Disclaimer: See Ch. 1
A/N: Yeah, I know the last one was short, but it seemed like a good place to stop off. So nyah! Here's something "...a bit more robust." You know, 'The Mask of Zorro' has some funny lines in it. Anyway, continuing onward...
~*Lycurgus*~
Chapter 2: A Summer Job
The room was set up with everything Remus could need for the task Dumbledore had set him to, and he was quite glad that it involved no more than diving headfirst into a mountain of books and getting lost. Research suited him.
The main chamber was a long, almost library-like room, lined with reference and common books so that Remus wouldn't have to lug them down from the library. There was one long, old wooden table in the center, waiting for unrolled parchment and open tomes to be spread upon it. A fireplace was centered on the right wall, a large tapestry of a lion above it, who was currently snoozing quietly.
On the other long wall opposite the fireplace were two doors, one, Remus discovered, to be the bathroom, the other, a large and luxurious bedroom. The four-posted bed looked as if it was made from the same aged, dark wood of the main chamber's long table, carved with rearing lions.
The whole place was in typical Gryffindor red and gold, which didn't bother Remus as he seemed to have a tendency to decorate with those colors himself when and if he had the means.
Remus sat in the one of two chairs in front of the fireplace and looked into the flames, sighing softly. He looked up, only to be met with two amber eyes staring back at him. It seemed that the lion on the tapestry had awoken.
The huge golden male cocked his head to the side slightly, reguarding the new resident with curiosity. "Hello." Came a deep growl from the large feline.
Remus's eyes widened and gaped at the picture, assuring himself that he was going insane.
The lion chuckled, well, as well as a lion could chuckle, and smiled down at Remus. "No, you are not insane. Nor are you dreaming. I am Leopold, Godric's companion animal and one of the only portraits of an animal enchanted to speak. I watch over the current residents of this special chamber."
Remus relaxed with a long breath and smiled up at the lion. "I am Remus Lupin." He introduced himself.
Leopold nodded once. "I've never known a werewolf before. And before you ask, I can see it in your eyes. You have experienced more than a human could."
Remus just nodded. "Well, it is good to have some company."
The lion nodded again. "But you are not the only one here over these next peaceful summer months. I hear from the forest animals of other paintings that the Transfiguration Tabby is staying, along with the Potions Serpent, and the new Woman of the Books. I have yet to meet her though. I hear some of the others calling her the White Wolf."
Remus smiled widely at the names this lion and other animals had given the members of the Hogwarts Staff and his interests perked at the nickname of 'White Wolf'. He had known few other werewolves in his lifetime, and only one who was white.
Wait a moment...
No, couldn't be... what were the chances that the one white werewolf that Remus knew was now working at Hogwarts for the summer? But Dumbledore's tone of voice that afternoon *was* strange...
"It was good to meet you, Leopold." Remus stood and waved hastily before bolting out the door and up the marble stairs to the library.
He ran all the way down the long corridor and burst into the library.
"No running." Came a bored voice to his left, from the librarian's desk.
Slowly turning his head, knowning that he recognized that voice, Remus focused on the woman sitting at the large desk, her nose buried in a thick book.
Her hair was the first thing that caught your eye, long and thick and falling to her waist it was white like fallen snow, streaks of silver breaking the solid curtain of white. Her skin was equally pale and her robes the same white as her hair, giving the overall effect that she just might be ghost.
When there was no response to her voice she looked up, bright, ice blue eyes staring at Remus, now wide and unblinking over her thick book.
"Reems...?" Her voice was shakey as she stood, walking carefully around the desk as if the illusion of Remus would disappear as soon as she got to it.
Remus smiled widely and let out a huge sigh of relief. "Hey Ard."
With a loud squeak she leapt into his arms, laughing and buring her face into the curve of his neck. "Remus Remus Remus Remus..." She kept chanting happily.
Remus laughed and responded with her name, his arms tightly around her waist. "Arduinna Arduinna Arduinna Arduinna... It doesn't quite work as well with your name, too long."
