geri_chan (geri_chan) wrote in lupin_snape, @ 2012-09-16 11:34:00 |
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Entry tags: | fic: pg, prompt: love/not love |
FIC: Love/Not Love Part 2 of 3, PG
I'm sorry that this is so late! I never meant to take this long to finish the story, but I was struggling with writer's block, RL interruptions, and pesky characters that didn't want to stick to the original outline (see afterword for details). My apologies once again for the delay, and thank you for hanging in there.
Title: Love/Not Love, Part 2 of 3
Author: geri_chan
Rating: PG
Pairing: Snape/Lupin, Harry/Draco
Word count: ~6,350
Challenge: Love/Not Love
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Author's note: Semi-DH compliant, not counting the epilogue.
Summary: Snape slowly begins building a new life with Lupin and surprisingly, a friendship of sorts with Harry.
Part 1
Much to Snape's surprise, it turned out that Potter was not disgusted when he found out about Snape and Lupin's past history and new relationship.
"I was shocked," Potter admitted. "I always thought that you two hated each other! But Remus explained things to me, about how he's always cared for you but his friends came between you." The boy flushed slightly, perhaps remembering how his father had bullied Snape during their schoolboy days. "And Hermione told me that Tonks confided in her a bit before...well, before she died. She said it sounded like Tonks romanticized Remus and was more in love with the idea of him than the real man."
"That seems likely," Snape said dryly. It was perhaps fittingly ironic that Andromeda, who had rebelled against her family, had in turn given birth to a rebellious daughter of her own. As a student, Tonks had frequently fought with her mother and had taken great pleasure in dating boys that Andromeda would consider unsuitable, and apparently things hadn't changed much even after Tonks became an adult and a full-fledged Auror.
"Not to speak ill of the dead, but I am quite sure that Tonks would have found it very romantic to fall in love with an outcast werewolf," Snape continued. "The objections of her mother and society in general would only have made the idea even more romantic."
"I suppose," Potter said with a shrug and a slightly puzzled I don't understand women expression on his face. "Anyway, I guess as long as Remus is happy, it's okay with me."
"Your approval means so much to me, Mr. Potter," Snape replied sarcastically, and Potter flushed.
"Yeah, I know you don't need my approval," he mumbled, looking embarrassed and annoyed, which Snape was rather glad to see. It was downright bizarre to have Potter treating him with respect and even a bit of reverence, and he found that he actually preferred the old, insolent Potter.
Then Potter lifted his head defiantly and gave Snape a stern look, as if he were channeling Professor McGonagall. "You and Remus are adults and don't need my approval to be together. But Teddy's just a baby and he's my godson, so I will have something to say about it if you treat him badly."
Snape was not entirely comfortable with the idea of Lupin having a son, a visible reminder of Lupin's loss of faith and his ill-fated marriage. At the same time, he knew that being a part of Lupin's life meant that Teddy would be a part of it as well, and their relationship wouldn't survive very long if he mistreated Lupin's son.
But that didn't mean he appreciated being lectured on the subject by one of his former students, and he scowled at Potter. "That is between myself and Lupin and Lupin the younger," he said coldly. "However, contrary to popular opinion, I don't make it my life's mission to torment small children." Potter gave him a skeptical look, which Snape ignored as he continued, "Besides, I hardly think that Lupin would allow me to abuse his offspring...now that he's grown a spine, that is."
Potter seemed satisfied because he nodded and said, "Okay, that's settled, then."
"Oh good, now I can sleep at night," Snape retorted sarcastically, but Potter just grinned at him insolently. Snape sourly thought to himself that maybe he preferred the respectful Potter, after all, but secretly he felt relieved to have a degree of normalcy restored to his life--even if it was just a Gryffindor being typically annoying.
***
Snape didn't doubt Lupin's newfound resolve--well, not much, anyway--but they still agreed to be discreet until a suitable interval passed after Tonks's death, mainly because of Andromeda. She knew that Tonks and Lupin had been discussing divorce, but that didn't mean that she would be thrilled to have Lupin flaunting a new relationship immediately after her daughter's death, and Snape agreed that it would probably be best not to rub it in her face, so to speak.
