by SnapeRulez
Chapter Eight: "Sirius' Prank"
It was lucky Lupin was lying, because if he had been standing he would probably have fallen onto the floor out of shock, like a tree hit by lightning. It was also lucky that Madam Pomfrey was not present, because she would have dragged Snape out of the hospital wing by his robes´ collar, or his ears, or even his nose (his hair is too slippery), anything suitable for the purpose of throwing him out of the room, for Lupin was looking as if he would have to spend the next few months in the hospital wing.
There was a funny ringing in Lupin´s ears, and Snape´s last words still seemed to linger in the air, although they had been spoken some minutes ago. Lupin gulped and tried hard to tear his eyes away from the spot on the ceiling he had been staring at, fixedly and silently.
"Lupin? Are you there?"
There was a mild trace of concern in Snape´s voice, which surprised Lupin and gave him the bit of energy he needed to abandon the spot on the ceiling and turn his head towards Snape again.
"Yes, I...think so," said Lupin in an uncertain voice.
"You.....you came after me because you wanted to be bitten?"
Snape nodded. "And I would have succeeded, somehow, if Potter" -Lupin realized he had tried to say the name in a more casual tone, not as hateful as usual, which Lupin couldn´t help appreciating- "hadn´t pulled me back. He said I wouldn´t understand what was going on, I told him I *did* understand perfectly well what was going on, but he didn´t listen. Then you appeared at the end of the tunnel, and Potter just grabbed my arm and shoved my out of there. I didn´t try to get back in because" -he paused-
"Well, I knew Potter´d never let me, and I did not want you to harm him in any way, I....knew how terrible it would have been for you if you had made one of your best friends a werewolf or if you had hurt him. I had once been a werewolf myself, after all."
Lupin stared at him, his mouth hanging open. Was that really Snape talking to him?
But Snape, realizing Lupin´s bewilderment, proved that it was him at once:
"I admit, Potter was also stronger than me," he said in a grim voice, "and I had hoped I could at least get him or Black -or best of all, both- expelled after that.... I was really furious because they were not even punished in any way. And in my opinion, you forgave your friend Black a little to quickly, Lupin."
Was that disappointment in his voice? Or was Lupin imagining it? He just didn´t trust his human ears. Actually, he couldn´t even believe his ears at the moment...
"As you can imagine, Dumbledore didn´t have real difficulties making me promise I would not tell anyone about you. I knew how people react out of my own experience..."
He glanced at the window, then back at Lupin. And, seeing utmost surprise shining in the other man´s eyes, he added:
"You didn´t really believe that I was thick enough to do something BLACK told me to do, did you?" Lupin didn´t answer.
Snape laughed a cruel laugh.
"I mean, he hated me and I hated him -that hasn´t changed, actually- I knew he would never tell me something that important without dirty thoughts. I have to admit, even I was slightly surprised that he was stupid enough to try and get me killed, but nevermind..."
Lupin fought back a strong desire to defend Sirius and remained silent. First things first.
"Did you realize how low the chances were that I would only bite you and not...kill you?" Lupin asked cautiously.
Snape´s eyes gleamed strangely, and he stepped a little nearer.
"I knew how to fight back a werewolf," he said in a -to Lupin´s ears- threatening voice.
Lupin felt the hairs on his neck stand up. For a second, he saw the creepy boy that Snape had once been opposite him again.
"Yet," Lupin´s own voice brought him back to the present, "you didn´t try again." Snape grinned.
"Dumbledore set up certain installments, I believe mainly to keep me from trying again. But I don´t really think I would have, anyway." I wonder, Lupin thought, what Sirius would say now. And James...
Lupin sat up in his bed suddenly and turned to face Snape. He had decided to tell him something which had kept popping in and out of his mind ever since Sirius´ "joke".
Lupin realized the oddment about it, but at the same time he just knew that now was the right time to try and tell Snape about the peculiar event afterwards. If a thing such as "the right time" actually existed, that is.
"You know, Severus, James said afterwards -after he.....pulled you back, I mean... He said that it was very strange."
He looked up at Snape, hoping he would say something, but Snape simply held his gaze silently.
"He said," Lupin went on, "that it was all unreal and weird. He said for a few seconds it was just like pulling back one of us, his best friends, from mortal danger.
"He even confessed to me once that -at that moment- he feared more for your life than for mine, there would have been terrible consequences for me, as you know, and to be honest, none of us would´ve put it past you to know perfectly well how to...protect yourself from a werewolf.
"But still, James said the only thing he had in mind was to get you out of there, unharmed. I understand that well, actually."
Snape stared down at the floor and didn´t say a word.
"When we were all back in our dormitory the next morning," Lupin went on, for it seemed to be important to say this, "James was so quiet I feared something was wrong.
"When Sirius asked him what was the matter, he looked up at him with a look on his face that I had never seen there before. I think it was the first time he was really angry with Sirius. He murmured something about going to bed, and vanished.
"I went up after him, and found him staring out of the window. I asked him what was wrong, and he said, I´ll never forget it: 'Remus, it´s all stupid.' I asked what was so stupid, and he answered 'We are. ALL of us.'
"Then he explained. He said right after he had pulled you back, the two of you stood there and stared at the willow, panting. And when you looked at each other... I´ll use James´ words, that´s easier,
'It just struck me how stupid it all was, we picking on Snape, he picking on us. I mean, there´s a Dark Lord out there, fighting to take over, and here we are, running around, trying to get our fellow students into trouble.'
"He told me that when you were looking at each other, standing united, it was as if you were the best of friends. I was still weak from the transformation, but I did realize how surprised at his own words James was."
Lupin paused. Snape was still looking at the floor.
"And when James turned away from the window to look at me, he said, and I´ll never forget the look on his face, or the certainty in his voice,
'And Remus, I swear Snape knew it, too. I saw it in his eyes. He realized how stupid it all is, too. For a few seconds, all the differences between us, all the hate was just...gone. I felt like saying something, but nothing came out of my mouth, somehow. And then, suddenly, whatever it was, vanished.'
"We never talked about it again. While still at school, that is."
Snape didn´t say anything. He wore a frown which Lupin couldn´t interpret. Slowly, and not looking at Lupin, Snape pulled up a chair and sat down next to Lupin´s bed. Several minutes later, Lupin thought Snape had forgotten that he was still there.
"I wonder," Snape said slowly, looking up at the door, "where Madam Pomfrey is. She usually appears to throw visitors out after one minute."
Lupin waited. Was Snape going to comment on what Lupin had just told him?
He watched Snape silently. Then, all of a sudden, Snape got up, glanced at Lupin and, murmuring something like "I´ll see you later, Lupin." in that harsh voice of his, he left the room and shut the door noisily behind him. Lupin, staring after him with astonishment on his face, managed to find his voice again and muttered:
"I´ll be just fine, don´t worry."
How could Lupin have been so stupid to believe Snape would actually stay there at his bedside and chat with him about the incident?
That´s the problem with him, Lupin thought, you never know which way he will jump.
But still, turning in his bed, hoping to get rid of that terrible headache soon, Lupin couldn´t help feeling that more than only the door had just been pulled shut.