This chapter for Dia ... alright, LOVE? *grins innocently*
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"Lupin, what are you doing here?" Snape asked, a few minutes after the other man had gulped down the potion. "You knew it was too close to the full moon, so why are you here?"
"I've been travelling, Severus," Lupin said, wiping his mouth and leaning back in his chair. "I've heard many things over the past few months, but nothing like the things I've heard right here at home."
"That doesn't explain why you came back so close to the time you would change," Snape said. "You're not stupid Lupin, I know you."
"She's in danger," he said, rolling his shoulders and sitting forward. "She's in a lot of danger."
"Glory?" Snape asked.
Lupin nodded. "Voldemort is still very strong and he has many followers. They're searching for her now and they're getting close." He sighed and stretched. "She's not safe, Severus, not even here. He'll find her wherever you hide her and-"
"I haven't hidden her anywhere," Snape said, cutting Lupin off. "She's Lucius' responsibility, not mine."
Lupin raised his eyebrows. "But you don't trust him?"
"What gave you that idea?"
"I know you better than you think I do."
Snape sighed and brushed off the comment. "He was a Death Eater."
"And what did you call yourself when you were within Voldemort's ranks?" Lupin asked, his brow creasing as he frowned. "Weren't you a Death Eater?"
"I didn't say she should trust me," Snape began.
Lupin's eyes narrowed. "She trusts him, Severus," he said. "Isn't that all that really matters? She trusts him and I think she is right to do so."
"You're just angry at me for what I did to her," Snape murmured.
"You're damn right I'm angry!" Lupin burst out suddenly. "How long have I pretended that I didn't know? How long did I wait for her to come back?"
Snape glanced sharply at the other man. He had never heard Lupin raise his voice before, never in the entire time they had known each other had Lupin ever directed anger at anyone.
"I don't know," he said tiredly. "A long time, I suppose."
Lupin sunk back into his chair and laughed bitterly. "A very long time. And for what? The girl didn't even know I was alive."
Snape sighed. "Everyone was in love with her, weren't they?"
Lupin nodded and grinned slightly. "With good reason, she was gorgeous."
"She's not anymore?"
"Of course she is but . . . you and Lucius changed something inside of her. She's different."
"She suffered through many things," Snape said.
"And came out stronger, yeah, I've heard the story before."
They fell silent as Lupin shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
"She really didn't know you were alive, did she?" Snape asked.
Lupin lowered his eyes. "No, she didn't."
"She knows now," Snape suggested, attempting to sound helpful.
Lupin laughed again. "You sound like you're suggesting I ask her out."
Snape shrugged.
"Merlin's Beard, you don't get it, do you?" Lupin asked. "I'm not here to find a girlfriend, or to tie up loose ends on an unrequited crush. I'm here because she will die unless we do something about it."
Snape glared at the other man. "Oh, you're just completely selfless, aren't you Lupin? Is that what it's really about? I doubt it. I saw you that night, I saw you every night. You were so in love with her that you couldn't see straight. I still think you're blinded by her."
"I'm not here for myself," Lupin insisted.
Snape shook his head. "Not just for yourself. But I remember, Lupin. I remember . . ."
//
It was the third night Severus Snape had been in the Three Broomsticks to watch the blonde girl he planned on taking to Voldemort. It was the third night in a row that he had watched her, memorized her schedule and planned his abduction. It was also the third night that he saw Remus Lupin sitting at a corner table. The werewolf sat at the same table every night and ordered the same meal along with three or four redcurrant rums spread over the evening. Never enough to help Lupin quite work up the courage to say more than 'thank you' and 'have a nice evening' to the lovely blonde.
It also gave Snape enough pleasure to postpone his abduction, nothing was better than watching a former Marauder make a fool out of himself, especially over a girl who was at least eight years his junior. Lupin would do the same thing every night and Snape could watch the battle rage across his face as he attempted to screw up the courage to ask the blonde waitress her name.
He finally managed on the third night and Snape grinned slightly. He had to give Lupin credit, he never thought he'd get any words out without stumbling over them.
"Your meal was okay?" the girl asked, collecting his plate and setting down another rum.
Lupin nodded. "Yes, thanks."
"Did you need anything else?" she asked.
He paused, opened his mouth and coughed.
The girl frowned. "I'm sorry?"
"Your name?"
