FIC: Aftermaths, Part 31

[geri_chan]

Title: Aftermaths, Part 31
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: ~9,600
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: Portia Pettigrew is the victim of a prank; Snape and Lupin attend a werewolf wedding.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24, Part 25, Part 26, Part 27, Part 28, Part 29, Part 30

***

Dean tried to follow Isabelle's advice, but the Slytherin boys were guarded around him and Seamus, and the truth was, he didn't really know what to ask. He couldn't exactly come out and say, "By the way, are you plotting to become Death Eaters and take over the world?" All he could think of was to casually ask how their Quidditch practice was going when they were studying in the library together one day.

"Getting a little worried that we might beat you, Thomas?" Theodore asked slyly. "Trying to find out our strategy?"

"Get over yourself, Nott!" Dean snapped. "Of course I'm not worried, as long as Harry's on our team!"

"We beat you last year," Theodore pointed out calmly. "And my name is Snape now."

"You only beat us because your team cheated!"

"Boy, you Gryffindors are sore losers," Theodore said, smirking.

"Oh, knock it off you two, before Madam Pince comes around and docks points from us again," Seamus said irritably.

"And our Quidditch strategy is hardly a secret," Blaise pointed out mildly. "Anyone can come out and watch. Several of the Gryffindor girls have been coming to our practices."

One of those girls was of course Zabini's sister, who was a little more forthcoming. She and her friends had been going to the Slytherin practices along with Hermione, Parvati, and Lavender, although they also attended most of the Gryffindor practices as well. Allegra talked to her brother regularly, and she happened to let slip one day in the common room that Lupin and Snape had taken to hanging out in the Slytherin common room in the evenings. "It sounds like fun," Allegra said wistfully. "They bring cookies, and the students make tea or cocoa, and they play chess or card games or just talk. Blaise says that Professor Lupin tells lots of interesting stories about stuff that happened at Hogwarts when he was a kid."

"Hanging out with Snape in my free time does not sound like my idea of fun," Ron said dubiously.

"Pansy and Millicent say that he's changed a lot," Parvati said. "I guess being with Lupin has mellowed him out a bit. They say that Snape doesn't say much during his visits, but once in awhile he'll tell them a story about the old days."

"When he was a Death Eater?" Dean asked, trying not to sound too eager.

"Of course not, silly!" Parvati replied. "Just things like the pranks Dylan's father used to play when he was a kid. There was this one time when the Potions students were supposed to dissect rats, and Evan Rosier and his friend Lyall Wilkes set them all free and there were rats running around the dungeon for weeks..."

"How come Professor McGonagall never comes to hang out with us like that?" Allegra asked.

"I don't really want to hang out with McGonagall in my free time, either," Ron muttered.

Dean thought the fact that Snape was regularly meeting with his Slytherins in the evenings was interesting, although he wasn't sure how significant it was, and dutifully reported it to the R.A.

***

One morning the Gryffindors sat down to breakfast, laughing and chattering as usual. There was a napkin lying over Portia Pettigrew's plate, and when she picked it up, found a large rat beneath it. She jumped back, shrieking, and two of her yearmates, Kenneth Sloper and Jarrett Jordan, immediately burst out laughing. Some of the older students, including Dean Thomas and Kenneth's brother Jack, laughed as well, although they appeared startled by the prank, and Portia began to cry.

"What a horrible thing to do!" Hermione shouted, looking furious, glaring at all the laughing students, the two first-year boys in particular. "I don't find it one bit funny!"

"Nor do I," said Harry angrily.

"Ease up," Kenneth said, a bit puzzled that Harry Potter would be standing up for a Pettigrew. "The rat's only made of rubber, see?"

"Yeah, it was just a joke," agreed Jarrett. "Besides, haven't you played your fair share of pranks? You and Ron stealing the Weasleys' car in your second year, not to mention sneaking out of the castle at night..."

"And I hear your dad was a legendary prankster," Kenneth added.

Harry flushed and said sharply, "Yeah, I've done a lot of dumb things in the past, but I've never played a prank to deliberately hurt someone's feelings!"

Emma and Chloe tried to comfort Portia, as did Ginny and Parvati. Lavender gave Dean an evil look that was almost worthy of Snape, and snapped, "I can't believe that you could be so mean! What's so funny about making an innocent little girl cry?" Then she got up and joined the crowd of girls fussing over Portia, crooning, "There, there, don't mind those stupid boys."

"She's not exactly an innocent," Dean muttered disgruntledly.

"Maybe, maybe not," Seamus said, a disapproving look in his eyes. "But Gryffindors are supposed to be honorable, and there's no honor in bullying a little girl and making her cry."

Dean instantly forgot about going undercover in order to gather information on the Slytherins. "Then why don't you go hang around with all the other Slytherin suck-ups if you like them so much?" he retorted.

"Maybe I will," Seamus said, looking angry and hurt, and got up to join Lavender and Parvati.

Meanwhile, Allegra's ever-present cheerful smile had vanished, and there was a dangerous glint in her dark eyes as she glared at Kenneth and Jarrett. "Apologize to Portia right now!" she ordered.

"For what?" Kenneth sneered. "I would have thought she'd be happy to see her uncle again!" This time only a few people laughed, but nervously, and the laughter quickly dissipated in the wake of the tension building up around the Gryffindor table. McGonagall rose from her seat at the head table; Lupin got up to follow her, and after a moment's hesitation, so did Snape.

"Make me," Jordan said defiantly to Allegra.

She whipped out her wand and shouted, "Rattus Visio!" just as McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape reached the Gryffindor table. Blaise also ran towards the table when he saw his sister take her wand out, but they were all too late to stop her. Kenneth and Jarrett opened their mouths, but all that came out were frightened squeaks, as their faces sprouted gray fur and lengthened into pointed snouts. Their noses twitched, causing their long whiskers to quiver.

"Rat-Face Hex!" Ron exclaimed in awe. "That's the hex I tried to cast on Malfoy last year, the one that backfired on Bane! Wow, Allegra, you can cast that spell and you're only a first year?"

Allegra smiled proudly, but Snape said dryly, "Perhaps that speaks more of your incompetence than Miss Zabini's talent, Weasley."

