Day 18 - Albus' Brother - Snape/Lupin implied
Title: Albus' Brother Pairing: Snape/Lupin Word Count: 448 Rating: PG-13 Warnings: Unbeta'd. With no Lupin Challenge: Day 18 May Madness, bogwood Author's Notes: 18 Day, Where did this come from? Adjunct to It's Just Lust…currently stalled at part 16... Severus still found his meetings with Aberforth awkward. The man had assured him upon their first after Albus' death, that he was quite aware of the actual circumstances. And made no secret of the fact that he thought Albus had laid too much on both Severus and Harry Potter. Tonight, they had discussed several strategies with regards to Potter and what the options were when the boy resurfaced.
"Another whisky Severus?" Aberforth asked as he nodded to the empty glass.
"Yes." Severus answered slowly. He needed a few more minutes before he went back to the castle.
Aberforth poured two drinks and settled back across the table from Severus. He took out a pipe and tapped down some sweet and smoky smelling tobacco.
"Is that made of morta?" Severus asked as he admired the pipe.
Aberforth raised an eyebrow. "Aye. Bogwood."
"Did you buy it in Hogsmeade?"
"Yes and no." Aberforth replied.
"Apparently non-answers are hereditary in the Dumbledore family." Severus snarked.
Aberforth snorted. "I paid for it within the village of Hogsmeade. It was made by someone of my acquaintance."
Severus was by now prepared for the twenty question approach. "Someone I might know?"
Aberforth puffed on the pipe. "He is in the Order."
"Circe's tits Aberforth just tell me! I'll sit here whilst you smoke and ignore your customers such as they are."
A deep chuckle burst from the older man. "It's amazing you didn't kill my brother sooner."
"Yes, it is." Severus agreed. This was still painful, but the actions that brought him here had been set in motion many years ago and now that Albus' death was fait acompli. There was simply nothing to be done about it.
"It was Lupin. He makes them out of bogwood, morta and sells them in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen perhaps."
"Lupin makes them? They're exceeding difficult to do." Severus mused.
"Even for a Wizard." Aberforth agreed.
"He never said." Severus said to himself.
"Thought you and he didn't get on."
"Yes, well…" What was he to say to that?
"Ah, another twist in the Lupin story." Aberforth said astutely. "Married and a babe, and yet I don't think women are his cup of tea. Met a few like that in my time with inclinations same as my brother's." He took another drag on his pipe. "And a man who is his sworn enemy from childhood is interested in his talents."
Severus didn't say anything. He swirled the whisky in his glass.
Silence reigned and then stretched.
"A man known for his eloquence with so few words." Aberforth drawled. "Lucky to find love in this life boy." He sucked the smoke from his pipe. "Secret's safe with me."