It was as if she could sense his longing for her and her face lit up in a grin Snape had seen before. It was the same grin she got every time a man offered to buy her a drink or take her home for the evening. She knew how to play men and she was going to do the exact same thing to Remus Lupin.
"Glory," she told him with a smile. She bent over his table, collecting a small plate from the other side and giving Lupin a fair view down her shirt. Snape stifled a laugh as a blush crept up Lupin's neck and he immediately diverted his gaze.
"What's yours?" she asked, straightening.
"Remus," he said.
Glory tossed him another smile. "Nice to meet you, Remus. Will I see you again tomorrow?"
He nodded, then took a sip of his rum. "Of course."
"Good. I look forward to it," she said, then swished away from his table, tossing a final grin over her shoulder. She circled the room, then returned to the bar with an order of four Butterbeers.
Snape could see Lupin watching her, his eyes filled with hope that he would actually be able to establish something with the girl. Snape grinned slightly and shook his head.
"Not this girl," he murmured to himself. "She already belongs to the Dark Lord."
//
"I was stupid to think she was coming back," Lupin said. "I remember seeing you there, thinking that you were just there for a drink. Too bad I didn't know, huh Severus? I could have stopped it from happening."
Snape closed his eyes. "Perhaps."
"I suppose it's too late for regrets, though. She was a beautiful face and I was a young man."
Snape opened his dark eyes and stared at Lupin. "She still is a beautiful face and you still are a young man."
Lupin smiled slightly. "Not as young as I once was. And at that point the beautiful face wasn't in love with someone else."
Snape narrowed his eyes. "Glory isn't in love with anyone."
"Of course she is. He's her saviour . . . he's her protector. She feels safe with him and even I can see it, Severus."
Snape paused, then his eyes widened. "Lucius?"
"Who else?" Lupin asked.
"That's not possible."
Lupin smiled as he rose. "If you think that, then it's apparent she has more than just herself fooled." He went to the door of the dungeon classroom and turned back slightly. "Good night, Severus."
Snape leaned back in his chair and sighed. Lucius? Was that really possible? The man who had destroyed her was the one she was now in love with? Snape shook his head. If that was true, then the world was far more twisted than he had once thought.
* * * *
* * * *
"Lupin, what are you doing here?" Snape asked, a few minutes after the other man had gulped down the potion. "You knew it was too close to the full moon, so why are you here?"
"I've been travelling, Severus," Lupin said, wiping his mouth and leaning back in his chair. "I've heard many things over the past few months, but nothing like the things I've heard right here at home."
"That doesn't explain why you came back so close to the time you would change," Snape said. "You're not stupid Lupin, I know you."
"She's in danger," he said, rolling his shoulders and sitting forward. "She's in a lot of danger."
"Glory?" Snape asked.
Lupin nodded. "Voldemort is still very strong and he has many followers. They're searching for her now and they're getting close." He sighed and stretched. "She's not safe, Severus, not even here. He'll find her wherever you hide her and-"
"I haven't hidden her anywhere," Snape said, cutting Lupin off. "She's Lucius' responsibility, not mine."
Lupin raised his eyebrows. "But you don't trust him?"
"What gave you that idea?"
"I know you better than you think I do."
Snape sighed and brushed off the comment. "He was a Death Eater."
"And what did you call yourself when you were within Voldemort's ranks?" Lupin asked, his brow creasing as he frowned. "Weren't you a Death Eater?"
"I didn't say she should trust me," Snape began.
Lupin's eyes narrowed. "She trusts him, Severus," he said. "Isn't that all that really matters? She trusts him and I think she is right to do so."
"You're just angry at me for what I did to her," Snape murmured.
"You're damn right I'm angry!" Lupin burst out suddenly. "How long have I pretended that I didn't know? How long did I wait for her to come back?"
Snape glanced sharply at the other man. He had never heard Lupin raise his voice before, never in the entire time they had known each other had Lupin ever directed anger at anyone.
"I don't know," he said tiredly. "A long time, I suppose."
Lupin sunk back into his chair and laughed bitterly. "A very long time. And for what? The girl didn't even know I was alive."
Snape sighed. "Everyone was in love with her, weren't they?"
Lupin nodded and grinned slightly. "With good reason, she was gorgeous."
"She's not anymore?"
"Of course she is but . . . you and Lucius changed something inside of her. She's different."
