A/N: Greetings to Pattie, Rebelyell, and Caytebell. Thanks for the reviews. Thanks also to everyone that has been following this chapter by chapter and giving me feedback.

Antinua thinks Severus needs a hug. Any volunteers? (Harue, we already know you volunteer to hug Remus.)

Slytherin Challenges Gryffindor ~*~

Over the remainder of the week Remus was busy teaching and Lorien was occupied with her medical duties as usual. Sirius took advantage of the secure hideaway he had made of Lupin's rooms and used the opportunity to read and catch up on a lot of missed sleep.

In the middle of the week Lorien made a trip into Hogsmeade to pick up a few things she wanted. She also stopped to procure more bloodroot, some butterbeer, and some more potent beverages that the two friends had asked her to get.

Upon returning to the castle, she left her things off in the medical ward and went to Lupin's rooms.

Sirius was alone, sitting on the couch reading the Daily Prophet when she entered.

"Hi, Sirius," Lorien said when she walked in.

"Hey, treehugger," Sirius replied from behind the paper.

"You're not funny," she said as she fought a smile. "I brought you the things you asked for." She set the packages on the small table in the room.

"Thanks, Lorien. What're you up to?" he asked curiously.

"Nothing much right now," she admitted.

"Want to do a little transforming?"

"You don't have to keep helping me if you don't want to," Lorien told him.

"I don't mind at all," said Sirius. "You're doing really well and I'm kind of excited to see this progress. It reminds me of when Moony and I were in school and I learned to transform."

"OK." She smiled at him.

"Here." He patted the couch next to him and sat back to coach her as she sat beside him.

She took several deep breaths and then focused. Smells rushed at her from about the room and Sirius's familiar scent met her nose. It was subtly different to her this time and she realized the change in scent was due to the fact that he also had adrenaline increasing in his veins. He was confident whenever he spoke to her, but she knew he worried for her safety. She was pleased that she could pick up the difference this time.

The next phase progressed quicker this time and she felt the tingling sensation climbing her arm to her shoulders, and her legs to her hips. Internally she was smiling as she struggled to hang on to the ground she'd gained.

"Easy, Lorien. Slowly. It's about to get a little rougher," Sirius spoke from next to her on the couch. She could smell the anxiety on him.

She steadied her breathing and mentally grabbed for the next step.

Pain wracked her back and she nearly lost it all right there. Panting she struggled not to lose any ground.

"You've got to fight your way through it, now. It's going to get worse at first, but I promise it'll get better." Sirius was trying to speak reassuringly.

She struggled to calm down. She knew she could get through this. Lorien steeled herself and mentally heaved herself along another step.

A cry escaped her and she fell to the floor. Her shoulder blades were on fire, and it felt like someone had shoved her back out of joint. She lay on the floor gasping and small whimpers escaped her while she struggled to hang on.

Sirius watched from where he sat, a death grip on the arm of the couch. He knew he had to let her do this but it was all he could do not to grab her and make her stop. 'Thank goodness Remus isn't here.' He thought.

The door closed.

"Hey what are you.....Lorien!" Lupin's voice was a ragged whisper. He started to run to her when Sirius leapt up from the couch and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Moony, don't," he said.

"She's in pain!" Remus tried to get past Black.

"Don't," Black warned again.

Lorien groaned from the floor.

"Sirius, let go of me!" Lupin was dead serious now and struggling madly.

"No! Leave her!" Sirius said sharply.

"I won't! Get out of my way!" Remus growled.

"Remus, she has to do th....."

Lupin's fist connected with Black's jaw, throwing him off balance.

Remus dropped to his knees at Lorien's side.

"Lorien!" He grabbed her up from where she lay whimpering on the floor, completely human again, and pulled her into his arms.

"Remus?" she gasped weakly and sank against him.

Sirius rubbed his jaw and sighed. Lupin had clocked him pretty good but he had already forgiven his friend. He knew it was only desperate concern for Lorien that made him do it.

Remus rose with Lorien in his arms and carried her past Black to the bedroom and he shot his friend an angry look as he went by. Sirius followed them.

