kbinnz - Harry's New Home

Remus stiffened. "Sirius. You're talking about Sirius."

"No, Lupin. I'm talking about Bellatrix LeStrange. Of course I'm talking about Black, you cretin. Why didn't you tell the authorities he was an animagus?"

Lupin swallowed hard. "How did you find that out?"

Snape just smirked at him.

"Is тАУ is he hurt? Did he try to escape and get recaptured? What happened? Is heтАж" Lupin's voice trailed off.

"Dead?" Snape offered helpfully.

Lupin's amber eyes widened in horror, and for a moment, Snape was certain he saw a yellow glow appear in them. Suddenly, teasing a werewolf didn't seem like such a good idea.

"No, no, he's not dead," he said hastily. "Calm down, wolf! He's perfectly all right, last time I checked. What difference does it make to you, anyway? Didn't he kill your best friends?"

Lupin buried his head in his hands, oblivious to the soggy sheets that were still draped around him. "I know, I know. I keep telling myself that, but I can't stop worrying about him. It's just so hard to believeтАж"

"Yet you did."

Lupin looked up. "What do you mean, Severus? I did what?"

"You did believe the story тАУ that he betrayed the Potters, killed Pettigrew and all those Muggles?"

"Well, the evidence was so overwhelmingтАж " Again Lupin trailed off.

"What evidence?" Snape asked.

"What?"

"Well, I hardly need evidence to believe the worst of Black, but what did it take to convince you of your best friend's treachery?"

The werewolf sat up straighter. "Severus, what are you talking about? It was all over the paper тАУ the Ministry and the Aurors explained what had happened. Dumbledore and the rest of the Order didn't lift a hand to help him. What else was I to believe? And why dredge up ancient history now anyway?"

"Because it appears the mutt didn't do it," Snape said irritably.

Lupin stared at him, incredulous hope dawning on his face. "Really? Are you sure? Did Dumbledore find evidence that cleared him?"

Snape gritted his teeth. All of this blind devotion to the Headmaster was getting annoying. "Is Dumbledore here?" he demanded crossly. "No. I'm here. I'm the one who's helping prove his innocence. Are you interested, or would you rather call the Aurors?"

"If Sirius didn't do it, thenтАж " Lupin broke off. "I'm interested. Tell me how I can help."

Snape eyed him. Did he trust the werewolf? It was true that if they were caught, Black would be Kissed, but Snape would likely end up in Azkaban himself. He too had a lot to lose if the werewolf betrayed themтАж But it was hard to imagine a werewolf, even one as nauseatingly law-abiding as Lupin, betraying a pack member, whether current or past.

"I'll take you to him and the two of you can sort things out. He'll need clothes, a new wand, and probably some assistance to recover from that much time in Azkaban. Once they figure out he's escaped, they'll probably come looking for you."

Remus gave a rueful glance around his small bed-sit. "There's nothing here I'll miss. Take me to Sirius тАУ two can survive on the run as easily as one."

"Not when one is a werewolf who needs a steady supply of wolfsbane," Snape snarled. Idiot Gryffindor! "I'll give you three days to come up with a plausible excuse that takes you out of the country. By that time they'll have figured out Black's escaped and interviewed you. After that, go ahead with your trip. Go to the Continent and buy an extra wand. Owl me your whereabouts and I'll meet you there, then take you to Black. Do you have all that, or shall I repeat myself until your under-evolved brain can take it in?"

Remus smiled, as usual ignoring the insults. "Thank you, Severus. You are very kind."

Snape snorted in disgust and spun on his heel. Stupid werewolf.

Safely back in his quarters with almost an hour before sunrise, Snape glumly reviewed his night as he climbed into bed. He leaned back against his pillow and mentally ticked off each task. Met up with Muggle criminals? Check. Arranged initial retribution for Dursleys? Check. Saw rest of evening descend into madness? Check.

Yes, he had gotten an astonishingly coherent apology from Black of all people тАУ they must be ice skating in Hell tonight тАУ but that didn't erase the fact that he had not only smuggled that great berk out of the most feared Wizarding prison in the world, but he had also ensconced him in his own family home! What was next? Would he take another page from Molly Weasley's book and knit Black a jumper for Christmas?

And then to do something nice for Lupin as well? He should have just let the stupid Gryffindor go straight to Black like he had wanted to. Then the two would doubtless have decided they needed to check on Harry, and they would have run right into the arms of the Aurors. Black would have been Kissed, the werewolf would have been beheadedтАж And even better, if they claimed Snape had helped, no one would have believed them. They'd believe in a Polyjuiced Malfoy rather than a genuine Snape тАУ it would have been such a perfect, Slytherin plan, he mourned. But no, just because Black and Lupin could be strong allies for Harry in the upcoming years, he had to help them.

The things he did for that little monster тАУ and was it likely that the boy'd be grateful? Ha! Once Sirius' name was cleared and he got to meet Harry, he'd be nothing but an overgrown playmate. Harry would adore him, and Black doubtless prove an utterly useless guardian. Discipline? He couldn't even spell the word, let alone instill some in the boy. Snape rolled his eyes. Oh, yes, he'd like to see Black trying to get Harry to eat his vegetables. The man wouldn't know a brussel sprout if he tripped over it.

Well, if that idiot mutt тАУ or his tame werewolf тАУ thought that they were going to waltz in and take custody of Harry, they'd learn a thing or two! He had spent too much time and effort on that appalling brat just to let those two swoop in and take all the credit. He huffed to himself. Typical Gryffindors тАУ rushing around without a thought in their heads and expecting someone else to pick up the pieces! Well, he would instill some Slytherin traits in Harry if it killed him. Snape wasn't about to let the Dark Lord rise again and enslave the world just because Black wouldn't think to make sure the boy was sufficiently rested for his DADA lesson!

No, indeed. Snape would not permit the Savior of the Wizarding World to be looked after by an idiot who, even in their Seventh Year, routinely forgot to tie his shoes. Black might have been a heartthrob, but he was also an unthinking git whose sense of responsibility probably went no farther that remembering not to drop baby Harry on his head. What were Lily and James thinking of to entrust their defenseless infant son to such an immature numbskull? Just look what he had done when they were killed. Did he immediately take custody of their orphaned child? No, he left the baby to Hagrid (!!) and Dumbledore and ran off to look for Pettigrew - without, mind you, bothering to tell anyone else that Pettigrew was the Secret Keeper and a rat animagus. Really, it made it hard to feel sympathy for his incarceration. Maybe idiocy should be a criminal offense.

Anyway, regardless of the elder Potters' wishes ten years ago, Snape had absolutely no intention of relinquishing Harry to a reckless nitwit whose minimally adequate brain had been further addled by years in Azkaban. He grumbled to himself. It was just like a Gryffindor to assume that raising a child was all fun and games. A fragile child like Harry, with a history of abuse, would last about thirty seconds under Black's boisterous supervision.

Snape grumbled again and rolled over on his side. That rotten brat. Demanding ever more of his time and attention. As if he didn't have better things to do. As if he wanted to look after such an annoying little fiend. As if he might actually care for the creature. As if it mattered to him if he were happy, or had enough to eat, or liked his new roomтАж Snape drifted off to sleep, his last thought the memory of Harry's expression as he lovingly touched his new broom.