FIC: Phoenix Rising, Part 3 of 37

[geri_chan]

Title: Phoenix Rising, Part 3 of 37
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~9,900
Warning: AU; my own version of Year 6 (was written pre-HBP).
Author's notes: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Always (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Summer Vacation (Part 1, Part 2), For Old Time's Sake (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), Three's a Crowd (or, Summer Vacation II) (Part 1, Part 2), Return of the Raven (Part 1, Part 2), Phoenix Reborn (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8)
Summary: Lupin exposes his relationship with Snape to his fellow Order members--much to Snape's dismay.

Part 1, Part 2


***

The meeting was adjourned, and most of the wizards left. Molly Weasley stayed behind "to cook a proper meal" for Sirius, Lupin, and Branwen.

"I know how to cook," Sirius protested, but didn't complain overmuch.

Dumbledore stayed behind; he wanted to talk to Mrs. Weasley about the possibility of Harry spending the second half of the summer living at Grimmauld Place with his friends again. And since they liked Mrs. Weasley's cooking, Tonks and Shacklebolt stayed behind as well. Snape was relieved to see that Moody left; he didn't like the former Auror under the best of circumstances, and he liked him even less today, after the remarks he had made about Dylan.

Tonks could not tear her eyes away from Snape and Lupin, and finally Sirius leaned over and whispered, "Why are you staring at Snape? Please don't tell me you're attracted to that slimy git!"

"Er...no, it's not that," Tonks replied, turning to face her cousin. She wondered if he knew what was going on between Lupin and Snape; the werewolf was his best friend, after all. "Um, could I talk to you in private?" she asked quietly. Sirius looked puzzled, but nodded. They rose from their seats and started to leave, but found Snape blocking their way.

"Excuse me, Nymphadora," Snape said in an icy voice.

"Call me Tonks, please, Severus," Tonks replied coolly, a little annoyed that Snape had used her first name when he knew perfectly well that she hated it.

"Tonks, then," Snape said, in a falsely pleasant voice that had a sharp edge to it. Sirius started to frown at him, but Snape ignored him. "I'm sure I don't have to remind you to respect the privacy of your fellow Order members, Tonks." He slightly stressed her name as he stared daggers into her eyes.

"Have you got a problem, Snape?" Sirius said loudly, stepping in front of his cousin. Tonks was one of his favorite relatives, and she was young enough that he felt protective of her, although as an Auror she was probably more than capable of defending herself.

"Not with you, Black," Snape replied coolly. "At least, not yet."

"If you've got a problem with my cousin, then you've got a problem with me," Sirius said belligerently.

"Um, Sirius, it's okay, really," Tonks said. But Sirius ignored her, as he continued to glare at Snape. Meanwhile, Shacklebolt was watching the proceedings with a look of keen interest. Dumbledore and Branwen exchanged looks of amusement, looking for all the world like indulgent parents watching their children squabble.

Lupin saw the way Shacklebolt was staring at them and tapped Snape on the shoulder. "Ah, Severus, perhaps you should--"

"Not now, Lupin!" Snape snapped, not taking his eyes off of Sirius's face.

Lupin sighed and turned away, muttering under his breath, "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"So what's got a bee up your robe, Snape?" Sirius asked.

"Are all the members of your family incapable of minding their own business, Black?" Snape retorted.

"Hey, that's not fair!" protested Tonks. "It's not like I walked in on you on purpose!"

Snape blinked, a little startled. He had gotten so absorbed in his argument with Black that he had almost forgotten she was there.

"What, did she walk in on one of your 'secret conferences' with Remus?" Sirius sneered. He had only been joking, to try and annoy Snape, but to his surprise both Tonks and Snape blushed. He turned to look at Remus, who was watching them with a look of combined irritation and amusement.

"What's so top-secret about your meetings with Remus, anyway, Snape?" Shacklebolt asked, and three things happened simultaneously:

Branwen began to laugh, and attempted to turn it into a coughing fit; Snape snarled, "None of your business"; and Dumbledore said, "What secret meetings?"

"What?" Shacklebolt asked, not sure he had heard the Headmaster correctly. "You haven't assigned Lupin and Snape to work on a special project together?" Dumbledore shook his head, the little twinkle in his eyes belying the look of innocent bewilderment on his face. "Then what the hell have you two been doing together all this time?!"

Snape's face turned bright red, Sirius began to chortle, Tonks giggled as she continued to blush, and Branwen's "cough" turned into outright laughter. Shacklebolt stared at his fellow Order members, wondering if they had all gone insane.

There was a mischievous gleam in Lupin's blue eyes as he turned to Snape and said, "Shall we tell him what we've been working on, Severus?"

Snape frantically shook his head and began backing away from Lupin, who moved forward like a wolf stalking its prey. "You agreed, no announcements--"

"I think the cat's out of the bag, Severus," Lupin said with a grin. "And we are among people we trust."

"But...but..." Snape stammered. Lupin grinned at him mercilessly. Snape raised his hands, as if to ward off an attack, but it was too late--the wolf pounced. Lupin grabbed the front of Snape's robes, pulled him forward, and firmly clamped his lips down over Snape's, cutting off his protests.

Tonks scratched her head, saying, "Well, I guess I wasn't hallucinating after all." Branwen continued to laugh, Dumbledore beamed happily at his two former students, and Shacklebolt's jaw dropped open.

Just then, Mrs. Weasley, who had gone to the kitchen to start dinner, walked back into the room, stirring something in a large bowl. "Could someone help me with--" she started to say, then spotted Lupin kissing a struggling Snape. She let out a little shriek and dropped her bowl, spilling batter all over the floor.

Startled, Lupin broke off the kiss and looked up, although he still kept a firm grip on Snape's robes. Snape's face was still red, and he probably would have started yelling at Lupin if not for the fact that he was too busy gasping for breath.

"Y-you..." Mrs. Weasley stammered, staring at Lupin. "A-and Se-Severus?!"

"What's going on?!" Shacklebolt shouted. "Has everyone completely lost their minds?! Has Voldemort drugged the water here or something?!" He was so disconcerted that he didn't even notice that he had said Voldemort's name out loud.

Lupin grinned happily. "No, we're not insane, and I'm not under the influence of anything other than love!"

"LOVE?!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley and Shacklebolt.

