also something more romantic--eyes meeting eyes, and love at first sight, like in the old fairy tales and legends. This just didn't seem right; surely his father's and Reiko's marriage was nothing like his relationship--or lack thereof--with Ash. Of course, he didn't know what they did in the privacy of their bedroom, but the love that they shared seemed to be one of gentle affection and companionship rather than passionate desire.

But Tsubasa's father Yokuto had been a grieving widower when he had met Reiko; his second marriage was bound to be different from his first--a more calm and mature, though no less loving, type of relationship than the passionate union of lifemates newly wed. Tsubasa's mother had died when he was very young, and his memories of that time were a little vague, but he remembered them being physically affectionate with each other, always holding hands, kissing, and hugging to the extent that they had seemed a little indecorous to the humans that they had lived among during their travels. He didn't recall them appearing to be possessed of the kind of overpowering lust that he felt for Ash, but then again, he had been viewing them through a child's innocent eyes.

Tsubasa shook his head; he could hardly ask his father what his sex life with his mother had been like! Well, he could, but he would be too mortified to do so, and more importantly, he'd have to explain why he was asking. He didn't want to worry his father, and Yokuto would definitely be worried if he knew about Tsubasa's troubled off-and-on relationship with Ash. Even worse, he might try to meddle and play matchmaker. For all that Lord Kazuhiko thought that Yokuto was a rebel for spending so much time among humans, he was, in his own way, quite conservative. Cranes always mated for life, and Yokuto's dearest wish was to see his son settle down and choose a mate. It worried him greatly that Tsubasa was still single in his late twenties, at an age when most people with crane blood were already married, and perhaps had a child or two, despite the fact that Reiko would gently chide him and tell him to let Tsubasa take things at his own pace. Tsubasa absolutely did not want his father acting as a go-between for himself and a bad-tempered werewolf--especially when he wasn't sure whether he really wanted that werewolf to be his mate.

Oh, he wanted Ash, to be sure, but lust was not the same thing as love. Surely there must be more to being lifemates than brief bouts of violent sex followed by long periods of his lover completely avoiding him.

Not that the sex wasn't good...Tsubasa shivered at the memory of Ash thrusting inside him, and of Ash's teeth clamped down on the back of his neck. But after it was over, he was somehow left feeling empty inside, and even more alone than he'd felt before their lovemaking. He wasn't even sure if it could actually be called "lovemaking". There had been a great deal of need, but little if any love or affection in what they had just done up against the wall.

And the worst part of it was that he still wanted to do it all over again.

He sighed and took out his wand, cleaned up the mess on the wall, then left the classroom. He headed in the direction of his quarters, intending to take a cold shower, but he felt tired and sore and heartsick, and suddenly the castle walls seemed unbearably oppressive. He longed to be under the open sky, to feel the wind on his face, and he changed direction and headed for the Astronomy Tower instead.

There were no students on the Tower at this time of day, fortunately for Tsubasa, since he didn't really want any company right now. He turned his face up to the sky and sighed, feeling a small measure of relief. He knew that Kazuhiko thought he was too human, but at times like these, he was glad that he was a crane and could find joy and comfort in the freedom of flight. He climbed up on the ramparts, spread his arms wide, as if inviting the wind to embrace him, and leaped off the Tower.

His body transformed automatically as he plummeted towards the ground, and he beat his wings to bring himself back up in the air, then belatedly became of aware of the sound of people screaming and shouting below him. He looked down to see a crowd of students staring up at him with expressions of fear and shock and excitement on their faces as they pointed at him, and then McGonagall marched into view and shouted, "Professor Tsubasa, get down here at once!"

Oops; he hadn't noticed that he'd had an audience when he jumped off the Tower. It was an unusually clear and sunny fall day, so many of the students must have decided to spend the afternoon outdoors. Tsubasa flew down to the ground, resumed his human form, and tried for a look of innocence as he asked politely, "Yes, Professor McGonagall?"

"Just what did you think you were doing, jumping off the Astronomy Tower like that?!" she demanded. "Did you ever stop to consider that you might frighten the students?"

Yvonne Deveraux was one of the students staring at him, her eyes wide and her face pale. "When we saw you jump off the Tower, we thought...we thought...well, that you..."

"That you were trying to commit suicide or something!" Dennis Creevey exclaimed.

