Chapter 5
Thank you to everyone who reveiwed. I have had SO many problems with this chapter. well here it is I hope you enjoy it. Also this chapter contains references to Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them so if you have not read it you should.
Over the past three years many things had changed for Severus Snape. His mother now had a job as an assistant healer at St Mungos and the boy spent much of his time helping his uncle around the ranch while she was at work. His main job was to groom the horses, his favorite being Hurricane, the large Aethonan/Granian mix stallion. Today however, Aunt Robyn and Uncle John would be out of the country on business, so Severus had to go with his mother and stay in the nursery area of the hospital. There were several other children there and Severus who had never been around children his age all that often would soon discover that they were obnoxious. It made him wonder if all those times Uncle John had told him he was a "special kid" had really meant "You are abnormally well behaved."
After two hours the boy knew he couldn't take much more of being repeatedly called "The Nose King" so he snuck past the young witch who was supervising them (and doing a poor job of as far as Severus was concerned) and wandered down the hall of the children's ward in hopes of more pleasant company.
Remus Lupin had been forlornly staring at the muggle chess set on his lap when he saw a boy standing at his door looking in on him curiously. His mood brightening at the chance to have some one to talk to, he smiled. "Hello, I'm Remus. What's your name?"
The boy walked in slowly and looked around taking in the room before he climbed on to the bed"Severus. You play chess?...why are they so quiet?" Severus asked picking up a knight and examining it curiously.
Remus smiled "It's a muggle chess set. It was my grandfather's. They aren't supposed to talk."
Severus wrinkled his brow in thought "Well, I guess that would be less distracting. Do you want to play?"
Remus grinned. "I would love to. Father usually visits at this time but today he had to do some paper work for the ministry..." Remus frowned, his mood becoming somber again.
" What's wrong?", Severus asked softly, sensing the change in mood
Remus lifted the sleeve of his pajamas showing a horrible scar on his upper arm. He did not look up as he answered. "I was bitten by a werewolf. That's why I'm here… It's ok if you don't want to play with me anymore...I know what people think about werewolves…"
"I don't care if you're half manticore."
Remus looked up in shock at the black haired boy siting onthe other end of the bed. Severus just ignored his shock as he continued, "You are the only person I've met today who hasn't treated me like I'm a three year old or acted like one. I'm not about to give that up because a bunch of overpaid grown ups are paranoid… So what color do you choose?"
It would be several hours before his frantic mother found Severus. By that time he and Remus had scored about even, three to three. He got into horrible trouble for wandering off on his own, but meeting Remus had been well worth it.