Disclaimer: All characters belong solely to JK Rowling. If you recognize a scene or a name, it is hers.

Previously:

"Well, I think that's everything of importance. Let the feast begin!"

Throughout the feast, Remus could feel the heated glare being sent his way from the potions master. The feast couldn't get over soon enough.

Chapter sixteen: The Twins, the Boggart, and the Confession

Remus stood outside the door and swallowed hard. It was his very first lesson, fifth year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, and he was terrified. He had no idea what to expect. He knew that there had been a new Defense teacher every year since before him himself was a student, so the likelihood of the kids actually having learned anything in the previous years was slim to none. And he wanted to change that for their sakes. The war was over, had been for ten years, but he had always had that feeling that things would become just as bad as they had been while he had been a student.

He gripped the door handle and pulled it open, allowing the fifth years to enter the classroom.

"Good afternoon," he said to the class. "As I'm sure all of you are aware, this year you are to take your OWL examinations." There was a loud groan from two red-haired boys that Remus recognized as Molly and Arthur's twins. He knew every teacher was starting their fifth year classes talking about the exams, but he did have to mention them also, and sooner would be better than later. "I know, I know. You will be bludgeoned to death with talk about your OWL's, but they will be the most important thing that you have to do this year." The twins were staring at him now, as if expecting something to happen. The looks on their faces reminded him of his own school days when James and Si- … He couldn't think of the traitor right now. "I know that most of you will be quite behind the point which you should be, because of the constant change of teachers, so we should start off by talking about finding out what you have already studied. As you know, the last professor was unable to leave behind sufficient notes to tell me what has been studied."

He glanced around the room. "Yes, Mr. –" He pointed to a Ravenclaw student in the front of the classroom.

"Bradley, sir. Most of last year, all we did was read about Lo-Professor Lockhart's life. And then we found out that everything we had read was a lie, and that he hadn't done any of the things which he had claimed to have done."

The girl behind Bradley spoke up. "And the year before that, Quirrell didn't teach us anything either. He was afraid of everything! He wasn't like that before, but he was that year."

"Thank you, Miss –"

"Sandrine Fawcett, sir."

"Miss Fawcett. What about the year before that? Anyone?" He was desperate now. These students had learned nothing in the past two years. Would it be up to him to teach five years worth of defense to the students? A Gryffindor boy raised his hand. "Yes, Mr-"

"Towler. Ken Towler. First year, we had Quirrell. He taught us the basic shield charms and the disarming spell, but that's about all we really learned in spells. After that, we had Auror Hitchens. He was… not the best. We copied portions of the text books every class. It was awful." The boy shivered slightly. "Third year, Quirrell was back, but he'd changed. We didn't learn anything. And Lockhart last year was... not very instructive."

"Thank you, Mr. Towler. You all know the disarming charms then? Do you remember the incantation? Yes, Miss –"

"Johnson, sir. Angelina Johnson. The incantation is Expelliarmus."

"Correct, Miss Johnson. Would any of you like to demonstrate the spell?" No one moved. "Anyone?"

One of the Weasley twins raised his hand. Remus swallowed. He had hoped someone else would volunteer, but it seemed he had no choice but allow the troublemakers their moment. He gestured to one of them – he believed it was George – and the boy rose and stepped up to the front of the class.

"On the count of –"

"EXPELLIARMUS!" George said, pointing his wand directly at Remus. The professor felt his wand fly out of his hand and saw it go directly into George's.

"Excellent. Five points for Gryffindor. If I could have my wand back, Mr. Weasley?" George Weasley grinned and handed back the wand. "Now, if you would wait right here, Mr. Weasley. Could anyone tell me the incantation for the shield charm? Miss –"

"Bell. Katie Bell. It's Protego."

"Correct, Miss Bell. Protego." He swallowed and faced George again. "The choice is yours, Mr. Weasley. Will you disarm me again and I use the shield, or will you demonstrate the shield while I disarm you?"

"Either way, Professor." The grin was back. Remus could see the spirit of the Marauders in the boy and in his brother. "You use the shield, I'll disarm you. On three. One. Two. Three. Expelliarmus!" He pointed the wand at the boy, but instead of a jet of light coming from his wand, it emitted a loud squeak and turned into a rubber mouse. The entire room fell silent – the only ones to show amusement were the twins themselves. He fought down his grin - he was a professor now, after all. "Well, it seems we have a slight problem. I can hardly disarm you with a rubber mouse." He waved the mouse, and the room broke out into laughter. He held out the mouse again. "That is impressive charms work, Mr. Weasley. Normally, the wands are much less realistic. Your own creation?" George stared at him and nodded, looking surprised at the lack of annoyance in the Defense professor. "Care to trade back? My own wand this time?" George grinned and handed the real wand back to its owner and took the mouse. "Again, shall we?" George raised his wand. "On three. One. Two. Three. Expelliarmus!"

"PROTEGO!" George shouted, but the shield didn't hold, and the boy's wand flew into the professor's hand. George's face fell as he returned to his seat.

"It seems we will have to start back at the basics."

Everyone groaned – including the professor.

"Apparently, it is Harry Potter this year who Sybil has decided to See the death of this year." Minerva McGonagall's had started the staff meeting; Dumbledore was at the ministry, so it was the Deputy Headmistress' job today. "The third years were a little off today, and Miss Granger told me about their Divination class."

