Hurricane

A feature length Snupin story.

Written for my Remus. Always yours. Severus.

Prologue: After The Storm

"While you live, the Elder Wand cannot truly…be mine." Lord Voldemort had not expected fear from Severus Snape when this moment came, and his most faithful servant was certainly not disappointing him. There was hardly a shadow of emotion on that face, the face he knew every nuance of, and his eyes were emptier still. Possibly Occluded, but what did that matter to Lord Voldemort now? He was…so close now to triumph and victory, with only one thing standing in his way. And that was Severus.

Severus had always known his life would end at this moment. Well, perhaps not under these precise circumstances, but in the same manner. Opposite the man - wizard - he had betrayed several times, over and over, watching him toy with his wand. He had not expected to still be considered loyal, mind, and he supposed that was a testament to his abilities as a spy. It had been close though, on several occasions. He had escaped death so many times, and now it was inevitable.

Remus was dead, Severus was sure of this, no matter how much accepting this fact threatened to break his fragile mask. He was clinging to the image of Remus alive and fighting, rather than the one that had clouded his blackest moments since they had first held hands. But he knew it. He had felt it. And now he was not afraid to die. He would not be able to face the end of the war without Remus anyway. As romantic and sycophantic as the notion sounded, he did not wish to live without Remus. He did not know how. It was not something he wished to consider, for his life and his very pulse was tied to Remus and now, it was over.

"I know not how to kill you, Severus." Lord Voldemort broke through Severus' wandering thoughts in his soft voice and with a deliberate step forward. "You have proved to be so very useful to me, and I regret having to kill you at all. But you understand the reasoning behind this, of course?"

"I have lived to serve my Lord, and I shall to die to serve my Lord." Severus intoned with very little feeling or emotions behind words that were a lie. Perhaps the Dark Lord was seeing that now. It did not matter. Time was running out for Severus, seconds slowly ticking away, draining through his fingers. He would show no fear.

"You are the bravest man I know, Severus, doing this." Remus' soft voice, echoing from the past, brushed against his ear. A smile against his skin, warm arms wrapped around him. "But you do not have to do everything by yourself, my love."

Severus raised his head when Voldemort whispered something to Nagini. The serpent stirred, shifting position, but he did not look to her. He was back on that sofa, eyes half closed, hands behind his head. He could hear footsteps by him, judging if he were asleep, the gentle pressure of a hand on his forehead. He murmured his lover's name and nearly heard the smile. Remus knelt beside him, stroking his hair, "Hello. I thought you were asleep."

He was going to use the snake. Nagini's venom would race through his veins, but the actual death would be slow. Painfully so. Her fangs could puncture his very torso, but would deliberately miss his heart. For the Dark Lord did not know the meaning of mercy. He returned his eyes to the Dark Lord, determined not to flinch.

"You do look very peaceful though." Remus murmured. "I feel bad for disturbing you." The hand rested against his cheek as he mumbled a soft response, assuring Remus that any disturbance would be very welcome.

"You have been a good faithful servant, Severus." The last words he would hear. He ought to pay more attention, he supposed, but all he could hear was Remus' gentle laugh. "But only I can live forever."

A hand, holding his. "I'm right here, Severus." He looked down at his hand and saw the fingers move subconsciously, and wished his lover was there in the flesh.

And Nagini attacked, and suddenly there was pain, and blood, and a guttural moaning he supposed was himself.

But then there was also Remus, perched on Severus' wait, looking down at him, brown eyes filled with gentle affection. "Focus on me, Sev." Fingers under his chin, undoing the collar of his shirt, exposing bare skin. Stirrings of longing and lust in his stomach as Remus leaned forward and claimed Severus' lips with his own.

He moaned, the pain too great. His vision was blurring. But when he moaned, he felt Remus smirk and deepen the kiss just slightly. He was in bliss and agony combined, wanting to fall into that blackness, his very life dribbling from his body in bright red liquid. Remus pulled back to growl his name and he flushed, and that made him smile.

"Severus!"

"Severus…" Remus whispered gently, undoing his shirt further, "Stay with me a little longer."

Thudding footsteps that he could not distinguish from the roaring in his ears. "Severus! No!" Why was Remus shouting? His Remus was making short work of the fastenings on his shirt. Cold air brushed his exposed chest, and he moaned, feeling Remus' hand press against his ribcage. "I'm right here, Severus, stay with me while I help." Remus was not making sense, but he did not care as their lips met once more in a struggle for power and controls and dominance, tongues entwining and teasing and tangling, his moans louder and his breathing shorter - shallower - harder - "Don't leave me, Sev, promise me."

And everything suddenly felt heavy. There was no pain, no feeling. All he could do was answer Remus. "I…love…you too."

And an echo, as Remus' hand stroked his hair, "Come on Severus, please. Breathe, damn it! Come on now, Severus, breathe!"