FIC: Aftermaths, Part 7

[geri_chan]

Title: Aftermaths, Part 7
Rating: NC-17 overall, but most chapters are closer to PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin, Theodore/Blaise, and a few other minor pairings
Word count: ~8,040
Warning: AU; 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, Summer Vacation, For Old Time's Sake, Three's a Crowd, Return of the Raven, Phoenix Reborn, Phoenix Rising
Summary: Blaise's sister tests Snape's patience, and Lupin, Snape, and the boys get a chance to visit Professor Blackmore's ancestral home.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

***

Blaise looked up at his father anxiously; so did Theodore, who was still holding the deflated Quaffle. "Professor Lupin and Professor Snape have kindly invited you to visit during the summer," he said, as if the whole argument over the matter had never happened, and Snape hid a smile at this typical Slytherin tactic of denial. "You may go, but be sure to be on your best behavior."

"Yes, Father!" Blaise said, his face lighting up. "Thank you, Father!"

"Thank you, sir," Theodore said quietly, giving Blaise's father a small, hesitant smile, and Marius felt a little better about his decision. Perhaps he had misjudged the Nott boy; surely Blaise would not have felt such loyalty towards him if he had been a sadistic bully like Thaddeus.

"Perhaps this Saturday?" Lupin suggested. "You could come over for dinner; that way you could still help your father in the shop during the day."

"He can have the day off," Marius said gruffly. "Allegra and I can manage alone; right, sweetheart?"

"Yes, Daddy!" Allegra said proudly. "Oh, and I sold Theodore the Quaffle while you were talking to the Professors."

Theodore smiled sheepishly as Snape raised an eyebrow at the rather pathetic-looking Quaffle in his hand. "Well, it was only a few Sickles...do you think we can re-enchant it?"

"Probably," Lupin said. "I don't know the proper spells for it, but I could ask Madam Hooch."

"They should look it up themselves," Snape suggested. "It would be good practice for them to research and perform the spells on their own."

"Not everything has to be a lesson, Severus."

"Everything in life is a lesson, Lupin," Snape declared, in the haughty, didactic tone he tended to use with his students.

"Why, that's rather profound of you, Severus," Lupin said with an amused smile. "Well, then, we'll be expecting you on Saturday, Blaise." He hesitated, then said to Marius, "We were just on our way to have lunch; perhaps Blaise could come with us if you could spare him for an hour or so?"

It appeared to be a polite request and not a veiled command, but there was no point in antagonizing him, and Marius had already given his consent for Blaise to continue seeing his friends. Besides, Blaise had been working hard in the shop ever since school had let out, and he was staring at his father hopefully right now. "Yes, I suppose so," he sighed.

"Thank you, Father!"

Allegra was looking wistful, so Lupin added, "Perhaps Allegra would like to come too, if you can spare her as well."

"Please, Daddy?" she begged.

"Very well," Marius said, despite his misgivings. "But mind your manners. That means listening to your brother and the Professors, and don't bother them with a lot of rude questions, understand?"

"Yes, Father," Allegra said meekly; Marius gave her a skeptical look. Well, he supposed the infamous Potions Master ought to be capable of keeping one rambunctious little girl under control.

As they were about to leave, Marius called out, "Don't forget your goblet, Professor!"

"What are you going to do with that, Severus?" Lupin asked curiously as they left the shop.

Snape handed the ugly brass goblet to Lupin. "Here, you can use it for the Wolfsbane Potion."

"It looks as horrid as the potion tastes, so I suppose it's appropriate," Lupin laughed.

***

They headed to the Sakura, the Japanese restaurant that served as a secret portal between the wizarding communities of England and Japan. The hostess, Haruko, directed them to a private room where they seated themselves on the floor around a low table.

"How nice to see you again, Professors," Haruko said with a pleasant smile. "Are these your new foster children? I had thought there were only two..."

Lupin laughed and introduced her to the children. "Blaise and Allegra are friends of our sons," he explained. Theodore and Dylan looked surprised but pleased to hear Lupin refer to them simply as his "sons". As Haruko served them some tea, Lupin inquired as to how Chizuru and Karasu were doing.

"Quite well," Haruko replied. "Their clans have consented to their marriage."

"Really?" Snape asked. "Satoshi seemed to think that their families would be opposed to it."

"Oh, they were," Haruko said. "But it appears to be foreordained; Miyako had a vision of their wedding and a long and prosperous alliance between their peoples resulting from this union. The tengu and the crane clans still aren't very happy about it, but Miyako's powers have grown very strong ever since the visions she had about the final battle, and everyone respects her as a Seer now."

Snape shook his head a little, glad that he was free of that world of highborn politics, where marriages were not merely a union between two people, but carefully negotiated alliances based on money and power.

Their meal came, and Allegra was so enchanted with novelty of the entire experience--sitting on the floor, using chopsticks, eating exotic food--that she forgot to ask prying questions about werewolves and fighting the Death Eaters, much to Snape's relief. She did however, seem to chatter endlessly, which he found slightly annoying. He hoped that it was just excitement at the thought of starting school and being allowed on an excursion with her brother and his friends rather than her normal temperament, but he suspected it was the latter.

