FIC: Phoenix Rising, Part 21 of 37

[geri_chan]

Title: Phoenix Rising, Part 21 of 37
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin
Word count: ~8,400
Warning: AU; my own version of Year 6 (was written pre-HBP).
Author's notes: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts
Disclaimer: Characters belong to J.K. Rowling, except Hob, who belongs to William Mayne; 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: Sirius is sent on a diplomatic mission to Japan, and Branwen urges Snape to make peace with Sirius.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20

***

Snape eyed Branwen warily when they reached her dungeon office, one level below his. He took a seat in front of her desk, muttering, "Why do I feel like I'm a student about to be scolded?"

Branwen laughed, and instead of sitting behind her desk, came around and casually perched on the edge of it. "Is that better?"

"Marginally," Snape replied sourly. "What do you want?"

"Don't you think it's time that you made peace with Sirius?" Branwen asked gently.

Snape scowled at her. "I work in the Order with him. We managed to live in the same house for most of the summer without killing each other. For Merlin's sake, I saved his life for Lupin's sake! Isn't that enough?"

"For now," Branwen replied. "But I'm not sure that a state of cold war is going to be enough in the long run." Snape was still scowling at her, so she continued patiently, "Sirius is Remus's best friend, Severus. Should we all be lucky enough to survive the war, you three will likely be spending a great deal of time together even after the Order is disbanded."

Snape crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, with the stubborn look on his face that Branwen remembered so well from his schoolboy days. "I accept that Black is Lupin's friend, however little I like it. But I see no reason why I should have to befriend him as well. If you'll recall, he did try to kill me when we were teenagers."

"I know that he apologized to you, Severus," Branwen said quietly.

"And that's supposed to make it all right?" Snape snapped.

"No, Severus," Branwen replied. "But--"

"Lupin told me I don't have to forgive Black, so I don't see why it's any of your business!"

"The werewolf is softhearted," Branwen said sarcastically, echoing Snape's oft-repeated words, and the Potions Master flushed. "He lets you off easy because he loves you and wants to spare you pain, and because he feels guilty about the pain he caused you, albeit unintentionally. But I am not Remus, and I am not softhearted. Seeing you and Sirius constantly at odds with each other is hard on Remus, even if he doesn't complain."

Snape looked a little guilty, but insisted, "I can't forgive him!"

"I know an apology does not erase all the years of pain you suffered," Branwen said gently, "but he truly is sorry, Severus. He finally understands the magnitude of what he has done."

"I can't forgive him," Snape whispered. "Not 'won't'--'can't.'" His voice had changed from the bitter sarcasm of the adult Potions Master and former Death Eater to the stricken voice of the desperately lonely child he had once been. "They tried to take Remus from me. All we had together were a few secret, stolen moments, and they couldn't even let me have that much..."

"Oh, Severus," Branwen whispered sadly. She had heard stories of orphaned children who even after being adopted into a secure and loving family, would hide and hoard food because they could not forget their former life in which they had never known when or where their next meal was coming from. It reminded her of Severus, except that it was love he had been starved of as a child, not food, and it had left him with a hunger that was never completely assuaged. She reached out, cupping his face between her hands. "I'm so sorry, dear. I know how much it must have hurt." She brushed the hair back from his face and tenderly kissed him on the forehead; it was a sign of his vulnerability that he accepted the caress without his usual bluster or complaints.

Snape would have told anyone else, save Lupin, "You don't know how I feel," but he believed Branwen. Despite all his complaints about her voyeurism and meddling, he secretly cherished all her motherly nagging and protectiveness. {Why did I never notice before,} he asked himself, {how much she cared about me?} Because now he saw what his younger self had failed to notice: how she had gone out of her way to praise and encourage him during class, how she had taken the time to speak with him after class to compliment his progress or share an advanced textbook with him, and how she had tried to prevent him from throwing away his relationship with Lupin for the false friendship of the Death Eaters. And he had been touched--after he had gotten over being mortified, that is--to discover how Branwen had worried and watched over himself and Lupin during her fourteen-year absence from the wizarding world.

"I know I should probably let it go," Snape said wearily. "But I can't. And I know I am at fault, too, for rejecting Lupin..."

"The life you led was not one conducive to trust," Branwen said, still in that gentle voice. "I know that, and so does Remus. But Severus...you are wrong when you say that 'they' tried to take Remus from you. I know you have little reason to trust Sirius, but will you believe me when I tell you that James did not know about the so-called prank?"

Snape closed his eyes for a moment, gritting his teeth. He did not want to believe it; he wanted, needed to believe that Potter was the enemy, that his saving Snape's life had been due to selfishness and not heroism. But this was Branwen, who would not be blinded by love for Potter, as Lupin and Dumbledore might. Finally he opened his eyes and reluctantly said, "Yes," but couldn't resist adding, "not that he would have ever tolerated me having a relationship with one of his friends."

"Probably not," Branwen conceded, "but we'll never know. Perhaps in time he might have matured and lost that Gryffindor narrow-mindedness. But thanks in part to you, Sirius has had the chance to grow up and mature." Snape looked a little affronted, and Branwen laughed. "You know, I think James would consider your debt to him paid, since you saved his best friend's life."

