![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
FIC: Aftermaths, Part 8
Title: Aftermaths, Part 8
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: ~10,050
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: The cleanup and exploration of Blackmore Manor continues; Dylan visits his family, and Theodore has a disturbing dream.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7
***
Meanwhile, Branwen continued identifying the portraits on the wall, as if to distract them, and occasionally stopped to cast a Reparo spell on a damaged painting. "This is my great-great-great-great grandmother, Lady Bronwen, after whom I was named. And this is Lady Sybil, who was a Seer." She paused in front of a painting that was little more than splinters. "I'm afraid this one is too far gone to repair." She glanced at the nameplate that was still visible on what remained of the frame. "Not much of a loss, though, to tell you the truth. This was Lady Morag, one of my more...er...disagreeable relatives, one of the ancestors who gave my family a bad name." By this time, Severus and Dylan had caught up with them. "In fact, you might be interested to know, Severus, that she was a Potions Mistress. Unfortunately, she was suspected of poisoning several of her enemies...her son Alastair was said to be a kind and gentle man, though. He was one of the few Blackmore Lords; according to the family histories, Morag was very disappointed that she never had a daughter."
"She must have made his life miserable," Sirius said sympathetically, picturing a harridan much like his own mother. "I'm surprised she didn't poison him; actually, I'm surprised that MY mother didn't poison me..."
"Oh, no doubt she would have--Lady Morag, I mean, not your mother, Sirius--except that he was her only heir, and killing him would have meant ending the Blackmore bloodline. Fortunately for Alastair, his mother died when he was twenty-five--a mishap when she was trying out a new potion; a bit too much hemlock, it seems..."
"Are you sure it was an accident?" Sirius asked suspiciously.
"It was officially ruled as one," Branwen replied, "but as Morag was feared and disliked by most of the wizarding community, no one really looked too closely into her death." She grinned slyly, with the sort of gleam in her eyes that did nothing to discourage the rumors about her demon blood. "Perhaps Alastair wasn't quite as gentle as he seemed..."
Sirius shuddered a little as they continued down the corridor, suddenly glad that Branwen had no living relatives...except of course for Araqiel and Regan in the Demon Realm. He hoped that they didn't intend to pay a visit at the wedding, and reassured himself with the thought that a demon could not cross over into the human world without an invitation. And then he resolved to check over the guest list very carefully and send out the wedding invitations himself, just to be on the safe side...
"And this is Lady Gweneth," Branwen said, motioning to another painting, this one of a dark-haired woman standing next to a handsome blond man with gray eyes.
"That man," Dylan said, staring at the portrait in shock. "He looks like..."
"Much like Gwydion, doesn't he?" Branwen finished, smiling. "That is Gweneth's husband, Emlyn. He was a younger son of the Donner family, with no inheritance of his own, since the title and the estate went to his sister, so their marriage was an advantageous one for him even if it meant that his children would bear his wife's name. But according to Lady Gweneth's diaries, it was a love match, not a political one, and they were very happy together."
"But...but," Dylan stammered, "if the Donners and the Blackmores are related, then why did my grandmother hate them so much?"
"I'm not sure that Deirdre was aware of it," Branwen replied, "since this happened about three hundred years ago. If she did know of it, no doubt it was a part of the family history that she preferred to ignore. But all the pureblood families are related to some degree or another; there is only so much pure blood to go around, after all."
"Yes," Dylan murmured, "I remember Professor Snape told us the same thing at the Nott mansion." He smiled, remembering what they had discovered from the Nott family tree. "Theo and I are related; one of his ancestors married a woman from my paternal grandmother's family. And Theo and Professor Snape are related, too."
"There was also a Black in Theodore's family tree," Lupin told Sirius with a smile.
"Let's see," Blackmore said thoughtfully, "if I recall my family history correctly, one of the Blackmore Lords married a Black. Another married a woman from the Snape family, but that was several hundred years ago."
"So perhaps the ability to terrorize students is hereditary, Severus," Lupin joked.
Snape just glowered at him. "Too bad I didn't also inherit the ability to terrorize werewolves," he said sarcastically.
Branwen ignored them and continued, "I think there may be a Nott in there somewhere, but I'd have to check our records to be sure. It gets a little hard to keep track of the family tree when it goes back for a thousand years."
"What about a Potter?" Harry asked curiously.
"No, that is one line that never mixed with ours," Branwen said, smiling ruefully. "I'm afraid that your father's distrust of Slytherin was a family tradition. The Potters were nearly all Gryffindors, and they regarded the Slytherins families with suspicion--the feud probably goes as far back as the time of the Founders." She hesitated, then continued; her eyes went blank and expressionless, but they watched Harry very closely. "One of the early Potter lords was a friend and staunch supporter of Godric Gryffindor, and he sided with Godric during his quarrel with Salazar Slytherin over admitting Muggle-born students to the school."
Dylan and Theodore stared at Harry curiously as a look of dismay spread across his face. Voldemort had told him that he was the descendant of the result of an adulterous affair between Godric Gryffindor and Lord Potter's wife, and that there was not really any Potter blood in his veins. That knowledge was bad enough, but it was even worse to learn that this Potter, his supposed ancestor, had been doubly betrayed, not just by his wife, but by his friend, who was the great hero and founder of Gryffindor House.
"Branwen!" Sirius snapped, glaring at her accusingly. "Do we really have to dig up all that ancient history? After a thousand years, we should just let bygones be bygones!" Theodore and Dylan looked even more bewildered by that outburst, but Sirius ignored them and placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. "People are human, Harry," he said kindly. "No one's perfect; we all make mistakes, even people we love and admire. Merlin knows I've made more than my share of them!"
"What are they talking about, Professor?" Dylan whispered to Snape. "Why should Potter be upset that his ancestor was a friend of Gryffindor and an enemy of Slytherin?"
Snape hesitated as Lupin shot him a stern look and shook his head slightly. "It's Gryffindor business, Rosier," Snape whispered back. "It doesn't concern us. Suffice it to say that Mr. Potter's simplistic and Gryffindor-ish view of the world was shaken up a little during the battle with Voldemort."
Theodore and Dylan still looked confused, and Lupin added with a smile, "I think the Slytherins' view of the world was also shaken up; in fact, the entire school was shaken up, but I believe that was a good thing." He leaned over and kissed Snape on the cheek.
"Cut that out, Lupin!" Snape growled, and the boys laughed.
Branwen smiled and continued leading them down the corridor. "Is there a Rosier in your family tree, Professor?" Dylan asked. "What about a Malfoy?"
"I believe there is a Rosier somewhere in the distant past, but there are no Malfoys," Branwen replied, then smiled wryly. "The men were too proud to give up their names, and they didn't want their women to get the notion that they could be independent and rule in their own name rather than their husband's, so they never married into the Blackmore line. Most the Blackmore Lords married women from prominent pureblood families, but most of the Ladies married men from lesser families, because the men of the pureblood elite would have lost face if they took their wife's name. In fact, a few of the Blackmore women never married at all, though they did bear children to carry on the family name, which was regarded as quite scandalous at the time. But the Blackmores have never really cared what other people thought of us."
Something suddenly occurred to Lupin, and he changed the subject, saying, "I saw Kingsley and Tonks, but I haven't seen Moody. Didn't he offer to help out as well?" Although they were occasionally at odds with each other, Branwen was of one of the few people that Mad-Eye Moody respected, while he was one of the few people who didn't fear her, and they regarded each other as friends.
"Yes, he did," Branwen said, sighing a little, "but the aura of Dark Magic in the house was making him twitchy, so I sent him home. The Death Eaters did enough damage to this house without a paranoid Auror adding to it by firing off spells every time the floorboards squeak or the wind causes a curtain to rustle."
"You'd think old Mad-Eye would relax a little now that Voldemort and the Death Eaters have been defeated," Sirius chuckled.
"Constant vigilance," Branwen said, quoting Moody. "Years of paranoia are hard to shake, and he thinks that some of the Death Eater sympathizers might still carry a grudge against him."
"But surely none of them would be hiding out in your family home," Sirius protested.
"No, but there is my family's reputation, which is not entirely undeserved," Branwen pointed out. "He fears there may be some hidden trap spells or magical items that I don't know about, which is possible. It's probably just as well that he left, since I would rather not have any priceless family heirlooms destroyed by him."
They passed through a door that had been blown off its hinges, and entered a large room whose walls were lined with shelves that were filled with books from floor to ceiling--or had been, at one time. Some of the shelves had been damaged by spell blasts, spilling their contents onto the floor. A table in the center of the room had been blasted into kindling.
Snape, Dylan, and Theodore stared at the library with looks of awe on their faces. "Wow," Dylan breathed; he and Snape in particular looked like children who had just been set loose in a candy store.
Branwen smiled at them indulgently. "If you would help to repair the shelves and organize the books, I would be much obliged." The trio nodded enthusiastically. "But be careful," she warned Theodore and Dylan. "Some of the books have protective enchantments on them. Use an Aperio spell to check them first, and don't touch any enspelled books without consulting Remus, Severus, or myself first, understand?"
"Yes, Professor," the boys chorused.
"And be especially careful with the books in that corner of the room," she added.
They cautiously approached the section of shelving she was pointing to, and saw that it was filled with books on the Dark Arts, Summoning, and Demonology. Snape was eyeing the books just as eagerly as his foster sons were, but he cleared his throat and said gruffly, "Let's start over here, Nott, Rosier." The boys sighed regretfully and backed off. An Aperio spell on the pile of books nearest the door revealed no enchantments, and they began repairing the shelves and sorting through the books.
Meanwhile, Sirius and Harry lifted up the door, propping it up in the doorway. "It's mostly intact," Sirius said. "I think it can be salvaged with a couple of Reparo spells." Under his breath, he asked Branwen, "Is it really safe to turn those boys loose in your library?"
"I think so," she replied quietly, so that only Harry and Sirius could hear her. "All Slytherins are drawn to the Dark Arts, but after what they've gone through, I don't think they will be tempted to misuse their powers. And Severus and Remus will keep them in line. You will notice that I didn't invite Narcissa and Draco to our little cleanup party; they've been doing very well, but I didn't think it wise to put too much temptation in front of them."
The three Slytherins spent more time leafing through the books than they did shelving them, but Branwen didn't seem to mind. Theodore was absorbed in a book called "Runes of Power," and Snape and Dylan were carefully examining a thick, ancient tome on potions.
"It's a crime to damage such a rare and valuable book!" Snape exclaimed indignantly. It had been damaged by spellfire, although the thick leather binding of the book had absorbed the brunt of the damage. The edges of some of the pages were singed and burned away, though.
"Will a Reparo spell fix it?" Dylan asked dubiously.
"We can try..."
Even Lupin got distracted when he discovered a entire section devoted solely to fiction, and sat on the floor, happily flipping through the pages of a copy of "Le Morte D'Arthur" that looked old enough to be an original edition.
Sirius chuckled. "Shall we leave the bookworms alone, then--?" he started to say, then broke off as he looked up and noticed a large painting hanging on the wall between two rows of shelves. It was undamaged and it portrayed a couple: a beautiful young woman who looked much like Branwen except that her eyes were brown, and an even more beautiful young man, who also looked like Branwen. His hair was long and black, and his skin perfectly smooth and porcelain-pale, which might be artistic license on the part of the painter, but somehow Sirius didn't think so. There was a sly, knowing smile on his lips, and there seemed to be just a hint of red tint in the black paint that had been used on his eyes. The unknown painter of the portrait must have been a master of his art, because he had managed to capture the look of ancient wisdom in the young man's eyes with a bit of oil paint and a few strokes of his brush. "These are your ancestors, aren't they, Branwen?" Sirius asked in a hushed tone of mingled fear and awe. "The founders of your clan, Regan and Araqiel."
Branwen's eyes flickered over to Dylan and Theodore, who had overheard and were looking up at the portrait curiously. "Yes, Sirius," she replied calmly, "although Regan's husband went by the name Lord Raven in public. His people believed that names hold power, and he did not care to reveal his real name to outsiders."
