Gazing out the window, you took in the still scenery of the cool autumn day and looked over to the love of your life as he lay in the rundown bed, recovering from the full moon the night before. The sound of his heavy snoring was soon accompanied by the patter of shoes along the dirt passageway, and you grabbed your wand from the top of the piano, going to the doorway of the shack.
Harry appeared, and straightened his glasses, shifting the school bag on his shoulder. “Is uncle Remus awake yet?”
“Not yet, Love.” You reached up to brush his messy hair from his face and smiled softly, “But he’s out pretty well, why don’t you come tell me about your day. Hmm?”
Harry grinned at being allowed to stay and headed past you into the shack, throwing his bag down and dropping onto the dusty sofa. “Transfiguration was fun, but potions was awful like always and then in Uncle Remus’ class... Snape assigned an essay about... werewolves.” He finished nervously, waiting for your passionate response that he knew would be coming. Harry had seen your reactions to werewolf related topics in the past, and it made this something that he wasn’t looking forward to telling you.
You immediately stopped what you were doing and locked eyes onto your nephew. “What do you mean, he assigned an essay on werewolves? I thought you lot were only on red caps and hinkypunks?”
“We were, but Snape didn’t care. He lectured about werewolves and then assigned an essay that focuses on recognizing, and... killing them.” Harry watched as your entire body tensed up, your jaw visibly clenching and you forced yourself to take a deep breath. Glancing back to a still sleeping Remus, you smiled and thought of the first time he had told you he loved you, casting a Patronus to tell Sirius to come to the shrieking shack as soon as possible.
Sirius immediately apparated to the edge of the Hogwarts grounds upon receiving your message and shifted to his animagus form in order to reach the shack faster. Harry was the first one to see the large black dog and he sighed in relief knowing that Sirius might be able to keep you calm. “What’s the matter, Love? Is Remus—“
“He’s fine, but I need to take care of something so I want you to stay with him.”
“What-“
“Snivellus. Harry can tell you the rest.”
You stalked out of the shack and down the passageway, quickly immobilizing the whomping willow and continuing on towards the castle.
Sirius looked at Harry with wide eyes, and over to Remus then back to Harry. “Ol’ Snivellus must’ve really done it now. She’s never called him that before.”
“Do you think she’ll kill him?”
Sirius shrugged, “Not with so many witnesses around. Plus, she’s never been one to do anything that would make her have to interact with Dumbledore more than was absolutely necessary... she’s never cared much for him either.”
“Why?”
Sirius sat beside Harry on the sofa, and clasped his shoulders “that’s a long story for when you’re older, and it’s one that all three of us should probably tell you together.”
Meanwhile on your warpath, you passed a few students and effortlessly faked a smile as they excitedly greeted you.
Down in the dungeons, you stormed into the potions room finding Severus alone. You raised your wand, holding it dangerously still as you hissed at the fellow Slytherin in front of you. “What in Merlin’s name makes you think you have any bloody right to teach my husband's class about werewolves!” You looked back at the slightly open door and thrust your wand forward, slamming it shut, before turning back to Severus.
“Iolanthe.” He droned. “I was tasked with covering Professor Lupin’s class and I merely did... what was asked of me.”
“No one asked you to completely rearrange his teaching schedule and rip away his right to teach the class about werewolves!” You bellowed. “You couldn’t stand that Remus got that job over you, so you took away the one thing he deserved to teach them about most... Those students could’ve learned about werewolves as the people they are, the way they should’ve learned about them, but no, you had to drag some bloody teenage grudge into the mix.”
Snape remained silent and composed, taking in your reddened cheeks and heaving chest. “Finished?”
You scoffed, “You’re pathetic, Severus... through everything Sirius and my brother did to you, I was still nice to you, and I tried to get them to stop. I never betrayed your friendship until the day you decided to call Lily a— you know. I thought you might’ve been decent enough to show a little respect in return.”
The word pathetic echoed in his mind and he stalked towards you, “Your brother and those idiotic friends of his tried to murder me, Remus is a danger to everyone... and you were sitting there waiting to watch me die at his hands.”
“Don’t you dare speak that way about my husband.” Your growled dangerously low, positioning your wand at his throat. “Remus has only ever taken the most extreme precautions when it comes to his condition. We were in the shrieking shack to protect everyone, the only reason I was with him was so that when he transformed, I could keep him calm... How in the bloody hell were Remus and I supposed to know that Sirius tricked you into going to the shack?”
