(Special thanks to rinny08 for being a lovely beta and to Fred Astaire, for inspiring me)
Chapter One
Sirius bit his pencil, looked down at the blank sheet of paper and bit the pencil again. He had tried to talk Remus into helping him with History of Magic, and failed miserably.
Moony has been trying to avoid him lately. Whenever James and Sirius were late for breakfast, Remus had already finished his, and if by chance they'd arrive earlier, then Remus skipped lunch. Just like that.
Even Peter was getting more attention from Remus than poor Sirius, and that was just depressing.
"Fancy a chess match?" asked James from one corner, trying hard not to look at Evans. Since the red-haired had totally busted him up (Muggle style), James started being more careful and of course, that meant all the time he usually dedicated to Lily had to be spent on somebody else.
Like Sirius, for instance.
"And just how chess is going to help me with my essay on the Goblin rebellions?" he asked nonchalantly, but his paper sat forgotten on the desk. A little voice ringing in the back of his head told him it was not a good idea, but, as usual, didn't insist too much.
It too wanted to play wizard's chess, as well.
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Dumbledore's desk was usually overflowing with happiness and a there's sort of a cozy feeling to it, like someone had baked a cake or more like Christmas arrived early this year.
None of that was anything like Severus Snape. Remus didn't look much better, he was sweating and it took him a great deal to look at Severus for more than a few seconds. He didn't realize Severus was still in shock.
Lupin's true nature had been revealed to Severus just a few weeks ago and since then he had not been able to sleep a wink. Naturally, Severus blamed Potter for what he saw near the Whomping Willow that dreadful night and, as far as he was concerned, the fact that Potter actually saved him did not compensate him to the least!
Dumbledore came in and warmly gazed at Fawkes.
"Ah, Severus, Remus, you're early! Well, I assume you both have an idea as to why I wanted to see you." Severus nodded rigidly and glared back at Remus, who seemed to shrink a little.
"Professor Dumbledore, I regret…" Remus began talking but Dumbledore just raised his hand and Remus understood it was not his turn to speak.
"There's hardly anything here to regret, just things to arrange. We cannot have a werewolf running freely every full moon, you see," Dumbledore stated, curling the tip of his very long beard.
Severus curved his lips; he was trying hard not to smile. Lupin, needless to say, was as white as a sheet of paper, or worse!
"That brings me to…" Severus could almost feel the sweet, sweet victory when Albus Dumbledore mercilessly pronounced, "to you, Severus."
"What?" Both Lupin and Severus asked at the same time. The conversation was beginning to move onto the bizarre side. As to be expected, Dumbledore had once again managed to take them by surprise.
"Oh, haven't I told you? Professor Slughorn couldn't be more pleased with your performance in Potions class. As far as I am concerned, I am very glad that it was you who found out about Mr Lupin." Albus' eyes were smiling from behind his half-moon spectacles.
Severus opened his mouth and then shut it, not entirely sure of what to say.
"You're our man, Severus."
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Potions class never seemed to go by fast enough, especially for Sirius, who besides having to put up with the paper balls being thrown at him by Avery and Rosier, had to keep Peter from cutting the ingredients the wrong way.
"Don't! Didn't I tell you before you have to cut them horizontally?" he whined, while taking a look at his potion. According to the book it should now have a healthy pink color. Fat chance, Sirius thought as the potion started to boil.
"But that's how I do it, Sirius…" muttered Peter in what looked like a moan. Sirius just swore under his breath.
"What are you saying, huh? You mean the book is giving you false instructions? Nonsense!" Sirius sulked but Peter continued cutting horizontally. The only two people who could actually brew a decent potion were absent: Remus was in Dumbledore's office and Lily had the flu.
James was even worse at potions than he was, so Slughorn decided he wasn't to be helped or to be given any outside advice so he could improve all by himself. Poor James was now sitting in the corner hoping his potion wouldn't explode or anything.
"Mister Potter!" Slughorn suddenly exclaimed, after having spared the whole class a hasty evacuation. He gave Potter's cauldron a sad and pitiful look and then he calmed down a bit, but only a bit.
"Oh, well, it's not that bad," he calmly stated and then he turned his very corpulent body toward Nott's cauldron, whose potion wasn't far from exploding either.
Sirius scanned the room. Somebody else was also missing, a certain greasy haired person who wouldn't have wasted two seconds in brewing his potion and leaving the rest of the class in ridicule.
He clicked his tongue. "What's the use in real life of a Draught of Living Death, right Peter?"
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It was almost seven and Severus was still in the library, doing something related to Potions and for the first time he absolutely hated it. Dumbledore had asked him the unthinkable: He had to brew Wolfsbane for Lupin!
Thinking about it made him break out into a cold sweat, mainly because of a certain unwanted memory of a certain full moon. Knowing he was the only person who actually knew the poor devil's problem (apart from at least two other useless characters we'll call S Black and James P for reference) he decided to borrow some ingredients from "Sluggy".
That represented no problem. What happened next did.
A draft passed right by the door and a head appeared from out of the blue and then the rest of the body. Whose body was it? None other's than Sirius Black's. Severus hid behind his book.
"What a shocker! Severus Snape hiding his greasy nose behind a book about… what is it about this time Snivellus?" Sirius was grinning from ear to ear.
In all honesty, attacks against his persona were becoming fewer and fewer and less violent by the minute, but Snape was still not letting his guard down. He decided, however, to leave his book down.
"Werewolves," he answered slowly, careful not to slur his words.
Sirius mood changed, and he started kicking the air. "Do you not get it? You almost died for your goddamn curiosity and…"
"Dumbledore wants me to brew some Wolfsbane for Lupin," Severus went on practically ignoring Black's chatter. He raised his book again. "I see neither Potter nor Lupin is here with you, not even Pettigrew!"
"What do you mean?" Sirius protested, taking out his wand, and yet Snape did not move one inch from where he was. This usually got on Sirius' nerves. Even in the direst situations Severus Snape's face remained the same.
"If you wanted to pull a prank on me, Potter and Pettigrew wouldn't miss it, and if you're looking for Lupin he left hours ago. Now go away." Snape hissed, finally losing his cool.
But Sirius didn't go away. He only got nearer and sat down next to Severus. It was the most civilized conversation they'd had in years.
"Why won't you just go?" he growled, pursing his lips, but Black just glanced at the book suspiciously.
"Why would Dumbledore ask you of all people to do it?" he asked. Severus took a quick but wary look at Black's wand and answered as truthfully as he could.
"Because, you bunch of dunderheads know nothing about potions and I do." And that was that. He decided it was time to run off but Sirius grabbed his arm.
"But you hate us," Sirius said, surprised. Snape, however, was aware something like this could happen. Sighing he swirled his wand and the book levitated to its shelf. Then Severus walked right toward the exit.
Dumbledore had said nothing of the sort, but Severus suspected if he didn't brew the potion as he was asked to, both he and Lupin could end up in trouble, possibly even expelled.
Before he could step out of the library, Severus was hit by a jelly-legs jinx and he slipped. During the next few days Severus tried to convince himself he'd probably had a hallucination, but the shadow which passed right by him seemed to have whispered a muffled: "thank you."
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"You never give the orchids I sent a glance, no! You like cactus plants... This is a fine romance!" Fred Astaire.