A New Life

A New Life

Chapter One: A New Life Begins

*The Potter's Home, Godric's Hollow -- 1981*

A man with dark hair and an equally dark scowl on his face was standing by the ruins of what once had been a stately Manor Home. This place had been built of pure magic; in fact, it had once been the proud ancestral home of Godric Gryffindor, one of the four great founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Now it had been reduced to a pile of debris and ashes. As the man stood there sniffing the still charred night air he sighed, kicking at some of the masonry on the ground.

'You fools,' the man half-whispered to the stilled air. 'You were warned that he was after you, yet you chose to die instead of flee as you should have. Instead you put your faith in a killer, and look where it got you.'

A whimpering sound off to the man's side alerted him that something wasn't right. He tensed, swiftly moving over to where the sound was coming from. Looking down into the rubble he saw something had hadn't expected to see, not amongst all the death and destruction. As gently as he could, a move that would have surprised most who knew this man, he reached down and picked up the source of the sound.

'So you alone survived eh?' the man said quietly, gazing down at the wriggling toddler in his arms. 'Well, well, what shall I do with you, hmm?'

'Keep him,' a soft voice said from behind the man.

Turning round quickly the black clad man eyed this new person warily. The smaller man before him looked lost by what he was seeing. His light brown hair was already showing traces of grey, and his honey brown eyes reflected such sorrow. The fact that he was only just turning twenty-two years of age meant little for his demeanour and tired appearance made him seem far older than his age.

'Keep him? And how pray tell do you propose to do that? Have you gone daft?' the dark clad man said irritably. 'I say we leave him be, someone will find him eventually.'

'Do really want Sirius to find him and kill him on sight? James and I may not have been friends the past two years, but his son doesn't deserve that fate. I will take him, Severus,' Remus said.

Severus looked down at the small child, debating what to do. 'What would you do with him, Lupin? You can barely take care of yourself, how would you care for a child when you have no job or barely any money? What sort of life could you possibly give him being what you are? You are obviously not thinking logically here,' he argued.

'I'm thinking perfectly logically, Severus. I will take him away and hide him so that no one knows who he is, let alone where he is. I'll raise him away from what has happened here tonight, he'd have a good life with me,' Remus said defensively.

'You must see how futile this is, Lupin. You know you can't do this,' Severus said, though his voice wasn't very convinced of that fact.

'The boy deserves to have a decent life, Severus,' Remus said in a more convincing tone. 'I can at least try to give him that. As it is I've been technically "missing" for months now, I've even heard some reports already claiming me dead. Quite simply, Severus, there's no one that even cares if I am alive or dead at this point.'

'I care,' Severus said softly.

Remus smiled. 'Yes, and for that I can never thank you enough. For all you've done for me it would take a hundred lifetimes to repay you. However, the point is I'm right, you know that, and it is the answer to the problem. I'll take him away and no one will be the wiser.'

Severus considered this proposal for a moment, then sighed and looked back down at the now sleeping child. 'Where will you go?'

'I'll take him to the flat I've been renting. I know it's small, but then he's awfully small to begin with right now. He'll be no bother to me or anyone else, I'm sure of that,' Remus said.

'No, I don't think you should stay there, Lupin. You should find somewhere new to live; it will be too obvious to raise him at your flat. Too many questions may be raised by those who live there, I know some are already suspicious of what you are, as well as what you have been doing the past few years,' Severus said with a shake of his head.

Remus thought on that for a moment. 'You have a point there. What about the Muggle world?'

'What about it?' Severus asked.

'Of course, it would be perfect! I'll take him and go into the Muggle world,' Remus said excitedly.

'Are you daft? You do not know enough about the Muggle world in order to live in it, Lupin,' Severus argued.

'I'll learn then. Don't you see, Severus, it really is a perfect idea. I'll hide in the Muggle world, after all, who would expect me of all people to be there? I'll come up with a feasible story about him, and I can forge up papers, I'm good at that remember. It will work as long as I really want it to, Severus,' Remus said quietly.

Severus thought all this over for a few moments then sighed. 'Very well, Lupin, I believe you do have valid points. In for a Knut, in for a Galleon hmm?'

Remus chuckled. 'Why not? I'll get a book on the Muggle world tomorrow at Flourish and Blotts, I'm sure it will tell me how to acquire a home and some of the basics. That way I hopefully won't make too many mistakes until I get accustomed to things,' he said.

