Disclaimer: Wah! I don't own Harry Potter? ... Or DO I?! Mwahahahahaha!
Harry: No, you don't.
PF4: DAMNIT!
Notes: All my love to my faithful reviewers! I wuv oo! *hugs* As requested, I'm bringing Lupin back to go for a run with Harry on the next full moon, and with any luck I can make Harry and Snape start to get along and see how much they really do like each other. *Whips out her character-poking stick and laughs maniacally.*
~*~*~*~
Of Wolf and Man
~*~*~*~
The month rolled by all too quickly for Harry's liking. He immersed himself in his schoolwork and took comfort in his friends and for a while he forgot about his night of horror. But every time he undressed and saw the scars... Or at night when he would again be on that path through the woods only to be attacked by the wolf again and again.... He was again reminded of his fate, and his spirits would plummet.
Harry was startled when Snape told him to stay after class one week, but did not question him. The rest of the class filed out and Ron and Hermione gave him reassuring smiles.
Harry approached Snape's desk. "You wanted to see me, sir?"
Snape's black eyes glanced at him once. He waved his wand at a nearby cabinet and the doors flew open. Inside was a goblet with contents that smoked faintly. Harry recognized it at once for what it was. "Drink all of it, Potter. I'll have more for you tomorrow." Harry took the goblet a little uncertainly and sniffed of it cautiously.
His wolf-heightened senses rebelled immediately. It was awful! He looked back at Snape to see if he was serious about this.
Snape wasn't smiling. "Go on, Potter. Unless you want to spend the three nights of full moon howling and clawing yourself to shreds." Harry swallowed hard. The potion was far from appealing, but the aspect of another night of madness was even less so. He pinched his nose shut and brought the goblet to his lips.
In one motion he tilted his head back and swigged as much of the smoking concoction as he could at once. And almost choked.
It was bitter and slightly sour at the same time, not mention being rather thick and unduly warm. He managed to down about half before he had to take a breath and retch. "Try not to throw it back up, or I shall half to make some more for you. We will keep making more until some of it stays down," Snape said. Harry gritted his teeth together and forced his stomach to behave. Closing off his nose again, he downed the rest and put the goblet down rather hard on the shelf it had come from.
"Come back tomorrow at the same time. And every day this week," Snape ordered. Harry nodded once, grabbed his stuff, and left. He found Ron and Hermione waiting for him outside. He wiped his mouth and grimaced.
"All right, Harry?" Ron asked.
"Fine," Harry said shortly. "Let's just go to lunch so I can get the taste of that Wolfsbane out of my mouth."
***
Saturday night was the first night of the full moon. After dinner, Harry transfigured a spare blanket into a poor, but serviceable, canvas bag and packed it with three nights worth of clothes. When he was through he trucked down to the common room, where Ron and Hermione saw him off in private, the rest of the students having not yet returned from their meal. He left the tower by himself, heading down to Snape's office, where he would wait for the head of Slytherin to show him to his private apartments. After the three nights that he was dangerous, he would go back to his rooms and forget all about this for another month.
-It just has to be Snape,- Harry thought to himself bitterly.
"Harry," a voice hissed. Harry whirled about, whipping out his wand instinctively. It was these very reflexes that saved him from Voldemort during that last battle...
But that was over with.
A figure stepped out of a hidden niche in the wall Harry hadn't noticed before, hands held up passively. Harry slowly lowered his wand as he recognized the person.
"Professor Lupin, what are you doing here? And why were you hiding?"
"I didn't think it'd be a good idea if any of the students saw me, considering most still don't think highly of werewolves, even after knowing me for almost a year..." Lupin shrugged, dropping his hands to his sides and examined Harry with a practiced eye. "How are you doing, Harry? Are you holding up okay?"
"Yeah... I'm fine," Harry lied. "Are you here on Order business? Catch any remaining Death Eaters?"
"No, still working on that," Lupin said with a grin. "I came for you. I needed to make sure Snape was going to treat you alright. He doesn't like werewolves much, my fault I'm afraid. After that trick Sirius played in school... And well, you know Snape." Harry nodded. Yes, he knew Snape alright. "Anyway, I'm staying in Hogsmeade and heading back to London tomorrow. I thought you might want to go for a run tonight..."
Harry considered that. Go running with Lupin as werewolves? After Sirius died, Lupin had offered to become Harry's legal guardian, and Harry accepted. He had never become as close to him as he had with Sirius, but he still liked and respected Lupin.
