Fantasy Fest Fic: Sleeping With Ghosts - Part 1/2 Title: Sleeping With Ghosts - Part 1/2 Author:senjy Character(s): Roman/Severo (reincarnations of Remus and Severus and therefore slightly OOC) Rating(s): R overall Warning(s): First time, Underage (17 year olds) Word Count: 13,300 overall Beta: Many thanks to my power triad: dungeons_master, inkgeist and ureima. Disclaimer: All familiar characters and situations belong to JK Rowling. No profit is being made.
Summary: Long Fic Prompt 29 -- Reincarnation! The boys are given a second chance, they come back in better circumstances fifty years after their deaths. One of them remembers, one doesn't, and the one who remembers wants to act on impulses he couldn't in former life. Happy ending plz Notes: The title and cut is nicked from a Placebo track I quite like.
1. Years
Twenty-two years later, Teddy Lupin had a family of his own, and in honour of the family he had lost as a baby, he named his daughter Remei Nymphadora. She wasn't a Metamorphmagus, and she inherited only the Veela blond hair from her mother's side, but she was pretty and talented enough that at age eighteen she turned the head of confirmed bachelor and Professor at the Cambridge Institute for Magical Advancement, Scorpius Malfoy.
It was while Remei and Scorpius were on a research trip to the Black Forest that the fortieth anniversary of victory over Voldemort was celebrated. To the embarrassment of Remei's extended family, and the outrage of traditionalists, part of the celebrations was the renaming of the Hogwarts school Houses after the heroes of the war. The change was meant to unite the nation in celebration and to symbolize that the old rivalries were dead. In actual fact, it divided the country so successfully that it was almost scrapped. It only survived because one of the few things everyone agreed on – except perhaps Scorpius' extended family - was that there should be a 'Potter' House, and to rename one meant renaming them all.
On Sunday 23rd August, 2048, the night of a full moon, Teddy Lupin's grandson was born. Remei and Scorpius had waited so that the sex of the baby would be a surprise. Holding their child, they were at a loss to recall any of the potential names they had come up with over the preceding nine months. Standing by the window, looking out at the night sky, Teddy quietly suggested, "What about Roman?"
The following Thursday, Madame Flavia Prince also gave birth to a baby boy. She had been one of the ministers involved in the renaming of the Hogwarts Houses, and had pushed for the inclusion of her distant kinsman and hero, Severus Snape. It was with great pride that she named her son Severo.
2. Dreams
At first he only dreamed of the moon, and then the wolf.
When he was five, Roman told his friends at school about the dreams. They teased him that he would turn into a werewolf just like his great-grandfather. The teasing caused Roman to panic to the extent that Roman’s teacher was at a loss and had to contact his granddad to pick him up from school early. It took a lot of hugs and distracting nose changes on Teddy's part to put a stop to the screaming and crying.
Roman didn't mention the dreams to anybody after that.
The older he got, the more vivid the dreams became. His sleep around the full moon was fitful: nightmares about the moon and the pain and the wolf often robbing him of a full night's rest. As he grew older still, other dreams began to take over. These were quieter dream, funny dreams where Roman was living the life of somebody else. Sometimes he was young, and sometimes he was as old as his father, but he knew that in all the dreams, he was still the same person.
One night, a few weeks before his ninth birthday, Roman sat bolt upright in bed, panting from another nightmare, heart thudding because of the sudden awareness he felt: he knew who he was.
Scrambling out of bed, he flicked on the light and opened his wardrobe door so he could look into the mirror attached to the inside. For a moment he felt like his vision was blurring and that there were two boys there, but then he realised that it was the shadows cast by the moonlight playing tricks, and there was only him.
However, he now knew with certainty that he was somebody else, or at least, had been somebody else.
Cautiously touching his fingers to the glass, he was surprised by how cold it felt, and how solid. He had been half afraid that his fingers would sink through the glass, or that another hand would reach out and grab his own. He traced the shape of his face, observing the similarities between him and the face in his dream.
