Remus J Lupin had always prided himself on his self control, strong moral practices, kindness and loyal friendship, but as he stood in the dark corner of number Twelve, Grimmauld Place he forcefully shoved those elements away. Kindness, friendship and morals had no place in what he planned to do to Severus Snape.

The door flew open, in the Potion Master

's usual flourish and Remus watched silently, a snarl curling his lips, baring his sharp wolf-like teeth. He felt Moony shifting inside him, restless, hungry and for the first time he didn't fight against his beast.

"Good afternoon, Severus," he drawled, his voice dangerously low.

Severus looked rightly startled when he swung around just in time to watch Remus emerge from the shadows. "Merlin's balls, Lupin." his hand covered his chest. "I wasn't aware that skulking in the shadows was your thing?"

"I get the feeling that there are many things about each other that we don't know, Severus." He slipped each word through his lips with a quiet calm and approached with slow, deliberate steps.

"Indeed," Severus said, his eyes shifted nervously as he backed up a step. "And as entertaining as this is, would you mind if we gave our usual arguments a miss, I need a word before the meeting begins."

A slow smile spread over the werewolf's lips, baring his teeth in an all too primal grin. "What meeting?"

Severus paused and finally looked closer at the man in front of him. Remus could smell the usually arrogant man's fear and grinned wider.

Moony liked fear…

"What meeting?" Severus cleared his throat and pulled himself up to his full height. "The one scheduled for this morning, the one I went to great pains to attend…" He looked around the corner then tipped his head to the side to listen for noises upstairs. "Where is everyone?"

Remus shrugged and leaned languidly against the stair-rail. "Called out, apparently there will be a Death Eater raid on Diagon Alley this morning."

The taller man balked spinning on his heel. "I know of no attack."

"Really?" Remus feigned surprise with another shrug. "Must be another - unfortunate - misunderstanding." He clucked his tongue shaking his head. "We must be more careful."

Severus snarled and gripped Remus' shoulders. "What is this trickery?" He bellowed and gasped as Remus wrapped a hand around his neck and pinned him to the wall. "How easy it would be...snivellus, to snap your neck and claim self defence... and it isn't even the full moon."

The dour Potion's master shuddered but rose his head defiantly. "What is you want mutt?"

Remus smirked, now they were getting somewhere. "I know Hermione is alive and slaved to Lestrange, what I would like to know is why you felt the need to keep it quiet!"

Severus' flinch was barely noticeable but the wolf sensed it and his grip on his neck tightened. "You lied to the Order, Severus, in direct violation of your vow. I've seen it Snape. Seen the way you watch her, look her over…" Remus closed in, baring his teeth viciously close to Severus' face, till his mouth was a mere inch from his rival, hot angry breaths mingling between them. "Have you tasted her too?"

Time stopped, seconds ticking on the huge clock were noise and no more and Remus knew he'd made a mistake. He pulled back sharply but was unable to stop his gaze dropping to Severus' mouth. His lips were slim, mouth wide, Remus was surprised that he had never noticed just how sensually shaped Severus' mouth was… Oh Merlin, no.

Severus felt as shell-shocked as Remus looked but one look at the damned wolf told him enough to move. Two strides brought Severus to his side, their ragged breaths mingling again moments before the potion master cupped the back of the wolf's throat and plundered his already parting lips.

For so long now there had been only anger, hatred, resentment, jealousy keeping the two quietly intelligent men apart, but this explosion of new anger and intense want was all that was needed. Severus shoved Remus against the wall and pressed him there with his taller body, his mind blind to all but his need to be closer.

But even as the world faded away, Severus' mind still functioned and he knew that he had to tell Remus why.

"I'm sorry," he muttered between kisses, nipping Remus' bottom lip and sucking it just enough to make the other man groan and shudder against him. "I wanted to tell you… That bloody old fool and his meddling has cost me so much - I couldn't just let her die. She deserved better. She deserved a chance."

"Hermione?" Remus pulled back a little, looking dazed.

"She is alright," Severus said and rested his forehead against Remus', shutting his eyes against his own raging emotions. "I couldn't just let her die - So I gave her a chance, a choice and she chose."

All at once Remus shoved Severus away. "What kind of choice was that?" he hissed and shook his head, glaring at the other man. "Either die or become a Death Eater's whore?"

Severus' lips curled into a lecherous grin and he finally let his gaze drift over the tall lithe body of Remus Lupin. "You didn't seem to mind the idea a moment ago." But he raised his hands in surrender when Remus reached into his pocket for his wand. "Not just any Death Eater, Rodolphus Lestrange."

Remus blinked. "And this is supposed to make me feel better? He is Voldermort's top killer. That sick bastard has murdered and tortured dozens of innocent wizards and witches and muggles, probably would have been hundreds if he hadn't been sent to Azkaban for fourteen years. I don't even want to think about what he's doing to…"

"What do you really remember about Rodolphus? From Hogwarts I mean," Severus asked, summoning a high backed chair and sitting with legs crossed.