"Miss Zabini," he said in a lecturing tone that the boys recognized as his classroom voice, "a good Slytherin must learn to be subtle and discreet."

Allegra was attempting to lift a piece of fish to her mouth with her chopsticks, but it fell into her lap. She giggled, then picked it up with her fingers and stuffed it into her mouth; Snape sighed. "What do you mean, Professor?"

"I mean," Snape said with an air of patience being sorely tested, "that you should think before you speak, and not just say the first thing that comes to mind."

"You mean I talk too much?" she asked brightly, apparently unoffended. "Mummy says that, too, sometimes."

Snape sighed again. "That is partly what I mean. But I also meant that you can learn more by simply observing people rather than bombarding them with questions. Especially since people don't always answer those questions truthfully."

Allegra looked thoughtful, and nodded solemnly. "That makes sense, Professor. I'll try to do that." Snape felt rather pleased with himself, until a moment later she smiled at him cheerfully and said, "I don't think you're as scary as Blaise says you are."

"ALLEGRA!" Blaise snapped, looking horrified. Theodore stared at her in disbelief, Dylan snickered a little, and Lupin threw back his head and laughed out loud. Snape just sighed and rubbed his temples, and made a mental note to brew a good supply of headache tonic for the coming school year, because it was shaping up to be a very trying one. What was the world coming to, when the Gryffindor golden boy Harry Potter was embracing his Slytherin side and the Slytherins were acting as idealistic and naive as Gryffindors...?

After lunch, they stopped by Slug & Jiggers to pick up some aconite and other ingredients for the Wolfsbane Potion, then--at Lupin's and Dylan's insistence--they headed to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes as Snape grumbled under his breath.

Fred and George looked up in surprise as Snape and Lupin and their students walked in.

"Wow, I've always wanted to come here!" Allegra said, looking around the shop eagerly. Snape rubbed his temples, a pained and irritated look on his face.

Lupin just chuckled. "Hello Fred, George. You already know Dylan, and I believe you know Blaise and Theodore as well. This is Allegra, Blaise's sister, who will be entering Hogwarts this year. Allegra, meet Fred and George Weasley, the proprietors of this shop."

"Hi!" she said happily. "You're Percy's brothers, right?"

"You know Percy?" Fred asked, looking even more astonished.

"Sure, he and Penny come to our shop all the time."

"My father owns the junk shop down the street," Blaise explained.

"It's not a junk shop!" Allegra said indignantly. "It's full of--"

"Undiscovered treasures that just need a little fixing up, yes, I know," Blaise said in a patient, placating tone. "Come on, let's look around the shop."

She still looked a little sulky, so Theodore said, "Come on, I'll buy you a Canary Cream."

"Really?" she said, her bad mood forgotten. "Thanks!" She skipped off to look around the shop, and Blaise smiled gratefully at Theodore, who smiled back. The two Slytherin boys followed after Allegra, looking around the store with interest. They had never been there before for fear of offending Draco by patronizing a Gryffindor-run business.

"Listen," Fred said to Dylan, looking a little uncomfortable. "I never got a chance to thank you for saving me from those roses during the battle..."

"It's okay," Dylan said, looking a little embarrassed himself. "I feel sort of responsible; I mean, it was me who gave the roses to the Dark...to Voldemort in the first place."

"It's not your fault, Dylan," Snape said firmly, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder.

George and Fred stared wide-eyed at even this small display of affection by the ill-tempered Potions Master. "Well, anyway...thanks," Fred said, holding out his hand. Dylan shook it, and George slapped him on the back in a friendly way and said, "You're all right for a Slytherin, Rosier!"

Snape looked annoyed, but Dylan just grinned and said, "Well, you're not so bad for Gryffindors," and all three boys laughed.

"So I hear Percy is getting married," Lupin said, and the twins rolled their eyes.

"Yeah, I can't believe Percy actually found someone willing to marry him!" Fred said.

"Penelope's a nice girl, but she has no taste," added his brother.

"That's not very nice," Lupin scolded.

"Yeah, but Percy is...well, Percy," Fred said, as if that explained everything. "Still, he is our brother, I suppose."

"Percy can be a little...well..." Lupin paused, looking for a tactful word.

"Priggish?" Snape suggested helpfully. "Pompous? Arrogant?" Fred and George privately agreed with him, but they still glared at their former teacher.

"But he's still as brave as any Gryffindor," Lupin continued in a firm voice. "He did fight off an Imperius Curse in order to set off the firecracker that alerted us to the Death Eaters' location."

"Yeah, you're right, Professor," George admitted. "Old Percy's all right, I guess."

Theodore bought Allegra a Canary Cream as promised. She bit into it, turned into a giant canary, then laughed delightedly as she molted and resumed her normal form a few moments later.

Snape sighed and shook his head; Lupin came over and slipped his arm around Snape's waist, and leaned against him affectionately. "Even Slytherin children like to have fun sometimes, Sev. Don't be a spoilsport."

The Weasley brothers' eyes bugged out and Snape's face turned bright red. "Lupin, will you cut that out?! I told you not to maul me in public!"

