Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing!
Author's Note: This is a continuation of The Boggart. Ther was two chapters in that so I have started this as chapter three. I wanted to seperate this from the first because it take's a different turn. Enjoy!
Chapter Three: The Start of Something
Monday. Once again a potion's class has made it's way to the dungeons. Snape, however, was already sitting at his desk correcting papers.
"Sit down. Quills out. Take notes on the potion you will be making which is on the board. Start." He continued to correct the papers while the class started their potion's. The class went smoothly with the exception of a Ravenclaw spilling her potion. Snape cleaned it with his wand. The class was surprised because he usually made them clean it be hand. He dismissed his class at the appropriate time without giving them homework. This also came as a surprise to the class.
His next class came in and quickly took their seats. "Potion is on the board. Get started."
Harry and Ron looked at each other. Hermione paired up with Neville and they got started. Once again Snape didn't get up, he just continued correcting throughout the class. Neville made the cauldron explode when Hermione went to get more ingredients. Once again Snape cleaned it with a sweep of his wand. And once again he surprised his class with no homework when he dismissed them. Hermione was about to remind him when Ron kicked her.
"Don't ruin it for everyone else. You can do homework on your own," he hissed.
She scowled at him but said nothing.
All Snape's classes went like this. He walked to dinner and found that the only seat left was next to Lupin. He paused before walking to sit down.
Lupin looked at him nervously. "Severus," he greeted.
"Lupin," Snape nodded.
"So...eh... How are your injury's coming along?"
Lupin watched as Snape stiffened. "They're practically non-existent," he said sarcastically.
"Right. Of course." They sat quietly while the other members of staff talked to each other. Lupin kept looking at Snape as if he was going to explode any second, when he thought Snape wasn't taking any notice. However, Snape did notice this.
"Lupin, if you insist on treating me like a time bomb then I shall act like one and blow you to pieces."
"Sorry, Severus. I'm just worried about you."
"There is no need to be."
"But I still feel guilty."
"That is because your actions indirectly caused Voldemort's anger which is why he felt the need to..." he didn't finish because Lupin knew what he was talking about.
"Sorry," Lupin said meekly.
"You have already apologised and I have already said don't bother." Snape got up and left.
Not long after, Lupin left.
Lupin found himself walking towards the dungeons later that Friday night (nearly a week later). He walked slowly as if unsure of where he would end up.
Finally he reached Snape's private rooms. He had come here before to ask for more wolf's bane when he spilt his batch. Snape had not been pleased at the disturbance of his privacy. He stood at the door without knocking for a long while, breathing heavily. He paced himself and deactivated the wards. He always thought that Snape was way too paranoid. Then he opened the door by the handle and entered a hallway. 'Wait. I've never seen this hallway.' There was only one door, besides the one he had just come through, in the hallway. He wasn't surprised when he couldn't open it and used all the spells that he could think of to deactivate the wards. Eventually he managed to get them all down. At this stage it was late into the night. He opened the door and walked in. Well... tried to walk in. He was blasted back by an invisible force before he made it over the threshold. "Figures. Snape is WAY too paranoid."
"I apologise, Lupin. If I knew you were going to break into my chambers I would have made it easier for you."
"I wasn't breaking in," Remus said defiantly, "I... just... wanted to talk to you."
"So you weren't trying to break in?"
"No. Of course not."
"So you spent three hours getting through my wards and you don't consider that breaking in?"
"You knew I was out there?"
"Yes," Snape said plainly.
"And you didn't think to just let me in?"
"You didn't knock, Lupin," Snape smirked.
"Well then - knock bloody knock. Will you put your wards down now."
"Suppose so." Snape took the wards down in a matter of seconds and went to sit down.
Lupin stepped in but didn't go far.
"Well are you going to just stand there or do you want to sit down," Snape said, pointing to a chair across from him.
"Em, yeah. Thanks, Severus. I just didn't want to intrude."
"You don't consider breaking in to be intruding?"
"I didn't... Never mind."
"Do you want something to drink?"
"Coffee if you have it."
"Coming up." Snape waved his wand and two cups of coffee appeared.
"Severus. IReallyDidn'tKnowThatTheBoggartWouldTurnIntoYourDadI'mReallySorryPleaseForgiveM-"
"REMUS," Snape shouted. This made Lupin stop. Snape had used his first name. "Remus, I know you didn't mean for that to happen." He rubbed his temple.
"Then why do you ignore me?"
