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The Long Road	By : SinisterMe Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Snape/Remus Views: 63598 -:- 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
- 33
- 34
- 35
Severus slowly re-entered the waking world. He could feel Remus nestled up behind him, the other man’s fingers curling and uncurling over his thigh, his breath close to his neck. Giving no sign of stirring, he lay there and allowed himself to soak in the moment. For whatever unfathomable reason, Lupin appeared to want to be close to him at times. He saw no gain in disallowing it, wondering if he was guilty of enjoying it too much.
Unable to leave it for much longer, Snape stretched himself out a little, opening his eyes with a sigh. Remus withdrew from him slightly, but not completely.
“’Morning,” Remus said.
“’Morning,” he replied, voice sounding dry to his own ears.
Now that Snape was moving about, Remus took the opportunity to stretch as well, feeling his thighs and calves protest the motion. If that little bit of activity had worn him out so badly, there was little question that it would be some time until he was back to his old self. However, he had more and more hope that he eventually would reach that point again.
He chuckled. “Oh, am I sore.”
Severus sat up on his elbows to look at him in concern. “I have that potion I mentioned last night, if it would help.”
Remus smiled, wondering if there was a hospital in the country that was better equipped to treat him for any variety of ailments than Severus’ home was. “I’ll be okay, sir. My legs just aren’t used to moving about so much; I doubt my whole body is,” he informed Snape, amused to see the other man look momentarily uncomfortable.
“Yes, well,” Severus started, “we will have to do something about that now that you’re basically healed. I will work on it.”
“I didn’t mean it as a criticism, you know.”
“I know,” Severus said. “All the same, something needs to be figured out to stretch and re-strengthen your muscles. The measures need not be extreme, just consistent and we’ll have you up and walking in no time.”
“I may actually believe that,” Remus affirmed, thankful that Snape sounded so positive about it.
“Good; for now I think I will just apply the potion to help your scarring reduce. After that I will do another scan of your feet to see where they are at.”
“Alright,” Remus agreed, rolling onto his stomach to give Severus access to his back.
Snape Summoned the proper potion, sitting up so he could better reach Lupin’s back. Pulling the blankets down around the other man’s hips, he spread the potion over his hands, bringing his coated fingers down and across one of the worst scars visible on his torso. The skin felt smooth and slightly furrowed; he took his time rubbing the slick unguent over it, thumbs and fingers of both hands pressing into the skin in small circles slowly travelling down the length of it before moving on to the next.
Remus sighed in absolute contentment. The sun was trailing in through the curtains; another beautiful day by the look of it. His head was cradled in his crossed arms, face turned to the side, eyes closed. He basked in the sensation of Severus’ touches, of those sure fingers stroking across his sensitive scar tissue.
“You like that, do you?” Snape asked, amused.
“Very much," Remus replied. He saw no point in lying; not when Snape had been able to draw those sounds out of him last night. He wouldn’t be fooling either of them. Snape, apparently having completed his back, cast the protection charm over the potion covered areas.
“Roll over?” Snape asked.
“Sure, are you going to teach me to shake a paw next?” Remus joked, doing as he was asked all the same. It was difficult to conceive of the fact that though he had been able to at any point since the ritual, Snape had yet to take advantage of his verbal control over him. Not that he was complaining.
“I might If I thought you were trainable,” Snape retorted sardonically.
“Oh come on, Severus, I’m not that old of a dog, am I?” Remus asked, laughing.
“No; you are not,” Snape answered in a tone more serious than the one either of them had been using so far. He coated his hands again in the potion and began to apply it in the exact same manor to Remus’ chest as he had to his back.
Remus found that he liked this marginally better than the treatment to his back. From this position he was able to watch Snape and what he was doing. The other man was still as naked as he was, though the blankets pulled in such a way that both of their legs were still covered. Severus’ torso was well defined and pale in the morning light, the marks of his various scars gleaming even more whitely than the rest of him. Remus wondered why he had never taken the time to remove his own scars and yet was so carefully tending to his slave’s.
He found himself wanting to give something back to this person who seemed to have an endless level of patience for him and his son. Snape wanted him to be well and whole in a way that Remus could barely fathom. He wondered if anyone had ever taken care of Severus the way he was now taking care of him; the man barely seemed interested in his own well-being as far as Remus could see. He thought briefly that perhaps he was the perfect candidate to do that for him. Or he would be if his master would allow it.
Severus finished the last scar, trailing his fingers along it one last time, almost sorry that he was done. He cast the protection charm again, glancing over at Remus to see the lycanthrope looking back at him with a peculiar expression on his face. He had just about given up on trying to decipher those strange looks he occasionally received from Remus, feeling that if the other man was thinking something important, he would spit it out sooner or later.
Remus rolled over onto his back again. “Thank you, Severus,” he said, feeling brave with the free use of his master’s name.