Remus gently laid Lorien down and felt her pulse. It was steady and strong. He whirled on Black. "What's wrong with you!? What the hell were you doing?" Remus said angrily.

Sirius was patient with his distraught friend. "It was her doing, Remus."

"You're pushing her too hard! She's going to be hurt!" His tone was accusatory.

"She's pushing herself. I'm not. And yes, she's going to be hurt, at first," Sirius admitted.

"She... she...you can't..." Remus struggled to find what he was trying to say.

Black put a steadying hand on Lupin's shoulder. "Moony. It's ok."

Lupin looked at him in a dazed sort of way.

"She's going to be ok, Remus. We all go through this. It can get pretty rough at times but remember it's temporary." Sirius could see Remus was starting to calm down.

Remus looked at the floor. "She was in pain," he spoke quietly.

"Moony," Sirius began softly. "This is her choice. She has a choice, even if you don't." Sirius understood where his long time friend's concern about the pain of transformation came from.

When Lorien was alert and insisting that she was fine to go back to the infirmary, Remus finally left to go teach his next class.

He was upset with himself for interfering. He knew Lorien would be understanding, but it was so hard to see her go through this. He and Sirius had agreed that he would not be present during her transformations again until this stage was over. It was too stressful for everyone.

He walked along the hallway nodding to a student here, smiling at one that had just greeted him there. He was still distracted and didn't notice Snape coming down the hall until the Potions master was nearly on top of him.

The fluttering black robes finally caught his attention and he looked up at the approaching wizard as he walked.

He nodded in greeting as they neared one another. "Severus."

Snape was usually abrupt with him and he was expecting nothing more than a quick nod of acknowledgment. He was not prepared for the look the man was now giving him.

Snape stared at the Defense teacher with such intensity that it startled him. The glare continued as they were level with one another and Remus found himself meeting the dark robed wizard's unblinking stare with one of his own. It continued until the two men were past each other and Snape swept further on down the hall.

'What the hell is his problem?' Remus was still coming off an emotional roller coaster ride and anger at the irritable Slytherin set in as he thought about Lorien spending time in the dungeon with that man.

Lupin slammed the door to his classroom open, nearly scaring the second year students inside to death. It was not Professor Lupin that they usually expected to slam doors.

Snape continued on his way to the medical ward after passing Lupin in the hallway.

"Pathetic creature," he said under his breath as he walked quickly.

He was unhappy with the idea that he had seen Lupin together with Lorien the other night, but he was unhappy with himself as well since it had obviously bothered him. Why should it? She was nothing to him. A colleague, nothing else. He would put the whole thing out of his mind at once. After all, he had much more important things to worry about in the near future.

Snape saw Lorien enter the medical ward just ahead of him and decided that it just didn't matter that she was attractive, he'd been around plenty of attractive women that had no meaning for him in the past. It didn't matter that she was bright - most of the staff around him were very bright, so it was nothing novel. 'Huh! Easy. Just banish the thought.'

He nodded to himself as the matter was settled in his mind when he walked into the medical ward. He knocked on the office door and Lorien looked up from where she had just entered.

It was the way she brightened and smiled at him that threw Snape back into turmoil again. The witch was actually glad to see him and he felt his resolve on the matter weaken considerably.

"Good afternoon," he said evenly.

Lorien smiled. "Ben tarne, Elixani ator."

He raised an eyebrow in question about what she'd just said.

She laughed. "Severus, I merely bid a pleasant afternoon to the Potions master."

"I see." He felt his attempt at indifference failing further. "And how would I address the Mistress of the Healing Arts?" he asked.

"Remedari atora," she replied.

He nodded. "Alright, let's try this again, shall we?"

Snape stepped back outside the office as Lorien watched him go in an amused way. He knocked again.

"Ben tarne, Elixani ator." She played the game with a smile and nodded her head a little.

"E ben tarne aca, Remedari atora," Severus spoke solemnly and bowed his head slightly. (and good afternoon to you, Mistress Healer).

Lorien was delighted. "That was perfect, Severus," she said, touching his arm briefly.

Snape felt any last shred of resolve to put her out of his mind vanish.

"You did spend a lot of time around a Nemorosi," she continued.

"Too much," he replied.

