LINER NOTES:
No random notes for once! At least, I don't think.

DISCLAIMER: At this moment, every single thing I am wearing is secondhand. I sincerely doubt it's mine.

ARCHIVING: See Chapter 1 please.

RATING: This chapter is rated PG-13 for homosexuality and language.

REVIEWS:

Yulara: Remus will explain, to some extent, why Severus would not have recognized him onstage, but there is another

reason that you can find in Chapter 5: The Crow. (It's listed on here as Chapter Six because of the interlude, which I do not

number.) In addition, it's quite likely that the bar, being a typical bar, would be full of cigarette smoke, which would also toy

with Severus' vision.

tiffany: Severus did indeed know that Harry Potter had become the legal ward of Remus Lupin, but remember that the

person Severus is writing to is called "Rémy." Remus will answer your question (both of them, actually) this chapter as well.

Eleonora1: Well, as you know, Raven is my version of a self-insert - she's me as I wish I really were. I do have the Long

Legs from Hell (believe me, they are - you don't know torture until you're a long-legged girl trying to squeeze into one of

those car things at an amusement park. I can't play Dodge'Em Cars anymore because my legs are too long!), but my hair is

very short and blonde. The idea behind the "Spark Monster" is merely a name and a theory- Sirius explains the entire

concept. If I can fit in a mention of Remus' first lover, I'll certainly do that for you, but the next few chapters are very full -an

explanation of Remus' family, school shopping, revealing Nate's true identity to Ron and Hermione,and the return to Hogwarts

and a few surprises waiting there - you might have to wait a bit to find out who it was! (Sorry to the Siri/Remy fangirls, it

won't be our lovable Padfoot. In fact I'll have to figure it out myself - I never thought about it before you asked!)

Remus' hair, in my mind, is a sandy light blonde, much like my own before I dyed it (I'm now a proud honey-blonde). He is

certainly not a brunette. I have never been able to picture him as one, not since the very first time I read Prisoner of Azkaban.

I defer to JKR on most things,but on this one - sorry, hon, he shoulda been blonde. (And "blonde" is the unisex spelling here

in the States, so I'm not going to worry about genders and things like that.) The pen would actually be Remus' pen (notice

that's what he usually uses), he just had it in Harry's desk - probably to keep it from getting lost in his own chaos! And I think

that answers all your questions . . .

CHARACTER INSERTS: It's not often that I do self-inserts or real-life inserts, but there are three of them in this chapter

(and the past one): Raven is loosely based off myself (though I am not a gorgeous black haired thirty year old. No, I'm a

sixteen year old version of Luna Lovegood, minus the silver eyes). Sinelle Draconn is the wonderful Eleonora1, my most

faithful reviewer (yes, she'll show up again, though not in a major way I don't think); and Alicia the chestnut-haired waitress is

my best friend, Alicia, who correctly guessed the challenge posted in the first chapter and thus earned a write-in.

ENJOY!

Remus mouthed soundlessly; his vocal chords seemed to have disappeared, taking his brain right along with them. Finally he

managed to come out with "Do you mind if I sit down?"

Severus shook his head, and Remus pulled out the chair next to him. A waitress with chestnut hair and a tiny frame moved up

to the table. "Hello there, I'm Alicia; I'll be serving you tonight, would you like anything?"

Remus considered. "Just water, thanks."

Severus held up his glass, and the slightly freckly barmaid took it. As she slipped easily away through the smoke and the

crowd, Severus raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know you could play guitar."

Remus played nervously with his hands. "There's probably a lot you don't know about me. I could say the same for you."

Severus almost – but not quite – snorted. The sound was more like a "mmm" than anything else. "So were they real?"

Remus had been staring broodingly at the table next to them without really seeing it at all. He swiveled his head back around

quickly. "Hmm?"

"I said, were they real, Lupin."

"So we're back on a last name basis already, are we?" Remus paused and furrowed his brow. "Were what real?"

"The letters. Or was that just some kind of twisted jest on your part?"

"They – I still can't believe it's you. I should have spotted it as soon as you told me you were a teacher. Or by the things you

said you were reading or –"

"Cut the rant, Lupin, and answer the question."

"It wasn't a joke. At least . . . I didn't think it was. I knew there had to be another shoe dropping somewhere." Alicia the

waitress returned and set down Remus' water and . . . whatever was in Severus' glass. "Do you want anything else for now?