“You expect me believe that your brother never told you... that the mastermind’s own little sister was ignorant to the whole thing.”
You stared at him dumbfounded, lowering your wand. “You are... you— you’re delusional. James had no idea what Sirius had done, none of us did, and he tried his hardest to get to you before you could get to Remus and me. James was only trying to save you.”
“He was cleaning up his mess after he realized how it would look.”
You exhaled heavily and shrugged, momentarily void of anger. “None of this... none of this madness has ever been about me or Remus, or Sirius, hell even James... it’s always been about Lily... Hasn’t it?”
“He ripped her away from me.” He argued, his body leaning forward in pleading.
Your voice shook as you spoke, “You never had her, she wasn’t something to be taken from you. The only one she was taken from was Harry, and from her family that loved her.”
“I loved her.” He cried adamantly. “I still love her.”
“No, Severus, you didn’t... You were obsessed with her. You wanted her all to yourself, to be something you could keep. James loved her, you were just obsessed with her... and after all these years, you still are.”
“James—“
“James didn’t do anything. The only person that took away any chance of you even being friends with Lily was you. She tried to comfort you that day and you called her a-“ Tears welled up in your eyes and you swallowed trying to clear the lump of emotion in your throat. “You called her a... a mudblood. That doesn’t sound like love to me.”
“I was angry.”
“And that matters to you? You think that if I had been muggleborn and Remus had called me that, that I would’ve cared if he was mad? I would’ve been furious, not to mention heartbroken... She tried to be your friend and that little slur of yours is what undid any chance you could’ve ever had.” Severus stood silent in front of you and you shook your head. “Trying to convince you is pointless, and it’s been pointless since when we were students... My husband is a good man that has dealt with a lot of prejudice for something he can’t help, and he has tried so hard to provide for me and Harry any way he can. He’s a good man that finally got a good job that he deserves, and I hope you didn’t just take that away from him because of one petulant little lesson.” You turned to leave and stopped at one of the potion ingredients cases, plucking a handful of wolfsbane. “I’m really sorry for you, Severus, but if you truly did love Lily, then you wouldn’t be taking out her and James being married and happy on your students. Loving someone, really loving someone, is work, and it’s putting their happiness before your own sometimes, even if that means that their happiness isn’t with you. James loved her and I got to see firsthand what a goddess my brother treated her like, he loved her more than anything, and without hesitation he gave his life hoping that she and Harry could live... that’s something you would’ve never done.”
You parted the room, leaving Severus alone and standing with his wand still clenched in his hand though he had never even thought of raising it. Walking back across the Hogwarts grounds, you sighed to yourself praying to the powers that be that Remus would be able to keep his job. He deserved it and you knew how proud he was to be a professor at the school that had taken him in when the rest of the world would’ve been afraid to. You neared the whomping willow and lazily waved your hand, immobilizing the violent tree, and making your way along the path that led to the shack.
“Well she isn’t covered in blood.” Remus smirked when you came through the doorway. You couldn’t help but smile at seeing your husband awake and moving after such a hard night. Gently, you kissed his forehead and he pulled you in to kiss your lips. “I love you too much not to kiss you properly.” He whispered.
“And I love you too much not to let you kiss me properly.”
He pulled you onto his lap, against your will, promising that it wouldn’t hurt him. When you saw that he was right, you visibly relaxed in his arms, letting him kiss you here and there. “So, Harry informed me that you had stormed off to see Professor Snape, and Sirius told me you were going to 'destroy Snivellus', which one was more right?”
“Both, I left with the intention of strangling him with my bare hands since I know he’d probably hate to die like a muggle, and then I ended up defending you and more or less breaking him down with words, though I’m confident nothing actually sunk in.”
“And how exactly did you defend me?” He smirked, not even trying to hide the fact that he wanted to hear your brag about him.
“I told him that you were a brilliant man and a brilliant professor and that you deserve a hell of a lot more than life has given you... just in a lot more words and with my wand pointed at his throat.”
“You put your wand to Snape’s throat?” Harry exclaimed.
“That’s my little sister.” Sirius beamed, laughing when you shook your head.
“Stop praising me, Pads, I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the best of me. It’s not exactly a good way to persuade someone to let you have your way.”
“You put your wand to his throat, he’s gonna give me detention for a month! At least.”
