The students of Professor Lupin's third year Defense class were hard at work on their packets of review questions when Professor Severus Snape stormed in, a good twenty minutes after the normal start time for the class. He waved his wand as he moved, causing the shutters to come down over the windows, blocking out the sun.
"Quiet. Everyone- Silence. Turn to Page 394." He instructed, flicking his wand again, causing the screen to the projector to lower from the ceiling. As he made his way to the front of the room, Hermione Granger spoke up.
"Werewolves? But this skips several chapters. We aren't meant to get to this chapter for a few weeks yet." She protested.
"Silence." Snape sneered at her, before continuing toward the front. "Page 394."
"No, she's right." A voice sounded from behind the professor, and he snapped around quickly to see the desk chair at the front corner of the room spin around, and a grinning Jasmine Lupin sat forward out of the large leather office chair. "There was a whole lesson plan- did you not even bother to check?"
A mix of horrified embarrassment and anger showed in the reddening face of the Potion's Master. His dark eyes looked over the beautiful young woman, her arms crossed as she waited for him to answer her. He'd not seen her in many years, and he was caught off guard by the resemblance to her late sister.
"Jasm- Mrs. Lupin." Snape corrected after clearing his throat.
"Professor." She greeted again, her smile never wavering. "What do we owe the- confusing... gift of your company?"
"I er- When a teacher is unable or unwell and needs their class covered, we usually take turns, depending on who has the free period at the time needing coverage. For me, you see, it's my planning period, and I heard on my way out from breakfast that Lupin is-"
"Not feeling his best, yeah." Jasmine finished with a sigh.
"Right, so I assumed..."
"Well Professor Snape, you know the old saying about those who assume..." She grinned again.
"Right. You have to admit, it would be a bit... unorthodox... to have a spouse cover a class." Snape shrugged, straightening his robes to fight off the embarrassment he felt.
"I suppose, but I have plenty of early childhood educational experience, and I was already here, so Minerva and I thought, 'hmm, since I'm already here...', and here I am." She looked up to where Snape had already started a slideshow, and after pulling her own wand from her hair, she sent the projector and screen back in place, and opened the shutters to allow the sunlight to stream back in.
"Right..." Snape took a few steps backward. "Well, I suppose I'll just-" And without finishing his thought, he turned on his heels and moved just as quickly back out of the classroom.
Jasmine looked over all the students for a moment, then locked eyes with Harry, and the two burst out laughing, causing the other kids in the class, including quite a few Slytherins, to join them in laughter.
"I am sorry about that, kids. That was- very weird. Nobody came into the first period, so I'm not sure how that mix up happened, or why he was so late for class." She laughed, shaking her head. "Alright everyone, back to your worksheets on the appropriate chapter in your books."
Anger at the incident only grew as the day passed. At lunch, Jasmine had checked in on Remus, and woken him up just long enough to have him drink some juice and have something for pain, before getting him back to resting. She allowed herself to stew on it, until just past the last class bell. Then, Jasmine Lupin allowed her temper to lead her down into the dungeons.
By the time she'd reached the Potion Master's chamber door, she was shaking, her wand down at her side. She rapped on the door as hard as she could, the hard wood stinging her knuckles with each strike. After a moment, it swung open.
"This better be-" Snape started to say, obviously thinking a student was disturbing his evening peace. "...good." He finished, once again looking her up and down.
"Severus." She said, head tilted and eyes narrowed. "Can I speak to you?"
"It would appear you already are." Snape griped back.
"What the fuck did you think you were doing, exactly?" Jasmine growled. "Make you feel like a big man, kick a bloke while he's down?"
"As I said before, I was simply covering what I thought would be an open shift, that's all." He replied coolly. It was then Jasmine noticed that even when he was speaking to her, he was not really looking at her. More like past her.
"I'm so sure." Jasmine spat back. She looked him over for a moment. "You can't even look at me, and you expect me to believe that? You never grew up, did you? Still just a bully. Still just torturing children and anyone a bit different than you. Still calling muggleborns 'mudbloods', too, Sev? Or is that where they draw the line with acceptable conduct?"
"Jasmine." Snape tried to interrupt, but there was a break in his voice.
