Can they make a difference?
Chapter 12: The Beast within
Pairings: Goku/Vegeta, Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione, Severus/Remus
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
WARNING: This is about male/male relationships; if you have a problem with that then I suggest that you go elsewhere.
~Kewla: Thank you for the name supply list ^_~
I also would like to thank all of you for the fantastic reviews! Hail to the Pixel Goddess. Without her I'm sure that this fic wouldn't be as exciting without her input and beta skills ^_~
/ Thoughts /
:: Telepathy ::
~oOo@oOo~
Vegeta was summoned to the throne room again. He was cranky and irritable. His skin itched and his blood burned. His breathing was harsh. He could feel the effects of the moon but it was doing him no good if he couldn't see it directly.
Standing in front of the Dark Lord, Vegeta looked ready to attack. His fists were in a tight ball at his sides.
"So, have you reconsidered my offer?" Voldemort asked.
"My answer is still no."
"That was not the answer I wanted Vegeta." Voldemort aimed his wand at the prince's stomach.
Vegeta tensed, looking down at the wand, his instincts to protect his baby slamming into him. /No, he could fight this creature now./ He started laughing, then looked up. The Death Eaters all gasped when they saw his eyes. "I'd rather be in Frieza's services than to join with you."
"I'm about to kill your child and you laugh?" Voldemort hissed.
"I'm laughing because I know something that you don't," Vegeta taunted.
Standing in front of the Dark Lord, Vegeta looked different. Voldemort couldn't understand why his eyes were the same red as his own.
"You fool! You could have been great - feared by all, and you throw it all away on what? A meaningless child and an uncaring lover." Voldemort waved his wand to cast a spell. "You're going to wish that you had taken me up on that offer."
Vegeta smirked. Defiance shone in his shimmering crimson orbs. "I *am* feared. I am the Prince of all Saiyans, and I'm your worse nightmare."
Vegeta opened his right hand and tossed a blinding bright white sphere into the middle of the room. Everyone started throwing curses and hexes about the room. Vegeta dove out of the way when a curse whizzed by his head. A loud explosion rocked the room.
"STOP YOU FOOLS!" Voldemort shouted.
After the dust and spells ceased, laughter sounded by the gaping hole in the wall. A silhouette could be seen by the incoming moonlight. Vegeta dropped down on all fours. His breathing was ragged. Dark crimson eyes looked up. Everyone started backing away as the prince's size began to expand.
Loud growling could be heard from miles around.
~*~*~
"How much further?" Sirius asked.
"We are close," Goku answered, the tension evident in his voice. He had wanted to IT to Vegeta, but Dumbledore warned him about Voldemort's protection spells. Using his favorite technique was sure to be fatal.
Sirius was beginning to think this was a bad idea. Dumbledore had decided they would get Goku to Vegeta in a Capsule aircar. Speed was of the essence, so he had enchanted it to hide it from Muggles below. The quiet Saiyan was directing them to Vegeta by his energy. Bulma had insisted they let her fly. Now, he knew why he preferred to travel closer to the ground. This woman drove like a demon.
As they came over a mountain ridge they could see the titanic figure of Vegeta. He had already destroyed the mansion. A breath blast had leveled the forest behind the building. The Oozaru prince was on a rampage, stomping and snarling and randomly blasting at anything.
/Oh, by Merlin's beard./ Sirius was horrified. Once where a thriving green forest grew now was nothing more than scorched wood and earth. The Muggle was right. Vegeta was destroying everything in his path.
Bulma landed the aircraft out of Vegeta's shooting range. "Okay, Goku. Sirius is going to lead you closer to Vegeta."
Before the group left, it was decided that Goku should be blindfolded. As long as he didn't look directly at the moon he couldn't transform. So, now the plan was to get Goku close enough to Vegeta and have him go Oozaru.
~*~*~
After Sirius got Goku in position he hurried back to the plane. Bulma was sitting on top with binoculars. She saw Goku's Oozaru form. The results were immediate. Vegeta stopped and turned to his mate.
Sirius joined her on the roof. He noticed that her face was red. Bulma put the binoculars away. She didn't want to see any type of monkey action.
"Thank you," Bulma said as Sirius placed his robe around her.
"So, what is that you do exactly?"
"I work for my father - or rather my father gives me things to work on when he's too busy," Bulma answered looking down at her cold hands.
"And what is it that you work on?" Sirius asked taken her smaller hands into his and rubbing them.
Bulma shivered from the contact. "I invent stuff." Then she patted the vehicle underneath them.
Sirius' eyes widen. "You made this?"
Bulma nodded her blue hair swinging back and forth from the motion. "And what about you? I mean aside from being a wizard."
"Oh, I teach a class at Hogwarts along with Remus. Goku and Vegeta have been helping too."
Sirius was now rubbing Bulma's knuckles with his thumb. She looked up at him and noticed that some of his hair had fallen way from its' loose ponytail. Bulma reached up and tucked the dark strand behind his ear. She leaned over when he caught her hand. They were mere inches from each other.
Her heart was racing. "A piece of hair. . .I was just. . . ,"
Sirius closed the gap between them. He gently pressed his lips to hers. Sparks of electricity shocked them. They were both surprised.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that," Sirius quickly said. He got up and went inside the plane leaving Bulma staring after him.
Bulma remained on the roof for the rest of the night, lost in thought about the wizard. She pulled his robe tightly around herself. In the distance she could hear low guttural grunts and howls. The Oozaru Saiyans were united again.
~oOo@oOo~
It had been a couple of months since the incident with Voldemort and Vegeta. Although the Dark Lord escaped everyone knew that he would be back for his intended target: Harry. Christmas came and went and now the new semester was starting.
Hermione had all ready made up the boys' schedules - including Draco's - much to his disbelief. The Slytherin prince was in the top percentile of his class in everything except for Muggle Studies. He just couldn't comprehend non-magic people.
