WARNING: This is a slash story, which means it contains male/male erotic content involving consenting adults. If you're not of legal age or are offended by such material, please go find something else to read.

Title: Caring
By: Adrienne
Email: ar895@freenet.carleton.ca
Pairing: SS/RL, SS/SB
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me and no copyright infringement is intended
Category: Drama
Rating: NC17
Summary: Sequel to Careful and Careless - Snape has the baby.
Notes: There will be one more part to this series. Please send any comments directly to ar895@ncf.ca
Snape

Bloody hell, he thought, clutching his left forearm. As if morning sickness wasn't bad enough.

He had not exactly forgotten Voldemort, but he had more than a few things on his mind lately. The summons should not have been a surprise, although things had been quiet on that front lately. He had only just unpacked and settled in the comfortable cottage when the Mark began to burn.

Well, there was no getting around it; he had to obey. The pain of the Mark was surprisingly harsh this time, but somehow a little easer to bear. He had often heard that women had better pain tolerance than men; perhaps the extra bits had their uses after all.

He smoothed down the Death Eater robes, trying to figure out just how obvious his condition was. Not that there was much chance of hiding it, though. Voldemort knew he had left Hogwarts and would want to know why. The truth, humiliating though it was, would probably be the best tack to take. It wasn't as if he was particularly happy about the situation, either.

---------------

He was a little surprised to see that there were no other Death Eaters there, save the ubiquitous Wormtail. The little rat with the silver paw was sitting on Voldemort's shoulder, a strangely appropriate familiar.

"Severus." The sibilant greeting was almost friendly. He felt the all too familiar nausea starting and held onto his gorge firmly. He said nothing, but bowed deeply. "You've left your teaching position."

"Yes, my Lord," he murmured respectfully. "It was necessary."

"Necessary?" The flat, snake-like face had no eyebrows, but still managed to convey the impression of one brow rising to a non existent hairline. It was a remarkably repulsive expression. "I'll be the judge of that. Explain."

So he did, leaving out little details such as who cast the spell in the first place and who had shared his bed after. The changes in expression on Voldemort's face were almost as comical as Dumbledore's reaction and somewhere in the back of his mind, he snickered to himself.

Finally, after a long silence, Voldemort burst out laughing. It was a genuine belly laugh, not his usual sneering amusement.

"Well, Severus, you do get into the most peculiar situations," Voldemort said, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his robe. "The child is pureblood?"

"Yes." He was sure of that. Both Black and Lupin were from respectable, if not notable, wizard families. Without conscious thought, he wrapped his arms around the slight bulge, in a protective gesture.

"Once the child is born, I will find the perfect family to take it in," Voldemort continued. "Do not worry, Severus, your child will be provided for."

"No." The harsh denial burst out of him, reckless of the consequences. "No, I will take the child myself."

"To Hogwarts? Under the influence of that old fool?" Voldemort hissed dangerously.

"The child is mine, my Lord. Mine to teach and mine to influence," he said carefully. "The Headmaster adores babies. He will want to protect an infant and, as the child's parent, he will be wish to spend time with me, discussing to how that is best achieved."

Voldemort thought about this for a long, long time. Finally, he rose and placed his thin fingers directly on the Dark Mark.

"Go home, Severus. We will manage without you for a while." The order was almost kind. "You will keep me apprised of what you learn only by owl. You shouldn't be apparating in your condition."

"Thank you, my Lord," he managed to murmur, his self control dangerously unsteady. Voldemort nodded in dismissal.

For the first time in years, he left Voldemort's presence feeling somewhat hopeful. Voldemort would leave him alone until the child was born. If he had known that, he thought, with a curl of his lip, he'd have been tempted to get pregnant ages ago.

----------------

Despite the morning sickness that still lingered on, he found himself feeling better than he had in years. The enforced rest was doing him a world of good. A natural night owl, he had spent too many years getting up hideously early. Now he slept when he was tired and didn't get up until his body was fully rested. He ate what he liked, when he liked. He read all night if he wanted to. Voldemort was leaving him in peace. In short, he was free to do whatever he wanted. It felt very good.

His hand fell to his growing belly in a natural gesture. He was quite obviously pregnant now, but not yet ungainly. Minerva, bless her, had kept her promise to help him whether he wanted her to or not, and sent him some clothes that accommodated his expanding midriff without being feminine. She also sent fond wishes and a very long, very detailed letters telling him everything that had happened at Hogwarts since the break.

He appreciated the clothes, but the letters were even better. He missed Hogwarts and its chaotic atmosphere; Dumbledore's eccentricities and Filch's grumbling; Granger's brilliance and Longbottom's incompetence...

He must be losing his mind, if he missed Longbottom.

He missed the Slytherin children most of all. He hoped Diane had listened to his detailed instructions on how to handle them. She was, thank goodness, as unsentimental as he was. She would neither smother or abuse them. She'd yell and wax wonderfully sarcastic with them, but they were used to that. He shouted at them all the time, not bothering to hide his frustrations and temper. They took it with a grain of salt; they learned early on that he would never lay a hand on any of them. Some of the braver ones even talked back, knowing that a witty, clever reply would elicit his approval.

He ran his hands across his belly again, wondering what this child would be like. Would she be like him, solitary and bookish? Or like her father, outgoing and friendly? He was certain the child was a girl; his divination skills were poor, but he trusted his instincts on this.

A daughter. A little girl who would be intelligent and inquisitive, if genetics had anything to do with it.

He had to keep her, if only to keep her safe from Voldemort. And he did want to keep her; Voldemort's attitude was only an excuse to do what he wanted to anyway.

He could be a good father. If the Slytherins were any indication, he wasn't too bad at the parental role. Not perfect, by any means, but he did seem to be able to help those children.

Dumbledore, incorrigible optimist that he was, seemed to think that it was a simple matter of deciding that he wanted a child and everything would fall into place as if by magic.

Perhaps Albus was right. Logically, there was no pressing reason why he couldn't keep her. He had the money to support a family. Even without his family inheritance, he had a good job and enough savings to support them both comfortably. He could easily hire a nanny to take care of her while he was working. He'd have to give up being Head of Slytherin, but some sacrifices would have to be made.

He had the adoption forms on his desk, but he hadn't so much as looked at them since Diane had gotten them for him. Now he knew why; he wanted his daughter, whether Voldemort approved or not.

Picking up a quill and parchment, he wrote a long letter to Albus, finally able to tell him of the meeting with the Dark Lord and his decision. Perhaps Albus was right; everything would work out just fine. Black

He should have been a little more upset over his conversation with Remus, but he was more relieved than anything. Remus and that slimy git was not a pairing he would normally approve of, but Remus had been alone for so much of his life. Dear, sweet Remus; he was so vulnerable to anyone who showed him a bit of kindness.

Kindness? What was he thinking? Snape wasn't exactly kindness personified. Snape and kindness didn't really go together. So what the hell did Remus think he was getting into? Snape?

He shook his head in wonder. He really didn't know Remus very well anymore. In years gone by, Remus never would have gone for such a miserable, sour faced son of a bitch like Snape. How goddam desperate must he be, to care for Snape?

He knew he wasn't in a good position to object. After all, he'd spent far more time in Snape's bed that he ever thought he could stand without doing serious physical damage to the man.

But that was different. It was just sex. Snape had made the first move, probably more to discombobulate him than any real intent to follow through. He had refused to be discombobulated and flirted right back. From that point on, it was a game to see who would back down first. Neither of them had.

That first night with Snape was an eye opener. He had forgotten just how seductive Snape could be when he put any effort into it, and he had never known how talented Snape was between the sheets.

The affair was as much about competition as it was about physical gratification. Okay, the sex was spectacular. He had to admit that. Snape was a damn fine lay. However, there was an also an odd sort of equality there. He didn't have to feel guilty about anything with Snape. Even if he had betrayed James - which he hadn't - it wasn't like that ex-Death Eater could really find any moral superiority.

