Late One Night
Disclaimer: I don't own much really.
Fallen Angel of Hell: Glad you liked it!
Eleonora1: Ah, you're so right about Remus being up the duff soon, great minds think alike eh? Ah ha, Lucius won't be dying anytime soon; he may be needed for more important things… As to who the other spy is, I'm not sure yet, I haven't decided but I'm not going to invent a character for that.
Piper of Locksley: I'll update as quickly as I can!!
Lizzie24: Yes, here I am! I don't know who's doing the reporting around here and thanks for joining my Yahoo! Group!
Doneril: Ha ha, thanks! Don't worry, I don't like Ron either.
MoonyPadfootJr: Glad you liked it!
Kyie: No one made you read it.
Sav: Don't worry! I haven't forgotten about this story, I just haven't update in a while.
Brunette89: I'm writing as fast as I can!
……………………………………
Yes, the Lupin twin theory is coming into this story, I couldn't help myself! Except there is no good twin/evil twin, they're both relatively good boys, but they still don't particularly like each other.
……………………………………
Chapter 6: Christmas Time Part 1
It was breakfast the morning a lot of students were leaving Hogwarts to go home for the Christmas holidays, nearly every student happened to be going except for Hermione, Harry, Seamus, Dean and Neville.
Hermione had just had a note dropped into her scrambled eggs by one of the Hogwarts' owls, she grumbled as she wiped the eggs off it and unfolded it.
See me after breakfast, you're needed.
Dad
Hermione glanced around the Great Hall and noticed a lot of students had already left. Then she looked up to the Head Table, before getting up, completely ignoring Harry's question of 'where are you going?' and heading up to the staff table to stand right in front of her parents. "I'm not baby-sitting."
Remus looked up in slight surprise, he hadn't heard or seen her approach, "Please?"
Hermione frowned, "But it's the Christmas holidays and she's annoying. She'll just get in the way."
Remus sighed and leaned forward on the table, folding his arms, "Can you please just watch her for the day?"
"Why?"
"Stop questioning and do as you're told." Said Severus butting into the conversation.
Hermione scowled at them both, it was a look that she seemed to really be perfecting now. "Do you really want your baby in the company of four teenage boys?"
"I would rather neither of you were in the company of four teenage boys." Replied Severus seriously.
Hermione smirked, "Well in that case, I'll take her. Where is she?"
"She's still asleep at the moment." Replied Remus, glancing in amusement at the look on Severus' face. "Come and get her in about an hour."
"Okay."
………
"How are we meant to do anything entertaining with a four year old around?" Questioned Seamus frowning at Maria.
Hermione raised an eyebrow, "What exactly did you have in mind?"
Dean shrugged, "Strip poker?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Well Maria and I will leave, and you four can entertain yourselves with that then eh?"
Harry smirked, "No need, its no fun if the only girl is gone." Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "Not that we would ever think anything of the sort about you."
"And why the hell not?" Questioned Hermione in offense.
…
Remus slipped his arms around Severus' neck and kissed him lightly on the lips, "We have a few hours alone now." He stated with a small smile. "What do you think we should do?"
Severus smirked slightly and pulled Remus flat against his body, "It seems you already have something in mind."
"Oh I do." Mumbled Remus against Severus' lips before they started kissing again.
Remus soon found himself being pushed, none too gracefully, down onto the bed minus most of his clothes.
Severus quite liked Remus' overly amorous moods right before the full moon; he would normally give into absolutely anything Severus did to him in bed. As he nipped and kissed Remus' neck and shoulders, it barely registered in his mind that they should be using contraception of some sort. After all, it was having sex directly before or after a full moon that could get a male werewolf pregnant, that's what had happened with both Hermione and Maria.
…
The five Gryffindors and Maria had decided to go down to Hagrid's Hut and visit the friendly half-giant as they hadn't really had much of a chance to chat with him all term because they had had a lot of work to do and Hagrid had been away from the school for nearly a month.
As they were wandering down the hill to Hagrid's hut, Hermione saw a brown haired man standing talking with Hagrid at the bottom of the hill. He was a slender man, he was around the same height as Remus and had the same brown hair, but it was longer and pulled back into a ponytail. She smiled when she realised who it was; she hadn't seen this man since the summer before her second year at Hogwarts.
Hagrid saw the kids coming down the hill, "Be careful yeh lot! Its really slipper-" He never finished his sentence as Hermione found out just how slippery the stone steps were.
Hermione felt one foot come out from under her as she stepped on some black ice and went tumbling ungracefully down the hill with a scream.
The boys made to go after her, but decided better of it in case they all fell down the hill as well.
Hermione finally came to a halt in Hagrid's pumpkin patch; "Ow shit!" She struggled to get up and as she stood and put weight on her left foot, she cried out in pain.
