I cannot thank all of you one by one! But you all deserve my complete gratitude and adoration! THANK ALL SO MUCH! Some notes:
1, someone pointed out I still had some grammar to fix in my chapters and that I could find them myself, but I'm sorry to say I can't see them! THAT'S probably because English isn't my native language, I'm Swedish and I've learned basic English at school and the rest on free hand. I've now come to the point where I'm better at writing in English than my English-teacher! So who can help me? I welcome you all to point out the errors of my grammar!
2, a lot of people who voted slash seemed worried that I would make it into some stupid meaningless-sex story, or make ALL characters fall in love with each other or something. Fear NOT, I do have some taste, mind you ;) There will be no meaningless sex.
And I'm finally back on track, after suffering my greatest writer's block of my entire life. I – feel – like – dying. This isn't the only story I'm working on you see, and four days ago a very dear relative of mine called me up with some very… unpleasant news. There for, you've all been put on hold. I'm so sorry.
LESSON #1 – SATURDAY (I decided to cut the crap and go straight for the event you're all waiting to read about.)
Severus slumped back in his chair and frenetically pulled his hair back.
"I am amazed, Lupin. I used to think potions was a fairly easy subject in which no student really could fail, but you have certainly proved yourself worthy of any potions-master's purest nightmare!" Remus blushed against his will, biting his lip nervously. He would have been happy to shoot back a retort, God knows he had quite a few in mind after spending only twenty minutes with Severus, but he knew for sure the results of his OWLs were lying in this cocky Slytherin's hands.
It was nine-twenty at Saturday night; Severus had met up with Remus and shown him to a well-hidden dungeon where he had prepared a cauldron, books and ingredients for their lesson. Remus was quite surprised to find that Severus had taken a good amount of time to prepare this small and very informal little room. Severus obviously blamed it on the fact that he wouldn't want to be caught hanging out with a Gryffindor, and there for wanted to make sure they wouldn't be interrupted. But Remus also sensed this boy in particular seemed to slightly enjoy teaching others in his favourite subject.
"Okay, okay, this is still fixable." Severus straightened up again and peered down inside the cauldron. "You just added the lizard-tails too quickly. You might be able to neutralise it with some water, just make sure it doesn't get thicker than this. Then turn up the heat a bit more, but DON'T let it start boiling, you hear me?"
"Whatever…" Remus sighed and added quite the amount of water, which made the potion hiss angrily. Severus grimaced but swallowed his comment; who knew how dangerous that werewolf could be under too much pressure…
"Now if you keep it hot enough, it'll turn green in a few minutes, don't – let – it – boil! Meanwhile you can scan through this chapter here…" He dumped a heavy book on Remus' lap and pointed. "I consider it to be of great importance."
Remus sighed even more heavily and heaved the book onto the table next to his cauldron and started reading. Severus found himself staring at the boy in lack of other activity. He rose himself and retreated to the back of the room, which was about ten feet away from the front of the room… It wasn't big, no, but it was acceptable. A desk and a few comfortable armchairs was nevertheless all they needed. Although he would've have appreciated a bit more space, to be able to hold his distance towards this boy a bit longer. Now he seated himself in a big, dark-purple armchair in the opposite corner of the desk and Remus. Sitting there Severus realised with great frustration the main space of his vision was still filled up by his apprentice.
Remus seemed not all too uncomfortable with Severus studying him, as he himself was too occupied studying page after page in this shockingly boring book. He was sitting crouched over the desk, the worn-out but yet quite graceful arch of his figure being lit up only by the faint flickers of the light beneath his cauldron. A soft frown on his face as small water-drops of condense from the steaming potion gathered on his brows, lips and eyelashes. The glow of the fire was mirrored in his squinting eyes, an the heat seemed to be making him flush, or it might have been the fact that he knew he was being studied. He threw one glance at Severus' face in the shadows a few feet away, and then muttered:
"See, I thought you would show me how to pull off a perfect potion, not just order me around and watch me fail."
Glad to have the silence broken by good-old-fashioned bickering, Severus grinned and answered:
"I bet you did. But no, my plan is simply to survey your work and give you orders on improvement. And to come and think of it, yes, I'm quite enjoying watching you fail."
"Hmpf – maybe you should be our next potions teacher."
"Besides…" Severus went on, raising his voice in a fractious manner. "I'm hurt, remember? I can barely shop your frogs for you! You have your friend to thank for that."
Severus waved his bandaged hand slightly and threw a few black hairs out of his face. Remus rolled his eyes and stopped reading, leaning back in his chair.
"Oh come on, stop being the drama-queen," (Severus' eyes darkened unmistakably), "Pomfrey managed to get the worst blisters off, you're fine!" But Severus snorted loudly.
"The abscess of those few blisters won't stop the pain you know, considering I can barely move my fingers and my skin is literally peeling off. It burns like hell, you have – no – idea." He growled. "I'm pretty convinced Black will get his way, I won't do well on any of my practical exams with this hand."
To Severus slight surprise, Remus stood up straight and crossed the small space between them.
"Let me take a look at it, then." He muttered, kneeling in front of Severus' armchair. Severus did nothing but stare. He didn't even move when Remus carefully took his bandaged hand, although the pain made him twitch. He just sat there, slumped back with legs and arms spread and watched Remus starting to untangle his bandages ever so gently.
Severus parted his lips slightly… and then let an evil grin spread across his face.
"Oh dear… aren't you forgetting something…?"
Remus looked up from the floor and into his eyes, meeting them with a fairly anxious expression.
"W- what?" He managed. His throat seemed to have gone completely dry. Severus arched an eyebrow suggestively, and Remus didn't dare to move an inch one way or the other; his hands lay frozen spread across Severus' burned palm.
"I believe your potion might be boiling by now, mister Lupin."
Remus jumped to his feet and rushed over to his cauldron, from which sparks were flying. The second he had his face over it, it exploded in the resemblance of dashing fireworks, shooting sparks of angry red in all directions, nearly setting the poor Gryffindor's hair on fire. He jumped backwards and stumbled to the floor while desperately fighting the sparks off his face and arms. Severus was leaning over the side of his armchair, laughing his guts out.
A/n: Amusing indeed… It's three o'clock in the morning; I'm not at my sanest. That's my excuse. But I enjoyed writing this, believe you me. I think I've earned your review… please…?