She took a step back from him, hands still on his shoulders, and blew him a short raspberry. "I can't believe you're here..." she paused for a moment and then a look of realization hit her. "Dumbledore strikes again?" She smiled at her friend.
Remus nodded and hugged her once more, for once glad of Dumbledore's meddling.
It was during the years after Hogwarts, those years after James and Lily had died, and Sirius was in Azkaban for killing Peter, during those years of wandering Remus had come upon Arduinna Lycoum.
Both having trouble finding jobs because of their conditions, they had literally run into each other at the large community notice board in Hogsmeade, perusing the wanted ads.
Remus smiled at the memory and stepped back from Arduinna, looking down at her. And then the reason Dumbledore must have called upon her dawned upon him, and his expression darkened.
Arduinna hugged him once more, this time comfortingly, cooing softly to him and running her fingers rhythmically through his hair. "I heard. I heard. Oh Remus... Shh..."
And for the first time since his best friend had disappeared behind that strange, dark curtain, Remus really cried.
They fell to the cold stone floor in a heap, Remus curled against Arduinna's chest, her arms encircling him with comfort and protection. Humming softly, she rocked back and forth, still running her fingers through the man's hair slowly.
She turned her head only slightly at the sound of approaching footsteps, meeting Severus Snape's eye before he could even cross the threshold into the library. She glared at him with all the force and ferocity her still lupine characteristics could lend her, knowning that it was her only hope to stop him. Luckily he stopped, raising an eyebrow at her expression and inclining his head slightly to indicate the goblet he held in his hand. Tonight would be the full moon.
Arduinna shook her head, her brow furrowed, and mouthed the word "later," not wanting Remus to know that he had been seen by another in such a state. The Potions Master arched his eyebrow a little higher, staring right back at her. Arudinna knew exactly what he was thinking. "I'll bring him." She mouthed and then shooed him away with a wave of her hand.
Not comfortable being "shooed" as it were, but seeing no other thing to do, Snape gave the pale woman a sharp glare for her gesture and turned on the heel of his foot, heading back to the dungeons silently.
Thankfully, Severus was out of eye and ear shot by the time Remus looked up to her, only moments later. "I'm... I'm sorry." His voice was feeble.
Arduinna could only smile down at him, wiping away stray tears with the pad of her thumb. "It's perfectly alright, Remus. Perfectly alright."
He gave her a half smile and sighed, sitting straight up once again, and looking around, a bit surprised to find himself on the cold stone floor. "It feels good to finally release all that..." He trailed off, not looking Arduinna in the eye.
"Of course it does, Reems." She smiled widely at her friend. "But he'll always be with you."
Remus gave a snort. "I hope not always..." A flush crept up his cheeks and he looked up to Arduinna, smiling.
She giggled softly. "Ok, not *always*..." She took his hand in hers and gripped it tightly. "I'm so glad you're here. I've missed you."
Remus nodded. "I've missed you too, Ard." He stood, extending his other hand to help her up. They stood there for a moment, hands linked, smiling at one another. "Come... you should see my room... it's got this huge lion tapestry..."
Arduinna frowned slightly. "In a couple days Reems, in a few days. Right now I think you need to be finding Severus."
He looked at her quizically for a moment and then realization dawned on him. "The moon!!" He nearly jumped, face neither happy nor sad.
"Yes. And getting your potion before it rises is a good idea." She sounded almost motherly. Almost.
Remus sighed audibly, suddenly very tired. "Okay, okay." He complied and let Arduinna lead him down the corridors and stairs to the dungeons and the Potions classroom.
Remus frowned slightly when she didn't knock on the door and braced himself for the verbal lashing that was no doubt to come from Snape for the unannounced intrusion upon his space.
It never came.
He looked up from his desk, the long quill in his hand ceasing movement, and gave Arduinna a slight nod. He barely acknowledged Remus's presence at her side before he continued writing on the parchment in front of him.
Arduinna moved forward and gracefully took the copper goblet from the corner of the Potions Master's desk, handing it to Remus. "Bottoms up." She said as she gave him a lopsided smile.