The other boy had been looking at his reflection in a shop window and so the image hadn't been perfect, but Roman was still shocked at the resemblance. He had always known that he looked more like Granddad Teddy than anyone else, but he had never realised that the differences between him and his grandfather were what made him look so much like Remus.
His hair was probably the only striking difference, he thought, touching the top of his head. He had inherited straight, white-blond hair from both sides of his family, and like both sides of the family, he wore it long.
So much for thinking he was going to turn into a wolf. It had happened the other way round. His great-grandfather had turned into him.
Despite this momentous realisation, Roman didn't feel any different. He was still himself, Roman Astor Malfoy. He still loved his family, and Granddad Teddy was still his favourite after his mother and father.
Shaking his head to clear it of the unsettling thoughts crowding in, Roman retreated back to his bed.
"I'm still me," he said out loud. "I'm not going to disappear."
That said, Roman closed his eyes and tried not to dream of his past.
3. Meetings
"Roman! You are not taking Gwendolyn with you!"
Roman froze, not bothering to turn around because he knew that it was his mother behind him and he could picture her face.
"But, Mum..."
"No buts," she said, marching forward and into view. "We've already had this conversation. Grindylows are not on the approved list of pets and familiars, and I'm not sure I really want the school knowing that you have one in the first place. I don't know what your father was thinking."
Roman bit his lip and avoided his mother's eyes. They both knew that it had been her who had captured the creature after Roman had shown such a fascination with it. Roman's father had done his very best to have it thrown back in the lake. However, Roman knew that it was always better to go along with his mother's version of events, as it encouraged her to keep spoiling him.
"Will you remember to feed her?" Roman asked, peering through the glass of the large tank he was holding.
Remei stepped forward and relieved him of the bulky weight. "What about a compromise? While you're at school Gwendolyn can stay in the living room. That way your father and I will see her and remember to feed her."
Roman nodded eagerly.
"Then that's settled."
"Hello?"
"Is that you, Dad?" Remei shouted back to the voice calling from the front door.
"Granddad!" Roman rushed to the front door, deftly turning his collision with Teddy into a hug. "Are you coming to see me off?" he asked eagerly.
"Of course I am," Teddy replied, lifting Roman up and carrying him through to the living room. "I wouldn't miss seeing my little Moony go off to school."
Roman hugged Teddy harder, feeling the usual rush of tangled emotions. Roman knew why Teddy had nicknamed him Moony, just as he knew his given name was a play on Romulus.
"I wish you could come to Hogwarts with me," he said.
"I would just cramp your style," Teddy replied lightly, lowering Roman back to his feet.
"No you wouldn't," Roman protested, grinning. "You're the coolest granddad ever."
Teddy laughed, and his long hair turned an even brighter blue. Roman really wished that he could have seen Teddy at Hogwarts, or that he could have known Teddy when he had been eleven. While Remus' memories didn't - couldn't - register regret at not having seen Teddy grow up, Roman did on Remus' behalf.
"So, is everything packed and ready to go?" Teddy asked him.
Roman nodded.
"What about your wand?"
Roman nodded again, this time touching the holster attached to his belt. He had carried his wand with him ever since Teddy had given it to him.
After a disastrous visit to Ollivander's, which had ended with Roman dramatically declaring that he must be a Squib, Teddy had decided to give his parents' wands a go. They had all been aware of the wild magic Roman had performed over the years, and so Teddy had gone into his study and fetched out the polished box that had been presented to him when he had been too young to understand what he was being given.
The two wands had been retrieved from the Hogwarts battlefield, carefully restored, and presented to Teddy on the first anniversary of the final battle. Great Grandma Nymphadora's wand had only been marginally better than the wands at the shop, but as soon as Roman's fingers had touched the 11 inches of willow that had belonged to Remus, he had felt complete.
