You're the Only One I See
Notes: This chapter is short compared to the 7/8/9 pages I usually churn out. I was sorely tempted to put some other stuff into and then decided it was fine as is.
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Chapter Two
Vampires Never Have Good News
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"Sorry about that. Sirius wouldn't have left if not for the threat of bodily harm." Remus said with a wry smile. He loved Sirius but sometimes the other man just didn't know when to keep his mouth shut. Apparently tact wasn't something he'd grown over the years.
Not that he could blame Sirius for that. And he wasn't mad or anything. Just kind of wished the other man would think before he spoke.
"I noticed." Snape's lips were pressed into a thin line. Remus regarded him with a frown. Snape wouldn't like to admit it but he wore his emotions very plainly, but at the moment there was…nothing. Not even his usual air of annoyance.
That was worrisome. He couldn't imagine Sirius' words would cut that deep. True Snape was borderline insanely protective of his son, but…well it was Sirius. Snape usually took everything he had to say and ignored it.
Which was exactly what Sirius did about everything Snape had to say. It balanced out nicely that way in Remus' honest opinion.
"So what's wrong with Chase?" He knew that Snape wasn't so disturbed by anything but the young vampire. Everything else in the world ranked somewhere around 'annoying distraction' so to get under Snape's skin it had to be serious.
"Beyond the obvious mind numbing visions of a near apocalyptic future?" Snape deadpanned. "And the increasing prospect of insanity before he graduates from school? I'd have to say he's rather well."
"Snape-" Remus tried to keep his voice soothing without being condescending. He'd thought that Chase was improving. Or at least improving as much as any person ever could when they would ultimately just get worse.
That was probably the worst thing about Chase's…condition. He'd suffer a vision and be weak for weeks, sleeping and barely eating. And then he'd get better, healing completely. And for a time everything would be deceptively normal…and then another vision. It was a very nasty cycle.
"You should teach your dog to think before he speaks." Snape's voice sounded very…strained. Like he was having a hard time keeping his emotions under control. Something in his flickered and Remus could see the storm inside. And then his eyes once again went blank.
"Or at least to choose his supposed insults more wisely." Snape said, looking away from him. This was the part where he beat himself up for showing weakness. Snape lived on the defensive, mistrusting everyone and sure that danger lurked around every corner.
He hated the idea of someone knowing him, being able to see past his carefully constructed 'Mean Potions Master' mask. Just one of the many things on the long list of why Snape claimed to not be able to stand him. He said Remus saw too much.
And maybe he did.
"He doesn't know." Remus rubbed at the bridge of his nose as he tried to find the right words to explain what exactly Sirius didn't know. He couldn't find them. "Its not easy to try and fill someone in on twelve years of a life they've missed."
"Try harder. I know cramming knowledge into Black's empty head can't be that much of a task for you." Snape's voice had a familiar edge of harshness to it.
Remus made a gesture that would be considered rude by most but only made Snape's lips quirk. They were back to their usual way of dealing with each other.
"I assume Albus has sent you with a message."
Dumbledore had, according to Siri (Who got his information second hand from Chase) been keeping Snape very busy the past few weeks. Remus didn't harbor any illusions concerning what Albus was using Snape for and wasn't even going to try and hide how much he didn't like it.
He understood they needed someone inside of the Death Eater fold but Snape was a bad idea for two reasons. The first being that Snape was only loyal to Snape and had never put up an image of being anything but. (Oddly enough that didn't worry Remus too much.) The second reason was that it was a whole new, unexplored level of dangerous.
It seemed pretty obvious to Remus that Snape would seem like a spy to the Dark Lord and those around him. He worked for Albus, was the second highest ranking professor, hadn't come when the Dark Lord called, and had been given every chance over the past four years to kill Harry and hadn't done it.
Hell, if Remus was in the Dark Lord's position he would have killed him on sight. Maybe that was just him though.
"But of course. The puppet master pulls the strings and I dance." Snape gave a slight mockery of a bow while his lips twisted into a dark smile.
Ah. He was in a good mood. How nice.
"Does he know you call him that?"
"I should imagine so."
Snape gave a listless shrug to show just how little he cared. Remus knew better. Snape was terrified of Albus and whatever power the vampire thought he had. Remus only knew of two other people who commanded the same kind of respect from Snape; Lucius Malfoy and the Dark Lord.
Remus was pretty sure Snape was just paranoid. Or perhaps was so against the idea of being forced to work for someone else that he'd…crafted reasons to distrust Dumbledore. Because the vampire was very cautious around Albus. While he let his disdain for the man be public he was also careful to never let his guard down around him. Never was Snape so on guard as when he was within the walls of Hogwarts.
Why he mistrusted the Hogwarts headmaster so much was beyond Remus. He would have expected him to be indebted to him for even allowing him into Hogwarts, much as Remus was.
He wasn't going to lie and say he agreed with everything Dumbledore did, but he very much owed the man for…well his life. Siri's life.
"Stop that." Snape was scowling at him. He arched an eyebrow, wondering what exactly he'd done to annoy the other man. (Mostly so he could be sure to do it again)
"What exactly?"