Lupin and Tonks hadn't had time to go through with the divorce, so Lupin was still legally her husband and therefore entitled to inherit her entire estate by wizarding law; if they had divorced, it would have gone to Teddy. Not that there was a lot to inherit, but she had accumulated a decent amount of savings from her Auror salary, and her father had also left some money when he died. The total would be considered only a modest sum by Malfoy standards, but it was a significant amount for an impoverished werewolf--enough for him to live off of for several months, and maybe more than a year if he were thrifty.
Naturally, Andromeda wasn't pleased that her daughter's estate was going to a husband that wasn't worthy of her (at least in Andromeda's opinion). However, Lupin took her by surprise when he refused the inheritance and suggested that it be put into a trust for Teddy.
"It wouldn't be right for me to accept the inheritance, given that we were thinking of ending the marriage," he told Andromeda. "You can use the money for Teddy's school expenses when he gets older, or turn it over to him when he's of age and responsible enough to manage it. I'll leave the decision up to you."
"You really don't want the money?" Andromeda asked suspiciously.
"I can't be a good role model for Teddy if I'm just living off money that I haven't done anything to earn," Lupin replied. "I intend to earn a living on my own, and thanks to Kingsley, I've been offered a job at the Ministry."
The new Minister of Magic was working to give werewolves more rights and integrate them into society, and he had appointed Lupin head of the Werewolf Support Services office. As Shacklebolt had logically pointed out, "Most of the werewolves don't trust the Ministry, but perhaps they will trust one of their own."
Lupin's willingness to turn over the inheritance to Teddy softened Andromeda's anger, and things between them went a lot more smoothly after that. Lupin had been afraid that she would try to fight him for custody of Teddy, but they managed to work things out amicably: Andromeda would baby-sit Teddy during the day while Lupin worked and during full moon nights. Lupin also frequently brought Teddy over to visit her on the weekends, and Andromeda seemed reassured that she would still be part of her grandson's life and that Remus wouldn't take him away from her.
Snape also received a Ministry job offer, somewhat to his surprise. Although maybe not so surprising in light of the fact that Potter's testimony had won him a full pardon and even an Order of Merlin (second class). As an added (though unintentional) bonus, he would be working closely with Lupin, since Snape's new job would be brewing the Wolfsbane Potion, which the Ministry would distribute free of charge to any werewolf who needed it.
McGonagall had apologized profusely for having doubted him, and had asked Snape to stay on as Headmaster at Hogwarts. He appreciated both the apology and the offer, but he still found it hard to entirely forgive her. As he had told Lupin, he couldn't really blame people for believing what he had intended them to believe, but on the other hand, she had been one of the few people that Snape had trusted and considered a friend, and it hurt that she had believed the worst of him so easily.
So although he accepted McGonagall's apology as graciously as he could manage, things still felt slightly awkward between them, and he was grateful to have an excuse to leave Hogwarts. Snape told her that he wanted to make up for some of the harm that the Death Eaters had done by helping others with his new Ministry job, and also that he wanted a break from teaching a bunch of unruly brats. He wasn't sure that she really believed either excuse, but she accepted them and wished him well, and even gave him a quick, awkward hug. In spite of his lingering resentment, he was touched by the gesture, and hoped that with some time and distance between them, they would eventually be able to rekindle their old friendship.
***
So they were discreet for several months, but working so closely at the Ministry gave them an excuse to spend time together without drawing undue attention. And taking things slowly turned out to be a good thing in the long run: it gave them time to become friends as well as lovers, and to rebuild the trust they had lost--or actually, the trust they had never really had in the first place. Sex with Lupin had always been good, but Snape was finding that there was also pleasure to be had in leisurely discussions over lunch or a cup of coffee. He had almost forgotten that Lupin was a bookworm like himself, and they had many good-natured debates over the merits and flaws of a particular magical text or even a cheesy adventure novel.