"And as a prefect, you certainly shouldn't be praising a student for casting a hex on a classmate, Mr. Weasley!" McGonagall said indignantly.

"Yes, ma'am," Ron mumbled.

"Now what is going on here?" McGonagall demanded. Everyone began talking at once, including the rat-faced boys, who squeaked loudly.

"SILENCE!" shouted Snape, and the students obeyed with alacrity; the entire room, not just the Gryffindor table, fell silent.

"Thank you, Severus," McGonagall said. "Miss Granger, why don't you tell us what happened?" Hermione quickly explained what had happened, beginning with the prank and ending with Allegra's hex.

"And what are you doing here, Mr. Zabini?" McGonagall asked Blaise.

"She's my sister, I'm responsible for her," he said anxiously. "When I saw her take out her wand--"

"Each student at Hogwarts is responsible for his or her own behavior," McGonagall said, kindly but firmly. "Though it is good of you to be concerned about your sister. Miss Zabini, ten points will be taken from Gryffindor for your actions, and you will serve an hour's detention after school lets out today."

"Please, Professor," Portia begged, "don't punish Allegra, she was only trying to defend me! If you have to give someone detention, give it to me instead!"

McGonagall smiled a little, although she still looked stern. "Your loyalty to each other is admirable, child, but I cannot condone students hexing one another, no matter what the provocation. Miss Zabini's detention stands."

"It's all right, Portia," Allegra assured her friend. "I broke the rules, so I'll accept the punishment."

"You will polish the the silver in the trophy room this afternoon, with no use of magic," McGonagall continued.

"Yes, Professor," Allegra said respectfully, but she did not look particularly contrite.

McGonagall frowned. "And the next time there is trouble, report it to a prefect or a teacher, understand?"

"Yes, Professor," Allegra repeated meekly.

McGonagall gave her one last suspicious look, then turned to Kenneth and Jordan. "And as for you two," she said in a cold voice, "ten points will be taken from Gryffindor for your cruel and thoughtless prank, and you will also serve detention." She paused to think. "Hagrid is raising another batch of Blast-Ended Skrewts, so I hear, and needs some help taking care of them." The two boys let out dismayed squeaks. "You will report to him afterschool. But first, get yourselves to the hospital wing and have that hex removed." They started to leave, but McGonagall stopped them. "And one more thing: your housemates are supposed to be like your family--I trust you don't treat your real family in such a manner! I'm very disappointed in both of you." The boys hung their heads, looking chastened, although the expressions on their rat faces were difficult to read. "Off with you!" The two boys ran off, and McGonagall marched back to the head table.

Snape and Lupin lingered behind; the Potions Master regarded Allegra with a menacing glare. "Um, sir, I apologize for--" Blaise started to say.

"Be silent until I give you leave to speak, Mr. Zabini," Snape said coldly, and Blaise immediately closed his mouth although he looked unhappy and worried. Snape turned back to Allegra and said, "That's very advanced magic for a first-year, Miss Zabini."

"Yes, sir," Allegra said, smiling at him a little nervously.

"Where did you learn that spell?" Snape asked.

"Um..." Allegra said, her eyes flickering towards Blaise.

"From your brother?" Snape asked.

"Um...well...I..."

Snape's lips twitched slightly, and he almost smiled. "You were Sorted into the right House after all, Miss Zabini; you have no talent for lying." He turned back to Blaise. "And clearly you were Sorted into the right House also." Blaise smiled sheepishly. "Five points to Slytherin."

"Sir?" a confused Blaise asked.

"For being such a good teacher," Snape said mildly. "You might consider taking it up as a career when you graduate." Then, without another word, he turned and walked back to the head table, leaving the students staring after him with their mouths hanging open.

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Blaise," an amused Lupin said.

"Don't you ever try anything like that again!" Blaise scolded his sister, then hissed into her ear so that only she--and although he did not realize it, Lupin with his keen werewolf senses--could hear, "At least, not when there are witnesses present." In a normal voice, he continued, "It's me who will have to answer to Mother and Father if you get into trouble!"

"I'm sorry, Blaise," Allegra said, but the stubborn look on her face said that she would probably do the same thing again, given the chance. Blaise sighed and returned to the Slytherin table.

Lupin's eyes sparkled with mischief, but he said in a stern voice, "I hope you've learned your lesson, Miss Zabini." Then he leaned over and whispered, "Five points to Gryffindor for defending a friend. But try to think before you act next time; there are better ways to go about it." He winked at Allegra and went back to his place with the other teachers.

Ron shook his head and muttered, "I can't believe that Snape would turn a student's hex into an excuse to give Slytherin points! Well...actually, on second thought, I can."

"But Lupin gave her points for defending Portia!" Harry said with a grin.

"He shouldn't have done that," Hermione said with a frown. "It was wrong to cast the hex, even if it was for a good reason."

"But we Gryffindors are supposed to look out for each other!" Harry said, still grinning, and put his arm around her shoulders for a moment. "Good job, Allegra!"

She beamed up at him, Portia smiled shyly, and Hermione said in an exasperated voice, "Don't encourage her, Harry!"

Everyone at the table laughed...well, nearly everyone. A few people, Dean and Jack among them, were frowning. But for the most part, the Gryffindors began to regard Allegra and Portia more favorably from then on. Most of them were impressed by Allegra's hex, and several students congratulated her and asked her if she would teach it to them, as Hermione scolded them and threatened them with detention. And while they had been suspicious of Portia up until now, her tears had caused many of them, mainly the girls, to sympathize with her, and they were also impressed by the way she had shown her loyalty to Allegra by pleading with McGonagall to give her the detention instead.

Harry was one of those students. Even though he had been worried that Portia would turn out to be like her uncle, the sight of her bursting into tears when she found the rubber rat sickened him, as it reminded him uncomfortably of an arrogant young James Potter playing cruel pranks on a young Snape, which made him speak more sharply than he otherwise would have when Jarrett and Kenneth seemed to think that he should find it funny. {Did they really think I would laugh at a nasty prank like that?} he thought disgustedly, with just a touch of guilt. James might have, at least the immature version of James he had seen in the Pensieve, although he hoped that the older James would not have. Maybe in the past, Harry would have, at least if the prank had been played on someone like Malfoy instead of a fellow Gryffindor. He hoped that he would never have laughed at the sight of a little girl crying, no matter how much he hated her relatives, but he wasn't one hundred percent sure.