"Well, you certainly look smart enough," Teddy remarked, looking Roman up and down.
His look made Roman fidget, as he personally thought he looked silly in the military style uniform. He wished that it was more like the uniform from Remus' memories, but Hogwarts was an academy now, and had changed the uniform to reflect its connections with the Auror and other training programmes it was now associated with. Roman thought that the large silver buttons on his jacket were over the top and that the small stiff collar was annoying, but for some reason his family seemed to think it looked perfect on him.
"Right," Remei said, in a final sort of voice, stepping forward to fiddle one last time with Roman's ponytail. "Time to get moving."
*****
The platform was crowded, but even though he was just a first year, Roman didn't find it particularly daunting. He was already used to it, not only from Remus' memories, but also from having seen off some of his extended family in the past.
Spotting one such family member, he waved and hurried over.
"Roman!" Dawn exclaimed, hugging him. "Are you excited?"
"Very," Roman admitted with a grin. Spotting the badge sewn onto her jacket, he added, "You made Head Girl! Congratulations."
"Yes," Dawn said, obviously pleased. "You'd better be on your best behaviour, newb."
Roman stuck out his tongue, quickly pulling it in again so he could respond to the hugs of good luck from Aunt Julia and Uncle Hugo.
"Urgh, I wish they would just get rid of these," Dawn complained loudly, tugging at the short black cape that hung from her shoulders. It was attached to one of the buttons of her jacket at the front, and fell to her waist. It was the uniform's one nod to the tradition of wearing robes, and seemed to annoy Dawn as much as the silver buttons annoyed Roman. Dawn's was inlaid with royal blue silk to reflect that she was a member of Granger House. It was something that had apparently mortified Dawn in her first year, being a Weasley-Granger herself.
Roman smiled to himself, not sure how he felt about the traditional Houses having been renamed. It had happened about ten years before he had been born, and he wondered whether the rivalries Remus remembered had been eradicated by the change. He imagined that things hadn't changed all that much considering the names that had been chosen.
"Earth to Roman!" Dawn's teasing voice disturbed Roman's reflection on what had been.
"Sorry?"
"I was asking what House you think you'll be sorted into."
Roman smiled. "Probably Gryffindor, although Grandpa Malfoy would like me to be a Slytherin."
"Oh, Merlin, you're not going to be one of those traditionalists, are you? I swear there are more students each year who keep calling the Houses by the old names, and Professor Longbottom is forever forgetting and calling his House 'Hufflepuff'."
"I just don't see why they changed them," Roman replied. "And you didn't like being sorted into 'Granger' House."
"Yeah, they could have at least waited until Nanny and the rest were dead and buried."
"Dawn!"
"Joking, Dad. I bet Professor Longbottom does it on purpose," she added to Roman. "How embarrassing to be Head of a House named after you!"
"I suppose it was the same for the founders at the beginning."
"In any case, I reckon you'll be in Granger with me rather than Potter House."
Roman nodded, but he knew that Remus had once thought similar, and had been surprised to find himself in Gryffindor instead. Not that Roman cared all that much, he had family members who would be pleased no matter which House he ended up in.
"Roman!"
Looking round, Roman spotted his father who was pushing his way through the crowd, his long hair a loose mess. He had obviously been in a hurry, and Roman hurried along the platform to meet him.
"Dad! You made it!"
Scorpius clapped Roman on the shoulder. "Of course I did. It was a near thing, though. I almost missed the Portkey from Athens."
Roman laughed as his mother also joined them and immediately began combing her fingers through Scorpius' hair to tidy it a little.
"I'm glad you made it," Roman said. "I wouldn't have minded if you'd stayed at the dig, but... Thanks."
Scorpius shook off his wife and bent so he could give Roman a hug. "Have a good time, and we'll see you at Christmas."
"Write to us," Remei added, also hugging him.
"There are way too many blonds cluttering up the place," said Teddy, interrupting the group hug and changing his hair to match the others'. "Time to climb aboard, Moony."
