Domesticity
There'd been one of Snape's memories that Harry was sure he'd seen wrong. Truthfully, he didn't think that Snape had meant to show him that particular memory because it'd been so fleeting. Still he remembered it having something to do with Remus, so he had gone to use the pensieve in Headmistress McGonagall's office to recheck it. When he submerged himself in the memory it was to find himself standing again in the open-air patio of a café.
Sat at a glass-topped table on the far right were a slightly younger looking Remus and Snape. Remus's hair was far more brown, he wore a ratty cream blazer and patched black pants. Snape was wearing the same but much newer and fully black. As he walked over to stand beside Remus, resisting the urge to put a hand the werewolf's shoulder, he noticed that there was a third cup set before a chair. Remus and Snape were talking about someone.
Remus leaned over to whisper, "Do you think he'll remember to show up, Severus ?"
The pale Potions Master gave Remus a flat look, "Loki said that he would, unless you are going to severely underestimate the power of his long-term memory after all that he told us, I believe that he will in fact show up."
He startled as an equally pale but handsome man with chin length hair suddenly glided past him. Loki looked as tall as Remus at 6'2, his clothes - duster, shirt, and trousers were black but the scarf that hung around his throat was emerald striped with silver and gold at the ends. With a greeting of, "Remus, Severus. I am glad to see you healthy, Mani." Loki sat down in the chair where the third cup was.
Remus blushed and the man's green eyes darted to the ground. "I am so sorry, I didn't mean to forget to take my medicine that night. Y-you didn't catch anything did you ?"
Loki smirked, black hair swaying in a breeze, "As with so many other things, I am immune to your love bite and its effects. Now, this is the coffee that your people were going on about, no ?"
How could someone be immune to werewolf bites and the effects ? From what he'd learned no one was immune, except for the Grimm.
Snape nodded, "It is. Go on, we are quite anxious to see your reaction."
The response of, "Yes, you sound so very excited, I'm just quivering in my boots." actually elicited laughter from the dour professor.
Loki picked up the coffee cup, lifted it to his lips then sipped. A few moments passed before the corner of Loki's mouth twitched and he put the cup down like it'd insulted his mother. "Is this foul concoction supposed to taste of arsenic, Severus ?"
"I have heard coffee called many things but this is the first I have ever heard it compared to poison."
Before he could hear anything more the memory ended and he was back in the office. Would Loki know about Remus and Snape's deaths ? They'd just died a day ago how the hell could the man ? Impulse had him heading outside to see that night hung over the castle. A thousand stars glittering in the cloudless sky as he made his way down to the lake. It startled him to see a man standing on the shore, just staring out at the water.
When a soft, "I know you are there, Harry Potter, and yes, I know." drifted back to him he recognized it as Loki's voice.
Unconsciously, Harry back up a pace, mumbling, "I-I'm sorry, I can leave you alone if you'd like."
"They bickered about you constantly, you know."
"N-no, I didn't know that. I, to be honest, I didn't even know they were in a relationship until yesterday. Remus never mentioned anything about being very friendly with Snape and he never even mentioned you."
Pained laughter, "Remus would always end up saying that Severus should be gentler with you. Severus would eventually reply that it was not himself that needed to change, but that Remus should become more strict instead. Not even I, the God of Mischief, with my silver tongue could change their minds from the topic when it started. Humph, of course he would not have told you of me I told him not to." Even though he couldn't understand what Loki said next it was obviously a string of swears. "I could have saved them, Harry Potter. Had Father but let me interfere when I asked I could have saved them ! If I'd only been allowed I could have gotten Severus out of there before ripping that snake in half with my bare hands. I could have crushed that Hel-bound Dolohov's skull before he even dreamed of getting close to Remus, but no Father would not. The old fool refused and they died because of him !"
A god ? No wonder Remus's bite hadn't affected Loki then. Wait, Loki, God of Mischief, wasn't that Norse Mythology ? Well, it certainly sounded like it. For a moment, he wracked his brains trying to remember his primary school World History Class. Hesitantly, he wondered, "I don't mean to offend you but I-I thought it was a good thing if they died fighting ?"
"That doesn't mean I wanted them to ! You don't know what it means to lose loved ones, Harry Potter. Eighty-seven years ago I lost both of my first loves, Thomas and Lucille, in the space of an hour and now...and now this ! Everyone that I love dies because I couldn't save them. What have I done to offend you, Yggdrasil ? What have I done that you would treat me like this ?" Loki had started pacing the shoreline and raked his hands through his hair.
He walked a bit closer, putting a hand on the man, uh, God's shoulder. "I know it doesn't mean anything coming from me but they died for a good cause."
"You idiotic mortals and your ceaseless wars ! As soon as one stops another starts, Father should have done something to stop this. Good-bye, young Harry Potter." There was no Apparition, no Portkey, just one second Loki was there and the next he was gone.
Pity and understanding filled him, maybe Loki wasn't allowed to help, but he had no such restrictions. If he managed to become an Auror he could try to prevent any future wars...for Sirius, for Remus, even Snape. It couldn't hurt to try at least.