Title: A Brief Consideration
Author: Audree Anne
Rating: PG
Pairing(s)/character(s): Severus, Remus, & Sirus
Summary: Out on the astronomy tower for some late night reading, Severus encounters a side a Remus Lupin he's never seen, and steps in to help Remus out. preslash.
Wordcount: 1,659
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plotline
Warnings: not a super good fic for Sirus Black fans.
Severus Snape thought he'd be safe from interruptions when he crept to the Astronomy tower at 1 a.m. He favored the secluded tower's balcony over his bedroom as a backdrop for reading. Faulkner's, 'The Sound and Fury' was grasped in his hands with the delicacy that one might hold a wilting flower or expensive china. Reading wasn't a hobby to Severus; it was a luxury he worked for. Too often, the Slytherin common room was full of loud obnoxious boys flexing their muscles or attitudes, or shrill girls who clung to these boys like ticks. So it was quite the treat for Severus to be settled in the dark silence that the astronomy tower provided.
However, the footsteps were coming closer at an alarmingly fast rate told Severus that he wouldn't enjoy this luxury much longer. He listened in annoyance as the footsteps rounded the tower entrance. Life in the Slytherin house had taught Severus many lessons, but the most importantly, his time around highly ambitious, power-hungry, and notoriously sneaky housemates, had taught Severus to keep mind his own business. So, like a true Slytherin Severus, the wiry teen sunk further into the shadows to seclude himself from whatever event was unfolding before him.
The intruder pressed themselves to the stone wall in distress before sinking slowly down to their knees, whilst cradling a stitch in their side. Their breaths came in hurried intervolves, as though they'd been desperately running. Severus spared a glance to this trespasser with annoyance at first from the shadows. However, from the pale moonlight, Severus irritation faded into recognition and intrigue as he watched Remus Lupin pant softly into his raised knees. The soft light illuminated a trail of blood running from a busted lip—which should heal without Pomfrey, a ripped collar—which Lupin could have done without considering his limited and very diminished wardrobe, and tousled tawny hair that was sticking to a sweaty forehead—which was quite uncharacteristic of Lupin who, being a Prefect, set an example through everything he did, including his grooming.
For the first time in seven years, Severus Snape considered Remus Lupin, blood, torn robes, tousled hair and all. As Lupin sat slumped there against the ancient stone wall, using the back of his hand to clean the blood from his face, Snape noticed that Lupin wasn't very sure of himself now that he didn't have, a mound of library books or group of cocky friends to hide behind, and while the moon had a week before it was full, Remus Lupin didn't even have the mask of his lycanthropy to masquerade behind. What Lupin was hiding behind now was less figurative, and more direct, a wall, a stone wall.
After a few moments of silence and even breaths, Lupin stood up and as if pulled to the moonlight he walked to the ledge of the astronomy tower. The tawny haired teen fingered the rough texture of the stone ledge that secured students from a lengthy fall. Lupin leaned far over the ledge, casting his eyes around the dimly light grounds of the school. He stood out so still and quiet in the moonlight, that if Severus didn't already know there was something supernatural about him, he was had known in this instint.
Lupin pulled himself onto the rough stone top of the wall, and laid on his back, facing the clearly illuminated stars. Severus, understood Lupin's expression at once, it was the lulled expression of reverie. Severus was so hynotized by the still nature of Lupin in this moment that he almost felt his body being pulled to the sight before him, as anyone would be pulled to butterfly, or anything beautiful. Severus watched in facination as Lupin pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and pressed it between bruised lips. Severus watched, Faulker forgotten, the more intriquing poofs of smoke leaving Lupin's lips, drift ing up to the blinking early morning stars.
After a few moments of silence, Severus was taken over by the peaceful nature of the atmosphere as the moonlight was now blocked by clouds; the only light in the pitch black balcony was that of the stars and Lupin's own cigarette. Severus was so lulled into watching as the light was sucked in between Lupin's lips and out again that he almost didn't hear the second pair of footsteps coming.
The second intruder was coming toward the astronomy tower with conviction that made Severus stand alert in his corner.
"Moony!" Came the whispered command of an all too familiar voice of Sirius Black in the darkness.
Remus's breath hitched and he nearly toppled off the side of ledge in alarm. Quickly regaining his senses, Remus hurried to the shadows of the wall where he had been when he first come onto the tower.