Snape had managed to take in enough air to say, "Lupin--!" but his lover immediately cut him off with another fierce kiss. Snape continued to struggle, but his efforts were weaker this time--but only because of the lack of oxygen, he told himself. And the damned werewolf was much stronger than he looked. {"I'm not an alpha wolf"--hah!} Snape thought. {That little Gryffindor is as sly as a Slytherin!} Then he felt Lupin's tongue insistently sliding between his lips and completely lost his train of thought. His arms wrapped themselves around Lupin's waist--just for support, he told himself, because he suddenly felt faint. It must be the lack of oxygen, and had absolutely nothing to do with Lupin's kiss...

Lupin sealed his lover's mouth with his own before he could draw breath to protest, kissing him fiercely and relentlessly. This time Severus's struggles were decidedly halfhearted, and stopped altogether when Lupin forced his tongue between his lover's lips. He felt Severus's arms close around him, and Lupin felt his lips trying to curve into a smile as Severus began kissing him back, making eager little noises halfway between a moan and a whimper. Severus, who had spent his entire childhood and most of his young adult years being controlled and manipulated by others, had an obsessive need to be in control, even in bed, and Lupin readily ceded control to his lover most of the time. He didn't mind; as he had once told Severus, he was not really the alpha wolf type. But he was finding it strangely exciting, to have Severus yield control to him, to give himself up to Lupin's touch. Perhaps it was the pent-up frustration that had built up over the past year, all the sneaking and hiding, all the lonely nights without his mate, that had suddenly made the wolf so aggressive. {No, it's not really fair to blame it on the wolf,} Lupin thought. {It's me; I want Severus to acknowledge me, to acknowledge that he loves me, in public.} Well, a handful of Order members in their secret headquarters didn't really count as "public," so Lupin didn't think he was asking for too much.

Lupin finally, and very reluctantly, broke off the kiss, and only because he was starting to feel lightheaded and suddenly realized that he needed to breathe very badly. He released Severus and they both started gasping for air.

"Jeez, Moony, get a room!" Sirius complained, and Lupin laughed, albeit a little breathlessly.

"How long has this been going on?" Tonks asked, her eyes wide again.

"Since...I was...teaching...at...Hogwarts," Lupin replied, taking in gulps of air between words.

"But I thought Snape got you fired!" exclaimed Shacklebolt. "Or was that a cover story as well?"

"It's a very long story," said Lupin.

"And absolutely none of your business," Snape said, his voice still a little weak, but he was glowering menacingly at everyone in the room. His glare only intensified as he turned to his lover and said, "I'm going to kill you, Lupin."

Lupin just leaned forward and gently nuzzled and kissed Snape's neck. "Oh," Snape gasped, his eyelids fluttering shut for a moment as any murderous thoughts he had flew out of his head. His knees almost buckled beneath him, and he had to lean back against the wall for support.

Lupin stared at him, awed and delighted by the effect he had on his lover. For the first time, he understood what the phrase "drunk with power" meant, because he was experiencing it right now. He knew that Severus loved him and desired him, of course, but had never seen him react this way before; it was really quite intoxicating...

"I'm sure we're all fascinated by your love life, Moony--" Sirius was saying sarcastically.

"Well, actually, we are," Tonks said cheerfully. Mrs. Weasley tried to give her a disapproving look, but found herself unable to look away from Lupin and Snape.

"--but could you two PLEASE take it upstairs?"

"So that's what they've been doing upstairs all this time," Tonks giggled. Mrs. Weasley did glare at her this time.

Shacklebolt was very, very glad that his skin was too dark to show a blush, because otherwise he was sure that his face would have been as red as Snape's. "Um, it's really none of our business," he said hastily.

"Exactly what I've been saying," Snape said sourly, but the fact that he was still clinging to the wall for support made his words less intimidating than usual.

"Well, I'm sure we're all very happy for the two of you," Mrs. Weasley said in a tone of forced cheer, as Shacklebolt looked at her in askance.

"I think I'm going to throw up," Snape muttered, feeling completely mortified. He was going to kill Lupin as soon he got him alone...if only Lupin would stop giving him that come-hither look with those deceptively innocent blue eyes.

"Can you tell me why you felt the need for this sudden public display of affection?" Sirius asked Lupin, still sounding rather peeved.

"You knew about this, Sirius?" Tonks asked.

"Yeah," he replied, scowling. "I just think it's too bad that Remus has such abominable taste in men."

Snape changed his mind; maybe he'd kill Black first, and THEN kill Lupin. In fact, he should just poison everyone in the room and get of rid of all the witnesses at once...

Lupin chose to ignore that last remark and answered Sirius's question, "I was just telling Severus that I was tired of all this hiding and sneaking around and making up elaborate excuses to see each other. I figured there's no need to hide it from our trusted friends and colleagues, right?"

There was no answer, as Shacklebolt, Tonks, and Mrs. Weasley were still in shock. Dumbledore and Branwen just grinned at each other as if they'd been responsible for the whole thing. Which, come to think of it, they probably were, Snape realized, recalling how Professor Blackmore had teamed him and Lupin up on that class project, and how the Headmaster had brought Lupin back to Hogwarts as a teacher. He knew he should be grateful, but right now he wanted to kill them both for looking so damned smug.

"And anyway," Lupin was saying, "Tonks walked in on us while we were kissing, so I figured the whole point was moot."

Shacklebolt saw Dumbledore and Branwen giving each other conspiratorial smiles and asked, "You two knew about this all along?"

They both grinned widely. "Yes, and I couldn't be happier," Dumbledore cheerfully.

"They make such a lovely couple, don't they?" Branwen said sweetly. Mrs. Weasley and Shacklebolt stared at her as if she'd gone insane, while Snape glared at his former teacher with a homicidal look in his black eyes. Tonks looked at him nervously, afraid that he might go over the edge and actually attack Branwen, but the object of his glare was unconcerned. It took more than a grumpy Death Eater to intimidate someone who had spent fourteen years living among demons.

In any case, there was no need for Tonks to have worried; all Snape did was turn to Lupin and say caustically, "Are you happy now, Lupin? Or perhaps you'd like to take out an ad in the Daily Prophet?"

Although Snape was speaking to Lupin in his usual sarcastic and unpleasant tone of voice, Shacklebolt was suddenly struck by the realization that their constant bickering was more like that of a long-married couple than a pair of mortal enemies. Well, perhaps bickering was the wrong word, since it was mostly one-sided, on Snape's part, come to think of it...

