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Severus was led into the visitor's room, his hands chained. When he arrived, he found Granger waiting for him. He raised an eyebrow.
"I can make Harry testify for you," she said.
Severus smirked. "How lovely to see you, too, Miss Granger. I do hope you've been enjoying the weather."
"Lovely," she said. They stared at each other for a moment, and then she said, "I can do it, you know."
"What's in it for you?"
Granger rolled her eyes. "Don't you mean what's in it for Harry?"
Severus snorted.
"Sirius. I know you can bring him back," Granger said. "I read about it, but the details were sketchy. You'd know."
"And why would I do a thing like that?" Severus said.
"If you don't," Granger said, "I'll let Harry testify against you. He was a witness to Dumbledore's murder, you know. And that's not the least of it; he blames you for his parents, too. By the time he's done with you, they might give you the kiss."
"And what's to stop me from leaving after Mr. Potter's testimony?" Severus said.
Weasley stepped out of the shadows. "An Unbreakable Vow," he said.
Severus leaned back in his chair. "You have no idea what you're asking," Severus said. "You don't want this."
"Yes, we do," Weasley said.
Granger looked back and Weasley, then turned back towards Severus. "Why do you say that?"
"To get out of it," Weasley said. "Don't trust him. He's a liar."
"You stupid children," Severus said. "You have no idea, none."
Weasley crossed his arms and scowled.
"Can you do it or not?" Granger said.
Severus leaned forward. "Listen to me. I'd have to reconstruct his body... Do you understand that he has no body? Do you understand what that means?"
"Can you do it?" Granger asked.
Clearly, she didn't understand. "If his soul is still just beyond the veil, but..."
"It's all bollocks," Weasley said. "He can't do it."
"Yes, I can," Severus said.
"Then you will," Granger said. "Otherwise, Harry will testify against you."
Severus sighed. "I'll need help."
"I'll help you," Granger said.
Severus snorted. "I'll need help from someone who knows something of the Dark Arts. Lupin, perhaps."
"He's not going to take you back," Weasley said. "Not now that you've killed Dumbledore."
Severus curled his lip and raised two fingers at Weasley.
"Fine," Granger said. "If Remus is willing."
"Fine," Severus said. "Let's do this. Your wand, Weasley." He held out his hand to Granger.
Granger blinked, then took his hand. "Fine."
Weasley stepped forward with his wand drawn.
Granger said, "Do you promise to do your best to bring Sirius Black back from the dead, in exchange for Harry testifying for you at your trial?"
"I do," Severus said. "And do you promise to help me restore Black to life, should Lupin prove unwilling?"
"I do," Granger said.
"Hermione!" Weasley protested, but it was too late. A flame from his wand was already wrapping itself around their wrists.
"Done," Severus said.
"Done." Granger looked up at Weasley. "Honestly, Ronald. How bad can it be?"
Severus laughed. Granger and Weasley looked at him, alarm in their eyes, and that only made him laugh harder. Finally, he managed to say, "Hope that Lupin is willing to help me, Miss Granger. The spell is quite unpleasant."
Granger looked over the bookshelf at Spinner's End, head tilted to read the titles.
Lupin's face was ashen. "You needn't come, Hermione," he said.
"Where are you going?" Granger asked.
"She only agreed to help me because she was curious," Severus said.
Granger gave him a dirty look.
"Sirius has no body," Lupin said, "so we're going to have to exhume a close relative."
Granger's eyes went wide, and her mouth went mercifully shut.
"Do come," Severus said. "It was your idea, after all."
"Do you know where we can find one of Sirius' relatives?" Lupin said.
"I know where Regulus is buried," Severus said, pleased that he managed to keep his voice steady. "A brother would be best. Well, a body would be best, and a living brother would be second-best, but we'll make do."
"Do we need... the entire body?" Lupin said.
"No, I think the right hand will do. They were both right-handed, weren't they?"
"I'm so sorry," Granger said.
"You needn't come," Lupin said.
"I want her to come," Severus said.
"You needn't." Lupin said. "In fact, I insist..."