"I'm not mauling you," Lupin said, feigning a look of wounded innocence.

"I don't care what you call it, cut that out!"

Snape fumed and blustered, but the three Slytherin boys noticed with amusement that he did not try to push the werewolf away. Being good Slytherins, though, they wisely kept that observation to themselves.

"Your teachers are funny, Blaise," Allegra giggled. "I can't wait to take classes from them!"

"Can't wait...to take classes from Snape?" Fred asked weakly.

"That's a first," muttered George.

Blaise regarded his sister with a look of weary concern. "I'm not sure she's going to survive seven years in Slytherin House," he sighed. "There are Wit-Sharpening Potions and Strengthening Solutions...I wonder if there's such a thing as a Potion of Common Sense?"

Dylan laughed. "If he hasn't killed Potter and Weasley after all these years, he's not going to kill Allegra. But I'm afraid his hair might turn gray before those seven years are up!"

Lupin finally let go of Snape, who snapped, "Well, come along! I have to get the werewolf home and brew him a sedative before he humiliates me any further."

Before they left, Fred gave Dylan boxes of Canary Creams and fireworks as thanks for saving him from the roses. When they returned to the Zabinis' shop, Dylan gave most of them to Allegra, who exclaimed, "Thank you!" She stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek before she blushed and fled into the shop.

Blaise threw his arm around his friend's shoulder and said in a voice that was only half-joking, "If you break my sister's heart, Rosier, I'll kill you."

"I didn't do anything!" Dylan protested.

"Dylan can't help it if he's irresistible to women," Theo said with a grin. Secretly he was a little relieved to see that Allegra was interested in boys because it meant that hopefully she would marry and provide her parents with an heir someday, which hopefully meant that they might then accept--or at least tolerate--Blaise's and Theodore's relationship. Then he silently scolded himself for thinking too far ahead and plotting like a typical pureblood--scheming to marry off an eleven-year old girl, for Merlin's sake! He and Blaise could see each other again, and that was enough for now. They could worry about the rest later; after all, they still had another year of school to get through...

***

So Blaise joined Damien and Draco for a weekend visit. Snape had them work on some practice exams as he had promised (or threatened, depending on your point of view) the week before. Damien grumbled a little under his breath, but no one else really minded: Dylan enjoyed studying most of the time, Draco was relieved that he wasn't a complete social outcast anymore, and Theodore and Blaise were just happy to be in each other's presence again.

After completing the exams, they had lunch, then headed outdoors for some Quidditch practice. Blaise mostly watched, since as he had told his sister, he wasn't much good at it himself. When they landed to take a break, Blaise told them, "You guys looked great! I'm sure we'll beat Gryffindor next year."

"Yes, Nott will make a good addition to the team," Draco said, with just a hint of his old condescension. It seemed to be an unconscious slip, and Theodore was in a good mood, so he decided to let it slide. "It's a pity Crabbe and Goyle can't practice with us, too," Draco continued, frowning as he remembered that their mothers had forbidden them to hang out with him.

"Well, the Gryffindors aren't practicing at all," Dylan pointed out, "so we'll still have an edge on them."

"We'll need a new Keeper, since Bletchley's graduated," Damien said. "Got anyone in mind, Draco?"

"Not really. Doherty wants to try out for the team; he's not as incompetent as Weasley, but..."

The other boys seemed preoccupied with discussing prospective team members, so Theodore said to Blaise casually, "You must have been bored, just sitting there watching us. Want to go for a walk or something?"

"Sure," Blaise replied, just as casually.

"I'm too tired to move," Dylan said with an exaggerated groan, leaning against a tree. "You guys go ahead; we'll be waiting here." Damien grinned and winked at them. Draco smirked a little and Theodore bristled, but Draco managed to refrain from making any smart-alecky remarks, and just turned back to the other boys and continued suggesting possible Keepers.

"Well, Baddock has some potential..."

Theodore and Blaise walked off into the woods together. "There's nothing dangerous in these woods, is there?" Blaise asked a little nervously.

"It's not the Forbidden Forest," Theodore assured him. "We go walking through the woods all the time with Lupin. He wouldn't let us come out here if it wasn't safe." He grinned and added, "Dylan and I go for long walks by ourselves when Snape and Lupin...uh...want to be alone." Blaise laughed, then reached out and slipped his hand into Theodore's, smiling at him almost shyly.

Theodore looked up, startled, and blushed a little. It was silly to be blushing at the thought of holding hands, he supposed, considering that they were already lovers, but it was a new experience for him. It wasn't like they could walk around holding hands at Hogwarts, after all. But they were all alone out here, and it did feel nice...he interlaced his fingers through Blaise's, giving his hand a little squeeze. "I missed you," he said softly.

"I missed you, too, Theo. I'm sorry about what my dad did."

"You don't have to apologize. In fact--" Suddenly Theodore remembered all the things he had wanted to tell Blaise that he hadn't put into his letter. "--I'm the one who should apologize."

Blaise gave him a puzzled look. "Why?"

