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The Long Road	By : SinisterMe Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Snape/Remus Views: 63607 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 18
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter world, which is trademarked by J. K. Rowling. This story is purely for entertainment purposes, no money is being made from it.

Chapter List
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Severus got Teddy set up and colouring at the workbench before opening his own book, taking his parchment out and settling down to take his mind off of everything. The boy seemed to understand that he needed some quiet, carefully beginning to fill in his dragon picture without a word.
They worked for over an hour. Every once in a while Teddy would comment on something he was thinking and Snape did his best to be engaging. They got by just fine, each absorbed in their own project.
Severus heard the door at the top of the door click open, and apparently so did Teddy. The child’s hand stopped its movement across the page mid stroke and his whole body froze along with it. Severus continued to write like he’d noticed nothing, finishing his thought as the third stair squeaked under someone’s foot.
“Yes?” he asked without turning his head. If it was Fred, he would just come down here straight away or yell from the top of the stairs that he needed to get his arse up there.
“Sorry to interrupt, sir,” a voice came from about halfway down the stairs.
“Only apologize when you mean it, Miss Granger.”
Footsteps came further down the stairs. “Oh my – sir, this is quite impressive!” Hermione said, glancing around the lab.
“You expected anything less?” Severus asked, finally turning around to look at her. She was standing at the edge of his prep table, taking in the entire room with wide eyes.
“I suppose not,” she said with a smile.
“Come to check up on us?” Severus asked.
“No… well Harry thought it would be a good idea and I really wanted to see the lab so I agreed.”
“I heard you did a stint at the Academy,” Severus acknowledged.
“Yes; a few advanced classes, nothing close to the full Mastery course you took.”
“Why not?” Severus knew she was more than capable of it.
“It’s interesting, but I don’t know if it’s for me yet. Although everyone there was quite thrilled when they found out I’d studied so many years under you; you have quite the reputation there, sir. They seemed to think I could brew the fountain of youth or something and were quite disappointed when I didn’t decide to stay and try.”
“Then you must have done exceedingly well on your own merit, they don’t like anyone that much there; if you’d done poorly they would have thrown you out on your ear. How are things going upstairs?” he asked, not sure if he wanted to know or could trust her answer, but wanting to change the topic. He’d not been in contact with most of his associates there since the war and was momentarily taken aback that anyone there would still speak his name without promptly spitting afterwards.
“Not as bad as it could be.” Hermione was standing directly beside them now. “May I sit down, Professor?”
Severus thought he’d taken care of her use of that title earlier. “Go ahead.”
Teddy shifted uncomfortably, pulling his colouring book closer to himself and hunching his shoulders.
“I don’t think we were properly introduced,” Hermione said. “My name is Hermione.”
“I’m Teddy,” the boy said, looking at Snape for approval. Severus nodded to let Teddy know he wasn’t doing anything wrong.
“It is amazing to get to see you again, Teddy,” the witch didn’t seem to be able to stop smiling as she looked at him.
Teddy looked at the tabletop in front of him. “I don’t remember you,” he admitted warily.
“You were too little to remember me. Hopefully, we will get the chance to make some new memories together. I have a little girl who who’d like to meet you very much.”
“Really?” Teddy asked, perking up.
“Really. Her name is Elizabeth; she’s a few years older than you but I know you two will have a few things in common.” Hermione looked up like she just thought of something very important. “If Severus thought it was a good idea, maybe one day soon you two could meet.”
Teddy looked to Snape, who was glad he didn’t have any objections, because if he had they would have been outnumbered. “I don’t see how it would be a bad idea,” he said. “One day soon.”
Teddy smiled brightly.
“Am I still correct in calling you Miss Granger?” Severus asked; he never had been one to keep up on the popular gossip that enthralled most people.
“No more than I am by still calling you ‘Professor’. It’s Mrs. Weasley now.”
“Really? Damn, I owe Minerva five Galleons.”
“Why?” Hermione asked, affronted.
“Wait – Ronald?”
“No, Charlie,” Hermione answered with a strange look on her face. “Ron is like a brother to me.”
“Minerva owes me five Galleons then. Does he still work in Romania, or wherever he was always off to?”
“Yes; we have an international floo in our house; although he’s still away for work quite often. We manage just fine without him.”
“I imagine you would; you were always fairly self-reliant. How is it that your daughter is older than Teddy and I don’t know of her?”