"You're doing this to spare me," Granger said. "I'll keep you company if you like."
"Suit yourself," Severus said. "I don't see any point in putting this off any longer." He handed Lupin a wooden box, and apparated to the cemetery, hidden in the depths of London.
He heard the cracking sounds of Granger and Lupin apparating behind him, but he didn't look. He walked slowly, to the place where he knew he'd find Regulus. Yes, there it was: "Regulus Black, Toujours Pur. 1961-1980."
He turned then, and looked at Lupin and Granger. He looked at the box, and Lupin opened it with a grimace.
He murmured an exhumation spell--the Death Eaters had created a variant of the ones grave diggers used--and then closed his eyes and murmured the spell to open the coffin.
He could hear that the spell worked, and forced himself to open his eyes. He'd seen the dead before, after all. He'd been present when the Dark Lord created Inferi.
He wouldn't have recognized Regulus.
He knelt anyway, on the edge of the grave, and said, hoping Granger and Lupin couldn't hear him, "I'm sorry to disturb you. If it makes you feel any better, it's for your brother."
That probably would have made Regulus feel better--if he weren't dead, of course.
He removed the hand with a Dissendium, and used Wingardium Leviosa to put it in the box. He replaced the coffin lid and the dirt and the grass, and placed his hand on the grave. "Sleep well," he said. Then he walked back to where Lupin and Granger were waiting with the box.
"I see no reason why we shouldn't go directly to the Ministry of Magic," Severus said. "Let's get this over with."
Granger was holding her hand over her mouth. She nodded. "Tonks can let us in."
Tonks and Weasley hadn't been brought up to speed, but they were blessedly silent. Something about Granger's and Lupin's expressions must have convinced them not to ask. Weasley was hovering around Granger, looking anxious and protective.
Severus took the box from Lupin, giving him a significant look. Lupin looked back, eyes widening slightly. He glanced over at Granger, and Weasley subtly moved between them.
He walked over to the veil, and started to chant. He opened the box and dropped the hand on the floor. He heard Tonks' gasp and Weasley's muttered, "Bloody hell!"
He looked at the hand on the floor, then looked at his hands. He held up his left hand and looked at it for a moment, then pulled out a knife and cut across his left palm.
Blood of the enemy. If Black had an enemy, surely it was him. His blood dripped onto Regulus' withered hand. "Vene, vivicere Spiritus! Vinco, vindico te!"
Nothing. Not enough. He cut into his wrist, and concentrated on how much he loathed Sirius Black. "If you'd had a grave, I'd have pissed on it," he said aloud.
The veil fluttered slightly, and then was still.
"Damn you," Severus said, and cut his wrist again, deeper. There was a lot of blood, and Lupin rushed forward, grabbed his wrist, tried to stop the flow. "Damn you, Black! Either you come out here, or I'll go in there after you. Vene, vivicere Spiritus! Vinco, vindico te!"
The veil fluttered again, and there was whispering. Severus thought he made out the words, "Sod you, Snivellus."
"Vene, vivicere Spiritus! Vinco, vindico te!"
The hand on the floor changed, became plump with blood. The fingers flexed. Lupin murmured a healing spell to close the wounds in Severus' hand and wrists, but didn't let go.
"I went to all the trouble of digging up your brother," Severus said, and heard Tonks gasp again. "The least you could do is come out and say that to my face. Vene, vivicere Spiritus! Vinco, vindico te!"
The hand on the floor sprouted a fetus, a baby attached to an adult-sized hand, a child rapidly growing into a man on the floor, naked and covered with blood. It looked like Regulus for a moment, then the features changed and shifted, and it was clearly Sirius Black.
Severus could hear Lupin's sharp intake of breath behind him, and dropped the knife. He pulled out his wand, and repeated the spell. "Vene, vivicere Spiritus! Vinco, vindico te!" He was yelling it, screaming it, and Lupin couldn't seem to let go of his arm and grabbed his waist.
The veil fluttered again, and then Sirius screamed. He looked around the room, uncomprehending, then stared down at his own right hand, his forehead creased.
