AN: Another quick update! I wanted to get this one out because I'll be going out of town next week and I'm not positive when the next chapter will be done. I really hope you all enjoy it and also! This chapter puts the word count at 110,735 words! Which means that we have officially reached epic length in this story! Technically, this fic is longer than POA, and maybe I'm the only one who cares about that, but I think it's really cool!

Anyway, as always, thank you to everyone who has stuck around. Reading, writing reviews, favoriting and following along or even just silently supporting this story. I can't put into words how much I appreciate it.

And lastly, just because it hasn't been said in a while and I'm paranoid lol, I unfortunately still do not own Harry Potter or anything else that you recognize. I just bring the characters out to play! Definitely not making a single sickle or knut :)

Chapter 30

"There," said Ron as he dropped an armload of sweets onto the table in front of Harry, "we brought back all we could carry."

Harry grinned. "Thanks!" They were in the far corner of the common room, away from anyone else who might be able to hear their conversation.

Ron and Hermione sat down at the table with Harry and filled him in on everything about Hogsmeade. They told him about everywhere they had gone and Harry found himself turning his head back and forth while trying to keep up with them. It reminded him of when he had conversations with the twins and eventually held up a hand to silence them.

"Listen," he said with a laugh, "that's all really great. Honestly. But the two of you are giving me a headache."

Hermione blushed. "Sorry. Tell us about your day. I hope you weren't too bored here. Did you manage to get any homework done?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Hermione, it's bad enough he missed Hogsmeade, you can't expect him to do work, too."

"Oh, Ron, just because you wouldn't do homework unless someone forced-"

"I had tea with Professor Lupin, actually." Harry said, cutting into the conversation before Ron and Hermione could get into yet another argument.

That got their attention and they both turned to face him.

"Really?" Hermione asked brightly. "That's so nice, Harry! Did he tell you about what we'll be studying next?"

Ron groaned, "Give it a rest, 'Mione."

"No," Harry said, ignoring Ron. "We talked about my parents, though. He knew them! They were friends. Best friends even," he finished quietly.

"Really?" This time it was Ron who asked. "I bet he has loads he could tell you about them!"

Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," Harry said hopefully, "it would be nice to hear about them from someone who was really close to them."

"I'm sure he'll tell you anything you want to know, Harry," Hermione assured him with a smile.

"There's something going on between him and Snape though."

"Well, it's obvious that Snape hates him," Ron said quickly with a shrug.

"I think it's more than that though," Harry replied. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, moving some of the candy out of the way and speaking quietly just in case someone walked by who could hear them. "They both say that they knew each other while they were here at Hogwarts, and Snape said that Professor Lupin knows about how he was adopted. And Snape knows what Lupin's boggart turns into. And he's making him a potion because he hasn't been feeling well. Except that," Harry took a breath and looked around, but no one was anywhere near them, "it's the same potion that Snape's been brewing all summer. I remember because he was working on it a lot while I was helping out in the lab-"

"Snape let you help out in his lab?" Ron asked.

"Ron, don't interrupt," Hermione scolded. "Go on, Harry."

"Well, anyway, I recognized the potion but what kind of sickness could Professor Lupin have that he would need a potion that needs at least a month to brew? And why does he need so much of it?"

"Do you know what the potion was," Hermione asked thoughtfully.

"No," Harry admitted, "but Snape wouldn't let me help out with it at all. He said it was too advanced."

"And they didn't tell you how they know each other?"

"No, only that they went to school together. But I know it's more than that. I have an idea, but it's just a guess, and I could be completely wrong."

The trio talked quietly for the next several minutes until finally, Hermione ushered them up so that they could head down to the Great Hall for the feast. All thoughts of Snape and Lupin were pushed from their minds as they took in the Halloween decorations and all the delicious food. Well, mostly anyway.


Snape had just stood up from the staff table with every intention of spending the rest of his evening in his parlor, shut off from everyone as he drank a bit of firewhiskey before going to bed. He would be glad when this dreadful day was over, and the sooner, the better.

Unfortunately, as his luck would have it, this was precisely when his night would go completely off the rails. Angelina Johnson came sprinting back into the Great Hall and up to the staff table, pausing only a moment to catch her breath. "Professor," she said to Dumbledore, "something's happened. The Fat Lady, she's missing and...and her portrait's been slashed."