Of course Tsubasa hadn't stopped to consider what the students might think, but he wasn't about to admit that to McGonagall. "I thought that all the students knew that I was a shapeshifter," he said mildly. "Since my true form is that of a bird, obviously I was never in any danger."

"Oh," Dennis said sheepishly. "I didn't think about that."

"Well, you still scared us!" Yvonne pouted. "It's not every day that you see a teacher jumping off a Tower! Professor Chizuru never jumped off any Towers."

"I apologize for alarming you, Miss Deveraux," Tsubasa said gently, giving her a charming smile; although he wasn't normally the manipulative type, he wasn't above using his good looks to disarm a situation like this one. The tengu had taught him to be practical and to use every weapon available at his command.

"Oh...well, it's okay," Yvonne said, blushing and looking flustered. "We should have remembered that you were a crane."

Tsubasa nodded at the other students and bowed in apology. "And I apologize to the rest of you as well. I thank you for your concern."

The students smiled at him at sheepishly, mumbling things like, "It's okay" and "We should have known," although McGonagall was still scowling at him, her arms crossed over her chest, not looking charmed in the least. He had the distinct impression that she would have given him detention if she could, or taken points off his House if he'd had one.

"I hope that from now on, you will remember to conduct yourself in a manner befitting a teacher, Professor Tsubasa," she said sternly. A couple of the students giggled but quickly fell silent when she turned her glare on the crowd, seeking out the offenders.

Tsubasa bowed again and said contritely, "I most certainly shall, Deputy Headmistress." It would not be wise to offend McGonagall too much, since she would become his supervisor after Dumbledore retired. And besides, he rather liked her. She reminded him of one of his tengu instructors, a tough old crow who treated her pupils mercilessly on the sparring grounds, but was always fair, and kind in a gruff sort of way. Not that McGonagall would appreciate the comparison.

Lupin emerged from behind the crowd of students, chuckling good-naturedly; Tsubasa hadn't noticed him earlier during all the ruckus. "Well, there's no harm done, Minerva, and I'm sure that Tsubasa didn't intend to frighten the students. Flying is second nature to him, after all, and he's used to living among other shapeshifters, so it wouldn't have occurred to him that the students might think he was in danger."

"Well, from now on, just keep in mind that the students here aren't used to seeing people sprout feathers in midair!" McGonagall said tartly. She turned on the crowd of students and snapped, "And don't the rest of you have any studying to do?"

The students reluctantly headed back towards the castle, shepherded by McGonagall, and Lupin chuckled again. "By the way, I thought Takeshi said that the crane folk were supposed to be discreet when living among humans. None of us even knew that he had crane blood until he revealed himself to Aric after they became mates."

"Well, Takeshi has always been a good boy who follows the rules, while I've always been a bit of a rebel," Tsubasa replied with a smile. "And he doesn't want to cause trouble for his brother, who has a prominent position in the clan as the chief apprentice to the Head Weaver. Bad behavior by one family member reflects poorly on the entire family, you see, but fortunately for me, my father is a bit of a rebel himself, so he doesn't mind too much when I annoy the clan elders."

"I see," Lupin said, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously. "Rather like the way that Severus has scandalized the wizarding world. Even his mother, the very proper and traditional Lady Selima, has given up trying to reform him."

"Something like that," Tsubasa agreed. Then he noticed Lupin's nostrils flare slightly as the other Professor gave him a curious look, and to his horror, he realized that Lupin's keen werewolf sense of smell could probably pick up the scent of sex on him. He hadn't even bothered to use a cleaning spell on himself, and his skin suddenly felt damp and itchy on the places where Ash's seed still covered his thighs.

Lupin made no mention of any scent, but he tilted his head to one side and said casually, "I just noticed, that's a nasty bruise on the back of your neck, Tsubasa."

Tsubasa's hand flew up to cover the offending mark, although it was obviously too late to hide it. His long tail of air, tied off at the top of his head samurai-style, rather than at the nape of his neck, only partially obscured the bite mark left by Ash, and he fervently hoped that McGonagall and the students hadn't noticed it. "Ah yes, well...I...I got it during practice," he stammered, not very convincingly. He fought hard to keep from blushing, but he felt his face growing warm despite his best efforts, because he was quite sure that Lupin could tell the difference between a normal bruise and a bite mark.

