บท 69: Chapter 68: The Coward's Way
Unknown Location, Uncharted Forest, Unknown World...
Remus John Lupin had not gotten far into the forest before the overwhelming scent of Severus Snape had gotten his attention. As much as the Potions Professor had complained that the Defense Against The Dark Arts Professor smelled of wet dog, he had reeked of herbs, fresh earth, leather, and for the time being Hermione Granger. Snape had made no secret of following his former enemy and wolf-blood fore-bearer. He had simply been biding his time as the elder wolf grumbled to himself about mistakes and how they were costly.
"You know it wouldn't kill you to shower now and again Severus." said Lupin stopping in his tracks.
Snape rolled his eyes.
"What are you going to do Lupin hang me upside down an wash me with magical soap?" he asked bitterly.
"That was a long time ago." said the sheepish werewolf. "We lead different lives now."
Snape let a low growl rumble from his throat.
"Indeed we do." he agreed as a flicker of aggression behind his eyes made Lupin tense. "For now Lupin...I will ask what you think you are doing?"
"What I do is my own business." replied the elder werewolf. "I will fight against the despot and support Dumbledore but I will not be returning to Hogwarts."
"Nor Black Manor it seems." said Snape picking the information from his mind rather easily.
"Severus kindly fuck off." said Lupin narrowing his eyes at his former nemesis.
"Am I supposed to be cowed into submission because you used vulgar language?" asked Snape with an arched brow.
"No you are supposed to mind your own business because this matter does not concern you." replied the rather testy Lupin.
"Abandoning your witch when she is with child is hardly a matter concerning privacy." said the Potions Professor. "Especially not when said witch comes barging into my life and getting the attention of my witch."
The Defense Against The Dark Arts Professor sighed.
"Severus, I'd expect you of all people to understand how I feel given our mutual circumstances." said Lupin.
"There is nothing similar about our circumstances aside from lycanthropy." replied Snape bitterly. "I'm not stupid enough to get my witch pregnant especially given her thought to be age and the fact that I am still her Potions Professor."
"But you have made it abundantly clear that you don't want children no matter the scenario." said Lupin. "Tonks knew this about me the moment I took her to bed."
"Overshare Lupin..." muttered Snape in annoyance. "Although it has little point now...she's already pregnant...The only thing up for debate is wither or not you intend to venture along the coward's way or take responsibility for your unborn child."
"We are at war...there's no place for a child in a world of uncertainty." said Lupin.
"I beg to differ." replied Snape. "Consider the reason we are here in the first place...are we not doing this for the care of a child?...why should your spawn be any different?"
Lupus sighed.
"What if..." He began unsure if he knew how best to phrase it.
"You suddenly shift and infect the baby?" asked the Potions Professor with an arched brow. "As if The girl would ever let you near it during that time...do give her some credit."
Lupin sighed.
"I don't think I will ever understand you Severus." He said.
"There's nothing for you to understand...I will not allow cowardice in my subordinates." said the raven haired wizard. "Now get back to the summit and tell your witch what a low grade fool you are so I can enjoy mine without her becoming involved in your nonsense."
Lupin nodded knowing all too well what Snape had been trying to tell him despite the apparent aggression behind his wording.
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The Alpha's Hut, Wolfsback Summit, Unknown World...
Hermione had done her best to console a distraught Tonks in the wake of her pregnancy reveal to Remus Lupin. The slightly older witch had been a mess as far as sharing her news of pregnancy with her former Professor and lover. She had never experienced being a mother before and it was all the more terrifying given the times they were living in.
Voldemort was hard pressed for getting the war started which would no doubt result in the deaths of so many witches and wizards all so he could stroke his own ego as far as magical prowess had been concerned.
Dumbledore had been no different in a sense.
He too had been more about the goings on of the war with Voldemort caring only for how to seek an advantage in combat. It had been evident by the callous way he treated Severus using him as pawn in more ways then one before hand and offering him to Hircine in e exchange for use of the werewolves against his nemesis. Even she had been a pawn in this grandiose game of chess between the two warring wizards. A means of keeping Harry Potter alive when Severus had been otherwise occupied with other assignments.
The amber eyed witch considered how she fit into this whole equation, her sole role was to provide protection to Harry Potter until Dumbledore bound her to Severus to keep control of his wolfish impulses.
The fact that he had set one of his most prominent students, a Gryffindor at that up to be the plaything of a werewolf showed just how little Hermione Granger had been regarded in his eyes.
Taking a breath to quell her anger for the time being at those she had trusted most in her inexperienced youth, Hermione lied back down on the make-shift bed noting how her rapidly evolved relationship with her Potions Professor was something of a rebellion as far as Dumbledore had been concerned. As Severus so carefully put it once before, it was the only thing the two of them truly had control over in terms of their actions being driven by their own desires as opposed to being forced by Dumbledore's hand.
The contemplating witch had been quite with her oppressive thoughts when she felt the familiar weight of her werewolf lover climbing into bed curling up beside her as he exhaled a seemingly long held breath.
"They've gone to talk elsewhere I take it." said Snape in his usual deep baritone drawl.
"Yes." replied Hermione turning to face him her unruly hair falling about her shoulders as she raised up on her elbows with her belly pressed against the bedding. "He's still a right git for leaving her at a time like this."
"Am I suppose to argue differently?" asked Snape with an arched brow as Hermione stared down at him.
"Would you ever do that to me?" she asked putting forth the question that he had been so dreading.
"Don't start witch." muttered Snape turning onto his side making sure his back was to her as he curled up tighter as if to avoid her question in a physical sense.
"I need to know." said Hermione with a deathly serious expression on her face.
"What do you want me to say?" asked Snape angry that Lupin's idiocy has spilled over into his own relationship.
"I wanted you to answer me." replied Hermione narrowing her amber eyes at him. "Would you up and leave me pregnant and terrified should one of us forget to use the contraception charm?"
"You already know that I have no desire to have children." he said turning to face her.
"So you've said." replied Hermione believing she had her answer as she attempted to get up from the make-shift bed.
Snape grabbed her quickly pinning her to the bed.
"Let me go." hissed Hermione angrily as she struggled to free his hold on her wrists.
The angry werewolf growled covering her body with his own in a bid to tame her rage.
"Stop this." he said in an aggressive tone. "What did you want me to tell you?...you know how dangerous this relationship is given the war and our respective standing in the wizarding world...you know damn well that I wouldn't abandon you...but realistically speaking...this war and everything in tells will pull me in an entirely different direction than either one of us are prepared for...if you were pregnant...there's no way to tell what the future will hold..."
"Severus..." began Hermione seemingly more calm than before.
"I am not Lupin...and given that the man spent his entire life afraid of hurting those he cares for you shouldn't judge him too harshly." said Snape.
Hermione nearly burst out laughing.
"Severus Snape telling me not to judge Lupin too harshly." she said in amazement.
Snape rolled his eyes.
"Not everything about the wet dog is intolerable." he said in his own defense. "I'd tear his throat out in a heart beat if given the opportunity but there are bigger fish to fry as the muggle's say."
"I wouldn't doubt it." said Hermione with a sigh.
"At least you've calmed." he said. "For now...I'd like to get some rest witch and should the future come we'll deal with it then."
Having said his peace, Snape lied back down on the bed content that she wouldn't be angry with him. He thought of the numerous ways to pay Lupin back for the momentary discomfort his idiocy had caused. He wasn't sure he wanted to sire werewolf bastards in the future but he knew without a shadow of a doubt that if the end of the war came and he was still standing, he wanted nothing more than to be with Hermione Granger.
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