Theodore stopped walking and turned to face Blaise, still holding his hand. He had gone over this a thousand times in his mind, but now that he was actually face-to-face with his lover, he found himself tongue-tied. "It's just...I...I know that I haven't been very nice to you this past year," he said haltingly. "I yelled at you for asking questions about my family and the Death Eaters, I pushed you away when you were only trying to help me--"

"It's okay, Theo," Blaise said gently, reaching up to stroke his cheek with his free hand. "I understand why you did it."

"You do?"

"Of course. You were trying to protect me, weren't you? You didn't want me getting involved with the Death Eaters."

"Yes," Theodore said, feeling relieved. "You're not mad at me, then?"

"Of course not, you silly git!" Blaise said, throwing his arms around Theodore. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Theodore whispered, holding Blaise tightly. "I'm so sorry about what happened in Hogsmeade, I was so scared..."

"It's my own fault for following you," Blaise said. "But I was afraid Malfoy was going to get you into trouble."

"If anything had happened to you, I'd never have forgiven myself!"

Blaise pulled back a little so that he could look into Theodore's eyes. "It's thanks to you that I'm alive, Theo." Theodore looked startled. "Snape told my father what really happened, that you stopped the Death Eaters from killing me."

"It was my fault that you were there in the first place--"

"No, I told you it was my fault."

"But--"

"If we're going to blame someone, let's blame the Death Eaters," Blaise suggested. "Everything turned out all right in the end. I'm alive, thanks to you. Let's leave it at that."

"My father had already killed one person I cared about," Theodore said in a shaky voice, his eyes filling with tears. "I couldn't let him do it again. I...I'd die if I lost you, Blaise."

"I'm all right, Theo," Blaise said tenderly, pulling his lover close as he began to tremble and the tears spilled out of his eyes. "I'm fine; everything's all right." He kissed away Theodore's tears, trailing light kisses down his cheek until his mouth brushed across Theodore's.

Theodore deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue between Blaise's lips, tasting the salt of his own tears in his lover's mouth. Blaise let out a muffled groan and returned the kiss hungrily, both of them suddenly aware of how long it had been since they had been alone together.

After a long moment, they pulled apart, gasping for breath. "God, I've missed you!" Blaise exclaimed.

"I've missed you, too," Theodore said in a husky voice, and kissed him again, fumbling with the fastenings of his robes.

"Theodore!" Blaise protested, laughing nervously. "Just how secluded are these woods, anyway? Are you sure no one will come by?"

"Very secluded," Theodore assured him, kissing his neck and undoing another fastening. "The nearest village is miles away. No one ever comes here but us, and Dylan and the others know we want to be alone."

"Are you sure the Professors won't get a sudden urge to walk in the woods? I'm having visions of Snape blasting apart rose bushes at the Yule Ball..."

Theodore grinned. "Since they have the house all to themselves, they're probably doing the same thing we're doing, only in the comfort of their own bed...although I try not to think about it too much."

"Well, if you're sure we won't be disturbed..." Blaise said, his tone of voice indicating that he was still hesitant but willing to be persuaded.

Theodore took off his own robe and spread it out on the ground like a blanket. "I'm absolutely..." He pulled Blaise down to the ground with him. "...positively..." He kissed Blaise. "...sure." Then he couldn't say anything more because Blaise was kissing him back, all his hesitation apparently gone...

Later, as they were heading back towards the cottage, Blaise rubbed the small of his back and winced, saying, "I think I was lying on a rock or something."

"Sorry," Theodore said, kissing him on the cheek apologetically.

"Well, I guess I was too preoccupied to notice at the time," Blaise laughed.

They made their way back to the clearing near the cottage where their friends were waiting.

"Have a nice walk?" Dylan asked innocently.

The two boys couldn't help blushing a little. "Very nice," Theodore said archly.

"You have grass in your hair," Damien told Blaise, then laughed at the expression of dismay on his friend's face as he hastily ran his fingers through his hair. "Just kidding! But now we know what you two were up to out there!"

"I'd think that was obvious, Pierce," Draco said, looking amused.

Theodore and Blaise turned even redder. "Watch it, Pierce, or you'll be coughing up slugs," Theodore threatened, but he didn't really look angry.

Draco cackled gleefully, remembering the time Ron Weasley had attempted to cast that same curse at him, but it had backfired due to Weasley's damaged wand. "Do you remember the time that Weasley's Slug Curse backfired on him?" he asked nostalgically. "It's just too bad that Potter didn't get hit with it as well."

"I don't remember that," Dylan said.

"It was during our second year, before you started at Hogwarts," Theodore explained. "All Weasley's spells were misfiring because his wand was broken. Although even after he got a new wand he still messed up that curse he cast at you, Draco, when Bane got turned into a bunny. So maybe it's just Weasley, and not the wand."

Draco scowled a little at the reminder of the bunny-hex incident as the other boys all laughed. But their laughter seemed good-natured and not malicious, so he smiled ruefully and said, "Bane still gives me the evil eye whenever Mum and I go over to Sirius Black's house."

"At least you don't have to live with Bane, like Potter does," Damien pointed out.

"That's true," Draco said, cheering up considerably.

Lupin emerged from the cottage, looking quite smug and just a little flushed. "How's the Quidditch practice going, boys?" he asked.