“We adopted Elizabeth a couple of years ago; she’s a wonderful little girl.”
“I see,” Severus said. The war had had too many orphans, of that he was certain.
“Sir?” Teddy asked politely in a lull in conversation. “May I go see Fred in the kitchen?”
“Of course; don’t forget your supplies.”
“Thank you,” he said to Snape. “Bye,” he said timidly to Hermione, picking up his stuff and hurrying up the stairs.
“He seems like he’s doing pretty well,” Hermione said.
“He is doing better,” Severus allowed. “Now what did you really come down here for?”
“What is really going on here? How did all of this all come about?”
“I don’t owe you any explanations.” Severus mind went immediately to that god forsaken letter Walden had left for him along with Remus and Teddy. How was he supposed to say that this was all Walden’s idea of some sick joke?
“No, probably not.” Hermione agreed.
“You can see that I’ve not harmed them, what more do you want to know?”
“I didn’t think you would. Harry, on the other hand… He’s very caught up with the nature of the bond that you and Remus are going to share. He’s been unusually hard to deal with lately; I don’t think he’s been sleeping.”
“How can you tell?” Severus muttered. “There is nothing I can do to change it, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
“I know; I looked over a copy of the will as well as the bond, or what the idiots at the Ministry could make of it.”
“Macnair was a fool,” Severus said.
“Seems like it. What have you come up with so far, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“I do mind; here it is all the same.” Severus slid his notes closer, so she could see them but not read them. “I’ve been working on ways to manipulate the bond while staying true to its form, as decreed by Walden’s will.”
“Well, if you need a second set of eyes…”
“I’ll let you know,” Severus said; though he thought privately that it would be a cold day in hell before he resorted to that. “Why aren’t you as hostile as the bespectacled wonder up there?”
Hermione shrugged. “We don’t always have the same opinions, thank goodness. I know how you and Harry feel about each other; thank you for allowing us to come over here to see Remus and Teddy. I understand the current laws well enough to know there was nothing saying you had to.”
“Remus is – not one hundred per cent himself at the moment; he and Teddy will need all of the allies they can get.”
“You seem to be very good with him,” Hermione pointed out, to her credit only sounding mildly surprised.
It was Snape’s turn to shrug. “Teddy? He makes it easy.”
“Just… I want to say it in case no one else does; thank you for being decent to them.”
Severus didn’t have anything to say back to that. Thankfully Fred interrupted anything he would have had to come up with.
“You is having mail, sir!” the elf said with a raised voice from the top of the stairs.
Mail? At this time of the day? Severus met the elf halfway up the steps, taking the sealed parchment from him. Perfect, it bore a Ministry stamp; he was going to enjoy this, he could already tell.
Severus returned to his seat at the workbench, cracking the wax and unrolling the parchment. As he read it he could feel a headache coming on. He read it a second time to make sure he hadn’t misunderstood, letting his hand fall to the table, parchment still clenched between his hand. “Bullocks,” he sighed, running his other hand through his hair.
“What is it?” Hermione asked.
“Bad news, Weasley.”
Bad news was an extreme understatement.
It was a letter from the Ministry dated three days previous, saying he had until the end of tomorrow to complete his bonding with Lupin or they would revoke his mastery over the werewolf. Apparently, such things were usually done before the first transformation, though it was the first he’d heard of it. Were they trying to screw with him or just that inefficient in general?
It would have been nice to actually have received this letter three days ago as intended. The ritual would now have to take place tomorrow night at the absolute latest… this was not something he’d planned for. His research, though mostly complete, wasn’t as perfect as he would like it. Thankfully he had arranged for everything else in advance; although Fred would hopefully be able to improvise something for the meal, as what he had wanted on the menu wouldn’t be in until after the full moon.
“I’m required to bond with Lupin before the end of tomorrow night,” he blurted.
“Oh my; and that’s a bad thing?” Hermione clarified.
“He is nowhere near ready for it. I bought us as much time as I was able, but I’m afraid it wasn’t nearly long enough.”
“He’s been through a lot, hasn’t he?” she asked softly.
“Yes, and there’s more to come I’m afraid. I think we may have to continue our visit another day; I need to speak to Remus in private.”
“I’ll collect the boys. I’m holding you to that playdate with Elizabeth and Teddy; I’ll send you an owl, though I’m sure you’ll be hearing from Harry sooner than that.”
Hermione stood and went up the stairs, Snape close behind.