Snape regarded him silently for a moment then rolled his eyes. He muttered what sounded suspiciously like 'poor excuse for a throw rug' but Remus decided not to press it.
"You and the dog are to go to Grimmauld Place and he's supposed to 'lay low'. Pettigrew was kind enough to inform Voldemort of Black's ability to become a dog and the Death Eaters have taken to killing every large black animal that crosses their path." Snape's lips quirked. "It'd be amusing if it weren't so idiotic."
Snape had a sense of humor that could only be described as 'unique'. Or perhaps 'twisted' but Remus preferred not to take it quite that far. Besides, Snape would probably think it a compliment.
Probably because he was a really twisted bloke.
"Then again," Snape continued almost musingly. "I'm afraid the Death Eaters were never the brightest bunch of Wizards in the world. I think Voldemort purposefully surrounded himself with fools to ensure that he'd never be challenged."
"I'm glad you think so highly of yourself."
Snape snorted. "Voldemort wanted me for my political ties and my skill in potions and because he knew I was entirely too disinterested to challenge him, nothing more or less. There were better Potions Masters and vampires higher on the political scale…I was just more complacent. I assure you I'm far too old for delusions of grandeur."
"You're a child, albeit a perverse one, by vampire status."
"And a perverted old man by human standards."
"I actually think you're perverse by all standards." Remus said musingly.
Just as he'd suspected, Snape looked flattered. And then slightly amused. "How kind of you Remus. Sadly tales of my perversity are highly exaggerated."
Vampires were probably the darkest of the Dark Creatures, outdoing even Deamons in terms of pure power and disposition. While it was possible to become an unwilling werewolf (as Remus was proof of) to become a vampire one had to know full well what they were entering into.
Vampirism was as much a disease of the mind as it was one of the body. If one didn't have the proper mental state the vampirism wouldn't take and they'd become the laughing stock of the creature community: Zombies.
Nasty business a Zombie was. To be one was to pretty much announce to the world that you were too weak to be a true dark creature and instead were more cut out for a life of eating rotting flesh and obeying orders like a mindless drone.
Remus had met a Zombie once, while he was with Snape. He'd almost been ill. They didn't last too long before they decomposed and turned into a thick putrid sludge and Remus had been given the privilege of watching the process.
Apparently the sludge was useful in a variety of potions and Snape had needed to gather some.
Remus could have lived without the experience.
While it was true that Snape had been born what he was it was just as true that if a vampire didn't have the right mind for they'd go mad. Snape was probably one of the few sane people that Remus knew, sad to say.
It was strange that in order for a vampire to be sane they had to be sick and 'unnatural' by normal definitions. Then again, the same could be said for all dark creatures. That was what made them 'Dark'. The fact that they were able to do things that others wouldn't or couldn't without a second thought.
Which made Remus uneasy at times.
"Lupin?"
"What? Oh, I was… Did Albus want to say anything else?"
"Nothing that can't wait until the meeting." Snape said, frowning some. "I need you to look after Chase for a time. His brother is busy with business and the puppet master has plans for me."
Snape's son had a half-brother named Brennan. Remus didn't know him that well but Siri seemed to like him well enough.
"You want me to take him to Order Headquarters." Remus said slowly wondering if he'd heard the other man wrong.
"I can't leave him alone."
Remus nodded. "Okay. Siri could use the company. Somehow I doubt he's going to get on with the Weasleys well."
Snape sniffed. "The boy has taste."
Matter of opinion.
Snape's lips quirked as if he was reading Remus' mind. Which was a very real possibility considering who and what he was. With Snape you just could never really be sure what the hell he could and couldn't do when properly motivated. Mostly because you didn't know what he was capable of until you'd already fallen victim to it.
Remus couldn't help but think back to his seventh year at Hogwarts and the killings that had taken place there. Brutal killings that looked like a dark creature had done them, prompting the Ministry to send Slayers to Hogwarts. (1)
He'd thought Snape an annoying, slimy, all around useless waste of space. By the end of the year he'd realized he was an annoying, slimy, all around useless waste of space who had no qualms with snapping the neck of someone who tried to wave a holy relic in his face and then burying them out in the Forbidden Forest as if nothing had ever happened.
Which hadn't improved his opinion of the man any. After all, he had snapped the neck of a man then gone out into the night to bury him somewhere in the Forbidden Forest. That just wasn't normal behavior.
It had prompted him to make Sirius learn a little self-control though.
"Chase is at the manor." Snape said and by the tone of his voice Remus could tell he was ready to get on with his affairs. "I'll be at Grimmauld Place within the week to check up on him."
Remus nodded. Snape knew his way out and so started for the front door. Remus shoved his hands into his pockets then looked around. He could tell that the peaceful 'family' game they'd been playing out was officially over.
Time to rejoin the real world.
Only of course the real world was on the verge of a nasty war that most people were too foolish to realize was about to break out. Things were, without a doubt, teetering on the edge of hell.
And he needed a shower
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1. As seen in "World On Fire" which is the second story in this series and, sorry, isn't out yet. Mostly because I'm not done with "Wake Me Up Inside", the first story in this series. And no, I don't write in order.
