Work Text:
Always
Remus Lupin blushed at the sight of a black-haired girl in front of him. She's not exactly beautiful, but she's perfect. She had an intelligent mind and a good amount of courage. His heart raced so fast and he hardly breathed. “Hello? Are you okay?” The girl asked him. He was stunned by his shock. The girl giggled and stretched her hand to him, “Severus Snape, nice to meet you.” The girl smiled at him. “R-Remus Lupin...N-Nice to meet you,” Remus answered with a stutter. The girl laughed mirthfully. “Nice to meet you too, Lupin,”
Remus likes to accompany Severus during study sessions in the library. He had a great time with her and Lily. He also had James, Sirius, and Peter as his friends. The thing is, James and his little gang like to bully Severus. Remus tried to stop them, even he went to professors McGonagall and Slughorn. Despite the professors already gave the group detentions repeatedly, it did not affect the boys. Even worse, they often mocked him due to his taste with choosing 'a slimy, greasy, no-good, ugly Slytherin girl', something that Remus detests. Remus was nervous when he told Severus about his 'furry little problem' during his third year, fearing the girl will leave him after he revealed his dark secret. But, in reality, she accepted him with open arms. Even, she asked him to go out for a date. Remus' face turned crimson red after that and he agreed with her. He even promised to Severus that he will introduce them to his parents.
However, the rift between him and the Marauders grew even wider. The peak of their disagreement was during their fifth year. James and his lot decided to humiliate Severus by hanging her upside down, so her underwear will be exposed. Remus who already had enough of it punched James on the face and snapped his wand in fury. Sirius tried to intervene, but he got punched on the gut and a broken arm as the result. After Severus accidentally called Lily a mudblood and had her apology cruelly rejected by Lily, Remus comforted her with the help of Head Houses. Dumbledore also threatened to expel the Marauders if they repeated the mistake they did because it was a grave insult for women alike. Remus also ended his friendship with them.
“You are utterly disgusting! You decided to humiliate a girl just because she is a Slytherin?!” Remus yelled on top of his lungs, “Moony, we're just joking, can’t you see it?” asked Sirius. “Excuse me, Mr. Black. If you haven't realized it yet, you're the one who's blind. You literary have no respect toward other people. The same thing goes for your friends. You think just because you're in Gryffindor and it was my former house, you can do anything you want. You made a grievous mistake, Mr. Black. Your act was a terrible smear for Hogwarts.” said Dumbledore grimly. Minerva wasn't looked better either. Her nostrils were flaring and her eyes filled with rage. She was ashamed because she never thought her students will be so nasty toward a student like this. The other professors also look displeased by the acts of the Marauders. Severus was sniffling and choking back her sobs. She never felt so insulted and betrayed in her whole life until this day. Pettigrew looked nervous and squeaked in fear when Professor Sprout glared at her. James was withered under Professor Slughorn's glare. “Mr. Potter, you and your friends will help Mr. Filch every day for the rest of your school years. You will be no longer allowed to go to Hogsmeade and you are not allowed to play Quidditch for one year. Unless you want to be expelled. We don't want to hear any complaints about you from anyone else. This is my final decision.” said Dumbledore firmly. The Marauders went pale when they heard their punishments. Remus was satisfied with the conclusion as he patted Severus’ back gently. From now on, nobody will bother Severus anymore.
Since that day, Remus decided to be friends with people who he can trust entirely. He began with Frank Longbottom and his girlfriend, Alice. It took a long time, but he and Severus finally established a long-term friendship with them. They also made friends with Quirell, a seventh year Ravenclaw student who was often got bullied because of his meek nature. Professor McGonagall, Professor Sprout, and Madam Pomfrey also helped Severus to overcome her psychological trauma. Molly Weasley took Severus into her home and always fussed over her whenever she didn’t sleep long enough or didn’t eat much. Molly also taught her how to sew, knit, and how to properly take care of her appearance since she often neglected her appearance, causing the Marauders to mock her in the first place. Narcissa also taught her how to behave like a proper lady for formal occasions. A month after her stay at the Burrow, Severus transformed into a healthy beautiful young woman. Severus never felt so happy before. Molly Weasley and Narcissa Malfoy are just like older sisters for her and she was grateful to them.