"She suffered through many things," Snape said.
"And came out stronger, yeah, I've heard the story before."
They fell silent as Lupin shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
"She really didn't know you were alive, did she?" Snape asked.
Lupin lowered his eyes. "No, she didn't."
"She knows now," Snape suggested, attempting to sound helpful.
Lupin laughed again. "You sound like you're suggesting I ask her out."
Snape shrugged.
"Merlin's Beard, you don't get it, do you?" Lupin asked. "I'm not here to find a girlfriend, or to tie up loose ends on an unrequited crush. I'm here because she will die unless we do something about it."
Snape glared at the other man. "Oh, you're just completely selfless, aren't you Lupin? Is that what it's really about? I doubt it. I saw you that night, I saw you every night. You were so in love with her that you couldn't see straight. I still think you're blinded by her."
"I'm not here for myself," Lupin insisted.
Snape shook his head. "Not just for yourself. But I remember, Lupin. I remember . . ."
//
It was the third night Severus Snape had been in the Three Broomsticks to watch the blonde girl he planned on taking to Voldemort. It was the third night in a row that he had watched her, memorized her schedule and planned his abduction. It was also the third night that he saw Remus Lupin sitting at a corner table. The werewolf sat at the same table every night and ordered the same meal along with three or four redcurrant rums spread over the evening. Never enough to help Lupin quite work up the courage to say more than 'thank you' and 'have a nice evening' to the lovely blonde.
It also gave Snape enough pleasure to postpone his abduction, nothing was better than watching a former Marauder make a fool out of himself, especially over a girl who was at least eight years his junior. Lupin would do the same thing every night and Snape could watch the battle rage across his face as he attempted to screw up the courage to ask the blonde waitress her name.
He finally managed on the third night and Snape grinned slightly. He had to give Lupin credit, he never thought he'd get any words out without stumbling over them.
"Your meal was okay?" the girl asked, collecting his plate and setting down another rum.
Lupin nodded. "Yes, thanks."
"Did you need anything else?" she asked.
He paused, opened his mouth and coughed.
The girl frowned. "I'm sorry?"
"Your name?"
It was as if she could sense his longing for her and her face lit up in a grin Snape had seen before. It was the same grin she got every time a man offered to buy her a drink or take her home for the evening. She knew how to play men and she was going to do the exact same thing to Remus Lupin.
"Glory," she told him with a smile. She bent over his table, collecting a small plate from the other side and giving Lupin a fair view down her shirt. Snape stifled a laugh as a blush crept up Lupin's neck and he immediately diverted his gaze.
"What's yours?" she asked, straightening.
"Remus," he said.
Glory tossed him another smile. "Nice to meet you, Remus. Will I see you again tomorrow?"
He nodded, then took a sip of his rum. "Of course."
"Good. I look forward to it," she said, then swished away from his table, tossing a final grin over her shoulder. She circled the room, then returned to the bar with an order of four Butterbeers.
Snape could see Lupin watching her, his eyes filled with hope that he would actually be able to establish something with the girl. Snape grinned slightly and shook his head.
"Not this girl," he murmured to himself. "She already belongs to the Dark Lord."
//
"I was stupid to think she was coming back," Lupin said. "I remember seeing you there, thinking that you were just there for a drink. Too bad I didn't know, huh Severus? I could have stopped it from happening."
Snape closed his eyes. "Perhaps."
"I suppose it's too late for regrets, though. She was a beautiful face and I was a young man."
Snape opened his dark eyes and stared at Lupin. "She still is a beautiful face and you still are a young man."
Lupin smiled slightly. "Not as young as I once was. And at that point the beautiful face wasn't in love with someone else."
Snape narrowed his eyes. "Glory isn't in love with anyone."
"Of course she is. He's her saviour . . . he's her protector. She feels safe with him and even I can see it, Severus."
Snape paused, then his eyes widened. "Lucius?"
"Who else?" Lupin asked.
"That's not possible."
Lupin smiled as he rose. "If you think that, then it's apparent she has more than just herself fooled." He went to the door of the dungeon classroom and turned back slightly. "Good night, Severus."
Snape leaned back in his chair and sighed. Lucius? Was that really possible? The man who had destroyed her was the one she was now in love with? Snape shook his head. If that was true, then the world was far more twisted than he had once thought.
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