When the Stars Fall

Eighteen: Moony's Return

The young couple decided to join Hermione's parents for breakfast. Draco, having already dressed, went down to the guest quarters first, shaking his head and wondering why Hermione was worried over what to wear. He'd thrown on a pair of jeans, a black sweater, socks, and his black hiking boos, and he looked fine. He smiled at the thought of her tossing random clothes out of the wardrobe, complaining about having nothing to wear.

Draco knocked on the door of the guest quarters and smiled as Penelope Granger pulled the door opened. She returned the smile and began looking around, noticing immediately that her daughter was nowhere in sight.

Her son-in-law answered the unasked question running through her mind. "She's on her way, unless she's busy transfiguring something to wear. She was having a good bit of trouble fretting over what to wear."

Richard Granger's voice filled the room as he walked out of the bedroom and into the common room. "It's a woman thing. She'll be down in a few minutes wearing the first thing she pulled out of the wardrobe."

Penelope gave her husband a vicious look as she ushered Draco into the common room for some tea. He took the cup she offered and sat down on the sofa. He sipped at the hot tea and noticed the light peppermint flavor, his favorite.

"It is amazing how at home this place feels. No wonder Hermione loves it so much. It's so comfortable here," she said.

Draco nodded. "It's home for me, or it was until I found myself in your home over the summer. I really should thank you for not kicking me out after the first ceremony. I had no where else to go."

"After we saw how happy you made Hermione, we didn't mind so much," Richard said.

"And both of you are always welcomed to come home," Penelope added softly and then continued, "That was a lovely ceremony last night. I'm so glad that we got to be there. The two of you looked so happy together. Oh, and Mrs. Weasley certainly liked the ceremony, and then when the two of you cut the cake, her husband had a time dealing with her. Of course I was in tears too. It's not everyday you see your little girl getting married."

"It was the greatest moment of my life. I'm just sorry with how it ended. I didn't know he would be there. I didn't tell him or my mother for that matter, although I would have liked for her to have known," Draco spoke softly.

Richard put a firm hand on the boy's shoulder. "Now, now, it wasn't your fault. Of course, I'm interested in knowing why the Potions professor broke his hand in the process of removing that man."

Draco nearly spit out his tea. "He broke his hand defending my mother's honor?"

"Oh, yes," Penelope said, "That's what Mr. Dumbledore told us, but he was taken care of by Madame Pomfrey. He also kept demanding to speak with Professor McGonagall. My, that man has a temper. No wonder so many students are afraid of him..."

Before Penelope could continue on her train of thought there was a knock on the door. Richard sat down in a large plush chair across from Draco, as Penelope answered the door. Penelope swept her daughter up into a hug and shut the door behind her. The mother and daughter walked into the common room, making small talk. Penelope took the chair next to Richard as Hermione took a seat next to Draco on the sofa. She noticed Draco look her up and down, and then he said, "Richard, you were right. That sweater and jeans were the first things she got out this morning.

Richard laughed. "She gets it from her mother."

Penelope swatted her husband playfully and then gasped as she noticed a strange little creature with large ears and green eyes wearing a very strange assortment of clothing. Hermione and Draco turned to where Penelope was staring and Draco's mouth fell open in surprise.

"Dobby?" Draco asked, his voice almost awestruck.

The little elf's large green eyes lit up. "Little Dragon! Dobby is being at your wedding last night. It was so beautiful. You looking so happy and Miss Hermione, so pretty. I've missed my little master. You were the only good thing from..."

Dobby stopped and began to shudder. Draco got off of the sofa and knelt before the trembling elf. Draco put his hand on the elf's shoulder, and the elf looked up with tear filled eyes.

"What happened to you?" Draco asked.

"Master is saying Dobby too close to little Dragon. He is taking Dobby from you. Make Dobby work for him. Dobby is punish himself to make master pleased. Then Harry Potter saved Dobby. Tricked master into giving Dobby a sock. A year later Dobby is working for Dumbledore and getting wages. Dobby never been so happy since the little Dragon offered Dobby his cloak," Dobby said and wiped the tears away from his eyes.

Draco smiled. "It's been too long Knobby Dobby."