"You mean besides the fact that he was a bigoted bastard?" Remus spat and rolled his eyes when Severus merely nodded and signalled for him to continue. "Well, He was the only one besides you who rivalled me in the OWLs and NEWTs. He was an amazing duellist, incredible to watch and the only one who could best James. But unlike James, when he was bested he always paid his respects and made a point to learn from the loss rather then seek revenge."

"Something James took great joy in I remember." Severus muttered, but quickly remembered himself. "What else?"

"He was possessive, what was his, was his…" Remus looked up to see a slow smile spreading over Severus' face. "And he always took care of his things to the point of obsessional."

"Miss Granger is safe for the moment, he will protect her."

"Alright I see that part, but, Severus, she's still…"

"His whore, yes she is and so it will remain until she is ready to leave."

Remus shook his head. "Ready to…?"

"Oh please, Lupin," Severus sighed impatiently. "You have said it many times and I have agreed and thought such things myself. Hermione Granger is the cleverest witch either of us have met in many years, and Malfoy Manor is hardly a prison."

"Of course." Remus let out a long, pained breath. "To her eyes, the Order betrayed her."

"Indeed, but that is where I need help." Severus stood and began to pace. "I expected Hermione to adapt and survive and I did not doubt that she would take to her position with vigour."

"Severus," Remus growled warningly.

"Use your brain, Lupin!" Severus snapped. "There is a reason why she had not lost her virginity till now, even though the chit is surrounded by men who, as you have noticed, would have gladly walked though fire for a chance with her. Even at fourteen she was instantly drawn to you, and I didn't miss the fleeting glances she shot at me, after she found out that I used to be a Death Eater, and I need not remind you of the Romanian Seeker."

This time Remus did pull his wand, fire in his eyes as he pointed it directly at Severus' throat. "Are you saying that Hermione Granger is only attracted to dangerous men?"

Too quickly, Severus slipped to his feet, flicked up his hand and grabbed Remus' wand, ripping it to the side and pulling the werewolf close. "Yes." He sounded out each letter, drawing attention back to his mouth before claiming Lupin's lips again. He pulled back, keeping their still panting lips close. "And worse yet, she has fallen in love with him."

"Of course she has," Remus dropped his head onto Severus' shoulder. "It's not like things could get much worse…" he looked at the Potions Master and laughed softly.

Severus had to work hard to stop his own mouth from twitching in his amusement. "You know, I always wondered about you and Black."

"That ended long before the end of our Hogwarts days," Remus said and pulled away. "You were not the only one who would have lost his life had you made it through that passage to the shack."

~*~

The feel of his hot, demanding mouth, grazing down her shoulder, pulled Hermione slowly from her cloud of sleep. She moaned and arched her back, stretching her arms high above her head as his rough tongue lapped at and circled one erect nipple.

"Rodolphus," she sighed and wove her fingers into his auburn hair.

He chuckled and parted her thighs with his knee, holding her wrists against the bed as he kissed and nipped his way around her jaw-line. "I want you again, my sweet witch."

Hermione moaned, her fingers tingling where he held her so firmly against the mattress. "Your insatiable." But even as she spoke, her lower body flooded with heat, loving the feeling of his long thick cock so hard and ready between her thighs.

"Insatiable, you say," he murmured, eyes glittering wickedly as he shifted his hips till he found her soaking opening. "Can't imagine why." And rammed his thickness hard and fast and to the hilt with a yell that left him breathless. "I find this very satisfying."

She felt torn in two as he ravished her hard and fast; Making her cry out with the sheer speed and force of his thrusting lower body. She loved how strong he was and yet even as he held her down and plundered her mouth and body, he watched her closely, gauging his thrusts and with a sinful smirk he shifted his angle just enough to send his cock dragging again and again over that spot inside that made her quiver.

Dropping his head to the pillow below, Rodolphus breathed hard against her throat as his lower body picked up speed, his hands tightening on her wrists as his own completion came closer. He moaned and thrust deeper, harder when she wound her thighs around his waist, and his breath was hot and wet against her ear with every rasping breath.

"That's it, Hermione," he rasped at the feel of her writhing beneath him. "Come for me sweet witch - my witch."

And she did. With a cracked cry, Hermione's back arched and her body shook with the force of her carnal release, her body milking his thick cock till he joined her with another yell that seemed to echo around the room as he stiffened and shuddered above her, his warm seed spilling deep.

It was much later that Rodolphus still lay next to her on the bed, kissing a warm tingly line down her spine. Hermione smiled and sighed at the simple pleasure of being here with him this way. It had been a long time since he had stopped leaving immediately after he's taken his release, and now seemed as content as she to simply lay together, sharing the afterglow and relaxing in the warmth.

"What are you thinking about, Hermione?"

"I don't want to bore you," she murmured and shivered when his tickling fingertips danced over her sensitive buttocks.

He gripped her shoulder and forced the smaller woman onto her back, grinning mischievously at her indignant glare. "I would not have asked if I thought you boring, Cherie."

