Snape, regretfully, was still concentrating on nothing else but Lupin. He didn't know why, and even when he tried not the think of Lupin, a calm voice would appear in his head – why shouldn't I? Lupin isn't a bad thing to have on the mind! Calm, interesting man… he must be quite muscular too—what? He would want to slap himself every time a thought like that came to mind. It was beginning to become a once-a-minute thing now. There was no other word to explain how he felt… he was simply going mad.
A series of visions would flash to his memory at the simple mention of Lupin's name. Anywhere. How he had come face to face with the fully transformed and uncontrollable werewolf.
Drifting into deep thought, his mind replayed the memory as though it were yesterday…
*******
"Well well, Potter and Black? Who else would I have suspected? The two biggest trouble makers in the year. I can't wait to see your faces when you get detention for this one!" Severus snapped maliciously, before turning tail to run. He felt a sudden jolt, as a hand grabbed the back of his cloak hood.
"Hey!" Sirius called. "You're going to stay right here, Snape." Severus brushed the hand away, looking disgusted.
"And why the devil would I want to do that?" He glared back at the both of them. Sirius and James looked at each other, and then both looked back at Snape, trying to hide smiles. Severus kept his suspicious glare.
"Because there's something you might want to see, and we know how to get to it."
Severus narrowed his eyes.
"Rubbish." He snapped. "What could I possibly want to see, that two good-for-nothing Gryffindors have to offer?"
"How about the reason why Remus leaves every month?" James grinned. Severus' expression changed automatically: from looking bothered to looking stunned.
"Lupin?" Severus said slowly.
"Yes, Lupin." Sirius muttered. "Well? Are you up for it?"
"Do you think I'm stupid?" Severus snapped hesitantly.
"I do," Sirius said. James elbowed him and whispered something to him. Sirius nodded.
"How about this, if you don't tell on us, we can show you why Lupin leaves every month." James said. Severus looked at him, and stuck up his nose.
"Fine."
James and Sirius turned around and began on they're way. Severus quickly followed after them.
"You better not be lying to me." Severus muttered. They walked for what seemed like 10 minutes until they stood in front of a very tall willow tree, with very think branches. Severus eyes it suspiciously. Sirius elbowed Severus' shoulder, and he turned to him.
"See that?"
"What?"
"The knot on the tree-trunk."
"What about it?"
"You've got to prod it... with a stick or something. It will lead you into a tunnel... Lupin's in there."
"Rubbish!" Severus shouted.
"See for yourself." Sirius shrugged.
"Oh yeah, one other thing." Sirius grinned. "The tree comes alive."
"It does." James said, in agreement with Sirius. Severus rolled his eyes, and stepped forward. Just as James and Sirius had said, the trees branches began to twitch. Severus watched, panicked, as Sirius and James turned to run. He quickly hit the knot, and an opening appeared between the roots. He let out a cry as a branch swung down at him. He leapt out of the way, and fell into the entrance, landing in a roll. He got up slowly, dusting off his Slytherin cloak, with a heavy sigh.
"Stupid Potter... and that Black." He groaned, rubbing the back of his neck, as he looked around. He stood in a long dirt tunnel. He began tramping on the trail, farther and farther into the tunnel. They were lying to him! They must be lying to him. He had been walking for at least 20 minutes now. He was also growing tired.
"They lied to me." He told himself, as he rested against a wall. He accidentally inhaled a gust of dust and coughed. But over the cough he heard what sounded unmistakably like a growl. He stopped at once, and turned to look ahead—where he had heard the noise.
"H-hello?" He said quietly.
"Is anyone there?"
He froze, as he saw a very large shadow pass over the wall ahead. He gasped quietly, and covered his mouth. He got up, slowly, shifting a few feet back as the shadow grew closer. His eyes widened as something very large and beast-like turned the corner. It looked like a dog, a vicious, over-sized, dangerous beast. It was a werewolf. He stared, eyes growing wider as it sniffed at something on the ground. Luckily, it hadn't noticed him.
He backed up, until he turned a corner and broke off at a sprint. But when a thought came to mind, he suddenly stopped in mid run and turned to look back. If Lupin really had been in there… he was probably dead. But if he was, then Severus couldn't help him now.
*******
Snape knew very well what happened after that. Potter came in at the last minute, and had pulled him out of the Whomping Willow because of cold feet. And how he'd discovered that the werewolf was Lupin
Snape sighed, and stood up from his desk. He walked to the window, and looked out at the Whomping Willow. Remembering how it had nearly cost him his life. But he suddenly felt a swell of pity for Lupin. Poor old man, having to turn into a werewolf every month – he thought. Must be painful business.
But when he thought about how strange that sounded in his head, he looked away from the tree. Why… WHY was he thinking things like this? It's just Lupin! The money deprived, sleep lacking, useless man… but also very well mannered, charming, and polite...
Jesus… not AGAIN! He thought. What was this? Obsession? Fear? Fascination? Mental Illness? … Love?