"You know I didn't mean it, let's just go back to the common room," Black's voice called was the smooth charming tone that the idolized teen used to talk his way out of detentions he always deserved and to woo leagues of girls to disbelieving rumors of his own sleazy nature.
Severus didn't doubt Lupin was pressing himself almost flat against the cold stone wall in the pitch blackness as Black rounded the corner.
"Come on, seriously--I know you're here Moony, I have the map. I'm sorry about earlier, but you started it—you really did. I mean, you know how I get when you constantly have to be such a damn joy-kill. I know you're a Prefect and all that, but honestly Moony, you have the mindset of a 60 year-old man," Sirius said into the night,, walking dangerously close to Lupin, who was seemingly trying to will himself to melt into the wall.
"Remus, Dammit! Come back now, you're being ridiculous! Are you trying to make me angry?" Black's voice did a complete turn around, his words coming out in loud angry barks. Severus was surprised Peeves or Filch hadn't shown up. Severus could almost feel Lupin squirming helplessly as Black pressed ever closer to his hiding position.
"Remus!!" yelled Black snatching around blindly in the almost pitch blackness inches from where Remus was standing.
"Black!" said Severus stepping out from his shadowy corner, "can you control the volume of your voice, or must it always come out as a severe yell?"
Black, clearly taken aback, stalked forward to Severus, wand pointed. "I though you were here, you greasy haired bastard, I should have known you'd be out for a nice soak in the moonlight."
"Before we alert every professor and poltergeist that we're out of bed, could you kindly turn around and go back to which you came?" asked Severus in a quiet, yet condescending tone.
"Where's Remus, you slimy git? Did you suck his blood dry, or pull out his hairs for one of your ridiculous little potion experiments?"
"I haven't seen your mongrel friend anywhere Black, what did you get lonely in the night without your favorite fury boy-toy, and came sleep-walking in distress?"
"I'm not in the mood for this Snape," said Black looking around the dimly lit tower for a sign of his friend.
"And when are you in the mood to taunt me, Black," said Severus, pulling Blacks attention back to him," when you have a cheering section of dim-witted blondes nearby to laugh at your childish taunts and second grade wit?"
"Go away Snape," said Black, clearly not deterred from finding Lupin. As Black turned his head to continue his search in the dark for his friend, Snape spared a glance to Lupin's hiding spot. Snape didn't have to use Occulmens to infer that Lupin desperately didn't want Black to find him. Severus could sense Remus's pleading gaze upon him from the shadows.
"GET OFF ME BLACK!" Severus yelled to a startled and innocent Sirius Black who was standing two feet away.
"AH PROFESSOR, SOMEONE, HELP!" The boy continued flailing his arms around with a self satisfied expression dancing on his lips.
"Dammit Snape, shut up, what the hell is wrong with you?!" Sirius whispered harshly while throwing his hands around Snape's mouth to silence the Slytherin.
"That will be enough Mr. Black," Professor Slughorn announced in between breaths, as he rested his hands on his knees, "really boys, I know we have our predispositions and whatnot, but fighting at this hour seems a bit excessive."
"But professor!" Protested Black, clearly affronted.
"But nothing Mr. Black. Now, look, I don't have the feel like going through writing you boys up, but I will be personally escorting the two of you back to your respective common rooms," said Slughorn motioning the two boys out of the astronomy tower.
"Oh professor," said Snape, and Slughorn's expression warmed at his star pupil, "sir, I left my book back in the corner, might I just pop over and retrieve it?"
"Of course, Severus, catch up, will you, we're on the way to the Gryffindor tower," said the stout professor winking at the potions prodigy.
"Certainly, right away sir," said Severus, while sparring one last look at an infuriated Sirius Black.
Once Severus heard the footsteps retreating, he glanced to Remus in the shadows.
"Why—"
"Because Lupin, I was here, and I was bored so the timing was good" said Severus drawing himself closer to Remus, his fingers ghosting over the traces of dried blood that clung to the boy's pale skin, "there's no need to read more into it."
In that simple statement, Remus Lupin considered Severus Snape, as his companion billowed out, clutching his novel close to his chest chasing after Slughorn's droning voice lecturing Black.
Remus frowned as he pressed his own fingers to the sandy feel of the dried blood on his chin. He pulled out a last cigarette, pausing only to wonder how many more times the phrase "good timing" would come from Snape's lips before he realized that it was in fact himself that was good.