Candeh – I'd really appreciate it if you are reading this if you could write a review. One word is still helpful.
RESPONDING-2-REVIEWS
az-k-ban390chick – No problem. Thanks for reading the sequel. I'm not sure if people will like it as much as the first one, but I'll try. Stick with me. :)
Strange Magic – It goes with GoF through HBP. It may be a little AU, but neither Snape nor Remus are going to die since they don't in HBP. Thanks for sticking with me! ;)
MYSTICAL PANTHER – Haha, thanks for staying with me, too. I hope you like it!
Glacierclaw – Thank you :)
Alice Upturned – Looking forward to reading all your reviews, too.
Katherine Pen Named – Haha, thanks. Again, I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter Two
Bat Amongst Wolves
"You wanted to see me, Albus?" Snape's voice came through the door. He stopped into the office of Dumbledore's, the room quiet, except for the sound of Dumbledore's fast moving quill. The elderly man looked up, his face warm and smiling as the greasy, pale Potions teacher entered, and stood.
"Ah, yes, Severus," Albus said, making his way towards him. He gestured towards a chair, and then closed the door behind him. "Take a seat, take a seat." Snape walked uncaringly to the chair that was offered to him and sat down in it, folding his arms wanting to get out of here as soon as possible.
When Dumbledore stalled at the front door, Snape turned around, clearing his throat, reminding the old man that he was still here and waiting for him to get a move on. Dumbledore lowered his glasses looking at Snape as if he had forgotten what he was here for, and then clasped his hands together, remembering, and stepped closer behind his desk.
"Right," Dumbledore said, "Right. Now, Severus, I have a favor to ask of you."
"Yes, Albus?" Snape said, his voice trying to stay level, but he could not mask the irritation in his voice.
"As you know, I have assigned Remus Lupin underground to spy on the werewolves for me," Dumbledore said. Snape's usually angry look turned angrier. Dumbledore noticed this, but kept smiling.
"What does that mutt have to do with anything?" Snape said, sneering.
Dumbledore gave a smile, but disapproving laugh. "I signed you up for therapy together last year, you remember?"
"How could I ever forget hell?" Snape spat.
Dumbledore decided to drop it, "I need you to go underground as well, Severus." His voice was flat, mono-toned, more of a command than anything, but the Headmaster's voice was calm and mild, and nonetheless, still kind.
"You want me to go with the werewolves?" Snape said, giving a snort.
"Yes."
"No."
Dumbledore sighed. "Do you remember what you have promised me, Severus?"
Snape became quiet, then leaned far back in his chair, his face pale, but he was not going to show any signs of emotion. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers and closed his eyes, sighing slowly before saying, "Why on earth do you want me to go down there with the dogs. Not to mention that pathetic Lupin." He said the man's name with a look and tone of pure disgust.
"You will go after you teach classes, that way not to interfere with teaching here. During the summer, you can go down there later in the day, I will give you plenty of time to do what you wish, but I want you to spend most of the day down there."
"You have not answered why on earth – "
"Remus is clearly in a state of discomfort – "
"I am not concerned with what that disgusting half-breed is not comfortable with – " Dumbledore kept talking, his voice not rising, nor sinking, and with every word, Snape could tell that he wasn't going to have a choice, argument or not.
"He is down there with the man, Fenrir Greyback, that turned him into a werewolf when he was very young. There is clearly some fear that Remus has to being near him – nonetheless pretending that he is not the kind, good man that Remus is."
Snape snorted.
"I need you to make sure he keeps his cover. Make sure he is stable. Make sure he is safe. I care for the Order as much as I do for Harry. I also care for you, Severus, and Remus will keep you safe. You will not be bitten, no need to worry – "
"Fenrir Greyback and the rest of his filthy crew would regret the day they ever tried to infect me with their repulsive condition." Snape scoffed. He knew that none of them would bite him, however much they all would want to. Voldemort would be furious, both he and the werewolves knew it. He laughed at the thought of Remus cowering in the corner, himself leashing them all with reins.
