FIC: Aftermaths, Part 9

[geri_chan]

Title: Aftermaths, Part 9
Rating: NC-17 overall, but most chapters are closer to PG-13
Pairing: Snape/Lupin, Theodore/Blaise, and a few other minor pairings
Word count: ~8,375
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: Lupin and Snape comfort Theodore after his nightmare, and later receive a visit from the werewolf pack leader, Lukas Bleddri.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8

***

Upstairs, Lupin and Snape had just finished making love, and Lupin picked up his wand from the nightstand and removed the silence spell from the room, then snuggled up against his lover, sighing contentedly.

"What, not up for another round tonight?" Snape chuckled, stroking his hair affectionately. "That's unusual."

Werewolves, when not incapacitated by the illness of the transformation, were stronger than normal humans, and Snape and Lupin had discovered that a werewolf's appetite and stamina in the bedroom were also apparently greater than the average human's...at least, that was what Snape assumed. Lupin was the only werewolf he had ever slept with, and Lupin had once half-jokingly, half-threateningly said that he wasn't about to let Snape fool around with other werewolves, even for the purpose of scientific research. Their lovemaking was often intense and passionate, and sometimes rough and frenzied, fueled by the wolf's desires, but tonight it had been tender and gentle and unhurried, though still just as pleasurable as it always was.

Lupin laughed and snuggled a little closer, resting his head on Snape's chest. "No, the wolf seems content just to cuddle tonight. It feels very satisfied, almost smug, these days, perhaps because it finally has a pack to belong to, and a mate and cubs. That is all it wants. That is all I want. The wolf has no need for power or wealth or status. Sometimes I think beasts are wiser than humans."

"Perhaps," Snape agreed, and Lupin kissed him, lightly at first, then more deeply, and despite what he had just said, thought he might be up for a second round after all. Then suddenly he broke off the kiss and raised his head, frowning. "Lupin," Snape said in a protesting tone.

"Shh!" Lupin hissed. "Listen, do you hear that?"

Snape fell silent and listened. "I don't hear anything."

Lupin's hearing was not as keen as it when he was in his wolf form, but it was still better than that of a normal human. Even so, the sound was just barely audible...a soft whimper, or perhaps a sob? "I think it's Theodore," he said.

"What?" Snape exclaimed, sitting up in alarm and reaching for his wand. "Is there an intruder in the house? Is he sick or hurt?"

"The wards on the house haven't given off any alarms," Lupin replied. "I don't think it's anything drastic; it sounds like he might be having a bad dream."

"Oh," Snape said, relaxing a little. "Well, that's not so surprising, considering everything he's been through. Should we go check on him?"

"Yes, I think that would be a good idea," Lupin said. They hastily dressed and went downstairs. "Lumos," Lupin said, and the bedroom light came on, revealing Theodore curled up on his bed, trembling and whimpering softly.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he kept whimpering, in a voice no louder than a whisper. "Please, Uncle, I'm sorry..."

Lupin placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and gently shook him. "Theo...Theo, wake up, you're having a bad dream..."

Theodore woke abruptly and cried out in fear, throwing himself back away from Lupin so quickly that it almost seemed like he had Apparated. Still not fully awake, he lunged for his wand on the nightstand, but Snape was quicker, and summoned it to his hand with an Accio spell. He had not precisely been expecting this, but as a former Death Eater, he knew that suddenly waking a wizard trained in the Dark Arts could be dangerous.

"Theodore!" Lupin said, grasping his foster son firmly by the shoulders as he struggled to break free. "Theodore, it's me, Remus! It's all right, you were having a nightmare!"

"R...Remus?" Theodore stammered, his eyes losing some of their fear as they focused on Lupin's face.

"Yes," Lupin said soothingly, "it's me, Remus. Were you having a bad dream?"

"Yeah," Theodore mumbled, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you up."

"Oh, Severus and I were already up," Lupin said cheerfully. Theodore groaned inwardly and blushed; that was even worse! He hoped that he hadn't...interrupted...them, but he probably had, judging by the way Snape's face was reddening. Lupin seemed oblivious to their discomfort and continued, "I doubt that anyone else would have heard you, but werewolves have very keen hearing, you see..."

"Oh," Theodore said, still blushing. "Well, I'm sorry. For, um, disturbing you."

"There's nothing to be sorry for," Lupin said kindly. "Would you like to talk about your dream?"

"No, not really," Theodore replied. "Listen, I'm okay now. I'm sor--I mean, thanks for checking up on me, but you can go back to bed now."

But he was still pale, and despite his words, didn't look as if he wanted them to go. So Lupin said cheerfully, "Well, I'm not really tired, and you probably don't feel like going back to sleep right away, do you?" Theodore looked surprised, but nodded. "When I was a child," Lupin continued, "I often had nightmares about being taken over by the wolf within me and hurting the people I loved. I used to lie awake for a long time afterwards, because I feared the nightmares would return when I went back to sleep."

Theodore nodded again, feeling a little reassured that Lupin understood how he felt. "Yeah, it takes me awhile to get back to sleep, too," he admitted.

"Do you have these nightmares often, then?" Lupin asked casually.