The brown haired man that Hermione had been happy to see went over to her, smirking slightly. "No less clumsy than we were last time I saw you then?"
"Oh shut up." Grumbled Hermione, clenching her fists in pain. "I did something to my ankle…it really hurts."
"You all right 'Mione?" Questioned Harry as the boys and Maria got to the bottom of the slippery steps.
Hermione sniffed and shook her head as the brown haired man examined her left ankle. "Ow! What the hell are you doing?"
"Checking to see if it's broken." Replied the man, he still looked amused. "Its not, but you may have a fracture." Hermione whimpered. "Come on." He scooped Hermione up into his arms.
……
It was around an hour later; Seamus, Dean and Neville had taken Maria back to Gryffindor Tower as Madame Pomfrey had kicked them out of the Infirmary. Harry was still there with Hermione and Hagrid had left feeling adamant about Hermione's injury being his fault, because he 'adn' warned 'em soon enough'.
"So um…who is that guy?" Asked Harry curiously after the brown haired man had left, after making sure Hermione was all right.
Hermione glanced at her best friend and smirked slightly, "He's my uncle." Harry raised an eyebrow. "Romulus Lupin. Dad's twin brother. I haven't seen him since before second year…I wonder what he's doing here?"
Harry shrugged, "So, what does he do?"
"He's an Auror." Replied Hermione, she thought for a moment. "Maybe he's in the Order, that might be why he's here."
Harry shrugged again, "Could be. How's your leg?"
"Painful."
……
Severus was in his classroom mixing up a Pain Relief Potion. Poppy had floo called him about an hour ago saying that she had run out and needed another supply quickly as she had an injured student in the Infirmary. He was tempted to say no until she told him who the injured student was then he figured it would be safer for him to mix the potion than to deal with the wrath of Remus or Hermione.
After he was done, he filled a couple of flasks full of the potion and swept out of his classroom and made the journey up to the Infirmary. When he arrived at the Infirmary, his minor good mood evaporated immediately when he laid eyes on one of Hermione's visitors. Romulus Lupin. Yet another mortal enemy. But it wasn't just him that had something against Romulus, even Remus wasn't too fond of his own brother and no one, not even Severus, really knew why?
After passing his trademark sneer to Romulus, Severus went into Poppy Pomfrey's office and gave her the flasks of Pain Relief Potion. "Anything else you would like?"
Poppy raised an eyebrow, "Not at the moment, but be on your toes." She smiled as Severus scowled at her.
Severus nodded curtly and swept straight back out of the Infirmary, not even sparing a glance at his daughter whom was frowning.
Romulus raised an eyebrow, "As friendly as always, I see."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "You're here, how did you expect him to react?"
Romulus shrugged, "I don't know, for some wild reason I thought he might've lightened up a little."
Harry smirked, "What did you do?"
"You know, I have no idea." Replied Romulus in slight amusement. "Attacking him for knocking my brother up might have something to do with it, mind you."
Hermione snorted, "You think?"
Poppy came out of her office with a goblet full of the Pain Relief Potion, "Right Granger, drink this straight down."
Hermione did so, she pulled a look of disgust, "That is foul…"
Poppy nodded, "Yes well, your father has a habit of not making potion drinking easy. Anyway, I want you to rest that ankle for a few days and try not to walk without these crutches."
"Okay."
…
Remus raised an eyebrow at his frowning lover, "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"
Severus turned his eyes to Remus, "You realise your brother is in the school?"
"What?"
Severus smirked slightly, he hadn't seen Remus look that surprised in ages, "Mm, he was in the Infirmary when I took the potion up there. Getting on very well with Hermione and Harry." That was something he really didn't like, he didn't understand why his eldest daughter liked her uncle so much.
Remus raised an eyebrow, "Well, can't say I didn't expect that."
"What?" Severus furrowed his eyebrows. "Him being here or Hermione wanting him around?"
"Both."
………
It was now dinnertime at Hogwarts and as the students entered the Great Hall they found just one table in the middle of the spacious room already occupied by the Professors staying at the school for the festive season. Madame Pomfrey and Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick, Lupin and Snape, much to their dismay, were all talking amongst themselves.
"Ah boys, do sit down." Said Dumbledore cheerfully. They all took their seats surrounding little Maria, who had been returned to her parents after her sister had had enough. "And where is Miss Granger?"
Harry grinned, "She's sulking in the Common Room cause we keep taking her crutches."
"And trying to make us do our homework." Piped in Dean.
Seamus snorted, "And she's been trying out hexes on Harry."
Harry scowled at his friend; "It's not funny. She's absolutely mental."
