(13)Secrets
Lupin pulled Neville aside the moment he stepped out of Potions Class. "Walk with me a moment," said Lupin. "There's something you need to know!"
"Full moon tonight!" Neville said. "I already know that!"
"Neville, you know of that werwolf potion we can have that keeps us sane & asleep on such nights!" Lupin sighed. "I've actually made some for us but we have a bit of a problem!"
"You spilt it?" Neville laughed.
Lupin grumbled for a moment. "No! I didn't do that!" he smiled a bit. "I only made enough for two but I bit........er.....someone over Christmas &---!"
"Hey!" Neville yelped. "Christmas was not a full moon!"
"I know!" Lupin rolled his eyes. "That's the problem! You may use the potion but I can't stay with you tonight in the castle for as I said there isn't enough for him & it takes two days to brew!"
"Who did you attack?" ask Neville.
"No one important!" snarled Lupin. "Just someone stubborn & stiff &-------"
"Oh dear Merlin! NOT Professor Snape?!"
"Oy! Say nothing!" Lupin groaned.
"I knew something was wrong this Christmas!" Neville exclaimed. "How could you? I'm scared enough of Snape without him having a reason to attack me!"
"Grandma's dress, Neville!" Lupin laughed. "Just think of seeing him in that! Oh, I love boggarts at times!" Lupin was hysterical for a moment. "This is his first night! I should be with him."
"Why?" asked Neville. "What good did he ever do to you? Just let him die out there & we'll be rid of him!"
"No, Neville!" said Lupin. "Go take your Potion. I'll see you tomorrow!"
Snape was at his desk as usual when he sensed he wasn't alone. Glancing up, he saw Lupin standing before him. "What is it now?" Snape snapped. "Come to ask for Merida's hand in marriage or something?"
Lupin took a moment to calm his rage at that remark. "You coming or not?"
"Where?" Snape snapped.
"Full moon tonight, remember?" Lupin was desperately trying to keep his voice calm but he half felt like hitting Snape over the head!
"Oh, must you be with me?" Snape snapped. "I'll kill you if I can!"
"Go ahead & try!" Lupin finaly lost his temper. "But you are coming with me right now! So let's go!" He marched for the door.
"I can't believe I'll be stuck with you & Longbottom all night!" Snape fumed.
"I gave Neville the potion!" Lupin said. "It's just us with the wild wolves!"
"Wonderful!" Snape growled. "Why don't you stay with him?"
"The force of the full moon is the werwolves' greatest fear!" Lupin said. "You really don't want to be alone with it!"
"There is only one thing I fear but it isn't the moon!" Snape defended. "I neither want nor require your friendship!"
Lupin sighed dejectedly. "Whatever! Just shut up & stay close to me!" Lupin marched for the forrest as the sun began to set with Snape glowering behind him.
Unknowing of what was happening to her father at that very moment, Merida threw herself onto the couch beside Harry & stared into the fire. "What are you raging about?" Harry pulled her into a kiss.
"My girlfriends!" Merida muttered when he let her go. "Brean, Lavendar, Susan & Cho-------!"
Harry coughed & sputtered! "You know Cho Chang?!" he yelped. "She's a friend of yours?!"
"Yes, Harry!" Merida giggled. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing really!" Harry said. "She used to be Cedric's girlfriend & then....!"
"Then he was murdered, right?" Merida finished his sentence in a very different way to what Harry was thinking! "I know of him!" said Merida.
"What's wrong with your friends?" Harry wanted to change the subject.
"Don't get jealous because it's not true!" Merida yelped. "They're all teasing me about Lupin for some stupid reason! Susan's the worst one & now, no thanks to Susan, I have to redo that test tomorrow because Lupin thought we were cheating when she started giving me notes!"
"Were you two cheating?" Harry teased.
Merida pushed him away, glowered for a moment & then lay on his lap. "Oh, nevermind! I'll fix them later! By the way, how's it coming?"
"It's fine!" Harry smiled down at her. "Considering the fact that we've still got three & a half weeks to go still!"