'That is all very well and good, but what will you do on the days in which you are ... occupied? He is a small child; he is not capable of taking care of himself for an entire night, as well as half the next morning? What will you do then?' Severus asked with a raised eyebrow.

Remus thought on that for a moment, a dejected look now on his face. 'Oh ... I ... I hadn't thought of that,' he said sadly.

Severus looked at the child once more, then back to Remus and sighed, holding out the sleeping child. 'Take him; Merlin only knows what will happen to him otherwise. I will come take care of him during that time of month, as well as whenever you might need extra help. You can owl me at the school; you have the word of a Snape on this.'

Remus looked back up at Severus, a glow on his face as he took the child. Looking down at the precious life in his arms his voice caught in his throat,. 'He already looks just like James.'

'Yes, he does, which is something you will have to remedy as soon as possible,' Severus said his eyes suddenly scanning the area. 'You best get going. Take the portkey I set up back to the Alley and return to your flat. I will join you there shortly to help make further arraignments.'

Remus nodded and taking a small box out of his pocket pressed what was inside and disappeared, just in time too. Severus quickly whispered a few words under his breath, and suddenly the tall, black-haired man faded away into the darkness, not a trace of him to be seen. Severus' coal black eyes glittered dangerously as he watched another man arrive on a large yellow motorbike.

For a while, Severus just stood there, a blazing heated anger in his eyes as he gazed upon the other black haired man who was poking round the rubble. When the other man found the bodies of the two adults he let out a howl of agony, tears cascading down his cheeks, and he fell to his knees before them as if in pain. For a few moments, Severus was undecided at what he was seeing. The look on the other man's face didn't appear to be the look of a man who'd just betrayed his best friends or had lost his Master.

A Master that Severus had also bowed down before once, but through a miracle he had been brought back to the light; back from the brink of his own self destruction. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he watched as the sobbing man gently held his once best friend's corpse in his arms, rocking him back and forth and muttering things under his breath. Severus silently drew up closer to hear what was being said, more than astonished now by what he was hearing.

'It's my fault! If only I'd known what that rat was up to you'd still be alive, James! Wormtail ... how could you do this to us? Wasn't it enough that Moony left us ... you had to also? I gave you everything ... a home ... money ... I took care of you, trusted you ... and this is how you repay me? Peter Pettigrew ... you will regret this day!' the man cried out into the night.

'Pettigrew?' Severus gasped out-loud in astonishment. That was a name he knew well as of late, or rather he knew of the tiny man attached to that name, but Severus hadn't expect to hear something like this about him.

'Who's there?' the other man said twisting round quickly in surprise. Gently lowering the body of his friend to the ground he got up and took his wand out, pointing it into the darkness. 'Show yourself! Who are you?'

Severus waved his wand and muttered "Finite Incantatum," then stepped forwards from the shadows to face the other man, a calculating look on his face. 'What is this about Pettigrew?' he asked icily.

'Snape, I should have known,' the other man said with a deep loathing in his voice. 'Why should I tell you anything? I don't trust you farther than I can toss you. You've hated us since we were kids, Snape, why are you even here, huh? Come to gloat over James and Lily's deaths? Rub it in my face?'

'Why I am here is none of your concern, Black. Now stop playing games and tell me the truth. Did you do this? Were you the one who betrayed them to the Dark Lord?' Severus repeated in a low, dangerous voice, his wand pointing directly at Sirius's heart.

'What? You ... you really can't believe that I would have done this do you, Snape? Of course I didn't ... James was a brother to me in every sense of the word ... I could never betray him!' Sirius said with clear sounding agony in his voice as he looked back at the body of his friend.

'You are lying, Black. You were the Potters' Secret Keeper everyone knew that. It had to be you who betrayed them!' Severus spat out in disgust.

Sirius shook his head sadly. 'No, that's just it, I wasn't. We, Peter and I that is, switched out a week ago. We decided not to tell anyone, not even Dumbledore, we thought it would be safest that way. It was the perfect ruse, after all, who would have thought someone like Peter would be the Potters' Secret Keeper right? I swear it to you, Snape ... on my soul ... this was Peter's doing, he must have gone to Voldemort; he's the one you want!' he said choking back heavy sobs.