"Not often," Theodore said, flushing; he hadn't meant to let slip the fact that the his nightmares were a frequent occurrence. "Just sometimes, after the Death Eaters escaped last year...but I haven't had them recently. Not since coming to live here."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Theo," Lupin said softly.

"The Death Eaters are enough to give anyone nightmares," Snape said in a gruff but not unkind voice, placing a hand on Theodore's shoulder. "Believe me, I know."

Theodore's eyes went wide--Snape had nightmares?! Well, that wasn't really so surprising, he supposed, since Snape had been with them since the old days, during the first war, and he had probably seen things much worse than the ones Theodore had. Except...was witnessing the murder and torture of numerous strangers worse than seeing the murder of one person you loved dearly? "I dreamt about Rafe," Theodore whispered. "He was asking me why I let him die."

"Oh, Theodore," Lupin said, his eyes filling with sympathy and worry, "that wasn't your fault."

"You didn't let him die," Snape said firmly. "An eight-year old child would have been no match for a full-grown Death Eater. You would do better to blame Marta, who didn't lift a finger to defend her own brother, or the Ministry for not investigating Rafe's disappearance."

"Severus!" Lupin snapped reproachfully. He wasn't sure that blaming the boy's dead mother would help matters any.

Snape just gave him an unrepentant glare; as a Slytherin and former Death Eater, he was not inclined to be very forgiving towards anyone, including himself, and he had no sympathy for a mother who failed to protect her child.

Theodore smiled a little, despite the bitter reminder of Marta's failings as a sister and a mother, because Snape was, in his own way, trying to comfort him. He might not be as good at it as Lupin was, but he was touched by the effort. "I'm okay now," he said, more sincerely this time. "Really." He didn't think he would ever completely be free of the guilt that haunted him, but it had eased to a tolerable level for now.

"Well, I'm still not sleepy," Lupin said. "How about a game of cards before we go back to bed?"

So they played cards until Theodore started yawning, then Lupin tucked him into bed, pulling the covers up over him; no one had done that since he was about seven or eight and his father had told his mother to "stop coddling the boy or we'll never make a man of him!" Lupin turned out the lights, but Theodore noticed that his guardians remained in the room, watching over him. Feeling safe and protected--a relatively new feeling for him--he closed his eyes, and this time his sleep was peaceful and free of troubling dreams.

He woke early the next morning, and noticed that Lupin was sprawled out on Dylan's bed, while Snape was sleeping in a chair he had pulled up next to Theodore's bed; that could not have been a very comfortable place to have spent the night.

Apparently he was right; Snape stirred, winced, and groaned softly, and Theodore quickly shut his eyes, pretending to be asleep. He heard Snape rise and whisper, "Lupin! Lupin, wake up, it's morning."

"Is Theo all right?" Lupin whispered.

"Yes, shh, he's sleeping; don't wake him. Come on, let's go upstairs."

Theodore felt a gentle hand touch his hair for a moment; he wasn't sure if it was Lupin or Snape, but it didn't really matter. He heard the sound of footsteps going up the stairs and the door quietly being closed, then he drifted back to sleep, a contented smile on his face.

When he woke up again and went upstairs for breakfast, Lupin greeted him cheerfully, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened last night. But he noticed that both Lupin and Snape watched over him solicitously all day, which embarrassed him but made him happy at the same time. He passed the day quietly, studying or playing chess with Snape, and working on building a set of bookshelves with Lupin.

"I noticed that you and Dylan had your books piled up on the floor," Lupin said apologetically. "We were too busy to install some shelves before you moved in, and then I completely forgot about it."

"It's no big deal, Professor," Theodore said, flushing. Lupin didn't go down to the basement very often, allowing the boys their privacy, so he knew that the reason Lupin had come down and noticed the lack of shelves last night was because of Theodore's nightmare.

"It's a simple project," Lupin said cheerfully. "It shouldn't take long." It didn't, and they soon had the books neatly put away on the new shelves.

"It would have been easier to put them together with magic," Snape pointed out in a sour tone that seemed to be habit rather than real annoyance.

"I enjoy working with my hands," Lupin said with a smile. "Sometimes it's more satisfying to do things without magic. Don't you agree, Theo?"

"Yes, sir," Theodore said, and was surprised to find that he meant it. His father would be absolutely scandalized to see his son performing "manual labor," Theodore realized almost gleefully. Working with his hands, living with a gay couple, one of whom was a werewolf--he was an absolute disgrace to the Nott name, and he didn't care one bit.

The day passed by pleasantly, but he had trouble falling asleep again that night, so he was still awake when Lupin and Snape crept downstairs to check up on him, although he pretended to be asleep, breathing slowly and evenly to keep up the charade.

"Sound asleep," Snape whispered, sounding relieved. "Good. I was afraid I'd have to brew a Draught of Peace for him."

Lupin pulled up the blankets and tucked him in more securely, then gently stroked Theodore's cheek and whispered, "Sleep well, Theo." Then he and Snape quietly headed back up the stairs and left.

After that, Theodore had no more trouble sleeping at night, so when Snape and Lupin paid him a midnight visit again the next night, he really did sleep through it.

***

Dylan was happy to see his aunt and uncle again, and they were delighted to see him. He gave Goewin the gifts from Snape and Lupin, and she accepted them appreciatively.