"I'll miss you, Granddad," Roman said, submitting to another of the hugs which had earned Teddy the nickname Teddy-Bear when Roman was about four.
"I'll miss you, too. Enjoy yourself."
"I will."
After kissing his mother and father goodbye, and hugging Julia and Hugo again, Roman jumped onto the train with Dawn, and waved through the glass of the doors until the platform disappeared from sight.
*****
One of the chief differences, Roman observed, between the old steam train and the new magico-electric one was that there were no longer compartments. The students sat in open-plan carriages, four seats to a table, and the noise was horrendous.
Leaving Dawn with her seventh year friends, Roman decided to look for a quieter carriage where he might be able to read the book he had brought for the journey. Again, having Remus' memories calmed him. Remus had been terrified of all the loud children, and scared that somehow they would know just by looking at him that he was a werewolf. In contrast, Roman didn't suffer from the same fear of discovery, and the familiarity of the trip to Hogwarts - even if the train was different – calmed him and made him unconcerned by any curious looks sent his way as he passed through the carriages to the front of the train.
As expected, the front was much quieter, having been the carriage the furthest away from the gateway onto the platform. It also looked, from the lack of capes, that most of the quiet students clustered about the tables were first years. All of the tables seemed to be occupied by at least one person, so Roman cast his eyes about for somebody who looked like they wouldn't mind being joined by him.
Most of the children in the carriage looked approachable, but just as Roman was about to choose a table, his gaze alighted on a boy who took his breath away.
Severus!
Before he knew what he was doing his feet were carrying him forward, and it was only once his brain had caught up that he was able to stop a few tables away and pretend that he was checking the luggage stored there.
The strong impulse that had moved him forward faded as he kept his eyes on the trunks. It wasn't the first time that Remus' memories had triggered such an instinctive movement, but usually it was in reaction to things that triggered body memories, such as the time a Boggart had moved in under the stairs. It had only been a few weeks after he had realised what his moonlit dreams had meant, and Roman hadn't had a wand let alone been taught the Riddikulus spell, but his body and magic had known what to do. However, Remus' memories had never intervened so strongly just on recognising a person Remus had known.
Except, Roman suddenly realised, it couldn't possibly be Severus Snape sitting a few tables away.
Silently telling himself that he was Roman Astor Malfoy, he turned his head and took another peek at the boy sat gazing out of the window.
It wasn't Severus Snape, but Roman frowned at the resemblance. The boy's nose was definitely straight rather than hooked, but it was high-bridged and still a heavy feature of the pale face. The large, dark eyes were heavily lashed, and Roman just knew that if the boy turned his head slightly they would appear as two black-holes sucking in everything, including your deepest secrets. The boy's black hair was squeaky clean, short and curly, but there was a brooding air about him that was very familiar, and he was striking enough for the butterflies in Roman's stomach to flutter and for his thoughts to race with memories of a boy and man that Remus Lupin had found fascinating.
"Are you going to carry on staring or are you going to sit down?"
Roman blinked and realised that the creepy black eyes were indeed focused on him. He felt like he was falling forward, but in reality he obediently crossed to the seats in front of the boy and sat down.
"You're a first year, too," the boy stated once Roman had stopped dithering about which seat he should take and had settled on staying by the aisle.
"Yes," he confirmed, placing his book on the table top and stretching out his legs. "I was looking for somewhere quiet to read. Is it all right for me to sit here?"
"Bit late to be asking that," the boy commented, his voice a little sneering but not quite hostile. At least, he didn't tell Roman to sod off.
"Sorry," Roman mumbled. "Er, I'm Roman Malfoy, by the way." He held out his hand, and almost withdrew it again when the boy did nothing but frown at him. However, he reached out just before Roman could retreat, and shook.
"Are you any relation to Draco Malfoy?"
It is Severus! Maybe he remembers Remus, too!