"Dobby has not heard himself called that in so long," Dobby squeaked happily.

After getting reacquainted, Draco sent the elf off with a request for eggs, sausages, and toast. Draco stood up and felt the eyes of his wife and his in-laws staring at him. Hermione's mouth was hanging open in surprise, and her parents just wanted to know what kind of creature that was.

"That was a house elf," he said for the benefit of the Grangers, and then looked at Hermione questioningly, "What?"

"Knobby Dobby?" she asked.

Draco grinned. "His knees were knobby and I was a small child. He liked the nickname."

"And he looked after you, and you offered him your cloak?"

At this the blond shrugged. "My father was going to take him away from me because I was too close to him. I thought if I freed him that he might stay with me. I was young, seven years old. He refused to take the cloak, and my father found out. He was furious that I had befriended a house elf. 'Malfoys do not befriend servants,' he'd said. He took Dobby and punished me. He never wanted me to make 'unnecessary attachments' again."

"What did he do to you?" Penelope asked.

Draco shuddered. "The Cruciatus Curse is nearly fatal on most children at that age. Needless to say I didn't wake up until well after my eighth birthday."

"Oh, Circe! An Unforgivable on a child?" Hermione's voice trembled at the thought of such evil. "I never knew. No wonder you were so desperate. Why wouldn't you let me in before? You could have told me. I'm strong enough to know."

Draco fell back on the sofa, his head in his hands. His body shook with emotion. Hermione lightly touched his shoulder and he jumped at her touch and began to pull away. He took a few deep breaths and looked at Hermione, a deep-seated pain visible in his eyes.

"Please," his voice shook slightly, "Not now."

"When?" she asked gently.

"Later. Right now we'll enjoy the company of your parents," Draco said, his voice returning to normal.

A few minutes of awkward silence finally began to shape into a conversation, and Dobby eventually brought in breakfast. They all ate breakfast over light airy conversation. Still, Draco noticed how they watched him, wondering what horrifying secrets were hidden in his past. He was grateful to have the subject dropped though.

After breakfast he thanked Penelope and Richard for the photo album, and Hermione had to mention her loathing for a certain photo of herself at the age of two, streaking through the garden. The couple mentioned their other wedding gifts (Penelope Granger was certainly impressed with the sapphire bracelet that Hermione wore), and the young couple was eventually coerced into giving the Grangers a tour of Hogwarts. They started with the astronomy tower, and duly noted that they themselves had yet to go "star gazing" (that mentioned with a wink from Draco), followed by the Gryffindor common room (Richard raised an eyebrow at having to crawl through a hole to see Hermione and Draco's house common room), and then they showed off their bedroom to the Grangers (Penelope was shocked by the tub which she termed an indoor swimming pool). They also showed the Grangers the Charms, Transfiguration, Arithmancy, and Defense Against the Dark Arts classrooms.

It was too cold and rainy for a proper tour of the grounds (although no one was certain when it had started raining since the night before had been so clear and lovely), so that left the dungeons as the last stop on the tour before heading to the Great Hall for lunch.

Draco and Hermione led her parents down into the dungeons, and toward the Potions classroom. Hermione's parents looked around the dark, humid corridor, obviously feeling some discomfort.

"You actually have classes down here?" Richard asked.

At Hermione's nod Penelope said, "But it's so dark and...well, creepy comes to mind."

They came to the Potions classroom. Hermione opened the door and gasped. Shattered glass and various ingredients littered the floor, several caldrons were lying about haphazardly, most of the chairs were overturned (a few even broken), papers were strewn and scattered about everywhere, and the door to Snape's office was ajar. Draco and her parents followed, and if Hermione was shocked by the current state of the Potions classroom, Draco was floored. His mouth fell open.

"What happened?" Penelope asked.

Everyone turned toward the door of the office at the sound of a long drawn out moan. Hermione and Draco's eyes locked and widened; they had to know who or what was in that office. Hermione drew her wand and Draco handed his wand to her.

"Keep your parents out here. I'll go in and have a look around," he said and a moment later a white ferret was on the floor where Draco had stood.

Hermione's parents turned from the white ferret, headed toward the open door, to their daughter. It was obvious that they wanted an explanation.

