Happy birthday, Lore! I thought it would be appropriate to gift you with a fic that was partially inspired by your wonderful ficlet Thaw--hope you enjoy! ^_^
Title: A Snupin Birthday in Japan Author:geri_chan Rating: PG Pairing: Snape/Lupin Word count: ~7,550 Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part. Summary: On Teddy's seventh birthday, Remus reflects on the past and how he, Severus, and Teddy came to live in Japan.
Author's note: This story borrows the OC Kamiyama from my Always series, but this is a stand-alone story and not part of the series.
***
Remus smiled as he sat cross-legged on the tatami floor, watching Severus and Teddy through the open sliding door that normally separated Severus's stillroom from the main living area. Teddy was bent over his little cauldron, a look of intense concentration on his face as he carefully measured and stirred in herbs according to his Papa's instructions. Remus shook his head slightly, marveling at the fact that he was living a peaceful, contented life here in Japan with his lover and son. He never would have dreamed such a thing was possible before the war had ended seven years ago...
***
Miraculously, he and Severus both managed to survive the war, although Remus had been temporarily mistaken for dead. It turned out that his lycanthropy had some unexpected benefits--werewolves were notoriously difficult to kill, and his body had gone into a deep coma to heal itself, his breathing and heartbeat slowed to a rate that was imperceptible to normal human senses. But he almost caused another death by accident, as the poor morgue attendant nearly had a heart attack when Remus's "corpse" had suddenly sat up and groaned.
As for Severus, he had made sure to always carry vials of anti-venin and healing potion in his pockets ever since the Dark Lord's return. After the trio had left him to die in the Shrieking Shack, he had managed to swallow them before falling unconscious, and had been found barely clinging to life when a remorseful Harry had sent a couple of Order members to retrieve the "body".
Having been given a second chance at life that they had never expected, Remus and Severus resolved to put past grudges behind them and start anew. Remus wasn't sure at first that Severus would be able to stick to that resolution--and he certainly wouldn't have blamed Severus for holding a grudge over Remus's lack of faith in him. However, with all his debts and obligations paid, a burden had lifted from his shoulders, and most of his old bitterness vanished, leaving behind a man who seemed content and at peace with himself. He still didn't suffer fools gladly and was quick with a sharp retort, but Remus was rather happy about that--Severus just wasn't Severus without a little snark.
So they should have lived happily ever after, but it wasn't quite a fairy tale ending. Remus had to publicly mourn his wife, who had died shielding him from a Killing Curse, even though he was secretly--and guiltily--more relieved than bereaved. Caught in a weak moment when he had been hit with the double blow of Dumbledore's death and Severus's apparent betrayal, he had allowed his friends to pressure him into a relationship with Tonks. By the time he came to his senses, she was pregnant and he was stuck in a loveless marriage--or to be more accurate, in a marriage with a one-sided love. Still, he had felt true joy at Teddy's birth, and he would always be grateful to Tonks for giving him a son.
As for Severus, although Harry's testimony had legally exonerated him with the Ministry, the public did not so easily accept him as a hero. In the eyes of most people, he would always be Dumbledore's killer, and even many of his former comrades in the Order could not forgive him for killing their leader and mentor, even though they now knew that he had only been following Dumbledore's orders. "There must have been another way," they insisted, although when pressed, none of them could come up with a viable alternative. A few of them grumbled that Draco's life was a poor trade for Dumbledore's.
Some of the teachers, along with many of the students and parents, also found it difficult to forgive the fact that Severus had allowed the Carrows to hex and torture the students during his tenure as Headmaster, although the wiser ones, such as Neville and Luna, realized in hindsight that he had done his best to curb the worst of the Carrows' excesses. The Carrows had been allowed to harm, but never to kill a student, and whenever possible, Headmaster Snape had sentenced the miscreants to "detention in the Forbidden Forest," which had sounded suitably ominous to the Carrows, who had been too stupid to realize that it actually amounted to nothing more than a cup of tea with Hagrid.
But the children who had been subjected to the Cruciatus Curse for defying the Carrows found that difficult to understand, as did their parents, and Severus was not invited to return to Hogwarts. Severus took the news with equanimity, saying that he'd had his fill of teaching unruly brats anyway, and quietly set up a mail-order potions business under an assumed name.
They carried on their romance quietly for about a year, until Remus figured that it should be safe for him to end his mourning period without offending anyone--but of course it wasn't that easy.
Andromeda had a fit when she found out that Severus had openly moved in with Remus as his lover, and she accused him of having never loved Dora, an accusation he found difficult to refute, since it was true. So he quietly said that he had cared for Dora and always would--which was also true, although his feelings were more platonic than romantic--but it was time for him to move on with his life.