“You’re more than welcome,” Snape replied, leaning in and brushing his lips lightly against Lupin’s. He stood quickly, dressing himself before going about finding something for Remus to wear. He assisted Remus, who was now sitting on the edge of the bed, in getting dressed, amazed at what the man was able to do for himself in such a short time.
He stooped and ran a quick scanning spell across Remus’ feet, finding that the tissue was more healed than he expected it ever would be, at least in the beginning. He gazed more closely at the skin, bending both appendages this way and that, rolling the ankles, flexing each toe.
“I don’t believe there is any reason that these won’t support your weight,” Severus said in conclusion, putting his wand away and standing.
“Really?” Remus asked. “You think that they’re completely better?”
“I think that they are as healed as they are going to be, though they will strengthen over time. We will prepare the rest of your body for mobility with a little exercise, therapy and the proper potions. I suspect things will go much faster than you’re probably afraid that they will.”
“You don’t know what a relief it is to hear you say that,” Remus said, feeling like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders.
“I believe that I have some idea,” Severus replied, thinking about the first time he had used his re-grown hand and the joy that the simplest of actions had brought him.
Remus nodded, agreeing to the possibility. “Do you think we should head down and see if Teddy is up?”
“I think that is exactly what we should do,” Severus said. “Would you like me to help you to your chair?”
“You mean as in help me… walk there?” Remus asked, finding himself nervous at the prospect of something he’d wanted for so long.
“Precisely,” Snape stated, waiting patiently to see what Lupin would say.
“I – do you really think I could do that?”
“I think you could try, and that I could assist you,” Severus reasoned. “If, for whatever reason, you are unable make it all of the way there, I will get you the rest of the way.”
“If you think I should try,” Remus allowed skeptically. After his tumble the other morning, he was reluctant to believe he could do it himself. Though he wouldn’t have to do it alone, he reminded himself; Severus would help him.
“I do,” Snape stated firmly.
“Okay, but only if you’ll help me.” A statement he would never in a million years have said to Macnair, who loved to watch him struggle to do just about anything.
“I said that I would,” Severus said, coming over to his side. He put one hand under his elbow and the other around his waist. “Ready?”
“I guess so.”
“Here we go then,” Snape warned. He helped to lift Remus to his feet, holding him there until he felt the other man seemed steady; only then did he let his support go slowly.
Remus wobbled there momentarily before finding his bearings and stabilizing.
“Good,” Severus encouraged. “Do you think you could step forward a little?”
Remus tried to put one foot forward, losing his balance and finding Snape holding him up. It had felt like the leg he’d been putting pressure on had just given out from underneath him.
“Try and straighten out; that was only your first attempt.” Snape’s voice was stern but held no malice.
“Okay,” Remus gasped. He pulled himself back upright and tried again. Having Snape’s arm curled around his waist was only the tiniest bit distracting as he leant against the man and shuffled one foot forward, and then the other. Thankfully the steps to the chair were few; Severus was basically supporting his full weight by the time they reached the plush piece of furniture.
Snape eased him back into the seat. He looked Remus right in the eye and said, “That went better than I had expected.”
Remus looked at him like he was crazy, breathing hard from the exertion. “That was better than you’d expected? I could barely move one foot in front of the other even with you half carrying me!”
The words sounded angry, but Severus recognized them as embarrassment and disappointment more than anything else. “These things take time, Remus. Don’t get discouraged just yet.” How many people had told him that while he was gaining strength in his re-grown hand, he couldn’t count. It hadn’t done any good then and it more than likely wasn’t doing any now.
Remus looked at his hands, glad Snape hadn’t taken his words the way that they’d sounded. “You’re right,” he admitted.
“Usually,” Snape agreed sarcastically. “Now, breakfast?”
“Sounds wonderful.”
Snape levitated the chair out of the room and down the stairs, setting Remus at his place at the table. Teddy was, as usual, sitting at the table already, this time making sculptures out of the play clay that had been left out in the sealed bowl.
“Hello,” the boy greeted them warmly. “It was okay that I opened this again, right?” he asked Severus.
“Oh yes; let me know when it begins to dry out. A new batch is very easy to make.”
“Okay,” Teddy said, resuming what he was doing.
“You’ve eaten already?”
“Yeah, Fred gave me something a while ago. There’s more of it on the counter, he wanted me to let you know,” Teddy said.
“Did he happen to say where he was going?” Snape inquired.
“He said he was going into town or something like that.”
“Alright,” Snape acknowledged, taking two plates off the counter and putting them on the table, going over and preparing a pot of coffee before sitting down.
The morning proceeded as usual, followed by a late lunch. Fred either hadn’t returned from town yet or was busy about the grounds because Severus hadn’t laid eyes on him all day. All three of them were sitting at the table after a brief venture down to the garden; Teddy was getting some more practice in with his letters. Severus was impressed with his quick progress; the child seemed to have a natural aptitude for many things.
