WARNING: This story is rated R (just to be safe) for language and sexual
content.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the other Potterverse characters. They are owned by JK Rowling.
DeAndry Harris, along with the story, though, are mine. Read but do not hurt.
Timeline: During POA
So, today, as I was sitting on my parents' couch watching Family Matters (don't ask) and writing a new Snape related fan fiction when I got an instant message from a certain fan telling me that this month will be the six-month mark from the last time I updated. How pitiful is that?
So I decided to give you guys another chapter. Hope you like!
And if y'all are curious as to what I've been up to, I've been posting some of my going ons in the journal of my deviant art account: britt- lipy.deviantart.com check it out!
Yeah, enough of that mumbo jumbo crap, I hope you like! And please review!!!
* * *
Despite the thick stone and draperies of Hogwarts castle, the sun always managed to creep into the confines of the bedchambers. The winter morning rays reflected off the snow that had accumulated over the night, making the shine even harder to bear. Especially during the few early hours following dawn.
The figure in the bed was completely covered by heavy blankets, and a fur thrown on top for good measure. The fire had long ago burned itself to exhaustion, making the bed that much more inviting to simply stay there for the duration of the morning.
Most of the remaining members of the staff and students had difficulties forcing themselves awake on Christmas break, but for this individual, the events of the previous night had left a haze that even the sun was having difficulties cutting through.
It had been five days since almost all of the students left the school for the holiday. Four until the next full moon. That meant that this morning was Christmas Eve.
Professor Remus Lupin sighed and forced himself to shove the blankets off of his lean form. He kicked his legs over the side of the bed, ignoring the sensation of the chill seeping into his flesh from the stone of the floor.
Lupin grasped for his wand, lying carelessly on his nightstand and pointed it in the general direction of the fireplace. "Incendio," he spoke with a raspy edge to his voice. The fire lit immediately, filling the room with newfound warmth.
Shrugging into the shabby robes he had been wearing the night before, he finally gave up his bed, and moved into the living area of his rooms. He had barely gotten a kettle of water over the fire and there was a knock on his door.
Lupin smiled. There was only one person it could be at this hour.
He was right. Standing just outside of his door was a long white beard that seemed to mold into the man's hair. And underneath bushy eyebrows of the same color was a sparkle in eyes that looked much too wide and alert than the hour of the morning should permit.
"Good morning Remus."
"Albus." And as if on cue, the high-pitched whistle of the younger man's kettle sang through the air. "Would you care for some tea?"
"Sounds lovely," Dumbledore accepted with a smile.
As steam rose from his cup, Lupin attempted to be patient with the Headmaster. He always had a way of covering every subject under the sun before he actually arrived at his point. Lupin was sure the older man was there to ask about the progress he and Professor Snape had the night before, but he would have to wait.
"Remus, do you ever plan on marrying?"
The question came out of nowhere and had surprised Lupin, rendering him speechless for a few moments.
"Sir?"
Dumbledore turned his attention from some trinkets on the mantle to face Lupin. "Marry? Find a nice girl and settle down, maybe having some children of your own?"
Lupin stared at him, attempting to find a beginning, or even an end to this line of thinking. "I don't know. I guess I've never really put that much thought into it. There has always been a rather large obstacle in my life. 'Hello my name is Remus Lupin and I'm a werewolf. Would you like to go out for coffee?' never struck me as a great pickup line."
Dumbledore smiled, but there was a sort of sadness behind his eyes. He took a seat across from Lupin. "Did you have any luck with Professor Snape last night?"
There was the conversation Lupin was prepared for. He chose to graze over the other topic. "I'm not a hundred percent sure. It took a lot out of me last night, but we won't know for sure until the full moon. Professor Snape seems to believe it might work. Although, I think he has some hesitations using a student to assist."
"I believe Miss Harris is competent enough to help. Do you have any hesitations?"
"I know she is talented. In fact, my only worry is she just might be smart enough to derive what she is helping to brew."
"Severus is taking every precaution to ensure discretion on this particular project. And besides, even if she did find out, I have faith that she would do the right thing and keep the information to herself. Despite her tendency to get in trouble," Dumbledore smiled at that, "she is a decent young woman."
"Yes, I suppose you're right."
Having gotten the information he came for, Dumbledore relaxed in his chair and took a sip of the hot tea. "So how are those two working together?"
It was Lupin's turn to smile. "I have never in all my years of knowing Severus seen anyone so matched with him in an argument."