Wolfsbane was a difficult potion to brew, and even moreso in large quantities. So he received permission to hire an assistant, and chose Draco Malfoy for the job. The Malfoy family had received probation for their crimes and managed to stay out of prison, but Draco's job prospects weren't exactly bright, so Snape figured that the boy could keep busy and gain some experience until memories of the Malfoys' disgrace faded with time. Draco was much humbled and subdued compared to the arrogant child he had been before Voldemort's return. He seemed grateful for Snape's consideration, and worked hard without complaining--at least, not too much.
Potter was working as an Auror trainee at the Ministry and would often drop by Snape's workroom to say hello, although Snape did nothing to encourage such visits. He would also join Snape and Lupin for lunch every now and then, and on those occasions, Snape would bring Draco along to keep the Gryffindor/Slytherin ratio in balance.
"Hello, Professor," Potter said cheerfully as he peered through the workroom door, ignoring the glare that Snape sent his way. "How's the potion-brewing going?"
"It is 'going' the same as it always has, Potter," Snape replied sourly. "Which is perfectly, of course, since I am the one doing the brewing."
"Of course," Potter chuckled, unoffended.
"Although it is a very difficult potion to brew, and it could be ruined if I am distracted by frequent interruptions," Snape continued.
"I am sure you are too much of a professional to let that happen, Professor," Potter said with a straight face, although Snape gazed at him suspiciously, searching for signs of humor or sarcasm. "But I won't bother you much longer, then. I just wanted to remind you about the birthday party for Remus this weekend."
"I am not an imbecile, nor have I recently been struck with a Memory Charm," Snape retorted. "I assure you that I remember quite well, and I will be there on time as promised."
"Great," Potter replied, still sunnily cheerful; Snape wondered if he did it on purpose in order to be annoying. "And don't forget--"
"That I promised to bring the ice cream, yes, yes," Snape finished impatiently.
"Okay, then I'll let you get back to work," Potter said. He turned to leave, then stopped and looked over at Draco, who gave him a stiff but polite little nod in acknowledgment. "You're invited, too, Malfoy...that is, if you'd like to come," Potter said hesitantly. "Saturday, noon, my place." Then he waved his hand in a casual farewell and left without waiting for a reply.
"I'm invited to the werewolf's birthday party?" Draco asked incredulously. "At Potter's house?"
Snape shrugged indifferently and replied, "You don't have to attend if you don't want to, Draco. On the other hand, your social calendar is not exactly booked to overflowing."
Draco grimaced. Although the Malfoys had managed to escape a prison sentence, most of their former friends and allies were now shunning them--that is, the ones who weren't already dead or in Azkaban. A few of his old Slytherin friends remained in touch, but they were busy with new jobs and apprenticeships of their own. And the rest of Draco's housemates preferred to keep as wide a distance as possible between themselves and a former (if pardoned) Death Eater.
"Why is Potter being so chummy with us, anyway?" Draco asked, sounding more bewildered than suspicious. "He's hated us both for years--not without reason, I must admit. Even if he feels that he owes some sort of debt to you and my mother, he's already paid it off by keeping us out of prison. Why on earth is he going out to lunch with us and inviting us to birthday parties?"
"Gryffindors are simple creatures, Draco," Snape sighed. "And Potter is a little more simple-minded than most. They see things in extremes: good versus evil, with no shades of gray in-between." He thought of Lupin and amended, "Most Gryffindors, anyway. He now regards me as 'one of the good guys,' as Lupin so quaintly puts it, making me worthy of the dubious pleasure of his company."
There were other reasons, including Snape's past connection to Lily. Even after Snape had cleared up the misconception that he had loved Lily romantically, Potter still managed to regard the whole thing in a sentimental light. In fact, it was probably more comfortable for him to think of Snape loving Lily like a sister than to imagine that his most hated professor might have married his mother if things had turned out a little differently!