Guilt. That was why he had accepted Remus' sudden infatuation/lust/caring for Snape. If Remus did care for and had slept with Snape, he was off the hook about the kid. He didn't have to feel guilty about the whole thing.

But how could Remus be so sure that Snape's kid was his? Remus knew that he and Snape had been sleeping together. Either one of them could have been responsible for Snape's condition. Knowing Snape, he wouldn't have told Remus about it. If he had, you wouldn't be able to pry Remus away with a crowbar and a very strong spell. Remus was the responsible one of the Marauders.

He wasn't aware of a paternity identification spell that could be done in vivo. He had some research to do. Lupin

Albus really had been quite reasonable about the whole thing. He had given him the coordinates of the place where Severus was staying, along with a handful of things to take to the expecting mother.

Severus would be showing by now, since he was nearly six months along. He wondered what sort of reception he was going to get when he finally arrived.

He had apparated just outside the small hamlet - the place was too small to even be a village - and blinked at the sight of a very modern, up to date, very busy clinic with obviously wizarding clientele. He froze for a moment, realising that this was the famous Galen Clinic, renowned for its top notch and discreet medical services to most of the wizard population. He wasn't aware that it was here.

The cottage that Albus had given directions to was not what most people would call a cottage. It was a rather charming place, and it did have thick oak beams and whitewashed walls and even a thatched roof, but it was enormous. It could easily have housed the entire Hogwarts staff in comfort.

He wiped the palms of his hands down the sides of his robes, suddenly nervous. He wasn't entirely sure of his welcome. Still, he had some things to deliver and surely Severus could not object to him playing delivery boy.

He squared his shoulders and walked up the steps to rap on the door. A few moments later, the door opened.

"Don't just stand there gawking. Come in." Severus was standing there, with an annoyed look on his face.

"Hi," he managed. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything."

"It took you long enough to get here," Severus replied, still with that irritated look. "Get in here so I can put the wards back up."

He swallowed and followed Severus into the cottage. Of course Severus had known he was coming. There had to be massive wards on the place. Severus could not properly be called paranoid, since there really were people out to get him, but he was extremely cautious nonetheless.

He took a moment to look at the large, sunny room Severus led him to. It was not at all what he expected. Severus was a creature of shadows and of the night. At least the furnishings were what he could have expected; dark, heavy and sublimely comfortable.

"Not what you expected?" The amused voice brought his attention to the other man.

"Not really."

"Wait until dark, Lupin. The views are spectacular from here," Severus said, with a quirk of an eyebrow.

That dark, smoky voice was the same, as was the perfectly arched brow, but Severus looked exceedingly odd. He looked rested and happy, younger and healthier than he'd looked mere months ago. He was, to use that Muggle cliche, glowing. He did not, despite the bulging waistline, look the least bit feminine. It was an odd juxtaposition, that still masculine body distorted with the grafting of pregnancy. And odder still was the obviously unconscious way Severus' hand rested protectively on that bulge.

"I... Albus asked me to bring a few things to you."

"Yes, so Albus said." Severus waved him to an overstuffed armchair.

"You knew I was coming?"

"Albus felt it would be better if he let me know," Severus replied. "If he hadn't, you'd never have made it past the first warding spells."

"What did you put up?" He was curious as to what warding spells Severus would use.

"Nothing too elaborate." Severus shrugged. "Double mirror traps, confundus, sizzle charms and a stick lock. Tea?"

"Yes, please. Doubled mirror traps are a little extreme, don't you think?"

"I left off the spirit bottles," Severus replied defensively and tapped his wand on the tea table to summon a house elf. Said house elf arrived with a full tea tray and left without a word.

"You can make spirit bottles?"

"Of course. Can't you?"

"Well, yes, but I've never thought to use mirror and bottle traps as defensive wards to keep people out." He replied, a little aghast.

Mirror traps were very high level magic. They created a magical barrier that allowed an intruder to walk through in one direction, but would not allow them to walk through in the other. A double mirror trap put two mirror spells facing each other, effectively keeping the intruder trapped between the two spells, unable to leave. A spirit bottle was often activated as soon as the intruder actually touched either mirror, transporting them into a magic bottle. Such spells were usually used as wards against ghosts and poltergeists, but almost never with corporeal beings.

"I decided against the bottles since they're a bitch to store," Severus continued. "I put in a transportation spell in to throw them out after I've had a chance to identify them."

"You let intruders go?" He let his eyes grow wide with feigned shock.

"Of course. Eventually." Severus refused to rise to the bait. "So what did Albus send and why did he send you?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small package, tapping it gently with his wand. A box grew to much larger proportions, to reveal itself as a gaudily wrapped present, complete with bows that danced across the top and winding ribbons that made weird and wonderful patterns. He was impressed with the wrapping, but Severus frowned.

"I see Albus hasn't acquired any taste in the last hundred years," Severus commented, waving his wand to stop the merrily moving ribbons. "I shudder to think what's actually in the box."

He was wondering himself, but Albus had merely twinkled at him and shook his head. He wished Severus would stop staring at the box and get around to opening it. To stop himself from tearing into the box itself, he poured tea and took a long gulp of the scalding liquid.

Severus finally leaned forward, a little awkwardly due to the bulge that he had resolutely refused to look at, and lifted the top. He first removed a small stack of parchments tied in a ribbon. Severus stared at the package for so long that he wondered what could possibly be in them.

"What is that?" he asked softly, as Severus closed his eyes, as if in pain.

"Letters from some of the Slytherins," Severus replied, his voice a little husky. "Albus did say that they missed me a little."

"A little?" He snorted. "Alana Posthumus waylaid me to ask if you were dead. She was quite upset."

"That sounds like Alana. Morbid little creature." Severus put the package aside, sounding more like his normal self. "I hope Diane is treating them well."

"Uh... Well..."

"What?" A short, sharp bark.

"They don't like Diane very much," he said hastily. "On the whole, they seem to prefer talking to me."

"You?"

"I guess being a werewolf gives me some sort of credibility or something." He shrugged, then turned serious. "They miss you very much, Severus. Diane tries to help them, but they resent what they call interference."

"I told Diane to get the kids work out their problems for themselves." Severus sighed. "They don't like being fussed over."

"They're kids, Severus. How can you not fuss over them?"

"With a great deal of practice. They need to be in control, so I let them."

"You let them run wild?"

"To a point and no further. I know everything that goes on in Slytherin House and not one of them has been able to get something past me in all the years I've been head of house. They've learned to respect that. If you're really serious about helping them, there are a few students who need a subtle hand."

"Like Gregory Goyle and his dyslexia?"

"Hm. You've done better than I would have thought. Gregory won't admit that to anyone easily."

"I suppose next you'll tell me that Vincent Crabbe is a genius."

"No, Vince really is stupid. How he ever got into Hogwarts at all is a mystery to me. He's got poorer reading skills than Gregory, but without as much excuse. He'll turn to Voldemort as soon as he graduates, if not before."

"You're sure about that?"

"Yes. He wants to be someone and nobody else will give him that. My only hope of saving that lad is to make sure he understands that he'll be nothing but spell fodder, but it's a faint hope at best."

He heard the slight pain in Severus' voice and winced. Severus really did care deeply for his students. Not only did he have responsibility for those children, but he had the added worry about Voldemort and his recruiting practices.

"About Voldemort... Does he know about this?" He waved a hand vaguely in the direction of Severus' swollen belly.

"Yes," Severus replied. "I had to tell him."

"And?"

"He was more bemused than anything. He asked if the child would be pureblood, which I assured him it would, and congratulated me. He believes that I wanted to carry on the Snape name and raise another generation to revere him. He also believes that Dumbledore, who adores babies, will be even more open with me if I return to Hogwarts as a single parent, child in tow."

"Will you? Return to school with the baby?" he asked softly, needing to know the answer. Please, Severus. Please tell me that you'll keep this child. Please tell me that you're happy about it.

