Chapter 100 ~ Epilogue
Severus’ first act was to visit his solicitor with the instructions for the creation of the Lycanthropy Cure and a prepared bottle. Mr. Onsten got right on the patent papers, actually owling the forms while Severus was there and getting confirmation they had been received.
“You’re going to make a fortune,” the solicitor said.
He wrote down the name of an accountant and handed the parchment to Severus.
“Artley Snodgrass. Best accountant/investor in the biz. He’s a goblin, completely trustworthy and a wiz at growing galleons. You should stop by and see him,” Onsten said, giving the Potions Master a knowing nod.
Severus thanked him, left the office and apparated to his mother’s flat. Isadora and Remus had a date at the Ministry, and he was accompanying them there.
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“He’s what?” the narrow-eyed jowly wizard behind the desk said incredulously.
“Cured,” Isadora said, her eyes flashing. “Now you give him all his rights. He’s no longer a werewolf.”
The wizard sneered.
“I will do no such thing. There is no cure for Lycanthropy,” he said flatly.
“There is now,” Severus said coolly. “I created it.”
The wizard looked at the Potions Master.
“And who the hell are you supposed to be?” he asked nastily. This guy was begging to be hexed.
“Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master,” Severus said, his black eyes glittering at the wizard who seemed taken aback. Everyone knew about Professor Snape…he was purported to be the best there was, or damn near it.
The wizard’s tone became more respectful.
“Well Professor, I suppose we can examine Lupin at least,” he said looking at the gentle-eyed wizard. The woman next to him had her arm tucked in his. She looked like the Professor’s sister. She was fucking a werewolf? She’d better be using contraceptives or he’d be in Azkaban.
“That’s Mr. Lupin,” the woman spat at him.
“Mr. is a term designated for humans, not animals, Miss,” the wizard replied as he stood up and walked to the door.
“Follow me, please,” the wizard said, leading them through the hallway and into a room that had a large chair and shackles embedded in the floor. There was a counter that had a number of wands and potions on it as well as several wicked looking clubs.
The wizard, whose name was Felton, pointed at the chair.
“Sit there Lupin and shackle up,” he said, leaving the room. He returned with two burly wizards, who walked to the counter and picked up the large clubs, positioning themselves behind Remus.
“What are they for?” Isadora demanded, scowling blackly.
“In case Lupin here gets boisterous,” Felton replied grabbing a potion off the counter and walking up to the wizard with it.
Felton looked a bit bored. He knew what was going to happen when Remus drank the potion. The usual reaction. Well, at least they would all get the hell out of his department.
He uncapped the bottle and held it to Lupin’s mouth.
“Drink up,” he said.
The wizards behind Remus tensed, raising their clubs, ready to beat him senseless. That potion made werewolves go crazy, though they didn’t transform.
“What are they giving him, Severus?’ Isadora asked.
“Probably a moonflower-based potion,” Severus replied, “If he’s a werewolf, he will react violently to it though he won’t transform. It doesn’t react on a human at all.”
Remus drank the potion down and just sat there.
Felton stared at him.
“Drink it all,” he said putting the bottle to his lips again, thinking Remus must not have drank enough.
Remus swallowed down the whole bottle and remained seated with no reaction other than a little grimace from the taste of the potion. Felton stared at him.
“I don’t believe it,” he said, “I don’t fucking believe it. You should be getting the shit beat out of you right now.”
“If I were a werewolf,” Remus replied, “which I’m not.”
Felton gaped at him some more then said, “Wait right here,” and ran from the room.
The two burly wizards lowered their clubs and looked at Remus perplexed, but didn’t say anything. They weren’t paid to talk. They were paid to beat the shit out of werewolves.
In about ten minutes, Felton re-entered the room followed by five white-bearded wizards in lab coats, their wands drawn. They surrounded Remus and proceeded to do all types of tests on him, one drawing his blood and taking it away. He came back five minutes later.
“His blood is completely human. There is no werewolf blood in it at all,” he said to the others. “This wizard is entirely human. He has been cured.”
“How is this possible?” one of the wizards asked Remus.
Remus pointed at Severus.
“He discovered the cure. Professor Severus Snape,” he said.
Severus glowered at the men. He knew the type.
“Where is this cure? We must…we must examine it…break it down…we…” another lab coated wizard said to the Potions Master.
“At the patent office,” Severus replied evenly, “If you want it, you’re going to have to buy it like everyone else. And if you try to duplicate it, I’ll see you in court. It is my discovery.”
The wizards all stared at him. Not only had he created the cure, he had effectively protected it. They couldn’t take one iota of credit.
“Now, about taking Remus off your rolls,” said Isadora. “He’s no longer a werewolf so is entitled to full rights under the law. We want that done immediately.”
Remus went from office to office collecting all of his files. When he stopped in the Werewolf Capture Unit, he eyed several wizards who used to rough him up once a month. He threw his papers on the counter
“What are you doing here, Lupin? Turning yourself in for something we missed?” one wizard asked him, pulling the papers toward him. His brown eyes read them, then narrowed, then widened…looking up at him.
“Shit,” he said. “You’ve been cured.”
Remus gave him a rather wolfish smile.
“That’s right. Spread it around because the next time you goons try to harass me, wands will blast and I’ll have you up on charges. Now give me my files,” he said.
The wizard walked to a large file cabinet, looked through it and pulled out a very thick folder of paperwork. Remus leafed through it, placed it on the counter, and pulled out his wand.
“Incendio,” he said, and the folder burst into flames, quickly turning to ash.
“So much for all your hard earned detective work,” Remus said with a nasty smirk. He took Isadora’s arm and left the office.
The wizard looked at his associates.
“Shit. We’re going to be seriously downsized,” he said, scowling.
