Sellow Vitae
Chapter 4: Complete and Utter Disaster
September 25th 2007
Demeter's Walk
7:02am
(full moon)
Fully clean, Remus gives himself an extra moment in the shower. He lets the water hit him at the base of his neck. The constant pressure feels like skilled fingers loosening the tension in his muscles. (Not that the ones he has are particularly impressive.)
He feels it; the presence that will hang onto him like disease. Tonight will be the first change, with at least three nights to follow in the same way.
-(self-mutterings) Come on, now. You'll have the wolfsbane for tonight… and a place to stay thanks to-
To an observer it would look almost as if Remus had just done a little jig. Sliding back the shower door, he takes one step out onto the bathmat only to jump immediately back into the shower and conceal himself.
-(with a very red face protruding out of the door) KALAI!
Said man regards him innocently.
-Yes?
-Wha… what on earth are you doing in here? (Kalai takes a step forward.) No don't come over here! Throw me a bloody towel.
Trying to be less horribly embarrassed, Remus wraps the towel around his waist and steps out of the shower.
Kalai takes it upon himself to take another towel and dry his friend's hair with it.
-I was going to ask if you're going in to work or meeting Severus today. (sets down the towel and smiles) Because I know you aren't going to be up for it and I thought I'd try and convince you to stay home.
-I can't. (Feeling flustered) Severus will be cross if I put the meeting off again and Maggie's… I can't afford to-
-Please, Pokey? (Making what Remus thinks of as an annoyingly sexy moue.)
Remus considers arguing his point some more before he realises that he's feeling worn out now, before the day has even started.
-Fine, fine. I'll stay in today.
Kalai sighs loudly with relief. He leaps on Remus with one of his savage hugs.
-Good! You're so darling when you let me take care of you!
He pulls back just enough so that he and Remus are nearly nose to nose.
-(softly) And despite what you think, you have a beautiful body.
He kisses Remus quickly before darting out of the bathroom. Remus stands frozen. Kalai's ability to render him speechless is astounding. Is he even aware of how intimate and flirtatious his behaviour is? No… he's always so oblivious. But then again, it isn't as if he's asexual. I've seen him go after other guys… he never treats them the way he treats me.
-Remus!
The call comes from down the hall, but Remus blushes as if Kalai had overheard his private thoughts.
-Want me to make you some toast?
-N-no, that's fine. I think I need a few more minutes in the shower.
- (warningly) It's going to be cold, you know.
-That's okay. A lot of blood is rushing to my… my face.
September 25th 2007
Finun Crook – PRP Building
12:54 pm
(full moon)
- (frantic hysterics) He wasn't the same man! He kept changing, I tell you! The beard! The beard! I remember in my first year at Hogwarts… And the voice! It was a give away! One year he whispers the next he booms. A different man of lies! It's crazy! He was crazy! You're all crazy! The bridge! Where the fuck did that bridge come from? Beware the lemon drops! The lemon drops of geriatric conspiracy!
Apparently, Smythe isn't as ready for the reintegration program as was initially thought. The rehabs (as Severus thinks of them) were in the middle of a group discussion when the boy just lost it.
With a St.Mungo's wizard on either arm, Smythe takes his last look around the room as they drag him towards the exit.
- (locking eyes with Severus) You! Brandon! Colonel Brandon! Don't think I haven't got Jane Austen's number, too, you mother-fucker!
The door slams shut on the lunatic's ravings. Severus gives the class one irritated expression and everyone goes back to their work.
Severus returns to the back room. None too surprising, Kalai is not transfiguring one of the storage boxes, as instructed, but is instead singing, conducting to himself with his wand.
-(doing his best to emulate Fred Astaire) The way your smile just beams…The way you sing off key… The way you haunt my dreams... No, no, they can't take that away from me…
Severus is on the verge of scolding the man back to business when…
What the hell?
When the sound of an entire orchestra comes sweeping in to accompany Kalai's crooning.
Quietly, without alerting Kalai to his presence, Severus casts an indicator spell. A small circle appears in front of him. It's white at first, but sure enough, it shifts to an unmistakeable blue.
-(without turning around) Sir?
Severus starts. How did he know I was here? Apparently I haven't been a vampire long enough to hone my lurking skills…
- (dispassionately) You've finally managed to break your incompetent streak and cast a spell with your wand.
Despite his teacher's tone, Kalai jumps to his feet, giddily facing the professor.
-Terrific!
He sees it coming, but somehow he can't avoid it.
September 25th 2007
71 Odin St. – Sharps
8:43pm
(full moon)
- (incredulously) And then he fucking hugged me!
Severus's two fellow vampires try to hold themselves back… but fail miserably.
Draco Malfoy and Pawn Xero laugh mercilessly at his expense, the Japanese kyuketsuki doing his best to keep his bloody Bloody Mary from coming out of his nose. The expression on Severus's face has nearby patrons edging their chairs away from him.
- (singsong voice) They say that Severus's heart grew three sizes that day…
Severus reaches deftly across the table to clout Draco in the back of the head.