I can go get it now . . ."

Both men shook their heads. As she left again, Severus began speaking. "So you really do play piano and read the classics?

Everything you said was true?"

"Everything except the fact that almost everyone calls me Rémy. It occurred to me after I sent that letter that it's really only

my Muggle friends – and the witches and wizards I met through that part of my social circle – who call me that. I suppose I

stretched it a bit."

Severus waved aside the semantics with a gesture Remus had seen him use quite often as a student, as though he were lazily

clearing smoke from in front of his face, and then took a drink of the mysterious substance in the glass. "I was referring to the

things we talked about."

"All true."

Suddenly, with the air of a man putting two and two and two and two together to get eight, Severus stared directly at Remus

so hard that Remus began to squirm. "Then Harry is –"

"Yes, that Harry."

Severus shook his head in self-disgust. "Forget you recognizing me, how did I not recognize you? Especially tonight? I didn't

have any idea who you were until that black-haired girl said your name."

Remus considered for a moment before answering. "It's not too surprising, really. I never gave you any definites to go on. I

never told you I'd been a teacher. I gave you a rough date for Harry's birthday that could put it any time between July 26th

and August 7th. You never knew my last name. Tonight – you'd probably call me a drag queen if you had any idea how much

makeup I have on so people can actually see in the back. Stage lights have a tendency to distort things. I don't normally dress

like this. And let's be honest, Severus, what do we really know about each other? I almost guarantee it never occurred to you

that I don't still live with my parents. And I'd have been the last person to peg you as a classical-music lover."

There was a long pause before Severus' answer. "I suppose we don't really know that much. Remus."

Remus grinned shyly and blushed (although the heavy foundation he was wearing concealed it), tipping his head down toward

his water glass. Severus nodded at it. "I can't believe you don't want anything stronger than that." Remus eyed the glass with

a slight expression of distaste. "I'd love something stronger, but if I get drunk now I won't be able to play when I have to go

back on. Beside which, I'm a terrible drunk."

As though it had been some sort of secret cue, Sinelle – the keyboard player – slipped up to the table. "Remus? Phone

message for you."

Remus reached for the slip of paper she held out to him and read it. "We need milk and bread." He shook his head. "Milk

and bread. You'd think he'd go to the corner store for that. It's only a block away from the flat."

Severus processed the statement before inquiring, "Did he like that book?"

Remus smiled widely. "He's hardly put it down since he got it." For the first time since Remus had known him, Severus

looked truly gratified. "I'm glad he is enjoying it."

Remus suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Severus . . . I don't . . . I mean . . ."

Severus looked at Remus sharply. "You're still concerned over this?" He pulled a slip of paper out of his book and pushed it

across the table. Remus recognized it as the letter he'd sent to "Nate" suggesting they meet here tonight (and informing him, in

response to the postscript at the end of "Nate's" letter, that dinner was broccoli chicken).

"Well . . . yes . . ."

Severus let out a hefty sigh. "You say you wrote those letters honestly. I say I am interested in knowing more about the

person who wrote them. You ask what we know about each other – honestly. I answer that we can't know that much. My

main goal tonight was to meet – you – and determine what I truly thought of you. Therefore I see no problem."

"Except that you despise the air I breathe."

"I came here with an open mind. I intend to keep it that way. Your true identity does not affect that fact in the slightest."

Remus looked down and caught sight of Severus' book. "What's that you're reading?"

Severus flipped it over to show the front cover. "Lord of the Flies."

Remus shuddered. "I never could finish that book. I got to the point where Simon ran into the Beast and when they started

talking about the flies all over that pi-"

Severus interrupted him. "Don't tell me. I'm not that far into it yet. Which reminds me, I believe this is yours." He took

another small volume out of his pocket and handed it to Remus. "You lent it to me when I said I couldn't find a copy."

Remus grinned slightly as he slid it into his own pocket. "What did you think of it?"

"It was fairly well-written for a Muggle vampire story (1). I simply couldn't believe it when the older one

died. I honestly thought he'd make it through. Whatever happened to the priest?"

"Father Callahan?"

Severus nodded.

"I don't know. You never find out."

"He needs to write another."

Remus grinned. "Stephen King has written many books, but I believe that's the only one about vampires."

Severus looked intrigued. "What kind of books?"

