(16)Secret Love
"I detest that name!" Snape stormed in. He glared around evilly & saw Merida sitting on the bench & gazing out the window, ignoring him. It didn't seem like anything had happened but Snape glared suspiciously at Lupin as he walked over to Merida.
Lupin sat at his desk & rested his face on his hand, watching them.
Snape ignored him. "Merida, why did you run off like that?! Do you realise how worried we all were?" No answer!
"She's mad at you!" said Lupin.
"Merida, I may appear harsh but, I did not like to see you with Mr. Potter!" Snape continued, still ignoring Lupin. "Knowing how I dislike the Potters, I can't believe you'd go & sleep with one of them!" Merida sniffled softly but said nothing.
"She's crying because of you!" said Lupin.
Snape sighed, frusterated, but continued to ignor Lupin. "I'm sorry if I upset you Merida, but that's just the way it is!" Still no answer from Merida.
"She's not speaking to you!" said Lupin.
"Uh--Remus!!!! Can I do without the running commentary?! PLEASE?!" Snape snarled, finally aknowledging Lupin's presence! Lupin leaned back in his chair & stayed silent. Snape shot him a few daggers & then returned his attention to Merida. "I'm not finished with you yet, Merida! Performing under-age sorcery in front of a muggle to top everything off & perhaps you did something even worse than that?" Snape sent another suspicious glance to Lupin, who tried to ignor it!
"I might have!" Merida finally spoke,knowing exactly what Snape was refering to! "What do you care?"
"We'll talk of it in Gryfindor Tower!" Snape answered. "Use Mystique! I don't want you strutting about the castle like a bloody peacock!" He handed her the old sword & then got up & marched to Lupin's desk. Before he could say anything, Lupin began snickering uncontrollably & pointed behind Snape.
"That's not funny, Merida!" Snape retorted when he glanced back to see a blue peacock strutting back & forth on the bench! "Please phase from that ridiculous creature this instant!!"
Again, he turned back to Lupin, who suddenly let out a soft groan & his eyes lit up. Snape glanced back to Merida & was not pleased with what he saw. An Artic Wolf, whiter than snow itself, now stood behind him. Lupin was mesmerised! He grasped the sides of his chair & stared straight ahead at her, unmoving as if frozen in time!
Snape was furious! "Outside this instant, Merida!" Snape pointed the wolf to the door. He began to leave himself but somhow Lupin managed to pull himself back to reality & yanked Snape back.
"You want to know the real reason she fled from you!" It wasn't a question.
"I know why!" Snape retorted. "She is no longer allowed to date Potter!"
"NO!" snapped Lupin. "She was afraid of you! Afraid of you cursing her with Crucio!"
"Excuse me?" Snape stared in disbelief.
"Oh, you heard me!" Lupin said in a dangerous low voice. "You don't deserve that girl anymore than you deserved Rachelle! If I ever find out you've hurt Merida I'll kill you! Seriously, I will kill you! Understand?!"
"Remus Jonathan Lupin!!!" Snape glared at him. "I would never Crucio Merida for anything in the universe! How dare you say that to me?!"
"Well, that's what she told me!" declared Lupin. "Don't you dare touch her!"
"I'll say the same to you!" Snape snapped.
"Excuse me?" retorted Lupin.
"Did you touch her last night?" asked Snape.
"Severus!" Lupin deflated a bit. "She's Veela! The girl is a walking Kama Sutra! You should have seen us last night!" he continued in a very sarcastic voice, yet meaning every word of it! "We were wild! Just breathing with her caused near unbearable pleasure! What do you think I am?!" then he became very serious again. "I'm warning you! You hurt her & there'll be peices of you all over the grounds!"
"& I'm warning you," Snape threatened back. "if you did have sex with my daughter, there'll be pieces of YOU all over the moon!"
"Oh, I'll put my tail between my legs & tremble in fear!" Lupin snarled sarcastically.
"Better your tail then my daughter!" raged Snape.
"Ooooo low blow!" Lupin growled. "At least I got a tail!"
"Mine's grown back last full moon!" Snape snapped. "Don't bite it off again!"
"I'll do what I please with you!" Lupin snapped. "I'm the alpha wolf! I'm the leader & I'll displine even kill the unruly ones in our pack!"