He felt better when Portia stood up for her friend, asking McGonagall to let her serve Allegra's detention. She was a timid little thing, and it probably wasn't easy to confront a teacher like that, especially McGonagall, who was rather intimidating when she was angry, although not as bad as Snape. And cowardly Peter Pettigrew had certainly never stuck his neck out to help anyone but himself, so maybe Portia wasn't like her uncle, after all.

After everyone settled down and started eating breakfast, Harry told Portia, "Listen, don't let them get to you, all right? They're just dumb kids, but hopefully they'll grow out of it--especially after serving that detention." He grinned, recalling how unpleasant--and painful--tending the Blast-Ended Skrewts had been. "And if anyone gives you any more trouble, let us know, and we'll take care of them!"

"Thank you, Harry," Portia said, giving him a grateful smile that made her seem prettier and less mousy.

Ron said to Allegra, "Hey, you've got to show me how to cast that spell properly!"

"Ron!" Hermione cried. "You're a prefect! You've got to set an example! Besides, didn't you learn your lesson after Professor Blackmore gave you detention last year?"

"I'm not going to hex Bane, or even Malfoy," Ron protested. Then he grinned, "Fred and George, now that's another story..."

"RON!"

The Gryffindors broke out into laughter again, and Portia's face glowed with delight as she laughed with them, truly feeling like she belonged in Gryffindor for the very first time. No one seemed to notice the few students who didn't laugh, or that Seamus, although he was laughing, was pointedly ignoring his best friend, and that Dean was ignoring him in turn.

***

Dumbledore decreed the last Saturday of September a Hogsmeade day, as Lupin had requested. The students were a little puzzled, as the first Hogsmeade day of the school year was normally Halloween, but they weren't about to question their good luck. McGonagall and Hagrid accompanied the students as chaperones, but as the threat of the Death Eaters had ended, the students were allowed to roam the village freely, and were instructed only to stay out of trouble and meet back in front of The Three Broomsticks when it was time to leave, although McGonagall warned that anyone who abused their newfound freedom would have their Hogsmeade privileges revoked for the rest of the school year.

The students were surprised when Lupin, Snape, and Bleddri also accompanied them to Hogsmeade. Lupin had served as a chaperone once or twice, although he normally remained back at the school, and Snape had never accompanied the students to Hogsmeade for as long as anyone could remember. Lupin said cheerfully that he had a few errands he needed to run, while Snape just scowled and remained silent.

"I'll bet they're going on a date!" Pansy whispered to her friends. "Lupin's all dressed up!" Lupin was wearing a robe of plush, dark blue wool embroidered with gold and silver thread around the edges; it was not quite a formal dress robe, but fancier than his everyday robes. They had seen him wear it before, but not very often, usually only on special occasions like holidays or feast days. He was also wearing a brooch pinned at the throat of the high-collared robe; it was made of bronze and shaped like a wolf's head, with tiny glittering sapphire chips for eyes. Snape was dressed only in his usual plain black robes, but they suited his dark hair, pale skin, and regal bearing, and he and Lupin made quite a striking couple.

"How romantic," sighed Lavender.

"Do you think they'll go to Madam Puddifoot's?" Parvati wondered.

Draco happened to overhear and rolled his eyes in disgust. "Oh, right, like Snape would be caught dead there, holding hands and cuddling with Lupin in front of all the students!"

Lavender giggled. "Okay, it's a bit unlikely, but I think it would be cute!" Draco rolled his eyes again.

"No, they wouldn't go to someplace as public as Puddifoot's," Millicent said thoughtfully. "I'm thinking someplace less noticeable, like The Hog's Head, maybe."

"Eww," Parvati said, wrinkling her nose. "That's not at all romantic!"

"Perhaps The Three Broomsticks, then?" Pansy guessed. "Or maybe they'll sneak off to have a picnic lunch near the lake."

"Now that would be romantic!" Parvati said.

"Oh Parvati," Damien sang out, "I would sneak off to the lake with you anytime you asked! I can be quite the romantic, too, you know!"

"Oh, you're such a flirt, Damien!" Parvati giggled, making a dismissive gesture with one hand, but she looked pleased.

"I'm not a flirt," he protested, "I'm a man who appreciates beauty--such as the vision of loveliness standing in front of me right now!" The girls all laughed. "C'mon, at least let me buy you a butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks."

"Maybe," Parvati said coyly. "If you behave yourself."

Most of the students, particularly the girls, were too busy speculating about Snape's and Lupin's possible date to wonder why Bleddri had come along, but Colin Creevey did shyly ask the werewolf that very question.

"I've never been to Hogsmeade before," Bleddri said with a shrug. He was looking a little less scruffy than usual, in a clean though faded green robe instead of the shabby black overcoat he seemed to favor, and he had shaved off his short, scraggly growth of beard. (He didn't shave very often, but neither did he let his beard grow long enough to look neat and well-groomed, as if he were deliberately cultivating a seedy image.) "I thought I'd take a look around, perhaps have a drink at The Hog's Head." No one looked surprised to hear that, considering the werewolf's disreputable past. "And besides, I'm tired of being cooped up in the castle." He grinned, exposing his sharp teeth, causing Colin to swallow nervously despite the fact that he liked his teacher; Bleddri simply looked dangerous in a way that Lupin did not. "Wolves like to run free."

When they reached the village, the students ran off, dispersing to the usual popular spots: The Three Broomsticks, Honeydukes, Zonko's, and Madam Puddifoot's. Snape, Lupin, and Bleddri strolled along at a leisurely pace, in the general direction of The Hog's Head. Lupin and Bleddri chatted casually, while Snape scowled fiercely to discourage any students who might be interested in following them. They passed by Martin Parry, who had paused outside Scrivenshaft's, gazing at the quills displayed in the window.