"No, Severus," Lupin said with a contented smile. "I'm very happy." He leaned against Snape, slipped an arm around his waist, and began nuzzling his neck again.

"LUPIN!" Snape shrieked, trying to disentangle himself from his amorous werewolf lover. "Will you quit pawing at me?!"

"Fine, Severus," Lupin sighed, letting go of him. Then he whispered into Snape's ear, "But that means you'll have to ask me nicely, the next time you want me to paw you."

Snape turned red and glared at him, then attempted to salvage the tattered remains of his pride. "While I'm sure you have all found this vastly entertaining," he said in a cold voice, "I would just like to remind everyone that the reason we kept it quiet to begin with was so that the Death Eaters wouldn't find out. If word should leak out and reach the Dark Lord's ears, it is quite likely that the Order will soon be missing both a werewolf and a spy."

"I'm sure that everyone here understands that, and will keep the information confidential," Branwen said calmly.

Shacklebolt and Mrs. Weasley nodded, and Tonks grinned, making a zipping gesture across her mouth with her thumb and forefinger.

Mrs. Weasley attempted to break the awkward silence that followed by saying brightly, "I hope this means you'll be staying for dinner more often, Severus."

Snape gave her a withering look, and fled the room before any more humiliation could be heaped upon him.

***

A few minutes later, Lupin entered their rooms. "I stayed behind to help Molly clean up the mess on the floor," he began, but Snape cut him off.

"I'm going to kill you, Lupin!"

Lupin just smiled at him. "Oh, come on, Severus, there was no point in hiding it once Tonks saw us."

"That didn't mean you had to jump me in front of everyone!" Snape shouted.

"Can you honestly say you didn't like it, Severus?" Lupin said with a sly grin. "That you didn't find it just a little bit exciting? Because I think you did."

Snape flushed and said, "What I'm thinking is that perhaps I ought to take another look at the Wolfsbane Potion, because I'm wondering if it's having some unexpected side-effects. I'm pleased it's been working so well, but if you're going to start molesting me in public, we may have to rethink--"

"It has nothing to do with the potion, Severus," Lupin said calmly. "It's nowhere near the full moon."

"You could have fooled me," Snape said dryly. Lupin grinned at him, his lips pulling back from his teeth to reveal his sharp canines, and despite himself, Snape felt a little shiver of desire run down his spine. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Didn't you tell me that you weren't an alpha wolf?"

"I'm not," Lupin protested, but his blue eyes were sparkling with laughter.

"Could have fooled me," Snape repeated.

"No wolf is truly tame, Severus," Lupin said softly, the look in his eyes changing to something more feral, and Snape shivered again. "Wolves fight and jostle for position in their packs all the time." He and Snape began to circle around each other slowly, like two wolves sizing up their opponents.

"Are you saying you want to fight with me, Lupin?" Snape asked huskily.

"No, Severus," Lupin said in a velvety voice. "That is the last thing I want." That voice made Snape's mouth go dry. Still circling around Snape, Lupin leaned over and whispered, "Your cries of outrage were loud, Severus, but you didn't put up much of a struggle when I kissed you. In fact, it seemed to me that you were enjoying yourself very much."

"I was not," Snape said, but his words came out in a hoarse whisper, which made his denial rather unconvincing.

"Oh? Then you didn't like it when I did this, either?" Lupin leaned over again and lightly brushed his lips against Snape's neck. Snape gasped and reached out for Lupin, but the werewolf playfully darted out of reach. "I thought you didn't want me pawing at you, Severus."

"Only in public," Snape whined. A very small part of him still wanted to kill Lupin, but rest of him thought that there were a number of other things he could do to and with Lupin that would be much more pleasurable... "You're such a little tease, Lupin!"

"Do you remember what I said about asking nicely, Severus?" Lupin said mischievously. There was a mixture of irritation and desire in Snape's black eyes as he made a noise deep in his throat that sounded remarkably like a growl. {So which one of us is the wolf, hmm?} Lupin thought in amusement.

"Slytherins don't ask nicely for anything, Lupin," Snape said in a haughty tone.

"Then you must not want me very badly."

"Let me show you how badly I want you, Lupin!" Snape said, lunging at the werewolf, but Lupin, light and agile on his feet, evaded his lover's grasp with ease. Snape ran after Lupin, silently consoling himself with the fact that at least they were alone, and he was spared the humiliation of having the rest of the Order watch him chase a laughing Lupin around the bedroom. But after a few minutes, he was laughing too, and finally managed to catch hold of Lupin, although he suspected that was only because Lupin let himself be caught. But it didn't really matter to Snape who had caught whom, once his arms were filled with a struggling, laughing werewolf. "You've been very bad, Lupin," he whispered into his lover's ear.

"And what are you going to do about it, Professor Snape?" Lupin asked in a saucy tone. "Punish me? Give me detention?"

"I would, except that I'm afraid you might enjoy it too much," Snape said wryly. "You've become quite incorrigible."

"It must be your Slytherin influence--" Lupin broke off mid-sentence, gasping with pleasure as Snape's hands began caressing his body and fumbling with robe fastenings. Snape smiled with satisfaction at the effect he had on his lover. "Now who's pawing who?" Lupin asked huskily.

"Tit for tat, Lupin," Snape purred into Lupin's ear. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No!"

Snape continued his "pawing," and Lupin sighed and moaned in a most satisfactory manner. Less satisfying was the fact that Lupin did not return any of his caresses, and Snape growled in frustration.

"Something bothering you, Severus?" Lupin asked innocently. Snape growled again, and Lupin decided to take pity on him; besides, the wolf was getting impatient. "Would you like me to paw you, too, Severus?"

"Yes," said Snape impatiently, but Lupin seemed to be waiting for something more. Snape sighed irritably and added, "Please."

"Well, since you asked so nicely..." Lupin laughed. {It's about time!} the wolfish part of him said. Lupin kissed Snape hungrily, and returned his caresses with enthusiasm. They stumbled towards the bed, and practically fell into it, Snape pinning Lupin down with the weight of his body. Lupin bared his teeth in that feral grin that Snape always found so enticing, then tilted his head back and exposed his throat. For all that it was a gesture of submission, Snape thought to himself with ironic amusement that they both knew very well who had really won today's little battle. He gently kissed and nipped at the hollow of Lupin's throat, then rolled off Lupin and tilted his own head back.

