Family Portrait

Remus was surprised when he stepped out of his quarters for the last time to find Edie Snape outside. He stared at her scarred face and then looked right, followed by left. She was alone.

"Ah, hello," he said.

She tilted her head, an expression on her face that he couldn't quite place. It made him uncomfortable. Crossing his arms, Remus asked, "Is there something I can do for you Mrs. Snape?"

Her lips thinned and she gave a shake of her head. "No," she answered. "I just wanted a good look at yeh," she admitted.

Remus barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. He didn't stop himself from snarking, "Oh did you? Now that I'm finally leaving?"

Edie didn't react much at all to his tone. Her gaze stayed level and her lips firm. The only true indicator he'd affected her was the slight hitch in her shoulders. Finally, Edie stepped back and said, "Yeh'll have ter let tha' go. It's wha' Sev'rus needed o' me."

Remus gritted his teeth. Needed of her? Severus certainly knew how to control his family, didn't he? Caught between annoyed and concerned, he asked, "Does he need you to do a lot of things for him?" Surreptitiously, Remus looked around once more. He doubted Edie would be here if she thought Severus would miss her at this time, but there is always a chance for the best laid plans to go wrong. "What happens if he finds out you're here now?" he questions.

Edie's expression grew stormy. "Me husband is a good man," she told him, affront in her voice.

He couldn't help but frown. "I'm not—" he stopped himself. There was no point arguing with her. She was likely in denial (as far too many women were about the men they loved). It was better that he left Edie with a kind impression of him. One which might leave her feeling it was safe to reach out to Remus in the future.

Smoothing away his unhappy expression, he lifted his brows in what he hoped was a friendly way and complimented her children. "The girls, they are lovely," he said, knowing such a remark should warm her. Parents adored having their children praised. Then, even though it was a struggle, he lied. "I'm sure Severus is a proper father and husband."

Edie huffed. "Yeh don't mean that," she said.

He blinked. "Pardon?" he couldn't help but sputter.

Edie shook her head at Remus and gave him a look that spoke of just what she thought about his intelligence. "Darla loathes yeh," she said, causing him to wince. Remus probably should have expected she would know that. The only person who appeared to hold half as much distaste for him was Severus himself. The two likely complained about him in one another's company. Edie, undoubtedly, was close by to hear some of their whinging.

She sighed in a dismaying way and covered her scarred cheek with her hand. "I know how she can be when she isn't happy," she admitted.

Remus watched her and realized there was a chance for him to recover from his earlier fumble. Darla spoke disparagingly of him in the company of others, but that wasn't all she did. When she was with those she liked, she could be downright playful. He'd seen it firsthand during Christmas hols. Remus imagined she could even be kind.

"I haven't been privy to her best side, no, but I have seen her with others," he said to Edie, who continued to wear an expression of worry. "She is a pleasant witch outside my presence."

The witch's shoulders loosened and her hand fell from her cheek. "She is," agreed Edie with a small, faint smile. Voice soft, wistful, she admitted, "I hope she'll give yeh another chance when yeh meet again."

She sounded so confident they would cross paths in the future. Remus wondered what she knew that he didn't. Remus decided to not pursue that line of questions. He was not positive he would receive answers. Edie came off as quite capable of evading questions when it suited her.

So, instead, he chuckled. "A beautiful hope," he said. Gently, he told Edie who had furrowed her brows in response to his amusement. "I think she's too like her brother, however."

Edie's eyes dimmed. "Yes," she agreed in a murmur. "Sometimes tha' is so."

She fell quiet and Remus started to shift around, wondering what else Edie could want of him. When all she did was stare in a distant way at something past him, he cleared his throat. "Mrs. Snape, as enlightening as this conversation has been, are you sure there is nothing I can do for you?"

Edie's eyes refocused on him and she shook her head. "No," she answered. Tilting her head away to eye him out of the corners of her eyes she explained, "I wanted ter make my own opinion is all."

"Ah," Remus replied, finding he had no other words to offer.

Edie, apparently emboldened by his miffed silence, pursed her lips. "Yeh were careless before. It's a miracle no one got hurt," she declared.

Remus cringed. He had been. Terribly, awfully careless. A way someone with his condition could not afford to be and yet. Well. He was paying for that mistake, wasn't he?

Remus hunched in slightly and began to apologize to the witch, "I know. I'm truly sorry—"

"—I can forgive yeh fer this time. It's easy ter get caught in the moment," broke in Edie, the harshness of her features smoothing and real, true understanding filling her warm, golden gaze.

He gaped. "Oh," he whispered in the end.

Edie's face shifted yet again. The understanding remained, but a sternness was also cooling the warmth of her eyes. "Yeh could still be a better man," she lectured him and Remus swallowed. She closed her eyes then and breathed in and out. "So much better," she added, a quaver in her tone.

Remus felt contrite. It was obvious now the events of that night had quite affected her. As it should have, he supposed. She had nearly lost her husband, for one. What would Edie do without him? Her children were young. She had a home here at Hogwarts because of Severus.

At any other time, being told he could be a better man would upset him. Severus could do quite a lot to improve himself as well. However, he saw now that it did not matter. It was Remus's recklessness that nearly cost Edie and her girls their security.

"I could be," he agreed.

Edie opened her eyes.

Remus rubbed his hands together and did not let himself look away from the witch. "I could be a much better man. I swear to you, what happened, it will never occur again." He offered her one of his sweaty hands, hoping they might be able to shake on his promise.

The witch looked at it and he thought she was going to refuse to shake it when she lept at him. He froze in place as Edie wrapped herself around his chest and held tight for a moment. "Thank yeh," she said into his arm. "Tha' means more ter me than yeh know."

Hesitantly, he patted her shoulder. "Y-You're welcome," he murmured.

Edie pulled away. She was decidedly different looking, Remus noted. There was no more wariness on her face and all the tension in her slim frame had gone. He felt as if he was looking into the face of a friend, not an enemy nor a stranger.

"I'll work on mine," she said, baffling him. "Yeh might yet get ter know the better side o' Darla," she told him.

He felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. "Good luck," he told her.

"Yeh too," she said with a smile of her own.

Remus watched as she then turned away from him and began to walk down the corridor to the inner depths of Hogwarts. He bit the inside of his cheek, wondering if he ought to say the words on the tip of his tongue or not. Finally, the urge won out. "Edie!" he called.

She paused and looked over her shoulder, curious.

"Take care of yourself," he said to her. "Not just your family."

The witch smiled at him with undeniable fondness. "I will," she promised. She then continued on her way, leaving Remus alone. For a beat, he stayed where he was. Then, he sighed, closed the doors to his old quarters, and began in the direction which would take him out of Hogwarts's the quickest. Remus did not yet have a new place to live lined up, but he knew his father would not mind him staying a week or two.

A happy new year to everyone!

Thank you all for reading :)