Dumbledore chuckled. "I believe she can learn a great deal from him, mostly patience and discipline."
"And he could use a few lessons on loosing up."
"Then both of them will lean a great deal from one another."
Lupin nodded, but couldn't help adding, "Either that, or they'll kill each other in the process."
*****
It had been five days since he had made a deal with DeAndry Harris. A deal in which he might as well have sold his soul to the devil himself, if he still had his soul to sell.
She was right, of course. He regretted not stopping whatever it was they were doing that day.
But every time he had that witch's skin beneath his fingers he could forget. Forget who he was, and who she was. Forget his debt. Forget his duty. And most importantly, forget the sin that pumped through his veins.
When he touched her, everything was right, painfully right. He would give everything he knew to get drunk in her touch, feeling that uncomfortable pull in his abdomen. And he hated himself for it.
"Professor Snape!"
Snape shook his head, realizing that this wasn't the first time his name had been called.
"What?" he snapped, managing to make it seem he was deep in thought with something other than the woman who was addressing him.
DeAndry couldn't help but smirk. "I asked you if it would be all right if I ran up to my dormitory and grabbed a book. This won't be done for another two hours," she said motioning to the cauldron in front of her.
"If you hurry. This potion needs constant attention. If it gets too hot—"
"I'll be right back," she cut him off, already on her way out of the door.
Snape sighed. The same time the previous year, the complete disrespect that DeAndry had just shown would have been severely punished. She was becoming far too bold.
Or perhaps, he was becoming far too lax. He pinched the bridge of his nose to the point of pain, and sighed.
"Bloody hell."
He shook himself mentally, and settled for just staring off into the boiling potion, waiting for DeAndry to return.
Only a few minutes later the door opened. He didn't bother to look up from the potion.
"Bring me the vial on the counter," he barked.
"Um ..."
Snape's gaze shot up. The woman in the room was not his student. She was just slightly taller than DeAndry was, but thinner. She wore bright purple robes and almost clashing, her hair a deep pink color, sticking out at all angles. She was reaching for one of the vials on the counter.
"What do you think you're doing?" he snapped.
The girl jumped and the vial slipped from her long fingers. It crashed on the floor leaving a dark blue stain on the stone floor.
"Incompetent imbecile!"
The woman recoiled and winced at the harshness of his words.
He smiled inwardly. He had long since lost his power to intimidate DeAndry Harris. It was reassuring to see he hadn't completely lost his touch.
"I-I'm s-s-sooo sorry," the pink haired woman sputtered. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a cloth further back on the counter. She grabbed it, planning on using the fabric to clean up the mess, but her arm caught the edge of a wooden stand holding jars of miscellaneous items.
She watched as in slow motion the stand fell from the counter and landed next to the broken vial, shattering the jars. The woman gasped and bent to catch what was too late to catch, and her rear end hit a cauldron spilling the contents.
Snape just gaped in shock. He had never in his entire life seen some so clumsy. And this pink haired menace was destroying his dungeon.
The classroom door opened once again and this time it was DeAndry, book in hand. "Tonks!"
"You know this monstrosity?" Snape had finally found his voice?
"Monstrosity?" DeAndry frowned at Snape. "Professor," she scolded.
DeAndry wrapped her arms around the pink haired woman hugging her. "How've you been?"
And the excited high-pitched chatter filled the potions room. Snape could feel himself growing even more irritated by the second.
"Dumbledore told me you'd be working down here. What are you doing?" The woman had turned her attention to the few bottles and jars on the table that she hadn't broken.
"Well," DeAndry began to explain. "We're working on a potion that—"
"Don't touch anything!" Snape growled, grabbing the woman's hand. "You have already ruined the potion. Months of preparation. Who do you think you are?"
"A highly trained soon to be Auror."
The attention turned to the open door of the classroom. Headmaster Dumbledore's usual twinkle was shining more brilliant than ever. Behind him Professor Lupin smiled brightly.
"Remus, this is Nymphadora Tonks," Dumbledore introduced.
"Albus! You do that just to annoy me, don't you?" but the woman couldn't help but smile.
Dumbledore smirked his response.
"Please, call me Tonks," she extended her hand toward Lupin. He took it willingly.
"Remus Lupin."
"Remus, I've heard about you. Professor Dumbledore talks about you all the time," she tittered.
Lupin raised an eyebrow and shot Dumbledore a look.
"Well," Dumbledore interrupted before a comment was made. "I think you two should be heading off. I'm sure you want to be in London before lunch."