"Oh," Sirius said in consternation. He was not an expert on the Dark Arts, but he had a vague recollection that a wizard could summon a demon by calling on the demon's true name.
"No harm done," Branwen said cheerfully. "After all, Lady Regan and Lord Raven have long ago departed this world." Sirius noted, with some amusement, that strictly speaking, this was not a lie, since she had not said that they were dead. "Well, I'm afraid this table is beyond help," she said, looking down at its splintered remains. "Sirius, Harry, why don't you two help me levitate it out of here, and then I'll check on the furniture stored in the attic for a suitable replacement? Severus, Remus, if you and the boys see anything you'd like to borrow, just let me know. So long as it's nothing dangerous, I don't mind, and I believe there are some Potions texts that you might be interested in."
"Thank you, Branwen!" Snape said, startling Harry by grinning from ear to ear, an avid gleam in his black eyes. "I have noticed a few texts in your collection that are extremely difficult to find these days..."
"Help yourself," Branwen told him, and she left with Harry and Sirius.
"You might regret that offer," Sirius warned her. "Are you sure you won't come back to find half of your shelves bare?"
Branwen just laughed. "I trust Remus to keep them from getting carried away, and besides, I don't have time to read all those books myself, and they ought to be used by someone who will appreciate them."
Lupin, Snape, Theodore, and Dylan forced themselves to stop reading and actually do some work. They repaired the shelves and sorted through the books on the floor, mending those which had not been damaged too badly, and regretfully setting aside those which were a total loss. They also set aside a few books each to take home, trying not to be too greedy. "Do you think she'll let us come back here again?" Dylan asked hopefully.
"I'm sure she will," Lupin assured him with a smile. "She does believe in encouraging a love of knowledge in her students, after all."
Many of the books in "that corner of the room" were covered with malevolent-looking red glowing runes that became visible with the help of an Aperio spell, which made enchantments visible to the human eye. The runes seemed to twist and writhe like snakes, making Theodore and Dylan dizzy if they stared at them too closely.
"They're a type of Dark Warding spell," Snape explained, "somewhat advanced beyond the spells I taught you. No doubt they're meant to protect the books from falling into the wrong hands. They'll inflict a nasty curse on anyone who tries to open them without giving the proper command word."
"Then how are we supposed to put them back on the shelves?" Theodore asked nervously. "Should we levitate them?"
"I think they're safe to touch so long as you don't try to open them, but perhaps it would be best if you and Dylan only handle the unenchanted books. Lupin and I will take care of these." Snape carefully separated out the warded books from the normal ones, and just as carefully began replacing them on the shelves, pausing every now and then to glance at one. "Hmm...'Book of the Dead: a Guide to Necromancy'--it was banned by the Ministry fifty years ago; I didn't think there were any left that hadn't been confiscated."
Lupin gave the book a distasteful look, plucked it out of his lover's hands, and placed it on the shelf. "Why would you want such a thing?"
"It's not like I want to become a Necromancer, but you can't just erase knowledge, Lupin," Snape replied. "No matter how much you try to suppress it, someone will find a way to dig it up again. Isn't it better that we know how such magic works, so that we're able to defend ourselves against less scrupulous mages?"
"Maybe," Lupin said skeptically. "But it doesn't seem wise to make Necromantic and Demon-Summoning spells available to the public at large, either."
"Well, perhaps they should be regulated, but not entirely forbidden. Oh, look, a book on Dark Runes! There are only three known copies of this particular title left in the world; there were not many to begin with, and most of the others were destroyed during the backlash against the Dark Arts after Voldemort rose to power. It figures that the Blackmores would have one. Do you think Branwen would let me borrow it?" Lupin sighed, and Snape smiled sheepishly. "I can't help it, Remus. I never could stand any piece of knowledge being denied to me, even if I would never actually use it."
Lupin smiled at him tenderly. "You have a love of knowledge worthy of a Ravenclaw, Severus--"
"But the ethics of a Slytherin," Snape finished with a grin.
"That's why I love you," Lupin said, leaning over to kiss him, and for once Snape didn't object even though the boys were present, because he was moved by the absolute sincerity in Lupin's voice. Lupin loved him as he was, Slytherin ethics (or more accurately, lack thereof) and all.
Theodore and Dylan, having grown used to Lupin's frequent displays of affection, just grinned at each other and continued shelving. They finished quickly; this section of the library had suffered the least harm, perhaps because it had been so heavily warded. Theodore reached for a book on the shelf, then hesitated, glancing over at Lupin and Snape, who were no longer kissing but still seemed to be preoccupied with each other. Lupin was gently teasing Snape as the Potions Master looked longingly at almost every book before placing it on the shelf.
"I wish you'd look at me that way, Severus!"
"Don't be silly, Lupin; you can't possibly be jealous of a book," Snape replied, but he sounded more pleased than scornful.
Lupin pretended to pout. "If I covered myself with protective wards, would that make me more appealing?"
"Don't be sil--" Snape started to reply, then gave Lupin a speculative look. "Hmm..." On second thought, that might be rather interesting...but could he handle the frustration? At times their desire was so overpowering--particularly near the full moon--that they nearly tore the robes off each other's bodies. Having to remove warding spells as well would definitely slow things down, but the challenge of it was rather titillating...and to be honest, the frustration was rather titillating as well...
"Ooh, you like that idea, don't you?" Lupin laughed. He had only been joking, but seeing Severus's reaction made him consider the idea seriously.
Since the pair was paying no attention to him at the moment, Theodore pulled a book off the shelf entitled "A History of Demonology." It was a history text, not a spellbook, so there were no wards on it.
"What are you doing, Theo?" Dylan whispered nervously. Technically, the book might not be off-limits to them, but he wasn't sure that their guardians would approve of them reading it, either.
"I just wanted to look something up," Theodore said, flipping through the book. "That name Sirius Black mentioned sounded kind of familiar..."
"What? Oh, you mean the name of Regan Blackmore's husband?" Dylan glanced up at the portrait hanging on the wall.
"Yes. Let's see...Abaddon...Abraxas...Alastor?" Theodore snickered. "It says that Alastor is the name of a Greek demon. I didn't know that, but it's appropriate for someone like Mad-Eye Moody, don't you think? Alocer...Amduscias...ah, here it is!" He pointed at a name on the page and Dylan leaned over his shoulder to look at it. "Araqiel, also known as Arakiel, Arqael, and Arkiel, is a demon who taught human beings the signs of the earth."
"What does that mean, 'signs of the earth'?"
"I'm not sure. Perhaps some sort of sorcery? But that's not the point...the name of a Blackmore ancestor--the founding Blackmore ancestor, in fact--is in this book!" Theodore tapped the entry on the page emphatically with his finger.
Dylan glanced up nervously at portrait of Regan and Lord Raven/Araqiel, as if to make sure it wasn't going to suddenly come to life. "Just because he was named after a demon doesn't make him one! I mean, you just said that Moody has the name of a demon, too, and he's human...at least I'm pretty sure he is..."
"Well, but don't you think it's significant that everyone's been saying for years that the Blackmores have demon blood, and the co-founder of the clan just happens to have the same name as a demon...?"
"Well, maybe that's how the rumors got started," Dylan said, trying to convince himself as much as he was Theodore. He suddenly remembered the time that Snape and Sirius had healed him with a Blood Healing spell, the night he had taken the vampiric roses from the Rosier mansion; he thought he remembered Snape refusing to let Blackmore donate her blood to the spell and saying something about her not being completely human. But the memory was vague and hazy; it was probably just a fever dream...at least, he profoundly hoped that it was.
"You know, there were rumors about your family, too..." Theodore flipped through the book again. "See here, it says that Rosier is the name of the Demon of Seduction."
"What?! Let me see that!" Dylan took the book from Theodore. "So you think this demon was my ancestor?"
Theodore grinned. "Well, that would explain why women seem to find you so irresistible...but seriously, the rumors never said that the Rosiers were demons, just that they had dealings with them. Those roses of yours had to come from somewhere, after all..."
"A human wizard could've enchanted them."
"I suppose so, but no one's ever managed to duplicate such a spell--"
"What are you two looking at?" Lupin asked cheerfully, and both boys jumped and looked up with identical guilty expressions on their faces.
Snape took one look at their faces and held out his hand expectantly. He didn't even need to say anything, just put his sternest Potions Master look on his face, and Dylan meekly handed over the book. Snape raised his eyebrows and said, "It's not exactly on Hogwarts' recommended reading list, is it?"
"No, sir," Theodore said defensively, "but it's not a spellbook. It's not like we were planning to summon a demon or something."
"Then what were you doing?" Snape asked.
Somehow Theodore didn't think that "trying to figure out whether Professor Blackmore really does have demon blood" would go over very well. "Uh...we were just curious," he said lamely.
"Didn't you just say that knowledge shouldn't be suppressed?" Dylan chimed in, a look of wide-eyed earnestness on his face.
"I think you've had enough knowledge for one day," Snape said dryly, and placed the book back on the shelf.
Just then, Branwen, Sirius, and Harry returned with a new table to replace the broken one. "The place looks wonderful!" Branwen exclaimed, smiling at them warmly. "Thank you so much!"
"We should be thanking YOU for the chance to peruse your library," Lupin laughed, "and for your kind offer to let us borrow some of the books."
"Yes, I've been looking for this particular text for years," Snape said, holding up the Potions book that he and Dylan had mended. "It's very rare; are you sure you don't mind if I borrow it?"
"Not at all," Branwen replied. "You can make better use of it than I can, anyway." She took a quick look at the books that they had set aside to take home. Dylan and Snape had chosen Potions texts, of course, while Theodore had selected a couple of books on runes. "Good choice, Mr. Nott," Branwen said approvingly. "I've noticed that you have a real talent for drawing runes; you're probably the best in your year group."
Theodore smiled, feeling startled but pleased and proud. Being praised was a new experience for him because he had spent most of his time at Hogwarts trying to keep a low profile. It was a habit that had been ingrained in him long before he had started school, because attracting attention at home usually resulted in his father inflicting a painful curse or hex on him, and it hadn't been wise to do so at school either, because Draco hated being upstaged by anyone. "Better than Granger?" he asked. He didn't hate Hermione Granger the way Draco did, but it was a little annoying, the way the Muggle-born girl seemed to excel at everything she tried her hand at--not unlike Dylan, come to think of it.
Harry scowled a little at Theodore, but Branwen just smiled in a surprisingly gentle manner. "Miss Granger is good at drawing runes because she practices very hard at it, but I think you have a natural talent for it, Theodore. It's that elusive quality that separates a Master from one who is merely skilled and competent, as Severus should well know. Not that I'm saying you're a Master at Rune-making, mind you, but you have the potential to become one--if you work hard at it. Coasting on natural talent will take one only so far."
"Mr. Nott doesn't 'coast' in his classes, Branwen," Snape said reprovingly, and Theodore felt even more pleased.
"No, I've noticed that he and Mr. Zabini work very hard in my class," Branwen agreed, and Snape seemed appeased. She took a look at the books Lupin had selected, which were mostly novels. "A little light reading, I see, Remus...oh, except for this one." She held up a book on warding spells. "Something for next year's lesson plans?"
Lupin grinned at Snape, who turned bright red. "No, just a little personal project I have in mind," he said casually. Sirius gave the two of them a suspicious look, then decided he would really rather not know anything about it.
"Well, you seem to be finished here, so shall we take a break and have lunch?" Branwen suggested.
There were sandwiches and butterbeer waiting for them in the dining room, no doubt laid out by Hob, and everyone tucked into their food heartily. The three boys found themselves seated together at one end of the table, eating in awkward silence as the adults laughed and conversed with each other at the opposite end.
"So when are you going to make an honest woman of my cousin, Kingsley?" Sirius teased.
"Sirius!" Tonks scolded. "You don't need to talk about me like I'm some hapless maiden from a bad romance novel! Kingsley and I are taking things at our own pace, and besides, aren't there enough weddings going on at the moment? There's you and Branwen, and Percy and Penelope..."
"Percy seems to have matured a lot," Lupin said.
"Nearly getting killed will do that to you sometimes," Sirius said sardonically.