Harry had been keeping a close eye on his godfather Remus. The werewolf was acting strangely, especially around his Potions professor.
One thing that Harry found disconcerting was that Remus was now dressing the part of a professor. He no longer wore his tatty old robes. In addition, Remus seemed livelier that ever. The strange behavior wasn't confined to Lupin - Harry noticed Snape wasn't being mean to just his house. The Potions Master didn't favor any of them - including Slytherin. That shock came when Millicent sabotaged Hermione's potion.
("Fifty points from Slytherin for ruining a class mate's project. Another twenty-five for the mess that it created. Miss Bulstrode you will serve detention with me tonight at 8 o'clock. Be here on time - you wouldn't want any more points deducted for being late," Snape coolly said before snapping out instructions).
The entire class sat in stunned silence at Snape's announcement. Something had happened and Harry wondered what it was.
The truth of the matter was that Remus didn't tell Harry about his relationship with Severus and he made Sirius promise not to tell also. The werewolf didn't want to add to his godson's stress considering that he was going to be married in two months.
Thank goodness for Molly Weasley - she had immediately taken over with the planning. Narcissa was a little put out about that, but Lucius had warned his wife that if she had a hand in the ceremony their son's life would be in danger.
Since Harry had no family other than the Dursleys, Sirius was going to pay for the expenses. The word about that quickly spread through the Gryffindor house. No one other than Ron and Hermione had known that Sirius was wealthy. Now their housemates learned who had given Harry the Firebolt for Christmas back in his third year.
Another thing Harry noticed was that Snape didn't look pale and sallow. When the menacing professor returned to work it seemed he had undergone a physical transformation. Tan skin, silky reddish-black hair. Harry had caught Hermione staring at him, open mouthed, more than once. And she wasn't the only student distracted by the now attractive Potions Master.
Many of the male students were displaying similar reactions. They couldn't explain the attraction. It was like that they were drawn to the teacher. Before this change, Professor Snape had all ready had the graceful skills of a cat and a seductive voice. Now his posture accented his firmly toned muscles, only partly concealed by his robes. Everything about him now radiated sex and power.
Rumors flew that the Potions professor had finally gotten laid and all these changes were his attempt to keep the woman interested. Remus laughed at that when he first heard it in his classroom. However, he knew that if Severus heard it there would be hell to pay, so he kept his comments to himself.
Sirius was another matter all together. Harry had hardly seen him. As he thought about it he had hardly seen Bulma either. When they came back with Vegeta and Goku they were acting differently around each other.
Hermione pointed out that they were looking at one another secretively, but they were never in the room alone with each other. His mother hauled poor Trunks around the school whenever she had to go to the Defense Against the Dark Art classroom.
And as always Dumbledore smiled a lot, offering lemon drops to those who he passed by in the hallways.
~oOo@oOo~
Life at Hogwarts was back to normal - well as normal as it was going to get. The only difference now was that a very pregnant Vegeta waddled through the halls. He was due to give birth the following month. To make him feel even more useless Poppy (or the 'other onna' as he liked to call her) had made him stop his instruction of Defense Against the Dark Arts classes with Goku. He continued to attend, but Trunks had replaced him for demonstrations until after the birth. The mediwitch didn't want him to over do it.
Bulma was concerned as well for Vegeta. He had grown quite a bit over the last two and a half months. She was now aiding Madame Pomfrey with his exams since she had more knowledge of Saiyan biology than the mediwitch.
Bulma and Poppy were frustrated by one thing every time Vegeta came in for appointment. No matter how often they tried to find out the sex of the baby it moved and blocked their view.
"Well Ge, we're just going to have to wait until the actual birth," Bulma said.
"Hn. Are you two onnas finished?" he barked tiredly.
"Hai. Go. I think that Goku is waiting for you in the tower."
Vegeta made ready to leave until Poppy stopped him. "Prince Vegeta I must warn you that since your condition is more advanced you and your mate should refrain from sexual intercourse."
The royal's face must have turned beet red because Bulma had to cover her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing out loud. Vegeta would have growled if he had the energy to.
Once inside his bedroom Vegeta collapsed on his bed. Just one more month and his baby would be in his arms. He never thought that something as miraculous as conceiving would ever come into being. He knew that his pregnancy was dangerous and that he needed to be careful but he never listened. Now, as he thought about it, he was to blame for losing his first child with Kakarott.
Another kick to his stomach made him groan. The baby's movement had increased considerably. He was going to the bathroom what seemed like every five to ten minutes. Bulma told him that the baby should be getting into position soon but that wasn't going to make a difference anyway considering that the baby was going to be delivered by c-section.
He smiled when he thought about the day he had walked into the Great Hall after staying in the tower on bed rest for a few weeks. All talk ceased as the students realized that his round stomach was on full display - not to mention his tail. It now waved leisurely behind him since he could no longer wrap the seductive appendage around his thigh or waist. He couldn't even see his feet.
More kicks to his bladder. He silently cursed as his headed toward the bathroom once again. Tonight Vegeta decided that he was going to relax and wait for Goku. Somehow the gentle Saiyan got wrapped up with his son on the pitch sparring.
Another reason for wanting the baby out - he missed sparring - but more importantly his missed having sex. His hormones were calling out to his penis and it was driving him mad with want. A smile appeared on his tanned face.
The witch said not to have sexual intercourse - she never said that he couldn't do 'other' things. Vegeta mentally called Kakarott. It was time to put his lover's oral talents to work.
~oOo@oOo~
Remus covered his head with the comforter trying to shut out the muffled noise that was coming from the bathroom but couldn't. He sat up in bed only to realize that the noise that he heard was his mate.
"Sev are you all right?" Remus called from the bedroom. He shook his head, clearing it of the last remnants of sleep while pulling on a bathrobe.