Pushing down his excitement Roman answered: "I'm his grandson. My parents are Scorpius Malfoy and Remei Lupin."
Roman had been watching for the boy's reaction to his mother's surname, and was surprised by the quick smile he was given. The boy lifted a book that had been lying in front of him and Roman saw that it was the book his mother and father had written together a couple of years before his birth. It had been the surprising popularity of the book and the subsequent royalties which had persuaded his mother to give motherhood a try.
"I've been reading up about the Avalon finds," the boy said. "This is the best book I've read on it so far."
Roman nodded. He was disappointed, having been sure that the boy's reaction to the name Lupin would have been connected to Remus and not to his mother's research.
"I'm glad you like it," he mumbled. "Um... what's your name?"
The boy didn't seem too happy about this question, but he gave an answer. "Severo Prince," he muttered.
Eagerly Roman leaned forward. "Are you - ?"
"Yes," Severo grated, cutting off Roman's question. "I'm related to him - he's some cousin whatever removed. And yes, I know I look a bit like him."
Roman bit his lip. "Sorry. I just wondered because - "
"I know," Severo said, again interrupting, colour creeping into his cheeks as he glared out of the window. "Can we not talk about it? It's embarrassing enough that I have to listen to Mum bang on about him day in and day out."
For a moment Roman was confused, and then he realised who Severo's mother must be. It had long been a source of amusement amongst the adults of his family that Flavia Prince and Rita Skeeter seemed to be in a competition to see who could write the most biographies about their chosen heroes. It looked like Madam Prince's obsession had also been expressed in the naming of her son.
Roman could sympathise slightly because he was compared to Remus a lot amongst the family, but it didn't tend to worry him as he knew they were right, and he had come to terms with his secret memories of Remus' life. However, the fact that they had this in common served to heighten the disquieting feeling that Severo was like him. Did Severo keep a secret like his own?
"It would be just my luck to end up in his House," Severo said, his tone petulant.
"Do you think he would be proud of that?" Roman asked.
Severo gave him a disgusted look. "Who cares what the bastard thinks, he's six feet under."
Roman noticed Severo's arm move beneath the table, as though he was reaching for his pocket. Or perhaps his wand holster if Severo had one like his.
Going out on a limb Roman blurted: "You have his wand, don't you."
"What? How - ?"
"I have Remus'," Roman told him, drawing his wand and laying it on the table between them. "My grandfather gave it to me because none of the wands in Ollivander's would work for me."
"That's Remus Lupin's wand?" Severo asked, staring at the slim length of wood. "He was a werewolf, wasn't he? You're Remus Lupin's grandson?"
"Great-grandson," Roman corrected, once again annoyed by Severo's lack of reaction – or rather, his wrong reaction.
Severo looked up from the table top and stared at Roman with his large dark eyes. Roman could only stare back, mesmerised by the part of Severo's face that was exactly like Severus'.
Finally, Severo looked away again, and slowly drew his own wand and placed it beside Roman's. It was made of a dark wood Roman didn't recognise, until Severo explained in a macabre voice that the wand had been stained that colour by Severus Snape's blood.
"It was the same for me," Severo admitted, a frown pinching his brow. "Nothing worked until my uncle fetched this out for a joke. I didn't really want it, but when I touched it..."
"You felt like it was meant to be," Roman finished for him. "Me, too. I like it. It's like I'm really connected to my great-grandfather."
Severo shook his head.
"I don't think I want to feel that way about my cousin. Mum's mad enough for the both of us. He may have been brave, but he was crazy from what I've heard: obsessing about some girl for all those years. My uncle reckons he died a virgin."
Roman looked down at the table top and the two wands lying there. "I think it's sad. He probably didn't let himself love anybody else because of how guilty he felt. He should have opened up to people more. Given somebody else a chance to heal his pain."
"Whatever," Severo said, dismissively. "Just as long as I don't end up in his house."