And so since Lily had once cared about Snape, Potter seemed to think that he and Snape ought to be friends, too. Or as Lupin had suggested, "You're one of the few connections he has to the mother he never knew. Getting closer to you probably makes him feel closer to Lily." Which made Snape feel rather uncomfortable, but since he'd gone to the trouble of saving Potter for Lily's sake, it would defeat the purpose of his long sacrifice if he hexed the boy into oblivion.
But all of this was too personal to share with Draco, so all Snape said was, "Just be grateful that his Gryffindor idealism works in our favor."
Draco still wasn't convinced. "I understand why he sees you as one of the good guys. And I can even understand that he kept me and my father out of prison for Mother's sake because she saved his life. What I can't understand is why he's being friendly towards me--for Merlin's sake, I tried to kill him, after all!"
"'Tried' being the operative word," Snape replied dryly though not unsympathetically, since he was glad that Draco had turned out not to have a killer instinct. "If you couldn't bring yourself to kill Dumbledore, I doubt that you would have been able to kill Potter, either. And besides, I heard that you did try to save him." When Draco gave him a startled look, Snape explained, "Lupin told me that Potter said you failed to identify him when he was captured and brought to Malfoy Manor."
Draco flushed and muttered, "I just couldn't recognize him with his face swollen up, that's all."
Snape raised an eyebrow and said skeptically, "If you say so." As Draco's flush grew deeper, Snape added sternly, "Those roots aren't going to chop themselves, Mr. Malfoy."
Draco turned away with obvious relief and began chopping roots vigorously.
***
They didn't discuss Potter any further after that, but Draco decided to go to the birthday party and asked Snape for advice on a gift, to which Snape replied, "He likes chocolate and trashy novels."
"Ah...I think I'll go with chocolate," Draco said.
And true to his word, Draco turned up at Grimmauld Place (Potter's current residence) with a gift-wrapped Honeydukes box. Potter greeted him cheerfully, and Lupin thanked him for the gift with a warm smile. The other two thirds of the trio and the Weasley clan looked surprised to see him, but managed to be polite even if their welcome wasn't as warm as Lupin's.
"It feels strange, being surrounded by Gryffindors," Draco whispered to Snape.
"Well, here comes Andromeda to increase the Slytherin quotient slightly," Snape said as Lupin's former mother-in-law walked through the door.
Draco greeted his aunt with more perhaps enthusiasm than he normally would have, and she seemed startled but pleased, and inquired after Narcissa. After the death of Bellatrix, the two remaining sisters were attempting to reconcile and mend the rift between them. However, it was turning out to be a slow and sometimes touchy process--old hurts and insults were not so easily forgotten. Maybe Draco's presence here today would help to smooth things over.
Andromeda was carrying her grandson as she talked to Draco, and when Teddy began squirming around to look at Draco curiously, she thrust the baby into a horrified Draco's arms and said, "Say hello to your cousin, dear."
"No, no, I can't--" Draco protested frantically, but Andromeda had already let go of Teddy and he had no choice but to hold onto the baby or let him fall to the floor. "Take him back--I'm going to drop him!"
Teddy laughed, seeming quite entertained by Draco's reaction, and Andromeda calmly guided his hands into a more secure position. "Here, hold him like this, against your chest."
Draco gingerly cradled Teddy, and the baby's hair changed from bright blue to white-blond. "Is he making fun of me?" Draco asked suspiciously.
"He only does that when he likes someone," Lupin assured him.
"He likes me?" Draco asked doubtfully.
"Hard to believe, but it seems to be true," Ron Weasley muttered, not quite under his breath. Then he yelped, "Ow!" when Granger none too subtly elbowed him in the side.
"Here, come to Daddy," Lupin crooned, taking Teddy back from Draco, much to Draco's obvious relief.
"Dada!" Teddy said happily as his hair abruptly shifted to brown-and-gray, which seemed to confirm the truth of Lupin's words.
Once lunch (cooked by Molly Weasley) was served, things calmed down. Draco was visibly more comfortable since he didn't have to make awkward conversation with former enemies when his mouth was filled with food--and he was spared from holding the baby when his hands were occupied with knife and fork.