"It's too bad you and Severus can't get married," Tonks said to Lupin with a grin, "otherwise I suppose there'd be another wedding."
Snape looked horrified. "People are gossiping about us enough as it is! We'd never hear the end of it if..." His voice trailed off as he realized Lupin might take his words the wrong way, and nervously turned towards his lover, hoping that he hadn't hurt Lupin's feelings, and just as fervently hoping that Tonks's words hadn't put any ideas into the werewolf's head. He did seem to have a fondness for making a public spectacle of them, after all...
To Snape's relief, Lupin just laughed and smiled at him fondly. "I already have everything I want, Tonks." He touched the quartz pendant that hung from a gold chain around his neck--a good-luck charm that was his first gift from Severus, back when they had been students, which he could now wear openly and no longer had to hide. Then he reached out and placed his hand over Snape's. "I have Severus. We're finally able to be together without having to hide our relationship from the Death Eaters. And--" His smile turned into a grin that managed to be mischievous and yet loving at the same time. "--the fact that he allowed me to kiss him in front of the entire school is as dramatic a declaration of love as I could possibly wish for. I am content." He leaned over and kissed Snape lightly on the mouth; Snape turned red but did not object.
"Good," he said sourly, but he briefly squeezed Lupin's hand, and the affection in his eyes belied the tone of his voice. "Because I hope you don't expect a repeat performance; you've ruined my reputation enough as it is. Besides, marriage is a political contrivance, at least among the purebloods. It's an alliance for the purpose of gaining money and power, and a means by which to carry on the bloodline and the family name. Since Lupin and I don't care to play politics and obviously cannot have children, there's no reason for us to get married."
"You're so unromantic, Severus," Tonks complained.
"Oh, he can be quite romantic when he puts his mind to it, I assure you, Tonks!"
"Oh, shut up, Lupin!"
"Too bad," Sirius said with mock-regret. "I'm sure Snape would have looked quite fetching in a wedding gown..."
"How would you like to spend the rest of your life as a toad, Black? No wait, that might actually be an improvement--at least a toad doesn't have fleas..."
"If you turn him into a toad, I'll have to cancel the wedding, Severus," Branwen said mildly.
"Yes, but then Molly Weasley would stop pestering you," Snape pointed out helpfully.
"Hmm, now that is a tempting thought..."
"Branwen!" Sirius said indignantly. "Snape!"
The other adults all laughed at him. None of them were paying any attention to the three boys at the other end of the table, who were beginning to feel a little left out. Finally, in an attempt to break the ice, Dylan asked Harry, "So what's it like living with Blackmore?"
Harry gave the Slytherin boy a wary look, but couldn't detect any hostility in his eyes or his voice. "Um...she's okay. She's strict, but she's pretty nice. She's not as scary as she is in class. What's it like living with Snape?"
"He's okay," Dylan said echoing Harry's words, then he and Theodore exchanged a glance; that was a vast understatement that didn't come close to describing their relationship with Snape. He wasn't sure if a Gryffindor could understand that, or if he'd even want to try discussing something that personal with a Gryffindor, but somehow it didn't seem fair to describe Snape as merely "okay" after all he'd done for them. "No, that's not true," Dylan corrected himself. "He's better than 'okay'--he's looked after us Slytherins and protected us from Voldemort and the Death Eaters. And he and Professor Lupin gave me and Theo a home."
"Yeah, I know," Harry mumbled, looking down at his plate. He felt a little guilty as he remembered how he had been convinced for years that Snape was in league with Voldemort, despite Dumbledore's and Hermione's assurances to the contrary. Of course Snape hadn't treated him very nicely, but being mean didn't automatically make someone a Death Eater. Harry sighed. "I suppose I'll have to listen to Hermione say 'I told you so' for the rest of my life."
"What?" Theodore asked in confusion.
"Oh, she's insisted all along that Snape was okay when everybody else thought he might still be a Death Eater," Harry said.
"Really?" Theodore said, sounding shocked, while Dylan smiled, looking very pleased and almost smug. "Huh," said Theodore, "never thought I'd see a Gryffindor standing up for Professor Snape. Then again I never thought I'd see Pansy and Millicent getting all chummy with a couple of Gryffindor girls, either."
"We hear you and Draco have been hanging out, too," Dylan said.
"We're not exactly 'hanging out,'" Harry said in a defensive tone. "His mother is Sirius's cousin, so sometimes they come over for dinner, that's all."
Theodore and Dylan grinned at each other; Draco had been equally quick to disavow any friendship with Harry Potter.
"So you guys are still hanging out with Malfoy, then?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Dylan replied, "and just to give you fair warning, we've been practicing Quidditch moves together." He grinned and flung an arm around his foster brother's shoulders. "We've already picked out a new Chaser, so you Gryffindors have your work cut out for you."
"But tryouts don't start till September!" Harry protested.
"Well, of course Theo still has to go through the official tryouts, but he's a shoo-in," Dylan said dismissively.
Trust a Slytherin to break, or at least bend the rules by trying out new players during the summer. Harry wondered if he ought to try and get his team together for some unofficial practice as well, but several of them were off on trips with their families or working summer jobs. And he needed to replace a few members who had graduated; he supposed he ought to start thinking about potential replacements. Well, maybe he could at least get together with Ron and Ginny for a little practice; they needed to stay sharp if they intended to beat Slytherin this year.
The three boys made small talk about Quidditch for the rest of the meal, good-naturedly debating the merits of their favorite teams. Occasionally the debate got a little heated, but things never got out of hand.
Branwen smiled as she watched them, and Sirius leaned over and whispered, "You're looking rather smug, my dear."
"That's because I'm feeling rather smug...my dear," she said, giving him a kiss. She had invited the boys over and seated them together at lunch with this very goal in mind. They were not yet friends, but at least they were learning that they didn't have to be enemies. Her smile grew even more smug as she regarded her first experiment in inter-House cooperation--Remus and Severus--which had turned out to be a success after all, even if it had taken twenty years to come to fruition.
***
After lunch, the cleanup continued, then Snape, Lupin, and the boys went home for dinner. After dinner, Snape played a game of chess with Dylan while Theodore read a book on runes that he had borrowed from Branwen's library. Lupin retreated to the bedroom halfway through the chess game, which was a little strange, since he usually enjoyed the quiet time in the evenings that they all spent together, which had become something of a family ritual. The boys were tired and went to bed early, so Snape headed to his own bedroom to check on Lupin.
He found Lupin lying on the bed, a pensive look on his face. "Lupin? Are you all right?"
Lupin sat up and smiled at him. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking."
"Thinking? About what?"
"Love. Family. Marriage."
"Listen, Remus...about this afternoon," Snape said awkwardly. "I don't want you to think...I mean, you know I love you...if it were possible for us to get married--which it isn't, but if it were and you wanted--"
Lupin silenced him with a kiss. "Don't worry about it, Severus. I won't deny that I would be delighted to marry you if that were possible, but that's merely a human formality. When a wolf chooses a mate, it doesn't care about rules and regulations and official certificates and licenses." He laid his head on Snape's shoulder, sighing contentedly. "It knows that you are mine and I am yours, and that is all that matters."
Snape stroked Lupin's hair and asked, "Then why were you thinking about love, family, and marriage?"
"Oh, I was just thinking about how sad it was, what you said about marriage being merely a political alliance for most of the pureblood families. Maybe Lucius wouldn't have turned out so bad if he had come from a loving family, and then Draco would still have a father. And I was thinking about how Ariane was disowned because her mother didn't approve of her lover. And I was thinking about how happy I am now with my family, but feeling a little guilty at the same time, because we only have the boys because their parents are dead."
"That's true, but we didn't kill them, Lupin. And in Theodore's case, he's better off without them."
"Harsh but true," Lupin sighed, then smiled a little. "At least we can spare Dylan and Theodore the fate of an arranged political marriage. They can marry for love--at least Dylan can. And maybe someday the law will change, and Theo and Blaise can marry if they choose to."
"You really don't regret that we can't marry?"
Lupin grinned at Snape. "I told you, the wolf doesn't care about marriage licenses. All it wants is for the world to know that I have claimed you as my mate, and I think we've already accomplished that."
"Beast," Snape teased.
"Exactly," Lupin agreed, then growled softly in Snape's ear; Snape shivered with pleasure. Lupin undid the first few fastenings of Snape's robe, pushing back the high collar of the robe to expose the white skin of Snape's neck. "The wolf wants to put its mark on you," Lupin whispered, and nipped at Snape's neck, gently at first, then hard enough to leave a bruise, but stopping just short of breaking the skin.
Snape groaned and reached for Lupin, but his hands skittered off Lupin's robe, repelled by some unseen force. "What the--?!" he exclaimed, then reached for his wand. "Aperio!" he said, and suddenly he could see the glowing runes of warding that covered Lupin's robe. Snape laughed, "You sly dog--"
"Wolf," Lupin corrected with a mischievous grin.
"So that's what you were doing all this time! Well, I'll get rid of those in no time!"
"Don't be so sure, Sev," Lupin retorted. "My specialty is defensive magic, after all. I intended for this to be a challenge for you."
"I'm a master of the Dark Arts," Snape said haughtily. "Removing wards is child's play for me."
"Put your money where your mouth is, Professor Snape."
"Oh, I know exactly where I want to put my mouth, Lupin, but we need to get those robes out of the way first," Snape said, leering at the werewolf, who blushed furiously.
Snape set about removing the wards, a delicate process not unlike unweaving the spell-threads from the hexed Bane-bunny last year, although not quite as difficult. But it was hard for him to concentrate on his spell-casting when Lupin kept writhing suggestively on the bed while smiling at him enticingly.
"Damn it, Lupin! That's cheating!"
"A Slytherin complaining about cheating?" Lupin laughed. "That's rich!"
"Sometimes I think you were Sorted into the wrong House," Snape grumbled. "Or maybe living in the dungeon is causing you to think like a Slytherin."
After fifteen minutes (Snape would later claim that it would only have taken him five if Lupin hadn't been distracting him), he finally managed to dispel the wards, by which time they were both flushed with desire and impatience. "It's about time!" Lupin growled.
Snape pulled off Lupin's robe and decided he wasn't going to waste anymore time fiddling with the buttons on Lupin's shirt or trousers. He raised his wand and chanted a brief incantation, and all of Lupin's remaining clothes fell apart at the seams and fell to the floor in pieces as Lupin yelped in surprise. "That was the first time I've tried that spell, but it seems to be a success," Snape said, regarding the results with a look of satisfaction on his face.
"You owe me a new outfit, Severus!" Lupin said, blushing and laughing at the same time.
"Yes, yes," Snape said impatiently, "we can go to Diagon Alley and buy you some new clothes tomorrow, but right now..." He pulled Lupin into his arms and kissed him.
Lupin kissed him back, then began undressing him. "Let's get you out of these robes...do you really have to wear shirts with so many buttons, Severus? I think I'll have to get you to teach me that spell..." But finally he cast aside the last piece of clothing, and as they tumbled into the bed together, Lupin thought to himself that the warding spell might have been the best idea he had ever come up with.
***
They returned to Blackmore Manor to help Branwen with the cleanup project over the next few days, until she deemed the mansion habitable again. She thanked Lupin, Snape, and the boys profusely and gave them a standing invitation to stop by and use the library whenever she was at the Manor.
Soon after that, Dylan made arrangements to spend a few days in Wales visiting his Uncle Math and Aunt Goewin and their new baby. Before he left, Snape brewed and bottled some tonic suitable for treating a colicky baby as a "peace offering." Goewin loved Dylan like a son, and she had not been happy that Ariane had designated Snape and Lupin as his guardians instead of her and Math, although she had accepted the decision since that was what Dylan wanted.
"Is Ariana sick?" Lupin asked, sounding concerned.
"If she's not now, then she will be eventually," Snape said with a shrug. "All babies suffer from colic at one time or another, and perhaps Goewin will think of us more kindly when she doesn't have to stay up all night with a sick, crying baby."
Lupin looked distressed. "With all the excitement of dealing with the aftermath of the battle and getting the boys settled in, I completely forgot to send Goewin a baby present!"