"Sure."
"Great. Come out to the lake around midnight and I'll meet you there. Now, I really should be going before someone sees me..."
"Wait... Won't that be dangerous? Us running around loose on a full moon?"
"Have you been taking your Wolfsbane?"
Harry nodded, face screwing up as he remembered the foul brew. Lupin smiled. "Then it's no problem. You'll still transform on the moonrise, but your mind will be your own. It'll be fine. See you later, Harry." Remus Lupin set off down the hallway. Harry watched him go until he turned a corner and couldn't see him anymore.
"Mr. Potter, did you get lost?" a cold voice drawled behind him. Harry winced and turned to see Snape standing behind him, looking rather irritated.
"N-no sir..."
"Then what were you doing?"
"Nothing, sir," Harry replied. He waited for Snape to make the next move. The professor frowned, then turned and walked off. Harry followed.
It was surprisingly short distance to Snape's quarters, which were hidden behind a portrait of Salazar Slytherin. Snape muttered a password ("Castellani.") and it swung open to reveal an ebony door bound in silver. Snape waved his wand and Harry could hear it 'click' as it unlocked and opened inward. Snape let Harry enter first, and followed soon after, closing the door and portrait behind him.
Harry looked around, mouth slightly open in amazement.
Snape's quarters were very nice. The furniture was plush and black leather. The walls were Slytherin green and silver, and there was a variety of bookshelves in many locations. Some actually held books. Others held potions equipment and supplies. One had a few things in jars like in his office, and one had a range of strange contraptions Harry couldn't begin to guess at.
Snape gestured to the couch. "You'll be sleeping there. The bathroom is there," he pointed to another ebony door, "and that is my bedroom. You do not ever go in there under any circumstances." Harry looked at the door and nodded. He had no desire to go in there.
He set his bag down by the couch and sat. He rummaged around in his bag and brought out a book, parchment, quill, and ink. He began doing an essay for Transfiguration.
Snape ignored his presence and went to his bedroom.
~*~*~*~
AN: Ne... short chapter. Me sorry. But I felt it best to cut off there. Next chapter will have Harry and Lupin running around as werewolves.
Harry: No, you don't.
PF4: DAMNIT!
Notes: All my love to my faithful reviewers! I wuv oo! *hugs* As requested, I'm bringing Lupin back to go for a run with Harry on the next full moon, and with any luck I can make Harry and Snape start to get along and see how much they really do like each other. *Whips out her character-poking stick and laughs maniacally.*
~*~*~*~
Of Wolf and Man
~*~*~*~
The month rolled by all too quickly for Harry's liking. He immersed himself in his schoolwork and took comfort in his friends and for a while he forgot about his night of horror. But every time he undressed and saw the scars... Or at night when he would again be on that path through the woods only to be attacked by the wolf again and again.... He was again reminded of his fate, and his spirits would plummet.
Harry was startled when Snape told him to stay after class one week, but did not question him. The rest of the class filed out and Ron and Hermione gave him reassuring smiles.
Harry approached Snape's desk. "You wanted to see me, sir?"
Snape's black eyes glanced at him once. He waved his wand at a nearby cabinet and the doors flew open. Inside was a goblet with contents that smoked faintly. Harry recognized it at once for what it was. "Drink all of it, Potter. I'll have more for you tomorrow." Harry took the goblet a little uncertainly and sniffed of it cautiously.
His wolf-heightened senses rebelled immediately. It was awful! He looked back at Snape to see if he was serious about this.
Snape wasn't smiling. "Go on, Potter. Unless you want to spend the three nights of full moon howling and clawing yourself to shreds." Harry swallowed hard. The potion was far from appealing, but the aspect of another night of madness was even less so. He pinched his nose shut and brought the goblet to his lips.
In one motion he tilted his head back and swigged as much of the smoking concoction as he could at once. And almost choked.
It was bitter and slightly sour at the same time, not mention being rather thick and unduly warm. He managed to down about half before he had to take a breath and retch. "Try not to throw it back up, or I shall half to make some more for you. We will keep making more until some of it stays down," Snape said. Harry gritted his teeth together and forced his stomach to behave. Closing off his nose again, he downed the rest and put the goblet down rather hard on the shelf it had come from.