"Fine, Prof...um...Remus," Dylan said. "We were just taking a break."

"Yeah, Theo and Blaise decided to go for a walk in the woods," Damien said brightly, then exclaimed, "Ow! What was that for?" as Theodore kicked him in the shin.

Lupin's eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief for just a second, then he smiled and said pleasantly, "Yes, Theo and Dylan and I often walk through the woods together. I find it quite relaxing myself."

"Yes, it was very...uh...relaxing," Blaise said, doing his best to keep from blushing.

"Were you going to practice some more, or are you ready to come in?" Lupin asked. "I have some cold butterbeer on hand if you're ready for a break."

That sounded like a good idea to the boys, so they came in for a cold drink and a snack. "Where's Professor Snape?" Draco asked, looking around curiously.

"Oh, Severus is in our room resting," Lupin replied. "He was feeling a bit...tired." His smile grew even more smug than before, until he was grinning like a Cheshire Cat and looking extremely pleased with himself.

"Oh," Draco said, and dropped the subject. Although he had scoffed at Potter for doing the same thing, Draco blushed a little. It just wasn't natural to see Lupin looking so...well...lascivious.

Snape eventually emerged from his room, but not for long. The boys had started a game of Exploding Snap, and it was a toss-up as to which was noisier--the exploding cards or the boys' laughter. "Might as well be back in school," he grumbled as he retreated back into the bedroom and closed the door.

Damien, Blaise, and Draco looked up anxiously, but Lupin just laughed and winked at them. "Oh, don't mind Severus. He's just keeping up his old Potions Master act so that you won't see what a softie he is."

"Snape," Damien said, staring at Lupin with a look of disbelief. "A softie."

"He is, you know," Lupin said cheerfully. "But don't tell him I said so."

"Don't worry, Professor," Draco said. "Your secret is safe with us." As if he would ever say such a thing to Snape! Draco didn't fancy spending the rest of his life as a toad or a slug. Then the five boys stared at each other thoughtfully, remembering that Snape had once let it slip that he fed treats to Bane, that he and Lupin had shown up at the Slytherin dorm the night after the battle to comfort their students and bring them hot cocoa, that he had let Lupin kiss him at the head table, and most importantly, that he had essentially adopted two orphaned Slytherins. "Softie" was still a bit of stretch, Draco thought, but perhaps not quite as a big a stretch as he had first thought. Still, it would probably be wise to keep that realization to himself. The other boys seemed to agree, because they said nothing and started another game.

"Deal me in this round?" Lupin asked, joining them on the living room floor.

From the bedroom, Snape could soon hear Lupin's laughter along with the boys'. He looked up from the Potions text he was reading and, since there was no one there to see it, allowed a contented little smile to cross his lips.

***

The day after Blaise's visit, Snape received a letter from Branwen saying that she would take him up on his "kind offer" to help restore Blackmore Manor, and that Lupin and the boys were welcome to come along as well. A day of housecleaning did not sound all that appealing to Theodore and Dylan, but they agreed to go out of curiosity. They were a little frightened as well as curious, but they figured that Snape and Lupin would protect them, and a chance to see inside the ancestral home of the mysterious and possibly demonic Blackmore clan was too tempting to pass up.

The Blackmore estate was located out in the countryside. The mansion was a huge, sprawling building, and its many spiraling turrets made it resemble a small castle. It looked oddly mismatched, though, as if constructed by several different architects who had built separate parts of it without paying any attention to each other's plans. The grounds were surrounded by a crumbling stone wall which was being repaired by a number of small, vaguely man-shaped creatures that appeared to be made out of mud.

"Earth elementals?" Dylan asked, remembering his Incantations and Summonings lessons.

"Five points to Slytherin," Lupin joked, although of course the House Points system did not function outside of the school. "Branwen is a Master-class Summoner, after all. And the elementals seem to be genuinely fond of her; she has enough power to compel them to do her bidding by force, but from what I have observed, they come willingly when she calls."

"The Blackmores have always had odd magical gifts," Snape muttered. It was not surprising, considering that one of her ancestors was a demon, but he kept that piece of information to himself since the boys weren't supposed to know about it. Although he sincerely doubted it would come as all that much of a surprise to any of the Slytherins, whose parents had fed them rumors about the Blackmores having demon blood.

They passed unchallenged through the open gates, and walked up the path that led to the mansion. As if to prove Lupin's point, they passed by a couple of air elementals that seemed to be blowing dust and debris out of the house and piling it up in a rapidly-growing mound on the front lawn. And a few more air elementals seemed to be working in tandem with water elementals to wash the windows.

"Remus, Severus, thank you for coming," Branwen said, greeting them each with a kiss on the cheek, much to the boys' surprise. She already seemed to be in the process of cleaning house: her long hair was neatly braided instead of hanging loose as it usually was, and she was wearing a faded black robe that was covered with dust. Bane was perched on her shoulder as usual, although he looked a little disgruntled, perhaps because his feathers were dusty as well. "How nice to see you, Theodore, Dylan," she added, smiling warmly at them and shocking them further. "It's kind of you to help us out today."

"No problem," Dylan said, looking a little dazed.