"You must thank them for me, Dylan. The tonic will come in handy and the mobile is delightful. I'll go hang it up over Ariana's crib right now."

"It's a peace offering, at least on Professor's Snape's behalf," Dylan said with a mischievous grin. "He thinks you're still mad at him."

"Oh, I wasn't mad at him," Goewin said, looking a little shamefaced, then confessed sheepishly, "Well, maybe just a little. It's just because it came as such a shock; we had been expecting that you would keep on living with us, but as long as you're happy, it's fine."

"You have an overabundance of people who love you," Math said, smiling fondly at his great-nephew.

"I know," Dylan said in a more serious tone. "I'm very lucky."

"You are happy with Severus and Remus, aren't you?" Goewin asked anxiously.

"Yes," Dylan said, smiling. "I'm very happy. They've been good to me and Theo. But I'm happy to see you again, too." He gave his aunt a hug. "I'm lucky to have two homes."

He enjoyed spending time with his aunt and uncle; Goewin in particular fussed over him lovingly the entire time he was there. He also enjoyed spending time with his new baby cousin.

Ariana sat his on lap, gazing up at him with solemn silver-gray eyes that seemed older and wiser than a baby's should. He made silly faces at her and bounced her on his knee, and finally won a small smile and laugh from her. "She seems very quiet and well-behaved," Dylan observed. "My classmates who have younger siblings all complain about how much trouble babies can be."

Goewin smiled. "She's a very good baby; she almost never cries. But she's a very unusual baby; she is a Seer, after all, as young as she is." She bent down and kissed her daughter on the top of her head, and Ariana cooed happily at her.

Ariana proved that Goewin was telling the truth in a most dramatic way. Dylan took her out for a walk one afternoon, pointing out flowers and birds and butterflies to her along the way. She remained quiet and serious as always, but seemed to observe everything around her with great interest. He paused under an apple tree; he had often climbed it as a little boy, and when he was older, often sat beneath it to read a book on a nice sunny summer day such as this.

"Look, Ari," he said, "do you see that bird's nest up there?" Dylan said, pointing up at the branches, but suddenly Ariana started fussing and squirming. "Hey, stop that!" he said, tightening his grip on her. "Do you want me to drop you?" She continued struggling and began crying loudly, and Dylan grew worried. "Are you sick or something? I'd better get you back in the house. It's a good thing the Professor brewed that tonic for you." He turned and started walking back towards the house, then jumped when he heard a loud crash behind him. A large, heavy branch had broken off from the tree and landed on the exact spot where he had been standing a moment ago.

Math and Dylan had seen this through the window, and came running out to meet him. "Dylan!" Goewin shouted. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," Dylan said in a shaky voice. "Thanks to Ariana." His cousin had stopped fussing as soon as he'd moved away from the tree, and was gazing up at him calmly once again.

Math looked up at the tree. "There was a thunderstorm a few days ago, and I saw a bolt of lightning strike the tree. I didn't notice any damage at the time, but it must have weakened that branch, not enough to break it off immediately, but enough so that it gradually gave way beneath its own weight."

"Ariana kept crying until I walked away from the tree," Dylan said, staring at the baby in awe. "She must have been trying to warn me! You saved my life, little cousin." He kissed her on the cheek and then grinned. "How about that, less than two months old and already you're a better Seer than Professor Trelawney!"

Dylan also had the bittersweet task of going through his mother's things. "Are you sure you want to do this now, dear?" Goewin asked gently.

"Yes," Dylan said, looking pale but determined as he entered his mother's room. There was not a great deal to pack up, as Ariane had been entitled to none of the Donner wealth, jewels, or heirlooms after her mother disowned her. There was a jewelry box filled with some delicate silver filigree necklaces, bracelets, and earrings--mainly gifts from Evan Rosier, except for the silver rose pendant Dylan had given her last Christmas; he wept a little when he saw it. He put the jewelry back in the box and locked it. He would store it away for now; perhaps someday he would give it to his wife or daughter, if he had one. He packed away most of her books to take back home with him--spellbooks, history books, and novels. He also packed the silver-framed photo of his father that Ariane had always kept on the nightstand beside her bed, and the scrapbooks and photo albums that she rarely took out, because they brought back old memories that made her weep. But he was free to leaf through them now: there were pictures of her as a schoolgirl with her Ravenclaw classmates, including his friend Lisa Turpin's mother, and of course there were pictures of her posing with Evan. She looked so young and beautiful, and carefree in a way that he had never seen her, because by the time he had been born, she had been burdened by her family's disownment and her lover's death. His father looked young, handsome, and rakishly charming, with a sly, mischievous gleam in his eyes in nearly all the pictures. There were also pictures of Evan's best friend Lyall Wilkes, a sandy-haired boy who had a cheerful, good-natured smile on his face in all the photos. He didn't look like the sort of person who would become a Death Eater, who would take pleasure in torturing and killing people.