"Yes." Snape

Lupin's presence in his parlour was a bittersweet experience. Albus had, thank goodness, warned him that Lupin was coming, but declined to say why. However, if his Slytherins really had taken to Lupin as someone to talk to, it made a certain amount of sense to have Lupin come visit. After all, it wasn't like he could hide the child once he returned to Hogwarts. Lupin would figure it out sooner or later and better now than after the child was born.

He had to wonder, though, why Lupin didn't seem surprised at his condition. It was pretty damned obvious by now and Lupin wasn't stupid.

Albus, Poppy, Minerva and Diane all knew, but which one of them would have told Lupin? Poppy might have, since she knew Lupin well and was very fond of him. Minerva wouldn't say anything, even if he gave birth in the Great Hall during dinner.

Diane had to be told, since she wouldn't have taken the job as his replacement if he hadn't explained exactly why he was leaving. He didn't think she would say anything. She had heard stories of the Marauders - not all of them from him - and expressed in her forthright fashion her opinions of the four troublemakers. And Diane was not inclined to change her mind once it was made up, so he doubted she'd say anything at all.

Albus was the most likely culprit. Although Albus had never said so, he suspected Albus knew about his feelings toward Lupin. Meddlesome old man that he was, Albus was perfectly willing to play matchmaker.

He looked at Lupin, who was staring at the opened box, openly itching to tear into it and find out what else it contained. Was Lupin aware of Albus' lamentable tendency to play God with other people's lives?

Still, as long as they talked about school matters or politics, it was nice to have someone to talk to. He had been rather lonely these last couple of months. Although he liked solitude, time had been weighing rather heavily on his hands. To have company was good. To have Remus Lupin sitting on the sofa, looking like he had every intention of staying there for a good long visit, was even better.

The only thing that would have made this visit complete would be if Lupin intended to stay for longer than an afternoon - say, a week or more. The cottage was large; there was plenty of room. Of course, it could be a little intimidating to sleep all alone in one of the cavernous guest rooms and he was perfectly willing to, um, keep Lupin company if necessary.

The sudden urge to join Lupin on the sofa and kiss him breathless was halted only by the fact that he could not rise to his feet gracefully anymore. Just getting out of a chair required more planning and leverage than he would have believed. The urge was still there, though.

If he had wanted Lupin before, it was a mere passing fancy compared to the way he felt now. Poppy had warned him about this, as had the mediwizards at the clinic. For the last couple of months, he had been feeling very randy, more so than usual.

He had always enjoyed sex, although he didn't think his sexual interest was greater than any other healthy man of his age. He had taken a couple of lovers through the years, none lasting more than a few months. His position as a teacher in the wilds of Scotland didn't give him much opportunity to sustain a relationship, which was not what he wanted anyway. When there was no lover on the horizon, he had no selfconsciousness or shame in self pleasure. It was safe and satisfactory and didn't harm anyone.

The last few months, as the pregnancy progressed, he found that he craved more than his own hands and his imagination. He wanted company in his bed. And of all the people he wanted to share his bed with, Remus Lupin topped the list. As he always had.

Shaking off the feeling, he returned to unpacking the box. The next layer was a collection of soft toys for the child, all bright and durable, all of them designed to delight a small infant. Albus, still very much a child himself in many ways, understood what was appropriate for a small child.

He glared at the little plush snake that wrapped itself around his wrist and squeezed very gently. He recalled with a small amount of residual anger how much he had wanted one of these when he was very small. A toy that hugged back was appealing to the lonely child he had been. His parents were far too dignified to allow such a silly toy in their house.

"I had one of those," Lupin said softly. "I think I cried for a solid week when I ripped it to shreds during one of my transformations. Mum tried, but she couldn't put it back together. She would have gladly bought me another one, but it wouldn't have been the same."

"I never had one." He was startled at the faint wistfulness in his own voice. He glanced quickly at Lupin to see if the other man had caught the tone. Lupin was looking at him with a lopsided smile.

"I do recall James telling me that becoming a parent was the perfect excuse to buy all the toys that he wanted when he was a child," he said. "And Sirius used to say that it was never too late to have a happy childhood."

"Happy childhood or not, Black's certainly having a long one," he retorted, the riposte automatic. Lupin grinned.

"What else is in the box, Severus? Albus' eyes were twinkling madly when he asked me to deliver it."

He took out the next few items, all of them practical. Baby blankets, clothes, a magic monitor, a set of infant dishes that played scenes to coax a child into finishing his or her meals and an album for memories took up most of the rest of the box. At the very bottom, were two velvet covered boxes, one larger than the other.

The larger one made him smile a little, and he showed it to Lupin.

"A silver spoon?" Lupin laughed, taking the open box, carefully not touching the spoon itself.

"A traditional gift to Snape offspring. We're all born with silver spoons in our mouths," he replied. As Lupin admired it, he opened the second box.

Inside the box was a pair of rings. Plain, gold rings, and a note in Albus' crabbed writing. "Severus - A child deserves two parents and you deserve every happiness. Carpe Diem. - Albus." Lupin

He tried not to feel hurt when Severus tucked the little velvet covered box into his pocket without showing him what it was. Curiosity, his besetting sin, was not appropriate here. From the look on Severus' face and considering the closeness between the Headmaster and his potions master, he had no business intruding on what was obviously a private gift.

Rather than dwell on the gift, he picked up the album and looked at it. It was a beautifully bound book, without the tasteless cuteness of the Muggle versions. He ran his hand over the pages with spaces for the family tree, wanting to write in his own name on the space marked 'father'.

"I told Albus," he said softly, looking at Severus, who was tidying the wrappings from the box. "About us."

"I beg your pardon?" Severus looked up abruptly, some indefinable emotion in those dark eyes.

"I'm not walking away from our child, Severus," he said carefully. "And I won't let you push me away." Reaching out a hand, he laid trembling fingers along the swollen belly. Severus went still, and he spread his hand protectively - possessively - directly over where the child was growing.

Severus allowed this for a long, long moment, then covered his hand with one of his own and lifted his hand away. "No."

"Yes." He held onto the hand. "I want a family, Severus. Don't take that away from me."

With an abrupt gesture, Severus dropped his hand and got to his feet. He did so ungracefully, hindered by the extra weight he was carrying.

He watched as Severus crossed to the window, looking out over the gardens. Rising himself, he went to stand behind Severus and slowly put his arms around the other man. His hands rested naturally on Severus' pregnant belly. Severus tried to pry his hands away, but he held firm. Leaning lightly on Severus' back, he kept talking.

"That night we spent together was wonderful, Severus," He said softly. "That look on your face was something I treasure. It isn't just the baby I want, Severus. I want to have nights like that again. With you. I'm so damned tired of being alone and we're good together. I know I'm no prize, but, please give me a chance."

He hadn't intended to sound quite so vulnerable and needy, but he had to tell the truth. There was no other basis for a relationship without it.

He rested his cheek on the warm back and waited for some kind of response, some indication of what else he could do. It probably felt very sudden to Severus; that had one night together and no words of caring were spoken, and now he was practically throwing himself at Severus.

Idiot. Sentimental fool. One night of passion, no matter how good, did not a relationship make. After all, Severus had shared much more than that with Sirius.

There was still no response, so he started to pull away. The hands over his tightened so he could not move.

"Severus?"

"Please tell me that you're being sincere." Severus' voice was husky, not at all his usual silky tone. "I cannot deal with games right now."

"No games, Severus. I want to be with you. If you will take me."

Again, there was a long silence, but the hands over his loosened, stroking gently.

"No games," Severus echoed quietly. "Yes. If you want me."

He heard the hesitation, so he moved so he was facing Severus, his hands never lifting from the man near him. He looked up the couple of inches to see that there were tears tricking down Severus' face and there was a tenderness in his expression that he had never seen before.

"Severus..." He reached up to brush away the droplets.

"I find I cannot entirely control my emotions of late," Severus said, not quite meeting his eyes. "Nor, it seems, my desire to blurt out what should never be spoken. Still, if we are to have any chance at all, there is something I have to tell you."