"Remus does not know you will be down there," Dumbledore continued.
"Aren't you going to advise him?" Snape said, raising an eyebrow.
"You can once you get there. If I owl him it would surely blow his cover."
Snape sighed, getting up. "Fine."
"Severus, wait," Dumbledore called after him.
"What, Albus?" Snape said.
"I want you to remembering last year."
"When you hired the Death Eater to – "
"Listen, Severus." Dumbledore's eye's flashed. "Listen to me." Snape continued to glare at the man, but remained silent. "You and Remus did not get along, but at least you spent time together. The lessons that…'Plax' assigned were…working."
"Working?" Snape's voice was mad now. "They were doing nothing! They were pointless and useless and…ridiculous!"
"Severus – listen. You and Remus are to do this together. I want you looking out for each other. Seriously. Don't let each other get hurt and don't blow his cover." He raised an eyebrow at Snape, recalling what he had 'accidentally' let slip last year. Snape snorted, defeated.
"Fine."
"Good, Severus. Run along now. You have work to do." Dumbledore smiled as he returned to his work. He did not hear Snape curse something from under his breath as he walked out the door, and did not even flinch as he slammed it loudly shut.
- - - - -
Remus Lupin shifted awkwardly on the log in which he sat on. His hands clothed in his fingerless gloves hovered above the fire in front of him, and he shivered cold. He had to wrap his long scarf twice around him, for it had got caught in the flames five times and he had to stomp it out, each time the werewolves howls of laughter made him flush.
Fenrir Greyback had not said two words to him since last night when he had officially welcomed him to the pack. It was dark outside and looked as if it might rain, and the murmur of the people around him made him more aware of how if he let his cover slip, death would surely follow; not even a werewolf wouldn't kill a werewolf if it knew that it was good. Remus swallowed before looking around nervously and then staring intently back to the popping flames.
"Severus Snape?" came Fenrir's hard voice. Remus' head snapped up and he fell off the log as he saw Snape's body appear from the shadows. The werewolves around him smiled at him as if he were a friend – a fellow follower of Voldemort's.
"S-Severus?" Remus said. Fenrir's head snapped towards Remus.
"Yes," Fenrir said, closing in to Snape, who showed no signs of fear and also stepped forward. "Severus here has been in league with the Dark Lord for years and years." He looked back at Snape. "What brings you here?"
Remus gaped. He looked at Snape for some kind of indication of why he was here, but Snape remained silent, his eyes not even meeting his.
"Why?" Fenrir said, his harsh yellow eyes burning into Remus. "You look as if you did not expect him." He raised a brow and his sharp teeth became visible, his face no longer grateful for Snape's arrival, but fury at Remus' questioning.
Remus inched back, but Fenrir stepped forward, heaving him up and once again choking him.
"Were you expecting…Dumbledore, Remus? Or perhaps…the Order?"
"No – " Remus said, his face becoming purple.
Snape stepped forward almost gracefully. "Now, now Fenrir," he said, calmly. "Remus did not know that I was coming. There is no need for suspicions. I can assure you that Remus is just about as committed as I am."
Fenrir did not take his gaze off of Remus. "Is this true, Lupin?"
Remus tried his best to nod his head and with that Fenrir dropped him to the floor, and he twisted his ankle sharply on the way down. Snape and Fenrir stared down at him as if he were a spot on a clean table.
"I can't begin to tell you how Remus wanted to join you," Snape continued, Remus looking at the ground now, hoping on anything that Snape was not going to blow his cover. He shut his eyes, barely daring to bring himself to listen to his voice. "Why, just the other day I saw him allowing himself to be kicked by a wizard. Now that the world knows of his…condition, he merely takes it like a dumb animal."
Fenrir growled at the word 'animal' and Snape snorted laughter.
"I was talking about Remus, merely singular, Greyback." Fenrir seemed to lighten a bit and turned to Remus.