Merida groaned. "Why that dumb thing takes a month, I'll never know!" Harry only laughed at her, knowing how short-tempered Snapes could be! He softly stroked her hair until she fell asleep with her head on his lap. Harry gazed into the dying embers for awhile before he to fell asleep on the couch in the common room.
"Still think you could have done it alone?" Lupin retorted as he burst through the doors of the castle late the next morning with Snape steaming in a fury behind him!
"If I was alone it wouldn't have happened!" Snape snapped. "You were in my way!"
"Oh, please!" Lupin growled. "I was beside you, not in front of you! I can't believe you ran off into the forrest & into that tree!"
"I was running after you!"
"No!" Lupin snapped. "You fled from me but when I caught up to you, you attacked me! We were both wolves & you attacked me!"
"Silence!" Snape snapped. "I've had a rough night!"
"Oh, YOU had it rough?!" Lupin snarled. "Well, get used to it! Next time, I'll handle you differently!"
"There you are, father!" Merida suddenly appeared. "I was looking all over for you!"
"I'll deal with you later, Remus!" Snape glowered at him.
"I can hardly wait!" Lupin fumed. "See you in class Miss Snape!" he reminded her.
"Fighting again?" Merida groaned.
"He started it!" Snape snapped, watching Lupin disappear around the corner. Then he looked at Merida. "What is it?"
"This!" Merida held up a letter.
Snape glanced around & then dragged her into his office. "I thought I said no more owling?!"
"I didn't do anything!" Merida tossed him the letter. "Recognize it?"
"This is the one I wrote at Grimm-----Merida what did you do now?!"
"I stopped it because it's my fault you wrote it in the first place!" Merida glanced to the floor.
"How can this be your fault?" Snape tried not to sound upset.
"I'm the one who ran out on you when I found out you were a Death Eater!" Merida said. "You don't have to stay away from everyone just because you have the Mark!"
"Merida!" Snape groaned. "What to do with you at times? It elludes me! No, this is not your fault for there is something else not mentioned here that you don't know about. Something worse then a Death Eater but I have no intention of telling you or anyone else!"
"Oh fine, father!" Merida sighed, looking up at him.
The gazed at each other for a few moments, then Snape felt something touching his mind. Realising what it was, Snape pulled out his wand & pointed it at Merida. "Protecto!" Merida was forced out of his mind & across the room. Snape dropped his wand & ran to her. "Merida, you're telepathic! Why didn't you tell me?"
"It's rather weak & usless!" Merida picked herself up. "I didn't think I should bother with it!"
"That wasn't weak Merida!" Snape said. "You performed a mind meld before I knew what was happening!"
"I did?" Merida wonder if he was only teasing her!
"You didn't notice?" Snape asked. "Very strong indeed if you are capable of performing Occlumency without concentrating on it! We should have a few lessons! Train you a bit!"
"OK THAT'S the real reason I didn't want to tell you!" Merida snapped. "Not after all those horror stories I heard! I'd rather Dumbledore teach me!"
"A curse on Potter!" Snape glowered. "Merida, do you honestly think I'd be as rough with you? Just try it once!"
"I'll think about it!" Merida muttered. "Right now, I have a detention to get to!" She left Snape standing alone.
"Detention? What detention?" Snape glanced around but Merida was already gone!
"I still say Susan & I weren't cheating!" Merida defended as soon as she entered Lupin's classroom. "I thought you said you'd let us go this time?"
"I was refering to not reading those notes!" Lupin smiled. "& not telling your father about detention?"
"Ooops! I think I just did!" Merida giggled a bit as she sat down at her desk.
"Hush, Miss Snape!" Lupin handed her the test for the second time & then settled himself at his desk. Now to focus on the recent fight between me & Severus! Lupin told himslef darkly. It's only half an hour alone with her! You'll get through it! Lupin forced himself to keep his eyes on his desk, where the papers of the other students lay.
"IMMOBULUS!!" Merida suddenly yelped. Lupin was so startled that he barked a high-pitched sound! "Sorry sir!" Merida grinned sheepishly. "It's just that boggart was driving me crazy, hitting the walls of that mirror cabinet!"
