the marriage stone (Discontinued)

Chapter 33 Tall Tales

Several hours later Severus found himself sitting next to Remus Lupin at a long wooden table in the main hall. The hall was crowded with people - warriors who had flooed in from the other fortresses in the Winter Land at a summons from Asgeir - and they were all feasting heartily before the great battle that was to commence the following day.

Though Harry looked exhausted, he was seated next to his godfather, listening in fascination to a story Sirius was telling a group of warriors about some exploit of his and James Potter's when they had both been Aurors so many years ago. Sirius was very much in his element - surrounded by lackeys who hung on his every word. Severus could still see the bright young man he had been back in Hogwarts - it seemed as if even all those years in Azkaban could not entirely diminish that light that had so enamored Remus Lupin.

Indeed the werewolf was watching the proceedings with gleaming eyes, his gaze never leaving Sirius' face though he was careful to school his expression into something less obvious than hero worship. Frankly Severus found the whole thing annoying - even Harry looked captivated by the Marauder and it made something that felt remarkably like jealousy burn inside Severus.

He turned his thoughts to the conversation they'd had with Harry earlier instead, his mind still focused on that stone. By his estimate it had to weigh between four and five thousand pounds - perhaps even more than that. And Harry assured them he'd lifted it with little difficulty. He had no doubt in his mind that Albus could do such a thing, or Flitwick. But both those men were masters of Charms. Harry was no master. He of course knew the boy was strong - they all knew that. But this was more than he had expected.

"Lupin," he interrupted the werewolf's romantic musings. "Could you lift that stone?" Lupin was better than him at charms - always had been. He'd been top of their class at Hogwarts in the subject.

Remus laughed softly under his breath. "Not even on a good day," he admitted, glancing over at him with an amused look in his eyes. "I've been thinking the same thing all evening. I once levitated a small Muggle automobile but it couldn't have been even half the weight of that stone and it took everything I had."

Severus found himself nodding in understanding - he'd lifted a number of heavy objects in his life, though not an automobile.

"I thought about saying something to Harry," Remus continued. "But if he said he did it, then I know he did, and I was afraid anything I might say would make him doubt himself tomorrow."

"I thought the same," Severus agreed, and suspected Sirius had stayed silent for the same reason. "How's your Patronus?"

"Adequate," Remus shrugged. "Not like Harry's, of course, but it will get the job done."

"And what about Black?" Severus questioned. "I've never seen him throw one before."

"Neither have I," Remus admitted. "But I trust him. If he says he can handle it, then I know he can."

Such faith. It was such a pathetically Gryffindor thing to say that Severus wanted to mock the man for it. But he thought of something a bit more cutting to say instead. "Well, judging by the way those women are eyeing him, I've no doubt Black will have all the happy memories he needs from tonight."

Remus whirled his head back toward his companion as if he'd been slapped, his amber gaze immediately seeking out the women in question. Indeed there were a group of young, rather well-endowed women watching the notorious outlaw, their eyes gleaming with a certain lustful hunger. But contrary to Severus' words, Black had not yet appeared to have noticed them. Remus, however, while giving Severus the predictable reaction he had been expecting, was not as ignorant as the Slytherin remembered.

"I'd say Sirius isn't the only one who's caught the eye of the local wildlife," he remarked somewhat cattily as he nodded his head toward a group of younger girls closer to Harry's age.