Not surprisingly, Andromeda wasn't satisfied with his answer, and even threatened to try and take custody of Teddy, but Kingsley, the new Minister of Magic, sided with Remus. He had recently repealed the old anti-werewolf laws, so there was no legitimate reason to rule Remus unfit as a father, so long as he arranged for someone to watch Teddy on the nights of the full moon. He also said that as her friend and former colleague, he had to respect Tonks's wishes, and that she would have wanted Teddy to be raised by his father. Kingsley had never been fond of Severus, but he did respect him, and to his credit, he didn't allow his personal feelings to affect his rulings as Minister. So Teddy remained with Remus, and Andromeda had no choice but to grudgingly accept it, and they forged an uneasy truce.
It especially galled her that Teddy adored Severus, to the point of mimicking his long, black hair and hooked nose. (Severus never failed to roll his eyes at Teddy's mimicry, but Remus got the impression that he was secretly touched by it--not that he'd ever admit it, of course.) And as soon as he was old enough to start babbling recognizable syllables, he started calling Severus "Papa," since Remus was already "Dada" and Teddy was unable to pronounce "Severus" or "Professor". Remus joked that Teddy could call Severus "Mama," and in response, Severus gave him a cold glare and muttered something threatening about how good a wolfskin rug would look in his study.
Severus often grumbled loudly about having to play baby-sitter during the full moon, but never in Teddy's presence, and he stubbornly refused to let anyone else look after Teddy, even though Harry had offered to baby-sit his godson during Remus's transformations.
"Savior of the wizarding world or not, I wouldn't trust the boy to look after a flobberworm, let alone a child," Severus said disdainfully, but Remus wasn't fooled. He had heard Severus singing lullabies in a low and surprisingly melodic voice to calm a fussy Teddy during the full moon, but to spare Severus's pride, he pretended not to remember, claiming that his memories of his time in wolf form were always vague.
Harry and most of the Weasleys didn't react much better than Andromeda to the news about Remus and Severus being a couple. They claimed that he was betraying Dora's memory, but he suspected that it was Severus that they were opposed to rather than the idea of him finding a new love. Molly had never forgiven Severus for maiming George, even though it had been an accident, and ironically, while she had been accepting of Remus's lycanthropy, that acceptance apparently didn't extend to his homosexuality. (Or bisexuality, although that clarification only seemed to repulse Molly even more.) Even Arthur, who was usually more tolerant than his wife, looked uncomfortable, and Ron blurted out, "I never imagined you were a poof, Remus!"
Percy and Fleur were sympathetic, though, having been on the receiving end of Molly's wrath in the past. Fleur made a point from then on of always being friendly to Remus and Severus, since she still enjoyed annoying her mother-in-law, but Percy was less eager to antagonize his mother after being estranged from his family for so long. He never openly defied Molly, but he would gently try to deflect her verbal attacks by changing the subject to Ministry gossip, and he commiserated in private with Remus over the difficulty of getting along with his family.
"I think that's why Charlie chose to work in Romania," Percy sighed, smiling wryly. "Sometimes it's easier to love one's family from a distance."
As for Harry, although he'd made sure that Severus's name was cleared with the Ministry, he'd had little contact with his former Professor after the war ended. He seemed uncomfortable around Severus, who cynically said that it was easier to deal with a dead martyr than an inconveniently living anti-hero. Remus had hoped that Harry would be accepting, if not exactly happy about their new relationship, but instead he was angry and suspicious, and even accused Severus of bewitching Remus. Hermione had to confirm that Remus was free of any charms or hexes before Harry would believe it, and even then, he was still utterly bewildered as to what Remus saw in Severus. He just couldn't seem to grasp the concept that someone could have fallen in love with greasy old Professor Snape.
Of Remus's friends, only Hermione seemed truly accepting of his relationship with Severus. She warmly wished them well, saying that Tonks wouldn't want Remus to be lonely for the rest of his life, and she did her best to persuade the others to come around, without much success. Molly and Harry would extend invitations only to Remus and Teddy, pointedly excluding Severus from their usual get-togethers until Remus made it clear that he would not go where his lover was not welcome. So they begrudgingly tolerated Severus's company for Remus's sake, but as with Andromeda, it was an uncomfortable compromise for everyone involved, especially poor Severus, although he seemed indifferent to Harry and the Weasleys' coldness towards him, saying that he was used to not being liked.
Still, they managed as best they could until Teddy began developing signs of lycanthropy shortly after his fourth birthday. In preparation for this possibility, Severus had already perfected a milder dose of the Wolfsbane Potion suited to a child's physiology, and had even improved the taste to make it easier for a child to swallow.
While Remus appreciated his lover's efforts, he was still upset that he had passed his curse on to his son, but Severus very sternly told him that he had to remain calm and nonchalant in front of Teddy, because he would only frighten the boy if he made a great fuss about it.