Merlin, I love her smile! Lupin shook himself a bit. "That's my fault! I haven't played with it for a few days. I never do around the time of full moons. It's like this every month!"
"When will you let it out again?" Merida asked.
"Well, actually," Lupin glanced at Merida. Remus, don't do this! he warned himself. "why not after you're done that?" I'm going to KILL myself! Lupin scolded himself! "I've noticed you're not doing the Riddikulos Charm very well. Perhaps a bit of practice would do you well?" You're finished Remus! You're going to lose control over yourself! Merida started laughing. Oh please don't! Lupin closed his eyes a moment, trying to focus.
"That's Neville's fault!" Merida said. "Because he usually goes before me & when my turn comes, I can't concentrate because I'm thinking of father in that...." Merida burst out laughng again! ".....DRESS!!"
"Yes I could see how that would be very distracting!" Lupin laughed. "I told Neville to think of him like that! Ol' Snivellus in a dress! If he only knew what went on in here some days!"
"Where does that name come from anyway?" asked Merida.
"Oh, just something Prongs started!" Lupin was somewhere in the past for a moment. "I mean--uh----James! We Mauraders had an odd habit of nicknames!"
Merida handed over her test. "Do boggarts always take the form of only your worst fear?" she glanced at the cabinet where the boggart had started bouncing again as the Immobulos wore off!
"Actually, no!" said Lupin. "They'll feed on any fear they sense, whatever one you happen to be thinking of which is usually the worst fear!" Lupin gazed at Merida for a moment. Focus Remus! NO! Not on her! The boggart, you nut! His gaze shifted to the cabinet.........& Merida's reflection. Lupin sighed, frustrated with himself. "Do you have something other then spiders that scare you?"
"Sort of--well, I----maybe!" Merida stuttered.
"Well, maybe we'll find out!" said Lupin. "You ready for it?"
"Let it loose!" Merida ordered. Out flew the boggart & it immediatly turned into a spider. Merida sighed. At least it wasn't that other thing!
"Remember to say the incantation clearly!" Lupin's voice brought her to reality.
Merida pointed her wand at it & the spider held flowers in every leg. Lupin laughed as the boggart turned on him & became the dreaded glowing orb! He immediatly changed it to a beach ball & sent the boggart back to Merida. The played with the boggart for another half hour until both were laughing to hard to see straight!
Merida was doubled over & Lupin had has back turned to the boggart moon, ignoring it for a moment! "Why'd you turn that last moon into father's face for?!" Merida gasped for air.
"No reason!" Lupin said in a voice that clearly meant the opposite!
Ignored, the boggart turned to bouncing around the room. Lupin & Merida stared at each other for a moment.
Thud! Bang! Bounce! Twang! CRASH!!
Lupin cast a worried look at the mirror cabinet, but it was fine.
"I wonder what a boggart's true form is!" said Merida as they both looked in the mirrors.
"Who knows!" said Lupin. "But it sounds like a ball!"
"Sir, what is that?" Merida pointed to the mirror. Floating behind them, was a transparent orb that looked like water, with a dark spot at the center. Merida turned her wand onto it & the orb immediatly turned into her second fear.
"The boggart?" Lupin yelped. "That's what it really looks li---Miss Snape?" Lupin suddenly noticed what the boggart was. He threw himself in front of Merida & the boggart turned into the moon. "Riddikulos!" Lupin turned it into a firework display & then looked at Merida. "Is that what's bothering you?"
"I often worry I'll lose Harry," said Merida. "I guess your pet finally sensed that!"
"My pet?" Lupin smiled to himself. "Yeah I guess it is! Harry is fine! You won't lose him, I know you won't!"
"Still, I worry about it at times!" said Merida.
"I think it's time we put the boggart away!" said Lupin. "Go sit down & I'll take care of it!" He lifted his wand but at that moment, the door burst open & in marched Snape. "Severus! You'll let it escape!" Lupin waved his wand & slammed the door shut! "Severus, have you ever heard of kno...Severus?"
