A Wolf in Slayer's Clothing

Chapter Ten:

Coming Home

Remus Lupin stepped onto the ground of Hogwarts and smiled faintly. Hogwarts felt like home to him because this was one of the few places that he had even been accepted. He smiled at the thought of being around his old friend. He felt the all too familiar twinge of pain in his stomach and knew that the full moon was only a week away. He had wanted to come to Hogwarts on the train with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny but because he needed his Wolfsbane he had to arrive early. He wondered if Severus enjoyed knowing that he had to depend on him. Shaking his head he continued to walk toward the school. He looked up in time to see a small child with chestnut hair riding on the back of a large black dog.

"Hello," the girl said as the dog stopped in front of Remus. He looked into the dog's eyes and realized it was Sirius.

"Hello," Remus said. He bent down and patted Sirius on the head. "Hello to you too Padfoot."

"How'd you know the puppy's name?"

"I guessed," Remus said with a smile. "I wonder if I can guess your name too." The child giggled and Remus pretended to think very hard. "Morgaine?"

"No," she said giggling louder.

"Elaine?"

"Nope."

"Liliann?" Remus guessed.

"No."

"I give up!" he said in a pleasantly exasperated tone. "What's your name?"

"Isabella."

"That is a very pretty name," Remus said.

"What's your name?" Isabella inquired. She hopped off of Sirius' back and proceeded to make a circle of flowers. Remus watched her curiously before answering.

"Remus Lupin," he said. He had to stifle a laugh when Isabella placed the circle of flowers upon Sirius' head.

"Okay Mr. Man," Isabella said suddenly, "I am going to go find my mommy. Come on Padfoot," she said. He ran after her and Remus laughed. He reached the school with a smile on his face and Sirius greeted him at the door, no longer in dog form. He hugged Remus.

"How are you?" Sirius asked as they walked down the entrance hall.

"Tired," Remus answered. "The term is going to start off all wrong. The full moon is five days into the term. At least it is on a Sunday this year...I'll only miss one day of teaching. I have to find Snape. I'm all out of Wolfsbane."

"You may have to find someone else to brew it," Sirius said a broad smile forming on his face.

"What'd you do?" Remus asked.

"I didn't do it," Sirius said raising his hands in the air as if surrendering. He and Remus walked slowly down the hall as Sirius relayed the events of the past week to Remus who just shook his head.

"The sad part is," Sirius said suddenly frowning, "Is that she's still with him."

Remus agreed with a silent nod and decided to change the subject. "So, who's the kid?"

"Bella," Sirius replied shortly.

"How old is she?" Remus pressed.

"Three."

"Who's her mother?"

"Eva."

"And you were going to mention this to your best friend when?"

"I figured I'd tell you when I got around to it," Sirius said with a shrug.

"Oh, I see how I rate!" Remus said with a grin. "Am I going to meet this Eva sometime in the near future?"

"I didn't think it'd mean this much to you but if you want to I'll take you to meet her and the rest of the gang now," Sirius said heading toward the stairs that led to the dungeons.

"Rest of the gang?" Remus said raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, there's a lot of new people this term," Sirius explained. "There's Sanura and Eva of course, and Christian."

"Christian?"

"Yeah, he doesn't teach anything, he's here with Eva."

"Why's he here with Eva?"

"Because he's her husband," Sirius said impatiently.

"Husband? How did you and Eva have a daughter if she's married?" Remus asked in disbelief, stopping in mid-step. He was even more shocked and confused when Sirius began to laugh hysterically, leaning against the wall for support.

"You think Bella's my daughter?" he gasped. "That's why we're playing twenty questions?" he laughed even harder, clutching his sides and gasping for air. "You never cease to amaze me Moony," Sirius uttered trying to regain his composure.

"Well...you were...and she was..." Remus tried to explain feeling his face flush a bit. After a moment he smiled.

"Isabella is Eva and Christian's daughter," Sirius explained. "I'm babysitting her until Eva's a vampire again."

"Oh," Remus said feeling quite dumb. Sirius looked at Remus and began to laugh once more.

"It's not that funny!" Remus said indignantly, trying to sound annoyed but to no avail. He was about to continue but heard a voice behind him.

"What's so funny Sirius?" the voice inquired. Sirius and Remus turned around to find Sanura standing behind them, arms folded across her chest and an amused expression on her face.

"Remus here thinks that Bella's my daughter," Sirius said with a grin, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"Ah so you're the infamous Remus J. Lupin," Sanura said in a pleased tone. She shook his hand briefly and she studied him. Despite the fact that he was the same age as Sirius and Severus he looked older and dare she think even wiser. His shoulder length brown hair was flecked with gray and his eyes reminded her of the sea after a storm. She found herself looking deep into his eyes and rather than turn away as he would normally do Remus returned her gaze. They held each other in that silent bind for only a moment but Sirius didn't miss it.

He likes her. Sirius thought.

Realizing that she was staring she quickly looked away. She felt her ears turn red and fought for something to say. She glanced at Remus who was doing the same thing.

"You look terribly tired," Remus managed finally.

"I am a bit tired," Sanura muttered.

"Where are you off to?" Sirius inquired.

"Dumbledore...or McGonagall...or whoever is in today's office. I want my old room back or the way things are going I'll be sleeping on Eva's sofa all year."

"Well we'll w..." Remus never got to finish his sentence. He looked up just in time to see Severus Snape stalking down the hall.