"Besides, with the potion and the new laws protecting werewolves' rights, there is no reason why he cannot live a perfectly normal life," Severus said practically.
"Normal except for turning furry once a month," Remus muttered under his breath, but he knew that Severus was right. And he had to admit that Teddy was a perfectly adorable and playful little wolf cub, although Severus sardonically commented that it was somewhat disconcerting to see a wolf with blue fur, Teddy's favored hair color.
However, Andromeda broke down into hysterics when she found out about Teddy. Despite her hostility towards Remus and Severus, she had always treated her grandson lovingly, but now she screamed that Remus had infected and corrupted the boy. Teddy reached out to his grandmother, trying to comfort her, and she slapped his hand away, her eyes filled with hatred and disgust.
Teddy burst into tears, and Remus protectively scooped up his son, hugging him close to his chest, then immediately Apparated back home. It took several minutes to calm Teddy down and put him to bed for a nap before Remus was able to explain the situation to Severus.
"I was afraid that something like this might happen," Severus grimly, his dark eyes glinting with anger over Teddy's hurt and confusion. "She was able to love Teddy as long as she could view him as being part of Nymphadora, but now because of the lycanthropy, she sees him solely as your son, and we both know how much she hates you."
"But that's not rational," Remus argued. "Teddy is still just as much Dora's son as he is mine."
"It may not be rational, but she needs to blame someone for the loss of her husband and daughter," Severus replied. "As long she restricted her anger solely to the two of us, I was willing to put up with her, but I won't allow her to treat our son that way. There are plenty of strangers who will despise him for being a werewolf; Teddy shouldn't have to endure that kind of treatment from a blood relative who's supposed to love and protect him."
Remus smiled, finding his own anger and worry melting away, his heart warmed by the words "our son," a tacit admission that Severus thought of Teddy as his own child. Remus knew, of course, that Severus loved Teddy just as much as he did, but it was the first time that he had verbally acknowledged it.
"And why are you grinning like an idiot?" Severus demanded testily. "Might I remind you that we are discussing a very serious matter?"
"I'm sorry, Severus," Remus replied meekly, attempting to get his grin under control and look properly solemn, although judging by his lover's exasperated sigh, he wasn't very successful.
"I've been thinking about what Percy said, about loving one's family from a distance," Severus continued. "To be honest, if not for you and Teddy, I would have left Britain long ago, to make a fresh start where no one knows me as the murderer of Albus Dumbledore."
"I'm sorry, Severus," Remus repeated, with real remorse this time. "I know that it's been difficult for you--"
Severus impatiently waved off his apology. "I'm not complaining. I know that you felt it was important for Teddy to have a relationship with his grandmother, and so did I, which was why I never broached the subject of moving before. But now that it's no longer advisable to let Andromeda spend time with Teddy, I thought perhaps you might consider..." His voice trailed off for a moment, and then he continued in an uncharacteristically hesitant manner, "But I'll understand if you don't want to leave your friends..."
Remus reached out to lay his hand over Severus's. "I will miss my friends if we move, but you and Teddy are the most important people in my life now. I want you to be happy, Severus--you deserve it, after everything you've been through. It doesn't really matter to me where we live; as long as I'm with you and Teddy, I'll be content." Remus grinned, suddenly filled with a sense of hope and excitement that he hadn't felt since he'd been a boy at Hogwarts. "Besides, it'll be an adventure!" he laughed.
***
They wound up in Japan, of all places, because it turned out that Severus had collaborated for several years with a Japanese Potions Master named Kamiyama while developing the Wolfsbane Potion. This was something of a shock to Remus, who had assumed, along with the rest of the wizarding world, that Damocles Belby was the creator of the potion.
"Yes, well...I didn't want the Death Eaters to think that I might have sentimental feelings for a certain werewolf," Severus explained sheepishly, flushing slightly. "Belby happened to be doing some research along the same lines, so I let him take the credit. He was down on his luck and nearly out of funding, so he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth."
"I was always grateful to you for brewing the potion for me," Remus replied, awed and touched that Severus had gone to such lengths for him. "But now I have even more reason to be grateful." And he demonstrated his gratitude with a very long and deep kiss.
"But I'm curious as to how your research led you to Japan," Remus added when they finally came up for air.
Severus, looking even more flushed, took a moment to compose himself. "Well, you see, it's because the Japanese have done extensive research on aconite."
"Are there that many werewolves in Japan?" Remus asked curiously.
"No, just one small tribe, or so I've been told," Severus replied. "But aconite was commonly used as a poison by ninja in the feudal era."
"I had no idea!" Remus exclaimed. "How fascinating."