He felt the itch in the back of his mind that meant someone was trying to figure a way into his wards. Having made arrangements for Potter and Weasley, so they could more or less just come up to the door, he was rather curious about who was mucking about out there.
Fred appeared at the side of the table.
“Oh there you are,” Snape said.
“Sir notices everything,” the elf rolled his eyes. “There is being a man out there wanting to come to the house.”
“Any idea who he is?” Severus asked, intrigued.
“Ministry,” Fred spat. “He is wanting to speak to sir about these two.” He indicated Teddy and Remus.
“Ah; let him in, but don’t rush,” Snape said. He could only imagine the kind of person that was about to come and poke around his house. He also wondered how on edge he should be, he imagined that there was much corruption in a system based on the money gained by human servitude.
Fred smiled toothily. “Fred could be taking him the long way to the house,” he suggested.
Severus smirked. “No; I’m sure he’ll be pleasant enough to deal with even without that.”
“Sir is never having any fun,” the elf pouted.
Snape waved him away with his hand. “Just try and be polite,” he cautioned.
Fred sighed and disappeared.
“Well that wasn’t completely unexpected,” Snape said.
“What should we do?” Remus asked, feeling his anxiety levels rise.
“Nothing; try to act normally. I’ve no idea what this visit will all entail, but it is always wise to be on your guard. Let me handle any of the tricky questions and do your best to not let on that you’re nervous.”
“Alright. Easier said than done,” Remus said.
“Should I put this away?” Teddy asked, gesturing to his papers, quills and pens.
“No; you can continue if you like. I do not know what to expect from this visit. At some point I may ask you to go to your room. You will not be in trouble, but I need you to do as I say immediately, understood?” Severus asked Teddy.
“Of course,” Teddy said, looking at him like he was quite silly for saying that out loud.
“Good.”
Severus poured a glass of water for Remus and Teddy, setting them on the table almost just for something to do with his hands. He had come to distrust the Ministry years ago and his opinions hadn’t changed one iota with the new government. If anything, many of their actions were even more disturbing and suspicious than their predecessors’ had been before the end of the war.
Teddy continued to write, seemingly unaffected by the tension in the room. It was maybe another ten minutes before they heard footsteps coming up the back steps.
“Sir is being right in here,” Fred said in a monotone voice, holding his hand out and making it so the wards that covered the still gaping hole in the back of the house would allow the man to walk into the kitchen.
He strode into the room. Fairly tall, he had shoulder length chestnut hair that he wore loose around his shoulders. He was well dressed in perfectly tailored robes and boots of creamy leather. His face was striking, with a pointed chin, high cheekbones and eyes that were deep blue. Snape’s first impression of the man was that he was haughty and meticulous; but he was open to other interpretations.
“What a hole,” he said under his breath. Remus heard it but he wasn’t sure it Snape had. “Severus Snape?” the Inspector asked to the room.
Severus stood. The man looked at him a moment before extending his hand in greeting.
Snape tried not to sneer as he accepted the handshake. The man’s grip was loose and he held it for as short of a time as could be considered polite.
“Anthony Harforth,” the man said.
“It seems that you already know who I am,” Severus said, his voice more amicable than the words sounded.
“Yes; I’ve been studying your case. These must be your werewolves; 2648 and 2649 I believe.”
“These are my bonded, yes,” Severus acknowledged.
The man mane a bit of a face. “However you’d like to phrase it, Mister Snape.”
“Have we met before, Mister Harforth?” Snape asked. He was getting a feeling from this man that made him a little uneasy, he just couldn’t put his finger on it.
“Not directly, Mister Snape,” Anthony said, his moth tightening into a thin line across his face. “Show me to the pens.”
“Would you like to see the space I’ve prepared for their transformations or their sleeping quarters?” Severus asked with feigned politeness. He’d played more difficult games before; this Ministry goon didn’t scare him in the least.
“We’ll start with their sleeping space. Lead the way.”
“Of course,” Severus addressed the man. He turned to Remus and Teddy, “I’ll be back shortly; continue practicing your writing.”
The Ministry Inspector gave a snort of derisive laughter. “How would one know if the other was messing it up?” he mocked.
Remus looked down at his hands in his usual symbol of defeat. Teddy didn’t lift his eyes off of his paper, pencil gripped tightly in his small hand.
”Harforth, wasn’t it?” Severus asked.
“Yes, why?” Anthony said.
“Durmstrang family, if I’m not mistaken?”
“For three generations,” Anthony Harforth said proudly.
“Of course, and I’m sure it wouldn’t say in the file you familiarized yourself with so closely,” Snape sneered, in his glory, “that would be why you have no idea that Remus Lupin has received an education at least paralleled to your own. Unless, of course, you have received any extra training,” Snape paused briefly to give the man a chance to say he had. When he didn’t say anything he continued, “So I believe there is no doubt in his capabilities to correct some basic grammar and spelling, Inspector.”