He had been concerned for his mate for a while. Severus had been throwing up for the past two weeks. Nothing seemed to want to stay on his stomach. He would be fine when he woke but by his first class he was an absolute mess.
Poppy even called Remus out of class one day because Severus had passed out during seventh year Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Double Potions session.
"Peachy," Severus answered sarcastically.
The Dark Arts teacher was now kneeling next to his ill lover. Ever since that disciplinary session with the Dark Lord, Severus had been progressively sicker, and it worried Remus. To his relief Professor Dumbledore had forbid Severus to leave the castle. His days as a spy were over.
"Okay love, that's it. You're going to the hospital wing. I can't stand to see you suffering like this," Remus admitted as he watched Severus wash his face.
He rinsed out his mouth to get rid of the burning acid taste then turned to answer his mate, "I'm fine. I don't feel sick."
"You are not fine Sev. Look at you." Remus gestured to his reflection. Severus' face was flushed and his obsidian eyes were glassy and swollen. "Just humor me love, and go visit Pomfrey."
Snape grumbled before giving in. Somehow, Remus had managed to wrap him around his finger without really trying.
~*~*~
Severus and Remus entered the infirmary. Madame Pomfrey led them to the private room she had assigned to Severus after the Headmaster told her about him being a Saiyan. Once stretched out on the bed Severus relaxed a little but he was still wary.
Poppy quickly explained what she doing. She knew how suspicious the Potions Master was and she didn't want to give him excuse to curse her. Snape was quick on the draw with his wand and would not hesitate to cast a hex.
After her exam she smiled kindly at the couple. She figured them out too. She noticed that Severus wasn't as mean and snappy with people and Remus looked a lot healthier than he had in all the years that she had known him.
"The only thing that I can say Severus is congratulations you're in perfect health."
Both professors looked at the old witch as if she had bats in her belfry. "Poppy, how can Severus be in perfect health if he's throwing up all the time?" Remus asked.
"I can't find anything wrong, except maybe you need to rest. We don't always know the reason why we fall sick. As for Professor Snape, he's been under a lot of stress and has not been taking care of himself. I'm surprised that it took this long for him to come and see me."
Snape was not used to having someone fuss over him. "Are you two quite finished? I have classes in an hour and I don't want to be late."
"Well, seeing that nothing is effecting you dear, you may leave but come back if it gets worse," Poppy said in her motherly voice.
"Thank you," Remus said giving her a tender warm smile.
On their way back to the dungeons Remus was lost in thought over what might be causing his lover to be sick. Severus didn't know what to make of it either.
"Have you eaten breakfast Rem?"
"No, I was concerned about you and didn't bother," Remus replied somewhat guiltily.
"I'm calling for one of the house-elves to bring you something to eat. You shouldn't be skipping meals." Rem missing breakfast was unusual - his appetite had recently increased, which was fabulous as far as Severus was concerned. Lately he could rival the three Saiyans.
They were standing in front of their door when Severus heard someone coming. Since no one knew about their relationship (and it was none of their business) Severus did the only thing that he could think of. He pushed Remus and himself inside the nearest darkened alcove to hide them. Remus was about to protest when he saw Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco moving down the corridor.
"I'm telling you guys, something is going on with Lupin and Snape," said Harry.
They stopped not far from the hidden couple.
"Blimey Harry, the next thing you'll be telling us that they are screwing each other senseless," Ron almost yelled.
Remus and Severus bit back a laugh.
"Hold on. I think Harry has a valid point," Hermione countered. "Professor Snape has been acting odd ever since he was found in the Forbidden Forest; and Professor Lupin has not been acting any better. I mean have you noticed the things that he's been eating?"
The other three shook their head in agreement. Remus had stunned that Hall silent a couple of weeks ago when he started eaten his meat raw or hardly cooked. He consumed vast amounts of meat and it was starting to scare the students. However, Professor Dumbledore announced there was nothing to be afraid of from the werewolf - he was only lacking iron in his diet.
"Okay, let's say that Professor Lupin isn't lacking iron. There aren't that many reasons why he would he crave so much meat." Hermione ventured.
"Hermione, think about what you're saying." Draco started, following her train of thought.
"I know, Draco. Believe me, I know."
"So, now the question would be: whose is it?" Harry asked picking up on the enigmatic conversation.
Draco's silver orbs widened as he considered what this could mean, but said nothing. Severus saw the look and knew that he was going to have to talk with his godson. He was thinking about was they were saying about his lover. Something they should probably discuss soon.
"Wait guys. Think about what we're saying. Maybe Lupin is craving the blood. I mean, he is a werewolf," Draco said.
Remus was getting bored listening to the kids talk. With Severus standing so close to him the only thing he could do was inhale his herbal scent. He grew hard instantly. He wrapped his arms around the Potions Master's slender waist and let his hands travel down to his groin.
Severus held onto his moan as Remus slid his hand up and under his shirt and trousers. The DA teacher slowly fisted his lover's erection. Remus fondled the head letting his thumb glide over the slit spreading the liquid around it. Severus let his head fall back again Remus' shoulder. He was in heaven then he slightly moaned.
"What was that?" Harry asked while looking around.
The hidden couple froze in place.
"Come on Harry, you're hearing things," Ron said.
"We better hurry. We don't want to show up to class after Snape," Hermione said pulling her boyfriend by the cuff of his robe.
Once the students were gone, Severus hurried Remus into their rooms and ravaged the werewolf. "You're going to pay for doing that to me Rem."
"I'm sorry Sev, but I was bored and I've been wanting you," Remus said in between kisses.
They spoke no other words as they tumbled to the floor.
~oOo@oOo~
Professor Snape showed-up to class forty-five minutes late. The entire class was beginning to wonder what had happened to him, but four of his students carefully scrutinized his disheveled appearance. Swollen lips, flushed cheeks, glittering eyes. Snape looked like a well-loved man.
