Becoming Familiar with a Man of Misery

Chapter 68 ~ Isadora Gets Acquainted

Hermione and Severus left the reception quite early since the witch was exhausted. They apparated from inside the tent, Severus placing a silencing spell around them since he wished to keep the fact he could apparate on Hogwarts grounds a secret. Severus tried to get Isadora to come along with them, but the witch was enjoying herself and said she would see them tomorrow.

So her son took his wife home.

As soon as Severus left, Isadora located the werewolf, who was sitting off to the side eating a small plate of chicken wings. The witch noticed he didn’t mingle much. Perhaps he separated himself because of his condition. But he wasn’t always a werewolf. He only transformed during the full moon.

She walked over to him, and Remus looked up at her.

“I told you we’d talk again,” Isadora said, giving him a smile.

Remus looked around nervously. “Ah, your son…” he began.

“Severus? He’s gone home to perform his husbandly duties,” Isadora grinned, “May I sit down?”

“Please,” Remus said politely.

Isadora sat next to him, and the wizard stiffened up immediately. A witch hadn’t shown any interest in him in so long, he didn’t know exactly what to do. And this particular witch was Severus Snape’s mother.

Isadora noticed his stiffness.

“Loosen up,” she said, “I’m not going to bite you.”

Remus looked at her rather startled. Isadora realized she had used a poor choice of words to try and make the werewolf relax.

“Sorry,” she said rather sheepishly, “I just wanted to talk to you. Find out some things.”

Remus nodded. So she was curious about him. He had no doubt Severus had told her he was a werewolf.

“I understand you almost killed my son,” she said to him, frowning slightly.

“Yes, I did,” Remus admitted, sitting the plate of chicken bones on the chair next to him.

“Why? Why did you and those other boys hate him so?” Isadora asked him.

“I didn’t hate Severus,” Remus said quietly.

“Well, almost killing him didn’t exactly put him in your top ten list of favorite people,” Isadora said a bit sharply.

“It wasn’t intentional. Severus came upon me after I had transformed. I didn’t go looking for him. If I had killed him, it would have been accidental. I had a place…a safe place I would go to transform. Severus came there…”

He hesitated.

“Sirius Black sent him there actually, hoping he would find me and…and…James saved him before I got to him, thank the gods. I wouldn’t have intentionally hurt Severus,” Remus said.

Isadora was familiar with Sirius Black because of his family.

“But you were part of the gang that constantly harassed him,” Isadora said accusingly.

Remus looked at her, his eyes pleading for understanding. He had never talked to anyone about this before. Severus Snape’s mother seemed an unlikely choice, but she was willing to listen.

“Mrs. Sna…er…Isadora,” he corrected himself as her eyes narrowed, “Please believe me when I tell you that I never bore Severus any ill will. I kind of related to him in a way. He was a bit of an outcast, like I was. I never even had friends until I came to Hogwarts. I was bitten as a child and my parents kept me segregated from other children, afraid I would infect them. Dumbledore had to convince them to let me go to Hogwarts, saying he would take full responsibility.”

“I was always afraid I would infect or kill someone when I transformed. Dumbledore arranged for me to be sequestered away from the other students when the full moon rose. For some reason, James, Sirius and Peter latched on to me as friends. I had never had friends before, and was very happy I had them. So happy in fact, that when they did something I didn’t approve of, I’d look the other way, afraid if I told them or tried to stop them, they would no longer be my friends. I didn’t know real friendship didn’t work that way. When they picked on Severus, I hated it. But I was afraid to say anything…afraid I’d be without friends again. As sorry as I felt for your son, Isadora, I didn’t want to be alone.”

“James, Sirius and Peter eventually found out I was a werewolf, and instead of abandoning me and ostracizing me like the rest of the wizarding world would have done, they found a way to transform into animals, so they could keep me company, and in that way help me stay calm until I returned to human form. Sirius Black, he was the worst toward Severus and it was his fault your son was almost killed. I was simply meant to be the tool of his demise.”

He looked at Isadora soberly.

“I think if I had killed him, I would have followed him shortly. I wouldn’t have been able to live with his death on my conscience. Even now I keep myself from people…afraid that one day I may wake up covered in another witch’s or wizard’s blood. If that day should ever come…”

Remus stopped talking.

Isadora looked at the wizard, her heart full of sympathy. He wasn’t a bad wizard…just a lonely one. How hard it must be to live with such a terrible malady.

“What do you do for a living, Remus?” she asked him.

“Whatever I can. I did work here at Hogwarts for a year as the DA teacher…but your son let it slip I was a werewolf to the student body, and it was just a matter of time before the protests from the parents would begin, and rather than have Dumbledore face all of that trouble, I resigned. No one wants a werewolf around, Isadora. They are too afraid. I can’t say I blame them,” he said, “Right now I work as a busboy at the Three Broomsticks. I wash dishes, serve food, cook sometimes. Whatever Rosmerta needs done I do. She was very kind to give me work. It’s hard to find employment. And she lets me take time off when the full moon is rising.”

From a teacher at Hogwarts to a dishwasher. It was just too sad. Isadora surreptiously let her eyes wash across Remus’ shabby robes and realized that he was probably too poor to afford anything better. Since he was a werewolf, most didn’t want to be in his presence. Most jobs involved being around the public. Most jobs…but not all jobs. She had an idea.

“Remus, do you know anything about computers?” she asked him.

Remus looked puzzled.

“Computers? What are computers?” he asked her.

Isadora looked at him speculatively. Obviously he didn’t mingle with muggles either.

“I think you should find out,” she said, giving him a slow smile that nearly took the werewolf’s breath away. “I think you’d find them interesting.”