Years passed by, Severus now is a fully-fledged Potion Master and Remus is now working as Defense Against Dark Arts professor. Since the fifth year’s incident, Severus had learned potion mastery under the private tutelage of Slughorn. Besides that, she also learned how to become an Animagus from Minerva, who gladly accepted her request. Severus refused to let Remus went alone to Shrieking Shack every full moon since that incident. Remus learned about Defense Against Dark Arts for 5 years and he also learned charms, hexes, and jinxes mastery from Professor Flitwick. He also learned about the care of magical creatures from Newt Scamander and fought for the rights and equality of magical creatures. The Weasleys also provided emotional support for them. All of the Weasleys’ children, especially Ginny – who called Severus 'Auntie Sev' – were fond of Severus. Even the twins, Fred and George obeyed her orders and respected her whenever Molly asked Severus to babysit them. Hope and Lyall were happy when they found out Remus was dating Severus. Remus proposed Severus after Severus’ first meeting with his parents. It made Severus felt like she was on clouds.
As the first step to their married life, they saved money for buying a house. They got the money from doing various part-time jobs both in the muggle and wizarding worlds. They had done it since the summer of their fifth year. It took a while, but they managed to collect a large sum of money (also with the help of the Malfoys) to buy a house. It’s not too big, but it was a decent house with a large lawn and backyard. It was large enough for them to plant some potion ingredients. The house itself was a two-story house with a spacious living room, a guest room, a kitchen, a basement, a bathroom, a study room, an attic, and two bedrooms. They transformed the basement into a private laboratory where Severus can brew potions. Frank and Alice helped them choosing and moving the furniture into the house while Molly and Narcissa organized a small housewarming party for them. Quirell helped Remus to find suitable rings and clothes for their engagement party. The dress part was the hardest one though because Severus has an overflowing cleavage that didn’t bode well with her attempts on trying dresses. Nonetheless, they managed to find a nice dress for the occasion.
The housewarming party itself was very pleasant. Remus planned to surprise everyone by giving Severus the engagement ring. However, the party was crashed by the arrival of James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. “Well, well Snivellus. You’ve finally got yourself a decent house huh? Do you use any dirty tricks to gain the money? That is a cheap ring anyway.” James sneered at Severus who was about to receive the ring. Molly’s face turned red instantly. “Yer had no shame, huh? After yeh humiliate Sev’rus during her years at Hogwarts as a student, yeh decided to come here an’ making fun of her again.” said Hagrid. Molly looked ready to slap James at the face, but she was held back by Arthur.
Lily looked at Severus with a condescending stare. Those green eyes held no warmth Severus once saw, but pure contempt and insult toward her. “So, you decide to marry her huh, Remus? That’s a fatal mistake. She’s just using you.” said Lily. Alice snapped at Lily instantly, “That’s not true! They love each other!” “Alice, stop!” Frank put a hand on his fiancé’s shoulder, “It’s no use talking to them,” Sirius laughed, “Oh really? Are you serious? Come on, Moony, there’s no way you will marry someone like her! She's a slimy cunning woman…” Sirius was silenced when McGonagall slapped him on his face. “Shut your mouth, Mr. Black. You and your cronies should have been ashamed of what are you doing here. I’m so ashamed to have you as my students. You should have value chivalry as one of Gryffindor’s virtues. But what you did is the exact opposite. You’re not welcomed here at all. Now, get out, otherwise, we won’t hesitate to kick you out.” said McGonagall while pointing at the exit. James and the rest of his gang were shivered at the wrath of the animagus witch and left swiftly. Everyone sighed in relief as the party crashers left. Severus was on the verge of crying when Augusta Longbottom patted her back, “It’s okay. One day, they will realize that their mistakes will come to bite them back.” And with that, the party continued.