"Se...Severus...?" Lupin asked, his eyes wide with astonishment.

"You won the battle today," Snape admitted. "But I'm not conceding the war, so don't get used to it!"

"You never cease to amaze me, Severus Snape," Lupin murmured. Then he grinned and said, "I guess I should enjoy it while I can, then." He leaned over and pressed his lips against his lover's throat, and heard Severus let out a little sigh. He gently nipped at the white skin beneath his lips. Another sigh. Emboldened, Lupin bit down harder, and Severus groaned loudly. Lupin found it quite exhilarating, and despite what he had told Severus about it not being near the full moon, he felt the wolf taking over. {Mine,} the wolf growled, aroused by the sight of the bruise forming on Severus's neck. {My mate!} Lupin bit Severus again, provoking another groan. {Mine, and no one else's!}

Snape groaned, thinking to himself, {Who would've thought that having a werewolf chew on your neck could be so erotic?} Lupin looked up and growled at him, and Snape began to wonder if he really should double-check the Wolfsbane Potion; Lupin was acting very wolfish for this time of month. Then again, he had been taking this particular form of the potion for nearly two years without any ill effect. Maybe it was merely the very public display of affection (as Black referred to it) that had aroused the wolf. {He used to be so shy in school,} Snape thought sourly. {Since when did he turn into such an exhibitionist?} But as Lupin kissed him possessively, Snape felt himself responding to the wolf's wanton hunger. He greedily returned the kiss and tore at Lupin's robes, which for a change did not give way, since they were a set Snape had given him for Christmas instead of the thin, much-darned garments he usually wore. As he fumbled with the stubborn fastenings, he thought to himself that next time he would make sure to buy Lupin something that could be easily removed. But finally, robes and clothing came loose and were tossed out of the way, and soon Snape was incapable of thinking at all, surrendering--as Lupin already had--to the wolf's instincts...

***

Much later, Snape found himself lying in bed next to a very sated and contented-looking werewolf. Snape was feeling pretty contented himself, as he idly ran his fingers through Lupin's gold-and-silver hair. He had to admit to himself that Lupin's uncharacteristically aggressive behavior had been quite...stimulating. Their lovemaking had been incredibly intense, even compared to the nights he spent with Lupin as the moon waxed to fullness. It had almost been worth the public humiliation Lupin had inflicted on him earlier--not that he would ever tell Lupin that, of course. The werewolf was incorrigible enough as it was, without giving him further encouragement.

Suddenly Lupin began sniffing the air in a very wolf-like manner, then sat up and announced, "I'm hungry!"

"I'm flattered that you have such a high opinion of me, Lupin," Snape said in a tone of voice that somehow managed to be sarcastic and affectionate at the same time. "But as I've told you before, I'm not as resilient as a werewolf. You have quite exhausted me, and I don't think I'm capable of--"

"I meant for food, Severus!" Lupin interrupted with a giggle. "Werewolves have their limits, too, you know."

"That's good to know," Snape said dryly. But then he too began to notice the savory aroma of stew and fresh-baked biscuits wafting up from the kitchen; Molly Weasley could be annoying at times, but she was a very good cook.

"I'm starving!" Lupin said, jumping out of bed and reaching for his clothes. He grinned and winked at Snape. "Strenuous activity always makes the wolf hungry."

"It's no wonder you're starving, then," Snape said.

Lupin laughed and nuzzled his cheek affectionately. "Hurry up and get dressed, Severus, before they start dinner without us."

"Er...you go on ahead, Lupin. I'm not really hungry." Which was a blatant lie; now that Lupin had mentioned it, Snape realized he was starving as well, and the stew really did smell good...but Snape didn't think he could stand to face the other Order members right now.

Lupin gave him an amused, yet slightly exasperated look. "Don't tell me you're too embarrassed to go downstairs!" Snape glared at him. Lupin sighed as he continued to get dressed. "Honestly, Severus! Albus, Branwen, and Sirius already knew about us. Do you really find Kingsley, Tonks, and Molly that intimidating?"

"You humiliated me in public, Lupin!" Snape said, sounding for all the world like a sulky child.

Lupin rolled his eyes. "I'd hardly call six members of the Order in our secret headquarters 'public,' Severus."

"How can I ever look any of them in the eye again?" Snape complained, ignoring Lupin.

Lupin snorted. "Severus Snape, Potions Master of Hogwarts, who strikes fear into the heart of every student in the school, afraid to deal with a little embarrassment? You're not afraid to face the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters, but you're afraid to face your own friends and colleagues just because they saw you kissing your slightly overeager werewolf lover?"

"I'm not afraid!" Snape snapped, sitting up and glaring at Lupin.

{Ah, good,} Lupin thought with satisfaction. {I've offended his pride; he won't be able to let that pass.}

"And just for your information, it was you who kissed me, not the other way around!" Snape insisted.

"I'd say the kissing was mutual on both sides, Severus," Lupin said. "But if you're really too embarrassed to come down to dinner, I'll--"

"Oh, shut up, Lupin! I'm coming!" Snape got out of bed and began pulling his clothes on, glaring at Lupin the entire time.

As Snape fastened the high collar of his robe, covering the bruises on his neck, Lupin thought to himself, {I may not have won the war, but I think Round 2 goes to the werewolf as well...}

"And what are you smirking about, Lupin?!"

"Nothing, Severus," Lupin replied innocently. "I was just thinking to myself how handsome you look."

"Right," Snape said disbelievingly. Like that wide-eyed look of innocence wasn't a dead giveaway that he was up to more mischief!

"But I really DO think you're handsome, Severus," Lupin insisted as they left the room and walked down the hall. He slipped his arm through Snape's and pressed close against him.

"Dammit, Lupin, I told you not to paw me in public!"

***

A slightly flustered and very grumpy-looking Snape showed up at the dinner table with Lupin right on his heels, not quite touching Snape, but following much more closely than he usually did. Snape sulkily dropped into a chair, and Lupin took a seat beside him, beaming at him happily. Snape glared at Lupin, then glared at everyone else at the table for good measure, hoping to forestall any laughter or snide remarks. Branwen and Dumbledore, who were sitting on either side of the happy couple, were still giving each other smug looks, and Tonks grinned at Lupin, but no one said anything. Shacklebolt seemed to be trying very hard not to look at either Lupin or Snape. Meanwhile, Sirius helped Molly carry a large cauldron of stew to the table, and dinner commenced.

