Author's note: Oh me and my writing sprees. Will they ever end?...........By the looks of it, no.

Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Remus, Sirius, James, or Severus. Tough world, huh? None of them are mine...except in dreams. : P (Peter I can do without...)

SEVERUS SNAPEYS

Manipulation is often a horrible sin. Love, however is often manipulative.

Love, therefore, is most likely sin.

Which means I enjoy it thoroughly.

My plans seemed to have been working out beautifully. I hardly expected Lupin to be a willing test subject for the Eros, but as things progressed it seemed that I might not even need it at all. Black was becoming incresingly upset with Lupin's latest interest in potions, which would only make it sweeter when Lupin had asked for extra lessons. However, there was one thing I did not count on.

The Wolfsbane potion. Professor Aveino had given me a book that was supposed to stay in the restricted section months ago, saying he was interested in seeing me go far in the subject beyond the normal cirriculum. Naturally the book was practically made of dark potions, but interesting nonetheless. I found myself looking through it passively until I spotted "Wolfsbane Potion". I expected something completely boring, but I read on. Not a cure for lycanthropy, but near it. I had thought over showing it to Lupin, and in the end I decided not to.....but my conscience got the better of me.

He was grateful, almost overtly when he hugged me. The boy is incredibly naive sometimes, to think I'd enjoy something like that while he still struts around with the Gryffindorks, much less Sirius Black. But I still, for all my insanity, decided to help him and make the potion.

Weeks passed of monotonous lessons only to have myself teaching them passed, and potion tutoring had turned into an everyday affair. I was subtle in my emotions, which was the normal, and he didn't notice any of my hints. However, we had finished with the gold tincture by now and the flying potion. I had a mind who he'd use it on, the Quidditch match of Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff was this week, and according to his gossip, Potter had been failing rather frequently at his game. We now set to work on the 'Friend-Foe Finder', which was ---

"One of the more difficult ones to master. The ingredients need to be added over the course of 3 days, so in order to actually produce the potion we'd need to work into the weekend a bit," I told him.

"....That's fine."

"So, let's get to work."

He gathered the herbs and flowers we'd need for the first day and I sat on the table ordering him around. Quite entertaining, if I do say so humbly. For the first time he actually perfected it, performing admirably compared to how I was used to him messing around. Of course I didn't tell him that, all I said was...

"Usually the ingredients should go in sooner. And the color isn't quite as vibrant as it should usually be. Otherwise...." I tried to think of more insults, but none came to mind. He actually did a great job.

"Otherwise....?" he asked, still hopeful. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of a compliment.

"Otherwise I suppose we'll just have to see if it hold up for tomorrow. Somehow I doubt it, but you have been lucky in the past. After all, I'm here," I finished, slightly disgusted with the way I sounded. This was peculiar to me. I had been much more biting and horribly snide in the past, but to him I rarely could be this way. He noticed my difficulty in saying all this and merely smiled. I hated that smile he gave---everything about it was painful. One of those little smirks that claimed to know more than you let on---it was annoying. Handsome, sure, but annoying.

"Well, I would have done much worse without you, so thanks. Tomorrow same time same place, I'm guessing," he stated.

"Of course."

"Going my way, Severus?" he asked, standing at the door and looking back at me.

"......Yes, just hold on, we need to hide this so Avieno doesn't come in tomorrow and see someone tampering with his equipment....''

We placed it underneath a stone that I never knew opened into a trap door, but when you live with fiends I suppose it gives you some sort of knowledge that others don't have.

"Just how many secrets do you four have? I don't know even half of the passageways I see you coming in and out of," I remarked.

"Well, stand right there and I can tell you at least 5 ways you can get anywhere in the castle so even Filch can't see you," he laughed. "You'd be amazed how many tunnels and secret doors there are around here. Just in this room there are 2 doors in the floor, a tunnel behind the painting of the elephant that leads to Filch's stash of everything he's taken (mostly our stufff), then one behind the tapestry leading to the corridor with the fruit painting before the kitchen, and then behind the Alice painting is a dead end gallery, but some of the best paintings are in there. However, none of them lift off, so it's a rather pointless room."

"....Heh."

"Besides that, we already know every common room password this year, so I'll try to keep Sirius and James off your back. Otherwise you might find a couple whizbees in your pillow," he grinned. It was then that I began to take count of the different smiles Lupin had.