"Right, you had a lesson with Ash today, didn't you?" Lupin said, as if he had just remembered, although Tsubasa suspected that the werewolf was perfectly aware of his schedule. Lupin frowned, a look of slightly exaggerated puzzlement on his face. "But isn't the back of the neck a rather odd place to be hit? I'm no expert in these things, but I would have thought that most blows would land on the torso or the arms. Those would be the most exposed targets, after all."

"Yes, well...Ash is rather inexperienced, after all," Tsubasa said hastily. "As a novice, being unfamiliar with the rules of swordplay, sometimes he does the unexpected."

"Still," Lupin persisted, "he would have had to strike you from behind in order to leave a mark in that spot. I'm surprised that a novice student was able to sneak up behind a master swordsman like you. He must be making remarkable progress." Lupin smiled innocently. "Or perhaps it's because you are a remarkable teacher. Or both."

"He didn't precisely 'sneak,'" Tsubasa muttered, feeling his face turning even redder. {It was more like "pounce,"} he added silently. "But yes, he is a talented student." He cleared his throat and said, "Well, it's been nice chatting with you, Remus, but I'd like to get back to my quarters and put a little salve on my bruises."

"Of course," Lupin said, his eyes twinkling merrily, and Tsubasa hurried on his way, feeling utterly humiliated. He was beginning to understand why Snape found the Gryffindors so annoying; they all seemed to have that mischievous sense of humor. On the other hand, what did it say about the Potions Master that he kept a Gryffindor as his lover? He shook his head, wondering if perhaps Snape was a masochist. Well, he supposed that it wasn't really any of his business.

He managed to make it to his quarters without further incident, took a shower, and applied some healing salve to his neck and hand. When he emerged from the bathroom, he found a letter sitting on his desk; it must have been left by a house-elf.

"This is just what I needed," Tsubasa muttered gloomily as he read a pleasant and chatty letter from his parents asking how he was doing at his new job--and coyly asking about his "wolf friend". Takeshi must have written to them about Ash--no, that wasn't really fair. Takeshi might tease him a little, but he wasn't really the type to gossip. It was probably Aunt Haruko; she and Reiko were good friends, and they loved to gossip about their sons with each other, so she had probably mentioned that Tsubasa had brought Ash to dinner at the restaurant.

"Note to self," he muttered. "Next time, do not bring a date to your aunt and uncle's restaurant if you don't want the news getting back to your parents." But back then, it hadn't seemed like a big deal; Ash had merely been a friend and a potential romantic partner. He hadn't imagined that things would get this complicated between them.

He picked up a pen and began writing a reply, taking care to sound cheerful and upbeat, including a few humorous stories about his students, and saying that his "wolf friend" was just fine and that they were still getting to know each other. He avoided any mention of the recent murders, or the fact that his "wolf friend" was a suspect in those murders, because that would certainly cause his parents to immediately Portkey to England in concern, and right now he had more than he could handle just dealing with Ash. Hopefully Haruko wouldn't write to Reiko about it, either. He thought that she wouldn't want to worry his parents anymore than he did, but just to be on the safe side, he owled the letter to her along with a note asking her to send the letter on to his parents through the restaurant's Portkey, but asking her not to say anything about the murders until the true culprit was safely apprehended.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lupin headed to the dungeon, a little distracted by the musky scent of sex. That scent, of course, had disappeared along with Tsubasa, but the memory of it seemed to linger in his nostrils, causing him to growl softly with hunger and anticipation. Lupin wasn't a voyeur, and he didn't have any particular desire to fantasize about Tsubasa and Ash having sex with each other, although he did enjoy teasing the new Professor just a little bit. But that familiar smell aroused the wolf and made him long for his own mate, as did the bite mark on Tsubasa's neck. Tsubasa had obviously come straight from the Physical Defense classroom, and he thought to himself with amusement, {My, those two must have quite a passion for each other, if they can't even wait till they get to his quarters!}

Of course, he and Severus had indulged in a few "quickies" between classes in their offices, so he wasn't one to talk. Lupin growled a little louder, the wolf growing aroused at the thought of making love with Severus in an empty classroom, a hurried but passionate encounter, with Severus bending him over a desk, or maybe taking him up against the wall. He imagined his mate claiming him, could almost feel the pressure of his mate's teeth sinking into the back of his neck...

"Lupin?" a deep and familiar voice said, and Lupin blinked and looked up to see that his lover was standing in front of him, as if summoned by his thoughts. They were standing in the corridor outside the Potions Master's office, which Severus had just come from, judging by the stack of graded papers he was holding in one arm.