"All debts are paid, Miss Granger," Severus said. "If you should require my assistance in the future, please don't hesitate to bugger off and ask someone else instead."
"There are Potions that could make things easier for him," Lupin said behind him.
Which Severus had not promised Granger. "And why should I brew them?" Severus said.
"As a favor to me," Lupin said.
Severus looked at Lupin for a moment. Lupin's eyes were tired and haunted. On the other hand, Black would be distressed and disoriented and probably make Granger and Weasley's life terribly unpleasant without those Potions, which was how Severus preferred it. And the Potions should really be given under supervision, in case the subject had an adverse reaction, which meant that if he agreed he'd have to either stay with Granger and Weasley, or take Black back to his own home, neither of which appealed.
"For old time's sake," Lupin said. "Please. I'll stay with you, and help, of course."
"Very well," Severus said, and pulled Black to his feet. He grabbed Lupin's wrist with his other hand and apparated to Spinner's End.
Black was sitting on his sofa, streaked with dried blood and wrapped in a blanket. Lupin sat next to him, speaking in a calm tone, pitched too low for Severus to hear, but Black wasn't listening. He kept staring at his right hand, running his fingers around his wrist.
Severus handed Black the goblet. "Drink this."
Black drank, obedient, swallowing the contents in one long gulp. And then he blinked. "Sni... Snape? What am... Where am I?"
"My childhood home," Severus said.
"Your...?" Black looked down at his hand again, then rubbed at the dried blood.
"That's my blood," Severus said.
Black flinched, then followed the blood streaks up his arm. He pulled the blanket apart and peeked inside. "My tattoos."
"Sorry." Severus took the goblet back.
"And there's something wrong with my hand," Black said. "It's... too small, or something."
Severus decided it was better to not answer that one yet.
"I..." Black looked at him for a moment, forehead creasing. "I... What did you do?"
"It wasn't my idea," Severus said.
"What did you do?"
Severus shrugged, and said, "I have another Potion that will help."
When he returned with the second Potion, Black was telling Lupin, "I don't know what, exactly. It just feels wrong." Black pressed his hands together. "Look. The right one used to be the same size as the left, or maybe a bit larger, and..."
Severus offered Black the second goblet. Black drank it down. He handed it back, and they looked at each other for a moment.
"That had something to make me calm," Black said.
"Yes."
"And something to make me remember."
Severus nodded.
"I was dead."
It wasn't a question, it was a statement, so Severus nodded again.
"I was relieved to be dead, you great tosser," Black said. "What made you want to do a thing like...?"
"Granger and Weasley blackmailed me into it without understanding what was entailed," Severus said. "Blame their misguided impulse, rather than my unwilling participation."
"Sirius," Lupin said. "Are you...?"
"What's wrong with my hand?" Sirius said, looking at Severus.
"It's not yours," Severus said. Lupin was clearly made nervous by that answer, but Black would have to know sooner or later. "Your remains weren't recovered. The hand was your brother's."
There was a surprisingly calm moment, and then Black's hands were around Severus' neck, and Severus was being slammed backwards into the wall, and Lupin was saying, "Sirius!" and trying to pull Black off him.
"You desecrated my brother's grave?"
"He didn't have a choice, and he apologized!" Lupin said.
Severus turned his head as far as he could with Black's hands around his throat, and closed his eyes. Shut up, Lupin, shut up, shut up.
"Apologized to whom?" Black said.
"What was left of your brother," Lupin said.
Black's grip loosened slightly for a moment. Severus opened one eye and looked at him.
Black leaned his face in towards Severus', and hissed, "You were buggering my brother when you were both Death Eaters, weren't you?"
Severus leaned forward, nose to nose with Black, and said, "That's none of your fucking business."
"I hate you," Black said.
"Then you'd just as well hate yourself," Severus said, "because that's my blood running through your veins, not yours."
Black blinked.
Severus smirked. "And I hate you, too."
"He's sleeping at last, thank Christ," Lupin whispered, sitting down next to Severus on the sofa.