Dylan grinned. "Don't worry; according to Aunt Goewin's letters, the baby already has a ton of toys from the local villagers, Order members, and even complete strangers who read about her birth in the Daily Prophet." Goewin and Math, like the other Order members, had been dubbed heroes in the press, and their daughter's birth had been regarded as a good omen and a sign of hope since she and her mother had narrowly escaped being sacrificed by Voldemort, and because she had been born immediately after the Death Eaters had been defeated. "Besides," Dylan added, "you already gave her that stuffed bunny for Christmas, remember? The one that looks like Bane?" He laughed, remembering the plush toy rabbit that looked amazingly like Bane in his hexed bunny form.
"Yes, but that was a Christmas present for Goewin," Lupin said. "I still wanted to give the baby something after she was born. It's traditional, after all. Well, I'll make something before you go. Hmm...it'll have to be something simple, since I don't have much time." He settled down at the kitchen table with his penknife and some scraps of wood and began carving.
"What are you doing, Prof...um...Remus?" Theodore asked curiously.
"I thought I'd carve some animals and make them into a mobile for little Ariana," Lupin replied. The boys sat at the table with him and watched in fascination as a crouching bunny slowly began to emerge and take shape from the small block of wood.
"Where did you learn to do that?" Dylan asked.
"My father taught me when I was a little boy," Lupin said. "Would you like to give it a try?"
Dylan and Theodore looked at each other. "Uh...sure, I guess so," Theodore said.
"Let's see," Lupin said, "I don't have an extra knife, but..." Lupin took a look at the small knives the boys used for chopping roots in Potions class, and deemed them acceptable. The wood was harder than the roots they normally chopped, but the knives were sturdy and of good quality--their wealthy families had bought the best that they could afford when purchasing their school supplies.
In Dylan's case, it was a sign of affection from his indulgent great-uncle and aunt, while in Theodore's case, it had not been affection or concern that motivated his father, but rather the need to prove that he was a member of the pureblood elite. Therefore, as cruel as he had been to his son, Thaddeus Nott had always made sure that Theodore's clothes and school supplies were expensive and high-quality, lest they lose face like the Weasleys, who were sneered at for sending their children to school with hand-me-down robes and secondhand books and equipment. Of course, Draco Malfoy's things were always a little better than everyone else's... Theodore shook his head a little, as if trying to shake those unpleasant memories out of his head.
"So what do we do now?" Dylan asked, staring blankly at the piece of wood Lupin gave him. "Where do we start? How do you decide what to carve?"
Lupin smiled. "Haven't you ever heard the story about the sculptor who, when asked how he carved an elephant out of stone, said, 'I just cut away everything that doesn't look like an elephant'?"
"Oh, that's very helpful, Lupin," Snape interjected sarcastically.
"Sometimes I already have something in mind," Lupin continued, "and other times I let the wood choose for me. Look at the grain of the wood..." He traced a curving line along the piece of wood with his finger. "That might be a bird's wing...and that knot in the wood there sort of looks like an eye." He showed them how to begin whittling away at the wood, cautioning, "Be sure to always carve away from and not towards yourself in case--"
"Ouch!" Dylan exclaimed.
"--the knife slips and you cut yourself," Lupin finished with a rueful grin. "Are you okay, Dylan?"
"Yeah," he said, sucking on his wounded finger. "It's just a scratch."
"I'll get some healing salve," Snape said. "Be careful, Rosier. It's difficult to become a Potions Master when you're missing a few fingers."
Theodore discovered, to his secret delight, that there was something he was better at than Dylan. He seemed to have a knack for carving, although his efforts looked crude next to Lupin's, but not bad for a beginner.
Meanwhile, Dylan found that his knife refused to go in the direction he wanted it to, either slipping off to the side or gouging deeper than he'd intended; although he was adept at slicing roots finely and precisely in Potions class, carving felt clumsy and unnatural to him. If Draco had been present, he would have been thrilled to learn that there was actually an activity that Dylan was bad at. After Dylan cut himself a second time, he laughed and said, "I think I'll stop while my fingers are all still intact!" But he did help Lupin and Theo paint the little wooden animals when they were done, and help string them together on the mobile.
"Thank you," he said, packing away the finished product before he left. "I'm sure Ariana will love it."
"Have fun, Dylan," Lupin said, giving his foster son a hug.
"Thanks, Remus."
"Take care of yourself, Rosier," Snape said gruffly. "Call us if you need anything."
Dylan smiled because he recognized that tone of voice, the gruffness an attempt to disguise the concern and affection beneath it. "Thank you, Professor. I'm sure I'll be fine. See you in a few days, Theo."
"See you, Dylan."
Dylan picked up his bag and his owl's cage, then flung a handful of Floo Powder into the fireplace, saying, "The Donner estate, Wales!" He stepped through the green flames that flared up, and vanished.
The first day without Dylan passed by quietly. Theodore spent the morning studying, and after lunch, he and Lupin went for a walk in the woods, then came back to the house and did a little more carving. Lupin also showed Theo some of the pieces he had carved, including a serpent that he said had been a Christmas present for Professor Snape, and a beautiful set of chess pieces that Lupin said he and his father had carved together when he was a boy. After dinner, Theodore and Snape played a game of chess while Lupin read a book, glancing up occasionally to smile at them tenderly. Theodore loved his friend and foster brother, but a small, selfish part of him felt a kind of guilty pleasure at having his foster parents all to himself. Lupin was always kind to him, and Snape was too, in his own gruff way, and it wasn't as if they ignored him when Dylan was around, but, well...Dylan was always so handsome and confident and charismatic that he seemed to become the center of attention wherever he went, without even trying, which absolutely drove Draco up the wall sometimes. And everyone knew that Dylan was Snape's favorite, which also annoyed the hell out of Draco. Theo was not so much annoyed as he was wistful, because he was no one's favorite except for Blaise's. He was grateful to his foster parents for taking him in, but he suspected that they had done it out of pity because no one else wanted him. Lupin had said that he loved him, and Theodore supposed he believed it, but Lupin loved everyone--probably even Crabbe and Goyle. If Crabbe and Goyle had been orphaned, would Lupin have convinced Snape to foster them, too? Probably.
"Theodore?" Snape said, startling him out of his reverie. "It's your move."
"Oh, right. Sorry, sir." {Idiot,} Theodore scolded himself. {Stop feeling sorry for yourself--you have a home and a family, and no one uses you for target practice anymore; what more could you ask for? And even if Dylan is Snape's favorite, he still spent all that money to hire that lawyer to keep the Ministry from taking your estate.} He looked up and saw Snape waiting patiently for him to make his move, and Lupin smiling at both of them, and he felt a little better.
"And what are you smirking at, Lupin?" Snape snapped.
"I am smiling because I am happy," Lupin replied serenely. "Because I am in the presence of two people I love."
Snape flushed a little, and scowled at Lupin. But Theodore noticed the corners of his mouth twitch upwards just a little, as if he were fighting back a smile. He was beginning to learn, because Dylan had pointed it out to him, that Snape's little arguments with Lupin were a sign of affection rather than anger. Then Theodore felt ashamed of having been glad that his foster brother was gone. He shook off his self-pitying mood, and concentrated on the game, actually managing to beat Snape for the first time this summer--which was no small feat, since his teacher's strategy was as clever and devious as one might expect of a former Death Eater.
"Very good, Mr. Nott," Snape said approvingly, and Theodore beamed with pride. "I'm impressed; it seems that Master Karasu's strategy lessons were quite effective. But I'll be prepared for you next time; shall we have a rematch tomorrow night?"
"Yes, sir," Theodore said happily. How strange, that he had lived in fear of the Potions Master for years, and now he was living with him and looking forward to playing chess with him, was even a little jealous of how close he and Dylan were.
The game had lasted most of the night, and it was now later than Theodore had realized. As they put away the chess set, Theodore hid a yawn behind his hand, but Lupin noticed. "I think we should all call it a night," he said with a smile.
"Yes, sir," Theodore said obediently, and headed downstairs to his room. But lying in bed, he felt lonely and a little uneasy. He was not used to being alone at night; for the past six years, Blaise had been his roommate, and of course he had been sharing a room with Dylan this summer. The only time he had slept alone since becoming a student at Hogwarts was when he had gone home to Nott Manor for the holidays and summers. Unlike the other students, he had dreaded the holidays and summer vacations, even more so after Voldemort had returned at the end of fourth year. Whenever Thaddeus had been punished or felt pressured by his Master, he took out his frustration on his wife and son, and his abuse had escalated to the point where Theodore had been relieved when his father, along with most of the other Death Eaters, had been arrested at the end of fifth year--and had been terrified when they escaped. Lying alone in the dark, those old fears and memories returned, and he suddenly wished that Dylan was here; perhaps he was being punished for his earlier selfish thoughts.
He chided himself for being stupid, like a child afraid of the dark--something his father would definitely have punished. Theodore's sleep, not surprisingly, had always been haunted by nightmares, especially after he had witnessed his uncle's murder. But he had quickly learned that crying or screaming during these nightmares would wake his father and bring about a swift and painful punishment: a dutiful son did not disturb his parents' rest, and a future Death Eater did not cry or scream over something as harmless and foolish as a dream; a future Death Eater did not cry, period. So he learned to bear the nightmares quietly; he might wake up suddenly in the middle of the night, shaking with fear, but he did it silently. And the nightmares had abated during his time at Hogwarts, where he felt safer and more secure, at least until his father had escaped from prison. He had woken up Blaise a few times with his nightmares, and been comforted by his lover's presence, but had also felt ashamed to be caught in a moment of weakness, even by someone he trusted. It had also complicated things, because he couldn't tell Blaise what the nightmares were about, for his own safety.
Well, it was safe now. Maybe when they had some time alone together, he would talk to Blaise about it. He remembered his promise to himself earlier this summer, that he would tell Blaise the truth about his family and the Death Eaters, all the things that he had been unable to talk about earlier. They had not really talked much during Blaise's visit; they had been alone only for that short time in the woods, and they had not exactly spent much time talking...Theodore smiled at the memory of their tryst. Well, the important thing was that Blaise still loved him and understood that he had been trying to protect him from the Death Eaters; the rest could wait.
But Theodore still felt lonely and afraid of the dark--or more precisely, of the dreams and memories that seemed to be lurking there for him, as silly as that sounded. He wished he knew a spell that would chase away nightmares...and then an idea occurred to him. A Patronus was supposed to be a guardian and protector of sorts...
He took out his wand, closed his eyes, and concentrated on one of his happiest memories: the first time Blaise had kissed him, and the incredulous joy he felt at that moment, knowing that Blaise returned his feelings. "Expecto Patronum," he whispered, and his Patronus appeared. The silvery light the weasel gave off was comforting, and his fears receded, as if banished by the light. He sighed with relief, lay back down on the bed, and closed his eyes and fell asleep with the silver weasel curled up at the foot of the bed, watching over its master protectively.
But the Patronus was an enchantment, not a real beast, and when Theodore fell asleep and stopped concentrating on the spell, it gradually began to dissipate...
Theodore dreamed that he was on the battlefield again, and saw Voldemort with his skull-like face and glowing red eyes smile menacingly and make a beckoning gesture. He turned to run but his father grabbed him, saying, "It's you or me, Theodore." Theodore managed to break free of his grasp and run away, but blocking his path was the house-elf servant that Thaddeus had killed. Its flesh was rotting and falling from its bones, but it stood upright and slowly shambled forwards towards Theodore, saying in a hollow voice, "You let him kill me."
"No!" Theodore protested, taking a step backwards. "It wasn't my fault! There was nothing I could do!"
The house-elf transformed into Rafe Dietrich, who looked at his nephew with accusing eyes. "Why did you let him kill me, Theo?"
"I'm sorry," Theodore whimpered, backing away from his uncle's corpse, which slowly shuffled forward in much the same the way the house-elf had. "I was scared he'd kill me too!"
"You let him kill me," Rafe repeated, his cold, dead eyes exhibiting none of the compassion or warmth they had shown in life.
