Revert To Type

Disclaimer: I own little to nothing of what it is named/referred to and am making even less from it.

A/N: ok – so having spent the last (has to look it up) 25 chapters trying to ensure that I didn't have to change the cannon time line too much I have come to a realisation that there's going to have to be at least one rather major alteration. To cut a long story short I realised that I knew when I wanted Remus and Severus' relationship to start and had made reference to it but I had also had it stuck in my head that they had been going out for more than two years. Unfortunately as the golden trio have been seen to still be at school….

I'm sure you can see my problem.

So – just imagine that the philosophers stone and the chamber of secrets didn't happen ie Lupin came to teach in the trio's first year. This would mean that the order of the phoenix and sirius' death occurred their third year….

Right suspect that's as clear as mud now but none the less.

Enjoy x

Chapter 26.

>Remus felt the uneasiness that had plagued him all morning increase further as he watched Severus in the witness box waiting for his interrogation to begin. He recognised the minute signs of what was running through his mind and could make an educated guess at the darker corners of his history that were being drawn to the fore now. When the potions master turned, he was caught in his inspection and hoped to cover his lingering gaze with a quick smile he hoped would do something to reassure him. It seemed to and for this he was grateful. Remus knew that Severus found it difficult to curb his tongue and this being the case he was suitably impressed by the way he answered the questions posed calmly and thoughtfully. He felt his own hackles rise however, when the inevitable questions about his period as a Death Eater came up. He knew there was no-one more repentant of their past than the Slytherin standing before the court now, Severus might not show it but the Werewolf knew that he would spend the rest of his life trying to atone for his past mistakes and attempting to overcome his demons.

>In true fashion however, Severus surprised him yet again by continuing to answer everything asked without a crack appearing in his façade. With years of experience however, he managed to read the changes in his partners eyes as he spoke of the terror in Anna's eyes when she had woken from a nightmare and seemingly realised that her Athair was gone. Remus watched the tension in his partner's shoulders increase further though as Arthur stepped back and his soon stood to take over questioning him. Yet again however the Slytherins simple eloquence allowed him not only to rise to the occasion but also it seemed, to thwart the other party. Due to his complete surprise at Percy Weasley's almost immediate retreat, it took Remus a minute to catch up with proceedings as Arthur approached the bench again. They waited a moment as Amelia Bones finished noting something down before she looked up and favoured him with something that might well have been a smile.

"You may stand down Professor Snape – Professor Lupin…" She gestured towards the stand from which Severus was stepping down.

>Remus only had time to brush hands as with his partner as they passed but even this small action sparked a warmth that spread a feeling of comfort through him. As he stepped into place and confirmed his name, occupation and date of birth he took the time to look at those whose judgement would be upon him.

"The court has already heard about your Lycanthropy Professor Lupin," Arthur began. "but do you think you could let us know something about the circumstances surrounding how it came about?"

"Not really." He answered honestly and received several strange looks in return. He smiled a little. "I mean, I was only about two years old when it happened, but I can tell you what I've been told. It was late Autumn, my parents had a barbeque in the garden at our home, for all their friends and family. Apparently I'd fallen asleep at some point after dinner and they'd put my buggy in the shade at the far end of the garden. Well it got dark and the moon rose a full moon and well, there was a werewolf in the area, we never found out any more about them but somehow they found their way into our garden. My father fought it off and in short I'm lucky to be alive."

"And can you tell us what kind of procedures you put in place on the full moon."

"I take the wolfsbane potion in the run up to the full moon which means that I keep my own mind even though my body still changes. Even still, I ensure that I am locked away if I can get to a cage I'll use that but I don't feel happy unless I surrounded by at least four solid stone walls and a door that's charmed to high heaven."

>He watched the panels responses to what he had said, after all it was not every day that most people were faced with the realities of Lycanthropy. After a moment Arthur moved on and asked about when their relationship had begun, and Remus watched them as they struggled or in some instances didn't even bother to try and hide their disdain for the concept. By far the worst culprit in the last instance was Dolores Umbridge and he made a point of not turning away his gaze when she looked up.

"About two and a half years now;" He replied and when the Minister's representative blinked and looked down he turned back to Arthur. "We've known each other since we were at school, we were in the same year at Hogwarts though I was a Gryffindor and Severus a Slytherin. We certainly weren't friends at that point but I suppose you could say that the death of someone who had always come between us was the catalyst."

"So you've known each other for some time then?"

"Due to the nature of both of our involvement with the Order of the Phoenix we saw each other sporadically after we left school. I'm sure most members of a society such as that will tell you that there is some undeniable bond that is formed amongst all the people within the group, even if they are not naturally close."

"It must be difficult to conduct a relationship with the restraints that must be placed upon you both by Professor Snape's occupation."

"There are disadvantages. Up until recently I've been living and working in London while Severus' duties obviously require his presence in the school throughout term time. He does however get every fourth weekend off, only three of the Heads of House are required to be present in the school at weekends, and we spend the holidays together. We have a flat together in London. Or at least we used to – we put it on the market yesterday. As I'm sure you've all read in our application, the plan is, if we're successful here, for me to work until a permanent replacement can be found then for us to purchase a house in or around Hogsmeade so that I could look after Anna there and be close enough to the school that we'd be able to see Severus regularly far more regularly." Arthur was smiling when he finished, though he quickly straightened his face back into the business like expression that seemed more appropriate.