The man bristled. “Whatever you say, Mister Snape; who am I to tell you how to use your property? Now, if you would lead the way; I have a checklist to fill out.” He produced a small clipboard with a quill clipped to it.
“Of course, Inspector; follow me,” Snape said, turning his back and heading through the living room and up the stairs. He led the man fist to Teddy’s room, gesturing that he should look inside.
“What measures have you taken to make sure it doesn’t escape?” Anthony asked, moving the curtain away from the window to see clean, clear glass as the only barrier between himself and the outside world.
“The window is spelled unbreakable and warded specifically against lycanthropes,” Severus said. “The door will also not allow anyone through in either direction that I do not permit.” This wasn’t something he had told Remus or Teddy as he couldn’t imagine an instance in which he would want Teddy shuttered up in his room in complete solitude. He hoped the answer was enough for the Inspector.
“Alright; I suppose that is close enough to standards,” Anthony said, checking off a few boxes on his sheet of parchment.
“And what would those standards be exactly, Inspector? The Ministry does realize that for most of the month, these individuals are in human form and aren’t contagious, correct?”
“It varies, and is mostly left up to the opinions and recommendations of the Inspector. The Ministry takes our word very seriously.”
Snape saw how necessary it was for this man to believe that sentence. “Of course they do,” he agreed, privately wanting to gag.
“What about the other one; I understand it is essentially your concubine? I hate to intrude on your personal space, but if it lives primarily in your chambers, I will need to see that space as well.”
“I’ll lead the way,” Snape said. He would leave out the spare room, as so far it had nothing to do with Remus. Lupin had yet to choose something to make that space up; therefore it was not primarily his yet, even with Severus’ own intent to make it so. He hadn’t really even talked to Remus about it. Not mentioning it was more an omission of the truth than an all-out lie.
He walked ahead of the Ministry official into his bedroom, wondering if it was a little underwhelming to the man who had more than likely read his personal file. With how that thing probably read he wouldn’t be surprised if the Ministry man was expecting stretching racks and barbed manacles hanging from the ceiling.
“Interesting,” Anthony said after scanning this room like he had Teddy’s.
“Really?” Severus asked dryly. “How so?”
“Does it sleep on the floor?” he asked, looking around, Snape assumed, for a dog bed.
“No, he does not,” Severus replied, continuing to use language that reinforced the idea that Remus was human and not some object to be appraised.
“You really share the same bed with it, even when it isn’t… you know?” The man sounded morbidly fascinated. He took a few steps closer to the bed, peering at it as if it would answer his question for him.
“I do; if you were as familiar with my case as you would lead me to believe, you would have read that it was required by the bonding rules,” Severus found his upper lip curling. He didn’t find this man to be the least bit agreeable.
“I see,” the Inspector sounded put off slightly.
“Is there a problem, Inspector?” Severus asked.
“Not at all,” the man said. “You really don’t find it distasteful, living in such close quarters with an animal like that?”
“We do what we must; and no, I don’t find it distasteful to be near Remus.” Quite the opposite, he was slowly discovering.
“Well I suppose that’s good, since you’ve got to sleep with the thing, eh?” Anthony said. “Though it is remarkably good looking, for one of its kind.”
Snape’s eyebrow rose elegantly. “Anything else you’d like to know about my sleeping chambers, Inspector Harforth?”
Mister Harforth looked at the bed and licked his lips. “No, but I will need to bring a copy of the bonding rules back to the Ministry. Produce them please.”
Severus took them out of the place he’d put them the other night, making a magical copy and handing it to the irritating man, who took it in his hands, which were slightly on the clammy side. Harforth peered at the paper, shaking his head.
“Is there a problem?” Snape asked silkily.
Anthony made a noncommittal sound. “Lead the way to where you will have them transform. I want to see the precautions you have taken there and I certainly hope they aren’t as lax as these rules or as incomplete as your kitchen Mister Snape.”
Severus cleared his mind of emotion, running the inventory of his lab though his mind instead of thinking about the anger he was feeling towards this man. He turned and walked from the room, hearing the scribble of the Inspector’s quill writing down Merlin only knew what coming from behind him.
Something about Anthony Harforth was familiar, but he couldn’t exactly place it. He couldn’t say if he’d met this man before or was just familiar with his family name. Something in his voice when he’d said that they hadn’t met directly made him want to be even more cautious than before. Any number of people out there could hold a grudge against him for things he had or hadn’t done; there was a good chance that they would even be justified in doing so. The Inspector had enough ability to make their lives difficult as it was, never mind if he already had a reason to be spiteful.
They re-entered the kitchen, where Remus and Teddy were much as they’d left them. Severus noted the way that Remus shrank into his chair as the Inspector walked past him. Teddy didn’t look up from his paper though his hand was stilled in its progress across the page.
Anthony stopped in the middle of the room. “Well?” he said impatiently, looking at Snape.
“Down the stairs here, Inspector,” Severus said, turning the knob on the door leading to the lab.