Snape cheered up a little as he considered that. "Hmm, I suppose that's true. Though I sort of like the thought of Black owing me one; I hate to let him off the hook."

Branwen smiled for a moment, but her face soon grew serious again. "I don't expect you to forgive him right away, Severus. I told him once that some things cannot be mended by words alone. I don't expect you to just take his word for it that he's changed. But will you do something for me, Severus?"

"What?" he asked warily, certain that it was going to be something he didn't like but could not refuse.

"Will you keep an open mind? Will you give Sirius a chance to prove with his actions as well as his words that he has matured and changed?" Snape was silent, so Branwen added, "As Albus and Remus gave you the chance to prove that you changed?" Snape scowled, and Branwen sighed. She was more patient with Severus because he had suffered more than Sirius, and as a young teacher she had secretly had a soft spot for the guarded Slytherin boy who tried to disguise his loneliness with a veneer of arrogance and sarcasm. But the truth was that he was just as stubborn as Sirius. "You and Sirius are more alike than either of you realize, Severus."

"I am not like Black!" he said indignantly, although he was uncomfortably aware that Lupin had once told him the same thing.

"Do you know why Sirius played that 'prank' on you?"

"He couldn't stand his precious friend being sullied by the touch of a slimy Slytherin," Snape said sulkily.

"No," Branwen said softly, shaking her head. "He was jealous."

"Jealous of what?" Snape asked in confusion. "Why should he be jealous of ME?" A hint of the old jealousy and resentment entered Snape's voice. "He was handsome, popular, everybody loved him--"

"Not everyone," Branwen interrupted. "He was an outcast in his own family." Snape blinked and stared at her in surprise. "You know what the Blacks were like; you must have met them on occasion when you were a child, and you've seen that portrait of his mother..."

"Begone from the house of my fathers," Snape said, mockingly echoing Mrs. Black's favorite phrase.

Branwen smiled. "Exactly. Sirius was, if you will pardon the pun, the black sheep of the family; a Gryffindor in a long line of Slytherins and Dark Wizards."

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for him?"

Branwen ignored that slightly sarcastic remark, and continued, "He left home when he was sixteen and his family disowned him."

Snape shifted in his seat uneasily. "Well, but he had Potter and Lupin and his other friends..."

"True, but being rejected by your blood relatives, by the people who are supposed to love and protect you, leaves a scar no matter how many good friends you have." Snape squirmed under the intense gaze of Branwen's piercing green eyes. "As you should well know, Severus."

"So what are you saying, Branwen?" Snape asked, flushing.

"He was afraid of losing Remus to you," Branwen said bluntly.

Snape stared at her in shock. "But Black's not...I thought...he only seemed interested in girls..."

"I'm not talking about sex, you idiot!" Branwen snapped. "He loved Remus like a brother; Remus and James and Peter were Sirius's surrogate family, and he was afraid of losing them, since he had already lost his real family. Thanks to all that foolish House rivalry the school instills in the heads of our children, there was an uncrossable line drawn between Gryffindor and Slytherin in his mind. He did not believe that Remus could love you and still be loyal to him. He didn't believe that Remus could love the both of you at the same time. So he managed to punish Remus for his disloyalty and drive you away from his friend at the same time."

Snape just sat there in stunned silence. Black was insecure? Black who had seemed so arrogant and confident in school, who had taken the adulation of the other students for granted? The other boys had vied for the attention of their chosen crushes; even Potter, the golden boy, had to exert himself in order to win over Lily Evans, the one girl who didn't think he walked on water. But Black had never bothered; he had gone through a string of girlfriends in school--much as Evan Rosier had, before he fell in love with Ariane--and when he tired of one, it seemed like all he had to do was snap his fingers, and another would eagerly step up to take her place. He had impressed the male students almost as easily; the younger Gryffindor boys were eager to run errands for the most popular boy in school, perhaps hoping that some of his glory might rub off on them, and Snape had hated how Lupin (along with Pettigrew) had seemed to look up to Black and Potter.

Had it been an act, a cover all along? Snape had thought Black had taken Lupin's friendship for granted along with everything else; he himself had been sure at the time that Lupin would never choose Snape over his friends, which was why he had been so quick to believe the worst of Lupin. Snape flushed with shame; he wanted to castigate Black for being so selfish and treating Lupin so badly...except that he was no better himself. He had tried to force Lupin to choose between him and Black; he had spitefully exposed Lupin's lycanthropy and and cost Lupin his job to punish him for helping the then-fugitive Black. The thought of himself and Black being so similar made Snape feel very, very uncomfortable; in a way, it felt even worse than owing James Potter his life.

Branwen seemed to understand the struggle going on in his mind, because she said, "Just think about what I've said, all right, Severus?" Snape nodded mutely and got to his feet, but as he was about to leave the office, she said, "Oh, and Severus?"

"Yes, Branwen?" he said with a sigh that was more resigned than irritated.