She sighed. "Remember when I told you about the time Draco was transfigured into a ferret during fourth year? It had lasting effects. He is an unregistered animagus, meaning that he can change into a ferret and back again at will. It can be quite useful at times, but it would be wise to keep it a secret."

Her parents were about to question her further when they heard Draco's voice coming from the office.

"Professor Snape? Severus?"

Hermione darted toward the office. The first thing she saw was Draco standing over a figure slumped over in Snape's office chair. At first Hermione thought the figure was dead, but then she noticed the faint rise and fall of his chest. Draco began shaking the figure and then turned to Hermione.

"Quick, do you know where he put the antidote for the hemlock?" Draco asked in a rush.

Hermione nodded and headed toward Snape's private stores. She pulled out a vial of the hemlock antidote that she and Draco had made during their first detention, glad to note that hemlock antidotes had a long shelf life, and then she gave the vial to Draco. He pulled out the stopper, and poured the contents of the vial down the Potions Master's throat. Hermione massaged Snape's throat to coax him into swallowing. After a small chocking sound and a sputter the antidote had been administered.

"We need to get him to the hospital wing," Hermione said.

A dry rasp filled the room. "No, take me to my chambers."

"Professor?" Hermione asked.

Before Snape could continue, a violent shudder tore through his body, and he fell into unconsciousness. Draco looked up at Hermione, unsure of what to do.

"He needs a mediwitch. We are taking him to the hospital wing. I'll take the full blame for it. Now, any arguments?" Hermione snapped, her tone commanding authority.

She stepped out of the office and said, "Daddy, we need your help."

Between Draco and Richard was the dead weight of the most feared teacher at Hogwarts. Hermione cast a concealing charm over the five of them. Her mother followed close behind Hermione, asking questions about what happened. When they reached the door of the hospital wing, Penelope opened the door, and once they were all in the hospital wing Hermione said, "Finite Incantatum," and then called for Madame Pomfrey.

Madame Pomfrey came bustling out of her office. She took in the sight before her and directed Draco and Richard to put Snape on one of the beds. She pulled some screens around the unconscious Potions Master and then turned to the Malfoys and the Grangers, her expression demanding an explanation.

Draco looked at Hermione's parents, not really wanting to explain what happened to Snape. He was after all a professor, and it might not have been wise to mention his suspicions until the parents had left the room.

"Hermione, its almost lunch time. You wouldn't want your parents to miss a meal at Hogwarts. Go on, I'll be down in a few minutes. Hurry, if you don't, Potty and Weasel will want to know why you missed two meals," Draco said a smirk playing across his lips.

She read the look in his eyes and knew that whatever he had to tell Madame Pomfrey, he didn't want to say in front of her parents. She nodded and then took her parents to Great Hall for lunch. Once they were gone Madame Pomfrey turned to Draco.

"What is going on here, Mr. Malfoy?" Madame Pomfrey asked sharply as she walked behind the screen to tend to Snape. Draco had followed her.

He looked down at the man in the bed. He didn't like seeing Snape so weak, it seemed wrong somehow. "We were giving Hermione's parents a tour of the castle. We went to the dungeons and found the Potions classroom in complete disarray. The door of his office was opened. I went in and he looked ill. I smelled his tea. It reeked of hemlock. Hermione and I gave him the antidote. He didn't want to come here, but when he convulsed and passed out Hermione demanded we bring him here. I, of course, had no objections to her suggestion. Will he be all right?"

"I think he'll live, but this will do nothing to improve his temperament," she said, and then a thought occurred to her. "How is it, Mr. Malfoy, that you could smell the hemlock? Usually individuals must be trained before they can so easily detect the scent of a poison and be able to identify it."

"I've had a keen sense of smell for a long time, and I grew up as the son of Lucius Malfoy. I think it is in my best interest to be able to detect most poisons," Draco answered.

The mediwitch harrumphed and continued her assessment of her patient. A few moments later Albus Dumbledore entered the hospital wing. He looked at Draco with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Young Mr. Malfoy, I must thank you and Hermione for helping our most esteemed Potions Master. He almost succeeded in this attempt," Dumbledore said and then turned to Madame Pomfrey, "Ah, Poppy, and just how is Severus?"