Dumbledore, McGonagall, Lupin and Snape were already descending the steps from the staff table and making their way out of the Great Hall, with Angelina right on their heels.

When they got to the corridor leading to the Tower, Dumbledore immediately stepped up to the portrait, gently running his fingers over the slashed edges of the canvas.

Snape eyed the group of students until he found Harry, standing next to Ron and Hermione. Harry pointedly looked away from him, instead, focusing on Dumbledore's words as he addressed Peeves. When Dumbledore gave the order for them all to return to the Great Hall, however, Snape caught Harry's eye and gave an almost imperceptible nod of his head. Harry said nothing of course, but Snape hoped he would take it for the warning that it was.

"Stay in the Great Hall with the others. Be safe."

When the students were gone, Dumbledore turned to Snape and Lupin. McGonagall had already left to find Filch and have him search all the paintings for the Fat Lady.

"Go and get the Slytherins, Severus," Dumbledore said. "Then I would like for you and Remus to begin your search. Start with the third floor. I doubt he's still in the castle, but we need to be sure."

"I can search on my own," Snape immediately protested, ignoring Lupin as he rolled his eyes. "We'll be faster if we split up."

"I don't want anyone splitting up." Dumbledore's voice had taken on a hard edge, a tone that both of the younger professors had heard before, though rarely. Dumbledore sighed, "You will stay together and report to me when you've finished."

"Fine," Snape agreed before turning away and heading in the direction of the dungeons without another word. He barely heard as Dumbledore told Lupin that he was going to see that the students settled down in the Great Hall.


"Humenum Revelio." Snape cast the spell to detect another human's presence as he and Lupin walked into the deserted classroom on the third floor. Nothing happened and Lupin sighed.

"Don't you think he would use a charm to make that spell ineffective?"

Snape grunted but otherwise made no comment.

The two of them had been searching the third floor for an hour but had only covered about half of it. There were just so many classrooms and hidden places to check. For the most part, they had worked in silence, both lost in their own thoughts, but every once in a while, one would comment that a room was clear or make a suggestion of where to search next.

"Harry and I," Lupin started suddenly as he busied himself with checking behind a large cabinet, "had a nice talk today."

"How very good for you," Snape replied dully, also intent on not looking at the other man.

"He asked about his parents." There was a sadness in Lupin's voice as he said the words. As if he regretted having to talk about them.

They cleared the classroom and moved on. Back in the corridor, Snape said, "I'm sure you jumped at the chance to fill his head with stories of your adventures with your little pack."

Lupin sent a glare towards Snape's back and replied, "Don't start, Severus. Not tonight. Not when it's so close to-" Lupin cut himself off. "I'm not doing this with you."

Snape turned around to face Lupin, his eyes narrowing at the other professor. "Why should tonight be any different than any other night? Don't start? Nothing has started between us in over three years."

"That's not my fault!" Lupin could feel his anger rising and he took a deep breath in an attempt to calm it, though it helped very little. "We're supposed to be searching." He said quietly, turning away from Snape. "I'm going to check the Trophy Room."

He just barely heard Snape murmur, "Of course, just run away. It's what you're good at."

Snape had no problem hearing the low growl emanating from Lupin's chest. At one point, he might have taken a step back. Rethought his plan. Even been afraid. But Snape did none of those things now. Now he stood his ground. He was angry too and he hadn't been afraid of Remus Lupin since they'd been sixteen years old.

Lupin turned back around, his blue eyes flashing angrily. "Alright, Severus, you want to do this now? Let's have a go then. I've been out of the country for nearly four years and while I hadn't expected a warm welcome when I came back, you've been outright frigid! I've tried talking to you but you don't want to hear anything I have to say! All you do is push people away!"

"And you left in a hurry, didn't you?!" Snape shouted back. "Not a word this entire time? What? They didn't have owls where you disappeared to? You couldn't have taken the time to write just a line or two to say you were okay? If not to me, then the least you could have done was sent one to them!"

"You know damn well why I had to leave!" Lupin defended himself.

"No, you didn't. You could have stayed and dealt with it. But instead, you ran away like a coward!" Snape spat the words as if they were something awful he had tasted.

"Yes!"

