Snape sighed, watching Dumbledore chewing his meal merrily at his side.
"What's the matter now, Severus? You haven't touched your Turkey dinner." Dumbledore asked eagerly. Snape groaned. He appreciated the Headmaster, but hated that he was always too apprehensive.
"Nothing," Snape said, flatly. Dumbledore gave him one of those piercing looks. The kind that made you feel really rotten because you knew that he was aware that you'd lied to him.
"Is there anything else you wish to tell me, Severus?" Dumbledore asked.
"Anything at all?"
Dumbledore was always consistent, but it was odd for him to repeat himself.
"Really," Severus muttered, without looking at him. "It's nothing."
"Alright, well then enjoy your meal, will you?" Dumbledore smiled warmly towards him before continuing his conversation with Professor Flitwick, who was on his other side of him. Snape sighed, prodding the turkey aloofly with his fork. He unconsciously looked up in Lupin's direction. Though, rather surprised, he saw that Lupin was looking right back at him. He turned scarlet and quickly looked away.
Finally, he came to the conclusion that he had lost his appetite, and left the table. He left on the opposite side of Lupin so he wouldn't have to pass him. He grew even more miserable that evening.
*******
Snape lay awake that night in bed, staring at his ceiling. He didn't know what to think about the last few days, or about how he was feeling during them. He reminded himself of that thought that occurred earlier. Obsession… Fear… Fascination… Mental illness … or even love. Love, he thought miserably. Why did it have to be love? He had always thought that he had hated Lupin, and only feared to be around him because of his wolf related dilemma. Or maybe he really was going mad? He even tried to remember if he could possibly have inhaled toxic potion fumes earlier. But then realized that he hadn't been brewing any love potion lately, and gloomily rolled to his side.
He finally gave up, and then pulled his covers back. He sat up on his bed, and pulled on a long black bathrobe hanging up on his wall. Underneath he had a pair of boxer shorts, and wool socks. He sighed, and looked up at his clock. 11:30 PM. It was much earlier than his regular sleeping time, but since he couldn't sleep at all, it didn't matter to him. Perhaps a mild sleeping potion would do the trick?
He left his study, and walked back into his office. He normally enjoyed being alone, because he found privacy to be very peaceful. But tonight, being alone was driving him mad. He searched his shelves for a proper sleeping potion, until his eyes fell upon a small velvety red, drawstring sack. He picked it up, and opened it. Inside were a variety of identical pills except for markings on the side like "D', "M" or "XD".
"Drowsy…extra drowsy… ah-- here it is," He said, picking up one labeled with an M. "Mild." He muttered, walking back into his study and reaching his sink. He filled a glass with water, and walked back into his office. He sat on his desk chair and examined the pill, before slowly bringing it to his mouth.
There was a knock at the door, and he was so surprised that the pill in his mouth got caught in his throat the wrong way.
Remus Lupin entered, looking around quickly. Snape looked simply astonished. But when he tried to say something, he found that he couldn't speak, or breath or that matter. He was choking.
"Severus, I'm very sorry for the late visit but…" Lupin immediately stopped in mid-speech, as he watched Snape slowly growing scarlet, wincing and cringing.
"Severus… are you okay?" He said. He quickly jogged over to the desk.
"Dear lord… your choking!" He blurted.
"Hold on," He said, as he retrieved his wand from his cloak, and brandished it.
"Koffrenegeo!" He cried, and a burst of sparks erupted form the tip of his wand and hit Snape's back. Coughing uncontrollably, he clutched his throat. He let out one heaving cough, and the pill flew out of his mouth, and landed spinning across the floor on the other side of the room.
Neither of them said anything for a moment. Snape was still coughing and out of breath, and Lupin spotted the pill lying on the ground a good ten feet away, curiously. Snape tried to relax his voice and managed to squeeze out from the pit of his throat:
"Lupin?"
He coughed again, as Lupin looked back at him.
"Are you alright?" Lupin asked quickly.
"--You saved my life." He said in a struggled tone. Lupin smiled.
"You were choking," He put his wand back in his pocket. "It's something anyone would have done."
"Why did you help me?" Snape groaned. Oh great. First Potter, and now Lupin. He hated being in debt.
"Why?" Lupin raised his eyebrows, looking rather stunned. But then he began to chuckle.
"Are you serious? Severus, you were choking! You would have died!" Lupin said. Severus groaned.
"I suppose you'd like something in return, then?" Snape groaned. Lupin made another one of his thoughtful expressions and then:
"Well, I am not one with making decisions, but I am open to suggestions."
"What do you mean?"
"Give me some ideas, perhaps. Or maybe even… show me." Lupin smirked. Wait… Lupin… smirking? This was odd. Lupin didn't smirk. Lupin never smirked.
"Good day," And with that, Lupin spun around and left the dungeon, Snape staring after him, mystified.