After a brief silence, conversation started up around the table, a little awkward and stilted at first, but thanks in part to Molly's delicious meal, everyone, even Snape, began to relax, and the discussion flowed more freely. Dumbledore felt he was making headway with both the Ministry and the school governors, and said that he thought chances were good that both Branwen and Lupin would be teaching at Hogwarts again this fall. That both pleased and alarmed Snape; of course he would be delighted to have Lupin back at school once more, but as much as he had come to like Branwen, the thought of her teaching beside him made him very, very nervous. It was one thing when she scolded him as if he were an errant schoolboy here in Black's house, but it would be quite another if she did it in front of the teaching staff--or even worse, the students! And Snape, although he was not normally a vain man, found himself rather put out at the idea of losing his status as the most feared and hated teacher at Hogwarts. He scowled; "second most-feared teacher" just didn't have the same ring to it. Could he really compete with the dreaded Professor Blackmore? But then again, he wasn't a boy any longer, and the years she had spent in exile seemed to have made Branwen a little softer and more sentimental; perhaps he could hold his own, after all. He certainly wasn't going to give up without a fight! He smiled nastily into his bowl of stew, imagining all the tortures and detentions he would inflict on his students when school started again. It wouldn't do just to be strict; he would have to be creative as well; he was competing against a master of the art, after all...

Lupin sighed quietly under his breath. Whenever Severus smiled that way, it almost always meant trouble for some hapless student. Then Severus glanced up and saw Branwen watching him, a look of cool amusement in her eyes. His black eyes met her green ones, and a look of challenge passed between them. Severus gave a slight nod, as if to acknowledge her power, but there was a determined look on his face that said he wasn't going to yield to her. She just grinned wickedly and raised her tankard of butterbeer in salute, as if to say, "Let the best man--or woman--win!" Severus grinned back, and Lupin sighed again. He began to feel very, very sorry for the poor, unsuspecting students at Hogwarts...

Oddly enough, no one else at the table seemed to notice that brief exchange--except, of course, for Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling merrily behind his half-moon glasses. While Severus and Branwen got into a spirited discussion about the students at Hogwarts, and how things had changed over the past fifteen years, Lupin leaned over to whisper to Dumbledore, "Is it really safe to have both of them teaching at the same time? Aren't you afraid the students might have nervous breakdowns?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Oh, I think our students are made of sterner stuff than that! Besides, deep down, both Branwen and Severus have their students' best interests at heart."

"So deep down that the students might not even notice," Lupin said dryly, and Dumbledore laughed again.

"Well, still, it is there. And a little adversity is good for the children; why do you think I haven't interfered with Severus's teaching methods before? Besides, you will be there as, shall we say, a calming influence, to balance them out."

Lupin looked over dubiously at Severus and Branwen, who seemed to have set aside their rivalry for the moment, and were cackling gleefully together about something. "I think it will take more than a softhearted werewolf to counteract those two," Lupin muttered.

"I have every confidence in you, my boy," Dumbledore said, patting him on the shoulder reassuringly.

Branwen was asking Snape about the students at Hogwarts, and he obligingly began describing their individual personality quirks and weaknesses. As they talked, he began to think that perhaps having Branwen at Hogwarts might not be so bad after all, if they could operate as co-conspirators instead of rivals. And besides, she would be able to punish the Slytherin children when they got out of line; Snape had to tread carefully at times to avoid offending the parents who were Death Eaters, particularly Lucius Malfoy. Lucius was currently languishing in Azkaban, which gave Snape a great deal of pleasure, but he probably wouldn't be there for long. Branwen, on the other hand, wouldn't care about offending anyone, nor would she be expected to.

"You know, Branwen," Snape purred--a tone of voice he rarely used outside of the bedroom, and Lupin broke off his conversation with Dumbledore to see what his lover was up to. "We could make a good team."

"A team," she said thoughtfully, pausing to consider his words. "We're both more the lone wolf type, but that is a very interesting suggestion, Severus. I was worried you might think that I was...ah...treading on your turf, so to speak."

"I admit that the thought of losing my status as most-feared teacher in the school did not sit well with me," Snape said, and Branwen grinned. "However, upon further thought, there is no reason for us to work at cross-purposes; I think, rather, that our teaching styles could complement each other."

"You intrigue me, Severus," Branwen murmured. "Please, continue..."

"I hate to admit it, but some of my Slytherin students are in sore need of discipline, particularly Mr. Malfoy. I cannot afford to offend Lucius, you see, without risking my standing in the Death Eaters..."

"But I can," Branwen said, grinning again. "I see where you're going with this."

"Yes, and then no doubt little Draco will come running to me for reassurance..."

"Thereby binding him closer to you, and giving you more influence over him. Very devious, Severus; you are a true Slytherin." From some people, those words would have been an insult, but Branwen said them in an approving tone as she reached over and patted Snape's hand, beaming at him the way a teacher beams at her star pupil when he has just made a particularly insightful remark in class.

And Snape preened, smiling proudly, as a student does when his favorite teacher has just paid him a compliment. "Why thank you, Branwen. And I would be happy to return the favor for you, of course, if there are any Ravenclaws or Gryffindors you want me to terrorize for you."

She laughed. "I doubt any of them will come to me for reassurance; more likely they'd go to Flitwick or Remus..."

"Perhaps, but you can be quite charming when you wish to be. If you want to win over the students--or just a few students in particular--I am sure you would have no trouble doing so."

Branwen laughed, and to Snape's astonishment, batted her eyelashes at him playfully. "Why Severus, talk about charming! When did you turn into such a sweet-talker? It must be Remus's influence!"

Lupin laughed as Snape flushed and said sourly, "You've been spying on me long enough to know that I simply don't find most people worth making the effort for!"

"And you find me worth the effort, Severus?" Branwen laughed. "I'm flattered!"

"I assure you, Branwen," Lupin chimed in, "that even in school he could be quite charming, when he wanted to be."

"Oh, shut up, Lupin!" Snape snapped. On second thought, maybe having both Branwen and Lupin teaching at Hogwarts was not such a good idea after all; they tended to be a bad influence on each other... "In any case," Snape said, trying to steer the conversation back on track, "I'm merely suggesting that we can play the students off each other if we need to."

