Thanks to reviewers. Sirius' skin problems were inspired by my own. ::scratches arm:: Now, on with the fic!
Remus' POV
It's been three weeks since Sirius' letter came and we've all been very happy. Halloween came and went in a happy blur of food and fun and now November has set in. Everything was wonderful, that is until Dumbledore decided to have a little chat with me this morning.
The day started out like any other; Sirius and I had risen at sunrise, James and Peter were a bit late to breakfast, and soon after they had sauntered in Snape had arrived with something that looked suspiciously like a rabbit tail attached to his backside.
I may not hate Snape, but I certainly don't like him either. If the prank is not too hurtful I join in, although I haven't really too much lately. I came up with more when we were younger; Sirius and even James said I was good at it.
Anyway, as we were leaving the Great Hall to go to History of Magic Dumbledore stopped me and requested my presence in his office during my morning break. Although confused I said that I would. All the way through the incredibly boring class I was anxious and Sirius had to stop my jiggling leg five times. The fifth time he just left his hand there. After a quick see you later I hurried off to Dumbledore's office.
There's nothing quite like that office anywhere else in the world. There are strange instruments everywhere and a huge phoenix named Fawkes. What I had not expected in the strange surroundings was Severus Snape.
It's amazing how in a few minutes things can go so horribly wrong. I'm walking away from that meeting now. Tutoring. He wants me to tutor Snape in charms and in turn Snape will tutor me in potions: my worst subject. It's bad enough that I even have to take the class but to now I have to spend extra time leaning it and with Snape! Dumbledore mentioned something about learning to work together and making new alliances, but with Snape? Sirius is going to have puppies over this one.
I walk slowly to my next class. I don't really want to tell the others. I approach the classroom door and now I'm sitting in my seat and calmly telling them about my undeserved torture.
"Do you want us to come with you Moony?" asks James.
I shake my head no, "I think that it'd probably go better if you guys didn't come along. I think that he'd probably feel threatened and there'd just be a fight. I want this to go as quickly and painlessly as possible," I say.
"If you're sure," says Sirius in a tone that clearly says that I must be out of my mind to go somewhere with Snape alone. Well, I probably am.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Night has come quicker that I wanted it to. Tonight will be potions and tomorrow will be charms. Next week will be the same. Dumbledore thought that it would be best if we did the subjects on different nights once a week. As I prepare to leave the common room Peter and Jen give me sympathetic smiles, James a comforting pat on the shoulder, Lily a light kiss on the cheek, and Sirius a nice long kiss on the lips.
"Be careful," he whispers as we finally pull away, "he's hurt you before." I give him one last smile before stepping out of his arms, promising my caution and exiting the room.
"Evening," I say in a rather strained voice when I meet him on the staircase that leads down to the dungeons. He just nods.
When we arrive in our potions classroom he says, "Here are the instructions for six potions. Tonight I want you to make each one so that I can see just how dreadful you really are at this." Although he's being short and formal it's better than the string of insults that normally accompanies our conversations so I'm not complaining.
Everything is going fine when he suddenly says, "don't put that in…" BOOM, "…there." He is cut off by the sound of my cauldron exploding and droplets of my potion flying everywhere. "Now look what you've done you stupid werewolf! What were you thinking about your boyfriend or something? I should have known that this would only end in disaster. You're nothing but a queer werewolf who couldn't make a potion to save his life. Your friends are no better; Potter and Black always walking around like they own the school. I bet they're screwing each other on the side…" Slap. I slap him across the face, effectively cutting off the torrent of abuse that is coming from his mouth.
"Why do you hate me?" I start with a vengeance, "is it that you're jealous of the friendships and the romantic relationship that I have or are you just a prejudiced homophobe? Please enlighten me because I don't understand this hate you seem to hold for me. I've never hated anyone in my life and I'm curious." I don't know why I let him get under my skin like that, it just happened.
I stand there waiting for an answer but it doesn't come. Finally I walk out saying, "I'll see you tomorrow night at eight. Don't be late." Then I walk out with the potion slowly eating holes into my robes and my face singed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I'm standing outside of Dumbledore's office for the second time in two days. Last night when I got back it took me twenty minutes to placate the group enough to convince them that it was really my fault that I was hurt and that I was the one who had done the slapping and not Snape.
I then had to take care of Sirius. When the seasons change he gets terrible dry skin. Angry red patches cover his arms, shoulders, neck, and hands. Madame Pomfrey gave him a special crème to help with the rash and itching and every night I help him apply it. I rather enjoy this nightly ritual and will almost be sad when it gets to the point where it's not bad enough for me to have to apply it. I say almost, because I hate to see him uncomfortable and itchy. It seems like he's always scratching at this time of the year and when winter turns into spring.
Now I'm back at Dumbledore's office. He asked to see me this morning at breakfast. I'm hoping that he's going to tell me that I don't have to work with Snape anymore, but that's not his way. Oh well, I can dream can't I?