"What's the matter now, Severus? You haven't touched your Turkey dinner." Dumbledore asked eagerly. Snape groaned. He appreciated the Headmaster, but hated that he was always too apprehensive.
"Nothing," Snape said, flatly. Dumbledore gave him one of those piercing looks. The kind that made you feel really rotten because you knew that he was aware that you'd lied to him.
"Is there anything else you wish to tell me, Severus?" Dumbledore asked.
"Anything at all?"
Dumbledore was always consistent, but it was odd for him to repeat himself.
"Really," Severus muttered, without looking at him. "It's nothing."
"Alright, well then enjoy your meal, will you?" Dumbledore smiled warmly towards him before continuing his conversation with Professor Flitwick, who was on his other side of him. Snape sighed, prodding the turkey aloofly with his fork. He unconsciously looked up in Lupin's direction. Though, rather surprised, he saw that Lupin was looking right back at him. He turned scarlet and quickly looked away.
Finally, he came to the conclusion that he had lost his appetite, and left the table. He left on the opposite side of Lupin so he wouldn't have to pass him. He grew even more miserable that evening.
*******
Snape lay awake that night in bed, staring at his ceiling. He didn't know what to think about the last few days, or about how he was feeling during them. He reminded himself of that thought that occurred earlier. Obsession… Fear… Fascination… Mental illness … or even love. Love, he thought miserably. Why did it have to be love? He had always thought that he had hated Lupin, and only feared to be around him because of his wolf related dilemma. Or maybe he really was going mad? He even tried to remember if he could possibly have inhaled toxic potion fumes earlier. But then realized that he hadn't been brewing any love potion lately, and gloomily rolled to his side.
He finally gave up, and then pulled his covers back. He sat up on his bed, and pulled on a long black bathrobe hanging up on his wall. Underneath he had a pair of boxer shorts, and wool socks. He sighed, and looked up at his clock. 11:30 PM. It was much earlier than his regular sleeping time, but since he couldn't sleep at all, it didn't matter to him. Perhaps a mild sleeping potion would do the trick?
He left his study, and walked back into his office. He normally enjoyed being alone, because he found privacy to be very peaceful. But tonight, being alone was driving him mad. He searched his shelves for a proper sleeping potion, until his eyes fell upon a small velvety red, drawstring sack. He picked it up, and opened it. Inside were a variety of identical pills except for markings on the side like "D', "M" or "XD".
"Drowsy…extra drowsy… ah-- here it is," He said, picking up one labeled with an M. "Mild." He muttered, walking back into his study and reaching his sink. He filled a glass with water, and walked back into his office. He sat on his desk chair and examined the pill, before slowly bringing it to his mouth.
There was a knock at the door, and he was so surprised that the pill in his mouth got caught in his throat the wrong way.
Remus Lupin entered, looking around quickly. Snape looked simply astonished. But when he tried to say something, he found that he couldn't speak, or breath or that matter. He was choking.
"Severus, I'm very sorry for the late visit but…" Lupin immediately stopped in mid-speech, as he watched Snape slowly growing scarlet, wincing and cringing.
"Severus… are you okay?" He said. He quickly jogged over to the desk.
"Dear lord… your choking!" He blurted.
"Hold on," He said, as he retrieved his wand from his cloak, and brandished it.
"Koffrenegeo!" He cried, and a burst of sparks erupted form the tip of his wand and hit Snape's back. Coughing uncontrollably, he clutched his throat. He let out one heaving cough, and the pill flew out of his mouth, and landed spinning across the floor on the other side of the room.
Neither of them said anything for a moment. Snape was still coughing and out of breath, and Lupin spotted the pill lying on the ground a good ten feet away, curiously. Snape tried to relax his voice and managed to squeeze out from the pit of his throat:
"Lupin?"
He coughed again, as Lupin looked back at him.
"Are you alright?" Lupin asked quickly.
"--You saved my life." He said in a struggled tone. Lupin smiled.
"You were choking," He put his wand back in his pocket. "It's something anyone would have done."
"Why did you help me?" Snape groaned. Oh great. First Potter, and now Lupin. He hated being in debt.
"Why?" Lupin raised his eyebrows, looking rather stunned. But then he began to chuckle.
"Are you serious? Severus, you were choking! You would have died!" Lupin said. Severus groaned.
"I suppose you'd like something in return, then?" Snape groaned. Lupin made another one of his thoughtful expressions and then:
"Well, I am not one with making decisions, but I am open to suggestions."
"What do you mean?"
"Give me some ideas, perhaps. Or maybe even… show me." Lupin smirked. Wait… Lupin… smirking? This was odd. Lupin didn't smirk. Lupin never smirked.
"Good day," And with that, Lupin spun around and left the dungeon, Snape staring after him, mystified.