Anthony nodded in approval, giving a caustic glance over to where the Lupins were seated. He followed Severus down the stairs without another word.
Anthony looked around the room, making a face. “I read in your file that you dabble in potions.”
“Did you? How wonderful,” Snape could barely keep the drawl from his voice, but he managed somehow. “On through here,” he said. Dabble indeed. He was either not familiar at all with their case or familiar enough to know that a statement like that would get under his skin. He gave no outward sign, continuing on past the workbenches to the heavy door that contained the room he’d prepared for Remus and Teddy to transform in. He lowered the wards on the door and turned the heavy handle, gesturing for the other man to go into the room ahead of him.
The Inspector examined the room, scribbling madly on his paper. He drew his wand and scanned the room, walking its perimeter and moving his wand back and forth slowly. When he got to the chest he opened the latch and lifted the lid, looking in and making a show of not wanting to touch anything inside though everything was clearly unused. He closed the lid with a clatter, wiping his hands on his robes. The look he gave Snape said that he was either disgusted or completely off put by his findings.
He resumed his scanning of the room nodding or making little tutting noises as he went. When he came full circle and reached the wall that contained the potions supplies he stopped in his tracks.
“Reveal to me what is behind this wall,” he demanded.
Severus lowered the ward that made it look like just another wall. All of the supplies and bottles were now clearly visible.
“I’ve never seen anything like these wards, though I can figure out plainly enough what they do by my scans. Though unnecessarily indulgent, this room appears to be well fortified. What would possess you to put a supply cabinet in the room you’d have those beasts changing in?”
That was a question that would possibly be difficult to answer truthfully, but bending the truth in situations like this had never bothered him before. “I am testing a new form of the Wolfsbane potion. Everything will need to be close at hand as soon as the sun rises. I will need to collect samples and possibly give medical care to one or both of the lycanthropes, even if things do go as planned.”
The Inspector nodded, eyebrows rising. “You’re not the first person to use their slaves as test subjects; there’s no law against it.” He flipped through his papers. “I know that you inherited the two upstairs; what I don’t see is why you’d go through the entire process of healing the older one and unnecessarily spending full price on the pup if you were just going to use them for that.”
“I didn’t know that my motivations would be on trial today, Inspector Harforth ,” Severus said, narrowing his eyes.
“Well they aren’t, per se,” Anthony said. “I’ve just seen many cases in my time as an Inspector, so let me tell you that this isn’t the norm. If you just wanted your knob polished or a couple of mouths to pour your potions into, then any of those animals would have done. I suppose I’m just trying to understand, Mister Snape.”
“I believe you may be reading too much into things, Inspector.”
“Then I am doing my job properly,” Anthony said with a huff.
“Speaking of doing your job, is there anything else down here you wish to know about?”
“Well, your wards seem to be complete, if a little unconventional. Merlin knows you seem ready to handle anything that would happen medically, you actually seem to be more than prepared to handle that.”
“Would I be obligated to provide them medical care, should the situation arise?” Severus asked. He hadn’t read that in any of the paperwork.
Anthony made another face. “Absolutely not! They’re yours, do whatever you want with them, just keep them out of the rings and off of the streets and you won’t be hearing much from us.”
“The rings?” Severus inquired, not familiar with what he was talking about.
Anthony appeared to be quite unhappy with the concept of them. “It’s an underground sport, highly profitable but extremely illegal. The activity only goes on with the full moon, when the animals are transformed; their owners fight them, often to the death. It isn’t hard to make them do, from what I hear. The aftermath is disastrous, of course, and the Ministry is eager to stop it. Don’t you read the paper?”
“Not often and never completely,” Severus said. He couldn’t say that he was surprised to hear of such a thing with the way the laws were set up, though he found the concept to be rather revolting. Such fights had occasionally taken place at Death Eater Revels, though they had often preferred more aware and intelligent victims that they could make bleed themselves. Galleons had definitely exchanged hands then and he imagined that they flowed freely now.
“Can’t say that I blame you,” Anthony said friendlily.
Severus wondered what had transpired in the last few minutes to change this man’s disposition towards him, but he could tell it had just by the way the Inspector was looking at him now.
“Are we finished down here for the time being?” Severus asked. He had no idea what else to expect from this assessment and was eager for it to be over as soon as possible.
Anthony perused his papers, checking off a couple of things and writing one last note, whatever it was. “Oh, we can be. I assume you want to go upstairs and see if they’re still doing what you told them to.”
“Certainly,” Severus said, gesturing for Anthony to go ahead of him out of the room and up the stairs. He really had no desire to see what Teddy and Remus were doing but it seemed like a good way to move things along. When they were up in the kitchen he closed the lab door securely behind them. The Lupins were right where they’d left them at the table. Remus looked over at them, careful not to meet their eyes.
“You seem to have them trained well enough,” Anthony said, seeing that they were still diligently working away.
