Sticks and Stones

Warnings: Slash!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Harry Potter.

A/N: Right, I am drabbling out of my usual pairing safety zone. MA Remus/Severus. Oh yeah, I'm cool. (Oh and I know Severus is a little OOC at the end. Sorry?)

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His raven hair was dazzling in the sunlight. His skin shinning as it reflected the light. Remus sighed. Severus Snape was his secret obsession. He flipped a coin up in the air, and James caught it with ease.

"That's my coin James." Remus glared.

"And now it's mine Moony. Finders, keepers as they say." James smirked.

"James. That. Is. My. Coin." Remus smirked back. "And if you do not give it back this instant, I will not help you with your Charms essay."

James paled slightly, and Sirius snatched the coin from him. "Good one Remy. You know just how to scare ole James here dontcha?" He handed the coin back to Remus.

Remus smiled and returned his attention to the shadow that sat in the shade of a tree. Why didn't he just go sit with him? They could talk about potions or defense. Probably defense as Remus was doing rather poorly in Potions.

No, he couldn't. He couldn't betray his friends like that. James, Sirius, and Peter hated Severus after all. He would just keep his longings to himself.

"You'll still help with that essay right Remus. You were just kidding?" James asked.

Remus shrugged and winked. "Maybe."

James grew even paler. Remus knew James had to pass Charms. It was his only way of impressing Lily. Lily was very close to the Professor.

Sirius had broken out into uncontrollable laughter. James was scowling. "Yeah, laugh it up Padfoot. If he doesn't help me, what makes you think he'll help you?"

Sirius stopped laughing immediately and sent a questioning look Remus' way. Except Remus wasn't paying attention once again. He had gone back to staring at Snape. He was earnestly trying to memorize every detail of the boy's face.

Severus looked up and met Remus' stare with a raised eyebrow. That broke Remus' will. He had to go over there. His werewolf senses were picking up his smell on the wind, and he just smelled so good.

He stood slowly and gave his friends a smile. "I wouldn't leave my best friends hanging would I? But right now I have to go talk to Snape about Potions." And he walked away.

James and Sirius gave each other incredulous looks. Peter waved at Remus' retreating back.

Remus came closer to Severus' tree, and he stopped a moment to inhale. That scent was bliss he told himself.

Severus once again looked up at him. "Can I help you Lupin?"

Remus sat down beside the other boy. "I wanted to speak to you is all."

Severus snorted. "What practical joke are you planning now?"

"What do you mean?" Remus inquired.

"I am not stupid Lupin. You and your friends do not view me kindly. The only reason you would deign to spend time with me is if you had some sort of nonsense, and humiliating stunt planned for me." Severus glared at Remus before shoving his head back inside the Potions text he was reading.

"So you are assuming that I am mindless and that I following the idiotic lead of my friends?" Remus asked bringing Severus once again out of his book.

"Yes." The answer was simple for Severus' standards, and Remus was surprised by it.

"What if I said that I just left my friends hanging because I told them I wanted to talk to you, and that I honestly want to talk to you?" Remus was being forward. This was not how this discussion was supposed to go.

"I wouldn't believe you. Now if you don't mind, I was reading before you decided to interrupt me. Didn't your mother ever teach you manners? ….Oh I'm sorry, does your mother even love you?" Severus snapped.

Remus took a quick intake of breath. He hadn't meant it. It was a defense mechanism he knew, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

"I know you don't mean that Severus." Remus whispered.

The dark haired boy looked up into Remus' pained eyes and gave him a long, searching look.

"What do you want?" Severus' voice was an even quieter whisper.

"I don't honestly know." Remus replied nervously.

Severus kept his gaze on Remus' amber eyes and leaned in close. "Then why won't you just go?"

Remus closed his eyes and shook violently. "I don't think I can." And then he smiled. "I don't want to either."

Severus grimaced. "Bloody Gryffindorks." And then he went back to reading. Remus didn't interrupt him for quite awhile, happy just to be in the other boy's presence.

Then Severus shut his book and stood up. He looked down with a sneer. "Are you coming?" Remus smiled widely and scrambled up.

They walked together back into the safety of Hogwarts. Severus turned to Remus in the hallway. "I don't understand you Lupin."

"Does that scare you?" Remus asked.