"I don't blame you for hating James," his former teacher said quietly. "Merlin knows he gave you enough reason to. But don't you think it's time that you stopped hating Harry for who his father is?"

"Potter is--" he began defensively, but Branwen quickly cut him off.

"Mischievous and disobedient, and at times, insolent. But so are the Weasleys--well, except for Ginny and Percy--and however much you dislike them, you don't actually hate them."

Snape sighed again. Even as a friend offering compassion, Branwen was in some ways still the implacable Professor he remembered. She had never let anyone off easy--students, fellow teachers, or parents--and she always spoke the truth as she saw it, however little the person she was speaking to wanted to hear it, which had not exactly made her popular among her peers. "When I look at Potter, I can't help but see his father," Snape admitted; he would not have confessed it to anyone else.

"They look alike, but they are not the same," she said firmly. "James grew up adored by all, which I admit inflated his ego; Harry grew up an unwanted orphan--his aunt and uncle made him live in a cupboard, for Merlin's sake! Harry is stubborn, yes, and he has James's penchant for breaking the rules, but if you look closely, Severus, he doesn't share James's arrogance. Have you ever seen him hex someone just for the fun of it? And being brought up outside of the wizarding world, he is free of some its prejudices--he stood by both Remus and Hagrid when their secrets were revealed."

Snape couldn't argue with that, but he did point out, "He does have the usual bias against Slytherin."

Branwen sighed. "That is partly the influence of the other Gryffindors, and of course he and Mr. Malfoy did not exactly hit it off on the first day of school." Snape snorted derisively at that understatement. "And of course, you haven't done much to dissuade him of that image yourself, Severus," she said accusingly. Snape opened his mouth, and Branwen added, "And don't tell me that you're just keeping your cover with the Death Eaters, although that is partly true. But only partly. You go out of your way to find fault with him, far more than you do with the other Gryffindors, because he reminds you of James."

Branwen watched Snape, who was flushing and staring at his feet like a schoolboy being scolded. He knew that she was right; it would just take awhile for him to admit it to himself, but she thought that secretly he might welcome the chance to let go of his hatred and start over again. "He isn't like James," she said gently, reaching up to touch his cheek. Sometimes it startled her how tall he was; she often had to remind herself that he was a man now, and no longer the child she remembered. But she could not help but think of Severus, Remus, and Sirius as her children still, although she supposed it was a bit silly. "He was wrong to look in the Pensieve, but he was horrified by how his father had behaved. If he was truly like James, he would have just laughed it off."

Snape ground his teeth in frustration but remained silent, because she was right, damn her! But it was difficult to let go of the hatred he had so carefully nursed all these years because...why? He wasn't entirely sure; so he could blame someone besides himself for the loss of Lupin, he supposed, and because the hatred had helped to keep the pain at bay, otherwise he would have gone insane from missing Lupin. But, as Branwen had pointed out, the person he really hated was James, not Harry, who was just a convenient substitute. Snape thought to himself sourly that perhaps he had grown a little too good at lying, because he had managed to deceive himself almost as much as he had the Death Eaters.

"Fine," he said caustically. "Forgive Black; stop hating Potter. Anything else you'd like me to add to my to-do list, Professor?"

"That will do for now, dear," Branwen replied with an amused smile.

"Fine," Snape repeated, in a rather huffy voice, and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Severus?"

"What now?!" Snape snapped.

She stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. "I just wanted to say, that despite all my scolding, I do love you, Severus, and I'm very proud of you."

Snape's jaw dropped open, and Branwen grinned at him. Then his face turned bright red and he stammered, "I...um...ah..." Finally, he managed to get his wits about him, cleared his throat, and said gruffly, "What brought that on?"

Branwen's mischievous grin vanished, and she said in a solemn voice. "It's the truth, and I just wanted you to know that. I have always cared about you, about all my students, but I never said so back then. Perhaps if I had, it might have made a difference...to you, to Evan, to Lyall. I am sorry, Severus. Perhaps if I had been more open with you, if I had tried harder--"

"Stop torturing yourself, Branwen!" Snape interrupted. "Weren't you the one who was just telling me to stop dwelling on the past?"

"That's not exactly what I said," she replied, but she looked a little sheepish.

"You did try to help us, Branwen," Snape said in an almost gentle voice that would have shocked his students if they could have heard him. "But we refused to listen; it's not your fault. Even after we became Death Eaters, you still tried to save us when most people would have condemned us. If you can forgive me and Evan and Lyall, if you can even forgive Lorcan Foley for trying to kill you, can't you forgive yourself?"

"You HAVE matured, Severus," Branwen murmured, smiling up at him a little sadly. "You're right, of course; I once scolded Remus for wallowing in self-pity and tormenting himself with what-ifs about the past, and here I am doing the same thing. But you see, for me, the memories are still fresh even though they happened over fifteen years ago. It was difficult to keep track of time in Araqiel's realm; sometimes, mostly when I was watching over you in my grandfather's magical pool, time seemed to flow at a normal rate, and at other times, years would pass by in the blink of an eye. When I finally returned home, it felt to me as if I had been gone for only months, not years. Even though I had watched you and Sirius and Remus grow up in the scrying pool, it felt to me as if you were still children, still my students. To you, Evan and Lyall have been dead for years, but to me, it seems like almost yesterday."