After lunch, the presents were opened and then cake and ice cream were served. And after that, Molly enlisted her children to help her clean up while the other guests chatted casually over coffee and maybe a second serving of cake. Snape took the opportunity to challenge Lupin to a game of chess (one of his gifts was a new chess set) while Andromeda tried to interest Teddy with a plush dragon (another gift, meant more for Teddy than his father). However, Teddy was far more interested in playing with the discarded wrapping paper and ribbons than the new toy.
"Well, at least he's easy to please," Snape observed dryly.
By the time Snape won the chess game (though not too easily), Teddy was growing sleepy and Lupin said regretfully that he ought to go home since it was time for Teddy's afternoon nap. He thanked Molly for the the delicious lunch, and his friends for their presents, then glanced around and asked, "Where's Harry? I ought to thank him for hosting this party before we leave."
"I think he went to the library," Neville replied. "He and Draco got into an argument over some obscure Quidditch rule. They were going to look it up to see who was right."
"Honestly, they're both so childish," Ginny sighed. "We'd better go find them before they start hexing each other!"
She set off in the direction of the library, followed by Lupin, who didn't look overly concerned. Snape didn't really think the argument would degenerate into hexing, but decided he'd better follow as well, just in case. Draco was technically still on probation and could get sent to prison if he got caught hexing someone--particularly the Boy Who Lived (Twice).
Granger trailed after them, frowning thoughtfully. "Actually, I had thought that they were getting along better these days. Not friendly, exactly, but it seemed like they were at least trying to be civil to each other. Don't you think so, Professor Snape?"
He did, but Snape didn't care to openly agree with the student he had once deemed "a little know-it-all," so he just shrugged and replied, "They haven't been at each other's throats recently, I suppose."
When they reached the library, Ginny opened the door and let out a loud shriek of mingled shock and outrage. Snape peered over her shoulder and saw Potter and Draco entangled in a passionate embrace and kiss. They hastily pulled apart, but the damage was already done.
"HARRY! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! AND WITH HIM, OF ALL PEOPLE--"
Snape decided that retreat was the better part of valor in this case and withdrew from the room while Ginny continued to berate her boyfriend, who just stood there looking guilty and rather stunned himself. Draco just looked stunned, as if he wasn't quite sure how he had wound up snogging Potter in the library.
"Oh...my," Lupin said, sounding slightly amused. "I feel sorry for Ginny, of course, but in hindsight I'm not really surprised."
"But they hate each other," Granger protested.
"Hate can sometimes turn into passion," Lupin said, casting a sidelong glance at Snape, who tried not to blush, and scowled at Lupin to cover his discomposure.
Fortunately Granger didn't seem to notice as she mused to herself, "Hmm...well, that's true. Harry said that his mother used to think that James was an arrogant toerag when they were going to school together, but they ended up getting married. Still...Draco and Harry...?"
She shook her head in disbelief while Ginny's voice increased in volume. Snape wondered if her anger might turn more than vocal and if he ought to intervene before she did any permanent damage to Draco--or Potter. He had promised to protect the boy for Lily's sake, but did that only apply to Voldemort or was he obligated to protect Potter from vengeful lovers as well?
Fortunately for Snape's sake, Granger sighed and walked into the library, saying, "I can't blame Ginny for being angry, but I'd better make sure she doesn't kill either Harry or Malfoy--or both of them!"
Before long, the other guests came running to see what all the commotion was about, and the shouting only increased when the Weasley family discovered that Potter had "wronged" Ginny--or at least, that was how Molly phrased it, in a rather shrill voice. Even the normally good-natured Arthur was naturally upset that his little girl's feelings had been hurt, and voiced his displeasure rather strongly.
The shouting was growing more heated, and Granger's efforts to calm everyone down were having little effect. Snape exchanged a glance with Lupin, who said, "I'll get Teddy; you grab Draco before one of the Weasleys hexes him."