"And what about your relationship with Anna? After all, you will be the primary care giver and will have in essence given up a comfortable job in order to look after her?"

"We get on well, I've always enjoyed the time I've spent with young children, though I'm certain raising one would be entirely different from the odd evenings babysitting. I want to make something clear though, I don't think Severus gave a fair impression of his own relationship with Anna. I think I probably know Severus Snape better than almost anyone alive and I am certain that I've never seen him so enthusiastic or genuinely devoted to anyone. And in all honesty I think that she loves him too or at least that she's in the process of getting there. She trusts him more than anyone else I've ever seen her interact with."

"You don't find it difficult to say that you think your partner of almost three years is more devoted to someone he only met less than 6 weeks ago?" Amelia Bones asked.

"No." He answered without thought. "It's different isn't it – so pure and innocent. Severus and I have a relationship that is unlike anything I think that either of us could have with anyone else. Our pasts, our histories… we have enough in common that we at least know what it's like when people don't understand where it is you come from, if that makes any sense? In any case, there's something about Anna that compels you to love her. She's not perhaps your average three year old but…She's brought out the best in both of us and all we want to do is to make sure that she gets the love she deserves, to get the chance at life she deserves." Arthur looked up to the bench and on receiving a small nod from the Chair returned to his own questions.

"Thank you - no further questions."

>Having seen how short and ineffectual the younger Weasley's attempt at cross-examining Severus had been, Remus was tempted to hope that he would receive the same treatment. There was something in his eye though as he stood, something almost predatory as he seemed almost to stalk out onto the floor.

"There was at least one occasion when you were at school that yourself and Severus Snape were close, physically at any rate."

"I'm not sure I understand what it is you're getting at?" Remus said genuinely confused.

"Neither do I Mr Weasley" Amelia Bones inserted "– if you could stick to asking actual questions please." Once again she received a terse nod in reply.

"Did you or did you not, while in your werewolf form, attack Severus Snape?" This question was so bold in comparison to his previous approach that it took him totally by surprise.

"Objection!" Arthur called out standing behind the desk and placing a restraining hand a Severus' arm who was also half standing. "What relevance does that question have to the hearing?"

"It has a would obviously play a crucial role in the couples relationship which in turn is very important in judging whether or not they would be appropriate choices to look after individual 246.01." Remus looked between the three people as the silence continued for several moments.

"Objection dismissed."

"Professor?" Percy prompts.

"I…" He looked towards Severus, somehow wanting his approval for what he was about to say. "My friends and Severus had never gotten on. Without my knowledge they set up a circumstance so that he would follow me as I left the school and went to the secure location I stayed in over full moons at the school." He stopped, not sure what made telling this story so difficult; whether it was that he still hadn't accepted that he genuinely wasn't to blame for what happened, that the people he had thought friends had been so thoughtless, or perhaps it was just the previous night catching up with him. "In the end, one of them had second thoughts and managed to pull him from harms way in time. I… I don't know what I would have done if it… If I had managed…"

"I think it's fairly obvious what you would have done. If you had not killed him you would at least have bitten him, condemning him to life like your own, the life of a leper." Retorted Percy.

"Yes I suppose you're right. And I would never have forgiven myself." He swallowed, cursing the lump that formed in his throat. "But we took further precautions after that, and as I said before, there is now the wolfsbane potion which prevents the wolf from taking over. Would stop that from happening should someone come across me now."

"But it did didn't it? It almost happened again the last time you were teaching at Hogwarts did it not?" Remus cursed himself for having worked into that one.

"In all honesty that was a singular incident and…"

"One would hope it would be a singular incident but as we've just seen that obviously wasn't the case."

"If you had let me continue you would have realised that I was referring to the fact that in the instance where I forgot to take the final dose of the draft it was because I had just seen undeniable evidence that someone I thought was dead and someone else I was under the impression had killed three of my best friends were in the process of attacking their son." He had become uncharacteristically flustered at this but was sure that as the story, or at least most of it had come out after the end of the war they would know the circumstances that he was talking about.

"Indeed and I think we're getting somewhat sidetracked." The Chair pointed out. This far more effective bought of questioning had obviously brought his confidence up spectacularly.

"I was simply trying to establish whether or not Professor Lupin would be a suitable person to entrust a child to. But I will acquiesce. No further questions."

>Remus simply couldn't get his head around what had happened in such a short space of time. It had all been going relatively well and then… It took him a second to realise that he was being told that he could stand down and then a further moment while he tried to get his body to comply. He managed eventually having to work to suppress the tremor in his hands as he crossed the short distance to his own seat. Sitting down, he struggled to focus on what was going on around him while the ache in his joints suddenly began drawing at his attention. He was able to recognise his feeling of disconnection for what it was. He looked down, feeling a hand on his leg and then followed it up to end up looking at Severus. He could read him well enough to judge the concern in his eyes and tried to reassure him with a smile.

"It's ok, don't worry." Severus said leaning down and whispering in his ear. "I think we'll brake for lunch soon." Seeing him look up to the wall-clock. For now all Remus could do was to hope that things weren't in fact as bad as they seemed to him now and that they would recess for long enough for him to pull himself back together.

A/N2: Hope you enjoyed this – as ever let me know either way.

Thanks

Linds