"Lupin?" Severus repeated, frowning at him in concern. "Are you all right? You were walking down the hall in a daze, growling to yourself. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that the moon was full. Honestly, Lupin, if you're going to walk around barking and growling, maybe I should start brewing the Wolfsbane Potion earlier in--"

Lupin shoved him against the wall, cutting off his words with a passionate kiss, and the homework papers went flying into the air. Severus returned the kiss for a moment, probably out of reflex, then shoved Lupin away from him and gasped, "Have you lost your mind, Lupin?!"

Lupin leaned in to nuzzle at his neck. "Want you," he growled. "Need you. Now."

His lover gave him a startled look. "Did the full moon come early this month? Or did you use a Time-Turner to send us a couple of weeks into the future?"

"No," Lupin whispered, nipping at his mate's neck, although the high collar of Severus's robes got in his way. "Does the moon have to be full for me to want you?" His mate was exceedingly possessive and jealous, something that the wolf loved, but Lupin didn't think it would go over well if he told Severus that he'd been turned on by the thought--or rather, the scent--of two other men making love.

"Um, well, no," Severus replied, but he gave Lupin a suspicious look. Then he glanced down the hall, looking relieved when he saw that no students were in sight. "Fine, let's go to our quarters, you idiot wolf." He took out his wand and said, "Accio," and the dropped papers flew back into his hand.

It would only take them a few minutes to walk to their quarters, but Lupin couldn't wait that long. "Now!" he growled insistently, pushing his mate against the wall again.

Severus nearly dropped the papers a second time. "Now?" he asked incredulously, his eyes going wide with shock and horror. "In the middle of the bloody hallway?! Where anyone--especially a student--could see us?!"

The wolf didn't mind that thought too much right now; at least that way everyone would know that Severus belonged to him. But Lupin still possessed just enough self-control to realize that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to have sex someplace where the students might see them. "Your office, then," he growled.

Severus glanced down the hallway one more time, then quickly dragged Lupin into his office, locked the door, and cast a silence spell. Lupin noted with regret that the walls of the office were lined with shelves filled with very breakable glass jars and vials, and then his eyes fell on the desk. Severus noticed the direction of his gaze and hurriedly began clearing off the desk, throwing papers into the drawers and stacking jars on the shelves, while Lupin impatiently struggled out of his clothes, tearing off a few buttons in the process.

Then he pounced on his lover, too eager to wait for Severus to completely undress, unfastening his trousers and reaching into them to stroke his mate erect. "Merlin's Beard, Lupin!" Severus exclaimed. "What the hell has gotten into you today?"

"I know what I want inside me," Lupin growled in a husky voice. "You."

Severus gasped, and his dark eyes filled with an intense desire that equaled that of the wolf. He made no more protests, and sealed his mouth over Lupin's hungrily, his hand reaching for the one remaining jar on the desk--a jar of lavender oil, their standard lubricant. A muffled little whimper escaped from Lupin's mouth when the flowery scent filled the air.

He offered no resistance, and indeed, complied eagerly when Severus spun him around and bent him over the desk. He squirmed impatiently as his mate stretched and prepared him with his fingers; it felt good, but the wolf wanted more. Severus laughed wickedly in his deep, resonant voice and gave Lupin a light, playful swat on the arse, saying, "Be still, like a good wolf," but that was a command that Lupin found impossible to obey.

In spite of his impatience, he still whined in protest when Severus's fingers pulled away, leaving him empty, but then he let out a wild moan as he felt Severus push into him, slowly but steadily. Yes, this was what the wolf craved! He growled and pushed back against his mate, urging him to pick up the pace, and Severus took the hint, with a wolf-like growl of his own, thrusting harder and faster, the slap of flesh on flesh providing a counterpoint to Lupin's cries of pleasure. His hands scrabbled frantically for purchase on the desk, his fingernails clawing at the smooth, polished surface of the wood, while his hips rocked back and forth in time with his lover's thrusts. He was already on the brink of ecstasy when he felt Severus's hand close around him, moving in quick, rough strokes that made the wolf want to howl, and he knew that he wouldn't last much longer.