"I'm sorry," Theodore sobbed, stumbling backwards as his uncle lifted a hand and reached out towards him. "I'm sorry, please, I'm so sorry..."
Part 9
Meanwhile, Branwen continued identifying the portraits on the wall, as if to distract them, and occasionally stopped to cast a Reparo spell on a damaged painting. "This is my great-great-great-great grandmother, Lady Bronwen, after whom I was named. And this is Lady Sybil, who was a Seer." She paused in front of a painting that was little more than splinters. "I'm afraid this one is too far gone to repair." She glanced at the nameplate that was still visible on what remained of the frame. "Not much of a loss, though, to tell you the truth. This was Lady Morag, one of my more...er...disagreeable relatives, one of the ancestors who gave my family a bad name." By this time, Severus and Dylan had caught up with them. "In fact, you might be interested to know, Severus, that she was a Potions Mistress. Unfortunately, she was suspected of poisoning several of her enemies...her son Alastair was said to be a kind and gentle man, though. He was one of the few Blackmore Lords; according to the family histories, Morag was very disappointed that she never had a daughter."
"She must have made his life miserable," Sirius said sympathetically, picturing a harridan much like his own mother. "I'm surprised she didn't poison him; actually, I'm surprised that MY mother didn't poison me..."
"Oh, no doubt she would have--Lady Morag, I mean, not your mother, Sirius--except that he was her only heir, and killing him would have meant ending the Blackmore bloodline. Fortunately for Alastair, his mother died when he was twenty-five--a mishap when she was trying out a new potion; a bit too much hemlock, it seems..."
"Are you sure it was an accident?" Sirius asked suspiciously.
"It was officially ruled as one," Branwen replied, "but as Morag was feared and disliked by most of the wizarding community, no one really looked too closely into her death." She grinned slyly, with the sort of gleam in her eyes that did nothing to discourage the rumors about her demon blood. "Perhaps Alastair wasn't quite as gentle as he seemed..."
Sirius shuddered a little as they continued down the corridor, suddenly glad that Branwen had no living relatives...except of course for Araqiel and Regan in the Demon Realm. He hoped that they didn't intend to pay a visit at the wedding, and reassured himself with the thought that a demon could not cross over into the human world without an invitation. And then he resolved to check over the guest list very carefully and send out the wedding invitations himself, just to be on the safe side...
"And this is Lady Gweneth," Branwen said, motioning to another painting, this one of a dark-haired woman standing next to a handsome blond man with gray eyes.
"That man," Dylan said, staring at the portrait in shock. "He looks like..."
"Much like Gwydion, doesn't he?" Branwen finished, smiling. "That is Gweneth's husband, Emlyn. He was a younger son of the Donner family, with no inheritance of his own, since the title and the estate went to his sister, so their marriage was an advantageous one for him even if it meant that his children would bear his wife's name. But according to Lady Gweneth's diaries, it was a love match, not a political one, and they were very happy together."
"But...but," Dylan stammered, "if the Donners and the Blackmores are related, then why did my grandmother hate them so much?"
"I'm not sure that Deirdre was aware of it," Branwen replied, "since this happened about three hundred years ago. If she did know of it, no doubt it was a part of the family history that she preferred to ignore. But all the pureblood families are related to some degree or another; there is only so much pure blood to go around, after all."
"Yes," Dylan murmured, "I remember Professor Snape told us the same thing at the Nott mansion." He smiled, remembering what they had discovered from the Nott family tree. "Theo and I are related; one of his ancestors married a woman from my paternal grandmother's family. And Theo and Professor Snape are related, too."
"There was also a Black in Theodore's family tree," Lupin told Sirius with a smile.
"Let's see," Blackmore said thoughtfully, "if I recall my family history correctly, one of the Blackmore Lords married a Black. Another married a woman from the Snape family, but that was several hundred years ago."
"So perhaps the ability to terrorize students is hereditary, Severus," Lupin joked.
Snape just glowered at him. "Too bad I didn't also inherit the ability to terrorize werewolves," he said sarcastically.
Branwen ignored them and continued, "I think there may be a Nott in there somewhere, but I'd have to check our records to be sure. It gets a little hard to keep track of the family tree when it goes back for a thousand years."
"What about a Potter?" Harry asked curiously.
"No, that is one line that never mixed with ours," Branwen said, smiling ruefully. "I'm afraid that your father's distrust of Slytherin was a family tradition. The Potters were nearly all Gryffindors, and they regarded the Slytherins families with suspicion--the feud probably goes as far back as the time of the Founders." She hesitated, then continued; her eyes went blank and expressionless, but they watched Harry very closely. "One of the early Potter lords was a friend and staunch supporter of Godric Gryffindor, and he sided with Godric during his quarrel with Salazar Slytherin over admitting Muggle-born students to the school."
Dylan and Theodore stared at Harry curiously as a look of dismay spread across his face. Voldemort had told him that he was the descendant of the result of an adulterous affair between Godric Gryffindor and Lord Potter's wife, and that there was not really any Potter blood in his veins. That knowledge was bad enough, but it was even worse to learn that this Potter, his supposed ancestor, had been doubly betrayed, not just by his wife, but by his friend, who was the great hero and founder of Gryffindor House.
"Branwen!" Sirius snapped, glaring at her accusingly. "Do we really have to dig up all that ancient history? After a thousand years, we should just let bygones be bygones!" Theodore and Dylan looked even more bewildered by that outburst, but Sirius ignored them and placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. "People are human, Harry," he said kindly. "No one's perfect; we all make mistakes, even people we love and admire. Merlin knows I've made more than my share of them!"
"What are they talking about, Professor?" Dylan whispered to Snape. "Why should Potter be upset that his ancestor was a friend of Gryffindor and an enemy of Slytherin?"
Snape hesitated as Lupin shot him a stern look and shook his head slightly. "It's Gryffindor business, Rosier," Snape whispered back. "It doesn't concern us. Suffice it to say that Mr. Potter's simplistic and Gryffindor-ish view of the world was shaken up a little during the battle with Voldemort."
Theodore and Dylan still looked confused, and Lupin added with a smile, "I think the Slytherins' view of the world was also shaken up; in fact, the entire school was shaken up, but I believe that was a good thing." He leaned over and kissed Snape on the cheek.
"Cut that out, Lupin!" Snape growled, and the boys laughed.
Branwen smiled and continued leading them down the corridor. "Is there a Rosier in your family tree, Professor?" Dylan asked. "What about a Malfoy?"
"I believe there is a Rosier somewhere in the distant past, but there are no Malfoys," Branwen replied, then smiled wryly. "The men were too proud to give up their names, and they didn't want their women to get the notion that they could be independent and rule in their own name rather than their husband's, so they never married into the Blackmore line. Most the Blackmore Lords married women from prominent pureblood families, but most of the Ladies married men from lesser families, because the men of the pureblood elite would have lost face if they took their wife's name. In fact, a few of the Blackmore women never married at all, though they did bear children to carry on the family name, which was regarded as quite scandalous at the time. But the Blackmores have never really cared what other people thought of us."
Something suddenly occurred to Lupin, and he changed the subject, saying, "I saw Kingsley and Tonks, but I haven't seen Moody. Didn't he offer to help out as well?" Although they were occasionally at odds with each other, Branwen was of one of the few people that Mad-Eye Moody respected, while he was one of the few people who didn't fear her, and they regarded each other as friends.
"Yes, he did," Branwen said, sighing a little, "but the aura of Dark Magic in the house was making him twitchy, so I sent him home. The Death Eaters did enough damage to this house without a paranoid Auror adding to it by firing off spells every time the floorboards squeak or the wind causes a curtain to rustle."
"You'd think old Mad-Eye would relax a little now that Voldemort and the Death Eaters have been defeated," Sirius chuckled.
"Constant vigilance," Branwen said, quoting Moody. "Years of paranoia are hard to shake, and he thinks that some of the Death Eater sympathizers might still carry a grudge against him."
"But surely none of them would be hiding out in your family home," Sirius protested.
"No, but there is my family's reputation, which is not entirely undeserved," Branwen pointed out. "He fears there may be some hidden trap spells or magical items that I don't know about, which is possible. It's probably just as well that he left, since I would rather not have any priceless family heirlooms destroyed by him."
They passed through a door that had been blown off its hinges, and entered a large room whose walls were lined with shelves that were filled with books from floor to ceiling--or had been, at one time. Some of the shelves had been damaged by spell blasts, spilling their contents onto the floor. A table in the center of the room had been blasted into kindling.
Snape, Dylan, and Theodore stared at the library with looks of awe on their faces. "Wow," Dylan breathed; he and Snape in particular looked like children who had just been set loose in a candy store.
Branwen smiled at them indulgently. "If you would help to repair the shelves and organize the books, I would be much obliged." The trio nodded enthusiastically. "But be careful," she warned Theodore and Dylan. "Some of the books have protective enchantments on them. Use an Aperio spell to check them first, and don't touch any enspelled books without consulting Remus, Severus, or myself first, understand?"
"Yes, Professor," the boys chorused.
"And be especially careful with the books in that corner of the room," she added.
They cautiously approached the section of shelving she was pointing to, and saw that it was filled with books on the Dark Arts, Summoning, and Demonology. Snape was eyeing the books just as eagerly as his foster sons were, but he cleared his throat and said gruffly, "Let's start over here, Nott, Rosier." The boys sighed regretfully and backed off. An Aperio spell on the pile of books nearest the door revealed no enchantments, and they began repairing the shelves and sorting through the books.
Meanwhile, Sirius and Harry lifted up the door, propping it up in the doorway. "It's mostly intact," Sirius said. "I think it can be salvaged with a couple of Reparo spells." Under his breath, he asked Branwen, "Is it really safe to turn those boys loose in your library?"
"I think so," she replied quietly, so that only Harry and Sirius could hear her. "All Slytherins are drawn to the Dark Arts, but after what they've gone through, I don't think they will be tempted to misuse their powers. And Severus and Remus will keep them in line. You will notice that I didn't invite Narcissa and Draco to our little cleanup party; they've been doing very well, but I didn't think it wise to put too much temptation in front of them."
The three Slytherins spent more time leafing through the books than they did shelving them, but Branwen didn't seem to mind. Theodore was absorbed in a book called "Runes of Power," and Snape and Dylan were carefully examining a thick, ancient tome on potions.
"It's a crime to damage such a rare and valuable book!" Snape exclaimed indignantly. It had been damaged by spellfire, although the thick leather binding of the book had absorbed the brunt of the damage. The edges of some of the pages were singed and burned away, though.
"Will a Reparo spell fix it?" Dylan asked dubiously.
"We can try..."
Even Lupin got distracted when he discovered a entire section devoted solely to fiction, and sat on the floor, happily flipping through the pages of a copy of "Le Morte D'Arthur" that looked old enough to be an original edition.
Sirius chuckled. "Shall we leave the bookworms alone, then--?" he started to say, then broke off as he looked up and noticed a large painting hanging on the wall between two rows of shelves. It was undamaged and it portrayed a couple: a beautiful young woman who looked much like Branwen except that her eyes were brown, and an even more beautiful young man, who also looked like Branwen. His hair was long and black, and his skin perfectly smooth and porcelain-pale, which might be artistic license on the part of the painter, but somehow Sirius didn't think so. There was a sly, knowing smile on his lips, and there seemed to be just a hint of red tint in the black paint that had been used on his eyes. The unknown painter of the portrait must have been a master of his art, because he had managed to capture the look of ancient wisdom in the young man's eyes with a bit of oil paint and a few strokes of his brush. "These are your ancestors, aren't they, Branwen?" Sirius asked in a hushed tone of mingled fear and awe. "The founders of your clan, Regan and Araqiel."
Branwen's eyes flickered over to Dylan and Theodore, who had overheard and were looking up at the portrait curiously. "Yes, Sirius," she replied calmly, "although Regan's husband went by the name Lord Raven in public. His people believed that names hold power, and he did not care to reveal his real name to outsiders."
"Oh," Sirius said in consternation. He was not an expert on the Dark Arts, but he had a vague recollection that a wizard could summon a demon by calling on the demon's true name.