Then he found another photo album tucked away in the back of her closet, one she had never shown him. He opened it and to his shock, saw that they were pictures of the Donner family. There pictures of Uncle Math, of course, but there was also a picture of Deirdre holding a baby Ariane on her lap, smiling lovingly in a way that Dylan had not known that she had been capable of, since she had shown him nothing but contempt his entire life. There was another photo of Deirdre posing with a handsome but pale and sickly-looking young man who must be his grandfather, who had died before Dylan was born. There were pictures of his uncles, Gwydion and Gilbert, who looked like normal, mischievous young boys, with none of the arrogance they had shown later in life. There was a photo of Gwydion tossing little Ariane up in the air as she laughed delightedly, and another of Gilbert carrying his sister on his shoulders. In all the photos of them and Ariane posing together, they smiled at their little sister adoringly.

{They loved her,} Dylan realized, staring at the photos in disbelief. How could that have changed so suddenly, how could they have turned against her, so utterly and completely, just because she fell in love with a Slytherin boy? No wonder Ariane had hated them so much; she must have felt incredibly hurt and betrayed when her doting family abruptly withdrew their love and disowned her. But a part of her must have still loved them, because she had kept the photo album, and because she had tried to save Gilbert from their mother's Killing Curse during the final battle. And Gilbert, whom Dylan had always hated, had saved Goewin from Voldemort, so perhaps he had not been completely evil. Dylan looked at the boy in the photo, and wondered what had changed him from the loving brother into the man who had become a rapist and a Death Eater. Dylan sat there staring at the photos and began to weep.

Goewin sat beside him and put an arm around him. "Are you all right, dear?"

"They loved her," Dylan whispered.

Goewin understood what he meant without his needing to explain any further. "Yes, they did," she said sadly. "The entire family doted on Ariane, especially her brothers. They called her 'Princess' and pampered her like one; spoiled her rotten, in fact. They weren't always as you knew them, Dylan. I loved Gilbert once, as a friend. Perhaps I could have loved him as something more, if he had been willing to wait until the war was over and my powers were no longer needed."

"We could have been a family," Dylan wept. "We could have been happy together." He could have loved his uncles and grandmother, if they had remained the way they were in these pictures. He had hated them all his life, but now he mourned what-might-have-been, having been given a tantalizing glimpse into a future that would now never come to pass. "How could they give all that up, cast aside my mother when they loved her so much, just because she fell in love with a boy they didn't like?"

Goewin sighed and held him close. "Because they were rigid and narrow-minded, as much as the Death Eaters were, in a way. Because Deirdre was a proud and stubborn woman who could not stand to see anyone defy her, even her own flesh and blood--especially her own flesh and blood. Because they loved deeply, and hated just as deeply when they believed they had been betrayed. They believed your mother betrayed them when she went against their wishes. And Deirdre hated all Slytherins, because she believed one was responsible for her best friend's death."

"Professor Blackmore's father," Dylan said, still weeping.

"Yes, although poor Meredith was clearly just as much a victim as Fiona, since Voldemort murdered them both. It was typical of Deirdre not to just hate the man, but everyone in the House he belonged to, past, present, and future." She held Dylan as he wept, and said, "I'm so sorry, Dylan. I can't give back what you have lost, but remember that you do still have a family that loves you. Two families, in fact: Math, Ariana, and myself, and Remus and Severus."

"And Theo," Dylan added.

"And Theo," Goewin said, kissing his forehead.

"Theo and I are related by blood, you know," Dylan said, smiling through his tears. "We're cousins, sort of. I saw it on his family tree. And there's a Donner on Professor Blackmore's family tree!"

"We're all related, to some degree," Goewin said with a smile. "It's too bad that Deirdre couldn't see that." She kissed him again. "Remember, Dylan, even though you live with Severus and Remus now, you will always have a home here, too."

"I know," Dylan said, hugging her tightly. "Thank you."

He finished packing up the books and photo albums, and after some hesitation, left her robes and gowns hanging up in the closet. He had no use for them, but he couldn't bear to throw them out or give them away just yet. Maybe someday his hypothetical daughter or a grown-up Ariana could use them, if they weren't hopelessly out of fashion by then. There was one last item left, a small wooden box engraved with a design of flowers, which had been hidden in the back of the closet along with Ariane's family photo album. It was sealed with a warding spell, but Dylan was able to remove it, and he opened the box to find a packet of letters. When he looked at them, he discovered they were love letters from Evan to Ariane, written while they had been students at Hogwarts. After a moment of guilty hesitation, he began reading them. The first few were innocuous enough, with Evan extravagantly praising his beloved's beauty, and writing florid poetry declaring his undying love for her. One of the letters was filled with rose petals, which still gave off a faint, lingering sweet smell. Dylan smiled; Professor Snape was right--Evan Rosier had definitely been a ladies' man! But the tone of the letters began to change as the relationship between Evan and Ariane grew more serious--in fact, things became downright heated! Dylan blushed deeply, feeling his cheeks burn, and quickly put the letters back in the box. As much as he wanted to learn more about his father, there were just some things that a boy should not know about his mother! He had read the letter only briefly before becoming too embarrassed to continue, but it seemed that his parents had been just as passionate about each other as Lupin and Snape were. He wondered if Snape had ever written love letters to Lupin, then winced; he probably wouldn't want to read those either!

Dylan packed the box along with the other things; even though he would probably never read the rest of the letters, he would keep them, as a reminder of how much his parents had loved each other.

On the last day of his visit, Dylan kissed his aunt, uncle, and cousin goodbye. Goewin shed a tear or two as she kissed him on the cheek, and he was a little sad to be leaving them, but he was also happy to be going back home.

