You Never Know

In the meeting that night the Order members were met with a rather unusual sight as they saw Severus Snape sweeping in with a large, gold-silver she-wolf on his side.

"Erm, Snape -- isn't that Moony?" Tonks asked, obviously astonished.

"Yes, she is," Severus replied shortly, taking his usual seat at the table. Moony settled down to the floor next to him, resting her head on her paws.

"What exactly does this mean?" Kingsley demanded. "Why hasn't she turned back to her human form?"

The Slytherin gave him a smirk. "This means that in nine months of time, I and Remus will have from four to six nice, little human babies," he replied calmly. "Of course, before that they'll spend a few months after their birth in a cub form."

Mad-Eye Moody snorted in disbelief, eyeing the she-wolf warily. "Don't even try telling us that you --" he said, leaving the sentence unfinished, but also giving everyone a very clear idea of what he meant.

"No, Moody," Severus sneered. "I, in fact, am a wolf Animagus. I don't have to bend to the twisted ways you obviously favour."

The ex-Auror started to rise from his seat, a dangerous mix of fury and vengefulness marking his harsh features, but a simple gesture from Dumbledore stopped him. "Now, now, gentleman," the Headmaster said. "Please calm down. Alastor, I hardly find it anything of your concern as of how Moony got to this situation. The facts that you have to know are that there's no bad will between Severus and Moony, that Moony's from now on staying with him, and that she needs the full-time support of all of you to get through this unusual situation without any further problems. There's no need to try to make up a quarrel between yourself and Severus."

Mad-Eye returned to his seat, quietly grumbling to himself. Tonks giggled a bit, earning a sharp glare from him. However, he did not dare to say anything for the rest of the meeting, which was quite a record.

*

As the sixth-year Gryffindors and Slytherins entered the Potions classroom, they were surprised to see a large, gold-silver she-wolf lying on a thick rug that lay on the floor next to their teacher's desk.

"Good morning, class," Snape said with a nasty little smirk. "Say hello to my little pet."

"Now, that's quite surprising, professor Snape," Draco Malfoy said, immediately going to scratch the animal behind her ears. "I didn't know you liked wolves." He didn't notice the sharp glare he got from the wolf. Moony did, however, keep her teeth under line -- it wouldn't do to bite students.

"Now, I really don't see where you got that particular idea, Mr. Malfoy," the Potions Master replied smoothly. "Go to your respective seats, everyone, the lesson is just about to begin."

They did so, then quietly listened as Snape explained the assignment of the day. After writing down the instructions on the board, they set to work.

Harry and Neville did their best to make as perfect a potion as they could. Even though Neville had passed his OWLs -- something that irritated Snape to no end -- he now had to be sharp on every lesson. He'd almost failed getting to the NEWTs class, and Harry'd also been just about to fall out. Therefore, every class was an opportunity to show their skills. As there was an odd number of students, they had turns with Hermione -- on every lesson, either Harry or Hermione would work with Neville, since he was undoubtedly the worst of them in Potions and could not work alone.

Snape came to the boys' cauldron on his walk around the class. "This is quite surprising, Potter, Longbottom," he said with a nasty snarl. "I can't see anything wrong with your potion... yet. Undoubtedly, we shall see yet a new example of your incompetence before the lesson is over."

To their great surprise, the wolf let out a small, annoyed bark. Snape rolled his eyes towards the ceiling, looking frustrated. "Do not mess with this, Moony," he commanded strictly. "I in fact do know how to treat my students."

"Err... Professor?" asked Malfoy hesitantly. "Do you really understand what she says?"

"Why, of course," replied the Potions Master, raising his eyebrow. All students exchanged amazed glances. From any other teacher, they'd taken this as a joke or a sign of insanity. However, they knew that Snape did not joke. And even though they did fear their professor, they also respected him -- it was very frightened and sometimes hateful respect, yes, but respect all the same -- and that respect told them that it was much more likely that Snape could indeed communicate with wolves than that he'd suddenly become insane.

However, the name he'd used caused even more amazement among certain students. Harry and Hermione exchanged confused glances, hoping that the lesson would end soon so they could talk in peace.

*

The lesson did get to its end at last, like it always did. Harry and Hermione were both walking out of the dungeons. Even though Harry'd already almost forgotten the surprising name of Snape's pet, Hermione wasn't about to do that.

"Could it really be our Moony?" the young witch pondered. "I think she looks quite right... But it's not a full moon now, definitely not in the middle of the day! And why'd Moony be staying with professor Snape?"

"Oh, give up already, Hermione," Harry sighed. "It's downright impossible. Why don't you --"

Just then, they heard a cheerful bark behind them. Before Harry could finish his sentence, a familiar, large wolf had ran around him, knocked him down to the floor, and licked his face soaking wet.

"Okay, okay, enough!" Harry panted between bursts of laughter. "I admit, it is indeed our Moony. Still, I wonder how? And why?" Moony released him at last, sitting on the floor. She cocked her head to side, watching them with large golden eyes. She did not say anything, of course.

"Moony!" somebody called around the corner. "Moony, where are you?" Snape stepped to the corridor. As he saw the two students and the wolf, he froze momentarily. Then, with a slight shake of his head, he walked nearer. "I guess this was just to be expected," he sighed, giving a glare to the wolf, who met it with a wide wolf-grin. "Why couldn't you just have left them in peace?"