"Good cop, bad cop," Tonks suddenly said.

"What?" Snape asked irritably, and Branwen looked puzzled.

"It's a Muggle thing," Tonks said. Ignoring Snape's dismissive mutter of, "Muggles," she explained, "In television dramas, two cops--er, policemen--often work in tandem to interrogate a suspect. One is the 'bad cop' who threatens the suspect, and the other is the 'good cop' who pretends to be sympathetic. The idea is that the suspect will be so afraid of the bad cop, that he'll go to the good cop for help and tell him everything they want to know."

"I see," Branwen murmured, then suddenly smiled. "It must be a change for you to be playing the 'good cop,' Severus!"

"Look who's talking," Snape retorted. "You had the entire Slytherin House terrorized, and it takes a lot to frighten a Slytherin!"

Branwen laughed. Meanwhile, Lupin began asking Tonks about the Muggle television dramas she had mentioned, and Snape frowned. He thought his lover had become a little too enamored of Muggle devices after spending that summer in Japan with Professor Kamiyama and his family. Personally, Snape thought that "television" and "video games" were the biggest waste of time ever invented. But he was soon distracted by something even more disturbing, when he overheard Dumbledore talking to Molly Weasley, who was agreeing to stay at the house again this summer to help watch over Potter and his friends.

"Harry's had a difficult year," Dumbledore said. "I think it's important for him to have the support of the people who care about him."

"I quite agree with you, Albus," Molly said. "And the children enjoyed staying here last summer." She frowned and said, "Perhaps a little too much," no doubt recalling the antics of her sons Fred and George. Then her expression lightened as her eyes slid over to Snape. "But with Severus here more often..."

"I'm not a baby-sitter!" Snape said indignantly, scowling ferociously at her. "I spend nine months out of every year looking after brats, so during what little free time I have left when I'm not dancing attendance on the Dark Lord--"

"No one's expecting you to baby-sit, Severus," Molly said soothingly, interrupting his tirade. "I just meant that your mere presence has a steadying influence on the children."

"I'm so glad I can be of service," Snape said sarcastically, and turned his attention back to his meal, but he had lost his appetite. Great. Having to spend another summer with the brats around was bad enough, but he was particularly dreading it now, with Lupin acting like a wolf in heat. Who knew what that crazy werewolf was going to do next? Snape shuddered at the thought of Lupin jumping him in front of the children, and was sorely tempted to slip a tranquilizer into the next batch of Wolfsbane potion. Then again, Lupin had already kissed him in front of Potter, and despite the boy's promise to keep it a secret, Snape wouldn't be surprised if he had already blabbed about it to Weasley and Granger. He toyed with his food, thinking to himself that he was going to have to threaten them with a very slow, painful death to keep them from spreading the gossip around the school. Maybe creeping conspicuously around the vicinity of the kitchen while holding a clearly-labeled bottle of poison would do the trick...

Just then, Lupin laughed at something Tonks was saying, and Snape's irritation eased slightly. He looked so beautiful when he smiled, and his long, golden-brown hair was falling into his eyes in a way that made Snape's fingers itch to reach over and brush it back from his face. But of course he couldn't do that, not in front of everyone at the dinner table... {What's stopping you?} the little voice in his head asked. {They already know about the two of you, and after Lupin's little display of affection this afternoon, I doubt anything else you could do would shock them, short of having sex right here on the table!}

Snape winced. {Please don't give Lupin any ideas!} he told the voice. Fortunately, Lupin was not versed in Legilimency, and could not hear what Snape was thinking. Lupin was still safely occupied talking with Tonks, so Snape allowed his eyes to drift back to his lover. He really did look beautiful tonight, dressed not in his usual shabby rags, but in a blue-gray robe Snape had given him that nicely complemented the color of his eyes. And he looked so much better than he had when he had first arrived to teach at Hogwarts nearly three years ago: he was still slender, but no longer gaunt, and his fair skin had a healthy flush to it instead of a sickly pallor. Although he still had the faint markings of crow's feet around his eyes and smile-lines around his mouth, they were no longer so pronounced, and seemed more like an indication of his good nature rather than signs of illness. Even the Wolfsbane Potion could not reverse the graying of his hair, but it seemed to have halted--or at least slowed--the process; as far as Snape could tell, Lupin's gray hairs had not increased by more than a few strands. Snape wouldn't have minded the gray, anyway, except that it was a sign of the stress the werewolf's transformation inflicted on his body. The streaks in Lupin's hair were more silver than gray, Snape privately thought, and gave him an air of dignity. He still remembered that fateful day he had seen the late afternoon sunlight fall across Lupin's hair, giving it the illusion of being spun from pure gold and silver. That was the image of Lupin he carried with him in his heart; Lupin was his treasure, far more precious to him than any amount of real gold or silver could ever be. Unconsciously, his lips curved in a faint smile. Well, perhaps the summer wouldn't be so bad after all; since Lupin had so dramatically revealed their relationship to everyone, there was really no need for Snape to stay away in order to keep up the pretense of being enemies. He could stay and spend the nights with Lupin, his embarrassment to some extent compensated for by Lupin's increased enthusiasm in bed...

***

Tonks watched Snape surreptitiously throughout dinner, in light of recent revelations. For the most part, he seemed to be trying to ignore Lupin, except to glare or snap at him when the werewolf directed a laugh or comment his way. But Tonks noticed that even when Snape was talking to someone else, his eyes kept darting back towards Lupin. Now that she thought about it, Snape almost never took his eyes completely off Lupin, but since he was usually glaring at the werewolf, everyone had assumed that it was just another sign of Snape's hatred and distrust. Had he been fooling them all along? The man must be an incredible actor! But then again, he would have to be, in order to have deceived Voldemort all these years. Still, Tonks had a hard time believing that Snape was really in love with Lupin, and had an ever harder time figuring out what Lupin saw in him. Of course she understood and appreciated the risks Snape was taking for the Order, but he was so rude and disagreeable to everyone that it was difficult to like the man. She would never let a boyfriend treat her the way Snape treated Lupin, but the werewolf clearly adored him.

