AN: I don't own anything and I don't make any profit.


Severus Snape closed the door to the 'Three Broomsticks' and was about to apparate home to Spinner's End, when something further down the street caught his eyes. There was somebody lying on a bench.

"Oh great," he thought, moving towards – what he assumed was a homeless person. The night was freezing and it started to snow lightly. With the snow crunching beneath his shoes he carefully moved closer. Arriving at the bench Severus realized, it wasn't at all a homeless person, although the man on the bench looked like one.

"I should really have gone to The Leaky Cauldron, like I intended to do in the first place," he muttered to himself. Severus held a handkerchief in front of his nose, due to the very unpleasant smell coming from the man in front of him and touched his shoulder, lightly shaking it. No reaction.

"Oi Lupin, wake up!" he now said very loudly and roughly shaking him. Remus Lupin opening his eyes grinned sheepishly at the wizard standing in front of him.

"Hey Snivellus, what … what ... doing here?" He stumbled over the words.

"You call me that one more time, I let you freeze to death here!" Severus growled, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"You should really go home Lupin, it's not the night to camp" he barked at Remus.

"Guess you're right," Remus replied, trying to get up.

Severus sighed, "There is no way you'll make it back home in one piece."

Remus was standing shakily. Trying to walk he just stumbled into Severus who caught him, wrinkling his nose over the disgusting smell waving around him now.

"You're my knight in shining armour," Remus giggled.

Severus huffed, "What's your address, you fool?"

"18 Eagle Park, London."

And with that Severus apparated them to Remus' flat. Arriving in Remus' kitchen Severus jumped away just in time not to get hit with Remus vomiting all over the place. The smell was nauseating, but Severus, looking around the kitchen, quickly assumed that is wasn't all coming from Remus being sick. The tiny kitchen was a mess, dirty dishes and cutlery all over the place. Some of the pans even had a mouldy layer on them. Severus had to retch and quickly held the handkerchief back to his nose, while Remus was sitting on the chair, his head buried in his arms. Severus sighed and wasn't sure what to do.

"Haven't you got a child?" Severus asked.

"He has been with Andromeda for the last couple of weeks, while I tried to get my life back on track." Remus said looking up to Severus, who clearly felt uncomfortable standing there, covering his nose with his handkerchief.

"Clearly you succeeded in your task," Severus commented sarcastically.

Remus got up from his chair, straightened his back and said with as much pride as he could manage in his voice," You can leave now Snape, thank you for …"

Severus never knew what exactly he was thankful for, as Remus just collapsed onto the kitchen floor.

"Bugger!" Severus swore under his breath. He quickly flicked his wand to clean the kitchen floor and Remus himself from the vomit. He then pulled him upwards and heaved him over his shoulder. Something didn't feel quite right, but he just couldn't figure out what it was. He moved to the only other room there was. There was a bed and a cot next to it and that was about it. He put Remus down on the bed and sighed looking around, taking in everything he saw. The flat was tiny and aside from the fact that it was a right mess and Severus despised mess, it looked as Remus was on a really tight budget. Severus looked at his former classmate and it suddenly dawned on him, what didn't feel quite right before. Remus was way to light for a bloke his size. His cheeks were hollow and his face was pale. He looked worse than Severus ever saw had seen him before. Remus stirred on his bed and slowly opened his eyes.

"You're still here!" Remus growled, trying to sit up, but having to lay down again because the room seemed to be spinning.

"Drink that," Severus handing him a tiny flask.

"And why is that," Remus inquired holding his head. "It's a sobering-up potion you daft prick. I don't know how you can still be like you are to me, when I look around and see what mess your life is," Severus spat at Remus.

Remus downed the potion and his eyes instantly focused again.

"Now what?" Remus mumbled looking down at his hands, if they were the most interesting thing he'd ever seen.

"Now you take a long and hot shower. You have a shower right? And soap?" Severus looked down on the man in front of him. A man he once hated, but now there was another feeling he just couldn't make out what it was.

"Yeah," Remus mumbled, got up and dragged his feet to the bathroom.

"And take your time, cos you really stink. I'll try to make something to eat," Severus called after him.

"Good luck with that," Remus grumbled.

Severus looked around the tiny kitchen, rolled up his sleeves and opened the window. With a few waves of his wand he let all the dirty dishes gather round the sink and let them wash themselves, he also gave the floor, the surfaces and the window a quick clean. He looked through the cupboards and sighed, there was nothing to eat there and the fridge was empty too.

After half an hour Remus came out the bathroom looking at a sparkling kitchen.

"And now you eat something, so you don't faint again," Severus said. "I bought some fish and chips from around the corner and some lemonade."

Remus sat down and started shovelling food into his mouth, looking like one of the Weasley boys.

"Man, how long haven't you eaten?" Severus smirked.

"Don't even ask," Remus said his mouth full with food.

"My treat by the way," Severus commented dryly.

"Thanks mate, couldn't pay you back anyway."

"Not your mate, Lupin, just to be clear."

"What is this then? Why are you doing that?" Remus looked curiously at the other man.

"Don't know," Severus grumbled. They sat there in silence for a couple of moments.

"What happened?" Severus asked before the silence got uncomfortable.

"What happened? You really ask me what happened?" Remus growled and his eyes went cold.

"I tell you what happened, you and your stupid death eater friends and your precious master that's what happened." Remus spat these words into Severus' face.

"Can you be a bit more specific," Severus replied, trying to keep his temper.