Remus smirked, "I grew up with three sisters, I sincerely sympathise." He knew all too well, that it was his sisters that had had the female influence over Hermione in the first place. Not to mention Minerva McGonagall, who seemed adamant about turning Hermione against her Slytherin father.
Hermione turned up for dinner about twenty minutes later looking worn out, she turned her attention straight to Dumbledore, "Can Hogwarts invest in elevators?" Walking with crutches was hard with all the flights of stairs in Hogwarts. "Please?"
Harry snorted, "What, tired of being a cripple already?"
Hermione merely raised an eyebrow, "I'm not afraid to use your Firebolt as kindling, Potter."
Just as Harry was about to retaliate none other than Professor Trelawney appeared in the Great Hall, "I was crystal ball gazing Headmaster and I saw that I would be eating dinner with you this evening."
Hermione snorted quietly and there were successive eye rolls from everyone else at the table, other than Dumbledore.
"Ah, do come and join us Sybill." Said Dumbledore, the same cheerfulness he reserved for everyone whether they wanted it or not. "I'll draw you up a chair." And he did just that.
Remus deliberately moved his chair closer to Severus', knowing that infernal woman had an everlasting crush on him, she had done since they were at school. He rather hoped the look of loathing on Severus' face would deter her from speaking to him, she did know of their relationship, after all.
As Trelawney sat down, Hermione counted the people at the table and smirked before clearing her throat, she was really beginning to enjoy her rebellious streak; "Thirteen of us are dining."
The boys at the table muffled their laughter, McGonagall raised an amused eyebrow at Hermione, Remus snorted and even Severus showed some signs of amusement.
Hermione had an innocent look on her face as she glanced at the horrified Trelawney, "I'm sorry, I just thought I should mention it."
"Tripe Sybill?" Offered McGonagall in amusement.
Remus was finding it very hard to not bury his face into Severus' robes and muffle his laughter, he had had a bit too much to drink before dinner and the alcohol was really catching up with him.
Severus eyed him irritably, Remus was generally quite annoying when he got drunk, though in Severus' mind, the man was a general nuisance most of the time no matter how much he really did love the werewolf. "Please refrain from getting any closer, Lupin."
"I will Severus," Replied Remus smiling slightly, "But I am finding it rather difficult." He knew he was pushing the right buttons to get himself hexed by his lover.
Neville, Seamus and Dean looked quite worried for Professor Lupin, knowing what Snape was like and all. Harry and Hermione on the other hand were quite amused, they both knew Remus had a habit of teasing Severus to become homicidal.
It was a little while later now and Hermione had finished her dinner, as she started to get up Trelawney gave a small gasp of shock.
Everyone looked to her, not really expecting something important to escape her mouth.
"When thirteen dine together, the first to leave is the first to die."
Hermione picked up her crutches and shrugged, "Oh well, if you hear me scream bloody murder, please drop everything and hasten to my rescue. Especially you Harry, I want to be rescued by the Boy-Who-Lived." She ruffled his hair as she passed grinning.
"You can forget about any rescue attempt from me, Hermione!" Called Harry after Hermione who was laughing.
…
The teachers were still at the table after all the students had left.
McGonagall gazed inscrutably between Remus and Severus.
Remus looked up at her, he had sobered up a little by now, "What?"
"What did you do to that girl over the summer?" Questioned Minerva curiously.
"Nothing." Replied Remus in slight offense. He glanced at Severus who was smirking slightly and then looked back to Minerva. "Nothing that I know of, anyway…" He noticed Trelawney watching him intensely so he quickly got up and picked up Maria, who was yawning. "See you later."
Severus soon followed and caught up with Remus in his quarters after the werewolf had put their daughter down to sleep.
As Remus headed into the other bedroom he felt strong arms slide around his waist, "Let me go…" It was a feeble attempt to get rid of his lover and he really didn't mind having someone hold him up. As was usual the day before the full moon, he had been overcome with a wave of fatigue and he had nearly collapsed on the way back from the Great Hall.
Severus kissed him on the neck; "Did you take your potion?"
Remus closed his eyes and leaned back into Severus' arms, "How could I not? …When you force it down my throat every month."
"I do it for your own good." Replied Severus; he gave Remus a nudge towards the bed. "You need to get some sleep."
"I know." Remus forced himself to pull away from Severus and he headed into the bathroom. "Can you check on Maria?"
Severus sighed, "Yes…" It was tiring having two werewolves to look after, especially when one of them was only four.
To Be Continued…
………………………………………
A/N: Wow, that took ages and I'm still not done.
Next Chapter: Part 2 of the Christmas chapter. The boys find out about Severus, Remus and Hermione. Harry has a dream about Voldemort and he ends up attacking Hermione…