Dylan stepped out of the fireplace into the Lupin's cottage, and he barely had a chance to put his things down before Lupin ran forward to give him a hug and say, "Welcome home, Dylan!"

"Thanks, Remus, it's good to be back!" Dylan said with a grin, hugging him back.

Snape actually smiled, patted him on the shoulder, and said gruffly, "Good to have you back, Rosier." And to his surprise, Theo flung his arms around him and hugged him, saying, "I'm glad you're back, Dylan!"

Dylan laughed. "I was only gone for a few days; did you guys really miss me that much?"

"Of course we missed you," Lupin said with a smile. "The family isn't complete without you."

Dylan smiled back at him, feeling pleased and touched. "So what were you guys up to while I was gone?"

"Come downstairs and see the shelves Remus and I made," Theodore urged.

"Okay," Dylan said, "and I want to show you some pictures of my father that I found, going through my mother's things."

The boys ran downstairs, and Lupin and Snape grinned at each other, happy to have their family together again.

***

Soon after Dylan returned home, they had their friends over for another visit, and Theodore and Blaise were able to sneak off into the woods for a little time alone. Theo was finally able to tell Blaise some of the things he had kept hidden over the years: his uncle's murder, what he knew of the Death Eaters, and what his life at home had been like. It wasn't easy; the memories were still painful, and a lifetime of keeping secrets was difficult to overcome, but when his voice began to falter, Blaise would put his arms around him and hold him tightly, and Theodore found himself able to continue.

Theodore finished talking and fell silent, and Blaise said softly, "I'm sorry, Theo. I had no idea things were that bad for you at home."

"It's not your fault."

"I know, but I just wish there was something I could have done..."

Theodore smiled a little, although his eyes were still grave. "You did. I could endure those summers at home because I knew I'd be coming back to Hogwarts and to you in the fall. You gave me..." He hesitated, searching for the right words. "Something to believe in, something to fight for. If I hadn't wanted to protect you, maybe I would have just given in and become a Death Eater like my father wanted."

"I don't believe that!" Blaise said fiercely, pulling him close. "You're a good person; you'd never have become a Death Eater!"

"I didn't want to," Theodore said in a low voice. "But I was scared of my father, too scared to fight him..."

"But you did, in the end," Blaise reminded him gently. "You put yourself at risk to keep me safe, and you fought the Death Eaters in the end." He kissed Theodore. "I love you, Theo. You'll never be alone again; I'll always be here for you from now on."

"Always?" Theodore whispered, his voice trembling slightly.

"Always," Blaise said firmly, kissing him again.

"What about your family?" Theodore asked uncertainly. "They'll want you to get married someday; they won't like it when they find out about us..."

Blaise sighed unhappily. "No, they won't," he admitted. "My dad especially will be furious, but they'll come around eventually." Theodore gave him a dubious look. "Really. There'll be a lot of shouting and screaming, but when they see that I won't change my mind, they'll give in. They're good people, Theo, just a little narrow-minded, but they'll like you when they get to know you."

"Right," Theodore said skeptically.

"Well, they can hardly object, since their marriage was a love-match," Blaise insisted, then he grinned. "And Professors Lupin and Snape have already scandalized the wizarding community; by the time we go public, maybe we'll seem tame in comparison!" Theodore laughed in spite of himself, and Blaise looked relieved. "Besides," he teased, "they should be happy that my lover is a rich pureblood heir!"

"Perfect, except that I'm the wrong sex," Theodore said dryly.

Blaise laughed and kissed him. "You're just right for me!" he insisted. He hesitated, then said in a more serious tone, "I think we should wait until after graduation to tell them, though. If we tell them now, they'll make a big fuss and try to make Professor Snape give me a new roommate again. And if we have jobs and a place of our own, it won't matter if my dad kicks me out of the house--"

"He'd do that?" Theodore asked, looking concerned; he knew how much Blaise loved his family.

Blaise shrugged. "Maybe. My father doesn't get angry very often, but when he does, it's like a volcano exploding. But he doesn't stay mad for long. In fact, it would probably be a good idea for me to move out for at least a few weeks to give him a chance to cool down." He grinned. "And for my family to miss me. Don't worry; my mother won't let my father disinherit her baby boy no matter what I do. And Allegra likes you; I'm sure she'll be on our side. You've seen how persuasive she is--she'll wear Father down eventually."

"Okay," Theodore said. He wasn't sure that Blaise's family would come around as easily as he claimed they would, and he was relieved to be able to put off that confrontation for another year.

***

One day in the latter half of July, an owl brought Lupin a letter. "Hmm," he said as he read it, raising his eyebrows.

"Who is it from, Lupin?" Snape asked curiously.

"It's from Lukas," Lupin replied. "He says he needs my advice about something."

"Lukas?" Dylan asked, his eyes widening. "Lukas Bleddri, the werewolf leader?"

"The very same," Lupin said with a smile. His reluctant ally had gained a measure of fame in the Daily Prophet after Rita Skeeter had potrayed the werewolves as heroes in her series of articles on the war. Lupin still wondered what Hermione had over the reporter to make her write honest, even sympathetic, portrayals of the Order and their allies.

"What sort of advice?" Snape asked, frowning a little.