"Fine, have it your way!" Snape snapped. "But Merida is NEVER seeing Harry Potter again & she is never seeing you-----shall I add again?----either!"
"Oh, Severus!" Lupin groaned. "You're so stiff! I doubt even rigor mortis would have any affect on you!"
"& you're so soft that rigor mortis would take eons to set in," Snape smiled smugly. "if ever!"
"Get out!" Lupin growled long & low.
"My pleasure!" Snape snapped & stormed out. He saw the Artic Wolf trotting off to Gryfindor Tower & hurried to catch up to her. The wolf was sitting under the portrait of The Fat Lady, waiting. "Oh, you picked the wrong day, Merida!" Snape snarled. The wolf bared her fangs. "Silence!" Snape snapped then proceeded to give the password. "Honeycomb!"
The Fat Lady gave him an odd look. "I don't like snakes in my room!"
"Honeycomb!"
"Wildlife is unacceptable to!" The Fat Lady glanced down at the wolf.
"Just open up, woman!" Snape fumed as Merida returned to human form for the Lady. The Portrait gave Snape a hurt look & slowly swung open.
"That wasn't very nice!" Merida snapped as they stepped inside. "Did you see her face?"
"What now?" Snape retorted.
"Just open up, woman?" Merida repeated. "Do you have any idea how dirty that sounded?"
"Well I----!" Snape deflated. "I----er-----I didn't mean it like that, exactly!"
"Apologize to my House Gate this instant or I'm never speaking to you again!" Merida ordered.
"Fine!" Snape sighed. "Get to your dorm. I'll be there in a minute!" Merida gave him an odd look. "Just go! You're skipping Remus's class today!"
"Fine!" Merida stormed away, glancing into the common room for Harry but it was empty.
Snape stepped back outside but kept a hold on the door so he wouldn't get locked out. "Look, I'm having a rough day! I'm sorry for snapping at you m'lady! I didn't mean it like that alright?" Snape couldn't beleive he was apologizing to a picture but he did it for Merida's sake! "It's just that my daughter is driving me CRAZY & I guess I-------well--------I'm sorry!"
"You're forgiven, Severus!" The Fat Lady said after a moment.
"Good! Glad that's cleared up!" Snape marched back inside. He could have sworn that The Fat Lady actually blushed at him!
Merida was lying on her bed, glaring at the cieling. She turned her face to the wall when Snape entered. The other girls were out to Lupin's class with everyone else. "Just go away!" Merida ordered.
Snape sat beside her on the bed & a long moment of silence past. "Merida?" Snape finally broke the silence. "What's this about Crucio?" She ignored him. "Please look at me!" She did, reluctantly. Glaring! Snape used the most gentle voice he could think of. "Merida, I will never hurt you like that! It was an empty threat. I would never actually Crucio you."
"I didn't know what to expect!" Merida snapped. "You were so upset, I thought you would hurt me! So I ran! I said I would leave you & then I ran for it!"
"Yes I was upset with you!" Snape agreed. "I was furiuos! I still am! But no matter what, I will never hurt you! Snapes do not believe in physical punishment on the children. You're safe with me."
"Am I?" Merida half-retorted.
"I swear my life on that!" Snape assured her. "Don't ever think that of me again, alright?"
"Alright!" Merida mumbled. "So you decide to punish me by taking away Harry?" she snapped.
Snape sighed. "We've been through this already, Merida! Now about that mutt! Explain yourself this instant!? First Potter & then---I can't believe you'd do that! I hate Remus even more & you just HAD to go to him anyway, didn't you? And if I remember correctly, I thought I heard you say you'll never leave Harry before saying you'll leave me?"
Merida turned over, away from Snape. Why did I stay with Remus? I do love Harry! I betrayed him. But I betrayed Remus too. I used him to rebel! But I fell in love wih him too, didn't I? Why did I have to screw everything up? Wonder what mother would have said about this?
"Welcome to the world of men!" Snape lay down close beside Merida. "That's what she would have said!"
"What?"
"You were too busy worrying about betraying your-----er-----!"
"Lovers?"
"Thank you!" Snape snarled. "You forgot to block me out!"
"Oh, what am I going to do?" Merida groaned.
"Well, since I forbid you too see either one of them, you should be just fine!"