“I have no complaints,” Severus said ambiguously. He did not want to agree or deny with that statement.
“Well then you’re doing better than most, let me tell you,” Anthony shook his head almost sadly. “Then again, they’d more than likely been honed by their previous owner.” He flipped through his papers again. “Macnair, Walden. Oh my, I’ve read into his file a little.”
As the Inspector lowered his clipboard, his eyes looked Remus up and down in a way that Severus didn’t particularly like. He gave Severus a knowing glance. “He must be very well trained indeed.”
This time the words took on a totally different connotation. Severus found himself twirling his wand between his fingers inside his pocket and promptly withdrew his hand, leaving the wand where it was. That would only cause further problems with the Ministry.
Remus’ hands were clenched very tightly in his lap, he set his eyes on his knuckles and tried not to move them or let on how worried he was about this whole situation. The Inspector’s words were humiliating, because he knew full well what they implied. What concerned him more was the tone his voice took on when he’d said it. He wondered what the men had discussed while they were out of the room and tried not to let his imagination run rampant on him. He doubted that Severus had reconsidered his treatment of them since this morning; or he hoped he hadn’t, at any rate.
“Do you need a statement from me on this topic for your report, or is this just another personal inquiry?” Severus asked, his own tone of voice unchanged.
“Just thinking out loud,” the Inspector smiled at Snape.
Snape didn’t return the smile, only inclined his head. “If that helps you. So have I answered all of your questions for the day?” Severus asked. He was trying to behave, really.
“For the time being, yes. I don’t even need you for this next part, if you have something more pressing to attend to.”
“Just what part would that be?” Severus asked. He wasn’t about to leave either Remus or Teddy alone with this man.
“Well every time one of their kind changes hands, the Ministry likes to update their records. Any new identifying scars, tattoos, brands, body jewelry, blemishes et cetera are to be recorded for future reference. All I do is strip them down, do a few scans and report what I see as compared to what was on file already. If anything has changed, I write it down. It’s as simple as that,” Anthony explained, waving his hand in the air to emphasize his point.
“I see,” Severus said, unease rising. “That isn’t something I could take them in to have done at the Ministry? This is the first I’ve heard of such a thing.” The idea of asking Remus or Teddy to disrobe for this man made his stomach turn.
“It’s part of the reports that are usually filed at the auction house. We always only do this for the inherited ones because we’re going to be at your house anyway and it doesn’t take all that much time. The auction houses don’t like to do much with those ones, doing it like this keeps them off of our backs.”
“And if I refuse?” Severus asked.
Anthony chuckled. “I don’t see why you would. I suppose I’d report your lack of cooperation to the Ministry, who would then seize both items and complete their files anyway. They would return them to you in a few of days, when they’d had time to process them.”
“I see,” Severus said again. He was being backed into a corner and it wasn’t something he was enjoying. “Go prepare whatever it is you need in the living room. I will be in shortly.”
“You’re going to stay for the proceedings?” Anthony sounded surprised.
“Yes, I am,” Severus expression invited little argument.
“If you insist, Mister Snape. I’ll go prepare, it won’t take long.” Anthony stood and went into the living room.
Teddy looked up at him for the first time since the Inspector had arrived. “He’s going to want to do magic on me?” he asked, sounding frightened.
Severus cursed mentally. “He will want to point his wand at you, just to perform some scans. You won’t even feel them and I’ll be right beside you,” he hoped he sounded more encouraging than he felt.
“You promise?” Teddy asked, his face expressing his worry.
“Yes, I promise,” Severus said, going to the boy’s side. “I will not leave you alone with him.”
“Okay,” Teddy said uncertainly, drawing into himself.
“Please sir, let me go first,” Remus said, looking at his son.
Severus felt like ripping out clumps of his own hair. He took a moment to clear his mind yet again before magically calling for Fred, who appeared at his side.
“Would you take Teddy up to his room and stay with him until I call for you please?”
“Fred can be doing that.” The elf placed his hand on Teddy’s arm. “Come on, little one,” he said, apparating them upstairs.
“Thank you,” Remus sighed. He was glad that Severus would give him even that much control. He didn’t know how he would sit still after his turn was done knowing that that man was poking and prodding at his little boy. He knew that nothing could spare them from the humiliation that was to come, no matter how brief it was. “Let’s get this over with?”
Severus nodded, levitating the chair through the doorway and into the living room. The Inspector was perched on the edge of one of the chairs, paper work spread out across the coffee table, wand in hand. There were more papers in his hands that he was shuffling through. He looked up in time to see Severus set Remus; chair on the floor beside the table.
Anthony looked up with a raised eyebrow. “Oh, this one first then? That’s good, there’s a lot more paperwork on this one than the other.” He shuffled some more papers, peering over the top of his stack. “I don’t know what you’re waiting for, stand up and strip. Wait in the middle of the room, I’ll say when I’m ready.”
Remus’ glance flickered helplessly over to Snape. Severus went to stand at the side of the chair.