"What?" God, he's going to tell me about Sirius. He's going to tell me that he doesn't believe that I am the child's father.

"I love you."

He blinked. Had he just heard Severus say what he thought he had said? He tried to look into Severus' eyes, but they were veiled by those absurdly long lashes.

"I've loved you since we were sixteen," Severus said quietly. "So if this is some kind of joke or some misplaced sense of Gryffindor honour, I would appreciate it if you got the hell out of my house." Black

Madam Pince was starting to look at him funny. He had spent more time in the library in the last four days than he had in the seven years he had attended as a student.

There was nothing in any of the books about paternity identification spells that could be done in vivo. There were plenty of potions that could identify the prospective father using a bit of blood or amniotic fluid from the womb, but no spells that were accurate enough to be taken seriously.

He pushed the books away in frustration. Snape could have brewed the potion, but why would he? Snape didn't name anyone as father; he didn't even mention being pregnant. It was pretty clear he didn't want anyone to know about the kid.

Methany could have brewed the potion as well and maybe - just maybe - she had. And she had practically accused him of being responsible. So how did Remus get the idea that Snape's kid was his? Remus seemed pretty damned sure about it.

Did werewolves have some way of knowing? Remus' sense of smell was exceedingly keen; maybe he scented something unnoticeable to the purely human olfactory sense.

With a deep sigh, he went to find another set of books.

---------------

The book lay open on the table, but the words no longer made sense. He had been staring at the last paragraph for nearly twenty minutes, but that hadn't changed the meaning one iota.

Werewolves were sterile. Remus could not have fathered that child, no matter how often he and Snape did the horizontal mambo. Every book said the same thing. This last one, written by a werewolf, was quite clear. Werewolves could not reproduce in either form.

So that meant that, more than likely, he was responsible. And once again, Remus had taken the fall for his actions. Remus was off the see Snape, to take responsibility for the kid, and he had encouraged Remus to do so.

Surely Remus wasn't doing this to protect him? Remus was very protective of him and had even promised to take all responsibility for his actions while he was at Hogwarts. That promise was part of the reason he could stay here while the school was in session. Dumbledore and Remus had give their oaths to watch over him so that he could not put the students in danger. Between those promises, his lack of a wand and the binding spell on his magic, he was deemed harmless enough to be trusted around the children.

That promise of Remus surely did not include a situation like this. Or did it?

Remus may have been playing the odds. After all, Remus had no reason to believe that Snape would respond favourably to his overtures. Remus would make the offer, Snape would rebuff him and Snape would never know that Remus wasn't the kid's father. It was a calculated risk, but worthwhile, in Remus' eyes, to keep Snape from killing him.

Except that Remus didn't know something James had found out during the aftermath of the Shrieking Shack incident when they were sixteen. James, who had pulled Snape out of the way, had been convinced that Snape was actually cared - and cared deeply - for Remus. And he knew that James was correct in his convictions; Snape had more than once called out a name in the throes of passion.

It had seemed funny at the time, to know that Snape harboured feelings for his friend. It wasn't so funny anymore. Snape

The words had to be said, although he regretted them as soon as they passed his lips. Whatever possessed him to actually tell Remus that he loved him? Damned the hormones. Tears, sentimental admissions and the god awful need that was making it difficult to breathe. Remus had his arms loosely around him and was trying to catch his eye, but he kept his lashes firmly lowered. He could not bear to see the rejection in Remus' eyes.

It was - kind - of Remus to come here and admit responsibility. After all, he didn't know about the affair with Black. It was so very Remus-like to be so kind. Albus had told him about the child and Remus had bravely taken it upon himself to try and make amends.

He felt Remus' arms tighten around him and he tried to pull away. Remus was stronger than his fragile looks implied and held firm. He felt Remus step closer and then felt Remus' lips touch his.

For a long moment, he indulged himself in the feel of the other man's mouth on his own, then shook his head.

"No," he whispered, still not willing to look at Remus.

"Yes." The whisper back was as fierce as any he could utter; the kiss was even more fierce. Too tired to fight and too needy to find the strength to fight, he gave in.

---------------

Kissing Remus was rather like feasting on fresh strawberries after a lifetime of eating stale bread. He smiled a little as the food analogy went through his head.

"What?" Remus was smiling as well.

"You're like strawberries," he said.

"Strawberries? I hope you like strawberries, then."

"I've been craving strawberries for months," he admitted. Strange cravings while pregnant was the stuff of many a legend, but he had craved nothing more unusual than fresh strawberries and cream.

"And have you been craving me as well?" Was that a hopeful tone in Remus' voice?

"More and for longer than you can possibly imagine," he finally took the chance and looked into Remus' eyes. They were brimming with mischief and good humour and something else; something that made it possible for him to accept that Remus was not playing some kind of cruel jest. Remus did want him - for now - and he knew he just had to accept. Carpe Diem, indeed.

----------------

Despite the sharp spike of desire, he pulled away. Remus whimpered a little, as if in protest.

"Delightful as this is, I think we'd better stop for the moment." he said reluctantly. It was too much, too intense. "Would you like to see the rest of the cottage?"

"Yes, I would," Remus responded instantly. "Is it yours?"

"Yes, it is," he replied, putting a hand lightly on the small of Remus' back, trying to quell an inner delight at being able to so casually touch the man he loved. "It's the largest of the cottages on the estate and the only one that's been occupied in decades. Up until four years ago, the estate manager lived here with his family."

"What happened to him?"

"Voldemort came back," he said quietly. "I pensioned him off and he moved to Spain, I believe. I didn't want any of the staff to get caught in the crossfire."

"How very kind of you," Remus said, in a droll tone. He raised a brow at Remus.

"Noblesse oblige, nothing more. The family retainers are always the first to suffer." "I knew you had money, but I hadn't realised how much."

"There isn't any money, really," he corrected, truthfully. "There's enough for the pensions, to pay the taxes and keep this house in reasonable condition. The moldering old pile on the hill is falling apart and, as far as I am concerned, it can keep doing so until the wizarding world sees exactly what the Muggles do." He refrained from mentioning where much of the money he had inherited had gone, but reflected that Remus didn't really need to know all of his secrets - at least, not yet.

----------------

The tour ended at his bedroom, one of the few rooms he had redone when the manager moved out. He had left most of the cottage the way he had found it, since the manager's wife had the good taste to furnish it with simple, durable and well made pieces.

He had changed little, but he had hauled some of the better antiques from the manor house and redid the study, the sitting room and the bedroom. The antique pieces suited the place well. Albus had offered to help him with the renovation and it had taken all of his native cunning, Slytherin stubbornness and a bribe or two to keep Albus from carrying out the threat to cheer the place up a bit. As a result, the cottage was tasteful and elegant as well as comfortable.

Remus thought so, too, since he commented on it.

"It's lovely," he said sincerely, sitting on the edge of the large, uncurtained bed. "If you have such a nice house, why do you live in Hogwart's dark dungeons all year?"

"The commute is much easier." He sat gingerly on the bed beside Remus, trying to keep his mind on the inanities of the conversation, rather than on the delicious line of Remus' jaw. "Besides, you've never seen my rooms at Hogwarts."

"Not yet, anyway." Remus glanced at him, all mirth, mischief and innuendo. There was something almost feral in the look he was getting. A flash of remembrance of the lupine hunger he had seen all those years ago, and he shivered.

"Are you all right?" Remus' gaze turned instantly concerned and he felt an arm go around his shoulders. He tried to repress the second shiver, from an entirely different feeling.

"I'm fine," he replied automatically. Remus scooted closer and put a hand on his pregnant belly.

"Are you sure?" Remus asked doubtfully. "Hey!"

He nearly laughed at the astonished expression on Remus' face. He had been feeling little flutters of movement within for a little while; the baby was getting active. Not without hesitation, he took that hand and pressed it to a different spot, where the flutterings were coming from.

"Is that the baby?"

"Yes."

"That is so... Words fail me," Remus said, in an awed tone.

