Dust Will be the Serpent's Food, Chapter, 2 - Sirius Black
By: PepperjackCandy
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: Everyone, and everything, in this story, belongs to J.K. Rowling.
==========
I didn't mean for Snape to die, of course. Not that I would have minded if he had died. But it really wasn't my intention.
Frankly, I was so jealous I wasn't thinking straight.
I knew that I loved Moony from the moment we met in the crush of students leaving after the beginning of year banquet. We'd both been Sorted into Gryffindor, but had ended up at opposite ends of the table.
If he had been less reserved than he was, we wouldn't have met until the Gryffindor first year boys' dorm. But I still would have loved him then.
Where was I?
Oh yes. The after-banquet crush. Well, there he was. For every step he took forward, two people would squeeze in front of him. In other words, he wasn't making much progress.
I came up behind him and placed my hands gently on his shoulders. "It works like this." I whispered directly into his ear. Then I raised my voice.
"Excuse me."
"Pardon me."
"Pardon me."
"Excuse me."
"Pardon me."
Soon, we were out of the Great Hall and in the corridor headed towards the Gryffindor Tower.
"You Gryffindor?" I asked.
He nodded. "Yes. You?" He responded quietly.
I nodded and we walked together to the Gryffindor first year boys' dorm.
From that moment, we were inseparable. I knew it was just a matter of time until Moony loved me back.
Until fifth year, and Severus Snape.
It all started when we had to write our midterm projects for Potions. Remus had chosen a topic beyond his range of experience, and Professor Erlenmeyer suggested he seek tutoring from the best student in class. Severus Snape.
I accepted that. It made sense. And Remus was only using him to help his grades.
Then his project was finished. And they continued meeting.
Oh, this time it was to save Snape's Defense Against the Dark Arts grade. That also made sense. Remus was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts student in our year.
But that didn't explain why, sometimes, Remus would come back from their study sessions with lips red and swollen, like he'd been kissing someone.
So I followed him. I had to. To protect him.
And, just as Remus had always insisted, they were meeting in the library. Completely innocently. I almost went back to our room. Almost.
As I turned to leave, they stood. Leaving their books on the table, they walked, hands so close as to almost be touching, out to the greenhouses. I stood there, consumed with jealousy, as Snape pulled Remus - my Remus! - to him, kissing his lips, his neck, his eyes, running his long, delicate fingers through Remus's curly brown hair.
And Remus enjoyed it! It wasn't some odd payment for his help on the Potions project. When I stepped on a twig, snapping it audibly, Snape lifted his head from Remus's, making Remus moan low in protest.
Snape didn't take much persuasion. He bent back to his task willingly.
Damn him.
I continued following them. I don't know why. Someone had to witness their trysts. To be able to give testimony that Snape had some kind of unearthly control over Remus.
And I only got caught once. The night before the full moon. The night before 'it' happened. Snape walked right into me. And then he smirked at me. Like he'd been in the cream and wanted me to know just how good it was.
I knew that Moony would never share his deepest secret with Snape. Not after only a few weeks of meeting in secret to snog. I knew that Snape didn't have any idea that Remus Lupin was a werewolf.
And it was time that Snape found out what he'd be getting into, loving Remus.
Usually, the night before the full moon was uneventful. Remus would come home early, take a sleeping draught, and then the next day, everything would be fine.
But not this night. He took the sleeping draught, but instead of it rendering him completely inanimate for the whole of the night, it seemed to somehow allow the wolf to come out early. Remus paced the room, trying to force the door open.
It didn't work, of course. As we'd taken to doing since we'd begun our work on the animagus charm, we'd locked the door with a charm that was resistant to alohomora and most other door-unlocking charms.
When he couldn't get out the door, he began to claw at the windows. But they were charmed, too, and he couldn't get the windows open either.
That's when he started clawing at himself. It was rather like the wolf who chews his own leg off to get out of a leghold trap, we supposed when we discussed it later. James and I changed, but we still lacked the ability to stop him. The moon did that for us when it set that night.
We didn't know what this behavior meant. Neither did Poppy Pomfrey, or even Professor Dumbledore, when we asked them. That we found out later, and by then, it was too late.
Remus had been unconscious all day, resting up from his restless night, and healing from his self-inflicted wounds.
I cornered Snape after dinner. "Good evening, Snape."
He responded, simply. "Black."
"It's my understanding that you and Remus have been spending time together."
"He's been helping me with my homework." And Snape's body language simply screamed discomfort with this. Like he was humiliated. I was incensed. To snog my best friend in secret and then to be embarrassed when he's called on it?
It firmed my resolve to drive him away. To save Remus from him. "Is that what they're calling it these days?" I responded. "Well, if you want to know where Remus is, go to the Whomping Willow tonight. After the moon rises."