"Why don't I get Teddy and you get Draco?" Snape muttered under his breath, but he shoved his way through the crowd, seized Draco by the arm, and then dragged him out of the room and Disapparated as soon as they were clear.
***
Naturally, there was a huge fallout over what Lupin later referred to as "the library snogging incident." Molly in particular was furious that Potter had betrayed her daughter, although the kiss turned out to have been an impulsive heat-of-the-moment gesture, not part of an ongoing clandestine affair. In fact, Potter and Draco were as bewildered as anyone else by what had happened.
"I swear, I don't know what happened!" Draco wailed after Snape had saved him from a crowd of angry Weasleys. "One minute we were yelling at each other, and the next we were...well...snogging." His tongue darted out and ran across his lower lip in what seemed like an unconscious reflex. "Though Potter's a surprisingly good kisser, for an idiot Gryffindor," he muttered, more to himself than Snape. Potter told Lupin pretty much the same thing--minus the "idiot Gryffindor" reference, of course.
However, confusion and/or lack of malicious intent didn't stop protective older brothers George and Ron from wanting to beat up Potter and/or Draco (but preferably "that sneaky little ferret") to defend their sister's honor.
Eventually the furor died down and tempers calmed, with a little--well, a lot--of patient mediating on Lupin's part. Eventually Potter and Ginny sat down and had a long talk, and managed to discuss things civilly.
The result was that both Potter and Ginny realized that they had been drifting apart for some time and hadn't wanted to admit it, partly because of the genuine bond of friendship that still remained between them and partly because they hadn't wanted to disappoint other people's expectations. The public, of course, had celebrated the romance of the young hero wizard and his lovely heroine, but mostly they hadn't wanted to let down Ginny's family--especially her mother. Molly had doted on the orphaned Harry ever since they had met, and she had been looking forward to welcoming him into the family as her real son, or at least a son-in-law. And Potter had wanted just as badly to be a part of the warm, loving Weasley family.
Snape couldn't help feeling some sympathy for Potter in spite of himself. Not that he would ever in a million years admit that out loud, of course, but his own parents had been too wrapped up in their never-ending bitter feuding to have much time or affection left to spare for him. It wasn't as if Snape really wanted to live with the Weasleys, since he knew that they would drive him stark raving mad in no time, but as a child, he had often wished for a more loving family--or even just one that didn't fight all the time. The Evans' house had been a refuge for him, much as the Burrow was to Potter, or it had been until Snape and Lily had severed their friendship over that stupid "Mudblood" remark. Well, to be fair, it hadn't just been over a single insult--House rivalries and prejudices, along with Snape's stubborn pride and desire for power had been slowly driving a wedge between them since they had first entered Hogwarts. He had many regrets about the past, and chief among them was never having reconciled with Lily before she had died.
Potter came to visit Lupin at his flat one day, and Snape retreated with Teddy to another room, ostensibly to watch Teddy while they talked, but mostly to give them some privacy. Potter was distracted enough to look only slightly taken aback at the idea of Snape playing baby-sitter. It was a simple enough chore, though--Teddy was a good-natured child who didn't often cry or throw tantrums. Draco had been far more moody and fussy as a baby, and Snape entertained Teddy with a few of the spells that he used to cast for Draco: enchantments to make his plush toys run around the room for him to chase, and an illusion spell that brought scenes from his favorite picture books to life like a Muggle movie.
"The Three Little Pigs" had become one of Teddy's favorite stories, thanks to Lupin's rather perverse sense of humor, although idealistic Gryffindor that he was, he had managed to find a version in which a chastened wolf became friends with the pigs in the end. So while Teddy was laughing as the Big Bad Wolf blew down the first pig's house, Snape did a bit of discreet eavesdropping on Lupin and Potter's conversation. Not that he was concerned about Potter, of course, but he was a little worried about how this scandal might affect Draco. It was bad enough that he was a pardoned Death Eater without the public turning on him for corrupting the Boy Who Lived.