Roman smiled faintly, thinking that Severo was going to bitterly disappointed come the evening.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, Severo glaring out at the countryside they were rushing past, Roman trying not to be too obvious over his continued study of Severo's face and posture. He sat like Severus used to, with his back straight, but his shoulders slightly hunched forward and chin titled down, like he knew his worth and was determined to show it, but yet couldn't help his insecurity ruling him.
Seeing the similarities, and remembering Remus' regrets over not having done what he could or should have done when it came to Severus, Roman decided that he wasn't going to make another mistake. Nor was he going to be ruled by Remus' memories. He was Roman Malfoy, and if Severo Prince turned out to have things in common with him, they would be friends; if not, then at least he had made the attempt.
"You're interested in History of Magic, then?" he asked, nodding at the book Severo had been reading.
Severo turned away from the window and gave him a suspicious look.
"Not really," he said, after a moment. "I like Potions and Defence better." His tone was grudging, and Roman wondered if that was because Severo was aware that his interests coincided with Severus'.
"I like Defence, too," Roman offered. "And Care of Magical Creatures," he added, holding up his own book, which was about aquatic creatures.
"Were you home schooled as well?" Severo asked, a bit more eagerly.
Roman shook his head. He had been sent to one of the many primary schools which had been set up in the last fifty years to teach young wizards both a Muggle curriculum and some Magical theory. His contact with and knowledge of the subjects taught at Hogwarts were either from his memories, or being dragged about Europe by his parents during the summer holidays.
Severo huffed out a breath. "Don't your parents take you on some of their digs? I asked my mother to take me to Aachen, but she doesn't like taking me abroad."
The lofty tone and his complete assumption that Roman would know why he would want to go to Aachen would probably have alienated most other children. Roman merely smiled.
"The tomb was interesting, but my parents don't think that Charlemagne was a wizard himself. They had an argument with one of the curators. It got boring after a while. Most of our trips end up like that. Or sometimes they argue with each other."
"At least you get to go places," Severo sulked, and Roman's smile widened as he realised that he was going to enjoy being Severo's friend.
The rest of the train journey was taken up with a discussion about Roman's parents' research, and of all the crazy Snape-loving things that Severo's mother had done over the years.
When Roman dared to ask Severo about his father, the dark-haired boy lost his temper, gifting Roman with another glimpse of the man he had once known. Ten minutes of the silent treatment followed, but as Roman continued to sit quietly, Severo gradually came out of his snit and admitted to Roman in a quiet voice that he didn't have a clue who his father was, only that his mother had picked the man for a one night stand based on his looks.
Roman said nothing, but when he hesitantly reached across the table to touch Severo's hand, the other boy merely looked down at the contact, and didn't pull away.
4. Sortings
The sorting process had been developed and expanded on since the war, and had settled at the time of the Houses' renaming into the form it currently took. Roman wasn't surprised when the Sorting Hat declared him a Gryffindor a.k.a. Potter House member. However, the forms he filled out about his interests placed him in Granger, borderline Snape. The final test was an interview which was actually more of a chat with the four current Heads of House and Headmaster Boot. It wasn't as intimidating as it could have been because there were four other first years with him, and plenty of tea, cake and laughter between the professors' questions.
He was very interested in Professor Longbottom, who was a robust man, looking excellent for his nearly eighty years; very changed from the nervous boy Remus had known. When Professor Longbottom caught Roman looking at him, he gave him a friendly smile, which Roman returned with genuine warmth.
"I'm afraid it's the others fighting over you," he admitted quietly to Roman, scooting his chair nearer. "There seems to be disagreement between Professors Zabini and Chiswick about whether you should be in Slytherin or Gryffindor. I think they're desperate for all the points they think you'll earn them."
Roman laughed. "Can't I be in your House?" he asked, feeling comfortable enough with Professor Longbottom to joke.