Lupin's chest was heaving now as he struggled to take in air. He stalked towards Snape but then turned and faced the window, his anger only building as his thoughts rushed around his mind.

"I was a coward so I took off. Is that what you want to hear, Severus?!" It had been a long time since he'd lost his temper this way and he was finding it hard to reign it back in. He recoiled from the window and shot Snape another glare. "I knew he was coming and I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to handle seeing him. Not after everything. Not after that night. Have you seen him?! Merlin, Severus, he looks just like James!"

He took a breath. "And I know you lost Lily that night."

"Don't-" Snape tried to interrupt but Lupin continued.

"I know she was your best friend and I know it hurt! I know it hurts so bad sometimes that you'd rather rip off your own skin then to think about her. If it meant you just didn't have to feel anymore! I'm sorry you lost her, Severus, you know that I am, but you lost her and I lost all of them! In one night, everyone that ever cared about me was gone! Taken! And so no, I couldn't stand the thought of staying in these halls, watching day in and day out as he walked about them. Took his meals where James ate. Slept where he slept! Knowing, knowing, that they're dead because of me. Because make no mistake, Severus, I should have known. If anyone should have known what he was going to do, it should have been me! I should have known he was a traitor but I didn't, and because of that, I lost them all. You lost Lily and Harry doesn't have parents. And I-" He looked at Snape and blue eyes locked with black, "I understand why you blame me," he whispered.

Snape stood rigid as Lupin slid himself down the wall and sat on the floor of the corridor. All fight gone from him. He pulled his legs up so that his arms could rest across his knees and he leaned his head back against the stone wall. He found himself thinking that Lupin looked tired. There were bags under his eyes and the scars that stretched across his face seemed to stand out starkly against his pale skin. Snape sighed.

"Did you even drink that potion I brought you earlier?" He asked as he walked over to the opposite wall and after a moment of eyeing the floor, sat down so that he now faced Lupin. He mirrored his posture except that he kept one leg out straight and stared at the other man.

Lupin snorted. "Yes, mum. I was a good little boy and took all my medicine. Happy?" he said sarcastically as he closed his eyes.

"Ecstatic." Snape replied drily.

After several moments in which they both sat quietly, Snape said, "I don't blame you."

Lupin didn't even open his eyes. "I blame myself enough for the both of us." Another moment passed before Lupin spoke again, "For the record, I barely told Harry anything. I wasn't sure what you had already told him and I didn't want to overstep."

"What did you talk about, then?" Snape asked before he could stop himself.

Lupin replied immediately, looking straight at Snape now. "You. He was plenty mad at you for not letting him go to Hogsmeade."

Snape scoffed. "It's not the first time and I'm sure it won't be the last."

Lupin gave a small laugh. "Yes, well, if memory serves, it'll probably just get worse. So you've got that to look forward to."

"I can hardly wait."

"He might look like James, but he definitely acts more like Lily. He's too curious for his own good."

"I've noticed," Snape replied.

"I'm afraid," Lupin started tentatively, "that if you don't tell him about Sirius soon, he's going to find out on his own."

Snape nodded. "I've already thought about that. I'm just waiting for the right time."

"Take it from me, the longer you wait, the harder it will be."

"Is that why you stayed away so long?" Snape asked.

The quiet stretched on for so long that Snape thought that he wouldn't answer, but finally he heard Lupin sigh. "The longer I was gone, the harder it was to come back. I tried, loads of times before, but I couldn't do it. I got as far as the castle last year. It was night and I stood outside near the edge of the forest and stared up at Gryffindor Tower for over an hour, just wondering if he was inside and what he might be doing with his friends. But then I just left again."

"Then why did you come back now?"

Lupin looked abashed as he stared at the tops of his knees and shrugged.

"I think he had an alarm on the wards that would alert him if I ever came. He'd been at the Ministry that night but he found out the next morning. I didn't think about that and so I was staying at Hog's Head thinking that I would just disappear again. But dad had been there when I woke up. Just calmly sitting in the chair beside the window in my room as if he routinely found his sons hiding out in an old inn."

Snape opened his mouth to reply when suddenly another voice spoke from further down the corridor.

"Dad?" They both looked up to see Harry, standing there, caught out of bounds. Again.