He looked at the swirling, murky liquid and then to Arduinna, who held no potion in her hands. "What about you?"
Remus noted that Snape had stopped writing, but did not look up, his concentration possibly put into listening to the woman's answer.
"I am doing some research with Severus while I am here... trying to improve upon the Wolfsbane potion as it stands now. The potion I take is locked in a sterile chamber in the back. I can't take it outside of there to ensure perfect experiemental conditions." Arduinna said rather matter-of-factly, surprising Remus with her statement for she had never been allowed to go to proper wizarding school.
"Ah." Was the only response Remus could think of as Snape's quill resumed its scratching upon parchement. With a bit of a wince he quickly downed the bitter potion.
Looking out the window he could see the beginnings of a sunset, and Remus could already feel the pull of the rising full moon. And if he could feel it now, Arduinna must have felt it much earlier. He felt as if his blood was heating up, and suddenly all his nerves were on edge, his senses straining to identify any sound. How did she deal with it?
Arduinna was watching Severus write with the same lopsided smile on her face. She looked back to Remus, smile still on her face. "You better get back to your rooms, no doubt the moon has started its pulls on you as well." She patted his shoulder and gave him the slightest, almost imperceptable, nudge towards the door.
Remus nodded and smiled to her, although he was not sure that he could hide the curiosity bubbling in his eyes. There was something between her and Severus and he didn't like it one bit. "Okay, okay." He sighed, giving Arduinna a hug. "I'll see you in a few days."
"'Aye." She hugged him tightly back and again nudged him towards the door.
Remus quietly complied, leaving her with Snape and shutting the door softly.
There were a few moments of silence before anyone spoke. And to no one's surprise, it was Arduinna.
"How much do you think I should let him know?" She had her hands on her hips again, a stance Severus had become familiar with since she had moved into the school.
The Potions Master looked up from his work and set his quill down, rubbing his wrist which was a bit sore from writing. "I wouldn't tell him much at all." It was obvious that Severus trusted Remus about as far as he could throw him.
Arduinna looked over her shoulder and smiled. "He might be of some use. Perhaps you should compare our transformations."
Severus stiffened noticably at this, startling Arduinna, who just stared at him until he turned his face back to her once more. "I know that you had a bad experience with werewolves, but I thought now that you'd studied me for so long..." She trailed off, now her whole body facing him.
He looked amazingly vulnerable for a moment before he brought himself back into his usual mask. "A werewolf to be exact." Severus paused. "And it was him."
Arudinna cocked her head to the side, eyes wide and confused. "But Remus would never..."
Severus snorted. "Perhaps HE wouldn't, but his friend Black WOULD and DID. Black thought it was a good joke to play on me when we were in school." He tried to wave it away, but Arduinna could see that it affected him greater than he let on.
"Bastard." She whispered under her breath, face now contorted in anger. "NEVER fool around with such as a werewolf. What an idiot." But if it affected him so much... She wondered what it had taken to get him to work with her; why would he have agreed to such a thing if it spooked him so?
"You should go get changed." He said from somewhere to her right, startling Arduinna out of her thoughts.
"Yes." Was all she said before heading into a back room of the potions classroom.
Severus sighed loudly, gathered his notebooks and quills, and headed through another door which lead to his chambers. Sitting down in his usual chair he opened the newest notebook to the next fresh page and marked the date.
The sound of bare feet on stone brought his head up and he was met with the familiar sight of Arduinna wearing nothing but a black silk robe. She had stopped in front of the fire and was staring into the flames, orange light dancing on her pale skin and hair.
Severus had the recurring thought that he would love a painting of her, just like that, in his own chambers, to reflect upon whenever he pleased.
The research possibilities were intriguing when he read the first letter that Arduinna had sent him, explaining her new thoughts on the Wolfsbane potion. Considering she had never had proper schooling, she was quite adept at the subject. Had she gone to Hogwarts Severus was sure that she sould have replaced him by now.