I could tell he didn't believe me. "The Whomping Willow."
"Trust me on this. Take along a long stick. There's a knot, about six inches from the ground. Press the knot in and wait. The Willow will settle down then, for a few minutes, and you can get past it. Nestled in the roots is a tunnel. Follow the tunnel. Remus will be waiting for you."
"Like I'm going to trust you."
"Fine. Don't trust me. But if you want to continue your . . . homework . . . with Remus, you'll show up."
He took the bait.
Damn me.
Feeling pretty good about myself, I returned to the Gryffindor tower.
"You look like you got into the cream." James said, echoing my own thoughts about Snape the previous night.
"Yes. Well, I am feeling pretty good about myself, truthfully."
"Oh? A new girl in your life?"
"No. A new boy. Or the same one, only . . . . "
I was so cocky, so sure of myself. God, I was a prat.
"Oh?" James sat forward, then he finally read it in my eyes. "Oh. Oh! You mean Remus?"
I nodded. "He'll be mine before morning. We'll be together. Just like we were meant to be."
"What have you done?" James demanded.
"I've eliminated the competition."
"Competition? What competition?"
"Severus Snape." I snarled the words.
"What?"
"They've been sneaking around together. And I just arranged for Snape to find out the truth. About what Moony is. In fact," I looked outside at the rising moon, "he should be finding out. Any. Minute. Now."
"You fool!" James yelled as he leapt to his feet. "He could be killed!"
Before I could respond, James was out the door and headed for the portrait hole. I followed in his wake, trying to figure out why it mattered that Snape could be killed.
James was always faster on his feet than I was, and by the time I got outside, he was to the Whomping Willow and headed for the tunnel. I hung back and waited. Soon, a desperate, terrified, Snape emerged from the tunnel. He ran right past me and down the corridor. I didn't want to know where he was going. I didn't care. I just knew that Moony hadn't killed him, and that was enough for me.
Several hours later, after the moon had set, Snape came back through the corridor. This time he saw me. He walked right up to me.
"Snape." I said in a perfectly reasonable tone.
"Black." He threatened. "You're going to get expelled for that little stunt."
"Dumbledore wouldn't do that."
"Why not? Is my life worth less than yours?"
"Probably not. But Remus's life is worth three of yours. And Dumbledore would never do anything to risk Remus's safety."
He was actually still surprised. He hadn't figured it out. "That monster? Was Remus?"
"Who'd you think it was? Father Christmas?"
Remus and James returned then. James was supporting Remus's weight. Snape's response surprised all three of us. "You . . . monster!" He yelled. "How many innocents have you killed, with your friends procuring fresh meat for you?"
Remus looked like he was going to cry. I hated to see him in pain, but part of me was glad that he finally saw Snape for what he was. "What? Sev? What happened last night?"
"Like you don't know. Monster." With that, he walked away.
"*SEVERUS!!*" Remus yelled as he crumpled to the floor in agony. He lay there, fetal, sobbing brokenly.
And then I wondered if what I'd done had been the right thing at all.
Dumbledore came down then, and directed James to take Remus to the hospital wing. Remus was still crying, and James finally had to pick him up and carry him, bodily, to the hospital wing.
Dumbledore called me up to his office. Where I told him the whole story. Every sordid detail.
Once I'd finished, he looked at me in that kind, understanding way that makes students want to crawl under their chair and said, "Do you understand the gravity of what you've done tonight?"
I burst into tears. "What are you going to do? Send me to Azkaban? I deserve it, you know I tried to turn my best friend into a murderer."
Dumbledore shook his head slowly. "Something tells me that you'll do an adequate job of punishing yourself for this. However, because of your foolhardy actions, you will forfeit five hundred points from Gryffindor, effectively ruining Gryffindor's chances of the house cup for the year."
"That's it?" I asked, astonished.
"I should think that would be enough. No official word will be said about what you did to forfeit the points. It will be up to your discretion, and the discretion of Mr. Potter, Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Snape, what to tell the other students."
I left the room, feeling vaguely like I should quit school and join one of those monastic orders where they beat themselves with whips.
Eventually, James forgave me. And, even later, Remus forgave me as well.
As for Snape?
He'd always been a hanger-on of Lucius Malfoy. After this, he became one of Malfoy's inner circle. I knew that Snape had become a Death Eater, but had blamed it on Snape just being . . . bad. Now, I wonder.
Could it be my fault?
Might Remus's love have saved him from that fate?
Dumbledore forced a truce between us just a few weeks ago, and I haven't seen much of him since. Especially in the last few days, when Remus arrived. Since then, Snape's been holed up in his dungeon.
Except this morning. He came into the Great Hall during breakfast, picked up a handful of cheese and fruit and left.
And when Remus followed him out of the room, I surprised myself by hoping they would reconcile.