"Hello, Martin," Lupin called out cheerfully. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"

"Oh, hi, Professor," Martin said, feigning surprise. "Yes, it is."

"Why don't you come walk with us for a bit?" Lupin asked. "I'd like to talk to you about that extra-credit assignment you're working on." Snape shot him a glare, as if annoyed that a student was intruding on their free time together.

"Sure, Professor," Martin said, and fell into step alongside them. They headed towards The Hog's Head, but instead of entering the inn, turned down a deserted side street.

"Come closer, Mr. Parry," Bleddri said. "I'll need to Apparate you with me over to London."

"Yes, sir," Martin said obediently, if a little nervously, and moved closer to Bleddri, who put an arm around him. A moment later, the four wizards vanished and the street was empty.

***

They reappeared in Diagon Alley. "We have a few errands to run before the wedding, if you don't mind," Lupin said.

"Of course not, sir," Martin said. "Actually, I haven't had a chance to buy a wedding present yet, so maybe..."

Lupin smiled. "We have a little extra time. I'm sure you'll be able to find something while we're here, but let's run our errands first."

Their first stop was at a wine shop. The wedding meal was potluck, Lupin explained, and he and Snape were contributing the beverages. They picked up some bottles of wine and champagne, and after a thoughtful glance at Martin, Snape added a bottle of nonalcoholic sparkling cider.

The next stop was the Zabinis' junk shop, where Lukas's gift, a tea service, was on hold; he had paid a little extra to have it repaired and gift-wrapped. "Hello, Master Bleddri, Professors," Marius Zabini said with a pleasant smile.

While Lukas picked up his purchase, Martin idly browsed the shelves, regarding musty books, broken wands, and chipped plates with only mild interest. Then his gaze fell on an antique pewter picture frame, wrought in an elaborate design of leaves and vines.

"It's very beautiful," Lupin said with a smile. "It's a bit tarnished, but I know a good polishing spell."

"Do you think they'd like it?" Martin asked.

"I'm sure your uncle would like anything you gave him," Lupin assured him. "The frame is lovely, and they could use it to display a wedding photo."

The price was listed as "1 Galleon, 10 Sickles," which seemed quite reasonable, especially as Martin didn't have a lot of money to spend anyway. His family wasn't poor, but they didn't believe in letting their son waste money on frivolous things like candy and magic tricks--especially after he had gone a little overboard during his first trip to Hogsmeade back in third year and come back with a stomachache. He had learned his lesson, but his parents still doled out only a small allowance for him to spend at Hogsmeade. They would give him extra money for special occasions--to buy birthday and Christmas presents, for example--but he could hardly tell them that he wanted to buy Uncle Brian a wedding gift when he wasn't supposed to be attending the wedding in the first place.

So with a shrug, Martin handed over the money; the frame did look much nicer after Lupin cast the polishing spell on it, and Mr. Zabini offered to gift-wrap it for a couple more Sickles. With the wedding gift taken care of, they continued on their way, and stopped by Fortescue's to pick up Lukas's contribution: a large tub of ice cream. The werewolf shrugged, looking a little sheepish at Martin's questioning look. "I can't cook in my rooms at the school, and to be honest, I'm not very good at it anyway, so they told me to just bring the dessert."

"What about the wedding cake?" Martin asked.

"Oh, Molly's taking care of that, of course," Lupin replied.

Martin wondered who "Molly" was--another werewolf friend, perhaps? But when they reached the large, ramshackle house where the party was taking place, not far from Diagon Alley, he discovered to his shock that "Molly" was Molly Weasley, the wife of the Minister of Magic!

"Remus, Severus, Master Bleddri, how good to see you!" Molly exclaimed, giving Lupin a hug. She released Lupin, and smiled warmly at Snape, who scowled and took a hasty step backwards, just to be on the safe side, and at Lukas, who likewise took a step back, holding the tub of ice cream in front of him like a shield. Lupin chuckled, looking vastly amused, and his lover and his friend both glared at him.

"And this must be Martin," Molly said, her gaze falling upon the boy. "Brian has been talking about you all morning!"

"Er...you know my uncle, ma'am?" Martin asked.

"Of course," Molly replied matter-of-factly. "He's a friend of my husband, Arthur. Here, Master Bleddri, let me put that ice cream away until it's time for dessert, and Severus, you can put the drinks on this table, if you please. I hope you brought something nonalcoholic for the children...ah, I see you did! Wonderful!"

Martin gaped at her in shock as she bustled off. "Brian is friends with the Minister of Magic?!"

"They met before Arthur became Minister," Lupin explained. "They were sharing a room at St. Mungo's when Brian was recovering from the werewolf attack."

"Arthur helped us as much as he could, even back then," Lukas added. "He helped Brian find a job, and he and Dumbledore and Lupin got the Wolfsbane Potion Distribution Program going. And of course, he passed the equal rights bill when he became Minister."

"Martin!" Brian cried in delight, and the boy ran forward to embrace his uncle. Lupin and Lukas smiled indulgently, and Snape looked marginally less grumpy.

The house was one that several of the werewolves shared, a step up from their old apartment near Knockturn Alley, and they owned it outright instead of renting it--a gift from the Ministry in honor of their role in the final battle. Though in truth, it had not cost the Ministry anything, as it had been confiscated from the estate of one of the imprisoned Death Eaters. Still, Lukas was grateful that his pack had a place to live; no one would be left without shelter, even if they couldn't find work, although with the equal rights bill in place, many of them had found jobs and moved out on their own. Kyra and Brian, in fact, were moving into a nearby apartment after the wedding, and were quite excited about having their "own" place. Besides, Lukas thought with a smile, a pair of newlyweds really should have some privacy!

The house, though a little run-down and shabby, was clean and had been festively decorated with flowers and crepe-paper streamers. And the werewolves, though their robes might be faded and patched, were beaming with pride and affection, and the wedding was in its own way, as joyous an occasion as the much more elaborate wedding of Sirius and Branwen.