Severus eyed Sirius warily for a moment then he lowered his wand. 'For some unknown reason I believe you. I still do not trust you, but I do believe you did not have anything to do with this, Black. The babe lives by the way,' he said quietly.

Sirius blinked and stared at Severus as if he'd just handed him a trillion Galleons. 'Harry's ... alive? Are you sure ... how is it possible?' he asked sceptically.

Severus shook his head. 'I do not know how, but he lives. He has a nasty wound on him, but he will be all right. Lupin took him back to his flat --'

'Remus? Why the hell would he take Harry? Why would he even care?' Sirius asked angrily. 'He abandoned our friendship in favour of "other" types of friends,' he said coldly, giving Severus an icy glare.

'That is between myself and Lupin, and is no concern of yours. However, Iif you want to see the child you will take that contraption of yours to where they are, but I warn you to be careful, do not let anyone see you if at all possible.'

'Fine, but if he hurts Harry he'll answer to me,' Sirius muttered. 'I don't trust either of you, even if Remus was my friend once.'

'As it happens he trusts you even less at the moment. The address of Lupin's flat is 504 Blight Lane, Knockturn Alley. His room is number 13 on the third floor; it is in the back of the building. I will be there shortly, I trust that you will be civil enough to talk to him before waving that idiotic wand of yours,' he grumbled, then gave Sirius a dark, foreboding look. 'I warn you here and now as well, if so much as touch a single hair on Lupin's head in anger or any other way; you will answer to me, Black.'

Sirius glared for a moment, though he nodded, and his shoulders slumped in defeat as he once more glanced at his friend's body. A strange wave of relief swept through his eyes now, the tension easing from his stance for the moment. 'Cheers ... for saving Harry,' he said.

Severus nodded then waved a hand in dismissal. 'Do not thank me, Black; there is a lot of work to be done. Now go before someone comes to see what has taken place here,' he said, once more his coal black eyes scanning the area in concern.

'Wait a minute, they all think I was James and Lily's Secret Keeper, they'll blame me for this!' Sirius said suddenly.

'We will deal with that as it comes up, Black. If you do not want to be caught at the scene of the crime, I suggest you leave. Now,' Severus said glancing over Sirius's shoulder. 'GO!' he hissed.

Sirius didn't need to be told again, and without another word got on his motorbike and flew away quickly. Severus waved his wand and whispered 'Invisablo', again fading into the night air as he observed the newcomer. He watched as the man surveyed the damages, all the while shaking his head and muttering things under his breath. The large man almost broke down when he saw the bodies of the Potters', though he collected himself as he began poking round in the rubble, clearly looking for something else now.

'Oh come now, wher' yeh at, child? The 'Eadmaster said yeh should be 'ere,' the man was saying to himself. 'Come on, 'Arry, where yeh be at? I'm suppos' ta take yeh ta yer aunt an' uncle's 'ouse.'

Severus waited a little while longer, watching the scene carefully. After about ten minutes, the man uttered a sigh and gathered up the two bodies on the ground. With a last glance round he Disapparated back to wherever it was he might have come from. Severus himself took a last glance round, then with a heavy feeling in his chest he too Disapparated away.

****

*Notting Hill, London -- 1991*

'I'm home!' a voice called out as a young boy walked into the salon of his home. 'Hello? Anyone here?'

'Right here!' a voice replied as a man stepped into the salon, smiling at the boy. 'Your day was good I hope, Harry?'

Harry wrinkled his nose. 'It would have been better if that git Marsden hadn't stolen my football plays again,' he said with a frustrated sigh. 'I wish I could just beat him up, if anyone deserves it he bloody well does. I'm the best kicker on the team, and he's always trying to slip me up so I miss my goals,' he muttered.

'Now, Harry, don't start this again. I've told you time and time again, fighting jealous bullies physically like that isn't going to solve anything, only create more problems,' Remus said firmly. 'And watch your language young man; you will not use those words in this house.'

'I know that, Dad, but one day he will get his comeuppances, you'll see. And Father and Uncle Padfoot use that language all the time in the house, you don't yell at them,' Harry grumbled as he took off his school jacket and draped it over a chair.