"No harm done," Branwen said cheerfully. "After all, Lady Regan and Lord Raven have long ago departed this world." Sirius noted, with some amusement, that strictly speaking, this was not a lie, since she had not said that they were dead. "Well, I'm afraid this table is beyond help," she said, looking down at its splintered remains. "Sirius, Harry, why don't you two help me levitate it out of here, and then I'll check on the furniture stored in the attic for a suitable replacement? Severus, Remus, if you and the boys see anything you'd like to borrow, just let me know. So long as it's nothing dangerous, I don't mind, and I believe there are some Potions texts that you might be interested in."
"Thank you, Branwen!" Snape said, startling Harry by grinning from ear to ear, an avid gleam in his black eyes. "I have noticed a few texts in your collection that are extremely difficult to find these days..."
"Help yourself," Branwen told him, and she left with Harry and Sirius.
"You might regret that offer," Sirius warned her. "Are you sure you won't come back to find half of your shelves bare?"
Branwen just laughed. "I trust Remus to keep them from getting carried away, and besides, I don't have time to read all those books myself, and they ought to be used by someone who will appreciate them."
Lupin, Snape, Theodore, and Dylan forced themselves to stop reading and actually do some work. They repaired the shelves and sorted through the books on the floor, mending those which had not been damaged too badly, and regretfully setting aside those which were a total loss. They also set aside a few books each to take home, trying not to be too greedy. "Do you think she'll let us come back here again?" Dylan asked hopefully.
"I'm sure she will," Lupin assured him with a smile. "She does believe in encouraging a love of knowledge in her students, after all."
Many of the books in "that corner of the room" were covered with malevolent-looking red glowing runes that became visible with the help of an Aperio spell, which made enchantments visible to the human eye. The runes seemed to twist and writhe like snakes, making Theodore and Dylan dizzy if they stared at them too closely.
"They're a type of Dark Warding spell," Snape explained, "somewhat advanced beyond the spells I taught you. No doubt they're meant to protect the books from falling into the wrong hands. They'll inflict a nasty curse on anyone who tries to open them without giving the proper command word."
"Then how are we supposed to put them back on the shelves?" Theodore asked nervously. "Should we levitate them?"
"I think they're safe to touch so long as you don't try to open them, but perhaps it would be best if you and Dylan only handle the unenchanted books. Lupin and I will take care of these." Snape carefully separated out the warded books from the normal ones, and just as carefully began replacing them on the shelves, pausing every now and then to glance at one. "Hmm...'Book of the Dead: a Guide to Necromancy'--it was banned by the Ministry fifty years ago; I didn't think there were any left that hadn't been confiscated."
Lupin gave the book a distasteful look, plucked it out of his lover's hands, and placed it on the shelf. "Why would you want such a thing?"
"It's not like I want to become a Necromancer, but you can't just erase knowledge, Lupin," Snape replied. "No matter how much you try to suppress it, someone will find a way to dig it up again. Isn't it better that we know how such magic works, so that we're able to defend ourselves against less scrupulous mages?"
"Maybe," Lupin said skeptically. "But it doesn't seem wise to make Necromantic and Demon-Summoning spells available to the public at large, either."
"Well, perhaps they should be regulated, but not entirely forbidden. Oh, look, a book on Dark Runes! There are only three known copies of this particular title left in the world; there were not many to begin with, and most of the others were destroyed during the backlash against the Dark Arts after Voldemort rose to power. It figures that the Blackmores would have one. Do you think Branwen would let me borrow it?" Lupin sighed, and Snape smiled sheepishly. "I can't help it, Remus. I never could stand any piece of knowledge being denied to me, even if I would never actually use it."
Lupin smiled at him tenderly. "You have a love of knowledge worthy of a Ravenclaw, Severus--"
"But the ethics of a Slytherin," Snape finished with a grin.
"That's why I love you," Lupin said, leaning over to kiss him, and for once Snape didn't object even though the boys were present, because he was moved by the absolute sincerity in Lupin's voice. Lupin loved him as he was, Slytherin ethics (or more accurately, lack thereof) and all.
Theodore and Dylan, having grown used to Lupin's frequent displays of affection, just grinned at each other and continued shelving. They finished quickly; this section of the library had suffered the least harm, perhaps because it had been so heavily warded. Theodore reached for a book on the shelf, then hesitated, glancing over at Lupin and Snape, who were no longer kissing but still seemed to be preoccupied with each other. Lupin was gently teasing Snape as the Potions Master looked longingly at almost every book before placing it on the shelf.
"I wish you'd look at me that way, Severus!"
"Don't be silly, Lupin; you can't possibly be jealous of a book," Snape replied, but he sounded more pleased than scornful.
Lupin pretended to pout. "If I covered myself with protective wards, would that make me more appealing?"
"Don't be sil--" Snape started to reply, then gave Lupin a speculative look. "Hmm..." On second thought, that might be rather interesting...but could he handle the frustration? At times their desire was so overpowering--particularly near the full moon--that they nearly tore the robes off each other's bodies. Having to remove warding spells as well would definitely slow things down, but the challenge of it was rather titillating...and to be honest, the frustration was rather titillating as well...
"Ooh, you like that idea, don't you?" Lupin laughed. He had only been joking, but seeing Severus's reaction made him consider the idea seriously.
Since the pair was paying no attention to him at the moment, Theodore pulled a book off the shelf entitled "A History of Demonology." It was a history text, not a spellbook, so there were no wards on it.
"What are you doing, Theo?" Dylan whispered nervously. Technically, the book might not be off-limits to them, but he wasn't sure that their guardians would approve of them reading it, either.
"I just wanted to look something up," Theodore said, flipping through the book. "That name Sirius Black mentioned sounded kind of familiar..."
"What? Oh, you mean the name of Regan Blackmore's husband?" Dylan glanced up at the portrait hanging on the wall.
"Yes. Let's see...Abaddon...Abraxas...Alastor?" Theodore snickered. "It says that Alastor is the name of a Greek demon. I didn't know that, but it's appropriate for someone like Mad-Eye Moody, don't you think? Alocer...Amduscias...ah, here it is!" He pointed at a name on the page and Dylan leaned over his shoulder to look at it. "Araqiel, also known as Arakiel, Arqael, and Arkiel, is a demon who taught human beings the signs of the earth."
"What does that mean, 'signs of the earth'?"
"I'm not sure. Perhaps some sort of sorcery? But that's not the point...the name of a Blackmore ancestor--the founding Blackmore ancestor, in fact--is in this book!" Theodore tapped the entry on the page emphatically with his finger.
Dylan glanced up nervously at portrait of Regan and Lord Raven/Araqiel, as if to make sure it wasn't going to suddenly come to life. "Just because he was named after a demon doesn't make him one! I mean, you just said that Moody has the name of a demon, too, and he's human...at least I'm pretty sure he is..."
"Well, but don't you think it's significant that everyone's been saying for years that the Blackmores have demon blood, and the co-founder of the clan just happens to have the same name as a demon...?"
"Well, maybe that's how the rumors got started," Dylan said, trying to convince himself as much as he was Theodore. He suddenly remembered the time that Snape and Sirius had healed him with a Blood Healing spell, the night he had taken the vampiric roses from the Rosier mansion; he thought he remembered Snape refusing to let Blackmore donate her blood to the spell and saying something about her not being completely human. But the memory was vague and hazy; it was probably just a fever dream...at least, he profoundly hoped that it was.
"You know, there were rumors about your family, too..." Theodore flipped through the book again. "See here, it says that Rosier is the name of the Demon of Seduction."
"What?! Let me see that!" Dylan took the book from Theodore. "So you think this demon was my ancestor?"
Theodore grinned. "Well, that would explain why women seem to find you so irresistible...but seriously, the rumors never said that the Rosiers were demons, just that they had dealings with them. Those roses of yours had to come from somewhere, after all..."
"A human wizard could've enchanted them."
"I suppose so, but no one's ever managed to duplicate such a spell--"
"What are you two looking at?" Lupin asked cheerfully, and both boys jumped and looked up with identical guilty expressions on their faces.
Snape took one look at their faces and held out his hand expectantly. He didn't even need to say anything, just put his sternest Potions Master look on his face, and Dylan meekly handed over the book. Snape raised his eyebrows and said, "It's not exactly on Hogwarts' recommended reading list, is it?"
"No, sir," Theodore said defensively, "but it's not a spellbook. It's not like we were planning to summon a demon or something."
"Then what were you doing?" Snape asked.
Somehow Theodore didn't think that "trying to figure out whether Professor Blackmore really does have demon blood" would go over very well. "Uh...we were just curious," he said lamely.
"Didn't you just say that knowledge shouldn't be suppressed?" Dylan chimed in, a look of wide-eyed earnestness on his face.
"I think you've had enough knowledge for one day," Snape said dryly, and placed the book back on the shelf.
Just then, Branwen, Sirius, and Harry returned with a new table to replace the broken one. "The place looks wonderful!" Branwen exclaimed, smiling at them warmly. "Thank you so much!"
"We should be thanking YOU for the chance to peruse your library," Lupin laughed, "and for your kind offer to let us borrow some of the books."
"Yes, I've been looking for this particular text for years," Snape said, holding up the Potions book that he and Dylan had mended. "It's very rare; are you sure you don't mind if I borrow it?"
"Not at all," Branwen replied. "You can make better use of it than I can, anyway." She took a quick look at the books that they had set aside to take home. Dylan and Snape had chosen Potions texts, of course, while Theodore had selected a couple of books on runes. "Good choice, Mr. Nott," Branwen said approvingly. "I've noticed that you have a real talent for drawing runes; you're probably the best in your year group."
Theodore smiled, feeling startled but pleased and proud. Being praised was a new experience for him because he had spent most of his time at Hogwarts trying to keep a low profile. It was a habit that had been ingrained in him long before he had started school, because attracting attention at home usually resulted in his father inflicting a painful curse or hex on him, and it hadn't been wise to do so at school either, because Draco hated being upstaged by anyone. "Better than Granger?" he asked. He didn't hate Hermione Granger the way Draco did, but it was a little annoying, the way the Muggle-born girl seemed to excel at everything she tried her hand at--not unlike Dylan, come to think of it.
Harry scowled a little at Theodore, but Branwen just smiled in a surprisingly gentle manner. "Miss Granger is good at drawing runes because she practices very hard at it, but I think you have a natural talent for it, Theodore. It's that elusive quality that separates a Master from one who is merely skilled and competent, as Severus should well know. Not that I'm saying you're a Master at Rune-making, mind you, but you have the potential to become one--if you work hard at it. Coasting on natural talent will take one only so far."
"Mr. Nott doesn't 'coast' in his classes, Branwen," Snape said reprovingly, and Theodore felt even more pleased.
"No, I've noticed that he and Mr. Zabini work very hard in my class," Branwen agreed, and Snape seemed appeased. She took a look at the books Lupin had selected, which were mostly novels. "A little light reading, I see, Remus...oh, except for this one." She held up a book on warding spells. "Something for next year's lesson plans?"
Lupin grinned at Snape, who turned bright red. "No, just a little personal project I have in mind," he said casually. Sirius gave the two of them a suspicious look, then decided he would really rather not know anything about it.
"Well, you seem to be finished here, so shall we take a break and have lunch?" Branwen suggested.
There were sandwiches and butterbeer waiting for them in the dining room, no doubt laid out by Hob, and everyone tucked into their food heartily. The three boys found themselves seated together at one end of the table, eating in awkward silence as the adults laughed and conversed with each other at the opposite end.
"So when are you going to make an honest woman of my cousin, Kingsley?" Sirius teased.
"Sirius!" Tonks scolded. "You don't need to talk about me like I'm some hapless maiden from a bad romance novel! Kingsley and I are taking things at our own pace, and besides, aren't there enough weddings going on at the moment? There's you and Branwen, and Percy and Penelope..."
"Percy seems to have matured a lot," Lupin said.
"Nearly getting killed will do that to you sometimes," Sirius said sardonically.
"It's too bad you and Severus can't get married," Tonks said to Lupin with a grin, "otherwise I suppose there'd be another wedding."