Takeshi Kimura, one of the few human guests other than the Weasleys and Snape, had volunteered to be the wedding photographer, and took pictures throughout the day of the wedding party and the guests. Martin proudly stood by his uncle's side as best man, Lukas walked the bride down the "aisle" (technically, the length of the living room), and Arthur conducted the ceremony. "I'm getting quite good at this," he said later to Lupin with a chuckle. "Perhaps I should take it up as a second career! I much prefer uniting two people in love to bickering with the bureaucrats at the Ministry."

The groom wore a new set of black dress robes (a gift from Arthur), and Kyra wore a dark green gown sewn by one of the female werewolves, who was a seamstress when she could find work. Her spiky black hair had been combed down neatly for the occasion, and she looked beautiful, although this was due not so much to her hair or the dress as it was to the look of radiant happiness on her face. Molly and Lupin wept as bride and groom exchanged vows and rings, while Snape repressed a sigh and tried not to roll his eyes; he really hoped that this would be the last wedding he would have to attend for a very long time. The werewolves cheered loudly, and Lukas declared, "Let the feast begin!"

Despite their limited budget, a veritable feast had indeed been laid out: homemade stews, meat pies, a roast chicken, a roasted joint of beef, and platters of sushi and teriyaki grilled meat from the Sakura (Takeshi's contribution).

"I should have brought a vegetable dish," Molly fretted as she looked over the buffet table.

"You had enough to do baking the cake," Lukas said reassuringly, looking much more relaxed and good-natured than normal. "Besides, we're wolves; we like meat. We're not really all that big on vegetables."

"But the children should eat a balanced meal," Molly protested.

"There are a few carrots in the stew," Lukas said, unconcerned. "Besides, it's a special occasion." Not wanting to ruin the mood, he didn't bother to tell her that the few children in his pack were lucky to be having a meal at all, let alone a balanced one; there had been many times in the past when they had all gone hungry.

No one other than Molly seemed to mind the lack of vegetables, and everyone ate heartily. "This stew is great," Martin said between mouthfuls, "but it tastes...well...different. I wonder what's in it?"

A werewolf with long, grizzled hair happened to overhear him and grinned proudly. "It's rabbit," he said. "Caught it myself."

Martin took a closer look at the werewolf and saw that he was wearing a long coat that seemed to be made of a patchwork of obviously home-tanned hides from unidentifiable animals. He glanced down at his plate and suddenly felt a little queasy.

Lukas laughed and clapped Martin on the shoulder. "Oh, don't be so squeamish, Mr. Parry! Meat is meat; what difference does it make whether it comes from a cow or a rabbit?"

"I didn't have a pet cow when I was a little kid," Martin muttered.

The two werewolves laughed uproariously. "There aren't too many cows roaming around the woods," the grizzled werewolf pointed out.

"You live in the woods?" Martin asked curiously. "Like...er..."

"Like a wolf?" the werewolf finished, but he didn't look offended. "Well, I don't run around on four legs except during the full moon, if that's what you mean. I have a little hut in the woods; got tired of trying to scrape up a living in the city, especially after the Ministry passed that anti-werewolf legislation a few years back. But I stop by every now and then to see how the pack is doing, maybe bring them some of my catch. Wolves are good at hunting." He grinned, exposing sharp canine teeth, and there was a feral gleam in his eyes. "I especially enjoyed hunting the Death Eaters."

Martin shuddered a little. "Er...great stew," he said nervously, then slipped away to talk to Brian and Kyra. He relaxed as his uncle discussed more pleasant matters, like Kyra's new job and the new apartment they were moving into. But Martin didn't eat any more of the stew or any other dishes that contained ingredients that he couldn't readily identify.

The wine and champagne flowed freely, enhancing the partygoers' good mood. Lukas called for a toast, and paused while everyone made sure that their glasses were filled. Snape saw Martin's eyes dart towards the champagne, and said sternly, "Don't even think about it, Mr. Parry." Lupin chuckled and topped off Martin's glass with more apple cider.

"To Brian and Kyra," Lukas said, raising his glass. "Long and happy may your life together be!"

"To Brian and Kyra!" the crowd echoed.

"I'd like to make a toast of my own," Brian said, after everyone had sipped from their glasses. "A toast to my family: my lovely bride, my nephew--" He smiled lovingly at Kyra and Martin. "--and to all of you, my pack, who gave me a home and a family when I was alone and frightened, who always stood by me no matter how much I tested your patience."

"TO THE PACK!" the werewolves roared, raising their glasses.

After lunch, the bride and groom cut the lavishly decorated three-tiered cake, which looked and tasted as good as anything the best bakery in London could have offered. When the last bit of cake and ice cream had been devoured, the chairs and tables were pushed back against the walls of the living room, clearing an empty space for dancing. A few of the werewolves took out musical instruments--guitar, fiddle, flute, and hand-held drum--and began playing. Brian and Kyra took the floor alone for the traditional first dance between bride and groom, then the other guests joined in. Lukas claimed a dance with Kyra, and Brian good-naturedly handed his bride over and danced with Rachel. Molly and Arthur danced together, smiling at each other fondly. Arthur murmured something into his wife's ear about how this reminded him of their own wedding day, and Molly blushed like a new bride. Takeshi continued taking pictures, but set down his camera long enough to claim one dance with the bride. While the adults danced, Rachel's son Max and the other children present played with Max's toy wolf cub. At one point, the children chased the cub across the room, weaving in and out between the dancers, who just smiled indulgently at them. Snape frowned at the lack of discipline, and repressed the urge to hand out detention.

The musicians possessed varying degrees of talent, but they were able to play in tune and in time, and their enthusiasm made up for any lack of polish. They started off with slow songs, then moved into an up-tempo jig.

Lupin smiled as he watched Martin dance with his new aunt; they both were laughing and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. "Would you like to dance, Severus?" he asked.

"You've got to be kidding, Lupin," Snape said with a scowl, sipping at his glass of wine.

"Why would I be kidding, Severus?" Lupin asked with a straight face.

"I have a reputation to uphold, Lupin," Snape replied.

"It's not as if you're among the cream of the pureblood elite," Lupin pointed out. "Why should you care what a bunch of unsavory werewolves think of you?"

"Must you always make a spectacle of us?" Snape sighed.