"I'm sorry, Branwen," Snape said, in a subdued and chastened voice. He was used to thinking of her as the omnipotent, near-invincible Professor Blackmore, and not as a woman with regrets and vulnerabilities. Lupin had once told him that the years had passed her by, leaving most of her friends and all of her family dead. For the first time, Snape stopped to consider how hard it must have been for her to step out of time and return to a world vastly changed from the one she had known.

"I'm not," she said, smiling a bit more sincerely now. "I mean, I am sorry that I could not save Evan and the others. But don't pity me for the years I lost; I am alive, when by all rights, I should be dead. And I am glad to know you, Severus--and Sirius and Remus, of course--as friends and equals, and not just my students. I never had many friends in the old days--not close ones, anyway."

"I am honored to be your friend, Branwen," Snape said quietly, and surprised both of them by impulsively bending down to kiss her cheek. She stared at him in amazement, and Snape felt his face turn red again. "If you ever tell anyone I did that," he grumbled, "I will deny it most vociferously. And no one will believe you, anyway."

"I think Albus and Remus might," she laughed. "But it will be our little secret. And I am honored to be your friend as well."

Snape hastily left her office, and this time she didn't stop him. But although he was still loathe to make peace with Black and Potter, he was no longer angry at her for forcing him to do so.

***

Lupin did not find a piece of jewelry for Miyako, but he did find a very nice little porcelain figurine of a fox that had a very lifelike, mischievous gleam in its dark eyes. So Sirius dutifully packed up Miyako's gift, along with a big box of candy for Professor Kamiyama, as well as the books and CDs Lupin had loaned him. He hugged Tonks and promised to bring back souvenirs for her and Hob, and she promised to keep up his agreement with the little household spirit, and leave Hob's gift beside the fire every night.

He Apparated to the restaurant, and the hostess, Haruko, led him to the Portkey. As he followed her, he noted how pretty she was and how gracefully she moved, and idly thought to himself that maybe he should stop by to have a meal sometime. He shuddered a little, thinking of how Tonks had proposed pairing him up with Branwen, and wondered where she had gotten such a ridiculous idea from. It was absolutely ludicrous; he did not think of Branwen that way, and besides, she would probably laugh in his face if he ever tried to ask her out on a date.

"Here is the Portkey," Haruko said, and Sirius sternly reminded himself to keep his mind on business. As he had told Tonks, this was war, and there was no time for romance.

He touched the painting that was the Portkey, and found himself in Japan a moment later. As he trudged up the long, winding path that led to the temple, he found himself panting and sweating a little, and had to cast a spell on his bags to make them lighter. {I'm a little out of shape,} he thought to himself, chagrined. Well, that was what came of being confined to the house for a year, but he resolved to get back in shape; he had once been a star athlete, after all.

Professor Kamiyama greeted him at the top of the hill; the old man looked quite fit despite his gray hair and wrinkles--and no wonder, if he regularly hiked up and down the mountain paths. "You must be Mr. Black," Kamiyama said cheerfully. "I'm very pleased to meet you." Sirius bowed and haltingly rattled off the polite greeting Snape had taught him. The old priest looked pleased and surprised. "I was told you did not speak Japanese."

"I don't," Sirius replied. "But Remus and Snape--er, Professor Snape--taught me a few polite phrases."

"Yes, Remus is quite adept with languages," Kamiyama said as he led Sirius to the house. "I was sorry to lose his services as a translator, but I'm glad that he got his old job back. I know how much he enjoys teaching." His dark eyes twinkled mischievously. "And of course, he and Severus must be happy to be back together again. I'm sure it was difficult for them to live apart for so long." He chuckled a little as Sirius's jaw dropped open.

So Kamiyama knew that the pair were lovers; Remus had failed to mention that little detail. What's more, the old man clearly approved. Sirius thought to himself darkly that sometimes it seemed like the entire world was rooting for those two: old Dumbledore playing matchmaker by bringing Moony back to the school three years ago, no doubt hoping that he and Snape would patch up their differences; Branwen looking infuriatingly smug and pleased with herself every time she caught sight of the pair getting all lovey-dovey with each other; Hermione and Ginny, who seemed to find it all very romantic, acting silly and giggling together about it; and now it appeared that Professor Kamiyama had joined the Snape-Lupin fan club as well.

Sirius followed Kamiyama into the house, remembering to leave his shoes at the door without being asked. Kamiyama's daughter and granddaughter greeted him politely and served him tea. Tsuneko was a handsome woman with fox-red hair, and Miyako was a solemn-faced girl about Harry's age. Seeing her reminded Sirius about the gifts he had brought, and presented the box of candy to his host with the this-is-just-a-small-token-of-my-appreciation speech Snape had made him memorize.

"Thank you very much!" Kamiyama said, beaming at him happily. "How kind of you!" He opened the box and added, "Ah, I see you included my favorite, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans."

