OLD FRIENDS
(by Loki)

The Necessary Evil of the Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters included in the Harry Potter series, I only include them in my dirty fantasies.

Severus Snape still seemed to be the same old pale, oddball that Remus Lupin remembered from his school days. He'd been a bit worried about encountering him when he took the job of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as it had been one of his own best friends, James Potter, that put poor little Severus through countless embarassing trials and misery when they were children. Not only that, but he knew he was getting the teaching position that Severus had always wanted. However, the afternoon of his very first day teaching proved to pleasantly rid him of his fears.

Snape had entered Remus's dimlit classroom unexpectedly, his hands tucked into the pockets of his robes. He swept across the stone floor quick and elegantly; he was almost ghost-like. Remus was sitting at his desk writing lesson plans for the next few days. Being a teacher was more stressful than he'd thought it would be.

"Remus Lupin," said Severus unnaturally cheerfully, "It's been a long time since I've seen you at Hogwarts."

"I could say the same to you, Severus." said Remus uncertainly, "You look well."

Snape smirked a bit, a rare sight, and came closer to his desk as he pulled a small bottle from his pocket, in which was a dark, swirling liquid.

"Dumbledore has instructed me to brew your wolfsbane potion for you," he said, "the first full moon is in less than a week, though I'm sure you're already aware."

"Oh, yes, I do keep track of those things, obviously." he took the bottle, his fingers running over Snape's for just a split second. "Thank you very much, I'll be in your debt; though if it's too much of a burden making it for me, I've learned to brew it myself."

"Not at all," Severus said rather quickly, "I've got pleanty of time to spare for it, I could probably even make you something more if you asked."

"Oh, I couldn't think of anything I'd need." said Remus with a smile, but looking down at his papers as he wrote. "But thank you for the offer."

There was a moment of awkward silence before Severus nervously broke it.

"Well, I suppose I'll be going then. I'll bring you the next potion as soon as I can. It takes a few days to make."

Severus turned to leave, but Remus thought that it would be terribly rude not to at least offer him the invitation to stay a while. Perhaps the two of them had never been on the best of terms as children due to the fact that he, although he was a prefect, had never made an effort to defend Severus against James's adolescent behavior, but that was a long time ago. They were adults now.

He put down his quill, "Oh, Severus-- you could stay a while, if you want. What do you say to a bottle of brandy?"

Snape, who was almost to the door, turned back and grinned a bit, as if he'd been hoping for such an invite all along.

Much to Remus's surprise, Severus accepted and the visit turned out to be rather pleasant. They sat down together at his desk, and in a matter of minutes both were laughing and conversing, their discussion consisting mostly of the usual small talk: how each was, how was work at Hogwarts going, and the otiose subject of muggle politics. They both consumed a reasonable amount of brandy, but neither was hardly phased by it; both had always held their alcohol well. In the midst of their visit, Remus could not help but notice how different Snape looked than how he remembered him; he couldn't believe he'd not noticed those beautiful dark eyes.

"So Severus," said Remus after both had recovered from laughter after a rather entertaining joke he'd told, "It's been nearly thirty years hasn't it? I can't help but wonder if there's perhaps a Mrs. Severus Snape at home?"

"No, there's not." said Snape, "I was... never too interested in women. I think I blame my mother."

Remus laughed, "I see. Well, there's this woman who's been after me for a while. I could never be with a woman, though; for one thing I'd be constantly afraid of harming her with my-- condition. Besides, I..." He stopped. Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Besides what?" he asked.

"Er-- nothing." said Remus, "It's probably late, isn't it? I think we should turn in."

"Oh, come now, Lupin." said Severus with a bit of a grin, "I think we both know what you were going to say... you and Sirius were never very discrete, you know."

Remus felt his face flush red. "I don't know what you're talking about." He didn't think anybody but Sirius, of course, had ever known about his homosexuality.

"It's alright," Snape laughed, "I can imagine you... probably miss him"
There was a moment of silence. Sirius had been sent to Azkaban many years ago. The thought seemed to drive a spike through Remus's heart.

"I do." said Remus, looking downward.

Severus wasn't sure what to say. He'd never been much of a comforter; the things he tried to say in comfort were usually awkward and didn't help at all. So, instead of talking, he reached across the desk and put his hand atop Remus's. Remus looked up, staring into those dark eyes. They gave off an erie sort of feeling, one that would probably be unpleasant to most people, but it was the kind of feeling that brought up so many good memories for him; the kind of feeling Sirius used to give him.

"You remind me so much of him." he said slowly.

To Remus's shock, but surprisingly not his discomfort, Severus picked his hand up only to press it caringly to Remus's cheek and proceeded to lean over the desk, coming closer to him until their faces were just inches away. Remus's first thought was to move away, but for some reason he sat transfixed, and almost unwillingly he felt his lips part as Snape came closer.
Their mouths were so close to touching, barely a centimeter away when there was a sudden knock on the door.--

Remus pulled away immediately.

"Come in," he said in a rather shrill voice as he stood up, his chair sliding back behind him as he did so. He coughed to return his voice to normal, and Severus sat back with a rather disapointed look on his face as Albus Dumbledore entered.

"Oh, hello, Professor Snape," said Dumbledore, raising an eyebrow, "I didn't expect you to be here so late. Having a midnight chat, are we?"

"Uh-- Yes," said Remus, coming forward and straightening himself, still feeling a bit flustered.

"Good fun, good fun." Dumbledore said, "I just thought I'd come by and ask you if you could do me a favor-- it seems a boggart's gotten into one of the supply closets in Flitwick's classroom, and I just need someone to come by in the morning and spook it out, if you could."

"Oh, yes, of course." Remus said, "I'll do it first thing in the morning, headmaster."

"Ah, wonderful! I knew I could count on you to take care of it, it's a rather nasty one, I don't really have the energy to do it myself tonight. I apologize for coming in so late. I was almost sure you'd be in bed by now, but Flitwick insisted... Anyway, I suppose I'll leave you two to your chat. Farewell and adieu, as they say."

With that very brief and very inconvenient intervention, Dumbledore left. Remus turned to look at Snape, who was standing now as well.

"Uh-- I... that is," Remus began to say awkwardly. "It... it's getting late. We should both really get to bed with classes to teach early tomorrow..."

"Yes, I suppose." said Severus, who looked a bit embarassed-- a look Remus still remembered.

He began to walk quickly from the classroom, but Remus caught his arm, stopping him with a surprising amount of strengh.

"Perhaps you'll visit again tomorrow, I hope?" said Remus, almost cursing himself in his mind for asking such.

Severus smiled, "Perhaps I will."

With that Severus departed, and Remus was left alone to think.

Oh Dumbledore, whatever will we do with you shakes head

I know that chapter didn't have a lot in it, and I wouldn't blame any of you if you called me a tease. But if any oh-so-nice people out there leave any nice reviews for me, I'll post the many more chapters I've already written. Meanwhile, you dramatically wonder what will happen next. Will Severus come back to finish what he started? Will Remus forget about Sirius and give in to his advances? Will Flitwick ever get the boggart out of his supply closet? The answers to all this and more are to come o.O!

Loki