Disclaimer: I own nothing here. It all belongs to J.K. Rowling and whoever else owns Harry Potter and the characters within its universe.
Next time it takes me so long to get another chapter up will some one kick me, please? You can even do it over AIM or MSN. And, Yami, you can do whatever you'd like to Lucius. I do believe I'm done with him, at least for awhile. *rubs hands together evilly*
And thank Pink Floyd for this chapter. I wrote a good chunk of it listening to 'The Wall.' *melts into an ooey gooey puddle*
Chapter 14: Outside the Walls
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Remus sat at the table, his eyes weary, and his body aching and tired.
"Could we possibly do this later, Severus? I don't feel very well today." He asked, reaching to put out the fire beneath his cauldron. It was two days after his most recent transformation into the wolf, and his body still felt it, though he wasn't going to tell the Slytherin that.
"No." Severus said, his voice as calm and collected as ever. He swatted Remus' hand and wand away from the fire. "Contrary to popular, Gryffindor, belief, I do have a life, which you're taking time away from. I'd just like to get this done."
"Fine… But could we hurry it up a bit? That way I can go and get some rest and you can go back to your 'life.'" Remus asked, attempting to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Severus was doing him a favor, and he knew it.
"There is no hurrying in Potions, Lupin. 'Hurrying' will get you a ruined potion, a failing grade, or worse." Severus's eyes hooded slightly, making him look much older than his sixteen years.
Remus nods silently, not wanting to tempt Severus's temper. He was lucky that he had agreed to tutor him in Potions, and didn't want to push that luck. Remus decided to make small talk, but regretted his sentence the second it came out. "I, um… I heard about your father. I'm sorry."
"I'm not. He was a miserable, abusive bastard who murdered my mother and sister. He deserved what he got." Severus said, not looking Remus in the eye. He added a pinch of shredded ginger root to the boiling mixture in the cauldron. "Though I do appreciate your sympathies, Lupin. Thank you."
Remus simply nodded, not sure of what to say. "He murdered your mother and sister?"
"Yes." Severus sighed deeply. "He killed my sister Seraphine… Though if she heard me call her 'Seraphine', as opposed to 'Sera', she'd have my hide…" He shook his head violently, as if trying to shake the memories out of his mind. "He killed her, and then killed my mum."
"Why wasn't it in the papers?"
"Silas Snape has…had…many powerful friends. He paid them to keep it quiet." Severus stirred the potion calmly, in a figure eight motion. "The obits said they died in an accident. The only accident involved was that my mother married that man."
"Do you have any pictures of them?" Remus asked. He's heard stories about Sahriya and Seraphine Snape, and wanted to connect their names to their faces. He told Severus as such.
"Yes." He reached down into his bag, pulling out a ragged old book. He flipped to the center of it, pulling out a small photograph. He handed it carefully to Remus. "Here."
The picture was cropped, leaving only the two female Snapes and a very young looking Severus. Sahriya sat on a chair, her only son sitting on her lap, an old teddy bear clutched in his hands. Seraphine sat on the floor next to her mother, taking turns playing with three year old Severus and talking to her mother. Sahriya's face changed from content to worry-filled, her eyes darting over to where the picture was cut.
It took a moment before Remus realized that Severus had cut his father out of the picture.
"It's a nice picture." Remus handed it back to Severus, clearing his throat. Severus looked at him disdainfully before putting it back in the book.
"Well, looks like the potion is done." Severus changed the subject, pouring a bit of the potion into a small glass vial. He sealed the top with wax and handed it to Remus. "Don't forget to give that to Professor Watson when it cools."
Remus nodded as he began to wipe up the table. They finished cleaning in a heavy, awkward silence.
"Are you done yet, Rem? James and Pete are getting kind of antsy, hurry…up." Sirius burst into the room, his eyes falling on Severus, who stood up straighter, pulling his wand from the back pocket of his pants. Sirius's nostrils flared as he saw Severus standing so close to 'his' Remus. "Severus? Remus what the hell are you doing with this prig?"
"Nothing." Remus walked over to his best friend, his lips pressed in a tight line. He turned his head slightly towards Severus. "Same time next week?"
Severus hissed, his eyes still locked on Sirius. "Fine."
-
I did as Severus asked and left him be for the night, returning to my own chambers. It was still quite early, so I decided to read for a bit, taking up a random book from the trunk at the end of my bed. I groan as I lean back on my bed, the stress gathered at my shoulders and neck.
'Werewolves: Kith and Kin' was a gift from Sirius for my, what was it, twentieth birthday? Or was it my twenty-first?
I open up the book to a random page, and swear at the fact that I opened up to the chapter on the mating patterns of werewolves.
I must nod off, because when the rapping at my door starts, I jump a half mile into the air. I toss the book to the bed as I open the door. Severus stands there, wringing his hands, his face a tad bit paler than normal.
I gesture for him to enter, and he does, wrapping his long, thin arms around my torso. He buries his chin in my neck, and I melt at his behavior.
"What's wrong, Severus?" I ask him, pushing him away just enough to make it so I can look into his face, into his eyes. Dread fills me at the look in his eyes. He's going to leave me. He's going to leave me for that little bastard.
A bit of silver on his wrist flashes. "You're going back with him, aren't you?"
His head jerks, and his eyes widen. A rare smile graces his aquiline features, followed by a harsh, bark-like laugh. "No. I'm not." He runs a hand through my hair, messing it up a bit. "I'm sorry for how I acted earlier… It was just... It was a lot to take in."
"What was a lot to take in?"
"He wanted me to come crawling back to him. He wanted me to be the ever obedient puppy in Voldemort's court." Severus pulls the silver bracelet from his wrist, putting it in his pocket. He takes my hand in his and pulls me towards the door. "Come on."
We walk outside the school, along the lake, neither of us saying a word. But it's not the uncomfortable silence that I would normally expect. It's comfortable, and comforting, like a warm embrace.
He puts a hand on mine to stop us. We're quite far from the school, on the other side of the lake. The water beneath is us a deep, dark black, quite tumultuous for time of year. We sit down and watch the water churn for a moment before he pulls the bit of silver from his pocket.
"He gave this to me, of course." Severus says, his voice holding no spite. "He always did like his pets to look pretty."
"Why are you telling me this?" I ask, slightly annoyed. Lucius can give him gifts like that, I can't.
"Because…" He takes a moment, as if attempting to properly gather the words in his head. "Because I want to show you that it's over between him and me."
He holds the bracelet tighter before pulling his arm back and chucking it into the water. I watch in surprised amazement as I watch it sink to the deepest parts of the lake. "I love you, Remus."
I pull him into my arms and we fall to the soft grass together, in one heap. I start laughing, and find myself unable to stop. Severus gives me a look, but it's not filled with anger or contempt. It's as if he's found peace for the first time in his life. He leans over and kisses me, the only thing that can stop my laughing. (As he's learned in the past…) I calm down and soften in his arms. "I love you, too, Severus."
We lay there for a while, staring up at the stars that are popping out, one by one. He points to his favorites, as do I. He points out a large 'w' in the sky, and names it as Cassiopeia. I nod, and the story behind it tumbles out of my mouth before I can stop it. He smiles at me and snuggles up to me a little closer. I think if we were any closer, we'd be one, which really wouldn't be all that bad, I think.
- - -
Yes, it's a bit of a short chapter, but I wanted to stop it before anything juicy happened. It is a PG-13, remember? *wink wink* And again, I apologize for the time between updates. School's kicking my ass, and I'm barely two weeks in. What made me think I could take two separate writing classes and survive, I don't know.