"Severus!" Lupin moaned. "Please!" He couldn't get out anything more coherent than that, but gratifyingly, his mate knew exactly what he meant. Severus grabbed him by the shoulder, pulling his torso up off the desk until his back rested against Severus's chest. And despite his urgency, Lupin sighed happily, relishing the contact with his mate. Then he whimpered as he felt Severus's teeth teasingly graze the nape of his neck, and then the howl that he had been holding back ripped loose from his throat as those teeth bit down hard, and a violent shudder wracked his body as he came. A moment later, he heard a hoarse cry, and felt Severus come inside him.

A little while later, as they were getting cleaned up and dressed, Severus asked with a wry smile, "So what exactly brought that on, if not the full moon?"

"Just my werewolf hormones," Lupin said sweetly, feigning innocence. "There must be something in the air."

"Hmm," his lover said suspiciously, but did not pursue the subject any further.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ash slunk back home with his tail between his legs (figuratively speaking), and went upstairs to his room, brushing off the greetings and questions of his packmates. He sank down onto the bed and started to reach for a bottle of Firewhiskey that he had hidden under it, then changed his mind. He had already lost control of the wolf once today when he was sober; he had no idea what might happen if the wolf took over again while he was drunk.

He trembled as he remembered what had happened in the classroom with Tsubasa; he had, for a brief time, been completely subsumed into the wolf's personality, something that hadn't happened since he had started taking the Wolfsbane Potion, and never when the moon wasn't full. He had thought, for one horrible moment after he came to his senses, that he had raped his friend, and although Tsubasa had made it clear that he could defend himself, Ash was not comforted. He had still lost control to the wolf, and he could have seriously hurt Tsubasa in spite of the shapeshifter's unique magic; it only took a moment's distraction or hesitation to injure or kill a person, especially with the werewolf's strength and lightning reflexes.

And he still felt terrible, because he knew that he had hurt Tsubasa, emotionally if not physically, and he wondered despairingly how things had gone so wrong. He'd gotten what he had thought he wanted, which was for Tsubasa to return his desire, but his wish had somehow gone awry, becoming twisted and warped. He could not risk taking Tsubasa as his mate, or even a casual lover, if it meant that he would lose himself to the wolf; it would be like having to endure a full moon without Wolfsbane Potion every time that they made love. And sooner or later, there was a good chance that he would end up hurting his lover, in spite of Tsubasa's skill as a swordsman and mage. He hadn't forgotten how he and his packmates used to tear into each other during the madness of the full moon, before Lupin had started bringing them the Wolfsbane Potion in an attempt to win them over to the Order's side.

But there was something else contributing to his fear besides the wolf: a tiny voice in his head that whispered that he could trust no one but his pack. His fingers reached up to trace the scar on his face, a reminder of how he had been betrayed before by people that he cared about--not just his father who had given him the scar, but his mother and his friends at the farm who had not tried to help him.

And that had been while he was still human. Now he was a werewolf, a Dark Creature, and surely only a monster could love another monster. In his despair, he forgot, or chose to overlook, the fact that a few of the werewolves did have human spouses. His pack loved him, even if it was more of a brotherly and sisterly sort of love than the passionate love of lifemates. It was better to settle for friendship and the comfort of casual affairs than it would be to watch Tsubasa turn away from him someday in fear or disgust...wasn't it?

The wolf did not agree. The wolf wanted Tsubasa, and as far as it was concerned, Tsubasa wanted the wolf, so it didn't understand what Ash was so upset about. The wolf thought, a bit impatiently, that he should just go ahead and claim Tsubasa--permanently.

However, as far as Ash was concerned, the wolf had gotten him into enough trouble as it was. He swore under his breath, then cast the most powerful wards that he knew on his room, the same ones that the pack used to use to confine themselves during the full moon. Surely that would hold him safely if the wolf decided to go berserk. Then he reached under the bed and grabbed the bottle of Firewhiskey, after all.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

"So?" Imogen asked eagerly as she and Warren and Greyback gathered together in the safe house. "Did you find the heir?"

"Indeed I did," Warren said smugly. "There's even a chance that he might actually be the old Snape Lord's grandson! His name is Sebastien Delauney--"

"Oh, perfect!" Imogen cried delightedly. "One of the Snape ancestors was named Sebastian!"

"It's pure coincidence, of course, but we can use it to our advantage and claim that he was named after Sebastian Snape," Warren agreed. For Greyback's benefit he added, "Sebastian Snape lived in the time of the Founders, and was a friend of Salazar Slytherin. He was probably the most famous of the Snape Lords, at least until our double-crossing Potions Master came along."

