Disclaimer: Remus and Severus don't belong to me. I'm making no money off of this. Song lyrics belong to Richard O'Brien, the First British God.

Warning: Slash. Still.

Dedication: To all of you who waited patiently for me to update this. It took me a while, but here it is. :-)

Author's Note: Wow. This is probably the quickest I have actually done an editing session. I'm quite proud. My eyes burn like anything now, but I've finished. Can you see the ending looming ahead? You could be right...or you could be very, very wrong. :-) Thing that too the longest...finding long lyrics to fit.

Someday Out of the Blue

Chapter 14

//.But there's more to it all then just wringing your heart out//
//Over something that keeps on going wrong.//
//No don't sell emotion. You can't find devotion//
//If you're falling apart at the seams.//

//I hope that you smile when you reach your conclusion.//
//I hope that you know just what to say.//
//But if it should mean, that the party's over.//
//You should know that I still love you in my own way.//

Remus wasn't entirely sure how the kitten had found its way under his bed, but the fact remained it was there. Mewling and crying, and pressed up against the wall, it refused to answer to his coaxing. He knew it was a kitten, he could smell it even if he couldn't get a good look at it in the shadows of sheet and wall. He was on his hands and knees, half under the bed, attempting to get his hand around the small ball of fluff.

"What in the name of god?"

Remus jumped at the voice behind him, and hit his head on the slats under the bed. He backed up, rubbing at the sore spot, and turned around. He was rather surprised at the site that greeted him. Severus Snape, arms folded, look of complete confusion and partial disgust on his face, standing inside his doorway.

"Oh. Severus. Hello." He stood up, dusting off his robes and attempting to make himself presentable. //I wonder what he's doing here. Not that I'm complaining. Unless it's to tell me to leave him alone again.//

"What are you doing?" Severus raised an eyebrow, taking in Remus' rather disheveled form.

"Oh...there's a kitten under my bed. I'm trying to get it out, but I think she knows what I am. She's, er, not cooperating." He held up a scratched hand, long white lines across his palm, fingers and the back of his hand. "Not blood, anyway."

"A kitten."

"Er...yes." Remus sighed, raking his hair out of his eyes.

"I assume that is what that god awful noise is?"

"Yes. She seems distressed." Remus licked his lips, a questioning look in his eyes. Then he had a sudden revelation. "Oh! Severus...could you do me a favor?"

"As long as it doesn't involve me getting on my hands and knees."

There was a rather awkward silence when all the implications of the statement sunk in. Remus bit back a smile, and fought very hard to keep all the witty little comments that came to mind inside of his head. //He's just asking for trouble...// But he only smiled in an amused manner, fighting back laughter at the look on Severus' face. //Relax, it wasn't that bad. I've said worse myself.//

"No, don't worry, you get to remain upright." Remus assured the potions master. "I'm going to flush her out. Could you grab her?"

"Grab her?"

"Yes." //Well, he's certainly confused about something. If he weren't, he wouldn't be repeating everything I say.// "I'm going to chase her out from under the bed, but I don't want her running under something else, or out the door. I'd like to try and find her owner."

"Ah. Fine." Severus nodded, and Remus knelt back down on the floor.

"There should be long walking stick hanging on the wall. Pass it to me, please?"

"A walking stick? You aren't *that* old."

"NO, but I find it helps on the few days after my transformation." The smooth shaft of wood was pressed into his outstretched hand, and he slid it in an arc under the bed, lightly catching the startled kitten on the side. It gave a horrendous cry, batted the stick, and darted out.

"Got it!" Severus said, and Remus rose again, to see the head of Slytherin House holding a screaming, clawing, dark brown ball of fur by the scruff of it's neck.

"That's not how you hold a kitten." Remus said, shaking his head. //Now there's a man whose never had a pet.// "Here." Remus crossed the distance between them, hardly thinking about what he was doing. He took Severus' free hand and brought it up to rest under the kitten's rump. "You have to support their lower half, it's the heaviest part of them. You'll hurt their back if you just lift them by the scruff."

Severus just stared at Remus, one eyebrow raised. The werewolf flushed slightly, dropping his hands to his side. //Brilliant move, Remus.//

"I...I had one, once. When I was very young. A kitten, I mean." //I thought we were mad at him, hmm? Or at least un-accepting?// But Remus knew he would never ask for any explanations. If Severus wished to share his life with him, he would do it on his own terms. And Remus would take whatever was given to him.

"How touching. I never saw you with one in school. What happened to it?"

"Oh." Remus sighed, remembering. "After I...was bitten, my parents didn't trust me with her. They gave her away." It was still painful. He had been rather young, and quite attached to Arwen.

"Well, you seem to have acquired another one." Severus said, thrusting the kitten forward. "I doubt your lycanthropy has a thing to do with it, as she is fighting me as much as she was fighting you. And it's a he."

"Not so rough!" Remus took the squirming kitten gently, holding it close to his chest. "He'll calm down in a few moments. It's rather young...and pretty far into the school year. I wonder where he came from?"

"Hmmm? Oh, it might be one of Thomas Kilby's. His tabby had a litter. He's attempting to get rid of them, so I wouldn't worry about returning the thing."

"It's not a thing." Remus said, looking down at the kitten. It had the makings of a very attractive tom. A dark brown, with thick black stripes covering it's back and head. It's eyes were bright green, and his nose dark. "It's a kitten."

"I've no fondness for animals." Severus said airily.

"I know." Remus couldn't let *that* go. He glanced up, watching Severus expression from below lowered lashes. There was a look of pain on his face, fleeting, but there all the same. //I hit a nerve. That's encouraging.//

"I suppose..." Severus said slowly, "I am more of a canine person."