"Contemporary fiction. Horror, mostly. Although almost all of his stories are quite good. Misery was positively fantastic. It's

about an author who's kidnapped by a crazy woman who claims to be his biggest fan, and she makes him write a story for

her."

"Does he write about that kind of thing often?"

Remus shook his head. "Almost all of his books are very different. Take The Talisman. A boy has to travel between two

worlds to save – his mother, I think. And The Running Man is about a man who joins a reality television show – it was

actually written long before reality television was created – where you have to run for thirty days, because you're running from

these people who are looking to kill you."

"So it's mostly science fiction."

"Not really. Horror. Fiction. Some is plausible, but most – at least to the Muggles – isn't."

"I might have to look for more of his books.Inever expected who would live and who would die in that one."

"Don't bother. I've got the whole collection. You can borrow any of them anytime."

Again, Severus looked quite pleased. Remus smiled to himself. Maybe he could just make this work.

Remus slipped in the front door only to be confronted by apositively furiousHarry Potter. "Where the hell have you been,

Remus? It's almost seven o'clock in the morning!"

Remus tossed his coat onto a chair, not even bothering to consider hanging it up, and pulled the spectacled boy into a tight

hug.

"I take it you had a good time. Tell me you didn't stay over at his house already."

Remus shook his head, letting go of Harry and drifting into the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea. "No – I met him between

sets, and then went back and played – we ended up staying, the band, I mean – until two, and he was waiting when I got off

again. We had a drink, and talked for awhile, and when the bar closed – around three – we went for a walk down in the

park, and then he went home, and I was too keyed up to sleep so I just went down by the Thames and I've been walking

there ever since just thinking about everything."

Harry stared. "You walked around for four hours?"

Remus just looked at him, slightly confused. "What time is it?"

"I told you. It's almost seven o'clock. I couldn't sleep either so I got up and started reading and I was waiting for you to

come home. You scared the hell out of me."

"Watch your language, Harry."

Harry rolled his eyes. "But you had fun."

"It was fantastic."

Harry sat down at the table with a glass of milk as Remus did the same, adding sugar to his tea. "So tell me about him."

Now here came the part Remus had been dreading. Maybe he could skip it. "Well, there's not much to tell, really, he wasn't

exactly as I expected him to be but he was still quite nice –"

"Come on, Remus, spill. What's he look like? What did you talk about? Where does he live? Stop beating around the bush."

Remus took a deep breath. "You're not going to like this, Harry."

"What is it? He's married or something, right?"

"No . . . Harry, it's Severus," Remus blurted out.

Harry stared at him. "You mean – Snape?"

"How many other Severuses do we know?"

Harry gaped in unadulterated horror. "You can't be serious."

"I am."

"And you – you – enjoyed yourself?"

Remus sipped his tea somewhat more calmly than he had come in the door. "Absolutely. I think the fact that I was honest and

upfront in my last letter to him – as you suggested – removed a lot of the animosity he felt toward me – me as Remus, I mean.

He even said so, when we were talking – that it must have taken a good deal of nerve to stand up and admit to being a

werewolf when I didn't even know the full name of the person I was telling."

Harry was reeling. "I can't believe you really – I mean – he actually – are you meeting him again?" he finally demanded.

Remus nodded. "Next Wednesday. We're going to lunch. And then he wants to meet you."

If Harry had been horrified before, there were no words for what he felt now. "Meet ME?"

"Yes, you, Harry. To paraphrase what Severus said, if he misestimated me then perhaps he's done the same to you."

"I can't believe this."

"Believe it, Harry. We still have no idea where we're going with this, but at the very least it'll be a good deal more pleasant

for all three of us, going back to Hogwarts with a bit of an understanding if nothing else."

Remus stood. "If you don't mind, I'd like to lie down for an hour or two. It took long enough, but I think all the walking finally

got to me."

Harry got up from his seat. "I'll join you. I'm exhausted."

Harry fell asleep almost instantly, propelled not only by his all night vigil but by limp relief as well. Remus, however, took

longer. Surreal things had a tendency to do that to him.

REFERENCE NOTES:

(1) 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King. I've tried not to give away any plot points in case you care to read it. It's quite a good

book, but (as my copy is in rather battered condition, poor book – it was a first edition, too) I have only ever been able to

find copies of it at secondhand bookstores and once for about a week in a grocery store. I'm playing off the idea that it would

be even harder to find overseas.