Distant Shores.
Summary: After being covered as a spy, Severus suddenly disappears off the face of the earth. The race is on to uncover what happened by all parties involved, discovering startling truths about the Potions Master and the few he allowed to get close to him, along the way.
Rating: It's only PG13 now, but I'd say, when I'm done, we'll be an R for sure ;) References to abuse, torture etc – all the fun stuff. Nothing explicit, just vague memories. And slash. BIG slash. And swearing too. And is AU.
Paring: Remus Lupin/Severus Snape. Because I'm a sucker for that.
Authors Notes: Thanks to those who reviewed 'Thank You'. I appreciate it :). However, this is my first attempt at a longer Harry Potter story, I'd appreciate reviews, Cheers!
(Fuck! Just spilt beer over the keyboard. That's never good, kids…)
Hope Fades. Prologue.
Hogwarts School, August 1994.
Defeat and Dumbledore were never two things he'd thought he'd hear in the same sentence, unless of cause Dumbledore was doing the defeating. He may have appeared as a senile old man, but it was naught but a mask worn, hiding the seemingly invincible wizard underneath. But looking at the broken man in front of him, he knew he was anything but invincible and untouchable. Silent tears falling down his cheeks, Remus saw the last sign of hope flicker and wane in the tired old mans' eyes, and Remus couldn't help but loose his own hopes as well. Even in the darkest times of this horrible war – after he had lost Lily and James, after learning of Peter's betrayal, even after loosing Sirius, it had been his former Headmaster's unwavering hope and optimism that had kept his own pilot light burning, at the possibility of winning this seemingly un-winnable war. But one look at Albus Dumbledore was all that was needed to extinguish that last spark of hope.
Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned to find Minerva McGonagall behind him, looking just as worried as he knew he did.
"Any word?" he asked, almost whispering.
She lowered her head, and quietly replied in the negative, before turning her gaze to Albus, "How long has he been like this?"
"Since word came in"
She nodded sadly. It had been seven days since he had been called, three since he had been declared missing-in-action, though not officially of cause. She moved forward into Dumbledore's office, sitting opposite Albus. She took his shaking hands in her own, and he slowly turned his head to face hers. It pained her to see him so lost in his grief, so opposite to the wizard she knew.
"We'll find him, Albus. You know we will"
He just shook his head, so she continued, "He's tough, Albus. He's probably on his way here back now. He knows how to look after himself...
"...He's like a son to me, Minerva. I'm his legal guardian, did you know? When he was in his second year, remember?" Of cause she remembered, she had been with him through the entire ordeal, fighting the Tyrone Family for months before he actually gained custody of the child. Severus' Mother and her family were repulsed by the idea of letting one of their own grow up with that 'mudblood loving fool'. But finally, he had won.
"Yes, Albus, I remember. You saved him"
"No I didn't. I failed him. I failed him in everyway possible"