"London?" DeAndry asked confused.
"Oh, sorry," Tonks said hitting herself in the forehead. "I didn't get a chance to ask." She turned to DeAndry. "I've been given permission to kidnap you for Christmas Eve. I thought we could go back to my flat in London."
"Are you kidding? That would be—" but DeAndry stopped short, remembering her project with Snape, and the deal they had made. She turned to catch his eye. "I mean, would it be all right with you, Professor Snape?"
There was an uncomfortable silence where, for a moment, DeAndry thought he was going to say no. All the attention turned toward the Potions Master.
Tonks leaned against a desk, trying to stay out of the way, when she bumped a vial. It wobbled and fell noisily.
"Oh for Merlin's sake," Snape finally broke the silence. "Please leave, and take her with you!"
The two professors lead the way out of the dungeons up to the Entrance Hall, followed by the young ladies, leaving Professor Snape to deal with the mess left in Tonk's wake.
DeAndry looked down at her school robes that were already getting wrinkly from the morning's wear. "Well, if we're going to be in London, I should probably get a change of clothes."
"Very well," Dumbledore agreed. "And when you're finished, come up to my office. You may use the Floo from my fireplace."
DeAndry smiled. "Thank you," she said, meaning more for the opportunity to go to London than the use of his Floo.
"You're welcome."
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Tonks," Lupin said, extending his hand again.
Tonks took it gratefully. "You know, if you wanted to join us, there's always room for one more." She flashed him a toothy grin.
Lupin averted his eyes for a moment, and DeAndry was sure she saw his cheeks flush. "Thank you very much for the offer, but I have some prior engagements to attend to. But I'm sure this won't be the last time we'll have the opportunity to see one another."
And with some quick good byes, the girls left the two older men and were off to the Gryffindor Tower.
"What was that all about?" DeAndry asked once they were in the privacy of her dorm room.
"What?" Tonks asked, honestly clueless.
"Oh come on, the way you were looking at Professor Lupin ... Could you be any more obvious?"
Tonks blushed and giggled a little bit. "He was cute, okay?"
"Well, I would have to say that you left a lasting first impression. With both Lupin and Snape."
"I feel bad. I honestly didn't mean do break anything."
"Don't worry, it's nothing Snape can't deal with."
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the other Potterverse characters. They are owned by JK Rowling.
DeAndry Harris, along with the story, though, are mine. Read but do not hurt.
Timeline: During POA
So, today, as I was sitting on my parents' couch watching Family Matters (don't ask) and writing a new Snape related fan fiction when I got an instant message from a certain fan telling me that this month will be the six-month mark from the last time I updated. How pitiful is that?
So I decided to give you guys another chapter. Hope you like!
And if y'all are curious as to what I've been up to, I've been posting some of my going ons in the journal of my deviant art account: britt- lipy.deviantart.com check it out!
Yeah, enough of that mumbo jumbo crap, I hope you like! And please review!!!
* * *
Despite the thick stone and draperies of Hogwarts castle, the sun always managed to creep into the confines of the bedchambers. The winter morning rays reflected off the snow that had accumulated over the night, making the shine even harder to bear. Especially during the few early hours following dawn.
The figure in the bed was completely covered by heavy blankets, and a fur thrown on top for good measure. The fire had long ago burned itself to exhaustion, making the bed that much more inviting to simply stay there for the duration of the morning.
Most of the remaining members of the staff and students had difficulties forcing themselves awake on Christmas break, but for this individual, the events of the previous night had left a haze that even the sun was having difficulties cutting through.
It had been five days since almost all of the students left the school for the holiday. Four until the next full moon. That meant that this morning was Christmas Eve.
Professor Remus Lupin sighed and forced himself to shove the blankets off of his lean form. He kicked his legs over the side of the bed, ignoring the sensation of the chill seeping into his flesh from the stone of the floor.
Lupin grasped for his wand, lying carelessly on his nightstand and pointed it in the general direction of the fireplace. "Incendio," he spoke with a raspy edge to his voice. The fire lit immediately, filling the room with newfound warmth.
Shrugging into the shabby robes he had been wearing the night before, he finally gave up his bed, and moved into the living area of his rooms. He had barely gotten a kettle of water over the fire and there was a knock on his door.
Lupin smiled. There was only one person it could be at this hour.
He was right. Standing just outside of his door was a long white beard that seemed to mold into the man's hair. And underneath bushy eyebrows of the same color was a sparkle in eyes that looked much too wide and alert than the hour of the morning should permit.