Goku and Vegeta just stared at the professor with cat ate the canary grins, but Snape just ignored them. Severus silently cursed his lover for making him late to class. God, he could only imagine what Dumbledore would say about his acting alike a hormonal teenager.
After he wrote the potions instructions on the board he sat down at his desk to finish grading some papers left over from last night. No thanks to Remus. The werewolf's libido had increased considerably over the past few months. Not that he was complaining mind you, but Severus had a sinking feeling that something else was going with his mate.
He looked up to see that Vegeta had fallen asleep again. The Saiyan was resting his head on Goku's chest. The taller male had his arm draped over his lover. The couple was seated at the back of the room on the other side of Harry and Draco.
He watched Vegeta for some time and noticed that his sleep was not peaceful as it should have been. His thick black brows were scrunched together creating winkles in between them. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He just didn't understand why the stubborn male refused to stay in his room to rest. With a shake of his head he went back to grading.
Severus was almost done with his papers when he came across a note. There was no indication of who sent it or where it came from. He opened the envelope and read the contents.
[Meet me by the lake at midnight. Come alone]
He almost smiled as he recognized the neat flowing penmanship. He had a rendezvous with his werewolf lover.
~oOo@oOo~
Draco and Harry were snuggled under the thick eiderdown when Draco heard heavy footsteps rushing by in the hallway. Silver eyes fluttered opened and cautiously scanned the room. Not seeing anything of danger Draco settled back down on the goose down pillow until he heard another noise.
The blonde slipped out from underneath Harry and walked out of the door. Draco was about to go downstairs to investigate when he heard a voice coming from down the hall. His feet brought him in front of Goku and Vegeta's door.
He heard a pain-filled groan, and alarmed, he knocked on the door.
"Draco! Get in here!"
He was surprised to hear the panic in Goku's voice. Steeling his nerves, Draco walked into the dimly room. Dumbledore had spelled the windows to prevent moonbeams entering on the night of a full moon.
"Goku?" he called out.
"Ka-Kakarott," Vegeta sounded out of breath.
"It will be okay, Vegeta. Draco will get help," Goku said, soothingly.
"Lumos." The young Slytherin illuminated the tip of his wand so he could see what was going on with his friend.
"What's wrong?" Draco stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the prince.
Vegeta was on the bed, curled into a shivering ball, Goku kneeling on the floor beside him, holding his hand and stroking his cheek. That wasn't where Draco's focus was. His eyes were rooted to the large pool of blood that he was lying in.
"I'm going to get Madame Pomfrey!" Running back into his room Draco threw on his robes and shoes. "Harry wake-up!"
"Hmm." Bright green eyes partly opened. "What?"
"Get up and help Goku with Vegeta. I'm going to get Madame Pomfrey," Draco said in a worried tone.
"What happened?"
"I don't know but there's a lot of blood on the bed. I think he's hemorrhaging. I'll be back as soon as I can." Without another word the blonde was gone.
Harry quickly made his way to his friend's room. Goku was talking softly, barely audible over Vegeta's heavy breathing. He went into the bathroom for towels to put underneath the prince to absorb the blood that was staining the bed.
A short time later Trunks tumbled into the room. "Go and get your mother," Goku snapped.
Trunks dashed back out.
Goku stayed by his lover's side gently stroking his hair. He looked up into Harry's concerned green eyes.
"What's wrong with him, Goku? He's not. . ."
"No, he's going to be fine," Goku said as Vegeta gripped his hand.
"Ge!" Bulma was dressed in a black robe. Trunks stayed at the door then Madame Pomfrey showed.
"Okay, everyone but Goku out," she ordered.
Once the door was closed the teenagers stared at the barrier. Then they heard an ear-piercing scream from the other side. They backed away slowly.
They were downstairs when Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall came in. The teens told them what they knew. The professors said nothing as they looked at the worry faces of the students.
~oOo@oOo~
Morning came too soon, and it was time for Harry and Draco to go to class. They didn't want to leave without knowing if Vegeta and the baby were all right, but Professor Dumbledore had assured them that everything would be fine.
At dinner they noticed that Vegeta and Goku were absent but Madame Pomfrey and Bulma were present. The Headmaster stood as Professor McGonagall gently tapped the side of her glass goblet. The chatter stopped immediately.
"Now, before we begin I have an announcement to make," the Headmaster beamed.
Harry watched his godfather's reactions. Sirius was surreptitiously watching Bulma and vice versa.
"As you may have noticed that Prince Vegeta and Mr. Son are not here and the reason for that is Prince Vegeta went into labor late last night." A collective gasp sounded in the hall. Dumbledore waved his hand to quiet the students. "I am pleased to announce the birth of Shigeta. She weighted 5lb. and 2oz., and she was 17 ½ inches long. However, due to Vegeta and Goku's nature it will be wise to wait to visit them for about a week or so."
The hall erupted in whistles and shouts for the new bundle of joy.
"Now with that said let's eat." Dumbledore sat back down and started talking with Minerva.
Something shiny had caught Harry's attention at the head table. "Hermione, look," he said whispering to his friend.
Hermione's eyes mirrored dinner plates. She quickly looked back to Harry. She just confirmed what he initially saw.
There on Remus and Snape's left ring finger were identical gold wedding bands.
~ TBC ~
A/N: Well, how was that? And yes Vegeta went into labour early. Harry is suspicious of Snape and Remus. Well, wait until he finds out about their relationship. It's going to get explosive. Did anyone figure out what was wrong with Severus? No, too bad you're going to have to find out in the next chapter. ^_~
Tell me your thoughts and any suggestions that you might have.
Nemesis ^_~
~*~*~
Teaser Chapter 13: Would you believe me if I told you?
Remus paced back and forth inside his friend's bedroom. Something was wrong, very wrong. Sirius was sitting on a chair at the desk watching Remus pace. This situation wasn't right. Tonight was a full moon and yet Remus was still. . .