Snape looked horrified. "People are gossiping about us enough as it is! We'd never hear the end of it if..." His voice trailed off as he realized Lupin might take his words the wrong way, and nervously turned towards his lover, hoping that he hadn't hurt Lupin's feelings, and just as fervently hoping that Tonks's words hadn't put any ideas into the werewolf's head. He did seem to have a fondness for making a public spectacle of them, after all...
To Snape's relief, Lupin just laughed and smiled at him fondly. "I already have everything I want, Tonks." He touched the quartz pendant that hung from a gold chain around his neck--a good-luck charm that was his first gift from Severus, back when they had been students, which he could now wear openly and no longer had to hide. Then he reached out and placed his hand over Snape's. "I have Severus. We're finally able to be together without having to hide our relationship from the Death Eaters. And--" His smile turned into a grin that managed to be mischievous and yet loving at the same time. "--the fact that he allowed me to kiss him in front of the entire school is as dramatic a declaration of love as I could possibly wish for. I am content." He leaned over and kissed Snape lightly on the mouth; Snape turned red but did not object.
"Good," he said sourly, but he briefly squeezed Lupin's hand, and the affection in his eyes belied the tone of his voice. "Because I hope you don't expect a repeat performance; you've ruined my reputation enough as it is. Besides, marriage is a political contrivance, at least among the purebloods. It's an alliance for the purpose of gaining money and power, and a means by which to carry on the bloodline and the family name. Since Lupin and I don't care to play politics and obviously cannot have children, there's no reason for us to get married."
"You're so unromantic, Severus," Tonks complained.
"Oh, he can be quite romantic when he puts his mind to it, I assure you, Tonks!"
"Oh, shut up, Lupin!"
"Too bad," Sirius said with mock-regret. "I'm sure Snape would have looked quite fetching in a wedding gown..."
"How would you like to spend the rest of your life as a toad, Black? No wait, that might actually be an improvement--at least a toad doesn't have fleas..."
"If you turn him into a toad, I'll have to cancel the wedding, Severus," Branwen said mildly.
"Yes, but then Molly Weasley would stop pestering you," Snape pointed out helpfully.
"Hmm, now that is a tempting thought..."
"Branwen!" Sirius said indignantly. "Snape!"
The other adults all laughed at him. None of them were paying any attention to the three boys at the other end of the table, who were beginning to feel a little left out. Finally, in an attempt to break the ice, Dylan asked Harry, "So what's it like living with Blackmore?"
Harry gave the Slytherin boy a wary look, but couldn't detect any hostility in his eyes or his voice. "Um...she's okay. She's strict, but she's pretty nice. She's not as scary as she is in class. What's it like living with Snape?"
"He's okay," Dylan said echoing Harry's words, then he and Theodore exchanged a glance; that was a vast understatement that didn't come close to describing their relationship with Snape. He wasn't sure if a Gryffindor could understand that, or if he'd even want to try discussing something that personal with a Gryffindor, but somehow it didn't seem fair to describe Snape as merely "okay" after all he'd done for them. "No, that's not true," Dylan corrected himself. "He's better than 'okay'--he's looked after us Slytherins and protected us from Voldemort and the Death Eaters. And he and Professor Lupin gave me and Theo a home."
"Yeah, I know," Harry mumbled, looking down at his plate. He felt a little guilty as he remembered how he had been convinced for years that Snape was in league with Voldemort, despite Dumbledore's and Hermione's assurances to the contrary. Of course Snape hadn't treated him very nicely, but being mean didn't automatically make someone a Death Eater. Harry sighed. "I suppose I'll have to listen to Hermione say 'I told you so' for the rest of my life."
"What?" Theodore asked in confusion.
"Oh, she's insisted all along that Snape was okay when everybody else thought he might still be a Death Eater," Harry said.
"Really?" Theodore said, sounding shocked, while Dylan smiled, looking very pleased and almost smug. "Huh," said Theodore, "never thought I'd see a Gryffindor standing up for Professor Snape. Then again I never thought I'd see Pansy and Millicent getting all chummy with a couple of Gryffindor girls, either."
"We hear you and Draco have been hanging out, too," Dylan said.
"We're not exactly 'hanging out,'" Harry said in a defensive tone. "His mother is Sirius's cousin, so sometimes they come over for dinner, that's all."
Theodore and Dylan grinned at each other; Draco had been equally quick to disavow any friendship with Harry Potter.
"So you guys are still hanging out with Malfoy, then?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Dylan replied, "and just to give you fair warning, we've been practicing Quidditch moves together." He grinned and flung an arm around his foster brother's shoulders. "We've already picked out a new Chaser, so you Gryffindors have your work cut out for you."
"But tryouts don't start till September!" Harry protested.
"Well, of course Theo still has to go through the official tryouts, but he's a shoo-in," Dylan said dismissively.
Trust a Slytherin to break, or at least bend the rules by trying out new players during the summer. Harry wondered if he ought to try and get his team together for some unofficial practice as well, but several of them were off on trips with their families or working summer jobs. And he needed to replace a few members who had graduated; he supposed he ought to start thinking about potential replacements. Well, maybe he could at least get together with Ron and Ginny for a little practice; they needed to stay sharp if they intended to beat Slytherin this year.
The three boys made small talk about Quidditch for the rest of the meal, good-naturedly debating the merits of their favorite teams. Occasionally the debate got a little heated, but things never got out of hand.
Branwen smiled as she watched them, and Sirius leaned over and whispered, "You're looking rather smug, my dear."
"That's because I'm feeling rather smug...my dear," she said, giving him a kiss. She had invited the boys over and seated them together at lunch with this very goal in mind. They were not yet friends, but at least they were learning that they didn't have to be enemies. Her smile grew even more smug as she regarded her first experiment in inter-House cooperation--Remus and Severus--which had turned out to be a success after all, even if it had taken twenty years to come to fruition.
***
After lunch, the cleanup continued, then Snape, Lupin, and the boys went home for dinner. After dinner, Snape played a game of chess with Dylan while Theodore read a book on runes that he had borrowed from Branwen's library. Lupin retreated to the bedroom halfway through the chess game, which was a little strange, since he usually enjoyed the quiet time in the evenings that they all spent together, which had become something of a family ritual. The boys were tired and went to bed early, so Snape headed to his own bedroom to check on Lupin.
He found Lupin lying on the bed, a pensive look on his face. "Lupin? Are you all right?"
Lupin sat up and smiled at him. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking."
"Thinking? About what?"
"Love. Family. Marriage."
"Listen, Remus...about this afternoon," Snape said awkwardly. "I don't want you to think...I mean, you know I love you...if it were possible for us to get married--which it isn't, but if it were and you wanted--"
Lupin silenced him with a kiss. "Don't worry about it, Severus. I won't deny that I would be delighted to marry you if that were possible, but that's merely a human formality. When a wolf chooses a mate, it doesn't care about rules and regulations and official certificates and licenses." He laid his head on Snape's shoulder, sighing contentedly. "It knows that you are mine and I am yours, and that is all that matters."
Snape stroked Lupin's hair and asked, "Then why were you thinking about love, family, and marriage?"
"Oh, I was just thinking about how sad it was, what you said about marriage being merely a political alliance for most of the pureblood families. Maybe Lucius wouldn't have turned out so bad if he had come from a loving family, and then Draco would still have a father. And I was thinking about how Ariane was disowned because her mother didn't approve of her lover. And I was thinking about how happy I am now with my family, but feeling a little guilty at the same time, because we only have the boys because their parents are dead."
"That's true, but we didn't kill them, Lupin. And in Theodore's case, he's better off without them."
"Harsh but true," Lupin sighed, then smiled a little. "At least we can spare Dylan and Theodore the fate of an arranged political marriage. They can marry for love--at least Dylan can. And maybe someday the law will change, and Theo and Blaise can marry if they choose to."
"You really don't regret that we can't marry?"
Lupin grinned at Snape. "I told you, the wolf doesn't care about marriage licenses. All it wants is for the world to know that I have claimed you as my mate, and I think we've already accomplished that."
"Beast," Snape teased.
"Exactly," Lupin agreed, then growled softly in Snape's ear; Snape shivered with pleasure. Lupin undid the first few fastenings of Snape's robe, pushing back the high collar of the robe to expose the white skin of Snape's neck. "The wolf wants to put its mark on you," Lupin whispered, and nipped at Snape's neck, gently at first, then hard enough to leave a bruise, but stopping just short of breaking the skin.
Snape groaned and reached for Lupin, but his hands skittered off Lupin's robe, repelled by some unseen force. "What the--?!" he exclaimed, then reached for his wand. "Aperio!" he said, and suddenly he could see the glowing runes of warding that covered Lupin's robe. Snape laughed, "You sly dog--"
"Wolf," Lupin corrected with a mischievous grin.
"So that's what you were doing all this time! Well, I'll get rid of those in no time!"
"Don't be so sure, Sev," Lupin retorted. "My specialty is defensive magic, after all. I intended for this to be a challenge for you."
"I'm a master of the Dark Arts," Snape said haughtily. "Removing wards is child's play for me."
"Put your money where your mouth is, Professor Snape."
"Oh, I know exactly where I want to put my mouth, Lupin, but we need to get those robes out of the way first," Snape said, leering at the werewolf, who blushed furiously.
Snape set about removing the wards, a delicate process not unlike unweaving the spell-threads from the hexed Bane-bunny last year, although not quite as difficult. But it was hard for him to concentrate on his spell-casting when Lupin kept writhing suggestively on the bed while smiling at him enticingly.
"Damn it, Lupin! That's cheating!"
"A Slytherin complaining about cheating?" Lupin laughed. "That's rich!"
"Sometimes I think you were Sorted into the wrong House," Snape grumbled. "Or maybe living in the dungeon is causing you to think like a Slytherin."
After fifteen minutes (Snape would later claim that it would only have taken him five if Lupin hadn't been distracting him), he finally managed to dispel the wards, by which time they were both flushed with desire and impatience. "It's about time!" Lupin growled.
Snape pulled off Lupin's robe and decided he wasn't going to waste anymore time fiddling with the buttons on Lupin's shirt or trousers. He raised his wand and chanted a brief incantation, and all of Lupin's remaining clothes fell apart at the seams and fell to the floor in pieces as Lupin yelped in surprise. "That was the first time I've tried that spell, but it seems to be a success," Snape said, regarding the results with a look of satisfaction on his face.
"You owe me a new outfit, Severus!" Lupin said, blushing and laughing at the same time.
"Yes, yes," Snape said impatiently, "we can go to Diagon Alley and buy you some new clothes tomorrow, but right now..." He pulled Lupin into his arms and kissed him.
Lupin kissed him back, then began undressing him. "Let's get you out of these robes...do you really have to wear shirts with so many buttons, Severus? I think I'll have to get you to teach me that spell..." But finally he cast aside the last piece of clothing, and as they tumbled into the bed together, Lupin thought to himself that the warding spell might have been the best idea he had ever come up with.
***
They returned to Blackmore Manor to help Branwen with the cleanup project over the next few days, until she deemed the mansion habitable again. She thanked Lupin, Snape, and the boys profusely and gave them a standing invitation to stop by and use the library whenever she was at the Manor.
Soon after that, Dylan made arrangements to spend a few days in Wales visiting his Uncle Math and Aunt Goewin and their new baby. Before he left, Snape brewed and bottled some tonic suitable for treating a colicky baby as a "peace offering." Goewin loved Dylan like a son, and she had not been happy that Ariane had designated Snape and Lupin as his guardians instead of her and Math, although she had accepted the decision since that was what Dylan wanted.
"Is Ariana sick?" Lupin asked, sounding concerned.
"If she's not now, then she will be eventually," Snape said with a shrug. "All babies suffer from colic at one time or another, and perhaps Goewin will think of us more kindly when she doesn't have to stay up all night with a sick, crying baby."
Lupin looked distressed. "With all the excitement of dealing with the aftermath of the battle and getting the boys settled in, I completely forgot to send Goewin a baby present!"