The wedding was simple but meaningful with Frank as the best man and Alice as the maid of honor. A lot of guests were there. Hagrid repeatedly blew his nose and cried in joy when he shook Remus’ hand while Quirell smiled serenely at them. Dumbledore congratulated them and wished for their happiness. McGonagall congratulated them and constantly apologized to them for the atrocities that the Marauders had committed. Severus smiled gently and said that she never blamed the professor for that. Not long after the wedding, Teddy was born. Everyone came to congratulate Remus and Severus. Everyone except James and Lily, who didn’t invite them to their wedding and died in Voldemort’s hands when their son, Harry was a year old and Sirius, who was in Azkaban after murdered Pettigrew and 13 muggles. Even Newt Scamander was also there, bringing nifflers and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them book, complete with an autograph as gifts. Teddy quickly became friends with Ginny who was just a month old. The family also no longer had to struggle with the financial problems since Severus already worked as potions professor at Hogwarts despite being traumatized a little from her experiences as a spy in Death Eater’s ranks and Remus himself worked as an Auror under the leadership of Alastor Moody and wrote short stories and novels as a part-time job which was a success.
Teddy’s first accidental magic was when he was two years old. That time he was playing with his toy blocks when Minerva arrived at the house for a visit. Remus who went and greeted his former teacher felt a strange buzz in his body, and soon, he found himself with a yellow bright skin and red hair with orange spots while Minerva was laughing at his new appearance. Severus was laughing while hitting the floor with her hand and the other hand, was on the stomach when she saw Remus. Teddy only giggled at his father’s new appearance with his own hair’s color turned cyan. That day, they discovered that Teddy was a metamorphmagus. Since that day, Severus always brought Teddy to Hogwarts to teach him how to control his magic and taught him how to brew potions. Whenever she got busy, she dropped her son at the Longbottoms’ place, Malfoy Manor, or the Burrow. Sometimes, Remus joined them. Hagrid also loved to play with Teddy whenever Severus dropped her son in his cottage. Every Hogwarts’ staff came to like the boy, even the grumpy old Filch. Remus was really happy with this. He was sure that no one would come and take away their happiness. Not even Voldemort.
However, that hope was shattered when the news of Sirius’ escape from Azkaban reached their ears. Severus began to experience nightmares and always woke up in cold sweat. Remus often caught her crying in the middle of the night after those nightmares. Remus was visibly disturbed as well. He only could hope everything will end soon…
“It’s a lie! Pettigrew already dead years ago!” “Moony, you have to trust me. Peter is…” “Don’t call me that! I only allow Severus to call me that. Everything between us is already over, Black! You and your lot were nothing but bullies and traitors! Now shut your mouth, you lowly rotten scum!” Remus snapped at Sirius in the Shrieking Shack while Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Teddy, and Ginny were frozen in their place, terrified at the sight of Sirius Black while Fred and George prepared their wands. Severus put a hand on Lupin’s shoulder. After that, she picked Scabbers from Ron’s hands and froze him, “Homenum Revelio.” A second later, Peter was in Scabbers’ place.
When Harry learned about Severus and Remus' past during their school years and the bullying that the Marauders committed and Lily's betrayal, he was disgusted and angry. He never thought that his parents would be able to do such things. He was unable to look at the two professors in front of him. It all makes sense now. That's why Professor Snape treated him with a lot of disdain. That's the reason why McGonagall was reluctant to speak with him. That's the reason why Professor Lupin often ignored him.
He was the spitting image of his parents.
They were nothing more than bullies and traitors in front of everyone's eyes.
It was a full moon when they led Pettigrew outside the shack. Remus howled in pain as he transformed into a werewolf. Pettigrew took the chance to escape, but the twins quickly caught him by freezing him with the freezing charm. Sirius tried to stop Remus by using his animagus form, but he was thrown away by the wolf. Severus quickly ordered the twins to bring the younger students back to the castle and tell the other teachers. Teddy tried to help his mum, but he was stopped by Hermione who pulled his hand and dragged him away. Severus smiled at her son as he was dragged away and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine, Teddy.”
At the time Dumbledore arrived with the students and the Longbottom couple, he found Severus panted for breath while clutching a deep bite wound on her left arm where the Dark Mark once was with Remus knocked out before Severus herself collapsed.
Severus woke up in the hospital wing, where she saw a very guilty Remus, worried students, and a sad-looking son.
Remus repeatedly apologized for the incident last night. Severus only brushed it off and smiled gently. She told Remus that it wasn’t his fault. But deep within herself, she was furious.
She wasn’t furious because of Remus. She was furious because of James Potter and his lot had caused so much misery in her life. She was also furious because of Lily’s betrayal too. She became traumatized by the events last night.