The hands - both now - that were caressing his belly, following the slight movement in the womb, were warm and soothing. Mind you, he wasn't exactly soothed by Remus' hands on his body. Remus, with another of those almost feral looks, leaned close and kissed him.

The sweetness of the earlier kisses had transformed to something more - a great deal more. He could taste the desire on Remus' tongue and felt his own increasing to an almost unbearable level. For a moment, he truly and thoroughly regretted being encumbered with pregnancy; had he been able to move as quickly as he used to, he'd be flat on his back on the bed, legs splayed lewdly, begging for Remus to ravish him senseless.

It didn't seem to matter, though, since Remus appeared to be of the same mindset. Carefully leaning in, Remus pushed him back until he was lying on the bed, with Remus hovering over him. One of the hands that had been caressing his belly moved lower, below the curve, and straight to his groin.

"You're not going to say no this time, are you?" Remus whispered, his fingers tracing the length of his cock, inflaming him further. "Restraint has its place, but I don't want to restrain myself. I want to make love to you. I want to see you the way I saw you that night; flushed with pleasure and knowing I was the one to make you look that way."

"I want you, too," was all he could manage, what with Remus' lips covering his before he could fully articulate an answer.

Soon he found himself sprawled across the big bed, with Remus' fingers rapidly unfastening the loose tunic. His own hands were busily doing their nimble best to reveal Remus' flesh to his gaze.

"Remus..." he murmured, as they were mostly naked and writhing together, limbs intertwined.

"Mmmm?" Remus seemed to find his neck particularly tasty.

"Much as I'd like to, I don't think I can have you on top of me," he said, regretfully. He wanted to feel Remus' weight on him, but there was a rather significant obstacle in the way. Remus moved to lie spooned up against his back. He could feel the hard erection pressed up against him.

"Then I'll take you from behind," Remus whispered softly, bestowing a biting kiss on his neck. "I'll be gentle. I promise."

He didn't want Remus to be gentle, but it was better than nothing. He moved his top leg up and back a little as Remus positioned himself.

The slow slide of that hard cock into him was delicious. And the nimble fingers that reached around to touch him felt so good. Remus would run his fingers around the clitoris, then along his cock, creating sensations that nearly drove him out of his mind. Between the caresses and the slow undulation of Remus' cock inside, he know it would be a matter of minutes before he reached a shattering climax.

He gasped and moaned as Remus continued the motions, neither speeding up or slowing down.

"Let go, Sev," Remus said softly. "Let me feel you come." It took no more than a couple more strokes for him to cry out, intense waves of pleasure coursing through him. Through the spasms of ecstasy, Remus kept slowly undulating his hips, stroking him gently. As the orgasm finally subsided, Remus eased out, still hard.

He was about to ask what was wrong when Remus gently pushed his leg forward.

"Delightful though that was, I really do prefer men," Remus said. "May I?" He could feel that hard cock pressing against his anus.

"God, yes," he breathed. "Please." It had been so long since he'd done that, not since well before the damned spell. He didn't need to relax his muscles; he was already nearly a puddle of orgasmic goo, and there was plenty of lubrication already there.

The heartfelt moan as Remus entered him nearly sent him into another orgasm, just on the sound alone. This time, Remus did not take it slow. It was hard and fast, with Remus gripping his hip hard to hold him steady.

"Oh, God..." Remus was practically growling as he fucked him with firm strokes. He felt teeth sinking into the side of his neck, hard enough to leave marks, as Remus held still deep inside, coming in long spurts that he could almost feel.

"Mine." Remus growled in his ear. "You're mine now."

"I always have been," he replied quietly, almost to himself. It was true. Every encounter he had ever had, he had wished helplessly that it had been Remus who had been with him. Right now, thoroughly sated and drowsy, he could not think of anywhere he'd rather be. He could not muster the energy to protest the possessiveness of that declaration; it was true and would always be true. For as long as Remus wanted him, he'd be there.

He moved to lie on his back as he felt Remus slip out and looked at his lover. There was a peculiar expression on Remus' face, one that sent a little shiver down his spine. It reminded him of that horrible encounter from years ago, when he saw the feral bloodlust in those eyes.

"Remus?" The look was fading, but still there.

"You know what I am, Severus," Remus said quietly. "It may seem sudden to you, but there's a part of me that lives in the now. No thoughts of the future."

"The wolf," he said, not quite sure where this was going.

"The wolf," Remus agreed. "The wolf has been invading my dreams, trying to tell me something. I now know what it is. That part of me recognises you as my mate and this child as mine. I couldn't leave you now if I tried."

"And the human part?" he asked, in a low tone, not looking at Remus. Did he feel trapped by his rather unique biological drives?

"That part of me worries about the future. About whether I can be a good parent. About whether I can be the kind of mate you need and want."

Was that uncertainty in Remus' voice?

"You said that you've loved me since we were sixteen," Remus continued, in an equally low tone. "Do you love me or the idea of me? Tell me the truth, Severus. If you really love me, why haven't you ever tried to tell me?"

Yes, it was uncertainty; an uncertainty he knew all too well. He didn't want to make himself vulnerable, but Remus was just as vulnerable. He thought carefully, then began to speak.

"At sixteen, you would never have believed me," he said slowly. "With all of your friends around and after I found out what you were, it was impossible to approach you."

"And after? When we graduated?"

"There was this." He lifted his left arm. The Mark was faint, but still visible. "I was a Death Eater, Remus. You would never have accepted that and I would not have put you in that kind of danger in any case. I'm not sure even now that I dare accept..."

"No, Severus," Remus said swiftly. "Don't make decisions like that for me. Do you love me?"

"Yes." That one was easy.

"Do you want me to stay with you?"

"Remus..." How could he make Remus understand? Voldemort might be leaving him alone for now, but that would change.

"I'm already in the crossfire, Severus," Remus replied. "I'm sure Wormtail wants to see me made into a hearth rug even without me having any connection to you. You're stuck with me for as long as you can stand me."

"And you with me," he said, finally letting go of his last reservations, much to his own surprise. Carpe diem - with a vengeance. Black

Confession was supposed to be good for the soul, but he had never subscribed to that particular theory. Confession was merely the first step towards damage control. And the time for damage control was approaching rapidly, if not already past due. And who better to aid him in stopping Remus from making the biggest mistake of his life than the headmaster who probably already knew every detail anyway?

Dumbledore listened gravely to all he had to say, starting with the first bout of explosive sex with the once and future Potions master, to his latest theory as to why Remus was off on some foolish fool's errand.

When he finished, he looked hopefully at the old headmaster's face, wanting answers. The ever present twinkle in those blue eyes was not entirely gone, but it was overshadowed by a very serious demeanour.

"Since when, Sirius, has everything been about you?" Dumbledore asked quietly.

Well, that was a Bludger to the gut.

"What?"

"If you are not prepared to take responsibility, what is it to you if Remus wishes to?"

"Because he isn't... He promised he'd... It's Snape!" he managed to stammer out, rather incoherently.

"Do you honestly believe that Remus would claim responsibility simply because he knew you would not?" Dumbledore asked, relentlessly kind. "If Severus wished to force you to take responsibility for the child, rest assured, he would have done so long since. He did not. Whatever motive Remus had for going to Severus and claiming to be the child's father, I very much doubt it had anything to do with you."

"Remus said that he.. cared."

"And why would you come up with this absurd scenario, rather that believe his own admission?"

"Because it's Snape, that's why! That greasy bastard would never attract someone like Remus."

"As opposed to someone like you," Dumbledore added gravely. "Yeah. No." He put his head in his hands. "I don't know what's going on."

"Sirius, I know that there is no love lost between you and Severus, despite the physical relationship you two had. Why does it bother you that Remus might find happiness with Severus?"

"Because he won't."

"How do you know that?"

"I know Remus. He's lonely and he's going to get involved with exactly the wrong person..." He stopped suddenly. "Albus, the kid isn't Remus'."

"I'm well aware of that," Dumbledore replied, twinkle returning. "As I'm sure he knows."