"Afraid not," Professor Longbottom said. "Two out of three tests put you in the other Houses. However, if you want to make me your favourite teacher I'm happy with that. Your great-grandfather was an inspiration to me, you know."
Roman grinned at his comment and swiftly promised to be a star pupil in Herbology.
While Roman had expected the Slytherin Head of House to be interested in having another Malfoy in his fold, he hadn't been expecting quite this much of a debate. Perhaps it was because his father had bucked the trend by being a Ravenclaw. In the end Professor Chiswick won the argument by convincing Headmaster Boot that based on Roman's results he was an all rounder and therefore suited to Potter House. Roman nodded, accepting the decision, and went away to have his cape fitted.
He bumped into Severo as he walked past the room the 'Aptitude and Interests' forms were being filled out in.
"On your way to your interview?" he asked.
"Yes," Severo told him, a triumphant smile curling his lips. "But I already faked the forms to declare me a Longbottom. All I have to do is act all scared and timid in the interview and I can overturn the Hat's stupid decision to put me in Snape House."
Roman bit his lip. "Good luck with that," he said, trying not the laugh at the thought that Severo had just proved how very suited to Slytherin he was.
Sure enough, Severo was not looking so triumphant when they lined up an hour later for their entrance into the Great Hall, which was a little odd, because by the look of his gold inlaid cape, his plan had succeeded. When Roman tried to catch his eyes he swiftly looked away, embarrassment staining his cheeks. Roman wondered whether Severo really hadn't wanted to be sorted into Slytherin, after all.
"I would like you all to greet your new Housemates," Headmaster Boot declared to the school, his voice audible through the open double doors.
Roman glanced at the backs of the Heads of House, who were standing at the front of the lines of first years, and saw them straighten their spines. While traditions had changed, it seemed that the professors were still proud to be working at Hogwarts, and Roman decided, as he stepped into the Great Hall, that one day he would join their ranks again.
*****
Roman didn't see much of Severo during the feast or at breakfast, despite searching the Hufflepuff table for a glimpse of him. Roman knew that he should be making an effort to become friends with his Housemates, but he was much more interested in befriending Severo.
When the timetables were handed out, Roman saw that his first lesson at Hogwarts would be Herbology shared with Slytherin. He was disappointed, because he had been certain that Severo would end up in that house. Gathering his notebook and pens for the lesson, Roman forced himself to stop thinking about Severo and pay attention to the nerves and excitement of his classmates.
The Slytherin pupils were already at the greenhouse when the Gryffindor group arrived, and Roman's heart leapt when he saw that Severo was among them. He wanted to rush forward and ask Severo what had happened, but he hesitated, not sure whether Severo would thank him for it. The memories of Severus Snape that had made him want to befriend Severo yesterday were now what held him back. If Remus had ever rushed up to Severus he would have been cursed on the spot.
Or would he have been?
Roman frowned over the thought that perhaps Remus had been wrong to think that way. Remus had never really tried. Too scared of rejection from both Severus, and his friends if they found out he had been talking to the anti-social Slytherin. Roman had always told himself that he was not Remus, and Severo wasn't actually Severus even if he was, as Roman suspected, the reincarnation of his cousin.
Decided, Roman looked about for Severo and startled when he found him standing right in front of him.
"We're supposed to get into pairs," Severo stated. He was staring at Roman as though he were waiting for an explosion.
"Um, do you have a partner yet?" Roman asked, trying not to show how nervous he suddenly felt.
"No."
"Would you like to work with me?"
Severo narrowed his eyes, and then gave a curt nod before immediately turning away to find a work space. Roman blinked a couple of times, and then hurried over to join him.
"So, what happened yesterday?" Roman dared ask once they were settled into their work.
"None of your business."
"Oh, come on, tell me."
Severo make a clicking noise with his tongue. "They thought it would be funny to teach me a lesson. They were going to make me sit through dinner as a Longbottom. I decided to go straight to the Snape dormitories."