'That's because they're a law unto themselves, you try telling them not to,' Remus chuckled. He walked over to ruffle Harry's hair, then picked up the jacket, smoothed it out and placed it on a hook near the front door. Walking back into the salon he looked at Harry critically. 'You really have to take better care of your clothes, Harry, money doesn't grow on trees you know,' he said, then sighed as he saw the look of guilt on Harry's face. Giving him a quick hug, he smiled and said, 'Now if I recall, your uncle is coming over shortly to take you to out and show you how to use that new broomstick of yours.'

Harry's face now lit up into a giant smile before remembering something else, and his smile faded a bit. 'Is ... well ... will Father be here tonight for my birthday supper do y'think?' he asked hesitantly.

Remus looked at Harry a bit sadly and shook his head. 'I'm sorry, Harry, but he's got a lot to do up at the school. You know how it is before a new term starts, it's a very busy time of the year for him.'

Harry sighed. 'I miss him when he's not here. Why couldn't Hogwarts have been closer to home?' he whinged.

'Because the Founders decided to put it in Scotland, that's why, and believe me, they chose a damn good spot for it too,' a new voice said jovially from the doorway.

'Uncle Padfoot!' Harry exclaimed happily, and then ran over to give his uncle a hug. 'Are you really going to show me how to fly today?'

Sirius laughed and nodded. 'Sure am, Harry. When I'm done with you, you'll be flying like a pro.'

'Just make sure he doesn't break anything, Sirius,' Remus said and levelled a cool gaze on his friend. 'Keep in mind we can't just fix bones as simple as you please in this household. You know how I feel about using any sort of magic unless it's in utter emergencies involving life or death. Therefore, I don't want to have to cart my son off to the casualty and explain to them that he broke his arm, leg, or whatever else by falling off of a broomstick.'

'Look, just because the kid's living as a Muggle doesn't mean he is one, Moony. I was the best Beater at Hogwarts during our years there, so I think I can get him on a broom without doing severe damage,' Sirius argued.

'Aw, Dad, please can I go? I promise I'll be really careful,' Harry said wistfully.

'Come on, Remy, you know he's safe with me. What harm can he possibly come to with me?' Sirius grinned as he put an arm round Harry's shoulder.

'Knowing you, Black, my son will be coming home in a matchbox,' a new voice said, causing all three people in the room to turn round quickly.

'Father, you're home!' Harry cried out and flung himself into his father's arms for a hug that was promptly returned.

'Did you really think I would miss your eleventh birthday, Harry?' the man said with a slight smile as he walked into the salon, though he eyed Sirius warily. 'You best be careful with him, Black, or you will find yourself at the bottom of the lake having supper with the Giant Squid instead of here,' he scowled.

Sirius waved a hand in dismissal. 'Not unless you want to wake up tomorrow with Gryffindor House badges on all your clothes,' he smirked.

'Will you two stop acting like children? Honestly, Severus, you're just as bad as he is sometimes!' Remus cut in and glared at both men. 'Sirius, take Harry and get going, just be back by six o'clock so you can both get cleaned up for supper.'

'Deal,' Sirius said with a nod, and then turned to Harry. 'Well go on and get you're Nimbus 2000, Harry then we'll be on our way. Meet you in the kitchen all right?'

'Right!' Harry said grinning then dashed off to get his broomstick, Sirius following him out.

'A Nimbus 2000, of all things. Black spoils him too much,' Severus muttered, then went over and sat down on the sofa, rubbing his temples with an audible groan.

'Why shouldn't he? It's not as if he has anyone else to give things to,' Remus said, then moved to the back of the sofa standing behind Severus. 'Besides he can afford it, so why complain?'

'Harry needs to be content with what he has. What more could he possibly want that he does not already have?' Severus asked.

'Plenty, Severus,' Remus said sharply and then moved Severus' hands aside to rub his temples for him. 'He's a growing boy with growing needs that not even Sirius can provide.'

'Mmm ...' Severus said with a contented sigh, letting himself slip into the relaxing movements of Remus' hands. 'Are you saying we haven't raised him well enough? That we have not given him everything we possibly could?'

'It's not that, of course we have. It's just that ...' Remus trailed off.

Severus reached up and took Remus' hands in his own, turning round to look the smaller man deep in the eyes. 'You don't want him to go to Hogwarts, do you,' he said matter-of-factly.

Remus sighed and shook his head. 'No, I don't. He's far more Muggle than wizard, I'd rather he stayed that way. Besides, what if adding his name into the book didn't work? He may not even get a letter anyway if it thinks Harry isn't legitimately our son.'

