CHAPTER THREE"Snips, Spirals, and Moony"
Britomartis hurried up the steps from the dungeons to the Great Hall, meeting several students in the antechamber as they came in for the Start-of-Term Feast.
"Are you all all right" she called. "Damned Ministry didn't tell us about the Dementors searching the train until it happened! Miss Parkinson? Mr. Flint? Miss Humphries"
"We're okay, Professor Vox" Elizabeth Humphries sighed. "Massive chocolate was given. Draco wet himself when he saw the Dementors "
"I did NOT" Draco Malfoy exclaimed. "Potter was the one who fainted"
"Yeah, that's why you needed to change your trousers in a hurry."
"Leave him alone, Humphries" Pansy Parkinson barked.
"I beg your pardon, Parkinson, I didn't know he was your property." Elizabeth grinned. "I'll remember to ask your permission before I abuse him."
"Mudblooded freak" Draco muttered.
"Inbred Squib."
"Quiet down, both of you" Britomartis stated. "Go on in and seat yourselves - and Mr. Goyle, straighten that hat."
Britomartis turned back around and descended the stairs back to the dungeons, finding Serverus leaving the Potions Lab.
"Let's get this bloody thing over with" he muttered.
Britomartis stopped him and brushed his hair back from his face. "Promise me you won't turn Lupin into a slug before the students"
"So you wish for me to turn the students into slugs before he is turned into one"
"You know what I mean"
"Any reason"
"It would be bad for the students to see you acting childish." She smoothed wrinkles out of the turquoise gown over her hips, then arranged Snookie-Poo around her neck and over her shoulders. Pushing her sunglasses up, she blew him a kiss. "Time to behave cool and aloof before the children."
Severus held her face and kissed her, probing her mouth with his tongue before releasing her. "Love you, House Mother."
Britomartis giggled. "Love you, House Master."
They pulled their Professor Expressions on and ascended back up the staircase, taking one of the side entrances into the Great Hall and settling in their seats at the Head Table.
They bent their heads close. "Where's your mother" he asked.
"In my rooms. She's sleeping the sleep of post-labor, which means every little sound I make wakes her up and she coddles me like a newborn. I had to draw the line when she offered ... " Britomartis made a face. "Well, nevermind, it's a mother thing "
A body slid into the seat on her other side and she turned to see Remus Lupin next to her.
Britomartis was slightly shocked to see him after twenty years. Last she remembered was a thin, shaggy-haired, pale boy; now next to her was a worn-out man that looked older than his age of mid-thirties. His hair was still ginger-colored, but it was now sprinkled with gray, as was the thin mustache he now sported. Still as pale, with faded blue eyes and a gaunt appearance, plus his suit and robes had been turned many times, looking both old-fashioned and slightly shabby.
"Remus Lupin" she said softly. "A pleasure to see you after all these years."
He studied her for a moment, then his jaw dropped slightly. "Britomartis Vox." He bowed his head slightly. "I'm surprised to see you."
Remus stared at her. His teenage crush on the Slytherin Beater was an open secret to everyone that noticed - she had been the first girl he had noticed by scent and this had lead into nearly two years of an unrequited crush before she had been sent to Beauxbatons.
And she was even more gorgeous as a woman - bobbed ash-blonde hair, dusky skin, with a mature figure of settled womanhood which was wrapped up in a turquoise gown, a purple scholar robe, a large ornate golden belt, a snake wrapped around her shoulders, and the ever-present sunglasses. Not to mention the scent ... the scents of womanhood, nag champa perfume, incense, olive oil ...
And Severus Snape.
She was covered with Snape's scent.
He looked further up the table, seeing her constant companion from back then, now decked out completely in black but still possessing the long greasy black hair and an even more sour expression. "And Snape, also a professor. Potions, right"
Severus nodded, gazing at Remus with loathing. It had been less than twenty years for both; Remus Lupin was a particularly spineless specimen of invertabrae Severus had personally know ... they might have been on civil terms if Lupin had not begged for approval by the Maraudiots and had not stared at Britomartis like a lovesick idiot.