Severus smiled. "Actually, the discovery of aconite's effects on werewolves was something of an accident. Kamiyama found an old historical account of a ninja who tried to kill a werewolf with a poisoned dart, but the aconite merely made the werewolf sleepy and docile. Of course, there were also rumors in the West about aconite having the ability to treat or cure lycanthropy, which is why it is often called 'wolfsbane'. The main problem with developing the Wolfsbane Potion was finding the right concentration of aconite, and the research already done by the Japanese was an immense help."
"Then by all means, let us go to Japan, my love," Remus laughed. "I think you would look very fetching in a kimono!"
"Hmph!" Severus snorted, but he didn't really seem displeased.
It didn't take long for them to get comfortable settled in their new home, partly because Kamiyama helped to ease the way for them. He helped them find a flat; advised them on local etiquette and customs; and introduced them to their new neighbors. Remus suspected that without Kamiyama to vouch for them, they would have received a cooler reception, but as the friends of a respected and well-liked figure in the local wizarding community, they were welcomed warmly.
A gaijin family--especially one made up of two fathers and a (mostly) blue-haired boy--were an interesting novelty, and their new neighbors enjoyed hearing stories about life in Britain, and equally enjoyed the boxes of Hogsmeade candy that Remus and Severus had brought as welcoming gifts on Kamiyama's advice.
Teddy quickly made friends with the neighbors' children, communicating with smiles and gestures, and it wasn't long before he was chattering with them in Japanese. Severus was already fluent, having studied the language when he first began collaborating with Kamiyama. He set up a small mail-order Potions business and also wrote articles for academic journals, both locally and abroad. The Japanese Potions Masters were already aware of his work on the Wolfsbane, and eager to exchange ideas with him; Severus was equally eager to learn more about Japanese herbology and potion-brewing techniques. They had many spirited debates over cups of sake at Remus and Severus's flat, or at the neighborhood pub when there were too many scholars to fit into their small living room. Severus was accepted and liked by his new colleagues as he had never been in Britain, and Remus was delighted to see his lover so happy, to see his face so animated as he hotly debated some obscure point of Potions theory, or to see him laugh and raise his glass in a toast with his new friends.
It took a little longer for Remus to fit in, as he was unfamiliar with the language. But Kamiyama kindly offered to tutor him, and he also studied on his own at home with Muggle language-learning books and cassettes, so he picked up the basics fairly quickly. Fluency took longer, but the best way to learn was through practical experience, and Remus got plenty of that conversing with the neighbors and Teddy's friends and the local shopkeepers when he went to buy groceries. He made a lot of mistakes, of course, and Teddy's friends often giggled at some of the sillier ones, but everyone was very patient with his halting Japanese, and they seemed to appreciate the effort that he was putting into learning their language.
Eventually he learned that that there was a small but significant gaijin wizarding population in Japan. Some were here temporarily, as researchers or merchants or diplomats, while others had settled here permanently for various reasons. It was a large enough community to warrant a small English-speaking school catering to the foreign children--mostly Americans, but there were a few other Brits, and a handful of Australians and Europeans.
The school was short-staffed, and Remus was able to get a job there on Kamiyama's recommendation. It didn't pay much, but it kept him busy, and one of the perks was that the teachers' children got to attend for free, and Teddy would soon be old enough to start school. Besides, Severus made enough to cover the rent and put food on the table, so Remus's paycheck allowed them a few extra luxuries.
A couple of these luxuries were a television and a dvd player when Remus and Teddy got hooked on Studio Ghibli movies after watching them at a neighbor's house--Japanese wizards were apparently a lot more accepting of Muggle technology than their British counterparts. Severus complained that he was going to go stark raving mad if he had to listen to the "Totoro" theme song one more time, with its insidiously bouncy and cheerful melody, but he grudgingly conceded that he liked "Spirited Away"--especially the part where the rude, gluttonous parents were turned into pigs as punishment. "I've often wished that I could have done the same to some of my students," he sighed regretfully.
No one was allowed to turn students into pigs at Remus' new school, and it was very different from Hogwarts, but he thought that was a good thing. As it was a day school instead of a boarding school, there was no need for dorms and Houses, so it lacked the divisive competition that had pitted Gryffindors against Slytherins at Hogwarts. Also, the student population was so small that they were very close-knit, and it was natural for them to bond, all being foreigners living away from their homelands. However, Principal Carr, an American who had married a local woman and settled down in Japan, was careful to not let an us-against-them attitude develop among the students. The children were taught an appreciation for the language and culture of their host country, and regular inter-school activities were organized with a nearby Japanese school so that the gaijin students could make friends with the local children.