He nodded numbly. Yes, Remus would be perfectly aware of his own sterility. What Remus didn't know about werewolves wasn't worth fretting about.

"How am I supposed to deal with this?" he asked plaintively. "Snape loves Remus."

"I'm well aware of that, too. Which is why I think this is a delightful turn of events. Severus is coming back with the child and Remus will have a permanent home here. I think that's wonderful, don't you?"

Yeah. Just peachy. Lupin

He struggled into consciousness with a distinctly erotic sensation in his groin, a hand caressing his cock. A warm, wet sensation followed, causing him to arch off the bed with a groan. Relentless sucking and caressing continued to accompany his ascent into wakefulness. He forced his eyes open, although they wanted to remain shut to better enjoy the delicious feeling coursing through him.

He glanced down to see Severus' black hair fanning over his thighs as he gave him what was shaping up to be the best blow job of his life. God, what was Severus doing with his tongue and where in hell did he learn to do that?

All questions fled as he felt his balls tighten and he knew he was going to come any moment. Reaching down to stroke Severus' long hair, taking care not to pull, he cried out as he came.

"Good morning." Severus greeted him formally, leaning on one elbow, sipping a glass of some kind of juice.

"Good morning," he replied, pushing his hair out of his eyes and taking in the scene before him. Severus, still rumpled from sleep, gloriously naked with his pregnant belly swelling out from his lean frame, was looking at him with that slight amusement that leant much to his sinister reputation.

It had taken very little persuasion for Severus to get him to stay at least overnight. After they had rested from their previous afternoon's lovemaking, they had gone back to the sitting room and talked for a long, long time. Severus was right; the views were spectacular at night, but nothing was quite as spectacular as the sight of Severus looking at him with that annoyingly smug amusement after a night spent wrapped in each other's arms.

He smiled happily and was about to say something that was probably far too sweet and sentimental for Severus' taste when Severus suddenly sat up and made his way out of the room as quickly as his awkward shape would allow.

Either Severus was a mind reader and very clearly heard what he was about to say, or he was still having bouts of morning sickness. Faintly worried, he got up and padded to the loo, finding Severus kneeling before the toilet, still shuddering.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked, as he held back the long locks of black hair. Severus' hair had grown quite a lot in the past few months; it reached halfway down his back in thick waves.

"No." Severus sighed and wiped his mouth. "It's supposed to stop by the fourth month."

"Have you spoken to a mediwizard about it?"

"Yes. It seems that long term morning sickness is common in male pregnancies. Lucky me."

---------------

He was going back to Hogwarts today, since Severus was worried about the Slytherins, but he did want to go with Severus to the clinic. He wanted to know a great deal more about what Severus was going through.

He regretted that decision twenty five minutes later, hoping that it really was impossible to die from terminal embarrassment. The most painful blush came when Dr. Bruno told him quite firmly that it would be best if they stopped having heterosexual intercourse soon.

"Of course, if you are very careful and both of you wish it, it is possible, but it isn't advised. Babies born by men do tend to come early. Best stick with anal intercourse or non penetrative sex, just to be on the safe side," she said briskly. "As well, be gentle with his breasts, particularly the nipples. Other than that, you may do whatever he's comfortable with. Just remember to be gentle."

"I'll remember..." Remus stuttered, painfully red.

"Now that Professor Snape is coming into the final trimester, it is very important for you to remember that his body will be almost entirely female. If that disgusts you, please do not show it."

"Why would that disgust me?" Remus interrupted, curious. For some reason, this seemed to displease the mediwitch.

"This is a very trying time for homosexual couples," she replied carefully. "For the partner of the birthing parent, it can be difficult to cope with the physical changes. The feminine characteristics are more prominent and the male characteristics almost completely disappear. Some men find this to be extremely unattractive."

"And some don't."

"Some don't," she agreed. "Professor Lupin, I am going to be frank with you."

As if she hadn't been already, he thought, but looked attentive.

"Some men find it exciting to have a partner who possesses both male and female genitalia. When the female characteristics disappear, which they will about six to eight weeks after giving birth, the relationship often falls apart. Since Professor Snape has told me that his condition was not planned, I am very concerned that he will be left alone afterwards. I am pleased that you finally came with him this time."

"Dr. Bruno, I will be equally frank with you," he said quietly, hoping that he was doing the right thing. "I must ask for your complete discretion on this."

"Of course."

"I am a werewolf," he said bluntly. "My lupine instincts have accepted Severus as my mate and this child as ours. I don't find Severus' current condition specifically unattractive, but I am rather looking forward to him getting back to his normal self."

"So you're not the biological father, then."

"No, I'm not. I wish I were, and I intend to be this child's father in every other way."

"Does the biological father know?" Bruno asked, looking at him keenly.

"We know each other and we both were... involved with Severus at the time. I claimed responsibility, since I wanted to and neither he nor Severus are aware of that werewolves can't reproduce."

"Professor Lupin, I would strongly urge you to tell Professor Snape the truth. I do not presume to tell you how to conduct your personal relationships, but were there to be any medical emergencies, it would be best to have as much genetic information about the child as possible."

"That won't be a problem," he assured her. Snape

It was horribly lonely with Lupin gone. He had to return to Hogwarts; Black's trial was next week and he had to be there as a character witness. Lupin, after all, knew all the little details of the friendships between the Potters and Black.

He had written his own affidavit for the trial, having been exempted from attending so as not to compromise his role as a double agent. Mad-Eye Moody himself had asked that he not have to attend, no doubt due to broad hints on Dumbledore's part. Moody didn't like him much, but he agreed that it would be grossly inappropriate for him to testify on Black's behalf and, thus, find his cover blown to hell.

It worked out quite well, since he wasn't sure the trial would be finished before his own, more personal, trial started.

He was now quite certain why pregnancy last nine months. By now, he was thoroughly sick and tired of being the size of a beached whale and getting impatient. Another two months of this and he'd take the pain of labour rather than put up with the physical discomfort of swelling ankles, a bladder the size of a thimble and the blasted morning sickness that still lingered on.

Lupin had been amused to read the careful prose of his affidavit, laughing at the carefully worded testimony. It was mostly truthful, too, although Lupin looked at him most doubtfully when he signed it.

"I never thought I'd ever see you commit perjury on Sirius' behalf," Lupin had said, with a grin.

"This is not perjury," he had protested loftily. "It is an idiosyncratic retelling of certain events."

"And that isn't perjury?"

"Of course not. Everything I have said is perfectly true. When looked at from a particular perspective."

"How very... Slytherin."

"And your objections are so very Gryffindor."

----------------

Other than the discomfort and the dread of impending childbirth, he was happy. So happy, in fact, that he was almost frightened. Good things just did not happen to Severus Snape, yet here he was, anticipating a much wanted child, receiving letters of support and fond wishes from Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall, being much missed by some of his students and free of the spectre of Voldemort for the time being. Best of all, he had Remus Lupin in his life. Remus had made it quite clear; this was no short term relationship and he was beginning to believe it.

The last few weeks were tranquil, with Remus staying with him, reluctantly returning to Hogwarts to see the children through the year end exams. He was amused to find that his own letters to the Slytherin children, delivered personally by Remus were answered promptly, with choice phrases about Diane and her teaching style, her personality and her mental and physical hygiene. Diane was a bitch, he had to admit, but she did manage to carry them through his carefully planned syllabus and they all passed, even Longbottom. That was what mattered. He prudently decided not to show her any of their criticisms until he returned to Hogwarts and she'd have no opportunity to string them up by their thumbs with Filch's lovingly polished manacles.

He wondered if Albus had made any mention of the fact that he would be returning to Hogwarts with child in tow, or that he and Remus were now a couple. Albus had sent him a note that oozed disappointment that he hadn't as yet exchanged the rings with Remus. He wasn't yet ready to do so, and he had owled Albus back, telling him to sod off. Black

"What the hell...?" he whispered to Remus, as the last bit of testimony was read out to the court.