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Severus Snape rolled over and noticed that once again Sanura had not come into bed. She had been sleeping in Eva's room more and more and he came to the sickening realization that he was not going to succeed. He and Sanura had fought the night before and he was still quite angry. Just looking at her made him angry. Why did she have to turn back? He had asked her to marry him and she had vehemently refused. Okay, so he hadn't asked her, he more or less told her but she had violently shook her head and bared her fangs. Rising reluctantly from bed he dressed quickly and set out to find her hoping to settle the dispute. Not sure where she would go, he stepped into the Entrance hall to find her standing with Sirius Black. As if her talking to someone he hated was not enough, Remus Lupin stood there as well and Sanura was looking at him as if she were falling for him. Angrier than ever he stalked toward them, jealousy coursing through his body.

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Chapter Eleven:

Jealousy will drive you...

"What's going on here?" Severus demanded anger flaring in his coal black eyes.

"I'm talking to a few friends," Sanura snapped whirling around to look at him. "Not that it's any of your concern."

"And why is it not my concern? You are my fiancée after all."

"Fiancée?" Sanura said with a bitter chuckle. "And you were going to ask me when? Severus I'm not your fiancée, I'm barely your girlfriend right now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Severus asked angrily although he knew exactly what she meant. The argument from the night before was still fresh in his mind.

"Just what I said. I don't even know why we're in a relationship," she snapped. "Why must you make such a scene all the time? I'm not a possession Severus."

"I am well aware that you are not a possession but..."

"But nothing Snape get off her back already," Sirius snapped. It seemed that every day he found another reason to start something with her and he didn't seem to care if they had an audience or not.

"You stay out of this you mutt," Severus hissed and in an instant a sharp pain exploded on his face. Sanura had struck him. He looked at her in disbelief.

"Stop being such an asshole and stop calling people names," she instructed. Her eyes had turned from gray to a cat like green and her fangs he could see were ready for an attack. "Now apologize to my friend or I'll bite you."

Severus said nothing, he just stared at her. Had she really hit him in front of two people that he despised most? What was worse was that she was defending them. After a moment of awkward silence Sanura turned to Remus and Sirius. "Care to accompany me to Dumbledore's office?"

"Sure," Remus agreed happy to be getting away from Severus. As they turned to walk away Remus remembered the Wolfsbane. "Severus I need some Wolfsbane, are you going to be able to brew it for me?"

He's really pushing it. Severus thought. He gritted his teeth knowing that he had to brew the potion or Dumbledore would probably fire him. "I'll have it for you later this evening Lupin," he said slowly and deliberately.

"Thank you Severus," Remus said as he and Sirius followed Sanura down the hall.

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Chapter Twelve:

The sound of silence

After the encounter in the hallway Sanura did in fact get her old quarters back. She was happy to be back in her old room and was even happier that she had managed to make some new friends. Remus and Sirius seemed to be practically inseparable and they always managed to make Sanura smile. Eva, Christian, and Isabella took to them almost instantly as well and life at the castle seemed to calm down. Sanura had stopped speaking to Severus but continued to wear the snake ring.

"I'm so tired of giving it back to him," she declared when Eva asked her about it. She was seated on Eva's couch with her legs folded under her. Remus and Sirius were there as well. Christian was in the dungeons. Potions had been one of his favorite subjects when he attended Hogwarts and he guessed that Severus would be more than happy to let someone else deal with Remus. Isabella was playing 'go fish' with Sirius on the floor in front of the fireplace.

"I know you are," Eva said shaking her head. "Do you two even consider yourselves a couple anymore?"

"I don't but I think he does."

"Don't you think you should formally break it off?"

"Perhaps," Sanura said shortly. She looked away and Eva followed her gaze. She noticed that Sanura was looking at Remus who was seated on the floor in front of the fire.

"If you're interested in Remus why don't you tell him?" Eva whispered to Sanura.

"Who said..." Sanura began but Eva gave her that all too familiar I-know-so-don't-deny-it look and she sighed. "Because I can't," she whispered back, frowning. Eva shook her head and rose from her seat on the sofa. "Come one Bella, you have to get your bath now,"

"Aww, but mommy, I'm winning!" she wined waving a handful of cards around.

"Don't you want to go to the big dinner with mommy and daddy tonight?" Eva asked. The students were set to arrive today and Eva knew that it would take a few hours to get Isabella and herself ready.

"Yes mommy," Isabella said with a frown. She looked so adorable that Eva couldn't help but give in.

"Finish your game, when I get out of the shower it'll be time for your bath. Deal?"

"Deal!" Isabella said gleefully and she returned to her game. Eva giggled and shook her head as she went to get her shower. Shortly after she exited the room Christian entered the room, covered in dust and looking quite displeased.

"I was looking for some ingredients and a bowl of dust fell on me," he muttered.

"Dust?" Sanura questioned.

"Well at one time they were probably some sort of plant but now it is dust," he said shaking his head. "Where's my lovely wife?"

"Shower," Remus and Sanura answered together. Sanura blushed and Remus returned to staring blankly at the ground.

"I'm going to go and change," Sanura said suddenly rising to her feet. Remus rose from his seat on the ground and they both started toward the door, nearly running into each other.

"Ladies first," Remus said with a charming smile. Sanura blushed and walked past him. He was right behind her and somehow he beat her to the door. Opening it he bowed slightly and motioned for her to go ahead. She thanked him again but rather than begin to walk toward her quarters she waited outside the door for Remus.

"We live on the same floor," she said quickly, feeling the need to make an excuse, "I figured I'd wait." They began to walk toward the stairs, an awkward silence hovering above them. When they finally reached the landing to the third floor Sanura had to turn left and Remus right.

"Thank you for waiting for me," he said smiling at her.

"No problem," she said with a shrug. She could feel herself turning red and she was smiling. She found it hard not to smile around him. They both stood awkwardly at the top of the stairs neither one sure as to whether or not they wanted to move. Only when an all too familiar voice sounded through the empty hallway did Sanura and Remus snap back into reality.

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