There were only a few teachers at the school, so Remus's job required him to be sort of a jack-of-all trades, but he loved it. He taught a bit of Defense, a bit of History or Magical Creatures--whatever was required. And much to his delight, he was asked to teach an English class which covered both grammar and literature. He loved being able to introduce his students to some of the books he had loved as a boy, and he had often thought that there was too little emphasis on non-magical academics at Hogwarts. Sometimes it seemed like spell-casting was all that mattered to the students and even most of the teachers, ignoring the beauty of poetry and literature and music, or even the more practical need for, say, a Ministry official to be able to write a grammatically correct and cohesive report. But Remus had hardly been in a position to complain about the curriculum at Hogwarts, being there only on sufferance and Albus's goodwill, both as a student and a teacher.
So he loved his new job, where the staff was more open-minded to new ideas. Severus was offered a job, too, when Carr heard that Remus's partner was an expert Potions Master and former Professor, but Severus said that he'd had enough of teaching. However, after visiting Remus at work and finding that the atmosphere was different from Hogwarts, Severus agreed to a compromise: he didn't want to return to teaching full-time, but he agreed to do a weekly lecture and workshop for the advanced students who could benefit from more specialized training than the school could currently provide.
Severus seemed to thrive, teaching students who were bright and motivated and actually eager to learn, rather than reluctant pupils who only attended because it was a required class. And although he remained a strict and demanding teacher, the bitter edge of his teaching style mellowed considerably, and the students actually became fond of "Snape-sensei," and were very proud when they managed to garner a bit of rare praise from him--which was far less rare than it had been at Hogwarts, Remus noticed.
So the three of them lived happily in their adopted homeland. Severus never looked back, and was obviously grateful to leave behind his painful memories in Britain, while Teddy adapted to his new life with the resiliency of youth. He was happy with his Daddy and Papa and teachers and friends, and Britain soon became a hazy memory that he could barely recall.
As for Remus, he did miss his old friends, but he never once regretted moving to Japan. It was worth it to see his son and lover so happy, and he found that he had learned a valuable lesson about friendship. At first, he wrote regularly to Hermione, Harry, and the Weasleys, but except for Hermione, their letters to him gradually became fewer and fewer, until they were only exchanging Christmas cards once a year.
It hurt to lose the friendships he had once held so dear, especially with Harry, his old schoolmate's son, but now he realized that friends who would cast you aside over a difference of opinion were not truly your friends. If he had only realized that as a teenager, perhaps "the prank" would never have happened, and he and Severus could have gotten together much sooner, and perhaps Severus would never have joined the Death Eaters. On the other hand, if he and Severus had become a couple right out of school, Teddy would never have been born.
But there was no point now in wondering "what if"; what was done was done, and he couldn't change the past, but he resolved not to make the same mistakes in the future. He regretted the loss of Harry and the Weasleys, but he let them go, and he valued all the more the people who had remained at his side throughout good times and bad: Severus, who had forgiven his past weaknesses and betrayals, and who had invented the Wolfsbane Potion for him even when they had been estranged; Teddy, who loved him unconditionally; and Hermione, who did remain in contact with them, and even visited them in Japan once or twice a year. Severus grumbled that she was still a know-it-all, but she would just smile, because his insults held a hint of affection beneath the sarcasm.
"Know-it-all!" Teddy would laugh, turning his hair brown and bushy as Severus rolled his eyes and Hermione and Remus laughed.
***
And now Remus smiled tenderly as his lover and son finished up their potions. "How goes the potion brewing?" he asked.
Severus examined Teddy's cauldron and nodded approvingly. "A perfectly brewed boil cure potion," he said proudly. "Teddy is already far ahead of those dunderheaded first-year Gryffindors I used to teach."
Teddy beamed at his Papa's praise, but loyally added, "Except for Auntie Hermione."
"Yes, yes," Severus agreed impatiently, rolling his eyes as Teddy giggled. "Auntie Hermione was already an insufferable little know-it-all even as a first-year."
"Speaking of Hermione, she'll be making a special visit next week for your birthday," Remus told his son.
"Cool!" Teddy exclaimed. "I can't wait to show her the potions I've been making! Am I as good as she was, Papa?"
"Better," Severus replied firmly, fondly ruffling Teddy's blue hair.
"I think your opinion may be slightly biased," Remus chuckled, and he grinned and winked at Severus, who only harrumphed and smiled back at him conspiratorially. Teddy had asked for a Deluxe Junior Potions Master Kit for his birthday, which pleased Severus to no end, since most of his friends asked for video games or magical toys that were equally frivolous (at least in Severus's opinion). But Teddy was determined to become a Potions Master when he grew up--"Just like Papa!"
"So what would you like for your birthday dinner?" Remus asked, although he already knew what Teddy's answer would be.
"Sushi!" Teddy immediately replied.
"Fine, I'll make a reservation at Tanaka's," Severus said, feigning indifference.
"No, no!" Teddy protested. "I want to eat at home! I want Papa to make the sushi!"