Chapter 12: The Beast within
Pairings: Goku/Vegeta, Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione, Severus/Remus
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
WARNING: This is about male/male relationships; if you have a problem with that then I suggest that you go elsewhere.
~Kewla: Thank you for the name supply list ^_~
I also would like to thank all of you for the fantastic reviews! Hail to the Pixel Goddess. Without her I'm sure that this fic wouldn't be as exciting without her input and beta skills ^_~
/ Thoughts /
:: Telepathy ::
~oOo@oOo~
Vegeta was summoned to the throne room again. He was cranky and irritable. His skin itched and his blood burned. His breathing was harsh. He could feel the effects of the moon but it was doing him no good if he couldn't see it directly.
Standing in front of the Dark Lord, Vegeta looked ready to attack. His fists were in a tight ball at his sides.
"So, have you reconsidered my offer?" Voldemort asked.
"My answer is still no."
"That was not the answer I wanted Vegeta." Voldemort aimed his wand at the prince's stomach.
Vegeta tensed, looking down at the wand, his instincts to protect his baby slamming into him. /No, he could fight this creature now./ He started laughing, then looked up. The Death Eaters all gasped when they saw his eyes. "I'd rather be in Frieza's services than to join with you."
"I'm about to kill your child and you laugh?" Voldemort hissed.
"I'm laughing because I know something that you don't," Vegeta taunted.
Standing in front of the Dark Lord, Vegeta looked different. Voldemort couldn't understand why his eyes were the same red as his own.
"You fool! You could have been great - feared by all, and you throw it all away on what? A meaningless child and an uncaring lover." Voldemort waved his wand to cast a spell. "You're going to wish that you had taken me up on that offer."
Vegeta smirked. Defiance shone in his shimmering crimson orbs. "I *am* feared. I am the Prince of all Saiyans, and I'm your worse nightmare."
Vegeta opened his right hand and tossed a blinding bright white sphere into the middle of the room. Everyone started throwing curses and hexes about the room. Vegeta dove out of the way when a curse whizzed by his head. A loud explosion rocked the room.
"STOP YOU FOOLS!" Voldemort shouted.
After the dust and spells ceased, laughter sounded by the gaping hole in the wall. A silhouette could be seen by the incoming moonlight. Vegeta dropped down on all fours. His breathing was ragged. Dark crimson eyes looked up. Everyone started backing away as the prince's size began to expand.
Loud growling could be heard from miles around.
~*~*~
"How much further?" Sirius asked.
"We are close," Goku answered, the tension evident in his voice. He had wanted to IT to Vegeta, but Dumbledore warned him about Voldemort's protection spells. Using his favorite technique was sure to be fatal.
Sirius was beginning to think this was a bad idea. Dumbledore had decided they would get Goku to Vegeta in a Capsule aircar. Speed was of the essence, so he had enchanted it to hide it from Muggles below. The quiet Saiyan was directing them to Vegeta by his energy. Bulma had insisted they let her fly. Now, he knew why he preferred to travel closer to the ground. This woman drove like a demon.
As they came over a mountain ridge they could see the titanic figure of Vegeta. He had already destroyed the mansion. A breath blast had leveled the forest behind the building. The Oozaru prince was on a rampage, stomping and snarling and randomly blasting at anything.
/Oh, by Merlin's beard./ Sirius was horrified. Once where a thriving green forest grew now was nothing more than scorched wood and earth. The Muggle was right. Vegeta was destroying everything in his path.
Bulma landed the aircraft out of Vegeta's shooting range. "Okay, Goku. Sirius is going to lead you closer to Vegeta."
Before the group left, it was decided that Goku should be blindfolded. As long as he didn't look directly at the moon he couldn't transform. So, now the plan was to get Goku close enough to Vegeta and have him go Oozaru.
~*~*~
After Sirius got Goku in position he hurried back to the plane. Bulma was sitting on top with binoculars. She saw Goku's Oozaru form. The results were immediate. Vegeta stopped and turned to his mate.
Sirius joined her on the roof. He noticed that her face was red. Bulma put the binoculars away. She didn't want to see any type of monkey action.
"Thank you," Bulma said as Sirius placed his robe around her.
"So, what is that you do exactly?"
"I work for my father - or rather my father gives me things to work on when he's too busy," Bulma answered looking down at her cold hands.
"And what is it that you work on?" Sirius asked taken her smaller hands into his and rubbing them.
Bulma shivered from the contact. "I invent stuff." Then she patted the vehicle underneath them.
Sirius' eyes widen. "You made this?"
Bulma nodded her blue hair swinging back and forth from the motion. "And what about you? I mean aside from being a wizard."
"Oh, I teach a class at Hogwarts along with Remus. Goku and Vegeta have been helping too."
Sirius was now rubbing Bulma's knuckles with his thumb. She looked up at him and noticed that some of his hair had fallen way from its' loose ponytail. Bulma reached up and tucked the dark strand behind his ear. She leaned over when he caught her hand. They were mere inches from each other.
Her heart was racing. "A piece of hair. . .I was just. . . ,"
Sirius closed the gap between them. He gently pressed his lips to hers. Sparks of electricity shocked them. They were both surprised.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that," Sirius quickly said. He got up and went inside the plane leaving Bulma staring after him.
Bulma remained on the roof for the rest of the night, lost in thought about the wizard. She pulled his robe tightly around herself. In the distance she could hear low guttural grunts and howls. The Oozaru Saiyans were united again.
~oOo@oOo~
It had been a couple of months since the incident with Voldemort and Vegeta. Although the Dark Lord escaped everyone knew that he would be back for his intended target: Harry. Christmas came and went and now the new semester was starting.
Hermione had all ready made up the boys' schedules - including Draco's - much to his disbelief. The Slytherin prince was in the top percentile of his class in everything except for Muggle Studies. He just couldn't comprehend non-magic people.