'The book will believe he is because I used every Dark Arts spell, rune, and charm I know to make sure it would,' Severus said firmly. 'You knew the day would come sooner or later, now is the time. Face the fact; he is a wizard, Remus, and a damned good one I'll wager, once he's trained up properly.'

'He knows what the word is, but not what it means to be a wizard, Severus,' Remus argued. 'Apart from the fact he can do wandless magic when he sets his mind to it, for near all his life he's lived in a Muggle neighbourhood, he's gone to Muggle schools, and he has Muggle friends. We've raised him predominately in Muggle customs and beliefs, why disrupt all of that now?'

'Because it is time,' Severus said simply. 'Look, if he doesn't learn things the proper way now, who knows what could happen in the future. Unchecked magic can be very dangerous you know that. There is still much he needs to learn yet.'

'Like what? We have been watching him carefully; apart from a few incidences, his powers are still dormant. What could possibly happen if he remains here in the Muggle world?' Remus argued.

'Anything. He still has a destiny to fulfil remember,' Severus said absentmindedly rubbing a spot on his left forearm.

'Destiny,' Remus snorted. 'He's a child, Severus, no more or less. Besides, you can't really think that after all these years he is really going to come back, do you?'

Severus looked at Remus carefully. 'Whatever happened ten years ago at the Hollow only bought us extra time. Make no mistake; Harry needs to be prepared for what is to come. Child or not, he is the destined one.'

'Not in this house he isn't!' Remus said angrily. 'Here he is just Harry, that's all he needs to be, all he should ever be. We didn't raise him to go off and die at the first opportunity.'

'No, we raised him to be a thoughtful, considerate, caring lad, and that was our biggest mistake, Remus. He is far too softhearted for what he will eventually need to do. We have sheltered and taught him best we can, but it is time he started learning how to fight back,' Severus said.

Remus looked at Severus darkly for a moment, then came round to the front of the sofa and sat down next to him, a deep sigh emanating from his very soul. 'You're right, I know you're right. I just don't want to lose him, Severus,' he said softly.

'He has never known a day of unhappiness under this roof, Remus. He has parents that care for him to distraction, an uncle that is the centre of his universe, but the fact remains that he is also a wizard that needs to be trained properly. He still has to fulfil the Prophesy Sybill spoke of all those years ago,' Severus said.

Remus snorted. 'Sybill's a fraud and a fruitcake, Severus. You can't mean to tell me you actually listen to that batty woman?' he asked in disbelief.

'Normally I run from her as fast as I have the energy to do so, but we both know that right before Harry was born she made that strange prediction, one that Dumbledore truly believes to be factual or he would not have hired her at the school in the first place. We have sheltered Harry from the truth best we can, he knows nothing of the events of ten years ago because we all decided it was better that way. We have protected him best we can, but he is still James and Lily's son,' Severus said.

'I know he is, but we're the only family he knows,' Remus said possessively.

'And we will always be his family, Remus, no matter what happens. It is time that he went back to the Wizarding World, however. We need to let him make his own judgements, let him decide where he wants to be. We do not have the right to deny him the privilege of finding that out, even if he decides not to fight in the end, at least he would understand who he is,' Severus said quietly.

Remus sighed. 'I just don't want to give him up yet, Severus. Yesterday we were changing his nappies and teaching him how to walk and talk ... and now ...'

'Now he is an eleven year old young man who is very capable of taking care of himself, as well as knowing what is right and wrong,' Severus said softly. 'He will be fine at Hogwarts, besides you know I shall be there to keep watch over him.'

Remus smiled. 'I know you will I just would like to be there too I suppose. I want to know what he's doing there, I hate knowing I'm going to be missing out on such a major part of his life,' he said wistfully.

'Is that what is really bothering you, Remus?' Severus asked. 'Would it ease your mind if you could be there with him as well?'

Remus stared at Severus oddly for a moment. 'You know it would, but it's not possible. I can't just leave the house and run off like that.'

'Why not? It's not as if you have to worry about going back and forth to a job everyday, you only teach as a substitute at Harry's Primary, so there is no big loss there. The house is paid off now, there are no mortgages to deal with, and you can still come back as often as you want to pay the bills and collect the post,' Severus said.