"We all know how she works," Pomona Sprout said. "I don't wish to speak ill of Sybil, but I can say easily that Harry is more than likely in no danger at the moment."

"I'm not so sure, Pomona," Severus said, his voice quiet yet cold. "Potter always manages to find himself in sticky situations. What of the rumors that Black is after Potter?" He sent a sharp glance at Remus, but the werewolf kept his gaze fixed on Minerva, as if pleading with her to say that they were false.

"That is what Albus believes as well. He heard it from the minister himself that Black kept saying 'He's at Hogwarts.' Chances are that he meant Harry," Minerva's voice shook slightly, and Snape sneered at the woman; of her favorites during his time at school, two were dead, one an escaped convict, and one was… he glanced at Remus again, but the other man was staring down at the table.

"How could they know for sure that Si-Black is headed toward Hogwarts?" Remus asked quietly. He looked up again, staring directly at Minerva, knowing the look he would be getting from Severus would be murderous. "They say he's gone mad, he could've said anything."

"Not gone mad, Lupin, he is mad. Always was, if you ask me," Severus' voice tore into Remus, and the werewolf knew exactly what the other man was referring to.

The meeting carried on, but neither Remus nor Severus paid very much attention until suddenly, Fillius Flitwick jumped nearly a foot in the air when the wardrobe directly behind him shook so hard it nearly toppled over. Remus, Severus, Fillius, and Minerva were on their feet instantly, wands pointed at the wardrobe. Minerva flicked her wand, and the door opened slowly. Suddenly in front of the wardrobe was the body of a woman Remus had never seen before. She was clearly dead, though there was not a mark on her, but what worried him the most was the sign in the air over her body. The dark mark, which had not been seen in just over twelve years, was hovering over the corpse.

Fillius dropped to his knees. "Martha. No, Martha." Everyone seemed to have frozen at the sight of the mark, but Remus suddenly stepped in front of the shaking Charms professor.

The body and the dark mark disappeared, to be replaced by a silver orb hanging in the air. This proved Remus' suspicions, and everyone else was shown that it had merely been an illusion. The wardrobe held a boggart.

Remus gulped loudly, and said loudly, "Ridikulus!"

The orb deflated instantly, and he sent it back into the wardrobe. He turned to face the rest of the professors. He saw Severus' eyes were narrowed, and he felt his face heat up. Everyone in the room knew what the orb was, and what it represented. "Would I be able to use the boggart with my third years tomorrow afternoon?" he asked the professors. "Give them a little practice?"

Minerva smiled at him encouragingly and nodded. The meeting was effectively ended when Pomona escorted Fillius out of the room.

Severus swept out of the room, and Remus followed him closely. "Severus, a word, if you please?"

Snape stopped and turned to him. "Be quick about it, Lupin, I haven't got all day. Some of us actually have commitments."

Remus swallowed. "For the sake of Hogwarts, we have to get along now. We did once, you remember, so I know that we…"

"Save your breath," Severus snarled, and he turned away again, heading toward the dungeons once more.

Remus followed the man at a distance. He had never liked the dungeons much, but they hid quite a few places where he had met with Severus when they were still together as students. He remembered every one of them. He disillusioned himself and caught up with the Potions professor. He grabbed the other man's wand arm before the other could curse him, and pulled him into one of the hidden rooms. "You can't keep hiding from me, Severus. Please. This is ridiculous. We are both adults, we need to act like it."

"Act like adults? That's rich, coming from you, Lupin."

"I know damn well that you don't hate me as much as you pretend you do, Severus."

Snape looked directly into Remus' eyes. "Don't I, werewolf?" he asked softly, and Remus flinched slightly. "Don't I? Why the hell wouldn't I –"

Remus pushed Severus against the wall and pressed against him. "I know you don't hate me. You loved me back then. I know you did."

The Slytherin swallowed hard, uncomfortable with the werewolf's sudden closeness. No one had been this close to him in years, and he didn't like it. But he refused to let Remus see that anything was off with him. "Get. Away. From. Me. Now."

"No." The word was whispered directly into Severus' ear. He could feel Lupin's warm breath on his cheek, and he shivered. "I know you, Severus. You've pushed everyone away, I can see that. But you won't push me away again. Not this time. This time, I won't let you."

Remus saw Snape's eyes close and knew he had won. He leaned in closer and captured the man's mouth with his own, only briefly, but it was enough. If he pushed too far, too fast, he would lose the man for good. "Good night, Severus. I'll see you at breakfast."

He stepped away from the Slytherin, and their eyes met. Remus felt the invasion of his mind, and while he could easily have pushed Severus out, he allowed it. Severus gasped lightly and broke the eye contact.

Remus reached out and ran his fingers over the back of the other man's hand. "I never stopped loving you," he said softly, and he left the room, looking back briefly from the doorway at Severus. Their eyes met again, and Remus smiled at him and left.

That was the first night in twelve years that both men slept through the night.

I'm terribly sorry about the extreme delays. I'll try to be more regular about updating. I can commit to once every month or so, I think. I know, I know, you've all heard that one from me before. I'll really try to update more often.