Tsuneko sighed and said, "Please don't spoil your appetite, Father. Dinner will be ready soon."

"Don't lecture your aged father, cub," Kamiyama said good-naturedly and popped a bean in his mouth. "Hmm," he said, chewing thoughtfully, "I've never tasted this one before. Liver, perhaps?"

Miyako shuddered a little, and Sirius had to repress a laugh. "And this is for you," he said, handing her the small box Lupin had given him. "A gift from Professors Lupin and Snape, to thank you for warning them about your vision of the roses."

"Thank you," she said. "I hope that it was helpful." She opened the box and took out the porcelain fox. "Oh, it's beautiful!"

Sirius smiled. "Remus will be pleased that you like it."

"I do like it, very much! I will have to write Lupin-sensei and Snape-sensei a thank-you letter."

They spoke only of inconsequential matters at dinner that night; Kamiyama said he wanted to give Sirius a chance to rest and get settled in before discussing business. Sirius would have preferred to get right down to business, but followed his host's lead and held his impatience in check. He knew that Snape, and even Remus, doubted his ability to pull off this mission, and there was no way he was going to go home in disgrace and let Snape say, "I told you so!"

They made small talk about the school where Tsuneko worked and where Kamiyama, though officially retired from teaching, still taught a few classes every now and then. And the Kamiyamas inquired as to how Lupin and Snape were doing; to Sirius's surprise, the family seemed quite fond of both of the men.

"Remus is doing very well," he replied. "He's teaching his students defensive magic, including the Patronus Charm. A bit advanced for their level, but they're doing surprisingly well. My godson tells me that Remus is quite popular with the students, despite the fact that his lycanthropy was made public." {Thanks to Snape,} he added bitterly, but only to himself.

"A most encouraging sign," Kamiyama said with a smile. "Perhaps the younger generation, being more flexible, will be able to overcome their parents' prejudices."

"And how is Snape-sensei?" Miyako asked.

"Um, the same as always, I suppose," Sirius said a little awkwardly. "Still teaching Potions." {And terrorizing his students,} he added silently.

"We're so grateful to Professor Snape," Tsuneko said, "for helping my father with the Wolfsbane Potion."

"I would never have been able to develop it without his help," Kamiyama said, and he and his daughter both gazed fondly at Miyako.

Of course; no wonder they were so grateful to Snape. Sirius had almost forgotten that Miyako was a werewolf herself--or half-werewolf, at least. It was a little odd to be around people who knew only the good side of Snape and regarded him as a hero. He took a bite of his dinner, or tried to--he was having trouble with the chopsticks, and kept dropping his food back into the bowl.

Miyako smiled at him kindly and said, "Here, try holding them like this, Black-san. You keep the bottom chopstick steady between your thumb and middle finger, and move only the top chopstick--like so."

"Ah, thanks, that helps," Sirius said gratefully. "And please call me Sirius; no one calls me 'Mr. Black' at home. Er--if that's not a breach of custom or anything."

"In a formal meeting with the council, it might be," Kamiyama said, "but here, you are among friends. So we will call you Sirius, but you must call us by our names as well."

"Ah, thank you, Naoto," Sirius said, a little surprised by the declaration of friendship from a man he had just met.

The priest seemed to read his mind. "Any friend of Remus's and Severus's is a friend of ours," he said cheerfully.

Sirius flushed and turned his attention back to his dinner. Snape was not his friend, but he couldn't think of a way to contradict that statement without being rude or making himself look bad.

Since Sirius was staring down at his food, he didn't notice the three kitsune exchange amused and mischievous glances.

***

They finally got around to discussing business the following morning. "You know that my people are reluctant to get involved in a war, Sirius," Kamiyama said gravely, "but our diviners and Seers--including my own granddaughter--have read the signs, and they tell us that your Lord Voldemort is a threat to us all."

"He's not 'our' Lord Voldemort," Sirius said, a little pointedly. "While his attention is focused on Britain for the moment, he will not be content until the entire world is under his sway--"

"I know that, Sirius," Kamiyama interrupted, but he did not look offended. "But it is difficult for us; our country was decimated during World War II--it affected all of us, not just the ippanjin, what you call Muggles. The Japanese constitution allows the military to act only in self-defense. We wizards are not necessarily bound by ippanjin rules, but still, we cannot enter into a war lightly."

"I understand that," Sirius said, fighting to keep his voice calm and patient. "We aren't asking you to do this lightly."

"I know," Kamiyama replied. "As I said, my people now believe in the threat. The problem is, I'm not sure what kind of help we can offer. Our numbers are limited, and not many of us specialize in combative magics. Another problem is that for some us, particularly those of us descended from non-human ancestors, our power is tied to the land. For example, a witch descended from a river spirit will have considerably weakened powers away from her home village and the river of her ancestors. We kitsune are more mobile, of course, but as a priest, part of my powers are granted to me by my god, Inari, and my power is strongest here, in my homeland and near my temple."

"But surely there must be something you can do," Sirius said in frustration. "Believe me, you don't want Voldemort setting foot in your homeland, no matter how strong your powers might be here! And if he conquers Britain and Europe, he will be all the more powerful when he finally reaches Asia!"