"Fine," she said shortly, pushing back her temper and compressing her lips at the knowing curl of his lips. "I was looking through a little book that Severus managed to acquire from Albus' library. Translating bits and pieces, trying to find something to do with the Deathly Hallows story, and I found this symbol that was inscribed by hand above the story."

"What was the symbol?" He asked, gliding a single finger down between her breasts and drawing slow, intricate patterns on her stomach.

"Well…" She folded her arms behind her head. "It looked like an eye."

"I can think of five right now that could match it."

"Yes, me too and it's not any of them… But I know that I've seen it somewhere else." She groaned and sat up. "If I can just remember."

Rodolphus didn't even try to hold back the grin as he looked up at his brilliantly clever witch. He loved watching her think, watching her mind muddling out a problem, the way her nose crinkled and her lips pursed. Still grinning he sat up behind her and placed a lingering kiss on her bare shoulder then shifting so he was kneeling behind her he began to rub and massage her slim shoulders.

Hermione moaned and tipped her head to the side and he would feel her muscles relaxing under his talented fingers.

"You just need to relax a little, cherie," he said, surprised by how willing he was to soothe her and the simple warm pleasure that came with the act. "You'll remember, they don't call you the walking encyclopaedia for nothing, right?"

She laughed and leaned back against his chest, her hair tickling him and her body warm. "Don't remind me." Turning her head to look at him, her eyes seemed to shimmer. "Do you really think I'm that nerdy?"

Looking into her face, he felt as though he were falling. "I think you're beautiful," he rasped wrapping his arms around her shoulders and capturing her lips in a searing kiss, his tongue slipping in to taste her velvety warmth.

"Viktor."

The name slipped from her lips just as Rodolphus pulled back to take a breath. An icy shiver snaked down his spine and in one movement he let her go and sat back. "Viktor?" he snarled feeling his rage rising hot and almost painful through his fingertips and up his strong arms.

She turned to face him and he saw the surprise in her face when she looked at him. "Yes, I was dancing with Viktor at Bill and Fleur's wedding when Luna Lovegood's father walked in wearing bright yellow robes - with that symbol on the front!"

At her bright, triumphant grin, Rodolphus felt his temper cool. Her face was glowing and he wasn't sure that he liked the flow of warmth that her pleasure sent through him. He watched, almost afraid of his own emotions as she slowly crawled closer but didn't fight when she straddled his thighs and wound her arms around the back of his throat.

He saw the awareness in her eyes and cursed himself for letting her see her effect on him. But when she took his hand and brought his palm to her lips it was all he could do to hold back the almost doglike whimper at the sweetness of her touch.

"No other man has or will ever touch me the way you touch me," she whispered and slid his hand slowly down, making him cup and squeeze her breast. "And no other man could possibly make me feel - the way I feel when I'm with you."

Her breast felt good, luscious, full, and so soft and as he stroked his thumb over the nipple he felt it harden, eliciting the sexiest damn mew from the witch straddling him.

Clearing his throat and shifting so his quickly hardening cock was nestled against her damp centre, he brushed a stray curl of hair from her face. "Tell me what you remember."

Her eyes dropped and the glint of hurt in her brown eyes sent another of many slivers of guilt through him, but he pushed it away and instead gripped her shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Tell me."

"Viktor was angry, more then I've ever seen," she said, almost glaring into his face and he could feel the prickle of her magic, her own frustration and anger obvious and all too exciting. "He said that it was the symbol of Grindelwald."

"The plot, thickens," he murmured grinning at the way she fought against her own amused smile. "You know if you get too clever, the Dark Lord may take more interest in you. As it is a great number if our army are being eaten alive by their rampant curiosity."

Hermione shuddered and shook her head. "Your Lord will never touch me."

"What makes you so sure," he hissed softly, his ire raising at her obstinacy and lack of respect. "You are my slave and I am his."

She looked at him for a long time before taking his hand again and his eyes widened when she moulded his fingers so they circled her throat. "If that moment comes then I want it to be your hand. You have killed many witches, what is one more?"

Growling dangerously he tightened his fingers, blocking her airway and grinning at the flash of fear in her eyes. "Do you think I wouldn't witch?" he spat and tightened some more watching her gasp for breath.

"Yes," she gasped her words barely audible. "I know you would - but - where else would I want to be - when I die?"

Before he could think his hands were suddenly on her arms and he shoved her down onto the bed. Mindless and urgent he shoved her thighs apart and forced his painful erection deep inside her soaking passage. His thrusts were impossibly fast and dangerously hard, his hands bruising her arms as he grunted his lust, his need and took his pleasure with a roar.

~*~

In another room, in another part of the mansion Belatrix Lestrange sat alone in her rooms. Her rage simmered and grew hotter with every passing minute and her magic crackled to the extent that items on her mantle began to tremble.

It had been weeks since her husband had come to her and from what she'd heard from the elf, he hadn't slept in his own bed now for almost as long.

And she knew why…