"But, professor Snape, how?" Hermione asked, curious. "Why she's not turned back to Remus? Is something wrong with her?"

"No, nothing is wrong with her," Snape snapped quickly -- maybe even a bit too quickly. "Mind your own business, will you, Miss Granger?"

The wolf, however, did not seem to approve this answer. She in turn gave Snape a sharp glare, accompanied with a short, quiet growl.

To the great astonishment of Harry and Hermione, Snape cocked his head to side in a gesture much similar to the one Moony had expressed just moments ago. "Are you sure?" the Potions Master asked, grumbling in slight irritation.

This time, the wolf nodded, looking slightly happier.

"Fine, then." Snape turned towards the two. "At first, you have to understand that you can't tell what I'm about to tell you to anyone. Absolutely no one may hear about this -- well, you'll probably tell Mr. Weasley anyway, but if you tell even one more person, I'll make sure to personally skin you alive. And slowly. Have I made myself clear?" As they nodded, not doubting a single word of his, he continued, "Well, to start from the beginning, I'm an Animagus. My animal form is a wolf."

Hermione and Harry exchanged surprised glances, then nodded, eager to know more.

"As you know already, Moony is a female. Well, my Animagus form is obviously male. Do you know exactly what comes out if you put together a female wolf and a male one?"

Hermione's eyes widened in fascination. "A litter of cubs!" she exclaimed happily. "Can I baby-sit once they turn to humans?"

"I see you're well aware of the aspects of this kind of thing, Miss Granger," Snape said with a raised eyebrow. "And as for the baby-sitting thing... Well, if you pass all your final exams this year with full points, I might consider allowing that. I think that Remus will allow it anyway."

"I'll be sure to fullfill that task!" she replied with a joyous voice.

Moony nudged Harry's leg, a warm glint in her golden eyes.

"She says you can be the godfather of one of the cubs," Snape told the boy. "I think I could live with that, so, that'll be it." Then he, however, turned around and hurried away, his "pet" circling around his legs, not resorting to more chatter.

The two students were left in the corridor, giving each other amazed glances.

*

Albus opened the door to the Potions Master's quarters very quietly. There was nobody in sight. Knowing where to look, he silently crossed the way to the door of the bedroom, and quietly opened it.

Two wolves lay curled up on the bed, both seemingly asleep. As he adored the cute sight in front of him, however, the he-wolf opened its eyes and gave him an intent, golden gaze. 'Don't you dare say anything,' the gaze seemed to tell him.

So, he didn't say anything. Instead he just smiled gently, took a step backwards -- and raised the wizarding camera he had in his hands, flashing it a couple of times. Then he hastily left the quarters just in time to avoid the enraged black wolf's wrath.

*

Hogwarts soon got used to seeing the Potions Master walking up and down the corridors with a she-wolf on his side. Most were curious to know why the said wolf's stomach seemed to grow a bit every passing day. If she was expecting cubs, shouldn't they have been born already? Some did put two and two together to get four, however -- especially after Professor Snape registered his Animagus form, an event which spread as a rumour through the school before the day was out. When the Headmaster finally announced -- the Potions Master all the time scowling at him -- that yes, there were indeed human-wolfcubs to be expected, seventy-three students fainted.

Then, one day, six months after Moony had first appeared, the sixth year Potions class was met by the Headmaster sitting behind the teacher's desk. "Err... Professor Dumbledore?" Malfoy dared to ask. "Where's Professor Snape?"

"Ah, Professor Snape," the Headmaster said with a broad smile. "I do believe he's currently witnessing the birth of his children. I'm to be his substitute today."

This brought up excited squeals from most girls and astonished gazes from the boys. Harry, on his own part, was a bit worried. What if Snape would leave Lupin alone when the werewolf was in his human form again? Or what if something happened to him during the birth-giving? Lupin was the last one he knew who'd been his parents' friend. He was not Sirius, but the nearest to Sirius he still had. And Harry didn't want him to get hurt.

Then, however, he soon forgot his doubts as Dumbledore assigned them to brew Hilarizing Potions and drink them. Even Neville, aided by Hermione this time, managed to brew his potion correctly. So, the rest of the day was spent by them pretty much laughing and giggling at everything -- although they would have found it hilarious even without the potion when Malfoy, giggling too much at Professor Sprout's new hair style to notice what was happening, fell right into a bush of Hair-dying Roses and spent that day not only laughing, but with crimson hair.

*

It was bright, too bright. Remus shut his eyes tightly right after he'd opened them, raising a hand to cover them.

Wait a minute... A hand? Yes, a hand. Not a paw anymore. That meant that... That meant that the cubs had been born, and he was a human again.

The lights were slightly dimmer when he next time dared to open his eyes. "Mmm... Severus?" Remus asked as he saw the familiar figure next to his bed.

"I'm here," the Slytherin replied. "Welcome back to the world of humans, love."

"Oh." The werewolf tried to raise his head from the pillow but then let it fall back to it, exhaustion preventing him. "And the cubs?"

Now, Severus broke into a wide smile completely uncharacteristical to him. "We have five healthy little cubs," he told. "Two girls and three boys. They'll turn into humans in three months of time, according to Poppy."

"Five?" Remus echoed. "Oh, my. I guess we're in for quite some interesting time in the near future."

"I guess so, too," Severus said, then leant forward to place a little kiss on his forehead. "But I think we'll make it."

"Yes," Remus said, then smiled a bit. To his surprise, Severus smiled back at him.