Harry had been keeping a close eye on his godfather Remus. The werewolf was acting strangely, especially around his Potions professor.
One thing that Harry found disconcerting was that Remus was now dressing the part of a professor. He no longer wore his tatty old robes. In addition, Remus seemed livelier that ever. The strange behavior wasn't confined to Lupin - Harry noticed Snape wasn't being mean to just his house. The Potions Master didn't favor any of them - including Slytherin. That shock came when Millicent sabotaged Hermione's potion.
("Fifty points from Slytherin for ruining a class mate's project. Another twenty-five for the mess that it created. Miss Bulstrode you will serve detention with me tonight at 8 o'clock. Be here on time - you wouldn't want any more points deducted for being late," Snape coolly said before snapping out instructions).
The entire class sat in stunned silence at Snape's announcement. Something had happened and Harry wondered what it was.
The truth of the matter was that Remus didn't tell Harry about his relationship with Severus and he made Sirius promise not to tell also. The werewolf didn't want to add to his godson's stress considering that he was going to be married in two months.
Thank goodness for Molly Weasley - she had immediately taken over with the planning. Narcissa was a little put out about that, but Lucius had warned his wife that if she had a hand in the ceremony their son's life would be in danger.
Since Harry had no family other than the Dursleys, Sirius was going to pay for the expenses. The word about that quickly spread through the Gryffindor house. No one other than Ron and Hermione had known that Sirius was wealthy. Now their housemates learned who had given Harry the Firebolt for Christmas back in his third year.
Another thing Harry noticed was that Snape didn't look pale and sallow. When the menacing professor returned to work it seemed he had undergone a physical transformation. Tan skin, silky reddish-black hair. Harry had caught Hermione staring at him, open mouthed, more than once. And she wasn't the only student distracted by the now attractive Potions Master.
Many of the male students were displaying similar reactions. They couldn't explain the attraction. It was like that they were drawn to the teacher. Before this change, Professor Snape had all ready had the graceful skills of a cat and a seductive voice. Now his posture accented his firmly toned muscles, only partly concealed by his robes. Everything about him now radiated sex and power.
Rumors flew that the Potions professor had finally gotten laid and all these changes were his attempt to keep the woman interested. Remus laughed at that when he first heard it in his classroom. However, he knew that if Severus heard it there would be hell to pay, so he kept his comments to himself.
Sirius was another matter all together. Harry had hardly seen him. As he thought about it he had hardly seen Bulma either. When they came back with Vegeta and Goku they were acting differently around each other.
Hermione pointed out that they were looking at one another secretively, but they were never in the room alone with each other. His mother hauled poor Trunks around the school whenever she had to go to the Defense Against the Dark Art classroom.
And as always Dumbledore smiled a lot, offering lemon drops to those who he passed by in the hallways.
~oOo@oOo~
Life at Hogwarts was back to normal - well as normal as it was going to get. The only difference now was that a very pregnant Vegeta waddled through the halls. He was due to give birth the following month. To make him feel even more useless Poppy (or the 'other onna' as he liked to call her) had made him stop his instruction of Defense Against the Dark Arts classes with Goku. He continued to attend, but Trunks had replaced him for demonstrations until after the birth. The mediwitch didn't want him to over do it.
Bulma was concerned as well for Vegeta. He had grown quite a bit over the last two and a half months. She was now aiding Madame Pomfrey with his exams since she had more knowledge of Saiyan biology than the mediwitch.
Bulma and Poppy were frustrated by one thing every time Vegeta came in for appointment. No matter how often they tried to find out the sex of the baby it moved and blocked their view.
"Well Ge, we're just going to have to wait until the actual birth," Bulma said.
"Hn. Are you two onnas finished?" he barked tiredly.
"Hai. Go. I think that Goku is waiting for you in the tower."
Vegeta made ready to leave until Poppy stopped him. "Prince Vegeta I must warn you that since your condition is more advanced you and your mate should refrain from sexual intercourse."
The royal's face must have turned beet red because Bulma had to cover her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing out loud. Vegeta would have growled if he had the energy to.
Once inside his bedroom Vegeta collapsed on his bed. Just one more month and his baby would be in his arms. He never thought that something as miraculous as conceiving would ever come into being. He knew that his pregnancy was dangerous and that he needed to be careful but he never listened. Now, as he thought about it, he was to blame for losing his first child with Kakarott.
Another kick to his stomach made him groan. The baby's movement had increased considerably. He was going to the bathroom what seemed like every five to ten minutes. Bulma told him that the baby should be getting into position soon but that wasn't going to make a difference anyway considering that the baby was going to be delivered by c-section.
He smiled when he thought about the day he had walked into the Great Hall after staying in the tower on bed rest for a few weeks. All talk ceased as the students realized that his round stomach was on full display - not to mention his tail. It now waved leisurely behind him since he could no longer wrap the seductive appendage around his thigh or waist. He couldn't even see his feet.
More kicks to his bladder. He silently cursed as his headed toward the bathroom once again. Tonight Vegeta decided that he was going to relax and wait for Goku. Somehow the gentle Saiyan got wrapped up with his son on the pitch sparring.
Another reason for wanting the baby out - he missed sparring - but more importantly his missed having sex. His hormones were calling out to his penis and it was driving him mad with want. A smile appeared on his tanned face.
The witch said not to have sexual intercourse - she never said that he couldn't do 'other' things. Vegeta mentally called Kakarott. It was time to put his lover's oral talents to work.
~oOo@oOo~
Remus covered his head with the comforter trying to shut out the muffled noise that was coming from the bathroom but couldn't. He sat up in bed only to realize that the noise that he heard was his mate.
"Sev are you all right?" Remus called from the bedroom. He shook his head, clearing it of the last remnants of sleep while pulling on a bathrobe.
