In the Company of Wolves
Summary: After his early "retirement" from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft, Remus Lupin journeys to Egypt in search of a cure for his furry condition. Throw Severus Snape and a shaggy sack of fleas named Sirius Black into the mix and you've got -- er, well, I don't know what you've got. But whatever it is, it's a work in progress that takes place between PoA and GoF.
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to J.K. Rowling. No exceptions. You may now put your lawyers back into your pockets. Thank you.
I. On the Train
The dull roar of the Hogwarts Express as it prattled along the enchanted tracks that led back to London made it very difficult for Remus Lupin to sleep his worries away. Tattered robes drawn protectively around his shoulders, the man sat hunched in his seat and tried to swallow down the butterflies that were whizzing around inside his stomach like a pair of angry snitches.
There would be retribution. Of that, Lupin had absolutely no doubt. He'd known the risks when Dumbledore had offered to let him teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. After a year with Harry Potter, there was no question in the ex-Professor's mind that the position was indeed cursed.
Well, Lupin mused, at least he hadn't died or lost his mind, which put him ahead of the last two unfortunate souls to accept the job.
A smile curved his weary lips at the memory of Gilderoy Lockhart stumbling about the Hall of St. Mungo's, ranting and raving about some thing or another.
Smiling. It was a terrible thing. Especially in situations such as this. Lupin clapped one hand over his mouth and groaned, allowing his eyes to momentarily slip shut. He could imagine the disapproval on McGonagall's stern face as she stood akimbo and declared, "Most inappropriate, Mister Lupin!"
Sometimes Lupin forgot that he wasn't a student anymore. It made him uncomfortable to remember that he had been younger than most of the staff by at least half, save for Snape, who had taken it upon himself to make Lupin's second existence at Hogwarts as miserable as possible.
"Something on your mind, Lupin?" drawled a disinterested voice from the other side of the cabin.
Lupin opened his eyes and found himself staring into a face only a little less haggard than his own.
"Nothing that I care to discuss, Severus," Lupin replied politely. "But thank you for your concern."
Snape's lip curled back into a silent sneer as he turned away and fixed his beetle black gaze on the window and the light rain pelting against the glass. A black curtain of greasy black hair hid his contorted facial expression from view, but Lupin was certain that is was a sour one.
He chucked softly and glanced out the window, a wistful sigh parting his lips as he watched the country scenery clip by like a sequence from some estranged dream. Despite all the rumors and warnings that he'd received, Lupin had hoped beyond hope that he, unlike those before him, would have lasted more than a year.
It was lucky for the black-cloaked figure sitting across from him that Remus Lupin was not a vengeful man. Were it not for Severus Snape, Lupin wouldn't have been forced into exile. Were it not for Severus Snape, Lupin would have been able to clear Sirius' name. Were it not for Severus Snape, Harry Potter would have a proper Godfather.
Lupin had every right to land a good solid blow on that shadowed sallow face, no questions asked.
And he would have, were he anybody else.
Prongs would have done it.
Padfoot would have definitely done it.
Wormtail would have.. Well, in the old days, Wormtail might have tried.
Moony would have curled up in a corner and sulked.
Lupin had since matured from a boy into a full-grown man, slender and frail though he was. Not even the toughest of fighters could blame him from wanting to avoid violence at all costs. Grab him the wrong the way and you risked snapping him like a twig.
But, there were those few days a month when..
"Lupin?"
Lupin lifted his head, eyelids heavy as he forced a smile for his companion. "Hm?"
Snape frowned. "We've stopped."
Lupin rubbed tiredly at the corners of his eyes and looked outside again. His ears told him that the engines had long since come to a grinding halt, but his eyes wanted to confirm the situation for themselves. The world finally came into a focus and a bustling view of Platform 9 ¾ greeted them. "Have we now? Terribly sorry, Severus. I was woolgathering. It's an awful habit of mine, I'm afraid."
Snape grunted his reply as he scooped up his trunk and Lupin's, sinewy arms outstretched to help support the weight. A few moments and a squealing bump later, he let out a startled cry and dropped them both, narrowly avoiding his toes.
"Lupin!" he snarled as Lupin's trunk began to shake violently and bounce around the cabin. "What the bloody hell are you trying to smuggle out of the school?"
Lupin grinned despite himself. "Just another boggart," he replied tersely. "Minerva found this one under your bed just before it was time to pack up. I did you the service of removing it." There was an uncomfortable pause and Lupin's grin broadened. He waggled his eyebrows. "All I want to know is why she was in your bedroom to start with."
Snape, though he was quite livid, managed to keep his temper in check. He clamped his mouth into an angry line and shook his head. "That," he ground out, "is none of your business."
Somehow, Lupin couldn't imagine the brooding Potions Master having a fling with the head of Gryffindor house, no matter how brief.
"I'm sorry, Severus," he said, lacking sincerity for the first time in a long time. "But you're too easy to tease."
Thoroughly annoyed, Snape bestowed a sharp kick to the side of Lupin's trunk, shutting the boggart up for a few precious moments so he could hoist it back up into his arms. "I could do with a cart when we get off the train," he bit out.
"Of course."
Lupin slid out of the cabin and into the hallway. Most of the students had already rejoined their parents on the platform, but there were bound to be a few stragglers here and there. He spotted Neville Longbottom mumbling reassurances to his pet toad as he gathered up of a few of his school things that had managed to spill into the floor. Hands planted on the doorframe, Lupin blocked the soon-to-be-forth-year from Snape's line of sight until things were back in order. The last thing he wanted to do was leave the poor boy vulnerable to the Potion Master's easily induced wrath.
As soon as Neville had hopped off the train, Lupin moved aside and allowed Snape through, dipping into a courteously mocking bow.