She nodded in understanding, knowing what he meant, and then sat on the edge of her desk. "So what else do you remember?" she asked, smiling at him.

"It's been a long time, Lorien. I only ever knew a few words," Snape replied.

"Such as?" she pressed him further, eager to see what he remembered. It was a treat to speak to someone that knew even a few words of the old language.

Snape thought for a moment and decided to indulge her. "Well, I remember good morning...ben ilyan," he replied.

"And good evening?" she asked, waiting expectantly.

"Ben notan," he replied, seeing that she looked pleased. "I also remember 'thank you', and 'hello'." He said. "I believe it's 'doci', and 'selah' if my memory serves me?" Snape looked at her to see if he was correct.

"Yes." She nodded emphatically. "Anything else?" she asked.

Snape allowed himself a small smile. "I'm sure that if I had some time to think about it I could recall another handful of words, and I believe several phrases that I choose not to repeat in polite company."

Lorien burst out laughing. "I can only imagine," She said, shaking her head. "Anyway, Severus, I am impressed, but I'm keeping you from your classes. Did you need to see me about something?" she asked.

"Just these." He handed her the sealed parchment that contained the new counterspells to the storeroom and controlled components cabinet.

"Oh. Thank you." She put them in the upper right draw of the desk. "Hopefully I won't need them."

"Hopefully not," he replied and then turned to go. "Good afternoon, Lorien," he said from the doorway.

"Good afternoon, Severus," she answered.

Lorien watched the dark robed wizard as he left the medical ward, and turned back to her desk, smiling at the thought of him addressing her in Nemorosi fashion.

Snape walked quickly toward the dungeon again, angry with himself once more.

"Idiot." He said as he flung the door to his office open. "What a complete idiot."

He thought about the way he had behaved, and was horrified to think that he had remotely been trying to impress the witch. He hated to admit that he found it agreeable when he'd apparently succeeded.

"Pathetic creature," he said as he sat down at his desk. This time he was not referring to the werewolf.

Remus was still slightly agitated as he returned to his rooms at the end of classes. He found Sirius alone.

Lupin flung himself onto the couch with an exasperated sigh.

"Spill it, Moony." Black looked at him expectantly.

"I ran into a friend of ours in the hallway earlier," Remus said sarcastically.

Black's eyes narrowed. "A friend, huh?"

Lupin related the staring contest to Sirius.

"That slimy git," began Black. "What the hell is his problem? I'll give him a problem all right."

"I don't like it Sirius. I can't help it - I'm trying to be open minded, but I just don't like her being around him," Remus admitted to his best friend.

Sirius was thoughtful for a moment. "Does she.....know about him?" he asked.

It took Lupin a minute to catch on. "That he was a Death Eater? No. I'm pretty sure that she doesn't," Remus said.

"You might let that little piece of information slip in front of her. That might give her second thoughts about being alone in his company," Sirius said.

Remus thought about it for a minute. It just might be the perfect way to solve his little problem. He nodded in agreement. "It just might." He decided he would find a subtle way to tell her.

It was the incident the next morning at breakfast that firmed Lupin's resolve on the matter. The students and professors alike were straggling out of the great hall to get ready for classes. He walked over to where Lorien had stopped to talk to Cho Chang for a moment. She saw him coming and smiled as she finished saying something to the Ravenclaw seeker, and nodded. Cho walked away.

He was just about to speak to her when something else distracted her and she smiled at him, holding up a finger to indicate she needed a minute.

"Professor Snape," she called to the wizard as he walked past.

Snape turned to her, his gaze going from her to the werewolf standing near her and then back again. His Slytherin mind went to work.

"Yes, Mistress Lorien?" His voice was velvet as he addressed her cordially.

"I haven't forgotten the supplies I owe you. I'll bring them back to the dungeon later, if that's convenient."

"But, of course." His black eyes flicked to Lupin and back. 'That Gryffindor twit doesn't like that idea, does he?' he thought.

Snape continued, stepping closer to Lorien. "Whenever is convenient for you, Lorien. This evening perhaps?" He smiled wickedly in his mind as he noted the look Lupin was struggling to control.