Severus heaved an exaggerated sigh of resignation. "Again? Wouldn't you rather eat out at the restaurant? Their sushi is much better than mine."
"No, yours is the best, Papa!" Teddy said loyally. "And I want you to make it your special way!" He stared at Severus with wide, pleading eyes. "Please, Papa? It's my favorite!"
"Oh, very well," Severus capitulated, sounding very put-out, but there was the faintest hint of a smile on his face as he ruffled Teddy's hair again. "Just stop making those puppy-dog eyes at me--it's pathetic behavior for a fierce werewolf." He turned to scowl at Remus. "He gets it from you, you know."
"Who, me?" Remus asked innocently.
Teddy completely ignored everything but the "very well," and flung his arms around Severus, shouting, "Thank you, Papa--you're the best!"
"And don't you forget it!" Severus told him sternly.
"Yes, Papa," Teddy said obediently, while Remus smiled, luxuriating in the feeling of being part of this loving family.
"And you, wolf, what are you grinning about?" Severus snapped, and Remus's smile grew even wider.
***
"Happy birthday, Teddy," Hermione said, pausing to take off her shoes before she entered the house. She had visited them enough times to know the Japanese custom, which Remus and Severus had followed ever since they moved to Japan. Hermione very practically approved of it, since it helped to keep the house clean, and had lamented that she wished she could get Ron to follow it as well.
"Auntie Hermione!" Teddy exclaimed delightedly, throwing his arms around her.
Hermione returned the hug and gave him a kiss on the cheek, then did the same to Remus. However, when she turned in Severus's direction, he gave her his most intimidating "Potions Master glare" that used to cause the first-years to nearly wet their pants in terror (and literally did, in a few cases).
Hermione just smiled and held out her hand, and Severus turned his glare down a few notches to a mere glower as he shook it, briefly but firmly. Then Hermione darted in to land a quick peck on his cheek, then quickly darted away again before he could hex her.
"Ever the insolent Gryffindor, I see, Miss Granger," Severus said sourly.
"I wouldn't want to disappoint you, Professor," Hermione said cheerfully, and Remus couldn't quite suppress a chuckle. They went through this ritual every time Hermione came to visit; Severus would never admit it, but he had grown fond of his "know-it-all" former student.
Severus shifted the focus of his glare from Hermione to Remus, which left Hermione free to reach into her beaded handbag and pull out a large box wrapped in bright paper and a bow.
"Thanks, Auntie Hermione!" Teddy said, accepting the present. "I bet it's Honeydukes candy, right?"
"And how would you know that without opening it first?" Hermione teased, ruffling Teddy's hair, which had turned long and bushy in imitation of hers, although it was still blue.
"Well, for one thing, it's the exact size of Honeydukes' deluxe gift box set," Teddy replied loftily. He held it up to his nose and sniffed at it. "Plus, I can smell chocolate. And besides, you get me the exact same thing every year, Auntie Hermione. It hardly takes a genius to deduce what's in the package."
"Teddy!" Remus scolded, although it was difficult to sound properly stern when he was choking back laughter.
"What?" Teddy asked innocently.
Meanwhile, Hermione was doubled over, laughing so hard that tears were running down her face. Remus handed her a handkerchief, and she dabbed at her eyes while she tried to get herself under control.
"Teddy sounds just like a little Professor Snape!" she gasped, and Severus frowned slightly, as if debating over whether to consider that a compliment or an insult.
Teddy obviously considered it a compliment of the highest order, because he proudly beamed up at Hermione and declared, "I want to be a Potions Master just like Papa! And when I grow up, I'll brew the Wolfsbane Potion for me and Daddy, and I'll make it taste better, too!"
"I'm sure you will," Remus said, bending down to hug Teddy and plant a kiss on the top of his head.
"Aw, come on, Dad," Teddy protested, squirming slightly but not trying too hard to get away. He wasn't yet at the age where displays of affection from his parents were too embarrassing to bear. Remus briefly wondered whether Teddy would turn into a sullen teenager someday, then smiled as he remembered a certain sullen, dark-haired teenage boy from his own past, and he hugged Teddy even more tightly.
"Lupin, don't smother the boy," Severus scolded, his voice hovering somewhere between sarcasm and affection.
"I love you, too, Dad, but it's kinda hard to breathe," Teddy added in a muffled voice.
"Oops, sorry," Remus said sheepishly as he released his son, who grinned at him.
"I'll bring out the food," Severus told Remus. "In the meantime, why don't you get Miss Granger a drink and try not to suffocate our son?"
He swept out of the room, as dramatically as he ever had during his days at Hogwarts, and Hermione smiled. "It's nice to see that the Professor is the same as ever. Well...no, that's not really true. He's much happier than he ever was at Hogwarts, but I'm glad that he hasn't lost his snark."