"Because it's easier than befriending you."
"Hu? I don't understand."
"I've hated you since we went to Hogwarts as students. I hated Black and Potter because of what they did to me, Pettigrew crept me out and you were friends with them so one can only assume you were like them."
"Well... I don't think I was. I'm certainly not like that now."
"No. I don't suppose you are. But look at me. I'm feared by my own students and half the staff. Why would YOU want to befriend me?"
"I don't know. But I do and that's the point."
"And you think it's that easy? You think one chat and we're friends?"
"No. Why don't you come to Hogsmeath with me tomorrow night and we can talk some more?"
"I'll think about it."
"That's all I'm asking, Severus."
"Right. Do you want some more coffee?" he asked, pointing to Lupin's empty cup. "Or do you want something stronger?"
"Something stronger if you've got it."
"I wouldn't be asking if I didn't," Snape smirked.
"Of course. How silly of me," Lupin laughed.
"Whiskey, Brandy or Butterbeer?"
"Whiskey, please."
"Same as myself then." Snape poured two glasses of whiskey and handed one to Lupin.
"Thanks, Severus."
The two men stayed up till the wee hours of the morning, talking as it happened. Lupin fell asleep so Snape covered him with a blanket and went to bed.
Lupin woke to unfamiliar surroundings. He soon realised that it was Snape's living room. But where was Snape? He sat up but lay back down quickly when his vision blurred. He had a splitting headache also known as a hangover. He decided to lie there until the pain went away. He shut his eyes and dozed off again.
Snape woke up with a pounding headache. He couldn't remember much from the night before - just that he had a lot to drink. He decided to brew a potion to cure his hangover. The dungeons were unusually cold, he groaned because he had forgotten to put on a heating charm. His boxers weren't likely to keep him warm so he threw on a dressing gown and headed to the living room to his cauldron.
He strode to his living room to find his cauldron. He opened a cupboard door and began searching.
"Mornin' sunshine," Lupin said, VERY loudly. Snape jumped and spun around. His face didn't relax until he located what had spoken.
"Oh," Snape said. "It's you. Sleep well?" he said sarcastically, finally remembering that Lupin was his drinking buddy the night before.
"Indeed I did. Got one hell of a hangover though," Lupin smiled.
"I never knew a person to smile at his own hangover."
"It's not the hangover I'm smiling at," Lupin laughed, looking Snape up and down.
Snape huffed at his state of undress.
"Calm down, Severus. I can barely see past your knee, let alone anywhere else. I was kidding."
"You have an appalling sense of humour, Remus."
"Yeah, I know. Got anything for a hangover?"
"I was just about to make a potion."
"Aww. Do we have to go to the potion's room."
"No. WEEE don't have to go anywhere. IIIIIIIII keep ingredients and a cauldron here. Why don't you go back to sleep while I make this. It'll only be ten minutes."
"Aww. You're so kind."
"I'm not. Your whining is annoying me. I've got a hangover too, you know."
Snape set up the cauldron over in a corner and sat down on a stool in front of it.
"Will it take long," Lupin asked.
"No!"
"How long?"
"I already said it would be ten minutes."
"Okay........................................ Do you make potion's for the Hospital Wing?"
"Yes. Now will you shut up."
"Sorry."
There was a long silence before Lupin spoke again.
"Why is it so cold in here?"
"BECAUSE," Snape shouted. "I forgot to put on a heating charm last night. Potion's done."
Snape filled two goblets with the potion and handed one to Lupin.
"Drink up and get out of here."
"Thanks," Lupin said. He downed the potion in one go. "Well?"
"Well, what?"
"Well are you going to come to Hogsmeath with me tonight?"
"What?"
"I asked you last night. So will you come with me? Please?"
"Fine."
"Good. I'll see you at eight."
"Whatever."
Then Lupin left Snape's chambers in a good mood. He had a drinking buddy at last.
At eight o clock Lupin collected Snape.
At nine they started drinking.
At one in the morning they were both thanking God that Snape made extra potion the day before.
Lupin and Snape formed a mutual friendship that night. Lupin was happy and Snape was... well... he was as happy as he could be considering that he was Snape. Dumbledore was very pleased with himself. McGonagall was upset that she had lost a bet that she had made with Dumbledore four years before - she thought the two men would never be friends. Harry was pissed that Lupin could become friends with SNAPE!!! And Sirius Black was just pissed... but he didn't have any potion to cure the hangover!!! Tehehe.
What do you think?
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