"Yes, I'll have a chance by then, Severus," Lorien said as she nodded.

"Fine." He gave her a brief smile. "This evening."

"Good morning, Severus," she began to turn back to Remus.

"Good morning...Sylvanesti," Snape said very politely.

Lorien turned back and gave him a sweet smile.

It was Lupin's turn to stare at the dark robed wizard. His eyes bore holes in the man's back as he walked away.

"Remus?" Lorien's voice pulled him back. "You're going to be late for your first class," she scolded .

"Huh? Oh right. Thanks. I'll see you later?" he asked.

"If I haven't met with an untimely death in the hallway," she teased.

His mood lightened a little.

The room was quiet and dimly lit. The only source of light and sound was the crackling fire in the fireplace before the high backed chair.

The short, balding man hesitated for a moment before entering the room. He brought good news this time, but he still did not relish being the one to deliver it.

"Are you going to stand there all day?" the voice asked expectantly from the chair.

"No, Master." Wormtail forced himself closer to the chair by the fire.

"You have news?"

"Yes, Master. Everything has been arranged."

"Good. I can count on this being done correctly?" the Dark Lord asked.

"Yes, Fincastle is seeing to it."

"Very, good. He is most...reliable," Voldemort spoke from the chair as he gazed into the fire, his fingers steepled before him.

"And the next task?" he continued. "I assume all will be ready for the end of the month, Wormtail?"

"Yes, Master," Wormtail squeaked. "Everyone is prepared."

"Good. Well then, we ought to call for our old friend, should we not?"

Wormtail narrowed his eyes. "Yes, I think we should, Master."

"I'm glad you agree."

Lorien walked into Lupin's rooms that evening to find the two friends sitting on the couch next to each other, feet up on an ottoman that they'd pulled over, each with a glass in their hand. By the look of the bottle on the table they probably were not on their first drink.

"You make quite a pair," she observed with a smile.

"Don't we?" Lupin was grinning.

"We could make quite a threesome." Black gave her a sly grin and patted his lap for her to have a seat.

Lupin elbowed him in the ribs.

Lorien shook her head. "I don't think so." But she was laughing.

"No, seriously. Join us, sweetheart." Black indicated the bottle on the table.

"No, I think I'll just leave you boys alone." She headed toward the door. "Do I need to lock you two in, or are you going to behave?"

"Us?" asked Black innocently.

"Never," said Lupin with a mischievous grin.

She stood for a moment, her gaze going from one man to the next. It probably had been a long time since they had been able to relax and just have fun. She smiled and started to walk away.

"Lorien!"

She saw Remus raise an eyebrow expectantly. She sighed and went back to the couch to kiss him.

"What about me?" Black whined, teasing her.

Lorien gave him a quick smooch as well. "Now, I want you boys to sit here quietly and be good." She walked through the door shaking her head and smiling to herself.

"Hey!" Lupin laughed and elbowed Black again in the ribs when Lorien had gone.

"What?" Sirius blinked at him innocently.

"Like it's not bad enough that I have to worry about Snape," Remus teased.

Snape! Lorien was going to the dungeon.

"Did you tell her?" Sirius asked.

"No, I haven't had the chance," Remus said.

"You can still catch her." Sirius looked at the door.

For the briefest moment Remus thought about running after Lorien to warn her. He wanted to tell her, wanted her to know, to despise the man for what he had been.

"No," he said softly.

"What?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"I can't, Padfoot," Remus said, shaking his head.

"Well, then I will," Sirius offered.

"No. It isn't right. She'll find out on her own. Maybe he'll tell her," Remus said.

Black snorted. "Yeah, right."

Remus explained his reasoning. "I won't stoop to that. I remember how it was when he let it slip that I was a werewolf. He meant to make trouble for me and he did. I refuse to do the same. Lorien's a smart witch. She needs to find out on her own, and then make up her own mind about him."

Sirius stared at Lupin. "Well, Mr. Moony, I'm impressed."

"Why?" asked Remus.

"I would have told her straight away and then wrung the bastard's neck for good measure," Sirius replied.

"I'd like to," Remus smiled at his friend. "Please don't say anything to her, ok?"

Sirius swore that he wouldn't.