"And what are you teaching, Miss - I mean, Professor Vox"
"Worlds Religions - essentially, ancient magical systems and etiquette."
"That crosses over a bit into DADA, does it not"
"Somewhat; it depends upon the traditions. All of them are still active somewhere, so the students need to know how to deal with them." She glanced at Severus, who was now scowling hard enough to make his lips turn purple. She looked back at Remus, who looked like a good glare would do him in. "All right, boys."
"Beg pardon" both Remus and Severus asked at once.
"We are not teenagers anymore, we are all grown adults."
Both men nodded.
"So, Lupin, that means if you behave yourself you can hang out with the cool professors."
Remus broke into a grin and Severus bit the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning even though he could not hide the smirk.
Madame Hooch, sitting near them, commented"Yeah, just watch out for Hagrid, he'll steal your lunch money."
From the other side, Hagrid exclaimed"I wouldn'a do that! Those were lies"
"Why would students need lunch money now" Remus asked.
"Oh, you know, some like a rich diet" Britomartis answered off-handedly.
Everyone around her groaned just as the students finished filling the Great Hall.
-
Remus Lupin packed what little he had away in his office and inhaled the dusty scents of books and old schoolroom.
There were long stretches of time he spent in this room with Professor McElwain and subsequently Professor Flitwick, soaking up everything he could about defending one's self from the Dark Arts and becoming one of the most notable students to ever pass the class (minus the incident when he accused Snape of being a vampire - but the pieces had seemed to fit).
Now he was on staff as a teacher to a new generation of students ... including James (may he rest in peace) Potter's son.
He was still shaken by meeting Miss Britomartis again, and even more shaken by the fact that her scent still affected him on a primordial level. Damn it, he thought he was over this! They were not teenagers anymore!
But had anyone really had any closure on that subject? The one time he managed to summon enough guts to ask her to one of the dances, she declined on grounds of their groups being rivals. It was never over for him, despite accepting that she had left and he would never see her in this lifetime.
It annoyed Remus to no end that he felt like a fifteen-year-old boy again, feeling the surge of his old crush on her swirling around his brain and stomach.
Of course, that may have been getting used to the mashed turnip once more.
He had no business chasing after her after all these years; it was obvious Snape had claimed her at last. Besides, what did he have to offer her? He could not even afford a decent robe or suit at the moment, much less show anything for the past twenty years save a few more scars here and there.
Concentrate on something else. Like the fact that one of his students will be James and Lily's son ... it was spooky, though, seeing the child on the train, looking like both James and Lily. He remembered visiting them just before they went into hiding and teaching young Harry how to say 'Marauder'.
Now to teach the boy some things he would need to know.
-
Britomartis was assaulted by hugs on all sides by the girls of Slytherin as she entered the hallway to the girls' dorms.
Leading the charge had been Elizabeth Humphries, a Fourth-Year student pet, who had to show off her double-axe henna-tattoo she had painted on her calf and the henna-tattoo snakes writhing around her wrists (all were easily covered up by her under-uniform). Not to mention the streaks of lavender color throughout her blonde hair - 'A hair-color trick I learned from my Grandmum Betty.'
"Yes, yes, I'm happy to see you girls, too" Britomartis laughed as she hugged them. "I missed you over the summer as well. I like the hairstyle, Miss Bulstrode - I often told your mother that she would look good with a permed wave as well. Miss Davis, you've grown two inches taller already"
"We brought the First-Years" Sixth-Year Prefect Deb Lister said as she and Seventh-Year Prefect Arlene Rimmer lead a group of eight eleven-year-old girls up to her.
Britomartis released Daphne Greengrass from a hug and turned to the students. "Good evening, girls. I am Professor Vox, your House Mother and Worlds Religions teacher. This " she hefted the snake up. " - is Snookie-Poo, our house snake. Treat her well, give her mice with drops of brown mustard, and she won't sneak into your bed and strangle you. Usually. As your House Mother, you can come to me for anything you need no matter what time of day or night. General rules - treat each other decently, forget about taking boys into your rooms because the Protection Spells will kick in, keep track of your familiars, and for the Great Mother's sake, don't get caught. Any questions"
Kelly Woot, Sixth-Year, raised her hand. "ANYTHING we need"
"I think I'll regret this - but what is it"
"A night alone with the House Master."
