Author's Note: In the spirit of the first bonus chapter, I thought I would do another short glimpse into Snape's interactions with other members of the faculty. In this instance, he and Professor Lupin have an interesting little chat about Harry. Please enjoy!
Bonus Chapter – Snape and Lupin
While Harry and his friends were busy securing Buckbeak's freedom, Professor Lupin was sitting in the staff room, his mind bent toward another task. The map was spread before him. He watched Harry and the others make their way across the school grounds, their presence noted by minuscule dots and tiny banners with their names elegantly scrawled. That had been particularly difficult to accomplish when the map had been made.
He wondered briefly what Harry was doing outside at that time of day, and in the company of Dumbledore and the Minister for Magic, no less. But as the headmaster was present, and the party seemed occupied near the gamekeeper's hut for some time, he knew he would not find what he sought in that quarter. From there his eyes wandered to the distant corners of the castle. There were many students headed toward the Great Hall at that time, but his attention was not focused on them. He was searching the hidden corridors, the secret rooms – all the places he had explored with his friends as a boy and painstakingly plotted onto this map.
The search was fruitless. He couldn't find the name he was looking for. Wherever Harry had hidden him, it had to be a place the Marauder's never ventured before. Sirius was a lot of things, but he wasn't stupid. He wouldn't hide in one of their old haunts knowing Remus was there.
He heard footsteps approaching and quickly hid the map from sight, sliding a stack of ungraded exams in front of him instead. It was lucky he did. Snape entered the staff room a moment later. The Potions Master directed a look of disgust at Lupin and wordlessly sat a mug of something black and smoking on the table. He pushed it roughly across the wooden surface, and the contents sloshed dangerously as Lupin caught the vessel. Some of the putrid liquid spilled over his fingers, but nevertheless, he thanked Snape for his kindness in bringing the potion to him once again.
"A moment of your time, Sev?" he asked, stalling Snape before he could slip out the door as abruptly and rudely as he had come in.
"I am merely delivering your monthly dose at the request of the headmaster," Snape said curtly, "I would appreciate it if you didn't address me as a friend."
"I understand," Lupin said, smiling slightly in spite of Snape's cold demeanor, "Only, I have a question, and I think you might be the only person who can help."
Snape turned slightly toward him and asked, "Is it about the potion?"
"No, it's about Harry Potter."
Snape bristled and spat, "What does he have to do with me?"
Lupin didn't bother to hide his surprise as he replied, "He's in your house, of course. I thought as his faculty advisor, you might know more about him than the others."
Snape scoffed, "I can tell you that he's every bit as arrogant and troublesome as his father. Always poking his nose into things that don't concern him. Conceited. A bully."
Lupin continued to smile.
"That's nice to know, but that's not the sort of information I was looking for."
"Then I am afraid you will be disappointed," said Snape, sounding not in the least remorseful, "This may come as a shock to you, but I don't actually make it my business to know everything about the famous Harry Potter."
"Really? I thought you might make an exception for the son of Lily Evans."
Snape flinched, glared at Lupin, and hissed, "Bastard."
Lupin's smile softened, as did his voice, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."
Snape glanced over his shoulder, as if checking to see if their conversation was overheard. But the rest of the teachers, much like the students, had already made their way to the Great Hall.
Satisfied that they were alone, Snape asked, "What has Potter told you?"
Lupin did not appear to follow his train of thought.
"If Harry was in my confidence," he said, "Then you and I would not be having this conversation right now. He hasn't said anything to me."
"Then I have nothing more to say to you," Snape stated, and began to leave the room once more.
Lupin, sensing that his last chance might be slipping through his grasp, jumped from his seat and tried one more appeal.
"Severus, I believe Harry has been sneaking off school grounds."
Snape hesitated.
"I'm not surprised," he said, "I told you he takes after his father, didn't I?"
He was attempting to sound unconcerned, but Lupin wasn't fooled. Snape, holding no affection for Harry, must be interested in any scandal that might enable him to dole out punishment.
"The trouble is, I'm not sure where they're going," Lupin added, "I've been... keeping an eye on Harry as of late, and he hasn't done anything suspicious... But his friends, Zabini and Bulstrode... They appear to vanish altogether at times."
"Together?" Snape asked.
"No, always separate. But they must be going to the same place. I might not have noticed if it were only Bulstrode, but I can't ignore Zabini sneaking into a girls' lavatory several times a day."
"Girls' lavatory?" Snape repeated, a suspicious edge to his voice.
"I know it might sound strange," Lupin admitted, "But that's where they always go, right before they disappear. There must be a secret passage or something, but I've never heard of passages leading from a bathroom..."
Snape uttered a loud curse, causing Lupin to stare at him in shock.
"I know exactly where they're going," Snape said with murder in his voice, "Follow me."
For a moment, Lupin was certain that he had misheard the Potions Master. But Snape had already turned on his heel and walked quickly out of the office. Lupin hastily snatched up his wand and jacket, making sure that the Marauder's Map was stored in the pocket. He rushed out of the office in Snape's wake, leaving the papers he was supposed to grade sitting unattended on the table. The goblet, still brimming with the smoking black potion, sat untouched near the stack.