Chapter Three: The decision part 3: Four hours til Dusk- I chose Death
"Enough!" Lupin said pulling Severus flat on his back and dropping to sit on top of him. Lupin grabbed his arms as Severus tried to push him off. Severus for the first time felt afraid of the man sitting upon of him staring down into his black eyes with a determined look on his face. Lupin must have snapped. Maybe he would not need to wait for the wolf to emerge."Now Snivellus you listen to me!" Severus froze at the utterance of the Marauders nickname for him. Lupin definitely did not look calm, in fact he was angry and Severus could feel it. "Neither you or me have to die tonight. The choice is yours. There is a way to live through my transformation, but you have to be willing to do it."
Lupin was being sincere, Severus realized as he looked up at the man who pinned him to the floor. Lupin relax a little levering some of his weigh off him and then lean in closer to Severus. Lupin then began to sniff him. Severus froze again letting Lupin do what he wanted before whispering in a silvery type voice against his ear. "Are you willing, Severus?"
Confused Severus frowned and said, "Willing to do what, Lupin?" Adding a touch of annoyance to his voice to highlight the fact he had no idea what Lupin was up to.
"Are you willing to be my mate?"
The air was thick as Remus waited for Severus answer. His entire body was alive. Moony was awake and thrilled at the prospect before him. Mating for werewolves was a sacred ritual. It brought them a partner for life, someone they could howl to in the night, someone to protect them and of course breed with. Only Remus knew that it was highly unlikely he would ever have children.
"Well?" Remus persisted impatiently.
With a sigh of surrender, Severus relaxed beneath him. Laying his head against the straw bed and closing his eyes. "Perhaps you should explain what 'willing to be you mate' entails, Lupin."
Better than nothing. Remus thought as he shifted off of Severus allowing the Potion Master to sit up and lean against the wall so he a little more comfortable.
"Well, werewolves mating is not a common occurrence due to the general hatred of their... my species." Remus said sitting back against the same wall Severus did. "I have never thought about taking a mate myself, because it involves letting the wolf take control as well. Something I have avoided since, I almost killed you."
Remus carefully went on to explain to a very calm and emotionless Severus who listened to all the facts without interrupting. After explaining the method behind it, Remus waited silently for Severus to answer him. Inside Remus was a bundle of nerves, he could not believe what he was asking his childhood enemy to do.
I hope you are have a good laugh up there Padfoot, Remus thought to himself. It was rather comical that he was trapped with Severus after all that they had been through together. Severus had always tried to get him expelled because of what he was or fired in the case of the year he was a Professor. All because it bubbled down to a group of insensitive teenager jerks who had thought it funny to tease, mock and bully another who was the opposite of everything they were.
Suddenly Remus felt the need to apologize. "I am so sorry Severus," Remus whispered under his breath, not realizing he had said anything aloud.
Severus frowned as he heard Lupin muttering under his breath. Had he just apologized? What was the werewolf up to? Why was he apologizing for? All right it was his fault they in less than four hours that he was going to be responsible for murder but Dumbledore would put some spin on it to get his precious werewolf off it. Somehow, Lupin would get over his guilt trip of killing Hogwarts Horrid Potions Professor. He would be a hero to the students when he was rescued.
"What are you whining for now, Lupin?" Severus spat feeling very angry.
Deep down the responsible, cool and calm front was crumbling. In fact, if he was honest aloud Severus felt very furious. Furious at the irony of fate, angry at Lucius Malfoy as it was all his fault he was here in the first place, infuriated that he was going to die with a Marauder as company, and livid with Dumbledore for manipulating him all these years. He could have retired and lived comfortable, safe away from little brats and prophecies and insane psychos like Voldemort. What really took the biscuit, was Severus had not planned on dying for several years.
"I'm not whining, Severus." Lupin huffed.
"Well, muttering apologies under your breath is a waste of time, Lupin."
"Right, next time I wont bother."
"What next time?" Severus asked turning to look at Remus whose face fell at his words.
Suddenly the slightly ticked off appearance of Lupin, turned into a face of despair. The transformation even startled Severus who was quite used to Longbottom's swift change from a workable human being to a bumbling idiot. Lupin closed his eyes and stood up, walking away from him. Lupin walked to the barred window and looked at the horizon were there was still traces of daylight present.
"Once you mind is set, Severus I know there is no change it." Remus said still looking away from him. "Perhaps it will be for the best, at least you death will put me out of my misery. You know I miss Sirius and James, more than my own parents. They were my really family. They would have died for me. At least I will be reunited with them soon enough."
"Why you mourn that pathetic mutt, I'll never know." Severus snarled to himself. "Anyway you know full well you'll get out of it somehow. Dumbledore wont lose you otherwise he'll have hell to pay when Poppy comes down on his head!"
"I'll leave you to make you peace with yourself then, Severus." Remus said looking once more at him. "Perhaps, you'll find a happy memory were there was someone willing to die for you as there were for me. Or perhaps you'll see after thirty years there is someone still who is sorrier than he could ever be and this was his way of atoning for his sins."