"I don't know; he doesn't say." Lupin wrote a reply inviting his werewolf friend over for tea.

Lukas showed up the following afternoon, looking as feral and disreputable as ever. Lupin poured some tea for everyone, then he, Lukas, and Snape sat down together at the kitchen table while Dylan and Theodore played a game of chess in the living room, surreptitiously trying to listen in on the adults' conversation.

"You said you had something you wanted to discuss with me, Lukas?" Lupin asked.

"Yes," Lukas said, scowling down into his tea cup. "Dumbledore's offered me a position at Hogwarts."

"What?!" exclaimed Snape.

Lupin looked equally surprised, but smiled and said, "Why, that's wonderful, Lukas!"

"The very idea's ridiculous, Lupin!" Lukas protested, looking offended, outraged, and bewildered all at the same time. "Me, a teacher?!"

Lupin grinned. "Why Lukas, you have faced down the Death Eaters without flinching; don't tell me that you're daunted by the thought of a classroom full of children!"

"I don't blame him," Snape muttered sympathetically, even though he didn't like the werewolf very much. "Who in their right mind would want to teach a bunch of noisy, insolent brats?"

"You and I would, for starters," Lupin pointed out.

"I didn't exactly have many job offers after the first war was over," Snape retorted sourly. "And as a spy, I needed to remain close to Dumbledore so that I'd be able to pass on information to him."

"But the war, and your role as a spy, have ended," Lupin said patiently. "You could resign if you wanted to, but you haven't. And I know for a fact that Mr. Jigger offered to make you a partner in his apothecary shop; he has no heir, and he's worried about who will take it over after he retires."

Snape, who had just taken a sip of tea, choked and spluttered, "How did you find out about that?!"

"Oh, Mr. Jigger told me," Lupin replied cheerfully. "I stopped by his shop to discuss some business regarding the Wolfsbane Potion distribution program, and he told me that he was disappointed that you turned him down, but he understood that we would want to remain at Hogwarts together."

Snape groaned, "Is everyone and his mother gossiping about my love life?!"

Lupin continued serenely, "But if you really wanted to take him up on his offer, we could have worked something out. We could still have lived together at Hogwarts, and you could've used the Floo Network to commute to work. I think the real reason you turned him down was because you love teaching, no matter how much you complain about it."

"Your Gryffindor imagination is working overtime, Lupin," Snape snarled, his face turning red. "You haven't been ingesting any of my potion ingredients, have you? Hellebore has narcotic properties, you know..."

"Well then it must be me that you love," Lupin said with a mischievous grin. "So much that you can't bear to be parted from me, even to be rid of those noisy, insolent brats."

Snape's face turned even redder. "Oh, shut up, Lupin!" he snapped, unable to come up with a more witty retort.

"Excuse me," Lukas said, a little peevishly. "This is all very entertaining, but can we get back to discussing MY problem?"

"I don't see what the problem is," Lupin said calmly. "Most werewolves would jump at the chance to take a stable, respectable, well-paying job."

"But I'm not respectable!" Lukas wailed in an almost plaintive manner.

"There is already one werewolf on the staff," Lupin said patiently, "not to mention a former Death Eater. Dumbledore isn't overly concerned about respectability."

Snape was still fuming, but curiosity got the better of him. "What exactly is it that the old man wants you to teach?" he asked Lukas.

"Karasu has gone back to Japan with Chizuru," Lukas said sullenly. "But Dumbledore wants to continue the lessons in Physical Defense, and he's talking about creating something called Interspecies Relations or some other such nonsense! He's already got one pet werewolf to promote open-mindedness; what does he need me for?!"

Lupin did not take offense at being called a "pet werewolf." "You are a warrior," he pointed out helpfully. "I think you are well-qualified to take over Karasu's class, at least, although I agree that you are certainly no diplomat."

"I'm no martial artist or master strategist like the crow!" Lukas argued. "The kind of fighting I'm familiar with has no rules, and you use every dirty trick you can think of, if necessary, to keep your opponent from killing you!"

"Which might well be more valuable than formal, ritualized martial arts lessons," Snape said thoughtfully. "Although Karasu seemed to be an effective teacher."

"I'm a street rat, not a Professor!" Lukas continued, ignoring Snape. "What is Dumbledore thinking?!"

Snape's eyes narrowed, and he looked at the werewolf leader closely. "You may look like a common thug--" he started to say.

"Gee, thanks, Snape," Lukas said sarcastically. "I think the world of you, too."

"--but you don't speak like one," Snape finished. "And you don't really act like one, despite your rough manner." Lukas began to regard the Potions Master with an air of wariness, and just a touch of fear. "I have no doubt that you have spent many years living on the street, and that you are just as dangerous as you appear to be, but you speak like an educated man, beneath that veneer of a street rat, as you put it. You are more farsighted, and have more knowledge of pureblood politics than your average thug or gang leader."

"And Bleddri isn't his real name," Dylan said suddenly, looking up from his chess game with Theodore.

Snape, Lupin, and Theodore all looked startled. "What do you mean?" Lupin asked.

"Bleddri is a given name, not a surname," Dylan replied. "It's an old Welsh name that means 'leader of the outlaws.' 'Blaidd' means 'wolf' and 'rhi' means 'king' in Welsh, so the literal translation would be 'wolf king.'"