Snape was staring at the floor. Lupin followed his gazed & saw Merida dead. "Oh, great!" Lupin muttered to himself. "Severus it's only a boggart! LOOK AT ME! It isn't real!" Lupin stepped in front of Snape & faced the moon. He waved the boggart away into the cabinet & turned around. "It's alright! She's fine!"
"That's what I fear most, Remus!" Snape stared at Lupin. "Losing her, not the fu----!"
Lupin made a soft "sh" & pointed sideways where Merida was standing.
"Merida, come here!" Snape held her close for a long time.
"Uh---father? You can let go now!" said Merida. "I'm fine! We were just playing around!"
"Playing around?" Snape glanced at Lupin. "For over an hour?"
"No we also had a test to redo!" Lupin half-smiled at Merida.
"If it is finished, then come with me Merida!" Snape ordered as he headed for the door.
"Yes, father!" said Merida. As soon as Snape disappeared, Merida turned to Lupin. "Well, at least you didn't fight that time!"
"Oh, quite the contrary!" Lupin gritted his fangs. "We were fighting but you didn't notice!"
"Oh, what is it now?" Merida groaned.
"Nevermind!" said Lupin. "Out you go! Good night!"
"What was that about, father?" Merida ran to catch up to him.
"Why didn't you tell me you had a detention with Remus?" Snape snapped.
"So you wouldn't storm in there like what you did & pick a fight!" Merida defended.
"Remus starts fights!" Snape glowered. "I finish them!"
"Whatever!" Merida shrugged, somewhat annoyed. "I don't know why you don't like him but someday I'll know!"
"This is not that day, Merida!" Snape declared. "& I doubt if you'll ever know!"
Merida knew otherwise! In a few weeks, all would be revealed to her. She, Harry & Ron were going to interogate Lupin by using the Polyjuice Potion. Finally, it was ready!
"Alright," said Merida. "Now, one of you must pose as my father & go see Lupin!"
"Enlighten me!" Ron said. "Why can't you take the potion?"
"I would if it was allowed but I can't!" Merida glared.
"Why not?" asked Harry.
"Because polyjuice is gender-sensitive!" Myrtle flew around Harry then settled herself on the floor. Ron let out a yelp but Myrtle ignored him. Merida could have sworn that the phantom girl blushed a darker silver around Harry!
"I'm not THAT close to father!" Merida half-laughed.
"Oh, I see him all the time!" Myrtle giggled.
"You spy on all the boys!" Harry yelped.
"So?" Myrtle giggled again. "I say Severus sings in the shower!"
"He does not!" Ron squeaked.
"That would be the day!" Harry said.
"Ok guys! Change the subject!" Merida yelped. "before I suddenly envision father on a stripping pole or something!" she glanced at Harry who doubled up in laughter!
"How about seeing him in that pink tu-tu I dreamed of last year?" Harry gasped.
"That's what all those pink fluffy garments lying on the floor are!" Merida yelped. "Now, one of you must drink this potion & go!"
"Oh, I'll do it then!" Ron muttered.
"I just want to know what's wrong with them," said Merida as Ron drank the potion. "Find out what they fight over!"
Ron dropped the glass & leaned over the sinks for a moment. He felt as if he would be sick but it passed. He turned back to Harry, Merida & Myrtle. "So? How do I look?"
"Like Snape!" Harry didn't know wether to laugh or scream. "Snape" grinned sheepishly. Harry & Merida let out a scream & Myrtle dived out of sight, shrieking. "What?!" "Snape" yelped. "What's the big emergency?!"
"The emergency's in your mouth if you'd just go check in the mirror!" Harry yelped as Myrtle slowly peeked out over a door.
"Snape" peered in the mirror. "Oh Merlin!" he jumped aside. "I wasn't expecting him to be staring back at me!"
"Ron, you're under the polyjuice spell, remember?" Merida said.
"Uh---right!" "Snape" squeaked. He looked back in the mirror. "I've go----HE has fangs!" he yelped. "Bloody hell!"