"It's not as if we'd be the only ones," Lupin said, motioning towards the dance floor, and there were indeed two female werewolves dancing together, as well as two male werewolves. "Nobody here cares about that, Severus." He smiled mischievously. "And no one here will report back to your mother."

"Mr. Parry is here," Snape objected.

"He isn't likely to report to your mother, either," Lupin said, winking at him. "And I'm sure he's too terrified of you to gossip about us to his classmates."

Snape didn't look convinced. "Gryffindors tend to show an incredible lack of common sense and self-preservation."

"And he's not supposed to be here," Lupin added. "He won't gossip about today's party because he won't want word getting back to his parents about it."

"Great," Snape grumbled. "We're helping a student disobey his parents and break the rules."

The band began playing a slow song, much to Lupin's relief, because he didn't think that he could get his lover to dance a jig, although the mental image that thought conjured up was highly amusing. "Please, Sev?" Lupin coaxed. "Just one song?"

"Oh, very well," Snape sighed. "I can see that you'll nag me about it all day unless I give in." He drained his glass of wine in one gulp to fortify himself, then took Lupin's hand and they joined the crowd of dancers. Martin's eyes widened, and the Weasleys looked startled, but no one else seemed to pay them much heed, which made Snape feel slightly better. And Lupin did look beautiful, moving gracefully to the music although Snape moved a bit stiffly. Suddenly Snape was glad that he had not let Lupin come here alone; the thought of Lupin dancing with someone else this way filled him with jealousy. Snape pulled Lupin a little closer to him, and the werewolf smiled up at him tenderly, looking so happy and grateful that Snape felt a little ashamed of himself for giving Lupin such a hard time. Yes, the werewolf did enjoy embarrassing him, but he knew that it meant a lot to Lupin for them to be public about their relationship, because Lupin had worried in the past that Snape might be a little ashamed about it. Lupin was so giving and compassionate, and complained so seldom, that Snape tended to forget that he wasn't the only one who was a little insecure. Lupin rarely asked for anything, so Snape supposed that he shouldn't deny his lover a small thing like a dance if it made him happy.

Lupin savored the possessive look in his lover's eyes as Severus pulled him closer, and he smiled up at Severus gratefully. He knew that public displays of affection like these made the Potions Master uncomfortable, and it made him so happy that Severus was willing to indulge him nevertheless. The mischievous part of him enjoyed teasing Severus, but that was not the main reason why he did it. The wolf wanted everyone to see its claim upon its mate, as if to say, "He is mine and everyone else had better keep their hands off him!" but most of all, the lonely, insecure schoolboy Lupin had been--ashamed of his lycanthropy, terrified of losing the few friends he had, having to keep his affair with his lover secret--wanted to know that Severus loved him enough show it in public, loved him enough to risk humiliation and disgrace. Perhaps it was a little selfish of him, but Lupin was tired of hiding and feeling ashamed; he wanted the whole world to know that he loved Severus and that Severus loved him. He knew deep down inside that he didn't need to test his lover this way, but from time to time, the part of him that was still the frightened schoolboy liked to be reassured, and the fact that Severus would kiss him in front of the entire school or dance with him at a crowed party proved beyond a doubt how much he loved Lupin.

"Happy now?" Snape whispered into his ear.

"Very," Lupin whispered back. He sighed contentedly and moved even closer to his lover, resting his head on Severus's shoulder.

Lukas gave the pair an amused smile; they remained completely oblivious to him and to everything else around them. For all Snape's bluster and sarcastic remarks, he was as devoted to and protective of his mate as any wolf. In some ways, for all that he was human, Snape was much more wolfish than Brian, who been a soft, pampered pureblood before being bitten and infected. Of course, Snape was a pureblood, too, but Slytherins tended to be predators by nature, and the Death Eaters even more so. Lukas sighed a little, wondering if he would ever find a mate for himself.

Snape danced with Lupin for not "just one song," but three, until the band started playing up-tempo music again; as much as he loved Lupin, there was a limit as to how much of a fool of himself he was willing to make. Lupin followed him off the dance floor without arguing, and seemed content to sit on the sidelines, snuggling up against Snape as they sipped wine and watched the remaining dancers. Snape flushed a little but didn't object, as there was no point in complaining about a snuggle after dancing with the werewolf in front of everyone.

When everyone seemed pleasantly tired and ready to call it quits, the musicians put away their instruments, and the dancers refreshed themselves with more wine, champagne, or cider, and Brian and Kyra opened their wedding presents. Most of the gifts were things they could use in their new apartment: pots and pans, Lukas's tea service, a set of china plates from the Weasleys, a handmade patchwork quilt from Rachel. Snape, ever practical, simply gave them a pouch of gold coins, and Lupin had carved a small statuette of two wolves nuzzling each other.

"It's delightful, Remus," Kyra said, and she and Brian both thanked Martin profusely for the picture frame, much to the boy's pleasure. Takeshi's gift was an empty photo album, which he promised to fill up with pictures after he got his film developed, and he also promised to send a few wedding pictures to Martin.

"It's getting late, Lupin," Snape finally said. "We should get back to Hogsmeade."

Martin sighed regretfully, then hugged his uncle and aunt and said goodbye. Brian hugged him back and promised to write to him. Then Martin joined his Professors, and they Apparated back to Hogsmeade.

"Thank you Professor Lupin, Professor Snape, Master Bleddri," Martin said. "For taking me to the wedding; I really appreciate it."

"It was Lupin's idea," Snape said with a scowl, "so you needn't thank me! And you are not to discuss...er...the day's events with anyone, including your housemates. Is that clear, Mr. Parry?"

He gave Martin his most threatening glare, and the boy meekly said, "Yes, sir," and ran off to join the other students. Some of his classmates asked him where he had been all day, and he replied vaguely, "Oh...around. I had some errands to run."

"Sneaking off to meet a girl, maybe?" one of his friends teased, and Martin just smiled and remained silent. His friends smiled knowingly, and began speculating as to who Martin might be seeing.

"Not so dumb for a Gryffindor," Snape grudgingly conceded, feeling relieved that the boy was keeping his secret as promised. "Deliberately misleading them without saying a word--that's a tactic almost worthy of a Slytherin."