Sirius was in the living room casting cleaning spells with much more vigor and enthusiasm than he had shown during the cleanup of his own mansion. "Hey Moony," he said cheerfully, then nodded at Snape in an almost friendly manner. "Snape."

"Black," Snape acknowledged, nodding back at him.

"I see they've drafted you into helping as well," Lupin said with a grin to Harry, who was sweeping up a pile of large splinters that might once have been a desk or a chair.

"Hi Professor!" Harry said, grinning back at him. He gave Snape a polite but more cautious smile.

"You know Theodore and Dylan, of course," Lupin said pleasantly.

"Uh...yeah, hi," Harry said, a little awkwardly.

"Hi," Theodore mumbled, just as awkwardly; Gryffindors and Slytherins just did not socialize outside of school. Well, they didn't socialize IN school, either. Except that wasn't really true anymore; Pansy and Millicent had become friends with Parvati and Lavender, and of course there was Lupin and Snape...

"Hi," Dylan said, easily falling back on his carefully cultivated air of politeness and charm. "Are Weasley and Granger here with you, then?" he asked casually.

A little too casually, perhaps, at least to Harry's ears, but maybe that was because he was thinking of the bracelet Dylan had secretly given to Hermione last Christmas, and of how Ron and Hermione had fought over Dylan on Valentine's Day. Dylan's friend Nott didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.

"No," Harry replied, watching Dylan carefully. "Hermione is on vacation with her parents; they're traveling in Europe for a couple of weeks."

"Oh," Dylan said; was it Harry's imagination or did he sound a little disappointed?

"As for Ron, well..."

"Molly wouldn't let him come," Branwen said, rolling her eyes a little. "You know how she is about Dark Magic and my family's reputation...although, quite frankly, I'm relieved to have her out of my hair for a few days."

Snape grinned wickedly. "Ah yes, we heard that she was 'helping' you with your wedding plans..."

"She means well, but she's driving me crazy, Severus!" Branwen said crossly. "We decided to hold the wedding here on the estate, partly because I'd like to think that my parents would be watching over me, but also, I must admit, because I hoped it would scare her off, but it hasn't--although she won't let any of the children come over here until it's 'safe.' She kept bothering me about my wedding dress and showing me pictures of these hideous white gowns with ruffles and puffy sleeves--can you imagine me in ruffles?! I told her I was planning to wear my grandmother's gown, so she offered to work on the decorations, but she wants to use pink flowers and ribbons! Can you imagine Blackmore Manor, home to generations of Dark Wizards, festooned with pink ribbons?! My ancestors would roll over in their graves!"

Meanwhile, Sirius pulled Lupin over to the other side of the room and groaned, "Moony, they're driving me nuts! They're in my kitchen almost every day fighting over wedding plans--with Branwen glowering at Molly, and Molly stubbornly determined to be cheerful and helpful. I try to stay out of it, but then they turn to me and ask, 'Sirius, what do you think?' Even Hob makes himself scarce when they're around! I'd go hide under the stairs with him, but I'm afraid Branwen might turn Molly into a toad one day if I'm not around to stop her."

Lupin chuckled and patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. "Well, I hear Percy's getting married, too, so perhaps she'll be so busy with his wedding that she won't have time to meddle with yours."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Sirius said gloomily, "but I don't think Penelope wants Molly taking over her wedding, either. I suspect she's trying to push her future mother-in-law off on us." Lupin laughed, and Sirius gave him a wounded look. "Some friend you are," he said sulkily.

"Just be glad that Branwen's in-laws aren't interfering with your wedding," Lupin said slyly, and Sirius turned a little pale, thinking of his fiancee's demonic ancestor.

"You've been spending too much time around Snape," he said sourly, and Lupin laughed again.

Just then, Tonks entered the room carrying a large cage full of squirming, squeaking rats. "Hi Severus, hi Remus! I don't suppose your pet rat would like a friend?"

"One is enough for me, thank you, Tonks," Lupin said firmly.

"Tonks, get those out of the house, will you?" Sirius said, still sounding a little grumpy.

"I'm just on my way out," she replied. "I was going to take them into the woods and let them go."

"You should just kill them," Snape said, eyeing the vermin-filled cage distastefully. "Typical softhearted Gryffindor."

"And who was it that rescued Kiseki from a Dark Magic experiment and gave him to me?" Lupin teased.

Theodore and Dylan looked startled. "You mean you gave Professor Lupin his pet rat?" Dylan asked, staring at Snape incredulously. "He said he rescued it from the Owlery!"

Snape flushed and glared at Lupin. "I only did that to get Serafina to trust me," he growled. "I was trying to convince her that I wasn't like the other Death Eaters."

"What does Sera have to do with it?" Theodore asked in confusion.

"It's a long story," Snape sighed. "It was after the Dark Lord ordered me to give you all lessons in the Dark Arts. I had Miss Avery practice some anti-healing spells on the rat, and--"

Before Snape could finish his story, a commotion arose outside the room, and Theodore cried out in fear and reached for his wand as he saw Thaddeus Nott run into the room--followed by a round little man, less than three feet high, brandishing a broom like a weapon? Fear turned to bewilderment.