"What was your plan?" She pressed. "What would be the end result? You want Remus fired? Want us gone?"
"I-"
"You're a worm, Severus. A worm of a man." She snarled. "You are an insult on the memory of my sister, you know that? I look back at what should be perfect, happy memories, of my childhood, summers with my sister- and there you are, staining it."
The resolve in her own voice had started to falter, a tear rolling down her cheek against her own will.
"I'd be a liar if I said seeing you here was not... painful... for me." Snape confessed after a moment. "There may have been some part of me who would rather you weren't here, a reminder of some of the worst of my life."
"Oh fuck you." Jasmine spat, rolling her eyes. "You don't think I would have any sympathy in my heart for you, you racist turncoat coward."
"Okay, I deserve that." Snape nodded stiffly. "Anything else, Jasmine?"
"Stay away from my family. Stop singling Harry out- and stop trying to sabotage the happiest Remus has ever been." Jasmine growled before turning to leave. "Just because your choices made you miserable, it doesn't mean you have to spread it around."
"Right then." He said, closing the door as she stormed off.
Snape waited until he heard the sound of her shoes on the hard stone floor fading before he punched at the door, and yelled, venting his frustrations, before letting a hot sob rip out of his throat.
He'd spent the better part of a decade building the facade of cold indifference to mask his pain.
He'd never got to apologize, to make it right before Lily died.
Severus Snape remembered Jasmine so well, as a young child. When Lily and Severus were childhood friends, Jasmine would sometimes tag along as they'd talk about school on summer vacations, walking along the edge of the pond near where they both lived back then. There was more than one time she'd even ridden on his shoulders. He'd never bothered to consider whether she remembered him fondly or not- but now that he knew, it more than a little painful for him to know for sure.
Suddenly he didn't even know why he'd tried to out Lupin to the third years. Perhaps he wanted Harry to know, and possibly, hate, the werewolf. Maybe deep down, he did want them out of the castle. Maybe he wanted some schoolyard revenge on Lupin. He'd not entirely even thought it through before going on with the plan, and now he did regret it, again, deep down.
Severus took a moment to compose himself, then he moved over to his desk, flopped into his chair, and opened the bottom cabinet. He took out a crystal cut decanter and uncorked it, not bothering to bother with a glass, he pulled the rest of the fire whiskey within within a few swigs before heading off to bed.
"I told you not to do that." Remus groaned as Jasmine settled his dinner tray before him. "I have to work with him."
"He started it." Jasmine teased, sticking her tongue out and stealing a chip from his plate.
"No, I believe I started it." Remus snorted. "I did have him appear in Augusta Longbottom's rather unfortunate fashion in my class, my love."
"So the answer is to out you?" Jasmine scoffed. "Absolutely not. And you only did that because the man is bullying children."
"That's not... that's not the only reason. It's a reason." Remus reminded her. "I like a bit of mischief."
"Yes, well..." Jasmine kissed his cheek, "Mischief managed, I suppose."
"Mmm." Remus hummed. "So otherwise, everything went well?"
"It did." Jasmine nodded, snuggling into his side. "Are you feeling better this evening?"
"Much, thank you." Remus kissed the top of her head. "You know, I was reading about some custody cases recently- What if we attempted muggle court? Harry can testify on his own behalf whether he'd want to live with us or Petunia at this age. Any Justice would be willing to believe him at this age."
"What about the Ministry stepping in?" Jasmine sighed. "They've had no problem using magic to sway laws before now."
"True. But we wouldn't know unless we tried." Remus replied through a yawn. "Something to look into, anyway."
"Could do that right now, while the whole Wizengamot is distracted by the theatrics of the Malfoy family versus Buckbeak the Hippogriff. I hate to cash in on Hagrid's bad luck but-"
"I think he'd be okay with being the distraction, darling." Remus said, yawning again. "We can look into that more tomorrow evening, I need to go back to sleep so bad, unless you want to miss another day at work to cover for me again."
"No, I'm good." She laughed. "Tomorrow, then. Rest well."
"Mmm. You too." Remus groaned as he snuggled down into the pillow, pulling her tighter to his chest. He knocked out the lights with a wave of his hand, and was surprised to find that Jasmine fell asleep before he could even begin to doze.
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