18.  Payback for Evangeline

When Lupin brought the box of chocolates to Snape in his classroom, he found the man sitting at his desk finishing up a note to Malfoy.

"Will these do, Severus?"  He handed Snape the chocolates.

Snape took the box, opened it, and gazed at the tempting chocolates.  Once again his face creased into that evil grin that sent a shiver down Lupin's back.

"Oh, yes.  These will do beautifully," he murmured softly as he set them down carefully on the desk.  Then he took up a blue glass bottle, unstoppered it, and filled a Muggle syringe with its contents.  A small amount of the potion from the bottle was injected into the underside of each of the chocolates.  Then Snape touched each with his wand and removed all trace of his tampering.

One by one he put the chocolates carefully back into their places, covered them with their tissue paper, and replaced the cover of the box.  Then he wrapped the whole thing in brown paper and added the card, which was addressed to Malfoy in his elegant spidery script.

Snape stood up and handed the final product to Lupin.  "I'll be very busy over the next two days, so I'm entrusting this to you, Remus.  Please see that it's sent to Lucius Malfoy tomorrow evening."

As he accepted the box, Lupin nodded, intensely curious to know more.  "Not a problem, Severus, but what's it for?  You didn't fill them with poison, did you?"

Snape shook his head, a faint smile on his face.  "Oh, no.  That would be too easy.  It's much worse than that.  Those chocolates are payback for Evangeline."

Another chill went down Lupin's spine at the raw hatred in Snape's soft tone.  "What do you mean, Severus?"

Snape took a deep breath.  "We've never talked about it, but I'm sure you know as well as I do what Malfoy did to Evangeline while he had her in his power last Christmas."

Lupin swallowed hard and nodded reluctantly.  This conversation was making him very uncomfortable.  "I know what we all feared he'd done to her."

Snape nodded and turned away.  His eyes glittered with anger; he kept his face rigidly impassive, but his voice held a world of pain and bitterness in its depths.  "With a monster like Malfoy, fears are reality.  I merely wish to be sure that he never mistreats another woman like that again for the rest of his life.  One bite from one of these chocolates should assure that.  Malfoy will no longer be capable of sexually assaulting anyone."

Lupin felt numb.  If he'd ever entertained the notion of confessing his own indiscretions, those feelings fled on the wind.  "Won't this tip him off too soon about your changed allegiances?"

Snape shook his head and turned back to look Lupin in the eyes.  "The effect won't hit for 48 hours after ingestion of the potion.  If he shares the chocolates, I can only hope it is with Crabbe and Goyle.  They're as deserving as he is.  They wouldn't harm Narcissa, should he give her one, and Draco is safely here at Hogwarts.  Though why I should care about him after his part in that affair, I don't know."

Lupin nodded, still feeling a bit dazed at the implications of all this.  "Okay, I'll send them off at dinnertime tomorrow."

Snape nodded curtly back.  "Thank you.  That's preyed on my mind for months.  I'll sleep much better tonight."  With that final pronouncement, Snape bade Lupin a brief goodnight and headed off to his quarters for a few hours of sleep before beginning his labors.

Lupin just stood there and stared after him for a few moments.  Then he glanced down at the box of doctored candy in his hands.  Snape might sleep better tonight, but I sure won't!  He thought to himself, as he too, headed off towards his quarters.

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Snape entered his chambers to find a house elf cleaning the fireplace in the sitting room.  The elf bowed to him and told him that she was there to watch over Evangeline, and thought to make herself useful while she awaited his return.  He thanked her for her help, and asked her to have someone return in six hours.  She agreed, bowed again, and left.

Quietly, so as not to disturb Evangeline, he entered the bedroom.  He moved silently across the room and spent a moment simply watching her sleep peacefully in the middle of the big bed.  Then mentally chiding himself for wasting any more time, he swiftly removed his clothes and joined her.  Carefully he slipped his arm under her head and drew her into his embrace.  It felt so good just to hold her, and to know she was safe!  There was nothing so comforting as the feeling of her warm skin against his own.

She stirred against him and opened her eyes.  "Severus?" she murmured softly.

"Yes, Evangeline, it's me.  You should go back to sleep.  It's very late."

With a smile and a sleepy sigh, she snuggled up in his arms, sliding a gentle hand over his body to embrace him while she rested her head against his chest and listened contentedly to the beating of his heart.  "It's so good to have you really and truly back.  I often dreamed you were with me, but you never were.  One time I swore I could feel your touch on my body, your kiss on my lips, but the drug was merely making me hallucinate."

Carefully he returned her embrace, ever mindful of the bandage on her back.  "Well, it's real now.  I'm here, and I'm not going to leave you again.  Now, go to sleep.  I need to be up and working in six hours."

"What's going on, Severus?" she muttered sleepily.

"We'll discuss it tomorrow, Evangeline."  He kissed her tenderly, and they both drifted off to sleep wrapped up in each other's arms.

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Lupin entered his quarters to find Black waiting for him.  "I hear Snape is back."

Lupin frowned in exasperation.  "I know these aren't your quarters, Sirius.  Did you forget how to find your own?"

"Very funny.  I just talked to Albus.  He filled me in on the grand plan.  How are you going to feel fighting other werewolves?"

Lupin sighed.  "I'm not going to have to.  Severus suggested I join him on his mission to free Voldemort's hostages at Malfoy's mansion.  He thought it would be safer for me."

Black looked surprised.  "That was unexpectedly thoughtful of him.  You two going to be pals, now?"

The werewolf rubbed his eyes with his hand.  "I'm really tired, Sirius, and I'm not in the mood for caustic repartee about Snape, okay?"

Black nodded agreeably.  "Okay.  What's in the package?"

Lupin looked down at the box in his hands, carefully crossed the room, and put it on his desk.  "It's a little present from Severus to Lucius Malfoy."  He looked over at Black.  "Did Dumbledore tell you that Snape has decided to give up being a spy?"

Confused as to why Snape would be sending presents to his enemy, Black answered with a frown, "What, he's sending out farewell gifts?"

Lupin snorted in grim amusement.  "Not exactly.  This little gift is…I quote…"payback for Evangeline"."

That puzzled Black, too.  "I don't understand."

Feeling that he had no choice but to spell it out for his confused friend, Lupin looked at Black bleakly.  "Evangeline was severely tortured and raped by Malfoy at Christmas.  This is a box of very carefully doctored chocolates that, according to Severus, will prevent Malfoy from doing that to any other woman for the rest of his life.  I gather all it will take is one bite, and Malfoy will be incapable of sex, for good."

Black's jaw dropped.  He just stared at Lupin, who stared back.  "Yeah, that was sort of my reaction, too."

The animagus squirmed uncomfortably and swallowed hard.  "My life just flashed before my eyes!  Never do anything stupid like admitting your feelings for Evangeline in his presence, okay?  My god!"

Lupin smiled ironically.  "You see, Severus doesn't really hate you.  However, I don't think either of us should ever accept any sort of food or drink that he might've had a chance to alter, okay?"

More than ready to agree with that, Black nodded.  "So, why do you have the box?"

"Severus needs to spend the next two days cranking out massive amounts of Wolfsbane and Wolfsbane-related Potions.  Because he's going to be so busy, he asked me to send this to Malfoy tomorrow night.  Apparently, it's a delayed reaction potion, but Severus wants Malfoy to receive it, while he still trusts him enough to eat it."

"Are you going to send it?"  Black asked quietly.

Lupin stared at the package and thought about Evangeline.  Then he raised his eyes to Black's and answered simply, "Yes."

Black's mouth turned up in a wolfish grin.  "Good."