However, it was meeting and working with her for the first time that really sealed the deal. She cared so much about what she was doing, not only the specific subject, but all magic in general. Unlike many of the students at Hogwarts, she could not take magic for granted. Arduinna had a wand, but only the skill of a first-year.
Everything amazed her, and the wonder didn't fade over time. She loved learning and loved life and this aura drew Severus to her like a moth to a flame: her vitality countered his jaded and cynical view of the world.
A sharp hiss, marking a pained intake of breath, woke Severus from his thoughts as his head jolted upwards and he refocused on Arduinna.
The silk robe dropped jaggedly from her shoulders to the floor, revealing her body to him, light from the fireplace clinging to her nearly snow white skin. Perhaps that would make a better portrait, a voice in the back of his head shot. But it was quickly silenced by the expression of pain on her face.
She made little to no noise as it happened, but her face was one of forced concentration. Her transformation was supernaturally smooth, it was as if her body merely glided into its other form. Fur sprouted in a long, wave-like ripple, covering her now lupine form in a thick white and silver coat.
She lay still for a moment after the transformation was over, eyes screwed shut. And then with a shake of her head she looked up, familiar ice blue eyes staring at Severus as he wrote down the last few observations, a bead of sweat forming on his brow.
Arduinna trotted over to him, sitting in front of him and waiting, watching him patiently.
It was only a few seconds before he looked up to her. "Was the pain less?"
She nodded and Severus jotted down a few more notes. When he looked up again he looked weary, more tired than she had seen him in many months.
Arduinna rested her head on the armrest of his chair and whined questioningly, staring at him until he made eye contact. Her meaning and concern were clear.
"It's nothing. I just... Life is getting no easier on me." He looked down at the white wolf with what Arduinna thought was affection. "I believe that we may have to put our research on hold for awhile. I fear there is a long war ahead of us... and I am stuck in the center."
Arduinna just watched him. Severus was only this open when she was in her wolf form, when she couldn't verbally answer him back. But she wanted to answer him somehow, give some comfort, so she let her pink tongue slip ever-so-slightly from her mouth, just grazing the side of his hand.
He stared at her for a moment, almost startled, and then relaxed, even running a finger along her muzzle and behind one pointed ear.
They stared at one another for a moment and then Severus stood, silently making his way to his bathroom and returning in his dressing gown and pyjamas.
With a weary sigh, and nearly no attention to the werewolf beside his hearth, he crawled into his bed and flicked his wand to turn off the lights, Arduinna watching him all this time from the hearth rug.
"Good Night, Arduinna." He half said, half mumbled.
"Woof." Was the closest to a response she could get.
She watched him well into the night, musing about him as he slept rather peacefully. Arudinna smiled internally.
She never could really figure out why he took her offer, it had been obvious that he was deathly afraid of werewolves. Then again, she could see no reason to complain, for no one would have been able to make such progress in such a short time.
Truthfully, Arduinna was having more fun trying to figure him out than the needed ingredients to advance the potion. She knew she had gotten more information out of him than most had, but she also knew that she had just scratched the surface of who this man is.
Severus murmured in his sleep, waking Arudinna from her thoughts for a moment, to see him fling the comforter off his body, leaving a thin black sheet.
Her attention was immediately perked. She knew that there was long, thin, gracefully sinewy body underneath those black robes for she had had to awaken him once from a nightmare while she was in her wolf form.
That was also when she discovered the Mark on his arm. He wasn't happy about that, but he took it better than she could have ever expected, only avoiding her for about a week before he gave any semblance of information about his past.
Arduinna looked away, back into the dying embers of the fire and sighed. Who knew that Severus's and Remus's pasts would intertwine? Who knew that Remus would show up here? Well, besides Dumbledore.
Gods, had she missed Remus over the years. It had been what? Five, six years since she had last seen him? They had been each other's haven in some of the darkest times in each of their lives.
Arduinna stood and gave the sleeping form of Severus a look over and concluded that he was fine. And with that, she headed out the door and towards Gryffindor Tower.