"I expect when he wakes up his temperament will be less than at its best, and he will be very weak and ill. Honestly, Albus, can't you find someone to watch him when he gets like this? You know how he is under emotional influence," Madame Pomfrey scolded.

Draco's mouth fell open. "He's done this before?"

"Alas, he has, although he's never attempted with poison. His usual means of attempts involved the dagger from your wedding ceremony. I'm afraid last night was a bit much for him," the old wizard said sadly.

"Albus! I don't think Severus would appreciate you talking so openly about him with a student," Madame Pomfrey said sharply.

Dumbledore sighed. "You're quite right, Poppy. Mr. Malfoy, you're missing a wonderful lunch. The treacle fudge looked quite tempting, ah, and the roast chicken I've always been partial to. On your way now. I'll see that you know about any changes in Severus' condition."

The young blond man nodded in acknowledgement and said, "Thank you."

A moment later and the young man left the hospital wing, but not before he heard Dumbledore say, "That young man has more reason for caring about the welfare of Severus than he knows. I believe certain secrets will be revealed sooner than expected."

"Now Albus, don't you go meddling," Madame Pomfrey scolded the headmaster yet again.

Needless to say Draco had a lot on his mind as he headed toward Great Hall.

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It felt like a hippogriff was tap dancing in his head, as he slowly regained consciousness. He managed to croak something that sounded like "water". A few moments later someone lifted his head to an angle, so he could drink without drowning, and put a glass to his lips. Severus Snape hated feeling so helpless, but at the present, he was too weak to protest. Severus opened his eyes slowly and was grateful for the dim lighting.

He knew immediately that he was in the hospital wing. The room smelled sterile and felt medicinal and clinical. He hated how the place felt. His keen nose also noticed the scent of someone in the room and it wasn't the soft scent of rosemary and aloe that was Poppy Pomfrey. This smell was earthy, soft earth after fresh rain and pine. The smell was familiar, but he couldn't place it.

"Severus, how've you been?" a familiar voice said.

Severus' voice caught in a raspy attempt at a laugh, which in turn made him cough. After a few minutes he managed to speak in a voice too weak to belong to the feared Potions Master that lurked within the dungeons of Hogwarts.

"I've died, gone to hell, and Lupin is the greeter?" I was actually expecting Black."

Lupin sighed. "Still holding grudges I see. You know you can call me Remus. Now, care to tell me what happened? What's this I hear about hemlock?"

"Stop trying to be my friend," Severus tried to sound menacing, and then realized why he hadn't recognized Lupin's scent. "Why don't I smell the wolf on you? Are you really Lupin, and what are you doing here?"

He turned his head in the direction of Lupin's voice, and saw Lupin grinning, and the man looked younger and healthier since the last time Severus had seen him.

"I traveled with a gypsy caravan for two years. They gave me a talisman to leash the wolf and gave me special Wolfsbane blend treatments for nearly a year. I'm cured. The wolf is gone. There was an elder woman in the caravan. She approached me about an old friend, you Severus. She gave me a potion that she said 'Would remove the darkness and cleanse your soul.' Now, tell me what happened," Lupin finished softly.

Severus sighed. "I get tired, that's all. I wanted a respite."

"By drinking hemlock!" Lupin's voice rose in anger.

"Yes! It would be easier to die than face the son I allowed another man to abuse for the past seventeen, nearly eighteen years! His birthday is soon, only a couple of months away. I remember that night. It was the solstice..." Severus said, but was interrupted by Lupin.

"You fathered a child?"

Severus looked away. "She told me she lost the baby. Of course I recently found that she lied to me."

"Who lied?"

Severus bit off a choked and bitter laugh. "Narcissa. I should have known. The baby looked too healthy to be premature, and when she asked me to be the boy's godfather and look after him. I couldn't be there all of the time obviously. I can only imagine what Lucius did to the boy. Oh, gods, why couldn't she have told me? Deep down I always wondered."

Remus Lupin nearly choked. "Are you saying that Draco Malfoy is your son?"

"If you don't believe me ask Minerva, or Albus. He was married over the summer. They were remarried in a formal ceremony. I stood for him as patron and friend. At least I was there for my son's wedding," Severus said and took the glass of water from Remus.