But then she began to notice the way Snape stared at Lupin when he thought no one was looking. His eyes were no longer hostile, but filled with an odd sort of intensity, as if he were trying to memorize every detail of Lupin's face. The expression on his face gradually softened as he continued to watch Lupin, and he unbent enough to smile at his lover. It was not much of a smile by normal standards, just a slight upward curving of the lips, but it was the first time Tonks had ever seen him smile sincerely, without any sarcasm or sadistic pleasure in someone else's misfortune. And his black eyes held a look of tenderness mingled with awe, as if he could not quite believe that Lupin was really his. He was, Tonks realized with a start, staring at Lupin as if the werewolf were some priceless treasure, something incredibly rare and beautiful. From the corner of her eye, she saw Snape's smile grow a little wider, and the expression in his eyes changed slightly; the tenderness was still there, but it was now tinged with hunger. Not a starving kind of hunger, but he was looking at Lupin the way a gourmet might regard a particularly fine meal, and Tonks suddenly blushed.

Lupin blinked, startled, then seemed to trace Tonks's gaze back to the source: Snape. He turned and caught Snape in the act of smiling at him. Snape immediately glowered at him, but it was too late. Lupin grinned at him, and Snape blushed. Tonks marveled at the sight; it was really quite strange to see the former Death Eater acting like an awkward schoolboy.

"What are you smirking at, Lupin?" Snape snarled, his face still red.

"Why shouldn't I be happy?" Lupin asked, affectionately reaching out to lay a hand on Snape's arm. "I am in the presence of friends, enjoying good food, good conversation, and good company."

Snape looked down and glared pointedly at Lupin's hand, where it rested on his arm, but Lupin did not remove it. "I told you not to paw me in public, Lupin," he hissed softly.

"Oh, don't be so grumpy, Severus," Lupin laughed. Snape scowled at him. Lupin scowled back, twisting his features into an exaggerated imitation of Snape's scowl. Snape continued to glare at him, and Lupin contorted his face into increasingly ridiculous expressions. Tonks couldn't hold back a giggle, and she heard Dumbledore chuckle. The look on Snape's face was truly fearsome to behold, and for a moment, Tonks worried for Lupin's safety, but then she noticed that the corners of Snape's mouth kept twitching upwards although he kept forcing them back down into a frown.

Snape's mouth twitched again, and Lupin cried out triumphantly. "Aha! I think I saw a smile, Severus!"

"You did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

Lupin did his best imitation of the Potions Master's glare, and finally Snape gave up and laughed. Tonks jumped slightly at the sound; she had heard him laugh before, but always bitterly or mockingly, or at best, sadistically, as when he had been cackling earlier with Branwen when they had been discussing possible punishments and detentions for their students. But this was completely different: it was a low, rich, resonant sound that was surprisingly good-natured. The smile transformed his face, too, softening its harsh lines and turning it into something almost...well...handsome, she thought with surprise. For the first time she began to get an inkling of what Remus saw in him. It was amazing, the difference a smile could make; his features had not changed--sharp cheekbones and big nose--but instead of looking severe and ugly, they seemed aristocratic, as if the smile somehow made them fit his face better. {Remus is truly a wizard of power,} Tonks thought to herself, {if he can work such a miraculous transformation in Severus Snape!}

"You're impossible, Lupin," Snape said, shaking his head.

"It's all your fault, Severus," Lupin said pertly, tilting his head to grin up at Snape. A stray lock of hair fell across his face, and Snape reached out--as if without thinking--and gently brushed it back, his fingertips lightly grazing Lupin's face as he pushed the lock of hair out of the way, tucking it behind Lupin's ear. Lupin flushed a little, and he smiled adoringly at Snape.

"Jeez, will you two get a room!" Sirius said, looking uncomfortable and a little resentful.

"Sirius!" Branwen said in a tone of voice that was more weary than angry.

Snape started to scowl again, but Lupin leaned over and said softly, "Do you remember how you used to enjoy annoying Sirius last summer?"

Snape hesitated, the scowl hovering on his face uncertainly for a moment, then it vanished and was replaced by a wicked grin. "I remember it quite well, Lupin." He hesitated a moment longer as he glanced around the table (by now, they had everyone's full attention), then shrugged and said, "Oh, what the the hell," and brushed his lips against Lupin's cheek. Sirius made an odd little choking noise. Snape's lips slid down a little lower to kiss Lupin's neck; the werewolf sighed loudly.

"ARGH!" shouted Sirius, jumping up and fleeing from the room.

Snape laughed again, looking very pleased with himself. Tonks thought to herself that although Snape was not conventionally handsome, he would have no shortage of suitors if he would only laugh and smile a little more often. Then again, he probably didn't need anymore suitors--Lupin alone seemed to be more than he could handle!

"Black seems to be finished with dinner," Snape said casually. "How about you, Lupin?"

"I'm just about done," Lupin replied, mopping up the last traces of gravy from his bowl with a piece of biscuit. He popped the biscuit into his mouth, chewed and swallowed, then said, "Shall we retire for the evening, then?"

"Yes," Snape said, then added dryly, "it's been a very long day."

They rose from their seats and started to leave, when Molly said weakly, "I made an apple pie, if anyone wants dessert..."

Snape stopped halfway to the door, but Lupin said, "I think we can manage dessert on our own, Molly," and gave Snape a look that was downright lascivious. Snape turned bright red and ran out of the room even faster than Sirius had. Lupin just laughed and followed at a more leisurely pace.

***

Snape glared at Lupin in the privacy of their rooms. The words, "I'm going to kill you, Lupin," came to mind, but he knew that Lupin would pay him no heed, as it was obviously an empty threat. He silently fumed, trying to come up with a threat that might actually prove effective on the werewolf.

"I'm hungry," Lupin announced.

"Then why couldn't we have stayed for dessert?" Snape asked in a slightly whiny tone, still a little miffed that he'd missed out on a fresh-baked apple pie. He had a sweet tooth, and as much he disliked Molly Weasley, she really was an excellent cook.

"Not for food, Severus," Lupin purred, his eyes gleaming with that feral look again.

"Oh," said Snape, forgetting about apple pie as Lupin began to undress.

"How's this for dessert, Severus?" Lupin asked, casting aside his robe.

"Perfect," Snape said in a husky voice, taking Lupin into his arms and kissing him hungrily.

Lupin turned his attention to Snape's robes, unfastening them and letting his hands slide beneath them. Snape moaned, and Lupin said impishly, "It seems you are quite resilient after all, Severus, even though you're not a werewolf."