"What?" Remus whispered back, elbowing him to get him to keep it down.

"I can't believe Snape wrote that." He was in shock. When the court clerk began reading out the affidavit from an "intelligence source known to the court", he knew it was from Snape, but he didn't think Snape would lift one elegant finger to help.

Yet the affidavit was coldly supportive of his claims, stating plainly that Wormtail was a Death Eater and that he had personally witnessed many conversations between Wormtail and Voldemort claiming responsibility for the murder of not only Muggles but for revealing the whereabouts of James and Lily Potter. Combined with Remus' testimony about the animagus abilities of Pettigrew, supported by Harry, Ron and Hermione, it was damning evidence. He was as good as cleared and it was largely due to Snape's carefully written affidavit.

"Severus hates Wormtail and Voldemort more than he hates you, Padfoot," Remus whispered.

"I very much doubt that."

---------------

Doubts or not, the court ruled in his favour. He was sure he'd cheer loudly when the court gave the verdict, but he just sat there, stunned. He was free. He could go where he wanted, do what he wanted, be whatever he wanted to be.

That scared him. The future loomed long, now that he no longer had to live day to day, all his energy and attention focussed on survival.

"You okay?" Remus asked him, as he still sat there, amid loud cheers from the Hogwarts contingent.

"I'm... not sure," he replied. "I think I need to think about it."

----------------

He was still thinking about it a week later. Dumbledore made it quite clear that, whatever he was going to do next, he would stay close the Hogwarts. Dumbledore fell just short of offering him a teaching position, but that might only have been because the school was out for the summer. He expected Dumbledore any day now to offer him the Defense of the Dark Arts position, just to keep up the tradition of having a new one every year.

Remus was fretting a little. It was the full moon and he had taken the Wolfsbane potion, but Methany's version wasn't as effective as Snape's. He used Remus' observation to air his personal and heartfelt opinion of Methany. Remus merely smiled at his more creative obscenities.

"You're not being entirely fair, you know," he said, putting the empty goblet down with a thud. "The potion is Severus' recipe. He has much more experience in making it than she does."

"I can't stand that bitch."

"So I've noticed."

"I never thought I'd say this, but I miss the greasy bastard."

"So do I."

"I've noticed," he replied dryly. "How is he, anyway?"

"Tired. Impatient. He's finding the heat a little hard to bear, despite the cooling charms on the house."

"He's due in - what? - seven weeks or so?"

"About that. The mediwitch says it might be sooner."

"Moony... There is something we should discuss," he said, hesitating. "About the kid."

"What about her?"

"It's a girl?"

"So Severus believes."

"I know that the child is mine, Moony," he said quietly.

"No, she is not, Padfoot," Remus said composedly.

"Moony, you're a werewolf. You could not have gotten anybody pregnant."

"But I can be that child's father. And I intend to be, Padfoot." Remus turned suddenly fierce eyes on him. "Your relationship with Severus was nothing but a physical release and it's over. Your part in all this is done."

"Why are you so adamant about claiming responsibility?" Tell me you're not doing this out of some misplaced sense of honour.

"Two reasons. One, I want a family. I've always wanted a son or daughter. I'm not giving up this opportunity. Two, I care for Severus very much and I want to be with him."

"Care?" He raised an eyebrow. "That's a little lukewarm for someone who is supposedly carrying your child."

"What do you want me to say, Padfoot?"

"I want you to say that you love that greasy bastard..." He stopped and shook his head. "No, I don't. What the hell am I saying?"

Remus laughed and shook a finger at him.

"You nearly trapped yourself there, didn't you, old friend?" he said. "You want me to tell you that you don't have to feel guilty about the child. You want me to tell you that I'm not doing this to save your honour or some such foolishness. You most definitely don't want to hear me tell you that I love Severus and want to spend the rest of my life with him. Have I got it about right?"

"Pretty much." He hung his head. Moony always did know how to read him.

"Well, on the first two, I can assure you that I know exactly what I'm doing and I'm doing this for me, not for you or anybody else. As for the last bit, you're just going to have to live with the fact that I've found my mate and it's someone you hate."

He felt a rush of decidedly mixed emotions. He was happy for Remus. Ecstatic, if fact. He had been worried that Remus had spent so much of his time alone, that he had not found a mate after all these years. And he was truly appalled. Severus Snape was not the man he would have picked for Remus. Remus and Snape was about as successful a combination as him and, well, Diane Methany.

"Sirius, do you still consider yourself my friend?"

"Of course." What the hell? Where did that suddenly vulnerable voice come from?

"I want you to do me two favours. First of all, I want you to give me all your medical information. Just in case."

"Of course I will. What's the second one?"

"Do not tell Severus that you're the biological father."

"He doesn't know?"

"No."

"He's not stupid, Remus. He's many, many things, but he's not stupid. He must have done considerable research on werewolves to come up with that potion. He may not know now, but he will find out. You have to tell him."

"I know. And I will. I just don't want you to tell him."

"I won't, but..."

"Promise me, Padfoot."

"I promise."

----------------

It was well into the evening and he was half asleep, with the now transformed werewolf at his feet, snoozing peacefully. He woke with a start as someone came in the room and Remus got to his feet, instantly awake.

It was Dumbledore, his usually merry expression even merrier than usual, waving a scrap of parchment.

"It's time," he announced, with great importance.

"Time for what?" he asked, yawning. He could feel Remus tense.

"Severus is having the baby," Dumbledore replied. Before he could react to that, Remus shot past Dumbledore and ran out the door.

"Oh, hell," he muttered. Transforming into dog form, he ran after Remus, with Dumbledore following.

---------------

We must look positively ridiculous, he thought, as he chased Moony through the halls. A werewolf being chased by a dog, followed by the headmaster. Just the thing for a quiet Sunday evening at Hogwarts.

He had nearly caught up with Remus just outside the gates, when he saw Remus leap into the air, then... disappear.

"Fuck," he swore, returning to human form. Dumbledore, out of breath, caught up with him.

"Where did he go?" Dumbledore gasped out.

"He disapparated."

"I didn't know werewolves could do that," Dumbledore said mildly. "I shall have to ask Severus if it's a side effect of the potion."

"Where did he go?"

"To Severus, I would expect."

"Yes, yes, I know that," he said impatiently. "Where is Severus?"

"I'm not sure I should tell you. You and Severus are not the best of friends." Dumbledore frowned. "Especially since you're not entirely uninvolved."

"Albus," he tried to speak quietly. "Remus is a werewolf. He has just apparated to a man in labour, where there is going to be human blood and a baby. I don't think I'm out of line to keep him from killing his mate and that child."

"I see your point." Dumbledore nodded, and gave him the coordinates.

---------------

The sight that greeted him when he appeared did not inspire confidence. The mediwitch was plastered against the wall, with a snarling wolf growling at her. Snape himself, wrapped in a green dressing gown, was slowly walking toward them with an exasperated expression on his face.

"Black, what the hell are you doing here?" Snape snapped at him, then clutched his middle, with a hiss of pain though his teeth.

He took a moment to stare. God, Snape was huge. The bulging belly didn't look like it belonged to him at all; it was as if the extra bulk was the dressing gown, to be shed at will. And he looked... good. Better than good, actually. His hair had grown and was tumbled around his shoulders, clean, but badly in need of a hairbrush. The harsh lines on his face were still there, but they looked less like harshness and more like pain.

"To keep him out of trouble." He jerked his head towards the werewolf. The mediwitch gave a little noise, but he ignored that. Transforming into his dog form, he trotted over to Remus and nudged him with a shoulder.

Remus turned on him with a growl and a snap of teeth. He scuttled back in surprise, then tried again. Same response. Prudently stepping back, he transformed into human form again.

"Moony, let her be. She's not a snack. Got it?" he scolded. The mediwitch "meeped" again, but he wasn't paying any attention to her. All he got for his pains was another growl. He stepped back and Moony growled again, this time following him.