"I know that," Kamiyama said gravely. "Here are the strengths of my people: Divination, protective magics, healing magics, and illusion. We kitsune have long used illusion and trickery to beguile and mislead our enemies. But where is the enemy? Voldemort and the Death Eaters, as I understand it, are in hiding. The tengu are the warriors of we magical folk, and some of them have indicated that they are willing to fight--but you have no battlefield to send them to. So you see, Sirius, it is not so simple as fighting or not fighting."

Sirius slowly nodded. "I see what you mean. You have clearly given this a lot of thought, Naoto. What do you suggest?"

"There are things we can do," Kamiyama replied. "We can brew healing potions and salves, for no doubt you will need them when the war begins to escalate. And we can also send you healers when that happens. If I may lay aside modesty for the moment, I would say that my people are unparalleled in the field of protective magics." He held up one of the little omamori good-luck charms the temple sold: a prayer inscribed on a slip of paper, tucked into a decorative brocade bag. "These are simply for the tourists; they have no real magic, save the faith of the people who buy them--which can work an odd sort of magic all its own, but that is beside the point. I and my fellow priests and mages can make real, far more powerful charms of protection for your people, and I can send mages to help put wards of protection on places that you feel are vulnerable. I will have our Seers continue to perform their rituals, and keep you informed of what they See. And--I will send those of my people willing to fight when the time comes, but you must go to Dumbledore and the Order and ask them to consider the best and most efficient way they can put our resources to work."

"I will do that," Sirius said, all his anger and impatience gone. "Thank you. I'm sorry if I seemed a bit curt earlier. You're right; even if you sent us an army, we wouldn't know what to do with it. The Death Eaters strike in stealth, and then flee. And not even Snape can find their headquarters unless Voldemort summons him." Sirius sighed. "It's hard, fighting an enemy that doesn't fight fair. They framed my cousin for the prison break that freed the Death Eaters, you know."

"Yes, I know," Kamiyama said. "The Headmaster wrote and told me about it. I'm very sorry, Sirius. I hope her name will be cleared soon."

"Me too," sighed Sirius.

"I don't blame you for feeling frustrated, Sirius," Kamiyama continued. "I know how much harm Voldemort and the Death Eaters did to your country, and to you and your friends personally. Let us work together to stop them." He held out his hand, and Sirius clasped it.

"Thank you," said Sirius. "I will take your message back to Dumbledore."

"Don't rush off just yet, Sirius," Kamiyama said with a smile. "I have some friends who want to meet you, and besides, surely you can take a little time to relax and pick up some omiyage, some souvenirs, to take back home to your friends."

Sirius wanted to retort that he didn't have time to sight-see, but he didn't want to offend his new ally, and Snape had told him to humor the old priest, who was a bit eccentric. And eccentric or not, Dumbledore, Lupin, and Snape all seemed to trust and respect him, and apparently the Japanese wizards did as well, if they had given him the authority to be their spokesperson and negotiate the type of aid they would provide to the Order. "As you wish," he said a little stiffly. He remembered Snape scoffing at the idea of him being entrusted with a diplomatic mission, and tried for a more pleasant tone, saying, "Of course I would be delighted to meet your friends."

Kamiyama looked amused, so he probably wasn't fooled, but at least he wasn't offended, either. "Miyako would like to speak to you as well." As if on cue, the girl entered the room, carrying a tray of tea and cookies. Sirius accepted a cup of tea and looked at her curiously.

"I have been having dreams," she said. "At first, just dreams of snakes and skulls, a general warning about the Dark Lord. And then, the dreams about the bloody roses."

"Yes," Sirius said grimly, "we've discovered what those dreams meant. The roses are a magical weapon of sorts. Unfortunately, we weren't able to stop Voldemort from getting his hands on it."

"I'm sorry," Miyako said. "The Sight is not often clear."

"Divination rarely is," Sirius said. "But it's not your fault." He had a rather low opinion of Divination in general, but Lupin seemed to think that the girl's gift was real, and she already had a better track record than Professor Trelawney.

"But I've recently had another dream," Miyako said. "A dream of a child, not yet born, who could turn the tide of the war."

"What?" Sirius asked, shocked. "But--that would be Harry, except that's he certainly been born already, and he's almost a man now, not a baby--"

"I don't know what it means," Miyako said helplessly, then in a firmer voice, "but I know the child is not Harry Potter."

Sirius started to protest, feeling a little affronted, though he wasn't sure why; Harry certainly didn't care about being a hero, and being their main hope against Voldemort put him in constant danger. But after all his godson had suffered, being brought up in exile by hateful relatives, being attacked by Voldemort and his minions--had it all been for nothing? After all that, some other child was going to defeat Voldemort and win the war? "But Harry--"

"I know the stories about how Harry Potter survived Voldemort's attack as a baby," Miyako said quietly. "I'm not saying that he won't be the one to defeat the Dark Lord. But this child I dreamed of is somehow important to the war, though I don't know why. She will be in great danger--"

"She?" Sirius asked, startled. "It's a girl?"