"I'm going to need a Strengthening Solution to keep up with you at this rate, Lupin!" Snape panted.

"You seem to be doing just fine on your own, Severus," Lupin laughed, and led him to bed.

***

Meanwhile, Tonks knocked on her cousin's bedroom door. "Sirius?" she called.

"Come in," Sirius called, sounding a little grumpy. Tonks walked in, to find him lying on his bed staring up at the ceiling. "What's up?" he asked.

"I'm still a little fazed by this whole Remus-Snape thing," she confessed, pulling up a chair beside the bed.

"Tell me about it," Sirius said in a disgruntled tone as he sat up and turned to face her. "No, on second thought, don't tell me about it! It's bad enough to have to see them together without having to think about it when they're not around! I can't stand the thought of Remus being with him!"

"I never figured you for the bigoted type, Sirius," Tonks said, sounding disappointed in him.

Sirius blinked at her in bemusement, then realized what she meant. "I don't disapprove of them being together because Snape is a guy," he protested. "If Remus wanted to date, well...say...Kingsley...that would be kind of weird, but as long as he was happy, I wouldn't mind. I hate Snape because he's...well...Snape."

"Why?" Tonks asked.

"Huh?"

"Why do you hate him so much? I mean, he's not very nice most of the time, and I can't say that I like him, but I don't hate him, either. And Remus sees something in him, so he can't be all bad."

"Remus is too softhearted for his own good," Sirius said, scowling. "I don't trust Snape."

"Don't trust him meaning, you're afraid he might betray the Order?" Tonks asked curiously. "Or don't trust him meaning, you're afraid he might break Remus's heart?"

"Both," said Sirius, although secretly he no longer really believed that Snape was a traitor. "But mostly the second."

"Well..." said Tonks, leaning back in the chair as she thought things over. "As to the first part, I don't think he'll betray the Order. After all, if he was really serving You-Know-Who, he would have just let Harry walk into the Death Eaters' trap, wouldn't he? He'd have had no reason to warn us, and certainly no reason to save your life."

"Please don't remind me about that!" Sirius groaned. "Fine," he said sulkily. "If you must be so damn logical about it, I concede that Snape's not a traitor."

Tonks grinned. She loved Sirius, but he could be very stubborn at times. "As for the second, it's nice that you're so protective of Remus, but that's a risk we all take, isn't it? No one can guarantee that you won't get hurt when you fall in love."

"You're too young to be sounding so mature," Sirius grumbled. "Besides, you didn't go to school with Snape. He hexed us every chance he got--"

"And it was all one-sided, right?" Tonks asked, raising her eyebrows. "You and your friends were perfect little angels; you never hexed him or played any pranks on him...?" She laughed as Sirius flushed guiltily. "I was a Gryffindor, too, Sirius; I remember what it was like."

"But he was especially mean to Remy," Sirius insisted. "He made fun of his patched robes, shoved him in the halls, pushed him down into the mud once--"

"Sirius," Tonks said, giving her cousin a slightly patronizing smile, "when you were a little boy, didn't you ever tease a girl you liked? You know...call her names, pull her pigtails, hide a frog in her desk...that sort of thing?"

"What?" snapped Sirius. "Are you trying to tell me that it was all some kind of bizarre Slytherin courtship ritual? Give me a break! Yeah, I did stuff like that--when I was six, not when I was sixteen!"

"Snape was a Slytherin and Remus was a Gryffindor," Tonks said patiently. "I'm sure both Houses would have given him a hard time if they realized he had a crush on Remus. He probably went out of his way to act like he hated Remus so that no one would suspect that he really liked him." She paused, then said, "In a way, it's kind of romantic--you know, like Romeo and Juliet, star-crossed lovers and all that..."

Sirius made a gagging noise. "Please, I'm going to be sick! Besides, Romeo and Juliet killed themselves, in case you've forgotten!"

Tonks laughed. "Well then, isn't it nice that this story has a happy ending?"

"I still don't trust him!" Sirius said stubbornly. "He's a petty, mean-spirited bastard. He got Remus kicked out of Hogwarts two years ago, you know, by telling everyone that Remy was a werewolf!"

"Why did he do that, anyway?" Tonks asked. "I always assumed it was because he hated Remus, but if their...thing...started that year at Hogwarts, then why...?"

Sirius flushed again, and he mumbled, "Because he thought Remus helped me break into Hogwarts."

"Ah, right, you were still a fugitive then."

"He wouldn't believe I was innocent! He wouldn't even listen to what we had to say! If he hadn't let Wormtail run off, my name might have been cleared two years ago!"

"That must have been hard," Tonks said sympathetically. "But a lot of people thought you were guilty, Sirius, and you don't hate all of them. Is this really about protecting Remus, or is it more about holding a grudge--"

"Yes, I hate Snape!" Sirius snapped. "I've always hated him! But that's between me and Snape! This thing with Remus is something else entirely! Why should I be happy about it, after seeing how badly he's treated Remus over the years?!"

"Remus is the one who has to live with him," Tonks pointed out. "And if Remus forgives him, and is happy with him, why should it bother you?"

"Dammit, have you been talking to Branwen?" Sirius shouted. "Sometimes it seems like this house is just one big Snape love-fest!"

Tonks giggled. "No, I haven't talked to Branwen about it, but it's clear that she approves of them being together."

"She always did like that greasy git," Sirius muttered. "Never could figure out why. It's all her fault they're together, you know. This whole thing got started when she paired them up on a Summonings project back in fifth year."

Tonks giggled again. "That's kind of cute, actually. Though it's tough to picture Snape as a kid."

"Yeah, laugh it up," Sirius said disgustedly. "But Branwen's track record isn't so hot--the other couple that resulted from that project was Ariane Donner and Evan Rosier, and we all know what happened to them."

"Snape's proved his loyalty, and Remus is in no danger of becoming a Death Eater," Tonks said in a more serious voice.

Sirius scowled. When had his clumsy, fun-loving little cousin become the voice of reason? Well, she was a full-fledged Auror now, so he supposed he couldn't call her "little" cousin anymore. "I just don't want him to hurt Remus again," Sirius said quietly.

Tonks thought of how Remus had completely cowed Snape earlier that afternoon, then sent him fleeing from the dinner table just a little while ago, and she grinned. "Oh, I wouldn't worry if I were you, Sirius," she laughed. "I think Remus can take care of himself just fine."

Part 4