Severus frowned, his forehead crinkling in deep thought. "I don't-"

"Remus! There you are! We were starting to wonder if Snivellus had cursed you into oblivion!" James rushed to his side and clapped him on the back. Sirius joined them in a matter of seconds shooting Severus dark looks.

"No he was perfectly nice to me which is a lot more than I can say for you Sirius. Stop glaring, I am alive aren't I?" Remus laughed.

Sirius looked confused for a moment, and then he grinned at Remus. "Dinner's starting soon."

James tugged on Remus' hand. "Yeah, come on." Remus sighed and winked in Severus' direction before walking off with his friends.

Remus kept smiling all through dinner earning several odd looks from his friends.

"I if didn't know better Moony, I'd say you were in love." James said.

"But the only person you were with, besides us, all day was Snape." Sirius commented.

"Do you love Snape!" Peter yelped, having just caught on.

Remus only smiled and shook his head. "We better get going if you guys want to finish those essays."

His friends followed him out of the Great Hall, laughing quietly behind his back.

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"Moony you really need to stop grinning like a lovesick buffoon. It is really very distracting and out of character." James said irritably.

Remus laughed softly and stared into the flickering light of the fireplace. "Just work on your essay James so I can go over it."

James huffed indignantly but did as he was told. Remus continued to grin, but Sirius cuffed him on the back of his head. "James is right for once you know."

"Can't a guy smile once and a while?" Remus made a mock hurt face and rubbed his smarting head.

Peter giggled at Remus' statement from the corner he had holed up in. Sirius shot Peter a glare and then did the same for Remus.

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It was late, but Remus had borrowed James' invisibility cloak. He needed a chance to be alone with his thoughts. After all, it wasn't everyday that he spent in the company of the ever illusive Severus Snape. And what a day it had been.

Remus couldn't remember being happier. Severus had always interested him academically, but in fourth year everything else came too. He thought Severus was funny, smart, witty, and attractive. He was a great relief after a day of James and Sirius acting like fools. Of course he adored his friends, but sometimes they were just a little too much for his quiet mind.

He reached his destination. One of the highest towers at Hogwarts, next to the Astronomy Tower and the Owlery of course. He looked out over the grounds, the water glittering in the moonlight.

The full moon was approaching fast. Only a few days until his change. Remus closed his eyes and shrugged off the cloak. Who would think to look for anyone up here?

Apparently someone would. He heard a throat clearing behind him. He swirled quickly, wondering how on earth he had not caught their scent.

"Lupin. I thought I might find you up here," Severus drawled.

"Severus? Wha..?" Remus was at loss for words. Severus was the last person he had expected.

"How eloquent. You are wondering how I found you I suppose? Or even, why I would seek you out?" Severus almost smiled.

"I….Yes." Remus nodded.

"I guess you will just have to wonder about the first one. The second however, I will answer. I was curious." Severus perched himself atop the stone wall.

Remus' eyes widened. "About what?"

"You."

Another simple answer that threw Remus for a loop, but he smiled anyway. "You keep surprising me Severus!"

"I tend to do that to people. When I don't make them angry of course." Now he was smiling. Remus laughed.

"And you admit to making people angry then?" Severus nodded.

"Why would I hide it?"

"I have no earthly idea." Remus replied.

"I often wonder about you Lupin. You worry me." Severus frowned now.

"Me? Why would I worry anyone? Am I too quiet for you?" Remus covered up his anxiety with humor.

"You are often sick are you not?" Severus replied arching his eyebrow.

"I have a condition, it is true. Why would that worry you?" Remus seated himself on the ground.

"I don't want you to die." It was said in a small whisper.

Remus' jaw dropped. "That is one hell of a confession."

"No it is not." Severus barked.

"Yes it is. One might think you were warming up to me quite a bit." Remus gave a cheeky grin.

Severus smiled back. "Maybe I am."

"Well maybe I have warmed p to you quite a bit as well." Remus was full out laughing now.

"You know, if I didn't know better I'd say you were trying to make a fool of me Lupin." Severus was glaring now.

Remus shrugged. "I wish you would get over your misconceptions of me. I am not James, and I am not Sirius. I quite like you, honestly."

Severus jumped off the wall. "Alright then."

Remus watched the raven hair boy leave and thought to himself. 'His is even more dazzling in the moonlight.'

If I get enough reviews, I may write more to this. Until then it stands alone.