He nearly bumped into Snape as he moved back again and Remus pounced, knocking him sideways. He found himself with a full grown wolf on top of him, baring teeth and growling deep in his throat.

"Remus, for God's sake." Snape sounded exasperated. "I know you can hear me and understand. Dr. Bruno is here to help me. As for the cur who arrived after you, he's your friend, not mine. Deal with him as you like."

"Oh, thanks a lot," he murmured, trying not to gag. God, Remus had a severe case doggy breath.

Remus looked over at his mate, then back at his friend. With a huff of what seemed to be annoyance, he got off and trotted over to Snape. Snape reached out a hand and got an affectionate lick.

"Look, I can't do this on my own and you're not in any shape to help me," he explained, in his most pedantic tone. "Let Dr. Bruno do her job..." Snape broke off as another contraction hit.

Dr. Bruno approached warily, and Remus backed off a little bit, allowing her to touch Snape.

However, when he tried to approach, Remus growled and moved to prevent him from doing so.

Okay, so that was how it was going to be. He sat down, well away from Snape and Bruno, and put his head in his hands.

Up until now, he hadn't really believed that Remus meant what he said, that he really, truly cared for Snape. However, he knew much about lupine behaviour and Remus was behaving exactly as an alpha male does towards its mate. He was protecting his mate and the cubs from outside interference. And he was definitely an outsider.

Glancing up, he noted that Remus was watching the mediwitch very carefully, not trusting, but not getting in the way. it was going to be a very weird night.

---------------

"Can't you do anything for the pain?" Snape gritted through clenched teeth.

"It would be better if you tried natural childbirth," Bruno replied soothingly.

"There is nothing natural about this birth. Nothing at all. And it fucking hurts."

"Anything I can give you might hurt the baby and..."

"All the more incentive for it to get out quickly, then, isn't it?"

"Professor..." Bruno rolled her eyes, obviously reluctant to use painkilling drugs.

"What's the matter, Snape? Can't take a little pain?" he taunted.

"Pain? I'll show you pain, you miserable shit," Snape shouted, going for the wand that was sitting on the table. To everyone's surprise, Remus trotted over and grabbed the wand in his mouth and dropped it behind the sofa, where Snape couldn't reach it.

"Fuck!" Snape bellowed. "Acci... OW!"

--------------

Despite the many and varied curses coming out of Snape's mouth - he wished he had a dicto-quill to take them all down; they were very creative - he had to admire the way he took the pain. It was obviously agony, but Snape wasn't howling. He wished Snape would; the quiet writhing was harder to watch than screaming would have been.

He was quite surprised that Snape wasn't lying down. For the first couple of hours, he walked, leaning heavily on the mediwitch for support. After that, Bruno had him kneel down, knees spread and elbows propped up on an ottoman. He was grateful not to have a full on view; he had no desire to sit there and watch the baby come out.

He was also surprised when he felt a wet nose nudge his arm. Remus was sitting beside him on his haunches, with a worried frown between his amber-gold eyes. It was amazing how expressive those eyes were. Remus was worried.

As was he. He wished he hadn't apparated in; he did not want the beloved hatred he felt for Snape get overwhelmed by a wave of sympathy.

----------------

He was still talking when Bruno interrupted him with a wave of her hand. Snape had begged him to talk to him about anything, to keep his mind occupied while his body was trying to turn itself inside out. Never one to object to the sound of his own voice, he promptly began to talk.

"Now, Professor, when the next contraction comes, I want you to push as hard as you can." Bruno said, kneeling beside him with her hands on his belly. "Okay. Push."

He held his breath. No wonder they called it labour. Snape was bathed in sweat, his hair stuck to his now naked back. He felt his own muscles tense up in sympathy.

"Okay, rest," Bruno said calmly. "And... Push. Almost there, Professor. The head is crowning."

Remus lifted his ears at that and got up, creeping over to watch from a better angle. Well, better him than me, he thought.

When it finally happened, it happened quickly. Snape let out a howl that would have done Remus proud and a few seconds later, a weaker howl could be heard.

He could see the small, wet, mewling being in Bruno's hands, squirming unhappily.

"It's a girl, Professor." Bruno smiled. He decided that he wanted a better look himself. It wasn't as if he'd never seen Snape's private parts, after all.

As he moved, so did Remus. Bruno had set the child down gently on a fluffy towel as she clamped off the cord with a simple charm. She was about to sever it when Remus butted his head between her hands and bit it cleanly. Then he carefully and gently put out his long, lupine tongue and started licking the blood and other fluid off the baby. The baby didn't seem to mind.

Bruno looked as if she was about to object, but dared not. She glanced in his direction, as if asking for help.

"Mr... Black, is it? Could you come and take the baby so I can finish up?"

He got to his feet and crouch down beside Remus.

"Moony, I have to move the baby so Snape can deliver the afterbirth," he said softly, moving slowly. "If he doesn't, he'll be very ill."

Remus appeared to think about it, and with a final lick, he let Bruno lift the baby into his arms.

He moved back a little and looked at the child. His throat clogged up and his vision blurred. She wasn't beautiful; she was too squashed and wet and red for that, but she was so sweet and so perfect and so precious. A miracle. He felt a huge surge of masculine pride. This little girl was his; he helped create her. He knew that he would never be her father for more than these few minutes, but for right now, he revelled in her existence.

He was abruptly brought out of enchantment of the moment when he heard a wet, squishy plop. Glancing down, he saw the afterbirth. It looked like a huge bit of raw liver.

"Oh, Moony, that is so disgusting," he exclaimed.

"What?" A weak, exhausted voice - Snape.

"He's eating it." He could not keep the disgust out of his voice. "He's eating the afterbirth. Ewww."

Bruno seemed torn between disgust and amusement.

"Well, that answers the question about what to do with the afterbirth," she said, gently moving Snape so he was facing them, leaning tiredly against the ottoman. "Well, Professor, would you like to see your daughter?"

He carefully handed over the baby and watched as Snape looked at the little girl. His eyes weren't just misted over this time; now there were actual tears.

Snape looked exhausted, and pale, and his hair was hanging in strings, but the look of wonder and awe on those harsh features transfigured him into sheer beauty. He looked away; he was not entitled to share in this moment of private joy and he didn't think he could stand it anyway.

Just when he thought he would disgrace himself with saying something sentimental, he saw Remus lope away to a far corner. The moon had set and he was about to transform.

The transformation was swifter than he had ever seen it and Remus did not, for once, fall into an exhausted sleep. He was tired and drawn, but awake and aware.

"Severus?" he said, crawling forward to his mate. Snape looked over and smiled happily at him, cradling their daughter in his arms.

Okay, this was just too weird for words. He was in a parlour at dawn, with two unabashedly naked men cooing over a baby, with a beaming mediwitch waving her wand to clean up the mess.

"Remus, would you mind holding her while I get cleaned up?" Snape asked softly. Remus nodded and Snape passed her over. With Bruno's assistance, Snape got up and went into another room.

---------------

"Moony?" he ventured, now that they were alone.

"Mmm?" Remus did not look up. He had Snape's dressing gown around his shoulders and had loosely wrapped the baby in a towel, but he never lifted his eyes or attention from the little girl in his arms.

"You're going to be a terrific daddy," he said softly. No, I am not going to take this away from you. Not ever.

"Thank you."

Bruno returned and crooked a finger at Remus, who rose carefully and followed her. Not sure whether he should, he followed as well.

Snape was in bed, clean and wrapped in a button down nightshirt. Remus handed him the baby and stretched out beside him.

"Have you thought of a name?" Bruno asked.

"Serena," Snape answered. "My her life be more serene than mine."

"And mine," Remus echoed.

And mine, he added silently. He watched for a moment, as Snape unbuttoned his nightshirt and brought the baby to his breast. The baby - Serena - latched on and began to suckle. Snape had his head bent, so he could not see the expression on his face, but he could see Remus' face clearly.

With a pang of loneliness, he slipped out of the room and disapparated back to Hogwarts to spread the good news. He fancied that neither of the other men noticed.