"Good morning Remus."
"Albus." And as if on cue, the high-pitched whistle of the younger man's kettle sang through the air. "Would you care for some tea?"
"Sounds lovely," Dumbledore accepted with a smile.
As steam rose from his cup, Lupin attempted to be patient with the Headmaster. He always had a way of covering every subject under the sun before he actually arrived at his point. Lupin was sure the older man was there to ask about the progress he and Professor Snape had the night before, but he would have to wait.
"Remus, do you ever plan on marrying?"
The question came out of nowhere and had surprised Lupin, rendering him speechless for a few moments.
"Sir?"
Dumbledore turned his attention from some trinkets on the mantle to face Lupin. "Marry? Find a nice girl and settle down, maybe having some children of your own?"
Lupin stared at him, attempting to find a beginning, or even an end to this line of thinking. "I don't know. I guess I've never really put that much thought into it. There has always been a rather large obstacle in my life. 'Hello my name is Remus Lupin and I'm a werewolf. Would you like to go out for coffee?' never struck me as a great pickup line."
Dumbledore smiled, but there was a sort of sadness behind his eyes. He took a seat across from Lupin. "Did you have any luck with Professor Snape last night?"
There was the conversation Lupin was prepared for. He chose to graze over the other topic. "I'm not a hundred percent sure. It took a lot out of me last night, but we won't know for sure until the full moon. Professor Snape seems to believe it might work. Although, I think he has some hesitations using a student to assist."
"I believe Miss Harris is competent enough to help. Do you have any hesitations?"
"I know she is talented. In fact, my only worry is she just might be smart enough to derive what she is helping to brew."
"Severus is taking every precaution to ensure discretion on this particular project. And besides, even if she did find out, I have faith that she would do the right thing and keep the information to herself. Despite her tendency to get in trouble," Dumbledore smiled at that, "she is a decent young woman."
"Yes, I suppose you're right."
Having gotten the information he came for, Dumbledore relaxed in his chair and took a sip of the hot tea. "So how are those two working together?"
It was Lupin's turn to smile. "I have never in all my years of knowing Severus seen anyone so matched with him in an argument."
Dumbledore chuckled. "I believe she can learn a great deal from him, mostly patience and discipline."
"And he could use a few lessons on loosing up."
"Then both of them will lean a great deal from one another."
Lupin nodded, but couldn't help adding, "Either that, or they'll kill each other in the process."
*****
It had been five days since he had made a deal with DeAndry Harris. A deal in which he might as well have sold his soul to the devil himself, if he still had his soul to sell.
She was right, of course. He regretted not stopping whatever it was they were doing that day.
But every time he had that witch's skin beneath his fingers he could forget. Forget who he was, and who she was. Forget his debt. Forget his duty. And most importantly, forget the sin that pumped through his veins.
When he touched her, everything was right, painfully right. He would give everything he knew to get drunk in her touch, feeling that uncomfortable pull in his abdomen. And he hated himself for it.
"Professor Snape!"
Snape shook his head, realizing that this wasn't the first time his name had been called.
"What?" he snapped, managing to make it seem he was deep in thought with something other than the woman who was addressing him.
DeAndry couldn't help but smirk. "I asked you if it would be all right if I ran up to my dormitory and grabbed a book. This won't be done for another two hours," she said motioning to the cauldron in front of her.
"If you hurry. This potion needs constant attention. If it gets too hot—"
"I'll be right back," she cut him off, already on her way out of the door.
Snape sighed. The same time the previous year, the complete disrespect that DeAndry had just shown would have been severely punished. She was becoming far too bold.
Or perhaps, he was becoming far too lax. He pinched the bridge of his nose to the point of pain, and sighed.
"Bloody hell."
He shook himself mentally, and settled for just staring off into the boiling potion, waiting for DeAndry to return.
Only a few minutes later the door opened. He didn't bother to look up from the potion.
"Bring me the vial on the counter," he barked.
"Um ..."
Snape's gaze shot up. The woman in the room was not his student. She was just slightly taller than DeAndry was, but thinner. She wore bright purple robes and almost clashing, her hair a deep pink color, sticking out at all angles. She was reaching for one of the vials on the counter.
"What do you think you're doing?" he snapped.
The girl jumped and the vial slipped from her long fingers. It crashed on the floor leaving a dark blue stain on the stone floor.
"Incompetent imbecile!"
The woman recoiled and winced at the harshness of his words.