-You've been spending too much time with Harry- (tersely) continuing on… he wanted to run off and tell Remus about his "success" but I said I would tell him myself at our rendezvous. So it turns out-
Severus stops here, not wanting to get into it if they're going to mock him again. Xero makes a winding motion with his hand.
- (impatiently) It turns out…?
Severus exhales slowly.
-Remus is missing our meeting, for the third time. Not only that, but he's currently staying at Kalai Tamasine's flat.
Eyebrows rise.
-Awkward… (Draco nods appreciatively) So you're still keeping the meeting, of course?
-Of course, I- (realisation smacks Severus in the face) What? No! I- I can't.
-Why's that? It isn't as if Kalai's hug made you feel anything…
Severus can sense a trap closing in around him, but the temptation of denial is too strong.
-Well, no, I-
-So what's the issue? Besides, Xero and I have been discussing it, and we think it's high time you told Remus about that letter.
Trapped! Severus freezes. He remembers that damn letter all too well. The one Draco had threatened to reveal to Harry in order to prove he existed. Severus sighs inwardly. I should have burned that thing when I had the chance!
-That. Letter. Is not. Open for discussion.
Only a short time ago, Xero and Draco would have respected their friend's privacy. They have been through quite an ordeal together, after all. But this is now. It's time to shine a little bit of light into Severus's gloomy existence. Whether he likes it or not.
So the prodding continues.
-(Xero shakes his head) You've been carrying this around for how long? Kuzo! Enough is enough!
-(Draco smirks) Do you mean to tell me that you, who used to kill for –oh let's see… fun? Profit? Duty? And who now kills for a snack- can't manage to face Remus Lupin?
Xero looks to Draco, slightly taken aback.
-Oh… low blow.
-(primly) Well that doesn't change the fact that –gah!- fucking ow, Severus!
-(standing up) I'm going now. I've got better things to do than spend all my spare time at this fucking club.
Xero grins at Severus's departing figure. He looks over at Draco.
-The hell he's got better things to do…
Draco barely reacts. Something is nagging at him.
-Hey Pawn, is it just me or is there a bunch of Sharps regulars missing tonight?
September 25th 2007
Persephone Park
10:15 pm
(full moon)
The sign read: "Persephone Park – No Trespassers: this area is strictly for the use of the residents of Demeter's Walk Apartment Complex."
Severus takes a super-human leap over the fence. He thinks: fuck it, no one cares. Who goes for a walk when the sky is pitch-black? He pauses, shaking his head at himself. Okay, besides vampires.
So maybe Severus doesn't have anything better to do than lurking around Sharps… but there is no way in hell that he's going to go back and let Xero and Draco know that.
So here he wanders, a stone's-throw from Tamasine's apartment, debating whether or not to call on Remus Lupin. The letter (of absolute doom and horror, as Severus is beginning to think of it) is not up for debate. He will pretend like he never wrote it. End of story.
Come on, just go up for a brief word and leave… rid yourself of the tension, leave unscathed-
Therrrump, therrrump, therrrump, therrrump!
Severus twists around in alarm. It's the sound of something large galloping across the park towards him. The clouds take this opportune moment to pull away from the moon. A pearly light illuminates the grass, giving a terrible beauty to the wolfish form tearing towards him.
A full moon, excellent time to visit a lycanthrope, Severus!
He gropes for his wand, but then hesitates. When Remus had last forgotten to take his potion in time, pain had been the only way to deter him. Severus isn't sure he can-
But he doesn't get the chance to find out. The werewolf leaps at him and he only just manages to raises his hands to guard his face. With so much momentum, the beast rolls right off of him as soon as he hits the ground. Severus is immediately on his feet, his vampiric nature awake and wary.
There's nothing for it, I'll just have to stun him and then-
-(cutting over his own thoughts) Damn it!
The werewolf is poised a few feet away, preparing to leap again. Severus's wand is clamped firmly in its mouth. Smart. Very smart. Not only for that… the moment Severus exhibited non-human qualities, the lycanthrope had recognised the change.
Is a werewolf that clever? Severus speculates. Or is that part of Remus showing through?
The werewolf starts to circle him. Severus moves with him, trying to keep from exposing his back to the creature.
-Remus, can you hear me? Don't do this.
He charges Severus once more, catching him in the shoulders, taking him down again. Inhuman instinct rears up in him for the second time. Fangs fully extended, Severus snarls up into the face of the beast bearing down on him. The werewolf's head tilts slightly to the side in what is almost an inquisitive gesture. Its aggressiveness vanishing, the creature jumps off its captive and runs back out across the park.
What the-
September 25th 2007
Demeter's Walk
10:32 pm
(full moon)
Mike (and that's JUST Mike, thank you very much) is shaking his head ruefully from his comfortable seat on the rail of his balcony. He watches his fellow vampire take his leave as the werewolf continues to tear aimlessly around Persephone Park.
-(with a sigh in tow) What a complete and utter disaster…
A/N: Until next time! Please believe that I'm trying to get chapters out sooner than they have been. A lot of personal stuff has been going on this year… I'm hoping things will start looking up in the fall.