Thaddeus ran past Dylan, who also let out a shout of fear and surprise when it suddenly changed and took the form of Lord Voldemort, and then a Dementor as Harry turned towards it. The Dementor, still being chased around the room by a broom-wielding Hob, ran towards Tonks and suddenly transformed into a large, shapeless, translucent red blob.

At the exact same instant, all three boys realized that the creature must be a boggart, pointed their wands at the blob, and shouted, "Riddikulus!" The blob exploded in a cloud of smoke and vanished.

"Well done!" Lupin said, applauding, and the three boys looked pleased.

"Good work," Branwen said approvingly. "Too bad school isn't in session; I'd give you twenty points apiece for that."

Snape raised his eyebrows and asked Tonks, "Your greatest fear is a lump of red gelatin?"

Tonks blushed and said defensively, "It's all my dad's fault! When I was a little girl, he let me stay up late one night and watch TV with him; there just happened to be a horror movie on--'The Blob.' My mum was furious; I had nightmares for a week."

"Nightmares about an oversized dessert?" Snape asked with a touch of condescending amusement.

"It ate people in the movie!"

Snape turned to Lupin and said triumphantly, "I told you those Muggle devices were bad for you!" They had once spent a summer in Japan with Professor Kamiyama, and Lupin had been fascinated by all the Muggle devices--computer, television, video games--that the family owned.

"Oh, stop teasing Tonks," Lupin laughed, and to make sure that he did so, Lupin slipped his arms around Snape and nuzzled his cheek.

"Cut that out, Lupin!" Snape snapped, forgetting about Tonks and the boggart. Lupin laughed again; this time it came out sounding surprisingly wicked.

"Definitely been spending too much time around Snape," Sirius muttered, but he looked amused.

The little man bowed to the three boys and said, "Hob thanks you for getting rid of the boggart. Now Hob must get back to getting the house ready for Lady Blackmore's and the Mister's wedding." Then he ran out of the room without waiting for a reply.

"What on earth was that?" Theodore asked. "If it's a house-elf, it's the fattest one I've ever seen!"

"It's a hob," Dylan said. "It works for Mr. Black."

"Call me Sirius," Sirius told Dylan and Theodore cheerfully.

"I've never seen one before," Theodore said, looking puzzled. "I thought they only served Muggles." A hob traditionally served a non-magical family as an unseen "good spirit" that kept the household running smoothly so long as the family left it a gift--usually food--beside the fireplace every night. Wizards preferred house-elves as servants, because they were magically bound to obey their masters, while a hob could leave if it was mistreated.

"Not many Muggles believe in such things as hobs these days," Sirius told him. "I suppose that's partly our fault, since we wizards we have worked so hard to make sure they don't believe in magic. Anyway, Hob needed a home, and I needed some help around the house, so he ended up with me."

Kingsley Shacklebolt walked into the room, a large bag slung over one shoulder. "What should I do with all this trash, Branwen?"

"Thank you, Kingsley; just add it to the pile on the front lawn. I'll have one of the fire elementals burn it when we're done. Oh, and perhaps you could help Tonks get rid of those rats."

"What was all the commotion I heard a minute ago?" Shacklebolt asked as he and Tonks left together.

"A boggart. Have you ever heard of a movie called 'The Blob'...?"

"Well, I know you're dying to get a look at the library, Severus," Branwen said with a mischievous smile.

"I'm hurt that you think I have ulterior motives," Snape said, pretending to be offended. "Is it so hard to believe that I just want to help out a friend?"

"You're a Slytherin," Branwen said dryly, although she was still smiling. "Of course you have ulterior motives. However, if you're not interested in seeing the library..."

"I didn't say that!" Snape said hastily.

"Follow me, then," Branwen said, grinning at him. Sirius and Harry joined them, and Branwen led them down a long hallway and added, "It's in the east wing, which is actually a later addition to the main building. Lady Regan, the founder of my clan, built the original mansion, and her descendants have added on to it over the years, rather haphazardly, I'm afraid." There were a number of portraits hanging on the wall, many of which appeared to have been damaged in her battle with the Death Eaters more than fifteen years ago: some were singed or had cracked frames, and others had been totally obliterated. She paused in front of one portrait and smiled fondly. It was a painting of a young couple--a handsome man with shoulder-length black hair and dark eyes, and a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and green eyes. "These are my parents," she said. "Lord Meredith Blackmore and his wife, Fiona."

"Ah yes," Lupin said, "I can see the family resemblance. You look very much like your father, but you have your mother's eyes."

"The green color of her eyes might come from her mother's side of the family," Snape said, a bit sourly, "but that steely gaze is definitely from the Blackmore side." The woman in the portrait was lovely, but her eyes were kind and gentle--not the sort of stare that could cow an entire House of spoiled, cynical Slytherins into submission. The man, on the other hand, although he was smiling pleasantly, had a sort of intensity in his eyes that reminded Snape of Branwen.

"Indeed," Branwen said, sounding amused.

"These pictures don't talk, do they?" Harry asked nervously, thinking of the portraits in the Black house.