"That doesn't help me at all!" Merida snapped. "You're SO insensitive, father!"
"Sorry!" Snape muttered.
"Not forgiven!" Merida declared. "Just let me see one or the other of them?"
"Ohhhhh, no you don't!" Snape yelped. "I see what you're trying to do! Trying to get me to choose one for you so you wouldn't hurt either of them? You just simply tell the other that I forbid you to see him? Nice try! If this were sex ed, I'd give you an "Outstanding"!"
Merida actually smiled a bit. "Does Hogwarts even have a class for that?"
"No," answered Snape. "It's a more decent school!"
"If he'll have me," Merida began. "can't I be with Harry again?"
"No!"
"Fine, then I'll go back to Remus!" Merida threatened again.
"That's Professor to you, Merida!" Snape snapped. "& that's how I finally was able to find you this morning. I remember you threatening me that you'd go to that mutt & there you were!"
"Look, you can forbid me & Harry being together," Merida sighed. "but you have no jurisdiction over PROFESSOR Remus!"
Snape hyperventilated through gritted fangs! "Professor Remus?!"
"I heard what he said to you through the door!" Merida went on. "Please be careful! Alpha wolves can become dangerous when challenged! He was serious. Alphas will kill off other unacceptable pack members if pushed to far!"
"How would you know!" Snape muttered.
"National Geographic!" Merida answered. "It doesn't matter if they're timber, artic, grey or were! The alphas control the pack. Omegas, that would be you & even Neville, have to follow or suffer the consequences!"
"Thank you for that nature lesson!" Snape hissed. "Another "O" grade!" A rather long time of silence past, neither wanting to give in to the other. "Oh, must it be Potter?" Snape fumed finally. "Remus & I hate each other too much. I'd rather not see you with him!" Merida held her breath, not believing what she was hearing! "Fine, if he'll have you after what you did, you can continue with Potter!"
Merida squealed with delight! "Thank you! Oh, thank you!" She threw herself on Snape! At least she could have one of them back!
"Alright! Alright!" Snape yelped. "Enough of that!" he held her off. "But you have a lot of explaining to do! Perhaps I should tell Potter about Remus for you?"
"NO!" Merida yelped. "Don't screw me up AGAIN! I'll handle this! That way if Harry won't except me, then it's us that decide to break up, not you! Just stay away!"
"If you really want me out of your life, just say so!" Snape said, somewhat hurt. "I'll stay away!"
"No, not my whole life!" Merida tried to soothe him. "You don't have to leave my life completely! But will you please, kindly remove yourself from my SEX life?"
Snape's eyes popped wide open & he sat up straight! "SEX LIFE?!?!?!?!?!"
"Well, I AM Veela, am I not?" Merida taunted. "I'm the proper age for it, for a Veela!"
Snape looked like he was doing yoga breathing! "SEX?!?! LIFE?!?!"
"Don't you have some poor defensless Potion Class to torture?" Merida tried to get rid of him!
"SEX LIFE?! Merida!!" Snape gasped for air. "Could you just say LOVE life instead? It's sounds more decent!"
"Shoo, father!" Merida ordered. "I have to get dressed for the rest of my classes!"
"Right!" Snape glared awkwardly at Merida as he pushed aside the bed curtains & got up. Several screams sounded across the room & Snape dived back onto Merida's bed, hiding his eyes. "Merlin's sake! What is it with me & half-naked women these days?!"
"They must be between classes!" Merida was roaring with laughter. Then she became more serious. "You know? Maybe there is a reason the stairs are gender sensitive?!"
"I'm NEVER going to Potions again!"
"What is HE doing here?!"
"Merida? Will you get rid of him please?!"
"I'm trying!" Merida pretended anger!
"Alright! He can leave now!"
Snape started to get up & glared into Merida's eyes. "One last thing! If I ever ask you to get out of bed again," he smiled sweetly for a moment then glared sternly. "DON'T!" Merida giggled at him as he left hurriedly!
Lupin glowered as he watched Snape storm away. "I will kill him some day!" he promised himself as he stormed back to his desk, his pet boggart thumping furiously in the cabinet, panicked at the recent goings on around it! "I was refering to Snivellus, not you!" Lupin growled through the walls at it! "Calm down! Class will be starting-----now I guess!" Lupin's eyes first landed on Harry who was talking to Ron at the moment, & it hit him! Hard! Oh Merlin! What have I done? Stealing Harry's girlfriend?! No wonder it was wrong!