Remus wasn’t so sure this “computer” idea was a good one. Particularly if it put him in close proximity with Severus’ mother. There was something about the witch that seemed to put his animal side on point. Obviously, he didn’t repel her…but maybe she was moved by pity. Remus couldn’t stand pity.

“Isadora,” he said, “I hope you don’t have a ‘stray wolf’ complex. I’m a grown wizard who has been taking care of himself for a long time. I don’t have much, but I’ve managed to survive on my own. I don’t need pity,” he said, his gentle eyes going hard for a moment.

Isadora realized that the wizard, bad off as he was, still had pride and she didn’t want to trample on it.

“Remus, for many years I ‘survived’. It’s good to be able to do that, but I assure you ‘living’ is much better than surviving. There were times I thought I’d be better off dead…”

Remus blinked at her when she said this. He knew this feeling. It was with him all the time.

“…but eventually I found a better way to live. I don’t know what it’s like to be you, but I imagine it is hard and terribly, terribly lonely. Please don’t mistake concern and kindness for pity. I empathize with you. I don’t pity you. And I think I know a way you can earn a decent living on your own. The rest of your problems, well you’ll just have to work them out on your own like everyone else,” Isadora said, her black eyes meeting his sincerely.

Remus studied her for a moment.

“But why? Why would you be willing to do this? You don’t even know me. Even associating with me can have repercussions, with your son, with other people. I just don’t understand it,” he said, frowning slightly.

Isadora shrugged.

“Maybe it’s because when I was in my darkest moments, I often wished I had someone to show me a better way to live. Now that I am established and those dark times have passed, I feel that I should help someone else rise above a difficulty that can be handled. You’re the first person I’ve met that I feel I can help. Maybe I’m just a natural-born philanthropist. I know I will feel better about myself if I can help you, so there would be something in it for me. Anyway, Severus cost you your last good job, and as much as I hate to say this, he probably did it on purpose. The least I can do is try to right that wrong,” she said.

Remus looked at the witch. She certainly was beautiful, kind and warm. He still wasn’t sure this was a good idea, accepting Severus Snape’s mother as a patron. But gods, those eyes…

“So, you think these ‘computers’ can help me?” he asked her.

“I’m certain of it. You see, Remus…I’m a travel agent and I work…”

Isadora began to talk animatedly about what she did for a living, and Remus listened, enthralled both by the witch and what she was saying. At the buffet table, Albus and Minerva were watching them, Albus eating a sticky bun and Minerva sipping tea, her lip drawn in a tight line after every sip as she watched Severus’ mother talk to Remus, leaning in as she did so.

“Hmmph. She’s old enough to be his mother,” Minerva said.

Albus clucked his tongue at her.

“True as that is, Minerva…Isadora is still rather a young witch. And she certainly doesn’t look old enough to be his mother. Besides, they are just talking,” the Headmaster said, taking another bite of his sticky bun.

“Severus would have bugbears if he saw them sitting together. He already took her away from Remus once,” Minerva sniffed.

“Severus would just have to raise those bugbears, Minerva. His mother is not to be trifled with. I doubt even our dour Potions Master can control her. As black as he appears, he still respects his mother, Minerva. He will listen to her in the end,” Albus said.

“But…Remus Lupin?” the witch mused. “Hardly the dashing bachelor. He’s a pauper.”

Albus scowled at the Transfiguration Teacher.

“Remus Lupin is another wizard who has suffered much for little reason, Minerva. His entire life is one of rejection, loneliness and poverty because of a malady he has no control over. He has a right to be happy just like everyone else. If Isadora Snape decides she wants to bring some light into his life, I say the gods bless her for it. Everyone else be damned!” he spat, stalking off in a billow of robes that would have done Severus justice.

Minerva looked at him departing, her mouth dropping open. Albus rarely got upset over anything. Hell…she’d have to make this up to him in spades or he’d be sulking for days. A sulky Albus was an annoying Albus.

The witch looked back over at Isadora and Remus. Both witch and wizard were standing now, and Remus was writing something on a bit of parchment. He handed to the witch and shook her hand, then turned and started walking toward the main gate. Minerva noticed how Isadora watched him thoughtfully for a while before turning and walking over to Albus, and showing him the bit of parchment.

Minerva wasn’t the only one watching the exchange. Marcus Delaluci’s violet eyes didn’t miss a thing. He had telescoped them and read what Remus wrote. It was his address. Hm. Was the werewolf putting the moves on Snape’s mum? Marcus smirked. If he was, the wizard couldn’t blame him. Snape’s mother was quite a dish. Quite a dish indeed. Nothing old about her…except her son. He looked older than she did.

Marcus let his eyes rake over Isadora’s curves. Hm. The muggles in America had a very interesting slur that appropriately described what Marcus would be if he acted on what he was thinking as he studied the slim, dark-haired witch.

If he remembered right, the word was ‘motherfucker’.

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A/N: Oh lala. So much going on here. So Isadora is interested in helping Remus earn better money, and Marcus is interested in Isadora. Now, if anything does occur with Isadora and either of these wizards, I don’t know if I will write it as a lemon, since the story revolves around Severus and Hermione…plus she is Severus’ mom. Maybe a lime instead, leaving the rest to the imagination. I think that would be more suitable. What is your opinion about this? Let me know in a review. Thanks.

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The Burning Pen

Becoming Familiar with a Man of Misery
by Ruth Solomon

The story content is adult in nature and can contain graphic sex and violence. Those under the age of 18 are asked to leave this site immediately. You are not welcome here. The author is not responsible for those under-aged who view these works.

CHAPTER 69

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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