Greyback nodded impatiently, not interested in the history lesson. "This young Sebastien, he's willing to go along with your plan and pose as the heir? And does he have a strong enough claim to win his case, or at least draw things out long enough to distract Snape?"

"He has a very strong case," Warren said with satisfaction. "His grandmother was Philomela Delauney, one of Stefan Snape's favorite mistresses. She came from a pureblood family that had fallen on hard times; her father fled England, leaving behind a great deal of debt, and her mother committed suicide, so poor little Philomela had no choice but to sell herself to a brothel in order to survive. But she was not just a common whore. She was beautiful, pureblooded, and well-educated--a combination rare enough to earn her a place in a very expensive and exclusive brothel that catered to the pureblood elite, where she soon caught Stefan Snape's eye and became his favorite in the latter years of his life."

"But don't the girls at those places use birth control charms or potions, especially at a high-class place like the one you're describing?" Greyback objected. "The purebloods are usually careful about where they sow their seeds; they don't want any little bastards mucking up the lines of succession." The werewolf smirked. "Of course, your own father was a bit careless, wasn't he? Lucky for me, as it turns out, since you need me to get rid of your half-brother. But can you really convince the Ministry that this whore would have been careless enough to get pregnant?"

"Yes, I can," Warren said through gritted teeth. If it hadn't been for the Unbreakable Vow, he would have hexed Greyback through the wall for that little dig at his father--something the werewolf knew perfectly well, judging by his malicious smirk. Imogen gave him a cautioning look, silently warning him to keep his temper under control, and Warren took a deep breath to calm himself, then continued, "The manager of the brothel was skimming money off allotted expenses, and tried to cut corners by buying some bargain-priced birth control charms. And naturally, a few of the charms failed, including Philomela's. She was a few months along by the time she realized it, and an abortion potion only made her sick without getting rid of the child." Normally it was easy enough for a witch to abort an unwanted child, but with magic, things were always unpredictable. Even in the womb, a wizarding child with a strong magical gift could prove more tenacious than a Muggle fetus, stubbornly clinging to life and resisting all attempts to destroy it, and the farther along a pregnancy was, the harder it tended to be to abort the child. In fact, sometimes doing so could endanger the mother's life.

"So Philomela had no choice but to keep the brat, then?" Imogen mused.

"Yes, but Stefan Snape was not her only client, so she had no idea which of her clients was the father," Warren replied. "Perhaps if Stefan had been in good health, she might have appealed to him to give her enough money to start a new life elsewhere in exchange for keeping his possible bastard a secret. Then again, perhaps not; the Snapes are known for being ruthless. However, the point was moot since Lord Snape had recently fallen ill and was not expected to survive much longer, and his son Severin wasn't likely to welcome a potential rival heir. If Philomela could not or would not abort the baby, he might well have decided to eliminate both mother and child.

"Desperate to escape England, she managed to persuade one of her other clients, a young man of the Parkinson family, that it was his child, and convinced him to run off to France with her. However, his family cut off his access to their Gringotts account, and when his money ran out, he eventually crawled back home with his tail between his legs, leaving Philomela alone, pregnant, and penniless.

"She had a few distant relatives in France, which is partly why she chose to flee there, but they were disinclined to show much charity to an unwed girl with a fatherless child. She ended up working at another brothel, but as a maidservant this time. She could have taken up her old profession once she'd had the child and regained her figure, but a baby would have been an encumbrance to a courtesan, and she would have had to give him up to an orphanage. For some reason, she was determined to keep her son, maybe because he was all the family she had left, or maybe she just decided that scrubbing floors and dishes was better than being a whore, even a high-priced one.

"The boy grew up into a handsome, charming young man--handsome and charming enough to seduce a wealthy young pureblood woman into eloping with him. However, things did not turn out as he had planned, and the woman's family disinherited her. The wife was a delicate little thing, not used to living in poverty, and she died when Sebastien was only a few years old. The father died a few years after that, killed in an argument over a gambling debt, so Sebastien was mostly raised by his grandmother, who is now also deceased. But before she died, she told him of her past, because she wanted him to know that he was a pureblood descended from old lineage, which is true enough, no matter whom her son's father was, because all of her clients were high-ranking purebloods. That was important to her, because no matter how poor she was, no matter how far into degradation she fell, she still clung to her pureblood pride."