"Regulus wouldn't have me," Severus said, his voice low. "He left me a note later, saying he thought he'd just get me killed."
"I'm sorry," Lupin said.
"Shouldn't you be going home to your girlfriend?" Severus said.
"We split. Amicably."
Severus raised an eyebrow.
"Bill and Fleur. She's part Veela, you know." His voice was matter-of-fact, as if this was a perfectly normal answer.
Severus didn't particularly want further details, so he kissed Lupin instead. When he pulled back, Lupin said, "God, yes," and Severus knew that he must feel the same way--he needed touch, life...
They were kissing and gasping and pulling off clothes, trying to be quiet, stifling quiet grunts and moans, and finally they were naked and Severus was shoving Remus onto his back and grinding against him.
"Want you inside me," Remus murmured.
Severus groaned, then went into the kitchen. There was a fresh batch there; he'd planned to sell it for a little extra money.
He sat back down on the sofa, opened the jar, and started to spread it on his fingers.
"Just do it."
Severus smeared the lube on his cock instead, lifted Remus' legs, and pressed inside.
Remus arched, biting his lip. After a moment, he whispered, "Go ahead. Do it."
Severus started to move then, slow and careful at first, then harder, faster, Remus hissing encouragement and writhing. God, fuck. This was life, bright and messy, and fated to be over far too soon, their breathing harsh as they tried not to make too much noise. Lupin arched again, coming, their stomachs warm and wet.
"Come for me, Severus."
Severus was close, he couldn't not come now if he tried. As he threw his head back, out of the corner of his eye he saw Black in the doorway, watching them with his head cocked and a puzzled expression on his face. Severus came anyway.
"Sirius?" Remus said, reddening in a full-body blush.
"Sorry," Black said, and blushed, and turned and left the room.
The bedroom door creaked. Severus' first impulse was to move closer to Remus and tighten his grip. He opened his eyes.
Black was in the doorway, looking frightened and vulnerable.
"Sirius?" Remus said.
"Can't sleep," Sirius said. "Nightmares. Mind if I...?"
Severus tilted his head. Black must be mad. There was no...
"Of course," Remus said, and pulled the blanket aside. Black climbed in next to him and folded his hands on his chest. "Are you all right, Sirius?"
"I don't think I'm Sirius," Black said. "It's not my flesh, or my blood. Twelve years in Azkaban, death... how much of Sirius is left? I don't know who or what I am."
"We all change," Severus said.
Remus placed his hand over Black's hands. "Get some sleep."
Granger and Potter sat side by side on the sofa, and Weasley sat nearby in a chair, tapping his fingers on the arm. Severus looked at the clock, rolled his eyes, and then stood and rapped at the bedroom door. There was no answer, so he went in.
Remus was cutting Black's hair. "We'll be out in a moment," Remus said. "Done!"
Black stood and walked into the sitting room. He was wearing Remus' clothes; they were a bit large and baggy, but better than what Black had worn the last few years of his life.
Weasley stopped his infernal tapping. Potter gasped.
Black walked over, slow and silent. He reached down and touched Potter's hair. "You've grown."
"We did it for you, Harry," Granger said. "Are you...?"
"Is this what you wanted?" Potter asked Black.
Black shrugged. "Hard to say. I haven't really adjusted yet."
"Yeah," Potter said. "I can see how it'd be a bit... odd."
"Quite," Black said, and grinned.
Potter stood and hugged Black, and Black's body language finally relaxed.
"Remember when you asked if I wanted to come live with you?" Potter asked.
"I remember."
"We have a house out in the country, where you can see the stars. Just like I imagined you'd like when you asked."
"I'd like that," Black said.
Too much sentiment. Severus stood abruptly. "Tea?"
"Thank you," Potter said.
Severus went into the kitchen and put the kettle on. Remus followed him.
"Thank you, Severus."
Severus didn't look up. "I suppose you'll want to go with them, to help Black settle in?"
"No," Remus said, "I think I'll want to stay here with you. If that's all right, of course."
"I'd like that," Severus said, but he didn't raise his eyes.
Remus lifted his chin and kissed him.