“Well, what is it waiting for, a written invitation? Or is it trained to only take instruction from you?” Anthony asked, obviously intrigued by his last suggestion.
“You’ll read in there that Remus has been recovering for some time from injuries that were very severe. He is currently incapable of following your instructions,” Severus offered as explanation.
“Hmm. Well I don’t know how you want to do this then. I suppose we can strip it and lay it on the floor. I could do all of my scans that way and move it’s body about so I could note any changes in distinguishing marks,” Anthony offered.
He wondered if that suggestion was supposed to be helpful. The idea of this man towering over a prone and naked Remus made Severus irrationally angry.
“I will assist him,” Severus said in a clipped tone.
“Don’t go out of your way, Mister Snape, I’ll make due.”
“I insist,” Snape deadpanned. “Are you ready?”
“One moment,” Anthony said. He skimmed over a couple of more pieces of paper before picking up his clip board, standing and nodding. “I’m ready.”
Severus would have liked Remus to stand up on his own but he didn’t want him to falter in front of the Inspector. He charmed him weightless and levitated him out of the chair, helping him to move into a standing position, though his toes barely touched the ground as he floated there.
It was clear after a moment that Remus was waiting to be told again to disrobe; there was no way his voice would ever sound that command. He moved so that he could better access the buttons on his shirt. The movement also had the added benefit of putting him between Lupin and the Inspector.
He tried to keep his fingers from trembling as he undid the buttons, slowly pulling the material off of Remus’ shoulders and down his arms, folding it when he had it completely removed. He then helped Remus maneuver out of his trousers and undergarments, folding those as well. He set everything aside and looked briefly at the other man’s face. Lupin had his eyes locked on Snape’s shoulder, his hands were clenched into loose fists and gooseflesh had broken out across most of his body.
“I’ll need you to step aside, Mister Snape,” Anthony said, coming nearer, quill and clipboard in hand.
Severus took a reluctant step back, moving no farther than that. His face was schooled into an expression of neutrality though his heart was beating at an accelerated pace.
The Inspector walked in a circle around Remus body, looking him up and down appraisingly.
“I’m having a difficult time believing what I’m seeing, Mister Snape.”
“And why is that?” Snape drawled, fighting the urge to run his hands across his face.
“The paperwork I have states that this one should be just covered in burns. Even with its healing abilities there is be no way it should be in such pristine condition.” He gave Snape an evaluating look. “What other experimental potions are you working on other than that Wolfsbane?”
“Oh, nothing that's too fancy,” Snape said through veiled sarcasm. “All I do is dabble, remember?”
Remus made a choking noise in the back of his throat but otherwise didn’t move.
“Yes well…” Anthony seemed to be looking for a way to backpedal out of his previous comment about Snape’s brewing abilities.
“Can we hurry things along here, Inspector?” Severus asked, irritated that this man would want to pause and have a conversation with Remus floating there.
“Of course,” Anthony said. He took a few more scans of Remus before going over and taking a seat, scribbling madly at his paper.
When a moment had passed and he hadn’t looked up, Severus asked, “Are we quite finished here?”
“Not yet, Mister Snape. Ill only be a couple of minutes.”
Severus pulled a blanket off of the back of one of the chairs, opening it and spreading it across Remus’ shoulders to cover him and to keep him from chill. Remus didn’t look up or even give any sign he’d noticed other than drawing the material more closely around him and holding it there.
“There’s no need for that, I’ll need to look at it right away,” Anthony said, rolling his eyes.
“When you’re ready, I’ll remove the blanket,” Severus said levelly.
“Fine, fine, have it your way,” the blue eyed man said with an indulgent sigh. He filled out a couple more lines on his sheet and then stood. He set the quill to magical dictation. “The quill will write down the information my wand gathers,” he said coming closer. “Well, any time now, Mister Snape.”
Severus ground his teeth and removed the blanket from around Remus.
Anthony started at his head, scanning across Lupin’s skin; the quill began to move as the wand crossed a scar on Remus’ cheek, and then more frantically as it moved over his neck where the collar had left its marks. He continued onward, face unchanged by the mass of scars the burns had left behind that, though faded, were still shocking to see. He moved down Remus stomach and over his groin, on down his legs and down to his feet. The quill continued scribbling madly all the while.
Anthony walked around to stand at Remus’ side, scanning his back and arms. He reached out with the hand that wasn’t holding the wand and moved as if to touch Remus’ hip where a very prominent mass of scars were situated.
Remus had been trying valiantly to distance himself from what was happening. He felt grateful when Severus covered him, but only distantly, as if that emotion belonged to someone else. He tried to ignore the way the man was speaking about him and waving his wand about his body, but he couldn’t stop himself from reacting when he saw the hand about to touch him. He jerked away almost on natural reaction, he was sure the motion looked ridiculous, what with him floating there in the middle of the room.