"Some things haven't changed for you either, 'Miss Granger,'" Remus said with a grin. "You still call him 'Professor,' even though it's years since he's been your teacher."
"I just can't imagine calling him 'Severus,'" Hermione laughed. "Besides, I think he would hex me for my Gryffindor insolence if I did!"
"He hasn't yet," Remus said with a grin. "Care for some sake?"
"I'd love some," Hermione replied, and Remus poured her a cup of the rice wine.
"Me too?" Teddy asked hopefully.
"Sure--in about ten years," Remus retorted good-naturedly; it was an ongoing joke that had started the first time Hermione had come to visit them in Japan. "In the meantime, how about some pumpkin juice instead?"
"Okay," Teddy said with a grin.
"So how are things at the Ministry?" Remus asked Hermione, as the three of them sat down with their drinks at the dining table.
"Well, we're making progress, but the slow pace is rather frustrating," Hermione sighed. "The conservatives are fighting Kingsley's reforms every step of the way, even with Harry's backing." She grimaced and said cynically, "I suppose the shine of being a war hero has begun to fade a bit over the years, now that Voldemort is no longer a threat. Never mind that we'd all be dead or enslaved if not for Harry."
"You're trying to overturn hundreds of years of wizarding traditions," Remus reminded her. "Looking at it from that perspective, Kingsley--and you and Harry--have accomplished a lot in just a few years."
"True," Hermione grudgingly conceded.
"And I think that Harry probably finds it a relief that the 'shine' of being a hero is beginning to fade," Remus added in a gentle voice. "He never wanted to be a hero; it was something that was forced on him. I'm sure it must be a relief for him to lead something resembling a normal life."
"True," Hermione repeated, looking a little shamefaced this time. "He'll never be normal, exactly...he'll always be famous, but he's been living a much more quiet life these days, and he seems to be happy." She smiled. "Ginny's the one experiencing all the excitement these days, playing for the Harpies. Harry jokes that it's great being the husband of a Quidditch star--he gets free tickets to all the games!"
Remus laughed. "I'm glad that they're doing well. How are things with Ron?" Hermione's smile faded, and Remus said, "Oh. Perhaps I shouldn't have asked."
"No, it's all right," she replied, though she still looked solemn. "I would have told you eventually. We're not together anymore. He kept pushing me to set a wedding date, and I finally realized...I kept putting it off because I didn't want to marry him. I love Ron, but we just aren't suited to each other. He gets bored when I talk about the books I've read--he's barely touched a book since we left school, and I get equally bored when he talks about Quidditch. We don't have any hobbies or interests in common...in fact, we really have nothing in common except for the time we spent together in school."
"The three of you risked your lives for each other, many times over," Remus said quietly. "That creates a strong bond."
Hermione nodded. "Yes--of friendship. I'd still lay down my life for him without hesitation, and I know that he would do the same for me, and I hope that we'll always be friends, but...I think I would go mad if I had to marry him and live in the same house with him every day for the rest of my life!" She let out a long, wistful sigh. "That makes me sound horrible, doesn't it?"
Remus shook his head. "It makes you human, Hermione. You grew up, that's all. You and Ron matured and grew apart; it happens. The romance probably endured this long because of the solid underlying friendship beneath it."
"We mistook friendship for love because of teenage hormones and infatuation," Hermione said with a sad smile.
"The love between you is real," Remus said gently. "It just turned into a different kind of love. It's no one's fault that the romance didn't work out. It may be painful now, but that will fade with time, and I'm sure that your friendship will remain strong."
"I wish I could be as sure of that," Hermione said ruefully. "Ron took it pretty hard, and right now I'm persona non grata with the Weasley family."
"Welcome to the club," Severus said dryly, floating several covered dishes of food out to the table with a flick of his wand.
"Ron will come around eventually," Remus tried to console her. He didn't add that Molly would probably never forgive her for rejecting her precious son, even if Ron moved on and happily settled down with someone else.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Severus cautioned. "That family can hold a grudge like no one's business. They still haven't forgiven you for taking up with me."
Remus glared at him. "You're not being very helpful, Severus."
"I just don't want to give her false hope, that's all."
"Don't worry, Auntie Hermione," Teddy reassured her. "You'll find someone much better than that Ron guy--Papa says that he's a dunderhead, anyway."
"Teddy!" Remus scolded, but Hermione burst into a peal of laughter that suddenly broke the tension.
"He is a bit of a dunderhead sometimes," she chuckled, giving Teddy a kiss on the cheek. "But he's also brave and loyal, and he is my friend, so I have to try to make things right between us. Someday I'll find the right man for me, and he'll find the right woman for him, and maybe we'll be even better friends than before."