==========
Next: Remus Lupin
By: PepperjackCandy
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: Everyone, and everything, in this story, belongs to J.K. Rowling.
==========
I didn't mean for Snape to die, of course. Not that I would have minded if he had died. But it really wasn't my intention.
Frankly, I was so jealous I wasn't thinking straight.
I knew that I loved Moony from the moment we met in the crush of students leaving after the beginning of year banquet. We'd both been Sorted into Gryffindor, but had ended up at opposite ends of the table.
If he had been less reserved than he was, we wouldn't have met until the Gryffindor first year boys' dorm. But I still would have loved him then.
Where was I?
Oh yes. The after-banquet crush. Well, there he was. For every step he took forward, two people would squeeze in front of him. In other words, he wasn't making much progress.
I came up behind him and placed my hands gently on his shoulders. "It works like this." I whispered directly into his ear. Then I raised my voice.
"Excuse me."
"Pardon me."
"Pardon me."
"Excuse me."
"Pardon me."
Soon, we were out of the Great Hall and in the corridor headed towards the Gryffindor Tower.
"You Gryffindor?" I asked.
He nodded. "Yes. You?" He responded quietly.
I nodded and we walked together to the Gryffindor first year boys' dorm.
From that moment, we were inseparable. I knew it was just a matter of time until Moony loved me back.
Until fifth year, and Severus Snape.
It all started when we had to write our midterm projects for Potions. Remus had chosen a topic beyond his range of experience, and Professor Erlenmeyer suggested he seek tutoring from the best student in class. Severus Snape.
I accepted that. It made sense. And Remus was only using him to help his grades.
Then his project was finished. And they continued meeting.
Oh, this time it was to save Snape's Defense Against the Dark Arts grade. That also made sense. Remus was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts student in our year.
But that didn't explain why, sometimes, Remus would come back from their study sessions with lips red and swollen, like he'd been kissing someone.
So I followed him. I had to. To protect him.
And, just as Remus had always insisted, they were meeting in the library. Completely innocently. I almost went back to our room. Almost.
As I turned to leave, they stood. Leaving their books on the table, they walked, hands so close as to almost be touching, out to the greenhouses. I stood there, consumed with jealousy, as Snape pulled Remus - my Remus! - to him, kissing his lips, his neck, his eyes, running his long, delicate fingers through Remus's curly brown hair.
And Remus enjoyed it! It wasn't some odd payment for his help on the Potions project. When I stepped on a twig, snapping it audibly, Snape lifted his head from Remus's, making Remus moan low in protest.
Snape didn't take much persuasion. He bent back to his task willingly.
Damn him.
I continued following them. I don't know why. Someone had to witness their trysts. To be able to give testimony that Snape had some kind of unearthly control over Remus.
And I only got caught once. The night before the full moon. The night before 'it' happened. Snape walked right into me. And then he smirked at me. Like he'd been in the cream and wanted me to know just how good it was.
I knew that Moony would never share his deepest secret with Snape. Not after only a few weeks of meeting in secret to snog. I knew that Snape didn't have any idea that Remus Lupin was a werewolf.
And it was time that Snape found out what he'd be getting into, loving Remus.
Usually, the night before the full moon was uneventful. Remus would come home early, take a sleeping draught, and then the next day, everything would be fine.
But not this night. He took the sleeping draught, but instead of it rendering him completely inanimate for the whole of the night, it seemed to somehow allow the wolf to come out early. Remus paced the room, trying to force the door open.
It didn't work, of course. As we'd taken to doing since we'd begun our work on the animagus charm, we'd locked the door with a charm that was resistant to alohomora and most other door-unlocking charms.
When he couldn't get out the door, he began to claw at the windows. But they were charmed, too, and he couldn't get the windows open either.
That's when he started clawing at himself. It was rather like the wolf who chews his own leg off to get out of a leghold trap, we supposed when we discussed it later. James and I changed, but we still lacked the ability to stop him. The moon did that for us when it set that night.
We didn't know what this behavior meant. Neither did Poppy Pomfrey, or even Professor Dumbledore, when we asked them. That we found out later, and by then, it was too late.
Remus had been unconscious all day, resting up from his restless night, and healing from his self-inflicted wounds.
I cornered Snape after dinner. "Good evening, Snape."
He responded, simply. "Black."
"It's my understanding that you and Remus have been spending time together."
"He's been helping me with my homework." And Snape's body language simply screamed discomfort with this. Like he was humiliated. I was incensed. To snog my best friend in secret and then to be embarrassed when he's called on it?
It firmed my resolve to drive him away. To save Remus from him. "Is that what they're calling it these days?" I responded. "Well, if you want to know where Remus is, go to the Whomping Willow tonight. After the moon rises."
I could tell he didn't believe me. "The Whomping Willow."
