Sub Rosa

A/N I have managed to get ahead in th estory again, so here is a bonus chapter for you today. As always, thanks to my tireless Queen of the Semi-colon, Kate, my admirable Editor and new found friend.


Chapter 53 – Winter Wolves

Severus followed Lupin into the forest. Ahead of him the wolf threw his head back and howled, misery in every note. The new iteration of the Wolfsbane potion was working well, Severus noted, but Lupin’s depression still hadn’t lifted. The full moon hung overhead speared on the black braches that clawed the sky above him. Ice crunched under his boots, his breath frosted the air and the cold bit at his exposed flesh.

Lupin hadn’t been the same since the elves had returned to their world. Severus had liked Tali, he thought that she was intelligent and skilled, but he had been relieved when the elves had removed themselves from Hogwarts. Lupin, on the other hand, had fallen very hard and very fast and showed no signs of recovering. Severus had been hard pressed to maintain a polite silence, rather than screaming at the other man.

Kathryn had said something about how amongst the elves it was not uncommon to fall in love at first sight, but that she didn’t hear about it happening with humans very often. She had a theory that it had to do with Lupin’s being a were-wolf, but she wasn’t quite sure how it had happened.

Her compassion and sympathy made him understand that there was little choice in this for Lupin, so he had maintained his silence, but he found a love-lorn were-wolf to be a trying patient. Having to follow him, with wand in hand, to test the new potion while he howled for his lost love was eerie and annoying.

From the distance he heard what sounded like an answering call and Severus froze in fear. Was there another were-wolf in the forest? He had heard rumors of a pack deep in the heart of the forest, but surely they didn’t range this far out.

A moment later and Severus found himself staring a ring of yellow eyes. Low guttural growls came from the underbrush and he realized with horror that he was still within the no-apparation zone of the school.

Lupin, his gray fur bristling leapt into the clearing and stood protectively before Severus. His hackles up and his teeth bared, as he faced down the pack. Severus pointed his wand at the nearest wolf and back to back with Lupin, prepared to fight.

The first wolf pounced forward, and Severus dodged the gnashing teeth, casting a body bind hex on the animal. He darted left away from a black one, casting another hex as quickly.

Behind him he heard Lupin snarling and the yelp of an injured wolf, but he had no time to check his progress.

He cast a levitation charm on himself and grasped a nearby branch, pulling himself into a tree. Leaning out he sent hex after hex at the attacking pack, protecting Lupin’s flanks from the other wolves. Even so, Lupin’s fur was covered with blood and it was obvious that unless they received help soon, the were-wolf was hopelessly outnumbered.

Severus, feeling stupid for not having thought of it sooner, levitated the wolf up the tree to him and pulled Lupin close. He had to support the wolf, as his body was not made for tree climbing. The pack circled below them, growling and whining. The two wizards were effectively treed.

Severus could cast no more hexes while he held Lupin and the pack couldn’t climb up to get them. It was a standoff.

There was another howl from nearby and the pack below the two of them froze. There was another call and the were-wolf pack fled, running with their tails between their legs. Lupin wriggled madly in Severus arms and he was hard pressed to maintain his hold on the wolf.

“You don’t want me dropping you from this height, Lupin.” He ground out and the wolf subsided. He balanced the other man on the branch, steadying him with one hand and cast the levitation charm.
Maneuvering a fidgety were-wolf out of a tree was not the easiest thing he had ever done, but it beat being torn to shreds by a pack of them.

He swung himself out of the tree and turned to watch, as Lupin stood still and silent, ears pricked forward, listening. The other howl came from much closer and Severus wanted to get going before whatever could frighten a were-wolf pack showed up, but Lupin made no move to go.

Severus was torn; he was cold, shaken and desirous of a bathtub full of warm naked woman. However, Lupin had returned to defend him against the pack, when he could have outrun them and left Severus to die. He had done the stupid Gryffindor thing and stuck around and now Severus felt obligated to match his stupidity. Damn Gryffindors and their irritating sense of honor.

A glimmering of light against the black bark of a tree caught his eye and he turned to look. A delicate female wolf came padding out from amongst the trees. Purest white with long limbs and huge blue eyes, the color of the evening sky all set bells ringing in Severus’ head.

He didn’t make the connection though, until Lupin ran up to her and began nuzzling her with obvious delight. Severus bit off a curse as the two wolves began their courtship ritual.