"You let people kick you around, boy? I thought you were going to be tough?" his voice was again growling, a bit embarrassed that the werewolf he had bitten was such a pushover. Remus shook his head.
"No, I – "
Snape cut in. "Remus has surely faced prejudice in the Wizarding World, but that does not mean he won't buck up and learn to grow a spine."
Fenrir eyed him. "I thought you hated each other. Isn't that why you told everyone about him in the first place?"
Remus opened his mouth to speak again, but Fenrir glared at him, and Remus bit his lip, looking at Snape for help. Snape glowered at him, but remembered Dumbledore's words as he tried to bring himself to say something.
"Now that I know where his allegiances lie," Snape said, his face contradicting his own statement as he glared with such a force at Remus that it caused the skinny werewolf to look pleadingly at him.
Fenrir coughed. "Touching." He looked around to the other werewolves, his voice loud enough so that they could hear them, and then back at Snape. "So you will be staying here with us?"
"Yes."
"Why?" his voice was accusing, making Remus cower, but Snape stay calm. He laughed inwardly at Remus' childhood fear; Fenrir Greyback was nothing compared to the Dark Lord, if only he knew.
"Dumbledore wanted me to make sure that Remus here was reporting the right information back to him. Of course, he thinks that we are both faithful to his word," he gave out a fake laugh with the other werewolves, and soon enough, Snape and the pack were erupted in laughter. Remus looked around, unsure whether or not joining them would blow his cover, and after a few seconds, he pretended to laugh, stealing a glance at Snape cautiously.
The laugh died quickly. "What a fool," Fenrir hissed.
"Clearly." Snape said. He looked at Remus. "When did he come?"
"Stand up, pup," Fenrir said to Remus on the floor. Remus scampered to his feet, rubbing his hands together and putting on his best fake evil smile. Snape saw right through it and tried desperately not to laugh. Fenrir looked Remus up and down before addressing the other wolves, "We have the honor of Severus as our guest."
The pack smiled, at him, some licking their lips.
"Anyone who bites him will be killed," Fenrir continued. The wolves that had licked their lips went pale. "I can assure you that we will get out meat, but by no means will be kill someone that is useful to the Dark Lord."
Snape glared at the rest of the werewolves and then back at Remus, who had taken two steps backward since the explosion of laughter. Fenrir turned to the two of them.
"I will come back tomorrow," Snape said. "After class at Hogwarts is done." He looked at once from Fenrir to Remus and then nodded, walking off back into the shadows. Fenrir and Remus watched him walk off, and then he turned to Remus smirking.
"It seems Dumbledore is onto your cover," Fenrir said. "All the more joy of ripping him to pieces once the Dark Lord gains the control he most honorably deserves."
"Y-yes," Remus said. "Of course."
Fenrir raised an eyebrow, but started walking past him. Once he had gone, Remus looked around to see if anyone was watching, then darted through the woods in search of Snape. He called his name out into the darkness, whispering, "Severus?" he raised his voice a little, bending down through branches, "Severus? Are you still – "
A cold hand shot over his mouth and Remus was pulled back behind the shadows. He was spun around as an annoyed looking Snape stared back at him. "What, Remus?"
Remus bit his lip, "You can't blow my cover."
"I'm not going to blow your fucking cover."
Remus looked down, "I didn't think you would have last year, either."
"Get over it, it's done."
"You can't do it," Remus said. "Please. Fenrir…he's…he's already suspicious of me and if…if he finds out – he'll – " he bit his lip, "I don't know if he's seen me with her or not."
"He knows nothing of that pink haired twat that follows you around now, out of the way."
"Wait, Severus," Remus said, moving aside but calling him back, "Promise me you won't."
Snape looked at him for a long time, then nodded. "Fine."
"Thank you."
"Now go back to where you belong."
Remus kicked a rock on the ground, but nodded, walking solemly back to the other werewolves; his family and his foes.