He smiled inwardly. He had long since lost his power to intimidate DeAndry Harris. It was reassuring to see he hadn't completely lost his touch.
"I-I'm s-s-sooo sorry," the pink haired woman sputtered. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a cloth further back on the counter. She grabbed it, planning on using the fabric to clean up the mess, but her arm caught the edge of a wooden stand holding jars of miscellaneous items.
She watched as in slow motion the stand fell from the counter and landed next to the broken vial, shattering the jars. The woman gasped and bent to catch what was too late to catch, and her rear end hit a cauldron spilling the contents.
Snape just gaped in shock. He had never in his entire life seen some so clumsy. And this pink haired menace was destroying his dungeon.
The classroom door opened once again and this time it was DeAndry, book in hand. "Tonks!"
"You know this monstrosity?" Snape had finally found his voice?
"Monstrosity?" DeAndry frowned at Snape. "Professor," she scolded.
DeAndry wrapped her arms around the pink haired woman hugging her. "How've you been?"
And the excited high-pitched chatter filled the potions room. Snape could feel himself growing even more irritated by the second.
"Dumbledore told me you'd be working down here. What are you doing?" The woman had turned her attention to the few bottles and jars on the table that she hadn't broken.
"Well," DeAndry began to explain. "We're working on a potion that—"
"Don't touch anything!" Snape growled, grabbing the woman's hand. "You have already ruined the potion. Months of preparation. Who do you think you are?"
"A highly trained soon to be Auror."
The attention turned to the open door of the classroom. Headmaster Dumbledore's usual twinkle was shining more brilliant than ever. Behind him Professor Lupin smiled brightly.
"Remus, this is Nymphadora Tonks," Dumbledore introduced.
"Albus! You do that just to annoy me, don't you?" but the woman couldn't help but smile.
Dumbledore smirked his response.
"Please, call me Tonks," she extended her hand toward Lupin. He took it willingly.
"Remus Lupin."
"Remus, I've heard about you. Professor Dumbledore talks about you all the time," she tittered.
Lupin raised an eyebrow and shot Dumbledore a look.
"Well," Dumbledore interrupted before a comment was made. "I think you two should be heading off. I'm sure you want to be in London before lunch."
"London?" DeAndry asked confused.
"Oh, sorry," Tonks said hitting herself in the forehead. "I didn't get a chance to ask." She turned to DeAndry. "I've been given permission to kidnap you for Christmas Eve. I thought we could go back to my flat in London."
"Are you kidding? That would be—" but DeAndry stopped short, remembering her project with Snape, and the deal they had made. She turned to catch his eye. "I mean, would it be all right with you, Professor Snape?"
There was an uncomfortable silence where, for a moment, DeAndry thought he was going to say no. All the attention turned toward the Potions Master.
Tonks leaned against a desk, trying to stay out of the way, when she bumped a vial. It wobbled and fell noisily.
"Oh for Merlin's sake," Snape finally broke the silence. "Please leave, and take her with you!"
The two professors lead the way out of the dungeons up to the Entrance Hall, followed by the young ladies, leaving Professor Snape to deal with the mess left in Tonk's wake.
DeAndry looked down at her school robes that were already getting wrinkly from the morning's wear. "Well, if we're going to be in London, I should probably get a change of clothes."
"Very well," Dumbledore agreed. "And when you're finished, come up to my office. You may use the Floo from my fireplace."
DeAndry smiled. "Thank you," she said, meaning more for the opportunity to go to London than the use of his Floo.
"You're welcome."
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Tonks," Lupin said, extending his hand again.
Tonks took it gratefully. "You know, if you wanted to join us, there's always room for one more." She flashed him a toothy grin.
Lupin averted his eyes for a moment, and DeAndry was sure she saw his cheeks flush. "Thank you very much for the offer, but I have some prior engagements to attend to. But I'm sure this won't be the last time we'll have the opportunity to see one another."
And with some quick good byes, the girls left the two older men and were off to the Gryffindor Tower.
"What was that all about?" DeAndry asked once they were in the privacy of her dorm room.
"What?" Tonks asked, honestly clueless.
"Oh come on, the way you were looking at Professor Lupin ... Could you be any more obvious?"
Tonks blushed and giggled a little bit. "He was cute, okay?"
"Well, I would have to say that you left a lasting first impression. With both Lupin and Snape."
"I feel bad. I honestly didn't mean do break anything."
"Don't worry, it's nothing Snape can't deal with."