Dylan grinned. "Don't worry; according to Aunt Goewin's letters, the baby already has a ton of toys from the local villagers, Order members, and even complete strangers who read about her birth in the Daily Prophet." Goewin and Math, like the other Order members, had been dubbed heroes in the press, and their daughter's birth had been regarded as a good omen and a sign of hope since she and her mother had narrowly escaped being sacrificed by Voldemort, and because she had been born immediately after the Death Eaters had been defeated. "Besides," Dylan added, "you already gave her that stuffed bunny for Christmas, remember? The one that looks like Bane?" He laughed, remembering the plush toy rabbit that looked amazingly like Bane in his hexed bunny form.
"Yes, but that was a Christmas present for Goewin," Lupin said. "I still wanted to give the baby something after she was born. It's traditional, after all. Well, I'll make something before you go. Hmm...it'll have to be something simple, since I don't have much time." He settled down at the kitchen table with his penknife and some scraps of wood and began carving.
"What are you doing, Prof...um...Remus?" Theodore asked curiously.
"I thought I'd carve some animals and make them into a mobile for little Ariana," Lupin replied. The boys sat at the table with him and watched in fascination as a crouching bunny slowly began to emerge and take shape from the small block of wood.
"Where did you learn to do that?" Dylan asked.
"My father taught me when I was a little boy," Lupin said. "Would you like to give it a try?"
Dylan and Theodore looked at each other. "Uh...sure, I guess so," Theodore said.
"Let's see," Lupin said, "I don't have an extra knife, but..." Lupin took a look at the small knives the boys used for chopping roots in Potions class, and deemed them acceptable. The wood was harder than the roots they normally chopped, but the knives were sturdy and of good quality--their wealthy families had bought the best that they could afford when purchasing their school supplies.
In Dylan's case, it was a sign of affection from his indulgent great-uncle and aunt, while in Theodore's case, it had not been affection or concern that motivated his father, but rather the need to prove that he was a member of the pureblood elite. Therefore, as cruel as he had been to his son, Thaddeus Nott had always made sure that Theodore's clothes and school supplies were expensive and high-quality, lest they lose face like the Weasleys, who were sneered at for sending their children to school with hand-me-down robes and secondhand books and equipment. Of course, Draco Malfoy's things were always a little better than everyone else's... Theodore shook his head a little, as if trying to shake those unpleasant memories out of his head.
"So what do we do now?" Dylan asked, staring blankly at the piece of wood Lupin gave him. "Where do we start? How do you decide what to carve?"
Lupin smiled. "Haven't you ever heard the story about the sculptor who, when asked how he carved an elephant out of stone, said, 'I just cut away everything that doesn't look like an elephant'?"
"Oh, that's very helpful, Lupin," Snape interjected sarcastically.
"Sometimes I already have something in mind," Lupin continued, "and other times I let the wood choose for me. Look at the grain of the wood..." He traced a curving line along the piece of wood with his finger. "That might be a bird's wing...and that knot in the wood there sort of looks like an eye." He showed them how to begin whittling away at the wood, cautioning, "Be sure to always carve away from and not towards yourself in case--"
"Ouch!" Dylan exclaimed.
"--the knife slips and you cut yourself," Lupin finished with a rueful grin. "Are you okay, Dylan?"
"Yeah," he said, sucking on his wounded finger. "It's just a scratch."
"I'll get some healing salve," Snape said. "Be careful, Rosier. It's difficult to become a Potions Master when you're missing a few fingers."
Theodore discovered, to his secret delight, that there was something he was better at than Dylan. He seemed to have a knack for carving, although his efforts looked crude next to Lupin's, but not bad for a beginner.
Meanwhile, Dylan found that his knife refused to go in the direction he wanted it to, either slipping off to the side or gouging deeper than he'd intended; although he was adept at slicing roots finely and precisely in Potions class, carving felt clumsy and unnatural to him. If Draco had been present, he would have been thrilled to learn that there was actually an activity that Dylan was bad at. After Dylan cut himself a second time, he laughed and said, "I think I'll stop while my fingers are all still intact!" But he did help Lupin and Theo paint the little wooden animals when they were done, and help string them together on the mobile.
"Thank you," he said, packing away the finished product before he left. "I'm sure Ariana will love it."
"Have fun, Dylan," Lupin said, giving his foster son a hug.
"Thanks, Remus."
"Take care of yourself, Rosier," Snape said gruffly. "Call us if you need anything."
Dylan smiled because he recognized that tone of voice, the gruffness an attempt to disguise the concern and affection beneath it. "Thank you, Professor. I'm sure I'll be fine. See you in a few days, Theo."
"See you, Dylan."
Dylan picked up his bag and his owl's cage, then flung a handful of Floo Powder into the fireplace, saying, "The Donner estate, Wales!" He stepped through the green flames that flared up, and vanished.
The first day without Dylan passed by quietly. Theodore spent the morning studying, and after lunch, he and Lupin went for a walk in the woods, then came back to the house and did a little more carving. Lupin also showed Theo some of the pieces he had carved, including a serpent that he said had been a Christmas present for Professor Snape, and a beautiful set of chess pieces that Lupin said he and his father had carved together when he was a boy. After dinner, Theodore and Snape played a game of chess while Lupin read a book, glancing up occasionally to smile at them tenderly. Theodore loved his friend and foster brother, but a small, selfish part of him felt a kind of guilty pleasure at having his foster parents all to himself. Lupin was always kind to him, and Snape was too, in his own gruff way, and it wasn't as if they ignored him when Dylan was around, but, well...Dylan was always so handsome and confident and charismatic that he seemed to become the center of attention wherever he went, without even trying, which absolutely drove Draco up the wall sometimes. And everyone knew that Dylan was Snape's favorite, which also annoyed the hell out of Draco. Theo was not so much annoyed as he was wistful, because he was no one's favorite except for Blaise's. He was grateful to his foster parents for taking him in, but he suspected that they had done it out of pity because no one else wanted him. Lupin had said that he loved him, and Theodore supposed he believed it, but Lupin loved everyone--probably even Crabbe and Goyle. If Crabbe and Goyle had been orphaned, would Lupin have convinced Snape to foster them, too? Probably.
"Theodore?" Snape said, startling him out of his reverie. "It's your move."
"Oh, right. Sorry, sir." {Idiot,} Theodore scolded himself. {Stop feeling sorry for yourself--you have a home and a family, and no one uses you for target practice anymore; what more could you ask for? And even if Dylan is Snape's favorite, he still spent all that money to hire that lawyer to keep the Ministry from taking your estate.} He looked up and saw Snape waiting patiently for him to make his move, and Lupin smiling at both of them, and he felt a little better.
"And what are you smirking at, Lupin?" Snape snapped.
"I am smiling because I am happy," Lupin replied serenely. "Because I am in the presence of two people I love."
Snape flushed a little, and scowled at Lupin. But Theodore noticed the corners of his mouth twitch upwards just a little, as if he were fighting back a smile. He was beginning to learn, because Dylan had pointed it out to him, that Snape's little arguments with Lupin were a sign of affection rather than anger. Then Theodore felt ashamed of having been glad that his foster brother was gone. He shook off his self-pitying mood, and concentrated on the game, actually managing to beat Snape for the first time this summer--which was no small feat, since his teacher's strategy was as clever and devious as one might expect of a former Death Eater.
"Very good, Mr. Nott," Snape said approvingly, and Theodore beamed with pride. "I'm impressed; it seems that Master Karasu's strategy lessons were quite effective. But I'll be prepared for you next time; shall we have a rematch tomorrow night?"
"Yes, sir," Theodore said happily. How strange, that he had lived in fear of the Potions Master for years, and now he was living with him and looking forward to playing chess with him, was even a little jealous of how close he and Dylan were.
The game had lasted most of the night, and it was now later than Theodore had realized. As they put away the chess set, Theodore hid a yawn behind his hand, but Lupin noticed. "I think we should all call it a night," he said with a smile.
"Yes, sir," Theodore said obediently, and headed downstairs to his room. But lying in bed, he felt lonely and a little uneasy. He was not used to being alone at night; for the past six years, Blaise had been his roommate, and of course he had been sharing a room with Dylan this summer. The only time he had slept alone since becoming a student at Hogwarts was when he had gone home to Nott Manor for the holidays and summers. Unlike the other students, he had dreaded the holidays and summer vacations, even more so after Voldemort had returned at the end of fourth year. Whenever Thaddeus had been punished or felt pressured by his Master, he took out his frustration on his wife and son, and his abuse had escalated to the point where Theodore had been relieved when his father, along with most of the other Death Eaters, had been arrested at the end of fifth year--and had been terrified when they escaped. Lying alone in the dark, those old fears and memories returned, and he suddenly wished that Dylan was here; perhaps he was being punished for his earlier selfish thoughts.
He chided himself for being stupid, like a child afraid of the dark--something his father would definitely have punished. Theodore's sleep, not surprisingly, had always been haunted by nightmares, especially after he had witnessed his uncle's murder. But he had quickly learned that crying or screaming during these nightmares would wake his father and bring about a swift and painful punishment: a dutiful son did not disturb his parents' rest, and a future Death Eater did not cry or scream over something as harmless and foolish as a dream; a future Death Eater did not cry, period. So he learned to bear the nightmares quietly; he might wake up suddenly in the middle of the night, shaking with fear, but he did it silently. And the nightmares had abated during his time at Hogwarts, where he felt safer and more secure, at least until his father had escaped from prison. He had woken up Blaise a few times with his nightmares, and been comforted by his lover's presence, but had also felt ashamed to be caught in a moment of weakness, even by someone he trusted. It had also complicated things, because he couldn't tell Blaise what the nightmares were about, for his own safety.
Well, it was safe now. Maybe when they had some time alone together, he would talk to Blaise about it. He remembered his promise to himself earlier this summer, that he would tell Blaise the truth about his family and the Death Eaters, all the things that he had been unable to talk about earlier. They had not really talked much during Blaise's visit; they had been alone only for that short time in the woods, and they had not exactly spent much time talking...Theodore smiled at the memory of their tryst. Well, the important thing was that Blaise still loved him and understood that he had been trying to protect him from the Death Eaters; the rest could wait.
But Theodore still felt lonely and afraid of the dark--or more precisely, of the dreams and memories that seemed to be lurking there for him, as silly as that sounded. He wished he knew a spell that would chase away nightmares...and then an idea occurred to him. A Patronus was supposed to be a guardian and protector of sorts...
He took out his wand, closed his eyes, and concentrated on one of his happiest memories: the first time Blaise had kissed him, and the incredulous joy he felt at that moment, knowing that Blaise returned his feelings. "Expecto Patronum," he whispered, and his Patronus appeared. The silvery light the weasel gave off was comforting, and his fears receded, as if banished by the light. He sighed with relief, lay back down on the bed, and closed his eyes and fell asleep with the silver weasel curled up at the foot of the bed, watching over its master protectively.
But the Patronus was an enchantment, not a real beast, and when Theodore fell asleep and stopped concentrating on the spell, it gradually began to dissipate...
Theodore dreamed that he was on the battlefield again, and saw Voldemort with his skull-like face and glowing red eyes smile menacingly and make a beckoning gesture. He turned to run but his father grabbed him, saying, "It's you or me, Theodore." Theodore managed to break free of his grasp and run away, but blocking his path was the house-elf servant that Thaddeus had killed. Its flesh was rotting and falling from its bones, but it stood upright and slowly shambled forwards towards Theodore, saying in a hollow voice, "You let him kill me."
"No!" Theodore protested, taking a step backwards. "It wasn't my fault! There was nothing I could do!"
The house-elf transformed into Rafe Dietrich, who looked at his nephew with accusing eyes. "Why did you let him kill me, Theo?"
"I'm sorry," Theodore whimpered, backing away from his uncle's corpse, which slowly shuffled forward in much the same the way the house-elf had. "I was scared he'd kill me too!"
"You let him kill me," Rafe repeated, his cold, dead eyes exhibiting none of the compassion or warmth they had shown in life.
"I'm sorry," Theodore sobbed, stumbling backwards as his uncle lifted a hand and reached out towards him. "I'm sorry, please, I'm so sorry..."
Part 9