It had been three weeks, five days and twelve hours since Siri—he had died. Remus choked on the very thought and frantically gulped down the tea, no matter how burning, to rid himself of that thought. Molly told him that if he didn't get up, she was afraid the chair would eat him. Being in the noblest House of Black, Remus considered this before starting his rotations of chairs as to confuse them, if not everyone else in the damned house.

Several times had he already declined offers for chess games, prank help, and conversation. He was grieving, he didn't need a minder. Morosely, Remus reminded himself he had already lost his friends, this was just fate showing she did indeed hate him. If anyone needed the minder, it was Harry Potter and he was stuck with his relatives in the muggle world.

Remus sat pondering that thought. The muggle world might be a good vacation spot. Dumbledore had him communicating with the werewolves but he could do that from anywhere with the proper charms. All he needed was a – was he out of his mind? There was a war going on and he was going to take a vacation? Bloody hell, he needed to get it together.

"Talking to one's self is the first sign of mental deterioration," Remus jumped at the sound, not realizing anyone was there.

"Hullo Severus," Remus greeted the dark man lightly. "As I wasn't speaking out loud, I don't think it counts."

Severus however had already turned his back to the werewolf and was gently picking out books and setting them back. Remus learned to pick them up gently too after one slashed his hand open.

"Are you looking for something in particular?" asked Remus, Severus turned and gave an incredulously look.

"Amazing that after two weeks of everyone fawning over your every word that now you decide to hold a conversation," he snarked. Remus didn't take the bait.

"Maybe they weren't worth conversing with," Remus replied lightly. He actually didn't know why he was so interested in what Severus was doing. Everyone else wanted to talk about Sirius, and he would bet his wolfsbane that Severus would die before talking about him. Strangely Remus was ok with that.

"Few willingly seek me out for my conversational skills," Severus said silkily, finally pulling a book free before guiding into an empty chair semi close to Remus. The graying man thought it was a start.

"That's a shame," and Remus meant it. The man was brilliant.

Severus again raised an eyebrow at him and Remus knew, though he tried his damnest, that he blushed. Severus said nothing but turned back to the book he was holding.

Remus tapped his fingers against the arm of his chair. He couldn't think of anything to say to the man. This was really the first conversation they had ever had in which he wasn't on the defense of a verbal attack from the other man. Not that he minded a verbal sparring every now and then. That was something that Remus wouldn't tell the other man.

He glanced over at this half empty tea cup and reached out to take a sip anyway. Ugh, it was disgusting. Luke warm chai tea was not as good as hot chai tea. He wondered what happened to the English Breakfast that he always kept. He would need to investigate. Even if it meant going into Molly Weasley's domain.

"Would you kindly keep your fingers still," Severus finally snapped at the man. Remus hadn't realized that he was doing. He also realized that was the nicest rude thing Severus had said to him all day. Oh bloody hell, he sounded like a teenager with a crush.

"Sorry," Remus stuttered. "I hadn't even realized I was doing it."

"Are you bored, Lupin?" asked Severus, eyes still on his book and fingers grasped onto a quill as he wrote down notes. How Remus wanted to be that quill. "Lupin?"

Remus jumped and tore his eyes from… the quill.

"Huh? Oh, sorry Severus," he stumbled over words. "Yes, I suppose you can say I am. I'm only so useful to the order right now and until Dumbledore give me the green light for field work, I'm afraid I'm stuck."

"Sounds dreadful," Severus scathed.

"Do you have a task that you could use an extra set of eyes on?" Remus knew better to even breathe the word help around the other man. "I don't have anything going on."

"Two heads are better than one?" the darker man asked, raising his eyebrow again. Remus stared fascinated at how easily he did it. He had tried as a teenager, staring in the mirror for hours. Not that he would admit that either.

"It never hurt," Remus shrugged lightly.

Severus gave a considering look for a long moment before a slight nod and Remus took that as permission to move his chair closer to the other man. Severus watched him until he sat down before shifting his notes so Remus could also read.

"What exactly am I looking at," asked Remus, taking in the sketches and the notes about ingredients.

"This is information about the 'Drought of the Living Death'. I remember your performance in potions to remember you weren't a complete dolt," Severus explained. "I am trying to alter the formula without completely debasing it. It has… challenged me, to say the least."

"What are you trying to do with it?" Remus asked, leaning closer to the man to observe his notes.

"Keep a level of consciousness, so that the person can sense the world around them but still be in a coma like state," Severus answered, frowning deeply at the words on the page. "I have continued my research into dreamless sleep to see if any leads would come from there. I still have not yet decided which is the most stable to work with."

"Can I ask what this would do?" Remus watched the lines of Severus' frown deepen.

"It would be a healing trance, used by healers to conduct work on a person that would allow for continual consciousness," Severus explained. "Say a person needed mind magic. Dreamless Sleep shuts down the consciousness that allows people to dream. Drought of the Living Death mimics death and does the same at a lesser rate. I want something in between with full consciousness."

"So that someone can go into the mind while the person is still in this coma-like state?" asked Remus.

"Exactly," Severus nodded, looking up at Remus for the first time. Remus gave him a gentle smile. "Suddenly those people who could not be healed without deep sedation may not be treated."

"Have you checked out the library here, beyond the book just in the sitting room," Remus questioned, motioning to the door opposite of the one Severus entered. Severus looked up in surprise.

"No, I have mainly been using my private collection as well as Hogwart's library," Severus replied. "I have not yet stepped foot in this library. Anytime I am here it is usually for a purpose."

"Well," Remus began, "Maybe you can drop by for other reasons now as well."

Severus stopped writing and looked up at Remus, his face betraying nothing but Remus could smell the anxiety on him before suddenly it just disappeared. Remus didn't even know why he had said such a thing, but Severus hadn't left nor hit him so he supposed it was a start.

"Very well," he agreed, much to Remus' surprise. Remus leaned in a bit, enjoying the smell of Severus when – BANG.

Molly Weasley had the WORST timing in the world. Remus and Severus both jumped with Remus pushing himself away from the other man.

"Boys," she said, as took in the sight of the papers, book, and of course the close proximity of the two. "Dinner is almost ready."

"Thank you, Molly," Remus said, smiling at her. She grinned back before leaving them in peace again. "I should go freshen up before dinner and the meeting. It has been two quiet for my peace of mind, Merlin only knows what the twins are up to."

Severus made a noise of agreement but had gone back to his notes and seemed to be ignoring Remus again. Remus swore that pain in his chest was from Molly bursting into the room. He couldn't be falling for the dark Death Eater