"I never intended for this to happen, and I certainly never meant to hurt Ginny," Potter said. "But it's strange...looking back now, I can see that my feelings for her were never as intense as my feelings towards Draco, even if they started off mostly as hatred."
"Love and hate are flip sides of the same coin, Harry," Lupin said, with a hint of rueful nostalgia in his voice. "Hate can burn as passionately as love, and occasionally transform into love over time."
"Indeed," Snape murmured with a wry smile, and Teddy glanced away from the pigs and the wolf long enough to smile back at him. Or maybe he was just smiling at nothing in particular; he was an almost disgustingly sunny-natured child, after all. Then Teddy's hair turned long and black while his nose grew large and beaky...so it seemed that he was smiling at Snape after all.
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Snape asked doubtfully, but Teddy's attention had already turned back to the wolf, who was blowing down the second pig's house.
Meanwhile, Potter was saying, "I don't know if it's love, exactly, but I can't stop thinking about him. And I want..."
His voice trailed off in confusion, and Lupin asked mischievously, "To snog Draco some more?"
"Remus!" Potter cried in a mortified voice. Then he added sheepishly, "Well, I was going to say 'get to know him better,' but yeah, I suppose I do. Although I have no idea how Draco feels about me."
"I suspect he's just as confused as you are, Harry," Lupin replied.
"Glad I'm not the only one," Potter said, only half-jokingly. "But he's at least agreed to meet me for dinner tomorrow night, to sort of talk things over."
"I know that it won't be easy for you and Draco to become a couple, and that many people will be opposed to the idea," Lupin said quietly. "But if that's what the two of you decide, then I'll stand by you as your friend, Harry."
"Thank you, Remus. I really appreciate that."
After Potter had left, Lupin joined Snape and Teddy, observing, "Well, the two of you seem to be getting along well."
"Of course," Snape replied loftily. "I am used to dealing with unruly brats, after all, and young Mr. Lupin is much more well-behaved than most of my former Gryffindor students." In order to prove his words, he scooped Teddy up into his arms, maintaining a casually indifferent expression on his face, although cuddling babies wasn't something he was normally comfortable with. Fortunately, Teddy obligingly played along and smiled at him happily, changing his hair and nose to match Snape's once again. Lupin chuckled and kissed both son and lover on the tips of their noses.
Attempting to maintain his dignity--which was not easy while holding a giggling baby and being kissed on the nose--Snape said sternly, "As for you, Lupin, it appears that you are attempting to play cupid for Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy."
"I confess that I have a soft spot for star-crossed lovers," Lupin replied lightly. Then in a more serious voice he said, "I'd like to help them avoid making the same mistakes we did."
"Sentimental Gryffindor," Snape said gruffly. Lupin just smiled and leaned over to kiss him in response.
***
So Potter and Ginny separated more-or-less amicably, and Potter and Draco began dating. The two of them fought quite a bit, but they seemed to enjoy the arguments and the ensuing make-up sex. After hearing about the latter, Snape told Draco firmly, "There is such a thing as too much information, Mr. Malfoy."
The main point was that they soon evolved into a happy and committed--if somewhat tempestuous--couple, and moved in together after a few months. Once the initial hurt feelings had faded, Ginny managed to remain friends with Potter and handled the breakup in a surprisingly calm and mature manner.
However, she was just about the only one who did so--the rest of the wizarding world was in an uproar. Naturally, The Daily Prophet ran front page stories about "The scandalous love affair between the Boy Who Lived and a pardoned Death Eater!" (Technically, Draco was not pardoned but on probation, but Snape didn't really expect accuracy from Rita Skeeter.) And many people, both within the Ministry and among the general public, were calling for Draco's and/or Potter's resignations, claiming that Draco was exerting undue influence on the Savior of the Wizarding World. Minister Shacklebolt was not exactly pleased about the budding romance, since he had little love for the Malfoys to begin with, and the controversy was creating a number of headaches for him. However, as he pointed out, "It's not against the law to fall in love--or even just infatuation. As long as their relationship does not interfere with their work, I have no just cause to fire either Mr. Malfoy or Mr. Potter."
