"How is your project coming along?" Lupin asked when he came across Severus in the hall.

"It's weighing on me." Severus held his back as he went by. With his glamor on, no one could tell that he was bigger and heavier than ever as he neared 36 weeks. Pomfrey said the baby was already 8 pounds.

Severus kept walking, and Lupin followed. He'd noticed that Severus was avoiding him more than usual lately.

"I know you must be cross with me. You wouldn't have had to do this project if it wasn't for me. It must be difficult."

Severus said nothing, hoping he would stop yammering and go away. He didn't want to feed the rumor mill that there was something going on between them. But Lupin kept trailing after him like a remorseful dog. Rolling his eyes, Severus went into the teacher's lounge, knowing it was likely to be empty at that time of day. Lupin followed him in.

"Not that I expect you to understand the art of subtlety," Severus drawled as he sat down with a groan, "but has it not occurred to you what it looks like, having you tailing after me, whispering together, missing the same days of class?"

"Yes, I've been hearing the rumors too, and I have denied any allegations that there is anything going on between us."

"Your denials will mean nothing if you persist in following me around."

"Well, I'm sorry. You've been avoiding me even more lately, and I just wanted to know how you and the cub were doing."

"I am doing my best to keep this child alive, prepare for their arrival, and squash the disgusting notion that you and I are together in any capacity. Forgive me if I have not had the time to dote on you," Severus snapped.

"I'm not asking for special attention." Severus snorted. "I know you have a lot on your plate because of me, so if you resent me -"

"I do."

"Then I can't say I blame you. I hope you and the baby aren't struggling too badly?"

Severus had been keeping his hands on his glamored stomach. "We're fine. They're growing like a weed and kicking me black and blue. Depending on how it goes this month, I may deliver them early before the next full moon."

"Then they'll be here soon. That's exciting."

"That's one word for it." Severus maintained his outward aloofness, but he was gently running his fingers over where he was feeling twitches of movement.

Lupin noticed, but only smiled and didn't point it out.

Severus finished gathering the herbs he needed in the greenhouse and started walking back to the castle, trying not to waddle. He felt huge and had less than a month to go. He was so close to meeting his baby and he couldn't wait, for more than one reason.

Suddenly he heard screams, like one of the students was frightened. Heading towards the sound, he saw the Trouble Trio being accosted by a big black dog about to pounce.

"You three! Get in the castle, now!" he barked, pointing his wand at the dog.

"But professor -!"

"I said now!" He was in no mood for arguing, and there was no time. As the trio scurried towards the castle, the dog snarled and leapt after them. In Severus' direction.

His heart leapt in his throat, but there was no way he was letting this filthy mongrel harm his baby. He immediately cast a strong shield that the dog bounced off of and sent it to the ground. It started scrambling to its feet, but Severus was a formidable duelist, heavily pregnant or not, and he was not about to lose when he had a cub to protect. He magically bound the dog's legs together as it struggled and barked, then added a muzzle for good measure.

He looked it over from a safe distance, wand pointed. He'd been hearing reports of a strange dog on the grounds, but he hadn't paid much attention. He'd had more important matters on his mind, like dealing with bumbling werewolves, the threat of an escaped convict, and preparing for his baby and keeping them alive. This was likely just a feral dog that had wandered too close, desperate for food.

The dog kept struggling against the ropes more desperately, and when it couldn't break free, it changed shape into a man. Severus stared. He could make out muffled words behind the muzzle that was now slipping off a deranged human face.

"Snivellus, you idiot! You let him get away!"

Severus was beyond furious. This time he would really kill that wolf. Was he bound and determined to be as much of a hindrance and a hazard as possible, or was he really just that stupid?

Dumbledore had tried to keep it quiet, but already the students were talking about the big dog that had been caught on the grounds, no doubt from the Trouble Trio telling anyone who would listen. The stray dog that had turned out to be Sirius Black. A detail Lupin had conveniently hidden from everyone.

When Severus found Lupin in his otherwise empty classroom after a Defense lesson, he magically slammed him against the wall and pinned him there, not trying to be gentle. Lupin opened his mouth to speak, but Severus stormed up to him and pointed in his face, eyes blazing.

"You knew! You knew he was an animagus and said nothing! You allowed that psychopath to roam around freely, putting the students in danger, putting my child in danger! Just when I thought you couldn't make my life any more difficult, you do something like this!"

"I'm sorry, Severus. He was one of my best friends. I wanted to keep his secret, for old times' sake. I didn't think he would-"

"You didn't think! All you care about is defending your old cronies and your own mangy hide! I partly blame myself - I was too thick to put it together when you mentioned your friends staying with you during full moons. They were all animagi, weren't they? A little detail that you decided I didn't need to know to raise my werewolf child that you gave me!"

Lupin looked remorseful, but it only angered Severus further. "I'm sorry-"

"Shut up!" Severus snarled through clenched teeth. "I am tired of constantly hearing how sorry you are while you deliberately make trouble for me! What did I ever do to you to deserve such strife?! It's not enough that you nearly killed me in school and then forcibly knocked me up, now you have to take it out on my child and threaten their safety as well?! No matter what you say, why should I believe you give a damn about anyone but yourself?!"

Lupin was at a loss for words, but Severus wasn't in the mood for any more excuses.

"You stay away from me. You stay away during the birth, and I'm about ready to keep you away from my child. Unless there's a full moon in the sky, I don't want to see your furry snout. Am. I. Clear."

Lupin nodded, and Severus stalked off, not bothering to release him.

He went straight to his quarters with a slam of the door and let the angry tears flow, not caring that hormones were making him so emotional. He was furious and hurt, and he wished he had strangled the wolf.

How could Lupin be so stupid, letting his mad crony rampage around unchecked, going after students, going after Severus while he was pregnant with his own cub? He didn't care at all, no matter what he said or how many times he apologized. Not that Severus had ever believed him anyway. He knew better. Yet this latest blow still hurt. After all these years the Marauders could still make him miserable, for no reason other than because they could. They'd picked on him and endangered him simply for existing, and now they endangered his baby too for apparently the same reason.

He angrily sobbed for some time, until he got it out of his system. He sniffled as he calmed down, rubbing his belly as he felt the baby squirming around.

"I promise… I won't let anyone harm you. If your idiotic sire does anything else to you, I will skin him and make him a rug for your nursery for us to walk on. That would make him useful for once."

He kept rubbing as he thought, taking shaky breaths as his mind cleared from the fog of fury. Lupin hadn't wanted him to know, but now Severus was very interested in learning how one became an animagus.