"No, dear," Branwen said. "My family did not believe in such things. They thought it was something of a sacrilege, to put a piece of oneself into a painting that would live on as a sort of ghostly echo of one's former glory. Besides, quite frankly, it can be very annoying to have several generations worth of ancestors giving you unwanted advice all the time."

"Tell me about it!" Sirius said, rolling his eyes as he thought of the portrait of his mother that harangued everyone who was unfortunate enough to cross her path.

Theodore nodded in agreement, thinking of the portraits of his grandparents. He wondered what would happen to them, and to the portraits of some equally unsavory relatives, after he sold Nott Manor; presumably the new owner wouldn't want them. {Well, it's not my problem,} he decided. The thought of them winding up in the fireplace or on a rubbish heap did not distress him in the slightest. In fact, when he finally did get around to selling the mansion after he came of age, he would tell Morrigan De Lacy to put some sort of clause in the contract stating that the buyer bought the place "as is"--then it would be their problem, not his.

"Uncle Math said that your mother was my grandmother's friend," Dylan said hesitantly to Branwen; he was still a bit intimidated by Professor Blackmore. "And that they had a falling out when your mother married Lord Blackmore."

"Yes, that is true," Branwen said. "It's a sad story; if Deirdre and my mother had remained close friends, perhaps our families would have grown close as well, and I might have been like an aunt or older cousin to your mother and uncles. And perhaps if she could have seen that not all Slytherins are evil, your grandmother would not have opposed Evan's and Ariane's marriage." She sighed, and Dylan bit his lip and blinked back tears as he pictured a life that was entirely different from the one he had; he loved his foster family, but what would it have been like to grow up with both a mother and a father, to have a happy, normal family life like Damien or Hermione or the Weasleys...?

Snape put an arm around his shoulders, and Dylan leaned into the embrace, drawing comfort from it. "Branwen," Snape said, in a soft but accusing voice.

"It's okay, Professor," Dylan said, running the back of his hand across his eyes to wipe away the tears. "It makes me a little sad, but I want to learn more about my family."

To his surprise, Professor Blackmore gave him a surprisingly sad and tender look, and gently stroked his cheek in an almost motherly gesture. "I'm sorry, dear. Dwelling on what-ifs is rarely a good idea, but we are all guilty of it at times, I suppose. Your father was one of my favorite students, and I loved him despite his faults. He had so much potential...not just as a mage, but as a person. If he had lived, I believe in time he would eventually have realized the mistake he made by joining the Death Eaters. I believe he would be proud of you if he could see you today."

That made Dylan start weeping again, and he turned away, pressing his face against Snape's shoulder to hide his tears. Branwen and the others continued walking down the hall to give them some privacy as Snape awkwardly but gently tried to comfort the boy. Lupin paused to pat Dylan on the shoulder and give Snape a tender, encouraging smile before following the others. Theodore glanced back at his foster brother, a worried look on his face, and Lupin put an arm around him and said, "Don't worry, Theo; he'll be all right. He needs to mourn his family, both his mother and his father. I'd be more worried if he didn't weep for them occasionally."

"But Evan Rosier has been dead for years," Theodore protested in a subdued voice.

"Yes, but Ariane's death has opened old wounds," Lupin replied. "And sometimes we mourn most what we never had." Theodore nodded solemnly, remembering how he had wept for his parents, not so much for what there were, but what they had not been. There were so many parents who had sacrificed themselves to save their children: James and Lily Potter, of course, and Dylan's mother, and even Delia Avery and Narcissa Malfoy, who had turned against the Death Eaters and their husbands for Sera's and Draco's sakes. It hurt to know that his parents were not among them, that they would have sacrificed him to save their own lives.

"When I was a student at Hogwarts," Lupin said, "I sometimes mourned the normal life I knew I would never have, the life that the other students took for granted. A life in which I did not have to fear the approach of the full moon every month, a life without the pain and illness that accompanied every transformation, and most of all, a life in which people would not fear and despise me because I was a werewolf."

That made Theodore feel a little better, to know that Lupin understood how he felt. "But people don't hate you anymore, Prof...Remus. Nobody worth knowing, anyway." Lupin chuckled and gave him a little hug.

Harry felt a little uncomfortable. He had spent so many years regarding the Slytherins as his enemies, that it was hard for him to see them as people with both good and bad points, even though that realization was what had enabled him to defeat Voldemort. It made him feel strange and a little guilty, to see Draco and his cronies not just as the arrogant bullies who had snubbed and taunted him, but as children who loved their parents, even though those parents had been Death Eaters. He had hated the Death Eaters so much that it had never occurred to him that they might have parents or wives or sons who loved them, and the sight of Dylan weeping on Snape's shoulder drove that point home. By all accounts, Evan Rosier had been a loyal Death Eater who had murdered innocent people in the Dark Lord's service, but he had also been the charming boy that Professor Blackmore still felt affection for, and the father that Dylan mourned. Uneasily, he wondered if the other slain Death Eaters also had people who loved and mourned them.

Sirius seemed to guess what he was thinking, because he placed his hand on Harry's shoulder and leaned down and whispered, "You did what had to be done, Harry. But Branwen's right when she says the world isn't black and white. Sometimes I wish it were."

Part 8