"After you."
Summary: After his early "retirement" from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft, Remus Lupin journeys to Egypt in search of a cure for his furry condition. Throw Severus Snape and a shaggy sack of fleas named Sirius Black into the mix and you've got -- er, well, I don't know what you've got. But whatever it is, it's a work in progress that takes place between PoA and GoF.
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to J.K. Rowling. No exceptions. You may now put your lawyers back into your pockets. Thank you.
I. On the Train
The dull roar of the Hogwarts Express as it prattled along the enchanted tracks that led back to London made it very difficult for Remus Lupin to sleep his worries away. Tattered robes drawn protectively around his shoulders, the man sat hunched in his seat and tried to swallow down the butterflies that were whizzing around inside his stomach like a pair of angry snitches.
There would be retribution. Of that, Lupin had absolutely no doubt. He'd known the risks when Dumbledore had offered to let him teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. After a year with Harry Potter, there was no question in the ex-Professor's mind that the position was indeed cursed.
Well, Lupin mused, at least he hadn't died or lost his mind, which put him ahead of the last two unfortunate souls to accept the job.
A smile curved his weary lips at the memory of Gilderoy Lockhart stumbling about the Hall of St. Mungo's, ranting and raving about some thing or another.
Smiling. It was a terrible thing. Especially in situations such as this. Lupin clapped one hand over his mouth and groaned, allowing his eyes to momentarily slip shut. He could imagine the disapproval on McGonagall's stern face as she stood akimbo and declared, "Most inappropriate, Mister Lupin!"
Sometimes Lupin forgot that he wasn't a student anymore. It made him uncomfortable to remember that he had been younger than most of the staff by at least half, save for Snape, who had taken it upon himself to make Lupin's second existence at Hogwarts as miserable as possible.
"Something on your mind, Lupin?" drawled a disinterested voice from the other side of the cabin.
Lupin opened his eyes and found himself staring into a face only a little less haggard than his own.
"Nothing that I care to discuss, Severus," Lupin replied politely. "But thank you for your concern."
Snape's lip curled back into a silent sneer as he turned away and fixed his beetle black gaze on the window and the light rain pelting against the glass. A black curtain of greasy black hair hid his contorted facial expression from view, but Lupin was certain that is was a sour one.
He chucked softly and glanced out the window, a wistful sigh parting his lips as he watched the country scenery clip by like a sequence from some estranged dream. Despite all the rumors and warnings that he'd received, Lupin had hoped beyond hope that he, unlike those before him, would have lasted more than a year.
It was lucky for the black-cloaked figure sitting across from him that Remus Lupin was not a vengeful man. Were it not for Severus Snape, Lupin wouldn't have been forced into exile. Were it not for Severus Snape, Lupin would have been able to clear Sirius' name. Were it not for Severus Snape, Harry Potter would have a proper Godfather.
Lupin had every right to land a good solid blow on that shadowed sallow face, no questions asked.
And he would have, were he anybody else.
Prongs would have done it.
Padfoot would have definitely done it.
Wormtail would have.. Well, in the old days, Wormtail might have tried.
Moony would have curled up in a corner and sulked.
Lupin had since matured from a boy into a full-grown man, slender and frail though he was. Not even the toughest of fighters could blame him from wanting to avoid violence at all costs. Grab him the wrong the way and you risked snapping him like a twig.
But, there were those few days a month when..
"Lupin?"
Lupin lifted his head, eyelids heavy as he forced a smile for his companion. "Hm?"
Snape frowned. "We've stopped."
Lupin rubbed tiredly at the corners of his eyes and looked outside again. His ears told him that the engines had long since come to a grinding halt, but his eyes wanted to confirm the situation for themselves. The world finally came into a focus and a bustling view of Platform 9 ¾ greeted them. "Have we now? Terribly sorry, Severus. I was woolgathering. It's an awful habit of mine, I'm afraid."
Snape grunted his reply as he scooped up his trunk and Lupin's, sinewy arms outstretched to help support the weight. A few moments and a squealing bump later, he let out a startled cry and dropped them both, narrowly avoiding his toes.
"Lupin!" he snarled as Lupin's trunk began to shake violently and bounce around the cabin. "What the bloody hell are you trying to smuggle out of the school?"
Lupin grinned despite himself. "Just another boggart," he replied tersely. "Minerva found this one under your bed just before it was time to pack up. I did you the service of removing it." There was an uncomfortable pause and Lupin's grin broadened. He waggled his eyebrows. "All I want to know is why she was in your bedroom to start with."
Snape, though he was quite livid, managed to keep his temper in check. He clamped his mouth into an angry line and shook his head. "That," he ground out, "is none of your business."
Somehow, Lupin couldn't imagine the brooding Potions Master having a fling with the head of Gryffindor house, no matter how brief.
"I'm sorry, Severus," he said, lacking sincerity for the first time in a long time. "But you're too easy to tease."
Thoroughly annoyed, Snape bestowed a sharp kick to the side of Lupin's trunk, shutting the boggart up for a few precious moments so he could hoist it back up into his arms. "I could do with a cart when we get off the train," he bit out.
"Of course."
Lupin slid out of the cabin and into the hallway. Most of the students had already rejoined their parents on the platform, but there were bound to be a few stragglers here and there. He spotted Neville Longbottom mumbling reassurances to his pet toad as he gathered up of a few of his school things that had managed to spill into the floor. Hands planted on the doorframe, Lupin blocked the soon-to-be-forth-year from Snape's line of sight until things were back in order. The last thing he wanted to do was leave the poor boy vulnerable to the Potion Master's easily induced wrath.
As soon as Neville had hopped off the train, Lupin moved aside and allowed Snape through, dipping into a courteously mocking bow.
"After you."