The werewolf glared at him, and Dylan was suddenly reminded that Snape had told him on more than one occasion, "You are too clever for your own good, Rosier."

Snape chuckled, a low wicked-sounding laugh that sent shivers up and down Lupin's spine. His blue eyes went a little glassy, and his tongue darted out to lick his lips, but fortunately, no one noticed, because everyone's attention was fixed on Dylan and Lukas.

"Clever lad," Lukas said dryly; he didn't make it sound like a compliment.

"Isn't he, though?" Snape said proudly, and beckoned for Dylan to join them. Dylan walked over to the kitchen table, but stood behind Snape's chair, prudently keeping the Potions Master between himself and the werewolf leader; Theodore seemed content to watch from a safe distance. "What else can you infer from your observation, Mr. Rosier?" Snape asked, as if they were discussing a Potions experiment in the classroom.

"Merlin's Beard, Snape, you sound like a teacher even when you're at home!" Lukas interjected, a hint of amusement creeping into his voice. "I think Remus is right about you and teaching, after all!"

Snape shot a quick glare his way, but otherwise ignored him. "Well, Mr. Rosier?" he asked.

Dylan thought over Snape's question as carefully as he would have in Potions class. "I would say that Mr. Bleddri chose his surname for its meaning, obviously. It's not a common name these days, and not many people outside of Wales speak Welsh. So I would surmise that either his family is Welsh, or that he spent a significant amount of time in Wales; perhaps both. But he doesn't have a Welsh accent, so he probably hasn't lived there for many years."

Lupin had managed to get his inner wolf under control--although he was looking forward to getting Severus alone later after Lukas left--and laughed and said, "Well done, Dylan! If we were in school, I would award ten points to Slytherin!"

"Twenty," Snape corrected, pretending to be offended. "No need to be so stingy, Lupin. Hmm...so what prominent pureblood families live in Wales? The Donners...the Gravenors--although they fell into disgrace after Anwir was revealed to be a Death Eater..." Anwir Gravenor had been one of the Death Eaters who had attempted to murder Branwen near the end of the first war; his death had exposed his status as a Death Eater and brought shame upon his family--although it had taken the Aurors awhile to identify his body, since it had been found in pieces...

Lukas scowled at him. "You seem very sure that I'm a pureblood, Severus."

"You have a contempt for the purebloods that is bred of familiarity," Snape replied, staring back at him coolly. "And why else would you need to change your name?"

Lukas gave him a feral, humorless grin. "If I come from a pureblood family and I have such contempt for them, wouldn't I keep my surname just to spite them?"

"They wouldn't let you, and you know it," Snape said gravely. "My own family disowned me at the slightest threat of their name being dishonored, and I was never arrested, nor charged, nor put on trial. Barty Crouch sent his own son to Azkaban to protect his family name. I have no doubt that some of the more ruthless purebloods would not hesitate to permanently remove a potential stain to their precious family honor."

"Spoken like a true Slytherin," Lukas said softly, his yellow-green eyes filled with bitterness.

Lupin frowned. "Wait a minute; Lukas is about our age, but I don't remember ever seeing him at Hogwarts as a child..."

Dylan looked at the werewolf leader closely; he did appear to be somewhere in his late thirties, about the same age as Snape and Lupin, give or take a few years. He could be younger or older than he looked, Dylan supposed, but his hair wasn't streaked with gray like Lupin's was, or maybe it just blended in less noticeably with his blond hair.

"I never went to Hogwarts," Lukas said. "Which ruins your theory about me being an educated man, Snape."

"You don't need to go to Hogwarts to get an education," Dylan said, earning another glare from the werewolf. "I was tutored at home until I was thirteen. There was little to do on the estate but study, and when I finally entered Hogwarts, I found I was at the same level as my classmates, or even a little beyond them, in some cases."

Lupin looked thoughtful. "If not for the Headmaster's compassion, I would have been educated at home and brought up in isolation." He frowned again; if Dumbledore had gone out of his way to admit Lupin to Hogwarts, wouldn't he have done the same for Lukas? He might not have felt so much like an outsider and a misfit if there had been another werewolf at school with him...

"Perhaps his parents didn't want him to go to Hogwarts," Dylan said, with a speculative look in his eyes. "Maybe they were afraid people might find out his secret." Lukas flinched, just a little, and his face went red with anger. {Bingo,} Dylan thought, but did not say it out loud because the werewolf looked like he had reached the end of his patience.

Lupin also noticed the dangerous look in the other werewolf's eyes, and quickly said, "Well, it's not really any of our business."

"That's right," Lukas said firmly, but relaxed a little. He turned to Snape and said sarcastically, "Although I am glad that I was able to entertain you with speculation about my rather dubious pedigree. Your student has a clever, analytical mind; perhaps he will be an investigator or a teacher one day--although he will live longer if he learns when to keep his observations to himself."

"Was that a threat, Bleddri?" Snape demanded, looking just as feral and dangerous as the werewolf at that moment.

"Merely an observation of my own, Snape," Lukas replied smoothly, then added in a more serious tone, "I've seen too many people--including my own wolves--come to harm for letting their mouths flap too freely. So lower your hackles, Snape--I'm not going to hurt your cub."