“Harry, Ron; something’s come up, we’ve got to go,” she said upon entering the living room.
Harry looked suspiciously at Snape. “What happened?”
“It really isn’t any of your business, Potter,” Severus drawled.
“OF course it’s my business; these two are family to me,” Harry said with a set jaw; he seemed ready to do battle again.
Snape sighed; resigning himself to the fact that if he wanted these three out of his house (and he did) then the best way to do that was answer all of their questions as quickly as possible and send them on their way. It sounded so simple when he said it like that.
“I have just received correspondence from the Ministry that restricts the time Remus and I have to complete our bonding by tomorrow at midnight,” Severus purposefully didn’t look at Lupin, not wanting to see the troubled look that surely rested on his face.
“Can they even do that?” Ron asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.
“They certainly can; they’re the Ministry, Ronald, you should know they will do anything the people they ‘govern’ will allow them to and some things they don’t. They can cite the regulation that Lupin must be bonded before the full moon; preferably before so that I can get accustomed to my mastery of him before his first transformation. Or so the letter kindly informed me.”
“But there is the Wolfsbane potion,” Harry said. “Didn’t you brew it for him?”
“I brewed it for him and for Teddy both. They don’t take that into account, however, as a parameter for bonding. Not everyone can afford it and many aren’t bothered. Neither of those things are a problem here.”
“But sir; how can you be sure that the Wolfsbane will be safe or effective for Teddy? Not much study has been done as far as children are concerned,” Hermione asked, her forehead creased.
“I have done much research in that area personally. I have no doubts that the potion will be harmless and effectual, despite Teddy’s age,” Severus stated with confidence.
“Just what qualifies as ‘harmless and effectual’ for you, Snape?” Harry asked, giving him a look that clearly said ‘we both know what you are capable of’.
Insolent brat. “It will have the same sedative and analgesic effects as the original recipe,” Severus said. “I have no reason to want the boy to experience his transformation in its unaltered state.”
“What happens if you messed it up?” Harry pressed.
“I have taken precautions,” Severus alluded.
“That isn’t going to cut it, Snape,” Harry narrowed his eyes.
Snape fought the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. “There will be no chance of either of them getting loose and they will face their change together. There is little room for error.”
“So you’re going to lock them up, Professor?” Hermione said, sounding worried.
“Not in the way you’re all imagining, I’ll wager,” Snape sneered. “There is a room in the basement, adjacent to the lab. It was secure to begin with and has been more than sufficiently warded.”
“If something goes wrong with Teddy’s potion are you going to include his autopsy in your experimental notes?” Harry asked sarcastically. “No one will be there to help him if a reaction doesn’t go as planned. I may not know anything about testing potions, but that sounds like a death warrant to me.”
“You are completely uninformed and incorrect as usual, Potter. Someone will be there to assist if anything unexpected occurs; I will be spending the night in the room with them.” Severus didn’t know what worried him more, spending the night in a room next to his lab with two fully transformed werewolves or the fact that he had just announced to Potter that his house would be as good as unoccupied for the night of the full moon.
“No offence, but that sounds fairly daft, Professor,” Ron voiced uncertainly.
Snape threw his hands in the air. “That coming from the young man who attempted to plagiarize three quarters the chapter on Bezoars from Most Potente Potions for one of his fourth year essays and thought I would somehow not notice. There is just no winning with you people. It’s unconscionable to leave them unattended but moronic if I do not. How does the entirety of Gryffindor House get out of bed and get both socks on their feet in the morning if that is what passes for logical reasoning?”
“I think we should let him do it,” Harry suggested brightly, giving Snape a very devious smile.
“That isn’t helping, Harry,” Hermione said.
“What? Do you have a better idea?” Harry asked.
“Potter makes a point, loath though I am to admit it,” Severus said. “There are limited options I can see in this situation. I am open to hearing suggestions.” Yes, he would listen to them all day long but he would still do what he thought was best and not waste a second on anything else.
“We’ll think of something, Professor,” Hermione said encouragingly.
“Yes well careful not to pull anything,” he retorted. “Weren’t we in the middle of something before all of this? Oh, that’s right, you were just leaving.”
“Maybe so; but we will be returning,” Harry said.
“Be still my excitement,” Snape declared. He turned to look at Ron and then Hermione, nodding to each of them in turn. “Good day Weasley; Weasley. Potter. I’ll leave you to say your farewells to Lupin. I trust you can find your own way out?”