"Yes," Miyako said firmly, though she looked a little startled herself, as if this was a new revelation to her. "A girl; I'm sure of it. You must guard her and her mother well. If the Dark Lord learns of their existence, he will slay them."

"I don't suppose you can tell me who the mother is?" Sirius asked, without much hope.

"No," Miyako replied apologetically. "I'm sorry, but that's all I know. I'll meditate and cast for signs, but I am young, and the Sight is difficult to control."

"Even experienced Seers cannot make the visions come at their bidding," her grandfather said gently. "That is not how the Sight works. It is a gift, granted by the gods, and the gods rarely make things easy for us, for we would learn nothing if they did."

"Well, I wish they would make things just a little bit clearer," Sirius grumbled, then remembered he was supposed to be behaving diplomatically. "But I'm grateful for the warning. I'll pass it on to Dumbledore, and I guess we'll have to be on the lookout for newborn girl wizards." He grinned ruefully and said, "At least we know it's a girl; that cuts down our search by half!"

Miyako smiled at him, and that seemed to conclude their conference. He spent the rest of the day "relaxing" as Kamiyama suggested. Miyako took him to visit the nearby village, giving him some Japanese yen in exchange for his Galleons, and he tried the local cuisine and bought a few souvenirs for his friends. The locals eyed the oddly dressed stranger curiously, but seemed to take it in stride when they found out he was a guest of the Kamiyamas; apparently they were used to the priest having odd visitors. Everyone was friendly to him, and some of the children tried out the English they were learning in school on him. He returned the favor by trying out his meager knowledge of Japanese on them, and they giggled, but good-naturedly, at his no doubt atrocious accent.

He did feel a little better when he returned to the temple grounds; it had been nice to spend some time with people who didn't know him as a notorious (though falsely-accused) criminal, who didn't look at him with fear in their eyes. Miyako gave him a tour of the temple and the grounds, and Sirius threw a coin in the offering box and offered up a quick prayer. He wasn't a religious man, but he figured he could use all the help he could get. He tried to buy one of the omamori charms (for success in exams) for Harry, but Kamiyama refused to accept his money, and gave it to him as a gift. Miyako smiled--looking surprisingly mischievous for such a quiet, serious girl--and handed him another charm.

"This one is very popular, too," she said.

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

"Safe childbirth," she replied, grinning at his startled expression. "Not for you, of course! For the mother of the child-to-be, when you find her."

"Ah, of course," he said, returning her grin. "I'll hold on to it, till we find her, then." Of course, Kamiyama had already told him that those charms had no real magic, but it cheered him up nonetheless, as if having the charm made it more likely that he would find the mother for whom it was intended.

***

Sirius got a big surprise when Kamiyama's friends showed up for dinner; his host did not warn him about his guests' unusual nature, probably on purpose--Lupin had told him that kitsune in general, and Kamiyama in particular, had a mischievous streak. At first they appeared to be more-or-less normal people. Kamiyama introduced them by first names only: Karasu, a fierce-looking young man with a long, beak-like nose and black hair tied in a topknot; Chizuru, a tall, beautiful young woman with fair skin and glossy black hair that fell like a waterfall straight down to her ankles; and Satoshi, a plump, cheerful looking man of indeterminate age. Karasu and Chizuru seemed to be dressed in traditional Japanese garb; Karasu in a short blue kimono, and Chizuru in a long, white silk kimono with black trim on the sleeves and hem. Satoshi, on the other hand, was dressed in western-style Muggle garb, like most of the people Sirius had met in the village.

"Show him your true forms," Kamiyama said, and suddenly before him stood a man with a crow's head and wings; an elegant white crane that had red and black markings on its head, and black-tipped feathers on its wings; and a plump raccoon-like animal. Sirius's jaw dropped, and he gaped at them dumbly as they transformed back into their human forms. Kamiyama smiled at him. "Karasu is a tengu, one of the bird-men, whom the ippanjin call mountain demons. His name, appropriately means 'crow.' Chizuru's name means 'thousand cranes' and obviously, she is a crane maiden. Satoshi is a cousin of sorts, a fellow trickster like the kitsune. He is a tanuki, a raccoon dog and shapeshifter." Satoshi grinned and bowed.

"And your name means 'raccoon'?" Sirius guessed.

"No, it means 'clever,'" Satoshi laughed.

"Tanuki always think they are smarter than everyone else," Karasu muttered.

"Well, we are!" Satoshi said happily. "We live among the humans and they don't even notice!"

"Tanuki are clever," Kamiyama said, looking amused. "They are tricksters like the kitsune, although sometimes they are too clever for their own good, and their tricks backfire on them. Of course, the same can be said of the kitsune, I must admit."

"I see," said Sirius, still feeling a little dazed. "And you wish to help us fight Voldemort?"

"Karasu is the only warrior among us," Chizuru said, "though of course we will do what we can. But Naoto has another purpose in mind for us."

Sirius still looked confused, and Karasu said bluntly, "He wants us to knock some sense into that Ministry of yours. They have a problem with non-humans, I hear."