"High praise coming from you," Lupin laughed, then kissed Snape lightly on the mouth. "By the way, thanks for today. I really had a good time."

"Damn it, Lupin, not in public!"

Pansy smirked as she watched the by now familiar sight of Snape growling at an unperturbed Lupin who was smiling back at him affectionately. "I told you they were on a date!" she said to her friends smugly.

***

Harry, Ron, Draco, Aric, and Daphne met together in the Incantations workroom a couple of days before their project was due. Harry and Ron had researched the protective circle and runes, and practiced drawing them on the floor; Draco and Aric had researched and copied down their incantations, and Daphne had gathered the material components for the spell.

Harry looked over the items curiously; obviously the feathers (probably gathered from the Owlery) were to represent the element of air, and the lumps of charcoal to represent fire, and he recognized the vervain leaves and flowers because they had used them before in their previous Summoning project, and because vervain was a potent herb used in many potions they made in Snape's class as well. But he didn't recognize the white star-shaped blossoms, faintly tinged with pink, or another type of flower that had wide petals that were a brilliant shade of crimson and a bright yellow stamen heavy with pollen. "What are these?" he asked curiously.

"These are wood anemones," Daphne said quietly, pointing to the white flowers, "also called windflowers."

"Aha!" Harry said with a smile. "Then it must be an element of air."

Daphne smiled back at him timidly. "Yes," she replied in her quiet voice. "In Greek legends, they were heralds of Anemos, the Wind, and their blossoms only opened when the wind blew."

"And these red flowers?" Harry asked. "I've never seen anything like them before."

"Don't you know anything, Potter?" Draco asked in a patronizing tone. While he was less obnoxious than he had been in the past, he did occasionally backslide into his old, arrogant ways. "They're Fireflowers."

"Never heard of them before," a puzzled Harry said.

"Oh, right!" Ron said, comprehension dawning in his eyes. "I've heard of them, but I've never seen one before; they're kind of rare and very expensive. They're magical flowers--they don't grow in the Muggle world, which is why you never heard of them, Harry." He tapped one of the red blossoms lightly with one finger, and a small cloud of pollen flew into the air, transforming into a shower of golden sparks. "Whoa, that's cool!" he exclaimed, and Harry nodded in agreement.

"It's even more beautiful at night," Daphne said, smiling shyly.

"Where did you get these?" Ron asked. "They must have cost a fortune!"

Draco, shook his head, still looking a little superior and patronizing. "Her family grows flowers for a living, you dolt! Haven't you ever heard of Greengrass Florists?"

"It's not like I go around buying a lot of flowers, Malfoy, in case you haven't noticed," Ron retorted irritably.

Daphne eyed Draco nervously. Harry had never paid much attention to her before since she was so quiet, even more so than Blaise Zabini, to the point where she was practically invisible. He had barely even noticed that she had spent most of sixth year absent from school. But now he had begun to notice that she was timid and skittish, almost jumpy, and didn't associate much with anyone, even her own housemates. She certainly didn't seem to have any close friends that he could see. "Yes, my family owns a flower shop," she said, in a voice just barely above a whisper. "They let me have a couple of Fireflowers for our project."

"Can we get on with this?" Aric asked impatiently; he plainly didn't care where the flowers had come from or what Daphne's parents did for a living.

They looked over the circle and runes, the spell components, and the incantations. "Everything seems to be in order," Draco said. "Looks like we're ready for our presentation on Friday."

"Wait," Harry said. "What about the gift to reward the elemental?"

Ron grinned and pulled a small bag stamped with the Honeydukes logo from his pocket. "Pepper Imps--I figure a smoke elemental ought to like a candy that makes you smoke at the mouth!"

Draco and Aric gazed at the bag of candy dubiously, then Draco shrugged. "Well, if it doesn't like the candy, I suppose your incantation should keep it under control, Dietrich."

"Shouldn't we give this a dry run first?" Aric asked, frowning a little. "I've never done this before, and smoke elementals are supposed to be hard to control."

"We're not allowed to actually summon anything without Professor Blackmore supervising us," Harry reminded him.

Remembering last year's detention, Ron muttered, "But if you want to scrub bedpans and toilets for the rest of the year, be my guest. Just leave us out of it."

"I only have enough ingredients for one spell, anyway," Daphne said apologetically.

"Is it really that hard to control a smoke elemental?" Harry asked. "The one Professor Lupin used in DADA class seemed really tame."

"Didn't you do your research, Potter?" Aric started to say, but Draco interrupted him.

"You're a genius, Potter!" Draco exclaimed, his face suddenly lighting up.

His four companions stared at him in shock. "Er...I am?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"Are you feeling all right, Malfoy?" Ron asked, looking perplexed and concerned. "You're not feverish are you? I hear that can cause people to hallucinate sometimes."

"No, no, no!" Draco said impatiently. "Don't you guys get it? We won't summon just any elemental--we'll summon a specific one; one that's friendly!"

"I get it!" Harry exclaimed, getting caught up in Draco's enthusiasm. "You want to summon Soot!"

"Summon what?" Aric asked, still looking confused.

"Not what--who," Harry corrected. "Never mind; I'll explain later. But is it possible, Draco? I've never heard of calling on an elemental by name before."

"Of course it is," Draco said. "But I'll have to alter the summoning incantation slightly. Calling on a specific elemental is advanced stuff; that's why we haven't covered it in class yet. It's similar to the concept of demon-summoning, in that you have to know the name of the creature you're summoning."

"What?!" shrieked Ron, his face turning pale.

"Oh, relax, Weasley!" Draco said casually. "The mechanics are the same, but obviously summoning an elemental is a lot less dangerous than summoning a demon."

"That makes me feel so much better," Ron said sarcastically.

"Are you sure we can handle this?" Harry asked. "You did say it was advanced magic."

Draco waved his hand carelessly. "Come on, the savior of the wizarding world isn't scared of a little elemental, are you? Besides, I've studied this type of incantation before; I've just never performed it."

"Very reassuring," Ron muttered.

"I've done this type of summoning before at Durmstrang," Aric said suddenly. "Not a demon," he added with a sly grin, as Ron's eyes went wide with horror. "A...I guess you could call it sort of a minor imp." To Draco he said, "What we want is a Name Summoning incantation."