He had been concerned for his mate for a while. Severus had been throwing up for the past two weeks. Nothing seemed to want to stay on his stomach. He would be fine when he woke but by his first class he was an absolute mess.
Poppy even called Remus out of class one day because Severus had passed out during seventh year Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Double Potions session.
"Peachy," Severus answered sarcastically.
The Dark Arts teacher was now kneeling next to his ill lover. Ever since that disciplinary session with the Dark Lord, Severus had been progressively sicker, and it worried Remus. To his relief Professor Dumbledore had forbid Severus to leave the castle. His days as a spy were over.
"Okay love, that's it. You're going to the hospital wing. I can't stand to see you suffering like this," Remus admitted as he watched Severus wash his face.
He rinsed out his mouth to get rid of the burning acid taste then turned to answer his mate, "I'm fine. I don't feel sick."
"You are not fine Sev. Look at you." Remus gestured to his reflection. Severus' face was flushed and his obsidian eyes were glassy and swollen. "Just humor me love, and go visit Pomfrey."
Snape grumbled before giving in. Somehow, Remus had managed to wrap him around his finger without really trying.
~*~*~
Severus and Remus entered the infirmary. Madame Pomfrey led them to the private room she had assigned to Severus after the Headmaster told her about him being a Saiyan. Once stretched out on the bed Severus relaxed a little but he was still wary.
Poppy quickly explained what she doing. She knew how suspicious the Potions Master was and she didn't want to give him excuse to curse her. Snape was quick on the draw with his wand and would not hesitate to cast a hex.
After her exam she smiled kindly at the couple. She figured them out too. She noticed that Severus wasn't as mean and snappy with people and Remus looked a lot healthier than he had in all the years that she had known him.
"The only thing that I can say Severus is congratulations you're in perfect health."
Both professors looked at the old witch as if she had bats in her belfry. "Poppy, how can Severus be in perfect health if he's throwing up all the time?" Remus asked.
"I can't find anything wrong, except maybe you need to rest. We don't always know the reason why we fall sick. As for Professor Snape, he's been under a lot of stress and has not been taking care of himself. I'm surprised that it took this long for him to come and see me."
Snape was not used to having someone fuss over him. "Are you two quite finished? I have classes in an hour and I don't want to be late."
"Well, seeing that nothing is effecting you dear, you may leave but come back if it gets worse," Poppy said in her motherly voice.
"Thank you," Remus said giving her a tender warm smile.
On their way back to the dungeons Remus was lost in thought over what might be causing his lover to be sick. Severus didn't know what to make of it either.
"Have you eaten breakfast Rem?"
"No, I was concerned about you and didn't bother," Remus replied somewhat guiltily.
"I'm calling for one of the house-elves to bring you something to eat. You shouldn't be skipping meals." Rem missing breakfast was unusual - his appetite had recently increased, which was fabulous as far as Severus was concerned. Lately he could rival the three Saiyans.
They were standing in front of their door when Severus heard someone coming. Since no one knew about their relationship (and it was none of their business) Severus did the only thing that he could think of. He pushed Remus and himself inside the nearest darkened alcove to hide them. Remus was about to protest when he saw Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco moving down the corridor.
"I'm telling you guys, something is going on with Lupin and Snape," said Harry.
They stopped not far from the hidden couple.
"Blimey Harry, the next thing you'll be telling us that they are screwing each other senseless," Ron almost yelled.
Remus and Severus bit back a laugh.
"Hold on. I think Harry has a valid point," Hermione countered. "Professor Snape has been acting odd ever since he was found in the Forbidden Forest; and Professor Lupin has not been acting any better. I mean have you noticed the things that he's been eating?"
The other three shook their head in agreement. Remus had stunned that Hall silent a couple of weeks ago when he started eaten his meat raw or hardly cooked. He consumed vast amounts of meat and it was starting to scare the students. However, Professor Dumbledore announced there was nothing to be afraid of from the werewolf - he was only lacking iron in his diet.
"Okay, let's say that Professor Lupin isn't lacking iron. There aren't that many reasons why he would he crave so much meat." Hermione ventured.
"Hermione, think about what you're saying." Draco started, following her train of thought.
"I know, Draco. Believe me, I know."
"So, now the question would be: whose is it?" Harry asked picking up on the enigmatic conversation.
Draco's silver orbs widened as he considered what this could mean, but said nothing. Severus saw the look and knew that he was going to have to talk with his godson. He was thinking about was they were saying about his lover. Something they should probably discuss soon.
"Wait guys. Think about what we're saying. Maybe Lupin is craving the blood. I mean, he is a werewolf," Draco said.
Remus was getting bored listening to the kids talk. With Severus standing so close to him the only thing he could do was inhale his herbal scent. He grew hard instantly. He wrapped his arms around the Potions Master's slender waist and let his hands travel down to his groin.
Severus held onto his moan as Remus slid his hand up and under his shirt and trousers. The DA teacher slowly fisted his lover's erection. Remus fondled the head letting his thumb glide over the slit spreading the liquid around it. Severus let his head fall back again Remus' shoulder. He was in heaven then he slightly moaned.
"What was that?" Harry asked while looking around.
The hidden couple froze in place.
"Come on Harry, you're hearing things," Ron said.
"We better hurry. We don't want to show up to class after Snape," Hermione said pulling her boyfriend by the cuff of his robe.
Once the students were gone, Severus hurried Remus into their rooms and ravaged the werewolf. "You're going to pay for doing that to me Rem."
"I'm sorry Sev, but I was bored and I've been wanting you," Remus said in between kisses.
They spoke no other words as they tumbled to the floor.
~oOo@oOo~
Professor Snape showed-up to class forty-five minutes late. The entire class was beginning to wonder what had happened to him, but four of his students carefully scrutinized his disheveled appearance. Swollen lips, flushed cheeks, glittering eyes. Snape looked like a well-loved man.