"I hope this means that she taught Sebastien to behave like a proper pureblood," Imogen said. "He needs to convince the Ministry that he's a viable option to Snape, at least temporarily."

"He's perfect," Warren assured her. "He's handsome, charming, and has enough polish on his manners to pass among high society. That is, in fact, how he makes his living: he befriends wealthy young French purebloods who are looking for a little adventure, and introduces them to the bars and gambling dens and brothels on the seamier side of town--a sort of guide and procurer, if you will. He lives amidst the pureblood elite without actually being a part of them, and that, along with his grandmother's stories, has left him with a hunger and a feeling of entitlement, a desire to claim what is rightfully his."

"Have you convinced him that he'll actually be able to win his claim to the Snape estate?" Imogen asked, a little worried that their fake heir might cause a fuss if it started looking like he was going to lose his case. Then again, they could always have Greyback take care of him if he became troublesome...

"I've convinced him that there's at least a chance he'll win, but he's a realist," Warren replied. "Sebastien can hardly be anything but cynical, considering the kind of life he's led. I've paid him a hefty fee to pose as the heir, with the promise of more, even if he loses the lawsuit. At best, he'll become the Lord of the Snape estate, and at worst, he'll still walk away much richer than he started. Either way, he figures he has nothing to lose."

"What does he know about us?" Imogen asked.

"I used a disguise and haven't told him my real name, of course," Warren replied confidently. "As far as he's concerned, I'm just a rival of the Snape family who wants to see them brought down, and I've paid him enough that he won't ask any inconvenient questions."

"Great, you have a Snape heir," Greyback said impatiently. "So when can I kill Alden Madley? That was the whole point of breaking me out of the sanatorium, wasn't it, to have me eliminate your brother and his family?"

"The Abbott woman only whetted your appetite, eh?" Warren asked with a grin. "Don't worry, Greyback, you can go hunting again soon. Sebastien is in England, and he's contacted the lawyer that I recommended. Snape should be receiving notice of the lawsuit within the next day or two."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

The very next day at lunch, an owl dropped off a thick envelope for Snape at the head table. As he opened it and read the papers inside, the puzzled look on his face rapidly changed to one of shock and anger.

"Severus?" Lupin asked anxiously. "What's wrong?"

"This is a notification from the Ministry that a Sebastien Delauney is challenging my claim to the Snape estate!" Snape snarled, flinging the papers down on the table.

"But I thought that you said you had no siblings or first cousins, and surely no one else would have a better claim than the son of the previous Lord," Lupin protested.

"This Delauney claims that his father was the illegitimate son of my grandfather, Stefan Snape," the Potions Master replied, then noticed that the other teachers were listening in on their conversation with unabashed interest. Except for Dumbledore, they all quickly glanced away when Snape glared at them.

"Is that true?" Lupin asked. "Did your grandfather have any illegitimate children?"

"How the bloody hell would I know, Lupin?!" Snape shouted. "He died before I was born!"

"It was--and I'm afraid to some extent still is--common for wealthy pureblood men to keep mistresses on the side," Dumbledore replied more calmly. "There was never any hint of scandal connected to Stefan that I know of, but it's possible that he could have covered up the birth of an illegitimate child, or that the mother kept the child's birth a secret and never told him about it."

"Or it could be some kind of trick," Snape said sourly. "An opportunist hoping to extort money from the Snape family, or someone who simply wants to cause trouble for me and my family. Unfortunately, I have so many enemies from both sides of the war that it's difficult to keep track of them all."

Just then, Selima's owl Socrates arrived with a terse note from his mistress, ordering Snape to report to the manor at once. "The day just keeps getting worse," Snape said morosely.

"Go ahead, Severus," Dumbledore said with a sympathetic smile. "I'll cancel your afternoon classes, and Remus's as well. Your mother knows a great deal about the history of the Snape family, so perhaps she might be able to shed some light on the matter."

"The last thing I want to do is talk to my mother when she's in a rage," Snape grumbled.

Lupin read the note Selima had sent, and said, "This says that she'll send a Howler to the school if you're not at Snape Manor within the hour." Snape groaned out loud, and Lupin couldn't help but smile in spite of the seriousness of the situation. "I guess we'll be going to Snape Manor, then."

Part 15a