“Well I’ve never,” the Inspector said crossly. “Tell your animal to submit to my investigation!”
“I do not believe your investigation requires you to touch him, Inspector,” Severus said much more calmly then he felt. He was equal parts furious that this man would dare to do that and relieved that Remus didn’t react that way when he went to touch him.
The inspector made a sound of displeasure, angry at having been denied. “Well for your sake, I hope that it is more talented than attractive, because it certainly isn’t all that much to look at once you see the whole thing.” He sneered at Remus’ exposed body, “A shriveled little toy a larger dog has already discarded.”
Severus returned, spreading the blanket around Remus again. With his back to Anthony he said, “I wonder what we would see, Mister Harforth, if you were standing before us naked and powerless in the middle of my living room.”
Severus’ back was turned, so he didn’t see the Inspector’s mouth open and close in disbelief. “Your sense of humor leaves something to be desired, Mister Snape,” Anthony spat, clearly not impressed.
“As does your level of professionalism,” Severus said cuttingly, lowering a blanket covered Remus back to his chair. He would have helped him dress, but he didn’t want to leave him bared to this man any longer than strictly necessary.
“I didn’t say we were finished,” Anthony snapped.
“You didn’t have to,” Snape replied, still not looking at the man as he did.
“There’s still the matter of magical suppression to discuss. It isn’t law yet, but we’re working on it. The collar is the preferred method, though there are others we can discuss.”
“No,” Severus stated simply, placing Lupin’s folded clothing on his lap. He turned back to Anthony.
“No?” the Inspector asked. “What do you mean, ‘no’? As I said, it will more than likely be law soon. You do want to be compliant, don’t you? Besides, it’s a unnecessary risk; if you let this thing have possession of its magic, it might start thinking it was human enough to actually use it or something. May I remind you that you are held responsible for any damages it may cause?”
“I assume that if the law is passed, you will let the public know?” Severus asked, amazed at his own continued patience.
“Of course, it would be negligent, not to!” The Inspector said.
“Then send me an owl when it is mandatory. This man has been in possession of his magic for longer than I believe you’ve been alive, Inspector. The way you’ve been speaking to and about him today, if he hasn’t used it to roast you yet, I think we’ll all be safe,” Severus smirked.
Anthony gave him a dumbfounded look, clearly not used to being spoken to in such a manner. Remus’ lips twitched, but were quickly schooled back into his neutral expression.
“Stay here, Inspector. I’m going to take Remus upstairs. I’ll be back with Teddy. By the time I am, I rather hope that, for your own sake, you have figured out how to hold a polite conversation.” He levitated Remus and the chair, walking behind them up the stairs and into his room.
He set Remus down, coming around and getting down on one knee in front of him so he wouldn’t be looming over the man; he suspected he had had enough of that for one day. He reached out to set his hand on a blanket covered knee before thinking better of it and resting it on the arm of the chair instead. He didn’t feel he particularly deserved that privilege at the moment.
“I’m sorry, Remus,” was all he could think to say. The words sounded insufficient and empty even to him.
“Really? You’re sorry?” Remus asked in disbelief. “And here I was going to thank you.”
“Honestly?” Severus asked, almost angry at the very idea of it. “For what, allowing that infuriating man to poke and ridicule you while doing nothing to stop it?”
“I was going to say thank you for covering me up when you were able and for standing up to him when he was being unkind,” Remus said, looking up at Snape through the fringe of his hair. “For not allowing him to touch me.” He cleared his throat, looking back at his hands. “It needed to be done, and it’s over; for me at least. Please, Severus, don’t let him be cruel to my boy.” He almost felt like he didn’t have to say it, but it slipped out anyway.
“I won’t,” Severus said, a certain steel to his voice. “Let’s get you dressed.”
He helped Remus out of the blanket and into his clothing, settling him back into the chair.
“I’ll go get Teddy; we’ll come and get you on our way downstairs. I’ll get you set in in the kitchen with a pot of tea. That way you will be near at hand for when he is finished. Is that acceptable?”
“As much as is possible.”
“Good. I’ll return shortly.” Severus crossed the room and exited into the hallway. Taking a moment to ask for strength and the wisdom to do what was right from whatever power may be watching. He would keep his promise to Remus and Teddy; let this man report back to the Ministry what he would.
A/N: Gah! That took forever. I'm so sorry! I know I said this last time, but I’ll try to do better next time. Work has just been running my life: between yearly inventory and a recent break in, there has been little time for anything else! I hope the inconsistency hasn’t caused any of you to lose interest!
Thank you for all your wonderful reviews! Of course feedback is always welcome and I am definitely open to people pointing out silly mistakes I’ve made. I’ll take all the help I can get!
This story is now officially over 200,000 words! Just thought you might find that interesting ^_^ I know I do!
Let me know what you thought about this chapter, and any thoughts or suggestions you have about what is to come. Some of you are going to get an Outstanding in Divination with the predictions you’ve made already!
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The Long Road