Goku and Vegeta just stared at the professor with cat ate the canary grins, but Snape just ignored them. Severus silently cursed his lover for making him late to class. God, he could only imagine what Dumbledore would say about his acting alike a hormonal teenager.
After he wrote the potions instructions on the board he sat down at his desk to finish grading some papers left over from last night. No thanks to Remus. The werewolf's libido had increased considerably over the past few months. Not that he was complaining mind you, but Severus had a sinking feeling that something else was going with his mate.
He looked up to see that Vegeta had fallen asleep again. The Saiyan was resting his head on Goku's chest. The taller male had his arm draped over his lover. The couple was seated at the back of the room on the other side of Harry and Draco.
He watched Vegeta for some time and noticed that his sleep was not peaceful as it should have been. His thick black brows were scrunched together creating winkles in between them. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He just didn't understand why the stubborn male refused to stay in his room to rest. With a shake of his head he went back to grading.
Severus was almost done with his papers when he came across a note. There was no indication of who sent it or where it came from. He opened the envelope and read the contents.
[Meet me by the lake at midnight. Come alone]
He almost smiled as he recognized the neat flowing penmanship. He had a rendezvous with his werewolf lover.
~oOo@oOo~
Draco and Harry were snuggled under the thick eiderdown when Draco heard heavy footsteps rushing by in the hallway. Silver eyes fluttered opened and cautiously scanned the room. Not seeing anything of danger Draco settled back down on the goose down pillow until he heard another noise.
The blonde slipped out from underneath Harry and walked out of the door. Draco was about to go downstairs to investigate when he heard a voice coming from down the hall. His feet brought him in front of Goku and Vegeta's door.
He heard a pain-filled groan, and alarmed, he knocked on the door.
"Draco! Get in here!"
He was surprised to hear the panic in Goku's voice. Steeling his nerves, Draco walked into the dimly room. Dumbledore had spelled the windows to prevent moonbeams entering on the night of a full moon.
"Goku?" he called out.
"Ka-Kakarott," Vegeta sounded out of breath.
"It will be okay, Vegeta. Draco will get help," Goku said, soothingly.
"Lumos." The young Slytherin illuminated the tip of his wand so he could see what was going on with his friend.
"What's wrong?" Draco stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the prince.
Vegeta was on the bed, curled into a shivering ball, Goku kneeling on the floor beside him, holding his hand and stroking his cheek. That wasn't where Draco's focus was. His eyes were rooted to the large pool of blood that he was lying in.
"I'm going to get Madame Pomfrey!" Running back into his room Draco threw on his robes and shoes. "Harry wake-up!"
"Hmm." Bright green eyes partly opened. "What?"
"Get up and help Goku with Vegeta. I'm going to get Madame Pomfrey," Draco said in a worried tone.
"What happened?"
"I don't know but there's a lot of blood on the bed. I think he's hemorrhaging. I'll be back as soon as I can." Without another word the blonde was gone.
Harry quickly made his way to his friend's room. Goku was talking softly, barely audible over Vegeta's heavy breathing. He went into the bathroom for towels to put underneath the prince to absorb the blood that was staining the bed.
A short time later Trunks tumbled into the room. "Go and get your mother," Goku snapped.
Trunks dashed back out.
Goku stayed by his lover's side gently stroking his hair. He looked up into Harry's concerned green eyes.
"What's wrong with him, Goku? He's not. . ."
"No, he's going to be fine," Goku said as Vegeta gripped his hand.
"Ge!" Bulma was dressed in a black robe. Trunks stayed at the door then Madame Pomfrey showed.
"Okay, everyone but Goku out," she ordered.
Once the door was closed the teenagers stared at the barrier. Then they heard an ear-piercing scream from the other side. They backed away slowly.
They were downstairs when Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall came in. The teens told them what they knew. The professors said nothing as they looked at the worry faces of the students.
~oOo@oOo~
Morning came too soon, and it was time for Harry and Draco to go to class. They didn't want to leave without knowing if Vegeta and the baby were all right, but Professor Dumbledore had assured them that everything would be fine.
At dinner they noticed that Vegeta and Goku were absent but Madame Pomfrey and Bulma were present. The Headmaster stood as Professor McGonagall gently tapped the side of her glass goblet. The chatter stopped immediately.
"Now, before we begin I have an announcement to make," the Headmaster beamed.
Harry watched his godfather's reactions. Sirius was surreptitiously watching Bulma and vice versa.
"As you may have noticed that Prince Vegeta and Mr. Son are not here and the reason for that is Prince Vegeta went into labor late last night." A collective gasp sounded in the hall. Dumbledore waved his hand to quiet the students. "I am pleased to announce the birth of Shigeta. She weighted 5lb. and 2oz., and she was 17 ½ inches long. However, due to Vegeta and Goku's nature it will be wise to wait to visit them for about a week or so."
The hall erupted in whistles and shouts for the new bundle of joy.
"Now with that said let's eat." Dumbledore sat back down and started talking with Minerva.
Something shiny had caught Harry's attention at the head table. "Hermione, look," he said whispering to his friend.
Hermione's eyes mirrored dinner plates. She quickly looked back to Harry. She just confirmed what he initially saw.
There on Remus and Snape's left ring finger were identical gold wedding bands.
~ TBC ~
A/N: Well, how was that? And yes Vegeta went into labour early. Harry is suspicious of Snape and Remus. Well, wait until he finds out about their relationship. It's going to get explosive. Did anyone figure out what was wrong with Severus? No, too bad you're going to have to find out in the next chapter. ^_~
Tell me your thoughts and any suggestions that you might have.
Nemesis ^_~
~*~*~
Teaser Chapter 13: Would you believe me if I told you?
Remus paced back and forth inside his friend's bedroom. Something was wrong, very wrong. Sirius was sitting on a chair at the desk watching Remus pace. This situation wasn't right. Tonight was a full moon and yet Remus was still. . .