Remus helped Severus sit up and put some pillows behind the sick man so that he could sit up more comfortably. Severus drank the water and looked at Lupin, expecting a barrage of questions.

"I heard there was a marriage. So did he marry Parkinson?" Lupin asked.

Severus nearly choked again. "Are you trying to kill me, Lupin? He isn't a Slytherin anymore. Married students, while still in attendance at school, must be in the same house. It reduces inter-house rivalry, or that's the theory."

"Enough with the recitation of rules. Who did the boy marry?"

"Hermione Granger," Severus answered with a sigh, "That know-it-all pain in my arse Gryffindor is now my daughter-in-law, whether she knows it or not. And if I recall correctly they were the ones that gave me the hemlock anecdote and brought me to this hellish place. When I'm well enough I'm summoning them both to my office."

Remus Lupin looked as though he needed his jaw reattached at the news of Draco and Hermione's marriage. The last time he'd seen those two they had been intense rivals. He wondered when things had changed between them enough to result in a marriage.

"Will you close your mouth? You look ridiculous standing there with you mouth hanging open. Are you trying to catch flies?" Severus snapped, and then grimaced as he clutched his head.

Lupin nodded slowly. "I'm sorry. I just never expected... Draco and Hermione? What kind of ceremony was it? Is there a... When's the baby due?"

Severus rolled his eyes and took another sip of water, wishing it was something stronger, like brandy perhaps. "There is no baby. It happened over the summer. Draco ran away and ended up on the Grangers' doorstep. A couple of days later they performed the Lunari Ceremony. I think the initial reason was to save Draco from Lucius, but whatever it was in the beginning, those two are damn near inseparable now."

"If you're so bloody 'happy' for them, why on earth did you drink hemlock then?" Lupin was beginning to sound frustrated and irritated.

"Lucius showed up at the reception. He wanted to get Hermione away from the crowds to do Merlin only knows what to the girl. Something happened. Lucius and I had a confrontation. I broke his nose and my hand. Then after the uninvited guest left and the newly re-weds headed to their rooms I demanded Minerva to tell me the truth. I don't remember much after that, until Draco found me and then I woke up in hell with you," Severus said, and then his black eyes locked with Lupin's gold ones, "Now, come clean. Why are you here?"

Lupin smiled. "You never miss a thing. Albus offered me the position of teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. It seems that the former DADA professor met with a nasty incident involving a grindylow late Friday night. I think he had a rendezvous with Sybil Trelawney. He's been at St. Mungo's since. Oh and Albus went through the trouble of assembling my living quarters next to yours. We'll be neighbors from now on.

"Why is he at St. Mungo's? Because of Sybil Trelawney or the grindylow?" Severus asked and then tried to sit up straighter, but his movement was too quick and he immediately regretted it. "I should have known the old codger would put someone on suicide watch. If you even think of mollycoddling me I will hex you!"

"I don't think anyone would mollycoddle you, Severus. Not even Molly Weasley," Remus said with a laugh then added, "And I don't know why Thadeus Thimbleton ended up in St. Mungo's, maybe a combination of Sybil Trelawney and the grindylow?"

Severus growled something under his breath that only made Remus Lupin laugh harder. Another year that Snape had missed the opportunity of getting the DADA teaching job.

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On Monday at breakfast Albus announced the return of Professor Remus Lupin as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. There was a lot of cheering from the Gryffindor table and a lot of hissing from the Slytherin table. After breakfast Lupin went over to the Gryffindor table. He received a hearty slap on the back and a "Welcome back, Moony!" from Harry. He smiled at Harry, the boy was so much like James, and then turned to congratulate Hermione and Draco. He saw immediately what Severus had meant about the young couple.

At breakfast on Tuesday, Albus had another announcement. Severus Snape had recovered from his "mysterious" illness and would resume teaching his class that very day. All of the students were stunned into silence.

Dumbledore chuckled. "I'm pleased to see how well you've received the news of his recovery."

Dumbledore twinkled at the thought of Severus, had he been at breakfast to witness the stunned silence. It was a shame that the Potions Master was hardly ever present at breakfast.