Snape and Lupin were both on their feet in seconds. Snape looked murderous while Lupin stood behind him, frowning. Though it would seem that self preservation hadn't yet kicked in for Harry as he continued to speak, "Do you mean Professor Dumbledore? I knew it! Neither of you would say but I just knew it. They adopted both of you, didn't they?"

"You'd better have a really good reason for not being in the Great Hall, young man," Snape continued to glower at him as he spoke and it finally seemed to dawn on Harry that he'd been caught.

He backed up a step. "I...uh, well I-"

"Spit it out, Harry!" Snape hissed and Harry was grateful that there was no one else on this floor to hear them.

He dropped his head and mumbled something that Snape was pretty sure sounded like, "Ron's rat slipped out of his pocket a few minutes ago."

"So you just decided to search the castle for a rat when you know good and well that the teachers are searching the castle for Black. Someone that we know to be after you and someone who not two hours ago slashed through a portrait in an attempt to get into your common room?!"

"No!" Harry tried to defend himself. "It wasn't like that. We didn't think he'd get so far and we were only going to look for him for a minute but I guess I just wasn't paying attention."

Snape took a deep breath. "Where is Mr. Weasley?"

Harry shrugged but a look from Snape had him giving a verbal answer instead. "We split up. He went towards the dungeons."

Snape was seething and he reached out and took Harry by the arm, careful that his grip wasn't too tight, and began leading him down the corridor with Lupin walking behind them. "I'm taking you back and this time you will stay there if I have to personally have Percy Weasley stand guard over you-"

"Snape, don't." Harry struggled to get out of Snape's grasp but it was no use. Snape just brought them up short and turned Harry to face him.

"Don't what, Harry? Don't be upset that you disobeyed the rules? Don't be worried about you once again putting yourself in danger needlessly?"

"I'm going to find Ron," Lupin suddenly spoke up from behind Snape and Harry watched miserably as the man left them alone in the hallway.

"We just wanted to-"

"I don't care." Snape cut in. "I don't care one bit about that rat. I'm sorry he's lost but in the grand scheme of things, Harry, I'd take a lost rat of losing you anyday."

Harry looked up and met Snape's eyes before finally giving a long sigh and looking away.

"I'm sorry. We just didn't think."

"Obviously," Snape replied, loosening his hold on Harry but continuing to walk down the hall. "We'll talk about it in the morning."

"Yes, sir."


Harry and Snape arrived at the entrance to the Great Hall just as Lupin and Ron turned the corner and made their way to them. Ron himself looked pretty red in the face and Harry wondered briefly if Lupin, the most understanding and forgiving of all their professors, had scolded him as well. He didn't have long to think on it though as Snape opened the doors and ushered them both inside, following in after them.

Percy came over to them immediately, a dark scowl on his face as he glared at the two young Gryffindors.

"What were you thinking sneaking out like that?!" Percy said harshly. "Ten points from Gryffindor, each. And I'm writing to Mother about this."

Ron glared at his older brother as he balled his hands into fists at his sides, but thankfully, he said nothing. Snape spoke from behind them.

"You can let her know that they are both receiving a detention as well."

Harry and Ron both groaned but again, refrained from speaking, knowing that arguing would get them nowhere. And looking around, Harry noticed that quite a few students had raised up in their sleeping bags to see what was going on. The last thing Harry wanted was to put on a show.

"Into bed with both of you," Lupin said, causing both boys to look up at him. "And, Harry, I'll be writing to your relatives in the morning as well."

Harry looked confused for a moment until he saw the corner of Lupin's mouth twitch the smallest bit as he raised an eyebrow at him. Understanding dawned on him that Lupin was acting for his benefit so that anyone listening wouldn't think that only Ron was having a letter sent home and he did his best to seem nervous about that. Though it really wasn't hard when he thought about the very real conversation he would actually be having with his guardian the next morning.

"Yes, sir," Harry answered, dropping his head in hopes that no one would notice the heat creeping up his neck and cheeks.

Both professors left after that and Percy followed Harry and Ron back over to where their sleeping bags lay out next to Hermione, who glared up at them from her spot on the floor. When Percy finally left them alone, Ron asked, "Did you happen to find him?"

Harry shook his head. "Sorry."

They all turned onto their backs and lay quietly for a moment before finally, Harry couldn't hold it in any longer and he whispered, "I was right. Earlier about Snape and Lupin. They're brothers."