A knock at his door made him look up quite suddenly. Wiping sweat from his brow, he walked to his desk and sat down.
"Yes?" He called hoarsely. The door handle turned, the door slowly opened. He felt his heart thumping in his throat. Remus Lupin stood at his door way.
A series of visions would flash to his memory at the simple mention of Lupin's name. Anywhere. How he had come face to face with the fully transformed and uncontrollable werewolf.
Drifting into deep thought, his mind replayed the memory as though it were yesterday…
*******
"Well well, Potter and Black? Who else would I have suspected? The two biggest trouble makers in the year. I can't wait to see your faces when you get detention for this one!" Severus snapped maliciously, before turning tail to run. He felt a sudden jolt, as a hand grabbed the back of his cloak hood.
"Hey!" Sirius called. "You're going to stay right here, Snape." Severus brushed the hand away, looking disgusted.
"And why the devil would I want to do that?" He glared back at the both of them. Sirius and James looked at each other, and then both looked back at Snape, trying to hide smiles. Severus kept his suspicious glare.
"Because there's something you might want to see, and we know how to get to it."
Severus narrowed his eyes.
"Rubbish." He snapped. "What could I possibly want to see, that two good-for-nothing Gryffindors have to offer?"
"How about the reason why Remus leaves every month?" James grinned. Severus' expression changed automatically: from looking bothered to looking stunned.
"Lupin?" Severus said slowly.
"Yes, Lupin." Sirius muttered. "Well? Are you up for it?"
"Do you think I'm stupid?" Severus snapped hesitantly.
"I do," Sirius said. James elbowed him and whispered something to him. Sirius nodded.
"How about this, if you don't tell on us, we can show you why Lupin leaves every month." James said. Severus looked at him, and stuck up his nose.
"Fine."
James and Sirius turned around and began on they're way. Severus quickly followed after them.
"You better not be lying to me." Severus muttered. They walked for what seemed like 10 minutes until they stood in front of a very tall willow tree, with very think branches. Severus eyes it suspiciously. Sirius elbowed Severus' shoulder, and he turned to him.
"See that?"
"What?"
"The knot on the tree-trunk."
"What about it?"
"You've got to prod it... with a stick or something. It will lead you into a tunnel... Lupin's in there."
"Rubbish!" Severus shouted.
"See for yourself." Sirius shrugged.
"Oh yeah, one other thing." Sirius grinned. "The tree comes alive."
"It does." James said, in agreement with Sirius. Severus rolled his eyes, and stepped forward. Just as James and Sirius had said, the trees branches began to twitch. Severus watched, panicked, as Sirius and James turned to run. He quickly hit the knot, and an opening appeared between the roots. He let out a cry as a branch swung down at him. He leapt out of the way, and fell into the entrance, landing in a roll. He got up slowly, dusting off his Slytherin cloak, with a heavy sigh.
"Stupid Potter... and that Black." He groaned, rubbing the back of his neck, as he looked around. He stood in a long dirt tunnel. He began tramping on the trail, farther and farther into the tunnel. They were lying to him! They must be lying to him. He had been walking for at least 20 minutes now. He was also growing tired.
"They lied to me." He told himself, as he rested against a wall. He accidentally inhaled a gust of dust and coughed. But over the cough he heard what sounded unmistakably like a growl. He stopped at once, and turned to look ahead—where he had heard the noise.
"H-hello?" He said quietly.
"Is anyone there?"
He froze, as he saw a very large shadow pass over the wall ahead. He gasped quietly, and covered his mouth. He got up, slowly, shifting a few feet back as the shadow grew closer. His eyes widened as something very large and beast-like turned the corner. It looked like a dog, a vicious, over-sized, dangerous beast. It was a werewolf. He stared, eyes growing wider as it sniffed at something on the ground. Luckily, it hadn't noticed him.
He backed up, until he turned a corner and broke off at a sprint. But when a thought came to mind, he suddenly stopped in mid run and turned to look back. If Lupin really had been in there… he was probably dead. But if he was, then Severus couldn't help him now.
*******
Snape knew very well what happened after that. Potter came in at the last minute, and had pulled him out of the Whomping Willow because of cold feet. And how he'd discovered that the werewolf was Lupin
Snape sighed, and stood up from his desk. He walked to the window, and looked out at the Whomping Willow. Remembering how it had nearly cost him his life. But he suddenly felt a swell of pity for Lupin. Poor old man, having to turn into a werewolf every month – he thought. Must be painful business.
But when he thought about how strange that sounded in his head, he looked away from the tree. Why… WHY was he thinking things like this? It's just Lupin! The money deprived, sleep lacking, useless man… but also very well mannered, charming, and polite...
Jesus… not AGAIN! He thought. What was this? Obsession? Fear? Fascination? Mental Illness? … Love?
A knock at his door made him look up quite suddenly. Wiping sweat from his brow, he walked to his desk and sat down.
"Yes?" He called hoarsely. The door handle turned, the door slowly opened. He felt his heart thumping in his throat. Remus Lupin stood at his door way.