Her traumatic experiences made her incapable of teaching, so Dumbledore asked Slughorn to teach the potion class temporarily. Severus and her family were invited to stay at the Burrow. At first, Severus declined the offer, but because of Ginny’s insistence, she finally accepted it. She cried while thanked Ginny and her family for their kindness with Narcissa patted her back comfortingly while hugging Severus.
Teddy was lonely. Sure thing he had Ron and his siblings to keep him company during the full moon. But still, he was felt lonely from his parents’ absence during full moon cycles. Once, he went to the Shrieking Shack and met his transformed parents. At first, his parents were shocked when they saw him in the shack. But Teddy then shook his head, “I want to sleep with you guys. I missed you so much,” he said with a sad smile. His hair turned deep purple in sadness. He hugged his parents tightly, never letting them go.
The next morning, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Madam Pomfrey found Teddy fell asleep on the floor of the shack with his parents, covered in a blanket. The sight of it made Harry clutched his heart in pain. He was so ashamed because of his parents and Sirius’ treatment toward Professor Lupin and his wife.
Harry then confronted Sirius at Grimmauld Place, berating him for his immaturity and his arrogance. He also said that his father, James Potter was nothing more than a filthy swine and an arrogant spoiled bully, and his mother, Lily Potter was nothing more than an arrogant traitor. This made Sirius felt heartbroken. He wanted to apologize to Remus. But the damage had been done. And it was utterly severe.
Harry then apologized to Teddy’s parents for the atrocities that his parents and Sirius had done before. At first, Severus wanted to scream in rage. But after Molly and Professor McGonagall reassured her that Harry wasn’t like his parents, Severus finally decided to put her faith in the boy. Remus also hesitated in the first place as well, but finally, he decided to trust Harry.
It was during Teddy’s third year when Voldemort came back. Severus found an injured Cedric Diggory supporting Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour who were injured as well. The panicked Hufflepuff told Severus that Harry was kidnapped by Barty Crouch Jr. to Little Hangleton graveyard. A panicked Severus went to the location where Harry was kidnapped. She then contacted Remus and Frank through Deluminator, telling them that Harry was kidnapped. That’s when she realized that her left arm didn’t feel hurt at all. She took a look at her arm. The mark was no longer there. She was free from Voldemort’s control from the night Remus bit her left arm when she tried to defend herself. Remus had freed her from Voldemort.
Severus and Remus became mentors for D.A’s recruits while keeping the meeting secret from Dolores Umbridge. With the help of Newt Scamander and Alastor Moody, they taught the students how to defend themselves. Newt provided his home to become the meeting place for D.A’s members. Even the older students such as Cedric joined the group. The staff of Hogwarts – including the house-elves – kept the meeting and the organization secret from Umbridge who was annoyed as she couldn’t find incriminating evidence to arrest Albus. Quirell even managed to thwart Umbridge’s effort on exposing D.A’s meeting by causing a huge ruckus in his classroom with the help of Weasley twins and Lee Jordan when Umbridge spotted Ron and Harry went to Albus’ office to discuss the material for the next D.A meeting.
The residents of Hogwarts also made Umbridge's reign as Headmistress a living hell. They always made a mess in classrooms, messed up her paperwork, etc. Even Hogwarts' ghosts took part in the chaos. They haunted Umbridge every night. When Marrietta Edgecomb was captured, Fred and George made Umbridge lost her way to her office by using Disillusionment Charm, thus giving Marrietta a chance to escape quickly and used Floo Network to go to Newt's home. When Marrietta told everyone about Umbridge's plan, Newt asked help from M.A.C.U.S.A, so Umbridge can't break into his house. And it worked brilliantly. The D.A's secret remained safe until the very end.