'And where would I live, at the school with you?' Remus asked in exasperation. 'Oh I can just hear the rumours now,' he said rolling his eyes.

'My private life is my private life, Remus,' Severus scowled. 'It is not anyone's business to worry over what I do with my time. Most would say I have no life as it is,' he grinned. 'As far as I see it, there is nothing wrong with you staying at the school.'

'There's everything wrong with it, Severus. You are a Professor, I am not, just in case you've forgotten,' Remus snapped.

'As a matter of fact,' Severus said looking at Remus carefully, 'Pritchard is retiring, a last minute decision apparently.'

'Pritchard's going to retire?' Remus asked in surprise. 'He's what, at least a hundred now?'

'A hundred and twenty-two to be exact. At the staff meeting just this morning, he made his announcement, which is why I walked in with nearly a migraine because Albus has been harping on us all morning for ideas on candidates to fill Pritchard's shoes. Quickly at that I might add, since the term is only a bit over a month away now,' Severus said wearily.

'You're not really suggesting that I'd be an acceptable Muggle Studies professor, are you?' Remus asked sceptically.

'Why not? Who better to teach Muggle Studies then someone who's been living in the Muggle world for as many years as you have?' Severus asked.

Remus looked at Severus thoughtfully. 'I don't know, Severus, I'm very out of touch with the new Wizarding laws and such. I'd botch it all up most likely,' he said with a shake of his head. 'Besides, what if someone remembers all those years ago, the rumours about what I was and did?'

'We have time until the term begins to come up with feasible counter-stories, as for the rest I can easily update you on the current laws and details. Why are you even hedging on this? Didn't just say that you didn't want to miss this stage of Harry's life? What better way to do that then this?' Severus asked.

'Of course I want to be near Harry, but this ... this is a lot to think about, Severus. I thought perhaps I could visit often, or maybe even rent a small flat in Hogsmeade for the weekends ... but actually living at the school ... working there even ... well that's a lot different you know,' Remus said.

'Remus, if you are concerned about the rumour mill don't be, what was years ago is long dead and buried. If it bothers you that much then have a room in the Gryffindor wing, I am sure that won't be a problem. Even if it is a bit ... far ... from the dungeons,' Severus said a bit wistfully.

'Oh, Severus,' Remus said snuggling himself into his lover's arms with a heavy sigh. 'Considering things all told, that really doesn't matter, but what will they say about you when they find out about me?

'I am not concerned about my reputation; I know exactly what my students think of me. I hear everything they call me, from "the greasy haired Slytherin git" to "the cold-hearted, prat Potion's Master." Believe me, there is nothing more that can harm my reputation at this point,' Severus said lightly.

'And you enjoy every word of it, don't you,' Remus chuckled. 'You adore putting your students to the gristmill.'

'Soft students become lazy students, which in turn invariably causes trouble,' Severus said with a shrug. 'To them I am the very demon of hell himself, an immovable iceberg that at times is not even remotely human. Though how they came to that conclusion is beyond me,' he said with amusement.

Remus laughed. 'No doubt they simply adore your ever-so-pleasant "school-side-mannerisms," which I recall very well I might add. Mmm ... if only they knew the truth about you eh?' he said and reached his hand up to stroke Severus' hair gently. 'Your hair is as soft as you are in private, Severus Snape, and personally I enjoy having that little secret to myself.'

Severus snorted as he took Remus' hand into his own then looked deeply into his life mate's eyes. 'Accept the job, Remus; you have no reasons not to. The Primary can do without you, but I cannot. Harry cannot either, and you know he would adore having you there.'

'He'll have you there,' Remus said quietly.

'And I will have to treat him as I do any other student of mine. I cannot show him favouritism, even if he does call me "Father,"' Severus said.

'You don't want to treat him differently is all,' Remus muttered then looked at Severus worriedly. 'Are you really that afraid of what may happen in the future?'

'The Dark Lord was neither an imbecile nor a fool; he would have made back up plans for such an event. We are the ones being foolish, we have become complacent in thinking he is truly gone for good,' Severus said stiffly. 'Having you at the school would only make me rest easier. Knowing that Harry has both of us near him would make me happy, Remus.'

Remus thought over what Severus was saying, then after a few moments squeezed his life mate's hand gently. 'Well then, it looks like I'm going to be very busy in the upcoming weeks, aren't I.'