"Ah Mr. Lupin," he greets as I enter the room, "wonderful to see you. Why don't you take a seat? Lemon drop?" I mutely accept. "The events of last night have come to my attention and it appears that you slapped Mr. Snape. Is that correct?"
"Yes sir," I whisper.
"Mr. Lupin, it has also come to my attention that you provoked and that a rather nice caldron has been reduced to liquid. Is that also correct?"
"Yes sir," I say even softer than before.
"Mr. Lupin I'm going to tell you something that I want you to promise not to tell anyone, not even Mr. Black." I nod my agreement. "When I formed this alliance between you and Mr. Snape I hoped that maybe the two of you could become alliances of a sort. I'm not asking you to be best friends with the boy, but he's had a hard life. I'm afraid of what could happen to him were he to fall in with the wrong crowd. He doesn't really have friends, as you may have noticed, and has attempted suicide twice." I gasp and he continues, "His home life may not be as bad as yours but he has been raised to hate. My thoughts are if he has a homosexual werewolf for a friend that it may help to get rid of some of those hatreds."
"I didn't know," I say simply, "I'll try harder Professor."
He smiles at me, his blue eyes twinkling. "Good, now go along to class. Have a nice day Remus."
"You too sir," I say as I leave the room with considerably more to think about and very confused.
Sirius' POV
It's been two weeks since Remus and Snape started tutoring each other. I don't like it. Remus is trying to make the best of it but Snape isn't trying very hard to make the best of it at all. I'm actually getting a bit fed up with Remus. He's being such a spoilsport about teasing Snape lately. I'll talk to him about it in the morning I think as he massages crème into my dry and itchy skin.
I don't really like the stuff. It's cold and slimy; especially when Remus and I settle down for the night. "Good night Moony," I murmur as we settle together in my bed. I can barely make out the muffled reply as he snuggles into my chest.
~*~*~*~*~
We awake early as always to watch the sunrise. All too soon the others are awake and we must leave the sanctuary of the window seat and each others' arms. When the others are ready for breakfast I wave them on, holding Remus back.
"Go on guys we'll be down soon," I say. When they have left I say, "Remus, I'm worried about how much time you're spending with Snape lately."
He looks at me for a moment before saying, "well we have been assigned to help each other. What are you jealous?"
"No," I say quickly, "it's just that you spend so much time together and it seems like your trying to be nice to him or something. It's weird, I mean, he's Snape."
"Just because he's been nasty in the past doesn't mean that he can't change. It's not we've been very nice to him either." His voice is starting to rise just a bit and I can tell that he's getting mad. Well so am I.
"I don't like it." I state firmly.
"Well too bad," he hisses, "and if you think about it this is your fault anyway. You're the one who talked me into taking the bloody course anyway."
My voice rising with every word I say, "Why can't you just ask if someone else can help you: like me?"
His temper is flaring too, "then what would Snape do about his charms grade? I spend practically every waking hour with you. Hell, I spend my sleeping hours with you too. Sometimes I need my away time!"
A few minutes later our argument has progressed into an all out shouting match,
"WEREWOLF," I scream at him.
"QUEER," he counters.
"HYPOCRITE"
"WELL AT LEAST I HAVE A PARENT WHO LOVES ME!" He shouts. Then there is dead silence. That hurt a lot. Anger and hurt flooding my brain I turn and stalk out of the room.
At breakfast we sit as far apart from each other as possible; each of us stabbing at our breakfasts as the others talk cheerfully. Eventually Lily figures out that we've had a fight and she squeals. She and Jen then gush about our first fight and how cute it is. I want to strangle them or throw up, I'm not sure which. I hate it when girls giggle.
All through morning classes we don't speak and at lunchtime I watch as he gives Snape an extra big smile. I growl low in my throat but no one hears me.
By dinnertime even Peter can feel the tension in the air. We sit in stony silence as we do our homework. Because we're seventh years now, we've been getting a lot of homework. It's only November and the teachers are already talking about our NEWTS. That means a severe increase in our workload.
Bed time comes and we're still not talking. I struggle with my lotion on my own until James comes and rescues me. It isn't long after everyone falls asleep that I realize that sleep isn't going to be kind to me tonight. I should apologize in the morning. It really isn't his fault that he has to spend time with that greasy bastard and being an optimist I suppose that he's just trying to make the best of it.
The clock is tolling midnight now and in the bed next to mine a figure has just shot up out of their slumber. I sigh realizing that even though dead, the late Mr. Lupins' ghost still comes to visit Remus at night when I'm not there. Remus gets up and comes to my bed. I hold my breath in anticipation. Did he wait for the others to go to sleep so that he could come yell at me or is he just here out of habit?
"I'm sorry Padfoot," he whispers as his fingers trace familiar paths through my hair.
"It was my fault," I murmur just as quietly, "I shouldn't have made a big deal out of it."
"Let's just forget about it," he says.
"Agreed," I say, "now come under the covers it must be freezing out there." He does and as we curl up together I feel very happy. We've made it through our first fight.
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