"Gryffindor optimism," Severus muttered, but under his breath.
"I'll marry you when I grow up if you don't find someone by then," Teddy offered.
"That's very sweet of you, dear, but I don't think that will be necessary," Hermione laughed, then gave him a wink. "But I'll keep your offer in mind."
"That had better be a joke, Miss Granger," Severus said with a ferocious scowl.
"Of course I'm not a child molester, Professor!" Hermione said indignantly.
"I said I'd marry Auntie Hermione when I'm grown up, so I wouldn't be a child then," Teddy pointed out logically.
"Well, I'm sure everyone's starved," Remus said hastily. "Let's eat!"
Severus gave him one last scowl to let him know that he wasn't fooled by Remus's obvious ploy to change the subject ("typical Gryffindor lack of subtlety," he was no doubt thinking), but began uncovering the dishes without comment.
"Everything looks delicious!" Hermione exclaimed with genuine appreciation, and Severus preened a bit. Remus couldn't blame him; Severus had really outdone himself with this feast. The table was spread with platters of various types of sushi: rolls of rice wrapped in sheets of nori, or dried seaweed, and filled with cucumbers or pickled plums or pickled radishes, all sliced neatly into bite-sized pieces. There were also several types of nigiri-zushi, rice hand-molded into small oblong wedges and covered with a variety of toppings: shrimp, egg, bright orange salmon roe, slices of raw salmon, and slices of cooked octopus and squid. (Remus had once been a little squeamish about eating raw fish or things with tentacles, but he had soon grown accustomed to it and now ate them with gusto.) There were also little dishes of pickled ginger and shredded white radish to cleanse the palate between bites.
However, Teddy looked disappointed with the feast. "Where's the maguro?" he demanded.
Severus smirked. "Well, of course I saved the best for last," he said, and with a flourish of his wand, conjured up a wooden cutting board, on which sat a large filet of raw maguro, or tuna, the red meat looking firm and fresh.
Teddy immediately cheered up and leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Do it now, Papa!" he urged.
"Very well," Severus replied, making a show of rolling up his sleeves while Teddy squirmed impatiently. Then he raised his wand and dramatically cried out ,"Sectumsempra!" His wrist and wand flicked with precise movements, and the chunk of fish fell apart into neat slices, all of the exact same thickness, as if they had been cut by an invisible knife. With another flick of the wand, the slices of maguro levitated themselves onto already prepared wedges of rice. Teddy crowed with delight and clapped his hands together; Hermione and Remus laughed and joined in on the applause.
"Done with your usual finesse, Professor," Hermione complimented him.
"It's the most original use of Sectumsempra that I've ever seen," Remus chimed in.
"Don't you ever get tired of watching the same thing every year?" Severus asked their son.
"Nope!" Teddy replied cheerfully. "I can't wait till I'm old enough for a wand and you can teach me how to do Sectumsempra!"
"Oh dear," Hermione said in consternation. "Is it really a good idea to teach a child that spell?"
"As long as he promises to only use it on fish, I suppose it's all right," Remus chuckled.
"Though all the maguro in the sea will tremble at the sight of the blue-haired terror, Teddy Lupin," Severus said with a touch of dry whimsy.
Teddy laughed and flung his arms around Severus. "Thanks for dinner, Papa! I love you!"
"You must get your sentimental streak from your Daddy," Severus grumbled, but the expression on his face softened, and his dark eyes were suspiciously bright. He bent down and planted a tender kiss on the top of Teddy's head. "I love you, too, brat," he whispered in a barely audible voice.
"And I love you both!" Remus declared, wrapping his arms around them both as Teddy giggled.
"You're an idiot, Lupin," Severus said, but there was a fond look in his eyes, which did indeed have a tear or two shining in them.
"But you love me anyway," Remus retorted, and planted a firm kiss on his lover's mouth.
"Merlin only knows why," Severus sighed, sounding a little breathless when they drew apart a few moments later.
Teddy smiled up at his parents, but asked a little impatiently, "Can we eat now?"
Remus and Severus laughed, and Hermione grinned. "Yes, Teddy, we can eat now. Happy birthday, son," Remus said, and they all settled down to enjoy Teddy's birthday dinner, starting with the maguro.
THE END.
***
Afterword: Regarding Japanese terms, hopefully it's clear from the context, but just to clarify, "gaijin" means "foreigner" and "sensei" means "teacher". Tatami is a type of woven rush mat used to cover the floor in traditional Japanese houses. The idea of ninjas using aconite is based on fact (minus the werewolf part) and comes from this discussion post/plot bunny on lupin_snape. As mentioned above, lore's story inspired the idea of Snape and Lupin enjoying sushi, and the idea of using Sectumsempra as a cutting tool was borrowed from my own story Happy Birthday, Severus.