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Several weeks later, Hermione sat in her living room, matching names to photos. They were all photos of wizards that fathered illegitimate children and gave no support. The Quibbler was going to do a spread on them. Luna Lovegood’s father loved to cause uproars, and this spread would certainly do that, as half the men were married and in good positions.
Eli and Demetrius were gurgling, laying belly down on a blanket laid out on the floor, reaching for toys and lifting their heads looking all around and generally being good happy babies. Eli was watching them…occasionally tickling their feet and dancing toys just out of reach.
Suddenly the flames turned green and Severus stepped through. He had a smile on his face, a rarity.
“Well, the Summer Vacation at Hogwarts has officially started, and I gave Albus my notice. He’s going to have to find another Potions Master. I am officially liberated from teaching any children other than my own,” he said, looking at his boys affectionately as they looked up at him.
“That’s good Severus,” Hermione said absently as she worked on the photos.
Severus scowled. She hadn’t heard a word he said. He stalked over to the table to see what she was working on. His eyebrows lifted.
“Deadbeat dads,” Hermione said to him. “All of these wizards have fathered children and abandoned them. Will be in next week’s edition of the Quibbler.”
“This is going to cause an uproar. Isn’t that Wankton?” Severus asked her as he looked at the heavy-jowled Dean of her former university.
“Yep. And the mother of his child was a college student. She was having trouble with her grades when Dean Wankton offered to “help” her. Bastard,” Hermione seethed.
“Damn Hermione. He’s going to lose his position,” Severus said.
“He deserves to. Having sex with a student then leaving her to fend for herself with his baby. He’s married too,” she said, frowning. “Wizarding marriages can’t be dissolved but I have a feeling he’s going to wish they could once his wife finds out about this.”
Just then the floo turned green and Isadora stepped through, two teddy bears in her arms.
“My babies!” she exclaimed, immediately dropping to the blanket and planting kisses all over Eli, then Demetrius. Both babies laughed in that stuttered way young babies do.
“Look what grandma has for youuuu!” Isadora gushed, dancing a bear up to each child. Both promptly bit into the furry toys, drooling all over them.
“They like them!” Isadora said, smiling broadly.
Severus noticed a flash on her hand as she played with the babies.
“Mother? What’s that you’re wearing? Tell me it’s a friendship ring,” Severus said, scowling blackly.
Hermione looked up. Isadora rose from the blanket, extending her hand. Hermione looked at the ring. It was gold with diamonds running around the band.
“That’s not a friendship ring, Severus,” Hermione said rising then running to Isadora and embracing her. “Congratulations!”
Severus was stunned. His mother was wearing an engagement ring. Which meant she was going to marry Remus Lupin, which meant Remus Lupin was going to be…damn. The Potions Master pinched his nose as Isadora and Hermione gushed about the ring and the upcoming marriage.
“Mother…there are benefits to your ‘living in sin,'” he said tightly, “such as me not having Remus Lupin for a stepfather.”
Isadora looked at her son, smirking.
“Don’t worry. I won’t insist on you calling him ‘Daddy. ‘Father Remus’ or ‘Poppop’ will do nicely,” she quipped, both she and Hermione dissolving into laughter as Severus scowled at her.
But Isadora did look happy. Radiant in fact. Severus knew weeks ago she loved the former werewolf, and now that Remus was doing well, cured and taking care of the brunt of the bills, he wasn’t so bad.
“I will call him a medi-witch if he even hints at being fatherly toward me, Mother, because he’s going to need one,” Severus seethed.
Hermione shook her head.
“I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about him calling you ‘son’ Severus,” she said, her eyes drifting down to Isadora’s slightly rounded belly.
Severus’ eyes widened.
“Mother! No! No nonono!” he moaned, stepping forward and looking at her belly closely. Isadora wrapped a slim pale hand around it protectively.
“Severus! Yes! Yes yesyesyes!” she replied grinning.
Severus collapsed on the sofa.
“I can’t believe it. I’m going to have a brother or sister younger than my children, and they’re going to have an uncle or aunt younger than they are. They’re going to think we’re hillbillies,” he groaned, pinching his nose again.
Isadora laughed.
“You’ll get used to it,” she said, walking over to him and kissing his forehead. She stuck out her stomach. “Want to touch?”
Severus looked up at her for a moment, then lightly pressed his hand against his mother’s belly. His eyes softened a little as he remembered doing this to Hermione. He took his hand away.
“I guess I’ll get used to the idea,” he groused. “I have no choice after all.”
“How is Remus taking it?” Hermione asked Isadora.
“He’s ecstatic, though I’m having a hard time getting him to f…” Isadora began
“Mother!” Severus said, stricken, “I really don’t want to hear this!”
Hermione and Isadora once again collapsed into giggles, much to Severus’ annoyance.
“Sorry son,” Isadora giggled, not looking sorry at all. Hermione couldn’t even speak she was so broken up.
Severus stood up.
“I’ll leave you two to discuss whatever sordid topics newly pregnant witches discuss,” he said, turning with a billow of robes and striding toward the front door, heading for his lab. He scowled as they tittered after him. Witches.
Well, all in all Life had turned out pretty good for Severus Snape. Voldemort was dead, he was married to a loving, kinky wife, his mother was back in his life, he had two beautiful sons, galleons out the ying yang and a new business that was taking off quite nicely. He was also free of Hogwarts forever. Not too bad for a former man of misery.
No, not too bad at all.
THE END
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A/N: Happy endings all around. Well, maybe except for Dean Wankton and all the other deadbeat wizards. Anyway…Yay! Well, that’s it folks. The story that never ends has finally ended. I hope you all enjoyed. Please leave a final review. Thanks!
PLEASE REVIEW “BECOMING FAMILIAR”
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