Draco began flipping through one of his Incantations textbooks, and his partners gathered around him, peering over his shoulder, beginning to look to look interested and a little excited, even Ron and Daphne.

***

On Friday, Blackmore's seventh-year class performed their Summonings presentations. Crabbe, Goyle, Hermione, and Neville had decided to summon a mud elemental, and everything went smoothly. It remained under their control the entire time, and vanished when they dismissed it, leaving behind only a few small droplets of mud on the floor.

"Very good!" Blackmore said. "The four of you worked well together, and showed excellent mastery of the spell!" She smiled mischievously at Crabbe and Goyle and added, "I'm glad to see that you're better at Summonings spells than your fathers."

The two Slytherin boys laughed, grinning proudly at each other. Their fathers had once attempted to summon a mud elemental as a prank, with disastrous results: they had lost control of it, and it had splattered mud all over the dungeons before Blackmore was able to dismiss it. The elder Crabbe and Goyle had been forced to scrub the dungeon walls and floors with toothbrushes for weeks, until every last speck of mud was gone. Hermione smiled, patting Crabbe and Goyle on their shoulders in a congratulatory manner, and Neville grinned and shook hands with his former enemies.

Parvati, Lavender, Pansy, and Millicent chose to summon an ice elemental, remembering how Blackmore had summoned one last winter to help with the Christmas decorations; they had been very impressed with the beautiful, lacy designs of frost that elemental had created by breathing on the windows. The elemental they summoned resembled a tiny dragon that appeared to be made of ice, and it flew over the classroom, raining down snowflakes on the students, who laughed and applauded. The four girls petted the elemental and told it how handsome and talented it was, and the little dragon preened, looking very proud and pleased. It accepted a small piece of clear quartz as a reward, then vanished. Blackmore complimented the girls, and awarded them full marks for their project.

Theodore's group did not fare as well with their project. It started off well enough, with Theodore drawing the protective circle and runes, and Blaise burning in a brazier the herbs and incense needed to summon a dust elemental. But Seamus and Dean, who were supposed to be performing the incantation together, had obviously not rehearsed it, and stumbled over the words, talking over each other when they were supposed to be taking turns reciting, or being slightly out of sync in the parts they were supposed to chant in unison. They lost control of the elemental, and a miniature whirlwind tore through the room, causing the students to shout and shriek in surprise and dismay as the wind whipped their hair and their robes around, and dust blew into their eyes.

Blackmore shouted out an incantation, and suddenly the wind and the elemental both vanished. "Ooh!" Lavender wailed. "Look at my hair, it's all tangled!" Meanwhile, Parvati rubbed her eyes, which were red and teary from having dust blown in them.

"Help, get me outa here!" Crabbe's muffled voice yelled from beneath his robes, which had blown up and backwards over his head. Goyle and Draco helped him get untangled.

Bane cawed indignantly; his feathers were all standing up on end, and he looked like a black feather duster, but none of the students dared laugh at him, especially with his mistress looking so irate. As the raven grumpily tried to smooth his feathers back down, Blackmore frowned disapprovingly at Dean and Seamus. "That was very sloppy work, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Finnigan. You are supposed to be working as a team, but it's clear that you did not cooperate or practice together. I cannot give you full marks for this project. I'm very disappointed in you, especially when you all worked so well together last year." The expression on her face changed from disapproving to a little puzzled, since the conflict seemed to be between the two Gryffindors, and not with their Slytherin partners. "Take your seats," she said curtly. "I don't ever want you to come to my class so ill-prepared again, is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," the boys mumbled sullenly, and headed back to their desks. Blaise and Theodore followed, the latter scowling furiously at the Gryffindor boys.

"Potter, Malfoy," Blackmore said, "your group is up."

Ron and Harry inscribed the circle on the floor, and Daphne set up a small brazier in the middle of circle and burned the material components. The other students gasped in awe as the Fireflowers sent up sprays of golden sparks as they burned. Meanwhile, Draco chanted in Latin, "By the Element of Air, and the Element of Fire, by the Power of Wind and the Power of Flame, I Summon thee, creature of Smoke. I Summon thee--Soot!"

The students gasped again as the little smoke-dragon materialized in the center of the circle. Aric recited the incantation that would control the elemental and bind it to their will, but it scarcely seemed to be needed as the creature looked more friendly and curious than threatening. As soon as Aric finished the incantation, it flew out of the circle and landed on Daphne's shoulder, nuzzling her red hair curiously. The Slytherin girl laughed, the usual anxiety gone from her face, and petted the dragon, not seeming to mind that she was getting soot all over hands. Harry grinned and extended his arm, and Soot flew over and landed on it, as tamely as Hedwig would have. Ron offered it a Pepper Imp, and it gobbled the candy down greedily, then burped and blew a smoke ring out of his mouth. The students laughed, and the dragon blew out a whole string of smoke rings.

"You little showoff," Blackmore laughed, coming over to pat the elemental affectionately on the head; Bane gave it a jealous look. "Well done, all of you!" she said. "That was very clever, to think of summoning Soot specifically."

"It was Draco's idea," Harry admitted. Draco would probably be insufferably smug for the next week or so, but it was only fair to give credit where credit was due.

"Well done, Mr. Malfoy," Blackmore said warmly, and Draco smiled proudly. "I'll award extra points to your group for your cleverness, and for performing an advanced incantation."

The five of them grinned at each other for a moment, until Aric remembered that he was supposed to hate them, and fixed a scowl on his face. Daphne's shyness also suddenly reasserted itself, and she averted her eyes, looking down at her feet. Blackmore just smiled, and awarded points to Slytherin and Gryffindor for the day's work, and let the students pet Soot and feed him Pepper Imps for the remainder of the period. When the bell rang, Draco dismissed the elemental, and it vanished in a puff of smoke.

"You all did well today--most of you, anyway," Blackmore said, with a significant glance towards Dean and Seamus. "So no homework this weekend. Class dismissed."

The students cheered and left the classroom, looking very happy--except for Dean, Seamus, and Theodore.

Part 32