“I think we’ll manage,” Ron said.
“We’ll be seeing you soon, sir,” Hermione chimed in.
“I’m going, I’m going; stop with the threats,” Snape said, standing and walking towards the kitchen. He snuck a look at Remus, the first since he informed them of the hastening of the bond.
The sandy haired man had slumped shoulders and hands that were clenched tightly on his lap. His lips were set in a thin line, but Severus could see the effort he was exerting in maintaining even as neutral expression he was wearing. Severus found himself almost wishing that he could leave with the younger three, so much was he dreading having to coax Remus into completing the ritual.
Snape stepped into the kitchen without another word or backward glance. He sat at the kitchen table and quietly watched Teddy colour until he heard the front door open and close. Even then he didn’t rise immediately, wanting to give Remus some time to collect himself.
“You don’t look very happy, sir,” Teddy pointed out, seemingly without looking up from his book.
“It’s complicated,” Severus informed him.
“Does that mean I’m not supposed to know about it?” Teddy asked.
“I suppose in this instance it does. What your father tells you will be up to him; but don’t pester him about it. If he says you’re not to know anything, take it at that.”
“I think I understand, sir.”
“I’m going to go into the living room and speak to him for a bit. You’ll be okay in here?”
“Yes, sir. I’m almost done my dragon!”
“Well keep working at it then; I’m sure your father would enjoy seeing it.”
“Is he unhappy too?”
“I would assume that he is,” Severus said.
“Maybe it would cheer him up?” Teddy suggested.
“I’m sure it would. Finish it first; you know where to find us.” That would buy them some time to discuss things. Severus entered the living room slowly, finding Lupin in much the same position he had left him. Taking a seat next to him, he waited for some sign from the man.
“We’ll manage, Remus,” Severus said after a while, feeling the need to say something positive when met with that blank expression.
“I know, sir.” They would have to manage, one way or another; there wasn’t any other choice, really.
“Did you have a more amicable visit when I disappeared to the lab?”
“Yes, we did; Harry calmed down shortly after you left. Neither of you seem to bring out the best in each other sir, if you don’t mind my saying.”
“That is an understatement,” Severus said. “Remus, I know in my mind that completing the ritual tonight isn’t that different from completing it after the full moon; all the same I’m sorry that time is no longer mine to give you.”
“I understand, sir. You have already bonded with my son; if the Ministry came to take me away, I would be going alone. There isn’t any need to discuss it further, sir.”
“There, you are mistaken,” Severus said slowly. “There is still some time before everything must take place. Fred will prepare the meal; you and I will dine in my quarters. He will spend the evening with Teddy, they’ll have quite a bit of fun when left to their own devices, of that I’m sure.”
“Of course, sir,” Lupin said levelly.
“I… Remus, I have no desire to force you,” Severus said. The idea of it had been weighing heavily on his mind since the very beginning of all this.
Lupin looked at him then, for once initiating eye contact and holding it. “You won’t have to force me, sir,” he said softly.
“Perhaps not in the way you’re imagining. All the same it is a concern of mine; you deserve better than that.”
“Thank you, sir,” Remus said, breaking eye contact. “But I think you’re blowing things out of proportion.”
Severus shook his head, leaning closer to the other man, resting his elbow on the firm armrest of the chair he was in. “I don’t believe that I am. See it how you will, but take this for what is; an apology.”
“I don’t know what to say, sir.”
“I don’t expect you to say anything, the point of that was for me to say something; something I think was quite overdue.”
Remus opened his mouth and then closed it again.
“I’m going to move you into the kitchen so you can sit with your son for a while. I believe he has been working quite diligently on a picture and wishes you to see it. I’m going to speak with Fred about making the arrangements for supper.”
“Yes, sir.” If there had been anything else he could possibly have thought to say, Remus would have said it in an instant. His mind, however, was startlingly blank.
Severus levitated Remus’ chair, directing him into the kitchen and seating him beside Teddy. The boy was by the looks of things just putting the finishing touches on his dragon picture and barricading it from view with his small arm.
He looked at Remus and they shared a brief but hollow smile, watching the boy’s antics together. Severus walked into the living room so that he and Fred would have some privacy for their discussion before calling the house elf.
“Yes sir, what can Fred be doing for you?” the elf asked, appearing at his side.
“That supper you and I discussed for after the full moon?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Well it’s been moved up a little.”