"Lycanthropy or vampirism?!" Harry worried.
"It has to lycanthropy!" Merida exclaimed. "One, I've seen father in the sun plenty of times & vampires don't like sun & two, this is probably what he & Lupin are fighting about!"
"It can't be," said Harry. "because I was with Snape on a full moon in the begining of December. This must be recent. They were fighting long before that!"
"I'd better get to Lupin!" "Snape" said, now just as curious to know as Merida! He headed for the door.
"Ron, be careful!" Merida warned.
"& see if you can't steal a few points from Slythering while you're at it!" Harry snickered.
"Sure thing!" "Snape" waved them away. He headed for Lupin's office but Lupin was nowhere in sight. "Snape" headed off to look for him, & crossed paths with Lupin in the halls. Great! Now to get him talking! Any ideas Ron? "Snape" wondered as he followed Lupin.
"What do you want Snivellus?" Lupin retorted with a malice that Ron had never seen before!
"Nothing!" "Snape" tried not to squeak! "I just happen to be going in the direction you are! Honestly, why must we always fight?"
"This coming from one who does not wish my friendship?!" Lupin glared with such hatred that Ron felt he was talking to another Lupin then the one he knew. "Perhaps your first experience with the full moon softened you! I should have bitten you sooner then Christmas Eve!"
Ron let out a small gasp! That was one thing that he, Harry & Merida wanted to know! "Christmas Eve was not a full moon though & you still attacked hi--me!"
"I should have killed you!" Lupin retorted. "I still can't believe you almost killed Dumbledore while attempting to murder me!" Ron let out another gasp! Lupin stared at him, somewhat puzzled. "To bad you didn't succeed in killing me! I could have been with Rachelle!"
"Oh, is that was this is?" "Snape" said in a sarcastic tone, making it appear as if he knew what he was talking about. "Merida's mother?"
"No, actually, that was a test!" Lupin circled around Ron. "I am begining to wonder wether or not you are Severus?"
"I assure you, I am!" "Snape" snapped.
"Then why don't I feel assured?" asked Lupin.
Professor, I hate to say this but........ "Damn dog! Silence!"
Lupin stepped back a bit, glowering. "I suppose you are Severus, then! I still say if Rachelle was mine, she would still be with us! With me! But you stole her away!" Lupin looked "Snape" up & down, surprised he didn't get his head bit off! "Are you or are you not Severus Snape?"
"I am but there I times when I do not know how to answer you!" "Snape" said.
"Hmmm," Lupin didn't know wether or not to believe him! "& wether you like it or not, I am developing feeling of my own for your daughter! Though I can never tell her or Harry for I do not want to ruin it for them!" "Snape" could only stare! "Good night, Severus!"
Ron fled the scene & burst through the door, surprising Harry, Merida & Myrtle. He arrived just on time too, for the potion was begining to wear off!
"Good to have you back, Ron!" said Harry.
"Good to be back!" said Ron.
"So what did you find out?" asked Merida.
"Too much!" Ron squeaked.
"What does that mean?" asked Harry.
"It's your mother they're fighting over!" Ron began. "Apparently Lupin had her first but Snape stole her away!"
"What?" Merida yelped. "My mom? Lupin?"
"Yes," said Ron. "They must have been together for awhile! Oh, it happened last Christmas Eve! Lupin infecting your father with lycanthropy, I mean!"
"Christmas Eve?" Harry asked.
"That wasn't a full moon!" Merida said. "They must have had a bad fight that time!"
"Really bad!" Ron winced, glancing to the floor. A long silence passed.
"Ron? Are you alright?" Harry asked.
"I'm fine!" said Ron.
"There's something else, isn't there?" Merida asked.
Ron glanced to Harry then Merida. "Lupin is---well---I mean he----he's...." Ron sighed dejectedly. "He doesn't want either of you to know but this is why we used this potion! To find out, right?" Ron went silent a moment. "Merida, Professor Lupin is in love with you! & deeply so, I beleive!"