"I've a son, who is one and half year old, my wife died, while saving my life during the battle and I'm broke since nobody is willing to hire me, cause I'm a werewolf. I haven't eaten in days and I can't even afford the Wolfsbane potion I need to start taking in a couple of days. Oh and all my close friends are dead. But that you already know. Now you can start laughing and humiliate me." Remus said glaring at Severus, who looked startled, as he suddenly realized what the feeling was he had earlier, he pitied the man in front of him.

"How did you get drunk being broke?" Severus wondered.

"Well it took Madame Rosmerta some time to figure out I wouldn't be able to pay my bill. Then she kicked me out, that was shortly before you found me."

"You are pathetic!" Severus sneered.

Remus roared with anger, "Tell me what I should have done differently? I was looking for a job, nobody is willing to hire me. Everybody is afraid of me. I was even thinking of a muggle job, but how would I explain my absence every month? Tell me? I've been looking after my son, doing the best I could. But it's really exhausting being a single parent. I know I have got help from Andromeda and Harry, but in the end it's me all alone, carrying all the responsibility. I'm tired and exhausted. I wish I would have taken the Avada'ed me instead of Tonks. She would have been a much better mother, than I am a father to Teddy."

"Looking at you now, I would say you're right," Severus replied.

Remus glared at him, "I am really thankful you bought me food and cleaned my kitchen, but if you keep insulting me you should just leave."

Severus smirked, not knowing what to say and got up sighing "I tell you what, if you want you can come to my place tomorrow morning and have breakfast."

"Why would I do that?" Remus glared at him.

"To be honest I don't care what you do! Breakfast will be ready tomorrow at 9 o'clock. Take it or leave it," Severus barked and with a bang of the front door he was gone.


The next morning came with Severus preparing breakfast, wondering if Lupin would show up, when he heard a quiet knock at the front door. He opened and Remus was standing there, looking slightly better, than the evening before. Severus stepped aside letting Remus in, who handed him a can of baked beans.

"What's that?" Severus looked at Remus with a questioning look.

"Being a guest a someone's house, you always bring a little something, that's what my mother taught me. And that's all I had left."

Severus roared with laughter, "Sorry, I don't know if that's pathetic or sweet?"

Remus grinned, "Did you just say sweet? And to be honest it is more pathetic than sweet," Remus sighed.

"So any ideas, how I can get myself out of this mess?"

"First of all you´ll have breakfast and then we'll talk." Severus said, pointing to the breakfast table.

"Would you like tea or coffee?"

"Tea please, but make it strong," Remus said weakly, taking a seat.

"Why are you doing that for me, Severus?" Remus whispered a tear running down his cheek, he quickly brushed away.

Severus slumped into his chair "I'm not quite sure Remus, I just know you can't raise your son in that dump you live in. I even saw some mould in one of the corners of your bedroom. And it's not the best neighbourhood either. I've been raised in such a dump. You wouldn't know, looking at the place now and the neighbourhood since the old mill is gone. It was horrible. Maybe I'm doing it because I see you could need a friend and … and I'm a bit lonely too," Severus mumbled the last bit.

"Did I hear you right, you are lonely? I didn't even know you wanted people around", Remus chuckled.

"I knew, I should have let you freeze to death," Severus growled.

"I'm sorry! I appreciate your offer, I really need a friend," Remus smiled holding out his hand to Severus, who slowly took it, with a grim expression on his face.

"Still don't know what to do job wise though," Remus said chewing on some toast.

Severus got up and moved to the window, staring outside. "What was your N.E.W.T.s grade at potions, Remus?"

"I got an 'O'", Remus replied, wondering where that question would be leading to.

"That was with Slughorn, that would have been an 'E' with me. That's good enough for me," Severus mumbled to himself. "Look, I just bought some business premises in Diagon Alley. I was planning on having my own apothecary. I've been saving up for years and as Lucius passed away two months ago he left me a little amount of money. Well it wasn't much for him, but it helps me to not having to worry, to set everything up. I wanted to hire an assistant anyway. I know you and your work attitude. Would you want to work for me?" Severus had turned around and looked at Remus, who just gaped at him, not knowing what to say.

"I've got a few conditions though. Firstly you would be on probation for four months. I wouldn't pay you anything, but I would pay your debts. I'm guessing that would be a couple of months of rent and a couple of firewhiskys. Is there something else?" Severus asked the thunderstruck Remus.

"Er … No. It has been three months of rent to be exact," Remus stuttered.

"Secondly in this four months you're going to board and lodge with me. So we can still work and discuss in the evenings…"

"What about Teddy?" Remus interrupted.

"You will bring him with you of course, I'm just not sure, what to do while we are brewing or it's busy in the shop?"

"Well Andromeda will be able to help, so I could ask her, but…" Remus voice trailed off.

"What?" Severus asked.

"Are you sure you really want me as your assistant. The werewolf and the ex-death eater. That's not the best publicity."

"On the contrary my friend," Severus said with a mischievous very Slytherin grin, "It's the best publicity we can get. We just need to get that Skeeter woman to write about it and people will queue up to see, what the rumour is about. So what do you say Remus?"

"Well I think you have gotten yourself a deal," Remus smiled.

"Oh, I've got something to seal the deal with and so you know I'm serious about this," Severus handed him a couple of flasks.

"That's Wolfsbane potion and it will last at least for four months," Remus looked disbelievingly.

"By the end of the four months you will be able to brew it yourself." Severus smirked.

"You really are my knight in shining armour," Remus mumbled.

"You say that one more time and your probation is over before it even started, you moron," Severus growled.

"Sorry Severus!" Remus said with a wide smile on his face.


AN: Just a little story. Please review!