"He wants us to talk to the Ministry about how the human and non-human wizards live in harmony here in Japan," Satoshi said cheerfully. "Show them what good and productive citizens we are and all that. Hell, half the wizards in Japan are descended from non-humans, anyway! Where else do you think they got their magic powers from?"

That was a slightly disturbing thought; did that mean that the ancestors of the British wizards had been non-humans also? That would surely outrage the stuffed shirts at the Ministry! "You might not want to mention that to them," Sirius suggested.

Satoshi just grinned gleefully, and Karasu complained, "If they're such snobs, why are we bothering to help them?"

"Because there are innocent lives at stake, Karasu," Kamiyama replied sternly.

"Not everyone thinks the way the Ministry does," Sirius hastened to assure the tengu. "The problem is, they're the ones that hold the power in my country."

"Politicians," Karasu said in a disgusted tone of voice.

"They exist everywhere, unfortunately," Tsuneko said dryly. "But it is not just the lives of the British wizards that are at stake, Karasu. Voldemort will become a threat to our people too, if we do not stop him now."

"Fine," Karasu sighed. "We'll go and try to convince these 'politicians'--" He said it as if it were a dirty word. "--to give your non-humans equal rights so they'll help fight in the war. And--" He grinned fiercely. "--we'll talk to your non-humans, show them that they don't have to settle for being second-class citizens, teach them to stand up for their rights."

Sirius repressed a sigh, hoping that Karasu didn't start a mutiny among the non-humans--a war within a war, that was all they needed! And he was a little worried that Satoshi might decide to start playing tricks on Cornelius Fudge. {And Snape thinks I'M a bad diplomat!} he thought with amusement. {Something's wrong, when I'm the most responsible one in the room!} Well, that was not quite true; Chizuru, at least, seemed sensible. She certainly had the dignified air a diplomat should have.

"Very well," Sirius said. "I'll talk to Dumbledore and make the arrangements."

"Good," Kamiyama said. "When you're ready, send me a message."

"How exciting," said Satoshi, rubbing his hands together eagerly. "I've never been to England before. I'm looking forward to seeing your famous Hogwarts School."

"Hogwarts?" Sirius asked, puzzled.

"Oh, didn't I mention?" Kamiyama said with a twinkle in his eye. "Our three emissaries have also volunteered to teach their specialties to your students and those members of the Order who desire it. Chizuru is a healer, and Satoshi, of course, is an illusionist. As for Karasu, the tengu are famous in folklore for having taught martial arts and strategy to some of the greatest warriors in Japan."

"I'm not sure how well that will go over with the school governors," Sirius said dubiously. "And meaning no disrespect, I'm not sure that martial arts will be much help against the Death Eaters."

"Of course I am a mage as well as a warrior, but you might be surprised at how well a physical attack can work when the victim isn't expecting it," Karasu replied with a bloodthirsty grin. "It's pretty hard to cast a spell with your head cracked open or a sword run through your gut. Of course, it is a bit risky getting close enough to the wizard to attack him..."

Sirius shuddered a little, but this was war, after all. The Death Eaters certainly wouldn't show any mercy to them. "I'll present your offer to the Headmaster," he said, wondering what Dumbledore would make of their surprising proposal.

Sirius spent the rest of the evening answering questions about England and Hogwarts and the Ministry, and the three emissaries in turn told him a little about their lives. It seemed that the tengu and the crane people kept to themselves in the mountains, and did not like to mingle much with normal humans, while the tanuki had adapted and blended into modern-day society. Satoshi had been living in Tokyo disguised as a human, and had even worked at a string of Muggle jobs, but he quickly got bored and rarely stayed in one place for long.

"That means," Karasu said sardonically, "that he gets caught swindling the customers or flirting with the boss's wife, and has to run off to save his little tanuki hide." Satoshi just chuckled.

Chizuru just smiled patiently at her two more boisterous companions and explained in a quiet voice that she was an instructor at the Japanese school of magic, Mahou Gakkou, but that Kamiyama had asked her to take a leave of absence to serve on this special mission. Sirius noticed that both the tengu and the tanuki left off their bantering to pay attention when she spoke, and looked at her with admiration. She certainly was lovely, and she performed even the smallest, simplest gesture, such as lifting her tea cup to her lips, with an air of deliberate grace. After dinner was over, and the three guests prepared to leave, Satoshi offered to see her home as Karasu scowled.

"Thank you, but that will not be necessary," she said with a gentle smile. She stepped out the door onto the front porch, transformed into her crane form, and flew off towards the mountains. Sirius stared after her in awe; she was remarkably beautiful and graceful in both her forms.

"She's out of your league, boy," Karasu said in a gruff voice, but clapped him on the shoulder in a good-natured way.

"Oh, but I'm not," Sirius hastily demurred, "uh, I mean, I don't--"

"Out of your league, too, crow-boy," Satoshi said cheerfully.

"Out of all our leagues," Karasu agreed ruefully. Then he and the tanuki departed as well.

Sirius just shook his head and went back in the house. It was late, so Kamiyama suggested that he stay and get a good night's rest before returning to London in the morning.

Part 22