But the media wasn't their only problem. The rest of the Weasley family didn't forgive Potter as easily as Ginny had--Ron nearly came to blows with his friend over what he saw as a betrayal, and his father and brothers weren't happy about it either. After some time had passed, they eventually calmed down and patched up their friendships. As Ginny pointed out, it was silly for them to hold a grudge when she didn't. However, Molly still had not forgiven Potter, even though Ginny was now happily dating Neville Longbottom.
"She had gotten attached to the idea of Harry becoming her future son-in-law, and it's hard for her to give up that dream," Lupin said ruefully.
Lucius was not any happier about the whole affair than Molly was. While he was concerned about the possibility that Draco might not sire an heir to the Malfoy family, he was more outraged that his son was dating a Potter than the fact that Potter was male.
"Harry-bloody-Potter!" Lucius fumed. "The boy who was responsible for--"
"For you being on probation instead of going to prison?" Snape interjected coolly. "It galls me to defend him, but Potter kept you and your family out of Azkaban."
"But he--" Lucius tried to protest.
"Killed our former master?" Snape interrupted again. "True, but I'm not feeling any regret about that. The Dark Lord used your son as a pawn, Lucius, and threatened to kill him, not to mention you and Narcissa."
"Well...yes," Lucius had to reluctantly agree. "To be honest, I'm relieved that's he gone." Then he added in a plaintive wail, "But out of all the men and women in the wizarding world...why does Draco have to choose Potter?!"
"There's no accounting for taste," Snape said sympathetically, although people would no doubt say the same thing about himself and Lupin.
Lucius made a few idle threats about disinheriting Draco--more to scare the boy into compliance than because he really meant it, Snape thought. However, Narcissa soon put a stop to that, saying in no uncertain terms that she wasn't about to risk losing her beloved son a second time after nearly losing him to Voldemort's war.
So Lucius grumbled a bit, but gave in. His confidence and spirit had been seriously damaged during the last couple of years, and besides, Narcissa had always been the dominant partner in their marriage, although most outsiders didn't realize it.
"But what about an heir?" Lucius protested feebly.
"Draco is still young; there's no need to worry about such things right now," Narcissa said patiently. "For all we know, this is simply a youthful infatuation that will run its course and fade in a few months--as long as you don't strengthen their resolve by trying to break them up." Lucius was somewhat cheered by her words, until Narcissa added, "And even if it doesn't, there are arrangements that can be made."
That probably meant a marriage of convenience or an illegitimate heir by a mistress, though Snape doubted that either possibility would go over well with Potter. But according to Lupin, Miss Granger was already thinking of some much more creative Muggle solutions, including in vitro fertilization and surrogate mothers. Lupin tactfully suggested to Granger that as the relationship was still in the early stages, perhaps it would be better not to bring up the topic with the happy couple until they actually felt ready to consider having a family.
So thankfully Draco was spared--at least for the moment--from the prospect of having test tube babies. Although perhaps that would have pleased Lucius, since it was likely to have sent Draco fleeing away from Potter in horror. Then again, maybe not--Draco had matured a great deal and was developing a mind of his own instead of just parroting his father's beliefs.
All this controversy had an unexpected side benefit: there was so much commotion about Potter and Draco's unlikely romance that when Snape and Lupin finally went public with their own relationship, it didn't cause much of a stir. In fact, they barely rated a single line in the Daily Prophet's gossip column. Their friends and colleagues were a little surprised, but they had been working together and gradually developing a public friendship over the past several months, so it didn't come as a total shock. Snape was pleasantly surprised that they were mostly supportive--Minerva and Poppy in particular said that they were happy for the two of them. Lucius thought Snape's taste in lovers was rather questionable, but was too worried about Draco to argue with him about it, and Narcissa merely said, quietly but sincerely, "If he makes you happy, Severus, then I'm glad for you."
Part 3