Roman tried not to laugh and was given a sharp look by Severo. He was about to apologise when Professor Longbottom wandered past, checking on their progress.
"Ah, Mister Prince," Professor Longbottom commented, looking over the way they had planted their seedlings. "It was such a shame to lose you to Slytherin in the end. I thought my house would be just the place for you as you eventually want to specialise in Care of Magical Creatures. And look here! Such exemplary work in Herbology already!" Professor Longbottom grinned. "Keep up the good work. Herbology will be an asset in the higher levels of Potions study."
While Severo thanked his teacher, he didn't attempt to hide the scowl on his face and the disdain in his tone. Professor Longbottom seemed unconcerned, however, and moved on after a quick greeting to Roman.
"He thinks he's so bloody funny," Severo muttered as he turned back to his work.
"You should be glad that he figured out what you were up to. What if he'd just left you in Hufflepuff?"
Severo snorted. "No fear about that one. Mum would have been down here in an instant to demand I get moved into Snape House."
Roman smiled. "I wonder if Grandpa did that when Dad was sorted into Ravenclaw?"
"Why do you call all the Houses by their old names? I thought only the Sorting Hat and old people did that."
"I have an old soul," Roman joked. "Besides, most of my family were embarrassed by the changes. They still moan about it whenever the school's in the newspaper. Although, Great Uncle Ron tends to complain that he didn't get a House named after him."
Severo drew his wand and neatly cleaned the scattered soil from their bench so they could put their notebooks down. It was quite an advanced version of the charm, and Roman studied Severo's profile as the other boy spoke.
"It's probably Mum's fault that he didn't," Severo observed. "She was determined that Severus be recognised as a hero. I don't know why she cares so much. As far as I can tell nobody on our side of the family gave a toss what happened to him while he was alive."
"Well, they wouldn't have known that he was a hero until the truth came out."
Severo gave a short laugh. "Some of my family probably thought he was a hero when he was rushing about killing Muggleborns."
There was something regretful in Severo's tone that made Roman's thoughtful frown deepen. He couldn't tell whether it was regret for Severus' actions, or for the opinions of his extended family, but Severo was definitely not as indifferent to the issues surrounding his estranged cousin as he had initially tried to pretend.
Roman couldn't help studying Severo's face again, trying to see how a straight nose or short curly hair could make him so much more approachable than Severus had been. His dark eyes were still creepy, and challenging. His way of speaking was still defensively hostile or sneeringly amused by turns.
"Have I got mud on my face?" Severo demanded.
"No. Sorry. I was daydreaming."
"You know, you do that often," Severo observed quietly, surprising Roman with how intimate it sounded. He ruined it two seconds later by adding, "Are you touched in the head?"
Roman laughed, relieved when the atmosphere seemed to suddenly lighten. "Probably."
*****
It had been a strange day, Roman reflected as he lay in bed that evening. Staring at the canopy of his old fashioned bed, he wondered if Severus would have been friends with Remus if he had been brave enough to reach out on his first day at school. One thing was for certain, the morning and evening spent mostly in Severo's company had convinced him that Severo was like himself, even if he didn't appear to be conscious of it the way that he was. If Severo did remember being Severus, he hid it very well, but Roman couldn't accept that Severo was so similar to Severus without a reason.
Frowning, Roman tried to muddle through just what it was he had felt about Severus in the past. While Remus' feelings for most people he had known before were quite clear, Severus was surrounded by a complicated and confusing set of emotions. Roman knew that Remus had regretted not befriending Severus, and he had therefore made an effort to make friends with Severo. He also knew that he and Severo had a lot in common and that he already considered Severo a friend.
It was puzzling and disquieting that both Severus and Severo felt very special to him, though he was at a loss to pin down exactly why and what that feeling was.
Sighing, Roman rolled over and resigned to forget about it all. He was Roman Astor Malfoy, not Remus Lupin, and he would live his life as himself and not by the regrets of a man over sixty years dead.