Sirius finally decided to apologize to Remus and Severus after the battle at Mystery Department. He hesitated to knock the door, but finally, he knocked on the door slowly. A grim-looking Severus greeted him in an icy tone. "What are you doing here, Black? Do you still want to humiliate us?" “Snape…I’m so sorry for treated you terribly when we were at Hogwarts. Now I understand why Remus chose you as his wife. He loves you and you love him too. Back then… I was an utter jerk who didn’t even want to see something through other people’s point of view. Twelve years in Azkaban had opened my eyes slowly through the hard way. Back then, when we were still students, I always thought that everything in my life will always go smoothly just like I wanted. Prongs and Lily's death combined with Pettigrew's betrayal made me realize that I was very wrong. Reggie's sacrifice to destroy Voldemort... When I learned it from Kreacher, I was utterly devastated. I'm truly alone in this world because of my arrogance and selfishness. I was wrong, Snape. I’m sorry…” Sirius had no courage to see Severus directly and he’s crying in shame. He was so ashamed of himself. Severus, on the other hand, was conflicted with her emotions. She was delighted when she heard Sirius got what he deserved. But on the other hand, she also felt sorry for him and the Potters. Finally, she brought Sirius inside her home and talked with him over a cup of tea and homemade biscuits. It turned out that Sirius was indeed sincere with his apology. Severus and Remus finally forgave Sirius.
When everyone found out that Harry was one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes, a worried Severus quickly brought Harry to Bill Weasley and explained the situation. Bill with the help of the goblins helped Harry to remove Voldemort’s fractured soul out of his body. Then, Albus decided to form the Horcrux hunt team. Severus then helped the team which consisted of Moody, Shacklebolt, Sirius, Lucius, Remus, Alice, Frank, and Tonks with the clues of Voldemort’s possible Horcruxes with the aid of Slughorn’s memory.
The final battle was a huge chaos. Students and teachers alike were battling Death Eaters. Even Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students also gave their support to Hogwarts along with Newt Scamander and M.A.C.U.S.A's Aurors. The battle became much more difficult for them because Albus was murdered by Voldemort. Severus panted for breath as she clutched the wound she obtained from Nagini’s bite. Being a werewolf has its perks after all. She’s running into the castle looking for her husband and son where she spotted Antonin Dolohov aiming Killing Curse toward Remus. In a rage, Severus sent a Blasting Spell toward Dolohov, sending the man flying backward and hit the walls. “Where’s Teddy?” she asked while grabbing Remus’ shoulders. Before Remus could answer, they heard Teddy’s voice, “Mum! Dad! Harry is now battling Voldemort!” Remus and Severus then dashed out of the castle and witnessed Harry battled Voldemort by himself. Neville then yelled, “Harry! Move aside!” Harry then jumped aside. At that moment, Neville blew an arrow that was laced by basilisk’s venom to Voldemort’s chest. Not long after, an ear-piercing scream could be heard and then, the scream ceased to nothingness.
They’ve won.
Voldemort is defeated.
Everyone instantly cheered in joy. Severus hugged her husband and son. At that moment, the ghosts of James and Lily appeared in front of them. Lily smiled sadly at Severus, “Sev, we’re sorry for what we had done to you and Remus years ago.” James nodded and turned to Remus, “You’re doing a great job as a husband and a father, Moony. I wish that I could be more mature just like you.” Severus smiled at them, “It’s okay, we already forgave you two.” James and Lily then turned to Harry, “Harry, we’re proud of you. You are a brave man.” said Lily. Harry grinned at his parents “Yeah, I love you too,” And with that, the Potters disappeared with a smile on their faces.
It’s already 19 years passed.
Severus smiled at her husband when they arrived at King Cross station. She’s now the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. Remus already retired from his job as an Auror to continue teaching D.A.D.A at Hogwarts and became the head house of Gryffindor while continuing to write short stories and novels. They saw Fred and George with their respective wives ushering their children onto the train. Frank and Alice were having a conversation with Neville and his wife, Hannah Longbottom. Teddy is now an Auror just like his father along with Cedric. Tonks now married to Charlie Weasley, though they had no plan to have children yet. Quirell becomes the new flying instructor replacing the retired Madam Hooch. Shacklebolt becomes the new Ministry for Magic. In his first year, he established new rules and creatures equality rights, including house-elves with the help of Granger and ousted the corrupt higher-ups such as Umbridge from the ministry. Moody decided to retire from his job as an Auror and living a quiet and peaceful life in the countryside. Sirius opened a successful motorcycle business in London after finally managed to reconcile with Harry after the battle at the Department of Mystery. Newt had built the Magical Creatures Congregation which has many branch organizations around the world dedicated to magical creatures conservation and fighting for the equal rights of magical creatures in the wizarding world. Severus and Remus then saw Harry and Ginny along with Ron, Hermione, Draco, and Astoria who were smiling to them with their children. They smiled back and waved to them.
All is well.