Severus smiled a genuinely happy smile. 'Thank you,' he said tenderly.

Remus laughed and shook his head, then stood up from the sofa and stretched for a moment, an odd twinkle in his eyes. 'Don't thank me yet, Severus Snape; remember that Sirius will most likely be stopping in often as Padfoot to check up on us. The Marauders may very well return from the dead to torment you,' he chuckled.

Severus groaned. 'You just had to remind me of that, didn't you,' he scowled.

'Harry has grown up with the worst one of the four Marauders, Severus,' Remus laughed. 'Do you really expect less of him than to follow in Sirius's footsteps?'

Severus rose from the sofa himself, shaking his head in exasperation. 'I suppose not. Though I warn you now, if that mutt so much as gets one dog hair on our furniture I will put him on a leash and tie him to the tallest tree I can find in the Forbidden Forest. He will wish the Ministry had caught him if so much as chews a slipper,' he grumbled.

Remus laughed. 'Already assuming I will be staying in your quarters are we? I thought you were the one who said --'

Severus stopped Remus mid-sentence by pulling him roughly into his arms and silencing him with a heated, passionate kiss. After a moment, he pulled back and looked down into the sparkling honey brown eyes of his lover. 'Damn the students and the rumours. I am not going to be able to be casual every day during school and not have you in bed every evening. It has been far too long since we had each other's company for an entire night apart from the holidays, so if you think I am going to settle for anything less you are the one mistaken,' he said breathlessly.

Remus chuckled softly and put on Severus' cheek, caressing it lovingly. 'If anyone had told me when we were kids that I'd end up falling in love with my enemy I'd have said they needed to get their head examined. Now I can't imagine my life without you in it,' he said with a content sigh.

'I shall always be there for you, Remus,' Severus said. 'Besides, you do realise that it doesn't matter?'

'What doesn't matter?' Remus asked puzzled.

'What anyone thinks about the relationship between you and I, and I will tell you here and now that I am not ashamed in the least of what you mean to me,' he said.

'The students won't like this at all, Severus. They may not know I'm a werewolf, but I have no doubts that some of them will have trouble accepting our way of life. People can sometimes be very stubborn about same gendered relationships in both the Muggle and Wizarding Worlds. Then of course there's the small problem that I'm also a Gryffindor, which will not sit well with your house students at all,' Remus said.

'They will obey their Head of House, they damn well better anyways,' Severus said.

'And if they don't? Then what, you'll give them detention?' Remus grinned mischievously.

'Detentions are God's gift to Professors, something you seem to have forgotten,' Severus chuckled, then drew his lover close and held him tightly for a moment. 'It is not just for Harry's benefit you need to do this, nor even mine, but for you own good you know. You are forgetting what it means to be a wizard yourself.'

'I am perfectly happy being a Muggle, Severus,' Remus said petulantly.

'You are not a Muggle though, you are a wizard, Remus, and it is high time you started acting like one again. Especially if things happen as I expect they will. We have raised Harry as our son for all these years; no one would think he was not after what we have done to him. You, however, need tending to, my dear wolf. You have been more tired than I have ever seen you look,' Severus said peering at Remus closely, a frown of worry creasing his face.

'I'm fine, Severus, honestly I am,' Remus said quietly then looked away a bit guiltily.

Severus brought Remus' head back round and looked at his lover intensely, his coal black eyes taking in every detail of Remus' face for a few moments. 'On second thought, perhaps this is not such a good idea after all. Maybe you and Harry should stay here in the Muggle world where there is far less stresses to worry about,' he said.

Remus sighed and shook his head. 'No, Severus, you're right, Harry does belong at Hogwarts, I'm just afraid that someone will figure out who Harry really is. Although we tell the Muggles that Harry was left in our care by relatives of yours as an infant and that we adopted him as our own son, we've led Harry to believe that through magical means, he really is our son. Also, what happens if they question him about his scar? And what if anyone who knows about our past questions him?' Remus asked anxiously.

'He would have nothing to say. He knows nothing of our pasts, and the Wizarding World believes "Harry James Potter" dead. No one, not even Albus himself, would ever expect the very dead son of James and Lily Potter to be attending Hogwarts under an assumed identity. We have altered his appearance enough so that he is not the image of the Potters', but of ourselves. As for his scar, no one knows what happened that night, only you, Black, and I know the truth. Harry himself thinks his scar is nothing more than a birthmark. As long as we stick to our story, no one will be the wiser,' Severus said.