“Oh, calm down, Sweetheart. If Severus tries to reprimand you for my actions then I’ll talk to him, without my wand raised.”
Remus reached up to cup your cheek and smiled softly, “I love when you get worked up... though I’ve never found you very terrifying.”
“Cause you’ve never been at the receiving end of my temper.”
~~~
One week later, Remus had recovered very well and he found a letter outside of his chamber door requesting for you and him to come to Dumbledore’s office during Remus’ free period. He sent you a patronus and you disapparated to the edge of the Hogwarts grounds, enjoying a stroll up to the large castle. Checking your pocket watch, you saw that you only had five minutes until the beginning of your husband’s free period, so you made your way to his class, knocking once and opening the door. A group of fifth years that had been crowding your husband after his class saw you and their attentions were instantly split between the two of you.
Remus laughed as his students began hounding you with questions some asking about dates you had been on back when you and Remus were dating, but when you looked to your husband for clarification, he just shrugged. Once the students had cleared, you crossed your arms and smirked at Remus. “So, telling your students about our dates now?”
“I may have told them about when I took you out to see the grindylow at the black lake for our third date.”
“You and your grindylows.” You teased, lacing your hands around his shoulders and kissing him with a soft smile. “Well, shall we go see the crotchety ol’ gi—“
“Iolanthe.” Remus scolded, cupping your face in both hands. “Behave for once, Love.”
“You know I’ll at least try.” He led you up to Dumbledore’s office, holding your hand and smiling when you wrapped your arms loosely around his as you walked. Remus waved a hand, repeating the password to Dumbledore’s office and the two of you made your way up the winding stairs.
The old wizard sat at his desk, writing away on a piece of parchment, though looking up when he saw movement across the room. “Ahh, Remus, Iolanthe. Please, come have a seat.” You sat beside your husband in a chair facing the desk and you found your eyes darting quickly about the features and movements of the old man in front of you, analyzing for any tell tale signs of what was to come. “I suppose you’re curious why I called you in, along with your wife.”
“May I assume it has something to do with Severus?” You asked in a flat tone.
“Indeed... I’m afraid Professor Snape has retracted his offer to brew your husband’s wolfsbane potions should I keep him on as a Professor at this school.”
“But you can’t fire Remus, he’s the best D.A.D.A professor this school has seen in years—“
“Iolanthe—“
“No, Remus, you worked so hard for this.” You cried, “You deserve to keep your position.”
Dumbledore cleared his throat, interrupting your pleas. “Which is why I asked you to join us today, Mrs. Lupin... Remus would be unsuitable to teach if he could not obtain a monthly dose of wolfsbane potion, which is why I only see fit that his wife should be the one in charge of brewing said potion.”
“I— what?”
“Over your years together, you and Remus have been through more than most couples could dream of withstanding and yet, you evolve a deeper and more meaningful love with each passing day. Which is why I find it quite difficult to believe that you would ever be capable of denying your husband the one thing that makes that excruciating night a bit more tolerable for him.”
“So you let Remus keep the job he deserves as long as I make a potion once a month?”
“Yes.”
“Then absolutely yes, I would brew it everyday if it meant Remus could keep doing what he loves.”
Dumbledore held up his hands and gave a small smile, “Then it’s settled. I’ll see you back for the start of next year, Professor Lupin.”
“Thank you, Sir.” Remus beamed, the two of you thanking him once again and heading back down the stairs kissing and smiling like Hogwarts students.
“I’m so happy for you, My Love... My handsome Professor.” You buried your face in his arm as you neared his office and a black figure appeared near the wall from seemingly nowhere.
“Potter.” Snape called from his perch near the stone, and you turned your attention to him, quirking an eyebrow at the use of your maiden name. “Consider today even... shall we?”
You stared at him for a moment and eventually smiled, “Thank you, Severus.” He nodded and disappeared down the hall in a billow of black fabric. Remus opened the door to his classroom and pulled out a chair for you to sit in, taking a seat at his desk and loosening his tie a little. “Well, My Love, to another good year at Hogwarts.”
“To another good year, one which would be impossible without you.” He smiled, waving his hand to start his record player. You and Remus sat in his empty classroom, enjoying a cup of tea with his old jazz record playing quietly in the background. You opened your mouth to speak when the door burst open and five laughing and yelling third year boys ran up the main aisle, Harry leading them. “Can the guys come stay for the first week of summer holiday?”