“In case anyone cares, I am going home.” He threw up his hands and marched back towards the castle.

Lupin and Tali followed soon after racing back and forth, Lupin mysteriously healed and clean, chasing each other through the snow. Gray and white ghostly shapes, they played and danced around the tall, slender, black-clad man who kept up a sullen commentary on their lack of dignity.


He maintained his sour mood until he crawled into Kathryn’s tub, letting himself sink into the scented bubbles with a contented sigh. The sight of his love, covered in warm water and bubbles erased the last vestiges of his temper.

“Are you saying that she came back for him?” Kathryn wriggled most delightfully against him and he ran a hand down her back with a feeling of satisfaction.

“Hm? Oh yes, she showed up and sent the pack off with a flea in their ear.” He nibbled his way down from her ear to her collarbone.

“But that means she has received permission from the Queen to reside on earth with him.” Kathryn muttered, somewhat distractedly.

“Happily ever after, very nice, nowld yld you please kiss me.” He demanded, completely uninterested in anyone else’s love life but his own. With a bright laugh, Kathryn obliged him and he was able to keep her suitably occupied for several hours more.


The next morning proved to be most interesting. Albus called him into the office with Kathryn, Minerva, Lupin and Tali.

He hadn’t recognized her at first, as she had changed overnight to a blonde haired human woman. She explained that it was a glamour designed to allow her to blend lesslessly with human society. Her voice was still the same sweet soprano and her personality was still shy and retiring, so he adjusted to the outward changes quickly.

Lupin was sitting beside her with a slightly dazed expression on his face and they had the annoying tendency of gazing into each other’s eyes and drifting off into their own little world. It was making Severus quite ill.

“We will need to disguise her true origins, of course, Fudge would have a fit if he knew she was an Elder.” They all nodded to this sage pronouncement. “We will settle her at headquarters.” There were more agreements all around.

“So what do we tell people? That she’s a muggle?” Kathryn crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. Everyone but Albus looked at her in surprise. “Well, she doesn’t use a wand, hasn’t gone to a magical school and isn’t registered with the ministry, what else can we tell them?” Albus was nodding as she spoke
.
“I was planning on saying she was a late bloomer that we discovered.” Severus considered that, it didn’t happen often but every hundred years or so someone would spontaneously develop his or her magical abilities at a very late age. People as old as forty and fifty would suddenly find things breaking or exploding around them. These people were quickly whisked off to the magical world for training and concealment. It was as good a story as any.

“Then she will need a wand.” Minerva looked pointedly at Lupin who blushed. Wands were expensive and Lupin was quite poor. Working for the order didn’t pay very well, actually, it didn’t pay at all and he hadn’t held a job since Severus had spilled the beans about him.

While Severus felt no guilt at all about telling the world of Lupin’s curse, he did feel angry with the people who wouldn’t hire him because of it. Severus had objected to him being around the children at night. If he had boarded in Hogsmeade and been behind stout walls during the full moon, Severus doubted that he would have minded him teaching here. As it was, his fears had been justified when Lupin had forgotten his Wolfsbane potion that memorable night. Harry, Weasley and Granger had almost been either cursed or killed by his carelessness.

“I will see to it.” Albus interjected gently. Lupin shot the elderly wizard a grateful smile. Tali seemed confused by the whole exchange.

“Don’t forget to register her as an animagus as well.” Severus mentioned to Albus as they filled out of the office. “It will help Lupin with his job situation when he is married to her.” Albus nodded, it was a well-known fact that the few other were-wolves out there with animagus spouses were viewed with far less suspicion due to the “calming” effect of the spouse’s transformation. It was a myth, but then people were narrow-minded and superstitious.

Severus had far more important things to think about anyway, tomorrow was the last Saturday in January and he was planning on taking Kathryn out somewhere nice for dinner.

He had to plan carefully, it had to be a logical place to go for a romantic evening, but it also had to be highly uncomfortable for his watchers.

A sushi bar would be a good choice, a muggle sushi bar that was somewhere far from the Leaky Cauldron so that they would be forced to travel a good bit. Bella hated fish and Shiv hated the muggle word. Franco hated everything, so there was no challenge there.

Severus smiled a nasty little expression on his face that sent students diving away from him as he paced the halls. Yes, a Sushi bar was perfect.