Lupin thought back to last night for a while but shook himself back to reality, trying to remain focused on class but he just couldn't stop thinking of her or Harry or how everything was messed up now! Severus forbids her from seeing him! I can use that as an excuse! Lupin sighed, frusturated that he had let this happen, knowing he couldn't use that as an excuse! Harry would probably just sneak around with Merida! What am I-----
"Sir?" Harry brought Lupin back to reality.
"I didn't mean to spend last night with Merida!" almost flew off the end of his tongue but Lupin bit down hard just in time!
"You alright sir?" Harry asked again. "You've been absent-minded for half of class!"
"I slipped a few notes around," Susan teased, "& you didn't even notice!"
Lupin smiled weakly at her. "I-I'm fine!" he said as he returned to his desk.
Ron leaned over to Harry. "Harry, the full moon's tonight, remember? He's as fine as he can be considering that!"
"I suppose so!" Harry shrugged.
"Quite right, Mr. Weasley!" Lupin said. Merlin's sake! I actually forgot that! He tried avoiding Harry's eyes whenever he could. Slowly, Lupin was coming to a very hard decision. He had to find some way of giving Merida back to Harry. But how? He did not want to end up in another life-long fight with the son of one of his closest friends over a woman! No, not again!
"Wonder where Merida is?" Ron asked, as class came to a close & the students were heading for the next lesson.
"Who knows?" Harry answered. "but Snape did say he knew where she was!"
"She was here the whole time," Lupin said. Merlindammit! Why'd I say that? Harry will get suspicious!
"She was?" Harry & Ron yelped at the same time.
"I mean here at Hogwarts Castle!" Lupin recovered himself in a hurry, just in case! "Hiding from her father of course! She finally managed to aparate on her own & landed herself here. Well, in front of the Gates, I mean!" Remus, will you shut the hell up?!
"Why didn't she show up here then?" asked Harry, refering to class.
"She did!" Lupin said, thinking of last night. "Not!" he added quickly. "Severus sent her to the Tower! She's in a lot of trouble for aparating in front of a muggle!"
"Oh!"
"Harry, you mind if I borrow that Map for a while?" asked Lupin, trying to change the subject.
"Sure, it's in my desk over there!" said Harry.
"Thanks!" Lupin waited until he was alone before pulling out the Marauder's Map. He needed to see Merida alone for a moment & he wanted to make sure that no one else would be around. He studied the map in silence save for the soft thud thud of his boggart.
He had three people on his mind. Severus Snape was in the Potions classroom. Harold James Potter was almost there. Merida Serge Snape-----the Map did not show adoptive names------was beside Remus Jonathan Lupin?
"I was forced to do my homework in my dorm!" Merida handed over her paper. "That man drives me insane sometimes!"
"Snivellus drives everyone insane!" snarled Lupin. "I take it you're not allowed to see me either anymore?"
"He didn't come right out & say it but he was thinking it!" said Merida. "but now I'm allowed to see Harry again but first I have a lot of explaining to do to Harry!"
"NO!" Lupin yelped, his second-worst fears coming true. "Don't mention anything! Please?"
"Why?" asked Merida. "I care for both you & Harry the same! I want to be honest about what happened."
"I know you care for both of us the same! That's the problem!" said Lupin. "I don't want what happened to me & Severus to happen again between me & Harry! If you're allowed to see Harry again, then just go back to him but don't ever mention us!"
"But Remu----!"
"Merida, please don't say a word of it?" Lupin begged. "I'm just so scared Harry will turn against me like what your father did! I don't mind seeing you with Harry so long as he doesn't know, alright?"
"You sure?"
"Oh, definitly!" said Lupin. He pulled her close into one final kiss.
"Honestly, Remus!" Merida began when he let her go. "I love you & Harry deeply but Harry is SO a much better kisser!"
"Yeah, well," Lupin laughed shyly. "Harry doesn't have fangs to think about!"
Merida giggled at him. "I have to get to you-know-who's class!"
"What? The Dark Lord teaches here?" Lupin teased.
"No, just one of his ex-servants!" smiled Merida as she left.