"Come back tomorrow at the same time. And every day this week," Snape ordered. Harry nodded once, grabbed his stuff, and left. He found Ron and Hermione waiting for him outside. He wiped his mouth and grimaced.
"All right, Harry?" Ron asked.
"Fine," Harry said shortly. "Let's just go to lunch so I can get the taste of that Wolfsbane out of my mouth."
***
Saturday night was the first night of the full moon. After dinner, Harry transfigured a spare blanket into a poor, but serviceable, canvas bag and packed it with three nights worth of clothes. When he was through he trucked down to the common room, where Ron and Hermione saw him off in private, the rest of the students having not yet returned from their meal. He left the tower by himself, heading down to Snape's office, where he would wait for the head of Slytherin to show him to his private apartments. After the three nights that he was dangerous, he would go back to his rooms and forget all about this for another month.
-It just has to be Snape,- Harry thought to himself bitterly.
"Harry," a voice hissed. Harry whirled about, whipping out his wand instinctively. It was these very reflexes that saved him from Voldemort during that last battle...
But that was over with.
A figure stepped out of a hidden niche in the wall Harry hadn't noticed before, hands held up passively. Harry slowly lowered his wand as he recognized the person.
"Professor Lupin, what are you doing here? And why were you hiding?"
"I didn't think it'd be a good idea if any of the students saw me, considering most still don't think highly of werewolves, even after knowing me for almost a year..." Lupin shrugged, dropping his hands to his sides and examined Harry with a practiced eye. "How are you doing, Harry? Are you holding up okay?"
"Yeah... I'm fine," Harry lied. "Are you here on Order business? Catch any remaining Death Eaters?"
"No, still working on that," Lupin said with a grin. "I came for you. I needed to make sure Snape was going to treat you alright. He doesn't like werewolves much, my fault I'm afraid. After that trick Sirius played in school... And well, you know Snape." Harry nodded. Yes, he knew Snape alright. "Anyway, I'm staying in Hogsmeade and heading back to London tomorrow. I thought you might want to go for a run tonight..."
Harry considered that. Go running with Lupin as werewolves? After Sirius died, Lupin had offered to become Harry's legal guardian, and Harry accepted. He had never become as close to him as he had with Sirius, but he still liked and respected Lupin.
"Sure."
"Great. Come out to the lake around midnight and I'll meet you there. Now, I really should be going before someone sees me..."
"Wait... Won't that be dangerous? Us running around loose on a full moon?"
"Have you been taking your Wolfsbane?"
Harry nodded, face screwing up as he remembered the foul brew. Lupin smiled. "Then it's no problem. You'll still transform on the moonrise, but your mind will be your own. It'll be fine. See you later, Harry." Remus Lupin set off down the hallway. Harry watched him go until he turned a corner and couldn't see him anymore.
"Mr. Potter, did you get lost?" a cold voice drawled behind him. Harry winced and turned to see Snape standing behind him, looking rather irritated.
"N-no sir..."
"Then what were you doing?"
"Nothing, sir," Harry replied. He waited for Snape to make the next move. The professor frowned, then turned and walked off. Harry followed.
It was surprisingly short distance to Snape's quarters, which were hidden behind a portrait of Salazar Slytherin. Snape muttered a password ("Castellani.") and it swung open to reveal an ebony door bound in silver. Snape waved his wand and Harry could hear it 'click' as it unlocked and opened inward. Snape let Harry enter first, and followed soon after, closing the door and portrait behind him.
Harry looked around, mouth slightly open in amazement.
Snape's quarters were very nice. The furniture was plush and black leather. The walls were Slytherin green and silver, and there was a variety of bookshelves in many locations. Some actually held books. Others held potions equipment and supplies. One had a few things in jars like in his office, and one had a range of strange contraptions Harry couldn't begin to guess at.
Snape gestured to the couch. "You'll be sleeping there. The bathroom is there," he pointed to another ebony door, "and that is my bedroom. You do not ever go in there under any circumstances." Harry looked at the door and nodded. He had no desire to go in there.
He set his bag down by the couch and sat. He rummaged around in his bag and brought out a book, parchment, quill, and ink. He began doing an essay for Transfiguration.
Snape ignored his presence and went to his bedroom.
~*~*~*~
AN: Ne... short chapter. Me sorry. But I felt it best to cut off there. Next chapter will have Harry and Lupin running around as werewolves.