Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Works are not mine. The characters and settings are owned by J. K. Rowling and her respected publishing companies e.g. Bloomsbury.
Dance Inside is not mine. The lyrics are owned by The All American Rejects and their respective companies.
A/N: This is set in the same verse as 'When Daylight Dies' and is basically how our favourite Potions Master and werewolf got together.
You don't have to move, you don't have to speak,
"Severus, if you would partner with Mr Lupin," the jovial voice stated, yet onyx orbs could see the apology that lay within the man's face. It was to be expected really, the Head of Slytherin didn't want to send one of his Snakes, one of his Slugs, his very own Potions apprentice to spend his final year next to a Gryffindor. After all, it was known throughout the school that Remus Lupin was the silent member of the quartet of bullies, who had dedicated nary seven years of causing Severus Snape's life a misery.
So with a silent sigh of resignation, the tall Slytherin stalked towards the desk where the Gryffindor was already sat, and sank into the seat aside the other man. He resisted the urge to push his seat to the furthest edge of the desk, and instead began to methodically prepare his area. Assuring that his pristine, pewter cauldron was exactly fifteen centimetres from the table-edge, and his Bunsen sat directly below the centre of the cauldron.
The Potions professor spent the next few minutes assigning a Slytherin student to their Gryffindor counterpart, giving (as he had done for Severus) an apologetic glance to each and every one of them. "Today we will brew the Elixir to induce Euphoria, I will be observing your practical skills for this potion, and you will be given a theory test next lesson. The instructions are on the board, now begin!"
Casting a withering look at the Gryffindor, who was still fumbling with his robes, Severus swiftly rose from his seat to collect the ingredients needed for the potion. He had already brewed this potion to perfection the year previously when practising for his Potions apprenticeship. It wasn't a particularly difficult potion; however it had numerous colour-changes which could potentially ruin the potion if brewed incorrectly.
Gathering the required ingredients, Severus was quite pleasantly surprised to note that his new partner wasn't a complete imbecile as he had lit the bunsen underneath a half-full cauldron of water. Placing the ingredients upon the work-bench, he quickly returned to the equipment station to retrieve two cutting-tiles and two scalpels.
"Okay Lupin, I know that we abhor one another, however I would appreciate it if our relationship did not deter my brewing. So, if you would please slice the Shrivelfig in half, and dice the wormwood then I would be content," Severus intoned, whilst expertly slicing the castor beans in an efficient manner.
The next few minutes past in this quiet fashion, until Lupin broke the silence. "The water's boiling, shall I add the shrivel fig?"
Severus glanced beneath his fringe at the boy. "No, it is not needed," he murmured, placing his scalpel down so that he could reach a sprig of peppermint that he had collected. However, when he made to place the plant in the boiling water, a hand around his wrist stopped him. "What do you think you are doing, Lupin?" his sharp tongue was dripping acid, "Unhand me this instant!"
Yet, the Gryffindor was no longer looking at what was in Severus' hand, but what marred Severus' skin instead. Following the Gryffindor's gaze, Severus scowled and pulled his sleeve further up his hand, and dropped the peppermint into the cauldron.
"Ah, an unorthodox idea Mr. Snape," Slughorn boomed, warily looking between Severus and Lupin, "However, by adding the peppermint you've counterbalanced the occasional side effects of nose-tweaking and excessive singing, quite ingenuous if I say so myself!"
"Thank you Professor," Severus answered smoothly, before leaning across the desk to grab two halves of a shrivelfig. He swiftly added them to the cauldron, which caused the potion to quickly change from red to turquoise.
"I'm sorry," Lupin murmured quietly, whilst silently handing the castor beans to Severus. "I had no right to grab you like that, I just didn't know what effect peppermint would have on the potion, and I thought that you were trying to lower my grade."
Severus allowed a sneer to spread across his face. "Of course I knew what it would do. I am a natural at Potions, and one of the youngest ever Potions Apprentices, and I would not jeopardise a potion to ensure you received a Troll." The Gryffindor didn't reply, but mumbled something that Severus did not catch.
The potion was a faint orange colour now, so the only thing left was to add approximately 3oz of wormwood, until the potion turned yellow. This stage was a delicate process, the precise amount of wormwood had to be added, because too much would turn the potion dark-green and cause a bad case of hiccups. So, as soon as the first swirl of yellow appeared, Severus allowed a miniscule amount of wormwood to enter the liquid before swiftly stirring the potion into the correct consistency.
"Would you bottle the potion please, Lupin?" Severus asked, whilst quickly retrieving the equipment they had used. "I am going to put these away," he stated, whilst needlessly indicating the instruments in his hands.
"Severus," Lupin called when the boy returned to the desk, causing the boy in question to level a glare at the Gryffindor. "Sorry, I meant Snape," he hurriedly amended, "I'm going to get the others to stop teasing you," he whispered so that only Severus could hear.
Confusion passed across Severus' face at the words, but he quickly replaced his expression with one of disdain. "And why, pray tell, would you do that? I have nothing to offer in return and I very much doubt that this isn't some prank orchestrated by Potter and Black."
Lupin hesitated. "I don't know how I can convince you that this isn't a trick," he implored, and Severus was surprised with the actual emotion which was evident in the boy's voice. "But I'll get them to stop, I mean, I would have done so sooner, but I guess that I never realised the true extent of what they did. I mean, for you to have such scars because of their stupid pranks, I'm in half a mind to give them a good thrash-"
"Stop," Severus commanded harshly, fixing his furious onyx eyes on the Gryffindor. "I do not slit my wrists, Lupin, you imbecilic moron. I am neither pathetic enough, nor so maudlin to take my own life, I am no coward. If I was to die then I would go down fighting, taking whoever was stupid enough to kill me down into the deepest depths of Hell with me."
"But then how do you explain the scars?" the Gryffindor persisted, and Severus wanted to snarl at the boy as he could see the pity in his amber eyes.
"I need not have to explain myself to you," he hissed, eye blazing with anger. "I have many scars, Lupin, and none of them are due to your insipid little gang of idiots, now why don't you do me a favour, and leave alone?" and a smirk stretched Severus' face at his next words. "After all, I don't ask how you how you attained your scars, now do I, Wolf-boy?" And without further ado, Severus exited the room, leaving a speechless Gryffindor behind.