“How much is being a little?” Fred asked guardedly.
“Tonight.”
“You is being joking.”
“I would do no such thing.”
“I is supposing not. What is you wanting to be preparing?” Fred asked.
“I’ll trust your good judgment; you know what we were discussing before this sudden change of events, try and keep it on point with that, though I know the timing may be difficult. If you can do that with what we have here.”
“Of course Fred can be doing that, sir,” the elf scoffed.
“I expected nothing less of you.”
“I is hearing that one before, sir.”
“Yes, well I’m sure you’ll be hearing it again at some point in the future. You do an excellent job assisting me around here. Did you get that order for the new door into town?”
“Yes sir; Fred is already taking care of it. The door is being on order.”
“Thank you.”
“If sir is wanting Fred to cook in the kitchen, it would best be empty.”
“Hint taken; I’ll move the other two somewhere else and we’ll try and stay out of your way.”
“That is sounding like a plan, sir.”
“You’ll have to get Teddy to drink his potion before bed. I’ll leave the ladle and goblet out beside the left cauldron on the burner; fill the goblet and give it to him before he goes to sleep.”
“It is not being a problem, sir.”
“Thank you Fred, for everything.”
Severus went back into the kitchen and moved Remus and Teddy into the living room, making sure everything was as good as it could be and they didn’t need anything. He then went up to his own room; there were some things that he needed to get ready if they were to complete the bonding tonight. It would be best not to leave it for the last minute; if something went wrong or for some reason they were unable to complete the casting, then the extra night before the deadline would be needed. They would bond tonight.
He closed the door behind himself, knowing that Fred was in the kitchen and would help Teddy and Remus with anything they needed. In the meantime he stripped the sheets and quilts off the bed himself, knowing the elf would be too busy to do it in time. He made the bed with a fresh set of sheets and a new comforter he took from the oak trunk at the foot of the bed. He replaced the pillows and called it good enough.
He knew enough about magical bonding to know that every detail would count. Severus went to his armoire and opened the bottom drawer. From it he took a long silk tie, it was wide and smooth, he ran its length through his fingers, hoping it would be satisfactory; it would be used to restrict Remus’ sight. He also removed a much longer strip made of the same material; this he would use to bind Remus’ hands as was dictated by the ritual. Both of these items he folded and placed on his bedside table.
Snape removed a small vial from the drawer of the nightstand, uncapping it and drinking the entire contents; the antidote for the impotence potion he’d been taking since Remus arrived. It would need to be counteracted for them to complete the ritual. He stashed the empty vial back in the drawer and closed it.
Since they would also be dining in here, Severus cleared off the table he usually did his research at, moving it so that they would have space to sit at either side of it. He then covered it with a black sheet that would work just wonderfully for a tablecloth. He pushed a chair up on the far side for himself, that way he would levitate Lupin’s chair to the place nearest the door. He set a pillar candle on the middle of the table.
Severus surveyed the table and could just about have smacked himself in the face. What did he think this was? Some kind of first date? All the same, he wanted Remus to feel like some effort had been put into it, whatever it ended up being. Macnair couldn’t have possibly done less and still had a certifiable bond. He, on the other hand, wanted things to go as smoothly as they could; he was willing to exert the time and patience to make it happen. Everything he went out of his way to do or not do would be noted by the magic weaving the bond; he hoped it would count in their favor.
He went into the en suite bathroom, checking the row of potions lining the rim of the tub nearest to the wall. He moved two bottles to the side; a mild calming elixir and a lycanthrope safe healing potion. He would add these to the bath, as well as the potion for Lupin’s muscles. Macnair had skipped over the bath entirely when preforming his ritual with Lupin, considering a crude cleaning charm to be sufficient. He wanted the magic to see his effort to care for this man, to see the freedoms he would bestow upon him if it would allow him to do so.
He would do his best not to create a link that would require him to dominate and brutalize Remus, but Merlin help them both when the magic reached into his soul and extracted the bond. It would hopefully factor in his actions, but there was no telling what would happen. It was something he was not looking forward to, for he had no control over it. The magic would form the parameters of the bond as it would; they would have to live within them.
He lay out the housecoats and towels for after the tub, shaking his head. They would need a bottle of wine with supper; both of them could use it.
A/N: Here’s the next chapter for ya! Thanks for reading, as always. Let me know your thoughts, whatever they may be; your reviews keep me going! The next post is on the way soon.
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The Long Road