Britomartis rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses. "I'm sure you've been practicing all summer, Miss Woot. Although he's switched his preference to females over twenty."
"Pooh."
The First-Years looked confused as the rest of the girls giggled.
"Anyway, one more announcement: my mother is visiting from Crete. Treat her with respect should you run into her and don't antagonize her, she's meaner than me. Address her as Lady Vox." A few girls blinked. "If there aren't any more questions, then off to bed with you. Be up early for breakfast - you'll get your class schedules then. Good night, ladies."
"Good night, House Mother."
The girls went up to their rooms, exhausted from the train ride and the feast and meeting with friends again. Britomartis made her way across the common room to the House Heads' corridor, finding Severus in the passage by her door.
"Yes" she breathed, wrapping arms around his neck.
Severus kissed her jaw up to her ear. "I already miss you in my rooms. It's going to be very lonely again."
"Persevere, my love." She moved his hair aside and nibbled his ear.
"Keep doing that and the students will have to accept the House Master and Mother have interests outside of scholarly pursuits."
"Can't traumatize them." She leaned back as his lips seared down her throat. "But it's their lookout "
He raised her back up and kissed her deeply and passionately. At last, the kiss finally tapered and he whispered against her lips"Good night, Sexy Knickers."
Britomartis laughed herself sick as they seperated and entered their own rooms. She shut the door, still laughing, pulling her sunglasses off and wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Baby" Saphira said. "What happened"
"Nothing, Saphira - I mean, Mother." She tried to control the giggling. "How are you feeling"
"A little better. Come here and let me hold you, baby."
Britomartis settled on the couch next to her and was wrapped up in the old woman's arms. She wanted to say something, but the feeling of her mother holding her and washing love and protective energies over her choked back any thoughts of interruption.
"I need to name you, my darling child" Saphira said softly, raising Britomartis' face up.
"You don't need to name me now."
"I need to. For the ancestors, for the family, for you ... for me."
Britomartis sat up. "It's too late now. I'm thirty-three "
"Please" Saphira begged, clutching her tightly. "I want to name you! Give you all of your names - the Family Name, the Proper Name, the Physical Name, and the Soul Name"
Britomartis knew the importance of the Amphidromia - the naming ceremony. She had gone through four of them for her children, despite never having a Amphidromia of her own.
After a third of a century, her mother wanted to give her one.
"Yes."
Saphira got up and lit the incense on one of the shelves of the main room, picking up the stick and whirling it around to the four points of the world, murmuring in ancient Minoan and calling upon the elements and the Great Mother.
Britomartis closed her eyes as Saphira traced ancient rune-signs on her forehead with her finger, then smelled the incense as it swirled around her head.
In a strong, cool voice, Saphira stated"Matere Teija, Mother Goddess, I present my child to you. May she grow strong in mind, body, and spirit in your service. May she bring honor to her family - past, present, and future."
Britomartis knew this was an abbreviated version of the Amphidromia ceremony, but still felt tears threatening to spill over her eyelids.
"Allow her to know that she is loved - deeply and unconditionally - by all of her blood. Her names shall be given by her mother ... " Saphira's voice slipped into a warm, personal tone, as opposed to the vocal petition to the Goddess she had just addressed"And I shall name you, my child ... The Family Name of 'Vox': the ancient word of 'voice'. The Proper Name of 'Britomartis': the Goddess of mountains and hunting, known as the 'sweet maiden'. The Physical Name of 'Pandora': the 'all-gifted one', may you be strong and graceful in any action you take. The Soul Name of 'Kairos': the right time and opportunity presenting itself to be captured in full." She held her daughter's face up to her own. "My darling child - Britomartis Pandora Kairos Vox - daughter of my blood, love of my life."
Britomartis broke into tears at last as her mother held her tightly, softly singing an ancient ballad in the quiet of the evening.