"Trust me on this. Take along a long stick. There's a knot, about six inches from the ground. Press the knot in and wait. The Willow will settle down then, for a few minutes, and you can get past it. Nestled in the roots is a tunnel. Follow the tunnel. Remus will be waiting for you."
"Like I'm going to trust you."
"Fine. Don't trust me. But if you want to continue your . . . homework . . . with Remus, you'll show up."
He took the bait.
Damn me.
Feeling pretty good about myself, I returned to the Gryffindor tower.
"You look like you got into the cream." James said, echoing my own thoughts about Snape the previous night.
"Yes. Well, I am feeling pretty good about myself, truthfully."
"Oh? A new girl in your life?"
"No. A new boy. Or the same one, only . . . . "
I was so cocky, so sure of myself. God, I was a prat.
"Oh?" James sat forward, then he finally read it in my eyes. "Oh. Oh! You mean Remus?"
I nodded. "He'll be mine before morning. We'll be together. Just like we were meant to be."
"What have you done?" James demanded.
"I've eliminated the competition."
"Competition? What competition?"
"Severus Snape." I snarled the words.
"What?"
"They've been sneaking around together. And I just arranged for Snape to find out the truth. About what Moony is. In fact," I looked outside at the rising moon, "he should be finding out. Any. Minute. Now."
"You fool!" James yelled as he leapt to his feet. "He could be killed!"
Before I could respond, James was out the door and headed for the portrait hole. I followed in his wake, trying to figure out why it mattered that Snape could be killed.
James was always faster on his feet than I was, and by the time I got outside, he was to the Whomping Willow and headed for the tunnel. I hung back and waited. Soon, a desperate, terrified, Snape emerged from the tunnel. He ran right past me and down the corridor. I didn't want to know where he was going. I didn't care. I just knew that Moony hadn't killed him, and that was enough for me.
Several hours later, after the moon had set, Snape came back through the corridor. This time he saw me. He walked right up to me.
"Snape." I said in a perfectly reasonable tone.
"Black." He threatened. "You're going to get expelled for that little stunt."
"Dumbledore wouldn't do that."
"Why not? Is my life worth less than yours?"
"Probably not. But Remus's life is worth three of yours. And Dumbledore would never do anything to risk Remus's safety."
He was actually still surprised. He hadn't figured it out. "That monster? Was Remus?"
"Who'd you think it was? Father Christmas?"
Remus and James returned then. James was supporting Remus's weight. Snape's response surprised all three of us. "You . . . monster!" He yelled. "How many innocents have you killed, with your friends procuring fresh meat for you?"
Remus looked like he was going to cry. I hated to see him in pain, but part of me was glad that he finally saw Snape for what he was. "What? Sev? What happened last night?"
"Like you don't know. Monster." With that, he walked away.
"*SEVERUS!!*" Remus yelled as he crumpled to the floor in agony. He lay there, fetal, sobbing brokenly.
And then I wondered if what I'd done had been the right thing at all.
Dumbledore came down then, and directed James to take Remus to the hospital wing. Remus was still crying, and James finally had to pick him up and carry him, bodily, to the hospital wing.
Dumbledore called me up to his office. Where I told him the whole story. Every sordid detail.
Once I'd finished, he looked at me in that kind, understanding way that makes students want to crawl under their chair and said, "Do you understand the gravity of what you've done tonight?"
I burst into tears. "What are you going to do? Send me to Azkaban? I deserve it, you know I tried to turn my best friend into a murderer."
Dumbledore shook his head slowly. "Something tells me that you'll do an adequate job of punishing yourself for this. However, because of your foolhardy actions, you will forfeit five hundred points from Gryffindor, effectively ruining Gryffindor's chances of the house cup for the year."
"That's it?" I asked, astonished.
"I should think that would be enough. No official word will be said about what you did to forfeit the points. It will be up to your discretion, and the discretion of Mr. Potter, Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Snape, what to tell the other students."
I left the room, feeling vaguely like I should quit school and join one of those monastic orders where they beat themselves with whips.
Eventually, James forgave me. And, even later, Remus forgave me as well.
As for Snape?
He'd always been a hanger-on of Lucius Malfoy. After this, he became one of Malfoy's inner circle. I knew that Snape had become a Death Eater, but had blamed it on Snape just being . . . bad. Now, I wonder.
Could it be my fault?
Might Remus's love have saved him from that fate?
Dumbledore forced a truce between us just a few weeks ago, and I haven't seen much of him since. Especially in the last few days, when Remus arrived. Since then, Snape's been holed up in his dungeon.
Except this morning. He came into the Great Hall during breakfast, picked up a handful of cheese and fruit and left.
And when Remus followed him out of the room, I surprised myself by hoping they would reconcile.
==========
Next: Remus Lupin