Snape continued to glower at Lukas, but the air of tension seemed to disappear from the room. But the werewolf's words left Dylan feeling chastened and a little shaken. "I apologize if I have offended you, Master Bleddri," he said contritely.

Lukas waved his hand in a dismissive gesture, and smiled, a little sardonically, but without any hostility. "I'm not your teacher, yet, boy--you needn't call me 'Master'."

"'Yet,'" Lupin repeated. "Does that mean you're going to take the job, then?"

Lukas frowned, looking more unhappy than angry. "I don't know," he replied.

"Do you want my advice?" Lupin asked. "That is why you came here, after all." Lukas nodded reluctantly. "Then I advise you to take the job."

"Because I should be grateful to be offered a job at all?" Lukas asked, the bitterness returning to his eyes and voice. "For the chance to have a roof over my head and three meals a day?"

"For the chance to make a better life for your people," Lupin said, in a soft but earnest voice. "You--no, we," he corrected himself, "have been living on the fringes of society for years. Living hand-to-mouth, accepting charity, or resorting to illegal methods of earning income." Lukas and his gang were rumored to be thieves, smugglers, and murderers; Lupin did not believe the last, but the first two were probably true, to some extent. Lukas had to feed his pack, and legitimate work was hard to come by for werewolves. "You will inspire your pack and make them proud, I think, by accepting a teaching position at a prestigious school like Hogwarts. And after people grow used to seeing not just one, but two, werewolves in such prominent positions, perhaps employers will be less afraid to hire other werewolves. And the next generation of wizards will grow up less prejudiced, because they will have learned to view us as people, not monsters."

"That's a lot of 'ifs,' Remus," Lukas sighed. "And what about my pack? They need me to look after them."

"It's not like you'll be a prisoner," Lupin told him. "You'll be free to visit them during your off hours and on the weekends. Besides, they're adults, Lukas. Certainly they look to you for guidance and support, but you don't need to baby-sit them. I hear that Arthur has found jobs for some of them, and others are volunteering at the clinics that distribute the Wolfsbane Potion. You will do them more good by becoming a leader in the public eye--or do you want your wolves to live in the shadows for the rest of their lives? This is what you fought for, Lukas; will your throw away the best chance you have to integrate them into society? They spilled their blood in the final battle; will you make their sacrifice for naught?"

Lukas sighed, knowing he had been beaten; if he had been in wolf form, he would have hung his head down and laid back his ears. Still, he made one last protest: "What if I'm a lousy teacher?"

Lupin smiled mischievously. "Could it be that you're afraid of failing, Lukas?"

"I'm not afraid!" Lukas snapped.

{Touchy, touchy,} Lupin thought with amusement. Lukas could be as prickly as Severus sometimes; perhaps he really did come from a pureblood Slytherin family as Severus claimed. "The mighty pack leader," Lupin said aloud, "who would not bow to Voldemort, admitting defeat at the hands of mere children?"

Lukas glared at his friend, but before he could make a retort, Snape said impatiently, "For heaven's sake, Bleddri! You can hardly be a worse teacher than Professor Trelawney!"

Dylan and Theodore both snickered. "That's true," Dylan said. Then it belatedly occurred to him that maybe he should not have been annoying his future teacher--particularly one that would be drilling him in physical combat. "I'm sure you'd make a very good teacher," he added, and it was not all blatant flattery. The werewolf was a fascinating if rather intimidating man, and he was sure that Lukas Bleddri would have a number of interesting stories to tell, and whatever else his classes might be, they could certainly not be dull!

Lukas sighed again. "I guess I'll accept the job, then," he said unenthusiastically.

"I suppose I'll have to make the Wolfsbane Potion for him, too," Snape said sourly, sounding rather put out. "Well, I guess it's not that much more work to double the recipe..."

"I can help with the potion," Dylan volunteered.

"Oh, that's just great," Lukas said in a cranky voice. "Turn the potion into a class project and let them poison me by accident..."

"Mr. Rosier and Mr. Nott have already assisted me in brewing the Wolfsbane Potion for Lupin, and he has suffered no ill effects, as you can see," Snape said coldly. Then he grinned and added, "If I really wanted to poison you, I'd let Potter and Weasley brew the potion..."

"Severus!" Lupin snapped.

Lukas laughed, his mood slightly improved. The two of them really were quite amusing to watch--a good thing, too, since he would apparently be stuck working with them. He rose from his seat and said in a resigned voice, "Well, I'd better go contact Dumbledore. Thanks for the tea, Lupin." He gave Dylan a wide smile that exposed his sharp, almost fang-like canines. "I'll be seeing you in class, Mr. Rosier."

Dylan gulped and went a little pale, then told himself he was overreacting--after all, he had survived both Snape and Blackmore; how much worse could the werewolf be? But just to be on the safe side, he said in a meek and polite voice, "Yes, sir."

"And you, too, Mr. Nott," Lukas said, nodding at Theodore on his way out.

"Uh...yes, sir," Theodore said. He and Dylan exchanged nervous looks. "Well, school should be...interesting...next term."

"Yes, life is never dull at Hogwarts," Lupin said cheerfully.

"That's one way of putting it," Snape muttered sourly.

Part 10