A/N: Hi all. Here's the sporadic disclaimer about JK Rowling owning Severus, Remus and company. Sorry this is a short chapter. You'd think things at the bookstore would calm down after the holidays, but noooo…anyway, here it is. Shout outs to reviewers (only 6 for the last chapter. Sniffle sniffle) at the end. Oh, and a reminder that this story is SLASH. So, hope you like this meager offering of much needed happiness.
"Remus? Remus?"
Severus woke up with a sharp pain in his neck. He'd fallen asleep on the sofa, as had Remus, if he could go by the fast-dying warm spot on his side. The man was crouching in front of the hearth at the moment, and Severus realized who had woken him up. Albus was calling.
"No, no, he's fine. It was…disconcerting, but he's well. He's sleeping," he could hear Remus whisper.
"I'm glad he's able to. I've been up all night, trying to figure out what exactly happened," Albus said.
"You didn't know immediately that it was him?" Remus asked.
"No, I knew the breech occurred in his dungeons, but beyond that, I knew nothing."
"How did you find out that it was Severus?"
"Hagrid saw him running into the forest. He said that he was injured. Are you certain he doesn't need medical attention?"
"Yes, he's fine Albus. I've taken care of everything. He slipped when he Apparated, cut his palms," Remus lied.
"How is he, otherwise?"
Severus nearly laughed at that. Dumbledore never was one for subtly.
"Mad as a hatter," he said instead, startling the Headmaster, but Remus barely batted an eye, and Severus was sure the werewolf had heard him awaken.
"Severus, good morning," Albus greeted warmly. Severus was sure there was a damned twinkle in his eye, but could not be certain with all the flames.
"Not very. Is everyone in an uproar over there?"
"No one knows, other than Minerva and Alastor."
"And Hagrid," Severus reminded him, deciding to keep Firenze's involvement out of it.
"No, Hagrid doesn't," Albus corrected.
"I see. And in a moment, we won't either, will we?" he asked coolly. Severus hated memory charms, always had. From the day he learned about them, he'd been torn between two equally terrifying thoughts: That he'd once had a good, happy life that someone had erased with one spell, and that he could be weak enough, one day, to try to circumvent his atonement by removing the memory of his sins. It was a horrid, horrid spell, as most necessary spells were.
"Must you?" Remus asked. "From what Severus has said, I doubt the experience could be replicated any time soon."
"What did happen, Severus?" Albus asked, prompting the Potions Master to scowl at Remus with all the malice he could muster.
"It was nothing," he answered through gritted teeth. "A fluke. I won't talk about it."
"You may not have a choice," Albus said softly.
"I do have some experience with discretion," Severus sneered.
"It's a foolhardy gamble, my boy. You've never objected to this course of action before."
"It's different this time!" Remus shouted, aware that he was shouting at his mentor and employer, but even more aware that the man beside him was probably breaking apart at the seams. "If he knows enough about last night to ask Severus about it, and Severus is unable to give him anything, he'll kill him. He'll kill him this time."
"So, all the more reason. Isn't that right?" Severus asked. He didn't know what he was doing, being maudlin. It wasn't him. Brutally honest was him. So, he didn't know what he was doing.
"Severus -," both Albus and Remus began, but Severus could hear the difference in those voices. Albus sounded uncomfortable, regretful. Maybe sad. Remus, he just sounded terribly, terribly pained. Don't, for me, Severus thought, but then, he did like the feel of that.
"Don't bother, Albus," Severus snapped. "I'd expected to land at my master's feet, and so I did. Do with me what you will. I doubt it'd be any more painful for being unexpected."
"Obliviate."
Severus woke up with a sharp pain in his neck. He'd fallen asleep on the sofa, and opened his eyes to see Remus standing over him, frowning.
"Lupin?"
"How do you feel?" Remus asked.
"Fine. Tired. It's light out. Did I sleep through dinner?"
"No."
"Oh. I see. Did I do something…did I do anything unforgivable?"
"No."
"But Albus paid us a visit, yes?" Severus asked. He'd felt this emptiness before, this particular gaping wound that itched just enough for you to notice it through all the other holes in your life. Once in Charms class years ago, and then a half-dozen times in his duties as spy. Most people never noticed it, which was the point exactly, but he always had. Maybe because he was so tenacious. So stubborn. So unwilling to let things go.
"Yes. 'For the good of the Order,'" Remus snarled.
"And for my own, no doubt," Severus half-smiled. "So there you stand, with another dirty secret."
"He said that I'd be less likely to share the information," Remus admitted uncomfortably.
"Not being on intimate terms with Voldemort?"
"Yes."
"I know you have almost as many years of experience in subterfuge as I, Lupin, but perhaps you missed the lesson where they teach you not to inform people that they've had their memories altered."
"It wasn't right. Or necessary."
"It's not your place to judge."
"No, it's yours, and you didn't agree with the decision either."
Severus looked hard at Remus, had the sternness he projected, at the fight in his eyes, and knew.
"You're lying."
"No."
"Remus."
"You…you just gave up. You had a hard night and you weren't prepared to…you just gave up, Severus," Remus keened.
"It does happen," Severus answered softly. He was unaccustomed to someone being indignant on his behalf.
"Do you want to know what happened?" Remus asked.
"Is it something the Dark Lord will expect me to know?"
"Probably."
"Is it something he'd want to know more about?"
"Definitely."
"Then, no, Remus. No."
Remus sat down on the sofa beside him, stretched out his legs and stared hard at his feet.
"You don't remember, but some things were said between us, last night, that meant a great deal to me."
"Don't," Severus warned. "It's not fair."
"It wasn't any profession of love," Remus laughed.
"I should hope not."
"You did say you were sorry."
"Sorry?"
"And about Henry."
"Henry?"
"And that you wear pink briefs."
"Lupin."
"And your middle name is Fanny."
"Lupin."
"And you enjoy a good bubble bath."
"I thought I never bathed?"
"Oh you do, and you sing while you do. And you have a rather racy dressing gown."
"Christ, your moods are more erratic than mine," Severus sighed, struggling not to give in and laugh.
"Well," Remus shrugged, "you won't let me tell you anything important."
"There will be time enough, later," Severus answered. He wasn't sure anymore if he was lying, but for the first time in what felt like years, he hoped he wasn't.
"Feel like eating?"
"Yes."
"Good. I'll take my tea with cream and two sugars."
"Lazy twat."
"Just delegating responsibility to the person most suited for the task."
"Yes, I so look like a house elf," Severus sneered.
"No, but I could picture you in a French maid's getup," Remus grinned.
"Lupin."
"Or a -,"
"I swear, Remus, if the words 'hat topped by a stuffed vulture' come out of your mouth, I'll hex you so hard that you'll spend the rest of your natural life trying to untie the knots in your mangled entrails!"
"Or a headpiece with a winged, taxidermal carrion-consumer motif."
"That's it," Severus hissed, before launching himself at the werewolf.
Neither of them could count the minutes, or hours, spent playing like children, running about the house, knocking over family memorabilia and hastily repairing the damage, shrieking in playful anger, frustration, and maybe, for a few brief moments, unmitigated joy, but at the end of it all, Severus found himself sprawled out on the floor, panting, smiling, and wondering how he'd gotten his wand back, and Remus found himself wondering how long it would take to pick all of those vulture feathers out of his teeth.
Well, I had fun. Hope you did too. Thanks to the following people:
Saavik13
Rem-cycle : welcome aboard!
N Snape
Lillinfields
NeuroticSquirrel
Arafel2