"Surprising." Remus said. "You seem much more the cat type." He grinned, chuckling at the expression on Severus' face. //Yes, I know damn well what you were trying to say. But I'm tired of being the one who lies down and lets everyone else walk all over him. If I want to be difficult, I will be difficult.//

"Well? Are you going to keep it or not?"

"Yes, I think I will keep *him*." Remus stressed the pronoun. "I'll call him..." He frowned. He had named his first kitten Arwen, after the beloved literary character. Well, beloved to him at any rate. "Aragorn."

"Aragorn? As in the outcast king turned ranger?" The look of surprise and disbelief on Severus face was highly amusing.

"Yes. I can't very well name him Arwen. That was my kitten as a child. Aragorn fits."

"It's a *cat*, Remus."

"Really? And here I was thinking it was a bunny..."

"You are impossible."

"Actually, I'm really not." Aragorn had settled down, curling into a ball against Remus' chest. "If you want to review all the facts, *you're* the impossible one."

"I beg to differ."

"Fine." Remus set Aragorn down on the bed, and the kitten made a noise of protest, but curled up and began cleaning himself. "We're both impossible. That better?" Severus said nothing, only shook his head. There was a certain camaraderie that had never been there before. Their banter was lighthearted, rather then vindictive. "Now that that little crisis is over...may I help you with something?" //Why are you here, Sev?//

"Yes. You can." There was a grim determination in Severus' voice, and he took a step forward, black eyes hard. //Uh-oh. This isn't a good sign.// Severus' jaw was tight, and there was a resolute look about him, as though he were gearing himself up to do something he really didn't want to do. Suddenly, without much warning, Remus found himself grabbed about the shoulders.

"Er...?" But Remus was cut off.

"Just be quiet." Severus snapped, fingers digging tightly into Remus' shoulders. He froze, poised to run if the situation turned violent. //He's not angry...// There was no hint of anger in Severus' stance or scent. In fact, Remus couldn't read anything in the other man. His eyes were guarded, as black and unreflecting as obsidian. But in a moment it was not Severus' eyes that concerned Remus, it was his lips. Lips that were suddenly pressed firmly against his own, in a hungry, searching kiss. Remus found himself melting, collapsing forward against Severus' form, closing his eyes and moving his lips beneath Severus'.

//This must be a dream....this can't be happening....// Remus had no idea what to do. It had taken him by surprise. Severus had not responded to his kiss whatsoever, and it had been akin to kissing stone. He certainly wasn't stone now! Remus found himself pulled tightly against a firm, lean body, his lower lip trapped between Severus' before being released, and he was shoved roughly away, held out at arms length.

"I hope...I was helpful..." Remus panted, trying to find his legs after the kiss.

"Mmm." Severus said, eyeing Remus critically. The werewolf was rather thankful that Severus was still holding him, else he felt he would topple over to the floor. His legs were weak, and his breathing shallow. His heart was beating like mad inside of his chest, and his head was pounding. //What is he doing?//

"Care to explain that?"

"I kissed you. No be quiet, I'm thinking."

//Thinking. He can think, after that? *I* can't think. I can hardly breathe.// It had been an amazing kiss. Remus couldn't be sure if it was because of the mechanics of the kiss, or simply because it was his mate kissing him. He looked up to meet those black eyes, hoping to see some hint of compassion, perhaps even love. There was only confusion.

"Severus..."

"I am not an easy man to love, Remus."

That caught him off guard. Remus began to speak, but found he had no words. Severus' hands dropped away from his shoulders, and all of Remus' being screamed out for more contact. //Sev, you have no idea...// But the sheer fact that Severus was indicating there was hope after all. That he might *want* Remus to love him...

"I know." Remus finally said, having found his voice. "But I do."

"As it has been pointed out to me." Dry tone, and Severus sank down into one of the chairs in Remus' room.

"Oh?" //What was that all about?//

"Black...spoke to me. Yesterday. I'd rather not talk about it."

//Oh god...Sirius, what have you done now? But...Sev's here. So it couldn't have been that bad...// Remus reminded himself to thank Sirius later, for whatever he had done to urge Severus here, today.

"All right." Remus lowered himself slowly onto the bed, hand reaching out to stroke Aragorn automatically. "I'd like to give it a try, if you would..."

"I cannot make that decision now." Clipped, almost afraid. Remus nodded. //Well, I can understand that, I suppose. Now really isn't the time to start a relationship. But on the other hand, now is the *best* time. We may not have much more...//

"I understand."

"For the love of god, please stop saying that!"

The sheer emotion shocked Remus. //What's wrong with that? Why did it bother him so...?//

"I'm sorry." Remus bit at his lower lip, an old habit that was coming back.

"Hmmm. More my fault then yours." That was shocking. As much of an apology from Severus as Remus ever expected.

"We...we really don't have much time to decide, Sev."

"I am aware of that, Remus. But...I need a few more days."

Remus nodded. "You know were to find me, when you decide." He wasn't going to push. Pushing would push Severus away, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. //I don't care what you were, what you did. That's behind us now. I've done things I'm not proud of either. We all make mistakes. But your mistakes couldn't have been that bad, they kept you alive.

"Yes." Severus stood, turning to go. Remus leapt to his feet. //You're not getting away that easily...//

"But don't feel you need to keep away from me, in the meantime." He laid a hand on Severus shoulder, even that amount of contact sending warm waves of pleasure through his body.

"Mmm." Severus turned, perhaps to say something more. Remus moved quickly, catching Severus in a heartfelt kiss. //You opened the door...// He needed everything he could get. That dull, aching inside of him was almost gone. He tangled his hand in Severus' hair, fingers sliding through thick, black softness. He nipped at Severus' lower lip, sliding his tongue along the moist petals of flesh, before pulling away.

"I'll see you later?" Hope in his voice.

"Perhaps." And with that, Severus was gone again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~