'Will it be enough to fool people though? A scar like that is clearly not "just a birthmark," Severus,' Remus said.

'If it bothers you that much then we can put a Glamourine Charm over the scar, Remus. Harry has wanted to hide it for a while anyway, now he will have the chance. We just have to make sure that we re-apply the charm on a continual basis,' Severus said.

Remus thought that over a moment. 'I reckon that could work,' he said, then sighed heavily and looked up at his lover with sadness in his eyes. 'Have we done him a disservice by not telling him the truth? What if we've done him wrong all these years? Oh God, what if he hates us for what we've done?' he asked with a tremor in his voice.

Severus pulled Remus into a tight embrace, caressed his hair softly, and then kissed him gently on the forehead. 'Ten years ago when I pulled Harry from the rubble I wanted to leave him there, yet you convinced me not to. Since that day, I have not once come to regret that decision, nor will I ever. Once you were simply my partner and occasional lover, now you are my soul mate, my husband, and my entire being, Remus. You, Harry, and that sorry excuse of a mutt are my only family now, and I would not change that for the world,' Severus said softly.

Remus sighed happily and snuggled into Severus' arms. 'Sometimes I think I don't deserve you, Severus. You always make me believe that everything will work out for the best. The only regret I've had all these years is that Harry truly isn't our real son, a child is something I would have gladly given you if I had been allowed to,' he said with a trace of bitterness.

'It pains me that you are beholden to laws written by a bunch of bigoted bureaucrats. The Department of Magical Creatures are made up of imbeciles to have made the laws they did for werewolves. Those laws give you hardly any rights at all,' Severus said angrily.

'There's little I can do about it now, Severus, they are the laws, and as long as Fudge is in office my kind will never have more than we do,' Remus said shaking his head. 'What cannot be cured must be endured my mother used to tell me after I was bitten, and since I can't be cured I have to endure. Besides, at this point, even though Harry isn't our son by blood in our hearts he is, and I reckon that's all that counts. I'm just afraid of what will happen next though.'

'The only thing that will happen is that he will go to Hogwarts, end up in Gryffindor, and still be just as happy and content with his life as he is now, Remus,' Severus said. 'At least, that is what I'm hoping for.'

'You want him to go to Gryffindor?' Remus asked in surprise.

'I would be disappointed if he were to go anywhere else. Could you really see him in Slytherin?' Severus asked dryly.

'Now that would be interesting wouldn't it, James and Lily's son in Slytherin. Of course your right, he has to go to Gryffindor, I'd expect no less of him either,' Remus agreed.

'The only thing that concerns me now is the fact that, as you already pointed out earlier, he has also been raised by the worst of the Marauders. I have no doubts that we shall find ourselves becoming his first targets,' Severus groaned.

Remus laughed. 'I think you're absolutely right on that, Severus. Between Sirius, James's old cloak, and the Marauders Map at his fingertips, if he doesn't pull something before his first year is out I'd be highly surprised. Let's just hope he doesn't decide to magically dye our hair purple and make our faces polka dotted as he did a few years ago.'

'I remember that all too well. Took us all day to find the counter spell to remove it all,' he muttered. 'He thought it was "cute."

'It was cute,' Remus chuckled. 'Ah well, I'm sure I'm worrying about it all for nothing. After all, what bad things can possibly happen when both of us will be there keeping an eye on him eh?'

'Exactly. Now let us stop fussing about this, we still have time to think things over. What I want to know now is ... how much longer till Black and Harry comes home?' Severus asked with an odd glitter in his eyes.

Remus turned and looked at the clock sitting on the mantelpiece. 'A good hour and half left I'd wager.'

'So there is plenty of time until you has to get supper ready then,' Severus said.

'Have something in mind do we, Professor Snape?' Remus asked in amusement.

Severus grinned seductively, wrapped his arms round his lover's waist, pulled Remus to him, and kissed him passionately for a few minutes. 'Indeed I do, Professor Lupin-Snape,' he said huskily, his black eyes glistening with heated desire.

'Professor, eh?' Remus laughed and wrapped his arms round Severus' neck, kissing him on the cheek. 'You know, I think I'm starting to like the sound of that already!'